Posts Tagged ‘excerpt’

Hidden In The Shadows by A.D. Vancise ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: April 30, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Mytery/Thriller, suspense
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Never trouble Trouble, ‘til Trouble troubles you,

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for if you trouble Trouble, Trouble’s sure to trouble you.

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Hidden in the Shadows

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by A.D. Vancise

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Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

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“All I can ever think about is murdering her.” -C.B.

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Twenty-three-year-old Evie Day never dreamt she’d be back in Woodsville Arkansas, a small town in the

middle of nowhere, after having left five years earlier, but the death of her grandfather called for her

return. After discovering a photo from 1933 of a mysterious woman standing next to a tiny wooden box, a

strange vial of blood wrapped up in a handkerchief in the pocket of her grandfather’s overalls, and a key

hidden in his desk drawer that belongs to a secret safety deposit box, Evie is unwittingly thrown into a

world of evil where those closest to her are the ones to be the most feared and danger lurks around every

corner.


Hidden in the Shadows by A.D. Vancise shines a light on the darkness and reveals the underlying players

that have been hunting in plain sight.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

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The survivors of satanic rituals and child trafficking inspired this book, along with a photo I found in my

grandfather’s family photos of a mysterious woman standing beside a tiny box. My grandfather died with

the real story of what happened. He was a police officer.

I knew I had to take this story down a dark path once I heard the victims’ stories and those who never

believed them. The killer’s POV is based on true testimonials of survivors. These horrific acts

happened and continue to happen to kids worldwide.

 

Having said that, I feel the importance of noting a trigger warning for intense graphic material such

as child trafficking, sadism, occult rituals, sexual and physical abuse, violence, and murder. If reading

this material evokes memories of or PTSD from abuse, please contact professionals or a safe person

immediately. This novel is in no way meant to sensualize or exploit these serious events. It requires

courage to read this story meant to bring awareness to these heinous acts and give a voice to the

children who no longer have one. It’s to shed light on a darkness that has plagued this world for far

too long. I am awed by all those who can receive this information and want to help the children. We

all need to give them a voice. Thank you for being brave enough to read this story.

 

Sincerely,

 

A.D. Vancise

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Reviews for Hidden In the Shadows

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“Writing with crisp efficiency, mordant wit, and bursts of searing terror, Vancise whets the novel’s escalating puzzles and portents with an edge of queasy uncertainty.” -Editors Pick, Booklife.

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“If you’re looking for a spine-tingling read that will leave you wondering who to trust, what dangers are lurking beneath the surface and when the next twist will come, then Hidden in the Shadows is the book for you.”-Booktrib.

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“Hidden in the Shadows by A. D. Vancise is a thrilling mystery that keeps readers in suspense from the first clue until the end.” – Five Stars. Literary Titan.

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“A.D. Vancise excels in crafting a dark, atmospheric story.” -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

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“If you are a reader who is tired of reading the same old books that are lackluster and forgettable, then take a chance with this one…you will not be disappointed.” -The Red-Headed Book Lover.

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“The author vividly informs your mind’s eye.” – Five Stars. Readers’ Favorite.

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“Dark, disturbing, and gripping.” -Five Stars. Bookview Review.

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“A grim but exciting and compelling mystery even in its most disconcerting moments.” Kirkus Review.

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Amazon * B&N * Bookshop.org * Bookbub * Goodreads

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What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? 

Research into a story depends on the type of story being written. My first book, for instance, didn’t require much research due to it being a semi-autobiography. I knew the story, the characters, the plot etc. I may have had to research medical terms or areas that my brother and his partner had visited as well as speak to Brad, my brother’s partner, about their experiences but that was the minimal research done for that book. This book, however, consisted of close to six months of straight research if not more.

 

Do you see writing as a career? 

I want to see writing as a career, I take it very seriously. Having said that though, my reason for writing is for the love of writing, first and foremost.

 

What do you think about the current publishing market? 

The current publishing market is difficult on many levels. I much prefer the hybrid model. This model isn’t a vanity press, there is quite a difference between the two. A hybrid publisher you still must pitch, and they do not accept all manuscripts for publishing. When your manuscript is accepted the author pays the publisher for structural editing, cover design, copy editing, interior design, and some promotion.

 

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? 

I read and read and read again. This I believe should be the pattern of all writers. I learn a great deal from other authors both bad and good or what I like or dislike. Some paragraphs, I’ll read two or three times when they are exceptional. I’ll jot it down in a notebook as well making sure to mark it as someone else’s work because I also jot down ideas or sentences that come to me randomly or conversations between strangers and I don’t want to plagiarize. I read reviews of books I’ve read as well, good, and bad as this also provides great feedback as to what readers want or look for in a book. My favorite genre is and always has been thriller/mystery.

 

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? 

I cannot write if it’s too silent around me. I know other authors isolate themselves, but I realized at university that I couldn’t concentrate when it was quiet. I need something to block out in order to focus, so the noisier the better. I often put on music or plant myself in the middle of a room with others watching TV.

 

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

I never saw myself writing two books at once but here I am doing it now. I’m working on the sequel to Hidden in the Shadows and Memoirs from a Killer.

 

Pen or type writer or computer?

When I’m working on the story, I use a program called Scrivener on my computer. I find it’s the quickest way to get the words out. When they flow, they flow rapidly. I still enjoy pen to paper as I came from the era just before computers. We hand-wrote papers or typed them on a typewriter so I will keep a journal or notebooks that I prefer to handwrite.

 

Do you have any advice to offer for new authors? 

Advice to new authors read, read, read, and then read some more and in the genre, you’d like to write in. I hear people often say they want to write a book, but they don’t read. How do you expect to know what sells or what flows, works, or doesn’t work if you don’t read? I would also advise taking some writing courses to gain confidence. And write for the love of writing not because you want to get published. One more thing, you CAN do it, your story is important, WRITE it.

 

Describe your writing style. 

I would describe my writing style as atmospheric. I am a visual artist and I feel that helps in my creation of a scene but it’s a fine line, too much description and you lose the reader, not enough and you lose the reader I try to set the tone of the scene through atmosphere, smells, touch, and tastes. I want my readers to feel embedded in the scene as if they are right there in it.

 

What makes a good story? 

That depends on who is reading it. For me, a good story takes me on a journey. One with smells, textures, tastes, and with well-formed characters. What do I mean by well-formed characters? I want to know how they grew up, what friends they have or had and why, and what are their greatest fears, wants, or dislikes. A character doesn’t just enter a story at age 30 and has no background. For me, this is one of the most important things in a book. If I don’t care about a character, (good or bad) I’m not going to care what happens to them.

 

What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? 

Outlines, oh the one question that every writer gets asked. I do not work from one. I find them restrictive like I can’t sway from the outline. My creative process I would describe as a gypsy going wherever the wind blows. Haha. Not quite that carefree but I do like to be free to write what comes next. I typically know the beginning and the ending, but everything in between is yet to be seen. I live my life the same way.

Chapters? In my first book, I just wrote not worrying about the chapter breaks but in the second I did write in chapters. Sometimes the chapters merge or rearrange but the Scrivener program is great for editing as each chapter is isolated and can be moved by clicking and dragging. It’s a great program.

 

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

I would say that I try to be original without trying to reinvent the wheel. My goal is to always give the reader what I think they want with some surprises. Truth or feeling real seems to be the most important trait for readers.

 

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

If I could tell my younger writing self something, it would be to stop worrying about what others think, stop doubting yourself, and write anyway.

 

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

How long it takes to write a book depends on the writer, research, and desire. My latest book took six months to write but was well over a year before being published. The current books have been over two years and still are not even halfway completed. Sometimes the words flow so quickly that you can’t type fast enough and sometimes it’s an empty canvas. I’ve heard of some writers taking ten years to complete something and some never do.  I find writer’s block to be a very real thing and when it happens, I just let it be. I’ll read and write in my journal or sometimes choose a topic so far removed from my current writing topic just to spark some ideas or flow.

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A D Vancise lives in Canada. When she’s not writing, she’s taking care of her three dogs, her cat, two ducks and some chickens. Her daughter is her inspiration for all things wonderful in the world.

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Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Building The Beast by Jaqueline Lambert ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: April 29, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Memoir
Tags: , ,
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The true story of how one married couple made an impulse purchase blind off the internet: a 24.5-tonne

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vintage army truck. Their plan: to convert into a unique off-grid tiny home on wheels ready for an

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expedition to Mongolia.

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Building the Beast:

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How (Not) To Build An Overland Camper

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The Wayward Truck Book 1

by Jacqueline Lambert

Genre: Comedic Travel Memoir, Nonfiction

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Featuring ‘The Beast’, an expedition truck, as seen on TV*

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A Vintage Truck: An Amateur Team: An Immovable Deadline
The Comic Memoir of a Crazy Idea

In this captivating true story, join an intrepid married couple as they take another wild leap into the world of nomadic living.
Four years previously, Jackie and Mark gave up work to embark on a permanent road trip with four dogs. However, one Friday the 13th, forces beyond their control cause them to throw caution to the wind and buy a 30-year-old army truck sight unseen from the internet.
Their goal: to create an expedition truck fit to drive overland to Mongolia.
Follow them as they dive headfirst into the daunting but thrilling task of converting this rugged vehicle into a perfect off-grid tiny house on wheels.
Yet their first ever DIY van conversion proves to be a rollercoaster ride, when they sell their house to fund the build, and Friday the 13th comes back to haunt them.
Is their confidence that, ‘there’s always a solution,’ misplaced?
With their relationship, sanity, and finances on the line, can they navigate the pitfalls of their first-ever build and avoid becoming homeless?
Filled with quirky van life friends and unexpected twists, this is an inspiring tale of perseverance, friendship, and finding the courage to conquer the challenges that face those who dare to chase their dreams.

* The Beast made a guest appearance on Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild

ARC Reviews:

“An honest and often funny account of the realities of when people actually begin to live their dream.” Anna Rashbrook, Author

“A page-turner!…You never know what will happen next!” Carrie Riseley, Author

“The trials and tribulations of building a home on six wheels, told with laughter and insight… a must read – even if it’s just to stop you making the same mistakes!” Maximilian Sam, Award-Winning Author

“This book is a fantastic look at designing a unique project and going for it with humor and perseverance. If one is tired of another ‘chucking it all and renovating an old house’ story, this is a quixotic twist that will keep you entertained.” Kari Iverson Lane

“Hugely inspirational, because I think many would have just given up trying, with all the things they had to put in place to get their dream of owning and converting The Beast off the ground. What a story – and a fabulously entertaining book/read.” Julie Haigh, Goodreads Librarian and Top 1,000 Amazon reviewer.

**Get it for Only .99 cents!**

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Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Grand Designs

 

Word Count 693

This is the first chapter, and gives a humorous idea of what caused us to embark on our vehicular Grand Design. Grand Designs features in the narrative of the book, with a few guest appearances from virtual Kevin McCloud at strategic stages in the build!

 

Grand Designs

 

I have an admission to make. Property renovation programmes are my guilty pleasure – and an inspiration.

First and foremost, I’m a Hammer Head.

For years, Homes Under the Hammer was my weekday daytime paramour. ‘Hammer,’ as it’s known to aficionados, features unsuspecting buyers purchasing property at auction. They aspire to find rubies in the rough and profit from the plain, but frequently end up with dry rot, subsidence, and a blown budget.

This happens most often when they ignore Hammer’s golden rules.

  1. ALWAYS view before bidding.
  2. Read the legal pack.
  3. Set a budget and stick to it.

I love the variety of projects they feature: from old sewage works to pieces of industrial wasteland, with every type of residential dwelling in between. But, a highlight for me is the literal soundtrack. The music is truly inspiring. They might pair the ‘Before’ montage of a ramshackle wreck with This Ole House by Shakin’ Stevens. Dodgy circuitry? Cue Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue. My all-time favourite was the outstanding appropriation of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell for a many-bedroomed residence whose only toilet was outside. I’m certain that in the midnight hour, the young lady who cried for more, more, more was not lodging an impassioned request additional indoor privies.

From the beginning, George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces has been grist to the mill of my tiny home aspirations. Here, subjects create bonkers but bijou living quarters from sheds, tree houses, or an odd assortment of base vehicles such as a derelict boat, a retired London bus, or a decommissioned Sea King helicopter fuselage strapped to a flatbed truck.

But if it’s wild ambition meeting unfettered eccentricity you’re after, there’s always the granddaddy of them all, Grand Designs.

Since 1999, architect Kevin McCloud, MBE, clad in a blazer with his trademark woolly scarf rippling behind in a breeze of creativity, follows the visionaries of this world. The ones who drive humanity forward with their crazy thinking, experimental ideas, and unwavering optimism. People prepared to sacrifice their sanity – along with their relationships and their grandchildren’s inheritance – on the altar of their bold, unconventional, and sometimes hopelessly insane, home-building dreams.

Who can forget the “heroic” Eco Arch house, whose domed roof was a confection of ceramic tiles and plaster of Paris last seen in 14th century Spain? It partially collapsed when one of the crew leaned on it. Or the monumental challenge of Yorkshire’s Hellifield Peel Tower? A stately seven-bedroom family castle raised from an 800-year-old pile of Grade-1-listed rubble, despite the central wall disintegrating and the costs exploding. Or the builds based on the shape of an ammonite fossil or a hamster wheel?

At key milestones, McCloud pops in to survey the subject’s progress, proffer wise counsel, and gently allude to flaws in design and logic. Then, he presents his signature soliloquy to camera like a wandering, windblown poet.

“This collapsing beam is no mere structural support. It is the spine of Rufus’ aspirations. The backbone of Camilla’s dream.”

When he returns to find the unfortunate couple/kids/newborns spending another unexpected winter in a caravan surrounded by freezing mud and construction chaos, McCloud may discuss the pros and cons of their approach to Project Management.

Regardless of my decades long televisual apprenticeship, I never understood the purpose of Project Management.

Even as an absolute novice, who had disregarded Hammer’s principal golden rule and bought unseen.

If you have discussed your plans with a knowledgeable contractor who is working for you, what’s the point of a Project Manager? Won’t the builder simply handle it for you?

And if you’re a reasonably intelligent individual, capable of navigating the treacherous waters of budget overruns and construction calamities, can’t you just oversee a project yourself?

Even in absentia, because coronavirus travel restrictions mean you can’t return to the UK to supervise your project in person?

After all, email and international mobile telecommunications have featured on the communication landscape for decades.

I could almost see McCloud’s quizzical eyebrows arch higher than the dome of the 14th century Spanish villa.

With our own Grand Design, my husband Mark and I were about to discover the merits of hands-on project management.

The hard way.

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10 Things I’ve Learned from Life on the Road

My husband, Mark and I, packed up our life in 2016 to embark on a 3-year trip in our caravan (RV trailer.)

Eight years into that 3-year trip, it seems we underestimated how addictive travel could be.

So here we are, still touring, but in The Beast, a rather more rugged vehicle we converted to take us even further off the beaten path.

When we set out, we were complete newbies, but in the intervening time, we’ve picked up a few tips. Here, I want to share with you some of the lessons we’ve learned from life on the road.

  • Never Miss An Opportunity To Pee: From 25-years as a field sales representative to my days as a permanent nomad, I’ve learned the importance of seizing bathroom opportunities whenever possible. Failure to accept this truth invites a three-hour traffic jam and a rock-solid guarantee that when you get there, the next convenience will be out of order.
  • Value Experience Over Stuff: In 1994, a rafting trip down the Zambezi taught me a valuable lesson: that happiness comes from enjoying life, not owning things. I spent a week sleeping under the stars on riverside beaches with only two sets of clothing – wet and dry – yet I’ve never felt so happy or fulfilled. These days, nearly everything I own is in the truck. I don’t feel weighed down by possessions I don’t need or use. There’s nothing I want, and nothing I could own that would make me any happier than I am. Having enough, and being satisfied with it, is rather a fine way to exist.
  • Pack Light – But Don’t Skimp on Underwear: You never need as much as you think. I considered it a huge fail to return from a trip with unworn clothing in my suitcase. On our honeymoon to Costa Rica, however, I discovered my new husband didn’t share this belief. “I backpacked for four months around Australasia with two t-shirts and two pairs of shorts!” I mocked as I chucked things out of his rucksack. Unfortunately, in Costa Rica it was too humid to dry laundry, so we both ran out of clothes… Nevertheless, it is a truth universally acknowledged that you can never have too many undies – which probably saved my nascent marriage from me and my minimal packing. Whatever life throws at you, it will never seem so bad if you’ve got a clean pair of undies!
  • Embrace the Unexpected: Some of our best adventures have come from saying “yes” to random things. Once, we set off for Spain, but turned left and went to Romania – one of our best ever trips.
  • People Not Places: I have visited over 50 countries and six of the seven continents. However, when I’m asked which country was my favourite, it’s curious that what I remember most vividly is not spectacular landscapes, architecture, or wildlife, although this is clearly a big part of it. It’s almost always the people. The kindness of strangers and connections with fellow travellers is what makes our journeys memorable.
  • Decide For Yourself: Make decisions based on your own experiences and research. The horror stories we’ve been told about countries we plan to visit almost always come from folk who’ve never been there. Almost always, the hearsay and speculation are entirely wrong.
  • Never Trust A GPS: After towing a caravan across two cornfields and along a footpath in Romania, I can say this with great conviction. It’s why we renamed our satnav ‘Naffsat’… Although our paper map also claimed the footpath was a road.
  • Hope For The Best: Plan For The Worst: When things go wrong on the road – and they definitely will – preparation is key. Carry spares of anything that is critical to your trip, be it a camera, phone, satnav, recovery equipment, or mechanical components for your vehicle. A spare phone that is ready to go with all your contacts, apps, passwords, and photos of key documents loaded could be a lifesaver. Remember the explorer’s adage: ‘Two is one and one is none.’
  • Lose Your Temper: Lose The Argument: This was one of my dad’s empirical truths. He was a mathematician, and his sanguine logic used to drive Mum mad. Obviously, Dad never lost an argument… However, during stressful situations on the road, keeping calm and problem-solving together is far more productive than yelling and finger pointing. When things go wrong, even if it is your companion’s fault, blaming and arguing won’t solve the problem. It simply delays the solution.
  1. Home Is Where You Park It: I’ve always been a restless soul. Although I lived in the house where I was born until I left for university, aged 17, I’ve never felt a strong connection to a particular place. I met Mark when I was 35, and had moved house 22 times! A fellow traveller once asked me, “What does home mean to you?” My answer, “It’s wherever Mark and The Fab Four, my four fur babies, are.” So, I really mean that Home is Where The Heart Is.

So, next time you hit the road with your loved ones, remember these wisdoms, and embrace the adventure that awaits.

And don’t forget to pack extra undies.

Trust me, you’ll thank me later!

Find Jackie’s books on Amazon: https://author.to/JLambert

Follow her travel blog: www.WorldWideWalkies.com

Visit her author website: www.JacquelineLambert.co.uk

#RoadTripWisdom

#LifeLessonsOnTheRoad

#TravelTips

#AdventureInsights

#ExploreMore

#NomadLife

#WanderlustLessons

#JourneyWisdom

#TravelHacks

#RVLifeTips

#RoadTripLife

#LifeOnTheRoad

#NomadicWisdom

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Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert is an award-winning travel writer, adventure traveller, and dogmother, who loves history and curious facts.

BC (Before Canines) she rafted, rock-climbed, and backpacked around six of the seven continents. A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared on Japanese TV as a fire-eater.

AD (After Dog), she quit work in 2016 to hit the road permanently with her husband and four pooches. Initially, they were Adventure Caravanners, who aimed To Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before.

Now, they’re at large in a self-converted six-wheel army lorry, with Mongolia in their sights.

All her books and the anthologies that include her travel stories are available on Amazon:

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https://author.to/JLambert

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Photo: Mark, Jackie & The Fab Four with The Beast. Photo courtesy of @Liveration, who made a short film about the crew and their lifestyle on YouTube.

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Website * Blog * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Sweetheart by Cookie O’Gorman ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: April 26, 2024 in giveaways, Romance, YA
Tags: , , ,
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Sweetheart

by Cookie O’Gorman

 

Publication date: April 25th 2024
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

Sweetheart (suh-weet-hart): Someone who is kind, friendly, and/or lovable. For reference, see Scarlett Kent.

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Kent likes the idea of love—in theory. She’s just never had time for romance. Voted Most Likely to Succeed, founder of a youth mentoring program, and an aspiring professional violinist, Scarlett has goals—and a list of “firsts” she’d like to complete before graduation.

One thing that’s not on her list: Falling for Sam Bishop.

Flirtatious jocks who sleep through class aren’t her type—no matter how good Sam looks in his jersey. But when her car breaks down, Sam stops to help…which leads to an unexpected offer.

Sam volunteers to help Scarlett complete her list. In return, she’ll help him win back his ex.

It’s a sweetheart deal that should benefit everyone.

But between kissing lessons and pretend dates, Scarlett realizes Sam is the perfect fake boyfriend. And if she’s not careful, he could be her first real heartbreak.

This book features two souls who’re meant to be, one fake arrangement, so many heart-melting kisses and answers the question:

What happens when a perfectionist falls for a player?

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Can I ask you something?” he said.

“Okay…”

“Why are you dressed like that?”

I lifted a brow. “Like a blueberry?”

Sam gave a shrug. “I was going to say a cross between Elsa and Cinderella.”

“Well, well,” I said, “the Sam Bishop knows his princesses. Who would’ve guessed?”

“Thanks to my sister,” he said. “And I still don’t get why you keep saying the before my name. Makes no sense.”

It made sense to me.

He’d always been the Sam Bishop in my head. As in the one and only, the original, the Sam Bishop who stole my heart at age ten and refused to give it back. I couldn’t say any of that to him, though, so I just shrugged.

“I was hired to play a wedding,” I said.

“And they asked you to dress like a princess?”

I shook my head. “The bride wanted a very specific shade of blue. Not baby blue, aqua or cornflower. Royal blue is what they asked for. This is what I had, so…”

Sam nodded. “Looks good on you.”

“Yeah, right,” I said with a scoff.

“I’m serious.”

Feeling my cheeks heat, I crossed my arms.

“Gotta be honest, though, I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to fit all that in the car. That’s a lot of material.”

His words startled a laugh out of me, and I gave a mental curse. I would not be charmed by him. The guy couldn’t even remember my name for goodness sakes.

“Is part of it still hanging out the door or…?” he said innocently.

“Ha ha,” I said, “very funny, Bishop.”

“Got a laugh out of you, Kent.”

Well.

At least he remembered my last name, I thought.

“And I’m assuming if I hadn’t been able to fit inside your inadequately-sized sports car”—he scoffed—”you would’ve just left me on the side the road?”

Sam shook his head. “Nah, I would’ve just had you take the dress off.”

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About Author Cookie O’Gorman:

Cookie O’Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad, The Kissing Challenge (YA novella), WALLFLOWER, CUPCAKE, FAUXMANCE, and BOOKWORM are out now! She is also the author of NA sports romances The Best Mistake, The Perfect Play, The Sweetest Game, and The Total Knockout. Her newest release SWEETHEART came out on April 25, 2024!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter / Bookbub

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Bill’s Cajun House Of Pleasure by Alan Lampe ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: April 21, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Uncategorized
Tags: ,
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It’s a romp in the swamp!

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Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure

by Alan Lampe

Genre: Historical Fiction

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It’s a romp in the swamp of historic proportions!

Eager young reporter Jimmie Rains is assigned to write an exposé on the treatment of elderly residents of Our Lady of Sorrows Nursing Home. He soon finds that all the residents speak in awe and hushed tones of the life led by legendary fellow resident Bill Valencourt.

As a teenager, Bill was sent to work for his cranky and demanding uncle who ran a bordello on the edge of the swamp. His girlfriend, Anne Marie, was less than happy with this arrangement. As the granddaughter of the famous swamp witch Marie Laveau, she believes her magic is strong enough to keep Bill from straying. She seduces him, believing the taking of his virginity will bind him to her for all time.

When his uncle is murdered by the wife of an angry patron, Bill’s destiny is irrevocably changed, leaving him the new owner of the cathouse and setting him on the path to both riches and ruin. When he falls in love with one of his girls—the beautiful and curvaceous Ariel—Anne Marie vows revenge.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Six chimes in descending tone came out of the radio, followed by a baritone voice.  “And now WFUX-AM 690 proudly presents the News of Louisiana with Rich Bastards.”

“Good evening Louisiana, this is WFUX-AM 690 and I’m Rich Bastards.” The new voice purred out of the radio speaker.  “Today, I have the esteem privilege of interviewing Governor Earl Long.  He’s taking a little break from the campaign trail to speak with me this evening.  Governor Long, welcome to the News of Louisiana.”

“Why thank you there, Mr. … uh Bastards, or do you prefer Rich?”

“Please governor, I’m a simple man.  Rich Bastards will be fine. Now then,” a shuffling of papers could be heard coming from the radio, “according to this here report from your campaign office, you are funneling funds to Arkansas farmers for undisclosed reasons.  Would you care to explain those reasons?”

“What?” Governor Long was bewildered.

“Your campaign office told us you are funneling funds to the farmers in Arkansas.  I’m sure your constituents would love to know why.”

“What are you talking about?  I’m not funneling funds to the Arkansas farmers.”

“Ah ha!” Rich Bastards pounced. “So you are funneling funds somewhere, just not to the northern hillbillies. Now let’s see, where could you be funneling the funds to?”

“I’m not funneling any funds to anywhere, Rich Bastards!”

“Your campaign office swears you are, Governor Long. If you’re not funneling funds to the northern hillbillies, you’ve got to be funneling them somewhere. Is it Mississippi? No, wait; they wouldn’t know what to do with the funds even if you were funneling it to them.  Lord knows they don’t spend any money on education.  Why hell, they’d probably think the greenback is some sort of mutilated, or mutant spinach plant.  So that just leaves Texas.”

“This is preposterous, man.  I’m not funneling funds to any of the bordering states!”

“But your campaign office says you are right here on this piece of paper.”  A rustling of paper followed the statement.

“Let me see that paper.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Governor, but a good reporter never reveals his sources.”

“But you’re not a good reporter!  You’re just spewing conjecture.”

“Spewing conjecture!”  Rich Bastards was bewildered.  “I’ll have you know I have never spewed anything in my adult life.  Although the étouffée at this past Mardi Gras almost came back up.  But I swear on my grand pappy’s grave that I haven’t spewed since I was a baby.”

“It’s all a lie.  I’m not funneling funds anywhere,” said the governor.

The radio went silent for a moment before Rich Bastards spoke again.  “So you’re laundering the money.  Can you believe it Louisiana?  Our own governor right here and now just admitted to laundering money in Texas.”

“I did no such thing.  You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“Oh come now, governor.  You deny laundering money with the northern hillbillies and the uneducated Mississippians, but you never denied laundering the good clean money of Louisiana through the oil soaked hands of the Texans.”

“I deny that right now.  I’m not funneling funds or laundering money to any of the neighboring states.  And that’s the truth.”

Rich Bastards paused again and then continued the interview.  “Well then, I guess that settles it.  You heard it here first, ladies and gentlemen, Governor Long is embezzling funds through off shore accounts.”

“What?!” Governor Long was beside himself.

“Oh sure, you denied the funneling of funds and the laundering of money, but you never denied embezzling funds.”

“This is utter nonsense!  I am not doing anything illegal with my campaign.  All of my funds are accounted for and verified.  I’m not a crook!”

“Oh come now governor, you’re a politician.  And as all Louisianan’s know, all politicians are crooks.  I’m confident the books you would provide for us to look at would be as fake as a… a Honus Wagner baseball card.”

“Honus Wagner!  What the hell does he have to do with this?  He has a real baseball card, you know.”

“Honus Wagner has a real baseball card!  You’re saying someone with a name like Honus is in the same league as Babe Ruth, Roy Campanella, Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr.  Now that’s preposterous Governor Long.  But let’s not change the subject.  Which nefarious enterprise are you supporting through your campaign funds?”

“For the last time, I am running a clean campaign.  I am not funneling funds.  I am not laundering money.  I am not embezzling.”

Rich Bastards was silent for a moment.  “Well that just leaves extortion.  Why Governor Long, I am shocked, yes shocked to see that a fine upstanding political figure like yourself is extorting funds from the less educated Mississippians for your own sick pleasure.”

“A minute you go you called me a crook and now you’re calling me a fine upstanding political figure.  Listen Rich Bastards, I am doing nothing illegal with my campaign.  It is all legit.  The great people of Louisiana know my record and know I’m an honest man.”

“That’s what every politician says right before they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  You’re brewing up some shifty gumbo that you hope the people of Louisiana will swallow, aren’t you?”

“Is there no end to you and mad ramblings?  I’m through with you and this interview.”  The sound of chair scraping along the floor could be heard, then the governor spoke again, but his voice wasn’t as audible as before.  “I have to go find out who the hell told me that talking to Rich Bastards would be a good thing and fire him.”

“Fellow Louisianan’s, the governor has gotten out of his chair and is leaving the booth.”  Rich Bastards raised his voice and continued, “Go ahead governor and leave.  You’re not the first guest to ignore the questions of Rich Bastards.  We know you’re a crook.  You’re whole campaign office says so right here on this piece of paper!”  A shuffling of papers came through the speaker.  “Wait, where is that piece of paper?  It was right here on my desk.  Did that kid from the Times-Picayune sneak in here while the governor as leaving and steal my paper?”  More shuffling of papers could be heard across the airwaves.  “I swear to you folks, I just had a piece of paper from Governor Long’s campaign office in my hand, and now it is gone.  Hell, there goes the credibility of this whole interview, with no facts to back it up now.    But don’t you worry, Louisiana, Rich Bastards wont’ stop until the truth is revealed. This is Rich Bastards for WFUX-AM 690 signing off.”

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I recall the beginning of Isaac Asimov’s biography in his Foundation books where it says he “was born in the Soviet Union to his great surprise. He moved quickly to correct situation.” At the age of three, he stowed away in his parent’s baggage when they emigrated to the United States.

To many people’s surprise, I was born in Connecticut. I don’t have grand or fond memories of my time there. My family moved to Arkansas six months after my birth. I grew up a southern boy and enjoyed writing from an early age. The earliest recollection I have of writing for pleasure is a second grade writing contest. I placed second. I can’t remember if the contest was school wide or district wide, but I do remember where I finished. The prompt was “If you were stuck on a deserted island, what would you bring with you.” I wrote a fine masterpiece, one I’m sure the Smithsonian will treasure for years when they obtain it. My composition related how I would take a magic book with me and use it to conjure up the necessities and a flying carpet to leave the island. Welcome to the world of my writing.

I continued to write stories throughout junior high and high school. I wrote a science fiction series in colored magic marker, where each character was represented by a different color. Even at that young age, I found a way to remove the unnecessary tags. I believe there are over a dozen twenty-page stories in that series. I wrote a couple of science fiction trilogies, one included a comical slant. I even designed a worksheet with the mysteries of Dr. Investigator for my little sister to solve. Like a good author, I kept all these treasures. Maybe one day I’ll revise them and share them with you.

I entered the Air Force after high school and journaled my experience. On the last Sunday of basic training, at the church services, your flight is allowed to say a few words. I wrote a poem for my flight. It was read by another flight member. I still have those journals and interesting stories abound within them.

After the Air Force I continued to improve my craft. I wrote a novella and published it monthly in the newsletter of my local Society for Creative Anachronism group. That, as well as the work I did on the newsletter itself, allowed me get my Award of Arms, a lordship, within the SCA.

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s I focused on poetry. During this time I lived in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Teen drug overdoses were frequent and my poems drifted to telling their story. I have a poem in each of the following The National Library of Poetry anthologies.

  • A Prism of Thought
  • Soaring with the Wind
  • A Picture of Elegance
  • Outstanding Poets of 1998
  • Blossom in the Dawning
  • America at the Millennium

One of my post powerful poems, The Measure of 0.16, I wrote after a drunk driver killed four Brock High School students on December 19, 1998. 0.16 was his blood alcohol level and the event helped reduce the legal limit in Texas to 0.08. I’ve written over 80 poems and most fall into the “Tragic Poems of Life” chapter in a Word document where I keep them.

On April 20, 1999, the Columbine Massacre occurred where two students killed twelve classmates and a teacher. The school shooting dominated the news that week. It also led me to launch a memorial website, www.Columbine-Angels.com, where I tracked acts of school violence for the next ten years. The site has over 2000 entries, the most of any site that I know of. I also provide extensive data as to when and where the attacks occur. Many people from around the world visited my site and several asked for permission to use my data in their research. I wish I could have continued the site in perpetuity, but the ever-growing numbers, nearly 300 in one calendar school year, is just too much for one person. Keeping the site updated became a second job. Although I received great response from the site, I couldn’t continue to dedicate that much of life to it. From 2010 to 2015, I updated the site with acts of school violence I saw in the news. Those are fewer, but if you research diligently and consistently (i.e. twice a day like I was), you will see how violent are kids truly are. Early in 2016 I posted my last update to the site.

My former girlfriend and I developed the essence of Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure. We truly enjoyed our time in Bayou Cove. After we separated I built our escapades into a full length novel. This historical fiction romp takes place from 1939 to 1969 in the swamps of Louisiana. Bill works at his uncle’s bordello and is in love with a descendant of the infamous Marie Laveau. Things change and he falls for one of the soiled doves under his uncle’s employ. After World War II, he and her live in Amsterdam. When they return to Bayou Cove in 1950 he builds his grand Cajun House of Pleasure. Staying informed of world events via WFUX-TV, he and his women are able to play politics with the lieutenant governor’s wife. In the ’60s the sexual fun continues to roll when a few artist stop by and find what they need to be successful. It’s a fun story with adult language and sexual situations. I hope you enjoy it.

I am currently developing my next story. The new tale is set in medieval times on a different planet. It’ll be a fun romp as my characters travel across the continent. Highlights along the way include stops in Hack, where the Hackers live; Pee-On, where the Pee-Ons live; Dead Oak and their solution to depositing their dead on a cart to be hauled off; and more.

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Alan Lampe has been writing down tales and stories since the second grade. Over the years, his writing matured and was recognized by The National Library of Poetry. They published six of his poems in their anthologies in the late 1990s. Jotting down ideas and cranking out numerous short stories off and on throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century, he focused on his writing in 2011 instead of Super Bowl XLV.

Bill’s Cajun House of Pleasure is the brainchild of Alan and his former girlfriend. The first nuggets of this romp in the swamp were hatched eight years ago. Between workshops, critic groups, and conferences, he polished his prose in the following years. Wanting to leave no detail unchecked, he traveled to Louisiana to capture the essence of Cajun life.

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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A Peek Inside The Edison Enigma by Thomas White

Posted: April 18, 2024 in Mystery, Science Fiction
Tags: , ,
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A physicist discovers the secret to time travel only to find out he was not the first, it is now his task to go back and repair history.

 

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Title: The Edison Enigma

Author: Thomas White

Publication Date: February 29, 2024

Pages: 196

Genre: Scifi/Mystery 

Edison, a Chicago physicist, manages to successfully transport an object through time. Almost immediately following this success Dr. Edison is shut out of the facility and told by benefactor Raphael Barrington, to take a vacation. He is contacted by Don Rivendell, a grizzled old man with a secret. Rivendell explains to Tom that he is not the first person to discover time travel. Someone else went back and changed history by saving a young girl from dying in an internal combustion engine explosion.

Dr. Edison is tasked with going back and fixing history. He travels back to 1904 to find the younger version of Rivendell and stop him from saving the girl.

You can purchase your copy of The Edison Enigma at Amazon at https://t.ly/_NOoo.

 

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

 

Tom, Lori, and Jerzy entered the lab and stood on the landing, looking over the commotion. There was a hustle and bustle of frenetic activity as lab personnel moved from station to station, checking data, preparing modules, and entering critical information.

“Every time I come in here, I expect to see tables with bubbling test tubes and old, toothless women sweeping the floor,” Jerzy said.

Lori laughed. “Well, it would be hard to explain what bubbling test tubes have to do with this project, but I get your drift. We are kinda like Dr. Frankenstein with this whole thing.” Tom vaulted down the stairs and skipped to the control area on the opposite side of the room. He high-fived everyone he passed and crossed to an older, balding man with a semi-circle of gray hair around the fringe of his scalp. A short gray mustache covered most of his upper lip. The man had a slow gait caused mainly by forty straight hours on his feet. Tom hugged him.

“Bruce! This is it! I feel like tap dancing!”

“Well, I’ve put up with worse from you. We’re just running the final check-down now; almost complete. The data you just sent down is perfect.” Bruce had a New Jersey accent highlighted by a Yiddish lilt that caused his mustache to bounce when he spoke.

The retrofitting of the building was designed specifically for this project. Constructed like a sports arena with a high domed ceiling, the lab was ten thousand square feet open from wall to wall. Three levels encircled the room starting at the floor. Each subsequent level rose above the one below and contained a series of computer stations lined up like the NASA control room, collating, interpreting, or generating data. The entire room was connected, hardwired, and air-gapped to The Quint’s central motherboard. The Quint was the fastest and most potent AI computer known to man and contained the most significant elements of learned behavior and artificial intelligence. More significantly, it could determine and pinpoint a specific moment in time.

In the main staging area, in the center of the room, was the masterpiece of the entire project – The Time Tube. The Time Tube was a four-story, transparent tube made from indestructible acrylic conducive to energy absorption. As energy swirled through the Time Tube, it created the power needed for time travel. It stood 18’ tall with an eight-foot diameter. A raised platform ran halfway around and had six steps that led up to a full-size door allowing access to the Tube.

The lab’s roof was six stories high and supported a series of lighting instruments, air conditioning units, and safety mechanisms.  Among the other things that lived in the ceiling was a series of tubing that wrapped around the room like a tornado and converged from the roof to the lab’s centerpiece. This series of tubing was called the Cyclone. Air was pushed through the Cyclone at incredible speeds, producing centrifugal force. That energy transitioned to Euler acceleration, creating a variation in the angular velocity. Theoretically, this opens a window in time and allows the object to pass through.

After years of research, study, and failed experimentation, Tom finally understood that time is, in fact, parallel, meaning that time moves through us rather than us moving through time. In essence, time is an ever-evolving moment. We move from one plane to the next as we move forever forward. The wonder is that it is infinite, never-ending, so we will never reach the edge of time as time continues to build moment next to moment. Once Tom accepted that theory, the means of moving through time began to evolve.

With enough energy, we can freeze ourselves in a moment, thus staying still as time moves on. The challenge became moving through thousands of moments to move back in time, or more accurately, let a specific moment of the past catch up to you. It had taken Tom and his crew almost five years to reach this point. They believed they could generate enough energy to move back and forth within their time sphere to moments that have happened or will happen and return to their own designated moment and survive.

One of the most daunting challenges the team had to overcome when sending something through time was having the entire entity arrive in the same moment. Any portion of an entity that arrived a millisecond later than any other part of that entity would be split in two by the paradox of time. Using an optical lattice clock allowed the team to calculate to a precise moment. When coordinated with The Quint, the top or bottom, front or back, the side to side of any entity would arrive at the same exact moment in time so as not to be split apart.

Subsequently, above the main control area, against the back wall, was the read-out of an optical lattice clock, accurate to one second every 400 million years. It was this technology that allowed Tom and his staff the ability to pinpoint a single moment in time. The optical lattice clock uses laser beams instead of atoms to calculate the second. The light from the laser excites the strontium atoms and increases the accuracy of determination of time.

With The Quint’s exceptional calculation ability, Tom could capture moments within a zeptosecond, one trillionth of a billionth of a second, targeting specific areas of history or periods of time, with phenomenal accuracy.  Projecting these moments into the future would allow them to move forward in time as well. Theoretically, at least.

That theory would be tested this afternoon.

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About the Author
 

 

 

Thomas White began his career as an actor. Several years later he found himself as an Artistic Director for a theatre in Los Angeles and the winner of several Drama-Logue and Critics awards for directing. As Tom’s career grew, he directed and co-produced the world tour of “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Their Shells”. The show toured for over two years, was translated into seven different languages and seen by close to a million children. Tom served as President and Creative Director for Maiden Lane Entertainment for 24 years and worked on many large-scale corporate event productions that included Harley Davidson, Microsoft, Medtronic Diabetes, and dozens of others. The Edison Enigma is Tom’s third novel following up Justice Rules which was nominated as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2010 Literary contest, and The Siren’s Scream.

Author Links

Website | X (Twitter) | Facebook 1 | Facebook 2 | Goodreads

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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The Tryst List by Kaylene Winter ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: April 16, 2024 in Adult Fiction, Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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The Tryst List

by Kaylene Winter

 

Publication date: April 11th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When a man, haunted by secrets, reunites with the only woman who’s ever ignited his soul, he’ll do anything to prove he’s more than his mistakes.

From the moment I laid eyes on her in Vegas, I knew tattoo artist Jordan Deveraux was my destiny.

Our chemistry was too fiery to ignore, one night of passion could never be enough.

Walking away was agony.

Easily, the biggest regret of my life.

Years later, I’m successful and rich but still crave my siren of the sea.

Her game of pretend doesn’t mask the heat still smoldering between us.

Little does she know, I have the roadmap to turn her fantasies into reality.

Stranded in my boat, the waves aren’t the only things rocking.

Her ability to resist me sinks faster than a lead anchor.

Here’s the catch—my past isn’t as spotless as the buildings I design.

And my secrets threaten to pull us under.

Can we navigate these turbulent waters to find a future?

Or, will my mistake capsize everything?

The Tryst List is a sizzling, standalone, billionaire, enemies to lovers, forced proximity tale of second chances, where the ink of passion and the scars of the past collide.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

The hum of tattoo machines is always music to my ears. It’s the sweet, sweet sound of success.

Something I don’t take for granted. Hard work and fortitude is in my blood.

I’ve managed to turn my art degree into a gold mine. I graduated from Cornish College of the Arts many years ago, but it took a while for me to find my way. Did the starving artist thing—tried to sell my paintings while paying the bills as a server and barista. Then came a corporate stint in commercial design, which I absolutely hated. Leaving me with freelancing—a nightmare through and through.

A career in the arts seemed out of reach. Well, maybe for me. I was going nowhere.

On a whim, I sold my belongings and fled to Europe for a year-long backpacking excursion.

Within the first couple of weeks, I met a group of tattoo artists at a collective in Amsterdam. Immersing myself in their world, I changed my plan. Rather than aimlessly traveling, I apprenticed and soaked up the culture.

By the time I returned home to Seattle, I’d developed my own style and had a small following. A few months later, I won a contest in Las Vegas and haven’t looked back since.

Rather than work for someone else, I presented my pops with a business proposal. It worked. He staked me with enough funds to open my shop, The Salty Siren. Jace taught me how to cultivate a social media following. Within a few months, I had a waiting list, paid back Dad’s loan and bought a condo.

It blows me away how far my schedule books out in advance.

For the most part I’m happy, but recent life changes have me reconsidering a few things.

“Merc, who’s on the books today? I’m pretty sure it’s a long-ass appointment, if memory serves.” I approach Mercury, my best friend and shop manager. “Let me guess. Someone wants a mermaid sleeve.”

Merc, as everyone calls him, with his silver hair and piercing blue eyes, shoots me a glare. “Careful. You’re not exuding gratitude today. Your mermaids are legendary. People wait for over a year to get inked by you.”

Appropriately put in my place, I flip through my sketchbook past pages of intricate flowing tails and ethereal faces. “Oh, I know, but I like to mix it up. Keep my chops up.”

“Well, today’s your lucky day, babe. New customer. The guy booked over a year ago.” Merc peruses the shop’s master calendar on his tablet.

I’m barely paying attention because my fingers pause on a page in my notebook. Amongst my designs is a list I started after Cameron and I broke up. The “Tryst List” is my secret rebellion against the monotony of my love life. Merc’s eyes follow mine, and he raises an eyebrow.

“Oooh. What do we have here?” With a mischievous glint in his eye, Mercury’s hand claps over mine, stopping me from turning the page.

I feel my face redden. “Uhhh…my plan to live a little. Or a lot.” I offer a wry smile. “I’m thinking of making up for lost time, you know, after Cameron.”

“Cameron. Ugh. Your couple vibe was definitely more cookouts and beer than fireworks and passion. Maybe it was his uniform of khakis and button-down shirts.” He rolls his eyes in disgust.

I can’t help but laugh. Of course, Merc would feel this way given our affinity for grommets, leather, and chunky boots.

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About Author Kaylene Winter:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

The Book Of 5 Mews by M.G. Rorai ~ Enjoy The Peek Inside

Posted: April 8, 2024 in Excerpt
Tags: , ,
0

 

A heartwarming story about cats, cheese, Catness, cat-tastrophies, and why cats are basically running your life. Did I mention cats?

 

 

The Book Of 5 Meows

Author: M.G. Rorai

Publication Date: February 8, 2024

Pages: 134

Genre: Cats/Pets 

Shhhh – don’t tell the humans. This is a cat’s guide to world domination; learn how to win hearts and get cheese with your kitty charm.

Meet Marble, a cat on a mission to rule the world with cuteness and get cheese. Marble is not your ordinary cat. She is a philosopher, a strategist, and a master of Catness. She knows the secrets to manipulate humans and get what she wants. Thus, Catness wisdom and insights are littered throughout this hilarious and insightful book, written mostly from a feline point of view (as the way it should be).

But Marble’s plan is not without challenges. She must win over a dog-loving human and keep up an endless supply of Colby-Jack cheese.

The Book of 5 Mews is a book for cat lovers, dog lovers, and anyone who enjoys a good laugh mixed in with a heartwarming story. It is a book that celebrates the bond between humans and animals, and the power of love and healing. It is a book that will make you rethink your relationship with your cat, and maybe even inspire you to join a quest for world domination. Not that you’d be welcome, unless you’re a feline.

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BooksAMillion | Apple | Smashwords | Everand

 

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

 

Introduction

I have spent many lives training in the Way of Catness; Humans might liken the Way to strategy. It is a gifted set of guidelines most felines stumble across during at least one of their nine lives—and, subsequently, become obsessed with mastering. Catness is water to the soul, yoga for the mind, and grooming for the world.

Yet there will always be trials mixed with reward. Peaks and valleys merge to create the landscape—Catness is the pathway for past friends becoming feral; love becoming loss; treat bowls becoming empty. The Way of Catness is like a Cat’s mew: it can be the loveliest sound or the sharpest shriek, when needed.

There are different thoughts on Catness, but I live to no particular paw path; my prints are my own, defined by my experiences. True, I have taken some from other paths, as have most cats, though at the core each cat’s walk, their Catness, is defined by self, circumstances, and survival. But it can be shredded down to Five Mews: Paw, Slink, Roar, Tail, and Clarity.

I will explain Catness in writing for the first time.

Harper’s Commentary: Day 0

It’s hard starting over. New job, new town, new perspectives. So hard. Isolating. My plants are only so much company, and at the urging of text messages from family I decided to seek out volunteer work.

My new career in technology blessed me with all the people drain I needed, so I went with the animal persuasion. I’m a dog person at heart. Grew up with mostly dogs and some cats but had more connection with the canines. Plus, the last feline I had contact with was my cousin’s girlfriend’s cat who pissed in the same corner all the time, despite having three litter boxes.

So yeah, dogs were better. Cats okay.

Wispy Paws seemed like a good fit…

 

 

About the Author

 

 

M.G. Rorai enjoys hanging with her cats and annoying her husband.

Author Links  Website | Facebook | Instagram

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

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Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ Our Lives In Between by Billie Kowalewski

Posted: April 4, 2024 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
Tags: , , ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Our Lives In Between organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Billie Kowalewski will award a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Our Lives In Between

by Billie Kowalewski

 

 

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis

It had been five years since the accident that derailed Veronica’s life, which left her suffering from a strange flu-like illness ever since. Thanks to a barrier set in her mind at birth, she can’t remember her name is Harmony and that this is not her real life. She has no memory of the many lives she had lived before this one and how several of those lives had been cut short. How she must uncover the reason why those lives had ended so early, and how this moment may hold the key, or she risks losing herself and Earth forever.

As Harmony, she wants to uncover the reason why her lives keep ending so soon. As Veronica, she wonders how much longer she has to live like this? What could possibly be left for her? Little did she know, she was about to get her answers…

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Enjoy this peek inside:

My world is your world—only you can’t remember any of it. A barrier exists between what you think is real and what you know to be. It had been put in place during the transition into the world you currently know and will be removed upon your return.

In other words, this is not your real life.

My name is Harmony, and I am going to let you in on a little secret. I am a student at the biggest, most famous school ever known. And so are you! It’s called Earth.

Yep. Earth is a school. Are you shocked? If you are, it’s okay. That is the most common and expected reaction to this news. I will give you a moment to let that sink in…

Just kidding! Based on the fact you’ve chosen to read this; I am going to bet that you’re a lot like me. You’re probably fine, and not shocked by this at all. If you do, however, find this news to be at all surprising, perhaps it would be best if you stopped here. This story may not be for everyone, and I am not looking to upset anyone’s beliefs. Our extreme diversity is an important part of what makes us who we are. So, this may be where we will agree to disagree and possibly part ways. Hopefully as friends.

For everyone else, I will move on.

Yes, life is about learning, and Earth is our school. I’m sure you have heard someone on Earth say this before. I know when I am there, I hear this often. Some people know, but it’s not because they remember it is. They know because people cannot get through a single day there without learning something, somehow. On Earth, learning is unavoidable.

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About Author Billie Kowalewski:

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Billie Kowalewski grew up in a small town along the Connecticut shoreline. She’s always had a wild imagination and spent her childhood dreaming up stories. This would often lead her to the library or whatever bookstore where she would be combing the shelves for books that closely resembled what was in her head at the time. A lot of the time she would come close and would be satisfied with what she found. However, there was always this one story she could never find. It was in 2010 that she decided to write it herself. In whatever spare time she has left, she enjoys listening to pretty much anything that rocks, like 80’s hair bands, metal, etc. She also has a gift for finding the strangest movies and shows ever (according to her children) and loves spending time with her family.

 

Links to Our Lives In Between: iTunes / Kobo / B&N / Google Play / Amazon

My Socials: Twitter / Website / Instagram / YouTube / Facebook

  Facebook / BookBub / Goodreads / TikTok

 

Buy the book for only $0.99 on Amazon.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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La Bella Luna by Nicole Sharp ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: March 21, 2024 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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La Bella Luna

by Nicole Sharp

 

Publication date: March 19th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Can you really reject a surprise last-minute, all-expense paid trip to Italy from your sister? For Diana, a sensible CPA in Atlanta, you most certainly can.

But within the last week, Diana turned forty-five, got engaged, purchased a wedding cake and agreed to join her fiancé in another state where his current work project has been extended for several months.

Diana’s younger sister, Harper, uses these uncharacteristic life changes as proof that Diana definitely can meet her in Italy. Besides, Harper’s already cleared the trip with Diana’s boss and fiancé. So begrudgingly, Diana agrees to go.

Little did she know that her whole world would be turned upside down the second she stepped foot on Italian soil.

As Diana falls deeper into Italy’s culture, countryside and cuisine, she reconnects with the ghosts of her past and reignites passions she thought had long been extinguished – proving that life and love are full of phases.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Navigating the tight space, Diana found a small table in the back of the café, where she could see people exiting into the arrival area.

She wasn’t sure where the thought or even the motivation came from, but she pulled out her phone, chose the camera app, held up the cup and took a selfie.

She carefully put the cup down and looked at the picture; actually thought about deleting it, but then on a whim, posted it to her account that Harper insisted she needed to set up for this trip. And why the hell not?

“Pisa, Italy. First espresso,” she wrote and posted the picture.

She took a few sips, closing her eyes to savor the bitter hot loveliness.

Finally, a message from Harper came in, demanding Diana call her right away. This was why she’d activated an international calling plan for her phone.

Diana excitedly grinned when Harper picked up on the first ring and exclaimed. “You must be nearby!”

“Well …” Harper drew out the word, “Lu, you have the itinerary, right?”

“Yes, I printed it off before I left and it’s on my phone. Where are you?”

“Happy engagement!” Harper sang.

“Harper …” Diana laughed and looked around the part of the airport she could see, as if her younger sister would appear at any moment.

“Look, if I told you the truth you wouldn’t have gone, and you needed to go; Hell, if anyone needs a vacation it’s you.”

“Harper,” Diana’s heart began to thump wildly in her chest, “where are you?”

In almost a whisper, Harper answered, “New York.”

Diana turned so no one could see her anger. She cupped a hand over the receiver of her phone. “What the hell do you mean you’re in New York?”

“I couldn’t afford to pay for both of us. But I wanted you to have something different … I wanted to get you out of the house before you got married. I wanted you to see … more, something bigger, something inspiring before you got married.”

“Harper,” Diana choked out in disbelief.

“I wanted to get you out of your fucking comfort zone,” Harper admitted, with all the loving passion she could.

Diana was certainly out of her comfort zone now, that was for sure, and she’d be damned if she was going to stay in a foreign country by herself. “I’m not staying here alone,” she hissed. “You got me into this Harper, you need to get me a return ticket and get me out of this. Now.”

“No.”

“Then I need to go, I need to figure out how to get home.”

“No. Please. You have ten days paid vacation in Italy. Do you know how many people dream of something like that?”

“Harper.” Diana’s throat was closing with the urge to cry.

“Luna, if you can’t figure out how to do this for yourself, then do this for me.“ Harper’s voice hitched with the same emotion. “Please Lu, you deserve something like this. You deserve to see something beautiful. You deserve to … sit in a Piazza in a world-famous café and sip an espresso. You deserve to be moved to tears by a painting.“ It was Harper who was crying now. “Jesus, Diana, you deserve to stand in the middle of Rome and be inspired. I understand this is the scariest thing anyone has ever asked you to do, I get that it’s a scary ass thing that I am asking you to do, but please … please, if you can’t do this for yourself, then do it for me.”

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About Author Nicole Sharp:

Legend has it that Nicole Sharp was born to hippies during an ice storm in Stone Mountain, Georgia. While confirmation of said events cannot be agreed upon, one fact is for certain, it was a Tuesday.

By age twelve, Nicole was sure of two things: 1) She wanted to be a writer and 2) She wanted to travel. She begged her parents to allow her to voyage alone to exotic lands. They permitted her to go from California to Boise, Idaho to visit a great-grandmother.

After muddling through the college years, Nicole graduated with a Bachelors in History (think Greeks and Romans). Why didn’t she major in English if she wanted to be a writer? There were better stories in history class.

Nicole is Italian. According to Ancestry.com it’s a rather low percentage, but she feels that she is at least 51% Italian. When she returned to the homeland, she fell in love with the Italian cappuccino, so much so that she studied the language until she was fluent; thus she could order the magical elixir herself: Posso avere un cappuccino, per favore!

Nicole’s first concert was to see the bluegrass group The Seldom Scene when she was a fifteen-year-old, thanks to her parent’s bluegrass phase. However, she never admits it, and instead tells everyone that They Might Be Giants, whom she saw in college, was her real first concert.

Her first car was a yellow Chevy Celebrity and her favorite job was working as a docent in a museum in an old mining town in Colorado. She has written extensively about both.

Visit NicoleSharpWrites.com for more entertainment.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Relentless by Kathryn C. Kelly ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: March 10, 2024 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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The legacy continues….

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Relentless

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Death Dwellers MC Legacy Generation Book 3

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by Kathryn C. Kelly

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Genre: Contemporary MC Romance

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In the gripping sequel to “Restless,” Christopher “Outlaw” Caldwell’s transformation into a devoted family man is put to the ultimate test. Once feared for his ruthlessness, he finds himself drifting further away from his notorious MC leader persona as he navigates the aftermath of his youngest child’s turbulent entrance into the world.

As Jo experiences a new set of challenges, he only spirals further, affecting everyone around him. Most especially his wife, Megan, who struggles to traverse her grief as she enters a new stage in her life while dealing with a hard-headed bully.

Amidst this chaos, CJ, Outlaw and Meggie’s son, struggles to hold everything together as his parents falter. He has a hard time recognizing his developing feelings for a girl who isn’t Harley Banks, causing further complications in his already tumultuous life.
Meanwhile, Bash still lurks, and as his reign of terror continues, the kids of the MC learn what it means to be a Death Dweller.

In this gritty and emotionally charged sequel, “Relentless” delves deeper into the complexities of family, loyalty, and the harsh realities of life within the MC world. Will Outlaw’s transformation be enough to protect those he loves, or will the past catch up with him, threatening to tear everything apart?

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Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Restless

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Death Dwellers MC Legacy Generation Book 2

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In the gripping second installment of the Death Dweller MC’s Legacy Series, “Restless,” CJ Caldwell finds

himself facing more challenges and heartbreak than ever before. Still grappling with a devastating family

tragedy, CJ is now also dealing with the fractured relationship between him and his once-best friend,

Harley. Her erratic behavior has not only destroyed their friendship, but it also threatens to unravel other

important relationships in CJ’s life.

 

As CJ’s parents struggle with their own personal issues, the weight of responsibility falls heavily on CJ’s young shoulders. He must step up and take care of his siblings while navigating the complex dynamics of a broken family. But little does he know, danger lurks in the shadows, ready to pounce when he least expects it.

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Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Reckless

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Death Dwellers MC Legacy Generation Book 1

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Sixteen-year-old CJ Caldwell struggles to live up to the reputation of his legendary father, Outlaw. He

dreams of joining the Death Dwellers, but he’s expected to finish high school and go to college before he

can even be considered.

 

To make matters worse, the only girl he wants, Harley Banks, has rejected him, breaking his heart. Little does he know, she’s breaking her own heart too. CJ must navigate the challenges of becoming a man, coping with heartbreak, and saving his cousin Ryan from dangerous influences.

In this gripping coming-of-age tale, CJ learns that being reckless can have serious consequences, and that sometimes, the hardest thing to do is the right thing.

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Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Christopher headed to the bathroom, regretting he couldn’t enjoy The Work Song by Hozier. It piped into the bathroom too, but he wasn’t sure how much time he had to clean up before Megan returned. He refused to waste even a minute to return to the bedroom and turn the volume up.

A few minutes into the steaming hot water raining over his head and chest and washing away his first round of soap, arms wrapped around his waist and a small, soft body pressed into his back.

He stilled and squeezed his eyes shut, his entire being suddenly sizzling. For days, he’d been afraid to even imagine feeling her touch. No matter what, they always found their way back into each other’s arms and resumed their very healthy sex life.

But for a brief moment in time, his world had collapsed. Megan’s chances of survival had been slim, and he’d believed their daughter dead.

“Christopher,” Megan said, placing tiny kisses along his back and setting his blood on fire. Her little hand wrapped around his big dick, and he jerked, on the verge of coming.

Instead, he twisted around, dislodging her fingers, and lifted her into his arms, slanting his mouth over hers, sliding his tongue between her lips.

“Christopher,” she breathed again, threading her fingers through his hair, as ravenous for his kisses as he was for hers.

Their lips met softly, then crashed together hungrily, varying between soft and tender to deep and fervent in an endless loop of love, desire, and tenderness.

Time stood still, but warmth and excitement flooded him, awakening every nerve ending and igniting a spark that exposed his soul and exploded in his brain.

The world, the bullshit, the fear and trauma of the last few weeks, faded into nothingness. All that mattered was her, them, and the solace and affirmation he found in her arms.

He adored her, and he would unto eternity, beyond his dying breath.

“I love you, Megan,” he said hoarsely. “You my everything, baby.”

She thumbed his lips, offering him a soft, sweet smile. “And I worship you, Christopher. Without you, my life has no meaning. I don’t know how to begin to show you my gratitude for being a wonderful husband and an amazing father. You’re the best of the best, and the day I met you was the luckiest day of my life.”

He kissed her again, his heart beating in harmony with hers. “I ain’t too sure where I’d be without you. You keep me on my fuckin’ toes. You stormed into my life, and I knew if I didn’t change for you, I would lose you. You changed me and my entire world.”

Sadness touched her gorgeous face and her lips trembled.

“What, baby?”

“Nothing,” she said quietly, then pasted a smile on her face, leaned forward and kissed him again. “I love you.”

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A Shocking Death: Kaleb Paul Andrew

WARNING: Contains spoilers

 

Because I didn’t expect to write any books beyond Misled, I never anticipated what might happen to the characters who survived until the end. To me, they rode off into the sunset and lived happily ever after.

When I decided to extend the Death Dweller world beyond that one book, ideas began to form about other characters. When the heroine’s mother was introduced at the end of Misled (book one), the idea that she might find her own Prince Charming didn’t occur to me. However, when she ran across Kaleb Paul Andrews, K-P, I was tickled pink. Not only could she find someone, but I would have an older hero and heroine. At the end of Misappropriate (book two), I began a rough outline for the upcoming books in the series and announced the heroes and heroines for each.

Then. Tragedy.

Book three.

Misunderstood.

Even as the miserably violent Logan Donovan haunted my story, I didn’t expect the outcome. When K-P turned up missing, leaving Dinah alone and exposed, I didn’t anticipate his fate.

At this point, dear reader, you might be thinking that I, as the writer, controlled the arc of the story and the destiny of the characters. Perhaps, if I was a plotter, I would agreed. But I am a pantser. I fly by the seat of my pants and use my brain as a conduit for their stories. It is weird and strange. Yet, it is the truth. So, when the words announcing K-P’s death flew from my brain to my fingers and onto the screen, I stopped and stared, absolutely horrified.

Gone was the hell he’d give his daughter’s love interest. Gone was Dinah’s chance at happiness. And, gone was one of the more honorable characters from the off-page generation of Death Dwellers.

Even now, with ten years separating me from writing the original book and my plans to rewrite some parts of it as I did Misled and Misappropriate, I wish things were different. One of the best things about the Bridge Series is that I get to explore K-P’s backstory during the interludes. I wish he and I had made different choices. I wish it wasn’t canon that Logan perished in the original series so he would’ve been done away with in one of the interludes.

K-P is one of the few characters that I got rid of that I truly mourned. His death remains shocking.

So, I ask you: if you’re a writer, can you identify with me? If you’re a reader, what character death in a book you’ve read has shocked you the most?

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In her dreams, Kathryn C. Kelly is a flirtatious biker babe with the rumble of a hog between her legs and a

shirtless bad boy wrapped in her arms. Kathryn and her bad ass biker boy spend their evenings tossing

back great scotch (Chivas Regal) and fighting over who is better at Cards against Humanity (she is,

obviously.)


In her reality, Kathryn is a native New Orleanian who has survived Hurricane Katrina and breast


cancer. Now she’s hoping to survive three lively girls. While not playing Wonder Mom, Kathryn can be

found putting all those dreams into the pages of her next Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club novel.

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Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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