Posts Tagged ‘mystery’

One book. Two books. Three books. A Series ……..

Posted: January 9, 2019 in apocalypse, Mytery/Thriller, Science Fiction, Supernatural
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One of my goals for this year is to continue with some series I love and find some new ones. Let’s see what I have so far. I may make this a frequent feature as I have many more to share and knowing me, many more I’ll be starting!

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I started reading the Hell Divers series at the beginning of 2018 and quickly fell in love with the world and characters. Captives, the fifth book in the series releases this May and I already pre-ordered it.

Captives

Hell Divers V

by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Hell Divers V: Captives (The Hell Divers Series Book 5) by [Smith, Nicholas Sansbury]

Humanity has finally found a new home, but the price is blood …

After a long, perilous journey, Hell Divers Xavier Rodriguez and Magnolia Katib discover the Metal Islands, a sunny habitable zone where thousands of people live by fishing and farming. But this “paradise” is really a violent warrior society ruled by the cannibal king el Pulpo. For the first time in X’s life, he is forced to lay down his arms and surrender.

Back on the airships, the Hell Divers are recovering from a gruesome discovery at Red Sphere, where they learned the truth about World War III. Now they must fight one last war-this time for what remains of their own endangered species. As the battle approaches, alliances will be forged, and others broken.

Forced to fight in the Cazador army, X faces his toughest mission yet. Will he help his people come down from the sky and claim the promised land, or will humanity go extinct?

Pre-order on Amazon

I can’t wait to see what the cover art is going to be!

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And I just got my hands on the newest book by J.L. Bryan

Fire Devil

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper Book #11

by J. L. Bryan

Fire Devil (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper Book 11) by [Bryan, JL]

Ellie’s pursuit of a possessed friend and her own worst enemy takes her across the United States into forgotten corners of the countryside through haunted hotels, ghost towns, and strange highways, and toward the site of a horrific fire haunted by hundreds of spirits.

Together with her team, plus help from an eccentric exorcist from Texas, prepares for the fight of her life, a fight destined since her own childhood.

Ellie’s past and present collide in a final confrontation that will change the course of her life, giving her a chance to finally be rid of her most dangerous personal demon—if he doesn’t kill Ellie first, along with the people she cares about the most.

I’ve been reading this series for a few years now and I still get so excited when the next story comes out!

Pre-order on Amazon

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And I just found a new author through some free book promotions. Blake Pierce writes suspenseful mysteries and thrillers, which are among my favorite genres. I’ve read the first book in each of these series, and plan to continue with all of them.

All of these were free on Amazon at time of posting. Click on the book cover or Amazon link below each blurb to grab your copy. Be sure to check that they’re still free before you click that buy button!

Once Gone

A Riley Paige Mystery #1

Once Gone (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1) by [Pierce, Blake]

Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige.

Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.

Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.

A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Amazon

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Watching

The Making Of Riley Paige #1

Watching (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1) by [Pierce, Blake]

WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book One) is book #1 in a new psychological thriller series by #1 bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose free bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) has received over 1,000 five star reviews.

22 year old psychology major—and aspiring FBI agent—Riley Paige finds herself in a battle for her life as her closest friends on campus are abducted and killed by a serial killer. She senses that she, too, is being targeted—and that if she is to survive, she must apply her brilliant mind to stop the killer herself.

When the FBI hits a dead end, they are impressed enough by Riley’s keen insight into the killer’s mind to allow her to help. Yet the killer’s mind is a dark, twisted place, one too diabolical to make sense of, and one that threatens to bring Riley’s fragile psyche crashing down. In this deadly game of cat and mouse, can Riley survive unscarred?

An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, WATCHING is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. It takes readers back 20 plus years—to how Riley’s career began—and is the perfect complement to the ONCE GONE series (A Riley Paige Mystery), which includes 13 books and counting.

Amazon

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Cause To Kill

An Avery Black Mystery #1

Cause to Kill (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1) by [Pierce, Blake]

From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.

Homicide Detective Avery Black has been through hell. Once a top criminal defense attorney, she fell from grace when she managed to get a brilliant Harvard professor off—only to watch him kill again. She lost her husband and her daughter, and her life fell apart around her.

Trying to redeem herself, Avery has turned to the other side of the law. Working her way up the ranks, she has reached Homicide Detective, to the scorn of her fellow officers, who still remember what she did, and who will always hate her.

Yet even they cannot deny Avery’s brilliant mind, and when a disturbing serial killer strikes fear into the heart of Boston, killing girls from elite colleges, it is Avery that they turn to. It is Avery’s chance to prove herself, to finally find the redemption she craves. And yet, as she is soon to find out, Avery has come up against a killer as brilliant and daring as she.

In this game of psychological cat and mouse, women are dying with mysterious clues, and the stakes could not be higher. A frantic race against time leads Avery through a series of shocking and unexpected twists—culminating in climax that even Avery could not imagine.

A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, CAUSE TO KILL marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night

Amazon

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This came in as my favorite so far.

Next Door (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1) by [Pierce, Blake]

NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Mystery) is book #1 in a new psychological suspense series by bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews.

FBI Evidence Response Team intern Chloe Fine, 27, finds herself forced to confront her own dark past when her troubled twin sister needs her help—and when a body turns up dead in her small, suburban town.

Chloe feels life is finally perfect as she moves back into her home town, and into a new house with her fiancé. Her career with the FBI looks promising, and her wedding is on the horizon.

But, she learns, all is not as it seems in suburbia. Chloe begins to see the underside—the gossip, the secrets, the lies—and she finds herself haunted by her own demons: her mother’s mysterious death when she was 10, and her father’s imprisonment.

And when a fresh body is found, Chloe soon realizes that her past, and this small town, might hold the key to solving both.

An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, NEXT DOOR is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Amazon

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Before He Kills

A MacKenzie White Mystery #1

Before he Kills (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1) by [Pierce, Blake]

There is no way out but to find him before he kills again…

Book #1 in the bestselling Blake Pierce mystery/thriller series, with over 400 five star reviews!

In the cornfields of Nebraska a woman is found murdered, strung up on a pole, the victim of a deranged killer. It doesn’t take long for the police to realize a serial killer is on the loose—and that his spree has just begun.

Detective Mackenzie White, young, tough, smarter than the aging, chauvinistic men on her local force, finds herself called in grudgingly to help solve it. As much as the other officers hate to admit it, they need her young, brilliant mind, which has already helped crack cold cases that had left them stumped. Yet even for Mackenzie this new case proves an impossible riddle, something the likes of which she—and the local force—have ever seen.

With the FBI called in, together, an intense manhunt ensues. Mackenzie, reeling from her own dark past, her failed relationships, and her undeniable attraction to the new FBI agent, finds herself battling her own demons as her hunt for the killer takes her to the darkest places of her mind. As she delves into the killer’s mind, obsessing over his twisted psychology, she finds that evil truly does exist. She only hopes it will not be too late to extricate herself from it, as her entire life collapses around her.

As more bodies turn up dead and a frantic race against time ensues, there is no way out but to find him before he kills again.

A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, BEFORE HE KILLS marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Amazon

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So, there you have it. A whole bunch of dazzling new reads for me!

How about you? Got any suggestions for me?

I’m always looking for a new series and would love recommendations in any genre. I read them all!

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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 go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Just because she can doesn’t mean ….. The Corpse Whisperer ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: January 4, 2019 in giveaways, Mystery, urban fantasy
Tags: , ,
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The Corpse Whisperer
An Allie Nighthawk Mystery Book 1
by H.R. Boldwood
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery
 
Welcome to the world of Allie Nighthawk, corpse whisperer and badass zombie
hunter.
“If you raise deadheads, you’d better be able to put ‘em down. Nobody
said it was pretty. But in this day, when vampires aren’t just for
breakfast anymore, and the dead are disposable pawns for
necromancers, someone has to ante up. Looks like I won the lotto.
Imagine my delight. You should thank me, really, because the world is
batshit crazy.”
When the zombie population spikes and no one knows why, it’s up to Allie
to solve the mystery. But there’s a hitch. She’s stuck
babysitting Leo Abruzzi, a zombie-bitten gangster who’s turning
state’s evidence. But the mob and a powerful necromancer will stop
at nothing to take Leo and Allie down.
Allie Nighthawk is Anita Blake on steroids, with a fondness for leather and
Jack on the rocks. She has a healthy dose of Stephanie Plum and
Rachel Morgan in her, too, though she’d never admit it.
The battle between good and evil just got wicked fun.
 
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excerpt
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There aren’t many good reasons for raising the dead, but there are plenty of bad ones — greed, revenge, and absolute lunacy top the list. I’m Allie Nighthawk and raising the dead happens to be my only talent. People are willing to pay for it. Go figure. I’m also one of the few corpse whisperers who puts the “toys” away when clients are finished playing with them. Away, as in hermetically sealed back in their coffins, with their disease-ravaged brains neutralized. That’s shop talk for scattered, smothered, covered and chunked. The last thing we need is zombies clawing up through the dirt like demented whack-a-moles, and gnawing on the residents of Cincinnati.

I was born a corpse whisperer, twenty-six years and too many zombies ago to count. It’s a genetic thing, like blonde hair or blue eyes, except that it’s … raising the dead. Yeah. Okay. It’s not exactly the same. It involves different genetic markers.

Buy a vowel, people. The concept’s the same.

The supernatural abilities that come with this gift have increased with each generation. That makes me very good at what I do. And a little dangerous. If you raise deadheads, you’d better be able to put ‘em down. Whisperers like me take care of business.

I can remember a time when you never saw biters shambling in the streets. But things have changed. Vampires aren’t just for breakfast anymore, and the dead have become disposable pawns for necromancers. Someone had to ante up. Looks like I won the lotto. Imagine my delight.

You should thank me, really, because the world is batshit crazy.

corpse whisperer tease 1

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H.R. Boldwood is a writer of horror and speculative fiction. In another
incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and was awarded the
2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College.
Publication credits include, “Killing it Softly,” “Short
Story America,” “Bete Noir,” “Everyday Fiction,”
“Toys in the Attic,” “Floppy Shoes Apocalypse II,”
“Pilcrow and Dagger,” and “Sirens Call.”
Boldwood’s characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are
kicked to the curb at every conceivable opportunity. No
responsibility is taken by this author for the dastardly and
sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 
Enter the giveaway to win this beautiful
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Help me choose my first review for 2019!

Posted: December 27, 2018 in Dark Fantasy, horror, Mytery/Thriller, reviews
Tags: , , , ,
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I have so many reviews to share from some really great books. This year my first review was for Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith and my last review for 2018 will be the latest in his series, Wolves.

Hell Divers (The Hell Divers Series Book 1) by [Smith, Nicholas Sansbury]  Hell Divers IV: Wolves (The Hell Divers Series Book 4) by [Smith, Nicholas Sansbury]

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I’m trying to decide which book to share as my first review in 2019. I’ve narrowed it down to five and would love for you to help me choose which one to do.

Here they are.

The Sorrows

by Jonathan Janz

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Synopsis

Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze are the hottest young music composers in Hollywood. Fresh off an Oscar nomination, they’ve just been chosen to score a big-budget horror movie by Lee Stanley, the most demanding director in film. But Ben, the creative half of the duo, hasn’t written a note since his wife divorced him and got custody of their three-year-old son.

Chris Blackwood is the gambling-addicted heir to the Blackwood fortune, which includes the Sorrows, an island off the coast of northern California. The island and its castle have been uninhabited since a series of gruesome, unexplained murders in 1925, but Chris needs money, and to get it he allows Ben, Eddie, Claire Harden (an aspiring composer), and Eva Rosales (Lee Stanley’s gorgeous assistant) to stay a month in Castle Blackwood.

Eddie is certain an eerie, isolated setting is just what Ben needs to find musical inspiration for a horror film. But what they find is more horrific than any movie.

Amazon

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Bane County

Forgotten Moon #1

by J.R. Rice

30521395

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Synopsis

The large river-island of Bane County has a troubled past; but some histories are eagerly forgotten, especially those written in blood.

Nestled into the foothills of the National Wildlife Refuge, the small rural town of Silver Canyon seems idyllic to most; but a long-slumbering evil is about to reawaken.

Seventeen-year-old Bryce McNeel is your average teenage boy, living on a cattle ranch with his grandparents. Well, average genius, but he prefers to keep that fact to himself, no one likes a know-it-all.

When Bryce learns of a series of grisly deaths and mutilations that occurred decades earlier, his curiosity gets the better of him. Together with his cousin Jackson, Bryce sets out to learn more about the macabre event; but as they delve deeper into the history and legends of Bane County, the two boys are horrified by what they find.

Unfortunately, history has a way of repeating itself.

As friends and neighbors begin to go missing, or worse, they find themselves embroiled in a battle for their young lives.

Amazon

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How To Save An Undead Life

by Hailey Edwards

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Synopsis

Grier Woolworth spends her nights weaving spooky tales of lost souls and tragedies for tourists on the streets of downtown Savannah. Hoop skirt and parasol aside, it’s not a bad gig. The pay is crap, but the tips keep the lights on in her personal haunted mansion and her pantry stocked with ramen.

Life is about as normal as it gets for an ex-necromancer hiding among humans. Until the society that excommunicated Grier offers her a second chance at being more than ordinary. Too bad no one warned her the trouble with being extraordinary is it can get you killed.

Warning: This book contains one ex-con/ex-heiress with a pet zombie parakeet who lives next door to her ex-army/ex-crush. Brace yourself, we’re talking more exes than a pirate treasure map here.

Amazon

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Devouring Dark

by Alan Baxter

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Synopsis

DEVOURING DARK is an urban horror novel about a man plagued since childhood by a malevolent darkness that threatens to consume him. After a lifetime spent wrestling for control over this onslaught, Matt McLeod has learned to wield his mysterious paranormal skill to achieve an odious goal: retribution as a supernatural vigilante.

When one such hit goes bad, McLeod finds himself ensnared in a multi-tentacled criminal enterprise caught between a corrupt cop and a brutal mobster. His only promise of salvation may be a bewitching woman who shares his dark talent but has murderous designs of her own.

The gritty thriller DEVOURING DARK is based on Baxter’s award-winning short story “Shadows of the Lonely Dead” and will be available worldwide on November 6, 2018.

Amazon

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The Current

by Tim Johnston

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Synopsis

A Stunning New Novel from the Bestselling Author of Descent

Tim Johnston, whose 2015 national bestseller Descent was called “astonishing” by the Washington Post and “unforgettable” by the Miami Herald, returns with another tour de force about the indelible impact of acrime on the lives of innocent people.

When two young women leave their college campus in the dead of winter for a 700-mile drive north to Minnesota, they suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives in the icy waters of the Black Root River, just miles from home. One girl’s survival, and the other’s death—murder, actually—stun the citizens of a small Minnesota town, thawing memories of another young woman who lost her life in the same river ten years earlier, and whose killer may yet live among them. One father is forced to relive his agony while another’s greatest desire—to bring a killer to justice—is revitalized . . . and the girl who survived the icy plunge cannot escape the sense that she is connected to that earlier unsolved case by more than a river. Soon enough she’s caught up in an investigation of her own that will unearth long-hidden secrets, and stoke the violence that has long simmered just below the surface of the town. Souls frozen in time, ghosts and demons, the accused and the guilty, all stir to life in this cold northern place where memories, like treachery, run just beneath the ice, and where a young woman can come home but still not be safe.

Brilliantly plotted, unrelentingly suspenseful, and beautifully realized, The Current is a gripping page-turner about how the past holds the key to the future as well as an unbreakable grip on the present.

Amazon

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All of these were great reads.

So, what do you think?

Which one do you think I should share for the start of a new year?

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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Darkest Before The Dawn by Mike Martin ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: December 12, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery
Tags: ,
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Darkest Before The Dawn

A Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series

by Mike Martin

 

Darkest Before the Dawn (Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series)
Supernatural Suspense Mystery
7th in Series
Ottawa Press and Publishing (September 27, 2018)
Paperback: 266 pages
ISBN-10: 198843713X
ISBN-13: 978-1988437132
Digital ASIN: B07HRTTMLY

Darkest Before The Dawn is the latest adventure in the Sgt. Winston Windflower mystery series, the popular Maritime tales about a Mountie who finds himself with a new family and a new life in tiny Grand Bank, Newfoundland. Ghosts, mysterious deaths, and a new, perplexing character confront Windflower, Tizzard and the other police officers in Grand Bank as they unearth secrets that have been lying hidden in the sleepy hamlet for decades. A fast-moving mystery, Darkest Before The Dawn is also a story of love, loss and learning how to grow old gracefully; a tale of family, community and looking after each other, of not giving up hope, just before the dawn.

Author Mike Martin

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home.

A Long Ways from Home was shortlisted for the 2017 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web is the newest book in the series.

Facebook / Twitter / Website

Purchase Link – Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Haunted and Hunted … Deadfall ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: December 11, 2018 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, YA
Tags: , , ,
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DEADFALL banner

 DEADFALL
by Stephen Wallenfels

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Deadfall cover

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Pub. Date: December 11, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / TBD

Twin brothers Ty and Cory Bic are on the run. When they encounter a dying deer in the middle of a remote mountain road with fresh tire tracks swerving down into a ravine, they know they have to help. But when they reach the wrecked car the vehicle appears empty, with signs that the driver escaped.

Until they hear a sound coming from the trunk.

Ty and Cory are escaping demons of their own. But what they discover in the trunk puts them in the crosshairs of something darker and more sinister than their wildest nightmares.

Told through a gripping, lightning-fast narrative that alternates between present and past, this unputdownable survival thriller unravels the tangled circumstances that led Ty and Cory to the deer in the road and set them on a perilous course through the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

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Check out this peek inside:

We run the final thirty feet. Inhale the stink of gas and oil and
burning rubber. Shattered bits of glass are everywhere. I shed my
pack while Ty checks out the driver’s door, which is crushed inward.
The window is gone. He crouches down, pokes his head inside. I
run to the rear passenger window, which is also gone, and shine my
headlamp inside, fully expecting to see multiple dead bodies. But
the backseat is empty. I don’t see anyone in the front passenger seat.
Ty says, “Nobody here. But there’s plenty of blood on the airbag and
the steering wheel. Oh, and there’s more on the roof. Shit. There’s a
lot on the roof.” Then, “Hey. Check it out.” Ty shines his headlamp
on the seat belt clip. A six-inch piece is hanging down, sliced at
an angle. He says, “Looks like the driver had to cut his way out.”
“Any sign of a passenger?”
“Don’t see any blood. And the airbag didn’t happen.”
I say, “The gas smell is pretty bad back here.” Then I step away
from the car and throw up.
Ty knows the drill. He waits till I stop heaving, says while I’m
wiping my face with my sleeve, “There’s a bloody handprint outside
the driver door. And a couple boot prints going that way.” He
points up the slope we just hiked down. “Looks to me like he didn’t
want to hang around here with all this gas leaking.”
“I know how he feels,” I say as my stomach finally settles and the
surrounding trees wind down to a slow spin.
He says, “So? What’re you thinking?”
“If he’s bleeding as much as you say, he could be hurt pretty bad.
Since we didn’t see him up at the road, or on the way down, it could
mean he collapsed somewhere between here and the road. With
this fog it would be easy to miss him.”
“Or her.”
“Right. Or her.”
“So? Can we go now, or do you need to search for the body?”
“Maybe we should yell first. Do you mind?”
“Go for it.”
I yell, “HEY! WE’RE HERE TO HELP! WHERE ARE
YOU?” We wait. Hear nothing. I yell again. Still nothing.
“Well?” Ty says.
Then I do hear something. But it’s not coming from the forest.
It’s close by. A muffled, metallic sound. I look at Ty. “Did you
hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“A sound. Kind of a clunky metal sound.”
“Nope. All I heard is you yelling.”
We wait a couple more seconds. The fog-drenched silence seeps
in from the trees, coils in our headlamps, crawls up and over the
big rock where the trunk of the car is resting. Whatever the sound
was, it’s gone.
“And the verdict is . . . ?”
I say, “Let’s spread out. Stay about twenty feet apart and hike
to the car. If we don’t find the driver, then we’re back to plan A.”
Ty smiles. “Okay. Let’s do it. But do it now. I don’t want to kill
the battery.”
I put on my pack. Ty finds another boot print. It’s about the same
size as his hiking boot, so I figure the driver is our size, six foot,
maybe a little more. Ty walks fifteen feet away, starts hiking up
the hillside. I walk fifteen feet in the opposite direction, then head
straight up, scanning the beam from my headlamp in 180-degree
arcs. I walk ten steps, when I hear the same sound again. But this
time there’s no question about the source.
I call out to Ty, “Wait! I heard something.”
He swings around.
I run to the car. Bang on the frame with my fist and yell while
scanning the interior, “Hey! Where are you?”
By this time Ty is back. He says, “Cory. The car’s empty. We
checked. There’s nothing—”
Then he hears it. A muffled thump, thump.
He looks at me, says, “Oh shit.”
The sound is coming from the trunk.

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About Stephen:

Stephen
Stephen Wallenfels lives in Washington state with his wife.  He wrote freelance for the Health and Fitness industry for fifteen years before turning writing novels.  His passions are family, hiking, cooking, reading, movies, climate change, and especially writing.

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Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Clearcut by Jack Mahoney ~ Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: December 5, 2018 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller
Tags: , ,
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Clearcut banner

Clearcut
Adrian Cervantes #1
by Jack Mahoney
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Clearcut cover
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Publication date: December 6th 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
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Synopsis
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Adrian Cervantes’s Ranger squad was betrayed and ambushed in Iraq, sent to deliver an embezzled payoff to a man who didn’t exist. The lone survivor, Cervantes went AWOL, returning to the States to distribute his purloined cash to the families of his squad. But it’s not as simple as leaving a check in the mailbox. Every family he visits has their own troubles. Law enforcement hunts him at every turn. And Cervantes’s need to see justice done earns him plenty of enemies.

Cervantes’s first stop is the fading lumber town of Cullinan, WA. His plans to visit the Quinones family are complicated by the death of the father and the suspicions of the widow. Teaming up with a local lawyer, Cervantes uncovers enough questions to cast doubt that the father’s death was a drunken accident. But his investigation puts him in the sights of local bruisers, crooked cops, and the real power behind the lumber mill. In the end, Cervantes discovers a conspiracy that’s robbing Cullinan of its livelihood, and he puts it to rest the only way he knows how.

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Purchase: Amazon
Author Jack Mahoney
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Jack
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Jack Mahoney lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. When he’s not practicing jiu-jitsu or catching up on crime thrillers, he’s putting in work on the next Adrian Cervantes novel.
Author links:  Website / Facebook
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Friday 56 #193 ~ Holly In Hiding

Posted: November 30, 2018 in Cozy Mystery, Holidays, Mystery, The Friday 56
Tags: , ,
22

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from a short stories series:

Holly In Hiding

The Twelve Mysteries Of Christmas #6

  by P. Creeden

40690166

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Genre: Cozy Mystery

From 56% in the eBook.

After getting only two or three hours of shallow sleep, Bethany paced around her living room. The police weren’t doing what they needed to do, and it was going to end badly if she didn’t do something. The fear of the close call had vanished entirely. Who would save Holly? Bethany lost her parents two years ago, and she wasn’t about to lose her sister too.

~~~~~

Synopsis

Bethany has been acting as parental guardian for her younger sister ever since the death of their parents in a car accident. She tries hard to make Christmas a special as she can for her sister. But when her sister meets a man online who wants to meet her over the holiday, Bethany puts her foot down. Her sister shows her rebellious side and disappears. Now former police detective from Boulder is looking for the couple and suspects that the Christmas Killer from Boulder might have set his sights on their small town.

Amazon

THE 12 MYSTERIES OF CHRISTMAS series:

• IN THE NICK OF TIME by Susette Williams

40664323

• GABRIEL’S SECRET by Alexa Verde

40682658

• GUARDING CANDY KANE by V.B. Tenery

40727443

• MURDER: UP ON THE ROOFTOP by Lilly York

40728581

• JOY IN JEOPARDY by Lynette Sowell

40775485

• HOLLY IN HIDING by P. Creeden

40664323

• STARR WITNESS by Susette Williams

40728598

• NOELLE ON THE RUN by Alexa Verde

40682694

• GOLDEN BELLES ARE WRINGING by Gina Conroy

40739207

• DEATH BY FIGGY PUDDING by P. Creeden

40746850

• DANGER FOR GLORIA by Lynette Sowell

40746851

• MERRY WITHOUT MALICE by P. Creeden

40725683

Aren’t these covers so cute and festive. And the stories sound so fun.

Me wants all of them!

~~~~~

Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Riddle me this …. Crimes Past by Lauren Carr ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: November 23, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery, reviews
Tags: , ,
12

I’m so happy to be sharing another of Lauren Carr’s thrilling mysteries. This one has so much going on, from a sixteen year old murder to some current ones, it could all be connected.

Enjoy my review of Crimes Past.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

 Crimes Past by Lauren Carr
Series: A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 13)
Category: Adult fiction, 322 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: October 16, 2018
Tour dates: Nov 12 to Dec 14, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

My Review

So much happens in this book and I’m hard pressed to not spoil it for you when sharing my review.

Lauren gives you a mystery within a mystery, more suspects than you can shake a stick at, a cold case, and a cast of characters that will charm your pants off. Well, maybe not literally.

Mac Faraday feels guilty about not solving the murder of two police officers,, gunned down on their wedding day sixteen years ago. He made a promise to one of the murdered officer’s young daughter’s and he plans to keep it even now. So, when the daughter is set to be married, he offer’s up his five star resort for the ceremony and invites all of the people from that long ago wedding to attend. Surely he can find and nail down the killer.

Well, I sure didn’t see the killer coming. Lauren had me hopping from one likely suspect to the next. I’d feel like this one did it, then that one did it. When several more murders occurred, I gave up and let the author reveal things for me. I was having so much fun with other things and I just went with the flow.

As usual the characters are plenty and the author does this handy thing at the beginning of the book. She lists all of the main players and how they connect to each other, even the four legged ones. I do confess, I’m always excited when Mayor Gnarly shows up. Yes, he’s the mayor and a darn good one when he’s not stealing cell phones from purses or the food from your plate. He’s a hundred pound  German Shepherd, a hero and a lovable scamp. He stole my heart the first time I met him and still has it.

Being familiar with how Lauren springs surprises, I couldn’t wait to see what she offered up this time. There’s some doozies. She managed to make me feel giddy as each one was revealed. If I wasn’t holding the book to read it, I’d be clapping my hands.

Another fun, exciting mystery from Lauren that will have you using your brain pan. If you’ve read her books before, you’ll have fun settling in with these characters again. If you haven’t, jump in and meet them. You’ll be comfortable soon enough.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

It’s a bittersweet reunion for Mac Faraday when members of his former homicide squad arrive at the Spencer Inn. While it is sweet to attend the wedding of a former colleague’s daughter, it is a bitter reminder that the mother of the bride had been the victim of a double homicide on her own wedding night.

The brutal slaying weighing heavy on his mind, Mac is anxious to explore every possibility for a break in the cold case—even a suggestion from disgraced former detective Louis Gannon that one of their former friends was the killer.
​
When the investigator is brutally slain, Mac Faraday rips open the cold case with a ruthless determination to reveal which of his friends was a cold-blooded murderer.

 

Buy Crimes Past:
​
Watch the trailer:
 
 
Praise for Lauren Carr’s books:
.

“Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list.”
– Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental

“Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!”
– Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

“Lauren Carr’s books are never boring, that’s for sure. They entertain, give us a good mystery to dig into, keep the reader guessing, give us a few good laughs and make us eager for the next book. Warning: Lauren Carr’s series are addictive, so be ready to read more than just one book!”
– Laura Fabiani, Library of Clean Reads

“She is an amazing author that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters (they feel like family!) and keeps you guessing right to the very end.”
– Working Mommy Journal

“Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.”
– Every Free Chance Book Reviews

To read reviews, please visit Lauren Carr’s page on iRead Book Tours.

Meet the Author:
 
 

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

​Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

​Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

~~~~~

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Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Dec 22, 2018
.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Spring Thaw by Lauren Carr ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: November 22, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery, Novella, reviews
Tags: , ,
22

I’ve been reading Lauren’s books for a while now. Each series has genuine, fun characters that have charmed me from one book to the next. I’m thrilled to be able to share some short stories from her collection, Spring Thaw.

Enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Spring Thaw

by Lauren Carr

Category: Adult fiction, 237 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery, Short Stories
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: August 12, 2018
Tour dates: Nov 12 to Dec 14, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

My Review

When I like a series, and Lauren has several that I’ve been enjoying, I also like to grab any side or short stories collections that go along with them. Spring Thaw dips into a couple of her series. Each one has a lot of characters and the author provides a list at the beginning of the books explaining who’s who . By the end of the first book in each series these characters were so memorable I no longer had to refer to her list to know who was who. So when I started reading each of these stories, the characters were familiar and I just dove in to see what was going to happen.

I quickly engaged with the character’s, human and critters. And the mystery was established without fanfare so the author get right to the meat of it. I enjoyed the dialogue, either cracking a grin or laughing while following along. And the critters are a huge bonus. They’re all shapes and sizes and have unique personalities. It’s common for them to steal the limelight.

I was hoping for and got an appearance from Mayor Gnarly, a mischief making German Shepherd that stole my heart the moment I met him. Yes, you read this right, he was actually elected Mayor. Lauren describes him so clearly it’s like I’m watching his scenes, not reading them. When he’s kidnapped by two bungling thieves, he actually made me snort and think, oh no, you didn’t. LOL

If you’ve read Lauren’s books, you’ll enjoy these fun nibbles. If you haven’t, you can easily read this collection and meet some of the stars. There’s plenty of humor, snark and twists to keep you entertained.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

In today’s hectic world, many whodunit fans don’t have time to get their mystery fix diving into a whole novel. Lauren Carr’s SPRING THAW AND OTHER MYSTERY SHORT STORIES is for these fans—but that doesn’t mean whodunit fans who do have time can’t dive in as well.

A novella, Spring Thaw features retired federal agent Chris Matheson from Lauren Carr’s newest bestselling cold case series. When his late father’s former friend is indicted for the seven year old murder of a church bishop, Chris renews old broken friendships to thaw out the cold case.

Featuring Mac Faraday from Lauren Carr’s popular Mac Faraday Mysteries, an estate auction turns into a deadly affair after Gnarly’s antics cause Mac to purchase a gem of a dress, which isn’t his color in Killing Bid. (Previously published in Lauren Carr’s BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Beauty to Die For features the Lovers in Crime, Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates in a race against the Angel of Death to clear the name of a dying woman’s son, who was framed for murdering Miss Pennsylvania. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Countdown to Murder returns to the Lovers in Crime where Cameron and Joshua try to solve the murder of a young pregnant widow before it happens. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Mystery fans will see that every dog has his day, especially if that dog is Gnarly. In Lucky Dog, Gnarly helps Mac Faraday to solve the murder of a wealthy society girl. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Dog Loving Mystery Fans will get a special treat when they read The Gnarly Rehabilitation Program. In this Gnarly Mystery Short, Bert and Ernie learn the hard way that crime does not pay when they dog nap Gnarly. (Previously published as a bonus feature with A WEDDING AND A KILLING.)

Gnarly, the rambunctious German shepherd, is also featured in Lauren Carr’s Christmas short, A Gnarly Christmas. It is Christmas day and Gnarly has been up to his old tricks again. Now he’s in the dog house–or rather the boathouse–after stealing the Christmas feast! Moments after Archie and Mac leave Spencer Manor, Gnarly hears a call for help from Rocky, the Maltese down the street. Four assassins for hire have invaded the home of Rocky’s elderly owners. While the home invaders wait for instructions from a mysterious caller, Gnarly must plot to stop them. Can Gnarly save Christmas with only the help of an 8-pound Maltese dressed in an elf suit? (Previously published as a single short story by the same name.)

 
Buy Spring Thaw:
Praise for Lauren Carr’s books:
.

“Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list.”
– Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental

“Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!”
– Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

“Lauren Carr’s books are never boring, that’s for sure. They entertain, give us a good mystery to dig into, keep the reader guessing, give us a few good laughs and make us eager for the next book. Warning: Lauren Carr’s series are addictive, so be ready to read more than just one book!”
– Laura Fabiani, Library of Clean Reads

“She is an amazing author that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters (they feel like family!) and keeps you guessing right to the very end.”
– Working Mommy Journal

“Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.”
– Every Free Chance Book Reviews

To read reviews, please visit Lauren Carr’s page on iRead Book Tours.

Meet the Author:
 
 

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

​Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Dec 22, 2018
.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Violin Words by Taylor Dean ~ A Holiday Romance Giveaway

Posted: November 21, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery, Romance
Tags: , ,
6

With Christmas approaching fast, I have just the book to get you in the holiday spirit! Taylor Dean’s new release, Violin Words, is a sweet romance with some mystery and suspense thrown in to spice things up.

Violin Words

by Taylor Dean

WHO IS THE AUTHOR?

When Jade Lockwood begins to receive anonymous love letters, she becomes a woman on a mission. She’s determined to figure out who wrote the flowery, over-the-top letters filled with the sweetest violin words she’s ever heard.

She’s neglected her love life, concentrating on Lockwood Cabins, the business her father built from the ground up. But her sweet letters have awakened something inside of her, something that can’t be ignored.

Facing Christmas alone this year, her emotions are already fragile. Add in a mysterious burglary, a handsome stranger, and a little deceit, and it just might be the most eventful Christmas she’s ever endured.

Will Jade find her happy ending? Or will her love letters prove to be nothing more than a sinister ploy?

Find out in this charming Christmas novel.

 

Get your copy on Amazon

Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Praise:

Don’t miss this fun, perfect holiday read by a master storyteller!
-Mylissa Demeyere, Author of The Songs of You and Me and The Songs that Brought Me Back

A sweet, heartwarming romance with a twist of mystery and suspense, all wrapped up in Christmas magic that makes this one hard to put down.
-Charissa Stastny, Author of The Ruled Out Romance Series

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

You are in my heart, Jade, and you always will be. You’ve had a profound effect upon my life. Just the knowledge of your existence renews my faith in the human experience.

There is joy in this world.

And you are it.

 

ME

SIGNED ME. THAT’S it. Just Me.

I have no idea who Me is. Wondering about The Author of my flowery, over-the-top letter consumes my thoughts. I can hardly think of anything else.

As I sit at my desk—reading the letter when I should be tackling mounds of paperwork—I can’t help but sigh. The letter fills me with a warm sensation, a feeling as though my heart is about to explode. I’m addicted to reading it. Over and over again.

 

And another peek:

I have no clue whatsoever as to The Author of the one and only love letter I’ve ever received. I’ve neglected my love life, giving all of my attention to Lockwood Cabins. Now I realize what a mistake that has been. When I read the letter, I’m filled with sensations I didn’t know existed.

It’s as if I can physically feel the depth behind his words. I’m taken away to another world and I just want to float away, wrapped in his love.

The Author’s words are flowery and eloquent, stirring and moving. They’re as lyrical and achingly sweet as a few strokes from a violin.

Violin words.

Yes.

My letter is filled with violin words. All meant for me. And I love them.

A few simple chords from a violin inspires soul soaring emotion within me and leaves me breathless. Somehow the sound speaks to me and I have to close my eyes and thank God that I’m alive, if only to hear such a precious sound.

But when I read my love letter, my reaction is the same. Words alone have never had this effect on me. Plain and simple words—twenty-six letters all strung together in thousands of combinations—and together they form the most beautiful thoughts. I hold the letter to my chest and absorb the love.

It’s the sweetest torture, the most exquisite agony. I welcome it. To feel is to live, I know that now.

Wow. Just wow. Are those violin words really directed toward me? I always figured I’d meet someone and get married one day. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a man would speak to me like that. It sends a thrill through my body. Every time.

 

Author Taylor Dean

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Newsletter

 

Blast Giveaway Details

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/12/18

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 author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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