Archive for the ‘apocalypse’ Category

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I wish I was a supernatural being requiring no sleep. Not an ugly one, of course. More like a vampire. Then I wouldn’t be so far behind in my reading. I could read 24/7 if I wanted to. Which I do!
I have World of Ash, the first book in this exciting series. It’s just the kind of story I love. And I HAVEN’T read it yet! Ugh! Not enough hours in the day.
And now, Time of Ruin, Book Two, is releasing. I love a series and have got to get started on this one.
I have the awesome cover art for ya and my favorite excerpt.
Plus, there’s a giveaway. So don’t forget to enter!
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Time of Ruin (Ash and Ruin #2)
Release Date: 07/22/14
Summary from Goodreads:
The world has ended, and hope is the most dangerous thing left.

Battered and bruised after barely escaping San Francisco with their lives, Kat, Dylan, and Blue press north – desperate to reach the possibility of a new home.

But strange, monstrous ravens are tracking the remaining survivors, food is becoming scarce, gasoline is running short, and people are becoming suicidal, making survival almost impossible.



And the Pestas are growing bolder. Somehow, their numbers are growing.



The further north they go, the harder it becomes to ignore the signs that they’ve made a fatal mistake. Kat must face the impossible truth that there is no escape, there is no safe haven, and their worst nightmares don’t come close to their new reality.

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Purchase Links

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo

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There were several excerpts to choose from but I liked this one the best. Enjoy!
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With a shaking hand, I pull my water bottle from the netted pocket and take a few sips, reluctantly controlling myself from gulping down half of it. Once my mouth is pleasantly wet, I hold the bottle out to Blue and let him take a few sips. I’m happy the mouth is wide so I don’t need to spill any out for him.

The last thing I want to do is to dig through my pack and get out Blue’s bowls and kibble, so I pull out a can of beef stew, my last can of the blessed protein-and-carb packed stuff, and pull the tab to open it. “We’ll share, okay?”

Blue sits on his haunches, back perfectly straight, as he watches me. I know it’s a leftover trick from his first family, but it makes me smile.

“Me first,” I say and point at the ground.

With a short whine, Blue lays on the ground, resting his chin on his paws as he watches me tilt the can to my mouth. Eating only half of the stew isn’t as hard as I thought it would be; my stomach is so tight with worry over leaving Dylan, over the trail of smoke in the distance, and my need to find transportation that I’m not as hungry as I should be. I have to choke down the last bite of mealy potato before I hold the can out for Blue. He has no such difficulty eating the other half of the stew, and in minutes, he’s licking the inside of the can clean.

“Pig,” I tease as I toss the can away. Blue ignores me and lays down to clean his paws.

I let my head fall back against my pack. My eyelids are heavy, and it’s increasingly more difficult to keep my eyes open. I click my tongue for Blue, and he jumps to his feet in an instant. I chuckle and snap my fingers for him to come to my side. With his warm body tucked in close to me, I lay one hand on his back and let sleep pull me under.

I don’t know how much time passes before I’m awoken by a sound that I know neither I nor Blue made. My eyes snap open, and my whole body goes instinctively still. I hold my breath so that I can hear better. Blue shifts under my hand. He picks up his head, his ears perfect triangles as he listens for the unfamiliar noise. I grip the loose skin at his neck and make a tiny noise to keep him quiet.

Somewhere a twig snaps, louder than any shot fired.

Not for the first time, I miss the farmhouse where I found Blue, with its intact walls and locks on every door. I bite the inside of my cheek, wondering if I can get to the edge of the wall and away from here before whoever is walking up the steps comes around the corner.

A dim yellow light creeps across the floor underneath the dresser we’re hiding behind. My heart is choking me, lodged high in my throat, and all I can hear is the beat of my pulse and the rush of my blood.

“Yeah, this is good,” a man’s voice rings out, striking me like a whip.

I’ve missed my chance to run.

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World of Ash
Ash and Ruin Book One
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Synopsis

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There are two inherent truths in the world: life as we know it is over, and monsters are real.

The Pestas came in the night, spreading their pox, a deadly plague that decimated the population. Kat, one of the unlucky few who survived, is determined to get to her last living relative and find shelter from the pox that continues to devastate the world. When it mutates and becomes airborne, Kat is desperate to avoid people because staying alone might be her only chance to stay alive.

That is, until she meets Dylan. Dylan, with his easy smile and dark, curly hair, has nowhere to go and no one to live for. He convinces Kat there can be safety in numbers, that they can watch out for each other. So the unlikely couple set off together through the barren wasteland to find a new life – if they can survive the roaming Pestas, bands of wild, gun-toting children, and piles of burning, pox-ridden bodies

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About Author Shauna Granger

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, but it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Five years ago, Shauna started work on her Elemental Series. She released the first installment, Earth, on May 1, 2011 and has since released four sequels, with the series coming to an end with Spirit. She is currently hard at work on a new Urban Fantasy series, staring a spunky witch with a smush-faced cat named Artemis.
Author Links:
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$20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Book Blitz Organized by:
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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I’ll admit it. The cover art caught my attention first.

Then I read the blurb and had to read Isolation. I love reading about a scenario that could happen, that may be happening as we speak.

Check out Isolation, enjoy my review, and don’t forget to enter the giveaways. Yep, there’s two!

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isolation cover

Publisher: Mill City Press (April 15, 2014)
Category: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Political Thriller, Medical Thriller
ISBN: 13: 978-1-62652-760-7
Tour Dates: June 15-July 30, 2014
Available in: Print and ebook, 383 Pages

MY REVIEW

Imagine not being able to touch yourself or others for fear of punishment. Imagine a world where so many have died from bacterial infection that it’s now a law, strongly enforced, of no touching of any kind.

We already see signs of this in some countries. People going out in public wearing face masks and gloves. Sanitizer stations in business entryways.

The author approaches this clinically and emotionally.

I couldn’t imagine not being able to kiss my babies face, hug a friend, or even wipe the tears from my own face.

For those born before the outbreaks, old habits die hard. It’s a slip of the mind to reach up and scratch your nose if it itches, and if you are spotted, you’re reported and punished.

Enforcers and Sterilizers are recruited and put in place supposedly for your own protection. This is where big brother thinks they know what’s best for everyone. And putting fear into the equation makes most people go along with their mandate.

But there are some who feel differently. Who secretly break the rules. Who dare to want more.

I don’t read reviews for a book until after mine has been published, but I’m betting a lot of people have said the same thing. This could happen and it might not be too far off. How often do you turn on the news and hear about this or that food product being pulled from the shelves because it’s contaminated? How people have sickened from it and even died?

The author approached this scenario with a dystopian and science fiction genre. At least that’s how it felt to me.

While I didn’t have a favorite character, there was one I wish had chosen a different employment, and three I wish could have prevailed together.

The ending is deeply moving. Profound.

I enjoyed this glimpse into a possible future and highly recommend it.

4 STARS

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Isolation depicts a bleak but recognizable future in which the fear of contagion reaches a fever pitch as a bacterial epidemic catapults the US into an apocalyptic crisis.

Touch is outlawed. Mothers like Maggie bind their infants’ hands, terrified they might slip fingers into mouths. Gary, a Sterilizer, uses robots to scour the infected, avoiding all contact with human flesh. Trevor, the Chief Enforcer, watches, eager to report any and all infractions.

One inadvertent touch will change all of their lives.

Read or Listen to An Excerpt

Praise for Isolation:

“I was fortunate enough to read a preview copy of Isolation and I have to say it is a timely and thought provoking, if not haunting, look into the future. I can’t imagine simple day-to-day tasks like getting food at the market being either impossible or dangerous. Written from a variety of perspectives and far-reaching communities, it kept the reader wondering, “Could this really happen to me? Could this be part of my world?” This book made me look into the foods I eat, the lifestyle I live and the value of my friends and family. To what extent would I go to keep those I love safe? Looking for answers kept me turning the pages.”– Michelle Keeton

“Denise Stephenson’s novel Isolation is situated in a not-too-distant future, one we can all imagine, in which bacterial diseases decimate human populations world-wide. Though other novelists and filmmakers have relied on viruses to frighten us with tales of pandemic diseases, Stephenson makes bacteria seem much, much more dangerous—in part, because the vast majority of bacteria we come in contact with are necessary for our survival. For one thing, we can’t digest food without the help of bacteria in our stomachs.

In Isolation, government agencies struggle with the question of how to isolate the dangerous bacteria from the life-saving sort. Eventually, hospitals are turned into Anti-Bacterial Centers, robots are used to cleanse individuals who are exposed, touching one’s face is banned, then touching others is banned, and finally everyone is quarantined inside their own homes in a final, desperate attempt to stop the spread of the lethal bacteria. It’s a frightening vision, but each step, each decision, makes perfect sense in light of the threat of contagion.

It’s a gripping tale, at once outrageous and yet plausible. Through news articles, a scientific report and a press release inserted throughout the novel, Stephenson reveals how woefully unprepared American society is for this sort of calamity.

In spite of the doomsday vision the book presents, it remains hopeful and optimistic by focusing on the lives of individuals. In the direst of circumstances, their humanity, their compassion, and their hope shines through.”– Bob Mayberry

“Isolation” paints a bleak picture. In order to keep humankind safe, the government imposes increasingly stricter bans on touching. From Do-not-touch one’s own nose and eyes to, in the end, the Total-Touch-Ban. People live in ever more isolation; at times, confined to their homes like prisoners.

While the prospect of living in, or even reading, about such a world may not sound appealing to everyone, Stephenson’s lovingly created characters, who accompany the reader from the present to a future two to three generations away, confirm that our species can adapt and survive.

Stephenson’s care to give each of her main characters a distinctive voice makes, in turn, the reader care about them; and that is what makes “Isolation” a pleasure to read.”– Irene Gerold

“Isolation gripped me. It’s a mesmerizing dystopia about the quiet and deadly menaces in our lives. These dangers may be hidden in the jargon of the latest government health report, lurking under the frilly curl of a romaine lettuce leaf, or triggered by a minor cut to a finger while using an ordinary kitchen knife. The characters in Isolation are people I know. It was easy to imagine myself as a sister, friend, or neighbor to any of them – or most of them.

I was in the story wondering, “What would I crave? What would I do for my family and my friends? Isolated, what could I do to fight back?” These questions linger.

The story is well paced, well written, and scary. Stephenson’s research is excellent. It provides a persuasive foundation for explaining why the home-bound isolation of the population becomes the awful solution for stopping the spread of disease. The story compelled me to mull my complacency about the safety of our food, drugs, and government promises to always protect our freedom.“- Karen Baum

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About Denise R. Stephenson:

DENISE R. STEPHENSON resides in Oceanside, CA, but she has lived in all the isolated locales of this novel at one time or another. Her publishing history is primarily academic, though as a member of Attention Deficit Drama, she has written and produced monologs and short plays. This is her first novel.

Website: http://denisestephenson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseStephensonIsolation
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witter:
https://twitter.com/BookArts_Denise

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Buy Isolation:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository

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I have two giveaways today!

You can enter both!

The first one is for an eBook copy of Isolation (Open Internationally)

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Would you break the rules of no touching if you were in the privacy of your own home, if no one could see you?”

Now for the second giveaway!

 5 Print copies of Isolation

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

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Follow the Tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus June 16 Excerpt & Giveaway
Library Educated June 17 Review
Creating Serenity June 18 Review
Room With Books June 18 Interview & Giveaway
Reviews From The Heart June 19 Review & Giveaway
Paranormal Romance & Authors June 24 Review
Always a Book Lover June 25 Guest Post
Lightning Chronicles June 27 Review
Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author July 1 Interview
Deal Sharing Aunt July 2 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt July 3 Interview & Giveaway
Books & Quilts July 9 Review
Mary’s Cup of Tea July 10 Review & Giveaway
Manic Mama of 2 July 10 Review
TreeHouseJuly 12 Giveaway
Book Talk With Alana July 14 Review
Book Talk With Alana July 14 Interview
Nerdophiles July 15 Review
Nerdophiles July 16 Interview & Giveaway
She Treads Softly July 17 Review
Kritters Ramblings July 18 Review
fuonlyknew July 21 Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway
Open Book Society July 23 Review & Giveaway
Cassandra M’s Place July 24 Review & Giveaway
Giveaways and Glitter July 25 Review
Two Children & a Migraine July 28 Review, Guest Post & Giveaway
JeanzBookReadNReview July 30 Interview & Giveaway
Heart of a Philanthropist July 31 Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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This is a Tag Team Event by fuonlyknew and fundinmental.

Today Sherry and I are featuring the new cover art for Wormwood by D.H. Nevins.

The author has also written an exciting guest post all about the process of creating and choosing her new cover.

And I’ve also reposted my review for ya.

One more thing. There’s a giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of Wormwood, with the new cover!

 After entering my giveaway, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental for another chance to win!

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Here is the new cover. Is it not spectacular? The faint hint of color like a ray of light. The wing tip and falling feathers. The peak she is standing on and the silhouette of her holding her crossbow, looking outwards.

All of these things pertain to the story and bring back fantastic memories.

Bravo!

wormwood finalA

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AMAZON

MY REVIEW

I’m reposting my review so you don’t have to leave the page!

I did not read the back flap before I started reading Wormwood. I had also received another book in the mail that day and mistakenly thought this was the book about aliens. Boy, was I surprised.

The first chapter introduces you to Kali. She is a trail guide at Pinecrest National Park. A quiet hike up to her favorite spot, Lookout Peak, starts out normally enough, but a light breeze quickly becomes a tree snapping gale. The once clear skies have turned a heavy grey-black, the clouds tumbling over each other as they race towards her.

This would not be so bad if the woods had not suddenly gone silent. Not a sound could be heard. The winds had stopped and all was still. Not even a bird song was heard. Into this silence came a rumbling that turned into a roar. The ground began to vibrate under her feet and she could see something was coming. The trees started to shake and then to fall, the ground began to roll. Kali ran.

The earth twists and buckles as she tries to reach the safety of Lookout Peak. Trees and shrubs reach out as if to grab her. She sees her goal and rushes forward. Stillness. All around her the earth is raging. Great rents appear, lava flows up from below, the skies open up and rain and hail lash down, but from her vantage point all she feels is a mild tremor under her feet. How can this be?

Kali wants to move out from under the overhanging rocks and edges around them to a clear space. The rocks could fall at any moment. There is a campfire burning. She is not alone up here. A quick look around reveals a figure standing on the cliffs edge, his arms stretched out towards the devastation that is still raging below.

TIAMAT

I tell ya, I was not prepared for this. I was exhausted from the tension I experienced following Kali’s mad dash to safety. My description is just a wee bit of what she goes through.

I am so excited just thinking about what I want to tell you. This happened and that happened! And what? I have never read a story quite like this. There is so much going on. The story raced to its conclusion, leaving me stunned.

At times I was scared. Other times I was so mad. And at one part, I realized I was crying, and it hurt.

D. H. Nevins has written a fantastic story of the end of the world and the last survivors. Perhaps this description is too simple, but I hesitate to tell much of the story. I want you to read it like I did. Unprepared and wide-eyed. I want you to get to know each character and discover just what is really causing all the destruction.

I hope when you read Wormwood, you’ll tell me how it made you feel. Did you experience it like I did?

A huge Thank You to the author for an extremely well written story in which to immerse myself.

Beyond 5 STARS

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Check out this amazing trailer!

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Synopsis

Against a devastated landscape, a legion of one hundred fierce half-angels is hell-bent on purging the Earth of all humans. But one of them, the tormented Tiamat, struggles against his mission, and when he rescues a beautiful woman named Kali, he finds the attraction as troubling as it is miraculous. Can Kali trust the one creature who could be responsible for her ultimate demise?

Beautifully written and excitingly told, Wormwood creates a world that is as strange as it is compelling. Filled with brilliantly executed twists and turns on every page that are guaranteed to keep you guessing, Wormwood is one of the most exciting debuts of the year.

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Enjoy the guest post by D.H. Nevins

A New Cover for Wormwood

First of all, before I say anything else, let me introduce Wormwood’s new cover. Oh, and before I do that, I should forewarn you that I’m a tad biased about this…

 

The New:

wormwood finalA

This beauty took my breath away the moment I saw it. As an author, I couldn’t ask for a better representation of my work. And I’m kind of picky—so that says a lot! The image projects a mood that reflects the feel of my story so perfectly, I knew the cover artist understood Wormwood on multiple levels. But even if we’re just talking aesthetics, well, although I am most definitely biased, I think this is one fantastic-looking cover!

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The Old:

Wormwood  old Cover (Front Only)

I originally had a different cover for Wormwood. It was a simple black and white etching by Gustave Doré, depicting a fallen angel reaching towards the heavens. The sheer turmoil apparent through the angel’s expression and pose not only fascinated me, but seemed a perfect depiction of the conflict raging through Tiamat, a half-angel in Wormwood. However, the etching–although classic–was hardly a trendy cover. The story itself was very well-received, but I found that people had trouble getting past the antiquated-looking cover in order to take a chance on reading what was within. My love for the cover, it seemed, was a lonely one!

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The Cool How:

wormwood Derek Murphy

About a month ago, I was contacted by cover artist extraordinaire, Derek Murphy. He had read Wormwood and subsequently offered to make up a new cover for the book—for free. Surprised, flattered and curious about the vision he had for Wormwood, I heartily agreed.

Then, as you know, the resulting cover blew my expectations out of the water! Its impact was immediate.

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Why it Works:

The image depicts the book genre clearly. The colour contrast is striking, which catches the eye instantly. Plus, it’s incredibly professional.

It also fits the story.

On a literal note, the protagonist is a strong female, adept with a crossbow, yet still out of her element. However, she would never admit it. I could see this in her stance. Yet the cover holds so much more than a simple literal representation of Wormwood. Derek recreated the feel of the book perfectly. The mixture of light and darkness remind me of a review Wormwood once received which, in part, said, “The lines will be blurred between good and evil, love and hate, truth and lies, and hero and antagonist.” The hazy fusion of sunlight and shadow reflect this beautifully. The unsettled, foreboding skies mirror the mood of this dark, post-apocalyptic story, and the falling feathers are a nice touch. They hint at the half-angels in the story without hitting potential readers over the head with their existence. The fact the feathers are broken and falling is also perfect, but I hesitate to say why… after all, I don’t want to spoil the most exciting parts of the book!

The Alternatives:

It was exceedingly difficult to select my favourite cover. Every mock-up Derek created was incredible in its own right, and it would be a shame not to share them. So in all their glory, here are the other options he came up with.

wormwood new cover 1  wormwood new cover 2  wormwood new cover 3

 

The third one—the one with the wing obscuring the girl’s face—is so amazing, I’d very much like to use it as the cover for my sequel, Angel of Shadow. What do you think?

 

My Thanks:

Naturally, I wouldn’t be sharing this with you if it wasn’t for Derek Murphy. His outstanding covers and unprecedented talent can be seen on his website, CreativIndie Covers. Have a look at http://bookcovers.creativindie.com/

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D.H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a quiet area of Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes. By day, she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By night, she silently chuckles as she writes about destroying the world. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, camping, flying around on her motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre.

For more about D.H. Nevins and her writing:

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

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D. H. Nevins is giving away 5 eBook copies of Wormwood.

An International Giveaway

To enter, please leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Which cover would you choose and why?”

This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry at fundinmental.

You can visit Sherry’s blog for another chance to win and see what she thinks about Wormwood  HERE.

Giveaway ends July 30th.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Haven’t heard of The Tesla Gate?

Let me introduce you. I have the stunning cover art, the synopsis, and the prologue.

And an awesome giveaway too.

Take a look around, but beware of the coming storm!

Tesla Gate.

The Tesla Gate

When a cosmic storm enters Earth’s atmosphere, scientists are baffled by its composition and origins, but not nearly as much as they are by the storm’s side effect – anyone who has died and chosen not to cross over is suddenly stranded here, visible, and can interact with the living.

With the world thrown into chaos, Thomas Pendleton is eager to make up for many broken promises to his six-year-old son, Seth. Soon after the storm, they set out on a road trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, completely unaware of the social and political maelstrom they’re heading into that will change their lives forever.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

Excerpt (The prologue)

The day the storm hit, the world was changed forever.

Its severity would not be measured in property damage or loss of life, although the latter could be argued. This storm’s impact turned man’s beliefs completely upside down; the social upheaval would be worse than the aftermath of any storm in history.

Though this storm did not bring hurricane force winds, driving rain, cyclones or even floods, its effects would be far more subtle … but the impact every bit as palpable. This storm had unique origins and, unlike most weather events, it was not relegated to one geographic area. Indeed it covered the entire planet; no one was left unaffected.

Living or dead.

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john mimmsAuthor John D. Mimms

John D. Mimms is a business owner, paranormal researcher, and author. John served as the Technical Director for the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST). During his four-year tenure with the organization, he helped supervise over 100 investigations and wrote more than sixteen technical articles. One of John’s articles, titled “A Christmas Carol Debunked,” was read live on Parazona Radio by Paul Bradford of Ghost Hunters International fame. John also wrote the ARPAST technical/training manual which is a comprehensive guide on equipment usage, investigation protocol, and scientific theory for paranormal research.

In 2009 John decided to couple his knowledge of paranormal phenomena with his lifelong love of literary fiction. Among his titles are The Great Keep, Death Theory, and The Lemonade Girl. John is currently working on book two of The Tesla Gate trilogy.

Facebook * Website * Blog * Twitter

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Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Ends 8/7/14

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Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Artful BlitzBanner

Welcome to fuonlyknew. I have a lot to show you today.

First, feast your eyes on the excellent cover art for The Artful.

Make sure you catch some laughs with the character interview of Twist and Dodger, er, I mean Dodger and Twist!

And don’t forget to enter the giveaways. Yep, there’s two of them!

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The Artful
by Wilbert Stanton
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(Shadows of the City #1)
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: May 27th 2014
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult

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Synopsis:

New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world.

Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket.

On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world.

Purchase Links
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Character Interview with Dodger and Twist:

 

Wilbert: Hi everyone, today I have a special treat for you, flown in on a secret military chopper from the shadows of New York City, are Twist and Dodger, better known as —

 

Dodger: Dodger and Twist.

 

Wilbert: Excuse me?

 

D: It’s Dodger and Twist.

 

Twist: Oh come on, really?

 

D: Well it just sounds better. Straight from the shadows of New York City, Dodger and Twist, better known as the Gutter Punks!

 

W: Ok, well… sorry about that.

 

T: It’s really not all that important—

 

D: We were promised a really attractive female reporter, not a writer… What happened to her?

 

W: Well she couldn’t make it; she’s conducting an interview with Gia.

 

T: Gia is getting interviewed too? Did she say anything about me?

 

D: Here we go again, all you have to do is mention Gia and he falls to pieces.

 

T: I don’t fall to pieces… I just wanted to know if she mentioned me.

 

D: Yeah she mentioned what a dork you are. Am I right Wilbert!?

 

W: Well, no, I’m sure she thinks very highly of you—

 

T: Really?

 

W: Yeah, you’re a nice guy. You steal meds from the rich and give them to the poor. I mean that’s what you guys are known for right? Helping out those in need, trying to make New York a better place?

 

D: I do it for the women, really. I mean not that I have problems in that area, but it’s a really good way to get into a girl’s—

 

T: He’s lying! We do it to make a difference. It isn’t right that all those rich tower babies get all the meds and live in the safety of their towers, while the rest of us are forced to live underground. We couldn’t, wouldn’t stand for it anymore. So we had to make a difference!

 

D: Also the women love it, did I mention how they drop their—

 

T: Oh, god, can we just get on with the interview without you saying something offensive?

 

D: We can try, but I make no promises. You know the longer I talk the easier it is for me to say something inappropriate.

 

T: Nice to meet you Wilbert, and thanks for having us… did you have any questions?

 

W: I… um… yeah, we got a little off track there, didn’t we?

 

T: Sorry that happens with us, we have the gift of gab.

 

D: Oh would you let that go? Gia once told him we have the gift of gab and he acts like she wants to date him or something.

 

T: Let’s talk about something else.

 

W: Okay, why don’t you tell us how you guys met?

 

D: That’s easy, I saved his life.

 

T: He didn’t really save my life—

 

D: He was a scrawny little orphaned street rat with nowhere to go. If it hadn’t been for me protecting him from some street kids and taking him under my wing, he’d be dead.

 

T: He tried to rob me, when he saw I didn’t have anything he decided to help.

 

W: So wait, Dodger and a bunch of street kids tried robbing you?

 

D: We wouldn’t put it like that… would we?

 

T: No what actually happened is the street kids were robbing me, and then Dodger joined in!

 

D: I decided to help in the end though… that counts for something.

 

T: Then we both got beat up.

 

D: Yeah, but after that I took you under my wing, and taught you the laws of the street.

 

T: I will admit I learned a lot from Dodge.

 

D: See I saved his life!

 

W: Well… it actually looks like we are running out of time, I guess one last question.

 

D: Okay, where is the hot interviewer I was promised, the one with the huge—

 

T: I think he meant he has one last question…

 

W: What do you guys have planned next?

 

T: We are going where no one has ever gone before, beyond the quarantined zone.

 

W: That sounds frightening.

 

T: It is, we have no way of knowing what’s out there. But it’s something we have to do. For all the people who look to us for help, for a better tomorrow.

 

D: Oh god, really? Is that what you’re closing with? Let’s just say we are about to save the world. And be done with this interview.

 

W: Well thanks for your time, I think. I look forward to hearing about your adventures. And um, good luck with everything.

 

D: Whatever.

 

T: Thanks, sorry about him. I enjoyed meeting you.

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Author Wilbert Stanton

artful author Wil

Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game.Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He’s held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams.In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books.

Author links
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I have two giveaways today!

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The first one is for an eBook copy of The Artful (Open Internationally)

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I love it. I found a new zombie series!
Check out Benton: A Zombie Novel by Jolie Du Pre
There’s also a really great giveaway so don’t forget to enter.
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Benton: A Zombie Novel
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Amazon (ebook) | Goodreads

(Available in print after June 1)



Zombies have killed everyone in the Benton household–all except twenty-something Jennifer. She’s escaped her bedroom, but what now? Waterbank, Illinois is overrun. Where can she go?



A chance encounter with seven other young survivors points her toward Texas. A charismatic, handsome young man named Mark says he can lead them all to his family’s ranch. He’s sure they’ll be safe there. Jennifer wants to trust him, with her life and possibly her heart.



There’s no place else to go, there’s no way to escape the zombies but through, and there’s no telling if Jennifer and Mark will live long enough to act on the emotion building between them.

 

 

Jolie DuPre




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Jolie du Pre is a full-time, published author, editor, article writer and blogger. She has short stories in over 15 books; she’s the author of a novella, and she’s the editor of three anthologies. Today, Jolie’s focus is on her new adult/romance/zombie apocalypse series – BENTON. Jolie is a married mother of two who loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, running, pole dance and fitness, and monsters, especially zombies.

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Giveaway (US)
*Print copy of Benton
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Euphoria - Z Banner 450 x 169

More zombies you ask? Yep. You all know me by now. If it says zombies I’m going to check it out. And I’m glad I had the opportunity to read Euphoria – Z. It’s unique and packed with zombie action.

Check out the excerpt.

Read my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Oh yeah! What about that cover art? It’s spectacular isn’t it?

Look and see.

Euphoria – Z

Book 1

Luke Ahearn

Euphoria-Z-cover

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Genre: Thriller/Zombie Apocalypse

Publisher: Luke Ahearn / Date of Publication: May 19, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1497497382 / ISBN-10: 1497497388

Number of pages: 409 / Word Count: 118,099

Cover Artist: Steven J Catizone

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MY REVIEW

You’ll get a strong dose of zombie gore in this book. Nothing you can’t handle though.

I was all excited about the comet that was going to strike. Then, once it hit, I was as disappointed as the characters. Nothing happened. But then it did. Just not how I expected.

People got happy, strangely happy, then they died horribly and rose again. The author got creative with this. It’s nice to find a new idea on how people came to be zombies.

You’re then in the beginning of the apocalypse, but the story focuses mostly on after it starts. You follow the characters as they first realize what’s happening and then through their struggles to survive.

There are lots of bad guys. Still trying to figure out why the rich dudes wanted to end the world.

One thing I had a problem with was the switching POVs. They happened suddenly and sometimes I had to go back and read again to see who I was reading about. Just got a bit confusing at times.

This is not a quick read. It took me several sittings to finish it. Not that I was bored by any means. The author gave me plenty of action, great characters to care about, and lots of zombies. I just needed to sleep sometime.

The only thing I’ll tell you about the ending is that it isn’t over.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a good zombie story.

4 STARS

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Book Description

 

Civilization shuts down as throngs of speechless hedonists fill the streets in deadly revelry. They feel only pleasure and never pain, even as they are injured, maimed, and mutilated. Few people remain in the world unaffected, left to witness the madness unaware that things are about to get unbelievably worse.

 

Cooper is among the few survivors of a conspiracy to depopulate the world. One week ago, college was his biggest concern. Now he is on a dangerous journey to find his sister as an ever-present threat of nightmarish proportions engulfs the world, throwing him in the path of some of the most malicious people that ever walked the earth.

 Euphoria - Z Button 300 x 225

 

Excerpt:

 

The present, Monterey, California

“Fuck!” The wiry, gray-haired old man felt his eyes go wide with surprise, but he quickly got his shit together. Jasper scowled; now he was very pissed off. He might stoop and shuffle when he walked, but he didn’t take any shit.

Some big fat bastard was bear-hugging him from behind. He could see white mountains of wet flab before his eyes, and he smelled vomit. He felt a massive wet belly and man tits pressing against his back. Large folds of cold wet flesh engulfed him, and he shuddered at the sensation.

He hated hugs, especially from men, and hugs from big fat sweaty bastards were absolutely unacceptable. He carried his best spiked hammer, an old-school Craftsman from back in the day, before the gooks were making them. He was just itching to use it. The fat bastard was yelling something in his ear.

“I love you! I love you, man!”

“Ahhh, geez!” Jasper twisted out of the flabby cocoon and took a few steps back. What he saw disgusted him. It was a giant fat kid, a head taller than himself, who looked like a giant baby, all hairless and soft. The kid was smiling like an idiot, and that made Jasper even more pissed off. Food smeared the kid’s face and ran down his chins in greasy streams between his man tits and over his belly. All Jasper could think was that all that shit was all over his back. Now he would have to burn his shirt and take a long, hot shower.

The kid wore nothing but baggy white underwear soaked in sweat. Jasper shuddered at the clammy coldness on his back. His flannel shirt clung to him and felt like a cold, wet bathing suit.

“I love you, man!” The big fat kid smiled as he came at him for another hug.

“Ahhhh! Fuck you!” Despite his advanced age, Jasper moved with an efficiency and force that spoke of his many years as a carpenter. He brought the spiked hammer down on the kid’s skull, and it collapsed inward with little resistance. He liked the sensation of cracking a head but hated wasting the time to do it.

The kid dropped to the concrete like a wet sack. He was still smiling, which made cracking his skull less enjoyable. Jasper wished he could bash every asshole around with his trusty hammer. He looked around to make sure another shithead wasn’t looking for a hug.

A woman came at him, hooting so loud he could hear it over the crowd, waving her tits at him. He took her out too, with an easy smack between the eyes. He had enough of this shit. He cracked a few more skulls for fun, but he got bored. It was always the same: an easy tap to the skull and the moron dropped, still smiling.

The streets were crammed with people, and they were all acting crazy. Jasper just wanted to get home. It seemed everyone was congregating downtown, streaming in from the surrounding neighborhoods. People were walking in large groups, arm in arm, naked and clothed, dancing, running, and hugging. It all made Jasper sick, just god-awful sick.

He tried to go all the way downtown and almost got caught up in the crowd. People were pushing and jamming each other into doors until they cracked open. He heard the crash of large plate-glass windows, but no one reacted. In fact, he saw people just getting pushed through the windows in a wave. He could tell that people were getting seriously injured and killed, and he just wanted to get the hell out of there.

He left at the right time. The press of the massive crowd smashed and suffocated, ground and trampled, and killed many—and the party continued to grow. No one screamed in panic or pain. No one yelled for help or dialed 911. And no one stopped to offer assistance, an apology, or true human interaction of any kind. Everyone was bent on doing exactly what they wanted to do, and what anyone else wanted didn’t matter to them in the slightest.

In any place where people gathered for a good time, the crowds were thick. The mall was packed, but the hospital was empty. The wharf was so full that hundreds fell into the icy waters of the bay. The office parks and businesses were dark and silent. Some groups formed parties on random streets for one reason or another.

A large majority of the city was empty, devoid of people. Most left their homes and walked away, leaving doors unlocked and often wide open. They would join a group and wander away.

There were still a few souls hiding indoors who were anything but euphoric. They watched with fear and horror the goings-on outside their windows. Jasper had been one of these, but he needed his goddamned pills and had to drive through all this crazy shit to get them. Of course, when he got to the damn pharmacy it was closed. He had tried to call ahead, but no one answered the phone. He was pissed. He wanted nothing to do with this crazy shit. He didn’t want to see any of it and certainly didn’t want to walk through it. He saw quite a few people doing things he had only seen in his buddies’ dirty magazines. But there was one thing every single person was doing: smiling like a retard with a lollipop—every single one.

At first, he thought all the outlandish behavior was confined to idiots, kids, and queers. It had to be some new drug to get them this nuts, he thought. But too many people were acting bonkers, too many people who just didn’t fit the behavior.

He walked as quickly as he was able away from the crowd and back to his car. He’d seen some shit in his day, but in the last few the world had descended into pandemonium. There were reports that almost everyone around the world was walking away from their jobs, no matter how critical. Everything was grinding to a halt. Transportation, communication—private or military, trivial or critical—everything was just going belly up. Jasper had known this day was coming ever since the blacks were allowed to vote.

And the crooks in Washington didn’t know anything. They said it was an unknown virus and creatively named it Euphoria-Z. Z because they didn’t know what it was, only what it did. And their advice? Stay indoors and away from crowds, bunch of geniuses.

Jasper had never expected he would need to kill people, not since the war, but in the last few days he had been forced to. The streets were crazy, and he wouldn’t even be outside if he hadn’t needed his pills. He felt as if he were the only sane person for miles. He looked at his feet and wondered, only briefly, if something were wrong with him? No, couldn’t be, he thought. None of this was right. The world had gone crazy.

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About the Author:

 

Luke Ahearn has over 20 years of professional game development experience and has authored numerous nonfiction books on the topic. He ran his own computer game company for ten years and currently owns MasterWerxStudios, an animatronic prop shop in Monterey, CA.

 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads 

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Tour giveaway

4 life-sized, handmade, zombie heads.

One of a kind and made by the author.

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City of Cruelty and Copper

Temperance Era # 1

By- Rhiannon Paille

 

 

 

Nuclear warfare destroyed Earth, setting it off its axis. A group of survivors escaped to Antarctica, discovering a city under the permafrost. Fable Ketterling was thirteen when the bombs went off. She was fifteen when she and her parents escaped. She was fifteen when she found the fountain of youth. She was fifteen when the fountain made her immortal. She was the only one.

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(more…)

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About the Editor:
“Rhonda Parrish is a shapeshifter with talents to match her every incarnation-magpie tenacity for picking the shiniest submissions, nightingale notes for crafting tales, and bright, feline eyes for seeking out her photographic subjects. She balances on the knife-edge of darkness and light, a sorceress of both realms.” – Sara Cleto
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Title:  A is for Apocalypse
Editor:  Rhonda Parrish
Cover Design:  Jonathan Parrish
To Be Published:  August 2014
Publisher:   Poise and Pen Publishing
Genre:  Horror
Content Warning:  Adult Themes
Synopsis:
What do you get when you take twenty-six amazing writers, randomly assign them a letter of the alphabet and give them complete artistic freedom within a theme?
A is for Apocalypse.
A is for Apocalypse contains twenty-six apocalyptic stories written by both well-known and up-and-coming writers. Monsters, meteors, floods, war–the causes of the apocalypse in these tales are as varied as the stories themselves.
This volume contains work by Ennis Drake, Beth Cato, Kenneth Schneyer, Damien Angelica Walters, K. L. Young, Marge Simon, Milo James Fowler, Simon Kewin, C.S. MacCath, Steve Bornstein and more!
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Excerpt
U is for… by Damien Angelica Walters:
My father and I used to stargaze when I was only a few years older than Millie. He taught me the constellations, patiently pointing at each one until I could recognize the shapes without his help.

They were a link to something bigger, something more, but no longer. Now Orion’s Belt mocks me with its precision; Cassiopeia with her beauty, a beauty that will remain even when no one’s left to see.

Once a comfort, all of them, now my enemy.

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My Teaser for today is from The First Days

by Rhiannon Frater

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Teaser #1

“Zombies, or whatever they are, definitely shouldn’t exist in a rational, ordered world. It suddenly feels like we’re living in a horror movie.”

Teaser #2

So small.

So very small.

The fingers pressed under the front door of her home were so very small.

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Synopsis

Katie is driving to work one beautiful day when a dead man jumps into her car and tries to eat her. That same morning, Jenni opens a bedroom door to find her husband devouring their toddler son.

Fate puts Jenni and Katie—total strangers—together in a pickup, fleeing the suddenly zombie-filled streets of the Texas city in which they live. Before the sun has set, they have become more than just friends and allies—they are bonded as tightly as any two people who have been to war together.

During their cross-Texas odyssey to find and rescue Jenni’s oldest son, Jenni discovers the joy of watching a zombie’s head explode when she shoots its brains out. Katie learns that she’s a terrific tactician—and a pretty good shot.

A chance encounter puts them on the road to an isolated, fortified town, besieged by zombies, where fewer than one hundred people cling to the shreds of civilization.

It looks like the end of the world. But Katie and Jenni and many others will do whatever they have to to stay alive. Run, fight, pick each other up when they stumble, fall in love…anything is possible at the end of the world.

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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