Archive for the ‘YA’ Category

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Beneath The Lighthouse

by Julieanne Lynch

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Genre: YA Supernatural Horror, Mystery
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication Date: June 26, 2018
Number of Pages: 334
ISBN: 978-1-944109-59-2
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

My Review

Whenever I see the words haunted or possessed in a book description my attention zeroes in. Imagine my delight when I read that this has both.

The haunting starts fairly quickly and the blurb already tells you who’s the haunter and the hauntee. I felt that worked well as the author got right down to business. The haunting starts gradually with some odd events but soon, Jamie can’t even sleep in his own room. Later he hesitates to even go in his own house. Doesn’t matter once he gets possessed. The haunting follows him everywhere then. He’ll have to settle accounts with the ghost or die trying.

I often like a story where I have a good idea where the author is taking me. Then I can relax and roll with the story, or maybe not as this is filled with creepy atmosphere, not to mention some startling twists. The story really gets dark when the mystery of what really happened to Jaime’s sister is revealed and the consequences are doled out with horrific results.

Did this book scare me? Not enough to make me sleep with the lights on, but it did kind of creep me out. Would I read more by this author? Definitely. Do I recommend this book? Absolutely.

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Synopsis

SOME SECRETS ARE MADE TO BE UNCOVERED.

Sixteen-year-old Jamie McGuiness’s sister is dead. Sinking into a deep depression, he frequents the lighthouse where her body was discovered, unaware of the sinister forces surrounding him.

When an angry spirit latches onto Jamie, he’s led down a dark and twisted path, one that uncovers old family secrets, destroying everything Jamie ever believed in.

Caught between the world of the living and the vengeful dead, Jamie fights the pull of the other side. It’s up to Jamie to settle old scores or no one will rest in peace—but, first, he has to survive.

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Enjoy this glimpse inside:

Jamie sat on the edge of his bed crying. Unable to stem the flow, he pounded his fist against the bed. The guilt-laden emotions swelled until they crushed him from the inside out, battered by the past.

If he had told his parents sooner about the things his sister Emer had been doing, she’d still be alive. Every time he thought of her, all the things he should have done to save her flooded through his mind. But he still ended up facing the harsh reality—he had failed her. It was his fault. A void like no other existed, leaving him in a limbo worse than death.

Jamie took off his school shirt and walked to the dresser. He grabbed a T-shirt from one of its drawers. He looked hard at his reflection in the mirror. How would it feel to not exist? The mirror showed the Jamie everyone knew and loved, yet his blue eyes were empty.

The young lad with dreams of playing for his favorite football team no longer existed. In his place stood a shadow, a living, breathing shell of the person he used to be. The ugliness of his home had become a constant reminder of the person he no longer was, and he hated himself even more. There was no escape or a happy ever after. Desolation and depression lurked in his future, and it hurt almost as bad as Emer’s death.

Jamie closed his eyes for a moment.

A chill, the same kind he’d felt in the library, pricked at his skin. The air grew thick and icy. Each labored breath became sharp. Every nerve in his body stood on edge, his senses on overdrive. He opened his eyes.

A shadow loomed behind him in the mirror’s reflection, its presence dominating him. He stood still, his heart pounding hard.

The shadow flowed, a discordant and uncoordinated swirling mesh of movement.

Jamie’s gaze remained locked on the mirror, unable to break free. The apparition descended upon him, shrouding him in its dark, wet residue. It moved through him.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

His heart was in a vise, compressed by whatever moved through his core. His eyes bulged, and he gasped for breath. Cool air washed over him.

Water lapped around his ankles. A strange odor assailed his nostrils. Unsure of where he was, or why he was there, Jamie scrambled to make sense of it. One minute, he stood in his room. The next, he was confined in a pit.

Scream after scream ripped through his throat. Jamie struggled to find a way out. He caught sight of his hands … only they weren’t his. The shock silenced his screams.

He wasn’t in his body.

He saw things through someone else’s eyes. Darkness crowded the edges of his vision.

Back in his room, he stood in front of the mirror, trembling and soaking wet. Jamie searched the room, trying to figure out what had just happened. Nothing was out of place. He shivered. Nothing would ever explain what had just occurred.

Jamie took a few deep breaths and dried off, while sweat trickled down his brow. He put on a fresh change of clothes, doing his best not to think. Taking a step towards the door, he glanced around the room. Unease swarmed within him. He grabbed the door handle and swallowed the tight ball, which had formed in the back of his throat.

He closed the door tight behind him and whispered, “It’s all in your head.”

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Author Julieanne Lynch

Julieanne Lynch is an author of YA and Adult genre urban fantasy books. Julieanne was born in Northern Ireland, but spent much of her early life in London, United Kingdom, until her family relocated back to their roots.
Julieanne lives in Northern Ireland, with her husband and five children, where she is a full-time author. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at The Open University, and considered journalism as a career path. Julieanne has several projects optioned for film.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

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

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from:

Ghostgirl

Mercy #1

  by J B Salsbury

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Genre: YA Romance

From page in the paperback.

The blank look on her face proves it …. she can’t see me.

But I see her perfectly.

I just started this and already loving it. I heard such good things about this and it’s been some time since I read a YA romance.

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Synopsis

She was brainwashed into believing she could save mankind.
Now, she’s the one who needs saving.

Abandoned with his two younger brothers, Milo Vega was placed in foster care. Now a twenty-year-old high-school senior covered in gang tattoos and working as the school’s janitor, he is living a life vastly different from the one he was destined for.

When another foster joins the family, this one from the psychiatric facility, Milo’s skeptical. A rare genetic condition makes her unlike any girl he’s ever seen, and he wants nothing to do with the one he calls Ghostgirl.

Despite his reluctance, his protective instincts flare when she enrolls in school, and eventually, an unlikely friendship grows between them. When a tragic event snaps her fragile psyche, Milo is faced with the possibility of never seeing her again.

Unless he risks it all to save her.

Amazon / B&N / Kobo

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Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

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Dive Smack

by Demetra Brodsky

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Synopsis

Theo Mackey only remembers one thing for certain about the fire that destroyed his home: he lit the match.

Sure, it was an accident. But the blaze killed his mom and set his dad on a path to self-destruction. Everything else about that fateful night is full of gaping holes in Theo’s mind, for good reason. Maybe it’s better that way. As captain of the Ellis Hollow Diving Team, with straight A’s and solid friends, he’s only one semester away from securing a scholarship, and leaving his past behind.

But when a family history project gets assigned at school, new memories come rushing to the surface, memories that make him question what he really knows about his family, the night of the fire, and if he can trust anyone—including himself.

A 2018 JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

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Praise for DIVE SMACK

“A tense psychological drama with a voice that pulls you in and a twist you won’t see coming, Dive Smack is an instant Hitchcockian classic!” —Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten“A twisty, witty thriller readers will love puzzling through to the very end. A visceral, delightful debut.” —Carrie Mesrobian, author of William C. Morris award finalist Sex & Violence“This riveting debut will plunge readers into an accelerating coil of twists and turns as if in free fall, plummeting them from a precipice as they cling to the dwindling hope of safe entry into the mysterious darkness below.” —S.A. Bodeen, author of The CompoundBrodsky’s debut combines an engaging school story, filled with best friend shenanigans, first love, and a fascinating look at competitive diving, with a tense psychological mystery.” —Booklist“In an impressive debut, Brodsky injects her teen drama with ambiguity, and a subtle hint of paranormal phenomena, leaving readers to guess at what’s really going on. Strong characters and a compelling mystery make this a real page-turner.” —Publishers Weekly“A taut thriller with a twist ending that will blow your mind.” —Kim LiggettBram Stoker Award-Winning Author of The Last Harvest“Complex, thrilling, and with a pitch-perfect narrative voice, Dive Smack will leave you on the edge of your seat and unable to put this one down.” —C. Desir, author of Bleed Like Me

“Heartbreaking, human and heroic, Dive Smack is a Perfect 10!” —Karen LaFace, 1992 USA Olympic Springboard Diver

“A taut roller coaster of a thriller chock full of dark family secrets, twisty lies, and finally, the redeeming power of truth.” —Michelle Zink, author of This Wicked Game

 
Author Demetra Brodsky
 
Dive Smack Author
Demetra Brodsky is an award-winning graphic designer & art director turned writer. She has a B.F.A. from The Massachusetts College of Art and Design and lives in Southern California with her family of four and two lovable rescue dogs where she is always trying to make more time for the beach. Dive Smack is dedicated to Pumpkin, the monarch butterfly she once saved from the brink of death. Once you read the book, you’ll understand why.
PHOTO CONTENT FROM DEMETRA BRODSKY

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

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Dive Smack Giveaway

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Letting Go of Gravity
by Meg Leder
Published by: Simon Pulse
Publication date: July 17th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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Synopsis
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“The anticipation and slow burn of Parker and Finn’s relationship is electric…[an] absorbing novel that will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell.” —Booklist

Parker struggles to reconnect with her twin brother, Charlie—who’s recovering from cancer—as she tries to deal with her anxiety about the future in this powerful new novel.

Twins Parker and Charlie are polar opposites.
Where Charlie is fearless, Parker is careful.
Charlie is confident while Parker aims to please.
Charlie is outgoing and outspoken; Parker is introverted and reserved.
And of course, there’s the one other major difference: Charlie got cancer. Parker didn’t.

But now that Charlie is officially in remission, life couldn’t be going better for Parker. She’s landed a prestigious summer internship at the hospital and is headed to Harvard in the fall to study pediatric oncology—which is why the anxiety she’s felt since her Harvard acceptance is so unsettling. And it doesn’t help that her relationship with Charlie has been on the rocks since his diagnosis.

Enter Finn, a boy who’s been leaving strange graffiti messages all over town. Parker can’t stop thinking about those messages, or about Finn, who makes her feel free for the first time: free to doubt, free to make mistakes, and free to confront the truth that Parker has been hiding from for a long time.

That she keeps trying to save Charlie, when the person who really needs saving is herself.

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo
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Enjoy the guest post from Author Meg Leder
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Back in 2000, strange messages started appearing on major overpasses in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, e.g. “TONY DANZA IS MY DAD” and “I PLAY YOGA.” Each time I saw one, I was surprised, confused, and delighted. Later identified as the work of artists Buddy Lembeck and Darius Jones, they were my first introduction to the marvelous world of street art.
In Letting Go of Gravity, my main character Parker goes through a similar experience. When strange messages start appearing on bridges in her town, she wants to know what they’re about. Ultimately they become the first step in her journey of self-discovery.
I was really excited to work street art into a novel, because I love it. For me, it represents a disruption of the everyday, a little bit of the unexpected that asks you to stop and look at the space around you differently. Parker in particular needs that jolt to start thinking about her world in new ways.
If you’re looking for some similar inspiration, here are some artists to check out:Invader: An anonymous French street artist, Invader places ceramic tile compositions of old video game characters around major cities. You never know when one will appear, which makes finding them all the more exciting. There’s even an app, so you can register the ones you find, like a scavenger hunt!Tatyana Fazlalizadeh: This artist uses street art to combat harassment, creating posters with images of women and captions about their experiences being harassed. Titled “Stop Telling Women to Smile,” the project is an incredibly powerful statement about the way words are used to control women in public spaces, and how women can take some of the power back.Os Gemeos: Identical twin brothers from Brazil, Os Gemeos create vibrant murals inspired by folk art, hip hop, and Brazilian culture. Their creations are both dream-like and grounded in the world around you, and their appearance in the world makes you feel like you’ve discovered a little bit of magic.Steve Powers: Powers used to create street art under the name ESPO. Now a full-time artist, he creates word-based and iconic images under his own name. Bright, blocky letters share messages like “YOUR EVERAFTER IS ALL IM AFTER” and “LETS ADORE AND ENDURE EACH OTHER.” (Powers’ work majorly inspires the street artist in my book.)Jenny Holzer: Conceptual artist Jenny Holzer’s work involves using words to deliver brief truisms on billboards and walls and galleries. Each one is strange and wonderful, e.g. “Protect me from what I want” and “In a dream you saw a way to survive and you were full of joy.” Holzer’s work startles you out of the everyday, asking you to question and tease out what she means.

These are only a few of the artists who inspire me. Are there some you love? I

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Aythor Meg Leder
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letting go author
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A former bookseller and teacher, Meg Leder currently works as a book editor in New York City. Her role models are Harriet the Spy and Anne Shirley. She is the coauthor of The Happy Book, and spends her free time reading, looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Author Links:  Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Tales From the Forest
by Johanna Sarah Aldridge
Genre: YA Mystery 
 
The Forest Realm is a magical world within our own. You cannot see it,
nor can you hear it, and only very few might be able to feel it. The
realm feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, and protects the
hunted… so long as their hearts are pure.
Recently orphaned, two heartbroken brothers are at risk
of separation by the government…
A black Labrador leads a colony of rabbits away from danger…
A destitute family of rats seek a new life away from the pollution of
the big city…
All have been rescued by the realm of magic, and their lives are truly
about to change.
Come and join us in The Forest where magic thrives, adventures are rife,
and friendships last forever.
 
 
Jo was born in Colchester, Essex, in 1974 and since an early age has
always been accused of having a wild imagination. This didnt stop her
from studying for an honours degree in Cell and Molecular Biology,
training as a science teacher, then go on to train as a Biomedical
Scientist. She eventually took a post in Clinical Chemistry at Jersey
General Hospital in the Channel Islands.
Whilst holding down a
full time job, and working 28 hour emergency on call shifts, she has
managed to find the time to share that wild imagination with the
world by writing online fan fiction stories about the CW series
Supernatural.
She enjoyed it so much that, with a lot of
encouragement from her husband, she decided to write her own stories.
Not an easy task for somone dogged by anxiety and depression, and
since her diagnosis in 2013 she has also been battling with
Ulcerative Colitis.
In spite of her struggles, Tales from the
Forest, a series of short stories set in a magical realm, began to
take physical form on her laptop screen, and her black labrador
Nelson is a valiant hero in some of the stories. As an avid animal
lover, she has vowed that all proceeds from the sale of this book
series will help to set up a forever home sanctuary for stray,
elderly and abandoned dogs.
Although still working full time
at the hospital, she has turned her thoughts to the future, and now
holds a Diploma in Dog Training from the Centre of Excellence, and is
currently studying towards a Diploma in Canine Communication in order
to prepare for a life of working with rescue dogs.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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The Dociles
by Valerie Puri
Publication date: July 12th 2018
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
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Synopsis
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Walls are meant to keep the monsters out…

Deep in the forest there is a wall where no wall should be. Behind it live the people of the Commune, the last remnant of human kind.

Jennie Caraway has lived behind the wall her entire life, certain that it protects her and her brother from the lemerons, ravenous undead monsters whose only desire is to kill – and feed.

Jennie’s peaceful existence is shattered when she uncovers a secret organization whose purpose threatens to destroy not only Jennie, but her entire world. The Order has a deadly mission, and they will stop at nothing to see it completed.

Jennie and those closest to her must expose the evil truth before they are killed – or worse.

 
Purchase:
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Enjoy the excerpt:
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The ranger had feared he might risk encountering a lemeron that night; anyone who came too close to one rarely lived to tell the tale. The torrential rains and the intense darkness had made it nearly impossible for him to see. As he ventured through the blackness, finding his way with his outstretched hands, he couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was about to happen.
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That’s when the lightning began, giving him intermittent visibility. He saw the skeletal figure stagger forward becoming visible through the heavy rain. The blotchy-grey flesh of the lemeron sagged from its bones and hung like ill-fitting clothing. It released a guttural moan causing the ranger to go rigid.
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When he saw the lemeron approaching him, the ranger turned and hurried in a new direction, one perpendicular to his previous course. After putting some distance between himself and the monster, the ranger took care to disguise himself in the underbrush growing beneath a tall tree. He gazed in the direction he had just come from to see if the lemeron followed him. The loud pounding of his heart in his ears made him aware of its rapid pace. He tried to slow his heart rate if only to hear better, but it was to no avail.
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He was startled by a crack behind him, the sound of a stick breaking underfoot. His fear turned to terror as he felt a boney hand seize his left arm. As the ranger spun around, the firm grip tightened, and sharp fingernails pierced his skin. The blood drained from his face at the sight. He was staring into the grey, sagging face of a lemeron.
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He struggled and tried to pull away from the monster, but the action only made it clench tighter, its fingernails digging deeper and deeper into his arm. The cloudy, yellow eyes of the lemeron were wide and hungry. Its green lips parted, exposing blackened teeth. It lunged at him with its fully bared teeth.
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The ranger was certain he would die in that moment. He frantically grabbed for the dagger hanging from his belt, his trembling fingers wrapped around the cold handle. He drew the blade from its sheath and instinctively swung it upward. His attack cut diagonally through the lemeron’s chest, sending it stumbling backward, but it was not enough for the monster to release him. Brown, congealed blood oozed from the rotting flesh. The ranger raised his dagger high above his head, and with all his strength, brought the blade down. His aim was good, and the small blade sliced through the monster’s wrist, severing the hand, thus releasing the ranger from its grasp. A crackling groan escaped from its throat, not from pain – lemerons feel no pain – but from anger.
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The ranger ran mindlessly through the darkness, stumbling over the tangle of slippery roots covering the forest floor. He had to put as much distance between himself and the lemeron as possible. He smashed into a tree, not noticing it was in his path. Searing pain exploded through his left shoulder, and a rush of warm liquid ran down his arm. It must be my blood, he thought. His arm felt like it was on fire, but he could not stop to tend to it. He could hear the beast crashing through the underbrush behind him.
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His head pounded, his heart raced, adrenalin surged through his veins, and his muscles begged him to stop running. Suddenly he slammed into something massive. The force of the impact knocked him on his back and the air rushed from his lungs. Dazed, he lay on the soaked ground while the freezing raindrops battered his face. He remained horizontal and motionless until he was able to recover his breath and regain control of his limbs.
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The ranger stood up and reached his hand out in front of him to feel what had stopped him. The oppressive night was growing ever darker as the storm raged; he could barely see his hand in front of his face. He touched something smooth and hard – it felt like stone. Lightning ripped across the sky in a spider web of brilliant streaks. In the prolonged flash, the ranger saw a stone wall extending as far as he could see in either direction.
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He was trapped. His only options were to go backward or to go forward. Behind him was the lemeron, and in front of him was a wall four times the height of a man. Frantically, he felt the surface with his hands and discovered crevices large enough to use as footholds where the large stones met. Quickly making his decision, he climbed the wall not knowing what he would find on the other side.
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Author Valerie Puri
dociles author

Valerie Puri has always had a lifelong interest in all forms of artistic expression. She has tried her hand at many things, yet she always found her way back to reading and writing. With inspiration everywhere, she finally put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard) with the intent of publishing her stories.

Writing has always come naturally to Valerie, and for a time she even worked as a technical writer. She continues to hone her skills by having at least one writing project in the works at any given time. Her true passion lies in the freedom that comes with writing the stories that pour from her imagination and real life inspiration.

Valerie believes that the experiences we have in life are just stories waiting to be written.

Follow Valerie:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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Freaking Fast

by David Pereda

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Genre: YA / futuristic / action / adventure

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Synopsis

The city is Asheville, North Carolina, and the year is 2066. As renowned mathematician Alexandra Martin travels in her self-driving car to assassinate the love of her life, she reminisces about how they met and fell in love fifty years earlier in middle school when she was a thirteen year old poor math whiz and he a wealthy teenager. Alex recounts her struggles to be admitted to the best private school in the county, her happy teenage years running track, and her close relationship with three handsome and charming boys: Xavier, the intellectual; Andrew, the golden boy; and Vitali, the suave foreigner. One by one, she visits the three boys of her youth, now successful professionals in their sixties, one of whom is her intended victim.

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Check out the excerpt:

Year 2066

8:30am. Asheville, North Carolina

 

Today I’m going to kill the love of my life.

This deliberate act should not to be misinterpreted for what the sensationalistic media will surely call a crime of passion, because it isn’t. There’s nothing passionate in what I am about to do. My action is premeditated, has been planned for a long time, and will be executed for the benefit of our city, our country, and our crumbling world – as well as for my own peace of mind.

I know people say things they don’t mean all the time, especially when they are stressed out, upset, or angry. People lie either to hurt others or to protect themselves or simply because they like to lie. I swear that every word written here is the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God. May He also forgive me for this murder I’m about to commit.

I have chosen this date for a reason. Today is my birthday, and the anniversary of our first kiss, fifty years ago. I turn sixty-three years old today. Five decades ago, I would have been considered an old woman at this age, gray-haired and wrinkled, and possibly overweight. But that was then. Nowadays, thanks to the medical advances of the past fifty years, of which I have partaken freely – they’re there, right, so why not make use of them? I’m in the prime of my life. I look and feel not a day over thirty and have the sculpted body, the vigor, and the mental acumen of a highly intelligent woman in her twenties.

When I was a teenager, there was this beautiful model named Cindy Crawford, who in her sixties looked like she was in her late thirties and was an example to women all over the world. She was to me. But the world has evolved, and that was then, and this is now.

Were Cindy Crawford alive today she would look like my older sister or maybe my young-looking mother, even though we would both be about the same age.

But I digress. I have, perhaps, too much on my mind. Images of the past keep streaming through my head. I think of the love of my life, him, and wonder what could have been but wasn’t; what was and shouldn’t have been.

I feel like crying as I see my life play out, in black-and-white like an old movie, on the screen of my mind.

freaking fast teaser

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Author David Pereda

freaking fast author

David Pereda is the award-winning author of nine novels, including Havana Blues and However Long the Night, as well as the Havana Series of thrillers featuring the dashing Doctor Raymond Peters and the beautiful but deadly Cuban assassin Marcela. He has traveled to more than thirty countries and speaks four languages. Before devoting his time solely to writing and teaching, David had a successful international consulting career with global giant Booz Allen Hamilton, where he worked with the governments of Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and Qatar, among others.

A member of MENSA, David earned his MBA from Pepperdine University in California. He earned bachelor degrees in English literature and mathematics at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

He lives in artistic Asheville, North Carolina, with his youngest daughter Sophia, where he teaches mathematics and English at the Asheville-Buncombe Community College. He loves sports and is an accomplished competitor in track and show-jumping equestrian events.

Author’s Amazon page

Buy Link: Amazon

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S.J. Higbee is celebrating the launch of Breathing Space, the third and final book in her Sunblinded trilogy, by offering up free downloads of Dying For Space, Sunblinded #2 today through Tuesday, July 10th.

Click on the cover or Amazon link to get your copy.

And if you haven’t read the first book, it’s priced to steal at $2.99 and you can catch up on this thrilling science fiction series.

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Dying for Space (The Sunblinded Trilogy#2)
By S.J. Higbee
Genre: Science Fiction
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: 14 December 2017

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My Review

 So much happened in the first book, and I can’t talk about it now without spoiling this one for you. So I’m going to keep it simple.

A lot has changed for Elizabeth. Now a cadet officer serving at her father’s mercenary space headquarters, she’s torn about what to think. The other cadet’s either support her or despise her, and training is sometimes unnecessarily brutal. Everyone seems to have an agenda, including her father, and she can’t help but feel like a pawn to be used. Dangerous games are afoot.

This story moves at a fast clip. At times, bitter sweet, it’s also packed with action, conspiracy and danger that keeps the suspense building.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Running Out Of Space, and Dying For Space was just as fun. Lots of surprises and I can’t wait for more when the third book, Breathing Space, comes out. I’m a fan of the Sunblinded series and happy to recommend it.

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Synopsis

Cadet Officer Elizabeth Wright just wants to make her father proud, while the mercenary warlord is looking for her to replace his dead family…

I finally get the opportunity to become a serving officer and fulfil my childhood dream, as well as get to know my biological father, General Norman. And when I first clap eyes on Restormel, the HQ of my father’s space mercenary outfit, it’s the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen.
But appearances can be deceptive. There are dark secrets hidden in the twisting corridors and blood-soaked cells beneath the training grounds and banqueting rooms. Secrets that seep out. Secrets that demand fresh victims, because whatever else happens, they can’t be allowed to see the light of day…

Amazon

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Running Out of Space (The Sunblinded Trilogy#1)
By S.J. Higbee
Genre: Science Fiction
Age category: New adult
Release Date: 11 October, 2017

39821340

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My Review

I used to avoid science fiction books. Figured they’d be full of techie jargon I couldn’t get my mind around. Then I gave it a go and found some fun books, including this one by S.J. Higbee. She does a great job of making me feel comfortable and before I know it, I’m not thinking about genre. I’m thinking about the characters. The trouble they get themselves into. What’s waiting for me on the next page. And almost forgetting that this takes place in space.

So, yeah, four young ladies, Lizzy, Sonja, Jessica and Alisha, decide to prove their more than baby ovens and head into the forbidden and dangerous Basement Level on Space Station Hawking to prove they’re every bit as tough as the guys. This is where the action starts and keeps going all the way til the end.

With four main character’s, all of them girls, you’d think their voices would run together, but they don’t. They each have their own signature and you easily know who’s talking when. All are quite different in personality, have different strengths and weaknesses, and this actually makes them a strong team.

When they get into some serious trouble, a stranger steps in and helps them out. Yep, a male character, Wynn of the muscles and sky blue eyes, joins the team. Not so much by choice as by circumstance. This doesn’t mean the girls go all wimpy. They actually step up and become double tough when the danger gets really intense. His character made for some fun to lighten things up here and there. And while there’s a quick attraction between one of the girls and Wynn, it’s not the main focus of the story. And from the author’s description of Wynn, I wouldn’t blame any of the young ladies for swooning over him.

Reading this story was like getting a tour of the station. From bottom to top, each level is different. Some are nice and some are nasty, and I could easily picture much of it. Probably because of all the sci fi movies I watch. Good visual writing added to my enjoyment.

The author gave me plenty of action and intrigue and some genuine characters that are easy to tell apart. Solid science fiction fun. I see this is the first in a series and I’ll be waiting for more.

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Synopsis

Elizabeth Wright has yearned to serve on the space merchant ship Shooting Star for as long as she can remember – until one rash act changes everything…

I can’t recall whose idea it was. Just that me and my shipmates were sick of wading through yet another unjust punishment detail. So we decide to take ourselves off on a short jaunt to the lower reaches of Space Station Hawking to prove that fertile English girls can also deal with danger.

The consequences of that single expedition change the lives of all four of us, as well as that of the stranger who steps in to save us down in lawless Basement Level. Now I have more excitement and danger than I can handle, while confronting lethal shipboard politics, kidnapping, betrayal. And murder.

Amazon

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And releasing July 8th, the third book in the series!

Breathing Space (The Sunblinded Trilogy#3)
By S.J. Higbee
Genre: Science Fiction
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: 08 July 2018

40726227

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Synopsis

Lizzy Wright is now Chief of the largest mercenary force in Sector Two – a job she can’t walk away from without risking a bullet in her back…

It’s not even as if she’s qualified for the job of Leader of the Peace and Prosperity Corps – more a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong surname, and now she feels the job is twisting her into someone she no longer likes.

The situation comes to a head when her psychotic brother – busy expanding his piracy operations – causes chaos throughout Sector Two. Forced to go undercover in a disguise which bites back, and in the company of a speed-enhanced oddball with a price on his head, Lizzie must contend with corruption, betrayal, and murder. Not to mention highly territorial aliens with their own agenda…

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

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CHLOE banner

Chloe Shipton & The Quill Of Lefay

by Author Lynn Veevers

CHLOE cover

Pub. Date: June 12, 2018

Publisher: Lynn Veevers

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 263

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon

Synopsis

When fifteen-year-old Chloe mysteriously disappears, the rumors at Grammaire Hall point to murder, but spiritual entrapment isn’t the same as dead. In a library that’s believed to be nothing more than a myth, Chloe’s spirit is separated from her body after witnessing another student’s murder. Try as she may she can’t remember what happened to her before she woke up as a spirit in the campus graveyard. As Chloe uncovers clues leading to the mythical library’s location and her body, a secret the Magical Parliament doesn’t want to get out, starts to unravel. Rogue sorcerers have infiltrated the school, intent on reinstating the Third Edict, and sorcery students are dying because of it. Destroyed long ago for horrific crimes against humanity, the return of the Third Edict would spell disaster for both magical and magicless societies. To prevent her own demise and the fulfillment of the Third Edict’s return, Chloe must find a way to reunite body and soul without giving the rogue sorcerers the weapon they need to succeed, a weapon only Chloe can activate.

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Check out the excerpt Chapter 2:

Picking myself up off the ground, I headed toward my dormitory building wondering why no one had come looking for me. Judging by the moon’s position in the sky, it was well past night check. The walk from the graveyard to my dorm tower took about ten minutes. Along the way, I heard the solemn call of wolves in the distance. Crickets chirped their nightly song, and the night birds asked their never-ending question of, “WHOOO.” When my dormitory tower came into view, I picked up my pace along the old cobblestone walkway. I passed through the courtyard with its magically maintained gardens and fountains. The stone cherubs in the fountain closest to my dormitory tower didn’t greet me as I walked by them, and it struck me as odd. They were among the few individuals who ever spoke a word to me. Coming to the heavy wooden door of the tower, I reached for the handle to swing it open, but rather than gripping it my hand passed right through it. Slowly, I pulled my hand back and stared at it in confusion.

 “Well, that was odd,” I thought to myself.

Again, I tried to grasp the handle, and my hand passed through both it and the door as if they were a mere illusion. From the other side of the thick wooden barrier, I heard the soft mew of the dormitory cat, Hunter. Cautiously I stepped forward. When my arm went through the door, I stepped the rest of the way through. There at my feet, Hunter stared up at me through lemon-lime eyes. He sat on his orange tabby haunches and regarded me intently. As I stood there staring down at him, I remembered how his coat’s softness rivaled that of rabbit’s fur.

“Meow,” Hunter yelled at me repetitively.

“Well, at least that’s one thing still normal as ever. You’re still a loud ass cat,” I said stepping around him.

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About Lynn:

CHLOE author

Lynn Veevers is originally from Washington State. With her mother being from Christchurch, New Zealand and her father being a well-traveled retired Navy Chief, Lynn has always had a fascination with different cultures around the world. An avid reader, she prefers books that take her to a place she’s never been and teach her something new at the same time. The Young Adult Genre is her absolute favorite to read, so it comes as no surprise that it is also her favorite to write. Lynn, on average, pens two to three novels a year with the sequel to Pinnacle in the publishing process now!

Today Lynn lives with her husband and kids in Southeast Oklahoma. Her young adult and adolescent children are supportive and avid beta readers of her work and give her a straightforward and honest point of view about how authentic her characters voices and personalities are for their age group. What better reference than someone close to the same age as the main character. Her kids always have and always will be her greatest inspiration.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

Giveaway Details:

One lucky winner will receive a $25Amazon gift card, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour:

Week One:

6/11/2018- Smada’s Book Smack– Excerpt

6/12/2018- Mythical Books Interview

6/13/2018- K.L. Knovitzke – Author– Excerpt

6/14/2018- BookHounds YA– Guest Post

6/15/2018- Hauntedbybooks– Guest Post

Week Two:

6/18/2018- The Desert Bibliophile– Review

6/19/2018- What the Cat Read– Review

6/20/2018- Tales of the Ravenous Reader– Guest Post

6/21/2018- Writer of Wrongs– Review

6/22/2018- Novel Novice– Excerpt

Week Three:

6/25/2018- Here’s to Happy Endings– Excerpt

6/26/2018- Parajunkee– Excerpt

6/27/2018- Two Chicks on Books– Interview

6/28/2018- Jaime’s World– Spotlight

Week Four:

7/2/2018- Lisa Loves Literature Interview

7/3/2018- RhythmicBooktrovert– Spotlight

7/4/2018- A Court of Coffee and Books– Interview

7/5/2018- A Readers Life– Review

7/6/2018- FUONLYKNEW– Excerpt

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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.

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

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

 

My Teaser for this week is from

House Of Furies

House Of Furies #1

by Madeleine Roux

35820373

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Genre: Horror / Fantasy / YA

  Teaser from page 69 in the paperback.

I breathed deeply, stilled, and knocked twice on the door.

 Go in, be pleasant, leave, return to work. You can accomplish this, Louisa. You can just be normal. You can disappear.

“Come in.”

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Synopsis

An all-new gothic horror series from the New York Times bestselling author of Asylum.

After escaping a harsh school where punishment was the lesson of the day, seventeen-year-old Louisa Ditton is thrilled to find employment as a maid at a boarding house. But soon after her arrival at Coldthistle House, Louisa begins to realize that the house’s mysterious owner, Mr. Morningside, is providing much more than lodging for his guests. Far from a place of rest, the house is a place of judgment, and Mr. Morningside and his unusual staff are meant to execute their own justice on those who are past being saved.

Louisa begins to fear for a young man named Lee who is not like the other guests. He is charismatic and kind, and Louisa knows that it may be up to her to save him from an untimely judgment. But in this house of distortions and lies, how can Louisa be sure whom to trust?

Featuring stunning interior illustrations from artist Iris Compiet, plus photo-collages that bring Coldthistle House to chilling life, House of Furies invites readers to a world where the line between monsters and men is ghostly thin.

Amazon / B&N / Kobo

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.