Archive for the ‘Series’ Category

New Blood

Book One in the Vampire in the City Series is free right now on Amazon.

Not sure how long it lasts so get yours now.

US / UK / Canada

New Blood (Vampire in the City, #1)

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Description

Emma Hammond is a normal young woman living in New York City whose life changes forever when one misstep brings her very close to death. Luckily, Alex Thompson, a handsome stranger (who also happens to be a vampire), jumps in to save her, turning Emma into a vampire. She quickly discovers the numerous advantages (no more allergies, glasses, or acne) and slight drawbacks (wanting to eat her boyfriend) of joining the ranks of the creatures of the night. But Emma soon finds out her new undead life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when she gets pulled in to an age-old dispute between two feuding vampire clans.

I’ve read the first three books in this series and the fourth will be releasing soon. Can’t wait!

Vamps, weres, and witches. What more could you ask for!

Murder on Olympus Blog Tour Banner

I love greek mythology. So many fascinating beings and stories.

I just had to read this book and when I spotted the tour, I signed up immediately.

While I haven’t read the book, YET, I will be soon and I’ll be telling you all about it!

Murder on Olympus (Plato Jones #1)

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Description

At first glance, the Gods of Olympus are as different from one another as salt is from sugar. Despite their bickering, they share a universal bond, a thread of commonality that unites them.

They’re all jerks.

After a stint with the Olympic Bureau of Investigation, Plato Jones is through with the Gods and their political games. Against his protests, he’s drawn into a murder investigation, where the murderer’s targets are the Gods themselves.

Plato has cracked some tough cases: exposing cheating spouses, capturing treasonous heretics, hunting three-headed dogs. But this time he’s in over his head. How can he solve a crime that’s impossible to commit? And what chance does Plato—a mere mortal—have against something powerful enough to kill a God?

A Character Profile

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Zeus:

Zeus is the King of Olympus, and President of the Olympic World Council. Ageless and wise, he has brought about a golden age for mortals and immortals alike.  Along with his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, Zeus is one of the most powerful beings in existence, if not the most powerful. He possess a plethora of superhuman abilities, which include immense strength and speed, invincibility, flight, enhanced senses, astral projection, regeneration, telethapy, telekinesis, shape-shifting, mind-control and  teleportation. But most notable is his ability to wield lighting. Having defeated the Titans thousands of years ago, Zeus believed that no one would ever become strong enough to challenge his rule. But when a God of Olympus is slain, Zeus and his fellow Olympians must face the most dangerous enemy they’ve ever known: mortality.

Giveaway

I have one paperback copy of Murder on Olympus to give away!

Us/Canada Only ~ Sorry to my International friends.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question –

“Who is your favorite mythological being?

Giveaway ends April 14th.

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter to win an e-book.

It’s an International Giveaway.

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Thank you for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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About the author

A fan of thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction, Robert B. Warren has been writing stories ever since he could hold a pencil. In 2009, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and creative writing from the University of Alabama—Roll Tide! He currently lives in the South.

Links

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Murder on Olympus Blog Tour Button

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I’ve had this book for a while and when I spotted this tour, I just had to be a part of it.

Now that I’ve read it, I wonder how many other fantastic stories are awaiting me in my kindle.

It drives me crazy thinking about this book having sat in my eReader, waiting for me to find the time to open it up.

I may have to take time off of work to read the second book in this series, Halo of the Nephilim. It’s soon to be released and I can’t wait!

HaloOftheDamned - Book One

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A chain of advertising agencies, a new breed of humans, and a fallen angel to worship… Andel Talistokov is known for his slick advertising agencies across the globe. He is a fallen angel that uses advertising as a weapon for Satan‘s work. His growing power emboldens him to break several of Hell‘s Commandments. Furious with his arrogance, Satan commands him to return to Hell after finding his own replacement. Yezidism, an ancient angel worshiping religion, quietly expands throughout the West. Armaros appears as a guest of honor during their ceremonies. He mates with young women to produce nephilim, a mixed race of humans and angels. They are alone and unprepared for their supernatural power. Joanna Easterhouse, a recovering drug addict, steps out of prison shortly after her mother’s fatal accident. She and her sister, Kim, unravel their mother’s secretive past. Intrigued, they learn their bloodline is part of a celestial legacy. Both worlds collide. Halo of the Damned is a horrifying tale that weaves research together with suspenseful twists and turns.

 My Review

Armaros, or Andel as he likes to be called, has been around for a long time. If you asked him he’d tell you, “I was made at the very beginning, with all of God’s angels…. So to answer your question, I’m as old as old can be.”

Andel is one of the fallen. He was sent to Hell along with one-third of the rest of the angels, those who stood alongside Satan in a war to defy God. Which they lost.

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Now he’s got this huge advertising company, The Evil Empire, which he uses to trick and steal the souls of thousands. He sends these souls to his master, who adds them to his army of evil warriors.

Andel is despicable and so horrendous. He doesn’t have to eat his victims to obtain their souls. He does it because he enjoys it, revels in it.

This scene from the beginning shows his real colors behind the suave business man facade he presents to others.

You’ll find him sitting in his office, calmly gazing at the young woman lying dead on the floor in a growing pool of blood.

After he licks his knife clean, he slithers over, slurps up all of her blood and consumes most of her remains. He’d had high hopes for his daughter, but, she didn’t work out.

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Then he calls in his trusted assistant, Marcus, to clean up after him.

Marcus is the worst of humanity, if you could call him human. He’s been killing since he was 10 years old. And now he’ll do whatever Andel asks of him, with pleasure, because of the promise to be made like him.

Next, you’ll meet Joanna, fresh out of a two and a half-year prison term for intent to distribute cocaine. At least one good thing came of her incarceration. She’s clean for once.

Her sister, Kim, picks her up outside the prison and takes her to their mother’s house. It’s now theirs, since her mother left it to them when she died. Joanna is torn up about missing her funeral.

Joanna and Maria, Kim’s young daughter, hit it off right away and it looks like they might all be living together for now.

When they go for the reading of the will, both sisters are surprised to discover their mother had an estate on Lake Geneva. She’d had it all along and never told them about it. The lawyer reveals there is also a painting of celestial beings somewhere that is quite valuable. A stipulation in the will states they can’t sell the homes or paintings unless they are forced to financially. And she’s left her special collection of stones to Maria, knowing the young girl will keep them safe.

The girls soon discover the painting in the lake house and the secrets hidden in the wall behind it.

Right then I had an inkling what their mother, Lydia, was and where this story might be going. I couldn’t wait to read further . This was getting really good.

Coincidence, or maybe not, lands Joanna in an important  position at Andel’s Evil Empire. That’s when she starts to hear the voices again, the ones she’d drowned out with booze and cocaine.

Between the voices, the doll talking to Maria and the startling events with a séance, things really start ramping up.

The chapters are short and really make this a fast read. I never slowed down and learned a lot about Heaven and Hell and it’s denizens.

I loved this story. Good and evil angels, nephilim, family secrets, and mystery and terror aplenty. Halo of the Damned is an exciting and  gripping tale of light and dark, good and evil, and those that stand against the Lord of Lies.

Dina Rae’s Halo of the Damned gets 5 Stars

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p89LXZNxOs]

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Sequel Halo of the Nephilim out May 2013

HalooftheNephilim - Book Two

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Dina Rae is running from website to website, trying to outrun the demons at her heels. Run with her on the Tour of the Damned and read special guest posts, excerpts, reviews and more from her hit novel Halo of the Damned. If you are lucky, you may be able to walk away… With a special prize pack from author Dina Rae herself.

Giveaway

Dina has a super giveaway!

Here’s what you can win.

1st Place(one winner):

Decorative box containing peacock themed items: file folders and holder, beaded shawl, scarf, brooch, silver wing earrings, note block, jeweled pic frame, hairband, hairclips, stationary.

2nd Place(one winner):

Rhinestone angel wing “Halo of the Damned” ladies black t-shirt.

3rd Place(two winners):

Peacock candle, dishtowel, pen and journal.

Go here to enter the giveaway and view all of these awesome prizes!

Tour of the Damned Stop List

April 7 – Krystal’s Enchanting Reads – Guest Post from author Dina Rae

April 8 – FUOnlyKnew – Review of ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 9 – Zombie A.C.R.E.S. – Excerpt from ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 10 – A Girl and Her Kindle – Excerpt from ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 10 – So Much to Write, So Little Time – Guest Post from author Dina Rae

April 11 – Free Book Dude – Excerpt from ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 12 – The Cerebral Writer – Guest Post from author Dina Rae

Biography of Dina Rae

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Dina Rae is a new author here to stay.  As a teacher, she brings an academic element to her work.  Her three novels, Halo of the Damned, The Last Degree, and Bad Juju weave research and suspense throughout the plots.  Her short story, Be Paranoid Be Prepared, is a prequel of sorts to The Last Degree, focusing on the James Martin character.  In the spring of 2013, her latest novel, Halo of the Nephilim, will be released.  Dina also freelances for various entertainment blogs.

Dina lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside of Chicago.  She is a Christian, an avid tennis player, movie buff, and self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories.  She has been interviewed numerous times in e-zines, websites, blogs, newspapers, and radio programs.  When she is not writing she is reading novels from her favorite authors Dan Brown, Anne Rice, Stephen King, Brad Thor, George R.R. Martin, and Preston & Childs.

Links

http://dinarae.co

www.dinaraeswritestuff.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dinaraebooks/

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DinaRaeBooks

@haloofthedamned

Eternalpress.biz

Book Buy Links

Amazon.com Buy Link

BarnesandNoble.com Buy Link

Do you ever wish you could be young again? Go back in time, even for a little while? Of course you do!

Every now and then I pull a much-loved book down from my bookshelf. Something all tattered and worn from so many readings. Revisiting these stories I loved as a young reader keeps me young. I relive those youthful thoughts and just have a blast!

I do have to remember I’m not that young anymore though. I wouldn’t want to end up in the hospital after trying to do a cart-wheel, or God forbid, the splits!

Goddess Girls #10 – Pheme the Gossip

Get to know Goddess Girl Pheme…the original “gossip girl”!

As the goddess girl of rumor and gossip, Pheme prides herself on being “in the know” and having the most up-to-date info on anyone and everyone at Mount Olympus Academy. To make sure that people really get her VIP messages, her words tend to linger in cloud letters above her head—just in case people don’t catch what she says!

But not everyone is thrilled with Pheme’s insider knowledge on everything MOA—including the Goddess Girls. Can Pheme ever be trusted? Or will this “gossip girl” find herself on the other end of the rumors?

Purchase
Praise for The Goddess Girls

“…a clever take on Greek deities…”

~ Booklist

“Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging.”

~Publisher’s Weekly

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…”

~ School Library Journal

The Goddess Girls Series

The Goddess Girls series, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

  • Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
  • Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
  • Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
  • Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
  • Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he’ll get kicked out of MOA! Although she’s not sure it’s wise, Athena agrees to help out.
  • Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she’s the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever.
  • Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair!
  • Medusa the Mean Medusa wants to be more like her two sisters and the other kids at Mount Olympus Academy — immortal. Is that too much to ask?
  • The Girl Games (Goddess Girls Super Special) Listen in on what all four goddess girls are thinking as Mount Olympus Academy hosts visitors from many lands–including an adorable kitten!The first-ever standalone superspecial in the Goddess Girls series!
  • Pandora the Curious Pandora is one of the few mortals at Mount Olympus Academy—and probably the most curious of all the students in school.

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Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/21/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

To enter, click on the rafflecopter link below.

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Author Suzanne Williams

Suzanne Williams is the award-winning author of nearly 40 books for children, from picture books and easy readers to chapter books and middle grade fiction series. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children’s choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. She is co-author (with Joan Holub) of the popular Goddess Girls series(for ages 8 – 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6 – 11). Other series include Fairy Blossoms and Princess Power.

Author Joan Holub

I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children’s books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job.

I illustrated my first published children’s book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts — Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee!

Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children’s books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.

Welcome to my stop on The Witchbound Tour.

I have two awesome books to tell you about and a wonderful author to introduce you to!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash!

Sprung (Book 2 of the Witchbound Series):

Since she discovered magic, seventeen-year-old Skye Jackson’s life is almost perfect. Almost. Even perfect has its glitches.

What happens when the one with all the power makes the biggest mistakes? Welcome to my life.

Four months ago, I couldn’t have been happier. When my parents got divorced, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. Especially when Mom married a guy half her age. But then I found out I wasn’t the average Joana. Discovering magic existed and, best of all, I could use it, made everything easier to deal with. That is until I got a little too spell happy. But what girl wouldn’t defend her best friend against a world-class creep? Now I’m stuck in a nightmare, forced to make life and death decisions I never dreamed I’d face.

Love the magic, hate the responsibility.

Book Trailer

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5Ub5pM3-VA?rel=0]

 

Roots

Seventeen-year-old Baltimore Land just wants to be normal, but magic has other plans.
I don’t consider myself a witch, that’s my parents’ thing. I’ve never really believed in magic either. Sure, I tried it a few times. Fell for the whole “magic happens” thing. But it didn’t happen to me. No amount of rhyming stopped my parents from moving me halfway across the country. Not one spell stopped me from being labeled the town freak.
And worst of all, no matter how many times I begged the Universe to bring my twin back, I was ignored. Until now.
He’s back all right. And in a magical bind of his own. Not the magic-won’t-work-for-me kind either. In fact, it’s working a little too well. Too dark. Too deep.
It turns out our entire family’s magical roots run just as deep and my brother didn’t end up where he is by accident. So I’m going to help him. But magic isn’t really on my side. Nope. Once I finally get the craft under control, I’m expected to abandon the one person in the world who’s closest to me, just to save myself

Praise for Roots (Book 1):

“I truly enjoyed this story.” Jessica, Goodreads

“…a great start to a promising series.” Kaylee, Goodreads

“I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Sprung is already on my “to read” list now!” Stacy, Goodreads

“…the first novel I’ve read by Kelbian Noel but it sure won’t be the last.” BellaReadz, Goodreads

“This book was great. It showed a different view of witches.” Kristy, Amazon

“A refreshing take on a classic theme.” looks and literature, Amazon

Author Kelbian Noel

Kelbian Noel is the author of the Witchbound Series and a blogger at Diverse Pages. She lives in Toronto, Ontario with her two children.

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Book Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

To enter, click on the rafflecopter link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck everyone!

Ends 4/21/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

I love stories about angels and demons. Hunted promises to deliver both! It’s on my list of must reads and I’ll be reading it soon. I’ll be sure to tell you all about it when I’m finished!

Hunted by Ednah Walters
Bran and Lil may have escaped an attempt to lure Lil to the dark side, and recovered the contracts damned people signed with Bran when he was a soul collector, but someone forgot to tell them that no one switches sides or cancels contracts without consequences.

Hunted by an unknown but powerful enemy, Lil, Bran and the Guardians must seek help from unlikely sources to avert total annihilation of the Guardians. When they finally face their enemy, one of them may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Purchase a Print copy for just $5.85!

Praise

All in all, Hunted is a very enjoyable read, especially for those who enjoy angel/demon books. This one has everything you want in an angel book while still maintaining its own distinct feel.

~TeresaMaryRose

This series is addictive.

~Author Kate Kaynak

AMAZING! There is not enough words to describe how much I loved Hunted. Ednah Walters has outdid herself if that is even possible.

~Megan McDade

Author Ednah Walters

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries, hence Stratemeyer influence, before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily’s Shutter the Sky) and the rest is history.

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn’t enough. So I started to write.

I’ve written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. Awakened is the first book in The Guardian Legacy series. I’m working on book 2, tentatively named Betrayed. When I’m not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 18 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my series.

 
Tour Schedule

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Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/25/13

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Thank so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

lichgates tour

Lichgates promises to take you to another world. One filled with danger and adventure. I for one, am not going to miss out!

Read further to find out how to get a FREE copy of your very own!

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Lichgates

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things–Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict–a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Enjoy this excerpt. It’ll grab ya!

The air in the submerged library stalled, stagnant and suddenly heavy. The muscles between Kara’s shoulders tightened, and her neck tensed.

Hidden deep within the desk before her was a thick sheet of parchment paper. Kara set this aside, covered as it was in an illegible, spidery script. The book’s faded red leather was porous and soft, its title written in gold lettering that had long ago begun to chip so that now, only spotted lines comprised the runic letters.

The chains wrapped around the cover like metal vines, and instead of a padlock, they had all been fused together in the book’s center. In this mess of iron was a small silver pendant, hung from a short chain and set into the fused metal like a key in a lock. It was the same symbol that had appeared on the door: a crude four-leaf clover comprised of thin crescent moons. A brilliant diamond glittered from its center.

Her hands inched along the pages trapped beneath the odd lock and brushed the silver vines in the process. The metal burned her fingertips. She dropped the book, which thumped on the desk. Pain shot through her arm.

Someone whispered in her ear.

She whipped her head around and held her breath, but the library was empty and quiet once more. Her shoulders tensed, and her body told her to run, run! But there was nowhere to run to. The library had no door and only one inaccessible window.

Maybe she wasn’t supposed to open the book. The thought alone made her want to open it even more.

She sat in the chair, tore off a bit of her sleeve, wrapped it around her hand, and dug her thumbnail beneath the pendant. It shifted. The cold vines stung her thumb through the fabric, but she gritted her teeth and jiggled the pendant again. The necklace moved above her finger and finally popped. Something else clicked.

The sound of metal slithering over fabric made her freeze. The iron vines unwound themselves and fell from the book, and for the second time that day, she suppressed a scream as inanimate things moved. The metal twisted away, clattering to the floor.

The air thickened again, weighing on her neck. A shiver raced down her back. Her hips pressed into the chair, as if someone was pushing hard on her shoulders. Another whisper chorused in her ear. Even though her breath caught in her throat, she didn’t try to find the source. She doubted anything would be there if she looked.

This couldn’t be real.

What a great choice in excerpt! I have to read this now. Have to find out what happens to Kara and enter this new world.

Lichgates is FREE
Download your copy now!

Praise for Lichgates

Wow, the world building on this one was breathtaking. The world of Ourea is just full of so many things. Surprises are around every corner.

~Alexia P.

From the first few pages into this story, it was obvious that Boyce has a way with words.

~Author Becca Campbell

Author S.M. Boyce

International Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.

S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

Contact

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/25/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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Make sure you visit all the stops on the tour.

Follow the schedule link below to learn more about Lichgates!

Tour Schedule

I won Thread on Arrival by Amanda Lee from a giveaway on Lori’s blog escape with dollycas.

I fell in love with the soft, pastel colors on the cover art. I love a cover that is, well, cozy.

Thread on Arrival (An Embroidery Mystery, #5)

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It’s been almost a year since Marcy moved to Tallulah Falls and opened up her embroidery shop,  The Seven-Year Stitch. She’s made some close friends and even has a couple of love interests.

When she agreed to help her friend, Reggie, by teaching an embroidery class to abused women, she had no idea she’d become entangled in a hunt for lost treasure and a murder.

The town and its denizens reminds of Cabot Cove from Murder She Wrote. Everyone knows each others business and like with most small towns, news travels faster than the telephone.

Marcy is a smart business woman, a very loyal friend, and is either gifted or cursed with an impulsive nature. She dives into things quickly, wanting to help out, and often lands in hot water. Her close-knit (no pun intended) group of friends are often right in the middle of it with her.

In the beginning, there is a bit of a love triangle, but Marcy makes her choice fairly early on in the book. She’s not a player, doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. She just cautious after her last relationship ended badly.

The fact she has this giant wolfhound, Angus, really drew me to this story. If you don’t know the breed, they are one of the largest dogs, over six feet standing on their hind legs. Marcy, or Inch-High Private Eye, as her beau fondly calls her, is a tiny thing and her dog dwarfs her.

Angus is the first to know when Marcy chooses her man.

I giggle. “I’ve got a boyfriend, Angus!”

From the back seat, he woofed his approval before slurping my ear with his tongue.

I totally approve of her choice. He’s sexy, funny, and his more serious nature is a perfect match for the impetuous Marcy.

“Is this where I say something horribly corny like Yeah, but you’re a thief – you stole my heart?” he asked.

From murder, to a new beau, to a reality show, Marcy is right in the thick of things. Now she just needs to put the threads together, to solve the mystery before anyone else ends up dead.

As I got a little ways into the book, I realized this was a series and Thread on Arrival wasn’t the first book.  Imagine my surprise and delight to discover this was book #5 in the Embroidery Series. Four more cozy mysteries to read.

I had no trouble reading this book before the others. The author placed small bits of history from the other books throughout the story, kind of filling in the blanks. You could read this without having read the others and feel completely comfortable and satisfied.

Of course, I’ll be reading the other four books. Right at 300 pages, I read this in about three hours, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Almost forgot! When I was checking out other books by the author, I found out Amanda Lee is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. She has also written The Daphne Martin Series and the Myrtle Crumb Series.

Four Stars for this sparkling read.

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About the author

Gayle Trent

Amanda Lee is a pseudonym of Gayle Trent.

Series:
* Embroidery Mystery

(from Gayle Trent’s webpage)

“Thank you so much for stopping by my site!

I live in Southwest Virginia with my husband and two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. I’m a full-time writer/editor/mom/wife and chief cook and bottle washer, and I love every minute of it. Okay, not the bottle washing so much, but the rest of it is great.

I’m happy to introduce you to my latest characters, cake decorator Daphne Martin and embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer.

Read more about Daphne and Marcy at my blog.

Who’s Amanda Lee?

Amanda Lee is a pseudonym Gayle is using for the new cozy mystery series featuring a heroine who owns an embroidery shop. The series is set on the Oregon Coast and features Marcy Singer, a spunky, thirty-something, entrepreneur who is handy with a needle.

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

The Embroidery Series

The Quick and the Thread (An Embroidery Mystery, #1) Stitch Me Deadly (An Embroidery Mystery, #2)  Thread Reckoning (An Embroidery Mystery, #3)  The Long Stitch Good Night (An Embroidery Mystery, #4)  Thread on Arrival (An Embroidery Mystery, #5)

Go here for more of Amanda Lee’s books.

And go here for Gayle Trent’s books.

Shooting stars Book tour Banner

This is so exciting. I was so thrilled to be a part of the cover reveal for H.D. Gordon’s newest release, Shooting Stars. Not really knowing what the story was about, I was happy dancing when I saw the cover!

Now I’ve read the book and I’m here to tell ya, you get excellent writing, characterization and world building in Shooting Stars.  I wouldn’t expect anything less from H.D.

Make sure you enter the awesome giveaway following my review!

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Title: Shooting Stars (A Surah Stormsong Novel #1)

Author: H.D. Gordon

Publisher: ShareAread

Release Date: March 15th, 2013

Formats:  E-book

Cover Artist: Regina Wamba

 Shooting Stars Synopsis

Once upon a time, a common boy fell in love with a princess. It was a hopeless, forbidden love, grown in a world where sorcery and magic rule over all. Now, dark times are brewing, and destiny will bring them together, while fate works to keep them apart. Extraordinary battles will be fought, and extraordinary choices made. Join the author of The Alexa Montgomery Saga for the beginning of a tale of star-crossed lovers and magic, of hope and love and loss, of desperate wishes made on stars.

Enjoy this excerpt

He spoke first, and Surah found herself listening carefully to the way a slight twang rode his words, she had never heard such an accent before. “You plannin on skewerin sumthin with those?” he asked, eyeing the silver sais still clutched in her hands.

Surah watched him closely, wishing she had mastered teleportation for what seemed like the billionth time, so that she could just take herself out of here. She didn’t think that the boy meant her any harm, he was obviously just a common Sorcerer, not a spy for the Vampires or Fairies or any of the other races currently feuding over the Territories, but in the past two days the young princess had learned a very important lesson, one that she would carry with her for hundreds and hundreds of years.

You couldn’t really trust anyone.

She gave a slight shrug, held his gaze, which was somehow very penetrating. “I was thinking about it,” she said, hastily brushing the tears from her face that she just remembered were there.

The boy approached the lake slowly, giving Surah a wide berth, his dirty hands raised at his sides, dark hair falling into his face. Then he plopped down on the shore of the lake and stared out over it. He settled his arms on his knees and put a hand over his chest were his heart was. “Alright,” he said, “right here, then. Put er right here.” He looked at her now, his eyes burning with the same amount of grief Surah felt burning in her own soul. A piece of her broken heart went out to him then, even though she tried with all her might to call it back. She felt broken, but he looked broken.

“And don’t miss,” he added.

My Review

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ve never read a book By H.D. that I didn’t love.

I first met Surah Stormsong in Redemption, an Alexa Montgomery Saga novel. She was much more impetuous and looking for a fight. Now she has matured and has been forced to take on a heavy mantle in being the Keeper for her kingdom.

Surah acts like a princess, looks like a princess, and fulfills her duties to her people. But she’s tired of the pomp. Tired of people never saying what they mean, only what they think she wants to hear. Tired of the rigid behavior expected of her. She has a desire. A desire to be free from it all, from the cold walls of the castle, to breathe the fresh air, to be ordinary. Just be…

Someday I will shed the mask, she thought. Someday.’

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Until then, she will do whatever she must to serve and protect her people in a world torn asunder.

I didn’t know what to expect when I received this ARC. I was surprised to learn it was about sorcerers, witches, and supernatural creatures. How exciting. And there is romance, a gentle romance that starts as a flicker and becomes a beautiful flame.

I really like Surah. She’s stuck, but she doesn’t whine. And her partially shaved purple haircut and the combat boots she wears makes her normal, gives her attitude. I like my protagonists to have some quirks.

Charles. Now there’s someone I could fall in love with. He’s quite, introspective, slow to rile, and still carries a torch for the young girl he met for only a brief moment a thousand years ago. That’s what I call a love that endures, that lasts a lifetime! You’re gonna love him.

Samson is Surah’s best friend. She saved him when he was but a cub. That’s right, he’s a tiger. I like when an animal gets a major role in a story. I feel a bond. I imagine that’s how man felt when a wolf came in to share his fire.  Samson won me over instantly and made me wish we could all have a friend like him. Who wouldn’t love a giant tiger of their very own.

There are some bad guys too. There’s no way H.D. wouldn’t give us some characters to loathe and where would we be without some action. One character was a mystery to me right from the beginning and I’m sure he was intended to be. All through the book, I wondered what his story was and whether he would turn out to be the villain or the good guy. Definitely kept my curiosity ramped up.

Shooting Stars is something different from H.D. Gordon. It’s romance, adventure, and magic with a lighter touch. Not quite as kick-ass as The Alexa Montgomery Series. They were more violent, darker, and while that’s the stuff that gets my endorphins pumping, I really loved Surah’s story.

Five Stars for the beginning of a new, addictive series!

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Giveaway

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Prizes include:

$50.00 Adopt a Tiger package from WWF

Baby Samson Plush

5 e-copies of Shooting Stars.

Ends April 15th.

Click on rafflecopter link below to enter.

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

About the Author

H.D author pic shooting stars

H. D. Gordon is the author of The Alexa Montgomery Saga. Blood Warrior, the first book of the Alexa series was her debut novel and has held a spot in the top 100 fantasy bestsellers for over a month. Half Black Soul is the second book in this series and H. D. plans to complete Alexa’s tales by the end of 2012. In June of 2012, Joe, a fantasy novel about a young clairvoyant, was released as well. H. D. is a lifelong reader and writer, a true lover of words. When she is not reading or writing she is raising her two daughters, playing a little guitar, and spending time with her family. She is twenty three years old and lives in the northeastern United States.

You can follow H.D. Gordon at:

Blog

Author Facebook Page

Twitter

Goodreads Author Page

H.D.Gordon Facebook page

Webpage

Goodreads Fan Club

 H.D. Gordon’s Books

The Surah Stormsong Series

The Alexa Montgomery Saga

       

JOE

 

                       

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

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

My tease for today is from Shooting Stars by HD Gordon

The Surah Stormsong Series, Book #1

Shooting Stars (A Surah Stormsong Novel, #1)

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Someday I will shed the mask, she thought. Someday.

This book is so freakin good! Another great new series by H.D.

I kept this mysterious because I am doing my review on Friday, March 29th.

I don’t want to say much more until then!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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