Archive for the ‘Excerpt’ Category

Train hop across a dystopian US with AB’Gale ~ The Boxcar Baby Book Blast and Giveaway

Posted: March 8, 2014 in Book Blast, Dystopian, Excerpt, giveaways, steam punk, YA
Tags: ,
7

Welcome to my stop on the book blast for The BoxCar Baby by J.L. Mulvihill.

Lots to show you so let’s get started.

Oops, almost forgot to mention! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash!

Enjoy the glimpse inside this book and Good Luck!

Boxcar Baby

.

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

.

The Boxcar Baby by J.L. Mulvihill

Born in a boxcar on a train bound for Georgia. At least that is what Papa Steel always told AB’Gale. But now, fifteen years later, the man who adopted and raised her as his own is missing and it’s up to AB’Gale to find him. Aided only by a motley gang of friends, AB’Gale train hops her way across the United States in a desperate attempt to find her papa and put her life and family back the way it was. Her only guide is a map given to her by a mysterious hobo, with hand written clues she found hidden in her papa’s spyglass. Here is the Great American Adventure in an alternate steampunk dystopian world, where fifteen-year-old AB’Gale Steel learns that nothing is as it seems, but instead is shrouded in secrets and mysteries … and that monsters come in all shapes and forms.

The Boxcar Baby is the first book of the Steel Roots series.

Praise for The Boxcar Baby

“Miss AB’Gale Steel, is a pure spitfire girl, full of strong-minded grit, who draws strength out of adversity, and endures hardship by bracing herself against self-pity.” – Jorie Loves a Story

“One thing I really loved about this one was it was fast paced and moved quickly. Mulvihill did an amazing job making realistic characters.” – Bee’s Knees Reviews

“J.L. Mulvihill is quite a talented writer and I think she has such a creative mind to come up with this Steampunk Southern American Adventure.” – Book and Movie Dimension

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

The Boxcar Baby Excerpt

I have always loved the sound of the train whistle, especially when I hear it from far away; the moaning echo across the valley gives it a sorrowful sound like a Piper bird calling for its mate. Sometimes I can imagine the sound is a mournful spirit seeking its long lost love. Sad as it may sound, it calms me when I hear it at night and lulls me to sleep, or wakes me peacefully in the early morning. Every two weeks when I hear the train, I know it’s time for Papa to come home. But one morning about five weeks ago, Papa didn’t come home.

I’m pretty sure my Granny is going to ask me to go to New Joplan to look for Papa. I don’t really mind going to New Joplan, the city is way jigin’, but I’ve never gone to the city alone before, and I’m sure there’s creepers there. Of course Granny will have it all worked out for me to stay with a friend of hers, but I will still have to go it alone. I need to go, though, because I have to find out what happened to my Papa. We ain’t heard from him or the railroad since Papa left for work last; he usually works a few weeks on and a couple weeks off, but this time he’s been gone longer than ever.

If Papa doesn’t come back, I can’t say what will happen to Granny and me. Granny and I waited four weeks for Papa but when he still hadn’t come home we got worried. Granny decided maybe we should go on into Jasper and sell the eggs and milk like we usually do when Papa comes home. So we hitched up the ponies and loaded the cart up and head into town.

.

AuthorAuthor J.L. Mulvihill:

Born in Hollywood and raised in San Diego, CA, J.L. Mulvihill has made Mississippi her home for the past fifteen years. Her debut novel was the young adult title The Lost Daughter of Easa, an engaging fantasy novel bordering on science-fiction with a dash of steampunk, published through Kerlak Publishing. The Boxcar Baby, the first novel of her Steel Roots Series, was released by Seventh Star Press in the summer of 2013.

J.L. also has several short fiction pieces in publication, among them “Chilled Meat”, a steampunk thriller found in the Dreams of Steam II-Of Bolts and Brass, anthology (Kerlak Publishing) and “The Leprechaun’s Story”, a steampunk urban Fantasy found in the anthology, Clockwork, Spells, & Magical Bells (Kerlak Publishing)

J.L. is very active with the writing community, and is the events coordinator for the Mississippi Chapter of Imagicopter known as the Magnolia-Tower. She is also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA), The Mississippi Writers Guild (MWG), as well as the Arts Council of Clinton, and the Clinton Ink-Slingers Writing Group.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

Ends 3/31/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

book blast button

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

How do you take your ghost? Bob at the Lake by R. Murphy ~ Book Blast and GIveaway

Posted: February 25, 2014 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways
Tags: , ,
21

Bob at the Lake Banner copy

I had so much fun reading Bob at the Lake. Can’t wait to tell you about it.

But that will have to wait until I post my review for the upcoming tour on May 9th. Be sure to stop back by.

For now I have the cover and synopsis along with a peek inside the book. You can also get to know a bit about the author in her bio.

And a giveaway! Don’t forget to enter and follow the blast.

***

Bob at the Lake

By R. Murphy

bob at the lake cover

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Take a crabby woman of a certain age, move her to the wintry shores of a New York lake, and then throw in a martini-loving ghost from 1920s Manhattan. Last, stir in the good-looking grape grower who lives up the hill. Now there’s a recipe for a potent screwball cocktail!

~~~~~~

Excerpt

Bob, [my new ghost], looked around at my quiet, carton-filled house. “But don’t you think you’ll ever get lonely way out here? You might miss having a man around.”

“Well,” I responded, “I’m human, so of course I’d like to have a guy around on a regular basis. But by the time you get to be my age most of the good guys are taken. My grandmother used to say, ‘It takes a very good man to be better than none.’ She was right. If I can’t find a good guy, I’m not going to waste my time and energy on a fixer-upper. You know what they say about teaching a pig to sing.”

“Huh?” he replied, bewildered.

“You know, ‘You can’t teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig.’ I feel the same way about spending my time with an inappropriate man. I’m sure they’re all fine, they just don’t have what’s right for me. I’m tired of pretending that underneath all the nuttiness, I’m not smart and competent. I just don’t feel like putting on the ‘Love me, oh, please, love me’ song and dance routine anymore.”

“Good one about the pig. I should jot that down.”

“Feel free.”

***

Thus began months of the strangest dinner conversations I could ever imagine. Topics ranged from the sex life of newts to the menace of buttered toast. We spent several days talking about Bob’s bone dust theory (he believed the kind of person you were was determined by the amount of bone dust in your body). I started buying my semi-dry riesling by the case and developed a taste for very dry martinis. Half of our dinners wound up with me yelling, throwing my hands in the air, and storming out of the kitchen. The other half ended with us laughing so hard tears streamed out of my eyes. What a blast.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bob at the LakeBook Cover Banner copy

***

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

bob at the lake author pic roz murphy (2)

Roz Murphy is the pseudonym of a shy, retiring writer who doesn’t want her neighbors to know how nutty she really is. Brooklyn-born and Jersey-bred, Roz now lives on the misty shore of one of New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes. Prior to that, her business writing career took her to many locations, including Manhattan, where she worked for a number of years. As a freelance and corporate writer, Roz won several national and international writing and communications awards.

Now Roz is pursuing her first love—fiction. She’s writing the ‘Bob’ books, the humorous chronicle of a crabby ‘woman of a certain age’ who moves to the wintry shores of a New York lake—and gets a ghost. And not just any ghost, mind you. Bob’s a plump, middle-aged ghost from 1920s Manhattan who swans around in a silk smoking jacket and drinks far too many martinis. Stir the good-looking grape grower who lives up the hill into this mix and you get a pretty potent screwball cocktail!

When she’s not reading, writing, hill-walking, staring mindlessly out the window at the lake or piling rocks onto her ever-diminishing lakefront, you can usually find Roz hanging out with her family, travelling, or exploring the amazing wines and wineries of the Finger Lakes.

‘Bob at the Lake’ is exclusively available as a Kindle download from Amazon. Please join Roz Murphy Author on FaceBook for updates on the many adventures of Roz, David—and Bob.

Amazon / Facebook

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

$25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

~~~

You can follow the tour for more fun posts by clicking on the banner below.

And remember to comment. The more you comment, the more chances of winning!

goddess fish button

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

The shadows have been invited ~ Struck by Clarissa Johal ~ Blast Giveaway

Posted: February 24, 2014 in Book Blast, Excerpt, giveaways, horror, New Release, Paranormal or fantasy
Tags: ,
7

Struck_Banner

Check out Struck by Clarissa Johal!

A safe way to be struck by lightning.

But, beware the shadows

STRUCK cover

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

STRUCK

Paranormal Gothic Horror

by Clarissa Johal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB

The shadows hadn’t been waiting.

The shadows had been invited.

After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift–one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister… for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.

~~~~~~

Struck_CoverBanner

 

Check out this peek inside Struck 

 

A loud ‘crack’ sounded and an iridescent white light surrounded her. Two things registered: a searing pain that ripped down her back and the ground which seemed to be pulled away from her at an alarming speed.

* * * *

Blackness.

Pain shot through the back of Gwynneth’s head as she opened her eyes. Somebody was standing over her. She tried to focus on the face, but it hurt too much. A cool hand slid across her forehead. She opened her eyes again.

Pale, almost white eyes. High cheekbones, aquiline nose, and a well-shaped mouth. Long, white hair. Ageless. Beautiful, like a Michelangelo. All of those details registered with clarity before agony ripped through her body. She arched her back and cried out. The man murmured something into her ear which she couldn’t understand. She could feel the vibration of his voice and his breath on her neck as he gathered her in his arms. She opened her eyes and saw lightning fork to the ground silently behind him. She blacked out again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Clarissa Johal headshot

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author page

Buy Links for STRUCK

Amazon ~ Musa Publishing ~ Barnes and Noble

Excerpt link for STRUCK  http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/2013/10/struck-excerpt.html

~~~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Clarissa will be awarding an ecopy of STRUCK to three (3) randomly drawn commenters during the tour.

So show some comment Love!!!

Follow the tour for more fun stops by clicking on the banner below. Remember to comment. The more you comment, the more chances to win

goddess fish button

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

Spring is in the air ~ Secondhand Romance Blast Giveaway

Posted: February 12, 2014 in Book Blast, Contemporary Romance, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: ,
13

Secondhand Romance Banner copy

I have a great spring read for you.

Also, an awesome sale and a giveaway!

SECONDHAND ROMANCE is on sale for 99 cents during the course of the tour.

Get yours in one click HERE.

SecondhandRomance_w7433_750

Synopsis

Annie O’Malley’s dream of owning a secondhand bookstore in tight-knit Audubon Springs is coming true. Still reeling from her parents’ sudden deaths, she believes that signs or messages can be found within the pages of books. She loves her job and has made plenty of friends but longs for the acceptance only love and a family can provide.

Tony Iuliano is there to fix the wiring in her shop. He doesn’t believe in fate, magic, or the power of a good book. All this combined with his sexy-as-sin presence and all-knowing attitude infuriates Annie. The quirky bookworm intrigues him enough to accept her bet to read a book from her shop. When he discovers a stack of fifty-year-old love letters in the book, he wants to leave the past alone, but seeing it as a sign, Annie challenges him to read the letters and search for the long-lost lovers or lose the bet.

While shaking the dust off several ill-fated romances and fighting their attraction at every turn, the pair soon become the town gossip daily special. If they can stop arguing long enough, they may just discover this particular sign was meant for them all along.

~~~

Secondhand Romance Book Cover Banner copy

A glimpse inside Secondhand Romance

He glanced at the book she left on the counter and picked it up, weighing it in his big hand as if it were a foreign object. “I don’t get it. What is it about a book that so completely captures your attention?”

Annie’s eyes widened. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Hmmm, no, I don’t think so.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m not going to try to explain this to a non-reader.”

A dark expression flashed across his face. “I read.”

“Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition and Playboy do not count.”

“I said I can read!”

“Calm down there, big guy. I’m sure you can read, but I own the only bookstore in town, and I’ve never seen you in here to buy a book. To my way of thinking, that puts you in the category of a non-reader, as in someone who does not read for pleasure.”

“Okay, fine. You’ve got me. Humor me. What is it about a book that completely grabs your attention, leaving your store vulnerable to theft and you to bodily harm?”

Annie regarded him through narrowed eyes, not entirely sure if he was serious or seriously trying to provoke an argument. She found both options interesting. Up until now, they shared very little in the way of one-on-one dialogue. The nature of this question indicated a certain level of contemplation he’d already given on the subject. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

“No.” He revealed just the slightest crack of a smile.

~~~

Author RoseAnn DeFranco

RoseAnn DeFranco grew up in upstate NY with her nose in a book and a song in her heart. Following the pursuit of a musical theatre career in NYC, she turned her creative energy to writing romance. RoseAnn blogs about her writing experiences with her critique partners at http://www.the violetfemmes.com. A NJ shore transplant, she enjoys time spent at the beach with her family. She would love to one day live in a quaint shore town like the fictional town Audubon Springs from her BROTHERS OF AUDUBON SPRINGS series.  More information about these Contemporary Romantic Comedies can be found at www.radefranco.com.

Web links:

www.radefranco; www.thevioletfemmes.com;

@radefranco; https://www.facebook.com/#!/roseanndefrancoauthor

Goodreads / Amazon

Buy Links:

Amazon

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Enter to win a $15 Amazon GC plus a digital copy of Return To Audubon Springs

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

**

Click on the button below to follow the tour. Be sure to comment. The more you comment, the more chances to win!

goddess fish button

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

The Tallent and Lowery Series by Amy Lignor ~ Tour and Giveaway

Posted: February 10, 2014 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways, suspense
Tags: ,
7

Get to know Tallent and Lowery, their journey, and the author that is writing their story!

The Hero’s Companion
.

.

Leah Tallent and Gareth Lowery have seen it all, utilizing everything they have to survive. But now, Leah’s father has gone missing and they have only seven days before he’ll be killed. The only clue to follow is a picture of one of the most famous icons of all time, and a strange map hidden in her father’s desk. This new mystery will take them from the pinnacle of the Acropolis to the depths of Cleopatra’s caves in order to unmask the man who has a score to settle.

In a location that’s been buried under rock for centuries the battle will begin, and the team will have to face the one foe that will expose secrets and unleash unheard of power in order to get what he wants. ‘The Hero’s Companion’—the one woman who will do anything to make sure the right side wins, will fight the good fight; but without Gareth, her time may just run out.

Enjoy this peek inside The Hero’s Companion

Leah dropped  her head in her hands as tears of frustration and fear ran down her cold cheeks.  She had no idea what she and Gareth would be walking into when they pulled up in  front of her childhood home. Her father was everything to her, and Leah could  not even fathom what happened to him. He was so kind and had so many friends—who  on Earth would possibly want to hurt a man like that?

She tried to calm her ragged breathing and turned to  stare at the love of her life. Except for a jaw that was clamped tight, Gareth’s  face was expressionless. Leah knew he was feeling the pain and agony that was  washing through her soul. After all, they were a part of each other. They’d  stood before both Heaven and Hell together and then, Leah laughed to herself;  the relationship had really gotten interesting.

As if he could feel her intense study, Gareth turned his  face and smiled at her. Leaning over, he kissed Leah on the lips; his cold hand  squeezed her own trying his best to warm her with his love. “Everything’s going  to be okay, you know.”

“Always the optimist,” she said with a smile. “I’m sorry  . . . I’m sorry you got into this.”

Sitting back against the seat, Gareth’s eyes filled with  confusion. “There is no place I’d rather be. Besides, if you remember correctly,  you saved my sister. You saved her . . . friend.” Stuttering over the final  word, he stared out the window.

Leah snorted, “They’re married now, Gareth. I think you  finally have to accept the fact that Emmanuel is your sister’s husband.”

When the large, ‘manly-man’ winced at the dreaded ‘H’ word, Leah almost burst into laughter.

He shook his head, erasing the idea that his baby sister,  who would always be a preteen at the most in her big brother’s eyes, was  actually a woman now. “What I was I saying?” Closing his eyes, he muttered, “Oh,  yeah . . . you also saved me, Leah  Tallent . . . years ago. And together, we will most certainly figure all of this  out and save your father.”

Leah threw her head back against the seat and let loose a  frustrated sigh, “But, save him from what? I don’t get any of this, Gareth. My  father is just a boring businessman.”

It was so dark in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut.  There were no stars, no moon—only the all-consuming blackness met her gaze. Leah  took a deep breath, fighting the fear that was raging inside her soul. “It’ll be  just fine. We’ll figure everything out once we get there,” she whispered to any  entity that was listening and then allowed her normal calm, controlled persona  to take over.

The Head Librarian of Research at the New York Public  Library took her rightful place, basically shoving the scared little girl out of  the way. The card catalogue in Leah’s brain sprang to life, as she searched for  any information buried in there that could better help her to  understand.

Frustration weighed like an anvil on her chest when she  came up with nothing. There were no images from the past that would lead her to  believe someone she’d once met was now holding the power to end her father’s  life.

As her brain continued to swirl like a tornado causing  havoc, all Leah could hear was that perky stewardess announcing the fact that  Tallent and Lowery were, indeed, beginning their descent.

Although what they were descending into was anyone’s  guess.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

***

.

The Sapphire Storm

.

.

After going up against a man who believed he was the Devil, himself, the beloved characters of Leah Tallent and Gareth Lowery are exhausted. But a terrifying journey awaits…

When Leah arrives home her sarcasm burns even brighter, but a frightening call from Gareth’s sister changes the course of their holiday event. A new puzzle from the past has come to life, and involves a world of liars, killers and greed.

The heart-stopping suspense takes them from Coptic Cairo to the magical world of Petra in search of a cave that once housed a true ‘Illuminator’. They must find the answers to one of the biggest mysteries while staying one step ahead of villains who are determined to make sure that, this time, Tallent & Lowery do not survive.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository * Smashwords

***

.
13
.
.

In 1902, thirteen people came together to continue a tradition that’d been set in stone thousands of years before.

In 2012, Leah Tallent, Head of Research at the New York Public Library, is about to unearth the secrets left behind by this crew by joining a crazy man on a fanatical quest. Gareth Lowery has spent his life searching for the ultimate artifact; twelve keys hidden by men whose job it was to protect the single biggest secret ever kept.

The fantastic duo is soon immersed in a whirlwind treasure hunt with historical and passionate repercussions. From the eerie Winchester House to the darkness of Loch Ness, they quickly learn that the theory of duality is correct: For every bad there is a good and, for Heaven, there most assuredly exists…Hell.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository * Smashwords

COMING SOON!

Tallent & Lowery Book #4: The Charlatan’s Crown

From defeating the worst of mankind to solving puzzles that have eluded others for centuries, Leah Tallent and Gareth Lowery must now follow a new trail to stop a madman from resurrecting a mighty Reich.

Although dead men supposedly tell no tales, the duo continue to follow clues left behind by true powerbrokers from Hell, and now they stand on the precipice of an infamous castle used by those who thrived on hate and terror.

Fighting for their lives from deep inside a labyrinth, they’ll stand atop a stage where an angel of death spoke to the masses, and climb to an ‘Eagle’s Nest’ to come face-to-face with a new enigma; a master puppeteer who’s pulling the strings on a monumental scheme they never saw coming.

**

Amy Lignor began her career in publishing as the Editor-in-Chief of Grey House Publishing in New England. Working in the publishing industry for decades, she is now the Owner/Operator of The Write Companion which offers full editing, ghostwriting and proofreading services.

Not only is Amy a bestselling author, she has been inducted into the ITW – International Thriller Writers Org. and is a writer/contributor for many companies, including: Authorlink; Humor Outcasts; The Feathered Quill; Bookpleasures; Suspense Magazine, as well as a variety of literary periodicals. She has been the head writer for Be First, Inc., and has just become the Editor-in-Chief of a new imprint: Hallowed Ink Press

Tallent & Lowery * The Write Companion * Facebook * Twitter * Linked In * Goodreads * The Angel Chronicles

Other books by Amy Lignor:
Click the covers to go to Goodreads

****

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Tour-Wide Giveaway

3 Winners – eCopies of 13, The Sapphire Storm & The Hero’s Companion by Amy Lignor
3 Winners – eCopy of The Hero’s Companion
1 Winner – eCopy of the new release, The Charlatan’s Crown, when it comes available!!

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

***

Follow the rest of the tour!
2/3: Tome Tender
2/4: The Wonderings of One Person
+ Coffee and Books and Art
2/5: Kelly P’s Blog
+ Savings in Seconds
2/6: Cherry Mischievous
+ Deal Sharing Aunt
2/7: Brooke Blogs
2/9: Mythical Books
2/10: Fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s Ramblins and Reviews
2/11 Dividing by Zero
2/12: Platypire Reviews
2/13: Books With Bree
+ All That’s Written
+ My Love for Reading Keeps Growing
2/14: Grand Finale

Grab Our Button!

Are you a blogger and want to receive information about new tours? Go HERE.
Are you an author or publisher and would like to have us organize a tour event? Go HERE.

***

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

Check out The Wind Whisperer by Krista Holle and enter the huge international giveaway!

Posted: February 5, 2014 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, YA
Tags: ,
4

The Wind Whisperer by Krista Holle is now on tour! Check out every stop and join the special, HUGE International giveaway running here and on each tour stop!

The Wind Whisperer

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Synopsis

At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious. Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks. But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.

As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him. It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior. Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief.

Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated. Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light.

While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes. Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.

Amazon – Kobo – Barnes & Noble

***

Enjoy this peek inside!

I looked around cautiously before freezing at the sketchy outline of a muscular man partially hidden in the grass.  A man!  He was sprawled on his back and golden pink from too many hours in the sun.  My heart pounded to see the unfamiliar pattern of a deer on his breechcloth.  I had marched myself directly into the reach of a Zennite warrior!

I gingerly took a step backwards, but to my horror, the man’s black eyes fluttered open.  I turned and hurled myself back across the meadow, just as the man shot up and flew after me like a predatory bird.  My muscles burned and strained to lengthen the space between us, but getting away was hopeless.  I was not a challenge to even the young boys in the foot races.

After a few powerful strides, the warrior tackled me to the ground, painfully grazing the skin on my cheek.  I wheezed a few times before my lungs filled with air.

“A Chippoke?” he asked between breaths.

I feverishly punched and kicked to free myself.  “Get—off—me!”

“Stop! I’m not going to hurt you,” the warrior chuckled as he struggled to pin my arms and legs.  His voice was calm and pleasant, but lying was no different than breathing to a Zennite.

“I cannot promise the same,” I wheezed as I fought.

“You’re a bobcat,” he said with a laugh.  “A bobcat with no teeth or claws.”

“Let me go!”

“I will when you’re calm.”

Strong hands held my wrists while his full weight pinned my torso against the earth.  Fighting him was as useless as running.  “You are not a boy,” I spat angrily, fully taking in my attacker.  It was little comfort that he didn’t look like a bloodthirsty killer.  He was admittedly handsome with an angular face and sleek black hair that hung well past his shoulders.  He was not as tall as Elan, but his muscles were narrow and built for speed.  There was something different about his eyes too.  They were as black as soot—very unlike the brown woodsy colors from our tribe.

The warrior smirked down at me.  “My mother will be very surprised to hear that.  All this time she’s assumed…”

My face heated, but I fiercely met his gaze.  The Zenni were like wild dogs and pumas—they could smell emotions. “What I meant was, you are a man, not a boy.”

“Oh, I see, but you must understand, I’m not a man yet.”

“You must understand I’m a squirrel!  Get off!  You’re hurting me!” I ordered with a useless heave.

“No,” he said with a smirk.

It was then I realized I might die—right after I was lulled into a false sense of security.  My chest pounded as I searched for the killer’s weapon.  “Are you going to kill me?”

“I do not feel like killing you just yet,” he said as his long hair swirled in my face.  Were we to play a game before he killed me?

“I am glad the mood doesn’t strike you,” I snarled.  The warrior studied me with a drawn brow.  Was he guessing that I was the forest witch?  I didn’t think I looked like a witch, but I wasn’t certain what one should look like—evil at least.

“I don’t understand something,” the warrior said.  “Your eyes are blue—the blue of an angry sky.  Are you the daughter of a god?”

“Yes,” I said, heaving against his weight again.  “Now get off me, or my father Achak will strike you dead with lightning.”

***

Krista Holle

Krista Holle

Krista Holle is an award winning author who stepped up her writing after reading Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. It occurred to Krista that there is an insatiable audience of women and girls who want to read books filled with stories about true love—not just vampires. When Krista is not writing, she loves to collect seashells, watch movies, and eat obscene amounts of pizza. Krista currently resides in Montpelier, Virginia with her husband, four daughters and an eccentric cat with a weird attachment to the family’s socks.

Website/Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads – Amazon

***

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Look what you can win!

GRAND PRIZE: Kindle Fire, $25 Amazon Gift Card, Printed copy of The Wind Whisperer (INT’L)

Printed copy of The Wind Whisperer (INT’L)

Ebook copy of The Wind Whisperer (INT’L)

Click on the rafflecoper below to enter.

Raffle button

***

The Wind Whisperer Tour schedule:

***

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

Spotlight on SEE ME by Natalie-Nicole Bates

Posted: December 12, 2013 in Excerpt, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
Tags: ,
8

In the spotlight.

SEE ME by Natalie-Nicole Bates

???????????????????????????????????????

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Synopsis

Carly Anders  is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.

She accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a collection of antique photographs.  The situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.

Daniel Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.

The former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she thought she killed.

Daniel has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no intentions of letting her go.

See Me VBT Banner (3)

Excerpt

He waved a hand in front of her face, but she didn’t blink. The lights are on, but no one’s home.

“Carly, my angel,” he whispered and cupped her cheek into his palm. He reveled in the silkiness and warmth of her skin. Still, she didn’t react. She was almost…a zombie.

His own body jerked in reaction to the fear she was emanating. She was clearly sleepwalking and in the throes of one hell of a nightmare, yet she didn’t cry out any longer. It was all now playing out inside her mind.

“Charlotte, see me,” he implored.

Her lips twitched at the mention of her real name.

“See me,” he repeated.

Suddenly, her body gave way and she collapsed. Catching her, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. As he laid her down, her breathing became ragged. He placed a hand over her heart as it raced, and passed healing calmness through his hand, feeling the energy pulsate against her skin. Beneath his hand, he would feel her heartbeat slow to a normal rhythm.

“Daniel?” Her voice was mere caress.

“I’m here, my angel. You’re having a nightmare. You’re frightened. It’s okay now, I’m here, and I will never leave you,” he promised.

“Everyone leaves, Daniel. You can’t understand, you can’t…” Her body started to tremble.

He climbed onto the bed and straddled her body. Leaning close to her face, he said, “Carly, let go of your fear. I can take it. Let go and see me,” he commanded.

Her breath came out in a whoosh, and a wall of fear and resistance hit him like a blow from above. It wasn’t exactly painful, more startling than anything else.

His vision flip-flopped, and he could see an image from inside her mind of two souls forever entwined as the result of one act. It made perfect sense. She was reliving the day their souls became one. The day of the fire.

He then saw black, suffocating water. She was reliving her own death, as well.

As the visions left him, he was consumed with the mishmash of fear, loneliness, and resistance within her.

He had to make her understand that it was over. “I will never leave you, Carly. That is my promise to you,” he insisted.

A flicker of life ignited in her eyes. Her hands came up to his face, and to Daniel’s surprise, tears bubbled from his own eyes. He was releasing the pain and fear he had absorbed from his beloved.

“I’m so sorry, Daniel, so sorry,” she murmured.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, my love. It’s over. It’s time to move forward now.”

“You don’t understand what I am, Daniel.”

“I do understand, Carly. I am what you are. See me for what I am.”

In his mind, he could see the moving clockwork gears of her thoughts once again as she tried to process what he was telling her to be true.

“Just accept it, and let’s move forward.”

She drew his face to hers and her lips parted beneath his. Time blurred and he drank in the essence of his Carly. Her soft, barely covered curves molded themselves against his the hard planes of his body. Her hands were under his t-shirt, her fingers stroking him.

If he pressed on, he knew she wouldn’t refuse him. But in her vulnerable state, he wouldn’t let anything progress further that night. Carly needed time to process everything that happened. There was plenty of time to pursue a physical relationship. They weren’t going any where…he hoped.

Buy Links:   Leap of Faith Publishing     Amazon      Barnes & Noble 

 ~~~~~

About Author Natalie-Nicole Bates:

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

 Author links:    Site      Facebook        Twitter 

shades

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Related articles

XVII ~ Seventeen by Mark D. Diehl ~ VBT and Giveaway ~ Ever heard of Federal Angels?

Posted: December 10, 2013 in angels, Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways, Supernatural
Tags: , ,
22

Seventeen Banner copy

I had to be a part of this book tour.

Can you imagine it? Federal Angels?

Looks like Mark Diehl is bringing something different to the table.

I’ll have to read XVII and find out.

What’s even better. This is book one in a series!

18514774

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

SEVENTEEN

By

Mark Diehl

~~~~

BLURB 

 

Most of the world’s seventeen billion people are unconscious, perpetually serving their employers as part of massive brain trusts. The ecosystem has collapsed, and corporations control all of the world’s resources and governments. A bedraggled alcoholic known as the Prophet predicts nineteen year-old waitress Eadie will lead a revolution, but how can she prevail when hunted by a giant corporation and the Federal Angels it directs?

~~~~

Seventeen Book Cover Banner copy

                       

EXCERPT

“I know what you did, Sett. There is a Federal Angel with me right now. He wants to talk to you.  He would like to know why you helped some waitress escape after she killed Matt Ricker. Switch to visual. Now.”

He blinked hard and wiped a palm across his forehead. A sickly gray light seemed smeared along the opposite wall, having filtered through the filthy window at the end of the hallway. The floorboards creaked as he shifted his weight.

“Is it true, Sett?” his mother asked. “Why would you get yourself involved in a debacle like that? Why? When everything was going so well for you?”

He stared down at the stained plywood floor, now spotted with teardrops.

“What were you thinking? A waitress? You know better than to go getting messed up with people like that. They’ll drag you right down with them, every time. You come home right now and explain to this Angel exactly what happened; I’m sure he’ll understand. But I’m not going to lie to you. There will still be fallout. Society does not tolerate wretched, uncivilized behavior. I can’t guarantee you’ll be allowed to remain at Fisher.”

“I wasn’t thinking at all, Mother. I was just doing it, all of a sudden.” He sniffed. “She was hurt, and they started it, not her. Nobody else would help. What was I supposed to do? Just let her die?”

“Oh, Sett.” His mother sighed. “Of course you were.”

*****

Mark D. Diehl

seventeen author pic DIEHL_25

 

Mark D. Diehl writes novels about power dynamics and the way people and organizations influence each other. He believes that obedience and conformity are becoming humanity’s most important survival skills, and that we are thus evolving into a corporate species.

Diehl has: been homeless in Japan, practiced law with a major multinational firm in Chicago, studied in Singapore, fled South Korea as a fugitive, and been stranded in Hong Kong.

After spending most of his youth running around with hoods and thugs, he eventually earned his doctorate in law at the University of Iowa and did graduate work in creative writing at the University of Chicago. He currently lives and writes in Cape   Elizabeth, Maine.

Author’s Website

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

$50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

Follow the tour for more fun posts and remember to comment. The more you comment the more chances to win!

Follow the tour by clicking on the banner below.

goddess fish button

****

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the present below.

christmas present photo: Present Christmas.jpg

Release Day Giveaway Blitz ~ Isaura ~ Aberrant #3 by Ruth Silver

Posted: December 5, 2013 in Blitz, Dystopian, Excerpt, giveaways, Release day, Romance, Science Fiction, YA
Tags: , ,
2

isaura banner

It’s Release Day for Isaura. The third book in Ruth Silver’s Aberrant Series.

This series has everything you could want. A YA, dystopian fantasy with elements of science fiction and some romance.

I’m in!

I have a special treat for you A character interview with Olivia!

Make sure you check out the seriously spectacular cover art, read up on what each book is all about, enjoy the excerpt, and don’t forget to enter the exciting giveaway.

You could win an ARC, the entire series, be named after a character in an upcoming Ruth Silver story or win a gift card!

Thanks so much to Ruth Silver for this epic celebration of the release of Isaura!

*****

Enjoy my character interview with Olivia.

Hi Olivia. It’s so nice to meet you. You’ve been through hell and back so I was thinking we would make this interview light and fun to give you a chance to unwind. Let’s get started shall we?

1)  If you could be a character in a book, which book would it be and which character?

I’d love to be King Arthur from Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.

2)  Are you a healthy eater or do you munch the junk food?

I suppose the food the government provided everyone in Genesis could be seen as healthy. I didn’t have the opportunity until I reached Haven to experience junk food. It was delicious!

3)  Do you have a current love interest, and if so, what is it that attracts you to him?

Joshua Warren. He’s the most loyal friend anyone could ask for. He’s also got an amazing smile, can make me laugh when I’m down, and he’s easy on the eyes.

4)  What do you feel is your best character trait?

I refuse to give up. I’m definitely not a quitter. Sometimes that can get me into trouble.

5)  Is there a fond memory of when you were young that stands out?

When I was about eight, Joshua was pushing me on the swings at the park. It was just the two of us hanging out together after school. I remember throwing my head back, staring up at the sky and laughing. I wasn’t paying attention and my hand slipped. Next thing I knew, I was falling backwards on the swings. I would have hit the ground but Joshua was behind me. I fell on him, hard. I probably knocked the wind out of him, but he took it like a pro asking if I was okay.

And Four Fun Shorts

1)  Favorite thing you do to pass the time?

I love training with Joshua. Although I don’t need to do it as often, it still helps me relax.

2)  Who would you vote for as the best bad guy, fictional or real?

Craynor, the former Governor. He’s the worst bad guy there is. He kidnapped Joshua! No one is worse than him. He’s unforgivable.

3) What did you want to be when you grew up?

I never had the chance to really consider what I wanted to be when I grew up. In Genesis, food, clothing and shelter was provided to all its citizens. Jobs were assigned after “The Day of the Chosen” when we graduated from our studies. I had hoped I’d be a teacher or a journalist, like my father had been. The choice was never mine though.

4)  What do you want for Christmas?

The word Christmas was foreign to me until Jacqueline mentioned it once in Haven. I had no idea what it was, not until recently. It still puzzles me, the idea of festivities but now that things are settling in, if we did celebrate the holiday, I would want happiness for all my friends and family.

And one more!

Tell us one of your phobias.

I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find it was all a dream. That I’ll still be in Genesis and nothing has changed.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today Olivia. It’s been fun getting to know you and I wish you a safe journey!

*****

Now check out Isaura and the Aberrant Series!

Title: Isaura (Aberrant 3)isaura 3d white

Author: Ruth Silver

Publisher: Patchwork Press/Lazy Day Publishing

Published On: December 4th, 2013

Cover Art: Erica Crouch (paperback), Lazy Day Publishing (eBook)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis:

With Joshua’s recent disappearance, Olivia has little choice but to head into the dangerous Gravelands as the new government wrestles with fixing the damage to society. Joining forces with her estranged father and a girl from Haven, they go on a search-and-rescue mission to find Joshua and bring him back alive. If traveling through outlaw territory isn’t frightening enough, Olivia learns she has exposed her secret and is hunted by her allies.

Add to Goodreads

Available for purchase:

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

eBook: Kindle | Nook

Excerpt:

“I’m fine!” I pushed harder on the gas. “They can’t be that far ahead of us.” I just hoped we were headed in the right direction.

We drove another twenty minutes north as I moved off the dirt road and onto grass. I glanced back at Rane. “Do you think Craynor could have found a place in Haven to keep Joshua?”

“I don’t know. Not much was left. There could have been a cellar or basement abandoned that didn’t get struck. That’s how I survived,” Rane admitted.

It at least gave me hope. As we drove north, the rain stopped and the clouds parted. Cresting a hill, I slammed the brakes as we jolted to an abrupt halt.

“What the hell?” Gavin’s voice echoed as the seatbelt restrained him and his arm shot up on the dashboard to steady himself. A few feet away, I saw outlaws with weapons pointed in our direction. “Hurry up!” His voice threatened in my ear as I slammed on the gas, but our car wasn’t going anywhere: the tires had blown from spikes in the road.

Locking the doors hadn’t helped. They busted the car window and flipped the lock, opening the door, dragging all three of us out.

Isaura-Final

eBook Cover

moirai 3d white bg

Title: Moirai (Aberrant 2)

Author: Ruth Silver

Published: September 26, 2013 by Patchwork Press & Lazy Day Publishing (eBook)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

Olivia has been on the run from the government of Cabal since the marriage ceremony. Finally settling in and finding herself a place to call home in Shadow, Olivia and Joshua prepare for the uprising that they and the rebel alliance have been planning for months.

With new abilities and special talents from Mindonsiphan, Olivia learns she can do more than most ordinary eighteen year olds. Learning both to hide and perfect her skills will be one of the biggest challenges she’ll be forced to face.

A constant rollercoaster of emotion and adventure await Olivia and Joshua as they embark on a journey to the rebel city of Torv, and what was once home, Genesis.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

3d aberrant white bg

Title: Aberrant

Author: Ruth Silver

Published: April 28, 2013 by Patchwork Press & Lazy Day Publishing (eBook)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

In the future dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government’s match in marriage and “The Day of the Chosen”, a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn’t existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she’s arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence.

Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from “The Day of the Chosen.” The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system. With Joshua’s help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

*****

Ruth Silver author photoAbout the Author

Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories. Her debut novel published by Lazy Day Publishing and Patchwork Press, ABERRANT, was released April 2013. The second novel in the series, MOIRAI, continues the saga. ISAURA, is the final installment in the ABERRANT trilogy. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon Author Page

****

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

A character is named after you in an upcoming novel/novella by Ruth Silver (INTL)

Signed ARC of Aberrant by Ruth Silver (US Only)

Signed paperback ARC of Aberrant Series (US Only)

$10 Amazon Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

****

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the present below.

christmas present photo: Present Christmas.jpg

*****

Related articles

Eve’s Thieves are in the Spotlight!

Posted: December 3, 2013 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, horror, Mystery
Tags: , ,
4

The Spotlight Is On

Eve’s Thieves by Mac Rome

evesthieves

Genres: Mystery,Horror

 Amazon                 

A group of women have been the victims of some unusual thefts. They have had, not items, but aspects of their physical being, such as their heights, builds and youth stolen via dark magic. To stop the thieves and restore themselves, they band together to defeat the loose confederation known as Eve’s Thieves. To do it, they must battle an ancient evil, deal with betrayal … and face the darkness within themselves. But they soon find that little is as it seems. Can they trust anyone — even each other? Who is the leader of the group known as Eve’s Thieves? What will it take to stop her … and will any of them survive to do it?

Eve's Thieves VBT Banner

Excerpt:

Nevaeh was checking online for jobs, now that she was again able to enter the work force, when her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the number, something she’d gotten in the habit of doing lately. There was one frequent caller whose calls she no longer was taking. But she didn’t recognize this number, and there was no caller ID display, so she answered. “Hello.”

“Hello, Nevaeh? This is Linda Younger,” said the familiar voice from the phone.

“For someone named Linda Younger, you sure sound like Wynda Dancer,” Nevaeh replied flatly. “How are you, Wynda?”

“OK, I guess. And you?”

“Fine.” There was an awkward pause before Wynda said, “Peri tells me you’re not answering her calls or texts — or anyone else’s from the team, for that matter.”

“What team?” Nevaeh said. “There is no team. There’s only Peri and whatever version of her plan is left now. And apparently that plan involves keeping secrets within the ‘team.’”

“I know,” said Wynda. “But lives depend on it, including yours.”

“And Lilka’s?”

“And Lilka’s,” Wynda said, swallowing hard.

“Well, I don’t know how much she wants her life saved right now,” Nevaeh said. “I don’t know if she’s going to make it as it is.”

Wynda’s heart sank. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “How is she?”

“What do you care? You’re dead, remember?”

“Nevaeh!” Wynda shouted. “What’s wrong with Lilka?”

There was a second’s pause before Nevaeh said, “You sent her some flowers just before you ‘died?’”

“Yes,” Wynda said. “I needed to tell her, ‘I love you,’ and to try to encourage her to stay with it. I tried to tell her what was going on without telling her what was going on.”

“Well, from what Maryska has texted me — she’s the one person in the ‘group’ whose texts I’ve been reading, by the way — Lilka is in deep grief, and her mind seems to have gone a bit over the edge. She does nothing but sit in the apartment with the lights out and the curtains shut, listening to 3 Doors Down and Chicago —”

“But she hates those bands,” said Wynda. “Those are my fa— Oh.”

“Yeah,” Nevaeh said. “She spends all day listening to your music. She’s taken to wearing only black, and only outfits that have a pocket over the left breast so she can keep your note over her heart. She even pins it to her nightie so she has it there overnight.”

“But she sleeps in the buff,” Wynda said.

“Not anymore,” Nevaeh said. “Not if it means being separated from the last she has of you. The only other thing she does is call Peri a couple of times a day, asking when the next mission will be. It seems to be the only thing she looks forward to.”

“Oh, God, I wish I could tell her,” Wynda said.

“Then why don’t you?” What’s the big secret? Why are you hiding this from people, and especially the woman you love? I mean, look, I don’t get this whole ‘gay’ thing, but from what I saw before, you two really loved each other.”

“Love each other,” Wynda corrected.

“Well, you’ve got a funny way of showing it,” Nevaeh said. “And, assuming we all survive this, how do you think Lilka’s going to feel when she finds out the truth? Will she forgive you that easily? Will your love be undamaged? Will it even survive at all? She’s wounded pretty deeply, in some of the worst grief I’ve ever seen. How will she react when she finds out the hell she’s being put through was all a lie?”

Quietly, Wynda asked, “Is anyone with her?”

“Maryska’s staying with her. I don’t think Lilka’d buy any food or pay the bills at this point if someone wasn’t staying there. Maryska’s sleeping on the sofa. Lilka goes to the bedroom at night and hugs your pillow — the one you used as a bed when you were shrunken — to smell your scent on it so she can go to sleep with a little bit of you.”

Wynda’s lip quivered as she asked, “Why aren’t you talking to anybody, Nevaeh?”

“I promised Peri I’d keep your secret,” Nevaeh said. “With the way I feel, the only way I can do that is to not make contact. And, until this stupidity is over, I want nothing to do with Peri. This plan is putting Lilka through hell, and I can’t believe you’re a willing part of it.”

“Look, we really need you for the next take-down,” Wynda said.

“Well, you’ll have to do it without me. I’m out of the team until you stop putting Lilka through this nightmare. Oh, and ‘Linda?’ I don’t want to talk to you again. When Wynda Dancer is available, I’ll talk with her. Until then, goodbye.” Nevaeh hung up without giving Wynda a chance to reply.

Wynda sighed. She looked over at Peri, who had listened in on Wynda’s side of the conversation. “Well, that could have gone better,” the former Olympian said to the detective.

“Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Why are we doing this again?” Wynda asked.

“You already know,” Peri said. “Whoever the mole is, she’s feeding our battle plans to Eve’s Thieves, directly or indirectly. My source says it’s direct. We need a strategy they won’t see coming. They think you’re dead.”

Author Mac Rome

Mac Rome is a lifelong resident of the Great Lakes region of the United States. He’s experienced life in the Appalachian foothills, along the Ohio river and in the flatlands of the former Great Black Swamp, and in large cities, small towns and rural areas. He’s a student of ancient lore and mythology and a lover of cultural exploration, history and dialects. He writes fantasy, science fiction and romance.

 Author Links:  Site     Blog        Facebook      Twitter 

Older Entries
Newer Entries