Giveaway – For Better & For Worse by Quint Emm Ellis @GoddessFish

I am excited to have Quint Emm Ellis sharing her thoughts about being a writer.

Starting out in the world of writing is such an exciting adventure. As a self-publisher, it’s been quite the learning curve in every arena. It’s also been an amazing opportunity to connect with new friends and fans of stories that I’ve come to love myself.

“For Better & For Worse” is the third installment in my latest series “The Sisterhood of the Tiny House Revolution”. This series peeks into the intertwining love stories of four ladies who’ve become fast-friends and have fallen for the men helping them achieve their dreams. I’ve always appreciated the fact that many of our own tales overlap with that of another, most times in ways in which we are unaware. In this series, I hoped to allude to that reality; that an integral aspect of one person’s love story could show up as a barely noted absence in someone else’s. In the final installment of this series, I intend to continue that, hopefully subtle, trend.

My latest novel, “For Better & For Worse” is a second-chance love story featuring two people who were faced with difficult realizations and difficult choices. This is my second novel boasting a “Second Chance” theme, and I was pleased to have an opportunity to explore this fun dynamic. My favorite part of the book is when the two ex-love birds reminisce about their past; but do so in a manner that was rather fun for me to orchestrate.

We all have a beginning to the many stories that make up our lives. I look forward to looking back, one day, and enjoying the journey that transformed me from a reader to a reader and an author.

For Better & For Worse by Quint Emm Ellis

GENRE:   Christian Romance

BLURB

These ex-lovebirds are busy building a nest for one. But can she be convinced to make room for him, too?

Despite attending the same congregation and university, Ashe and Stephen’s circles had never seemed to cross.

One class project changed everything…for the better; until secrecy and youthful indiscretion pulled them apart.

Will an unexpectant reunion in their adult years allow Ashe and Stephen to rewrite a history riddled with regret and heartbreaking choices?

EXCERPT

“It’s open, Dear. Come on in. We’re all in the backyard,” she heard an unfamiliar woman’s voice say over the doorbell’s integrated camera and intercom system.

“Oh,” she responded, bending down a bit to look into the camera as she resettled the pan in both hands. Unsure if the ghost that’d just occupied the device was still there, she decided to err on the side of caution and manners. “Thank you.”

Rebalancing her offering on one hand, she wrapped her free hand around the cool, metal door knob. The scent of bar-b-que, the sound of laughter and an overwhelming sense of home and comfort greeted her as she took her first steps inside the cozy home. Her shoulders relaxed as she continued to follow the sounds of something sizzling on the grill and of voices that felt both familiar and foreign.

“Ashe?”

Though Ashe paused, the hairs on her skin slowly stood on end.

That didn’t sound like Josiah or Liam. And yet, she recognized that man’s voice from somewhere. She tilted her head to one side, blinking through a fog of memory.

“Ashe,” the voice insisted.

Recognition rippled down Ashe’s spine; she knew who was standing just a few feet behind her.

And if she could have just kept walking, she would have; but her body betrayed her— turning of its own volition to meet the source.

The world became dull except for the man who carefully stood from his chair, tossing his book upon the seat’s cushion before striding toward Ashe. He stood in sharp contrast against the scenery that seemed to have become a blur. When he stopped, he was so close she could catch a faint whiff of soap intertwined with a husky, sweet aroma.

He changed colognes, came the wayward thought in Ashe’s mind.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

– Toni Morrison

Quint Emm Ellis enjoys penning plots centering around unabashedly nerdy, introverted, cinnamon-roll mantic, passionate, fallible women who happen to be black, who happen to be Christian, and who happen to love an uplifting and, possibly, inspirational story.

She enjoys listening to audio books, watching movies, finding great deals and spoiling her cat and dog rotten. Her dream is to be able to walk around in loose pajama pants all day and geek out while mastering niche crafts like music production, film editing and electro etching.

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Sherry’s Shelves 6.19 – 6.26.22 @weeklyupdate

Hi Everyone. It has been a quiet week. Just messing around at home, but we did go out to Fort Pickens to watch the Blues fly on Thursday. Always a pleasure, though the weather is pretty brutal. We most always have some kind of breeze, so it can be manageable in small quantities.

May be an image of outdoors
May be an image of ball
Newly painted beach ball
May be an image of 1 person and ocean
Out at Fort Pickens for the Blue Angels practice
May be an image of 1 person, standing and outdoors
Woo Hoo…Detroit Tigers!
May be an image of 2 people and outdoors
May be an image of 1 person and sky
May be an image of 1 person, standing and sky
May be an image of airplane and outdoors
You can see the photo plane flying with them. Don’t think we have capture this photo before.
May be an image of 11 people, airplane and nature
May be an image of aircraft and nature
May be an image of airplane and outdoors
It looks like they all have their flaps down. Don’t believe we have every captured this shot before.
May be an image of airplane and outdoors
May be an image of aircraft and outdoors

Want to see more? You can always visit Mr Wonderful on Facebook. He has many albums for your viewing pleasure.

I can’t believe the 100 degree days…in JUNE. August, sure, but June? I have been binging on Lucifer, who is hotter than HELL. (LOL) What a character. Lucifer the devil, his mother the Goddess, his brother a fallen angel, Maze a demon, Dan the Douche…and what makes Chloe so special? I love Trixie too. I laugh out loud all the time. Have you ever watched it?

Stay safe and wear a mask.

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Giveaway – Provoking Odium by Cynthia Sax
  • Giveaway – For Better & For Worse by Quint Emm Ellis
  • Giveaway – Thief by Leslie Georgeson
  • Giveaway – The Chasm by Branwen Oshea
  • Giveaway – Unconditional A Love Story by Shon
  • Giveaway – Rogue by Tim DeRudder Jackson
  • She Married A Giant – Wall Men II by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
  • Giveaway – Hey Charlie, You’re Next by Michael B Judkins
  • Giveaway – The Starfolk Arcana by Martha Dunlop
  • The Finale – Some Mistakes Are Unforgivable by Jane Blythe
  • Giveaway – The Beached Ones by Colleen M Story
  • Tackling The TBR
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Giveaway – Provoking Odium by Cynthia Sax @XpressoTours @CynthiaSax

Provoking Odium
Cynthia Sax
(Cyborg Unity, #1)
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction

A Beautiful Cyborg

While accompanying his leader on a mission, Odium, an E Model cyborg, hears a distress call over the communication lines. The voice on that message makes his circuits surge with energy and all his systems light up. He has to respond to the mysterious female, would risk his lifespan and the lifespans of everyone on board their ship to protect her.

A Human Female Others Call Beast

Briella gained her nickname due to her flying abilities, her fearlessness, and her scarred countenance. Her verbal-only relationship with the sexy cyborg who answers her distress call is a steamy yet short-lived fantasy. His kind is physically perfect, and she is…not. He will uncover that truth when…if they survive the attack upon her freighter.
***
Provoking Odium is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It features a human female intent on remaining mysterious, a cyborg warrior determined to uncover her identity, and an enemy seeking to destroy them both before they have the opportunity to meet.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

EXCERPT:

Briella should leave now, before Mohini and Odium met. Seeing the two of them together would tear her soul apart.

But then the doors opened, and the toes of two huge black boots became visible.

She lifted her gaze and her breath caught. That footwear was attached to an equally large male.

Odium was built like the warrior he was. The body armor barely contained his muscular form. Well-maintained weapons decorated the garment. His stance was strong. His hips were narrow. His shoulders were wide.

Desire hit Briella like a missile, almost knocking her over.

She’d researched E Models, had seen some of his kind on Mercury Minor, and she believed she knew what to expect.

But her overly active imagination had fallen far short of envisioning Odium. His hair was the blackest black. His skin was gray. Not one scar marred his countenance. His eyes were dark.

His face. Stars. His face.

All the cyborgs she’d met had been handsome. Odium, however, was Mohini-levels of beautiful. He was that exquisite female’s physical match.

Briella’s desolation escalated. She took a step backward.

Odium’s nostrils flared. He turned his head, gazed directly at her.

She froze in place. That was impossible. There were hundreds of beings stationed between them. He must merely be looking in her direction.

Seeking to test that theory, she shifted to the right.

His gaze tracked her.

Her warrior had somehow located her in the crowd.

Briella’s palms dampened. Her stomach knotted.

Others sought to speak to Odium. He didn’t look at those beings. His focus was on her.

It was heady, exciting, worrisome. She brushed her fingers over her goggles. They were in place, so her eyes were hidden.

He saw her scars. Those couldn’t be concealed.

But he couldn’t view the worst of her disfigurements, the part of her that had evoked fear and hatred in her kind, that made the toughest of warriors avoid her.

She could endure his perusal, could stand her ground and—

Mohini approached Odium.

His gaze flicked toward the female.

Her friend was impossible for any male to ignore. And her cyborg was certainly a male. He vibrated with vitality, with power.

Briella wanted him with every cell in her body.

Mohini appeared as enthralled with Odium. Her eyes glowed with interest. Her lips moved. Her friend’s words were too softly spoken for Briella to hear.

But she could imagine what was being said, and every flirtatious comment, every glance, every movement was a dagger stuck deep into her face. The pain, the torment lashed her again and again.

It was unbearable. Panic filled her. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t stand by passively and watch her friend seduce the male she wanted. That was beyond her capabilities.

She turned away from them and ran.


Author Bio:

For updates on characters and for very bad jokes, sign up for Cynthia’s monthly newsletter at http://cynthiasax.com

USA Today Bestselling author Cynthia Sax is currently writing cyborg and alien romances with high heat levels. These stories are set in a shared dark, gritty, sometimes violent world. There is always a romantic happy ending between the main characters and this happy ending is FOREVER. But everyone else is in danger.

Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of… top ten lists.

She loves writing fated to mate or instalove romances as this is her personal experience with love. She fell in love with her Dear Wonderful Hubby at first sight and 25 plus years later, they’re still very much in love. This is what she wishes for her characters and for her readers.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Newletter


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Tackling The TBR 6.18. – 6.24.22 #tacklingthetbr

I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken. It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current events and to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been hanging around for years.

COME ON….JOIN IN.

Previous Total: 2104

Currently Reading

Books Read

Books Added

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 5

Duplicates Removed: 1

New TBR Total: 2097

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Giveaway – The Laughbox by Julia Kent @XpressoTours @jkentauthor

The Laughbox
Julia Kent
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The Laughbox contains SIX full-length novels so you can start all of New York Times bestselling romantic comedy author Julia Kent’s series, plus get an ALL NEW NOVELLA you can’t find anywhere else.

Get a taste of billionaires, small towns, rock stars, office romance, secret bosses, second chances, first crushes, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, and so much more.

Each series is wildly different from the others, with varying heat levels, different hijinks, but always, always – a heartwarming world you want to live in, with heroes who make you swoon and heroines who make you laugh – and cheer on in their quests for happily-ever-after endings.

This boxed set includes:

Shopping for a Billionaire (a New York Times bestseller)

Fluffy (a USA Today bestseller)

Love You Wrong

Random Acts of Crazy (a New York Times bestseller)

In Your Dreams

Maliciously Obedient (a USA Today bestseller)

and an ALL NEW novella, Shopping for a Billionaire’s Anniversary, featuring Declan and Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, as they celebrate their anniversary with affection, heat, and a hilarious set of awkward mishaps that still manage to be conquered by love.

Sink into seven fun stories that leave you with all the feels, loads of laughs, and strange looks from people around you as you read, giggle, and fall in love.

Note: each of these are series starters. Some are standalones (Fluffy), others end with the main characters together but with more books in the series as I follow their relationship (Shopping for a Billionaire, Random Acts of Crazy), others are prequels (Love You Wrong, In Your Dreams), while Maliciously Obedient has a cliffhanger. Full, up-front transparency for readers.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

SPECIAL RELEASE PRICE: 2.99 until 6/26 when price goes up to 9.99!

EXCERPT:

Declan

Here.” My executive assistant, Dave, shoves a perfectly wrapped present at me, with a card and a small envelope. We’re in my office, the sun shining on this beautiful spring day, and I am finishing up work before taking a vacation.

Yes–vacation. It’s for one night, but it counts.

“What’s this?”

“Your anniversary gift for Shannon.”

The note card is blank.

He notices me noticing this and his face sours, the corners of his mouth dropping in scorn, pulling his beard down so he looks like an angry leprechaun.

“I draw the line at writing sweet nothings to your wife and signing your name, even if my rendition of your signature is far superior to your own,” he says dryly, reaching down to square a pile of papers on my desk.

“My signature is my signature. No one can best it, Dave.”

He just snorts.

I shake the box lightly. “What’s in here?”

“Leather.”

Leather?

“Ninth-year anniversary gift. Leather is flexible and represents durability.”

“I am well aware of what leather represents. What does it have to do with my marriage?”

He snorts again.

I frown and ask, “Just leather? What is it, a wallet?”

“No! Of course not. The traditional gemstone for ninth anniversaries is lapis. I had a jewelry artist set chunks of lapis in gold, then stitch them onto a leather cuff bracelet.” Dave holds his phone up to me, showing a picture of the piece.

“That’s incredible.”

A short sigh of contentment, then a clipped, “You’re welcome” is how Dave takes a compliment. He doesn’t feed off praise.

He feeds off his own hypercompetence. If efficiency were a drug, Dave would be Al Pacino on Scarface, covered in the fine white powder of his own brutal excellence.

“The lighthouse is reserved for the evening?” I inquire, reaching for my briefcase.

“Yes. Your suit’s in the car already.” Dave eyes me. “Where will you change?”

I’m wearing jeans, hiking boots, and a Lacoste polo shirt, all Shannon’s favorites. The dark green shirt is a nod to my eyes, which she has spent almost a decade raving about.


Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon


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They Lurk by Wesley Thomas @WesJThomas

.

I love the cover of They Lurk by Wesley Thomas, but there is so much more going on than a huanted house. It is available for .99 or free on Kindle Unlimited.

They Lurk

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“Our race had been cursed with all kinds of demons, wearing human disguises.”

“My passion. You take my horror, you take my soul.”

We shall see as the brothers face more than they could have imagined.

Right from the beginning, the cover fit the story, plus a bonus….a serial killer.

Shadows. Killers. Ghost men. Vitamin D Killings. What’s up with that? He explains to his brother what’s been happening, but….Is it real? Is he crazy?

The serial killer snuck up on me as I was lost in the horror of the shadows. I had moments of hurry, hurry, hide, don’t go there. I was pretty ho hum through the majority of the book with patches of fear for the boys and curiosity that kept me going.

The ending…I love when an author reminds me there is not always a happy ever after. Wesley Thomas lured me into complacency, setting me up for a very suspenseful ending. I think sometimes the writing, a British horror novel, makes me stumble while reading, taking away some of the urgency I would normally feel.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of They Lurk by Wesley Thomas.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

‘Grabs your psyche and squeezes like a fist.’ *****

A small town falls prey to monsters, ghouls, conspiracy, and one very hungry serial killer, with only two young men to protect it. When a horror movie-obsessed teenager discovers that people in his hometown have dropped dead, drained of vitamin D, puzzling and terrifying the authorities, Jack realizes this is no fantasy. With the reluctant help of his older brother, they dive into unimaginable horror that he thought was safely confined to the world of film and literature. If that wasn’t bad enough, an uncaptured native serial killer decides to revisit his old hunting grounds.
His days of classrooms and cafeteria food are over.

‘A suspenseful mystery wrapped with fear.’ *****

GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!

ABOUT WESLEY THOMAS

Bestselling British horror author Wesley Thomas made his mark in the horror fiction world in 2011, when he released his debut novel. Since then he has produced several bestselling collections, novels, and novellas. For over two decades Wesley has been obsessed with all things horror. So breaking into horror fiction was a natural choice for him.

His work has been published in various anthologies, featured on multiple horror websites, national and local newspapers, Scream horror magazine, and won multiple awards.

Wesley is completely addicted to the horror genre, regularly reading horror, watching horror movies and TV shows, and attending horror-themed events around the globe. Albeit, he does enjoy travelling, photography, technology, art, architecture, and spending time with family and friends.

Endorsements:

‘Wesley Thomas is one of the very few authors that has managed to completely scare me when reading his work.’ – Word Forward Blog.

‘Simply speaking, Wesley is a writer who cares for the genre deeply, and contributes to it meaningfully!’ – Dustin Urness, Author of ‘Disturbing Tales of Anguish & Horror.’

‘Wesley is an extremely talented young horror craftsman. Love the retro vibe to his work and the presentation.” – Terry. M. West well-known horror author, director, and actor.

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Giveway – Reasons Why Not To Date Public Enemy CEO by Melanie Munton @XpressoTours @melanie_munton

Reasons Why Not to Date Public Enemy CEO
Melanie Munton
(Shell Grove, #1)
Publication date: June 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

What happens when the most hated man in town goes after everyone’s favorite girl-next-door?

Reason #1: Big, bad CEO Aiden Beaumont wears his grumpy mask every day like a badge of honor. Mia Sparks wants nothing more than to honk his nose or throw a pie in his face, à la The Three Stooges, just to see if he’s capable of smiling. Unfortunately, she can’t. Because he’s technically her boss, and she’d like to keep her gig at the new five-star beach resort for longer than two weeks.

Reason #2: Everyone in her small hometown of Shell Grove, SC hates the man. He brought big business to their little beach town, and as far as her fellow citizens are concerned, that makes him the devil incarnate. But he won’t be staying forever, which works for Mia. She doesn’t go for the flashy city types anyway. She’s quite happy living her quiet life in Shell Grove. The faster the cranky—albeit stupidly hot—CEO is out of her life, the better.

Reason #3: Every time Aiden frowns at her, it hits her like a thousand-watt smile. He has a language all his own, and it’s starting to make way too much sense to her. She can’t avoid him in a town the size of a postage stamp, and it finally hits her that…she doesn’t want to escape him. This always-irritated, too-serious businessman couldn’t possibly be the stable safe haven she’s been looking for. Could he?

Aiden knows there’s a million and one reasons to stay away from the sugary sweet Mia. But who runs away from sunshine after living their entire life in a secluded cave? And when someone from her past unexpectedly emerges and tries to drive a wedge between the two of them? All bets are off. Aiden has never lost a fight in the boardroom, and he’s not about to lose the fight for the woman he wants to deserve. He just has to prove to her that he’s not the PUBLIC ENEMY CEO everyone thinks he is.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Reasons Why Not to Date Public Enemy CEO

“All players place your bets,” the dealer announced.

“This seat taken?”

Mia knocked over her stack of chips at the proximity of that growl.

God bless the US of Aiden.

Craning her neck, her gaze instantly clashed with her boss’s. But not before it took a cursory glance down his shredded body in that precisely tailored tux. As if he wasn’t devastating enough in those crisp suits he wore every day, he had to go and drop all the panties in the room by sporting a getup that made him even yummier than James Bond himself.

His devilish grin said don’t worry, baby, it’s real easy to take off.

Or maybe that was her own libido talking. Which incidentally, was blazing to life like the town bonfire on the Fourth of July.

“Good evening, Ms. Sparks.”

That voice curled around her like the aromatic notes of decadence drifting out from a gourmet kitchen. “Evening, Mr. Beaumont.”

For all that’s holy, talk normally. Not like a porn star.

He briefly paused at the breathy quality to her voice before taking the seat to her left. He and the dealer nodded to each other as Mr. Beaumont threw out his bet. Mia scooted her chips forward, placing her much smaller bet. All of a sudden, she was nervous. It didn’t help that it felt like her pink clam was going to peek out the bottom of her short dress at any moment.

“Are you having a good time?” Mr. Beaumont asked as the dealer passed out each player’s first card.

Mia re-crossed her legs under the table when she felt a distinct thrum down in the region of her coochie. “Wonderful. You?”

“I guess we’ll see by the end of this hand.”

She smiled at that. He seemed to be in one of his slightly less cranky moods. If this was his version of laidback, she’d hate to see what an actual vacation looked like for him.

“You know, there are two different categories of blackjack players out there,” he mused, watching the dealer while speaking to her. “There’s the play-it-safers and the risk takers.”

The dealer finished distributing each player’s two cards, leaving Mia with the king of hearts and a five of diamonds, giving her a score of fifteen. Mr. Beaumont had an ace and a six, which would give him a score of either seven or seventeen.

As the dealer started with Ernie and Jewel, waiting to hear whether they would hit or stay, Mr. Beaumont propped his elbows on the table and turned to Mia. “Which one are you, Ms. Sparks?”

Normally, she was a play-it-safer all the way. The only occurrences she was ever a risk taker were when she had Maggie by her side, cheering her on. But why did she always need Maggie to help her throw caution to the wind? She was capable of raising her own sails and taking on open waters by herself. What was stopping her?

When the dealer turned to her, Mia kept her gaze trained on the man whose face she’d fallen asleep to nearly every night for the past two weeks. “Hit.”

Mr. Beaumont’s eyes gleamed with approval.

The dealer turned over her card, revealing the six of clubs. “Blackjack.”

As pleased as Mia was with her prize for leaping instead of lying down, that feeling didn’t begin to match her absolute joy at being the recipient of the first real, open-mouthed smile she’d ever seen from Mr. Beaumont. It was…exuberant.

“See? Sometimes risk yields the sweetest reward.”

Instead of standing with his seventeen, he hit for another card, which Mia couldn’t say she would have done. The dealer flipped over his card, revealing the five of spades, bringing his score to twenty-two.

Everyone around the table sucked in breaths, wincing in sympathy.

But he merely shrugged. “And sometimes you’re just left with shit.”

Mia tipped her head back and laughed. Boisterously, with her entire body. And damn, it felt amazing.

For all of his begrudging frowns and terse words, he did something to Mia whenever he was in her orbit. It was like she became hyperaware of every molecule, every atom, inside her body and especially, of the way they reacted to his presence. If she didn’t know better, she would say all the cells in her body had somehow become magnetized, and Mr. Beaumont was the ferromagnetic material they were drawn toward. Even if he irritated her at times, she still felt a kind of static electricity humming around her that never seemed to spark around anyone else. Even when she was having fun with her friends, no sensation she’d ever encountered came close to what she felt around this man.

Her body just…buzzed…around him.

“When was the last time you took a big risk?” she asked, collecting the chips she’d won. “Other than that hand, of course.”

He didn’t smile again, like she half expected him to. Instead, his expression sobered, his eyes filling with…resignation, maybe? He took a healthy pull of his scotch before answering. “Showing my face here tonight.”

Her grin slipped away and got absorbed by the depth of his sandy bottom eyes. Funny, because the color reminded her of shallow ocean waters, just near the shoreline. Not the rich navy blue in the middle of the sea. She suspected that much like the ocean itself, his eyes reflected the life teeming inside him. But he banked it for some reason, closed himself off to it.

“Then why did you come?”

His gaze ran over her hair, her eyes, her lips. “You said you’d be here.”


Author Bio:

Melanie grew up in the Midwest, but she loves living in the Southeast (where the beaches are!) now with her husband and daughter.
Melanie’s other passion is traveling and seeing the world. With anthropology degrees under their belts, she and her husband have made it their goal in life to see as many archaeological sites around the world as possible.
She has a horrible food addiction to pasta and candy (not together…ew). And she gets sad when her wine rack is empty.
At the end of the day, she is a true romantic at heart. She loves writing the cheesy and corny of romantic comedies, and the sassy and sexy of suspense. She aims to make her readers swoon, laugh out loud, maybe sweat a little, and above all, fall in love.
Go visit Melanie’s website and sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on release dates, teasers, and other details for all of her projects!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


GIVEAWAY!
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Giveaway – The Berlin Device by Tammy Wunsch @GoddessFish

The Berlin Device by Tammy Wunsch

GENRE: Action/Adventure

BLURB

Xander has led a life of luxury with a cushy job in the family business. After his father’s mysterious disappearance, Xander became CEO of the multi-million dollar, international enterprise and tries to prove himself to everyone, including himself.

Xander discovers encrypted files in his father’s hidden safe that detail his illicit activities. His father was more than disreputable—he was a member of a secret and diabolical organization whose sole objective is world domination. In the files are plans for the Berlin Device—a satellite weapons system that has the potential for unparalleled destruction.

Chloe has scrimped and saved for an amazing hiking vacation. When nothing goes right in her travels, fate intervenes and she and Xander are thrown together in a hopeless quest across Europe to recover the device before more innocent people die.

Dodging bullets, bombs, and barbaric henchmen, Xander and Chloe discover a mysterious facility that could become their final resting place…if their enemies have their way.

Can they escape with their lives?

More importantly, can they save the planet from The Berlin Device?

EXCERPT

“Damn it,” Chloe muttered to herself as she peered at her computer monitor. The night before her long-awaited, glorious two-week vacation to the Canary Islands, and she was still stuck at work. It always seemed as if she had to work twenty hours of overtime the week before every vacation and twice that amount when she returned.

She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a colorful brochure. It was well-worn from the hundreds of times she had looked at it. The brochure promised two weeks of relaxing hiking and delicious, regional foods as well as incredible views and a friendly group atmosphere. She looked around the sea of cubicles and thought she could use a friendly group atmosphere. Not one of her co-workers had offered to stay and help her out with the report that her boss insisted he needed by tomorrow morning. She frowned and vowed to never again volunteer to help them when they were overworked or wanted to leave—especially because she hadn’t even packed yet! Chloe vowed that things would change when she returned.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Tammy Wunsch is an International Writer of Mystery, Travel, and Wine – with a fierce entrepreneurial side. She spent most of her life in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut but currently resides in the Denver metropolitan area. Formally educated in business, she has worked in a variety of industries and is adventurous by nature. She is passionate about animals and loves to travel, cook, kayak, and read.

Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

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Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

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Giveaway – Cinderlla Didn’t Live Happily Ever AFter by Anne E Beall @BeallRT @iReadBookTours


Join us for this tour from June 13 to July 1, 2022!

Book Details:
 
Book Title:  Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales by Anne E. Beall
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  126 pages
GenreFeminist, Fairy Tales, Literary Criticism
Publisher:  Independent Publishing
Release date:  November 17, 2018
Content Rating:  PG + M. Some fairy tales are a bit gruesome but there is no bad language or explicit sex. 

 Book Description:

Did Cinderella live happily ever after? You might think so until you look more closely at the hidden messages in beloved fairy tales. In this book, fairy tales are analyzed in terms of the underlying messages about marriage, agency, power, suffering, and good versus evil, with a focus on how male and female characters differ in each of these areas. The analysis is a data-driven approach that provides clear evidence for the hidden messages in these beloved tales. The end conclusion is not whether fairy tales are good or bad but rather what messages they deliver about life, even if unintentionally.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
add to Goodreads

 

Meet the Author:

A leader in the field of market research and one of the few female CEOs in the industry, Anne E. Beall is the author of 10 books in business, gender studies, and mindfulness, including Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After: The Hidden Messages in Fairy Tales and The Psychology of Gender. Her book Heartfelt Connections was named one of the top 100 Notable Indie books in 2016 by Shelf Unbound, and she has published nearly a dozen business articles in noted journals. Her books have been featured in People Magazine, Toronto Sun, Hers Magazine, and Ms. Career Girl, and she has been interviewed by NBC, NPR, and WGN. Having received her PhD in social psychology from Yale University, Anne resides in Evanston, Illinois and is the founder of the market consultancy company Beall Research.

connect with the author:   website ~ facebook ~ twitter goodreads

Tour Schedule:

June 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 13 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
June 15 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 15 – Viviana MacKade – book review / giveaway
June 16 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review / giveaway
June 16 – Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / giveaway
June 17 – Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review
June 17 – Kam’s Place – book review
June 20 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 20 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
June 21 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
June 21 – Lamon Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 22 – Novels Alive – book review / giveaway
June 22 – The Girl Who Reads – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 23 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
June 24 – Chit Chat With Charity – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 24 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 27 – My Fictional Oasis – book review
June 27 – Books for Books – book spotlight
June 28 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
June 28 – My Reading Getaway – book review / author interview / giveaway
June 29 – Lisa’s Reading – book spotlight / giveaway
June 29 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
June 30 – Lynchburg Reads – book review / giveaway
June 30 – Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book review / guest post / giveaway
July 1 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
July 1 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
July 1 – Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway
 

Enter the Giveaway:

 

CINDERELLA DID NOT LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER Book Tour Giveaway

 


 
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Drifters is the third novel in the ThreeCon Series by Carmen Webster Buxton @CarmenWBuxton

Carmen Webster Buxton has kept the thrills running in her ThreeCon series.

Drifters

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“…value the journey more than the destination.”

I believe in that sooo much.

Jehan has a psy talent…he can open any lock…with no tools. Many find that a desirable talent that they which to possess ownership of, which puts him at such a risk his mother sends him to his father on the caravan.

Science fiction at its finest. The world building was vividly detailed, making it easy to visualize all the elements, from living conditions, dress, customs, and Carmen Webster Buxton has the ability to create individual characters that learn to function as a cohesive whole.

As we travel through the galaxies in the ThreeCon series, I loved visiting each distinct and individual world, meeting the characters and learning the valuable lessons of working together to make any world a better place, putting your best foot forward, and reaping the rewards of being your best self.

Human nature must make allowance for our frailties and missteps…after all, no one is perfect and no matter the age we can always learn something from someone or some place new. We need to keep an open mind.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Drifters by Carmen Webster Buxton.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In the far future, sixteen-year-old Jehan Amato lives on Menkar VII, a colony world only recently rediscovered by the rest of the galaxy. After a run-in with a dangerous gang that wants to exploit his secret psy talent for opening locks with his mind, Jehan is sent to live in a Drifter caravan with his estranged father. But though Jehan, who has lived in New Hope City all his life, is initially wary of the nomadic people and their unfamiliar customs, in the caravan he comes to learn things about his family and himself that will change his life forever.

ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON

Carmen Webster Buxton

Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.

Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.

Carmen has published many books:

WAKANREO SERIES
Alien Bonds
Alien Vows
Alien Skies

HAVEN SERIES
The Sixth Discipline
No Safe Haven

THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order)
The Nostalgia Gambit
Saronna’s Gift
Shades of Empire
Tribes
Worlds Apart

ALTERNATE HISTORY
King of Trees

YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION
Turnabout
Drifters

FANTASY
Where Magic Rules
Bag of Tricks
Hidden Magic

THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021)
The North Edge of Nowhere
Oaths and Promises

Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON REVIEWS

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