Posts Tagged ‘paranormal’

I asked and you answered! Saturday Screams ~ The Flip by Michael Phillip Cash

Posted: September 26, 2015 in horror, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
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Welcome to my Saturday Screams!

With Halloween fast approaching, I’ve amassed a bunch of creepy stories to share with you.

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Last week I showcased several books I won from Michael Phillip Cash and I asked you to help me choose which order I should review them in.

The Flip was the top choice, so here ya go!

Come on in and get your scare on!

The Flip

by Michael Phillip Cash

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My Review

I enjoy watching shows about flipping houses. It’s fun to watch the transformation from ugly to fantastic. If I had the money, I’d do some myself.

My luck I’d wind up in the same fix as Julie and Brad Evans.

They’re starting to get the hang of the flipping thing. Buy low, fix it up, sell for a nice profit. But Brad has his misgivings about the one Julie has her heart set on. It’s a monstrous undertaking and he’s getting bad vibes from the old mansion, Hemmings House.

Julie loves it, sees only the potential, and wants to turn it into a bed and breakfast. Brad caves and now he has to get his crew together and get the stinking trash hauled out of the place.

Weird things start happening. Doors open and shut on their own. Cold spots occur throughout the place. And Brad and the crew are being affected by the atmosphere. Something angry is rubbing off on them.

All the makings for a scary good haunted house story, right? The author delivers, giving you things that go bump in the night. You’ll meet these ghostly inhabitants and get to know their stories. I engaged with the ghosts as well as Julie and Brad and came to worry about all of them.

Welcome to Hemmings House. Where anything can happen, and does.

4 Stars

Synopsis

Julie and Brad Evans are house flippers. They buy low, clean out the old occupants’ junk, and try to make a profit. Enter Hemmings House on Bedlam Street in scenic Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Too good a deal to pass up, but with an ominous secret. The old Victorian Mansion has dwellers that do not want to be dispossessed. As the house reveals it’s past, will the couple’s marriage survive The Flip?

Trailer

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Stop back by next Saturday for your next choice!

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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Can ghosts love? Onyx Webb ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: September 8, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, suspense, thriller
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Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

Onyx Webb

by Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

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Publisher: Courage Crafters Inc. (March 17, 2015)
Category: Paranormal Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Thriller
Tour Date: August & September, 2015
ISBN: 978-0990751816
ASIN: B00VIP8KLC
Available in: Print & ebook,  264 Pages

My Review

I loved everything about this book. From the different points of view to the different dates in time to the fantastic illustrations and the hair raising creepiness.

When I reached the end of this book, Onyx Webb was still an enigma to me. I know there are many more episodes to come and I’m sure I’ll figure her out. The jury is still out about her right now.

Ever wanted to know how it felt to be a ghost? From what I learned in this book, it’s no fun. Can’t taste, can’t feel, and can’t love. Why stick around? This story will tell you why.

Taking place in different time periods, all of the characters start their stories here and it’s promised by the authors that following episodes will reveal their full stories and bring all of the characters together.

For now, I’m just getting to know Onyx and her father Catfish, rich boy Koda Mulvaney and his best friend Dane, Quinn Cole and his missing sister Juniper, and a slew of secondary characters.

I’ve read other books written in episodes but not quite like this. The characters stories span many centuries but it’s easy to follow them as their voices speak clearly. And there are several mysteries happening at different times and I have no clue how they’ll all come together.

I also knew there wouldn’t be an ending in this book, so no surprise there. And that’s the ‘hook.’ I was hooked from the first chapter, compelled to keep reading, and in no hurry to finish.

The illustrations are spectacular and the writing is easy to follow. Not what you’d expect at all with the story occurring in several different time periods and told from many points of view.

Trying to label this, I’d call this a ghost story and a mystery. Maybe adding a dash of historical too. With lots of showing and some telling. Short chapters that make the read fly. And I believe I already mentioned the illustrations. They are all through the book and ‘tell’ a story too.

There are several more books to come, each containing three episodes. You can bet I’m off to grab the second book now and will be watching for others as they are released.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

The Onyx Webb series follows the unusual life of Onyx Webb along with a central group of characters in various locations and times. The billionaire Mulvaney family, piano prodigy Juniper Cole and her brother Quinn, paranormal show hosts Cryer and Fudge, and a few others make up the core of the series.

Written like a book version of a supernatural soap opera, each character’s story moves forward with most every episode. It may appear that the characters are entirely unrelated and yet episode by episode, the connections will become clearer. Like being an inch away from a spider web, with each book, the web will move further and further away revealing the full story of every character and most importantly, the stunning conclusion for Onyx Webb herself.

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Check out the excerpt!

Bruce Mulvaney had insisted that Koda’s mother would never have left them like that, that something had happened to her.

He went so far as to offer a $1 million reward to anyone who provided information that led to her safe return.

There were the calls from an array of crackpots, of course—nut jobs claiming they’d seen her, some even claiming they had taken her—but nothing ever panned out. And it never would.

His father had even gotten the FBI involved when it was discovered several weeks later that his mother’s Mercedes Benz was found parked at the curb outside a Savannah dive bar, a place called Pinkie Masters. But nothing ever came of it.

Eventually, everyone assumed nothing nefarious had happened to his mother, including the FBI. Bruce Mulvaney’s beautiful wife had just finally gotten fed up enough to leave the bastard.

Koda looked up at the mirror and remembered the one thing his mother did leave.

A photograph.

It was a picture his father had taken of Koda and his mother, sitting on a swing in Charleston, South Carolina, about a month before she’d left.

Just the two of them, sitting side by side—swinging back and forth on a beautiful sunny day—smiling, happy, together.

His mother had left the picture taped to the mirror in Koda’s bedroom, nothing written on it.

Without thinking, Koda reached toward the mirror—just as he’d reached out to take the photo off the mirror when he was six—and just as his finger touched the glass…

He saw her.

A girl.

She was standing opposite him as if a mirror image, her arm reaching out toward the mirror just as Koda’s was, her fingers touching the mirror in the exact place his fingers were touching.

Koda jumped back, shocked at what he was seeing.

But the girl didn’t move.

She just stood there looking at him as if fascinated at what she was seeing.

Then she simply faded away.

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Praise for Onyx Webb by Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

 “There isn’t a page that doesn’t hold our attention.“-Grady Harp, Amazon Reviewer Hall of Fame

“There’s only one problem with the book Onyx Webb – it was over too soon. When I finished the last word, I was ready for the next book, but it’s not out yet – bummer for me and all the other readers who enjoyed this story!
The authors’ writing style is descriptive and visual, which makes the story flow well, and the characters are interesting and well developed. The author does a good job of capturing the essence of each time period so that the reader knows where and more importantly when the characters are living. The story so far covers the 1900s, 1970s and 2000s, so there are marked differences in most aspects of the characters’ lives. Even with the different years represented it’s not confusing for the reader, possibly because each character is so distinct, which lets the reader identify character with time period.
While this is billed as a ghost story, it’s more than that since the characters are so interesting, and I think this will appeal to a wider reading audience than just ghost story lovers or mystery lovers.
I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment to this compelling story.”- Robin Surface, Amazon Reviewer

“I loved this book! Couldn’t put it down. Great writing and totally believable characters. The story lines move along so well and in some form or fashion begin to tie into each other. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.”-Alicia, Goodreads Reviewer

“Wow! That’s an understatement, though. Onyx Webb is one of those books that you just don’t want to put down because it grabs you from the beginning and keeps you wanting more. Not only do you get one story, you get three! And they are all told in different times, like the 1900s, 1970s, and in the current, 2000s. So you get three different points of view, and at first you’re thinking “What does this have to do with that?” But then you see it, and it’s like, WHOA! Of the three different story lines, they all connect in some way, and it’s pretty cool to see how it does.
This is such a good book!! You just have to read it. It’s really cool how authors Waltz and Fenton bring all of the story lines that span over time, together to all fit.
I highly recommend this book! And it’s just Book 1, so I’m really hoping Book 2 is already in the works because I am anxious to see what happens next!!”-Ella Marie, Reading Is a Way Of Life

“Amazing! This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!“-Melanie, Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews

About Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton:

Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton

Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz are best known as the authors of the #1 Amazon Sales & Selling book, Go for No!  They are professional speakers who travel internationally speaking to audiences about how to overcome fear of failure and rejection.  Although they have written several business books over the last fifteen years, Onyx Webb is their first fictional series.

They are married and manage to write to together while staying happily married, a fact they are very proud of. Richard and Andrea live in Central Florida along with their cat, Courage.

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Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads

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Buy Onyx Webb on AMAZON

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I have one print or one Ebook copy to give away.

Print is US Only

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

“What is it about supernatural or paranormal stories that you like the most?”

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Follow the Onyx Webb Tour

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Aug 4 Tour Kick Off & Giveaway

Rockin’ Book Reviews Aug 5 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

SolaFide Self-Publishing and Book Blog Aug 6 Guest Post

Books, Books, and more Books Aug 8 Review

Mallory Heart Reviews Aug 10 Review

Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author Aug 11 Interview

What U Talking Bout Willis? Aug 14 Guest Post

Deal Sharing Aunt Aug 18 Review & Giveaway

Penny For Them… Aug 19 Review

Open Book Society Aug 21 Review

JBronder Book Reviews Sept 2 Review

Fundinmental Sept 3 Review

fuonlyknew Sept 8 Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Infinite House of Books Sept 9 Interview & Excerpt

Totally Addicted to Reading Sept 10 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

Room With Books Sept 18 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

My Tangled Skeins Reviews Sept 21 Review & Guest Post

Sunshine book Promotions Sept 28 Review & Excerpt

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Teaser Tuesdays #126 ~ Ghosts Among Men

Posted: August 18, 2015 in Mystery, Novella, Paranormal or fantasy, Teaser Tuesdays
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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

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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

Ghosts Among Men

A Samantha Davidson Novella

by Laura Del

25623998

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My Teaser from 18% in the eBook.

“Would you please go away,” I almost begged her. Even for a dead person she was annoying.

“Fine. But remember – “

“You’ll be back,” I finished. “I get it.”

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My Review

You’d think being able to see and talk to ghosts would be a handy thing if you’re a private investigator. But that doesn’t help Samantha Davidson.

Samantha is working a murder case with her assistant, Mark, and homicide detective, Lance MacDowell. She sees and interviews the murdered girl, Allison.  The problem is, Allison can’t remember what happened to her, who killed her.

Samantha has solved all twenty of her cases so far, from helping loved ones connect to catching adulterers. Not bad for only a year as a P.I. But this case could threaten that record.

Life gets complicated for Samantha. Things aren’t what they appear in this case. Lots of secrets. Lots of money. Lots of ghosts. And she’s trying to have a love life too, crushing on her sexy office manager, Mark.  Hey, a girl’s gotta try.

I’d call this a dark comedy mystery. Heavy on chuckles and mystery.

There’s a scene where Samantha is having dinner with the parents of Allison, the murdered girl. The father doesn’t want his wife to know he’s hired a private investigator, especially one who communicates with ghosts, so Sam poses as the dead girls friend.

Try to picture Sam, struggling to ignore Allison as the ghost butts into every conversation. It’s almost impossible not to blow her cover. Allison is a sassy lass and loves toying with her.

There’s a dark side too. Things got creepy while reading a scene where Sam is dreaming. In her dream, she’s Allison and reliving what happened the night she was murdered. Such an ugly betrayal.

I was surprised by how quickly I came to know the characters in this story. This isn’t a long book, but I easily connected to and liked many of them. They were easy to visualize, even the stereotypical jerks.

And the ending was something else. Bazinga was the first thing that popped into my head when the case unfolded.

I’d recommend this to mystery and paranormal lovers. It’s fast, fun, and you’ll want more.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Samantha Davidson sees ghosts for a living. More specifically, she sees ghosts as a private investigator, working alongside the Chicago Police Department to put away killers and put troubled spirits to rest.

When the daughter of one of Chicago’s wealthiest families turns up dead, Samantha and her assistant Mark team up with homicide detective Lance MacDowell to get to the bottom of the crime.

Allison Allen is tall, blonde, beautiful–and very much dead. As Samantha interviews the girl, who doesn’t remember anything about the circumstances of her own murder, it’s clear that there’s more going on behind the walls of this manicured home than anyone wants to let on—and that Samantha has her work cut out for her this time.

Juggling her own love life, tracking down troubled spirits, and evading attempts to thwart her investigation keeps Samantha on her toes. Good thing Samantha knows how to keep her eyes open, her wits about her, and her sense of humor.

A paranormal mystery that is both dark and funny, Ghosts Among Men will cause chills to run down your back even while you’re laughing out loud at the lovable, strong, and supernaturally sighted private investigator Samantha Davidson.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Sticks and stones may break his….The Alastair Stone Chronicles ~ Guest Post and Giveaway

Posted: August 17, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Guest Post, Paranormal or fantasy
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I have a great series to share with you today, along with a fantastic giveaway and exciting excerpt.

And the author was kind enough to answer my questions about the fabulous cover art for her series.

Please welcome R. L. King

How did you choose your cover art? Did you design it or someone else?

The cover art for all the books in the Alastair Stone Chronicles series is from a company called Streetlight Graphics. I found them when I was searching for cover artists—I knew I wanted a full-service company familiar with my genre, and one that was willing to commit to doing all my covers. I looked around and asked some folks whose covers I liked, and it came down to either Streetlight or another company who also did good work, but who were much more expensive (and I actually liked Streetlight’s samples better).

The design was a joint effort—I have fairly clear ideas about what I want to see, and I know what I like and what I don’t, but I’m flexible as far as letting the designer come up with something that fits my basic parameters. For Stone and a Hard Place, I knew I wanted Stone to appear in his trademark outfit, I wanted a big spooky house, and I wanted the basic color scheme to be blue and black. Streetlight came back with a design that blew me away!

The only part where we had to go back and forth several times was Stone’s face—and I actually ended up accepting something I wasn’t entirely happy with because I felt like I’d been too nitpicky. Later on, though, after getting some feedback from readers that he looked too young, I went back to Streetlight and told Glendon, the designer, that I really wanted to try to fix the face. He pointed me at the stock-photo service they used and asked me to find something I liked—and it didn’t take me long to do just that! I found a model who was much closer to my vision than the one used, so Stone got a “face transplant” and now no longer looks young enough to be his own apprentice. I’m completely happy with the updated cover.

The second book, The Forgotten, took the design of an older version of the book and updated it to fit the style of the first Streetlight design. We changed the title color from blue to purple and added a few purple touches. Once again, I loved it, and once again the only issue was Stone. We did a silhouetted version this time, so it took a few tries to get the profile and hair right, but I am very, very happy with this cover, too.

I can’t wait to reveal the next one, for Book 3. It’s another winner!

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Stone And A Hard Place

Alastair Stone Chronicles #1

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Dr. Alastair Stone, Occult Studies professor and powerful mage, has his hands full trying to keep the two sides of his life separate as he trains a new apprentice, deals with a malevolent entity trapped in the basement of a wealthy old woman’s massive home, and battles dark mages intent on enslaving it for their own ends.

Debut novel of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.

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The Forgotten

Alastair Stone Chronicles #2

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Dr. Alastair Stone is back, this time teaming up with Jason Thayer, a young man hunting for his missing sister. Embroiled in a web of odd homeless people, a growing conspiracy, and deadly danger, they soon realize that even if they find Jason’s sister, they might not be able to help her.

What do you do when you discover an extradimensional plot that threatens the safety of the entire world, but you can’t tell anyone about it because literally anyone on Earth could be part of it?

Book Two of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.

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Excerpt

“Dr. Stone?”

The voice was trembling, female, and sounded terrified. It took him a moment to identify it. He stared as Megan stirred again, draping her arm back over him. “Mrs.—Bonham?”

Whoever was on the other end sounded like they were on the verge of hysteria. “Dr. Stone, is that you?”

“It’s me, Mrs. Bonham. What’s wrong? Is something wrong?” He sat up a little, propping himself up on his pillows. Megan’s arm slid down over his stomach, but he didn’t even notice that she was there.

“Something’s here,” she quavered. “Something’s…happening.”

He was fully awake now. Carefully, he moved Megan’s arm and sat on the edge of the bed. “Calm down, Mrs. Bonham, please. I’ll help you if I can, but you have to tell me what’s happening.”

“I don’t know,” she sobbed. “It’s like the whole house hates me. Noises—cold winds—things slamming—”

“Is Iona there? Can you put her on for a moment?”

There was a shuffling sound and then a different voice spoke, sounding almost as frightened as Adelaide Bonham had. “Dr. Stone? This is Iona.”

He took a deep breath. “Iona. What’s going on? Is Mrs. Bonham—”

“She’s not imagining things, Dr. Stone,” the woman said. In addition to sounding frightened, she sounded like she couldn’t believe what was going on. “I can hear them too. The noises. The feelings. It’s horrible, Dr. Stone. Something’s going on.”

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Author R.L. King

R.L. King is an award-winning author and game freelancer for Catalyst Game Labs, publisher of the popular roleplaying game Shadowrun. She has contributed fiction and game material to numerous sourcebooks, as well as one full-length adventure, “On the Run,” included as part of the 2012 Origins-Award-winning “Runners’ Toolkit.”Her first novel in the Shadowrun universe, Borrowed Time, was published in May 2015.When not doing her best to make life difficult for her characters, King is a software technical writer for a large Silicon Valley database company. In her spare time (hah!) she enjoys hanging out with her very understanding spouse and her small herd of cats, watching way too much Doctor Who, and attending conventions when she can. She is an Active member of the Horror Writers’ Association and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.

Links:

Writer Website / Publisher Website / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

Buy link for Stone and a Hard Place (Book 1)

Buy link for The Forgotten (Book 2)

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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!

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

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The Friday 56 #69 ~ Grey Daze by Author Michael Allan Scott

Posted: July 17, 2015 in Adult Fiction, Mytery/Thriller, Paranormal or fantasy, The Friday 56
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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

Grey Daze

A Lance Underphal Mystery

by Michael Allan Scott

24876626

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My 56

Frank asks, “You okay?”

I gather myself. “Just thinking.”

Frank remains silent, eyes on the road, the white lines flashing past.

Swallowing hard, I continue. “Thinking about my wife.”

Frank keeps his gaze straight ahead, lips pursed, saying nothing as we wind our way down by the dry riverbed.

I clear my throat. “My dead wife.”

More silent treatment from Frank, as if he’s waiting.

I turn to face him. “I didn’t do it.”

Frank turns his head to meet my glare, then turns back to his driving.

I nearly choke on it. “I didn’t kill her.

“Nodding gently, he says, “I was pretty sure you didn’t.”

I look down, shaking my head, repeating softly to no one, ” I didn’t do it…I didn’t do it.”

Frank lets me ramble.

Finally I look back at him. “Now what?”

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Synopsis

GREY DAZE descends. A fresh murder spins out of control, twisting into new realms of paranormal mystery.

Not for the faint of heart, the third in the Lance Underphal Mystery series, is an interplay of corrupt characters immersed in today’s world.

Paranormal twists and fast action in movie-like scenes set the story’s mystery/thriller elements apart from the typical whodunit/serial-killer thriller.

Guided by his dead wife, a reluctant psychic finds himself on a wild ride through a criminal underworld, slamming face first into corrupt police, gunrunning bikers, and a drug addicted killer–not to mention confrontations with the dead.

Layers of plots within plots twist this new thriller into a startling climax.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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

#T4T Two For Thursday Blitz & Giveaway ~ The Emissary and The Night House

Posted: July 2, 2015 in Blitz, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Uncategorized, YA
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T4T-Banner

Welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

The Emissary by Kristal Shaff and
The Night House by Rachel Tafoya

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

The-Emissary-Cover

For hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king’s army, an unmatched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army at his side, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule. To most, serving the king was an honor. And for some, it was a fate worse than death.

When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path. So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks. For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face-to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret. To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls.

Nolan joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short lived when they discover that the dark clouds, the undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.

add to goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound | Google Play | BAM | iBooks

What Reader’s Are Saying

“If you like super powers/magic, character development, and reading on the edge of your seat then I highly recommend this book to you!” – Aisazia, Originique Quanimity

“It’s a great YA fantasy book with all the things that make for a memorable high fantasy.” – Ashley, The A P Book Club

“Between the magical elements, the rebellion against a psychotically evil king, the group of rebels who band together to become a family of sorts who fight and sacrifice for each other, amazing fighting scenes, truly creepy zombie-like creatures who add even more danger to the game, and even a bit of romance, this definitely goes on my “must read” list – I highly recommend!” – Michelle McLean, Author

about-the-author

Kristal Shaff

Kristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn’t leave the library); her first job was even shelving books at the library. She loves anything creative, and you can often find her exploring strange and fantastical worlds in her choices of movies and fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, numerous pets, and 3 awesome kids (plus one more on the way though the journey of adoption). When she isn’t writing, she is a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Nighthouse-cover-new

Bianca St. Germain works at a Night House, a place where vampires like the aristocratic Jeremiah Archer, pay to feed on humans, and she doesn’t much care what others think of her. The money is good, and at least there, she’s safe. Bianca also doesn’t care that the Night House is killing her. All she cares about is: nauth, the highly addictive poison in vampire bites that brings a euphoria like no drug ever could.

But when Bianca meets James, a reclusive empath who feels everything she does, for the first time, she considers a life outside of the Night House and a someone worth living for. But Jeremiah has decided to keep Bianca for himself; he won’t allow her to walk away.

As she allows her feelings for James to grow, she struggles to contain nauth’s strong hold on her life. If they are to have a future, James must make her see what she’s worth, what she means to him, before Jeremiah and nauth claim her for good.

add to goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters Indigo! | TBD | IndieBound | Google Play | BAM | iBooks

 

What Reader’s Are Saying

“This is not your usual vampire book. The inceptions and the mystery messed with my head and I loved every moment of it. ” – Paula, Her Book Thoughts


“Rachel Tafoya brought vampires back to life for me, made them mysterious and intriguing again.” – Jaime, The Best Books Ever

“I found Rachel Tafoya’s debut to be an entertaining read with a unique plot, super interesting world, and great character development! I found myself thoroughly immersed in the world of The Night House.” – Jessica, Jessabella Reads

about-the-author

DCIM100MEDIA

DCIM100MEDIA

Rachel Tafoya studied creative writing while at Solebury School and was published in their student run literary magazine, SLAM. She attended a writing program for teens at both Susquehanna University and Denison University, and the Experimental Writing for Teens class and Novels for Young Writers program, both run by NY Times bestselling author, Jonathan Maberry. Rachel is the daughter crime author Dennis Tafoya.

 

Connect with the Author: Tumbler | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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The Friday 56 #51 ~ The Promise

Posted: February 6, 2015 in Paranormal or fantasy, Shifters, The Friday 56, werewolves
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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

The Promise

by Donna Boyd

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My 56

The pain came in slowly, like a tide filling an empty pool. When the pool was filled, when every part of him was saturated with awareness, the agony was so intense that all of his remaining strength was required not to cry out with it, to scream, to howl until his voice filled the heavens and turned the skies black.

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Synopsis

“I saw the only woman I ever loved almost destroyed by my secrets. But it was the telling of them, in the end, that brought her to ruin.”From the journals of Matise DevoncroixHannah Braselton North has abandoned civilization to spend her life in the Alaskan wilderness. And now she holds in her hands the supposed “memoirs” of one Matise Devoncroix. It is a story of strange desires and forbidden love–the tale of a magnificent hidden race and a tortured, doomed relationship. And it is somehow connected to the critically injured male wolf Hannah pulled from the same airplane wreckage in which she discovered the diary.

But the deeper she delves into Devoncroix’s story–and the stronger her recovering “patient” becomes–the more the sad, reclusive scientist realizes that what she is reading is no mere fiction. The world’s true rulers have been revealed to her: fierce, strong, beautiful, and sensual creatures who have long dominated civilization in secret. The burned and bloody wolf she has taken into her small cabin is one of them: a living relation of the tragic Matise, Nicholas Devoncroix. And as his broken body mends, his awesome powers of attraction strengthen as well–as do his memories and his rage…and his lust for vengeance.

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I read this book many years ago and it still pops into my head now and then. I couldn’t remember the title or even the author, but the story stayed with me.

I was doing the happy dance when I picked up a book at the local thrift shop and read the cover flap. This was that book! And it’s a beautiful hardback copy in excellent condition. I had to dive right in and now I’m sharing it with you.

The writing is superb and the description doesn’t do the story justice. It’s rich, deep, and sensual.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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

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A Southern Gothic Mystery ~ They Call Me Crazy ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: January 29, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, horror, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
Tags: , , ,
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RedAdeptPublishing.com

I’m thrilled to share this debut by Author Kelly Stone Gamble.

Who doesn’t love a southern gothic mystery? And this one twists you every which way as you try to get to the bottom of it.

Come on in. Grab a seat. Here’s some iced tea.

Now let’s get to my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

They Call Me Crazy

by Kelly Stone Gamble

They Call Me Crazy -800 Cover reveal and Promotional

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My Review

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I love it when everything comes together to make a really good mystery.

It was a dark and stormy night…Well, it was!

Cass, the town crazy lady, has finally had enough of her cheatin, beatin husband, Roland, and whacks him with a shovel, which she then uses to bury him in the fish pond.

When a torrential rain uncovers his body, Cass has to move him and gets caught red handed.  You’d think it was an open and shut case once she confesses to murdering her husband. But nothing is what it seems in this peculiar little town and Cass is crazy, isn’t she?

I pictured the town as shrouded in fog, never sunny and bright. I guess I got that from the beginning scenes and carried it through the whole story. Made it creepy and more mysterious too.

Each chapter is narrated by a different character and this added to the fun. How do you figure out what really happened? Ask a dozen witnesses to an event and each one sees something different. Cass may have confessed, but she’s touched in the head , so did she kill him?

In a small town where everybody knows everybody’s secrets, this one is trying to stay buried and things get more and more convoluted until the truth is revealed.

A great debut by this author and I will be waiting for her next book.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Cass Adams is crazy, and everyone in Deacon, Kansas, knows it. But when her good-for-nothing husband, Roland, goes missing, no one suspects that Cass buried him in their unfinished koi pond. Too bad he doesn’t stay there for long. Cass gets arrested on the banks of the Spring River for dumping his corpse after heavy rain partially unearths it.

The police chief wants a quick verdict—he’s running for sheriff and has no time for crazy talk. But like Roland’s corpse, secrets start to surface, and they bring more to light than anybody expected. Everyone in Cass’s life thinks they know her—her psychic grandmother, her promiscuous ex-best friend, her worm-farming brother-in-law, and maybe even her local ghost. But after years of separate silences, no one knows the whole truth. Except Roland. And he’s not talking.

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Author Kelly Stone Gamble

They Call Me Crazy Kelly Stone Gamble

Kelly Stone Gamble was born and raised in the Midwest… all over the Midwest. By the time she graduated from high school, she had run away from home twice and attended twenty-two different schools. To bring that total to twenty-five, she obtained an undergrad degree and two graduate degrees. There are stories in those experiences, and she chose to use them for fictional inspiration.

 

For the past twenty years, Kelly has lived in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Nevada. She recently accepted a full-time position with Southeast Oklahoma State University to teach Literature and Professional Speech and will soon be a resident, again, of the Midwest.

 

Look out, tornadoes. You have competition.

Links where the book is sold:

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Apple ~ Kobo ~ Google Play 

Author page on RAP ~ Goodreads

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Draco’s New Release ~ Blood Monarch ~ A side of Vlad Dracula you never met

Posted: January 26, 2015 in Blitz, otherworldly, Paranormal or fantasy, Release day, Vampires
Tags: , , ,
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I fell in love with the cover for Blood Monarch.

Looking for something new with some Vlad the Impaler, Dracula himself?

Draco’s new release has so much to offer.

Come on in.

Check out Blood Monarch and get to know a bit about the characters!

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Blood Monarch

by Drako

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A king’s duty never ends, even when his kingdom changes. Vladimir Dracula is one of the most famous and misunderstood figures in all of history. One thing is true, he is a king, and he is a vampire. He is the true king and enforcer of the vampire race. Feared by all of his own kind, he is perhaps the most lethal of the Black Dragon God’s mortal born servants. At the same time, he personifies sex. None can resist his charms, save one.

Vax King is the Chosen of Hecate, the Heir of Mjolnir, and has no plans on a mate. When he’s called on to enter Fae lands, he’s surprised to find the legendary vampire there. Looking to aid the beautiful Fae, Anaya, and her soul mate, Galen, Vax must enter a world of sex of violence with only Vlad to accompany him. Here, there can be no denial, no hesitation. Only truth….and dominance.

A war is brewing in the Fae lands, as the fallen angels rise to lay claim to the power of their goddess, Verlaine and topple their higher brethren. Older than most, Vlad must accustom himself to having a soul mate, and use all his legendary power to stop the forces of darkness long believed to be controlled by him. A new kingdom is the prize, and none knows better than the famed Dracula that the secret to power lies in the blood.

Book Links:

Goodreads I Amazon

Meet the Characters:



Vladimir Dracula



AKA: Vlad, Vlad the Impaler, Dracula

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 315 pounds

Hair: shoulder length, brown

Origin: A human follower of Jarel, the Black Dragon god. He was caught in the crossfire of Jarel’s disagreement with a demon god and the result changed him into one of the first vampires. 

More info: Contrary to popular belief, he has never sired another vampire. The entire race descends from the married couple, Vacker and Deidre. He has functioned as the final enforcer of the race since its creation. He is lethal in battle, being one of those fortunate enough to have had Jarel’s favor in mortal life first. He is also extremely sexual, with an appeal that draws others to him. He should not be confused with the prince who became known as Vlad the Impaler. He’s far older and earned the name in a far different manner. 



Vax



Height: 6’4”

Weight: 220 pounds

Hair: long, red

Origin: A mortal born witch, servant to Hecate, the patron goddess of witches. He was chosen by the goddess himself to wield the legendary hammer Mjolnir to expel Lucifer from the mortal world.

More info: Vax originally had a bit of a self-confidence issue. Because he’s mortal born, he is not used to the strength and power gifted to him by the goddess. He’s a quick learner, and in fact, had a bit of conflict with Vlad in his first story. He’s the first person to resist Vlad’s charm when the vampire is really pouring it on. 



Anaya



Height: 5’3”

Hair: long, red

Origin: An orphaned Fae, she comes into contact with Brandon during his mortal life and the two have a son, Theo, who eventually becomes one of the Three Fates. She is actually the daughter of the Fae queen and the very first angel, Apollyon.

More info: Anaya was captured due to her softer and trusting nature in the second book, and the reasons are complicated. Her ties to the father of her child as well as her soul mate, in addition to her parentage, made her a target. But she’s certainly come into her own and is no damsel in distress



Galen

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 258 pounds

Eyes: blue

Hair: long, black

Origin: A warrior angel created by an ancient goddess, he has only known war and duty and has not adjusted to the idea of having a soul mate.

More info: Galen has loyalty that cannot be questioned, even falling from grace to aid in the fall of Lucifer. He’s powerful and ruthless in battle, but unfamiliar with the concept of love. It’s taken him a long time to accept Anaya.

About the Author:

Drako resides in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, which you may notice is part of the setting of this series. When he isn’t writing, he’s busy editing for other authors, reviewing books, working, going to college, and spending time with his friends and two nieces. He blogs often and is very active on Facebook while trying to readjust to activity on twitter. His subject matter varies as he likes to talk about more than just his writing. You can check out his posts at his website, drakosden.weebly.com

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Author Links:

Facebook I Twitter

Strange Magic ~ Debut Review and Giveaway

Posted: January 19, 2015 in Debut Novel, giveaways, otherworldly, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Series
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I’m in love. In love with Yancy Lazarus!

When Author James Hunter approached me about reading Strange Magic, the title had me curious.

I checked out his book and knew right away it was for me.

It’s just released and available HERE on Amazon.

Come on in and meet Yancy.

It’s some feaky deaky hoodoo!

Strange Magic

A Yancy Lazarus Novel

by James A. Hunter

23944302

 

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My Review

Yancy’s having one of those days, weeks…. Starts out innocently enough and then goes to s!#t.

It all started with a simple phone call from a friend in need. Now Yancy’s in a world of hurt and it ain’t gonna be getting better any time soon..

“I’d been pumped full of tranquilizers,busted a hole in the back wall of The Full House, got shot in the ass, and had, eventually, passed out in a dog pee under a car. Right?”

“So, how’d I end up Saran-wrapped to a table in white-picker suburbia?”

Yancy Lazarus (AKA The Fixer) He drinks too much. Smokes too much. And gambles too much. Or so they say. He just likes to live large.

He can do magic, using the VIS – Latin word meaning force or energy. Yancy’s neat trick is he can manipulate energy, using things like water and fire.  But a big gun comes in handy too when he comes face to face with the Rakshasa,  their face kind of like a hyena, with a mouth full of shark teeth, beady eyes, over long arms and gray flesh. Nasty things.

He’s 65 and looks 45 due to the longevity the Vis gives him. The FBI has his mug on a Most Wanted poster for domestic terrorism and murder, among other things. Sure, he’s killed, but most were of the non-human type.

Ya gotta love Yancy. He’s a shit-kickin, blues lovin, rambler and gambler, playing piano for drinks, gambling to feed himself, and living out of the back of his precious El Camino. A true nomad and bad ass.

From the first paragraph

“The piano keys bobbed and danced under the pressure of my fingers. Music – low, slow, and soulful – drifted through the club, merging and twirling with wandering clouds of blue-gray smoke. So many places have no-smoking laws these days, it seems like there’s nowhere in the country where a guy can take a drag from a cigarette in peace. Everyone is so worries about their health, they make damn sure you stay healthy by proxy.”

to the last I had a rip snortin time and can’t wait to see what kind of Hell Yancy winds up in next.

Strange Magic is Author James A. Hunter’s debut novel. They say a writer gets better with each books he writes. If this is true, I can’t imagine what he has in store for this series.

5 Stars

A Tip from Yancy Lazarus

“I cannot tell you the number of fights that start and end in back aleys. Tip: if you find yourself in a bar and about to walk into a dark alley with a guy who would like to do you violence, don’t. Just don’t do it. Not ever.”

“Here’s another tip: sometimes, bad choices are the only ones available.”

Fun tags.

McGoon. Thugzilla.

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Synopsis

Yancy Lazarus is having a bad day: there’s a bullet lodged in his butt cheek, his face looks like the site of a demolition derby, and he’s been saran-wrapped to a banquet table. He never should have answered the phone. Stupid bleeding heart—helping others in his circles is a good way to get dead.

Just ask the gang members ripped to pieces by some kind of demonic nightmare in LA. As a favor to a friend, Yancy agrees to take a little looksee into the massacre and boom, he’s stuck in a turf war between two rival gangs, which both think he’s pinch-hitting for the other side. Oh, and there’s also a secretive ass-hat with some mean ol’ magical chops and a small army of hyena-faced, body- snatching baddies. It might be time to seriously reconsider some of his life choices.

Yancy is a bluesman, a rambler, a gambler, but not much more. Sure, he can do a little magic—maybe even more than just a little magic—but he knows enough to keep his head down and stay clear of freaky-deaky hoodoo like this business in LA. Somehow though, he’s been set up to take a real bad fall—the kind of very permanent fall that leaves a guy with a toe tag. Unless, of course, he can find out who is responsible for the gangland murders, make peace in the midst of the gang feud, and take out said magical ass-hat before he hexes Yancy into an early retirement. Easy right? Stupid. Bleeding. Heart.

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About Author James A. Hunter

strange magic James A. Hunter Profile Pic

Hey all, my name is James Hunter and I’m a writer, among other things. So just a little about me: I’m a former Marine Corps Sergeant, combat veteran, and pirate hunter (seriously). I’m also a member of The Royal Order of the Shellback—‘cause that’s a real thing. And, a space-ship captain, can’t forget that.

Okay … the last one is only in my imagination.

Currently, I work as a missionary and international aid worker with my wife and young daughter in Bangkok, Thailand. When I’m not working, writing, or spending time with family, I occasionally eat and sleep. Strange Magic is my debut novel and the first in a planned series of books featuring Yancy Lazarus. Hope you enjoy.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Twitter

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The author is giving away three eBook copies of Strange Magic.

Mobi or ePub format (Winners Choice)

The entry is easy.

Just leave an email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“What magical power would you like to have?”

Giveaway ends January 30th.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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