Archive for the ‘horror’ Category

This just in from Edward Lorn!

Here it is in all it’s glory!

CRUELTY EPI3

CRUELTY is a serial novel in ten parts.

Episode Three.

The corpse in the cooler of Bob’s Bait and Fuel might not be the innocent victim everyone first assumed.

William Longmire is released from police custody only to find out his buddy Kirk is in the hospital.

Innis Blake is stuck between two worlds. Will she find her way out before Cruelty has his way?

Regret is born.

Author’s note: CRAWL and CRUELTY: Episode Three will be released in February, one week apart. CRUELTY: Episode Four will be out sometime in March. Thank you for your patience.

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Can’t wait to tell you about Crawl and to get my hands on Episode Three.

I’m reposting my reviews for the first two episodes of Cruelty to tell you what you’re in for!

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Cruelty: Episode 1

Cruelty (Episode #1)

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My Review

William  wishes she’d point the gun another way. The strung out hooker wouldn’t get any money out of him if he was dead. The way she keeps screaming at him, it’s a wonder he can’t hear her, even though he’s deaf.

Too bad his car broke down. Now here they are. Walking down the road in the dead of night. Even if someone did come along, it’s doubtful they’d stop and offer them a ride. Especially with her waving that gun around.

Jennifer finally realizes she’s been screaming at a deaf guy and she bends over laughing. Then, she’s not. She’s gone.

Now, imagine yourself driving down the road. You’re distracted, it’s dark outside, and you glance away from the road for just a second.

Wham, you’ve hit something. Do you get out and walk over to see what it is? No way. It’s dark out there. But what if it’s a person. They could be still alive, even though it’s not likely. You plowed into it without touching your brakes.So, you open the door and go see. Oh jesus, it’s a woman, or what’s left of one.

Here’s where the story goes to the dark side. If you haven’t read any of Edward Lorn’s stories, I’ll warn you, they are gritty and in your face. Every character flaw is brought forth, bared to you in dramatic fashion. You don’t have to like them, but you will suffer with them.

The author is really good at getting you focused, really into a scene, and then. like a punch to the gut, he stops you in your tracks.

There it is. The what the…? moment when you wonder what you’ve got yourself into. Keep on reading. The real horror is waiting just around the corner.

A word about Cruelty. Yes it’s a 10 part serial novel, with a new episode releasing each month. Think about it like this. Do you have a series you love? Do you wait anxiously for the next book even though it could be months or even over a year before it’s released? With Cruelty, you know you’ll be getting a new episode in a month. Not such a long wait. Sure the ending leaves you hanging by your finger tips, but it’s well worth it. A few broken nails and bloody fingers is nothing.

5 Stars

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Cruelty: Episode Two

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My Review

So here is Episode Two.

I thought I was prepared, but right from the get go. the author made me cringe. His description of Turtle, the druggie in withdrawal, made my face screw up in disgust. You know it’s good writing when you react physically to a scene.

But let’s push on.

William is still alive and kicking. I’d say that’s a miracle since the 600 lb doll thing likes to play with people. Like when a kid pulls the legs off a daddy-long-legs spider, it bends and twists and rends the bodies. It likes it best when they’re still alive. When it can hear them scream.

As he did in the first episode, Edward Lorn wields a bloody pen. By the time I got to the end, I was thinking, no more. Once the doll thing arrives on the scene again, the rest of the story is a runaway train. And the ending is so sudden I almost got whiplash.

For me, it’s a good thing  I have a couple of weeks until the next episode releases. Just how much can I take. This brief pause will give me time to recuperate. Then I’ll be saying, “Feed me Seymour.”

5 Stars

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About  Edward Lorn and where to stalk him.
Image of Edward Lorn

Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

For more about Edward Lorn and his books:

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

Edward’s page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.com/edward-lorn/

Edward’s blog: http://edwardlorn.wordpress.com/

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More books I’ve read by Edward Lorn

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Go HERE for my review.

And more books.

  !NAME 2240 For Amazon and Smashwords

Go HERE for my reviews.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.

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 today is from Bitter Fruit

A Taste of the Antholocaust

by  Justin Osborne

Bitter Fruit: A Taste Of The Antholocaust

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My tease from Post 2.

…Trevor quickly brought the light back up to the hole. The light caught whatever was in the pipe, coming out, but as soon as the light touched it, it retracted back inside with great speed.

What the hell was it?

My tease from Muffinz

It wasn’t really a kitten, but not a full grown cat either, and it looked like something was wrong with it.

Then Muffinz opened his mouth, showing rows upon rows of little white daggers…

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Synopsis

A collection of 5 previously released Horror shorts.
Post 2 – A lone security guard does battle with a horror from the depths of the earth.
Muffinz – A man discovers that adopting a strange cat changes his life forever.
You Can’t Kill Rock And Roll – Sometimes an apartment comes with ‘extras’, like the spirit of a murdered guitar prodigy.
Prepped – The Zombie Apocalypse as experienced by a ‘Doomsday Prepper’.
Prepped 2: Field Trip – Ol’ Crazy Dave returns and finds himself saddled with ‘extra baggage’.

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Freakin Fridays!

Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.

Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!

Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!

Let’s have some fun!

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With the new year here, I’ve started  implementing my new plans for my blog.

While I’ll still be doing my memes and posting for book tours and giveaways, I’m going to be doing a lot more reviewing.

I asked you to help me with this. Below are the 5 books I’ll be reviewing for the 5 Fridays in January. You’ve let me know which one you want me to review first. The book with the most votes for my first 2014 Freakin Fridays review was The Little Mermaid of Death!

There is a link further down in the post for my review if you missed it.

Your next pick was Spooky Short Stories. You can check out my review further down in this post.

And your next pick was The Monster Man of Horror House which I’ll be reviewing now along with the next choice Days With The Undead!

I had a glitch and had to miss my Freakin Fridays post last week so making up for that now.

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The previous week’s choices!

The Monster Man of Horror House

by Danny King

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My Review

Every town has one. That mysterious person. A recluse. You can’t help but listen to the rumors about him.  His very aloofness invites it.

John Coal has been having trouble with a group of teenage boys. They pull pranks, destroy property, and torment him. At first, he’s at a loss, wondering, “Why me?”

Then it hits him. He’s that creepy old guy in the creepy house. The odd one that everybody whispers about. People cross the street to avoid contact.

The gang of boys continue to plague him so he figures he’ll give them what they believe. He’ll be the monster man.

So he sets the bait, making it easy for the boys to get, and adds one more thing to entice them further into the house. Then he springs his trap and the boys end up in his cellar, scared and shaken.

Who knows what horrible plans he has in  store for them. They should have minded their own business.

John Coal has quite a history. He’s dealt with things we only dreamed about in our nightmares. Drawing on his past experiences, he goes to extremes to teach these boys a lesson.

The author threw me for a loop from the moment John trapped those boys. I didn’t have any idea whether John was just a grumpy old loner or something else. I quickly found out. I can see why he’s called the monster man now.

I had to stretch my imagination a bit about the elaborate trap John set. But as I learned about his past, it became easier to believe and them I was all in to the end.

A good read for a dark and stormy night.

3 Stars

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Days With The Undead

by Julianne Snow

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My Review

This was a bit different for me. The story is narrated by Julie as an ongoing journal on the internet. She is recording everything that has happened to her and her 4 friends starting three days after the outbreak,  as they go on the run, seeking someplace safe from the zombies.

Right away, I liked how the author addressed people’s reactions to the news of the flesh-eating outbreak. Many just went about their daily lives. That is, until the zombies came calling.

Some of the towns they passed through were untouched, while others were ravaged. They had to be careful not only of the zombies. There were pirates out there, goons who would as soon shoot you as help you. They want what you’ve got, plain and simple.

While telling her tale, Julie begins relating each of her friends stories. What happened to them when the outbreak occurred and how they came to be together.

If you are going to survive, you have to get tough, keep your group small, and keep moving. No stopping to help anyone, and no letting someone join the group, no matter what.

It’s easy to think, but harder when they’re faced with some choices.

Zombie fans know that things happen. Not everyone can survive. You expect losses.  But don’t you wish it didn’t have to be that way?

By writing this as a journal, Julianne did an excellent job. I was actually picturing the scenes, nodding at some things, and hoping the zombie apocalypse stayed what it is. Fiction.

You can learn a lot about surviving the apocalypse by reading Julie’s journal.

I was going to give this 4 stars but the ending bumped it right up to 5! I read it several times and it floored me.

5 Stars

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Your previous choices were:

Spooky Short Stories

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

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My 5 Star Review

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Your first choice!

The Little Mermaid of Death

by Kevin Richey

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My 4 Star Review

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And for next week!

#1

Cold Blood

by Donna Ansari

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As the winter holiday season descends on New York City, vampire Emma Hammond is anticipating celebrating with Tammy and David, her witch and werewolf roommates. But when an odd Christmas ornament unleashes waves of the undead from her neighborhood graveyard, Emma finds herself as an unwilling shield between ravenous zombies and an unsuspecting city. Even worse, despite having everyday dealing with supernatural creatures, Emma finds that she has an unnatural aversion to the shambling dead, and must get to their source and stop the invasion before she’s forced to cancel her holiday party!

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Stay tuned for February. I’ll be giving you some new choices!

For today I’ll be telling you about Vampire Blood

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

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My Review

When I read Human No Longer, I knew I’d be reading more of Kathryn’s books. When she told me there was another book that was a prequel written before it, I had to read it.

They say nothing ever happens in a small town.

Jenny and her brother Joey are going to wish that were true.

A family of vampires are on the run after one of them made a mess of things. The leader, Michelson, decides it’s time to return to Summer Haven, Florida.

Michelson struggles to control the younger vampires, but it’s hopeless. They feed on anything and anyone and the heck with the consequences. The old town theatre seems like a good place to maintain their cover, but with the indiscriminate killings, trouble has followed them.

The poor town is losing citizens at an alarming rate and the murders are vicious and bloody. Soon Jenny and Joey will be drawn into the horrific events, caught between the feuding vampires.

No one is safe and the bodies keep piling up.

The author really had me squirming. I know I shouldn’t have cared about the vampires, but their leader almost had me on his side. I got where he was coming from. He had a family to feed and protect.

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Michelson had a good idea when he bought the old theatre and started getting it ready to reopen. He could make a living and the hours would be convenient. Too bad the brat, Irene, couldn’t keep her fangs to herself. A small town probably wasn’t the best choice when you’re trying to survive and stay undiscovered.

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Jenny is my favorite character. She’s a horror writer and just moved back home after a bad divorce. She’s having to start over and find herself again. Imagine her surprise when the creatures she wrote in her fiction books turn out to be real.

Joey, her younger brother, owns the local diner. With his personality and his amazing cooking, the diner becomes the town hub and gossip central. In a small town there are no secrets.  I live in one and someone is always coming up to me and asking, did you hear about or guess what so and so did.

Together, these two siblings make a lethal combination. They both have people they care about, and the vampires chose the wrong town.

I couldn’t believe I was feeling sorry for some of the vampires. For the most part they’re cruel and toy with us like a cat with a mouse. We being the mice.

I’ve read several of Kathryn’s books and one thing she’s consistent with is her ability to spin an in-depth plot. Another is her abundance of characters, each with their own voice, easy to tell apart.

The beginning is bloody, then there’s the calm before the storm. Once the action starts it’s  hang onto your butt until you reach the end.

5 Stars

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Other books I’ve read by Kathryn

Click on the covers to read my reviews.

Dinosaur Lake by Kathryn Meyer Griffith, SF horror novel

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Human No Longer by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

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Reviewing soon.

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Reading now.

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About Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Since childhood I’ve always been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-two years ago now, and have had eighteen (ten romantic horror, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and three murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press and Amazon Kindle Direct.

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

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for her Horror novel The Last VampireRevised Author’s Edition

2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for her Suspense/Thriller novel Dinosaur Lake

*All Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s books can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Kathryn%20Meyer%20Griffith

*All her Audible.com audio books here:

http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_at_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Kathryn+Meyer+Griffith&x=17&y=16

Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forge, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire, Witches, The Nameless One (short story), The Calling, Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes novella & bonus short story, A Time of Demons, The Woman in Crimson, The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Fiction: Vol. 1 (Introduction), 4 Spooky Short Stories, Telling Tales of Terror Chapter on Putting the Occult into your Fiction), Dinosaur Lake, Human No Longer, Scraps of Paper–Revised Author’s Edition, All Things Slip Away.

My Websites:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1019954486

https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/profile

http://www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

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

http://www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG

http://tinyurl.com/ma58spm

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It’s time to celebrate!

Delta Legend is now out in paperback!

I’m reposting my 5 Star review and Kelan has written an awesome guest post.

That’s not all.

This is a Tag Team Event.

I’ll be giving away one paperback copy of Delta Legend generously provided by Kelan O’Connell. After entering my giveaway, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental for another chance to win!

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Synopsis

When 16-year-old Oakland teenager, Calvin Pierce, makes a bad decision and winds up getting arrested, his mother is quick to take action. Determined not to lose a second son to the drug and gang violence of the inner city, she sends Calvin to spend the summer working for his great uncle in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

There in the predominately white region of agriculture and recreational boating, Calvin’s a fish out of water with a chip on his shoulder. But when severed body parts are discovered floating in a slough, his summer of proving himself takes on new meaning.

Something deadly is lurking in the deep, murky waterways of the Delta. Now the daunting task of containing the living incarnation of a mythical creature falls to Calvin and his ragtag posse of oddball characters.

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 Enjoy Kelan’s Guest Post

THE RIDE OF SUSPENDED DISBELIEF

Writing Urban Fantasy Adventure is a bit like creating a wild new theme park ride. It’s a really fun gig. If done right, readers will happily board your attraction and stay engaged through the whole crazy ride, ping-ponging between anticipation, fear, laughter, and satisfaction.

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Photo by Dan Hatfield, OrlandoInformer.com

As a novelist, I have to make sure my story has all the necessary elements required for a great ride, and suspended disbelief is a key element in good fantasy fiction.

In Urban Fantasy, fantastical things happen in the modern world as we know it. Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge of writing for this genre is creating a sense of isolation in our modern world. Considering the sheer number of humans crawling all over the planet armed with multiple means of connecting, this can be a formidable task. Enter the all-important selection of location.

The setting for Delta Legend goes by both the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the California Delta. I refer to it by both names in the book. Though surrounded by populated cities, the heart of the Delta retains a sense of isolation due to its vast expanses of farmland and seemingly endless waterways that snake on for 1000 plus miles. That’s right—one thousand.

A picture of California's Sacramento-San Joaqu...

It was definitely challenging to describe this unique region in a way that would give people who’ve never been there a visceral sense of the place. Luckily, I have a couple things going for me in this regard. One, I have a background as a screenwriter, so I write visually. And two, I spent a good deal of time in the California Delta from the time I was 15 until I was in my mid 30′s. And let me tell you, no matter how old I got, swimming or waiting to get picked up on a water ski in the Delta, always freaked me out a bit. Anything could be lurking in those deep murky waters.

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Photo by Kelan

Of course, if anything like what happens in the book were to actually happen in the Delta, it would be extremely hard to keep it on the down-low, but that’s where the all-important suspended disbelief and sense of isolation come into play.

Then there’s the fact that every once in while, something fantastical happens in our real world—something that makes fantasy all the more plausible.

In case you missed it, check this out: This very real sea creature was discovered recently off the shores of Catalina Island, a place I visited several times when I lived in Los Angeles.

delta legend Catlina Oarfish

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/15/us/california-18-foot-oarfish/

Nope, not Photoshopped.

The gal who found this creature (dead) while snorkeling, grabbed it by the tail and hauled it to shore (holy crap) because she knew her friends wouldn’t believe her if they didn’t see it for themselves.

And that, my friends, is the stuff that fuels imagination and inspires all manner of Urban Fantasy and folklore. Laura Thomas’ review of Delta Legend is titled, “There’s Something In the Water!”  Hell yeah, there is.

Wanna come along for the ride? It’s fun … and a little scary.

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My Review

Delta Legend is so much more than a scary creature story. It is about second chances, community, new friendships, budding romance, courage and honor.

There is an inner story that provides vital background for the legend. Kelan has really done a lot of research in order to tell you about this creature and where the events take place. Her descriptions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are almost visual.  You can almost feel the sluggish, dark water on your skin and the cold, silty bottom between your toes.

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There are many characters that have their parts to play in this book. They are all essential to the plot and add depth, believability and some comic relief.

When Calvin has a brush with the juvenile court system, his mother, Angela, knows she has to do something. After losing her older son Leo to drug and gang violence, she does not want him going down the same path. Her solution is to send Calvin to stay with his great-uncle Samuel for the summer break.  He wants no part of the “cuts”, or back country life and arrives with a big chip on his shoulder.

Samuel was apprehensive about taking in Calvin, but is pleasantly surprised when his great-nephew shows a penchant for machine and engine repair. He proves to be a hard worker and an asset at Samuel’s Marine Repair Shop.

Calvin’s first encounter with Mei Li, a young Chinese farm girl, is confrontational. She sees through his tough guy persona and calls him on it. She is sassy and bold and he wants nothing to do with her.

Samuel takes Calvin into the local cafe and small grocery owned by Frances. It is also where the rental desk for Heron’s Harbor Marina, which her teenage son Jess runs. The locals come there to hang out, have a bite to eat and catch up on the daily news around town. It seems every small town has one of these.

After a little bit of juggling, Calvin and Jess start up a friendship. Mei Li is friends with Jess and includes herself on their outings. It is not hard for the others to notice that Jess has developed an interest in Lauren. She is a nice girl, but hangs with the town bullies. But soon enough Lauren sees them for what they are and joins up with Jess, Calvin and Mei Li.

Good old boys Terry and Neal just want to fish and drink cold beer. They motor to their favorite fishing spot and settle in to catch some dinner when they spot what looks like debris from a boat floating in the water. Seeing what they think is a wig, they hook  it and take a look. What they had on the end of that hook was someone’s face. Their return trip broke records. This is not the only encounter they have with body parts, it seems like they just can’t get a day of fishing in.

It soon becomes obvious that something is preying on the people of the Delta. Something hungry. The fatalities start piling up, and finally even Sheriff Ray Cruz has to accept that there is a deadly creature cruising the waters, killing and eating the unsuspecting .

The mish mash of locals,  along with Calvin and his posse of friends and Sheriff Cruz and bumbling Deputy Burt Watson, unite to combat this evil monster. There are many more characters that I’ve not mentioned, each one adding flavor and dimension to the story.  Kelan has the ability to weave them in without confusing you or slowing down your reading enjoyment. No flipping back and forth to see who’s who.

I particularly liked her characterization of Joe, Tak and Samuel. I smilingly think of them as the Over the Hill Gang.

There are a few surprises, you think something has been left out, but then Kelan slips it in effortlessly, providing all of the answers.

And I can’t wait for you to read the great “Oh No!” ending.

If you are looking for a unique monster story with lots of action, adventure and scares, I recommend you get Delta Legend and get reading.

5 STARS.

You can go HERE to read my original review post and check out my interview with Kelan!

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Author Kelan O’Connell

Kelan O'Connell

Though she’s been writing in one form or another since the age of 20, Delta Legend is Kelan O’Connell’s first solo novel. She began writing in college, creating character monologues as a way to stand out in auditions and later went on to write sketch comedy, one-act plays, and more specs for screen than she cares to admit.

Kelan holds a degree in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University and has worked in the Film and Television Industry in Northern California and Los Angeles—among her many other day jobs.

She currently lives in Northern California with her partner, Sound Engineer/Producer, Tom Size, and the incredibly spoiled pets of Camp RunAmuck.

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Be sure to visit Kelan’s blog: http://kelanoconnell.blogspot.com

and the Delta Legend website: http://deltalegend.com

Other Links

Goodreads / Twitter

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I have one print copy of Delta Legend to give away!

An International Giveaway!

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

“What sea monster scares you the most?”

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

You can visit Sherry’s blog for another chance to win and see what she thinks about Delta Legend  HERE.

Giveaway ends February 3rd.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Welcome to My Monday Minis.

This is where I review short stories and flash fiction.

For today I’ll be telling you about Drop Dead Tavern

by Chad P. Brown

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My Review

You’d think after watching Walking Dead nothing would shock me.

This short story should have come with a warning. “Brace yourself.”

All Kent wants is a bottle to swill away his grief. To forget about the loss of his brother, the zombies gnashing around, and his loneliness.

He pulls his bike up to the tavern and after making sure the coast is clear, he enters.

Aah, right there amid the broken bottles stands one survivor. Looks like he’ll sleep good tonight. Maybe there’ll be no dreams.

Suddenly, he’s confronted by a boy. He looks like a street urchin, filthy and haggard.

Once Kent establishes the boys trust, he gets his story.

Any zombie fans would love this short tale.

It didn’t take me long to read it, but by the end it felt like forever. Like those dreams you have where you are running and running and never seem to get anywhere.

I must have been lulled somehow, because what happened in that tavern really tore me up.

Without fluff or wasted words, Chad got right to the matter, dragging me in.

You have to remember, this is a zombie apocalypse. It ended leaving me torn and wishing there was more. I really liked Kent and wondered what would become of him.

4 Stars

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About Chad P. Brown

Chad P. Brown was born in Huntington, WV. Once he outgrew his childhood fears of haunted houses, clowns, and toy monkeys with cymbals (although those still creep him out a little bit), he discovered a dark love for writing and an affinity for macabre and eldritch matters. He holds a Master’s in Latin from Marshall University and is an Affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association. In October 2011, he released his first horror novel, The Jack-in-the-box. He has appeared in the anthologies SPIDERS (August 2012 by May December Publications) and Gothic Blue Book Vol. 2 – Revenge Edition (October 2012 by Burial Day Books). His current projects include a recently released zombie novella, Messiah of the Zombie Apocalypse, and various short stories, as well as a dark fiction novella, The Pumpkin House, which is in submission.

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Welcome to My Monday Minis.

This is where I review short stories and flash fiction.

For today I’ll be telling you about The Basement

by Chad P. Brown

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My Review

I’ve seen the movies. I’ve read the books. But, I just can’t say it enough. Don’t go in the basement! There’s always something bad just waiting to make you dead.

So the story goes, Heather takes a dare and enters the Blackwell House. Everyone knows it’s haunted, and really bad things happened. But, like the foolish girl she is, I guess she figures it can’t happen to her. She’ll show her friends there’s nothing to be afraid of and that’ll be the end of it.

Not quite. Heather doesn’t run into the Blackwell family ghosts. Instead, she’s confronted by her dead mother.

What the author did really well was hook me in right from the beginning. This isn’t a new scenario. I’ve read many similar stories, but the author made it different. The ghost Heather thought she should be worried about isn’t the one that appeared.

The atmosphere is set, from the door slamming shut after she enters, to the creaking and moaning of the old house settling.

Another thing that I liked was how the author let me into Heather’s head as she tried to dispel her own fears and find logical explanations for what was occurring. It enabled me to feel her fear, her disbelief, and finally her terror.

Kudos to Chad for his surprising ending. After I read the last sentence I said to myself, “Got ya!”

3 Stars

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About Chad P. Brown

Chad P. Brown was born in Huntington, WV. Once he outgrew his childhood fears of haunted houses, clowns, and toy monkeys with cymbals (although those still creep him out a little bit), he discovered a dark love for writing and an affinity for macabre and eldritch matters. He holds a Master’s in Latin from Marshall University and is an Affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association. In October 2011, he released his first horror novel, The Jack-in-the-box. He has appeared in the anthologies SPIDERS (August 2012 by May December Publications) and Gothic Blue Book Vol. 2 – Revenge Edition (October 2012 by Burial Day Books). His current projects include a recently released zombie novella, Messiah of the Zombie Apocalypse, and various short stories, as well as a dark fiction novella, The Pumpkin House, which is in submission.

Freakin Fridays!

Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.

Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!

Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!

Let’s have some fun!

~~

With the new year here, I’m ready to implement my new plans for my blog.

While I’ll still be doing my memes and posting for book tours and giveaways, I’m going to be doing a lot more reviewing.

Last week I asked you to help me with this. Below are the 5 books I’ll be reviewing for the 5 Fridays in January. You’ve let me know which one you want me to review first. The book with the most votes for my first 2014 Freakin Fridays review is The Little Mermaid of Death!

Enjoy my review and leave me a comment about which of the books below I should review next week!.

~~~

The Little Mermaid of Death

by Kevin Richey

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Tired of her life with the other swamp hags, Ariel strikes a bargain to obtain a mask so realistic she could pass for human. But can she trick anyone into marrying her before the mask deteriorates—and all without saying a word?

**

I won this book from a giveaway at I Smell Sheep.

Thanks so much Sharon and thanks Kevin!

My Review

Ariel isn’t like the other swamp hags. Sure, she still lines up for her share of flesh from an unfortunate victim, but she likes pretty things. She collects trinkets and squirrels them away under a rock in her nest beneath the stagnant bog waters.

One day, while setting a trap, she spies a beautiful man. Her world changes. She wishes she could be pretty, be human, and have love in her life.

When she has a chance, she takes it, hoping to get someone to fall in love with her before the power of the mask wears off, revealing the hag beneath.

Kevin Richey has written many of these Zombie Fairy Tales. This is the first one I’ve read and I’m so hooked now. I’m going to have to read them all.

I’m a fast reader and finished this in about 40 minutes with only one break to answer the phone.

Not for the sensitive stomach, this is gritty zombie fiction.

I liked Ariel. I liked that she had a wish for something different, for a human life. The author put a good twist on this one. While the mask made her look human, she had to get someone to fall in love with her without speaking a word.

I had high hopes for Ariel. I wanted her to succeed, but it was always in the back of my mind that this was a zombie fairy tale. I didn’t know if they had happy endings.

I had a lot of fun finding out.

If you like fairy tales and zombies, you’ll like this new spin on the little mermaid.

4 Stars

**

About Kevin Richey

Kevin Richey lives and writes in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of Zombie Fairy Tales, a series of short stories set in a dark fairy tale universe plagued by zombies, and the forthcoming Unloved Ones series, a YA urban fantasy series about seven vampire siblings who have one year to reduce their family to a single member, by whatever means necessary.

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Zombie Cinderella (Zombie Fairy Tales #1) Hansel and Gretel Are Dead (Zombie Fairy Tales #2) The Zombie Pinocchio (Zombie Fairy Tales #3) Blood Red Riding Hood (Zombie Fairy Tales #4)
Beauty Is a Beast  (Zombie Fairy Tales #5) Zombie Cinderella II: The Ball (Zombie Fairy Tales #6) Revenge of the Little Match Girl (Zombie Fairy Tales #7) The Curse of Peter Pan (Zombie Fairy Tales #8)
The Little Mermaid of Death (Zombie Fairy Tales #9) The Headless Horseman (Zombie Fairy Tales #10) Skull White (Zombie Fairy Tales #11) Sleeping Beauty Wakes in Hell (Zombie Fairy Tales #12)

You can also now get the complete tales in one omnibus with a 13th tale exclusive to the set.

Zombie Fairy Tales: The Complete Collection

**

Here are the books to choose from for next week. Let me know which one I should review next!

#1

The Monster Man of Horror House

by Danny King

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Local oddball, John Coal is the town oddball. Old, crotchety, pungent and solitary, he lives in a scary old house that is almost as rundown as he and sees out his days shuffling around the streets harvesting his neighbours’ skips for scrap.

The local kids take great delight in plaguing him morning, noon and night but they’ve chosen the wrong old coot to mess with because John Coal is no ordinary man. He knows where the bodies are buried. He’s been to the outer limits. He is a keeper of dark secrets. Murder, monsters, demons and bi-polar vampires, he has seen them all and lived to tell the tale.

Now, if he is to rid himself of his woes he must dig into the deepest recesses of his past and use these terrible experiences to convince his tormentors he’s not just an old man to be pushed around.

He is John Coal – the Monster Man of Horror House.

***

#2

Spooky Short Stories

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

17311425

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Four contemporary spooky short stories:

Ghost Brother… So what happens after you die? Do you go to heaven, or hell? Or do you go to a special place fashioned just for you based on the life you’d lived in the real world? Based on how you treated people? What you did to them? And do ghosts exist? Do they roam the earth and plague the living, persuade them to do things they shouldn’t do? Two brothers and their tale follow; their journey through life and death. Do you believe in ghosts? Some do.

Running with the Train… Sarah has always been lonely. Searching for a love she’s begun to believe will never come. Her family and friends depend, need her…but they can’t give her what she wants. True, eternal love. Like the wolves have. So she goes on an adventure of a lifetime to the Grand Canyon; rides the train from Williams to the South Rim and sees these huge wolves running alongside in the evening twilight; scurrying unbelievably below on the Canyon’s ledges among the trees. She’s told there are no wolves but she hears their haunting cries. No one else sees or hears them. Just her. Has her loneliness made her crazy?

The Banshee and the Witch… What would you do to live forever, stay young forever? To find true love again? And if you were a white witch with the magical powers to make it happen…and the secret of how to do it, would you? So when the banshee comes calling for you one rainy dark night you’ll do what you have to do to get what you desire the most. More time.

Too Close to the Edge… Artist Penelope had been looking forward to going with her husband, sister and brother-in-law to see the Grand Canyon…even though she was terrified of heights and, when she got there, couldn’t bear to get too close to the edge. She watched people balancing on one foot, acting foolish, taking photos, oblivious of the death waiting below them. It scared her. Especially when a woman relates a story of a small child that fell into the Canyon the day before. Over the edge. Then she sees a young girl go over the rim and no one will believe her. For there was no child that had died–that day anyway. Was she seeing things that weren’t there, or was there another explanation?

**

#3

Cold Blood

by Donna Ansari

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

As the winter holiday season descends on New York City, vampire Emma Hammond is anticipating celebrating with Tammy and David, her witch and werewolf roommates. But when an odd Christmas ornament unleashes waves of the undead from her neighborhood graveyard, Emma finds herself as an unwilling shield between ravenous zombies and an unsuspecting city. Even worse, despite having everyday dealing with supernatural creatures, Emma finds that she has an unnatural aversion to the shambling dead, and must get to their source and stop the invasion before she’s forced to cancel her holiday party!

**

#4

Days with the Undead

by Julianne Snow

13507258

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It’s a journal of survival.

Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist.

Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass.

Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead.

~~~

So tell me. Which one should I review next?

Freakin Fridays!

Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.

Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!

Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!

Let’s have some fun!

~~

With the new year right around the corner, I’m getting ready to implement my new plans for my blog.

While I’ll still be doing my memes and posting for book tours and giveaways, I’m going to be doing a lot more reviewing.

You can help me with this. Below are the 5 books I’ll be reviewing for the 5 Fridays in January. Let me know which one you want me to review first. The book with the most votes will be my frist 2014 Freakin Fridays review.

Just leave a comment!

~~~

#1

The Monster Man of Horror House

by Danny King

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Local oddball, John Coal is the town oddball. Old, crotchety, pungent and solitary, he lives in a scary old house that is almost as rundown as he and sees out his days shuffling around the streets harvesting his neighbours’ skips for scrap.

The local kids take great delight in plaguing him morning, noon and night but they’ve chosen the wrong old coot to mess with because John Coal is no ordinary man. He knows where the bodies are buried. He’s been to the outer limits. He is a keeper of dark secrets. Murder, monsters, demons and bi-polar vampires, he has seen them all and lived to tell the tale.

Now, if he is to rid himself of his woes he must dig into the deepest recesses of his past and use these terrible experiences to convince his tormentors he’s not just an old man to be pushed around.

He is John Coal – the Monster Man of Horror House.

***

#2

The Little Mermaid of Death

by Kevin Rickey

16006731

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Tired of her life with the other swamp hags, Ariel strikes a bargain to obtain a mask so realistic she could pass for human. But can she trick anyone into marrying her before the mask deteriorates—and all without saying a word?

**

#3

 Spooky Short Stories

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

17311425

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Four contemporary spooky short stories:

Ghost Brother…
So what happens after you die? Do you go to heaven, or hell? Or do you go to a special place fashioned just for you based on the life you’d lived in the real world? Based on how you treated people? What you did to them?
And do ghosts exist? Do they roam the earth and plague the living, persuade them to do things they shouldn’t do?
Two brothers and their tale follow; their journey through life and death.
Do you believe in ghosts? Some do.

Running with the Train…
Sarah has always been lonely. Searching for a love she’s begun to believe will never come. Her family and friends depend, need her…but they can’t give her what she wants. True, eternal love. Like the wolves have.
So she goes on an adventure of a lifetime to the Grand Canyon; rides the train from Williams to the South Rim and sees these huge wolves running alongside in the evening twilight; scurrying unbelievably below on the Canyon’s ledges among the trees. She’s told there are no wolves but she hears their haunting cries. No one else sees or hears them. Just her.
Has her loneliness made her crazy?

The Banshee and the Witch…
What would you do to live forever, stay young forever? To find true love again?
And if you were a white witch with the magical powers to make it happen…and the secret of how to do it, would you?
So when the banshee comes calling for you one rainy dark night you’ll do what you have to do to get what you desire the most. More time.

Too Close to the Edge…
Artist Penelope had been looking forward to going with her husband, sister and brother-in-law to see the Grand Canyon…even though she was terrified of heights and, when she got there, couldn’t bear to get too close to the edge. She watched people balancing on one foot, acting foolish, taking photos, oblivious of the death waiting below them. It scared her.
Especially when a woman relates a story of a small child that fell into the Canyon the day before. Over the edge.
Then she sees a young girl go over the rim and no one will believe her.
For there was no child that had died–that day anyway.
Was she seeing things that weren’t there, or was there another explanation?

**

#4

Cold Blood

by Donna Ansari

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

As the winter holiday season descends on New York City, vampire Emma Hammond is anticipating celebrating with Tammy and David, her witch and werewolf roommates. But when an odd Christmas ornament unleashes waves of the undead from her neighborhood graveyard, Emma finds herself as an unwilling shield between ravenous zombies and an unsuspecting city. Even worse, despite having everyday dealing with supernatural creatures, Emma finds that she has an unnatural aversion to the shambling dead, and must get to their source and stop the invasion before she’s forced to cancel her holiday party!

**

#5

Days with the Undead

by Julianne Snow

13507258

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

It’s a journal of survival.

Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist.

Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass.

Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead.

~~~

So tell me. Which one should I review first?

DawnofApoc_CVR_SML

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Amazon

Blurb:

January 1, 2000.
May 21, 2011.
December 21, 2012

These are just a few of the days humans prophesied as bringing catastrophic events that would end the world. We predicted nuclear warfare. Drastic climate change. A call from God.

We were wrong.

Cue the gargoyle invasion—laboratory bred mutants designed to slaughter humans. When the government goes AWOL and gargoyles are swarming by the hundreds, it’s up to the citizens of the United States to regroup and save themselves.

Meet Cliff Matthews, a teenage boy separated from his entire family with the exception of his younger sister, whom he is desperate to keep alive. Along the quest to save their lives, he encounters people who aren’t all that they seem. Everyday’s a battle, but if he can’t trust his own species, where does that leave his family?

And we can’t forget the man who may be willing to sacrifice Cliff’s life, if it means world domination.

In terms of doomsday, no one could’ve seen this coming.

~~~

My Review

At first I thought this was going to be a simple story. It’s told from the point of view of Cliff, a fifteen year old boy, so I figured it would be uncomplicated. Not so.

This story has heart and well developed characters. I found myself skeptical at times about how Cliff reacted to events. Then I realized this was a young man, protecting his little sister, unsure if his parents are dead or alive, and coping the best he can. At times he seemed almost cowardly, but he wasn’t. He was just acknowledging his fear and then moving past it, becoming a brave young man.

While at the train station with his parents, his older brother, Todd, and his two young sisters, there’s a horrible explosion and Cliff loses track of his family. A mysterious girl rescues him from the fire and he’s able to locate one sister. They rush home to find his useless brother watching TV, seemingly unconcerned about the rest of the family. He did bring their other sister home, but there’s no sign of their missing parents.

When the gargoyles attack in their neighborhood, Cliff bumps into the girl who saved him at the station and along with one of his sisters, they flee.

Be prepared for lots of carnage. These gargoyles are intent on one thing only. Ripping, rending, tearing us to pieces. They don’t turn to stone in the daytime and are near impossible to destroy. Genetically engineered monstrosities bring on a bloody apocalypse.

I became very curious about Hunter. That’s the only name she gave Cliff. She seemed to pop up at opportune times. Close mouthed about herself, Hunter was a mystery to me and I wanted to know more about her.

Todd, the older brother, was a bully and an immature jerk. He heaped abuse on Cliff with gleeful malice and I looked forward to the day he met his downfall.

As these young people try to survive the horrific attacks of the gargoyles and the seeming abandonment by their government to protect them, they discover the gargoyles aren’t the only monsters they have to fear.

It’s important to me that the human dynamics play a big role in an apocalyptic story. If it’s just about what caused it, there’s no depth. How people react, whether good or bad, is true in real life and should be there in fiction.

I found myself putting the book down to take a break and picking it right back up to read a little more. The gargoyles were a nice touch to bring something different to an apocalypse and the characters kept me caring what happened.

4 Stars

~~~

View the book trailer

Excerpt

Angel’s chest was rising and falling rapidly as the gargoyles circled them silently. Hunter

had never wanted something more in her entire life than to live for another day. She

couldn’t even entertain the idea of little Angel being gobbled up by the big bad

gargoyle…

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Please, please, please, she chanted silently over and over.

She knew the type of wound a scratch had given Cliff. What type of pain would they

concur on her entire body? Would they eat her right away or save her for dinner? Would

they pluck out her limbs and eat them one by one?

Time stopped as the door creaked open. The gargoyles soundlessly cloaked themselves

back in the shadows. The stairs groaned as someone walked down the stairs without a

care in the world. Hunter could practically hear the gargoyles lick their lips.

She wanted to cry out and warn the person. But it was beyond her control.

That’s what you get for walking down the stairs so loudly. That’s what you get for

walking in the dark during a damn invasion, she reasoned. But her heart was saying

something else.

The person reached the bottom of the stairs. The gargoyles uniformly shifted through the

shadows. “Hey…” he said suspiciously.

He had realized his danger a second too late. He broke into a run, but the gargoyles

would be on him in a second. And he’d be dead.

“C’mon, sweetie.” Hunter whispered to Angel, crawling out from under the stairs.

Ignoring the cries of agony, pain, and sorrow, she raced up the stairs. The wood banged

against her ankles, but she didn’t stop. There was the cruel sound of cracking. Hunter

shielded Angel’s eyes from the scene and dared to look behind her.

The gargoyles were circled around the man. The predominantly bigger gargoyle bit his

neck. A gush of blood spewed across its face. The man’s eyes still stared at her, his

mouth formed in an O, as if he was trying to speak to her.

“I’m so sorry.” She choked.

She hurried up the steps, slamming her body into the door. The light washed over her

body, as did her relief. But her nerves did not settle.

~~~

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About the Author

Being the daughter of an accomplished author, E.S.P. grew up listening to stories and telling her own to classmates. After writing for several years and even publishing some short works, she finally decided to take the plunge to write (plus finish!)a full length novel. Thus, Dawn of the Apocalypse was born. When she’s not writing, she’s either reading books, blogging at whoistheserialreader.blogspot.com, or watching eighties movies.

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Blog Tour Giveaway

One signed copy of Dawn of the Apocalypse and a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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To see all of my giveaways click on the gargoyle below!

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