Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

Embracing Your Divinity

by Laura Emily

Synopsis

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

Purchase links: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Author Bio:

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

Social media links

YouTube / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

~~~~~

Enjoy the Excerpt

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

~~~~~

GUEST POST FROM AUTHOR LAURA EMILY

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

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

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

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

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

~~~~~

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~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

.
The Deadliest Blessing
Provincetown Mystery Series #3
by Jeannette de Beauvoir
Genre: Cozy Mystery
 
If there’s a dead
body anywhere in Provincetown, wedding consultant Sydney Riley is
going to be the one to find it! The seaside town’s annual
Portuguese Festival is approaching and it looks like smooth sailing
until Sydney’s neighbor decides to have some construction done in
her home—and finds more than she bargained for inside her wall.
Now Sydney is again
balancing her work at the Race Point Inn with an unexpected adventure
that will eventually involve fishermen, gunrunners, a mummified cat,
a family fortune, misplaced heirs, a girl with a mysterious past, and
lots and lots of Portuguese food. The Blessing of the Fleet is
coming up, and unless Sydney can find the key to a decades-old
murder, it might yet come back to haunt everyone in this
otherwise-peaceful fishing village.
 
~~~~~
.

Guest blog post: What’s in a Name?

Jeannette de Beauvoir

 

One of the joys of writing fiction is being able to populate your own world. Seriously, how cool is that? You can choose who lives next to whom, what they do for a living, explore quirks and personalities that are as familiar or as foreign as you like. And that process includes selecting names.

Okay, so it’s maybe not such a joy, after all. The truth is, I hate selecting names.

My characters come to life as I write, not before. They shift and morph and often change the entire narrative arc of my stories. They become who they are in chapter five, or eight, or ten. So the name I started with generally just doesn’t fit the character as they emerge, as they talk with other characters, as they make choices, as they tell me where the book needs to go. Ah, but word processing makes that easy, doesn’t it? Just do a global search-and-replace, and voilà! Kate Stewart is now Miranda Weatherby.

The exception is the name of the protagonist in my current mystery series. I found a name for her and it… just worked. The third book in the series, The Deadliest Blessing, just came out, I’m writing the fourth book, and Sydney is still perfectly, marvelously, appropriately Sydney.

I have to wonder if her name works because I didn’t make it up. I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it ahead of time. It was a gift from the gods of travel.

I’d gone up to Québec to do a talk about a prior character and series, Martine LeDuc, the protagonist of my novels Asylum and Deadly Jewels. I live on the tip of Cape Cod, so this is a long drive! But I was prepared: I had a set of CDs from The Great Courses, and I was good to go. I’d already taken their class on the Vikings, the history of London, women in medieval literature, and a few I’m probably forgetting, and I was looking forward to the new set on the history of espionage.

I’d just passed the border into Vermont when the professor started talking about the man who was the model for Ian Fleming’s James Bond, a real-life cosmopolitan, elegant, enigmatic spy. Not just an agent for the British Secret Service, he was a double and sometimes treble agent, Russian-born, world-traveled, who had torrid affairs with aristocratic women, slipped behind enemy lines during World War Two, planned an unsuccessful coup in the Soviet Union, procured Persian oil concessions for the British Admiralty… the list goes on and on.

His name was Sydney Reilly.

And there it came to me as I drove through Vermont’s snow-covered mountains, that this was a gorgeous name. Even if people didn’t know the history, it was a name that resonated, that was both memorable and slightly exotic, that would fit someone destined for adventure. I named Sydney at once and never looked back.

Of course, I didn’t have the sense to look the spy up online and ascertain how he spelled his name, so my Sydney spells hers a little differently; but perhaps that just adds to her mystique. (She’d laugh if she heard me: I can just imagine her saying, “Mystique? Me? You’ve got the wrong girl, Jeannette!”)

So… what’s in a name? Sometimes it’s just a happy coincidence. One thing I know for sure: I’m going to keep listening to the Great Courses. Who knows what might be gifted to me next?

 

Jeannette de Beauvoir is the author of the Sydney Riley mysteries and other mystery and historical fiction. Read more about her at jeannettedebeauvoir.com.

.
~~~~~
 
Jeannette de Beauvoir grew up in Angers, France, but has lived in the United
States since her twenties. (No, she’s not going to say how long ago
that was!) She spends most of her time inside her own head, which is
great for writing, though possibly not so much for her social life.
When she’s not writing, she’s reading or traveling… to inspire
her writing. 
The author of a number of mystery and historical novels (some of which
you can see on Amazon, Goodreads, Criminal Element, HomePort Press,
and her author website), de Beauvoir’s work has appeared in 15
countries and has been translated into 12 languages. Midwest Review
called her Martine LeDuc Montréal series “riveting (…)
demonstrating her total mastery of the mystery/suspense genre.” She
is currently writing a Provincetown Theme Week cozy mystery series
featuring female sleuth Sydney Riley.
De Beauvoir’s academic background is in history and religion, and the
politics and intrigue of the medieval period have always fascinated
her (and provided her with great storylines!). She coaches and edits
individual writers, teaches writing online and on Cape Cod, and
thinks Aaron Sorkin is a god. Her cat, Beckett, totally disagrees.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.
Visions Through a Glass, Darkly
by David I. Aboulafia
Genre: Psychological Horror
 
Two days, eighteen hours, fifty-eight minutes…
The time of your life on this earth. 
Richard Goodman is the caretaker of a unique institution that trains disabled
youth in the art of watchmaking. But he is no ordinary administrator.
He possesses extra sensory powers he does not fully understand and
cannot control. But an innocent outing to Coney Island results in him
obtaining a more disturbing ability, along with a terrifying prophecy
that he will die in less than three days. As the clock of his life
counts down, a still greater threat emerges. An uncanny assassin who
will destroy everyone he knows and loves. Unless he can discover who
the killer is. And stop him in time.
 
“VISIONS THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY” has won the READERS VIEWS 2016 LITERARY
AWARD (Best Adult Fiction – Classics)
and
the 2017 GLOBAL EBOOKS AWARD (Bronze – Horror Category)
and
was a FINALIST in the 
2016
FORWARD REVIEWS EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARDS (Horror Category)
 
~~~~~
.
Check out this guest post from the author!
.

“My hands feel peculiar. I attempt to lift them from the steering wheel and find there is an odd adhesion; they yield with an audible smack. I take my eyes off the road for a moment.

I look down.

Blood. My hands are covered in blood.

The clock ticks again. It is 5:54 a.m.

Oh yes; I remember now…

In four minutes, I will be dead.”

So begins Visions Through a Glass, Darkly, my attempt to create something completely different in the genre of psychological horror.

Although this tale of suspense, terror and other-worldly events is fictional, many of its characters existed in one form or another. Some of the events described – even those supernatural – actually occurred. The school described in the novel was quite real.

This is unusual, complex literary fiction and designed to be unconventional. In all honesty, it should carry a warning label. The novel starts slowly, lulling you with back story then grabbing you by the throat. It may disappoint an impatient reader looking for a quick fix or a formulaic approach. At times, the story line may seem to be just a background for the real tale: the horror in the mind of the main character, Richard Goodman.

But there is a story, of course, and it centers on Mr. Goodman, an administrator for a school that instructs disabled people in the art of watchmaking. There is a stark glimpse not only into the Lilliputian world of the watchmaker, but also into the lives of people with physical disabilities.

Goodman can be described as a psychic being driven mad by his own inimitable gifts over which he has no control. Demons come to him at night and invade his nightmares. The dead may stop over to pay him a visit at any time, but each time conveying a message that something or someone believes he must hear.

But Goodman is to acquire one more unique ability, along with a terrifying prophecy delivered by a Coney Island fortune teller that he has less than three days to live.
As the clock of his life counts down, a still greater threat emerges: An uncanny assassin who will destroy everyone he knows and loves. Unless he can discover who the killer is. And stop him in time.

Richard Goodman is a conflicted character, as so many of the characters in this novel are. He is tortured not only by the result of his unique abilities, but by the memory of an event that occurred when he was nine, and by his failure to reconcile with a father who committed suicide. He believes his life is a runaway freight train he is not in control of. But at the same time he holds out hope. A part of him believes that he can control his destiny and that a higher power may be watching over him.

Ultimately, Visions Through a Glass, Darkly is a parable with intense philosophies to relate. Nonetheless, I don’t suggest all the answers, and as to many things, I leave a blank space for the readers to fill in for themselves. As such, this novel may mean different things to different people and it was intended to be perceived that way.

It was my wish that some of this would scare just about anyone and that I might write words capable of bringing the hardest hearts to tears. By writing Visions I tried to convey what, to me, is the essence, the center, the core of true horror: To be alone.

I hope you find that Visions contains a passage or two like nothing you’ve ever read. I hope you find that some of it is beautifully written. I believe in the power of ideas and of words and I will try to make them beautiful when I can. Maybe this is because I also believe that their power to reach us lies in their beauty.

One more thing… As to the ending of this novel – as you may find in the ones to follow – nothing is as it appears to be.

Regards,

Dave Aboulafia

.
~~~~~
.
DAVID I. ABOULAFIA is an attorney with a practice in the heart of New York
City. He spends the wee hours of the morning writing books that
terrify and amuse. His days are spent in the courts and among the
skyscrapers, and his evenings with the trees, the stars, his wife and
his dog in a suburb north of the City.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.
Seven  Days to Goodbye
A Trina Ryan Novel #1
by Sheri Levy
Genre: YA Coming of Age Fiction
 
After Trina’s beloved dog dies, she swears she’ll never get another
one. But then she learns about service dogs, and realizes that if she
becomes a puppy raiser, she could train puppy after puppy and never
worry about them dying. But like all great ideas, this one has a
serious flaw: her first service puppy must be returned to his kennel
at the end of their week-long summer vacation. And saying goodbye to
Sydney is going to be much tougher than she ever imagined.
Trina’s last week with Sydney is made that much harder by her newly strained
friendship with her best friend, Sarah, who’s become so
over-the-top boy crazy that she’s almost like a stranger. Sarah is
determined to have them hang out with every boy at the beach, but
when a boy named Chase takes an interest in Sydney and Trina, it puts
an even bigger strain on the friendship.
It’s hard enough to deal with losing Sydney, but now she may lose her best
friend, too. And even if she manages to patch things up with
Sarah—and figures out what to do about Chase—she still must face
a daunting decision: is she strong enough to take on another service puppy?
Author Sheri S. Levy deftly taps adolescent themes of love, loss and
friendship through the added lens of a service dog’s life-changing
effects on her young trainer. A fresh twist on the familiar
coming-of-age tale. Well done!”
— Jennifer Leeper, author, Padre: The Narrowing Path
Trina’s foray into the world of boys, friendship, and fashion while focusing
on the important task of training service dogs strikes just the right
balance. This canine-inspired coming-of-age tale is a poignant but
fun summertime story.”
— Val Muller, author, the Corgi Capers series and The Scarred Letter
 

 
 
Starting Over
A Trina Ryan Novel #2

Trina Ryan’s challenging summer starts off with a puppy-fueled energy
burst as she takes on another service dog for training—an
eight-week-old black Labrador named Colton. And to help explore
another dream, she’s taken a job at the barn next door in exchange
for riding lessons with the barn’s schooling horse. Before long,
Trina butts heads with Morgan Hart, an ill-tempered but skilled rider
with a gorgeous thoroughbred named Knight.

Adding to the list of frustrations is the difficulty in maintaining a
long-distance relationship with Chase, her first boyfriend from last
summer, while trying to deal with unwanted attention from a new boy
in her puppy training class. At least best friend Sarah still has her
back, but as Trina wearies of Morgan’s constant insults and her
heartless treatment of Knight, she decides to use her dog training
skills to look underneath Morgan’s hostile attitude and develop a
sense of trust.

Slowly, Morgan’s angry shield cracks enough to where she’s able to share
a troubling family secret. Can Trina help Morgan confront her family
problems and make a fresh start?

Levy is on sure ground in this enjoyable page-turner for young adults.
Readers see the world through the eyes of Trina Ryan, a freckle-faced
redhead with a big heart for horses, service dogs, and people in
need. Trina learns some of life’s most important lessons: that
people are not always what they seem, growing up involves tough
choices, and a first crush can be more exciting than she ever
dreamed. Poignant, fun, and adventuresome.”

— Peggy Jo Shaw, award-winning journalist, PR specialist, and book
author/editor

Starting Over is a book you’ll want to give your daughter. A story about
best friends, boyfriends, enemies, and how to handle them all. Throw
in horses and puppies, and you have the perfect mix for an
entertaining, self-evolving read.”

— C. Hope Clark, author, Carolina Slade Mysteries and Edisto Island Mysteries

How do you help a friend and stay true to yourself? Trina Ryan’s
struggles to cope and regroup should ring true for teens. Most people
probably never dream so much is involved. Teens who love to read
about animals should truly enjoy Starting Over.”

— Lisa Williams Kline, author, Eleanor Hill, Princesses of Atlantis, Write Before
Your Eyes, and the Sisters in All Seasons series

There’s a lot going on in Trina’s life, but Levy weaves each thread
seamlessly. I especially enjoyed the detail about how to train a
service dog, as well as her experience in the barn mucking out
stalls, caring for the horses, and learning to ride. A must-read YA
novel for anyone who loves dogs and horses.”

— Judy Sheluk, author, The Hanged Man’s Noose and Skeletons in the Attic

Dogs! Horses! Boys! What could be better? An energetic puppy learning to be
a service dog, a sweet-tempered horse, an absentee boyfriend, and
Trina, the girl who has to make some difficult decisions about all of
them. A lovely, thoughtful coming-of-age novel.”

— Ellyn Bache, author, Kaleidoscope, The Art of Saying Goodbye, and Safe Passage

 
 
 
.
Enjoy the Guest Post from Author Sheri S. Levy
.
How did you become involved with Service Dog organizations?
.
Years ago, I decided to write a dog story, but didn’t want to use a pet. After meeting therapy dogs and watching their interactions with children in a classroom or visiting in a hospital, I met a young boy, Hayden, who had a Diabetic Alert service dog. Hayden shared his experience on their training wit h his organization. After three weeks of intense training together, they qualified as a team and he took his dog home as his life companion.
A friend of mine had learned, Club House Magazine wanted an article on the benefits of young person having a service dog and contacted me. I had already interviewed Hayden and had written my story. I connected with Club House Magazine and, ‘Scent with Love,’ was published, July, 2010.
For the first time, I entered ‘Scent with Love,’ into The Dog Writers of America Association. And it won!
Hayden and I received trophies and I received a cash prize. This gave me confidence to continue writing and I explored the idea of using a service dog in my novel.
I had reached out to Hayden’s organization for more information and found they had disbanded. Unfortunately, four years later, Hayden could no longer attend school with his dog as a companion. The lucky dog had been rescued from a shelter but never had x-rays to see about his hips. This forced me do more research on service dogs and their organizations.How did you get involved with PAALS, (Palmetto Animal Assisted Living Services)?Needing more information before I wrote my novel, I called all around the U.S to talk with people involved with service dog organizations. One day I found PAALS. I spoke with the founder, Mrs. Jennifer Rogers, and learned her organization was an hour and a half from where I lived.
I began driving down to watch and took notes on how they trained teens and adults to be Puppy Raisers. After these trainers qualified, the puppies were able to be trained in their homes. I kept notes on the training they used for autism, mobility and PTSD, and interviewed one young puppy raiser. She became my inspiration for my story and main character, Trina Ryan.
The founder of PAALS, Jennifer Rogers, and Mitzie Renick, Developing Coordinator, have helped me use the correct information in my stories.
After seeing the life changing effects of a service dog, I was hooked. It has been a thrill to be involved with a reputable organization and be able to share the dangers of incompetent organizations.
Since PAALS have many puppies, they use a men’s correctional institution to help train some of the puppies Monday through Friday. The puppies go to foster homes over the weekend for socialization. This has been a wonderful chain reaction for the men. A few men have been paroled and have earned a Department of Labor Certificate; an Apprentice Certificate, giving them the opportunity to gain jobs training dogs with PAALS. See www.PAALS.org. for more information.
Through donations, PAALS has grown this organization into an amazing program. A few weeks ago, I attended their biggest fund raiser. I watched in awe as hundreds of supporters donated thousands of dollars. Trained service dogs are given freely to military persons, people working in service jobs, and to other clients with the above issues.
Mrs. Jennifer Rogers has the only ADI accredited program based in South Carolina. She has created a remarkable platform.
.
Sheri, a California gal, moved to Greenville, SC, & taught special
education. Her goal was to instill the love of books. When Sheri
retired, her students had created a desire for her to write. She
joined SCBWI, & Dog Writers Association. After years of enjoying
Edisto Beach with her Aussie and Black Lab, it became the setting for
her first YA novel, Seven Days to Goodbye. 

Seven Days to Goodbye involves a service dog connecting with a child with
autism, girls learning about the importance of friendships and trying
to keep theirs intact while flirting with guys for the first time. A
loggerhead turtle helps bring the girls together. The story has humor
and plenty of puppy love in both varieties. The second book in the
series will be, Starting Over.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a 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

Element Triliogy twitter4

I’m always thrilled to have Donna Galanti back on my blog. I’ve enjoyed her Element Trilogy and it’s my pleasure to share about them with you. There’s also a wonderful giveaway from Donna, so be sure to enter!

Enjoy this guest post for the A Human Element Re-Release
by Donna Galanti

 

Do Genes Dictate Who We Are?

Adoption and being an only child runs through my book A Human Element. I am both and they both had a deep impact on my life.

In A Human Element three characters have similar lives. Laura is adopted and an only child raised by loving parents. Ben is an only child but abandoned, when his parents die, to live a lonely existence in foster homes. X-10 is raised alone in a government facility, an unloved experiment.

One common thread connects them all. They grow up alone and eventually parentless.

Adopted children often suffer abandonment issues and feel like they never belong, that they aren’t ‘blood family’.  Being adopted myself I understood this. But as an adopted child I was lucky. I had a loving family and I learned my heritage (and am very glad I was given up. Read more about that here). I got married and had an amazing son. In having him, I have my own ‘blood’ now. I do belong–with my family.

In A Human Element all three characters have similar backgrounds, but how are they different? Ben isolates himself, Laura has an open heart, and X-10 hates the world. Is it their genes that shape who they are or their environment? I’ve found it’s a bit of both.

I like to think we can overcome our genes and thrive in an environment that allows us to do so. In such an environment we can conquer our obstacles and achieve anything, but without love we are lost. And I believe that our genes do not dictate who we are–and this gives me hope. And without hope change is not possible.

In A Human Element Laura believes we all have something redeemable in us, no matter how small. Do you believe that too?

Excerpt with X-10. Can he ever overcome his genes and environment?:

As he lunged for Laura she sensed his conflicting feelings. She saw the scientist who experimented on him and caged him his whole life, taunting him with her existence and fueling his hatred.

She saw all this in the two seconds it took for him to reach her. His sorrowful life punctured her like a knife digging into an old wound. His wounds made her wounds. It was a small window of opportunity to grasp, but all she had. Could she convince him to turn away from evil?

X-10 grabbed her by both arms and pulled her up. His freakish face loomed inches from hers. Her feet dangled above the earthen floor. Scenes from his life blasted across her mind.

A tormented life. A tormented soul. Images of blood and killing and rage. And such loneliness. He had suffered such loneliness. He was an animal as he had been treated like an animal all his life. She pitied him and feared him.

“Charlie,” she whispered. Pain coursed through her. He gripped her harder. She stared into his yellow eyes that shone bright, burning with hate.

“What did you say?” He shook her and she moaned in pain.

“Charlie. I called you Charlie, isn’t that what you want?”

 

P.S. I’m also giving away a $25 Amazon gift card below!

 

About A Human Element:
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite–her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a mad man, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his and she has two choices–redeem him or kill him.

Praise for A Human Element:
“A Human Element is an elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart.  Highly recommended.” – Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author

Praise for A Hidden Element:
“Fascinating…a haunting story about just how far parents will go to protect, or destroy, their children in the name of love.”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times best-selling author

Purchase A Human Element here: On sale for just $0.99 10/27 – 11/2! http://mybook.to/AHumanElement

Purchase A Hidden Element here: On sale for FREE 10/27 – 10/31!
http://myBook.to/AHiddenElement

Donna Galanti Bio:

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Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna enjoys teaching at conferences on the writing craft and marketing and also presenting as a guest author at elementary and middle schools. Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com. She also loves building writer community. See how at www.yourawesomeauthorlife.com

Connect with Donna:
Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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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

Voodoo Angel
Erin Hayes
Publication date: December 26th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis

Ruled by a demon. Bound by a curse.
Life in the new Big Easy is hard.

In the sunken ruins of New Orleans, everyone has been cursed to a life of protecting their bakas—talismans that hold pieces of their souls. That is if a person can find theirs. If a baka is destroyed before it’s located, the owner dies too.

Lost without hers, the fallen angel Nadège has been desperately searching for her baka while trying to stay hidden in this hellhole. With it, she’ll have access to her full angelic powers and the ability to break the curse. But without it, she’s at the curse’s mercy like everyone else.

Meanwhile, the witch doctor Emmanuel has been trying to escape his demons—literally. The last thing he needs is the Voodoo Angel on his trail, but that’s exactly what happens.

When Nadège learns the terrible truth about her baka’s connection to Emmanuel, there’s nothing she won’t do to break the curse. Even if that means killing the one man whose love could save her.

Pre-order

Pre-order today for only 99c!

~~~~~

Erin traveled to New Orleans to research this book, where she went to the Voodoo Museum:

 

Author Erin Hayes

Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books.
She works as an advertising copywriter by day, and she’s an award-winning New York Times Bestselling Author by night. She has lived in New Zealand, Hawaii, Texas, Alabama, and now San Francisco with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.
You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Street Team / Newsletter

 

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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

 

One Shade of Gray
Monica Corwin
Publication date: September 26th 2017
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis

My name is Dorian Gray. You might think you know my story? Please. That was just the beginning. Not the end.

I’ve lived over 100 years. I don’t know why. I’ve sinned, deeply, but haven’t we all?

Now Sybil is back. Her name is Izzy and she looks the same. Smells the same. Walks the same…but everything else about her is different. Stronger. Bolder. I want her more than ever.

I should keep her safe, and keep my hands to myself. But those dark parts of my soul still linger. I won’t lose her again.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Some said women who knew their own minds were dangerous. I disagreed. A woman who knew her mind, and her worth, was intoxicating.

She cleared her throat and I realized my thoughts had been wandering to the past. “My apologies.”

Her face flushed a pretty pink. “It’s fine just stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m more than an employee.”

I leaned out, about to pull her in again for another lesson but she stalled my hands, placing her small ones on the outside of my own. They were chilled slightly but the touch sent a heat through me I hadn’t felt in years.

“I think we just had this conversation.”

She leaned in and pulled her hands into her lap. “No, we had a lecture. You told me how you wanted it and didn’t give me the chance to offer an opinion.”

Fair point. “Very well, what is your opinion on the matter, Miss Vale?”

“Do you actually want to know, or are you going to do that playboy billionaire thing where you declare something to be and suddenly the universe aligns against the poor unsuspecting female you set your sights on?”

I chuckled. She was funny. Maybe Sibyl had been funny too, and I never took the time to notice. “I promise your opinion will be considered with appropriate weight.”

“That sounds like something a billionaire playboy would say.”

I didn’t respond to her taunts but waited instead for her answer.

She raked her eyes over my face and body, and I’d never felt more on display. I sat up straighter, which caused a little tick of a smile to appear at the corner of her mouth.

“I don’t want to date you, Gray. You’re technically my boss, and while you’re very attractive I can’t put aside my personal work ethic.”

My heart hit my feet and shattered like a boulder into a pile of rubble. Of course I wasn’t going to force her to do anything. But part of me had hoped my charm or appeal might at least give me the opportunity.

“Is there anything I can do to change your mind?”

She shook her head and gave me a sad soft smile, the kind reserved for deathbeds and christenings. Definitely not the reaction I wanted from her. Not the smile I wanted from her.

I nodded and stood up, unable to remain under her scrutiny once she’d made her opinion so very plain. “Of course. I’ll not bother you again.”

“And you’ll stop following me?”

I threw some bills on the table, slipped my arms into my coat, and buttoned it, all without meeting her eyes. The rejection stung. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever felt this particular mix of humiliation and sadness. Once I was put together and glued on the face I showed the world, I gave her my own version of the deathbed smile and a little bow. “Of course.”

I walked away without a word but when I reached the middle of the square a hand clasped my shoulder. Izzy grabbed me and held out the book I’d left on the table. I took it and met her eyes, unsure what she could see there, unsure what I could and couldn’t hide when I was around her.

She leaned in and whispered, “I’m not going to ask to kiss you but I will give you this as a parting gift.”

.

Author Monica Corwin

Monica Corwin is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. She is an outspoken writer attempting to make romance accessible to everyone, no matter their preferences. As a Northern Ohioian, Monica enjoys snow drifts, three seasons of weather, and a dislike of Michigan football. Monica owns more books about King Arthur than should be strictly necessary. Also typewriters…lots and lots of typewriters.

.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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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

Ax To Grind (A Kenni Lowry Mystery)
by Tonya Kappes

 

Ax To Grind (A Kenni Lowry Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Henery Press (September 19, 2017)
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1635112474
E-Book ASIN: B0731M7RRM

My Review

Set in the small southern town of Cottonwood, Kentucky, Ax To Grind is the third in the Kenni Lowry Mystery series. Having enjoyed the first two books and formed strong attachments to many of the charming and eccentric characters, I was psyched to see what was happening now.

The town’s celebrity author, Berlye Stone, recently passed away and there’s to be an estate sale for all of her belongings. Sounds exciting. Even more thrilling is that there’s supposed to be an unpublished manuscript, Berlye’s last book, hidden in her belongings. You can imagine what comes next.

Yep. Kenni and her sexy deputy, Finn, answer an alarm and discover Berlye’s estate executor, dead. The race is on to find the manuscript before bodies start piling up. Seems the tranquility Cottonwood has been enjoying has come to a deadly end.

I just love Kenni. She’s a pickle and such a southern rebel. She defies the stereotype southern belle, choosing to serve the law and dish it out when necessary. She loves her family, her sweetie and four-legged companion, Duke, and wishes her deputy Finn, might be a sweetie of the two-legged kind.

Almost forgot the ghost. Kenni’s Poppa is still hanging around and uses his knowledge to help her solve the case. She keeps forgetting not to talk to him in public as the town spies her talking to herself and think she’s a bitty around the bend.

As with most small towns, there’s plenty of characters in all guises to keep you entertained and laughing out loud. The mystery keeps you guessing, and the brush with romance adds some titillation to the story.

Tonya delivers another winner. And what’s more fun than a mystery about a writer and a missing manuscript.

If you haven’t read the first two books, no worries. You can jump in here and get the skinny about the town and characters fairly quickly. I’d recommend you read them though. Why miss out on all that fun.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Southerners keep their secrets swept under the rug, but what happens when that rug goes up for sale?

Bestselling author Berlye Stone, the most famous citizen to ever come out of Cottonwood, Kentucky, has died and put all her worldly possessions up for auction, but not without leaving one more manuscript behind. A hidden tell-all about Cottonwood that’s got more gossip than a ladies’ luncheon.

When Beryle’s assistant turns up with an ax in her back and the only witness is in a coma, Sheriff Kenni Lowry reckons someone in town will do anything to keep the manuscript from seeing the light of day. Her poppa’s ghost returns to help piece together the life of the Beryle he once knew, but his memory’s a little foggy, and any misstep could cause them a world of trouble. With the help of Deputy Finn Vincent, can Kenni sort through the secrets buried in Beryle’s books, or will this be her final chapter?

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Meet Kiwi from Ax To Grind

“Kiwi want a cracker?” Shm…if I hear that one more time, I might take my big talon and poke someone’s eye out.

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I want exactly what is on the menu of all the other heart beating creatures in this motel. Day in and day guest of The Inn are welcomed with big warm, out of the oven cookies and a glass of whatever that is, while I have to sit in this huge cage in the middle of the entrance watching them. I’ve got some pretty cool digs.

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And I love the fact the guests of the Inn can come in and run a fingertip down my gorgeous feathers. But then. . . .

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“Kiwi want a cracker?”

Humans! Are you kidding me??? There’s an open container right here in my cage, if I wanted a cracker, don’t you think I’d just get one? No. I don’t want a cracker.

Oh no. . . here comes someone who’s very nosy and loves to gossip from our small town of Cottonwood, Kentucky. That’s what I do all day long. I sit here in this cage and listen to small town gossip. It’s a bit entertaining at times because I’ll hear one thing and by the  end of the day, that one thing has been spun around so many tongues, it’s not at all the truth. Sometimes I like to repeat the gossip just to stir the pot.

So I just sit here and entertain them. Sometimes they ask me to show my pretty wings or repeat them.

They think it’s fun and get me to repeat them. They beg and plead. . .Hold on. That big gossip just came in the door said something that might be important.

What did you say? Hey! Come back here! What did you say?

Huh. They didn’t pay any attention to my questions. I even spread my wings to get their attention.

I swear they said, “I came from Beryle’s and couldn’t find the book. Couldn’t find the book. Glad she’s dead. Glad she’s dead.”

Did they mean Berlye Stone? The famous author from Cottonwood? She’s. . .dead?

Have you ever tried to get a bird to talk to you?

Don’t forget to pre-order your copy of AX TO GRIND and see exactly how Kiwi helps Sheriff Kenni Lowry solve the murder of Beryle Stone.

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Have you caught up on the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series?

Meet Kiwi in,  AX TO GRIND,  available everywhere on September 19th!

Kindle / Nook / iBooks / Kobo

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Fixin’ To Die is the first book in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series.

“A Southern-fried mystery with a twist that’ll leave you positively breathless.” – Susan M. Boyer, USA Today Bestselling Author of Lowcountry Book Club

Kenni Lowry likes to think the zero crime rate in Cottonwood, Kentucky is due to her being sheriff, but she quickly discovers the ghost of her grandfather, the town’s previous sheriff, has been scaring off any would-be criminals since she was elected. When the town’s most beloved doctor is found murdered on the very same day as a jewelry store robbery, and a mysterious symbol ties the crime scenes together, Kenni must satisfy her hankerin’ for justice by nabbing the culprits.

With the help of her poppa, a lone deputy, and an annoyingly cute, too-big-for-his-britches State Reserve officer, Kenni must solve both cases and prove to the whole town, and herself, that she’s worth her salt before time runs out.

“This story offers up a small touch of paranormal activity that makes for a fun read…A definite “5-star,” this is a great mystery that doesn’t give up the culprit until the last few pages.” – Suspense Magazine

“Packed with clever plot twists, entertaining characters, and plenty of red herrings! Fixin’ To Die is a rollicking, delightful, down-home mystery.” – Ann Charles, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Deadwood Mystery Series

“Kappes captures the charm and quirky characters of small-town Kentucky in her new mystery…a charming, funny story with exaggerated characters. The dialect-filled quirky sayings and comments bring those characters to life. Best of all, for a mystery reader, the culprit was an unlikely suspect, but the solution made sense.” – Lesa’s Book Critiques

“Southern and side-splitting funny! Fixin’ To Die has captivating characters, nosy neighbors, and is served up with a ghost and a side of murder.” – Duffy Brown, Author of the Consignment Shop Mysteries

“This first book in a new series promises to be fun for both cozy mystery buffs and ghost aficionados.” – For The Love of Books

“The who and why may surprise you, but you’ll probably laugh your way through the book. If you’ve never read a Tonya Kappes book, this is a perfect starting place. I highly recommend.” – Book Review Crew

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Southern Fried is the second book in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series.

“Fabulous fun and fantastic fried food! Kappes nails small town mystery with another must-read hit. (Also, I want to live in Cottonwood, KY.) Don’t miss this one!” – Darynda Jones, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Charley Davidson Series

In the South, it’s better when the food is fried and the secrets kept buried…After the dead body of a beloved Cottonwood resident is found tangled up in an electric fence, Sheriff Kenni Lowry has a hunch that somethin’ ain’t right. Her investigation heats up with a fierce cook-off competition, a euchre game where the intel is sweeter than the brownies, and a decades old family recipe that may just be the proof in the pudding.

The icing on the cake: Kenni is fighting an attraction to her recently sworn-in deputy sheriff, and election season is hot on her tail. When the killer comes after who she holds most dear, even her poppa’s ghostly guidance might not be enough to keep her and her own out of the frying pan.

Southerners keep their secrets swept under the rug, but what happens when that rug goes up for sale?

Bestselling author Berlye Stone, the most famous citizen to ever come out of Cottonwood, Kentucky, has died and put all her worldly possessions up for auction, but not without leaving one more manuscript behind. A hidden tell-all about Cottonwood that’s got more gossip than a ladies’ luncheon.

When Beryle’s assistant turns up with an ax in her back and the only witness is in a coma, Sheriff Kenni Lowry reckons someone in town will do anything to keep the manuscript from seeing the light of day. Her poppa’s ghost returns to help piece together the life of the Beryle he once knew, but his memory’s a little foggy, and any misstep could cause them a world of trouble. With the help of Deputy Finn Vincent, can Kenni sort through the secrets buried in Beryle’s books, or will this be her final chapter?

You can go on a real virtual tour of Cottonwood and get to know all the fun characters along with the cozy community by visiting the new Kenni Lowry Mystery Series website by clicking here!

I LOVE to connect with my readers!! Please send me your questions to Tonyak11.tk@gmail.com where I answer reader’s questions via video! It’s so fun!! Also be sure to connect with me on my FREE Facebook page in our Cozy Krew Community.

Are you signed up for my newsletter? Don’t miss a thing or release day fun that’s ONLY on the newsletter.

Enjoy your visit in Cottonwood!

Bless your heart!

Tonya

About the Author

For years, USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes has been publishing numerous mystery and romance titles with unprecedented success. She is famous not only for her hilarious plot lines and quirky characters, but her tremendous marketing efforts that have earned her thousands of followers and a devoted street team of fans.
Sign up for her newsletter on her website at Tonyakappes.com .

Visit Tonya:
Facebook at Author Tonya KappesKappes Krew Street Team

Webpage / Goodreads / Twitter / Pinterest

Purchase Links:

Amazon B&N  kobo  iTunes

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Tonya has an awesome giveaway.

You can win this Mystery Tote filled with swag and prizes!

Go HERE to enter.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 19 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW

September 20 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

September 21 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

September 22 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

September 23 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

September 24 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana., Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!

September 25 – Varietats2010 – REVIEW

September 25 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 26 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

September 26 – Dee-Scoveries – GUEST POST

September 27 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

September 28 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 28 – Books, Movies, Reviews, Oh my! – REVIEW

September 29 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST

September 30 – Becky’s Bookcase – REVIEW

September 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

October 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, GUEST POST

October 2 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW

October 2 – Christa Reads and Writes – INTERVIEW

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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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Welcome to my stop on the tour for Prepared by Courtney Konstantin.
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Before I share the book and giveaway, please enjoy this guest post by the author where Courtney shares her writing process.
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As an author, I think everyone has their own personal writing process. What works for some, isn’t going to work for others. I have found that conventional processes don’t work for me. If I get too caught up in the planning of things, I will never actually get the writing done. So I stray away from outlines, or standard writing processes. My Brainstorming Bestie and I spend hours texting and emailing about the stories I’m trying to tell. It’s our verbal vomit sessions. When I hit a block, I bounce stuff around to her in a message, and suddenly it’s like the story will come to life. Getting out of the story and throwing around random ideas makes the writing lively and easier to complete. After I have the story close to complete, and I’m in editing mode, I send it off to my Editor in Chief, and she goes through it a few times, letting me know what needs changing. Fresh eyes on the story help with any possibly plot points I didn’t connect or words I just completely missed. Not to mention having the motivation to KEEP GOING.How Long I’ve Been Writing –
At my age *cough* 35 *cough*, it feels like I’ve been writing for forever. Realistically, I’ve been writing since I was a teenager. I had binders full of doodles and poems about family and the love only a teenager can feel angst over. I was in yearbook and the journalism classes, wanting to write in whatever capacity I could. As my life changed over the years, I picked up and put down stories I wanted to write. I had children, and my life changed direction. Writing feels like it’s a part of my soul, so it always came back. This time I refused to allow it to fall behind other things, and I’m loving every second of my stories coming to life in front of me.Pet Peeves –
Amazingly I can’t handle listening to other people eat. Hearing myself eat doesn’t bother me, but if the room is quiet and I can hear other people chewing, I get abnormally annoyed. I recently read about a condition called Misophonia, which is defined as the hatred of sound, specifically human sounds. The rage I can feel when I hear someone eating chips would fall right into one of these categories. That could also extend to the scraping of forks against plates, nails on chalkboards, or the screeching of chair legs on a hard floor. All of these things give me goosebumps and make me feel on the verge of a freak out!Character Development Process –
My characters seem to come to life as I write. I know who the main characters are going to be, but sometimes their personalities change as the events in the story unfolds. New characters sometimes show up, starting as small pieces of the story, but eventually turn out to be more significant. That’s the fun part of the writing, sometimes it has a mind of it’s own.Future expectations –
Prepared is the first book in the Sundown Series. The series planned to be at least a trilogy, with an additional novella. That novella is coming next, and will be about the teenagers that Alex Duncan takes under her wing. It’s going to be a quick, exciting story of survival. I have also dabbled in romantic adventure writing, so who knows….maybe there’s some of that to come!Advice for aspiring writers –
The one piece of advice I have received from authors around me, is always be doing something in regards to your writing. Write, edit, promote…something everyday. My goal is always to write at least 250 words a day, though I rarely only write just that. But on days I’m super busy, or stressed, or blocked, 250 words can be a challenge. I still do it, no matter how rough.Writing as a Parent –
Finding time for anything as a parent, is practically impossible. So I spend nights typing in my bed, or my lunches from my fulltime job, I write. But my kids are my inspiration. One of the reasons I finally made writing is priority is because I always tell my children, “You can be whatever you want in this world. Anything. So find what you love, and DO IT.” When I looked at myself, I realized I wasn’t doing that. So I wanted to be a better role model for my kids, and knew writing had to be real for me, show them passion means something.

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Prepared
by Courtney Konstantin
Genre: SciFi. Dystopian, Thriller
 
She thought she was prepared for the end of the world… until it
actually came.
Alex Duncan is a mother, a sister— and the daughter of a doomsday
prepper. She always thought her father was insane, raving about an
apocalypse she never believed in, but when a plague hits the United
States and the dead no longer stay dead, Alex discovers heeding her
deceased father’s advice is what will keep her family alive. Before
he died, Alex’s father created a compound in Montana just in case
situations like this arose.
Hell has arrived on earth.
The dead walk, hungry for human flesh. Living in a highly populated city
like Las Vegas makes the reality of the plague imminent to Alex. With
little time to spare, Alex must make split-second decisions to
prevent her family from being devoured. Facing the end, Alex has
three goals.
Escape Las Vegas. Get to the compound. Survive.
As the outside world crumbles and grows darker, Alex faces adversity
from not just the infected, but the uninfected as well. Government
assistance is nowhere in sight, and rumors fly that the nation’s
only solution to the growing plague is execution.
Not everyone will outlast the plague. Doomsday is here. Will Alex be up
to the challenge, or fall, and rise again as one of the undead?
An exciting apocalyptic thriller that’s intriguing, mysterious, and
horrific, Prepared is the debut novel of upcoming author Courtney
Konstantin. Stay up all night to read this terrifying tale of
pandemics, zombies, and government secrets by one-clicking today!
Releases Sept 1st!
Read the first two chapters free!
 
 
As a child, Courtney always had aspirations of being a writer. She
participated in journalism in school. At home, she wrote short
stories, poetry and filled diary pages. Somewhere along the line
becoming an adult took priority over her writing and she went to work
in business operations.
Now as a mother to three beautiful children, she tells them all the time
to follow their dreams, be whatever they want. Those lessons reminded
her how much she loved writing. She finally opened the door to making
writing a real priority in her life. 
Living outside of Portland, Oregon she loves the green and beauty Oregon offers. When
she’s not matching wits with her children, her crazy Siberian Husky
or her bi-polar cats, she enjoys binge reading, hikes and touring
wineries. Courtney and her husband, the love of her life, enjoy
traveling the world whenever they can get a free moment. And
cruises….she loves cruising. She’s especially fond of life,
laughter and sarcasm – and she’s excited to share all of that and
more with her readers!
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 
 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I have time to squeeze in one more batch of horror before the new year!

Do you like to watch horror movies? I sure do! Watch them all the time. Have tons of DVDs, and am always browsing Netflix and On Demand for new ones.

For today, I have a special treat.

Check out When Animals Attack, edited by Vanessa Morgan. There’s 70 horror movies to be shared in the pages. You might recognize many of them, and find some you’ve missed.

I also have a fantastic guest post from Vanessa.

And there’s a giveaway, so don’t forget to enter!

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Enjoy the guest post from Vanessa Morgan!

ANIMALS ON THE RAMPAGE – FROM NOVEL TO MOVIE

best-animals-on-the-rampage-novels

“Animals on the rampage” has always been a popular theme in both books and movies. To celebrate the release of the new movie reference guide, When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals, I want to tell you about six of the most popular “animals on the rampage” novels that have become movies.

Jaws by Peter Benchley

Jaws by Peter Benchley is without a doubt THE most popular “animals on the rampage” novel ever. Steven Spielberg turned this book about a great white shark into a movie, and the rest is history. In When Animals Attack, Warren Fahy (author of Fragment) discusses how he became obsessed with Jaws. It’s a fun, true story about DIY censorship, chocolate sharks, and beastly bestsellers.

Cujo by Stephen King

Stephen King considers Cujo to be one of his weakest novels. He was battling an alcohol addiction at the time and doesn’t remember writing it. However, the beloved family dog that gets bitten by a rabies-infected bat has always been a reader’s favorite.

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier

Technically, The Birds is only a short story and not a novel, but it’s impossible not to mention it in this list as Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film adaptation made such an impact on the history of cinema. In 1994, this story about a small town where flocks of birds suddenly start to attack people got an unfortunate sequel called Land’s End.

Deadly Eyes by James Herbert

British author James Herbert is one of the most renowned names in the horror literature. I’m sure you’ve all heard of his novels Haunted, The Fog, The Rats, and The Magic Cottage. The Rats got a film adaptation in the 1980s called Deadly Eyes in which the ravenous rats on steroids were portrayed by dogs in costumes.

The Hephaestus Plague by Thomas Page

Based on the 1973 novel, The Hephaestus Plague by Thomas Page, Bug begins with cockroaches emerging from the fissures in the earth and setting humans on fire. You can’t consider The Hephaestus Plague (or Bug) one of the best horror stories about animals on the rampage because of its many unbelievable elements (such as bugs leaving written messages), but you can’t deny that it’s one of the most interesting and uncanny ones.

The White Buffalo by Richard Sale

This story about an albino buffalo on the rampage is more an adventure novel instead of a horror book, but one that is packed with a large amount of punch. The 1977 movie based on the novel has become a classic starring Charles Bronson, Jack Warden, and Kim Novak.

You can read in-depth essays on these books and movies (and many others) in When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals.

What are your favorite books and movies about animals on the rampage?

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When Animals Attack

The 70 Best Horror Movies With Killer Animals

Edited by Vanessa Morgan

Published by Moonlight Creek Publishing

33295096

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My Review

I’m a huge fan of horror. You throw in some creatures that run, creep, crawl, slither, fly, and swim, and I’m in heaven.

This collection lists the 70 best movies that feature killer animals that actually exist in nature. No ghosts, vamps, weres, or demons are in it. How about lions, tigers, and bears. Bats, sharks, and piranhas. The list goes on.

I read this from front to back, realizing when I finished that I’d seen all but a few of these movies and many of them have a home on my DVD shelves. They go back quite a ways too. Feel free to skip around when reading. You might spot some favorites you want to check out first.

As it says in the description, some of these are quite horrific, some are eerie, and some are just plain fun.

I love B- movies. I don’t expect the best in CG, and often enjoy it when I can clearly see that the creature isn’t real. My sister and I love to pick the movies apart and try to never miss a one.

Some of my favorites are Day of the Animals, Frogs, Empire of the Ants……well, the list could go on and on. And I was thrilled to see that The White Buffalo was included in this list. It’s definitely a favorite of mine. Has almost a mystical tone to it. And Charles Bronson pulls off a fabulous performance, as does the “buff.”

Writers and authors come together to share about their featured movies and it gets quite interesting.

A must have for horror movie buffs. There’s something for everyone in these pages. You may find yourself surfing for some of these movies afterwards.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

The definitive horror movie guide for fans of killer animals and “revenge of nature” films.

When Animals Attack: The 70 Best Horror Movies with Killer Animals provides a fascinating and entertaining insight into the cinematographic world of animals on the rampage. From well-known predators such as sharks and lions to unusual killing machines like turkeys, elephants, frogs, cats, and rabbits, there is no shortage of the species on display in this book.

Leading horror writers and filmmakers present their favorite “animals attack” films through in-depth essays. Some of the films are touching, some are repulsive, and some are just plain silly. Not all of these horror movies line up with the critical consensus, yet they have one thing in common: they have made the heart of the writer beat faster with excitement.

Purchase links for When Animals Atttack

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon FR / Goodreads

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Author Vanessa Morgan

Vanessa Morgan is an author, screenwriter, and blogger. Three of her stories (The Strangers Outside, Next to Her and A Good Man), have become movies. When she’s not working on her latest book, you can find her reading, watching horror movies, digging through flea markets, or photographing felines for her blog Traveling Cats (www.traveling-cats.com).

Social media links

Facebook / Twitter / Google + / Amazon / Newsletter

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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