Giveaway, Guest Post & Review – The Element Trilogy by Donna Galanti @DonnaGalanti

Posted on December 6, 2016 by fundinmental

I am so excited to share Donna Galanti’s Element series with you today.

Soooo…let’s start with A Human Element.

A Human Element is an amazing fantasy that left me screaming for more.

The beautiful cover is only a prelude to the amazingl story inside.

MY REVIEW

A Human Element is about man’s inhumanity to man, man’s callous disregard of other’s lives, but also, the lengths some people will go to do the right thing.

When her parents are killed and she is left alone, she is committed to finding the killer.

I felt such tension, suspense, fear and dread for the characters, that I was talking to them. Shouting at them. Telling them to watch out. He’s coming.

I LOVE this book. The further into A Human Element I read, the more engrossed I become. My heart beats faster as my eyes race across the words…faster and faster. I just have to know what is going to happen. I read on and it gets creepier and creepier.

See my full review HERE.

GOODREADS BLURB: Evil comes in many forms…

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.

Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.

But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I loved A Human Element by Donna Galanti, so to continue the story in A Hidden Element was a no brainer. This is Book II of the trilogy, which contains a mish mash of genres: science fiction, mystery, thrills and romance.

A Hidden Element does fill in some of the story from A Human Element, but for the full effect I recommend starting with Book I.

I knew bad stuff was coming and I was afraid for Charlie. He is an innocent, but will he be swayed to the dark side?

Some of the aliens want to just live among us, fit in with us, side by side.

Others want so much more.

Aliens or human, it seems like we all have the same wants and desires, motivations and ego, dark and light, good and bad.

Charlie: Tomorrow. He would tell her everything tomorrow.

Adrian: He couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow delivered.

Ben: Tomorrow. He would fix this tomorrow.

Donna Galanti can sure spin an amazing tale that will keep you reading. The characters captivated me as I journeyed along with them, trying their best to make the right choices. I struggled to figure out who was good and who was bad, who would be the betrayer and who would survive. There are plenty of surprises and suspense and food for thought.

What would we do if we found out aliens walked among us? I have a feeling it wouldn’t be good. Would it be like First Encounter or War of the Worlds? Would you be curious or afraid? Would you want them living next door to you?

I’m just saying….

5 Stars

ABOUT A HIDDEN ELEMENT: Evil lurks within…

When Caleb Madroc is used against his will as part of his father’s plan to breed a secret community and infiltrate society with their unique powers, he vows to save his oppressed people and the two children kept from him. Seven years later, Laura and Ben Fieldstone’s son is abducted, and they are forced to trust a madman’s son who puts his life on the line to save them all. The enemy’s desire to own them—or destroy them—leads to a survival showdown. Laura and Ben must risk everything to defeat a new nemesis that wants to rule the world with their son, and Caleb may be their only hope—if he survives. But must he sacrifice what he most desires to do so?

Writing Your Last Line by Donna Galanti

What makes you decide to buy a book? Do you open it open up to the first page and decide on the first paragraph, or even first line? I have one friend who studies first lines. She roams a library or bookstore and randomly selects books to read their first lines then dissects them based on how drawn in she is. Did it grab her attention? Did it raise a question? Did it introduce the main character? And most importantly, does she want to keep reading?

Those first lines. They either grab you or they don’t. As writers, we only have a few seconds to impress readers enough so they will buy our book.

But what about those last lines? Those lines that complete a scene, chapter, or THE END itself that propel you to turn the page and read on, or that keep the story alive in your mind long after you’ve finished it.

One early reader of A Hidden Element was intrigued by the last lines of my chapters. She actually typed them up and sent them to me because she was so thrilled with how each one ended like a cliffhanger and kept her reading.

Here’s a sampling:

Killing was useful in so many ways.
The dark took her anyway.
She would do anything to save her family.
And that scared him more than anything.
She welcomed Death, but he did not come for her.
The nothing took him.
She screamed and ran into a darker hell.
The last words he heard whispered were, “forever dead”.
And it was not of this Earth.
He drifted away in it.
He could live with that, if only he could be a father to his sons.
The old fear hit him again in the gut.
The words shattered through him like hammer to glass – not from Earth.
He was empty inside, as he had always been.
The first stone flew.
The scars of Rachel and his sons seared his heart forever.
He was just a kid suddenly terrified of his own dad – and his own destiny.
He looked up at the open door that welcomed him.
After fifteen years the nightmare had begun – again.
They marched on toward a hidden enemy who watched – and waited.

Would you turn the page to read the next chapter – and the next? When you read these chapter lines together do they tell a story to you?

And what about our last lines in life? They are the final cliffhanger we leave the world with, leaving those we leave behind to wonder about.

Here are some cliffhanger last lines from famous folks. Would you want to keep reading about their life? Would their life story resonate with you?

Let us cross over the river and sit in the shade of the trees. – General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson

I die hard but am not afraid to go. – George Washington, US President

Get my swan costume ready. – Anna Pavlova, ballerina

Go on, get out – last words are for fools who haven’t said enough. – Karl Marx, revolutionary

Why do you weep. Did you think I was immortal? – Louis XIV, King of France

I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark. – Thomas Hobbes, writer

It is very beautiful over there. – Thomas Edison, inventor

All my possessions for a moment of time. – Elizabeth I, Queen of England

What will be your last line?

PRAISE FOR A HIDDEN ELEMENT:

“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall

“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath

“Will keep you up long past your bedtime…a pulse-pounding read.”—Allan Leverone, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Final Vector

PRAISE FOR THE ELEMENT TRILOGY:

“Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Code Zero

“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall

“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath

Purchase the Element Trilogy on sale through December 7th
Book 1 A HUMAN ELEMENT for $0.99
Book 2 A HIDDEN ELEMENT for $1.99

ABOUT DONNA GALANTI:

Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and the fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse that has lots of nooks and crannies, but sadly no ghosts. Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.

ENTER GIVEAWAY!

Prize Pak:

Win $15 Amazon Gift Card, e-book of The Dark Inside, Element Trilogy story collection, and become a character in the final Element Trilogy book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Teaser Tuesday #85 – Magnolia Moonlight by Mary Ellis #MaryEllis

Posted on December 6, 2016 by fundinmental

Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of booksandabeat.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Magnolia Moonlight by Mary Ellis

I have read the first two novels in the Secrets of the South Mystery series and loved them. They will stand alone, but you won’t want to miss any of them.

Magnolia Moonlight (Secrets of the South Mysteries #3) Goodreads / Amazon

MY TEASE

“Did you win the lottery when I wasn’t looking?” he murmured as she pulled him down the street.

“Relax. I’ll only ogle and drool. And I’ll let you pick where we have dinner tonight.Anything but seafood.

(page 74 in paperback)

I will be reviewing Magnolia Moonlight tomorrow, so be sure and check back to see what’s happening next.

GOODREADS BLURB: After being jilted by his fiancee, Michael Preston, a former accountant, pursues a new job as a private investigator. And, what better place to work than the new office of Price Investigations in Natchez, Mississippi? Unfortunately, Michael’s partner, Elizabeth Kirby–a crack shot ex-cop with a past she wants to escape–resents having to work with someone whose only surveillance experience comes from television and video games. Their boss and his wife, Nate and Isabelle, are two insanely busy newlyweds who are “forced” by their friends to finally take their honeymoon. However, their romantic trip to Alabama turns into an investigation when they bump into Izzy’s ex-husband, Craig, who seems to have taken up his gambling addiction once again. In an attempt to save Craig, Izzy discovers her ex doesn’t hold all the cards. Back in Mississippi, Michael and Beth are left to take on their first case when a preacher allegedly commits suicide. His widow suspects foul play, but things look grim when Michael discovers the Reverend may have been stealing from his congregation. Will Nate, his wife, and his employees be able to uncover the true face of deceit behind the masks that surround them?

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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MY REVIEW FOR MARY ELLIS

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FREE – Riproaring fun mystery – Bubba and the Dead Woman by C L Bevill #CLBevill

Posted on December 5, 2016 by fundinmental

The covers for Bubba and the Dead Woman by C L Bevill, and the rest of the series are so much fun, how could I resist them? I am a sucker for a great cover and love when it pertains to the story inside, like these covers do.

If you like some laughs with your murder mystery, come with me.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Bubba and the Dead Woman by C L Bevill is the first book in the Bubba Snoddy mystery series. If you like some humor and laughs mixed in with your murder mysteries, this series is for you.

Bubba is a big man with a gentle nature and he lives in a small town with an attitude. He sounds like a backwoods hick…half the time, but he is more than he appears to be. He is a fabulously complex character who projects a false facade to protect himself.

His faithful basset hound, Precious is his constant companion, refusing to be left behind. She may look harmless, but she will not let anyone harm her human.

It seems like trouble will forever follow him around, along with dead bodies, so it is no surprise when he stumbles across Melissa Dearman. The surprise is that he has a past with her. The news travels fast through the grapevine of Pegramville and the sheriff haunts his every move.

His mom, Miz Demetrice is a spitfire and you need to think twice before you cross her. She is wacky and wild.

The writing makes me think of the Andy Griffith show, with a bit of Dukes of Hazard and the Beverly Hillbillies thrown in.

Bubba is shot at, beaten up, lured into a pit, falls down the stairs and someone tries to burn his house down with him in it. How much more abuse can the poor guy take before he solves the mystery?

Rip roaring, thigh slapping good fun. Even the dog’s ‘conversations’ are funny, showing her personality. I couldn’t help but crack up when she tries to play hard to get with her human because she’s mad at him. I love when a critter adds an extra element to the story and Precious does that in spades. She may be my favorite character.

Mysteries abound with legends of treasure and plenty of people in the suspect pool.

If Bubba and the Dead Woman by C L Bevill is the first book in the Bubba Snoddy mystery series, but this book will stand alone.

I picked it up for free and you can too, HERE.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Bubba is a good old boy with lots of problems. His ex-fiancee is deader than a door nail and everyone thinks he dun did it. His house is haunted. His mother is running an illegal gambling ring. His dog likes to bite people too much. And he’s got to find out who really did it before the sheriff throws him in jail…again.

Bubba and the Dead Woman, the first book, is FREE! The rest are $2.99 or less.

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Need a Little Fantasy in Your Life? – Poisonous Whispers by Jana Begovic #JanaBegovic

Posted on December 5, 2016 by fundinmental

The title alone, Poisonous Whispers, made me want to check out the cover for Jana Begovic’s novel.

Oooo, so pretty. Does it make you curious too?

Amazon / Goodreads

Poisonous Whispers
Romance / Fantasy
By Jana Begovic
Release Date: December 5, 2016
Keywords: Fantasy, Romance, Saga, Reincarnation, Destiny, Betrayal, Past lives, Passion

“Don’t you ever forget about me…,” echoes the karmic whisper from lives past, poisoning her peace.

“Don’t you ever forget about me…,” he whispers during their secret encounters. Like a curse, these simple words now haunt Leandra, a reputable psychiatrist, who finds herself in emotional chaos after the sudden breakup of her illicit affair. Unable to heal on her own and tormented by dreams in which supernatural forces create havoc with her fate, she desperately turns to David, a colleague psychiatrist, asking him to take her through past-life regression therapy. She hopes that this unorthodox and somewhat suspect technique will explain her profound connection to the lover who has abandoned her so abruptly.

The sessions take Leandra through 17th and 19th century Ireland, Italy and England, where love, loss and betrayal are the leitmotifs in an ambiance of co-mingled fantasy and reality. In her hypnotic state, Leandra recounts a saga of intoxicating love, dizzying passion, flaming lust and profound heartbreak. Despite the painful answers she finds under hypnosis, Leandra still cannot let go of the hope to reunite with her lover. Ultimately, the shattering revelations from her past-life incarnations, along with the turmoil over her ruined marriage, become the stepping stones of her introspective path to healing, self-discovery and an appreciation of true love.

With its seamlessly interwoven sub-plots, “Poisonous Whispers” lures the reader from one continent to another, from past to present. The affair at the center of the story is an anatomy of the heart in which the heroine’s sorrow-laced journey reflects the universal themes of love and loss.

EXCERPT

“Under weak candlelight, I notice tiny rivulets of blood trickle down from the scratch on his shoulder. At the same time, he takes my right hand and looks at my palm, which is injured from the brambles. Gently, I lick the blood off his wound, tasting its metallic saltiness and feeling that by tasting his blood, I have now captured a part of him for eternity. I shudder as I feel his tongue remove the blood from my palm. He raises his eyes and I see soft candlelight playing in them. His gaze is becoming more and more intense, its heat boring into my soul. Searching for each other’s souls, we are finding hidden paths behind each other’s thoughts, treading into the uncharted territory of each other’s pure being and consciousness. Just as portals to our souls open and our energies touch and fuse into one, a bolt of lightning illuminates the room and colors it with a supernaturally blinding white, and the sky seems to split in two and tumble down to earth in thunderous fury.

At that epiphany of feeling no fear, but perfect tranquility, we are flooded by sudden and wordless knowledge. We read the same message in each other’s eyes:

“Only now do I know, I have always known you. Only now do I know, I have loved you before. I just know not when….”

Excerpt 3: I have always loved animals and found wolves especially fascinating me. It is no surprise that I had to weave one into the story of “Poisonous Whispers.” The excerpt below is from the scene in which the main heroine, Leandra (called Jilleen in that incarnation) recounts, under hypnosis, a segment from one of her past lives.

“At the moment the stone circle is kissed by moonlight, a wolf howls and there is infinite solitude echoed in its sound, and it seems to have howled her name. Is the wolf really howling Jilleen’s name and if it is, what does it mean, what does it forebode? It sounds almost like a warning. Is the wolf her spirit guide warning her of her lover, Kieran’s advances and their import?”

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Free Vigilante Thriller – Missing by Susan Fleet #SusanFleet

Posted on December 5, 2016 by fundinmental

I am a big fan of Susan Fleet and Frank Renzi and want to invite you to pick up the latest story, Missing, for FREE from December 5-9, 2016.

I love a good vigilante thriller. How about you?

Her novels stand alone, no reading order necessary.

MISSING, book 6 in the Frank Renzi series will be free December 5-9, 2016

ASIN: B014RQXMPW 20 reviews: Ave 4.4 out of 5 stars.

AMAZON BLURB

KIDNAPPING … MURDER … REVENGE

Donna and Hunter Gates appear to be the perfect power couple. He’s a wealthy New Orleans City Councilman. She’s a popular news anchor for a local TV station. One night when Hunter comes home, Donna and their two small children are gone. He asks NOPD Detective Frank Renzi to find them. Renzi soon uncovers a tangled web of lies.

Donna and Hunter both have dark secrets, secrets they will do anything to hide. Renzi fears Donna may already be dead. A ransom demand raises more questions. Is this a kidnapping? A cover-up for murder? Payback for past misdeeds? When one hostage is found brutally murdered, Renzi must unravel the Gates family secrets and find the killer before it’s too late.

Susan Fleet is also a huge music lover, so check out her website and learn more about her HERE.

If you would like to check out some of my reviews of her work, check out the links below:

Sherry’s Shelves #105

Posted on December 4, 2016 by fundinmental

Sherry’s Shelves #105 is my weekly update from November 27 – December 3, 2016.

Sunday Post #201 Countdown to Spring..

Stacking The Shelves {200}

Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews
Bought, Borrowed & Bagged is hosted by TalkSupe
**all images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**

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Hello fellow bloggers. Hope you had a great week. Been busy, so this will be a quick post. Feel free to browse the giveaways and reviews. Some good stuff going on.

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LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

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THIS WEEK ON fundinmental

Sherry’s Shelves
Free Vigilante Thriller – Missing by Susan Fleet
Poisonous Whispers by Jana Begovic
Review – Bubba and the Dead Woman by C L Bevill
Teaser Tuesday – Magnolia Moonlight by Mary Ellis
Review – Magnolia Moonlight by Mary Ellis
Giveaway & Review – Corporate Citizen by Gabriel Valjan
Friday 56 – The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson
One Sentence Review – After The Shock by Scott Nicholson

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Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

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You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Thanks for visiting fundinmental!Sherry’s

They Killed Santa in Cowabunga Christmas @aburke59

Posted on December 3, 2016 by fundinmental

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke hooked me. How can I possibly resist sitting in that lounger, watching Kim and Brien hit the surf and wonder what trouble they will find as they butt into a murder mystery.

Christmas, a tropical beach locale and a dead Santa…Merry Christmas to you.

Cowabunga dudes and dudettes, “Sur’f Up.”

MY REVIEW

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke has so much going for it…A gorgeous cover, hot surfer dudes and dudettes, Santa, a murder mystery and…

We begin our adventure by jumping the fence around the closed pool at this elite resort and taking a “midnight” swim. I have jumped a fence or two in my time, so I thought this was a good sign.

It’s Christmas, Kim is on her honeymoon with her hot and hunky surfer dude hubby, Brien. Kim was going to learn to surf and she got her very own wettie for Christmas.

They are opposites – He is hard and fast, she is slow and soft. The picture of them, in my head, is my favorite two characters from NCIS Los Angeles, Kensi Blye, Daniela Ruah, and Marty Deeks, Eric Christian Olsen.

Shortly after their pool jumping adventure, a body is found floating in the pool…dead. Oh no, it’s Santa.

We have a double and a triple cross and is there a treasure?

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke with its easy reading and colorful characters has all the elements for a fun and humorous cozy mystery.

One mystery is solved…but, wait, there’s more on the horizon in Gnarly New Year.

“Cowabunga Christmas – it’s the most epic Christmas anyone could every have. We had one of the most awesome mornings surfing.” From Brien.

3 Stars

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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Friday 56 #110 – The Visionary by Don Passman #Don Passman

Posted on December 2, 2016 by fundinmental

.
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I could not find my 1st edition hardback cover for The Visionary by Don Passman on Goodreads, but you can see the striped one with the end below.

The Visionary is about a psychic who sees horrifying murders.

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

“I started to cry and the nurse hugged me. Her added touch intensified the visions. I knew that she had lost a baby from the beatings. And I saw into her future. She was in a hospital bed with her jaw wired shut. her face was black and blue. I tried to hold her so tightly that nothing could hurt her, and the harder I hugged, the more vivid the scene became. Finally I said to her, “Why do you let him beat you?”

(Page 56 in hardcover, published in 1999)

Book Beginnings

Lisa’s head snapped forward with such force ttat it almost hit the coffee table. Within moments she was sweating profusely, and the room seemed to pulsate around her.

My question to you: Do you believe in psychics?

GOODREADS BLURB: Lisa Cleary has been plagued with psychic visions all her life. But now her visions are of horrifying murders. Detective Danny Talon is on an urgent mission to find the violent killer of three young women. Lisa and Danny each ask eminent psychiatrist Dr. Michael Rennick for help — and Rennick discovers the three of them are lost in the same web of murder…and the killer has them in sight.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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WHICH COVER WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

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#Kindle Giveaway, Interview & Review – Killer in the Band by Lauren Carr @TheMysteryLadie

Posted on December 1, 2016 by fundinmental

I LOVE Lauren Carr’s romantic mysteries and I am delighted to be able to share Killer in the Band with you today.

There is also an awesome giveaway, so be sure to enter!

INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN CARR

I love learning about authors, their inspiration, their likes and dislikes and those funny little things that give me insight into their personality. I am so happy to have Lauren Carr here, sharing some thoughts about her books and herself. Welcome, Lauren.

Lauren Carr is the bestselling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, and the Thorny Rose Mysteries. We caught up with the charming mystery writer during her most recent virtual book tour for Killer in the Band, the 3rd in the Lovers in Crime series.

Lauren, thank you so much for chatting with us. Right off the bat, I’m curious. Is it hard to break away from your successful Mac Faraday series to work on a different one?

Yes and no. I love Mac Faraday and the gang in Spencer, Maryland! But that’s not to say that I don’t love Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates. The Lovers in Crime mysteries are set in Chester, West Virginia, the real small town where I grew up. Joshua Thornton was my first protagonist featured in my very first books, A Small Case of Murder and A Reunion to Die For. Returning to Joshua Thornton, Cameron Gates, and their family is very much like going home again.

Killer in the Band focuses a lot on J.J. Thornton, Jr., Joshua’s eldest son. Are you planning to take a new direction with the Lovers in Crime?

No, not at all. Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates are the Lovers in Crime and they always will be. But, like real people, they don’t live in a vacuum. Joshua Thornton does have a family from his previous marriage who are going to insert themselves into Joshua’s marriage and the Lovers in Crime’s cases.

In Killer in the Band, J.J. returns home after graduating from law school and rekindles a romance with his first love, Suellen Russell, a woman twice his age. When it turns out she has information on one of Cameron’s cases, J.J. can’t not get involved.

When you sit down to write a book, a paragraph, or whatever you‘re working on at the moment, do you just sit down in front of the computer, or do you need an outline of some sort? Is there any other prep you need in order to organize your thoughts either before you write or in the process of writing?

I will think about a book, or a part of a book, for a long time before I sit down to write it. I thought about Killer in the Band for a couple of years before I sat down to write even one word.

For new books, I will have everything sorted out in my head, most especially the killer, how he or she did it, and how my protagonist captures them before I sit down to write it. These are the most important elements for me to have. If I don’t have those things sorted out, then I could end up halfway through a book and find that I have no ending, which would be a huge waste of my time.

I will write notes, but only to sort the mystery out in my mind. More than half of the time, I don’t even refer to them once I sit down to write. The process of writing out the notes helps to sort it out.

Who is your greatest inspiration to write? What person makes you believe in yourself, and how?

My mother and my husband. My mother was the first to encourage me to put my imagination on paper. It was easy since I have always been a big reader.

Also, my husband Jack, no matter how many rejections I would receive, always insisted that I keep on going—keep on writing. Even when I had writers block, he was there for me.

Do you have any aspirations to be similar or comparable to another author? Why?

Agatha Christie and Earl Stanley Gardner. They were my first favorite mystery authors, so they will always have a special place in my author’s heart. My complex mysteries have been compared to Agatha Christie and when that happens, it makes my whole day better.

What has been the biggest high since becoming a published author?

Seeing all of my books break through on Amazon to make the top one-hundred in sales in both cozy mysteries and police procedurals. When readers and reviewers began posting fabulous reviews, and even sending e-mails, I knew then that all those years of hard work and learning were worth it.

Has becoming an author changed you, or the way you think about certain things? If so, how?

I am definitely more confident about my writing. Also, I have become more open to other authors’ writing.

I turned down two offers from commercial publishers to independently publish It’s Murder, My Son, and I have never looked back. Before I decided to be an indie author, I was rejected by many literary agents and publishers for a variety of reasons. In a nutshell, they did not think that I could be a commercial success. One literary agent, a big one, told me how talented I was in a two-page letter, ending with a rejection because he did not know how to market me.

I did not fit into a box that they had created. But I have found an audience, and I am a success. Many indie authors, who commercial publishers and literary agents would refuse to talk to, have found audiences without the blessing of commercial publishers or literary agents.

This has made me believe that if you write what you love, even if it is not my cup of tea, or the cup of tea of a New York bigwig, then if you publish and market it correctly, there is an audience out there for you. It’s just a matter of bringing your work to them.

What is your greatest fear about being an author?

Writers block.

From the first word to the moment it became available for purchase, how long did it take you to write and publish Killer in the Band?

That is a very tricky question. I’ve been thinking about the plot for Killer in the Band for a couple of years. I’d say a year ago I sat down to start writing it, right after the release if Kill and Run, which features Joshua Thornton Jr’s twin, Murphy. I was more than halfway through writing the first draft when in March I was completely inspired by the presidential election to write Candidate for Murder. Since that book had such a timely theme, I had to set Killer in the Band aside. I returned to it in June.

I guess to answer your question, I don’t know.

And now, for something completely different…some slightly off-the-wall and possibly irrelevant questions. Feel free to answer as many or as few as you like!

What’s your favorite candy? Ice cream?

Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar King sized for candy. Rocky Road ice cream slathered in Magic Shell for ice cream.

Would the 8-year-old version of yourself kick your ass or praise you for what you’ve done with your life?

Praise me for what I have done, while sighing with relief because during my twenties & thirties, it was touch and go there.

Do you have any talents you haven’t shared with us?

I’m a gourmet cook and love it.

Imagine you’re the sole survivor of a plane crash at sea, and you awake stranded on a deserted and uncharted island in the Bermuda Triangle. Nobody knows you’re there, and you have nothing but the clothes on your back. You’re all alone, and there’s terrifying sounds coming from deep within the jungle. Late that night as you’re starving, a large suitcase washes up on the shore. You open it up. What’s in the suitcase?

A pink handgun with “Pink Lady” engraved on the muzzle, big box of dark chocolate to eat, a cell phone with all of the bars, and working laptop to write about my adventure while waiting for a ship full of handsome sailors to come save me.

What are you working on now?

Each series will continue to grow on their own with interconnecting mysteries occasionally. In January, there will be a new Thorny Rose Mystery, A Fine Year for Murder.

In A Fine Year for Murder, Jessica Faraday and her husband, Murphy Thornton, dive into the cold case murder at a family owned winery.

After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.

When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family living near a winery owned by distant relatives she was visiting and suppressed the memory.

Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?

As long as readers are clamoring for mysteries, I’ll be writing them.

MY REVIEW

OMG. She did it again. Lauren Carr has created another romantic suspense mystery that had me reading, ignoring my hubby and my mother, unable to put it down until the last page was read.

Killer in the Band is A Lovers in Crime Mystery that is chock full of wonderful characters, both human and animal. Her ability to bring them all to life is amazing. I laughed and cried, because she made me do it.

I cannot pick a favorite character. They are all amazing in their own way. It took me a little while to figure out the culprit(s). Even the bad guys have their reasons for doing for what they do and I could empathize with them…for a moment or two. BUT nothing justifies taking a life.

There is more than one mystery that will have to be solved and more than one villain. I felt so bad for both of them and that is when I know I have read a fantastic story.

Lauren does have a way of springing surprises on me that have my jaw hanging open, thinking, I sure didn’t see that one coming.

The animals…I just don’t know what to say. Some people do seem to have a special ability making it seem as if they talk to them. I do not want to spoil anything, but…have you ever looked in your critters eyes and wondered what they are really thinking?

The characters have trust issues that take time to work through, making it read like real life. I want to tell them…to be a go between and explain things, but that is not my place. I am just a spectator in this complicated story.

My emotion were high and low, happy and sad, and I was left with a good feeling when all was said and done.

I WANT MORE!!!!!!!

I received a copy of Killer in the Band from Lauren Carr.

5 Stars

ABOUT KILLER IN THE BAND by Lauren Carr

Summer of Love & Murder

Joshua’s eldest son, Joshua “J.J.” Thornton Jr., has graduated at the top of his class from law school and returns home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to Joshua’s and Cameron’s shock and dismay, J.J. moves into the main house at Russell Ridge Farm, the largest dairy farm in the Ohio Valley, to rekindle a romance with Suellen Russell, a onetime leader of a rock group who’s twice his age. Quickly, they learn that she has been keeping a deep dark secret.

The move brings long-buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. But when a brutal killer strikes, the Lovers in Crime must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the cross hairs of a murderer.

Praise for Lauren Carr’s Mysteries:

“Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!” – Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

“As always, Lauren Carr brings an action-packed story that is almost impossible to put down. Her mystery plots have so many twists and turns that I didn’t know if I was coming or going. And the action just didn’t stop from the very beginning till the very end.” – Melina Mason, Melina’s Book Reviews

Buy the Book: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

ABOUT LAUREN CARR

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

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Review – No One Knows by J T Ellison @thrillerchick

Posted on November 30, 2016 by fundinmental

I am familiar with J T Ellison and I do love this gorgeous cover for No One Knows, so there was no doubt that I wanted to read this.

I love covers and saw No One Knows has two. Myself, I like this one the best. Scroll to the end of the post and let me know which you prefer?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

No One Knows by J T Ellison is worth reading for the ending alone!

Aubrey’s ex is declared dead, but I know I have to ask, “Is her really?”

Daisy, her mother in law, needs to get a life. She is a miserable bitch. Is there a sinister reason his mother insists on declaring him dead? I am curious and very suspicious.

First the accusations, then the waiting, waiting, waiting for him to come home.

Josh and Aubrey are both kinda wimpy. I just wanted to tell them to buck up and get over themselves.

Aubrey needs to quit her whining and move on. I find it hard to put myself in her shoes. I love her carefree friend, Meghan, a true free spirit that will drop everything when Aubrey needs her.

I have a feeling Josh is far from perfect. And shortly after writing that, I felt that if I never heard of him again I would be happy, but I am still curious.

The back and forth, past and present got a bit annoying and disrupted the flow. The chapters were short and I no sooner got involved then I’d have to change gears.

Okay, I like this isn’t going quite the direction I thought. I do like a twist in my stories. Another twist in the tale and it is a doozy. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

I had been disappointed with the first part of the book. I had felt before I even began reading it would be better, because I have read some of her other work. Now, I have finally come to what I have been waiting for and I”m a little more than halfway through.

OMG. I so missed the ending. Totally got me. My mouth is hanging open and I have a smile on my face for the fantastic, creative and mind boggling ending. That last 10% was so suspenseful, with twist and turns that kept on coming.

Could there be another Jewel story? I can see her…..

I voluntarily reviewed a free ARC copy from Net Galley of No One Knows by J T Ellison.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB:

In an obsessive mystery as thrilling as The Girl on the Train and The Husband’s Secret, New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison will make you question every twist in her page-turning novel—and wonder which of her vividly drawn characters you should trust.

The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

In No One Knows, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Nicholas Drummond series expertly peels back the layers of a complex woman who is hiding dark secrets beneath her unassuming exterior. This masterful thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Paula Hawkins will pull readers into a you’ll-never-guess merry-go-round of danger and deception. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops…no one knows.