Flying high with Skydreamer by Sheryl Winters

Posted on June 22, 2015 by fundinmental

Hello fellow dragon lovers. I am so happy to be able to share Skydreamer by Sheryl Winters with you today.

Take a gander at this beautiful cover, then read my review and enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

I loved this book, so I am interested in your thoughts.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Title: Skydreamer

Author: Sheryl Winters

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: March 30, 2015

Keywords: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Dragons, Twins

MY REVIEW

Skydreamer is a wonderful fantasy with dragons, spirits, conjuring and magic, that kept me on the edge of my seat hoping all will end with a happy ever after.

This is a heartfelt story of three sisters, who are poor and struggling to survive. Ever since their parents died, they have lived in the shed, while their uncle lounges in the home they should be in. He holds their inheritance over their heads, forcing them to work as slaves in the bar they think they will inherit, but Jaden believes he has other plans.

Jaden, her twin, Isla and Adania have all the ups and downs, and trials and tribulations of a normal family, then add dragons and magic and a greedy uncle who cares naught for them. All the girls have talents.

Jaden needs alcohol to fuel her conjuring of fire.

Isla needs water to conjure ice.

Their four year old sister, Adania has an Esprit, Mr Dirty. Imagine a four year old believing dirt is her friend and you will kill her friends if you wash them or her. Adania is easy to visualize. I smile at her all the time. An enchanting imp who loves her dirt, trusting in her sisters.

Two young women and a child struggling to survive. They try to do the right thing by her.

Jaden feels the contest is their only way out. Women from the age of twenty one to thirty compete and the winner gets a one year marriage to Draven Winterbourn, King of the Dragon-Changers and a pot of gold. Someone will die, but she feels the risk is worth the reward.

Jaden denigrates herself, always feeling unworthy. She is not a warrior princess, but she is strong enough to endure all the heartache life throws at her and come out on top.

Of course, we know Jaden wins. She then proceeds to faint in his arms. It is love at first site, but she needs Isla, her twin. Jaden is painfully shy and easily frightened like…a deer caught in the glare of headlights. When her sisters are sent away, she panics and runs.

With no one to trust and nowhere to go, Jaden ends up VERY far from home.

Sheryl’s writing style is full of love and humor.

The questioning banter between Draven and Jaden is touching and hints at what is to come. He is the perfect dragon husband, soft and cuddly, patient and happy, with good looks, smiles and a generous nature, but Jaden has trouble trusting his love for her.

Draven and Ra’von are twins too. I think I know what that means and I hope it does come true.

A lot is predictable but Sheryl throws a curve ball or two in there, making me wonder. I kept saying, please don’t leave me hanging.

When Sheryl sent Jaden into an alternate universe, she kept me on the edge of my seat, so afraid I would not find my answer now. I have to know if this will be a wonderful romance with a happy ever after. Thank you, Sheryl for not leaving me with a cliffhanger.

A feel good fantasy that had me soaring with the dragons and I will grab any book I see written by Sheryl Winters.

I received Skydreamer by Sheryl Winers in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

Jaden is one in a million, a fire talent capable of bonding with a fire Esprit and creating fireballs of enormous proportions.

Draven Winterbourn is the devilishly handsome king of the Dragon-Changers, capable of changing into an enormous dragon. A man responsible for keeping the laws of his people.

When the two meet it was more than fate, it was true love.

So how can everything go so wrong between a couple who love so much?

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EXCERPT

“…The Contest is open to all women between the ages of twenty-one and thirty. Contestants are required to bring their own reagents. The use of Alchemy is strictly prohibited. Chance of winning twelve hundred gold per round is one in…”

Voices press in on me from every side. The week of constant traveling has done me in. All I want to do is hide in the vego and sleep. I don’t even care if we have enough for dinner tonight. I feel trapped by the chattering voices of the crowd mashed up with the officials on the Dais.

“I heard the King’s mother set up this contest herself. Talk about the ultimate mama’s boy. He has to be uglier than a troll if his mother has to marry him off this way,” someone suggested.

“… high possibility of death,” came a skeptical voice, “but with twelve hundred gold per round, everyone should enter.”

“Which one is Draven?” a shrill voice demands.

“Are you blind?” Came the reply. “He’s the one good looking one with the light brown hair. The one standing next to King Evrid.”

“You said he was ugly!”

It doesn’t matter who this Draven is. We are only here for Adania. If we win, every silver goes to her schooling. She’ll have a roof over her head and decent clothes. Nothing else matters.

My fingers sink back into the dark blue Legal Sphere I received earlier. The tiny ball settles into my palms with only a light sizzle and its message sounds inside my head.

All contestants will enter into an exclusive competition. The winner will win a one-year marriage with Draven Winterbourn, King of the Dragon-Changers. Iyardar Stone to choose the winner. In the event Draven Winterbourn does not agree with the Iyardar Stone, he has the right to veto said contestant and select one of his choosing from the remaining contestants. As stipulated, marriage duration will be one year, unless both parties—

“Is the Iyardar Stone a diamond, or a ruby?” I whisper to Isla. “And how does it choose a winner if it’s a rock?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT SHERYL WINTER

Sheryl Winters lives in a small town in Alaska. She grew up in the midst of old country story tellers, so you might say writing comes naturally to her. She is known for writing paranormal romances with a twist. Her writing inspiration often comes from the great outdoors of Alaska and she enfolds bits of it into her stories. She never set out to be an author only a story teller. Some days she succeeds better than others.

Ms. Winters Links: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Buy Links: Roane Publishing / Print: Createspace / Amazon / B&N

Smashwords / Bookstrand / All Romance eBooks / Kobo

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GIVEAWAY

Sheryl will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/04/review-tour-skydreamer-by-sheryl-winters.html

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Was my review for Skydreamer by Sheryl Winters helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

Sherry’s Shelves #42 – Books & Fun

Posted on June 21, 2015 by fundinmental

Sherry’s Shelves is my weekly update for June 14 – June 20, 2015. Happy to have you join me for some books & fun.

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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Been doing pretty much the same as last week: reading, wrtiting, blogging, splashing in the pool and playing Skip-Bo with my mom. The weather has been awesome and I am loving it.

If you are a Jimmy Buffett fan, this giveaway is almost over, so check it out and enter now!

Giveaway & Review – An Exotic Island & Murder ~ One Particular Harbor by Chip Bell

Spidey seems to have moved in, so say hi if you stop by.

Spidey by Sherry Fundin 2015

I am not a fan of spiders, but it sure is pretty.

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Posts to check out in the blogosphere!

My Reading Quirks at I Am A Reader

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FREE BOOKS

Free at time of posting. Check for the “0”.

Debra Hartman posted a Goodreads even announcing this freebie. Thanks Debra and Jeffrey Poston for what sounds like a fantastic read.

I subscribe to Karice Bolton’s newletter and she had this for free. I have read a book or two by Karice and love her writing. Check it out for yourself.

NEW to fundinmental

Just the title makes me curious.

Robert Thornhill invited me to pick up a free copy of Lady Justice and the Broken Hearts through a Goodreads event. I have read several books in this series, they stand alone, and enjoyed them immensely. Thanks Robert.

I picked up Born to Magic by David Wind when it was touring.

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FOR REVIEW

I was offered Trespassers (a B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner 2015) by Todd & Time Wynn for review by the author. I need a change of pace and aliens sound like a great choice.

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WINNINGS

I won an ebook of REPOSSESSED Book 1 in the Hawker Incorporated series from the Book Partners in Crime Giveaway. A big thank you to BPIC and Sandy Parks.

Hope you had some come your way. 😀

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LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

Sherry’s Shelves #41 – Books & Fun

Welcome to Jurassic Park where Dinosaurs Rule

FREE Plus a Giveaway- BORN TO MAGIC by David Wind

Teaser Tuesday #43 – Bleedovers by William Todd Rose

Review & Giveaway – Shapeshifters Unite – Sarai’s Fortune by Abigail Owen #Sarai Tour

Review – To Be Or Not To Be: Scales by Pauline Creeden

Giveaway – M9B Friday Reveal: ALA feature on Jennifer Jenkins and Ciny Pon with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Review – New Cover for A Haunted House Tale by Anthony Renfro

Giveaway – Dark and Damaged

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THIS WEEK ON fundinmental

I’ll be adding some other reviews, so stay tuned. You don’t want to miss them.

This is always subject to change, hopefully in a good way.

Sherry’s Shelves

Giveaway & Review – Flying high with Skydreamer by Sheryl Winters

Giveaway & Review – The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M J Rose

Teaser Tuesday

Giveaway – 8 Novellas, 8 Authors for the Lei Crime Series

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What have you been up to this weekend?

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Are you a tsu member?

I would love to keep in touch.

Giveaway – Dark and Damaged

Posted on June 20, 2015 by fundinmental

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance Boxed Set is now available worldwide for a special introductory price of only $0.99!

This ebook boxed set features all-new, never-before-published hot paranormal romances by eight New York Times and USA Today best-selling romance authors. Tortured alpha-male bad boys will ignite your darkest, most secret desires in these stories about vampires, shifters, dragons, fallen angels, werewolves, demons, psychic warriors and ghosts.

Here’s more about this fantastic eight book boxed set, including an excerpt from one of the stories.

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/dark-and-damaged/

GoodReads.

Dark and Damaged: Eight Tortured Heroes of Paranormal Romance

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By Jennifer Ashley, Caris Roane, Erin Kellison, Felicity Heaton, Erin Quinn, Laurie London, Bonnie Vanak and Colleen Gleason

LION EYES by Jennifer Ashley

Bree has just decided to give up trying to be a Shifter groupie when a lion Shifter slams into her truck and tells her to drive. Seamus is on the run from hunters, other Shifters, and who knows who else. All Bree knows is that he’s compelling, needs her help, and most intriguing of all, wears no Collar…

BLOOD FLAME by Caris Roane

Vampire Officer Connor of the Crescent Border Patrol tries to suppress his desire for the powerful witch, Iris Meldeere. Because the woman possesses the ability to kill him with the tips of her fingers, how can he possibly fall in love with her? When a double homicide throws them together, he soon finds his deepest fantasies fulfilled as Iris succumbs to his seductions. But as they battle together to stay alive, and love begins to consume them both, will the witch be able to forgive the dark secrets of his past …

HER SINFUL ANGEL by Felicity Heaton

Cast out of Heaven and now the king of Hell, Lucifer is a powerful fallen angel warrior with a heart as cold as ice and soul as black as the bottomless pit. For millennia, he has ruled his realm with an iron fist as he plots the demise of his ancient enemies. When one of those enemies dumps an unconscious mortal female in the courtyard of his fortress and leaves her there, Lucifer finds himself entranced by the beguiling beauty and tempted beyond all reason. But is the enchanting Nina an innocent pawn in the eternal game or part of a plot against him?

TEMPTED BY FIRE by Erin Kellison

A powerful dragon shifter has waited six hundred years to avenge the loss of his family, but the beautiful mediator sent to prevent violence among the Bloodkin doesn’t want to be his key to discovering the murderer—in fact, she wants nothing to do with dragons at all…

REBEL’S DESIRE by Laurie London

A jaded Iron Guild warrior cares about nothing except battling a ruthless enemy, but when a beautiful woman literally runs into his arms, he realizes she holds the key to his success. As passion ignites, he must decide whether to sacrifice the woman he’s falling for or dare to trust his heart again.

THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN by Erin Quinn

Trapped in the body of a human, the Reaper is about to fall in love with a woman he was never meant to have… When a reaper is trapped in Maggie’s estranged husband’s body, she knows only that the man with her husband’s eyes feels like a stranger… a compelling, seductive stranger who touches her in ways her treacherous husband never could. She wants to trust him, but what about the ghost who haunts their home, implicating him in a gruesome murder…

REDEMPTION by Bonnie Vanak

A cursed alpha wolf promises to free an enslaved Mage if she mates with him so he can sire an heir, not realizing she can destroy the dark secret keeping his pack alive.

RAGING DAWN by Colleen Gleason

After the vampires Max Denton hunts brutally murder his wife, he is nearly destroyed himself and spends the next ten years living a life of violence and revenge. But when sensitive information about his young daughter falls into the hands of the vampires, Max is forced to team up with the woman whose father ultimately caused the death of his wife. Savina Eleaisa has secrets of her own, and she’s determined to do whatever it takes to clear her father’s name: even if it involves seducing the most dangerous of vampires–with or without the help of the arrogant, brooding Max Denton.

EXCERPT FROM THE RESURRECTION OF SAM SLOAN BY ERIN QUINN

The Reaper moved to stand beside the woman. Up close, her eyes shimmered with tears she was either too proud or too hurt to shed. She had long, dark hair that fell in a silky cloud to just below her shoulder blades. He touched it, wishing for the first time that he had the same senses as humans. Wishing he could feel the glossy strands.

She caught her breath and looked right at him once more. Her pulse beat a hard and erratic tempo at the base of her throat. Her eyes widened, the kaleidoscope of blues and greens mixing and changing. Her skin looked like pearl, her lips so soft he wanted to touch those, too.

The machines beeped frantically, drawing her back into the unfolding drama. The doctors began administering emergency measures, and two more nurses rushed in to assist. Maggie watched it all with an impassive expression, but he saw the panic she couldn’t hide. He felt the bitter desperation, the guilt-ridden relief that it would soon be over.

It was time, but suddenly the Reaper wasn’t ready to see the interlude end. One of the nurses pulled the blanket off the man, unveiling his inert, muscular body and pulling down the gown so it bunched at his waist. Even in death, he appeared strong, a big man with broad shoulders and a solid chest. Someone pushed a cart in the room, and Maggie shifted to the side to let them by.

She was almost touching him now.

Almost.

The temptation to bridge that gap became a seed, a sprout, then a vine that wrapped around him and choked out any thought to resist. In the moment of reaping, when he and the reaped would be one, he might touch her. He might feel her.

The Reaper shrouded himself in death and moved over Samuel Sloan, seeping beneath his skin to the soul that had brought this woman such complex pain. The man’s brain still controlled his failing organs, still commanded his slowly beating heart and forced his weakened lungs to inflate, but his consciousness, that which made him the human, Sam Sloan, had long since ceased. The Reaper gathered up his soul and held tightly, emerging with just one goal.

Touch the woman.

He brushed his elusive shape against her like a dawn mist settling before a rising sun. He knew the moment—the very instant—she felt him. A fine tremble went through her body. Her lush lips parted, her breath caught.

She was warm, so very warm. So intricately alive. Flesh and blood, bone and hollow. Sensations enhanced by the eyes of the human’s memory, until she became a bright, shining thing that blinded him with beauty.

The desire to see more, to feel more, became a burning need. Her soul was so lovely, so ethereal, so alive that it glittered, diamond bright—just there.

The Reaper reached. The Reaper touched. Deep inside him, he felt the human he’d come for awake and protest.

Somewhere in the room a doctor said, “Clear,” and pressed paddles to the human’s chest. Warning flashed red in the Reaper’s mind a split second before searing pain sliced through the human, impaling them both.

The body on the bed jerked violently. The Reaper recoiled, and Maggie jumped back just as the doctor said, “Clear,” once more. A second volt went through the human, through the Reaper, down to a place that shouldn’t exist, galvanizing them both.

The Reaper knew the smell of fear in humans, but he’d never known it in himself until that moment when he felt the man’s soul slipping backwards, felt the claws of it sunk deep inside him, thorns in the vine he himself had planted.

One last time, the doctor said, “Clear,” and the die was cast, the fate was written.

The Reaper and Sam Sloan slammed back into the vessel from which they came.

Grab the boxed set for just $0.99 to read this story and seven others…

GIVEAWAY

One of the authors, is offering an eBook of one of the titles from their backlist (winner’s choice). International. Entry is easy peasy. Just answer the question:

What about the excerpt stood out most to you?

Giveaway runs June 25 – June 30.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

New Cover for A Haunted House Tale by Anthony Renfro

Posted on June 19, 2015 by fundinmental

Anthony Renfro has a new cover for his horror short, A Haunted House Tale.

I love the vibrant colors and the evil face buried inside the cover.

Look deeply and tell Anthony and I what you see!

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

I love a good horror story, not so much the Jason/slasher type, but A Haunted House Tale is a horror story that speaks to me.

Five kids are looking for a place to party for Halloween. Anthony Renfro’s goal is to give them a party they will never forget.

Picture the house: the “lawn” overgrown with weeds, neglected, a broken and uneven concrete driveway, the large porch, rotting and falling down. Of course, it has a reputation.

I can imagine what it smells like, as bad as the bottom of Perdido Bay when the tide goes out.

The horror had me squirming in my seat, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I have a pretty morbid sense of humor at times.

The ending was a shocking surprise and so original I would have read it for that alone. It’s pretty hard to surprise me and it requires an imaginative mind that takes me where I haven’t been before.

There is also a bonus short story – The Man From The Road. It packs a super punch into in a very small package. So, beware.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

This short story is about five students on Halloween night who discover the secrets and terrors of the town’s most infamous haunted house. Will they live to see the morning?

ABOUT ANTHONY RENFRO

Anthony Renfro lives in Apex, North Carolina. He is a reader, writer, runner, husband, father, and stay at home dad – one of the toughest jobs anyone could ever do. He was born in Bristol, Tennessee, and is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro.

You can find him at many spots on the web, but if you really need to find his center in the social media storm it would be at his blog, apoetryjourney.wordpress.com.

Now reach out, just beyond the light, right into that big black space, and let him take your hand on a journey into cold dark places. You will be scared, and you may even be terrified, but in the end you might just find you liked the ride.

Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Was my review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

M9B Friday Reveal: ALA feature on Jennifer Jenkins and Ciny Pon with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Posted on June 19, 2015 by fundinmental

The covers of Nameless and Serpentine, along with the titles, caught my attention, so I will be sharing them with you.

Hope you enjoy them and have TGIF!

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are featuring

Jennifer Jenkins and Cindy Pon

who will be appearing and signing at ALA!

JJCPALA-v4

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors.

Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe.

What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.

about-the-author

©NicholeV Photography, LLC 2008. http://actions.nicholeV.com. This work is registered and protected under US and international copyright laws. Any violation of this copyright will be diligently prosecuted.

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

“Vivid worldbuilding, incendiary romance, heart-pounding action, and characters that will win you over–I highly recommend Serpentine.” Cinda Williams Chima, best-selling author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles fantasy novels

“Serpentine is unique and surprising, with a beautifully-drawn fantasy world that sucked me right in! I love Skybright’s transformative power, and how she learns to take charge of it.” ~Kristin Cashore, NYT Bestseller of the Graceling Realm Series

“Serpentine’s world oozes with lush details and rich lore, and the characters crackle with life. This is one story that you’ll want to lose yourself in.” ~ Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Young Elites

Amazon | B&N |Kobo | TBD | Indiebound | Chapters | BAM

about-the-author

cindypon_highres-200x300

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Visit her website at www.cindypon.com.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Tumblr

Complete the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

Titles will be sent upon their release.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be a part of the team!
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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

To Be Or Not To Be: Scales by Pauline Creeden

Posted on June 18, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for Scales by Pauline Creeden.

I am so excited to share this mer Novella.

I am loving the awesome cover, but I have so much more to share with you. Be sure and read my review and the excerpt we are sharing today.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Cover: Quirky Bird

MY REVIEW

Scales by Pauline Creeden is a mermaid novella and does not stand alone.

I love anything to do with mer people and when I see a book, I will grab it pronto. The cover is beautiful and the title catchy, makes me think I will enjoy Pauline’s writing.

The Reckoning has come for Verona. Will she choose the land or the sea?

I wonder…do mers go to school? Do they learn to read and write? Do they quote Shakespeare?

Pauline’s vivid and detailed description of Verona changing from breathing water to breathing air had me hanging on her every word.

I feel Verona’s sense of accomplishment when she catches her first fish. She has worked hard to learn something I had thought would come easily to her. Pauline does a great job of showing us her growth and development as she struggles to survive.

Verona has made friends with the horses of Chincoteague. When the annual roundup occurrs, she feels like she is losing her furry friends. At least they will be together, she thinks, but she is so alone. I have read about the horses and find it fascinating.

I do not see a lot of mer books, so I am always on the lookout for an original approach to the subject. Pauline’s writing kept my interest throughout the novella.

The novella ends abruptly and I was pissed. LOL Now I have to wait to find out what happens next, but I will be waiting.

I received Scales by Pauline Creeden in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

BLURB

Verona is a bottom feeder. She is the one mer in her clan who is considered the ugliest and least intelligent. Growing up with the constant bullying and abuse wasn’t the worst of what her kind had in store for her. At seventeen years old, she must now endure “The Reckoning.”

The scales will measure her worth to her clan. Will she endure thirty days as a land-walker to gather information and knowledge to appease her clan and return a valued member? Will she wait three years, until she is twenty, and find a mer of her kind to accept her and marry her? Or will she suffer exile for the rest of her life?

Genre: YA

Buy on Amazon Available May 26th

ABOUT PAULINE CREEDEN

Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Follow Pauline Creeden: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter

Follow the Tour

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Was this review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

Shapeshifters Unite – Sarai’s Fortune by Abigail Owen #Sarai Tour

Aside

Welcome to my stop for Sarai’s Fortune by Abigail Owen.

I have a lot to share, so lean back and sit a spell.

I love the gorgeous covers and they hint at all the goodness inside.

Besides Sarai’s Fortune, Book II, I will also be sharing my review for Andromeda’s Fall, Book I, by Abigail Owen.

I hope you enjoy meeting Abigail’s cast of characters as much as I did and by sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

Add to Goodreads now.

Title: Sarai’s Fortune

Series: Shadowcat Nation #2

Author: Abigail Owen

Publication Date: May 13, 2015

Genre: Paranormal Romance

MY REVIEW

I loved the first book, Andromeda’s Fall by Abigail Owen (see my review below), so I am very excited to read more in Sarai’s Fortune, Book II. Sarai’s Fortune picks up right where Andromeda’s Fall left off.

Sarai is a seer and a cougar shapeshifter. She ends up staying with Zac and his polar bear clan, because of the danger represented in the Carstair’s werewolf clan. She is petite, but a fighter. People see her as weak, shy and needing protection, but she is proficient in martial arts and her skill with knives is unsurpassed.

Zac is all man, except when he is a polar bear. LOL

The fight scenes are fantastic and the love scenes are not erotic, but adult. The cast of characters had me eating out of their hands, wanting to know what happens next. The world building made it easy for me to visualize the surroundings. Abigail Owens ability to spin a tale captivated me and I look forward to reading more of her work

I received a copy of Sarai’s Fortune in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Zac Montclair’s first priority is to protect his people. With the escalating war between factions of shifters over land and resources, he has agreed to an alliance between his polar bears and the Shadowcat Nation of cougar shifters. But the treaty comes with a condition…he must accept one of their Seers into his Timik and put her under his personal protection.

Sarai Bouchard doesn’t need her supernatural gift to know that Kyle Carstairs’s obsession with controlling her ability will eventually result in her misery and demise. Her power is essential to her people’s survival, so when Kyle goes rogue, she’s sent to Zac Montclair to keep her safe. However, her visions reveal that while staying will lead to their becoming lovers, it also leads to his death. Leaving Zac will result in her own.

If Sarai can’t find a way to change the future, she will be forced to choose…save her lover or save herself.

Goodreads | Amazon

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REVIEW

I am loving this cover and am really curious about the Shadowcat Nation. It sounded different than the books I have read about shapeshifters and I am always on the lookout for a new slant on a familiar story.

The quick love is not a problem. They are “animals”, so they don’t waste any time. 🙂 I wish Abigail would have expanded on it a little bit more. Since blogging, I have come to enjoy learning more about the characters and why they do what they do.

Andromeda is a strong, kickass female. She’s intelligent, fierce and a fighter, yet she likes the girlie girl things too. She can be a softie and is a big romantic.

I can relate to Andromeda’s fight or flight feelings. Without training, I think I would be more reactive than proactive. Not so, Andromeda.

I thought I knew a lot of what would happen, but Abigail Owen threw in some curve balls that I didn’t see coming. The wide variety of shifters made Andromeda’s Fall a novel and original story for me. I mean a polar bear? Have you read of a polar bear shifter before?

The first time they made love drew a laugh from me and I love their snarky banter.

The big fight scene is fully developed and detailed. Even though I knew the winners, I was totally engrossed.

Sarai appears in physical form at the end and I can hardly wait to read her story.

Even if fated, can a person’s choice change that?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Andromeda’s story. Abigail Owen took a familiar storyline, added her twists and originality, making this a great story and hooking me on the series.

I received Andromeda’s Fall by Abigal Owen in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Andromeda Reynolds is being hunted. After witnessing her mother’s violent death at the hands of a pack of wolf shifters, Andie has devoted her life to protecting her community of cougar shifters from a similar fate. But now, a greater threat lies within her own pack, and she must run. If she stays, Kyle Carstairs will force their mating, seeking the added political power their union would provide.

Andie would rather chew off her own foot than end up with Kyle. Though, knowing him, she won’t live long either way. Andie’s only hope of survival is to mate Jaxon Keller, the Alpha of the Keller Dare with which she is seeking asylum. But before she can get to him, Andie must first go through A.J., one of the Alpha’s Protectors. What Andie doesn’t realize is that A.J. has secrets of his own. All Andie knows is that the incredibly frustrating shifter insists on challenging her story, her skills, her trust… and her heart.

ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN

Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

GIVEAWAY

$50 Amazon Gift Card

One(1) signed print copy of Sarai’s Fortune

Ends 6/26.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Covers link to my Amazon associate.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Was my review for Sarai’s Fortune helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

Was my review for Andromeda’s Fall helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

Teaser Tuesday #43 – Bleedovers by William Todd Rose

Posted on June 16, 2015 by fundinmental

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

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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Bleedovers by William Todd Rose is a dark horror novella. It is available for pre order.

Cover links to Amazon.

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY TEASE

According to protocol, Nodens was supposed to have been no different than the equipment that kept him alive: just another useful tool, destined to break down and be replaced with a newer model. Knowing protocol, however, was not necessarily the same as following it.

(18% on Kindle)

SYNOPSIS

Sure to thrill readers of Stephen King, Joe Hill, and Dean Koontz—William Todd Rose’s new dark horror novella is a tale of bloody retribution that blurs the line between the waking world and the terrors of the night.

There’s only one thing standing between humanity and the dark forces of the supernatural: the secret agency known as The Institute. The organization depends on regular guys like Chuck, a Level I Recon and Enforcement Technician who guides tormented spirits into the next life.

From an office deep underground, Chuck projects his spirit into Crossfades, monstrous realms where the souls of the dead, unable to move on due to fear or anger, devise macabre tortures for themselves and one another. He’s always been able to leave his work behind at the end of the day . . . until now.

First in dreams, then in waking nightmares, Crossfades are bleeding into the physical world. And now it’s up to Chuck—along with his partner, a woman named Control—to put a stop to it. Because there’s no telling what might come over from the other side.

Covers link to Amazon

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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FREE Plus a Giveaway- BORN TO MAGIC by David Wind

Posted on June 15, 2015 by fundinmental

Born To Magic

by David Wind

Series: Tales of Nevaeh: Volume 1

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Release Date: February 15, 2015

Welcome to Nevaeh—where magic has replaced technology.

Long ago, the violence and radiation of terrorist wars killed America. Descendants of the survivors now dwell in a world of ritual and magic, where ten dominions struggle for supremacy and a dark, formidable power has emerged.

Areenna, the only daughter of the King of Freemorn, is barely eighteen, yet her psychic ability is strong. She is called to The Island and learns that the fate of her world is in her hands. She must undertake a perilous journey to save Nevaeh from malicious destruction. But she will not travel alone.

Mikaal, the son of the High King of Nevaeh, has just as much at stake as Areenna. The quest takes them through haunted wastelands filled with mutants while a vile and evil force will do everything in its power to stop them—for it wants Nevaeh as its own.

“My Lord,” Enaid called.

Turning to his wife, the High King of Nevaeh raised his eyebrows.

“All but two have arrived. They are quartered and being fed. Freemorn and Lokinhold will be here in the morning.”

“Thank you,” he said.

She took his hand and gently squeezed it. “You must go and greet them.”

“In a moment,” he whispered.

“What troubles you?”

“The past,” he said, seeing not the woman standing before him, but the world he had come from, and knowing every aspect of his previous life was gone…except for memories.

Book 2: The Dark Masters: Tales of Nevaeh, Volume Two

I live and write in a small village about thirty miles upstate of NYC, and share my home with my wife, Bonnie and our dog Alfie, an apricot poodle.

When I began writing in 1980, I had no idea where I was headed. Since then, I’ve published thirty-five novels, thirty-three of them with traditional publishers, but I decided I wanted more freedom than the traditional publishers would allow and began a new phase in my life as an Independent Author.

Sci-Fi & fantasy has always been my most favorite genre. My first novel in the genre, Queen Of Knights was a medieval / historical fantasy and reached #2 on the amazon.com bestseller lists for historical fantasy and medieval fantasy, and my sci-fi of parallel worlds, The Others, received wide acclaim.

My first Independent novel Angels In Mourning, was my ‘homage’ to the old time private detective books of the late 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I used to love to sneak them from my parents’ night-tables and read them as a young boy. Angels, is a modern day take on the old style hardboiled detective. Angels In Mourning won the Amazon.com Book of the Month Reader’s Choice Award shortly after it was published.

My most current thriller, The Cured, was written with Terese Ramin.The idea for this Medical Thriller came shortly after the death of a close friend. I couldn’t help but wonder about the medication….

My previous suspense thrillers are The Hyte Maneuver, (a Literary guild alternate selection); As peace Lay Dying, Conspiracy of Mirrors, And Down will Come Baby, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep and Shadows.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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Sherry’s Shelves #41 – Books & Fun

Posted on June 14, 2015 by fundinmental

Sherry’s Shelves is my weekly update for June 7 – June 13, 2015. Happy to have you join me for some books & fun.

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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I have been doing a lot of reading, writing and blogging and imagine you have too. My mom is here and we have been splashing around the pool and playing Skip-bo, a card game. Do you have a favorite game you play?

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NEW to fundinmental

I got this last week when it was free on Amazon. If you want to check out more, stop by Bad Bird Reads on Sundays for Amazon and Nook freebies.