Posts Tagged ‘YA’



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Step One

by Grier Cooper

 

(Indigo Ballet Series)
Publication date: November 15th 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

When Indigo lands a role in Ballet Russia’s touring production of The Nutcracker, it’s a dream come true…. Or is it? Her arch nemesis is also part of the production. So is dashing Russian viral video superstar Dimitri Volkov, who’s playing some kind of game she doesn’t quite understand.

As Indigo dances alongside the rising stars of Ballet Russia she struggles to rise above constant criticism from Ballet Russia’s Director, Yuri Kanofsky. But first she’ll have to dig deep and silence the doubts running through her mind if she wants to rise to their level and drive her ballet career forward.

When unexpected events turn Indigo’s world upside down overnight she’s forced to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get there.

And one innocent mistake just might cost her everything.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“You.” The single word from Yuri yanks me out of my reverie. “Indigo, is it?” I nod numbly. “Come here, please.” Yuri points at the center of the floor then folds his arms and waits. I take my position there standing still.

“We begin like this,” he says, posing as I remember from the video of Irina. He shows me the first counts of eight for my solo and I mark the steps as I watch. I’ve memorized them after the second time he walks them through; thankfully I’ve always been quick to pick up choreography.

“You have it?” he demands gruffly. I nod. “Show me.” he steps back and leans on the barre at the front of the room, watching me intently, like a cat tracking a careless bird.

I spread my feet wide and bend forward at the waist, imagining the pose as I remember Irina did it. Aside from Yuri’s counting, the room is silent and still; I feel the others watching. But I can’t think about that. I must only think about the counts and where my body is going, one second ahead so I am there when I am supposed to be–

“No!” he claps loudly. “Let me see position again.” I recreate the pose I was in before he interrupted. “No.” he shakes his head vigorously. “It is like this.”

He strikes the pose. “You see?”

I don’t understand the difference but I don’t dare say anything. I nod.

“More energy in fingertips,” he suggests. I try again, this time I imagine sparks shooting out of my fingertips. This seems to work, since he lets me continue. I rise en pointe, bringing one leg into passé retiré, the toes touching the side of my standing leg near the knee.

“Stop.” More clapping. He marches over to me again. “Make me passé,” he says. I rise back into the position, more forcefully this time, but still he shakes his head. “It is impossible,” he states. “This is not passé. It must be in front of knee, like this,” he says, demonstrating.

Miss Roberta would frown on this placement, I think. Another example of how different ballet technique is from one company to the next, from one country to the next.

Still, I comply. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to learn slight variations, to have more translations in my pocket. You never know when they might come in handy in the future. Another passé, then close in fifth position, and pirouette from fifth–

“No again.” He clenches his hands into fists this time and stomps over to Skinny Snow White. I catch the first word, “Olgachkova” and then get lost inthe flurry of words that follow, none of which I understand. When he falls silent,

Skinny Snow White nods in assent and replies, “Da.”

Skinny Snow White removes the plastic warmup pants she was wearing and makes her way over to me. Yuri flaps a hand at me impatiently, indicating I should step aside. “Olga will show,” he says, turning to her with an enormous smile of beatitude.

I edge out of her way, trying not to feel crushed. I know that having Olga dance in my place is meant to be a teaching tool, something to help me ultimately, but it still stings.

That feeling intensifies as she moves gracefully through the choreography, flowing smoothly through the passés and turns as effortlessly as a fish swirls through water. I try to focus on what she’s doing so I can learn. I’d like to figure out exactly what it is that Yuri’s looking for, that I haven’t got. Yet. But it’s almost impossible to ignore that this woman is one of the most exquisite dancers

I’ve ever watched.

I’ve told myself oodles of time I must never ever, under any circumstances, make comparisons–because comparison is always a losing game. But how not to when the glaring differences are practically smacking me in the face?

Yuri claps again. “Enough. Khorosho, blagodaryu vas, Olga. We will break. Return in twenty minutes.”

I stand paralyzed, mute with a flurry of thoughts pirouetting in my mind.

After watching Olga dance I don’t know how I will ever measure up. I want to, but it seems like an impossible task. Where to even begin? Who can help? Can anyone? What do I need to do to reach that same level of precision and perfection?

All I can think is that even if I were to sneak from my bed and dance all night long, wearing out pair after pair of pointe shoes every night up until our performances, like the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairytale, I’m not sure even that would be enough.

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About Author Grier Cooper:

Grier left home at fourteen to study at the School of American Ballet in New York. She has performed on three out of seven continents with companies such as San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, totaling more than thirty years of experience as a dancer, teacher and performer.

Her work has been praised as “poignant and honest” with “emotional hooks that penetrate deeply.” She writes and blogs about dance and has interviewed and photographed a diverse collection dancers and performers including Clive Owen, Nicole Kidman, Glen Allen Sims and Jessica Sutta. She is the author of Build a Ballerina Body and The Daily Book of Photography. Grier’s work has also appeared in Conscious Dancer, Discovery Girls, Skipping Stones, and Dance Advantage, among others.

Website / Goodreads / X

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Book Details:

DEAR HERO by Alyssa Roat & Hope Bolinger
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  394 pages
Genre:  YA Romance, Superheroes, Chat Fiction, Humor
Publisher:  Torchflame Books
Release date:  October, 2024
Content RatingPG-13 for MCU-level superhero violence; PG when it comes to language and sexual content (kissing).

Book Description:

There’s an app for everything–even meeting a new nemesis.

Up-and-coming teen superhero Cortex is on top of the world—at least, until his villain dumps him. If he’s going to save his reputation, he needs a new villain to fight, and fast. Meanwhile, the villainous Vortex has once again gotten a little overeager and taken out a hero prematurely. Will any young hero be able to keep up with her? Maybe she should work on finding a steady relationship with an enemy she won’t kill in the first round.

Enter Meta-Match, a nemesis pairing site for heroes and villains. The two match right away, and after throwing punches at each other behind coffee shops, practicing their fight choreography, and hiring henchmen to do their bidding (mostly just getting them coffee), they realize they have a lot more in common than names that annoyingly rhyme. After all, they’re still rising through the ranks in their respective circles, and their reputations need good press.

But not everything in the superhero world is as it seems. Can a hero really trust a villain to do the right thing? And can a villain trust a hero not to screw them over? As darkness from the past threatens them both, they may need each other for the fight to come—one with much higher stakes than their choreographed meet-ups on weekends.

Told entirely through texts, transcriptions, and direct messages, this darkly humorous chat fiction rom-com goes behind the scenes of the superworld.

BUY THE BOOK:
Torchflame
Amazon B&N
​add to goodreads
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Author Interview:
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Can you walk me through the process of the two of you writing this book?

Absolutely! Alyssa and I (Hope) have always enjoyed collaborating on pieces together. So with the height of the superhero movie Golden Age in 2018, we wanted to try our hand at a chat fiction book about a hero and a villain matching, on something similar to a dating app, but for nemeses. We had a lot of fun, assigning characters and letting the plot whisk us away. You never knew what your coauthor was going to write next, so it was an excellent exercise in improvisation and collaboration.

What advice would you give to budding authors?

I think we can both agree that the industry is unexpected in a lot of ways. Whether you choose to go traditional or if you go indie, there’s quite a steep learning curve, and the industry tends to be sluggish. Be prepared for the unexpected, and don’t give up. Write for fun and write what you love. Don’t allow anyone to pigeonhole you.

Are you plotters or pantsers?

We are actually complete opposites. Alyssa tends to fly by the seat of her pants. I (Hope) am a lot more comfortable with an outline. But when we write together, we tend to stretch each other in the areas in which we feel weakest. It’s a good kind of scary.

Do you write every day?

Not really. There was a period of time where Alyssa and I had quite a few deadlines, and we honestly burned ourselves out with how quickly we had to write books (I believe I had to write 7 books in one year, all under deadline). So I think we’ve both taken a step back to enjoy the process a little more, and write for the fun of it. We’ve enjoyed the challenges of deadlines, but definitely are trying to take a break from hustle culture.

What Is Your Next Project?

Alyssa and I both have underworld/mythology books releasing next year. Hers is a YA romance, and mine is a middle grade. At the moment, I (Hope) am in recovery from a number of health things, so I may be slowing down some of my publication schedule. I’m learning to put myself first and care for myself—something I’m not always the best at doing.

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Meet the Authors:

Alyssa Roat lives in the cornfields of Indiana, but she hopes to soon discover a portal to a fantasy world where she will run a bookshop for magical creatures. For now, she is an award-winning multi-published author and has worked in a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry as an editor, agent, writer, and publicist. She and her partner have four black cats who allegedly have never been fed in their lives and occasionally help her write by walking across the keyboard. Her name is a pun, which means you can learn more about her at www.alyssawrote.com or on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as @alyssawrote.

connect with the author: website X/Twitter ~ instagram ~ facebook goodreads

 

 

Hope Bolinger is the author of more than 25 books, including the award-winning Blaze trilogy, and has contributed to many more. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of 300+ authors. She has won awards for her essays, poetry, children’s books, novels, and plays. She’s a theater nerd and spends too much time hiking and petting her fat cats, Freya and Odin. She can be found online @hopebolinger and @hopekbolinger.

connect with the author: website X/Twitter ~ instagram facebook ~ goodreads

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DEAR HERO by Alyssa Roat and Hope Bolinger Spotlight Book Tour Giveaway

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.



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Things I Wish I Said

by Gracie Graham

 

Publication date: November 7th 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Lung cancer patient Ryleigh Sinclair wants a boyfriend for the summer.

And my mother wants me to be the one to make her wish come true.

Me. The eternal pessimist. The guy who no longer believes in happy endings after my dad died of pancreatic cancer and my girlfriend dumped me in the same month.

But after weeks of spending time with Ryleigh, she somehow does the impossible. She fills the gaping hole of my father’s absence until I’m the one hoping for a miracle.

I’ve learned my lesson about wishes.

Happily ever afters are a lie.

Yet I’m the one wishing like hell for another outcome for Ryleigh.

I lost my father to cancer; I can’t lose her too.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“You make me happy.”

I swallow, afraid to move and the break the spell we’re under. “No, I don’t,” I say, my throat raw.

“You do. This last month, I’ve laughed more than I have since I lost him. You make me forget to be so damn sad all the time.” His other hand rises, and he drags his thumb over my lower lip while my heart crashes into my ribs.

“Grayson . . .”

“You asked me why I kissed you.”

I nod, my resolve to keep him at arm’s length crumbling.

“I kissed you because I couldn’t stand another second of pretending I didn’t want to. Because watching you flirt with Cameron drove me fucking crazy. Because when I touch you, everything else fades away. All the shit in my life feels bearable. Like I can move forward as long as I have you. Simply put, life is just better with you in it.”

A sob escapes the back of my throat, and then his mouth is on mine, and he’s kissing me like his life depends on it. Like we’re the last two people on the face of the planet and the world’s existence depends on us. Like he is the Earth and I am the moon, just caught up in his orbit.

Butterflies take flight in my chest.

My toes curl.

The pulse drumming inside my ears reaches an ear-splitting decibel.

His mouth slants, his tongue brushing against mine as his hand tightens around my waist, and I’m hit with the scent of leather and cinnamon, bringing me back to his bedroom the other night when I sat there and promised myself I’d help him.

Losing his father nearly broke him. I’d hate to think of what losing me only a year later would do.

I place a hand on his chest and push him away.

The breath rasps in and out of my lungs as I come back down to earth, staring into gunmetal gray. “I thought you didn’t believe in love and happy endings?”

“I believe in you.”

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About Author Gracie Graham:

Gracie Graham is a contemporary young adult author who loves romance and writing fictional characters. She thrives on bringing angst and emotion to her books, and her greatest goal in life is to give readers a book hangover. When she’s not busy telling lies for a living, she’s likely wrangling her three kids, cooking subpar meals, over-caffeinating, and procrastinating. Feel free to reach out to her on social media.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

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Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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 The Boyfriend

by R.L. Stine

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Genre: Horror / YA

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MY REVIEW

I don’t have to like a main character to enjoy a book. That’s good because I loathed Joanna. She was mean and narcissistic to the nth.

The plot was kind of predictable. Then it wasn’t. Joanna dumped her boyfriend. He died. But he came back. I wondered why. Things got pretty far out after that. I didn’t no whether to knock some heads together or laugh.

Bravo Mr. Stine. You took this to a whole new level. Never saw it coming.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

Sometimes, love is murder.

Too bad about Dex. He was in love with Joanna. She broke up with him. And then he died.

Joanna’s sorry, of course. But it’s not her fault he’s dead, is it? Besides, she never loved him. Boys are just toys, to be used and thrown away.

But this time, Joanna’s gone too far. Because Dex is back. From the dead. For one last date with her….

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

     

     

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Today Ellis K. Popa and Rockstar Book Tours
are revealing the trailer for DAWN TO DUSK, the second book in her YA thriller
series book which releases November 26!

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Check out the awesome trailer and enter the giveaway!

 

On to the reveal!

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About The Book:



DAWN TO DUSK (The
Awaken Saga #2)

by Ellis K. Popa

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Pub. Date: November 26, 2024

Publisher: And Fire Books

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 431

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Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/DAWN-TO-DUSK-POPA 

 

She thought they’d never find her.
She was wrong.

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Kat and Maksim have been hiding in a
sleepy Mediterranean town. It’s paradise, heaven on earth… So then why is
Maksim eager to send Kat home? And why has he been acting strange since making
contact with a certain hacker?

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Kat is determined to find out, but when a misstep in her “investigation”
infuriates the hacker and her crew, the fallout puts Kat and Maksim on a
collision course with the crime syndicate that’s been hunting them down. With
nowhere else to turn, they seek asylum in Paris with an old friend of Maksim’s,
hoping for a place to lie low. Things seem calm, hopeful… until a
heartwrenching betrayal by Maksim comes to light.

As the evidence piles up, Kat is forced to rely on the kindness of his old
friend, a Frenchman who’s there to help pick up the pieces of her broken heart.
But not everything is what it seems in the City of Light, and Maksim isn’t the
only one keeping secrets. Kat’s intuition, her instinct, even her vivid,
foreboding dreams are no match for this game of cat and mouse.

The chess pieces are in place. The crime syndicate is closing in. Will Kat wake
up to the truth before it’s too late?

Dawn to Dusk is the thrilling continuation of The Awaken Saga, a YA crossover
series that begins with a cryptic scavenger hunt and transitions into an
action-packed thriller. Perfect for fans of The Bourne Identity, Angels
& Demons, 
and Holly Jackson novels like The Reappearance
of Rachel Price
 and Five Survive.

 


“Ellis K. Popa (delivers) an
amazing story full of mystery, intrigue and romance.”
 – John Benedict, Bestselling Author of Adrenaline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“A gripping and unforgettable read that heralds Popa as a rising star
in the genre…”
 – Elicia Meairs, Netgalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Get ready for an exhilarating ride that will keep you guessing until the
final, breathtaking conclusion. Perfect for fans of puzzle mysteries like Inheritance
Games 
and Da Vinci Code and clever crime fiction like
‘Sherlock’, The Reappearance of Rachel Price, and A
Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
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Awards & Recognition for Awaken the Dawn: The Awaken Saga, Book
1…

Cascade Awards – 1st Place
Blue Seal Awards– 1st Place
The Selfie Awards UK (London Book Fair) – Shortlist: Top 8
The Wishing Shelf Awards UK – Finalist
Page Turner Awards UK – Finalist
Killer Nashville Readers’ Choice Awards – Finalist: Top 6 (All Genres)
Claymore Awards – Finalist: Top 6
Silver Falchion – Top Pick
Writers’ League of Texas – Finalist
Badge of Honor – 1st Place (Fiction) / Runner Up (All Genres)
Write to Publish – 2nd Place
Serious Writer’s Writer of the Year – Semifinalist


Worldwide praise for Awaken the Dawn


“Go ahead, go add this to your TBR!”– Books with Cats
(Europe)
 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“This book blew me away. It was thrilling.” – Mark M.,
Goodreads (US)
 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“This is an absolutely delicious book. I both devoured it in one day,
and savoured every word!”
 – Charlotte, Blue Fairy Bugs Books
(UK)
 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The book was absolutely amazing and I couldn’t get enough of it. I
can’t wait to see what happens next.”
 – Scarlet Le Clair,
Horror & Romance Author, Editor + Netgalley Reviewer (UK)
 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

About Ellis K. Popa:

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When Ellis
isn’t moonlighting as a coffee aficionada, you might find her adventuring
through Transylvania, doing photoshoots in Old Town Bucharest, or otherwise
trying to talk her husband into moving to Eastern Europe. She’s a lover of
history with a penchant for World War II and the Cold War, and her favorite
places in the world are Wallachia in beautiful Romania and the Dalmatian Coast
of Croatia. She’s also an award-winning writer and budget-minded travel expert.

Sign up for Ellis’s
newsletter!

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

 The Girlfriend

by R.L. Stine

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Genre: Horror / YA

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MY REVIEW

Scotty did that bad thing that many young men do. He cheated on his girlfriend, Lora. And now he’s gonna pay for it. The other girl, Shannon. won’t leave him alone. She’ll go any lengths to keep him. “You’re my baby now.”

Scotty made me angry. He cheated on his girlfriend. I was surprised that he turned into a sympathetic character for me. It was a common mistake where you whether you were young or older but not wiser. I started to feel sorry for him. Especially when Shannon got more and more determined to make him hers.

R. L. Stine always promises a good scare. Beware…… This one is scary good.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

She’s bad. So bad…

Scotty has the perfect life. And the perfect girlfriend. But one weekend while she’s away, Scotty goes just a little…astray.

Suddenly he has a new girlfriend. One who won’t go away. His one wild night has become a nightmare.

Because his new girlfriend has decided that she loves Scotty…to death.

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

     

     

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

 Savage

by Thomas E. Sniegoski

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Genre: Horror / YA

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MY REVIEW

The synopsis and cover had me itching to read this. Had my fingers and toes crossed that it would live up to those. Sadly, I wasn’t wowed. It was okay. Just didn’t quite give me what I needed.

A violent storm is headed for the island. People were scrambling to find safety from it. But, there was more than the weather to worry about. Animals started running amok, attacking anyone they encountered. The deaths piled up. What caused the animals to act so strangely? Would anyone survive?

As I mentioned, the story didn’t wow me, but I did like it. There were some exciting attack scenes. Just needed something else. Not sure what though.

3 STARS

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Synopsis

Sidney and her friends must race to find the origin of a storm that has hit their small island home—turning every animal into savage weapons—in this suspenseful thriller from New York Times bestselling author, Thomas E. Sniegoski.

The future is looking bright for Sidney Moore as she as she gets ready to leave the small island of Benediction behind for one of Boston’s top veterinary schools. Only a few small bumps in the road to navigate before she can go—her father’s recovery from a debilitating stroke, and her own guilt for ending her relationship with her high school sweetheart. But she’s always been strong willed, and she’s not about to let anything stop her from achieving her goals.

Now a storm is bearing down on Benediction, a hurricane that will bring devastating winds and rain, rising tides…and something else. Something deadly; something that will transform all the things that creep, crawl, and flutter into instruments of terror and death.

The future is looking bright for Sidney Moore…if only she can survive the storm.

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

     

   

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2024! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

 Tentacles And Teeth

The Szornyek #1

by Ariele Sieling

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Genre: Horror

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MY REVIEW

So, it’s after the apocalypse occurred. I get that. I just wish the world building would have been more detailed. I’m not even sure when this took place. That kind of stayed with me.

What was the apocalypse? Not sure what caused it but I liked where the author went. Not a plague or zombies or the other usual scenarios. It was monsters. Loved that.

How the story flowed. Pretty good. Especially scenes with the monsters. And the character dialogue.

Overall. I enjoyed this and seeing as it’s the first in a series, I’d give the next one a try.

One last thing. The cover. Is that killer or what!

3 STARS

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Synopsis

The apocalypse wasn’t what anyone expected–no rising flood waters, no zombies, no nuclear bombs. Instead, monsters. Their sudden invasion left the world in shatters, and now, decades later, all that’s left of human civilization are a few nomadic bands struggling to survive off the land. Askari was born to this world, and lives, fights, and survives alongside the community that raised her. But when she breaks one too many of the community’s rules, her punishment is leave. Armed with her bow and blade, Askari sets off alone, guided only by a map and the promise that if she can find a book hidden in a nearby town, then she can return. But what can one person do alone in such a harsh, violent landscape? How will she survive? Askari faces a challenge that will force her to learn not only about the world she lives in, but question what she believes about herself.

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.



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Spellcaster Wild Card

by Nikki Jefford

 

Publication date: October 1st 2024
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

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Win the game. Change the world.

Winning the show means living forever. It is the golden ticket to fame, fortune, and a place among the vampire elite.

Being remade isn’t on my wish list. I like being me, and with nearly a million online followers, it’s working. My parents and big sister are the do-gooders in our family who want to make the world a fair and just place for all humans and paranormal creatures. I just want to finish high school and keep doing what I do best—sharing hair and beauty tips while discussing Spellcaster and how the show’s vampire judge Malachi Rayne is the hottest male on the planet.

Then, life as I know it ends. There are evil forces who will stop at nothing to maintain world dominance—indefinitely.

It’s hard to care when I’ve become dead inside and out.

After my family is violently attacked, the host of Spellcaster insists I audition for Season 13. For the first time in the show’s history, they want to represent every species of paranormals. That’s me now. Not human. Not vampire. Not the class of creature anyone EVER cheers for.

This season’s prize is power beyond anyone’s imagination. It is the kind of reward that contestants and their sponsors would kill to possess.

Let the other contestants and judges underestimate me. They can gossip all they want about the hotshot wizard and the alpha werewolf behaving as though I’m another prize to be won. And if Coach Malachi can’t handle a bold influencer with abilities, then he can suck it. I preferred watching him from the other side of the screen. He’s about to discover that Haylee Hutchins is a force to be reckoned with. The whole world will.

Someone thought they could silence my family for good. Instead, they created a monster. I’m still here, and I am much harder to kill.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Everything is spinning. My body. My vision. My brain. I clamp my mouth shut to keep from vomiting. The cleaning crew just got the stage cleaned. Then there’s the second reason I keep my lips pressed tight. I refuse to beg Malachi for mercy.

My hands flail and grasp for something to hold on to, but the wind rushing between my fingers is no help. If this is what flying feels like, then it’s highly overrated. I lean forward in an attempt to go vertical, which has the ill effect of pitching me forward so I catch a brief view of how far I am from the stage. My body flips around another time. I don’t want to land on my feet and crush my ankles. I certainly don’t want to land on my head and shatter my skull. I don’t want to break anything on my body!

If I won this season’s prize, I could defend myself instead of swirling helplessly like the roof of a house caught in a tornado.

The wind rips out my hair tie and blows my braid out in an instant. Blond hair whips me in the eyes. My body begins to descend slowly, while the spinning continues in full force. The tornado fades little by little into the stage until I am set down gently and it disappears altogether. I try to remain standing while the theater seats and stage continue to spin, but I tilt to one side and misstep. Thump. I fall to the stage, sprawled out on my side. It could have been worse, though. Way, way worse.

It’s a little hard to feel grateful as partially digested lunch rushes up my throat. I swallow it down.

Malachi stomps over. “What the hell was that, Hutchins?”

Great. He’s using my last name. The coaches never use contestants’ last names. I must be in trouble.

It’s a serious effort to get to my feet, which takes outstretched arms to keep my balance, but I’m not about to listen to this lecture in a crumpled heap on the stage.

My loose hair tickles my cheeks. I swallow again and cover my mouth with my hand. Malachi’s not in my face, but I don’t want him scenting my vomit breath. Well, not technically breath, but whatever foul waft might originate from the leftover taste on my tongue.

Malachi doesn’t wait for me to answer his question before drilling into me. “First rule of magical combat—never lose hold of your wand.”

“You lost yours,” I mutter, which is the wrong thing to say.

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About Author Nikki Jefford:

Nikki Jefford is a third-generation Alaskan nomad married to an amazing Frenchman. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt! Books, travel, TV series, hiking, writing, and motorcycle riding are her favorite escapes. The dark side of human nature fascinates her, so long as it’s balanced by humor and romance.

To get in on the fun and adventure, visit Nikki at her website for release alerts, updates, exclusive giveaways, and a free story when you subscribe to her newsletter: https://nikkijefford.com/newsletter/

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2024! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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 Don’t Let The Forest In

by C.G. Drews

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Genre: Horror / Fantasy / YA/ LGBT / Gothic

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MY REVIEW

So, I finished this amazing book. Then it was time to write my review. I thought about it before I fell asleep. It was the first thing I thought about when I woke up. When I was at work, all these thoughts rolled around in my head. When I got home I fired up my laptop and began typing. Before I knew it, I had a huge review written. Then, I began to read it. Oops, my review was full of spoilers and I’d basically related the entire story. Scrap that review. I started a new one. Same thing. Spoilers and too long.

Next attempt. I talked about the writing. Another long rambling review. I cut it down to this. When an author can write gruesome scenes that can make me cringe and then write scenes that make my heart hurt, I want others to read the book too. Experience it and tell me how it made them feel. That’s what made Don’t Let The Forest In a winner for me. So…. let the forest in. I’ll sum up my feelings about it with one word….

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him.

Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.