Posts Tagged ‘review’

Ooey Gooey ~ The Boy Who Swallows Flies ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: March 7, 2018 in Children's books, giveaways, Mystery, reviews
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The Boy Who Swallows Flies
Michael F. Stewart
Publication date: February 15th 2018
Genres: Middle-Grade, Mystery, Superhero

Winner of the Claymore Award!

Warning – Rated Kids-Only for Bug Violence

Jarrod can view the memories of any bug. He just has to eat it. It’s not the tastiest of superpowers and, let’s face it, fly memories aren’t all unicorns and rainbows. Eating insects also doesn’t net him many friends, and Bug-boy is an unavoidable nickname. But Jarrod’s ready to prove that he and his bugs are worth more than ridicule.

When he swallows a fly while biking, he’s in for a shock. The bug saw a room stacked full of sick dogs and puppies in crates. It’s a puppy mill, and Jarrod needs to save the animals. But the flight range of the common housefly is five miles. Even if the police believed him, with no evidence, they can’t help. It’s up to Jarrod.

Trained cockroaches survey neighborhood basements. A fly taped to a window makes an excellent sentry. Every beetle, mosquito, caterpillar—don’t eat the fuzzy yellow ones—spider and centipede is his edible sidekick.

Will Jarrod save the dogs? Or is it all too much to swallow?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

 

My Review

I had a feeling this would be a hoot to read and the author didn’t let me down.

Jarrod has a condition where he faints for no reason. That’s why he wears a helmet to protect his head.  It paints a huge target on him at school and the bullies don’t miss a chance to pick on the Bug Boy. He’s been called weird and dumb often enough  he’s come to believe it. But his best friend tells him he just hadn’t tapped into his potential yet. When he accidentally swallows a bug and can see it’s memories, he thinks he just might have found it.

No. Just no. There’s no way I could eat a bug on purpose.  Jarrod gets creative, I’ll give him that. And he keeps a bucket handy in case what goes down comes back up.  And letting the bugs out to crawl all over him in his bed. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.

Jerrod’s new found talent sets him on a course of discovery. There’s some moral issues involved and he’s tempted by others. He may believe he’s not the smartest of kids, but I sure liked how he worked things out.

 An unlikely hero with some unusual sidekicks. It’s creepy crawly fun.

5 Stars

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Author Michael F. Stewart

Michael F. Stewart is winner of both the 2015 Claymore Award and the 2014 inaugural Creation of Stories Award for best YA novel at the Toronto International Book Fair.
He likes to combine storytelling with technology and pioneered interactive storytelling with Scholastic Canada, Australia, and New Zealand’s, anti-cyberbullying program Bully For You. In addition to his award winning Assured Destruction series, he has authored four graphic novels with Oxford University Press Canada’s Boldprint series. Publications of nonfiction titles on Corruption and Children’s Rights are published by Scholastic and early readers are out with Pearson Education.

For adults, Michael has written THE SAND DRAGON a horror about a revenant prehistoric vampire set in the tar sands, HURAKAN a Mayan themed thriller which pits the Maya against the MS-13 with a New York family stuck in the middle, 24 BONES an urban fantasy which draws from Egyptian myth, and THE TERMINALS–a covert government unit which solves crimes in this realm by investigating them in the next.

Herder of four daughters, Michael lives to write in Ottawa where he was the Ottawa Public Library’s first Writer in Residence. To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit his website at www.michaelfstewart.com or connect via Twitter @MichaelFStewart.

Michael is represented by Talcott Notch.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Look For Her by Emily Winslow ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: March 5, 2018 in giveaways, reviews, thriller
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Look For Her

Keene And Frohmann #4

by Emily Winslow

On Tour February 12th through March 16, 2018.

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Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: February 13th 2018
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 006257258X (ISBN13: 9780062572585)
Series: Keene and Frohmann #4 | Each is a stand alone novel
Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

My Review

The mystery of what happened to cause the death of a teenage girl cast a shadow over the town of Lilling. New evidence breathes life into the decades old cold case and brings together two detectives who still want to solve her murder. So much time has passed, will they be able to close the case? Or will the murderer continue to roam free?

 I enjoy cold case plots and with so many character’s muddying the waters and the story being told from multiple perspectives, I wasn’t surprised that I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. All of them had tons of baggage and some had a motive to see the case solved or kept open. And you’re taken back in time to when the crime occurred and forward to the continued investigation and this I found engaging.

Maybe it was my mood at the time I was reading this, or it could be I didn’t grasp the relationships of some the characters, but I never fully engaged with them, and I need that to get pulled into a story. I lay the blame for that on my doorstep. The character’s were written in depth. Sure were some damaged psyche’s. I’d especially like to know more about Keene and Frohmann. I was intrigued by the bits of back story the author provided.

The writing was strong and I did love the twist the author gave in her ending.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Lilling might seem like an idyllic English village, but it’s home to a dark history. In 1976, a teenage girl named Annalise Wood disappeared, and though her body was later discovered, the culprit was never found. Decades later, Annalise maintains a perverse kind of celebrity, and is still the focus of grief, speculation, and for one young woman, a disturbing, escalating jealousy.

When DNA linked to the Annalise murder unexpectedly surfaces, cold case detective Morris Keene and his former partner, Chloe Frohmann, hope to finally bring closure to this traumatized community. But the new evidence instead undoes the case’s only certainty: the buried body that had long ago been confidently identified as Annalise may be someone else entirely, and instead of answers, the investigators face only new puzzles.

Whose body was unearthed all those years ago, and what happened to the real Annalise? Is someone interfering with the investigation? And is there a link to a present-day drowning with eerie connections? With piercing insight and shocking twists, Emily Winslow explores the dark side of sensationalized crime in this haunting psychological thriller.

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Trade Reviews:

“An intriguing, suspenseful, and briskly paced story with complex characters, evocative descriptions of England’s Cambridgeshire, plenty of clever misdirection, and a satisfying ending.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Using multiple narrators, as she did in The Start of Everything (2013), Winslow spins the plot to a satisfying and humane conclusion, with Keene and Frohmann again proving to be a winning pair.”
—Booklist

“Winslow’s kaleidoscopic narrative technique, employing first-person accounts from multiple characters, makes for engaging reading.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Look For Her is a nuanced, thought-provoking portrait of a crime and its aftermath. Beautifully written with an expertly twisty, surprising story, this is a must-read!”
—Chevy Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Never Let You Go

“Surprising and satisfying, you won’t be able to stop turning the pages of Look For Her.”
—Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King’s Daughter

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Enjoy this Excerpt

From Chapter One

Annalise Williams (Wolfson College),
University Counselling Service,
recorded and transcribed by Dr. Laurie Ambrose

My mother picked the name Annalise for me because of a girl who was killed. Her name was Annalise Wood, and she went missing when she was sixteen. My mother was the same age when it happened. Annalise was lovely, much prettier than my sister and I ever became. She was the kind of girl you look at and think, “Of course someone would want to take her.”

Don’t look at me like that. I know that what happened to her was awful. It just seems a very fine line between being the kind of person that others want to be with and be like and treat well, and being the kind of person that some others, just a few, sick others, want to take for themselves. That’s the same kind of person, isn’t it? The loved and lovely. Isn’t that from a poem somewhere? That’s what she was like. That’s the risk when you’re the kind of person who’s wanted. Good people want to be close to you, but the bad people want you too.

There were two photos of her that the media used most: her most recent school portrait, and a snapshot of her laughing, with the friends on either side cropped out. Taken together, they presented the two sides of a beautiful and perfect person: poised and thoughtful, and spontaneous and bubbly. The kind of person who deserves help and attention.

Realistically, if they wanted these pictures to help strangers identify her if they saw her out and about with the bad man, they should have used photos of her frowning or looking frightened. Either there weren’t any (which may well be the case; who would take a photo of that?), or they couldn’t bring themselves to advertise a version of her that was less than appealing. The narrative is important. If you want the “general public” to get worked up, you have to persuade. Attractiveness and innocence must be communicated, even if emphasising those traits makes the real person harder to recognise.

In the end, she was already dead, so it’s a good thing, I suppose, that they used the nice photos. They’re the images that everyone remembers. My mum was a teenager when those pictures were in the paper every day for weeks, then weekly for months. Annalise Wood was the most beautiful girl in the world. Everyone cared about her. It’s what any mother would wish for her child, to be the kind of person that everyone would care about and miss if she disappeared.

It wasn’t until Mum was over thirty that what really happened to Annalise Wood was discovered.

***

Excerpt from Look for Her by Emily Winslow. Copyright © 2018 by Emily Winslow. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

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Author Emily Winslow

Emily Winslow

Emily Winslow is an American living in Cambridge, England. She trained as an actor at Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious drama conservatory and earned a master’s degree in museum studies from Seton Hall University. For six years she wrote for Games magazine, creating increasingly elaborate and lavishly illustrated logic puzzles. She lives with her husband and two sons. She is the author of four novels and a memoir.

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Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Emily Winslow and William Morrow. There will be one winner of one physical copy of the 1st three books in the Keene and Frohmann Series: The Whole World, The Start Of Everything, and The Red House AND there will be 5 winners of one physical copy of their choice of ONE of the 1st three books in the Keene and Frohmann Series: The Whole World, The Start Of Everything, and The Red House. The giveaway begins on February 12 and runs through

Go HERE to visit the other tour participants.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Here kitty kitty….Clowders by Vanessa Morgan ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: March 1, 2018 in giveaways, horror, Release day, reviews
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I’ve got a treat for all of you horror fans just released today! Know what a clowder is? No? You will soon enough.

Enjoy the wonderful guest post from Author Vanessa Morgan. Check out my review of Clowders. And read the glimpse inside the book.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Guest Post by Author Vanessa Morgan

RESEARCHING LOCATIONS FOR CLOWDERS

About ten years ago, I visited a tiny but charming town in Luxembourg, Europe: Clervaux. As soon as the car entered this community surrounded by woods, I knew it would once become the setting for one of my stories.

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I already used of few elements of Clervaux in my supernatural thriller Drowned Sorrow (which actually takes place in New England), but as soon as I started working on Clowders, there was no doubt about it that the story would be set in Clervaux.

clowders luxembourg-clervaux

While drafting Clowders, I mainly used my travel pictures and Google Maps as research, but once the plot was complete, I went back there to have a clear understanding of the topography and to describe places such as restaurants, shops and the castle.

clowders clervaux-castle

I did find a cat while I was there for research, and I featured him on Traveling Cats 😉 http://www.traveling-cats.com/2016/02/cat-from-clervaux-luxembourg.html

The only things that aren’t based on reality are the people that inhabit the town, the many cats in the area, and, of course, the curse.

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Clowders

by Vanessa Morgan

36688136

Genre:  Horror

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My Review

They say cats have nine lives. What that means in the lovely isolated town of Clervaux, Luxemburg is they take nine. That’s right. When a cat dies, nine human lives are taken.

When an American family moves to Clervaux, they believe the legend is just that, a legend. But then a cat is killed and not long after someone dies. One down, eight to go.

This started out so hopeful. A scenic little town, friendly inhabitants, and lots of cats. But slowly, the atmosphere darkens. Strange noises are heard. Something prowls in the house at night. Claws click across the floor. Food disappears, Shadows hide a hunched over figure. And the friendly neighbors become not so friendly. Sounds like a good movie, doesn’t it? Thanks to the author’s talent for showing the story, it felt like I was watching it.

It takes a lot to give me the creeps. I’ve read a bunch of horror stories and watched lots of movies. A few scenes in this book are so creeptastic! There’s this scene where something is stalking the next victim. It moves boldly through the crowd of tourists. They think it’s part of something put on to entertain and take pictures of it, even as it attacks. I’d like to think I’d know the difference. I read it over again and still got creeped out.

Soft kitty. Warm kitty. Little ball of fur….. Not!

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Clervaux, Luxembourg. This secluded, picturesque town in the middle of Europe is home to more
cats than people. For years, tourists have flocked to this place – also known as “cat haven” – to meet
the cats and buy cat-related souvenirs.
When Aidan, Jess and their five-year-old daughter, Eleonore, move from America to Clervaux, it
seems as if they’ve arrived in paradise. It soon becomes clear, though, that the inhabitants’ adoration
of their cats is unhealthy. According to a local legend, each time a cat dies, nine human lives are
taken as a punishment. To tourists, these tales are supernatural folklore, created to frighten children
on cold winter nights. But for the inhabitants of Clervaux, the danger is darkly, horrifyingly real.
Initially, Aidan and Jess regard this as local superstition, but when Jess runs over a cat after a night
on the town, people start dying, one by one, and each time it happens, a clowder of cats can be seen
roaming the premises.
Are they falling victim to the collective paranoia infecting the entire town? Or is something
unspeakably evil waiting for them?
Aidan and Jess’ move to Europe may just have been the worst decision they ever made.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: US / UK / FR

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Check out this glimpse inside:

“Who is she?” Eleonore asked when Jess drove her to school Friday morning.
“Who’s who?” Jess countered, not sure what her daughter was talking about.
“The girl. The one who’s always watching us.”
“No one’s watching us,” Jess said.
“Yes, there is. All the girls in my baking class say the same.”
Normally, Jess wouldn’t have put much thought into such a remark – children can say weird
things sometimes. But now it seemed Eleonore might be right. Jess felt like there was indeed
someone watching them, no matter what they were doing.
She felt it everywhere she went. When she took Eleonore to baking class, when she was
lying in bed at night, even in the shops. But not all the time.
Some of the time.
More often than not, everything seemed normal, and then all of a sudden, she felt as if
someone was checking up on her. Sometimes it was only briefly, like a minute or so, but at other
times, she could feel it for several hours.
Sometimes she could feel it on the streets.
But mostly at home.
And never outside Clervaux.
You’re imagining things, she told herself.
In fact, every day since she’d arrived in Europe, it had gotten worse. More and more, she’d
get that tingly feeling, and know that someone behind her was watching her. She’d try to ignore it,
tried to resist the urge to look over her shoulder, but eventually the hair on the back of her neck
would stand up, and the tingling would turn into a chill, and finally, she’d turn around.
And nobody would be there.
Nobody, except for the cats. The sight of cats waddling along the pavement had never
seemed eerie to her, but the fact that they were always there, no matter where she was – on the
sidewalk, at the main square, in a café, in the forest – made her skin crawl.
Whenever she was running errands in Clervaux, she kept looking into store windows, but it
wasn’t the merchandise she was looking at; it was the reflection in the glass.
The reflection of something sinister watching her.
Sometimes she could have sworn she saw something. The reflection of a small, squatting
figure. But then she glanced over her shoulder and all she could see once more were the cats of
Clervaux staring back at her.
She decided to not let her imagination get to her, to resist the urge to glance over her
shoulder every few seconds.
And then her daughter muttered the words, “Who is she? The girl. The one who’s always
watching us,” and the paranoia tightened its grip on her once more.

~~~~~

Author Vanessa Morgan

Vanessa Morgan is known as the “female version of Stephen King.” Three of her works (The
Strangers Outside, Next to Her, A Good Man) have become movies. When she’s not working on her
latest book, you can find her watching horror movies, digging through flea markets, or
photographing felines for her blog Traveling Cats HERE.

Social Media Links

Facebook / Twitter / Google + / Amazon / Goodreads

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Dog Duty ~ You can’t keep a good dog down

Posted: February 28, 2018 in Mystery, reviews
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Dog Duty

by Bobby D. Lux

22881938

Genre: Crime / Mystery

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My Review

A cop is forced into retirement. His last case left open and haunting him. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Fritz will show you different.

Such a fun story and told from a dog’s point of view. Fritz is a police dog. He’s seen a lot. Taken down some nasty criminals. But an injury while on the job forces him into retirement, his last case left open. He’s determined to close the case and enlists some eager canines to sniff out leads.

I loved Fritz right out of the gate. So brave and dedicated and he just wants to keep doing his duty. I felt so sad for him when he was forced to retire. But the story shifts quickly as he goes on the hunt to track down the nasty rottweiler that injured him and helped a villain escape. Calling all dogs. It’s time to do your duty.

This book was a blast. I got so caught up in Fritz and the other character’s that I almost forgot they were dogs. The investigation leads them on a merry chase and I happily scampered along with them.

If you’re a dog lover and enjoy a good mystery, this is one for you. Don’t forget to hug your dog. He’s always on duty.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Dog Duty is the debut novel from Bobby D. Lux. It tells the tale (or “tail”) of Fritz, a German Shepherd who was once the top dog of the Grand City Police Department . . . literally. There’s police dogs and then there’s Fritz. A true dog’s dog. A dog neither afraid nor jaded by the streets he patrols and the criminals he chases.

But all that changes in a moment. On another routine late-night foot pursuit, Fritz is confronted by Clay, an ex-military Rottweiler custom built with one-syllable efficiency. Bite. Maim. Kill.

Fritz’ injuries force him into a retirement of backyard boredom surrounded by suburbanite hounds of all shapes and sizes. That won’t do for a dog like Fritz. There’s a reason why you don’t see retired K-9 dogs laying around.

Fritz narrates his quest for revenge and redemption in this adventure that takes him through the seedy canine underworld of cat-races, underground clubs, back alleys, and dog parks. Along the way, he encounters criminals of all breeds, derelict mutts, beauty queens, and a hotshot young K-9 hungry for publicity. At the end of that road is where Fritz will find Clay. That’s the only way Fritz will ever get his life back.

Amazon

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This counts towards my They Call It Puppy Love Challenge.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

A true heroine…… The Book Of Riley #4

Posted: February 27, 2018 in audible, horror, reviews, Zombies
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This has been such a fun series to listen to. Riley and her pack have become very dear to me. Now I’ve reached the end, but maybe not the end.

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The Book Of Riley #4

by Mark Tufo

AUTHOR: Mark Tufo
NARRATOR: Sean Runnette
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: January 7, 2014
FORMAT: Unabridged Audiobook
LENGTH:  3 hours / 21 mins.
GENRE: Horror / Zombies
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My Review

So much fun. So much action and fun scenes along with tie-ins to Tufo’s Zombie Fallout Series. Now I have to read those too.

The author brought his character’s a long ways. Breathed them to life, put them through the wringer, and now brings them to the end of their story. I approached this final chapter with trepidation. If I were a nail biter, my finger tips would be bloody. Thankfully, Tufo gives some comic relief at times to ease the suspense.

Love you Riley. Such a brave good girl. There’s an endless supply of bacon at the end of the rainbow for you.

Being the end of the series, I was hoping for a lot. But, it felt a bit loose and turned me inside out. Wait, though. There is one more book, written some years later. If I have the courage to try this one more time, maybe the end won’t be so haunting.

4 Stars

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Read by Sean Runnette

Sean is the voice of these character’s. I can easily tell them apart and his inflection brings out the feels. Well done.

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Thanks so much to Tantor Audio and the author for the complimentary copy.

My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

Mark Tufo, the author of the popular Zombie Fallout and Indian Hill series, presents the latest entry in the Book of Riley series.

When the zombie apocalypse strikes without warning one dog will hold the fate of her pack in her paws. This is the story of Riley, an American Bulldog, follow along as she tries to keep her pack safe from a zombie apocalypse. Traveling with her are Ben-Ben the high strung Yorkie, her favorite two-legger Jessie, Jessie’s younger brother Zachary and Riley’s arch-enemy Patches the Cat. They are a rag-tag group of survivors who when pushed to the limit realize that they are all each other has.

Amazon / Tantor

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This counts towards my They Call It Puppy Love Challenge.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

My Monday Minis #37 ~ The Book Of Riley #3 ~ A Zombie ‘Tail’

Posted: February 26, 2018 in audible, horror, Monday's Minis, reviews, Zombies
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Welcome to my Monday Minis where I share shorter reviews of books I’ve read.

I ‘ve got the next zombie tale in The Book Of Riley Series to share today.

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The Book Of Riley #3

by Mark Tufo

AUTHOR: Mark Tufo
NARRATOR: Sean Runnette
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: July 30, 2013
FORMAT: Unabridged Audiobook
LENGTH:  3 hours
GENRE: Horror / Zombies
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My Review

Riley, an American Bulldog, and her pack, consisting of Ben Ben, the Yorkie, Patches, the cat, and the two humans, Jessie and her baby brother, struggle to find safe haven from the zombies.

A huge surprise in the last book provided the pack with a secret weapon. I was skeptical about it at first, then rolled with the idea.  But even that might not be enough as Icely is dogging their trail. He’s such a sick twist. Made me hate like the Governor did in The Walking Dead. I longed for him to die, horribly. So the race is on and there’s no guarantees who will still be standing once the dust settles.

Things are really getting dicey in this third book and I’m worried about the pack. I’ve become quite fond of these character’s and that attachment sure kept things edgy.

This is the most intense yet in the series and I can hardly wait to see how events unfold in the next book.

4 Stars

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Read by Sean Runnette

Sean continues to rise to the challenge of being the voice for all of these characters. Nice to hear him again.

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Thanks so much to Tantor Audio and the author for the complimentary copy.

My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

During the highly improbable zombie uprising of 2013, the fearless American bulldog Riley quickly discovered that it was up to her to keep the pack safe. Together with Yorkshire terrier Ben-Ben and former archenemy Patches the cat, Riley struggles to keep the zombies at bay while helping her favorite human, Jessie, as they travel cross-country, dodging pepper paint balls and taser blasts from the evil, misogynistic Icely and his band of thugs.

Now this motley mishmash of mammals are running for their lives. The wicked Icely has picked up their scent and is now chasing them across the badlands of Colorado in hopes of seeking revenge—a painful one at that—on the dog that tried to kill him, as well as on the “bitches” who got away.

Seen through the eyes of a random narrator and Riley, we have to wonder: will Icely and his men chase them down and zap them into oblivion, or will the zombies finally win and get the brains they desperately crave?

Amazon / Tantor

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This counts towards my They Call It Puppy Love Challenge.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Saturday Screams #48 ~The Book Of Riley #2

Posted: February 24, 2018 in audible, horror, reviews, Zombies
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Welcome to my Saturday Screams where I share books that, well, make you scream!

Today I’m back with zombies and quite a different viewpoint about the apocalypse. I’ll be reviewing several books in this fun series. And great news! The first book is free on Amazon. Click HERE or on the cover to grab your eBook copy!

The Book Of Riley #2

by Mark Tufo

AUTHOR: Mark Tufo
NARRATOR: Sean Runnette
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: March 11, 2013
FORMAT: Unabridged Audiobook
LENGTH:  3 hours
GENRE: Horror / Zombies
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17290386
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My Review

Book Two starts up immediately where it left off in the first book. The character’s are in a tight spot, needing gas for the vehicle but zombies surround the gas pumps. They need out, the zombies want in. It gets messy.

It’s not just zombies the pack has to worry about. Society breaks down and so does humanity, bringing out the dark in many. I am an animal lover and feel I should warn you about a scene where Riley is forced to fight another dog. Eben animals have to do unspeakable things to survive. Given how the story is told from her point of view, it was scary and heart wrenching.

But the story also has some lighter moments. Especially with Ben Ben, the little ankle biter, and his frequent bowel releases and Patches, the cat, with her superior snarkiness.

Plus there are a couple of surprises that have me so curious about the next installment in the series. Moving on to it now.

The Book Of Riley is a unique view on a zombie apocalypse and I’m still having fun with it.

  4  Stars

 Read by Sean Runnette

Sean continues to make this a horrific yet fun listen. I’ve come to recognize his different voices for the character’s human or animal and I’m glad he’s still narrating these.

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Thanks so much to Tantor Audio and the author for the complimentary copy.

My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

When the zombie apocalypse struck, intrepid American bulldog Riley quickly discovered it was up to her to keep the pack safe. Together with Yorkshire terrier Ben-Ben and former archenemy Patches the cat, Riley helped to keep the zombies at bay while favorite human Jessie traveled cross-country to find safety for herself and her baby brother, Zachary.

But after a long journey, Riley and the gang arrive in Las Vegas—one of the few remaining inhabited cities—only to find that it has been taken over by a group of thugs who rule through fear and brutality. Making matters worse, ruler Icely and his gang have taken to staging dog fights as popular entertainment, and Riley catches their eye. With Riley forced to fight for her life and Jessie locked up in the home of Icely himself, the future is uncertain. Will Riley save the day once more and help her pack escape to safety?

Amazon / Tantor

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This counts towards my They Call It Puppy Love Challenge.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Tag Team Review and Giveaway ~ Egyptian Heart By Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Posted: February 23, 2018 in giveaways, reviews, Romance
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A Tag Team Event egyptian heart

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

 It’s always a pleasure to share more books by Kathryn Meyer Griffith. I’ve read many of her books and plan to read everything she writes.

For today, I’m sharing my review of Egyptian Heart.

After reading my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental to check out her review and enter another giveaway!

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Egyptian Heart

by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

6401174

 

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Genre: Time Travel / Romance

My Review

Having read so many books by this author, most of them horror and thrillers, I was wondering how she’d do with a romance novel. She did beautifully.

Kathryn swept me back in time right along with Maggie Owen, an Egyptologist. The unearthing of Ramose Nakh-Min’s tomb is a significant find and she never could have imagined the mysterious event that catapulted her back to 1340 A.D. Egypt, right in the middle of an escaped slave round up. Her knowledge of this period saved her from death and since she didn’t know when or if she’d ever return to her time, she did her best to blend in and soak up the culture. She never planned to fall in love. And never suspected it could cost her everything.

Kathryn writes a compelling story. She knows her stuff. I could see everything. Ever wondered what Egypt was like way back when? You’ll know after reading Egyptian Heart. I was quickly wrapped up in Maggie’s adventure, wondering whether she would ever get back home and if she would even want to. How would it work if she stayed? What was waiting for her if she made it back to present day?

So many possibilities and the author weaves her spell so well.

  4  Stars

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Synopsis

Maggie Owen is a beautiful, spirited Egyptologist…but lonely. Even being in Egypt on a grant from the college she teaches at to search for an undiscovered necropolis she’s certain lies below the sands beyond the pyramids of Gizah doesn’t give her the happiness she’d hoped it would. There has always been and is something missing. Love.
Then her workmen uncover Ramose Nakh-Min’s ancient tomb and an amulet from his sarcophagus hurls her back to 1340 B.C–where she falls hopelessly in love with the man she was destined to be with, noble Ramose, who faithfully serves the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaton and his queen Nefertiti.
She’s fallen into perilous times with civil war threatening Egypt. She’s been mistaken for one of Ramose’s runaway slaves and with her blond hair, jinn green eyes and fair skin she doesn’t fit in. Some say she’s magical and evil. Ramose’s favorite, Makere, attempts to kill her.
The people, angry the pharaoh Akhenaton has set his queen Nefertiti aside and he’s forced them to worship his god, Aton (instead of their many Egyptian gods), are rising up against him.
Maggie’s caught in the middle of it in a dangerous land and time she doesn’t belong in.
In the end, desperately in love with Ramose, will she find a way to stay alive and with him in ancient Egypt–and to make a difference in his world and history?
Because Maggie has finally found love.

Purchase on Amazon

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In exchange for an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads, Kathryn will send a free eBook copy of any of her other 26 books. You can find the complete list of her books in her author bio below. Just send your request to this link HERE.

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About the Author
Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-five years ago now, and have had twenty-six (six romantic horror, four thrillers, three horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and eight murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from many traditional publishers since 1984. But since 2012 I’ve gone into self-publishing in a big way; and upon getting some of my older books’ full rights back for the first time in 33 years, have self-published all of them along with my newer novels. My four Dinosaur Lake novels and four Spookie Town Mysteries (Scraps of Paper, All Things Slip Away, Ghosts Beneath Us and Witches Among Us) are my best-sellers. Once branded a horror writer, these days I consider myself a storyteller.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-nine years; have a son and two grandchildren and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois. We have a quirky cat, Sasha, and the three of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk/classic rock singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *Finalist* for her horror novel The Last Vampire ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS * Finalist * for her thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.

*All Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s books can be found HERE.

*All her Audible.com audio books HERE.

Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forged, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDSFinalist in their Horror category), Witches, Witches II: Apocalypse, Witches plus bonus Witches II: Apocalypse, The Nameless One erotic horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (The First Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (The Second Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Ghosts Beneath Us (The Third Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us (The Fourth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection, Forever and Always Romantic Novella, Night Carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake (2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDSFinalist in their Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising and Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation, Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars, Memories of My Childhood (short story collection) and Christmas Magic 1959 short story.

Author Links

Twitter / Blog  / Author’s Den / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon

Smashword / Pinterest

 

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GIVEAWAY
Five winners!
 
Up for grabs:
Five winners will receive an eBook copy in mobi, ePub, or PDF format. Or Audible codes.
(Winner’s choice)

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Where would you choose to go if you were able to go back in time?”

Giveaway ends March 7th.

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

Now hop on over and check out Sherry’s review, and enter for another chance to win  HERE.

tag you're it photo: You're awesome tag-game-awesome-friends_zpscce89964.jpg

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Other books I’ve read by the author.

Click on the covers for my reviews.

Full length novels.

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Short stories.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Necessities by Boyd Taylor ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: February 22, 2018 in Adult Fiction, giveaways, reviews, suspense
Tags: , , , , ,
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Today I’m sharing my review of Necessities by Boyd Taylor. The fourth book in his Donnie Ray Cuinn Series.

Click on the titles to read my reviews for his previous three books Hero, The Antelope Play and The Monkey House.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Necessitites

The Donnie Ray Cuinn Series #4

by Boyd Taylor

36576892

Category:  Adult Fiction,  225 pages
Genre:   Suspense Crime Fiction
Publisher:  Katherine Brown Press
Release date:  December 5, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There is a murder and elusions to sex. Some mild cursing.)

My Review

This is the most convoluted of the books in the series. You don’t even get to Donnie until about halfway through the book. He’s requested to defend a war hero in a murder case. David lost his legs in Iraq and has overcome a lot. He boxes and runs marathons and winds up marrying into a very rich family. But he might not get his happy ever after.

He can’t outrun the murder charge and remembers Donnie from another case. Donnie’s reluctant to take it on as he doesn’t do criminal cases but he can’t refuse after hearing David’s story. An innocent man must be kept out of jail.

While different from the previous books because it’s actually David’s story you read first, Donnie rises to the occasion in the second half. And he’s still dealing with some smaller cases. How he handles them is always a hoot. I like the way the man thinks.

And I got tricked this time. I thought I knew what really happened. Then I didn’t. Then I did. Kept me on my toes throughout and I’m still liking this author’s style. I hope there will be more.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Donnie Ray Cuinn returns to Austin to defend a war hero accused of murder. David Lewis lost both legs in Iraq, but he has overcome his nightmares and his disabilities by sheer willpower. He has learned to run and to box and is a successful newspaperman with a beautiful wife and son. Now the nightmares have returned and he must stand trial for murder. With twists that never seem to end, this gripping legal thriller is filled with suspense and indelibly drawn characters dealing with love and betrayal.
Amazon / B&N
Add To Goodreads​

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Watch the book trailer for Necessities (Book #4 in the Donnie Ray Cuinn Series)

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Meet the Author:
 

BOYD TAYLOR lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and their Havanese dog Toby. Necessities is the fourth novel in the Donnie Ray Cuinn series. In a former life, Boyd was a lawyer and a corporate officer. A native of Temple, Texas, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in government and an LL.B. from the law school.

Boyd’s first novel “Hero” was prescient in its story about fake news. His second novel, “The Antelope Play,” dealt with drug trafficking in the Texas Panhandle, an unfortunately accurate forecast. The third, “The Monkey House”, involved commercial development of a large green space in the center of Austin, all too familiar to Austin residents. Whether his upcoming novel “Necessities” predicts future events with the accuracy of the earlier books remains to be seen.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Enter the Giveaway!
Ends March 7, 2018

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To read reviews, please visit Boyd Taylor’s page on iRead Book Tours.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

The Monkey House by Boyd Taylor ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: February 21, 2018 in Adult Fiction, giveaways, reviews, suspense
Tags: , , , ,
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Welcome to my stop on the tour for Boyd Taylor’s Donnie Ray Cuinn Series. Today I’m sharing my review for his third book, The Monkey House.

Click on the titles for my reviews of the previous two books Hero and The Antelope Play and stop back by tomorrow for my review of the fourth book, Necessities.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

The Monkey House

The Donnie Ray Cuinn Series #3

by Boyd Taylor

26048365

Category:  Adult Fiction,  212 pages
Genre:   Political Suspense
Publisher:  Katherine Brown Press
Release date:  May 29, 2015
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Some adult language and elusion to sex.)

My Review

Nothing like some madcap monkey escapes to start the story. Donnie’s Papa used the escaping monkeys to help in his endeavors to shut down a research lab. Now he wants the property turned into a park for children and a nice green sanctuary for people to enjoy. But a low down dirty dog throws a wrench in those plans and Donnie is up to his eyeballs in dirty deals trying to fix everything.

It was good to get back to this series. There were more big changes for Donnie, personally and career wise. along with his struggling love life. I really do like Donnie, but I find him too forgiving sometimes. What his long time best friend does is beyond forgivable to me.

It’s never dull in Donnie’s life either. So much scheming and back door deals, the corruption and action is alive and well, keeping his practice afloat. Some of these character’s are so maddening and some so delightful, it’s always fun to read what they are up to.

Still enjoying the heck out of this series and the ending has this super surprise. I had been wondering what happened to a certain something, and it was crazy fun when I found out.

  5 Stars

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Synopsis

This, the third Donnie Ray Cuinn book, pits Donnie against the old friends and new enemies guilty of land fraud and corporate greed. Donnie returns to Austin from his law practice in the Texas Panhandle to confront All-American football player Wesley Bird, his former best friend. In the company of beautiful, athletic Anna Kaye Nordstrom, Donnie experiences the “new” Austin of glitzy condos, trendy restaurants and social media. He also revisits the “old” Austin of barbecue, power politics and greens versus developers. Donnie finds that not much has changed.

Amazon / B&N

Add To Goodreads

~~~~~

Watch the book trailer for Necessities (Book #4 in the Donnie Ray Cuinn Series)

~~~~~

Meet the Author:
 

BOYD TAYLOR lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and their Havanese dog Toby. Necessities is the fourth novel in the Donnie Ray Cuinn series. In a former life, Boyd was a lawyer and a corporate officer. A native of Temple, Texas, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in government and an LL.B. from the law school.

Boyd’s first novel “Hero” was prescient in its story about fake news. His second novel, “The Antelope Play,” dealt with drug trafficking in the Texas Panhandle, an unfortunately accurate forecast. The third, “The Monkey House”, involved commercial development of a large green space in the center of Austin, all too familiar to Austin residents. Whether his upcoming novel “Necessities” predicts future events with the accuracy of the earlier books remains to be seen.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Enter the Giveaway!
Ends March 7, 2018

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

To read reviews, please visit Boyd Taylor’s page on iRead Book Tours.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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