Archive for the ‘YA’ Category

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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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Anyone?

Anyone? #1

  by Angela Scott

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Genre: YA / Apocalyptic / Horror

Synopsis

Young Adult, Apocalyptic, Survival, Horror

The end of the world? That’s the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters and deep philosophical exercises in school. No need to sweat it. So when sixteen-year-old Tess’s doomsday-dad builds a bomb shelter in their suburban backyard, everyone thinks he’s gone crazy….

…Until fire rains down from the sky, sinking whole cities into colossal craters and setting much of the world ablaze.

Tess’s dad gives her a few short minutes to gather her emergency bag and her freaked-out kitten, then leads her outside and into the underground shelter. Terrified, the last thing she expects is for him to leave her there all alone, but he has no choice—he must find her missing brother.

Before leaving, he makes Tess promise to keep the hatch door shut, not to open it for anyone but him, and to stay put until he returns.

But he forgot to tell her one thing: What is she supposed to do if he never comes back?

Amazon / B&N

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I added this book back in January of 2015. I loved Angela’s Zombie West series so I had to grab this. Now I’ll finally read it.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Welcome to My Monday Minis where I share short reviews about books I’ve read.

Today I’m sharing a book from one of my favorite series!

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Fire Devil

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #11

by J.L. Bryan

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Genre: Horror / YA / Paranormal

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My Review

I’ve been loving this series and the character’s from the very first book. This final showdown was a long time coming and I was excited and a bit sad to read it.

So, I settled in, prepared to read about half the book and then go to sleep. Ha! I read this, no, devoured this, in one sitting. There’s very little let up in action when it begins and the scary parts were very scary. I feared for the lives of many of these character’s. Ellie’s nemesis is frightening and would do anything to tear her down, before then destroying her.

Talk about edge of your seat reading and hair raising scenes. It’s a race across the country and against time and the suspense over what was coming what kept me up til the wee hours, having to know. Wish I could tell you how it ended.

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Synopsis

Ellie’s pursuit of a possessed friend and her own worst enemy takes her across the United States into forgotten corners of the countryside through haunted hotels, ghost towns, and strange highways, and toward the site of a horrific fire haunted by hundreds of spirits.

Together with her team, plus help from an eccentric exorcist from Texas, she prepares for the fight of her life, a fight destined since her own childhood.

Ellie’s past and present collide in a final confrontation that will give her a chance to finally be rid of her most dangerous personal demon—if he doesn’t kill Ellie first, along with the people she cares about the most.

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

WILD HORSE (a novelette) by Kyle Richardson

EBOOK RELEASE DATE: 7/30/19

GENRE: Dystopian, Superhero, YA, Novelette

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Synopsis

Grady has found a crack in the wall—a crack to the outside world. But all he knows about life outside the compound comes from books, magazines, and a photograph of a creature that no longer exists. Things change when he meets a girl with raspberry-yellow hair, and a secret that could lead them to a world beyond the walls. A world where their abilities could change everything … or lead them both to ruin.

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Enjoy this peek inside

Grady finds it in the spring, when the leaves are sprouting from the trees in tiny pink-green buds. There are no trees in the courtyard, there’s only dirt and rocks and other kids that look like Grady—their heads shaven, their clothes loose and gray, the skin under their eyes a creamy blue and red. But Grady has found a crack in the wall, a crack that wasn’t there before—a crack that isn’t supposed to be. Whenever the guards aren’t looking, he leans his face against the wall and peers through the crack at the world outside. He does this with his left eye first. Always his left eye first. The gap is so tiny it’s like squinting through a nostril. But in that nostril there’s the sky, purple as a bruise, and beneath it there are scrawny trees with tiny pink-green buds. Today the trees bend and sway, like they know Grady’s watching. Like they’re dancing just for him. And his cracked lips spread until he’s smiling, big and dumb.

This is when he hears the voice. “What’re you looking at?” The voice comes from behind him, small and smooth and wild, like the picture of the horse taped to the ceiling above his cot. It knocks something loose in him, something that tumbles free, something that falls but doesn’t seem to ever land. Whatever it is, it just keeps on falling, lost somewhere inside him. Grady frowns and squirms, but the stupid feeling doesn’t quit. “Go away,” he tells the voice. He doesn’t bother to turn. “I’m looking at spring,” he adds, “but you wouldn’t know what that is.”

The voice that’s like a wild horse, it tells him, “I do too know what spring is. And I know that you’re mean and I don’t like you.” Then the voice is gone, and a guard walks by, and Grady looks away from the wall as if the crack isn’t there at all. And stomping away from him straight across the courtyard, like she’s trying to knock the world off orbit with the weight of her footsteps alone, is a skinny girl with loose gray clothes and raspberry-yellow hair.

Grady raises his eyebrows. Whatever that thing is inside him, it tumbles even faster.

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Kyle lives in the suburban wilds of Canada with his adorable wife, their rambunctious son, and their adventurous daughter. He writes about shapeshifters, superheroes, and the occasional clockwork beast, moonlights as an editor at Meerkat Press, and has a terrible habit of saying the wrong thing at the most inopportune moments. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Love Hurts: A Speculative Fiction Anthology and Daily Science Fiction.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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This Monstrous Thing

  by Mackenzi Lee

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Genre: Sci Fi / Steam Pink / YA

Synopsis

In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead.

His sweetheart, Mary—gone.

His chance to break free of Geneva—lost.

Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay…

Amazon / B&N

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I added this book back in September of 2015. This sounds so good. I can’t believe it got buried. I have to read it now.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

I am so excited that ECRIVAIN by Elizabeth Dunlap is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Elizabeth Dunlap, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book and swag, courtesy of Elizabeth and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.



ECRIVAIN

Ecrivain Academy Book 1
Author: Elizabeth Dunlap
Pub. Date: July 21, 2019
Publisher: Elizabeth Dunlap
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 282
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonKindle
Read For Free on KU!

Welcome to Ecrivain Academy.
Here in these storied halls you will be trained to become one of the greatest writers the world has ever known.
There are poetry battles.
Friends. Enemies.
Is your story a romance?
Or is it something darker?
Explore all Ecrivain has to offer.
That is, if you can survive until graduation.

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Excerpt

Hit send.
Just hit send.
My finger hovered over the enter key, and I chewed on my lip in hesitation.
Come on, Calliope, my inner monologue quipped. Don’t be a coward.
Taking a deep breath, I squeezed my eyes shut and slammed my finger onto the enter button. My lungs emptied with a very loud sigh and I peeked one eye out to see if the confirmation screen was up yet.
It was.
There was no going back now. I’d officially sent my story away into the electronic wild blue yonder. As scared as I felt, a swirl of excitement was building in my stomach. I tried to tamper it down so my hopes wouldn’t build up.
A sip of tea helped quell some anxiety for now, and I let the warmth of it wash over me like a bath. My fingers smoothed over the china while my eyes danced from the computer screen to the paper I’d been putting off to the last minute. One more sip of tea. I closed the tab with the writing contest and put it from my head so I could focus on packing up my bag for school.
My phone popped with a text and I laid out my math book over my desk before tapping my phone screen to see the message.
Did you send it? The text was from my best friend, Kathryn. A rush of dread flew up my throat. How had she found out? Was she spying on me? Did the entire school know? I’d never be able to live this down. I fumbled, trying to think of a response, and ended up having a panic attack via text message.
Send what? Did someone say something? What do you know? Who told you?
Way to play it cool.
She responded within a few seconds and I could feel her raised eyebrow in the text. Calm down, spaztastic. I asked for a cookie recipe yesterday, remember? Although I’d be happy to discuss whatever that was all about.
Nothing, I responded, and quickly sent her a picture of the recipe.
Thanks, she replied. I’m not forgetting what you said, though, just in case you were hoping otherwise.
Crap. I groaned and sipped another mouthful of tea. It didn’t make things better, unfortunately. I was of the belief that tea could solve almost anything, but it couldn’t solve my big mouth. Kathryn would be relentless at school until I either told her or made something up. My eyes went back to my laptop screen where a sheep danced around on my screensaver.
What was I thinking, entering a writing contest? I wasn’t a writer. Nothing would change that, not even my stupid story about a dog and a squirrel being best friends. I’d almost deleted it seven times since I’d finished it, but something stopped me every time. When I found a writing contest online, I decided enough was enough, and I’d hear for real that my writing was garbage so I could stop this fantasy and get back to everything I was supposed to care about, like boys and makeup.
If I kept sitting there regretting my decision, I’d be late to school. One last sip emptied my cup, and I grabbed my bag and headed out the door. Mom drove my brother Penny to school every day while I took the bus. The sticky, smelly, pressed together bodies bus. The bus that had already stopped at my house, apparently.
Cursing under my breath, I slipped my black ankle boots on at the front door and ran to make sure the bus didn’t leave me behind. It stopped at the stop sign on the end of my block and opened for me when I kicked the side with my booted foot.
My house was one of the last on the route, meaning I always had to sit in the undesirable spots on the bus. Today that happened to be a seat that looked like someone had spilled a soda all over it. I picked the very edge of the brown leather bench to sit on and hoped the bus wouldn’t lurch and toss me into the aisle.
As the bus rolled away from my street, the kids on the bus laughed, chatted to themselves, and beat out tunes on top of the seats. I bobbed my head along with it, trying to not bring attention to myself. None of them liked me, a fact I was well aware of. They were under the impression that I had a superiority complex because my parents were rich. It wasn’t my fault my parents made me ride the bus. I begged them for a car next year when I turned sixteen, and they met it with a resounding no. No car for Calliope. Riding the bus builds character. Wouldn’t want me to be spoiled like Penny.
My little brother, Penny, was ten years old, and my parents let him do whatever he wanted with the excuse of ‘boys will be boys.’ I struggled daily trying to tell myself that I’m supposed to love my brother, not to mention my parents. What kind of person doesn’t love their family? The bad kind, that’s what. I was a horrible person for not loving them. My alternative was that I could at least care about them. Maybe if I did, I would become a better person. Until then, I deserved to ride the bus like a loser. I stared down at the dirty bus floor and moped about my lot in life until the bus lurched and tossed me, not in the aisle, but right into the sticky seat puddle. My blue jumper was covered in soda, not to mention my hair. I pulled at my red strands and came away with sticky sugar.
“Aww, is richy rich in a sticky situation?” someone taunted. The bus erupted in laughter and my face burned with mortification. I looked up to see a boy wearing a backwards cap, sipping a soda through a straw and smiling at me with an evil grin. His straw bubbled like there wasn’t anything left in the cup, because he’d emptied it all over my seat. Pulling the cup away from his mouth, he shook it at me with a smile full of sarcastic venom. His friend fist bumped him in victory.
The bus rocked again when the driver pulled on the breaks as we reached the school, and I fell into the aisle this time. The dirt from people’s shoes stuck to my sticky arm. Everyone had a good round of laughter again and left the bus, leaving me behind. Somehow, I got up off the floor and got my sticky self out onto the sidewalk.
Kathryn was waiting for me as always with her golden tan and pink haired perfection, but her perfect face turned sour when she saw me messed up and dirty. She flew to me and fussed over taking my sticky bag and helping me inside the building, as if I couldn’t on my own. She snuck me into the girl’s locker room and I took my boots off before I stood under the showerhead and let the warm water flow over me.
“Those beasts,” she spat, watching me by the sinks. I ran my fingers through my tangled red hair and shook the droplets off my face. “They put the soda there on purpose to screw with you. I should join you today after school and show them what happens when you mess with my friend.”
“Please don’t,” I pleaded half-heartedly. She was the only person who cared about me. I couldn’t bear it if she was bullied too. I used a towel to dry off myself and my clothes as best I could. The shower room had a washer and dryer, but if I didn’t get going fast, we would miss first period.
“B. T. Dubs,” she said, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at me. “We’re going to talk about that freak out you had via text earlier.”
If I hadn’t just been doused in soda, I might’ve actually told her the truth, but my mood was ruined. I grabbed my bag from her and used the towel to try and salvage it without using water. It worked well enough, so I slung it over my shoulder and walked out without saying another word to her.

My favorite part of school was free period. I spent that time every day inside the library, soaking in every book I could get my hands on. I’ll admit that I was guilty of only choosing what was new and popular, just so I could add to the conversations at school. I never read anything older than myself, unless it was a hot topic, like Handmaid’s Tale or Outlander. I never read classics or non-fiction. I know that’s practically reader taboo, but I cared more about being able to impress people than reading about antique people doing antique people things. It was a conundrum, wanting to stay under the radar and yet be noticed at the same time. I didn’t care that it was ridiculous.
My current read was about a virtual world used to escape the doldrums of everyday life. It had been adapted into a movie and everyone at school was buzzing about plans to go see it. I’d saved enough allowance to go with Kathryn, and I fully intended to read the book first so I could be prepared just in case anyone talked to me about it.
Like Blades Sherman.
He was on the football team and he always dated curvy blondes that actually needed a bra. I knew he’d never notice me, but my teenage heart didn’t care. I wanted him to suddenly realize that I was perfect for him. Preferably before prom so he could ask me and I wouldn’t have to go with Kathryn. I was totally fine bringing a girl, especially one as pretty as Kathryn, but I wanted Blades like I wanted air, and really nice shoes.
“Wake up.” Kathryn poked me with a pencil and looked back down at her book, something with art on the pages. She was convinced that there had to be at least one book in our library with boobs in it. It was her daily quest, mostly so she had something to do while I actually read the books. “Is it boring?” She pointed the pencil at the book in my hands.
“No. I was just…..” I scratched at my leg. My skin was becoming increasingly itchy with my still slightly damp clothes. I could’ve spent free period cleaning them in the girls’ locker room, but why do that when I could read books? “…daydreaming,” I finished.
“About Blaaaades?” she teased, batting her eyelashes at me.
“Sssshut up,” I whispered in warning. She giggled at me and leaned in secretively.
“Tell me, Cals. What’s the thing you freaked out about earlier? Did you do something rebellious?” Her face lit up in hope and she grabbed my hand to shake it repeatedly.
“Kind of?”
She squeaked loud enough for the librarian to shush us, then leaned in closer. “What’d’ja do? Tellmetellmetellme!”
Having to say it out loud to her made it real, and scary. I couldn’t tell her I’d written a dumb story. She wouldn’t tease me, but she’d make it a thing. She’d never let me rest until I kept writing, and I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t even want that.
Did I?
Before I could answer, Kathryn grabbed my hand and squeaked again, softer this time so we wouldn’t get in trouble. Blades had just entered the library with his newest fling, someone I didn’t know, but I wished I looked like her. Blonde hair. Big boobs. Actual booty. My envy of her almost distracted me from him, my Blades. My stomach flip-flopped at the sight of him and my lungs felt compressed inside my chest. I primped my hair a bit and straightened my sweater.
“Calliope and Blades, sittin’ in a tree,” Kathryn sang in a whisper. I batted her hands away. She brought her two pointer fingers together to mimic kissing. “Gonna F.K. with Blades, aww yiss.” Her abbreviation of ‘first kiss’ didn’t make her mashed together fingers look more appealing. It also sounded like she was saying a curse word.
I’d just hissed for her to stop when Blades and his girlfriend came closer. His eyes were busy taking in all the shelves while the girl approached me with a cynical stare. She adjusted her very large expensive purse and flipped her hand out in that ‘I want to talk to your manager’ kind of way.
“Hey, nerd,” she belted out in my direction. “Where’s the best corner in here to make out?” I was stunned into silence that she would even ask me anything, not to mention why did she want to know something like that? Ohh. Right. She scoffed at me when I didn’t answer. “Oh wait, I’m asking the wrong person, aren’t I? You only kiss your hand.” She sighed, as if teasing me was boring her. “Where’s the books on Napoleon?”
Kathryn leaned her arm over the back of her chair and scowled. “Do we look like librarians?”
The blonde girl’s look made it very clear she absolutely thought we did. “I need to write a stupid paper and I have no idea who Napoleon is.”
Kathryn shrugged. “French dude. Tried to take over Europe. Didn’t work out too well.” I found myself trying to catch Blades’ eyes, but he kept his gaze firmly towards the ceiling. If only he’d look down, he’d see how cute I looked in my navy blue jumper. It was almost completely dry now from the shower too.
My mind moved unbidden to thoughts of finding that quiet corner his girlfriend thought I knew about, only she wasn’t there, and it was just him and me. Maybe he’d laugh when he felt the dampness of the jumper and pull me close to him when I told him what had happened. It would be nice to have someone to save me from bullies. Maybe he’d become my champion and make sure no one hurt me ever again.
And maybe. He’d give me my first kiss. A stolen moment between the book stacks when our lips met.
His girlfriend snapped loudly in my face to wake me up from my daydreams. “Wake up, crazy face. Where’s the stupid history books, your friend doesn’t know.”
My cheeks flushed and I glanced at Blades again before looking down at my boots. “Over there,” I said meekly, pointing. She grabbed Blades’ arm and dragged him away from me.

Daydreaming was something I did every day. Yes, some of it was about Blades, as was to be expected of teenage girl hormones. The rest was about other things. How I’d fit in my favorite novels or tv shows, or what if this had happened in history instead of what actually happened.
Sometimes I daydreamed about things I made up and that was how I’d come up with the story about the dog and the squirrel. I saw someone walking their Labrador retriever across the street from my science class and watched as it tried desperately to catch a ground squirrel, even after the rodent had disappeared into its hole in the ground. Something sparked inside me, and I immediately flipped a few pages away from my science notes and wrote until the bell rang.
The dog and squirrel had lived in the same yard for all their lives, and the squirrel was convinced he and the dog were best friends. The dog had no such preconceptions and tolerated the squirrel’s antics until one day the squirrel didn’t come out of its tree, and the dog realized he missed his friend.
I knew the story wasn’t very good, but writing it made me feel alive, and as I sat in Algebra daydreaming about other things, I tried to convince myself that I was going to succeed at writing. My resolve was short-lived because I went home and remembered how life really was.
That was how I felt that day when I trudged up the stairs and dumped my bag onto my bed before changing out of the now dry jumper. My skin still had an edge of stick to it, so I walked to the bathroom to clean up. The large rectangle mirror showed a thin weed-like girl with freckles and red hair that was neither curly nor straight. I turned to the side and frowned at my lack of curves. I was still as skinny as I was before puberty. Shopping in the juniors section while everyone else had moved onto the women’s section was humiliating, not to mention I was the only fifteen year old who hadn’t grown proper breasts. A groan escaped my lips and I leaned forward to scowl at all the freckles that dotted every inch of my skin. I looked like a Dalmatian.
“If you stare harder, maybe you’ll stop looking like a turd face,” my little brother squeaked from behind the bathroom door. I caught his eye in the mirror and the sight of my angry face sent him off running down the hall. My feet flew out of the bathroom, through the hallway, down the stairs, and into the living room where he’d hidden behind something.
“Penny, you are so dead!” I shouted to him as I bent around looking for his hiding spot.
“Language!” I heard from the kitchen, right before my mother poked her head out from the archway that separated the two rooms. She looked at me with pursed lips and wrinkled disapproval. It took me a few seconds to realize that she was mad at me for saying the word ‘dead.’
I pointed to the couch where Penny was hiding. “Penny called me a turd face.”
Instead of coming to my defense, because she never did, Mom sighed heavily. “Calliope, act mature. This doesn’t become you.” She turned and went back into the kitchen. My mouth curled in anger at her retreating back. She was so mean sometimes. Why couldn’t she be fun like Kathryn’s mom? Kathryn’s mom let her do whatever she wanted, while my mom still insisted I hide my eyes when Aragorn decapitated the Uruk-hai in Lord of the Rings. Spoiler alert: I’ve seen blood before, Mom.
Seeing that I wasn’t paying attention, Penny crawled out from the couch and launched himself at my leg. “Alien attaaaaack!” he screamed. “I’m going to suck your brains out your butt hole!” I kicked at the leg he was attached to and looked hopefully at the kitchen to see if Mom would reprimand my brother for saying ‘butt hole,’ but she failed to appear. Typical.
“Penny,” I growled in annoyance. “Why are you being such a brat?”
“I’m not a brat! You’re a brat!” he retorted and stuck his tongue out at me.
“Don’t call your brother a brat,” Dad ordered from the front door. Him too? Of course, I forgot. It was pick on Calliope day. Every day was pick on Calliope day.
“Make him get off,” I whined, hoping one parent would have some sympathy on me.
“It’s time for dinner.”
Mom’s words made Penny fly off of me faster than a page load. He didn’t bother making sure I was okay, and his retreat almost knocked me over, slamming me into the edge of the coffee table. Pain sliced through my leg and I bent to checked the area. No blood. I limped over to the dining table where Mom had decorated the room like we were being filmed for HGTV. Flowers in vases, flowers in buckets, flowers in tiny wheelbarrows, and so. much. burlap.
I sat down in my country style ladderback chair with weathered paint and watched Penny kick his chair repeatedly as he swung his feet back and forth. My father, already sitting at the head of the table, ignored the noise and damage to the chair. I smiled when Mom came into the room and placed a large dish of roast beef stew on the table. She didn’t smile back, but that was okay.
“How was work, Dad?” I asked brightly, picking up my napkin to place in my lap. Yes. Mom made us use actual cloth napkins, like we were at a restaurant. It’s an understatement to say she tried my patience sometimes.
My father helped himself to some stew and diverted my question with one of his own. “Have you finished your paper that’s due tomorrow?” He was always on top of what I had to do at school.
I sunk into my chair and stared at the flowers in front of me. “No.”
“Then what, pray tell, was so much more important than your homework?” he asked me, his tone growing agitated. He passed the serving spoon to Penny next.
I watched my brother get a very large serving of the stew and thought about the story contest. Obviously, I couldn’t tell them about it. What would they even say?
Stop neglecting your studies for frivolous activities. Probably. Not that I wasn’t a straight A student, because I was. That didn’t matter to them, though.
When my brother stuck his tongue out at me and passed the serving spoon to Mom, something snapped inside me. I grasped at the receding tethers to stop the oncoming flood, but it was too late.
My mouth had a mind of its own and blurted out the sentence that changed my life.
“I entered a writing contest.”

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Author Elizabeth Dunlap


Elizabeth Dunlap is the author of several fantasy books, including the Born Vampire series. She’s never wanted to be anything else in her life, except maybe a vampire. She lives in Texas with her boyfriend, their daughter, and a very sleepy chihuahua named Deyna.

Website | Twitter |  Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Book Bub

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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Witches Protection Program
by Michael Okon
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy 
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Poor Wes. He’s failed again and now he’s been given one last chance to prove himself qualified to be in law enforcement. He’s sure it’s a prank when he’s assigned to the Witches Protection Program.

It’s no hoax. But it takes some convincing for Wes to believe in witches. He gets it in spades.

His first assignment, protect a witch, heiress Morgan Pendragon, from her evil aunt. Her aunt is cooking up a diabolical scheme to rule the world.

Wes will have to catch on quick if he’s to save Morgan and himself from a witches brew of trouble.

This was a fun story with some likable and not so likable characters. Got to take the good with the bad.

Wes is a pain in the beginning. Then he finds his place and becomes someone to cheer for.

Morgan is a reluctant witch, wanting nothing to do with her aunt or the other witches and their schemes. They’re not going to give her a choice though.

There’s some cool weapons, compelling characters, and a showdown at the end that I wish I could see for myself. Just imagine the pile-up when drivers look up and see witches flying in the sky.

I like a good witch, but I have a thing for the bad ones too. There’s one, Morgan’s aunt, who will chill you to the bone. Too powerful for anyone’s good.

Grab a broomstick and hang on tight. It’s a bumpy ride.

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Wes Rockville, a disgraced law-enforcement agent, gets one last chance to
prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a
232-year-old secret government organization.
The Witches Protection Program.
His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar cosmetics company’s
diabolical plan to use witchcraft for global domination, while
protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds.
Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes
must learn to believe in witches…and believe in himself.
Filled with adventure and suspense, Michael Okon creates a rousing,
tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak
havoc in modern-day New York City.
 
Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres
including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and
self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in
English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance.
Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA.
Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his
inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life.
From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of
entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker
for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with
his wife and children.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Today Freeform Books, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for her upcoming YA Mystery Book, DEADLY LITTLE SCANDALS, which releases on November 5, 2019! We’re also revealing the new cover for book 1 in the series, LITTLE WHITE LIES! Check out the awesome covers and
enter the giveaway!
 
On to the reveal! 
 
 
Title: DEADLY LITTLE SCANDALS (Debutantes #2)
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pub. Date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Freeform
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 352
 
“Think of the White Gloves like the Junior League-by way of Skull and Bones?”


Reluctant debutante Sawyer Taft joined Southern high society for one reason and one reason alone: to identify and locate her biological father. But the answers Sawyer found during her debutante year only left her with more questions and one potentially life-ruining secret. When her cousin Lily ropes her into pledging a mysterious, elite, and all-female secret society called the White Gloves, Sawyer soon discovers that someone in the group’s ranks may have the answers she’s looking for. Things are looking up… until Sawyer and the White Gloves make a disturbing discover near the family’s summer home–and uncover a twisted secret, decades in the making.


No one is quite who they seem to be in this twisty, soapy, gasp-inducing sequel to Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ unputdownable Little White Lies. 


Title: LITTLE WHITE LIES (Debutantes #2)
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pub. Date: November 6, 2018
Publisher: Freeform
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 390
 
“I’m not saying this is Sawyer’s fault,” the prim and proper one said delicately. “But.”


Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother’s “society” might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father’s identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart. The one thing she doesn’t expect to find is friendship, but as she’s drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn’t the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother’s glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer’s search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.


Set in the world of debutante balls, grand estates and rolling green hills, Little White Lies combines a charming setting, a classic fish-out-of-water story, and the sort of layered mystery only author Jennifer Lynn Barnes can pull off. 




About Jennifer: 

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) is the author of more than a dozen critically acclaimed young adult novels. She has advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science, including graduate degrees from Cambridge University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and Yale University, where she received her Ph.D. in 2012. Jen wrote her first published novel when she was nineteen-years-old and sold her first five books while still in college. In additional to writing YA novels, Jen has also written original pilot scripts for television networks like USA and MTV, and she is one of the world’s leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination more broadly. Jen is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she holds a dual appointment in Psychology and Professional Writing.
 
 
Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a paperback of LITTLE WHITE LIES, US Only.


Giveaway ends July 31st, midnight EST.
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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Summer Bucket List
by T.K. Rapp
Publication date: July 15th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

bucket list cover

Synopsis

Recently graduated from high school, Holland Monroe had no expectations for her last summer before heading off to college to be anything but ordinary.

Until she got a job as a waitress at the local country club to make extra money for school.

Milo Davis was smart, cute, and absolutely not interested in Holland. At least that was what she believed. But the day she started working at the restaurant, everything changed.

Finally together, they were left with only three months to spend time together before she moved away.

Good thing they decided to make their time as memorable as possible.

But will they remain friends? Or will checking off items on their summer bucket list lead them to something they didn’t expect — Falling in love.

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

 

Author TK Rapp

bucket list author

T.K. Rapp is a Texas girl born and raised. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M and it was there that she met the love of her life. He had a contract with the U.S. Navy that would take them across both coasts, and ultimately land them back home in Texas.

Upon finally settling in Texas, T.K. worked as a graphic designer and photographer for the family business that her mom started years earlier. She was able to infuse her creativity and passion, into something she enjoyed, but something was still missing. There was a voice in the back of her head that told her to write, so write, she did. And, somewhere on an external hard drive, are several stories she started and never finished.

Now at home, raising her two daughters, T.K. has more time to do the things she loves, which includes photography and writing. When she’s not doing one of those, she can be found with her family, which keeps her busy, hanging with family and friends, and mostly relaxing. She is a lover of raunchy humor, gossip blogs and a good books.

Author links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Goodreads
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GIVEAWAY

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

A Burdened Novel banner

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Four Times Broken

FOUR TIMES BROKEN (A Burdened Novel – Book 1)

BOOK BLURB:

When Tracey’s life spirals out of control, who will help her pick up the pieces?

Tracey Warren’s last year of high school is mapped out: stay focused, graduate in a few months, and get the hell out of Bennington, Virginia. The finish line is in plain sight and everything is going according to plan. Until a car accident sends her plans spiraling out of control.

After a chance encounter with a diabolically handsome stranger, she is left with questions that only Nathan Newcomb can give her the answers to. But being around him makes her head spin and being away from him makes an unbearable pain consume her.

There is only one cure, and being the girl mated to a Burdened Sephlem won’t be an easy road. It will be destined for chaos, but Nathan’s magnetism draws Tracey in, and she can’t resist him. Once they are bonded, danger lurks around every darkened corner, and the greatest one may be coursing through the bloodlines running through Nathan’s veins.

Can their love survive or will their burdened souls surrender and fade away?

 

ORDER YOUR COPY:

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Three Times Torn

THREE TIMES TORN (A Burdened Novel – Book 2)

BOOK BLURB:

Tracey’s fun and free life has taken a nefarious turn. Since releasing her heart to Nathan, the repercussions for choosing to love a Burdened Sephlem have been deadly, daunting, and more dangerous than she ever predicted.

If life only allowed her a moment to breathe, to break away from her tainted father and chaotic friend, the injurious bonding may be easier. But there are sentiments rushing through her veins that is twisting her through a whirlwind of bliss and chaos. And a breath of fresh air only resides in one place. . . Until he’s changed. . .

Someone who lives to destroy Tracey’s mate, Nathan, has the perfect concoction for tragedy and Tracey is his primary ingredient. Influenced by the sinister intentions of Roehl, Nathan’s half-brother, Tracey’s outlook on her bond has faltered. She will be required to choose again, and all signs point in the wrong direction; for her and her friend.

We’ve made it onto Lunis’ radar. A full-blooded Sephlem who’s driven by torturing others. He claims he’s owed a debt and Nathan will do anything to protect his family from him. He’ll put his life on the line if needed, and Lunis guarantees he will take it. This threat seems far more likely to succeed when we invade his guardhouse to rescue Olar.

Can bonds tied to the soul be broken, or will a Burdened Sephlem have to bare his soul to keep his mate?

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon2

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Two Times Slain

TWO TIMES SLAIN (A Burdened Novel Book 3)

BOOK BLURB:

Loyalty, deception, honesty, and death.

These factors in Tracey’s life have taken her from an innocent teenager to a strong-minded young adult when she took the leap that no human or Sephlem would dare to. And while none of the promised perils have materialized, her strength has yet to be tested. Now, the secrets behind the midnight eyes of her mate have started to come to light, and this unbalanced truth affects her, her parents, and what’s left of her friends.

When her mate’s mother gets abducted and everyone leaves to find her, Tracey’s left to fend for herself. She finds peace in finally being alone without the bond of her mate overwhelming her and revels in a freedom that she has tried to obtain since mating. But it is short lived. She wakes, bound and blindfolded, awaiting a torturous greeting from an unlikely foe… Someone who has an appetite for vengeance.

The Burdened has rule over Nathan and his life. The more he fights it, it prevails. But rescuing his mate and his mother is a dead cert, and Nathan will destroy anything and anyone who stands in his way.

A prophecy has set the fate of Nathan and Tracey’s relationship and the Sephlem race—their union more significant than either realizes. As the future unfolds and their love is tested, will it endure the deepest pain of their loss?

Love has found its match.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon2

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Once Time Passed

ONCE TIME PASSED (A Burden Novel Book 4)

BOOK BLURB:

Time flying was far better than it standing still.

Tracey’s life will always be a battle against darkness. And just when it seemed over, the choice of love or sacrifice sends what’s left of her existence spiraling into a realm she never knew existed. Any curse is bound to set burdened souls free, but only at the cost of an innocent’s heart.

The bond has always been resented, but she’d give anything to pump a beat into my mate’s lifeless heart.

There’s no place like love.
There’s no time for mourning.
Love may have struck a nerve.
But time struck the heart.

Once Time Passed is the long anticipated fourth installment in A Burdened Novel, the dark paranormal romance cross-over that dabbles in love, loss, and coming of age.

 

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon2

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Author Felisha Antonette

Felisha Antonette

Felisha Antonette writes young adult and new adult romance, paranormal and contemporary, sweet and sexy. There’s a little bit of something for everyone! She cares most for the enjoyment of her readers and loves making others happy may it be through her stories, encouragement, or volunteering. When she’s not writing and ‘momming’ she’s a team leader for kiddos and teens at her church (Cornerstone – Chandler, AZ), working out at the gym, binging on a Netflix series, or trying to defeat Mr. King Dice in Cuphead with her daughter Namia!

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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Haven, Kansas

  by Alethea Kontis

32799921

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Genre: YA Horror

Synopsis

Never reap a harvest sown with blood.

150 years ago, in Haven, Kansas, a witch was burned at the stake. This October, in Haven, Kansas, a boy plays a prank on his big sister. Suddenly, crows fill the skies, a female scarecrow plagues the town, and teenagers are dying left and right. Amidst the violence, strange things keep happening. Lora Townsend discovers a secret room behind the wall of her bedroom, in which a dark and foul Book of Shadows has been hiding for over a century. The book belonged to an ancestor who documented the spells and stories of the strange woman he loved…a woman the town later killed for practicing witchcraft.

There are whispers on the wind. The death toll is rising. And Lora and her family seem to be the center of it all. They must call upon Lora’s small knowledge of magic to help them. Will they be able to take the town back from the witch, and can they manage it without losing their lives in the process?

Lois Duncan meets Joss Whedon in this literary slasher for the twenty-first century!

Amazon / B&N

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I added this book back in November of 2016 and I own a copy. It’s been ab it since I read a story about witches and this one sounds chilling.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.