Monday Mini – FREE – The Academy @robertdugoni

The Academy is the first story (a short) of the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni.

The simple cover tells me a lot. What does it say to you?

Cover:  Salamander Hill Design Inc

Get it free on Amazon by clicking on the cover below!

The Academy: A Short Story

MY REVIEW

The Academy is a short story that shows the determination and fortitude in one woman’s story to serve a higher purpose.

After the disappearance of her sister, Tracy chose her mission in life, to become a police officer. Her ultimate goal was to be the first woman detective in homicide.

The need to have a woman on the Seattle police force opened a door her.

The Academy reads as if it is a true story of the good ol’ boy network in police departments all over the country. She held her own against the bigoted and sexist assholes that did all they could to make her life a living hell. And through it all, she goes above and beyond to help a fellow female officer.

Tracy takes no shit, but goes about fighting her battle in the right way. My feelings of respect and admiration for her makes me want to read more. I can only think her story will get better. I would recommend The Academy to all those who are looking for inspiration and a happy ending.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

From Goodreads:  Driven by the disappearance of her sister, Tracy Crosswhite quits her job as a high school science teacher to join the Seattle Police Department. While most of her classmates and instructors at the academy want her to succeed, Detective Johnny Nolasco is hell-bent on keeping the boys’ club intact.

The training sessions offer plenty of opportunities for humiliation, but Tracy’s not the type to give in. Fueled by a confrontation with her in the middle of a class, Nolasco is determined to see Tracy fail. Tracy, harboring memories of the loss of her sister and the disintegration of her family, has too much at stake to let one pigheaded detective stand in her way. With so much to lose, will she make the cut in this competitive world?

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 To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Sherry’s Shelves #71 – Never Enough Time

Single Man Fishing

Sherry’s Shelves #71 is my weekly update from February 21 – February 27, 2016. I have been working in the yard, messing with the pool, doing spring cleaning, blogging and reading…not necessarily in that order. Time got away from me and I forgot about my Sunday post, so this is just a short update. I have some great giveaways and reviews, so look around and see if something interests you.

sunday poststack shelvesBB&B

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LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

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THIS WEEK ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Monday Mini Review – The Academy by Robert Dugoni
  • Teaser Tuesday – BEtrayed by Jaye Frances
  • Giveaway – Tag Team Event for The Lie by Ashley Fontainne
  • FREE Thriller – Jackpot by Susan Fleet
  • Wordless Wednesday
  • Giveaway – This would be Pardise by N D Iverson
  • Review – The Hatching by Ezekiel Boone
  • Friday 56 & BB
  • Review – What the Heart Remembers by Bette Lee Crosby
  • Saturday Shorts Review – Beyond Belief by Helen Smith

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Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

What are you reading?

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  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’s 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!

Giveaway – Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush

 I am excited to have Rohn Federbush visiting fundinmental today. When I saw the setting for Hastings’ Dead, Michigan, I felt I had to share, seeing Michigan is my home state.

So…let’s get to it.

Hastings' Dead - Cover

About the Book
Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush

Amazon
Genre: Mystery / Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Length: 136 Pages

MY REVIEW

Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush takes place in Michigan and the main characters attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor…GO BLUE. I hail from Michigan and root for the Wolverines during football season, so I was happy to spend some time in the small town of Hastings.

The villain is exposed from the very beginning, and boy is he messed up. I can almost feel sorry for him

David wanted to stay in Hastings and Diane wanted to stretch her wings and fly. Well…

Arancia, nicknamed Range, and Ben, her boyfriend, attend the University of Michigan, but head to Hastings, Arancia’s home, for the Christmas holidays. She missed her small home town and planned to return there after college to teach. Ben wanted the big city life, where a lawyer can make a name for himself.

Problems arise immediately, but Range refuses to acknowledge them. I had a problem with Range. She ignores what her instincts are telling her. Is she just naive? Or is there more to the story?

Her brother, Coco is quite the character and I love his feisty personality. He could understand Ben better than Range, because he felt the same way. Until…

Hastings’ Dead reads like a cozy mystery. If anyone is the hero, it will be Range, but the peripheral characters supply a large part of the entertainment and contribute their problem solving to the story.

There was even a laugh or two and I loved when the brides to be made their grand entrance for the wedding. Very nice touch and it still puts a smile on my face as I write this.

I had some trouble with the writing, especially when dealing with Range. I didn’t like her very much and could not figure out what she was thinking. Was everything tainted by her need to live in Hastings? Well…the end was not what I thought and that is always a good thing and I enjoyed it. I really wanted more depth to the story, but Rohn Federbush threw in a twist or two to keep the story lively. If you like a quick read, murders to solve, and some romance, Hastings’ Dead could be for you.

“Since when is love a bad thing.”

“When demands snuff out freedom.”

I received a copy of Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  3 STARS

SYNOPSIS

What’s a guy to do when people don’t see things his way?

“Hastings’ Dead” is set in a small Michigan town, where a University of Michigan student, Range Goloso, has promised her father she’ll return to teach grade school.

In college Range falls in love with Ben Adler, a New York based law student who can’t very well start a lucrative practice without a substantial client base. She defends a local artist accused of pushing his girlfriend off the church bell tower when she wanted to leave town. Actually Range is upholding her town’s reputation and realizes her dreams of settling down in Hastings might be dead.

Hastings’ Dead – Excerpt

Prologue

Hastings, Michigan – Summer
St. Rose of Lima’s Bell Tower

David Dahlton encouraged his best girl to follow him up the narrow staircase. “Diane, you’ll love the view.”

Diane Pettergill shook her head. How many times must she wear herself out following him up creaking staircases to capture yet another view of their hometown? “Who’s going to look at your pictures?’

David sat down on the top step, realizing he had a problem. Photography would rescue him from farming drudgery without leaving the secure confines of Hastings. “Maybe I’ll publish a book someday.”

She smiled at him. “That’ll be the day.”

“Don’t you want to see our town become famous?” He noticed he hadn’t thoroughly cleaned the mud from his shoes. Maybe Diane was reacting to the smell of recycled pig food.

“I’m more interested in our future than this stupid town’s.”

“You don’t want to live here after we marry?” David’s mind spun out of control. He thought she loved him, wanted to have his babies and see them grow up in town. “Wouldn’t you miss your parents and your sister?”

“Betty said you wouldn’t listen.” Diane tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “We could visit, you know.”

Their life wouldn’t be the same. “We’d be strangers to everyone—even to our own folks if we stayed away too long.”

“You are a stick in the mud.” Diane turned her back on him.

He listened as she slammed the side door to the tower. David climbed up to the landing under the bell. Hanging over the side nearest the front door, he called to her. “Come back. I don’t want to lose you.”

Diane stopped her retreat down St. Rose’s front walk. She stood with her back to him. Then shaded her eyes as she looked up. “I’m not ready to say goodbye either.”

“Wait for me.” He wanted to ring the bell for the celebration in his heart. Instead he took several hurried photographs in each direction. He’d need to come back to get more shots. They’d known each other since childhood. Out on Route 43, only a corn field separated their farm houses. Both their families were among the first settlers of Hastings.

Once he reached her, Diane apologized, offering her hand. “I’m sorry. I know you love to take pictures. But, don’t you want to photograph the entire world?”

“It’s been done.” David dropped her hand. “I want the world to love our town as much as we do.”

“What makes you think I’d be happy in this dinky burgh?”

“Dingy?”

“Small. I said dinky.” Diane stretched her arms out. “I want to unfold my wings. Do something important before I die.”

That’s when David got the idea he couldn’t share. “Okay,” he lied. “I promise this will be the last time you ever need to climb a flight of stairs for me to click my camera in all four directions.”

“I knew I could convince you.” Diane smiled. “College will be more fun, together.”

David followed her up the stairs again. However as soon as they had both reached the landing, David lunged at her. He knocked her down against the west ledge, away from the view of any onlookers in town. For a second he wanted to turn her around to get a good look at her fear, but he decided she might survive and ruin his life.

“Let’s see how far you can fly with those important wings of yours.”

David watched her all the way down. In the struggling three-story fall, her body flipped over.

Diane stared right into his eyes until she hit the very hard pavement in the parking lot.

About Rohn Federbush

Rohn Federbush retired as an administrator from the University of Michigan in 1999. She received a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing in 1995 from Eastern Michigan University. Frederick Busch of Colgate granted a 1997 summer stipend for her ghost-story collection. Michael Joyce of Vassar encouraged earlier writing at Jackson Community College, Jackson, Michigan in 1981.

​Rohn has completed fourteen novels, with an additional mystery nearly finished, 120 short stories and 150 poems to date.

The Giveaway


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

Novel Book Tours

 

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Evil Walks Among Us – Betrayed by Jaye Frances Guest Post, Giveaway & Review

Betrayed (World Without Love, Book I) by Jaye Frances had me sitting, with my mouth hanging open, wanting to throw my kindle at…something. I wanted to scream and rage at the degradation and cruelty that was heaped on Jewel.

Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

I am so excited to have Jaye Frances here to share some hints about Betrayed, Book One in the World Without Love series.

Betrayed, Book One, World Without Love

A Suspense Thriller Series With an Erotic Edge

 PROLOGUE

We’re all captives, in one way or another . . .

I’m awakened by the sounds of creaking wood and straining rope—constant protests to the unsteady pitch and roll of the darkness.

Dizzy and disoriented, I take a breath, trying to dispel the nausea. But the air is laced with the pungent smell of damp rot, and its raw bite forces me to shallow my breathing.

Staring into the darkness, I search for a shape, a silhouette—anything to give me a clue about my surroundings. But there is only a thick layered blackness, as endless as the grave.

I’m plagued by the sensation of motion, of being rocked up and down. A flash of impaired logic tells me to dismiss it as a specter, an artifact from the nearly depleted dose of Halcion.

A minute passes—or an hour. I can’t tell which.

I hear something—a garbled voice, remnants of disconnected conversation. And from much farther away, the plaintive cries of a bird. The sounds seem genuine, missing that phantom-like quality associated with suspects from a barbiturate daze.

I take it as a sign—the drugs are finally leaving my system.

A prickly thaw sweeps the surface of my skin, bringing with it the nagging sensation that something is pulling at my limbs, tugging at me from both ends.

It’s not an after-effect of the drugs, I’m sure of that. It’s too strong, too constant. I have the sense it’s been there all along, waiting to break through the chemical cloud that kept me unconscious.

It’s growing stronger, getting worse, becoming a piercing burn stretching from my shoulders to my hips, cutting me to the quick.

I try to turn, to get away from the waves of searing heat raking at my arms and legs.

I can’t move.

The realization is as damning as if I’d awakened in the sulfur pits of hell. I’m bound like an animal, my wrists tied above my head, my legs strapped at the ankles—my body a living bridge of straining joints and wrenched sinew.

Even as my muscles scream at the draw of the restraints, I feel the bite of riveted steel against my back, the harsh, unforgiving surface running the length of my spine.

I’m naked.

It’s no accident. Whoever did this intentionally stripped me, leaving me exposed and vulnerable, determined to violate my mind as well as my body.

The blackness rolls then plunges, releasing something new into the shifting darkness. Slithering against me, it touches my skin with a bitter cold that breaks through the unrelenting agony of the rope. I hear my own tortured wheeze catch in my throat as I feel it scoring my stomach, the freezing nip and sting quickly followed by the unmistakable seeping of liquid, collecting in the hollow of my belly, running down my sides.

A rush of useless adrenalin floods my bloodstream, my chest threatening to explode as my racing heart frantically pumps blood to an unseen wound.

Even through the suffocating surge of panic, a vision of what I cannot see crystalizes with vivid detail: My arms and legs are tortuously drawn on a makeshift rack . . . a pendulum of biting chill slices across my naked torso . . . tiny rivers of fluid trickle down my sides.

I barely hear it over my pounding heartbeat—the sound of sloshing liquid.

In seconds, it becomes as familiar as it is terrifying.

I’m lying in water.

I take a halted breath as I realize the truth. The fluid running down my sides is not blood, but ribbons of over-wash from the frigid pool that surrounds me.

Rope and water.

Pain and fear.

It’s deliberate . . . to break me.

Again, the darkness lurches and rolls, churning the water, splashing it over my breasts and thighs. And although the icy burn forces me to gasp for air, it also sparks a moment of fleeting recognition—a vague memory from my past, a connection to the rise and fall of everything around me.

I’ve felt it before.

But where? When?

Stray thoughts flood my mind—the gentle climb, the momentary sense of weightlessness, the sudden drop . . . the unique motion of the sea.

It isn’t much, but it gives me something to hold on to, a starting point in remembering what has happened to me.

Thanks so much for the enticing peek into Betrayed, Jaye.

The cover only hints at the horror contained within the pages of Betrayed!

Betrayed

Add me to Goodreads now

MY REVIEW

WARNING: Graphic and explicit sexual scenes…kidnapping, sexual slavery, human trafficking, rape, abuse… I hesitate to call it erotica, because I view erotica as sex for sex’s sake. The scenes in Betrayed are pivotal to the story to show the savagery and brutality of the human trafficking of women.

I have read a couple of books by Jaye Francis, The Beach (review link below), Love Travels Forever (review link below) and The Kure (review to come soon) and they were quite different (wonderful paranormal and supernatural stories). I was caught off guard by the direction she took in Betrayed, but her writing is so fantastic, I will read anything she pens.

I love the cover and it screamed EVIL to me and I was soooooo right, BUT…I never anticipated just how EVIL it would be.

I find the review for Betrayed by Jaye Francis very difficult to write. I rarely read erotica, unless it is by an author I cannot resist, of which Jaye is one. I was talking to my sister about the book and how I could best describe it to get my point across. Human trafficking…one of the ugliest sides of “humanity”. The men who do this deserve the worst punishment possible…death! They are not fit to walk the face of the earth and you will meet some of them…especially her husband, Carl.

Jewel is shy and lacks self confidence. She marries Carl and his sense of adventure take them to exotic locales. I loved the thought of no nine to five, just going where their whims take them. Until…

I find it hard to believe she would let Carl do what he did, but I think her naivety and the inability to believe someone she trusted, should have been able to trust, allowed it to happen. After all, this is going on today, to intelligent women who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It makes me wonder…it is a desire in women to believe the best of everyone, to trust too much? I struggle to put into words what I am thinking and feeling. It’s one of those things…this could never happen to me. But, could it? Could it happen to you?

She would pay dearly for her mistake!

She would have to “learn to play the game” to survive. Does the Stockholm Syndrome play a part, or is it go along or die?

So many characters to hate and I wish I could climb through my kindle to make them pay. They should not be able to walk among us, living and breathing.

Betrayed by Jaye Frances is jam packed with action. I felt my emotions taking me into the depths of hell and she took me to a place I have never been before. I can only hope Jaye Frances will make them pay, in the worst possible way!

The storm descriptions were vivid and terrorizing, but I felt something good would come of it. I had a feeling I knew where Jaye was going and who Jewel would end up with to continue the story, but how that will play out…

The cliffhanger ending has me literally hanging on the edge…waiting to see where we will go next and I can hardly wait to get there. And I hope to see Carl again…soon.

I received a copy of Betrayed by Jaye Frances in return for an honest review. As I said earlier, I love her writing and will go wherever she wants to take me.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 STARS

Goodreads Blurb:  Jewel has everything going for her—a handsome husband, a promising future, and lots of time to explore an island paradise she now calls home.

But when a group of strangers accompanies her husband home for a friendly game of poker, her life quickly becomes a hellish nightmare of deceit and betrayal.

Now her very survival depends on entering a world where sex, domination, and money are inseparable, where women must obey all masters, and where every desire has its price.

“Betrayed” contains mature content and is intended for an 18 and over audience.

ABOUT JAYE FRANCES

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Jaye Frances, author of Betrayed

Jaye Frances is the author of “World Without Love,” a suspense thriller series with an erotic edge, including “Betrayed,” “Reunion,” and “Redemption.” Her other books include “The Beach,” a sci-fi supernatural tale about the possibilities—and horror—of wishful thinking, “The Kure,” a paranormal-occult romance novel, “The Possibilities of Amy,” a coming-of-age story of first love, and “Love Travels Forever,” a collection of poignant short stories. When not absorbed with her writing, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and taking pictures-lots of them. Jaye lives on the gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, and several hundred pairs of shoes.

For more information visit Jaye’s website at www.jayefrances.com
her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jayefrancesauthor
and her Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/www.jayefrances…

GIVEAWAY

Jaye Frances has offered 1 (one) ebook of Betrayed, Book One of the World Without Love series, for the giveaway. Entry is easy peasy. Just answer the question and leave your email so I may contact you if you win.

“Have you ever been Betrayed by someone you loved and trusted?”

Giveaway runs 2/26 – 3/11/16.

I have read a couple of her books and Betrayed is quite different, but her writing is top notch, so I will grab anything she pens. If Betrayed sounds a bit much for you, check out The Beach, see my review link below, The Kure or The Possibilities of Amy.

MY REVIEWS OF THE BEACH AND LOVE TRAVELS FOREVER

  • Guest Post-Review of The Beach by Jaye Frances
  • Guest Post and Review of Love Travels Forever by Jaye Frances
  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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Did you find my review helpful?  If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon and liking it on Goodreads.

Friday 56 #73 & BB #49 – Treasure @cusslerofficial

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~2016-01-27 02.19.47

Next up on the list is Treasure by Clive Cussler.

I have a “few” of his books and have loved them all.

I can’t get enough of his wild adventures!

How about YOU? Want to hunt for some treasure with Dirk Pitt?

Treasure (Dirk Pitt, #9)

Cover art – 1988 – Sanjulian

MY FRIDAY 56

Never in his wildest nightmares did he see himself in such a crazy predicament. One wrong physical movement, a slight error in judgment and fifty people would find a deep, unknown grave in the  sea. Not fair, he cried in his mind over and over. Not fair.

(page 56 in paperack)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

A small, flickering light danced eerily through the black of the tunneled passageway. A man dressed in a woolen tunic that dropped below his knees paused and raised an oil lamp above his head. The dim glow illuminated a human figure inside a gold and crystal casket while casting a grotesque, wavering shadow against the smoothly cut wall behind The man in the tunic stared into the sightless eyes for a few moments, and then he lowered the lamp and tuned away.

 

GOODREADS BLURB

FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR TO THE SWELTERING SANDS OF EGYPT — DIRK PITT HAS THE POWER TO SAVE THE WORLD!

A violent rise of fundamentalism in Mexico and Egypt has the United States captive inside its own borders. But when the beautiful Egyptian Secretary General of the United Nations survives a murderous plane crash in Greenland, Dirk Pitt is pulled into the storm. Searching for the most spectacular missing treasure of the ancient world, he finds a startling connection between the murder attempt and the chaos that is gripping the world. And when the Presidents of Egypt and Mexico are taken hostage, the hunt begins in earnest. Now it’s Dirk Pitt against a conspiracy of evil that reaches from the arctic circle to Tierra del Fuego — and the sides are about even!

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I am a “cover girl”.

Cover: Craig White

The cover below is for the mass paperback published in 2011. Which one do you like best?

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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Kindle Giveaway – Whispers of the Serpent @clrhuth #SerpentBlast

 

Whispers of the Serpent by CL Roberts-Huth
Publication Date: June 2015
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Series: Zoe Delante Crime Series #2

 

 

No rest for the Wiccan.

One year has passed since Zoë Delante’s last big case, and everyone’s favorite Wiccan has managed to carve a normal-ish life for herself and her boyfriends, Jacob and Daniel. Then she gets the call that someone has discarded dead babies like empty soda cans off I-295 in the Baltimore/D.C. area, leaving strange scales all over the crime scenes. Another serial killer?

Zoë dives into the case when her one-year-old niece comes up missing, and she discovers that the guy running the Church of Holy Light knows magick and lies about it. Is he the one behind the mind control? Did he send the guys to drop magick all over her sister’s house?

And what the hell is up with her magick?

The visions are getting stronger, and weirder, and Zoë can’t remember the last time she slept. No matter. She has bad guys to catch and innocents to save. She’ll sleep when she’s dead….

…Or when the killer is.

EXERPT

I sighed, and Sera squeezed my hand again as we stepped away from the dais and into the darkness. The temperature plunged, and we gasped in unison. My breath billowed in a delicate cloud.

“What now?” My hands went frigid, so I could hardly feel my sister’s hand. “Sera?”

“Yeah, I feel it too.”

The darkness swirled in front of us.

That’s new. I blinked and refocused, and yep, it was moving.

The ebony entity continued its curvaceous dance, sending foggy fingers over my bared skin. It crept up to my head and tugged at my hair, draping the ends over my shoulders like a dozen hairy tentacles. The unnerving sensation sent icy fear down my spine as it encircled us, blocking off the light from the sanctuary.

“Zoë!” Sera called out.

I squeezed her hand. “I’m right here.”

“I think it’s sniffing me.” She stepped closer until we were snuggled shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip.

My face and neck sprouted goosebumps from the minute breath of the airy darkness around us. It pulled at my clothing with tiny, invisible claws, nicking at the skin beneath with careless abandon. It emitted a series of soft sighs, almost erotic, as if the creature was gaining some crude, intimate pleasure from its nitpicking.

“Any clue?”

“Uh….” I thought for a second. “Not a one. Could be an untamed air elemental.”

“A what?”

I rolled my eyes. “Either you accept that things are about to get weird—”

“Er… weirder.”

I sighed. “Sera.”

“Oh, fine. Do your thing.” She couldn’t keep the involuntary resignation from her voice—Delante stubbornness.

I swallowed a chuckle. “It’s big and strong, but it’s invoked. It doesn’t live here.” I reached out, and it pulled back. I moved forward, encircling us with my magick, and it met my movement.

Its energy touched mine, and the weirdest cacophony of coos and shrieks erupted, like a million separate high-pitched voices singing a sharp, electric harmony.

Great, a sadomasochistic parasite. Or a siphon. Whoever controlled this creature held demented intent and gained something through the vicarious sampling. I didn’t like voyeurs, and I sure as hell liked them less when they used magick against their victims.

“Enough!” My voice should’ve echoed in this hallway, but the living wall of pitch just absorbed it. “I don’t care who you are, but if you don’t knock this shit off right now, if I have to break through your pet of my own volition, I will make you regret it. I know you know what I am, but I promise you’ve only gotten a sneak peek at what I can do. Drop the damn nonsense, or I’m going to make your little invocation look like some cheap online spell kit!”

I was bluffing my not-so-little ass off. No way in hell did I possess enough magick on my own to break this casting, much less launch a counteroffensive against the caster, but of the three of us in this stalemate, did anyone know that but me? Probably not.

A shaft of yellow light pierced the wall, and the entity scurried into the shadows behind us.

I raised one arm to shade my eyes, and with the other motioned for Sera to remain behind me. “Wait,” I whispered. “Let’s see who we’re up against.”

She stilled.

The yellow sliver spread into a wider ray of light, broken only by a man’s shadow. From the cover of my arm, he looked angelic—not in that silly teen girl kind of way, but how I’d always imaged an actual angel of God. A ring of light, brighter than the saving shaft of yellow, covered him from mussed curly hair to the end of his long legs. His mouth was parted, his breath strained, like he’d been running. He dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief.

I couldn’t make out any further details in that light, but his mere presence made me blush. His magick held heat against the exposed parts of my skin, and I fought against the happy sigh sitting on my tongue.

My beast answered my confusion with a familiar wanting whimper, like the man in front of me was a tasty treat instead of the enemy. I shook my head. I didn’t have time for this nonsense.

“Is that…?” Sera whispered.

I nodded. “Hello, Jareth.”

 

 

Born in 1975, I’m the product of star-crossed lovers who took separate paths shortly after my arrival. Now a three-time mother, twice married woman, and eclectic person, I reside in the sunny biosphere that is Sierra Vista, Arizona, with my wonderful partner in crime, Peter, and three brilliant geeklings: Michael, Cami and Desmond. Oh, and a mop… er… Shih Tzu named Sir Lancelot the Brave.

Writing came to me naturally, and the dark clouds of childhood and adolescent angst gave birth to a myriad of story threads that reflected my inner struggle to find a place in this world. I haven’t quite discovered it yet, but I’ve fallen in love with the journey and all the stories unfolding in front of me. I’m a lover of many genres and a writer of a small handful, and rather content with that lot.

 

Giveaway: There is a giveaway for this blast. One Kindle Fire 7″. Open only to US/CAN residents. Giveaway ends 3/4. Void where prohibited. Code is provided below.

 

  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
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Trailer + Giveaway of FACSIMILE – Vicki L Weavil #FridayReveals #Month9Squad #Month9Books

 

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal! But wait it’s a Thursday you’re probably asking yourself! Yes it is but we have a super special reveal for you today and we will have a reveal tomorrow as well!

This week, we are revealing the trailer for
Facsimile by Vicki L. Weavil
an upcoming Month9Books Title!
 

 

facsimile ebook final

Title: FACSIMILE

Author: Vicki
L. Weavil
Pub. Date: March
8, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Format: Hardcover,
Paperback & eBook
Find it: Amazon
| B&N  | Goodreads
.
For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Ann‘s determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.
Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice – fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.
.
Now here’s the trailer!

 

 

Vicki Weavil 11
Vicki L. Weavil is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel. Her Young Adult Fantasy, CROWN OF ICE — a dark YA retelling of H.C. Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” — is published by Month9Books. Two companion books to CROWN OF ICE — SCEPTER OF FIRE and ORB OF LIGHT — will be published in 2016 and 2017.
Her YA SciFi — FACSIMILE — will be published by Month9Books in 2016, with a sequel, DERIVATION, to follow.
A new YA Fantasy, THE DIAMOND THIMBLE, will be published by Month9Books in 2018.
She also writes adult SciFi.

 

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win.
Title will be sent upon its release.

 

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Review & Giveaway – The Zombie Game by Glenn Shepard

The Zombie Game

by Glenn Shepard

on Tour Jan 18 – Feb 28

Cover:  Anne Biggs

MY REVIEW

The Zombie Game cover, title and blurb drew me into this Dr Scott James thriller and the action, suspense and mystery never let me go.

Dr Scott James is a plastic surgeon who was working on the hospital ship, Ana Brigette, trying to do his best for the Haitian people after the earthquake that annihilated the island. He never could have foreseen what was to come and I doubt he would have changed his mind if he knew. He is that kind of man. He only wanted to help and heal people, to save lives…but when necessary he can and will kill. I love a character that is tough on the outside and soft on the inside, know what I mean?

The peripheral characters…well I hated them and loved them, but JakJak is one I want to see more of. I was afraid Glenn would kill him off, but he managed to survive and developed into a character I want to know more about. I think he has a great story to tell and I want to “hear” it. What do you think, Glenn…could he be next?

I love kickass female character and I know Elisabeth has one hell of a story to tell. I have a feeling she will keep popping up, and who knows, maybe she will earn a book of her own?

We have an earthquake ravaged Haiti, their billions of dollars contained in the Relief Aid Fund, ISIS terrorists, the Pope, zombies, voodoo, action, mystery and suspense that left me wanting more.

I see more books coming and I will be following Glenn Shepard to be sure I don’t miss any of them.

I received a copy of The Zombie Game by Glenn Shepard in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

BLURB

The real Zombies of Haiti come alive in this story of a plastic surgeon, a man who “fixes people’s faces,” racing to stop a plot to kill the Pope during his Papal visit to America. Follow Dr. Scott James as he falls into an incredible world of psychotropic drugs, exotic ceremonies, and murder.

MEET JAKJAK, DEAD MAN

Jacques Jacobo, “Jakjak,” is the Haitian Finance Minister’s personal bodyguard. He’s just taken two bullets in the chest trying to stop an assassination attempt on his boss.

DR. SCOTT JAMES, TARGET

Dr. Scott James is a volunteer surgeon on a hospital ship anchored off the coast of earthquake-ravaged Haiti. He’s got his share of personal demons.

OMAR FAROK, MASTERMIND

Omar Farok wants to rule ISIS, and the world. He’s just taken over the hospital ship and converted it into a launch platform for a nuclear strike on Miami.

SANFIA, VODOUN BOKOR

Sanfia is the most powerful Vodoun priestess in Haiti. Omar Farok will pay her big money to turn Dr. James into a zombie.

ELIZABETH, THE WILDCARD

Beautiful Elizabeth is one of the most notorious freelance operatives in the world. She’s come to Haiti to defuse the bomb.

They’re all about to play The Zombie Game.

The Zombie Game Details:

Genre: Thriller, Action & Adventure
Published by: Mystery House
Publication Date: January 2016
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 978-0-9905893-0-3 // 978-0-9905893-6-5
Series: The Dr. Scott James Thriller Series Book 2 (each can be read individually)
Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

Read an excerptfrom Chapter 1 of The Zombie Game:

The Streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti

June, 2014

10:01 p.m.

JAKJAK, THE CHAUFFEUR, PEERED through the windshield of the black Mercedes sedan, looking for danger. Haiti could be a bad place after dark. Killings, kidnappings, and armed robbery were common. Police protection was almost nonexistent in Port-au-Prince. Not only was Jakjak a driver, but he was also his employer’s bodyguard.

It had been more than four years since the terrible earthquake had destroyed the country, but massive piles of rubble remained. Jakjak dodged broken stones that had spilled onto the road from the high rows of demolished cement blocks lining the streets, and then suddenly a black cat jumped out in front of the Mercedes.

Jakjak stomped on the brakes but heard the thump of the animal striking the bottom of the car. Slamming to a halt, he looked back to see the dead cat lying in the middle of the road. His heart beat faster and he began to sweat. His mother had warned him of this. She was a Mambo, a Vodoun priestess with strong powers. According to Jakjak’s religion—Petro Vodou—the spirit embodied in black cats, Iwa, grew angry and vindictive to those who brought him harm.

Jakjak felt through his black suit coat to reassure himself that his .45 was in the holster strapped to his chest. He was a young thirty-eight, muscular from his daily workouts with heavy weights, and imposing at six-foot-two and 220 pounds.

But killing the cat had made his large hands shake.

Jakjak turned to the three men in the back seat. “Mal se nan lé a. Evil is in the air. We must turn back.”

Julien Duran answered, “No, Jakjak. Drive on.”

“Please, sir. Listen to me. No good will come of tonight’s meeting. I feel the spirit of the cat on me. We have angered him.”

Duran cleared his throat. At forty-eight, Duran was tall and thin, with prematurely gray hair. He wore a white suit, white tie with a diamond stickpin, and a heavily starched white shirt with gold cuff links and mother-of-pearl inlays. Jakjak had worked for him for twenty years, since Duran had returned from his economics studies at Yale, and law school at the University of Virginia. After only two years in a prestigious law firm in Port-au-Prince, Duran had been offered a government job as Assistant Minister of Finance, where his work gained him frequent promotions. In 2010, after the quake, he reached the top. He was made Minister of Finance.

Duran, sitting in the back of the Mercedes between his two assistant ministers, leaned toward his driver and said, “Jakjak, I respect your beliefs, but regardless of what your intuition tells you, I must go to this meeting. Charles Roche is a billionaire. I can’t keep him waiting.”

“Men lé a. But the hour … Hooligans now rule the streets at night. The spirits say we are in danger.”

Duran folded his arms as he sat back. “Tonight, Roche is choosing between giving financial aid to Haiti or Chile for earthquake damages. I don’t want Chile to be the one to take his money.”

A few minutes later, the Mercedes cruised past the once opulent building of the Ministry of Finance. The white columns and mahogany doors had all been bulldozed after the great building had stood for months as an uninhabited ghost structure. The marble and white cement that was once a palace now lay in ruins.

Jakjak continued a short way and then parked in front of the temporary housing units that were still used from time to time as offices for the Ministry. Piles of debris covered most of the parking spaces, so Jakjak was forced to park the Mercedes a good distance away. In the aftermath of the quake, the Minister and his two assistants were used to this kind of thing. Jakjak got out, briskly opened the car doors for his passengers, and then he escorted Duran and his two assistants to the office.

The visiting group consisted of three officials and two bodyguards. They were waiting at the door of the main temporary building. Jakjak unlocked it and ushered them in.

One of the bodyguards saw Jakjak’s .45 bulging against his coat and stopped him at the door. “No guns.”

Jakjak placed his hand over his gun. “Non, Mesye. I won’t give up my gun.”

“Then no meeting.”

Duran went to Jakjak’s side. “Check these men for weapons and then wait outside.”

The five visitors raised their hands as Jakjak patted them down.

Jakjak turned to Duran. “I cannot leave you.”

“I’ll be fine. Stay in the car. I’ll be out shortly.”

As the other men made their way to the conference room, Jakjak returned to the Mercedes. But his hands began to shake. He closed his eyes. He saw the cat’s eyes; they were in the face of the devil.

The introductions were brief. The central figure was a lawyer Duran had known for years, Virgil Baccus. Baccus was the attorney for billionaire Charles Roche. He was a portly man who practiced law in St. John and often worked with foreign clients. After shaking Duran’s hand, Baccus took his seat. Duran’s heart beat fast as he thought about Baccus. He had a reputation for representing men who created their wealth by embezzling corporate funds.

To Baccus’ right was a six-foot, muscular man dressed in black; to his left was another tall, muscular man, also dressed in a black suit. The two bodyguards stood by the door. Duran recognized all the men as being from St. John and St. Croix.

Baccus spoke up immediately. “Well, I have good news. Mr. Roche has already decided to give his money to your country. I bring a check from him for five hundred million dollars.”

Baccus removed a check from an envelope and handed it to Duran.

Duran looked at the check and smiled. At the conference table were his assistants, Antoine Gabriel and Hugon Cheval. Both were small and thin. Gabriel wore wire-rimmed eyeglasses. Both men were dressed in black suits and black ties.

Duran showed the check to Gabriel and Cheval. Both smiled and nodded their heads in appreciation.

Duran turned to Baccus. “Please extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Roche. This will be incredibly helpful in rebuilding Haiti.”

“Indeed.” As they stood and shook hands, Baccus said, “Mr. Roche would appreciate the check being deposited right away so we can begin to allot money for building projects here on your island.”

Duran withdrew his hand. “We?”

“Yes. My client of course expects to have a say in the distribution of his generous gift.”

Baccus handed a ten-page contract to Duran.

Duran put on reading glasses and spread the papers in front of his men. His smile turned to a frown. Cheval pointed to an item on page one and shook his head. Gabriel pointed to two lines and then a third. Duran put his finger on a paragraph on another page. The three men raised their heads and locked eyes with Baccus.

Duran, looking over his glasses, asked, “Is this some sort of joke? You’re proposing we have your client serve on the board, my board, and have veto powers over everything, including my authority?”

“That seems only fair. My client has good insights into the needs of your country. He pledges to restore Haiti to an even better state than it was before the quake. But he must be in charge of the relief effort.”

“We’ll gladly accept his money, but I’ll never agree to turning over control of the funds to outsiders,” Duran said.

“You have twenty-four hours to sign these papers, or else we will withdraw all our funds.”

“We don’t need more time. My associates and I are in agreement. The answer is no. This meeting is over.”

The two bodyguards moved quickly from the door, just as Baccus broke open his briefcase. Passing by, single file, the guards reached in and removed two, tiny, .22-caliber pistols, each fitted with a silencer as hefty as a beer can.

Baccus spoke. “That is unfortunate. However, there is still time to change your vote to our favor.” He looked coldly at Duran’s assistants. “Mr. Gabriel?”

Gabriel trembled as one of the guards raised his custom-fitted gun to the terrified man’s head.

But Gabriel’s answer was firm. “No.”

 

Author Bio:

Glenn Shepard - authorGlenn Shepard’s first novel, Surge, was written while he was still a surgical resident at Vanderbilt. In the following years he wrote The Hart Virus, a one-thousand-page epic about the AIDS crisis, as well as three other novels. In 2012, he created “Dr. Scott James,” his Fugitive-like action-hero, and began publishing a series. The first volume of the Dr. Scott James series was The Missile Game, followed shortly afterward by The Zombie Game. The third of the series, The Ebola Game, is due out in December, 2015. Though the books contain many of the same characters, they don’t have to be read in order. Each can be read as a stand-alone.

Learn More About Glenn:
author's website

Tour Participants:



Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Glenn Shepard. There will be 5 US winners of 1 copy of The Zombie Game by Glenn Shepard. The giveaway begins on Jan 20th and runs through Feb 29th, 2016. For US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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Wordless Wednesday #4 – What Am I

Wordless Wednesday #4 is an opportunity to share your photos or photos you love.

What do you see?

This photo was from last weeks Wordless Wednesday.

I loved Taylor Dean’s guess…a dragon. Way to go Taylor. Dragon’s are one of my favorite fictional critters.

CLOUD STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN1200The first time I saw this I thought it was cool and slid it into the photo album page. Mr Wonderful and I were scanning photos from our cruises and the image in the center jumped out at me.

OMG! Steven Ray Vaughn walks on water!

Do you see him?

Right above the copyright is the torso of a man. He is wearing a hat and playing a guitar. Do you see the headstock? I even see his hand, right above the “rry”. Under the copyright, his long flowing black coat meets the water. He is surrounded by wings.

This one of my favorite ever sunset photographs I have taken.

Now, for this weeks photo…

2016-02-21 00.24.49What Am I?

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Giveaway – Temper by Beck Nicholas @chapterxchapter, @month9books, and @becknicholas

TemperRDB

 

Happy Release Day to

Temper (Lifer #2) by Beck Nicholas!!

Join us in celebrating this release from Month9Books!

Enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

Happy Book Birthday, Beck!

 

TemperCover

FREEDOM COMES WITH A PRICE.

Free from the spaceship and reunited with Samuai, Asher should be happy. But thoughts of her dead family weigh heavily on her mind.

Things worsen when temper problems in camp lead to a murder. When Asher volunteers to get the drug need to calm people down, tension ignites.

Loyalties are questioned.

Jealousy rears its head. Sparks fly.

And when rumor of a second ship hits close to home, all bets are off.

Have the aliens returned? Is this the end of everything Asher has ever known?

add to goodreads

Temper (Lifer #2) by Beck Nicholas
Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

Amazon | Kobo | Chapters |Google Play | iBooks | TBD

 

AND DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES:

 

Lifer-Cover

The Bourne Identity meets Under the Never Sky in this intergalactic tale of love and deception from debut novelist Beck Nicholas.

Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents’ crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident.

Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfect opportunity to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem—the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.

On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gaming warehouse where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing.

But sometimes the past is better left buried. As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out—everyone has been lied to…

add to goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Chapters | IndieBound | Google Play | BAM | iBooks

 

About-the-Author2

Beck-Nicholas-head-shot-248x300

I always wanted to write. I’ve worked as a lab assistant, a pizza delivery driver and a high school teacher but I always pursued my first dream of creating stories. Now, I live with my family near Adelaide, halfway between the city and the sea, and am lucky to spend my days (and nights) writing young adult fiction.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram

 

giveaway2

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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