Posts Tagged ‘giveaway’

Let us introduce YA Author Rendezvous – a group of independent Young Adult, Middle Grade and Children’s Book authors who have banded together to bring their stories to as wide an audience as possible. Visit them online and find some great reads!

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Today we’re featuring YA Author Rendezvous author, Bethany Wicker!

Favorite YAAR Supporting Characters

Everyone gets to know and fall in love with the MC, or Main Character. I, however, tend to fall for supporting characters. In our group YAAR, short for Young Adult Author Rendezvous, there are several great characters to choose from, but I’d like to talk about a few of my favorites.

We’ll start with Unexpected Alpha, by Bethany Wicker (yours truly.) I’m in love with Marie, the best friend of the MC. She provides comedic relief. I may be biased because she’s based off my best friend in real life, Mariah, but her bubbliness is hard to hate. She also becomes a badass werewolf when necessary.

Next up, The Institute Series by Kayla Howarth. I’m SO IN LOVE WITH DREW! Sorry, went a little fan girl. He betrays Allira in the beginning, but fights so hard to make things right throughout the series that Kayla made it had to not fall for him. Who doesn’t love a bad guy who tries to make things right in the end?

Then, there’s Joshua’s Island by Patrick Hodges. Who doesn’t love Kelsey? Sure, she gets her own novel in Ethan’s Secret, but before
that she was a supporting character. She was so hardcore, stood up to the bullies, and stood for what’s right. She helps Joshua in so many ways to develop the courage he needs to stand up for himself.

The Awaken Series, by Michelle Bryan has several intriguing characters: Finn, Po, Tater, and my favorite, Jax. He’s SO ATTRACTIVE, hold on, need to shift away from fan girl mode. He comes to Tara’s aid when you least expect it and continues to help her on her journey. His snide comments are a bonus and there’s no instant love between them, which always ruins a good story.

Dawn of the Rebellion, by Michelle Lynn is up next with Drew. Yes, another Drew. I swear it isn’t the name! Drew’s originally Gabby’s boyfriend, but when she’s taken, Dawn and Drew set out to rescue her. Their relationship blossoms slowly and you see his true character come to life, and it’s very desirable. I’m not going to spoil anything but I cried at the end… read and see why.

Lastly, there’s Rise of the Shadow Seekers, by Korey Ward. My favorite of the trio is Nelson. I loved him from the moment he was introduced. He defended Alex from the bullies, but his looks scream otherwise. He’s broad and intimidating, but doesn’t use it for his own gain. Instead, he helps Alex in his quest and quickly becomes one of his first friends. A friend that anyone would want.

There are plenty characters out there that I didn’t have enough room to give credit to, but check them out in the YAAR library and be on the lookout for those enchanting supporting characters.

 

Author Bio:

Bethany Wicker resides in Louisiana and is a pediatric nurse who loves to read and write any chance she gets. Her sun conure, Apollo, green cheek conure, Rocket, and her two dogs, Jasper and Drake, usually keep her company while she writes, throwing in ideas of their own. She has a loving husband, Lucien, and an amazing family who support her passion for writing. Her inspiration comes from her friend Mariah and the support from her fellow authors from YA Author Rendezvous. She loves young adult fiction of all sorts and thanks God for giving her the strength to finish novels of her own. She is obsessed with Disney, Cherry Coke, and White Chocolate Mochas, especially from Starbucks. She also loves food and is always excited to try new things.

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Enjoy this guest post from Kirby Howell

It Takes a Village

People always associate writers with a solitary life… the shut-in surrounded by dusty old books, pecking away on a typewriter. But modern day writing couldn’t be more different, especially for “Kirby Howell.” Kirby Howell is a pen name that Jessica “Kirby” Alexander and Dana “Howell” Melton publish under. Already you’re seeing a difference here – two writers, not one. While a writing partnership isn’t necessarily the norm for novelists, it’s becoming more and more commonplace, and most importantly it lets us work with our best friend.

But the work only BEGINS with the two of us. While we first break the stories together, work on outlines and trade chapters back and forth, our next step is to bring in more folks to make sure we haven’t gotten lost down the rabbit hole. (It happens – trust us!) We work with nearly 30 beta readers, from all walks of life, who read our polished draft and give us notes – that we then apply in the final draft. We’re up to about 32 brains helping us with our stories now… but we’re not done yet.

Writers need other writers. Not just for notes and beta readings, but for trading ideas and yes, a little psychological support. We met the folks at Young Adult Author Rendezvous (YAAR) when we were working on the third and final book in the Autumn Series, and we remember one time very specifically where we were having some trouble with the layout process for the last book cover. That darn spine just wasn’t lining up! After nearing a breaking point, we turned to our group. We got great advice, but we also got the support we needed to push through. And finally in September of 2015, the book (and the series!) was finished. As of this writing, there are about 80 members of YAAR. That brings the grand total of brains needed to bring our Autumn Series to a close to about 112… a village indeed.

 

For more YA Author Rendezvous Authors, visit their website!

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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

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The Masquerading Magician

by Gigi Pandian

Masquerading Magician by Gigi Pandian COVER webres
The Masquerading Magician
(An Accidental Alchemist Mystery)

Mystery
2nd in Series
Midnight Ink (January 8, 2016)
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738742359
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My Review

I had a fun read with the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to this next book.

Zoe is still trying to save Dorian, her suave, gourmet cooking gargoyle friend. He’s slowly turning to stone and will be trapped in his frozen body, eternally awake and unable to move.

Her house is still a wreck. The hole in the roof still waiting for repair. But Zoe is using all of her time and strength trying to decode the alchemist book in order to help Dorian.

Taking a time out for herself, Zoe goes to a magic show, which stirs memories from her past. Brixton, a teenage boy and the only one besides Zoe that knows about Dorian, discovers some disturbing facts about one of the performers, which draws all of them into a murder that takes them down a dangerous path.

I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Partly because I already knew the characters and knew I was going to get answers to some of my questions.

There’s magic, murder, flashes to a mysterious past, strong characters, humor, and suspense. Enough going on to keep me flipping from page to page, waiting for the next big surprise and those answers I wanted.

I really like Zoe. She’s got a lot to handle and as much as she wants to settle into her new home, she pushes herself past exhaustion to help Dorian.

Dorian is as debonair and witty as usual. And his concern for Zoe is touching.

If we could all have such a friendship, how fortunate we would be.

I hope you give this series a try. And, while you can read this book without having read the first, I recommend you start at the beginning. You’ll have a lot of fun and get to meet the characters and watch them grow.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Deciphering an ancient alchemy book is more difficult than Zoe Faust bargained for. She’d much rather be gardening and exploring her new home of Portland, Oregon—but time is running out for living gargoyle Dorian Robert-Houdin. If Zoe isn’t able to unlock the alchemy book’s secrets soon, the French gargoyle will remain awake but trapped in stone forever.

When Zoe gives herself a rare night out to attend a classic magic show that reminds her of her youth, she realizes the stage magicians are much more than they seem. A murder at the theater leads back to a string of unsolved robberies and murders in Portland’s past, and a mystery far more personal than Zoe and Dorian ever imagined.

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About The Author

USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian spent her childhood being dragged around the world by her cultural anthropologist parents, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s the author of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series (Artifact, Pirate Vishnu, and Quicksand) and the Accidental Alchemist mysteries (The Accidental Alchemist and The Masquerading Magician).

Gigi’s debut mystery was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant, the follow-up won the Left Coast Crime Rose Award, and her short fiction has been short-listed for Agatha and Macavity awards. A breast cancer diagnosis in her thirties taught her two important life lessons: healing foods can taste amazing, and life’s too short to waste a single moment. Find her online at www.gigipandian.com

Author Links

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Blog / Gargoyle Photography Blog

Purchase Links
Amazon / B&N

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A Book Excerpt

Persephone & Prometheus’s Phantasmagoria: A Classic Magic Show in the Modern World.

The giant poster was illustrated in the style of Victorian Era stage magic posters. Two figures faced each other from opposite sides of a stage, the larger one in a tuxedo and top hat, the smaller impish figure in a devilish red suit. The taller tuxedoed figure held a wand, pointed upward toward an ethereal floating figure. The devilish man held a ball of fire in his hand.

I smiled to myself as Max and I made our way through the lobby, my fingers looped through his. Some things had changed since the Victorian era. The tuxedo-clad magician in the poster was a woman. Prometheus and Persephone were a husband and wife magic act with equal billing.

Their style reminded me very much of posters of King-of-Cards Thurston and Carter the Great, both of whom used ghost and devil imagery in their posters and shows to illustrate the motif that they were magicians able to control the spirit world. The ambiance felt more like Paris in 1845, on the day Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin took to the stage at the newly-built Palais Royal theater with his ingenious mechanical inventions and masterful sleight-of-hand. But this was a small theater near Portland, Oregon’s Mt. Tabor, over 150 years later. Seeing that poster made me feel like I’d been transported back in time.

I should know. I attended Robert-Houdin’s show over a century ago.

Though I look outwardly like a woman in her late twenties with trendy dyed-white hair who’s named after her grandmother Zoe Faust, the truth is far different. Long before I bought a run-down house in Portland three months ago, I was born in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1676.

A shiver swept over me as a memory of a different time and place overtook me. Casually-dressed Oregonians with cell phones in their pockets became formally-attired members of society who would remember this performance for a lifetime.

Breathe, Zoe
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I willed myself to remember it wasn’t a taut corset constricting my breathing, but my own nerves. I had thought tonight’s opening performance would be the perfect way to spend time with Max after he’d been away, but could I trust myself with him? I couldn’t tell him the truth about my past, no matter how much I wanted to.

Maybe this had been a terrible idea.

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Follow the tour for more fun posts.

January 8 – Back Porchervations – Review

January 9 – Queen of All She Reads – Review

January 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review

January 11 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review

January 11 – Fantastic Feathers – Spotlight

January 12 – deal sharing aunt – Spotlight

January 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Spotlight

January 13 – fuonlyknew – Review

January 14 – The Girl with Book Lungs – Spotlight

January 15 – Mallory Heart Reviews – Review

January 16 – Brooke Blogs – Spotlight

January 17 – Teresa Trent Author – Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Welcome to the Infinite Ink $100 Book Blast Giveaway!

The Breeders by Katie French

“When the Breeders come for ya, there ain’t no escape. They strap ya to a bed and all ya hear is the thud of your heart and the cries of your friends as they wheel ya down to hell. Then the doctors come. You squeeze your eyes shut and pray you can forget. But ya never do.”

Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world’s last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches– moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders’ long reach. The Breeders control everything- the local war lords, the remaining factories, the fuel. They have unchecked power in this lawless society. And they’re hunting Riley.

When the local Sheriff abducts the adult members of her family and hands her mother over to the Breeders, Riley and her eight-year-old brother, Ethan, hiding in a shelter, are left to starve. Then Clay arrives, the handsome gunslinger who seems determined to help to make up for past sins. The problem is Clay thinks Riley is a bender– a genderless mutation, neither male nor female. As Riley’s affection for Clay grows she wonders can she trust Clay with her secret and risk her freedom?

The three embark on a journey across the scarred remains of New Mexico– escaping the Riders who use human sacrifice to appease their Good Mother, various men scrambling for luck, and a deranged lone survivor of a plague. When Riley is forced into the Breeder’s hospital, she learns the horrible fate of her mother—a fate she’ll share unless she can find a way out.

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KatieAuthor Katie French
Katie French imagined herself an author when her poem caught the eye of her second grade teacher. It was about birds and frankly, it wasn’t very good, but it sparked a love of literature. In middle school she spent her free time locked in her room, writing her first young adult novel. This thoroughly solidifying her status as a class-A nerd. She currently works as a high school English teacher, a job that she loves even when it exhausts her. In her free time she writes, reads great books, and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. Her young adult best selling series, The Breeders, is available now on Amazon. She also has a kids series starting with Portia Parrott and the Great Kitten Rescue for ages 5-9.

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Praise for The Breeders

Kindle Book Review, 2014 Kindle Book Awards Semifinalist

Over 45,000 downloads so far. More than 300 four and five star reviews. Top Ten in Free Kindle Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Romance.

“This is an Excellent book that should be published the writing is that compelling and suspenseful.” — The Book Runner, Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer

“Wow, just wow! I started reading the sample for The Breeders and before I was even halfway through it, I stopped and bought the book. I was completely enthralled after the first few pages.” — Amazon Reviewer

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Virulent by Shelbi Wescott

Lucy King is only an hour away from embarking on the most incredible vacation of her life: White sandy beaches in a tropical paradise, snorkeling and sunbathing in peaceful tranquility. But as Lucy looks forward to her trip, a sinister plot is unfolding that will demolish the world as she knows it.

An unknown bioterrorist group unleashes a virus that virtually wipes out the earth’s population—leaving Lucy, and a small faction of survivors, trapped inside her high school to wait out the apocalypse. War, looting, and death wreak havoc outside the school; inside, the students must contend with a tyrannical and paranoid principal and their own struggles of being orphaned, frightened, and unsure of what the future will bring.

What begins as a basic fight for survival turns into a search for answers that will challenge everything Lucy has ever known about her life and her family.

Virulent is the first book in the Virulent trilogy, an enthralling post-apocalyptic adventure that takes you from the end of the world to the formation of a new society.

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ShelbiAuthor Shelbi Wescott

Shelbi Wescott is a high school Language Arts and Creative Writing teacher, a mother of two, a television junky, and a board game connoisseur. Her first book, “Virulent: The Release” was born from a challenge issued by her students to write a book that would interest them. When she isn’t writing or teaching, Shelbi can be found throwing unnecessarily elaborate birthday parties and officiating weddings. She is a fan of: Spanx, bourbon, Powell’s Books, and tabloid magazines. Shelbi lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, her two sons, Elliott and Ike, and an affectionate hound dog named Darby.

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Praise for Virulent: The Release

“My favorite part was how realistic and authentic Wescott is about to make her characters. It is clear from the specific detail and the way she shapes her setting that Wescott knows her way around a high school. She also knows a thing or two about teenage minds.”
— Underground Book Reviews

“Great characters, amazing descriptions, suspense and the beginnings of a great conspiracy mark this beginning to a series that I look forward to following. I can’t wait for book two.”
— Cherie of Cherie Reads

 

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Scourge Ebook Sml

 

The Scourge by A.G. Henley

Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She’s never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how the shadows shift when she passes under a canopy of trees. She knows how to hide in the cool, damp caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings’ tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be.

And she’s always known this day would come—the day she faces the Scourge alone.

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LauraAuthor A.G. Henley

A.G. Henley is the author of the BRILLIANT DARKNESS series. The first book in the series, THE SCOURGE, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award.

A.G. is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or avoid her at parties when they’ve had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds. When she’s not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities while trying to remember whatever she’s inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado.

 

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Praise for The Scourge

“Looking for a trenchant, imaginative, beautifully written novel to read? Look no further: it’s The Scourge, by A.G. Henley.”
— Sarah Cloots, former editor at Greenwillow Books, imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books

“The prose flows smoothly and easily but there are much deeper issues lying beneath the surface of the story that are captivating and will hold the interest of readers of any age . . . I was quickly transported into the world of The Scourge and plummeted breathlessly toward the resolution. This is a very good book and a good look at just what science fiction can achieve when in the hands of a capable writer.”
— Josef Hernandez, Examiner

“Lovable and relatable heroine? Check. Swoon-worthy, kick-butt hero? Check. Compelling romance that makes your heart melt and toes curl? Check. Captivating story and fascinating world? Check. Eagerly anticipating the next book? Check, check, check.”
— Refracted Light Reviews, blog review

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Contributor

Contributor by Nicole Ciacchella

When the Great Famine threatened the existence of mankind, the Creators saved humanity. Humanity has been their loyal subject ever since.

This history has been ingrained in seventeen-year-old Dara Morrow since her first day of Creator-sponsored school. Grateful for the life-giving necessities her Creator provides, Dara is thrilled to be one of three students chosen for an elite, year-long apprenticeship program. Now is her chance to prove herself a devoted Contributor.

But Dara’s competition is ruthless and will stop at nothing to win the competition. Worse yet, her exacting master has little patience for her.

Then Dara’s mother is seriously injured, and Dara realizes the price of being a Contributor: once you’ve outlived your usefulness, you’re discarded. Can Dara learn to manipulate the system to save not only herself, but everyone she loves?

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NicoleAuthor Nicole Ciacchella

Nicole has progressed from scribbling in notebooks to banging on keyboards, but she’s never managed to stop daydreaming at inappropriate moments.
Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two wonderful children. When not answering the demands of her characters, Nicole can often be found curled up with a good book or spending far too many hours acting the hero in whatever video game is her obsession of the moment.
Nicole rarely meets a genre she doesn’t like, and as a result has written contemporary romcoms, fantasy fiction, fairy tale retellings, and dystopian/post-apocalyptic fiction. She’s the author of the Fairytale Collection books, the YA/NA crossover Contributor trilogy, and the Astoran Asunder series.

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Praise for Contributor

From the world of dystopia comes something different – The Contributor. A society set wherein all must either contribute or be nothing at all. Very intense story line with a daunting theme. This is a great read and I can not wait to see what happens in book 2.
— LadyLox

Mindblowingly good. This book is brilliantly constructed.
— Kelly Walker

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the torturer's daughter Aa2

The Torturer’s Daughter by Zoe Cannon

When her best friend Heather calls in the middle of the night, Becca Dalcourt assumes it’s the usual drama. Wrong. Heather’s parents have been arrested as dissidents – and Becca’s mother, the dystopian regime’s most infamous torturer, has already executed them for their crimes against the state.

To stop Heather from getting herself killed trying to prove her parents’ innocence, Becca hunts for proof of their guilt. She doesn’t expect to find evidence that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about the dissidents… and about her mother.

When she risks her life to save a dissident, she learns her mother isn’t the only one with secrets – and the plot she uncovers will threaten the lives of the people she loves most. For Becca, it’s no longer just a choice between risking execution and ignoring the regime’s crimes; she has to decide whose life to save and whose to sacrifice.

It’s easy to be a hero when you can save the world, but what about when all you can do is choose how you live in it? The Torturer’s Daughter is a story about ordinary life amidst the realities of living under an oppressive regime… and the extraordinary courage it takes to do what’s right in a world gone wrong.

 

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ZoeAuthor Zoe Cannon

Zoe Cannon writes about the things that fascinate her: outsiders, societies no sane person would want to live in, questions with no easy answers, and the inner workings of the mind. If she couldn’t be a writer, she would probably be a psychologist, a penniless philosopher, or a hermit in a cave somewhere. While she’ll read anything that isn’t nailed down, she considers herself a YA reader and writer at heart. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and a giant teddy bear of a dog, and spends entirely too much time on the internet.

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Praise for The Torturer’s Daughter

“…a great read that plays with your nerves and sets great challenges before its characters…”
— Willing to See Less

“The society created by the author is incredibly oppressive and realistic in all its horror.”
— Le Chat de Bibliotheque

“My day stopped in its tracks once I picked up this novel, racing frantically towards the conclusion and the answers I needed to have.”
— Bookluvrs Haven

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Heartbeat Thief

The Heartbeat Thief by Ash Krafton

Haunted by a crushing fear of death, a young Victorian woman discovers the secret of eternal youth—she must surrender her life to attain it, and steal heartbeats to keep it.
Poe meets Austen in this haunting tale of death and endless devotion…
Being the most beautiful debutante in 1860’s Surrey isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Senza Fyne knows all too well the expectations set upon a young Victorian woman—and she also knows that, in one fell swoop, death can just whisk it all away. When she meets the mysterious and mystical Mr. Knell, she is offered the chance to escape the chains of Life and Death and to enjoy the bliss of youth and beauty for all eternity.
But that takes magic…and a steep price. She’d have to surrender her life to gain an eternity and she’d have to steal the heartbeats of others in order to keep it.
She has everything to gain if she succumbs to his spell…but knows not what she might lose.
It’s a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allan Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever. From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel, across the Pond, across the seas of Time…How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?

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A.J.Author A.J. Crafton
The Heartbeat Thief is the first release for AJ Krafton, a New Adult speculative fiction author from the Pennsylvania coal region.
If she’s not writing, it’s probably because she’s distracted by all the cool junk on her desk or by the stacks of books that have grown up around it.
She also writes novels, short fiction, and poetry for adult audiences as Ash Krafton.

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Praise for The Heartbeat Thief
“It’s a supernatural story, but it doesn’t rely on the conventions and themes that have gone before it. To be honest, when I picked it up I was expecting witches and/or vampires, but I found something else entirely. I loved the story and the concept.”
“True to its word, “The Heartbeat Thief” is part Jane Austen, part Edgar Allen Poe. The author revives the best of the style of writing found in the classics: the introspect of characters, lovely allusions comparing characters to nature and life, beautiful alliteration and prose. Mixed with this is a deep foreboding of death, a macabre sensation that follows Senza throughout the story.”
“Beautiful imagery and language shape this intriguing story that spoke to me about the meaning of maturity and purpose in life. Lovely!”

 

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Book Blast Giveaway – $100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 in Paypal Cash

Ends 1/31/16

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the participating authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Sweet Pepper Hero

by J.J. Cook

sweet peppet hero
Sweet Pepper Hero: A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
Published by Penguin Random House, LLC.
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425279236
E-Book ASIN: B00W2ZKNZ8
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My Review

Even though this is the fourth book in the series and I haven’t read the others, it was easy to pick up and could be read as a stand alone book.

Someone has kidnapped fire chief Stella’s ghost. Well, Eric’s not technically her ghost. He came with the cabin. Before he passed on, he was once the first fire chief in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, home of the sweetest, hottest peppers in the world. Stella and Eric became good friends and she’s been searching for him for months. Many of the town folk believe Eric is real and are willing to help in her search.

Besides being good friends and missing his company, Stella sure could use Eric’s help. She’s been tasked with choosing the recipes for the annual recipe contest. That means cooking each recipe and sampling it. Stella can’t cook to save her life, and Eric would have come in handy.

On top of that, there seems to be a whiskey war brewing in her town. Someone is targeting the stills, setting them on fire. The case heats up and Stella has so much on her plate, but the arson case must take center stage before someone , or Stella, winds up dead.

One thing I always enjoy about cozies is the theme. There’s ones about sewing, cooking, scrapbooking, and many more. Sweet Pepper Hero has at least two. There’s the cooking. And then there’s the fire dogs.

I love it when animals have their own roles. What’s a fire station without Dalmatians! Hero and his mother, Sylvia, are part of the fire station family. Hero took to his certification like a duck to water. But Sylvia has failed yet again. They won’t give up on her and she’ll always have a home. I feel Sylvia has a special part to play.

Something else I look forward to in a cozy mystery is the characters. There’s always a mixed bag of quirky ones. You’ve got the town gossips, the mysterious recluses, and more than one ghostly resident in this series. What’s better than a cozy mystery with a paranormal theme.

There are numerous characters I really liked. Too many to mention individually. Stella has some good friends. She comes from a long line of firefighters, and is the first woman in her family to become one. A tough Harley riding lady.

With so many things happening at once, there’s never a dull moment. The pace is fast, the mystery isn’t easily solved, and there’s plenty of fun. Even though I mentioned you could read this without having read the other books, I plan to go back and start from the beginning to see what other fun I missed.

Oh, there are some yummy recipes included so be sure to check them out.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Old rivalries heat up in the fourth Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery from the national bestselling author of In Hot Water.

Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper.

As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames.

About The Authors

J. J. Cook is a pseudonym for a married couple who writes mysteries, mostly set in the South, with a touch of paranormal and romance.

Author Links:

Webpage       Facebook      Twitter

Purchase Links:
Amazon     B&N     Google Play

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I have one print copy to give away.

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

“What’s your favorite cozy theme?”

Giveaway ends January 21st.

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Follow the tour for more fun posts.

January 5 – A Chick Who Reads – Review

January 6 – Booklady’s Booknotes – Review, Interview

January 6 – View from the Birdhouse – Spotlight

January 7 – The Book’s the Thing – Review

January 7 –  Christa Reads and Writes – Spotlight

January 8 – fuonlyknew – Review

January 9 – Laura’s Interests – Review

January 10 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review

January 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – Spotlight

January 11 – Moonlight Rendezvous – Review

January 12 – Griperang’s Bookmarks – Review

January 13 – Back Porchervations – Review, Interview

January 14 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review

January 15 – Readsalot – Spotlight

January 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review

January 17 – Island Confidential – Spotlight

January 18 – Brooke Blogs – Review

January 19 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy,  &, Sissy, Too ! – Review

January 20 – Book Babble – Review
January 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – Review

January 21 – Queen of All She Reads – Spotlight

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Counts toward my Cruisin Through The Cozies Challenge and Alphabet Soup Challenge.

  alphabet 2016

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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ABeginnersGuideToInvadingEarth Banner copy

I’m very excited to share A Beginner’s Guide To Invading Earth with ya’ll.

  I have a an interview with the author, along with my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Interview with Author Gerhard Gehrke

Thanks so much for taking time out from your busy tour to answer some questions. Let’s get started, shall we?

 

  1. How long did it take you to write A Beginner’s Guide To Invading Earth?

Two years before editing was complete. It still feels like I didn’t spend enough time on it but if I ever wanted to move on, I had to stop tinkering and let it go so people might actually read it.

  1. What is your target audience?

The book should be accessible to non-science fiction fans and be right up the alley of those comfortable with the genre. It is not overly grotesque or graphic and is appropriate for younger readers. There’s some disrespectful language and mild violence. Three aliens get accidentally impaled with a kite, so be warned.

  1. Could you share with us a favorite part you enjoyed writing?

My editor insisted on a new first chapter where the main character would be introduced and we just spend a few moments with him before the aliens show up. Here I got to reintroduce Jeff Abel to the story and was able to describe him in his mundane element working as kitchen help at a restaurant, while touching on the fact that he used to be a computer programmer who developed a distrust of technology, paranoia, and chronic bad luck.

  1. Where is your favorite place to write?

I have a messy desk with a desktop. Here I have room to adjust my keyboard, my multiple notebooks and Post-Its, and sit at ergonomically horrible angles while pecking away at the keys. Usually one of my wife’s cockatiels is sitting on a knee or foot.

  1. Are you currently working on anything new?

I have a follow-up to A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth that is now going through editing. Also I have a post-decline of civilization novel I’m writing where a young girl escapes from a secret sanctuary only to discover that the world outside is a much more complicated place than she had ever imagined.

Five fun shorts.

You are an alien on earth:

  1. Can I take your spaceship for a spin? If you’re telling me you can actually see our ship, then Zn’Fordell is going to get an earful about his ‘foolproof’ cloaking device.
  1. What is your reaction the first time you see a human? “Look, Gurgl’inada, these look just like the natives of Epsilon Eridani 4. Maybe we should be more careful this time.”
  1. Do you have a favorite TV show or movie? We do. Mostly our own shows. But to get good reception on this planet we will have to obliterate your moon as Zn’Fordell forgot to plug in the TiVo.
  1. Are you going to eat my cat? Well he did start it by eating my navigator. Unless by chance you’ve trained your cat in advanced astrogation?

What came first? The chicken or the egg? The egg enjoys deflecting attention to the chicken in order to obfuscate its true diabolical parentage which currently grows under your own city streets. Go ahead, eat the eggs. What doesn’t kill you makes you ours.

~~~~~

A Beginner’s Guide To Invading Earth

by Gerhard Gehrke

ABeginnersGuideToInvadingEarth book cover

Genre: Science Fiction

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My Review

I expected some humor in this story. The title sure suggests it. As does the fun cover art.

There’s a whole lot of laughs here. The author’s choice of casting his main protagonist as your average Joe makes it mysterious and fun.

And the aliens. What can I say. You’d expect them to be intelligent, right? They come from galaxies far, far away. They must be smart to be able to conquer space travel.

Well, that’s not the case here. They seem completely unaware of how scary they look to us humans.

The first few attempts at contact fail dismally. One alien gets run over by a truck, several get shot, and many more meet sticky ends. And when you see the story from their point of view, you’ll shake your head at just how inept and clueless they really are. I wish I could share some of their attempts with you, but don’t want to include spoilers. I may have a warped sense of humor, but I had to laugh, a lot, at how some of the aliens met their ends.

Jeff has no idea he’s been chosen as the person of first contact with the aliens. Why would he. He’s nobody special. When contact is made, he’s soon embroiled in alien politics and conspiracy. He has some help from an outcast alien and a woman with her own agenda. It’s crucial that he discover the reason behind all of the alien deaths before Earth and humanity becomes a target.

I laughed at the beginning, and the laughs just kept coming. The aliens were kind of gross, in a funny way. They smelled. I mean really smelled. And they acted more like children than intelligent beings.

An action/adventure science fiction story for all ages. With loads of laughs and fun characters, and plenty of adventure, this is one I’d recommend to all readers. It has something for everyone. Sure kept me entertained for a few hours.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

What would you do if you found a dead alien on a lonely highway?

Was it an accident, sabotage, or murder? And why is everyone blaming Jeff?

The extraterrestrials aren’t waiting for answers. They want revenge. And Jeff isn’t ready for company.

His only hope is an outcast mechanic from another world and a woman who might do anything to get off planet, including selling out her own kind. Jeff has to get to the bottom of why there are so many alien bodies piling up and who is really responsible.

A science fiction adventure novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth tells the story of a reclusive ex-computer programmer who is the unwitting central figure of a plot to keep humanity from ever making first contact.

~~~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside!

First contact with the humans wasn’t going as planned, as was obvious by the rank smells that choked the air of the alien visitorsʹ craft. But no one called them aliens where they came from.

Seven little Greys, short bipeds with large heads and big eyes and delicate limbs, sat in the flight seats of their ship’s crew compartments and listened as the Mission Commander lectured them from the Command Module. The harangue lingered in the air, not as words or even sounds but as a smell, a ripe one replete with pheromones and scent packets that the Greys used to speak with one another. A new string of curses from the Commander’s glands smelled of licorice. The Mission Commander composed itself. It wiped sticky sweat from its hairless frontal lobe.

The lights and displays in front of the seven crew members blinked and flashed. No one would so much as touch a button until the Commander was finished addressing the crew.

“I’ll hear no more of it,” the Commander said. “We’re on the human world. We go forward. Probability calculations for success show at 100%. The computer will be trusted.”

~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

ABeginnersGuideToInvadingEarth author pic

Gerhard Gehrke studied film at San Francisco State University. He wrote and produced several shows for community television. His Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror short stories have appeared in several publications, including an Editor’s Choice-winning short story at AnotheRealm.com. A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth is his first novel.

You can connect with him at these links

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

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Goddess Fish Promotions

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Protector Banner copy

I enjoy urban fantasy and I’m thrilled to share Protector with you.

It’s the first book in the Children Of Ossiria series.

I fell in love with the cover. So dark and mysterious, and those eyes!

Enjoy the glimpse inside the book.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~~

Protector

by Vivian Lane

Los Angeles cityscape

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Genre: Urban Fantasy

Synopsis

First in a new series!

Carys Taylor has her life perfectly under control. Equipped with a nice inheritance, she goes where she wants, when she wants, pursuing anything that interests her. So when her old professor asks her to come on a research trip for his thesis, she’s eager to tag along.

Until that ill-fated trip to the South American jungle changes her into a supernatural being. Now she’s sprouting claws and stronger and faster than any human being in existence. The reclusive tribe calls her their Protector – but from what? And why now? Why her?

Carys is pulled into a world she never knew existed. Is she up to the task?

~~~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside the book!

A month later, it was my first day out doing something normal—shopping at the mall. Up to now, I’d avoided crowds, doing my grocery shopping when the stores were almost deserted. Walking to my car in the parking garage, my hands were full of bags, and a man walked behind me. At first, I didn’t think of hearing someone behind me, until his footsteps sped up to get close to me. He demanded my purse. I was willing to cooperate since I didn’t want to provoke him. Better my stuff than my life, right? That’s what the police tell you to do. So, I set down the bags, and the guy lunged for my purse.

I can’t tell you how I did what happened next.

Next thing I knew, I had the guy in a choke hold with claws pressed to his neck. Claws! The guy started freaking out, then, begging me not to hurt him. I tightened the hold until he blacked out, then called 911 on my cell phone. The police arrived, took my statement and the mugger, and I went home.

Shaking.

My fingernails turned into claws. That was NOT normal. Both hands? I stared at my left. Yep, both hands. Oh God.

And then the fight moves. What was that? This wasn’t The Matrix. I hadn’t been plugged into a machine for a kung fu download. Had I? What really happened in that village?

~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Writer of supernatural badasses.

Vivian Lane is an American author. Born a Gemini, her interests fall under a myriad of subjects including classical music, American and World History; fantasy books, TV shows, and movies; travel, marine biology, and fashion.

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Protector Purchase Links

Apple / B&N / Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Goddess Fish Promotions

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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The Reader Banner copy

I’m excited to share The Reader with you today.

This is the third book in The Rifters Series.

Come on in and check it out.

Enjoy the peek inside the story.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~~

The Reader

The Rifters Series #3

by M. Pax

The Reader cover two

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis

With the rift closed for the season and no more monsters to fight, Daelin Long gets bored as librarian in the podunk town of Settler, Oregon. A job interview and her brother’s arrival present a tempting opportunity to escape, until her brother and her best friend, a ghost, disappear.

While Daelin searches for them, more mysteries pile up: dead people coming back to life, portraits of the town founders replaced with strange white trees, and people on the other side of the rift returning. It’s impossible. The portal that allows monsters from other universes to come to Earth is sealed until next summer.

The Rifters, a secret group protecting our world, believe the troubles are nothing more than the tantrums of an offended ghost. Daelin disagrees. If she’s right, the evil hell-bent on destroying Earth has new technology making the rift more deadly.

Before the monster summons the next apocalypse, Daelin must find it and destroy it.

Book 3 in the Rifter series.

~~~~~

Excerpt

Earl Blacke put on a pair of optilyzers. They resembled aviator goggles from the 1920’s but performed a very different function. They had no buttons, operating by feeding off the energy of auras. Earl peered at Dante. His aura was nonexistent except for a few deep violet spikes. “Why aren’t you glowing like a purple alien candle?”

Dante bordered on fidgeting.

“Does this embarrass you?” Earl asked. “You don’t like showing your non-Earthly colors?”

“I can conceal my aura, and for your safety I do.” Dante lifted his chin and surveyed the clearing carefully. “I’m not the issue. Why you’re seeing your girl is.”

“What if whatever brought her here is masking its aura? You may not be the only thing with such an ability.”

Dante stopped so short, Earl smacked into him hard enough he had to back pedal two steps to regain his balance.

“I’m not a thing. I’m a sentient being with rights. Just like you.” Dante spat then continued to investigate.

“Since you’re not human, you don’t have human rights. What kind of rights are you talking about? Alienable rights, I suppose.” Unable to help himself, Earl guffawed as if he had never laughed in his life. It had been awhile since the urge tickled him.

Dante whirled and smacked Earl on the nose. “Get to work. If something is afoot, you’ve scared it into the next universe by now.”

Gripping his stomach, Earl fought to settle down. “What are we hunting for? You seem to have something in mind.”

“A purple glow. When you find it, holler.” He wiggled his fingers to get Earl moving. “Scatter, and don’t all go searching in the same place.”

~~~~~

Author M. Pax

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  1. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds and the urban fantasy series The Rifters. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She ghost hunts for fun with a group of curiosity seekers, docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as a star guide, has a cat with a crush on Mr. Spock, and is slightly obsessed with Jane Austen.

Learn more at these links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook

See what inspires The Rifters on Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/mpaxauthor/the-rifters/

The first two books in the Rifters series can be read for free by becoming an M. Pax Reader. at – http://mpaxauthor.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5e298cfbe42080a411dcdd9a3&id=c01a285202

Amazon

AmazonUK / AUS / CA / DE / FR / ES / IT / NL / JP / BR / MX / IN

Bookcessories

iBook / Nook / GooglePlay / Kobo / Smashwords / inktera / Scribd

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For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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EOM Banner.jpeg
The Edge of Madness –
A Thriller & Horror Anthology
Release Date: March 1, 2016

 

MARCH MADNESS as you’ve NEVER seen it…
15 COMPLETE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FROM YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS IN ONE PRETTY PACKAGE. 

 

WTMO Synopsis Banner Final.jpg

Kick off Spring 2016 with a collection of macabre, suspenseful and disturbing thriller/horror stories from around the globe — some of which you might be able to read with the lights off. The rest are going to scare the bejeezus out of you! One thing is guaranteed: once you’ve read them, you won’t ever be the same! 

A mix of previously-released stories and never-before seen tales, this set holds fifteen new worlds to explore — fifteen incredible experiences to bombard your senses, fifteen sets of characters to love, hate and run from — and who could ask for more? 

The perfect companion for a leisurely weekend of mayhem is at your fingertips — one-click your copy today! 

 

THIS BOX SET INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING TITLES: 

13 — Julie Elizabeth Powell 
SLOTS — R.E. Hargrave 
SPLIT — Michele E. Gwynn 
NO CALLER ID — Ruby West 
SECRETS ROOM — Kim Faulks 
BLOOD CROW — Cleve Sylcox 
BLOOD IS POWER — Ella Medler 
DUPLICITOUS — Stephanie Nett 
A CRYSTAL SNOWFLAKE — Holly Barbo 
LOST SHADOWS — Julie Elizabeth Powell 
TROPICAL NIGHTMARES — Kelly Cozzone 
DIRTY BUSINESS — Julie Elizabeth Powell 
MY DAYLIGHT MONSTERS — Sarah Dalton 
NORTH BY NORTHEAST — Cherime MacFarlane 
CAPTIVE (Book 1 of A New Life Series) — Samantha Jacobey 

RATED MA 18+ for mature content, V — violence, S — graphic sexual situations, L — vulgar language. Not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. Reader discretion is advised. 

RELEASED by PERMISSION — All works in this box set have been professionally proofed by Paper Gold Publishing, unless this service was expressly refused by the author. Some stories are written in American, some in Australian, and some in British English. The authors have chosen to stay true to their heritage. 
All rights reserved.

 

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Pre-order links:

 

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SPECIAL for Kobo customers only!!
We are doing a gift with purchase for those who Pre-Order from Kobo – so be sure to sign up for your gift if you use them as your vendor…http://ow.ly/We6Mq

 

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Rafflecopter – Over 50 winners will be drawn – get your entries today!!!
Click HERE to enter.

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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BOB Banner copy

BOB

by Tegon Maus

BOB book cover

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Genre – Sci-fi (soft)

My Review

The star protagonist in this story is Peter Anderson. Or is he? He used to be a top reporter. Just needs that one great story to get back there. Maybe the piece about strange lights in the sky will do it for him.

It wasn’t long before I was thinking, “What about Bob?” The title is Bob. Who is Bob? I found out soon.

Peter gets his story when he discovers the girl, her hands nailed down to a table. With the help of the mysterious Bob, they rescue her, she quickly vanishes, and things go sideways.

Bob. What can I say about Bob. The easy things – he’s a Russian immigrant, now an American citizen (I think), and a taxi driver.

But there’s something fishy about Bob. He has these cousins. Different ones for different situations, from breaking and entering, to muscle, to aliens. He sure has a lot of “cousins.” And lots of connections.

Not only is Bob a mystery, so is his beat up taxi. To look at it, you’d think it was junk. That’s what Peter thinks when he gets in and the car won’t start. These two simply words from Bob, “Is Belt”, get them out of more than one sticky situation. Like Bob, the car is more than meets the eye.

When my brain wasn’t spinning trying to figure out who was what, I was laughing. There’s so much humor. Bob has some rituals that he uses repeatedly throughout the story, and they never get old. I found myself waiting for each one, and had some fits of giggles.

Aside from the humor, there’s a deep plot. It starts simply and soon develops into a fascinating mystery fraught with action and danger. There is a science fiction aspect to it, but nothing too complicated, and it adds to the intrigue.

There’s a mish mash of colorful characters to meet, plenty of humor, and lots of action and mystery. I was quickly drawn into the story and held hostage until the last page.  The end makes me think more books will be coming. I sure hope so, as I’m still wondering about Bob, and…..and so many other things.

5 Stars

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Enjoy this Excerpt – This is one of those signature rituals that made me giggle every time.

“His English not so good,” Bob added, wiggling his hands dismissively.

“Sounded damn good to me,” I said honestly.

“Bob understands. Bob’s friend speak Spanish?” he asked with a little annoyance in his voice, threading his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“Nope. Can’t say as I do,” I answered, folding my arms.

“How you say… no speak Spanish?” he asked, folding his arms as well.

“No habla Hispano.”

“AAAHHH, to Bob, Bob’s friend sound like native. Bob thought he smelled burritos, heard waves on beach. Very impressed. Bob’s friend has gift for language. Sure not speak Spanish?”

“Fred,” I said flatly, stepping directly in front of the little man. “Do you speak English?”

“Da. Fred speak no English,” he responded dully, tilting his head from side to side, his arms hung slack, swinging loosely as he spoke.

“Very sad, like Bob say. Fred’s parents live too close to nuclear plant. Sure, sure, rent very cheap but Fred… no brain for English,” Bob said, closing his eyes, shaking his head in a pretentious, melancholy way.

“Bob,” I started.

“Very late. No time for Fred’s story. Bob’s friend want to see house tonight or no?” he asked, pushing himself to stand between me and Fred.

“Alright, have it your way. Let’s go,” I demanded now irritated, angrily grabbing my coat off the back of the chair.

“Nyet, nyet. Bob’s friend almost forget,” he said, turning his back quickly, wriggling his fingers.

“Dear God. Money? Now?” I said, throwing my coat across the back of the chair again.

~~~~~

Synopsis

After 27 years as a newspaper man, Peter Anderson’s career is slipping away, at least it was, until he stumbled upon the story of a lifetime. Sent to do a fluff piece about lights in the night sky over Arizona, he discovers far more than he ever expected when he comes upon a mysterious young woman held prisoner in a basement. After helping her to escape, she disappears before he can learn the truth about who she is or where she came from. His search for her leads him back to the lights in the sky and leaves him with more questions than answers. The only thing he knows for certain . . . the only thing he can count on are the two words offered repeatedly by his friend and guide . . . “IS BELT.”

~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

BOB author

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

The first thing I can remember writing was for her. For the life of me I can’t remember what it was about… something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after that. I spent a good number of years after inventing games and prototypes for a variety of ideas before I got back to writing.

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

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

Buy Links: (The Book is 0.99 cents during the tour)

Amazon / B&N

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

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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I’m so excited to share Anna’s new release with you.

I was thrilled when she told me she’d written a cozy. I’m addicted to them. LOL

I’ll be sharing my review in January, so watch for the tour.

Check out the lovely cover art.

Get a peek inside the book.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

White Light

by Anna Simpson

28245754

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Publisher: Three Worlds Press

Genre: Cozy

Synopsis

Emma never dreamed of being a super-sleuth. In her mind, she’s more Scooby Doo than Nancy Drew and when her nosy neighbor, Mrs. Perkins, drags her to an anniversary party to solve a mystery, she rolls her eyes, buys a box of chocolates and hops in the car.

What’s a party without an attack on its host—or more accurately on the host’s grandson, sparking an allergic reaction and moving the party to the hospital waiting room. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect. Emma and Mrs. Perkins, along with Great Aunt Alice (a spirit with boundary issues who keeps stepping into Emma’s body like a new dress and playing matchmaker), dive into an investigation that almost gets Emma killed along with the man they are trying to protect. With so many reasons to kill him and so much to be gained if he died, Emma and Mrs. Perkins must unravel the tenuous ties that point to every member of his family as potential killers.

Even if it means going back to the psych ward, Emma will protect her friend and this innocent man. What good is freedom if it’s haunted with guilt?

AMAZON

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside!

To stay free, I perform a ritual every morning. It begins with stepping outside, where dawn streams through the leafy branches of my maple tree, landing, shifting, and dancing on the flowerbeds at my bare feet. A steaming cup of coffee warms my hands. The fragrant air fills my lungs. I sip, leaving the liquid on my tongue to capture a moment of rich goodness.

My name is Emma, and I need to stay grounded and calm. It’s important for my health, so I walk along the fence and let the cool blades of grass tickle my toes and dewdrops cling to my skin. For fun, I kick a ball of dandelion fluff. Little parachutes take flight catching the same breeze moving the leaves above my head. The seeds float up, and up, over the fence to land on Mrs. Perkins’ perfectly tended lawn. Not a dandelion or mat of moss to be seen.

In a half acre of green sits one flowerbed, brimming with Lily of the Valley. I remember the first time I saw them over fifteen years ago. The delicate white bells could only be fairy hats. Today, the round base of cemented river stone is still full of waxy green spear tips. I don’t see fairy hats anymore. No, now I enjoy the effects of nature—its simple perfection.

Mrs. Perkins does it best. In fact, everything around Mrs. Perkins is perfectly cared for—her home, her yard, her car—all perfect.

But not today. A dark line sits between the jamb and the edge of the door.
A few inches of shadow drives my calm away and prickles the long blonde hairs at the nape of my neck. Butterflies in my stomach tell, no scratch that, demand I find my phone and go next door.

Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not a snoop.

Mrs. Perkins, a wiry old bird, did everything herself. I’m not sure if it is because she’s the independent sort or if she has no one else to help her. Either way, when she suggested we watch out for one another, I agreed.

I’m also alone. It doesn’t bother me unless I catch the flu or something. Then I wonder if I will die and no one will notice. It’s a thought, or fear, I can’t shake. Mrs. Perkins’ house has my full attention, and within it sits the same worry. I’ll check on her because she would do the same for me.

I crash into my kitchen, slopping my coffee onto the counter as I slam the mug down. My phone could be anywhere. My gaze travels from the pine tabletop to the gray marble counter. It’s not here. I push through the swinging door to the living area, run my fingertips between the couch and chair cushions, scan the smoked-glass coffee table through my veil of long blonde hair, and sneak a peek under my overturned book on the throw rug. Desperate, I check around the bowl by the door where I toss my keys as I pass the spiral staircase to the loft. Still nothing.

Down the short hallway, I rush to my bedroom. I tug the midnight blue duvet off the bed and shake it. My pulse speeds up as something thuds on to the carpet. I pick up my smartphone and check the battery. Half power.

Excellent. I dash through my front door, across the lawn and unlatch Mrs. Perkins’ white picket gate. Her shiny yellow front door looks as solid as stone. I follow her path to the back wondering if danger lurks.

I gasp as I near the door. It’s like living a moment in a crime drama. I mimic what I have watched on television and bring up my phone to take a picture. Inching forward, heart pounding, I wonder if poor Mrs. Perkins is sprawled out on the bathroom floor, from a stroke, heart attack, or a butcher knife.

Don’t worry, Mrs. Perkins. I’m coming.

I pull my cotton sleeve over my hand and push the door wider. Her kitchen looks untouched as if it’s sterilized or newly installed. Tiles cool my bare feet with each step. Fear scratches at my nerves, “Mrs. Perkins? It’s Emma from next door. Are you okay?”

Silence.

I raise the phone to call for help.

A small sound carries from deeper in the house. I should stop, leave, and make the call.

Following the sound might be dangerous or, worse, plain stupid. And I’m scared. So scared, my breathing is all I hear over the pounding of my heart.
I’d look stupid if I’m wrong. Ravenglass Lake is so small-townsville, and Benny the bully is like no cop I’ve ever met. He would be no help. Worst of all, they’d call me crazy for sure. I slip the phone back into my denim pocket, quietly open her knife drawer, and pull out a meat cleaver. Armed, I creep forward.

Thank goodness Mrs. Perkins likes an open airy room. Evil housebreakers have nowhere to hide in the dining room.

A small thump like a cat landing on carpet makes me jump. But Mrs. Perkins doesn’t have a cat…or carpet—only allergies.

I tighten my grip on the cleaver as I stick my head into the living room. All is quiet and undisturbed. I enter the corridor to the front door. To my right are stairs to the upper floor. Farther ahead is a hall closet and nook where she keeps a desk and a small bookcase. Nothing seems touched.

I glance up at the glittery ceiling, swallow, and pull my phone from my pocket. The sensible thing is to dial 911. I sidestep for the front door, but in my mind’s eye Mrs. Perkins, wiry but frail, shakes her head. Her arm outstretched urging me not to leave.

Thump, I freeze. The noise is right beside me coming from the hall closet.
Without thinking, I open the door and find Mrs. Perkins tied up with duct tape across her lips. Her green eyes, round and unblinking, grow wide, and her usual perfect curls are mussed. I drop the cleaver. It clatters on the floor, and I pull the tape free.

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About Author Anna Simpson

Anna Simpson lives near the Canadian-US border with her family. Even though she’s lived in several places in British Columbia, her free spirit wasn’t able to settle down until she moved back to her hometown.

She is easy to find though, if you know the magic word — emaginette. Do an internet search using it and you’ll see what I mean. :-)

Author Links:

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