Vigilante Justice – Sinful Deeds by Kristine Mason @KristineMason7

Posted on August 11, 2017 by fundinmental

Kristine Mason has outdone herself in this thriller about four women who can’t get over their past and band together to create their own form of justice.

BUT…how far is too far?

Amazon US l Amazon UK l iBooks | Kobo | Google | Nook

Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WHOA! Right out of the gate the horror begins and I feel for Lena, the terror she must feel as she crouches, hidden in her parents closet, praying the police will arrive.

OH NO! Please tell me it isn’t so. Kristine, WTF are you doing to me?

Now….we are into present day…

Vigilante justice. I know we can’t have everyone running out killing willy nilly in the name of justice, but DAMMIT, sometimes scum needs to be cleaned off the face of the earth.

Four women whose lives had been forever changed by tragedy, haunted by their past, unable to move on…found their answer….Retribution. The characters could be you or I, pushed beyond our limits.

When Poppy was dealing with Melissa at the PTA meeting, I loved it. Melissa was totally oblivious to Poppy’s true thoughts. LOL

“A badass PTA mom with a vendetta.”

A farmer with a bone to pick. A waitress serving justice. The characters are flawed with issues and secrets. Makes for some fantastic reading and my emotions are all over the place as I worry about what will happen to them in the end.

I see some ‘rocky’ times ahead for Jagger and Kenna. Jagger is a cop, working the Homicide Unit and Kenna is called in from CORE to help. Both have issues with intimacy and relationships, but Kenna’s secret may be a bit bigger. I do have a problem with Jag and his choice of the Ohio Buckeyes. Wolverines don’t care for nuts. LOL

The sexual tension, and playful teasing has been clean and light…so far, but I think all bets are off on Date #3. I do believe it will turn into a smoldering, sizzling hot romance.

I know they all have to ‘come together’ and I wonder at the ending. I am super curious to see how Kristine will handle Jag and Kenna as the story takes a drastic turn. I am worried because I love happy ever after, but how can it be possible? With CORE involved, anything is possible, isn’t it? CORE is a living, growing organism, making room for new characters through each story.

Man oh man, Kristine how much longer you gonna drag me through the fire…I can’t believe where are you are taking this, but it sure tells me why vigilantism is a big NO!

Kristine definitely captured the meaning of romantic suspense. I love her ability to write humor and love into murder and monsters of the human kind. She can take something I know is coming, and twist and turn it to an even more grisly and jawdropping end, yet invoke a smile or two along the way. My expectations for her work is of the highest levels and she continually surpasses them.

I was right about my thoughts from the very beginning. I’m in your head Kristine. LOL

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sinful Deeds by Kristine Mason.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLUB

When a group of female vigilantes are out for vengeance, heads are going to roll…

New to the Homicide Unit, Cleveland detective Jag Stone has been handed a skull and asked to identify the victim and killer. He turns to Dr. Kenna Jordon, anthropologist and forensic facial reconstructionist, to give the skull a face. When he meets Kenna, he’s immediately attracted to her beautiful smile and curves, and intrigued that she works for the criminal investigation agency C.O.R.E. What he likes best…Kenna will return to Chicago in less than six weeks. Jag likes easy, and has no interest in a committed relationship. With Kenna’s help, he’s hoping to solve his first case…then watch her go.

Until now, Kenna hasn’t wanted a relationship, either. Between working cases for C.O.R.E. and her job as an assistant professor at the University of Chicago, she hasn’t had the time. Only Jag is everything she wants in a man, and as they grow closer, it’s hard for her to keep her emotions in check. But a fairytale ending can never be, because she knows who the skull belongs to—and who has killed him. Three women. All wronged. All out for justice. All waiting for Kenna to admit she is one of them.

As the body count rises, and the vigilantes pressure Kenna, her conscience and loyalties are put to the test. But if she refuses to cooperate, will she be the next to die?

ABOUT KRISTINE MASON

Kristine Mason is the bestselling author of the popular romantic suspense trilogies, C.O.R.E. Shadow, and Ultimate C.O.R.E. She is currently working on her next trilogy, C.O.R.E. Above the Law, along with a series of Psychic C.O.R.E. novellas.

Although Kristine has published a few contemporary romance novels, she focuses most of her energy on her romantic suspense stories, which she loves for their blend of dark mystery/suspense and sexy romance. She is fascinated with what makes people afraid, and is famous for her depraved villains whose crimes present massive obstacles for her heroes and heroines to overcome.

Kristine has a degree in journalism from Ohio State University and lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, four kids, and two dogs. If she’s not writing, she’s chauffeuring kids, gardening, or collecting gnomes. Oh, and she makes a mean chocolate chip cookie!Connect with Kristine on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kristinemasonauthor, Twitter https://twitter.com/KristineMason7 or email her at authorkristinemason@gmail.com. You can also find out more about Kristine’s books at http://www.kristinemason.net

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest

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’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

MY REVIEWS FOR KRISTINE MASON’S NOVELS

Shadow of Danger / Shadow of Perception / Shadow of Vengeance
Ultimate Kill / Ultimate Fear / Ultimate Prey (review coming soon)
Celeste Files: Unlocked / Unjust / Unforgotten / Poisoned / Possessed
Perfectly Twisted / Perfectly Toxic / Perfectly Tortured

The Children Are Missing – Sinful Sacrifices by Kristine Mason @KristineMason7

Posted on August 10, 2017 by fundinmental

Kristine Mason is a suspense and thriller author that remains at the top of my must have reading list. If you are not familiar with her, you are truly missing out on some fabulous stories that will keep you up all hours of the night, unable to stop reading.

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Kristine Mason starts Sinful Sacrifices out with a BANG, but that’s no surprise. She manages to hook me from beginning to end in all her books. She loves to share her blood and guts imagination.

Brennan managed to get a quick text off before the kidnappers confiscated their phones. Kristine’s bleak description of the rundown park they would hide in mirrored his feelings of despair. I lived in Rochester NY near Sea Breeze Water Park, so this was easy to visualize, looking other worldly, alien and forlorn. The danger is very real and escape is on their minds…all the time.

When it’s discovered a Senator’s son has been taken, CORE is called in and Chase makes his appearance. Also, the Senator insists the FBI be in on it and we meet Summer. Kristine likes her hotties and simmering romance with flawed characters and I am always eager to see what she puts them through.

The push and pull of romantic suspense is some of my favorite reading, after the initial thrills of whatever tragedy brought them together. Communication is one of the most difficult things to do and one of the most common problems in any relationship.

Strength is letting your shield down, showing your emotion, letting someone really know you. Men see it as more of a weakness…or are they truly from Mars and we will never understand them. I want Chase to put his big boy pants on, quit wallowing in denial and talk to Summer. How else can they heal the wounds of their breakup?

I love Chase’s cute attempt to ‘help’ Summer. But taking away her coffee…that can be hazardous to his health and considered cruel and unusual punishment. I too count on my coffee in the morning and I feel her frustration.

I laughed out loud when Summer gave herself the finger at her scowling face in the mirror.

I love the scene in the kitchen, him cooking her breakfast. Humor in the morning is a good thing…a great way to start the day.

Summer has a bad feeling, but I don’t see why. Is it just experience telling her she’s missing something? I do agree with Summer, because Kristine always has more than meets the eye going on. She can twist and turn a story with the best of them. Her writing makes me feel as if I am there, at times….with the kids in the ghostly run down park, with Summer and Chase as they struggle to come to terms.

The romance is complicated. Kristine Mason’s men have ways of slipping into your heart and never leaving.

She keeps the mystery of the leader alive making me use my powers of deduction to figure it out. A process of elimination, if you will, but it took me a long time to get there. Good luck trying to figure out the mastermind.

Her stories are never about just a murder or just a kidnapping. They are elaborate, detailed, filled with convoluted characters whose motivation is of the most twisted and dark kind.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Sinful Sacrifices by Kristine Mason.

4 Stars

GOODREADS

Some sacrifices lead to murder…

A ski trip turns deadly when a bus carrying boys from an elite high school is hijacked and driven to an old abandoned amusement park. With a frozen lake on one side, acres of forest on the other, and up against a blizzard and sub-zero temperatures, the teens are trapped and at the mercy of their kidnappers. They have less than forty-eight hours to escape before the gunmen make good on their threats and begin killing them…one by one.

Chase Sawyer, agent for the criminal investigative firm, CORE, was a badass Crisis Negotiator with the FBI until a hostage situation resulted in the deaths of innocents. In the fallout, he left the Bureau, left the woman he loved, and left town. When a ransom is demanded for the release of fifteen kidnapped teens, Chase returns to Cleveland to work with the FBI and is forced to deal with past mistakes, along with the woman who haunts his dreams.

FBI Agent Summer Raines wonders why she still loves Chase. Before their breakup she’d been questioning their relationship. The man never could commit, and after becoming a crisis negotiator, had turned controlling and distant. Yet, five months ago, when he’d been in Cleveland for an assignment, she’d let him into her house and bed, only to be left brokenhearted once again. Now he’s back and about to get a huge surprise…she’s pregnant with a child he never wanted.

Chase is in for the negotiation of his life as he and Summer work to rescue the hostages and find a killer before more innocent lives are sacrificed…

ABOUT KRISTINE MASON

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest

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’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

MY REVIEWS FOR KRISTINE MASON’S NOVELS

Shadow of Danger / Shadow of Perception / Shadow of Vengeance
Ultimate Kill / Ultimate Fear / Ultimate Prey (review coming soon)
Celeste Files: Unlocked / Unjust / Unforgotten / Poisoned / Possessed
Perfectly Twisted / Perfectly Toxic / Perfectly Tortured
Sinful Deeds / Sinful Sacrifices

Unputdownable Conclusion of the Shadowcat Nation – Seneca’s Faith by Abigail Owen @AOwenBooks

Posted on June 12, 2017 by fundinmental

I love the Shadowcat Nation Series and am very happy to be learning about Seneca in Seneca’s Faith by Abigail Owen.

Check out this gorgeous cover!

Cover: Debbie Taylor

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Shadowcat Nation saga continues in Seneca’s Faith, Book IV by Abigail Owen. The books can stand alone, but I have loved learning about every character and their lives, so I highly recommend reading from the beginning, Andromeda’s Fall, Book I.

The journey for this series has been one of wonder, and I will hate to see it end.

I was immediately engrossed in the supernatural world of Seneca’s Faith and it never let me go. I did not realize this would also be Gage’s story, but after Tieryn’s Fury, Book III, I really wanted to know more about him.

Seneca had portrayed an image…poor little powerless female. Now, after being kidnapped, she was throwing it out the window, showing her true colors. Gage, who was taken too, is in for a big surprise.

When I found out her secret…LOVED IT!

Seneca has a winning way and a bewitching smile, an air of innocence, naivety and friendliness that could win over even the most ornery lion shifter. I love the way Seneca teases Gage, driving him a little crazy. Men are so easy when it comes to sex.

The ongoing war began with Seneca’s father and is coming to a head. Revenge is a huge motivator and he is determined to have it…and more. In the conclusion of the Shadowcat Nation, Seneca’s Faith, Book IV the final battle is fought . Who will be left standing?

As bonds are formed and sides are chosen, unlikely allies unite…cougars, lions and mountain lions, wolves, tigers, grizzlies and polar bears…sister against sister…daughter against father…

This fabulous fantasy with its excellent writing has given me hours of unputdownable reading and I am sorry to see my journey end. But when one journey ends, another begins.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The Delaney Dare needs a new leader—one from outside, after their own Alpha’s actions led to the shifter war. Gage McAvoy has agreed to marry one of the previous Alpha’s daughters and try to keep the dare from falling apart. Unfortunately, the daughter he’s agreed to marry is not the one he wants.

Seneca Delaney is a known latent, unable to shift. She’s remained in her dare, enduring rejection and isolation all her life, even from her own father, because she had no other place to go. Standing on the sidelines yet again while Gage marries her older sister is the last thing she wants to do. Then circumstance throws her together with the one man she can’t have, trying to save a nation of shifters who don’t want her, and risking the exposure of lifelong secrets that could result not only in her death, but in Gage’s.

ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN

Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

MY REVIEWS FOR ABIGAIL OWEN

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You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Hold Onto Your Panties – Possessed by Kristine Mason @KristineMason7

Posted on February 28, 2017 by fundinmental

Kristine Mason is a master storyteller and I am very excited to share her latest in the Celeste Files series, Possessed.

Want to delve into the dark side of the paranormal?

Grab a cuppa something…buckle your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride.

Goodreads

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google | Nook

MY REVIEW

Celeste: Possessed by Kristine Mason is going much darker than Celeste’s previous stories…and, twisted me, I am excited about it. The nightmare begins from the opening sentence.

Exorcist, step aside…Vigo is alive and well.

This ghost story scared the bejesus out of me, as the battle raged and John struggled to regain control and save his own life.

Now John knows what it’s like to be Possessed, but he doesn’t know how to fight back. He’s helpless, watching the demon make love to his wife Celeste. Imagine the frustration of such powerlessness. Celeste is unaware of the evil surrounding her. I wonder how long it will take Celeste to figure it out…then Donati BEWARE.

Celeste is psychic, she can see and hear ghosts. So dinner with Maxine, her mentor, may shed some light and open Celeste’s eyes to what is happening right under her nose.

Maxine and her unicorn room hold a special place in my heart.

Her trance gets her thinking…one thing leads to another…

Celeste…hurry…time is ticking away. She is terrified she cannot save him, but I believe. 🙂

The suspense is building to a fever pitch. I fear for her, her children and her family and friends. John has risked everything for her, so she is more than willing to do the same.

I loved when John tells Celeste he wanted to kick his own ass. Horror and humor, a fantastic combination . 😈

Olivia and Mason, her kids… Olivia has the gift, but both kids know John is not John. Is it the kid thing or something more? I am curious if Kristine will do anything with Olivia and her gift.

This love story crosses the boundaries of our reality and takes us to the dark side of the paranormal. An evil more subtle than the Exorcist but just as deadly.

The suspense kept building and building, going from bad to worse to worst. I fear for all of their lives and wonder…will Kristine kill one or more of them off? Would she really do that?

As I read of the black oozing menace, I pictured Supernatural episodes. It allowed me to let the story unfold as if it was a movie and made if even more frightening.

Each story for the Celeste series gets more intense, as she goes deeper into her gift.

Primal, due out in March of 2017, will be her greatest challenge of all and I am rubbing my hands together with glee and a wicked grin on my face as I anticipate the deliciousness of more evil, more battles and more victory for Celeste.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Celeste Files: Possessed by Kristine Mason.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Her husband is a killer…

John Kain is possessed, trapped in his own body while an evil spirit takes over his life. But the sinister ghost isn’t just interested in a second chance at life. He has a diabolical agenda, one that involves murdering John’s family.

Months ago, psychic Celeste Kain sent the dead 1920s gangster, Vigo Donati, to Hell. Or so she thought… When her husband becomes erratic, violent and out of control, she finds a hidden cache of prescription drugs and worries John has an addiction. Until a psychic vision shows Vigo killing a man. The coincidence is too much and she’s convinced the gangster has taken control of John.

With her family in danger and John’s life at stake, Celeste needs to rid her husband of Vigo’s spirit before he uses John’s body to kill. Because if Vigo wins, she’ll lose John forever…

ABOUT KRISTINE MASON

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest

Kristine has a giving away going her website, so drop in and say hello HERE.

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’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

MY REVIEWS FOR KRISTINE MASON’S NOVELS

Shadow of Danger / Shadow of Perception / Shadow of Vengeance

Ultimate Kill / Ultimate Fear / Ultimate Prey (review coming soon)

Celeste Files: Unlocked / Unjust / Unforgotten / Poisoned / Possessed

Perfectly Twisted / Perfectly Toxic / Perfectly Tortured

All covers link to Amazon and I am an affiliate, BUT I cannot help but tell you. Kristine Mason is a master storyteller and I would highly recommend buying the book sets, because you will want to read them all! Except, I have yet to read the Reality TV series.

The Celeste Files of the Psychic CORE series are paranormal and supernatural novels that star Celeste, from the very first book in the CORE Shadow Trilogy, Shadow of Danger. I love the mix of psychics and ghosts, with murder and thrills. Check them out below.

Her newest series.

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Teaser Tuesday #92 – Vigilante Dead by DV Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on February 21, 2017 by fundinmental

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

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This is how I felt as I rode Kate’s Crazy Train!

DV Berkom’s characters are strong women who face dark and dangerous situations, and Kate Jones is put to the test in Vigilante Dead.

You can see my Review HERE.

There are definitely turbulent waters inside.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY TEASE

I climbed the front stoop and rang the doorbell.

(page 56 in paperback)

GOODREADS BLURB: Death. Lies. Revenge.

After years of running, Kate Jones is finally putting her past behind her. Between restoring ties with her younger sister, moving in with Sam, a cop-turned PI, and working as a PI herself, she’s learning to live life without looking over her shoulder.

Then Kate lands a case that changes everything: a young college student with no history of drug abuse dies of an overdose, and the parents come to Kate demanding answers. Soon, Seattle is reeling from dozens more deaths, all with the same chemical markers. At first, police assume that the victims are closet junkies who got a hold of a bad combination, but after someone close to her becomes a victim, Kate believes something far more sinister is going on.

The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right… and getting revenge.

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’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

You WILL Want To Ride This Crazy Train – Vigilante Dead by DV Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on February 15, 2017 by fundinmental

This is how I felt as I rode Kate’s Crazy Train!

DV Berkom’s characters are strong women who face dark and dangerous situations, and Kate Jones is put to the test in Vigilante Dead.

I love this amazing cover done by Deranged Doctor Designs.

There are definitely turbulent waters inside.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OMG, D! You have outdone yourself! Best one yet!

If you are looking for a strong female protagonist and a high octane thriller, look no furthert!

Every time I think DV Berkom can’t make a Kate Jones Thriller even more thrilling, she puts out a story like Vigilante Dead.

Kate has been running from her past for a long time, but now she has settled down. She is a private investigator and has a gorgeous man, Sam, at her side. He is a super guy who gives her space and time when she needs it and some lovin’ when she needs that.

When her sister ODs, the hunt is on…

Drugs, murder, vengeance…

I love books that make me think of our life choices. We all march to our own drummer and who knows what will work if we don’t explore our options. BUT, sometimes we get off course and the road we walk takes us down a dark and dangerous path. So does Kate.

Kate grows more complex with each story told, but danger follows her through each and every one. This time, D took her somewhere that totally blew my mind. Sometimes the character demands that you go there, go where the bad guy goes to get your answers.

DV Berkom’s characters are strong and bold, and sometimes I think they need to have a little more fear. I worry for them. Every time Kate went creeping around, staking out places, I waited for the hammer to fall. I do love that she does things I only think about.

Kate fights the lows that wash over her when she thinks of all she has been through and lost by making mistakes in her youth. They left her with nightmares. Her rash actions and decisions can get her in difficult and dangerous situations.

Kate’s family pisses me off! and her wimpy dad is a huge disappointment to me. Am I being too harsh? You will need to decide.

And Angie, a badass assassin, you are a woman after my own heart, until…

You make a deal with the devil and you get burned.

I cannot quit reading, not for a second. I cannot wait to learn the ending of Vigilante Dead…thoughts are running through my mind, fed by the title. I am loving and hating what I am thinking.

The twists and turns DV Berkom has supplied in Vigilante Dead has ratcheted the suspense and my anticipation to a white knuckled, nail biting level. With all that is happening I am wondering where DV Berkom will leave Kate.

I am mentally yelling at her…DON’T DO IT!!!!!

Yet the little devil whispering on my shoulder says…

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Death. Lies. Revenge.

The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right… and getting revenge.

ABOUT DV BERKOM

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.

For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Pinterest / Amazon US / Amazon UK/ Newsletter
Author Pages: Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / itunes / Kobo

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’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

My Reviews DV Berkom’s Leine Basso Thrillers:

My Reviews for DV Berkom’s Kate Jones Thrillers:

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Tag Team Giveaway – Deadly Spirits by E Michael Helms @EMichaelHelms

Posted on January 16, 2017 by fundinmental

Welcome to my Tag Team Tag Team Events & Giveaways Page!

This is where myself (Sherry at fundinmental) and Laura at fuonlyknew tag team authors and their books.

We share our reviews and giveaways, giving you two views and two chances to win!

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I am a huge fan of E Michael Helm’s character, Mac McClellan and he is back in Deadly Spirits.

Check out this awesome cover!

Does it make you think of ghosts and hauntings?

Amazon / Goodreads

Cover: Sabrina Sun

Publisher: Camel Press

MY REVIEW

Mac and Kate are back in Deadly Spirits and this time we will be hanging out with the Palmetto Paranormal Society investigating the haunted Navarro Hotel.

I haven’t met Mac in person…yet, but seeing as how he hangs around the Florida Panhandle, it may happen. His investigations lead to danger and mayhem. His personality and the fact that he lives in a trailer always makes me think of the Rockford Files and Magnum PI. He’s a bit old fashioned where it really matters, loyal and trustworthy. Even a bit of a prude…He even has a Dobie, my favorite breed of dog. So much is familiar to me, marinas, woods, fire towers, lighthouses, hauntings…

Action and mystery abound and Mac is on the case. E Michael Helms always includes some humor and I do love chuckles with my murder.

The downside to his job, he has a hard time collecting payment before his clients kick the bucket.

Mac has a hard time taking the whole ghost thing seriously, until…the scream. I am a skeptic too. As they walk around with their ghostly equipment and asking the spirits questions, I would be hard put not to crack up laughing.

I loved everything about Deadly Spirits by E Michael Helms. He has included a lot of extras besides the mystery…a critter to fall in love with, a dash of the psychotic and a pinch of the paranormal…a recipe for success.

I love Mac and this is my favorite adventure…so far. Michael has brought him a long way, making him more complex in his simplicity. I can hardly wait for more!

It’s New Year’s Eve 2016 and between football and the year end fireworks, I cannot quit reading.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

When PI Mac McClellan’s girlfriend convinces him to join the Palmetto Paranormal Society, he becomes embroiled in a case of whooodunnit. The society president, while investigating an old hotel, is found dead at the foot of the stairwell, his neck broken. The man’s secretary and current squeeze stands horrified beside his body. Authorities rule the death an accident. Mac has doubts—no one heard the man tumbling down the stairs. Then the secretary dies in an apparent suicide. Two deaths in two paranormal investigations, and not a peep out of either victim. Mac suspects there’s more going on than a vengeful spirit.
Book 4 in the Mac McClellan Mystery series, which began with Deadly Catch.

ABOUT E MICHAEL HELMS

I was born in Georgia way back in the last century but grew up and lived most of my life on the Gulf Coast of Florida in Panama City (beautiful beaches, girls galore–ah, the memories!). In 2004 my wife and I moved to the Upstate region of South Carolina in the shadows of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, a land of stunning vistas and numerous waterfalls.

I’ve been traditionally published since 1990 when my Vietnam War memoir, The Proud Bastards, launched. TPB chronicles my time as a combat U.S. Marine in 1967-68. It’s still in print after all these years, currently with Simon & Schuster/Pocket. I’ve since written a few novels in different genres. I’m also working on a collection of “Dinger, PI” short stories that are being published on Motive Means Opportunity, a crime/mystery blog I share with two other writers of the same ilk. Currently I’m writing the Mac McClellan Mystery series which is set along the coast of the Florida Panhandle where I grew up.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter / Amazon / Google+ / Mystery Blog

GIVEAWAY

Michael is offering a fabulous giveaway and we will have 7 winners:

1st Prize – $25 Amazon GC (International, where legal)
2nd & 3rd Prize – Print copies of DEADLY CATCH (U.S. only)
4th – 7th – ebooks of DEADLY CATCH (International, where legal)

To enter, simply answer the question and leave your email, letting us know if you are US or International:

Do you want to come back as a ghost?

For another entry and review perspective, hop over to fuonlyknew and say hi to Laura.

Giveaway runs from 1.16.17 – 1.30.17.

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’.
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Giveaway – Child’s Play by Merry Jones @MerryDDJones @partnersincr1me

Posted on January 3, 2017 by fundinmental

Child’s Play

Merry Jones

January 3 Book Blast

February 1-28, 2017 Tour

Synopsis:

Since her husband’s murder two years earlier, life hasn’t been easy for Elle Harrison. Now, at the start of a new school year, the second grade teacher is determined to move on. She’s selling her house and delving into new experiences―like learning trapeze.

Just before the first day of school, Elle learns that a former student, Ty Evans, has been released from juvenile detention where he served time for killing his abusive father. Within days of his release, Elle’s school principal, who’d tormented Ty as a child, is brutally murdered. So is a teacher at the school. And Ty’s former girlfriend. All the victims have links to Ty.

Ty’s younger brother, Seth, is in Elle’s class. When Seth shows up at school beaten and bruised, Elle reports the abuse, and authorities remove Seth and his older sister, Katie, from their home. Is Ty the abuser?

Ty seeks Elle out, confiding that she’s the only adult he’s ever trusted. She tries to be open-minded, even wonders if he’s been wrongly condemned. But when she’s assaulted in the night, she suspects that Ty is her attacker. Is he a serial killer? Is she his next intended victim?

Before Elle discovers the truth, she’s caught in a deadly trap that challenges her deepest convictions about guilt and innocence, childhood and family. Pushed to her limits, she’s forced to face her fears and apply new skills in a deadly fight to survive.

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller, Suspsense
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: January 3rd 2017
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 1608091910 (ISBN13: 9781608091911)
Series: Elle Harrison Thriller #3 (Each can be read as a Stand Alone Novel)
Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

Read an excerpt:

I was the first one there.

The parking lot was empty, except for Stan’s pickup truck. Stan was the custodian, tall, hair thinning, face pock-marked from long ago acne. He moved silently, popped out of closets and appeared in corners, prowled the halls armed with a mop or a broom. In fourteen years, I couldn’t remember a single time when he’d looked me in the eye.

Wait—fourteen years? I’d been there that long? Faces of kids I’d taught swirled through my head. The oldest of them would now be, what? Twenty-one? Oh man. Soon I’d be one of those old school marms teaching the kids of my former students, a permanent fixture of the school like the faded picture of George Washington mounted outside the principal’s office. Hell, in a few months, I’d be forty. A middle-aged childless widow who taught second grade over and over again, year after year, repeating the cycle like a hamster on its wheel. Which reminded me: I had to pick up new hamsters. Tragically, last year’s hadn’t made it through the summer.

I told myself to stop dawdling. I had a classroom to organize, cubbies to decorate. On Monday, just three days from now, twenty-three glowing faces would show up for the first day of school, and I had to be ready. I climbed out of the car, pulled a box of supplies from the trunk, started for the building. And stopped.

My heart did triple time, as if responding to danger. But there was no danger. What alarmed me, what sent my heart racing was the school itself. But why? Did it look different? Had the windows been replaced, or the doors? Nothing looked new, but something seemed altered. Off balance. The place didn’t look like an elementary school. It looked like a giant factory. A prison.

God, no. It didn’t look like any of those things. The school was the same as it had always been, just a big brick building. It seemed cold and stark simply because it was unadorned by throngs of children. Except for wifi, Logan Elementary hadn’t changed in fifty years, unless you counted several new layers of soot on the bricks.

I stood in the parking lot, observing the school, seeing it fresh. I’d never paid much attention to it before. When it was filled with students, the building itself became all but invisible, just a structure, a backdrop. But now, empty, it was unable to hide behind the children, the smells of sunshine and peanut butter sandwiches, the sounds of chatter and small shoes pounding Stanley’s waxed tiles. The building stood exposed. I watched it, felt it watching me back. Threatening.

Seriously, what was wrong with me? The school was neither watching nor threatening me. It was a benign pile of bricks and steel. I was wasting time, needed to go in and get to work. But I didn’t take a single step. Go on, I told myself. What was I afraid of? Empty halls, vacant rooms? Blank walls? For a long moment, I stood motionless, eyes fixed on the façade. The carved letters: Logan School. The heavy double doors. The dark windows. Maybe I’d wait a while before going inside. Becky would arrive soon, after she picked up her classroom aquarium.

Other teachers would show up, too. I could go in with them, blend safely into their commotion. I hefted the box, turned back to the car. But no, what was I doing? I didn’t want to wait. I’d come early so I could get work done without interruption or distraction before the others arrived. The school wasn’t daring me, nor was I sensing some impending tragedy. I was just jittery about starting a new year.

I turned around again, faced its faded brown bricks. I steeled my shoulders, took a breath and started across the parking lot. With a reverberating metallic clank, the main doors flew open. Reflexively, I stepped back, half expecting a burst of flames or gunfire. Instead, Stan emerged. For the first time in fourteen years, I was glad to see him. Stan surveyed the parking lot, hitched up his pants. Looked in my direction. He didn’t wave or nod a greeting, didn’t follow social conventions. Even so, his presence grounded me, felt familiar.

I took a breath, reminded myself that the school was just a school. That I was prone to mental wandering and embellishing. And that children would stream into my classroom in just three days, whether I was ready or not.

Author Bio:

Merry Jones is the author of some twenty critically acclaimed books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been translated into seven languages. Her previous Elle Harrison novels have been THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE and ELECTIVE PROCEDURES. Jones lives with her husband in Philadelphia.

Catch Up with Merry online:
Website 🔗, Twitter 🔗, & Facebook 🔗

January 3, 2017 BLAST Participants:

Tour Participants:

Next Month Merry will be touring with her new book Child’s Play. The following sites, and more, will be hosting reviews, interviews, guest posts, and MORE Giveaways! Drop by to learn more about Merry and her great new book!

Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Merry Jones. There will be 2 winners of one (1) eBook copy of Child’s Play by Merry Jones. The giveaway begins on January 3rd and runs through January 9th, 2016.

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Review – What Happened on Beale Street by Mary Ellis #MaryEllis

Posted on November 2, 2016 by fundinmental

I would like to take a moment to thank Mary Ellis and Harvest House Publishers for sending me a paperback copy of What Happened on Beale Street, the second book in the Secrets of the South Mystery series.

You can see my 5 Star review for Midnight on the Mississippi, Book I, by Mary Ellis HERE.

I have gotten heavily involved in this stand alone Secrets of the South Mystery series because of its location…I love to read books that take place in an area I am familiar with and the Secrets of the South Mystery series does that. Also, I love a good mystery and it has plenty of that too.

Check out this intriguing cover…reeking of menace…ya never know what might happen on the dark and deserted street…or who’s watching.

Cover: Lucas Art and Design

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

What Happened on Beale Street by Mary Ellis is my second foray into the stand alone Secrets of the South Mystery series and I am so happy to embark on another adventure through the southern states of America.

I love familiar locations and mysteries, so when I won the first beautiful book, I was ecstatic and I want to tell you how ‘marvelous’ the continuing journey has been.

A childhood pledge takes impulsive but lovable Nicki and her gang from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Memphis, Tennessee.

Nate, her uptight but competent and loyal cousin and private investigator partner are on the case. It helps to have the wealthy and hunky Hunter to finance their trip and they are on their way in style. I love it. Made me think of Hart to Hart, the crime solving TV duo, only they are married.

The characters are ‘real’, with all their good and bad exposed. They have big hearts and are there for each other.

What do murder, stalking and a scavenger hunt have in common? What Happened on Beale Street.

The mystery is not mind blowing, but the tension and pacing kept my curiosity peaked, turning page after page, until I was done. Not only did I want to know who the murderer was, but I was even more concerned and curious about Isabelle. BUT that’s a mystery you’ll have to find out for yourself.

I thought I knew exactly how it would end, but Mary Ellis seems to be able to surprise me to the very last page. The suspense makes this hard, if not impossible, to stop reading once you start. I see more stories coming with this wonderful cast of characters and I am curious where we will travel to next.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of What Happened of Beale Street from Mary Ellis.

5 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

GOODREADS BLURB: What Happened on Beale Street is an exciting addition to the Secrets of the South Mysteries from bestselling author Mary Ellis. These standalone, complex crime dramas follow a private investigator’s quest to make the world a better place…solving one case at a time.

A cryptic plea for help from a childhood friend sends cousins Nate and Nicki Price from New Orleans to Memphis, the home of scrumptious barbecue and soulful blues music. When they arrive at Danny Andre’s last known address, they discover signs of a struggle and a lifestyle not in keeping with the former choirboy they fondly remember.

Danny’s sister, Isabelle, reluctantly accepts their help. She and Nate aren’t on the best of terms due to a complicated past, yet they will have to get beyond that if they want to save Danny.

On top of Danny’s alarming disappearance and his troubled relationship with Isabelle, Nate also has to rein in his favorite cousin’s overzealousness as a new and eager PI. Confronted with a possible murder, mystery, and mayhem in the land of the Delta blues, Nate must rely on his faith and investigative experience to keep one or more of them from getting killed.

ABOUT MARY ELLIS

Mary Ellis has written twelve award-winning novels set in the Amish community and several historical romances set during the Civil War. Her latest, Midnight on the Mississippi, first of a new mystery series, Secrets of the South, is set in New Orleans. Before “retiring” to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate, a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. Mary enjoys traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming, and lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. She can be found on the web at: www.maryellis.net or
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mar…

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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I won the book Midnight on the Mississippi by Mary Ellis and embarked on a journey through the Secrets of the South Mystery Series. These stand alone novels are right up my alley and I hope you find them as enjoyable as I did.

Check out the gorgeous covers. Don’t they draw you right in…I want to sit on the dock, walk the street and cross that bridge!

My review for Midnight on the Mississippi

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Like the Rockford Files, you’ll love Big Shoes by Jack Getze #JackGetze

Posted on October 16, 2016 by fundinmental

Series: Austin Carr Mysteries
Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Down & Out Books (September 7, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1943402051
ISBN-13: 978-1943402052

MY REVIEW

I have been with Jack Getze’s Austin Carr since the beginning and if you are a fan of The Rockford Files, this stand alone series is a must read. Big Shoes is the latest edition to this rollicking good fun reading and I am very excited to share it with you.

In Big Shoes, Austin Carr is back from a ‘suggested’ vacation and I can’t help but wonder what is in store for him. I know there will never be a dull moment.

Austin Carr always seems to be dodging bullets and being drawn into dangerous situations through his relationships with the quirky, off the wall characters that come into and out of his life.

His biggest downfall is the dame and when she walks into the room, his common sense goes out the window. There is always one involved and he cannot say no to her. He is quick with words and it seems like every time he opens his mouth, he’s getting himself in deeper, pissing off those who would rather punch him than talk to him.

I love the pistol packing, Mama Bones. If organized crime were a comedy, Austin Carr and Mama Bones would be the stars. She carries a ‘bag of tricks’ and ya never know what she will pull from it.

Jack Getze’s marvelous characters and writing keep me cracking up as I weave through the mysteries. His pin-up girl would be Lucille Ball, so that gives you a hint of Jack Getze’s writing style.

If you are looking for a dark comedy mystery noir, Big Shoes and the Austin Carr series fits the bill to a T! The who, what, when, where, and why aren’t as important to me as the hilarious journey to the answers. Ya never know when the bullets will start flying, so be alert and DUCK!

I received a free copy of Big Shoes from Jack Getze.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jersey Shore broker Austin Carr wants out of the stock and bond business but un-hooking from his mobbed-up partner won’t be painless. Angelina “Mama Bones” Bonacelli is best known for professional consultations that deteriorate into criminal violence, breakfast appointments raided by the FBI and one particular Power Point presentation to a Jersey state racing commission that ended in automatic weapons fire.

Good thing she likes Austin.

She just won’t let Austin out of the business. Plus Johnny “The Turk” Korsay is on a rampage and had his crooked cops arrest Luis, the bartender Austin’s best friend. Why? Because Austin saw The Turk kill Heriberto. And now he’s gunning for the stock broker.

It’s another brush with violent death and a sexy redhead for Austin Carr when Mama Bones and her rival Jersey associate of a fading New York crime family battle for the future of imported sex slaves, boardwalk tourist business and surprising horse racing secrets, past and present.

“Big Shoes is a five-star romp.”
—Rick Bylina, best-selling author of One Promise Too Many

You can purchase BIG SHOES at the following Retailers:

TEN RANDOM THINGS BY JACK GETZE

(Spare time)

First off, I don’t allow myself a ton of spare time, not since I turned a certain age. Time isn’t catching up, it has intercepted me. The last few years, I like to write as much as I can.

I used to start every day by reading two newspapers with my coffee, a habit one learns as a news reporter. (How else could you know what’s news?) I still look at headlines, online, but I can’t take newspapers anymore. Either I’m an old fogey or the news is no longer written by impartial journalists. Maybe both are half-true. J

I watch some television at night, preferably a baseball game or a good movie, but there are a couple of regular drama shows I like. The Vikings. Ray Donovan. Homeland.

My wife and I enjoy gardening together, although lately I think she gets to pick the plants and I get to clean up. But I must admit she’s made a beautiful sanctuary out of the backyard, where she demanded “everything must bloom.” It’s a place we often survey quietly together in the morning and evening.

I like to cook a little, especially one-pot dinners and Mexican food because I can’t find any good local tacos and burritos.

I used to play a lot of golf. Back in ’84, I was a public-course club champion, a two USGA handicap. Now it takes up way too much of the day. I golfed one or two rounds last week with my number-two son — it’s great dad-son time — but I haven’t played since last year when he was in town.

I worry a lot, and though I’ve improved since I recognized how much time was involved, concern for my family, friends and the future occupy time every day. Sorry to make you part of my therapy, but this is good for me to talk about.

If you like rock and roll, give me a guitar, I can make you dance.

My wife and I enjoy dining out when we can, especially near the ocean. Last month I gobbled up a small dish of spaghetti with aged parmesan cheese and cracked black peppercorns, then a chunk of halibut over lobster risotto. My first newspaper job, I would have had to work three weeks to pay the bill. This tab I gave to my successful wife.

I spoil my pets, offering dinner scraps afterward. My wife doesn’t like it, scolds me. But I can’t help it. Those animals know how to stare at me.

Great post, Jack. Like you, I am an old fogey and proud of it. I thought I would develop more patience, but I have even less. Worries, I’m not going there. News…what’s that? The media chooses what it wants to share and I don’t think the truth matters much to them. I love eating by the water, who wouldn’t? And Mexican food…my favorite. The margaritas are on me! Cheers.

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Former L.A. Times reporter Jack Getze is Fiction Editor for Anthony nominated Spinetingler Magazine, one of the internet’s oldest websites for noir, crime and horror short stories. His award-winning Austin Carr mystery series is published by Down & Out Books. The latest, BIG SHOES, won Deadly Ink’s David Award for Best Mystery of 2015. His short fiction has appeared in A Twist of Noir, Beat to a Pulp, The Big Adios and several anthologies.