Archive for the ‘Mystery’ Category

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The story is very well-written, and the characters are realistic and likable.
~Book Babble

Full of suspense and surprises…
~Laura’s Interests

MADNESS MERCURY

The Madness of Mercury
(A Zodiac Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
New Series
Midnight Ink (June 8, 2016)
Paperback: 312 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738749129
E-Book ASIN: B01A5OGTRS

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My Review

First things first. I love cozy mysteries and as such, I was excited to find one with an astrological theme. It’s not that common, and this had me curious.

I confess I know little about astrology. I do like to read my horoscope. Yeah, I’m into that. Much of the jargon had me stumbling while reading and caused me to pause. Once I got past trying to understand all of it, I let the characters and mystery pull me in. A glossary with some definitions would have been great.

Julia Bonatti has a thriving business reading astrological charts for her clients and supplementing her income writing an advice column for the newspaper. An article Julia writes makes her the target of a cult leader, the Prophet. He sends his followers to harass her and her clients, and anyone connected to her. The local police aren’t much help. Probably thanks to the Prophet’s friends in high places.

Driven from her home, she goes to stay with her friend Dorothy. Dorothy is taking care of her two rich, elderly aunts. one of which has declining mental capacities and thinks Dorothy is trying to kill her. And then there’s the death of the grounds keeper. His death is stated to be accidental, but further digging may reveal something else.

While this is tagged as a cozy mystery, I felt it was more serious, deeper and convoluted.  Just a heads up for those cozy fans looking for the much loved and usual cozy.

I’m also big on character driven stories. There’s quite a cast of characters, and even though I didn’t feel a strong connection to many of them, I enjoyed getting acquainted, and their roles in the mystery were well played out.

You know from reading the blurb that there’s more than one mystery going on. The threads don’t tie together until the conclusion and it definitely keeps you guessing.

While not being quite the cozy mystery I was expecting and a slow start, I did enjoy this one, and I would like to read the next book. I have a feeling I’ll form a deeper connection with the characters as another mystery waits to be solved.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti’s life is turned upside down when she becomes the target of the city’s newest cult leader, Reverend Roy of the Prophet’s Tabernacle. Driven out of her apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who’s caring for two elderly aunts. One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy. To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long lost nephew arrives. The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become. Is the young man truly a member of the family? Can astrology confirm that? Julia’s not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn’t merely the messenger of the gods—he was a trickster and a liar as well.

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Author Connie di Marco

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Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries from Midnight Ink.  She was fascinated by astrology at an early age and this was the inspiration that gave birth to Julia Bonatti, San Francisco astrologer and her newspaper column Ask Zodia.  Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the Soup Lover’s Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime.  Connie lives in Los Angeles with her family and a constantly talking cat.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon –  B&N 

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Follow The Tour

May 20 – deal sharing aunt – Spotlight*

May 20 – Book Babble – Review

May 21 – Laura’s Interests – Review

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May 22 – Mystery Playground – Interview

May 23 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – Review

May 23 – fuonlyknew – Review

May 24 – Moonlight Rendezvous – Review

May 24 – Musings and Ramblings – Guest Post

May 25 – Back Porchervations – Review

May 25 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review, Guest Post

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May 26 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – Review, Interview

May 27 – The Book’s the Thing – Review

May 27 – Thoughts in Progress – Spotlight*

May 28 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Guest Post

May 29 – A Blue Million Books – Interview

May 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – Review

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June 1 – A Holland Reads – Spotlight*

June 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review

June 2 – Booklady’s Booknotes – Review, Guest Post

June 2 – Brooke Blogs – Spotlight

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Deadly Dunes

Mac McClellan Mystery #3 

by E. Michael Helms

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Genre: Mystery

My Review

Living on the beautiful Gulf Coast of Mexico, I just knew I had to read this series. I’ve read the first two books and couldn’t wait to see what kind of pickle Mac got himself into this time.

Newly retired and looking for something new, Mac landed in the Florida Panhandle. It seems he’s a magnet for trouble and inadvertently ends up in a couple of murder cases.

An encounter with the enchanting, Kate, spurs him to put down roots. A young woman insists her brother, an archaeology professor, didn’t commit suicide, but was murdered. The plot thickens when she mysteriously dies in a car accident after speaking to Mac.

As suspects crawl out from under the woodwork, the author keeps you busy sifting through the false leads to find the motive and the killer or killers.

Mac. What can I say. Retired from the military, he’s got a bark he needs to tame. His girlfriend Kate is quick to remind him he’s no longer in the military and she doesn’t take orders.

It’s never mentioned but I wonder if Mac’s a Jimmy Buffet fan. He sure feels like a fellow parrothead.

The bullets fly. There are multiple car crashes. Beer and scotch are consumed. And you’re taken on a treasure hunt. What a bounty.

I’ve become familiar with the setting for this series and it’s fun to recognize locations and land marks.

I almost forgot to mention. There’s a shiny new character you’ll be meeting. His tag is Henry the Eighth, and you’ll love him!

With lots of action, a mystery that’s not easily solved, a feeling of coming home, and character’s I’ve become quite fond of, I was kept entertained.  I’m enjoying this series and hope there is more to come.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Hours after hiring Mac McClellan to investigate the supposed suicide of her archaeologist brother, single-mom Jessie dies in a car accident. Jessie had just showed Mac artifacts and a copy of a map Jake found, items that indicate Hernando de Soto and his explorers might have camped on Five Mile Island during the winter of 1539-1540. Studying the map, Mac determines the site lies in the middle of a planned resort, The Dunes. Declaring the area an historic site could shut the project down. Suspicions aroused, he forges ahead, even though he no longer has a paying client.

Everywhere Mac turns, greed abounds, and no one he interviews seems innocent, even Jessie’s closest friends the Deckers, who have adopted her teenage daughter. Ron Decker’s construction company is building the Dunes, and he is heavily invested in its success. Then there is the oily son and ex-stripper wife of an old curmudgeon who won’t sell the one lot the project still needs to acquire. Jake’s estranged wife Laurel had plenty to gain from his death, and as Mac continues to dig, he begins to wonder if Jessie herself had more at stake than he was led to believe.

No one is happy about Mac’s persistence, and someone is unhappy enough to crash his truck and frame him for yet another murder. But Mac isn’t giving up, no matter what the cost.

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Purchase Links: eBook / Paperback

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Enjoy this glimpse inside.

During our meeting at Panama Joe’s Jessie had mention that her brother found the artifacts near the bay overlooking what appeared to be a dead forest sticking out of the water. That had to be The Stumps, and most likely the location of the Spaniards’ winter fort, if it had existed. But there was no telling how far out into the bay the small forested peninsula had extended during de Soto’s time. My guess was the main part of the fort was now under several feet of water. From my front pocket I pulled the map Jessie had given me of what during the 16th century was a seven-mile-long peninsula. I took it out of the protective ziplock bag. After studying it a minute or so I slipped in back in the bag and back in my shorts pocket.

My plan was to start inland and work my way in a crisscross pattern toward the bay. Not being familiar with the metal detector, and knowing I was looking for iron objects as well as coins, I turned the discrimination knob low and the sensitivity setting to about midrange and pressed the “All Metal” display. With those settings I’d probably come across a lot of trash, but it was my best shot at finding something worthwhile.

Sweeping the coil back and forth, I almost immediately picked up several beeps of different tones. I pinpointed the object as best I could, then dropped to a knee and pulled the garden trowel I’d borrowed from Kate from my back pocket and dug into the sand. A few seconds later I flipped up the rim of an old drink can that predated all-aluminum cans.

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The next ten or fifteen minutes produced nothing but pull tabs, rusted cans and other junk, and then the detector let out a beep different from the ones I’d been hearing. Digging down about four or five inches, I heard the trowel strike something solid and metallic. My adrenaline rushed as I lifted a coin with a trowel-full of sand. Brushing the coin clean, I saw it was an Indian Head penny in rough condition, dated either 1903 or 1908. It was no 16th century Spanish coin, but what the hell, I figured it had to be worth at least a few cents. The trip wasn’t a total loss.

The wind was picking up, and the thunder was getting louder by the minute. Deciding my chances would probably be better closer to the bay, I hurried in that direction. Jerry and I had to motor back to St. George, and I damn sure didn’t want to do it fighting a gale. About ten feet from the edge where the dunes began to slope downward to the bay the detector cut loose again. I dropped to both knees and began digging. I dug about a foot deep came up empty, so I passed the coil over the pile of sand I’d excavated to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. Nothing. I kept digging for another six or eight inches and then an object hit the pile and slid down a couple of inches. At first I thought it was an old bracelet someone had lost years ago, but on closer inspection I saw it was several small rusted oblong or circular loops linked tightly together, forming a patch-like object a couple of inches long and maybe an inch and a half wide. I had no idea what it was, but I slipped it into my pocket. You never know.

A few feet away the Bounty Hunter beeped again. Down and digging, I soon turned up a similar object, although this one was a little smaller in length. I dropped it in my pocket with the other one as a voice called out, “Hey, you!”

Oops! I turned and saw a tall lanky man with bushy hair approaching from about fifty yards away. He wore a tan shirt and trousers and a brown ball cap. It wasn’t a county sheriff’s uniform, but I had no intentions of hanging around long enough to find out who the guy worked for.

I scrambled to my feet and trotted toward the ledge as a shot rang out. The SOB was shooting at me, at least in my general direction! I hit the deck, cradling the detector in both arms and low crawled to the dune wall and went over head first. I spit out a mouthful of sand and tried to let loose a warning whistle to Jerry, but I doubt you could’ve heard it five feet away.

I turned feet-first and slid on down the slope and hit the beach running. Jerry had the boat waiting a few feet off the shoreline. I high-stepped through the shallows. Tossing the detector into the boat, I grabbed the bow and pushed for all I was worth. Jerry gunned the motor in reverse. I hung on until I managed to pull myself aboard and flop onto the deck.

“Turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!” I shouted, but Jerry was way ahead of the game. We were thirty or forty yards past the end of The Stumps when another shot rang out, barely discernable above the roar of the Merc 50. By then I was more pissed than scared, and if the Bounty Hunter was an M16 I would’ve had that chickenshit wannabe cop hugging Mother Earth for all he was worth.

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Author E. Michael Helms

Deadly Dunes Author E. Michael Helms

  1. Michael Helms grew up in Panama City, FL, on the beautiful coast of the Florida Panhandle. He played football and excelled in baseball as a catcher. Turning down a scholarship offer from the local Junior college, he joined the Marines after high school graduation. He served as a rifleman during some of the heaviest fighting of the Vietnam War until wounded three times in one day. Helms discounts it as “waking up on the wrong side of the foxhole.”

His memoir of the war, The Proud Bastards, has been called “As powerful and compelling a battlefield memoir as any ever written … a modern military classic,” and remains in print after 25 years.

The Private War of Corporal Henson, a semi-autobiographical fictional sequel to The Proud Bastards, was published in August 2014.

A long-time Civil War buff, he is also the author of the historical saga, Of Blood and Brothers.

Seeking a respite from writing about war, Helms decided to give mysteries a try. The first novel of his Mac McClellan Mystery series, Deadly Catch, was published in November 2013 and was named Library Journal’s “Debut Mystery of the Month.” The second Mac McClellan Mystery, Deadly Ruse, premiered in November 2014. It won the 2015 RONE Award for “Best Mystery.” Deadly Dunes was published in March 2016 by Camel Press. Deadly Spirits is scheduled for release in January 2017.

With his wife, Karen, Helms now lives in the Upstate region of South Carolina in the shadow of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. He enjoys playing guitar, hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing, and is an avid birdwatcher. He continues to listen as Mac McClellan dictates his latest adventures in his mystery series.

Represented by Fred Tribuzzo, The Rudy agency.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter / Amazon / Google +

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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I’m sure many of you will recognize author Michael Hebler from my review posts of his Chupacabra series.

This year he’s written a new novella in a whole other genre and I’m thrilled to share lots of news about it.

Check out The Ghost Of Christmas Past.

Enjoy all of the exciting news about Michael’s new release.

Watch his Q&A.

And learn how you can get an early copy.

Release date currently scheduled for September 27th, 2016.

And read to the end for some more exciting news!

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The Ghost Of Christmas Past

A Novella

by Michael Hebler

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My Review

The title probably has you thinking this a retelling. Wait, though. It may start that way, but very quickly the author steers you in another direction. The focus shifts from the person being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past to the ghost itself.

In order to save lost souls, the ghost needs its light to guide them. When the light is lost, the ghost must now go on a journey of its own. Go into the past and discover who it once was and regain its light to save Christmas.

In many places written in prose similar to Charles Dickens, it reads like a classic. As the characters are introduced, past and present, their lives deepen the story, and it tempted to skip ahead to see their stories conclusions. I resisted though.

For me to enjoy a story, I require strong, genuine characters who’s welfare means something to me. They need to have flaws, and I don’t have to like all of them or approve of what they do. But, they need to be believable and the author needs to keep them true to their personalities.

Michael’s characters could walk off the pages. I tried to picture them in my head from his descriptions and they came to life. Once that happened, I couldn’t put the book down.

I’ve read Michael’s Chupacabra thrillers and very much enjoyed them so I was curious about reading a story in a different genre.

Strong writing and atmospheric detail made this a fulfilling read and I enjoyed the direction the author chose with his tale.

The Ghost Of Christmas Past gets my highest recommendation for all readers.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Based on Charles Dickens’ character of the same name, the first of three spirits from A Christmas Carol is the center of its own story when taken on a spiritual journey to find meaning for its existence.

The Ghost of Christmas Past has had its fire extinguished.  Lost souls cannot find their way to righteousness without the Spirit’s luminescence to guide them through their shadowed memories.  To rekindle its flame, the Ghost of Christmas Past must journey back to a life long forgotten.  Guided by the Christmas Angel, the Spirit braves witness to how it lived as a boy in life, and learns what will become of Christmas should it fail.

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Intended Audience

The Ghost of Christmas Past is unique.  The novella has appeal to readers of all ages, nationalities, and gender. Thanks to Mr. Charles Dickens, the main character name, Ghost of Christmas Past, is already as recognizable as Mickey Mouse, and the general population has shown remarkable interest in learning the backstories of supporting characters from popular works of fiction.  The most notable example would be the novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire, the backstory of the witches from Oz. The Ghost of Christmas Past will appeal to fans of drama, mystery, fantasy, Literary Fiction, the supernatural, and Christianity.

Like A Christmas Carol, The Ghost of Christmas Past is not heavily religious but a story based around a Christian holiday.  In 2014, more than 52 million religious books sold in the U.S., representing an increase of over 10.5% from the previous year. (Nielsen.com: Focusing On Our Strengths: Insights into the Christian Book Market)

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Check out this exciting news from Michael.

Never heard of Publishizer?  Well, until a month ago, neither had I.
It was then that I was personally contacted by the company’s team mentor.  He had seen that my novel, Night of the Chupacabra, had won an award and asked if I would be releasing another book any time soon.
“As a matter of fact, Yes,” I replied.
The mentor, Lee, then explained what Publishizer was about, how long the site had been live, and how it differed from other crowdfunding sites.  Now before I continue, please note that I have no financial obligation or monetary interest in Publishizer beyond what I hope to achieve with my proposal for The Ghost of Christmas Past.
Essentially, Publishizer is a lot like Kickstarter or Go Fund Me, but for books only.  They do not have to be newly released titles, but unpublished books are preferred.  Publishizer went live about one year ago, and categorizes its proposals from non-fiction to a select number of genres.  The simple formula Publishizer uses should be very familiar to anyone who has visited a top crowdfunding site: you donate money to help propel a project to success, and for your donation, you receive exclusive rewards that vary by the amount you donate (and trust me, I have some offerings that are very exclusive).
Upon learning of Publishizer, there were two distinctions about the service that had me sold.  As any of my fellow authors can attest, when a book is pre-ordered, the feeling is akin to winning the lottery.  Not only is someone interested in your story enough to purchase an advance copy, but they trust you as an author, which is priceless.  Any donation made on Publishizer typically includes the reward of a pre-order (however, this is up to the author, though a popular choice).  The second big perk Publishizer offers it’s authors comes at the end of your campaign if you achieve your set pre-order goal.  Publishizer will blast your achievement to multiple publishers, demonstrating the amount of interest your title has accumulated.  And if you reach at least 500 pre-orders, you’ll be blasted to the Big 5.  I took it upon myself to investigate this aspect before joining and was surprised by how many titles were in a bidding war between at least two publishers.
For those solely interested in staying independent from publishing companies, you may not think the blast to publishing houses isn’t important. But how awesome would it be to have that kind of attention for your work? That’s about where I stand. I will never say “never” to a contract, but my previous works have done impressively well (thanks to honest reviewers and book bloggers like our dear friend, Laura) and I wouldn’t mind continuing on as an indie author/publisher.
So, please, if I stirred your curiosity about Publishizer, put your mind at rest by visiting their site.  And while you’re there, please help participate in making history by supporting The Ghost of Christmas Past between March 29 and April 30, 2016.  At the very least, you’ll receive a copy at the retailer rate of $5 for eBook and have it one month early.
“God Bless Us, Everyone!”

Click on the link below to learn more.

The Ghost Of Christmas Past on Publishizer

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Something more from Michael!

For anyone who subscribes to my newsletter at http://www.michaelhebler.com/ , they will receive a free PDF copy of Night of the Chupacabra (Book I).
Simply visit the page. In about 10 seconds, a pop up to subscribe appears. Then subscribe with your email, which will then take you to the download page. Simple as that.

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And some more news!

Michael has a new story releasing soon!

Let me show you!

What Adam Wants

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Synopsis

Losing a child at birth is difficult, but not as difficult as when that child refuses to leave.

Days after losing her child while giving birth, Rachel, and her estranged husband, David, are haunted by the incessant cries of a baby. It is their baby, Adam, and he wants something from Rachel… something deadly.

Amazon

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Author Michael Hebler

Michael Hebler

Prior to becoming an award-winning author of his dark fiction Chupacabra Series, Michael was a full-time international film publicist who had worked on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, and the 2013 Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Language Film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty).

Born in the early 1970’s in Los Angeles County to a salesman and homemaker, Michael dreamed of following his passions for entertainment and storytelling by acting. It was while studying theatre arts at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, did he realize his penchant for stories were better suited on the page rather than the stage. But creating tales with suspense, laughter, and heart is not Michael’s only love. Hebler also enjoys volunteering in his local community, as well as aid in the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.

To date, Michael’s publications include NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE CHUPACABRA, and LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA (Books I, II, & III of the six-part Chupacabra Series) as well as his first publication, THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age. Michael’s fourth book in the Chupacabra Series, DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA will be available in print and for ebook on October 13, 2015.
Michael currently resides in Southwest Florida.
Author Links:
Email:

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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Wishing Stone

Having read several books by Tegon Maus, I’m thrilled to have him back on my blog and bursting with excitement to tell you about his series, The Eve Project.

Come on in. Browse for a spell.

The Wishing Stone has a special sale price of 99 cents for a limited time. Get your copy HERE.

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

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The Wishing Stone

The Eve Project #2

by Tegon Maus

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Publisher:  Tirgearr Publishing (August 10, 2014)
Category: Mystery, Soft Science Fiction, Technothriller, Humor, Quirky
ASIN:  B00MMQYLPU
Tour Date: Feb/Mar, 2016
Available in: ebook, 151 Pages

My Review

Welcome to Ben’s world. Where machines short out and go up in flames in his presence. He has this thing called Bio-Chemical Electrical Discharge, B.C.E.D., a real condition. He gives off electrical discharges that cause machines to go haywire. Ben’s brother-in-law, Roger, put together some inhibitors, but they are no longer helping.

Enter Warwick, an institute filled with zany geniuses, scientists of all shapes and sizes. Here’s where Roger claims he can help Ben. And here’s where the conspiracy and lunacy take place.

You know those books you glance at but never pick up? You don’t know the author, or the cover or genre might not grab ya? You might want to slow down and pick one of them up, give it a try. That’s what I did with Tegon Maus. And boy did I get some great reading.

Having read Bob and currently reading Service Before Self, I fell in love with Tegon’s humor, his ability to suck me into his stories quickly, and the wildly diverse cast of characters he comes up.

I especially enjoy the humor. I anticipate it with each turn of the page. While the first book in this series, Machines of the Little People, gave me some, I got a whole lot more in this one.

I actually got a whole lot more of everything. More conspiracy, more science fiction, more mystery. And more new characters.

I often wonder where Tegon’s characters come from. Ben has three new friends at Warwick and I loved them.

Digby, Marcie, and Peterson are a hoot. They actually believe Ben has X-ray vision and see through their clothes. More of that Tegon humor.

You’ll get a deeper story about Ben and Roger here too. Roger tests Ben’s friendship. He’s deep into his inventions and losing his humanity. While Ben is seeing a side of Roger that scares him.

I wouldn’t recommend you reading this without having read the first book. To get the whole experience you need to meet these characters and enter their world from the beginning.

Remember what I told you, don’t judge or a book by its cover or genre. You never now what gem you might be missing.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

During that last summer, as if in punishment for being happy, Kate was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

The last time we used the wishing stone was at the hospital the morning she died.

On that day, all three of us made a silent wish, certain the others had wished the same. Kate died that afternoon and I never thought about it again. It was the last time I believed in magic, in love or in the existence of God.

Then, after three miserable lonely years, the unthinkable, a second chance . . . Warwick.

Amazon

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Praise for The Wishing Stone (The Eve Project – Book 2)

“More great Sci-Fi adventure from Tegon Maus. He doesn’t just give us a good Sci-Fi story. He gives us a story with great characters and a unique story and is able to include many other genres in his Sci-Fi stories. Comedy, drama and action.  Let’s pray for a book three in the series.”-Erik Nelson, Author ‘Unlawful Protection’

“This is a great science fiction story, which follows on nicely from The Eve Project: Book 1, Machines of the Little People, however could easily be read as a stand-alone.
It has it all for science fiction fans, top secret scientific projects, a great storyline, twists and turns round every corner, yet, at its very core lies, dare I say it, a love story.
It has a great finish, however, at the end, all I wanted to know from the author – is there is another book in the series coming?  I hope so”-Susan Keefe, Author ‘Toby’s Tales’ Series

“I enjoyed The Wishing Stone even more than the first book, even though, again, it’s not my usual read. I really liked the eccentric scientist characters Ben meets at Warwick, and as with book one, Tegon Maus did a great job of keeping me guessing what was really going on right to the very end. I look forward to finding out what book 3 has in store!”-Nick Stead, Author ‘Hybrid’

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Machines of the Little People

The Eve Project #1

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My Review

I’ve read other books by Tegon Maus so I knew one thing for sure, you never know what you’re going to get with his stories.

So the story goes…Ben’s sister died of cancer and her husband, Roger, Ben’s best friend, up and vanishes, not even attending his own wife’s funeral.

Needless to say, that puts a strain on their friendship. Even more so when Roger reappears with a new wife, a carbon copy of his old one, and he’s acting all wiggy. Claims there are little people, calls them Katoy, living under his house, running strange machines.

Things go further south when Roger’s new wife is found murdered and he has vanished again.

So many characters in this story, it’s hard to choose a favorite, but I’d go with Ben. He has this thing called B.C.E.D., or Bio-Chemical Electrical Discharge. He makes electronics go haywire. He has his car, Margaret, specially shielded, but still has problems with her.

There’s some fun scenes because of his condition. People even close their doors when he approaches, not wanting their equipment to short out or burn up. This is where some of the authors trademark humor appears.

There’s a couple of old ladies that had me in stitches. One’s a psychic, and copious drinking is needed for her to use her ability. Nothing like some old birdies deep in their cups. LOL

As I’m huge on character driven stories, Tegon never fails to give me plenty to keep me entertained. Where he came up with the Katoy is a mystery in itself. Perhaps he sat down with those little old ladies.

I’d tag this a science fiction mystery with heavy doses of humor.

Seeing this is a series, I wanted to ease your anxiety. The author wraps up the mystery. There’s no cliff hanger. But there’s still plenty to be carried on in the next book. Looking forward to it.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Amazon

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Praise for Machines of the Little People (The Eve Project – Book 1)

“The plot is unique, I must say that I haven’t read a Sci Fi book so original in a long time. It has everything, mystery, suspense, romance, eccentric characters, conspiracy theories, and of course the little people with their machines!
Crazy, Wild, Excellent Written. Highly Recommended!!!”- Julia Damatto, Romorror Fan Girl

“the real joy of this book is not the plot itself. The real joy is the way in which Maus keeps his readers constantly off guard, stringing them along for pages before flipping the situation on its head and forcing readers to reevaluate whatever they thought they knew. Normally, that just pisses me off, but the way Maus manipulates his readers makes us squeal with delight at every turn. There is an energy to his novels, a sense of urgency tinged with wonder. We trust that wherever he takes us–and it won’t be somewhere we expect–it will be an adventure in the truest sense of the word.
And then we have the characters. At the end of the day, it’s the characters that make a Maus book what it is.
Definitely recommended for anyone who just wants a cracking good story. “-Jonathan Cook, Author ‘Youth and Other Fictions’

“Anyone who loves a good science fiction/fantasy story would have a hard time putting this one down.”- Lisa Binion, Author ‘Softly and Tenderley’

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About Tegon Maus

Tegon Maus

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

The first thing he can remember writing was for her. For the life of him he can’t remember what it was about… something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married him shortly after that. He spent a good number  of years chasing other dreams before he got back to writing.

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

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

He has consistently placed in the top 3 in 189 writing contest in a variety of genres and has been featured in magazines a couple of times to raise money for Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Tegon Maus Website / Author on Tirgearr Website

Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Google +

Purchase Links for Wishing Stone

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

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I have one eBook copy of Wishing Stone to give away. (Open Internationally) 

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

“If someone told you they’d seen an alien, would you believe them, or have you encountered one yourself?”

Giveaway ends March 23rd.

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Follow the tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Feb 15 Review & Giveaway

Second Book to the Right Feb 16 Excerpt & Giveaway

Father, Writer, Logistical Wizard Feb 17 Review & Excerpt

The Libromaniac & Bad Case of Libromaniac Feb 18 Review & Interview

Pomegranate Radio Feb 19 Podcast Review

Inspire to Read Feb 22  Review

Books, Books, and More Books Feb 23 Review

Christy’s Cozy Corners Mar 1 Review & Giveaway

Deal Sharing Aunt Mar 3 Interview

INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS Mar 10 Excerpt

fuonlyknew Mar 14 Review & Giveaway

Lisa’s Writopia Mar 17 Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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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.

Get your scare on!

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For today I’ll be sharing

Ellie Jordan: Ghost Trapper

Cold Shadows

Book Two

by J. L. Bryan

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My Review

It’s time for Ellie to get back to ghost trapping. She’s got a nasty new case. Looks like it might be a poltergeist.

The family is experiencing loud noises, objects getting thrown around, toys playing by themselves.

There is a young lady in the house and that’s usually where a poltergeist comes from. All that teen angst. And she’s got a lot of it. But their younger son is experiencing some odd things too. Imaginary friends that are causing him to slowly withdraw from the family.

If it’s a poltergeist, it’s like nothing they’ve heard of before. Seems to be more powerful and have its own agenda.Things get more violent, and Ellie comes under attack. It’s time to trap this entity before some gets seriously hurt or dies.

Ellie’s new assistant Stacey, is coming along nicely. She may spend most of her time in their van outside, monitoring the cameras, but she’s ready at the drop of a hat to rush in when Ellie gets in trouble. Which she does when she tries to tackle whatever entity is attacking the family.

I like Stacey’s sense of humor. She’s always trying to put her own name to occurrences. And she never cuts Ellie any slack about her love life, or lack of.

Ellis is getting more confident as she gains experience. She’s a great researcher and not afraid to try a new angle when an entity defies capture.

There’s mention again of Ellie’s parents, teasers about how they died and by who or what’s hands. I hope we get that story somewhere in this series.

This was another gripping ghost tale and it had a gothic feel to it. I could see the house, scary even in the daylight. Feel the heavy, malevolent atmosphere inside. And I think I was more scared than Ellie when things got really violent.

The title for this series may have you thinking of the movie Ghostbusters. You might expect it to be all fun and filled with ecto spewing ghosts. There may be some of that, but these are darker, more developed hauntings, fraught with danger. Watch your step is what I say.

If you like ghost stories that make you jump at sudden noises, keep you looking at those shadows that move out of the corner of your eye, and sleep with the light on, I recommend you give this series a read. Keep a torch handy in case the electricity goes out.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Footsteps in the attic. Toys that play by themselves. A dark presence in an upstairs room.

Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan faces a difficult new case. Her new clients are a family haunted by multiple ghosts and a poltergeist that wrecks their home at night. Their seven-year-old son’s invisible friends may not be imaginary at all, but the restless spirits of dead children.

To clear her clients’ house of the dangerous entities, Ellie must unravel the mysterious deaths of another family who lived in the old mansion more than a hundred and sixty years ago—and she must do it before the ghosts can carry out their malevolent designs on her clients and their children.

AMAZON

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Ellie Jordan: Ghost Trapper

The Crawling Darkness

Book Three

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My Review

I’m not sure why I didn’t notice it before, but checking out the titles to the books in this series, I noticed how cleverly they revealed hints about what’s waiting in the haunted pages inside.

There’s something nasty haunting the apartment house. One that Ellie and her boss, Calvin, have come up against before, and lost.

I’ve always been curious about how Calvin ended up in a wheelchair. I knew it had something to do with trapping ghosts and being attacked. The house they are investigating abuts another property. One with an abandoned, boarded up house. It just so happens, that’s where the attack occurred. Could this be the same entity? Could it have just moved to the next inhabited house? And is it appearing at the other houses that connect to the property?

Whatever it is, it seems to be drawn to the children. Feeds off of their fear. And if you get in its way, the consequences are very bad.

The creeping darkness reminded of the thing in the movie Babadook. You don’t see it clearly. It hides in the shadows, sneaking around, crawling on ceilings and along banisters. Slipping under doors and vanishing. How do you fight something like that?

Something fun is happening in this series too. Stacey and Jacob, the psychic they use in some of their cases, are dating. And one of the residents in the haunted apartments happens to be a hunky fireman, and he’s single. Could this be the end of Ellie’s sadly lacking love life? We’ll see.

I’ve got to hand it to the author. It takes a lot to give me the creeps, and the entities he’s thrown at me in this series have me rethinking ever stepping foot in anything with even a remote possibility of being haunted. Scary good it is. And I can’t imagine what he’ll spook me with next.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Ghost removal specialist Ellie Jordan must face a dangerous, shape-shifting entity that she and Calvin have encountered once before, with tragic results. The spirit has the power to reach into the minds of living and feed on their fears, taking the shape of their worst nightmares, and it has awoken in search of new victims.

Now Ellie must try to succeed where she and her mentor failed before, and try to defeat the twisted and powerful old ghost before it can claim another soul for its collection.

AMAZON

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I reviewed the first book some time ago and want to share it today.

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper
(Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #1) by J.L Bryan
Genre:  Paranormal Mystery / Horror
 
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 My Review

The first thing I noticed about this book was the story takes place in Georgia. It’s supposed to be one of the most haunted cities in the south, steeped in dark stories. It’s the perfect setting.

You’ve read the blurb so you know this is about a haunted house. So I’m going to introduce you to the ghost trappers from Eckhart Investigations instead of telling you what you already know.

Retired Homicide Detective Calvin Eckhart is the owner and boss man. He needed something to do with all of those empty days and  it was an easy decision to start investigating hauntings as he had a keen interest in the supernatural.

Since he’s confined to a wheelchair and not getting any younger, he hires Ellie James to do the work for him. To determine if there is, in fact, a haunting, and then take care of that pesky ghost.

Ellie Jordan, head ghost trapper. Her job is to determine if a house is haunted, and either to get the ghost to vacate, or trap it and dispose of it in a safe place.

She’s my favorite character. Smart, determined, and gutsy, she goes places I’d never dream of entering.

But even she is terrified as the ghost turns out to be many ghosts, and the danger escalates into the physical realm.

Stacey is the newbie. Eckhart didn’t like Ellie going into a haunting investigation alone. It could be very dangerous. Stacey always had an interest in ghosts, and really wants to meet one up close. She helps set up the video equipment and monitored the cameras from outside in a van. She’s in contact with Ellie, and helps to pinpoint where a ghost might be lingering. Her enthusiasm is fun and addictive. I doubt she’ll be so eager to see a ghost after this job.

Jacob Weiss is thrust upon Ellie by the boss. Eckhart insists a psychic could be beneficial. Jacob is one of only a few survivors of a horrible plane crash and now can contact ghosts. He comes into the story closer to the end so I didn’t get to know him very well, but as this is a series, I hope to see more of him. He did come in handy though, so Eckhart was wise to use him.

Finally, the hauntees, the Treadwell family, consisting of Dale, Anna, and their young daughter Lexa. They bought a rundown mansion in an out of the way place. The only other structures on the street are some derelict warehouses and factories. They have big plans to renovate the house and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Dale came up with a great idea. They could add a sports lounge for the men, complete with a huge flat screen TV to watch the games, and plenty of beer. That would make it appealing to the husbands while the quiet holiday appealed to the wives. It’s really a good idea.

There’s just one little hitch. The house came with a ghost, a very expressive ghost. It wants just one thing…for them to vacate the premises, now!

I’d tell you about the ghosts but that would be telling you the story. I can tell you this. I don’t think I’ve experienced such an intense, nail-biting, scene as the one when these characters enter the house for the final event. If it was a movie, I’d have been peeking through my fingers.  Horror doesn’t always come with a happy outcome, so all of them were fair game to die a grisly death. That kept me reading, eyes zipping from word to word, hoping for the best and fearing the worst. I was breathless afterwards and my shoulders ached from the tension.

The author nailed it with his characters. Each almost immediately became familiar.

His ghosts were terrifying.

The plot was fun and scary and your quickly immersed in it.

And this is book one in the series, so read it now. That way you’ll be ready for the next one.

5 Stars

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This counts towards my Horror Reading Challenge.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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iRead Website new logo

I’ve read books in a couple different series by Lauren Carr and always loved her characters, human and furred. I’m hapy to share my review of her newest release in the Mac Faraday Mystery Series.

Scroll down and check out the goods.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Cancelled Vows

by Lauren Carr

Cancelled Vows

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My Review

So here we are again. Back with the gang. And another wedding is looming.  Only one problem. The groom just found out he’s still married to his first wife. Oops.

I’ve read several books in this series and, since I’ve missed one here or there, I can’t share too much about the events going on without spoiling the other books for you.

All of my favorite characters make appearances. Some are brief cameos. One in particular, a bad/good assassin, was a nice surprise.

And the pets are back too. These characters view their furry companions as members of the family. Even the giant tarantula. Gnarly, a German Shepherd, has a prominent role in this book. He’s such a rascal. You don’t dare turn your back on a morsel, or it’ll magically disappear and Gnarly will be looking at you with innocent eyes and a wagging tail.

Lots of hopping back and forth from one side of the country to the other keeps the action escalated and solving the mystery elusive.

And you’ll love the ending. I’m still grinning.

Even though I’ve jumped around in this series and missed some books, it was easy to jump back in as each book has different mysteries and characters to focus on. There’s also a list of the characters with a short bio in the beginning of the book to refresh your memory.

Another page turner in the series. And I’ll be ready for the next one.

5 Stars

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Book Synopsis

Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can tie the knot—divorce his first wife!

Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend—and he’s got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!

​Buy the book here:  Amazon

Author Lauren Carr

cancelled vows Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~   Facebook

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour for more exciting posts.

Feb 1 –   Rockin’ Book Reviews – review / author interview / giveaway

Feb 2 –   Working Mommy Journal – review / giveaway

Feb 2 –   Bab’s Book Bistro – review / guest post / giveaway

Feb 3 –   T’s Stuff – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

​Feb 3 –   Readers’ Muse – review / guest post

Feb 4 –   Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine – review

Feb 5 –   #redhead.with.book – book spotlight / giveaway

Feb 5 –   Bound 4 Escape – review / giveaway

Feb 8 –   A Blue Million Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Feb 8 –   Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine – author interview

Feb 9 –   A Mama’s Corner of the World – review / giveaway

Feb 9 –   Laura Fabiani – Amazon.ca Top 500 Reviewer – review

Feb 10 – Book Reviews Nature Photos and everything in between – review

Feb 10 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – book spotlight / guest post

Feb 11 – Vic’s Media Room – review

Feb 11 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – review / giveaway

Feb 12 – The Autistic Gamer – review

Feb 15 – Library of Clean Reads – review / giveaway

​Feb 15 – Sahar’s Blog – review

Feb 16 – Christa Reads and Writes – review

Feb 16 – Olio by Marilyn – review / guest post

Feb 17 – A Bookaholic Blog – review / author interview

Feb 18 – fundinmental – review / author interview / giveaway

Feb 19 – The World As I See It – review / giveaway

Feb 22 – Nighttime Reading Center – review / giveaway

Feb 23 – Heidi’s Wanderings – review / giveaway

Feb 24 – fuonlyknew – review / giveaway

​Feb 24 – Pause for Tales – review / author interview

Feb 25 – Allthingsbookie – review / giveaway

Feb 26 – Misty103@HubPages – review / author interview

Feb 29 – Jessica Cassidy – review / author interview / giveaway

​Feb 29 – Melina’s Book Blog – review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing my review of

The Grownup

by Gillian Flynn

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My Review

After reading and loving all of the twisted mystery in Gone Girl, I was thrilled to win this wicked little ghost story by Gillian Flynn in a giveaway.

You never learn the name of the narrator. Her story is sad, her job a dirty one, and you can’t blame her when she tries to break away from it. What’s a little harmless fraud. No real victims. Or so she thinks.

She jumps at the chance to help Susan, a rich, desperate woman, with claims of a horrible haunting at her Victorian mansion. Our narrator walks into something she couldn’t imagine in her worst nightmares.

I was shocked right from the beginning. This author doesn’t fail to grab you by the shirt and pull you right into the story. She has you thinking a character deserves sympathy, can be trusted. Then she drops little bombs and has you backtracking, rethinking your feelings.

At just over 60 pages, I was thrilled with how well executed this taut little horror went.  The mystery of what is really going on sets you back on your heels. The creep factor is off the scales. And you’ll never see the ending coming.

Reminded me of an episode I watched on Twilight Zone.

A great nibble of twisted mystery to tide you over between Gillian’s novels.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the “psychic” visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan’s terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan’s teenage stepson, doesn’t help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it.

AMAZON

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This counts towards my Horror Reading Challenge.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Proposals and Poison

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Proposals and Poison, Wedding Planner Mysteries book #3 Rachelle J. Christensen

“Cozy mystery meets romantic comedy in this fabulous, fast-paced story.”
Cami Checketts author of The Resilient One, A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance

Love can be a very dangerous thing.
At least it seems that way to Adri Pyper, the premier wedding planner in Sun Valley, Idaho. When one of her clients dies mysteriously, Adri takes the advice of the local detective and swears she will stay out of the investigation . . . this time. Luke Stetson’s involvement in the case, along with the possibility of a kiss between the two, should be enough incentive to keep Adri out of trouble. But when a dog-themed wedding is almost ruined by a suspect, Adri and her assistant, Lorea, are thrust into private eye mode. When poison enters the picture, even a reluctant sleuth can’t steer clear of danger.

Amazon Pre-order

“Packed with danger and romance, intrigue and entertainment, Rachelle Christensen’s Wedding Planner series is romantic suspense that will keep you turning pages late into the night!”
–Maria Hoagland, Author of The ReModel Marriage (Romance Renovations series)

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RachelleAuthor Rachelle J. Christensen
Rachelle is a mother of five who writes mystery/suspense, nonfiction, and women’s fiction. She solves the case of the missing shoe on a daily basis. She enjoys raising chickens and laughing with her husband. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology and a minor in music.
Rachelle is the award-winning author of ten books, including The Soldier’s Bride (a Kindle Scout Selection), Wrong Number, Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things, What Every 6th Grader Needs to Know, and Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology. Her novella, “Silver Cascade Secrets,” was included in the Rone Award–winning Timeless Romance Anthology, Fall Collection.

Rachelle has a VIP mailing list where all subscribers get access to free books, guides, and other resources. Sign up now to hear what exciting news Rachelle has to share. http://eepurl.com/eFD3o

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Diamond ringsVeils and Vengeance

Series endorsements
“Mystery, suspense, murder and romance all intriguingly tied together in one very fun walk-down-the-aisle cozy mystery!”—Shauna Wheelwright, reviewer

“I love a great mystery that keeps my interest and keeps the pages turning. I loved the Hawaiian setting, that was a character on its own. As the story progressed, I enjoyed where the author went with the mystery, doing a perfect job of planting the right amount of seeds to try to throw me off the trail of who the killer was.”—Mindy Holt, reviewer

 

Giveaway Details

$25 cash giveaway plus an ebook bundle of the Wedding Planner Mystery Books 1 & 2. (gifted via Amazon)

Ends 3/3/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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BURNING HEAT
By David Burnsworth

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Burning Heat
Publisher: Five Star Publishing (January 20, 2016)
Hardcover: 286 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1432831110

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My Review

Having read the first book, Southern Heat, and really liked the characters, I couldn’t wait to meet them again and see what calamity they fell into this time.

Let me introduce you to the main character, Brack Preston. He’s an Afghanistan War veteran, a man of independent means after inheriting his uncles estate, which includes a little cottage with a million dollar view of the ocean and a ramshackle bar, the Pirate’s Cove. His best and most loyal companion is his dog, Shelby. Next is his friend Mutt, owner of a rundown bar in the bad part of Charleston.  You’ll also get to know Brother Thomas, a preacher as big as a grizzly with the heart of a teddy bear, until you get him riled up.

There’s also Darcy Coates, a reporter and friend who helped solve his uncles murder and took a bullet for it. Her and Brack do a two step around their feelings. Maybe this time we’ll see where that goes.

From the gritty digs of poverty to the glitz of affluence, Brack butts heads, stirs up several hornet’s nests, and dodges bullet.

He can’t walk away when a girl takes a bullet for him. Especially when her body disappears. Brother Thomas asks him to dig into it, and along with Mutt, Darcy, and a few old and new friends, you get dragged along, thrown in front of bullets, enter neighborhoods the police won’t even venture into, and race around in some very expensive cars.

What charms me with both of these books is Brack’s affection for his dog, Shelby. When things get dicey, he has one person he trusts to take care of the dog. And he always finds time to spend with him until it’s safe to bring him home again. Friends say Shelby is his chick magnet. I can see that.

There’s more than one plot in this story. Someone is trying to kill Brack. Someone is always trying to do that, it seems. And his bar is being sabotaged.

As you get closer to the end of the book, it all comes together. And I was truly surprised by the actual killer. The character never stood out and the motive was as old as time. Should have thought of that.

Another winner in this series and I can only hope it continues.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

As darkness blankets the holy city of Charleston, South Carolina, Brack Pelton, an Afghanistan War veteran, steps out of a rundown bar after a long night. Before he gets to his truck, he finds himself in the middle of a domestic dispute between a man and a woman on the sidewalk. When a little girl joins the couple and gets hit by the man, Brack intervenes and takes him down. But the abuser isn’t finished. He pulls a gun and shoots the woman. Brack saves the little girl, but his world has just been rocked. Again.

The next day, while sitting on a barstool in the Pirate’s Cove on the Isle of Palms, his own bar, Brack scans the local paper. The news headline reads: Burned Body of Unidentified Hispanic Man Found at Construction Site. Nothing about a dead woman in the poor section of town. Brack feels a tap on his shoulder and turns around to see an eight-year-old girl standing behind him. She’s the little girl he rescued the night before, and she wants him to look into her sister’s shooting.

Violence and danger make up Brack’s not-too-distant past. Part of him craves it–needs it. And that part has just been fed. Things are about to heat up again in the lowcountry. May God have mercy on the souls who get in the way.

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About This Author

David Burnsworth became fascinated with the Deep South at a young age. After a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen years in the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. Southern Heat is his first mystery. Having lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for five years, the setting was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife along with their dog call South Carolina home.

Author Links:

Webpage / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon               B&N 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Participants

February 10 – Back Porchervations – Review

February 11 – A Blue Million Books – Character Interview

February 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Author Interview

February 13 – Lori’s Reading Corner – Author Guest Post

February 14 – 3 Partners in Shopping; Nana, Mommy, &; Sissy too!  – Review

February 15 – Tea and A Book – Review

February 16 – fuonlyknew – Review

February 17 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review

February 17 – Shelley’s Book Case -Review

February 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review  

February 19 – Editing Pen – Author Guest Post

February 20 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Character Guest Post

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Gone by Midnight
by Joyce and Jim Lavene

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Gone by Midnight
Genre – Cozy Mystery
Print Length: 149 pages
Publisher: J. Lavene (February 2, 2016)
ASIN: B019AJC1XU
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My Review

How fun. A bunch of short stories from two of my favorite cozy mystery authors. I’ve had plans to read all of their books from every series and I’m working on that. Then these new ones pop up and I have to read them immediately. LOL

What’s a cozy without some quirky characters and a dead body or two. Plenty of that here.

And there’s even some elements of fantasy, paranormal. How cool is that!

I won’t play favorites in this collection but some stood out more than others. Especially those paranormal ones. Love a good ghost tale.

If you’ve not read these authors before, this is a good taste of their writing. Be forewarned, you won’t be able to stop at these.

And for those who’ve read Joyce and Jim’s cozies before, you’ll gobble up these short treats. New and old characters abound, many you’ll recognize. And all of them are fast and fun reads.

Grab your copy. Start from the beginning, or hop around and start anywhere. It’s all good fun from these wonderful authors.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Fans of Joyce and Jim Lavene will thrill at this collection of thirteen short stories—many are set in the worlds of their national bestselling mystery series, including the Missing Pieces Mysteries, the Renaissance Faire Mysteries, the Retired Witches Mysteries, and an upcoming mystery novel!

These stories contain the elements of mystery and fantasy the Lavenes are famous for, as well as some new things their readers have never seen. Several stories feature characters interacting with ghosts, magic, and the supernatural—the healing woman in “Courtship;” the Civil War widow in “One with the Darkness;” the city girl who summons a wizard from the past in “The Magician and the Sorceress/Accountant;” and the young introvert in “Aunt Edna” who finds her calling with help from a ghostly visitor.

Poignant, charming, and captivating, Joyce and Jim Lavene bring their characteristic wit and heart to these stories and introduce each one with a passage about its origin or how it ties into the universe they’ve created. Gone by Midnight is a treasury of tales that will delight the mind and touch the heart from one of the most prolific writing duos of our time.

Authors Joyce and Jim Lavene

joycejim

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.

Website / Facebook / Amazon / Twitter

Purchase link: Amazon

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Tour Participants

February 5 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

February 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

February 7 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 8 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

February 10 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

February 11 – fuonlyknew – REVIEW

February 12 – Lisa Ks  book Reviews – REVIEW

February 13 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

February 14 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 15 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

February 16 – Booklady’s Booknotes – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 17 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

February 18 – Tea and A Book – REVIEW

February 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Counts toward my Cruisin Through The Cozies Challenge and Alphabet Soup Challenge.

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