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Archive for the ‘suspense’ Category

Free Of Malice by Liz Lazarus ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

Posted: April 18, 2016 in Book Blast, giveaways, suspense, thriller
Tags: Author Liz Lazarus, Free Of Malice, fuonlyknew, giveaway, Laura Thomas, PUYB, suspense, thriller

Title: FREE OF MALICE
Author: Liz Lazarus
Publisher: Mitchell Cove Publishing LLC
Pages: 274
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Synopsis

Laura Holland awakes in the middle of the night to see a stranger standing in her bedroom doorway. She manages to defend herself from the would-be rapist, though he threatens to return as he retreats. Traumatized with recurring nightmares, Laura seeks therapy and is exposed to a unique treatment called EMDR. She also seeks self-protection— buying a gun against the wishes of her husband. When Laura learns she could have gone to prison had she shot her fleeing assailant, she decides to write a
hypothetical legal case using the details of that night. She enlists the help of criminal defense lawyer, Thomas Bennett, who proves to be well versed in the justice system but has an uncanny resemblance to her attacker. As the two work together to develop the story, Laura’s discomfort escalates particularly when
Thomas seems to know more about that night than he should. Reality and fiction soon merge as her real life drama begins to mirror the fiction she’s trying to create.

For More Information

Free of Malice is
available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at
Barnes & Noble.

Book Excerpt:

Run. Run faster. As much as I strained my legs to move, they were immobile, like I was waist deep in
quicksand.

Why can’t I move?

I tried to scream for help but my mouth was full, like it was stuffed with cotton—no sound would escape.

I felt something clutching my shoulder. No, it was someone. He was pushing me forward and then yanking me back. I tried to jerk away but he had a tight grip, like a vice.

I have to break free.

The tugging got harder, more forceful. He was calling my name— over and over. He knew my name.

“Laura, Laura.”

I jolted awake—my husband’s hand still on my shoulder.

“Honey, wake up. You’re having another bad dream.”

Slowly, I turned over in bed and looked at him—his dark brown eyes were fixated on me. I could see them clearly as the light from the bathroom brightened our bedroom.

For a month now, we had slept with this light on.

I could see the small wrinkle on his forehead. I loved that wrinkle though wished he didn’t have good reason to be so concerned. I was enduring the nightmares, but he had to deal with my
tossing and mumbling in terror.

I remember when we first met—ten years ago in chemistry lab at Georgia Tech. He had walked up to me with those warm eyes and a charming, confident smile and asked, “Want to be partners?”

Two years later he took me to Stone Mountain Park, rented a small rowboat and, in the moonlight, he pulled out a diamond ring and asked me again, “Want to be partners?”

Life had seemed just about perfect.

Until now.

We looked at each other for a moment. Then he propped himself up on his elbow and said softly, “Laura, I feel so helpless. I know it’s only been a month, but…”

He hesitated.

“What?” I asked.

“It’s just as bad as that first night. After it happened. Look, I want to make you feel safe again, but I
don’t know how.”

He rubbed his eyes and looked away. I waited, staring at him.

What isn’t he saying?

“I know you don’t want to see a therapist, but seeing someone doesn’t mean you’re crazy. Therapists don’t treat just crazy people. They help people who have been through traumas and you have. Hell, no one even has to know.”

He paused for a second.“Don’t be mad at me, but yesterday I made an appointment for you. I was going to talk to you about it in the morning if you had another bad dream. I found a woman who is downtown by my office. She’s been practicing for about twenty years, got her doctorate from Emory and comes with really good patient reviews.”

He looked for my reaction and continued. “I made the appointment for you at 4:00 so we can go to dinner afterward. You know what you always say. You’ll try anything once, right?”

“I told you I don’t want to see a psychiatrist,” I pushed back. “I just need more time. I’ll bounce back.
You know I almost came in the house on my own today. Besides, if I see a psychiatrist, on every job application I complete in the future, I’ll have to check the ‘Yes’ box when they ask if I’ve had mental health treatment.”

“Jesus. No you don’t. You’re too innocent sometimes.”

He gently tapped me on the nose.

“You can check the box ‘No.’ Besides, if that’s the only thing stopping you, I think you should give it a
try. Her name is Barbara Cole. I’ll take you to Houston’s afterward,” he added.

I ignored the bribe. “But what can she do that you can’t? All she’ll do is listen and you do that for me
already. Psychiatrists are for people who don’t have friends or husbands to talk to.”

Chris shook his head.

“Please? Do it for me.”

The tone in his voice was different—more helpless than normal. Chris had been so understanding, so
comforting this past month, especially considering I had been waking him every night. How could I refuse his request?

I sighed. “Okay,” I relented. “I’ll go.”

“One visit. That’s all I’m asking. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to go back. She’s a psychologist,
by the way, not a psychiatrist. She does therapy, not drugs.”

He glanced at the clock. It was 3:30 a.m.

Chris grabbed Konk, my stuffed animal gorilla that I won at the state fair by outshooting him at the
basketball game. He had sworn the scum running the game couldn’t take his eyes off my butt and let me win.

“Here’s Konk,” he said. “I’m going to finish my presentation since I’m up. I’ll just be in the office. Want
the door open?”

“Yes,” I said as I wrapped my arms tightly around Konk.

“Hey, we’ll celebrate your first therapy visit and my signed contract, I hope, this evening.”

“You mean you hope my first visit?” I said with a playful smile.

He gave me a look—he was in no mood for jokes.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll go,” I assured.

“If you’re asleep when I leave, just come by my office after the appointment and we’ll head to dinner.
Try to get some sleep. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

About Author Liz Lazarus

Liz Lazarus is the author of Free of
Malice, a psychological, legal thriller loosely based on her personal
experience and a series of ‘what if’ questions that trace the after effects of
a foiled attack; a woman healing, and grappling with the legal system to
acknowledge her right to self-defense.

She was born in Valdosta, Georgia, graduated from Georgia Tech with an engineering degree and
the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern with an MBA in their executive
master’s program. She spent most of her career at General Electric’s Healthcare
division and is currently a Managing Director at a strategic planning
consulting firm in addition to being an author.

Free of Malice is her debut novel, set in Atlanta, and supplemented by
extensive research with both therapists and criminal defense attorneys. She
currently lives in Brookhaven, GA, with her fiancé,
Richard, and their very spoiled orange tabby, Buckwheat.

For More Information

Visit Liz Lazarus’ website.
Connect with Amy on Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway

Lis is giving away a $25 B&N Gift Card and

an autographed copy of Free Of Malice!

Terms &
Conditions:

By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
Two winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 B&N Gift Card or
one autographed copy of FREE OF MALICE
This giveaway begins April 11 and ends on May 11.
Winners will be contacted via email on May 12.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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~~~~~

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There’s plenty that can kill ya in the bayou ~ Wild Man’s Curse ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: April 12, 2016 in Blog Tour, giveaways, reviews, Romance, suspense
Tags: fuonlyknew, giveaway, Laura Thomas, New Release, review, romance, suspense, Wild Man's Curse by Susannah sandlin

I’ve been wanting to read this book. The southern bayou setting captured my attention and the cover art is spectacular.

Please enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Wild Man’s Curse

Wilds of the Bayou Series – Book One

Susannah Sandlin

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Date of Publication: April 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-1503934740 / ASIN: B017IKQWAG

Number of pages: 284 / Word Count: approx. 86,000

Cover Artist: Michael Rehder

Synopsis

The bones said death was comin’, and the bones never lied.

While on an early morning patrol in the swamps of Whiskey Bayou, Louisiana wildlife agent Gentry Broussard spots a man leaving the home of voodoo priestess Eva Savoie—a man who bears a startling resemblance to his brother, whom Gentry thought he had killed during a drug raid three years earlier. Shaken, the agent enters Eva’s cabin and makes a bloody discovery: the old woman has been brutally murdered.

With no jurisdiction over the case, he’s forced to leave the investigation to the local sheriff, until Eva’s beautiful heir, Celestine, receives a series of gruesome threats. As Gentry’s involvement deepens and more victims turn up, can he untangle the secrets behind Eva’s murder and protect Celestine from the same fate?

Or will an old family curse finally have its way?

Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository IndieBound

~~~~~

My Review

Susannah has written many books and I’ve been wanting to try one. With a setting close to home in the Louisiana bayou, this was a great choice.

The story begins with the brutal murder of Eva Savoie, an elderly voodoo priestess. The family curse is not to be denied.

Ceelie (Celestine) hasn’t been back to see her Aunt Eva for many years. When she gets the phone call informing her of Eva’s murder, regret rushes in. With her singing career at a dead end, she returns to her roots.

Planning to only stay long enough to see justice done for her aunt and wrap up the estate, Ceelie soon becomes a target of the killer. Whatever he came looking for when he killed Eva, he didn’t find, and now his sights are on Ceelie. It appears the family curse didn’t end with Eva’s death, and being no shrinking violet, she will not be scared off.

Most people think of Louisianna when thinking bayous. I live on Mobile Bay, in Alabama. A small town not far from the Gulf of Mexico. It’s only about a 20 minute drive to the boat launch on the causeway. Within minutes you are in the bayou, small tributaries branching off that take you deep into the swamp. I’ve always found it romantic and eerie. Especially when I hear things crashing through the brush, splashing around me, and nature’s song playing in the trees.

The author did a beautiful job of taking me into the bayous. I could feel the heat and humidity. Smell the vegetation and swamp water. Hear all of the mysterious noises of things unseen. Is that an alligator gar rolling on the surface or the other kind? The one with big teeth?

For much of the descriptions of the bayou, I drew visuals from a B movie I watched that had a lot of it’s filming done here in Alabama. Frankenfish may have been a campy horror film, but the locations oozed bayou. Many of the scenes in this book came to life for me because of the strong writing. I could practically see and hear what was happening.

Here’s something that tickled my funnybone. Ceelie is talking about men in uniform, especially in law enforcement, and how and why women find them attractive. She calls it the “weapon-belt pheromone.”

The characters were likable and genuine. They had flaws and vulnerabilities which made them appealing to me. And I enjoyed the rising attraction between Ceelie and a local Fish and Game officer who’s got his eye on her and vows to keep her safe.

The plot is insane. The bad guy is beyond diabolical, and his relationship to a certain character really got me going.

A fast paced thrill ride from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The danger is palpable, the suspense intense, and the romance just right.

5 Stars

~~~~~

Enjoy this excerpt

CHAPTER 1

The bones said death was comin’, and the bones never lied.

Eva Savoie leaned back in the rocking chair and pushed it into motion on the uneven wide-plank floor of the one-room cabin. Her grandpere Julien had built the place more than a century ago, pulling heavy cypress logs from the bayou and sawing them, one by one, into the thick planks she still walked across every day.

She had never known Julien Savoie, but she knew of him. The curse that had stalked her family for three generations had started with her grandfather and what he’d done all those years ago.

What he’d brought with him to Whiskey Bayou with blood on his hands.

What had driven her daddy to shoot her mama, and then himself, before either turned forty-five.

What had led Eva’s brother Antoine to drown in the bayou only a half-mile from this cabin, leaving a wife and infant son behind.

What stalked Eva now.

The bones said death was coming and, once Eva was gone, the curse should go with her. No one else knew the secrets of Julien Savoie and this cabin and that box full of sin he’d dug out of the bayou mud back in Isle de Jean Charles.

Might take a while, but sin catches up with you. Always had. Always would. And the curse had driven Eva to sin. Oh yes, she had sinned.

She’d known her reckoning would catch up with her, although it had taken a good long time. She’d turned seventy-eight yesterday, or was it eighty? She couldn’t remember for sure, and the bones said it didn’t matter now.

On the scarred wooden table before Eva sat three burning candles that filled the room with the soft, soothing glow of melting tallow. She’d made them herself, infusing them with the oil of the fragrant lilies that every spring spread a bright green carpet over the lazy, brown water of the bayou. The tools of her ritual sat on an ancient square of tanned hide passed down through generations of holy ones, of those blessed by the gods with the ability to throw the bones.

A small mound of delicate chicken bones, yellowed and fragile from age, lay inside the circle of light cast by the candles. Daylight would come in an hour or so, but Eva didn’t expect to last that long. Death was even now making his way toward her.

She leaned forward, wincing at the stab of pain in her lower back. Since the first throw of the bones had whispered her fate two days ago, she’d been cleaning. Scrubbed the floor, worn smooth by decades of bare feet. Washed the linens, folding them in neat piles in a drawer at the bottom of the old pie safe. Discarded most of the food in the little refrigerator that sat in the corner. Dragged the bag of trash down the long, overgrown drive past LeRoy’s old 1970 Chevy pickup that she still drove up to Houma for groceries and such once a month. Left the white bag at the side of the parish road for the weekly trash collection.

She’d spit on LeRoy’s truck as she passed it because she couldn’t spit on the man who bought it. He was long gone.

Now the cleaning had been finished. Whoever discovered her raggedy old body wouldn’t find a mess, not in Eva Savoie’s house.

A few minutes ago, with the old cabin as clean as she was capable of making it, she’d thrown the bones one last time. Part of her hoped they’d read different, hoped she’d be granted a few more days of grace.

But the bones still whispered death. Eva accepted it, and she sat, and she waited. At least the girl, Celestine, would inherit a cleaned-up house. The girl, Antoine’s granddaughter, knew nothing of the secrets, nothing of the curse. Eva had made sure of that….

Eva waited for her heart to fail—that seemed to be her most likely way to go. As she rocked she noted each steady beat, biding her time for the instant when the thump-thump-thump would falter and her breath would catch, then stop. She reckoned it would hurt a little, but what if it did? The curse had doled out worse ends to those who came before her.

She’d doled out worse herself.

The buzz of a boat’s motor sounded from outside the cabin, faint but growing louder. Wardens on patrol already, most likely.

The boat’s engine grew louder, finally coming to an abrupt stop so near, it had to be right outside her door. Silence filled the room once again, until through her bones she felt the thud of someone jumping onto the porch that wrapped around the cabin. The porch formed the platform on which the house sat, linking it to the spit of land behind it when the water was normal. When storms blew through, it provided an island on which the cabin could sit or, if need be, float.

As heavy footfalls crossed the porch, Eva struggled to her feet. Every pop and crackle of her joints knifed streaks of pain through her limbs as they protested the cleaning they’d done, followed by the sitting.

Prob’ly a game warden, checkin’ on her. Too bad he hadn’t stopped a little later, after she was gone. She didn’t like to think of her body having to bake in the hot cabin for days before anyone found her.

But the curse was what it was, and the bones said what they said.

The knock, when it came, was soft, and Eva reached the door with the help of a sturdy cane she’d carved herself. Opening the door, she squinted into the glare of a flashlight that seemed almost blinding after the soft light of the candles. She peered up at a young man with eyes that gleamed from beneath the hood of a jacket. He was not a game warden, and it was too hot for a jacket.

“Who are you?” Her voice cracked. She knew who he was. He was Death.

“The devil come to pay you a visit, Eva.” The man’s voice was smooth as silk, smooth as a lie, smooth as death itself. “And you know what the devil wants.”

She knew what he wanted, and she knew the only way to end the curse was to deny him.

She’d been granted no easy passing by the Savoie curse after all, but she would die today.

The bones never lied.

~~~~~

Author Susannah Sandlin

Susannah Sandlin

Susannah Sandlin is the author of the award-winning Penton Vampire Legacy paranormal romance series, including the 2013 Holt Medallion Award-winning Absolution and Omega and Allegiance, which were nominated for the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award in 2014 and 2015, respectively. She also writers The Collectors romantic suspense series, including Lovely, Dark, and Deep, 2015 Holt Medallion winner and 2015 Booksellers Best Award winner. Her new series Wilds of the Bayou starts in 2016 with the April 5 release of Wild Man’s Curse. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, Susannah is the author of the award-winning Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series. A displaced New Orleanian, she currently lives in Auburn, Alabama. Susannah loves SEC football, fried gator on a stick, all things Cajun, and redneck reality TV.

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Witch Of The Cards ~ Teaser and Giveaway

Posted: March 30, 2016 in Excerpt, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, suspense
Tags: Bewitching Book Tours, giveaway, historical, paranormal, suspense, Witch of the Cards by Caroline Stine

Witch of the Cards

by Catherine Stine

29416179

Genre: paranormal historical suspense

Publisher: Konjur Road Press

Date of Publication: March 16, 2016

ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-6-5

ISBN-10: 0-9848282-6-5

ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-7-2

ISBN 10: 0-9848282-7-3

Number of pages: 265

Word Count: 76K

Cover Artist: Mae I Designs

Book Description:

Fiera was born a sea witch with no inkling of her power. And now it might be too late.

Witch of the Cards is historical, supernatural romantic suspense set in 1932 on the Jersey shore. Twenty-two year-old Fiera has recently left the Brooklyn orphanage where she was raised, and works in Manhattan as a nanny. She gets a lucky break when her boss pays for her short vacation in Asbury Park. One evening, Fiera and her new friend Dulcie wander down the boardwalk and into Peter Dune’s Tarot & Séance, where they attend a card reading.

Fiera has always had an unsettling ability to know things before they happen and sense people’s hidden agendas. She longs to either find out the origin of her powers or else banish them because as is, they make her feel crazy. When, during the reading, her energies somehow bond with Peter Dune’s and form an undeniable ethereal force, a chain of revelations and dangerous events begin to unspool. For one, Fiera finds out she is a witch from a powerful sea clan, but that someone is out to stop her blossoming power forever. And though she is falling in love with Peter, he also has a secret side. He’s no card reader, but a private detective working to expose mediums. Despite this terrible betrayal, Fiera must make the choice to save Peter from a tragic Morro Cruise boat fire, or let him perish with his fellow investigators. Told in alternating viewpoints, we hear Fiera and Peter each struggle against their deep attraction. Secrets, lies, even murder, lace this dark fantasy.

Witch of the Cards teaser 3

Enjoy the Excerpt

The absinthe put me in a dreamy state. Added to the mix was the sensual comfort of sitting next to Peter, who served as a buffer between Alyse and me.

Somewhere in the room, a chorus of faint voices floated around, high and sweet. Or was the sound merely in my head? How could it be? Peter asked me a question, but it took three repetitions for me to understand him over the low-slung jazz notes infused with the chorus of invisible soprano cherubs singing at me.

“Have you always had a talent for the unseen?” I heard him ask.

“Whatever do you mean? It was you who saw things that weren’t there.” I had to right myself because I found myself swooning so much I nearly fell into Peter’s lap.

“But it was you who eked it out of me.”

“Little old me?” I giggled.

“Yes, you,” Alyse agreed. “I was there, too. You have some strange talent. Can you describe how it works? You must be aware of it.”

Everything was turning light and frothy like a magical cake icing. The barkeep was chatting up the fellows at his counter, the card players exhaled in cheery gusts of laughter, and the waitresses flounced around like so many sunny meadow flowers. I didn’t see the harm. “I do sense things. Always have.”

“What kind of things?” Peter and Alyse asked in tandem. Their unexpected accord matched the soprano voices singing harmoniously in and around my head.

I giggled again. “Do you hear them?”

“Hear what?” Peter looked around, spooked.

“Children, little voices.”

Alyse’s brows creased. “What are they saying?”

“They’re singing.” But the entire mood of the room had changed in an instant. Their radiant energy soured. The children of the ether weren’t singing any more. They were starting to weep, over something very sad.

Over me.

How did I know this? No idea. A hard frost shot through my bones. I took a big gulp of the absinthe. Perhaps it would block out the voices, the wailing of innocents.

“What is it?” Peter took my hand. His concerned touch cut through the horrible, chilling ache and melted me. “What’s the matter, Fiera?” His face paled, and right then, I knew he heard them too. “They’re crying, aren’t they?” he whispered in my ear, tickling my soft lobe. “Crying over you.”

“Yes.” I leaned on him, letting the voices cry for me.

We hugged and I swear I felt his sudden, hot tears melt through the shoulder fabric of my dress. It was infinitely sad, infinitely tender.

The invisible cherubs whirring inside my head took translucent form and slipped out of me. They soared around the room like hardscrabble angels, flitting past Dulcie as she danced; sliding, their soft baby feet gliding over the long bar counter, and right through the man with the hookah. He glanced up for a moment as if he, too, felt the supernatural breeze. Then he bowed his head back down and took a pensive draw on his smoking device. Eyes closed, I saw green paisleys and floating leaves, the rushing of a cold stream bubbling under me, which filled me with terror. I came to with a gasp.

“What is it?” Alyse asked. How could I tell her of this suffering, shot through with spectacular floating objects, and my strange, sudden affinity with Mr. Dune?

“I see children weeping,” I admitted. “They’ve been hurt.”

“How?” Her voice grew anxious.

I silently asked them. “They’re babies. They can’t say.”

When I looked over at Peter, it was obvious he was in the same deep trance he’d been in when we first met. His eyes were glazed as if whatever he was experiencing was far from this basement speakeasy. “What is it? What do you see?” I whispered.

“They’re fading. They’re dying. They’re being—”

“Snap out of it, Mr. Dune.” Alyse gave him a stern shaking. “You’ve had too much absinthe.”

“It’s not that!” I insisted.

“Then tell me what it is, Fiera,” she said.

“It’s a vision. Of something real from long ago.”

“How long ago?”

“As long ago as there is a long ago.” I sounded ridiculous. Alyse Bone was right. The absinthe was crazy making. Or was it the taffy? I leaned into Peter’s limp shoulder, reached over and shook him, too, but with more patience than Alyse had.

His eyes fluttered open, and he gazed at me with that same calm as when he awoke after the séance. As before, his expression was clear of emotion, blissfully unaware of what he’d whispered to me minutes ago.

“Well, there you are,” he slurred. “You look positively ravishing. Dance?”

“Thanks, don’t mind if I do.” I bumbled to my feet.

“You two really drank the coffin varnish.” Alyse gave an unbecoming snort as she rose and drifted away.

Perhaps I was too far-gone, but I didn’t care. Peter and I danced and danced. The speakeasy filled with the overflow from the convention hall dance—young lovers, bootleggers with wide ties and cigars, older women with twinkling earrings and heavy bosoms, even a prostitute or two. They wore too much rouge and sat brazenly up at the bar with the gin rummies.

This time, I couldn’t say whether I stepped on Mr. Dune’s polished wingtips. He probably couldn’t be sure if he knocked his bony legs into mine. We had more nips of absinthe, and I wolfed down another green-swirl taffy. Before I knew it, I was leaning provocatively against Peter and laughing like a wild banshee.

I remember gaping up at him to see his black hair all disheveled and him indistinctly mumbling. And thinking that he was the most gorgeous human being I’d ever seen. I remember Peter and I howling at the crescent moon over the ocean, and the shocked sideways glance of the hotel proprietor as we stumbled in.

I recall pulling out the Tarot, and laying them out on my rug. I recall babbling at him—about a witch and a swindler and a boat. I can still picture his expression of shocked surprise.

And I remember Peter’s lips branding my forehead—how could I ever forget that—while shocks of his lush black hair dangled deliciously on my burning cheeks. The last thing I recall before things went dark was kicking off my shoes.

About Author Catherine Stine:

Catherine Stine

Catherine Stine’s novels span the range from futuristic to supernatural to contemporary. Her YA sci-fi thrillers Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire are Amazon bestsellers and indie award winners. Her YA, Dorianna won Best Horror Book in the Kindle Hub Awards. Heart in a Box, her contemporary YA was an Amazon Hot New Release in Teen and Alternative Family for over eight weeks. She also writes romance as Kitsy Clare. Her Art of Love series includes Model Position and Private Internship. Book three, Girl and the Gamer, launches this summer. She suspects her love of dark fantasy came from her father reading Edgar Allen Poe to her as a child, and her love of contemporary fiction comes from being a jubilant realist. To unwind she loves to watch “bad” reality TV and travel to offbeat places.

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Tour giveaway

One $40 gift card, two hand-painted heart-boxes (by Catherine) with secret treasure inside, one signed paperback of Dorianna by Catherine Stine, one signed paperback of Witch of the Cards by Catherine Stine, one brand new collector Tarot deck along with an envelope full of special swag!

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For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

Read all about it! Onyx Webb ~ A Paranormal Suspense Series

Posted: March 3, 2016 in Blog Tour, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, suspense
Tags: Authors Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz, Onyx Webb, paranormal suspense series, reviews

I’m so glad you could visit my stop on the tour for Onyx Webb.

I have reviews for the first two books in this paranormal suspense series.

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

Onyx Webb

Book One

Episodes 1 – 2 – 3

by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

Genre: Paranormal Suspense

Publisher: Lust for Living Press

imprint, Courage Crafters Inc

Date of Publication: April 2015

ISBN: 0990751813

ASIN: B00VIP8KLC

Number of pages: 216

Word Count: 47,000

My Review

I loved everything about this book. From the different points of view to the different dates in time to the fantastic illustrations and the hair raising creepiness.

When I reached the end of this book, Onyx Webb was still an enigma to me. I know there are many more episodes to come and I’m sure I’ll figure her out. The jury is still out about her right now.

Ever wanted to know how it felt to be a ghost? From what I learned in this book, it’s no fun. Can’t taste, can’t feel, and can’t love. Why stick around? This story will tell you why.

Taking place in different time periods, all of the characters start their stories here and it’s promised by the authors that following episodes will reveal their full stories and bring all of the characters together.

For now, I’m just getting to know Onyx and her father Catfish, rich boy Koda Mulvaney and his best friend Dane, Quinn Cole and his missing sister Juniper, and a slew of secondary characters.

I’ve read other books written in episodes but not quite like this. The characters stories span many centuries but it’s easy to follow them as their voices speak clearly. And there are several mysteries happening at different times and I have no clue how they’ll all come together.

I also knew there wouldn’t be an ending in this book, so no surprise there. And that’s the ‘hook.’ I was hooked from the first chapter, compelled to keep reading, and in no hurry to finish.

The illustrations are spectacular and the writing is easy to follow. Not what you’d expect at all with the story occurring in several different time periods and told from many points of view.

Trying to label this, I’d call this a ghost story and a mystery. Maybe adding a dash of historical too. With lots of showing and some telling. Short chapters that make the read fly. And I believe I already mentioned the illustrations. They are all through the book and ‘tell’ a story too.

There are several more books to come, each containing three episodes. You can bet I’m off to grab the second book now and will be watching for others as they are released.

4 Stars

Book Description:

A 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 a supernatural soap opera, 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 every character and most importantly, the stunning conclusion for Onyx Webb herself.

Amazon Kindle Amazon Print

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Onyx Webb

Book Two

Episodes 4 – 5 – 6

My Review

As with the first book, you get three episodes.

I’m starting to get a feel for Onyx now. She kind of creeped me out in the first book. Now, I’m learning more about what she went through and why she wound up where she was. I wish I could have told her to leave that no good husband of hers.

Rich boy Koda is still obsessing over the girl in the mirror. His father and grandfather finally drill it into his head to get back to work or lose his job and all that money. When his good friend Dane suggests he go see a psychic, Koda’s skeptical. Yet, he gives in and boy does it go wrong on so many levels. This could be the end of their friendship.

I swear, what happened to Koda with the psychic came out of left field. I didn’t see it coming and it was just so awful, yet funny too. Can a get a, “There’s a sucker born every minute?”

I’d love to share more of the characters but then I’d be telling you everything. I’m becoming quite attached to all of them. They’re revealing more of their stories, their circumstances, and it’s really getting exciting.

I was worried I’d forget who was who and have trouble jumping forward and back in time, but the authors made it easy. I fell right back in and became lost in the pages.

The authors are starting to tie in some of the characters from future and past events. I got really excited as I saw this happening. And they also through me for a loop with one tragic event. I couldn’t believe it. Why? It’s just so sad. I’m sure they will string it into upcoming episodes. I’m kind of curious how they plan to do that.

Here’s where I wish I was a writer so I could express how this series makes me feel. How these next three episodes got to me. It seemed like every page had something vital to tell or show me. I couldn’t read fast enough. Before I knew it there were only a few pages left. And then, none.

With several points of view and places in time, this is not a book to be read by itself. You really need to start this series at the beginning. That being said, I hope you try them. It’s a thrilling experience that keeps you engaged and hungry for more.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

The Onyx Webb series follows the unusual life of Onyx Webb along with a central group of characters in various locations and times. Written like a book version of a supernatural soap opera, 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 And this is especially true in Book Two. 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 every character and most importantly, the stunning conclusion for Onyx Webb herself.

In Book Two… It’s the 30’s and Declan Mulvaney and best friend Tommy Bilazzo learrn to survive at the Open Arms Orphange despite the adults who run the place. It’s 2010, and Koda Mulvaney is insane trying to see the girl in the mirror again. Onyx Webb is finds herself living all over the country married to the crazy German, Ulrich, with no way out.

Amazon

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About the Authors:

Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz are best known as the authors of Go for No! (which hit #1 on Amazon’s Sales & Selling list and has remained in the Top 10 for the last five years.) They are also professional speakers who speak internationally to audiences on how to overcome fear of failure and rejection.

Although all of their business books are fables, the Onyx Webb series is their first serious dive into fiction.

But Richard and Andrea have been in love with creating stories together since they met almost twenty years ago and even spent some time in Hollywood writing screenplays, being represented by the producer of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

Goodreads

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

Tag Team Event and Giveaway ~ The Lie by Ashley Fontainne

Posted: March 1, 2016 in giveaways, Supernatural, suspense, thriller
Tags: Author Ashley Fontainne, giveaway, paranormal suspense/thriller, review, The Lie

$tag you're it photo: Tag! You\'re It! AnyOccasion-TagYoureIt-May2007.jpg$

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

I have some exciting news to share with you about The Lie by Ashley Fontainne. Did you know production for the movie is complete! It’s titled Foreseen. To check this out on Facebook, click on the widget below.

Read on to learn how you can win some books!

After reading my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental for more and check out her review. Two chances to win!

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The Lie

by Ashley Fontainne

My Review

After feinting on national television during an interview, famous author Karmen Moncrille flees her public embarrassment. Along with her best friend, she retreats to the family cabin, isolated in the woods outside of her home town.

The television host wasn’t supposed to ask her about where she gets her inspiration. That’s a question even Karmen isn’t sure of. As her dreams bleed over into real life, Karmen fears she’s losing her mind.

Karmen writes one more book. One that terrifies her. Will it save her or destroy her?

I enjoy reading stories about writers. Always find it fascinating to read about their struggles to write that bestseller, to get over writer’s block, deal with the trials of getting it published. With The Lie, I enjoyed the supernatural elements of Karmen’s writing process. Learning how she gets her inspiration and how she writes her stories is an integral part of the plot.

The eerie supernatural events start and escalate once Karmen arrives at the cabin. Weird noises, a strange light in the woods, and manifestations from Karmen’s dreams lend an aura of suspense and horror that stays with you until the end.

As answers were revealed and events unfolded, I realized how perfect the title, The Lie, was for this book. Betrayal occurred from unexpected sources and shocked this reader.

Strong writing, an eerie plot, and an explosive ending have me hoping the author will continue Karmen’s story.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Karmen Moncrille’s name has been known throughout the world since the age of sixteen when her first book shot to the top of the bestseller’s list. Now everything she writes is an instant hit, and her legions of devoted fans eagerly await her next release.

The mysterious Karmen always blamed debilitating panic attacks as the reason she avoided publicity and has become a recluse. Which is exactly what she wants the world to think. Only Karmen knows the truth behind her introverted nature. Terrified of being asked where her ideas come from, she fears being branded a raving lunatic.

Now just a week before her twenty-third birthday, Karmen’s world implodes. The madness that haunts her dreams spills over to her reality and she questions her sanity. Suddenly everything has changed and now the world will transform with her. Her last book will unleash the truth and alter mankind—forever.

Is Karmen’s ability to write a gift or a curse? She’s about to find out if her entire life is a lie. And why she was destined to write it.

Amazon

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Author Ashley Fontainne

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.

Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.

Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, released the Summer of 2015.

Whispered Pain released in October of 2015 and Night Court released December 13, 2015.

Blog

Author Website

Foreseen Movie Website – See the trailer

Number Seventy-Five Movie Website

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Ashley Fontainne has a fantastic giveaway for you! Multiple books and two chances to win ebooks or audiobooks, your choice. We will have 3 (three) winners on each blog. Check out this list of books for the winners!

Blood Ties
The Lie
Growl
Number Seventy-Five
Night Court
Whispered Pain
Tainted Cure

All you need to do to enter is answer the question below and leave your email so I may contact you if you win.

“Do you like to read the book before you see the movie?”

For a second look and another chance to win, go to Sherry @ Fundinmental.

Giveaway will run from 3/1/6 – 3/11/16.

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

Now hop on over to fundinmental, check out Sherry’s review, and enter for another chance to win HERE.

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Books by Ashley Fontainne

Download your FREE copy of the International Bestseller, Accountable to None, at the following sites:

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

Saturday Screams #5 ~ Northwoods and Rattlesnake

Posted: January 30, 2016 in horror, reviews, Supernatural, suspense
Tags: horor, Northwoods by Bill Schweigart, Rattle Snake by Michael hebler, reviews, suspense

scary elves photo: scary 035.jpg

Weclome to my Saturday Screams.

All things scary!

For today I have two scary good books to share with you. Enjoy.

And if you want to grab them for your own, just click on the covers.

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Northwoods

by Bill Schweigart

I swore I’d stay away from Netgalley requests until I’d reviewed all of the ARCs I already had. I just couldn’t resist Northwoods. It’s so my type of read! LOL

My Review

After I finished this book, I took another look at the cover art, thinking it didn’t really work. Then I thought about the story, and appreciated the subtlety. It works.

And I also ran into a few references to the authors earlier book, The Beast of Barcroft, while reading this one. Many of the characters are in both books and I’ll be grabbing it to see how they came together and how they survived. Should be another wicked fun read.

Circumstances land Davis Holland, an agent for Customs and Border Protection, in a small town in the Minnesota woods. He settles in, makes friends with the local police force and the citizens, and finds he likes the small town life.

A routine check on a possible illegal border crossing changes things. Davis and the town sheriff discover a massacre in the woods. Bodies torn apart, gnawed upon. And resting on a stump in the center of the carnage, a small wooden chest. Such an innocuous looking item, yet it’s allure is deadly.

From there, it doesn’t take long for things to get wiggy. Reinforcements are called in. People who’ve dealt with supernatural entities. Members of the team split up to find answers. Then they all converge for the final reckoning. And what a final reckoning it is.

The suspense and scares begin and escalate. Some scenes rock you back on your heels. People dye. A lot of them. Some you like too. I can’t say I’m crazy about it when an author kills off characters I’ve become attached to, but that sure does hit home and make the story more genuine. So, I guess I do like it.

Grab a copy. Dig in. Prepare for plenty of spine tingling action and hair raising suspense. It begins, then never lets up.

5 Stars

Synopsis

Some borders should never be crossed. From the author of The Beast of Barcroft comes a waking nightmare of a horror novel that’s sure to thrill readers of Stephen King and Bentley Little.

Ex–Delta Force Davis Holland, now an agent for the Customs and Border Protection, has seen it all. But nothing in his experience has prepared him for what he and the local sheriff find one freezing night in the Minnesota woods.

Investigating reports of an illegal border crossing, the two men stumble across a blood-drenched scene of mass murder, barely escaping with their lives . . . and a single clue to the mayhem: a small wooden chest placed at the heart of the massacre. Something deadly has entered Holland’s territory, crossing the border from nightmare into reality.

When news of the atrocity reaches wealthy cryptozoologist Richard Severance, he sends a three-person team north to investigate. Not long ago, the members of that team—Ben McKelvie, Lindsay Clark, and Alex Standingcloud—were nearly killed by a vengeful shapeshifter. Now they are walking wounded, haunted by gruesome memories that make normal life impossible. But there is nothing normal about the horror that awaits in the Northwoods.

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Rattlesnake

by Michael Hebler

Loving Michael Hebler’s Chupacabra series so much, I was thrilled to grab a copy of Rattlesnake. Always ready for something different from this author.

My Review

One twist after another in this short tale of a man in search of his son.

Right from the beginning, I knew something wasn’t right. Perhaps because I’ve read several books by this author, I was forewarned.

A man and a boy around a campfire, in the night. Doesn’t sound so bad. Until the man starts to threaten the lad, demanding to know where his son is, what he’s done with him. Twist number one.

As you learn about earlier events, twist number two occurs.

And when you reach the end, the final twist.

Coming in at last than 20 pages, it sure packs a wallop.

The cover art is perfect. Such a show and tell about this dark little story. You’ll see when you read it.

4 Stars

Synsopsis

After narrowly escaping a town that has gone mysteriously mad, a man threatens a boy’s life to get the truth out of him about his missing son.

Count towards my Horror reading Challenge.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

My Monday Minis Reviews #42 ~ The Martian by Andy Weir ~ Book and Movie Review

Posted: January 25, 2016 in Action/Adventure, Books, movies, reviews, Science Fiction, suspense
Tags: Author Andy Weir, Book, movie, review, sci-fi adventure, suspense, The Martian

mars rover photo: Mars Rover mars_rover.jpg

Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing reviews for The martian by Andy Weir, the book and the movie.

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My Review

You’d never know it from the jocular beginning, but in moments, s#!t will hit the fan.

The author wastes no time in putting his characters in jeopardy. Beginning years away from home, the first to walk on Mars, these astronauts know the risks. When Mark Watney disappears and is presumed dead during a dust storm, the crew must abort the mission and return home without him.

Wouldn’t they be shocked and horrified to learn that not only did Mark survive, he’s actually colonized Mars.

With so many reviews already written, this won’t be a long one.

I loved this book. From the beginning, I couldn’t wait to read the next paragraph, the next chapter. The humor helps lighten the suspense the author puts you through. There’s no guarantee an author won’t kill off his characters, even the heroes, so you can’t relax, can’t count on anything. Each time something went wrong, I thought, this is it.

I used to think I’d love to travel in space. Not anymore. I’m too old and too fond of my life to endanger it. I fully expect us to one day walk on Mars. Look at all of the amazing things we’ve done already.

Until then, I’ll enjoy books like these, and when I’m done reading, I’ll turn off the light and dream of space from the comfort of my own bed.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

AMAZON

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And now for the movie!

My Review

Holy cow! If you think the book is fabulous, wait until you see the movie.

The cinematography is out of this world, the casting is awesome, and the scenes you loved in the book come to life in dramatic and fun ways. Careful if you are drinking anything during the movie. I almost spit tea all over the place at one of those comedic scenes.

I’m not a huge fan of Mark Damon, cast as Mark Watney. His most memorable movies for me were The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Bourne series. He won me over with his superb acting. He had to carry most of the movie by himself.

For all of you ladies, I don’t know about you, but is he not ruggedly handsome now. I wonder why men get better looking with time, and we women fight gravity, literally. LOL

I read the book first. Usually do. I’d recommend you do that so you get more indepth info about the characters and their thoughts. Makes for a richer experience.

Bravo to Andy Weir. Out of this world!

5 Stars

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AMAZON

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

Night Court by Ashley Fontainne ~ A catch my breath review

Posted: December 7, 2015 in Freebies!, New Release, reviews, suspense, thriller
Tags: Author Ashley Fontainne, New Release, Night Court, review, suspense, thriller

Night Court

by Ashley Fontaine

My Review

I’ve read one other book by Ashley Fontainne and loved it so I was excited to read Night Court. If you are looking for unending suspense and thrills that keep on coming, you need to read this book.

A quick recap for ya. Merry lost her son and her husband. Her son died of a drug overdose and her husband had a heart attack at his funeral. With nothing left to lose, Merry turns to vigilante justice. Taking up weapons to eliminate the drug dealers responsible.

And Merry has a few advantages. With her brother being a cop and working for a judge, she has access to vital inside info about the drug dealers.

The first kill goes off without a hitch. In fact, something she did spur of the moment completely covered her tracks. Or did it?

I felt so bad for Merry. Her family gone and not much to live for. When my son was young I often wondered what I’d do if someone harmed him. I sometimes thought I’d go the route of Merry. Why should scum live and breathe while my son is gone.

That this often happens in real life made this even more intense for me. People commit crimes over and over, yet are released from jail to do harm again.

There’s this one scene with a dog that I loved. You know that saying, “Every dog has his day!” Gotta cheer for Percy.

I thought I knew where the story was going. Then, the author threw a kidney punch that knocked be back on my heels. Never saw it coming. Or the next thing. Or the next. So many shockers I was reeling.

And the ending. Man, it was wicked. I wish I could tell you, it was that great. There was something I wanted so bad not to happen, but once I finished the book, I knew it was the perfect ending.

I’d tag this is a suspense/thriller. A must read that I can’t recommend enough.

Thanks, Ashley, for an early copy to review.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Judge

Merry watches, her presence cloaked by the shroud of nightfall. Nothing moves except her eyes which focus on her target. No remorse. No regret. No second guessing the decision to end the lives of the monsters who turned her into a killer.

Jury

The peddlers of death from potent chemicals are found guilty. Punishment for their crimes–death. Appeals denied. Sentencing to commence immediately. The leeches who sucked out the life of addicts with each snort, shot, swallow, and injection will now pay the ultimate price.

Executioner

The idyllic world of Merry Marie Hall, once the loving wife of Harold and mother to their only child, Joshua, is over. Extinguished when Joshua overdosed and Harold died of a heart attack at the funeral. Now Merry hunts down the guilty parties, and one by one, carries out her internal court’s orders.

Court is now in session.

Pre-order your copy on AMAZON

Author Ashley Fontainne

I have always been an avid reader of the classics: Beowulf, The Iliad, and anything written by the master, William Shakespeare. In the past few years, I became a huge fan of James Patterson, Stephen King and Robin Cook.

However….

My favorite book of all was, and always will be, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. The revenge on all those who hurt and betrayed Edmond Dantes and the incredible roller coaster ride his journey takes you on has always intrigued me. My love for this book is what sparked my desire to write my debut novel in my Eviscerating the Snake series, “Accountable to None.” With a modern setting to the tale, I wanted to delve into just what lengths a person was willing to go to as they attempted to seek justice on their own for heinous acts perpetrated on them. The second novel in the series, “Zero Balance” (still in draft!) will focus on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.

Whispered Pain released in October of 2015 and Night Court releases December 13, 2015.

Website / Goodreads / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

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EXTRA! EXTRA!

Request any of Ashley’s books to review by signing up for her newsletter located on the right side of her site HERE.

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the Christmas Flamingos below!

A Storm Of Secrets ~ A Shona Perrett Novel ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

Posted: December 4, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, Supernatural, suspense
Tags: A Storm Of Secrets, Author Shona Perrett, excerpt, giveaway, mystery, Supernatural, thriller

Good guys. Bad Guys. The Bermuda triangle.

What do they all have in common?

Check out A Storm Of Secrets to find out.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

A Storm Of Secrets

The Storm Surge Trilogy #1

by Shona Perrett

Synopsis

Special Agent Rios wakes up in an abandoned aeroplane. He finds himself on an unfamiliar island in the Bermuda Triangle, suffering from what appears to be amnesia. He must search for clues about his identity, as well as decipher the secrets of the island itself.

But will the truth be too terrifying to live with? Strangers hell-bent on murder, stranded young pilots, and signs of organized weapons trade. These things only touch the surface. What lurks in the skies above is far more sinister.

There is a strange energy high above the clouds, stewing deep within the Bermuda waters. And it grows restless. A storm is coming. A storm like no other, seeking to invade their minds. With the help of his newly acquainted team of special ops pilots, Rios must find a way to stop the storm before it destroys them…from the inside out.

Enjoy this glimpse inside A Storm Of Secrets

The heat sank in like a deprived leech, eagerly awaiting its feast of blood. If this place was one or the other, it felt a lot like hell. Was he dead? Hard to know. He felt aloof, broken. But he always imagined death as quieter, like that gentle feeling you get before drifting off into a dream. This was more like a nightmare. Not frightening enough to rouse him from slumber, but not peaceful enough to let him rest.

The ticking of a clock sounded, dully at first, then rose in volume. It reminded him of a time gone by, a distant memory of people marching in single file. The sound rose, beckoning him. Ancient, mysterious. Like war drums, summoning him to consciousness.

Was this finally death? No. It couldn’t be. This was too loud a chant for even death. It was filled with passion, violence. No, this was life. But whose? The rhythm pulsed through the chasms of his being until all he could feel was its power, raw and unrelenting.

The climax of the drums rose to a deafening volume, in perfect tempo with the beating of his flurried heart. And then in one final rise it all went quiet. A nice, peaceful sort of quiet. He felt himself breathing in deeply as he opened his eyes to a dreary sky, sunlight peeking through the clouds like pinholes. He was alive. But where was he? And who was he? He remembered his name. Rios.

He glanced down at his side, noticing an open gash through his ripped shirt, blood oozing from the flesh. He was lying on his back. Rios patted at his torso, finding a small flask of whiskey in his jacket pocket. He sat up, pulled the flask out and unscrewed the cap, pouring a little over his wound. Groaning in pain, he drank the last quarter, hoping it would offer some relief. He took off his jacket and then his T-shirt and tied it in a knot around his waist to stop the blood flow.

Rios was in the aisle of a small aeroplane. Some of the chairs were strewn about, ripped from their bolts. Their blue cushions torn apart in places, drooping over the sides of the white and silver framing. Part of the roof had been torn off. The door exit sign to his left was hanging half off its hinges, still flickering, and there was an electrical buzz from the front of the plane.

Rios tried to call out for help, but all he could manage was a mumble. He took a moment, then propped himself up against the chair next to him. Rios scanned the aisles for people, but saw only empty chairs, the middle row stained in what appeared to be thick, sticky blood. Some of the overhead luggage compartments were open, suitcases and smaller bags scattered around the floor of the plane.

Puzzled, Rios peered cautiously out the windows. No one in sight. Only a clearing, followed by palm trees for what looked like miles on either side. He put his black jacket on unbuttoned and clambered down out of the wreckage, into the boggy swamp, a little over knee height. Where was he? Where was he headed before the crash? Frustrated, he pushed against his head, hoping the answers would pop out.

“Think damn it” he muttered to himself. “Where are you?”

Rios looked down, noticing a shiny grey briefcase in the water. Something in the back of his mind recalled it as important.

The water stirred as he picked up the metal case. It reflected clearly for a second as the muddy water parted, just long enough for him to notice that a figure had emerged from the trees behind him. His instincts kicked in.

Rios spun around as quickly as he took his next breath, holding a three inch knife to the man’s throat.

“Who are you!?”

Author Shona Parrett

Shona Perrett is a first time author, blogger and closet poet. Her novel A Storm of Secrets is due to release November 2015. Shona studied applied writing in her home town of Whangarei, and is now looking to branch out into creative business enterprising.

Passionate about finding beauty in the dirt, she aims to write stories of redemption. Shona believes that narratives exist to teach us how to love one another. That every day, we all communicate through the medium of story, seeking out ways to connect with the world around us.

She believes they are one of the most ancient forms of creative expression and vulnerability, and are therefore a fundamental part of what it means to be human.

You can visit her at www.shonaperrett.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shona.perrett.

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Book Blast ~ City Of Gold by Carolyn Arnold

Posted: December 1, 2015 in Action/Adventure, Book Blast, suspense
Tags: A Mathew Connor Adventure, Author Carolyn Arnold, City Of Gold, suspense, woman sleuths

CITY OF GOLD

by Carolyn Arnold

City of Gold

(Matthew Connor Adventure Series Book 1)

Hardcover: 314 pages

Publisher: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc (November 27, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-1988064666

ASIN: B016LLDQIY

Synopsis

Action-adventure books for the mystery lover. In this series, modern-day archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor travels the globe with his two closest friends to unearth treasure and discover legends the world has all but forgotten. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century.

Finding the Inca’s lost City of Gold would be the discovery of a lifetime. But failing could mean her death…

Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.

Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse–the City of Gold.

Now Matthew and his two closest friends have to find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.

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Prologue

REPUBLIC OF INDIA

THE SOUND OF HIS THUMPING heartbeat was only dulled by the screeching monkeys that were performing aerial acrobatics in the tree canopy overhead. Their rhythmic swinging from one vine to the next urged his steps forward but not with the same convincing nature as did the bullets whizzing by his head.

Matthew glanced behind at his friends and was nearly met with a bullet between the eyes. He crouched low, an arm instinctively shooting up as if he’d drop faster with it atop his head. The round of shots hit a nearby tree, and splintering bark rained down on him.

“Hurry!” he called out, as he peered at his companions.

“What do you think we’re—” Cal lost his footing, tripping over an extended root, his arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance.

Robyn, who was a few steps ahead of Cal, held out a hand, her pace slowing as she helped steady him.

“Pick it up, Garcia!” Matthew didn’t miss her glare before he turned back around. He hurdled through the rainforest, leaping over some branches while dipping under others, parting dangling vines as he went, as if they were beaded curtains.

His lungs burned, and his muscles were on fire. One quick glance up, and the monkeys spurred him on again. Not that he needed more than the cries of the men who were chasing him. The voices were getting louder, too—growing closer.

Robyn caught up to Matthew. “What happened to natives with poison darts?”

“The modern-day savage packs an AK-47 and body armor.”

Several reports sounded. Another burst of ammunition splayed around them.

“If we get out of this alive, you owe me a drink.” Her smile oddly contrasted their situation.

“I’ll buy you each two,” Matthew promised.

Cal ran, holding the GPS out in front of him, his arm swaying up and down, and Matthew wasn’t sure how he read it with the motion.

“Where do you expect to take us, Cal? We’re in the middle of a damn jungle,” Robyn said.

“Round here. Go right,” Cal shouted.

Another deafening shot rang out and came close to hitting Matthew.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Matthew ramped up his speed, self-preservation at the top of his list while the idol secured in his backpack slipped down in priority.

Most of their pursuers were yelling in Hindi, but one voice came through in English. He was clearly the one giving directions, and from his accent, Matthew guessed he was American, possibly from one of the northern states.

“I have to stop…and…breathe.” Robyn held a hand to her chest.

“We stop and we’re dead. Keep moving.” Cal reached for her arm and yanked.

Matthew slowed his pace slightly. “Robyn, you could always get on Cal’s back.”

“What?” Cal lowered the arm that was holding the GPS.

She angled her head toward Matthew. “If you think I’m going to get up there like some child, you are sorely mistaken.”

Matthew laughed but stopped abruptly, his body following suit and coming to a quick halt. He was teetering on the edge of a cliff that was several stories high, looking straight down into a violent pool of rushing water. He lifted his gaze to an upstream waterfall that fed into the basin.

Cal caught Matthew’s backpack just in time and pulled him back to solid ground.

The rush of adrenaline made Matthew dizzy. He bent over, braced his hands on his knees, and tucked his head between his legs. He’d just come way too close to never reaching his twenty-ninth birthday.

Robyn punched Cal in the shoulder. “Go right, eh? Good directions, wiseass. Maybe next time we’ll just keep going straight.”

“Sure, blame the black guy,” Cal said.

More bullets fired over the empty space of the gorge.

“What do we do now?” Cal asked.

Matthew forced himself to straighten to a stand. He hadn’t brought them all the way here to die. He’d come to retrieve a priceless artifact, and by all means, it was going to get back to Canada. He pulled off his sack, quickly assessed the condition of the zippers, and shrugged it back on. He tightened the straps, looking quickly at Cal and then at Robyn. One stood to each side of him. He had to act before he lost the courage. He put his arms out behind them.

Robyn’s eyes widened. “What are you doing, Matt? You can’t honestly be thinking of—”

Matthew wasn’t a religious man, but he was praying for them on the way down.

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Author Carolyn Arnold

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international best-selling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.™

Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:

Website – http://carolynarnold.net/

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