Archive for the ‘suspense’ Category

Hopelessly Devoted ~ Book Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: April 8, 2017 in Adult Fiction, giveaways, Romance, suspense
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Hopelessly Devoted
A.M. Myers
(Bayou Devils MC, #1)
Publication date: April 7th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

You think you know pain?

You don’t.

I’ve lived in it for years, pulled so far down into the darkness that it’s all I see. There was no telling where I ended and the darkness began. It swallowed me up whole and spit out a man that I didn’t recognize. I can promise you, you’ve never felt pain like that. It was eternal night and there was no chance that I would ever make it out alive.

Then there was her – Alison James. She’s a spark of brilliant light in the bleak nothingness, a tiny beacon of hope in my endless torment and I can’t do anything but cling to her, hoping for just another second of relief. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her but some things are out of my hands.

My past is coming back to haunt us and at the very least, it will tear us apart. But if worse comes to worst, she’ll be just as dead as my soul.

Can I force myself to let her go if it will save her? Or will I sacrifice her life for my own selfishness?

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy the excerpt

“Where am I going to find that first aid kit?”

I point to the cupboard directly behind him. “Second shelf.”

He grabs it and turns back to me, setting the kit on the counter next to me on one side before looking over at the sink on the other side. Without a word, he kneels in front of me and slips my shoe off my foot. I can’t look away, curious and turned on as I wonder what the hell he’s doing. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a knife, flipping it open with ease and I suck in breath. If I were smart, I would be terrified right now. I would start screaming for help or kick my foot out and hope it catches him in the face so I can get away but he’s rendered me completely fucking stupid.

No, instead I sit my ass on the counter and watch as he pulls my tights away from my leg and cuts them open all the way up, my skin sparking with the intense desire blanketing us. When he gets above my knee where the tights disappear under my skirt, I put my hand out to stop him and he pulls the knife away

“They’re thigh highs,” I mutter as I pull my skirt up slightly and pull the stocking off. I dangle it out in front of him but his gaze is glued to my bare leg. His tongue darts out, wetting his lips and my eyes almost roll back in my head. Jesus, I think I could cum just from watching him watch me. I clear my throat and he looks up at me.

“Care to tell me why you murdered my tights?”

 

Author A.M. Myers

A.M. Myers currently lives in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and their two children. She has been writing since the moment she learned how to and even had a poem published in the sixth grade but the idea of writing an entire book always seemed like a daunting task until this story got stuck in her head and just wouldn’t leave her alone. And now, she can’t imagine ever stopping. A.M. writes gripping romantic suspense novels that will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.
When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out with her kids or pursuing other artistic ventures, such as photography or painting.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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Murder By Munchausen ~ Release Tour and Giveaway

Posted: April 2, 2017 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, Science Fiction, suspense
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Murder by Munchausen
by M.T. Bass
Series: Murder by Munchausen Mysteries, #1
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Sci-Fi, TechnoThriller
Publisher:  Electron Alley Publications
Release Date: April 2, 2017

 

 

Artificial Intelligence? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Artificial Evil has a name…Munchausen.

When androids are reprogrammed into hit men, detectives of the Artificial Crimes Unit repo the AnSub and track down the hackers. Partners Jake and EC’s case of an “extra-judicial” divorce settlement takes a nasty turn with DNA from a hundred-year-old murder in Boston and a signature that harkens back to the very first serial killer ever in London.

 

The abandoned building in the Warehouse District was dark and cold. I didn’t have glass on the AnSub, but we were picking up an RFI signature that was an eighty percent match to the A-VIN profile. My Smith & Wesson eM&P was out and humming in my hand, ready for me to take a shot. Behind us the SWAT team was spreading out into position to monitor our visual feed from outside so they wouldn’t jam the ambient signals with their tac gear. We went passive on our glass as soon as we entered the building.

I looked over at EC, my partner, pressed against the far wall covering the left side of the industrial cavern, which was piled high with discarded junk—desks, chairs, pallets of boxed materials and strange hulking machines that no doubt once fabricated some kind of pieces-parts necessary for the stuff consumers once found they absolutely-positively could not live without in their daily drone lives—all collected from businesses that absolutely-positively no longer existed. The quiet was oppressive and haunting. We both strained for an aural clue to the location of our quarry, since the electronic intel was still too weak to pinpoint within the building.

We slowly wove around the junk, deeper and deeper into the room. I led. EC followed, constantly adjusting the ePD scanning app to search and map the room. I muted the tactical channels and stripped most of the data from my view to let him work the tech and comm. It’s too distracting. I needed to maintain focus. I needed to be able to react.

This particular Android Subject apparently went off the rails and killed a luckless pedestrian on his way to a bodega for some iced tea or bottled water to quench his thirst. A one-in-a-million occurrence, but every so often it still happens. Anyone who believes technology is infallible is a fool. The incident didn’t appear all that nefarious when first reported, but shortly thereafter the Atlas data stream went dark and patrol called our unit in. It quickly became obvious we were dealing with a malware hit, not a malfunction. The luckless pedestrian was actually not so luckless, being on what appeared to be the winning side of a particularly nasty termination suit with his ex, who we suspected had outsourced the final settlement to extra-judicial parties.

It might not make sense, but the beloved Media tags it “Murder by Munchausen.” For a price, there are hackers out there who will reprogram a synthoid to do your dirty work. The bad news: no fingerprints or DNA left at the crime scene. The good news—at least for us—is that they’re like missiles: once they hit their target, they’re usually as harmless as empty brass. The trick is to get them before they melt down their core OS data, so you can get the unit into forensics for analysis and, hopefully, an arrest.

EC’s scanner returned a hard ping. His quick double blink put his cross-hairs up on my lens and I followed his eye line to the northwest corner of the building. I swept my eyes up and down to acknowledge and we slowly headed in that direction. As we moved, the RF signal narrowed and confirmed bogey lock with a low growl in my ear buds. EC swung out from the left and unshouldered his shotgun. Good old-fashioned blast power often came in handy to buy some time. Like I said, usually they’re harmless, but usually just ain’t good enough odds for me…

 

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

 

 

M.T. Bass is a scribbler of fiction who holds fast to the notion that while victors may get to write history, novelists get to write/right reality. He lives, writes, flies and makes music in Mudcat Falls, USA.

M.T.’s April Writing Meme:

 

 

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Website ~ Blog ~ Newsletter
Email:  mtb@owl-works.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Cleaved by Sue Coletta ~ A Grafton County Suspense Thriller Giveaway

Posted: March 30, 2017 in giveaways, suspense, thriller
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Cleaved
Grafton County Series, Book 2
by Sue Coletta
Genre: Thriller, Suspense

Author Sage Quintano writes about crime. Her husband Niko investigates it.

Together they make an unstoppable team. But no one counted on a

twisted serial killer, who stalks their sleepy community, uproots

their happy home, and splits the threads that bonds their family

unit.

Darkness swallows the Quintanos whole—ensnared by a ruthless killer out for

blood. Why he focused on Sage remains a mystery, but he won’t stop

till she dies like the others.

Women impaled by deer antlers, bodies encased in oil drums, nursery rhymes,

and the Suicide King. What connects these cryptic clues? For Sage and

Niko, the truth may be more terrifying than they ever imagined.

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Marred
Grafton County Series, Book 1
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When a serial killer breaks into the home of bestselling author, Sage

Quintano, she barely escapes with her life. Her husband, Niko, a

homicide detective, insists they move to rural New Hampshire, where

he accepts a position as Grafton County Sheriff. Sage buries secrets

from that night—secrets she swears to take to her deathbed.

Three years of anguish and painful memories pass, and a grisly murder case

lands on Niko’s desk. A strange caller begins tormenting Sage—she

can’t outrun the past.

When Sage’s twin sister suddenly goes missing, Sage searches Niko’s

case files and discovers similarities to the Boston killer. A

sadistic psychopath is preying on innocent women, marring their

bodies in unspeakable ways. And now, he has her sister.

Cryptic clues. Hidden messages. Is the killer hinting at his identity? Or is

he trying to lure Sage into a deadly trap to end his reign of terror

with a matching set of corpses?

Member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International

Thriller Writers, Sue Coletta is an award-winning, multi-published

author in numerous anthologies and her forensics articles have

appeared in InSinC Quarterly. In addition to her popular crime

resource blog, Sue co-hosts the radio show “Partners In Crime”

on Writestream Radio Network every third Tuesday of the month from 1

– 3 p.m. EDT/EST (see details at www.suecoletta.com).

She’s also the communications manager for the Serial Killer Project

and Forensic Science, and founder of #ACrimeChat on Twitter.

She runs a popular crime website and blog, where she shares crime tips,

police jargon, the mind of serial killers, and anything and

everything in between. If you search her achieves, you’ll find posts

from guests that work in law enforcement, forensics, coroner,

undercover operatives, firearm experts…crime, crime, and more

crime.

For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where subscribers will be

the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside

access to deleted scenes. As an added bonus, members get to play in

the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door. Inside,

like-minded folks discuss their favorite crime novels, solve

mindbender and mystery puzzles, and/or relax and chat. Most

importantly, everyone has a lot of fun.

Sue lives in northern New Hampshire with her husband, where her house is

surrounded by wildlife…bear, moose, deer, even mountain lions have

been spotted. Course, Sue would love to snuggle with them, but her

husband frowns on the idea.

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Burned by Kimberley Patterson ~ Release Tour and Giveaway

Posted: March 23, 2017 in giveaways, Mystery, suspense
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Burned
By Kimberley Patterson
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
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“Pay attention to the signs that are all around you,” Sarah’s mother
used to say. Sarah never listened until her world turned upside down
in the wake of her mother’s death. When sifting through the fiery
ashes, signs begin to appear, giving her the feeling that the
accident was less of an accident and more of foul play. While Sarah
struggles to understand the images haunting her dreams, she finds
herself losing a grip on reality.
Based on true events, Sarah unravels the mystery surrounding her mother’s
death, and, in doing so, uncovers an internal darkness capable of
murder.
Horses were one of my first loves, and writing soon followed. As a child, I
spent hours writing poems, and short stories (about horses). My
parents realized that I was horse-obsessed and decided to buy me one
after taking riding lessons for two years. I think they hoped that
all of the hard work, and hours spent mucking stalls would help me
give up this expensive hobby. They were wrong. Writing is still a
passion of mine, although now I primarily write fiction. My first
novel, Red Rock, was published in 2010, and big surprise, there are
horses in it. My second novel, The Three Month Plan was released
August 2013.
Other Loves: My family, yoga, skincare and makeup, sushi, and raising money
for pediatric cancer. I have two rescue dogs and would have more if
there weren’t zoning restrictions. I’m always trying something
new, as I tend to get bored very easily. Thankfully, my love of
driving around with the gas light on fuels some excitement. I love
novels with happy endings, and am a hopeful romantic. My latest
obsession is browsing Netflix, and I can name all 50 states in
alphabetical order in under 30 seconds. Do I feel a wager coming on?
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Three eBook copies and a $15 Amazon Gift Card.
Click on the link above to enter.
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A Human Element ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

Posted: March 21, 2017 in giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, suspense
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A Human Element new cover

A Human Element

The Element Trilogy #1

by Donna Galanti

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Genre: Paranormal Suspense

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Synopsis

Evil comes in many forms…

 

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

Go HERE for my review.

Enjoy the Excerpt

The man could hear the child’s bellowing cries coming from underneath the blanket covering it. She pushed the child into his arms as if eager to be rid of it. He took the bundle and handed the nurse his packages. The nurse began to close the door when he heard another far away cry.

The man wedged his foot in the door. “What was that?”

“N-Nothing.” The nurse looked up.

The man risked looking her in the eye.

“The girl is in pain and won’t keep quiet.” She clutched the envelope and folded her arms across her sagging bosom.

“It sounded like another baby,” he said.

“It’s just the whimpering slut. Now she’s paid double for what she’s done.” The nurse took a step back as if aware she had said too much already. She glared at him. “Now go on. You have what you wanted. And so do I.” She shut the door in his face.

The man in black stood there for a long moment, considering the woman’s choice of words. What if another child had been delivered and the frigid woman and country doctor kept it secret?

Fascinating.

He decided to keep this information to himself. He would find the opportune time to use it. He was a patient man. But first, he had to see for himself. He peeled back the child’s bunting and looked for the first time into its yellow eyes. For that moment, the baby fell silent.

“Welcome to Earth X-10.”

The baby resumed its wailing.

The man turned with his noisy package and melted into the darkness satisfied, as the doctor had been, that the night’s events had provided him with more than he had asked for.

Author Donna Galanti

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Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books -http://www.imajinbooks.com/ )  and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books -http://www.month9books.com/ ). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill (http://www.thebigthrill.org/) – magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem (http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/search/label/Donna Galanti) . She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna enjoys teaching at conferences on the writing craft and marketing and also presenting as a guest author at elementary and middle schools.

Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.

Connect with Donna:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads / Instagram

Purchase books 1 and 2 in the Element Trilogy HERE.

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A Psychological Suspense Thriller ~ The Empty Room ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: March 13, 2017 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, suspense
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The Empty Room
by Sarah J Clemens
Genre: Psychological Suspense, Thriller, Mystery
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Rain soaked and dreary, it was a 1901 abandoned Victorian that newlyweds

Dean and Elizabeth Montgomery hoped would fulfill their dreams of a

new start in life, even if the town of Eastbrook, Maine was nestled

under a constant blanket of fog.

The first neighbor the couple meets dashes those hopes when he raises a

bizarre question: what happened to the last person who lived in their

house? A cryptic question, but nothing to worry about. At least not

until the couple looked under the floorboards inside the house.

Under mounting pressure from the residents of Eastbrook to stop questioning

the past, Dean and Elizabeth are driven deeper into the history of

the house, the town, and their neighbors. When the couple discovers

what happened in Eastbrook, keeping the secret could save their

lives, but uncovering the truth might be worth the risk.

What happened inside The Empty Room is a mystery until the last page. A

gripping psychological suspense, the story takes readers on a

cat-and-mouse game where some secrets are better off hidden.

 

Sarah J. Clemens is the author of the debut mystery novel, The Empty Room.

She started writing The Empty Room in 2008 and formed her own imprint

in 2016 called Off the Page Publishing.

She started out her professional career working as a news assistant for

her local newspaper before finding a passion for the law and pursued

an education in criminal justice. In addition to writing fiction, she

is also a legal assistant with an Associate of Arts and a Bachelor of

Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Human Services.

Sarah was born in California and now lives and works in Boise, Idaho. She

has the same sarcastic sense of humor as the characters in her books,

and she has an unparalleled love for animals.

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Click on the rafflecopter link above for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card.
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Shattering Truths ~ Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: March 2, 2017 in giveaways, suspense, YA
Tags: , , , ,
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Shattering Truths
Kyrian Lyndon
(Deadly Veils, #1)
Publication date: January 30th 2017
Genres: Suspense, Young Adult

She was left fighting her demons alone . . .

For sixteen-year-old Danielle DeCorso, the old house in Glastonbury was an eerie place to grow up. Coping with mental health challenges exacerbated by a traumatic family dynamic, Danielle watches from the window for two men in a dusty black sedan who keep circling the house and harassing her with phone calls. The two predators drugged her and her cousin, Angie, and then lured them from Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport to a secluded cottage on Long Beach West. She remembers feeling dizzy, the room spinning. She recalls screaming, crying, fighting, and then slipping in and out of consciousness. Angie, however, has no recollection of the incident.

When Danielle attempts to jog Angie’s memory and convince their best friend, Farran, that the two strangers had victimized them, no one seems to believe her. Alone in her pain, Danielle remains guarded, obsessed, and withdrawn. Soon she is sinking deeper into a tumultuous world of adolescent isolation and change. Grief, guilt, and anger send her spiraling into an even darker place.

Tormented by terrifying nightmares, she fears she will lose her sanity, or possibly her soul. Is she having post-traumatic stress hallucinations, as one of her friends suggest, or are her recurring nightmares as real as they seem? Trapped in an unyielding emotional bondage, Danielle continues the fight to reclaim her power. Startling revelations awaken her newfound spirit, inspiring a once naïve girl to grow into a woman of defiance and courage.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Smashwords

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Author Kyrian Lyndon

Kyrian Lyndon is the author of Shattering Truths, the first book in her Deadly Veils series. She has also published two poetry collections, A Dark Rose Blooms, and Remnants of Severed Chains. Kyrian began writing short stories and fairy tales when she was just eight years old. In her adolescence, she moved on to poetry. At sixteen, while working as an editor for her high school newspaper, she wrote her first novel, and then completed two more novels at the ages of nineteen and twenty-five.

Born and raised in Woodside, Queens, New York, Kyrian was the middle of three daughters born to immigrants —her father from Campochiaro, Italy; her mother from Havana, Cuba. She has worked primarily in executive-level administrative positions with major New York publishing companies. She resides on Long Island in New York.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Tumblr / Google+

 

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My Monday Minis Reviews #53 ~ Onyx Webb

Posted: February 27, 2017 in horror, reviews, Romance, Supernatural, suspense
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Onyx Webb. How Do I love Thee? Let me Count The Ways

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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing my thoughts about the next book in the Onyx Webb Series.

Onyx Webb

Onyx Webb #8

by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

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Genre: Supernatural / Suspense / Horror / Romance

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My Review

The further I get into this series, the more I connect with and love these characters, the harder it gets to tell you my thoughts without spoiling things for you.

You get more of Onyx in these episodes and that’s always a win for me. And the author’s are tightening the web, pulling the stories and characters’ closer and closer together.

With the end of the series drawing near, I’m on edge, so anxious for the ending, yet dreading it at the same time.

What will I do when this series is over? Probably go into the mother of all reading withdrawals. I went into this series expecting to like it. Which I did. Then I became addicted. How could I not. The writing was superb. The different time lines and character stories were expertly executed. And the thrills and chills were and are over the top.

This Onyx Webb addict needs some enablers, so I urge you to join me and try this series. But make sure you start at the beginning. These are meant to be read in order.

5 Stars

Synopsis

Welcome Back to the World of Onyx Webb! This is Book Eight. (Episodes 22, 23 & 24) Haven’t Gotten Entangled Yet? Please Start with Book One.

The timelines – the web – is more tightened than ever. Although the connections are clear, suspense reigns as always.

Onyx Webb is a complex multi-genre mash-up that combines elements of supernatural suspense, crime, horror, romance, and more. The Onyx Webb series follows the unusual life of Onyx Webb along with a central group of characters in various locations and times.

The billionaire Mulvaney family, piano prodigy Juniper Cole and her brother Quinn, paranormal show hosts Cryer and Fudge, and a few others make up the core of the series. Written like a book version of your favorite tv series (think: supernatural soap opera like American Horror Story) each character’s story moves forward with most every episode. It may appear that the characters are entirely unrelated and yet episode by episode, the connections will become clearer. Like being an inch away from a spider web, with each book, the web will move further and further away revealing the full story of character and most importantly, the stunning conclusion for Onyx Webb herself.

In Book Eight: Onyx and Alistar’s grandson Noah grow close as they create a “life” together with exciting new projects. The Mulvaney mansion is crawling with ghosts as a big event looms. Stan Lee continue to make mistakes without consequences, for now.

AMAZON

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A Suspense Thriller by Merry Jones ~ Child’s Play ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: February 15, 2017 in Excerpt, giveaways, suspense, thriller
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Child's Play by Merry Jones

Welcome to the tour for Child’s Play by Merry Jones February 1 – 28th.

I’m thrilled to share an excerpt from the book.

And there’s a giveaway. So don’t forget to enter!

Alsp, be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the post to follow the tour for more fun posts!

Child’s Play

by Merry Jones

Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date:  January 3rd 2017
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 1608091910 (ISBN13: 9781608091911)
Series: Elle Harrison Thriller #3 (Each can be read as a Stand Alone Novel)

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Synopsis

Since her husband’s murder two years earlier, life hasn’t been easy for Elle Harrison. Now, at the start of a new school year, the second grade teacher is determined to move on. She’s selling her house and delving into new experiences―like learning trapeze.

Just before the first day of school, Elle learns that a former student, Ty Evans, has been released from juvenile detention where he served time for killing his abusive father. Within days of his release, Elle’s school principal, who’d tormented Ty as a child, is brutally murdered. So is a teacher at the school. And Ty’s former girlfriend. All the victims have links to Ty.

Ty’s younger brother, Seth, is in Elle’s class. When Seth shows up at school beaten and bruised, Elle reports the abuse, and authorities remove Seth and his older sister, Katie, from their home. Is Ty the abuser?

Ty seeks Elle out, confiding that she’s the only adult he’s ever trusted. She tries to be open-minded, even wonders if he’s been wrongly condemned. But when she’s assaulted in the night, she suspects that Ty is her attacker. Is he a serial killer? Is she his next intended victim?

Before Elle discovers the truth, she’s caught in a deadly trap that challenges her deepest convictions about guilt and innocence, childhood and family. Pushed to her limits, she’s forced to face her fears and apply new skills in a deadly fight to survive.

Purchase Links: Amazon / B&N / Goodreads

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Enjoy this glimpse inside the book.

I was the first one there.

The parking lot was empty, except for Stan’s pickup truck. Stan was the custodian, tall, hair thinning, face pock-marked from long ago acne. He moved silently, popped out of closets and appeared in corners, prowled the halls armed with a mop or a broom. In fourteen years, I couldn’t remember a single time when he’d looked me in the eye.

Wait—fourteen years? I’d been there that long? Faces of kids I’d taught swirled through my head. The oldest of them would now be, what? Twenty-one? Oh man. Soon I’d be one of those old school marms teaching the kids of my former students, a permanent fixture of the school like the faded picture of George Washington mounted outside the principal’s office. Hell, in a few months, I’d be forty. A middle-aged childless widow who taught second grade over and over again, year after year, repeating the cycle like a hamster on its wheel. Which reminded me: I had to pick up new hamsters. Tragically, last year’s hadn’t made it through the summer.

I told myself to stop dawdling. I had a classroom to organize, cubbies to decorate. On Monday, just three days from now, twenty-three glowing faces would show up for the first day of school, and I had to be ready. I climbed out of the car, pulled a box of supplies from the trunk, started for the building. And stopped.

My heart did triple time, as if responding to danger. But there was no danger. What alarmed me, what sent my heart racing was the school itself. But why? Did it look different? Had the windows been replaced, or the doors? Nothing looked new, but something seemed altered. Off balance. The place didn’t look like an elementary school. It looked like a giant factory. A prison.

God, no. It didn’t look like any of those things. The school was the same as it had always been, just a big brick building. It seemed cold and stark simply because it was unadorned by throngs of children. Except for wifi, Logan Elementary hadn’t changed in fifty years, unless you counted several new layers of soot on the bricks.

I stood in the parking lot, observing the school, seeing it fresh. I’d never paid much attention to it before. When it was filled with students, the building itself became all but invisible, just a structure, a backdrop. But now, empty, it was unable to hide behind the children, the smells of sunshine and peanut butter sandwiches, the sounds of chatter and small shoes pounding Stanley’s waxed tiles. The building stood exposed. I watched it, felt it watching me back. Threatening.

Seriously, what was wrong with me? The school was neither watching nor threatening me. It was a benign pile of bricks and steel. I was wasting time, needed to go in and get to work. But I didn’t take a single step. Go on, I told myself. What was I afraid of? Empty halls, vacant rooms? Blank walls? For a long moment, I stood motionless, eyes fixed on the façade. The carved letters: Logan School. The heavy double doors. The dark windows. Maybe I’d wait a while before going inside. Becky would arrive soon, after she picked up her classroom aquarium.

Other teachers would show up, too. I could go in with them, blend safely into their commotion. I hefted the box, turned back to the car. But no, what was I doing? I didn’t want to wait. I’d come early so I could get work done without interruption or distraction before the others arrived. The school wasn’t daring me, nor was I sensing some impending tragedy. I was just jittery about starting a new year.

I turned around again, faced its faded brown bricks. I steeled my shoulders, took a breath and started across the parking lot. With a reverberating metallic clank, the main doors flew open. Reflexively, I stepped back, half expecting a burst of flames or gunfire. Instead, Stan emerged. For the first time in fourteen years, I was glad to see him. Stan surveyed the parking lot, hitched up his pants. Looked in my direction. He didn’t wave or nod a greeting, didn’t follow social conventions. Even so, his presence grounded me, felt familiar.

I took a breath, reminded myself that the school was just a school. That I was prone to mental wandering and embellishing. And that children would stream into my classroom in just three days, whether I was ready or not.

~~~~~

Meet Author Merry Jones
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Merry Jones is the author of some twenty critically acclaimed books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been translated into seven languages. Her previous Elle Harrison novels have been The Trouble With Charlie and Elective Procedures. Jones lives with her husband in Philadelphia.
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Catch up with Merry online:
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My Monday Minis Reviews #52 ~ Scream and Becoming Dragon

Posted: February 13, 2017 in Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, Short stories and collections, suspense, thriller
Tags: , , , , ,
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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing two books. One is an anthology, Scream, which releases tomorrow. And the other, Becoming Dragon is a new series from Eve Langlais.

Scream releases on February 14th. It’s a steal at only 99 pennies. Go HERE to claim your copy!

Scream

A Collection of Dark Tales

by Multiple Authors

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Genre: Dark Tales / Thriller / Serial Killers

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My Review

I’m drawn to stories about serial killers. I’ve been told by many it’s a morbid fascinate. LOL You’ll get nine short stories about them in this anthology, each author bringing their own dark spin to their tales.

I won’t play favorites and name any certain ones, but some of these hit hard and a couple were pretty good. One left me confused. I read it twice and felt like the end might have been left off or I just completely didn’t get it.

It was great to read some familiar authors and discover new ones. I found a few that I’ll be checking out now.

There’s lots of terrible monsters in these pages. They may look human, but there’s no humanity in the way they delight in their kills. You’ll also come across a bit of the paranormal or supernatural, which I find adds to the suspense and scares.

A great collection that’s sure to satisfy that dark craving inside you. I read them late at night and got even more thrills.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Biohazard by Kathy Love
Jenny knew when she took a job working for a crime cleaning company, she would experience some weird situations. But she never thought one of her co-workers, David, would fall in love with her, and man, does he have a strange way of showing it. Hearts drawn in blood spatter and notes out of body tissue? That takes weird to a whole new level. Add to that, with a serial killer on the loose, she finds herself spending a lot of time at work—and with David. Soon, she can’t help wondering if he could be the one killing these people. Just so they can spend more time together.

Undying Love by Kristine Mason
Till death do us part does not apply…

Morgan Smithwell’s first love is killed in a car accident, leaving her devastated and heartbroken. When she claims his ghost has visited her, Morgan’s parents and psychiatrist believe she’s had a psychotic break. But Morgan knows the truth. Death cannot come between her and the boy she loves. Now, to keep their love alive, Morgan must find her lover a new body. Again and again…

No Eulogy for a Stranger by Caleb Pirtle III
Easy Eddy Dollar is not quite sure where he is when he awakes on a park bench with a bullet wound in his stomach. And just who are all these people entering his life? With only twenty-four hours to find out, Easy Eddy Dollar knows he’s a stranger among strangers, and nobody has a prayer to recite at the grave of a stranger.

The Woman of My Dreams by Joe Broadmeadow
The cut of a truth long hidden is quick, deep, and painful. Yet, life has a way of never missing a beat, even when breaking your heart. Is there such a thing as loving too much?

The Hunter by Drew Jordan
Not every woman is fortunate enough to be married to a serial killer like I am. Why is that lucky? Because he will protect me from everyone and anyone…and never ever hurt me.

Follow The Hunter from Alaska to Canada to reclaim his wife, Laney. Or to make her his final victim. The Hunter is a short story related to the dark and sexy CRASH trilogy, which includes Crash, Hide, and Expose.

The House That Weeps by Elle J Rossi
Andrew Stevens has one shot left to do something good with his life. But will the horrors inside the house that weeps be his savior or his ultimate demise?

The Silent Widow by Kimberly McGath
Eight-track tapes and bell-bottoms were all the rage in the late 1970’s. Citizens had become familiar with serial killers such as Zodiac, but nothing prepared them for this sweetheart killer. Valentine’s Day will be red with blood in this rural town. Author Kimberly McGath will keep you guessing in The Silent Widow, with many twists and turns that will make you Scream. But will you be able to?

Chimes at Midnight by Paul Dale Anderson
Never play blind man’s bluff with a blind man. Never play games with an old man entering his second childhood. And never ever play for keeps or bet your life because the odds are not in your favor.

A Sultry Abyss by Sue Coletta
Crime Writer Sydney Slaughter has spent her life researching serial killers. What she never expected was to find herself at the center of a brutal murder spree. When visions hit too close to reality, Syd goes to a hypnotist to tap into her subconscious. What she envisions shakes her very core. Can she use her skills to expose the killer? Or will fate turn the table, reveal things she never wanted to know?

AMAZON

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Becoming Dragon

Dragon Point #1

by Eve Langlais

Narrated by Chandra Skye

Published by Tantor Audio.

Published January 25, 2017

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 7 hours and 22 minutes

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Genre: Paranormal / Fantasy / Romance / Shifters

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My Review

Not having read Eve’s books before, but meaning to, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s a brand new spin off series from her Bitten Point books. I was thrilled with this book. I was quickly immersed in the story and never felt the need for a break.

Aimi is strong, knows what she wants and goes for it, that being Brandon. I have a feeling he doesn’t stand a chance. It was fun to meet Aimi. She’s my kind of gal. And the antics of her odd family gave me plenty of chuckles.

Brandon grew on my quickly. He’s got a lot to handle, trying to adjust to his new self. He escaped from a facility that experimented on him and he’ll forever be changed by it. He doesn’t know what to make of the sexy and determined Aimi, who states he’s hers.

The chemistry between these two characters was electric. I was anxious to see who would give in to who and had such fun with their back and forth banter.

There’s plenty of snarky dialogue, which is always a win with me. Lots of intrigue, people needing rescuing, and some steamy encounters to warm you up on a cold night.

I’ve been wanting to try Eve’s Bitten Point series, and after having such fun with this book,  now I have to.

5 Stars

About the narrator.

Chandra Skye does a fabulous job. She even manages to pull off the male characters convincingly. I’ll be keeping an eye out for her.

I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audible Books. My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

A new series spun off the end of Bitten Point…

Brandon’s story…

Dragon Point isn’t a place, but rather a society, a secret one. And humans aren’t invited.

I’m a monster. That’s what Brandon thinks when he flees the medical institute that changed him. Living a normal life isn’t in the cards for him because, while he can hide his scaly skin, his wings are hard to miss. So he runs and lives in the shadows where monsters belong. What he didn’t expect to find were others just like him, and they call themselves dragons. Or so Aimi with the violet eyes tells him when she pins him to the ground.

Seriously, though, dragons?

He doesn’t want to believe, but the evidence is mounting. Not helping his resolve is the fact that the woman with the silver hair doesn’t fear the monster and wants to claim him.
However, before he can think of his own happiness, he has to rescue his little sister. Uncle Theo kidnapped her, and Brandon will do anything to get her back, even if he must embrace the monster within to become the dragon.

AMAZON

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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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