Posts Tagged ‘YA’

Giver Of Life Trilogy ~ Prodigy by Kristy Centeno ~ Tour and Giveaway

Posted: January 25, 2019 in giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, YA
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Prodigy
The Giver of Life Trilogy Book 3
by Kristy Centeno
Genre: YA Paranormal 
 
Leah Parker’s fate had always been controlled by others—who she loved
and who she lost. Five years after the tragic murder of her
daughter’s father, she’s done everything in her power to protect
her little girl from the outside world. But she’s rebelled against
fate in the past and no act of defiance goes unpunished in the
Enchanter community.
The ultimate power wants to correct the damage done by Jae and the only
way they can do that is by getting rid of her special child—a child
destined to replace all branches of Enchanter magic one day.
But, Leah isn’t willing to go down without a fight. She will do anything
to save what Jae died to protect, even if she must turn against the
Circle of Elders. But when her first love, Brandon Morris walks back
into her life, Leah knows nothing will ever be the same again.
Leah must confront her past, before she and her daughter are erased from
her family line. She must get over her guilt and rely on Brandon to
ensure her daughter’s survival. But will the pain from their past
destroy their friendship forever? Or will their old bond hold them
together and carry them through what’s ahead?
 
 
Enchantress
The Giver of Life Trilogy #2
 
Fate brought them together. Will evil break them apart?
Leah Parker’s visit to her hometown is supposed to bring her closer to
the truth behind her identity. What she doesn’t anticipate is the
handsome stranger with almond eyes claiming to be her Pair.
Her world once again upturned with the arrival of the man chosen to be
her life partner, Leah is pulled between the feelings she’s always
had for the friend she left behind, and those for the compelling
stranger determined to save her from certain death—at whatever the cost.
With an ancient evil out to finish what it started twenty-one years
before, will Leah find peace within her troubled mind and heart to
fight back and win? Or will her disconnection with her newfound
powers hinder her only chance at survival?
His sacrifice…is her salvation.
 
 
Enchanter
The Giver of Life Trilogy #1
 
They have a past. But will they have a future?
Leah Parker is resilient and hardworking. She’d always prided herself in
maintaining a level head, even under pressure. Everything changes
when she begins to see strange apparitions and hear ghostly voices on
the morning of her birthday.
In a blink of the eyes, Leah’s life takes a drastic turn that spirals
her into the unknown. Something is out to get her, but she’s unsure
if she’s losing her mind, or the faces and demands of the dead are
real. Unable to find the answers she needs, she has no choice but to
rely on ex-best friend, Brandon Morris, for help.
But as she will soon discover, Brandon has his own secrets. Some of which
defy logic and only add to the mystery surrounding Leah. And mix
feelings between the two complicate matters by getting in the way of
what they really want, and what they must do.
Can Brandon lighten the load on her by figuring out what or who wants her
dead? Or will their past history get in the way of the storm brewing
just beyond Leah’s grasp?
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Prodigy 1
 
 
 
Kristy Centeno loves to spin tales of creatures that go bump in the night,
with a sprinkle of romance to top them off. Her passion for writing
stems from a lifelong enjoyment of reading and the pleasure derived
from the magical worlds created by authors like her. She prefers her
female leads strong, independent, and stubborn who will stop at
nothing to save their loved ones and protect those they care for.
Kristy currently resides in Pennsylvania with her five kids and a trio of
noisy parakeets. When she’s not working or writing, she juggles her
free time between raising a handful of minions and pursuing other
career goals.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Girl With All The Pain ~ Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: January 17, 2019 in giveaways, Science Fiction, thriller, YA
Tags: , , ,
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Girl With banner

Girl with all the Pain
by Michael Herman
(Aliens, Tequila & Us #4)
Publication date: February 23rd 2018
Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult
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Girl With cover
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Synopsis
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Sometimes an ugly duckling becomes more than just a swan.

In the streets of Santiago, Chile, a young homeless girl named Isabel screams a scream of rage that is the last sound the gang tormenting her ever hears.

Deep within the city, a family feels her cry and sets out to find her for their sake as well as hers.

Never straying far from Isabel, Skunk Mountain, a homeless pile of walking filth, visible to only the neighborhood kids, maintains a guardian presence that is key to her survival in a world where, beneath the very ground they walk, a dark ancient intelligent entity prepares to unleash forces that will devastate Chile.

Sometimes that swan has claws and teeth.

_______________________________________

Girl with all the Pain is the first of the Global Invasion Chronicles.

The Aliens, Tequila & Us series is prologue to Girl with all the Pain

_______________________________________

If you are interested in mass extinction events, Chinchorro mummies, alien creatures, tequila, Pisco Sours, Very Large Telescopes, foreign tongues, evolution theories, witchcraft beliefs, Santiago Chile, underground caves, vineyards, million dollar concept bikes, interstellar space travel, abandoned mines, the Atacama Desert, Russian ATVs, Himmler’s Nazis Lebensborn, predictions of future times, earthquakes, orchids, avatars, and people with mutant powers, then this is the book for you.

Kind reviews go far and help keep up the spirit while I work to bring the second Global Invasion Chronicle to life.

 
Purchase: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo
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Author Michael Herman
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Michael
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When he isn’t doing construction or creating 3D simulations for the AEC industry, Michael Herman writes from his small urban hillside farm in California where he types away to the sounds of chickens, coyotes, the occasional fox and his household pets.

Author links: Twitter / Facebook / Website / Goodreads

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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Prospero Chronicles ~ Excerpts and Giveaway

Posted: January 4, 2019 in giveaways, horror, Science Fiction, YA
Tags: , , ,
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Splinters
The Prospero Chronicles Book 1
by Fiona J.R. Titchenell & Matt Carter
Genre: YA Horror, SciFi
 
Under normal circumstances, Ben and Mina would never have had reason to
speak to each other. He’s an easy-going people person with a
healthy skepticism about the paranormal; she’s a dangerously
obsessive monster-hunter with a crippling fear of betrayal. But the
small Northern California town of Prospero, with its rich history of
cryptid sightings, miracles, and mysterious disappearances, has no
normal circumstances to offer.
When Ben’s missing childhood friend, Haley Perkins, stumbles out of
Prospero’s surrounding woods and right into her own funeral, Ben
and Mina are forced to work together to uncover what happened to her.
Different as they are, their unlikely friendship may be the only
thing that can save the town, and possibly the world, from its
insidious invaders.
“A snapping, crackling, popping homage to classic horror.”
—Kirkus Reviews.
“Whip-smart
dialogue… genuinely terrifying Splinters, the descriptions of which
will have fans of monster films utterly enthralled… A promising
series opener, this will satisfy those readers who like their scary
stories to be as clever as they are chilling.” —KQG, the
Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books.
“The stakes are high. The action is intense.” —Washington
Independent Review of Books.
**only 99 cents!!**
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Prospero splinters teaser 2-1
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Shards
The Prospero Chronicles Book 2
 
When autumn descends on Prospero, California, Ben hopes the normality of
the new school year may offer a reprieve from the town’s paranormal
horrors. Mina knows all too well that there are no reprieves and no
normality to be had in Prospero, but even she can’t prepare for
what the coming year holds.
On top of the vivid hallucinations that have plagued Mina since the
attack on the Warehouse, and the brewing Splinter civil war that
threatens all of humanity, inside the walls of Prospero High, Ben,
Mina, and their expanding Network face a vicious campaign to destroy
their friendship, and a mysterious assassin picking off human rebels
– an assassin with powers like no Splinter they’ve fought before.
Ben and Mina’s one hope rests with a mysterious old man hiding in the
woods outside of town; a living legend who may be able to teach them
how to fight this dangerous new breed of Splinter. That is, assuming
he doesn’t kill the pair of them himself.
“Titchenell and Carter hold nothing back in this solid sequel that thrills and
expands on its predecessor. Aided by swift writing, relatable
characters and unexpected scares, Shards is a chill-inducing
delight.” —David Powers King, co-author of Woven.
“Maintaining the same level of popcorn-munching fun, Titchenell and Carter are
taking The Prospero Chronicles in a promising direction.” —Joe
Dell’Erb, Washington Independent Review of Books.
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Prospero shards teaser
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Slivers
The Prospero Chronicles Book 3
 
Ben
Growing up is hard, and growing up in Prospero is even harder, but I think we
manage. I mean, yeah, my friends and I spend more of our time
fighting a race of shapeshifting aliens than we do hanging out, but
we have our fun. We go to parties, help each other with our classes,
maybe even fall in love…
I’ve no illusions that we live ordinary lives, but they’re our lives,
and I’m going to make sure we make the most of them whether the
Splinters want us to or not.

 

Mina
The truce is temporary. We will not humor the Splinters forever. It’s
only until the Slivers can be stopped, until the army of Shards being
planted among our classmates can be disassembled, until we get our
hands on the thing I’d almost given up believing in.
The humanity test.
For the chance to know, once and for all, who can be trusted, some
dealings with monsters must be excusable. Inevitable. Just like this
feeling between Ben and me.
And that has to be temporary too.
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Prospero slivers teaser 1
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Stitches
The Prospero Chronicles Book 4
by Fiona J.R. Titchenell
 
This is Prospero’s darkest hour. The few remaining humans trapped within
the quarantine zone are all but defenseless against the multiplying
forces of the Sliver Queen, Locusta. With Ben missing, Aldo among the
enemy ranks, and more steel plates than bones left in her body,
Mina’s passing the hours drowning in morphine and throwing heavy
objects at her guards. 
Stripped of her weapons, her gadgets, and the Network itself, she has just one
card left, hidden somewhere under her oft-sutured skin. It might be
powerful enough to complete her life’s work once and for all… or
to reach the one person who could make her life into more than a
means to an end. But playing it will cost everything she has, or
everything she believes in.
The final chronicle of Prospero waits in these pages.
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Prospero stitches teaser 1
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F.J.R. TITCHENELL is an author of young adult, sci-fi, and horror fiction, including
Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know of). She
graduated from Cal State University Los Angeles with a B. A. in
English in 2009 at the age of twenty. She currently lives in San
Gabriel, California, with her husband, coauthor, and amazing partner
in all things, Matt Carter, and their pet king snake, Mica.
 
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Stuck by Samantha Durante ~ Grand Finale Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: December 24, 2018 in Dystopian, giveaways, Science Fiction, YA
Tags: , , ,
6


On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for
Stuck
By Samantha Durante

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops

you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch – Note from the Author

I am *so* thrilled to be kicking off the Stuck (Stitch Trilogy, Book 3) tour! We’ve got lots of awesome stops planned with exclusive Stitch Trilogy content you won’t find anywhere else, plus a big giveaway to celebrate the arrival of the long-awaited conclusion of the series!…

Andi’s Young Adult Books – Guest Post

A Tale of Three Book Covers

Even a writer has to admit that (as the saying goes!) a picture is worth a thousand words. It comes as no surprise, then, that *almost* as much thought must go into cover design as into the book itself.

When designing the covers for the Stitch Trilogy books, I had several goals in mind:

Captivate: Of course, a cover needs to get readers interested, and one of the best ways to do that is to make it pretty!

Signal: The cover’s job is also, naturally, to give readers some clues as to what is in the story by referencing the genres and major plot points.

Unify: And, finally, knowing that this was going to be a multi-book series, I needed to come up with a consistent theme that would tie each cover together.

So how did I accomplish all this? By driving my cover designer crazy, of course! 🙂 …

Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters – Interview

2.) Tell us about the rest of the series.

Over the course of the trilogy, you join our protagonists as they uncover the sordid truth and dark history of their society, Paragon, a place set in a world much like our own but with some important (and chilling) differences. In fact, some members of this society are so blinded to the truth that they don’t even realize they are, in fact, living in Paragon… which is something you get to experience firsthand in Book 1. (Trying not to give away too many spoilers here!) In Book 2, we learn more about how this world came about, and in Book 3, the main characters struggle against nearly insurmountable odds to try to bring those responsible to justice. And of course, there’s some romance along the way!

Paulette’s Papers – Guest Post

Playlist: Music to Go with Stuck (Stitch Trilogy, Book 3)

It’s no secret that I love words (I am, after all, a writer). But sometimes, nothing captures a feeling *quite* like a song. So without further ado, here is a selection of hand-picked songs to go with several of the most pivotal chapters of Stuck (Stitch Trilogy, Book 3):…

Wishful Endings – Excerpt

Not a Bear

“But how can we continue to keep this from everyone?” Janie interjected. “It’s not right. They deserve to know!” she hissed.

Alessa shrugged in defeat.

Yes, she thought, just like Isaac deserves to know that his brother might still be alive – but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything about that, either, knowing the guilt would eat him alive. She at least had to be sure first. She had to know it was really Joe.

Lisa Loves Literature – Review

” I really liked the first two books in this series, and I waited 5 years between book 2 and this one. There was one point I know that I even reached out to the author to find out if this one was coming soon, because I needed to know what would happen next. . . . There was just so much going on in this book! . . . if you haven’t started the series yet, you are the lucky one to get to start with all three of them out now. You can sit down and read them all, back to back, and get all the feelings that will come with a good series.”

Why Not? Because I Said So! – Review

“I’ve waited a long time to read this last book in the Stitch Trilogy. I loved this series from the first book. It was so unique and had so many twists and turns that kept you reading. Guess what? Things haven’t changed in this third book: It’s still has so many unique things in the story line and the the twists just keep on coming. . . . If you like the Dystopian and Sci-Fi genres, you need to put the Stitch Trilogy on your To-Read list immediately.”

FUONLYKNEW – Review

“There’s plenty of action, intrigue and betrayal. But there’s also bravery, romance and hope. . . . A perfect finale to a series that fueled my imagination and captured my heart.”

Bri’s Book Nook – Review of STITCH

“This premise for a science fiction novel is so unique, and that truly drew me in. . . . I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new upper YA or NA science fiction trilogy with a strong female main character.”

Colorimetry – Excerpt

Happy Pills

“Seriously, Alex?”

Deion chuckled and shook his head at the sight of his best friend – shirtless, sweat gleaming off his abs – precisely positioned so that anyone passing by the construction site would get an eyeful of his chiseled physique.

“First of all, it’s only 50 degrees out –”

“58,” Alex argued, heaving another stone on top of the wall he was building for this set of Paragon’s latest drama. “That’s almost in the sixties.” He paused to swipe a dusty, rippling forearm across his brow, brushing the fringe of straight black hair from his striking, angular eyes, which were narrowed against the sun.

Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile – Review

“It’s been a privilege to follow along with Samantha Durante since this trilogy first started! I felt a little woeful as I started to read Stuck, only because I knew that this was the end of my time with these characters. After completely falling in love with the last book, I knew that this finale was going to be a rough read for me either way. It’s the end of an era, really. It’s been fun! . . . If you haven’t started this trilogy yet, you’re in for such a treat. I envy you. I really do.

Lovely Reads – Spotlight

Chapter Break – Interview

Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?

There are SO MANY things I’d like people to take away from the Stitch Trilogy! First, that things aren’t black and white. Just like real life, no one in my books is infallible, and anyone can make a mistake that can really hurt other people – and this can happen on a small or very large scale, even with the noblest of intentions. Second, that anyone can make a difference. It would be easy for anyone living in that world (or any world!) to feel insignificant and powerless, but the characters work really hard and work together to make things better, and they manage to do so even against odds that seem insurmountable. Third, that inclusivity and diversity of thought are good things, especially when it comes to leadership – otherwise you’re almost certain to further exploit already marginalized groups, and foster a lot of ill-will. And finally, that love conquers all. At the end of the day, even (perhaps, especially) when the world has gone to hell, all we have is each other. Be selfless. Be brave. Be kind.

Words Are the Breath Of Life – Review

“Stuck is a phenomenal completion to a wonderfully complex, challenging, and heartfelt adventure. My heart jumped for joy when I found myself finally reading the last chapters of this brilliantly original and deeply captivating journey full of heart, hope, and love. . . . I have been looking forward to this elusive ending, and I found myself completely and totally satisfied in every way a story can offer. . . . Samantha Durante has once again left me in awe of the depth of her brilliant creativity and boundless heart.”

Books & Such – Guest Post

Quiz: Where Do You Rank in Paragon Society?

Over the course of the Stitch Trilogy, we’ve gotten to know several different groups within the society of Paragon, from plucky rebels and manipulated citizens to mastermind Engineers and bloodthirsty Stuck. Where do you fall amongst these ranks? Take this quick quiz to find out!…

fundinmental – Interview & Review

1. What made you decide to be a writer?

I don’t know if it was a *decision* so much as a compulsion! I’ve always loved to write, ever since I was a kid. I got away from it for a few years in college and afterwards, but even as a software engineer, I managed to“sneak” writing into my job. So when it came time for a major life change (moving back across the country to be near my family), I knew it was a good time to see if I could shift gears and get back to doing what I’d always loved.

“If you love having your emotions ramped up to a fever pitch, if you love white knuckled reading, if you love apocalyptic/dystopian novels and are looking for an original storyline, you may want to grab the Stitch trilogy.”

Christy’s Cozy Corners – Guest Post

Style in Dystopia: 3 Ways to Style a Jumpsuit

Dystopian societies aren’t often known for their embrace of individuality and free-thinking… which unfortunately means their fashion trends tend to lean towards the sterile and conformist, at best.

But don’t let that post-apocalyptic thinking get you down! As the characters of the Stitch Trilogy show, there are lots of ways you can buck the trend and give that old standard-issue jumpsuit a fresh spin…

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven’t already…

Stuck
(Stitch Trilogy #3)
By Samantha Durante
YA Dystopian, SciFi
Paperback & ebook, 306 Pages
December 15, 2018

3, 2, 1… BOOM.

Things are finally looking up for the Resistance. Sure, Alessa is still processing the revelation that the best friend she’d presumed dead is miraculously alive, though far from well… And her boyfriend is being manipulated under threat of blackmail. But her quest for justice against those behind the systematic extermination of the world population is so close to victory she can taste it.

And then in a matter of seconds, everything Alessa believes in is shaken to the core. Months of preparation are obliterated. The people she cares for most are lost.

But Alessa is still standing. And Paragon must pay.

The odds are grim, but unexpected allies surface in the most unlikely of places: A new pair of citizens still under the colony’s rule who notice something amiss in the latest drama. An old adversary who realizes the error of her ways. And a veritable army of inhuman power and terrible strength, with an insatiable thirst for vengeance. The trustworthiness of each of these factions is yet to be proven, but without many other options, Alessa may have to take what she can get. Especially since the Engineers, never to be outdone, also have a few more tricks up their sleeves…

The long-awaited final installment in the riveting Stitch Trilogy, Stuck will have readers gripping their seats as Alessa and a handful of intrepid survivors usher their harrowing journey to a close, risking everything as they endeavor – once and for all – to set things right.

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Smashwords│Kobo

Other Books in the Series

About the Author

Samantha lives in Westchester County, New York with four of the five loves of her life – her husband, son, younger daughter, and cat – and carries her fifth love, her stillborn daughter, in her heart. An avid reader herself, Samantha’s dream is to bring the same delight to readers that other authors have brought to her life. In addition to penning novels and writing candidly about grief, she is also a sometimes freelance writer/consultant – though more often than not these days she’s on full-time mom duty! A former software engineer, Samantha said goodbye to the corporate world in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and lifelong love of writing. Learn more at www.samanthadurante.com.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Instagram

Tour Giveaway

– 1 First Place Winner will receive: Signed Print Copies of All 3 Books in the Trilogy, a Limited-Edition Stitch Scarf, Bookmarks, and a $15 Amazon Gift Card
– 3 Second Place Winners will receive: eBook Copies of All 3 Books in the Trilogy for You *and* a Friend, plus a $5 Amazon Gift Card
– Open internationally
– Ends December 27th

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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

christmas tree photo: TreeLightsCat TreeLightsCat.gif

It swept me up and away … Stuck ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: December 14, 2018 in Dystopian, giveaways, reviews, Science Fiction, YA
Tags: , , , ,
19


On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Stuck
(Stitch Trilogy #3)
By Samantha Durante
YA Dystopian, SciFi
Paperback & ebook, 306 Pages
December 15, 2018

3, 2, 1… BOOM.

Things are finally looking up for the Resistance. Sure, Alessa is still processing the revelation that the best friend she’d presumed dead is miraculously alive, though far from well… And her boyfriend is being manipulated under threat of blackmail. But her quest for justice against those behind the systematic extermination of the world population is so close to victory she can taste it.

And then in a matter of seconds, everything Alessa believes in is shaken to the core. Months of preparation are obliterated. The people she cares for most are lost.

But Alessa is still standing. And Paragon must pay.

The odds are grim, but unexpected allies surface in the most unlikely of places: A new pair of citizens still under the colony’s rule who notice something amiss in the latest drama. An old adversary who realizes the error of her ways. And a veritable army of inhuman power and terrible strength, with an insatiable thirst for vengeance. The trustworthiness of each of these factions is yet to be proven, but without many other options, Alessa may have to take what she can get. Especially since the Engineers, never to be outdone, also have a few more tricks up their sleeves…

The long-awaited final installment in the riveting Stitch Trilogy, Stuck will have readers gripping their seats as Alessa and a handful of intrepid survivors usher their harrowing journey to a close, risking everything as they endeavor – once and for all – to set things right.

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Smashwords│Kobo

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My Review

I think the first sentence in the synopsis, 3, 2, 1 … Boom, describes this final book in the trilogy perfectly. There’s plenty of action, intrigue and betrayal. But there’s also bravery, romance and hope.

The pressure is on and Alessa pins her hopes on some new allies, an old friend, and a couple of strangers to bolster and make the final throes of the resistance successful. Humanity depends on it.

I have been waiting quite some time for Stuck. Even though I remember how much I loved the first books, I couldn’t recall some details so I pulled them off the shelf, gave them a second read, and fell in love with the series all over again. It’s the end of a spellbinding series and bittersweet. I didn’t want it to end but I couldn’t wait to see how it would. I wasn’t disappointed at any time and couldn’t stop reading once I started. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe, just breathe, as the suspense swept me up.

The action and suspense were palpable.  So many character’s stepped up to the plate. I felt the hope in my own veins. And I thrilled at the many surprises and answers that were revealed.

A perfect finale to a series that fueled my imagination and captured my heart.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

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Other Books in the Series

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I love this series and wanted to show you why. I hope you don’t mind if I share my reviews of the previous books too!

My Review of Stitch

Stitch is Samantha Durante’s debut novel. I loved this story and can’t wait to see how she is going to top it.

You get a blend of many genres. First I was thinking paranormal, then dystopian, and finally, science fiction.

Another night. Another nightmare.

When Alessa started college, she thought it would help her to adjust, to move on after the death of her parents.

Now she’s having horrible nightmares and seeing the ghostly image of a man.

She picked the sorority because of the house. Something about it spoke to her, drew her to it.

Now her every thought is consumed with finding out who the ghost is that haunts the house and her mind.

In an attempt at normalcy, she goes to a dance with Nikhil. He’s the first guy she’s had any interest in.

“Alessa parted her lips and looked up at Nikhil, preparing to surrender to her body’s impulses.

But instead of the dark brown eyes she expected, she saw only blue. Unfathomable, sparkling blue…

Once again, a single word rose in the back of her throat – Isaac – and she knew the night was over.”

Isaac’s continued appearances and the fact that only she can see him becomes a quest to discover who he was and why he’s so sad.

What she finds is shocking. Was moving into the house her choice, what secrets are her friend Janie hiding, and does Alessa have a connection to Isaac, the ghost of her dreams and the house?

You’ll have an exciting time finding out just who or what Isaac is and what all of this has to do with Alessa.

This mixing of genres is brilliant and captivating.

While the beginning may be calm, slowly building this new world, the author fluidly takes you back and forth through time, filling in the answers to the mystery of Alessa and Isaac.

About halfway through, I started to see where this was going but with many twists and turns and what the’s, I was continually surprised.

One thing that I found very unique was how the author dealt with the communication between Alessa and Isaac. It was not what I was expecting and really had me going.  You’ll see.

The anticipation was nail-biting and the ending was out of this world. There was no cliff hanger and I finally had all of the answers.

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~~~~~

My Review of Shudder

Alessa and Isaac set off to find a secure base for all of those wanting out of Paragon.

They worry that the virus may still be out there, but soon discover they are being stalked by creatures, swift moving things that remain in the shadows of the forest, shrieking their rage.

As they escape an attack, something happens to Alessa. She is frozen in place as her mind is overpowered with fear, frustration and fury. She doesn’t know how it’s happening, but she’s experiencing these creatures feelings and it terrifies her.

They have to hurry. People are waiting for them to return with a location for their safe haven and Alessa has to get her sister, Janie, out of the clutches of the Ruling Class.

I finished reading Shudder in one sitting, never taking a break.

I could feel it in the authors writing, I was nearing the end of the book. No, not yet!

I needed to know why Joe featured so strongly in Alessa’s mind, what happened to her sister, and where the virus came from.

Samantha started to wrap up the ending while subtly layering in leads to the finale, Stuck. the last book in this trilogy. I liked that. Sure, I didn’t get all of the answers I wanted, but I did get a lot of insight into what the ‘stitch’ was and why and how it was used.

I also learned about the Ruling Class and their reasoning behind the stitch, even though I suspect some, if not most, of them were lying.

It’s no surprise that humanity didn’t learn its lesson. You’d think after all that has been written and studied, all of the wealth of info there is, they would know better. But no, the Ruling Class do the same things as before, believing they know what’s good for all. They buy into their own lies and block out the moral compass screaming stop, and do whatever is necessary to benefit the greater good. And we wonder why we don’t trust our government. Too many chiefs.

I felt twinges of The Matrix and Aeon Flux while reading this. Shudder reads like a dystopian, post-apocalyptic science fiction story. The author did an amazing job of blending these genre into an exciting, addictive series.

It makes me wonder. If Stitch and Shudder are so great, what is Stuck going to be like? I’m sure it’ll be thrilling.

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~~~~~

About the Author

Samantha lives in Westchester County, New York with four of the five loves of her life – her husband, son, younger daughter, and cat – and carries her fifth love, her stillborn daughter, in her heart. An avid reader herself, Samantha’s dream is to bring the same delight to readers that other authors have brought to her life. In addition to penning novels and writing candidly about grief, she is also a sometimes freelance writer/consultant – though more often than not these days she’s on full-time mom duty! A former software engineer, Samantha said goodbye to the corporate world in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and lifelong love of writing. Learn more at www.samanthadurante.com.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Instagram

Tour Schedule

December 10th:
Launch
Andi’s Young Adult Books
Mythical Books
December 11th:
Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters
Paulette’s Papers
December 12th:
JeanzBookReadNReview
Lisa Loves Literature
December 13th:
Coffee, Books and Cakes
Why Not? Because I Said So!
December 14th:
FUONLYKNEW
Bri’s Book Nook
December 17th:
Colorimetry
Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
December 18th:
Lovely Reads
Chapter Break
Words Are the Breath Of Life
December 19th:
Books & Such
Bri’s Book Nook
December 20th:
fundinmental
Coffee, Books and Cakes
December 21st:
Christy’s Cozy Corners
Oh Hey! Books.
December 22nd:
Grand Finale

Tour Giveaway

– 1 First Place Winner will receive: Signed Print Copies of All 3 Books in the Trilogy, a Limited-Edition Stitch Scarf, Bookmarks, and a $15 Amazon Gift Card
– 3 Second Place Winners will receive: eBook Copies of All 3 Books in the Trilogy for You *and* a Friend, plus a $5 Amazon Gift Card
– Open internationally
– Ends December 27th

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Grab Our Button!

~~~~~

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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Haunted and Hunted … Deadfall ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: December 11, 2018 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, YA
Tags: , , ,
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DEADFALL banner

 DEADFALL
by Stephen Wallenfels

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Deadfall cover

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Pub. Date: December 11, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / TBD

Twin brothers Ty and Cory Bic are on the run. When they encounter a dying deer in the middle of a remote mountain road with fresh tire tracks swerving down into a ravine, they know they have to help. But when they reach the wrecked car the vehicle appears empty, with signs that the driver escaped.

Until they hear a sound coming from the trunk.

Ty and Cory are escaping demons of their own. But what they discover in the trunk puts them in the crosshairs of something darker and more sinister than their wildest nightmares.

Told through a gripping, lightning-fast narrative that alternates between present and past, this unputdownable survival thriller unravels the tangled circumstances that led Ty and Cory to the deer in the road and set them on a perilous course through the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

~~~~~

Check out this peek inside:

We run the final thirty feet. Inhale the stink of gas and oil and
burning rubber. Shattered bits of glass are everywhere. I shed my
pack while Ty checks out the driver’s door, which is crushed inward.
The window is gone. He crouches down, pokes his head inside. I
run to the rear passenger window, which is also gone, and shine my
headlamp inside, fully expecting to see multiple dead bodies. But
the backseat is empty. I don’t see anyone in the front passenger seat.
Ty says, “Nobody here. But there’s plenty of blood on the airbag and
the steering wheel. Oh, and there’s more on the roof. Shit. There’s a
lot on the roof.” Then, “Hey. Check it out.” Ty shines his headlamp
on the seat belt clip. A six-inch piece is hanging down, sliced at
an angle. He says, “Looks like the driver had to cut his way out.”
“Any sign of a passenger?”
“Don’t see any blood. And the airbag didn’t happen.”
I say, “The gas smell is pretty bad back here.” Then I step away
from the car and throw up.
Ty knows the drill. He waits till I stop heaving, says while I’m
wiping my face with my sleeve, “There’s a bloody handprint outside
the driver door. And a couple boot prints going that way.” He
points up the slope we just hiked down. “Looks to me like he didn’t
want to hang around here with all this gas leaking.”
“I know how he feels,” I say as my stomach finally settles and the
surrounding trees wind down to a slow spin.
He says, “So? What’re you thinking?”
“If he’s bleeding as much as you say, he could be hurt pretty bad.
Since we didn’t see him up at the road, or on the way down, it could
mean he collapsed somewhere between here and the road. With
this fog it would be easy to miss him.”
“Or her.”
“Right. Or her.”
“So? Can we go now, or do you need to search for the body?”
“Maybe we should yell first. Do you mind?”
“Go for it.”
I yell, “HEY! WE’RE HERE TO HELP! WHERE ARE
YOU?” We wait. Hear nothing. I yell again. Still nothing.
“Well?” Ty says.
Then I do hear something. But it’s not coming from the forest.
It’s close by. A muffled, metallic sound. I look at Ty. “Did you
hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“A sound. Kind of a clunky metal sound.”
“Nope. All I heard is you yelling.”
We wait a couple more seconds. The fog-drenched silence seeps
in from the trees, coils in our headlamps, crawls up and over the
big rock where the trunk of the car is resting. Whatever the sound
was, it’s gone.
“And the verdict is . . . ?”
I say, “Let’s spread out. Stay about twenty feet apart and hike
to the car. If we don’t find the driver, then we’re back to plan A.”
Ty smiles. “Okay. Let’s do it. But do it now. I don’t want to kill
the battery.”
I put on my pack. Ty finds another boot print. It’s about the same
size as his hiking boot, so I figure the driver is our size, six foot,
maybe a little more. Ty walks fifteen feet away, starts hiking up
the hillside. I walk fifteen feet in the opposite direction, then head
straight up, scanning the beam from my headlamp in 180-degree
arcs. I walk ten steps, when I hear the same sound again. But this
time there’s no question about the source.
I call out to Ty, “Wait! I heard something.”
He swings around.
I run to the car. Bang on the frame with my fist and yell while
scanning the interior, “Hey! Where are you?”
By this time Ty is back. He says, “Cory. The car’s empty. We
checked. There’s nothing—”
Then he hears it. A muffled thump, thump.
He looks at me, says, “Oh shit.”
The sound is coming from the trunk.

~~~~~

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About Stephen:

Stephen
Stephen Wallenfels lives in Washington state with his wife.  He wrote freelance for the Health and Fitness industry for fifteen years before turning writing novels.  His passions are family, hiking, cooking, reading, movies, climate change, and especially writing.

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Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Tour Grand Finale and Giveaway ~ Bound Beauty

Posted: December 8, 2018 in Dark Fantasy, giveaways, YA
Tags: , ,
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On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for
Bound Beauty
By Jennifer Silverwood

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch – Note from the Author

…Bound Beauty is the third and (mostly) final volume in this series. Not only do we finally get a peek inside the true nature of the prince’s curse, but we get epic romance, epic journeys and one very epic beastly battle. And because this is Gothic fiction, plenty of ghosts, magic and heaving bodices. 😉 Thanks for coming on this adventure with me, fantasy avengers!

—Jennifer

Mythical Books – Guest Post

10 Fun Facts About Wylder Tales

1. Wylder Tales takes its name from the borderland between our world and the magical world across the Veil, Wylderland.

2. Vynasha’s journey is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast, but written more like a “the legend behind the fairy tale” than a strict retelling…

J.L. Mbewe – Excerpt

Vynasha stiffened as familiar sensations washed over her, the sound of dripping water on cobblestone, the scent of her beast. She opened her eyes in fear and released a breath of relief to meet a pair of emerald rather than silver.

“Baalor?” Her voice was scratchy from sleep, strained from more nightmares, no doubt.

Concern creased a faint line between his brow, but then his fingers brushed her curls from her face and he smiled. “I have missed your face, witch.”

Vynasha bit her lower lip and didn’t mind the prick of sharp teeth, not when his were sharper. “Wish I could say the same, brute.” She reached to touch his beard and took in his haggard look. “You just got back.”

Baalor’s smile widened, though it couldn’t disguise his fatigue. Or the darkness lingering in his eyes. “Do you always sleep by the fire when I am away?”

Rockin’ Book Reviews – Excerpt

It said something of the nature of majik, that Vynasha found Grendall’s amulet so easily. She clawed at the snow until she reached a hole in the dirt and uncovered Erythea’s hiding place. The sight of Old Ced’s towsack wrenched a dry sob from her chest.

“Nothing is as it seems…” Father had said before he died. Before she killed him.

She tore a hole in the sack in her haste to retrieve the amulet and snarled at the —-ed amethyst in her hands. Her hands shook as she fell back into the snow at her feet and gripped the talisman. Grandmother had once called this a key and a burden. Thea saw it as a weapon. Vynasha yearned to welcome the security of the bond, longed to feel in control of her majik again. She wanted to throw it as far as the east is from the west.

Wishful Endings – Guest Post

What’s in a Cover?

I have a very unique relationship with my cover designer. I first discovered Najla Qamber in 2012, when I was scouring Deviantart for talented artists. I had drawn a cover for one of my novellas, but knew it wasn’t quite up to snuff. Also, I wanted someone to design my cover for my current WIP, Silver Hollow. I stumbled across Najla’s profile, messaged her and the rest is history. Well, not quite. Najla has covered every single one of my novels (and recovered…bless her). Every time I gave her a concept stirring around in my brain, she broke through my expectations with her brilliance…

Locks, Hooks and Books – Review

“…I enjoyed this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It ends with a cliffhanger that makes me want more. . . . Scarred Beauty is a pretty good addition to the Wylder Tales series. . . . I cannot wait to get my hands on Bound Beauty to see what happens next. I enjoy Jennifer Silverwood’s story telling.”

Colorimetry – Guest Post

Final Page from Soraya’s Journal

I suppose it best to finish an enchanted text with a proper introduction. After all, the spells shall not take effect without the name of the caster. Everything begins with a name. My name was Soraya Wenderdowne and I was born to the most noble royal house among all the Fayere of Lunnae. The other peoples call us “lightwings,” but only the royal houses still bore wings of honor. I had always been proud of my wings. Not only were they my most beautiful feature (and trust me when I tell you I was not unpleasant to look upon) but my wings allowed me to fly…

Declarations of a Fangirl – Excerpt

Vynasha sucked in a sharp breath of cold air and leaned heavily on her walking stick.

A firm, but gentle hand squeezed her shoulder. “Alright then, beasty?” Wolfsbane turned his head, before she could catch more than a glimpse of his concern.

Vynasha touched his glove with her clawed hand and smiled. “Just need a moment.” This was a lie, of course. Her calves no longer burned from endless days of hiking up and down mountains and through slippery brambles.

Reading On The Edge – Excerpt

“Aren’t you disgusted by me?”

He jerked back as though struck and she could feel his temper brewing. “Why would I be disgusted by you?”

Vynasha’s knee ached with a sharp pang and she closed her eyes, unconsciously squeezing his arm tighter.

His free hand clasped her waist as he came to face her. “Vynasha,” he beckoned her look at him. “Allies?”

She laughed so she wouldn’t cry, then held up her clawed hand. “Look at me. I’m not what I was before.” She grimaced and shook her head. “I have never been beautiful, I know, but…”

Book Butterfly in Dreamland – Review

“Embark on an epic retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a twist and a gothic flare!”

Bookworm Lisa – Excerpt

In the beginning, all the prince of Bitterhelm could see was the curse.

By day he walked the shadowed halls of his forefathers, the bitter remnant of his kingdom. By night his bones snapped in a moment of agony, until his cries fell into roars. He learned quickly, after wreaking havoc to all the furniture in his stately chamber, to confine himself to the dungeons. There, only the other beasts could hear his screams.

Once the night was through, his manservant, Odym appeared with keys to lead his master back to his chambers. The broken furniture had been discreetly cleared away by the other servants, replaced by pieces from the king’s vacant rooms. Grendall had been too weary to punish them, though his skin crawled for different reasons, lying in the bed of his father.

Books to Light Your Fire – Excerpt

Erythea’s sigh interrupted Vynasha’s darker thoughts. The girl was always chattering about every thought which entered her head. “I’ve never seen spring, did you know?”

Vynasha blinked and for a moment, saw the valley of Whistleande, carpets of fuchsia heather and sage grass.

Thea touched stray branches, infusing blue tendrils of energy into the sleeping buds. “My majik is tied to the earth like Mother’s. It wants to end this winter and let things grow.” She glanced over her shoulder at Vynasha with a crooked smile. “Did you know the last true spring hasn’t come in an age?”

Vynasha pressed her claws into her palms. “Since the curse,” she whispered. Her voice held a rasp she couldn’t shake, ever since the fire. Not even her transformation under the curse could hide what she was before.

We Write Fantasy – Guest Post

Finishing a Trilogy: Part 3

First off, apologies for the misleading title. This is not the third part of a blog serial. It is, however, a post about trilogies, specifically mine. Wylder Tales is a darker (often Gothic) fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast. When I approached what I simply titled “Vynasha” I wanted to tell the classic fairy tale with a legendary bend, much like Snow White and the Huntsman. My first incarnation of Volume 1 was a little different from what you know today. It was also extra heavy on the prose. I can’t help myself sometimes, being a life-long fan of L.M. Montgomery, to love the beauty of language. But I learned over the following two years that the story was too stagnant and bogged down. On the encouragement of my writing coach, I returned to Vynasha and added more characters like Hvalla, Wolfsbane and Resha, cut off most flashbacks and expanded the dialogue. Thus, Craving Beauty was born…

Nicole’s Book Musings – Excerpt

That night, they danced among the Hall of Mirrors, as summer moonlight filtered through the windows. He had kept them closed for so long, but wanted to see the way the stars played off her hair. She was light and laughter incarnate.

He proposed after their prancing steps fell into a sensuous lilt. She sucked in a breath, indeed every servant and even the walls seemed to still, waiting for her reply.

Her smile was soft as she whispered, “Yes.”

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven’t already…

Bound Beauty
(A Wylder Tale #3)
By Jennifer Silverwood
YA Dark Fantasy
Paperback & ebook
December 21st 2018

Beware the bond between blood and beasts…

Vynasha has united the warring human and forgotten clans of Wylderland, claiming her majik and power as curse breaker. Her brother, Ceddrych keeps their nephew safely hidden away while Vynasha and her new allies fight against the feral beasts roaming their borders.

Meanwhile, her friendship with the Iceveins family deepens, unveiling a love she never expected. But her majik is still bound to the cursed prince she left behind and he isn’t done fighting for her soul.

Darker forces walk in the forests, all drawn to Vynasha’s light and the shade of a corrupt Enchantress haunts her waking dreams. A war is about to begin, between the forgotten people of Wylderland and the evil power of Bitterhelm.

Prophecy and Forgotten unite in the epic third chapter of the Wylder Tales Series, a gothic re-telling of Beauty and the Beast.

The Wylder Tales Series
Craving Beauty (Vol. 1)
Wolfsbane’s Daughter (Vol. 1.5)
Scarred Beauty (Vol. 2)
Bound Beauty (Vol. 3)

Goodreads│iBooks│Barnes & Noble│Smashwords│Kobo

Other Books in the Series


Grab the first book, Craving Beauty, for FREE! You can find your preferred
format here. Or grab the compilation of volumes 1, 1.5, and 2 on Amazon.

About the Author

Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it’s the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of two series—Heaven’s Edge and Wylder Tales—and the stand-alone titles Stay and Silver Hollow.

Website│Blog│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Tumblr

Tour Giveaway

PRIZE PACK #1: Print copies of Wylder Tales Vol 1-2 along with a “Gothic fairytale” themed basket. (US only.)

PRIZE PACK #2: $10 Amazon eGift Card and winner’s choice of two of the author’s ebooks (if a novella series is pickes, i.e. Heaven’s Edge, then all three novellas will be included). (Open internationally.)

Ends December 12, 2018

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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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The Friday 56 #191 ~ Fairest

Posted: November 2, 2018 in The Friday 56
Tags: , ,
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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!

I missed doing this meme in October and it’s good to be back!

My 56 for this week is from:

Fairest

The Lunar Chronicles #3.5

Levana’s Story

  by Marissa Meyer

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Genre: YA / Fantasy

From page 56 in the paperback.

She was beautiful in a way that all members of the queen’s entourage were beautiful, but there was also something admirable in the way she held herself. A confidence that glimmered.

Levana liked her immediately

~~~~~

Synopsis

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Amazon / B&N / Kobo

~~~~~

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

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

But is she…… Alive? ~ Author Interview and Giveaway

Posted: October 30, 2018 in apocalypse, Author Interview, giveaways, YA
Tags: , , ,
11

Alive banner

Alive?
by Melissa Woods
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Alive cover
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(The Alive? Series, #1)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: October 30th 2018
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction,Young Adult, Zombies
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Synopsis
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Everyone knows the first rule of the zombie apocalypse: Don’t. Get. Bitten.

Too bad Violet has never been great at following the rules. Walking home after a night of partying, she manages to let one of the Dead take a chunk out of her only hours after they’ve begun walking again. Fortunately for Violet, she doesn’t die. Unfortunately for Violet—she’s not exactly alive, either.

Violet’s body is undergoing changes, and suddenly the taste of human flesh is not as revolting as it once sounded. Controlling her new urges will be hard. Living with survivors who have no idea will be even harder. And the real zombies? They still want to eat her, too…

Surviving the zompocalypse is tricky when you play for both teams.

New from author Melissa Woods, Alive? is a heart-pounding adventure with suspenseful plot twists, complex characters, and a dash of dark humor. Gritty and raw, Alive? is sure to keep you guessing, and will delight zombie apocalypse fans everywhere.

Purchase: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo
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~~~~~

Check out the Author Interview

Can you describe your book in one sentence?

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It’s the story of a seventeen year old called Violet, who makes the unfortunate mistake of getting bitten by a zombie, and discovers that while she’s lucky enough not to die, she now has a couple of interesting quirks, making her an unwanted guest at most dinner parties!

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

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Averages are hard, because I wrote the first draft of Alive? when I was sixteen years old, which would suggest it takes me twelve years to go from first draft to publication! But if I look at when I went back to the book and made the major changes, and how long it’s taken me to draft the sequel, I’d say it’s about nine months to a year to go from a blank page, to something I’m ready to send to the editor for fresh eyes.

What is the first book that made you cry?

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I think it was probably Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. You probably already know the part, but spoiler alert; Cedric Diggory dies! It was the first time I’d felt actually angry and upset about the death of a character; not angry at JK for writing it, of course, but angry with Pettigrew for killing him. I was angry at one fictional character for killing another, which is ridiculous really, but just shows how touched you can be by the written word.

Have you ever gotten reader’s block?

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Absolutely. There have been times where I’ve picked up and put down six books in a row, because my mood changes. One minute I want to read a thriller, then I want sci-fi, then I get a craving for young adult diary-style humour. It drives my husband crazy, because he’s someone who picks up a book and doesn’t read anything else until it’s finished. I suppose that’s part of the reason that Alive? has a bit of horror, a bit of suspense, and a bit of humor, because I’m trying to keep myself happy as well as anything else!

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

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It crossed my mind, because I’m a teacher, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about parents of the children I teach reading the book, hating it, and then having to make awkward eye-contact on the playground where they look at me and think “She’s in charge of educating my child, and her book is the worst thing I’ve ever read in my life!” But I realised that it’s just my own anxiety, and that even if they didn’t like the book, the parents of children I have taught would hopefully be unlikely to make judgements about my teaching based on my writing about the zombie apocalypse!

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

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Just keep writing. Try to focus on one project at a time, but it’s okay need to move onto something else, because sometimes that’s exactly what helps you realise what’s missing from your work in progress. Don’t worry about having six half-finished projects, it’s better than staring at a blank chapter for weeks on end because you don’t know where it’s going next.

Alive slow

How do you think you’d fare in a zombie apocalypse?

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It totally depends on the type of zombies. If we’re going George Romero’s slow shufflers, then I think I’d do okay! I’ve read a lot of zombie books, and watched a lot of movies, and think I’d avoid some of the typical ways to be killed off early on. But if the zombies were fast, like in Alive? or movies like 28 days later, then I’m pretty sure I’d be dead within about half an hour. I’m not someone who runs, which is something I decided to grace Violet with, just to make her life a little harder!

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside

Violet Winter was dead.
Probably.
Possibly.
To be honest, she wasn’t quite clear about it yet. All she knew was that ever since being bitten by the zombie, things had started to get weird.
As she stood there with warm blood drying on her fingers and bits of someone’s face in her teeth, she decided that making the choice to take the shortcut through the woods might not have been the best one.

Alive teaser

~~~~~

Author Melissa Woods

Alive author

Writer, primary school teacher, zompocalyptic obsessive.

Melissa Woods is the author of ‘Alive?’, a young adult zombie adventure story, set for release on October 30th 2018.

When she’s not writing or teaching, Melissa can usually be found walking her three dogs, playing video games, or, occasionally, spending time with her husband.

Author links:  Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
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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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

A Pirate’s Calling by Darren Simon ~ Tour and Giveaway

Posted: October 27, 2018 in Fantasy, giveaways, Historical, YA
Tags: , , ,
10
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The Dangerous Legacy
A Pirate’s Calling Book 1
by Darren Simon
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
 
Thin, pale, awkward, bullied, Sam Every is a thirteen-year-old who finds
comfort among his friends and his days at the beach. The ocean
beckons to him. It is where he feels safest. Fitting in no longer
matters when he is near the Pacific’s rolling waves. Gazing toward
the endless blue where it touches the horizon, he imagines the ports
he might someday reach and ponders his future.
Little does he know an apparition—a hauntingly beautiful girl from the
sea—will lead him farther from his home than he could ever dream,
for destiny has given him a dangerous legacy
 
 
Deadly Waters
A Pirate’s Calling Book 2
 
Thirteen-year-old Sam Every has traveled back in time to the Golden Age of Piracy to
face Captain Jem Slayer, master of the dark arts. Deceived into
handing Slayer the ultimate weapon, the Sword of Zel-Kar, Sam has
lost his hands, sliced off in his first clash with the evil pirate.
But all is not lost.
Sam’s friends have found their way back in time, and with the help of the
pirate hunter, Benjamin Hornigold, have rescued him from the island
where Slayer marooned him. Now, aided by a new band of rogues and a
mystery friend, Sam must rise above his injuries and find the
strength to again face Slayer before it is too late—before the
future is forever shattered. ​
 
 
 
 
Darren Simon is a former longtime newspaper journalist who now works in
government affairs on California water issues and teaches college
English. In his spare time, he is a freelance magazine writer.
Guardian’s Nightmare is his first novel. The second book in the
series is also under contract with Divertir Publishing. He resides in
California’s desert southwest with his wife, two sons and two crazy dogs.
 
 
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