Giveaway – Veronique’s Journey by Patti Flinn @XpressoTours

Posted on August 30, 2022 by fundinmental

Véronique’s Journey
Patti Flinn
Publication date: September 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical

In 18th century France, the choices for a young black woman of modest means are slim.

Véronique Clair loves her parents and their small home in the countryside of Burgundy but dreams of using her talent for sewing and embroidery to make her own way, without having to rely on a man.

When Véronique’s well-meaning parents find her a suitor of elevated station their happiness turns into her despair. Véronique must make the difficult choice between agreeing to an arranged marriage–with its promise of elevated status in society–or embark upon an unpredictable journey across France and into a world she’s never known.

…for a young woman of honor, only the heart can guide the way.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

The pastor began to speak but was interrupted as a former childhood friend of mine entered behind us, causing many of us to turn around and look. She was red-faced with embarrassment. Big with child and holding onto the hand of two small children on either side of her and sporting a freshly blackened eye. She held her chin up and hustled her babies into a seat as her husband came in behind her, his face a mask of arrogance, daring anyone to say anything. He took the seat beside his family, slouched in the chair like a pouting child.

I leaned to whisper to my mother, eyes still on the man. “He will beat or breed her to death. The bastard. When he was courting her he had nothing but fine words about how well he would treat her. Now she is stuck with him, forever.”

“Oui,” Maman nodded, her pretty features turned down in a frown. “It is a shame. He is angry that he is a married man…”

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5 Stars for Surviving Doodahville by Ashley Fontainne #AshleyFontainne

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

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

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

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

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

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

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

The kitten…HA HA HA HA HA.

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

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

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

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

WARNING: Tissues may be required.

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

GOODREADS BLURB

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE

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

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

Website / Facebook / Pinterest

MY ASHLEY FONTAINNE REVIEWS

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Giveaway – The Foundation Of Plot by Elena Hartwell @partnersincr1me @Elena_TaylorAut

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

The Foundation of Plot

by Elena Hartwell

August 1-31, 2022 Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Foundation of Plot by Elena Hartwell

Structure underlies every story, but without a strong foundation, even well-written sentences can fail to result in a marketable manuscript. The Foundation of Plot defines the components of a story arc, details the differences between plot and story, and covers common errors writers make. It also includes exercises which apply concepts to works in progress or new projects. Drawing on the author’s decades of storytelling and teaching experience, this short guide provides the framework for fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir, walking writers through a first draft, the repair of a failed manuscript, or any draft in between. For experienced authors and first-time writers alike, applying the concepts outlined in this manual can help launch a submission from the slush pile to the bookstore shelf.

Book Details

Genre: Nonfiction Published by: Elena Hartwell Publication Date: July 19, 2022 Number of Pages: 97 ISBN: 9798986020600 Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | IndieBound

Read an excerpt:

Section of Chapter One: The Foundation of Plot

Raw doesn’t mean terrible. It’s just not ready for prime time. Foundation—story structure—underlies everything that writers produce. No matter how avant-garde a literary work might appear on the surface, dig deep enough and a skeleton lies underneath. Solidifying that underlying foundation can come at any point during the writing process. It could be in an outline before writing a single sentence, much as a carpenter uses a blueprint to build a house. Or it could be during a rough draft, determining the foundation through trial and error with character and action, like a dancer experimenting with choreography while the music plays. What’s important is that the process suits the writer for each individual project. For one project, a writer might benefit from building an outline first, while another project might evolve better with an organic method, discovering the foundation during a first draft. There’s no right or wrong about writing from an outline or relying on an organic process—only that the writer finishes that often stubborn first draft. Some writers mix and match, starting by writing organically, then creating an outline partway through, or changing the original outline completely as scenes begin to unfold. Or writers might create a simple outline, then figure out the bulk of the project while building the scenes on the page. It’s never too late to make repairs. Even after multiple drafts, a writer can still improve a manuscript’s foundation. Regardless of when the writer pays attention to foundation, the manuscript will continue to evolve through each rewrite. From the first inklings of an idea to the final, polished manuscript, writers—whether they know it or not—shape and reshape the foundation of their work. One concept that will be useful before going deeper into foundation is the difference between story and plot. Once that concept is clear, it may be easier to identify what does or doesn’t work in a current project.

Story Versus Plot

As used in this guide, story is all-encompassing. It includes what happens before a book starts, everything in all the scenes, and everything that occurs off the page. It even includes what happens after the manuscript is finished, when the reader’s imagination runs wild after “the end.” Plot, on the other hand, is made up solely of the events on the page. One error writers make in their early—and sometimes even late—drafts is to include parts of the story that aren’t necessary for the plot or leave out scenes a reader most needs on the page. This comes back to foundation. Those errors would be like using either too many joists to hold up a floor—making it heavy, cumbersome, and expensive—or not enough joists—causing the floor to fail the first time it bears weight. In both of those instances, the writer has confused story and plot. Falling in love with our own words, our characters, and the scenes that play out in our heads are constant dangers for writers. We want to include everything we research and invent. Sometimes this causes us to start too early in the lives of the characters and include scenes that are potentially beautifully written and explore behavior, motivation, and backstory but don’t move the plot forward. We love our characters and believe a reader will be just as curious as we are about every aspect of their lives. Readers, for the most part, want to follow a series of connected events leading to a satisfying conclusion. They don’t want to read a series of unconnected events that send them in circles or down alleys that ultimately lead nowhere. That is not the same as sending a reader down a wrong path for dramatic effect, as in a mystery where the detective follows the wrong lead. That experience can add to the plot, as a wrong lead can increase suspense. But it can be a problem if a detective goes down a wrong path and learns nothing from it. Readers want each road the writer takes them down to add to the overall story—even when that road teaches the protagonist what they don’t want or what won’t solve the problem at hand. A detective determining who isn’t the culprit can be just as important—and satisfying in its own way—as when the detective catches the killer. Readers may not be able to put this concept into words, but we’ve all heard comments like, “it took several chapters before I got into it” or “the writing was fine, but nothing happened at the beginning” or “I lost interest halfway through.” Those are instances when a writer likely included material the reader didn’t need—no matter how good the quality of the writing. Don’t confuse well-written sentences with a well-written book. High quality paints and canvases and excellent brushstrokes can still turn out an unsuccessful painting. A solid manuscript is more than just well-written sentences, beautifully crafted paragraphs, or even interesting chapters. A solid manuscript has a clear story arc, with each scene in each chapter adding to the whole and building a solid foundation. — Excerpt from The Foundation of Plot by Elena Hartwell. Copyright © 2022 by Elena Hartwell. Reproduced with permission from Elena Hartwell. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Elena Hartwell PHOTO CREDIT MARK PERLSTEIN

Elena Hartwell has spent years supporting writers and constructing stories. Her award-winning and bestselling works include the Eddie Shoes mysteries and All We Buried (written under Elena Taylor). Her plays have been seen around the US and UK, garnering critical acclaim and stellar reviews. As a developmental editor she has worked with hundreds of writers, most recently as senior editor and director of programming for the boutique editing house, Allegory Editing. She regularly teaches writing workshops and enjoys helping others achieve their writing dreams.

Find Elena Hartwell Online:

www.ElenaHartwell.com
Writing Blog: The Mystery of Writing
As Elena Taylor: ElenaTaylorAuthor.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @elenahartwell
Instagram – @elenataylorauthor
Twitter – @Elena_TaylorAut
Facebook – @ElenaTaylorAuthor

Tour Host Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Giveaway:

This is a giveaway hosted by Providence Book Promotions for Elena Hartwell. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Thank you for your interest in this tour!

Find Your Next Great Read at Providence Book Promotions!

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Giveaway – Hope And The Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan @iReadBookTours

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

Join us for this tour from August 15 to September 2, 2022!

Book Details:

Book Title: Hope…And The Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 100 pages
Genre: Philosophy/Spirituality/New-Age
Publisher: Choir Press
Release date: May 2022
Content Rating: G. It has no swearwords or sex scenes.

Book Description:

Hope…. And The Hedgehog is a ‘pocketbook philosophy for the present age’, a digestible exploration of the meaning of life which aims to unpick the big questions most of us spend our lives avoiding: how did life begin, how does it end, and what happens to us after we die?

Is there life after death? Is there a higher power? Or, is life one big cosmic accident; a clash of particles and atoms and one big bang? Tom looks instead at the power of faith and spirituality which he separates from religion. While he does not attempt to present any definitive argument, he looks at all sides, gathering thoughts from history’s most influential philosophers and scientists.

He makes the proposition that, between only two possible explanations for the existence of life, there is a greater likelihood of the one over the other. He believes in the importance of opening up our minds and finding more of a sense of purpose and direction in life – a view that, as we look towards a post-lockdown future, will resonate with many people.

“I chose the book’s title Hope … and the Hedgehog because hope is one of the principal drivers we resort to as human beings when confronted with a challenge to which there is no obvious solution. In the case of this book, that challenge is a very prickly issue: how we came into existence. It is an issue that we are all drawn to, but at the same time we do not want to handle or investigate too closely. Like the proverbial elephant in the room, we know that little hedgehog is there, we just prefer to leave it be – even if, in the end, there is no avoiding it.” – Tom Vaughan, May 2022.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Meet the Author:

Tom’s life has come full circle from his first career as co-founder of the successful chain of Juliana’s discotheques, which he started in the 60’s and grew to be the world’s largest entertainment group of its type at the time, with offices in London, New York, Singapore and Sidney. With no scientific, philosophical or theological training and few school qualifications but armed with heaps of life experience as an entrepreneur, Tom switches gear with his latest work Hope…And The Hedgehog to take on the role of ‘everyman philosopher’, creating a new book that makes people stop and think.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook

Tour Schedule:

Aug 15 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Aug 16 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Aug 17 –@bookswithstace – book review
Aug 22 – Books are a Blessing – book spotlight / giveaway
Aug 24 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
Aug 25 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Aug 26 – @just_another_mother_with_books – book review
Aug 29 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Aug 29 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Aug 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Aug 31 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
Sep 1 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Sep 2 – Kam’s Place – book review

Enter the Giveaway:

HOPE…AND THE HEDGEHOG by Tom Vaughn Book Tour Giveaway

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Giveaway – Where You Are by Felice Stevens @XpressoTours @FeliceStevens1

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

Where You Are
Felice Stevens
Publication date: August 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Former model and B-list actor (B meaning really bad) Isaac Seidel is now a NYC firefighter on special assignment in the one-horse town of Serenity, Pa. But all work and no play makes Isaac a dull boy, and when he hooks up with the most explosive one-night stand he’s ever had, it looks like country life might not be so boring after all.
Especially when the guy he thought he’d never see again turns out to be one of the volunteer firefighters he’s expected to train.
Levi Everett is a master at pleasing everyone—except himself. He’s spent his whole life hiding who he is and what he wants. It’s a lot more complicated now that he’s going to be seeing gorgeous Isaac Seidel every day. How is he supposed to pretend he’s straight when he and Isaac can’t keep their hands off each other?
Isaac has made it clear he’s only interested in friends with benefits, so when he returns home to NYC, Levi knows he’s gone forever.

Until he isn’t.

Trust doesn’t come easily to Isaac—he’s been hurt and used before. But Isaac is unable to forget the man he left behind, and in a shocking move, he makes Levi an offer that could change their lives forever. Now it’s up to Levi to put himself first, risking the love of his family, to go after his dreams—dreams that were unimaginable before Isaac but are now within his reach.

Because love is wherever Isaac is, and it’s the only place Levi wants to be.

Where You Are is a sweet and steamy, age-gap MM romance featuring two smoking hot firefighters who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other or their clothes on whenever they’re together. It’s filled with found family, first time love, a swoony happily ever after, a well-meaning but nosy mother, and plenty of good old country fried chicken.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Is this seat taken?”

Levi’s grip tightened on his bottle of Stella before answering the man who stood by his side. He was gorgeous—tall and dark-haired, with a gleam in his blue eyes and a slightly wicked but charming half smile tugging at his lips. He looked somewhat familiar, but Levi knew if he’d ever met him, he would’ve remembered.

“No. It’s not.” Anxiety sang through his blood as the man slid into the empty seat next to him.

“Great. My first time here. Seems like a cool place. Not many like it, I’m gathering.”

Levi swallowed. “Uh, yeah, me too. And I don’t think so.” Nervous and unsure what he should say or do, he kept quiet.

“Hey. Don’t worry. I’m not a serial killer or anything.” The man appeared to be nice, but Levi wasn’t taken in.

“Would you tell me if you were?”

The man laughed. “No, I suppose you’re right.” He pulled out his driver’s license and held it up. “See? That’s me.”

Isaac Seidel.

Levi noted the address in New York City and wondered what he was doing in the middle of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “I wasn’t fishing for information. My name’s Levi, by the way.”

“I know you weren’t.” Isaac signaled the bartender. “Another beer, Levi?”

Levi shrugged. “Sure. Thanks.”

He watched Isaac chat easily with the bartender as he opened their bottles of Stella. And despite his teasing about serial killers, Levi couldn’t help a frisson of fear. Was he crazy to do this? Maybe there was someone in town.…God, he hoped he wasn’t going to throw up from nerves. He hadn’t done that since he was a little kid.

“Here’s to new friends,” Isaac said, then raised a brow. “And maybe more?”

“New friends. And maybe.” He clinked Isaac’s bottle and took a swallow. Warmth settled in his belly, and he took another sip, feeling Isaac’s steady blue eyes on him. Seemed like Isaac had the same thing on his mind, and a thrill built up inside Levi at the thought of Isaac being his first.

“What do you do, Levi?” Isaac’s appreciative gaze ate him up, and Levi’s breathing accelerated. “You’re in fantastic shape.”

“I own a bar with my brother, so lifting all those cases of beer and liquor helps.”

“I’ll bet. No need for the gym.”

“We don’t even have one in my little town. You’d have to travel a few miles to get to one. But most of the young guys who work on the farms don’t need it, or they lift at home.”

“Makes sense. All that country living.” Isaac finished his beer. “In the city we can run in the park or work out, but most people belong to a gym.”

Figuring he needed to add something to the conversation to let Isaac know he was interested, he cleared his throat. “You’re in pretty good shape yourself.”

Isaac let loose that crazy, sexy smile. “Thanks for noticing.”

About to ask what Isaac did for a living, Levi froze when Isaac set his bottle on the bar and leaned in close. The cool scent of his aftershave sent a hot punch of lust through Levi, and he found himself swaying toward the man until their lips almost touched.

“Care to take a walk with me?”

Author Bio:

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner. Her characters have to work for it, because just like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.

Felice is the 2020 Lambda Literary Award winning author in best Gay Romance. She lives in New York City and has way too much black in her wardrobe. If she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her watching reality TV or procrastinating on FB in her reader group, Felice’s Breakfast Club.

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

GIVEAWAY!
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Hosted by:

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Sherry’s Shelves – 8.28 – 9.3.22

Posted on August 28, 2022 by fundinmental

Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Sunday Salon is hosted by Readerbuzz
Stacking The Shelves by Reading Reality
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**

Hi Everyone. YAY! Chase Elliot finished fourth last week and we got free fried pickles from Hooters.

Mr Wonder spent almost a week cleaning and painting our patio. I LOVE IT! I still have a few chairs to clean up and some stuff to put away, but it’s looking good. The concrete gets sooo hot when the sun beats down on it, so I’m hoping the light color helps. We used to have a gazebo, but with all the wind I felt that was a losing battle. We were lucky if they lasted a year. So, we have this great umbrella…for now.

And a pizza for a job well done.

Stay safe and have a great week.

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

Sherry’s Shelves
Giveaway – The Foundation of Plot by Elena Hartwell
Giveaway – Hope and the Hedgehog by Tom Vaughn
Giveaway – Where You Are by Felice Stevens
Review – Surviving Doodahville by Ashley Fontainne
Giveaway – Saving the Seas by Nancy Carlisle
Giveaway – Veronique’s Journey by Patti Flinn
Review – The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen
Giveaway – Call My Name by Jenni Ogden
Review – Cross Waves by Amanda Uhl
Ghosts and Legends of Genesee and Lapeer Counties by Roxanne Rhoads
Tackling The TBR
New Release Review – Magnum Opus by Caitlin Marceau
Giveaway – Intergalactic Exterminators Inc by Ash Bishop

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!

Tackling The TBR – 8.20 – 8.26.22 #tacklingthetbr

Posted on August 27, 2022 by fundinmental

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Tackling%2Bthe%2BTBR.png

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: 2075

Currently Reading

Books Read

Books Added

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 2

Duplicates Removed: 1

New TBR Total: 2068

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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New Release – Haloed by Sue Coletta @SueColetta1

Posted on August 26, 2022 by fundinmental

Sue Coletta has created one of my favorite villains of all time in the Mayhem series and Grafton County has its share of evil. Join her community to get 2 free killer reads. If you love thrillers, villains, and serial killers, I highly recommend checking her out.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been to Grafton County and spent time with Sage Quintano, her Sheriff husband Niko, their son Noah and his deputy and Sage’s best friend Frankie Campanelli. It is a pleasure to be back, though, I am sure there will be an evil villain waiting for us.

Sage recognized the pattern, when a string of murders came to the small town of Alexandria, New Hampshire. She thought it fit the profile of the Romeo killer, a serial killer who had died eight years ago…or did he?

Niko, her Sheriff husband chalks it up to PTSD, because of all the trauma she has suffered in the past years. It bothers me that he is too quick to dismiss her, but he loves every tiny piece of her, so I feel he will quickly come around. She also has rheumatoid arthritis. Being an author, means she doesn’t have, nor is she able to do, excessive manual labor.

Noah, their sweet boy, and her furbabies have their roles to play.

Frankie Campanelli, Niko’s deputy and Sage’s best friend, makes me think of a combination of Rizzolis & Iles from the TV show. She has the fashion sense of Moira Iles and the attitude and fierceness of Jane Rizzoli. Frankie is a good cop, but she walks a line that puts her career and her life in danger.

Sue Coletta does her research. In this mystery, police procedural, suspense, thriller, she show how technology has made their job more difficult. I find it terrifying how easy it is for be framed for something you didn’t do.

A feeling of menace hangs on every page. I know he’s coming for her, whoever he is. The question is: How much will he tease and torture her before he does. He is intelligent, yet obsessed, which may be hid downfall.

It doesn’t matter where Sue Coletta’s next book is located, I will be there. She can pen a story that is filled with moments of light and love, with times of distress and evil. She creates some of the best villains I have ever met, sure to delight those of us who like to walk in the dark.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Haloed by Sue Coletta.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

She may be paranoid, but is she right?

A string of gruesome murders rocks the small town of Alexandria, New Hampshire, with all the victims staged to resemble dead angels, and strange red and pink balloons appearing out of nowhere.

All the clues point to the Romeo Killer’s return. Except one: he died eight years ago.

Paranoid and on edge, Sage’s theory makes no sense. Dead serial killers don’t rise from the grave. Yet she swears he’s here, hungering for the only angel to slip through his grasp—Sage.

With only hours left to live, how can Sage convince her Sheriff husband before the sand in her hourglass runs out?

ABOUT SUE COLETTA

Sue Coletta is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as one of the “Top 100 Crime Blogs on the Net” (Murder Blog sits at #5) for four years in a row. And recently, she appeared on an Emmy award-winning true crime show.

Sue also blogs at the Kill Zone, a multi-award-winning writing blog, and writes two serial killer thriller series (Tirgearr Publishing) and narrative nonfiction/true crime for Globe Pequot, trade division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.

For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where members will be the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside access to deleted scenes (if available). As an added bonus, members get to play in the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door.

BONUS: When you join Sue’s community you’ll receive two free killer reads!

Sue lives in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire with her husband, and begins each by feeding all the wildlife in her yard. Her favorite “pets” are a murder of crows who live free but come when called by name.

Learn more about Sue and her books at: https://suecoletta.com

Website * Facebook Author Page * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Youtube * Amazon * Goodreads

MY REVIEWS FOR SUE COLETTA

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Giveaway – Bear by Harley Wylde @XpressoTours

Posted on August 26, 2022 by fundinmental

Bear
Harley Wylde
(Hades Abyss MC)
Published by: Changeling Press
Publication date: August 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Faith – I fell for Spade when I was only sixteen. He got me pregnant, and moved me into a house with him. Then I saw his true colors. He beat me. Made me lose my baby. It’s been eighteen years and I’m still trapped, until I find the courage to take my girls and run. I didn’t count on finding another biker. This one seems different. He’s kinder. Gentler. And I think he may be just what we need.

Bear – No sooner do I tell my Pres I want to retire from the position of Sergeant-at-Arms than I catch a teen girl shoplifting. I followed her. Banged on the motel door, ready to tell the parents they’d f**ked up. Then a cute little pixie opened the door, and I knew I was a goner. Now they’re living in my house, I’ve given them my name, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Even take out another club.

WARNING: Bear is part of the Hades Abyss MC series and is intended for readers 18+ due to adult situations and bad language. Sensitive readers should proceed with caution. No cliffhanger, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

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EXCERPT:

Bear

I stared at my phone and the message I’d just sent to Fox, my club’s President. Aside from Spider, our previous President, I was the oldest living member in my chapter of the Hades Abyss MC, and I was feeling every one of my sixty-eight years. My bones creaked more often than not. My brown hair had gone silver. While I still kept in shape, I couldn’t maintain the definition I had in my younger days. Which meant it was time…

Need a new SAA. Time for me to retire.

He’d read the message two minutes ago. I still hadn’t received a reply or a phone call. I’d thought I would get at least one of those, if not both. That told me one of two things. He was either ignoring me in the hopes I’d forget about retiring, or he was just too damn busy to deal with it right now. Now that he had a family, he didn’t always drop what he was doing to answer the phone. And that was fine. Raven and their daughter, Harlow, deserved every bit of attention he could give them.

I put my helmet on the seat of my bike and went into the corner market. I’d given up cigarettes and beer, but there was one thing they’d have to pry from my cold dead fingers — jerky! I didn’t indulge as often as I used to, but I still got a taste for it once or twice a month. Today happened to be one of those days.

The bell over the door jingled as I stepped into the cool interior. Scanning the area, I clocked a teen girl two aisles over, an older man at the back, and a young couple at the register. Making my way down the center aisle, I checked out the jerky options and grabbed a package.

The teen girl shifted from foot to foot and kept casting glances around the store. The clerk hadn’t noticed anything was wrong. Yet. I hoped she didn’t do something stupid. Then again, teens were notorious for making bad choices. Looked like this one wouldn’t be any different. The second she thought no one was watching, she shoved a few things under her shirt and made a beeline for the front door. She actually made it into the parking lot and I shook my head.

“Just what I fucking need,” I muttered. I held up the package of jerky for the clerk to see and tossed some money onto the counter. More than enough to cover the price. “Keep the change.”

I went after the girl, keeping her in my sights. As much as I wanted to get on my bike to follow her, the Harley Davidson Freewheel wasn’t exactly a quiet bike. And yeah, I’d gotten a damn trike. The club had given me shit about it when I traded in my Street King, but I was getting too damn old for this shit. The trike put less strain on me, and I still got to ride with my club.

The girl left the parking lot and headed down the sidewalk. The longer I followed, the more I wished I’d taken my bike. When she went into a room at the local motel, I decided to give her a minute or two, then see if her parents knew she’d been shoplifting. Although, this place was a goddamn dump. There was a good chance she’d been following orders. Most people here were either drug addicts or prostitutes.

I knocked on the door and heard a hesitant, “Who is it?”

“Need to talk to the parents of the girl who just went into this room.”

I heard a thunk and a deep sigh. I wondered if the person on the other side had just banged their head on the door. The rattle of the chain let me know someone was about to open the door. I backed up a step so I wouldn’t scare whoever was on the other side. A petite woman with a gently rounded stomach opened the door. Dark circles under her eyes told me she hadn’t slept in a while. Not well, at any rate.

“Ma’am.” I gave her a nod. She blinked at me, then her gaze dropped to my cut. Her face paled, and she swayed. Figured she’d have that reaction. People either loved us or we scared the shit out of them. I held up a hand. “Easy. I’m not here to hurt you.”

“We don’t want any trouble,” she said, her fingers tightening on the door.

“The girl who just entered this room stole some stuff from a store down the street. I wanted to make sure her parents were aware of the situation.”

The woman closed her eyes and her shoulders slumped. “Piper, did you steal something? Is he telling the truth?”

Holy. Shit. This woman was her mother? No fucking way. Older sister, maybe, but mom? The girl in question appeared behind her mom, and as I looked into the room, I saw another girl on the bed. Sweat coated her little face, and her cheeks were pink. Fever?

“Everything all right, ma’am?” I asked. “The three of you in trouble of some kind?”

The teen, Piper, narrowed her eyes at me. “We’re fine. The last thing we need is another biker in our lives.”

My eyebrows shot up. Interesting. Another biker. I had so many questions and not enough answers. In fact, they hadn’t willingly told me a damn thing yet. Everything I’d learned had merely been from observation.

“Did you steal something?” her mom asked, sounding exhausted.

“Cordy needs soup. The kind we can microwave. You said our money would be gone after tomorrow.” Piper folded her arms. “If we’re about to be living out of the car, I wanted to make sure she had something to eat first.”

Motherfucker. I couldn’t walk away and leave these girls in a dire situation. My club would kick my ass if I did. Hell, I’d kick my own ass.

Author Bio:

Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil’s Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.
When Harley’s writing, her motto is the hotter the better — off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve.

The times Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She’s also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980’s, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990’s to today, even though she’d much rather be reading or writing.

You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you’re there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!

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Review – Sararonna’s Gift by Carmen Webster Buxton @CarmenWBuxton

Posted on August 25, 2022 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Saronna is being sold. It may sound harsh, but it works for her. Freedom. No veil, no division of men and women. Off Worlders have a different outlook on life than here on Kruegar’s World. The Threecon World travels the galaxy, each planet sharing their culture.

Saronna was being purchased for Duncan by his father. She had used her gifts to keep her father from getting rid of her, but it hadn’t worked on Vladimir Trushenko. She’s kept it secret…She’s a witch.

The cover tells of the life Saronna was born into, that women had only one purpose in life, to please man. Cruel customs, obedience, no education….unless taught secretly, and Saronna’s mother had taught her to read. There was a purpose to it.

Duncan has introduced Saronna to electronics, including an ereader, encouraging her to read and get an education. He even hires a tutor for her. I loved watching Saronna, her struggle, her sacrifice as she grew, learned, changed and became her own person, no matter the pressure put on her. I have a feeling that will be a good fit, once she figures out how she is being manipulated by those she is supposed to be able to trust.

I would surely be dead if I was born under such an oppressive system…my mouth would have been the end of me. LOL

And to think this goes on today makes me say, “I can’t believe this is happening in the twenty first century”. People can change, and I was happy to be along for Saronna’s ‘coming of age’, and she comes a long way, baby.

Carmen Webster Buxton has created a world for Saronna that is rich in detail, the characters are riveting, drawing me in, making me feel…almost…as if I am there with them, through the good and bad, wishing, hoping for the happy ever after ending that I have come to love so much.

Unputdownable. I read 463 pages in one sitting.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Saronna’s Gift by Carmen Webster Buxton.

GOODREADS BLURB

Saronna Maynard never expected to be sold into an off-world household. She and Duncan Trushenko, her new protector, have very little in common. Saronna grew up in a small village outside of New Jerusalem, the largest city on Krueger’s World. Duncan grew up on many worlds, and has traveled the galaxy. He is dumbstruck to return from a business trip and find that his father has purchased a companion for him.

Saronna is terrified by the strangeness of the house and her sense of powerlessness, but in a very short time she realizes she might be better off—and safer—in Duncan’s house than in her father’s. For one thing, Duncan doesn’t believe in witches. Also, the more time she spends with Duncan, the harder it is for her to believe all men are as evil as her mother taught her. But safer or not, Saronna is still intent on keeping her secrets. After all, she’s still on Krueger’s World.

ABOUT 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.

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MY CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON REVIEWS