Posts Tagged ‘fantasy’

Heads Will Roll!

Posted: December 16, 2012 in Action/Adventure, Creatures, fiction, otherworldly, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Science Fiction, Series, Short stories and collections, YA
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Heads Will Roll

by Lish McBride

Heads Will Roll: A Tor.Com Original

Illustration by Hannah Christenson

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I just discovered this short story through Tor. Just happened to spot an email and opened it up out of curiosity.

Whoa! I don’t think I even blinked while reading this.

Lena’s not your typical animal trainer. And when she and her unicorn partner, Steve, decide to enter a fight, it’s definitely not your typical fight.

Lena is the epitome of tough. She can hold her own with the best. Half human and half Valkyrie, she has much of the warrior women’s strengths.

Her partner, Steve, is a snow-white unicorn. You don’t see many of them around, and definitely not in the fighting arena.

The unicorn is a symbol of purity and usually has to be starved, beaten and driven insane in order to get them to fight.

That’s not the case with Steve. He’s a full partner with Lena and has a mind of his own. Unicorns choose their own names and I wouldn’t want to make fun of Steve. He’s 18 hands of snow-white fury.

It’s a good thing Lena and Steve speak telepathically, otherwise the job they’re here to do would be near impossible.

This short fiction blew me away. You get to meet so many cool creatures. There are nemean lions, harpies, hags, manticores, wepawets and waheela’s to name a few.

I’m partial to the Waheela. Kind of a cross between a wolf and a polar bear.

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I also liked the Wepawet. It’s an Egyptian God with the body of a man and the head of a jackal.
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I’m in awe of Lena. She’s smart, tough, and funny, and adores Steve. She also swings a mean blade.

Steve is wise, sarcastic, and always has Lena’s back. They make a dynamic team. Woe to the creature that has to fight them.

There are several other characters I became fond of, but I can’t tell you about them without spoiling your reading pleasure.

I’m amazed at how much I got out of this short work of fiction. Lish McBride added all of the right ingredients and created a short tale that hit me with the impact of a full novel.

I hope she continues with these characters. I really do.

For now, I’m going to start reading her Necromancer series. They look really good, and if her writing stays true to form, I’m sure I’ll love them too!

       

About Lish McBride

Image of Lish McBride

Lish McBride was raised by wolves in the Pacific Northwest. It rains a lot there, but she likes it anyway. She spent three years away while she got her MFA in fiction from the University of New Orleans, and she liked that too, although the hurricane did leave much of her stuff underwater. Her main goal in going to college was to become a writer so she could wear pajamas pretty much all the time. She enjoys reading, movies, comics, and preparing herself for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. Currently, Lish lives happily in Seattle where the weather never actually tries to kill you, with her family, two cats, and one very put-upon Chihuahua. She is slowly building her garden gnome army.

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Books by Lish McBride. Click on covers to purchase.

Have A Merry Christmas

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Legend Unleashed Giveaway!

Posted: December 8, 2012 in Fae, fiction, giveaways, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, suspense, Trailer, werewolves, Witches, wizards
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Legend Unleashed

by M Latimer Ridley

Pretty cover isn’t it? Wait until you read the story!

Tick Tock, Tick Tock. That’s all that Ted hears as he rushes through the deserted streets of Carwick, heading for the Town Hall, where his office is located. He must hurry.

Carwick is a small, quiet town. The kind where people don’t lock their doors. It’s Ted’s job to keep it that way.

He reaches the building and enters his tiny office. It’s more like a broom closet, but hidden in the floor is a stairway down. Down there. Down to a hidden city time has forgotten.

Ted enters the underground city and rushes through the dark streets. Tick Tock, he must reach the old grandfather clock. He can’t let it wind down.

He finally reaches the clock, but it’s stopped ticking. When he dares to opens its door, it’s empty.What was inside is now behind him, it’s hot breath moist on his neck. He couldn’t turn around. He doesn’t want to see what’s coming.

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INjvvOIV38Q]

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In the unsuspecting town of Carwick, Christmas is coming. Temperance works with her father Pratchett, decorating their bookstore. The Haven is always the first shop to do it.

Her father has gotten out the spider web decoration for Boris, a ghost spider. Temp thinks it’s a convenient story that he’s a ghost, as only her father can see him.

They banter back and forth as they decorate, her father mentioning that his friend Cyprian has a nephew coming to stay with him. Alastair is right around Temp’s age, a not so subtle hint.

“Anyway, I’ve put the mistletoe over the door in case he comes while you’re in the shop.” Pratchett wiggled his eyebrows at her.

“Sometimes I wonder what age you really are,” Temperance sighed.

Her parents are always meddling in her love life, or lack of it, and it adds humor to this story.

It’s almost time for her classes at the university so Temp heads out. When she arrives the doors are still locked so she settles on a bench to wait.

She’s soon joined by a tall, handsome man who introduces himself as Alastair. She quickly learns how he knows her. Her father’s been busy. He gave her picture to Cyprian to pass on to Alastair. She doesn’t want to know what might be written on it.

The doors to the school open and out steps Cyprian followed by an older man with a walking stick. They seem to be arguing and when the older man bangs his stick on the ground, something strange and unnatural happens. But Alastair denies noticing anything.

Soon after, the man leaves and Cyprian comes to join them. He invites Temp to dinner and an evening at his place. At first she’s tempted to refuse, but then she remembers it’s the night of winter solstice.

Her parents were having friends over for a winter solstice gathering. She didn’t think she could face another of her mother’s versions of a Wiccan party. It would be crowded with menopausal women dancing naked around plastic cauldrons on the hill behind their house.

She sighed. “It’s true. I wouldn’t mind missing jangling crystals and saggy bits this year.”

She accepts the invitation, not knowing that life is about to take a dangerous turn. There are many strange things out and about in Carwick, some not human. After this night, people will huddle behind bolted doors in fear of the dark and what’s in it.

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSOZxhN4vXU]

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When I started reading Legend Unleashed, I was so engaged, I only stopped reading because my kindle battery died. Got to remember to charge it more often. When I resumed reading, I was held captive to the end. It’s not a long book, and with the mystery, humor and romance, not to mention the creatures, it’s very engaging and easy to follow.

If you like all of the above and reading about witchy, magical, and hairy things, you’ll enjoy Legend Unleashed. I sure did and can’t wait for more in this series.

           Magically Delicious.

Giveaway

Great news. There’s a great tour going on right now for Legend Unleashed with lots of prizes and great posts. Go here to check it out. Keep reading to find out how to enter a giveaway here!

I was too late for the tour but these great ladies have offered 4 e-books to giveaway here on FUONLYKNEW! Thanks so much Karen and Rachel.

Entry is easy. Leave your email address and answer this question, ” What legend do you wish was real?”

Giveaway ends December 22nd.

About the authors

M. Latimer-Ridley

Latimer (Karen) and Ridley (Rachel) are two eccentric best friends with far too many obsessions and a frightening addiction to tea. When they aren’t reading stories filled with magic, passion and adventure, they’re writing them. A writing duo for the last nine years, they’ve always dreamed of sharing their imaginary worlds and quirky characters with others. While they live in Ireland, they would love to spend their lives travelling the world. But for now, they can be found happily wandering the internet.

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Get yours by clicking on the cover! A copy is waiting for you.

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The Legend Has Been Unleashed!

Posted: November 8, 2012 in Action/Adventure, Alert!!, Book Promos, fiction, otherworldly, Paranormal or fantasy, Release day, werewolves
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Happy Release Day!

Legend Unleashed

by M Latimer Ridley

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When an infamous criminal is unleashed from his prison, it has consequences for everyone in Carwick. Temperance Levinthal in particular…

Temperance is satisfied with her ordinary life. Dealing with her eccentric, childlike parents is all the excitement she needs. That changes when Alastair Byron returns home.
After a failed matchmaking attempt by her father, sparks fly between her and Alastair-just not the good kind.
They are forced together though, when they are implicated in a grisly murder. Their search for the truth leads them to a secret world beneath Carwick, filled with werewolves, wizards and other magical faey.
However, uncovering the truth is far more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.
There are secrets within secrets.
Even Alastair may be more than he seems…

I’m reading this right now and will be back to tell you all about it real soon!

About the authors

Latimer (Karen) and Ridley (Rachel) are two eccentric best friends with far too many obsessions and a frightening addiction to tea. When they aren’t reading stories filled with magic, passion and adventure, they’re writing them. A writing duo for the last nine years, they’ve always dreamed of sharing their imaginary worlds and quirky characters with others. While they live in Ireland, they would love to spend their lives travelling the world. But for now, they can be found happily wandering the internet.

Website: www.mlatimerridley.com

Get your copy by clicking on the image below! A copy is waiting for you.

OMG!!! It is a super easy giveaway!We have a winner!

Posted: May 26, 2012 in fiction, Paranormal or fantasy
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Yes, a giveaway. My first! I am giving away two hardcover books this Memorial Day weekend.  One winner will get both books!

UPDATE SUNDAY MAY 27. My internet is down until Wednesday, so I will be checking in infrequently. Please keep entering. I am extending this contest through Friday, June 1st because of the holiday weekend also. Note: This contest is open internationally also:)

We have a WINNER! Wulfie76. Congratulations. Will be notifying you!

First up is Swoon by Nina Malkin

From the book flap:

Sin is coming … Prepare to swoon.

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut … until Dice’s perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly  dies in a fall from an old tree and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She’s intensely drawn to him – but not at all crazy about the havoc he’s wreaking.

Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent – and irresistible – adversary before the whole town succumbs to Sin’s will. Only trouble is, she is in love with him.

What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true?

And the next book:

From the book flap:

When we first meet Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven.  As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen-year-old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope.

In the weeks following her death, Susie watches life continuing without her – her school friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her family holding out hope that she’ll be found, her killer trying to cover his tracks. As months pass without leads, Susie sees her parents’ marriage being contorted by loss, her sister hardening herself in an effort to stay strong, and her little brother trying to grasp the meaning of the word  gone.

And she explores the place called heaven. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. There are counselors to help newcomers adjust and friends to room with. Everything she ever wanted appears as soon as she thinks of it – except that thing she wants most: to be back with the people she loved on Earth.

With compassion, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie sees her loved ones pass through grief and begin to mend. Her father embarks on a risky quest to ensnare her killer. Her sister undertakes a feat of remarkable daring. And the boy Susie cared for moves on, only to find himself at the center of a miraculous event.

 

How to win these amazing books:

Leave me your email address in the comment box below. That’s it! You don’t have to follow my blog, but it would be lovely if you did. I told you it was easy. Good luck!

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