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Archive for the ‘Excerpt’ Category

Rekindled Flame By Ella Braeme ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: September 3, 2025 in Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: giveaway, romance

Rekindled Flame

by Ella Braeme

(Burning Hearts, #1)
Publication date: September 3rd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He swore to protect his town—but guarding his heart is the real challenge.

Volunteer firefighter Shawn Miller thought he had his life figured out in small-town Elken Grove. His print shop pays the bills while his real passion—fighting fires—keeps him connected to the community he loves.

Then his new Captain walks through the station doors: Rebecca “Becks” Schwartz, the woman who walked out of his life nine years ago. Now she’s his superior officer, and someone in the department is determined to drive her away—or worse.

As danger closes in, Shawn must balance protecting Becks with respecting her authority. But when sparks fly hotter than ever between them, he realizes some flames aren’t meant to be extinguished—they’re meant to be stoked.

Get REKINDLED FLAME today and feel the heat of this slow-burn second chance romance!

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

“There’s something else you should know before you leave.”

Something in the chief’s tone made Shawn sink back into his chair. “Sir?”

“The new captain is a woman,” Washington said carefully, clearly bracing for resistance. “Rebecca Schwartz from the Charlotte Fire Department. Goes by Becks, according to her application. She’ll be arriving Thursday next week for an informal meet-and-greet at Mr. Jones & Husband, then coming by on Saturday to meet the volunteers during training before officially starting on Monday.”

Shawn nodded, unfazed by the gender revelation. “A female captain? That’s fine by—“

But the words died in his throat as the full name registered. The folder slipped from his suddenly numb fingers, papers spilling across the floor. Rebecca Schwartz. The name echoed in his head like the aftershock of an explosion.

“Rebecca Schwartz?” he repeated, his voice sounding distant to his own ears.

Washington’s eyebrows rose slightly at Shawn’s reaction. “You know her?”

Know her? Shawn almost laughed at the absurdity of the question. He’d known her as Becca back then—sweet-faced but determined Becca with her infectious laugh and fierce ambition. He’d known the curve of her smile and the scent of her skin. Known her dreams and fears. Known the sound of her voice first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.

Until he hadn’t.

“We trained together,” he said finally, the understatement of the decade. “At the North Carolina Fire Academy. When I knew her, she went by Becca, not Becks.”

Washington frowned, clearly surprised by this information. “I didn’t connect the dots when reviewing your files.” He leaned forward, suddenly concerned. “Is this going to be a problem?”

Shawn bent to gather the scattered papers, grateful for the chance to hide his expression. Memories he’d buried years ago resurfaced in vivid detail—Becca’s fierce determination during training exercises, her infectious laugh during rare moments of downtime, the devastating fury in her eyes the last time they’d spoken.

“I never want to see your face again, Miller. Keep six feet away from me for the rest of our lives.”

He straightened, clutching the reassembled folder, his knuckles white against the manila paper. “No, sir. No problem at all.”

About Author Ella Braeme:

Ella Braeme writes steamy small-town romance where protective heroes and the women who capture their hearts find love in the mountains and marshlands of Georgia. Whether her characters are running toward danger or running from their past, they always find their way to happily-ever-after. When she’s not dreaming up new ways for couples to fall headlong into danger (and love), she’s in her garden, supervised by a dog who firmly believes digging holes helps the flowers grow. Her quick, satisfying reads deliver the perfect escape, whether you’re sneaking in a chapter during lunch or staying up way too late to reach that happily-ever-after.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Facebook

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Rekindled Flame Blitz

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Songs, Sails & Silly Dating Schemes By Cindy Kehagiaras ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: September 2, 2025 in Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: giveaway, romance

Songs, Sails & Silly Dating Schemes

by Cindy Kehagiaras

(A Love In Destiny Romance)
Publication date: September 2nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Shay Lazar was a childhood TV star and a 1990s “It Girl,” but left the spotlight to raise her two kids and be the supportive partner to “America’s Sweetheart,” Jack Cole…for almost thirty years. Now she wants back into the Hollywood Machine at fifty-two but the producer for show she wants to do called her Jack’s “Doormat”. Now she’s reassessing her life by hiding at her aunt’s house in Destiny, Florida, after a very publicized and possibly a career-ending incident.

Drew Slater wants to be left alone. The former ‘One-Hit-Wonder’ will never play his song again. He’s pretending his life is settled, but when a star falls out of the sky and onto his boat, he knows a hurricane is coming, and her name is Shay Lazar.

Songs, Sails & Silly Dating Schemes is a steamy over-40 romance set in the magical town of Destiny with Yacht Rock vibes and a Fake Dating Trope gone right with a stunning Hollywood Ending. SS&SDS is the fourth book in the Destiny Romance Series.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

He drove straight out onto the runway of the small airport, then came to a stop next to another police cruiser with its lights off, a big black Lincoln Navigator sat at the base of an impressive private jet. The stairs were down and the light inside glowed behind the sheen of the early morning mist. A peach illumination in the distance reminded me how much I hated sunrises these days.

I used to love them. Seeing a sunrise meant I’d spent an entire night with friends and lovers talking and partying all the way to the next day. It meant I was living, really living. Not waisting too much time asleep but being awake and free to create music and memories. That was long ago. Three lifetimes ago. Now it meant I couldn’t sleep. That the memories kept me awake. That I was still living and forced to be a functioning human. I was surviving enough for my daughter and her insistence that I stay in her life, when she wasn’t mad at me. And the music, always the music, but other people’s music. Not mine, never mine. “Alright.” Kurt met me at the top of the stairs. “Now, this is strictly confidential. I’ve had explicit instructions to deny any goings on here for the safety of the passenger,” he stated gravely.

“What in the hell are you talking about?”

He used to work for Bernie and Sandy when they lived at BernSand full time. But they let his crew go when they left on their cruise and Kurt wasn’t too happy about it. I wasn’t sure why he was involved with this mystery person or who was paying him.

Kurt turned his bulky body sideways and placed his hands on his hips. My view of a heap on the floor in the middle isle of the plane was still slightly obscured by his massiveness. I pushed past him to get a better look. I’d seen women passed out on the floor before, maybe too many times to have any strong emotions about it. I only wanted to know who it was that was so important that the police needed my sorry ass in the middle of the night.

“I’m not sure how many of these she took,” The airplane captain in his white uniform held out a prescription bottle to me on the far side to the body. I didn’t take it. I needed to see who the woman was.

I knelt at her bare feet. She wore ivory silk pants and matching blouse, almost like pajamas making her look ethereal in the way she lay on her side like a Botticelli painting. Her dark hair lay across her face. I heard a gasp from Stewie when I brushed the hair way from her face. The bandage across her forehead and large yellow and purple bruise on her swollen cheek almost made her unidentifiable, except for the dark beauty mark next to her right eye, long luscious lashes, and full pink lips.

I looked back at Kurt. “This is Shay Lazar.”

About Author Cindy Kehagiaras:

“The Perpetual,” my over 40-second chance romance, has won the coveted “Stiletto Award” by Contemporary Romance Writers in the Mid-length Contemporary Romance category.

BIO: My writing journey began after my 50th birthday, and the pandemic lockdown allowed me to write. Some of my stories have haunted my dreams for decades. When the characters shouted day and night, I knew I had to write about them. These days I love to read and write stories about second chances with GenX characters in over 40, later in life, and mature steamy romances.

My previous lives have been in advertising, fashion, and small business owner. I’ve made it my life’s ambition to push through the challenges of dyslexia to consume novels, poetry, and articles and tell my stories.

A proud native Californian, I live in Hermosa Beach, CA, with my husband of 17 years, two beautiful kids, and two spunky-rescue kitties.

Please find me on all social media platforms.

Linktree

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Songs, Sails & Silly Dating Schemes Blitz

~~~~~

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Poets In Hell By Janet Morris ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: August 31, 2025 in Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways, Historical
Tags: dark fantasy, giveaway, guest post, historical

In the underworlds,
injustice always reigns: Join us and our damnedest poets for the crookedest
poetry festival in perdition where language comes to die and no rhyme goes
unpunished.

Poets in Hell

A Heroes in Hell Anthology

Compiled by Janet Morris

Genre: Dark Epic Historical Fantasy

The best, the worst, and ugliest bards in perdition vie for
Satan’s favor as poets slam one another, Satan’s Fallen Angels smirk up their
sleeves, and the illiterati have their day. Find out why the damned deserve
their fates as Hell’s hacks sink to new poetical depths!

The first Bible writer drafts a deal with the Devil.

Attila the Hun learns his punishment’s just begun.

Mary Shelley and Victor Frankenstein make a monstrous
mistake.

Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp get their unjust deserts.

Hell’s Undertaker goes on holiday.

The Damned Poets Society slams away.

A nameless soul shows Dorothy Parker that fame is a bitch.

In the underworlds,
injustice always reigns:

Join us and our damnedest poets for the crookedest poetry
festival in perdition where language comes to die and no rhyme goes unpunished.

Stories inside:

Words – Chris Morris

Seven Against Hell – Janet Morris and Chris Morris

Reunion – Nancy Asire

Hell-hounds – Bruce Durham

The Kid with No Name
– Jack William Finley

All Hell to Pay – Deborah Koren

Poetic Injustice – Larry Atchley, Jr.

When You Gaze Into an
Abyss – Matthew Kirshenblatt

Pride and Penance – Tom Barczak

Grand Slam – pdmac

Undertaker’s Holiday
– Joe Bonadonna and Shebat Legion

Red Tail’s Corner – Yelle Hughes

Faust III – Richard Groller

Tapestry of Sorrows
and Sighs – Bill Snider

Haiku d’État – Beth W. Patterson

A Mother’s Heart – Bill Barnhill

We the Furious – Joe Bonadonna

Damned Poets Society
– Michael H. Hanson

All We Need of Hell –
Michael A. Armstrong

**On Sale until the end of the month!**

Amazon * B&N
* Bookbub
* Goodreads

Words by Chris Morris

In the beginning was the Logos, the Word. In the beginning come always the words. Words are the mortar of the mind.

“Look, you!” J the Yahwist, first author of the Old Testament, exhorted empty air, waving her hands about her on a blasted heath encircled by dark and cold.

As in ancient times, this command brings light out of darkness, souls out of nowhere. All the heath fills with them, the detritus of the damned, singing and keening and rhyming aloud at the top of their lungs, each trying to outshout the other: the prolix, the wordy damned of perdition. Here are the teeming illiterati, the poor poets of pride and ignorance, angry and bleating like sheep at the altar, romancers of death, hoping for slaughter, dreaming of surcease.

J would give them peace if she could, but she couldn’t: peace was oblivion, oblivion was escape, and escape was unattainable in hell. Death could be had, and cheap, but never lasted long: no sinning soul could win its way to heaven’s grace.

J’s god reigned as a jealous god, tempestuous; unfair, equivocal. As her skin glowed caramel, neither white nor yellow, brown or black, so her eyes were inconclusively hazel, flecking every color in creation. Like her god on high, set up from eternity before the earth was made, she belonged nowhere in damnation, not to this New Hell nor any other. She was only visiting here. Or so she thought; so she hoped.

“Look, you,” J called a second time aloud, and a thousand heads turned her way; a thousand mouths clamped shut as she began to tell her tale to their minds’ eyes.

Invariably, these words are her signal to infernity that she is ready to begin. Inevitably, those words summon not only story, but the Deceiver, a lord of hell himself.

Sensing joy, incensed by pleasure, now comes Satan, white- winged and glorious, amid his host of fallen angels, circling to land, streaming intolerance and wrath on all the fools below, who howl the more.

At times like these, J misses Solomon. That wise warrior-king (her fellow writer of words worth hearing) would enjoin even such rabble as this to vie with the lords of hell themselves, if she’d but ask him.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

Together we breed Morgan horses. We consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose crosses to their stock to achieve a desired result.

We are also musicians; Janet plays bass guitar, Chris sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Janet wrote her first novel, High Couch of Silistra in 1975; a friend sent it to an agent who chose to represent her; she had already written the second book in the Silistra Quartet and her agent told her not to disclose that until they finalized the contract for the first one. When the publisher learned of the others, Bantam Books bought the succeeding three. When the fourth book was published, the series already had four million copies in print. Suddenly Janet was a novelist specializing in environmental, gender, historical and political subjects. In the process, Chris started as her editor and ultimately a co-writer. Since then, she and Chris have co-authored many books.

Who is your hero and why?

Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. We’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

All of them. We write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures we undertake without knowing the destination. I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, and Outpassage are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.

What inspired you, to create Poets in Hell?

If you are watching the news these days, it’s hard to tell the difference between what we thought of as normal and something a lot worse. Hellish, you might say. We even think of the Hell series as comic relief from our troubled world. We hope you agree.

Advice to writers?

As for advice to writers, here is all we know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if we as writers can’t feel what it’s like being there, our readers can’t either. Close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell us what you see. Tell us what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to us.

Best selling author Janet
Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels,
many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction
work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also
written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or
edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles
on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and
national security topics.

Christopher Crosby
Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as
well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to
author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a
principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but
occasionally uses pseudonyms.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Bookbub

Amazon * Amazon * Goodreads * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

The Unlikely Spare By Jax Calder ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 30, 2025 in Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways, suspense
Tags: giveaway, LGBTQ+, romance, suspense

The Unlikely Spare

by Jax Calder

(Unlikely Dilemmas, #3)
Publication date: August 22nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance, Suspense

What happens when a prince falls for the undercover agent pretending to be his bodyguard?

Nicholas
I’m the spare, the younger brother of the Prince of Wales. Ever since I was propelled up the order of succession, my job description has been: Exist. Don’t embarrass the Crown. Repeat.

After a security scandal, I’m assigned a new bodyguard. A hulking, brooding Irishman who glowers at me like I’ve personally offended his ancestors. He’s the first to be completely immune to my charm, which is rather inconvenient when you’ve always wielded wit like a defensive weapon.

And why I feel the need to continue trying to impress Officer O’Connell is anyone’s guess.

My upcoming royal tour of Australia and New Zealand should be a nice chance to escape the British winter and bask in some Southern Hemisphere sunshine. But it turns out that representing the monarchy in former colonial countries means confronting some uncomfortable truths about how all those Crown Jewels ended up in my family’s vaults.

And the whole visit would really be far more enjoyable if someone wasn’t trying to kill me.

Eoin
I’ve clawed my way from the slums of Ireland to the top level of Scotland Yard’s undercover agents. But a deep security breach within the force has me investigating my own colleagues while playing bodyguard to a privileged prince on a tour Down Under.

Something about Prince Nicholas gets under my skin like shrapnel I can’t dig out.

Still, I’m a professional. I can handle one posh git with a smart mouth.

But as we navigate koala cuddling sessions, didgeridoo lessons, and deadly spiders in hotel rooms, I see beneath Nicholas’s princely façade. I’m supposed to uncover which of my fellow bodyguards is a threat to Prince Nicholas, not become obsessed with the most complex, fascinating pain in my arse I’ve ever met.

The line between duty and desire blurs with each passing day and the danger to Nicholas intensifies.

How can I maintain my cover, protect Nicholas, and resist the urge to press him against the nearest wall and kiss that smirk off his face?

The Unlikely Spare is a royal romantic comedy/suspense featuring a party prince learning his place in the world and an undercover bodyguard with a chip on his shoulder. As threats escalate and attraction intensifies, both men must decide what they’re willing to risk—and what they’re willing to fight for.

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

A violent rustling erupts from a nearby thicket, and something bursts upward in an explosion of noise and movement, heading directly toward Nicholas’s face.

My training kicks in. Movement equals threat, threat equals action.

I launch forward, tackling Nicholas sideways. We hit the ground hard, my body curving protectively over his. One of my arms cradles the back of his head, preventing it from cracking against the frozen earth while my torso shields his. My free hand reaches instinctively for my weapon.

Only then do I register wings beating frantically above us.

Fuck.

Nicholas lies perfectly still beneath me, those winter-ocean eyes wide with shock. My face hovers inches from his, close enough to count individual eyelashes. His breath comes in short puffs, visible in the cold air between us.

For a few heartbeats, we simply stare at each other.

“That,” Nicholas says finally, voice strained, “was a partridge. Not an assassin.”

I’m suddenly acutely aware of every point where our bodies connect. My chest against his, my leg between his thighs, my hand still cradling his head.

His hair is soft, dark silk under my calloused palms. The scent of his cologne fills my nostrils, something crisp and woodsy. His pupils have dilated, black nearly swallowing that impossible blue.

His lips part, just a fraction, and fuck if I don’t track the movement like it matters.

Heat spreads from every point where we’re pressed together. A flush crawls up his neck. I know I should look away, but I can’t.

Why the hell can’t I drag my eyes away from this man’s face?

The dogs are circling us, the yellow retriever licking enthusiastically at Nicholas’s ear.

“I’d really appreciate it,” Nicholas continues in an icy tone, “if you could remove your elbow from my spleen.”

Fuck. I roll away from him, my knee sinking into the frozen mud with a squelch as I get to my feet.

Nicholas remains splayed on the ground, leaves tangled in his dark hair, a smudge of dirt across his cheek.

“We must stop this little trend of finding ourselves in compromising positions,” he says as he pushes himself up on his elbows. “At this rate, I’ll need to start charging you rent for all the time you spend in my personal space.”

He reaches up a hand imperiously.

About Author Jax Calder:

Jax’s stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.

Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. Join her Facebook group Jax’s Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Newsletter

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The Unlikely Spare Blitz

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ The Sweetest Getaway By Sasha Preston

Posted: August 29, 2025 in Excerpt, fiction, giveaways
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, giveaway

The Sweetest Getaway

by Sasha Preston

Publication date: August 26th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Jennifer used to be a wholesome daydreamer who’d never broken a law in her life.

In a moment of weakness, she lets her roommate, Nari, rope her into a money-making scheme that isn’t exactly…legal.

How could she have known that stealing from bad guys would be so much fun?

Soon, Jennifer is so busy leading a double life that she barely has time to fantasize about the hot, dimpled stranger she met at one of Nari’s parties.

Everything is going smoothly, until someone rats them out to the cops.

Now, Jennifer and Nari need help from a team of seasoned criminals to pull off a heist that’ll either set them up for life…or get them locked up for a very long time.

Can Jennifer find a path to happily ever after that doesn’t include an ugly prison jumpsuit?

There’s only one way to find out…

The Sweetest Getaway is a no spice, cozy heist novel with laughs, a diverse cast, and the smartest heroines since Ocean’s 8. Perfect for fans of women’s fiction and crime capers. Get it today for a criminally good time.

Goodreads / Amazon

On sale for $2.99 for a limited time!

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

“All we have to do is confidently walk to the door like we’re supposed to be here,” Nari said under her breath.

She and Jennifer argued in the parking lot of Omaha’s largest mansion as glamorously dressed revelers approached the entrance, arm in arm.

“I’ll enter five minutes before you. When they ask for our names, remember that I’m Doris and you’re Béatrice. After that, everything will be easy. No big deal,” Nari explained.

Right. It was no big deal to Nari because she was endlessly charming, constantly meeting new people, and making loads of cash from random schemes that took her all over the world. Jennifer, on the other hand, was great at petting her neighbors’ dogs and getting lost mid-conversation in daydreams about faraway lands she’d never visited.

Doris Huang and Béatrice Boivin were wealthy business-women who were actually invited to the gala. Jennifer had helped Nari find an Asian and black woman on the guest list that they could impersonate. Doris and Béatrice looked enough like them, although Doris was in her fifties. Luckily, Doris wore glasses, so Nari could hide her youth behind a pair of round black frames that complemented her off-the-shoulder, gold metallic gown.

“Honestly, Nari, I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.” Jennifer tapped her fingers nervously on her arm. “What if Doris and Béatrice are inside already? Why don’t we look for a back entrance to sneak into instead?”

At least there would be fewer witnesses if they got caught at the back entrance. Maybe they could even pretend they were lost, ask for directions, and then decide to scrap the whole mission and return to their cozy apartment. “Oh well, that didn’t work. At least we tried!” Jennifer would say peppily. Nari would shrug. They’d end the night bingeing on popcorn and singing nineties hits into their TV’s karaoke app.

But Nari would never give up that easily. “Nah, we’re early. We’ll have at least an hour before these two fabulous women show up. They’re always late for events like this. Besides, our target is already inside.”

Jennifer groaned. “This is nuts. I’ve got to pretend to be French like Béatrice.” She shook her head. “I can’t even tell the difference between a good macaron and a bad one. They’re all delicious to me. I don’t know why I let you talk me into this.”

“I know why you said yes, mon amie,” Nari said, grinning. “Remember, you’ll be getting twenty-five percent of whatever deal we pull off after today. If I can close this deal, it could be worth half a million dollars.”

Jennifer had almost forgotten about the payout. Normally, Nari compensated her for these wild rides with chili cheese fries. She sucked in air through her teeth. “I… I can’t really say no to that,” she said, goosebumps covering her arms.

With that kind of money, maybe she could travel far beyond Omaha’s borders. She’d meet wonderful, surprising people. People who spoke five languages, painted in their spare time, and effortlessly rode their electric scooters through crowded street markets before arriving at home to make love to their beautiful spouses. Maybe she could even quit her job as a marketing analyst.

Nari swept her arm out in front of her, as if she were showing off her kingdom. “Welcome to the business world. There’s tons of cash just waiting for you.”

Money came easily to Nari, even though she had the attention span of a gnat. She could have her own massive condo if she wanted to, but she chose to live with Jennifer to feel a sense of home so far away from her family. Jennifer, however, was thirty-six years old and broke. If she didn’t live with Nari, she would have to start a window washing side hustle to be able to afford her student loan payments.

“It’s my favorite business world, the one where we have to sneak into galas to close deals,” Jennifer snorted.

About Author Sasha Preston:

Sasha Preston writes women’s fiction crime capers where close friendships and adventure come together to inspire your next big escape (or at least make you think about planning one). She loves to explore and hatch plots with her girlfriends, daughter, and husband.

Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

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The Sweetest Getaway Blitz

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ Stalled Descent By Kel O’Connor

Posted: August 29, 2025 in Excerpt, giveaways, Romance, suspense, thriller
Tags: giveaway, romantic suspense, thriller

Stalled Descent

by Kel O’Connor

(DAG Team Series, #4)
Publication date: August 25th 2025
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense, Thriller

A man forced to work for the enemy and a woman on the run from her past…

For years, ace pilot Archie McKinley has been living a double life. Now that his role as a mole within DAG has been exposed, he has one chance to make things right: take down Elliot Essa, the man who’s held him captive with threats and manipulation for over a decade.

To infiltrate the impenetrable Red Winter compound, Archie needs help from the team he deceived and the one person who truly knows him—Meret Shahid, his childhood partner-in-crime turned photographer. The girl who once earned the nickname “the Imp” in their small Iranian village might be his only shot at redemption. But Meret has her own demons from Red Winter, and returning to the organization she barely escaped could cost her everything.

As Archie grapples with guilt over his betrayal and his growing feelings for Meret, they must navigate new threats, uneasy alliances, and shocking revelations. The mission is clear: destroy Red Winter’s empire and free the innocent families trapped within it.

But the price of redemption may be higher than either of them is willing to pay.

This book is a full-length romance with a happy ending. It is part of a 4-book interconnected series where each book features a different couple.
This is a steamy romance for readers 18+

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

The knock on her door had her glancing at the clock. Archie likely wanted her dinner order, even though it was a bit early. She opened the door before she considered her outfit. She’d changed into a tank top and loose shorts after lunch. For comfort. Which, of course, included ditching her bra.

Too late to turn back. She opened the door halfway and hid behind it as much as possible. Surprisingly, Archie walked a few steps into the room instead of remaining outside. When he turned to her, all the moisture in her mouth dried up.

Meret bit the inside of her cheek rather than moan out loud. Gray sweatpants hung so low on his hips, she saw the white elastic band of his underwear. A light dusting of dark hair curled across the top of his chest. There was none on his perfect abs and only a thin trail that began under his navel. The bruises from his recent fight were fading to a greenish yellow along the left side of his torso.

There were scars on his tanned skin, including a long strip across his shoulder, possibly from a knife. On his right bicep, there was a corner of a tattoo showing, but she couldn’t make out the design from this angle. Of course, he was still an agent, maintaining the top-shelf physical fitness that was required. Damn, he was beautiful.

Archie bit his lip, chagrin obvious on his face. He took a deep breath, shook his shoulders, and all the awkwardness fell away, replaced by steely determination. Meret swayed, mesmerized at the transformation. He held her gaze and this time, his voice was strong.

“What happened between us on the boat was good. But we can do much better.”

Shock held her muted. This was not what she’d expected, but oh, was it what she wanted. Her fingers flexed as electricity shot through her in anticipation. She tightened her mouth, loathe to say the wrong thing. Best to let him do the talking.

He continued, “I’m aware my experience and skills are lacking, but I’ve been studying.”

Her mouth fell open, and she managed a single word, “Studying?”

His slow grin was equally charming and sexual, even showing a hint of teeth. Her lungs shrank at least four sizes as she tried to breathe. What was happening? She was 90% sure she wasn’t dreaming. He was not only discussing her and sex, he had smiled.

His voice lowered, and she felt the vibration between her legs. “Yeah. Reading the sexy parts of romance books. I assumed it was better than watching porn made for men.”

Oh, dear God in heaven. Which books? Steamy, spicy, kinky? Okay, she’d gladly take any of the above, even if kinky was not her preference. Her nipples hardened until it was almost painful.

They both chuckled a bit, and he added, “Plus, there are actually helpful instructional websites. I only need someone to test my knowledge on.” His expression morphed to sincere. “Meret, you are the only person I want to touch me.”

Tears stung the back of her eyelids at his confession. What courage it took for him to lay it all out for her. She was honored, but mostly, she was aroused. His fiery gaze roamed all over her body, clad only in the thin tank top and short shorts. His growing erection became obvious under the loose sweats. She stood rooted to the spot in shock, so he moved closer.

He looked feral, reckless, slowly stalking towards her like a predator.

Why did she think he was reckless? Agents were never reckless. They always had a plan. And two backup plans, plus an “oh shit, everything has gone to hell” plan.

What was her plan? Meet him halfway, yank his head down for a kiss? Hold up a hand to stop him? Plot an escape? Oh, hell no.

Suddenly, she didn’t want a plan. It was time to live in the moment. He wouldn’t harm her as long as she held her heart back. Sparks sizzled along her skin, put there by the singular focus in his eyes. For this moment, she would join him in recklessness. Her anxiety broke free, and she waited for him to reach her.

About Author Kel O’Connor:

Winner of the Pencraft Award and The Chill Award and a finalist for The Book Buyers Best Award, The Maggie Award for Excellence and The Carolyn Reader’s Choice Award, Kel lives with her family in the mountains of North Carolina. In addition to reading and writing, she loves coffee, loud rock music, subversive humor and the smell of old books. You can find her online on Instagram, Facebook and at keloconnor.com.

3 Random Facts about Kel:
* She will buy almost anything if it is a hot pink color
* She watches any and every show/movie about crime-fighting, spies, detective work or secret agents
* She and her husband once owned a humor store

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / X

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Silent Killer By Tracy Burnett & Ross Weiland ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 27, 2025 in crime fiction, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: crime fiction, giveaway

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SILENT KILLER

by Tracy Burnett & Ross Weiland

August 18 – September 26, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Gordon Stone is an investigator assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. He’s given an insignificant case—a charity scam out of Africa—and ordered to close it. For Gordon, it’s not that simple. Gordon has high-functioning autism. He’s socially awkward, but blessed with a superpower—extraordinary focus and attention to detail. That superpower allows Gordon to piece together a disparate puzzle: a Hunter-Killer drone; an illicit drug shipment; a Special Forces operation gone wrong; and illegal immigration linked to 9/11. When these pieces align, national security is at risk and hundreds of lives hang in the balance.

Praise for Silent Killer:

“A brilliant, awkward, relentless, and unconventional hero who will not take ‘no’ for an answer, saves the day. Get me Special Agent Gordon Stone for every difficult case and watch this man work.” ~ Chuck Rosenberg, Former U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia

“This is a fascinating story about real people, complex issues, and a world of many complicated challenges. It’s an interesting read that keeps you focused and anticipating the next page. I liked it and recommend it.” ~ Chuck Hagel, Former Secretary of Defense and U.S. Senator

“A truly innovative thriller with a refreshingly unique protagonist who will quickly have you rooting for him. A fast-paced tale told with imagination, fused with a realism that only insiders from the investigative world can bring. It will keep you guessing from page to page. Highly recommended.” ~ Kimberly Prost, Former Ombudsperson for the U.N. Security Council Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Fiction

Published by: Down and Out Books Publication Date: August 11, 2025 Number of Pages: 355 ISBN: 978-1-64396-413-3 PBK

Enjoy this peek inside:

CHAPTER 1

What would be a landmark day for any other federal agent was an exercise in misery for Special Agent Gordon Stone. He sat, restless and uncomfortable, in the crowded auditorium inside the Albert V. Bryan US Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. Wesley Jay, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), was on stage addressing the capacity crowd. Jay extolled the virtues of his office and its extraordinary success in managing the Eastern District’s “rocket docket.” The court’s namesake had coined the term in the seventies, District Court Judge Bryan himself. What it meant for Jay and his stable of Assistant US Attorneys (AUSAs) was that they were forced to be one of the most efficient offices in the country when it came to prosecuting cases. They gathered annually to recognize the most successful investigations and prosecutions of the preceding year. Lawyers, law enforcement, and family members filled the auditorium. For an office that had prosecuted some of the most notorious spy and terrorist cases in the country—not to mention the occasional political scandal—the yearly awards ceremony always attracted a full house.

“Copied by many, mirrored by none,” said Jay. “We bring justice to the American people more quickly and effectively than anywhere else in the country. I take great pride in that fact and hope you do as well.” Gordon tried to listen, but his discomfort just being there compelled him to tune out Jay’s speech. It wasn’t that he did not want to be there. On the contrary, his greatest desire was to be able to sit in the audience, listen to Jay, and enjoy a career highlight. Gordon was being recognized for his work as lead agent on an application fraud case with the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI). But Gordon did not fit in. He liked people, but he had trouble relating to them and was painfully aware of his social awkwardness. Way back in elementary school, he had been diagnosed with high-functioning autism, at the time referred to as Asperger Syndrome, or colloquially as Asperger’s. Gordon appeared just like everyone else, but when it came to basic human interaction, it took a great deal of effort for him to engage with most people. It was always hard and frequently exhausting. Small talk, humor, and sarcasm often flew past him. Therapy had brought him a long way, but still, those who did not know him thought he was aloof. Some actually found his behavior offensive. “Damn Asperger’s,” he said to himself. The true irony, he knew, was however damning Asperger’s was to his social status, it was also his superpower, allowing him to focus on a particular topic—or investigation—to the point where he could see things no one else could see. He could anticipate what others viewed as unexpected. That focus bred unparalleled intuition, which was what made him a great investigator. That was why he was here in this crowded hall, surrounded by people he did not know. He was a great investigator. But he was most definitely not a great socializer, and he was uncomfortable. As much as he wished he could enjoy the ceremony and embrace the praise of his peers, his Asperger’s would not allow it. In fact, a big group setting surrounded by strangers? That was pretty much the nightmare scenario. Gordon’s brain was wired differently. At least that’s how Katherine, his longtime therapist, described it. He thought differently, acted differently, saw the world differently than most. She emphasized repeatedly to him he was not broken, just different, and Gordon knew it was okay to be different. Most of the time, that was enough. But even now, as a successful thirty-two-year-old federal agent, he could still feel broken. He hoped today would not be one of those days. “The work we do—check that—the work you do for this country is, simply put, extraordinary,” Jay continued. “We put more cases before a judge than anyone else, and that means when it comes time to recognize our best work in a given year, the competition is tight. I salute those of you sitting in this room. Your work, your intellect, your dogged pursuit of justice places you at the top of what we do here. You are the best of the best. Thank you for all you do for our organization, our district, and our country.” Jay smiled to his audience. “Now then, let’s hand out some hardware.” *** Excerpt from Silent Killer by Ross Weiland & Tracy Burnett. Copyright 2025 by Ross Weiland & Tracy Burnett. Reproduced with permission from Ross Weiland & Tracy Burnett. All rights reserved.

Author Bios:

Tracy Burnett:

Tracy Burnett began his law enforcement career as a Deputy Sheriff at the Palm Beach County, Florida Sheriff’s Department. His next stop was with the Drug Enforcement Administration where he became a special agent and went through training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia as well as DEA US Army Ranger Training. That began a 25-year federal law enforcement career leading investigations on behalf of the US Departments of Justice, State, and Defense, among others, working both domestically and around the globe. Tracy now works as an Adjunct Professor for the School of Public Affairs in the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University in Washington, DC.

Ross Weiland:

Ross Weiland was a journalist in New York City before attending law school and joining the US Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 1998. He served as a prosecutor, criminal appeals attorney, and civil litigator in the Navy before transitioning to federal civil service where he spent 21 years in the Office of Inspector General community as counsel, investigator, and senior executive at the National Archives, Department of Defense, and NASA. Ross now works as an administrative executive supporting oversight and law enforcement in the private sector in Washington, DC.

Follow Gordon Stone:

gordonstonerules.com Instagram – @gordonstonerules Facebook – @Silent Killer

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway! Click here to view the SILENT KILLER Tour Schedule

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SILENT KILLER by Tracy Burnett & Ross Weiland

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Checking Mr. Wrong By Anne Kemp ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 27, 2025 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: giveaway, sports romance

Checking Mr. Wrong

by Anne Kemp

(Love in Maple Falls)
Publication date: August 27th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

She’s a grump with a grudge. He’s a sweetheart with a slapshot. Sparks were expected, but the fireworks? Pure magic.

Mabel
Returning to Maple Falls wasn’t part of my five-year plan—or my backup plan. Or any plan, really. But here I am, back in my quirky hometown, dodging my mother’s judgment and trying not to cringe every time someone mentions the viral moment. (Yes, that one. No, I don’t want to talk about it.)

When my editor sends me to cover the NHL’s shiny new team, the Ice Breakers, I’m all in—until I meet Asher Tremblay. He’s their too-charming defenseman with a knack for wrecking my focus and my sanity. Equal parts infuriating and irresistible, but falling for him? Not on my agenda. Nope.

Asher
I’ve worked my whole life to make it in the NHL. A new team means a fresh start, and I won’t let anything distract me—least of all a snarky reporter who seems determined to hate me on sight.

But the more I see Mabel, the more I want to know what’s behind her walls. She’s fire and chaos, and I’ve spent my whole life playing it safe. Maybe she’s exactly what I need. I came to Maple Falls to chase my dream, but now all I want is her.

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Checking Mr. Wrong is part of the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series. It’s a grumpy sunshine story with forced proximity in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.

Fake-Off with Fate by Whitney Dineen
Offside and Off-Limits by Kate O’Keeffe
Checking Mr. Wrong by Anne Kemp
Skating and Fake Dating by Ellie Hall
Goalie and the Girl Next Door by Elsie Woods
Soulmates and Slapshots by Melissa Baldwin
The Icing on the Cake by Grace Worthington

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Asher’s POV

“I’m Asher,” I say with a nod, hoping she’ll come to understand that I am not a foe. Not a friend either, yet, but definitely not a foe.

She eyes me, looking at me as if she half expects me to grab her purse and toss it out the window. “Mabel.”

“Nice to meet you, Mabel. You from here?”

She nods. “Born and raised in Maple Falls.”

She still watches me while I take a pause. The tiniest of jokes pops up like a cartoon bubble over my head. “Wait. You’re Mabel. From Maple Falls?”

“I know where this is headed, and you’re not funny,” she retorts dryly as she shoots another glare my way.

“Is your last name ‘Syrup’?” I ask innocently as Joe does me a solid and cracks up from the front seat. “That would be hilarious.”

Even when she glares, it’s kinda sexy. I keep her pinned in my line of sight as I’m hit with a subtle wave of recognition. “Do we know each other from—”

“Nope,” she interjects, looking at me pointedly and still chomping on her ice. The way she gnashes away on it is like she’s mad at the ice and rage-crunching, but who knows.

“You didn’t let me finish.”

“How rude of me. Please, finish your thoughts,” she says as her lips form a tight thin line.

“I will.” Little does my new friend know, but I like the challenge of a sassy woman. “I was going to say that I know you from somewhere.”

“I doubt it.”

But I can’t shake it. “I think we must have met before.”

She snaps her head my way and stares at me. This is the second I truly notice her eyes—the kind of green that belongs in legends and treasure chests, brighter and more striking than any emerald I’ve ever seen. “I doubt it.”

“Okay,” I say, keeping my focus on her. “Well, when I remember how I know you, I’ll tell you.”

“Sounds like a plan. DM me,” she says with sarcasm oozing off each letter, and plastering on a fake smile that would make a Ringling Brothers clown cringe. She tips her cup back and tosses more ice into her mouth, chomping down on it as she puts her back toward me and faces the window again. I’m still listening to the crunch of her ice when she suddenly stops.

“Oh, ow!” Mabel drops her cup in between her feet, what’s left of the ice spilling on the mat, as she holds her hand to her mouth. “Oh, no, no, no. No!”

“All good back there?” Joe asks from the front.

Mabel looks at me with fear in her eyes as she nods. “Uh-huh. All good,” she mumbles, sounding like she’s shoved a tissue in her mouth.

I give it a beat. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I can see her moving her mouth around as she stares at the back of the seat in front of her. From my spot, I can tell that her eyes are a little wild; she looks like a three-legged snake just ran in front of the car.

“I think,” she whispers, running her tongue over her front teeth. “I think I’ve chipped my front tooth.”

“Let me see.” She shakes her head, so I do my best to make her feel comfortable. I mean, it’s what I do. My dad said I’m the most people-pleasing of all the Tremblays, so I need to keep my reputation. “If you let me look, I can tell you how bad it is. I play hockey, so having a tooth chipped or getting one knocked out is par for the course.” I point to my two front teeth. “These aren’t even mine. I lost them both in the first game I played in college. If you want, I can also pop my bridge out for you, it’s back here…”

She holds up a hand, genuine worry etched on her face. “No, thank you.”

“So, give me a smile.” I lean over to her. “I promise I won’t laugh. But I can tell you how fast you need to make a dental appointment when you get to Maple Falls.”

It feels like it takes more than ten minutes to coax her, but she finally rewards me with a teeny-tiny, kinda toothy grin. I say kinda toothy because yes, part of her front tooth is for sure missing and the woman needs more than a chiclet shoved in there to make it all better.

“Is it bad?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper, like she’s bracing for a hurricane of bad news.

“It’s…” I pause, searching for the right words. What do you tell someone you’ve just met who is obviously not thrilled about losing half a tooth? “It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.”

Her face crumples like I just confessed that I let her puppy run away. “Why,” she groans, pressing her lips closed and throwing herself against the back of the seat. Her head tips back dramatically, like she’s auditioning for a soap opera. “No, I do not need this right now.”

I bite back a grin, because this? This is comedy gold. I mean, it’s not funny for her, but watching someone overreact to a chipped tooth like it’s the end of the world? Hard not to find the humor.

“Nobody’s even going to notice,” I say, trying to sound sincere but probably failing. “You’ll be in Maple Falls, and everyone’s too busy looking at the trees and drinking cider to care about your teeth.”

About Author Anne Kemp:

Anne Kemp is a bestselling author of romantic comedies. She loves reading (and she does it ridiculously fast, too!), gluten-free baking (because everyone needs a hobby that makes them crazy), and finding time to binge-watch her favorite shows. She grew up in Maryland but made Los Angeles her home until she encountered her own real-life meet-cute at a friend’s wedding where she ended up married to one of the groomsmen. For real.

Anne now lives on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, and even though she was married at Mt. Doom, no…she doesn’t have a Hobbit. However, she and her husband do have a terrier named George Clooney and when she’s not writing, she’s usually with them taking a long walk on the river by their home.

You can find Anne on her website – come say hi! She’d love to hear from you: www.annekemp.com

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Ashes And Echoes By Jo-Anne Van Gelder ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: August 26, 2025 in Excerpt, giveaways, thriller
Tags: giveaway, psychological thriller

Ashes and Echoes

by Jo-Anne Van Gelder

Publication date: August 22nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller

A missing friend. A locked estate. A note that says, I know what you did.

Three friends. One is missing. The truth won’t stay buried.

Mara hasn’t seen Elise in years—until a handwritten invitation pulls her back to the crumbling estate they swore they’d never return to.

But Elise isn’t there.
Her handbag is.
So is the daisy.
And a note that reads: I know what you did.

Now Mara and Jodie—the third in their fractured trio—are trapped. No cars. No signal. Nowhere to run.

The house is full of locked doors and old ghosts.
Every secret points back to that night.

Elise’s absence is only the beginning.

Some friendships end in silence.
Some secrets refuse to stay dead.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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PROLOGUE:

There were three rules.

One: Don’t ask questions.

Two: Don’t keep records.

Three: If something goes wrong, disappear.

Elise memorised them before she knew what they meant.

Before she understood what kind of house she lived in.

What kind of programme she had been born into.

What kind of silence the adults needed in order to survive.

They were never written down. Just repeated in whispers.

Embedded in routine. Hidden in the space between a closed

door and a too-long pause.

The files were kept in a box under Ian’s bed. Locked, of

course—but not well. She picked the clasp with a bobby pin

when she was twelve and didn’t breathe again until she was

fourteen.

Inside: incident reports, training forms, assessment notes.

Faces she didn’t know. Names she couldn’t place. Her own

wasn’t among them. That unsettled her more than if it had

been.

She never told Grace.

She told no one.

But she remembered.

Not everything. Just enough.

Just the names that seemed misfiled.

The dates that didn’t line up.

The symbols that kept reappearing—on files, in margins, on

lanyards and notebooks.

And once, scratched into the underside of a metal desk in the

old admin wing: a daisy. Faint, but deliberate.

She started drawing them, too.

On the inside of her sleeve. In the dust on her windowsill.

With steam on the bathroom mirror.

By the time she turned fifteen, she no longer trusted the

silence around her. She didn’t fear it, either. But she recognised

it for what it was—a tool.

On the night of her birthday, she wrote a single line inside

the fabric lining of her mattress, using the ink from a leaking

pen:

If something happens to me, it wasn’t random. And it wasn’t

right.

She drew a daisy beside it.

And smiled, like any other girl.

About Author Jo-Anne Van Gelder:

Jo-Anne Van Gelder is the pen name of a Dutch novelist based in the Netherlands. Ashes and Echoes is Jo’s debut psychological thriller—a dark, emotionally layered novel about memory, guilt, and buried truths.

Jo lives with her partner, who is also an author, and their cat. She spends most days surrounded by books, coffee, and the quiet thrill of untold stories.

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