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River Of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: August 8, 2022 in giveaways, thriller
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River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor Banner

River of Ashes
by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor
August 1-31, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:
 
*Apple’s Most Anticipated Books for Summer in Mysteries & Thrillers*
SOME TRUTHS ARE BETTER KEPT SECRET. SOME SECRETS ARE BETTER OFF DEAD.

Along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river. And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux. The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Star quarterback. Handsome. Charming. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch. He is also a psychopath. A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the haunted abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize. As the victim toll mounts, it becomes clear that someone must stop Beau Devereaux. And that someone will pay with their life.

River of Ashes is a Southern Gothic, Psychological Thriller inspired by true events in the vein of V.C. Andrews with elements of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn and You by Caroline Kepnes. River of Ashes addresses social issues including sexual violence and bullying.
Praise for River of Ashes:

“River of Ashes offers an inside look into the mind of a psychopath—a cautionary tale that the scariest monsters are the ones you know but never suspect.”

Pearry Teo, PhD; Award-Winning Director of The Assent, Executive Producer of Cloud Atlas

“A psychological portrait akin to Lord of the Flies.”

Midwest Book Review

“If Gillian Flynn and Bret Easton Ellis had a book baby, it would be River of Ashes.”

~Booktrib

 

Book Details:

Genre: Southern Gothic / Psychological Thriller / Coming-of-Age

Published by: Vesuvian Books Publication Date: August 2nd 2022 Number of Pages: 284 ISBN: 1645480984 (ISBN13: 9781645480983) Series: St. Benedict #1

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | IndieBound

Enjoy this peek inside:
Leslie turned off Main Street and headed along the single-lane road. The storefronts gave way to homes with colorful gardens and oaks draped with tendrils of Spanish moss. Then the houses grew sparse and disappeared as greenery hugged the side of the road. Leslie slowed to avoid a pothole and heard the rush of the Bogue Falaya River through the open windows. The trees thinned, revealing the two stone spires of The Abbey. Apprehension snaked through her as she pictured Beau, her sister, and all the unsettling things she associated with the derelict church. A wall of dense red buckeye bushes swaying in the breeze shrouded the road. Leslie drove through an opening someone carved out long ago. A cleared lot lay hidden beyond the dense hedge, surrounded by thick pines and oaks, with paths leading down a steep embankment to the river’s edge. Leslie got out of the car, listening to the sweet refrain of birds in the trees. “No one’s here today.” “It’s still too early. Everybody from school likes to come after dark.” Derek led her to a pine-straw-covered path and to the shore of the rushing river. Something moved in the dense underbrush. Leslie walked ahead, trying to get a better look. “What’s that?” She crossed several broken branches until she stumbled on something nestled in the foliage. The stench of rotting flesh hit her nose. She gagged and slowed to a stop. “Wait, be careful.” Derek swept aside a few leafy twigs to get a better look. Flies covered the bloated belly of a white-tailed deer. Deep grooves slashed into what remained of the deer’s neck. The poor animal’s hindquarters appeared torn away. Leslie crept closer. “What could do such a thing?” Derek took her hand and backed out of the brush. “I bet it was the wild dogs.” Leslie let him lead her away from the stench. “What wild dogs?” He stopped outside of the brush. “They’re around here. A couple of weeks ago, Mom said some hunters came in the diner and reported seeing them.” “Where did they come from?” Leslie’s voice shook. Derek guided her to a path curving down a long slope. The roar of the river grew louder. “There are lots of stories. I heard they were left behind when the monks abandoned the place. Legend has it that when they appear, death is near.” A shudder ran through her. Derek tugged Leslie’s hand. “Come on.” The path widened, and a beach came into view. The outcropping of white sand had a collection of green picnic tables, red barrel trash cans, and fire pits along the river’s edge. Around the beach, thick brush covered the shore with limbs from pine trees dipping into the water. The sun sparkled on the gentle waves. Leslie followed him along the shoreline until they came to a rusted iron gate with a No Trespassing sign secured to it. The sign, decorated with crosses and swirls, marked the entrance to The Abbey grounds. Stepping through the open gate, she peered up at the imposing structure. Two spires of white limestone, shaped like the tip of a sword, cut into the blue sky. A structure of red brick and limestone, the front windows and doors secured with loose scraps of plywood, sat in the middle of a field of high grass. The squat stone building of cloisters behind The Abbey remained intact. The Benedictine monks, who had run the seminary and were responsible for the preparation of future priests, demolished the dormitories, refectory, and library after they abandoned the site. The rest remained because, in the South, it was considered bad luck to tear down churches. “Some place, huh?” Derek let go of her hand and ventured across the high grass. A wave of panic shot through Leslie. The grounds, unkempt after years of neglect, were a hodgepodge of weeds, overgrown trees, and vines. Why would people come here at night? “You ever wonder why those monks just up and left?” Leslie was uncomfortable with the eerie quiet. Even the birds had stopped singing. “Everyone says they got a better offer from the seminary in New Orleans, but it seems funny a bunch of people abandoned the place for no reason.” Derek parted a thick pile of tall grass with his shoe. “My mom told me it was falling apart when she was a kid, and the Archdiocese didn’t have the money to fix it. So, they packed up the school and sent the monks and all the staff to New Orleans.” “I read once that the structure dates back to the early 1800s, when the Devereaux family built it as a private church.” Leslie eyed the empty belfry atop one of the square-shaped towers. “You’d think they’d want to save it.” Derek nudged her with his elbow. “Maybe the ghost drove them away.” Beau’s tale had been in the back of her mind the whole time, but Derek’s comment spooked the crap out of her. “By ghost, do you mean the lady in white?” “Yep.” He scanned the land around them. “They say she appears when the moon is full or during storms.” The thought of being alone in such a disturbing place terrified her. “Have you ever seen the ghost?” Derek searched the thick foliage ahead of them. “Nah. I’ve never seen anything.” Granite steps appeared as they drew near the entrance. Leslie kicked herself for letting him talk her into coming to this place. “What about the wild dogs? Have you seen them around The Abbey?” “Not to worry, love, I’ll protect you from ghosts, wild dogs, and Beau Devereaux.” He climbed the steps, encouraging her to join him. “But I have to draw the line at your mother. There’s no way I’m taking her on in a fight.” On the porch, beneath the cracked and chipped stone arch above the doors, she waited while Derek wrestled with the plywood covering the entrance. Despite the creep factor, the lush green trees surrounding them had a soothing effect. Leslie breathed in the fresh pine scent and mossy aroma of the tall grass. Then a fly zipped past her face. Thud. She turned and discovered Derek had pushed a large piece of plywood securing the door out of the way, leaving a nice-sized gap to crawl through. “How did you do that?” Derek held the plywood to the side for her. “The loose boards have been rigged to open easily.” Leslie dipped her head and looked through the doorway. “You sure it’s safe?” “I wouldn’t bring you here if it wasn’t, love.” His smile won over her fears. Once inside, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Pinpoints of light shone on a floor covered with clumps of debris. In the roof, thousands of holes, some big and some small, littered the space between the bare beams where parts of plaster had fallen away. Birds’ nests of light-colored hay and twigs nestled against blackish beams and shadowy eaves, creating a patchwork design on the ceiling. It reminded Leslie of the quilt her grandmother had made for her as a child. Derek appeared, shining a beam of light on the floor. She pointed at the flashlight. “Where did you get that?” “Me and the guys have been here a few times. We’ve stashed stuff around the place. We even have sleeping bags and water bottles socked away.” Here she was a nervous wreck while his friends had turned it into their personal campground. Leslie’s skin crawled at the idea of spending the night in such a place. “I don’t know why you guys come here.” He took her hand, and the beam bounced on the dusty floor. “I don’t get why you’re so freaked out. It’s just an old building. There’s nothing sinister about it.” Beau’s words about taking her to The Abbey sent a shiver down her spine. Any girl would be at his mercy in such a place. She questioned her sister’s choices, knowing she’d been there with Beau. Derek swung the light across the floor, shining it on dozens of rotted pews, leaves, twigs, crumbled plaster pieces from the ceiling, and skeletons of dead birds. “Lots of animals use this place as shelter. I’ve seen possums, raccoons, deer, and once, I swear I saw a black leopard running out the back.” Leslie became even more uneasy about being in the building. “You wouldn’t happen to have a shotgun in your stash.” “The animals don’t bother me, just the people.” Their footfalls echoed through the vast structure as they ventured farther. Leslie kept expecting someone or something to jump out from the shadows. Her only distraction was the intricate carvings atop the arches and the paintings on the walls. Men and angels exchanged timid glances as rays of light from parting clouds shined down. Paintings of Noah and the flood, Adam and Eve, and other Genesis stories were barely visible on the white plaster covering the arches along the central aisle. In one spot, where the roof remained intact, she could make out the image of Moses holding the Ten Commandments. His eyes stood out the most. It was like they carried the burning wrath of God. Shivering, Leslie looked ahead to a white archway marking the entrance to the altar. The gleam of the limestone appeared pristine. She got closer to the most sacred part of the old church, and her sense of dread rose. She spun around to face the scattered, rotting pews behind them. “What is it?” Derek asked, taking her hand. His voice rattled inside the hollows of the church, adding to her anxiety. They stood under the circular dome where the altar had once been, and then a low growl came from a shadowy corner. The air left her lungs. Her senses heightened. Seconds ticked by while she listened for other sounds. “Tell me you heard that.” Derek raised his finger to his lips and nodded to a door on his left. *** Excerpt from River of Ashes by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor. Copyright 2022 by Alexandrea Weis & Lucas Astor. Reproduced with permission from Vesuvian Books. All rights reserved.

 

 

Meet Our Authors:
Alexandrea Weis
Alexandrea Weis

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is an IPPY Award-Winning author, advanced practice registered nurse, and wildlife rehabber who was born and raised in the French Quarter. She has taught at major universities and worked with victims of sexual assault, abuse, and mental illness in a clinical setting at many New Orleans area hospitals. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization and Horror Writers Association. The Strand Magazine said, “Alexandrea Weis is one of the most talented authors around, and in a short time her novels are destined to stand along with authors such as Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, Joyce Carol Oates, and Jeffery Deaver.”

Catch Up With Alexandrea Weis: AlexandreaWeis.com StBenedictSeries.com Goodreads BookBub – @AlexandreaWeis Instagram – @AlexandreaWeis Twitter – @AlexandreaWeis Facebook – @AuthorAlexandreaWeis

 

Lucas Astor

Author Lucas Astor is an award-winning author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but next door behind a smiling face. Astor currently lives outside of Nashville, TN.

Catch Up With Lucas Astor: LucasAstor.com Instagram – @lucasastorauthor

 

 

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Shielding The Tiny Target ~ Love Inspired Suspense by Deena Alexander

Posted: August 7, 2022 in giveaways, Romance, suspense
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Shielding The Tiny Target

Love Inspired Suspense

by Deena Alexander

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Shielding the Tiny Target (Love Inspired Suspense)
Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Setting – Long Island New York
Love Inspired Suspense (July 26, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335587187
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335587183
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09N7QBRJR

A little girl in peril…

And a killer in pursuit

Accepting help from Jack Moretta is widow Ava Colburn’s last chance after her late husband’s killers track her down and target her little girl. But after years on the run, it’s hard to trust anyone else with their lives—and even harder to trust Jack with her secrets. Could he be just what this little family needs to put the deadly past behind them?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

About Deena Alexander

Deena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, where she met and married her high school sweetheart. She recently relocated to Florida with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Now she enjoys long walks in nature all year long, despite the occasional alligator or snake she sometimes encounters. Deena’s love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night, and she now works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor.

Author Links: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / BookBub / Newsletter

Purchase Links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Harlequin / Books-A-Million / Target

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Corpse And Robbers ~ A Male Housekeeper Mystery by Stephen Kaminski

Posted: August 6, 2022 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
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Corpse And Robbers

A Male Housekeeper Mystery

by Stephen Kaminski


Corpse and Robbers: A Male Housekeeper Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – A small town in Michigan
Cozy Cat Press (April 16, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1952579457
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1952579455
Digital Cozy Cat Press (May 13, 2022)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B1BD759B

Paul Bearer & Sons has two memorial services on the schedule, but three dead bodies. When Rusted Bonnet’s funeral home becomes the site of a murder, Cam Reddick finds himself as a prime suspect. To distance himself from the allegations, Cam must untangle a host of clever cons and mini mysteries, from corpse robbing to a fine art scam to a modern-day treasure hunt. Cam soon discovers that Paul Bearer’s more closely resembles a con artists’ colony than a funeral home. With help from his ex-wife and mother, Cam ultimately unearths the most devious and deadly ploy of all.

 

Corpse and Robbers in the second installment of Stephen Kaminski’s Male Housekeeper Mystery series.

 

Kaminski also pens the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective Mysteries. He is the recipient of the Murder & Mayhem Award for Best Classic Cozy, multiple Reader Views Literary Awards, and was a Chanticleer Media CLUE Award finalist.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Between a ski slope nose and equine teeth, Nigel Bitter hadn’t been bestowed with any maker’s benevolence in the looks department. Cam had located Nigel’s address in the online White Pages and simply knocked on his door, not expecting him to be home on a Monday afternoon. But to his surprise, a man answered.

 

Wearing a leopard print bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, Nigel introduced himself and invited Cam inside not even knowing who he was. Ten minutes later, Cam was enjoying hot mulled cider—wassail as Nigel called it—in a kitchen close to the size of Emma’s first grade classroom. After asking Cam about himself, Nigel—a self-proclaimed “speed trader” on every market from the Americas to Asia—had launched into an exegesis on the finer points of commodities, not that Cam had inquired. Apparently, sugarcane futures had gone haywire that morning.

“So how do I not know you?” Nigel finally asked.

“I grew up here,” Cam said, “but I moved away for a while. Have you lived in Rusted Bonnet long?”

Nigel, who appeared a number of years older than Cam, said, “For about five years. I burned out in New York. Investment banking. So, I chucked the lifestyle and went in for this old farm house to be close to my mother after she moved into an assisted living facility.” He sipped wassail from a ceramic mug. “Would you like a scone? I bake them myself.”

Cam accepted and Nigel added a dollop of clotted cream on a small China plate alongside a pair of scones. He handed the offering to Cam.

“Thank you,” Cam said and bit into a scone. The flavor of currants tickled his tongue. “This is phenomenal.”

“Black currant is one of my favorites. I make a good savory one with Gruyere, too.”

“It was a shame about your mother. I happened to be cleaning Paul Bearer’s while she was there.” He described Peachy Kleen.

“So, are you here soliciting business?”

“No. I actually wanted to ask you about your mother’s necklace.”

The top of Nigel’s robe had loosened, presenting a mat of dark hair plastering his chest. “How did you know about that?” He blinked rapidly.

A nervous tic? “I think the whole village knows it was stolen on the night Samir Orucov was murdered,” Cam said. “And that it turned up in a recycling bin. Plus, my ex-wife’s a police officer.”

Nigel’s eyes drooped at the mention of an ex-wife. After a heartbeat, he asked, “What did you want to know?”

Cam weighed his options. He didn’t dare ask Nigel if he had stripped the ruby from his dead mother’s neck. Instead, he said, “I have a friend who works at an auction house in Chicago. I was wondering if you plan to sell it.”

Nigel swirled a demitasse spoon in the glass jar of clotted cream. “The thought never crossed my mind.”

Was he telling the truth? “I’d love to see it,” Cam tried.

Nigel touched the tiny spoon to his tongue. “I thought you said you saw my mother while she was at the funeral home.”

This man is no fool. “I did,” Cam said. “I’m sorry, I really should be going.”

Nigel held up a hand. His fingernails were surprisingly dirty. “No, stop. That was rude of me. Mother’s necklace isn’t here. She wanted to be buried with it, but, of course, that didn’t happen. So once the police retrieved it, I did the next best thing. I gave it to my aunts to share.”

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About Stephen Kaminski


Stephen Kaminski is the author of two cozy mystery series: The Male Housekeeper Mysteries and the Damon Lassard Dabbling Detective series, both published by Cozy Cat Press.

“Corpse & Robbers” (2022) is the latest of Kaminski’s Male Housekeeper Mysteries. The first installment of the series, “An Au Pair to Remember,” was penned in 2019.

Each of Kaminski’s Damon Lassard books — “It Takes Two to Strangle” (2012), “Don’t Cry Over Killed Milk” (2013), and “Murder, She Floats” (2014) — was awarded the Reader Views Literary Award for the Mid-Atlantic Region, and Don’t Cry Over Killed Milk was named Best Classic Cozy in the 2014 Murder & Mayhem Awards and was a 2013 Chanticleer Media CLUE Award Finalist.

Stephen is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Law School and currently serves as the chief executive officer of a national energy association. He lives with his 120 lb Swissie, Siberian forest cat, rescue kitty, and a gaggle of occasionally tolerable but always loveable humans in Bethesda, MD.

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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Murder Backstage ~ A Joseph Haydn Mystery by Nupur Tustin

Posted: August 5, 2022 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
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Murder Backstage

A Joseph Haydn Mystery

by Nupur Tustin

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Murder Backstage: A Joseph Haydn Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – In Vienna’s Burgtheater in the eighteenth century.
Foiled Plots Press (July 6, 2022)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 348 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B34548N5

When murder propels him backstage, Haydn is forced to confront a deadly killer. . .

When the Burgtheater’s impresario unexpectedly meets his maker, Joseph Haydn is relieved to learn no one expects him to look into the matter. The impresario was murdered—and the Salzburger believed to be the killer is already behind bars.

But the impresario’s untimely death is not without consequences. Haydn’s employer insists he take over the dead man’s duties. Handling the tedious technical details of putting on an opera is bad enough. Confronting the suspicious behavior backstage is even worse.

Is an innocent man being sent to the gallows? Haydn is plagued by the question when his brother Michael confirms his worst fears. The Salzburger arrested for the murder is none other than Leopold Mozart—father of the well-known child prodigy currently in Vienna.

Now, egged on by Michael—a close friend of the Mozarts—Haydn must prove Leopold innocent. Or risk his brother’s ire forever!

Praise for the Joseph Haydn Mysteries:
“Tustin orchestrates a concerto of intrigue and deception . . .”
– Anna Lee Huber, Lady Darby Mysteries

“A standout in the genre of historical mysteries . . .”
– Midwest Book Reviews

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Haydn, expecting to be commanded to look into the impresario’s untimely death, is pleasantly surprised to learn he isn’t required to investigate the matter. But his relief is short-lived. What his employer, Prince Nikolaus, expects him to do is far worse:

“The incident, Haydn, is tragic,” Prince Nikolaus said, his voice firm, “but, at the end of the day, a mere trifle. The opera must continue.”

“I-I could not agree more,” Haydn stammered, astonished and relieved at the same time. The worst appeared to be over. No one expected him to look into Affligio’s demise. In fact, the Prince’s nonchalant reaction suggested a natural death.

There would be some slight inconvenience, the Kapellmeister had no doubt. It would mean meeting and coordinating with a new impresario. But the new man could hardly be more difficult to deal with than Affligio.

“Has His Majesty given any thought as to who will replace Herr Affligio?” he asked.

The Prince’s lips tightened. “That is just it, Haydn. There will be no replacement.”

“No replacement? How, then, does His Majesty expect the opera to continue?”

In addition to providing a suitable libretto and singers, the impresario was expected to arrange for costumes and scenery and to take charge of illuminating the theater. It was a vast undertaking, and for all that he had been a difficult person, Affligio had handled the technical details immensely well.

It was the one aspect of the performance that had caused Haydn no concern. The stage machinery, lighting, and scenery would be as spectacular as that in Eszterháza.

The Prince’s eyes narrowed. “Continue it will, Haydn. It must. I have offered to take care of it myself.”

“Yourself?” Haydn repeated, feeling like an echo. His mind boggled at the thought of the Prince taking himself backstage to direct stagehands and crew.

“We have staged many an opera, Haydn. And what impresario have we had to help us?”

That was true enough, although Eszterháza had both an opera director and a stage and costume designer to bring their productions to life.

“Your Serene Highness means to send for Herr Porta?” Haydn’s hopes began to rise. With Nunziato Porta at his side and Pietro Travaglio and, who knew, a soprano or two that might also be smuggled in. Why, the opera could be an astounding success!

“Porta is on a leave of absence. As is Travaglio. I cannot send for either of them.”

“On leave? But why?” Haydn blurted out the question, the impropriety of it escaping him until the words had already fallen off his tongue.

But the Prince fortunately took no offense. “There was no reason not to. It will be a month or more before we return to Eszterháza.”

“Then”—Haydn passed a handkerchief over his forehead, mystified—“who is to take on Herr Affligio’s job?” They could do without a stage and costume designer. But a director—in particular one as well-versed in the technical aspects of opera production as Porta—was a necessity.

“Why, you are, Haydn. Who else is there to do the job?

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About Nupur Tustin

A former journalist, Nupur Tustin misuses a Ph.D. in Communication and an M.A. in English to orchestrate mayhem in Joseph Haydn’s Austria and to paint intrigue in her Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries about a psychic who takes on the outrageous and still unsolved Gardner Museum theft! In addition to being a storyteller and avid mystery fan, Nupur is a wife and homeschooling Mom who’s recently become a Christian.

Author Links: Website

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A Killing In Costumes ~ A Hollywood Treasures Mystery by Zac Bissonnette

Posted: August 4, 2022 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
Tags: ,
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A Killing In Costumes A Hollywood Treasures Mystery

by Zac Bissonnette

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A Killing in Costumes (A Hollywood Treasures Mystery)
Cozy Mystery – LBGT
1st in Series
Setting – California
Crooked Lane Books (August 9, 2022)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639100865
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639100866
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09LH99ZCM

Stardom fades fast when you’re on the line for murder, in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Jenn McKinlay.

 

Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper were soap opera stars in the late ’90s, a wholesome young husband-and-wife duo who combined musical talent with humor and charisma. When the truth about their sexual orientations came to light, their marriage and TV careers ended, but decades later they have remained friends. Together, they open Palm Springs’ chicest movie memorabilia store, Hooray for Hollywood–but no customers and dwindling finances spell trouble.

 

A Hail Mary arrives in the form of Yana Tosh, a ninety-year-old diva of the silver screen who has amassed a valuable collection of costumes and props and is looking to sell. But first, Jay and Cindy have to beat their competition, a vice president from a mega-auction house with ten times their resources. And when he winds up dead, they become prime suspects in the murder.

 

With their freedom and livelihoods on the line, Jay and Cindy desperately need to clear their names. There are plenty of other potential suspects, but they’ll have to solve it soon before they’re forced to trade in their vintage costume collection for two orange jumpsuits.

 

About Zac Bissonnette

Zac Bissonnette is the New York Times bestselling author of several nonfiction books, including The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute.

His favorite singer is Perry Como. His favorite author is Agatha Christie. His favorite tea is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice.

Author Links – Website – Twitter – BookBub – GoodReads – 

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound – 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

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August 4 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – The Editing Pen – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 5 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Books Blog – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 8 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW  

August 9 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

August 10 – Ascroft, eh? – GUEST POST

August 10 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

August 10 – Novels Alive – SPOTLIGHT

August 11 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

August 12 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 12 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Inheriting Murder ~ A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery by Jamie Rutland Gillespie

Posted: August 3, 2022 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
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2

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Inheriting Murder

A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery

by Jamie Rutland Gillespie

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Inheriting Murder: A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Tennessee
Independently Published (May 1, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 287 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8814800398
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Z9889D4

When Landry Burke’s favorite Aunt Tildie passes away, Landry inherits the entire estate. It includes a five story apartment building named Magnolia Place, as well as a bookstore across the street named Jasmine Bloom Books, both located in Bobwhite Mountain, Tennessee.

Landry packs up and leaves Bent Branch, SC for the hills of Tennessee. On her very first day there, she and her aunt’s attorney, Adam Wilcox, find the body of one of Magnolia Place’s employees. Between her panic attacks, anxiety and trying to adjust to her new surroundings, Landry wants this murder solved and fast.

Sheriff Wyatt Collins and his deputies are on the case. Now, if they can just keep Landry from trying to help and causing danger to herself.

And Jasmine Bloom’s manager, and late Aunt Tildie’s best friend, Ms. Millie, is convinced that Landry is trying to get her killed because of all the zany situations they find themselves in.

Take a visit to Bobwhite Mountain and find out what all of the fuss is about.

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Book 2 in this Series

61368728. sy475

Falling for Murder: A Bobwhite Mountain Cozy Mystery

Welcome back to Bobwhite Mountain, TN. It’s early fall and the leaves are beginning to change colors and the night air has a crispness to it. Landry Burke is grateful that she is now a resident of this quaint little town. The two businesses she inherited from her late aunt are thriving and she’s made wonderful friends here.

Things are going great until there’s a kidnapping and murder in this peaceful oasis. Landry is the unfortunate one to find the body and now she, Adam and Wyatt are all trying to figure out who could have done such a horrible thing. To add to the tension, two local and well known girls are also kidnapped and haven’t been seen or heard from since.

As usual, Landry and Ms. Millie get into more precarious predicaments that will have you laughing out loud. Landry and Adam are trying to figure out just where their relationship is headed as the mayor insists that the town go ahead with their Fall Festival even though everyone is on edge about the crimes.

Come along as they follow the clues to figure out just what is going on.

About Jamie Rutland Gillespie

Jamie Rutland Gillespie was born and raised in a tiny, country town in South Carolina. At the age of 18, she moved to a slightly larger town in the same state and still lives there. She spent much of her youth visiting the beaches of the low country and taking trips to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. The mountains were always her “happy place” and she still visits every chance she gets.

Jamie has always loved to read; she got her library card at the small library of her hometown at the young age of 6. She has a vivid imagination and has always made-up stories of places, people and situations that only exist in her head.

She currently lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughter and 17-year-old Yorkie Pom, who is her baby and shadow. She loves college football and has been a South Carolina Gamecock fan since birth. She also loves MLB and has been a Braves fan since she was a little girl, watching the games and going to games with her Dad. She is still an avid reader and enjoys writing, crossword puzzles, baking, and spending time with her family.

Author Links

Facebook – Instagram – Amazon – Twitter – BookBub – 

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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August 5 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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August 9 – Novels Alive – RECIPE POST

August 10 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

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August 11 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

August 11 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

August 12 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

August 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

August 13 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

August 14 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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An Imaginary Affair by Diana Raab ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: August 3, 2022 in Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for An Imaginary Affair organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Diana Raab will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

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

An Imaginary Affair

by Diana Raab

Synopsis

An Imaginary Affair is a collection of sensitive and sensuous poems for poets and non-poets who appreciate the challenges and intricacies of being human.

The poems touch on key human elements, such as love, desire, passion, memory, loss, and gratitude. The poet celebrates the joys, and pains inherent to a woman’s heart, while honoring the wisdoms and tones of Neruda’s poetry. Some of the epistolary poems are directed to Neruda in response to his riveting poems.

“In this intimate collection of poems, Diana Raab pays tribute to the sensual physicality of Pablo Neruda’s work and to her own real and invented lives. With unvarnished honesty, An Imaginary Affair celebrates a woman’s heart and mind through a handful of odes, epistolary poems, and the idea that memory and anticipation can sustain and nourish us; even drinking a glowing hot toddy is transformed into a meditation on how an ordinary act can awaken desire. Her unvarnished honesty gives equal attention to matters of mortality, where loss is lyrically considered (“…will you run from me / when trains sleep at their stations”), and also explored in the spirit of open curiosity (“How long does it take / for a pine casket to disintegrate / in this caving land…). These poems remind us that to be alive is to try and balance joy and lament, and how through this effort we more deeply inhabit the world and ourselves.” –Emma Trelles, author of Tropicalia and Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara

Read an Excerpt

Please Don’t Forget Me

I want you to know

one thing:

if there is ever a day

when you begin to think

about my place in this world

and if I could live without you —

stop in your tracks,

and look the imprints

your feet made in the sand

where you and I walked together

arm in arm, side by side

shoulder touching shoulder.

You are ingrained in my brain

like every kernel of sand

that lies beside the largest ocean

in this world where we inhabit

two sides familiar, yet foreign

to one another. But, in the end,

I had to let you go: when you love

someone it’s what one must do —

set them free to do what they need

or want, and when they want

to do it, whether it is with you or not—

while always keeping in mind

I will never in my lifetime or yours

stop loving everything about you.

About Author Diana Raab:

Diana Raab is an award-winning, memoirist, poet, blogger, inspirational speaker, and workshop facilitator. As the author of nine books of nonfiction and poetry, Raab teaches workshops on writing for healing and transformation, inspiring others to use creativity for healing and self-discoveries. Her 2 latest books are WRITING FOR BLISS: A SEVEN-STEP PLAN FOR TELLING YOUR STORY AND TRANSFORMING YOUR LIFE and WRITING FOR BLISS: A COMPANION JOURNAL, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Publisher’s Weekly says this about WRITING FOR BLISS: “This thoughtful and detailed primer…targets pretty much anyone interested in writing a memoir.”

Raab has written over 1000 articles and poems including her contributions to Psychology Today, Thrive Global, Wisdom Daily and many others. She has taught at UCLA Extension, the Santa Barbara’s Writer’s Conference, 1440 Multiversity, Hugo House and others.

Her chapbook, An Imaginary Affair: Poems Whispered to Neruda is written in response to his work.

Website

LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

Amazon

Finishing Line Press

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A Coup Of Tea by Casey Blair ~ Peek Inside and Giveaway

Posted: August 2, 2022 in Fantasy, giveaways
Tags: ,
0

 

A Coup of Tea
by Casey Blair

 

(Tea Princess Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: August 2nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

When the fourth princess of Istalam is due to dedicate herself to a path serving the crown, she makes a choice that shocks everyone, herself most of all: She leaves.

In hiding and exiled from power, Miyara finds her place running a tea shop in a struggling community that sits on the edge of a magical disaster zone. But there’s more brewing under the surface of this city—hidden magic, and hidden machinations—that threaten all the people who’ve helped her make her own way.

Miyara may not be a princess anymore, but with a teapot in hand she’ll risk her newfound freedom to discover a more meaningful kind of power.

A Coup of Tea is the first book of the Tea Princess Chronicles, a cozy fantasy series full of magic tea, friendship, and lifting people up even when the odds seem impossible.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

She hands me a third cup, and I eye her mistrustfully, that unease back again and sharp.

“Earning your tablecloth,” she reminds me.

I smell the grassiness of the green tea before I taste it. But the flavor is so strange I can’t immediately identify the elements—she’s used aloia nectar not just as a sweetener, but to bind this mystery ingredient, and the result has a strangely smooth, nutty element. I frown at the cup and take another sip, swirling the tea in my mouth.

“So?” Lorwyn asks.

It’s much better than the other two, but this tea gives the impression of oozing—no, crawling through the grass—

I set the cup down abruptly. “Please tell me your mystery ingredient is not insectoid.”

Her eyebrows rise in surprise. “Wow. Okay, I’m impressed. Apparently the trekkers named them sleekbeetles. New species discovered in the Cataclysm. Talmeri bought crates of their scales.”

I am drinking beetle scale tea.

This morning I was a princess, and now I sit sopping in a tablecloth drinking beetle scale tea.

“Why?”

Lorwyn shrugs. “I’m sure they were cheap. Talmeri’s always on the lookout for novelty items to boast the most unique tea flavors in the city, and she also likes torturing me. Who can say which was the primary factor this time?”

I grimace. “Wonderful. A hitherto untasted bug. I hope it’s at least magically inert and you haven’t poisoned me?”

“Of course I didn’t poison you,” Lorwyn says. “I tasted it before you did. How could you tell it was beetle?”

“The grassiness of the green tea,” I say. “It’s too sharp. You need something mellower that’s still robust enough to hold up to the aloia nectar.”

Lorwyn slumps back—I’m not entirely sure how she manages to, since she’s sitting on a stool.

“Aloia is tricky,” she grumbles.

“Maybe it needs another note,” I say. “The aloia manages the beetle flavor into something nearly salvageable. Now you need a bridge between the aloia and the tea.”

Lorwyn bolts out of her stool. “Wait there!”

She returns with another small pot and a cup, adds them to the tea service. She lifts the pot to pour, and all at once I realize, beetle scales aside, what’s been bothering me.

The water from that kettle should not have correctly brewed different kinds of teas and tisanes. The temperature of the water has to have changed, and there are no cooling or heating devices anywhere near the table.

I glance around for a structure, anything she could have used to anchor magecraft. The stools aren’t in any particular order around the table, there are no candles, and the teacups are arranged for the taster’s benefit alone.

Which means this isn’t magecraft at all.

It’s witchcraft.

I promise I can maim you in any number of ways, she said.

Lorwyn holds a cup of tea out to me with an excited look on her face.

I’ve lost my wits. After realizing what she’s doing, it’s the only explanation for what I do next.

I take the cup, and I sip.

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Author Casey Blair:

Casey Blair writes adventurous fantasy novels for all ages, and her serial fantasy Tea Princess Chronicles is available online for free. After graduating from Vassar College, her own adventures have included teaching English in rural Japan, attending the Viable Paradise residential science fiction and fantasy writing workshop, and working as an indie bookseller. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest and can be found dancing spontaneously, exploring forests around the world, or trapped under a cat. For more information visit her website caseyblair.com or follow her on Twitter @CaseyLBlair.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Death A Sketch ~ A Paint & Shine Mystery by Cheryl Hollon

Posted: August 2, 2022 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
Tags: ,
1

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Death A Sketch

A Paint & Shine Mystery

by Cheryl Hollon

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Death a Sketch (A Paint & Shine Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Kentucky
Kensington (July 26, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 149672528X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496725288
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09KP3TJ8F

In eastern Kentucky, Miranda Trent runs a unique tour company called Paint & Shine, but sometimes the peaceful mountains play host to murder . . .

 

Miranda’s business—combining Appalachian adventure tours with art and a bit of moonshine—is the perfect place for an outdoor sporting goods company to hold an employee retreat. It’ll be a challenge, but the money they’re paying will definitely help with building her new distillery.

 

Miranda has lots of teamwork-fostering activities planned, from sketching classes to Southern cooking, but the executive running things prefers a more competitive spirit. In fact, after the workers are split into teams, they’re told that only the winners will keep their jobs, and tensions begin to spike. Even after a participant is found dead, the contest continues—while Miranda starts drawing her own conclusions about the ambitious attendees. Now she just has to find the proof . . .

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Check out this yummy recipe:

Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe can be intimidating but can be accomplished by any serious cook with patience and attention to detail.

My grandmother rustled up this crusty pie on crisp fall days just after the maple leaves had turned scarlet.

In her case, she pulled that fragrant pie from a wood-fire stove.

Equipment:

  • Large saucepan
  • Large skillet
  • 2 9-inch pie plates
  • Medium saucepan
  • Colander
  • Knife
  • Mixing spoon
  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups diced, peeled potatoes
  • 13⁄4 cups sliced carrots
  • 1 cup butter, cubed
  • 2⁄3 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 13⁄4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 11⁄2 cups whole milk
  • 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 4 sheets refrigerated pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8–10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn, and potato mixture; remove from heat.

Unroll a pie crust into each of two 9-in. pie plates, trim even with rims. Add chicken mixture. Unroll remaining crusts, place them over the filling. Trim, seal, and flute edges. Cut slits in tops.

Bake 35–40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked pies. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pies on baking sheets, cover edges loosely with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees; bake 70–80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165 degrees.

Serves 4–6

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About Cheryl Hollon

Cheryl Hollon now writes full-time after she left an engineering career designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for oil painting and creating glass art. Cheryl and her husband live in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. Visit her online at http://cherylhollon.com, on Facebook or on Twitter @CherylHollon.

Purchase Links

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound – Kensington –

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 1 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT

August 1 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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August 2 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

August 3 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 3 – Books Blog – SPOTLIGHT

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August 4 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

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August 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

August 6 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST

August 7 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

August 7 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT  

August 8 – Novels Alive – REVIEW, RECIPE

August 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 9 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

August 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews = SPOTLIGHT

August 10 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

August 10 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Potion ~ #WitchesBeBitches by Dorlana Vann

Posted: August 1, 2022 in giveaways, urban fantasy, YA
Tags: , , , ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Potion organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Dorlana Vann will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

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

Potion

#WitchesBeBitches

by Dorlana Vann

Genre: YA / Urban Fantasy (Contemporary Retelling)

Synopsis

Eight years ago, the wicked witch held Hansel Lucas Jaeger and his sister, Melrose, captive. They barely escaped with their lives. Now, with high school, a garage band, and a part time job, Lucas finally feels normal.

But everything changes when Lucas sees his awkward, loner sister, hanging out with Star, one of the hot and hated popular girls known as The Bitches. At first, he’s just confused, but when he sees the tarot cards between them, he’s reminded of the curse the witch cast on Melrose.

His fears escalate when Star warns him about two witches from school who plan on using his sister for a ritual. Lucas wants to trust Star; he needs someone to confide in since Melrose thinks his fear of witchcraft is irrational. But Star is unpredictable and has toyed with his emotions before.

As Lucas searches for answers, more mysteries begin to unravel about Melrose’s childhood, Star’s motives, and his own family legacy. Lucas will have to make life and death decisions; but whom can he trust, and how do you rescue someone who doesn’t want to be saved?

Enjoy this peek inside:

He knew why he had to destroy the card, sort of, he had felt the threat in his bones. What he couldn’t understand was why Melrose didn’t sense anything wrong. “Don’t you remember what happened in the woods?” he said easily, glancing at her to see if there was any spark of memory.

She shrugged. “No, I don’t, not really, and I don’t want to.”

Melrose had managed to block out the first eight years of her life, and his mom called him the forgetful one. “Well, I do, but what I forgot, or pushed aside, until that moment in there, was the curse.”

“Curse? Really? There’s no such thing as curses. Come on.”

“I don’t know what else to call it, but the witch made you say that rhyme.” He squeezed his eyes together, trying to remember. “Something about transforming Venus into a witch in eight years.”

Silence seeped into the backyard. They both turned their attention to the fire when it crackled, old trash igniting.

“Melrose, think. It’s been almost exactly eight years—”

“So what?” she spat.

“I think you’re Venus.”

Melrose crossed her arms and huffed. “So, I’m a planet?”

“Your birth name,” he said, trying to ignore her mocking tone. “Your real name. I know you don’t remember, and I never mentioned it because I was trying to put all that behind me, too.”

“I think I would have remembered if that was my name.”

“Really? But you don’t remember anything else? Whatever. Your name isn’t important. What I’m trying to tell you is that something is sketch.” He pointed toward the house. “You gotta stay away from anyone who plays around with that witchcraft shit so you don’t trigger … you know.”

About Author Dorlana Vann:

Dorlana Vann loves taking elements from fairy tales (characters, mood, moral, plot) and mixing them with a paranormal element and then dropping them in a contemporary setting.

She has several supernatural fairy tale inspired stories, including novels, a short story collection, and Kindle Vella series. Her latest adventure is A Witchy Fairy Tale series; book 1: Potion.

Besides writing, life is all about family, food, book-club, BBQ team, festivals, trivia (even though she’s horrible at it), and drinking on patios – All of which she shares on Instagram

Website
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page

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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.

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