Archive for the ‘Excerpt’ Category

Revelations by Robert Sells ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: April 4, 2019 in Excerpt, giveaways, Science Fiction
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Revelations
by Robert Sells
Genre: Science Fiction
 
Aster Worthington spearheads the First Contact Team to unravel a message
from an alien race. “The Lambdons” promise free energy if
humanity builds a few special robots and downloads their message into
a super computer to direct construction of the fusion reactor. An
excited world agrees and builds a massive structure called the Dome
to house the alien enterprise.
Seven years later, there’s no “free energy” and strange things happen
in and around the Dome. Aster and her colleagues mount an expedition
under the protection of Army Rangers to investigate the interior.
Instead of friendly aliens, they discover hordes of deadly
intelligent humanoids with insect-like characteristics.
When the military team is brutally murdered by the Lambdons, the
scientists scatter. It’s soon apparent that the Lambdons intend to
take over the planet using biological warfare. The only hope for
humanity lies with a two-thousand year old scroll hidden by the
church. The question is, can Aster and her team unravel the scroll’s
mystery in time to save the planet?
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revelations excerpt
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While Aster’s body was near collapse, her mind continued its ruminations like a mouse on a treadmill. Fear takes away energy. Interesting. She grunted. Interesting that you still think analytically, you idiot. Her eyes snapped back to the floor. No centipedes. Okay, rest a bit. Don’t exhaust yourself, girl. Aster slid down on the floor again and covered her face with her hands. We never should have entered this damned place. Stupid, stupid, stupid. The Dome had sent them one subtle warning after another and, like so many other clues, they ignored them. Humans, she reflected, were particularly adept at twenty-twenty hindsight. Her eyes snapped open and wide-eyed, searched the area close to her. She scooted back up. Any of those damn centipedes around? None. She was safe. At least from those creepy, crawly things.
Then a clacking sound. Those horrible feet, ending with hooves, not feet, the tapping sound on cement. She let out a gurgle of hysterical laughter. Here come the bad guys again! She pinched herself hard to try to get control and took a shaky breath. Don’t lose it now. You’ve made it this far. She got up and moved lightly along the wall and, at the junction, steered away from the clacks. Don’t know where in hell I am. She hummed lightly under her breath, repeating it several times, then giggled. No, but I do know that I’m in Hell, don’t I? How about that, Daddy? You were right all along. Your scientist daughter is rotting in Hell, just like you said I would.
She walked for about an hour, winding her way through the corridors, hugging a wall and trying not to be seen, carefully stepping over the gray cauliflower-fungi peppering the ground. Always steering away from those clacking sounds. Looking for centipedes and either killing them or walking away from the larger ones. They didn’t seem to have eyes, but somehow the centipedes could detect her. Smell? Sound?
Finally, bowing to her fatigue, Aster Worthington, famed astronomer, sagged down and sat with her knees pulled up to her chest. She just couldn’t go any farther. Exhausted, all she could do was keep watching left and right.
If they came down the corridor, she probably couldn’t outrun them but maybe she might get lucky with a shot. She knew she had to hit the head. Of course, it would help if she knew how to work the damn gun. She fiddled with a latch around the trigger. Was this the safety? Off. On. Off? On? Off? She didn’t know how long she had been playing with the gun when she was jerked out of her reverie by a sound.
Instantly, standing up, her head snapped around toward the corner of the alley, and she tightly gripped her gun. Alert. A new sound. Padding sounds. What the hell was that?
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I attended college at Ohio Wesleyan where I struggled with physics.
Having made so many mistakes in college with physics, there weren’t
too many left to make and I did quite well at graduate school at Purdue.
I worked for nearly twenty years at Choate Rosemary Hall, an exclusive boarding school in
the heart of Connecticut. More often than not, students arrived in
limousines. There was a wooded area by the upper athletic fields
where I would take my children for a walk. There, under a large oak
tree, stories about the elves would be weaved into the surrounding forest.
Returning to my home town to help with a father struggling with Alzheimer’s, the only
job open was at a prison. There I taught an entirely different
clientele whose only interaction with limousines was stealing them. A
year later Alfred State College hired me to teach physics. I happily
taught there for over ten years. A rural, low income high school
needed a physics teacher and the superintendent, a friend, begged me
to help out. So, I am finishing my teaching career in a most
fulfilling way… helping kids who would otherwise not have access to
a qualified physics (and math) teacher.
My wife pestered me about putting to “pen” some of the stories which I had created
for the children and other relatives. I started thinking about a
young boy and a white deer, connected, yet apart. Ideas were shuffled
together, characters created and the result was the Return of the
White Deer. This book was published by the Martin Sisters.
Years ago I gave a lecture on evolution. What, I wondered, would be the next step? Right
away I realized that silicon ‘life’ had considerable advantages
over mortal man. Later this idea emerged as the exciting and
disturbing story called Reap the Whirlwind, my most recent novel.
I have many other stories inside my mind, fermenting, patiently waiting for the pen to
give them breath. Perhaps someday I will even write about those elves
which still inhabit the woods in the heart of Connecticut.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Trapped forever in…… The Basement ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: April 1, 2019 in Excerpt, giveaways, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy
Tags: , ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for The Basement organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

I don’t know about you, but the cover art gives me delicious shivers!!!

Dianne Hartsock will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter at the bottom of the post

And be sure to click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

43610685

Alex is haunted by visions of the dying, but now it seems the ghosts he’s seeing are real as well.

In this sequel to ALEX and THE SHED, Alex wonders if he’s seeing ghosts. His friend Justin has bought the Fulton place, a beautiful old mansion on the edge of Oakton. But something’s wrong in the house. Alex has visions of a small boy, trapped in the basement, and a man at the top of the stairs who won’t let him leave.

And Logan Fulton has come to town, Helen Kramer’s cousin, a psychic medium who wants something from Helen, whatever the cost. He and Helen had spent time in the Fulton house as children and Alex suspects Logan has something to do with the spirits now awakening in the old mansion. But whether Logan is calling them forth or if something else is controlling them, Alex can’t be sure.

The child’s spirit calls to Alex, as do others trapped in the house. There is a dark entity holding them there, keeping the child forever in the basement, the others for his amusement. But Alex has never believed in ghosts, so what is really going on? As he strives to learn the boy’s secret, his friends are one by one pulled to the Fulton place and put in danger while Logan works against Alex, having an agenda of his own. Will Alex be able to solve the haunting of the old house, or will he and his friends be taken one by one, doomed to walk the dark hallways forever?

 Enjoy this peek inside:

Something tugged his coat sleeve. Startled, he looked down. Nothing. Goddammit.

“Either help me or get away from me,” he muttered, nerves pulled taut. He moved into the room and gasped as the light on the walls disappeared, the candle’s flame the only illumination. It flickered on the surface of the inkblack liquid in the basin, drawing his eye. Without thought, he crossed the room and crouched opposite Logan, but instead of looking into the bowl, he searched the slack continence across from him.

Logan kept his gaze focused on the bowl as if unaware of Christopher’s presence. He appeared pale, hollow-cheeked, haggard, a death mask, and Christopher sucked in a breath.

“Logan? Are you okay?”

No reaction. Logan remained frozen in place. A slow shiver traveled through Christopher. What did he see in those dark depths? The water stirred, radiated outward as if a breath had touched the surface. The candle’s flame flashed, light splintering through the liquid. Christopher bent closer to the bowl. Had something moved in there? He parted his lips on a hiss of dawning horror as eyes, dark as pitch, appeared, the image of a terrible face taking shape.

He pulled away, his limbs unaccountably heavy as he struggled to his feet, the terrible face breaking the surface, continuing upward, a dark figure climbing into the world. The room grew cold, ice forming where the creature stepped out onto the wooden floor. The air seemed sucked from the room. Unable to scream, Christopher stumbled back until he came up against the wall. The specter moved closer, and Christopher’s chest heaved, fear holding him immobile.

About Author Dianne Hartsock

Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.

She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon / Facebook Author Page

Buy Links: Amazon / B&N / Solstice Publishing

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GIVEAWAY

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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

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Urban Fantasy Collections ~ Trifles and Folly ~ Excerpts and Giveaway

Posted: March 23, 2019 in Excerpt, giveaways, urban fantasy
Tags: , ,
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Trifles and Folly
A Deadly Curiosities Collection
by Gail Z. Martin
Genre: Urban Fantasy
 
A collection of nine adventures: Buttons, The Restless Dead,
Retribution, Coffin Box, Wicked Dreams, Collector, Bad Memories,
Shadow Garden, and Spook House. 
Cassidy Kincaide runs Trifles & Folly in modern-day Charleston, an
antiques and curios shop with a dangerous secret. Cassidy can read
the history of objects by touching them and along with her business
partners Teag, who has Weaver magic and Sorren, a 600 year-old
vampire, they get rid of cursed objects and keep Charleston and the
world safe from supernatural threats. An extension of the Deadly
Curiosities book series.
Revised Edition 2, 2018. Includes an updated cover, minor edits
and the BONUS section with three stories chronicling Sorren’s early days:
Vanities, The Wild Hunt, and Dark Legacy.
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folly excerpt
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Coffin Box

“I don’t know why, but I’ve really got a bad feeling about that house.” I sat in the car parked at the curb near the big house on the Battery.
“Bad feeling like they won’t pay their bill, or bad feeling like there’s a hungry demon inside?” Teag Logan asked.
I shook my head. “Not sure, but if I had to put money on it, I’d go with the demon.”
Most people would be kidding. Teag knew I wasn’t. I’m Cassidy Kincaide, owner of Trifles and Folly, an antique and curio shop in historic, haunted Charleston, SC. Neither Teag nor I are entirely what we seem, and that holds true for the shop as well.
I’m a psychometric, which means I can often read the history of objects by touching them. Teag has Weaver magic, an ability to weave spells into cloth and to weave data streams—like the Internet—making him an awesome hacker. He’s my best friend, sometime bodyguard and assistant store manager. I’m the latest in a very long line of relatives to manage Trifles and Folly in the 350 years the store has existed, but we’ve all had the same silent partner, a nearly six-hundred-year-old vampire named Sorren, and the same mission: to get dangerous magical items off the market and out of the wrong hands. Most of the time, we succeed. When we fail, people die and really bad things happen.
“How do you want to handle this?” Teag asked.
I drew a deep breath. “We go in, and see what’s what. Then we figure it out from there.” My magic is touch-psychic, not clairvoyance, so I can’t see the future, much as I would sometimes like to.
The house was large, old, and expensive. Most of the homes on the Battery hailed from before the Civil War. Many of the houses are painted in the muted pastels most people associate with places like Bermuda and Nassau. Some of the families who owned these homes had been here since the mansions were built. The houses are beautiful, and tourists flock to see them. But as much as I admire their beauty, I try not to spend a lot of time down at the Battery for the simple reason that it creeps me out.

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Trifles and Folly 2
A Deadly Curiosities Collection 
 
Cassidy Kincaide runs Trifles & Folly in modern-day Charleston, an
antiques and curios shop with a dangerous secret. Cassidy can read
the history of objects by touching them and together with Teag (a
hacker and weaver witch) and Sorren, a 600 year-old vampire, they get
rid of cursed objects and keep Charleston and the world safe from
supernatural threats.
An extension of the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy novel series, this
collection contains three full novellas and four short stories: The
Final Death, Predator, Fair Game, Fatal Invitation, Redcap,
Bloodlines, plus three bonus stories: Among the Shoals Forever, The
Low Road, and Steer a Pale Course.
 
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folly excerpt
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Fatal Invitation

I reached into the shipping crate. My hand closed around a newspaper-wrapped piece from a china dish set, probably a gravy boat from its contours. The warning tingle from my psychic gift was too little, too late. By the time I realized the danger, I was already immersed in a vision of tragedy and terror.
Images strobed in my mind, searingly clear for an instant and then suddenly dark. A dining room table set with holiday finery for a Thanksgiving feast. Eight people—no, nine—but the one person’s face was hidden. Dinner began with high spirits. The person whose memories I was experiencing was a man, the father of the family gathered for the feast, happy that he was surrounded by loved ones—and a guest.
Despite the high spirits, a warning tingled at the edge of my host’s senses. It had been a mistake to invite the stranger, he was thinking. They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
The stranger didn’t say much as the meal began. Everyone else laughed and talked as silverware rattled and food was passed around the table. His son, the youngest at the table, was the first one affected. He complained about his stomach, folded his arms across his midsection, and fell forward onto his plate. I saw the man’s hand set the gravy boat down on the table as he stood.
Everyone rose in alarm—everyone except the stranger. I couldn’t get a clear look at the guest’s face. The others were in sharp focus, but the one I knew was the stranger had blurred features, and the baggy clothing made it impossible to tell gender. The stranger stepped back as everyone rushed to the boy, who fell back, eyes staring blankly, unresponsive, into his mother’s arms as she screamed.
The others began to stagger, hands going to their heads or abdomens, faces frightened and worried. The boy’s mother collapsed across his body. Others crumpled to the floor or sagged from their chairs.
The person whose memories I shared tried to go to them, but his legs failed him. His heart raced but it was hard to breathe, and his mouth had gone dry. Vision blurred, and despite his panic, he was so utterly tired. Still, he dragged himself toward his family, but halfway across the room, his body no longer responded to his mind’s commands. He reached out to the stranger, one hand raised in a plea for help. The stranger only smiled.

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Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and
ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wroteat age
fivewas about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was
Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys
attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and
living history sites. She is married and has three children, a
Himalayan cat, a Maltese and a golden retriever.
 
 
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Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Next To Last Mistake by Amalie Jahn ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: March 19, 2019 in Contemporary Literature, Excerpt, giveaways, YA
Tags: , , ,
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next to last banner

Thanks for visiting my stop on the virtual book tour The Next To Last Mistake organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Amalie Jahn will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

And don’t forget to enter, the giveaway!

The Next To Last Mistake

by Amalie Jahn

9781611532647-Cover.indd

Synopsis

Tess Goodwin’s life in rural Iowa is sheltered and uncomplicated. Although she chooses to spend most of her free time playing chess with her best friend Zander, the farm-boy from next door, her skills as a bovine midwife and tractor mechanic ensure that she fits in with the other kids at East Chester High. But when her veteran father reenlists in the Army, moving her family halfway across the country to North Carolina, Tess is forced out of her comfort zone into a world she knows nothing about.

Tess approaches the move as she would a new game of chess, plotting her course through the unfamiliar reality of her new life. While heeding Zander’s long-distance advice for making new friends and strategizing a means to endure her dad’s imminent deployment to the Middle East, she quickly discovers how ill-equipped she is to navigate the societal challenges she encounters and becomes convinced she’ll never fit in with the students at her new school.

When Leonetta Jackson is assigned as her mentor, she becomes Tess’s unexpected guide through the winding labyrinth of cultural disparities between them, sparking a tentative friendship and challenging Tess to confront her reluctant nature. As the pieces move across the board of her upended life, will Tess find the acceptance she so desperately desires?

Check out this peek inside:

I’m almost asleep, barely conscious of drifting off, when I’m startled by a noise outside my window. Before I have a chance to turn on the light and investigate, the sash slides open and someone steps into my room.

I hope beyond all hope I’m not dreaming.

“Zander?” I ask, not wondering if it’s him but why he’s here.

He’s all the way in the room now, standing at the foot of my bed. “Did I wake you?” he whispers.

“No,” I tell him. He blows into his hands, and I lift my blankets, inviting him under the covers to warm up.

“It’s colder than a polar bear’s butt out there.” He snuggles against me in my tiny twin bed like we’re still six-year-olds, camping outside in each other’s backyards. I wrap my arms around him, and he settles against my shoulder. “You left your own party.”

“It wasn’t really my party,” I say. “More New Year’s than anything else.”

“The cake was good. Red velvet. You would’ve liked it.”

There’s so much I want to say. Apologies I want to give. Promises I want to make. But the words are jumbled around in my head, and I’m afraid if I speak everything will come out all wrong.

“I didn’t have anyone to kiss at the ball drop,” he says eventually, and I wonder if whatever was in his Solo cup has gone to his head.

“Tina and Claire were there.”

He chuckles grimly and his voice turns serious. “We’ve been together every New Year’s since we were babies, you know that?” His words settle over me, and I strain under the weight of them. Heavier still is the burden of what he doesn’t say: And this might have been our last.

“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling the need to explain, “but it was so cold and I knew my dad was gonna need help with the herd and…”

He rolls over to face me, placing a finger over my lips. “It’s okay, Tess. I get it. It’s been hard being around each other for the past few weeks. I didn’t realize the anticipation of you leaving was gonna suck so bad. I didn’t know how horrible I was at long goodbyes.” Now he’s the one who’s apologizing. “I guess I didn’t know what else to do. I figured this day might be easier for both of us…”

“If you left me before I had the chance to leave you?”

“Something like that.” He sighs. “It wasn’t intentional. I guess I’ve been sorta messed up in my own head, thinking about not having you around. You’re the best part of my days.”

I blink back tears I don’t realize are already spilling down my cheeks. His admission is true for me as well—something we’ve always taken for granted.

“It’s only eighteen months, then we’ll both graduate and head to college together like we always planned. You and me. It’s not that long, right?”

“It’s not that long,” he agrees. “But it’ll never be the same, not having you right next door.”

His body is relaxed against mine, and I’m reminded of all the nights we spent together growing up, head to foot and back to back, me teasing him for his stinky feet and him making fun of my retainer. “Maybe someone better will move in here,” I laugh between sniffles. “Some Victoria’s Secret supermodel, schlepping around manure in waders and a thong.”

He chuckles, too, and I imagine him smiling in the darkness. “As tempting as she sounds, I still wouldn’t willingly trade you for her.”

There’s something unspoken in his words, a tiny invitation across a boundary we’ve never crossed. But I can’t cross it now. I won’t. There’s no reason to take something painful and make it complicated as well.

“I should go to sleep,” I tell him. “We’re leaving after the morning milking, and I gotta be alert enough to drive.”

He stirs under the covers and his warmth leaves my side. As he stands over me, silhouetted in the moonlight cascading through my window, I hear him sigh. Then, he leans down to place a kiss on my forehead like a father tucking in his child.

“Bye,” I say.

“Bye.”

“Love ya.”

“Love ya back.”

And then he’s gone, back through the window out into the night. I assume, in the wake of our farewell, it’s going to take me hours to fall asleep, but the next thing I know my alarm is going off, and it’s time to slide the chessboard of my past life on to the shelf and begin another match.

About Author Amalie Jahn

Amalie Jahn is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 8 young adult novels, including The Next To Last Mistake, her latest release (Light Messages Publishing 2019).

Amalie is the recipient of the Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for her debut novel, The Clay Lion. She is a contributing blogger with the Huffington Post and Southern Writers Magazine, as well as a TED speaker, human rights advocate, and active promoter of kindness. She lives in the United States with her husband, two children, and three overfed cats.

When she’s not at the computer coaxing characters into submission, you can find Amalie swimming laps, cycling, or running on the treadmill, probably training for her next triathlon. She hates pairing socks and loves avocados. She is also very happy time travel does not yet exist. Connect with her right here in the present day at these social media sites:

Websites – http://www.amaliejahn.com and lightmessages.com/amalie-jahn
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Visit http://www.amaliejahn.com to join Amalie’s FREE Readers Group and in addition to receiving promotional discounts, sneak peeks, and monthly newsletters, your membership will now grant you exclusive access to bonus material (shorts and novelettes) delivered right to your inbox!

Amazon / B&N / Apple / Kobo

Goodreads

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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Adventures With Annabelle And Maisie ~ Delightful Excerpts and Giveaway

Posted: February 13, 2019 in Action/Adventure, Children's books, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , , ,
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The Day Annabelle Was Bitten By a Doodlebug
by Julie Wenzlick
Genre: Children’s Rhyming Picture Book
 
When pre-schooler Annabelle awakens one morning,
she has a strange urge to start doodling.
She calls for paper and pen and begins doodling continuously, unable to stop—
even for meals! Her concerned parents take her to the doctor, who discovers a
doodlebug bite on her neck.
He assures them her doodling urges will end when the bite fades away.
Annabelle gets so good at doodling she opens a shop to sell her work and even travels
the world to share her art.
Then one day the bite fades and so do her uncontrollable urges.
 
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Doodlebug Excerpt 5_600x600
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The Day Maisie and Annabelle Got the Giggles
by Julie Wenzlick
Genre: Children’s Rhyming Picture Book 
 
After sisters Annabelle and Maisie meet the gigglepuss outside on the
trampoline, they suddenly can’t stop giggling. Their dad has a hard
time believing they met a gigglepuss, calling it “mythical
nonsense.” But as time passes and they giggle harder and harder,
there’s no choice but to take them to the doctor, who provides an
unpleasant but effective remedy. Wonder who else in the family will
encounter that rascally gigglepuss?
 
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Giggles Excerpt 2_464x600
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The Day Maisie Picked a Daisy
by Julie Wenzlick
Genre: Children’s Rhyming Picture Book 
 
When big sister Annabelle decides to go against Mom’s rules and take
little sister Maisie Grace for a ride in her pink Barbie Corvette,
she has no idea of the adventure that lies ahead!  Join these
wandering sisters as they explore Miss Millie’s garden and fail to
obey the sign: Do NOT pick the Daisies!  What will happen when
Maisie unknowingly plucks one daisy from the garden?
 
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Daisy Excerpt 1_600x600
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Julie Wenzlick is a retired English teacher who loves to rhyme. She began
writing poems and stories in second grade, and she loves to share her
books with elementary students in hopes of inspiring them to write
their own stories. Three of her books were inspired by her
granddaughters Annabelle and Maisie. She often gets the question from
her young audiences, “Did this REALLY happen?” Her book
“The Day Annabelle was Bitten by a Doodlebug” was chosen as
Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Children’s Book category for
2017. Julie, who also writes songs to go with her books, produced her
original full-length musical comedy “Singles File,” in the
early 90s at three venues. You can find out more about her at
juliewenzlick.com
 
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Blast and Giveaway ~ Liar Liar by Nancy Boyarsky

Posted: September 27, 2018 in Excerpt, giveaways, Mystery
Tags: , ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nancy Boyarsky will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Liar Liar

A Nicole Graves Mystery #3

by Nancy Boyarsky

37871329

Synopsis

Nicole Graves finds herself in the crosshairs when she reluctantly agrees to babysit a witness in a high-profile rape trial. Mary Ellen Barnes is suing her university’s star quarterback for rape when the authorities won’t act. In the court of public opinion, Mary Ellen appears to be the quintessential, pious, good girl. But her lies and mysterious comings and goings lead Nicole to suspect that she’s not what she seems.

Read an Excerpt

Later, Nicole would ponder the truth and its illusive nature. She’d realize how many lies people would tell to protect themselves from it. And, worst of all, how many she herself would tell to get at it. She’d always considered herself a truthful person. Yet she’d find herself lying to others, to her fiancé, and even to herself.

She’d wonder if there was such a thing as the actual truth. Or was truth relative, the product of incomplete or faulty memories, or the limitations of the observer? How often was the truth tainted by what an individual wanted, or needed, to believe?

On this bright day in mid-March, Nicole stepped into the United Terminal at LAX and encountered a situation she could hardly believe. It was as if she’d slipped back in time to the previous year when the media was stalking her. This morning, they were massed in a corner of baggage claim. After the initial shock of seeing them, she noticed they weren’t looking in her direction, hadn’t noticed her at all. They were waiting for someone else, someone they expected to come down the escalator from the arrival gates.

About the Author Nancy Boyarsky:

Nancy Boyarsky is the bestselling author of the award-winning Nicole Graves Mysteries.
Before turning to mysteries, Nancy coauthored Backroom Politics, a New York Times notable book, with her husband, Bill Boyarsky. She has written several textbooks on the justice system as well as articles for publications including the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, and McCall’s. She also contributed to political anthologies, including In the Running, about women’s political campaigns. In addition to her writing career, she was communications director for political affairs for ARCO.

Liar Liar is the third Nicole Graves novel, following The Swap and The Bequest, each of which can be read as a stand alone. Readers are invited to connect with Nancy through her website.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

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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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Embracing Your Divinity by Laura Emily ~ Guest Post and Giveaway

Posted: August 20, 2018 in Excerpt, giveaways, Guest Post, Inspirational
Tags: , ,
4

Embracing Your Divinity

by Laura Emily

Synopsis

Laura Emily teaches us to appreciate and notice our inner being.
By taking the reader on a journey through her own experiences, Laura teaches us to listen to the
universe and allow ourselves to follow the path the universe is trying to take us on. She tries to
make us understand that even though we may not think the universe is on our side or that things are
not meant to happen, something has not happened yet because we, as individuals, are not yet ready
to receive this event. Once we accept the universe’s plan and allow things to happen, whether they
are good or bad, only then can we truly reach our full potential.

Purchase links: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Author Bio:

Laura Emily, also known as The Happiness Coach, considers it her mission in life to help uplift the
planet and encourage a shift in the consciousness that people have today. Laura currently does oneto-one coaching through her website, http://www.beagoodsoul.com, to help others achieve their
goals, fulfill their dreams and awaken their connection to the Universe.

Social media links

YouTube / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

~~~~~

Enjoy the Excerpt

.
“I enjoyed every day and was grateful for every morning, every afternoon and every evening. I
surrounded myself with people I loved and people who made me feel great. As the months rolled on
I started visualising my life to come surrounded by great friends and a wonderful man. I did not
visualise this to bring it to me, I visualised it only because it made me feel wonderful. Looking back
I can see how aligned I was to the Universe because I spent everyday happy. I would drive to work
and say in my mind, ‘I have the most amazing husband, friends and family.’ Eventually, this image
of a handsome stranger became a familiar image in my mind. I saw a checked shirt and an
impressive physique with thick hair that I could run my hands through and a sense of humour that
always kept my cheeks rosy. Many times in my visions he would stop by for a cup of tea and ask
for ‘a real cup of tea made by a real English lady,’ as he was not English himself. Sometimes I would imagine him busy at work in his office, sometimes I would imagine him relaxed and playing
his guitar to me and sometimes we just danced in the rain in Central Park. One of my most popular
visions was him and I walking through the park, dancing, talking, laughing and sometimes he
would stop me in my tracks and sing to me. He adored me and his spirit made me fly. To me, he
was real. He was so real that anytime I felt down I would go to him in my mind. I remember a
particular time that I was feeling incredibly sad and I was crying in my car on my way home. I
relaxed myself and went within and poured my words out to myself. I spoke out all my feelings and
frustrations, but I did it as if I was with him and telling him about my day. After I had done this I
naturally visualised his response. He was so gentle with me, he was kind, he spoke to me with love
and comforted me. To be honest, I did not even realise I was doing this because it just all came so
naturally. Like I said, he was real to me and after he comforted me I felt a lot happier.
“Then, one day, after having an inspiring conversation with my older brother, I decided to book
a trip to New York City. It was a place I had been to a couple of times and have always wanted to
eventually live once I found a way of doing so. After hanging up the phone with my brother I
walked into my job that day and told my boss I would be leaving. Many people laughed at me,
some told me I was irresponsible but I was making decisions with my heart now, not my head, and
in that month my life changed once and for all.
“On August 8, 2015, two weeks before I was due to fly, a message popped through on a social
media website from a handsome gentleman in the United States. When I say handsome, I mean the
most handsome man I had ever seen with the kindest blue eyes, the biggest smile and the most
intoxicating laugh I had ever heard. After a brief chat, he wished me well and left the conversation.
I was desperate to talk more. I did not know his name or where he was from but I wanted to. I
wanted to know everything about him. It was not just how I felt about him, it was how he had made
me feel through a few words we had shared back and forth. He had so much energy it was
infectious.
“The next day he reached out to me again. I was over the moon. The more he shared his life
with me the more I realised how wonderful he was. He was kind, generous, ambitious, funny and he
loved the Universe like I did. His name was Bobby. He was a business man doing extremely well in
his field. He had toured in a band for many years previously and he still liked to play guitar and sing
now and then when he had the time. He had written many beautiful songs and sang many to me. His
voice was unique and totally perfect and I could barely listen to a song without feeling a rush of
emotions.
“When he asked me what was going on in my life I told him I was traveling to New York City
for a month. He was so excited about the idea and keen to hear about my adventures. Within a
couple of days he had asked me if he could fly over from where he was in San Diego and take me
out because he thought it would be a shame if we never got to have lunch together. I was thrilled.
We made immediate plans and within two days he had his flight and hotel booked and time off from
his hectic job.
“A week later there I was in an apartment on the Upper West Side, which was perfect and
everything I had visualised. Three days after I landed he knocked on my door. I ran down to let him
in and finally got to see those blue eyes in front of me. His trembling lips kissed me and it has been
magic ever since. He spent five days with me before he flew back home and I was grateful for every
minute. We explored the entire city on foot. We shared tasty food over storytelling and the driest
wines we could find. One of my more memorable evenings was sitting at a beautiful restaurant
enjoying Italian food and wine. After the meal was over he leaned in and asked if I wanted to walk
with him to Central Park for a dance. I was beaming from ear to ear as we walked up one block to
where the park was located. Here, we shared our first dance and as we did, it began to rain. There I
was, dancing in the rain in Central Park just as I had visualised. It only rained for about three
minutes. To me, it felt like the heavens had opened to allow me the moment I had once visualised
where he and I were dancing in the rain under a tree in Central Park. I thank God for that moment
still.
“The very next day we were walking alongside the park again and he turned to me and asked if
I liked the idea of getting married in Central Park. I was lost for words. This was something I had
always wanted but never expressed to him. It was like a moment of perfect fate had brought us
together, like he could read my thoughts, like I was stepping into my own self created future. Later
that day he walked me to a spot in the park that he said would be great for a wedding. It was a busy
area but we managed to find a spot to stand and enjoy the view. As we did this I heard some music
playing in the background but not just any music. It was a piece of classical music that I used to
play and visualise walking down the aisle to many years prior. Where was it coming from? I looked
around to see a man playing the cello and playing this exact piece of music perfectly. All I can say
is that I was absolutely stunned. Not only that, after pointing out how beautiful this music was to
Bobby he then turned to me and said, ‘I have always wanted this song played at my wedding. It
would be perfect for you to walk down the aisle to.’
“To this day he still asks for his cup of tea from a real English lady and I always say yes.
Everything about him is what I visualised and nothing has been left out. This for me was my biggest
moment of realisation that we can create exactly what we want and as long as we always go with
thoughts of love we will always receive.
“I believe that if I had not followed my instincts to leave my job and get on that plane then we
may not have met. Our instincts are our inner being guiding us and our inner being never gets it
wrong. One thing I have learned these last few years is to only make decisions out of love. Do not
make haste. Do not make decisions out of fear or revenge or anger because sadly, they will not end
well. Living in alignment will always bring you what you want.”

~~~~~

GUEST POST FROM AUTHOR LAURA EMILY

To be honest, being a writer was never in my plan but I did love reading growing up. It wasn’t until I felt I had so much to share that I just had to write it down and that was how ‘Embracing your Divinity’ was born. I had been through so many changes in such a short space of time and I knew others would have experienced things similar so I wanted to help them. I realised that so many people felt powerless within their lives and I wanted to change that. I wanted to show people what they could really do. We are all so powerful and we have so much support that we may not even realise. If there is anything about your life that you do not like you have the power to change it.
I just wanted to share my knowledge with everyone.

This story is the tree trunk to my enlightenment. Starting with my own journey, I have branched out and been blessed by receiving the time and wisdom of many good souls who wish to also share their stories with you. These souls are not just any souls, they are my friends, relatives, inspiration and masters of these teachings. Some are all four, and I have been lucky enough to meet them along my precious journey.

Some have discovered the Law of Attraction and turned their lives around, some have had the pleasure of finding happiness and enjoying alignment, some have experienced physical manifestations, some have healed themselves and others are simply living in amazement every day as to what they can achieve. I hope that you can relate to our journeys and that they give you comfort in your awakening.

As an example, here’s an excerpt from ‘Embracing your Divinity’. It’s my true story of how I manifested my boyfriend…

“I enjoyed every day and was grateful for every morning, every afternoon and every evening. I surrounded myself with people I loved and people who made me feel great. As the months rolled on I started visualising my life to come surrounded by great friends and a wonderful man. I did not visualise this to bring it to me, I visualised it only because it made me feel wonderful. Looking back I can see how aligned I was to the Universe because I spent everyday happy. I would drive to work and say in my mind, ‘I have the most amazing husband, friends and family.’ Eventually, this image of a handsome stranger became a familiar image in my mind. I saw a checked shirt and an impressive physique with thick hair that I could run my hands through and a sense of humour that always kept my cheeks rosy. Many times in my visions he would stop by for a cup of tea and ask for ‘a real cup of tea made by a real English lady,’ as he was not English himself. Sometimes I would imagine him busy at work in his office, sometimes I would imagine him relaxed and playing his guitar to me and sometimes we just danced in the rain in Central Park. One of my most popular visions was him and I walking through the park, dancing, talking, laughing and sometimes he would stop me in my tracks and sing to me. He adored me and his spirit made me fly. To me, he was real. He was so real that anytime I felt down I would go to him in my mind. I remember a particular time that I was feeling incredibly sad and I was crying in my car on my way home. I relaxed myself and went within and poured my words out to myself. I spoke out all my feelings and frustrations, but I did it as if I was with him and telling him about my day. After I had done this I naturally visualised his response. He was so gentle with me, he was kind, he spoke to me with love and comforted me. To be honest, I did not even realise I was doing this because it just all came so naturally. Like I said, he was real to me and after he comforted me I felt a lot happier.
“Then, one day, after having an inspiring conversation with my older brother, I decided to book a trip to New York City. It was a place I had been to a couple of times and have always wanted to eventually live once I found a way of doing so. After hanging up the phone with my brother I walked into my job that day and told my boss I would be leaving. Many people laughed at me, some told me I was irresponsible but I was making decisions with my heart now, not my head, and in that month my life changed once and for all.
“On August 8, 2015, two weeks before I was due to fly, a message popped through on a social media website from a handsome gentleman in the United States. When I say handsome, I mean the most handsome man I had ever seen with the kindest blue eyes, the biggest smile and the most intoxicating laugh I had ever heard. After a brief chat, he wished me well and left the conversation. I was desperate to talk more. I did not know his name or where he was from but I wanted to. I wanted to know everything about him. It was not just how I felt about him, it was how he had made me feel through a few words we had shared back and forth. He had so much energy it was infectious.
“The next day he reached out to me again. I was over the moon. The more he shared his life with me the more I realised how wonderful he was. He was kind, generous, ambitious, funny and he loved the Universe like I did. His name was Bobby. He was a business man doing extremely well in his field. He had toured in a band for many years previously and he still liked to play guitar and sing now and then when he had the time. He had written many beautiful songs and sang many to me. His voice was unique and totally perfect and I could barely listen to a song without feeling a rush of emotions.
“When he asked me what was going on in my life I told him I was traveling to New York City for a month. He was so excited about the idea and keen to hear about my adventures. Within a couple of days he had asked me if he could fly over from where he was in San Diego and take me out because he thought it would be a shame if we never got to have lunch together. I was thrilled. We made immediate plans and within two days he had his flight and hotel booked and time off from his hectic job.
“A week later there I was in an apartment on the Upper West Side, which was perfect and everything I had visualised. Three days after I landed he knocked on my door. I ran down to let him in and finally got to see those blue eyes in front of me. His trembling lips kissed me and it has been magic ever since. He spent five days with me before he flew back home and I was grateful for every minute. We explored the entire city on foot. We shared tasty food over storytelling and the driest wines we could find. One of my more memorable evenings was sitting at a beautiful restaurant enjoying Italian food and wine. After the meal was over he leaned in and asked if I wanted to walk with him to Central Park for a dance. I was beaming from ear to ear as we walked up one block to where the park was located. Here, we shared our first dance and as we did, it began to rain. There I was, dancing in the rain in Central Park just as I had visualised. It only rained for about three minutes. To me, it felt like the heavens had opened to allow me the moment I had once visualised where he and I were dancing in the rain under a tree in Central Park. I thank God for that moment still.
“The very next day we were walking alongside the park again and he turned to me and asked if I liked the idea of getting married in Central Park. I was lost for words. This was something I had always wanted but never expressed to him. It was like a moment of perfect fate had brought us together, like he could read my thoughts, like I was stepping into my own self created future. Later that day he walked me to a spot in the park that he said would be great for a wedding. It was a busy area but we managed to find a spot to stand and enjoy the view. As we did this I heard some music playing in the background but not just any music. It was a piece of classical music that I used to play and visualise walking down the aisle to many years prior. Where was it coming from? I looked around to see a man playing the cello and playing this exact piece of music perfectly. All I can say is that I was absolutely stunned. Not only that, after pointing out how beautiful this music was to Bobby he then turned to me and said, ‘I have always wanted this song played at my wedding. It would be perfect for you to walk down the aisle to.’
“To this day he still asks for his cup of tea from a real English lady and I always say yes. Everything about him is what I visualised and nothing has been left out. This for me was my biggest moment of realisation that we can create exactly what we want and as long as we always go with thoughts of love we will always receive.
“I believe that if I had not followed my instincts to leave my job and get on that plane then we may not have met. Our instincts are our inner being guiding us and our inner being never gets it wrong. One thing I have learned these last few years is to only make decisions out of love. Do not make haste. Do not make decisions out of fear or revenge or anger because sadly, they will not end well. Living in alignment will always bring you what you want.”

~~~~~

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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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

A Study In Shifters by Majanka Verstraete ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: June 28, 2018 in Excerpt, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, YA
Tags: , ,
12



.

A Study In Shifters
Majanka Verstraete
(The Adventures of Marisol Holmes, #1)
Publication date: June 26th 2018
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Marisol Holmes may be the great-great-great granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, but it’s hard to live up to the family name when only one mistake can spell your downfall. After trusting the wrong guy in a case gone totally wrong, Marisol convinces the Conclave, an underground organization of detectives solving supernatural cases, to give her a last chance to prove her worth, and maybe even heal her broken heart

After all, as a half-blood jaguar shifter, Marisol is uniquely qualified to solve this murder—and every scrap of evidence points toward the culprit being a fellow jaguar shifter. But is one of her own people involved, or is this all a ploy to kick Marisol’s mother off the shifter throne?

Then Marisol discovers her best friend, Roan, is missing, and maybe the killer’s next target. The stakes just got higher than political intrigue. Just when things couldn’t get worse, Marisol’s ex-boyfriend-turned-nemesis, Mannix, starts leaving sinister clues for her. Marisol fears this case might be far more personal than she could’ve imagined.

It’s time for Marisol to prove her worth, or her people could fall into chaos while her best friend loses his life.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

~~~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside:

I had a love-hate relationship with the Conclave. Ever since I was ten years old, I’d been solving cases for them, but they questioned everything about me: my methods, my name, my talents. If I hadn’t been such an outstanding detective, they would’ve kicked me out a long time ago—as they eventually did following the Big Betrayal.

The Conclave‘s primary task was making sure humans didn’t find out about the existence of supernatural beings, in particular us shifters.

Unfortunately, the Conclave existed of a bunch of stuffy old men and women who thought they were the finest specimens who had ever walked this earth. All of them had impressive family names and more impressive records, but they had cultivated their snobbism more than their good manners. All besides Saldor, that was.

“Tell us your findings,” Balthazar snarled at me.

 “Gladly.” I smiled at Saldor before I continued. One-upping Balthy was a great way to keep my mind off more serious topics, like the past. “The book is spelled. The room’s inhabitant was a grizzled old witch of considerable power. She was killed by summoning a demon. The demon killed her and vanished.” I clapped my hands. “Case solved.”

I started walking toward the exit, but Balthy grabbed my arm to stop me. “Not so fast.”

“What do you want from me now?” I asked him. “Do you want me to solve another one of your silly locked room mysteries? You know I will.”

“Yes.” His voice slithered like a snake. In fact, everything about the man reminded me of the viper he could transform into. “You might be an exceptional detective, Miss Holmes, but you’re careless, and you don’t care about the consequences of your actions. You didn’t even cry. Your own cousin, Holmes, and you couldn’t even shed a tear.”

~~~~~

Author Majanka Verstraete

Author Majanka Verstraete has written more than twenty unique works of fiction. A native of Belgium, Majanka’s novels explore the true nature of monsters: the good, the bad, and just about every species in between. Her young adult books include the acclaimed Mirrorland (YA Dark Fantasy) and Angel of Death (YA Paranormal) series of novels. At MHB, Majanka is currently developing a new YA shifter series with a fresh take on fierce female detectives called THE ADVENTURES OF MARISOL HOLMES.

When she’s not writing, Majanka is probably playing World of Warcraft or catching up with the dozens of TV series she’s addicted to.

Want the latest news about Majanka Verstraete? Sign up for our newsletter!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter

~~~~~

GIVEAWAY



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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Monsterland Reanimated by Michael Okon ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: May 4, 2018 in Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways, horror, YA
Tags: , , , ,
9

monsterland 2 banner

 MONSTERLAND REANIMATED

Author: Michael Okon

Pub. Date: April 13, 2018

Publisher: WordFire Press

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 267

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, Goodreads

 

monsterLand 2 cover

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Synopsis

After Monsterland has been destroyed, the entire world is thrown into chaos. Wyatt Baldwin and his friends must go beyond the boundaries of their small town to reestablish contact with the outside world. During their journey they discover a new threat released from the bowels of the defunct theme park. The danger of werewolves, vampires and zombies pale in comparison to an army of relentless mummies, Vincent Conrad’s reanimated monster and the menace of a life-sucking ooze they call The Glob.  Wil Wyatt and his friends survive when they reenter the scariest place on earth?

~~~~~

Title: MONSTERLAND

Author: Michael Okon

Pub. Date: October 13, 2017

Publisher: WordFire Press

Pages: 214

Formats: Paperback eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

~~~~~

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Welcome to Monsterland, the scariest place on earth.

When world markets are decimated by a crippling plague, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, Vincent Konrad decides to place monsters in a theme park setting to promote education and tolerance. Copper Valley is chosen as the primary site for the park in the United States.

Wyatt Baldwin, a high school senior is dying to go to the opening and when he lands special passes to the park, he and his friends are expecting the experience of a lifetime.

After all, in a theme park where real zombies, werewolves, and vampires are the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

~~~~~

Monsterland Reanimated Book Trailer

~~~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside Monsterland Reanimated:

Front page of the Copper Valley Sun

President of the US, World Leaders,and Thousands Dead

 

Many still missing as the world reels from the impact

of the Monsterland disaster

Multitudes are still unaccounted for and presumed dead. Escaping werewolves, vampires, and zombies of Dr. Vincent Konrad’s theme parks inexplicably escaped en masse and massacred unwitting parkgoers … Massive government shutdowns as the world teeters on the brink of chaos.

Chapter 1

The Night After the Monsterland Catastrophe

A bright moon painted the desert’s surface pewter. Here and there, dark spots soiled the landscape like oil spills. Most of the bodies had been taken before the troops were ordered to leave. They carted away the corpses, bulldozing the zombies into mass graves, until radios chirped with urgent orders deploying the soldiers to the bigger threats that erupted in the main cities like a chain of angry volcanos.

Monsterland was extinguished, its carcass left for the vultures to pick, the exhibits silent as a tomb.

The dead president and his equally dead entourage were whisked away on Air Force One, along with the dark-clad special operatives that came and left like the brisk desert wind that now howled through the empty streets.

A gate screamed in the silence, slamming with a reverberating smash. The uneven gait of someone with a physical challenge filled the void. The scrape and plod of his limp echoed against the wall of mountains framing the theme park. His labored breathing huffed as he made his way down the streets.

A door creaked loudly as it was blown by the wind. He stopped, his distorted figure silhouetted in the pale moonlight, his body turning silver. He looked at the broken glass littering the pavement like diamonds, then up to the still, pre-dawn sky. He considered the sun peeking over the jagged horizon in the east, its golden light painting the dips and hollows of the hills. Soon the coming day would chase the darkness away.

Time was the enemy now. He had to move faster, or it would be too late. He picked up his pace, lurching along the winding road. A keening howl ricocheted through the streets, bouncing off the walls. It sounded like a … no, he thought, it couldn’t be. The werewolves were all dead. Destroyed by Vincent Konrad when he made their heads explode.

The old man paused, listening for it again, and was not disappointed when the animal whimpered. He gauged it to be inside the defunct vampire exhibit. He moved toward the entrance. The storefronts had been destroyed. A few body parts lay on the pavement, as if people had discarded them in a rush. He heard the scraping of paws on the street and a shiver went down his crooked spine.

He knew the werewolves were dead; he had seen it with his own eyes. A figure detached from the shadows. Igor flattened himself against the wall. He watched it move stealthily down the street, stopping when it scavenged a morsel of rotting flesh. It looked up to stare at Igor, its eyes glowing in the darkness.

A coyote? He waved a hand, dismissing it. It had to be a coyote; it was too small to be a wolf, too big to be a dog. The beast twitched its ears, then resumed its meal.

Igor knew the coyote was not a threat, and he continued his mission. His lame foot hit a can, sending a cacophony of sound like an explosion in the deserted park. The beast dropped the bone it was gnawing on, sniffing the area. Its iridescent eyes searched the streets.

It could be a baby wolf, Igor thought, keeping himself as still as possible. He felt it watching him, even from this distance. It was not a threat, yet.

Igor skittered away, hugging the walls of Monsterland, putting as much distance as he could between them. Not an easy feat, considering his distorted hips. He muttered to himself about carrion and the wind. His eyes darted nervously, scouring the hills, not exactly sure what he was looking for. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. His heart pounded so loudly he was certain that the creature watching him could hear it too.

His feet stumbling to a halt, he bent over, gasping for air, cursing Vincent and those meddlesome teenagers, as well as the rest of the world.

The beast gave another mournful howl that went right through him. Igor glanced at his empty hands, berating himself for not bringing a weapon. He searched his surroundings for anything to protect himself.

Then he saw it, one of the axes they had on almost every corner. All of them had been pulled from their protective cases. One was lying in a pool of coagulating blood, the blade long gone. He picked up the broken axe handle, turning in a semicircle. He was ready for an attacker.

A new, larger outline made his heart quiver with fear. It crouched in a corner, its snout covered with blood. This one was bigger, not a coyote, a wild wolf. Wait, he thought. Weren’t the gray wolves of California all but extinct?

Igor narrowed his eyes. The beast was a light reddish brown and not the silver gray of a wolf ’s pelt. A chain hung from its neck, the pendant of a werewolf ’s head dangling, emerald eyes flashing. What was it? Was it a mutant coyote? A wolf ? Some weird hybrid, he wondered for a minute, his breath harsh in his ears. They watched each other soundlessly.

A hybrid then. He’d heard about them, a rare mixture of wolf and coyote. What did they call them? Coywolves …? or was it Woyotes? He shrugged indifferently. Perhaps someone’s pet, he decided. Igor’s mirthless laugh came out like a snort.

The coywolf stood still, its ears alert, its head cocked as if it was observing him.

Igor dropped the makeshift weapon, calling out, “Eat the rest of your meal, you dumb beast.”

The animal continued to watch him, its two front paws on the remains of a zombie’s chest.

Igor wiped his forehead, waiting, his eyes coming back to search the village, confirming it was empty, except for the carrion eaters like the coyotes and vultures. He looked up, noting the circling predators waiting for him to move on.

“Interrupted your meal,” he chuckled. Just the local scavengers looking for food. That was all; the shadows revealed nothing else. Satisfied he was alone, he moved on. He had work to do.

A paper flew past him, hitting a kiosk as the wind plastered it against its surface. It flapped like a dying bird. Igor reached over, taking the fluttering paper, peering at the map of the park, the one they gave people as they entered Monsterland. A bark of laughter escaped his mouth.

He looked up at the giant monolith that was once the Werewolf River Run, its hulking shape obscuring the horizon. “You are here,” he giggled, pointing a grimy finger on the paper’s surface. He dragged his deformed body further down the pavement. The storefronts that used to be Monsterland’s Main Street yawned vacantly, the wind whistling through the narrow alleyways. “Now, you are here,” he laughed. Shouting, he listened to the sound of his voice bouncing off the blood-splattered walls.

He made his way to the back end of the zombie village, feeling like the last man on earth. He glanced around at the desolate landscape. His home, the beautiful theme park, was little more than ruins destroyed by the army.

His nose twitched from the fetid smell of rot. The US Army had massacred the zombies. The troops came like a force of nature wiping out everything in its path, every last one of them blown away by the troops.

They were black ops, special forces, he knew from their uniforms. He wondered if things were indeed going as planned. He shrugged, knowing right now nothing mattered except for what he had to do. The irony that he was just about the most important man on earth brought more amusement to his smile.

The local police force was gone, as were the leaders of most countries in the world. He knew all was chaos outside, perhaps even war, each nation blaming the next for the loss of their leadership. Not to worry, he thought. Vincent left America in capable hands.

Dreams do come true, he snickered. Nightmares too, he finished the thought. A long line of drool pulled at his lower lip. He paused at a pothole in the road, decomposing body parts glistening, the disappearing moon turning the bits of bone and brains pearly.

Anxiety bloomed in his chest as he passed the opaque windows of Vincent’s derelict Monsterland hotel, the Copper Valley Inn. He hated that place. Abandoned construction vehicles were frozen in their spots, testimony to the hotel’s unfinished business.

Despite the pastel colors of its exterior, it sat like an ominous crypt to the part of the theme park that Vincent could never control. Told Vincent it was a money pit. Crews couldn’t work because … well, it didn’t matter anymore. The help was all dead. He thought he saw a light flicker in the window, but when he turned, he realized it was nothing more than a sputtering gas lamp that had never been disconnected.

He stood for a while, staring for more activity, and then jerked with the realization that he waited too long and wasted precious time. Surely no one expected him to go searching during the heat of battle.

Vincent said it was enough time to set up the timetable. Vincent knew everything, and Igor felt his panic ebb. It had been barely twenty-four hours since the attack. For all he knew, he could be on a fool’s errand.

He pressed his hand on his hip, his back screaming with resentment at so much movement. He was not used to any exercise. He sighed, wiping his brow with the ragged end of his costume, the lace scratching his skin. He caught the cuff, snagging the material with his teeth, tugging it free from his velvet jacket. He loathed the show and was glad he’d never have to endure the humiliation of performing again, especially with the vamps. Those condescending, blood-sucking parasites. He wouldn’t have to worry about them anymore, he thought with satisfaction. Vincent had promised he’d not have to endure them for long, living up to his part of the bargain quite nicely. They were gone, torn apart by the werewolves or transformed into a tasty dinner by the zombies. Either way, they wouldn’t be bullying him with their nasty insults. Something buzzed around him, and he swiped at it.

It felt as though he walked to the other side of the earth. Why Vincent had to pick Zombieville to make his last stand, he’d never know. The Werewolf River Run would have been much more convenient. It was getting lighter now, and he could easily make out the smoking devastation.

He searched the horizon, his eyes resting on the burnt wreckage of a golf cart, the torched skeleton listing at an odd angle.

Pulling his lame foot, he pushed himself as fast as his body could travel, his breath hitching with the effort.

The corpse was gone. He knew they would have taken that for DNA testing, proof that the enemy was vanquished. The only things left were the putrid carcasses from Monsterland, the decaying zombies, massacred vampires, and what was left of the werewolves after Vincent had exterminated them.

He climbed a small hill, his bad leg screaming with pain. Igor crowed with triumph when he saw it, the discarded lump of flesh, lying forgotten in a ditch, face down. He shivered as the desert wind stirred and eddied around him. Damn, but it was desolate here.

He hunkered down, forcing himself to skitter on the hardpacked earth. He wondered what his son, the vice president—no, he corrected himself, the new president of the United States, Mr. Nate Owens—would think of his father now, scrambling like a dung beetle in the dirt.

He cursed. The drool was back, dripping from his mouth like a sparkling spider web. Instead of rising—it was beyond him at this point—he shimmied over to the severed head, reaching forward, reverently, grabbing it by the matted hair, and grasping it to his chest.

The black eyes stared back dully, the dark depths reflecting the hunchback’s twisted smile.

Vincent Konrad’s lifeless face lay in his hands, the pale lips open in a soundless scream.

“I’m so happy I could kiss you, Vincent!” he told the decapitated head. He cradled the face of his friend. “We’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

The moon bathed the face a pale blue. The hunchback jiggled the dead weight, cackling with delight as the one papery eyelid drooped as if it were winking.

In the distance, that coywolf howled, making Igor suck in his breath with fear. He tucked the head under his arm as he struggled back up the small hill, mumbling something about Plan B.

~~~~~

About Michael:

michael okon headshot

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.

 Find Michael:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Snapchat

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

4/30/2018- Devouring Books– Review

4/30/2018- A Gingerly Review– Excerpt

5/1/2018- Novel Novice– Guest Post

5/1/2018- Cindy’s Love of Books– Spotlight

5/2/2018- Twirling Book Princess– Excerpt

5/2/2018- Reese’s Reviews– Spotlight

5/3/2018- A Dream Within A Dream– Excerpt

5/4/2018- FUONLYKNEW– Spotlight

5/4/2018- Dazzled by Books– Excerpt

Week Two:

5/7/2018- Sweet Southern Home– Review

5/8/2018- BookHounds YA– Interview

5/8/2018- Two Chicks on Books– Excerpt

5/9/2018- Birdie Bookworm– Review

5/9/2018- Owl Always Be Reading– Excerpt

5/10/2018- Don’t Judge, Read– Review

5/11/2018- Books A-Brewin’– Excerpt

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Power Of Five by Alex Lidell ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: May 4, 2018 in Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways
Tags: , , , ,
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POWER OF FIVE banner

I am so excited that POWER OR FIVE by Alex Lidell is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Alex Lidell, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card, International, courtesy of Alex and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

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 POWER OF FIVE

by Alex Lidell

Pub. Date: May 4, 2018

Publisher: Danger Bearing Press

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 312

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!

 

Power Of Five cover

Four elite fae warriors. One mortal female. A magical bond they can’t allow—or resist. 
Orphaned and sold to a harsh master, Lera’s life is about mucking stalls, avoiding her master’s advances, and steering clear of the mystical forest separating the mortal and fae worlds. Only fools venture into the immortal realms, and only dark rumors come out… Until four powerful fae warriors appear at Lera’s barn.
River, Coal, Tye, and Shade have waited a decade for their new fifth to be chosen, the wounds from their quint brother’s loss still raw. But the magic has played a cruel trick, bonding the four immortal warriors to… a female. A mortal female.
Distractingly beautiful and dangerously frail, Lera can only be one thing—a mistake. Yet as the males bring Lera back to the fae lands to sever the bond, they discover that she holds more power over their souls than is safe for anyone… especially for Lera herself.
Power of Five is a full-length reverse-harem fantasy novel. 

 

Check out the Excerpt:

Shade’s neck bobs and he catches my wrist, the few inches of air between us suddenly thick. Crackling. His mouth opens slightly, the elongated canines near and sharp and glistening with danger. My chest tightens, my breath suddenly gone from my lungs.

“You . . . have long lashes,” I say, leaning closer. “Girls would kill for those.”

“I have many long things,” Shade breathes, his hand cupping the back of my head, tangling in my hair. “Patience, it seems, is not one of them.”

I open my lips to respond, only to find Shade’s mouth covering mine, his lips soft and warm enough to heat a whole palace. My own mouth yields in answer, and Shade’s kiss deepens, the hand in my hair tightening until my whole scalp tingles. Sings. Stars.

Shade pulls away slowly, his canines gently scraping my lower lip as I moan softly into him.

My heart pounds, the warmth between my legs a downright flame, and I try to catch my breath. “Did you plan that?” I demand.

Shade grins, makes a noncommittal sound, and turns back into his wolf, demonstratively making a circle on my bed before curling up with his tail over his nose. His body manages to press against my back, his rhythmic breathing soothing and steady.

“Why do you do that?” I ask when I can speak again. “Stay in your wolf form so much?”

No answer.

“Being a wolf to avoid talking to me while lounging around on my bedding is a dirty, cowardly trick.”

Shade snorts, buries his head deeper beneath his paws, and settles into a calm sleep punctuated by soft snores that turn into whimpers when I shift out of reach. Frowning, I move closer, resting my hand on the sleeping wolf’s flank. The whimpering stops, the rhythmic rise of his chest and his twitching eyelids speaking of a dream-filled slumber.

power of five teaser

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About Alex:

power of five author

Alex Lidell is the Amazon Breakout Novel Awards finalist author of THE CADET OF TILDOR (Penguin, 2013). She is an avid horseback rider, a (bad) hockey player, and an ice-cream addict. Born in Russia, Alex learned English in elementary school, where a thoughtful librarian placed a copy of Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA in Alex’s hands. In addition to becoming the first English book Alex read for fun, ALANNA started Alex’s life long love for YA fantasy books. Alex is represented by Leigh Feldman of Leigh Feldman Literary. She lives in Washington, DC.

Join Alex’s newsletter for news, bonus content and sneak peeks: www.subscribepage.com/TIDES

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Book Bub | Instagram

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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.

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