Posts Tagged ‘Horror’

Running to live….Undead Ultra by Camille Picott ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: June 21, 2016 in giveaways, horror, reviews, Zombies
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Welcome to my tour stop for Undead Ultra (A Zombie Novel) by Camille Picott! This is an adult post apocalyptic horror novel and the tour runs June 20 through July 1st with reviews, interviews and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule!

Undead Ultra

by Camille Picott

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Genre: Adult Apocalyptic Horror / Zombies

My Review

I’ve read plenty of zombie apocalypse stories with lots of different scenarios, but this is something new.

Kate and Frederico are Ultramarathon runners. That’s any race longer than a little over 26 miles, all on foot, no bikes or swimming.

Wouldn’t you know it. While out on a run, the apocalypse happens. Now Kate and Frederico must run all the way to where Kate’s son, Carter, is trapped at his college. That’s over 200 miles away.

You can imagine all of the snags they run into. Aside from the zombies, which are everywhere and very hungry, there’s the people to worry about too. Frederico would be excess baggage to those wanting to snag themselves a woman to snuggle up with in the end times. Injuries could mean their death. And  finding food and water will slow them down as they can’t carry it while running.

I thought this was very believable. If you were a seasoned runner and without injuries, you could run the 200+ miles. It’s all the things that could go wrong that would prevent you from succeeding.

You can’t help but cheer these two on as they race to the rescue. Their run gets your own endorphins pumping. The dangers they encounter on the way keep the suspense levels high. And you remain hopeful they’ll get where they’re going, rescue Kate’s son, and somehow survive.

Strong writing and well developed characters make this one I recommend to all zombie lovers. And you runners might get a kick out of it too.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Undead: a reanimated corpse with a craving for human flesh.
Ultramarathon: any footrace longer than a traditional marathon (26.2 miles).

For ultrarunners Kate and Frederico, a typical Saturday morning is spent pounding out a twenty- to thirty-mile “fun run.” It’s during one of their runs that an insidious illness descends upon northern California, turning humans into flesh-shredding zombies.

When Kate receives a desperate call from her son, Carter, she and Frederico flee their hometown and set out to help him. The only problem? Carter attends college over two hundred miles away and the freeways—clogged with car wrecks, zombies, and government blockades—are impassable. Running back roads and railroad tracks becomes their only means of travel, but neither of them has ever run so far before.

As pain, injuries, hunger, and fatigue plague them, getting to Carter and staying alive seem impossible. It’s either outrun the undead or become one of them, and for Kate, death is not an option.

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:


Camille Picott has been writing novels since she was twelve. When she’s not working on a book, spending time with family, or whipping up a new vegetarian meal, you can find her trail running in Sonoma County, California.

Website | Twitter | Facebook 

 

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GIVEAWAY:
Two (2) $5 Amazon gift cards (INT)
Ends July 6th
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 18. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

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Follow the tour for more fun posts!

6/20

Bookhounds – Interview

6/21

fuonlyknew – Review

Astounding Books– Interview

6/22

A Page to Turn – Review & Excerpt

6/23

The Mystery Tavern – Review

6/24

Curling Up With a Good Book– Interview

A Thousand Words a Million Books– Review

6/27

Natural Bri– Review

6/28

Mary’s Cup of Tea – Review

Book Lovers Life – Review

6/29

WS Momma Readers Nook – Review

Rambling Reviews – Review

6/30

Jael’s Reviews – Interview

7/1

Deal Sharing Aunt– Review

Brooke Blogs– Review & Excerpt

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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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New Release in The Cowboy and the Vampire Series ~ The Last Sunset ~ Check it out and enter the giveaway

Posted: June 10, 2016 in giveaways, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, Series, Western
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I have got to get this series. I’m a huge fan of Western PNR Horror. And these sound fabulous.

If you haven’t read any, you should try these. Never know what you might be missing.

Check out the series.

Enjoy the glimpse inside the book.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

The Cowboy and the Vampire: The Last Sunset

The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection Book Four

Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall

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Genre: Horror, Western, PNR

Publisher: Pumpjack Press,

Date of Publication: June 9, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-9974113-0-0 / ASIN: B01F0MFBE2

Number of pages: 357 / Word Count: 83,000

Cover Artist: Aaron Perkins

Synopsis

The Cowboy and the Vampire: The Last Sunset is the fourth book in award-winning The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection, a series called everything from cult classic to trailblazer in a new genre: Western Gothic.

Take one long, last look at LonePine, Wyoming, population 438. It’s been two years since the vampires quit the quirky little town and things are mostly back to normal — broken dreams and never enough whiskey. But that’s about to go to hell.

Hold on tight for a midnight showdown when a psychotic religious order takes the entire town hostage — including Tucker’s long-lost brother — to lure Lizzie from her frozen exile in Russia. The mad monks know Lizzie’s murder will strand the ruling vampire elite in a disembodied afterlife so the cult can impose their twisted beliefs on the living and undead alike. It’s a rip-roarin’ stampede as a cowboy and a vampire try to round up the shattered pieces of their unusual romance.

With the fate of the world on the line yet again, can Tucker and Lizzie put aside their broken hearts to face one last sunset together?

Slap leather or reach for the sky.

This is the fourth book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection.

Amazon

 

Excerpt:

The first few months were anguish. But then she threw herself into bringing order to her inherited chaos. If she was to run this vampire shit show, she would run it right. And she had, intensely, ruthlessly, for the first year.

Now, everyone knew the rules, knew the consequences for breaking the coda, and—if grudgingly—understood the wisdom behind the annual allocation. She kept her word, showing no favoritism. Nine turns picked by the Council, followed by one pick for Lizzie, with nine nights of rest. By the end of the first year, a fragile trust in her leadership was established.

By the beginning of the second year of her self-imposed exile, as the intensity of the work began to wane, she realized something had shifted. The full weight of her future lodged permanently, sadly, in her soul.

Rurik, forever circling like a handsome vulture, sensed the change.

“Finally, you admit to yourself he is not coming for you,” Rurik said.

“I knew he wouldn’t come,” Lizzie said, more sharply than intended.

“I’m not the one who requires persuading on this point,” Rurik said. “But no matter the reason, I am pleased. Stop working so hard. Amuse yourself with the privileges and pleasures your position affords. You can have anything you want, with no punishment.”

“Punishment?”

“From the society you once valued, or from yourself,” Rurik said. “You are free from guilt, free of all constraints, free to act upon your desires and to assume the glorious existence that awaits only your assent.”

Rurik felt something akin to compassion as he watched Lizzie struggle to control her emotions, mistaking liberation for captivity. He was right in one sense, though; she was coming to the same realization all vampires faced at some point in their long, undead existence, even those whose turning was consensual: there was no going back.

Yes, Lizzie thought, defiantly, as the first year passed into the second. If she was no longer ever to be a human, she might as well have fun. Why the hell not? She submerged herself into her passions and found that although not exactly fulfilling, it was diverting, covering her nightly routines with a shroud of hedonistic numbness that prevented any feelings at all—other than immediate pleasure—from surfacing.

She would never admit it, ever, but Rurik was right on another point. She had waited. She had hoped he would come for her, but why would he? She made it clear by breaking his heart that they would never be together. That he believed her ruse broke her heart.

Such a sad and dusty little tragedy, she thought, clutching the railing. A shadow by the lake’s edge caught her eye—Rurik, out with his dogs.

He felt her gaze and looked up, taking in her nude body and letting his senses wash over it, the closest—it seemed—he would come to possessing her, at least for the time being.

She could feel his heart stuttering, but held her own body in perfect check until he averted his eyes and continued his walk.

Lizzie once again considered whether it was time to move. Rurik’s home was spacious and lonely and safe and remote, and while he had been a good host to her, he enjoyed the power of proximity over the other tribes, and she understood he was motivated by a hope of his own.

“It is inevitable that you and I come together,” he once told her. “You have known this since we first met in that godforsaken American outpost.”

“Nothing is inevitable,” she said. Thwarting his passions had become a habit.

She wondered if Rurik ever missed the man he had once been, the brilliant military strategist who helped turn back the crusaders all those many years ago in a battle for Russia’s soul. “Ironic that you lost your soul in the process,” she said aloud and in his direction.

Her private cell phone buzzed on the bedside table. Lizzie padded back into the room, the wolfhound in tow.

Elita. She picked up the phone.

“Yes?”

“My queen,” Elita said, managing to sound both sarcastic and reverential. Was there a difference, Lizzie wondered?

“My loyal subject, my lovely maid-in-waiting,” Lizzie replied. In all this madness, Elita was her only certainty.

“Whatever that means,” Elita said. “How’s the frozen tundra treating you?”

“Still frozen. Have you wrestled the American Royals and the Reptiles into peaceful coexistence?”

“We’re making progress, one corpse at a time.”

“When will you visit?” Lizzie asked.

“I’m on my way now,” Elita said.

Lizzie paused. That was not a good sign. “That’s a welcome, but unexpected surprise.”

“What I must tell you may not be so welcome.”

“Tell me now,” Lizzie said.

“I’ll save the details until I can tell you face to face, but in brief, I’ve heard rumblings, screaming really, that you have a new enemy.”

“Why would that concern me?”

“Keep your guard up until I arrive.”

“My guard is never down,” Lizzie said, breaking the connection.”

About Authors Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall

Clark Hays

Between the two of them, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall have worked in writing jobs ranging from cowboy-poet to energy journalist to restaurant reviewer to university press officer. After they met, their writing career took center stage when they wrote the first book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection as a test for marriage. They passed. Clark and Kathleen now live in Portland, Oregon.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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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My Monday Minis Reviews #49 ~ Scary Reviews From Those Wee Hours Of The Night

Posted: June 6, 2016 in horror, Monday's Minis, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Supernatural
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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing my reviews of four books from my TBR shelves.

Every Color Of The Night

by C. Yellow Robe

Genre: Horror / Apocalypse

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My Review

If you like a new spin on something you’ve read a lot about, this will fit the bill. I stayed up late reading from beginning to end and still not quite sure what to tag these things as.

I enjoy an underdog, a compromised character with a lot of baggage. It’s my hope they can rise above their grief or self pity, redeem themselves. Especially in the worst of times. There’s more than one character to bond with, and don’t get too fond of any of them. The author is not afraid to take them out of the equation.

I’d recommend this to horror and thriller fans. The suspense builds quickly and then it’s all out action to the bitter end.

4  Stars

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Synopsis

Like a gallon of milk forgotten on the counter and left to curdle, Ken’s life is going sour. The loss of his wife and daughter, entirely his fault, has left him shattered. In the face of such pain, he’s turned to the temporary solution many others do: liquid salvation. It’s all catching up to him. Life seems as if it cannot get any worse.
And then … the world comes to an end.
The newly wakened evil that comes next proves that some things are even worse than the apocalypse. And these things only come out at night …

AMAZON

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 Uninvited Guests Trilogy

by Victor Dark

Genre: Horror / Paranormal

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My Review

I grabbed this trilogy as a free download off Amazon. It’s a great way to discover new authors.

I’ll be reading more of Victor’s stories.

From the first story to the last, you are totally emotionally engaged. You’ll want to kick some character butt, reach in and shake sense into them. Tell them, hey, don’t you know the rules on how to survive a horror story. A lot of what they do is typical screw up stuff. You shake your head, wondering, why did the author give me the same old idiots.

But, wait. That’s how you get emotionally engaged with these characters. How you come to like or loathe them, wish them to survive or die horribly.

And what’s good horror without killing off some characters. It could be someone you loathe, or that one you are really hoping will make it. Lots of twists and no guarantees.

It’s creepy good reading and I’m planning on seeing what else Victor Dark has for me.

 4 Stars

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Synopsis

Alan Walter’s marriage has fallen apart. It all started when the Walters moved into their new dream home. For months, they heard creaking noises in the attic, tapping on the walls and the opening of cabinet doors. His wife swears that there’s an intruder living in the house. But Alan didn’t believe her. And he didn’t discover the truth until it was too late.

Now, three years later, it’s happening again to a single mom and her two young children.
And Alan won’t let history repeat itself. Not if he can help it.

As Alan investigates the case, he uncovers a conspiracy twenty years in the making. He comes face to face with an unspeakable horror that will change his life forever. Soon enough Alan Walters will realize that if these walls could talk, they would be screaming.

The Uninvited Guests Trilogy Contains:
1. Uninvited Guests
2. Descent into Madness
3. Becoming The Beast

AMAZON

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Listen To Me Speak

by Victor Dark

Genre: Horror

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My Review

After reading and enjoying the author’s Uninvited Guests Trilogy, I had to give his next series a go.

It sounds familiar. Author gets writer’s block. Goes off by himself to some creepy house, hoping to find his writing mojo again. Instead, he winds up in something horrific,  gets scared shitless, does some stupid stuff, and maybe, just maybe, makes things right and lives through it.

Well, I’m not saying that’s what happens here, just giving you an idea of what might be in store for you. Mix together a haunted house, a seductress, and a married man with no hope, and you get a horror smorgasbord.

 I had a fun with this one and the good news is, it’s a trilogy and I’m going to grab it and continue this story.

3 Stars

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Synopsis

After the success of his first novel, John Krik has struggled to come up with a follow up that his fans would eagerly gobble up. On a spur of the moment decision, John leaves his suburban married life to spend six months in an abandoned house in the quiet eerie town of Cafeville, where secrets lurk in every corner. The town’s biggest source of gossip is the Greens who live right next door.

As John attempts to put his finger on what it is about the house that has everyone steering clear, he finds himself captivated by the seductively charming Eva Green who is as dangerous as she is irresistible. A gruesome story begins to take form in his mind. As the lines between fiction and reality become blurred, something sinister emerges from the shadows and demands to be heard.

AMAZON

I did just grab the trilogy. So if you want to get the collection, just click on the cover below.

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Psychopathia

by Kate Genet

Genre: Horror

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My Review

Warning: This may appear to be the same old horror story about some idiots who explore an old insane asylum. Think again. And when you finish this story, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

The dark suspense really did creep me out. It takes a lot to have me worried about what will happen in the next sentence, the next paragraph. You know what I mean? You’re brain is twitching, and you almost feel tired from wondering.

I was literally freaking out about these characters. What was happening to them. What I knew was going to happen to some of them. And what I feared was going to happen to them.

A lot of my fears came true. Boy, did they ever. Remember watching a scary movie, going to bed, and being afraid to turn out the light? You had to run across the room in the dark and make a leap into your bed. You pulled the covers up to your chin, and prayed you wouldn’t hear a strange noise coming from the closet or under the bed? That’s how I felt. Like a little kid, scared by a silly horror story.

Silly? Not really. It was all out scary and I couldn’t have been happier.

I was like a mad scientist when I read the ending. Rubbing my hands together, a wicked gleam to my eyes, a manic grin on my face, and cacklingly madly.

  5 Stars 

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Synopsis

Everyone knows old insane asylums are the best place for ghost hunting – spooky, tragic, and with a pretty good chance of finding something that will go bump in the night. Even so, a ghost hunt is just an excuse for a good night out, a bit of a scare. A bit of a scare never hurts anyone, right?
Tully’s been watching a lot of paranormal investigations programmes lately, missing the mother who died shortly after her birth, so when her brother suggests they go look around an old asylum, she thinks it’s a brilliant idea. Her brother Toby doesn’t believe, and he doesn’t expect they will see any ghosts.
But there’s something there, all right, waiting for someone just like him to come along. It’s been there a long time, and it’s determined to hitch a ride home with them.
There’s a reason some people were incarcerated in the old asylums, and as it turns out, death doesn’t stop the insanity. It just makes it hungrier.

AMAZON

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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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Can Anyone Tell Me What Adam Wants?

Posted: May 26, 2016 in Creatures, Freebies!, horror, Series, Short stories and collections, thriller
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This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry.

Today we’re sharing our reviews of What Adam Wants, a short story by Michael Hebler. And you can get a free copy on Amazon. Go HERE or click on the cover to grab your copy now!

Read on to learn how you can get some books!

After reading my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental and check out her review.

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Before we get to my review, I have some more news for you from Michael.

I have a new cover reveal for Curse Of The Chupacabra and it’s on sale May 25th thru 31st for only 99 cents. You save two dollars!

Check out the new cover. Click on it to get your copy at the special price.

Curse Of The Chupacabra

Book #2

Curse of the Chupacabra new cover

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Click Here for My Review

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And one more bit of news from Michael. If you sign up for his newsletter HERE, he will give a free eBook copy of Night Of The Chupacabra, the first book in his thrilling Chupacabra series!

Night Of The Chupacabra

Book #1

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Click Here For My Review

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Wait! Michael has one more freebie for you. His short story, Rattlesnake, is free to grab on Amazon. Just click on the cover to get your copy. A little bite of horror.

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Click Here For My Review

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What Adam Wants

by Michael Hebler

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My Review

Mr. Hebler has done it again. He’s given us another short horror story that feels like a long one. I’m always amazed at how well he can plop me right into a story at the beginning, just like the opening scene in a movie.

Welcome to dysfunction junction. Rachel and David recently lost their baby, Adam.  It’s the beginning of a downward spiral for their marriage and a descent into hell.

All of their dreams are shattered and so is the silence. Rachel hears Adam crying and soon David does too. Adam’s cries get more persistent. Rachel must figure out what Adam wants.

There’s not much time to feel sympathy for these two. Shock gives way to grief, then numbness, then anger. You can imagine how they direct that anger. It’s not pretty.

And then there’s Adam. You know how ear piercing a baby’s cries are. Imagine them getting louder and louder until it feels like your head will explode.

The ending is a kick in the pants when you find out what Adam wants.

  4 Stars

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Synopsis

Losing a child at birth is difficult, but not as difficult as when that child refuses to leave.

Days after Rachel and David lose their child, they are haunted by the incessant cries of a baby. It is their stillborn, Adam, and he wants something from Rachel… something deadly.

Amazon

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This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry at fundinmental.

Now hop on over to fundinmental, check out Sherry’s review HERE.

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Author Michael Hebler

Michael Hebler

Prior to becoming an award-winning author of his dark fiction Chupacabra Series, Michael was a full-time international film publicist who had worked on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, and the 2013 Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Language Film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty).

Born in the early 1970’s in Los Angeles County to a salesman and homemaker, Michael dreamed of following his passions for entertainment and storytelling by acting. It was while studying theatre arts at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, did he realize his penchant for stories were better suited on the page rather than the stage. But creating tales with suspense, laughter, and heart is not Michael’s only love. Hebler also enjoys volunteering in his local community, as well as aid in the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.

To date, Michael’s publications include NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE CHUPACABRA, and LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA (Books I, II, & III of the six-part Chupacabra Series) as well as his first publication, THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age. Michael’s fourth book in the Chupacabra Series, DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA will be available in print and for ebook on October 13, 2015.
Michael currently resides in Southwest Florida.
Author Links:
Email:

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More Books by Michael Hebler

Legend of the Chupacabra: Chupacabra Series #3  Dawn of the Chupacabra: Chupacabra Series #4  Chupacabra Series (4 Book Series) by Michael Hebler

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The Ghost Of Christmas Past will be released on September 27th, 2016.

Click on the covers to see on Amazon.

And click on the links below to see more reviews.

Legend Of The Chupacabra

Dawn Of The Chupacabra

The Ghost Of Christmas Past

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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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The Young Vampire’s Survival Guide by Lucy Eldritch ~ Blurb Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: May 25, 2016 in Blitz, giveaways, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, urban fantasy, Vampires
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Come on in and check out The Young Vampire’s Survival Guide.

I was hooked by the title, then by the blurb. And once again by the wicked cover art.

Enjoy the glimpse inside the book.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

The Young Vampire’s Survival Guide

by Lucy Eldritch

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Genre : Vampire/Urban fantasy/Paranormal/Horror

Synopsis

Within a month of being bitten, it cost the life of Robert James’ best friend. Within a year, hundreds had died. All because of him.

Until he was bitten, Robert James was a regular college student. Now he seems to be the reluctant future of vampire kind and his world has been turned upside down. Pursued by the Dawn Warriors – a group dedicated to cleansing the world of evil – Robert’s survival is at stake. Literally.

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Excerpt

My eyes narrowed and I hissed, “How did you know about the note, Pixie?” My voice was low and menacing. I didn’t even look at her, just dug my fingers into the upholstery of the seat to keep the boiling rage inside me from spilling over.

“Galloway,” she answered. “When he…he….in that dungeon…when…” She was shaking now.

I reacted without thinking. Reaching across, I placed a hand on her arm. “It’s OK,” I said, “it’s OK. I believe you. I’m sorry.”

Pixie inhaled deeply and let out a slow, steady breath. When she spoke again, she was back in control of her emotions. I wished I could have said the same thing.

“They hadn’t felt that half-vampires were any threat until you came along. But now,” she said, “they’ve realised their mistake. I overheard Tarrie telling someone your mother should be the first to die as that would send the strongest message.”

As we pulled up opposite the house, I could see my mum talking to Mrs Harewood from next door, who was busy pruning the hedge that divided their properties. My heart leapt.

I hurled a twenty pound note at the taxi driver, half-dragged Pixie out of the car and tore across the road. My mother broke into a beaming smile when she saw me and opened her arms to greet me.

At that moment, I thought we’d made it in time. We hadn’t.

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Author Lucy Eldritch

I’m Lucy Eldritch and I write paranormal-horror-urban-fantasy-vampire fiction set mainly in Manchester (the one in the UK, not the one in New Hampshire) and London. I also love red wine, but I suspect that’s not really something I should mention. Not professional. Something like that. So, consider it un-mentioned.

You can find me here:

Website / Twitter

And buy the books here:

Kobo / Amazon / iBooks

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

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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Teaser Tuesday #157 ~ The Fireman by Joe Hill

Posted: May 17, 2016 in horror, New Release, reviews, Teaser Tuesdays
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Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My Teaser for this week is from

The Fireman

by Joe Hill

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Genre: Horror

My teaser from page 94 in the eBook ARC.

“What I am is a man with a dangerously ill child and a heavy iron bar. If someone doesn’t take the one, they’re going to get the other.”

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Read on if you want to know more.

My Review

With the popularity of the apocalyptic and dystopian genres, it’s got to be hard for authors to come up with something unique to bring the world to a screeching halt.

Joe Hill does a bang up job with his Dragonscale.  People become infected with the spore, their skin becomes covered in gold and black scale like stripes. They spontaneously burst into flames and are reduced to ashes. Anything or anyone near them is quickly consumed in the flames and the world burns.

It’s almost as if Mother Nature has come up with an efficient way to cleanse herself of some pesky fleas, namely, us humans.  Sure, a lot gets burnt up, but there’s no mess, no rotting corpses, just piles of ashes. Burning a forest is often done to clear away the underbrush and promote new growth.

The story begins with Harper. She’s one of those people that light up the room when they enter. A kind and caring nurse. A sweet and doting wife. She becomes infected and her husband, the man she looks up to, can no longer hide what he really is. A loser. A coward. A bully.

When Harper learns she’s pregnant and refuses to go along with their suicide pact, Jakob goes off the deep end. He joins a group calling themselves the Cremation Squad, and Harper is high on his list for eradication.

When Harper runs for her life and hooks up with the Fireman, John Rook, and goes to Camp Wyndham, things get real interesting. I love reading about group dynamics. You put a bunch of people together, their lives in danger, and all kinds of stuff happen. The ones you thought would be stand up turn out to be the worst. The meek ones turn out to be strong.

The camp seems like a safe haven. I know better. It reeked ‘cult.’ Remember what happened with the crazy religious lady in Stephen King’s movie, The Mist, when they’re all trapped in the store? Or what about the real scenario with Jim Jones. One thing you need to do is sleep with one eye open and don’t drink the Kool-Aid no matter how good it sounds.

The horror is slow building. It creeps up a little bit at a time as the world falls apart. You need to find someone you can trust. But can you truly trust anyone? People change, and not always for the good. Hope is hard to sustain. The best laid plans fall apart.

This is quite a long book, but I didn’t realize it until after I was finished. It was that good. The story flowed that easily. And I could easily have read more. With any luck, I will. The author wraps up this story but leaves it open with the characters. There’s so much more that could be told.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy to enjoy and review.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

No one knows exactly when it began or where it originated. A terrifying new plague is spreading like wildfire across the country, striking cities one by one: Boston, Detroit, Seattle. The doctors call it Draco Incendia Trychophyton. To everyone else it’s Dragonscale, a highly contagious, deadly spore that marks its hosts with beautiful black and gold marks across their bodies—before causing them to burst into flames. Millions are infected; blazes erupt everywhere. There is no antidote. No one is safe.

Harper Grayson, a compassionate, dedicated nurse as pragmatic as Mary Poppins, treated hundreds of infected patients before her hospital burned to the ground. Now she’s discovered the telltale gold-flecked marks on her skin. When the outbreak first began, she and her husband, Jakob, had made a pact: they would take matters into their own hands if they became infected. To Jakob’s dismay, Harper wants to live—at least until the fetus she is carrying comes to term. At the hospital, she witnessed infected mothers give birth to healthy babies and believes hers will be fine too. . . if she can live long enough to deliver the child.

Convinced that his do-gooding wife has made him sick, Jakob becomes unhinged, and eventually abandons her as their placid New England community collapses in terror. The chaos gives rise to ruthless Cremation Squads—armed, self-appointed posses roaming the streets and woods to exterminate those who they believe carry the spore. But Harper isn’t as alone as she fears: a mysterious and compelling stranger she briefly met at the hospital, a man in a dirty yellow fire fighter’s jacket, carrying a hooked iron bar, straddles the abyss between insanity and death. Known as The Fireman, he strolls the ruins of New Hampshire, a madman afflicted with Dragonscale who has learned to control the fire within himself, using it as a shield to protect the hunted . . . and as a weapon to avenge the wronged.

In the desperate season to come, as the world burns out of control, Harper must learn the Fireman’s secrets before her life—and that of her unborn child—goes up in smoke.

AMAZON

~~~~~

I’ve been trying hard to resist requesting any more books from Netgalley for a bit. I couldn’t pass this one up. Been wanting to try one of Joe Hill’s story and this one was right up my alley.

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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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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The Z Tailgate by Clive Riddle ~ Blitz and Two Giveaways!

Posted: May 14, 2016 in Adult Fiction, Blitz, giveaways, horror, Zombies
Tags: , , , ,
2

The Z Tailgate BlitzBanner-1

The Z Tailgate: The Sequel to the Burning Z by Clive Riddle
Publication date: March 12th 2016
Genres: Adult, Horror, Zombies
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 The Z Tailgate cover
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Synopsis
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Zombies go to a Raider tailgate and bleed silver and black. The Z Tailgate is the sequel to the Burning Z. In the Burning Z, Zombies went to Burning Man. The sequel begins back in the Black Rock Desert before zombies invade a cruise ship and a tailgate party. In The Z Tailgate, the Burning Man site is now an internment camp for zombies and our heroes, Alan Gorman, Conner and Bruce, consult with the Department of Homeland Security, who oversee zombie affairs. Alan and Conner are sent to a cruise ship to investigate a possible new zombie outbreak. Bruce and Cassie – Conner’s girlfriend – are kidnapped along with a truckload of zombies by Chinese-backed henchmen intending to stow away some Zs to China. The zombie truck becomes the subject of a manhunt, ultimately hiding out in the Oakland Coliseum parking lot, where a football game is about to take place. The zombies escape and invade the tailgate parties, leading to a climatic battle in the Coliseum parking lot.

Purchase: AMAZON
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Excerpt
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A palpable buzz could be sensed throughout the Hegenberger lot, as the stage one infected turned and began to rise up and join the other zombies in great numbers. Cassie, Conner and even Tess took measure of it from the back of their cargo truck as they fought off their attackers.

The buzz of the second wave began to unnerve, and then panic the thousands of tailgaters, who up to this point had patiently and obediently waited in their vehicles for an all-clear signal. Many started to flee their car on foot, causing others to see them and decide to do the same. Even more began to try to extricate their vehicles from their confined positions in the parking lot, ramming their cars and trucks into each other, hoping to clear enough space to break free.

Those in the far western end of the Hegenberger lot, in the “C” section – who remained outside their vehicles up to that point – caught the buzz of crowd noise and the initial thrusts of zombies into their areas. More than one barbeque of hot coals spilled over, rolling underneath running cars. A series of fires and explosions erupted in that end of the lot.

A growing number of people were fleeing on foot – which hadn’t been a major issue until this point – as the second wave of Zs pursued them. A number of persons were trampled in the process. Some of those on foot began to climb up the middle observation tower in the B lot to escape the Zs on their tail. Even more tailgaters sought out the tower as a refuge when they saw others before them taking that route. The structure soon became seriously beyond capacity. It didn’t take long for the tower to tip over, sending bodies flying everywhere, scattered amongst the zombies gathered below. A plume of dust rose from the tower’s collapse. Several cars were partially crushed underneath the fallen structure. Z’s began picking through the numbers that had tumbled off the tower as it went down.

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Author Clive Riddle
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Clive
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Clive Riddle is a life-long Californian, married and father of three. At age 26 Riddle became CEO of a regional HMO. After a decade, he went on to found MCOL (www.mcol.com), a leading health care business information company. Riddle has authored a variety of health care reference books and business articles. He is a noted speaker at national events regarding key health care business issues. Dorris Bridge was his first novel, The Burning Z was his second, and the Z Tailgate is his third. Find out more about Clive at www.CliveRiddle.com
Author links: Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Website

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

I have two giveaways today!

The first giveaway is for an eBook copy Of The Z Tailgate.

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

“If you were in line for The Z Tailgate Party, what would you throw on the barbecue?”

And the second giveaway:

Five signed copies (international)

Enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Xpresso Banner New

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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Saturday Screams #14 ~ Cymic Parasite Breach Series

Posted: April 23, 2016 in horror, reviews, Science Fiction
Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Welcome to my Saturday Screams where I share reviews of all things scary.

For today I have three books in the Cymic Parasite Breach series to share with you. I really like this series. So fun and so scary.

And now, without further adieu….

Station 331

Cymic Parasite Breach #1

Darcy Coates

Pages: 26

29084518

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My Review

I grabbed this as a free download from Amazon. I’ve always enjoyed stories set in space and I do love horror.

Imagine this. Three women, so different, isolated on a small moon. Their job, patrol and keep strange beings from taking root there. They use their sting sticks to rid the moon of mostly benign and nuisance things.

So, when a new alien, one not recognized on any database, is discovered by one of the girls, she isn’t too concerned about it. She should have been.

Strange beings on a moon far, far away. What’s not to love. Remember the movie The Thing. That’s what this story reminded me of. How do you defend against something that you can’t detect? With help at least three days away, you only have each other to rely on, and no one can trust the other now.

Not a very long book. Crisp writing with no wasted words had it moving along quickly. While the outcome may have been a bit predictable, it was still a blast to read.

And the author does a great job of fleshing out her characters in a short amount of words. They come to life quickly and are easily visualized.

This is a series and I feared a cliff hanger. Nope. The story is wrapped up, yet, it does leave an opening for you to wonder where the author will take the story from here. I plan to find out, as I have the rest of the books now.

A fun, creepy read for those who like the dynamics of characters isolated by the elements and the unknown things that share space with us.

Creepy aliens and the trials of contending with danger in remote locations has always fascinated me. Getting all of that plus the spectacular cover will keep me reading this series.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

It wears our skin…

Station 331, situated on a remote moon near at edge of the known system, isn’t a prestigious place to work. Its three-person staff has one basic job: kill the plant-like lifeforms that come off space rubble and meteors.

Jen just wants to get through her eight-month shift without going crazy from the tedium or her co-workers’ bickering. That plan crumbles when Carly discovers a strange lifeform during a routine patrol.

The small, fluid creature nestled in the base of a crater doesn’t match any of the entries in their database. Protocol says they should call for backup, but Carly insists they can deal with the lifeform themselves.

It’s a simple choice for Jen, but her mistake will unleash unimaginable horror…

…and the nearest help is three days away.

Station 331 is a short story in the five-part Cymic Parasite Breach series. Each story can be read independently.

AMAZON

~~~~~

Station 332

Cymic Parasite Breach #2

by Darcy Coates

Pages: 26

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My Review

Here we go again. On to Station 332. A distress call has been sent. Cryptic in nature. No clue what’s wrong.

The response team hurtles through space to the far off moon to answer the call. Upon arrival, no one is there to greet them. Once they get inside, it appears normal enough. Then they find the first body, and the next….Something bad went down. It looks to be a murder-suicide. But one team member is accounted for and nothing is at it seems.

Cue the creepy music. I know something bad is going to go down. And it doesn’t take long for the rescue team to find it.  Drawing again from John Carpenter’s movie The Thing, I had some great visuals as the alien being leaves a trail of bloody destruction.

There’s this really cool scene where they step onto the moon’s surface and sink knee deep into diamond dust. Had to snicker when Jay made a snow angel. Imagine a planet covered in diamond dust. I’d be stuffing my pockets and anything else I had. But, I guess it’s not as valuable in the future. Just a nuisance.

As with the first book, there is an ending to this part of the story, but I suspect it only gets worse in the coming books. And it didn’t matter that some of this was predictable. I may have had an idea of what would happen, but who would live and who would die wasn’t certain. Don’t become too fond of any one character. The author may leave that one in a bloody pile in the station.

Another fun episode in the series. Things can only get worse! Can’t wait.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

For Charles, responding to Station 332’s emergency help request starts out no different than any other mission. She’s been paired with a near-retirement medic, Robin, and a lax mechanic, Jay. Their job is simple: check the station, kill any threats, provide assistance if needed, then return to Central.

But this is unlike any assistance request Charles has been on before.

Someone or something has destroyed the station, smashing the control panel and upending equipment. They find two bodies–murdered–in the bedroom, and the third staff member is missing.

Robin labels it a murder-suicide, but Charles has doubts.

Something is killing Central’s best fighters, leaving humanity defenceless. It’s spreading quickly. And the danger lives closer to home than anyone ever expected…

Station 332 is a short story in the five-part Cymic Parasite Breach series. Each story can be read independently.

AMAZON

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Station 333

Cymic Parasite Breach #3

By Darcy Coates

Pages: 34

29371271

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My Review

The amount of distress calls coming in are becoming too frequent, too numerous to be a normal occurrence. teams are being sent all over the place. As one scientist waits for a team to return, she can’t help but fear what might be coming.

It doesn’t take long for the suspense to start building. You know something’s not right after the team returns. The leaders actions are kind of off. And when Kala, the young scientist, gets her hands on an alien sample, the horror becomes reality.

How do you fight such an organism. It cleverly disguises itself as its host, hiding beneath the skin, taking on the hosts memories and mannerisms. What if it becomes smarter? Learns? And what if it begins to spread it’s infection, branching out from moons to stations as rescue teams return, exposing unsuspecting people?

The first three books in this series are short. The author is busy building her world, introducing the alien being, and setting the stage for more horrors to come. The final two books are much longer and I’m looking forward to more action, deeper plots, and bloody mayhem as the people battle a creature that’s nearly indestructible. Bring it on!

4 Stars

Synopsis

Kala never wanted to be a hero. She was a junior scientist studying under the highly-respected Commander Stanos when her station was attacked.

The threat is unlike anything Kala could have imagined: the aliens are fast, overwhelmingly strong and pathologically intent on killing any human they encounter. Worse, they have a flawless disguise. Once they kill a human, the aliens absorb its body and assume its skin.

But Kala thinks she’s discovered their weakness. And her knowledge might be humanity’s only hope.

Station 333 is a short story in the five-part Cymic Parasite Breach series. Each story can be read independently.

AMAZON

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The next two books are now released. These are a bit longer reads at a little over 100 pages. The first three books, being short reads are only 99 cents. These last two, being longer, are still a steal at $2.99. Click on all of the covers to get your copies.  I’ll be sharing my these last two reviews soon.

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These count towards my Horror Reading Challenge

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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Freakin Fridays #38 ~ Preacher ~ Coming Soon!

Posted: April 22, 2016 in Freakin Friday, horror, Supernatural, Trailer
Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Are you going to watch Preacher? I sure am.

Fear The Walking Dead will wrap up its season and I’ll be good to go.

Wanted to share some trailers in case you missed them.

Enjoy!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1qUEpO_z0w

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So what do you think? I think this is going to be a great series. Sure hope there’s lots of thrills and chills to keep me watching!

Got any shows you want to recommend for me? I’m always looking for new ones.

~~~~~

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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Teaser Tuesday #153 ~ Station 331 ~ Cymic Parasite Breach #1

Posted: April 19, 2016 in horror, Science Fiction, Series, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: , , , ,
26

Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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My Teaser for this week is from

Station 331

Cymic Parasite Breach #1

by Darcy Coates

29084518

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Genre: Horror/Science Fiction

My teaser is from page 27% in the eBook.

“It’s got me, Jen. I dropped my stinger, and I can’t get it off – ” She grunted in pain then yelled something incoherent.

Jen called to her, but Carly either didn’t here or couldn’t respond; she kept screaming and screaming. The shriek’s pitch rose…

Then there was silence.

~~~~~

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

Synopsis

It wears our skin…

Station 331, situated on a remote moon near at edge of the known system, isn’t a prestigious place to work. Its three-person staff has one basic job: kill the plant-like lifeforms that come off space rubble and meteors.

Jen just wants to get through her eight-month shift without going crazy from the tedium or her co-workers’ bickering. That plan crumbles when Carly discovers a strange lifeform during a routine patrol.

The small, fluid creature nestled in the base of a crater doesn’t match any of the entries in their database. Protocol says they should call for backup, but Carly insists they can deal with the lifeform themselves.

It’s a simple choice for Jen, but her mistake will unleash unimaginable horror…

…and the nearest help is three days away.

Station 331 is a short story in the five-part Cymic Parasite Breach series. Each story can be read independently.

AMAZON

~~~~~

I’ll be reviewing the first three books in the series this coming weekend on my Saturday Screams meme. I hope you stop by!

~~~~~

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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

~~~~~

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!

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

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