Author Archives: fundinmental

Giveaway – The Boy Between @iReadBookTours @MrsAmandaProwse

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Join us for this tour from Nov 2 to Nov 27, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title: The Boy Between – A Mother and Son’s Journey from a World Gone Grey by Amanda Prowse and Josiah Hartley
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 286 pages
Genre:  Author Memoir, Family
Publisher:  Little A
Release date:  November 2020
Content Rating: R: 1. Infrequent use of F word in context (estimated 10 times in book), 2. Mildly questions religious faith during a testing time, 3. References to thoughts about suicide (not graphic)

“A candid, moving and inspirational book, I am blown away.” 
Jonny Benjamin MBE, award-winning mental health campaigner and author
of The Stranger on the Bridge
 
Book Description:
 
Josiah was nineteen with the world at his feet when things changed. Without warning, the new university student’s mental health deteriorated to the point that he planned his own death. His mother, bestselling author Amanda Prowse, found herself grappling for ways to help him, with no clear sense of where that could be found. This is the book they wish had been there for them during those dark times. Josiah’s situation is not unusual: the statistics on student mental health are terrifying. And he was not the only one suffering; his family was also hijacked by his illness, watching him struggle and fearing the day he might succeed in taking his life. In this book, Josiah and Amanda hope to give a voice to those who suffer, and to show them that help can be found. It is Josiah’s raw, at times bleak, sometimes humorous, but always honest account of what it is like to live with depression. It is Amanda’s heart-rending account of her pain at watching him suffer, speaking from the heart about a mother’s love for her child. For anyone with depression and anyone who loves someone with depression, Amanda and Josiah have a clear message—you are not alone, and there is hope.
 
Buy the Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.com/Can ~ Amazon.com/UK ~ Amazon.com/AU
Add to Goodreads
 

Meet the Author:
 
Amanda Prowse is an award winning international bestselling author best known for her contemporary fiction novels. A radio broadcaster and TV presenter renowned for her empathetic and emotional books, she is known in the UK as the ‘Queen of family drama’. Her books have sold over 8 million copies in dozens of languages around the world.

connect with the author:  website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
 
 

Meet the Author:
 
Josiah (Josh) Hartley is the son of Amanda Prowse who has co-authored with his mother to tell the story of his journey through life so far. Born in the England, Josh was fortunate enough to attend one of the country’s elite public schools from an early age and was awarded a place at one of the UK’s top Universities where he planned to work towards a medical doctorate. But just at the moment when he should have been having the time of his life, he started feeling nagging tugs of self-doubt which spiralled into a depression during which time he planned his suicide. Luckily, his family intervened and after a roller coaster couple of years, he is alive and well and sharing his story to help other families who find themselves in the same position navigate their way through those difficult times.
 
Tour Schedule:
 
Nov 2 – Working Mommy Journal – book review / giveaway
Nov 2 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
Nov 2 – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / guest post / giveaway
Nov 3 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
Nov 3 – Asreadbydanielle  – book review / guest post / giveaway
Nov 4 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Nov 5 – meandmybooks – book review / guest post
Nov 6 – Olio By Marilyn – book review / author interview / giveaway
Nov 6 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 9 – Welcome To MLM Opinion’s Reviews – book review
Nov 10 – Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview
Nov 10 – The Momma Spot – book review
Nov 11 – Books and Zebras @jypsylynn – book review / giveaway
Nov 12 – RebeccaReviewedIt – book review / giveaway
Nov 13 – Fur Everywhere – book review
Nov 16 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
Nov 17 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 17 – Pick a Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
Nov 18 – Rajiv’s Reviews – book review
Nov 18 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – book review / author interview / giveaway
Nov 19 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
Nov 20 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Nov 23 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 24 – Corinne Rodrigues – book review / giveaway
Nov 24 – Lisa-Queen of Random – book review / giveaway
Nov 25 – Library of Clean Reads – book review / giveaway
Nov 26 – My Fictional Oasis – book review / author interview
Nov 27 – Books for Books – book spotlight
 
Enter the Giveaway:
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 


 

  • 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 stopping by fundinmental!

Books From The Backlog – The Ghost and the Graveyard by Genevieve Jack @Genevieve_Jack #booksfromthebacklog

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Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

The Ghost and the Graveyard (Knight Games, #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

**The Ghost and The Graveyard is a funny, exciting, and sexy read intended for adults. Due to sexual content, language, and violence this book is recommended for ages 18+**

Grateful Knight isn’t looking for love when she moves into a rent-free house on the edge of a graveyard. At twenty-two, all she wants is to recover financially so she can move back to the city where she belongs.

But sparks fly when the gorgeous cemetery caretaker, Rick, introduces himself and mentions his suspicion that her new house might be haunted. Her attraction to him seems supernatural, and despite her resolve to not get involved, she literally can’t keep her hands off him.

When things in Grateful’s house start moving on their own, another man enters her life, Logan, a sexy ghost with a dark secret. He says Rick isn’t what he seems, and indulging her passion for him could cost her soul.

One thing’s for sure, magical forces are at work in the tiny town of Red Grove, and they’re converging on Grateful. Life will never be the same once she’s forced to choose between the ghost and the graveyard.

Goodreads ratings: 3.65  · ·  9,001 ratings  ·  754 reviews

Why did I grab this one? Just look at the cover, then read the blurb and I think that will answer your question. I added this to my TBR on 10.18.12 and grabbed it from Amazon on 9.6.13. I love when I have added a book and find it free later.

  • 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!

Giveaway & Review – Eye for Eye Trilogy @jk_franko @partnersincr1me

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Eye for Eye Trilogy

by JK Franko

October 19 – December 31, 2020 Tour

Eye for Eye Trilogy by JK Franko

 

If you like smart, fast-paced thrillers with unexpected twists, then you’ll love J.K. Franko’s Eye for Eye Trilogy!

MY REVIEW

The Eye for Eye trilogy by J K Franko kept me reading long into the night….and the next night….and the next. Once I started I didn’t stop until I had finished. Each book brought more surprises and mystery as I wonder how many people’s lives are going to be affected and who will be left standing. I love vigilante scenarios and replays of familiar story lines, especially when it is as chock full of danger and suspense as the Eye For Eye trilogy was. This proves the chaos theory, so be careful about throwing that pebble into the pond. It’s not necessary to read the prequel: Trial of Joe Harlan Jr, though you may find it interesting. It is, however, best to read the trilogy from the beginning, with Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth, and Life for Life. When it comes to the wrapup…fanfrickintastic. Even when I thought the story was pretty much over, J K Franko kept the surprises coming. He even had me feeling sorry for Roy…and most of the other characters. I mean, what do you do when the justice system fails you? Do you take the matter into your own hands? What if it was your child? Your son? Your daughter? Your best friend? How far would you go to protect them? Seek vengeance for them? And is it so wrong?

I highly recommend picking up this series, but be sure and set aside the time. Once I started I didn’t want to stop, and you may feel the same way.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Eye for Eye Trilogy by J K Franko.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

 

 

“REALISTIC & CHILLING!” – Mystery Thriller Week

 

 

Eye for Eye

“NEW TWIST ON STRANGERS ON A TRAIN”
~ THE SUNDAY TIMES

 

 

The Trial of Joe Harlan Junior

 

Tooth for Tooth

What would YOU do?

 

 

Life for Life

What would YOU do if someone threatened your family?

 

 

Eye for Eye Trilogy Details:

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Legal
Published by: Talion Publishing
Publication Date: October 5, 2020
Number of Pages: 1050
ASIN: B08KSCHTRX
Series: Talion Trilogy #1
Find out more or get your copy:

Amazon & Goodreads

 

 

Read an excerpt from Eye for Eye:

When I try to piece together how this whole mess began, a part of me thinks it may have started over thirty years ago. At least the seeds were planted that far back, in the early 1980s. What happened then, at that summer camp in Texas, set the stage for everything that was to come.

Odd, how something so remote in time and geography continues to impact me here, today.

Sometimes I try to imagine her, how she felt—that eleven year-old girl—as she ran, stumbling and tripping through the woods that night. I try to put myself in her shoes. When I do, I wonder if she was frightened.

Did she understand the consequences of what she’d gotten herself into? I imagine it felt otherworldly to her, like a dream. But not a good dream. No, one of the bad ones—the ones that make your heart machine-gun as you try to outrun some dark thing that’s chasing you. But the faster you try to run, the slower you go, your legs feeling leaden, clumsy, useless.

Panic sets in. Tears of frustration form. Fear takes hold and won’t let go. You open your mouth to scream but realize, to your horror, that you’re paralyzed. It’s not that you can’t scream; you can’t even breathe. Not a dream—a nightmare.

Then again, all that may simply be my imagination. It could just be me projecting what I might have felt onto Joan. Maybe she wasn’t scared at all.

True, it was dark out. The night smelled of rain, but there was no lightning, only the far-off rumble of thunder hinting at a distant storm. There were no trail lights, no visibility but for the moon peeking out intermittently from behind a patchwork of clouds. But, Joan had been down this trail before. She was running toward the main cabin.

She had been at Camp Willow for almost two full weeks. She had been up and down that trail at least ten times a day, every day. Of course, that was during the day, and always with her buddy, or a camp counselor (the children called them troop leaders). Joan had never been on the trail at night. And never alone.

Maybe I imagine Joan was scared because, as an adult, I believe that she should have been. I would have been terrified.

***

Excerpt from Eye For Eye by JK Franko. Copyright © 2019 by JK Franko. Reproduced with permission from JK Franko. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

JK Franko

J.K. FRANKO was born and raised in Texas. His Cuban-American parents agreed there were only three acceptable options for a male child: doctor, lawyer, and architect. After a disastrous first year of college pre-Med, he ended up getting a BA in philosophy (not acceptable), then he went to law school (salvaging the family name) and spent many years climbing the big law firm ladder. After ten years, he decided that law and family life weren’t compatible. He went back to school where he got an MBA and pursued a Ph.D. He left law for corporate America, with long stints in Europe and Asia.

His passion was always to be a writer. After publishing a number of non-fiction works, thousands of hours writing, and seven or eight abandoned fictional works over the course of eighteen years, EYE FOR EYE became his first published novel.

J.K. Franko now lives with his wife and children in Florida.

Catch Up With JK Franko On:
jkfranko.com, Goodreads, Instagram, Bookbub, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews and giveaways!



 

 

Enter To Win!

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for JK Franko. There will be Six (6) winners for this tour. Two (2) winners will each receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card; Two (2) winners will each receive 1 print edition of Eye for Eye, book 1 of the Talion series, by JK Franko (US and Canada Only); and Two (2) winners will each receive 1 ebook edition of Eye for Eye, book 1 of the Talion series, by JK Franko. The giveaway begins on October 19, 2020 and runs through December 21, 2020. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • 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’.
  • I am an amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Strong From The Heart by Jon Land @jondland #CaitlinStrong

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Strong From The Heart by Jon Land is the eleventh book in the Caitlin Strong Texas Ranger series and I have been loving spending time with her. I usually receive an ARC, but this time I received a beautiful, signed, hardcover and I am so excited to add it to my collection of Jon Land books.

Strong from the Heart (Caitlin Strong #11)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Many of us are aware of the opiod epidemic and Caitlin Strong will be facing it in Strong From The Heart by Jon Land. I wouldn’t want to be the culprits that she is seeking.

The Prologue reeled me in and my mind was whirling with the possibilities.

We start out with a wayward mailman who is on a mission, but it’s not to deliver his mail.

WTH…happened in Camino Pass? Caitlin Strong is on the case and will get to the bottom of it.

She has stepped into a snake pit and I am rooting for her, as she defuses a volatile situation at the Canyon Ridge Elementary School, where ICE attempts to pick up six children. We have the usual posturing between law enforcement divisions for control of the situation. She will not allow that, and her trusty friend Guillermo Paz is by her side. I love Caitlin’s attitude and the humor that Jon Land adds to his thrillers.

“Kids are safe and I didn’t even have to shoot anybody.”

Cort, her outlaw boyfriend is at the hospital after a call telling him his son ODed on opiates. Caitlin would stop at nothing to trace who was providing the drugs to him and the other kids at school. I love that Jon Land tosses in current events.

“Just one Texas Ranger, son?”

“You ever hear the motto, one riot, one Ranger? Because it’s damn near true.”

“You are like human flypaper Ranger, and wherever you go, the worst of the worse just sticks to you.” An apt description of Caitlin Strong, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Jon Land’s writing makes the story flow smoothly, increasing the danger and suspense over the course of the story. We have more than one story line going on and the past creeps into the present. Jon Land always gives us tidbits of Texas Ranger history and I love that.

I worry for some of my favorite characters, because they do not run from trouble and danger, they run towards it.

I had been waiting to read Strong From The Heart by Jon Land for when I really needed a pick me up, a get lost for hours book. I started reading during College Game Day (and anybody that knows me, knows I don’t want to be disturbed during football) and figured I would read during those dull moments, commercials, and half time. I finished it shortly after the Alabama vs Ole Miss game. I got so involved that I couldn’t put it down..

I needed some distraction from current events and I want to thank you, Jon, for helping me to get lost and escape through your words.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Strong From The Heart by Jon Land.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In what Brad Meltzer calls a “savory Tex-Mex tale, seasoned with all the ingredients of a great thriller,” Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong digs for the truth behind the Opioid Crisis in the next installment of Jon Land’s critically acclaimed series

Mexico, 1898: Texas Ranger William Ray Strong arrives in the border town of Camino Pass to transport a young Pancho Villa to stand trial, but his plans are waylaid when he learns all of the town’s children have been kidnapped.

The Present: The drug crisis hits home for fifth generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong when the son of her outlaw lover, Cort Wesley Masters, nearly dies from an opioid overdose.

Determined to make those responsible pay, Caitlin sets out to track down the dealer and pusher, while trying to solve the inexplicable tragedy of a small Texas town where all the residents died in a single night. When she realizes these two pursuits are connected, she finds herself following a trail to the truth of the crisis nestled hard in the center of America’s power base.

That power base, comprised of politicians, Big Pharma, along with corrupt doctors and drug distributors, has successfully beaten back all threats in the past. But they have no idea what’s in store when the guns of Texas come calling.

ABOUT JON LAND

Jon Land

Jon Land is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of 36 books, including the bestselling Caitlin Strong Texas Ranger series that includes Strong Enough to Die, Strong Justice, Strong at the Break, Strong Vengeance and, most recently, Strong Rain Falling. The Tenth Circle marks the second return engagement of his longtime series hero Blaine McCracken on the heels of last year’s Pandora’s Temple which was nominated for a Thriller Award and received the 2013 International Book Award for Best Adventure Thriller. Jon’s first nonfiction book, Betrayal, meanwhile, was named Best True Crime Book of 2012 by Suspense Magazine and won a 2012 International Book Award for Best True Crime Book. He is currently working on Strong Darkness, the next entry in the Caitlin Strong to be published in September of 2014. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from Brown University, where he continues to maintain a strong volunteer presence, in 1979.

Stalk Jon:  Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook 

MY JON LAND REVIEWS

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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!

Tackling The TBR – 10.25 – 10.31.20 #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: 2446

Currently Reading

Books Read

Books Added

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 0

Duplicates Removed: 1

New TBR Total: 2443

  • 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!

Music Monday – Bruce Springsteen #musicmonday @springsteen

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Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday! Let’s share some songs we’ve been enjoying lately!  If you would like to play, and I really hope you do, please see the rules and link up below HERE

Bruce Springsteen is the only artist that I have stood in line to buy tickets for. It was a cold, rainy day in Michigan and I was soooo excited. I have been watching Trevor Noah on The Daily Show since he began. I am a huge fan of his and loved it when he interviewed Bruce this past week. Bruce also has a new film that I believe airs on AppleTV+.

Bruce talked about Born in the USA and how people had misunderstood what he was saying, so I included the lyrics to the song.

“Born In The U.S.A.”

Born down in a dead man’s town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that’s been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man

Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says “Son if it was up to me”
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said “Son, don’t you understand”

I had a brother at Khe Sanh fighting off the Viet Cong
They’re still there, he’s all gone

He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms now

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I’m ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run ain’t got nowhere to go

Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I’m a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I’m a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A.

  • You can see my Giveaways 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’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Sherry’s Shelves 10.25 – 10.31.20 #sundaymemes

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Sunday Post #431 August

Hello fellow bloggers. It happened…Mr Wonderful was given administrative leave and will not be returning to work due to a reduction in force. We had planned for this, but had hoped he would make it a couple more years, at least. I am not unhappy about it, though we are having to make some tough decisions. He has some freelance worked planned, so we won’t feel any adverse affects before next year. They will continue his pay through mid December. Isn’t it ‘funny’ how so many people lose their jobs around the holidays? He is not one to sit still, so the main thing will be keeping him busy so I have blogging time. 🙂

We were lucky that Zeta blew through with no damage to our property. Myself, I have had enough of that to last me for the rest of my life. BUT, living here in Florida, I am sure that will not be the case. Right now, there is a crispness in the air and the sun is shining.

Stay safe and have a good week.

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Music Monday
  • Giveaway & Review – Eye for Eye by J K Franko
  • Books From The Backlog – The Ghost and the Graveyard by Genvieve Jack
  • Giveaway – The Boy Between
  • Giveaway – Third Degree

You can see my Tackling My TBR post HERE. Lot of pretty covers.

  • 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!

Giveaway – The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff @MimiJeanRomance @XpressoReads

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The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
(The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant, #5)
Publication date: October 31st 2020
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes the FINAL vampire-mystery-slash-romance-slash-adventure about a librarian and her trusty vampire assistant, The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant, Book 5.

(Yes, yes. Still a standalone. Yippy! You don’t have to go back and read all four books. But don’t ya kinda wanna?)

NEVER HIRE A HANDSOME VAMPIRE!

MIRIAM MURPHY loves being a librarian. It’s all she’s ever wanted—to eat, breathe, and sleep books. But when she hired Michael, a handsome college student, she had no idea he was a four-hundred-year-old vampire and that inviting him into her life would result in her becoming one too. But not before he knocked her up and broke her heart.

Now Miriam is a single mother, all alone in a new world with a new vampire body. And someone’s trying to kill her. Who? Why? She has no real enemies.

If only Michael would help. After all, he’s the vampire king now. And this is one mystery she can’t solve on her own.

NEVER FALL FOR A LIBRARIAN!

MICHAEL VANDERHORST knows he’s changed. He can no longer love or laugh or enjoy hot peppers like he used to. But being an unfeeling, ruthless vampire is what it takes to rule the deadliest bloodsuckers on the planet. It’s the only way to keep humankind safe.

Problem is, his enemies know the librarian and his daughter are special to him. They are his to protect, even if he’s incapable of feeling love.

But when danger comes knocking at Miriam’s library door, he must choose between solving the biggest mystery of his existence and the woman he swore to protect.

What’s a vampire king to do?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

My parents started this library and filled it with millions of dollars of books. Three floors. Open in the middle—same as our house—overlooking the main floor. When I wasn’t in school or training to be a Keeper, I was here, losing myself in books. I think I always knew I wanted to be a librarian, but it just took a while to work up the courage to tell my family. Of course, when I did, they acted like I’d told them I wanted to be a porn star or bank robber.

To this day, I don’t regret my choice, but I do regret how my parents were murdered before I could convince them that choosing another path in life didn’t mean I hated them. They died thinking the worst of me, and for that, I don’t think I’ll ever feel closure.

I pull into the parking lot to the side of my library and immediately go for my crossbow. The big one this time. Bertha.

There are four black SUVs in the lot and two parked out front on the busy street at the meters. I know it isn’t Nice, which is why I grab the chocolate-tipped arrow. I make them myself with pure cocoa powder and a flour paste so the tip hardens just enough to penetrate the skin. Vampire skin.

Chocolate is a narcotic for us. Give us enough, and it’ll kill, whereas a small dose has the same effect as alcohol. I’ve yet to sample any since being turned because I’ve been alone with Stella and must be on my guard. Mommy can’t get a chocolate chip cookie buzz until she finds a ninja sitter.

I take my crossbow and exit my Hummer. I might be a librarian, but when it comes to defending my child, I’m a one-woman army. Ready to kick fangs or asses. The ill-fitting, disheveled clothes I wear—below-the-knee skirts, moth-eaten sweaters, and granny glasses—are merely a disguise. Today I have on a wrinkled white blouse, plain tan pants, and a black cardigan that’s all stretched out. People see me and think I couldn’t harm a fly or fight my way out of a paper bag. All part of my Keeper upbringing. Unfortunately, my natural clumsiness is genuine, and so is my lack of love for violence. I can fight, and fight well. It’s just not something that comes naturally or that I enjoy. Even when I was Nice’s prisoner, fear always held me back. And he knew just how to use it to keep me tethered to his side, reading bad poetry, helping him shop online for ruffled shirts, telling him how much I admired his wiry body and long black locks.

The man is a monster.

At least I wasn’t mistreated sexually. Mr. Nice has a rule about not sleeping with humans (apparently they’re too fragile for his bedroom games), but he kept Stella from me. Those are years lost with my daughter, and I’ll never get them back. For that, he’ll pay.

How?

I’m not sure yet, but it’s coming. His day of reckoning for separating me from Michael and then my child, for driving Michael to become a cold-hearted vampire, and for turning me is coming. I love to read, and I’ve always believed a story is only as good as the bad guy. But in real life? The only good bad guy is a dead bad guy. This librarian is coming for you, Nice.

Now for this guy!

Bertha in hand, I pull on the front door of my library. My eyes meet his, and my heart starts hammering against my rib cage, like it’s calling out to him in longing. The sensation jars me and, in some way, shames me. I know he can hear it. Just like I can hear the lack of beating inside his chest. He couldn’t care less about seeing me. He feels nothing.

“What do you want, Michael?” I growl, keeping my weapon pointed at the ground. I know his guards are all around us, waiting to pounce.

“What do I want?” He points to his broad chest, and I try not to notice how good his tall, lean, muscular frame looks in his tailored black suit. Michael Vanderhorst was born over four hundred years ago, but if you saw him walking down the street today, you’d wonder where the Armani shoot was. And I’m not talking runway. I’m talking Christmastime cologne commercial. You know, the ripped, oiled-down guy with deep olive skin in a tight white Speedo, diving into a pristine turquoise ocean. Yeah. That Armani.

Despite being a vampire, Michael is everything hard and male and seductive, with a face that never ages. One look into those dark eyes, and you’re lost forever.

“Yes,” I repeat, “what do you want?”

“You summoned me,” he says in that deep, authoritative voice that doesn’t fit his youthful appearance. It was the one thing that first tipped me off about him not being human. No twenty-year-old I’ve ever met has a voice that can make my toes tingle.

I raise my crossbow and point it at his groin.

“What are you doing?” he growls with those sexy lips.

“I know you have at least a dozen guards surrounding me. Consider it my insurance.”

Michael unfolds his arms. “Mir-librarian-woman, you sent five of my men home in a shoebox. I hardly think you are the one at risk.”

I frown. “What are you talking about?” And why is he calling me Mir-librarian-woman?

His dark eyes narrow in puzzlement. “Please tell me it was you who summoned me.”

I blink, catching on to the situation.

Someone pretending to be me asked him to come here.

I hear a click somewhere in the room. Oh crap!

Before I can scream “run,” Michael charges faster than my new vampire eyes can register.

Author Bio:

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.

Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – The Moon is Missing by Jenni Ogden @jenni_ogden @iReadBookTours

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Join us for this tour from Oct 26 to Nov 20, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Moon Is Missing by Jenni Ogden
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  388 pages
Genre:  Book Club, Literary, Women’s Fiction, Domestic Suspense
Publisher:  Sea Dragon Press
Release date:   April 2020
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M: No violence, mild non-explicit sex scenes, appropriate and minimal use of f— words and a few mild cusses etc, adultery as a secret from past generations, but not between current-day characters. 



“Jenni Ogden is a beautiful writer. In her newest, a tale of domestic suspense, Ogden tells the story of a neurosurgeon bedeviled by her own sophisticated brain and the memories of a long-ago tragedy that still has the power to destroy her and her family. Pick up The Moon is Missing. You won’t put it down.”
— Jacquelyn Mitchard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean & My Only 

“With gripping scenes set during Hurricane Katrina and on a remote New Zealand island, this tightly-woven family drama—fueled by long-buried secrets and a daughter’s desperate need to answer the question, ‘Who am I?’ —is ripe for book club discussion.” –Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of ‘A Perfect Son’ & ‘The Promise Between Us’

“…Beautifully written … characters were immensely believable…Ogden did not shy away from the harsh realities of what can happen when someone in a family is experiencing panic attacks and trauma from the past. Katrina was a tragedy and I feel the novel really paid homage to the medical staff who worked tirelessly to make sure people were evacuated….a must-read for anyone who is a fan of women’s fiction, especially harkening back to the old greats such as Fern Michaels.”
—Readers’ Favorite, 5 star review. 

Book Description:

A daughter who cries “Who am I?”
A mother who can’t tell her…
A hurricane called Katrina…
A family secret exposed…
An island at the bottom of the world.

From Jenni Ogden, author of multiple-award-winning A DROP IN THE OCEAN, comes a page-turning tale of family secrets and mother–daughter conflict set in London, New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and on a remote and spectacular island off the coast of New Zealand.

Georgia Grayson has perfected the art of being two people: a neurosurgeon on track to becoming the first female Director of Neurosurgery at a large London hospital, and a wife and mother. Home is her haven where, with husband Adam’s support, she copes with her occasional anxiety attacks. That is until her daughter, 15-year-old Lara, demands to know more about Danny, her mysterious biological father from New Orleans who died before she was born. “Who was he? Why did he die? WHO AM I?” Trouble is, Georgia can’t tell her. As escalating panic attacks prevent her from operating, and therapy fails to bring back the memories she has repressed, fractures rip through her once happy family. Georgia sees only one way forward; to return to New Orleans where Danny first sang his way into her heart, and then to the rugged island where he fell to his death. Somehow she must uncover the truth Lara deserves, whatever the cost.

BUY THE BOOK:
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B&N ~ BAM ~ indiebound
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ALSO IN AUDIOBOOK:
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Audiobooks.com ~ Apple


Meet the Author:

Jenni Ogden and her husband live off-grid on spectacular Great Barrier Island, 100 kms off the coast of New Zealand, a perfect place to write and for grandchildren to spend their holidays. Winters are spent near a beach in Far North Tropical Queensland. Jenni’s debut novel, ‘A Drop in the Ocean’, won multiple awards and has sold over 80,000 copies. As a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist, she is well-known for her books featuring her patients’ moving stories:’Fractured Minds: A Case-Study Approach to Clinical Neuropsychology’, and ‘Trouble In Mind: Stories from a Neuropsychologist’s Casebook’. Please visit her author website, sign up for her e-newsletter, and friend and follow her everywhere!


Connect with the Author:  website  ~ facebook  ~ twitter ~ instagram ~ goodreads
 
Tour Schedule:
Oct 26 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 26 – Amy’s Booket List – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 26 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 27 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 27 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 28 – The Wayward Reader – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 28 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 29 – I’m Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 29 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 29 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 30 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 2 – FUONLYKNEW – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 2 – Reading Authors Network – books spotlight / giveaway
Nov 3 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 4 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
Nov 5 –Lisa-Queen of Random – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 6 – Books Lattes & Tiaras – book spotlight
Nov 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 9 – Locks, Hooks And Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 10 – Lisa-Queen of Random – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 11 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 12 –Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 13 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 16 – Pine Enshrined Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 17 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 19 – Books for Books – book spotlight
Nov 20 –
 
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Angelbound Series – The Brutal Time by Christina Bauer @CB_Bauer @YABoundToursPR

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  • The Brutal Time (Angelbound Origins #6)
  • by Christina Bauer
  • Genre: YA Supernatural
  • Release Date: October 2020
  • MonsterHouse Books

Summary:

As the Great Scala, Myla Lewis is the only being who can move Purgatory’s souls to Heaven or Hell. It’s a big job. Too bad Myla goes through assistants faster than a hot knife through brownies. Not that it bothers her much; Myla’s always been a solo fighter.

Then comes the problem of the fading angels. Millions of Heavenly residents are dying. According to a prophecy, the only way Myla can save them is by traveling back in time, meeting King Arthur, and creating her own knights of the round table. The catch? Doing so might end the after-realms in a bloody demonpocalypse.

Yipes.

Myla and her main squeeze, Lincoln, aren’t afraid of taking a few chances (in between kisses). But this time the stakes may be too high, even for them. And the biggest challenge of all? Finding those knights.

Because Myla Lewis doesn’t play well with others. At all.

“Would I recommend The Brutal Time? You bet I do! If you like angels and demons with a kick a** and take names later kind of girl whose husband is so hot he will make your tongue come out slap your brains right out of your head then this is the book for you. One click yourself a copy today!” – The Avid Reader

ANGELBOUND ORIGINS
About a quasi (part demon and part human) girl who loves kicking butt in Purgatory’s Arena
1. Angelbound
2. Scala
3. Acca
4. Thrax
5. The Dark Lands
6. The Brutal Time
7. Armageddon
8. Quasi Redux

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Angelbound on Goodreads

Purchase Links for The Brutal Time (Anglebound Origins #6): Apple / GooglePlay / Kobo / Chirp / Scribd / Audible to follow

Check out the purchase links for the entire Angelbound Origins series HERE!

About the Author:
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

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Stalk Christina on Social Media – She Loves It!

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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 stopping by fundinmental!