Giveaway, Interview, Review – Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr

Posted on February 18, 2016 by fundinmental

Lauren Carr has a new novel to share, Cancelled Vows.

Welcome, Lauren! I love the book and I am so happy to have you here to share your thoughts with us.

Lauren, all of your mystery series, from Mac Faraday to Lovers in Crime to the Thorny Rose Mysteries are called complex mysteries—meaning that they challenge the reader to figure out who done it. What process do you go through to write challenging mysteries?

I do a lot of thinking. First, I come up with the murder itself. Who is the victim? Who are the suspects? Then I decide on who the killer is. After I have all that, I work on the red herrings and the twists and turns in the plot—the ride from the beginning to the end. I’ll work on all that for weeks, sometimes months before I actually sit down to start writing.

You write three best-selling series. Are there some murder plotlines that work better with one series than another? At what point do you know which murder mystery goes with which series?

I usually know right away which mystery works best with which series. If you’ll notice, each of my series has it’s own unique flavor.

The Mac Faraday Mysteries deal with the wealthy resort, country club setting. These mysteries involve people of wealth and prestige.

The Lovers in Crime mysteries deal with the rural small town setting. The characters Joshua and Cameron encounter are small town folks who all know each other.

The Thorny Rose detectives, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton, live in the metropolitan Washington DC area. These mysteries involve people of wealth and power—politics and national security.

Once I know who the characters are, then I know which series will be the best fit for it.

Do you feel like you learn something new about your characters yourself with each book?

Oh, yes. My mysteries are character driven. I’m always diving deeper into the characters to figure out myself how and why they do the things they do. Sometimes, I learn things about the characters that I don’t even tell the reader about. For example, in Cancelled Vows, I really wanted to explore the character of David O’Callaghan and his relationships with women. At the beginning of the series, I’m sure for most readers, David simply came across as a hottie who maybe had an issue with commitment to women. But, by the end of Cancelled Vows, I’m sure readers will be surprised, as I was, to discover that there was more to it than meets the eye. Not only will readers learn more about David, but he learns more about himself.

If you could put yourself into one of your books, what type of character would you be?

Been there, done that! I actually did put myself in A Wedding and a Killing, the eighth Mac Faraday Mystery. The case in this book is based on a real murder that happened at a church, in which a church secretary was killed in the church office. My husband is the business manager at a church, so I decided to kill him. The victim in A Wedding and a Killing, Eugene, is based on my real husband, and the victim’s wife, Marilyn, is an over the top version of myself. Marilyn immediately becomes a prime suspect because she books a cruise the morning after her husband’s murder, and she doesn’t understand why that would be suspicious. She’s loud and fun and comically honest. I’ve had several readers ask to bring her back in another book, which I do plan to do.

Each of your characters are fully developed and unique? Where do they come from? Do you base them on real people you know?

My characters come from all over. Some of them, the very root, core of the character may be based on someone I know or have met. But then as other facets of their personality and backstory come about, they will evolve until I have the whole character. All the time, I have to keep the murder case of the book in mind. There have been times that I have developed characters who did not fit into the role I needed for the murder mystery. When that happens, I have to ditch the character and come up with a new one. Once I fired a congresswoman from one of my books. How many people can say they fired a congresswoman?

Of all the characters you have worked with in your books, who is your favorite?

Gnarly, of course! Gnarly has a life of his own. I just never know what he’s going to do next.

What project are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on Killer in the Band, the Lovers in Crime mystery coming out at the end of April, readers will get to know more about Joshua Thornton Jr (J.J.), Murphy’s identical twin brother. J.J. has graduated at the top of his class from law school and is returning home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to the Thornton’s shock and dismay, J.J. decides to move in with Suellen Russell, a lovely widow twice his age. The move brings long buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. When a brutal killer strikes, the father and son must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the crosshairs of a murderer.

Thanks so much Lauren. It is a pleasure having you here!

Now…about the “gorgeous” cover…what do you think?

MY REVIEW

In Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr we are back to visit Mac Faraday and other familiar characters. I love a stand alone series with returning characters. I feel a connection with them and want to find out what trouble they have found now. Cancelled Vows is a clean romance with fantastic mysteries galore.

Warning: Those drive through weddings in Las Vegas are real!

David O’Callaghan, a Spencer police chief, best friend and half brother to Mac Faraday, finds himself jumping from the frying pan to the fire when he heads to New York City.

Murder rears its ugly head and Mac Faraday and Gnarly, his K-9 cohort, rush to find answers. Gnarly is quite the character. He has a big attitude to go with his big personality and is a bit of a klepto. I can’t help but laugh at his and Mac’s antics. I mean, what kind of dog gets a dishonorable discharge from the service? Nice touch, Lauren, and its makes me love him more.

Curiosity and mystery from the opening page. I’m trying to figure out why…

I like the internet angle and internet trolls. I have heard nightmares about them and they come alive on Lauren Carr’s pages.

I am not liking David very much right now. Can the whore dog change my mind? I am liking Ali Hudson though. She is a witty investigative journalist, with a slew of Texas sayings and a determination to learn the truth.

Murders are adding up. The plot thickens and the suspect pool takes a twist I didn’t see coming. I love it. The pacing and my fear for the characters makes the suspense mount.

I love a happy ever after and this is great one! Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr is one of her best…yet.

I received an ARC of Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

Book Description for Cancelled Vows:

Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can tie the knot—divorce his first wife!

Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend—and he’s got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!

Buy the book here: Amazon

About Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

Win 1 print copy of Cancelled Vows with a $25 Amazon gift card (USA) or 1 of 5 ebook copies with a $15 Amazon gift card (International)

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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A Cure or a Curse – Tainted Cure @AshleyFontainne

Posted on February 16, 2016 by fundinmental

Is it a cure or a curse? The cover for Tainted Cure by Ashley Fontainne is only one of the things that drew me to this novel. I have read several amazing books by Ashley and she always leaves me wanting more. This author is at the top of her game and any book by her will be a MUST READ for me.

Some of her novels have been made into or optioned for film.

Cover design by One of a Kind Covers

Add me to Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Tainted Cure by Ashley Fontainne is a unique and original look at drug addiction and the search for a cure for it. People are very creative and Tainted Cure will show you how something lifesaving and good can become twisted and evil. Do you believe in conspiracies…you may when you are done reading this.

Dr Everett Berning had been recruited to work for the covert program – Rememdium.

Their goal: find a cure for addiction.

A meth head had taken out his entire family, so how could he refuse?

Word gets out about a possible cure and the story takes an unexpected turn. Is it a cure or a curse?

At the beginning, I wondered where Ashley Fontainne could take a story about drugs. Haven’t we read all the storylines? She writes such great stories, I still expect a high level of entertainment and suspense with a unique and original twist and she did not let me down.

OMG. I didn’t see this grisly and horrific twist but I love it. They created monsters, monsters that may be the end of the world. Would anyone survive or would this be the apocalyptic event that wiped mankind from the face of the earth? The epidemic that creates the apocalypse is not what is foreseen by the doctors and medical community of today.

I never saw Tainted Cure going in this direction, fanfrickintastic. I love it and I will not tell you much, because I refuse to spoil it for you.

They don’t care who is good or bad, they just take whoever is unlucky enough to get in the way.

The twists and turns, the suspense, thrills and terror of what would come on the next page kept me reading at a rapid pace.

Tainted Reality, Book II of the Rememdium series is next on my reading list. I must know more and I must know it NOW!

I received a copy of Tainted Cure by Ashley Fontainne in return for an honest review.

5 STARS

Goodreads Blurb: Dr. Everett Berning, a leading researcher into the causes of addiction in the brain, spent ten years of his life dedicated to one thing: finding the cure. Recruited after a strange encounter with the enigmatic Dr. Roberta Flint, Director of Research on Code Name: Rememdium, Dr. Berning is sent to work in a secret lab as part of the research team.

When the moment the scientists waited on for years arrives, Dr. Flint and her team are ecstatic.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the world feels the same way.

Benito San Nicholas isn’t ready to give up his lucrative business. When the news of a cure arrives on his doorstep from a crooked informant, Benito enlists the help of other drug lords from around the world to stop the cure from hitting the streets and destroying their livelihoods.

What happens next ends up uniting the globe–just not the way society ever intended or hoped.

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.

Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.

Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.

Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!.

Ashley Fontainne’s writing is so spectacular, I am always anticipating the next book I will read of hers. Here are my reviews…so far:

Tag Team Event Giveaway – The Woman In Crimson @KathrynG64

Posted on February 15, 2016 by fundinmental

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Welcome to my Tag Team Event!

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 views and two chances to win!

**all covers linked to Amazon, I am an affiliate**

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Kathryn Meyer Griffith is a prolific writer and on my must read list.

From critters to demons to angels, Kathryn is able to spin a story that spins my mind.

Check out this gorgeous cover. Doesn’t it make you want to read it now?

Add me to Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Woman in Crimson by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is a paranoral/supernatural tale, a love story…of a sort.

Do you believe in eternal love?

Well…Lilith does and she will do whatever it takes to be with her man.

I love stories that are predictable…until…

Are you afraid of the dark? You should be. And don’t go out there.

I SAID, “DON’T GO OUT THERE!”

Why won’t they listen?

Imagine “living” in the Civil War days, then waking up in the 1990’s with all the years in between a blank. I am curious about where she has been for the last 100 years.

The Woman In Crimson has ghosts, witches and vampires, but the road to the end of the journey is filled with twists and turns that kept me reading and reading, faster and faster, the suspense building and building. I am racing through the pages of my Kindle. Is that smoke I see?

Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s writing flows smoothly and the characters…well I could even empathize with the villain. She doesn’t mind killing off her characters and I wonder if she feels any remorse. Who will be left standing?

I received a copy of The Woman in Crimson by Kathryn Meyer Griffith in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Sometimes love lasts forever…but maybe it shouldn’t. Willowwind, a beautiful Civil War era bed and breakfast, is run by a loving couple, Adrian and Caroline Stone, but it’s also haunted by a long-dead Civil War era vampiress, Lilith, who believes the man, Adrian, is her reincarnated soldier/lover and will do anything to have him, body-heart-and soul, for her own again, no matter how many she must kill. But Adrian’s wife, Caroline, along with the help of the ghost of her dead father, will do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen.

ABOUT KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH

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

I have read some of the books my Kathryn Meyer Griffith. If you would like to read some of my reviews, check out the links below:

Tag Team Event – Angels Fall & Demons Run Wild – A Time of Demons and Angels by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Dinosaur Lake by Kathryn Meyer Griffith – Creature Dines on Crater Lake Smorgasbord

They’re Here – Dinosaur Lake II by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

OMG! They’re back and more dangerous than ever. Dinosaur Lake III by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Freakin Friday #14 – Spooky Short Stories by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Freakin Friday #13 – Uh Oh – Vampire Blood by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

What’s more dangerous than a lion protecting its young, a vampire protecting hers – Human No Longer by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

GIVEAWAY

Kathryn Meyer Griffith is offering 3 FREE Audible audio book codes AND 3 FREE eBooks in any format (epub, mobi, pdf) for the giveaway. Entry is easy peasy. Simply answer the question and leave your email so I can contact you if you win.

If I told you, “Don’t go out in the dark, would you?”

Giveaway runs 2/15 – 2/29/16.

***For a second chance be sure and visit fuonlyknew!***

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Northwoods @BillSchweigart – Action Packed Horror

Posted on February 11, 2016 by fundinmental

Northwoods by Bill Schweigart has a gorgeous and wicked cover, by TK, that only hints at the horror inside. I was so excited when I received a copy through Netgalley and the Publisher, Random House. Thank you guys.

So…come on and let’s dive in to this dark fantasy and see who will survive.

Northwoods by Bill Schweigart

Random House Publishing Group – Hydra
Genre – Horror, SciFi & Fantasy
Publish: February 16, 2016
Ebook: ISBN 9780804181372

MY REVIEW

Northwoods by Bill Schweigart is packed with so much action and suspense that I had to read it cover to cover, nonstop. Unputdownable. Was Bill Schweigart influenced by Stephen King? I think that is a definite possibility.

Our first foray into the woods brings back memories of my own…the snow falling, shaking the branches for a snow shower, the cold crispness of the air, but I never found a chest of any kind and after reading Northwoods, I’m glad I didn’t. I was surprised it started in the woods and not in the water because of the cover, but…

Ben, Lindsay and Alex Standingcloud had faced a cryptid before and manged to come out of it in once piece. This time would be different. I hate/love that the author is not afraid to kill off his characters and I wonder who will survive.

The “Jaws” scene totally freaked me out. OMG! Is he dead? Has he been eaten? Please tell me NO! Bill, what are you doing to me?

As their world goes crazy, the horror takes over, the pace quickens and so does my heartbeat. I found myself holding my breath as I read along.

WOW. Fantastic. Another wonderful twist! I was beginning to think it was possible, so it was not a total surprise.

The chapters are devoted to each character’s version of events and I enjoyed seeing it from their perspective. I love how the group has grown to function as a unit determined to save the world. I am hoping their bravery and heroics will bring a miracle to light.

The writing creates a fast paced tempo that, at times, left me breathless. The battles were fierce and I could not anticipate the outcomes. I would love to read more about this gang and their efforts to save the world from creatures that do not belong among us humans.

Northwoods by Bill Schweigart is a novel all horror lovers will want on their reading list. I will be following his work from here on out and adding them to my reading list.

I received an ARC of Northwoods by Bill Schweigart in return for an honest review.

5 STARS

Goodreads Blurb: Some borders should never be crossed. From the author of The Beast of Barcroft comes a waking nightmare of a horror novel that’s sure to thrill readers of Stephen King and Bentley Little.

Ex–Delta Force Davis Holland, now an agent for the Customs and Border Protection, has seen it all. But nothing in his experience has prepared him for what he and the local sheriff find one freezing night in the Minnesota woods.

Investigating reports of an illegal border crossing, the two men stumble across a blood-drenched scene of mass murder, barely escaping with their lives . . . and a single clue to the mayhem: a small wooden chest placed at the heart of the massacre. Something deadly has entered Holland’s territory, crossing the border from nightmare into reality.

When news of the atrocity reaches wealthy cryptozoologist Richard Severance, he sends a three-person team north to investigate. Not long ago, the members of that team—Ben McKelvie, Lindsay Clark, and Alex Standingcloud—were nearly killed by a vengeful shapeshifter. Now they are walking wounded, haunted by gruesome memories that make normal life impossible. But there is nothing normal about the horror that awaits in the Northwoods.

ABOUT BILL SCHWEIGART

Goodreads Bio: Bill Schweigart revives a bit of forgotten lore from the shadow of Washington DC in his latest novel, THE BEAST OF BARCROFT (available November 17, 2015), which finds a devilish creature stalking the residents of Arlington. Its sequel, NORTHWOODS, will be available on February 16, 2016. Bill is a former Coast Guard officer who drew from his experiences at sea to write the taut nautical thriller, SLIPPING THE CABLE. Bill currently resides in Arlington, VA with his wife and daughter, who along with their monstrous Newfoundland and mischievous kitten, provide him with all the adventure he can handle.

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook

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The Halfling by @hd_gordon

Posted on February 8, 2016 by fundinmental

H D Gordon’s new Aria Fae Series kicks off with The Halfling and I am so excited to share it with you. I have read most of her work and she never fails to deliver on the goods!

What do you think she is looking for?

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

The Halfling by H D Gordon is the first book in The Aria Fae Series, a paranormal fantasy that exceeded my expectations with fantastic writing and characters that grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go.

Aria knew she couldn’t run from her past, but here she is, in a new place. She is a skate board riding Fae, part of the Brokers, an organization of Halflings, half supernatural and half human. She is an empath and I cannot imagine how difficult that would be in high school. Her empathy and need to help gets her in trouble, but I love her for it. How can I resist a strong character who marches to her own drum?

She meets up with Sam, a girl hacker who becomes her BFF and it changes everything. I love the little nerd, Sam, who is your typical teenager…except for her supernatural skills. I love the connection that brought them together, but you will need to find out for yourself. The girls fun personalities and watching them grow and blossom as they create their family kept me on pins and needles as I kept waiting for the bad to happen. I know it has to come, but I love these kids so much I don’t want anything to happen to them.

Thomas Reid is a hottie and I think he is holding a secret that will add more to the suspense.

H D Gordon can take a familiar theme and twist it so creatively that it becomes fresh and original. Her descriptive writing makes the story seem real and I am unable to resist being drawn in deeper with each page I read. The Halfling has so much that I love, the paranormal, fantasy, determined women (albeit young ones) and so much more. As the story grows, so too does the suspense and mystery. I never saw where this was going and I love when a book exceeds my expectations. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

I received an ARC of Halfling by H D Gordon in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

Goodreads Blurb: When Aria Fae gets cast out of the Peace Brokers, a secret supernatural organization that’s trained her since infancy, and is left to fend for herself in the human world, she finds herself in Grant City, intent on attempting a normal human life.

As a Halfling, Aria has abilities that are a little underused in the flower shop she lands a job at. And when her new friend Samantha Shy enlists Aria to help investigate her mother’s death, the two girls decide to become vigilantes.

A new drug called Black Magic is running rampant in the streets of Grant City, turning people into supercharged maniacs. With Sam’s mad computer skills, and Aria’s Faevian abilities, they may be just the heroes Grant City is in need of.

Or they may find out they’re in way over their heads, and their mutual crush on the same guy is the least of their worries.

ABOUT H D GORDON

H. D. Gordon is the author of young adult and adult fiction. She has independently sold over 40,000 e-copies of her books worldwide, and has an eclectic taste in genres.

H. D. is a poet, a mother, a philosopher and an earth-lover. She believes our actions have ripple effects, and in the sacred mission of bringing love and light to the world.

She loves big dreamers, animals, children, killing zombies, eating dessert and old souls.

She is 26 years old and resides in southern New Jersey—which she insists is really quite lovely.

Stalk H D Gordon @ Website / Twitter / Facebook

My reviews for other H D Gordon books:

See The Evil – Joe

Shooting Stars, A Surah Stormsong Novel by H D Gordon

Bood Warrior, Book I, by H D Gordon

Fanged Mania #4 – Giveaway/Review of Half Black Soul, Book II

FANGED MANIA # 8 – Review of The Rise: The Alexa Montgomery Saga, Book III

Redemption: Book IV of The Alexa Montgomery Saga by H D Gordon

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Heartbreaking & Uplifting – Heaven Enough @KenLaSalle

Posted on February 5, 2016 by fundinmental

Heaven Enough by Ken La Salle is so different from the other books of his I have read, I wasn’t sure I would like it. I have read Wormfood Island, a zombie vacay horror story and Cookies: Sluts of the Snack World, an adult picture book that had me in stitches.

What a wonderful surprise. This lovely cover opens up to reveal an amazing story that lingers long after I close the pages.

MY REVIEW

The title for Heaven Enough and one of the opening lines of the blurb:

“What would it be like if I had heaven enough?

confused me in the beginning, but as I read on it all came together.

Matt Murphy’s wife had been run down by a speeding driver. The questions asked when the death of a loved one comes so unexpectedly, may bring to light things you never knew. We all have our secrets and when all of them are brought to light, we can wonder how well we really know someone.

Her brother, Neal, is a monk…but not that kind of monk. He kept saying that to Matt but would never explain further. Well, all kinds of warning signs went up for me and I took great satisfaction in being right. I saw what was in store for Matt and I guess he was too self involved to see it for himself. I love trying to figure things out before the author gets me there.

It’s funny, not funny ha ha, but ironic that a chance encounter could have such a life changing effect. Would you reinvent yourself if the opportunity arose?

When you read Heaven Enough, you will be walking “a mile” in Matt’s shoes. Sometimes I wanted to smack him upside the head and tell him to man up and get over it, but his journey of guilt and regret turns into a chance to grow and realize the important things in life.

I like that the story was not lose a wife, meet someone new, and live happy every after. He struggles to make it through the day, and he is not the only one.

I probably would never have read this, except I love Ken La Salle’s writing and would give anything he pens a try. The story did slow a bit in the middle, but now that I am finished, I find it added to a sense of reality. The details and information about hiking the trails and foraging for food and water were interesting and pivotal to the story.

Heaven Enough is thought provoking and reflective, bringing forth emotions of sorrow, guilt and, most important, hope. We never know what tomorrow brings, so never give up. It has a touch of religious intonation, but it never got preachy or bothered me in any way. Just seemed to fit right in.

OMG. I sure did not see this one coming and I was shocked, stunned. Then…the ending. Oh man, it caught me so off guard I sat with my mouth hanging open. My emotions ran AMOK as I tried to write notes for this review. I am at a loss for words and cannot express how amazed I was at Ken’s writing and where he took the story. Excellent job, Ken, even though I am a bit pissed off at you!!! I NEVER saw that coming. A heartbreaking and uplifting novel that I cannot recommend strongly enough.

This is a book that will stick with me, reminding me of the time I was questioning what was most important to me. I found my answers. Have you?

Thank you, Ken, for asking me to read Heaven Enough! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Is a poem about longing, about wishing for something more. “What would it be like if I had heaven enough?” it reads.

Matt Murphy reads these words for the first time at his wife’s funeral. After a death shrouded with mystery, it is the first time he learns that she wrote poetry. He and Diva were married for nearly twenty years, yet he did not “know” her. A poet and lover of culinary delights, she is struck by a car and killed instantly—randomly—on the wrong side of town.

When her brother, the “monk,” appears for the funeral, Matt is set on an unprecedented course. The two find Diva’s computer filled with preparations to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Over 2600 miles from Mexico to Canada…and she was leaving without her husband.

Matt takes it upon himself to hike the trail and sprinkle her ashes along the way. What happens in the first two hours is dumbfounding.

What happens next changes his life forever…

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE

Novelist and Playwright, Ken La Salle grew up in Santa Ana, California and has remained in the surrounding area his entire life. He was raised with strong, blue collar roots, which have given him a progressive and environmentalist view. As a result, you’ll find many of his stories touching those areas both geographically and philosophically. He’s also very funny.”.

Blog / Website / Twitter / Facebook / G+ / YouTube / Smashwords

MY REVIEWS OF KEN LA SALLE”S NOVELS

Giveaway, Guest Post & Review – Cookies: Sluts of the Snack World by Ken La Salle

Zombie Vacay – Wormfood Island by Ken La Salle

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Release Day Launch – Review for BLOOD ON THE BAYOU

Posted on January 26, 2016 by fundinmental

We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham! BLOOD ON THE BAYOU is A Cafferty & Quinn Series Novella brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!

Amazon eBook ** Amazon Paperback

MY REVIEW

Just the name, Blood on the Bayou, makes me want to read this, but I am also a huge fan of Heather Graham. No way could I resist a trip to New Orleans. I am very familiar with the place. I have walked the streets, ate in the restaurants, listened to the music and drank the drinks.

The mix of cultures and myths and legends that surround the Bayou are full of superstition and monsters and a great location to dump some bodies. Critters and the elements will make quick work of any evidence left behind.

This novella builds in suspense and mystery as the body count grows. The creep factor rises. I race through the pages trying to figure it out. We have plenty of suspects to choose from, and the winner is…

I received a copy of Blood on the Bayou by Heather Graham in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

EXCERPT

Michael Quinn heard the hysterical crying the minute he entered the police station. The young woman creating the commotion was inside Detective Jake Larue’s office. Someone else was trying to soothe her while not becoming hysterical herself.

“This one is right up your alley,” Larue told him as he approached.

“My alley?”

“That young woman is certain she saw a rougarou. She was on a bayou tour in Honey Swamp last night.”

He smiled. No kid grew up in Southern Louisiana without hearing about the rougarou. Every region of the world had their own particular brand of monster. The rougarou belonged to the Cajun region of Southern Louisiana, stretching right into the city.

“Honey Swamp?” he asked. “Doesn’t a problem in that area go to the Pearl River police?”

“Yep,” Larue said. “But she’s here because she believes the rougarou followed her home, showing up in the window of her hotel last night.”

He arched a brow at the ridiculousness of the statement. “I’m assuming there’s more.”

“A dead man in the swamp. Head bashed in, throat ripped.”

Which grabbed his attention.

“I want you to talk to them,” Larue said. “I told them that you’re a rougarou expert and that you’ll get to the bottom of things. They were out on some night ghost tour in the bayou and their boat came upon the dead man. Right now, she’s so hysterical that she’s not making sense. But you rougarouexperts are used to dealing with that.”

He shook his head at Larue’s sarcasm. He was no more a rougarou expert than someone was a ghost expert. Once upon a time, he’d worked with Larue as partners in the NYPD. Before that, Quinn’s life had been anything but normal. He’d actually been a pretty horrible person, not as in deadly or criminal, but as in vain and egotistical. His prowess in sports had led to excess, which eventually led to him being declared legally dead.

Which changed everything.

About BLOOD ON THE BAYOU: A Cafferty & Quinn Novella

From New York Times bestseller Heather Graham…

It’s winter and a chill has settled over New Orleans, binding a stream of blood that leads a tourist to a dead man, face down in the bayou.

The man has been done in by a vicious beating, so violent that his skull has been crashed in.

It’s barely a day before a second victim is found . . . once again so badly thrashed that the water runs red. The city becomes riddled with fear.

An old family friend comes to Danni Cafferty, telling her that he’s terrified, he’s certain that he’s received a message from the Blood Bayou killer–It’s your turn to pay, blood on the bayou.

The two quickly become involved, and–as they all begin to realize that a gruesome local history is being repeated–they find themselves in a fight to save not just a friend, but, perhaps, their very own lives.

About Heather Graham:

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell’s Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette’s Shadows, and for Harlequin’s mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children’s charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards from Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter Sign Up | BLOOD ON THE BAYOU on Goodreads

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Jeff Gunhus has another hit with Killer Pursuit – Giveaway & Review

Posted on January 21, 2016 by fundinmental

Jeff Gunhus writes some amazing stories and Killer Pursuit is another winner!

I love covers and this one shows there is more going on than meets the eye.

Killer Pursuit by Jeff Gunhus
(Allison McNeil)
Publication date: January 10th 2016
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Cover: Extended Imagery

MY REVIEW

The cover for Jeff Gunhus’ Killer Pursuit alludes to the intrigue inside. I love thrillers and suspense novels and this is my first foray into the Allison McNeil adventures. She is a favorite of Jeff’s and now she is a favorite of mine. An amazing and riveting suspense with moments of pacing that took the last quarter of the book into hyperdrive!

Special Agent Allison McNeil is a loner. Some people think it’s by choice, but a nightmare from her past makes it difficult for her to open herself up to vulnerability. She will buck the system, doing what she knows to be right at whatever cost may come due. sAllison is a pro at entering the minds of some of the most dangerous people known to man. I love villains that are the epitome of evil. I want to know how they think and function, hiding their true nature. I want to dig and dwell in the mind of the most vicious, depraved people, trying to understand them…I don’t think I ever will, but I am not them.

Politics…Jeff does tell it like it is – corruption, cover ups, intrigue and personal agendas abound. I think Jeff encompasses every down and dirty political machination known.

Summerhayes is a character I love to hate. He wants to be President. A huge ego, greed and sex will take him down a long and ugly road. I would think politicians would learn that there are no secrets. But…they feel entitled, invincible. Power…what will they do to have it? Lying…it is a profession. Politicians make strange bedfellows and that is putting it mildly in Killer Pursuit.

Jeff’s writing makes my emotions rise to the surface, roiling and boiling as I read along.

It flows so smoothly, full of surprises that I am drawn deep into the mystery and suspense that is doled out in such a way that I must read the next page…and the next…and the next. The details walked me through Allison’s research as she looked for the answers.

There is a romance and that makes the story even more believable. After all, love is a big part of all our lives. The sexual banter and flirtation came through loud and clear in the dialogue. It brought the complex characters to life.

I followed the hints trying to solve the mystery before I reached the conclusion, but…I am TICKED OFF good when the killer is exposed and what happened next was a huge surprise. I knew it was coming, but Jeff, you kept me hoping I was wrong. OMG…I am blown away. It makes perfect sense, but I wanted it would be something else. Jeff, you manged to put a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. The story ends on a realistic “normal” family note.

I received a copy of Killer Pursuit by Jeff Gunhus in return for an honest review and I am on pins and needles waiting for another Allison McNeil adventure.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

When a high-society call girl is murdered in her Georgetown home, investigators find two cameras hidden in the walls of her bedroom. One has its memory erased, presumably by the murderer. The second is connected to the Internet through an encrypted connection…and no-one knows who’s on the other end.

Special Agent Allison McNeil is asked by beleaguered FBI Director Clarence Mason to run an off-the-record investigation of the murder. The most direct path to apprehending the killer is to find the videos, but with rumors that the victim’s client list may have included Mason’s political enemies, Allison worries about the director’s motives. As she starts her investigation, she quickly discovers that she’s not the only one pursuing the videos. In fact, the most aggressive person racing against her might be the murderer himself.

Goodreads / Amazon

AUTHOR BIO

Jeff Jeff Gunhus is the author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 100 on Amazon and have been Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists.

After his experience with his son, he is passionate about helping parents reach young reluctant readers and is active in child literacy issues. As a father of five, he leads an active lifestyle in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel.

Author links:

http://www.jeffgunhus.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/963702.Jeff_Gunhus

https://www.facebook.com/jeffgunhusauthor

https://twitter.com/jeffgunhus

GIVEAWAY

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

$50 Amazon Gift Card

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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There’s a storm coming – Esther’s Gift by Bette Lee Crosby

Posted on January 20, 2016 by fundinmental

Bette Lee Crosby writes heartwarming stories that will leave you laughing and crying.

The cover portrays the calm before the storm. Isn’t is gorgeous?

MY REVIEW

Esther’s Gift by Bette Lee Crosby is a heartwarming and uplifting novella that shows our ability to rise above our hardships and come out shining. The only thing that is different from her Southern fiction is the Hawaiian locale.

Esther has a gift…visions of what is to come.

She tries to warn the people of the coming hurricane, but most don’t take heed.

Ka’awai and its people are devastated by Iniki.

Life goes on, but not always they way we had planned. Humans have an amazing ability to adjust and adapt to any situation. I believe relationships enrich our lives and we work better as a “team.”

Bravery is having the courage to face your fear.

Bernie and Esther are from very different cultures, but their love grows and makes them wonder why they hesitate to acknowledge it. Should they deny their chance at happiness just because of their differences?

Bette Lee Crosby’s writing is filled with sadness, yet it leaves me with a good feeling, a feeling of hope and happiness.

Esther’s Gift is a wonderful novella that shows humans ability to weather any storm. The story and characters read as if they are real, making Bette Lee Crosby’s writing outstanding, engrossing and riveting, leaving me wanting more.

“Your breakfast rice is better than Mommy’s breakfast rice.”

“Your Mommy makes breakfast rice?”

“Rice Krispies.”

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…we come from the earth and in time we turn to the earth. But if in the tie we are here we can touch other hearts, those memories will live long after we are gone.

I received a copy of Esther’s Gift by Bette Lee Crosby in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In the days before hurricane Iniki hit the island of Kauai the forecasters predicted it would stay south of Hilo. But Esther Ka’awai, a psychic and gifted wise woman of the ancient culture has seen the future. She knows of the devastation that will come to the island. She has warned those she loves; now all she can do is pray.

As she struggles to accept this gift of knowing, Esther discovers that even the most wonderful gift can sometimes break your heart.

A story of love, faith and a belief in the future.

ABOUT BETTE LEE CROSBY

USA Today Bestselling and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby’s books are “Well-crafted storytelling populated by memorable characters caught up in equally memorable circumstances.” – Midwest Book Review

The Seattle Post Intelligencer says Crosby’s writing is, “A quirky mix of Southern flair, serious thoughts about important things in life and madcap adventures.”

Samantha from Reader’s Favorite raves, “Crosby writes the type of book you can’t stop thinking about long after you put it down.”

“Storytelling is in my blood,” Crosby laughingly admits, “My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write.”

It is the wit and wisdom of that Southern Mama Crosby brings to her works of fiction; the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. She has since gone on to win twenty awards for her work; these include: The Royal Palm Literary Award, the FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal, Reader’s Favorite Award Gold Medal, and the Reviewer’s Choice Award.

Crosby’s published works to date are: Blueberry Hill (2014), Previously Loved Treasures (2014), Jubilee’s Journey (2013), What Matters Most (2013), The Twelfth Child (2012), Life in the Land of IS (2012), Cracks in the Sidewalk (2011), Spare Change (2011). A Cupid inspired romance, Wishing for Wonderful, is scheduled for release in November 2014 and Book Three of The Wyattsville Series, Passing through Perfect, will be be available in January 2015.

MY REVEWS OF BETTE LEE CROSBY’S NOVELS

The Loft

Passing Through Perfect

Memory House

Jubilee’s Journey

Blueberry Hill

What Matters Most

Spare Change

Cupid’s Christmas

Cracks In The Sidewalk

The Twelfth Child

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Teaser Tuesday #57 – Sugar Scars by Travis Norwood ( @TravisLNorwood )

Posted on January 19, 2016 by fundinmental

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

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

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Sugar Scars was on tour and I am so excited that I won a copy.

I love the ethereal cover that was designed by Greg Simanson.

MY TEASE

“You think that makes this okay?” I put my finger on the trigger. I remembered how easy it fired when I killed the pig. I had stood there in fear and it had surprised me. I still couldn’t bring myself to squeeze the trigger, but maybe I would slip. It would fire, and this would be over.

“You looked so you could prey on them.”

(page 179 in paperback)

MY REVIEW

Sugar Scars by Travis Norwood is an amazing post apocalyptic novel that concentrates on the survival on one nineteen year old girl, with diabetes. I raced through the pages, feeling all her emotions: fear, anger, sorrow, loneliness, joy and, yes, love.

A virus had killed off 99.9895833% of the world’s population. Some believe a virus will be the end of OUR world. With mass transportation, the virus would spread before there was time to contain it. Haven’t we had warnings? Something to think about.

SHE is a loner, a math whiz and a diabetic. HER life depends on math, math and insulin.

When the world ends…go to Walmart.

“Everytime. Even now. Every time I get the bad cart with a busted wheel.”

How true is that? I wonder what percentage of carts are damaged. 😆

I never learned her real name. She didn’t like it, so … why not change it? It’s not like it matters any more. You can be who you want to be. I love that she named her car and her house and her refrigerator…

I was so eager to read Sugar Scars that I was afraid I would be disappointed. Not to worry. Travis Norwood blew me away. If you love character driven stories, this is a MUST READ. The characters wrapped me in their arms and never let me go. Sure, we have some bad guys, but the good ones filled me with hope and the belief that there are more good people than bad in the world. Just like real life. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what happens, yet I hated the thought of losing my new friends.

Sugar Scars struck me more as an adventure than a tragedy. Sure there is all the bad that comes with the end of the world, but the twists and turns, the originality of the writing, kept me racing through the pages, unable to put the book down. I read it in one sitting and I dare you to give it a try.

Do you believe a virus could be a threat to your survival? This will make you think…long after the story is read.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Living after the apocalypse really isn’t that hard for most of the survivors. The virus killed all but 1 in 10,000. The few remaining people are left in a world of virtually unlimited resources. Grocery stores overflowing with food and drink. Thousands of empty houses to pick from.

But one survivor, a nineteen-year-old girl, requires more than simple food, water and shelter. As a type 1 diabetic her body desperately needs insulin to stay alive. With civilization gone, no one manufactures it anymore. She hoards all the insulin she can find, but every day marches toward the end of her stash of vials. She has a choice. Accept her fate and death, or tackle the almost insurmountable task of extracting and refining the insulin herself.

Brilliant scientists struggled to make the first insulin. What hope does a high school dropout have?

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