Posts Tagged ‘YA’

.

Amid new threats and unsettling discoveries, hope still perseveres.

.

Remarkable Magic

The Hybrid Magic Chronicles Book 3

by Cristy L. Bowlin

Genre: YA Fantasy

.

Amid new threats and unsettling discoveries, hope still perseveres.
Aaron is done letting the Defenders control his life. He refuses to continue running and hiding. The Defenders claim that hybrid mages are dangerous abominations, but Aaron and Lilith are determined to prove otherwise. Meanwhile, Elara and Theo are grappling with formidable new abilities that they never expected to possess. Striking out on their own, Aaron and his friends discover another group of hybrid mages living in the desert who are preparing to fight. New alliances are forged, yet not everyone agrees on how to confront the Defenders. When more people see what hybrid magic can do, it could either be revered or feared even more. Aaron and his friends must make some tough decisions before those choices are taken from them.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

.

.

Theo was the last to enter the tavern, hanging back as they had agreed. Pipe smoke permeated throughout the open dining area and mingled with the scents of alcohol and sweat. Theo stood next to the wall, trying not to cough, while his friends walked to the bar. Elara bought a drink and sat on a stool. Aaron and Lilith continued walking until they reached a piano in the corner of the room.

Theo furrowed his brow when Aaron took a seat on the piano bench and started playing. He didn’t realize Aaron knew how to play an instrument. However, Theo’s jaw nearly dropped open when Lilith started singing. Her voice was a melodic soprano reminiscent of birdsong. It shouldn’t have surprised Theo, yet he stood there awestruck at the performance. He soon realized he wasn’t the only one in awe. The whole room quieted as people turned their attention to Aaron and Lilith. This wasn’t part of the plan they discussed, but it would set the stage for Lilith’s speech.

When Lilith finished singing, everyone in the room applauded as if they were at a concert hall rather than a tavern. Lilith dipped into a curtsy as Aaron played the final chords in the song. Then Lilith stood on top of the piano bench and cleared her throat. “Thank you all for listening to our song.”

“Play another one!” someone shouted.

Lilith smiled. “We would be happy to, but first my friend and I have something to tell you all.”

Elara made eye contact with Theo across the room. She looked nervous, and Theo imagined he wore a similar expression on his face. He wanted to be there beside Lilith and Aaron in case anything bad happened, but they insisted that they had to introduce themselves first on their own. As the youngest and smallest among them, Lilith was the least threatening and most likely to garner sympathy. And with Aaron’s fame, people would quickly recognize his name if not his appearance, so he would be of the most interest. Elara and Theo could be introduced a bit later if the crowd reacted positively to the presence of hybrid mages. If not, Elara and Theo could remain anonymous and cause some type of distraction, allowing Aaron and Lilith to slip out of the building.

“My name is Lilith Brouning, and this is my good friend Aaron Ztrong. We are both hybrid mages.” She paused as people started murmuring amongst themselves, and then she held up the Defender pamphlet Aaron grabbed earlier. “Some people like to call us dark mages. I’m sure you are all familiar with the Defenders of the True Four. Maybe some of you have even read their pamphlets and agreed with some of the things they had to say. But I’m here to tell you the ugly truth about them. They tried to kill Aaron, and they succeeded in murdering my parents. They would get rid of every last hybrid mage if they could.

“I understand why they have their concerns about us because Florella Jacobsen was a hybrid mage, and she did unspeakable things during the Jacobsen Conflict. She was responsible for far more deaths than the Defenders, but now she herself is dead. She will cause no more harm to any of us, and I can promise you that Aaron and I are nothing like her.”

Aaron stood up next to Lilith. He gestured to the piano behind them. “We enjoy the same pastimes as all of you. We have families we care about deeply. We make mistakes sometimes, but that’s part of what makes us human. All we want is to be able to live our lives without constant fear of being hunted down.”

“That’s why we are here today,” Lilith said. “We’ve been hiding ourselves away for more than a year, and we simply cannot do it anymore. How free has the Deravine Commonwealth really become if there are still some mages who can’t be true to themselves?”

A few hisses rose up from the crowd as people cursed the commonwealth, but twice as many people shushed the critics. When the room quieted again, Lilith held up her hands in a placating gesture. “Politics aside, I hope we all can agree that what the Defenders have been doing is outright persecution. Their crusade must come to an end. I hope the next time you see one of these pamphlets, you will tear it down and throw it away.” She crumpled the pamphlet in her hand and threw it on the ground. Some people clapped, which Theo considered a small victory at least.

A man and woman abruptly stood, scraping their chairs across the wood floor. “That’s a nice speech, to be sure,” the woman said, “but actions speak louder than words. We know you fought alongside Florella the day she died.”

Lilith scowled. “We were fighting for our own lives because a group of Defenders attacked us. Florella happened to be with us because we had captured her.”

“So you say,” the man mumbled. “Doesn’t mean we can trust your word for it.” He raised both his hands and threw balls of fire directly at Lilith and Aaron.

.

**Don’t miss the other books in the series!**

.

Hybrid Magic

The Hybrid Magic Chronicles Book 1

Amazon

Innovative Magic

The Hybrid Magic Chronicles Book 2

Amazon

.

Cristy L. Bowlin is an English professor at Oxnard College and author of The Temple Dancer’s Diary and The Hybrid Magic Chronicles, set in the fantasy realm of the Deravine Commonwealth. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband, daughter, and pet cat. When she isn’t reading or writing, she is most likely dancing, hiking, or getting invested in (another) TV series.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

.

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.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto tour banner

.

Welcome to my stop during the book blitz for Adventures of Takuan from Koto by Ryu Zhong. Adventures of Takuan from Koto is about the whimsical adventures of a young trickster: from petty tricks to god-given missions.

This book blitz is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 11 till 15 September. See the tour schedule here.

Discount!
Adventures of Takuan from Koto is discounted to 99 cents for the duration of this blitz, you can grab your copy here.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto

By Ryu Zhong

 

Adventures of Takuan from Koto book cover

Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Age category: Middle Grade/ Young Adult
Release Date: 6 August 2023

Blurb:

.
Whimsical adventures of a young trickster: from clever exploits to a god-given mission.

A stone marten, in pursuit of the sun, climbs to the very Heavens and causes quite a commotion. Both the stubborn gods and the ordinary people have a hard time when weredemons break free. Even the Lord of the Underworld turns out to be powerless.

But sometimes even a mouse can be stronger than an elephant, as the old proverb says. The fate of the world ends up in the hands of Takuan — a young trickster, who deceives the greedy, angry, and ignorant people across the country of Chinayindu. On his journey, he meets the wandering warrior Zhu Leizu, a temple monk named Soliang, the clumsy sorcerer Bricabrac, and many others.

Our story begins with a village boy setting off to a monastery to become a demon-hunting monk, only to find out how truly dull monastic life can be.

Or does our story begin with the birth of the stone marten Ta Guan? To learn about what happened in the Heavens, the incredible adventures of Takuan, and what was the end of all of it, read the book ‘Takuan of Koto’ by Ryū Zhong.

.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto discount graphic

.

Links:
Goodreads
Bookbub
Amazon

.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto graphic.

.

About Author Ryu Zhong:

 

Ryu Zhong author picture

Ryu Zhong has spent the last fifteen years in multinational corporations doing future research and developing novel tech. Today, Ryu writes fantasy and science fiction based on his experience. In his novels, he highlights the phenomena that humanity may face in just a few hundred years.

Ryū Zhong were lucky to be born and grow in Asia. Now they live in Amsterdam, study Dutch, and adapt their writings to English and other languages.

Author links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Amazon

.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto square banner.
Lola's Blog Tours graphic

.

~~~~~

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 stop on the virtual book tour for Rise Of Dresca organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Author Tim McKay will be awarding a $40 Amazon or B&N Gift ardC to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Rise Of Dresca

by Tim McKay

 

https://i0.wp.com/blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qJKw_NBfwA-GWNIAINguCLHvfbIesOVnF4RfJ4wMhsYXAeF07W6RJo_78bhthODHAn6unybvwbI6ExJ1x3n4Fx0poRpDERQatkKYRsdiDI4yGzbwyrBNfWdRFJmVJ1947dfLbjsXEaJ9Sxx8s2gnzS0oxXGNWvqsmSY4k_5oaz4I1Of1SzkBXVqrLac/s4950/BookCover_RiseofDresca_SC_Final_Front.jpg?ssl=1

 

Genre: YA / Dark Fantasy

Synopsis

From the pits of an ancient darkness, a new power is rising.

******

Ceremai has fallen.

After a decade of struggle for independence, a fledgling nation collapses under the unrelenting force of invasion.

Join an unlikely band of allies on a journey beset by shadow and intrigue, pulled by the strings of fate to the source of a new evil.

A lord’s daughter turns assassin. An orphan girl discovers her power. A captain plots in vain.

And the last soldier of Ceremai finds his destiny.

Witness the dawn of a new age, and learn if what evil intended for harm…

… can become something far more terrible.

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

“I’m not much of a teacher,” said Sevora. She unclipped her scabbard and pulled the long blade free.

“I’ll bet,” said Datha with a snicker, just loud enough to regret it when Sevora sent him her most withering look.

“I’ll do my best to keep up,” said Vald. As he pulled Seth’s korossa from its worn scabbard, the blade seemed to ring. Sevora could have sworn she saw a faint blue light glimmer along its edge. She’d have shrugged it off if not for Seth’s wide eyes, which quickly turned serious.

Vald handed the scabbard to Seth, then twisted the sword in a narrow flourish, gripping hard on the hilt and shifting down into a stance Sevora recognized. Vald wasn’t showing off. She was about to be challenged.

She drew herself up. “Read… ahem… ready?”

Vald nodded.

Sevora shot forward, left arm straightened and her sword piercing the air where Vald’s bulk had been. He’d stepped left, pivoting and catching her blade with a stiff but powerful undercut. The force pulled her arm up and around so she stumbled two steps over.

She’d left her side open and knew what was coming. Vald closed in with a sweeping diagonal slash that her hasty defense barely caught. He pressed his korossa on hers and it took all her strength to keep her own blade from digging into her shoulder. Their eyes locked.

For the first time since the dragon swarms flew east, she was afraid.

About Author Tim McKay:

https://i1.wp.com/blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZA41ULLbr5hv1s0cssg7MH-3SJ98dnnwvIhDqqII4LK1sUSRAZFcYox4jkjoE2WE8_jB7SNRQ4veYiUitd65QFS7asHdo0YCVuM45dhrTWpKi3h_bEIg1Rt4CwdePTqWQBI_Wy23JSkcjdUdZ0MYcJUpSYTUFz8vqrACF2Rnv_Nse0RRUeN4trpB3Bg/s2880/Author%20Image%20TimothyMcKay0014_Resize.jpg?ssl=1

Tim McKay is a writer, editor, and marketer from Ottawa, Canada. He used to be a pastor, still cares about good and evil, and still strives to create meaningful experiences for others. He has degrees in history, theology, and public policy, along with a diploma in professional writing, but likes nothing more than hiking in the woods, running along the Rideau Canal, and connecting with the people he loves. Oh, and reading a good book.

Author Links: Website / Twitter / Instagram

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

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 stop on the virtual book tour for Slightest In The House organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Barbara Casey will award a $20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Slightest In The House

by Barbara Casey

 

 

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Synopsis

On some level she was aware that an elderly woman had come out of the darkness and put her arms around her. Meredith heard her say that everything would be all right. But on another, more conscious level, the one where all of her senses saw, felt, processed and recorded what was happening, Meredith watched two black body bags being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Then she watched the ambulance turn around and drive off in the opposite direction. Her long, tumbling mass of blond curls hung loosely over her face, shielding it. For Beth, the reality of what had taken place would come later. But Meredith had seen what had happened and understood. That knowledge was now seeping through every pore of her body.

Seventeen-year-old Meredith and her four-year-old stepsister, Beth, face the numbing reality of suddenly losing their parents in a freak accident. With no other family, they are taken from their mobile home in Georgia to go live with a grandmother they have never met in a mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. Beth soon adjusts to her new environment; but Meredith withdraws from everyone and everything, unable to blot out the image of the horrible crash that killed her parents. It is only when she reaches out to a homeless woman that Meredith is finally able to find herself and face her demons. With the help of her grandmother’s long-employed staff, a family doctor, a museum curator, an attorney who is more than just her grandmother’s legal advisor, and, of course, her conniving grandmother who is dealing with her own guilt for having been estranged from her son and his wife (Meredith’s and Beth’s parents), Meredith is able to pull herself from the depths of despair into a life filled with faith, hope, and generosity.

Slightest in the House is a contemporary novel with strong, interesting characters from different walks of life, brought together because of life’s difficult and often unexpected circumstances, and bonded together by their faith and belief that everything works out as it should.

Enjoy this peek inside:

Joseph had no trouble locating Mango Street or the apartments. The town of Palmetto was small, and all of the streets seemed to run north and south, and east and west. After parking next to the curb, Joseph waited by the car as Elizabeth walked up to the front door and knocked. A woman wearing jeans and a loose-fitting blouse opened the door.

“I’m Elizabeth Wallingford,” she said to the woman. “I understand my granddaughters are staying with you.”

The woman told Elizabeth her name was Anne Reynolds, “and this is my husband, Ron,” she said as she led Elizabeth into the dimly-lit living room. A man who had been seated across the room stood up. He was dressed in a policeman’s uniform, and the dark circles under his eyes indicated that he hadn’t slept in a while.

“We are terribly sorry for your loss,” he said putting his arm around his wife. “Ricky and Rachel were good friends of ours.”

“We are just so sorry,” repeated Anne.

Elizabeth nodded and then quickly glanced around the somewhat cluttered room. Her eyes paused on the young child who was curled up in a chair asleep.

“That’s our daughter, Christie,” said Ron.

Elizabeth continued to look around the room. Toys and games littered the floor. An old black and white Western movie was playing on the television, but the sound had been turned down. And then she saw them. A thin young girl—almost a young woman—with long blond hair and big blue eyes. So much like her mother. The jeans she wore were too short, even for her petite body. And the shoes on her feet looked as though they should be on someone else. Standing next to her was a much younger child holding some kind of stuffed toy with a ridiculous-looking bandage covering its rear end. A remnant of a tail hung limply over the bandage. Where the jeans on the older girl were too small, the dress on this child was much too large. The laces on her tennis shoes were frayed and knotted, and a rather large gaping hole in one of the shoes exposed the small bare toes within. Unlike her older half-sister, this child had short, dark hair, straight and fine, and her eyes were a golden brown. She was the image of her father, Elizabeth’s son. Elizabeth’s breathing quickened as the overwhelming sadness of the situation consumed her. Sensing the fear and uncertainty—and distrust—in these two young girls—her granddaughters, it was this that kept her own pain from being unbearable.

“Meredith . . . Beth, I’m your grandmother. I have come to take you to your new home.”

Beth put her small hand into Elizabeth’s jeweled one, and the three of them walked unspeaking out of the house. Ron carried what few belongings the girls had out to Joseph which he quickly loaded into the car—a brown tattered suitcase, a small wooden trunk with a brass lock in the middle, and a ripped paper shopping bag that contained a few books and toys. There was a smaller canvas bag with what looked like a computer in it. Meredith’s no doubt, Elizabeth thought as she watched Joseph put it in the back with the other things.

“We really didn’t know what to pack,” explained Anne apologetically. “Meredith and Beth picked out what they wanted.”

Elizabeth nodded. So paltry, she thought, noticing the shabbiness of everything. But she mustn’t allow herself to think about that. Somehow she would make it up to them and to their mother. Somehow she would make it up to her son. And she prayed that she would be forgiven.

“Thank you for your kindness,” Elizabeth said to Ron and Anne, her emotions just under the surface. She didn’t trust herself to say any more and she slipped into the backseat with Meredith and Beth. Once settled, the big car slowly drove away.

It was daybreak.

About Author Barbara Casey:

.

https://i0.wp.com/blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRaWHvQiMXa9BdQNI-Xx8Zcq-14WXyJElz02UvvQx5GgalDCnysetFrg2Ixrrq2zSo32pV3KZWz_1JxjkyPDzxhDk0dX9ZZrac9aKnAbbhKFNuQ42etJ5MxNaE4P6HCjbFXr2OoCocPB9IC5pMGpx65Jdx5V7CmdKCy1Uy4bwSJLnW-INngr68mY8drY/s3872/author%20image.jpg?ssl=1

Barbara Casey is the author of over two dozen award-winning novels and book-length works of nonfiction for both adults and young adults, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Several of her books have been optioned for major films and television series.

In addition to her own writing, Barbara is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.

In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas.

Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with three cats who adopted her: Homer, a Southern coon cat; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

Author Links: Website / Blog / Goodreads 

Purchase Links: Amazon / B&N

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

 

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.

 

War of the Sea

by Dana Claire

 

(Olympian Wars, #1)
Publication date: November 14th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

His powers could save the ocean. Her vendetta could sink a kingdom.

Captain Elouise Farrington, the youngest pirate on the Caviar Sea, seeks revenge on her father’s killer. But when her oddly hypnotic foe proposes a pact to kill the Siren Queen and end the War of the Sea’s bloodshed, she must make a choice. Put aside her long-brewing retribution or act the underhanded pirate and use the alliance to claim the life of the man who destroyed her family?

Captain Rylander Bordeaux, the revered royal navy captain of the Isle of Cava, has one mission—kill the Siren Queen and end the War of the Sea. The ocean is the only place Rylander calls home, but to bring peace to his beloved waves, he must defeat his past so he can reshape the future. His greatest hope is Captain Elouise, who calls to him like no siren song ever has. Too bad she’s almost as bloodthirsty as the fanged heart-eaters themselves. She promises to lend her all-female crew to his war on the sirens, but can he trust a brigand—especially one who wants him dead—to uphold her end of the bargain? Or will she be his undoing?

Goodreads / Kickstarter

Dana Claire’s best-selling, award-winning fantasy romance, War of the Sea, is getting an early one-year birthday present, an audio book, and companion novel, called War of the Land. To pay for the critically acclaimed narrators, Dana is launching a Kickstarter. In that Kickstarter, she will also release the next book in this series, War of the Land, a standalone HEA with sassy female demi-gods, strong arrogant Gods, and of course mischievous sirens and swashbuckling pirates.

Check out the Kickstarter campaign HERE!

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

“You are incredibly difficult, royally frustrating, and ridiculously beautiful. It drives me mad.”

Rylander gripped my hair at the back of my head and angled my chin upward. His lips were on mine before I took my next breath. There was no softness or patience to this kiss. His fist tightened, forcing my head back further. His tongue slipped passed my lips, demanding entrance, and I acquiesced. No fighting. No thinking. No questions. Only submission like two magnets pulled toward one another.”

.

.

About Author Dana Claire:

Dana Claire is an award-winning author whose stories explore identity, fate and destiny in the crossroads of romance and adventure. But her writing career didn’t begin when she published her first book, The Connection, in 2020. It started when she was a young girl when her mother, an elementary school teacher, inspired her to create imaginary worlds between the pages.

Dana’s love of romantic tension, the supernatural and non-stop action has elicited very positive feedback from many readers, as their online reviews reveal her flair for spine-tingling action and unforgettable characters. But it’s not just readers who love her; literary critics have also taken note, and Dana received the Children’s Moonbeam award for The Connection in 2021.

Dana is now sharing her stories through speaking events and book signings, introducing more readers to the worlds she created.

Currently, she is living her dream in Los Angeles, CA as a published author, but she has bigger dreams of sharing her stories through other mediums: film and television. The self-confessed hopeless romantic says she and her husband are living the best love story of all.

Instagram ➜ @authordanaclaire

Facebook ➜ facebook.com/danaclairebooks

Visit her website ➜ danaclairebooks.com

Drop a line ➜ danaclairebooks@outlook.com

For media and partnership inquiries including TV and Film, please reach out to The Next Step PR at kiki@thenextsteppr.com

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

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.

Craving Beauty tour banner

.

Welcome to my stop during the blog tour for Craving Beauty by Jennifer Silverwood.

In Craving Beauty a lost kingdom is uncovered by an equally lost girl, and a hungry beast waits, ready to devour her soul.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 17 till 30 July. You can see the tour schedule here.

.

Craving Beauty (Wylder Tales #1)

By Jennifer Silverwood

 

Craving Beauty book cover

Genre: Fairytale/ Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult
Release Date: 14 July 2023

Blurb:

.
A dark tale of enchantment and woe, perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Holly Black, Craving Beauty is the first installment of the epic Wylder Tales Series!

Nineteen-year-old Vynasha’s life is no fairy tale. The fire that killed her sisters was her fault, and the magic that saved her nephew cannot heal their scars. They shouldn’t have survived, and the villagers either fear or loathe them. Until a mysterious stranger saves her, giving Vynasha the key to finding the only family they have left.

With nothing to lose, Vynasha dares the journey into the forbidden Wylderland. Through dangers untold, she makes her way to the forgotten city, but more than ghosts linger in the castle. A wicked curse shadows the land, shadows whisper that the one to break their curse has come, and a beastly prince makes a bargain Vynasha cannot refuse.

Become the beast’s bride or become a monster herself.

Links:
Goodreads
Bookbub
Amazon
iBooks
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Smashwords
Angus & Robertson
Mondadori
Books2Read

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

The door closed with a gentle yet heavy thud behind her.

She hesitated as soon as she saw the slush she had already tracked in. Her battered and cracked boots were far too filthy to walk on such a rich surface. She shivered as she hobbled over a floor of mosaic glass. The strange silvery metal she had followed into this lost kingdom now stretched out between cracks far into the candlelit distance. Her fingers loosened as a rush of shock and disbelief assaulted her.

Someone must live here after all.

Vynasha wasn’t sure if that was a good or dangerous thing.

As she took in the breadth and height of the castle, she felt the weight of unseen eyes, as though something was waiting to see what choice she made next.

Lofty shadows kept her from making out the chasm above. Balconies overlooked the entrance of the grand hall, where candles winked and danced from their perches. A wide staircase wound its way higher to hidden floors. Pillars braced the weight of the staircase and rafters several paces ahead. Hundreds of candles, which lined a crimson carpet, sat upon silver candelabras.

Every step was now agony. Vynasha pushed aside her pain and followed the halo of flickering candles past the entrance hall and into a smaller passage.

Tapestries covered the walls on either side of her path, and exhaustion must have been the reason the strange beings and images shifted the longer she stared. Vynasha gasped and dug her nails into her palms to quell her anxiety.

Deep alcoves broke the walls, guarded by grotesque statues of creatures in pain. The crimson carpet split off into other doorways, some filled with darkness and others masked by heavy wooden doors. Despite the sea of candles, proof that someone must dwell here, she could not vanquish the sense that told her this was a tomb.

Tears spilled over her cheeks, but she couldn’t give up, not until she’d followed every last candle. Not until she knew for certain Ceddrych was not here. No matter what Wolfsbane had said, no matter the beggar’s promises. No matter if she was doomed to wander this ruin for ages without success until she, too, gave in to stone and collected dust. She walked blindly, aching for the warm fire she remembered from their cottage.

The sudden roar of flame and illumination ahead startled her.

Magick.

Old magick, by the taste of it, like the crushing layers of fallen petals in Wynyth’s garden. As she stumbled down a set of carpeted steps, Vynasha realized the entire castle reeked of enchantment. Not benign magick, either, but something wicked and cruel.

The room she found herself in was illuminated by a hearth higher than her head. The flames were large enough that they might have threatened her nerves were she less exhausted. Now, the promise of warmth after endless days of sleeping in the elements was inviting enough that she sank upon the rug. Her tangled mass of locks tumbled free from her loosened braid over her shoulders as she pried off her shawl.

Vynasha pulled her wet fingerless gloves free and set them beside her shawl before lifting scarred hands to warm before the fire. Her scarred flesh took longer to warm, and she struggled to feel it, numb from the damage she welcomed to save Wyll’s life.

The night you failed to save anyone else.

What would she tell Ceddrych if she found him in this dark place?

“Please, forgive me,” she whispered, biting her bruised lip as the urge to lie down and sleep in this bitter tomb overwhelmed her. “I’m not strong enough, Ced. I’m just not strong like you…” She curled into herself as she rested her head on her damp arm. She needed to remove her sodden layers, wrap up in the rug if nothing better presented itself. But she was so tired, and what magick Mother had passed on to her wasn’t enough to fight her failing body. If the cold didn’t stop her heart, then this starvation certainly would. Her one comfort was that little Wyll was with Resha and Wolfsbane now. They would care for him, keep him safe from the things she could not.

“Just sleep for a little while, then search the rest of the castle,” she whispered to the flames. If she did what Wolfsbane deemed impossible, if she survived whatever evil slumbered in this place, she would make a better life for them after this. She stared into the fire until the weight in her eyes became too great.

The cloying stench of old magick seemed to clear as her eyelids slid shut. A new scent permeated the room, overpowering the taste of ashes on her tongue. The evergreen forest after a winter storm, the land cleansed in a blanket of death.

“Beauty?” It was the voice in the wind.

Strong hands lifted her, tilting the world on its axis as she was cradled closer to this scent and a soft-as-down fur cloak. “Hold on to me, Beauty,” the voice beckoned, deep and rumbling against her ear.

Vynasha turned into the heat and clean scent of the forest, free from old magick. Her hands were too weak to find purchase in the fur cloak. Threads slipped through her fingers, yet she clung on as best she could and whimpered, “So tired…”

“You need not be weary anymore, Beauty. Never again,” the voice replied.

She floated for a time, and the voice hummed a soothing song in deep bass. Vynasha tried to hum along, as the tune was familiar, like something she’d heard in a dream long ago.

The gentle rock as the voice carried her higher and still higher lulled her into a perfect, dreamless sleep.

~~~~~

About Author Jennifer Silverwood:

 

Jennifer Silverwood author picture

Jennifer Silverwood has been involved in the publishing world since 2012 and is passionate about supporting the writing community however she can. After studying traditional art at university, she began helping Qamber Designs bring authors’ books to life. In real life, she’s a mom of two, a passionate reader, and an occasional artist. Jennifer is the author of three series—Wylder Tales, Heaven’s Edge Novellas, and the Borderlands Saga—and the stand-alone romance titles Stay and She Walks in Moonlight.

Author links:
Website
Website book page
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Books2Read
Newsletter

 

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Craving Beauty. These are the prizes you can win:
– a $25 Paypal gift card.
– 3 paperback copies of Craving Beauty (US, UK and Canada only). If winner is outside those countries they’ll receive an ecopy instead.
– 5 ebook copies of Craving Beauty.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

Craving Beauty square tour banner
Lola's Blog Tours graphic

~~~~~

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 stop on the virtual book tour for The Airs Of Tillie organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Barbara Casey will award a $20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Airs Of Tillie

by Barbara Casey

Genre: YA Fiction

Synopsis

The small town of Wellington, Florida, has the distinction of playing host to some of the wealthiest people in the world as well as the most prestigious equestrian events. King Charles comes from England to watch polo on the fields where he once played as Prince. The United States Olympics Equestrian team trains and competes there with teams from other countries. In sharp contrast, just down the road, due west, are some of the largest sugarcane fields in the world. The people who work these fields are for the most part poor. They come from many cultures and backgrounds, but they primarily come from Haiti, Jamaica, and the United States. This combination of horse owner and cane worker is an unusual dichotomy, and it is a blend of these things that makes up the world in which my story’s main character, Tillie, the 11-year-old daughter of a sugarcane field foreman, lives.

In The Airs of Tillie, Tillie Turpning lives in an imaginary world that is filled with beautiful horses, polite people, and luxurious homes. Her real world, however, includes living in a cane foreman’s small tenant house with her over-worked mother, an autistic sister, and a rebellious older brother who is searching for answers within a radical Muslim group. When Tillie is unexpectedly forced to assist in the difficult birth of a new foal, she proves that her determination and belief in herself will allow her to accomplish anything she sets out to do.

Enjoy this peek inside:

Matt struck hard at the cane stalk and continued moving down the row at a faster pace than normal. Meeting Abdullah had stirred up more questions. The fundamentals of the Muslim faith were good as far as he could tell. There was sahah, or daily prayer, ibadah, which was submission to Allah or God. Zalsah was paying 2.5 percent of his salary to a deserving fellow being—his parents called it tithing. There was fasting during the month of Ramadin or ninth month. And there was hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca. This was considered the biggest of all acts of worship. It was where Muslims from around the world were united into one international brotherhood. Mustafa talked a lot about the hajj. It was his hope to go some time in the next year. He had even suggested that Matt go with him—that is, if he decided to convert to Islam.

The prayer and worship and giving to others were all good things as far as Matt was concerned. He didn’t have much to give, but he wouldn’t mind sharing it. Abdullah had made a special point to single him out after the meeting, telling him that he had heard good things about him. That the “Brotherhood” needed good men like him. That was when Abdullah invited him to a special meeting they were having later in the week. Abdullah had actually called him a man. He had also told him that if he needed anything to let him know. “It is an honor,” Mustafa had told him later, “for Abdullah to take special notice.”

Matt felt good. He liked his new friends and he liked what he was learning about Islam. Abdullah was a leader. Matt noticed how much everyone looked up to him—respected him. That was what he wanted, too. Respect. But being the son of a cut foreman who worked in a cane field brought on more jokes than respect from the other workers.

Matt straightened up from his stooped position and wiped the sweat from his face. Behind him lay hundreds of long cane stalks neatly cut and piled in a row. The Brotherhood needs good men like you. He would attend the special meeting even if it did mean sneaking out of the house.

About Author Barbara Casey:

Barbara Casey

Barbara Casey is the author of over two dozen award-winning novels and book-length works of nonfiction for both adults and young adults, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Several of her books have been optioned for major films and television series.

In addition to her own writing, Barbara is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan.

In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas.

Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with three cats who adopted her: Homer, a Southern coon cat; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

Website / Agency / Amazon / Goodreads

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

 

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.

Cover Reveal Banner

,

Check out the cover for upcoming release by Debbie Iancu-Haddad, The Goodbye Kids!

.

cover 1.83 mb

The Goodbye Kids: A YA SF space adventure (The Children of the Stars #1)

Expected Publication Date: September 6, 2023

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

A million stars, but no friends.

Plus-size teen Haley grew up friendless on a space station thinking she’d never fall in love. She spends her time with her robot dog Nano, dreaming of the day she’ll leave the remote station and become an intergalactic pilot.

Haley’s plan shatters when Jorden, a boy on a suicide mission, drags her into his lethal scheme.

Jorden Lund isn’t the chosen one, he’s the guy who volunteered.

Raised by his controlling father in an eco-terrorist cell on Earth, Jorden volunteers for a mission to save the planet. He has four months to travel to the space station, build a bomb, and blow up a spaceship.

Falling in love is definitely not part of the plan.

When Jorden arrives on the space station, disguised as a traveler, Haley’s access to the station’s restricted areas makes her an asset.

But Haley has a strict rule: ‘No new friends’, because traveler friends always leave, taking pieces of her heart with them.

As the two grow closer, strange events wreak havoc on the station.

Amidst the growing danger can Haley stop Jorden before he breaks her heart and destroys her home?

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy soft, character-based, Sci-Fi, first-person dual POV, clean teen romance, space stories, talking robot dogs, and plus-sized heroines just living their life with no mention of weight loss.

Pre-order Here!

About the Author

e208d728-db4a-432b-a8cd-cd3383f3695e

Debbie Iancu-Haddad is a Jewish Israeli author living in Meitar in the Negev Desert.

She spends her time taking part in Anthologies (seven to date with two more on the way), writing VSS on Twitter, and buying way too much stuff online. Her goal is to promote body positive characters and include characters dealing with physical challenges. #ownvoices

For her day job, she gives lectures on humor, laughter yoga workshops and chocolate workshops, and sees how often she can make her two teenagers roll their eyes.

Debbie Iancu-Haddad | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Cover Reveal Organized By:

R&R Button

R&R Book Tours

.

~~~~~

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.

 

Today we’ve got a peek at K. N. Smith’s audiobook Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses. This young adult urban fantasy tells the story of five friends who discover heightened senses in a forbidden preserve. Check out the audio teaser & enter giveaway before grabbing your headphones and copy today!

Discovery of the Five Senses

 

Amazon Audible Universal Links | Goodreads

Narrated by: Glenn Steinbaum

Listening Length: 8 hours and 10 minutes

A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of this award-winning, action-adventure story—an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature listeners alike.

About Author K.N. Smith

K.N. Smith was awarded “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the 10th Annual Leimert Park Village Book Fair’s Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards. She is a Readers’ Favorite “Gold Medal” honoree for “Young Adult – Mystery”, the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards “1st Place Honoree” for “New Author: Fiction” and “Science Fiction/Fantasy”, and a Book Excellence Award Winner for “Young Adult Fiction”. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives. She is an advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. K.N. has over twenty-five years’ experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant, and is the founder of Mental Health California™, her signature nonprofit community initiative. Reading is still her foremost hobby.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Newsletter

Amazon Audible Universal Links | Goodreads

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

 

Enter to win a $50.00 US Visa Gift Card. International winner will receive a gift card with an equivalent amount of $50. Ends June 22, 2023. May the odds be forever in your favor.


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 stop on the virtual book tour for Angelbound organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Christina M Bauer will be awarding cute enamel book pins to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Angelbound

by Christina Bauer

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Synopsis

***Special Anniversary Edition With Bonus Story: Walker’s Love Connection***

Eighteen-year-old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your every day quasi-demon, part-demon and part-human, girl.

For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter Heaven or Hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet. But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons.

Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds.

What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is? Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy part-human and part-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.

Angelbound Origins Audiobooks

1. Angelbound
2. Scala
3. Acca
4. Thrax
5. The Dark Lands
6. The Brutal Time
7. Armageddon

Enjoy this peek inside:

The Choker’s eyes slowly scan me from head to toe, his creepy gaze lingering on the curves under my t-shirt and sweats. Rage shoots up my spine. What a scumbag. If he stopped thinking with his pants for two seconds, he’d notice my demon tail instead of my boobs and butt. Some quasis get stuck with pig- or bunny-bottoms, but I hit the jackpot: the long and thin variety with an arrowhead end. Even better, it’s coated in dragon scales, so the thing’s nearly impossible to block or cut.

But the Choker isn’t being smart. He stares into my big watery brown eyes and long lashes; I shamelessly blink in fake-terror. For trial by combat to be valid, the soul must have a chance at winning. They get three options, two of which are relatively easy to defeat. Then, there’s me, the one nobody should pick. Except they always do.

“I choose her.” His thick mouth stretches into a vicious smile. “I’ll fight Myla.” In a low voice, he adds: “You’ll find out why they call me the Choker.”

I jam my hands in my pockets and fake-shiver. And you’ll find out why they called me to fight you, dickhead.

Sharkie thumps his staff on the ground again, and the ghostly Choker turns into two-hundred fifty pounds of real human. “So be it.”

“Here are the rules,” announces Sharkie. “Upon the count of three, you shall battle onto the death. If the Choker loses, he goes to Hell.” The angels look at me with encouraging glances. “If the Choker wins, he goes to Heaven.” The demons let out a deafening roar.

I watch the demons cheer, my hands balling into fists. Those freakies would love for a purely evil soul to enter Heaven. If a spirit has even a smidgeon of good in it, they ‘go angel’ once they cross the pearly gates. A purely evil soul could cause no end of trouble for the angels, and demons love trouble.

The crowd quiets into a nervous hush. Sharkie waves his hand; Sheila, Walker, and XP-22 make a hasty exit into an obliging archway. I hop from foot to foot and crack my neck. This will be a hoot.

Sharkie raises his arms. “The battle begins in 3, 2, 1!”

About Author Christina Bauer:

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter.

Stalk Christina on Social Media – She Loves It!

Website
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
TikTok
LinkedIn

Amazon

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

 

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.