Archive for the ‘giveaways’ Category

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

Another fun way to share your book news and enjoy others is The Sunday Post hosted by

Sunday Post

Kimberly the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.

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Some chit chat.

Not much new happened in my life this week. Just lots of work. It’s been so hot and humid here. I work outside, detailing cars, and the heat just wore me down. I came home from work Friday and decided to take a nap. I went in my bedroom since my dog, Quigley, had taken up the couch. LOL

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I laid down at 4 P.M. and woke up at 8 P.M. I slept the sleep of the dead and never even changed position! That’s how wiped out I was.

I do look forward to an easing of the temperature but don’t want to give up my swimming. So, Fall, please hold off a while longer. I can wait!

I have lots of books to share. Some new review books, a few I grabbed just because, lots of reviews, and a bunch of freebies I scoured off Amazon for you to pick and choose from. It’s a good thing I don’t grab all those freebies or my Kindle would runneth over!

I leave you with a favorite song of mine by The Rascals. Happy Sunday ya’ll!

I’ll be hopping over to check out your Sunday posts so be sure to leave me your link!

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Here are my new books for review.

A new one from Joyce and Jim Lavene! How could I resist!

And….

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I’ll be reading and reviewing Reimburse the Universe and one other book by Lisa McDonald. I’ll share the cover when allowed.

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Some I grabbed just because, well, I wanted them!

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And here are some freebies for ya!

Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button.

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Books I’ll be reviewing next week.

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What I won.

eBooks

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I won Jeff Lindsay’s new book, Tropical Depression. You might recognize him by his awesome character, Dexter. The book and TV serial killer we all love!

And I won the first two books in The Preyfinder Series by Cari Silverwood. Boy, they look amazing!

Print Books

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Aoleon The Martian Girl is a series I reviewed earlier this year. The author sent me the complete set, signed! They are spectacular!

I finally received The Drafter. So excited. And now I can start by reading Sideswiped first.

Guarded, Forbidden, and Just Say Yes were some awesome wins too. I only enter giveaways if I really want to read the books and these sure fit the bill!

Huge thanks to the blog hosts, authors, and tour organizers for these wonderful prizes.

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Other Posts on my blog this week.

The Montmartre Mysteries Tour ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Tag Team Review and Giveaway ~ Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation ~ They’re back and so very hungry!

Once Again, With Blood ~ A Vampire Satire by Larry Weiner

Can Ghosts Love? Onyx Webb ~ Review and Giveaway

Isolation ~ A Faye Longchamp Mystery ~ Review and Giveaway

A Zombie Thanksgiving by Anthony Renfro ~ A freebie for your holiday reading!

The Extraordinary Days by Polly Decks ~ Blast and Giveaway

It’s a deadly game ~ Hit ‘N Run by Lori Power ~ Guest Post and Giveaway

The Friday 56 #77 ~ Stillwater: A Jack McBride Mystery

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Have you joined TSU yet?

Click on the widget to friend and follow me!

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Fora list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free books updated daily go HERE

For all of my giveaways go HERE

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So, what did you get to read this week?

Got any recommendations?

I’d love to know and thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.

HitNRun banner

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Hit And Run. I have a wonderful guest post from the author and a fun excerpt to share with you.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Author Lori Power is here with a fascinating Guest Post about character creation.

When writing, for me, characters quickly take on a life of their own. In building the bones of the story, I may start with one idea of what I would like to see them do, but as I set their personality down on paper, this quickly changes to the point where the characters ‘lead’ me where they would actually go. The moment I try to force a scene—that is the time I block. The passage won’t work no matter how much I push for it to happen. As soon as I cut the problem, search the depths and examine the situation, often the characters will take me in the direction they need to go and flow resumes.

For instance, early in writing Mitch, his skanky behaviour was questioned by my beta readers. Did I really want him to be that blatant? Shouldn’t I tone it down a bit? One told me she just didn’t like him and wouldn’t read further.

Okay.

But as soon as I tried to ‘tone it down’ as it were, I lost of the essence of who he was. He was already a strong, tenacious, good-looking guy with a job he thrived in. His character flaw was his questionable relationships. As an established personality, he was who he was and made no excuses and in writing Mitch, I couldn’t do him justice without showing this side of him. As I moved through the story, he then carried himself potently into each scene, a well-rounded personality worthy of his devotion to the woman he loves. In allowing him to develop as he would, not forced by me, I feel the readers sees the vital changes in him, from his own point of view.

Lorna’s character developed from mesh of a lot of women I interviewed—every day, successful women—who had ‘encounters’ in their lives, which couldn’t help but shape them. But they never wore it on their sleeve. These incidents didn’t define them. It allowed them to face the struggle and tap into the resources of strength from within. These women all gave off the impression of seeming to glide through life effortlessly. Little would someone know from looking from the outside what they face on the inside to achieve this. The women are the proof of the saying everyone has a story to tell—and a good story at that!

Opposite to Mitch’s ‘love it or live with it’ attitude, Lorna presented a complicated mixture of privacy and perception. She’s layered and exposure will only happen over time. She’s a woman who finds herself often in situations despite her best efforts to steer clear. In writing Lorna, I had to always be aware of her private side and only reveal what she is comfortable revealing to this point.

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Hit ‘N Run

Under Suspicion Book One

by Lori Power

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Synopsis

Determined to build a better life, and forget their past, a freak accident crashes Lorna Tymchuk and Mitch Morgan back into each other’s lives.

It’s more than a “Hit ’n Run” that needs to be taken care of at the police station. False identification, miscommunication and a past better left buried surface to plunge these recently reunited lovers into a deadly game of cat and mouse trying to figure out who the bad guys really are.

All threads pulled threaten the very fabric of their fragile relationship. Caught between desire suspicions, each must decide who to trust and how far to go to follow their instincts.

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Check out this glimpse inside the book!

“And the driver of the hearse just drove off?”

The question of why bother to complete a report if the officer was just going to recap every point, by point, blinked like a neon sign behind her lids. “No, as I wrote, right here.” She pointed to another neatly printed line on the statement. “The man got out to see if I was okay. . .”

The policeman rested an elbow on the counter and smirked. “Nice of him.”

“I guess,” she agreed, forcing a lift to her lips, putting on her best salesman face. “Listen, the man left me his driver’s license. Said an emergency called him away.”

“Emergencies can happen in the funeral business, I imagine.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers, brow furrowed. ‘so, a polite runner then?”

Inhaling deeply, Lorna forged on. “I want to talk to you about that, actually.”

The constable stared, barely blinking, so she blurted. “It’s a fake.”

“What’s a fake?”

“The driver’s license,” she confirmed through tight lips.

“How would you know?”

“I didn’t recognize him at first with the beard and everything.” Oh, God, she was rambling. Get a grip. Lorna took a shaky breath. “I know–once knew–the driver I hit. His name is Mitchell Morgan, not Michael Ward as is written here. The picture on this license,” she said moving her own hand to cover the license on the counter, “is him, but that’s not his name. This,” she paused to tap the document with her fingernail, “is a fake.”

“How can you be sure?” His murky brown eyes met hers, clearly skeptical.

She glanced at the picture again, the tips of her fingers still touching the edge of the laminated surface. How could she explain the fact she would never be able to forget Mitchell Morgan’s midnight-blue eyes? Those same expression-filled eyes with just a hint of mischief couldn’t be disguised. “I’m sure.”

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Author Lori Power

HitNRun author

Turning passion into words in print is a dream come true for Lori Power.

From Radio host (best job ever!), DJ, news reporter to newspaper journalist, like many author’s, Lori has been writing most of her life.

In writing, Lori has discovered a truism: everyone has a great story to tell. All you need to do is listen. Over the years, with all the people Lori has meet previously and daily, both professionally and personally, with an ear to the ground, readers can often find these ‘character’s’ fictionalized in Lori’s stories.

Lori’s first novel “Storms of Passion” was published by Wild Rose Press under their Champagne line, in 2014 and received a 5-star Author’s Favourite seal of approval in 2015.

Collaboration is important to improving one’s craft and as such, Lori is an active member of the Romance Writers of America, TransCanada Romance Writers, The Alberta Romance Writers Association and belongs to both a Critiquing group and a Beta Reading weekly group.

Lori looks forward to continuing to find the good story; hashing out a scene, having fun with a character and writing the story she would love to read.

Amazon Author Page

Amazon Buy Link

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

Goddess Fish Promotions

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Extraordinary Days new banner copy

I have a wonderful series to share with you today.

Polly Beck’s The Extraordinary Days Series.

Enjoy the excerpt.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Genre: Romance / Mystery / Thriller

NOTE: A percentage of the sales of this book will be donated to Children’s International, a not-for-profit organization very close to the author’s family’s heart. Past books in the series have benefited The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, Tuesday’s Children [a 9/11 charity], and The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

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Synopsis

A mystery is introduced in No Ordinary Day, the first book in the Extraordinary Days series that is carried through all eight volumes and solved in the last book, Sunday’s Child: Born on the Sabbath Day, due out in January of 2017.

In the late spring of 1991, a flood and fire of historic proportions tore through the pretty resort town of Obergrande, New York, in the central region of the Adirondack mountains.

The twin disasters destroyed a large part of the east side of the town that bordered the Hudson River and Lake Obergrande.

In the aftermath, a new dam was built, and that damaged part of the town “drowned,” covered by the new, larger lake.

During that terrible flood, five kindergarten girls were trapped in their drowning school, huddled together as the water rose higher, rescued just in the nick of time. The nightmare bonded them, and three others like them, to each other for life.

These are their stories.

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International attorney and human rights advocate Elisa Santiago believes she has life under control—an impressive career, a solid group of friends in Obergrande, and a handsome law partner for hot “car action” when she needs release. Little does she know that her entire world is about to burn down when she discovers that nothing she believes she knows about herself and

her past is true. Can the gorgeous former CIA operative, acting as her guide and guard as she returns to Colombia, the land of her birth, looking for answers, set her world on fire in a good way?

 

THURSDAY’S CHILD: Far to Go is the fifth book in the eight-book series The Extraordinary Days by breakthrough novelist Polly Becks. The first book, No Ordinary Day, tells the tale of an epic tragedy that changes life forever in a small town in the wild, mystic Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and the mystery surrounding that tragedy.

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Enjoy this excerpt

Present day, Sunday, September 8th, 2:11 PM

Le Mille Neuf, 1009 Rue de Bleury, penthouse, Montreal

 

The young man at the front desk in the luxury apartment building looked up in surprise at the quartet of women making their way across the lobby, carrying what looked like a variety of flowers, sweets, and boxes, chatting happily amongst themselves as every male head in the lobby turned in their direction.

An older man in the uniform of a professional driver or chauffeur was following them, his arms piled high with packages, puffing slightly.

The women, who were carrying on an intense four-way conversation between them, did not notice the attention they were garnering like magnets. They ranged in height from just over five feet to just under six, with a variety of body types, hair and skin colors ranging from alabaster to ebony, and clothing styles, all of which had some sort of bright artistry to them.

They stopped in front of the desk.

The tallest of the group, a fair-skinned beauty with gray eyes and shoulder-length brown hair atop a tall, willowy figure, smiled down at him.

“Penthouse deux, s’il vous plait,” she said politely in a perfect French accent.

The young man slid his swivel chair quickly under the desk to shield his lap from view.

“Qui appelle?” he asked in a French-Canadian accent. “Er—whom shall I say is calling?” He picked up the phone.

“The—uhm—Fivesome,” Briony Windsor, known as Sarah to her friends, said.

The young man waited for an answer, requested permission for entry and, receiving it, directed the four women to the penthouse elevator, only to discover they had started across the back lobby while he was hanging up.

They already knew where they were going.

“Has anyone heard from Sloane’s father recently?” Dr. Corinne Byrnes, a veterinarian and the second-tallest member of the group asked the others as they entered the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor.

“I spoke to him last night,” said Reverend Grace Fuller, the Associate Pastor of the Obergrande Community Church back in New York State. “He says she seems to be doing better, as long as she rests. Apparently he hasn’t been entirely successful at keeping her in bed.”

“Shocker,” mused Elisa Santiago, esq., a practicing attorney and civil rights advocate who divided her time between law on the international stage and a quiet practice back in Obergrande, the pretty Adirondack hometown of the four young women and the friend they had come to visit. At five-foot-three, she was petite, like Grace, and extraordinarily well put-together, every detail of her wardrobe perfect, just as every detail of her business and personal life seemed to be.

“Well, between us we have plenty of things to keep her amused in bed,” said Briony. “Although that’s like selling ice to penguins; Sloane has made of art of being kept amused in bed most of her life.”

“Truth,” mused Corinne as the elevator doors opened, providing a stunning view of downtown Montreal and its exquisite spires.

The four women hurried down the sunlit hallway of windows to the door where the number 2 was elegantly displayed.

Elisa pushed the doorbell.

A tall, strapping, dark-haired man with a finely-featured, neatly-bearded face opened the door a moment later.

All four women blinked in surprise.

“Dr. Marlowe?” Elisa’s voice broke the silence.

The man’s dark blue eyes blinked as well.

“Come in, ladies,” he said quickly.

The women looked at each other, then followed him into the penthouse.

“What’s he doing here?” Grace whispered to Briony. “Sloane told me they couldn’t stand each other.” Briony shrugged.

“Perhaps they’re working on the Quadricentennial?” Elisa suggested as they passed through the elegant central foyer into the open living area, a high-ceilinged room ringed with floor-to-ceiling windows.

She turned to Corinne, the only one not to have met Nathan Marlowe. “He’s a world-class history professor here at McGill and in New York at NYU, a specialist in the Adirondack Park

area and particularly in Obergrande. Sloane’s mother hired him to do the authentication and other research for the town’s four-hundredth anniversary next May.”

“Well, if her mother likes him, I can see why Sloane can’t stand him,” said Corinne. “Those two can’t agree on whether the sun is up or not.”

Dr. Marlowe was standing at the far left edge of the open sitting area, next to the door that led to Sloane’s bedroom suite.

The women and their driver, still lugging their packages, followed him.

A glorious spicy smell filled the air near the kitchen.

On their way past a recessed alcove in which a towering animal cage stood, Corinne paused and clicked softly at the sweet, melon-sized animal inside it.

“Hiya, Pfeffernusse,” she said. “You’re lookin’ good, gurrl.”

Ed Hillenbrandt, the driver, waited until she was following the other girls again, then paused in front of the cage himself.

“I still say you would make a nice hat,” he whispered.

Pfeffernusse just stared at him with her big black chinchilla eyes. Then she flicked her large ears and spun around, her white belly disappearing from view as she turned her gray-blue back to him.

“You’re not by any means the first female to give me the cold shoulder, ma’am,” Ed said as he went to join the women.

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Author Polly Becks

Polly Becks has been making her living writing for more than twenty years, as well as working as an editor, curriculum developer, and teaching secondary-school Spanish. She has more than 350 books to her credit, mostly educational materials, as well as professionally published fiction in both the adult and YA market in a variety of genres, plus more than 30 Children’s books. She is excited about exploring the digital literature frontier and is honored to be the launch series for GMLTJoseph, LLC. – See more at: http://www.pollybecks.com/author/#sthash.pEZ6f3xO.dpuf

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Buy Polly’s Books

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

Goddess Fish Promotions

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Partners In Crime Tours

I do love a good mystery. And it’s even better when there’s a mystery inside a mystery. Lots to keep you guessing and on your toes in Isolation!

Enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

Isolation

A Faye Longchamp Mystery

by Mary Anna Evans

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Genre: Mystery, Women Sleuths
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Number of Pages: 284
Series: A Faye Longchamp Mystery, 9
ISBN: 9781464204029

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My Review

This has all the makings for a good mystery.

A family torn apart by tragedy, isolation on a private island, toxic spills, murder, stalkers, and all of this might possibly be connected to a mysterious history. I was hooked already!

Being a fan of character driven stories, this didn’t disappoint.

There’s Faye Longchamp – Mantooth. She’s coping the only way she knows how after a terrible loss. She spends every waking minute and most nights prowling the island and doing random digs. Not herself at all. Being a professional archaeologist, she knows better. You need to investigate, do the math, before digging. I think she’s just trying to stay numb.

Her husband, Joe Wolf Mantooth, is such a gentle soul. He loves his wife and patiently waits for her to come around, knowing she needs time to grieve and heal. In the meantime, he takes care of their young son, Michael, making sure he’s happy and loved.  When things go wiggy and bodies start adding up, he goes into alpha mode. I loved the gentle bear and the warrior spirit of Joe.

Joe’s father, Sly Mantooth, out after serving time in prison, shows up on their doorstep and they invite him to stay awhile. Faye hopes the two will stay out of her hair, and Joe’s looking to get reconnected with his father. I like Sly. He’s a diamond in the rough. He keeps his thoughts to himself, unless a pretty gal is around. Then the charmer, the ladies man, comes out to play. There was one particular lady I wanted him to get better acquainted with. I hoped the author would grant my wish.

Not just a murder mystery, there’s also the mystery of Faye’s ancestor. Some people want to prove her great-great-grandmother Cally was a murderer. Faye’s having none of it and launches her own investigation, keeping their relationship secret while she works to clear Cally’s name. Not so easy when you’re going back 150 years.

A strange toxic find on the island, chemical dumps in the gulf, murder and violent attacks. Could all of this be random events or do they all tie together? I couldn’t wait to find out.

Though this is the ninth book in the Faye Longchamp Mystery Series, it can easily be read as a stand alone. I’ve not the read the other books and with some short mentions of past events, had no trouble reading this first.

Good clean fun, with no sex scenes or foul language.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp-Mantooth has dug herself a deep hole and she can’t make her way out of it. As she struggles to recover from a shattering personal loss, she sees that everyone she loves is trying to reach out to her. If only she could reach back. Instead she’s out digging holes all over her home, the Florida island of Joyeuse.

In their old plantation home, Joe Wolf Mantooth is surrounded by family—Faye, the wife he loves; their toddler son he adores; and his father, who hasn’t gotten around to telling him how long he’s been out of prison or how he got there—yet Joe has never felt so helpless or alone.

Then a close friend at the local marina is brutally murdered, the first in a string of crimes against women that rocks Micco County. Joe, desperate to help Faye, realizes she is in danger from both her inner demons and someone who has breached the island’s isolation. Local law and environmental officials say they want to help, but to Faye and Joe they feel more like invaders. A struggling Faye reaches back over a century into her family’s history for clues. And all the while, danger snakes further into their lives, threatening the people they love, their cherished home, even the very ground—some of it poisoned—beneath their feet.

Purchase Links

Amazon / B&N / Goodreads

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Author Mary Anna Evans

Mary Anna Evans

Mary Anna Evans is the author of the award-winning Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries–Artifacts, Relics, Effigies, Findings, Floodgates, Strangers, and Plunder. She has degrees in physics and chemical engineering. Her background includes stints in environmental consulting and university administration, as well as a summer spent working offshore in the oil fields. Writing lets her spend weeks indulging her passion for history, archeology, and architecture, and months making up stories. Mary Anna is preparing to move to Oklahoma since accepting an Associate Professor position with the University of Oklahoma.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

Onyx Webb

by Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

25414725

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Publisher: Courage Crafters Inc. (March 17, 2015)
Category: Paranormal Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Thriller
Tour Date: August & September, 2015
ISBN: 978-0990751816
ASIN: B00VIP8KLC
Available in: Print & ebook,  264 Pages

My Review

I loved everything about this book. From the different points of view to the different dates in time to the fantastic illustrations and the hair raising creepiness.

When I reached the end of this book, Onyx Webb was still an enigma to me. I know there are many more episodes to come and I’m sure I’ll figure her out. The jury is still out about her right now.

Ever wanted to know how it felt to be a ghost? From what I learned in this book, it’s no fun. Can’t taste, can’t feel, and can’t love. Why stick around? This story will tell you why.

Taking place in different time periods, all of the characters start their stories here and it’s promised by the authors that following episodes will reveal their full stories and bring all of the characters together.

For now, I’m just getting to know Onyx and her father Catfish, rich boy Koda Mulvaney and his best friend Dane, Quinn Cole and his missing sister Juniper, and a slew of secondary characters.

I’ve read other books written in episodes but not quite like this. The characters stories span many centuries but it’s easy to follow them as their voices speak clearly. And there are several mysteries happening at different times and I have no clue how they’ll all come together.

I also knew there wouldn’t be an ending in this book, so no surprise there. And that’s the ‘hook.’ I was hooked from the first chapter, compelled to keep reading, and in no hurry to finish.

The illustrations are spectacular and the writing is easy to follow. Not what you’d expect at all with the story occurring in several different time periods and told from many points of view.

Trying to label this, I’d call this a ghost story and a mystery. Maybe adding a dash of historical too. With lots of showing and some telling. Short chapters that make the read fly. And I believe I already mentioned the illustrations. They are all through the book and ‘tell’ a story too.

There are several more books to come, each containing three episodes. You can bet I’m off to grab the second book now and will be watching for others as they are released.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

The Onyx Webb series follows the unusual life of Onyx Webb along with a central group of characters in various locations and times. The billionaire Mulvaney family, piano prodigy Juniper Cole and her brother Quinn, paranormal show hosts Cryer and Fudge, and a few others make up the core of the series.

Written like a book version of a supernatural soap opera, each character’s story moves forward with most every episode. It may appear that the characters are entirely unrelated and yet episode by episode, the connections will become clearer. Like being an inch away from a spider web, with each book, the web will move further and further away revealing the full story of every character and most importantly, the stunning conclusion for Onyx Webb herself.

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Check out the excerpt!

Bruce Mulvaney had insisted that Koda’s mother would never have left them like that, that something had happened to her.

He went so far as to offer a $1 million reward to anyone who provided information that led to her safe return.

There were the calls from an array of crackpots, of course—nut jobs claiming they’d seen her, some even claiming they had taken her—but nothing ever panned out. And it never would.

His father had even gotten the FBI involved when it was discovered several weeks later that his mother’s Mercedes Benz was found parked at the curb outside a Savannah dive bar, a place called Pinkie Masters. But nothing ever came of it.

Eventually, everyone assumed nothing nefarious had happened to his mother, including the FBI. Bruce Mulvaney’s beautiful wife had just finally gotten fed up enough to leave the bastard.

Koda looked up at the mirror and remembered the one thing his mother did leave.

A photograph.

It was a picture his father had taken of Koda and his mother, sitting on a swing in Charleston, South Carolina, about a month before she’d left.

Just the two of them, sitting side by side—swinging back and forth on a beautiful sunny day—smiling, happy, together.

His mother had left the picture taped to the mirror in Koda’s bedroom, nothing written on it.

Without thinking, Koda reached toward the mirror—just as he’d reached out to take the photo off the mirror when he was six—and just as his finger touched the glass…

He saw her.

A girl.

She was standing opposite him as if a mirror image, her arm reaching out toward the mirror just as Koda’s was, her fingers touching the mirror in the exact place his fingers were touching.

Koda jumped back, shocked at what he was seeing.

But the girl didn’t move.

She just stood there looking at him as if fascinated at what she was seeing.

Then she simply faded away.

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Praise for Onyx Webb by Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

 “There isn’t a page that doesn’t hold our attention.“-Grady Harp, Amazon Reviewer Hall of Fame

“There’s only one problem with the book Onyx Webb – it was over too soon. When I finished the last word, I was ready for the next book, but it’s not out yet – bummer for me and all the other readers who enjoyed this story!
The authors’ writing style is descriptive and visual, which makes the story flow well, and the characters are interesting and well developed. The author does a good job of capturing the essence of each time period so that the reader knows where and more importantly when the characters are living. The story so far covers the 1900s, 1970s and 2000s, so there are marked differences in most aspects of the characters’ lives. Even with the different years represented it’s not confusing for the reader, possibly because each character is so distinct, which lets the reader identify character with time period.
While this is billed as a ghost story, it’s more than that since the characters are so interesting, and I think this will appeal to a wider reading audience than just ghost story lovers or mystery lovers.
I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment to this compelling story.”- Robin Surface, Amazon Reviewer

“I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down. Great writing and totally believable characters. The story lines move along so well and in some form or fashion begin to tie into each other. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.”-Alicia, Goodreads Reviewer

“Wow! That’s an understatement, though. Onyx Webb is one of those books that you just don’t want to put down because it grabs you from the beginning and keeps you wanting more. Not only do you get one story, you get three! And they are all told in different times, like the 1900s, 1970s, and in the current, 2000s. So you get three different points of view, and at first you’re thinking “What does this have to do with that?” But then you see it, and it’s like, WHOA! Of the three different story lines, they all connect in some way, and it’s pretty cool to see how it does.
This is such a good book!! You just have to read it. It’s really cool how authors Waltz and Fenton bring all of the story lines that span over time, together to all fit.
I highly recommend this book! And it’s just Book 1, so I’m really hoping Book 2 is already in the works because I am anxious to see what happens next!!”-Ella Marie, Reading Is a Way Of Life

Amazing! This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!“-Melanie, Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews

About Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton:

Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz are best known as the authors of the #1 Amazon Sales & Selling book, Go for No!  They are professional speakers who travel internationally speaking to audiences about how to overcome fear of failure and rejection.  Although they have written several business books over the last fifteen years, Onyx Webb is their first fictional series.

They are married and manage to write to together while staying happily married, a fact they are very proud of. Richard and Andrea live in Central Florida along with their cat, Courage.

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Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads

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Buy Onyx Webb on AMAZON

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I have one print or one Ebook copy to give away.

Print is US Only

Entry is easy. Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“What is it about supernatural or paranormal stories that you like the most?”

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Follow the Onyx Webb Tour

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Aug 4 Tour Kick Off & Giveaway

Rockin’ Book Reviews Aug 5 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

SolaFide Self-Publishing and Book Blog Aug 6 Guest Post

Books, Books, and more Books Aug 8 Review

Mallory Heart Reviews Aug 10 Review

Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author Aug 11 Interview

What U Talking Bout Willis? Aug 14 Guest Post

Deal Sharing Aunt Aug 18 Review & Giveaway

Penny For Them… Aug 19 Review

Open Book Society Aug 21 Review

JBronder Book Reviews Sept 2 Review

Fundinmental Sept 3 Review

fuonlyknew Sept 8 Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Infinite House of Books Sept 9 Interview & Excerpt

Totally Addicted to Reading Sept 10 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

Room With Books Sept 18 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

My Tangled Skeins Reviews Sept 21 Review & Guest Post

Sunshine book Promotions Sept 28 Review & Excerpt

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry.

 I have some exciting news to share with you about Dinosaur lake III.  Read on to learn how you can win some books!

After reading my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental for more and check out her review. Two chances to win!

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Dinosaur Lake III

Infestation

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

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My Review

The first book in this series had me on the edge of my seat. The action was intense and the scares were awesome.

The second book was just as, if not more, intense. And the bodies piled up.

Between those first two books, you lose some beloved characters and some not so loved.

So, now for the third book in the Dinosaur Lake series.

I started this book feeling a bit worried. After the first two, I wondered if the author could keep up the intense action and suspense. She didn’t disappoint. In fact, this may be the most nail biting of them all.

The dinosaurs are rampant with a capital R! They are everywhere, in many shapes and sizes. And, of course, they are very hungry.

Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore and his wife, Ann, have made it through many dangerous encounters with these monsters over several years, losing friends and hope. They managed to triumph, but this time they might not be so lucky.

Dinosaurs are emerging again. So many, so hungry, so unstoppable. It’s not just the park and their town in danger anymore. The dinosaurs are popping up all over the US and Canada and who knows whether this will become a worldwide phenomenon. It may be the beginning of the age of dinosaurs again.

I have to applaud Kathryn. She gave me more dinosaurs. Bigger, meaner ones, and sneaky, littler ones. The scenes of carnage were bloody wild and so many of them. I got all the action I could ever want.

And the characters. Well, there are my favorites, mentions of loved ones lost, and some new ones. I was crossing fingers and toes that my favorites would survive. You never know with this author.

I sure hope there are more books coming in this series. Please let there be more!

While this is the third book in the series, you could easily pick up the story here. But, if you are a fan of action, intense suspense, and monsters, you’ll want to, need to, go back and read the other books.

5 Dynobite Stars

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Synopsis

Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore has dealt with and fought real live dinosaurs at his beloved Crater Lake National Park for over six years. With the help of his rangers, a few brave FBI friends and army soldiers he’d been victorious over a prehistoric lake creature and years later some particularly fiendish, and clever, specimens of the flying variety. He and his newspaper publisher wife, Ann, thought their park was finally rid of the monsters and they could reclaim their tranquil life in a place they cherished. Not so. For suddenly across the park new and even more malevolent mutant species of dinosaur begin to appear and create havoc, attacking the park’s visitors and threatening its peace. And this time the primeval scourge isn’t confined to just their park. The creatures have moved into the nearby towns, across the western United States and up into Canada. They are so much more aggressive, smarter and hungrier than any that have come before and the infestation is spreading further and faster than Henry and Ann can even imagine. This time there’s no easy way to defeat the dinosaurs. There’s too many of them and they’re too devious. This time it’s full out war and the victor will someday claim Earth.

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Dinosaur Lake II

Dinosaurs Arising

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

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My Review

Here we go again. Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore thinks its over. They killed the dinosaur and he’s pretty sure they destroyed all of the eggs. But when strange things start happening in the park, when another ranger has to fight off a large creature to save some visitor’s, it looks like it’s not over.

Things go from bad, to horrific when one of the trolleys, full of tourists, is attacked by something huge, like the thing in the park, yet larger, and it has wings.

It looks like Henry will have to do battle with dinosaurs again, and he’ll have help from his rangers, along with some soldiers and his son-in-law.

Winged gargoyles, that’s what they look like, but much larger.

They are breeding. They fly and are no longer confined to Henry’s beloved park. They are hungry and they need food for their offspring. The park and surrounding towns become their feeding ground.

No one is safe.

I couldn’t wait to read this after finishing the first book. I love books and movies about dinosaurs, especially when they appear in modern times.

There’s so many things Kathryn does really well in her stories. Let me explain.

She gives you authentic characters. They have their flaws, foibles. You like them or you don’t.

When the town sheriff scoffed at the idea of dinosaurs, refused to believe they exist even after the town gets attacked, I could picture him. Standing there, shaking his head, a sneer on his lips, a posture of superiority. I figured he’d get eaten.

And this is my favorite thing she does. She kills off her characters. You don’t want to become too fond of them, but with some you will. And just because they may survive a first encounter, don’t count on them surviving a second one. I’m not saying the sheriff died. I’m not saying they all die. But I wouldn’t want to be in any of their shoes when the dust settles.

The author also doesn’t waste any time getting the carnage going. She quickly drops you in the middle of the mayhem and scares the bejesus out of you. The story never slows down. The suspense and dread builds and builds, and knocks you on your butt. You’ll want to look away, but you won’t be able to. You’ll have to keep reading, find out what happens.

Let’s get to the monsters now. They are just that, monsters. They may be dinosaurs, but they’re unlike the ones from history. They’ve evolved, are very different. I like that Kathryn chose to liken these dinosaurs to gargoyles. The first thing you think of when flying dinosaurs are mentioned is Pterodactyl’s. But not these. They are giant gargoyle like things. And they are blood thirsty, cunning, and relentless. They never stop coming for you.

Every book Kathryn writes is like this. She never lets you down. All of her characters, strong or weak, are genuinely written. We may scoff at their actions, but they are theirs not ours. It’s important to remember that.

And the action and suspense are almost immediate and it’s always a mad dash to the end. Usually with lots of people screaming. LOL

I loved this every bit as much as the first book. I missed some characters that didn’t survive the first one. Loved some of the new ones. I know I shouldn’t have. Lots of people die. But that’s what made this so good. It was unpredictable and the idea of where the creatures came from was plausible. That’s what really creeped me out.

This is everything I hoped for from the author and now I’ve just finished the third book. Holy hell, it’s awesome too!

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Prehistoric creatures have again invaded Crater Lake National Park
…and this time there’s more than one.

DINOSAUR LAKE II: Dinosaurs Arising
by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
Henry Shore has been Chief Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park for thirteen years now and thought the days when he’d had to fight a rogue dinosaur that lived in the caves below the lake were long over.
Until one of his park rangers, to save a visitor’s life, is in a deadly struggle out in the woods with a new breed of dinosaur worse than the last one. It’s as big as a man, but this one is a young one. And growing.
Then more of the creatures begin to show up everywhere, threatening people and destroying the tranquility and safety of his beloved park.
A tourist trolley filled with fifteen people is snatched up off the crater’s rim by another version of the younger one…but this one has grown into a giant with fangs, claws and a deadly tail.
And this one has wings.
Ugly Gargoyles, Henry calls them.
For this one isn’t alone.
They’re flying beyond the park’s boundaries into the neighboring towns.
So Henry, with the help of his son-in-law, a paleontologist named Justin, and a band of brave park rangers, and a few good soldiers, must not only protect his park and his people from monsters once more but find their lair and destroy it and them before the creatures kill again.

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 Dinosaur Lake

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

This book is free on Amazon right now! Click on the cover to grab a copy!

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My Review

Enter at your own risk. There be a huge freakin dinosaur here.

I love books with creatures in them. This one has a dinosaur. A dinosaur that tasted humans and put them at the top of its list. We may be noisy, what with all the screamin, but we’re oh so tasty.

Chief Ranger Henry Shore likes to get out from behind his desk. He enjoys taking out tours now and then. The park is his love and he jumps at any chance to get out there.

The threat of an earthquake has him concerned. It’s predicted they’ll be hit with a major one, and if the tremors he feels are any indication, it could be soon. The rumors of a giant creature seen in Crater Lake make him pause. Maybe the earlier earthquake released something from the caverns under the lake.

When a couple of the boat captains from the lake tours go missing and all that’s recovered are their shattered boats, Henry begins to believe in the rumors. And when a group of campers are attacked, people are missing, blood and bits of gore are strewn around, and a trail of shattered trees leaves a huge trail to the lake, Henry has no choice but to believe the witnesses testimonies of a gigantic monster, a dinosaur, that attacked and ate their friends.

The creature has come on land and is ranging further and further from the lake to find the tasty morsels he craves and needs. No one is safe and Henry wonders how far the evacuation should go.

Henry has big problems. Will it go into the towns? Where is its lair? When will it strike again and how the hell can he stop it? He wants his park back. With the help of fellow rangers and one strange ex- FBI agent who deals in the unusual, he takes the fight to the monster and many die.

Dinosaur Lake starts out tranquil and quickly becomes a nightmare. When the creature discovers how tasty we are, it wants more. It’s intelligent and cunning and likes to play with its food.

I can’t imagine what is scarier, knowing it’s going to eat you, or having it play cat and mouse with you before crunching you between its giant teeth. A couple of the munching scenes had me squirming, feeling so sad for the victims. I knew they were goners.

The author slowly builds the terror, lulling you and then springing out at you, just like the creature.

Some characters I liked got killed off. Some survived. I kept fearing the worst as the pages flew by. I know the author has to kill off some of the characters, but I wish I could’ve saved a couple. This definitely makes for emotional and suspenseful reading.

Great writing, an awesome creature, likeable and diverse characters, chaos and terror. Everything I require in a creature feature.

Five Stars for Dinosaur Lake

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About Author Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Photo_black_capSince childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-three years ago now, and have had twenty-two (nine romantic horror, two horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance, two thrillers, and three murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press; and I’ve self-published my last six novels with Amazon Kindle Direct and my dinosaur novels and Spookie Town Mysteries are my best-sellers.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-six years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha and Cleo and live cat Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my horror novel The Last VampireRevised Author’s Edition ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for her thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.

*Click here to check out Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s.

Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forge, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire,

Witches, The Nameless One short story, The Calling, All Things Slip Away, Egyptian Heart,

Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, Before the End: A Time of Demons, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection, Scraps of Paper, Dinosaur Lake, Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising and the just released Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation.

Kathryn’s Links

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathryn-Meyer-Griffith/579206748758534  

http://www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/889499.Kathryn_Meyer_Griffith

 

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I have 3 eBook copies  of Dinosaur lake III to give away thanks to Kathryn!

This can be read without having read the first two books.

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Which dinosaurs scare you the most, the huge ones who can squash you like a bug, or the sneaky little ones who can mass attack and devour you like a piranha?”

Giveaway ends September 21st .

This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry at fundinmental.

Now hop on over to fundinmental, check out Sherry’s review, and enter for another chance to win  HERE.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Montmartre Mysteries banner

Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen

on Tour

September 3-22

with

Montmartre Mysteries

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Cozy Mystery

Release date: September 3, 2015
at Le French Book

146 pages

ISBN: 978-1939474476

Website | Goodreads

Synopsis

Wine expert Benjamin Cooker travels to the French capital, where his is called to help care for some vineyards in Montmartre, a neighborhood full of memories for him. He stops in on an old friend. Arthur Solacroup left the Foreign Legion to open a wine shop good enough to be in the Cooker Guide. But an attempted murder brings the past back into the present. But which past? The winemaker detective and his assistant Virgile want to know more, and their investigation leads them from the sands of Djibouti to the vineyards of Côte du Rhône.

About The Authors

 

Alaux-Balen

Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen,
wine lover and music lover respectively,
came up with the idea for the Winemaker Detective series
while sharing a meal,
with a bottle of Château Gaudou 1996,
a red wine from Cahors
with smooth tannins and a balanced nose.

About The Translator
Translator Sally Pane studied French at State University of New York Oswego and the Sorbonne before receiving her Masters Degree in French Literature from the University of Colorado. She has translated several titles in this series.

***

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Sign up to receive their latest news and deals.

You can enter the global giveaway here
or on any other book blogs participating in this tour.
Be sure to follow each participant on Twitter/Facebook,
they are listed in the entry form below
.

GIVEAWAY

Visit each blogger on the tour:
tweeting about the giveaway everyday
of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time!
[just follow the directions on the entry-form]

Global giveaway open internationally:
5 participants will each win a copy of this book.
Print/digital format for US residents
Digital for all other residents

***

Click on the Banner to read other reviews and excerpts!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

Another fun way to share your book news and enjoy others is The Sunday Post hosted by

Sunday Post

Kimberly the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.

~~~

Some chit chat.

So here we are again, another Sunday! I can’t believe how times fly.

Fall is fast approaching and you know what comes after that! I’m not looking forward to winter. The cold is no friend of mine.

To add some excitement to the new seasons, I’m gathering books for Halloween and Christmas. Having such fun choosing some funny and some scary books. Yeah, you know me. Gots to have some scary ones, even for Christmas. LOL

So, do you have anything special planned for the holiday weekend? I plan on doing some swimming, a little bit of yard work, and binging on books and movies. Heavy on the books and movies. LOL

I’ll be hopping over to check out your Sunday posts so be sure to leave me your link!

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Here are my new books for review.

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Some I grabbed just because, well, I wanted them!

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And here are some freebies for ya!

Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button.

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers for my reviews.

Not many for me!

I got caught up in reading.

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Books I’ll be reviewing next week.

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What I won.

Print Books

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Huge thanks to the blog hosts, authors, and tour organizers for these wonderful prizes

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Other Posts on my blog this week.

Sector 64: Ambush by Dean M. Cole ~ Review and Giveaway

The Dragon Stone Trilogy ~ #DSTBlast and Giveaway

Teaser Tuesdays #128 ~ Grey Daze

WHO R U REALLY? Paperback Release and Giveaway

All bets are off in…Game Changer by Rene Folsom ~ Free Book and Giveaway

Love Bites: A Collection Of Short Stories ~ Blog Tour and Giveaway

The Villain ~ The Fall Series Book Blast and Giveaway

The Eve Project: Machines of the Little People by Tegon Maus ~ Virtual Tour and Giveaway

The Friday 56 #76 ~ Brood X

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Have you joined TSU yet?

Click on the widget to friend and follow me!

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~~~

Fora list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free books updated daily go HERE

For all of my giveaways go HERE

~~~

So, what did you get to read this week?

Got any recommendations?

I’d love to know and thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.

MachinesOfTheLittlePeople banner

Have I got a fun book to share with you today.

Do you ever feel like something is watching you?

Have you heard whispers?

Whispers that mention your name?

Come on in and find out what Machines Of The Little People is all about!

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Synopsis

When Ben Harris’ sister passes away, her husband, Roger Keswick, is mysteriously absent from her funeral. It’s not until 6 months later that Ben is pulled back in to Roger’s life, only to find that he’s moved on. His new wife may be called Jessica, but she’s the spitting image of Ben’s sister. Things escalate when Roger claims there’s a factory under his house run by little people called the Katoy.

~~~

Check out the excerpt

“What was the problem, Roger? Why are they here?” I asked, still trying to figure out what had happened to make him call the cops.

The officer shifted uncomfortably, staring at the ground but said nothing.

“Roger? Why are they here?” I asked, pulling him by the arm, turning him to face me.

“I heard voices under the house,” he said flatly. It was clear his mind was struggling with it.

“What?” I couldn’t believe my ears.

“I heard voices under the house,” he repeated, giving me a stern look.

The officer kicked at the ground as if waiting for me to give him permission to leave.

“Roger,” I began…

“They were talking about me. Three of them. I could hear them shushing each other. But, Ben…   I heard them.” His voice held a level of desperation. His face twisted, his eyes begging me to believe him. “Benjamin. I swear to you… I heard them.” His voice, little more than a whisper, quivered.

Before I could react the harsh crackle of the officers walkie-talkie burst to life.

“Ten four,” he said into his shoulder. His eyes, clearly serious, shot to me.

“Thank you, Officer.” I barely got the words out of my mouth and he was marching toward the gate.

I turned to follow him but Roger made a beeline in the opposite direction.

“Benjamin, come over here. They’ve just begun working. Come on. I don’t know how long it will last. Hurry,” he called excitedly, running back and forth.

~~~

Author Tegon Maus

MachinesOfTheLittlePeople author

I was raised pretty much the same as everyone else… devoted mother, strict father and all the imaginary friends I could conjure. Not that I wasn’t friendly, I just wasn’t “people orientated”. Maybe I lived in my head way more than I should have, maybe not. I liked machines more than people, at least I did until I met my wife.

The first thing I can remember writing was for her. For the life of me I can’t remember what it was about… something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after that. I spent a good number of years after inventing games and prototypes for a variety of ideas before I got back to writing.

It wasn’t a deliberate conscious thought it was more of a stepping stone. My wife and I had joined a dream interpret group and we were encouraged to write down our dreams as they occurred. “Be as detailed as you can,” we were told.

I was thrilled. If there is one thing I enjoy it’s making people believe me and I like to exaggerate. Not a big exaggeration or an outright lie mine you, just a little step out of sync, just enough so you couldn’t be sure if it were true or not. When I write, I always write with the effort of “it could happen” very much in mind and nothing, I guarantee you, nothing, makes me happier.

Amazon / B&N /  / Tegon Maus / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon /

Goodreads / Shelfari / Linkedin / Pinterest

~~~

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~

Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

Goddess Fish Promotions

~~~~~

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

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The Villian by May Nicole Abbey

The Villain by May Nicole Abbey

A fall and crash

A violent journey through the doorways of time

A villain or hero in the making

Rosemary Mayfield teeters on the brink of ruin. With the murder of her parents she is left the sole guardian of her younger brother and sister. Once a wealthy socialite in New York City, she now finds herself stranded in the untamed wilderness of the American West. When a wounded man comes crashing through her roof, as rough as the savage land, it is against her better judgment to bring him into her home and her heart. But she soon discovers he holds a secret that shatters everything, and she must make a choice, unaware that often destiny hinges on a single moment.

Fresh from an unsavory past and a violent fall through time, Nicolas Ekkridon awakens to find himself cared for by three orphans ignorant of the role he played in their parents’ untimely death. They accept and embrace him, and a lifetime of hardened barriers begin to crumble. On the precipice between good and evil, only Rosemary and her spirited defiance stands between him and villainy. But time and space are against them. As its weaving tentacles envelop them in an indifferent grasp, they are swept into a shattering series of circumstances that threaten the very makeup of their lives. But when time can be bent, nothing is written in stone.

Amazon

Praise for The Villain
There are very few words that can describe what they’ve accomplished in The Villain. Here are a few that come to mind: magnificent, overwhelming, heart-stirring, and a bit frightening at times.
This author team writes some of the best characters I’ve ever read about and weaves them together in such a fascinating web. Each character has depth and an important role in the storyline (and possibly future storylines). Characters who didn’t particularly interest me, at first, became very significant throughout the book. ~Shannon Keith
The Villain is one of those books you pick up and read in one sitting. The kind that surprises you with its powerful and compelling characters and its poignant message. To say that I was surprised at how much the story touched my heart would be an understatement. ~C.J. Anaya
Reading this book reminded me of the television shows I used to watch when I was a kid. “Little House of the prairie” and “Dr Quinn Medicine Woman”. I can confidently say if you enjoyed those shows, you will enjoy this novel. ~Nina Schluntz

add to goodreads

Excerpt

“Have you done… very bad things?” I asked, wishing I didn’t have to ask.

His answer was simple. “Yes.”

“And are you going to go on… doing bad things?”

He lay very still, like if he moved, he would be discovered. The man as big and hard as the mountain had a weakness. “The gods of the ancient world punished men terribly for their sins,” he said in a hollow voice, his accent there again, thicker than I ever heard it. “Tortured them for eternity. There was no point in trying to escape.”

I put my sewing down. “We don’t believe in those gods anymore.”

He laughed in a hard, hateful voice. “And why should you? You were protected and cosseted and kept from every sin. What do you have to fear from them?”

“And you like to imagine yourself some sort of wild, dangerous creature, trapped in a dungeon of your own making. You are too stupid to realize there are no locks on the doors. Does it come as a shock that brute force isn’t always called for? Does it horrify you to find some kindness lurking deep in your heart?”

“Kindness!” he repeated bitterly, “I’ve done no kindness to you, my girl!”

“You have!”

He regarded me steadily. “If you knew the things I’ve done, Miss Mayfield, your blood would boil with hate and you’d throw me out the door this moment. And you should.”

My heart stilled. “What have you done?”

He turned away, and I couldn’t see his face. He was closed off. But I felt a shrinking from him, a retreat from a memory.

I pushed my specs up the bridge of my nose and picked up my sewing again. An image filled my mind of the shoe flying across the room. His incense at Benjamin ignoring me. His artless, diffident effort to make up with Emily. Instinct made me say with some gentleness, “Whatever you did, perhaps it’s not as bad as you think it is.” I was frightened even as I said it, but I did not wish it away.

He scoffed, but he looked at me. I saw something inside that good eye hoping to be convinced. He reminded me, I realized suddenly, of Benjamin.

“There is no doubt you’ve done things you shouldn’t. And sure, you can be a pig sometimes. Mother would have been horrified,” I smiled. “But a real scoundrel would have shown himself long before now. You haven’t hurt us. You’ve even been good to us.”

“Maybe I’m biding my time. I’m weak and injured and still need you to look after my wounds.” His tone was a cold blanket.

“In which case, you’d hardly warn me against you. Instead you’d be trying to put me at ease.” My voice was equally cool.

He snapped and threw up his hands. “Oh, I don’t have time for this! The sooner I get away from you all, the better!”

I gathered up my sewing basket and stood.

“The west is a dangerous place. You’re ripe for the picking out here in the wilderness, just waiting for someone to come along and help himself!” He couldn’t help but say.

“What do you care? You just said it yourself, it isn’t your problem.”

His hand balled into a fist. “Rosemary, you can’t just trust people, all right! It isn’t wise! Don’t just let anyone through your door and nurse him back to health, you got that? Don’t let Emily sidle up to him and cry over him and tell him her stories. And Benjamin tries to be angry, but it’s all bluster. He’s easy prey for anyone who gives him attention and sounds like they have some useful knowledge. Don’t just let anyone through that door!”

“We didn’t let just anyone in, Nicolas,” I said simply. “We let you in. And I’m glad.”

 

AbbeyAbout the Authors

Caroline Gregory and Shawnette Nielson are sisters on a mission. Their goal is to write clean, adventuresome romance stories, full of lovely characters, personal growth, truth, and hope. Although they live miles from each other, and are both busy with the daily needs of their respective families, they carve out time each night to put fingers to keyboard and write. Their goal? Twenty completed books. Set all over the world and throughout time, they thrill at the freedom that writing time travel offers them. From Georgian society, to Ancient Egypt and the Wild Western, the possibilities are limitless.

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