Child Trafficking – Little Girl Lost by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Posted on January 28, 2020 by fundinmental

Well, the subject for Little Girl Lost by Jane Blythe is sure to get emotions in an uproar. I mean, how degraded must someone be to kidnap, torture, rape and sell a child? I love walking the dark side with my characters and Jane Blythe makes that so easy to do.

Little Girl Lost (Detective Parker Bell #4)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have just finished reading Jane Blythe’s novel, Dead or Alive and she left me with a tease that I had to follow up…immediately, so I began reading Little Girl Lost. I’m happy I didn’t wait, because everything I wanted to know about Tessa is now reveals…at least I think so. She is such a private person, holding tightly to her secrets, it is hard to know for sure.

Just ask Detective Parker Bell. Her loves her and made her his wife, yet he knows there are many secrets she has buried from her tragic past. After all, she has walked in these children’s footsteps and, even though she managed to escape with her life, survivor’s guilt hounds her every breath.

“You know you don’t have to do everything yourself all the time, Tessa.”

“It’s okay to let people help you sometimes.”

It is almost impossible to put down a Jane Blythe thriller because she fills her novels with emotion provoking content, tremendous amounts of tension making me feel the urgency of her characters and biting suspense as I wonder who will survive. The recurring characters have had more than their share of misfortune and hardship, but does that stop Jane Blythe from piling on more? OH NO. BUT, I love it. Does that make me as twisted as some of her characters? I hope not. After all, you have to go into their minds to be able to do what’s necessary, whether it’s taking them down or just trying to get into their head.

I have been with Tessa since the beginning and I understand her difficulty in believing and trusting, letting others into her world. She has been betrayed, used, tortured and abused, and I understand her need to keep her secrets. Tessa has her sweet, tender, vulnerable moments, but if I am ever in need of a kickass savior, I would love to have her at my side. She will sacrifice everything to save others.

There are plenty of villains to go around, but John Doe…I see him and I see why he does what he does, but I have no forgiveness for the loss of an innocent child. I do love a villain that creates ambivalent emotions and Jane Blythe does that with John Doe. The rest…do unto others…

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Little Girl Lost by Jane Blythe.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

If she can’t give up her secrets she’ll lose everything.

After crashing their car in the woods Detective Parker Bell and his wife Tessa stumble upon a blood covered child and find themselves thrown headfirst into a nightmare eerily familiar to the one Tessa found herself in sixteen years ago.

Forced to confront a past she would rather forget, every decision Tessa makes could cost her everything she has grown to love. Faced with several missing children cases he knows are related to Tessa’s childhood nightmare, Parker must decide how hard to push his wife to get the answers he wants, and if he is even ready to face the truth of what happened to Tessa when she was kidnapped as a child.

↝ Trigger warning – themes of sexual assault ↜

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series, Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.

When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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Kill. Sleep. Repeat. by Britney King @EJBookPromos @britneyking_

Posted on January 22, 2020 by fundinmental

NEW RELEASE

Any book by Britney King is high on my reading list, so as soon as Kill Sleep Repeat hit my Kindle, I was all over it. Britney has never disappointed me and this one was so much more than I expected.

Kill Sleep Repeat: A Psychological Thriller by [King, Britney]

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

As soon as Kill Sleep Repeat hit my Kindle, I began reading. I cannot let one of her thrillers sit on my virtual bookshelf. I must know who will be put through hell this time.

Stay focused. Remain in character. Don’t get murdered. For Charlotte, they are rules to live by.

Charlotte is a flight attendant and an assassin, which makes it easy to travel to her marks. Her victims pay the ultimate price. She’s married to Michael, with two daughters, but no one knows her secret. She is a sociopath, no conscience, no remorse and revels in wrapping her hands around her marks neck until no sign of life is left, but they are all villains in their own right. Her father was a sheriff, so maybe that’s where she comes by her need for justice.

She killed for the first time when she was in college, but Britney King doesn’t let it be just a murder. This the first twist that caught me offguard and I am loving it.

Do we ever really know someone? Their true thoughts and feelings? What they are doing when we are not with them? How long can someone hide the truth from their spouse, their family, their friends? How long before they all figure out who you really are…a sociopath.

Henry…is a good or bad? Can she trust him?

JC…well, I see him being a big problem and I’m not sure who he really is…until…

The website. I love how she handled that. Adds a little something extra, which is something Britney King manages to do in each and every story. It’s the little details that make a story something special.

Britney King is excellent with book surprises and I was hit with one after another, each larger than the first. I never saw the direction we would go, the danger and intrigue. I want to say more, but I want you to experience this for yourself, so mum’s the word.

As I read Kill Sleep Repeat, I was totally in Charlotte’s corner. She may be a vigilante, taking the law into her own hands, but I want her to succeed and survive. I want her to get her revenge when she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Kill or be killed.

I bounced between 4 and 5 stars, but because it is an ARC, I will overlook the tiny issues I had because it is just that good!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Kill Sleep Repeat by Britney King.

GOODREADS BLURB

From the bestselling author of The Social Affair and HER comes an intense and deadly provocative thriller which follows a woman who, in a fight for survival, realizes her job may cost more than it pays.

Several times a week, Charlotte Jones leaves suburbia behind and boards a chartered flight to parts unknown, where she wraps her hands around the necks of marks for just as long as she has to.

Then she goes back to domestic life with a paycheck, defense wounds, and the sense that she can handle anything.

Which is good, because being a wife, mother, and sociopath, with an insatiable taste for murder, gives the term work-life balance new meaning. When one life unexpectedly bleeds into the other, leading to a secret admirer and borderline insta-fame, Charlotte is forced to ask herself if she really can have it all.

Slick and unsettling, Kill, Sleep, Repeat is a cunning tale of deception and desire that begs the question: Do we ever really know people the way we think we do?

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

Britney King lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.

When she’s not wrangling the things mentioned above, she writes psychological, domestic and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.

Currently, she’s writing three series and several standalone novels.

The Bedrock Series features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

The Water Series follows the shady love story of an unconventional married couple—he’s an assassin—she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier book version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, Dexter.

Around The Bend is a heart-pounding standalone, which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

The With You Series at its core is a deep love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. Packed with drama and adventure along with a heavy dose of suspense, it has been compared to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Love, Rosie.

The Social Affair is an intense standalone about a timeless couple who find themselves with a secret admirer they hadn’t bargained for. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, the novel explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience. It is reminiscent of films such as One Hour Photo and Play Misty For Me.

Without a doubt, connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. You can find Britney online here:

Web• http://BritneyKing.com
Instagram • https://instagram.com/britneyking_
Facebook • https://www.facebook.com/BritneyKingAuthor
Twitter• http://twitter.com/BritneyKing_
Goodreads • http://bit.ly/BritneyKingGoodreads

To get more– grab two books for free, by subscribing to her mailing list at britneyking.com or just copy and paste bit.ly/britneykingweb into your browser.

MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

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You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Felt Like The First Time – Forgotten by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Posted on January 15, 2020 by fundinmental

Jane Blythe has been entertaining me with her stories for some time now, and Forgotten did not let me down. Even though I knew a lot of what would happen from previous novels, it still felt like the first time. Glad I put some distance in between books.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OMG! OMG! OMG! JANE! JANE! JANE! Even though I knew a lot of what would happen because I read the previous novels, it still felt like the first time and you blew me away.

I love these characters and it is so wonderful being back with them again. They are all flawed in their own ways, but I would still want them by my side in a clutch situation. Jane has put them through hell…repeatedly…and does not give them a break in Forgotten.

Their past comes back to haunt them, over and over again. Secrets will be exposed…and trouble, which is Tessa’s middle name, will find them.

Tessa and Parker’s inability to get past their own insecurities and trust in each other causes a separation they may never be able to overcome. Do we ever really know a person? People are not always what they seem.

Jane has brought all the events in the previous books into play and wraps it up in a NOT pretty package. She has no trouble killing off her characters and the loss of this one was gut wrenching. Even though I knew it was going to happen, I still had all the feels I did the first time around, maybe even more.

The villains are monstrous, but I understand how they got that way. I see their motivation, empathize with their pain, but they know right from wrong and there can be no forgiveness.

It broke my heart when Maisy…and then Jane finished me off with… Tears were rolling down my face as….I couldn’t hold them back. Sometimes knowing what’s coming doesn’t change anything.

You only get one shot at life and you had to make it count. We’re all responsible for our own choices.”

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Forgotten by Jane Blythe.

GOODREADS BLURB

Sometimes love can’t conquer all.

With his relationship to wife Tessa strained almost to the point of breaking, Detective Parker Bell finds himself once again becoming too invested in his latest case, that of a young woman who was kidnapped and is suffering from amnesia. As he becomes intrigued by and attracted to the beautiful and mysterious young woman he names Hope his friends and family feel that he is losing his objectivity, and risking everything he cares about in the process.

Meanwhile Tessa is working to battle her demons and finally become the woman who can give her husband what he needs. When Parker pulls away from her, intent on helping his newest project, Tessa must figure out what secrets Hope is hiding before it’s too late. Unfortunately Hope’s secrets will end up costing someone their life.

↝ Trigger warning – themes of sexual assault ↜

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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Spiderman – No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen @slipperywhisper @MinotaurBooks

Posted on December 5, 2019 by fundinmental

Every so often I will follow an email link from NetGalley and check out what’s happening. I try to limit how many books I grab at one time…you know how that is. I found some books by Joanna Schaffhousen and grabbed a couple. I would like to thank NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen for the opportunity to read and share them.

Amazon ‘/ Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I immediately began reading No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen after finishing The Vanishing Season. I am loving the author and her characters and eagerly begin.

We start where we left off in The Vanishing Season. Each book can stand alone, though I highly recommend beginning at the beginning, because once Ellery got under my skin, I had to know… Each mystery, in this case two mysteries, end with my complete satisfaction and leave me wanting more. Now…let’s get to it.

Ellery Hathaway is on leave because of what happened. And that you will need to find out for yourself. Even though No Mercy is Book II, Joanna Schaffhausen will fill you in on the necessities.

Reed Markham is getting a divorce. He is an FBI profiler, so for those of you who watch Criminal Minds, you can see the complications that would entail for those left at home.

I love Joanna Schaffhausen’s ability to show me Tula, Reed’s daughter. I can see the little firecracker racing around, not happy with her pigtails daddy did because they are a bit lopsided. She’s ready for mommy to pick her up, but she’s so caught up in just being, she forgot she doesn’t have any shoes on. Joanna’s ability to show me the event had me smiling as I watched her.

Ellery had never been on a date. After her abduction at fourteen years old, I can understand why. Sure, she has sex. But she uses it like a weapon. Romance? She doesn’t believe it can ever happen for her after what Francis Coben, the serial killer did to her. Even though he is in prison, so is she. He is always with her…in her mind.

Something happens. I won’t tell you what, but Reed comes rushing to her side, leaving with just the clothes on his back. He saved her once, and he is determined to not let anything else happen to her. Little does he know, trouble seems to find her…or does she go looking for it? There is no romance between them, but, I wonder….

A note…

“You really think I’m unlucky enough to attract the attention of a third serial killer?”

Imagine yourself and everything about you splashed all over the internet. You even have a Wikipedia page, telling of the horrors inflicted on you by a serial killer. People building websites devoted to you…of HIM…the trolls, the filthy, disgusting…

Even though this is fiction, it reads like a true story. I don’t know how Ellery could even step outside her home. Especially on a dark night. I don’t know if I would every leave my house again. Could you? I would have alarms on every access point, the outside lit up as if it’s daytime and, at least, ONE BIG guard dog.

When it came time for Reed to leave, his boss giving him an ultimatum, I knew he couldn’t do it. There’s a rapist on the loose, an old arson case, and someone is messing with Ellery.

I love that he cooks for her, and stays with her. He’s a good cook and it is a definite improvement over the fast food she lives on. He refuses to leave her home alone.

Joanna’ Schaffhausen’s characters are the lowest of the low and the highest of the high. They range from the pond scum that doesn’t deserve to breath air to the knight in shining armor that all children dream about.

Ellery’s need to help others makes her a target all too often, but it leads to lots of non stop action and intense mysteries. Danger lurks around every corner and even comes knocking on her door. Joanna Schaffhausen stacks mystery on top of mystery, because one isn’t enough. LOL

Reed: “I want you to stop taking chances with your life.”

Ellery: “You forget. I’m living on borrowed time.”

OMG. Joanna Schaffhausen continues to blow me away with her in your face, can’t put down, take my breath away suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen.

GOODREADS BLURB

Police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI profiler Reed Markham take on two difficult new cases in this stunning follow-up to The Vanishing Season.

No Mercy is award-winning author Joanna Schaffhausen’s heart-pounding second novel.

Police officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job because she shot a murderer in cold blood and refuses to apologize for it. Forced into group therapy for victims of violent crime, Ellery immediately finds higher priorities than “getting in touch with her feelings.”

For one, she suspects a fellow group member may have helped to convict the wrong man for a deadly arson incident years ago. For another, Ellery finds herself in the desperate clutches of a woman who survived a brutal rape. He is still out there, this man with the Spider-Man-like ability to climb through bedroom windows, and his victim beseeches Ellery for help in capturing her attacker.

Ellery seeks advice from her friend, FBI profiler Reed Markham, who liberated her from a killer’s closet when she was a child. Reed remains drawn to this unpredictable woman, the one he rescued but couldn’t quite save. The trouble is, Reed is up for a potential big promotion, and his boss has just one condition for the new job—stay away from Ellery. Ellery ignores all the warnings. Instead, she starts digging around in everyone’s past but her own—a move that, at best, could put her out of work permanently, and at worst, could put her in the city morgue.

ABOUT JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN

Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, sharp skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, daughter, and an obstreperous basset hound.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN REVIEWS

The Vanishing Season

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Walk On The Dark Side with The Psycho Collection by B R Paulson @bonnierpaulson

Posted on November 26, 2019 by fundinmental

The Psycho Collection is no longer available as a boxed set. I am reviewing the books for the Blogger Shame Challenge, because it is way overdue. I read the books in 2016 and will be reviewing them individually.

I only find the audiobook and paperback for Psycho Inside Me available at this time. I don’t know how I ended up reviewing Dictating Death on 2.5.15, finished reading Psycho Inside me on 5.18.16 and Watch Me Burn on 5.21.16. I think because they can stand alone and I reviewed Dictating Death before the boxed set came out, which is no longer available.

MY REVIEW FOR PSYCHO INSIDE ME

Action from the getgo.

The sheriff’s son, Deegan, helps the preacher’s daughter cover up the death of bad boy Bobby. They were friends, but this changed their relationship, brought them closer.

Her instinct was to take his ring for a trophy, but Deegan had a better idea. A tattoo.

The death changed her and now she is on the run. She is fueled by nightmares of Bobby, but determined not to be caught.

Are monster born or raised? That age old question, what creates a monster? I am always curious about what drives people to do some of the most heinous acts to others.

Justice doesn’t always come to the rescue and sometimes taking the matter into your own hand is the only answer. I do believe the world has a lot more grey, than black and white.

I didn’t see the direction Bonnie R Paulson was going to take with Psycho Inside me, but I do love the Bonnie and Clyde vigilante aspect. I can always relate to a vigilante and I guess that says something about me. LOL She is a badass psycho and I love her…and her boyfriend too. I feel her need to take down the bullies and pedophiles that prey on children. They do deserve the worst that can be heaped on them…and her name is Cassie.

She trained. She is only a young teenager, but she becomes a predator, created by those whotreated her as prey. I love how she is changing from her 13 year old innocent ways, forcing herself to become a calculating weapon of justice. Fine by me is she wipes out the perverts. You may feel the same way after reading about the degenerates.

The world is dark, with rays of sun shining through when the clouds lift in her mind.

How will this end? Will she be killed in one of the attacks? I want it to end well for her, regardless of what she has done. I love a characters that can win me over so completely.

Molestation and sexual assault are difficult subjects to face and talk about, but Bonnie R Paulsonwants you to know…YOU ARE NOT ALONE..you can survive.

Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R Paulson….BLEW MY MIND.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R Paulson.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW FOR DICTATING DEATH (wrote on 2.5.15)

I’m going over the falls and into deep water. And I go willingly.

Maria hated waiting for the death part. The fun was in the lead-in to the final act – the revenge.

The creepiness of the cover drew me in and after reading the blurb, I was hooked. Knowing what’s inside only whet my appetite for blood. And I got it. Right from the getgo. From the opening pages the knife was cutting, the blood flowing, the torture beyond belief. It wasn’t enough to kill. It must be a long, drawn out, painful and excruciating death. And Maria reveled in it.

Samantha and Maria are at odds with each other. Samantha wants to love Doctor Luke Lawson, while Maria wants to kill him. Call them the Threat Specialists – one is proud, the other horrified. What is the end game? What creates someone so twisted, reveling in brutality, savagery, enjoying the kill? Maybe you will find out…if you read Dictating Death by Bonnie R Paulson

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Dictating Death by Bonnie R Paulson

MY REVIEW FOR WATCH ME BURN

Levi had been burned in the romance department, so when Megan hit on him, he did all he could to avoid her. But she wanted him and friendship was not enough. Even though Chelsea had already staked her claim.

How far will she go to hold onto Levi? Are they living a story of Fatal Attraction?

Levi and Chelsea’s relationship was toxic. Now he feels he must remain along…hiding.

When he saw the FOR RENT sign, I thought, “OH NO!” The game is on.

Such a twisted, perverted definition of love, which could turn fatal. Will it? And for whom?

Stalking. Abuse. Rape.

Pathetic excuse for a man. How can he be ‘trained’ to accept his role? Can you fix what is so badly broken?

Not enough time passed for Chelsea to win Megan’s trust, but the story is short, so I can see why things happend so fast. I would love to see Bonnie R Paulson flesh the story out and take it to an even deeper, darker level. BUT, I love it. Twisting and turning to the end.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Watch Me Burn by Bonnie R Paulson.

GOODREADS BLURB

Everyone has a little Psycho inside…
***BOX SET***

Psycho Inside Me

I killed my first victim at thirteen years old – my age, not his. He was going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him. And then… I killed again. And again.

At seventeen, I’m killing four to six times a year – maybe more. Don’t stress out. I only go after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could cover in a lifetime.

Saying I did this on my own would be selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the damning evidence. I don’t want to stop killing. But if I let him take the fall, I can’t kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that.

But the worst part of it all? I love him.

Dictating Death

Samantha wants to love him.

Maria wants to kill him.

Dr. Luke Lawson has no idea that the girl he’s dating has split personalities fighting to control her body. Samantha must keep Luke safe at all costs.

If Samantha wins, Maria will die and disappear forever – taking Samantha with her.

If Maria wins, Dr. Lawson will die and she and Samantha will move on to the next doctor – the next kill.

But Luke is special.

He could save Samantha from herself… but only if Samantha can save him.

Watch Me Burn

Levi

I’ve been in love and it hurts.

We hurt each other.

On purpose.

I can’t escape the guilt.

Megan

I don’t want to be just friends with Levi.

But I will be.

He’s been hurt before and I just want to be there for him.

Someone needs to be on his side.

Chelsea

Levi Cole is mine.

I want him.

She can’t have him.

She needs to die.

crazy, standalone, stalker, psycho series, psychological thriller, ya thriller, ya romantic suspense, YA survivor fiction, ya psychological romance, relationships, psychology

ABOUT BONNIE R PAULSON

Bonnie R. Paulson mixes her science and medical background with reality and possibilities to make even myths seem likely and give every romance the genetic strength to survive. Bonnie has discovered a dark and twisty turn in her writing that she hopes you enjoy as much as she has enjoyed uncovering it. Dirt biking with her family in the Northwest keeps her sane.

Facebook / Website/ Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter/ Literary Addicts

MY BONNIE R PAULSON REVIEWS

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! Carole P Roman @caroleproman

Posted on November 23, 2019 by fundinmental

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! Carole P Roman came in the package I received with Brit Lunden’s The Devil and Dayna Dalton, part of the Bulwark Anthology.

If you are looking for some laughs for your little ones, or some tongue twisters for yourself, this may be one of those books you would love to have along on those road trips.

Amazon / Paperback / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Carole P Romance sent me The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids and after reading it, I wanted to get this review out before Christmas.

Here’s a silly state for you: Laughter is good for you! It decreases the chemicals in our bodies that make us sick and increases the ones that make us feel better.

Do you have a little comedian or prankster in your household? Do you want something to help entertain the kiddos while taking that road trip? Are you someone who loves a good laugh?

We have jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, puns, knock knock jokes…and silly stats and wonderful illustrations to add that something extra. We have fun with pirates, vegetables, snowmen, critters, sports, if you can think of a subject, there’s probably a joke about it in this collection.

I found myself trying to solve the riddles and say the tongue twisters. I wouldn’t be surprised if you do too.

At the back of the book, Carole P Roman supplies some ruled pages and helpful hints to create your own, or your children’s own, funny moments.

Just because a joke is clean, doesn’t mean it can’t crack you up. I think, like me, you will find some of these familiar and others a nice addition to you repertoire.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids by Carole P Roman.

GOODREADS BLURB

Tons of jokes, tons of laughs, tons more time kids spend reading.

“Why do fish live in saltwater? Because pepper makes them sneeze!” The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids is brimming with over 800 knock-knock jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, and silly stats for endless hours of hilarious entertainment anywhere.

This illustrated collection of jokes for kids is inclusive and family-friendly, with knee-slappers that kids will be bursting to tell every chance they get (parents, you’ve been warned). The jokes also get more challenging with each chapter, so this book will tickle funny bones of all ages.

The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids is hysterical fun for anytime and anywhere:Are we there yet?—Keep kids engaged and giggling at home, on the road, and beyond. Reading frenzy—The best way to keep them reading? Make it so much fun they forget they’re reading. Budding comedian—Kids will learn about setups, punchlines, and how to write some jokes of their own.

Keep them laughing and reading for hours with this massive book of jokes for kids.

ABOUT CAROLE P ROMAN

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children. She hosts a blog radio program called Indie Authors Roundtable and is one of the founders of the magazine, Indie Author’s Monthly. She’s been interviewed twice by Forbes Magazine. Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman. She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren and a new joke book called The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes!
She writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and is currently helping to create an anthology with her mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors. She lives on Long Island near her children and grandchildren.

Her series includes:
Captain No Beard
If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural
If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical
Nursery series
Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book
Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes!
Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber
Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber
Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden
Bulwark
The Knowing- A Bulwark Anthology

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Shame On Me For Waiting So Long To Share – Gideon by Alex Gordon @alexgordon36

Posted on November 19, 2019 by fundinmental

I have made a huge dent in back reviews that have been sitting, waiting…and waiting. I am close to reaching my goal for this year, the first round through my notebooks and review list. I won’t get everything done, but I am happy with the challenge and my progress.

I read Gideon on 6.2.16 and gave it a 5 star rating for this debut thriller. I love Alex Gordon’s work and can only imagine how far Alex Gordon will go in her career. I plan on being around to see.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Lauren’s fate is sealed with the death of her father. He tried to protect her, but the lure for answers about death and danger surrounding her beckons her to Gideon, where He waits.

Alex Gordon”s story takes us from Seattle, Washington, to Gideon, Illinois.

Gideon was a crossroads for evil.

HE is surrounded by woods and darkness, where the dead don’t stay dead. Have I hooked you yet?

The town’s people job was to keep the darkness from crossing over.

Could Lauren be the one to stop HIM for good? Would innocence and naivety in the ways of evil and magic win out?

From the 1800s and burning at the stake to cell phones, potions and spells, evil rises and good does it’s best to prevail.

Both good and evil characters will die, so be careful who you get attached to and be prepared to grieve for the characters taken before their time.

I was a bit slow to get involved, but once Lauren traveled to Gideon, I found the pace picking up and my need to know what happens next rising to such a high level I found it hard to put the book down.

BUT…the story is not over and I am so happy to have Book II, Jericho, here at my side, ready to crack open and see what challenge faces Lauren next. I wrote that in my notes, but I reviewed Jericho before Gideon. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know. LOL

Gideon wraps up the story in a great way and I feel it can stand alone, but I rated Jericho 5 stars, so I think ,once you begin, you would have to know more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Gideon by Alex Gordon.

GOODREADS BLURB

Preston & Child meets Kim Harrison in this edge-of-your-seat debut thriller—a superb blend of mystery, urban fantasy, horror, romance, and the supernatural.

When Lauren’s father dies, she makes a shocking discovery. The man she knew as John Reardon was once a completely different person, with a different name. Now, she’s determined to find out who he really was, even though her only clues are an old photograph, some letters, and the name of a town—Gideon.

But someone—or something—doesn’t want her to discover the truth. A strange man is stalking her, appearing everywhere she turns, and those who try to help her end up dead. Neither a shadowy enemy nor her own fear are going to prevent her from solving the mystery of her father—and unlocking the secrets of her own life.

Making her way to Gideon, Lauren finds herself more confused than ever. Nothing in this small Midwestern town is what it seems, including time itself. Residents start going missing, and Lauren is threatened by almost every townsperson she encounters. Two hundred years ago, a witch was burned at the stake, but in Gideon, the past feels all too chillingly present . . .

ABOUT ALEX GORDON

Alex Gordon, author of the supernatural thrillers GIDEON and JERICHO, was born in the Northeast, grew up in the South, and now resides in the Midwest. When she isn’t working, she enjoys watching sports and old movies, long walks, and the company of her dog, Gaby. She dreams of someday adding the Pacific Northwest to the list of regions where she has lived. And maybe the south of France.

She is not the Alex Gordon who has written several books about English footballers. She also has never played for the Kansas City Royals.

Photo by Libby Bulloff

Alex also writes Science Fiction and Fantasy under the name Kristine Smith.

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MY REVIEWS FOR ALEX GORDON

Jericho

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Jaw Dropping Debut – The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen @slipperywhisper

Posted on November 11, 2019 by fundinmental

The cover definitely fits the story.

The Vanishing Season (Ellery Hathaway, #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Vanishing Season is Joanna Schaffhausen’s debut novel, released in 2017…and, boy oh boy, is it a good one. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it gave me so much more.

Three people have gone missing and Ellery Hathaway knows they are dead and another will be taken very soon. Sam dismisses her warnings, but she won’t stop there. Sam is not only her boss, the chief of police, but also her lover, her married lover. I sure don’t approve of that, but as I read on, I could see how it happened. She uses sex as a weapon. That will have it’s own repercussions.

Woodbury, Massachusetts is a small town, a blink and you will miss it, with only eight police officers. I love to read of small towns, the gossip mill, and secrets that won’t stay secret. Ellery has a big one, but…

Ellery calls in the big guns, Reed Markham, an FBI profiler that had saved her from the serial killer that had taken her fourteen years ago, leaving her scarred and broken. He too has his own story. His marriage is on the rocks, but he had made a promise to her, so when she called, he came.

I love her basset hound, Speed Bump. LOL Critters always add some grins for me, and with a subject like serial killers, I need some chuckles.

The dog leapt from the vehicle with all the grace of a hippo performing a belly flop.

I have plenty of suspects, but two in particular have my attention. Even if I’m wrong, I don’t like them. LOL I do like to try and figure it out for myself as we follow clues, question witnesses, and try look for what others have missed.

There is no romance, though I know there are more books coming, so I wonder. I mean, just think about it, her body is scarred and so is her mind. She doesn’t want anyone in her house. Doesn’t want anyone touching her. And doesn’t want to share her secret. After what she’s been through, I can see why she protects herself, so who could possible get through the walls she has built up but the one person she trusts?

I am at 38% and my tension level is high, the pace is picking up, making me feel like the end is near, nut, there’s so much of the story left. I can only imagine what Joanna Schaffhausen has in store for her characters. I am lovin’ it.

I am filled with horror at the terrible things one person can do another, as the bits and pieces of Ellery’s captivity leaks out, each detail worse than the last.

Well…I didn’t see him coming. It takes a lot for an author to fool me so completely, especially near the end, but she had me eying the wrong guy until a page or two before he attacked. He was well camouflaged, but I will be on my toes with the next case, expanding my suspect list and reading between the lines.

Man oh man, I am so glad I took a chance on Joanna Schaffhausen. I had never heard of her. She kept me riveted from beginning to end and I can hardly wait for Book II, No Mercy. BRING IT ON!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen.

GOODREADS BLURB

Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only victim who lived.

When three people disappear from her town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer’s closet all those years ago.

Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.

ABOUT JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN

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Before Night Came Dawn of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler @mhebler

Posted on October 23, 2019 by fundinmental

Now, we have come full circle. The story of the Chupacabra will be told in full. I hope the series caught your attention and you find Dawn of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler just as alluring as the other three. I got shelved this to read on 12.10.15 and finished reading it 12.20.15.

Michael Hebler does manage to come up with some intriging covers.

Dawn of the Chupacabra (Chupacabra Series #4)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

When you think about it, the title and cover are perfect for the subject matter, the origin of the chupacabra. I love MIchael Hebler’s explanation of how and why the chupacabra came to be.

Jeremiah Whiting’s story ticked me off.

The Civil War caused some heinous acts to be perpetrated. A truly evil being wants to bring death and destruction to the world and will do whatever is necessary to ,ale it happen.

And then I met the American Indian, Yuma.

Michael Hebler has no trouble skewing even a good guy to the bad side, maybe even killing them off.

The details and descriptions are so deep, visualization is a snap, the surroundings coming to life.

Want to know what angers the spirits…you need to read Dawn of the Chupacabra yourself. LOL

Well, Michael, it has been quite the ride. The highs and lows kept me wrapped up in the characters, grieving for them when they passed, reveling with them when something good happens, and I can hardly wait to find another ‘family’ from you to hook up with.

GOODREADS BLURB

The fourth chapter in the award-winning Chupacabra Series follows an A.W.O.L. Confederate soldier, who is hunted by a demon sent to avenge the innocent of his heinous crimes.

Before Night, Came Dawn

Jeremiah Whiting has been a survivor since birth. He endured an abusive upbringing only to fight as a private for the losing side of the American Civil War. But when the war ends, Jeremiah’s battle does not. He will meet his greatest enemy yet, in the form of a heinous entity sent to kill him for crimes against the Cherokee Nation, and the only allies willing to fight at his side are the remarkable instincts he possesses and the voice of a deceptive Soldier who possesses him.

Dawn of the Chupacabra tells the origin tale of a supernatural beast born out of hatred and rage. Sent to kill a man no less atrocious, the monster’s creators soon learn the error of their fatal mistake and abuse of power when the creature terrorizes above and beyond its intended purpose. Dawn of the Chupacabra breathes life into a legendary curse spawned from the ashes of war and begins what will continue to blemish the earth for centuries to come.

ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER

Prior to his tween years, Michael used to “borrow” Stephen King books off his mother’s bookshelf. Although he has not been clinically evaluated, Michael is positive that his adolescent self-introduction into adult horror had an impact on his dark sense of humor and love for Jason Voorhees. On the upside, Michael has found an outlet in which to put his twisted thoughts to proper use, and thanks to a college degree which proves that he had studied the importances of plot, characters, conflict, themes, and interactions, he is able to give his stories the attention they deserve.

But life wasn’t always about the written page. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Michael had a career as a international film publicist, working on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, as well as the 2013 Academy Award® Best Foreign Language film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty). Sounds exciting, right? Michael thinks so, too.

Currently, in his spare time, Michael also enjoys volunteering in his local community. Organizations he has supported include Meals on Wheels, Get On The Bus, as well as helped protect our animal population by aiding in the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.

To date, Michael’s publications include the first four (of six) books in his Chupacabra Series: NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE CHUPACABRA, LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA, and DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA, a couple of short stories, as well as my first publication, THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age.

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MY MICHAEL HEBLER REVEWS

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Legend of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler @mhebler

Posted on October 16, 2019 by fundinmental

Allright, Book III of the Chupacabra series by Michael Hebler, Legend of the Chupacabra. I got this book from Michael back in 2015 and finished it on 12.16.15. Man oh man it has been a wild ride…so, let’s get started.

Another fabulous cover in the series.

Legend of the Chupacabra (Chupacabra Series #3)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

As I enter the third book in the series, Legend of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler, I have been reading them one after another, I become more fond of Jessie and her tenacity. She had a sordid upbringing, is self reliant, untrusting. Life is not what she would have chosen, but she would make the best of it. If she ever became your friend, it would be for life.

I couldn’t understand her felling of dread and being stalked. After all, the chupacabra was dead…isn’t it? What do you think?

Hate and revenge are strong motivators, leaving some open to being duped and unleashing a horror never known before upon the white man. In this western world, we learn about man’s ability to be good and bad. Are they born that way or do circumstances dictate their actions? I love a book that makes me ponder deep questions.

Suspense, twists and turns, pain and sorrow, but love and hope blossom from the most evil depredations. Sometimes subsequent books in the series don’t hold up, but, no worries. Each book has held more depth, more terror and more suspense than the last. I cannot stop reading, the suspense and sense of urgency driving me to the end…but wait…there’s one more book. YAY!

OMG…NO…Michael, you are sheer evil. I had a feeling something had to happen, but, damn it! I sure didn’t see the ending coming and it was a fabulous surprise.

GOODREADS BLURB

Inside a small village within the Great Plains of Montana, a ritual initiated in blood will be performed. This ceremony has been executed only once before and will mark a rite of honor and justice. Commonly, the Assiniboine are a harmonious people with strong pride and passions, but turn to the spirits for vengeance when wronged. The tribe’s chief will summon the Great Spirit on behalf of his people, for no earthly man can make evil suffer
like a greater evil.

Legend of the Chupacabra finds Jessie and Suzanne living peacefully in Portland, Oregon, six years after they believed to have put an end to the curse of the chupacabra. But the women come to learn of their failure and the futility of their sacrifices when a remarkable reunion brings horror back into their lives; only this time, what they face will be unlike any creature they’ve encountered. Legend of the Chupacabra marks the end of a trilogy but the continuation of a saga that will leave this moment of history drenched in blood.

ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER

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MY MICHAEL HEBLER REVEWS