A Meg(a) Hit ~ Review, Interview & Giveaway ~ Vostok by Steve Alten

Posted on April 1, 2015 by fundinmental

I am familiar with Steve Alten’s work, so I have been following his newsletter, waiting for this book to be released. Vostok is the sequel to The Loch and the prequel to Meg 5: Nightstalkers. I cannot get enough of his stories. (You can see the books and review links below)

AWESOME!! cover. It looks so real to me. I feel like the croc is swimming towards me, getting ready to open its mouth and eat me. Bring it on. (On the hardcover, it is embossed and looks 3D.)

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MY REVIEW

Steve Alten writes some amazing creature stories that arise deep from the ocean’s floor. I have had Vostok sitting on the arm of my couch, where I couldn’t help but keep looking at it longingly, wanting so badly to pick it up and begin reading…but, I made myself wait. I wanted to savor the moment and bask in my anticipation. This creature story takes a wild twist that I never saw coming but I jumped aboard for the amazing ride through Steve’s creative and imaginative, out of this world, adventure.

In Antarctica, help is sparse, so when the Aussies asked for someone to check out something they discovered, Thomas Nilsson a marine biologist responded. They wanted him to identify not one, but two species of creatures. It’s over Thomas’ head, so who better to call in than, Zachary Wallace, the marine biologist who solved the mystery of The Loch Ness monster.

We will meet with some familiar characters from The Loch and Meg novels and I was happy to see them again. Welcome back, my friends. Of course, that doesn’t mean Steve might not kill you off. He is not afraid to make a character…disappear.

We will be going under the ice cap to Vostok Lake. When they drop the sub through the hole, I could imagine what that would feel like. I am very averse to small, tight places, let alone an under the water ice world that Steve describes so well I can see it. It made me think of Lost World, but instead of jungle and heat, picture ice, water and cold. His description of the mountain coming up from the water with the ice, like a sky, overhead make me scream MOVIE! The words opened before me as if I was watching the action. And, yes, there is plenty of that.

Thomas had died twice before, so imagine his terror facing it again…and again. He had dealt with drowning and giant creatures of the deep that wanted to eat him. How in the hell did he end up doing it again? LOL

Steve Alten has me engrossed, reading as if this is history unraveling before my eyes. Well, who knows what creatures dwell in the deepest oceans. New discoveries are being made all the time.

Throw in big business and the government, what chance does humankind have?

Now, comes the really, really, really nice spin – ALIENS. Who are they and what do they want? I did not expect this, but went with it and enjoyed the ride. Sometimes, an author will take a spin that ruins the book for me, but Steve pulled this off. I am curious how he will pull everything together in Meg 5: Nightstalker and eager to find out!

This quote sums up big business and government to me:

.

“There exists a shadowy Government with its own Air Force, its own Navy, its own fundraising mechanism, and the ability to pursue its own ideas of the national interest, free from and checks and balances, and free from the law itself.

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Senator Daniel Inouye, Iran-Contra hearings

Do the elite work their hardest to keep the herd distracted? I feel there are some messages in Steve Alten’s stories, subtle, yet ones that should already be obvious to us.

If you could go back in time and change events, would you? What would it take for you to do it? This made me think of a Person of Interest episode where the machine ran through all the different scenarios, trying to find the groups best chance of survival.

There is so much more going on than I anticipated. It flows so smoothly at times I find myself relaxing too much, being jerked back into the story letting me know I wasn’t getting off that easy. If you found a UFO would you run toward it or away from it?

Steve Alten is a superb storyteller, weaving the genres together like water down a lazy stream, pulling me in, deeper and deeper (critters, aliens, conspiracy, betrayal, big business and government corruption, fantasy science fiction and horror) creating an amazing novel that will stick with you long after reading and will leave you anticipating the next book, Meg 5: Nightstalkers

Just two pages left and I read this:

“It’s a Nessie dildo so women like you can go –“

I busted out laughing.

I received this first edition hardcover of Vostok by Steve Alten for an honest review. Thanks so much, Steve and Rebel Press. It looks beautiful on my bookshelf, with the other Steve Alten books I own.

5 Stars

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Nobles

I am so excited to have Steve on my blog today, sharing his thoughts on inspiration and writing.

INTERVIEW

How did you do research for your book?

You begin with a concept and hit the Internet.

Which was the hardest character to write?

Kwan Wilson in SHARKMAN. He’s a paraplegic. I spent time interviewing a neighbor who was also wheelchair bound.

The easiest?

Dr. Vincent Cope, Boca Raton gynecologist in my comedy novel, DOG TRAINING THE AMERICAN MALE (written under the pen name L.A. Knight). A man after my own heart.

In your book, VOSTOK you make a reference to JFK being assassinated because he was going to shutdown MAJESTIC-12. How did you come up with this idea?

By interviewing Dr. Steven M. Greer, the foremost authority on Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

What made you write a book about a subglacial lake in Antarctica?

The facts about Lake Vostok are just amazing. VOSTOK is located two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap in East Antarctica, the coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Vostok is a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace has been recruited to join two other scientists aboard a tiny 3-man submersible tethered to a laser which will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct – and an Extraterrestrial object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

TV, newspapers, dreams…

There are many books out there about….What makes yours different?

I wouldn’t say different, I’d say additive.

What advice would you give budding writers?

Don’t write about what you know, write about things you like to read and do the research.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Steve. I look forward to reading more of your work…and soon. 🙂

SYNOPSIS

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct – and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar’s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.

Connect with Steve: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Prizes: One of 100 (or more) print copies of VOSTOK Open internationally. Ends April 18.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review ~ Groovy Cool Writing Techniques by Cinta Garcia de la Rosa

Posted on March 29, 2015 by fundinmental

Add me to Goodreads now.

Cover by Mark Stone

MY REVIEW

This is a short, simple, to the point guide to writing that could become your best friend. The book is filled with helpful hints and ideas, with examples and exercises.

Cinta had writers block and decided to unblock it. She would write anything to jumpstart herself. She believes, and I agree with her, that anyone can be a writer, even if you only write lists or in your journal, writing is writing. I agree with her philosophy of just writing, don’t edit. I think that may one of the most important pieces of advice she shares.

Writing is a process, so, why not enjoy it instead of thinking you must suffer to be any good. Her writing has a humorous and lightness to it that makes this easy to get into and not seem like a school lesson. I liked her reminding me to use all my senses.

We are all creative in our own way and her exercises sparked my imagination and made me feel like I am a writer, too.

This is a book I will have by my side when I write my novel, but for now, I will apply it to my reviews.

5 Stars

AMAZON US / AMAZON UK / AMAZON ES / AMAZON CA
AMAZON IT / AMAZON DE / SMASHWORDS / DRAFT2DIGITAL

SYNOPSIS

Groovy Cool Writing Techniques is a collection of essays developing techniques for improving writing in a creative way. Every person is creative; they only need to light that spark inside, so the magic can begin. A picture, a walk in the streets, your own childhood memories… Everything can hold stories. You just need to find the way to tell those stories in a creative way. This book can help you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

WINNER: In 2014, the Funny Adventures of Little Nani was a gold medal winner in the Children’s category of the International Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.
WINNER: Indie Book of the Day Award (July 5th, 2013).
SEMI-FINALIST: 2013 Book Cover Contest at the website Authorsdb.com.

Cinta Garcia de la Rosa is an award-winning author who spends her time in the United States and Spain with her amazing husband. Along with writing, her career encompasses beta-reading, editing, proofreading, and translating Spanish/English. Cinta has loved the written word since she was five years old and reads at least one hundred books every year. She has a B.A. in English with minors in Literature, Art, and Creative Writing from Oxford. Cinta has published:
– A Foreigner in London (anthology Blessings from the Darkness)
– Never Again (anthology Satan’s Holiday under the penname Rosa Storm)
– The Funny Adventures of Little Nani (Children Book)
Read more at: http://cintascorner.com

Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook / Pinterest

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Fact or Fiction ~ Terror Never Sleeps by Richard Blomberg

Posted on March 11, 2015 by fundinmental

I love books about political intrigue and conspiracy. With the amount of terrorist activity in the real world, Terror Never Sleeps by Richard Blomberg reads as if it is non fiction. From the United States to Timbuktu, America’s elite Navy Seals fight to save the world from nuclear holocaust.

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Title: Terror Never Sleeps

Book 2: Jack Gunn Thriller Series

Author: Richard Blomberg

Publisher: Beaver’s Pond Press

Publication Date: February 15, 2015

Pages: 337

ISBN: 978-1592988952

Genre: Military Thriller / Suspense

Format: Paperback, eBook (.mobi / Kindle), PDF

Cover: Laura Drew

MY REVIEW

I love the simple, yet descriptive cover.

This military thriller is so realistic it pissed me off, had me screaming at the characters and made we wish I could crawl through the pages and kick some terrorist butt too.

Characters: Jack, Nina, his wife, Dewey, Jack’s right hand, Travis, his brother and many others who act out their supporting roles. Who will be the final judge, jury and executioner? Who doesn’t make it back?

Jack Gunn returned home from his mission, only to find his wife and son missing and the house covered with blood and bullet holes. He’d been in Palestine, negotiating a deal requiring the release of his biggest enemy, the last in the line of the El-Hashem family. A BIG mistake! A badal had been declared and one of them would die.

Jack and Travis are orphaned brothers raised by Sioux elders. One is a Navy Seal, the other a doctor.

Jack’s wife, Nina, was also raised believing in the Sioux way. I love the mystical connection. The characters have an ability to see, connect and talk in the spirit world. It adds that something extra that takes writing to another level. Jack is the head of the CTF, Counterterroism Task Force, whose motto is: Terror Never Sleeps.

Nina suffers tremendous physical and mental torture – fear for her child, being beaten, possibly raped, kicked, drugged. They beat her down mentally and she fought the urge to give up. Could it get worse? Oh yes, much worse.

I am appalled at Richards description of the abuse some of the characters would inflict on each other, just because they could. It all seems so real. When you read this, its almost like hearing of the horrible killings on the news. Who would use a man’s family, his wife and child, to get revenge? Don’t the bad guys have rules too? Not when it comes to these guys. They are pure evil. They rejoice in the torture they inflict on others. How they are able to do that, I cannot figure out.

Nina is no wimp. I love her. She is an unlikely hero and I only hope I could do as well as her in a similar situation. She has a shotgun in hand and uses it! She has survived breast cancer, so she can survive whatever this animal will throw at her too. At her lowest, she would think of her son and that would give her that something extra she needed to go on.

Seals – the elite of the elite. They have an amazing sense of right and sacrifice. They have some fantastic weapons at their disposal, too. I loved reading about the mini plane with grenades. Good job.

Read a book like this and you, too, may believe in torture for info, and the premise, shoot first and take no prisoners. This novel will tell you why there must be secret teams and missions, so our enemies don’t know what we are doing.

There is tons of action and the pacing kept me reading from beginning to end. Terrorists, dirty bombs, kidnapping, child abduction, badal, nuclear bombs and Native American mysticism. A rich combination of genres that blended so well I could almost believe it was real.

From the shores of the United States to Timbuktu the characters each struggle to survive and I was happy to travel with them.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Navy SEAL Jack Gunn’s life is turned upside down when terrorists kidnap his family and disappear without a trace. While Jack and his team search frantically for clues in Virginia, half-way around the world, his wife, Nina struggles to survive the terrorist’s daily persecutions as his hostage.

Terror Never Sleeps is an action-packed tale of Nina’s transformation into a warrior who is fighting for her life, and Jack’s relentless pursuit of the terrorists from Mali to Diego Garcia to Pakistan. A military coup, propaganda, dirty bombs, and the launch of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal with one target—Israel—is all part of the terrorist’s master plan, who are hellbent on blowing the world back to the eighth century. The non-stop action keeps the reader constantly off balance with the bizarre and unexpected.

EXCERPT

Chapter 1

Dawley Corners, VA

“I’m scared, Mommy.” Barett sat back up in bed, clutching his dinosaur pillow under one arm and his frayed security blanket under the other..

“Don’t cry, honey. Daddy will be home tomorrow.” Nina brushed her
son’s tears aside with her fingers, cupped his tender face in her hands, and
gave him a kiss on the forehead. She inhaled the scent of baby shampoo from his
tangled wet hair and snuggled him to her chest. Barett’s Mickey Mouse
night-light cast a buttery glow across the carpet. A constellation of

fluorescent stars and planets were already glued to the ceiling of
his brand-new bedroom and floating like luminous jellyfish in the dark above.

“But what if the bad guys kill Daddy?” Barett chewed on the fringe
of his blanket.

“Nobody’s going to kill Daddy,” Nina quickly answered for the
umpteenth time as she stroked his black hair. Barett nodded, locked on Nina’s
eyes. She closed the bedtime storybook and put it back on the nightstand.

Barett’s lower lip quivered. “What if you die, Mommy? I heard you
and Daddy talking.” He started crying again.

Nina gasped. “You don’t need to worry anymore, sweetie. Mommy’s
cancer is all gone.” She crossed her hands across her chest and threw them up
into the air. “Poof! And Daddy is a brave Sioux, just like you.” She poked
Barett in the chest. “If the president of the United States trusts Daddy to
protect his country, I don’t think we need to worry.”

Sorrow instantly overwhelmed Nina, sad that Barett’s last thoughts
before falling asleep were to fear for his mommy’s and daddy’s lives—even though
Nina frequently cried herself to sleep with those same fears. Barett, Nina’s
angel throughout her chemotherapy, reached up and brushed her tears away with
his baby-soft fingers as he had done so many times before.

If Jack was Nina’s soul mate, Barett was her heart mate. Nina’s
first pregnancy ended horribly with a devastating and unexpected miscarrage.
Her second ended the same way. So after nine months of living on the jittery
edge of sanity, wondering what would go wrong the third time around, Barett was
her gift from God who miraculously joined the world on Nina’s twentysixth

birthday. She loved her little bear more than anything. She
loved Barett more than Jack.

Trying to stay strong and keep up a good front for Barett while
Jack was away, Nina snatched the dreamcatcher hanging from a tack in the wall
above Barett’s pillow and fanned his face with its eagle feathers as if she
were trying to start a fire.

“Remember, Uncle Travis had a very special medicine man make this
to protect you from bad dreams.” She tickled his chest until he giggled.

“He’s funny.”

“Now go to sleep, honey. Daddy will be home tomorrow.” She leaned
over and gave him one last kiss.

Nina left his door half open, just how Barett liked, and went
downstairs to lock up for the night. Everything in their condominium smelled
fresh and new. The paint on the walls, the polish on the floors, and the carpet
on the stairs. It was their first home and their first mortgage. Nina smiled,
thinking of her husband, Jack, and how he had gone over the top to buy the most

expensive door and window locks.

Being a Navy SEAL and the head of the Counterterrorism Task Force
(CTF) made it nearly impossible for Jack Gunn to trust anyone. The only people
he trusted were the other SEALs on his Ghost Team and Native Americans, like
Nina and him.

“I’m not going to be a prisoner in my own home, Jack. Spend all
the money on locks and guns and whatever else you think we need, but take a
look around. We’re not living in Afghanistan.” Nina had opened the blind so
Jack could look out and see their front yard of new sod, their one-inch elm
sapling held vertical by three posts and gardening wire, and the empty lots
across the street staked out for new construction. No one else had even moved
into their

building yet. They had first pick in the new ocean-view community
in Dawley Corners, south of Virginia Beach.

“This is what I’ve always wanted, Jack,” Nina had told him. “I
know it’s not Montana, but there’s no place I’d rather be.”

“The perimeter is secure,” she could almost hear Jack saying.

Her smile vanished as she pulled back a corner of the curtain and
watched a windowless panel van slowly cruise past their condo. It was the type
of hammer-and-nail-laden van construction crews drove through their
neighborhood on a daily basis, but not after dark at nine thirty on a Saturday
night.

There was something about the van that sent a shiver up her spine
as it crawled around the cul-de-sac and came back. She let the sheer curtain
fall back into place and watched the headlights. They stopped at the end of
Nina’s driveway. With a growl of the engine, smoke puffed from the tail pipe
into the chilled air. Now hiding behind the front door, she began to
hyperventilate as she fought off the suffocating feeling of panic.

Nina felt guilty for cowering like a scared little girl. She knew
if Jack were home, he would have put one of his patented kill looks on
his face, stomped out the front door, and challenged the guys in the truck. He
did stuff like that all the time. Most of the time, the other guys took off
before he got close enough to do any harm; he looked that intimidating. Far
from being politically correct, Jack was the man who backed down to nobody. Who
feared nobody. Who suspected everybody.

Nina swallowed hard, checked the lock, and glanced up the stairs
to make sure Barett was still in bed. Fingers trembling, she fumbled to get her
cell phone out of her pocket to call Jack, but dropped it. Pieces of plastic
and glass blasted in every direction, like a grenade exploding in the dark, when
it hit the porcelain tile.

“Oh my God!” she gasped. That was her only phone. The van still
rumbled in the street, not moving. She made out the silhouette of a
stocking-capped, bearded man in the passenger seat. Her brain swelled like an
expanding water balloon between her ears.

“Think, dammit. Think.” She heard Jack’s words reverberating in
her head. It was late Saturday night, her phone was trashed, their home
Internet was not scheduled to be activated until Monday, which had not been a
big deal because her smartphone functioned as a mobile hot spot for her laptop.
All that had changed the instant her phone crashed.

Her feet felt as if they were stuck in cement, nailing her to the
floor behind the door.

“The gun. I’ve got to get the gun.”

She looked through the curtain at the van one last time, then
stumbled up the stairs, went into their bedroom closet, and turned on the
light. The gun safe still had the manufacturer’s stickers on the anodized steel
door.

She dialed three numbers stuck in her head. Nothing. She tried
again. Nothing. The combination to the safe lay splayed across the entryway
floor downstairs in a worthless cell phone microchip.

A noise outside spooked her. Her fingers trembled on the dial.

She tried the lock one last time and prayed. “Hallelujah!” The
door opened. She grabbed the loaded shotgun. Jack always said it was the best
gun for home protection. Point the scattergun in the general direction of your
target and pull the trigger. It would blow a hole in the door the size of a basketball.

Nina had pulled the trigger on a shotgun once before. She blasted
tin cans and beer bottles with her brothers back at the reservation garbage
dump in Montana when she was a kid. The gun kicked like a mule and knocked her
on her butt. It seemed funny at the time.

She flipped the safety off, racked a shell into the chamber,
turned off the light, and tiptoed back out of the closet. The gun went first,
with Nina’s slippery finger on the trigger. Her eyes dilated to adjust back to
the dark.

The condo was too new. Nothing looked familiar. Every shadow,
every noise made her jump. The furnace kicked in. The bedroom curtain fluttered
over the heat duct. She heard a noise in the hallway. Nina opened the door with
the gun barrel.

“Mommy.”

“Barett. Oh my God. I almost . . .” She covered her mouth,
overcome by a sudden wave of nausea. Nina swallowed hard to push the bile back
down as she propped the gun up against the wall behind the door, out of
Barett’s sight. She grabbed Barett, hugged him hard, and carried him back to
his room. “Stay in bed, honey. Mommy will be right back.”

Nina snatched the gun with her shaking, sweaty hands and quickly
crept back down the carpeted stairs, trying her best to keep quiet.

The front door was still locked. The van was gone. She held the
shotgun against her chest and fixed her eyes on the doorknob, dreading movement
of any kind. Her heart raced as she waited in the dark.

The wind blew. The furnace kicked off. The doorknob did nothing.

She turned on the entryway light and scraped together all the
pieces of her phone.

I can’t call the police. The phone lines are down till Monday. I
can’t call or text Jack. He’ll be pissed. It was probably nothing. No need to
get all worked up. Just go to bed. Get a new cell phone in the morning before
Jack gets home. And put that stupid gun away before you shoot someone.

***

BUY THE BOOK

Book Publication Date: February 15, 2015

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.

***

About The Author

Dr. Richard Blomberg has practiced anesthesia in the land of 10,000 lakes for twenty years. He grew up in an Iowa farm town, the oldest of ten, before serving as a Navy hospital corpsman during the Vietnam War. For generations, Richard’s family has proudly served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa and currently lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and family, where he is working on his next Jack Gunn thriller.

To learn more about the author, sign up for his newsletter, read his blog, or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Connect with Richard: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

***

Terror Never Sleeps Tour Page

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

Posted on February 13, 2015 by fundinmental

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Welcome to the Tag Team Event for Dinosaur Lake II by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Myself (Sherry at fundinmental) and Laura at fuonlyknew will share our reviews and giveaways, giving you two views and two chances to win!

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Dinosaur Lake II by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Hop in your shuttle car and let’s check out the park. You will not be disappointed.

Dinosaur Lake I is an 2014 Epics Award Finalist in the Suspense/Thriller category. Check out my review:

Creature Dines on Crater Lake Smorgasboard

SYNOPSIS

Henry Shore has been Chief Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park for thirteen years now and thought the days when he’d had to fight a rogue dinosaur that lived in the caves below the lake were long over.

Until one of his park rangers, to save a visitor’s life, is in a deadly struggle out in the woods with a new breed of dinosaur worse than the last one. It’s as big as a man, but this one is a young one. And growing.

Then more of the creatures begin to show up everywhere, threatening people and destroying the tranquility and safety of his beloved park.
A tourist trolley filled with fifteen people is snatched up off the crater’s rim by another version of the younger one…but this one has grown into a giant with fangs, claws and a deadly tail.

And this one has wings.

Ugly Gargoyles, Henry calls them.

For this one isn’t alone.

They’re flying beyond the park’s boundaries into the neighboring towns.

So Henry, with the help of his son-in-law, a paleontologist named Justin, and a band of brave park rangers, and a few good soldiers, must not only protect his park and his people from monsters once more but find their lair and destroy it and them before the creatures kill again.

.
Add me to Goodreads now.

Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising

Kathryn Meyer Griffith (Author), Dawne Dominque (Illustrator)

MY REVIEW

An awesome and amazing cover to go along with an awesome and amazing book. I love monster books and movies. Not much can beat Godzilla, Sharktopus, Anaconda, Jaws, Jurassic Park……on a weekend afternoon. I would love to see the Dinosaur Lake movies!!! Any producers out there?

I have been anxiously waiting for Dinosaur Lake II and now that I know there is a Dinosaur Lake III, I am even more excited. I love critter books and a dinosaur roaming around Crater Lake is not to be missed. You can read this without reading Book I, but I still recommend reading it.

Five years earlier, Park Ranger Henry Shore had dealt with a prehistoric, man-eating dinosaur. It couldn’t be happening again, could it? He thought they had killed them all.

In Dinosaur Lake I, the prehistoric beasts were in the water. Now, they are flying.

Henry is such a good guy. He reminds me of Harrison Ford. He has that bumbling, innocent and naive air about him, yet he steps up to the plate, doing what needs to be done.

His wife, Ann, has more problems than a dinosaur to worry about. She owns the newspaper, so that helps keep her going, even when she feels her worst.

Ranger Elle Stanton is back, in a big way. Elle reminded Henry of his friend, George. She has a superstitious nature. She is a retired soldier and was drawn to Crater Lake. She is no wimp, so when Henry senses her fear, he listens. I would definitely like to know her story.

George, an Indian friend had lost his life when he came to Ann’s rescue, but Henry remembered something he said – if the winter is mild, like this year’s had been, there would be a reckoning. Could nature be rebelling because of something we did? Some kind of payback?

Justin, his daughter’s husband, works for the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

The characters will win you over. You will feel their pain, fear, terror, shock and awe. Their hearts are big and their bravery even bigger.

These are prehistoric critters shrouded in mysticism. I have met THE dinosaur and I know his death cannot be the end of it. I am excited. What will the next one look like? Will there be only one? Will it crawl, slither, walk, swim or fly? What if they are intelligent, able to think and respond accordingly? I wanted to know and I raced through the pages to find out.

Thank goodness I don’t’ have to wait and see if they got them all. Dinosaur III is out and I can only wonder where Kathryn is taking this. Could it get any worse? I am about to find out and I will tell you all about it. I think the cover with give us a hint.

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

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

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SYNOPSIS

Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore has dealt with and fought real live dinosaurs at his beloved Crater Lake National Park for over six years. With the help of his rangers, a few brave FBI friends and army soldiers he’d been victorious over a prehistoric lake creature and years later some particularly fiendish, and clever, specimens of the flying variety. He and his newspaper publisher wife, Ann, thought their park was finally rid of the monsters and they could reclaim their tranquil life in a place they cherished. Not so. For suddenly across the park new and even more malevolent mutant species of dinosaur begin to appear and create havoc, attacking the park’s visitors and threatening its peace. And this time the primeval scourge isn’t confined to just their park. The creatures have moved into the nearby towns, across the western United States and up into Canada. They are so much more aggressive, smarter and hungrier than any that have come before and the infestation is spreading further and faster than Henry and Ann can even imagine. This time there’s no easy way to defeat the dinosaurs. There’s too many of them and they’re too devious. This time it’s full out war and the victor will someday claim Earth.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryn Meyer Griffith I’ve been writing for over 41 years now…published for 30 of those years since 1984; have EIGHTEEN novels, 2 novellas and 12 short stories to my name…and more coming. Aug. 30, 2012: I (first time ever!) SELF-PUBLISHED MY 16TH NOVEL *DINOSAUR LAKE* TO AMAZON KINDLE DIRECT! January 2013 I SELF-PUBLISHED MY 17TH NOVEL *HUMAN NO LONGER*, my fourth vampire novel. Also in January 2013 I self-published my rereleased murder mystery (originally a 2003 Avalon Books hardcover) SCRAPS OF PAPER-Revised Author’s Edition and FOUR SPOOKY SHORT STORIES, a collection of 4 horror/romantic horror short stories.

I write traditional supernatural horror, SF horror, romantic time-travel, murder mysteries and paranormal romance. I’ve been writing about ghosts, ancient Egyptian spirits, haunted places and evil vampires WAY LONG BEFORE Stephanie Meyer (no relation to me even though my maiden name is Meyer) and the rest of the vampire author crowd, ha, ha. And now ALL 15 of my older Zebra, Leisure paperbacks, Avalon Books murder mysteries and my Wild Rose Press books have been revised, reprinted and rereleased for the first time in many years (and in e-books for the first time ever) from DAMNATION BOOKS www.damnationbooks.com and ETERNAL PRESS www.eternalpress.biz and AMAZON KINDLE DIRECT. Yippie! So look for them.

I’m a wife of almost 35 years (husband, Russell), mother (one son, James) and grandmother (two grandchildren, Caitlyn and Joshua). I was a graphic designer in the corporate world for 23 years; and have published with Dorchester, Kensington, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle Direct, Damnation Books and Eternal Press, and Amazon Publishing. Six years ago I crossed over into e-books as well as paperbacks and now ALL my old/new books are in ebooks…and soon to be in AUDIO BOOKS from ACX. I love cats and nature, classic rock and country music (my brother, JS Meyer www.jsmeyermusic.com, is a singer/songwriter and does the songs for all my self-made book trailers that are on my websites). VISIT me at www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffith or www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG or www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith to see all my book covers and trailers.

My published books: (ALL OF THESE OUT AGAIN…PLEASE LOOK FOR THEM!) Human No Longer (2013),Dinosaur Lake (SF horror), Scraps of paper-Revised Author’s Edition, Evil Stalks the Night (supernatural horror), Leisure 1984; The Heart of the Rose (historical romance) Leisure 1985; Blood Forge (supernatural horror), Leisure 1989; Vampire Blood (romantic supernatural horror), Zebra 1991; The Last Vampire (supernatural horror), Zebra 1992; Witches (romantic horror), Zebra 1993 & Pinnacle 2000; a novella called The Nameless One in Dark Seductions, an erotic horror anthology, Kensington, 1993; The Calling (supernatural horror), Zebra 1994. The Nameless One, a short erotic novella in the 1994 Zebra Anthology Dark Seductions. And Scraps of Paper (hardcover mystery) Avalon Books, 2003; All Things Slip Away, the second mystery in the series came out also from Avalon Books in February 2006 and now both are out again from Amazon and both in ebooks for the first time ever. And my three novels and two short stories from The Wild Rose Press are out again from ETERNAL PRESS: Egyptian Heart(ancient Egyptian time travel romance); Winter’s Journey(a romantic suspense novel); The Ice Bridge, (a contemporary romance e-novel with a dose of murder mystery) and two ghostly short stories, Don’t Look Back, Agnes and In This House. BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons, an apocalyptic saga from Damnation Books, June 2010. THE WOMAN IN CRIMSON, a vampire eternal love story, is out now from ETERNAL PRESS http://www.eternalpress.biz. The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Fiction: Volume 1 (I did the Introduction) 2011 and Telling Tales of Horror 2012(I did the chapter on Putting the Occult into your Fiction)***

Goodreads / Authors Den / Website

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

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GIVEAWAY

I have one eBook and one audible book of Dinosaur lake II to give away thanks to Kathryn! It is not necessary to have read Dinosaur Lake, the first book. To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:

“Which dinosaur would you rather battle, one in the water or one in the air? Why?”

Giveaway ends February 28th.

You can find the winners here.

This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Laura at fuonlyknew.

Now hop on over to fuonlyknew, check out Laura’s review, and enter for another chance to win HERE.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Review: Heart Search: Betrayal by Carlie M A Cullen

Posted on February 11, 2015 by fundinmental

I love the covers for the Heartsearch trilogy by Carlie M A Cullen.

They are a brand that is easily recognizable, labeling the books ‘written by Carlie’.

MY REVIEW

I received an ARC from Carlie M A Cullen in return for an honest and unbaised review. I loved the first two books and jumped at the chance to read Heartsearch, Book III: Betrayal.

Spoiler Alert: This is Book III of the Heartsearch series. The books do need to be read in order.

Carlie M A Cullen takes a common theme, vampires, and spins it in an amazing, creative and original way. I mean, a vampire couple raising their baby vamps. How cool is that? They have unique powers that will be necessary when the ultimate betrayal strikes at the heart of the coven.

The cliff hanger from Book II is over. Remy has found Joshua and she is determined to make it work.

Samir is Joshua’s creator, but Joshua had split off to create his own coven with his mate, Remy and the twins, Aidan and Ashley. Samir is forced to confess his secrete to Joshua, causing another problem they really don’t need right now.

Liam wanted revenge against them all and had a spy on the inside to help him. The ‘visitor’ made it sound too easy. Liam wonders, could it be true, or is he being set up?

Becky, Remy’s twin sister, has not seen her for seven weeks. Why wouldn’t Remy answer her texts or phone calls? They have a special connection and she feels as if she has lost a piece of herself. She feels herself changing – she can’t sleep and her need for rare meat is something new. She finds it hard to control her wild mood swings. She needs answers and only Remy can give them to her. Becky is determined to find her and decides to do the same Remy did to find Joshua, go house to house until she does.

Jakki is Remy’s best friend and a part of her vampire world, but poor Becky and the rest of Remy’s family have no idea that Remy is a vampire. And the babies…Jakkie is a witch and is able to receive warnings from the future. Will it help them to survive?

Remy has a special connection to animals, and the birds that come to her of their own free will be there to help her in her time of need.

Vampires have their own rules and politics to live by. Disobeying or breaking them could be fatal. Just because they are vampires and immortal, does not mean they are never in danger and unable to be killed. Betrayal, distrust, revenge, double cross, jealousy and the need to protect their loved ones is the same as us humans. The blend of human and vampire is written so well, I almost forget at times that they are not human.

The story goes on, drawing me in, deeper and deeper, so engrossed I know nothing going on around me. I just want more, more of Joshua, Remy, Aidan and Ashley. A family that will have you eating out of their hand. 😆 All other characters are important, creating their own roles to support the main ones.

I never could have seen the events to come. When…I was crushed. WTF?

Good and bad, just like you and I. They have all the feelings we do, deep love and loyalty, anger and rage, the need to protect and seek revenge. So much action going on, yet the story is easy to follow, coming together in a wonderful ending.

I am awed by Carlie’s writing, by her creativity and the ability to take a vampire romance story and twist it so originally and uniquely. I do not want to spoil it for you, so I will shut up and hope I have not already said too much. If you love vampires, this is a MUST READ!

Finished reading 2/2/15.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

SYNOPSIS

One bite started it all . . .

Joshua, Remy, and the twins are settled in their new life. However, life doesn’t always run smoothly. An argument between Becky and her twin causes unforeseen circumstances, an admission by Samir almost costs him his life, and the traitor provides critical information to Liam. But who is it?

As Jakki’s visions begin to focus on the turncoat’s activities, a member of the coven disappears, and others find themselves endangered.

And when Liam’s coven attacks, who will endure?

Fate continues to toy with mortals and immortals alike, and as more hearts descend into darkness, can they overcome the dangers they face and survive?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlie M A Cullen was born in London. She grew up in Hertfordshire where she first discovered her love of books and writing.

She has always written in some form or another, but started to write novels in 2011. Her first book was published by Myrddin Publishing in 2012. She writes in the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres for New Adult and Adult.

Carlie is also a principal editor for Eagle Eye Editors.

Carlie also holds the reins of a writing group called Writebulb. They have published four anthologies so far, two for adults and two for children, all of which raise money for a local hospice.

Carlie currently lives in Essex, UK with her daughter.

Website / Twitter: @carlie2011c / Facebook / Linkedin / Amazon / About.me

Wattpad / Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

These are a few of the awesome gifts! Aren’t they beautiful?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find the Carlie Cullen Heartsearch series on Amazon by clicking on the covers below.

Review of Heartsearch: Lost, Book I

Guest post for Heartsearch: Found, Book II

Review of Heartsearch: Found: Book II

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Superheroes – London Belongs to the Alchemist by Stephen Henning

Posted on February 9, 2015 by fundinmental

Stephen Henning’s Class Heroes is a hit!

I eagerly anticipate each novel in the series and can hardly wait to see what adventure Samantha and James will be on this time.

London Belongs to the Alchemist is Book IV of the Class Heroes series.

Look at that awesome cover.

It only hints at the fantastic story inside.

SYNOPSIS

Illegal raves are popping up all over London, the world’s fifth richest city, where tension is running high between the haves and the have-nots. Each party, hosted by the enigmatic DJ Alchemy, leaves a trail of destruction in its wake — all thanks to Super D, the latest designer drug on the party circuit.

It’s love at first sight for Samantha Blake and DJ Alchemy, but the DJ has a superpower of his own and a plan for London that Sam can never be a part of.

Meanwhile her twin brother, James, can’t stop himself falling for public enemy number one Lolly Rosewood. James thinks she’s a reformed character… but has he just been blinded by love?

While the city descends into riots, the twins’ bond is tested as they’re torn between their loyalty to each other and their new relationships. And in the shadows, a gangland drug lord will stop at nothing to get his hands on the twins, DJ Alchemy and the precious Super D.

MY REVIEWS FOR THE SERIES

My 5 Star Review of A Class Apart, Book I

My 5 Star Review of What Happened In Witches Wood, Book II

My 5 Star Review of Where’s Lolly. Book II

MY REVIEW for London Belongs to the Alchemist, Book IV

Spoiler Alert: This is Book IV of the Class Heroes series. I don’t believe there is anything here that will ruin the earlier books, just wanted to make you aware this is book IV.

The cover reminds me of the Spiderman and Hulk comics I used to read.

I was hooked on this series from the first book, A Class Apart. Stephen Henning has the ability to spin a yarn and create a fantasy world that I get lost in, not wanting to come back to reality. I have been watching Smallville (the TV series about Superman) in the early morning hours, so I can clearly see the characters and their superpowers in action.

This is a young adult novel, but I feel heroes come in all shapes and sizes and this is so much fun, that all ages with fall in love with Samantha and James.

My visualization of the characters was pretty darn close!

Great job of ‘showing’ me with words.

James and Samantha are 14 year old twins.

The twins have been staying with their grandparents since the accident that had started it all months ago. They managed to survive the exploding bus crash and their zombie classmates who had tried to eat them. The experience had changed them, giving them superpowers they were working hard to keep secret.

The characters have all the angst of normal teenagers, but their super powers will take their problems to a higher, more dangerous level. Their biggest danger was being discovered. Who knew what would happen, who would be after them and for what reasons. I wrote this as if it is real. I can’t help but laugh at myself. So good, I am in it side by side with them.

They are back in London now and heading to school for the first time since the accident. The principal had arranged a party to ease them back into a normal world. They knew better than to leave the party, but they did it anyway. They are teenagers after all. I know no good will come of this.

They meet the DJ of Alchemy. He hosts impromptu parties, spinning out tunes and passing out the super drug. He can leap tall buildings. Samantha and James already know about the super drug. It gives the user temporary superpowers, but the backlash could be fatal.

Samantha’s powers – super strength, rapid healing and controlling fire.

James powers – telekinesis and the ability to teleport.

Nicky Carro is a successful businessman. He owns nightclubs and casinos. He is involved in the drug trade with Russians. I can already anticipate the problems that is going to cause. They are violent and have no respect for human life.

Lolly, of course, Lolly will make an appearance and I have been waiting for her. When Lolly did enter the picture, I was floored by what she wanted. There has to be something else going on. Her dad is locked up and she is on the run. She is dangerous. Her dad is a mass murderer, a psychopath and has the power of persuasion. Was she different without him? Doing anything to make Lolly angry, you’d better beware. She will show no mercy. Even though she’s a very bad girl, there’s something about her that makes me want to help her out. Good writing does that for me. Makes me feel empathy for the bad guy, with the hope that redemption is possible.

Super D, a crooked casino owner, Russian drug dealers, the DJ of Alchemy passing out drugs and preaching anarchy, a hormonal psychopath with superpowers. viral marketing – a virus that controls any phone it’s uploaded to, gangsters and extortionists. Is there a bad guy I missed? 😀

Stephen’s writing is fantastic with pacing that makes me race through the pages. I breathe a sigh of relief, as I am allowed to catch my breath before we are off and running again.

The only complaint I have with Stephen Henning’s writing is I want more. The Class Heroes could be a TV or movie series.

I can see more stories unfolding in the future. The kids have some growing up to do and I wonder what the future has in store for them.

Stephen includes a little humor and leaves me with a giant cliffhanger making me scream for more.

I received London Belongs to the Alchemist from the author in return for an honest, unbiased review.

5 STARS Would Buy It For Them (lol)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I began writing the first Class Heroes book on my laptop in February 2011, but these stories have probably been continually playing in my head since I was aged five or six, when I would act them out with toys and with my friends. I then branched out into using pencils, colouring pens and paper, moving on to writing pads and then my first computer.

So, as you’ve probably gathered, I have always enjoyed making up stories and the super-hero genre has been one of my favourites.

The CV-type stuff is that I went to Sheffield Hallam University to study English. I then trained and briefly worked as a journalist in Salford. After that, I moved into publishing – which was great. An interesting and fun industry to be in and fascinating to see how books are put together and sold.

After that I started doing technical writing, which led me to start my own business with my friend and colleague Andrew Butters. My love of writing, generally, led me back to writing fiction. Our company, Elucidox Ltd, publishes the Class Heroes books.

If you want to know a bit more about me, what kind of super powers I have and the kind of super villains I have to tangle with on a daily basis, then feel free to watch Rage. This is a short film, that took a long time to make. It’s a simple day in my life :-). Actually it’s just a fun movie that I made with the very kind help of some of my best mates. We had a laugh doing it, hope you like it too. And if you do, then why not explore the super world of the Class Heroes books?

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Google+ / Facebook / Youtube

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Click on the covers below to get your Amazon affiliate copy of a Class Heroes book, or to learn more about Stephen Henning.

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Review: A Dexter-ish & Dark Suspense Thriller – Hades by Candice Fox

Posted on February 6, 2015 by fundinmental

HADES by Candice Fox

A Dexter-ish twist to this debut thriller.

This novel had me on the edge of my seat. Candice Fox had some twists and turns that surprised and amazed me. One, especially. I felt it coming, but didn’t want it to happen. I love when an author can keep me guessing, is she really gonna do that? And the ending? Awesome and I can hardly wait to read the next book!

Is there a book that stands out in YOUR mind where the author kept YOU guessing until the very end?

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

Covers are very important to me and this one spoke volumes. I knew something bad would happen, but the butterfly made me wonder if there was a ray of hope for the girl. What do you think?

I read the blurb and it said Dexter-ish, so that only peaked my interest more. I loved the show and the books and was left wanting more, just like Hades.

The book starts out dark and grim and stays that way. The descriptions and details make me cringe at the Hell I have entered. This is Candice’s debut novel and she knocked it out of the ballpark. So, come with me, into this evil and dangerous world of human monsters. Because, yes, there is more than one human being that doesn’t deserve to draw breath in our world.

Hades – Lord of the Underworld. He creates sculptures from junk, believing things should not be so easily tossed aside, just like Eden and Eric, brother and sister. They exude danger. He did not seek them out, but he will not give them up. They give him hope, where he had none before. How does he end up with “family?” That is a mystery worth finding out for yourself.

Eden – a loner, switchblade in hand, manicured yet ready for battle.

Eric – well, what can I say about Eric. Nothing good.

Frank – a detective, selfish, arrogant. Eden’s new partner, which she isn’t that happy about.

Jason – serial killer and psychopath. He had been abused and was puzzled by feelings, both animal and human. They are beyond his understanding. But, he is so much more than just your run of the mill serial killer.

When I didn’t think think it could get any worse, it did, and in a big way.

What breeds a serial killer? The age old question – Nature or nuture?

We all have our beliefs and boundaries. Desperation will cause people to justify their actions, no matter how grotesque and horrendous.

I watch a lot of crime shows and read a lot of crime books, both fact and fiction, trying to get a glimpse into their minds. How does a serial killer and psychopath think? How can they do the things they do? I have yet to be able to understand. I just can’t see it. I believe they are so damaged and evil, they cannot be redeemed. Do the ones who catch them have to become them?

When Eden and Frank talked to Derek and Eliza, my anger and rage went off the charts. I would have loved to pull out a gun and shoot them on the spot. How in the world can they plead for mercy after what they have done?

And Martina – OMG.

OMG – I knew it was coming, but damn, I didn’t see it coming this way. I kept telling Candice, no, please don’t do it. Hello “Dexter”. I can’t believe it took me this long for it all to come together. The two different, yet connected storylines fooled me. This is such a great approach to the serial killer. I love the twists to a well known storyline.

I was blown away by Candice Fox’s debut novel. She got me on the cliff and made me hang there, wanting to read more, yet afraid to go on. I was pissed, enraged, terrified and heartbroken. The ending – I can’t get over it. Candice had surprise after surprise in store for me and I loved every minute of it.

More to come in Eden, Book II. Check out the book cover below. That is how I felt while reading Hades.

I received Hades by Candice Fox from Net Galley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

SYNOPSIS

A dark, compelling and original thriller that will have you spellbound from its atmospheric opening pages to its shocking climax. Hades is the debut of a stunning new talent in crime fiction.

Hades Archer, the man they call the Lord of the Underworld, surrounds himself with the things others leave behind. Their trash becomes the twisted sculptures that line his junkyard. The bodies they want disposed of become his problem for a fee. Then one night a man arrives on his doorstep, clutching a small bundle that he wants ‘lost’. And Hades makes a decision that will change everything…

Twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett feels like the luckiest man on the force when he meets his new partner, the dark and beautiful Eden Archer. But there’s something strange about Eden and her brother, Eric. Something he can’t quite put his finger on. When the two detectives are called to the scene of an attempted drowning, they find a traumatized victim telling a story that’s hard to believe – until the divers start bringing up bodies.

Frank is now on the hunt for a very different kind of serial killer: one who offers the sick and dying hope at murderous cost. At first, his partner’s sharp instincts come in handy. Soon, he’s wondering if she’s as dangerous as the man they hunt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Candice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney’s western suburbs composed of half-, adopted and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a prison parole officer and an enthusiastic foster-carer, Candice spent many of her early Christmases travelling to Long Bay Correctional Facility in the family minibus to knock on prison cell windows, run around the razor-wired yard and eat fruitcake prepared by inmates. While her mother and stepfather developed an ever-growing mob of Sydney’s most disadvantaged children throughout her later youth, entertainment had to be cheap. She spent her school holidays exploring free, open spaces – farms, bushland and cemeteries.

As a cynical and trouble-making teenager, her crime and gothic fiction writing was an escape from the calamity of her home life.

Bankstown born and bred, she failed to conform to military life in a brief stint as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy at age eighteen. At twenty, she turned her hand to academia, and taught high school through two undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees. She currently works lecturing writing at the University of Notre Dame while undertaking a PhD in literary censorship and terrorism.

She recently won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction.

Website / Goodreads.

Do you think the butterfly signifies a ray of hope?

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5 Star Review: Passing Through Perfect by Bette Lee Crosby & Giveaway

Posted on January 29, 2015 by fundinmental

I am so happy to be able to share Bette Lee Crosby’s latest novel, Passing Through Perfect.

I love this beautiful cover.

I am a huge fan of Bette Lee’s and I am eager to continue my Wyattsville journey.

I hope you will join me.

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

I would like to start with the cover. Bette Lee Crosby’s cover gives you a glimpse of the story inside. Her sweet, southern charm comes through the pages and wraps around me with loving arms. Passing Through Perfect brought forth so many emotions that I kept my tissues at my side. That is not unusual for a Bette Lee novel. With each novel in the Wyattsville series I say it is the best, but the best one is the next one.

The story includes chapters of the characters thoughts and feelings – Benjamin, Delia, Camella, Sidney and Martha’s. We get an up close and personal invitation to share their lives. The characters had me crying for them, yelling for them, wanting to protect and shelter them from all the harsh realities of life.

The story takes place in Grinders Corner, a small town in Alabama.

Benjamin Church came home from war, to see nothing had changed. Benjamin had thought of being a mechanic. He had learned to repair almost anything mechanical during his time in the service. This is a time in history where the shift was from working for yourself to working for someone else. But, he knew he would be a farmer like his father and his father before him. He is a sharecroppers son and the world did not look kindly on blacks in 1946.

The landowner, Sylvester Crane, is a sorry excuse for a human being.

Benjamen’s dad struggles after the loss of his wife. Sometimes when a mate dies, the other person is not far behind. Do they lose their will to live?

Everything in Grinders Corner is the same for Benjamin, until he lays eyes on Delia.

Delia is a preachers daughter. Her father heads the New Unity Church. She has a zest for life and it was love at first sight for Benjamin. I guess we can see where this is going. He courted her in the proper manner, with courtesy and respect. Ben’s love is strong, gentle and true.

The preacher had a holier than thou attitude and looked down his nose at Benjamin. He didn’t think Benjamin was good enough for his Delia. Don’t a lot of parents think that way, even if their child is grown? Our kids are always our kids and we want the best for them. On the other hand, as kids, our parents are our heroes.

“You made your bed, now lie in it.” Have you ever heard those words?

Bette’s descriptions of the simplest things brings the times and people to life, their sorrow and pain, their joy and happiness. I can picture Benjamin standing in front of the deputy with his weather beaten straw hat in hand and his eyes looking down at the floor.

Bette talks about the sun and heat of the south. If you have not experienced it, you will find it hard to feel the intensity of the suns rays as they beat down on you, the thickness of the muggy air as you struggle to draw breath and the fact that you are soaked to the skin shortly after stepping outside. The heat builds during the day and it is not unusual for there to be afternoon rain.

In the 1940s, bigotry and racial hatred was in your face. Go to the back door. For Whites Only. No Coloreds.

I know it’s coming and I ruefully wait for the hammer to fall. And it does. Tragically.

People sometimes find themselves not really living, just getting through. There is heartwrenching sorrow and despair. Overriding guilt. Life isn’t fair! Is the grass greener on the other side?

“It ain’t the preaching that makes a man godly, its the doing.”

I get to page 91 and tears form in my eyes, but I will not let them fall. SO SAD. We all handle grief and loss in our own way. I am reading through teary eyes, but I can’t stop. With Bette’s writing, I knew this would break my heart, but she will not leave me feeling lost. She will help me find my way. She will show me that people are more good than bad. They will give, even when they don’t have much of their own.

“I can’t be thinking of how much I lost, I gotta be thinking of how much I still got.”

Well, what can I say. I am pretty much teary eyed through the rest of the story.

“Sometimes life provided opportunities to reach out and make a difference, and when that happened a man worth his salt had to step up to the challenge.”

“Are we out brother’s keeper’s?”

The saying – It Takes A Village – answers that question.

“Folks don’t live in PERFECT, they just get to pass through every so often.” What a wonderful statement.

Amazing writing and it stuns me that this genre of book can affect me so deeply. I am more of the action, shoot ’em up, creatures chasing me variety.

Even though Bette’s books end happily, with a warm and comfortable feeling, there are bumps and jolts throughout. My feelings for Benjamin were anger and rage, sadness and despair, happiness and . He was a better person than I. He dealt with his responsibilities in an intelligent, loving and gentle way, sacrificing for others and doing the right thing. You can choose which you want to be – bigoted and angry or laughing and loving.

Very thought provoking and the book will stick with me long after reading it.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I received a copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

SYNOPSIS

It’s 1946. The war is over. Millions of American soldiers are coming home and Benjamin Church is one of them. After four years of being away he thought things in Alabama would have changed, but they haven’t. Grinder’s Corner is as it’s always been—a hardscrabble burp in the road. It’s not much, but it’s home.

When Benjamin attends a harvest festival in Twin Pines, he catches sight of Delia. Before their first dance ends, he knows for certain she’s the one. They fall madly in love; happily, impatiently, imprudently, in love. It doesn’t matter that her daddy is staunchly opposed to the thought of his daughter marrying a cotton farmer, never mind a poor one.

It’s true Benjamin has little to offer; he’s a sharecropper who will spend his whole life sweating and slaving to do little more than put food on the table. But that’s how things are in Alabama. Benjamin is better off than most; he has a wife, a boy he adores, and a house that doesn’t leak rain. Yes, Benjamin considers himself a lucky man until the fateful night that changes everything.

Author Bette Lee Crosby

Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby shares the storytelling charm of her Southern Mama in tales that are both heartrending and heartwarming. She is best known for her creation of characters that readers find unforgettable.

Passing through Perfect is Crosby’s tenth novel and the third book in the Wyattsville Series that began with the USA Today Bestseller Spare Change. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. Since then, she has gone on to win another twenty literary awards, including the Royal Palm Literary Award, the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal and the 2014 Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal.

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Grab your Amazon* copy below:

GIVEAWAY

Betty is offering an ebook copy of Spare Change, which is book #1 in the series- or Jubilee’s Journey, which is the story that really leads into Passing Through Perfect. International. Please leave your email and answer the question:

Who has been the most influential person in your life?

Giveaway from 1/29 – 2/2/15.

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The new year rings in with a Flury: Journey of a Snowman by Tony Bertauski ~ Review

Posted on January 24, 2015 by fundinmental

Tony Bertauski writes some very original stories and Flury: Journey of a Snowman is just one of them.

I have read the first two books in this series and enjoyed them tremendously.

You can find my review links below.

Flury: Journey of a Snowman
(Claus #3)
by Tony Bertauski

YA Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Holiday

SYNOPSIS

Life hasn’t been kind to Oliver Toye.

As if juvenile diabetes isn’t enough, he’s forced to live with his tyrannical grandmother in a snow-bound house. He spends his days doing chores and the nights listening to the forest rumble.

But when he discovers the first leather-bound journal, the family secrets begin to surface. The mystery of his great-grandfather’s voyage to the North Pole is revealed. That’s when the snowman appears.

Magical and mysterious, the snowman will save Oliver more than once. But when the time comes for Oliver to discover the truth, will he have the courage? When Flury needs him, will he have the strength? When believing isn’t enough, will he save the snowman from melting away?

Because sometimes even magic needs a little help.

Amazon – Barnes & Noble

MY REVIEW of Flury: Journey of a Snowman by Tony Bertauski

I have read end reviewed Tony Bertauski’s original stories of Claus: Legend of the Fat Man and Jack: The Tale of Frost, so I am eager to begin on Flury: Journey of a Snowman. Tony’s ability to spin a tale and create new worlds is amazing. Every time I open one of his books, I am ready to be taken to a place I have never been before and meet characters that worm their way into my heart, at least most of them, and leaving me hoping I will see them again.

Malcolm Toye became separated from the group that traveled to the North Pole. He knew he wasn’t going to make it out alive, as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Oliver and his mom had just arrived at their new home in Colorado. Actually, it was his grandmother’s house, the Toye Residence.

Oliver is used to spending a lot of time alone. He felt even more isolated since moving here, until he made friends with Molly. Molly is a wonderful girl that fits Oliver perfectly. He has juvenile diabetes and has to keep a close eye on his sugar level.

Grandmother is more than prim and proper. Is she purposely cruel? She has rules and one of them is to be in the house before the sun goes down. Why? After waking to sounds crashing through the forest and trees falling, he didn’t question it.

In his explorations, he finds a trunk filled with curious objects. It belonged to his grandfather, Malcolm Toye. What really intrigued him was the journals and the blue orb that seems warm in his hand. Oliver becomes enraptured by Malcolm’s journals. He carries the orb he discovered everywhere with him.

His cousins act like they were trained by terrorists. They could use some lessons from Emily Post. Henry is a little monster. They wouldn’t include him in their games, but after they were gone, he looked for their trail and followed it. Will his inquisitiveness be the end of him or save the day?

Now the adventure really begins at 20% into the book.

This series of books is joyous fun, full of vivid images of the characters, be they human or….Do you believe in Santa, snowmen and elves?

The world building is so imaginative I can feel the light touch of snowflakes on my face as I tip my head back to look up at the sky. Afterwards, I can bask in the warm glow of the fire.

It brought back memories of standing under snow covered trees and shaking their branches until I was covered in the fluffy white stuff. What are some of your best memories of snow and the winter season.

Oliver won me over in the opening pages. His sense of adventure and curiosity led me to follow him through the pages, doing the chores, wandering the property, exploring Malcom’s treasures. And I was very curious about why he shouldn’t be out at night.

Tony can spin a tale that has me believing, taking me back to that time when all things are possible.

Best one yet! I love “Frosty’s” story and him too.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Others (lol)

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

During the day, I’m a horticulturist. While I’ve spent much of my career designing landscapes or diagnosing dying plants, I’ve always been a storyteller. My writing career began with magazine columns, landscape design textbooks, and a gardening column at the Post and Courier (Charleston, SC). However, I’ve always fancied fiction.

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

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

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

In 2008, I won the South Carolina Fiction Open with Four Letter Words, a short story inspired by my grandfather and Alzheimer’s Disease. My first step as a novelist began when I developed a story to encourage my young son to read. This story became The Socket Greeny Saga. Socket tapped into my lifetime fascination with consciousness and identity, but this character does it from a young adult’s struggle with his place in the world.

After Socket, I thought I was done with fiction. But then the ideas kept coming, and I kept writing. Most of my work investigates the human condition and the meaning of life, but not in ordinary fashion. About half of my work is Young Adult (Socket Greeny, Claus, Foreverland) because it speaks to that age of indecision and the struggle with identity. But I like to venture into adult fiction (Halfskin, Drayton) so I can cuss. Either way, I like to be entertaining.

And I’m a big fan of plot twists.

Website; – Goodreads; – Facebook

I have read the first two books in the unique and original Claus series and would like to share them with you.

MY REVIEW

Click on the covers to get your copy of a Tony Bertauski novel today.

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Aliens Have Arrived – A Human Element by Donna Galanti – Review

Posted on January 17, 2015 by fundinmental

A Human Element is an amazing fantasy that will have you screaming for more.

The beautiful cover is only a prelude to the wonderful story inside.

Let’s open the cover and begin

A Human Element by Donna Galanti

Book I of The Element Trilogy

Cover: Ryan Dean

Imajin Books

MY REVIEW

With A Human Element by Donna Galanti being her first novel, I can only imagine what is to come!!!! I am very excited to find out. I will definitely be following this author.

I have heard so much about A Human Element from my sister, Laura, so when Donna Galanti offered me the book to review, I jumped all over it.

I mean, check out that ominous cover. It oozes mystery and danger to me.

A Human Element is about man’s inhumanity to man, man’s callous disregard of other’s lives, but also, the lengths some people will go to do the right thing.

Evil, yes.

Aliens, yes.

I LOVE this book. The further into A Human Element I read, the more engrossed I become. My heart beats faster as my eyes race across the words…faster and faster. I just have to know what is going to happen. I read on and it gets creepier and creepier.

Ben – he was only nine when his parents were killed by the meteorite that crashed in town and changed his life forever.

Sarah – swore she had never been with a man as she struggles to deliver the child. The nurse stands over Sarah, saying it is her own fault for sinning. She has no empathy for her, even as she lay dying. I found the nurse’s behavior real enough that I became pissed off and would have liked to smack her up side the head and ask her who died and made her God. I mean, how low can you get, especially being in her line of work. Have you even seen or felt the mean hand of righteous indignation and hypocrisy?

The doctor and the nurse will lie to everyone about what happened that day. Crappy people have to find a way to justify their crappy actions. The doctor’s guilt over what he has done, does not outweigh his greed. Karma is a bitch and she demands justice be served. I don’t feel sorry for what happens to him.

Laura – as she grows up, she knows she is different from everyone else. She keeps her abilities a secret. At times she wonders, do miracles happen or is something else going on. Laura can read minds, among other things. Would you want to have that ability?

“Hmph…of course it makes sense you would have polite powers, doesn’t it?’

When her parents are killed and she is left alone, she is committed to finding the killer.

Jim and Scooter – what can I say. I love them both! I believe you will too. They are all that is good in this world. I worry about them. Please let them be okay.

Jim and Laura’s thesaurus game, with their lively and fun banter, lends the book some humor. It is writing like this that gives Donna Galanti’s work that something extra, that something special that takes her work to the highest levels.

Charlie – HE knows hate, luxuriates in it, thrives on it, is driven by it. Hate oozes from his pores like sweat. He hates everything, but mostly he hates Laura. He vows to take her life with his own two hands, to feel the life flow out of her.

Felix – the green eyed man – is he good or bad?

Donna pulled more than one surprise out of her hat and she does an excellent job of showing humanities weaknesses. All the darkness and evil is shared with light and goodness. Human emotions run the gamut – pain and torture, hate and greed, love and generosity, sorrow and bliss.

Each character is forced to assess what is important to them as their moment of destiny approaches.

I love the part about sunrises. Laura explains to Jim how they are like snowflakes, no two alike. I have many sunset photographs of Cape Cod over the years I vacationed there. Friends and family would ask me why I am shooting more. I would tell them that each is unique.

I felt such tension, suspense, fear and dread for the characters, that I was talking to them. Shouting at them. Telling them to watch out. He’s coming.

I had thought A Human Element was paranormal, but it is not, even though powers are involved. They come from another place. A place out of this world.

I never saw the ending coming. Fantastic. I kept trying to figure it out and felt tortured and pained as I raced through the pages – I HAVE to know – now!

I am sitting here, finished, looking at nothing, in complete disbelief. Awesome! Donna Galanti’s imagination knows no bounds.

I am so bummed the story is over. I want so much to read more. I am afraid, yet hopeful because of Laura and her innate goodness. Can it overcome what is lurking on the horizon? My sneak peek has me craving more.

But, wait, it goes on – A Hidden Element, Book II, sits on my Kindle. Must …read…now.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I was given this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

A Hidden Element (The Element Trilogy, Book II)

BLURB

A HIDDEN ELEMENT

Evil lurks within…

When Caleb Madroc is used against his will as part of his father’s plan to breed a secret alien community and infiltrate society with their unique powers, he vows to save his oppressed people and the two children kept from him. Seven years later, Laura and Ben Fieldstone’s son is abducted, and they are forced to trust a madman’s son who puts his life on the line to save them all. The enemy’s desire to own them—or destroy them—leads to a survival showdown. Laura and Ben must risk everything to defeat a new nemesis that wants to rule the world with their son, and Caleb may be their only hope—if he survives. But must he sacrifice what he most desires to do so?

You can read an excerpt here.

Purchase Links

Purchase Book 2 in the Element Trilogy, A Hidden Element
Purchase Book 1 in the Element Trilogy, A Human Element

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donna Galanti writes murder and mystery with a dash of steam as well as middle grade adventure fiction. She is the author of books 1 and 2 in the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy, A Human Element and A Hidden Element, the short story collection The Dark Inside, and Joshua and The Lightning Road (Books 1 and 2, 2015). She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives in Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse. It has lots of writing nooks, fireplaces, and stink bugs, but she’s still wishing for a castle again—preferably with ghosts.

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