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Posts Tagged ‘urban fantasy’

Time to go to work Yancy ~ Wendigo Rising ~ Release Day ~ Series Reviews

Posted: November 4, 2015 in Blitz, Release day, reviews, urban fantasy
Tags: Author James A. Hunter, reviews, The Yancy Lazarus Series, urban fantasy, Wendigo Rising

I was beyond happy dancing when I got my hands on Wendigo Rising.

snoopy dancing photo: dancing snoopy dancingsnoopy.jpg

I love Yancy Lazarus.

For today, I’m sharing reviews for all three books in the series.

Come on in and stay for a while.

Wendigo Rising:

A Yancy Lazarus Novel

Episode Three

James A. Hunter

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Shadow Alley Press

Date of Publication: November 3rd, 2015

ASIN: B0163REPD6

Number of pages: 400

Word Count: 110,000

Cover Artist: Dane EbookLaunch.com

My Review

A Sasquatch! Yancy Lazarus meets Big Foot. How could I not love this book.

Yancy has charmed me from the very beginning. Not by his looks, he’s okay. Not by his smoking and drinking, does way too much of that. And definitely not because of his behavior. But, in spite of it.

Now, he’s teamed up with a sasquatch who needs his help. Seems one of his kind has gone off the rails, munching on flesh, cannibalizing his own species, and liking it too much.

Now, these beings like their privacy. They’ve managed to stay secluded, with everyone believing they don’t exist. One rogue sasquatch could put them on the front page and here comes the hunters. Not good at all.

In comes the big bad Wendigo. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another, and the state of Montana may be one big ghost town if Yancy doesn’t take care of it.

If that isn’t enough, Yancy’s still trying to stop the supernatural beings and their plans for armageddon.

When I wasn’t snortin with laughter, I was talking out loud. Cheering Yancy on. The poor guy just wants a break. Some time off to smoke, drink, and jam some blues. Not today, Yancy

As with the first two books, I ate this up. The author kept the suspense ramped up, threw in some new supernatural beings, put Yancy through the wringer, and continued to make me laugh.

I’ve been thinking about who should play the part of Yancy if there were a movie. I’m going with Russell Crow or Gerard Butler. Picture them in Gladiator and The 300.

Still lovin Yancy Lazarus, and still wanting more.

5 Stars

***

Synopsis

Bigfoot is real. Yancy Lazarus—mage, bluesman, and rambler—knows because there happens to be a nine-foot-tall, walking myth standing in the road, flagging him down.

Yancy just can’t escape his reputation as a supernatural Fix-it man even when cruising through the forgotten backwoods of Montana. Turns out Bigfoot has a serious problem on his hands: one of his own has gone rogue, developing a taste for the flesh of humans and Sasquatch alike. A greater Wendigo has risen for the first time in thousands of years and if Yancy can’t stop the creature it could be a slaughter for the residents of a rural Montana town.

But even with the monstrous threat looming on the horizon, Yancy has bigger fish to fry. He’s working as an agent of Fate, attempting to put the kibosh on a nefarious scheme, aimed at upsetting the tenuous balance between the supernatural nations. When your boss is Lady Luck, however, nothing is ever left to chance, and his two cases may have more in common than it appears. If he can’t figure out the missing link it could usher in a new world order: an age of inhuman creatures and walking nightmares … one where Yancy Lazarus doesn’t exist.

Available at Amazon

Enjoy The Excerpt:

Bigfoot is real. I know the existence of this nigh-mythical figure is pretty controversial in a lot of circles; tons of drunken bar brawls and fistfights have started over this very topic. Money, religion, politics, and Bigfoot: these are the things best avoided in polite conversation. Unless, of course, you want someone to punch you in the nose or call the men in white jackets. Don’t believe me? Next Thanksgiving, ask your assorted family members their thoughts on Bigfoot and see where the conversation goes. It’ll be entertaining, that much I can promise.

Me, though? I’ve never been one for polite conversation, and I’d love to see the crazy-police try to haul my ass in.

Plus, this isn’t some delusional, government-conspiracy, paranoia thing. I know Bigfoot is real. There was one standing in the road, flagging me down.

Jeez, my life.

I’d glimpsed one years ago and at a distance. A rare encounter. The creatures—Chiye-tanka, for those in the know—are elusive as hell and covet their privacy like paparazzi-weary celebs, evidenced by the fact that no one has ever managed to get much on ’em despite what basically amounts to a nationwide ape hunt. They’re monstrously big and about as inconspicuous as a pro wrestler sporting a neon pink tutu, but they’re also faster than the Road Runner high on speed, uncannily quiet, and boast some crazy-impressive skills with illusion and glamour constructs.

Apparently, the creature standing in the road was the slow kid in the class, the one sitting in the corner with the dunce cap, because this big, hairy roadblock was taking approximately zero percent of the usual Bigfoot evasive precautions. Might as well have been wearing a road guard vest and waving a friggin’ hand flare.

He was colossal, nine feet easy, all mud-colored hair and muscle. Lots and lots of muscle—heck, his muscles had muscles with their own gym membership. He was built on the same scale as a gorilla, only bigger. Much bigger. His face was leathery black and flat, surrounded by flecks of silvered hair. He had deep recessed eyes of brilliant green, which regarded me with a strangely thoughtful expression.

He didn’t look particularly pissed off, which was good since I was sure he could throw me into orbit with those big ol’ monkey arms. Either that or put an asteroid-sized dent in the hood of my ’86 El Camino—part car, part mobile home, and one hundred percent badass—the worse of the two options in my book. I braked since there was no point in trying to run the walking carpet over. With my luck, a collision would level my car without putting so much as a dent in Kong. I slowed to a crawl, the engine rumbling beneath me as I tried to decide what in the hell to do. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel.

Dammit.

~~~~

Strange Magic

A Yancy Lazarus Novel

Episode One

My Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From the first paragraph –

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

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

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

5 Stars

***

Synopsis

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

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

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

Available at Amazon

~~~~

A Yancy Lazarus Novel

Episode Two

My Review

Once again, Yancy Lazarus is on the job.

He’d like nothing better than to enjoy some good blues music, chain smoke some cigarettes, and throw back some shots, chasing them with a few beers. But nope. Instead he has to rescue some kid who’s been kidnapped and dragged below to the Winter regions.

It’s no pick-nick there. lots of tunnels, bitter cold, and some really nasty Fae that want to eat him for dinner.

Known as the Fix-It man, it’s just another case and with a few bumps and bruises, and spilled blood, Yancy takes care of business. Except, it doesn’t stop there.

Things are hinky. Others are scheming to open the supernatural gates, inviting in all manner of beasts. Can’t be good for mankind, or Yancy. It’s gonna get tricky without his VIS, his powers.

Aah, Yancy. You can’t help but love him. He’s not a good catch. Smokes too much. Drinks too much. And kind of lazy. And he’s a lot older than he looks. But there’s something about him. Once you get past his smart mouth, you find he has a large heart, even though he tries to hide it behind a cavalier attitude. I’m thinking a lot of you men can relate with Yancy.

Like the first book, the action is wild, the beings are out of this world, in more ways than one, and Yancy charms you yet again.

Sorry Mom. I know you warned me about the bad boys. But, I just love Yancy.

And I love this series. I sure you hope you give it a try. It’s all good.

5 Stars

***

Synopsis

Yancy Lazarus just wants to be left alone. He wants play his blues music, smoke a few cigarettes, and otherwise leave the supernatural world to fend for itself.

He especially wants to be left alone by the Guild of the Staff—the mage ruling body—where he used to work as a Fix-It man. But when a little kid gets nabbed by an ancient Fae creature from the nether regions of Winter and the Guild refuses to set things right, he just can’t seem to heed good sense and leave things be.

Nothing’s ever easy though. Turns out, the kidnapping is just the tip of one big ol’ iceberg of pain and trouble. It seems some nefarious force is working behind the scenes to try and unhinge the tenuous balance between the supernatural nations and usher in a new world order. So now, if Yancy ever hopes to see the bottom of another beer bottle, he’s gonna have to partner up with an FBI agent—an agent who’s been hunting him for years—in order to bring down a nigh-immortal, douchebag mage from a different era. And to top it off, Yancy’s gonna have to pull it off without his magical powers … Boy, some days just aren’t worth getting out of bed for.

Available at Amazon

~~~~

About the Author:

James A. Hunter

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

Okay … the last one is only in my imagination.

Currently, I work as a missionary and international aid worker with my wife and young daughter in Bangkok, Thailand. When I’m not working, writing, or spending time with family, I occasionally eat and sleep. Strange Magic is the first novel in the Yancy Lazarus series—the third, full-length novel, Wendigo Rising, just released on November 3rd, 2015.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

~~~~~

Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonluknew!

Stay cool!

The Friday 56 #83 ~ Guarded ~ A Silverton Chronicles Novel

Posted: October 23, 2015 in Shifters, Supernatural, The Friday 56, urban fantasy, Vampires
Tags: Author Carmen Fox, Freda's Voice, Guarded, The Silverton Chronicles, urban fantasy

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from

Guarded

The Silverton Chronicles

by Carmen Fox

My 56

This is a scene where Florian, Flo for short, was panicked after he couldn’t find Ivy.

“I’m okay. But I could do with a friend.”

“Okay.” He hung up. A few beats later, the phone rang. “Me again,” Flo said. “You do mean me, right?”

“Who else?”

“I’ll be right over.”

I rolled me eyes and smiled. Dork.

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

Ivy’s neighbors have a secret. They aren’t human. But Ivy has a secret, too. She knows. As long as everyone keeps quiet, she’s happy working as a P.I. by day and chillaxing with her BFF Florian, a vampire, by night. When a routine pickup drops her in the middle of a murder, her two worlds collide. While Florian knows how to throw a punch, deep down he’s a softie. His idea of scary? Running out of hair product. It’s time Ivy faced facts. Even with a vampire on stand-by, one gal can only kick so many asses.

For help, she must put her faith in others. A human, who might just be the one. A demon, who will, for a price, open the doors to her heritage. And a werewolf, who wants to protect her from herself.

Torn between these men, Ivy must tread carefully, because one wants her heart, one wants her body, and one wants her dead.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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

The Friday 56 #82 ~ My Life As A White Trash Zombie

Posted: October 16, 2015 in horror, The Friday 56, urban fantasy, Zombies
Tags: Author Diana Rowland, Horror, My Life AsA White Trash Zombie, urban fantasy, zombies

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from

My Life As A White Trash Zombie

by Diana Rowland

9640626

My 56

Usually if I craved something, I ate it. Simple. I didn’t need anyone else to tell me it was okay and that I should go for it.

But I’d been craving brains. The smell was like chocolate and cookies and biscuits and gravy and everything else that was delicious. It damn near drove me crazy every time I had to touch one. I’d been fighting the cravings the way I’d never fought the urge to take drugs or get drunk.

~~~~

My Review

Angel is no angel. She’s a pill popping addict with a felony record and she can’t hold down a job. She’s also a zombie.

When she wakes up in the hospital, she thinks she’s lucky to be alive after overdosing on pain pills. But then she starts getting these weird cravings, and she can’t seem to eat enough to get full.

An anonymous note leads her to apply for and land a job at the morgue. That’s when her craving shows it’s true colors. That sweet smell that’s making her stomach growl in hunger is brains.

What better job for a zombie than to work at the morgue. Nobody will miss a few brains here or there. I suspect any zombie would want the job. Another advantage is not having to worry about being so hungry you lose control and attack someone.

But someone does notice the missing brains. And someone made Angel a zombie for a reason. And even worse, there’s a serial killer racking up a body count and taking the heads. No more brains means Angel will have to find out who the killer is or she might graduate to full dead.

Angel isn’t the most likable character at first. I have little sympathy for drug addicts. Especially when they do harm to others to get their next fix. Once she was turned into a zombie, I hoped she’d take the second chance she’d been given and do something good with her “life.” She has her work cut out for her.

And there’s a possible romance with a sexy deputy. I wondered what he’d think if he knew Angel craved brains.

Angel made me laugh. She made me shake my head in exasperation. Then she grew, accepted the role life gave her. She slowly won me over and made me care about her.

Looking for your next zombie fix. Try this series. It’s fun, kind of gross, (well, it’s about zombies and zombies eat brains), and has a killer plot. And there’s no cliffhanger ending, even though this is the first book in the series. Everything gets wrapped up. Yet it leaves you curious to know where Angel goes from here.

4 Stars

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

Angel Crawford is a loser.

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she’s a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who’s been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn’t have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there’s a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it’s an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.

Before she knows it she’s dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she’s hungriest!

Angel’s going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn’t, she’s dead meat.

Literally.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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

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

Posted: August 17, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Guest Post, Paranormal or fantasy
Tags: Author R.L. King, paranormal, Stone and a Hard Place and The Forgotten, urban fantasy

I have a great series to share with you today, along with a fantastic giveaway and exciting excerpt.

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

Please welcome R. L. King

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~~~~

Stone And A Hard Place

Alastair Stone Chronicles #1

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

Debut novel of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.

~~~~~

The Forgotten

Alastair Stone Chronicles #2

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

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

Book Two of the Alastair Stone Chronicles.

~~~~~

Excerpt

“Dr. Stone?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~~~~

Author R.L. King

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

Links:

Writer Website / Publisher Website / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

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

Buy link for The Forgotten (Book 2)

~~~~~

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

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

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

Mage Assassin by K R Yaddof ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

Posted: August 10, 2015 in Book Blast, Dystopian, giveaways, urban fantasy
Tags: Author K R Yaddof, dystopian, Mages Assassin #3, series, urban fantasy

A little magic.

A little danger.

Some villains.

Some romance.

A great time to be had by all!

Mage Assassin

Mages #3

by K R Yaddof

Synopsis

Lauren Trinidad is the best private security money in the League of European Nations can buy. She’s been trained by her father for her entire life to protect the good guys from the bad. But when the good guys seem to be working for the mad man responsible for blowing the world into chaos and her family is suddenly the bad, she is forced to choose between what she is taught to do and what she thinks is right.

Captain David Trinidad is the best soldier the New Republic of Texas can find to pull off a secret mission that will decide the fate of the small country. He’s been raised in his military family to do anything to help his homeland. But when he discovers he is the only chance at saving someone he loves, he has to choose between the only two things in his life that he’s never doubted.

Meagan Trinidad is the best assassin the United Countries of America has for hire. She has walked the tightrope between making her father proud and protecting those she cares about for a while. But when her work threatens to destroy her friends, she must choose between the familial loyalty that has guided her whole life and the promise of being loved for who she is and not what she does.

~~~~~

Enjoy the excerpt.

“I did, but I saw a few suspicious characters before I left, so I stopped them from killing everyone.”

“Oh, you did, huh?” He smiled that charming grin that made her forgive him for anything.

“Yeah, because I’m smooth like that.” She couldn’t help but smile back.

“Sure you are.” He laughed and crossed the room to her. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing,” she lied. Even her teeth hurt.

“Here.” He gently took her face in his hand. He blew a thick lock of her chestnut hair back. He ran his finger over the bruise and whispered, “Curatio.”

White-hot magic radiated from his thumb into the center of the pain and slowly flowed over her face, leaving cool relief in its wake. Her hand joined his as she felt her healed face. Her skin was smooth and no longer sore.

“Thanks.” She kissed him softly. His lips felt warm, soft, and familiar. His hands immediately pulled her to him. She stopped him by putting her hands on his chest. “I need a shower.”

“Shall I join you?” He cocked a platinum eyebrow.

~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links

K R Yaddof was lucky enough to take a few writing classes at the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop when she was there as an undergrad getting her degree in cinema. Now she lives in Denver, CO with her husband, two kids, and one fat cat.

KR is currently finds time to write while staying home with her two small children. If you want more MAGES, cross your fingers for her children to start sleeping through the night!

Author Links

Website / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest

Buy Links

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

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

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

Birthright ~ An Ivy Granger Psychic Detective Novel ~ Release Day Giveaway Celebration & Review

Posted: July 14, 2015 in Excerpt, giveaways, Release day, reviews, urban fantasy
Tags: Author E.J. Stevens, Birthright, Ivy Granger Series #4, urban fantasy

Today we are celebrating the release of BIRTHRIGHT, the fourth full-length novel in the award-winning Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens. We have a special book excerpt, commenter prizes, and a HUGE swag giveaway. So grab a cupcake and some punch. It’s time to party!

Birthright by E.J. Stevens Ivy Granger urban fantasy series

Birthright (Ivy Granger #4) by E.J. Stevens

My Review

I started reading this knowing it was the fourth book in the series. I hadn’t read the other books but I usually don’t have a problem jumping into a series midstream. Not so with this one.

The author has built a fascinating world in her urban fantasy series and to fully appreciate and understand the plot, I’d like to have read this series from the beginning. I’m huge on kick butt female protagonists and Ivy Granger is a new favorite of mine. She’s tough, funny, somewhat vulnerable, and loyal to her friends. I just wish I’d met her before so I could see her grow with each new trial she faced.

The story starts with Ivy being dead. Supposedly killed for past transgressions. The what’s and why’s are quickly explained so I was able to grasp the scenario.

As I read more, I stumbled some over the characters I met and how they were involved in Ivy’s life. This is where I almost stopped because I felt I needed to go back and start the series at the beginning. But, I didn’t want to stop. I was having fun and starting to feel like I was getting a grasp on some of the back story.

I’m glad I stuck with this book. Once I relaxed and just went with it, I was well entertained and left wanting more.

The writing is strong, the characters are genuine, and the action is fast and furious.

A good series for urban fantasy fans. I’d recommend you read this series from the beginning though. I didn’t and that’s my bad, so it didn’t affect my rating. I’ll be going back and picking it up from the start. It’ll haunt me until I know how it all began.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Being a faerie princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

Ivy must go to Faerie, but the gateway to the Wisp Court is through Tech
Duinn, the house of Donn—Celtic god of the dead. Just her luck.

Unable to share her secret with Jinx, and with Jenna called away on
Hunters’ Guild business, Ivy must rely on Ceff and Torn to lead her to
Death’s door, literally, and back again. As if that wasn’t dangerous
enough, there’s no saying what horrors lay in store within the Faerie
realm. Too bad the Wisp Court is the one lead Ivy has in the search for
her father—and possible salvation.

Maybe hiding away and dodging sidhe assassins isn’t so bad after all…

Release Date: July 14, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Now available (ebook/trade paperback) at

Amazon, Amazon.uk, Kobo, iTunes, and other fine retailers.

Add Birthright to your TBR list:

Goodreads | Booklikes | Shelfari | LibraryThing

Birthright Book Excerpt

Wisps buzzed through the air, their musical humming rising in pitch
as they darted in for a closer look. I sat on the mossy embankment and
smiled, watching the playful wisps.

With my father’s key helping to guide us, we’d left the deadly bog
and its poisonous gas behind. I breathed deeply, and let out a happy
sigh.

“I don’t know what you’re so happy about,” Torn said, shaking water
from his hair. “We’re covered in mud and smell like troll farts.”

It was true. The sulfurous swamp gasses did smell an awful lot
like something that would come out of Marvin after he ate an entire
cauldron of Kaye’s chili, but I didn’t care. We were alive. And so
far, my wisp brethren weren’t trying to kill me.

I’m not sure what it said about my life that the lack of fratricide
upon my homecoming made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Probably
best not to think too much about it, and just enjoy the moment.

I shrugged, and kept on smiling.

“Well don’t get too comfortable, Fish Breath is on his way over with his pensive face,” Torn said.

He stalked off to sit on a rock a few paces away, but I shrugged
again and closed my eyes, turning my face to the moon and stars above
us. I wasn’t going to let Torn ruin this moment.

“Are you feeling well?” Ceff asked, settling on the mossy ground beside me.

I cracked an eye open, grinning from ear to ear.

“I feel great, never better,” I said. In fact, I felt a bit dizzy
and my lips tingled, like I’d had too much to drink. Only I would get
buzzed off the buzzing of wisps. “Just buzzed off the buzzing.”

I hiccupped, and giggled, the laugh coming out in an undignified snort that startled the nearest wisps.

“Are you sure that you are not angry, or afraid?” he asked.

I forced myself to look up into Ceff’s face. His head was titled
to the side, as if listening for something, but his attention was
focused solely on me.

“I’m fiiine, really,” I said, waving a hand. My eyes widened, and I let out another giggle. “I’m glowing.”

“Which is probably what has his highness’ panties in a bunch,” Torn
said, coming over to tower above me, arms crossed. “There is something
weird about seeing you smile like that, especially when you’re
glowing.”

“What?” I asked. “I smile.”

“Almost never, and when you do, it’s usually because you’re killing
something,” he said. “Not that I’m judging. I’m just saying Fish
Breath has a point. You’re different.”

“She is high on power,” Ceff said, eyes going tight. “I should
have recognized the signs sooner, but I was focused on our flight
through the bog, and then with releasing the water magic that held our
masks together.”

“You think it’s the wisps?” Torn asked.

“That would be my guess,” Ceff said, rubbing his jaw.

“This didn’t happen after our run in with those wisps in Ocean Overlook cemetery, did it?” Torn asked.

“No,” Ceff said. “Not that we noticed. But Ivy was badly wounded
that night, and took days to recover consciousness. And…I…I was not at
my most attentive.”

That was the night that I’d killed his ex-wife. Melusine may have
been the raging psychotic bitch who’d murdered his children, and tried
to kill us as well, but that didn’t mean her death had been easy on
Ceff.

The memory of Ceff’s grief flooded me, pushing the giddiness away.

“I think…I think I’m back to normal now,” I said. I yawned,
covering my mouth with the back of my gloved hand. Ignoring the
encroaching bone deep fatigue, I tried to pull myself to my feet, but
sank back down when a wave of dizziness nearly toppled me over. “I just
need a minute.”

“You are exhausted,” Ceff said, brow wrinkling. “Rest here. I will keep first watch.”

“But my father’s court…” I said, but my words were cut short by another yawn.

“Will still be there tomorrow,” Torn said.

“Plus, I can scout ahead while you sleep,” Ceff said. “We will
make better progress if we are rested and certain of the path ahead.”

“Fine,” I said, eyes fluttering closed. “But just a quick nap.”

The last thing I saw, before losing myself to the darkness of
sleep, was a cloud of wisps hovering over me, lending me their
warmth…and their power.

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Birthright Release Day Giveaway

We are giving away a BIRTHRIGHT t-shirt, button, signed postcard, and mini poster to one lucky winner!

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends August 4, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you all for partying with us!

In addition to the huge swag pack giveaway, we are also giving away Ivy Granger series stickers, buttons, and signed postcards. Each tweet, FB post, and blog comment using the hashtag #BirthrightParty will count as an entry. Winners will be randomly selected throughout the day. So party with us and spread the word all day July 14th for a second chance to win!

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

Cover Reveal ~ Madison’s Song by Christine Amsden

Posted: May 27, 2015 in Cover Reveal, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, urban fantasy
Tags: Author Christine Amsden, Madison's Song, Paranormal romance, urban fantasy

I’m super excited to reveal the cover for Madison’s Song by Christine Amsden

I loved her Cassie Scot series and understand this is a stand alone companion to those.

I was sad to see the end of Cassie Scot and now I’m happy to know that it isn’t really over as I get to follow the stories of other characters in the series!

Check out this cover!

And I’ll be sure to share my review as soon as I get my hands on Madison’s Song!

Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…

Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s nightmares are not.

Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.

Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished. Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And she’s not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott’s are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.

*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series

Ebook Release: July 15, 2015

Tentative Paperback Release: September 15, 2015

~~~~~

Author Christine Amsden

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Links for more about the author and where to get her books:

Website ~ Newsletter ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Google+

~~~~~

The Cassie Scot Series.

Click on the covers for my reviews.

~~~~

Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

The Friday 56 #61 ~ Jill Kismet : The Complete Series

Posted: May 15, 2015 in Meme, The Friday 56, urban fantasy
Tags: Author Lilith Saintcrow, Complete Series, Jill Kismet, urban fantasy

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from

Jill Kismet

The Complete Series: Books One thru Six

by Lilith Saintcrow

My 56 is a bit different this time as this is six books in one. I’ll be choosing a page with the number 56 from each book.

Page 56 Night Shift

“Don’t say a word,” he groaned, leaning back in his chair. “Not one f#!king word, Kiss. I’m warning you.”

Page 356 Hunter’s Prayer

The doorbell rang, but I ignored it. Anyone knocking at my door would either come in and get shot or go away.

Page 556 Redemption Alley

Even among normal humans with no scent of the nightside, there are killers.

Page 856 Flesh Circus

“If she keeps killing Cirque performers there’s going to be trouble.

Page 1056 Heaven’s Spite

He was making a slight crooning sound, too, like a child trying to entice a reluctant dog.

A nasty, sociopathic little child.

Page 1256 Angel Town

“I remember what I did now,” I whispered. ” I damned myself. Didn’t I.”

~~~

Synopsis

Not everyone can take on the things that go bump in the night.

Not everyone tries.

But Jill Kismet is not just anyone.

She’s a Hunter, trained by the best — and in over her head.

Welcome to the night shift…

The omnibus edition of Jill Kismet contains: Night Shift, Hunter’s Prayer, Redemption Alley, Flesh Circus, Heaven’s Spite and Angel Town.

~~~

I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted this on a shelf at my favorite used book store. I’ve read the first book, Night Shift, and loved Kiss. She’s kick ass. And now I have the complete series in one ginormous book. I wonder how much it weighs?LOL There are 1364 pages and a glossary too. It’s over two and a half inches thick. And I just went and weighed it. It’s over two and a half pounds.

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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

A modern ghost story ~ When They Come Calling ~ Kickstarter and Giveaway

Posted: May 6, 2015 in Book Promos, giveaways, Romance, Supernatural, urban fantasy
Tags: Author Sarah Fleming Mountford, ghosts, romance, Supernatural, urban fantasy, When They Come Calling

Do you like Kickstarters? Do you like Ghost Stories? How about Giveaways?

We’re excited to share something a little different with you today. Atthis Arts is a small independent publisher that uses crowdfunding in its partnership-publishing model to market and pre-sell upcoming titles. Kickstarter rewards are a fun way to get unique book items that won’t be available with the published book. Rewards offered include naming a character in the book, a one-of-a kind hardcover edition containing an illustration of you with the book’s protagonist, and even a reward for self-published authors to get a finished manuscript professionally typeset for print and ebook!

So here it is: the book trailer and Kickstarter video for their upcoming title, When They Come Calling by author Sarah Fleming Mountford.

What wouldn’t you do to save someone you love?

When They Come Calling is a modern ghost story, a suspenseful weaving of urban battles, romance, and supernatural intrigue.

Anna is a physician from Kansas City. She’s spent her life giving and caring to others while trying to hide how different she is. Anna has lost everyone she’s ever loved: her relationships, her family, and her hope for something more.

Jed is a warrior from another era, haunted by the horrors of a brutal family feud three thousand years in the making, and inspired by his own secret quest. Relentless and driven, Jed’s determination radiates to everyone around him.

Author Sarah Fleming Mountford started with a short ghost story. Over years and through personal trials, she added to it and shaped it, until it was the story she always wanted to write. We are excited to present that story to you, and your pre-order pledges will help cover the costs to edit and publish her debut.

“I love the process through which a story reveals itself. It can be a simultaneously maddening and exhilarating enterprise, ending in the joy of creating something beautiful.” – Sarah Fleming Mountford

When They Come Calling doesn’t rely on paranormal hooks: it’s not werewolves, vampires, zombies, or nymphomaniacs engaged in magic or erotic adventures, but instead a classic tale of love and suspense; a modernized ghost story of two lost souls, drawn together until fate tears them apart.

Pre-order a copy through our Kickstarter, and you’ll receive a first edition of this modern day ghost story. Put on your slippers, forget your life for a few hours, and join Anna and Jed on their breathtaking adventure.

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

We are giving away a $10 Amazon gift card, along with a signed Advanced Reader Copy of Atthis Arts founder E.D.E. Bell’s upcoming release, The Banished Craft. A quirky and modern take on dragons and wizards, The Banished Craft follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who’s been asked to violate his own ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to rediscover a lost magic. (signed paperback U.S. only, international winner will receive ebook in epub/mobi format) Please share this Kickstarter campaign! By sharing the sharing the kickstarter video and link, you will receive 4 additional entries into the giveaway.

Here is the link: http://atthisarts.com/kickstarter, or simply visit the Kickstarter page and click “Share This Project” under the main video and fill out the rafflecopter below!

(Ends May 26)

*****Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.*****

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

The Shadeborn Series by K.C. Finn ~ Blog Tour & Giveaway

Posted: April 29, 2015 in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, Romance, Series, urban fantasy
Tags: Adventure, Ages 13 and up, romance, The Shadeborn Series, urban fantasy

Presented by: Sparkle Book Tours

The Book Of Shade – Shadeborn #1

by K.C. Finn

Audience: General, 13+ – Genre: Urban Fantasy, Adventure and Romance – Formats: E-book and Paperback – Publisher: Starstorm – Pages: 513 – ISBN: 1505677556 – ASIN: B00RD7SGK4 – Date Published: 21 March 2015

Lily Coltrane’s to-do list for starting university life is pretty simple:

1. Make friends

2. Meet a cute guy

3. Survive her first year in Modern History

In the little English town of Piketon this seems more than achievable, so much so that Lily even joins The Illustrious Minds Literary Society, an extra-curricular club that promises a truly unique social experience. What Lily doesn’t bank on are the society’s monthly visits to the mysterious Theatre Imaginique at the edge of town, a dark venue that houses the most obscure cavalcade of carnival performers she has ever laid eyes on.

Stranger still is the emergence of the theatre’s enigmatic proprietor Lemarick Novel, a stupendous showman with a frosty wit who never seems to smile, and who raises a plethora of questions in Lily’s fearful mind. How does he levitate with no sign of wires or mirrors? Why do the lightning bolts that shoot from his hands look so real? And why, of all the people in the theatre, do his pale eyes keep locking on hers?

The answers to this and more lie buried in heritage and blood. The Book of Shade is opening, and Lily Coltrane will read it, whether she wants to or not.

Amazon / Goodreads

“Ladies and gentlemen, your raucous applause, if you please, for the sensational Monsieur Novel!”

The audience obeyed the MC’s command, but when Baptiste had vacated the spotlight, nobody came to the stage. It wasn’t until the last clap died, some moments later, that Lily heard footsteps clicking along the old theatre boards. The illusionist stepped from total blackness into the shadow at the edge of the stage, and even craning her head only afforded Lily the frame of a man in a long Victorian coat. The tense air in the dated theatre was thick enough to be sliceable, and every spectator breathed in their portion of that heavy air, in anticipation of the moment when the odd Monsieur would step into the spotlight.

Novel did not disappoint them. A shock of lightning appeared from nowhere at all and in the split-second that it flashed he appeared for the waiting patrons to see. It seemed as though the contents of the theatre gasped as a single being, even those who must have seen him before were transfixed in shock. His eyes were cast into black, shadowy sockets by the bright white spotlight pouring down from above. Skin pale as a spectre’s was exaggerated by the darkly drawn eyebrows arching into points above those gloomy hollows. His lips too were black as coal, a superb effort in stage makeup that reminded Lily of a haunting cross between a French mime and a black-and-white movie serial killer. She didn’t know which to be more afraid of.

Perhaps more astonishing still was Monsieur Novel’s hair. It was long enough to be combed behind his ears, though it did not grace his neck, and in the dusty spotlight it appeared to be totally white. It was a strange whiteness, for even through his make-up, Lily thought that the gentlemen couldn’t be more than ten years her senior. The illusionist’s black mouth stretched into a serious sneer as he surveyed the awestruck crowd. He held out one pale hand with a slow and deliberate grace. Tiny blue sparks grew in his palm as he swept the hand from left to right in welcome.

“Good evening,” he purred in the darkest of tones.

And this time the lightning came straight from his palm when it exploded into life.

The dumbstruck crowd suddenly applauded in a blast of appreciation, but Lily’s hands remained still, clutching the sides of her chair. Novel stalked the very edge of the stage like a patient predator, the invisible orchestra striking up as the beams of lightning shot about the cavernous space in time to the music. He appeared to be controlling them, but his thin frame and well-fitted suit left no space in which to hide any apparatus on his body. Occasionally, he seemed to lose control of the larger forks of electricity which shot out towards the audience in frighteningly loud snaps. The patrons flinched as the whip of energy crackled above them.

All the while Monsieur Novel’s expression remained dark and thoughtful. Not once did his lips rise into a smile. They simply sneered continually at the power he was controlling, parting for him to suck in precisely choreographed breaths when he turned in his display of perfect grace, avoiding every spot the forks could hit. A few patrons in the front row, perhaps those who had never seen him before, were starting to panic at the multitude of power growing rapidly on the stage before them, with no reasonable explanation in sight. It looked like a major fire hazard for sure. One of them tried to get up.

“I would kindly recommend you stay in your seat for this performance, good sir,” Novel said loudly over the buzz of the lightning strikes. “It could be rather nasty for you, if you don’t.”

There was something foreign lurking in the shadows of his accent. Perhaps he had been living in England a long time, but he definitely wasn’t from around these parts. His voice had an amused kind of youth in it that didn’t suit his skeletal pre-modern look, and though he gazed upon the terrified patron as he sat back down in his chair, he still didn’t let the mirth in his warning show on his face.

All at once the lightning stopped. Novel stood in the dead centre of the stage, looking down at his feet with his shadowed eyes. Lily caught her breath as the flicker of hot white energy grew beneath his feet, sparking and growing into a ball of buzzing power. He thrust out his pale hands, raising them upwards as he slowly began to levitate into the air. Lily could see no wires to hoist him, and his clothes didn’t move as though they were under any strain. He simply rose up in a slow, straight line as the lightning ball grew larger and larger in the space where he’d been standing. In his ascent, his face was lit from under his chin and Lily finally saw a pair of pale blue eyes glowing out of the black sockets on his face.

And they glowed directly at her.

She started in her seat, shocked to find his gaze so blatantly fixed. She would have sworn the floating man had raised one of his black eyebrows at her, but a moment later the lightning ball exploded with a deafening crack that made the entire contents of the theatre sink down into their seats and clutch their heads in wild panic. When Lily looked up again, Monsieur Novel was gone. Someone behind Lily broke the shocked silence of the audience by starting to applaud. Gasps erupted as some of them looked beyond her to the source of the clap, then suddenly everyone was giving an ovation.

Lily craned her head around, almost jumping out of her skin when she realised it was Monsieur Novel sitting in the seat directly behind her. He had started his own applause. He sat with a casual grace, an elegant hand accepting the praise as he slowly got back to his feet and straightened out his beautiful clothes. Once more his frosty blue eyes snapped to Lily. She wanted to look away, but it just didn’t happen. Novel inclined his head to the rapt audience without breaking his stare, then swiftly retreated up the theatre aisle, his long coat billowing in another invisible gust of air.

Play it at: http://8tracks.com/kim-finn-986/the-book-of-shade-romance-mix

Track List and Key Lyrics:

1. E.T. – Katy PerryYou’re so supersonic

Wanna feel your powers, stun me with your lasers

Your kiss is cosmic

Every move is magic

2. Gravity – John Mayer

Oh I’ll never know what makes this man

With all the love that his heart can stand

Dream of ways to throw it all away

3. Everybody Talks – Neon Trees

It started with a whisper

And that was when I kissed her

And then she made my lips hurt

4. Somewhere Only We Know – Keane

And if you have a minute, why don’t we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything

So why don’t we go somewhere only we know?

5. Butterflies – Lucy Spraggan

Cause there’s nowhere else I’d rather be

No one else I’d rather see

Controlling every part of me

I love skipping a beat every time you speak

6. Safe and Sound – Me Vs Gravity

Don’t you dare look out your window, darling,

Everything’s on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold on to this lullaby

Even when music’s gone

7. Kiss From A Rose – Seal

You remain,

My power, my pleasure, my pain, baby

To me you’re like a growing addiction that I can’t deny.

Won’t you tell me is that healthy, baby?

8. True Love – Pink

Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say,

Sometimes I wanna slap you in your whole face.

There’s no one quite like you, you push all my buttons down,

I know life would suck without you.

9. Still Into You – Paramore

It’s not a walk in the park

To love each other

But when our fingers interlock,

Can’t deny, can’t deny you’re worth it

10. Loved Me Back To Life – Celine Dion

Strong hands, thick skin, and an open heart

You saw through the pain, saw through the mask

You never gave up on me

The Bloodshade Encounters & The Songspinner – Shadeborn Series # 2

Pages: 300 – ASIN: B00RQMB5MW – Date Published: April 4, 2015

Shadeborn: Volume Two provides a unique insight into the past of some of your favourite Book Of Shade characters, through two spine-tingling novellas:

The Bloodshade Encounters shows readers where present and past collide, as they learn the dark history of how the charming and enigmatic Baptiste Du Nord came to know Lemarick Novel. Prepare for vampires on the streets of revolutionary Paris, and the day when Novel first laid eyes on the Theatre Imaginique. Amidst all this, a dark secret about Novel is unearthed, one which may threaten his relationship with Lily in the future.

The Songspinner begins with the present-day Salem Cross, now weak and powerless, as the old shade looks back on his life, and the dirty deals he made to try to make a success of himself. Witch-trials loom in Salem’s murky past, and werewolves roam the streets of Victorian London, not to mention a certain dark lady who would one day become the mother of the heroic Novel. Can Salem face the demons of his past, or bear the thought of a future with no magic? Or will he decide that the end of his time has come?

Amazon / Goodreads

The Potioneer – Shadeborn Series # 3

Pages: 500 pages – Expected Publishing Date: Late May

When humans break a mirror, the idea of seven years of bad luck is little more than superstition. But, when it happens to a magical being like a shade, that quaint old saying takes on a terrifying new reality. As Lily Coltrane looks down at the smashed remains of Lemarick Novel’s mirror, she can already feel that her luck is about to run dry, even though her illusionist boyfriend is certain that he can protect her. With a suicidal Salem Cross on red alert and newly-disabled best friend Jazzy to look after, Lily’s not so sure that Novel is right.

Lily’s suspicions will be confirmed in this, her second year of university, as the quiet English town of Piketon is flooded with a new array of supernatural beings, including Jeronomie Parnell, a gifted potioneer who seems to have solutions for Salem and Jazzy’s conditions. Suspicion fills the air at the old Theatre Imaginique, as Lily uncovers yet more secrets about the people she thought she knew. The question of who to really trust will bombard Lily’s mind, especially after she is introduced to the horror that is the House of Novel, and is forced to question the bloodline that her new true love comes from.

It seems like having a soul mate isn’t quite the ideal that Lily dreamed it would be, and she can only hope that The Book Of Shade will give her the power to get through the trials that she’s about to face. And as for the even greater darkness, slowly rising in the depths of that ruined mirror? Well, that’s quite another story for Lily to unfold.

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K. C. Finn was born and raised in Cardiff, South Wales, where her love for storytelling grew at a precociously young age. After developing the medical condition M.E. / C.F.S., Kim turned to writing to escape the pressures of disabled living, only to become hooked on the incredible world of publishing.

As an author for Clean Teen Publishing and Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Press, Kim spends most of her time locked in the writing cave with an obscenely large mug of tea. When not writing, she can be found studying for her MA in Linguistics, watching classic British comedy, or concocting evil schemes in the secret laboratory in her attic.