Welcome to Thursday Theatre
Here is where I’ll be posting video clips about books and movies and fun stuff.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiTiKOy59o4]
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George Clooney and Sandra Bullock! Need I say more! I’m going to see Gravity!
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Exciting news for all Chupacabra fans!
Michael Hebler has more of his Chupacabra Series for us.
Set in the old west and brimming with atmosphere and horror, I can’t wait to tell you all about it in my review. Michael also has been a great sport and answered some questions for me. Please enjoy our interview and my review.
Don’t forget to get your free copy of Book One, Night of the Chupacabra HERE. Thanks Michael! And keep reading to enter the amazing giveaway!
SECOND CHUPACABRA NOVEL IS A ‘CURSE’
Press Release
Newport Beach, CA
In concordance with the release of book two in the Chupacabra Series, “Curse of the Chupacabra,” by fiction writer Michael Hebler, the series’ first novel “Night of the Chupacabra,” will be made available free for e-book download on Kindle Readers and devices supporting Kindle Apps through Amazon.com from September 10 to September 12, 2013 only.
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Click on the icon below to get your free copy now!
Author: Michael Hebler
Style: Series
Theme: Dark Thriller / Horror / Western
Length: 68,000 words
Format: .mobi (Kindle)
****E-Book Retail: FREE (September 10 – 12, 2013) / $2.99 (September 13, 2013)****
Night of the Chupacabra Synopsis:
There is a creature that lurks in the vast open deserts of the west. It can only survive on blood and, although it prefers to prey on the weak and young, it will slaughter anyone or anything, once provoked. It is unnatural, deceptive, and difficult to kill. Word about the existence of this elusive beast has not spread since anyone who has crossed paths with it did not live long enough to tell of their account.
In the Chupacabra Series, a vampire-like, cryptozoological creature (which literally translates to “goat-sucker”) takes a supporting role to a cast of memorable characters who struggle to survive while finding their place in developing America. Currently slated for six books, the Chupacabra Series echoes strong family themes and the sacrifices required for that nature of love; and while some characters do survive long enough to make it through multiple novels, each volume will host a different protagonist to lead the reader through its continuing journey.
Once the free days for the e-book of “Night of the Chupacabra” are over on September 12, and beginning September 13, the digital edition will continue to show support for its successor “Curse of the Chupacabra” by dropping its price from $4.99 to $2.99. ”
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Curse of the Chupacabra” will be available in both print and e-book formats beginning September 10, 2013, and is now available for print Pre-Order on the author’s official webpage, www.michaelhebler.com, where more on the Chupacabra Series also can be found, as well as additional information on Hebler’s writings.
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So Michael, let’s get to the interview!
1) I like that this book makes me feel like I’ve stepped back into time. Your writing is subtle, so I can’t put my finger on how you do it! I just feel the old west while reading:)
Thank you. That’s such a wonderful compliment! I’m not a doddler. I like to keep things always moving and always fresh. The subtleness probably stems from years and years of writing screenplays, which teaches a writer that less is more. But we’ll see if you think the same after reading “Legend,” which has clocked in at 82,000 words, while “Curse” is 70,000. And as for writing western, I can definitely pinpoint my inspiration to the movie “Unforgiven.” It is one of my favorite films and treated the western like an authentic time period and not something you slap marinara on top of. The western-style has definitely become second nature to me when it comes to the chupacabra. I’m a little nervous about writing Book 5, “Return of the Chupacabra” because I feel it’ll be a challenge to remove the “western” since the series does not stay within the Old West. However, books 5 & 6 will be good transition novels for what stories I dream up beyond the Chupacabra Series. I’m not sure I’ll be revisiting the Old West soon after the fourth chupacabra book, but you never know.
2) What you can tell us about future books in the series?
What’s that? You want me to talk about the overall Chupacabra Series? Oh, I couldn’t do… it all started when I finished the full story of “Night”—then just called ‘el Chupacabra.’ I had done tons of research and created such an elaborate world that it just felt wrong to leave it all behind so soon; besides, I had grown to love these characters so much (the ones who survived, at least) that I transitioned into an overbearing parental figure who couldn’t let go. I know some of you who are reading this can relate… right? I had made the decision to do a trilogy, and I wanted my second book, “Curse,” to be my Empire Strikes Back, and then promised myself to keep the Ewoks out of book three, “Legend.” So, “Legend” will round out the trilogy, but just as in book’s one and two, the main protagonist will be different. In fact, let me just state that each book in the series will have a new protagonist.
Going back to what I had originally stated about the time and detail it took to create this world and the mythology, I discovered I definitely had enough for a prequel book, which will be book four, “Dawn of the Chupacabra,” and is the book I am currently half through the first draft. “Dawn” will be the most horrific book of the series (a hard R-rating) and I’ll give you a hint… the chupacabra doesn’t even show until over half-way through the story. “Dawn” will also tie the short story I had written in 2011, “Hunt for the Chupacabra” to book one.
And that’s where the series will end its time in the 1800’s. Leap forward about 105 years later to 1991 for book five, “Return of the Chupacabra,” the year when chupacabra sightings were first reported. This is when the series will fall into place with the current chupacabra mythos. With books one – four, I had the world at my feet to create a fictional origin story, but in all actuality, I purposely did not match it to the folklore known today, which I have received some criticism for. But I never thought that mattered because it was why I started the series in the Old West; to allow more artistic license. So, with book five, it will be a whole new paradigm; however the main theme will not change. The Chupacabra Series has always been about love; not the romantic kind, but the family kind, which is an important part of Latin culture (mi familia). That is why family love was chosen to be the main theme for this Latin folklore horror series because they are essentially related. And as for the true chupacabra diehard fans out there, “Return” will be the book that will feel more like home. Except for one or two questions that can only be answered by having read the previous volumes, it will basically be a standalone book.
Now originally, the series was supposed to end at five, but after outlining the story, I discovered that there was always meant to be a sixth, I just had yet to realize it. “Blood of the Chupacabra” will be essential because it will bring the standalone story that is book 5 together with the first four books, to create a full circle in the series.
There you have it, and I think I did it without revealing any important plotlines or twists. Whew!
3) Many authors say that reading a lot of books is important if you are serious about writing. Is that true for you, and if so, are there any authors who have influenced you?
While I agree with your statement and believe writers should read, I can’t say I’ve read tons of books. My main problem is that I’m a SLOW reader, so reading a lot of books would take away all my writing time. But don’t misunderstand, I have read my fair share and usually always have a book I’m reading. In fact, right now, I’m about a quarter of the way through J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy.” I did start reading at an early age. One day I closed the back cover of Dr. Seuss then opened the front cover of Stephen King. My mom had a bookshelf filled with his books. In fact, there was one particular book cover that influenced the cover of “Curse of the Chupacabra” which used to freak-me-the-hell-out as a pre-teen, yet I found it so intriguing, I couldn’t stop staring at it. It was the original hardcover of Cujo. For some reason, the dog’s snout was so prominent within the mist, I never saw the rest of Cujo’s head that was thinly veiled in the background. All my eyes would see was this dripping snout, which looked like a scarier version of the trash monster’s eye in the original Star Wars movie (and probably why I liked the cover so much). That faintness of Cujo was what inspired the chupacabra’s face in the train tunnel for “Curse of the Chupacabra.” Childhood comes full-circle, yet again. Now that I’m currently writing my fourth novel, I’m definitely starting to become aware of my subconscious influences more and more. I think they would be: King, Rowling, Crichton, and Dickens. King for his content, which is borderline horror but more about the mystery and characters; Rowling for her style of writing, its flow and structure; Crichton for his attention to detail; and Dickens for his remarkable sense of plot and story.
4) Was it easier to write and publish Curse of the Chupacabra as it’s the second book in the series?
Oh yes! I definitely learned a lot during, and after, “Night of the Chupacabra.” Of course, with the first book, it was basically a learning process. The time spent from the first written word of “Curse” to handing my baby over to the printers, like a parent sending their child to their first day of school, was chopped in half. In fact, I’m already finding “Legend” an easier process because of having learned from two books, and its 12,000 words longer! I’m sure they’ll keep getting easier and easier the more I write. Being able to write and publish a book in my sleep… that’s my goal!
5) Do you have any tips you’d like to share with other writers?
Hmm. Know your audience, that’s definitely one I’d like to share and one I’ve struggled with myself. However, admittedly, I only did it to myself because I wanted to write a series that had a little bit of everything for everyone. Also, if you’re lucky enough to have a folder (internal or external) of ideas that you are excited to write, begin with the one that is the most commercial. Do your research and discover what the biggest genre is, which is probably YA at the moment, and start there. You have a better chance of making a name for yourself and that will open doors which will allow you to pull out the more genre specific ideas from that folder. Your follower base will have already been established. I don’t think “The Casual Vacancy” would have done as well if Rowling hadn’t written “Harry Potter” first.
6) How do you spend your free time?
LOL! What free time!? Seriously, I think I’m always working on something. It’s really difficult for me to sit still and not be productive in some way. In addition to writing, I also have a career as a film publicist. I just got back from a junket in New York (by the way, long plane trips are an author’s best friend) and am gearing up to promote a film at the Toronto Film Festival. When I’m not writing or publicizing, I do volunteer as a driver for Meals on Wheels in my local area, as well as participate in the C/S/N/R (capture/spay/neuter/release) program; animals are my weakness. And if I’m not doing any of that, I’ll write up a post for my blog, watch TV or a movie, play a video game, or read. And that last bit might sound like fun time, but I’m usually on the prowl for my next inspiration.
Five Fun Shorts!
1) Morning person or snooze button? – Morning person. There is nothing like the stillness and tranquility of the world before it awakes.
2) Favorite book to movie? – The Color Purple. The movie’s been my favorite since 1985, and of course, I had to read the book.
3) For the good guy or the bad guy? – Bad guy. Even though they’re bad, they’re still the underdog.
4) Favorite cartoon? – The original Scooby-Doo’s from the ‘70s—the ones that had a musical number chase interlude.
5) Are you superstitious? – I have to say “no”; however, I do occasionally find myself knocking on wood and avoiding cracks on the ground.
Well that was a lot of fun! Thanks so much Michael. Lots to think about and thrilled to know there will be many more Chupacabra books!
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Author: Michael Hebler
Style: Series
Theme: Dark Thriller / Horror / Western
Length: 308 pages (print) / 70,000 words
Binding: Perfect bound & digital (.mobi, .epub, .pdf )
Retail: $16.95 (print) / $4.99 (e-book)
Buy Links
Amazon / B&N / Goodreads / Shelfari
Curse of the Chupacabra Synopsis
They never thought their luck would be their curse. In the months following the onslaught, the extraordinary survivors continue to know no peace, as they are haunted by signs that the relentless creature remains on their trail. However, this fight will be better matched, now that they’ve discovered an advantage that will help protect them from the monster’s bloodthirsty lust. But once faced with the decision to kill the beast, the choice will not come lightly since it is still unclear which loved one the chupacabra possesses.
My Review
You can run but you cannot hide!
Not many survived the last faceoff with the Chupacabra.
Suzanne was one of the lucky few.
Now she’s running, with a young girl in tow, trying to stay as far ahead of the beast as she can. Suzanne should’ve known Jessie wouldn’t stay with the older couple that took her in. She’s resourceful and cunning and wants to be with Suzanne.
But Suzanne, once a prostitute, can barely take care of herself and thinks Jessie would be better off with someone else.
The decision is taken out of their hands when the chupacabra finds Jessie and she barely escapes it bloody clutches.
Again, they run and there’s nowhere to hide.
The chupacabra is back!
Sadly, most of the characters from Night of the Chupacabra, the first book, aren’t. They didn’t survive.
Suzanne did and I’m glad. She may have had to resort to the oldest profession in order to get by, there weren’t many opportunities for women in the old west, but she’s kind of heart, astute, and charmingly vulnerable.
Another survivor is Jessie. She’s young and bold, a real scrapper too. She’s been trying to manipulate Suzanne into letting her stay, and she does something really crazy that puts Suzanne in a vulnerable situation.
It turns out good though, as Suzanne’s rescuer is a tall drink of water named James. He’s an actor traveling with a theatre group and he saved her from a brutal assault by a scoundrel.
James is quite the gentlemen and he’s charmed by Suzannes beauty. Wanting to keep her near, he invites the two ladies to travel with the troupe.
What they don’t know is, they are about to have an uninvited guest. A really angry one.
Something I’ve always loved is character driven novels. I’m a people person and have to have someone to care about, someone to laugh with, and someone to loathe.
I have all of those in Curse of the Chupacabra and that’s not including the chupacabra.
He is back and scarier than ever. Boy is he ever.
The author has a different take on the legend of the chupacabra which makes for confusing feelings towards it. It adds to the suspense, for sure.
Lots of laughs, some tender moments, and scares galore. I had so much fun continuing with this series.
5 Stars
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Hebler recently became an author alongside building a successful career in feature film publicity, but his passion to create stories with suspense, laughter, and heart is not his only love. Hebler also volunteers his time weekly for charities in his local area including Meals on Wheels, and abets for animal rights by aiding in the CSNR (capture/spay/neuter/release) program.
To date, Hebler’s publications include, “
Night of the Chupacabra,” (Chupacabra Series #1), and his first publication, “The Night After Christmas,” a holiday picture book for believers of any age. Hebler also authored the micro story, “Hunt for the Chupacabra,” preceding the events of book one.
Hebler can also be found rambling on his blog “My Little Obsessions.”
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CONTACT DETAILS
Name: Michael Hebler
Email: info@michaelhebler.com
Website: www.michaelhebler.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mhebler
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chupacabra-Novel-Series/189413924437649?fref=ts
Blog: http://michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com
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Now for the amazing giveaway!
1 Top Winner) signed copies of print versions of both Night of the Chupacabra & Curse of the Chupacabra (US Only)
1 Second Winner) signed copy of Curse of the Chupacabra (US Only)
1 Third Winner) ebook copies of both Night of the Chupacabra & Curse of the Chupacabra(International)
3 Runner-ups) ebook copy of Curse of the Chupacabra(International)
To enter, please leave your email address, specify if entering for US or International Giveaway or both, and answer this question:
“Have you ever seen something you couldn’t explain?”
Giveaway ends September 30th.
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For all of my giveaways go HERE.
I have hosted Laura DeLuca’s Dark Musical Series before.
Now she’s back with the third book in this awesome series!
Check out HYDE, enjoy the glimpse inside. learn about Phantom, Book #1 and Demon, Book #2, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Buy Links: Amazon Smashwords Barnes &Noble
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Buy Links: Amazon Smashwords Barnes & Noble
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I can’t believe it’s finally here!
I’ve been waiting awhile for the sequel to Blood is Heavier and now I have it!
Blood is Power is in my Kindle and I’m reading it now.
I imagine Ella is breathing a sigh of relief as I’ve been hounding her for this book to be done for quite a while now!
A big hug and Congratulations Ella!
But be warned! I will not rest until more about Tequila has been revealed!
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BLOOD IS HEAVIER – book one in the Hunter Series
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Nick Hunter used to be a contract killer. Now he’s cut all links to his former lifestyle and can at last relax and live a normal life. He settles down to married life. He has a son. He adores his little family. Unbeknown to him, shadows from his past step forward to shatter his short-lived peace. His wife is dead, his four-year old son kidnapped and it looks like someone is trying to frame him for murder. Under pressure, broken, is there anything Nick wouldn’t do to rescue his son? A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read that will keep you turning the pages to the very end.
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and soon in paperback, too.
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Just Released!
BLOOD IS POWER – book two in the Hunter Series
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Comfortable in the knowledge that his good mate, Tequila, is perfectly able to look after his loved ones, Nick Hunter does exactly what he shouldn’t do and proceeds to track down and eliminate every person involved in his son’s kidnap. But where will the chase end? And has he bitten off more than he can chew? Nick discovers a tangled net of drugs, human slavery and corruption. Will he enter the lion’s den? Will his family stay safe? Will he be framed for murder? Find out July 19th.
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Createspace
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(non-spoiler excerpt)
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“Action!” Dollar shouted. Then, quieter, to her. “Oh, I will enjoy watching your end, Precious. Every single second of it. Every cut, every lick of blood, every morsel of flesh that drops off your body.”
Tequila felt her eyes bulge out of their sockets. She was too terrified to breathe, too stunned to think. And still, the beast walked nearer. He sneered, and then lifted up the scalpel until it was level with his chin.
“Don’t forget to scream,” he whispered.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ella Medler is a U.K. author and free-lance editor. She writes fiction in more than one genre in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books – whatever genre they may be – are action-driven. Well-developed, multi-layered characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor.
Books:
MARTIN LITTLE, RESURRECTED – a lighthearted fantasy novel full of action and unique takes on life. It’s total escapism.
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BLOOD IS HEAVIER – book one in the Hunter Series, an action thriller. An explosive and emotional struggle to save a father’s most treasured possession.
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BLOOD IS POWER – book two in the Hunter Series. The action continues on international level and across multiple timezones. Darker, grittier than the first, and posing questions we’d rather not answer.
Currently Reading
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ETERNAL ISLAND – book one in the Eternal Series, a paranormal romance featuring an original take on vampires and witches, almost a spoof. Funny and entertaining. Collaboration with K.S. Haigwood.
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ETERNAL IMMORTALITY – book two in the Eternal Series. The adventures continue. Abe and Ariana have more than themselves to save this time.
Reviewing Soon
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Future releases:
BLOOD IS THE END (working title)-(book three and last in the Hunter Series)
DEAL WITH IT! – Tequila’s Story – spin-off from the Hunter Series, by popular demand
MARTIN LITTLE TAKES EPIC ACTION (book two in the Martin Little Series)
ETERNAL INCEPTION (book three in the Eternal Series)
ABOUT THREE AUTHORS (women’s fiction, in collaboration with Patti Roberts)
PARIAH (book one in the Unwanted Series – drama)
Author links
Blog – be sure to check for updates on the Hunter Series Page
by Edward Lorn
Published by Red Adept Publishing, LLC
August 2013
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Have I got a scare for you!
Red Adept Publishing has put together an amazing tour for Edward Lorn’s Life After Dane.
I have a peek inside for you. Chapter One!
Read on to catch my review and the scary good trailer.
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
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Where you can purchase Life After Dane.
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Goodreads
Description
A mother’s love is undying… and so is Dane.
After the state of Arkansas executes serial killer Dane Peters, the Rest Stop Dentist, his mother discovers that life is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.
The driving force behind his ghostly return lies buried in his family’s dark past. As Ella desperately seeks a way to lay her son’s troubled soul to rest, she comes face to face with her own failings.
If Ella cannot learn why her son has returned and what he seeks, then the reach of his power will destroy the innocent, and not even his mother will be able to stop him.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjpkCSgpfuQ]
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Chapter One
The state of Arkansas put my son to sleep on October 25, 2013. All across the country, from Colorado to Virginia, forty-two families were finally able to rest. I knew those grieving souls by faces, not personalities. Their tears were familiar, yet their pain was not. I could recall their loved ones easily, as they were the victims. My son’s name was Dane Peters. The rest of the world called him The Rest Stop Dentist.
Not everybody from Dane’s many court sessions came that night. The watch room only held thirty chairs, and nine were taken up by the cops who had arrested my son, two local reporters, and Sven Gödel, a freelance journalist from Chicago.
When the guards led my son into the execution chamber, he strode tall, his face bereft of emotion. At some point, they’d shaved his head. His mop of brown shag was a five o’clock ghost of its former self. While one officer unshackled Dane, the other made ready the straps on the cross-like table where Dane would serve his final sentence. Unencumbered, Dane stretched his arms wide, bent back at the waist, and rocked forward to meet my eyes.
A chill ran down my spine. He looked so calm, the exact opposite of me. I could feel my hands shaking around the Bible I clutched to my stomach. Oh, God, they’re actually going to kill my child. If I had died, they would have called Dane an orphan, but what would they call a childless mother? At fifty-five, I was left all alone.
Dane groped at the front of his orange jumpsuit, patted it flat, and turned toward the awaiting table. Never breaking eye contact, he craned his neck so he could keep a bead on me. My baby boy was in there somewhere, hiding behind that cold stare. I felt myself reaching for him, though I hadn’t meant to do so.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned my head to find a man wearing a police officer’s uniform.
“You know,” he said, “that’s two-way glass. He can’t actually see you.”
Looking back at my son, I tried to tell myself that the man behind me was wrong. He had to be. Dane was gazing directly at me, into me. He sat on the edge of the metal table, twisted, and threw his legs up onto the surface, then lay back and looked toward the ceiling. The guards went about belting him down. Dane lifted his head, met my eyes, and gave me a mirthless smile.
The officer behind me said, “That monster must think he’s something. Look at that smug expression painted all over his mug. He ain’t a bit sorry ’bout what he done.”
Dane blinked twice and settled back on the table.
Too low for anyone else to hear, I said, “He’s not a monster. He’s my son.”
Dane was thirty years old when they put an IV in his arm and dosed him with pentobarbital to render him unconscious. A pump injected him with pancuronium bromide to relax his breathing until his lungs quit altogether. Potassium chloride, the “humane drug,” ceased the beating of his heart before the failure of his lungs became too painful. I watched, seated with the families of the victims, while my son was put down like a rabid dog.
One of the men behind the glass finally said, “It’s over.”
The father of Lillie Mason clapped, putting his hands together, slowly at first, then faster. Vickie Hancock’s mother joined in. Fredericka Devereau’s parents followed along until everyone surrounding me fell into a fit of raucous applause. I didn’t feel the need to celebrate my child’s death, so I remained stoic and silent.
Dane’s body was transferred from the execution table to a beige body bag atop the stainless surface of an awaiting gurney. I’d seen enough.
Rising from my chair, I took an unsteady step forward and almost fell. A hand wrapped around my bicep, keeping me upright. Glancing to see who’d saved me from a tumble, I came face to face with that Chicago journalist, Sven Gödel.
He asked, “Are you all right?”
“Leave me alone.” I snatched my arm from his grasp, turned on my heel, and headed for the door.
Sven called after me, “We should talk, Mrs. Peters.”
I didn’t justify his comment with an answer.
The watch room door opened onto a courtyard surrounded on all sides by razor-wire-topped fencing. October in Arkansas wasn’t quite as cool as back home in Colorado. In fact, the air was uncomfortably warm, like sitting down on a public toilet and finding the previous users’ body heat radiating up into my own butt. Sweat popped out on my forehead. I swiped it away with the back of one hand.
At the main gate, a bald prison guard let me out into the free world. I thought of it like that, “the free world,” because during Dane’s trial and the time up until his death, I’d felt like a prisoner alongside him. With Dane gone, I was free.
I crossed the parking lot to my gold Camry. Once behind the wheel, I let my emotions take over. Tears choked me. To clear my pipes, I lit a Virginia Slim and allowed the menthol to soothe my clogged throat.
I smoked the entire cigarette in less than three minutes. I rolled down my window and flicked the butt into the prison’s lot, leaving a piece of myself behind. Lighting another one, I drove away from that edifice of justice, wondering what else I had left back there. That thought haunted me across seven hundred miles, two fast-food cheeseburgers, four restroom breaks, and a whole pack of Slims, until I crossed the city limits of Well Being, Colorado. Home sweet home.
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My Review
I’ve read several of Edward’s books and I have to say Life After Dane is his best work yet.
I would call it a psychological thriller and horror story. But it’s more than that. You could also call it a ghost story but it isn’t a house that’s haunted.
They say a serial killer can be born one or made into one. I’m not sure which it was for Dane, but he was prolific, killing 42 people. His moniker, The Rest Stop Dentist, was earned because he stalked and killed his victims at rest stops and left a trail of their teeth, like bread crumbs, leading to their discarded corpses.
Like in real life, the law does catch up with him and on October 25, 2013, Dane Peters is sent to hell.
But Dane isn’t planning on staying there, and before long, he pays a visit to his loving mother, the chain-smoking woman who stood by and watched him suffer at the hands of his abusive father.
Dane is back and he wants his own brand of justice.
I like how the author showed you both sides of the story, both Danes and his mother, Ella May’s. It helped me to see behind their actions and connect with them.
Dane is horrific, but you almost feel sorry for him. Good writing there.
Ella May is sweet and loving, but she’ll tick you off, making you want to slap her down. More good writing.
I would put the pacing of this story as relentless. Once you start reading, you’ll not want to stop until the white-knuckled read is over.
When I reached the end, my heart was pounding in my ears and my jaw ached from clenching my teeth. I just sat there, thinking. Then I got up and grabbed a romance book to read so I wouldn’t be thinking about Dane when I went to sleep!
5 Stars
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Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.
For more about Edward Lorn and his books:
Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon
Edward’s page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.com/edward-lorn/
Edward’s blog: http://edwardlorn.wordpress.com/
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Prizes:
$20 Amazon Gift Certificate
$10 Amazon Gift Certificate
Dane Tote Bag
Dane Mug
Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.
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I’ve read other books by Edward and loved them.
Go HERE for my reviews
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For all of my giveaways go HERE.
Goddess Fish has put together an awesome Blurb Blitz!
I am a huge fan of suspense, thrillers, and horror and these books by Joan Hall Hovey sound like they have everything in them to make this some scary good reading!
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.
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Nowhere To Hide
Eppie Winner ~ Best Thriller – 1992
SHE DARED TO CHALLENGE A MERCILESS KILLER
Raised in an atmosphere of violence and unpredictability, Ellen and Gail Morgan have banded together, survivors of a booze-fertilized battleground, forming a fierce united front against an often cold and uncaring world. When their parents are killed in a car crash, Ellen becomes the mother figure for Gail.
When fifteen years later Gail is brutally raped and murdered in her shabby New York basement apartment, practically on the eve of her big breakthrough as a singer, Ellen is inconsolable. Rage at her younger sister’s murder has nearly consumed her. So when her work as a psychologist wins her an appearance on the evening news, Ellen seizes the moment. Staring straight into the camera, she challenges the killer to come out of hiding: “Why don’t you come after me? I’ll be waiting for you.”
Phone calls flood the station, but all leads go nowhere. The police investigation seems doomed to failure. Then it happens: a note, written in red ink, slipped under the windshield wipers of her car, ‘YOU’RE IT.’ Ellen has stirred the monster in his lair … and the hunter has become the hunted!
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Defective
Therapist Melanie Snow is driving to her office when her Honda is struck by a dark-colored van and sent spinning into a ditch, where it catches fire. The driver never stops. A passerby pulls Melanie from the car just seconds before it explodes.
Waking from the coma nine days later, she is devastated to find she is blind.
As Melanie struggles to cope with her new reality, life as a blind woman, her fragile state of mind is further threatened by a madman who is stalking and strangling disabled women. The first two victims were mentally challenged and Detective Matt O’Leary, who carries a torch for Melanie, (even though Melanie is engaged to someone else) tells himself she is not the killer’s targeted prey. But then a woman who lost a leg to cancer is murdered, and another physically disabled woman is stalked. Even with a whole town in terror, Melanie refuses to live her life in fear and reopens her practice in the basement of her home. She has a living to earn.
And Detective Matt O’Leary must find a way to keep Melanie safe until the monster is caught. But how? Her door is now open to the public and the killer can just walk through anytime he chooses.
And he does.
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A peek inside DEFECTIVE
It was mid-afternoon, overcast, and The East End Mall in Kingsdale was crowded with shoppers. The Eraser, as he liked to think of himself, sat at one of the molded plastic tables by himself, nursing a Pepsi and eating fries from a small cardboard plate, and people watching. It was one of his favorite things to do, especially in nice weather when the girls wore shorts or tight jeans, some with their tanned midriffs bare, skimpy tops that showed off their boobs and skinny jeans that accentuated their tight little butts. Why not? He was a normal guy, he told himself. He avoided looking at the ones with flab hanging over their waistbands. He had girlfriend once or twice, but it didn’t last. The last one said he was weird and just stopped returning his calls. Well, to hell with her.
His eye strayed momentarily to the big screen monitor advertising Nike sneakers. Then it changed to a rent-a-car commercial and on to something else, but he’d already looked away. Idly dipping a French fry in the small pool of ketchup on his plate, he popped it in his mouth and went back to girl-watching. They did little for him today. His hand moved to cover the scratch that the retard left on his cheek, though it was fading now. That Polysporin ointment was good stuff.
Music played over the sound system, competing with the jabbering of shoppers, nothing he recognized. Probably supposed to keep people shopping, buying junk they didn’t need. His gaze narrowed ever so slightly as a young girl with a silver ring in her lower lip and wearing black eyeliner got up from a table not far from him and limped heavily to the waste bin and dumped in the remainder of her meal, a half-eaten hamburger, fries. She sat the tray on top of the stack. Behind her, someone called out, “Hey, Lana,” and the girl turned in his direction and took a step forward so he could see her full-length; she looked past his shoulder and waved. He felt his heartbeat rev up, his throat go dry.
She had short dark hair, and was wearing a khaki skirt and cream-colored blouse. Her dimpled smile, the gleam of white, even teeth barely registered on him. He didn’t even glance behind him at the woman who had called out to her. He had no interest. As he had no genuine interest in the woman who returned the wave, really.
No. It was her foot in its big brown shoe that drew and held his attention. Not brown exactly, but like tea when you put milk in it. Taupe. Yes, that was what his mother called that color. It was all he could see when he looked at her: that big clunking shoe. So ugly it offended him, as deformities of any kind offended him. Even horrified him. A chill had crept down his back. He had to work extra hard to keep the disgust and pity from his face. She was a mistake. A blight, a tragic spawn. She must be erased. Like when you’re a kid and you draw a picture of something and it doesn’t come out right. You just erase it. Or rip out the page, and start again.
He was the eraser of mistakes. The good Lord had chosen him to do this work. Not that he was blaming God. No, there was no blame to be handed out here. Some small voice told him his reasoning was flawed, that that wasn’t why they had to die. But he wasn’t listening. As people were born of sin, women carried the faulty limbs, twisted features and minds within them. Carriers. As his mother had been a carrier, her womb spewing forth a defective, barely human—thing. Not the defective’s fault either. But since the flaw couldn’t be repaired, the whole issue had to be erased. The burden lifted. The Eraser held that kind of power; he could end suffering, change lives for the better. He remembered well the very moment he had changed his own life but no time for that now. She was heading for the exit doors. He rose casually from his chair, tossing the remainder of his own fries and drink into the trash, dropped his tray on top of hers, and followed. He was really following the ‘shoe’. His eyes were riveted on the shoe. It filled his vision, his consciousness. That big, ugly shoe that rose and fell, rose and fell, her left hip dipping in sync, the shoe dragging it downward, seeming an entity in itself. When she stepped through the automatic doors into the grey, drizzly day, he was right behind her. Close enough to touch her. He buried his hands deep in his pockets to stifle the urge.
The bus pulled up with a hiss of air brakes and a belch of exhaust, and she hitched herself up onto the step. He followed, paid his fare. His bike was chained and locked in the parking lot; it would be fine. She took a side seat near the driver, and he sat himself two seats behind her and pretended to look out the window.
In the grayness of the day, his reflection in the glass was faint, but almost at once he could see his reflection begin to morph into that of another, as she had once been. A raindrop ran down the window and caught one corner of her mouth like the drool he remembered, couldn’t forget, and he could not tear his eyes away. The small voice in his head spoke to him, sending the familiar chill through him, as if his heart had just received an infusion of ice water. The voice could form words now, where once it was capable only of mindless gibberish. “You know it’s me in there, don’t you. I’m watching you. I’ve come back. I’ll always come back. I’ll never leave you.”
“No! No!”
Fearing he had cried out, he jerked his head around in sudden panic, but no one on the bus was looking at him. One man was reading a newspaper. A woman was talking and smiling at her little boy. Relief swept through him, but he was trembling just the same. A Chinese man seated across from him turned the page in his paperback, paying him no mind.
The girl had put earphones in her ears and her lips were moving to a song only she could hear. Her legs were crossed, the shoe swinging in time, mocking him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
In addition to her critically acclaimed novels, Joan Hall Hovey’s articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Toronto Star, Atlantic Advocate, Seek, Home Life Magazine, Mystery Scene, The New Brunswick Reader, Fredericton Gleaner, New Freeman and Kings County Record. Her short story Dark Reunion was selected for the anthology investigating Women, Published by Simon & Pierre.
Ms. Hovey has held workshops and given talks at various schools and libraries in her area, including New BrunswickCommunity College, and taught a course in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. For a number of years, she has been a tutor with WinghillSchool, a distance education school in Ottawa for aspiring writers.
She is a member of the Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick, past regional Vice-President of Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
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Praise for Joan Hall Hovey’s Books
“…suspense that puts her right up there with the likes of Sandford and Patterson…” Ingrid Taylor for Small Press Review
“…Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King come to mind, but JOAN HALL HOVEY is in a Class by herself!…”
J.D. Michael Phelps, Author of My Fugitive, David Janssen
“…CANADIAN MISTRESS OF SUSPENSE…The author has a remarkable ability to turn up the heat on the suspense… great characterizations and dialogue…” James Anderson, author of Deadline
“…a gripping style that wrings emotions from everyday settings. Oh and by the way …is your door locked?” Linda Hersey – Fredericton Gleaner
“…will keep readers holding their breath until the very end…” inthelibraryreview, Melissa Parcel
“This one is a chiller – you won’t be able to put it down – guaranteed!”– Rendezvous Magazine
“If you are looking for the suspense thriller of the year-look no further…you will find it in Nowhere To Hide…” Jewel Dartt Midnight Scribe Reviews
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Joan will award one randomly drawn commenter a $50 gift certificate for sunglasses at Sunglasses Shack (US/Canada only).
Hey, it’s summertime. Who couldn’t use a cool new pair of sunglasses!
You can get more entries by following the tour here.
Visit each stop, catch some exciting blurbs and excerpts and leave a nice comment. Each comment gets you another entry for some sunglasses! Have fun.
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For all my giveaways go here.
Wait until you check out these amazing books by Laura Deluca.
Remember Phantom of the Opera?
Of course you do.
Laura Deluca puts her own spin on it with Demon and Phantom.
Her cover art is awesome and she has a fantastic giveaway for you!
Phantom, Dark Musicals Trilogy Book #1 and Demon-Dark Musicals Trilogy Book #2
by Laura DeLuca
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Demon, Dark Musicals Book Two
Blurb
When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn
It doesn’t help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca’s father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.
Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.
Phantom, Dark Musicals Book One
Blurb
The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.
Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.
Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty-first century phantom finally be revealed.
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Enjoy this teaser Excerpt
Demon
Rebecca unwound the silver ribbon. When she lifted the lid, she found two matching pendants, each laced to a long hemp chain. They were shaped sort of like seashells, with an endless spiral pattern that looped out from the center as the chambers grew larger. They were dark brown in color with a few hints of tan along the edges. The stones had been polished and smoothed on both sides, but when she lifted them, she could see that the two pieces fit together perfectly. She swore the halves fought to snap together, like magnets in her hand. There was an energy pulsing and vibrating within the stones that even a novice witch like Rebecca could feel.
“They’re beautiful,” Rebecca whispered as she ran her hand along the intricate grooves.
“It’s an ammonite.” Justyn lifted one of the pendants, brushed her hair to the side, and hooked the clasp around her neck. His breath tickled her skin as his hands moved with graceful dexterity, giving her goose bumps despite the humid August night. “They’re actually fossils that are millions of years old, named after Ammon, an ancient Egyptian deity. When they’re divided in half, they’re perfect mirrors of one another. Some cultures believe that if the two halves are given to lovers, it will bind them together forever. When made into necklaces, they’re often called soul mate pendants.”
“Wo-wow,” Rebecca stuttered. As usual, the sentiment behind Justyn’s gift was even more beautiful than the gift itself. It left her a little flustered. “That’s amazing. How do you know all this stuff?”
“You don’t spend eighteen years living with Darlene without learning a thing or two.”
Rebecca laughed. Justyn’s mother Darlene was definitely something special. EMT, exotic belly dancer, and Wiccan High Priestess were only a few of the titles she claimed. Rebecca knew she was a fountain of earth-based knowledge after years of studying the Craft. As Darlene’s new apprentice, Rebecca greedily dipped into that knowledge herself as often as possible.
“It’s beautiful,” Rebecca repeated, too overcome with emotion to think of anything more eloquent to say. “You certainly know how to make things interesting.”
“Like I told you on our first date, I try not to be boring.” He winked at her. “So … are you going to put mine on for me?”
“Oh yeah … sorry.”
Rebecca giggled as she lifted the hemp chain. She wasn’t nearly as graceful as Justyn. She almost dropped the necklace in the sand three times before she managed to get the clasp locked. When she finally had it secured, he placed his hand over her heart, where the ammonite lay. He did the same with her hands, lifting them to his chest. His dark eyes had lost all glimmer of humor. He met her gaze with a stare filled with genuine emotion. Beneath her fingers, she could feel the gentle, steady rhythm of his heart beating in perfect tune with her own.
“Our love will span both space and time. In this life and the next, you shall be mine. All eternity I will be by your side. For a love so strong cannot be denied. Spirit and flesh merged into one. So mote it be, for all days to come.”
When he was done with the recitation, he kissed her. Not just a gentle brush, but a deep, passionate embrace that left her throat tight and her heart pounding with a familiar yearning.
“I’ve never heard that poem before,” she said once she’d caught her breath. “Who are you quoting?”
Even in the moonlight, she could see him blush. “I guess I was quoting myself. It was really more of an incantation than a poem though. These necklaces are meant to be a symbol of our love, and it seemed a little spell work could only add to the power of the stones. There is power in words, Becca. Just like there is power in nature.”
“You mean, you wrote that?”
He nodded, but his eyes twinkled, and the playfulness was back in his voice. “Well, actually, I just made it up as I went along.”
“Wow. Actor, singer, and now an improv poet slash chant writer. Is there anything you can’t do, Lord Justyn?”
He smiled and tilted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I can’t stop loving you.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.
Social Media Links:
http://authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/authorlauradeluca
http://pinterest.com/authorldeluca/
http://www.goodreads.com/authorlauradeluca
If you haven’t read the first book in the series, now is a great time to get your copy. To celebrate the release of Demon, Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99 exclusively on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-ebook/dp/B007Q3W7XC/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/146617
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phantom-laura-deluca/1109825093?ean=9780984680092
Buy Links for Demon:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299593
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/demon-laura-deluca/1114955103?ean=2940016600147
GIVEAWAY
Laura will be awarding to a US Only Winner:
a signed copy of Phantom with original cover, crystal geode, rough crystal point, stone pendant, sterling silver pentacle pendant, mini Buddha figurine, smudge stick with abalone shell, 2 Gothic style key chains, incense set with leaf holder and lavender purification bath salts.
Follow the tour here.
****Click on the link below to enter this amazing giveaway!****
When I learned that Shadow of Danger had a killer on the loose and the main characters were a clairvoyant who envisions the murders and an intriguing former FBI agent from a private criminal investigation agency, I knew this would be filled with thrills and intrigued.
Read on to learn more and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Shadow of Danger
by Kristine Mason
Available now on Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes
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BLURB:
Four women have been found dead in the outskirts of a small Wisconsin town. The only witness, clairvoyant Celeste Risinski, observes these brutal murders through violent nightmares and hellish visions. The local sheriff, who believes in Celeste’s abilities and wants to rid their peaceful community of a killer, enlists the help on an old friend, Ian Scott, owner of a private criminal investigation agency, CORE. Because of Ian’s dark history with Celeste’s family, a history she knows nothing about, he sends his top criminalist, former FBI agent John Kain to investigate.
John doesn’t believe in Celeste’s mystic hocus-pocus, or in her visions of the murders. But just when he’s certain they’ve solved the crimes, with the use of science and evidence, more dead bodies are discovered. Could this somehow be the work of the same killer or were they dealing with a copycat? To catch a vicious murderer, the skeptical criminalist reluctantly turns to the sensual psychic for help. Yet with each step closer to finding the killer, John finds himself one step closer to losing his heart.
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Excerpt (Bad Guy’s POV)
He clenched his jaw as he stared at the woods, the CSU vans, the cruisers, and controlled the rage, the betrayal coursing through him. Garrett had gone behind his back. He’d killed without him.
Without him.
Worse yet, he’d dumped bodies out in the open where anyone could find them?
When his vision blurred with hatred, causing a kaleidoscope of oranges, reds and yellow as he stared at the trees, he quickly reined in his temper. He needed to keep his cool, not allow his judgment, his instincts to be warped with vengeance against his brother. He’d deal with Garrett later.
Despite the anger surging through him, he fought a smile. If only that cocky son of a bitch knew he’d had a little fun of his own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I didn’t pick up my first romance novel until I was in my late twenties. Immediately hooked, I read a bazillion books before deciding to write one of my own. After the birth of my first son I needed something to keep my mind from turning to mush, and Sesame Street wasn’t cutting it. While that first book will never see the light of day, something good had come from writing it. I realized my passion, and had found a career that I love.
When I’m not writing contemporary romances and dark, romantic suspense novels (or reading them!) I’m chasing after my four kids and two neurotic dogs.
LINKS:
FACE BOOK: http://www.facebook.com/kristine.mason.1029
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KristineMason7
WEBSITE: www.kristinemason.net
Books available on Amazon, B & N, iBooks
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Giveaway
Kristine will be awarding four (4) print copies of Pick Me (US only) and three (3) $10 Amazon GCs to randomly drawn commenters during the tour.
Make sure you follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
