Author Archives: fundinmental

Giveaway – Veils and Vampires by Cee Bee @XpressoTours @CB_Bauer

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Veils and Vampires
CEE BEE
(Vampires of the Daemonverse, #2)
Publication date: October 14th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

***By popular demand! New launch date of Fall 2023 across all retailers!***

Highlander meets Twilight with a dash of Fifty Shades of Grey in this vampire romantasy… Caelin MacGregor is an ancient king with a new love Ages ago, I ruled a clan of vampire raiders. We were allies to the Vikings and enemies of the Rus. That life ended when the bloodkin plague wiped out all our women, including my beloved vampire bride, Elisava. A thousand years have passed. My heart remains empty. Then I see a human woman named Lexa. For the first time in ages, I feel true desire, respect and love. Could Lexa actually be a lost bloodkin lady … or is she a horrible trick from Pyri, the ancient fire goddess of the Rus raiders? Lexa Uznetsov has a plan To save my sister, Sash, I took on my father’s debt to Konstantin the Rus, leader of the New York Bratva. As a result, my life became a never-ending (and incredibly illegal) stakeout for the mob. After years of scheming, I’ve finally come up with a solid escape plan: find all three pieces of the infamous Veil Pendant. Once I reassemble this magical item, I’ll have the power to cure my sister … as well as the ability to say buh-bye to Konstantin. Sure, legends warn that reforming the Veil Pendant may bring about some nastiness called Pyri’s doomsday. Yet if it saves Sash, I’m willing to risk anything. “Veils and Vampires is amazing! It has action and adventure and a little spicy. Enough that it makes you drool and want more. Honestly a totally different take on modern day vampire soulmates. I devoured this book in one sitting.” – Teresa, Goodreads Vampires of the Daemonverse 1. Violins and Vampires 2. Veils and Vampires 3. Vixens and Vampires

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo


EXCERPT

Caelin

Dniper River, Russian Lands, 1000 AD

Dniper River, Russian Federation

One Thousand Years Ago

Every summer, I sail for the village of Staraya Ladoga to kill the evil vampire warlord, Fyodor the Rus. Over the centuries, one fact has become clear.

Fyodor the Rus is verra good at hiding.

A few months ago, I became king of my clan, the MacGregors. As such, I face a number of painful tasks, such as the pressure to choose a bride and quickly. But leading our yearly mission to try and kill Fyodor? ‘Tis always a pleasure.

To this end, I now stand on the prow of my longboat, the Diamond. On either side, the great fleet of clan MacGregor stretches out across the Dniper River. Thirty-four ships in all—that’s a record. Fresh gusts of wind churn all around, creating a mosaic of white peaks on dark waters. I inhale, catching the far-off scent of pine needles and campfires.

‘Twould be a fine night for battle. Too bad Fyodor never gives us one.

My second-in-command, Hunter, steps to my side. He’s a tall man with golden hair, green eyes, and all the body strength of the Shelterstone Crag.

“The wind is strong and steady,” announces Hunter. “Perhaps we should strike up a song. The warriors seem …” He leaves the thought unfinished.

I scan the crew. Since there’s still some daylight, all those now on deck are born vampires. Bloodkin. Men and women sit on their rowing benches, their bodies taught and voices silent. Like me and Hunter, they all wear ceremonial battle leathers. Their garb is to be expected. What I notice next is not.

Normally, the crew is glassy-eyed and lax by this point in the journey. After nearly a millennium of trying, our annual attacks on Staraya Ladoga are more ceremony than anything else.

So why does the crew twitch with every bird’s caw or odd wave?Something is wrong.

I cut a glance toward Hunter. “Does your departure worry them?”

Bloodkin magic draws us to a fated mate, meaning someone who matches our heart and enhances our powers. Hunter recently found his fated mate, Fifeur, in the land of the Francs. After months of debating, Hunter has finally resolved to move to Gaul and marry Fifeur. This voyage marks our last journey together.

Hunter sighs. “Nae. ’Tis something else.”

A thread of unease winds inside me. “It has been a thousand years, hasn’t it?”

“That it has.”

Fyodor originally invaded our realm exactly one thousand years ago. On that raid, Fyodor killed my great-grandfather, King Caethur. Why? Fyodor thought my relation was the so-called bloodkin spark, meaning that Caethur’s death would release a horde of fire demons and destroy life on earth.

“There was a red moon a few nights ago,” I state. “That’s her sign.”

There’s no question who I mean here. Pyri, the fire elemental. Fyodor and his people worship her in a death cult where the deceased are burned in longboats. I scan the crew once more. They’ve every right to be concerned.

“Perhaps a song would help the crew,” I tell Hunter. “Rouse the bard.”

–END OF SAMPLE–

Author Bio:

Author Christina “CEE BEE” Bauer has sold more than 1M copies across her 45+ epic fantasy books for young adults. She’s recorded (and narrated) eight of her books into audiobooks, as well as led the translation of her novels into four different languages. USA Today has called her work “must-read paranormal fantasy.” Bauer is an autism advocate and quirky loudmouth whose writing style really isn’t for everyone. But if you like stories with complex worlds inhabited by chicks who kick ass and take names, then read on!

Christina lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. She loves to connect with her fans at ChristinaBauerAuthor.com.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Website / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram / TikTok / LinkedIn


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Heart In My Throat – Defying Evil by Abbie Roads @XpressoTours @Abbie_Roads

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MY REVIEW

Everything about Defying Evil by Abbie Roads appealed to me, from the son of a serial killer to being obsessed with his father’s only surviving victim…and I got so much more than I bargained for. I was blown away, beginning to end, with the blood, suspense and pacing. I have never read any of Abbie’s work, until now, and I feel like I have been missing out.

To give serial killers the status of a celebrity is disgusting, and giving them a moniker gives them power and fame. I am fascinated by their reasoning, what makes them tick. But, seeing their are psychopaths, can you believe what they say?

Cain hated the sight of blood, but he needed it and no one was as good at profiled as he was. He is Triple K, Killer Killion’s Kid. Do serial killer offspring have the killer gene?

Mac is an FBI agent and his adopted dad. Cain works with him. His ‘bloodwork” puts him into the killer’s world.

When I read a book like this…and I am only on page 12, I am amazed at the words that create pictures in my mind and I wonder. I wonder how deep into their head an author goes to create such a gruesome vision… And I love it! Why have I never read any of Abbie’s work. Well, she is staying on my radar now.

Mercy…as soon as I met her, I knew she would have a special role to play (not just because of the blurb). She is a victim of his father’s, locked up in a mental ward…BUT, it is so much worse than I anticipated and my heart went out to her. I love an author that can get me so involved with her characters, so early.

Liz had been in his life since his father forced him to work at the Center where she is a nurse and Mercy is being ‘held’.

Abbie, Abbie, Abbie, that scene in Chapter 2, my heart broke and I’m terrified for Mercy.

The blurb gives nothing away and I hope I don’t either…because…if you love reading about serial killers, love being on the edge of your seat, love having your emotions functioning at such a high level you can’t control them, the…and I’m only on Chapter 3…ya gotta read this book. I found myself holding my breath, leaning forward in my chair, grasping the book with both hands, my mouth hanging open, devouring the words.

I thought I had an idea who the killer was. I was right, yet SO wrong. There is most always a glitch in a book like this, and, yes, there was, but I had to rate this a five regardless, because my heart was in my throat from beginning to end and the story unraveled at a relentless pace.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 stars

Defying Evil: A Dark Romantic Thriller
Abbie Roads
(Blood is Thicker Than…, #1)
Publication date: October 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

He’s the son of a serial killer.
She’s his father’s only surviving victim.
He’s obsessed with her.
She’s frightened of him.
Before it’s all over they’ll need each other to survive.

Cain Killion’s life has revolved around blood. From a childhood of torture by his father, to his gruesome ability to solve crimes. When a current case is directly connected to his past, there’s only one person with answers.

But she isn’t talking, and the bodies are stacking up. The only solution… Kidnap her.

Defying Evil is the first book in the Blood is Thicker Than Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a man tortured by his past who never thought he was capable of love. If you devour edge of your seat thrillers and romance novels, you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of mind games and tragic love.

Read this dangerously dark romance today!

Trigger warning: Depictions of violence.

Previously published until the title Saving Mercy.

Goodreads / Amazon


Author Bio:

Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway & Review – Her Secret Protector by Bonnie Vanak @dollycas

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Her Secret Protector (SOS Agency) by Bonnie Vanak

About Her Secret Protector


Her Secret Protector (SOS Agency)
Romantic Suspense
4th in Series
Setting – Florida
Harlequin Romantic Suspense (October 24, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335593802
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335593801
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BQ3R6V3L

MY REVIEW

I do love a good bodyguard story and Her Secret Protector by Bonnie Vanak met all my requirements.

  1. A damsel in distress
  2. A Knight In Not So Shining Armor
  3. A Villain….Or Two…Or…

The hook was already set when I read the blurb, but I still love a Prologue. Bonni Vanak also tells us, in the beginning of the book, why her character is a marine biologist with a love for sea turtles. I do find reasons like hers add that something extra I am always looking for.

I love books that bring ecology into the mix without being preachy. The pollution of our waters is brought into the story in a logical fashion. I feel like I may have been a mermaid in a previous life, so a book like Her Secret Protector hits all the buttons for a romantic suspense novel that leaves me wanting more of these characters.

Gray Wallace works for the SOS Agency, assigned to protect Peyton Bradley from her stalker. There is so much more to the convoluted story and I am unable to figure out all that is going on. Gray has a past that haunts his present. He works with Rangers and Seals, but ‘his past makes them look like Boy Scouts.’ That made me very curious.

I had my suspicions early on about her Nana’s property. I wasn’t right, but I wasn’t wrong either. Does that peak your interest?

When Peyton is taken and loses her memory, the only person she trusts is Gray. She doesn’t know why, but feels he is her best option to finding all the answers she seeks, plus, she does have the hots for him. The feeling is mutual, but he doesn’t act on it, keeping his personal feelings in check.

Bonnie Vanak treats their attraction with restraint and I love that they don’t hop in the sack at first lust. LOL

Once I started reading, I didn’t stop, staying up until the wee hours of the morning to get all the answers. The ending, well done, Bonnie. I love how you handled it and it’s not your typical happy ever after romantic suspense ending.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

To find her attacker

…he must stay in the shadows.

Assigned to protect sea turtle biologist Peyton Bradley from a dangerous stalker, former SEAL Gray Wallace is determined to save his headstrong charg­e—even if she doesn’t want to be saved. Their attraction is powerful. But damning rumors around the handsome bodyguard’s past get him fired. Only when Peyton is kidnapped and loses her memory does Gray reveal his startling—possibly deadly—secret.

From Harlequin Romantic Suspense: Danger. Passion. Drama.

Feel the excitement in these uplifting romances, part of the SOS Agency series:

Book 1: Navy SEAL Seduction
Book 2: Shielded by the Cowboy SEAL
Book 3: Navy SEAL Protector
Book 4: Her Secret Protector

About Bonnie Vanak

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Bonnie Vanak is a multi-published author of paranormal and historical romance novels. After a career in journalism, she became a writer for an international charity, traveling to poor countries like Haiti to write about issues affecting the poor. When the strain of her job demanded a diversion, she turned to her childhood dream of writing books. Bonnie lives in Florida with her husband and rescue dogs.

Author Links

Purchase Links:
Barnes and Noble    Amazon Kindle     Amazon Print    Apple     Harper Collins UK     Kobo     Google

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Giveaway – Spectral Revelations by Ellen Butler @dollycas

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Spectral Revelations: A Karina Cardinal Mystery by Ellen Butler

About Spectral Revelations


Spectral Revelations: A Karina Cardinal Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Williamsburg, Virginia
Power to the Pen (October 5, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 285 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C7WQVTNH

Is Karina’s missing aunt on vacation…or on the lam?

Karina is trying to keep her mind on getting a cosponsor for a bill, but it’s tough with her Mom blowing up her phone. By the time Karina finally stops hitting “ignore”, Mom is frantic. It appears Karina’s Aunt Vera has disappeared, fibbed to her employer about the reason for her absence, even abandoned her beloved cat, Nightshade—which is completely out of character. Karina would bet her favorite pair of designer shoes that Vera is in some kind of trouble.

However, when Karina hauls her cookies from D.C. to historic Williamsburg to search Vera’s house, she finds nothing suspicious. Except for a mischievous Civil War ghost who scares the bejesus out of her and keeps trashing Vera’s office. Until Karina realizes his seemingly random ectoplasmic tantrums have a purpose—revealing key evidence.

Something is definitely fishy, but the clues aren’t adding up. And as the spirit’s visitations become more urgent, Karina calls on reinforcements for help—her latest squeeze Rick Donovan and her sister Jillian. Because the cops are following faulty leads, which could put Vera on the wrong end of an arrest warrant … if she’s found alive.

International bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Butler presents book six in the Karina Cardinal mystery series! Fans of Elizabeth Peters and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum will adore this gripping mystery adventure.

About Ellen Butler

Ellen Butler is the internationally bestselling author of the Karina Cardinal mystery series. Her experiences working on Capitol Hill and at a medical association in Washington, D.C. inspired the mystery-action series. Book critics call the Karina Cardinal mysteries, “intelligent escapism” and “unputdownable adventures that will take readers on an electrifying yet light-hearted and humorous journey.” Butler also writes historical spy fiction. Her WWII spy novel, The Brass Compass, recently won a 2022 Speak Up Talk Radio Firebird Book Award for historical fiction. The second book in the duology, Operation Blackbird: A Cold War Spy Novel, is Butler’s latest historical fiction. The novel is inspired by true events, and won a Next Generation Indie Book Award gold medal for historical fiction. Reviewers are calling it “riveting,” and, “a thrilling adventure.”

You can find Ellen at:

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – 

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Review – Noir: A Crimson Shadow Novel by Nathan Squiers @LitDark_Emperor

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.

I pulled Noir: A Crimson Shadow Novel by Nathan Squiers from my TBR, where I added it on 2.16.2020. This is the perfect time of year to share this Occult Horror story.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Xander Stryker wants to die.

He has had an abusive upbringing, but there is so much more to the story. As his eighteenth birthday approaches, he gets caught up in the supernatural world and learns his true destiny. Poor Xander. His father missing. His mother murdered in front of his eyes. Now, someone wants him dead. Thank goodness, he has a couple supernaturals by his side, getting him ready to face the biggest challenge of his life.

I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy this, seeing I think it was written for a younger audience, but the more I read the more involved I became. This is the first book of seven and I would love to watch him grow and become the man he is meant to be.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Xander Stryker wants to die.
Ever since witnessing his mother’s murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he’s denied the death he craves. As his eighteenth birthday approaches, a chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness.

Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his vampiric lineage begin to unravel and he’s offered the ultimate choice:
Continue on with his wretched human life or begin a new one as the vampire prodigy he was always meant to be.

Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander’s choice is met with disastrous consequences.

Now, with a little support and even less hope, the chaos of his new world collides with his torturous past and threatens to crush him once and for all.

ABOUT NATHAN SQUIERS

Nathan Squiers, along with his loving wife & fellow author, Megan J. Parker, two incredibly demanding demons wearing cat-suits, and a pair of “fur baby” huskies, is a resident of Upstate New York. When he isn’t dividing his time between writing or “nerding out” over comics, anime, or movie marathons, he’s chasing dreams of amateur body building. If he can’t be found in a movie theater, comic shop, or gym, chances are “the itch” has driven him into the chair at a piercing/tattoo shop… or he’s been “kidnapped” by loving family or friends and forced to engage in an alien task called “fun.” His Crimson Shadow series has gained international recognition and has been a bestseller in urban fantasy and dark fantasy. His novel, Curtain Call, won best Occult & Paranormal Thriller in the 2013 Blogger Book Fair Awards.

In 2016, he became a USA Today bestselling author and since then, has been on the list four times.

Learn more about Nathan’s work at www.nathansquiersbooks.com

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Giveaway – A Lesser God by Don Hackett @GoddessFish

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Don Hackett will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

As a young man, Dion Athamas was spiritually summoned to rapture then tenured god status. He had been endowed with all the benedictions to achieve sacredness: a devout flock, the power to heal and a covet for control. He also held a deep desire and ability to influence justice and universal liberty. The setting: the fictional town of Forgedmont, Mississippi, in the 1950s. Against great opposition he strived to become a new-age god; the earth was his oracle. He found faith-based conviction to be lacking in reason and truth. He chose to maintain an instinctive path to holiness. Regrettably for him and his followers, there were a great many roadblocks. He was forced to face off against the church, community, prejudice, family and scheming dreams influenced by fallacious spirits, all set forth to hamper his ascension to divinity.


 


Read an Excerpt

Test-tube love,
your hands are full,
your mind
is empty,
your pride can kill.
Pressure for life within the womb
With no clearance from God
On the road to the tomb.
Inside,
Outside,
No reason to stay,
A meaningful art in an
Inartful way.
Bring into light!
From
The darkness
Of blood,
The unwanted bare
With a shield from above.

I still had no idea who could be sending these poems. One wouldn’t have to be a Scotland Yard detective to figure out that the same person wrote both of these ludicrous poems. Who and why was a complete mystery to me. I was not an old man, and I knew nothing about any abortions. I was positively sure that my mom wasn’t having an abortion. I thought someone might be trying to be ironic, or just a pain in the rear—the latter being more likely.

About the Author:I have been writing poems and short stories for most of my life. It was not until I retired from my government position working with Special Needs individuals that I was able to focus on writing full time. The treatment of Special Needs people fostered in me a search for the explanation for the absence of morality in mankind. I have degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Calgary, Alberta.

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJXBLWKZ/ref=sr_1_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tw6639Hac

a Rafflecopter giveaway About the Author:I have been writing poems and short stories for most of my life. It was not until I retired from my government position working with Special Needs individuals that I was able to focus on writing full time. The treatment of Special Needs people fostered in me a search for the explanation for the absence of morality in mankind. I have degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Calgary, Alberta.

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJXBLWKZ/ref=sr_1_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tw6639Hac

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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Giveaway – Taken By The Alpha King by Abigail Barnette @RoxanneRhoads

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Dear Reader: This post is condensed from a larger, previously published series entitled “The Worst Person I Ever Met,” which you can find in the “Classic Trout” section of my website, jennytrout.com, but it can be enjoyed as a spooky Halloween story all on its own.

Nearly twenty years ago, I was trapped in a toxic friendship with a woman who, like myself, practiced witchcraft. Cathy was going through a messy divorce and I, feeling like I couldn’t say no, let her stay with us in our home for days at a time. It was during one of her absences when my son asked, “Where do the other stairs go?”

We lived in a ranch-style house with a basement. There was no accessible attic and only one set of stairs. However, my son is autistic and had an interesting way of describing things (once, to tell me that he’d seen a cricket in our holly bush, he informed me that it was “nighttime in the plant”), so I asked some probing, but not leading questions. Where are the stairs? At the back of the basement, right under the real staircase. Then maybe he’d seen a shadow? No, he insisted. He’d seen other stairs.

Frustrated that I wasn’t understanding, he demanded I follow him down to the basement. He led me urgently to where he’d seen the other stairs, but when we got to the spot, he was perplexed. Not in a “clearly pretending” way, either. He was genuinely confused as to where the stairs had gone. I decided that he’d probably seen a shadow, somehow. The light had played tricks coming in from the high basement window. I told him if he ever saw the other stairs again, he should come tell me immediately. I wanted to see it for myself, so I could explain to him what he was seeing.

These weird occurrences became more sinister. My son was the soul of unflappable calm as he explained “the green, drippy people” to me. They were in the basement, he said, hanging from the ceiling. Their eyes were red, like the ghost mouse’s eyes.

“The ghost mouse?” I asked, trying to convince myself he’d just seen an albino rat on tv or something.

“The ghost mouse.” He acted like it was something I should have already known about. “The ghost mouse I can follow to the other stairs?”

I made him promise me that he would never talk to the green, drippy people or follow the ghost mouse. And he would never, ever go down the other stairs. I stressed the importance of that, and he solemnly promised that he would never have gone down the other stairs because they were so scary.

Once, I was putting a load of laundry into the dryer when a dripping, skeletal hand in a tattered sleeve reached out of a shadow, grasping for me. I screamed and raced upstairs, shaking. I lived in terror every day. To my son, these occurrences were normal. To my skeptical husband, they were non-existent. I thought I was losing my mind.

So, what link does all of this have with Cathy?

As mentioned previously, Cathy and I both practiced witchcraft. We did rituals and spellwork together, much of it at my home. Any of my spiritual practice that didn’t happen outside or during group gatherings happened in my office. Before we’d put down our wood laminate flooring, I’d drawn a permanent circle on the subfloor, both with a marker and with some low-level energy. I always knew where it was, and any spells or meditation or chanting happened in that circle.

Cathy knew where it was, too. Shortly before she left for Colorado, she told me how blessed she felt by all the positive changes in her life. “One night when I was staying over at your house, I went into your office, where your circle is? And I said, ‘Okay, universe. I want you to send everything I’m putting out into the world back to me three-fold, right here and now.’”

I realized then exactly what had happened. Cathy put nothing but toxic, destructive, outright malicious energy into the universe, and now it was doing what she asked: sending it all back, three-fold, right to the place where she’d requested. I hoped that whatever it was would follow her when she left for her new home.

It didn’t. However, as so many malicious haunting stories go, we couldn’t afford to move. Bad luck plagued us until we finally were forced to move due to foreclosure.

Shortly after I began writing about Cathy on my blog, my then teenaged son came to me and said, apropos of nothing, “Do you remember the other stairs?”

All of the hairs on my arms stood up. He hadn’t mentioned the other stairs in years.. “I remember you thought there were some other stairs. Did you figure out what they were?”

“There were other stairs,” he insisted. “But there’s stuff I didn’t tell you about them.”

He described the other stairs to me, in more sophisticated detail than he’d been able to at five. They were old stone, uneven like ruins. They led down into a dark hallway with shadowy doors. A dim orange light came from one of the doorways.

“And there was someone at the bottom,” he said in an uncharacteristically quiet, serious voice. “They had a person’s body, but their head was like an animal skull. With horns or antlers or something.”

I decided to do a cleansing spell while I had some alone time. I put some new age music on Spotify and set about doing the ritual. Just as I was getting ready to begin, an advertisement came on and a woman’s voice cheerfully called out, “Hi! I’m Cathy!”


Taken By The Alpha King
Abigail Barnette

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Trout Nation, Inc.
Date of Publication: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9798988035503
ASIN: B0BZ2TY27H
Number of pages: 472
Cover Artist: Covers by Kris

Tagline: He’ll never stop fighting to keep his throne…and her.

Book Description: 

Born into a secret society of werewolves and betrothed to a mate she didn’t love, Bailey Dixon made the choice to leave her pack for five years. Now, she’s back and fully committed to becoming the werewolf she was destined to be.

But destiny–and the new pack king–have other plans. Rich, handsome, and utterly ruthless, Nathan Frost demands absolute obedience from the Toronto pack. When he sets his sights on Bailey, she’s plunged into a world of politics, sex, and violence she’s not equipped to navigate on her own.

With her life in danger and enemies emerging from every corner, Bailey is forced to rely on the mysterious stranger who’s usurped the throne of her pack. And even he can’t be trusted…


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Humans imagine scenes in movies where werewolves scream in agony and tear out of their clothes, which I’ve never understood. We know when the full moon is. It doesn’t take us by surprise. And we know how to dress for it.

Or undress. My breath freezes in my lungs as Nathan walks into the circle. He stops in front of the monolith to Lycaon and drops his robe.

I shamelessly look him over, the way he did to me, from his broad shoulders, down his chest dusted with dark hair that thins to a line on his shockingly sculpted abs. I wasn’t expecting him to look as good as he does. I wasn’t expecting that my mouth would water at the sight of his cock, that my thighs would clench together at the thought of how huge it must be hard.

I wish he could see me. I hope he feels me, smells me.

And I hope that the strange attraction between us is making him as crazed with need as I feel.

An acolyte—a thrall trained in our ceremonies and rituals—steps forward with a shallow silver bowl bearing a glistening human heart. It’s required for the transformation; Lycaon himself was transformed into a wolf after he angered Zeus by feeding the God human flesh. Nathan grabs the heart with his bare hand and bites into it.

That’s when he lifts his gaze and finds me, seconds before the transformation starts.

It begins with his eyes. They flash silver, then red. His face shifts, nose and jaw elongating into a muzzle. We don’t turn into wolves. That’s a myth. We turn into a creature that stands upright; body covered with short, silky hair from our clawed feet to our canine-like heads. The fur flows over every contour of Nathan’s body and his spine curves, drawing him into a hunched posture. His ears elongate, pointing straight back, a shape humans would consider more elfin than dog-like, with tufts of fur accentuating the points. His arms grow longer, as well; in this predatory manifestation, a wide reach is an advantage.

In his animalistic form, he waits for the others but stares up at me. Like this, I’m vulnerable. Far too human. I would be no match for him, should he want me. And he does want me, but even this way, he has self-control, as well as some common sense. He knows he can’t reach me, and so do I, but being the target of all that concentrated power and bestial drive is still heady and frightening.

The good kind of frightening. The kind that makes me wonder what could happen if I only push a little further.

 

About the Author: 

Abigail Barnette is the pseudonym of Jenny Trout, an author, blogger, and funny person. Jenny made the USA Today bestseller list with their debut novel, Blood Ties Book One: The Turning. Their American Vampire was named one of the top ten horror novels of 2011 by Booklist Magazine Online. As Abigail Barnette, Jenny writes award-winning erotic fiction, including the internationally bestselling The Boss series.

Jenny has been featured on television and radio, including HuffPost Live, Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show, and National Public Radio’s Here and Now. Their work has earned mentions in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Slate, Vulture, and Fangoria.

A longtime supporter of community theatre, Jenny has appeared on stages across West Michigan as Anelle in Steel Magnolias, Julia in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Bea Bottom in Something Rotten, and Hunyak in Chicago, among many others. They’ve worked behind the scenes as everything from director to prop master. Jenny is a proud Michigander, parent of two, and spouse to their very most favorite person.









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5 Star Ending – The Horror At Pleasant Brook by Kevin Lucia @KevinBLucia

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

BRACE YOURSELF! Come to Pleasant Brook in the Adirondacks. I dare ya! Looking for some Halloween fun, this is a nightmare you won’t want to miss.

I love an author that loves to kill off his characters, the good, the bad and the ugly. Those that deserve it and those that don’t. Those that I could care less about and those that I have come to cheer for, wanting them to survive and overcome that evil that has befallen them. It doesn’t matter what I want, only what the author wants to give me.

A mask…

Blood, guts, mayhem and slaughter.

An unlikely group of characters come together to try and save the town, which is being overrun by evil. Some of the weakest stepped up, some just gave up, others fought to the bloody end. Who will survive is always the question in a horror novel. Many times it surprises us all, and that is what you have to look forward to in The Horror At Pleasant Brook by Kevin Lucia.

“No, no…”

I was saying it too…But it doesn’t change anything. Does it, Kevin?

The ending…..To die for!

The Horror At Pleasant Book by Kevin Lucia delivered so much more than I expected. It contains everything required for a horror story, with an ending that BLEW MY MIND.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

This Halloween, a malevolent, creeping horror invades a small, isolated town nestled deep in the Adirondacks. It cares nothing for this town’s secrets, prejudices, or flaws. Its only desires are to consume everything in its path and spread, until nothing else remains.

It is ancient, pitiless, and unstoppable. It is the horror at Pleasant Brook.

  • Genres: Adult, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural
  • 361 pages, Paperback
  • First published October 1, 2022 by Crystal Lake Publishing

ABOUT KEVIN LUCIA

Kevin Lucia

Kevin Lucia’s short fiction has appeared in several anthologies, most recently with Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Bentley Little, Peter Straub and Robert McCammon.

His first short story collection, Things Slip Through was published November 2013, followed by Devourer of Souls in June 2014, Through A Mirror, Darkly, June 2015, and and his second short story collection, Things You Need, September 2018. His novella Mystery Road is forthcoming from Cemetery Dance Publications.

For three free ebooks, sign up for his monthly newsletter at www.kevinlucia.blogspot.com.

MY KEVIN LUCIA REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead by Kristen Seeley @MarieStill   @iReadBookTours

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Join us for this tour from Oct 2 to Oct 20, 2023!
Book Details:

Book Title:  Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead by Kristen Seeley
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages
Genre:  Women’s / Book Club Fiction
Publisher:  Rising Action Publishing
Release date:   September 5, 2023
Content Rating:  PG + M Please review content warnings in blurb.

Author’s Note: Books should always bring pleasure, and never cause harm, for this reason if you have any content that may be harmful to your mental wellbeing, I encourage you to visit https://mariestill.com/contentwarnings to ensure Beverly’s story is one you wish to read.

Please know that you are never alone. If you are in crisis or in need of someone to speak with, please reach out for help.

Below are the crisis lines. US readers dial 988 UK readers, text SHOUT to 85258 Canadian readers (youth) call 1-888-668-6810 or text WELLNESS to 686868; Canadian readers (adults) call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741. Wherever you are, there are people who care, I encourage you to reach out when in need.

Beverly’s story, more than any of my other stories, is a personal one. As a society we get physicals annually, we talk openly about physical diseases, and support those battling them. Mental health isn’t treated with the same care and openness. While we have taken great strides, there is still more work to do. Preventative mental health is a lifesaver. You deserve to be happy just like you deserve to be physically and mentally healthy.

Each person’s journey with a mental health crisis or disorder is different. This story, while completely fictional, has been my way of processing one of the hardest battles I’ve had to fight.

Please show empathy for each other, you never know what demons someone is fighting internally, or if they are fighting a battle for someone they love very much.

Take care of yourself and those around you. No matter how different and unique your mind is, you, like Beverly, are perfect the way you are.

XOXO, Marie (aka Kristen Seeley)
“Beautifully written, Seeley delivers a brave and poignant tale that is unforgettable.” – Kim Michele Richardson, NYT bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series.
Book Description:
Socially awkward, anxiety-riddled Beverly Bonnefinche only loves three things in life: her parents, books, and a homeless man named Bill. Without them, the only way Beverly manages to get by each day is with the help of a peculiar coping mechanism that allows her to dissolve her feelings. Yet everything changes for Beverly when she meets Henry, a persistent, friendly man who sees something in Beverly most people have missed. As their relationship develops, despite her best intentions, Beverly soon finds herself stepping outside of her carefully controlled life and forging new friendships.

It’s only when a series of twists and turns threatens to unravel her new life, and her mind, that Beverly must determine if she’s got it in her to stop trudging through life—and finally start living it.

Emotional, witty, and uplifting, Beverly Bonnefinche Is Dead is an unforgettable story of love, loss, friendship, and what it means to ultimately find the courage to be who you are.

Content Warnings: stillbirth, pregnancy loss, mental health, attempted suicide, suicidal ideation
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N 
Target ~ Indigo ~ BAM
BookBub ~ Audible
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Lover of books, Kristen spends her time overly caffeinated in front of her computer in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and four children.

Kristen’s debut novel, Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead was selected by Barnes & Noble as a Top Indie Favorites August/September 2023 Kristen Seeley is the pen name of Marie Still (which she writes suspense/thrillers under)

connect with the author:  website ~ newsletter ~ X ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ tiktok 
~ pinterest ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:
Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead Book Tour Giveaway




  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Giveaway – Bite Of Pain Anthology @XpressoTours

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Bite of Pain Anthology
Publication date: October 16th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Nothing brings more pleasure than the perfect Bite of Pain.
Satisfy your desire for a bit of sting with a dozen BRAND NEW smoking hot power exchange stories from the dark romance authors you love.

Featuring stories from:
Natasha Knight & A. Zaverelli
Alta Hensley & Renee Rose
Julia Sykes
Annabel Joseph
Measha Stone
Livia Grant
Jane Henry
Jenna Jacob
Stasia Black
Becca Jameson
Sue Lyndon
Cole Denton

Publisher’s Note: The Bite of Pain Anthology contains brand new material never published before. It is the perfect chance to revisit series you already love and also find new authors you will enjoy reading.

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks

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GIVEAWAY!
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—

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