Archive for the ‘Short stories and collections’ Category

Teaser Tuesdays #81 ~ Free Short Story ~ Raker by Christopher A. Gray ~ Move Over Robocop

Posted: September 16, 2014 in Fantasy, Science Fiction, Short stories and collections, Teaser Tuesdays
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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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

~~~~

My Teaser for today is from

Raker

A short story follow up to Dark Nights

by Christopher A. Gray

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Genre: Science fiction/fantasy

Teaser #1 from 14% in the eBook

Plato was enormous by any measure. Shoulders nearly a meter wide, a main torso almost as wide, two meters in height…enough weaponry and ordinance to start a full scale police action..

When he entered a room, a building or street scene, everybody knew it.

Teaser #2 from 32% in the eBook

Both policemen noticed the man’s frozen stare and turned around. Through the drizzle they saw the large shape of the android. Everyone went silent.

~~~

A while ago, I hosted a blog tour for Christopher A Gray’s novel Dark Nights.

Since then he has written a short story follow up, RAKER, which is available for FREE on Amazon til September 21st and he’s going for perma-free.

Some of the characters in Dark Nights make an appearance in the short, but RAKER was written as a stand-alone, without you needing to have read the novel first.

However, if you like the short story, you may be intrigued enough to read Dark Nights.

Go HERE to get your free copy.

~~~

Book Description:

RAKER
1. noun

Remote Armed Kinesthetic Engagement & Reconnaissance android, used primarily by Fire Departments and Police Departments in the United States. RAKERs are deployed for rescue, bomb disposal, and other tasks which are deemed too dangerous for humans. Some models are being manufactured for the armed forces to serve as offensive battlefield weapons.

Christopher A. Gray’s RAKER follows an incident one evening when Dr. Norman Stravinsky sends his RAKER android out to deliver a sensitive file to a colleague. When it encounters a crime in progress, the android must decide whether to interrupt its primary duties as bodyguard to Stravinsky in order to prevent the crime from continuing. The decision results in a confrontation between itself and the Seattle Police Department.

~~~

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Freakin Fridays #32 ~ The Morning Dew by Edward Lorn ~ Fear the coming storm

Posted: August 15, 2014 in Freakin Friday, horror, New Release, reviews, Short stories and collections
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Freakin Fridays

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Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.

Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!

Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!

Let’s have some fun!

~~~

The Morning Dew just released yesterday so I jumped right on it and read it last night.

Check it out!

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My Review

I’m always looking for the next Edward Lorn story and the minute I heard this was available I hopped over and bought me a copy.

The first thing that happened was I got confused.

The opening was not anything like the book description and I thought I might have got a messed up copy. But then it became clear. I was inside Jimmy’s head as he was playing a make believe game. A fun and interesting beginning and it introduced me to his vivid imagination.

Jimmy and his two best friends are roughing it. They’re going to spend the night in his tree house, no adults allowed. Should be a fun night of loud music, games, and doing what young boys do.

Since losing his mother, Jimmy and his dad have been coping, supporting each other and beginning the healing process.  When his dad tells him they have to come inside if the approaching storm begins to thunder, Jimmy agrees with no argument.

It’s not long after the boys enter the tree house that it begins to rain, So far, no thunder or lightning so they get out the games and crank up the music. As the rain continues, they are drawn to the window by the sound of the neighbor’s cows bellowing in pain. When nothing further occurs, the boys go back to their game.

 In the morning, the storm is gone and the dew sparkles, so Jimmy is startled when one of his friends crawls out the window onto a tree branch.

What could make him so desperate? What scared him enough to make him leave? Where did he go? The two remaining boys soon see for themselves and now it’s a race to survive the dew.

After the unique beginning to the story, the author doesn’t take long to build an atmosphere of suspense. You know the storm is coming. You suspect something is coming with it. You encounter that something. Then it’s all fear pumping action to the end.

I wish I had as vivid an imagination as Jimmy did. Then I could have had a mental image of the things that came out of the storm. Perhaps it’s better that I didn’t.

You easily become familiar with the characters, the writing flows smoothly, and the ending isn’t predictable. Plus you get some out of this world creatures. All scary good.

4 Stars

~~~~

Synopsis

Ten-year-old Jimmy Dougal can’t wait for his sleepover. Twelve hours in the treehouse out back, accompanied by his two best friends, listening to tunes and devouring Fig Newtons… with no parental interference.

During the night, a vicious storm blows in – a storm that terrifies the neighbor’s livestock.

The next morning, all seems right with the world. That is until one of the boys goes missing. Now the two remaining friends must fight to survive…

The Morning Dew.

~~~

You can find my reviews for other books by Edward Lorn HERE.

About Edward Lorn and where to stalk him.
Edward Lorn

Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

For more about Edward Lorn and his books:

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

Edward’s page on RAP

Edward’s blog

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Monday Minis #29 ~ Just Short of Paradise and Full Moon Over Cedar Hill ~ My Reviews and some freebies

Posted: August 11, 2014 in horror, Monday's Minis, reviews, Short stories and collections, Supernatural
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Welcome to my Monday Minis Reviews.

Got two for you today!

I read both of these stories back to back. Just Short of Paradise is a free flash fiction story available on Goodreads HERE. And Full Moon Over Cedar Hill is a short story that will raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

~~~

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My Review

Katlyn chooses the long road trip to California as an opportune time to tell her mother something important. Trapped in the car with miles to go, she’d have to listen.

Her mother does her best not to. She doesn’t want to hear it and when she’s forced to, her religious intolerance rears its ugly head. Hurtful thing are said.

Both women don’t back down and only a traffic jam stops the bickering.

What comes next is pure Edward Lorn. You may see the ending coming but he takes you on a twisted path to get there.

The mother may be firm in her belief but who is she to judge?

When I finished reading this story, I wore a wry grin, just like Katlyn.

4 Stars

~~~~

Synopsis

Just Short of Paradise is a piece of flash fiction from Edward Lorn, author of Cruelty and Life After Dane, and is only available as a free download on Goodreads HERE.

During a cross-country trip to California, Katlyn decides to come out of the closet. Mom’s upset, but she’ll be okay. It’s not like it’s the end of the world … Right?

The consequences of intolerance can last an eternity.

~~~

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My Review

When Peter first suffered a debilitating stroke that left him trapped in his body, his loving family was very supportive. But as time revealed he would never get better, he wouldn’t ever speak again, they placed him in a rehabilitation center, and their visits dwindled, leaving him to suffer alone as they moved on.

I can only imagine how bitter Peter must have become. Sure, he can’t communicate, but he’s still alive, still able to hear and see. How could his family just abandon him?

Soon, Peter has something else to worry about. He hears the screams, the snarls, the rending of limbs from bones coming from outside his room. He can only imagine what’s out there. He can hear the slaughter coming closer, moving from room to room.  And then the click of claws on linoleum stops outside his door. And the door starts to open.

The author gives you some horrific creatures. They like to play with their food and have a sadistic sense of humor. Which Peter soon discovers.

I wondered how I would feel. Lying there, unable to defend myself, unable to hide, as the beasts came calling. What fate would be the worst?

I have to say thank you to Edward. I rubbed my hands together in fiendish glee as he gave me just the ending I was hoping for.

5 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

Peter Hoskins has spent the last three years confined to a bed at Cedar Hill Rehabilitation Center. A massive stroke rendered most of his body useless, but his mind is as sharp as ever.

When the screaming begins, being trapped in his own head is the least of his concerns.

Hungry beasts are roaming the halls, and death might be Peter’s only escape.

~~~

A new release coming soon and I can’t wait!

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Emergency Room Physician Brent Cummings is harboring secrets he’d rather leave in the shadows of his past. But, when he finds a dead woman in a foggy park, all his skeletons come tumbling out of the closet.

In a deadly race against time, Brent attempts to alter the future so that he might finally let go of the past.

Will he heed the warning in the fog, or will fate prove more dependable than the good doctor?

~~~

Other books by Edward Lorn

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The first 5 episodes in the Cruelty Serial

with more coming soon.

Click on the cover for my reviews.

~~~~

And you can click HERE to read my reviews for Edward’s other stories.

Among my reviews is World’s Greatest Dad which you can get free for the next 5 days by clicking on the cover below!

~~~

About Edward Lorn and where to stalk him.
Edward Lorn

Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

For more about Edward Lorn and his books:

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

Edward’s page on RAP

Edward’s blog

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Monday Minis Review #28 ~ Derelict by Albert Berg

Posted: July 28, 2014 in Monday's Minis, reviews, Science Fiction, Short stories and collections
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Welcome to my Monday Minis

For today I’ll be reviewing Derelict by Albert Berg

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My Review

When an E-class space ship docks at an orbital station without heeding to or sending any response, a team is assembled to enter and investigate.

Available information says the ship was the Persephone and it was supposed to have a full passenger roster and a cargo load. But when the team of three men begin to search the ship, they quickly realize something is very wrong. There is no evidence people or cargo were ever aboard the ship.

As they explore further, things begin to go weird. Doors are there, then not there. Corridors stretch on to impossible lengths and become dead ends where they shouldn’t.

 The team fears they may never find their way out. They believe the ship will never let them go.

This is a quick read at around 33 pages, so I zipped right through it. I was reminded of the movie Sphere, except this takes place in space, not under water.

I still felt the claustrophobic effect of being trapped with no help close by. Of the possibility their minds might be playing tricks on them. Or maybe something else was there with them. Something malignant, evil. Toying with them.

Eerie with a twisted ending.

3 Stars

~~~~

Synopsis

In the dark heart of space, a derelict freighter drifts empty and lifeless. But in the shadows…something waits.

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.

For more of my reviews go HERE.

Pulled ~ A Flawed Short Story by Becca Campbell ~ My review

Posted: July 8, 2014 in Book Promos, New Release, reviews, Short stories and collections, Supernatural
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MY REVIEW

Juniper is getting ready to sit down to dinner when she’s ‘pulled’ from her foster home and finds herself alongside a deserted highway. Deserted except for a hitchhiker. She knew it was him that had pulled her here. Even if he isn’t aware of it himself. Maybe he doesn’t know he’s a Unique. Someone who can do things ordinary people can’t. Like Juniper.

Now she must find out where she is and get back home, again.

Eight years old now, Juniper has had to deal with this for 5 years. That’s a lot of explaining to do when she finally gets back each time.

Of course, no one believes her, and she’s bounced from foster home to foster home. Will she ever find a place she can call home?

Juniper is such a smart young lady. She’s had to grow up fast. Her life is complicated. She’s lost her mother and she can’t control the pull. It happens with no warning. She’s labeled a runner by Social Services. No one keeps her for long.

Juniper comes across as very genuine. You’ll want to hug her. You’ll want to bring her home with you. You’ll worry about her and continue to hope with her.

I’d read Empath and loved it so it was no question I was going to read Pulled. The characters in this book weren’t in Empath but I hear they will tie into the series later on.

You can bet I’ll be reading more from this author.

4 STARS

~~~~

Synopsis

Eight-year-old Juniper has been labeled many things—troubled kid, orphan, runaway—but none of her foster families have known what she really is: a girl with a unique and brutally inconvenient ability to teleport.

Her spontaneous jumps are not only beyond her control, they get her into trouble. When Juniper disappears, no one believes her wild stories, so she’s stopped trying to convince them.

One day when Juniper gets pulled away, finding her way back is harder than ever. Stranded on the side of a deserted highway, she must rely on her own instincts to determine who is a creepy stranger and who she can trust.

Resourcefulness may get her home, but is getting home enough when you don’t have parents that love you?

Juniper knows something most people don’t: there are others like her with unexplained abilities. Until now, she’s exercised stranger-danger caution, but maybe these people can offer what she needs.

Will Juniper find a family she can share her secrets with?

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ and soon on iTunes

~~~

Click on the cover for my review of Empath

The Flawed Series: Book One

And you can read Empath free on Goodreads HERE.

Empath eBook cover SM

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Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her.

Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.

When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her, unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.

Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.

~~~

Author Becca J. Campbell

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Becca J. Campbell is the author of the New Adult Romantic Science Fiction novels Foreign Identity and Gateway to Reality, New Adult Romantic Paranormal Thriller Empath (The Flawed Series #1), and Sub-Normal, a series of Science Fiction short stories.

An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity. You can find her on her

Author Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

A trip fantastic ~ Reviewing these three short stories

Posted: July 4, 2014 in horror, otherworldly, reviews, Short stories and collections, Zombies
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You are now entering the…..

Just kidding. But I do have three very different short stories for you.

Take a gander!

The Dead of Penderghast Manor

by Julianne Snow

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My Review

Zombies that don’t want to eat me? This I had to read.

Chester works at the family mortuary, preparing the recently deceased for their viewings. It should be easy. But these dead don’t hold still for embalming. They don’t lie still. They walk and talk.

He can’t have any disappearing so he has to handle them with care. This proves difficult when the local senior playboy wants to keep on being the ladies man, even after he’s dead.

Chester’s father doesn’t believe him when he tries to explain this, so he keeps it to himself and does the best he can.

Until a strange body arrives from the carnival. And has an even stranger request.

If you have a good imagination, you’ll be able to visual Chester’s struggles and have some good chuckles.

The zinger the author threw at me  with the carnival corpse was creative and gave the ending a boost.

A fun and creepy told you so.

If you’re looking for a humorous take on a new kind of zombie, I suggest you try this story.

3 STARS

Synopsis

What would you do if you knew the Dead could talk?

For Chester Penderghast, it’s not the easiest of questions to answer…

Ensconced in the basement of his family’s mortuary business is the last place he wants to be, but when the conversation starts flowing, Chester’s the only living person who can hear it. What do the Dead want, and why is he the only one who can hear them?

This is not your average zombie tale—the Dead don’t want to eat your brains, but they will chew your ear off!

~~~

Kellie’s Diary

by

Thomas Jenner 

and

Angeline Perkins

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My Review

I like finding something different and that’s what I got in Kellie’s Diary.

What first surprised me was the way the story was told. Not just that it was presented in diary entries from a third grader. It was that it was in her printed words. It read slowly at first until I got used to the way she printed her letters, then it took off and I read it in about 20 minutes.

The ending is rather abrupt, but knowing this is told in parts, I expected that. It’s going to be fun reading more of this series.

You follow Kellie as she’s trapped in the school bathroom when the zombies attack. And follow her through her diary entries as she struggles to get home.

The author did an excellent job of expressing the thoughts of a young girl. It never felt like an adult trying to write as Kellie. It rang true.

I’m anxious to find out if Kellie finds her family? If she finds anyone, so she won’t be all alone.

3 STARS

Synopsis

A series of diary entries through the eyes of a little girl as she tries to survive the end of the world.

What if the early 1990’s didn’t happen as we remember it? What kind of world would we live in today?

This story is told from the viewpoint of 9-year-old Kellie, a typical third-grade girl living her life as anyone else would, and she shares her daily activities with her diary. When the world crumbles and the dead walk, Kellie struggles to survive and find her way home, all the while sharing her tale with her diary.

This is an account of our hypothetical past, present and future.

~~

It Came From Hell And Smashed The Angels

by Gregor Xane

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My Review

Ben used to be somebody. Now he lives in a rundown trailer, at the beck and call of a senior couple.

One night, he snaps. He hops on his treasured motorcycle and heads off into the night with no plans of returning. Just hits the open road.

When he spots a fire up ahead he slows and stops to investigate. Lying next to a huge hole in the ground is the mangled body of a woman. She was thrown from her car in the accident and before she dies, claims a huge creature attacked her car.

Ben hops on his bike and heads to the local watering hole to call for help. What happens next is out of this world.

I kept hearing the theme to Twilight Zone as I read this story. It had a dark, surreal feel to it.

Bizarre and a bit disjointed but I liked the idea.

3 STARS

Synopsis

Thanks to his big ugly mug, Ben Coburn always played the heavy in Hollywood. Yeah, his name was in the credits of a bunch of low-budget B-movie horror shows, but at least he could say he was in the movies.

That was a long time ago.

Now Ben sits alone in a trailer park listening to an old married couple across the way argue about money, just nursing a beer, waiting for something to happen.

But nothing ever happens. That pisses him off.

No, Big Ben Coburn isn’t going to wait around anymore. He jumps on his motorcycle and tears off into the night.

Intent on escaping into a new life, he races past a field of scarecrows, barreling headlong down the highway toward a blazing inferno and a bottomless pit.

This short story is FREE to download from the following locations:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (Canada) | Amazon (UK)
Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iBook | PayHip (Mobi & ePub)

~~~

Reading anything scary lately? Got some recommendations? Let me know!

And thanks for visiting fuonlyknew!

Only a little late! Monday Minis Reviews #27 ~ Two collections of scary goodness!

Posted: July 2, 2014 in Fantasy, horror, Monday's Minis, reviews, Short stories and collections
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Welcome to my Monday Minis.

For today I’ll be reviewing two books.

Up first:

At Least He’s Not On Fire

by Chris Philbrook 

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My Review

Inside these pages you’ll get some short stories and samples from some of the author’s books. This I particularly liked, because I got a feel for the writing and met some of the characters. And I also got a hint about the stories. Great tease by the author and he hooked me.

All In is wicked fun.

Do you think you can bluff the devil? Do you have a better poker face?

Wally’s about to find out.

Wally isn’t lucky. He’s just lost everything at the gaming tables. He sends out an invitation and the devil answers.

Now it’s poker with Nick and the stakes are high. And the devil’s in the details.

I could see the end coming but the author took me around the bend, giving me hope for Wally. The twist was all to his advantage, but I remembered Wally is greedy. That’s why he’s broke

**

Hell Hole

The sink hole was bad. Really bad. Sucking everything down into the collapsing Earth. But that’s not all you have to worry about. It’s what’s stirring down there in the deep abyss that you should really be worrying about.

Some people just never learn and we all pay the price.

When soldiers discover a temple in the jungle, why don’t they listen to the native’s warnings. With evidence showing what will happen, why would anyone open that hole?

Big hole, superstition, folklore, add fools, stir. Recipe for disaster.

Well, if someone didn’t we wouldn’t have this fun, creepy story. I love stories with creatures in them. The author gave me some really good ones and , from watching copious horror movies, It was easy to visualize the scenery and the monsters. I even put some actors faces to the characters.

**

The Vampire of Menlo Park

Very interesting premise. Imagine Thomas Edison was a vampire.

This was fun.

Poor Geoffrey had no idea what he was getting into when he went to work for Mr. Edison.

He did know he was uneasy. Why did Edison never come out in daylight? Why were the previous interns never seen again? Why did he feel unsettled around Edison?

The fun begins when Geoffrey gets the answers to his questions.

The author threw me a curve ball with his ending. Honestly didn’t see it coming and that’s something I really enjoyed.

**

I’m especially interested in Tesser: A Dragon Among Us.

The story is partly told from Tesser’s(the dragon) POV and he’s just awakened from a very long sleep to find he’s living under Boston. Mankind now rules Earth and he’s entering a world that no longer believes in dragon.

I liked how the plot was set up and ‘flew’ through this sample.

This I’ll be reading ASAP!

**

Then there are samplings from Dark Recollections and Wrath of the Orphans. I’m a huge fan of zombie and undead stories so these will be added to my summer reading list. When the undead attack the fighting and the group dynamics become the focal points and this is where these type of stories really shine for me.

From Adrian’s journal in Dark Recollections:

“State and local agencies are reporting widespread attacks on citizens across the region. authorities are advising people to stay inside, lock their doors, bar their windows and only open doors for known friends and family who respond intelligently”

Figures they wouldn’t say the words, “beware of zombies.”

From Wrath of the Orphans:

Twins Malwynn and Umaryn might have been good once.

Now they’ve sworn an oath and now they’ll have their pound of flesh.

I was pulled right into this one.

The world of Elmoryn is fascinating and there are many characters to love and hate.

The beginning is a bit slow as the author builds his world. I didn’t mind this as I wanted to get a real feel for the story.

Once the world is revealed and the plot begins, it’s a rush of action and vengeance. This is a very dark story indeed.

Loving character driven stories, I quickly became fond of  Malwynn and Umaryn. I felt for their loss, raged alongside them and understood the actions they took.

This could become an epic fantasy.

I enjoyed all of these. While trying not to play favorites, I’ll add that I am partial to dragons.

If you’re looking for some new adventures and enjoy a few quick reads to entertain you, I’d highly recommend you try this collection. There’s something for everyone.

  4 Stars

~~

Synopsis

I’m an odd dude. But I write some decent stuff, and here’s my way of sharing my odd dude thoughts. I’m the author of three ‘major’ series; Adrian’s Undead Diary, Elmoryn’s The Kinless Trilogy, and the Reemergence Novels, the first of which is Tesser: A Dragon Among Us. To help folks get a taste of my writing, I’ve put At Least He’s Not On Fire together. Inside this wonderful electronic tome of my words, you’ll find a healthy sized sampler of each of my major works, as well as several short stories that are mixed in for your entertainment. All in, Hell Hole, and The Vampire of Menlo Park are all great fun, and I hope you enjoy them.Dark Recollections: Book One of Adrian’s Undead Diary

Beheading a zombie isn’t easy in a world where you’re more afraid of the living than the dead.

Adrian Ring’s simple life is thrown into chaos when the world is ripped apart by a plague of undead and legions of desperate survivors. Retreating to Auburn Lake Preparatory Academy, Adrian attempts to rescue friends and family on the way while dancing around his impending insanity over who and what he left behind, and evading maniac survivors. He saves his cat Otis, but shoots his mom. Pretty successful, all things considered.

Dark Recollections is the first part of Adrian’s own story of how he survived after “That Day.” Told through his eyes as he talks to his laptop, affectionately named ‘Mr. Journal,” and through short stories that entwine with his tales that bring forth dark visions of a world being eaten alive by an unimaginable evil. Adrian’s Undead Diary is an eight part epic about a solitary, guilt stricken man that didn’t think he deserved to live, but realizes very soon that he survived, and suffered for a reason.

The Wrath of the Orphans: Book One of The Kinless Trilogy
Malwynn and his twin sister Umaryn live in a small town in northern Varrland. In idyllic New Picknell nearly nothing happens, and when their day to day routine is interrupted by a skirmish between an invading patrol of the dead from The Amaranth Empire and a defending force from Varrland, their world begins to come undone.

With international war looming on the horizon New Picknell becomes the center of quite unwanted attention, and the twins have their world shattered. With nothing left to lose, they set out on a mission of vengeance that will take them to places they’d never dreamed of visiting, discovering mystical powers in The Way that will change their lives forever, and revealing dark knowledges best left undiscovered.

Tesser: A Dragon Among Us A Novel of the Reemergence
Imagine for a moment that you are a Dragon. A creature of unimaginable power, unending intelligence and strength, and you’ve just woken from ten thousand years of slumber. Worse yet, you’ve awoken underneath a city; Boston, an alien and strange place that defies everything you’ve ever known.

Your last memories were of primordial forests, erupting volcanoes sculpting a developing world, faeries, witches, vampires, krakens, and monsters that feared where you turned your eyes.

But all that is gone. Humans, only barely coming into their own in the world from your memory, have taken over. They have erected cities made of stone and steel erupting from the earth like stalagmites reaching for the high blue sky, and developed sciences that have overshadowed even the glory of old magic.

This was not the way it was supposed to be.

Meet Tesser, the Dragon. He who walks in any form, and flies the skies free of fear.

A Dragon Among Us is Tesser’s story. Walk with him as he learns the human way, and discovers the dark truth about why magic has really faded from the world he calls home.

And just maybe, humanity will remember why dragons were most noble, and most savage creatures again.

Welcome to The Reemergence.

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And now for:

Never Sleep Again

by Steven and Ruth Watson-Morris

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MY REVIEW

DEATH

“Maureen had a secret. Not only was she an odd sort of girl, she saw dead people and animals.

Sunday night she would sit in her flat, invite people that would never come, then play quietly on the Ouija board on her own. Nothing ever came of it, until one night the board spelled out, ‘knock, knock.”

I felt for Maureen. She’s lonely, with no friends after moving to a new city.  I could see why she might anser the board.

Myself, I won’t have one in my house, let alone dare to play with it. I have a healthy fear of what I cannot see.

A very quick read with a fun ending.

THE THIEF

Lucy is quite good in her role as a thief. Afterall, she was trained by the best.

I don’t know if I’d chosen an abandoned, haunted mansion as a place to hide my stolen bootie though.

When I read that Lucy hadn’t seen any ghosts, I knew she soon would.

After a friend turned her in, Lucy rushes to the mansion, and finds all her stolen goods gone. They do reappear, just not how she imagined.

This was a very short story. I liked Lucy and wished it were longer.

THE OLD CURIOUSITY SHOP

I would love to read a full length novel about this one.

Imagine a strange shop of curiosities. The doors open at midnight and people dressed in black hoods came and went. That was my first pique of curiosity.

When it’s rumored the shopkeeper has died, poor seventeen year old funeral assistant, Fred, sees his chance to get a peek inside the shop.

I knew Fred shouldn’t have stepped over that threshold. What happens is no big surprise. I did like the reason the author gave for why Fred couldn’t leave.

Just goes to show, you can’t ever really know anyone, including your own family.

THE BOOGEYMAN

Before Harold died, he was a schoolmaster. He tried real hard to get the children to learn.

After his death, he wandered the halls of Warwick Castle, remaining hidden. But he grows tired of this, and believing no one can see him, he starts to wander among the tourists. It’s not long before he’s spotted.

This was a fun story and I liked reading how a mild man became the Boogeyman.

It really got interesting when Harold had his picture taken and is one of my favorites in this collection.

While I’d love to tell you something about all 13 of these stories, it would make for a very long review.

I’d recommend you get your copy, turn out all the lights but one for reading, hug a pillow, and enjoy these scary good stories.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Novella of short stories that your nightmares are made of, hauntings, murders, witchcraft all packed into one little book! But beware you may never sleep again!

When the moon has entered its second phase,
and ghosts and ghouls come out to play.
Where is the man who hides under your bed?
He’s hiding under the stairs instead!

This book is for those who like to read short to the point stories, there is a collection of 13 in this small book.
Enjoy!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Monday Minis Review #26 ~ Welcome Home ~ A short story by William Hage

Posted: June 23, 2014 in Adult Fiction, horror, Monday's Minis, Short stories and collections
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Welcome to my Monday Minis.

For today I’ll be reviewing Welcome Home

by William Hage 

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My Review

I like it when I go into a book thinking I’m getting one thing, and I get something totally different. This happened when I began reading Welcome Home. I thought it was going to be a haunted house story.

The story is haunting but there are no actual ghosts. What’s there is something shadowing John Lester. It’s like when you see something out of the corner of your eye and when you turn to look, nothing is there. But this isn’t visual so much as it’s memories. They haunt his sleep, staying just out of reach of recall.

While this didn’t really scare me, it did surprise me and that’s always a good thing.

A good story for a rainy day.

 3 Stars

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Synopsis

John Lester is returning to a place he never really considered home to begin with, a place that he has not seen in years. But what he does not realize is that what went on in this house was much less homely than he thought as he unearths something dark about his family.”Welcome Home” is a short story approximately 6600 words.

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The Girl Who Believed In Fairy Tales ~ Three short stories by Heidi Garrett ~ Promo, Free book, and Giveaway

Posted: June 23, 2014 in Adult Fiction, Book Promos, Fantasy, Freebies!, giveaways, Short stories and collections
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The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales
Sub Genre: Magical Realism
Release Date: June 23, 2014

Heather Baker believes in fairy tales, and she turns to their timeless wisdom whenever life gets difficult.
Again and again, the playfulness, symbolism, and deeper meaning in fairy tales have filled Heather with hope, nurtured her spirit, and fired her imagination. Sometimes touching, and sometimes humorous, these tales capture the three most transformative experiences in her life:
—Heather reframes her childhood sorrow in “The Girl Who Watched for Elves”
—She embarks upon a life imbued with meaning in “The Girl Who Dreamed of Red Shoes”
—And after taking several wrong turns, she finds the place where she belongs in “The Girl Who Couldn’t Sing”
The Girl Who Believed in Fairy Tales chronicles the journey of someone who was willing to change the way she viewed the world… and never stopped believing.
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The Archetypal Fairy Tale Journey

Many adults love fairy tales as much as children do. Why is this so? And why are fairy tales and their retellings so enduring?

In every fairy tale, five things always happen to the fairy tale character: She leaves home, she gets lost in the woods, she faces obstacles and/or tests, she overcomes these challenges, and she finds her happily ever after.

That journey, the fairy tale character’s journey, is archetypal because it involves the task of discovering and committing to the true Self. Since each of us yearns to connect with the true Self, the archetypal fairy tale journey is compelling in the tips and clues it offers about such an undertaking.

1.
Leaving Home
Fairy Tale Character’s (FTC’s) leave home. The impetus for the departure varies; curiosity, duplicity, parents who are invasive, stepparents who are envious, a call to duty and/or sacrifice—something—ousts the naive child from their secure, loving environment.
2.
Getting Lost in the Woods
The FTC always stumbles and falls psychologically, metaphorically, and literally in the first stage of her journey. Her naiveté, fear, and inexperience lead her to make poor choices that inevitably heighten her dire situation.
3.
Facing Obstacles and Tests
As more trouble is heaped upon the FTC, she is driven to experiment. She must embrace her innate strength, courage, and/or cleverness; and she must make wiser choices in regards to her relationships and who she trusts. Otherwise, she’ll be fated to eke out a meek/mean/meager/impoverished existence… or die.
4.
Overcoming the Challenges
Once the FTC comes into her own, i.e. once her consciousness has evolved to the point where she has become her own authority, she can achieve mastery over the trials that face her.
5.
Living Happily Ever After
Living in accordance with her true nature, and following her true path, is the FTC’s ultimate living happily ever after. Partnering with the beloved is a function of her matured Self.

Throughout our very real lives, we cycle through these phases again and again and again. Fairy tales, presumably the province of children, can be quite effective in spurring adults toward believing in themselves—and Happily Ever Afters—as well.

That is the enduring power of the archetypal fairy tale journey.

Amazon | GoodReads

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About The Girl Who Couldn’t Sing:

She began to meditate upon “The Ugly Duckling” for she’d always imagined herself as a misplaced swan. But with all the changes, and her sadness shedding like the skin of snake, she’d stare in the mirror and whisper, “Perhaps, you’re not even a bird.”

Heather Baker struggles to find the balance between fantasy and reality in her everyday life. Enticed by Neptune, the planet that rules everything hazy and glamourous–she’s desperate to become the next indie singer/songwriter sensation. Dogged by Saturn, the planet that rules obstacles and everything practical–she’s confronted with the limitations of her abilities and talent.

Which planet will win?

“The Girl Who Couldn’t Sing” is free on Amazon June 23rd-27th!

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Author Bio

Heidi Garrett is the author of the contemporary fairy tale novella collection, Once Upon a Time Today. In these stand-alone retellings of popular and obscure fairy tales, adult characters navigate the deep woods of the modern landscape to find their Happily Ever Afters.

She’s also the author of the Daughter of Light series, a fantasy about a young half-faerie, half-mortal searching for her place in the Whole. Heidi’s latest project is a collaboration with Billie Limpin. They’re cooking up a yummy paranormal romance!

Signup for Heidi’s newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/wWKUj for discounts on all new releases!

Heidi was born in Texas, and in an attempt to reside in as many cities in that state as she could, made it to Houston, Lubbock, Austin, and El Paso. She now lives in Eastern Washington state with her husband, their two cats, her laptop, and her Kindle.

Being from the South, she often contemplates the magic of snow.

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5 lucky winners get a signed copy of The Girl Who Believed in Fairytales & a Happily Ever After bracelet

US only

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Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions

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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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Enter the….Portals ~ A Fantasy Anthology ~ My review and a giveaway

Posted: June 19, 2014 in Blog Tour, Fantasy, giveaways, reviews, Short stories and collections
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Most of you know I’m a sucker for short stories and anthologies. It’s such a fun way to sample different authors’ writing and I love the challenge of reviewing them.

Enjoy my review and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Genre:Fantasy Anthology (mixed sub genres)

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date:June 5, 2014

Keywords:Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Short Stories, Picture Prompt

Description:

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No matter what world you call home, or what your station in life, there are just some paths that weren’t meant to be tread.

Ordinary World by Laurie Treacy

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Imagine a new neighbor moves next door, a creepy guy who gives fifteen year-old Amy Silva the willies? Amy wonders what the stone archway in the backyard is for. Her life becomes even more stressful when her family reveals they’re witches.

Could Amy’s new neighbor have anything to do with a local girl’s disappearance or be a threat to her magical loved ones?

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Maronda’s Quest by Christy Thomas

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The Grand Wizard has decreed Maronda enter the Portal of Life to embark upon a quest of great importance, but despite her Ma’s claims it is a blessing, premonitions of danger persist.

Lenox works to prove his worth to wed her, his true love, but it appears a wizard plots to remove him from Maronda’s life forever. To secure their future together, Lenox decides to accompany her on the quest, even if forbidden. He must ultimately choose between using his dragon fighting skills which could lead to his death, or give Maronda her greatest desire.

In the end, it’s Maronda who must learn to live with the consequences of his decision.

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Mexmur, the Huntress by Anna Simpson

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Long ago a dragonkeeper betrayed his charges. To bring back magic, to set things right, Mexmur is sent through the portal.

Can she succeed armed with only a poem, talon and blade.

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Entrance of Lost Souls by Echo Shea

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A guardian to the entrances between worlds, Gladys has been called to bring a little girl back from Fairyland. Passing through the Entrance of Lost Souls is no fun, neither is hunting down a deranged banshee, but what is a guardian to do?

And, is the banshee really kidnapping the girl…or saving her from something else?

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Where Once were Hearts by Havva Murat

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After losing both his parents, his entire fortune and his childhood sweetheart, Master Bartholomew Battlesby sets out into the wilds of Northern England to make the acquaintance of his only surviving relation, the landed recluse, Mr. Horatio Grimsby who has an eerie penchant for both tinkering and clockwork. But, on finding his relation dead, with a gaping hole in his chest, and the beautiful, but scornful, Miss Evangeline Witherop ruling in his place, Bartholomew learns there is more than one way to lose your heart.

Can Bartholomew reignite the spirit of love and mercy within Miss Witherop, or will he suffer the same fate as his poor, heartless cousin?

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The Lunatic Queen by Michael Siciliano

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The land of Mershinka has been thrown into perpetual night. Their King is dead and a moon witch, known as The Night Queen, rules from the royal palace in Grosnov. An endless fog shrouds the land, killing crops and starving the populace. Cold-eyed enforcers put down rebellions while volksa, twisted wolf-creatures, roam the mists looking for prey. Many have given up hope and wait for the inevitable end. All seems lost.

Two teenagers, Pavel and Tamara, devise a plan to kill Vazya the Night Queen when the moons Kainsk and Seresnya are down, end the stifling enchantment, and bring the sun back to their dying land. But, they need a watch to tell time, a compass to guide them through the mists, weapons to fight off Vazya’s minions, and all the courage they can muster.

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MY REVIEW

I love reading an anthology, especially one with a theme.

In Portals you get five authors spinning their own tales about a portal.

Ordinary World

Amy Silva has a new neighbor. Ozzie dresses like a nerd but that’s not why he gives her the creeps. She senses evil.

When she tries to explain her feelings to her best friend Remy, he warns her to be careful what she says. People will think she’s a witch.

When Remy starts avoiding her, Amy is left alone to unravel the mystery of her new neighbor.

For such a short story, there were many characters. I had a fun time weeding out the bad guys. It wasn’t too hard but I still enjoyed being vindicated when I was right.

A fun tale of witches with an exhilarating ending.

Moranda’s Quest

Moranda fears her sojourn through the portal. Dragons tread there. The Grand Wizard bestowed it as a gift to her family and each generation, a girl enters the portal to discover her future.

Moranda is skilled with the blade and she’s prepared for battle. Lennox, the young man in love with her knows this and has to fight his natural instincts to protect her.

All the rules change when Moranda goes through the portal and the author took me in a different direction than I expected. That’s the fun thing about this fantasy, nothing was set in stone.

Mexmur, The Huntress

If you love dragons, this ones for you.

Mexmur is forced to enter the portal to recharge a talisman of magic. The King is willing to sacrifice her and his son in his quest to steal power from the dragons.

Can a spoiled prince and a lowly huntress survive the dragon’s breath? Or will they become a meal?

Mexmur is a huntress so she has skills to hunt the dragon. The spoiled prince has some surprises of his own and I grew to like him. These two both learn a lot once through the portal and the dragons are great teachers.

I really enjoyed the dragon characters. They had their own agenda and played a big part in the story.

Entrance of Lost Souls

I like where the author went with this one. I kept thinking the main character was human, forgetting these are fantasies and there are no rules.

Gladys is definitely not human, and you wouldn’t expect her to be a good guy.

She is though and she has to be a tough character to handle a banshee, demons, and whatever the thing is in the well.

Where Once Were Hearts

When Bartholemew Battlesby loses his fortune he sets out to befriend his only living relative, cousin Horatio Grimsby, hoping he’ll take him in.

He arrives at a gated estate landscaped with eerie mechanical trees. Upon entering he discovers Horatio dead, his heart torn from his body. And then things go dark.

When Bart wakes up, he’s suspended upside from the ceiling and the luscious but wicked Evangeline reveals her plans for him.

Bartholemew had to think hard and quick if he wasn’t going to lose his heart, literally.

At first, Bartholemew came across as a loser. He did waste his fortune and he did hope to ingratiate himself with Grimsby, hoping to become heir to his estate. But I liked his pluck.

The same goes for Evangeline. She is a murderess, but what made her that way?

Had a lot of fun figuring this one out.

Lunatic Queen

Sweethearts Tamara and Pavel are on a mission to destroy the Night Queen. Her reign of perpetual darkness is causing all life to suffer from slow starvation. Someone has to do something.

As they begin their journey, the volksa, a kind of werewolf, attack and force them to take cover in an old library. There, they find an unlikely ally. Now they just need the queen to take the bait and free their world of darkness.

This had an eerie atmosphere right from the beginning. The volksa add an element of danger and the Night Queen is evil through and through.

While the ending was bitter-sweet, it fit and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I enjoyed all of these stories. The authors did a great job building new worlds and introducing their characters. If I’m not mistaken, some of these stories are debuts and I couldn’t tell which ones.  I’d definitely read more if they chose to develop these into novels and now I’m curious about their other books.

4 STARS

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Purchase Links:

Print

Roane Publishing Createspace Amazon

Digital

Roane Publishing

Amazon Amazon (UK)

Barnes and Noble (Coming Soon) Kobo (Coming Soon)

Smashwords

Bookstrand

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Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway
Paperback copy of Portals and a $10 Amazon gift card.
Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.
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Ends 7/03/2014

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Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.

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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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