Review & Giveaway – The Committee Will Kill You Now by J L Lycette @partnersincr1me

The Committee Will Kill You Now by JL Lycette Banner

The Committee Will Kill You Now

by JL Lycette

January 22 – February 16, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Committee Will Kill You Now by J L Lycette is a medical eye opener with fact and fiction interwoven seamlessly. A virtual nightmare medical rabbit hole!

Interns – overworked, sleep deprived…

YOU ARE ENOUGH

I can see how mistakes can be made and the value of a life overlooked. BUT??????? How do you fix something like this? When the interns don’t talk because they know there will be repercussions. Where the hospital covers up mistakes and the work abuse of those that they are responsible for. Doctors playing God. Who are you to tell them….anything. Committees choosing who will live and who will die.

I don’t read a lot of medical books because J L Lycette’s stories are terrifying to me. But forewarned is forearmed…right? How better to protect oneself than knowing the truth.

The characters that stand out to me are Noah and Maddox. Of course, there are others who are pivotal to the story. Noah’s story highlights the moral decisions he will have to make. Will he part of the herd, go along to get along, or do the right thing, exposing the hospital’s negligence? Maddox…now that is something I didn’t see coming, but probably should have, if I had slowed down enough to think it through, but, I couldn’t stop flipping the pages.

There existed a whole other side of the profession…A hidden side…secrets nurtured and ugliness flourished…he’d become of part of it.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Committee Will Kill You Now by J L Lycette.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Synopsis:

The gripping new book from the author of The Algorithm Will See You Now. Based on the true-life rationing of kidney dialysis in 1960s America, a medical intern in 1992 Seattle tries to leave his painful past behind, only to uncover a shocking truth of thirty years prior and the lasting, generational harm of hidden secrets…

After a co-intern dies by suicide, a grieving Noah Meier commits an accidental error. In a desperate move to save his patient’s life, he covertly seeks help from audacious surgical resident Marah Maddox, igniting a bond between them.

When the hospital is suspiciously quick to sweep everything under the rug, Noah turns to his late father’s journal for guidance and makes a chilling discovery, all while trying to stay out of the crosshairs of abusive Dr. Rankel, keen to make an example of Noah. Worse, Rankel clearly has it out for Marah as the only woman in her program.

As the hospital’s patriarchal power structures, and the truth about his father’s past, threaten Noah and Marah’s burgeoning relationship, Noah will have to choose: shoulder his father’s devastating legacy or create his own daring future.

The latest sensational page-turner from physician-author JL Lycette, The Committee Will Kill You Now is a riveting historical suspense about the inner workings of the medical world and the personal struggles of those within it.

A thrilling near-historical drama that exposes the dark side of the medical establishment and a must-read for anyone interested in medicine, ethics, and the human struggle for justice.

Praise for The Committee Will Kill You Now:

“A page-turner with heart, The Committee Will Kill You Now will appeal to both doctors and non-doctors alike, and to anyone who’s ever needed to find the courage to stand up for what’s right.”
~ Hadley Leggett, MD, author of All They Ask Is Everything

The Committee Will Kill You Now Trailer:

Book Details:

Genre: Medical Fiction, Medical Suspense
Published by: Black Rose Writing Press
Publication Date: November 2023
Number of Pages: 300
ISBN: 9781685133122 (ISBN10: 1685133126)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Black Rose Writing Press

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

April 27, 1992
Seattle, WA

The hospital had a saying—you came to work unless you were dead.

Apparently, being dead on the inside didn’t count.

The latter, which Noah had quipped months ago at intern orientation, hadn’t earned him any points with Dr. Artie Andrews, the Program Director. Although his peers had laughed, and he supposed that mattered most.

Humor, his stalwart companion, was nowhere to be found these days. His pre-med-school self, who’d studied literature and philosophy and naively believed medicine a noble art, had become a distant memory. For interns, the drudgery of bodies had become their entire existence—how much their patients pissed, shit, vomited, or bled. Plato could wax all he liked about the separation of body and soul, but most days, Noah had to struggle to even remember his patients had souls, let alone find time to doctor them. Hell, most days, he was pretty sure his own soul had shriveled up and died a few months ago. It had been somewhere around the halfway point of his internship year, when a patient had died and he’d felt nothing when he’d crossed their name off his list. Only another body.

But he had no time for such thoughts this morning. Noah mentally shoved the memory back into its compartment, physically shoved his notes into the pocket of his short white coat, and headed off the Gen Med ward to make his way to Monday morning Resident Report. It didn’t matter he’d been up all night, mandatory was mandatory.

Before he got two steps from the nurses’ station, the sharp voice of Kathy, the ward secretary, rang out from behind her desk. “Dr. Meier, wait. Sign this before you go.”

Noah suppressed the urge to glance over his shoulder, where he instinctively expected to see Dr. Thomas Meier, gifted surgeon, renowned academic—and his late father. Accepting the chart Kathy shoved under his nose, he signed off on the orders he’d missed on his 6:00 A.M. admission. That’s what sleep deprivation did to you.

Behind him, the never-ending rain of the Seattle winter clattered on the windows, fraying his already heightened nerves. He scribbled his name and the time and date—7:50 A.M., 4/27/92.

He handed the chart back, his body already angling away, but Kathy’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “Any update on when Dr. Doherty will be back?”

Noah’s sleep-fogged brain was slow to process her words. “Jasmine Doherty?”

Kathy bobbed her head, the chain attached to her reading glasses glinting as it looped around her neck beneath her permed hair.

Noah squinted at her. A part of his overtaxed brain urged him to catch up with his team or risk being late, something heavily frowned upon, but his curiosity won. “Jasmine’s out?”

Interns didn’t take sick days.

Kathy finished transcribing Noah’s signed orders from the chart and deftly shelved the heavy plastic binder back on the rack before answering with a shrug.

Did this have something to do with the free HIV testing for the homeless project that Noah, Jasmine, and a few of the other interns had been trying to start? The project Dr. Andrews had warned would risk distracting them from their required hospital duties? Had Jasmine gone down to the homeless camp and been delayed? Noah dismissed the uneasy feeling in his gut and said something to appease Kathy. “Maybe she had a family emergency.”

The ward secretary gave him a skeptical glance.

Noah countered with a conspiratorial grin, wielding his familiar shield, humor. “If you don’t already know what’s going on, Kathy, I’m sure you will by noon.”

She rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion with her hands, but he didn’t miss the pleased expression that flashed across her face.

His grin, a shallow thing that didn’t penetrate his hollow core, lingered as he grabbed his coffee and jogged off toward the elevators to catch up with his team, comprising his senior resident, Harper Li, and his co-intern, Colleen Peterson.

Noah found them both outside the University hospital’s east-wing elevators. The early morning light filtered through the stained-glass windows beneath the lobby atrium’s vaulted ceiling, bestowing a halo around them. The sight of his colleagues buoyed his spirits. All he had to do was get through these last few months of internship. Then he’d be able to start practicing more of the medicine he wanted to practice, like bringing free HIV testing to the homeless population. Once they got through internship, they’d become people again instead of indentured servants of the hospital.

From her rumpled scrubs and frizzier-than-usual red hair, Colleen’s call night had been no better than his. They’d been so swamped with admissions he’d hardly seen his co-intern all night. She mumbled to herself, shuffling her index cards. Her freckles stood out on her paler-than-usual face, making her appear even younger than her age, which was somewhere in her mid-twenties. Internship had given the opposite gift to Noah—premature aging. At twenty-eight, gray hairs already sprouted at his temples. Perhaps the only thing he’d inherited from his father, according to his mom, at least.

He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to them. His father had been too much on his mind of late. The staff calling him “doctor” only spiked his lifelong anxiety about not measuring up. After all, Noah hadn’t yet earned the long white coat of a second-year resident.

It was those damn boxes his mom had asked him to help move last weekend out of the attic of her historic, steep-gabled home on Queen Anne hill. The boxes where he’d discovered his father’s old journal. The journal he’d never known existed and had spontaneously grabbed, tossing it in his car even though he told himself he’d never read it. It would be a waste of time —

“You ready?”

Noah dropped his hand from his eyes.

Harper didn’t wait for an answer before pressing the elevator button. By unspoken agreement, they only allowed themselves the luxury of passive motion in the depths of post-call morning exhaustion—when they’d been on duty over twenty-four hours straight and still had twelve hours to go.

While they waited, Noah had to stop himself from attempting to smooth down some of Colleen’s wild hair. Instead, he held up his coffee, and they touched their paper cups together in a silent toast that acknowledged their mutual suffering. The last time he’d tried to touch Colleen’s hair had earned him the outrage of both the women on his team. He’d meant nothing by it, only he’d come to think of Colleen as the younger sister he’d never had and always wanted. He imagined the close bonds he and his co-interns had formed in the pressure-cooker of residency to be similar to siblings.

This past month on Harper’s service had been one of Noah’s most rewarding of the year. He’d found a mentor, instructor, big sister, and friend in her, all wrapped up in one. He didn’t want the month to end, as it would mean moving on to be assigned to a different R3.

Harper leaned close to speak in his ear in a low voice. “The announcements should come any day.”

Noah shot a glance toward Colleen, but she was fretting over her notes and didn’t appear to have heard. His heart rate sped up. Did everyone know how much he wanted an invitation to the prestigious Osler Society? Or only Harper, the first female member and arguably the most brilliant. Did her words mean he had a shot?

There was the national medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha, and then there was Dr. Artie Andrews’ Osler Society, or as it was known around the hospital, “the Society.”

Andrews had started it two decades ago, and it had attained near-mythical status at their university teaching hospital. Any intern or junior resident inducted into the Society would get their top fellowship or faculty placement choice. It had been no surprise to anyone when they’d inducted Harper as an intern.

But no one on the outside knew what actually transpired at their meetings. Noah had asked Harper once, but she’d only muttered, “Primum non nocere.”

“First do no harm?” Noah had asked. “But isn’t that what all of Medicine is about?”

“Yeah, but with Artie, it’s… different,” she had said and shrugged. “It’s hard to explain.”

Noah envisioned them all sitting around Andrews’ office, pontificating about the art of medicine and quoting Latin to each other. Pretentious academics. He’d rather let an E.R. nurse shove a 14-gauge I.V. in the back of his hand. But he wasn’t fooling himself. He wanted to be a part of it, more than anything. To belong. To prove it to the one person he never could. His father.

***

Excerpt from The Committee Will Kill You Now by JL Lycette. Copyright 2023 by JL Lycette. Reproduced with permission from JL Lycette. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

JL Lycette

Jennifer / JL Lycette is a novelist, award-winning essayist, rural physician, wife, and mom. Mid-career, she discovered narrative medicine on her path back from physician burnout and has been writing ever since. She is an alumna of the 2019 Pitch Wars Novel Mentoring program. Her first novel, The Algorithm Will See You Now, was a 2023 SCREENCRAFT CINEMATIC BOOK COMPETITION FINALIST, 2023 READER’S FAVORITE BRONZE MEDAL WINNER in the Medical Thriller category, 2023 MAXY AWARD’S FINALIST – Thriller category, and 2023 PAGE TURNER AWARD’S FINALIST – Best Debut Novel category. The Committee Will Kill You Now is her second novel.

Catch Up With Jennifer:
JenniferLycette.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @JL_Lycette
Instagram – @jl_lycette
facebook.com/Author.JL.Lycette

 

 

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Review & Giveaway – One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey @partnersincr1me

MY REVIEW

I love a book that starts out strong, with bodies dropping and villains reveling in their handiwork. I love a book with damaged characters that create a second chance for themselves and One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey fits the bill.

Christian O’Brady is on a mountaintop, when he receives an urgent call. Tad Gaiman’s gallery has been robbed. I will say that I have nothing good to be said about Tad. He’s a dick, with a capital D!

Andi, an insurance adjuster and ex FBI, is called in. As soon as she stepped out of her vehicle, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. The past never lets us go and it strikes when Andi least expects it. It leaves Christian with questions of his own, but he believes in his ability to read a person’s characters and he feels Andi is a stand up person, regardless of what his brother says.

Andi’s best friend Harper comes in like a bat out of hell. Hold on to your hats, because she is a force to be reckoned with. She’s not the least bit shy. I love Riley, Christian’s sister. She is one of my favorite characters. She is an observer. She can find anyone and help anyone disappear. She has me laughing and the part she plays in a reenactment made me laugh at loud.

“Great. I get to be the victim again.”

They are a very tight Christian family. The Christian element is not in your face.

I do see another romance sparking and love is blooming all over the desert. That’s the wonderful thing about a romantic suspense series, we have plenty of characters to get involved with and plenty of mystery to come.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

One Wrong Move

by Dani Pettrey

February 2 – March 1, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Taunting riddles.
A deadly string of heists.
Two broken hearts trapped in a killer’s game.

Christian O’Brady was pulled into a life of crime at a young age by his con artist parents. Now making amends for his corrupt past, he has become one of the country’s foremost security experts. When a string of Southwestern art heists targets one of the galleries Christian secured, he is paired up with a gifted insurance investigator who has her own checkered past.

Andi Forester was a brilliant FBI forensic analyst until one of her colleagues destroyed her career, blaming her for mishandling evidence. She now puts those skills to work investigating insurance fraud, and this latest high-stakes case will test her gift to the limit. Drawn deep into a dangerous game with an opponent bent on revenge, Christian and Andi are in a race against the clock to catch him, but the perpetrator’s game is far from finished, and one wrong move could be the death of them both.

Dani Pettrey captivates with…

“An intense blend of suspense, love, and faith.”
~ Booklist

“Wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likeable characters.”
~ Publishers Weekly

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: February 6, 2024
Number of Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780764238482 (ISBN10: 0764238485)
Series: Jeopardy Falls, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Baker Book House

Read an excerpt:

PROLOGUE

He inhaled the stiff resolution of her death. She’d seen Cyrus. Remembered him. Now he’d need to silence her before she could mention Cyrus to anyone at the gallery. The imbecile should have been more careful, but that’s why he was in play. To assure things went according to plan, to remove anyone who stood in their way, and when it was done, to take out Cyrus and Casey. That he would delight in. Cyrus had been a pain in his rear as far back as he could recall. Casey. He was just a lamb to the slaughter, unfortunate fool.

Enrique released a smooth exhale, then inhaled the spicy scent of the girl’s perfume wafting on the stiff October breeze—­whistling through the wind tunnel the long row of downtown businesses made.

Killing her would alert Cyrus to his presence in the States, but, perhaps it would keep him on his toes. Someone needed to.

Maintaining a good distance from his prey, Enrique followed as she meandered through the shops, wearing one of those recyclable grocery bags slung over her shoulder. A baguette and fresh flowers peeked out of the top. She made another stop, this time popping into a coffee shop. He kept walking, stopping a handful of stores down on the opposite side of the street, and waited, letting the other shoppers meld him into the crowd.

A cup of coffee in hand, the girl emerged.

He turned back to look in the storefront before him, waiting until she was far enough ahead for him to resume following. Nearly a fifteen-­minute walk out of town, in an isolated patch of wind-­stirred mesa, sat a two-­story adobe building. Four exterior doors, each with a letter on it. Apartments.

Watching from behind a copse of trees, he waited while she retrieved her keys from her pocket, opened the bottom exterior door on the right, and disappeared inside. He held back, awaiting nightfall. He glanced at his watch. Not long. He surveyed the building, using binoculars to peer through the sheer curtains of her unit. A light in the bedroom shone, and slips of it spilled from what he could only assume was the adjacent bathroom.

He smiled.

The sun dipped below the horizon, and soon darkness shrouded the land. Time to move. Heading around to the back of the building, he found a sliding door to her unit. Easy enough. He jimmied the lock and eased inside.

Water ran in the bathroom, but a voice carried in song from the other side of the apartment. “Carry on Wayward Son.” Interesting choice.

He moved with stealth, approaching what he discerned was the kitchen. A teakettle whistled as steam from the open bathroom door filled the space. The girl turned the corner, dressed in a robe, a teacup in her hand. Her eyes locked on his, and panic flashed across her face as the teacup fell and shattered on the floor.

He smiled. Time to have some fun.

ONE

“Wait here,” Cyrus ordered.

“Why?” Casey asked—­though pawn suited him better. As much as it galled him, Cyrus needed the insipid man. Needed his skills. For now. But when they were done, so was he. “Why?” he asked again.

Cyrus gritted his teeth. So incessant. He shook out his fists. Only a handful of locations to go and the questions would cease. He would cease. “It doesn’t take two of us to get what we came for,” he said, hoping Casey would accept the answer and let it drop, but he doubted it. “I’ve got this. Two of us will only draw more attention.”

“Fine.” Casey slumped back against the van’s passenger seat.

The imbecile was pouting like a girl. And, that knee. Cyrus wanted to break it. Always bouncing in that annoying, jittery way. The seat squeaked with the rapid, persistent motion. He shook his head on a grunted exhale. If Casey didn’t settle . . . if he blew their plans. Cyrus squeezed his fists tight, blood throbbing through his fingers. Too much was at stake. His own neck was on the line.

He turned his attention to the task at hand. “I won’t be long,” he said, surveying the space one last time before opening the van door. The lot behind them was dead, the building still. He climbed out, his breath a vapor in the cold night air. He glanced back at their van, barely visible in the pitch-­black alley.

Shockingly, Casey remained in the passenger seat, his knee still bouncing high.

He shut the van door as eagerness coursed through him. The thrill and rush of the score mere minutes away. Just one quick job and then it was finally time.

He slipped his gloved hands into his pockets. A deeper rush nestled hot inside him, adrenaline searing his limbs. His fervency was for the kill.

He moved toward the rear of the restaurant, where the rental rooms’ entrance sat. His gloved fingers brushed the garrote in his right pocket, and he shifted his other hand to rest on the hilt of his gun. Which way would it go? Garrote or gun? Anticipation shot through him. Rounding the back of the building, he hung in the shadows and then stepped to the door and picked the lock—­so simple a child could have done it. But what had he expected of a rent-­by-­the-­hour-­or-­day establishment?

Opening the door, he stepped inside the minuscule foyer and studied the two doors on the ground level. Nothing but silence. He found the light switch and flipped off the ceiling bulb illuminating the stairwell, then crept up the stairs, pausing as one creaked. He held still, his back flush with the wall, once again shadowed in dark­ness. Nothing stirred.

Reaching her room, he picked the lock, stepped inside, and shut the door, locking it behind him.

She was asleep on the shoddy sofa, a ratty blanket draped across her. Getting rid of her now might be easier, but what fun was it killing someone while they slept? And he needed to make sure she had the items.

He stood a moment, watching her chest rise and fall with what would be her final breaths, then he knocked her feet with his elbow.

Her eyes flashed open as she lurched to a seated position. She rubbed her eyes. “You’re late.”

Less chance of witnesses.

“You have the items?”

She nodded.

“Get them. We’re in a hurry.”

She got to her feet and headed for the bedroom.

He followed.

To his surprise, she climbed up on the dresser and reached for the heating vent.

Huh. She was smarter than he’d expected, yet not bright enough to know what was coming.

Pulling the dingy grate back, she retrieved a black velvet pouch and a bundle of letters held in place by a thick rubber band.

“Hand them over,” he said.

She hopped down and hesitated. “I get my cut, right?” She clutched the items to her pale chest.

“You’ll get your cut,” he said, wrapping his hands around the garrote.

She released her hold. Taking the bag first, he slid it into his upper jacket pocket, then slipped the letters into his pant pocket. “Good job.”

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her creamy neck. “Thanks.”

Restless energy pulsed through him.

“Are we done here?” she asked, shifting her stance, her arms wrapped around her slender waist.

“Just about.”

“What’s left to do?” she asked, her head cocked, and then she stilled. She took a step back. So she’d finally figured it out.

“No.” She shook her head, backing into the paneled wall. In one movement, left hand to right shoulder, he spun her around and slipped the garrote over her head.

He’d intended to give her the option—­the easy way with a gunshot to the head or the hard way with the garrote. But the hard way was far more pleasurable, giving him the best elated high.

It really was a shame. She was a pretty thing.

Five minutes later, he was back in the van, leaving the body behind.

“You got everything?” Casey asked as they pulled onto the street, their headlights off.

Cyrus smiled and handed both items to him. They were a go. The appetite for what was to come gnawed at Cyrus’s gut, but in a good way. It was time to feed the anticipation that had been growing in him for nigh on a year. It was time to scratch that itch.

TWO

Christian’s hands gripped the rock face. Granules abraded the tender flesh beneath his nails, leaving them raw. Pushing up on the ball of his foot, he strained, his fingers searching for the crag. Finally, his hand landed on the cold surface—­only three inches deep. On a sharp inhale and slow exhale, he lunged upward—­only the slightest hold kept him from the hundred-­foot drop to the forest below. His foot landed on the next hold, and he settled, his muscles hot in the brisk dawn air. Blood throbbing through his fingers, he shifted the weight onto the balls of his feet.

Mapping the next route in his head, he leaped for the next hold. Air replaced the solid rock for the breath of a second, and searing adrenaline crashed through him as the hold slipped away. His pulse whooshing in his ears, he slid down, finally grabbing hold of a crag on his rapid descent. His fingers gripped hard—­the only thing holding his body weight and keeping him from the ground far below.

He examined the cliff, looking for a foothold. Something. Anything. Adrenaline raked through him, quivering his arms. Not good. Time held motionless until he anchored his foot on a narrow ledge, small rocks shifting under the soles of his climbing shoes. He kept his weight on the ball of his foot while scanning for a new route up. He exhaled as he found it, but it was going to require another leap of faith.

Releasing his hold, he lunged for a more solid handhold. Gripping it, he worked his way up to another ledge—­this one deep enough to settle comfortably onto.

His breathing quickened by the climb, he turned and pressed his back against the volcanic rock—­cool against his heated and perspiring skin—­and exhaled in a whoosh. Talk about a close one. He smiled. One more adventure down.

He held for a moment, taking in the morning light spreading across what seemed an endless sky. Man, he loved this view. Narrow shafts of sunlight streamed down through the early morning fog, lighting the yellow-­and-­orange foliage ablaze. Everyone talked about the beautiful fall colors in New England, but for him nothing beat fall in New Mexico, and it was peak season.

He sank into the silence. Only the occasional chirping of birds in the trees below rushed by his ears on the stiff, mounting breeze.

The brilliant orange sun rose higher above the horizon, its rays glinting off the rushing water of the swift creek at the bottom of the valley—­chasing away the fading chill of night and replacing it with renewed warmth of the coming day.

“Ain’t Worried About It” broke the silence with its melody. Who on earth was calling so early? He prayed nothing was wrong. It was the only reason he kept his cell on him while climbing—­in case there was an emergency and his family needed him.

He shimmied the phone from the Velcro pocket on his right thigh and maneuvered it to his ear without bothering to look at who was calling. “O’Brady.”

“I need you here now!” Tad Gaiman’s voice shook with rage.

Why on earth was Tad calling him so early? Why was he calling him, period?

Tad’s heated words tumbled out. “My gallery’s been robbed!”

“What?” Christian blinked. There was no way. The security system upgrades he’d installed made it impenetrable, or so he’d thought.

“Do you hear me? My gallery has been robbed!”

“I do.” He kept his voice level. Tad was frantic enough for the both of them. “Which gallery?” The man owned three.

“Jeopardy Falls.”

The one in their hometown? Crime was nearly nonexistent in their small ranching, lately turned tourist, town of five hundred. “Take a deep breath and calm down so you can focus.”

“Calm down?” Tad shrieked, and Christian held the phone away from his ear. Even his sister Riley couldn’t hit that high of a pitch. “Did you not hear me? My gallery’s been robbed.”

“I hear you. Let me call you back.”

“Call me back? You cannot be serious!”

“I’m balanced on a ledge on Manzano.”

“Of course you are.” Tad scoffed.

“I’ll call you when I’m on the road.”

“And how long will it take you to get here? This is a DEFCON 5 situation.”

Christian shook his head. Clearly, Tad had no idea what he was talking about. DEFCON 5 meant peacetime.

“Christian! How soon?”

“I need to climb down and make the drive back to town. I’ll see you in an hour.”

“An hour!”

“We’ll talk through it on my way in.”

Scaling down the rock face as fast as he could, Christian reached his vintage Bronco.

Climbing inside, he clicked on the Bluetooth he’d installed. It’d cost a lot, but in his line of work, he needed to be able to talk while on the road chasing down a case. He shook his head, still baffled that anyone had beat the security system.

He dialed Tad.

Normally his drive along the winding dirt roads through the mountains was calming, but not today.

Tad picked up on the third ring.

“Okay,” Christian said, swiping the chalk from his hands onto his pants—­the climbing towel too far to reach. “Walk me through it. Did the alarm go off?”

“The one on the security system you said couldn’t be beat? No!”

Christian took a stiff inhale. How on earth had someone gotten through the door without the key fob? The fob . . . “Tad, do you have your key fob?”

Silence hung thick in the air as Christian’s Bronco bumped over the ruts in the dirt road, the drop-­off only inches from his tires. He rounded the bend, and the road—­if it could be deemed one—­widened. “Tad?” he pressed.

“Okay, fine. I don’t have it.”

“Where is it?” Christian asked as he headed for the main road that led back to Jeopardy Falls.

Tad swallowed, the slippery, gulping sound echoing over the line. “I think the woman I spent last night with after the gala took it.”

“Riley mentioned she might attend the gala, but she couldn’t make it.”

“It was well attended.”

“And the woman you mentioned?”

“I met her at the gala.”

“She’s not local?”

“I’ve never seen her before last night.”

“So she just strolled into the gala?”

“Yes. It was a semiprivate affair. I sent out invites but welcomed anyone, given it was Friday Night on the Town.”

Their small town had instituted the night on the town for one Friday a month about a year ago, and it had really drummed up business for the eclectic downtown shops.

“Let’s shift back to the gallery,” Christian said. “I’m assuming you used Alex’s fob to get into the building?”

“No. I can’t get in.”

“Why not?” Christian pulled out onto the paved road.

“I can’t reach Alex, despite the fact she’s supposed to open this morning.”

“Okay . . . so walk me through what happened with the fob.”

“I woke up and that . . . woman was gone, and the fob wasn’t where I’d left it. I searched my place, but it’s not there, so I rushed to the gallery. I stopped at Alex’s place on the way, but no answer. She is so—”

“Settle down, Tad. Let’s think this through. Do you think Martha would let you into Alex’s place if you explained the situation?” Maybe the landlady would understand. Jeopardy Falls was a small enough town where everyone knew everyone, which was still taking time for him to get used to. To be known. Well, known at what he was willing to show, which wasn’t much.

“I’m not leaving my gallery. Not until I get inside and see what damage is done. You get the fob from Martha.”

Christian furrowed his brows. “If you can’t get in the gallery and the alarm didn’t go off, how do you know it’s been robbed?”

“Because I can see the three front cases through the porthole windows in the door. They’re open and empty.” A sob escaped Tad’s throat, though he tried to cover it with a cough.

Christian exhaled. “All right. I’ll call Martha, but she might not feel comfortable letting us in.” It was a lot to ask. “Actually, I think in this case, it’s best to have Sheriff Brunswick to reach out to Martha.”

“That’s a good idea,” Tad said. “Give him a call.”

“Wait?” Christian tapped the wheel. “He’s not there yet?”

“No.”

“Did he give you an ETA?” Maybe Joel was on another call. Their county was large, and with only him and one undersheriff, they had a lot of ground to cover.

“I haven’t called him yet.”

Christian’s brows hiked. “You called me before the sheriff?” Where was the sense in that?

“You put the supposedly impenetrable system in. I want to know what went wrong. And I need you to get me inside if we can’t get Alex’s fob.”

“Me?” Christian tapped the wheel.

“You installed the system, so surely you know how to beat it. And, regardless, you’re the one the sheriff calls when they need a locksmith or safecracker on a case. Though you’re quite more than a simple locksmith, aren’t you?”

Christian stiffened. “Meaning?”

“Whoever did this obviously had knowledge of the system.”

“And . . . ?” Christian tightened his grip on the wheel, his knuckles turning white.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re to blame.”

Christian swallowed the sharp retort ready to fly and took a settling breath instead. “I’ll be there in twenty.”

He disconnected the call before Tad could throw another barb in his direction. He knew all too well how those stinging barbs felt, but this time he was innocent.

***

Excerpt from One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey. Copyright 2024 by Dani Pettrey. Reproduced with permission from Bethany House Publishers. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Dani Pettrey

Dani Pettrey is the bestselling author of the Coastal Guardians, Chesapeake Valor, and Alaskan Courage series. A two-time Christy Award finalist, Dani has won the National Readers’ Choice Award, Daphne du Maurier Award, HOLT Medallion, and Christian Retailing’s Best Award for Suspense. She plots murder and mayhem from her home in the Washington, DC, metro area.

Catch Up With Dani Pettrey:
DaniPettrey.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @DaniPettrey
Instagram – @authordanipettrey
Facebook – @DaniPettrey

 

 

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Giveaway – A Song That Never Ends by Mark A Givson @ireadbooktours @MGibsonAuthor23


 

Book Details:

Book Title:  A Song that Never Ends (Hamilton Place Book I) by Mark A. Gibson
Category:  Adult Fiction 18 yrs +,  338 pages
Genre:  Family Saga Fiction, Thriller, Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Hamilton Press (Self)
Release date:   January, 2024
Content Rating: A soft R for the following: Language, although appropriate for situation, does have a smattering (perhaps 5 uses over 350 pages) of the F-word. Sexual situations are more so implied than graphic, although there is one soft description of fellatio. There is no use of derogatory descriptions for persons, sexes or races. No graphic violence is described.
Book Description:

Home.
For over three hundred years, that’s what the Hamilton family has called a shrinking swath of farmland in the Appalachian foothills of South Carolina.

Home.
That’s the failing tobacco farm where Walter and Maggie Hamilton choose to raise their three children. Walter has big plans to make the farm more profitable, but his plans are interrupted by World War II and family heartbreak. Walter returns from the war a changed man, and finds Maggie, too, has changed; neither of them for the better. But at least their family is together at…

Home.
More than anything, that’s where their eight-year-old son, Jimmy Hamilton, wants to be. However, after an unspeakable tragedy, he’s sent away from the only life he’s ever known—to live with a kindly uncle in North Carolina, far from…

Home.
That’s where Jimmy is finally going to be, unless fate has plans of its own…

A Song that Never Ends is the first installment of the Hamilton Place series, an epic family saga extending from the Great Depression to present day. Through war and peace, love and loss, triumph and tragedy; follow the Hamilton family on their journey from a run-down farm in South Carolina, through the jungles of Vietnam, to the top of the world in New York City, and beyond the gardens of stone at Arlington.
Buy the Book:
Amazon
CONCLUDE THIS EPIC FAMILY SAGA:

Book Details:

Book Title:  Roses in December (Hamilton Place Book 2) by Mark A. Gibson
Category:  Adult Fiction 18 yrs +,  358 pages
Genre:  Family Saga Fiction, Thriller, Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Hamilton Press (Self)
Release date:   April, 2024
Content Rating: A soft R for the following: Language, although appropriate for situation, does have a smattering (perhaps 5 uses over 350 pages) of the F-word. Sexual situations are more so implied than graphic, although there is one soft description of fellatio. There is no use of derogatory descriptions for persons, sexes or races. No graphic violence is described.
Book Description:

Jimmy Hamilton overcame childhood tragedy to become a hero in Vietnam, only to die there in 1967. All but forgotten, Jimmy leaves behind a young wife, an infant son, and a man wracked by guilt.

Circumstances allow Becca, his young widow, to be manipulated into an abusive, loveless union with Jimmy’s brother and into raising her son ignorant of his father’s true identity—a wrong she knows must be set right…but how? When?

Like Jimmy before him, James, Jr. is an intellectually gifted, albeit troubled man. Hamstrung by the false narrative of his life and then tormented by an unspeakable loss, his days are spent treading the knife’s edge between present day reality and a past he’s incapable of forgetting.

With his final act of bravery, Jimmy unknowingly saved the scion of a powerful Washington family. In so doing, he set in place circumstances that just might draw his son back from the abyss…but only if he can somehow make it home from Vietnam.

Roses in December concludes the Hamilton Place series, an epic family saga extending from the Great Depression to present day. Through war and peace, love and loss, triumph and tragedy, follow the Hamilton family on their journey from a run-down farm in South Carolina, through the jungles of Vietnam, to the top of the world in New York City, and through the gardens of stone at Arlington.
Buy the Book:
(preorder now!)
Amazon
Meet the Author:

Mark A. Gibson is a physician who practices Cardiology in the mountains of rural North Georgia. He was raised on a small farm in upstate South Carolina—the last postage-stamp sized sliver of a much larger parcel granted to the family by land grant from King Charles II in 1665—and may or may not have once gotten in trouble for digging up his mom’s calla lily bed in search of the family’s long-lost charter.

Dr. Gibson graduated from the Citadel in Charleston, SC with a BS in Biology. Afterwards, he received his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, SC. He received his Internal Medicine training through the University of Tennessee Medical System and Cardiology training through the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center. He served for eight years on active duty with the US Air Force, before leaving the military for private practice.

Although a cardiologist by profession, Dr. Gibson is a dreamer by nature. He is a self-styled oenophile who enjoys travel and fine food. In his spare time, he builds sandcastles and dreams of distant shores.

Roses in December represents Dr. Gibson’s second offering to the world of literature, and the conclusion of his Hamilton Place Series. All previous publications have been of the professional, peer-reviewed, medical variety, and make for lovely sleep aids.


Connect with the author: amazon  ~  X/Twitter  

Enter the Giveaway:
A SONG THAT NEVER ENDS (Hamilton Place) by Mark Gibson Book Tour Giveaway



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Giveaway & Guest Post – How To Marry A Major by Tina Holland @haveubeenaughty

 


When a fake betrothal becomes real, can two people find love? 

How To Marry a Major

B.A.D. Guide Series Book 1

by Tina Holland

Genre: Historical Regency Romance 

Following her Ne’er do well husband’s scandalous demise, Charlotte Wold is forced to become a governess. Never intending to marry again, this arrangement suits Charlotte just fine.

The bastard son of a powerful nobleman, Major Myles Ashton’s military service left him injured. When he returns home to stay with his brother, he’s shocked to find Charlotte again, a woman he never thought he’d see again after sharing a night together.

When desperation leads to a pretend attachment, scandal ensures the marriage is anything but pretend. Can Charlotte learn to love Myles? Or will she be doomed to another dreary marriage?


Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

Hi Tina. Welcome to fundinmental. I’m excited to share your book and introduce you to my blog visitors. I hope you enjoy your time here.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

Caring, Loyal, Trustworthy, and Loved.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think I always did until maybe University when I had doubts even though I studied Journalism.  It probably felt more real and certainly validated when I was first published.

Do you have a favorite movie?

I kind of go through phases.  I love Romantic Comedies and Action Movies these days.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

The Courtesan of Constantinople – I can practically see the poster.  It’s my first Steampunk Novel and I think there are more watchers of that genre than readers.

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

I go on an annual writing retreat every September with some of my writing friends.  It moves around the country every year.  This year it will be in Oregon.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

The owl.  They are varied and seem so inquisitive yet intelligent – like they are always learning.


Tina studied journalism at University and then went to work for a Fortune 500 company in Logistics for over 20 years. She now writes full-time and helps her husband run his Crop Dusting business in the summer months. When she’s not writing she likes to travel, read, and spend time with her farm critters.


Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads


Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon giftcard,

ebook of “The Courtesan of Constantinople”

ebook of “Alchemists of Archangel”

– 1 winner each!

   

a Rafflecopter giveaway



WORDPRESS HTML:

When a fake betrothal becomes real, can two people find love?

How To Marry a Major

B.A.D. Guide Series Book 1

by Tina Holland

Genre: Historical Regency Romance

Following her Ne’er do well husband’s scandalous demise, Charlotte Wold is forced to become a governess. Never intending to marry again, this arrangement suits Charlotte just fine.

The bastard son of a powerful nobleman, Major Myles Ashton’s military service left him injured. When he returns home to stay with his brother, he’s shocked to find Charlotte again, a woman he never thought he’d see again after sharing a night together.

When desperation leads to a pretend attachment, scandal ensures the marriage is anything but pretend. Can Charlotte learn to love Myles? Or will she be doomed to another dreary marriage?

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

Tina studied journalism at University and then went to work for a Fortune 500 company in Logistics for over 20 years. She now writes full-time and helps her husband run his Crop Dusting business in the summer months. When she’s not writing she likes to travel, read, and spend time with her farm critters.

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon giftcard,

ebook of “The Courtesan of Constantinople”

ebook of “Alchemists of Archangel”

– 1 winner each!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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Your DNA Is The Key – The Algorithm Will See You Now by J L Lycette #JLLycette @partnersincr1me

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

If you have doubts or fears about AI or our healthcare system, The Algorithm Will See You Now, by J L Lycette, a near futuristic thriller, is sure to add to them.

Hope had joined PRIMA so she did not have to face telling her patients their disease is fatal, non responsive. Non responders are not allowed in the PRIMA program. Why waste valuable resources on those that are going to die anyway? Your DNA is the key.

Hope’s mother had died a horrible death from cancer, and she was in total agreement.

The Algorithm Will See You Now is a terrifying look into, not only, the possible future of healthcare, but every part of our life. What school someone should go to, who gets what loan, what job….the numbers control every aspect of your life.

With corruption, motives, control, and power being a driving force, it can always be worse.

Have you been denied treatment? No insurance, no care? What about the poor?

Maybe, in the end, what mattered most was what action we each choose with a power greater than ourselves.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Algorithm Will See You Now by J L Lycette.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

2023 SCREENCRAFT CINEMATIC BOOK COMPETITION FINALIST
2023 READER’S FAVORITE Bronze Medal Winner in the Fiction – Thriller – Medical genre
2023 BEST THRILLERS BOOK AWARDS – Finalist
2023 MAXY AWARD’S FINALIST – Thriller category
2023 PAGE TURNER AWARD’S FINALIST – Best Debut Novel

Medical treatment determined by artificial intelligence could do more than make Hope Kestrel’s career. It could revolutionize healthcare.

What the Seattle surgeon doesn’t know is the AI has a hidden fatal flaw, and the people covering it up will stop at nothing to dominate the world’s healthcare—and its profits. Soon, Hope is made the scapegoat for a patient’s death, and only Jacie Stone, a gifted intern with a knack for computer science, is willing to help search for the truth.

But her patient’s death is only the tip of the conspiracy’s iceberg. The Director, Marah Maddox, is plotting a use for the AI far outside the ethical bounds of her physician’s oath. A staggering plan capable of reducing human lives to their DNA code, redefining the concepts of sickness and health, and delivering the power of life and death decisions into the hands of those behind the AI.

Even if the algorithm accidentally discards some who are treatable in order to make that happen…

JL Lycette’s powerful, near-future thriller, The Algorithm Will See You Now, is perfect for fans of Blake Crouch and Rob Hart.

  • Genre: Fiction, Medical Thriller, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 272 pages, Paperback
  • Published March 2, 2023 by Black Rose Writing

ABOUT J L LYCETTE

Jennifer / JL Lycette is a novelist, award-winning essayist, rural physician, wife, and mom. Mid-career, she discovered narrative medicine on her path back from physician burnout and has been writing ever since. She is an alumna of the 2019 Pitch Wars Novel Mentoring program. Her first novel, The Algorithm Will See You Now, was a 2023 SCREENCRAFT CINEMATIC BOOK COMPETITION FINALIST, 2023 READER’S FAVORITE BRONZE MEDAL WINNER in the Medical Thriller category, 2023 MAXY AWARD’S FINALIST – Thriller category, and 2023 PAGE TURNER AWARD’S FINALIST – Best Debut Novel category. The Committee Will Kill You Now is her second novel.

Catch Up With Jennifer:
JenniferLycette.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @JL_Lycette
Instagram – @jl_lycette
facebook.com/Author.JL.Lycette

 

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Giveaway – Mirror Image by Fran Lewis @partnersincr1me

Mirror Image by Fran Lewis Banner

Mirror Image

by Fran Lewis

February 5-9, 2024 Book Blast

Synopsis:

Mirror Image by Fran Lewis

The mystical mirror has seen many faces, some innocent and some deserving of punishment. This is the mirror of truth, and it punishes evildoers severely.

As the book unfolds, each person you meet has is given a chance to repent or suffer the mirror’s unique form of hideous justice. Be careful doing wrong, because the mirror waits for you…

Praise for Mirror Image:

“Riveting, pulse-pounding, and thoroughly readable, Mirror Image would make a great Netflix series!”
~ Vincent Zandri New York Times and USA Today bestselling ITW Thriller and PWA Shamus winning author

Mirror Image, by author Fran Lewis is a page-turner.”
~ Irma Fritz

“The stories in Mirror Image are chilling and every one has a lesson behind it. Beware and be scared!”
~ Karen Vaughn, author of Dead on Arrival

“Once again Fran Lewis has written a collection of scary stories! Mirror Image will keep you up till all hours of the night praying you won’t be looking into any mirror where the face looking back isn’t yours.”
~ Marsha Casper Cook, Michigan Avenue Media

Mirror Image, a collection of linked short stories by Fran Lewis, delves into our darker side.
It’s not for the faint of heart!”
~ John DeDakis, author of the Lark Chadwick series

Book Details:

Genre: Horror
Published by: Fideli Publishing
Publication Date: December 13, 2023
Number of Pages: 154
ISBN: 9781962402873 (ISBN10: 1962402878)
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

 

Author Bio:

Fran Lewis

Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three master’s degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who’s Who of America’s Teachers and Who’s Who of America’s Executives from Cambridge.‬‬

Fran is the author of more than 14 titles including three children’s books. She has written several books on Alzheimer’s disease in order to honor her mom and help create more awareness for a cure. These include Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey; Ruth’s Story and Sharp as a Tack and Scrambled Eggs Which Describes Your Brain?. She also wrote A Daughter’s Promise about her walk through the disease with her mother. ‪Fran is the author of the Faces Behind the Stones series, a middle school series featuring stories growing up in the Bronx with her sister and MJ magazine. Mirror Image is her latest book which was preceded by What If?, Population Zero, and Accusations.‬

Catch Up With Fran Lewis:
Tillie49.wordpress.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram – @berthatillie49
Twitter/X – @franellena
Facebook
Book Talk with Fran Lewis Radio Show

 

 

Tour Participants:

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ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Fran Lewis. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

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Cyber Warfare – The Long Night by Alex Bueno @AlexBuenoauthor

EMP explodingDecember 3rd – A day like any other.

Christmas is approaching, and happiness is in the air. But something is not right. An unsettling sense of uncertainty begins to creep in, casting a shadow over the festive cheer. Suddenly, without warning, the world is plunged into chaos. A catastrophic cyber attack tears through the nation’s digital infrastructure, quickly followed by an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that renders all electronic devices useless. The streets, once illuminated by holiday lights, now lie in eerie darkness. Communication lines go dead, and the familiar comforts of a connected society are stripped away in an instant.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Three catastrophic events: A cyberattack, nuclear power plants failing, and a elcetromagnetic pulse. A new world will be created.

  • Day 0 to 3: Panic and confusion
  • Day 4 to 14: Desperation
  • Day 14 to 30: Breakdown of law and order
  • 1 Month: A New Order

We will follow a family, John and his wife, Emily, 15 year old son Jack, and 17 year old daughter Sarah, as the world around them goes up in flames. Those that adapt will be the survivors, and John and his family are equipped to do just that.

Planes falling from the sky and patients dying on the operating table, is only the beginning. It’s days before Christmas and people with no heat will be freezing to death, especially since the storm is the worst in fifty years. Think that was part of the war plan?

The government…shouldn’t there be a plan in place? The scenario is so frightening to me, because it is so realistic. And we all saw how our government acted when the pandemic hit. All the infighting over what is right and what is wrong. The fake news and denial running rampant. The media playing its own part in failing the people.

I love apocalyptic, dystopian novels, where the characters are put to the test. We see the best and the worst of humanity. What makes The Long Night even better is the fact that we are at war, being attacked in such a way that to fight back puts us in as much danger as doing nothing at all. Act too quickly and the repercussions can have catastrophic consequences.

I always try to put myself in the characters’ place, wondering how I would fare. Could I find food and shelter? Could I keep myself and those I care about safe? Would I become a warrior, an organizer, a leader, a follower? What would I have to contribute to building a new world after technology is gone? What about medicines and health?

I was so caught up in the story that when the words ran out, I never saw it coming. All I could think is nooooooo. I’m not ready for it to end. I need more…and I know it’s coming. I had to check and the sequel is coming. The Long Way Home is up for preorder, due for release in April, 2024.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Long Night by Alex Bueno.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Survival begins where technology ends.

“The Long Night” reveals a gripping story of survival and resilience amidst a catastrophic cyber assault that paralyzes the United States. As a devastating electromagnetic pulse (EMP) sweeps across the nation, it halts every aspect of modern life, thrusting the Winter family from Harbour Island, Florida, into an unforeseen battle for survival.

In this new and challenging reality, John Winter, a seasoned former military officer, and his son, Jack, find themselves 100 miles away from home when disaster strikes. Fueled by the hope of reuniting with their family, they navigate a world turned upside down, where the very fabric of society has unraveled. Meanwhile, back at home, John’s wife, Emily, a respected electrical engineering expert, along with their daughter, Sarah, confront the daunting task of surviving in a world now shrouded in darkness and chaos. Their courage and intelligence are their only weapons against the advancing chaos. Simultaneously, US President Thomas Lowell faces an emergency of an unprecedented scale. Tasked with the critical decision of determining whether this crisis is a terrorist act or a declaration of war, every move he makes could determine the fate of the nation. As President Lowell delves into the digital depths to uncover the truth, his decisions have the potential to shape the future of the nation and redefine global security.

“The Long Night” masterfully blends the intense personal drama of the Winter family’s fight for survival with the expansive backdrop of a cyber warfare scenario. This compelling narrative, grounded in scenarios that feel unnervingly realistic, challenges readers to confront their deepest fears. It blurs the lines between reality and fiction, prompting a reevaluation of our dependence on technology.

Dive into this enthralling national thriller, which is not only a tale of a family’s resilience but also a testament to the power of community and the crucial role of scientific expertise during times of crisis.

  • Genre: Action and Adventure, Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 290 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published October 31, 2023

ABOUT ALEX BUENO (from Amazon)

Trained as an engineer and driven by a passion for storytelling, Alex is a lifelong learner, with a background in tech product development. Yet, it’s not just the wonders of the digital age that fascinate him. His novels revolve around thrillers and adventures, consistently exploring the influence of technology on society. At the same time, he weaves in Christian values emphasizing family, community, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Inspired by renowned authors like Stephen King, James Patterson, Tom Clancy, and Michael Crichton, Alex’s stories captivate while also provoking deep thought.

Alex cherishes life alongside his wife and their 18-year-old son. Their journey is anchored by unwavering faith and a profound bond.

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Intruder Alert – Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra #Nightwatching #NetGalley

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

There was someone in the house.

Those six words begin the harrowing journey of a mother and her two young children. I love the addition of the blizzard, the pandemic, her vitiligo, and the men’s ability to look past the danger, attributing her hysteria to being female. She will have to draw on all her strength to save them.

Even her husband shook off her being smacked in the face by his father, as if it was her fault. How could that be? He was a bit of a dick, a weakling, so in need of his father’s love, that he would throw his wife under the bus. At one point, I thought, fuck hubby. Why isn’t he there? Why is it her? Why does he allow his father to abuse his wife, as she cooks, cleans, and caters to his dying mother?

The same can be said for the lead investigator of the case, when she finally gets away from the house and the police are called.

The characters are fabulous, the good ones good and the bad ones bad. They all did what was necessary to make Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra a success.

Tracy Sierra’s words bring alive the woman’s terror as soon as I begin reading. I can feel her panic, trying to keep the children quiet, so they don’t give away their hiding place. Listening to the intruder’s footsteps, as he moves from room to room. No one will find them before it is too late. She must do something. But what?

At times, I found myself wondering if she was imagining things, as the thoughts ran through her head. It didn’t take long for me to be on her side, getting angry for the lack of those who are supposed to help her, actually doing so.

“Let’s put private parts on him!” her daughter said. (as they build a snowman)

“Poop!” he shrieked. “Ghosts don’t poop!”

I love that little girl and her brother. They crack me up.

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra is one of those books that gets me all riled up. My emotions are all over the place. Why is it so easy to dismiss a woman’s fears, saying she is taking things wrong, seeing things that aren’t there, making a mountain out of a mole hill? In this case, it helps create a nailbiting story of suspense, and the pacing creates a tension that had me racing through the pages, having to know what happens next.

Have you ever been dismissed, treated as if you don’t know what you are talking about? I have, and it is not a pleasant feeling, so I stood behind her, willing to go head to head with her husband, the father, the investigator…and the intruder.

Mama bear will do whatever is necessary to protect her cubs.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A razor-sharp thriller about a mother forced to the breaking point when her life and the lives of her children are threatened by an intruder

Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. She hears a noise—old houses are always making some kind of noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it’s the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs.

Shrouded in the shadows, she sees the figure of a man appear down the hallway. Terrified, she quietly wakes her children and hustles them into the oldest part of the house, a tiny, secret room concealed behind a wall. There they hide as the man searches for them, trying to tempt the children out with promises and scare the mother into surrender.

In the suffocating darkness, the mother struggles to remain calm, to plan, to search for any opportunity to find a weapon or escape and get help. But then she catches another glimpse of him. That face. That voice. And at once she knows her situation is even more dire than she’d feared, because she knows exactly who he is—and what he wants.

  • Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Psychological, Suspense, Thriller
  • 368 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication February 1, 2024 by Pamela Dorman Books

ABOUT TRACY SIERRA

Tracy Sierra was born and raised in the Colorado mountains. She is an attorney who currently lives in New England in an antique colonial-era home. When not writing, she spends time with her husband and two children.

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Giveaway – Charlie Chaloosy by Brad Mason @ireadbooktours

 



Book Details:

Book Title:  Charlie Chaloosy is Often Quite Choosy by Brad Mason, Ed. D.
Category:  Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 32 pages
Genre:  Children’s Picture Book
Publisher:  Yorkshire Publishing
Release date:   January 2024
Content Rating:  G.  Suitable for everyone.
Book Description:

The Charlie Chaloosy book series kicks off with its inaugural offering, Charlie Chaloosy is Often Quite Choosy.

The first book focuses on Charlie’s experiences as he learns lessons, gains new experiences, and grows up in a world that happens to rhyme. The story is told through the use of a playful rhyme scheme and enhanced with beautifully colored illustrations of Charlie tackling new adventures in whimsical detail. The book ends with Charlie providing two pages for the reader to become an author by writing their own story.
Buy the Book:
Amazon B&N
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

My passion for children’s literature stems from 30+ years in education and my re-entry into bedtime stories with the addition of my beautiful grandchildren. I created Charlie as a means for children to learn with Charlie by having a growth mindset when it comes to facing new experiences and learning new things. Children live in a world that is traveling ever faster and my desire is to help them slow down and enjoy childhood through the adventures of Charlie Chaloosy. I hope children have fun with Charlie while engaging their minds through stories that encourage them to read, write, illustrate, and dream a little.

connect with author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram

Enter the Giveaway:
Charlie Chaloosy is Often Quite Choosy by Brad Mason Book Tour Giveaway




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  • Mad Maxian – The Sapien Empire by Nathan Ogloff @UnusualAuthor

    Amazon / Goodreads

    MY REVIEW

    The cover for The Sapien Empire by Nathan Ogloff made me curious and I thought about Mad Max, with all the machines on the cover. The sand tells me the end of the world is here.

    Shindo Dacan will be called upon to step into a leadership role he never wanted, but is well prepared to take on. He doesn’t realize how perfect he is to take on the challenge. He would rather be tinkering in his workshop, creating machines that can improve people’s lives.

    Vibrun, the Arch Lordchief, is a cruel tyrant. He sacrifices, not only animals, but people. He revels in it. Laughs at the pain and misery of others. Some of the torture heaped on the people was graphic butchery.

    I found Tersona fascinating, but she is every bit as cruel as everyone else. Jarim teaches Shindo much of the history of the world before the apocalypse and I feel is going to have a prominent place in The Sapien Empire.

    We always have those who covet what others have, without working for it. The Rustraisers treated combat like a sport. You can’t change the basic nature of people and their feeling of entitlement. Trust is hard fought.

    I love apocalyptic/dystopian stories, where people have to figure out how to survive. They have to learn to work together. Thought provoking…trying to put myself into their place and wondering how I would react. Nathan Ogloff has done a wonderful job with, what I think, is his debut novel. The story flows smoothly, the characters coming to life on the pages, growing and developing as the story moves along. The pace picks up as the battles begin and Shindo rises to the occasion. I hated to reach the end, but the story is far from over and the characters are still talking to Nathan. The Sapien Empire: the Realms of Restarted Civilization is coming in the fall of 2024. Count me in.

    Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
    4 Stars

    GOODREADS BLUB

    Shindo Dacan is a socially awkward but gifted engineer who has made the most brilliant machines seen since before the All-Silence—machines that ruler Vibrun Magrite used in his creation of the Domain as he brought all four of the city-states within his iron grip. With the help of a friend of his, Shindo is secretly planning to provide prosthetic limbs to the many victims of the war his machines have waged.

    When Magrite finds out and slaughters Shindo’s friend before his eyes, Shindo tricks Magrite into funding a warrior mech to wreak revenge and is unwillingly rewarded with a woman from Magrite’s harem, Jarim Alsaedon. With his mech machine and Jarim’s help, Shindo stages a coup d’état that leaves Magrite dead and him and his accomplice as platonic dual heads of state.

    As Shindo and Jarim work to rebuild their civilization, they’re beset by factions both within and beyond the Domain’s borders. Can Shindo learn how to design a stable peace before the new world he’d envisioned becomes a wasteland of death and destruction?

    • Genre: Apolyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Steampunk
    • 366 pages, Kindle Edition
    • Published November 7, 2023 by Nathan Ogloff

    ABOUT NATHAN OGLOFF (from Book Sirens

    Nathan was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, and has lived in different parts of Canada and the US. He obtained a degree in computer science with a minor in film studies from UBC in 2008, with an emphasis on pursuing video game development.When that didn’t work out, he worked in construction while writing his debut novel. Nathan has had a fascination with story ever since he wrote a couple of pages to a time-travel book when he was in third-grade. The varied jobs he’s had and places he’s lived have given him a wide array of perspectives to draw upon for his story-telling.When he’s not writing, Nathan spends his time adding to his ever increasing heavy-metal Spotify playlist and creating spaceships in Lego Studio.

    Website / Instagram / Twitter

    • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
    • You can see my Reviews HERE.
    • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
    • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
    • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
    • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
    • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!