Posts Tagged ‘review’

Gigi Pandian’s The Masquerading Magician ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: January 13, 2016 in Blog Tour, Fantasy, giveaways, reviews
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The Masquerading Magician

by Gigi Pandian

Masquerading Magician by Gigi Pandian COVER webres
The Masquerading Magician
(An Accidental Alchemist Mystery)
Mystery
2nd in Series
Midnight Ink (January 8, 2016)
Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0738742359
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My Review

I had a fun read with the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to this next book.

Zoe is still trying to save Dorian, her suave, gourmet cooking gargoyle friend. He’s slowly turning to stone and will be trapped in his frozen body, eternally awake and unable to move.

Her house is still a wreck. The hole in the roof still waiting for repair. But Zoe is using all of her time and strength trying to decode the alchemist book in order to help Dorian.

Taking a time out for herself, Zoe goes to a magic show, which stirs memories from her past. Brixton, a teenage boy and the only one besides Zoe that knows about Dorian, discovers some disturbing facts about one of the performers, which draws all of them into a murder that takes them down a dangerous path.

I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Partly because I already knew the characters and knew I was going to get answers to some of my questions.

There’s magic, murder, flashes to a mysterious past, strong characters, humor, and suspense. Enough going on to keep me flipping from page to page, waiting for the next big surprise and those answers I wanted.

I really like Zoe. She’s got a lot to handle and as much as she wants to settle into her new home, she pushes herself past exhaustion to help Dorian.

Dorian is as debonair and witty as usual. And his concern for Zoe is touching.

If we could all have such a friendship, how fortunate we would be.

I hope you give this series a try. And, while you can read this book without having read the first, I recommend you start at the beginning. You’ll have a lot of fun and get to meet the characters and watch them grow.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Deciphering an ancient alchemy book is more difficult than Zoe Faust bargained for. She’d much rather be gardening and exploring her new home of Portland, Oregon—but time is running out for living gargoyle Dorian Robert-Houdin. If Zoe isn’t able to unlock the alchemy book’s secrets soon, the French gargoyle will remain awake but trapped in stone forever.

When Zoe gives herself a rare night out to attend a classic magic show that reminds her of her youth, she realizes the stage magicians are much more than they seem. A murder at the theater leads back to a string of unsolved robberies and murders in Portland’s past, and a mystery far more personal than Zoe and Dorian ever imagined.

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About The Author

USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian spent her childhood being dragged around the world by her cultural anthropologist parents, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s the author of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series (Artifact, Pirate Vishnu, and Quicksand) and the Accidental Alchemist mysteries (The Accidental Alchemist and The Masquerading Magician).

Gigi’s debut mystery was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant, the follow-up won the Left Coast Crime Rose Award, and her short fiction has been short-listed for Agatha and Macavity awards. A breast cancer diagnosis in her thirties taught her two important life lessons: healing foods can taste amazing, and life’s too short to waste a single moment. Find her online at www.gigipandian.com

Author Links

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Blog / Gargoyle Photography Blog

Purchase Links
Amazon / B&N

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A Book Excerpt

Persephone & Prometheus’s Phantasmagoria: A Classic Magic Show in the Modern World.

The giant poster was illustrated in the style of Victorian Era stage magic posters. Two figures faced each other from opposite sides of a stage, the larger one in a tuxedo and top hat, the smaller impish figure in a devilish red suit. The taller tuxedoed figure held a wand, pointed upward toward an ethereal floating figure. The devilish man held a ball of fire in his hand.

I smiled to myself as Max and I made our way through the lobby, my fingers looped through his. Some things had changed since the Victorian era. The tuxedo-clad magician in the poster was a woman. Prometheus and Persephone were a husband and wife magic act with equal billing.

Their style reminded me very much of posters of King-of-Cards Thurston and Carter the Great, both of whom used ghost and devil imagery in their posters and shows to illustrate the motif that they were magicians able to control the spirit world. The ambiance felt more like Paris in 1845, on the day Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin took to the stage at the newly-built Palais Royal theater with his ingenious mechanical inventions and masterful sleight-of-hand. But this was a small theater near Portland, Oregon’s Mt. Tabor, over 150 years later. Seeing that poster made me feel like I’d been transported back in time.

I should know. I attended Robert-Houdin’s show over a century ago.

Though I look outwardly like a woman in her late twenties with trendy dyed-white hair who’s named after her grandmother Zoe Faust, the truth is far different. Long before I bought a run-down house in Portland three months ago, I was born in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1676.

A shiver swept over me as a memory of a different time and place overtook me. Casually-dressed Oregonians with cell phones in their pockets became formally-attired members of society who would remember this performance for a lifetime.

Breathe, Zoe
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I willed myself to remember it wasn’t a taut corset constricting my breathing, but my own nerves. I had thought tonight’s opening performance would be the perfect way to spend time with Max after he’d been away, but could I trust myself with him? I couldn’t tell him the truth about my past, no matter how much I wanted to.

Maybe this had been a terrible idea.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow the tour for more fun posts.

January 8 – Back Porchervations – Review

January 9 – Queen of All She Reads – Review

January 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review

January 11 – The Bookwyrm’s Hoard – Review

January 11 – Fantastic Feathers – Spotlight

January 12 – deal sharing aunt – Spotlight

January 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Spotlight

January 13 – fuonlyknew – Review

January 14 – The Girl with Book Lungs – Spotlight

January 15 – Mallory Heart Reviews – Review

January 16 – Brooke Blogs – Spotlight

January 17 – Teresa Trent Author – Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Home of the sweetest and hottest….Sweet Pepper Hero ~ Cozy review and Giveaway

Posted: January 8, 2016 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways, reviews, Series
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Sweet Pepper Hero

by J.J. Cook

sweet peppet hero
Sweet Pepper Hero: A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
Published by Penguin Random House, LLC.
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425279236
E-Book ASIN: B00W2ZKNZ8
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My Review

Even though this is the fourth book in the series and I haven’t read the others, it was easy to pick up and could be read as a stand alone book.

Someone has kidnapped fire chief Stella’s ghost. Well, Eric’s not technically her ghost. He came with the cabin. Before he passed on, he was once the first fire chief in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, home of the sweetest, hottest peppers in the world. Stella and Eric became good friends and she’s been searching for him for months. Many of the town folk believe Eric is real and are willing to help in her search.

Besides being good friends and missing his company, Stella sure could use Eric’s help. She’s been tasked with choosing the recipes for the annual recipe contest. That means cooking each recipe and sampling it. Stella can’t cook to save her life, and Eric would have come in handy.

On top of that, there seems to be a whiskey war brewing in her town. Someone is targeting the stills, setting them on fire. The case heats up and Stella has so much on her plate, but the arson case must take center stage before someone , or Stella, winds up dead.

One thing I always enjoy about cozies is the theme. There’s ones about sewing, cooking, scrapbooking, and many more. Sweet Pepper Hero has at least two. There’s the cooking. And then there’s the fire dogs.

I love it when animals have their own roles. What’s a fire station without Dalmatians! Hero and his mother, Sylvia, are part of the fire station family. Hero took to his certification like a duck to water. But Sylvia has failed yet again. They won’t give up on her and she’ll always have a home. I feel Sylvia has a special part to play.

Something else I look forward to in a cozy mystery is the characters. There’s always a mixed bag of quirky ones. You’ve got the town gossips, the mysterious recluses, and more than one ghostly resident in this series. What’s better than a cozy mystery with a paranormal theme.

There are numerous characters I really liked. Too many to mention individually. Stella has some good friends. She comes from a long line of firefighters, and is the first woman in her family to become one. A tough Harley riding lady.

With so many things happening at once, there’s never a dull moment. The pace is fast, the mystery isn’t easily solved, and there’s plenty of fun. Even though I mentioned you could read this without having read the other books, I plan to go back and start from the beginning to see what other fun I missed.

Oh, there are some yummy recipes included so be sure to check them out.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

Old rivalries heat up in the fourth Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade mystery from the national bestselling author of In Hot Water.

Fire chief Stella Griffin has been put in charge of judging the annual recipe contest, but Eric—her resident ghost and true culinary genius—has vanished. Before she can track down his latest haunt, she’s called in to investigate a local moonshine distillery that was set ablaze, making her realize there’s more than pies and cakes cooking in Sweet Pepper.

As rumors of a revived whiskey war ignite, Stella turns to the town’s elders to help her find answers. The past might have some clues as to what has sparked the present fires. But when following a lead lands her in buried rubble, Stella realizes she must extinguish this case fast or she might be going down in flames.

About The Authors

J. J. Cook is a pseudonym for a married couple who writes mysteries, mostly set in the South, with a touch of paranormal and romance.

Author Links:

Webpage       Facebook      Twitter

Purchase Links:
Amazon     B&N     Google Play

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I have one print copy to give away.

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

“What’s your favorite cozy theme?”

Giveaway ends January 21st.

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Follow the tour for more fun posts.

January 5 – A Chick Who Reads – Review

January 6 – Booklady’s Booknotes – Review, Interview

January 6 – View from the Birdhouse – Spotlight

January 7 – The Book’s the Thing – Review

January 7 –  Christa Reads and Writes – Spotlight

January 8 – fuonlyknew – Review

January 9 – Laura’s Interests – Review

January 10 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review

January 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – Spotlight

January 11 – Moonlight Rendezvous – Review

January 12 – Griperang’s Bookmarks – Review

January 13 – Back Porchervations – Review, Interview

January 14 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review

January 15 – Readsalot – Spotlight

January 16 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review

January 17 – Island Confidential – Spotlight

January 18 – Brooke Blogs – Review

January 19 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy,  &, Sissy, Too ! – Review

January 20 – Book Babble – Review
January 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – Review

January 21 – Queen of All She Reads – Spotlight

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Counts toward my Cruisin Through The Cozies Challenge and Alphabet Soup Challenge.

  alphabet 2016

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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A Beginner’s Guide To Invading Earth ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: January 7, 2016 in Aliens, Blog Tour, giveaways, reviews, Science Fiction
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ABeginnersGuideToInvadingEarth Banner copy

I’m very excited to share A Beginner’s Guide To Invading Earth with ya’ll.

  I have a an interview with the author, along with my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Interview with Author Gerhard Gehrke

Thanks so much for taking time out from your busy tour to answer some questions. Let’s get started, shall we?

 

  1. How long did it take you to write A Beginner’s Guide To Invading Earth?

Two years before editing was complete. It still feels like I didn’t spend enough time on it but if I ever wanted to move on, I had to stop tinkering and let it go so people might actually read it.

  1. What is your target audience?

The book should be accessible to non-science fiction fans and be right up the alley of those comfortable with the genre. It is not overly grotesque or graphic and is appropriate for younger readers. There’s some disrespectful language and mild violence. Three aliens get accidentally impaled with a kite, so be warned.

  1. Could you share with us a favorite part you enjoyed writing?

My editor insisted on a new first chapter where the main character would be introduced and we just spend a few moments with him before the aliens show up. Here I got to reintroduce Jeff Abel to the story and was able to describe him in his mundane element working as kitchen help at a restaurant, while touching on the fact that he used to be a computer programmer who developed a distrust of technology, paranoia, and chronic bad luck.

  1. Where is your favorite place to write?

I have a messy desk with a desktop. Here I have room to adjust my keyboard, my multiple notebooks and Post-Its, and sit at ergonomically horrible angles while pecking away at the keys. Usually one of my wife’s cockatiels is sitting on a knee or foot.

  1. Are you currently working on anything new?

I have a follow-up to A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth that is now going through editing. Also I have a post-decline of civilization novel I’m writing where a young girl escapes from a secret sanctuary only to discover that the world outside is a much more complicated place than she had ever imagined.

Five fun shorts.

You are an alien on earth:

  1. Can I take your spaceship for a spin? If you’re telling me you can actually see our ship, then Zn’Fordell is going to get an earful about his ‘foolproof’ cloaking device.
  1. What is your reaction the first time you see a human? “Look, Gurgl’inada, these look just like the natives of Epsilon Eridani 4. Maybe we should be more careful this time.”
  1. Do you have a favorite TV show or movie? We do. Mostly our own shows. But to get good reception on this planet we will have to obliterate your moon as Zn’Fordell forgot to plug in the TiVo.
  1. Are you going to eat my cat? Well he did start it by eating my navigator. Unless by chance you’ve trained your cat in advanced astrogation?

What came first? The chicken or the egg? The egg enjoys deflecting attention to the chicken in order to obfuscate its true diabolical parentage which currently grows under your own city streets. Go ahead, eat the eggs. What doesn’t kill you makes you ours.

~~~~~

A Beginner’s Guide To Invading Earth

by Gerhard Gehrke

ABeginnersGuideToInvadingEarth book cover

Genre: Science Fiction

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My Review

I expected some humor in this story. The title sure suggests it. As does the fun cover art.

There’s a whole lot of laughs here. The author’s choice of casting his main protagonist as your average Joe makes it mysterious and fun.

And the aliens. What can I say. You’d expect them to be intelligent, right? They come from galaxies far, far away. They must be smart to be able to conquer space travel.

Well, that’s not the case here. They seem completely unaware of how scary they look to us humans.

The first few attempts at contact fail dismally. One alien gets run over by a truck, several get shot, and many more meet sticky ends. And when you see the story from their point of view, you’ll shake your head at just how inept and clueless they really are. I wish I could share some of their attempts with you, but don’t want to include spoilers. I may have a warped sense of humor, but I had to laugh, a lot, at how some of the aliens met their ends.

Jeff has no idea he’s been chosen as the person of first contact with the aliens. Why would he. He’s nobody special. When contact is made, he’s soon embroiled in alien politics and conspiracy. He has some help from an outcast alien and a woman with her own agenda. It’s crucial that he discover the reason behind all of the alien deaths before Earth and humanity becomes a target.

I laughed at the beginning, and the laughs just kept coming. The aliens were kind of gross, in a funny way. They smelled. I mean really smelled. And they acted more like children than intelligent beings.

An action/adventure science fiction story for all ages. With loads of laughs and fun characters, and plenty of adventure, this is one I’d recommend to all readers. It has something for everyone. Sure kept me entertained for a few hours.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

What would you do if you found a dead alien on a lonely highway?

Was it an accident, sabotage, or murder? And why is everyone blaming Jeff?

The extraterrestrials aren’t waiting for answers. They want revenge. And Jeff isn’t ready for company.

His only hope is an outcast mechanic from another world and a woman who might do anything to get off planet, including selling out her own kind. Jeff has to get to the bottom of why there are so many alien bodies piling up and who is really responsible.

A science fiction adventure novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth tells the story of a reclusive ex-computer programmer who is the unwitting central figure of a plot to keep humanity from ever making first contact.

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Enjoy this glimpse inside!

First contact with the humans wasn’t going as planned, as was obvious by the rank smells that choked the air of the alien visitorsʹ craft. But no one called them aliens where they came from.

Seven little Greys, short bipeds with large heads and big eyes and delicate limbs, sat in the flight seats of their ship’s crew compartments and listened as the Mission Commander lectured them from the Command Module. The harangue lingered in the air, not as words or even sounds but as a smell, a ripe one replete with pheromones and scent packets that the Greys used to speak with one another. A new string of curses from the Commander’s glands smelled of licorice. The Mission Commander composed itself. It wiped sticky sweat from its hairless frontal lobe.

The lights and displays in front of the seven crew members blinked and flashed. No one would so much as touch a button until the Commander was finished addressing the crew.

“I’ll hear no more of it,” the Commander said. “We’re on the human world. We go forward. Probability calculations for success show at 100%. The computer will be trusted.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

ABeginnersGuideToInvadingEarth author pic

Gerhard Gehrke studied film at San Francisco State University. He wrote and produced several shows for community television. His Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror short stories have appeared in several publications, including an Editor’s Choice-winning short story at AnotheRealm.com. A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth is his first novel.

You can connect with him at these links

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Blog

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

Goddess Fish Promotions

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Teaser Tuesdays #140 ~ The Company Store ~ Is this our future?

Posted: December 29, 2015 in Dystopian, reviews, Teaser Tuesdays, YA
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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

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

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My Teaser for this week is from

 The Company Store

by H.D. Gordon

25129878

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Here are a couple of my favorite teasers.

“It just took too long to figure out that we can’t eat money…”

and

After all, Sam knew, the girl was just too lovely to hate.

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My Review

I’ve read all of H.D. Gordon’s books and was so excited that she chose this topic to write about.

We’ve done it. Destroyed our planet. No one acknowledged the dangers of global warming. It was easier to ignore it than to face it and try to change it.

Now, there’s no life in our oceans, no flora or fauna to feed us. Earth is dying and there’s no healing it.

What could be scarier than knowing this could be our children’s future.

The scenario isn’t new. There are groups of survivors. The Haves and Have Nots. Those looking to take what you have. The pocket of good people, trying to live and keep each other safe.

Yet, this is where the author breathes life into the story, giving you in depth characters. Ones you’ll come to care about, ones you’ll wish didn’t exist, and ones you hope won’t make it.

You’ll get to understand the motives of all of them. See why they do what they do. Why they are the way they are. And even get confused about some of them, as you begin to truly see how fear changes them.

As with most of this author’s books, you think you know what’s coming, but you don’t, not really. Not until you get to the conclusion.

The ending. It was perfect! I couldn’t have asked for more. I could almost see it.

A wake up call to those who don’t want to listen, this could be the legacy we leave behind. Our future.

There’s an interesting note from the author at the end and some helpful ideas on how you can make a difference.

5 Stars

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Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

Thanks to the greed of man, Earth is dying. Climate change and human greed has wrought mass destruction over the planet, and a fraction of the population remains.

The Company Store controls the last civilization, known as the Single Nation Circle. Those outside the Circle are Outliers, outcasts and gangsters who do whatever it takes to survive.

Samuel Poe is the 18-year-old leader of the Poe Boys, the Northern Outlier gang. With resources ever dwindling, Sam knows he must be the toughest of the dogs fighting over the scraps if he hopes to keep himself and his people alive.

When Sam meets Anna Rose, daughter of Mr. Company, the most powerful man in the dying world, he finds himself in a deadly race toward resources and a new life.

Much like those of their ancestors, the choices of the two star-crossed teenagers will echo through the ages, the fate of the human race resting on their shoulders.

AMAZON

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: December 11, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, horror, reviews, Science Fiction, YA
Tags: , , , , ,
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We are excited to announce that the young adult novel Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares by Tom DeLonge and Suzanne Young is now available for sale! Welcome to my tour stop, be sure to stop by the tour page for the full schedule.

From the critically acclaimed transmedia project Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker, comes one of the most anticipated collaborations in YA literature this year: a thrilling, edge of your seat story written by award-winning musician, producer and director Tom DeLonge and New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young.

Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares follows the epic journey of two orphan brothers, Jonas and Alan, who are Lucid Dreamers. After a tragic car accident lands Alan in a coma, Jonas sets out into the Dream World in an attempt to find his brother and wake him up. What he discovers instead is an entire shared consciousness where fear comes to life as a snarling beast called a Night Terror, and a creature named REM is bent on destruction and misery, devouring the souls of the strongest dreamers to get closer to the Waking World. With the help of a Dream Walker—a guardian of the dreamscape, Jonas must face his fears, save his brother, and become who he was always meant to be: Poet Anderson.

Poet Cover Sept 17 2016

 My Review

Alan and Jonas are brothers, orphans. They have only each other. They’re also Lucid Dreamers, able to move in dream worlds. When an accident lands Alan in a coma, Jonas must enter the dream world to find his brother and wake him up.

He’ll have to face a monstrous creature, his very own Night Terror, and REM, an evil being bent on entering the real world.

I enjoyed the names of some of the beings. Night Terrors and REM (rapid eye movement) are both sleep conditions and great choices. Caused some “I see” moments for me.

Jonas starts out fumbling in the dream world but catches on quick. Thrown into dangerous situations, he adapts. Save his brother, the girl he loves, the dream walkers, and the world, a heavy burden rests on his young shoulders.

At first glance the cover looks creepy. Take another look. See all of those images. I give five stars on the cover alone. So creative.

Action galore. It never slows down. Between the dream world and the waking one, you are pulled along at a face pace.

It feels a bit sci-fi, a bit horror, a bit action and adventure, and all thrilling. I can honestly say this story is something totally new for me. Not even sure how to tag it.

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I have the hard cover edition and it is awesome. The cover art leaps out at you and the book comes with a music CD. I listened to it while reading and it really lent atmosphere and excitement.

A great collaboration brings you an amazing reading experience.

5 Stars

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About the Authors:


Tom DeLonge is an award-winning American musician, producer and director best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the platinum selling rock bands Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves. His home is San Diego, where he focuses on creating entertainment properties that bridge music, narrative and film through his multimedia company To The Stars. For the full experience of Tom’s work, visit www.tothestars.media.

Suzanne Young is the New York Times bestselling author of The Program series. Originally from Utica, New York, Suzanne moved to Arizona to pursue her dream of not freezing to death. She is a novelist and an English teacher, but not always in that order. Suzanne is the author of THE PROGRAM, THE TREATMENT, THE REMEDY, and HOTEL RUBY.

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GIVEAWAY:
Poet Anderson Complete Music and Book Gift Box
Open Worldwide
Ends December 23, 2015
Prizing is provided by the publisher, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the Christmas Flamingos below!

Murder Fir Christmas ~ A Christmas Tree Valley Mystery by Joyce and Jim Lavene ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: December 9, 2015 in Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
Tags: , , , , ,
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Murder Fir Christmas
by Joyce and Jim Lavene

Murder Fir Christmas will have you humming carols and ho-ho-ho-ing quicker than the Big Guy’s sled makes it around the world!
~Back Porchervations!!

Masterfully written…filled with intrigue, action, laughter, joy, and a mystical beauty that touched my heart, MURDER FIR CHRISTMAS has beat out every book this year to become my number one favorite book of 2015.
~Lisa K’s Book Reviews

This has mystery, humor and a touch of paranormal that combine to entertain you.
~readalot

An awesome cozy story! Mystery with just a flake of folklore and a touch of paranormal and a little romance too. These authors have imaginations that are truly off the charts.
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book​

This book was full of adventure and mystery…
~Community Bookstop

The book was wonderful seeing Bonnie again and the way she handles herself with the Tree Farm and more.
~Bab’s Book Bistro

Murder Fir Christmas was a well-crafted mystery with a spunky heroine, engaging characters and a whodunnit that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
~Moonlight Rendezvous

MURDER FIR CHRISTMASMurder Fir Christmas
(Christmas Tree Valley Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Print Length: 208 pages
Publisher: J. Lavene (December 1, 2015)
ASIN: B016APS2PI
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My Review

This is my favorite book by these authors. I loved it. And it’s the first book in a brand new series!

Bonnie is living the life I wished I could. She’s a Federal Wildlife Agent. Returning to her roots in Sweet Pepper, Tennessee to take care of her mother, she hardly has time to check in on her new job before she’s called out to help rescue some wildlife when a small island catches on fire.

While rescuing the animals, she finds not one, but two people dead, the latter being the retiring agent who’s position she is taking.

A good cozy mystery requires multiple suspects, with the main protagonist becoming a target of the killer or a prime suspect themselves. You get that, because Bonnie is not about to stay out of the investigation. It also requires a little romance. You get that too, and it’s a hoot.

And there’s another plus to this story. A little bit of paranormal and folklore. Right from the beginning I sensed something peculiar and it wasn’t long before Bonnie was made aware of it too.

Bonnie’s affinity with wild animals is another thing I loved about this story. She rescues a young wolf cub from the island and takes him home to rehabilitate and then release back into the wild. Well, of course I fell in love with the cub and it became a focal point for me. Would she turn the wolf loose, and would it go? It didn’t seem to want to leave Bonnie’s side.

How to describe my reading experience? I had a blast. Loved the budding romance, Had to laugh because they could deny it all they wanted but the heart wants what the heart wants. The murder mystery had a lot of suspects and I loved following the clues, discarding a suspect, finding another, and another. And the wolf cub. He was so adorable. I loved how he attached himself to Bonnie, accepting her as pack leader, never wandering far from her. I couldn’t decide whether I wanted him to integrate back into the wild or stay with Bonnie. And there’s much more going on. Every page led me to something else.

With a puzzling mystery, lots of wildlife, a touch of romance and some paranormal elements, I was hooked from the first chapter and didn’t stop until I read the last page. One of those books you can’t wait to finish and hate to finish at the same time.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Down the mountain from Sweet Pepper, Tennessee is Christmas Tree Valley, a place filled with hundreds of Christmas tree farms where generations of growers have made people’s lives brighter. Yet even here in this quiet, postcard-perfect corner of the world, darkness and murder can still stalk the night.

Federal Wildlife Agent Bonnie Tuttle has always had a special gift with wild animals. It was one of the reasons she decided to train with the wildlife agency. She’s spent the last ten years in Alabama working, but her mother needs her home and she’s back despite all the bad parts of her life she hoped to leave behind.

Her first day home begins with a fire on the island in Sweet Pepper Lake and the death of Harvey Shelton, the wildlife agent she’s supposed to replace. Bonnie manages to rescue dozens of animals from the fire – including a wolf pup that was shot with the same bullet that killed Harvey.

Now she’s hot on the trail of Harvey’s killer and trying to reintegrate the wolf back into the wild even though he seems to want to stay with her. Yet old memories persist in the small community where she grew up, and the killer now seems to believe that she has what he killed Harvey for. All she has to do is figure out what that is before it’s too late.

Christmas Recipes included!

About Authors Joyce and Jim Lavene

I just love this picture of Joyce and Jim

 

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.

Author Links

Website / Facebook / Amazon / Twitter

Purchase Link:

Amazon

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Follow the tour for more fun stops.

December 2 – Back Porchervations – Review 

December 3 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review

December 3 – readalot – Review

December 4 – Community Bookstop – Review

December 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review

December 5 – Babs Book Bistro – Review

December 6 – Moonlight Rendezvous – Review

December 7 – Bubble Bath Books – Review

December 8 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Review

December 8 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Review

December 9 – fuonlyknew – Review

December 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy,  &, Sissy, Too ! – Review

December 10 – fundinmental – Review

December 11 – Mallory Heart Reviews – Review

December 12 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review

December 13 – Laura’s Interests – Review

December 14 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review

December 14 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – Review

December 15 – View from the Birdhouse – Review

December 15 – Book Babble – Review

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

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Night Court by Ashley Fontainne ~ A catch my breath review

Posted: December 7, 2015 in Freebies!, New Release, reviews, suspense, thriller
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Night Court

by Ashley Fontaine

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My Review

I’ve read one other book by Ashley Fontainne and loved it so I was excited to read Night Court. If you are looking for unending suspense and thrills that keep on coming, you need to read this book.

A quick recap for ya. Merry lost her son and her husband. Her son died of a drug overdose and her husband had a heart attack at his funeral. With nothing left to lose, Merry turns to vigilante justice. Taking up weapons to eliminate the drug dealers responsible.

And Merry has a few advantages. With her brother being a cop and working for a judge, she has access to vital inside info about the drug dealers.

The first kill goes off without a hitch. In fact, something she did spur of the moment completely covered her tracks. Or did it?

I felt so bad for Merry. Her family gone and not much to live for. When my son was young I often wondered what I’d do if someone harmed him. I sometimes thought I’d go the route of Merry. Why should scum live and breathe while my son is gone.

That this often happens in real life made this even more intense for me. People commit crimes over and over, yet are released from jail to do harm again.

There’s this one scene with a dog that I loved. You know that saying, “Every dog has his day!” Gotta cheer for Percy.

I thought I knew where the story was going. Then, the author threw a kidney punch that knocked be back on my heels. Never saw it coming. Or the next thing. Or the next. So many shockers I was reeling.

And the ending. Man, it was wicked. I wish I could tell you, it was that great. There was something I wanted so bad not to happen, but once I finished the book, I knew it was the perfect ending.

I’d tag this is a suspense/thriller. A must read that I can’t recommend enough.

Thanks, Ashley, for an early copy to review.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Judge

Merry watches, her presence cloaked by the shroud of nightfall. Nothing moves except her eyes which focus on her target. No remorse. No regret. No second guessing the decision to end the lives of the monsters who turned her into a killer.

Jury

The peddlers of death from potent chemicals are found guilty. Punishment for their crimes–death. Appeals denied. Sentencing to commence immediately. The leeches who sucked out the life of addicts with each snort, shot, swallow, and injection will now pay the ultimate price.

Executioner

The idyllic world of Merry Marie Hall, once the loving wife of Harold and mother to their only child, Joshua, is over. Extinguished when Joshua overdosed and Harold died of a heart attack at the funeral. Now Merry hunts down the guilty parties, and one by one, carries out her internal court’s orders.

Court is now in session.

Pre-order your copy on AMAZON

Author Ashley Fontainne

I have always been an avid reader of the classics: Beowulf, The Iliad, and anything written by the master, William Shakespeare. In the past few years, I became a huge fan of James Patterson, Stephen King and Robin Cook.

However….

My favorite book of all was, and always will be, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. The revenge on all those who hurt and betrayed Edmond Dantes and the incredible roller coaster ride his journey takes you on has always intrigued me. My love for this book is what sparked my desire to write my debut novel in my Eviscerating the Snake series, “Accountable to None.” With a modern setting to the tale, I wanted to delve into just what lengths a person was willing to go to as they attempted to seek justice on their own for heinous acts perpetrated on them. The second novel in the series, “Zero Balance” (still in draft!) will focus on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.

Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.

Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, released the Summer of 2015.

Whispered Pain released in October of 2015 and Night Court releases December 13, 2015.

Website / Goodreads / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

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EXTRA! EXTRA!

Request any of Ashley’s books to review by signing up for her newsletter located on the right side of her site HERE.

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

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It only takes one drop….The Dead Circle by Keith Varney ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: November 24, 2015 in Adult Fiction, apocalypse, giveaways, reviews, thriller, Zombies
Tags: , , , , ,
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Do I have a good one to share today!

It’s got zombies, kinda. If you consider someone walking around brain dead, then yeah, it’s zombies.

I had a good time with this one and can’t wait to share it!

Check out my review.

And don’t forget to enter Keith’s giveaway!

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The Dead Circle

by Keith Varney

My Review

Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

Imagine it. We can survive a long time without food. But going more than a few days without water will kill us.

Something is wrong with the water. It’s turning people into mindless walkers. It only takes one drop. Then, they strip off their clothes and head to a central place in Detroit. Once there, they join a crowd of others, walking in a circle, limbs sporadically twitching, eyes rolled over white. No mind left, they walk in a circle, and more join them.

Chris and Sarah, a married couple, have just bought their dream house. Well, it will be. They envision turning the abandoned library into a home. A place to raise kids in. A place to grow old in.

But, that’s all changed now. Since the rains started. Since the water betrayed them.

Now, they struggle to survive. Seemingly the only ones unchanged. Waiting for a clear day to go out and forage for supplies.

Winter is coming. No power in the city means no heat. They need to go outside. They need to figure out how they’ll stay warm during the winter. They need to gather food and safe drinking water. Once it snows, they’ll be trapped inside until spring.

Then, things change again. The walkers aren’t circling anymore. They’ve broken away, wandering, looking for food. Any food. It’s more dangerous than ever to venture outside, but Chris and Sarah have no choice.

Just think of the obstacles they must have face. Water is everywhere. You can’t risk going outside if there is the slightest chance of rain. Even if it hasn’t rained in days, a drop could be lingering and that’s all it takes.

You reach to open a car door, be careful. You look away for just a moment and right in front of you is a water puddle. You walk under a tree, water drips off the leaves.

No place is safe.

This story starts out so innocently. Then something happens that knocks you back on your heels. From then on, you are in Chris and Sarah’s shoes. You struggle with them, you stratagize with them. You run with them. Will you die with them?

This is one I’d recommend to those who enjoy an apocalyptic thriller with a new spin on zombies. And to those who like suspense with a touch of horror.

Like a pressure cooker, the suspense builds, the danger builds, your connection with the characters builds. And then it ends.

My sister would have hated the ending. I didn’t. I wonder what you’ll make of it.

4 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

Something is terribly wrong in Detroit.

When Chris and Sarah bought an abandoned library to renovate and live in, they expected to be on the ground floor of the revival of Detroit. But unbeknownst to them, the city is about to fall. The devastation begins with a single woman who mysteriously tears off her clothing and starts walking the perimeter of an empty lot. Within minutes, hundreds of disparate people inexplicably form a giant human circle that slowly revolves like a hurricane of flesh. They twitch and spasm, contorting their naked bodies in a primordial death dance. They’re oblivious to everything, even the unfortunate souls who fall beneath their feet.

Bewildered citizens and authorities are desperate to know what’s causing the bizarre event… at least until it starts to rain.

Chris and Sarah abruptly find themselves trapped in a forsaken city. To survive, they must evade the horrifying illness, find food and shelter in a suddenly primitive world… and have a battle plan for when the circle stops spinning…

Website | Facebook | Amazon KDP | Createspace

About The Author

Keith Varney

Originally from small town Vermont, Keith Varney is an award-winning musical theater writer and actor. He has written Book, Music and Lyrics in various combinations for I GOT FIRED (Best American Musical – DIMF), ELWAY: THE MUSICAL, THE OTHER SEX, JOSHUA: THE MUSICAL, PIE EATER & SCOOBY DOOSICAL. He has also written songs for Submissions Only, Hot Mess in Manhattan, See You Lighter, My Mother is a Sex Therapist & Dystopia Gardens. As an actor he has performed professionally in musicals including Les Miserables, The Producers, The Full Monty, Titanic and I Got Fired(Best Actor in a Musical – DIMF). He has a degree in classical voice from the Eastman School of Music. He now lives in Astoria NY with his wife Jillian, who is a Broadway actress. “The Dead Circle” is his debut novel. For more information, please visit www.keithvarneywriter.com.

Website | Facebook | Twitter @keithvarney 

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$50 Amazon Gift Card 

10 ebook copies of The Dead Circle

Open Worldwide

Ends Dec. 2nd

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
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Follow the tour for more fun posts!

11/16

Review – Savings in Seconds

Interview – A Book With Bea

11/17

Review & Excerpt – Chasing My Extraordinary

11/18

Excerpt – WS Momma Readers Nook

11/19

Review – Simply Mama Of 2

Interview – Solafide Book Blog

11/20

Guest Post – Curling Up With A Good Book

11/23

Review & Interview – A Page to Turn Reviews

Excerpt – Born Bookish

11/24

Review & Excerpt – fuonlyknew

Review – Emily Reads Everything

11/25

Review – Book Lovers Life

11/26

Review – Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog

Excerpt – CBY Book Club

11/27

Excerpt – Crystal’s Chaotic Confessions

Review – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

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My Monday Minis Reviews #40 ~ Mike and the Dog-Gone Labradoodle

Posted: November 23, 2015 in Children's books, Monday's Minis, Mystery, reviews
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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews.

For today I’ll be sharing Mike and the Dog-Gone Labradoodle

A Pet Shop Society #1

by Emlyn Chand

Enjoy!

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My Review

A quick, fun mystery that young readers can sharpen their sleuthing skills with.

Young Mike is in his parents pet shop when Nicole, a girl he has a crush on, rushes in pleading for help in finding her missing dog.

Mike and his twin sister Maddie, along with some friends, join Nicole in her search, starting at the last place the dog was seen.

This story isn’t very long, the clues are fun and not too hard to follow, and the friendships are genuine.

I loved reading adventures like this when I was young, and I still do. This would be an exciting series with delightful characters for young readers to enjoy.

I received this book for my honest review.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Lower Grade Chapter Books, Mystery/Detective Story, Animals/Pets, Kids 7-11 Years Old

Mike Adams has always been a pretty average kid. He hates homework, love sports, and spends a lot of his day bugging his twin sister Maddie—because, after all, she deserves it.

But one day, everything changes. Nic Chang’s dog goes missing.

Mike, his sister and their two best friends join forces to search for the truth and, with it, the missing pet. Will Mike and Maddie find a way to put their differences aside and save the day? And just where did that dog-gone labradoodle go?

Put your thinking caps on and prepare to find the answers in the premier installment of The Pet Shop Society, a brand new mystery series for readers aged 7-11.

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Until I see you again….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

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New Release ~ Of Ice & Air by Carlie M.A. Cullen ~ My Review

Posted: November 23, 2015 in Fantasy, New Release, reviews
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I enjoyed Carlie’s Heartsearch Vampire trilogy so much, I was jumping at the chance to read her new release in a brand new series, Of Ice & Air!

I couldn’t be more thrilled with her choice of cover art. The colors dazzle you and Kailani is as lovely as her description in the book.

Come in and see what it’s all about. Discover new worlds, genuine characters, and mighty beasts.

Of Ice & Air

by Carlie M.A. Cullen

OIAA cover

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My Review

I’m always looking for more fantasy stories. I love exploring the worlds the authors create.

Carlie has created two worlds in Of Ice & Air.

The Cloud Palace of Taivass-maa is where Princess Kailani grew up. The only world she’s ever known. That all changes on her 21st birthday. Her father promised to tell her about what happened to her mother all those years ago.

She’s shocked to find out she’s a child of two worlds, Taivass-maa, and her mother’s world, the Ice Palace of Idenvarlis.

Taivass-maa is as different from Idenvarlis as night and day. One a land of sun and clouds, soft and gentle. The other a land of snow and frigid cold. All hard edges and ice.

Kailani is a strong willed, confident young woman and she finds a way to get to Idenvarlis. Once there she’s acquainted with her other family and welcomed with open arms.

Kailani quickly masters the powers she’s been gifted from this new world, and already proficient in battle and armed with a natural instinct, she immediately sets off in search of her mother.

A quest filled with monstrous beasts and unforgiving lands, Kailani will be tested to her limits as she attempts to rescue her mother and return to the palace alive.

The world building is richly described. Each is vastly different but both have so much wonder. And with new worlds come new beasts. One has Feegles, small furry dragons large enough to carry a rider. The other has the Blenorai, beasts that look like a cross between lions and bears, and they carry you over the frozen tundra at dizzying speeds. What a fantastic thing to ride these creatures.

Start this book with one thing in mind. This is a fantasy with worlds beyond imagining. Let yourself go with the flow, set aside disbelief, and have grand adventures. Follow Kailani as she finds her place in both worlds. Watch out for the nasty beasts and those who try to stop her. And cross your fingers for a happy ever after.

5 Stars

I received the ARC Of Ice & Air for my honest review.

Purchase On Amazon

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ABOUT OF ICE & AIR

On her 21st birthday, Princess Kailani’s father tells her that when she was a baby, her mother was abducted. She also learns she has family in another world.

Defying her father, she travels from her Cloud Castle home to the ice kingdom of Idenvarlis where Kailani’s instincts drive her to find the mother she doesn’t remember.

Gifted with the magic of two worlds, and skilled in the use of weapons, she journeys into unknown and dangerous territory. Despite her determination to rescue her mother, she’s forced to overcome new fears and find a way to cope with all she encounters.

However, a person in authority will stop at nothing to prevent either of them returning.

Kailani faces isolation, wild beasts, rogue soldiers, and more as she battles to return to the Ice Palace. With the stakes so high, can she make it back alive?

ABOUT CARLIE M A CULLEN

Carlie M.A. CullenCarlie M A Cullen was born in London. She grew up in Hertfordshire where she first discovered her love of books and writing.

She has always written in some form or another, but started to write novels in 2011. Her first book was published by Myrddin Publishing in 2012. Author of the Heart Search trilogy and Of Ice & Air, she writes in the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres for New Adult and Adult.

Carlie is also a principal editor for Eagle Eye Editors.

She also holds the reins of a writing group called Writebulb. They have published four anthologies so far, two for adults and two for children, all of which raise money for a local hospice.

Carlie currently lives in Essex, UK with her daughter.

Carlie’s Links

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Linkedin  /  Amazon  /  About.me

Wattpad  /  Goodreads

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Until I see you again….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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