Archive for the ‘Mystery’ Category

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Welcome to my stop on the Tour for The Temporary Detective by Joanne Lessner.

I want to start by apologizing to the author and to Goddess Fish Promotions for the lateness in getting my post up.

I have been without internet all week and just now said goodbye and thank you very much to the repair guy!

Enjoy the excerpt and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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TEMPORARY DETECTIVE

by Joanne Lessner

Bad Publicity Buy Links:

Paperback, Kindle

Nook, Kobo

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BLURB:

Phones, light typing…and murder.

Think breaking into show business is hard? Try landing a temp job without office skills. That’s the challenge facing aspiring actress Isobel Spice when she arrives in New York City, fresh out of college and deficient in PowerPoint. After being rejected by seven temp agencies for her lack of experience, Isobel sweet-talks recruiter James Cooke into letting her cover a last-minute vacancy at a bank. New to his own job, and recently sober, James takes a chance on Isobel, despite his suspicion that she’s a trouble-magnet. His misgivings are borne out by lunchtime, when she stumbles across a dead secretary in a bathroom stall. With her fingerprints on the murder weapon, Isobel sets out to prove her innocence by investigating the crime herself. While learning to juggle phone lines and auditions, she discovers an untapped talent for detective work–a qualification few other office temps, let alone actresses, can claim.

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Excerpt

“I wouldn’t go back if I thought there were an insane murderer on the loose,” Isobel said. “On the contrary, whoever did this was very sane. Let me tell you, I wanted to kill that woman after three hours.”

Delphi looked askance at Isobel. “You…didn’t, right?”

For some reason, Delphi asking her point-blank bothered her less than James’s confused hinting. “Of course I didn’t. But I don’t blame you for asking. You hardly know me.”

“It sounds like whoever did it also wanted to humiliate her,” Sunil mused. “I mean, think about it. Captured for all eternity on the pot!”

“Could it have been somebody from outside who came in, waylaid her in the bathroom, pulled the emergency bell and left?” Delphi asked.

Isobel shook her head. “She was such an unpleasant person that it just doesn’t seem random.”

“Then you definitely should not go back there, paycheck or no paycheck,” Delphi said.

Sunil nodded. “Delphi’s right.”

“You’re sweet to be so concerned, but I’ll be fine.” Isobel smiled. “It was really nice meeting you both. Good luck with everything.”

“I think you need it more than we do,” Sunil said.

As Isobel rode south on the subway, sardined between a bike messenger in need of deodorant and a young mother juggling twin toddlers, she wondered whether to take her new friends’ advice. No job was worth risking her life. But what about the other people at the bank? They were all continuing to show up for work, weren’t they? They had no choice. They all had jobs to do.

Well, so did she. She needed the money. James didn’t have anything else for her, and even if he did, he might not send her out again. She still hadn’t proven herself, not really.

And that was what she had come to New York to do. Prove herself.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

joannelessner

Joanne Sydney Lessner is the author of BloodWrites Award-Winner and Awesome Indies Mystery Pick The Temporary Detective, which introduces Isobel Spice, aspiring actress and resourceful office temp turned amateur sleuth. Isobel’s adventures continue in Bad Publicity. Joanne’s debut novel, Pandora’s Bottle (Flint Mine Press), which was inspired by the true story of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine, was named one of the top five books of 2010 by Paperback Dolls. No stranger to the theatrical world, Joanne enjoys an active performing career, and with her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, has co-authored several musicals, including the cult hit Fermat’s Last Tango and Einstein’s Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman. Her play, Critical Mass, received its Off Broadway premiere in October 2010 as the winner of the 2009 Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition.

Website: http://joannelessner.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoanneSydneyLessner

Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannelessner

Bad Publicity

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The Temporary Detective Buy Links

Paperback, Kindle

Nook, Kobo

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Giveaway

Joanne will be giving away the following prizes:

 At each stop, one ebook copy of her novel Pandora’s Bottle, inspired by the world’s most expensive bottle of wine.

A grand prize of a $25 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

You can follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

Welcome to my stop on the Moonlit Tour!

What better way to start the tour than with a freebie.

Moonlit is free Tuesday, June 4th only.

Go here to get yours.

I’m excited to tell you about this story of mystery, strange creatures, and beautiful horses.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

moonlit tour

Tour Schedule

Moonlit

Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?

Amazon Kindle * Amazon * Goodreads

WiDo Publishing * Barnes & Noble

Praise

“Virginia’s trees look like they’re burning. Most of them blaze crimson or gold, but some still have a chokehold on their green. I wish they’d give it up already. Leaves are more beautiful when they’re dying.”

And so Moonlit begins. From here the story rolls from one twist to another with many vivid characters whose motives are hard to predict. I found myself being suspicious of everyone, wanting to tell Tanzy to be very careful. The deeper I fell into the plot, the more questions kept rising to the surface. But not to worry, all of my questions were answered. Appropriate for all ages, if you love paranormal fantasy mixed with suspense, mystery and other-worldly romance, you’ll love this novel!

~Author Julie Ford

Prologue

The first anniversary of my father’s death was even harder on my mother. Back then, I thought she was haunted most by what she didn’t know. I refused to blame her when she raged above me on our staircase that night, drunk and sad and angry. When she made me promise I’d never ride again. When she hurled a half-full bottle of vodka at my face and it exploded on the wooden stairs at my feet. I hadn’t tried to get out of the way. She had just missed.
I wanted to tell her that knowledge was no solace, that what you know can burn inside you until there’s nothing left but guilt and ash. I also wanted to protect her from losing the only piece of him she had left. So I didn’t say a word.

My Review

Tanzy moved to Wildwood Farm when she was 8 years old. It’s like a dream come true for a young girl with a passion for all things horses.

She loved it, but now, ten years later, the place she calls home is a living hell.

It’s been a year since her father died. She’s watched her loving mother spiral downward, drowning in a bottle of vodka, and blaming her.

Today is Tanzy’s birthday. No big deal for her until she hears a terrifying cry from the woods and receives a phone call from a strange man telling her – “Be careful today… It’s an important day.” His voice is thick with urgency. “I need you to be careful. I need you…”

Not long after, there is an incident at the stables, a black, blurry something emerges from the woods and stalks her. Her horse startles and crashes into a gate. Her and the horse are a bit scraped up but okay.

It makes her remember the strange phone call.

It’s been a strange day and Tanzy lies down in the office to take a nap.

A rumbling voice wakes her up. She clears the sleep from her eyes and takes in the tall drink of water peering around the door.

His name is Lucas and he is from animal control, checking on them about the strange noises in the woods.

She later discovers animal control had already come and gone and they had found something.

What had they found? Who was Lucas?  What did it have to do with her? And what did it want with the horses?

My thoughts

I’ve always had a passion for horses. They are so noble and spirited.

I had to read this book.

Moonlit has some horror, mystery, and supernatural elements in it. Everything to make me happy.

Tanzy is wise for her age but also insecure, which makes her genuine and likable. She has a lot going on and handles it the best she can, lacking some necessary, need to know information.

The mysterious Lucas turns out to be very important. I had no idea who he was or what his connection was to Tanzy, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found out.

Several characters in this book are not who they appear to be. The author threw in some zingers and made this quite a mystery.

It was exciting to be reading along and all of a sudden I’m going, “What! Who!”

Everything in the story has a place and time, flowing smoothly back and forth, explaining key elements from the past that affect the present day.

I couldn’t be happier with the ending, and I’ll be looking for more of this thrilling adventure.

I would recommend this book to all ages. It has something for everyone.

4 Stars

Some examples of Jadie’s writing that were very poignant.

“Virginia’s trees look like they’re burning. Most of them blaze crimson or gold, but some still have a choke hold on their green. I wish they’d give it up already. Leaves are more beautiful when they’re dying.”

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“The truck’s old steering wheel still has a groove at the top where he always rested his calloused hand. Sometimes it hurts to notice that spot. Othertimes, it hurts worse not to.”

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Author Jadie Jones

Georgia native Jadie Jones first began working for a horse farm at twelve years old, her love of horses matched only by her love of books. She went on to acquire a B.A. in equine business management, and worked for competitive horse farms along the east coast. The need to write followed wherever she went.
She currently coaches a hunt seat equitation team that competes in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, and lives with her family in the foothills of north Georgia. When she’s not working on the next installment of the Moonlit series, she is either in the saddle or exploring the great outdoors with her daughter. Moonlit is her first book.

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/21/13

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank ya’ll for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

When I read the synopsis for Hounded, I just had to be a part of the cover reveal.

I waited anxiously. And now it’s here.

I adore it.

Isn’t it adorable?

Poe, I love her name, looks perfect for her part, and the quizzical look of those terriers is so sweet.

I just have to go and get all of this series now.

I want to read about fur flying!

5.5"X8.5" Post Card Template

Title: Hounded (Going to the Dogs, #3)

Author: Zoe Dawson

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mystery

Age Group: Adult

Cover designed by: Robin Ludwig

Expected release date: June 17, 2013

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I’ll get you and your little dogs, too!

Veterinarian Poe Madigan enters The Fur Ball with her Jack Russell terriers (aka The Terrible Two) to compete for a substantial cash prize that will keep her mother from losing her home. But when her fabulous partner sprains his ankle, Poe must trade him and his talented Bichon for a sexy, muscle-bound hunk who can’t dance and his Basset Hound, Lazy Daisy. If that’s not enough to make her despair, it seems The Terrible Two have angered someone and they’re receiving death threats!

Security specialist Jared Taylor promises one of Poe’s friends that he will go undercover as her dog dancing partner to protect her from danger. He didn’t expect to find his staid, traditional life would be turned all topsy-turvy and he would find a soft spot for a neglected hound and fall for a Goth princess. But when he reveals who he really is and why he is in Poe’s life destroy the foundation of trust they’ve built? Could he lose the real prize – Poe?

About the Author

Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of Karen Anders, award winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction. Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever afters feed her heart.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Newsletter

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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 Tease for today is from The Dazzling Darkness by Paula Cappa.

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The Dazzling Darkness

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At the gates of Old Willow Cemetery, the twisted vines choke the bald ironworks, their thorny cords crisscrossed into images of wrinkled faces and hoodwinked eyes.

This is from the prologue. The book is bursting with atmosphere!

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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It’s that time again.

Time to announce the winners!

Spare Change

The winner of the paperback copy is

Emily G.

The winner of the e-book copy is

Josie

Congratulations!

All winners have been notified.

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

I do love reading them and hope you continue to visit fuonlyknew!

Thanks so much to Bette for her wonderful books and for letting me host her giveaway.

*****For all of my giveaways go here*****

I’d love to keep telling ya’ll about some really great books.

Subscribe by email and lets talk!

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Beyond the Iron Gate

Zara’s Journey by Alicia Michaels

Organized by Girl Who Reads

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Chat LIVE with Alicia Michaels
Saturday, April 27 at 2 pm ET
#IronGate
(use tweetchat.com for easy access to the party)
Connect with the author: website  *  Twitter  *  Facebook
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~Beyond the Iron Gate (A Lost Kingdom of Fallada Novella)
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In the year 1845, before the mystical land of Fallada was separated from the realm of men forever, the two worlds coexisted in harmony. Man could mingle freely in the world of the Elves and Faeries at will and peace reigned.
In the hills of Shropshire, England, just miles from the gate separating the village of Ludlow from the world of mystical creatures, farmer’s daughter Zara Wells longs for answers. It is not only the golden hair that trail feet behind her, or the strange hue of her violet eyes that separates her from the other girls in her village. There is something inside of her, something touched by magic that longs to know more about what lies on the other side of the gate.
In Fallada, darkness has begun to spread. As the youngest and most beautiful girls of her village begin to disappear, Zara comes closer to discovering the true circumstances surrounding her birth. Little does she know, that the closer she comes to the answers she so desperately desires, the closer she will come to being ensnared in the dark queen’s web of growing treachery.
Buy the book at Amazon!
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Giveaway
Enter below for you chance to win!
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Tote Bag
Rubber bracelets (2)
Handmade beaded necklace and earrings set
Keychain
Autographed postcard and bookmark
Magnets
Series trading cards
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Click on the link below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

alicia m

Ever since she first read books like Chronicles of Narnia or Goosebumps, Alicia has been a lover of mind-bending fiction. Wherever imagination takes her, she is more than happy to call that place her home. The mother of two and wife to an Army sergeant loves chocolate, coffee, and of course good books. When not writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, shopping for shoes and fabulous jewelry, or spending time with her loving family.

Alicia can be found on the web at any of the following links:

http://www.fantasybyalicia.com

http://www.facebook.com/fantasybyalicia

http://www.goodreads.com/alicia_michaels

Follow her at https://twitter.com/fantasybyalicia

A GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by Anchor Group Publishing. Giveaway is sponsored by the author.

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I’ve got a special treat for you today.

Taylor Dean is here to tell us about how she got started writing paranormal romance.

Then I have reviews for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle.

But that’s not all. Taylor has a very special giveaway.

So, please welcome Taylor Dean and feel free to say hello!

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Taylor Dean

What inspired me to write a paranormal romance?

I write romance in all of its many sub-genres: paranormal, suspense, contemporary. The main theme is always ROMANCE. It’s what I love to write. My daughter called me one day and challenged me to write a paranormal story. It’s her favorite genre—and she doesn’t really enjoy romantic angst in other forms.

“Mom,” she said, “Let’s both write a paranormal story and see what comes of them.” I responded with, “My mind just doesn’t think that way.” Truth be told, I didn’t really want to write anything paranormal and I kinda dismissed the whole idea pretty quickly, even though I found myself promising her I’d think about a plot as we hung up.

Paranormal? Really? No way, I thought, I write about sweet ROMANCE, not things that go bump in the night. Not going to happen, I told myself. This was during the Twilight craze (has that ended?) and I figured the world had seen enough paranormal! Although I love Twilight, I admit it. Okay, back to the story. At about this same time, I was ridiculously addicted to American Idol. With the crazed excitement of a groupie, I watched every minute of the Season 8 finale.

And then it happened.

Who’d of thought that an American Idol performance could inspire a 90,000 word novel? Not me. But it did. Go figure.

How the heck did an American Idol performance inspire Lancaster House?

Good question. I’m not really sure myself, but somehow the visual kicked my imagination into overdrive. Season 8 of American Idol blew me away. I thought Adam Lambert was amazing in every single performance. During the finale, Adam once again sang his haunting rendition of ‘Mad World.’ Even my husband was impressed by this performance, and that’s saying a lot because he isn’t usually impressed by singing performances. (Ever) Adam performed while wearing vampire-like garb on a fog-shrouded stage.

This link is a very poor video of the performance. I couldn’t find another one and I’m surprised that there are not more links to it. I own a perfect copy of it that I purchased through iTunes. I watched it umpteen times as I wrote Lancaster House.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEQyz0acKNo

It’s a haunting performance—like Twilight, the Musical or something! I remember saying to my daughter, “Now that’s how I pictured Edward.” My daughter, a book-a-holic, immediately corrected me. “That’s not how Edward is described at all, Mom.” She was right and I knew it, but I have this nasty habit of picturing the hero of the story the way I want to picture him, no matter how the author describes him. Adam wasn’t Edward. Not by a long shot. But, he was how I pictured Edward. There was only one thing to do.

Write my own story.

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The visual of Adam rising up out of the stage amidst fog and then pausing before he began to sing, the way his movements were slow and dreamlike—all of it left me intrigued. It screamed paranormal story. What if a man appeared in my home looking like that? (sans the microphone!) What if he was a ghost? I would be scared and fascinated all at the same time. It was at that moment that Lancaster House was born.

It wasn’t quite that easy, of course. My hubby and I spent an entire car drive to Idaho (driving our daughter to college) hashing out all of the details of the story. By the time we arrived home, I had my story in my mind, beginning to finish.

And it was all due to one amazing performance sparking my imagination.

Thanks so much for sharing with us Taylor.

And now for my reviews.

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To find out why Joy tried to kill herself, why she is under the care of Dr. Channing at Serenity HIlls, and why she is suspected of killing two men, we have to go back to the beginning.

When Joy first laid eyes on Lancaster House, she knew she had to have it.

She couldn’t wait to get started on the restoration. Couldn’t wait to bring the old house back to its former glory.

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The work was slow but rewarding. She was doing one room at a time. She would go to bed exhausted and rise to start again the next morning.

After five hours of scraping and sanding the bannister, she took a lunch break. When she returned to finish up, she couldn’t believe her eyes. It was finished!

She told herself maybe she was confused, being so tired and all.

But the next night it happened again. She didn’t get the wall papering done.

In the morning, when she came downstairs, it was finished.

Now she panicked, racing through the house, but no one was there.

Not one to be scared, she knows she can figure this out.

Stop standing here like a ninny and figure this out. There has to be a logical explanation.

But there isn’t. And she is beginning to think the former owner, Andre Lancaster, is still living in the house. Either that or she is going crazy.

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Mini Excerpt for ya.

“You can see me?” he asked again, his tone urgent.

“Yes,” she whispered, unable to find her voice.

For several seconds he simply stared at her, his eyes smoldering. She trembled under his gaze, her bottom lip quivering. One hand reached up, his motions slow, and cupped her cheek. He let out his breath and closed his eyes as if the feel of her did something to him.

“I won’t hurt you Zoe.”

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But how can that be? He’s been dead for many, many years.

A really fun part of this story is the language. The slang from the 1920’s is quirky and I enjoyed reading how Joy figured out what Andre meant by some of the sayings.

Stuff like giggle water is alcohol. Makes sense. And Bank’s closed which means no kissing.

After you finish reading Lancaster House you tell me what you think. Is Joy crazy?

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Did she just make up Andre and their passionate affair to keep from being alone?

 Is Dr. Channing right in that ghosts don’t exist?

So many questions and an ending that will let you decide, or not.

I adored Joy and Andre and want a Lancaster House of my own.

5 Stars for this haunting love story.

And it continues in The Middle Aisle

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Hmm, how do I tell you about this book without spoiling it. It’s hard to review the next book in a series.

In Lancaster House, you are left wondering if Andre is real or a ghost. Is Joy crazy as a loon, desperate for any kind of love, or is her house haunted?

In The Middle Aisle, you will still be wondering. You may think at some point, “Oh, now I see.” But then, as you read further, you are in doubt again.

Taylor Dean has written a series like none other. You are kept “in the dark,” figuratively, throughout both books.

I don’t recall ever being so unsure of my own conclusions in a book.

The love between Joy and Andre is very real and so endearing. But is Andre real? If he isn’t, then is their love real?

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Mini Excerpt

“You’re imagination intrigues and fascinates me, Zoe,” Wade commented, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and ran his hands over his face. “Why don’t we take a break?” he suggested and quickly exited the room, stumbling on his own feet as he left.

It wasn’t possible, it just wasn’t possible, he thought, as his mind wandered to that moment…. Turns out it was possible, it just wasn’t real…

~

And if Andre is real, then that makes the alluring, malevolent Adelle real as well.

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Aah! I can’t say I ever really figured it out. But, I don’t have to. I feel it is up to each reader to decide for themselves. And whether you figure it out or not doesn’t matter. It is still a love story for all time. One that goes beyond the physical, to the otherworldly.

5 Stars for keeping me wondering.

That makes a total of 10 Stars for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle.

I had these books on my kindle, but when I saw a giveaway on Sherry’s blog fundinmental, I just had to try to win the paperbacks, and I did!! Thanks so much Sherry.

Since then, I’ve went on to read Taylor’s “i have people.” You can read my review here.

 And I’m getting ready to start reading Sierra. Next up will be the upcoming new release of Joshua’s Folly.

Thanks so much for your lovely books Taylor.

As long as you keep writing, I’ll keep reading!

Giveaway

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You could win this really awesome swag pack from Taylor. Check it out!

One winner will get signed paperback copies of both books along with a tote bag, book marks, and a “Believe it, Know it, Accept it” pencil.

US Only

AND

Five winners will get:

e-book copies of both books.

E-book Giveaway is International.

To enter, please leave your email address, specify whether entering for swag pack or e-books, and answer this question,

“Have you ever been in a haunted house?”

Giveaway ends May 3rd.

Good Luck ya’ll!

About the Author:

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.

Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle, available in print or eCopy
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For all of Taylor Deans books go here.

Lancaster House  The Middle Aisle (Lancaster House)

I Have People and coming soon! Joshua's Folly

Sierra

For all of my giveaways go here.

For a list of free e-books go here.

WWW Wednesday

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Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

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What are you currently reading?

Moonlit

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Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that cannot be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins.  Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?

Having a grand time!

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What did you recently finish reading?

Halo of the Nephilim

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Can a fallen angel, his band of broken souls, and his nephilim children change the world?
Armaros the Cursed, Satan’s favorite of the Fallen, falls once again after breaking the rules.  Fearing an eternity of punishment, he desperately attempts to save himself by sending a bird to his island.  The SOS message is received by his beloved congregation.  They prepare the great Armaros’ kingdom for his return.  Can his loyal worshipers rescue him from the pit?
Halo of the Nephilim is the sequel to Halo of the Damned.  The story begins with Armaros’ arrest.  Reporters are duped into believing he was gunned down while awaiting trial.  Declared dead, his only known surviving daughter, Joanna Easterhouse, proves her relation and inherits everything.  She catapults her career from an entry-level advertising assistant to the head of Armaros’ advertising empire.  Life couldn’t be better: a windfall inheritance, real power within a major industry, a loving relationship with a former demon, and a baby on the way.  She should be on top of the world, but knows everything good must come to an end.
Joanna’s sister, Kim Easterhouse, becomes Kim Slattery after marrying Sean, her dead mother’s probate lawyer.  Joanna generously includes them as key players in her advertising chain.  They, too, have much to smile about, but a string of events leads them back to old family secrets.
Wickedness looms over the Easterhouse family once more, forcing them into an unlikely showdown filled with page-turning excitement.  Like Halo of the Damned, Halo of the Nephilim is filled with conspiracy and angel lore taken directly from scripture and other ancient writings.  Nephilim meander the earth in confusion, constantly questioning who they are and where they stand in terms of good and evil.  More mind control themes top off this tale of doom.  Dina Rae delivers the darkness in the most entertaining light.

My review is coming soon!

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Sierra

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Alyssa Fontaine’s life, loved ones–everything familiar and dear–are brutally taken from her. Taken captive by two men, she endures a horrific nightmare. A new life is forced upon her and even a new name. Just when it appears that no hope is in sight, she is saved by an unlikely twist of fate. Trapped in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, life will open its arms to her again and she will embrace it. She will find love such as she never knew existed.

Sierra is a heart-wrenching story of the power of the human spirit to survive amidst impossible circumstances and severe losses. It is a story of survival . . . and hope

I’m thrilled to have another of Taylor Dean’s books!

So, whatcha readin?

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Hi ya’ll! Welcome to my stop on the January Black Blog Tour.

Tour Schedule

January Black

Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma.

More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple.

What was January Black?

It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He’s been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost…or call the king’s bluff.

Praise

Refreshingly intelligent and loads of fun!

I lost a few hours as I read this book. It’s a Young Adult novel that is refreshingly and astonishingly intelligent, and the love story is perfectly played out.

~Christine Ashworth, Amazon Review

The mystery was intriguing – I loved how Wendy Russo weaved in all her secrets throughout the book, how she incorporated just enough to keep you reading, while never actually divulging much of anything. I was guessing for most of it and that’s pretty hard to make me do.

~Julie, Clean Teen Reads

Wendy Russo has created a masterpiece.

~Ivan Amberlake, Author
Book Trailer

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q1kwpZI-vg?rel=0]

Author Wendy S. Russo

Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.

More Information:

January Black 100th Amazon Review Giveaway

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/8/13

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, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck.

For all of my giveaways go here.

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I just started reading this!

If you think the cover art is exciting, wait until you read the book!

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Anomaly

The Birthright Series Book One

JC Emery

Genre: YA (small amounts of Romance, History & Mystery)

Book Description:

How far would you go to save your sister?

Life as a college senior is stressful enough. Between mid-terms, stupid boys, and a rare blood condition, Eliza Landry is just trying to figure out what normal is—whatever that means—when she discovers that vampires aren’t just a thing of legend.

In a matter of moments, her life changes forever when she and her older sister Kate suffer a vampire attack which leaves Eliza with two puncture wounds on her neck and an allergy to sunlight. But she’s still human, or at least she thinks she is. It doesn’t really matter—her main concern is that her sister is missing.

Sorrow turns to obsession, leading Eliza to piece together the puzzle of that terrifying night. Even stumbling upon a millennia-old vampire assassin named Luke Conrad who either wants to kiss her or kill her (she can’t decide) cannot deter her.

When bodies start piling up and one of them is supposedly Kate, Eliza and Luke set out to discover who is behind the attacks. Soon, Eliza is drawn into the dark and dangerous world of the undead, with no guarantee she’ll make it out alive, and no doubt that she won’t like what she finds.

About the Author:

As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English. As it is for most writers, finding balance is a challenge. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can’t imagine a climate more beautiful.
With the support and encouragement of her parents and sister, JC set out to figure out what she wanted to do when she grew up. Most days, the jury is still out; however the thing that stuck with her no matter what she pursued was her love of the written word.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories– and everything has at least a splash of romance.

http://www.jcemery.com

http://twitter.com/jc_emery

http://www.facebook.com/jcemeryauthor

http://www.goodreads.com/jc_emery

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