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Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

Teaser Tuesdays #130 ~ Author’s Choice from The Key Of Amatahns ~ And A Giveaway

Posted: September 29, 2015 in giveaways, Guest Post, Teaser Tuesdays, YA Fantasy
Tags: Author Elisabeth Wheatley, The Key Of Amatahns, YA Fantasy

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page.

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My Teaser for this week is from

The Key Of Amatahns

The Argetallum Saga

by Elisabeth Wheatley

I loved Elisabeth’s Fanged Princess Series and I know I’ll love the Argetallam Saga too!

I have a different kind of Teaser Tuesday post for you today.

Elisabeth has provided her own teasers form her book, The Key Of Amatahns.

And she has a wonderful giveaway too, so don’t forget to enter!

In a land where those with magic are esteemed and revered, Janir guards a secret that would send her to the headsman’s block at a word. As one of the reviled Argetallams, she has the power to destroy enchantments and steal others’ magic—an ability that has caused bloodshed for generations.

Raised as the illegitimate daughter of an influential lord, she was determined to turn her back on her heritage, but when her power manifests, leaving a nobleman dead, she has no choice but to flee her adoptive home. In exile with the help of a fearless young enchanter and an elf sworn to protect her, she finds herself entangled in a quest to hide an ancient artifact from the kingdom’s enemies.

But they are not the only ones after the relic and soon their paths cross with a rival from Janir’s distant childhood. With no hope of help or rescue, the fate of nations will depend on a fifteen year old girl and her mastery of powers she doesn’t understand.

Download off Amazon for $0.99 for a limited time!

Teaser Tuesday from the Author

Laura has kindly invited me to make up my own Teaser Tuesday for The Key of Amatahns! Therefore, it is my absolute delight to share a few of my favorite quotes from the first book in Janir’s story.

Teaser #1

“Janir.” Karile’s voice dropped and he tried to sound reassuring. “I understand that this is a very emotional time for you, but we need to get that Key, alright? Once we have it, we can turn tail and run and—”
“No!” Janir took a step back. “Find it on your own! I want out of here, I want away from here, I want…!” She broke off, shaking her head and choking back tears of frustration. “This isn’t happening.”

Teaser #2
“…even if you had all the magic in the world, it would be useless against Argetallams. They’re called Invulnerables for a reason.”

Bonus Teaser
Though she’d never told a soul, she’d long thought Saoven quite handsome.

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About the Author
Elisabeth Wheatley began what would be her first novel at eleven and hasn’t stopped writing since. When she’s not daydreaming of elves, vampires, and/or hot guys in armor, she can be found wasting time on the internet, fangirling over her latest obsession, and pretending to be a functional citizen.
Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Mailing List

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Click here to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway for a signed copy of THE KEY OF AMATAHNS and a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

stick out tongue photo: rr-sticking-out-tongue roadrunner-stick-out-tongue.gif

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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!

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

Posted: September 10, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Guest Post, Romance, Series, suspense
Tags: Author Lori Power, Hit 'N Run, romantic suspense, Under Suspicion Book #1

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

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

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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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

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!

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

Sticks and stones may break his….The Alastair Stone Chronicles ~ Guest Post and Giveaway

Posted: August 17, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Guest Post, Paranormal or fantasy
Tags: Author R.L. King, paranormal, Stone and a Hard Place and The Forgotten, urban fantasy

I have a great series to share with you today, along with a fantastic giveaway and exciting excerpt.

And the author was kind enough to answer my questions about the fabulous cover art for her series.

Please welcome R. L. King

How did you choose your cover art? Did you design it or someone else?

The cover art for all the books in the Alastair Stone Chronicles series is from a company called Streetlight Graphics. I found them when I was searching for cover artists—I knew I wanted a full-service company familiar with my genre, and one that was willing to commit to doing all my covers. I looked around and asked some folks whose covers I liked, and it came down to either Streetlight or another company who also did good work, but who were much more expensive (and I actually liked Streetlight’s samples better).

The design was a joint effort—I have fairly clear ideas about what I want to see, and I know what I like and what I don’t, but I’m flexible as far as letting the designer come up with something that fits my basic parameters. For Stone and a Hard Place, I knew I wanted Stone to appear in his trademark outfit, I wanted a big spooky house, and I wanted the basic color scheme to be blue and black. Streetlight came back with a design that blew me away!

The only part where we had to go back and forth several times was Stone’s face—and I actually ended up accepting something I wasn’t entirely happy with because I felt like I’d been too nitpicky. Later on, though, after getting some feedback from readers that he looked too young, I went back to Streetlight and told Glendon, the designer, that I really wanted to try to fix the face. He pointed me at the stock-photo service they used and asked me to find something I liked—and it didn’t take me long to do just that! I found a model who was much closer to my vision than the one used, so Stone got a “face transplant” and now no longer looks young enough to be his own apprentice. I’m completely happy with the updated cover.

The second book, The Forgotten, took the design of an older version of the book and updated it to fit the style of the first Streetlight design. We changed the title color from blue to purple and added a few purple touches. Once again, I loved it, and once again the only issue was Stone. We did a silhouetted version this time, so it took a few tries to get the profile and hair right, but I am very, very happy with this cover, too.

I can’t wait to reveal the next one, for Book 3. It’s another winner!

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Stone And A Hard Place

Alastair Stone Chronicles #1

Dr. Alastair Stone, Occult Studies professor and powerful mage, has his hands full trying to keep the two sides of his life separate as he trains a new apprentice, deals with a malevolent entity trapped in the basement of a wealthy old woman’s massive home, and battles dark mages intent on enslaving it for their own ends.

Debut novel of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.

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The Forgotten

Alastair Stone Chronicles #2

Dr. Alastair Stone is back, this time teaming up with Jason Thayer, a young man hunting for his missing sister. Embroiled in a web of odd homeless people, a growing conspiracy, and deadly danger, they soon realize that even if they find Jason’s sister, they might not be able to help her.

What do you do when you discover an extradimensional plot that threatens the safety of the entire world, but you can’t tell anyone about it because literally anyone on Earth could be part of it?

Book Two of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.

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Excerpt

“Dr. Stone?”

The voice was trembling, female, and sounded terrified. It took him a moment to identify it. He stared as Megan stirred again, draping her arm back over him. “Mrs.—Bonham?”

Whoever was on the other end sounded like they were on the verge of hysteria. “Dr. Stone, is that you?”

“It’s me, Mrs. Bonham. What’s wrong? Is something wrong?” He sat up a little, propping himself up on his pillows. Megan’s arm slid down over his stomach, but he didn’t even notice that she was there.

“Something’s here,” she quavered. “Something’s…happening.”

He was fully awake now. Carefully, he moved Megan’s arm and sat on the edge of the bed. “Calm down, Mrs. Bonham, please. I’ll help you if I can, but you have to tell me what’s happening.”

“I don’t know,” she sobbed. “It’s like the whole house hates me. Noises—cold winds—things slamming—”

“Is Iona there? Can you put her on for a moment?”

There was a shuffling sound and then a different voice spoke, sounding almost as frightened as Adelaide Bonham had. “Dr. Stone? This is Iona.”

He took a deep breath. “Iona. What’s going on? Is Mrs. Bonham—”

“She’s not imagining things, Dr. Stone,” the woman said. In addition to sounding frightened, she sounded like she couldn’t believe what was going on. “I can hear them too. The noises. The feelings. It’s horrible, Dr. Stone. Something’s going on.”

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Author R.L. King

R.L. King is an award-winning author and game freelancer for Catalyst Game Labs, publisher of the popular roleplaying game Shadowrun. She has contributed fiction and game material to numerous sourcebooks, as well as one full-length adventure, “On the Run,” included as part of the 2012 Origins-Award-winning “Runners’ Toolkit.”Her first novel in the Shadowrun universe, Borrowed Time, was published in May 2015.When not doing her best to make life difficult for her characters, King is a software technical writer for a large Silicon Valley database company. In her spare time (hah!) she enjoys hanging out with her very understanding spouse and her small herd of cats, watching way too much Doctor Who, and attending conventions when she can. She is an Active member of the Horror Writers’ Association and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.

Links:

Writer Website / Publisher Website / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

Buy link for Stone and a Hard Place (Book 1)

Buy link for The Forgotten (Book 2)

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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!

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

What’s New On My Bookshelf #118 and The Sunday Post

Posted: July 26, 2015 in Freebies!, Guest Post, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: my weekly book news, The Sunday Post

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

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

Kimba 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.

I love Sunday mornings.

It’s the one morning I don’t get up at the crack of dawn. Instead, I lie in bed with a good book for an hour or so. Then, I get up, put on the kettle, and while waiting for it to whistle at me, I gather my things and take them to my little outside office. Here’s a picture I shared previously.

Saturday, I did a lot of yard work. Had to remove branches that grew so quickly you couldn’t tell I’d cut them back once before.

I also washed down my deck and emptied any containers that had filled with water from the rain we got earlier. No mosquito’s laying eggs there!

So this morning, I plan on reading and relaxing, taking periodic dips in the pool to cool down some. That brings up another topic.

As summer is in full swing and the temps average in the mid to high 90s, the water warms up quick and stays that way. I’ve had water temps of almost 94 this week. The recent rainfall brought it down to just under 91 but as today promises to be blistering hot, that will rise again.

My favorite time to swim is around 6:00 in the afternoon. An afternoon breeze from the Gulf blows through, chilling exposed skin, causing me to duck down into the warm water. I feel like a tea bag in the warmth. My legs are so heavy when I use the ladder to get out. LOL

It feels like time for one of those dips now as the day is warming up, so I’m off to cool down a bit. Have a lovely Sunday!

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.

24583584 25740659 25934417

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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

Print books

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

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The Star Seer’s Prophecy ~ New Release Sale and Two Giveaways!

Posted: June 22, 2015 in Blog Tour, Fantasy, giveaways, Guest Post, Series
Tags: Author Rahima Warren, fantasy, The Star Seer's Prophecy Series

I have so much to share about The Star Seer’s Prophecy Series.

There’s a great sale for Dark Innocence, Book #1. And Fierce Blessings, Book #2 is now available!

I have blurbs and spectacular covers to share.

Plus a wonderful guest post from the author.

And TWO Giveaways!

But first lets hear from Author Rahima Warren!

EVOKING A FANTASY WORLD

BY RAHIMA WARREN

When reading a fantasy set in a different (non-historical) world or time, I find it jarring if the characters’ names are old familiar ones from our everyday reality. Why would people in a strange time/place have names like Steven or Julia? Also, why would they use the same words to refer to time or distance that we do? Convenient for the writer perhaps, but too familiar for me as a reader.

TIME AND DISTANCE:

In my fantasy trilogy, The Star-Seer’s Prophecy, I tried to evoke a different world in subtle ways. For example, I avoid using our familiar measures of time. Instead of “minute,” I use “moment.” Instead of “week,” I use “quarter-moon.” Many cultures measure time by that clock in the sky, the Moon. For distance, I just referred to how many days a trip took.

And I had fun making up names and words to help evoke a different world. I used two methods for creating these new words: listening/intuition, and research.

LISTENING:

For most of my characters’ name, I start by ‘listening’ for a name, using my intuition. Sometimes, that’s it. I get it on the first try, like Zhovanya as the name of the Goddess in my trilogy. For others, I play around with the sound of the name until it fits the character. And for some, the name evolves as I get to know the character better. For example, originally Kyr’s name was Arik (which I believe relates to an old Nordic word for eagle). Somehow, I didn’t like the hard ‘k’ as the last sound of his name, so I changed it to Kyr (“keer” like “peer”), which to me sounds like the high, lonely cry of a hawk or eagle, and suits his character.

Over time, I noticed that there was a pattern in the way I was naming men vs. women, and changed a few names to fit that pattern, though there are some exceptions. You might check out the Cast of Characters (in Book Extras) on my website, and see if you can detect the pattern. I also ‘listened’ for the magical commands used by the Warrior-Mage, Rajani; for the names of magical potions; and for the sacred chants. (See the Glossary in Book Extras.)

RESEARCH:

In the case of the evil sorcerer-king called the Soul-Drinker, I found his name through researching the roots of words in the Dictionary of Word Origins by John Ayto. The Soul-Drinker’s name is Dauthaz, which comes from the Old English and Germanic roots of the word ‘death.’

This is also how I created the name of the land where the story takes place, and the terms used at the Sanctuary. The land is named Khailaz, which is a prehistoric Germanic word, ancestor of our word, ‘whole.’ Adding the suffix –itha to khailaz produced khailitha, the root of our words, ‘health’ and ‘heal.’

From this, I made up the words kailitha (divine healing energy); Kailithana (a priestess-healer); Kailithara (healing work of the Kailithana);Kailithos (one who is undergoing the Kailithara); and Kailithama (sacred chamber in which the Kailithana works with the Kailithos).

I don’t recall exactly how I tracked down the roots from which I constructed Aithané (Listener, Confessor), Phanaithos (Speaker, Divulger), orPhanaithara (Divulgence, Confession). I believe they come from Greek roots meaning to listen, and to speak.

A few other words, I just made up. For example, I derived zhan (life force energy) from Zhovanya.

Now, admittedly, I am not Tolkien, creating whole languages, and races of fantastic creatures. My focus is more on the inner world and healing ordeal of my hero, Kyr, than on detailed world-making. However, I did do my best to evoke a different place/time by creating new words and names, and avoiding overly familiar names and terms.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

As a reader, which do you prefer: familiar names and terms; or new and different ones?

As a writer, what is your approach to evoking a different world?

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Rahima is the author of Dark Innocence and Fierce Blessings, Books One and Two of The Star-Seer’s Prophecy trilogy. She is a third-generation native of California and resides with her husband in Northern California, where she periodically chases squirrels off the wild bird feeders, and deer away from her roses. Her life-long love of fantasy is her parents’ fault: they left sci-fi & fantasy magazines with fascinating cover art lying around the house, and they were the first thing she picked up to read.

Rahima is a retired psychotherapist. Her depth of experience with her own healing journey, and with her clients, merged with her love of imaginative literature and resulted in The Star-Seer’s Prophecy, an fantasy trilogy about the healing journey from evil and suffering to love and enlightenment.

In her work with clients, she was awed by the human capacity to heal from horrendous abuse, and to reach new levels of forgiveness, wholeness and happiness. This is the transformational journey she portrays in fictional form in The Star-Seer’s Prophecy.

Book 1: Dark Innocence, and Book 2: Fierce Blessings have been published. She is currently editing Book 3: Perilous Bliss.

Website / Twitter

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This week you can grab the first book in the Star-Seer’s Prophecy Trilogy for just 99 cents. That’s right Dark Innocence is marked way, way down, giving you the chance to explore this thought-provoking fantasy series for yourself. Get your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBookstoday!

You can continue the saga with the newly released sequel Fierce Blessings.

The Banished Goddess saved his soul. Now he must restore Her sovereignty.
But how can he, when his worst enemy drags him back into hell?
No longer the dark innocent, Kyr hassurvived the first hell of the Star-Seer’s prophecy. After his deeply sacred and transformative year at the Goddess’s Sanctuary, he has become a man of compassion, courage, and integrity. However, the terrible crimes he committed as the unwitting slave of the Soul-Drinker still weigh heavily on his soul. To atone, he plans to help his slave brothers find the same blessings he received from the Goddess: healing, forgiveness and love.
But before he can begin, his worst enemy tears him from the safety of the Sanctuary, and away from all the goodness and beauty he has come to know. Now Kyr must face the second hell foretold by the prophecy. Left chained outdoors like a dog for months, Kyr is subjected to beatings and derision by his captors. When the rains come, he is taken inside as servant and whore by their leader, who subjects Kyr to sorcerous torture, aiming to turn him into his will-less, mind-bonded slave. Far from any help, Kyr struggles to protect his soul from the seductive pull of all-too-familiar depravity, fight the temptations of hatred and despair, and to continue on the hard path to forgiveness.
Will Kyr be able to keep faith with the Goddess Who saved his soulin time to renew the Sacred Balance and restore Her sovereignty? Or will he return to the foul slavery he has known most of his life? The fate of the land and the Goddess Herself depends on his choice.
Fierce Blessings is a deep, rich story that explores the ferocious challenges of life as a human being… takes you on a transformational journey… and portrays the kind of courage needed to endure and transcend the worst of experiences.

Amazon

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GIVEAWAY

Oh, and don’t forget to enter our giveaway for your chance to win an autographed copy of Fierce Blessings or a Star-Seer’s Prophecy t-shirt. We have a total of 4 prizes for 4 lucky winners, hooray! Enter the giveaway right here: www.novelpublicity.com/dark-innocence

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About Dark Innocence:

In an ancient world of blood sorcery and healing magic, the Soul-Drinker, a vicious necromancer-king, is draining the life from the souls of the people and of the earth itself. Worse yet, he has banished the land’s rightful Goddess, and disrupted the Sacred Balance, sending the mortal and divine realms whirling toward destruction.

The only hope for salvation is a youth named Kyr, born and raised as one of the Soul-Drinker’s blindly obedient slaves. Kyr knows only the pain, evil and cruelty of the Soul-Drinker’s hell–and nothing of the Star-Seer’s Prophecy that declares him to be the long-sought Liberator.

Rescued by strangers, Kyr embarks on a bewildering journey into a bizarre new life, where kindness and love are real. If he is to fulfill his destiny, he must battle his inner demons and fight to find his buried capacities for compassion and courage. Will he be able to surrender the inner ice that has been his soul’s only protection in time to save the world from disaster?

Again, you can grab your copy for just 99 cents at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBooks as part of this special event!

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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!

Darkness Calling ~ Author Guest Post Plus A Giveaway and Free Book!

Posted: March 20, 2015 in Blog Tour, Freebies!, giveaways, Guest Post, Romance, urban fantasy
Tags: Author Laurie Olerich, dark urban fantasy, Darkiness Calling, Primani Series, romance

I have so much to share with you today.

Come on in and meet the Primani.

Enjoy the character interview.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Interview with Aisling Andersson

Bio: Aisling Andersson is one of the youngest Primani in existence today. Born in Norway in the late 1700s, she was made by the archangel Gabriel in a rare moment of compassion. Now retired from combat service, she lives in Plattsburgh, New York, with her seven-year-old son, Sean Michael, and Dalmatians Rambo and Winchester. Eternally drawn to the bad boys, she’s made a few colossal mistakes, but has finally found peace with her past.

Describe yourself. What is your worst and best quality?

“Hm. I try to stay true to myself even if that truth is dark. I might be immortal but that doesn’t mean a thousand lifetimes of sunshine and roses. Until just recently, the only light in my life was my son Sean Michael. I like to think I’m an excellent mother. He’s my number one priority. I’m sorry. I’m getting sidetracked. You asked about my qualities. I guess my ability to be honest about who and what I am is my best quality. If I had to narrow down bad qualities to just one, it would be my lack of trust of pretty much any other creature–human, angel, or demon. I’m working on this with Sean, but my walls are still pretty thick.”

What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?

“I just want to live a quiet life with my family. Everyone thinks I’m some kind of slutty skank after what happened in Rome. You wouldn’t believe the hate mail I’m getting! But here’s the thing — That, um, episode with Cain wasn’t normal for me. I’m not usually like that, but I was in a bad place, and he was there to offer some escape. It’s hard to think about the past when you’re living in the moment. Sure, it turned out he was a demon, but the sex was fabulous. I won’t deny it. I know there must be women who’ve done the same thing — wicked sex with a totally inappropriate lover. It doesn’t make me a horrible person. I hope readers can relate and cut me some slack. I’d really like the hate mail to stop.”

What are you most afraid of?

“Other than being buried alive? I dread the thought of losing my son to his destiny. The Four Horsemen will take him, and I may never see him again. Raphael promises that won’t happen, but how does he really know for sure? We don’t know what Armageddon will be like. I can’t stand the thought of losing Sean Michael.”

What about Sean? How does he feel about that?

“Sean isn’t thrilled with the idea of losing Sean Michael either, but he’s the warrior in the family, isn’t he? He’s working his ass off to prepare our boy for what’s coming. I’ve never seen a stronger fighter or a more determined man. He’ll do everything in his power to keep our baby safe.”

Okay, so on a lighter note. How are things with Sean? Have you made any future plans yet?

“Things are really, really good. I can’t believe how this has turned out. I was so bitchy to him, but he’s forgiven me. He just wants us to move forward and be a family for once. After all this time, it’s wonderful to have peace.”

One last question for you. Did you two really destroy a building during sex? I can’t believe that’s possible!

“Oh, my God! I can’t believe you’d go there! Seriously?”

Come on. Give my readers a juicy Sean story. They love him. Is it true or not?

“Okay. Fine. It’s true. We did break the turret of the hotel. Our energies were off the hook that night, and we didn’t know we’d create something like a sound wave! It was the most intense sex I’ve ever had. I won’t lie. Sean’s amazing. And speaking of Sean… I have to run. I’m late for a date!”

~~~

DARKNESS CALLING (Primani #5)

by Laurie Olerich

Dark Urban Fantasy Romance

Published on March 5^th, 2015

ad infinitum: endlessly, forever, without limit

Finally freed from a century in purgatory, former-wild child Aisling just wants to raise her son and live as a normal human again. Her taste of freedom is cut short the moment her past comes to claim her. There’s one reason she was exiled, and his name is Cain. With him, there was only darkness, and the angels help her, she liked it that way. Now he’s back, and his commands are simple. Stay away from Sean or else. But when he threatens to take her son, she turns to the one man who can save them both. Sean.

Sean is sick and tired of his baby mama’s hateful attitude. Her mood swings give him whiplash, and he’s seriously thinking of strangling her. But when a brutal old enemy shows up to destroy everyone Sean loves, he discovers Aisling is hiding more than her feelings for him.

Joining forces to protect their son, Sean and Aisling set out on a journey that leads them from the city streets of Manhattan to the elegant hotels of Vienna to the final terrifying showdown in the bowels of Rome.

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – iBooks – Smashwords

Add Darkness Calling to your Goodreads list!

SPECIAL OFFER:

The first book in the series, Primani, is currently FREE!

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – iBooks – Smashwords

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laurie Olerich

Laurie Olerich is the author of the urban fantasy romance series Primani. She loves to create guilty pleasures full of exciting locations, roller coaster action, strong, quirky heroines, and steaming hot heroes who’ll raise the temperature in any room you’re in! Paranormal romance? Check! Urban fantasy? Check! Romantic suspense? Check! Her Primani series combines the best of the three. When not plotting, writing, or fantasizing about her next hero, she’s planning parties, traveling the world, and spending lazy nights with her son, her Dal pals, and friends. Laurie spent most of her life in the Northeastern United States and in Germany. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her son and Dalmatian duo, Domino and Rambo. Before throwing caution to the wind and diving into a writing career, Laurie dedicated 20 years to a career spent around men with guns and cool toys…this explains her obsession with both!

Website – Twitter – Facebook – Pinterest – Goodreads

~~~

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International Giveaway

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~~~

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Lulupop says…Pants! No Chance! ~ Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

Posted: February 24, 2015 in Blog Tour, Children's books, giveaways, Guest Post, reviews
Tags: Author Susan Lanyi, children's book, Pants! No Chance!

Pants! No Chance! by Susan Lanyi is a fun picture book illustrated by Alexandre Rouillard.

Before we get to my review, I have a Guest Post by the author. She shares a freakish encounter with a masked bandit.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~~

A Guest Post by Author Susan Lanyi

Sometime around my twentieth birthday my father left me home alone for the weekend, something any teenager would consider a gift of mega proportions. Saturday had been a full day of shopping. Happily, my friends and I stumbled through the front door of my house. The three of us were ready for some much needed relaxation. Instead, what we got was a large dose of excitement.

As we entered the house I noticed that a standing lamp lay flat on the couch. Perplexed, I moved towards the kitchen. There was garbage scattered all over the floor. Warning lights began to go off in my head. Something was terribly wrong. Then I saw it, a carpet of brown fur making elegant brush strokes on our shiny yellow kitchen floor. I admired my cat’s tail for a moment. Then I snapped out of it. In a flash, it occurred to me that we did we not own a cat. Even the more distressing however was when I concluded that this was no cat at all. No, this was one big fat raccoon. The front door seemed painfully far. “GET OUT!” my lips moved but nothing escaped my mouth. Luckily my legs did remember how to work.

Two men arrived with a big cage. Unsure if the beast would go quietly, I wished them luck. After about ten minutes they materialized with my fluffy friend. They explained that he would be set free. Overwhelmed with relief I thanked the animal rescue guys and watched them place the creature in the back of their truck. We said our goodbyes and they drove away.

My friend and I made plans for the evening. Two male friends decided to join us. I regurgitated all the elements of my coon story. When the evening came to an end my post trauma had me feeling nervous about going back into the house alone. The guys were quick to offer their protection services.

My friends went ahead of me. “Hey the lamp is lying on the couch.” One of them said, “Oh, stop being such a joker.” I responded. The other guy backed him up, “No it’s true.”

Was this a horror movie entitled “the night of the living dead rodents”? I was in total disbelief. “How can this be?” I cried out. The guys moved further into the house. “Awwww he’s so cute” one of them muttered. On my kitchen counter between the toaster and the blender lay a baby raccoon.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. I tried animal rescue but it was fruitless. No one was coming to get this raccoon at 2:00A.M. Luckily, the two guys managed to prod the little fur ball out the window with a broom.

In a flash, I grabbed a few items and asked my friend if I could crash at her house. There was no way I was going to risk running into another masked eyed animal on my way to the toilet that night.

It was not easy to return home the next day but I did take some comfort upon my fathers return. If there were any more animals lurking in the shadows, it would be his and his problem alone. Still, I guess the raccoons liked me more than him because they never showed their furry little faces again.

~~~~

My Review

Each morning, no matter what outfit her mother suggests she wear, Lulupop stubbornly insists on wearing a dress. It’s always a dress, even when it causes problems or she misses out on some fun stuff.

The pictures are delightful and fill the pages. You’ll see the consequences of Lulupop’s insistence upon wearing a dress in colorful, fun ways.

When her mother finally throws in the towel, Lulupop surprises her and comes up with her own solution. Kids are funny like that.

I see where parents can learn from this. Lulupop is showing her personality. Be patient. Let your child express themselves. My son used to always wear a stocking cap and matching cloth gloves. I have so many pictures of him with toese items on. It makes me smile now, but I remember the frustration when trying to get him to take them off.

Lulupop finally learned yet still kind of had her own way.

A delightful picture book to read aloud with your child. Sure to make you giggle.

5 Stars

~~~~

Book Synopsis:

Lulupop rarely puts up a fuss, except when it comes to wearing pants. Dresses, dresses, dresses, is all she will ever wear! With time, a little drama, and no lack of imagination, Lulupop realizes that wearing dresses is not always the best choice.

Author’s Bio:

Susan Lanyi lives in Montreal with her husband, three children and puppy. She is a writer and has previously been published in The Globe and Mail. When Susan is not busy writing or doing “mom stuff” she is shopping for dresses with her daughter….Too bad her daughter only wants to wear pants!

Connect with Susan: Website ~ Twitter

Where to buy the book:

Domnizelles Publications
Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Barnes & Nobles

~~~

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~~~

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If only….. Elf Hills by S.S. Dudley ~ Author Guest Post and Giveaway

Posted: January 21, 2015 in Blog Tour, Children's books, Fantasy, giveaways, Guest Post
Tags: Author S.S. Dudley, children's fantasy, Elf Hills

As children, haven’t we all wished our imaginary worlds were real?

Run with Linda. Run as fast and as far as you can and perhaps you’ll find that world.

Please enjoy the guest post by Author S.S. Dudley.

Catch a glimpse inside Elf Hills.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~

Guest Post by Author S.S. Dudley

The Genesis of “Elf Hills”

Preschool. I opened the heavy glass door and entered the colorfully decorated room. A reading area, books and cushions, occupied a corner off to my left. Miniature tables for miniature people filled the center of the room, the chairs neatly organized. Around the tables, shelves overflowed with paper, crayons and other arts and crafts materials. It was quiet. The happy, busy preschoolers were outside in the play yard, scampering hither-thither.

An easel stood in the entryway. It presented the day’s activities to parents coming to reclaim their small people. On it hung a chart entitled, “If I had a superpower, I would…” Below, next to names, was the list of superpowers. Be super strong. Be invisible. Fly. My eyes stopped on one: run really fast. I smiled at the name next to it. Sofia.

That’s my girl.

A disclaimer—I am 95% certain we had not yet seen the Pixar film The Incredibles (in which the boy’s superpower is to run fast). I had, though, been running my daughter around in a jogging stroller since she was three months. We routinely did sprint workouts together in a grassy area near her preschool. I am no pro runner, very amateur, but I do enjoy running very much. It made me smile to think that this was rubbing off in some small dose.

And it gave me an idea.

Recently I had begun to think about writing a book. I wanted to write something for Sofia, something novel sized, but also fun and engaging for her and me.

I began to think about a girl who could run really, really fast. But I didn’t have a story. Yet.

That came while I was on a run in a nature preserve near our house. I began to wonder what a young girl who, like my daughter, still believed in fairies, but who also could run incredibly well, would discover if she were to wander the mostly wild mountains of the Coastal Range in Northern California. Might she not come across something magical out there?

I shan’t disclose too much. Read the book if you’re curious. Elf Hills is about a girl with a prodigious talent for running who begins to suspect that there is something magical about the hills behind her home. And she is determined to discover what it is and who lives there.

I will say that I can see the hills of the book from my office window. I have to stand in just the right place to see them, but I know they are there. My family and I have gone for numerous hikes in those hills (small mountains, really) and it always astounds me how remote they can feel—only 60 miles from the bustle of the Bay, with its millions of inhabitants (San Francisco, Berkeley, etc.).

Elf Hills was born from my desire to know this girl, Linda, who could run so well. Why? Why did she love running so much? Was she just talented, or was it something else? The story grew the more I wondered about the mysteriously uninhabited hills. What magic could hide there? Who might hide there? And why? As I wrote, new characters appeared. Nugu, Linda’s cousin, for one. He loves all things reptilian and fantasizes about having his own dragon. But he is skeptical of Linda’s stories. Might he change his mind? He should, but he is getting into science. And other characters—like Biergo, the impish gnome intent on tripping Linda—joined the narrative, taking it in directions I never initially expected.

I recall that C. S. Lewis started on Narnia with only an image of Aslan, the lion, in mind. He wanted to know more about him. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was born from this desire. The mustard seed for me was a girl who runs fast, planted in some dry, dusty, lonely hills. It was a long, hard, arduous process bringing Elf Hills to fruition. The story became too big for a single book, so I had to split it up and rework it numerous times. Fortunately, this means the sequel, Fairy Trees, is well on its way to being finished. And there will be more to follow.

It amazes me how something so small, so simple, can grow so much. Elf Hills started from a couple of simple notions, which grew as I folded in elements from my own interests and from the geography around our home. All the time driven to discover the story and share it with Sofia. Bringing a book to life is a process—not unlike raising children. It reminds me to enjoy the ride.

~~~~~

Elf Hills

by S.S. Dudley

BLURB:

Something strange, something magical, is going on in the dusty hills behind the small town of Villaloma. Yet each time Linda Peters puts on her running shoes and sets out to find the enchanted kingdom she imagines—full of dancing elves, unicorns, and more—something stops her. And with school starting soon, she only has a few more chances to really search the hills.

While Linda’s frustration and doubt grow, her cousin, Nugu, looks for answers in his books and wonders if maybe, just maybe, Linda’s stories are for real.

The day finally arrives when Linda can run far, the day she is sure she will find her magic city. But when she and Nugu feel their goal must lie just beyond the next hill, they only find more hill.

Is it all a figment of an over-active imagination; a wistful fantasy?

Or is there truly something magical in those hills that only the strong of heart—and leg—can discover?

~~~~~~

From the Prologue:

This fairy tale, as you might have guessed already, takes place on a hill. Or, rather, on many hills and a mountain or two in Northern California, near what people call the Great Valley. One hill in particular stands out, though, because that is where everything started. It was a nice hill; well rounded, not too high, not too low. It was distinctly a hill, snuggled up against a mountain like a nursing cub to its resting mother. For the most part this hill was well-dressed with dark green oak trees and tall grasses, usually yellowed and dry except for the four or five wet months of the year. Along one side, a seasonal creek slipped out and down into the plain. Here the vegetation—red-stemmed manzanita, prickly blackberry bushes, and other shrubs—was thick and difficult to move through.

From afar, the hill was not remarkable; it had many siblings stretching to the north and south as far as the eye could see. This hill was special, though. For one, a strange—some said magical—copse of trees stood near the base of the hill where the creek emerged. These trees were short, had long, dark-green leaves, and bore bright yellow fruit that, if eaten, were said to imbue a person with the strength of ten men. For another, the hill was haunted. On certain nights of the year a white light would shine from the very top of the hill. It was brighter than the brightest star; brighter even than a full moon, perhaps, and it cast long shadows across the plain. The first people that lived in the area told many stories about that hill, the light, and the spirits that lived there.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

S. Dudley grew up in Wyoming, USA, an avid reader and lover of the outdoors. He studied at the University of Wyoming and the University of Illinois. He started his first book (an epic fantasy hand-written in with a blue fountain pen…) when he was 13, but never finished it. At some point (as his mother recently reminded him), he decided that he needed to go do something (like get a job) for a while before he could, or should, write. He did, and spent time in Colombia, Panamá, Antarctica and the dark recesses of large science buildings on college campuses. That done, he now writes, lives and runs in Northern California with his wife and two children.
He can be found at http://www.ssdudley.com, http://www.facebook.com/author.ssdudley and on twitter at @SS_dudley.

The ebook price is $0.99, paperback $8.99.

Kindle version and paperback are available from Amazon HERE.

ePub, PDF, Kindle and other versions are available from Smashwords here: Smashwords

Folks who sign up for the author’s newsletter at my web-site can have the ebook free.

Folks who purchase through the author’s web-site (Kindle, ePub, PDF; via payhip.com) and share their purchase via social media can have it 50% off.

iBooks and B&N coming soon.

~~~~~

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$50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

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My Monday Minis Reviews #35 ~ Porcelain ~ Horror Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway

Posted: October 27, 2014 in giveaways, Guest Post, horror, Monday's Minis, reviews
Tags: A Horror Novelette, Author William Hage, Porcelain

I’m sure most of you have seen this book on my blog a few times.

I’ve featured it in several memes.

Now, I’m finally ready to tell you about it.

And the author has written a fun guest post about the cover art. I feel you’ll enjoy it as many of you commented on the cover before.

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

~~~

Here’s Author William Hage and his guest post about the covers for Porcelain.

Take it away William!

When my brother first showed me the original cover for Porcelain, I loved it. The one thing I knew it needed was a creepy doll on the cover and he delivered with that. I had no intention of changing the cover so I published the book on Amazon and Goodreads, and I was perfectly happy with the result. Maybe it was nepotism.

A few days later I had contacted an Amazon top 100 horror author for another reason and sent him a copy (I’ll keep him nameless, because I don’t want him bombarded with messages). I was amazed that he actually read it. He had two criticisms. One was the editing, which wasn’t that huge of an issue to him. The cover, on the other hand, was. He said the cover looked unprofessional and, more importantly, it didn’t do the story justice. He said the story was ‘ultra creepy’ (super creepy, ultra creepy and uber creepy have all been used to describe the story) and the cover just didn’t deliver. The author suggested that I take a look at the top 100 books in the horror category on Amazon.

So I spent about an hour sifting through covers trying to get past the dozens of Stephen King books. What did I find? He was right. The cover really didn’t stand up comparatively. First, I noticed was that the title was really low on the visibility scale and I noticed that a lot of the covers on Amazon didn’t bother with fancy fonts. Some did, but many went with something much more basic. So the first change had to be making the text on the cover easier to read. Also, while I loved the doll image, I felt there was something missing then. When looking at the other covers, it felt like it was just taking up too much space on the cover. I still couldn’t afford a professional cover design, so I had to go back to brother with all of the criticisms and see if he would make some changes.

He loaded up Photoshop and tried some different things with the text, but unfortunately nothing really worked, then he tried making some changes to the doll and none of those really worked either. So we decided to just go back to the original image. It was then that we discovered that he forgot to save all of the original layers and alteration and the order they were done in. Basically, we couldn’t recreate it exactly.

At this time I saw the original picture of the doll and told him I though it looked pretty damn creepy on its own. We still had the problem of needing something else on the cover. I suggested somehow adding trees since the story starts and ends in the Pine Barrens. With that little information he went back to his computer. About half an hour later he said he was done. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I can honestly say I was not expecting what he showed me. I loved it. It looked professionally done and, now more so than ever, it really looked creepy. We were both pleased when we shared the cover with others and everyone thought it was great, and thought that it was really quite creepy. So that’s basically how we decided to change the cover and we can both agree that it was a really good decision. So I owe a debt to that nameless author who told me in not so many words that the cover sucked.

I’m also working on a new book which I plan to release in the next few months. It will probably be about 5 or 6 short stories. Then I have plans to release another short story collection that will have a wraparound story that sort of brings everything in the collection together. The wraparound will take place at the Whateley Bed & Breakfast featured in Porcelain.

Thanks so much for sharing William.

You can count me in when your stories are ready!

~~~

My Review

As a little girl, I wasn’t crazy about dolls. Sure, I had my barbies, but those bigger dolls, the ones that were almost actual size, with those creepy eyes, nope. I didn’t like them. It always felt they were watching me, their eyes following me. Now, all grown up, I still don’t like them.

I love horror, whether reading it or watching it. There are lots of movies about dolls. Let’s see. There’s all those Puppet Masters movies. How about Chuckie? Now, that’s one messed up doll. I would never have bought that for my kid. And now we have Annabelle. Have you seen The Conjuring? That doll was scary evil and wasn’t even the main plot in the movie.

I can go back much further. Ventriloquists. Their dolls come to life. Seen a few different takes on that idea.

So yes, the whole doll taking on a life of its own has been done before. It’s the author’s ability to take that and hone it to their own tale that reveals their talent and creativity. William didn’t disappoint me.

A weary traveler stops at a bed & breakfast for the night. It’s a rather lovely place with lots of collectibles on display.

The older woman who owns the place explains that each item has a history, it’s own story.

When the woman is pulled away from the conversation by a phone call and the guest kills time looking over the many objects, one in particular catches his eye.

A porcelain doll, quite lovely. His daughter would love it.

When the guest checks out in the morning, the doll travels with him to his condo. There it will wait until he visits his daughter.

But the doll won’t wait for long. It has quite a history and is ready to make a new one.

Once the doll began it’s rampage, I asked myself what I would do. Would I take it back where I got it from? I had a feeling either the old woman or the place wouldn’t be there anymore. Or, the doll would just return to get me so why bother. I’d just have to figure out how to deal with it.

I thought I saw the end coming. I was so wrong about that. Once the author revealed the dolls history, it went every which way but the way I thought it would.

The suspense was nail biting. If this were a movie, I’d be peeking through my fingers.

Scary good stuff.

5 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

Out near the Pine Barrens in New Jersey sits the Whateley Bed & Breakfast, home of a wide collection of knick-knacks and antiques for its guests to view, including a beautifully ornate porcelain doll. However, after the Whateley’s latest guest purchases the doll as a gift, a horrifying series of nightmarish events begins to unfold.

Porcelain is a 8000 word novelette.

evil halloween doll photo: evil doll evil-dolly.gif

~~~

I also read this short story by William Hage.

Here’s a little something special from William.

With Halloween right around the corner, my short story “Welcome Home” will be free from Oct 30st – Nov 1st, so go ahead and pick up a free copy for something to read this weekend.

Use these links to get yours.

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK

Welcome Home

A Short Story

11658515

My Review

I like it when I go into a book thinking I’m getting one thing, and I get something totally different. This happened when I began reading Welcome Home. I thought it was going to be a haunted house story.

The story is haunting but there are no actual ghosts. What’s there is something shadowing John Lester. It’s like when you see something out of the corner of your eye and when you turn to look, nothing is there. But this isn’t visual so much as it’s memories. They haunt his sleep, staying just out of reach of recall.

While this didn’t really scare me, it did surprise me and that’s always a good thing.

A good story for a rainy day.

3 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

John Lester is returning to a place he never really considered home to begin with, a place that he has not seen in years. But what he does not realize is that what went on in this house was much less homely than he thought as he unearths something dark about his family.

“Welcome Home” is a short story approximately 6600 words.

~~~

Author William Hage

Born in Trenton, New Jersey, William became obsessed with all things horror at a young age. He indulged himself greatly in horror films of all sorts as well as horror literature. Over the years he became heavily inspired and influenced by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker, and Edgar Allen Poe.

William has recently self-published two stories on Amazon. Welcome Home: A Short Story & Porcelain: A Novelette. He also has 3 stories published in the magazine Sanitarium.

When he isn’t writing, William has a deep love for technology and bides his time researching the latest things and has spent years working with computers.

William also appeared in a few bands writing songs and playing guitar, having recorded two albums with his former band ESM.

Author Links

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Website ~ Twitter

Facebook

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I have three eBook copies of Porcelain to giveaway, courtesy of the author.

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

“If a doll were coming after you, which one would scare you the most?”

Giveaway ends November 3rd

~~~

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The Divinicus Nex Chronicles ~ Guest Post and Giveaway

Posted: October 22, 2014 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Guest Post, Paranormal or fantasy, YA
Tags: fantasy, series, The Divinicus Nex Chronicles by A & E Kirk, YA paranormal

I have a great guest post for ya. We’ll be hearing all about the cover art for The Divinicus Nex Chronicles. Who did it? Were there others to choose from? Did you have a specific image in mind for each book? Do the covers closely relate to the stories inside?

There’s also several giveaways, so don’t forget to enter!

Enjoy!

***

Man, oh, man, are we happy with our covers! Our many thanks goe to the amazing artist Elena Dudina. She must also be a part-time saint to so patiently handle our back and forth when we request adjustments.

Alyssa: I had a specific idea for Demons at Deadnight’s cover since I was halfway through writing it! I wanted a girl falling through the sky in a gorgeous dress, some creepy hands reaching up to catch her. I did a not-half-bad photoshop mock-up. But that got lost when my computer crashed 2 years ago.

Luckily, that crash was after I sent the mock-up to the artist who did our original cover.

When we were doing our second cover, we wanted to up our game and found Elena on Deviant art.

She’s actually in Spain! We discussed what we wanted, made a second mockup, sent it to her, and she came back with her creation for Drop Dead Demons. We tried several different colors for the dress, but settled on green again. It just jumps out better and we like the consistency between the covers. We had her revamp Demons at Deadnight for us too so the artistry is similar.

The covers indeed relate to the stories inside! We plan to have every cover do so. That was actually something we wanted to accomplish because we found some YA covers while gorgeous, didn’t always have anything to do with an aspect of the story.

Demons at Deadnight’s cover depicts Aurora’s first trip to the Waiting World. Some rather nasty creatures are trying to grab her as she ends up falling from the sky due to…well you know. Or you will when you read it!

For Drop Dead Demons, the cover shows another of Aurora’s trips to the delightfully deadly Waiting World. Aurora has to climb high and fast if she’s going to survive. You can see the fiery, lava-soaked landscape below. Adding the skulls was Elena’s genius idea. Once we saw this cover, we realized that Aurora and a friend could find some creative uses for those skulls. So we went back and wrote that in.

We’ve already got some ideas for Divinicus Nex 3’s cover. It will definitely illustrate a scene Aurora’s gotten herself into in the Waiting World. We’re excited to see what Elena creates! But first we’re dying to finish writing the book and seeing what Aurora and the Hex Boys do!!

Thanks for having us. Love talking on this subject. We’re total cover junkies! How about you?

~~~

Goodreads ~ Amazon

About Demons at Deadnight

For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.

DEMONIC DESTINY

Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.

CHARISMATIC KILLERS

The Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.

LETHAL ALLIES

The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

***

Goodreads ~ Amazon

About Drop Dead Demons:

Survival. It’s an on-going battle.

GOING ON A TREASURE HUNT…

Aurora Lahey finally knows why supernatural slayers salivate to slaughter her, but how to stop them? Not so much. Sure, she’s discovered her own lethal powers, and has six sexy, super-charged, demon hunting Hex Boys watching her back–the hottest one watching every part of her. But when a seductive stranger delivers a deadly ultimatum, Aurora and the Hex Boys plunge into a do-or-die hunt for a legendary Mandatum treasure, which will finally shift power in their favor. Or unleash hell on earth.

NEX MARKS THE SPOT…

Pursued by demons of mythical proportions, Aurora and the Hex Boys race deeper into the shadowy world of a centuries-old mystery and brutal conspiracy, where no one and nothing is what it seems. Where love and betrayal go hand-in-hand, and trusting the wrong person not only breaks your heart, but gets you killed.

DEMONS ON YOUR TAIL…

Uncovering shocking secrets from the Hex Boys’ past, hiding her Divinicus Nex identity, lying to her pretend-wish-he-were-real boyfriend, dodging demons, breaking into ancient tombs, taking the unexpected side trip to the dark depths of the Waiting World, tracking a traitor, and passing Physics…Aurora could do that in her sleep. Or more likely, die trying.

DON’T GET CAUGHT!

About A&E Kirk:

A&E Kirk

Website | Twitter Alyssa | Twitter Eileen | Facebook | Pinterest

This mother-daughter duo were in and out of inter-dimensional paranormal prisons until they finally quit making up cover stories for secret societies and started writing novels. The Supernatural Continuum Warlords of the Supernatural Continuum Warlordian High Command had pity upon them, and instead of having them slaughtered by the slow, tortuous flesh eating underwater, earthworm squid, they transported them into a habitationally friendly dimension called OOARCHTOHUTHLAMADILFRUMP, also known as 21st Century Earth.

Due to a demon infestation in their sleepy mountain California town, and a lack of sexy Hex Boys to stop them, Alyssa and Eileen were forced to relocate to Los Angeles. The Amazon best seller, DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT, is book one in the DIVINICUS NEX CHRONICLES series, and the first of their exclusive re-creations of supernatural society secrets. You can uncover more paranormal, inter-dimensional classified information at AEKIRK.com and Facebook.com/AandEKirk.com.

Citizens of Earth, you are welcome.

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

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Each week of this tour will feature a unique Divinicus Nex prize package giveaway, so be sure to follow along for more chances to win! The weekly prize packs:

WEEK 1: Choice of ebook (book 1 or 2), celtic cross necklace, feather hair clips

WEEK 2: Choice of ebook, (1 or 2), Signed Hex Boy Heaven Poster, Love letter from a Hex boy

WEEK 3: Choice of ebook (1 or 2), Signed Hex Boy Poster, Divinicus Nex earrings

WEEK 4: Choice of ebook (1 or 2), Hex Boy Heaven Mug

Tour-Wide Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a grand prize package consisting of a $100 Amazon gift card AND the chance to name a character in the third installment!

At each tour stop you will find a daily question. To be eligible to win the grand prize, you must answer at least 4 different daily questions. So go and visit the other tour stops, check the amazing content and answer the daily question!

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open internationally.

Daily Question:

**The Hex Boys parents have powers too. If your parent had a super power, what would it be?**

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

Tour Schedule:

Monday, October 13th Curling Up With A Good Book Author Interview

Tuesday, October 114th Books and Things Character interview

Wednesday, October 15th Blissful Book Reviews Guest Post

Thursday, October 16th Book Lovers Life Guest Post

Friday, October 17th Watcha Reading Author Interview

Monday, October 20th Her Book Thoughts! Guest Post

Tuesday, October 21st Sassy Book Lovers Guest Post

Wednesday, October 22nd fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s ramblins and reviews Guest Post

Thursday, October 23rd Forever Obsession Character Interview

Friday, October 24th Sweet Southern Home Guest Post

Monday, October 27th The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia Author Interview

Tuesday, October 28th Bad Bird Reads Guest Post

Wednesday, October 29th Supernatural Snark Guest Post

Thursday, October 30th Unabridged Bookshelf Author Interview

Friday, October 31st Auggie-Talk Character Interview

Monday, November 3rd Penny For Them… Guest Post

Tuesday, November 4th Bewitched Bookworms Guest Post

Wednesday, November 5th That Girl With Books Teaser/Excerpt

Thursday, November 6th Addicted Readers Guest Post

Friday, November 7th Romancing the Dark Side Character Interview

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Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

Teaser Tuesdays #130 ~ Author’s Choice from The Key Of Amatahns ~ And A Giveaway

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

Sticks and stones may break his….The Alastair Stone Chronicles ~ Guest Post and Giveaway

What’s New On My Bookshelf #118 and The Sunday Post

The Star Seer’s Prophecy ~ New Release Sale and Two Giveaways!

Darkness Calling ~ Author Guest Post Plus A Giveaway and Free Book!

Lulupop says…Pants! No Chance! ~ Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

If only….. Elf Hills by S.S. Dudley ~ Author Guest Post and Giveaway

My Monday Minis Reviews #35 ~ Porcelain ~ Horror Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway

The Divinicus Nex Chronicles ~ Guest Post and Giveaway