Posts Tagged ‘dark fantasy’

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 Welcome to the Blog Tour for Nightscape: Cynopolis

Check out the spectacular cover art.

Intrigued?

Come and and see what it’s all about.

Nightscape: Cynopolis

by David W. Edwards

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Synopsis

Detroit’s eastside has seen its share of horrors. Once-proud factories gutted for scrap. Whole neighborhoods burned out and boarded up. Nature drained of color. But nothing like this: a
thought-virus that turns the city’s dogs feral and its underclass into jackal-headed beasts.
 
The city erupts in chaos and nightmare violence. Communication in or out is impossible. The skies fill with lethal drone copters and airships bristling with heavy-duty cannon. Abandoned to their separate fates among hordes of monsters, the few surviving humans must find a way to elude the military blockade preventing their escape or to defeat the virus at its source—before government forces sacrifice them all.
 
Breakneck action, rogue science and deft portraiture combine for a grand and gripping tale of urban terror.
 
PURCHASE
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Author Dawid W. Edwards
 

 

Website /  Facebook  /  Twitter
 Goodreads  /
YouTube

David W. Edwards is the writer, director and
producer of the feature film Nightscape and author of the novels Nightscape:
The Dreams of Devils and Nightscape: Cynopolis. He attended the University of
Southern California’s prestigious screenwriting program and earned bachelor’s
and master’s degrees in English Literature while working for a variety of
Hollywood production companies. He’s the founder and former CEO of a successful
high-tech market research firm, and a former two-term state representative. He
currently lives in Hillsboro, Oregon with his family.
 
Follow the entire NIGHTSCAPE TOUR HERE

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Until I see you next time…..

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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Welcome to my Saturday Screams!

With Halloween fast approaching, I’ve amassed a bunch of creepy stories to share with you.

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Recently I showcased several books I won from Michael Phillip Cash and I asked you to help me choose which order I should review them in.

The Flip was the top choice and you can read my review HERE.

Next up was The After House. Check out my review HERE.

Now for your next choice, The Hanging Tree.

Come on in and get your scare on!

The Hanging Tree

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My Review

A scary good tale.

The location, Long Island.  The setting, beneath the legendary Hanging Tree.

The characters.

Arielle, a seventeen year old girl. Frustrated and angry at her parents, she sneaks off to the tr to meet Chad.

Chad, one year older than Arielle, is there for her. Understands her. Cares about her. He meets her under the tree.

The tree.

A local legend and truly haunted.

The inhabitants of the tree.

Spirits, young and old, angry and sad, despairing and hopeful.

And one more thing. Watch out for the cat!

This was a short story but so well written. The characters, alive and dead, were so captivating. Arielle and Chad had me feeling their pain, their hope. And the spirits in the tress. Well, most of them really creeped me out.

How the author presents the spirits and their ties to the Hanging Tree is quite creative and eerie. Now I look twice when I see one of the massive Live Oaks that grow everywhere in the south. Their twisted branches, some growing right along ground are how I pictured the Hanging Tree. I wonder if they have spirits lingering, attaching to those branches, just waiting for someone to come along.

I still think about this story. About choices I’ve made. About choices I will make in the future.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Enter a world where spirits roam the earth in Michael Phillip Cash’s haunting new novella, The Hanging Tree. Set amid the eerie backdrop of Long Island, an area famously steeped in old legend, two young would-be lovers contemplate their future while visits from those who have come before them reveal the lure of fate…and the power of free will. At seventeen years old, Arielle’s relationship with her parents is slowly deteriorating. Angry and defiant, she is at a loss on how to cope with the tumultuous situation in which she finds herself. Arielle’s only comfort is Chad, an eighteen-year-old young man who seems to truly understand her struggles. Arielle and Chad meet beneath the low-hanging branches of what the local community has nick-named the “Hanging Tree”. An ancient and majestic landmark, it has long been rumored that the tree is haunted by ghosts. These ghosts span various centuries and vary wildly in age, but each one of them has one thing in common: their deaths are all somehow connected to the tree itself. As Arielle and Chad commiserate over their current situation and their precarious nature of their future, the spectral inhabitants of the Hanging Tree witness their conversation. One by one,the ghosts begin reminiscing about their own lives-and deaths- as they examine the inner demons with which their human forms long struggled. An eerie meditation on the oft-overlooked power of choice, Cash’s The Hanging Tree will stay with readers long after they turn out the light.

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Be sure to stop back by for next Saturday’s choice.

And thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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I read The Harvesting and loved it so I was thrilled to hear the second book in The Harvesting Series, The Shadow Aspect, will be coming soon.

Before we get to the cover reveal, I’d like for you to check out the cover for The Harvesting, Book One.

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The Harvesting

The Harvesting Series, Book 1
Melanie Karsak

Genre: Horror/Urban Fantasy

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Book Description:

When mankind finally consumes itself, can any spark of humanity survive? Layla fights to keep those she loves alive when the zombie apocalypse unfolds, but she soon learns that zombies are not the only problem. With mankind silenced, those beings living on the fringe seek to reclaim power. Layla must learn who to trust, fast, if she hopes to save what is left of our kind.

Go HERE for my review.

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And now the moment you’ve been waiting for!!

 
The Shadow Aspect
The Harvesting, Book Two 
by Melanie Karsak
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Publication date: Summer/Fall 2014
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Zombies

Synopsis:
When Layla took the final step through the labyrinth, she knew she was saving the ones she loved.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

The unwitting victims of a grudge seething for eons, Layla and the other survivors now find themselves in a war for our world. With vampires lurking and shapeshifters plotting vengeance, Layla must learn who to trust if humanity has any hope of survival: the carnie girl? The quiet doctor? The tarot reader? The stranger with alluring gold eyes? Or the man she loves? And then there are the voices. What does it forewarn if the dead can speak?

When the world burns, mankind’s shadow side rises. Do we deserve to survive?

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Author Melanie Karsak

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Melanie Karsak grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
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Author links: Facebook ~ Blog
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Author Giveaway
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One Signed Paperback of The Harvesting (International)
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Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Finally, it’s my turn to tell you about Controlling the Dead, but first I’m going to tell you about how I recovered from the emotional storm this book stirred in me.

Tequila! Yep, Tequila will cure what ails ya.

Just pour a shot, then another and …..well you know.

Pretty soon you’re whistlin Dixie and everyone is your friend. You won’t be worrying about being ripped apart by zombies. You’ll be worrying about being the one to get that worm.

Tequila isn’t Tequila without that little worm. I did some research and not wanting to shock you, I didn’t include a close up!

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See. He wants to be your friend.

Now, I prefer my shot of Tequila with a chaser. I like a cold Heineken to help wash it down. After finally reaching that worm, my memory leaves me.

The next morning, the hangover is a killer. If an undead stumbled upon me I couldn’t beat his zombie shuffle. I’d be lucky to be able to open my eyes.

Personally, I think it’s the worm.

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Available now!

Amazon / B&N

Goodreads

Title: Controlling the Dead (The Famished Trilogy #2)

Author: Annie Walls Published: Oct. 27, 2013

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Blurb:

With the help of her new companions, the path Kansas follows leads to more knowledge of the ever adapting famished.

The team finds help in unlikely places, meeting more survivors, and discovers the possibility of a new beginning.

When the team experiences a devastating loss, Kansas struggles to keep her humanity from fading and distorting like that of the surviving society around her. It begins with knowing who to trust and who to leave behind. First, she must trust herself – she won’t make the same mistakes twice.

As the answers to her questions are revealed, Kansas begins to understand the knowledge comes with a heavy price and great responsibility of controlling the dead.

In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is as emotional as it is horrifyingly gripping.

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My Review

I’ve been waiting and waiting for this book. Kansas is in my top five of kick butt gals and I missed her. I missed her, and Rudy, and yes, even Mac.

But the Kansas I meet in this book is changed. She’s on the verge of losing it. After all she’s been through I don’t know how she keeps moving forward, but she does, albeit unsteadily. She can’t stand to be idle, to have time to think. So any down time she has she spends plinking zombies.

After Kansas and Reese finally reach New Orleans, and finally get to meet the elusive Mago, they get answers they didn’t count on. And it just gets worse from there.

While Kansas is teetering on the edge of a brain meltdown, Rudy has his own problems, so he’s not much help. And Mac is, well, Mac, so definitely not much help for her there.

There was so much happening that I was on the edge too. The suspense was acute, the violence was awesome zombieness, and the back and forth dialogue was as witty as ever.

Part of the suspense, for me, was waiting to see whether the heat between Rudy and Kansas would be ignited. But, guess that’ll have to wait.

When you do read Controlling the Dead, brace yourself. Annie Walls pulls no punches, keeping you in a perpetual state of suspense and fear, putting you right in the bloody thick of things, and squeezing your heart til you want it to stop.

But don’t.  The author does give you a reprieve at the end. Something from Rudy. You’ll love it! After all, you did survive the book!

When things get this bad, they can only get better, right? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. It’s all in the author’s hands, or mind, and we can only go where she takes us.

5 Freakin Stars!

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Annie Walls

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Author of dark fantasy and sub-genres of horror. Voracious Reader and Googler. Lover of dark humor. Horror Buff. Zombie Apocalypse Enthusiast. Loyal Cracked follower. Pinterest Addict. Wife of adoring husband. Mother of a seven year old Bruce Wayne. Cook. Maid. Kisser of boo-boos. Ultimate Time Waster. Perfect Procrastinator. Lolly Gagger. Trubie. Cake Decorator. Tea Drinker. Sculpey Sculptor. Girl Gamer. Perfectionist in the art of Facebook stalking. And now, God help me, a blogger. Oh yeah, and a twitter, twatter, tweeter. Well yeah, I’m one crafty bitch.

Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter / Blog

Purchase Book One on Amazon!

Taking on the dead

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MY 5 STAR Review

Life for Kansas was perfect until the day the world changed.

She has been hiding out for four years in solitude. It’s the only way to survive. The only way not to draw the living dead. Helping a small group of people, she learns the new world might not be what she assumes. Venturing out of her refuge and comfort zone, she meets Rudy, who helps her find a greater purpose. She realizes that the world has moved on without her. Only it’s not what she expects. Her knowledge of the living dead grows and only makes her more curious as humanity continues to hang on by a thread. While on her search for answers she finds comfort in new friendships and love, but her past seems as if it will haunt her forever.

Kansas takes it upon herself to help other survivors, which would be easy if the famished were the only obstacles.

In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is emotional as much as it is horrifyingly gripping.

*Not intended for a young audience. Mature content.*

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2 Controlling the Dead Prize Packs!!

Includes a signed copy of Controlling the Dead, swag, and a Famished Trilogy inspired zombie survival kit

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways click on the zombie survival plan below.

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If you love dark, brooding horror. If you think you’ve read the worst there is. Then think again.

I have a book that can and will horrify you!

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I’ve been waiting awhile for another book by Beck Sherman.

Goodbye Nothing was so worth the wait.

Beck warned me this was a lot darker than Revamp,  and that’s so true.

Cain has it all. The beautiful, loving wife, an adorable little girl, and a new baby. He’s just received a well deserved promotion and everything is coming up roses.

On his way home, all that changes in a flash of bright lights. A car slams into his jeep and darkness descends.

What wakes up in the hospital is no longer Cain. Well, it’s him but not him. The man everybody looked up to is gone. In his place is something so vile it’s unimaginable, except in the author’s mind!

You’ll have no time to ponder this as what happens next leaves you speechless. It’s so horrific and the author doesn’t spare you from visualizing it.

I like that about Beck’s writing. Not afraid to go the distance, giving you the horror like a straight shot of Tequila. It burns going down.

Cain knows who he is, but what he was is gone. In its place is the Nothing. A gaping hole inside that he feeds with so much blood and gore. It’s never enough.

Here’s where it really gets interesting. He kills at will, but no one seems to notice. It’s like the Nothing is so hungry, it makes his atrocious acts invisible. People don’t seem to ‘see’ what’s happening, only the aftermath.

Any serial killer would love that.

Cain finally catches up to the man who slammed into his Jeep  and left him for dead. The man who left him ‘Nothing.’

It was hard to read on as all of my senses came in to play. I visualized, I heard, I felt, and I smelled every bit of it. You’ve been warned, this is pure horror and it gets worse.

When the blind girl, Joey enters the story, I was relieved to have someone I could relate to in a way. Someone human. Someone nice. And I really liked Ren, her best friend. He’s a shining light in the story, funny and sweet.

But the author can’t just give you a bone . Beck wants you to gnaw on it. And I did with Joey. Something just felt off, felt sideways about her, and it worried me.

I love horror. I always have. I used to think demons were the scariest. Something that can possess you and you can’t even see it or touch it. Now I know the most horrific thing is right outside my door. Who knows. The person standing in line behind you at the grocery store may look human and act human, but be a monster waiting to strike. Waiting to follow you home and do terrible things to you.

Sometimes, the scariest monsters are human!

5 Stars

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I’ve also read REVAMP by Beck Sherman

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My Review

Synopsis

FOR THREE DAYS, IT WAS DARK.
News reporters scrambled. This was the biggest story to come along in weeks.
They called it a blackout.
The last one was in New York City in 2003, but this one was different, special, because the grids in six major cities across the country had been fried, kaput, see-you-next-Sunday. Everyone with some jurisdiction blamed each other, and when there was no one left to blame, terrorism rode in on its gallant steed.
It was the media’s fault. They were so busy stuffing fanatical Muslims with a penchant for Allah and decapitations down the American citizen’s throat, that they never saw it coming. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on them.
They were partially right.
It was terror after all, but a whole new kind. And when the lights came back on, things had changed.

The dark had brought us visitors.

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About Beck Sherman

Beck Sherman was born and raised in Massachusetts,  attended Syracuse University undergrad, has a master’s degree in photojournalism from the University of Westminster, London, and when not writing, enjoys exploring abandoned insane asylums and photo-documenting the things that go bump in the night, when they’re kind enough to pose.

You can find out more about the author and other books here:

http://www.becksherman.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807332.Beck_Sherman

https://www.facebook.com/revampnovel

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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I’ve had this book for a while and when I spotted this tour, I just had to be a part of it.

Now that I’ve read it, I wonder how many other fantastic stories are awaiting me in my kindle.

It drives me crazy thinking about this book having sat in my eReader, waiting for me to find the time to open it up.

I may have to take time off of work to read the second book in this series, Halo of the Nephilim. It’s soon to be released and I can’t wait!

HaloOftheDamned - Book One

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A chain of advertising agencies, a new breed of humans, and a fallen angel to worship… Andel Talistokov is known for his slick advertising agencies across the globe. He is a fallen angel that uses advertising as a weapon for Satan‘s work. His growing power emboldens him to break several of Hell‘s Commandments. Furious with his arrogance, Satan commands him to return to Hell after finding his own replacement. Yezidism, an ancient angel worshiping religion, quietly expands throughout the West. Armaros appears as a guest of honor during their ceremonies. He mates with young women to produce nephilim, a mixed race of humans and angels. They are alone and unprepared for their supernatural power. Joanna Easterhouse, a recovering drug addict, steps out of prison shortly after her mother’s fatal accident. She and her sister, Kim, unravel their mother’s secretive past. Intrigued, they learn their bloodline is part of a celestial legacy. Both worlds collide. Halo of the Damned is a horrifying tale that weaves research together with suspenseful twists and turns.

 My Review

Armaros, or Andel as he likes to be called, has been around for a long time. If you asked him he’d tell you, “I was made at the very beginning, with all of God’s angels…. So to answer your question, I’m as old as old can be.”

Andel is one of the fallen. He was sent to Hell along with one-third of the rest of the angels, those who stood alongside Satan in a war to defy God. Which they lost.

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Now he’s got this huge advertising company, The Evil Empire, which he uses to trick and steal the souls of thousands. He sends these souls to his master, who adds them to his army of evil warriors.

Andel is despicable and so horrendous. He doesn’t have to eat his victims to obtain their souls. He does it because he enjoys it, revels in it.

This scene from the beginning shows his real colors behind the suave business man facade he presents to others.

You’ll find him sitting in his office, calmly gazing at the young woman lying dead on the floor in a growing pool of blood.

After he licks his knife clean, he slithers over, slurps up all of her blood and consumes most of her remains. He’d had high hopes for his daughter, but, she didn’t work out.

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Then he calls in his trusted assistant, Marcus, to clean up after him.

Marcus is the worst of humanity, if you could call him human. He’s been killing since he was 10 years old. And now he’ll do whatever Andel asks of him, with pleasure, because of the promise to be made like him.

Next, you’ll meet Joanna, fresh out of a two and a half-year prison term for intent to distribute cocaine. At least one good thing came of her incarceration. She’s clean for once.

Her sister, Kim, picks her up outside the prison and takes her to their mother’s house. It’s now theirs, since her mother left it to them when she died. Joanna is torn up about missing her funeral.

Joanna and Maria, Kim’s young daughter, hit it off right away and it looks like they might all be living together for now.

When they go for the reading of the will, both sisters are surprised to discover their mother had an estate on Lake Geneva. She’d had it all along and never told them about it. The lawyer reveals there is also a painting of celestial beings somewhere that is quite valuable. A stipulation in the will states they can’t sell the homes or paintings unless they are forced to financially. And she’s left her special collection of stones to Maria, knowing the young girl will keep them safe.

The girls soon discover the painting in the lake house and the secrets hidden in the wall behind it.

Right then I had an inkling what their mother, Lydia, was and where this story might be going. I couldn’t wait to read further . This was getting really good.

Coincidence, or maybe not, lands Joanna in an important  position at Andel’s Evil Empire. That’s when she starts to hear the voices again, the ones she’d drowned out with booze and cocaine.

Between the voices, the doll talking to Maria and the startling events with a séance, things really start ramping up.

The chapters are short and really make this a fast read. I never slowed down and learned a lot about Heaven and Hell and it’s denizens.

I loved this story. Good and evil angels, nephilim, family secrets, and mystery and terror aplenty. Halo of the Damned is an exciting and  gripping tale of light and dark, good and evil, and those that stand against the Lord of Lies.

Dina Rae’s Halo of the Damned gets 5 Stars

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Sequel Halo of the Nephilim out May 2013

HalooftheNephilim - Book Two

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Dina Rae is running from website to website, trying to outrun the demons at her heels. Run with her on the Tour of the Damned and read special guest posts, excerpts, reviews and more from her hit novel Halo of the Damned. If you are lucky, you may be able to walk away… With a special prize pack from author Dina Rae herself.

Giveaway

Dina has a super giveaway!

Here’s what you can win.

1st Place(one winner):

Decorative box containing peacock themed items: file folders and holder, beaded shawl, scarf, brooch, silver wing earrings, note block, jeweled pic frame, hairband, hairclips, stationary.

2nd Place(one winner):

Rhinestone angel wing “Halo of the Damned” ladies black t-shirt.

3rd Place(two winners):

Peacock candle, dishtowel, pen and journal.

Go here to enter the giveaway and view all of these awesome prizes!

Tour of the Damned Stop List

April 7 – Krystal’s Enchanting Reads – Guest Post from author Dina Rae

April 8 – FUOnlyKnew – Review of ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 9 – Zombie A.C.R.E.S. – Excerpt from ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 10 – A Girl and Her Kindle – Excerpt from ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 10 – So Much to Write, So Little Time – Guest Post from author Dina Rae

April 11 – Free Book Dude – Excerpt from ‘Halo of the Damned’

April 12 – The Cerebral Writer – Guest Post from author Dina Rae

Biography of Dina Rae

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Dina Rae is a new author here to stay.  As a teacher, she brings an academic element to her work.  Her three novels, Halo of the Damned, The Last Degree, and Bad Juju weave research and suspense throughout the plots.  Her short story, Be Paranoid Be Prepared, is a prequel of sorts to The Last Degree, focusing on the James Martin character.  In the spring of 2013, her latest novel, Halo of the Nephilim, will be released.  Dina also freelances for various entertainment blogs.

Dina lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside of Chicago.  She is a Christian, an avid tennis player, movie buff, and self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories.  She has been interviewed numerous times in e-zines, websites, blogs, newspapers, and radio programs.  When she is not writing she is reading novels from her favorite authors Dan Brown, Anne Rice, Stephen King, Brad Thor, George R.R. Martin, and Preston & Childs.

Links

http://dinarae.co

www.dinaraeswritestuff.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dinaraebooks/

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/DinaRaeBooks

@haloofthedamned

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Book Buy Links

Amazon.com Buy Link

BarnesandNoble.com Buy Link

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

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!
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My tease for today is from Deadly Road by Tara Neideffer

Deadly Road

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She felt its anger drift through the air towards her, feeling like hands closing around her neck.

Creepy, eh?

I’m almost finished with Deadly Road.

Can’t wait to tell you about it.

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

I can’t wait to tell you about Dead of Eve ~ Trilogy of Eve #1 by Pam Godwin. You are going to want to get it when I’m done. At least, I sure hope so!

I also have a giveaway! Pam is offering a couple copies!

Details follow my review.

Dead of Eve (Trilogy of Eve, #1)

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I swear – writers are magical beings. How else can I crack a book and be transported to another place and time. Become so deeply engrossed in a story I lose track of everything around me.

Dead of Eve isn’t really a zombie apocalypse. A virus was released in an airport and quickly spread throughout the country. All of the children and most of the men died. Of the remaining men, most turned into these bug like mutants called “aphids.” All of the women died also, or so it’s believed.

Here’s Eve’s story.

I miss them, my darling husband Joel, and my children, the two ‘A’s’. He was my rock and they were my soul. Why do I go on? Because I still breathe. Why I was spared, I don’t know.

I’ve run into some very bad men. It’s bound to happen being the only woman left. I’ve been brutally raped, my flesh carved up, called a demon and I’ve got a ‘voodoo’ vagina.

But I’ve also got my Lakota, my Jesse. He awakened me with those copper eyes.

“Everything I want is right here.” His fingers spread over my breastbone.

…why did he unnerve me? Was it his sinful beauty? Perhaps it was the flame in his eyes as he looked at me – like he was doing at that moment.

And my luscious priest, Roark. What I wouldn’t give for him to break that vow. I’ll have to work on that.

He pressed his palm over my heart. I followed suit. His beat under my hand, thumping in chorus with mine, surged tingles through my limbs and blood roaring in my head. My empty chest filled with…what?

“Evie?”

“Mm?”

“Wha’ do ye feel?”

…His vitality. The thing I fed so ravenously on…”The song.”

And my mystery man. He was a surprise.

The clement breeze fanned his sandalwood scent around me. My breaths quickened and I knew he noticed.

A hunk of black hair fell over his bowed head.

“Let me ease you, Nannakola.”

So, I’ll kill as many aphids as I can, grab all the comfort I can. Maybe we’ll survive, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll find a cure. Otherwise, what’s the point?

The characters in this book are in my head. I can see them talking, moving about, struggling in this changed world.

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I tried to picture the aphids. There is no escaping them. They are everywhere and endless in number. The characters have many battles with these beings and there’s always the worry of being infected and becoming one themselves. All they want is our blood. Is there anything human left in them?

This story spans the globe, following these characters as they search for a cure to save mankind. Without a cure, there are no women. Without women, there are no children.

Eve has to be protected. As the last woman, she’s humanities chance at survival. But Eve is also a warrior. Strong, self-confident, and not to be coddled. She doesn’t stand back and let the men do the fighting. Her special senses give her a connection to the aphids, and to the ‘Drone’, whatever it is. Her martial arts training and her proficiency with weapons make her an asset. She’s quite capable of taking care of herself, thank you.

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As I followed the characters through their new world, I couldn’t help but becoming engaged with them. I worried about them, cheered them on, and felt their fears and courage. I laughed, I raged, and I yelled, Yes! in glee.

I also felt the steamy sexual tension. Evie has three sexy hunks of man-flesh sniffing after her. All three would die for her, and all three want her. It’s a constant juggle for Evie. With the world so different, being the last woman, and a libido raging inside her, why should she have to choose between them. Let them sort it out.

I’m partial to Roark, her yummy priest. I loved how he struggled with his desire for Eve. The deep kisses he demands, the need to be closer, to damn near crawl inside her. He may joke about it, but he’s dangerously close to breaking his vow.

His way of speaking and his frustration had me cracking up. Here are some examples.

“All I have left is my chastity. I’ve held this vow for donkey’s years. It’s been the bloody hardest of the three, yet the only one inviolate. I den’ take it likely.”

“Your the last woman left. And ye fancy sex. And now you’re trapped in a vault with a celibate priest. Tell me how you den see the humor in it?”

“Me vow is as useless as a nun’s tits if I’m spared from temptation.”

Another one:

“Ye be dog wide up there.”

Dog wide?  “Seriously, man. I don’t understand half of what comes out of your mouth.”

Funny scene I loved.

His brogue rumbled from his chest. “Temptress.”

“Prude.”

“Opinionated heathen.”

“Brain-washed god-fearer.”

His gaze drifted over my face, returned to my eyes. “Bugger, you’re so beautiful.”

I swallowed past a tight throat. My self-control was no match for his.

…he was adorable. His roughened lilt, the cleft of his stubborn chin, the way his boyish smile turned my hardened heart into butter.

“Give me a snog, love.”

“A what? Never mind.”

I could go on and on. I get so excited just thinking about writing this review. But it has to stop somewhere.

I am serious. Get this book. You’ll have a fantastic time reading it and the good news is there will be more to this story!

Thanks for the kick-ass story Pam! Five Stars from me!

resident evil photo: Resident Evil resident-evil.jpg  resident evil photo: Resident Evil resident-evil.jpg  resident evil photo: Resident Evil resident-evil.jpg  resident evil photo: Resident Evil resident-evil.jpg  resident evil photo: Resident Evil resident-evil.jpg

Giveaway

I have two e-books of Dead of Eve to give away!

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question:

“Do you believe you can love more than one person at a time?”

Giveaway ends March 20th.

Thanks ya’ll and Good Luck!

More news!

Dead of Eve is the first chapter in a trilogy. Intense and engaging. I tore through this one and so excited to know there will be more!

Blood of Eve ~ The Trilogy of Eve #2 has an expected release date for December 2013.

Dawn of Eve ! Trilogy of Eve #3 is coming in 2014.

And Pam has a new romantic thriller releasing March 18th. Check it out!

Beneath the Burn

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They meet by chance. The timing is wrong.

Three years later, they cross paths again. The timing is right, but the years that separated them were damaged by addiction and bloodied by enslavement.

Jay Mayard is a drug addict. He wears his secrets under his rock god facade, even as he loathes the fame that comes it.

Charlee Grosky is a slave. Hunted by a powerful man, she’ll do whatever it takes to escape the role she was condemned to.

In a celebrity world filled with paparazzi, groupies, and drugs, Jay and Charlee must defeat their abusers. When the battle is over, what will be left…Beneath The Burn.

Genre: Romantic/Erotic Thriller

Content warning: Includes graphic rape, sex, bondage, and violence. Age 18+ only.

About Pam Godwin

Pam Godwin lives in Missouri with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band. Now, she resides in her hometown, earning her living as a portfolio research analyst, and living her yearning as a writer.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

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When Brandon asked me if I would like to read his new short story The Card, I was all over it!

The Card

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Some of you might think this story is predictable. Not so for me. Brandon threw in some curve balls that distracted me long enough to forget a few hints.

Jason is the moderator for the three. Even close friends get into it now and then.

Brian’s ticked off. He’s adamant he didn’t do it.

Freddie’s furious. He’s sure Brian slipped the card into his deck.

They get in each others faces, causing Jason to step in and try to diffuse them.

Freddie designs his tarot decks himself, and he’s positive the card was slipped into his deck by Brian. Even though the back has the same design, there’s no way he created the picture of the creepy old man in the hooded cape. The figure is surrounded by fog, and the raised hand holding up three fingers, what’s up with that? No way does this card belong in his deck.

Brian’s tired of hearing about it. He didn’t put the card in the deck and doesn’t get why it’s such a big deal. It’s just a card.

Freddie storms out. When Jason suggests to Brian that he apologize, Brian storms out too.

Great. He’ll just let the two cool off for the weekend and see them next week when they’ve had time to cool down.

Monday comes and Freddie doesn’t show up for work. After his shift, Jason heads to his mobile home to see what’s up.

The minute he steps up to the door, his radar starts warning him somethings wrong. He has a sick feeling, but continues inside.

OhGodOhGodOhGod

What he discovers sends him to his knees. Before everything fades to black he sees it lying there. That card.

I love short stories. I get something similar to tunnel vision when I read them. There’s nothing like them. So much is revealed in so little words. I let myself go and just become engrossed in the story, knowing I’ll only be allowed to be there for a short while.

Brandon is great at getting you to connect with his characters quickly. They become familiar and you grow to care about them. At least the good ones.

Then comes the twists. You have to have some good ones and know where to place them. Brandon does this very well, drawing my attention this way and that, my mind trying to visual each scene.

I didn’t get the ending I expected and that was a nice surprise. I’m usually close when I guess the ending and thought this story would go another way. But, nope. I got a different ending and thank Brandon for that.

The Card gets Four Stars from me!

     

Next up is Out After Dark. Another creepy short story by Brandon.

Out After Dark

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Eric had to get out of the safehouse. He couldn’t stand it for one more minute.

That’s how he finds himself in the alley with the woman. Not sure if she’s spotted him yet, he slips deeper into the shadows.

He’d first spotted her in the club. they exchanged passing glances. He should’ve known the night was going to be bad when he thought he saw her again at the next club.

When he spots her in the shadows of a doorway outside, his worry turns to dread.

Sure enough, she follows him, so he ducks into the alley to hide.

But she follows him.

She calls out to him.

“Come on out and play, you little bastard….”

She casually steps forward as Eric slips further down the alley, and her hand, when she withdraws it from her coat, holds a gun.

Not good.

This was fun. At first I thought Eric was one thing, then I thought he was another. It was fun finding out what he was or wasn’t and whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about that.

You know that feeling you get where the hair stands up on the back of your neck and you’re sure someone or something is watching you? That’s what I experienced when reading Out After Dark. I’m sure that’s how the author wanted me to feel. Good job creeping me out.

When the true story of the mysterious woman became clear, I was delighted. I had it somewhat figured out, but then Brandon did the twists thing again, and took it in another direction. An exciting one too!

I just wish it had been longer!

Four Stars for Out After Dark!

     

About the author

Brandon R. Luffman

Born in Statesboro, Georgia in 1976, Brandon Luffman was raised in rural North Carolina from the time he was old enough to walk. In the sixth grade he discovered The Chronicles Of Narnia. Soon after that, he was on to Stephen King and Arthur C. Clarke. At the same time, he was making his first forays into writing fiction. After creating a series of short fantasy pieces for a class assignment that were received with praise, he was hooked on writing fiction for the entertainment of others. Now Brandon writes supernatural horror as well as fantasy, science fiction, and other genres. His short fiction is available online in various formats. Brandon still lives on the family farm in northwestern North Carolina with his wife and family. Taking inspiration from his homeland, he brings southern sensibilities and a modern flair to these classic genre themes. His upcoming survival horror novel, Frostwalker, is expected to be released in 2013.

Frostwalker

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Coming In 2013!

There’s something in the woods behind Jake Marsden’s house – and someone wants him to find it. A strange dream shatters his sleep, night after night, and a compulsion to find the dark presence in the forest wars with his logical and ordered nature. What’s a geek to do?

When his small hometown of Wynn falls under an ancient curse, Jake will find himself in a battle against creatures worse than any he’s faced in a game. Playing for keeps, it will be geek versus god in the fight to stop an evil force bent on destroying everything he holds dear.

The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth – If They Live Long Enough.

For more information, or to sign up to be notified upon release, please visit the Frostwalker site.

I’ve been anticipating this one for a while now. Excited to know it’ll be here soon!

For more about the author

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Amazon

Click on the covers to purchase the books.

 Taking on the Dead Series by Annie Walls

The Famished Trilogy

I’m so excited!

Contolling the Dead, Book Two in the Famished Trilogy, is coming soon!

I loved Taking on the Dead and Kansas stole my heart!

Check out the cover art. Doesn’t it just grab you and make you want to rush out and get this.

Hope to have it in my hands soon!

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With the help of her new companions, the path Kansas follows leads to more knowledge of the ever adapting famished.

The team finds help in unlikely places, meeting more survivors, and discovers the possibility of a new beginning.
When the team experiences a devastating loss, Kansas struggles to keep her humanity from fading and distorting like that of the surviving society around her. It begins with knowing who to trust and who to leave behind. First, she must trust herself – she won’t make the same mistakes twice.
As the answers to her questions are revealed, Kansas begins to understand the knowledge comes with a heavy price and great responsibility of controlling the dead.
In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is as emotional as it is horrifyingly gripping.

Check out this cool trailer!

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXQS95eJsME]

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I have to have this! Gimme! Gimme!

Check out Annie’s Blog for more about The Famished Trilogy.

Earlier, I read Taking on the Dead, the first book in this amazing series. I’m going to go ahead and repost my review so you don’t have to leave this page!

I really wanted to hurry and get this read for release day, but I forced myself to take my time. I did not want to miss one tiny bit of it!

Taking on the Dead (The Famished Trilogy, #1)

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I love the grainy image of the cover. It sets the tone for the story and this girl is perfect for the protagonist, Kansas. I am loving her dreadlocks and she knows how to use that machete, as you will see when you read Taking on the Dead!

Let’s get to the book shall we?

So here you are at the carnival, walking hand in hand with your boyfriend, anticipating a night of rides and games, taking in all of the sights, sounds and smells. Suddenly, zombies are everywhere, and you are in for the fight of your life.

That’s what happened to Kansas. She survived that night, but paid a heavy price.

Fast forward to four years later. Kansas City Sunshine Moore, also known as Kansas or Kan for short,  has been surviving, hiding out in her family’s underground bunk all alone. A betrayal by a group of people she offered shelter to forces her to leave her home and search for a new one. She quickly discovers there is much she doesn’t know about the zombies. There are the fresh ones, the Famished, and they are very fast and strong. What else doesn’t she know? She has been secluded for four years and now it looks like that wasn’t the smartest thing to do.

The first time Kansas meets Rudy, they don’t actually meet. With the long reach of his compound bow, he helps clear zombies from her path, but Kan is still wary of strangers and jumps in her car and races away. It’s a good thing Rudy decides to follow her, because the next time they meet he saves her life.

Kan comes to in the back of Rudy’s van. Well actually, it is an armored truck, the kind used to transport money, and it’s perfect for keeping out the pesky zombies. It can also mow them down easily. After a brief scuffle, Rudy convinces her he means no harm. Through conversation, Kan learns about the Famished, the dangerously fast zombies, and how different they are from the others. She learns a lot about what’s been happening while she was isolated in her bunker the first four years. Staying with Rudy, at least for now, is her best bet.

My thoughts and Ramblins

I’m going to warn you, I feel this story is for the older reading audience. There are no graphic sexual scenes but there is some mature content.

I love my zombies and I sure did get plenty of them in Taking on the Dead. I also got one heck of a great story about survival and humanity, and the lack of it. Not everyone that survives is nice, just like before the apocalypse. The characters are diverse and all too human.

Of course, there is some romance in the story. It is subtle, creeping up on you, just like it does to Kansas. It is not the focal point, but it definitely makes the story better. Wouldn’t you want someone to have and to hold when your world is overrun with zombies? I know I wouldn’t mind having someone to care about, otherwise, what’s the point of surviving?

Kansas is strong-willed and independent, but not necessarily a loner. Enter Rudy and her life gets complicated. Who could resist a man like him. Strong and gentle, with a large dose of sexiness and endearing humbleness. They are a good fit.

Here are some of my favorite scenes:

I almost elbow Rudy to wake him until I see how he looks when sleeping…Despite all the fighting, his nose is straight. Small scars from past fights etch his skin. A small, wide one dresses his lower lip. One much longer goes from his lower jaw to underneath the chin, his stubble efficiently covering it up. A chipped tooth adorns his bottom row of teeth.  The scar on his right eyebrow no longer allows hair to grow, splitting the eyebrow in half. He might get another scar on his left eyebrow, the cut is scabbed over now, and it’s wider then the scar on his left side. Very small imperfections, not even noticeable unless you look closely. It doesn’t take away from his handsome face. It enhances his masculinity, as if he needs it. The small flaws have history and give him character. Flaws I want to know about, and could grow quite fond of if I’m not careful.

Jesus. This chivalrous barbarian is beautiful. What am I getting myself into?

And of course some humor

“I’m thinking of naming your truck. I must be out of it.” I prop my head on the pillow against the window.

There’s slight amusement across his features. “What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know. Something domineering and associated with a big ass.” I motion with my hands.

He surprises me by saying, “Agatha. I had a teacher in the sixth grade, and that was her first name. She liked her power over us weaklings and she had a gigantic ass.” He starts laughing and shaking his head as if to clear the thought.

“Yeah, that fits. Agatha.” I say, trying it out.

“She was scary. I was glad when sixth grade was over.” We both laugh at this. I can’t picture him afraid of anything. It feels good to be laughing about something completely stupid. I can see he needed to laugh too.

The humor is well placed throughout the story, lightening the mood and giving you a break from the stress of survival, just as it would in real life. You know the scenes, where the cop makes a joke in poor taste about a victim?  That is a coping mechanism, and everyone needs one. The humor makes this story believable.

In one part Kansas poses an interesting question about zombies. One I am now curious about as well.

Do the souls get stuck to watch and feel their bodies decompose, all the while having an uncontrolled, insatiable craving? I guess that’s why I like killing them, just in case. No one deserves that fate.

There are some colorful characters you’ll be meeting.  There are the good, the bad, and the ugly. They all play their part, keeping you entertained and engaged.

This is my stopping point. I don’t like to tell much about the story past the one-third point. I like to draw you in and get you interested, much the way Annie Walls did to me.

I loved every second I was in it, and yes, it felt like I was a part of it. Fantastic job Annie!

Just one more thing and then you can go get Taking on the Dead.

About the ending!

I was talking to Mandy over on Goodreads. She is right about the ending! That’s all I’m saying.

  Still loving it and feeling it!!

More good news! There are two more books in this series coming out.

Controlling the Dead, Book Two

Living with the Dead, Book Three

Annie Wallsr

About Annie Walls

Author of dark fantasy and sub-genres of horror. Voracious Reader and Googler. Lover of dark humor. Horror Buff. Zombie Apocalypse Enthusiast. Loyal Cracked follower. Pinterest Addict. Wife of adoring husband. Mother of a five year old Bruce Wayne. Cook. Maid. Kisser of boo-boos. Ultimate Time Waster. Perfect Procrastinator. Lolly Gagger. Trubie. Cake Decorator. Tea Drinker. Sculpey Sculptor. Girl Gamer. Perfectionist in the art of Facebook stalking. And now, God help me, a blogger. Oh yeah, and a twitter, twatter, tweeter. Well yeah, I’m one crafty bitch

You can find Annie here:

http://www.AnnieWalls.com

https://www.facebook.com/annie.walls

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5777960.Annie_Walls

http://www.twitter.com/TheAnnieWalls

You can purchase Taking on the Dead by clicking on the cover image below.