5 Stars for Surviving Doodahville by Ashley Fontainne #AshleyFontainne

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

I have been reading Ashley Fontainne’s novels ever since I won some. She is a must read author for me. AND, what an amazing cover!

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WOW…Ashley Fontainne and Lillian Hansen can sure pen a novel. I only have a half page of notes, because the power of Doodahville was so intense, gripping me, not letting me stop to even jot a note or two. All my emotions came to life, at times overwhelming me.

An impending death, and Gail, Kevin, and daughter, Kassandra are off to Daltville, Arkansas. A small town, small minds, small everything.

I quickly grew to love Gail. She is badass, take no prisoners, kick your ass, leave me and mine alone. At times she cracked me up, other times I wanted to be beside her fighting the good fight.

Kevin and Lurlene are no slouches in planning ahead. Kassandra is a teenager moving from Southern California to small town Daltville, as if teenage angst isn’t already enough. It is a culture shock. At times she feels like life is over for her, but there are also many benefits, which she will learn in time.

The kitten…HA HA HA HA HA.

Racism rears its ugly head on many of the pages. It is the south, so I find that is no surprise and I love the way she handled it in the novel, along with all the nasty secrets and ongoing issues from them.

I have read a lot of Ashley Fontainne’s work, and she easily crosses genres. Her mother, Lillian Hansen did a fabulous job in this collaboration.

Looking at the fun cover, I underestimated the power of Doodaville. Southern living, fraught with danger and secrets that come to light with disastrous results for some, for others freedom. The marvelous characters rise above their situations, sharing love and hope with those who need it. I also went down memory lane from the 1980s. Many scenes were taken from Ashley’s personal experiences, so maybe that’s why they read like true life.

I CAN SEE THIS AS A GRAND MOVIE (along the lines of Gone With The Wind) OR A TV SERIES.

WARNING: Tissues may be required.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Surviving Doodahville by Ashley Fontainne.

GOODREADS BLURB

“Filled with powerful scenes and great characters! Brings the ’83 Old South to vivid life. One of my all-time favorite reads! Loved it! ~ Janelle Taylor, NY Times Bestselling author

The summer of 1983—the era of big debt, big hair, and big dreams. Seventeen-year-old Kassandra Lawson is excited about starting her senior year of high school. She has a crush on a local hunk, and her best friend, Valley Girl extraordinaire, Liz Hendricks, insists on helping her snag the hot guy—for sure!

July starts out uneventful for Kee and her parents. Her father, Kevin, is a partner at a CPA firm, and her mother, Gail, works as a secretary at the police department. The small family lives an idyllic life in sunny Hacienda Heights, California.

1983 also brings upheaval and strife for the Lawson clan. A death in the family forces Kevin and Gail to make the painful decision to pack up and move to Kevin’s hometown of Daltville, Arkansas.

Each face daunting challenges adapting to their new lives. Gail and Kee aren’t quite sure they can handle the culture shock. They encounter social and racial issues they never faced on the West Coast, strange food, weird dialects, odd customs, and wicked secrets that have the potential to destroy their family.

More than just a coming-of-age story, Surviving Doodahville explores family bonds, racial barriers, and just how much a person is willing to sacrifice for others. The tale is full of humor, action and a touch of mystery, making it a fun romp into the past.

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne enjoys stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters lurking within each of us. She writes in numerous genres including mystery, suspense, horror, sci-fi and sometimes poetry.

Ashley lives in Arkansas with her husband and is the proud mother of one son and grateful daughter of co-author, Lillian Hansen. To learn more about her books please visit https://ashleyfontainne.net/

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Review of The Bones of Others by Vickie McKeehan

Posted on February 7, 2013 by fundinmental

Vickie has a way of grabbing you by the….and pulling you into the story from the very first page.

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He liked to go the park and watch the little girls. That is when he saw her. She was the one who would help launch his business venture, Whitfield’s Little Angels. It was so easy. They always believed him. She was twelve years old and so sweet and innocent. That was 13 years ago.

Now. Erin Prescott was only 15. She was sneaking to the mall after school to meet up with Jason Avery.

The rain would help disguise his blitz attack.

Josh Ander was CEO and founder of Ander All Games, the front man. Todd was the programmer, the brains of the company, but he liked to stay low profile. Josh treated his employees to Friday nights out at the local hangout, Gulls. It was like patting a dog for a job well done and in return they would work harder to please him. When he walked in, the guys were talking about a wolf being seen in the city. Sure.

Melanie had been stalking Josh, but when she followed him into the men’s room to suggest a quickie, it was the last straw. He had made a mistake by sleeping with her once and now she thought he really wanted her. He slipped out the back way, just going for a breath of fresh air and to regroup. He lost track of where he was, until he found himself surrounded by four men, one with a knife. He didn’t care about the cash or the watch, but his wife had died and he wasn’t going to give up his wedding ring.

All of a sudden, she appeared, as if from thin air, like a goddess from one of his video games. He saw a warrior with a light saber. She was all over them, using her night stick, her hands, her feet, karate kicking them until they went down. While they were down, she gave each one of them a few more kicks and hits to make sure they stayed there.

When he asked her name she told him, Skye Cree. She wanted to take him to the hospital because he had been stabbed. Instead, he convinced her to take him home.

“She had been on the hunt and now it seemed she had to babysit a helpless, wasted schmuck.”

She got him home and played doctor, patching him up. Was there anything she couldn’t do, he wondered? After she patched him up, she left him, passed out.

She’d lost his trail. She knew she would never be finished, that there would always be another.

As she looked into the fog, she came face to face with a wolf – its eyes as violet as her own. It would take Kiya to help her find the bones of others.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

Who is she? Why is she here? What is she hunting? And that was only the first chapter.

I love love love it. Paranormal, romance, crime. A gorgeous hunk of man and a woman superhero, with the monster next door thrown in.

I love the cover. Vickie’s book covers seem to speak to me, making me want to read the book before I even find out what it is about. Her writing is amazing and her stories are so easy to read that I begin to live and breathe with her characters.

The plot is so well-developed that I am drawn from page to page and chapter to chapter, not wanting to stop for anything. Just wanting to find out what was going to happen next.

Skye – I love that the main character is a female warrior, with her Nez Perce Indian heritage, it made the warrior image even more appropriate. Instead of the sword and shield, she had Karate and a night stick. No nine to five job for her. She had a mission and a purpose that drove her to accomplish the amazing things she did. I love strong female characters in novels, because I feel I could never be that person, but I want to have the opportunity to feel the things she feels and do the things she does and through words I am able to do that. Vickie is so good at drawing me in and making me feel a part of the story.

Josh – A rich, handsome, sexy man who is not stuck on himself. What’s not to love? Accepting of her being the strong one, but still knowing how to bring his assets to the table. I love that the main male character wanted to help her with her mission and went about making it possible for her to continue to do so without expecting or wanting anything from her, other than herself.

Vickie’s characters are so intriguing, that you wish you knew them, that they were your friends. How interesting life would be if they were. They could be your everyday person next door, who gets up and goes to work at their day job. I love the way Vickie depicts her women – no weak, sniveling, crying. whining femme fatale’s for her.

I wanted to read it cover to cover, non-stop, but my eyes grew heavy and the words began to blur. I didn’t want to miss a word of it, so I slowly closed the Kindle and called it a night.

Vickie’s books are chock full of love and romance, adventure and thrills. Heart stopping and heart warming. I can’t help but think that at least one of her books is bound to become that mega-hit movie you are waiting for

I received this book from the author, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vickie McKeehan Vickie is the author of six novels, including The Evil Trilogy and the Pelican Pointe series. She’s a hardcore lover of books who grew up listening to her mother tell fascinating stories about ghosts and other tales full of characters she wasn’t sure ever really existed.

A self-proclaimed beachgoer and ocean-lover, she lives in Southern California with the love of her life. When she isn’t working on her next manuscript or screenplay, she loves to be outdoors.

In her spare time she tries to grow things which other people commonly refer to as gardening. She loves reading all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction, loves to play video games, and enjoys watching football with the hubby. If you’ve ever read any of her books, you know she’s a die-hard Raider fan, which means she has the patience of Job.

She lives for chocolate, but then who doesn’t? She’ll kill for a cup of coffee in the morning. She’s convinced the best food on earth is French fries. And she could easily be a vegetarian if it wasn’t for bacon.

To find Vickie McKeehan just look below:

To Purchase any of Vickie McKeehan’s books from Amazon, click on the cover.

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos For this awesome Giveaway, Vickie McKeehan is offering:

3 Paperbacks

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US and Canada Only Please. Sorry to my International followers and friends. Easy entry as always, just leave your email address and answer the question:

Do you believe in the paranormal or supernatural? Do you believe in heroes, is someone out there watching over you? Have you ever had a vision?

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. WINNERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED.

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Deeper Evil by Vickie McKeehan

Posted on September 13, 2012 by fundinmental

Deeper Evil by Vickie McKeehan

Deeper Evil

Spoiler alert: If you haven’t read Just Evil, there will be some information included in this review that will give away some of the plot. I have tried to keep it to a minimum, because even though it’s a trilogy, I feel the books could be stand alone. Each book covers the life of one of the women. And if I only read one of the books and not the others, I would still feel that I was glad I to have read it.

He was parked outside the Book and Bean in San Madrid, right back where he started. He knew Baylee Scott was running the store this morning and that she was alone with Sarah, her baby daughter. When he got up, he had a feeling that something was going to happen. He knew to pay attention when his gut was talking to him.

He is a mystery within the mystery.

It had all started with the death of Noah’s parents back in 1969.

Frank Geller still had to account for his part in the murder. Jessica, Eva and Sumner had already paid the ultimate price.

Now that Kit and Jake Boston are a couple, and both of them are murder suspects, Baylee figured most of the customers were there to see Kit.

Since Kit’s kidnapping, the media had flipped their verdict from guilty to innocent. Kit had been saved by the stranger and he had left his calling card, a gold cowboy.

Baylee was afraid that with all that had happened to Kit, it would bring the media attention back to her. She had done her best to keep a low profile.

Collin had been crazy enough to kidnap Kit, what would Connor, his brother do if he knew Baylee was still in town?

Baylee had left town when she found out she was pregnant with Sarah. She had been staying with a friend of hers in Denver, until she found out her father was dying of cancer. She had told no one, not even Kit and Quinn why she had left. Since being back, she had rented a guest cottage from Gloria in Agora Hills, hoping Connor wouldn’t find her, even worse find out about Sarah.

Dylan Burke, VP of Billing-Pro Software, was on his way to drop off some computer equipment to Jake, who was the CEO and his best friend. They had been hiding out at Kit’s house since the kidnapping. Dylan had an ulterior motive, Baylee Scott. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since he’d first met her. He was daydreaming as he drove and didn’t notice he’d passed through town. He turned back and stopped outside the Book and Bean.

When he entered the store, he saw Sarah first and watched as she tried to reach her toy. When Baylee saw him, he told her he was running an errand for Jake and just stopped by for some of her delicious chocolate cake.

They had a good laugh when she told him the media left because of an anonymous phone call, telling them a mega superstar had to be rescued when he tried to surf off Malibu, and was rushed to the hospital. Who could possibly have called it in? She hadn’t grown up in Hollywood without learning something.

Baylee held Sarah as she cut the cake and Dylan offered to take the baby. When she asked him if he knew what he was doing, he said “What’s to handle….First you pick up them up by their legs, swing them around a couple times….” Had me cracking up. I like that even though the plot was heavy there was plenty of humor to be found.

All of a sudden her face turned white and she told him to take Sarah and leave immediately. He didn’t ask questions, just did what she said. As he walked by the store window he looked in, only to see Connor Boyd. Dylan quickly called Jake and told him to get here as soon as possible. Baylee needed help. As Jake and Kit drove to the store, Dylan was talking to him on his cell phone, telling him how terrified Baylee was that Connor would see Sarah and that’s why he had to leave her alone with him.

Baylee had known this moment would come. Collin had come by the store before and recognized her, so she had known it was only a matter of time before he told Connor. He had told her to never tell anyone about their being together, even if it was only once.

When Jake and Kit came in, Connor quickly started telling the story that he was there to explain to Kit how she should feel grateful that Collin rescued her. How everyone had it wrong, Collin wasn’t the bad guy. Yeah, right.

Baylee knew it was time for her to explain what was going on, why she had left. Kit thought Baylee had an affair with Connor and jumped on her, saying how evil all three of Boyd brothers were, and how they had tried to keep Quinn from Cade. So how could she do it Baylee went on to tell her what really happened.

Connor had drugged her, raped her and left her alone in the hotel room. He had called her later saying what a great time he’d had. After finding herself pregnant and with weeks of threatening phone calls from Connor, she left town without telling anyone anything. The Boyd’s had so much power, they could do whatever they wanted and not have to pay the price, so to try and fight them would be useless.

It was Dylan’s idea for Baylee and Sarah to stay with him. They would pretend they were a couple and make people believe Sarah belonged to him. They admitted to each other they had feelings, but agreed to take it slow.

Frank Geller had just returned from his honeymoon, this was his fifth marriage. There had been three funerals while he was gone, his two sisters and Connor’s father. Connor brought up to Frank, that of the four original partners in the law firm, he was the only one left. The vendetta that took them out wouldn’t be over until he got his. When Connor brought up the subject of the gun, Frank said for all they knew the gun was long gone, the gun that was used in the murder that got them the money to start the Boyd’s law firm.

They didn’t know they were overheard, but Trevor Dane had bugged the house. There was only one more person left that was responsible for killing Noah’s, his mentor, parents back in 1969, Frank Geller.

No one knew that Noah had lived through his imprisonment by the Viet Cong. Trevor was the only one who knew Noah’s story and when Noah found out he had cancer, he knew he’d never be able to make them pay, but Trevor could. He would avenge him because he knew the evil was deeper than Noah had known.

5+ STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I received this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

The cover is awesome. I always love trees, especially so with this series because of how the plot keeps branching out, yet still comes back to the root of the story – the murder of Noah’s parents and the three women whose lives it affected. A complex and twisted plot. The branches weave around the women, engulfing them and all those whose lives they touch.

I just couldn’t put it down. Made myself because my eyes were starting to cross. I have tried to ration the books, there is one more, Ending Evil. I love the characters so much, I am going to hate when it is over. I feel like they are my friends, and I will miss them dearly.

The friendship of the girls is something to strive for. More than once I was on the verge of tears for all the terrible things done to them and still being done, through no fault of their own. A friendship like theirs is to be treasured. It lasts for a lifetime. How many friends are there for you, no matter what?

Characters were so real, you will love them or hate them, but they will make you feel emotions that will stay with you long after the story is over. I’m not a huge fan of romance, but the love and care the characters had for each other was so real, that I could only hope that they would find the one, their soul mate. I wanted them to be happy and have the dream we all want, someone who loves us unconditionally, by our side through thick and thin.

When Reece gave Jake and Dylan the finger I laughed out loud. So realistic, I could picture it in my mind, like a film unrolling.

I loved when Dylan said he was a regular Magnum PI, I used to watch that show all the time. It help’s me to relate to the character by defining his personality.

A masterpiece work of suspense, mystery, thriller and romance.

About the Author

Just Evil was given Coffee Time Romance and More’s highest rating plus a CTRR award.

Vickie created her first character when she was four years old and came up with her imaginary friend, Marty. Together the two battled, they slayed, they conquered. She and Marty managed to get into plenty of trouble and usually had to come up with a clever way out of it. From the Marty experience a fertile imagination was born.

Today she’s graduated to more grownup characters. And after spending years sitting in a cubicle, writing boring corporate communiques all the while day-dreaming about stories beyond those dreary walls, she finally decided to let her mind run free.

The Evil Trilogy sprang from that.

Though she was born and bred in Texas, she now lives in her adopted home state of California, near the ocean she loves.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5389410.Vickie_McKeehan

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