Book Blast Giveaway for Fatal Trust by Diana Miller

Posted on January 8, 2014 by fundinmental

The cover of Fatal Trust has an aura of mystery.

Are they walking? Talking? Conspiring?

I love it.

Shadow-filled rooms of his mansion in the wooded hills near Lake Superior – I was born and raised in Michigan and have swam in the ice cold waters of Lake Superior on more than one occasion.

BLURB

Stepping her perfect Jimmy Choos into place beside Ben Gallagher’s wounded Nikes, straitlaced Philadelphia lawyer Catherine Barrington is surprisingly unable to resist the disarming small-town mechanic’s charm. He’s one of the heirs to the vast fortune left by his eccentric grandfather Max, a bestselling horror writer, and she’s there to carry out Max’s last wishes. Routine enough…except that inheriting comes with a catch: none of Max’s heirs will get a penny until they’ve lived together for two weeks in the shadow-filled rooms of his mansion in the wooded hills near Lake Superior.

From beyond the grave, a letter from Max insists that his death was no accident, sending Catherine undercover—and way out of her comfort zone—to catch the killer. Posing as Lexie, Ben’s cocktail waitress girlfriend, Catherine soon finds herself trapped with the feuding clan at the sinister Nevermore manor. To save her own life, she’ll have to confront the murderer, as well as her growing attraction to Ben—a top suspect.

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EXCERPT

Catherine woke abruptly, opening her eyes in the total blackness, her heart hammering. It must have been a nightmare, one she couldn’t remember even though it must have scared her to death. She glanced at the clock: 11:47. She closed her eyes again.

“I’m counting on you to find out who killed me.”

Her blood turned to ice. “Who is it?” she asked, unnecessarily, since she knew that distinctive voice.

“You know who I am, Catherine. Just remember the money is the key. Because I really was murdered.”

She was finally alert enough to think to switch on the bedside lamp. For an instant she swore she saw Max Windsor standing across the room by the dresser, studying her.

But it couldn’t be. She blinked twice.

When she focused on the spot by the dresser again, it was empty.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When she was eight, Diana Miller decided she wanted to be Nancy Drew. But no matter how many garbage cans she dug through, conversations she “accidentally” overheard, and attics she searched, she never found a single cryptic letter, hidden staircase, or anything else even remotely mysterious. She worked as a lawyer, a soda jerk, a stay-at-home mom, a hospital admitting clerk, and a conference host before deciding that the best way to inject suspense into her otherwise satisfying life was by writing about it.

Diana is a five-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award, including for Fatal Trust, and won a Golden Heart for her debut novel Dangerous Affairs. She lives in the Twin Cities with her family.

Stalk The Author

Website / Amazon Author Page / Facebook

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GIVEAWAY

Diana will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

What does the cover say to you?

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Click on the banner below to follow the tour schedule.

To get your copy of Fatal Trust or learn more about Diana Miller, click on the cover below.

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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 at Home and let’s talk.

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Blog Tour,Review & Giveaway for Dark Cravings by Madeline Pryce

Posted on January 7, 2014 by fundinmental

I am very pleased to be a part of Madeline Pryce’s blog tour for Dark Cravings.

I read the book when it came out as Blood Lust Rising. I had a review ready, but never published it. Madelyne had seemed to drop from sight, but I found out why. She was doing the author thing, you know, finding a publisher and such. lol

Warning: This novel is rated for Adults only.

I rarely do erotic, but this book was recommended to me by Laura, my sister, at fuonlyknew. I always pay attention to her recommendations. She could not quit talking about the first chapter. “Whew”, I say, as I blush head to toe. But Laura was right. Not only was my Kindle smoking, it was burning up! For all you erotic lovers, this is a MUST Read!

Read more about Book 1.5, Dark Innocence and Book 2, Dark Secrets by Madeline Pryce.

BLURB

As a half-breed vampire, Ella Grey’s life sucks. She does her best to pass the time killing demons and secretly admiring her Shadow Hunter partner, Micah. He’s hot, dangerous and knows it. He’d be just Ella’s type if he weren’t likely to kill her the moment she put a toe out of line.

A chance encounter with a succubus changes everything. From the second the succubus’s spell washes over them, Ella and Micah are helpless to keep their hands off one another. The sex, when it’s not leaving them on the verge of death, is earth shattering and for the first time in ages Ella is connected with someone on a level she’d feared lost forever. But a dangerous prophecy has been set into motion, and if Ella’s not careful it’ll pull her straight from Micah’s arms and into the deepest bowels of the underworld.

A Romantica® Paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously published under the title Blood Lust Rising. It has been revised and expanded for EC.

BUY LINK

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My Review of Dark Cravings by Madeline Pryce

I read this book when it was Blood Lust Rising. I have reread the new and improved Dark Cravings and I must tell you, I could not put it down. That is, until the battery in my Kindle died.

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Hot cover and very appropriate title.

Dark Cravings is Ella’s story. The detail and depth of Madeline Pryce’s descriptions is amazing. It is easy to visualize the battles, Ella and Micah’s attraction to each other, the characters that surround them and the world they inhabit.

Ella Gray – I am neither human nor vampire, the thing I was raised to kill. Some consider me a demon, an undesirable, an abomination. I am a hunter and I love every minute of it. I work for the Shadow Agency My mission is to protect humans from rogue vampires and keep our existence a secret.

The vampire world has its own set of rules and regulations with appropriate penalties for those that run afoul of the Shadow Agency.

Micah is the son of the agency’s leader. Ella and Micah had an attraction they fought, but could never put aside. I thought they were already fated to be together before the succubus came into their lives.

By her and Micah being together, Ella had changed. They had changed. The gates of Hell were opened, spawning demons, and the earth protested with hurricanes and tornadoes. Who knew what else would be affected by their lust and desire.

Their journey through their destinies are treacherous. Betrayal follows them everywhere they go. The gruesome, graphic horror is peppered with humor and laughter.

Madelyne describes Ella getting dressed to go to the club and I couldn’t help but laugh at her thoughts about the choice of clothing Hannah, her sister, had chosen for her.

Either the top was too small or my tits had gone from a B cup to a C. Jesus, if I bent over, my nipples might pop out.

I was so involved with the story, the hours passed as if they were minutes. I felt a huge letdown when I reached the last page, wanting the story to continue. And it will. So, you will want to follow Madeline Pryce to see what she has in store for Ella, Micah and the cast of characters you will either love or hate in Dark Cravings.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them

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QUOTES

“The Vampire Queen and yes…the Demon Son. Destruction and Mayhem.”

“God, you’re a bitch. The way he said it, I heard goddess.”

“I crossed my arms under my breasts, which is a mistake, because they almost fell out.”

“When the hell did you get so possessive? Why don’t you just pee on me and get it over with.”

“Nothing says heartless like matching coffee mugs that read, ‘Stand back. I’ve got fleas and ‘Demons do it better’.”

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My only complaint: The cover. I know you can’t judge a book by its cover or you might miss some good reads. However, covers do have a huge influence over me.

I confess that I liked the Blood Lust Rising cover better. Ella looks so fierce, I just knew there was a fantastic story waiting to be told – and it is Ella’s story. BUT I know sometimes this is taken out of the author’s hands and that’s okay. It doesn’t affect the quality of the novel.

“So this is your little ball of claws.”

I love Madelyne’s description of Ella and the old cover fit this phrase to a T.

What do you think of the Dark Cravings cover?

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ABOUT MADELINE PRYCE

Madeline Pryce wrote her first novel when she was ten, penned with neon-pink ink in a loose-leaf binder. Captivated by romantic literature, yet intrigued by the paranormal, she continues to develop her own voice, writing the kinds of stories that inspired her as a teen.

EC AUTHOR PAGE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

To grab your copy of a Madeline Pryce novel, click on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAY

Madeline Pryce says:

For a chance to win an electronic copy of DARK CRAVINGS leave a comment (be sure to include your email). I’ll randomly pick a replier within three days for each blog stop. Don’t forget to enter the grand prize (Rafflecopter link at bottom). One lucky winner will receive a $25 gift card from Amazon or Barnes & Nobles.

Emma Meade has won the ebook of Dark Cravings for my blog, BUT you can still enter the Rafflecopter below to receive the $25 gift card!

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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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 at Home and let’s talk.

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Exquisite Betrayal by A M Hargrove

Posted on January 7, 2014 by fundinmental

A M Hargrove is a fantastic author and I am always happy to share her books with my readers.

Check out the fantastic giveaway A M Hargrove is offering at the end of the post.

BOOK SUMMARY:

A male Romance Author… a convention in Vegas… a female book blogger… a goal to lose her virginity… what happens when you mix all the above?

Fallon McKinley is headed to Vegas for the Wicked Wenches Romance Con and losing her virginity is only one of her goals. The other is to meet her favorite author of romance novels, R.T. Sinclair. What she doesn’t realize is that the sexy green-eyed god she rams into at the airport is the real R.T. When they keep running into each other, she’s shocked, but excited, because the attraction is irresistible.

Ryland Thomas Sinclair doesn’t want anyone to know his true identity. He’s the author that all women love, but everyone thinks he’s a female. He hides his persona behind the public face of his twin sister, keeping his own a secret. But after meeting the lovely Fallon, his intentions to avoid a relationship come to a screeching halt. She’s put an unwanted kink into his perfectly laid out plans. His unusual reaction surprises him because after a heart-shredding breakup a few years ago, he’s managed to avoid women at all costs.

Resisting Fallon becomes more difficult than he imagines. Soon things are spiraling out of control, until a major miscommunication has Fallon walking out of his home and his life. Will Ryland Thomas succeed in losing the woman he loves? Or can he win her back?

BUY LINKS:

Amazon / B&N/ Smashwords/ iTunes

Exquisite Betrayal Teaser #7

Who knew that five minutes of walking at seven-fifteen in the morning could turn five perky women into five sweaty, dripping, angry, whining bitches?

We walk inside the convention center and the AC smacks us like a freezer. In minutes, we’re all shivering because our clothing and hair are soaked. We look at each other and shake our heads.

Kat looks down at her chest. “Don’t say it. Just don’t.” She’s referring to our chests. We all have our brights on.

“Aw fuck,” Amanda and I say simultaneously. As a team, we all enter the large room with our arms crossed over our chests.

“How are we going to carry our coffee and croissants?” Mandy asks as she shakes from the cold.

“I’m not eating,” Andrea replies.

“Neither am I,” I agree. “Let’s just grab a seat. Maybe when we dry off, things will flatten back out.”

We find seats as close to the front as possible and plop our wet and now frosty butts down. I want to huddle close to both my neighbors as I shiver, but of course, I don’t.

“Bloody hell, I’m freezing,” Andrea mutters.

“I know, right?” Kat answers as she scans the room, taking in the faces of the other guests.

Hopping to my feet, I announce, “Headlights be damned. I’m going for some coffee. Can I get y’all some?” Four sets of greedy eyes look at me, begging for some java. “Okay, I’ll do my best.”

I hurry to the coffee stand and quickly make five cups. Making sure to put the lids on tightly, I stack them up and slowly head back to the room. Not paying attention to where I’m going because I’m juggling five towers of java, I do the unthinkable and bash into someone.

As I stumble, the cups tip against me and coffee starts to dribble out of the openings and then they go all topsy-turvy on me. I watch in horror as the catastrophe unfolds before my eyes.

The lids fly off and then I’m screeching as the scorching fluid hits my skin. My hands let the rest of the cups loose and fly to my chest as I attempt to stop the burning.

“Shit,” I hear and then someone is dragging me to the bathroom and putting cold towels on me. I’m not paying attention to anything except the stinging of my skin. The cold water begins to ease the pain. I wave my hands in front of me and then get a good look at the damage. My white t-shirt is now caramel colored and the V of my chest is bright pink.

“Does it still burn?”

Oh no! That accent. I’d recognize it anywhere. I lift my head and lock onto Green Eyes himself.

Shit, shit, double shit.

“We really have to stop meeting like this,” he says, trying to inject a bit of humor into the situation.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A.M. Hargrove One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn’t do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase. Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodge ball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head. Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window. She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone, called her boss and quit her job. Grinning, she made another call to her hubs and told him of her new adventure (after making sure his heart was beating properly again).

So began A. M. Hargrove’s career as a YA/NA and Adult Romance writer. Her books include the following: Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge and Kissing Fire (The Edge Series); The Guardians of Vesturon series (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent and Beginnings); Dark Waltz and Tragically Flawed.

Other than being in love with writing about being in love, she loves chocolate, ice cream and coffee and is positive they should be added as part of the USDA food groups.

Author Links:

Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Author Goodreads / Pinterest

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GIVEAWAY

Win a bracelet, a “She Said Fire” t-shirt & Boom! EP album download, signed copy of Tragically Flawed, & $100 Amazon Gift Card.

Share some love with A M Hargrove and leave a comment or question for her.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow the tour by clicking on the banner below.

To get your copy of Exquisite Betrayal, or another A M Hargrove novel, click on the cover below.

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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 at Home and let’s talk.

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Monday Mini #6 – Travel through time with Kat as she finds the truth about Redemption

Posted on January 6, 2014 by fundinmental

I love ghosts and haunted houses. I find Redemption so fascinating, because this is about a real mansion and – guess what – it is really HAUNTED. That gives the novel a little something extra that makes me want to find out more.

Check it out at Haunted Graham Mansion.

It is up to you to decide what is fact and what is fiction.

So let’s get started on our journey for Redemption.

Clara, the ghost of the mansion, made herself known to Kat.

Kat knew she would not rest until she found the truth.

She asked her Grandpa to tell her the story of Graham Mansion and her journey began.

“We’ve got to be seekers of truth, whether we like it or not.”

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A haunted mansion, crime, mystery, time travel, sadness, tragedy and young love.

Redemption caught my eye during a tour I saw on Promotional Book Tours. YAY! I won a signed, first edition paperback copy and my journey through time began. I love ghosts and hauntings, but there was so much more to the story, especially because there is a real Major Graham Mansion and that adds an extra dimension to the story for me. The writing is excellent and the story flows smoothly, seeming as if it is really happening. Realistic and sweet descriptions of daily life. It is not all gloom and tragedy, but first love and fun as Kat learns many of life’s lessons. I was surprised when I got so involved in Redemption. I thought it would be more like a prequel with details and descriptions, but not much action. Boy, was I wrong.

“…one of the most interesting things about the mansion is that it is a house within a house, a story within a story.”

“…embrace adventure, it can take you beyond your imagination.”

4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend to Others

To get your copy of Redemption now, or to learn about the authors, click on a cover below.

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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 at Home and let’s talk.

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Super Sale for Exquisite Betrayal by A M Hargrove

Posted on January 6, 2014 by fundinmental

I am happy to be able to share this fantastic sale for Exquisite Betrayal by A M Hargrove.

A male Romance Author… a convention in Vegas… a female book blogger… a goal to lose her virginity… what next? Find out when you mix all the above!

Amazon / B&N / Smashwords / iTunes

To pick up your copy of Exquisite Betrayal or another A M Hargrove novel, click on the cover below.

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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 at Home and let’s talk.

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Friday 56 #1- A Ghost, A Haunted House and Redemption

Posted on January 3, 2014 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 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.

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I found this book so fascinating, because this is a real mansion and – guess what – it is really HAUNTED. Check it out at Haunted Graham Mansion.

Imagine touring this place on Halloween.

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She must discover the truth behind the legends and the stories.

So Grae began to read aloud from her Grandmother’s history booklet.

“The property on which the Major Graham Mansion now stands was know in its early days as Cedar Run Farm.”

(page 56 of 211 in the paperback)

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Redemption: Legends of Graham Mansion, Book One

by Rosa Lee Jude & Mary Lin Brewer

Be careful what you wish for. When the breakup of her family forces Grae White’s mother to move her two children from their privileged city life to her hometown in the mountains of Virginia, all Grae wants is to be invisible in her new life. But that’s rather hard when everyone knows that her father is the latest headline-grabbing white collar criminal, the most popular boy in school wants to take Grae to the prom, and then there’s that she lives in a haunted mansion. It would make anyone want to get away. Grae soon learns that a simple wish can reveal an unknown ability. Something more than curiosity spirals Grae back in time to seek the truth in the tragedy of a 200 -year-old murder. Along the way, she learns about history, happiness, and heartache in the lives of those who have lived on the property, including her own family. Her first journey reveals secrets that will lead Grae to further explore the legends of Graham Mansion. REDEMPTION is Book One in the Legends of Graham Mansion series.

AMBITION, Book II and Deception, Book III

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To get your copy of Redemption now, or to learn about the authors, click on a cover below.

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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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My Adventures – A Winter Wonderland – Niagara Falls

Posted on December 31, 2013 by fundinmental

I am a sun lover, so when I lived in Rochester, New York for ten years, I had to come up with something that would get me outside.

My love of photography came to my rescue.

It didn’t make me forget about the cold, but it did give me the incentive to venture out. Especially, when there are scenes like the ones below to capture my love of nature.

Niagara Falls in Winter (c) Sherry Fundin

The ice and snow covers everything in a beautiful white blanket and the world around me seems silent.

The power of the water is mesmerizing.

I feel alone, as if the moment was created just for me.

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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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Holiday Greetings

Posted on December 25, 2013 by fundinmental

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Elves in South Carolina? Review of Jack: The Tale of Frost by Tony Bertauski

Posted on December 24, 2013 by fundinmental

If you like the odd, the adventurous, the sci-fi world of magical beings, then this book is for you.

I read the first book, Claus: Legend of the Fat Man (see my review HERE) and was blown away. I laughed and played with the elves and reindeer.

Jack: The Tale of Frost is darker and goes off in a much different direction.

Sooooo, grab your hot toddy and blankie, stoke up the fire and put up your feet, and let’s enter the magical world that is Jack.

Sura takes a job at Frost Plantation.

She will meet Mr. Frost, who’s love of Christmas is obsessive, after all he invented Christmas, didn’t he?

Sura will find the love of her life and the home she has longed for.

She will also meet Jack, who is the opposite of Mr. Frost. Jack hates Christmas.

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A Christmas story so unusual, it makes the Grinch seem like child’s play.

The world building and character descriptions will have your mind working overtime trying to envision them. Tony Bertauski’s imagination knows no bounds as he takes me on a magical, sci-fi adventure after the downfall of the North Pole.

There is a love story, but to me that was just the icing on the cake. Jack is the cake.

Elves in South Carolina? Impossible? If you saw a round blue guy, what would you think?

I love a “guy” that I love to hate and Jack fits that bill to a T.

I wanted to laugh and cry with Jack, when I could get over the fact that he was a total asswipe. I felt bad for him and then I wanted to slap him up side the head. Jack didn’t have visions of sugar plums, but there were reindeer and a jolly fat man dancing in his head. The sun was so hot, but his memories were of white, fluffy snow and ice cold temperatures. He was not a pleasant “person” to be around. All that being said, I have to say that I liked Jack. The things he went through as he came “alive” made me root for him, encouraging him to hang in there, things will get better, won’t they?

I was confused for a while, trying to figure out what in the hell happened after all the badness at the North Pole, but as it came together I was even more surprised. This book is darker than Claus, but every bit as entertaining to read.

I love a surprise at the end, and Tony left me screaming for more!

4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

When Tony says, “I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain”, I smiled, nodded my head and said to myself, “I’m with you Tony.”

I received this book from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tony Bertauski My grandpa never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but he was a voracious reader. I remember going through his bookshelves of paperback sci-fi novels, smelling musty old paper, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off shelf and promising to bring them back. I was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died?

I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.

I’m a cynical reader. I demand the writer sweep me into his/her story and carry me to the end. I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain. That’s the sort of stuff I wanted to write, not the assigned reading we used to get in high school. I wanted to create stories that kept you up late.

Fiction, GOOD fiction, is hard to write. Having a story unfold inside your head is an experience different than reading. You connect with characters in a deeper, more meaningful way. You feel them, empathize with them, cheer for them and even mourn. The challenge is to get the reader to experience the same thing, even if it’s only a fraction of what the writer feels. Not so easy.

Goodreads / Website / Facebook

To get your copy of Tony Bertauski’s Christmas saga, click on the cover below.