Archive for the ‘Mytery/Thriller’ Category

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Title: Grey Daze (A Lance Underphal Mystery)
Author: Michael Allan Scott

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Publisher: Independent
Pages: 306
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Supernatural/Paranormal
Format: Paperback/Kindle

My Review

I’m sure you’ve read the thrilling excerpt for this book already. There’s no way I can describe this book any better.

I can say that, while this isn’t the first book in this series, I jumped right in and had no problems following it.

Being a fan of character driven stories, I found some strong ones here.

The main protagonist, Lance Underphal, isn’t your typical one. He’s no longer in his fifties, has a bad heart, and is still grieving over the loss of his beloved wife, who visits him from time to time..

He has met a new woman, one who might help fill that gaping hole, give him another chance at love. But first he has to solve a case. One that’s rife with unsavory characters. From deadly bikers, to corrupt police, Lance will need some friends if he’s to catch a killer and survive despite the bad odds.

The paranormal elements had me fascinated. There’s more than one ghost haunting Lance. He’s a psychic and not surprised by that. If only some of them didn’t scare the crap out of him. They aren’t all pretty and glowing when they appear, and some have their own agendas, dark ones.

The writing is excellent. I came really close to seeing the movie as I read it. Vivid detail and imagination put me in the thick of it. I got creeped out in several places. Especially at a nasty, run down house.  The author didn’t hold my hand. He made me smell the awful stench of the place. Hear the scurrying of thousands of roaches. Feel the evil presence fouling it.

There’s such a great bunch of characters too. Aside from Lance and his ghostly wife, Sonja, there’s his new love interest, Callie. She’s no shrinking violet and has her own little paranormal talents.

Then there’s Lance’s friend, Detective Frank Salmon. He’s stoic yet fierce when his friends are threatened. Reminds me Hodges from Criminal Minds. Doesn’t say much and rarely smiles unless he’s around his wife, Lacey. She’s a nurturer with lots of patience.

Can’t forget Jake Jacobs, a federal private investigator. He’s a huge bear of a man and I could just picture him and his lady friend, Laura. She’s a bit older, sassy, and such a tiny thing. I had such fun with these two.

Things get so much worse for Lance. It appears he’s being accused of the negligent death of his wife by her sister and she’s also suing him.

The bad things keep on coming and Lance just hopes his heart can take it.

I got thrills and chills, plenty of mystery, and more than one plot to follow. All made for an excellent read. You can bet I’ll be going back to the beginning of this series now.

5 Stars

Grey Daze teaser 1

GREY DAZE descends.

A fresh murder spins out of control, twisting into new realms of paranormal mystery.

Not for the faint of heart, the third in the Lance Underphal Mystery series, is an interplay of corrupt characters immersed in today’s world. Paranormal twists and fast action in movie-like scenes set the story’s mystery/thriller elements apart from the typical whodunit/serial-killer thriller.

Guided by his dead wife, a reluctant psychic finds himself on a wild ride through a criminal underworld, slamming face first into corrupt police, gunrunning bikers, and a drug addicted killer–not to mention confrontations with the dead.

Layers of plots within plots twist this new thriller into a startling climax.

Grey Daze teaser 2

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Author Michael Allan Scott

Michael Allan Scott

Born and raised at the edge of the high desert in Kingman, Arizona, Michael Allan Scott resides in Scottsdale with his wife, Cynthia and their rescue Doberman, Roxie.  In addition to writing mysteries and speculative fiction, his interests include music, photography, art, scuba diving and auto racing.

Michael’s latest book is the mystery/thriller/suspense/supernatural/paranormal novel, Grey Daze (A Lance Underphal Mystery).

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Until the next time…

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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I have a wonderful series to share with you today.

Polly Beck’s The Extraordinary Days Series.

Enjoy the excerpt.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Genre: Romance / Mystery / Thriller

NOTE: A percentage of the sales of this book will be donated to Children’s International, a not-for-profit organization very close to the author’s family’s heart. Past books in the series have benefited The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, Tuesday’s Children [a 9/11 charity], and The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

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Synopsis

A mystery is introduced in No Ordinary Day, the first book in the Extraordinary Days series that is carried through all eight volumes and solved in the last book, Sunday’s Child: Born on the Sabbath Day, due out in January of 2017.

In the late spring of 1991, a flood and fire of historic proportions tore through the pretty resort town of Obergrande, New York, in the central region of the Adirondack mountains.

The twin disasters destroyed a large part of the east side of the town that bordered the Hudson River and Lake Obergrande.

In the aftermath, a new dam was built, and that damaged part of the town “drowned,” covered by the new, larger lake.

During that terrible flood, five kindergarten girls were trapped in their drowning school, huddled together as the water rose higher, rescued just in the nick of time. The nightmare bonded them, and three others like them, to each other for life.

These are their stories.

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International attorney and human rights advocate Elisa Santiago believes she has life under control—an impressive career, a solid group of friends in Obergrande, and a handsome law partner for hot “car action” when she needs release. Little does she know that her entire world is about to burn down when she discovers that nothing she believes she knows about herself and

her past is true. Can the gorgeous former CIA operative, acting as her guide and guard as she returns to Colombia, the land of her birth, looking for answers, set her world on fire in a good way?

 

THURSDAY’S CHILD: Far to Go is the fifth book in the eight-book series The Extraordinary Days by breakthrough novelist Polly Becks. The first book, No Ordinary Day, tells the tale of an epic tragedy that changes life forever in a small town in the wild, mystic Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and the mystery surrounding that tragedy.

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Enjoy this excerpt

Present day, Sunday, September 8th, 2:11 PM

Le Mille Neuf, 1009 Rue de Bleury, penthouse, Montreal

 

The young man at the front desk in the luxury apartment building looked up in surprise at the quartet of women making their way across the lobby, carrying what looked like a variety of flowers, sweets, and boxes, chatting happily amongst themselves as every male head in the lobby turned in their direction.

An older man in the uniform of a professional driver or chauffeur was following them, his arms piled high with packages, puffing slightly.

The women, who were carrying on an intense four-way conversation between them, did not notice the attention they were garnering like magnets. They ranged in height from just over five feet to just under six, with a variety of body types, hair and skin colors ranging from alabaster to ebony, and clothing styles, all of which had some sort of bright artistry to them.

They stopped in front of the desk.

The tallest of the group, a fair-skinned beauty with gray eyes and shoulder-length brown hair atop a tall, willowy figure, smiled down at him.

“Penthouse deux, s’il vous plait,” she said politely in a perfect French accent.

The young man slid his swivel chair quickly under the desk to shield his lap from view.

“Qui appelle?” he asked in a French-Canadian accent. “Er—whom shall I say is calling?” He picked up the phone.

“The—uhm—Fivesome,” Briony Windsor, known as Sarah to her friends, said.

The young man waited for an answer, requested permission for entry and, receiving it, directed the four women to the penthouse elevator, only to discover they had started across the back lobby while he was hanging up.

They already knew where they were going.

“Has anyone heard from Sloane’s father recently?” Dr. Corinne Byrnes, a veterinarian and the second-tallest member of the group asked the others as they entered the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor.

“I spoke to him last night,” said Reverend Grace Fuller, the Associate Pastor of the Obergrande Community Church back in New York State. “He says she seems to be doing better, as long as she rests. Apparently he hasn’t been entirely successful at keeping her in bed.”

“Shocker,” mused Elisa Santiago, esq., a practicing attorney and civil rights advocate who divided her time between law on the international stage and a quiet practice back in Obergrande, the pretty Adirondack hometown of the four young women and the friend they had come to visit. At five-foot-three, she was petite, like Grace, and extraordinarily well put-together, every detail of her wardrobe perfect, just as every detail of her business and personal life seemed to be.

“Well, between us we have plenty of things to keep her amused in bed,” said Briony. “Although that’s like selling ice to penguins; Sloane has made of art of being kept amused in bed most of her life.”

“Truth,” mused Corinne as the elevator doors opened, providing a stunning view of downtown Montreal and its exquisite spires.

The four women hurried down the sunlit hallway of windows to the door where the number 2 was elegantly displayed.

Elisa pushed the doorbell.

A tall, strapping, dark-haired man with a finely-featured, neatly-bearded face opened the door a moment later.

All four women blinked in surprise.

“Dr. Marlowe?” Elisa’s voice broke the silence.

The man’s dark blue eyes blinked as well.

“Come in, ladies,” he said quickly.

The women looked at each other, then followed him into the penthouse.

“What’s he doing here?” Grace whispered to Briony. “Sloane told me they couldn’t stand each other.” Briony shrugged.

“Perhaps they’re working on the Quadricentennial?” Elisa suggested as they passed through the elegant central foyer into the open living area, a high-ceilinged room ringed with floor-to-ceiling windows.

She turned to Corinne, the only one not to have met Nathan Marlowe. “He’s a world-class history professor here at McGill and in New York at NYU, a specialist in the Adirondack Park

area and particularly in Obergrande. Sloane’s mother hired him to do the authentication and other research for the town’s four-hundredth anniversary next May.”

“Well, if her mother likes him, I can see why Sloane can’t stand him,” said Corinne. “Those two can’t agree on whether the sun is up or not.”

Dr. Marlowe was standing at the far left edge of the open sitting area, next to the door that led to Sloane’s bedroom suite.

The women and their driver, still lugging their packages, followed him.

A glorious spicy smell filled the air near the kitchen.

On their way past a recessed alcove in which a towering animal cage stood, Corinne paused and clicked softly at the sweet, melon-sized animal inside it.

“Hiya, Pfeffernusse,” she said. “You’re lookin’ good, gurrl.”

Ed Hillenbrandt, the driver, waited until she was following the other girls again, then paused in front of the cage himself.

“I still say you would make a nice hat,” he whispered.

Pfeffernusse just stared at him with her big black chinchilla eyes. Then she flicked her large ears and spun around, her white belly disappearing from view as she turned her gray-blue back to him.

“You’re not by any means the first female to give me the cold shoulder, ma’am,” Ed said as he went to join the women.

~~~~~

Author Polly Becks

Polly Becks has been making her living writing for more than twenty years, as well as working as an editor, curriculum developer, and teaching secondary-school Spanish. She has more than 350 books to her credit, mostly educational materials, as well as professionally published fiction in both the adult and YA market in a variety of genres, plus more than 30 Children’s books. She is excited about exploring the digital literature frontier and is honored to be the launch series for GMLTJoseph, LLC. – See more at: http://www.pollybecks.com/author/#sthash.pEZ6f3xO.dpuf

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Buy Polly’s Books

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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

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Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My Teaser for this week is from

Grey Daze

  A Lance Underphal Mystery

by Michael Allan Scott

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My Teaser from page 51 in the Paperback.

  Finally, after eons, the faintest stirrings come through, like ancient static drifting down out of the either, soiling the atmosphere with its confusion. Its whisperings float around me like circling sharks. I can’t make it out. What’s it want? Near panic, I’m frozen, not even my blood circulates. I listen harder, trying to hear….what?

This scene is so chilling, I’d like to share a bit more.

Ever so faintly, I hear it, something new – a small child whimpering, lost, alone, and frightened. It hits me like a crack of thunder. That little voice,crying…crying,crying. And there’s nothing I can do. Overcome, I break down, weeping. I can’t ake it. I have to get out of here. The horror – I’ll face death, stare down evil – I can take it. But the child’s cries are too much, ripping my heart out. You can’t expect me to stay. I won’t make it.

This book is killing me and this is only a small part of it. It’s a psychic, serial killer, mystery/thriller, and boy is it intense. Intended for mature readers. Just thought I’d warn you.

~~~~

Synopsis

GREY DAZE descends. A fresh murder spins out of control, twisting into new realms of paranormal mystery.

Not for the faint of heart, the third in the Lance Underphal Mystery series, is an interplay of corrupt characters immersed in today’s world.

Paranormal twists and fast action in movie-like scenes set the story’s mystery/thriller elements apart from the typical whodunit/serial-killer thriller.

Guided by his dead wife, a reluctant psychic finds himself on a wild ride through a criminal underworld, slamming face first into corrupt police, gunrunning bikers, and a drug addicted killer–not to mention confrontations with the dead.

Layers of plots within plots twist this new thriller into a startling climax.

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Lots to share with you today about A Killing Among Friends.

Enjoy the Blitz.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaways. Yep, there’s two!

A Killing Among Friends
 by Toni Morrow Wyatt
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: August 10th 2015
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
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Synopsis
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Sennie Lacefield has always felt safe at her family’s peaceful mountain lodge . . .

The only break in her tranquil life was the death of her boyfriend Patrick Devon, which left her heartbroken and unable to understand Patrick’s sullen, withdrawn brother Lonnie. But when her best friend Reatha Alcoker disappears, her sense of security is shattered. With the help of Reatha’s boyfriend Milo Durham, she launches a search for her friend.

More girls disappear, and bodies begin turning up . . .

When one of the missing girls is found dead in a swamp with a symbol burned into her forehead, Sennie focuses on her growing list of suspects. She can’t count on help from the lazy, lecherous Sheriff Warford Cackley. She also has suspicions the sheriff’s son Rex and his nasty friend Ottis know more than they’re willing to share.

Someone is watching Sennie’s every move . . .

Refusing to believe Reatha is dead, Sennie and Milo continue their frantic search, and Sennie is plagued with threatening messages. When another girl’s body is discovered, she and Milo visit the site and find evidence that Reatha has also been there. Some aerial photographs might hold a vital clue . . . if they can find them in time.

As Sennie unravels a tangled web of secrets, arson, burglary, and murder, could it be that a desire to help Sennie has warped the mind of a murderer?

Purchase: Amazon

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Mayrose Weekly News

Harland Chives – Editor

This edition of the Weekly News is coming to you from Craneneck Slough.

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In an exclusive interview with Enso Norder and Duane Paxton, we were able to gather more details about the apparent murder of Mayrose resident, Sue Stimes.

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Harland: Enso, let’s start with you. Tell us about finding Sue Stimes.

Enso: Bad news sure does travel fast. Seems like everyone wants to know about what happened down at Craneneck Slough. Just the other night a bunch of us were down by the river, and Sennie Lacefield and Milo Durham were asking us a bunch of questions about the same thing.

Harland: Is that right?

Duane: Sure did. It’s just like we told them. Enso and I were giggling for bullfrogs. Did you know that some of them are as big as cats?

Enso: Yeah, Duane and I weren’t having much luck. We were wearing a couple of those flashlight helmets to cut through the darkness. All of a sudden, there was Sue floating lifeless. She was face down at the time. It gave me the creeps.

Harland: What did you do?

Duane: We got the heck out of there. We went to get Sheriff Cackley, who, by the way, was none too happy about having to go out to the swamp that late at night. “Couldn’t this wait until morning, boys?” he asked.

Enso: When we got there, Sheriff Cackley never got out of the truck. It was Deputy Clyde Johnson who helped us pull her out of the water. We felt real bad when we saw it was Sue. She was always real nice to us.

Harland: What happened next?

Duane: Well, Deputy Clyde wrapped Sue up in a tarp, and we put her in the back of the truck. Sheriff Cackley made us ride in the back with her. You know, he just sat there drinking a cup of coffee and listening to KARK radio as if there hadn’t been a murder.

Harland: What makes you think it was murder?

Enso: Oh, there was no doubt about it. She had bruises and cuts. It looked like Sue had put up one heck of a fight. The worst part was how her head was caved in. Looked like someone hit her real hard.

Harland: Let’s go back to what you mentioned about Sennie Lacefield and Milo Durham asking you questions. Why do you think that is?

Duane: That’s real easy. Everyone knows Sennie and Reatha Alcoker are best friends. Since Reatha went missing on the 4th of July from the Lacefield Mountain Lodge, Sennie’s been investigating all over Mayrose trying to find out who is behind it.

Enso: As for Milo, everybody knows he and Reatha are together. I’ve seen them flirting with each other when they thought no one was watching. I guess they think the person responsible for what happened to Sue might be behind Reatha’s disappearance.

Breaking News

Missing: Reatha Alcoker

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Photo Courtesy of cutehairtrends.com

The granddaughter of Pearleen and Oldfield Alcoker is missing. If you have any information, please contact Sheriff Warford Cackley or Deputy Clyde Johnson.

Sixteen-year-old Reatha Alcoker was last seen at the Lacefield Mountain Lodge during the 4th of July fireworks. According to witnesses, the youth went into the lodge to use the facilities and never returned.

This week’s Mayrose Weekly News has been brought to you by:

Toni Morrow Wyatt ~ Author

Late at night, the clicking of the typewriter often lulled her to sleep. Her mother would sit at a window in her bedroom typing out stories until sleep overcame her.

This was how she got Toni interested in writing. Her stories wove themselves in and out of her daughter’s dreams. When Toni would awaken, her mother would give her the story and ask her to add to it. They wrote many stories and even began to work on various novels, as Toni grew older. Her mother not only shared her love of writing, she also shared her love of reading. Books, books, and more books. Toni can never get enough.

She spent many happy hours creating stories and songs. Throughout her school years, she concentrated her creative energy into singing for school plays, Master Choir, Keynotes (swing choir), and Great Expectations (a swing choir sponsored by a local park district).

But, she never forgot her love for weaving stories. After the death of her mother, Toni did not write for nearly three years. One day, she sat down at the computer and pulled up a file she had started working on in her late twenties. It was called, Return to Rocky Gap.

She finished that manuscript, found a publisher, and danced with joy the day she held it in her hands. It was bittersweet to know that she had done all of this alone, but she knew her mother was with her, encouraging her, and pushing her forward. Since then, she hasn’t stopped writing. She knows her mother is with her through every word, every paragraph, and every page along the way.

As a child, Toni’s family spent nearly every summer visiting relatives in a small, rural community in Arkansas. Finding magic in this place, it is the setting for many of her novels. Her love for southern fiction led to the writing of A Killing Among Friends, and also, Return to Rocky Gap. Her work has appeared in From the Depths Literary Journal and Belle Reve Literary Journal. She writes an eclectic blog titled, A Pinch of Me, on Tumblr. She was previously an independent bookseller, owning and operating Kindred Books for seven years.

Her love for reading takes her to places far and wide, which is something she will always strive to do for her readers.

She is happily married with two children.

***Win a FREE e-book copy of the newly released

A Killing Among Friends***

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You can connect with Toni here:

Twitter   Facebook Goodreads IAN

Authorsdb Blog Website Amazon

Don’t forget her historical novel

Return to Rocky Gap

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***Important Note*** All pictures herein are strictly images representing the author’s imaginings of the characters and places from

A Killing Among Friends

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There are Two Giveaways

The First Giveaway is for an eBook copy of A Killing Among Friends.

Entry is easy.

Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and leave a comment.

Tell me something about the cover. About the blurb or the guest post.

Why do you want this book?

The Second Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from

Grey Daze

A Lance Underphal Mystery

by Michael Allan Scott

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My 56

Frank asks, “You okay?”

I gather myself. “Just thinking.”

Frank remains silent, eyes on the road, the white lines flashing past.

Swallowing hard, I continue. “Thinking about my wife.”

Frank keeps his gaze straight ahead, lips pursed, saying nothing as we wind our way down by the dry riverbed.

I clear my throat. “My dead wife.”

More silent treatment from Frank, as if he’s waiting.

I turn to face him. “I didn’t do it.”

Frank turns his head to meet my glare, then turns back to his driving.

I nearly choke on it. “I didn’t kill her.

“Nodding gently, he says, “I was pretty sure you didn’t.”

I look down, shaking my head, repeating softly to no one, ” I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it.”

Frank lets me ramble.

Finally I look back at him. “Now what?”

~~~~~

Synopsis

GREY DAZE descends. A fresh murder spins out of control, twisting into new realms of paranormal mystery.

Not for the faint of heart, the third in the Lance Underphal Mystery series, is an interplay of corrupt characters immersed in today’s world.

Paranormal twists and fast action in movie-like scenes set the story’s mystery/thriller elements apart from the typical whodunit/serial-killer thriller.

Guided by his dead wife, a reluctant psychic finds himself on a wild ride through a criminal underworld, slamming face first into corrupt police, gunrunning bikers, and a drug addicted killer–not to mention confrontations with the dead.

Layers of plots within plots twist this new thriller into a startling climax.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

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The Malevolent Twin

Book One

Mary Sage Nguyen

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Genre: Young Adult, Suspense, Thriller,

Mystery, and a little bit of science fiction.

Date of Publication: April 2015

Ebook: 123 pages / Word Count: 37,560

Cover Artist: www.ebooklaunch.com

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My Review

The beginning of this book is chilling. I had to go back and check that it wasn’t listed as a horror story. Then I read on and discovered it was Avery having a nightmare.

Avery has had an imaginary friend, Venice, since she was a young girl. Now she’s a young woman, working with her mother in a nail salon, being a good girl and dreaming of something better. Venice still keeps coming around.

As their wills class, as Avery wishes Venice would just go away, Venice turns evil.

Just who is Venice? What does she want? What will she make Avery do next?

Avery must find answers and seeks the help of an old exorcist and a psychic. She fears her time is running out.

I was having such a good time, I read this from start to finish in less than a couple of hours.

It starts with a very creepy scene, then introduces you to Avery and Venice.

Avery is a dutiful daughter and never gets in trouble. Then Venice starts messing with her. She’s forced to do things she’d never consider doing. I felt for her. How do you fight something you don’t understand?

As for Venice, she’s bad to the bone. Such a wicked, malignant villain.

I’ve seen movies and read books with a similar plot and possession and evil entities always give me goose bumps. I know a book is good when I startle at strange noises and see things move out of the corner of my eye.

The Malevolent Twin creeped me out. And I loved that. It’s not easy to spook me anymore. I’ve seen too many scary movies and read too many scary books.

I didn’t know this was going to be a series when I started it. But after I read the end, I knew there had to be. It’s not a cliff hanger, more of a hint of things to come. Evil things. Bad things. I can’t wait.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

A murderous wicked twin.

An innocent, law abiding, and oblivious girl.

The ultimate brawl between contrasting sisters!

Murder, mystery, suspense and more

In The Malevolent Twin

Avery is a normal teenager, except for Venice. Venice is Avery’s imaginary friend or so she thinks. When the two begin to fight. Avery starts her investigation, to figure out what Venice really is. She encounters a wise old exorcist, and an albino psychic who assist her, with attempting to remove Venice. Which comes too late as Venice goes on a murdering rampage using Avery’s body. Does Avery survive the Wrath of Venice?

Find out in… The Malevolent Twin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdscPo2LMbM&feature=youtu.be

 

Available at BN   Amazon

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Check out the excerpt from Chapter Four!

Venice Revealed

            Avery closed her laptop. It was getting hot from being overworked. She laid back and immersed herself in the soft covers. She dreamed again that night.

She was six years old. Her father had left fresh bruises all over her body. Avery was in her room crying. Her siblings had been lucky not to be sick that day. Avery wiped the tears off her face with her blanket. She knew better. She knew she should have kept out of his way. Avery was hungry and wanted something to eat. This was why she woke him up. Her dad was upset and still drunk from the whiskey.

            “Are you okay?” she heard a voice say behind her. Avery looked over to see Venice. The Asian girl walked over to Avery and started to stroke her back. Her touch was cold as usual. This girl wouldn’t leave Avery alone.

            “No…” Avery said, suppressing tears.

            “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay,” Venice whispered.

            “How do you know? You aren’t even real.” Avery could feel the excruciating pain in her back. The fever came back. She had managed to make this girl angry once again.

            “I am real!” Venice screamed at the top of her lungs. Avery could feel Venice’s cold hands grasp her around the throat.

            “Please… Let go…” Avery managed to say. Venice continued to stifle her windpipe.

            “Say I am real! Say you will be my friend.”

            “Alright… I will be your friend.” Avery felt Venice’s grasp weaken.

Avery looked up to see Venice staring at her. She looked malevolent. She flashed Avery an evil smile.

            “Why do you want me to be your friend so bad Venice?

            “Why?” Avery asked.

“You are all I have. I don’t have anyone else to talk to,” Venice replied. She didn’t seem as malevolent now.

            “I am really all you have?” Avery asked.

            “Yes, I have no one else to talk to…” For the first time Venice looked vulnerable and harmless.

            “So, friends?” Venice asked extending her hand to Avery. She shook Venice’s cold hand and made her a promise to be friends forever.

            Avery woke up from the dream. It was a memory she had suppressed some time ago. She had forgotten all about their deal. Avery was beginning to wonder why Venice had stuck around all these years. If she was truly an imaginary friend, wouldn’t she have left years ago? Avery was beginning to think Venice was something else. Something more than just a figment of her imagination.

            “Hey there!” a voice interrupted her thoughts. Avery glanced up to see Venice. She was dressed in a provocative tight dark blue dress. It had lacy sleeves. The dress made every angle on her body pop. This time she materialized with heavy blue eye shadow. On her feet were suede blue booties.

            “Wow…” Venice smiled.

            “I know, don’t you love this dress and my hair.” Venice’ hair was curly and tied up in loose ponytail which she pulled forward.

            “You look great!” “Yes, I know.”

            “I have a question Venice.” Avery pushed her covers off and turned on the fan.

           “Go ahead and ask me.” Venice replied. She snapped her fingers and a long white cigarette appeared. She took a deep breath and inhaled the cigarette.

            “Why are you still here?” Venice did her best not to look startled.

            “I am here because I am part of you.”

            “What do you mean?” Avery asked. The room was starting to feel chilly. Avery started to feel the old Venice emerging again.

            “I am your sister.” Avery coughed.

            “What do you mean my sister?” Venice’s face began to dis- tort.

           “I mean your sister. We are twins.” Avery began getting a splitting headache.

            “Twins? Twins? What do you mean twins?” Her headache did not subside. In fact it grew worse. The room was a blur.. “Tell me Venice, tell me what you really are?”

            “I just told you. Accept it. You are part of me and I am part of you.” Avery started to feel dizzy.

~~~~~

Author Mary Sage Nguyen

Mary Sage Nguyen

Mary Sage Nguyen is the youngest daughter of Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants. Vietnamese was the language spoken at home, so the only way she was able to learn English was through the public school system. Even though English was not spoken at home, Mary became an avid reader as a young child and always dreamed of being a writer someday.

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / The Malevolent Twin on Facebook

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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

TeaserTuesdays2014e

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~

My Tease for this week is from

Don’t Try To Find Me

by Holly Brown

18698861

 

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My Teaser from page 48 and page 74 in the Paperback.

From Page 48

This could blow up in Paul’s face. And in mine, and Marley’s, too. He has no idea what I’ve been keeping private.

From Page 74

Then why. I wanted to ask, do I sometimes feel like I don’t know you at all, now that we’re finally in the same room?

~~~~

Synopsis

When a 14-year-old runs away, her parents turn to social media to find her-launching a public campaign that will expose their darkest secrets and change their family forever, in this suspenseful and gripping debut for fans of Reconstructing Amelia and Gone Girl

Don’t try to find me. Though the message on the kitchen white board is written in Marley’s hand, her mother Rachel knows there has to be some other explanation. Marley would never run away.

As the days pass and it sinks in that the impossible has occurred, Rachel and her husband Paul are informed that the police have “limited resources.” If they want their 14-year-old daughter back, they will have to find her themselves. Desperation becomes determination when Paul turns to Facebook and Twitter, and launches FindMarley.com.

But Marley isn’t the only one with secrets.

With public exposure comes scrutiny, and when Rachel blows a television interview, the dirty speculation begins. Now, the blogosphere is convinced Rachel is hiding something. It’s not what they think; Rachel would never hurt Marley. Not intentionally, anyway. But when it’s discovered that she’s lied, even to the police, the devoted mother becomes a suspect in Marley’s disappearance.

Is Marley out there somewhere, watching it all happen, or is the truth something far worse?

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from

Dark Places

by Gillian Flynn

8427679

 

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My 56 

“Fact: Somewhere around 2 a.m. on January 3, 1985, a person or persons killed three members of the Day family in their farmhouse in Kinnakee, Kansas.

~~~

Synopsis

Libby Day was just seven years old when her evidence put her fifteen-year-old brother behind bars.

Since then, she has been drifting. But when she is contacted by a group who are convinced of Ben’s innocence, Libby starts to ask questions she never dared to before. Was the voice she heard her brother’s? Ben was a misfit in their small town, but was he capable of murder? Are there secrets to uncover at the family farm or is Libby deluding herself because she wants her brother back?

She begins to realise that everyone in her family had something to hide that day… especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, the truth is going to be even harder to find.

Who did massacre the Day family?

~~~

This book is so intense and so freakin good!

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

fEVERS

Fevers by Joel Homer

Joel HomerPublisher-ebook:  Zac Homer, (April 20, 2014)
Publisher-Print: Bantam
Category: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller, Some Romance
Tour Date: May/June, 2015
Available in: Print & ebook, 261 Pages

FEVERS is a novel unlike any you have ever read. Exotic adventure, white knuckled suspense, torrid romance, and a haunting portrait of three damaged individuals – one man who has turned beast, one who must confront the beast within himself, and the woman torn between them.

Rio de Janeiro. 1984.

There are rumors that somewhere deep in the steamy rainforest of the Amazon a man, once civilized, is hiding in green shadows. To the primitive Brazilian Indios, he is considered their long-awaited “pale-skinned messiah.” Others believe he is an evil god with powers to stir the native masses to a frenzied, killing pitch. And others suspect he might be Michael Fevers.

Into the lush tropics comes a troubled American, rebellious journalist, embittered Vietnam vet, desperate soldier of fortune. William Straw, who soon forms an uneasy alliance with a beautiful anthropologist, continues his tortured upriver journey-from jungle shantytown to opulent plantation, from explosive passion to brutal murder. Whether he is pursuing a story, an adventure, or a chance to finally exorcise his own inner demons, nothing will prepare William Straw for the sudden violence and bizarre cruelty of the one who is waiting ahead — Michael Fevers.

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My Review

Have you seen the movie Apocalypse Now? That’s how this story felt. A madman enters the jungle with a twisted crusade to save the Indios of Brazil.They are being enslaved and their culture is being erased. Michael Fevers has a plan to unite the tribes and wage war.

Another man enters the jungle on a mission to find Michael Fevers. William Straw, a journalist haunted by his time in the Vietnam War. He’s damaged,  bitter, angry, and determined to get his story. At all costs.

Though the title suggests this story is about Michael Fevers, I felt it was more about William.  At least for the first half of the book.  Michael may be crazy, but William Straw is no  angel himself.

Then things start ramping up. Blood flows. A lot of it. I just want to warn you some scenes are visceral, raw, the author doesn’t spare you. I felt the descriptions were important to get me engaged, outraged, to get the full experience.

I’m not sure if the plight of the Brazilian Indios is real. Their situation made me think of the Aborigines.  Very similar situations. Slavery, forced to leave their way of life, their culture, behind.

As the story escalates in the second half, I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end. The slow start to this story was worth it for the finale.

There’s something about the jungle, the primal feel of it, that fascinates me. I’m always looking for books like this. Movies too.  If they ever made this into a movie, I’d be in line for a ticket. I’d settle into my seat with a big bucket of popcorn with extra butter and enjoy the show.

4 Stars

~~~~

Praise for Fevers by Joel Homer:

“Very engrossing novel. It felt a bit like reading a modern version of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The plot moves quickly and smoothly. The excitement never ends.”- Gerald Loev, Amazon Reviewer

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About Joel Homer

Joel Homer

Joel Homer was raised in Greenwich Village, attended New York University and was a medal-winning veteran from the Vietnam war. Upon returning to the states, he began his writing career as a senior editor at Saturday Review.

His books include “Marathons” and “Jargon.” His produced plays include “Scenes Dedicated to My Brother,” “What People Do When They’re All Alone,” and “The Lieutenant Snuffs the Light.” In 1984 he was the first recipient of the prestigious Glickman Award for playwriting. His last play ‘Private Scenes” was a huge hit in San Francisco. While working in Los Angeles, he co-wrote the original script for “Beauty and the Beast” for EuroDisney….to date the most popular stage play in Disney’s history.

Joel Homer passed away in 2003 at the age of 58.

 

Buy Fevers by Joel Homer

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

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I have one copy of Fevers to giveaway.

Ebook or Print copy (Winner’s Choice)

Print copy is US Only

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and leave a comment

Tell me something you like about the book, comment on the review. Anything you want!

Giveaway ends June 17th.

~~~~~

Follow The Tour for more fun posts:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus May 11 Spotlight & Giveaway

Lady in Read May 12 Review (postponed)

Mallory Heart Reviews May 14 Review

What U Talking Bout Willis? May 15 Excerpt

Feel the Need, Need to Read May 19 Review, Excerpt,  & Giveaway

Mom Are We There Yet  May 20 Review

Readers Muse May 25 Review

fuonlyknew May 28 Review & Giveaway

Inspire to Read May 29 Review

Always Falling for Book Guys Jun 1 Excerpt

Lisa’s Writopia June 2 Review

Celticlady’s Reviews Jun 3 Excerpt

Mary’s Cup of Tea Jun 5 Review

Books, Books & More Books Jun 8 Review & Ecerptx

Cyn Harris Jun 15 Excerpt

Deal Sharing Aunt Jun 18 Review

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

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

TeaserTuesdays2014e

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~

My Tease for this week is from

The City Of Blood

A Paris Homicide Mystery

by Author Frederique Molay

Translated from French by Jeffrey Zuckerman

22633351

 

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My Teasers from page 13 and 48  in the paperback book.

My teaser from page 13.

“This place is a city within the city. It’s an incredible story…”

My teaser from page 48.

This little boy with a round head and a smile that curved like a banana was the cutest baby in the world.

~~~

Synopsis

When a major Parisian modern art event gets unexpected attention on live TV, Chief of Police Nico Sirsky and his team of elite crime fighters rush to La Villette park and museum complex. On the site of the French capital’s former slaughterhouses, the blood is just starting to flow, and Sirsky finds himself chasing the butcher of Paris, while his own mother faces an uncertain future.

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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