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Review and Excerpt ~ A League Of Her Own ~ Two Giveaways!

Posted: December 10, 2014 in Blog Tour, Contemporary Romance, giveaways, reviews
Tags: A League Of Her Own, Author Karen Rock

This is my stop during the blog tour for A League of Her Own by Karen Rock.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.

The blog tour runs from 1 till 14 December, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.

A League of Her Own
By Karen Rock
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 1 December, 2014

Blurb:
He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.

Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she’s a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father’s struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It’s going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she’s worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather’s world falls apart and Garrett’s the one who’s there to catch her…

~~~~~

MY REVIEW

This was a sweet romance. It also had a lot of depth to it.

Heathers return home after her father has a stroke is difficult. Even after proving herself as a winning pitcher and coaching a team of her own, her father is hesitant to let her manage their minor league baseball team.

Heather felt like no matter how successful she was, her father was never satisfied. Determined to prove she can do it, she’s all business until she bumps heads with the new pitcher, Garrett Wolf. Her attraction to him is strong. But she knows better than to mix business with pleasure.

As her feelings for Garrett grow stronger, so does her need to prove herself to her father and to save the team.

Heather and Garrett are strongly written.

She’s vulnerable where her dad is concerned. Still feeds a need to gain his approval. And her mother’s return after many years of absence has Heather reeling. I could understand what she wanted from her father, but felt she forgave her mother too easily. Growing up with a drug addict for a mother and then to be abandoned by her for years had to leave some lasting scars and a boat load of anger. How she chooses to forgive and to trust takes strength though.

Garrett also wrestles with some demons. His alcoholism is put to the test daily. He’s bound and determined to stay sober and take advantage of the second chance Heather’s father gave him when he signed him. Can he accept Heather’s instruction to improve his pitching? Can he stay away from her? Resist her allure? The poor guy has a lot on his plate.

I liked his vulnerability. His determination. Garrett’s issues with alcohol stem from something that happened in his past. When he stepped in to mentor a foster boy, Levi, he showed his true character.

A feel good story with a slow blooming, sweet romance, flawed characters who have you pulling for them, and baseball. What more could you ask for.

4 Stars

A little tease I want to share from the book:

When he caught her stare, he nodded and shrugged, a small smile tugging up the corners of his handsome mouth. Inside, she melted. There was a difference between a good-looking man and a good-looking, good-hearted man, and Garrett was the latter. Infinitely more attractive.

~~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside:

Garrett’s grumbling teammates filed out of the pre-game meeting, followed by the coaches and Heather’s father. Garrett, however, remained in his seat, watching the lithe young woman as she stood by the door.

At last she turned to him.

“We meet again. Garrett, right?”

He stood and strode to the door. When he stopped, her eyes widened, caution swimming in their depths.

“You mentioned having individual meetings,” he said, keeping his voice even, hiding the irritation shimmering through him. “I thought we’d have ours now.”

She blinked up at him, and her lips moved. Though he strained to hear, he couldn’t make out what she’d said.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

A bright pink suffused her cheeks, and he forced himself not to notice how pretty the color made her.

“I said that I haven’t finished my notes for you yet. I’ll watch you pitch tomorrow. We’ll meet after that.”

He had to give it to her. Soft-spoken or not, she had a direct way about her. He didn’t doubt that she could lead…just not professional baseball players. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’m requesting to be released from my contract. This isn’t the right place for me to advance in my career.”

Her mobile face stilled. “And why would that be?”

“Look, I’ll be blunt.” He tapped his fingers on the sides of his legs. “This team isn’t hustling, and it’ll be a long time before they come around to supporting you. Things will get worse instead of better. I have a limited window of opportunity to advance. Given these factors, my bottom-line pitching won’t look good with a losing team behind me. I’d like to help you, but selfishly, this is my last shot.”

A speculative gleam entered her eyes. “So you’re asking to be released because you think I can’t help you reach your goals.”

A long breath rushed out of him. She was going to be reasonable. “That’d be great. Thank you.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You’re wrong, and I’ll be as frank with you as you were with me.”

His relief turned to irritation. So she wasn’t going to make this easy. He held his tongue and waited to hear her out.

“I think you’re overvaluing yourself.” She nodded when his mouth dropped open. Guys talked this way to each other. Not women…especially not pretty women…to him.

“Your control isn’t where it should be, and if that’s not addressed, you’ll also be another reason why this team isn’t doing well. But you have potential, and I can help you.”

“Right,” he scoffed. What could a softball pitcher do for him? “No offense, but I need someone with more experience.”

She tapped her chin and angled her head, her eyes flashing up at him. “If I can change your mind about that, will you drop your request and give me your support and a hundred percent effort?”

He held in a laugh. Was she for real? There wasn’t a chance she could change his decision. “What do you have in mind?”

She stepped closer, and her subtle citrus scent curled beneath his nose.

“A contest. If I get more strikes out of twenty pitches than you do, you stay. If you have more, then I’ll release you.”

He stared at her. Processing. She couldn’t be serious. Sure, he had control issues, but he was still better than a college-level player. She was making this easy. But if she was foolish enough to offer him this out, he’d take it.

They eyed each other for a long, tense moment before he jerked his chin at her.

“You’re on.”

~~~~

You can find A League of Her Own on Goodreads.

You can buy A League of Her Own here:
Amazon (Kindle) ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ eHarlequin

About the Author:
Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary romance author. She holds a master’s degree in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time writer. Currently she writes for Harlequin Heartwarming and her first novel for the line, WISH ME TOMORROW, has won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2014 Golden Quill Contest and a finalist in the Published Maggie Awards. The first novel in her co-authored YA series, CAMP BOYFRIEND, has been a finalist in the Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards.

You can find and connect with Karen here:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Tumblr ~ Quarterly Newsletter

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

I have two giveaways today.

The first is for an eBook copy of A League of her own (Open Internationally

or your choice of eBook or Print copy (Open US ONLY)

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

“What’s your favorite sport to go with your romance read?”

And there is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of A League of Her Own. These are the prizes you can win:
a 100$ Amazon gift card (INT)
a set of signed paperback of Wish Me Tomorrow, His Hometown Girl, Someone Like You and A League of Her Own (US only)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the Southern Christmas Charm below.

AWOL ~ A Character Lost ~ New Release by Anthony Renfro and some freebies!

Posted: December 10, 2014 in Book Promos, Freebies!, horror, New Release, otherworldly, suspense
Tags: A Character Lost, Author Anthony Renfro, AWOL

Anthony Renfro has a new book!

AWOL

A Character Lost

I can’t wait to read it.

You can read it for free on Screwpulp.

I’ve read his Zombie Holiday Trilology and loved it.

I’m now working through his other stories.

My reviews will be coming soon.

And Anthony has some more freebies to share with you.

Come on in.

Check out AWOL.

And grab some free books!

Blurb

Imagine that you are a character in a story.

You have a home.

You have a life.

You have it all.

Then suddenly you wake up alone and afraid in a cold, dark place. Somehow you find your courage and your voice. When you ask for help, words light up on a wall in the darkness. You read them and realize you are in the creative center of your author’s mind. Instead of rescuing you, the author asks you for help.

This book is about the journey of that character, as he moves from story to story desperately trying to find his home.

Free Examples:

http://books.noisetrade.com/atothewr/awol-a-character-lost

http://dummy.pressbooks.com/

http://www.wattpad.com/story/27332743-awol-a-character-lost-the-first-two-chapters

Find the novel AWOL here:

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/498137

Amazon:

Paperback:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/150533277X

EBook:

US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QJ8DE14

UK: http://buff.ly/1FUrawb

Australia: http://buff.ly/1FUrElX

Canada: http://buff.ly/1vRX4q8

*****

For Free and in MOBI, EPUB, and PDF Files

Screwpulp:

https://www.screwpulp.com/?browse&*=info&id=180

About Screwpulp

Screwpulp has created a new ebook marketplace that gives authors a better way to reach an audience and earn more revenue. We are at the forefront of a publishing renaissance. Not since the screw press has there been so much change in the industry. Change in the way we write, change in the way we read, change in the way we acquire books; what hasn’t changed is the way that many publishers feel that they are the sole guardians at the gate. Thousands of great books are only in existence thanks to authors who had the courage to keep pushing, after tens, hundreds, of rejection letters. What good is writing the next great novel if nobody gets to read it? We created Screwpulp to get books into the hands of readers and let their voices be heard. Everybody has a voice, the author wants to be heard, and if the reader likes it they’ll want to tell their friends.

How Screwpulp works

At Screwpulp, we publish everybody. By giving away the initial copies of the book for free, in exchange for a mention on social media and a star rating, we quickly get your book into the hands of readers. This builds a fan base for the author quickly and this exchange creates buzz around your work. As demand for the book goes up so does the price in one dollar increments. Now new readers have a rating system to show the quality of the work before anyone buys it. Authors keep all of the rights to their works and retain 75 percent of the profit. The only thing we ask of the author is to keep their book on Screwpulp for a minimum of ninety days. We are partnering with different organizations to help authors with cover design, editing and formatting. We will unveil more tools over time.

About our name

Screwpulp? How did you get the name? We get asked this question a lot, so let us explain. The screw press was the first printing method that allowed for books to be made with moveable type in mass. Now that we’re in the digital age, the move away from paper, or pulp, is becoming the new normal. A merging of these two ideas led us to the name we have today, Screwpulp.

~~~

And more awesome news!

Anthony Renfro is going to have all of his books available as free downloads!

I’ve read his Zombie Holiday Trilogy and I’m reviewing each story to coincide with each holiday.

You can find the link to my A Zombie Thanksgiving review further into this post.

And I’ll be reviewing A Zombie Christmas on the 18th so be sure to stop back by! There will be another short story surprise review also.

So check out the dates, mark your calendar or save this post, and get your books FREE!

Click on the covers to see the books on Amazon and get your free copies on the specified dates.

Here is the schedule.

December 7 – 8

Killer Treads

~~~

December 9 – 10

A Haunted House Tale

~~~

December 11 – 12

Daylight Vampires and Sunrise Werewolves

~~~

December 13 – 14

Terror Ride

~~~

December 15 – 16

Evil Beach

~~~

Here’s the schedule for when his Zombie Holiday Stories will be free.

A Zombie Thanksgiving: December 9 – 13

You can read my review HERE.

***

A Zombie Christmas: December 17 – 18

Catch my review on December 18th also.

***

A Zombie New Year: December 12 and December 20 – 21

***

A Zombie Holiday Trilogy: December 19th

***

Author Anthony Renfro

Anthony Renfro

Anthony Renfro lives in Apex, North Carolina. He is a reader, writer, runner, husband, father, and stay at home dad – one of the toughest jobs anyone could ever do. He was born in Bristol, Tennessee, and is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro.

You can find him at many spots on the web, but if you really need to find his center in the social media storm it would be at his blog, apoetryjourney.wordpress.com.

Now reach out, just beyond the light, right into that big black space, and let him take your hand on a journey into cold dark places. You will be scared, and you may even be terrified, but in the end you might just find you liked the ride.

Find him on:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

The Sham ~ In more ways than one ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: December 9, 2014 in Blog Tour, giveaways, reviews
Tags: Author Ellen Allen, The Sham

I love the cover art for The Sham.

It makes you curious.

Is her hair blowing in the wind?

Is she under the water?

And what is The Sham?

Come on in and find out.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~

The Sham

by Ellen Allen

Release Date: 09/07/14

238 pages

MY REVIEW

The story starts near the end and then flashes back to the beginning, six months prior. When the killings first began

Many of you may want to stop reading when you get to the second part. The past six months. The argument or How “Muzzling a Sparrow” can kill a friendship.

What happens in the park when four teenage girls gang up on a small boy defies comprehension. They are brutal to the extreme, hardly human. And one girl, Emily(Em for short), is no match for them. If it weren’t for a stranger, Jack, she couldn’t have stopped them.

Don’t let this stop you from continuing. I won’t tell you there isn’t more blood shed. There is a serial killer preying on the teenagers. And one by one they disappear, later to be found dead.

The small town of Clevesham in southern England is in an uproar. All fear to be out at night. And no one knows who will be next.

Surreal is a good word to describe how I felt while reading The Sham. Most of the time I felt like Emily was trying to describe a dream.

You know how hard that is. No matter what you try, words can’t describe the disjointed, out of body, out of mind, feel of a dream.

I pictured the town as nestled in a hollow, dreary and dank, as it’s winter. Kind of sets the mood for what happens next.

One by one the people in the park that night turn up dead. Dogs howl in the dark. Strange words are written all over town. As their numbers dwindle, I have no clue who will be next.

I was hoping Emily would be a survivor. That she’d make it to graduation and hightail it out of there. With or without Jack.

Where to begin about Jack. He had no memories before arriving in The Sham. He seemed to have to eat constantly to refuel. He appeared to feel what others are feeling. And he spoke in half sentences, his mind jumping all over the place. I figured he was either nuts, a liar, or something else. Maybe something not human.

I don’t think I’ve read a more disquieting story. I felt ill at ease through most of it. Like I stepped out of ordinary into strange, lacking need to know information.

When I finally got my answers I was floored. Not once, but twice. I finally knew who was doing the killing. And I finally knew what was up with Jack.

Looking back, there are a couple of clues I missed. I didn’t pick up on them because of how distorted the story was. The author did an excellent job of camouflaging them.

I’m left wondering where the story goes from here. I’d sure like to know.

4 Stars

~~~

Summary from Goodreads:

When love leads to death, be careful who you trust…

Eighteen-year-old Emily Heath would love to leave her dead-end town, known locally as “The Sham”, with her boyfriend, Jack, but he’s very, very sick; his body is failing and his brain is shutting down. He’s also in hiding, under suspicion of murder. Six months’ ago, strange signs were painted across town in a dialect no one has spoken for decades and one of Emily’s classmates washed up in the local floods.

Emily has never trusted her instincts and now they’re pulling her towards Jack, who the police think is a sham himself, someone else entirely. As the town wakes to discover new signs plastered across its walls, Emily must decide who and what she trusts, and fast: local vigilantes are hunting Jack; the floods, the police, and her parents are blocking her path; and the town doesn’t need another dead body.

WARNING: THIS BOOK IS UNSUITABLE FOR YOUNGER TEENAGE READERS. IT DEPICTS ADULT SITUATIONS, MURDER SCENES, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SEX AND PROFANITY.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: The idea for this book came to me in a nightmare… It was so vivid that I imagined I was 17 again, at school, in the same group of 4 friends that I used to hang around with. We were involved in a murder and cover-up. I started writing partly as a way to get it out of my head and then the characters turned into real people… and Emily and Jack were born.

As some of the early reviewers have stated, it is quite extreme in chapter one, and necessarily so. This is the incident that sets up the whole book; something awful happens that sets off a train of events for the characters. This book is a mystery in two ways in that we’re: 1) trying to find out who killed Emily’s classmate; and 2) trying to work out who Jack is. I hope you enjoy it!

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks│Amazon UK

About the Author

I’ve just finished writing my first book, so I’ve been busy trying to work out how all the pieces fit together – the planning, the plot, the rules, the imagination, the characters, the grammar, the structure, the endgame… there’s too much stuff to remember and a lot of the information that I’ve discovered online about how to write isn’t that good or even well written (the irony in reading advice on writing that isn’t well written…)

So I decided I needed to find somewhere to store the good stuff. Then it occurred to me that other people might find it useful too. So here it is. My online reference tool of all the useful (i.e. good) advice for writers-to-be. I only post here when I have something really useful to say about the craft (Twitter is for daily musings, Goodreads to review and Amazon to buy my work); it’s all about the quality here, folks, not the quantity… Enjoy!

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Click on the banner below to follow the tour for more fun stops.

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the Southern Christmas Charm below.

Camouflaged Encounters ~ Blurb Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: December 9, 2014 in Blitz, giveaways, Science Fiction
Tags: A Clark Jackson Novel, Author David J. Englund, Camouflaged Encounters

How well do you know your neighbors, your friends?

You can’t ever really know someone.

Camoflauged Encounters is a science fiction story that tests everything you thought you knew.

Study the cover.

Read the blurb.

Then enter the giveaway!

Camouflaged Encounters

by David J. Englund

BLURB:

Forget what you think you know. How well do you really know your neighbors or fellow workers? Do you trust your boss? What about politicians? The fabric of our society is under attack. Our way of life, our livelihood, our very existence is under full assault. No one even realizes that it’s happening. Disguised as horrible natural disasters on the news, the world is caught unsuspecting as events draw us ever nearer to extinction. As “natural disasters” escalate and tensions between nations mount, one man hears a whisper. It has begun . . .

Excerpt

He motioned his hand in a sideways circle. “What is it? What’s the master plan?”

She whispered, “Death. A lot of death. We’ve passed a world population of seven billion and they figure they could only feasibly control a race of two billion. Clark, they aim to kill five billion people. Five billion!”

“Oh my . . . five . . .” Clark staggered backward a few steps and sat down on the beach. “How . . . how do they plan to do it? How could such a thing even be done without a massive weapon? How could they manipulate us into killing five billion of our own . . . ?”

She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “It’s the food, the food. The MRE packets that are being shipped around the world. They’ve placed alien microbes into each one. After roughly eighteen hours in a person’s system, the microbes disintegrate the body from within. A person would turn into a pile of dust just like with their ray guns, only they don’t have to take the time to shoot everyone, they just offer billions of people free food.”

“That’s sounds like a horrible way to die.”

Sarina started crying openly. “That would be extremely painful. Can’t imagine what it would feel like to slowly turn to dust.”

Clark gasped. “Oh no, I saw it on the news. The first shipments have already arrived in Africa and Asia. The news showed video of packets being delivered to starving people already.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

David Englund is a storyteller (science fiction author) and teaches economics at North Dakota State University. His first three titles, Upsetting the Tides, UNSEASONAL WAR, and Camouflaged Encounters are available on Amazon. Camouflaged Mischief is in progress.

Amazon ~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Email

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

David will be awarding a digital copy of Camouflaged Encounters to 6 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances of winning.

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For all of my giveaways click on the Christmas Cheer below.

christmas sleigh photo: Christmas abulb22.gif

Teaser Tuesdays #91 ~ A Zombie Christmas ~ Giveaway and freebies!

Posted: December 9, 2014 in apocalypse, Freebies!, giveaways, Holidays, horror, Teaser Tuesdays, Zombies
Tags: A Zombie Christmas, Author Anthony Renfro, Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

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 tease is from

A Zombie Christmas

by Anthony Renfro

Here is my tease from page 73 of the paperback.

“I want the kids in this neighborhood to wake up Christmas morning and find a present at their door. I want them to feel like Santa is still here, and he is one mean zombie-killing machine that won’t let Christmas die, no matter what the situation.”

and from page 81

The three men sat huddled in the cold, waiting and watching the mall parking lot. There were a lot of zombies shuffling around the open ground, some going into the mall, some coming out. Many of them were carrying shopping bags as if they had spent this day doing last minute Christmas shopping.

~~~

Description

In a Zombie Apocalypse, three men risk life and limb to bring happiness to surviving kids on Christmas morning.

~~~

Anthony has A Zombie Christmas print copy giveaway on Goodreads

You can enter the Giveaway HERE

Ends December 14th

~~~

I’m so excited!

Anthony Renfro is going to have all of his books available as free downloads!

I’ve read his Zombie Holiday Trilogy and I’m reviewing each story to coincide with each holiday.

You can find the link to my A Zombie Thanksgiving review further into this post.

And I’ll be reviewing A Zombie Christmas on the 18th so be sure to stop back by! There will be another short story surprise review also.

So check out the dates, mark your calendar or save this post, and get your books FREE!

Click on the covers to see the books on Amazon and get your free copies on the specified dates.

Here is the schedule.

December 7 – 8

Killer Treads

~~~

December 9 – 10

A Haunted House Tale

~~~

December 11 – 12

Daylight Vampires and Sunrise Werewolves

~~~

December 13 – 14

Terror Ride

~~~

December 15 – 16

Evil Beach

~~~

Here’s the schedule for when his Zombie Holiday Stories will be free.

A Zombie Thanksgiving: December 9 – 13

You can read my review HERE.

***

A Zombie Christmas: December 17 – 18

Catch my review on December 18th also.

***

A Zombie New Year: December 12 and December 20 – 21

***

A Zombie Holiday Trilogy: December 19th

***

Author Anthony Renfro

Anthony Renfro

You can find him at many spots on the web, but if you really need to find his center in the social media storm it would be at his blog, apoetryjourney.wordpress.com.

Find him on:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

~~~

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

stick out tongue photo: rr-sticking-out-tongue roadrunner-stick-out-tongue.gif

iRead Book Tours ~ Death Never Sleeps ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: December 8, 2014 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, reviews
Tags: A thriller mysery with suspense, Author E.J. Simom, Death Never Sleeps

I’m always in for a good mystery.

E.J. Simon has a couple of winners in Death Never Sleeps and Death Logs In.

For today, I’ll be sharing my review of Death Never Sleeps.

Make sure to stop back by Thursday, the 11th, for my review of Death Logs In.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~

Death Never Sleeps (Book One)

My Review

His well ordered life is about to change. Michael Cross is a corporate CEO with a wonderful wife and a successful career.

Then his brother, Alex, gets gunned down and he’s drawn into the underbelly of loan sharks and illegal betting.

As Michael digs to discover his brothers murderer, he becomes involved in his brothers business, with all of the ugliness and danger it entails.

A mysterious message has him wondering.

Is his brother really dead? Has to be. He saw the body, saw him buried. The author took me for a spin into the question of life after death, both philisophical and technical.

Other weird things happen and people are out to get him, even threatening the life of his wife. Now the race is on to solve the murder before everything he values is eliminated.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was Michael. His character rang true. The author shared his thoughts, which made his decisions and actions genuine and understandable.

I could see where the allure of the dark side of business would captivate Michael. He’s bored with his uptight legal career. Kind of like an early mid life crisis.

And keeping his brother distant in his life, trying to keep his brothers chosen life from tainting his, has left him feeling guilty.

Things took an interesting turn when Michael started getting messages. Messages from his dead brother, Alex. The author had me very intrigued and I wondered if Alex was really dead. As the story developed, I wondered even more. And wished he were alive. His character was very prominent even though he was dead. Very good mystery there.

From his brothers many ex wives to his right hand men, brothers Skinny and Fat Lester, a couple of characters more for show than for muscle, to the villains, of which there were some creepy ones, what you’d expect from the illegal side of money exchange, the characters were plenty and and entertaining, to say the least.

One thing I felt was lacking was more about Michael’s wife, Sofia. I felt that she needed to play a more prominent role in the story. What I did read about her had me liking her mojo. I hope to read more about her in the next book.

I zipped through this book quickly. The short chapters kept the pace flying. The characters were diverse and likeable, or not, and the suspense and mystery were developed well, keeping me interested and on my toes.

4 Stars

Synopsis

The problem with Alex Nicholas is that he won’t stay dead. Alex Nicholas was the consummate Queens bookie: fast cars and even faster women, and friends in all the wrong places. As an illegal sports betting and loan shark king in New York City, Alex was fearless-until the night his luck ran out and someone leveled the silver barrel of an automatic on him and pulled the trigger.

Michael Nicholas was everything his brother Alex was not: a powerful, married straight-arrow corporate CEO living the American Dream. Their two worlds collide when Michael discovers his brother’s secret laptop.

As Michael crosses the globe to find his brother’s murder, can he avoid his brother’s fate? And can the information contained in the laptop help Alex reach out to help Michael-from beyond the grave.

~~~~

Death Logs In (Book Two)

Some of the most powerful people in the world want to kill Michael Nicholas. Only his brother, Alex can save him – the problem is that Alex is dead.It’s been almost a year since Alex Nicholas, a Queens based underworld Boss, was gunned down. After Alex’s brutal murder, Michael inherited not only his brother’s business – but his enemies. Michael is now a key player in a world he once feared. By day, he is the head of a Fortune 500 company by night, the CEO of Tartarus, one of the worlds largest illegal gambling operations.

Before his death, Alex invested heavily in breakthrough artificial intelligence software so that he could live forever. It worked. In his virtual form, Alex can communicate with Michael and monitor information – and people – in ways the NSA would envy.

It is Alex who discovers Michael’s life is in danger. He detects plots that reach from the darkest corners of Queens, to the highest officials in the Vatican – and they all want Michael dead.

Michael is now in a race to save his life, but he is never alone – Alex is there to help him navigate through this maze of life and death. Also protecting Michael from the forces closing in around him is Sindy Steele, a beautiful – and lethal bodyguard.

How far is Michael willing to go to save his own life – and that of his family? Guided only by a familiar face on a computer screen, will the information Alex discovers allow Michael to go from being the hunted to the hunter?

Author’s Bio:

E.J. Simon was the CEO of GMAC Global Relocation Services (a division of GM) and the Managing Director of Douglas Elliman, the largest real estate company in NY.

He is a consultant to many leading private equity firms and has held senior level positions at prominent financial services companies.

He is a world traveler, food enthusiast and lives in Connecticut. Death Never Sleeps is his first novel. His second novel, Death Logs In, will be available in October 2014.

Connect with him: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Where to buy the book:

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~Chapters Indigo

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Trailer

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour for more fun stops!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the Southern Christmas Charm below.

The Bravest Squirrel Drives A Race Car ~ Blast and Giveaway

Posted: December 8, 2014 in Action/Adventure, Book Blast, Children's books, giveaways
Tags: Author Sara Shafer, childrens adventure series, The Bravest Squirrel Drives A Race Car

Book Summary:

When his baby cousin Zander runs away, Chaz finally has a chance to live his dream of rescuing someone and proving his bravery. But Zander doesn’t want to be rescued, and he certainly doesn’t listen.

When the little squirrel crawls into a race car, Chaz follows him, expecting they will hide from the humans until the race is over. But Zander doesn’t stay hidden, wanting to try everything the humans do.

When the race car spins out of control, Chaz is the only one who can save them. If he’s not brave enough, not only will they crash, he’ll lose Zander forever.

The Bravest Squirrel Series:

1. The Bravest Squirrel Ever

2. The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest

3. The Bravest Squirrel in School

4. The Bravest Squirrel Drives a Race Car

Amazon * CreateSpace

Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

The Buzz About The Series

“Totally awesome book!! You are brave to be an author!” ~ reader Valerie D., age 9

“A wonderful children’s book. I am passing mine on to my youngest grandson. He will enjoy this story.” ~ Susie, Amazon

“I liked how the squirrels act. They were funny. It was a really good book. I think other kids that are reading chapter books should read this.” ~ Gaea, 12 year old reader

About Author Sara Shafer

When two squirrels moved into Sara Shafer’s attic, she went on a quest to figure out what they were doing. She knocked on the ceiling, and they scratched back. Imagining what they thought and felt, she wrote The Bravest Squirrel Ever and then continued their adventures with The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest, The Bravest Squirrel in School, and The Bravest Squirrel Drives a Race Car.

Although her attic is currently vacant, the squirrels outnumber the humans in her neighborhood and could decide to take over at any moment. She watches for signs of invasion as she plots more stories of squirrel bravery.

Website | Newsletter | Twitter

Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

$25 Book Blast Giveaway

Amazon 25 gift card

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: December 22, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author Sara Shafer and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the Southern Christmas Charm below.

What’s New On My Bookshelf #88 and The Sunday Post

Posted: December 7, 2014 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: The Sunday Post, weekly book haul news

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

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

Kimba 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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I had this great idea for a topic to discuss and Forgot it! LOL

I can’t believe it. I was lying in bed, and this great idea came to me. I practically wrote it in my head. Thinking, surely I won’t forget this, I didn’t bother to jot down any notes. Now, it’s been several days, and I still can’t remember what the idea was!

Have you ever had that happen? I’ve had it happen while reading a book. I have this great thought to put in a review and then don’t write it down. Wake up in the morning and no clue what I was thinking the night before. So now I keep a notepad and pen by my bed. I even keep pen and paper handy in my car, just in case I think of something awesome.

But did I use it the other night when I had my epiphany? Nope! And it’s driving me nuts. LOL

Not much new has happened this week. I do have a lot of new books to share with you.

So here ya go!

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Here are my new books for review.

You can click the covers to check them out on Goodreads.

And the ARC of Racing The Storm, Jay’s upcoming new release in this series.

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New ones just for me!

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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.

And Anthony Renfro is making all of his stories available as free downloads this month!

Click HERE to check them out!

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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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Interesting posts from around the web.

Lola has an interesting post on her blog Lola’s Reviews about book blurbs.

Roger Colby’s post ~ 10 Worst Cliches in Fiction Writing

Check out Kat Kennedy’s post ~ How to name your blog

Donna Ansari talks about Endings and her Vampire in the City Series

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What I won.

Nothing new this week.

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Merry Christmas from Anthony Renfro! All of his stories will be free!

Posted: December 7, 2014 in Freebies!, Holidays, horror, Short stories and collections
Tags: Anthony Renfro

Wishing You A Merry Southern Christmas!

I’m so excited!

Anthony Renfro is going to have all of his books available as free downloads!

I’ve read his Zombie Holiday Trilogy and I’m reviewing each story to coincide with each holiday.

You can find the link to my A Zombie Thanksgiving review further into this post.

And I’ll be reviewing A Zombie Christmas on the 18th so be sure to stop back by! There will be another short story surprise review also.

So check out the dates, mark your calendar or save this post, and get your books FREE!

Here’s what Anthony Renfro has to say!

I plan to start running my stories for free over the next couple of weeks. This is what I hope will be an attempt to capture some readers who need something to read over the holidays and capture readers eager to snatch up free stories for the ebook readers they get as gifts. Most of my stories are thriller and suspense like horror stories. I hope to also capture readers who are a bit run down with all the Christmas stuff and want to read something just a bit different this holiday season.

If want to you can re-blog this on to your site, like it on Facebook, Tweet it out, Google Plus it, whatever. Just get the word out for me if you can.

Feel free to drop your links to your free stories into the comment section below. I will have this post stuck to the front page of my blog for a couple of weeks, so feel free to come by anytime and leave me a link to your stories. Maybe together we can generate some buzz about the writing we so love to share with the world, and if something grabs my attention I might just put up a post about it.

Click on this link to connect with Anthony.

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Click on the covers to see the books on Amazon and get your free copies on the specified dates.

Here is the schedule.

December 7 – 8

Killer Treads

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December 9 – 10

A Haunted House Tale

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December 11 – 12

Daylight Vampires and Sunrise Werewolves

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December 13 – 14

Terror Ride

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December 15 – 16

Evil Beach

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Here’s the schedule for when my Zombie Holiday Stories will be free.

A Zombie Thanksgiving: December 9 – 13

You can read my review HERE.

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A Zombie Christmas: December 17 – 18

Catch my review on December 18th also.

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A Zombie New Year: December 12 and December 20 – 21

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A Zombie Holiday Trilogy: December 19th

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Author Anthony Renfro

Anthony Renfro

You can find him at many spots on the web, but if you really need to find his center in the social media storm it would be at his blog, apoetryjourney.wordpress.com.

Find him on:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Merry Christmas!

For all of my giveaways click on Zombie Santa below.

Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy ~ Blast Giveaway

Posted: December 7, 2014 in Book Blast, Children's books, giveaways
Tags: Authors Lisa & Michael Cohn, Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy

Meet Lisa and Michael Cohn, a Mother-Son writing team who created “Bash and Lucy” to help (then) 4 year-old Michael cope with the death of their family dog, Lucy. They have become media darlings, including being featured in The Daily Mail in the U.K. and making an appearance on The Today Show! “Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy” is their latest release.

Book Summary

From an award-winning Mom-Son team featured on the Today Show, Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy is a contemporary boy-and-dog book. Bash’s dog, Lucy, helps coach his soccer team, and Lucy leads the team to the championships. But Bash is overcome with jealousy when Lucy enchants a team of Special Olympics kids who say they want her to coach their team. Can Bash overcome his jealousy and learn to share Lucy with kids who say they need her? This is Book Two in the Bash and Lucy series, following Bash and Lucy Fetch Confidence, a Mom’s Choice Silver Award winner and finalist, USA Best Book Awards. Co-uthor Michael Cohn, age 6, has appeared on the Today Show, on SiriusXM Radio, in Disney’s Babble, in The Oregonian and other media.

Amazon * Goodreads

Early Buzz About the Book

“This is a sweet story that teaches young readers not only about dealing with jealousy, but how dogs help kids with special needs. In the book, Bash, the boy who is the main character, learns how to help others, in spite of feeling jealous. Beautiful, expressive illustrations!” ~ 5 Star Review, Kristi H., Amazon

About the Authors: Lisa Cohn and Michael Cohn

Writer Lisa Cohn and her 6-year-old son, Michael Cohn, have appeared on the Today Show, SiriusXM Radio, AM Northwest and Disney’s Babble, in addition to the Oregonian and other media. Their first book, “Bash and Lucy Fetch Confidence,” received a Mom’s Choice Silver Award and was a 2013 USA Best Book Award finalist. Lisa and Michael’s aim is to share with children their love of dogs, books and writing! Learn about their school visits, dog blog and book reviews by Michael and friends by visiting www.BashAndLucy.com

Website | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook

Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Amazon 25 gift card

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: December 21, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author Lisa Cohn and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the Southern Christmas Charm below.

fuonlyknew

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Review and Excerpt ~ A League Of Her Own ~ Two Giveaways!

AWOL ~ A Character Lost ~ New Release by Anthony Renfro and some freebies!

About Screwpulp

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The Sham ~ In more ways than one ~ Review and Giveaway

Camouflaged Encounters ~ Blurb Blitz and Giveaway

Teaser Tuesdays #91 ~ A Zombie Christmas ~ Giveaway and freebies!

iRead Book Tours ~ Death Never Sleeps ~ Review and Giveaway

The Bravest Squirrel Drives A Race Car ~ Blast and Giveaway

Amazon * CreateSpace

Barnes & Noble * Goodreads

Website | Newsletter | Twitter

Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

What’s New On My Bookshelf #88 and The Sunday Post

Merry Christmas from Anthony Renfro! All of his stories will be free!

Bash and Lucy Fetch Jealousy ~ Blast Giveaway

Amazon * Goodreads

Early Buzz About the Book

About the Authors: Lisa Cohn and Michael Cohn

Website | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook

Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *