Archive for the ‘Excerpt’ Category

My Second Life by Simon Yeats ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 28, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Memoir
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for My Second Life organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Simon Yeats is awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

My Second Life

by Simon Yeats

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

We all have two lives. We only get to experience living in the second after we realize we only have just one.

I have my first real scare in life when I get attacked by a kangaroo when I am seven. My first brush with the cliff-face edge of death comes when I am 12. My dad drives the family down the dangerous Skipper’s Canyon dirt road in New Zealand in a rented minivan.

Including the occasion I am almost involved in two different plane flight crashes, in the same night, there have been at least a half dozen more occasions when I have been within a moment’s inattention of being killed.

However, none of those frightening incidents compare to what I experience after my son is abducted.

This memoir is the story of how I used the traumatic experiences of my life to give me strength to forge on during a 13 year fight to be a father to my son.

What did it take for me to get to my second life?
It took me to truly understand what fear is.

Enjoy this peek inside:

As I cross the hotel lobby floor towards the elevator, a man approaches me and addresses me by name.

Oh god, not again. I know what this is. Another process server who is going to hand me court documents to tell me I am now being sued for refusing to follow my ex-wife’s demands to buy my son another cell phone.

That would have been far more preferable.

The man leads me over to the couches in the hotel lobby, and we sit. He speaks only Portuguese so that I can only understand some of what he says. So, I use Google translate so I can fully understand what is going on.

His name is Michael.

The man is not from the court.

He is on the direct opposite side of the law, as it turns out.

He is a killer for hire.

My ex-wife has hired his services.

What? Right now, I know I am sitting in bizarro world.

About Author Simon Yeats:

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Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

Author Links: Amazon / TikTok / Instagram

Buy Link: Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ The Accidental Sereph by Maci Aurora

Posted: June 28, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
Tags: , , ,
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The Accidental Sereph

 by Maci Aurora

 

(Carran Hollow Fated Mate, #1)
Publication date: June 25th 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

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When Atlas Black, a bad boy with a reputation in Carran Hollow, walks into The Hole-in-the-Wall bar investigating a demon sighting, it’s mostly business as usual until he comes face-to-face with his calix—his fated-mate. Except Ivy Day, oblivious to the world of seraphs and demons, thinks she’s stranded in Carran Hollow because a stupid bus has broken down. She just needs a ride to get to the next bus in order to get to her sister across the country. While the guy in the bar hitting on her is hotter than any human has the right to be, unless he’ll give her a lift, she doesn’t have any patience for anything else. But little does she know, Atlas is about to take her on the ride of her life—that is, as long as they can get through the demons.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

[Rome] pulls his phone from his pocket and glances at it. “Bus coming into the Hollow.”

Samson and I groan. Buses mean tourists. Obnoxious tourists drag in the demon riff-raff hiding among them, and they aren’t usually the organized kind, but rather the fledgling demons or the deserters attached to the taedae, unsighted humans.

“Not it,” Samson says.

“How’s that injury?” Rome asks me.

“Not an injury,” I repeat. “How many times do I have to say it?”

Rome looks me over, eyes narrowed, as if he can see beyond my skin and bones. “Fine,” he relents. “You go into town. Wait for the bus to roll in, see if any demons have hitched a ride.” He points at me. “But don’t engage, not without backup.”

I’m already walking over to the cabinet, pulling on my harness, sliding a sharpened dagger into a sheath, along with another into my boot. “Me? Engage?” I glance at my bow but leave it, knowing I probably won’t need it. Those off the bus are rarely difficult to dispatch. I glance at Rome with a smile. “Never.”

Samson laughs.

I shrug into my black leather jacket and grab my helmet before I’m out the door, headed for the heart of town. After driving past Lowry’s Gas and Sundries, where the bus stops, and seeing the hulking, metal can is already empty, I ride down Main. I park my bike, cross to the other side, and duck into The Hole in the Wall, a small bar sandwiched between a diner called The Getaway, and a witchy souvenir shop that sells Carran Hollow guidebooks. One of these three establishments is often the first stop for tourists, and thereby their parasitic demons, when they reach town.

My eyes adjust to the dark. There’s an older guy playing guitar near the door. The shiny wooden bar is on the left and runs the length of the room. There are a few people lined up along the counter, atop barstools. Booths—mostly empty—line the right wall, and in between is a stretch of space big enough to walk between the two. I’ve been here before. I have been in every single shop in Carran Hollow, every single home—though the owners haven’t known I was there. The Hollow is my town.

The locals glance at me then look away, giving me a wide berth. They might know me. They might know I’m a Black. If they don’t, they feel it—that sensation skittering across their skin telling them danger is near. That’s all that’s needed.

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About Author Maci Aurora:

Romance author.

Lover of stories.

Maci Aurora has been writing stories since she was a child. When she was eleven, she fell in love with reading Sunfire Historical Romances about girls who made a difference in their lives and still fell in love. In high school, a friend introduced her to Lavyrle Spencer and Judith McNaught, and from there, her writing journey was cemented in telling stories about love. Having already published many novels (all of which are threaded with romance as upper YA and New Adult titles) under the pen name, CL Walters, Maci Aurora wanted to write stories that offered the same attention to story and characters but with additional steam.

Maci writes in Hawaiʻi where she lives with her husband, their children, and their fur-babies.

Website / Instagram / Newsletter

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Exiles by L.J. Ambrosio ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 27, 2024 in Contemporary Literature, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: ,
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  Ron’s journey is met with life-affirming friendships and lessons along the way.

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Exiles

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Reflections of Michael Trilogy Book 3

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by L.J. Ambrosio

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Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age

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 In this final book in the Reflections of Michael Trilogy, Michael’s
wish was for Ron to exile himself in the heart of Paris with its
beautiful culture and citizens as they protest and fight for the soul
of the city. Ron’s journey is met with life-affirming friendships and
lessons along the way.

A story that began with A
Reservoir Man, and continued in Reflections on the Boulevard,
concludes with this final book, Exiles.

What readers
are saying:

 

“Each character
Ron meets during his personal journey is unique, and they all feel
like real people, something Ambrosio has proven time and again is a
strength of his. If you enjoy literary fiction with an epic personal
journey woven through the pages, then you need to read this trilogy.”
– Amazon Review

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“This book,
like the ones before it, evokes a range of emotions—laughter, fear,
excitement, wonder, and grief. Ambrosio’s ability to weave these
feelings into the narrative is what makes the trilogy so special.”
– Amazon Review

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“Exiles is a
brilliant book that will leave you spellbound with its emotional
payoff. Author Ambrosio’s finale to the Reflections of Michael
Trilogy is a must-read for anyone who appreciates literary fiction
that speaks to the soul.” – Goodreads Review

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Amazon
* Apple
* B&N
* Kobo *
Other
Links * Bookbub
* Goodreads

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CHAPTER ONE

 

A cool autumn breeze, in the twilight, wrapped around our exile who sat on a bench in front of a bookstore that resembled a place we might find in a Tolkien novel. On this street, rue de la Buccheri, was the bookstore Shakespeare and Company. The store itself was famous for housing the books of many great literary artists on their shelves. They also supported any young or old artistic vagabonds by allowing them to sleep in the aisles of the bookstore on makeshift beds when finding themselves homeless.

Ron, who managed the store, sat on this bench every evening thinking of Michael. Ron thought of things he remembered and how much he learnt from Michael. He felt the emptiness in his soul, yearning to have that connection just one more time. He had lived in Paris for six years now, a brief time for an exile, yet he was free from a society drowning in untruths; his refuge was the bookstore.

Just like every night, as Ron prepared to close the store, he occasionally checked the front of the store, looking for his friend. Then, he noticed another young man still looking at books on the outside shelves.

Ron moved outside to get a closer look at the late customer under the guise of moving the outdoor book bins back inside. He suddenly noticed that the young man was putting a book down his pants.

Ron raised his voice and shouted for the thief to put the book back on the shelf. The young man, caught in the act, ran away.

The young man sprinted and tripped while running past the café. In this stumble, he decided to turn the corner and make his way rapidly toward la Seine.

Ron, weak in the legs from forgetting the spirit of his youth, had been managing bookstores more than living life. His legs pumped forward. but with the awkwardness of an old man who had forgotten how to walk. In a few seconds he was up to speed and ran faster to catch the thief.

Near the corner, Ron had missed his opportunity to slow and check for other people walking, so he slammed into a group of women. He especially blasted into an old lady whose groceries flew into the sky, and a yogurt splattered against a wall and the faces of the other women. She turned to condemn her assailant, but he was already on the next block in pursuit of the thief.

He spotted the thief at the Notre Dame Hotel, out of breath, leaning against a pillar. Surprised at the thief’s choice to stop here, he slowed down and let his feet pound the street into a halt.

Ron grabbed at him but still missed his shoulder.

“Give me the book back!” he said, very loudly.

The thief just shrugged his shoulder, a mocking smile. His smile made the act of chasing him through the streets feel silly, as if this were a game that had been played and he took it too seriously.

The thief looked at Ron and asked, sarcastically, “What language are you speaking?”

“What do mean? I am speaking French!”

Our thief laughed, turned to a random man who walked down the street, and said, “This young man thinks he is speaking French Go ahead say something to this stranger; he will tell you are speaking some other language other than French!”

“I will call the police,” Ron said firmly.

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 Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent
agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a
theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight
seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also
distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist
over the course of his impressive career.

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Website
* Facebook *
Twitter * Instagram
* Tumblr * Bookbub
* Amazon
* Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Enter to win:

  a Dragonfly Necklace – 2 winners,

a Print Copy of Exiles – 2 winners,

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a $20 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Dungeon Of Horrors by Hawk MacKinney ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 26, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways
Tags:
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Dungeon Of Horrors organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card. Don’t forget to enter.

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Dungeon Of Horrors

by Hawk MacKinney

 

 

Genre: Suspense / Horror

Synopsis

The bank’s newest Trust Officer Terri Stanley prepares the requested department’s internal audit. Finding puzzling inconsistencies and a jumble of misappropriations and unexplained offshore accounts, she follows protocol and immediately punches in the listed number for the Executor-Trustee, Craige Ingram.

Wealthy land owner/parttime PI Craige Ingram reaches the file back to homicide Lt. Grayson MacGerald after finishing a quick read-through of the preliminary forensic report from Coroner Fred Dinkins on the unexpected death of bank President Royce Sedgewicke. Dinkins’ meticulous autopsy findings verify that a massive apparent heart attack was not from natural causes, confirming what these longtime SEAL buddies suspected.

When Ingram gets a call from Terri Stanley, the bank’s attractive, newly-hired Trust Officer, wanting to discuss in confidence possible account irregularities discovered during her audit, he never imagines the twisted world of money and greed that would involve a psychopath’s trail of bloody body parts strewn along Ingram’s river property, or that Terri and her son would disappear.

Confronted by a race against time, Ingram fears that Terri might become one more on the list of dead who crossed a twisted mind bent on thrill-kills and retribution.

Enjoy this peek inside:

A testy Barry Jamison Peters sat at his desk in the bank, nervously folding and refolding a once immaculate handkerchief. At forty-two, Barry looked haggard way beyond his years—the prep school and college gridiron hunk with a perpetual chip on his shoulder long gone to flabby chunkiness, a once pleasant face now drawn. Like he’d done all his life, he waited, listening as the workday ended. The ebony-glass high rise became still and quiet as the five o’clock hired help scurried to the suburban parkway. Breaking routine attracted attention, and he sure didn’t want that.

Math whiz nerd Barry liked numbers. “You can trust numbers,” he once told a new teller. Barry didn’t mind working late; the solitude was warm and familiar. He glanced at his Carrara marble clock that graced his orderly desk. “Thirty more minutes,” he murmured.

At breakfast that morning, he played with a slice of dry scorched toast. His puffy eyes in a sagging face buried in the morning paper hardly glanced in the direction of his frumpy wife when he said, “I have to work late again.”

She tugged at the waist of her soiled sloppy nightgown. In more ways than looks, she matched him dull for dull. “What’s so different?” she said grumpily. “When you’re around, we never talk.”

In that moment his look glittered into the hate-side of disgust. She’d served him divorce papers three times, stopping when her checking account bottomed out. She never paid any of her lawyers, and the last one lost the papers in the bank’s parking deck where the idle-talk crowd found them.

At the half hour, on the mark, Barry took the elevator to the main floor. His steps quickened through the red marble foyer with its malachite green columns and tall, ornate clock beneath the enormous oil painting of the Steamship Company’s first steam locomotive. The duplicate master keys seared his sweaty palm. He unlocked the steel-barred grill into the safety deposit vault, inserted both slender keys and turned them at the same time. He pulled out the long, flat box, raised the lid, pocketed the small velvet satchel from inside, replaced the box, removed the keys and made sure the grill locked behind him. His heart drubbed faster… anxious to get to Royce’s secret place and the vintage collection of Cabernets in the cellar beneath the street. He took the elevator to the fourth floor, then the parking garage connector and the fire stairs down to the street. He scuttled across McIntosh, turned down the narrow alley with its unused railroad siding, brushed beneath the tangle of overgrown Woodbine Creeper and slipped the new key into his new lock. Once inside, he made sure the door locked behind him. The stale, dank air closed in around him. He was safe. No one could find him there.

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About Author Hawk MacKinney:

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Internationally acclaimed author and public speaker, Hawk MacKinney began writing mysteries for his school newspapers. Following graduation, he served in the US Navy for over 20 years. While serving as a Navy Commander, he also had a career as a full-time faculty member at several major state medical facilities. He earned two postgraduate degrees with studies in languages and history and has taught postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel.

In addition to professional articles and texts on fetal and adult anatomy, Hawk has authored several novels that have received national and international recognition. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel, was nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award.

Known for his terrifying suspense and unique “Southron” dialog, Hawk has published five novels in the Moccasin Hollow Mysteries: Hidden Chamber of Death, Westobou Gold, Curse of the Ancients, Dead Gold, and Blood of the Dragonfly.

In a change of direction, Hawk has also published three books in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series: The Bleikovat Event, Volume I; The Missing Planets, Volume II; and The Inanna Phantom, Volume III.

His latest work is a series called the Moccasin Trace Mysteries. Dungeon of Horrors is the first book in the series, and the second book – Blood in the Shadows – is in development.

Website

Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Playtime Clothes by Kim MacLean ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 26, 2024 in Children's books, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Playtime Clothes organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Kim MacLean will award a randomly drawn winner a $15 Amazon or B&N gift card. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Playtime Clothes

by Kim MacLean

 

 

Genre: Children’s Book

Synopsis

The young boy’s room is an undeniable mess. Did he actually clean his room, as he is telling his mom? Or do his clothes come to life and play?! They are, after all, playtime clothes. Is he learning a lesson to tell the truth and be accountable, as we all do in life? Or is it a world of make believe? It is for you to enjoy while you decide.

Enjoy this peek inside:

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About Author Kim MacLean:

Kim MacLean was inspired to be creative while she and her little girls made their own fun inside their home on long, cold winter days. Her girls sat for hours painting and gluing crafts into works of art on paper. Oh, the rows and rows of finished masterpieces drying on the floor while Kim sat and wrote! And there were the hundreds of books that they read and enjoyed together that further inspired creativity and an adult love of children’s books!

Tia Bates is an artist, illustrator, and storyteller from London, Ontario. She is inspired by the beautiful illustrations she grew up looking at in children’s books just like Playtime Clothes, the first children’s book she has illustrated! Currently pursuing a master’s degree in fine art, Tia’s personal artwork is all about the stories we tell.

Purchase Links: Amazon / B&N / Book Depository

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

The Prince She Kissed In Paris by Scarlett Clarke ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 26, 2024 in Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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The Prince She Kissed in Paris

by Scarlett Clarke

 

(Harlequin Romance)
Publication date: June 25th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

What happens when an architect has to work with the far-too-tempting prince she shared one magical evening with in Paris? Find out in Scarlett Clarke’s debut for Harlequin Romance!

ONE STARLIT NIGHT IN PARIS…

Architect Maddie is still thinking about her steamy kiss with a stranger when she walks into her meeting the next morning… And finds her new client, Nicholai, is that stranger and a prince! No matter how incredible the attraction, he’s now completely off-limits. He’s her boss, a dutiful royal and she’s sworn off men. But when their inevitable second kiss is caught on camera, there’s only one solution to the impending scandal—faking their engagement!

From Harlequin Romance: Be swept away by glamorous and heartfelt love stories.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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DEAR READER

Dear Reader,

THE PRINCE SHE KISSED IN PARIS is my debut royal romance with Harlequin Romance. Kicking off the story in Paris was a no-brainer; it was my husband’s and my first international trip together. I fell in love with the old architecture, the iconic landmarks, and just the overall feel of the city.

It was a lot easier to write the chapters set in Paris than creating the country of Kelna, although I learned so much about world-building throughout this process! Kelna was inspired by the country of Croatia, a stunning setting that is now on my travel bucket list.

I also want to give a shout-out to my incredible sister-in-law Rachel, for helping bring Madeline and her passion for architecture to life. Rachel is an architect in the Pacific Northwest and has worked on everything from museums to embassies. She was a wonderful resource on how design processes, site visits, and construction work, and let me get away with some twisting of how an actual timeline would progress!

I hope you enjoy Madeline and Nicholai’s romance. Happy reading, and have a wonderful summer!

Love, Scarlett

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Prince Nicholai Adamović braced his arm against the balcony doorframe as the wrought iron beams of the Eiffel Tower lit up with hundreds of sparkling white lights. The display no doubt dazzled the hordes of tourists who, despite the late hour, would be thronging the Pont d’léna and surrounding streets to snap the perfect picture.

He’d seen it plenty of times, had frequently dismissed it as nothing more than a cheap trick to attract visitors and romantics.

But tonight, he, too, watched the show.

When would he have the freedom to be in his own hotel room alone again? Without security guards or press or his family lurking about?

Or worse, a wife.

The lights performed one last dance before settling into a steady golden glow. A beacon for all of Paris to look to. One of hope, history and love.

He snorted. Love was for books, movies and the occasional lucky sap who stumbled upon their soulmate. For people like him, love was not always an option. Especially when the law of his country required that he have a wedding ring on his finger before accepting the crown.

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About Author Scarlett Clarke:

From sneaking behind the shelves of her local library to read a few pages of romance to absconding with her mom’s copy of A Rose in Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss, Scarlett has loved romance for as long as she can remember. By day, she works in public relations. By night, she powers through her most hated chore (laundry) and writes sweet, contemporary romance with strong heroes and the fierce heroines who make them realize true love really is possible.

When she’s not reading or writing, she’s wrangling her two little ones while trying yet again to plant a vegetable garden, visiting her husband at the fire station, or sitting on her front porch savoring a cup of hot tea and the sight of the Midwestern countryside.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Breach ~ A Terrifying Summer Adventure by Holly S. Roberts

Posted: June 23, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, thriller
Tags: ,
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Breach: A Terrifying Summer Adventure
by Holly S. Roberts

 


Breach: A Terrifying Summer Adventure
Psychological Thriller
Setting – Off the coast of California
Publisher ‏ : ‎Independently Published (March 22, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 202 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8320606989
Digital: Wicked Story Telling (June 20, 2024)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CQYXJ3T1

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Craving the vastness of the open sea, Kate and her family set out on a journey of forgiveness and healing aboard Ryan’s Gift, their newly remodeled yacht. After a tragic accident, it’s imperative that Kate returns to the ocean, the place she once called home, in an attempt to restore her spirit.

In the middle of their idyllic voyage, the nightmare begins. With no power or communication, a monster lurks below the surface and the family must find a way to defeat the darkness before it destroys them.

Experience this gripping story of a family’s fight for survival and a terrifying reckoning from the deep.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

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“Eighteen months had passed since the accident that left Kate with an incomplete spinal cord injury, taking away the use of her legs. The rehabilitation center staff had believed her fortunate for retaining some sensation below the waist, but Kate had never felt unluckier” .

“Kate examined the water looking for a dorsal fin. Slight waves from the Sea Doo rocked the yacht. She wheeled herself frantically toward the stern, her pulse hammering as the real threat lurked unseen below”​​.

“Kate’s voice was a whisper, her hands tense on the wheels of her chair. ‘Ryan, hold on,’ she breathed as the shark’s massive silhouette darted beneath the yacht toward her daughter”​​.

“With every ounce of her being, Kate focused on the rolling waves. ‘This ends today,’ she declared, determination lining her features as she prepared to defend her family from a terrifying nightmare”​​.

About Holly S. Roberts

Holly S Roberts is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and romance. Her Detective Eve Bennet crime series is a #1 Amazon bestseller. She’s a retired homicide detective who worked high-profile cases in Arizona. Holly lives high in the mountains with her husband and two spoiled dogs.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon/Kindle Unlimited

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The Author is running a Giveaway for a Shark Plushie.

Click HERE to enter.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 20 – The Mystery of Writing – SPOTLIGHT

June 20 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

June 20 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

June 21 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 23 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

June 24 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 25 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

June 26 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ Dark & Lovely Mermaids by Julie Catherine

Posted: June 20, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
Tags: , ,
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Dark and Lovely Mermaids

by Julie Catherine

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(Broken Mermaids, #2)
Publication date: June 11th 2024
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Mermen. Monsters. And a lot of Manipulation. An at-odds prisoner (merman) and warden (mermaid) are about to set off to cross the deep ocean and end up running for their lives. Dive into the twisted waters of Dark and Lovely Mermaids, a forced proximity, enemies to lovers paranormal romance where the love is deep and the ocean is wild.

Ellara Merme made a bad deal. To save her friends and human sweetheart, she agreed to become a sea-slave, the lowest class in the mermaid world. It’s hell on earth, at the bottom of the ocean. A terrible choice. The only decision that’s worse, is the choice she’s about to make.

The leader of the mermaids has offered her an out: Deliver the merman prisoner to Neptune’s army and all will be forgiven. No problem. Should be an easy mission. Except…

… the deep ocean is full of sea monsters itching to make the mermaid their next meal.

… plus she might be catching feelings for the merman she’s supposed to be delivering. Could he possibly be so charming? Or are there other manipulations at play?

With danger crashing with every wave, Ellara has to decide: should she stick to the plan and save herself from sea-slavery? Or dive headfirst into the waters of romance? Can she outsmart the ocean and resist the merman’s charms? Or will she end up making an even worse bargain to survive?

Dark and Lovely Mermaids is a thrilling, loyalty-testing, romantic underwater adventure full of monsters, natural disasters and an army of mermen—an underwater story so enchanting you won’t want to come up for air!

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Who should go? Among us, there is a mermaid brave enough, wise enough, and strong enough to do this task? To journey alone. To finish what must be done. To save our kingdom from Poseidon’s spy work. Ellara Merme.”

Petra thrust me forward and lifted the hand she still held in a victorious pose.

All of Merme erupted in whoops and cries.

I plastered a foolish smile upon my cheeks.

All this adoration was for me? What a joke.

I was a hoax standing here, paraded out to the town, in my new silver hair. They were acting like I was some sort of savior, but in reality I was just a jerk they could blackmail into completing the task. So desperate to become a Fert, I’d risk my life.

“Smile,” Petra hissed.

“I am smiling.”

“Bigger.”

A hollow grin pushed up the corners of my lips. I tried to hide the terror behind my eyes. Petra swooped me forward ’til I was side-by-side with Quinn. The leader held up my other arm. I tried not to faint.

“Ellara Merme is our courageous warrior, our mighty Merme.” Quinn said. “She brought the terrible merman’s presence to the attention of the Pause. Ellara brought him down in the fight during the storm. She has killed a Portrayan Kingfisher Crab, manipulated human women into becoming her friends, and she has bedded hundreds of men.”

How about one. The day after my transition was over.

I wanted to vomit in my own mouth.

At best, these claims were a wild twisting of the truth. At worst, the city of Merme had just been pacified with lies. And promises that couldn’t come true. Somewhere in the crowd, I imagined Blonde craning her neck, rolling her eyes. Quinn was making me out to be some sort of super woman. It couldn’t have been farther from the truth. But the women of Merme didn’t care. They just wanted to be safe.

“Ellara Merme was blessed by Abigailya, the sea witch. In fact, the sorceress bestowed on her the magical third eye.”

Which I still didn’t know how to use.

“She defeated a clever water nymph. All by herself.”

I couldn’t stand it anymore. My eyes searched for Blonde. I started to shake my head, no. Petra’s fingernails dug into my palm.

“Play along,” the rainbow-woman hissed. I tightened my smile.

“Ellara Merme is the perfect woman for this mission. A vital soldier. A master mermaid. A linchpin in the success of Neptune’s war. And we will win.” A less experienced orator might have shouted that from the rafters and beaches, but Quinn knew better than that. “We will win,” she whispered, it came out like a shiver. An ear-worm in the brain of every young mermaid. “We will win.” She repeated. Then, finally, she brought the mighty point home. “We. Will. Win!”

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About Author Julie Catherine:

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Julie Catherine is an author, screenwriter and playwright.

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Framed For Murder ~ A Pine Cove Mystery by Marla A. White

Posted: June 20, 2024 in Cozy Mystery, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: ,
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Framed For Murder (A Pine Cove Mystery)
by Marla A. White

 


Framed For Murder (A Pine Cove Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (June 17, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 284 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D18C415T

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After a life-changing injury, Mel O’Rourke trades in her badge for bed sheets, running a B & B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. Her peaceful life is interrupted when an old frenemy, the notorious and charismatic cat burglar, Poppy Phillips, shows up on her doorstep, claiming she’s been framed for murder. While she’s broken plenty of laws, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone. Good thing she’s a better detective than she is a cook as she sets out to prove Poppy’s innocence.

The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Excuse me, is that your car parked out front?” She struggled to maintain a polite tone.

 

The woman’s head snapped toward her, her perfect lips making a surprised little ‘o’ before breaking out in a broad smile. She removed her wireless earbuds, blasting classical music across the room. A swipe to her phone silenced them, and she got to her feet in a fluid motion, stepping toward her with the grace of a ballet dancer. “Officer O’Rourke, how good to see you,” the woman gushed in a lilting British accent. “Or should I just call you Mel?”

 

“Poppy?” She was too astonished to squeak out more.

 

“In the flesh.” The lithe woman beamed but stopped short of wrapping her arms around Mel in an enthusiastic hug. So many questions rattled around in her pre-coffee sluggish brain, but she blurted out the most obvious one first.

 

“How did you get in here?” She’d locked the front door after the posted eight o’clock closing time last night. The guests all had keys to their own cabins or rooms and had instructions to call if they needed her after eight. The safety protocol was a habit she’d stuck to religiously after finding a murdered man sitting in a chair right across from the one vacated by her…nemesis? Acquaintance? She shook her head, unable to put a label to their relationship.

 

“Well,” she purred, her brown eyes sparkling behind long fake lashes, “I drove up early this morning and it was too cold to sit in my car until your eight a.m. opening time.” She gestured to the sign in the window stating lobby hours. “So I let myself in. I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

 

Poppy Phillips was a thief. A notorious cat burglar, sometimes called “The Ghost” by social media outlets and more whimsical members of the public. Many police forces had been chasing her for years, including the LAPD. They knew she’d committed a multitude of crimes, but never found the evidence to make the charges stick, until last year. Mel, hot on her heels in pursuit after a daring robbery, got within an arm’s length from grabbing her with the stolen items on her person when the thief nimbly jumped from the roof of the building they were running across, over an alley, to land on the one next door.

 

Mel tried to follow, but slipped and slammed into the side of the building instead. With her partner too far away to help, she clung to the rooftop by her fingertips until they cramped from the strain. She started reciting the Hail Mary for what she thought would be the last time when two strong, slender arms pulled her to safety. It was Poppy. She could have kept going and escaped, but she came back to save Mel’s life.

 

As they both collapsed to the roof, breathless and laughing at the absurdity of the situation, she cuffed herself to the thief and arrested her. Rather than lashing out and trying to escape, she just sat there and laughed some more. It was almost insulting how chill she was about the whole thing. But, since one rescue deserved another, she convinced the prosecutor, a member of her extended family, to drop the charges in light of services rendered. So what was she doing here?

 

Making a mental note to change the lock and check into a security system to prevent another surprise visit from potentially less amiable thieves, she persisted. “Yes, but what are you doing here? In Pine Cove?” She narrowed her eyes at the intruder. “Are you on the run?”

 

Poppy’s eyes grew wide in a nearly convincing guise of innocence. “No,” she huffed with the perfect blend of indignation and hurt feelings, “why would you say such a thing?”

 

“Experience?”

 

After mulling her statement over for a moment, the Brit gave her a crooked grin. “You got me there but seriously, after our run in on the rooftop and you managed to keep me out of the nick, I got to thinking, is this what I really want to do with my life? So, I decided to turn over a new leaf. When I heard about your lovely B&B, I says to me-self, ‘Poppy, that’s the ticket. Go work for your old pal Mel.’ And here I am.” She spread her arms wide like a magician who had performed a trick and awaited her due applause.

 

Mel scrubbed her face with her hands. “This is too much conversation before coffee.”

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About Marla A. White

Marla White is an award-winning novelist who prefers killing people who annoy her on paper rather than in real life. Her first full-length mystery novel, “Cause for Elimination,” placed in several contests including Killer Nashville, The RONE Awards, The Reader’s Favorite, and finishing second in the Orange County Romance Writers for Romantic Suspense. Originally from Oklahoma, she lived in a lot of other states before settling down in Los Angeles to work in the television industry.  She currently teaches at UCLA Extension and gives seminars about the art of script coverage. When she’s not working on the next book, she’s out in the garden, hiking, cheering on the LA Kings, or discovering new craft cocktails.

Fun facts
Something readers might find interesting about this book:

The quirky Babbling Brook Bed-and-Breakfast is loosely inspired by the Silver Pines Lodge in Idyllwild. Highly recommend staying there if you’re even in that neck of the woods.

A fact about me that readers might find interesting:

I share Mel’s nearly debilitating fear of heights. Well, not to the same extent, I can climb a set of stairs, but looking down more than a few flights? No way 😀

There’s a scene where Mel does a singing bowl session. I’ve done that and honestly, it’s pretty cool!

I accomplished the dream of becoming a published writer in my late fifties after helping other writers craft their stories for thirty years.

Social Media Links: Twitter/X / Instagram / Facebook / TikTok

  Goodreads / BookBub / Amazon / Substack

Purchase Links
Amazon – Barnes and Noble – Apple Books 

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The Maker Of Worlds by David Litwack ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 19, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, New Adult, YA Fantasy
Tags: , , ,
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The Maker of Worlds

by David Litwack

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Publication date: May 22nd 2024
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Young Adult

If you had the chance to remake the world, what kind of world would you choose?

When tragedy strikes Lucas Mack’s young life, he desperately yearns to escape its sorrow, and takes an improbable leap through the mythical maelstrom. Rather than splashing down on the far side like his neighbors, he’s transported to a magical realm where he has the power to redefine not only who he is, but the world in which he resides.

As he stumbles about trying to find his way, he meets Mia, an equally troubled fellow pilgrim. With the help of a mystical guide and an aging wizard, they navigate the enchanted land while learning to control their newfound powers. Yet this realm is more complex than they expected, with seasoned sorcerers who’ve been corrupted by the sinister side of magic.

Limited by natural law and seduced by magic’s power, they are tested as never before. Will the gift of magic bring renewed hope or drive them to the edge of the void?

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

In the light of pre-dawn, and in my half-awake state, no difference struck me at first, other than the chill waters deeper than expected, soaking the rolls of my trousers. Out of the mist on either side, giant evergreens loomed graceful as usual, rising until their tops blurred. The view so distracted me that several heartbeats passed before I realized the change.

Perhaps I was still sleeping in my bed, for where the channel to the west lake should have been, a broad flood plain spread. The water had washed over the banks and crept inland for a hundred paces, leaving the trees the only witness to what once had been dry land.

Beyond the trees, nothing.

Nowhere a dock or a mooring, not so much as a hint of early morning smoke rising from a chimney. Nowhere the cottages of Queen’s Hill. Nowhere houses at all. As I gaped, the edges of branches shimmered as if undecided whether to remain intangible or become real. In a panic, I realized the folly of this quest. Better to return to a safer, albeit gloomier life, to go back through the portal at once.

Behind me, the maelstrom still swirled, a fleeting comfort as it had started to recede. While I stared at the last link to my old world, the orb diminished, shrunk to a size I could cover with my hand, and then to that of the tip of my thumb. Before I sloshed more than two steps closer, it winked out.

Now, to the north and the south, nothing showed but water. I stumbled to shore, my movements causing the slightest wake in the surface, which lay so still I could make out my astonished features in the reflection.

I’d spent much of my young life with Addy, like a mate sailing across a forever lake. She’d been with me through calm and storm. I’d yearned to find renewed hope on this side of the gateway and return home to a new life, yet now the gateway, like Addy, had vanished.

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About Author David Litwack:

The urge to write first struck at age sixteen when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the wild night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by the northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter’s editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.

Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process — and without prior plan — becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.

David now lives in the Great Northwest. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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