Author Archives: fundinmental

The First Two Books of the Symphony of Crowns and Gods by Brian A Mendonca #brianamendonca

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Wedding of the Torn Rose and Gravity of Obedience by Brian A Mendonca were fabulous surprise reads. I loved them and hope I get a chance to finish the series.

Available in Kindle Unlimited

Wedding of the Torn Rose (Symphony of Crowns and Gods)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

A forest. A monster. A princess. And a new opportunity for Kaine.

The princess of the Dorian Kingdom is scheduled to marry the Throatian prince, thus creating a alliance between the two kingdoms. Safety in number, seeing royalty thrives on war and chaos.

Kaine is from the Leila Kingdom and Princess Lydia is the Rose of the Dorian Kingdom.

Her marriage allows Lydia an Everlasting With. When Kaine finds out what she wants and wants to stop the wedding, but she convinces him it’s the only way.

A quick read that packs a punch and I am so happy that I have Book II, Gravity of Obedience, waiting on my the top of my reading pile. Wedding of the Torn does not end in a cliffhanger. It wraps up the story of Kaine and Lydia, but what is to come of their world is still up for debate.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Wedding of the Torn Rose by Brian A Mendonca.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Saving the princess was only the start of events that would change his life forever…

Kaine was down on his luck. The former merchant struggled with losing his job and now must make ends meet. Too bad he doesn’t know how. Frustrated, he sets off into the nearby forest to gather mushrooms. The woman’s screams were the last thing he expected. Kaine must act quickly to rescue the young woman before a monster that should not exist kills her.

His life only gets crazier from there. Kaine returns with Lydia, the daughter of the king, to her father’s castle where he unexpectedly finds himself in the king’s good graces. Confused and leery, Kaine reluctantly agrees to remain and help with Lydia’s younger siblings. Life could not have thrown him more.

Kaine is plunged into a world of magical intrigue, unrest, and political maneuvering. Each new event leaves him feeling out of place and, worse, dangerously exposed to a growing threat. The Darian Kingdom stands at the crossroads. Lydia’s upcoming wedding to the prince of the Throatian Kingdom will soon become the defining moment in Kaine’s life.

With the threat of war looming on the horizon, it is going to take every ounce of guile, cunning, and willpower for Kaine to survive, and, if he is fortunate, prevent the fast approaching storm from burning his world to the ground.

Wedding of the Torn Rose is a fast-paced fantasy adventure with mystery, action, and magic. Journey with Kaine as he attempts to prevent a war and save a kingdom in the first volume of the Symphony of Crowns and Gods series.

Gravity of Obedience

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Breeding farms. Loyalty circles. Blood Sacrifices. The Sorceress. The Red Knight.

The Throatians Mayan like in their religion, which I find fascinating. It rules their lives with an iron fist. Brutal. Savage.

I feel there is something going on behind the scens, something other than their blood thirsty god.

The Throatian king wants the Tears of Asura, magical stones.

Gravity of Obedience had so much intrigue. I love when an author surprises me, taking me to a place I didn’t see coming, leaving me wanting more…and there is more to come, because the story isn’t done. I can hardly wait. Please write faster Brian. 🙂

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Gravity of Obedience by Brian A Mendonca.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Nobody serves kings and gods without paying the price.

Prince Thane never imagined his life would change so drastically after an unexpected encounter with his father atop an ancient religious mountain temple. Facing the wrath of his god, he is called upon for blood sacrifices and resisting the conspiracy of a powerful sorceress intent on invading his homeland. Torn between impossible demands and his duty, the young prince struggles to understand what looms on the horizon. A conflict between religious faith and common sense rage within the prince, forcing him to question his god’s true intentions.

Thane’s life continues to spiral as he stumbles upon a mysterious invulnerable knight and follows him through a portal into another land far from home. Tensions mount as the involved kingdoms brace for the inevitable Wedding of the Torn Rose. Gripped by a series of decisions they don’t want to make, Thane’s royal family becomes mired in unending controversy.

Destinies collide as the fate of multiple kingdoms is revealed. Father, mother, and son must at last come to understand one another if there is to be any hope of righting their wrongs. Pushed to the edges of his sanity, young Prince Thane will need to overcome his doubts and do the unthinkable.

Gravity of Obedience is the thrilling sequel to Wedding of the Torn Rose. While this book is Volume II in the series, it is enjoyable even without having read Volume I. Reading Volume I first enriches the story of Volume II, but is not required.

ABOUT BRIAN A MENDONCA

Brian Mendonça is a writer, reader, and tech geek at heart. He’s always looking for new ways to get better at his craft, and he has traveled the world to see how the world is a melting pot of stories and cultures around us. He feels most at home when sitting in front of his computer, with a cup of coffee, and writing stories. When he’s not writing, he’ll be relaxing at home with his video games or watching re-runs of Friends or the Big Bang Theory. He often takes long walks outside while listening to podcasts. Brian is laid back, easy-going, and he loves helping people out. Brian is a native resident of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and recipient of a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology (Bioinformatics emphasis) from University of California, Davis.

You can connect with him on social media using the below links. For the latest information on upcoming releases, sign up for Brian’s newsletter.

Website / Facebook / Bookbub

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Giveaway – Finding Ruby Draker & Shadows In The Aftermath by Marianne Scott @MScottauthor44 @iReadBookTours

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I am so happy to share Marianne Scott’s latest novel, Finding Ruby Draker and to have her making an appearand on fundinmental.

Be Descriptive but not Overly Descriptive by Marianne Scott

Writers not only have to make readers feel like they are present in the scene, but have to entice them to stay and continue reading. I love it when I read a book and find myself transported into another world. The world around me vanishes as I turn the pages.

The necessary ingredient is vivid description. Readers need to identify with a situation in a story, to see and feel themselves in the scene. Here is where skillful crafting comes in, by choosing the right descriptive words to form subconscious pictures, kind of like a movie but in your mind. These sensorial vivid environments invite the reader to come inside.

It’s a fine line between too much and too little detail. Sometimes to provide all the visual information necessary, a writer can go overboard. Painting a verbal picture is more than pulling out your dictionary of adjectives and stringing them in front of every noun in your novel. Suppose you were describing an exotic garden where two people are about to meet. How would you go about describing such a visual and sensory place?

Imagine the overload of red, pink, white, and orange beds of exotic flowers, mixed among the dark green, chartreuse, emerald leafy, and grassy background of the garden. It’s a true testament to the meticulous obsessive dedication of the caretakers of Butchart  Gardens, all experts of maintaining such splendid beauty.

Oops! I think I just exhausted my reader. Excessive use of adjectives or other modifiers is not the answer. Choosing your descriptors is particularly important when you consider what your story is about and how much weight to lend to each detail. This garden could be the setting for an intriguing plot. Yet while this is important to make the setting as vivid as possible, the actual landscape is not part of the developing story.

Now consider the image as a place where an encounter with a villain is about to take place, the protagonist having been lured by a text message from a stalker to a specific spot for an exchange of information… or worse.

“Standing at the top of a staircase that led down to the noose-like pathway flanked by a patchwork of flower beds in bloom, Tamara scanned over the exotic specimens laid out over Butchart Gardens for signs of her stalker. She paused before descending into the colorful valley of plants and shrubs. Beyond the gardens, the mountains were framed by a misted sky. She shivered despite the warm morning sun while she verified the message on her cell phone. “Meet Maurice by the Sequoia grove past the totems.”

When describing a setting, adjectives are less important than capturing the essence of the setting through the context of the moment in the story. In “…the pathway flanked by a patchwork of flower beds,” the metaphor is more descriptive than the colors of the flowers. Also, “the noose-like pathway” is Fewer words might be more descriptive.


Join us for this tour from June 6 to July 1, 2022!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Finding Ruby Draker by Marianne Scott
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  330 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Publisher:  Friesen Press
Release date:  Original January 2016. Relaunch March 2022
Content Rating:  PG-13 +M. Occasional Profanity
 
Book Description:

Kathleen Jones has lived a protected and typical suburban life, nothing unexpected in her carefully controlled and planned existence. She’s about to complete her college degree and is ready to start a successful career but after completing her last exam she comes home to find her world has been turned upside down. Her home has been torched and her parents and little brother killed.

If that’s not bad enough, she is kidnapped and drugged unconscious by strangers posing as a police officers. When she awakes she discovers that everything has changed – her face, her name, and everything she believed to be true.

But things get worse. Hardly recovered from surgery, she is whisked away under the cover of darkness as more men storm the clinic with guns. It seems that the men who abducted her are not her greatest threat. Now on a private charter on its way to Nice, France, her abductors are calling her Ruby – Ruby Draker!

Finding Ruby Draker is a novel about knowing yourself, accepting change, embracing danger, and taking risks. You never know what life is going to throw at you.
 
BUY THE BOOK:
Friesen Press Bookstore
Amazon.ca ~ Amazon.com
 
Also Available for Your Spy Thriller Enjoyment! Marianne Scott’s New Release!
Book Details:

Book Title:  Shadows in the Aftermath by Marianne Scott
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  330 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Publisher:  Friesen Press
Release date:  June 2022
Content Rating:  PG-13 +M. Occasional Profanity
 
Book Description:

Ruby Draker has found new strength and is ready to move on after Felix Szabo devastated the Draker estate in Nice, France. Three Drakers are dead leaving Ruby in grief and with thoughts of revenge. The Drakers are a family built of survivors; each rescued from Felix Szabo, a psychopath, who sought to murder his former agents at the CIA whom he believed betrayed him. The Drakers’ sole mission is to stop Szabo from adding more victims to his list, and although he also perished during the invasion, his legacy continues to haunt them. When the Drakers learn that Robert Draker, presumed dead since the shoot-out at Robert’s farmhouse, may be alive and at a rehab clinic in Portland, Maine, the Drakers know it could be a setup, but they have no choice but to try to find him and bring Robert home.

Shocked that Robert may be alive, the family head from France to America to find him. It’s only when they arrive in the west that they realize finding Robert won’t be as easy as they thought. Szabo has found a way to terrorize the Draker family, even after death. His outstanding debt with a Corsican crime family means the Drakers must now find and deliver a shipment of plutonium, which will likely be used by terrorists to create a nuclear bomb, to get Robert back. As Ruby struggles with the decision to save her brother or North America, she must also evade the CIA, who are trying to stop the Drakers from delivering the plutonium.
 
BUY THE BOOK:
Friesen Press Bookstore
Amazon.ca ~ Amazon.com
 
Meet the Author:

Marianne Scott is the Canadian author of four mystery thrillers and is currently finishing an edit on her fourth novel, a murder mystery. She has a BA and a Diploma in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, CA. She studied creative writing through Conestoga College and Humber College. She enjoys writing workshops such as those offered by Brian Henry, publisher of the blog, Quick Brown Fox, and One Lit Place, a writers’ hub by creator/editor Jenna Kalinsky. She has an author’s website and blog is the president of The Cambridge Writers’ Collective and is a member of the Guelph Genre Writers. In September of 2018, she completed a fourth-year course in Writing Fiction at the University of Guelph under the expert teaching of Lawrence Hill. Her novels, Finding Ruby Draker and Shadows in the Aftermath are self-published. She is actively seeking representation to break into the traditional publishing world with her third and fourth novels.  

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ 
Tour Schedule:

June 6 – Mystery Review Crew – book spotlight of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / author interview / giveaway
June 6 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / guest post / giveaway
June 7 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
June 7 – She Just Loves Books – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 8 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / guest post / giveaway
June 8 – @booking.with.janelle – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER
June 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
June 9 – Kam’s Place – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER
June 10 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 13 – My Fictional Oasis – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 14 – Literary Flits – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 14 – Amy’s Booket List – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 15 – Novels Alive – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER
June 15 – Novels Alive – book series spotlight / giveaway
June 16 – Bigreadersite – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 16 – The Momma Spot – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 17 – Novels Alive – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 20 – Kam’s Place – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 21 – Mystery Review Crew – book spotlight of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / guest post / giveaway
June 21 – fundinmental – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 22 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 22- Amy’s Booket List – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 23 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 23 – My Fictional Oasis – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 24 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 24 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 27 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / author interview / giveaway
June 28 –The Page Ladies – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 28 – She Just Loves Books – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 29 – @booking.with.janelle – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 30 – The Momma Spot – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
July 1 – Bigreadersite – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
July 1 – Books for Books – Book Series Spotlight
 
Enter the Giveaway:
 

FINDING RUBY DRAKER/SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH Book Tour Giveaway

 


 

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
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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!

Cover Reveal for Blood and Chaos by Emma Dean @XpressoTours @emmadeanromance

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Blood and Chaos
Emma Dean
(A Syndicate of Blood and Chaos, #2)
Publication date: January 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Mafia, Reverse Harem, Romance

Two kingdoms: one of shadows, and one of blood.

Damien Chaos was a devil of his own making, and yet, somehow he found himself agreeing to a deal with Kira Cain instead of the other way around. She’d manipulated him into a position where the only solution was to do exactly as she wanted.

Shadow was his, but the cost was almost more than he could stand.

Kira Cain was going to be his wife, and the arranged marriage would put her at his side as his queen and equal.

The only problem was Damien couldn’t control her, and she already had Aeron and Kaito wrapped around her little finger. Things may not be going as planned, but there was no way he’d let anyone else f*cking touch her.

Dante would suffer for putting her in danger, and this time Damien wasn’t going to let it slide.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Emma Dean is the autistic author of Draga Court and the Council of Paranormals. Juggling work, life, higher education, and a rambunctious toddler leaves little room for much else, but when she gets the chance she dives into a good book and likes to re-read the Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop every year during Christmas.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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  • 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!

Giveaway – The Accidental Detective Series by Kris Bock @GoddessFish @Kris_Bock

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kris Bock will be awarding Ebook copies of the first four books in the Accidental Detective Series – Something Shady at Sunshine Haven and Something Deadly on Desert Drive (out now), plus early copies of books 3 and 4, Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek (not available publicly until September 29, 2022) and Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain (not available publicly until February 28, 2023) – to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Accidental Detective book 1: Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

Injured in a bombing, Kate returns to her hometown in Arizona with new scars, a limp, and pain meds that give her brain fog. For the first time in her life, she’s starting to feel her age (49), even though she’s living like a teenager again: staying with her father, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into old friends who still think of her as Kitty.

Seeing her mother in an Alzheimer’s unit is the hardest part – until an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at that nursing home. Is a self-appointed “Angel of Mercy” killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and killing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit. If Kate can’t uncover the truth, her mother could be next on the killer’s list.

Kate has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

The Accidental Detective book 2: Something Deadly on Desert Drive


Starting over at fifty might be hard, but it shouldn’t be deadly…

Still recovering from an injury that might have permanently derailed her career as an international war correspondent, Kate Tessler is living in her childhood bedroom and pondering her second act when another case lands in her lap. Kate’s father and his coffee group are worried. Their friend Larry married a younger woman who now insists he has dementia and won’t let any of his friends visit. They’re convinced that Larry’s wife and her two adult, dead-beat kids are out to steal his money. Can Kate help?

Soon Kate and her unusual gang of sidekicks are unofficially, officially investigating. But before they can dig out the truth, a murder raises the stakes. Now they need to prove Larry is both mentally competent and not a killer. They’ll have to find the real murderer—without risking their own lives in the process.

Praise Something Deadly

“I had such a lovely day reading your story. I could barely put it down. I am still in awe of how you manage to wrangle these three generations of sleuths without every going over the top or relying on stereotypes or cliches, and of course watching Kate start to come to terms both with her disability and potential inability to ever fully heal as well as her new life, aging, being back home again and reconnecting with her family—all while solving two crimes—definite multi-tasker! The story was so engaging and quite clever.” – Sinclair Jayne, author


Read an Excerpt from Something Deadly on Desert Drive

Mayor Todd Paradise shoved his hands in the pockets of his khakis. “This councilmember is blocking me, and I suspect it’s because of the developer. Maybe he’s simply trying to make me look bad. I suspect he’ll run against me in the next election. I’d be tempted to let him have the job, except I’m afraid of the damage he’d do.”

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

Todd hesitated, his gaze searching my face. “That’s the problem. I don’t know what to say. I’m not sure it’s ethical for me to ask you to investigate a political opponent. I’m not sure it’s ethical for me to let someone get away with this, if something illegal is happening. And I can’t pay you.”

“I see.”

“Do you have any advice? That’s all I can really ask.”

The sun highlighted his hair, showing threads of gray among the brown. His eyes looked troubled, but the lines at the corners came from smiling and laughing. When he was a boy, a lot of Todd’s charm came from his enthusiasm and passion for justice, his belief we could make the world a better place. He’d now seen the challenges, the complications. He was worn down, discouraged, but still fighting.

I wanted to make sure life didn’t knock down the rest of his spirit.

About the Author:
Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers

Website
Blog
Twitter
Amazon Author Page
Amazon UK Author Page

Where to buy Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

Tule Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iBooks
Kobo
Google Play
Amazon UK

Buy links for Something Deadly on Desert Drive

Amazon
Kobo

a Rafflecopter giveaway
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • 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!

Second Chances – The Hard Choice by Amanda Siegrist @amanda_siegrist

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I have read quite a few of Amanda Siegrist’s novels. She has become a must read author for me, so when she said she had a new release coming, I hopped on board for The Hard Choice.

The Hard Choice (Perfect for You, #4)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

He didn’t know he could love someone soooo much. He wanted so much more for her than he had growing up. And that brings you up to date. How did he get there, worshiping the ground his baby, Amelie, walked on?

He had been gone for three years, but he was glad to be back. He had a good support system, his brother Ricky, and Ricky’s wife, Jezebelle.

She walked into the bar…”what can I get you?” “Amelie, for starters.”

No way in hell he give up his daughter. Amelia is what makes him strong enough to turn his back on his sordid past, drugs and women. All he had to think about was his sweet Amelia.

No! Genevieve! Don’t do it! And I am not going to tell you what she is about to do. You will have to read the book to find out.

The man who had never had a girl is smitten. They are polar opposites, the sexual tension is thick in the air. No jump in the sack sex here. There will be a lot of sloooooow wooing going on.

Second chances. Human frailties. Forgiveness. Love. Loyalty. Friendship. Guilt. Loss.

It felt like sitting with friends and family and solving the world’s problems.

A well earned happy ever after for the guys.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Hard Choice by Amanda Siegrist.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From USA Today bestselling author Amanda Siegrist comes a series full of humor, angst, a sassy heroine, and a sexy, sinful hero that will sweep you off your feet.

The Goal: Start taking responsibility for his actions—one in particular: taking care of the baby that landed in his arms.
Time Frame: Forever.

Life’s always been hard for him. Cruel father. Losing his mom. Falling prey to drugs. Getting clean and fighting to stay on the straight and narrow. Now, raising a little girl with no help from her mother. It’s nothing new, and he’s determined to give his baby girl what he never had—a loving father in a good home. In order to do so, he has to stay away from his old life—too much drugs and a whole lotta sex. Which means no women…until she walks into his life.

She’s always had it easy. Loving parents. Protective and supportive brothers. Decent job. A best friend…until her bestie isn’t there anymore. She feels the walls closing in and her world looking not so perfect. She failed her best friend and she vows to make everything right. To do that, she has to tangle with a man she should stay far away from. He’s nothing but bad news. Except she’s finding it hard to resist him and his sweet charm. Of course, she loves his little girl. But loving him…it’d be the wrong choice.

Warning: This is not a full romcom. While it has moments of humor, it also has a twist of angst. Okay, now you can dive in, you’re prepared!

The entire Perfect For You series: (Each book can be read as a standalone.)
The Wrong Brother (Book 1): Dane & Gabriella
The Right Time (Book 2): Jaxson & Mia
The Easy Part (Book 3): Brick & Jezebelle
The Hard Choice (Book 4): Corey & Genevieve

ABOUT AMANDA SIEGRIST

Amanda Siegrist

Love! Gimme some love and heaps of romance. I have a sappy heart that just loves two people meeting, going through the cycles of a relationship, and ultimately, falling in love. Give me a good book like that and I’m a happy camper:)

I write contemporary and romantic suspense, but I am partial to suspense. I just love a good mystery.

Besides writing, I love baking, crafts, and baseball…oh, and meeting new people. *smiles*

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY AMANDA SIEGRIST REVIEWS

  • 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!

Cover Reveal for Awaken by Vanessa MacLellan @XpressoTours @McCVan

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Awaken
Vanessa MacLellan
Publication date: July 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror

Balin stands between two great Powers. One will shatter his mind; the other will destroy his soul. Only one of them can save his people.

Fort Resonbirg, a Norse stronghold in the New World, is besieged by the evil sorcerer Ursulard the Dreamspinner. Though their fields are scorched and homes destroyed, the residents and refugees do not worry, because Fort Resonbirg is Awakened with the power to provide, protect, and grow. But not all is as it seems when a wall of impenetrable mist surrounds the fort, and within the mist hunts the dragon, Nidhogg. Nidhogg hungers for more than flesh and bone. It instills nightmares on its prey, feeding on fear and pain, inevitably taking lives.

Balin Tremore, a commoner bound for the militia but hoping to stay by his noble love’s side, never expected to amount to grand things. When the great power of Cradleweaving is awakened within him, Balin unknowingly becomes the one person with the power to pierce the wall of mist and banish the deadly beast within before it destroys them all—if he can master the new power in time. But to master the power, he must sacrifice much. The question is, will it be his position, his Lady, or his very soul?

The Mist meets Nightmare on Elm Street in this classic tale of personal sacrifice.

Add to Goodreads


Author Bio:

Vanessa MacLellan was born and raised in the farmlands of eastern Washington, works as an environmental engineer, and is an avid birder, naturalist and hiker living in Portland, Oregon.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


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  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • 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!

New Release – Little Does She Know by Pamela Crane @MentalMommyPam

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Woo Hoo. A new Pamela Crane novel, Little Does She Know, and I began reading almost as soon as it hit my Kindle. It has a preorder price of .99 and will be released on 6.21.22

Little Does She Know

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Ginger Mallowan is a Material Girl…until her son disappears. It brings to mind my own memories of the 80s: upbeat music, disco dancing, the clothes, big hair (though mine was always long and straight).

Tara Christie is her next door neighbor, the keeper of secrets and her best friend, but a dead body and her missing husband may change all that.

We do start out with a Prologue: Reginald Bloodson, the reason Bloodson Bay, North Caroline, exists. He went from bliss to despair when he lost his wife during childbirth, leading him to madness. On the anniversary of the tragedy, the town feels the gloom. Could they be cursed?

1986: Ginger Mallowan’s 16 month old son, Cole, goes missing. Thirty six years later, Ginger pulls out an evidence storage box. She is too stubborn to let it go. The guilt eats at her. Her other son, Benny, grew up and I am not feeling too good about the man he has become. The town is struck with more murder and disappearances.

NOW, it is getting really good. When I read about Ginger going down the stairs anticipating a hand reaching between the slats and grabbing her ankle, I remember feeling the same way in my childhood home.

A Bloodson may always win, but a Mallowan never surrendered. And Ginger wouldn’t. I felt for her, especially the more I learned about her. I love both of these women, Ginger and Tara. They are strong. Tara saves horses doomed to be pet food. And then we have rich men, thinking the world is their personal playground. I think we will be hearing more about Tara in the next book.

Pamela Crane has so much depth to her characters, whether good or bad, victims or villains. Some dialogue had me fuming, wondering if I would be able to contain my feelings or let rage rule. Good luck trying to solve the mystery amongst all the lies and secrecy surrounding the characters.

Little Does She Know by Pamela Crane is filled with lies and deceit, loss and despair, love and forgiveness…And, yes, I do like a happy ever after, though I couldn’t resist the tease she supplies at the end leading to the next book in the If She Only Knew series.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Little Does She Know by Pamela Crane.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Would you destroy your best friend to save your husband…if he’s done the unspeakable?

Ginger Mallowan embodies everything the 1980s stand for, from big hair to power suits to “Material Girl”…until her son disappears during a beach walk one night. That’s the moment girls don’t want to have fun anymore, and the moment she starts hunting for answers.

Now Ginger’s hair is a bit flatter, her power suits packed into the attic, and her dance steps to Madonna lack the energy of better days. She hasn’t found—or forgotten—her missing son, and she’s only survived the grief thanks to her neighbor and keeper of secrets, Tara Christie.

Except for Ginger’s darkest secret of all…about what happened the night her son disappeared.

But that vow of friendship is tested when Tara is jarred awake one night by a scream coming from next-door, where she finds Ginger standing over a dead body. Even stranger, Tara’s husband is nowhere to be found.

As the investigation shakes the town to its core, and Tara’s husband is charged with the murder, Tara must choose between proving her husband’s innocence or protecting Ginger’s past.

Little does she know they’re about to stumble down a twisty path that could destroy them all.

ABOUT PAMELA CRANE

Pamela Crane

PAMELA CRANE is a USA TODAY best-selling author and professional juggler. Not one who can toss flaming torches in the air, but a juggler of four kids, a writing addiction, and a horse rescuer. She lives on the edge (her Arabian horse can tell you about their wild adventures while trying to train him) and she writes on the edge…where her sanity resides. Her thrillers unravel flawed women who aren’t always pretty. In fact, her characters are rarely pretty, which makes them interesting…and perfect for doing crazy things worth writing about. When she’s not cleaning horse stalls or changing diapers, she’s psychoanalyzing others.

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MY PAMELA CRANE REVIEWS

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Sherry’s Shelves 6.12 – 6.18.22

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Hi Everyone. I missed the Sherry’s Shelves last week. Time seemed to get away from me. I was enjoying working outside, though it was pretty hot. I was shaded most of the time and it wasn’t high energy, just working in my sega garden.

May be an image of 2 people and body of water
May be an image of plant and outdoors
May be an image of 1 person and outdoors
Mr Wonderful is in the reflection from my sunglasses.
May be an image of plant and outdoors
May be an image of 1 person, outdoors and palm trees
May be an image of 1 person, plant and outdoors
May be an image of 1 person, plant and outdoors
May be an image of outdoors
May be an image of 1 person, standing and pool
Our reward for a job well done.

Stay safe and wear a mask..

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • New Release – Little Does She Know by Pamela Crane
  • Second Chances – The Hard Choice by Amanda Siegrist
  • Giveaway – Finding Ruby Draker & Shadows In The Aftermath by Marianne Scott
  • The First Two Books of the Symphony Of Crowns and Gods by Brian A Mendonca
  • Giveaway – Awakenings by L C Con
  • The Saga Continues in Cursed in the Dark by Scarlett West
  • Drifters is the third ThreeCon novel by Carmen Webster Buxton
  • Giveaway – Cinderella Didn’t Live Happily Ever After by Anne E Beall
  • Giveaway – The Berlin Device by Tammy Wunsch
  • Giveaway – Reasons Why Not To Date Public Enemy CEO by Melanie Munton
  • They Lurk by Wesley Thomas
  • Tackling The TBR
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Tackling The TBR 6.11 – 6.17.22 #tacklingthetbr

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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 I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog, from Carole’s Random Life in Books, 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: 2108

Currently Reading

Books Read

Books Added

I am keeping these on the post until the giveaways are over, just in case someone missed them.

Goodreads giveaway

You Can Run (Laurel Snow, #1)

Goodreads giveaway here

The Big Dark Sky

Goodreads giveaway HERE

Bad Girls Drink Blood

Goodreads giveaway

Listen To Me (Rizzoli & Isles, #13)

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 5

Duplicates Removed: 0

New TBR Total: 2104

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Giveaway – The Right Kind of Unexpected by Rayna York @XpressoTours

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The Right Kind of Unexpected
Rayna York
Publication date: June 18th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Tess hasn’t experienced many kindnesses in her eighteen years. When her boyfriend abandons her at a small-town gas station, it’s just one more crappy event to add to the pile. Without a car, money, or cell phone, her options are limited, and calling her parents isn’t one of them. So when the family that owns the business throws her a lifeline, she grabs hold. Because even the worst situations can have a silver lining, and this one is a town called Jasper Creek, a diner everyone calls Earl’s, and a young mechanic named Colten Reed.

Rayna York’s standalone novel gives readers the small-town romance they crave with enough feels to make the heart sing. It’s the perfect feel-good, summer romance.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I rush to the bathroom at the side of the building and lock the door behind me. I can’t deal with this anymore. I grip the sides of the pedestal sink and drop my head, breathing deep. In, out, in, out, fighting for calm.

Why? Why did I think this was a good idea?

Three days ago, Dax and I were on our way to a gallery opening when I mentioned I’d never been to Disney World. He said he hadn’t either. I commented on how it would be fun to jump in the car and go. High school graduation was over, my parents were in Europe, I didn’t have any plans for the summer, so the next afternoon we were on the road.

Bad idea.

Horrible.

The worst.

I lift my sunglasses to the top of my head and startle at the red-rimmed, brown-eyed zombie staring back at me. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since we left, and I forgot to take my makeup off last night, then Dax was in such a hurry this morning.

Maybe our relationship was always a mess. I don’t know. We’ve only been together for six months. In New York, Dax and I got along great. There were parties, restaurants, people, and places to fill our time. Now, without the distractions and being stuck together in mostly confined spaces, I realize we don’t have as much in common as I thought. But it’s more than that. He needs to be right about everything and nags me until I concede to his views. I never noticed him doing that before. There are a lot of things I didn’t notice before.

I use a little soap and water on a paper towel and clean the black smears from around my eyes. It cleans the makeup off perfectly, but the dark circles and puffiness remain. I slide a hair elastic from around my wrist and pull my brown mop of humid-induced frizz into a messy bun.

With a deep sigh, I slide my glasses back over my eyes and push the door open into the bright sunlight. I take in the beautiful field dotted with wildflowers behind the gas station, then close my eyes and lift my face to the sun, disregarding the intensity on my pale skin. I breathe in the fragrant smell of green that only a sweltering heat can produce.

It’s time to put an end to this impromptu adventure. It ceased being fun after the first five hours. And it’s my car, my time, my money. With renewed strength, I turn on my heels, ready to confront Dax and get my car keys back. I’m heading home with or without my soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. I can drop him off at a bus station if he wants to continue the trip.

I round the corner of the building. Wait, what? Where is it?

I walk to the two ancient gas pumps and turn in a circle, taking in the white building with peeling paint, and everything else in the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree radius, but the car is nowhere in sight. I walk to the other side of the building, thinking he might have parked in a different location while getting something from inside, but the car isn’t there either.

Author Bio:

Rayna York grew up with hippie parents that liked to adventure. Where change was the norm, books were her constant—a way to escape. As an adult, many careers came and went, but writing has always been her passion. Everything I knew to be true is her first published novel.

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  • 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.
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