Ghosts & Serial Killers – The 5: A Paranormal Thriller by Richard Freeland @dragonlyre

Posted on October 3, 2016 by fundinmental

Everything about The 5: A Parnormal Thriller by Richard Freeland spoke to me and spoke loudly. With the horror season upon us, this seemed like a perfect read to share.

Richard Freeland enjoys a good margarita around a warm fire and so do I, so let’s get comfortable…for now.

Look at the creepy cover and tell me what you think the young lady has on her mind.

Amazon / Goodreads

Everything about The 5: A Paranormal Thriller by Richard Freeland has everything it takes to stop me in my tracks and check it out further. The fantastic cover is creepy and drew me in and I love paranormal thrillers, and the title finished me off. THEN, OMG, we have a serial killer. I know that may sound bad, but I LOVE serial killers. 😈

Ben is a young boy with a vivid imagination and a penchant for writing. When Sarah comes to visit him from the spectral world, no one will believe him, but she keeps asking him to…

“Find me.”

He is a brave, young man whose investigation takes him down a dangerous path that could cost him his life.

Yes, there is a cellar, and…well, we are going down, no matter how afraid we are.

The 5: A Paranormal thriller by Richard Freeland started out like any ghostly tale and I thought this would be a normal, fun paranormal read. I had no idea where Richard would take me, but the twisty, turny, windy trail into the hidey-hole and the pit of hell had me on the edge of my seat. Each time I thought the story was over, he took me to another horrid and terrifying place.

Richard lulled me into a sense of complacency, then jerked me awake. The 5 was written in such a way that the surprises burst forth like a rose opening its bloom, unfolding each petal slowly, showing me its thorns as I grabbed ahold of the story. The horror kept coming and the ugliness of the killers made me sick as they laughed with glee. They are written perfectly. Camouflaged as ordinary people, the evil is hidden right in front of me.

I never suspected the killers, but I don’t think there were enough clues for me to find out ahead of time. Normally, I don’t like surprises, but Richard, I’ll take these kind of surprises any day of the week. I WANT MORE!

I received a copy of The 5: A Paranormal Thriller from Richard Freeland in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS & INTERVIEW

Gone Without a Trace

Between 2011 and 2014, five young girls living within a 40 mile radius of Sutton, Tennessee, disappeared. They were never seen again.

Until Now

Sarah Nordstrom has returned. With an anguished request for twelve year old Ben Hilary.

“Find Me…”

These words will send Ben on a terrifying quest to uncover the truth about what really happened to five lost girls. A journey that will cause him to question everything he believes in. And everyone he trusts.

Trust No One

Because there’s someone in the shadows. Watching Ben’s progress. Someone who has everything to lose. Someone who will kill to make sure that the past remains buried.

The 5 – a novel by Richard Freeland

*****

Interview with Thriller Writer Richard Freeland

Q – Your latest book is The 5, a paranormal thriller. What’s the story behind the book?

RF – They say write what you know, and The 5, while fiction, has it’s birthplace in my own youth, visiting my grandparents in a small Tennessee town that became Sutton in the book. Ben’s grandparents’ house closely mirrors my grandparents’ home, right down to the spooky cellar.

Q – Are the issues you touch on in the book, like trying to win a parent’s love, coming of age, burgeoning sexuality, and the uncertainty of growing up, issues that you dealt with as a child?

RF – I think we all go through some of the things Ben experiences. The emotions, I mean. My Dad was a stepdad and I loved him a lot, but sometimes he was hard to relate to. He could be kind of aloof. And all guys, and girls probably, experience that unsettled sexual awakening period. I know that if a girl even looked at me at that age I’d lose my capacity for intelligent thought! Girls were the great mystery when we were in our early teens. So a lot of those feelings crept into the story.

Q – What motivated you to become a writer of occult thrillers?

RF – Riches! Fame! Fortune! No, really, I like to write, to explore ideas and situations and try to come to terms with things. But what’s a writer without a reader? I knew I wanted to reach more people than just my friends and family. Then there’s that whole fame and fortune thing…

Q – What do you want your fans to experience when reading your work?

RF – I want to write stories that resonate. Tales that make my readers care for what’s happening to the characters. That scare and entertain and keep them on the edge of their seats. And maybe learn a little about themselves and others.

Q – What authors have most inspired you?

RF – I think I should have been born in the pulp era. My Dad turned me on to reading at an early age. He loved Edgar Rice Burroughs, Zane Grey, Luke Short, and a host of others. He had all the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars books, and some really old dime paperbacks from before WWII, and I read most of them as a boy, and they all influenced me. A co-worker once gave me a copy of The Key-Lock Man, by Louis L’Amour, and I was hooked. He’s my huge western influence, and I think of him as a mentor. Then there’s King, Koontz, McCammon, Preston & Child…the list goes on.

Q – What do you have in the works?

RF – My main goal right now is finishing an epic historical paranormal thriller (how’s that for cross genre?). It’s called Seed, and will be released as a trilogy. The first book in the set is being edited as we speak. I’m also in the planning stages of a paranormal thriller series featuring Macon Grant, a really bad ass character with certain Abilities, but also towing along a lot of serious baggage. Mac and his motley crew will be thrown in to some pulse-pounding situations, I think. The first book in the series is tentatively titled Ravager.

Q – Sounds like quite a ride.

RF – Fing

ABOUT RICHARD FREELAND (from Amazon)

Hey there! I’m Richard Freeland, and I write thrillers “with a bite”. Most of my stories are set within the horror, suspense, thriller, and fantasy genres, although I aspire to a more literary flavor. Many of my short stories appear in the compilation “Equinox – Six Declinations”, my first published book.

Currently, I’ve just finished “The 5”, a paranormal thriller. You can find it here at Amazon.

I enjoy writing, reading, fly fishing Georgia’s freestone trout streams, gardening, boating, hiking, playing tennis (bum knees and all) and – after all that – settling down with my lady in front of a warm fire and enjoying a fine margarita.

I live in Gainesville, Georgia with my wife Martha and cat Henry (widely regarded as the “King of the Known Universe). I’m a registered landscape architect and a certified master gardener. I’m currently working on a second collection of short stories and and my second novel, an epic historical paranormal thriller called “Seed”, coming soon from DragonLyre Publishing. You can find all my fiction at RichardFreeland.com

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Tag Team Giveaway & Review – The Ice Bridge by Kathryn Meyer Griffith @KathrynG64

Posted on September 29, 2016 by fundinmental

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Welcome to the Tag Team Tag Team Event & Giveaway!

This is where myself (Sherry at fundinmental) and Laura at fuonlyknew tag team authors and their books. We share our reviews and giveaways, giving you two perspsectives of the book and two chances to win!

~~~

The events in The Ice Bridge by Kathryn Meyer Griffith take place on Mackinac Island, and since I am originally a Michigander and I am very familiar with the place. It was just one more reason that I was drawn to The Ice Bridge.

Now…Kathryn Meyer Griffith has something to share about the book. Welcome, Kathryn…

The Writing of THE ICE BRIDGE

By Kathryn Meyer Griffith

In 2003 my husband, Russell, and I were celebrating our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and decided to return to quaint Mackinac Island in Michigan. We’d been there a few years before, but just for a quick afternoon stopover on our way home from visiting family in Wisconsin. We’d loved the Island for the few hours we’d been on it and promised ourselves we’d go there again someday. So when we began to plan for our anniversary vacation we traveled back for a longer stay of six days. I’d made reservations months ahead at the Iroquois Hotel on the water’s edge of Lake Huron and when the time came, after packing up everything we’d need, we jumped in the car and took off.

The Island doesn’t allow cars, only bicycles, horses and snowmobiles (in the winter) so we left our vehicle in a Mackinaw City parking lot on the mainland and boarded the ferry that would take us across the water to the Island, our luggage and two bicycles in tow. It was much cheaper to bring our own bikes instead of rent them there.

It was late August and the Island was beautiful. Crowded with colorful, fragrant flowers, clomping horses, whizzing bicycles and, of course, lots of tourists. Fudgies as they were called because they came, purchased and devoured so much of the little town’s fudge.

The Iroquois Hotel was lovely with its bright pastel colors and friendly service; a fancy in-house restaurant and our room with its wall of windows facing the lake. A lake that to me was as large as an ocean…because it went on forever.

Our six days there were heaven. We rode our bikes, peddling around the horses, carriages, and equine taxis, around the eight-mile in circumference island and enjoyed the sights. The friendly people. The breathtaking views of water, boats and woods. The fudge. We sped along West Bluff Road to the ritzy Grand Hotel (made famous in the 1980 romantic time travel movie Somewhere in Time with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve), ate the scrumptious and lavish tourists’ brunch there and afterwards, so full we could barely ride our bicycles, we gawked at the magnificent Victorian mansions with their elaborate gardens lining Lake Shore Drive.

We visited Fort Mackinac and listened amusedly to people talk about the ghost soldier some had reported seeing when twilight began to fall. My husband, a photography buff, even slipped out of our hotel room in the middle of one foggy night to get artsy pictures with our new digital camera of the fort, hoping to catch the ghost. He captured no ghost, but plenty of stunning photographs.

One night we even sat, spellbound, as a Lake Huron thunderstorm pounded wildly at our wall of windows. It was as if we were gazing at a tumultuous ocean.

Then one day someone, in a cubbyhole of a local hamburger joint, over our lunch, said something about the ice bridge, as the islanders called it. During the dead of winter, when the straits froze over, it was a narrow path that stretched about four miles across the ice that separated Mackinac Island from the St. Ignace mainland. The locals would drive in old Christmas trees along the path to show the way, to show it was now safe. To them the ice bridge meant freedom to come and go for up to two months a year without paying ferryboat or airplane fees. To me it sparked an idea for my next book…what if someone crossed the ice bridge one wintry night and fell through the ice? And disappeared…maybe even died?

I started asking questions of the locals: Had someone ever fallen through the ice and perished? Turns out over the years, that yes, some people actually had. Fallen in. When the ice wasn’t firm enough. Or when they’d gone off the solid marked path. Or in a snowstorm. Some on snowmobiles. Some were saved, dragged out, and some had not been. Hmmm.

That’s all it took for the book to begin forming in my head. The rest of the trip I looked at the Island with different eyes. A writer’s eyes. Writer’s ears. I filed away the memories and the home-grown stories recounted to me. Though most of my earlier books were romantic horror, I’d written a couple of straight contemporary murder mysteries, Scraps of Paper and All Things Slip Away, a few years before and Avalon Books had published them. I’d quite enjoyed writing them.

So I thought I’d write another one with Mackinac Island and its real and fictional ghost tales as the background. I’d show the beauty of the island, changing of the seasons, what it was like in summer, fall and winter (tons of snow and ice), and describe the historical landmarks. I’d spotlight the quirky close-knit inhabitants and have the protagonist gather their imaginary spirit stories to put into the ghost book she was writing. I’d make the Island nearly a main character itself with its enigmas, water, snow, ice and fog.

The novel would be about a woman, Charlotte, jilted in love, coming back to heal and visit her poignant childhood playground, and her lonely Aunt Bess. She’d meet an Island cop, Matt, and together they’d not only fall in love but would embark on a great dangerous adventure together. There’d be a spunky old lady, Hannah, living next door and the four would be great friends. Until the old lady disappears on a winter’s night while crossing the ice bridge and the mystery would begin. Had Hannah been murdered by someone….how exactly…by whom…and why? The remainder of the book would be the unraveling of that mystery as the central characters try to keep from being killed themselves by the devious murderer behind Hannah’s death. I’d embed the Island’s so-called ghost tales throughout the book to spice up the story even more. So it’d be a romantic ghostly murder mystery. Ah, ha. I couldn’t wait to begin.

When my husband and I returned home, refreshed and happy, I started it right away, with the memories of lovely Mackinac still fresh in my mind. Gosh, how I’d loved that Island. A tiny piece of old-fashioned paradise. The book came easily to me. And so The Ice Bridge was born. Now with a stunning new cover by Dawne Dominique and self-published for the first time along with my other 21 novels (going back to my 1985 The Heart of the Rose), in eBook, paperback and Audible audio book, it’s out in the world again for everyone to read and, I hope, enjoy.

Written this first day of December 2015 by the author Kathryn Meyer Griffith

.I orginally posted the cover above, the old cover, so I thought I better share the new cover with you. I love the eeriness of the old one. How about you? Which do you like best?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Ice Bridge by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is a paranormal suspense thriller that captured me from the opening pages. Kathryn’s ability to spin a tale, writing about realistic characters with a familiar location, Mackinac Island, makes this especially desirable for me.

During the winter, an Ice Bridge forms, allowing the islanders, and anyone else, to more easily navigate to and fro. It made me think of the Ice Road Truckers, who deliver goods to out of the way places that would not have the supplies without the Ice Road. Mackinac Island has a tight knit community and they become even more so in the winter.

Charlotte has come back to Mackinac Island and her Aunt Bess, bringing with her a broken heart. They are both hurting and so much alike, living together may help heal the wounds. Charlotte is an independent woman and doesn’t want to get involved again, but…

Along comes police Lieutenant Mac, a kind man that would make a great catch and has a sad story of his own. I like some romance with my thrills, so I am glad to meet him.

Hannah, who goes missing, has a special talent. They call her The Ghost Lady and she makes me think of Melinda on The Ghost Whisperer. I love that Kathryn Meyer Griffith mixes a mystery with the paranormal giving the story that something extra that I crave.

We definitely have a mystery, but I am drawn into the characters worlds and their life struggles. I am very concerned for their welfare, knowing Kathryn Meyer Griffith has a habit of killing off some of her characters. The writing details their misfortunes, leaving me wanting good things for them, not the bad that keeps coming. I like characters who are flawed and damaged. I want to see them made whole again.

The detailed descriptions of the surroundings bring back fond memories of my visits to Mackinac Island and make it easy to image the isolation, the lack of people and cars, the silence so deep you can hear the snow fall. I want to be there, minus the murder.

There is more going on than broken hearts and murder, and the suspense rises as the killer gets closer and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

I know the writing is excellent, when I already have the story figured out, but I can’t put the book down anyway.

I received a copy of The Ice Bridge from Kathryn Meyer Griffith in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

AMAZON BLURB: She’ll fall in love again…with a man and the island. Charlotte returns to her Aunt Bess and Mackinac Island, a quaint retreat that welcomes summer tourists and allows no cars, to renew herself and write about the island’s ghosts.
She’s come to help Bess with her heartache, an ended love with Shaun, and to renew a friendship with neighbor Hannah.
In winter Mackinac closes down and everyone looks forward to the ice bridge that freezes across the Straits of Mackinac.
Until Hannah disappears into the icy waters crossing it.
Everyone says it’s an accident. But Charlotte and her admirer cop friend, Mac, don’t think so. Something isn’t right. Hannah was too smart to go off the path.
So it’s murder…but why…how…by whom?
In the end, it’s Mac–and perhaps Hannah’s ghost–who saves Charlotte and Bess’s lives when the killer decides they’re too close to the truth and tries to kill them, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

100_8628 Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-four years ago now, and have had twenty-two (ten romantic horror, two horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance, two thrillers, and four murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press; and I’ve self-published my last ten novels with Amazon Kindle Direct and my Dinosaur Lake novels and Spookie Town Mysteries (Scraps of Paper, All Things Slip Away and Ghosts Beneath Us) are my best-sellers.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-seven years; have a son and two grandchildren and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have a quirky cat, Sasha, and the three of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk/classic rock singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *Finalist* for her horror novel The Last Vampire ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS * Finalist * for her thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.

*All Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s books can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/ld4jlow

*All her Audible.com audio books here: http://tinyurl.com/oz7c4or

Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forged, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Horror category), Witches, The Nameless One erotic horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (The First Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (The Second Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Ghosts Beneath Us (The Third Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection, Forever and Always Romantic Novella, Night Carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake (2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising and Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation

Her Websites:

Twitter / My Blog / Facebook / AuthorsDen / Goodreads / Gravatar / Amazon

GIVEAWAY

Kathryn is offering three (3) prizes. Winners will have their choice: an ebook or FREE Audible Audio Book code.

To be entered, leave your email and whether you want an ebook or audiobook, so we can contact you if you are a winner and answer the question:

I used to be terrified crossing the Mackinac Bridge. What are you afraid of?

For another chance to win, hop over to fuonlyknew.

Giveaway will run from 9.29.16 – 10.12.16

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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MY REVIEWS FOR KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH’S BOOKS

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Giveaway & Review – Untouchable by Sibel Hodge @SibelHodge @BPICPromos

Posted on September 4, 2016 by fundinmental

Untouchable

by Sibel Hodge

Genre: Psychological/Vigilante/Suspense Thriller

Release Date: July 18, 2016

A Conspiracy. A cover-up. And a whistle-blower who knows too much. You think you know who to trust? You’re wrong. And the truth may kill you…

~~ Inspired by real UK police investigations, this book contains scenes which some readers may find disturbing ~~

It’s Maya and Jamie’s anniversary, and she waits with excitement for him to return home for a celebratory dinner. There’s a knock at the door. It’s the police. Jamie has been found hanging in a local wood.

His death is ruled a suicide, but Maya doesn’t believe Jamie would take his own life. Something isn’t right. Someone has broken into her house. Someone is watching her. And someone has gone to great lengths to cover up what Jamie was doing before he died.

Maya’s grief turns to suspicion, and as she begins to investigate the weeks leading up to Jamie’s death, her trail leads her to a place known as “The Big House” and the horrific secrets within. Secrets people will stop at nothing to keep hidden. People linked to the heart of the Establishment who think they’re untouchable.

Now Maya has a dangerous decision to make. How far is she prepared to go to reveal the truth?

OMG. I AM BLOWN AWAY by Untouchable by Sibel Hodge. I read a lot of romantic suspense. It is one of my favorite genres, and I just want to say, “Sibel Hodge is a master storyteller that left me screaming for more!”

Untouchable contains some sensitive topics, so I would definitely recommend this to adults only and if you are squeamish, think twice…then read it. 🙂

Maya and Jamie are opposites. She is loud, messy and social. He is more of a spectator, neat and tidy and enjoys his own company, yet they complement each other well.

Untouchable is told from two perspectives – Maya in the present and Jamie in the past.

I don’t want to give away Jamie’s story and the secret he holds, but I will say, it is terrible, tragic…Makes me soooo angry and I think it will make you angry too.

Did Jamie commit suicide?

That age old question arises..WHY?

It s a painful topic, yet Maya refuses to believe he would take his own life. I often wonder, when reading novels like Untouchable, how well we really know each other. We all have our little secrets, the pieces of our soul we hide from others. I wonder what I would do in her situation and, to me, that is the sign of great writing, making me get so into the story that I place myself in the characters situation.

Would I, would you, accept what everyone was telling me, or you? Or…would I, or you, have faith in our own intuition, or own gut feeling, that they are WRONG! What strength would it take to act on it.

I can’t imagine her pain at the loss of the love of her life, how stuck she is not wanting to forget him and move on. Wearing his clothes, absorbing the smell of him…wishing…

Watch out you fuckers. I’m coming to get you.

.

We all need a purpose to go on and now she has one.

Would I want justice…YOU BET! I love books that present the What IF..Would I…to me.

This is what I have been waiting for…the suspense and anticipation are making me fidgety, my eyes twitching, as I strive to read faster and faster, yet not wanting to miss anything.

They are Untouchable, but..

I find them so disturbing, so sickening, making me want to vomit as I scream and rage. I want to jump in my Kindle and rip them apart with my bare hands. Depraved, twisted, scummier than the bottom of the pond. My outrage makes me wince and shiver as I read on.

When Mitchell, who comes to Maya’s aid in solving the mystery, talks about Iraq, even though it’s a novel, my conspiracy theories come out.

“Talking to someone would be like putting a bandaid on a shark bit. What I needed was an AK-47 or a grenade to blast the people who killed Jamie to smithereens. Could I get a script for that?”

When Mitchell talks about the media brainwashing us, I believe that too. Do you ever wonder who really controls the world? Are we being duped by our own government? How about 911, Homeland Security and terrorism…is the government, or the power people creating a distraction so we don’t see what is really going on right under our noses?

I just don’t find any way for Maya to find justice. I don’t know how she does the things she does in Untouchable, but Sibel Hodge has created a character that rocks! The woman is very strong, committed, afraid yet fearless, brave and courageous as she struggles with her loss, fear, frustration and despair.

Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.

.

I was crunched forward, my foot tap, tap, tapping, racing through the pages, fighting the pain in my neck, hands, and wrists, from holding, clutching my Kindle…unable to stop. My head aches, my eyes burn and still I can’t stop. I have not read her bestseller, Look Behind You, but after reading Untouchable it is high on my wish list. Sibel Hodge has now become a MUST READ author for me.

Untouchable by Sibel Hodge did not go the way I thought. It seemed predictable, but twisted and turned to the very end. Ooooh, THE ENDING, I never saw it coming and I sat with my mouth hanging open and I had to laugh at my astonishment. AWESOME, Sibel!

To wrap it up, Untouchable by Sibel Hodge is a mind blowing, off the charts, out of the ballpark, hellacious rollercoaster ride that brought all my emotions to the surface, roiling and boiling.

I received a copy of Untouchable from Sibel Hodge in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos

5+++++ Stars

Sibel Hodge’s No. 1 Bestseller Look Behind You has now sold over ¼ million copies. Her books are International Bestsellers in UK, USA, Australia, France, and Germany. She writes an eclectic mix of genres, and she’s a passionate human and animal rights advocate.

Her work has been nominated and shortlisted for numerous prizes, including the Harry Bowling Prize, the Yeovil Literary Prize, the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition, The Romance Reviews’ prize for Best Novel with Romantic Elements, and Indie Book Bargains’ Best Indie Books of 2012. She was the Winner of Best Children’s Book by eFestival of Words 2013, Nominated for the 2015 BigAl’s Books and Pals Young Adult Readers’ Choice Award, Winner of Crime, Thrillers & Mystery | Book from a Series in the SpaSpa Book Awards 2013, Readers’ Favourite Young Adult – Coming of Age Honourable Award Winner 2015, and New Adult Finalist in the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America’s International Digital Awards 2015. Her novella Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave has been listed as one of the top 40 books about human rights by Accredited Online Colleges.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Interview & Review for an Amazing Saga – Europa Quanundocii by P R Garcia

Posted on September 2, 2016 by fundinmental

Europa Quanundocii by P R Garcia is the second book in the amazing saga of the Oonocks, an alien race trying to survive on earth. To see my review for the first book, Europa Awakenings, go HERE.

Sometimes the second book in a series will be a letdown, but no worries here. The story just keeps getting better and better and if you would like to know what happened to Atlantis, you will want to read the Europa series.

To many, red roses mean a deep, passionate everlasting love. They also portray beauty and courage. So appropriate for the cover of Quanundocii!

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

Europa Quanundocii by P R Garcia is the second book in the Europa series. This science fiction, action/adventure, romance is as amazing as the first. It picks up where the first book left off.

Europa is named after one of *******’s moons and may be the Oonocks only chance for survival. At ten years old, Europa met Kiijon and a bond was formed. Neither knew what their meeting would bring in the future, but when they were brought together again ten years later, the stars aligned and their fates were sealed.

Danger stalks Europa at every turn. Her friends, lovers and soldiers are willing to lay down their lives to protect her. She is royalty, yet she is giving, loving, naive, not acting as if she is better than anyone or looking down her nose at them. She is humbled by them. She doesn’t demand loyalty, but it is freely given. The characters surrounding her all have their special place in the story. I just wonder if they will all survive.

Quanundocii is the ultimate union, the bond of one soul, one body and one heart. Together they are invincible, but apart their life is filled with heartbreak, unbearable pain, maybe even death. Whenever there is the danger of extinction for the Oonocks, Quanundocii demands that two will unite as one and save them all, defeating the evil threatening them.

Quanundocii is one of the most fantastic love stories I have ever read. The highs reach the skies and the lows make me want to weep for the characters.

I started Quanundocii one afternoon and couldn’t put it down. My eyes were crossing and I still didn’t want to quit, but finally I had to . I got up the next morning and began reading at 8am. I only stopped long enough to grab coffee and use the restroom, finishing at 1pm.

Quanundocii is such a unique and fantastic story with writing that makes the story flow so smoothly I race through the pages, yet I don’t want to reach the end. All the time I know danger is lurking…what will it be…where will it rear its ugly head? Europa learns her true destiny and brace’s for the battle with Jeffra’s followers.

I received a copy of Europa Quanundocii from P R Garcia in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

INTERVIEW WITH PAM GARCIA

I am so excited to have Pam Garcia back with me today. She is a woman after my own heart. I love the sun, sea and sand, and if you read her bio, you will find that we have a lot in common. Her series speaks to me…deeply…so read on, and you will know why.

1 Your characters are complex and it did not take me long to become fully invested in the outcome of their lives. Of course, a lot of us may choose Europa as our favorite character, but I am curious who you would choose and why?

Actually, I have two favorites: Jeanip for the original 6 book series, and Swaybuk in the 3 book sub-series. Both are very dear to me.

Jeanip is the ultimate protector, abandoning everything in his life to protect those he is keeping safe. No sacrifice is too big, no act too small if it means keeping Europa and the others happy and free from harm. I have thought of killing off Jeanip several times, but I just couldn’t do it. I felt doing so would be betraying his loyalty and dedication. His one flaw, in my eyes, is his excessive dedication to the protection protocols and etiquette rules. He adheres to them no matter the cost, even his own life. Yet, it is that flaw that makes him so enduring to me. Jeanip, like most Oonocks, knows only one thing – a deep love. He harbors no hate, covets no things, holds no grudges. He often gets very angry, leaving his fist marks in table tops when he pounds his fist in outrage, but he is always forgiving. He is also a prankster and a loyal friend, as shown in his interactions with King Enok, Chancee and Monarch Earon. He is the best of what an Oonock is. The best that is inside some humans as well.

ME (sherry): I am so glad you mentioned Jeanip. I love that man and would feel honored to have a protector like him. He is my favorite character. I would be crushed if you killed him off. 😥

Swaybuk is almost a carbon copy of Jeanip, but his devotion is to Prince EJ. He stepped forward as the young prince’s protector the first day he met him and never left his side. Prince EJ became the son he never had, and he gives the prince every ounce of fatherly love he possesses. And that love is Swaybuk’s major flaw – something that is dealt with in book 8, The Shadow of Apathy. Like Jeanip, Swaybuk takes his protectorship to the next level, becoming a teacher and a leader, helping the prince to be the best that he can be.

2 I know your dream is to see Europa on the big screen. If Europa’s story was optioned for film, have you imagined what actors you would like to see play Europa, Terrance, and any other characters?

To tell the truth, I can’t watch anything without wondering if some actor or actress would be perfect to play one of the characters. So far, I haven’t found many. Medaron would be played by Angelina Jolie. Kiijon would be Theo James. Kiijon is supposed to be the most beautiful Oonock ever born, and I think Theo would fit that description. Aidan Turner from The Hobbit would do well also. Sam Elliott might make a good Jeanip, but his role in Westerns might take away from the character. I can see Chris Hemsworth in that role also. For some reason, I think it will be on unknown to play the all-important parts of Europa, although I can see Zoe Saldana or Jennifer Lawrence in that role. Liam Hensworth would make a good Earon.

Me (Sherry): I think Sam Elliot is a perfect match for Jeanip. I am not a big movie buff, I am a TV addict, so some of the others I don’t know. But I am sure my readers could help you out. 😆

3 A lot of authors listen to music as they write. Do you have a play list, and if Europa was optioned for film, have you thought who you would like to write the musical score?

I listen to music most of the time while writing. In fact, I’m listening while I write this. I mostly listen to movie orchestral productions with no lyrics. I find lyrics to be too distracting. My favorite is The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey. I also listen to King Kong (2005). Star Trek into Darkness and Thor, the Dark World. All great sci-fi movies with intense sound tracks. I like their energized pace and find the more intense the music the more intense my writing is.

4 Your novels contain many magical characters with diverse powers. If you could shapeshift and have a power, what would you choose?

Without a doubt, I’d transfer into a whale, probably a humpback. I have such a love for these noble creatures and was privileged to witness their antics first hand while working as a naturalist on the whale-watching cruises. To swim with them, explore the vastness of the ocean and travel below to see all the sunken boats and ancient cities not yet found would be a dream come true. Humpbacks are such gentle giants and they have a great fondness for playing, more so than the other whales. You will see a humpback slap their pectoral fins repeatedly, stick their tails up in the air and swirl their tail or slap the water, breach 5-40 times in a row (sometimes even more). They just seem to love life and are having fun doing it.

Me (Sherry): I have been whale watching in Cape Cod many times. I was so lucky to see a mom and baby, and that baby was having the best time ever, jumping all over the place. It’s ‘funny’, but out of all the magical characters in your story, I too would be a whale, for many of the reasons you stated. Also, not many creatures mess with them…other than humans.

As for my power, it would be to heal. Can you imagine if you could repair what is broken in people, take away their cancer, mend their broken bones, rejuvenate burned skin and eliminate their pain? What a gift that would be. But, just as in the books, it would have to be a gift closely guarded. There are too many people in this world who would want to exploit such a gift or keep it only for themselves.

5 On a personal note: Your bio intrigues me as much as the series. If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing in the world of water, what would it be?

If I had a magic wand, I would eliminate greed in the world. Greed is the cause for so many of our problems today: global warming, deforestation, species lost, plastic waste and even war. Throughout mankind’s history, it has been the desire for power and riches that have enslaved both man and animal, ripped out forests, slaughtered innocent animals, make a life-saving drug jump from $100 to $1200 a pill. One day, greed will be mankind’s downfall.

While I do believe greed is our greatest evil, I don’t think even a magic wand could take it from within us. So, on a more realistic note, I would eliminate plastics, a plague on the twentieth century. When I grew up, we didn’t have plastic everything. Milk came in glass bottles, as did soft drinks, juice, condiments, sauces and so forth. Coffee came in tin cans. Fruit came in a brown bag, as did your groceries. Thanks to plastic, we have become a world of “throw away” items. Easier (and often less expensive) to throw something away and buy a new one then fix what’s broken. The plastic that has been, and that is still, being dumped into our oceans is killing those beings who live there. Many animals strangle to death from the packing strips and beer-can rings that become wrapped around their necks. Often mistaken for jellyfish, marine life consume large quantities of floating plastic bags and Mylar balloons thinking it is food. Even the whales are not immune. Not long ago, two sperm whales washed up on shore. When a necropsy was done, it was discovered that their stomachs were filled with plastics. The animals literally starved to death with full stomachs. Scientists did a study on one of the Hawaiian Islands where a number of the sea bird chicks born that year had died. When they examined them, they again found huge amounts of plastics in their stomachs – lighters, toothbrushes, bottle caps, doll parts, toys, plastic forks and spoons, tiny containers, pen tops. These items were floating in the ocean and the parent birds thought they were fish, swooped down and grabbed the plastic piece and flew back to their chicks to feed them. These chicks, as with the whale, starved to death with full stomachs. How sad. It is estimated that eight million tons is plastic is dumped into our oceans each year. And, by 2025, it is estimated that the amount of plastic will rise to one hundred and fifty-five million. If we stopped the use of plastic, or if everyone would recycle, this problem could be eliminated.

Me (Sherry): I totally agree with everything you are saying. Us, as individuals, can do our part my recycling and not using plastic when we can get away from it. BUT, until those in power decide to do something about it, I, too, think the use of plastic will continue to grow.

As you can tell, this is something I feel very passionate about. In closing, I will leave you and your readers with an American Native saying:

When the last tree has been cut down,

The last fish caught,

The last river poisoned,

Only then will we realize one cannot eat money.

You have wowed me with the interview, Pam. I don’t do a lot of interviews, but this one is, by far, the best. Your passion shines through and I love that. I can hardly wait to continue more of the series. Thanks so much and I look forward to hosting you again…soon. 🙂

GOODREADS BLURB

Europa has accepted and embraced the truth that she is from a sentient, aquatic race from *******’s ice moon, Europa, who migrated to Earth 6000 years ago. Her enemy, JeffRa, who was determined to end her and her brother’s life, has been defeated. But JeffRa’s death only released a new ruthless leader, more determined, more blood thirsty, more hateful than JeffRa himself. This new leader is determined to fulfill JeffRa’s vow of revenge and dreams of watching the life drain from Europa’s eyes. Using all his resources and Terrian troops, he hunts for the Oonock monarchs. The Orbs have protected the Oonock race for hundreds of millions of years. In times of imminent destruction, they have united two Oonocks in the Quanundocii, the most sacred and purest form of Oonock love which unites two individuals so completely together, that they can defeat death itself. Only the Quanundocii can save the Oonock race. It has only occurred only four times in Oonock history, the last being Enok and Medaron. But Medaron’s death broke the Quanundocii and left the Oonocks vulnerable. A new Quanundocii is needed. Europa must be united in the Quanundocii if the Oonock race is to defeat the Terrians. But she cannot do either while a human. The Orbs begin to change her, to rebuild her into what she was meant to be – a true Oonock. But their remolding soon puts her life in jeopardy. If a way cannot be found to stop any accidental transformation, she will flow out and die before anyone can help. Can she stay alive long enough for the transformation to be complete? Can she be united in the Quanundocii and save her people? Or will the Terrians win this time? She has already lost so much, so many of the people she loved. Who else will be lost before this nightmare is over?

ABOUT P R GARCIA

When asked who I am, I usually tell people I am a not-too-grayed-haired old lady who, at the age of 61, was inspired to write a book. The book turned into two, then three. In three years I have written nine and am presently working on book ten. All are full length novels, averaging 464 pages each.

In 2008, I moved from Michigan to Southern California. Since I grew up along Lake Erie, I had a love for the water, so it wasn’t long before I could hear the ocean calling to me. I began to volunteer on the whale watching boats as a naturalist through Birch Scripps Aquarium and the San Diego Natural History Museum. It is there that I expanded my knowledge of cetaceans and other marine life, a knowledge and love I carried into the books.

MY DREAMS

To see my story play out on the big screen before I leave this world. My other dream is to receive at least one hundred reviews on the books. I welcome both favorable reviews and those with criticism.

For more information about the books, or me, visit my website: prgarcia1.com. There is an index on the web site showing the characters, as well as a listing of places and Oonock terms. I have a YouTube video on EUROPA Awakenings at https://youtu.be/EvSVloULZ2I

I just recently updated the cover of EUROPA Awakenings to better reflect the story. The cover now shows the red-haired Europa, with her sanctuary, Saint’s Isle, on the right had side, and the presence of a large whale’s tail on the left. The whale is key to her survival, but you’ll have to read the story to find out who he is. The first chapter was also updated, so you will note that the paperback holds a release date of 2-27-2016, while the eBook maintains the original 12-9-2013 date. They are both the same book. Due to the significant changes in Chapter One, the paperback required a new ISB Number and a new release date.

EUROPA Awakenings can be ordered through any bookstore or online on Amazon. For exciting news about the ocean, cetaceans or important environmental issues, you can follow my Facebook page Europa Awakenings, which is just shy of 1300 likes.

Check out her website here.

BOOK IX of the Europa Series has just been released. Check out this gorgeous cover and if you are as passionate about our oceans as Pam, I feel this series will speak to you too.

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I Read This Epic Trilogy in 2 Days – The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey @RickYancey

Posted on August 29, 2016 by fundinmental

I saw this fun challenge, Can You Read A Series In A Month, and thought, “I have the perfect series to read”. I recently won the third book in the Rick Yancey series, The 5th Wave, from Jessica @ a Great Read. When I read it had been made into a movie I checked it out further and found the first two books in a bundle on Amazon and they were on sale, so I grabbed them.

Here is my completed series screenshot for The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey.

You may want to check out my reviews and see if this fantastic adventure series is something you or someone you know would enjoy. From teens to us old guys, Rick Yancey has created a fantastic alien/zombie, science fiction/horror, apocalyptic/dystopian series that KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and now a major motion picture starring Chloë Grace Moretz.I have not seen it, but after reading the series I really, really, really want to.

Now, it’s time for my reviews.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

OMG. Rick Yancy grabbed me by the throat right out of the gate and never let me go. I am blown away and totally creeped out.

Alien = extinction.

‘The only way to stay alive is to stay alone.”

And Cassie is. Five months from normal to alone.

Now, let’s go back in time and find out how Cassie came to be alone.

Ninety seven million people wiped off the face of the earth. She keeps a journal just in case…well, in case there is anyone left to read it, except for the aliens. She has a special note just for them…”BITE ME!” I’m with her!

Could you imagine? Silence! Think of sitting on your porch or patio listening to the hum of the world around you…automobiles in the distance, birds singing, your neighbor starting their car to go to work. Now, imagine it gone.

Deafening silence (urban dictionary definition) – when even the solemnity of silence has become too loud.

Deafening silence described: the point of silence in which one can feel the fine hairs in the inner ear vibrating with the subtlest change in air pressure. Going out on a limb, but the sound of dead proteins rubbing and creating static nerve pulses to the brain at such a lean frequency that the wave pattern is then magnified by your brain to the point of confusion, annoyance, uneasiness, or anxiety.

Will the children be the ones to save mankind?

Other than Cassie, some of the characters I became curious about were Evan, Zombie, Ringer and Nugget.

The twists and turns take me down the long…dark…rabbit hole. I want to know who will win the war for Earth. Who will survive and who will not? Be careful who you get attached to. Like some authors I know, Rick Yancey is not afraid to kill off his characters.

Rick created a dark and terrifying world where characters counted on their insight and intuition, as much as their training and their desire, to survive.

I just can’t stop reading…my eyes are blurring and I can’t see the words, can’t focus, but…I’m almost there…

Truly an unputdownable book. I laughed and I cried. I screamed and I whispered.

I despaired and I hoped. But, above all, I kept reading til the very end…of The 5th Wave.

Even the acknowledgments written by Rick Yancey are very entertaining.

I read all three books, 1095 pages, in two days. That’s how good this epic series is!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I did finish the book and went straight to bed, only to pick up…

The Infinite Sea first thing in the morning.

The Infinte Sea by Rick Yancey

I absolutely loved the first book. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, and could not wait to open the pages for The Infinite Sea, and I mean really open the pages of my paperback copy that I bought. I rarely buy books any more, because I get so many great ones free, and borrow from my sister or the library, but this was a set I wanted to have for my shelf.

I began this in the morning and I read it cover to cover in one sitting.

Picked up right where the first book, The 5th Wave, left off.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey started out with a BANG…and kept on going.

Dammit Teacup.

We discover what the gang is made of as they experience love, loss and sacrifice.

What do the aliens want? Why don’t they just wipe them out already? Are they toying with them, like a cat with a mouse?

We will lose some old friends and meet some new ones, but at least for the moment, life goes on.

Rick Yancey is a master storyteller in this epic series filled with complex characters, some good, some bad, and some down right evil.

The Infinite Sea is a thought provoking novel that may keep you up at night…wondering.

I read all three books, 1095 pages, in two days. That’s how good this epic series is!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

…

The Last Star, the final book in this epic series by Rick Yancey

Finally…I will know the end of this awesome trilogy.

Who will be the last one standing…alien…human…somewhere in between?

I root for the ultimate romance to survive.

Dumbo is the one who brought me to my knees!

Treachery, betrayal, love and sacrifice…

The Last Star by Rick Yancey will stick with me long after I have put the book on my shelf. Will it do the same for you? Will it leave you pondering your own definition of purpose and humanity?

I have fears for Cassie and a smile for Bear, as Cassie thinks, “Yes, Daddy, I want to fly.”

The 5th Wave series is not the story I thought it would be…it far surpassed all my “high” expectations. I cried through the ending with a smile on my face for the happy and the sad.

Life goes on.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: The enemy is Other. The enemy is us.

They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.

But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.

In these last days, Earth’s remaining survivors will need to decide what’s more important: saving themselves…or saving what makes us human.

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Kindle Giveaway & Review – Candidate for Murder by Lauren Carr #Vote4Gnarly

Posted on August 25, 2016 by fundinmental

I am super excited to share Lauren Carr’s latest awesome Gnarly novel, Candidate for Murder. This is one you won’t want to miss.

MY REVIEW

I am a huge fan of Lauren Carr’s, so when I saw a chance to get a copy of her latest Mac Faraday Mystery, Candidate for Murder, how could I resist?

A familiar cast of characters and Lauren Carr’s humorous hints had me guessing in this murder mystery.

OMG…Gnarly is under investigation. He’s running for mayor of Spencer and the mudslinging has begun. His competition will stop at nothing to undermine him.

After seeing the promo for the movie PETS, it is easy to visualize the mischief of Gnarly and his cohort Storm, a canine Bonnie & Clyde. Here’s just one example: feasting on a romantic dinner for two that was not intended for them.

“If you were smart, you would have put them outside before levaing our dinner unguarded.”

“I did…But I forgot to lock it!”

The writing and dialogue keeps me in stitches as the political campaign heats up. An old murder is being investigated and the city of Spencer will be rocked. Outrageously funny. Unputdownable. Spoofing politics makes this a MUST READ during our political times.

Greed, ambition, God complex, entitlement, ego, sex, money, power…

Every time I think of the kittens Gnarly saved, a laugh bursts forth.

So much is going on, I am having trouble figuring out who the bad guys are. I love that.

OMG!!! The best Mac Faraday…yet. Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list.

I received a copy of Candidate for Murder from Lauren Carr in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

ABOUT CANDIDATE FOR MURDER BY LAUREN CARR

It’s election time in Spencer, Maryland, and the race for mayor is not a pretty one. In recent years, the small resort town has become divided between the local year-round residents who have enjoyed their rural way of life and the city dwellers moving into their mansions, taking over the town council, and proceeding to turn Deep Creek Lake into a closed gate community—complete with a host of regulations for everything from speed limits to clothes lines.

When the political parties force-feed two unsavory mayoral nominees on the town residents, Police Chief David O’Callaghan decides to make a statement—by nominating Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s German shepherd, to run as mayor of Spencer!

What starts out as a joke turns into a disaster when overnight Gnarly becomes the front runner—at which point his political enemies take a page straight out of Politics 101. What do you do when you’re behind in a race? Dig up dirt on the front runner, of course.

Seemingly, someone is not content to rest with simply embarrassing the front runner by publicizing his dishonorable discharge from the United States Army, but to throw in a murder for good measure. With murder on the ballot, Mac Faraday and the gang—including old friends from past cases—dive in to clear Gnarly’s name, catch a killer, and save Spencer!

Buy the book: Amazon

Author’s Bio:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries. The twelfth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series, Candidate for Murder will be released June 2016.

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

Visit Lauren at: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

Win a Fire Tablet, 7″ Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB (Open internationally) Winner will be person to use #Vote4Gnarly most often. Giveaway ends Sept 24.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review for MUST READ – Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz @deankoontz

Posted on August 16, 2016 by fundinmental

Dean Koontz is a MUST READ author for me, so I jumped all over Ashley Bell.

I mean…just check out this awesome cover.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

I own many, many books by Dean Koontz and I will never pass up the opportunity to read another one. I was super excited to get my hands on Ashley Bell.

Bibi was like a magpie, secreting things she wanted to forget about. She is an optimist and greets each sunrise with the promise of good things. She is a writer and lives life to the fullest. I love Bibi. She plans, or should I attacks, life with a plan, optimism and a step by step process to achieve her goals. I am awed by this character and am so emotionally involved, I can feel myself beginning to roll up the incline of one hell of a rollercoaster ride.

I don’t know if I could handle her adventurous and fun loving parents. 🙂

Her motto could be, Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

Dean Koontz has an ability to describe scenes and characters filled with so much detail, they come to life on the pages. He switches from the past to the present smoothly. My emotions are fully engaged and I am compelled to read on…faster and faster…not wanting to reach the end, but having to know…now…what will happen.

There is astragalomancy, ceromancers, hedomancy, necromancers, but I had definitely never heard of scrabblemancy.

Her fiance, Paxton, is a navy SEAL on a covert mission.

I feel suspense and anticipation for what is to come for Bibi, but even more so for Paxton. I feel Dean has something horrific planned for him and have my fingers crossed that I am wrong, but Paxton has his own horror story to tell.

I was wondering when I would meet Ashley Bell. I sure didn’t see it happening this way.

Terrorist, slaughterers, the worst dregs of mankind.

The supernatural seems to be second nature to Dean Koontz and so far this seems so real I am easily captured and taken so deep I do not want to come to the surface.

One of my favorite stories by Dean Koontz is Breathless and it looks like Ashley Bell is right up there with it.

I grieved and felt like weeping with Bibi. I loved her strong demeanor, her inability to turn away from a challenge because of fear. Knowledge was her answer. Free will…She believed she could shape and mold her life, overcoming…well…anything.

I got kind of comfy thinking I knew what Dean Koontz was going to do and where we were going. Yeah…right. I love when I am set up and he did it in spades.

The pacing is steady, the suspense building. The action is intermittent and explosive. I hold my breath, my throat tight, letting it out in a burst of…relief? Then the slow steady build again, making me feel wrung out, drained. How many times will I have to go through this. Then…Dean Koontz BLOWS MY MIND. I was led like a horse to water and I drank, completely taken in by his subterfuge.

Fanfrickingtastic. I am blown away and loving it. An amazing novel of imagination, belief, hope and love.

I received an ARC of Ashley Bell from Dean Koontz and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: THE MUST-READ THRILLER OF THE YEAR: Featuring the most exhilarating heroine in memory and a sophisticated, endlessly ingenious, brilliantly paced narrative through dark territory and deep mystery, this is a new milestone in literary suspense and a major new breakout book from the long acclaimed master.

At twenty-two, Bibi Blair’s doctors tell her that she’s dying. Two days later, she’s impossibly cured. Fierce, funny, dauntless, she becomes obsessed with the idea that she was spared because she is meant to save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell. This proves to be a dangerous idea. Searching for Ashley Bell, ricocheting through a southern California landscape that proves strange and malevolent in the extreme, Bibi is plunged into a world of crime and conspiracy, following a trail of mysteries that become more sinister and tangled with every twisting turn.

Unprecedented in scope, infinite in heart, Ashley Bell is a magnificent achievement that will capture lovers of dark psychological suspense, literary thrillers, and modern classics of mystery and adventure. Beautifully written, at once lyrical and as fast as a bullet, here is the most irresistible novel of the decade.

ABOUT DEAN KOONTZ

Acknowledged as “America’s most popular suspense novelist” (Rolling Stone) and as one of today’s most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean R. Koontz has also published under the names Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, David Axton, Owen West, Deanna Dwyer and Aaron Wolfe.

Dean lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Anna, and the enduring spirit of their golden, Trixie.

Facebook:Facebook.com/DeanKoontzOfficial / Twitter:@DeanKoontz

Website: DeanKoontz.com

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Book Trailer & Giveaway for Joshua and the Arrow Realm @DonnaGalanti

Posted on August 15, 2016 by fundinmental

I’m thrilled to unveil the trailer for book two in Donna Galanti’s fantasy adventure Lightning Road series, JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM, arriving August 30th. The Midwest Book Review calls book one, JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD, “a heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish.” Grab book one for just $.99cents now through September 20th.

Be sure to enter the fun giveaway package at the bottom of this post that includes a paperback of book one, poster of the Lost Realm, bookmarks, and a $25 B&N gift card (U.S. only). Sign up for Donna’s Thunderclap book release campaign and help her zap the world through social media with her lightning message!

Click here to see my Review for Joshua and the Lightning Road, Book I

MY REVIEW

I loved the first book in the series, Joshua and the Lightning Road and was very excited to get my hands on Book II, Joshua and the Arrow Realm. These magical children’s books are highly entertaining for all ages.

Twelve year old Joshua and his friend Charlie were having a great time sledding…until the Lightning Road brought the Mystery Girl. Who is she and what does she want?

Joshua and Charlie are not ordinary kids. They are older than their years and have traveled to magical realms, battling evil. Joshua is able to talk to animals. Nifty talent to have that comes in very handy.

Now…they are off on another adventure, taking the Lightning Road back to Nostos to save their friend, Sam, the King.

They will travel through trees that come alive and could stomp you into a pancake, battle birdzilla with razor sharp claws, cadmean beasts with red eyes, and fire breathing foxes.

They eat some odd food…dried squirrel mash and ache cakes…MMM, yummy.

Magical lands and fantastic characters, myths and legends, the Gods and Olympians, the Oracle and Joshua. Is he the one to make things right? Others believe it is so.

I am excited to be back in Donna Galanti’s magical world of adventure, friendship and loyalty. The main characters stand tall as they race through the pages proving time and again that together they can accomplish what seems impossible.

I received an ARC of Joshua and the Arrow Realm from Donna Galanti in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:

On August 30th take the lightning road back to a world of beasts, bandits, and heroes in book two of the Lightning Road series. Join Joshua in a new fight for power in the Arrow Realm. Can Joshua and his friends conquer an unstoppable evil?

Joshua never thought he’d return to the world of Nostos but is soon called to the Arrow Realm to free his imprisoned friend, King Apollo, kidnapped as a power pawn in Queen Artemis’s quest to conquer every realm. With his loyalties divided between our world and theirs, Joshua wonders whether he alone can restore magic to the twelve powerless Olympian heirs and save all those enslaved. But when he finds himself abandoned in his quest, he fears he cannot only save those imprisoned—but himself as well.

“Fast-paced and endlessly inventive, Joshua and the Arrow Realm is a high-stakes romp through a wild world where descendants of the Greek gods walk beside you, beasts abound, and not everything—or everyone—is as it seems.” ~ Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of the TombQuest series

JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM BOOK TRAILER:

EXCERPT:

A faint rumble groaned through the whistling wind.

Boom!

Thunder ripped the sky overhead.

Charlie reached the frozen pond, spinning across it. “Woohoo! I win! You Americans can’t beat us at speed!”

Lightning flashed. It zinged across the pine trees like brilliant sunlight. A seed of terror flickered inside me.

Boom! Boom!

Another flash scorched the sky.

Charlie’s smile fell to a frown as he raced across the ice, peering up into the swirling clouds.

We both knew what lightning could do.

Suddenly, sneaking outside for a moonlit sled ride before Bo Chez got home from his monthly poker game didn’t seem so smart.

The sleet turned to snow. Icicles flew off trees like glass splinters, shattering on the hard snow. As I shot toward the pond, a tree on the edge moved. Its branches swayed in the swirling snow.

It wasn’t a tree, but a girl! She stumbled through the mad flurry, arms outstretched.

“Charlie, look!”

Gusts snatched the words away as my sled hit the ice and careened out of control on the bumpy surface. The girl staggered and fell onto the pond. I twisted my sled away to avoid hitting her and smashed right into Charlie. With a yelp, he pulled me up, and we clumped toward the girl. We lifted her up, half dragging her back up the hill to the house in the pelting snow and sleet.

“Who is she?” Charlie yelled.

“No idea,” I yelled back.

He said more, but his words were lost in the wind.

My lungs burned with the cold and effort. There was only one reason someone would appear with lightning—to steal us. This girl might appear like a waif unprepared for a storm but I couldn’t trust that’s all she was.

PRE-ORDER JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

MEET DONNA GALANTI:

Donna Galanti is the author of The Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship. She’s lived in other exotic locations, including Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse, and dreams of returning one day to a castle. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. You can find her at www.donnagalanti.com.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

BOOK REVIEWERS:

E-book ARCs are available for this next thrilling book in The Lightning Road series! Email donna(at)donnagalanti.com for copies and specify the format you’d like.

GIVEAWAY:

Donna Galanti has offered an ebook of Joshua and the Lightning Road, Book I for an International giveaway that will end 8/22/16. Just leave an email and answer the question:

If you could have a magical talent, what would you like it to be?

The rafflecopter is a US only giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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One Sentence Review – The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter @genashowalter

Posted on August 13, 2016 by fundinmental

I won this ARC from Fiktshun some time ago, and I am just getting around to sharing it.

I have read so many books and don’t have time to do long reviews for all of them, but I do want to share my thoughts. So…here is my…

One Sentence Review

The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

Prolific master storyteller, Gena Showalter, shines in this sizzling hot romance filled with fun and sexual banter that had me lost in her world with wonderful characters that made me want the story to go on, and on, and on…

5 Stars

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Friday 56 #93 & BB – Celeste Files: Unforgotten by Kristine Mason @KristineMason7

Posted on July 29, 2016 by fundinmental

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

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

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

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Sorry fellow bloggers, but I didn’t have a chance to do a 56, so I am sharing my review for Celeste Files: Unforgotten by Kristine Mason…and her new release.

If you love a realistic paranormal novel…you’ll love this stand alone series!

Kristine Mason’s paranormal suspense novels for the Celeste Files series have amazing covers and a fantastic subject matter, so I am very happy to be sharing my review for the third book in the series, Celeste Files: Unforgotten, with you today. I will also be sharing the cover and blurb for Book IV, Celeste Files: Poisoned below, so be sure and check that out too.

I love the characters more and more with each story.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

I am a huge fan of Kristine Mason, a MUST READ author for me. With the latest novel in the Psychic Core stand alone series, Celeste Files: Unforgotten, I am carried deeper into Celeste’s world. The stories will stand alone, but I believe you will love the books so much, so you will want to start at the beginning.

Again, I am captured from the opening pages.

What do a toy clown, a toy bear and a toy cowboy have in common? You’ll have to read the story to find the answer.

The dead talked to Celeste, but this time they came to her daughter, Olivia. Celeste’s husband, John, is not a fan of her gift, so I wonder how he will handle this new development. He is a wonderful man and I have a lot of faith in him.

Celeste sees Olivia, playing with her ghostly friend. She had known the chances of Olivia being psychic were great, but she never had never prepared herself for it. She’s just a baby, not even two years old. What do they want with her?

She found Livy in Sophie’s room. Sophie is Jessica and Dante’s missing daughter. If you would like to know what happened to her, check out Ultimate Fear by Kristine Mason. That is a fantastic story of its own and may draw you into another of her series, The Ultimate CORE trilogy, romantic suspense at its finest.

We also now have a dog entering the picture and I love it. Ruth has joined their family because of the dangerous trances Celeste goes into when the ghosts come a calling. Ruth does double duty, also being able to sense when a ghost is present.

I love all the complex characters I have watched grow and develop, adding kids and partners to their growing family.

I love the sexual banter between Celeste and John. But, drat, those pesky ghosts seem to pop up at the most inopportune times. It’s often funny, as they grab intimate moments here and there.

The realistic relationship between them is not all roses and sunshine. John is a man’s man, a protector of women and innocents. He is a man of science and facts, not the supernatural. His biggest problem is being unable to help or take away the visions and pain. He feels helpless, yet he is always there.

There is a new development with Celeste’s gift and I can see Kristine Mason taking us into a new direction. I am so looking forward to watching Olivia grow up.

Celeste Files: Unforgotten by Kristine Mason has everything I LOVE in a paranormal romance thriller. Visions, ghosts, hauntings, vengeance, romance, a serial killer, murder…She sprinkles bits and pieces of goodies ( some of you may not call them goodies) throughout the story and they make me smile, yell, gasp and ooh and aah.

I received a copy of Celeste Files: Unforgotten by Kristine Mason in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Celeste Files: Unforgotten (Book 3 Psychic C.O.R.E.)—Kristine Mason

Something is wrong with the children…

Seven years ago, CORE agent, Dante Russo and his wife, Jessica, faced a parent’s ultimate fear…their ten-month-old daughter was abducted. With no clues, not a single sighting or trace of evidence to keep hope alive, the case went cold…until now.

When the ghosts of murdered children begin to haunt psychic Celeste Kain, she’s forced to get involved in her most challenging case yet. The ghosts know who has Sophia. They know her kidnapper intimately. They know him as Daddy, and as their killer.

Using psychic visions and the clues the young spirits provide, Celeste and her husband, John, travel across the country, desperately searching for the girl and her kidnapper. The dead children have made their warning clear…find Sophia before Daddy kills again.

To learn more about Dante and Jessica’s story, be sure to check out Ultimate Fear (Book 2 Ultimate C.O.R.E.).

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Check out another amazing cover for the just released Celeste Files: Poisoned by Kristine Mason.

Goodreads / Amazon

GOODREADS BLURB

The walls are infected, the foundation is diseased…this house is poisoned.

CORE agent, Hudson Patterson and his wife, Eden, recently moved into a century-old mini-mansion. But their dream home has become a living nightmare—occupied by a malevolent spirit who will only share the residence with them and their daughter…in exchange for their souls.

Psychic Celeste Kain is four weeks away from giving birth. The last thing she wants to deal with is the dead. But when she realizes an evil presence is terrorizing Eden, she will go to any length to help her sister. Especially when she discovers there isn’t just one ghost in Eden’s house, but many other tortured souls trapped within its infected walls.

To put an end to the haunting, Celeste uses her unique gift to connect with the ghostly residents. But the wicked entity who has been feeding off the other spirits’ pain and misery has other plans. It wants Celeste and her unborn child, and imprisons her inside the ghost house. Now powerless, unable to free herself and in labor, Celeste needs to fight to find her way back to her body before the entity can take what it wants…her baby.

ABOUT KRISTINE MASON

Kristine Mason is the bestselling author of the popular romantic suspense trilogies, C.O.R.E. Shadow and Ultimate C.O.R.E. She is currently working on her next trilogy, C.O.R.E. Above the Law, along with a series of Psychic C.O.R.E. novellas.

Although Kristine has published a few contemporary romance novels, she focuses most of her energy on her romantic suspense stories, which she loves for their blend of dark mystery/suspense and sexy romance. She is fascinated with what makes people afraid, and is famous for her depraved villains whose crimes present massive obstacles for her heroes and heroines to overcome.

Kristine has a degree in journalism from Ohio State University and lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, four kids, and two dogs. If she’s not writing, she’s chauffeuring kids, gardening, or collecting gnomes. Oh, and she makes a mean chocolate chip cookie!Connect with Kristine on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kristinemasonauthor, Twitter https://twitter.com/KristineMason7 or email her at authorkristinemason@gmail.com. You can also find out more about Kristine’s books at http://www.kristinemason.net

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest

MY REVIEWS FOR KRISTINE MASON’S NOVELS

Shadow of Danger / Shadow of Perception / Shadow of Vengeance
Ultimate Kill / Ultimate Fear / Ultimate Prey (review coming soon)
Celeste Files: Unlocked / Celestes Files: Unjust
Perfectly Twisted / Perfectly Toxic

All covers link to Amazon and I am an affiliate, BUT I cannot help but tell you. Kristine Mason is a master storyteller and I would highly recommend buying the book sets, because you will want to read them all! Except, I have yet to read the Reality TV series.

The Celeste Files of the Psychic CORE series are paranormal and supernatural novels that star Celeste, from the very first book in the CORE Shadow Trilogy, Shadow of Danger. I love the mix of psychics and ghosts, with murder and thrills. Check them out below.

Perfectly twisted is the beginning of another series, CORE Above the Law, that takes the characters even further than I thought they would go. I am LOVING it!!!