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Archive for the ‘thriller’ Category

Author Denise R. Stephenson shares with us what drove her to write Isolation

Posted: July 22, 2014 in Blog Tour, Dystopian, giveaways, Guest Post, Science Fiction, thriller
Tags: Author Denise R. Stephenson, dystopian, Isolation, Science Fiction, thriller

Yesterday I shared my thoughts about Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson.

Today, I’m thrilled to turn over my blog to the author for a guest post.

Be sure to check out the rest of the post for more about the book and how to enter the giveaways. There’s two.

So Denise, tell us.

What drove you to write this book?

I was driven to write this book by a little boy who found a pornographic image in his mother’s garage. Before that all I had were ideas from contemporary events suggesting I had something to write. The germs of my novel Isolation came from the fear of a swine flu epidemic in the fall of 2009, the CDC changing our behavior by teaching us to sleeve the sneeze, and my concerns about the overuse of 99% bacterial killing soaps and sanitizers. But it was hearing this line in my head: “and laying a finger aside of his nose” that told me I had something worth pursuing. In that line, I suddenly imagined a world in which face-touching had been outlawed—an outrageous idea, one worthy of a dystopia.

The gift of a sabbatical in the Spring of 2012 gave me the time to create this particular world torn apart, not by a virus, but by a variety of bacteria no longer within medical control. I did a great deal of research, some over the two years of gestation and lots during the first month of the actual writing. I probably spent at least a couple of hours every day researching food-borne bacterial contaminants, produce recalls, genetically modified foods, and the practices of agri-business. I watched many documentaries and a few fictional movies like Contagion. I also read many, many dystopias, discovering intuitively how to build a world falling apart.

I consider myself an organic writer, meaning I don’t outline, but rather, allow a story to grow organically from the seed of an idea or the voice of a character. Typically I have no idea where a story is going and find ways to push myself to just keep writing until plot develops, usually through characters’ interactions more than through exterior devices like chase scenes or explosions.

My characters reveal their lives to me. Sometimes they do so in excruciating detail that I have to sift through, discovering which aspects are important to a particular story. Other times characters show me only a swipe of the canvas and I need to imagine what fills the rest of it. Either way, I don’t plan or outline. I find myself sitting in a coffee shop, walking along a beach, or reading for pleasure and suddenly needing to take notes or capture a line of dialog. Once I have an opening, I’m at the computer drawing the characters actions in words, making sure to capture the emotional tone of the details.

In the case of Isolation, though Gary was a tweener who found The Night Before Christmas children’s book in his mother’s old belongings and recognized that Santa Claus touching his own nose was an illicit image, it was taking Gary into adulthood which became a driving force that kept me working toward a novel. Isolation is epic in scope, spanning three generations. Figuring out that I could use Gary both in his adolescent years and then as an adult really helped me develop that timeline.

In the end, Gary was only one of a cast of six characters who form the central story of the novel. He was the first I imagined, but not the first I wrote. In fact, the first character I developed ended up being cut from the novel altogether. And in the end, Gary’s was one of the story-lines that took the longest for me to close. I think I wanted something for Gary that a dystopia couldn’t give him, so it took me awhile to be willing to end his story as it had to end.

No spoilers, so I’ll stop there. The drive to write Isolation was a combination of world events and a line from a children’s book which brought with it a concept I’d never imagined and wouldn’t want to live with—a world without touch.

Thanks so much Denise. I just wanted to add that the ending was special. I’m glad you stayed with it.

~~~~

Publisher: Mill City Press (April 15, 2014)
Category: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Political Thriller, Medical Thriller
ISBN: 13: 978-1-62652-760-7
Tour Dates: June 15-July 30, 2014
Available in: Print and ebook, 383 Pages

Isolation depicts a bleak but recognizable future in which the fear of contagion reaches a fever pitch as a bacterial epidemic catapults the US into an apocalyptic crisis.

Touch is outlawed. Mothers like Maggie bind their infants’ hands, terrified they might slip fingers into mouths. Gary, a Sterilizer, uses robots to scour the infected, avoiding all contact with human flesh. Trevor, the Chief Enforcer, watches, eager to report any and all infractions.

One inadvertent touch will change all of their lives.

For those of you who missed my post yesterday, click HERE to read my review and enter the giveaways.

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About Denise R. Stephenson:

DENISE R. STEPHENSON resides in Oceanside, CA, but she has lived in all the isolated locales of this novel at one time or another. Her publishing history is primarily academic, though as a member of Attention Deficit Drama, she has written and produced monologs and short plays. This is her first novel.

Website: http://denisestephenson.com/

Facebook: h ttps://www.facebook.com/DeniseStephensonIsolation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookArts_Denise

Buy Isolation:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

I have two giveaways!

You can enter both!

The first one is for an eBook copy of Isolation (Open Internationally)

Now for the second giveaway!

5 Print copies of Isolation

Go HERE to enter.

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Follow the Tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus June 16 Excerpt & Giveaway
Library Educated June 17 Review
Creating Serenity June 18 Review
Room With Books June 18 Interview & Giveaway
Reviews From The Heart June 19 Review & Giveaway
Paranormal Romance & Authors June 24 Review
Always a Book Lover June 25 Guest Post
Lightning Chronicles June 27 Review
Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author July 1 Interview
Deal Sharing Aunt July 2 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt July 3 Interview & Giveaway
Books & Quilts July 9 Review
Mary’s Cup of Tea July 10 Review & Giveaway
Manic Mama of 2 July 10 Review
TreeHouseJuly 12 Giveaway
Book Talk With Alana July 14 Review
Book Talk With Alana July 14 Interview
Nerdophiles July 15 Review
Nerdophiles July 16 Interview & Giveaway
She Treads Softly July 17 Review
Kritters Ramblings July 18 Review
fuonlyknew July 21 Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway
Open Book Society July 23 Review & Giveaway
Cassandra M’s Place July 24 Review & Giveaway
Giveaways and Glitter July 25 Review
Two Children & a Migraine July 28 Review, Guest Post & Giveaway
JeanzBookReadNReview July 30 Interview & Giveaway
Heart of a Philanthropist July 31 Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

Could this be our future? ~ Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson ! Tour Review and Two Giveaways

Posted: July 21, 2014 in apocalypse, Blog Tour, Dystopian, giveaways, reviews, Science Fiction, thriller
Tags: Author Denise Stephenson, dystopian, Isolation, Science Fiction, thriller

I’ll admit it. The cover art caught my attention first.

Then I read the blurb and had to read Isolation. I love reading about a scenario that could happen, that may be happening as we speak.

Check out Isolation, enjoy my review, and don’t forget to enter the giveaways. Yep, there’s two!

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MY REVIEW

Imagine not being able to touch yourself or others for fear of punishment. Imagine a world where so many have died from bacterial infection that it’s now a law, strongly enforced, of no touching of any kind.

We already see signs of this in some countries. People going out in public wearing face masks and gloves. Sanitizer stations in business entryways.

The author approaches this clinically and emotionally.

I couldn’t imagine not being able to kiss my babies face, hug a friend, or even wipe the tears from my own face.

For those born before the outbreaks, old habits die hard. It’s a slip of the mind to reach up and scratch your nose if it itches, and if you are spotted, you’re reported and punished.

Enforcers and Sterilizers are recruited and put in place supposedly for your own protection. This is where big brother thinks they know what’s best for everyone. And putting fear into the equation makes most people go along with their mandate.

But there are some who feel differently. Who secretly break the rules. Who dare to want more.

I don’t read reviews for a book until after mine has been published, but I’m betting a lot of people have said the same thing. This could happen and it might not be too far off. How often do you turn on the news and hear about this or that food product being pulled from the shelves because it’s contaminated? How people have sickened from it and even died?

The author approached this scenario with a dystopian and science fiction genre. At least that’s how it felt to me.

While I didn’t have a favorite character, there was one I wish had chosen a different employment, and three I wish could have prevailed together.

The ending is deeply moving. Profound.

I enjoyed this glimpse into a possible future and highly recommend it.

4 STARS

~~~~

Isolation depicts a bleak but recognizable future in which the fear of contagion reaches a fever pitch as a bacterial epidemic catapults the US into an apocalyptic crisis.

One inadvertent touch will change all of their lives.

Read or Listen to An Excerpt

Praise for Isolation:

“I was fortunate enough to read a preview copy of Isolation and I have to say it is a timely and thought provoking, if not haunting, look into the future. I can’t imagine simple day-to-day tasks like getting food at the market being either impossible or dangerous. Written from a variety of perspectives and far-reaching communities, it kept the reader wondering, “Could this really happen to me? Could this be part of my world?” This book made me look into the foods I eat, the lifestyle I live and the value of my friends and family. To what extent would I go to keep those I love safe? Looking for answers kept me turning the pages.”– Michelle Keeton

“Denise Stephenson’s novel Isolation is situated in a not-too-distant future, one we can all imagine, in which bacterial diseases decimate human populations world-wide. Though other novelists and filmmakers have relied on viruses to frighten us with tales of pandemic diseases, Stephenson makes bacteria seem much, much more dangerous—in part, because the vast majority of bacteria we come in contact with are necessary for our survival. For one thing, we can’t digest food without the help of bacteria in our stomachs.

In Isolation, government agencies struggle with the question of how to isolate the dangerous bacteria from the life-saving sort. Eventually, hospitals are turned into Anti-Bacterial Centers, robots are used to cleanse individuals who are exposed, touching one’s face is banned, then touching others is banned, and finally everyone is quarantined inside their own homes in a final, desperate attempt to stop the spread of the lethal bacteria. It’s a frightening vision, but each step, each decision, makes perfect sense in light of the threat of contagion.

It’s a gripping tale, at once outrageous and yet plausible. Through news articles, a scientific report and a press release inserted throughout the novel, Stephenson reveals how woefully unprepared American society is for this sort of calamity.

In spite of the doomsday vision the book presents, it remains hopeful and optimistic by focusing on the lives of individuals. In the direst of circumstances, their humanity, their compassion, and their hope shines through.”– Bob Mayberry

“Isolation” paints a bleak picture. In order to keep humankind safe, the government imposes increasingly stricter bans on touching. From Do-not-touch one’s own nose and eyes to, in the end, the Total-Touch-Ban. People live in ever more isolation; at times, confined to their homes like prisoners.

While the prospect of living in, or even reading, about such a world may not sound appealing to everyone, Stephenson’s lovingly created characters, who accompany the reader from the present to a future two to three generations away, confirm that our species can adapt and survive.

Stephenson’s care to give each of her main characters a distinctive voice makes, in turn, the reader care about them; and that is what makes “Isolation” a pleasure to read.”– Irene Gerold

“Isolation gripped me. It’s a mesmerizing dystopia about the quiet and deadly menaces in our lives. These dangers may be hidden in the jargon of the latest government health report, lurking under the frilly curl of a romaine lettuce leaf, or triggered by a minor cut to a finger while using an ordinary kitchen knife. The characters in Isolation are people I know. It was easy to imagine myself as a sister, friend, or neighbor to any of them – or most of them.

I was in the story wondering, “What would I crave? What would I do for my family and my friends? Isolated, what could I do to fight back?” These questions linger.

The story is well paced, well written, and scary. Stephenson’s research is excellent. It provides a persuasive foundation for explaining why the home-bound isolation of the population becomes the awful solution for stopping the spread of disease. The story compelled me to mull my complacency about the safety of our food, drugs, and government promises to always protect our freedom.“- Karen Baum

~~~~~

About Denise R. Stephenson:

Website: http://denisestephenson.com/

Facebook: h ttps://www.facebook.com/DeniseStephensonIsolation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BookArts_Denise

Buy Isolation:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Book Depository

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

I have two giveaways today!

You can enter both!

The first one is for an eBook copy of Isolation (Open Internationally)

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Would you break the rules of no touching if you were in the privacy of your own home, if no one could see you?”

Now for the second giveaway!

5 Print copies of Isolation

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Follow the Tour:

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

It’s out there. It’s watching ~ Dark Nights by Christopher Gray ~ Book Tour and Giveaway

Posted: July 9, 2014 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways, Science Fiction, thriller
Tags: Author Christopher Gray, Dark Nights, Goddess Fish Tours, sci fi thriller

The cover art for Dark Nights is spectacular. That alone made me want this book.

Then I read the blurb. An alien intelligence has been observing us. It knows best how to save us.

I don’t know about you, but I picture all kinds of wrong in this. Does this intelligence have feelings. Is it as cold as a machine? This won’t bode well for humanity.

Check out the tour.

Enjoy the glimpse inside the book.

And don’t forget to enter the awesome giveaway!

Dark Nights

By Christopher Gray

18715538

BLURB:

The machine believed it knew best how to save humanity… even if doing so meant destroying half the population. Astrophysicist Doug Lockwood’s unusual discovery during his observation of the sun kicks off a chain of events that nobody could have foreseen. The powerful political and military influences that compete to deal with his discovery set Lockwood on a course which will carry him across worlds, and into the grasp of a formidable new intelligence bent on accomplishing its goal at any cost. With Earth itself at stake and time running out, Lockwood and his team must find a way to counter this unprecedented threat before the powerful new enemy completes its plan. Two civilizations are pitted against each other in a desperate struggle for survival.

~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside Dark Nights!

Meyer shut the door after the last person left and sat down in the nearest chair, directly across from Doug, rather than his usual spot at the head of the table. Doug waited for him to speak.

“It’s a planet,” Meyer said finally. “And it’s in an orbit directly opposite ours, at a distance of approximately one AU.”

Doug didn’t reply. The implications were massive, as were the questions. After a few seconds, Meyer rose from his seat and walked to the window, looking outside at the sloping volcanic Hawaiian landscape as he talked.

“Nobody knows where it came from, but it’s there, verified by NASA.”

“Using their STEREO satellites?”

“Yes, a few hours ago. But you and Foley at Atacama saw it first. STEREO was trained on another star when you logged the object. It took some time to reposition STEREO’s lenses. Because of their orbital distance ahead and behind us, together they will be able to keep tabs on the object at all times. We’re expecting some images soon, which will be free of the sun’s coronal interference.”

“So we’ll have a better view and can determine if its orbit is stable.”

“Correct.”

“But that doesn’t explain how it got there.”

“Correct again. But thanks to your discovery, and your reputation, you’ve been invited to an emergency conference in Washington. You’ll be meeting your plane at Pearl Harbor in two hours. Don’t bother to pack, there’s a helicopter on its way here, courtesy of the White House Chief Science Advisor.”

~~~~

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Christopher A. Gray is a professional freelance writer living in Toronto. He has been a sales agent, project manager, actor, filmmaker, comedy writer & performer and world traveler.

Author and Book Links : Amazon ~ B&N

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

THE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY:

A $50 Amazon / B&N Gift Card

Click on the Rafflecopter to enter.

Click on the banner below to follow the tour. And make sure you comment. The more you comment, the more chances to win!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

They may look human, but what they do…Battle Not With Monsters by Overton Scott ~ Blog Tour and Giveaway

Posted: July 8, 2014 in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, giveaways, thriller
Tags: A Neen Ford Thriller #1, Author Overton Scott, Battle Not With Monsters

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Battle Not With Monsters by Overton Scott.

The author has chosen a hot topic for his story. Human trafficking is going on as we speak. It’s in every corner of the world.

Stories like this are important. While it is fiction, it still gets the point across. It still opens our eyes to this horrible crime and the innocent, tragic victims.

Neen sounds up to the task of handling the creeps. They are lower than pond scum and I hope she gives them everything they have coming to them.

Monsters come in human form too.

Battle Not With Monsters by Overton Scott

(A Neen Ford Thriller #1)
Publication date: March 8th 2014
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis

Victim?

Neen Ford is a loner, drifting from town to town, working as a security guard and teaching martial arts. One hot night in Dallas, she witnesses the brutal murder of a Ukranian prostitute and becomes the killer’s next target. Neen’s never backed down from a fight, but she’s never tangled with a human trafficking ring before. Until now.

Hero?

Naïve young women are being trafficked into the United States by Russian criminals. Someone needs to help them. The police are trying, but they’re not moving fast enough for Neen, who is now being stalked by a man who enjoys inflicting pain.

Vigilante?

How far will Neen go to save herself? How far, to save three young women from a life of fear and despair? And what price will she pay for battling the monster? There’s a thin line between hero and vigilante – will she cross it?

Purchase: Amazon

~~~

Check out this thrilling excerpt!

The first strip joint was called The Canyon and it occupied a large building designed to resemble a ranch house in the Texas hill country. The exterior was clad in faux limestone, with a stylized front porch crowned by fake dormer windows and supported by massive cedar logs. The double doors were made of faded wooden planks, with heavy iron horseshoes as handles.

Neen pulled the Toyota into a parking space, killed the engine and sat for a few minutes watching the action. The lot was crowded with cars. Groups of men in business suits, ties loosened and collars spread, ambled toward the door. Neen had never been in a strip joint, and didn’t know any women who had. What little she knew about clubs like this came from movies or books. The business seemed sordid and demeaning to women, which meant that Neen had never once considered that she would one day find herself in the parking lot of such a place.

Nor had she ever imagined she’d be asking whether a blonde-haired prostitute worked there.

She’d spent the drive debating just how to go about doing that. She could hardly walk in and ask to speak to the manager about a dead girl. Questioning employees would bring the manager in a hurry. And Neen didn’t even know if she’d be allowed in the club. Other women were going in, but they were part of a group. Would a single woman be admitted?

There was another reason to stay out of the building. The man who had killed Ray and the girl, who had tried to kill her, might be in one of these clubs. Or someone associated with him might be there. These were bad people, Jo Easterly had said. Neen didn’t want to run into them. Not yet.

She looked around the parking lot. Single guys walking hurriedly to the door. Groups of men headed in the same direction, moving at a more leisurely pace, laughing and joking. No pale, thin-faced assassin in sight.

Neen got out of the Toyota and walked briskly across the lot, angling toward the entrance. Two young women manned the door. One blonde. One redhead. Both attractive. They wore white lace tops, little more than a bra, and pale blue cowboy hats with white bands. Despite the ferocious heat, they were decked out in pale blue chaps and white cowboy boots. Both girls were sweating freely.

When Neen was ten yards from the door, the blonde beauty spotted her. Her smile faltered slightly.

“Hey,” said Neen, grinning.

The blonde returned the smile automatically, but Neen saw confusion in her eyes. She glanced at her co-worker with an imploring look.

The redhead reacted. Up close, in the lurid light, Neen could see the lines at the corner of her eyes, the wrinkles just starting to get a toe-hold around her mouth. She was clearly the leader of this two-woman unit. A little older than the blonde, and a lot more experienced at handling customers.

She slid two steps sideways and leaned casually against the door, blocking Neen’s access. Her smile was blinding, but brittle.

“Are you meeting someone here?” she asked.

“No.”

“I’m sorry. We don’t allow unescorted women inside.”

“That’s okay. I don’t want to go in. Can I ask you guys a question?”

Three men strolled up, arguing about the Cowboys’ chances this season. They broke off their conversation to stare at Neen, then shouldered past her. The redhead glided smoothly out of their way, opening the door with a flourish. White teeth gleamed.

“Welcome to The Canyon, gentlemen. Enjoy yourselves.”

The door swung shut behind the group. The redhead turned her attention to Neen.

“Are you a reporter? Because if you are, you’ve got to talk to the owner.”

“I’m not a reporter. I’m trying to find someone.”

“If you’re looking for your husband, you’ll have to wait outside.”

“I don’t have a husband. Or a boyfriend. I’m not here to make a scene, if that’s what worries you.”

“Good. So, who are you looking for?”

“A Russian girl I met at a party.”

The two girls exchanged sly smiles. No husband. No boyfriend. And looking for a hot Russian dancer. The implications were obvious.

Neen waved away their suspicions. “It’s nothing like that. Her purse was identical to mine. When I got home from the party, I found I had picked up hers by mistake. I assume she has mine. The guy who threw the party says she works at one of the clubs on Stemmons, but he can’t remember which one. So, here I am.”

Neen had run through a half-dozen scenarios that would justify her questions. The dead girl had been a friend and Neen had lost touch with her. Or the girl was a fellow student at a local community college who had dropped out of class. Neen could claim that she was worried about the girl and wanted to find her to see how she was doing. But Neen didn’t want to claim too close a relationship with the girl. A friend would know where the girl lived. A classmate would hardly be expected to be concerned about a casual acquaintance. Neen had thought the story about switching purses was the best option. She wouldn’t have to claim a familiarity with the girl that she didn’t have. The story wasn’t perfect, but none of the others had been either.

~~~

Author Overton Scott

Overton Scott is the pseudonym of a national bestselling author. Overton is interested in a lot of themes covered in the Neen Ford stories: martial arts, the warrior ethos, personal responsibility, and the concept of justice. Like Neen, Overton doesn’t think that the guilty should escape punishment on this earth. Unlike Neen, Overton prefers to write stories rather than take the law into his own hands. It’s just as morally satisfying, but less dangerous.As you are reading this, Overton should be working on the next Neen Ford adventure. But he’s probably at the gym, shooting or wasting time looking at funny pictures on the internet. You can contact him at neenford@gmail.com, if you’d like to discuss any aspect of the Neen Ford stories.

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Two Giveaways!

The first is for an eBook Copy of Battle Not With Monsters.

To enter, please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win and leave a comment. What do you think of the cover art? What interests you most about this book? Tell us anything!

And for the second giveaway!

Tour wide giveaway

2x Signed copies of Battle Not With Monsters (INTL)

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Click on the banner below to follow the tour.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

The Friday 56 #24 ~ Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson

Posted: June 20, 2014 in horror, The Friday 56, thriller
Tags: Author Denise R. Stephenson, Horror, Isolation, thriller

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find any sentence, or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

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When they walked into the restaurant, the techie reached for the AB wash. Before he could squirt it into his hands, the professor began his rant. “Don’t do it. Don’t use their antibacterials. They’re all broad spectrum.”

“Yeah,” the young technician said, “that’s good, right? They’ll kill everything.”

“That’s bad – they kill everything. There are many good bacteria.”

“I don’t have any friends among em.”

“Oh, but you do,” the professor said.

~~~~

Isolation

By Denise R. Stephenson

IMAGINE: You can’t touch your face. You can’t leave your home. You don’t dare get sick, that would lead to removal and -likely-death.

Isolation” depicts a bleak but recognizable future in which the fear of contagion reaches a fever pitch as a bacterial epidemic catapults the US into an apocalyptic crisis. Touch is outlawed. Mothers like Maggie bind their infants’ hands, terrified they might slip fingers into mouths.

Gary, a Sterilizer, uses robots to scour the infected, avoiding all contact with human flesh. Trevor, the Chief Enforcer, watches, eager to report any and all infractions.

One inadvertent touch will change all of their lives.

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

WWW Wednesday #37 ~ Evil Comes In Many Colors

Posted: June 18, 2014 in Series, suspense, thriller, WWW Wednesday
Tags: Author Connie Corcoran Wilson, mature ya to adult readers, suspense/thriller, The Color of Evil Series

WWW Wednesday

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

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What are you currently reading?

Red is for Rage

The Color of Evil #2

by Connie Corcoran Wilson

17613095

Synopsis

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

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

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

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Color of Evil

Book One

by Connie Corcoran Wilson

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

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

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

And then the police arrest Pogo, the Killer Clown.

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

Until now, in the year of our Lord 2003, when evil once again stalks the land.This is a terrifying, intense story of the dark people and places that lurk just beneath the surface of seemingly normal small-town America. As one reviewer says, “Wilson nails the darkness beneath the surface of small-town Midwestern life with an intense story based on fact.”Tad must wage a silent war against those who would harm the ones he loves. A battle to the death.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Khaki = Killer

The Color of Evil #3

by Connie Corcoran Wilson

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HAKI = KILLER, the third novel in THE COLOR OF EVIL series, follows young Tad McGreevy and friends at Cedar Falls’ Sky High Lab School through the second semester of their senior year.

Recently named a “PageTurner” by Shelf Unbound magazine and NABE Pinnacle Thriller winner, the series details the adventures of the young man (Tad McGreevy) with the power to detect auras around others (Tetrachromatic Super Vision) and to relive the crimes of those with “the color of evil” in his dreams. Khaki = Killer.

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So, whatcha readin?

The Penton Vampire Legacy ~ Allegiance by Susannah Sandlin ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: June 17, 2014 in Blog Tour, Excerpt, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, thriller
Tags: Allegiance, Author Susannah Sandlin, paranormal thriller, The Penton Vampire Legacy Series, vampires

I’ve just started reading this series. I love it when I can go right out and get the next book after I finish the first.

What first attracted me was they live, or reside, in Alabama. I live on the Gulf Coast and sure would like to meet them!

Enjoy the summary and excerpt. Get to know these vampires. And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Allegiance

Penton Vampire Legacy

Book 4

Susannah Sandlin

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Thriller

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Date of Publication: June 10, 2014

ISBN: 978-1477823316 / ASIN: B00HQLQYWY

Number of pages: 344 / Word Count: 93,000

Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository

Book Description:

From award-winning author Susannah Sandlin comes the fourth book in the smart and steamy Penton Legacy series.

British vampire psychiatrist and former mercenary Cage Reynolds returns to Penton, Alabama, looking for a permanent home. The town has been ravaged by the ongoing vampire war and the shortage of untainted human blood, and now the vampires and humans that make up the Omega Force are trying to rebuild. Cage hopes to help the cause, put down roots in Penton, and resolve his relationship with Melissa Calvert. The last thing he expects is an attraction to Robin Ashton, a trash-talking eagle shape-shifter and new Omega recruit.

Meanwhile, as a dangerous saboteur wreaks havoc in Penton, the ruthless Vampire Tribunal leader Matthias Ludlam has been freed on the eve of his scheduled execution. But by whom? And to what end? As war and chaos rage on, love is the last thing Cage is looking for, but will his attraction to Robin distract him from the danger living among them?

Excerpt:

Mirren Kincaid was six feet, eight inches of muscle and bad attitude, and Cage wouldwager few had ever spoken to him the way the girl had. At least not and lived to tell about it.

Cage glanced at Nik, who was biting his lower lip and not doing a very good job of hiding his own amusement. “Is she always like this?”

Nik gave a slow shake of the head. “Negative. Not at all.” He paused. “Sometimes she’s worse.”

This time, Cage couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. “This is going to be fun, as long as we stay out of the way.”

“I can f**king hear you, Reynolds.” Mirren growled at Cage over his shoulder, but kept his eyes pinned on the girl. Woman, Cage should say, although she was so diminutive next to the Scottish behemoth it was hard not to see her as a waif. Probably accounted for her Mirren-like attitude. Short-man syndrome, so to speak.

Mirren’s hands balled into fists, and if the man had still been human, his face would have turned about six ugly shades of pissed off. Cage couldn’t see the big guy’s expression, but he’d bet those gray eyes had gone from thunderstorm to snowstorm.

“The colonel has lost his mind.” Mirren’s voice dropped about an octave. “What could you possibly do to help us here?”

She propped her hands on her hips, gave Mirren a slow, sultry once-over with more than a little come-hither in her expression, and lowered her voice—but not so low that Cage couldn’t hear.

“I can do things to you that are beyond your wildest dreams, vampire.”

“Uh-oh,” Nik muttered under his breath. “She’s gonna blow.”

If Cage hadn’t been afraid Mirren would turn his wrath on the nearest safe target—him, in other words—he would’ve explained to Nik that Mirren was showing uncharacteristic restraint, and if anyone was going to violently break the stalemate it would be the big guy.

“Little girl, I suggest you walk back into whatever hole in the woods you crawled out of.” Mirren’s voice dropped even lower and softer. Funny how, on some people, a soft voice was more menacing than a shout. “In the morning, the colonel can reassign you to a more fitting place. I don’t care what you turn into—squirrel, otter . . .” He gave her a head-to-toe once-over and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Chipmunk.”

Nik groaned and looked at the ground. “Oh, man.”

Ashton took a step toward Mirren, craning her neck again. “And where might that more fitting place be, Mirren Kincaid?Oh, don’t look surprised. I did my homework. Where is it you think I belong in this man’s army?On my back?”

Mirren shrugged. “Probably, but don’t spread your legs on my account, honey.”

The air around them crackled with tension, and even Cage thought Mirren had gone a step too far. He opened his mouth to suggest that Nik take Ashton far, far away for the eveningand start fresh at dusk tomorrow, maybe with a referee. He froze at her expression, though. She was grinning, dark eyes alight with mirth and a look Cage recognized all too well. The undeniable, addictive power of the adrenaline rush. Ashton was having fun.

Clearly, the woman was insane. She was suicidal. She was . . . superb.

With a screech that would do a banshee proud, she ran at Mirren headfirst. If Cage hadn’t heard the man’s oof and been knocked off-balance himself when Mirren fell ass over teakettle, he’d have sworn he’d hallucinated the whole thing.

“Told ya,” mumbled Nik, who’d stepped out of the way with nimble speed.

A burst of pain erupted on Cage’s cheek, followed by the trickle of blood streaming toward his neck. Damn, but that little woman could throw a punch. Unfortunately, she was throwing them so hard and fast, she’d clocked him as well as Mirren.

Cage rolled out of the line of fire and took the outstretched hand Nik offered. “That woman is barking mad.” Cage rubbed his jaw, amazed that Mirren was fending off blows but not striking back.

Nik nodded. “As a hatter.”

Finally, breathing hard from either fists or fury, or both, the woman stopped her assault. She sat astride Mirren, looking down at him with a frown. “Why the fuck won’t you fight back? Afraid of being beat by a sorority girl?It’s no fun if you don’t fight back.”

Cage waited for it. The name-calling. Maybe a backhand to show Ashton what the Slayer was made of—which, even from his prone position, would send her flying. The lesson-teaching that was sure to follow.

Instead, the choked noise Mirren uttered was one it took a moment for Cage to recognize because he’d never heard it from the man. Didn’t think it was possible. Mirren Kincaid was laughing.

His voice even sounded different—lighter, amused. “What the hell are you, Ashton?”

She climbed off him and rose to her full height, which wasn’t much. “Eagle shifter. And a damn good tracker. And stronger than you fang-faces can imagine. Plus, I can fly. So don’t fuckin’ mess with me.”

Mirren rolled to his feet with surprising grace for a man his size and rubbed his face. The fingers he drew from his mouth were covered in blood from multiple scratches, and there appeared to be tooth marks along his jawline. “You got a first name?”

Ashton squinted up at Mirren a few heartbeats. “It’s Robin.”

An eagle named Robin. Bloody brilliant. Cage opened his mouth to comment but caught an elbow in the ribs from Nik, who gave a slight shake of his head.

Right. Don’t tease the eagle about her name.

Mirren seemed to have reached the same conclusion, since he bypassed any comment about ironic names. “Guess you’ll work out after all, Ashton. Gonna have to find a new place for you to crash, though. Since the colonel didn’t say you were a girl”—Cage saw Robin’s eyebrow take a dangerous spike at that, but Mirren was oblivious—“I’d planned to put you and Zorba in a room together.”

“That’s fine.” Robin ran her fingers through her short, spiky hair, and Cage tracked the movement. Such delicate fingers in hands that held such power. “We sleep together half the time anyway.”

“Aw, shit,” Nik huffed out under his breath. “I swear that woman has no filter.” Interesting. “And where do you sleep the other half of the time, little bird?”

The words came out before Cage could stop them, which he instantly regretted. Talk about no filters; his were usually a mile high but they seemed to have suddenly vaporized.

He’d been off Robin Ashton’s radar during her preoccupation with Mirren. Now, however, she stepped away from Mirren and looked at him. Really looked. Cage felt naked, as if she could see way more than he’d ever intended to share. When had he developed such a big mouth?

“You asking me to sleep with you the rest of the time, vampire?”

About Author Susannah Sandlin

Susannah Sandlin writes paranormal romance and romantic thrillers from Auburn, Alabama, on top of a career in educational publishing that has thus far spanned five states and six universities—including both Alabama and Auburn, which makes her bilingual. She grew up in Winfield, Alabama, but was also a longtime resident of New Orleans, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football, cheap Mardi Gras trinkets, and fried gator on a stick.

She’s the author of the award-winning Penton Legacy paranormal romance series, a spinoff novel, Storm Force, a standalone novelette, Chenoire, and a new romantic thriller series, The Collectors, beginning with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, she also is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series. Her Penton novel, Omega, was nominated for a 2013 Reviewer’s Choice Award in Paranormal Romance from RT Book Reviews magazine. Absolution was the winner of the 2013 Holt Medallion in Paranormal Romance.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

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Tour giveaway:

1 $50 Amazon gift card

2 $10 Amazon gift cards

2 Author swag packs (books, swag)

Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

…this time, Grace is the prey ~ Book Blast and BIG Giveaway for Untsoppable by S.R. Johannes

Posted: June 3, 2014 in Book Blast, giveaways, suspense, thriller
Tags: Author SR Johannes, Florida Everglades, roadside zoos, Unstoppable

I live on the Gulf Coast and I’m always looking for stories written about this area. The lush marshlands and eerie bayou’s make for great storytelling.

I fell in love with the cover art for Unstoppable. Once you read the synopsis, you’ll see how well it compliments the story. And it’s just so startling in its clarity.

I’m adding this book to my Summer reading list!

Panthers and vipers and gators and…..the prey.

Unstoppable by S.R. Johannes

After everything that has happened, Grace goes to the Everglades to live with her grandmother, Birdee. Even though she is now home-schooled by her bird-obsessed grandmother, the move gives Grace time to relax. She learns to scuba dive and starts boating with old man Rex, Birdee’s casual friend/boyfriend.

One day while out in the marshes of the Everglades, Grace rescues an abused Florida panther, currently on the endangered list. The more she dives into the animal’s horrific condition, the more she ventures into the underground world of the roadside zoos that run rampant in Florida with a total disregard for the law. Eventually, she stumbles upon one large roadside zoo filled with a variety of endangered and illegal animals.

Before she can gather evidence and report her findings to the authorities, she is kidnapped by the ruthless owner and dragged deep into the Everglades for a hunting challenge. Only this time, Grace is the prey.

During a sick game of cat and mouse, Grace is offered one chance at survival. With a one-hour head start and very little supplies, time and skill are now all that stands between the hunter and the hunted.

Amazon

Author S.R. Johannes:

S.R. Johannes is the award-winning author of the Amazon bestselling thriller series, the Nature of Grace (Untraceable and Uncontrollable). Unstoppable (book 3) is scheduled for May/June 2014. S.R. Johannes is currently repped by Lara Perkins at ABLA. For foreign rights on the Nature of Grace series, contact Jennifer Custer at AM Heath (London).

S.R. Johannes is the YA advisor of ALLi and a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult category) as well as a Silver medalist (2nd place) in the IPPY awards for YA Fiction. She was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult category), a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Young Adult of 2012, and a YA Finalist in the US Book News Best Book of 2012.

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America doing marketing for over 15 years (Spanx and Good hair Products were my fav because of the perks :), S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, English-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Ends 6/16/19

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

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

There’s a new zombie in town ~ Euphoria – Z by Luke Ahearn ~ My review and a giveaway

Posted: May 22, 2014 in apocalypse, Blog Tour, giveaways, thriller, Zombies
Tags: apocalypse, Book #1, Euphoria - Z, Luke Ahearn, thriller, zombies

More zombies you ask? Yep. You all know me by now. If it says zombies I’m going to check it out. And I’m glad I had the opportunity to read Euphoria – Z. It’s unique and packed with zombie action.

Check out the excerpt.

Read my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Oh yeah! What about that cover art? It’s spectacular isn’t it?

Look and see.

Euphoria – Z

Book 1

Luke Ahearn

Genre: Thriller/Zombie Apocalypse

Publisher: Luke Ahearn / Date of Publication: May 19, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1497497382 / ISBN-10: 1497497388

Number of pages: 409 / Word Count: 118,099

Cover Artist: Steven J Catizone

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MY REVIEW

You’ll get a strong dose of zombie gore in this book. Nothing you can’t handle though.

I was all excited about the comet that was going to strike. Then, once it hit, I was as disappointed as the characters. Nothing happened. But then it did. Just not how I expected.

People got happy, strangely happy, then they died horribly and rose again. The author got creative with this. It’s nice to find a new idea on how people came to be zombies.

You’re then in the beginning of the apocalypse, but the story focuses mostly on after it starts. You follow the characters as they first realize what’s happening and then through their struggles to survive.

There are lots of bad guys. Still trying to figure out why the rich dudes wanted to end the world.

One thing I had a problem with was the switching POVs. They happened suddenly and sometimes I had to go back and read again to see who I was reading about. Just got a bit confusing at times.

This is not a quick read. It took me several sittings to finish it. Not that I was bored by any means. The author gave me plenty of action, great characters to care about, and lots of zombies. I just needed to sleep sometime.

The only thing I’ll tell you about the ending is that it isn’t over.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a good zombie story.

4 STARS

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Book Description

Civilization shuts down as throngs of speechless hedonists fill the streets in deadly revelry. They feel only pleasure and never pain, even as they are injured, maimed, and mutilated. Few people remain in the world unaffected, left to witness the madness unaware that things are about to get unbelievably worse.

Cooper is among the few survivors of a conspiracy to depopulate the world. One week ago, college was his biggest concern. Now he is on a dangerous journey to find his sister as an ever-present threat of nightmarish proportions engulfs the world, throwing him in the path of some of the most malicious people that ever walked the earth.

Excerpt:

The present, Monterey, California

“Fuck!” The wiry, gray-haired old man felt his eyes go wide with surprise, but he quickly got his shit together. Jasper scowled; now he was very pissed off. He might stoop and shuffle when he walked, but he didn’t take any shit.

Some big fat bastard was bear-hugging him from behind. He could see white mountains of wet flab before his eyes, and he smelled vomit. He felt a massive wet belly and man tits pressing against his back. Large folds of cold wet flesh engulfed him, and he shuddered at the sensation.

He hated hugs, especially from men, and hugs from big fat sweaty bastards were absolutely unacceptable. He carried his best spiked hammer, an old-school Craftsman from back in the day, before the gooks were making them. He was just itching to use it. The fat bastard was yelling something in his ear.

“I love you! I love you, man!”

“Ahhh, geez!” Jasper twisted out of the flabby cocoon and took a few steps back. What he saw disgusted him. It was a giant fat kid, a head taller than himself, who looked like a giant baby, all hairless and soft. The kid was smiling like an idiot, and that made Jasper even more pissed off. Food smeared the kid’s face and ran down his chins in greasy streams between his man tits and over his belly. All Jasper could think was that all that shit was all over his back. Now he would have to burn his shirt and take a long, hot shower.

The kid wore nothing but baggy white underwear soaked in sweat. Jasper shuddered at the clammy coldness on his back. His flannel shirt clung to him and felt like a cold, wet bathing suit.

“I love you, man!” The big fat kid smiled as he came at him for another hug.

“Ahhhh! Fuck you!” Despite his advanced age, Jasper moved with an efficiency and force that spoke of his many years as a carpenter. He brought the spiked hammer down on the kid’s skull, and it collapsed inward with little resistance. He liked the sensation of cracking a head but hated wasting the time to do it.

The kid dropped to the concrete like a wet sack. He was still smiling, which made cracking his skull less enjoyable. Jasper wished he could bash every asshole around with his trusty hammer. He looked around to make sure another shithead wasn’t looking for a hug.

A woman came at him, hooting so loud he could hear it over the crowd, waving her tits at him. He took her out too, with an easy smack between the eyes. He had enough of this shit. He cracked a few more skulls for fun, but he got bored. It was always the same: an easy tap to the skull and the moron dropped, still smiling.

The streets were crammed with people, and they were all acting crazy. Jasper just wanted to get home. It seemed everyone was congregating downtown, streaming in from the surrounding neighborhoods. People were walking in large groups, arm in arm, naked and clothed, dancing, running, and hugging. It all made Jasper sick, just god-awful sick.

He tried to go all the way downtown and almost got caught up in the crowd. People were pushing and jamming each other into doors until they cracked open. He heard the crash of large plate-glass windows, but no one reacted. In fact, he saw people just getting pushed through the windows in a wave. He could tell that people were getting seriously injured and killed, and he just wanted to get the hell out of there.

He left at the right time. The press of the massive crowd smashed and suffocated, ground and trampled, and killed many—and the party continued to grow. No one screamed in panic or pain. No one yelled for help or dialed 911. And no one stopped to offer assistance, an apology, or true human interaction of any kind. Everyone was bent on doing exactly what they wanted to do, and what anyone else wanted didn’t matter to them in the slightest.

In any place where people gathered for a good time, the crowds were thick. The mall was packed, but the hospital was empty. The wharf was so full that hundreds fell into the icy waters of the bay. The office parks and businesses were dark and silent. Some groups formed parties on random streets for one reason or another.

A large majority of the city was empty, devoid of people. Most left their homes and walked away, leaving doors unlocked and often wide open. They would join a group and wander away.

There were still a few souls hiding indoors who were anything but euphoric. They watched with fear and horror the goings-on outside their windows. Jasper had been one of these, but he needed his goddamned pills and had to drive through all this crazy shit to get them. Of course, when he got to the damn pharmacy it was closed. He had tried to call ahead, but no one answered the phone. He was pissed. He wanted nothing to do with this crazy shit. He didn’t want to see any of it and certainly didn’t want to walk through it. He saw quite a few people doing things he had only seen in his buddies’ dirty magazines. But there was one thing every single person was doing: smiling like a retard with a lollipop—every single one.

At first, he thought all the outlandish behavior was confined to idiots, kids, and queers. It had to be some new drug to get them this nuts, he thought. But too many people were acting bonkers, too many people who just didn’t fit the behavior.

He walked as quickly as he was able away from the crowd and back to his car. He’d seen some shit in his day, but in the last few the world had descended into pandemonium. There were reports that almost everyone around the world was walking away from their jobs, no matter how critical. Everything was grinding to a halt. Transportation, communication—private or military, trivial or critical—everything was just going belly up. Jasper had known this day was coming ever since the blacks were allowed to vote.

And the crooks in Washington didn’t know anything. They said it was an unknown virus and creatively named it Euphoria-Z. Z because they didn’t know what it was, only what it did. And their advice? Stay indoors and away from crowds, bunch of geniuses.

Jasper had never expected he would need to kill people, not since the war, but in the last few days he had been forced to. The streets were crazy, and he wouldn’t even be outside if he hadn’t needed his pills. He felt as if he were the only sane person for miles. He looked at his feet and wondered, only briefly, if something were wrong with him? No, couldn’t be, he thought. None of this was right. The world had gone crazy.

~~~~

About the Author:

Luke Ahearn has over 20 years of professional game development experience and has authored numerous nonfiction books on the topic. He ran his own computer game company for ten years and currently owns MasterWerxStudios, an animatronic prop shop in Monterey, CA.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

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Tour giveaway

4 life-sized, handmade, zombie heads.

One of a kind and made by the author.

Click on the Rafflecopter to enter.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

Chasing Prophecy by James Moser ~ Author Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: May 13, 2014 in Blitz, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, thriller, YA
Tags: Chasing Prophecy, James Moser, paranormal, thriller, young adult

I have a great book to show you today and a fun giveaway.

But first let’s here from the author himself!

Author Spotlight: James Moser, on Chasing Prophecy

I have always wanted to build a story around someone or something like Boo Radley, my all-time favorite literary character. I love how he dominates that book while remaining largely off-stage. I looked around the Seattle area and the closest thing I could think of was our local legend of Bigfoot. Once I had my own version of Nathan Arthur Radley in place, I started thinking a lot about monsters, especially monsters we make bigger in our imagination. I also thought about Boo living in society without being a part of it, which made me think of different separatist groups turned into cults. My young characters are based on bits and pieces of hundreds of former students.

The setting of Boulder Creek, Washington, like everything else in the book, is based on bits and pieces of lots of things. There is no town called that. Boulder Creek is where my wife and I hiked for our first date, in the foothills of the north Cascade Mountains. The mountains in my book look like the ones around Darrington, in Snohomish County. The main street is like Arlington (where I had my first teaching job). The log bridge is something I remember from a family trip to Yellowstone National Park, 1,000 miles away. People who have read Twilight will think Boulder Creek feels like Forks, which it does, because that’s what every small town in Washington feels like. The Bethlehem compound is the Boy Scout camp I attended in northern Idaho, complete with the same wood carvings on the fireplace.

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Chasing Prophecy

by James Moser

Publication date: January 2nd 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult

Synopsis:

“Chasing Prophecy” is the story of Mo, a teen boy just trying to survive high school in the mountain town of Boulder Creek, Washington. Boulder Creek is an isolated and mysterious place, proud of its reputation as the “Bigfoot Sighting Capital of the World”. Mo falls in love with a girl named Prophecy who lives with a group that some call a commune and others call a cult. When she disappears, Mo must find the courage to face the monster that her family has become. “Chasing Prophecy” is a heartwarming contemporary coming of age story. This book chronicles the adolescence of one boy who must transform himself to save the girl of his dreams.

Purchase: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

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AUTHOR BIO

When he’s not dazzling Goodreads members with his wit and charm, the author is typically reading, writing, or watching way too much TV while snacking on chocolate treats from Trader Joe’s (and who can blame him–those things are GOOD, yo!).

The author wanted to write about teenagers transforming themselves to survive. The result is “Chasing Prophecy,” a story about love, loss, redemption, and monsters. Boo Radley is the author’s all-time favorite book character, which is how the Seattle-area legend of Bigfoot entered this story.

Moser holds a B.A. in bookish matters and a Master’s in the same. He lives in Seattle with his wife and eight year old son.

Author links:

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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Open INTL

Three $50 Amazon Gift Cards

Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter.

Ends May 20th

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

fuonlyknew

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Archive for the ‘thriller’ Category

Author Denise R. Stephenson shares with us what drove her to write Isolation

Could this be our future? ~ Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson ! Tour Review and Two Giveaways

It’s out there. It’s watching ~ Dark Nights by Christopher Gray ~ Book Tour and Giveaway

They may look human, but what they do…Battle Not With Monsters by Overton Scott ~ Blog Tour and Giveaway

The Friday 56 #24 ~ Isolation by Denise R. Stephenson

WWW Wednesday #37 ~ Evil Comes In Many Colors

WWW Wednesday

The Penton Vampire Legacy ~ Allegiance by Susannah Sandlin ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

…this time, Grace is the prey ~ Book Blast and BIG Giveaway for Untsoppable by S.R. Johannes

There’s a new zombie in town ~ Euphoria – Z by Luke Ahearn ~ My review and a giveaway

Chasing Prophecy by James Moser ~ Author Spotlight and Giveaway