Archive for the ‘Paranormal or fantasy’ Category

Stolen Dreams by Christine Amsden ~ Super Book Blast and Giveaway

Posted: August 4, 2014 in Book Blast, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
Tags: , ,
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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christine will be awarding a $100 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.

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Edward Scot and Victor Blackwood have despised one another for nearly a quarter of a century, but now their simmering hatred is about to erupt.

When Cassie Scot returns home from her sojourn in Pennsylvania, she finds that her family has taken a hostage. Desperate to end the fighting before someone dies, Cassie seeks help from local seer Abigail Hastings, Evan Blackwood’s grandmother. But Abigail has seen her own death, and when it comes at the hand of Cassie’s father, Victor Blackwood kills Edward Scot.

But things may not be precisely as they appear.

Evan persuades Cassie to help him learn the truth, teaming them up once again in their darkest hour. New revelations about Evan and his family make it difficult for Cassie to cling to a shield of anger, but can Evan and Cassie stop a feud that has taken on a life of its own? Conclusion to the Cassie Scot series.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

I escaped from Alexander DuPris the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, only to be told by my family that I was being melodramatic. And this right on the heels of informing me that we had a hostage in the guest bedroom.

A hostage, you say? Surely now I’m being melodramatic! But no, Juliana used her healing gift to knock Amanda Lee unconscious, then shoved her in a supply closet until Dad picked her up from school, at which point the two of them moved the body into the backseat of his car.

“Are you crazy?” I asked. I looked from face to face, trying to find a trace of sanity, but they were all doing their normal after-dinner things exactly as if nothing were wrong. Mom, hugely pregnant with twins, crocheted an afghan, Nicolas was out with Madison, Juliana looked entirely too pleased with herself, Isaac played a video game, Elena hid behind a book, and Adam and Christina played in their rooms. It could have been any normal Tuesday evening, except for the hostage upstairs.

“Cassandra,” my father said, “you haven’t been around. You don’t understand.”

Of course I didn’t understand. No one had told me that things were getting this bad. It was as if I’d been on the moon for the past two months instead of in Pennsylvania, calling home three times a week. But oh, everything is fine at home. Just fine. Don’t worry about us. How are you doing? When will you be home?

Author Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Website ~ Newsletter ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~TwitterGoodreads ~Google+

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Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card.

Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter.

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour for more fun posts and remember to 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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Nothing is a transparent as it seems ~ AQUA by M.A. George

Posted: August 1, 2014 in Blitz, Paranormal or fantasy, YA
Tags: , ,
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 Isn’t the cover art for Aqua amazing. I wonder if it’s cold? I wonder if it’s being controlled?
I’m going to find out. I just started reading it so no answers yet.
I’ll be reviewing this later for a tour but wanted to share the blitz with you.
Make sure you watch the trailer. You’ll have to read this book after seeing it!
Enjoy!

Aqua

By- M.A. George

Genre- YA Paranormal

Publication Date- April 16th, 2014 

 

Meet Layla McKelland:  

Novelist (unpublished, but cut her some slack…seventeen is a bit early to despair),

Slightly neurotic introvert (Alright, let’s be honest…there’s no “slightly” about it),

International Woman of Mystery, and…

Okay, just scratch the bio. 

 

The only real “mystery” in Layla’s life is why her father has never been on the scene.  Or why her mother drags Layla to a new coastal home every year.  

 

Nothing about the latest hometown seems too newsworthy…until a routine day at the beach leaves Layla questioning whether she’s read one too many paranormal fantasy novels.  The plot thickens when a random guy claims to know things about her father—a bizarre claim he backs up with an equally impossible stunt.  And Layla soon finds herself on the wrong side of a mysterious attempted drowning…on her own kitchen floor.

 

When all is done, Layla will attest that fact is far stranger than fiction.  And nothing in real life is ever as transparent as it seems…Not even water. 

 

Especially not water.

 

  

(more…)

Sheryl Winters’ New Release ~ Purr-fect Mating ~ My review and a fun character interview

Posted: July 31, 2014 in Blog Tour, New Release, Novella, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
Tags: , , , , ,
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Purr fect mating M Blog Tour Button1

I originally joined the tour because I loved the cover art for Sheryl Winters’ new release Purr-fect Mating and the title was quirky fun.

Then I read the blurb and had to know more.

So, I’ve included my review and hope you enjoy it.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

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Title: Purr-fect Mating (A Lil Genie Series Novella)

Author: Sheryl Winters

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: June 23, 2014

Keywords: Paranormal, Romance, Shifters

My Review

At around 50 pages, I breezed through this in about 20 minutes.  You might think that’s not long enough to develop genuine characters and a good plot. But the author pulled it off splendidly.

From the moment Fhina discovered a naked man in her front yard I was hooked and from then on it was pure fun.

You have to keep in mind that these characters are not human, they are shifters. And the town is no ordinary town, it’s filled with supernatural beings, including some flighty witches.

When Wulfar and Fhina match gazes, they are bound. They’re soul mates. And things move quickly. The morning after their wedding, Fhina wakes up to a note from her absent groom, telling her to take care of his dog.

You’d think Fhina would fall apart, but she picks herself up and soldiers on.

Wulfar is in no position to tell his new bride where he is. All he can do is watch as the now pregnant Fhina tries to remember her missing husband and prepares for her new arrival.

This was fun from the first page to the last.

You might think Fhina is dumb. Why can’t she even remember who her husband is? Doesn’t she wonder why he left his dog? She’s under a curse, that’s why.

Her family is supportive and quick to help Fhina, but they can’t break the curse. Neither can the creepy witches she turns to for help. I wouldn’t trust them.

When Fhina tries to use a spell, it backfires, leaving her with an unwanted wing to get rid of. Poor girl. She really has no clue.

And poor Wulfar. No way to communicate with Fhina. Unable to be there for her as her due date nears. Fighting his shifter instincts to go run with the pack.

The dilemma for these two had me laughing out loud. What are they to do?

I knew the curse would be broken. I just didn’t know how. And I had a fun time finding out.

Once you start reading this story, you’ll get why the author chose the title.

A quickie romance with hilarious repercussions, Purr-fect Mating left a big impression.

5 Stars

~~~

Blurb:

On their wedding night, at the stroke of midnight, Wulfar changes into his shifted wolf form and cannot shift back. Not even to communicate with the woman he loves.   Fhina, upon waking the day after their mating, no longer recognizes her mate. Pregnant and confused, she’s convinced herself her mate has run away and left her to live alone. With his dog.   Can the cursed pair find a counter charm before Fhina gives birth? Will Wulfar be able to curb his inclination to run?   Or will their mutual curses break up their love affair before it’s really even started.

Purchase Links:

Roane Publishing ~ Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ B&N ~ Smashwords ~ Bookstrand

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Enjoy my character interview with Fhina and Wulfar!

Hi Fhina and Wulfar. Please make yourselves comfortable. I’ll try to make this fun and painless. Shall we begin?

My first question is for Fhina.

What was your first thought when you met Wulfar?

I thought he was a tall drink of deliciousness.

When you woke up and Wulfar was gone and all there was, was a strange dog, did you believe Wulfar had just up and left or did you think something bad had happened to him?

I truly thought he left me. I remember being so upset, so nervous and then well, when I found out I was pregnant I was a little past miffed.

I’m trying to imagine what it must have been like to wake up and find you’re no longer yourself. What was your first thought and I’m curious about if it was hard to adjust to being a 4-legged creature. Was the stuff like walking, or, pardon me, going to the bathroom hard to navigate or was it second nature?

“Laura, if I can be blunt. I’m a wolf shifter so my second form comes quite naturally for me. As to body functions? I’ve always thought that females make a little more out of it than it is. I am after all a male I’ve never had a problem with bathroom functions.

“What he’s saying, Laura is that he has no problem peeing outside.” Fhina whispers.

Fhina, when Wulfar vanished and you’re left with this dog, did you immediately think there was something different about it, or did you accept it as an ordinary dog?

“I was so confused and then there was that fact that Wulfy, excuse me,” Fhina giggles, “My Wulfar makes such a beautiful dog.”

“Honestly, Fhina,” Wulfar snorts.

“Well you do. But to answer your question. I accepted him as an ordinary dog. I was after all cursed.”

Wulfar, so you’re stuck in wolf form. Which was harder. Trying to communicate to Fhina or resisting the call of the wolf?

Truthfully it was the begging for food that got me. It might come naturally for dogs but as an Alpha wolf I had a hard time with it. In my wolf form I’m more than capable of taking down a deer but the constant grovelling for food was very wearying.”

Thanks so much for being such fun to interview Fhina and Wulfar I hope we can chat again sometime.

Oh, I almost forgot one last question. This ones for both of you.

Are either of you wanting to get a dog now?

“I think the twins are more than enough challenge for us.” Wulfar laughs heartily. He’s bouncing Colton on his knee pushing the baby carriage with Angel sound asleep in it.

“I think perhaps later on.” Fhina pats her stomach a mysterious smile on her face.

~~~~

Author Sheryl Winters

I never set out to be an author. Only a story teller. Some days I succeed better than others.

  Winter’s Links:

Website /  Blog   /  Facebook / Twitter

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An eBook copy of Purr-fect Mating and a $10 Amazon Gift Card

Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter.

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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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Stolen Dreams ~ A Cassie Scot Novel by Christine Amsden ~ Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: July 30, 2014 in Blitz, Excerpt, giveaways, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, Series
Tags: , , , , ,
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Welcome to the blitz for Stolen Dreams by Christine Amsden.

This is the final book in her Cassie Scot series and while I can’t wait to read it, I’ll be sad to see it end.

I love this series and each book gets more intense, more dangerous.

I have a peek inside the book for you and the spectacular cover art.

There’s also an awesome giveaway, so remember to enter and Good Luck!

Stolen Dreams

Cassie Scot , Book 4

by Christine Amsden

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Genre: Urban fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, new adult

Publisher: Twilight Times Books

Date of Publication: June 25, 2014 (ebook)

October 15, 2014 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-60619-281-8 / ASIN: Coming soon

Number of pages: 260 / Word Count: 84,000

Cover Artist: Ural Akyutz

 

Book Description:

 

Edward Scot and Victor Blackwood have despised one another for nearly a quarter of a century, but now their simmering hatred is about to erupt.

When Cassie Scot returns home from her sojourn in Pennsylvania, she finds that her family has taken a hostage. Desperate to end the fighting before someone dies, Cassie seeks help from local seer Abigail Hastings, Evan Blackwood’s grandmother. But Abigail has seen her own death, and when it comes at the hand of Cassie’s father, Victor Blackwood kills Edward Scot.

But things may not be precisely as they appear.

Evan persuades Cassie to help him learn the truth, teaming them up once again in their darkest hour. New revelations about Evan and his family make it difficult for Cassie to cling to a shield of anger, but can Evan and Cassie stop a feud that has taken on a life of its own?

Conclusion to the Cassie Scot series.

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Excerpt:

The Prologue

 

            Evan’s face stared back at him from a large glossy poster hanging in the front window of the local post office. The words “Wanted Alive” were splattered across the top in big red letters. Someone had cast an animation spell over it to make his hooded eyes shift slightly, as if in guilt. Evan had seen all that before, but a new addition to the bottom of the poster stopped him dead in his tracks: “One Million Dollar Reward.”

            “Crap,” he muttered under his breath. He looked around, more than half expecting an ambush right there on the street, but he saw nothing sinister. He reached within himself for his magic anyway, channeling it into a shield that would protect him from most magical attacks.

            A million dollars. This was going to bring out every crazy in the country! He had been fighting bounty hunters for over a month, ever since the wanted posters first went up, but then the reward had only been $100,000.

            The Scots were either getting desperate or stupid to try something like this. Rumors already abounded regarding his bottomless reserves of magic, making him out to be some kind of inexhaustible fountain of power. The million-dollar reward would only confirm these lies in the minds of many; which meant that if someone did manage to catch Evan, the Scots were unlikely to get their hands on him. Why would a bounty hunter settle for money when he could have Evan’s magic for himself?

            Evan turned away from the poster and was just about to continue down the street when a black Suburban turned into the post office parking lot, cutting him off. He waited for it to pull into a spot, his shields still up, his senses alert.

            Robert Scot, Edward Scot’s cousin, stepped out of the vehicle, threw Evan a dirty look, then went around to the back to pull a four-year-old girl out of a car seat. The presence of the child did not convince Evan to lower his guard, though he truly hoped they hadn’t sunk so low as to fight when an innocent child might get hurt.

            One million dollars. People had killed for far less, and had allowed children to become victims. Robert Scot was a strong practitioner, on par with Edward, but he didn’t have access to the secrets of alchemy, and he was not a rich man. He earned a good living as a bank manager or something, but one million dollars had to be a temptation.

            The two men did not take their eyes from one another as Robert walked into the post office. Robert clutched the wriggling child, who clearly wanted down, to his chest in an almost painful grip. A minute later he was past, and Evan breathed a little easier. He walked away from the post office, heading down the sidewalk in the direction of his Prius, parked a few stores down. He still had errands to run, but in light of what he had learned about the reward, they didn’t seem important.

            Suddenly, an explosion rent the air. Evan dove behind the nearby antique shop, his shields maxed out, his senses hyper-alert. When he peeked around the corner, he saw smoke and debris where there had once been a Suburban.

            The chubby face of the little girl filled Evan’s mind, and he felt a moment of terror as he wondered whether or not Robert and his little girl had already returned to the car. Practically flying from his hidden position, Evan sped back to the post office and that mockery of a wanted poster, his eyes searching the interior until they fell, thankfully, onto the shocked faces of Robert Scot and his daughter huddled safely inside the building.

            Robert’s face didn’t remain shocked for long; it fell into an enraged scowl. Robert shoved the girl into the arms of a nearby post office patron and marched outside to confront Evan man to man.

            “You son of a bitch! My daughter could have been in there. I almost left her there while I ran inside, but then I saw you.”

            “I didn’t do that. I ran back to make sure you were all right.” More the girl than Robert, but still….

            Robert didn’t respond with words; instead he let loose with a torrent of raw energy that battered Evan’s shields until he could scarcely hold them. Raw magic wasn’t normally a useful attack strategy, but powerful emotion could turn it into one for a short time. Another blast like that and Evan would be in trouble, but he had no intention of letting Robert get off another shot. He parried the attack with his own telekinetic gift, throwing Robert bodily backward, forcefully enough that he smashed through the wanted poster and the glass window, shattering it.

            Evan didn’t wait for Robert to get back up; he ran. He hadn’t caused the explosion, and he had no reason to finish a fight against a man he scarcely knew, but one whose family seemed to want to go to war with his.

            The worst part was that someone in Evan’s family probably had done it–they had been muttering for weeks that they couldn’t just let the Scots persecute him. Evan had begged them to give him time, but obviously time had run out.

            Robert wouldn’t care whether Evan had been personally involved or not, nor would the rest of the Scots. And maybe they were right. Evan would find out who had done it and set him or her straight, but the damage was already done.

            The first direct shot had been fired.

~~~

About Author Christine Amsden:

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Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

 

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Website    Newsletter     Blog

Facebook     Twitter       Goodreads    Google+

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$100 Amazon Gift Card

Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter.

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Tour giveaway:  from July 15-October 15.

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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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Chilling new cover art for A Human Element by Donna Galanti ~ The author’s character interview and giveaway

Posted: July 29, 2014 in Cover Reveal, giveaways, New Release, Paranormal or fantasy, thriller, Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,
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I’m thrilled to once again showcase Donna Galanti and her book, A Human Element.

Donna has just re-released A Human Element with new scenes and a chilling new cover!

There’s all kinds of goodies awaiting you so read on. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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A Human Element: Character Interview
by Donna Galanti

Meet Ben Fieldstone, a Character from Donna Galanti’s newly re-released paranormal suspense novel, A Human Element, book 1 in the Element Trilogy.

Ben’s Fabulous Features
Tall at 6’1″
Lean and tough
Dark looks, brooding
Intense gray eyes
Broken by evil influence
A loner
Closed off from love

a human element ben

Ben Tidbits…
Feisty. Can go looking for a fight, for no reason at all.
Not sure about this love thing.
A survivor who chooses to live.
Fiercely loyal, especially to the one who has shown him love again.
Knows what he wants and never gives up trying to get it.
Hot in dog tags.

a human element SexySailorBen

Where do you live?

Nowhere. I am a nomad. After being a photographer in the Navy, I started up my own business…after I hit rock bottom and cleaned up my drinking. I don’t have a home. And that’s the way I like it. Especially the one-night stands that come with it.

What is your problem in the story?

I never dealt with my parent’s death. They were crushed under a meteorite when I was nine. Years of foster homes left me cynical and a loner. I eventually wised up and figured out I needed to come to peace with my parent’s death if I ever wanted a real life. One that involves people.

Do you embrace conflict?

The first time I did was when I hit my foster father back. I was sick and tired of him beating on me. Yeah, sometimes I look for a fight. Like the time I tried to rescue a girl from a bully Marine in a bar and ended up getting my face smashed in on the street. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the girl either.

How do you see yourself?

A loner and I like it. Next to my blond Norse-God friend, Andy, I look like a scowling, rebellious teenager mad at the world with my dark looks. I’m fine with that.

How do your friends see you?

My best friend, Andy, says I’m missing the big picture. Andy says everyone has a past, but it’s your future you can change. He calls me a skinny James Dean wanna-be.

Do you have any special weaknesses?

Yeah. The first one was booze, but I overcame that. Sink or swim, you know? Second is women. Love them all. And after three years stationed at Pearl Harbor in the Navy, I sampled them all too.

What do you regret?

Running away the night my parents died. When you’re a kid everything is so dramatic. I wanted to scare them, that’s all. Then when they found me they’d tell me everything was fine. Only they never did find me. They died. I feel guilty as shit about it. I know I couldn’t have prevented their deaths. But part of me still feels if I hadn’t run away they wouldn’t have died.

What makes you angry?

Injustice. Bullies. Mean people. I have no tolerance for any of that. My foster father was a bully. I watched him go up I flames and enjoyed it. That’s how much I hate bullies. And the man that killed Laura’s loved ones and chases us now. Give me the chance to take him down and I won’t miss. He’ll suffer long and hard. It won’t be a quiet death. That’s if Laura and I survive.

What, if anything, haunts you?

Laura. I fell in love for the first time with her and then, like that, one morning she was gone. We could have made a life together. Why did she leave when she was the only woman I ever loved? I felt like I had no destination after that. She had been my destination and now that was gone. I would do anything to find her again.

Are you lucky?

Most definitely unlucky. What do you think? Parents crushed under a meteorite. Foster father that beat me. Nearly did myself in with drinking. Dudes in Hawaii that whipped me and almost killed me. Fall in love with a woman who’s being chased by a killer and then she leaves me. I hope I got all my bad luck out of the way early on. It’s got to change sometime, right?

Have you ever failed anyone?

Laura. I wanted to protect her from this killer that chased her but discovered it was out of my control. There was no way I could hope to save her and that frustrated the hell out of me.

What in your past would you like to forget?

Man, all the prostitutes I hooked up with in Honolulu. Thank God, I stayed clean. But one of them damn near got me killed by her pimps. She turned out not to be a woman either. Not fun.
If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you rather be stranded with, a man or a woman?
Umm, let’s see…being that I had a “close encounter” with a man once and didn’t know it I heartily opt for a woman. Only one though. The kind with long chestnut hair, perky breasts, and large brown eyes. Laura.

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About A Human Element:

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Evil comes in many forms…

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.

Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.

But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

My 5 STAR Review of A Human Element

Ben is hiding from his parents on the shore of Coopersville Lake when it happens.

A meteorite crashes. What was once the sight of a dozen or so cabins, one of them containing his parents, is now only a huge crater of steam and fire. In one bright green flash, Ben’s life is forever changed and for another, it has just begun.

No one could know the long-reaching consequences of that fateful night. Or of the horrors to come.

9 months later.

A young girl struggles to bring her child into the world. She came to the doctor in secret. Not even the Armstrong’s, the kindly couple who took her in, know where she is. The doctor doesn’t know why the mysterious man waiting outside wants the baby, he just wants to get paid.

In a rush, the baby enters the world. Sadly, the young mother does not survive the delivery. But wait, another baby is fighting to be born, a twin, a beautiful baby girl.

An exchange is made. The mysterious man leaves with the thing, the baby boy, but the doctor doesn’t mention the girl. He will give her to the Armstrong’s to raise.

Many years later, the baby girl, Laura, is all grown up and back home to find out why the people closest to her are being slaughtered. The answer lies here. Laura has always had the headaches and nightmares and she knows things are coming together now – the monster chasing her in her nightmares, the mysterious man in black, who has always been on the periphery of her life, and whatever happened on the night of the meteorite. It is all connected.

Laura and Ben are thrown together as death races towards them. Both need answers about the night of the meteorite if they are to survive what is coming.

I want to keep telling you more. I’ve only scratched the surface of this story.

Two babies were born that night, Laura and the boy child called X-10. One looks human in every way and the other looks like a monster.

The many secondary characters made this story real for me.

Everybody should have a friend like Jim, a grumpy curmudgeon with a gentle soul and a fierce love and loyalty to Laura.

The Armstrong’s, Laura’s adoptive parents, who though they knew she was different, had special talents, loved her as their own.

The mysterious man in black, who has always been around, lurking in the shadows.

The cruel and sadistic Dr. Bjord, who thrills in tormenting X-10, his failed experiment.

And X-10, the monstrosity who’s only thought is getting out, finding Laura, and tearing her to pieces.

From the first page to the bitter-sweet end, I was totally immersed in this book. A story of wonder, love, humanity and absolute evil.

Donna Galanti’s debut novel has, at its core, an energy, an essence, that gives it life.

Superb writing and a thrilling all-out race to the end, A Human Element is an excellent read.

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**Get your evil on with this re-release by Imajin Books! Newly edited, new scenes, new cover! Book 2 in the Element Trilogy, A Hidden Element, releases 8/28!**

Praise for A Human Element:

“Be afraid. Be very afraid. And be utterly absorbed by this riveting debut that had me reading till the wee hours of the night. A thriller star is born.” –M.J. Rose, International bestselling author

“An elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” –Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author

“Lyrical and creepy, A Human Element tugs on our heartstrings and plucks the gut-strings of horror. This debut thriller author is a true storyteller, highly reminiscent of Dean Koontz.” –Dakota Banks, Award winning author

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About Donna:

Galanti, Donna 2
Donna Galanti writes murder and mystery with a dash of steam as well as middle grade adventure fiction. She is an International Thriller Writers Debut Author of the paranormal suspense novel A Human Element, A Hidden Element (August 2014), the short story collection The Dark Inside, and Joshua and The Lightning Road (Books 1 and 2, 2015). She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer.

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Purchase A Human Element HERE

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GRAND PRIZE Monsters vs. Aliens: Signed paperbacks 1 & 2 of NY Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin series, Supernatural Season 8 on DVD, Cloverfield & District 9 on DVD

e-Book Bundle: 4 thriller books from Imajin Books authors

$25 Amazon Gift Card

5 e-Book copies of Donna Galanti’s short story collection The Dark Inside

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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Tag Team Freebie Event~ Fanged Princess by Elisabeth Wheatley ~ My Review and how to get your FREE copy!

Posted: July 27, 2014 in Freebies!, Novella, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, Vampires, YA
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This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry.

 Elisabeth Wheatley has some exciting news to share with you about her YA Paranormal Novella, Fanged Princess. Read on to learn how you can get your free copy!

After reading my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental for more from Elisabeth and check out Sherry’s review!

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And now here’s Elisabeth!

After much consideration, I have finally made the first book in my Young Adult vampire novella series free. Why? Because all the cool kids are doing it and I know how much I adore freebies, so why not?
Fanged Princess is what I like to call a vampire love story from the perspective of the third wheel. It’s told in first person present tense by Haddie, the sister of a vampire prince who’s had the misfortune to fall in love with a human. (Though she has a bit of her own romance, don’t worry.)
I got the idea for Haddie’s story reading another vampire series and thinking how much it sucked (no pun intended) that the vampires I read about really tended to have crappy sibling relationships. As a tragically unsocial little country girl, my brothers were some of my closest friends and I thought it would be fun to transpose that onto vampires. Hence, the idea for Fanged Princess was born.
As always I am very excited to share this story with the world and it is my hope that through this I will be able to reach more people than ever before. So grab a copy at your favorite eBook retailer and tell your friends. Tell lots and LOTS of friends.
Thank you Laura for hosting me on your blog! It’s fun as always.
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It’s a pleasure having you Elisabeth!

Check out Elisabeth on her blog and tell her hi!

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My Review

Haddie gets it. Love chooses you and you’re powerless against it.  She doesn’t want to though. Like her brother Damian, she too fell in love with a human. And she wears the scars for her transgression.

Her father is the Vampire King and he’s okay with dallying with and feeding on humans, but draws the line at love.

So Haddie rushes to her brother’s side, determined to save him from the same horrific events she went through. And to save the life of the girl he loves, Madelynn.

Haddie (Princess Hadassah) won me over quickly. She went through a horrific punishment for her sin of loving a human. Her father extracted a terrible price and she wants to protect her brother from the same fate.

She knows the enforcers will be coming, led by the most feared one of all, her Uncle Devin. He’s cold, remorseless and efficient, always getting the job done. And he’s brought along the twins, Jerome and Ayden.

The author did an excellent job with the little details that make a story feel real, like this scene:

“I recognize them as Jerome and Ayden Thatcher, twin brother’s who’ve been working for my uncle for years. I’ve always had trouble telling which was which. They even smell the same.”

Even smell the same. That right there struck me. The author stayed in character, referencing their smell, something a human wouldn’t notice, but a vampire would.

There’s some humor here too. Take this scene when Haddie arrives to help her brother:

“Come off it Damian,” I say, dismissively waving my hand. “I didn’t come out here to eat your girlfriend.”

As the enforcer’s tightened the circle, getting closer and closer to these three, I couldn’t help but wonder how they’d survive. That’s where the author threw me a bone. A stranger who just might help them, if he doesn’t kill them too. I won’t mention a name, but I kind of hope Haddie and the handsome stranger get together. They’re a good match. Both fiercely loyal, tough as nails, and just as stubborn.

I could see this union infuriating her father even more. But, I’ll have to read Fanged Outcast to find out what happens with these two. And I’m hoping we get to meet some of the other beings mentioned in this first book. The rusalkas, makaras, koschei, harpies, ogres…and whatever else exists in Elisabeth’s world.

I read this in one sitting, racing to the explosive finale.

Who will survive?

Will family kill family?

The answer awaits.

5 STARS

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Check out this awesome trailer for Fanged Princess.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_HaRcOwYaY?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

Synopsis

I will not let my brother suffer the same loss…

Hadassah’s father, the Vampire King, punished her harshly for her choice to love a human. Now her brother, the only person in the world who still matters to her, has fallen for a human girl. Determined to keep the girl safe, the three of them flee from their home in New England and find themselves cornered with their father’s minions closing in. If they want to escape, their only hope may be to join forces with the mortal enemies of their kind…

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Author Elisabeth Wheatley

 

Elisabeth Wheatley

Elisabeth Wheatley is a teenager of the Texas Hill Country. When she’s not daydreaming of elves, vampires, or hot guys in armor, she is reading copious amounts of fantasy, playing with her little brothers, studying mythology, and training and showing her Jack Russell Terrier, Schnay.
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For more about Elisabeth and her other books use the links below.
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Click on the links below to get your free copy of Fanged Princess!

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

You can visit Sherry’s blog for her review and more from Elisabeth Wheatley  HERE.

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Knock-out cover art for Demons by K.F. Breene ~ Highlight and Giveaway

Posted: July 25, 2014 in Book Promos, Excerpt, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, Series
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Title: Demons

Author: K.F. Breene

Series: Darkness #4

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publication: July 21st, 2014

It’s been a long road, but Sasha has finally claimed her role as the least knowledge mage in history. She’s also acquired a new, incredibly grumpy bodyguard, and a spunky new BFF. With her team by her side, she learns the ropes of this new profession.

Her experience level is about to be fast-tracked, however.

On a routine trip to check out a perimeter breach, she encounters a hideous demon called by an experienced magic worker. It is this terrifying discovery that unlocks a deeper problem: Stefan’s troubled past and the reason he gravely mistrusts the Mata.

While Sasha struggles to fight the physical demons, Stefan struggles to fight the demons of his past. If he fails, his future in Sasha will be lost.

 

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As I got halfway through the open
space, a vulgar feeling began to crawl up my skin like tiny insects scrabbling
under my clothes. The sickly-sweet smell of rotting flesh tickled my nose.
 
“I’ve never felt anything like this
before,” I said quietly, passing my hands through the air. “Although, granted,
I haven’t had a lot of experience.”
 
Shapes took form within the shadows
toward the back wall the closer I got. On the right, near the corner of the
building, lay a pile of grayish sticks, charred and blackened by fire. Scorched
fabric was glued to the various elements of the pile.
 
Three more steps had me halting,
sucking in a huge breath. 
 
It was a body! They weren’t sticks,
they were bones coated in masticated skin!
 
Did that moan come from me?
 
A face, twisted in an endless scream
of agony, lay on the backside of his calves. One arm had been ripped out of the
socket and lay flat under his back. One leg, obviously broken at the thigh, lay
over the other. He was broken and twisted, as if he’d been made of match-sticks
and sporadically snapped and tossed to the ground.
 
“No human could have done this,” I
whispered. “His back was broken in half.”
 
“A bear could have,” Jonas’ voice
echoed around the crouching walls.
 
“Not without opposable thumbs,” I
retorted into the hush.
 
A few more steps and I could see
another fire site, only this time, there was a large black pot overturned
against the wall. A round camping stove, smudged with soot, half lay under it.
 
“This has got to be a few days old,
at least…”
 
“You’re not here to investigate,”
Jonas growled. “You’re here to feel for magic. We have experienced clan that’ll
go over this site and give us more conclusive findings.”
 
 “Oh. Well, you could’ve made
that more clear before I looked at the body.”
 
I let my magic drift, sensing for
spells and pitfalls within the area. This was something I practiced every day
per Toa’s instruction. A large part of my job was sensing other magic and
possible dangers. I still had trouble doing this on the fly, but here, in the
quiet settings, the building almost feeling as if it was holding its breath, I
had nothing else to do but concentrate.
 
The black glow of my magic, hardly
discernable in the gloom of the warehouse, drifted over the overturned pot.
Like a match to kerosene, a circular fire lit up, climbing into the sky like
fairy lights. Sparkles danced and played in a shimmering orange halo lazily
drifting toward the right. Toward the body.
 
I could not help that squeak. Or holding
my breath afterwards.
 
Still it drifted. Reaching for that
death. What would it do when it got there?
 
I don’t want to know!
 
A blast of rotten flesh crawled up my
nose, prompting a gag. That smell didn’t come from the body, it came from the
disgusting magic corroding this area. Magic that was still active. Lingering,
waiting. But for what? Whatever spells had been laid, they weren’t used to
create rainbows. They were also extensive and intricate. Beyond my training.
 
“Not good magic over here…” I
mumbled.
 
My magic spread like a fog over the
body. For a second, nothing happened.
 
“Sasha?” Tim asked into the din.
 
“Don’t go in there, mong—“
 
Jonas’ voice cut off as my magic
started to sizzle and pop. Like water splashing into hot grease.
“What’s it doing?” I asked Jonas with
a quiver in my voice.
 
“This isn’t normal…” Jonas’ voice
drifted away.
 
“Back out of there, Sasha,” Tim urged
from the door.
 
Something tugged at my magical
senses. It was like undertow, rolling and fierce, sucking. Consuming. As fast
as magic surged into my body, elements desperate to get in, something in that
area stole it again, using my draw to fuel itself.
 
But what the hell kind of spell was
it?
 
 “Oh shit,” I mumbled,
scrabbling to pull my power back.
 
“What is it?” Jonas asked, stepping
into the building, his tattoos lighting up like a Christmas tree. A great,
gleaming sword swung into his hand, the blade glowing orange.
 
“Get out of here, Jonas! I need to
tie off this weird spell. It’s sucking magic to it.”
 
Jonas took a hasty step back, his
body once again receding out of the doorway. Tim backed out with him, but
hesitantly.
 
I got to work, sweat beading my brow,
fighting the draw both of that corner, and from the elements fighting to rush
into my body.
 
 “Nasty spell-working, this,” I
said under my breath, sensing the elements within the casting. “They’re, like,reaching for me. Feeding off my magic. I’ve
never dealt with a spell like this. I didn’t even know this was possible.”
 
“Dark magic,” Jonas whispered. “Hard
to work. Harder to control. Someone has balls of steel.”
 
“Well, it’s not me,” I wheezed.
 
I snubbed out the elements that made
up the spell, like soldering wires, closing the spell in a sort of circuit. The
question was, did I just lock all that power in, or would it fray and
disintegrate like it had been, needing someone with magic to come along and fan
it higher?
 
“I don’t think the wielder knew
exactly what he was doing,” I murmured, analyzing the lacy structure of the
orangy incantation. It hovered within a shaky line spilled on the cement floor. Spilled because it looked suspiciously like blood,
sticky and slick, gleaming in the soft light from the window.
 
As I was about to turn away toward
Jonas, wanting to talk about what I’d done and see what he thought—we’d
probably have to go get Toa—the lacy spell cleared away like mist. In its place
grinned the head of a black monster, staring at me like a hungry lion would a
fresh steak.
 
“You did not call me.” Sharp, ragged
teeth filled a mouth too big for its face.
 
Terror jolted me back as a stringy
leg stepped forward.
 
“Sasha?” Jonas’ voice held hard
fibers of alarm.
 
The monster slapped into an invisible
barrier. Orange sparks rained down on its head. It glanced up, and then around,
noticing the hazy orange circle trapping it. And then its face straightened
out, staring right at me out of black pits instead of eyes.  “We can rule,
you and I. Our power, combined, will be indestructible. Join me.”
 
“Oh lovely, one of you. Fantastic.”
 
I eyed his cage as it did, sensing
the weakness of it. The shaky spell, barely held together. Even as I stood
there, the thing was starting to eat away at its cage.
 
Super.
 
Was this terrible spell by design, or
some sort of failed attempt?
 
“We gotta get out of here!” I
roared at Jonas, backing away as quickly as possible. “This thing is way, waystronger than other Dulcha I’ve seen. It’s feeding off of the
magic containing it, somehow. We need Toa for this one.”
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Tad sees auras. Gray-green being the most evil. Khaki = Killer by Connie Corcoran Wilson ~ Reviewing The Color Of Evil Series

Posted: July 23, 2014 in Blog Tour, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Series, thriller
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I’m excited to tell you about all three books in The Color of Evil series.

It’s been thrilling, chilling, and intense reading them.

I’m starting out with Khaki=KIller as it’s the most recent release. But I’ve also reviewed the first two books, so you can skip down and read my reviews in order if so inclined.

Beware. As of the third book, Pogo the Clown was still free, still prowling, looking for his next victim!

Have fun and fasten your seatbelts!

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Khaki = Killer (Book 3 of the Color of Evil Series)

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Publisher: Quad Cities’ Press (April 22, 2014)
Category: YA, Psychological Paranormal Thriller
ISBN: 13: 978-0982444825
Tour Dates: June 23-August 1, 2014
Available in: Print and E-book, 235 Pages

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MY REVIEW

Being the third book in this series, this may contain spoilers from the other books.

The author drops you right back into the story.

Michael Cray,AKA Pogo the Clown, is still roaming free, still plotting to kill Tad. So that was always in the back of mind. Especially when some local girls go missing.

Tad once again teams up with retired police officer Charlie Chandler to find the missing girls. The whole town joins in the search. Fear hangs over the small town like a fog bank.

Tad and Jenny are still working out their relationship.

One girl is clinging to life in the hospital.

Some bad guys are still plotting and caring on.

New romances start and others struggle.

And under it all, Pogo still prowls, still waits to pounce.

This third book and the entire series have something in common. They start fast, pick up speed, drop you in without a parachute, leaving you flailing and maybe, just maybe, give you a safety net.

So many different things are happening with different people, but the author blends it all together into an easy to follow chiller thriller.

4 Stars

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The Color of Evil series first two books (The Color of Evil and Red Is for Rage) were named: PageTurner of 2013 by Shelf Unbound magazine; Best Indie Cover of 2013; NABE Pinnacle Thriller winner; E-Lit Gold Medal winner (Horror); and Connie is a 2 time Silver Feather (IWPA) winner (2012, 2014, Chicago chapter).

The Color of Evil series describes the adventures of the young man (Tad McGreevy) with the power to detect auras around others (Tetrachromatic Super Vision) and to relive the crimes of those with “the color of evil” in his dreams.

Khaki = Killer, the third book in the Color of Evil Series, picks up where Red Is for Rage left off, answering the question, “What happened to Melody (Harris) Carpenter?”

Readers of Red Is for Rage, [Book #2], will remember that Melody was involved in a rescheduled UNI (University of Northern Iowa) football game, cheering for the Sky High Eagles. Rushed to the hospital with injuries suffered in a fall from atop the human pyramid [formed by fellow cheerleaders Heather, Kelly, Janice, Angie, and Jenny, Melody is hospitalized and fighting for her life as Khaki = Killer opens.

The budding romance between Janice and Stevie continues to grow more serious, but Janice’s parents oppose her relationship with the son of a murderer. There are more revelations about Earl Scranton’s motives, and other romance s develop (Tad and Jenny; Charlie and Andrea).

When Heather Crompton and Kelly Carter mysteriously disappear while ice skating on the Cedar River, the tension in town ratchets to a fever pitch. The entire town is involved in the search. Retired police officer Charlie Chandler reorganizes the rag-tag team that helped find Stevie Scranton and bring him back to Cedar Falls, Iowa (Book #2).

In the background lurks Michael Clay (aka, Pogo), still searching for Tad McGreevy, still hoping to permanently silence “the boy who can see the future.”

Tensions run high and the stakes run even higher in KHAKI = KILLER, Book #3 in THE COLOR OF EVIL series~~~~

Praise for THE COLOR OF EVIL series:

“Wilson makes all this count and mixes the ugly and the good in ways that can turn out to be rewarding for readers…There are moments of a real gift here…deft touches…especially between Stevie (Scranton) and his girlfriend, that are quite touching and even inspired…So, I remain happy to follow this series. I am assuming this series will reach a conclusion, and I cannot wait to see how Wilson writes it.”- Andy Andrews,True Review

“Connie Corcoran Wilson weaves a deftly fine scalpel in an age where a crude blade is more the norm. Her work is a smooth, subtle hybrid mix of science fiction, thriller, and horror that realizes a unique and pointed vision in the great tradition of Phillip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury. Her voice is a wonder to behold, at once dark and somber while maintaining a glimmer of hope that shines in the hearts of her heroes, who cling to the light. Like Stephen King, nothing escapes her discerning eye, the result of which is tale after tale that bleed life onto the page, both literally and figuratively.”—Jon Land, bestselling author of the Caitlin Strong Series

“Connie Wilson is back—-She’s good! She’s DAMN good! In a world of mainly bad-to-fair writers, she stands above the crowd with plot, description , and strong character. Believe me, you’ll enjoy her latest! That’s a guarantee!…She’s a born storyteller!”—William F. Nolan, Living Legend in Dark Fantasy, “Logan’s Run,” “Logan’s World,” “Nightworlds”

“Wilson’s characters come alive on the page. Comparisons to Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Philip K. Dick aside, Wilson has spent 33 years teaching students in this age range. She knows what she is talking about.”—Gary Braver, author of “Flashback” and 8 other thrillers.

“THE COLOR OF EVIL series is old-school psychological horror, artfully blended with new-school shocks and twists. ..Bravo!” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author, multiple Bram Stoker winner

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 Color of Evil (Book 1 of The Color of Evil Series)

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MY REVIEW

When Tad McGreevey opens the door, he falls back in fear. Standing before him is Pogo the Clown, hired to entertain the kids at his eighth birthday party.

It’s not the clown suit that terrifies him. It’s the aura that surrounds him. Tad can see auras, or colors, around people. Different auras show whether that person is good or bad. Pogo’s aura is gray-green, or khaki, the worst color.

Nothing happens at his birthday party, but Tad suffers 53 days of nightmares. Pogo is a serial killer and Tad sees each violent killing in his dreams.

Night after night he wakes up screaming and no one is getting any sleep. His family doesn’t believe in his visions and Tad spends a brief time in a psychiatric hospital before Pogo the Clown is caught and his horrific deeds are revealed.

The author then takes you forward eight years. Tad’s nightmares ended when Pogo was caught and his biggest problem now is that Jenny, one of his best friends, is hot for bad boy Jeremy, while Tad’s feelings for her have changed from platonic to to romantic. He is falling for her.

Tad’s nightmares begin again. This time he can’t see the crime as clear. Can’t quite tell who the killer or victim is. And his dreams don’t tell him whether the crime is going to happen, whether it’s happening now, or whether it’s yet to occur. But it will happen. And his biggest fear is not being able to do anything about it.

Something this author does and does well is catch you unawares. You’ll be reading a scene, and suddenly, with no warning, it turns ugly. It rocks you back on your heels. And it happens often, catching you again and again.

The atmosphere of pending danger is felt the whole time you are reading, even in scenes that seem innocuous. Not that they stay that way for long as the evil in this small town is rampant. Hiding in plain sight. Happening to many different people. It’s as if the town harbors evil.

As I neared the end of the book, I knew there were going to be many issues left unresolved. So when I read the title for the last chapter, Loose Ends, I feared the author would cram all of the unfinished scenes into this last chapter.

The author does tie up some of the loose ends. But some really big ones are still hanging wide open. I’ve never read a book with so many things left unfinished and I still loved the ending.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Tad McGreevy has a power that he has never revealed, not even to his life-long best friend, Stevie Scranton. When Tad looks at others, he sees colors. These auras tell Tad whether a person is good or evil. At night, Tad dreams about the evil-doers, reliving their crimes in horrifyingly vivid detail.

But Tad doesn’t know if the evil acts he witnesses in his nightmares are happening now, are already over, or are going to occur in the future. He has no control over the horrifying visions. He has been told (by his parents) never to speak of his power. All Tad knows is that he wants to protect those he loves. And he wants the bad dreams to stop.

At Tad’s eighth birthday party (April 1, 1995) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the clown his parents hire to entertain Tad’s third-grade classmates is one of the bad people. Pogo, the Killer Clown (aka Michael Clay) is a serial killer. So begins 53 nights of terror as Tad relives Pogo’s crime, awakens screaming, and recites the terrifying details to his disbelieving family. The situation becomes so dire that Tad is hospitalized in a private institution under the care of a psychiatrist–who also does not believe the small boy’s stories.

And then the police arrest Pogo, the Killer Clown.

Flash forward to the beginning of Tad’s junior year in high school, 8 years later. Tad is 16 and recovered from the spring of his third-grade year. When Michael Clay was caught and imprisoned, the crime spree ended and so did Tad’s bad dreams.

Until now, in the year of our Lord 2003, when evil once again stalks the land.

This is a terrifying, intense story of the dark people and places that lurk just beneath the surface of seemingly normal small-town America. As one reviewer says, “Wilson nails the darkness beneath the surface of small-town Midwestern life with an intense story based on fact.”

Tad must wage a silent war against those who would harm the ones he loves. A battle to the death.

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Red is Rage (Book 2 of The Color of Evil Series)

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MY REVIEW

I should warn you this is the second book in The Color Of Evil series in case I can’t avoid spoilers from the first book.

In book one, Tad suffered horrendous nightmares until the serial killer, Pogo the Clown was caught and put behind bars.

Moving on to highschool, Tad begins to have the nightmares again. They are tied to the aura’s he sees around people.

In the end of the first book, Tad’s best friend, Stevie, is still missing, and Tad will not stop until he finds out what happened to him.

With the help of a retired police officer, he follows the clues and encounters someone every bit as evil as Pogo the Clown.

I had a feeling Tad wouldn’t be getting any relief from his nightmares. Especially when I learned that Pogo, AKA Michael Cray, had escaped and immediately set about to find Tad and kill him, believing if he did this, he could remain free to do his evil deeds.

This second book takes place a few months after the first and moves at a fast pace. You are dropped right back into the middle of small town terror.

I feared Tad wouldn’t be able to get a handle on his special powers. Wouldn’t be able to use them to save the people he cared about.

As I was reading, I felt like an observer, like I was privy to different character’s thoughts and actions. This made for more thrills and tension as evil plotted and Tad raced to catch up or get ahead of them.

Not as horrific as the first book but more intense, more suspenseful.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

RED IS FOR RAGE is the second book in the award-winning THE COLOR OF EVIL series. It was named the winner in the Thriller category of the Pinnacle book award by NABE (National Association of Book Entrepreneurs) in 2013.

At the end of Book One (THE COLOR OF EVIL), Stevie Scranton, best friend of Tad McGreevy, went missing. Best friend Tad McGreevy, who has the ability to see auras around others that lead him to “see” the crimes of the evil-doers, vows to do everything he can to find Stevie. In their search, they discover a monster every bit as dangerous as Pogo, the killer clown, and must confront him in order to save Stevie.

Pogo, from Book One, still is a threat, hoping to kill Tad to keep his freedom, since he thinks Tad has the power to turn him over to the police. Now, Tad must learn to harness his unique gift. Stevie’s fate hangs in the balance as well as his own life.

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”I didn’t find this book as scary/creepy as I did The Color of Evil. It was more eerie. I knew that something was going to happen, I just didn’t know what or when. Ms. Wilson introduced a number of side stories that each could have been the ‘big one’. Again, I found myself wanting to continue reading to find out which of these stories would develop furthest. I wasn’t able to complete the reading in one sitting, but I was back up early in the morning to finish.”-Heather Pearson, Books and Quilts

“Connie Corcoran Wilson has become another favorite go-to storyteller. The Color of Evil and Red is for Rage, are reminiscent of a Stephen King novel. Mr. King has a knack for making the all American small town a nest of unimaginable horror. Well, Ms. Wilson has also accomplished that in her tales.

The incredible twists and turns the author takes the reader on; the in-depth characterizations that Author Connie Corcoran Wilson employs is exceptional; the reader becomes intimate with the characters, an affectionate bond grows, with the reader finding those characters to root for.

Red is for Rage was a good story, disturbing in spots but this was due to the author’s skill at creating a very realistic plot line. The story flowed smoothly, the action was steady.”-Michelle Cornwell-Jordon, Author of “Tormentin”, “Night School Vampire Hunter Trilogy”, “Chrysalis”

“I have not read the first book in this series, The Color of Evil, but I had no problem picking up on what was going on in Red is for Rage. It was suspenseful and Intriguing. After I started reading, I quickly became absorbed and anticipating what would come next . Connie does a great job of bringing it all together in one book that. I highly recommend reading .”- Heather Beldon, Saving for Six

” If you’re looking for a book full of adventure and action, then this is the one for you. I can say that Ms. Wilson did a wonderful job with Tad, and his unique abilities, which we learn more about in this novel. I also think that she knows her characters quite well. She left me craving the next book, which says something. Especially since I tend to avoid these types of tales where there is so much darkness. But I could see that little glimmer of hope, the little bits of light through the darkness and it left me wanting more.

We also get to see a bit more of Stevie in this book which was nice since he had gone missing early in Book #1. And Michael Clay, (aka Pogo the Clown), just reinforced my hatred of clowns! He doesn’t have as big a role in this book, but he still plays a part in continuing the story line. He is a great character whom we all love to hate!

I recommend it to ages 16 and older. While it deals with some sticky situations, it does it in such a classy manner that it will suck you into the world she has created.”-CondyGirl, Recent Reads

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About Connie Corcoran Wilson

Connie (Corcoran) Wilson (MS + 30) graduated from the University of Iowa and Western Illinois University, with additional study at Northern Illinois, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Chicago. She taught writing at six Iowa/Illinois colleges and has written for five newspapers and seven blogs, including Associated Content (now owned by Yahoo) which named her its 2008 Content Producer of the Year. She covers politics and entertainment and has over 1,000,000 “hits.”

She is a member of ITW (International Thriller Writers), where she is a writer for their online newsletter, and a member of IWPA (Illinois Women’s Press Association, Chicago chapter), which awarded her its Silver Feather Award in 2012 and 2014, MWA (Midwest Writers Association), AWP (American Writing Program) and MWC (Midwest Writing Center), which named her its Writer of the Year in 2010. She has won numerous E-Lit awards, a NABE Pinnacle award, an ALMA (American Literary Merit Award), Lucky Cinda competition and two IWPA Silver Feather Awards (2012, 2014).

Her stories and interviews with writers like David Morrell, Joe Hill, Kurt Vonnegut, Frederik Pohl, William F. Nolan, Anne Perry, r. Barri Flowers, Valerie Plame, Allen Zadoff and Jon Land have appeared online and in numerous journals.

Her work has won prizes from “Whim’s Place Flash Fiction,” “Writer’s Digest” (Screenplay) and she has 25 published works. Connie reviewed film and books for the Quad City Times (Davenport, Iowa) for 12 years, wrote humor columns and conducted interviews for the (Moline, Illinois) Dispatch and maintains her own blog, www.WeeklyWilson.com, while also twittering (@Connie_C_Wilson), Connie Wilson Author.

Connie was a presenter at the Spellbinders Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii over Labor Day (2012) and at Love Is Murder in Chicago (February, 2014). She has three ongoing series: THE COLOR OF EVIL, HELLFIRE & DAMNATION (short stories organized around the crimes or sins punished at each of the levels of Hell in Dante’s Inferno) and THE CHRISTMAS CATS, which she writes for her granddaughters. (www.TheColorOfEvil.com; www.RedIsforRage.com; www.KhakiEqualsKiller.com; www.HellfireAndDamnationTheBook.com; www.TheXmasCats.com)

Connie lives in East Moline, Illinois with husband Craig and cat Lucy, and in Chicago, Illinois, where her son, Scott and daughter-in-law Jessica and their five-year-old twins Elise and Ava reside. Her daughter, Stacey, graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, and is currently in training in Dallas to become a Southwest Airlines stewardess.

 Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

Buy Khaki=Killer:

Amazon– Paperback
Amazon– Kindle

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Follow the Tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus June 20 Spotlight & Giveaway
Books & Quilts June 23 Review
Room With Books June 24 Review
Let’s Talk About Books June 25 Review
Cassandra M’s Place June 26 Review & Giveaway
The News in Books June 30 Review
BK Walker Books July 8 Interview
Like a Bump on a Blog July 12 Review & Giveaway
Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author July 14 Excerpt
Giveaways and Glitter July 18 Review
Bound 4 Escape July 21 Review
The WormholeJuly 22 Review
fuonlyknew July 23 Review
Cheryl’s Book Nook July 28 Guest Post
Paranormal Romance July 29 Review

The Pestas are growing bolder, their numbers increasing. Time of Ruin by Shauna Granger ~ Book Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: July 22, 2014 in apocalypse, Blitz, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, YA, Zombies
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I wish I was a supernatural being requiring no sleep. Not an ugly one, of course. More like a vampire. Then I wouldn’t be so far behind in my reading. I could read 24/7 if I wanted to. Which I do!
I have World of Ash, the first book in this exciting series. It’s just the kind of story I love. And I HAVEN’T read it yet! Ugh! Not enough hours in the day.
And now, Time of Ruin, Book Two, is releasing. I love a series and have got to get started on this one.
I have the awesome cover art for ya and my favorite excerpt.
Plus, there’s a giveaway. So don’t forget to enter!
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Time of Ruin (Ash and Ruin #2)
Release Date: 07/22/14
Summary from Goodreads:
The world has ended, and hope is the most dangerous thing left.

Battered and bruised after barely escaping San Francisco with their lives, Kat, Dylan, and Blue press north – desperate to reach the possibility of a new home.

But strange, monstrous ravens are tracking the remaining survivors, food is becoming scarce, gasoline is running short, and people are becoming suicidal, making survival almost impossible.



And the Pestas are growing bolder. Somehow, their numbers are growing.



The further north they go, the harder it becomes to ignore the signs that they’ve made a fatal mistake. Kat must face the impossible truth that there is no escape, there is no safe haven, and their worst nightmares don’t come close to their new reality.

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Purchase Links

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo

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There were several excerpts to choose from but I liked this one the best. Enjoy!
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With a shaking hand, I pull my water bottle from the netted pocket and take a few sips, reluctantly controlling myself from gulping down half of it. Once my mouth is pleasantly wet, I hold the bottle out to Blue and let him take a few sips. I’m happy the mouth is wide so I don’t need to spill any out for him.

The last thing I want to do is to dig through my pack and get out Blue’s bowls and kibble, so I pull out a can of beef stew, my last can of the blessed protein-and-carb packed stuff, and pull the tab to open it. “We’ll share, okay?”

Blue sits on his haunches, back perfectly straight, as he watches me. I know it’s a leftover trick from his first family, but it makes me smile.

“Me first,” I say and point at the ground.

With a short whine, Blue lays on the ground, resting his chin on his paws as he watches me tilt the can to my mouth. Eating only half of the stew isn’t as hard as I thought it would be; my stomach is so tight with worry over leaving Dylan, over the trail of smoke in the distance, and my need to find transportation that I’m not as hungry as I should be. I have to choke down the last bite of mealy potato before I hold the can out for Blue. He has no such difficulty eating the other half of the stew, and in minutes, he’s licking the inside of the can clean.

“Pig,” I tease as I toss the can away. Blue ignores me and lays down to clean his paws.

I let my head fall back against my pack. My eyelids are heavy, and it’s increasingly more difficult to keep my eyes open. I click my tongue for Blue, and he jumps to his feet in an instant. I chuckle and snap my fingers for him to come to my side. With his warm body tucked in close to me, I lay one hand on his back and let sleep pull me under.

I don’t know how much time passes before I’m awoken by a sound that I know neither I nor Blue made. My eyes snap open, and my whole body goes instinctively still. I hold my breath so that I can hear better. Blue shifts under my hand. He picks up his head, his ears perfect triangles as he listens for the unfamiliar noise. I grip the loose skin at his neck and make a tiny noise to keep him quiet.

Somewhere a twig snaps, louder than any shot fired.

Not for the first time, I miss the farmhouse where I found Blue, with its intact walls and locks on every door. I bite the inside of my cheek, wondering if I can get to the edge of the wall and away from here before whoever is walking up the steps comes around the corner.

A dim yellow light creeps across the floor underneath the dresser we’re hiding behind. My heart is choking me, lodged high in my throat, and all I can hear is the beat of my pulse and the rush of my blood.

“Yeah, this is good,” a man’s voice rings out, striking me like a whip.

I’ve missed my chance to run.

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World of Ash
Ash and Ruin Book One
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Synopsis

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There are two inherent truths in the world: life as we know it is over, and monsters are real.

The Pestas came in the night, spreading their pox, a deadly plague that decimated the population. Kat, one of the unlucky few who survived, is determined to get to her last living relative and find shelter from the pox that continues to devastate the world. When it mutates and becomes airborne, Kat is desperate to avoid people because staying alone might be her only chance to stay alive.

That is, until she meets Dylan. Dylan, with his easy smile and dark, curly hair, has nowhere to go and no one to live for. He convinces Kat there can be safety in numbers, that they can watch out for each other. So the unlikely couple set off together through the barren wasteland to find a new life – if they can survive the roaming Pestas, bands of wild, gun-toting children, and piles of burning, pox-ridden bodies

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About Author Shauna Granger

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, but it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Five years ago, Shauna started work on her Elemental Series. She released the first installment, Earth, on May 1, 2011 and has since released four sequels, with the series coming to an end with Spirit. She is currently hard at work on a new Urban Fantasy series, staring a spunky witch with a smush-faced cat named Artemis.
Author Links:
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$20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

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Book Blitz Organized by:
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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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Review Blitz for Dark Secrets by Madeline Pryce ~ I’ll never tell. Well maybe just a little!

Posted: July 21, 2014 in Adult Fiction, Blitz, Erotic, New Release, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
Tags: , ,
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Dark Secrets review blitz banner

It’s Review Blitz time for Dark Secrets (Dark #2) by Madeline Pryce!

I can’t wait to tell you how much I loved this book!

All of Madeline’s books are pumped up with kick-ass action and  sex scenes that will make you shiver!

Turn up the AC and get you something cold to drink. It’s about to get hot here!

Dark Secrets (Dark #2)

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Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
ISBN: 9781419991370
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Theme: Vampire/Demon (a few shape shifters thrown in there…)
Length: 85,000 words

MY REVIEW

Micah. Ella.

Hers. His.

Mine.

When I started this series, it appeared the sex demon’s curse and their mating tattoos bound these two so tightly. Now I wonder what would happen if neither of these things were in play.

Micah and Ella have a chemistry and emotional bond that is so strong, I think they might have come together on their own.

Ella is now Queen of the vampires. She ascended after killing the previous queen, a psycho who, though frozen in the ageless body of a young girl, was anything but. I think she never aged that much emotionally either. Maybe that explains her murderous temper tantrums and vicious impulses. She darn near killed Ella’s sister Hannah.

It’s almost time for Ella to go before the Shadow Agency . They want her head, believing she drank from a human. She did, kind of. Micah is part human, but he’s also part demon, and a discovery about Micah’s mother and maybe identifying his father could save her life.

Many are dying as Ella struggles with her new role as vampire queen, and to top it off, she’s gone girly. That’s something I never expected out of her. She’s a no frills, no regrets, stone cold killer, and no one messes with her. I wondered how Micah would take this side of her. Heck, I wondered how she would.

Hannah, Ella’s younger sister, is mostly recovered after suffering the horrendous torture from the previous vamp queen, and Micah’s brother, Eli, feeling himself not worthy of her, has driven her right into the arms of hot lion shifter, Dante. And they have a surprise for everyone.

And this is where I also got a surprise. Something crazy happens to Ella and the following scenes are insane. There is so much blood shed, so much pay back, and so much insidious mind play, I was glued to the pages. I was reminded of Akasha from the Queen of the Damned movie. So beautiful, so deadly, so without any restraint. There was one person who I felt had it coming to him, and for a long time. If his fate had been played out on the big screen, I would have had to peek between my fingers to get through it. Whew!

Micah may finally learn the fate of his mother and the identity of his father. The council may finally get Ella’s head on a platter, and nasty Julian’s self-serving manipulations may cost many innocents their lives.

Wolves and vamps come too close to each other and fur may fly and fangs may drip blood.

And Micah and Ella have their battle of wills in and out of the bedroom, which makes for some steamy romance and fun dialogue.

Never dull. Never slow. I gulped down this story like a glass of chilled ice tea on a hot, muggy day. And my thirst was satisfied for now. But it will be back, wanting more.

5 STARS

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Blurb

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The worst moment of Micah’s life was when Ella nearly died in his arms. Her miraculous recovery should have been the start of their future. Unfortunately, a new demonic heritage, the Shadow Agency’s corruption and Julian, the vampire who turned Ella, are testing their relationship. Despite hotter-than-ever sex and a variety of new places and positions to explore, Micah begins to wonder if a relationship based on lust can survive for more than a few scorching-hot months.
Ella has forgiven, but not forgotten, the fact that Micah once plunged a dagger through her heart. Everything with Micah is passion, excitement and an uncontrollable desire to explore his body in a variety of very satisfying ways. But as buried secrets, ongoing lies and murderous deceptions pile up, Ella is reminded that she and Micah’s relationship was based on a curse. In order to forge a future together, Ella and Micah will have to face down their personal demons—and prove that love and trust are more than just words.
A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave.

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BUY LINKS
Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Ellora’s Cave

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Haven’t read the Dark series yet? Start with Dark Cravings (over 50 five star reviews on Amazon), it’s the first full length novel in the series…

Dark Cravings

By Madeline Pryce

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MY REVIEW

Blurb
Ella Grey’s life sucks. A half-breed vampire, she does her best to pass the time killing demons and secretly admiring her Shadow Hunter partner, Micah. He’s hot, dangerous and knows it. He’d be just Ella’s type if he weren’t likely to kill her the moment she put a toe out of line.

A chance encounter with a succubus changes everything. From the second the succubus’ spell washes over them, Ella and Micah are helpless to keep their hands off one another. The sex, when it’s not leaving them on the verge of death, is earth shattering and for the first time in ages Ella is connected with someone on a level she’d feared lost forever. But a dangerous prophecy has been set into motion, and if Ella’s not careful it’ll pull her straight from Micah’s arms and into the deepest bowels of the underworld.

A Romantica® Paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published under the title Blood Lust Rising. It has been revised and expanded for EC.

Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon Ca ~ Amazon UK ~Amazon AU

B&N (Nookie!) ~ Kobo ~ Goodreads

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Dark Innocence

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MY REVIEW

Synopsis

Hannah Grey will do anything to escape the tortured memories haunting her. Every breath brings back the pain, the fear and the unbearable knowledge that she’ll never be the once-perfect girl everyone thought her to be. When the self-destructive fog of drugs, alcohol and meaningless sex starts to clear, Dante, a lion shifter sexier than sin itself, emerges through the darkness ready to rescue her for the second time in so many weeks.

In the safety of Dante’s embrace, Hannah allows herself to become the woman she’s always wanted to be—smart, sexy, capable and empowered. His every touch electrifies. His hot, hungry kisses set her senses ablaze. As Dante masters her body, Hannah finally finds the strength to master her fears.

Perfection shatters as a mysterious vampire escalates from anonymous phone calls to violent encounters. When Hannah’s enemies unite, placing both her and Dante in mortal peril, it’s going to take all of her newfound strength to face the coming darkness and save the man she loves.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave.

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Series Reading Order
Dark Cravings (#1 Ella/Micah – 85k)
Dark Innocence (#1.5 Hannah – 45k) MY REVIEW
Dark Secrets (#2 Ella/Micah – 85k)
Dark Vengeance (#2.5 Castro – 45k) – release date coming soon!
Dark Promises (#3 Ella/Micah) – Spring 2015

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And Crimson Sins

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MY REVIEW

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Synopsis

Created in Darkness and born of Death, three brothers carry a deadly secret.

One lethal enough to have the dead outnumber the living. Necromancer. Biohazard. Zombie. The abomination inside Bastian Hale demanded constant payment—fresh blood. Without it, he’d rot from the inside out and become little more than a mindless monster. Some called him a living vampire, others considered him contaminated. One woman would call him hers.

Morgan Cross never understood the innate necromancer power running through her veins or why ghosts and zombies sought to ruin her life. When someone’s deadly obsession throws her into Bastian’s arms, their pasts come back to haunt them and she must avoid the one thing she was born to do—claim him as hers.

WARNINGS: violence, gore, mention of rape, torture, images of past abuse, spanking

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Plus Claiming Ecstasy

Claiming Ecstasy cover

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Release Date: May 14th, 2014

Price: $1.99 (1.49 @ Ellora’s Cave)

Genre: Erotic, Paranormal (Vampire)

Length: Quickie (10,000 words – meant to be devoured in one sinfully delicious sitting)

MY REVIEW

Blurb

Jolie Dupree is prophesied to bring an end to the deadly war waging between the vampires and the Seelie court. Groomed from birth by a vicious mother, Jolie knows her future can only end in blood–and the murder of the one man she can’t resist. Consumed with guilt, Jolie can’t fight the lure of Nicolas Larkin, the vampire king. She returns to him over and over, every caress of pain and every stroke of pleasure drawing her deeper into the darkness. She must decide between the concrete and the chaos, the light and the dark, for her choice will tip the scales between good and evil, and quite possibly cost Jolie her soul.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Links

Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon AU

B&N ~ Kobo ~ Ellora’s Cave ~ Goodreads

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About Madeline Pryce

madeline pryce

Madeline Pryce wrote her first novel when she was ten, penned with neon-pink ink in a loose-leaf binder. Captivated by romantic literature, yet intrigued by the paranormal, she continues to develop her own voice, writing the kinds of stories that inspired her as a teen.

Author Links
Blog – Facebook Page
Facebook (I welcome friends!) – Facebook Fan Group – Twitter

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