Posts Tagged ‘paranormal’

The Tap, Tap, Tapping…Nails by Fiona Dodwell ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: November 11, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
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Nails

by Fiona Dodwell

3D Nails

Genre: Paranormal

Date of Publication: 13th October 2015

Number of pages: 60 pages / Word Count: 25,000 (Novella)

Cover Artist: Atrtink

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My Review

I’m always on the hunt for another haunted house tale. Found a good one here.

Seeking independence, twenty year old Carla Bracken looks for a place of her own. She discovers Moorelands Close and an affordable new home. She quickly starts to make it her own

All is bright, until weird things start happening. What is that tap, tap, tapping in the night? Carla is scared. Something is in her house. Something is shouting in the night. She soldiers on despite her fears, determined to get through it.

She has a lot of other things to contend with too. Carla’s worried about the lay off at the company she works for and a boyfriend who won’t commit.

Determined to keep her independence, Carla must get help. It’s not just her independence that’s at risk.

This wasn’t a super scary story. It was a slow building, creepy one. We’ve all hear those unexplained noises in the night and shrugged them off as house noises. It must have been especially scary for Carla, as she’s in an unfamiliar house.

How she deals with it is what I liked most. She’s scared, sure. But she’s not moving out. Instead, she starts looking into the history of the house and previous occupants. What she discovers explains a lot.

Great ending. I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t.

A good one for a dark and stormy night.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Carla Bracken knew she needed a change, a new start. Moving to Moorelands Close was supposed to be the beginning of something bigger and better, so when things start to take a sinister turn in her new home, she tries to explain it away.

However, she cannot ignore the mounting horror she experiences behind closed doors. What is the dark history behind her new home, and can she stop the unfolding terror in its tracks before it’s too late?

Amazon UK     Amazon US

About the Author:

Fiona Dodwell

Fiona is represented by Media Bitch Literary Agency, and is the author of three full length horror novels. She writes freelance for several paranormal magazines, including Supernatural Magazine and Paranormal Underground. She is a big fan of all things horror, and has studied Exorcism and Demonology. In her spare time, she attends paranormal investigations and works for a care charity. Her latest release, Nails, is now available on Amazon.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper ~ Blast Review and Giveaway

Posted: October 2, 2015 in Book Blast, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
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Got some pesky ghosts? Who ya gonna call? Ellie Jordan, of course.

Tis the season for some spooky tales and I’ve got a good one to share with you.

Enjoy my review of Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper
(Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #1) by J.L Bryan
Publication Date: August 27th, 2014
Genre: Adult Paranormal Mystery
 My Review
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The first thing I noticed about this book was the story takes place in Georgia. It’s supposed to be one of the most haunted cities in the south, steeped in dark stories. It’s the perfect setting.

You’ve read the blurb so you know this is about a haunted house. So I’m going to introduce you to the ghost trappers from Eckhart Investigations instead of telling you what you already know.

Retired Homicide Detective Calvin Eckhart is the owner and boss man. He needed something to do with all of those empty days and  it was an easy decision to start investigating hauntings as he had a keen interest in the supernatural.

Since he’s confined to a wheelchair and not getting any younger, he hires Ellie James to do the work for him. To determine if there is, in fact, a haunting, and then take care of that pesky ghost.

Ellie Jordan, head ghost trapper. Her job is to determine if a house is haunted, and either to get the ghost to vacate, or trap it and dispose of it in a safe place.

She’s my favorite character. Smart, determined, and gutsy, she goes places I’d never dream of entering.

But even she is terrified as the ghost turns out to be many ghosts, and the danger escalates into the physical realm.

Stacey is the newbie. Eckhart didn’t like Ellie going into a haunting investigation alone. It could be very dangerous. Stacey always had an interest in ghosts, and really wants to meet one up close. She helps set up the video equipment and monitored the cameras from outside in a van. She’s in contact with Ellie, and helps to pinpoint where a ghost might be lingering. Her enthusiasm is fun and addictive. I doubt she’ll be so eager to see a ghost after this job.

Jacob Weiss is thrust upon Ellie by the boss. Eckhart insists a psychic could be beneficial. Jacob is one of only a few survivors of a horrible plane crash and now can contact ghosts. He comes into the story closer to the end so I didn’t get to know him very well, but as this is a series, I hope to see more of him. He did come in handy though, so Eckhart was wise to use him.

Finally, the hauntees, the Treadwell family, consisting of Dale, Anna, and their young daughter Lexa. They bought a rundown mansion in an out of the way place. The only other structures on the street are some derelict warehouses and factories. They have big plans to renovate the house and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Dale came up with a great idea. They could add a sports lounge for the men, complete with a huge flat screen TV to watch the games, and plenty of beer. That would make it appealing to the husbands while the quiet holiday appealed to the wives. It’s really a good idea.

There’s just one little hitch. The house came with a ghost, a very expressive ghost. It wants just one thing…for them to vacate the premises, now!

I’d tell you about the ghosts but that would be telling you the story. I can tell you this. I don’t think I’ve experienced such an intense, nail-biting, scene as the one when these characters enter the house for the final event. If it was a movie, I’d have been peeking through my fingers.  Horror doesn’t always come with a happy outcome, so all of them were fair game to die a grisly death. That kept me reading, eyes zipping from word to word, hoping for the best and fearing the worst. I was breathless afterwards and my shoulders ached from the tension.

The author nailed it with his characters. Each almost immediately became familiar.

His ghosts were terrifying.

The plot was fun and scary and your quickly immersed in it.

And this is book one in the series, so read it now. That way you’ll be ready for the next one.

5 Stars

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Summary from Goodreads
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Ellie Jordan’s job is to catch and remove unwanted ghosts. Part detective, part paranormal exterminator, Ellie operates out of Savannah, Georgia, one of the oldest and most haunted cities in North America.

 

When a family contacts her to deal with a disturbing presence in the old mansion they’ve recently purchased, Ellie first believes it to be a typical, by-the-book specter, a residual haunting by a restless spirit. Instead, she finds herself confronting an evil older and more powerful than she’d ever expected, rooted in the house’s long and sordid history of luxury, sin, and murder. The dangerous entity seems particularly interested in her clients’ ten-year-old daughter.
Soon her own life is in danger, and Ellie must find a way to exorcise the darkness of the house before it can kill her, her clients, or their frightened young child.
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Here’s a glimpse inside!

The host of creeps closed in around us. I’d heard at least three distinct voices, but there could have been more specters than that. It felt like a dark cloud of them, a cluster of ghosts that had more or less lost their individual identities, their yearnings merging into a combined pool of hunger, anger, pain, or whatever emotions motivated them to stick around instead of moving on. A “cluster haunting” is Calvin’s term for this.

We pushed through the thick, dark air and passed through another doorway. We should have seen at least one of the glowing green arrows I had drawn, but we didn’t. The darkness was like heavy, cold smoke, crushing in to choke us while we walked blindly through it.

Then the groan sounded again, followed by the other voices. They grabbed at us from every side, with hands that were invisible and insubstantial until they clawed into you. I felt icy fingers on my legs, another hand grabbing at my stomach, and another seized the back of my neck. That one made me scream.

Stacey screamed beside me, but I could barely even seen her. Pale, distended, half-formed faces rose in the darkness, their eye sockets hollow, the dark misshapen holes of their mouths wide open as if they expected to feed.

“They’re all over me!” Stacey shouted.

Since our flashlights weren’t helping much, I had to switch tactics.   I holstered my flashlight and traded it for a wireless palm-sized Bose speaker. Then I touched the iPod on my belt to activate my emergency playlist.

I held out the little speaker like a weapon toward the nearest creepy, pale half-face.

A slice of Handel’s “Messiah” blasted out at ear-crashing volume. It was the Hallelujah Chorus, one of the loudest and most potent sections of the song—I didn’t have two hours for build-up.

The hallelujahs, as sung by hundreds of voices in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir backed by a full orchestra, rang out into the lightless basement room, echoing back from the walls around us.

Ghosts in long-abandoned properties like the old asylum are accustomed to years of darkness and quiet. This is why a powerful tactical flashlight beam can jar them. So can the right kind of music. My little speaker created a wall of sound—strings, brass, and voices organized and brimming with power, the song itself glowing with religious intent. It wouldn’t harm the ghosts, but like a sudden burst of light, it might chase them away for a moment or two.

The faces spun around us, losing shape, their voices crying out in shock and surprise.

The dark cloud filling the room thinned a bit. It didn’t disperse or vanish, but suddenly we could see a bright green arrow drawn in glowing chalk.

“That way!” I said.

Stacey and I hurried. Our flashlights were blasting at full power again rather than getting absorbed by the darkness. I didn’t know how long it would take the ghosts to adapt to the powerful music filling their lair—maybe a few minutes, maybe just a couple of seconds. Then, I had no doubt, they would close in around us again, much angrier than before.

We had to get out of there before that happened.

The faintly glowing arrows guided us back to the steel fire door for the stairwell. I pulled on the handle. At this point, I half-expected the door to be stuck or locked by the specters, trapping us in the basement.

Amazon / Barnes / Kobo / iBooks / Smashwords

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About The Author
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J.L. Bryan

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He
enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.

He is the author of The Paranormals series of horror novels (Jenny Pox, Tommy Nightmare, and Alexander Death) the Songs of Magic series for younger readers (Fairy Metal Thunder, Fairy Blues, and Fairystruck…so far) and other books. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, their son, and some dogs and cats.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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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

22070838

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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

25414725

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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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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

Alastair new cover

 

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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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?”

~~~~~

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
Tags: , , , ,
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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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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

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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!

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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 #51 ~ The Promise

Posted: February 6, 2015 in Paranormal or fantasy, Shifters, The Friday 56, werewolves
Tags: , , , , ,
24

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

77838

 

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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.

~~~

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

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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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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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