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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing my review of

Memory House

The Memory House Collection #1

by Bette Lee Crosby

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My Review

I’ve read most of Bette Lee Crosby’s books and adored them. She has this southern flavor in her writing that appeals to my soul.

Memory House is the first book in the collection and enchants you right from the get go.

Ophelia is nearing 90 years old, and while she’s slowing down, she still has a lot of living to do. Searching from someone to pass her guardianship of treasures to, she waits for that someone to appear.

Ophelia can capture memories from objects. She feels their emotions, and sometimes visualizes them. She keeps the objects she comes across in her loft, keeping them alive to become others memories too. Perhaps that’s why so many of us are drawn to antiques and old things. We’re curious about them, wonder about the owners.

In walks Annie, looking for some time away after a bad break up with her boyfriend. She stumbles upon Memory House Bed & Breakfast, where a kind elderly woman welcomes her in. They quickly form a kinship and Ophelia feels that special someone has finally arrived. Now to see if she’s right.

I especially enjoyed it when Ophelia introduced her treasures to Annie. I recognized character’s the objects belonged to from some of her other books. It took me back to those beloved places and characters. A treat and such a clever idea.

Memory House a lovely read. Bette never fails to deliver engaging, step from the pages character’s that quickly become special friends to you. Her story is woven with magic. It entices, evokes your emotions, and you finish with a need for more.

I’m now reading the second book, The Loft, and it take places not too long after this book ends. Right back into this world and eagerly turning the pages.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MEMORY TO OUTLIVE ITS OWNER?

Ophelia Browne knows the answer is yes. She knows because she’s been granted the unique gift of finding and caring for those forgotten memories. But now she’s nearing ninety, and Browne women seldom live beyond ninety.

Before time runs out Ophelia must find a successor. Someone who can take hold of the gifts and keep the memories from fading.

When broken-hearted Annie Cross shows up on the doorstep of The Memory House Bed and Breakfast, Ophelia knows she is the one. The two women forge a bond of friendship as they sip magical dandelion tea and share stories. When Annie starts to sense the memories Ophelia is delighted, but then a thread of violence begins to unravel and Ophelia fears things have gone too far.

AMAZON

To get your copy of Memory House and view all of Bette Lee Crosby’s books, click on the link above or the book covers.

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This counts towards my 2016 Alphabet Soup Challenge.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

Another fun way to share your book news and enjoy others is The Sunday Post hosted by

Sunday Post

Kimberly the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.

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Some chit chat.

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

Time sure is flying. And so was everything outside my house this week!

Around 9 P.M. Thursday night I heard a strange whistling noise approaching my house. It got louder and louder, and then I heard this chuffing noise. I feared it was a tornado.

Thinking fast, I grabbed my cat and called my dog to me as I ran to my son’s room. We all gathered in a small hallway at one end of the house. The safest place because it’s surrounded by rooms.

We only had seconds before the storm hit. Could hear branches slamming on the house. Outdoor furniture tumbling off the back porch. And a loud crash as something broke. The rain and hail made such a din.

After about 20 minutes, the storm lessened and I dared to look outside. It was hard to see in the dark, but I noticed the pool ladder was gone, along with the outdoor furniture.

Living on the Gulf Coast, I’ve been through plenty of storms and hurricanes, but this scared me like you can’t imagine. I was sure it was a tornado and we were goners. Thank God we made it through safely.

In the light of day, I went out to view the damage. The pool ladder was in the middle of the yard, and my lawn furniture was all the way over by the fence. The loud crash was explained too. I had just replaced a toilet and the old one was on my porch, waiting for garbage day. It had blown over and the tank shattered. There were huge limbs broken around the house and my trash cans were in the road.

No major damage, just lots of clean up. All that and we never lost power! I hope I never go through that again.

Got lots of books to share, so let’s get to it!

I’ll be hopping over to check out your Sunday posts so be sure to leave me your link!

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New books on my shelf. Some I won, some are for review, and some I just had to have.

Print books.

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New eBooks

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And here are some freebies for ya!

Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button.

I hope ya’ll realize I don’t grab all of the free books I show on my posts! LOL

   

   

   

   

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Books I’ll be reviewing next week.

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Other posts on my blog this week.

Just Released ~ The Dead Of Winter ~ My Review

The Wishing Stone ~ The Eve Project #2 by Tegon Maus ~ Review and Giveaway

Teaser Tuesdays #148 ~ Red Dot ~ They Are Here!

Wordless Wednesday ~ What Do You See?

Eyeshine by Cy Wyss ~ Cozy Review and Giveaway

Got Some Winners!

The Friday 56 #98 ~ A Hold On Me

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For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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So, what did you get to read this week?

Got any recommendations?

I’d love to know and thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.

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

A Hold On Me

The Dark Heart Series #1

by Pat Esden

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Genre: New Adult Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

My 56 from the paperback.

“Confining a soul like this is despicable.”

Then, before I could turn and run, Dad closed the distance between us. The old-time straight razor he used for shaving appeared in his fisted hand….What the hell?

He grabbed my hair in one hand, yanked my head back, and sliced the back side of my ear with the blade.

In this scene, her father isn’t trying to kill her. Something strange has come over him.

Read on if you want to know more.

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Synopsis

She never wanted to return.
He wants nothing more than for her to leave.
But the fire between them is as strong as the past that haunts them.

Annie Freemont grew up on the road, immersed in the romance of rare things, cultivating an eye for artifacts and a spirit for bargaining. It’s a freewheeling life she loves and plans to continue–until her dad is diagnosed with dementia. His illness forces them to return to Moonhill, their ancestral home on the coast of Maine–and to the family they left behind fifteen years ago, after Annie’s mother died in a suspicious accident.

Once at Moonhill, Annie is shocked when her aunt separates her from her father. The next time Annie sees him, he’s a bizarre, violent shadow of his former self. Confused, she turns to an unlikely ally for support–Chase, the dangerously seductive young groundskeeper. With his dark good looks and powerful presence, Chase has an air of mystery that Annie is irresistibly drawn to. But she also senses that behind his penetrating eyes are secrets she can’t even begin to imagine. Secrets that hold the key to the past, to Annie’s own longings–and to all of their futures. Now, to unlock them, she’ll have to face her greatest fears and embrace her legacy…

Amazon

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I’ve only read the first few chapters but the writing has already captivated me. Does it sound like something you’d keep reading?

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

Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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This is my favorite part!

It’s time to announce the winners!

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For the Giveaway of The Lie

by Ashley Fontainne

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The Winners are:

Midu

Beth L.

Emma

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For the giveaway of The Woman In Crimson

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

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The winners are:

Tressanne

Theresa V.

Jacqueline

Michelle W.

Stormi

Heather

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Congratulations!

I used Random.Org to choose the winners.

Winners have been notified.

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

I do love reading them and hope you continue to visit fuonlyknew!

Thanks so much to the authors for these wonderful books!

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I’d love to keep telling ya’ll about some really great books.

Subscribe by email and lets talk!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

 

Partners In Crime Tours

Eyeshine

by Cy Wyss

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Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Nighttime Dog Press, LLC
Publication Date: November 2015
Number of Pages: 200
ASIN: B017WD3WWU
Purchase Links:

Amazon / Goodreads

My Review

I think it would be fun to turn into a cat and prowl anonymously every night. At least at first.

PJ Taylor does just that. She turns into a cat every night and stays that way from dark til light of morning. She has no choice. Can’t change at will.

So she uses it to her advantage. Rigging a tiny video camera to a cat collar,, she films scenes she comes across while wandering through her neighborhood. It comes in handy when she catches some thieves on film.

One night, while she’s taking a cat walk, she witness an altercation between a neighborhood boy and grumpy old Chip Greene. Chip slips and falls in the river and she’s way too tiny to help. Luckily, he washes up alive.

It gets strange when Chip is found quite a distance away from where he washed up, and he’s dead as a doornail.

Now it’s time for PJ to use her special abilities to help save the boy. He’s autistic and can’t defend himself, so she’s going to need lots of batteries for her kitty cam if she’s going to solve the case.

It sounded like a fun synopsis. A woman turns into a cat every night and films the goings on in her neighborhood. Being a reporter, she can use this to break some great stories.

The author did a good job covering how PJ manages to have clothes to wear when she changes back.  Can’t be running around naked if she doesn’t get home before daylight.

And the kitty cam was a fun twist too. Perfect for a reporter. PJ can get the skinny on what’s happening around town. I bet she caught some interesting stuff on film.

PJ is easy to like. She’s sweet and snarky. Smart as a whip. And has a generous, kind heart.  I was wondering how she could have a romantic relationship without spilling her secret. Couldn’t very likely just disappear every night. Maybe she’ll meet someone she can trust and understands.

There are several characters you’ll come to like, human and furry. Yes, PJ can kind of communicate with other animals when she’s in her cat form.

While the mystery may seem obvious, there’s a whole lot going on to lead you astray.

Eyeshine is a cozy mystery. It’s clean, no graphic sex, violence, or bad language. Not too serious of a plot, so it’s more of a fun who dun it then a thriller or suspense.

If the author continues with these characters, I’ll be checking in to see what they get into next.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

PJ Taylor is a reporter with a difference. Each night she turns into a black tabby cat from sundown to sunup. In this first adventure, follow PJ as she chases thieves, drug dealers, and even a murderer. Will PJ solve the mysterious drowning death of cantankerous old coot Chip Greene? Or will a local special needs boy end up taking the blame? Be prepared for twists and turns along the way as PJ applies all her feline senses to this diabolical situation.

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Enjoy this excerpt

People called Brooke Annabeth Taylor “PJ,” which stood not for pajamas but for Peeping Jane. She’d been a photographer and reporter for as long as the town could remember—at least since grade school—and her reportage was known for the most candid and impossible photos, like Peter Parker’s but from nearer the ground. Her job was made more difficult by her moniker because once people found out what it was, they shied away and wouldn’t tell her the secrets that are a reporter’s stock-in-trade. As she got older, it got harder and harder to convince anyone to give her a story. Now, at thirty, she was no longer “kitten cute” and able to wile her way easily into subjects’ confidence. Still, she managed to find a way.

With her penetrating amber eyes and easy smile, people found her disarming. She loved her relationship as a freelance reporter with the town’s paper, and all the vagaries that life entails, such as being a night owl and an absolute bulldog for the truth. If she could have chosen her own moniker, it would have likely combined these: Owl Dog. It was particularly inappropriate, however, because she turned not into a bird or canine every night, but into a cat.

She had been a black tabby from sundown to sunup since shortly after puberty. She often wondered why other people didn’t morph into alternate beings for the dark hours, but was admonished very early on by a loving mother to never, never, ever speak a word of it to anyone. PJ liked to think that was because her mother had a similar power and had suffered, but it could have been due solely to the woman’s intelligence and sense of practicality.

PJ’s father had died when she was ten. The man was a scientist, an absent-minded chemist, and PJ was of two minds about his awareness. On the one hand, his cleverness meant surely he wouldn’t have been fooled by a mere wife, no matter how adept at deception; on the other hand, his absentmindedness meant sometimes he forgot to wear shoes. So it wasn’t a stretch to think he might have no inkling about the bizarreness of his wife or daughter.

At sixteen, with PJ in limbo between childhood and womanhood, her mother suffered a tragic and debilitating stroke that took her life within months. PJ then moved in with her much older brother and his family. By then, she had become as adept as her mother at hiding her talent, in spite of the fact her brother was an FBI agent by that time, at twenty-nine, and extraordinarily difficult to deceive. It helped that after he witnessed firsthand the transformation from girl to cat, he immediately went into a long-lasting shock that consisted of utter denial. Instead of considering how her unique power could assist him in his life of crime fighting, he grounded her for a month and kept her largely confined to her room, especially after sundown.

PJ forgave Robert for locking her up, only because of her natural optimism and sense of personal grandeur. Honestly, grudges were beneath her, as were most things mere mono-modal humans did. She focused on her schoolwork and got all A’s that semester. Much later she discovered her brother had to take a polygraph test every year he was employed with the all-knowing government agency. PJ realized Robert had so thoroughly put the image of his sister becoming a black tabby cat out of his mind that he had convinced himself it wasn’t even a hallucination—it simply hadn’t existed at all. There’s no need to lie if you’re a true believer, and that was the most effective path for a forced deceiver. So PJ kept her secret, and Robert kept his job.

Fourteen years later, PJ was irrevocably known as Peeping Jane and Robert had traveled the country and come back in his forties to set up a one-man field office in Mayhap, Indiana. One day, PJ was out with her best friends Clara Goodwind and Vicky Donnerweise at the Mayhap Spring Festival when the sun dipped low on the horizon, threatening to bring the stars closer and the day to an end.

“PJ, why do you always leave just when things are getting interesting?” Clara said.

She was a buxom woman with big hazel eyes and bright red hair. Her wardrobe favored items with cats in evidence or implied by pithy sayings, such as “Meow Happens,” which her pink tube top currently sported. The woman was Taft County’s prime cat rescuer, with a warren of dedicated chicken-wire pens covering her backyard and a full-time feeding schedule. When she wasn’t volunteering at the county’s humane shelter, she was ensconced in a network of gossips centered at the Mayhap Memorial Library. Clara was an assistant librarian but party to all the good stories the town could provide. PJ found her an invaluable source. If it happened, or was going to happen, Clara knew about it and would talk.

Vicky stood with arms akimbo and watched PJ inhale an elephant ear. She was a striking woman with hair even blacker than PJ’s and blue eyes where PJ’s were yellow. Vicky was tall and muscular, like a man, but lither and hourglass-shaped inside the bulky kit she wore for law enforcement. She was one of Taft County’s deputies, second in their force only to Sheriff Curtis Denning, whom she happened to be married to.

“Land’s sake, PJ, how do you eat like that? You know I’m active all day, but I can’t eat three of those things without being ten pounds fatter tomorrow. Do you just stay up all night on the treadmill or what?”

A loud cry of enjoyment crescendoed from the fairway before PJ could answer, which was just as well since her mouth was filled with fried dough and she wouldn’t have gotten more than a grunt or two out. She didn’t have the heart to enlighten her friend. Every night, indeed, she ran the treadmill of being feline. She wandered miles in the summertime, searched every nook and cranny of the county, chased rodents and vermin, and napped only fitfully and with one eye open under the shifting moon.

She popped the last of the ear into her mouth and said, “It’s genetics. Some people are luckier than others.”

Vicky and Clara groaned.

Clara adjusted her pink-rimmed glasses and slurped her sno-cone. “At least I managed to keep myself to just one Devil Dog. And sno-cones have no calories after noon—everyone knows that.” Clara was constantly watching her figure, which didn’t seem to keep her from growing more buxom by the year. At the rate she was going, she would be a round octogenarian with a radiant smile in fifty years. PJ thought things could be worse.

“So you two coming two weeks from today or what?” Vicky said.

She was having a cookout, a common occurrence in the warmer months, and the Taylors and Goodwinds were regular fixtures. Everyone knew the cookouts were as much a bid to stuff the people of Taft County with reasons why the Denning clan should hold on to the sheriff-hood for the indefinite future, but everyone came anyway. Vicky’s ribs were legendary, and Curtis’s beer was as tasty and free flowing as anyone’s ever was. Today was Saturday, and two weeks from today was going to be the first big Donnerweise-Denning BBQ of the season.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” PJ said. “At least until sunset.”

Vicky rolled her eyes. “Because you turn into a pumpkin at sunset, right? We’ll never get to see nighttime you. Isn’t Doc Fred helping you with that?”

Doctor Fred Norton was Mayhap’s most celebrated, and only, psychiatrist. Apparently he was a third cousin twice removed to the iconic Oprah Winfrey and had once listened to her problems with aplomb, inspiring her to go on and listen eternally to others. He was given a brief mention in a book of hers, which was now out-of-print. For Mayhap, that was all it took to secure one’s place in the annals of town history. He even had a special shelf in the library to display his pamphlets on the pluses of positive putation, despite the brochures containing more than their fair share of buzz non-words.

PJ’s cover story for disappearing every evening, no matter the weather or event, was a rare and debilitating overreaction to darkness. Everyone thought she ran home to sit in a bright room under full-spectrum lights so she could make it through the dark hours with her psyche intact, her odd and entrenched phobia notwithstanding. Doc Fred made a perfect corroborator. His acute sense of professional delicacy meant he could never confirm nor deny PJ’s hints that he was treating her without success for her illness. Perhaps he had spent the last decades sketching her case study, which would no doubt be picked up by the professional societies should it ever come to a positive conclusion.

“Sorry,” PJ said to Vicky, “I’m not going to talk about it.”

“Oh, right. Shrink’s privilege and all that.”

“Well, get going,” Clara said. “I don’t want to have to carry around any pumpkins your size after dark, if you turn into one.”

“Alrighty. Toodles, people.”

~~~~~

About Author Cy Wyss

Cy Wyss

I live and write in the Indianapolis area. After earning a PhD in Computer Science in 2002 and teaching and researching for seven years, I’ve returned to the childhood dream of becoming an author. I better do it now because I won’t get a third life. Behind me, I have a ton of academic experience and have written about twenty extremely boring papers on query languages and such, for example this one in the ACM Transactions on Databases. (That’s a mouthful.) Now, I write in the mystery/thriller/suspense genres and sometimes science fiction. I know for some people databases would be the more beloved of the options, but for me, I finally realized that my heart wasn’t in it. So I took up a second life, as a self-published fiction author. Online, I do the Writer Cy cartoon series about the (mis)adventures of researching, writing, and self-publishing in today’s shifting climate. I also love to design and create my own covers using GIMP.

Visit Cy to learn more:

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Follow the tour.

Click here to view the Eyeshine by Cy Wyss Tour Participants

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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 click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Welcome to Wordless Wednesday.

A chance to share your photos and have some fun.

Here is last weeks picture.

There were some good guesses.

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It’s a glass flamingo. The reason it looked blue was my dog, who’s black, came and lay down close to it, causing it to change color. LOL

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Now for this weeks picture.

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What do you see?

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.

 

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

Red Dot

by Eugene Linn

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Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller

My teaser is a breaking news broadcast scene from the ebook.

The female anchor added, “From at least ten states, Canada, Mexico, countries in Europe, Japan…” “And reports are still coming in, flooding in, about, well…” “Some kind of red dots.” “You can see the video here, from, from where? From outside Washington, .C. Lots of confusion and panic. A red circle about ten feet across. Yes, some kind of red dots, circles on the ground and on surfaces.”

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My Review

What would you do if you knew aliens were real and a space craft was nearing Earth? Would you panic? Would you think they were friendly or hostile? Would you believe what your government was spinning?

That’s what this book is about. The characters portrayed come from all facets of the population. From your average Joe to the higher ups in government, all are wondering what will happen.

Scenarios range from a crumbling of society, people panicking and looting, to turning to their church for guidance, to eagerly awaiting the aliens arrival.

While keeping an eye on what they thought was a comet, it comes as a shock when the object is observed changing trajectory and speed. It leaves no doubt this object is being controlled and we now know we are not alone in the universe.

In the coming weeks, as people wait for the alien to arrive, mysterious red dots appear all over the world. They are small to medium patches of red on the ground. No harm comes from stepping on them, no dangerous emissions are detected. Their purpose is unknown.

Contact is also established. Though it’s difficult at first, people at NASA slowly establish a dialogue. This is released to the public to try to stem the rising panic.

I’ve often wondered how we’d react to contact from aliens. I’ve watched the movies. read plenty of other books about it.

While there isn’t a lot of action in this story, there is a slow build of suspense as the day of contact approaches.

If I’d connected more with the characters I would have enjoyed this story even more. I just didn’t get that little bit extra I needed for these characters to endear themselves to me.

That aside, I did enjoy this and would definitely read more if the author chose to continue with his story.

4 Stars

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

An extraterrestrial craft will enter Earth’s orbit on October 16, 2022—forty-four days from now. The question is: will there be any humans left when the aliens arrive?

NASA scientist Claire Montague is a single mother in her thirties who’s leading a special team near Washington, DC, assigned to handle the approaching spaceship and report their findings to President Al Douthart.

News of the impending ET encounter spreads after a tumultuous National Security Council meeting, causing social, economic, and political upheaval around the world. Just as governments are beginning to calm the chaos of their countries, thousands of unexplained red dots appear on the ground all over the globe.

As the countdown continues, Claire and her colleagues struggle to make sense of the mysterious dots and determine what the extraterrestrials’ plan is once they arrive on Earth. But as the questions go unanswered and global tensions erupt into violence, President Douthart wonders who will be more harmful in the end—humans or aliens?

Red Dot is a thought-provoking sci-fi thriller complete with a remarkable cast of characters and an intriguing portrayal of alien life. Expect the unexpected and you’ll still be surprised.

AMAZON

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Author Eugene Linn

Eugene Linn

I graduated from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, before I joined the US Army.

After studying Chinese Mandarin at the Defense Language Institute, I served as a Chinese language voice intercept operator. Upon leaving the armed forces, I attended the University of Kansas, earning a bachelor’s in journalism and a master’s in East Asian studies, with a focus on Chinese language and politics.

I went on to become a freelance reporter, working out of Hong Kong for UPI, Business China, Asian Business, and numerous others. Some of my specific writing assignments have included an annual report on China’s government social insurance system for Watson Wyatt Worldwide consulting and special contributor articles on China stocks for equities.com.

I now live with my wife in the Philippines, writing novels and editing academic papers.

Goodreads

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Wishing Stone

Having read several books by Tegon Maus, I’m thrilled to have him back on my blog and bursting with excitement to tell you about his series, The Eve Project.

Come on in. Browse for a spell.

The Wishing Stone has a special sale price of 99 cents for a limited time. Get your copy HERE.

And there’s a giveaway, so don’t forget to enter!

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The Wishing Stone

The Eve Project #2

by Tegon Maus

22905785

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Publisher:  Tirgearr Publishing (August 10, 2014)
Category: Mystery, Soft Science Fiction, Technothriller, Humor, Quirky
ASIN:  B00MMQYLPU
Tour Date: Feb/Mar, 2016
Available in: ebook, 151 Pages

My Review

Welcome to Ben’s world. Where machines short out and go up in flames in his presence. He has this thing called Bio-Chemical Electrical Discharge, B.C.E.D., a real condition. He gives off electrical discharges that cause machines to go haywire. Ben’s brother-in-law, Roger, put together some inhibitors, but they are no longer helping.

Enter Warwick, an institute filled with zany geniuses, scientists of all shapes and sizes. Here’s where Roger claims he can help Ben. And here’s where the conspiracy and lunacy take place.

You know those books you glance at but never pick up? You don’t know the author, or the cover or genre might not grab ya? You might want to slow down and pick one of them up, give it a try. That’s what I did with Tegon Maus. And boy did I get some great reading.

Having read Bob and currently reading Service Before Self, I fell in love with Tegon’s humor, his ability to suck me into his stories quickly, and the wildly diverse cast of characters he comes up.

I especially enjoy the humor. I anticipate it with each turn of the page. While the first book in this series, Machines of the Little People, gave me some, I got a whole lot more in this one.

I actually got a whole lot more of everything. More conspiracy, more science fiction, more mystery. And more new characters.

I often wonder where Tegon’s characters come from. Ben has three new friends at Warwick and I loved them.

Digby, Marcie, and Peterson are a hoot. They actually believe Ben has X-ray vision and see through their clothes. More of that Tegon humor.

You’ll get a deeper story about Ben and Roger here too. Roger tests Ben’s friendship. He’s deep into his inventions and losing his humanity. While Ben is seeing a side of Roger that scares him.

I wouldn’t recommend you reading this without having read the first book. To get the whole experience you need to meet these characters and enter their world from the beginning.

Remember what I told you, don’t judge or a book by its cover or genre. You never now what gem you might be missing.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

During that last summer, as if in punishment for being happy, Kate was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

The last time we used the wishing stone was at the hospital the morning she died.

On that day, all three of us made a silent wish, certain the others had wished the same. Kate died that afternoon and I never thought about it again. It was the last time I believed in magic, in love or in the existence of God.

Then, after three miserable lonely years, the unthinkable, a second chance . . . Warwick.

Amazon

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Praise for The Wishing Stone (The Eve Project – Book 2)

“More great Sci-Fi adventure from Tegon Maus. He doesn’t just give us a good Sci-Fi story. He gives us a story with great characters and a unique story and is able to include many other genres in his Sci-Fi stories. Comedy, drama and action.  Let’s pray for a book three in the series.”-Erik Nelson, Author ‘Unlawful Protection’

“This is a great science fiction story, which follows on nicely from The Eve Project: Book 1, Machines of the Little People, however could easily be read as a stand-alone.
It has it all for science fiction fans, top secret scientific projects, a great storyline, twists and turns round every corner, yet, at its very core lies, dare I say it, a love story.
It has a great finish, however, at the end, all I wanted to know from the author – is there is another book in the series coming?  I hope so”-Susan Keefe, Author ‘Toby’s Tales’ Series

“I enjoyed The Wishing Stone even more than the first book, even though, again, it’s not my usual read. I really liked the eccentric scientist characters Ben meets at Warwick, and as with book one, Tegon Maus did a great job of keeping me guessing what was really going on right to the very end. I look forward to finding out what book 3 has in store!”-Nick Stead, Author ‘Hybrid’

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Machines of the Little People

The Eve Project #1

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My Review

I’ve read other books by Tegon Maus so I knew one thing for sure, you never know what you’re going to get with his stories.

So the story goes…Ben’s sister died of cancer and her husband, Roger, Ben’s best friend, up and vanishes, not even attending his own wife’s funeral.

Needless to say, that puts a strain on their friendship. Even more so when Roger reappears with a new wife, a carbon copy of his old one, and he’s acting all wiggy. Claims there are little people, calls them Katoy, living under his house, running strange machines.

Things go further south when Roger’s new wife is found murdered and he has vanished again.

So many characters in this story, it’s hard to choose a favorite, but I’d go with Ben. He has this thing called B.C.E.D., or Bio-Chemical Electrical Discharge. He makes electronics go haywire. He has his car, Margaret, specially shielded, but still has problems with her.

There’s some fun scenes because of his condition. People even close their doors when he approaches, not wanting their equipment to short out or burn up. This is where some of the authors trademark humor appears.

There’s a couple of old ladies that had me in stitches. One’s a psychic, and copious drinking is needed for her to use her ability. Nothing like some old birdies deep in their cups. LOL

As I’m huge on character driven stories, Tegon never fails to give me plenty to keep me entertained. Where he came up with the Katoy is a mystery in itself. Perhaps he sat down with those little old ladies.

I’d tag this a science fiction mystery with heavy doses of humor.

Seeing this is a series, I wanted to ease your anxiety. The author wraps up the mystery. There’s no cliff hanger. But there’s still plenty to be carried on in the next book. Looking forward to it.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Amazon

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Praise for Machines of the Little People (The Eve Project – Book 1)

“The plot is unique, I must say that I haven’t read a Sci Fi book so original in a long time. It has everything, mystery, suspense, romance, eccentric characters, conspiracy theories, and of course the little people with their machines!
Crazy, Wild, Excellent Written. Highly Recommended!!!”- Julia Damatto, Romorror Fan Girl

“the real joy of this book is not the plot itself. The real joy is the way in which Maus keeps his readers constantly off guard, stringing them along for pages before flipping the situation on its head and forcing readers to reevaluate whatever they thought they knew. Normally, that just pisses me off, but the way Maus manipulates his readers makes us squeal with delight at every turn. There is an energy to his novels, a sense of urgency tinged with wonder. We trust that wherever he takes us–and it won’t be somewhere we expect–it will be an adventure in the truest sense of the word.
And then we have the characters. At the end of the day, it’s the characters that make a Maus book what it is.
Definitely recommended for anyone who just wants a cracking good story. “-Jonathan Cook, Author ‘Youth and Other Fictions’

“Anyone who loves a good science fiction/fantasy story would have a hard time putting this one down.”- Lisa Binion, Author ‘Softly and Tenderley’

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About Tegon Maus

Tegon Maus

Tegon Maus was raised pretty much the same as everyone else… devoted mother, strict father and all the imaginary friends he could conjure. Not that he wasn’t friendly, he just wasn’t “people orientated”. Maybe he lived in his head way more than he should have, maybe not. He liked machines more than people, at least he did until I met his wife.

The first thing he can remember writing was for her. For the life of him he can’t remember what it was about… something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married him shortly after that. He spent a good number  of years chasing other dreams before he got back to writing.

It wasn’t a deliberate conscious thought, it was more of a stepping stone. His wife and himself had joined a dream interpret group and we were encouraged to write down our dreams as they occurred. “Be as detailed as you can,” we were told.

He was thrilled. If there is one thing he enjoys it’s making people believe him and he likes to exaggerate. Not a big exaggeration or an outright lie mind you, just a little step out of sync, just enough so you couldn’t be sure if it were true or not.  When he writes, he always write with the effort of “it could happen” very much in mind and nothing, he guarantees you, nothing, makes him happier.

He has consistently placed in the top 3 in 189 writing contest in a variety of genres and has been featured in magazines a couple of times to raise money for Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Tegon Maus Website / Author on Tirgearr Website

Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Google +

Purchase Links for Wishing Stone

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords

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I have one eBook copy of Wishing Stone to give away. (Open Internationally) 

Entry is easy. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“If someone told you they’d seen an alien, would you believe them, or have you encountered one yourself?”

Giveaway ends March 23rd.

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Follow the tour:

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Feb 15 Review & Giveaway

Second Book to the Right Feb 16 Excerpt & Giveaway

Father, Writer, Logistical Wizard Feb 17 Review & Excerpt

The Libromaniac & Bad Case of Libromaniac Feb 18 Review & Interview

Pomegranate Radio Feb 19 Podcast Review

Inspire to Read Feb 22  Review

Books, Books, and More Books Feb 23 Review

Christy’s Cozy Corners Mar 1 Review & Giveaway

Deal Sharing Aunt Mar 3 Interview

INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS Mar 10 Excerpt

fuonlyknew Mar 14 Review & Giveaway

Lisa’s Writopia Mar 17 Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Anthony has a new zombie story, just released. Can’t wait to tell you all about it.

And he’s offering it free today. Click on the cover or links below to grab your free copy!

Come on back every Sunday until The Walking Dead Series is over. There will be a different free zombie book by Anthony every Sunday.

The Dead Of Winter

by Anthony Renfro

This is the original cover art. Wanted to use it in case it’s still this one posted on Amazon.

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My Review

You never know what you’re going to get when you meet this author’s zombies. In one book, they were singing Christmas carols. LOL At one point in the story I thought I knew what they’d be doing. But nope, it was something else. Still made me laugh, until I took the time to picture them. Then it was pretty creepy.

The story beings with two strangers meeting on a brutally cold winter’s day. They decide to stick together. The odds are better for survival that way. Two pairs of eyes and ears to warn of approaching zombies.

It’s not long before they run into trouble, narrowly escaping with their lives. It’s now become vital that they find a place to hole up. The zombies don’t get tired. They don’t feel the cold. And they do not stop coming.

From the mind of Anthony Renfro comes a new kind of zombie,. A smart zombie, kind of. They do think, but that doesn’t necessarily make them that smart. Several scenes have me laughing and cringing.

The characters are few. Just two men and a cat. Not including the hoard of zombies.

It’s these characters and their struggles to survive that drive this short story. Make it a deep experience.

The harsh environment of cold winter makes their struggles even harder. It’s bad enough they have to worry about food and warmth. There’s also those zombies who don’t feel the cold.

Not one to shy from gory details, you get plenty here. And the author’s macabre sense of humor shines in the end. You won’t see it coming. Just like one of the characters didn’t. Since it made me laugh, I guess I have a macabre sense of humor too.

5 Stars

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And this is the new cover.

DOW2

THE OPENING

Eric surveyed the road ahead and behind him. The world was filled with death. The highway was littered with silent, rusting cars sitting on rotting tires, waiting on drivers who were never going to drive them again. Ripped apart, torn open and partially eaten corpses littered the ground in various forms of decay. The corpses ranged from children to elderly adults. The zombies had done a number on them when they went into their “feeding frenzy.” The bodies that weren’t on the ground or pulled from their cars were still seated, and most of them still strapped into their seat belts, like they were still driving to whatever destination they had been going to before the world fell into death’s harsh embrace.

Eric breathed in deep and felt the cold air settle into his lungs. Bitter winter winds whipped at his face and tore at his clothes, trying to get inside the protective layers. Flakes of snow fell from the sky, nothing more than flurries.

“It’s something,” Eric replied, looking down at the white and grey cat in its carrier. He then put his eyes back on the man sitting with his back against a car.

Synopsis

Will they be food for the zombies?

This short story is about two men trying to survive an apocalyptic nightmare in a harsh frozen landscape. Hoping to find warmth and shelter. Hoping to ride out the night. Hoping the zombies don’t find them first.

Links on Amazon: US / UK / AU / CA

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And a surprise freebie.

Click on the cover or links below to grab a free copy while it lasts!

Also with a new cover.

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Synopsis

Dawn stopped at the edge of the parking lot. What she saw in front of her was an apocalyptic nightmare. It was a picture of mass panic frozen in a time of chaos.

The parking lot looked like a war zone–cars burned to metal bodies, cars crashed together, cars turned over, shopping carts everywhere and in all kinds of positions, (food and supplies in these carts long since looted), and bodies, lots and lots of dead bodies. Most of them had been laying out here rotting in the hot sun for far too long, and they were now decayed and gooey, slipping back into the Earth one second at a time.

She closed her eyes, held the gold cross on a chain around her neck, prayed, and then crossed the parking lot.

GET IT HERE FREE TODAY

Amazon

EBook: US / UK / AU / CA

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

Another fun way to share your book news and enjoy others is The Sunday Post hosted by

Sunday Post

Kimberly the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.

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Some chit chat.

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

I’m officially a great auntie as of March 9th. The sweet baby girl has arrived. I’ve seen pictures and she has the cutest little nose.

I just love babies. My son came as quite a surprise. My husband had been married before and his first wife already had a child from a previous marriage. When they had trouble conceiving, he’d discovered he probably couldn’t have children. Imagine our surprise when I got sick at the smell of hamburger cooking and took a test. Yep, I was pregnant.

With my rare blood type and RH Negative factor, I had to have ultrasounds twice a month. When my son came into the world, I recognized his sweet face from the pictures. My sweet boy with the Gerber baby face!

I remember crying when he got his first tooth. I loved his gummy smile. LOL

What a joy and a blessing are our children. No matter how old they are, they’ll always be our precious babies.

Got lots of books to share, so let’s get to it!

I’ll be hopping over to check out your Sunday posts so be sure to leave me your link!

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New books on my shelf. Some I won, some are for review, and some I just had to have.

Print books.

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New eBooks

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And here are some freebies for ya!

Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button.

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I hope ya’ll realize I don’t grab all of the free books I show on my posts! LOL

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Books I’ll be reviewing next week.

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Other posts on my blog this week.

Crushed ~ A novel of wine and love by Deborah Coonts

Launch Day Blast and Kindle Fire HD Giveaway ~ Mosaics: A Collection Of Independent Women

Release Day for James A. Hunter’s Mudman ~ The Golem Chronicles

Spooky fun! The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum ~ Review and Giveaway

The Island~ A Paranormal Horror Novel by Clarissa Johal ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

My Freakin Fridays Reviews #37 ~ Ellie Jordan: Ghost Trapper ~ Books Two and Three

The Friday 56 #97 ~ Forest Of memory ~ Authenticities and Captures

Saturday Screams #10 ~ Mutation Z ~ Books Five and Six

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Have you joined TSU yet?

Click on the widget to friend and follow me!

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For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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So, what did you get to read this week?

Got any recommendations?

I’d love to know and thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.