Review ~ The Chase by Janet Evanovich

Posted on January 15, 2015 by fundinmental

I have read most of Janet Evanovich’s books and was so happy to be able to pick this up through Netgalley.

Her partnership with Lee Goldberg has brought about the Fox and O’Hare mystery series.

How can it miss, with two New York Times Bestselling Authors?

THE CHASE by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Series: Fox and O’Hare, Book II

Publisher: Bantam (November 4, 2014)

MY REVIEW

I have read many books by Janet Evanovich, but this is my first foray into the Fox and O’Hare series with Lee Goldberg.

I love mysteries/suspense/thrillers, so this action packed, roller coaster ride is right up my alley and did not disappoint. There is danger and laughter that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is a true patriot. She believes in apple pie and the U S of A. She has spent five years of her life chasing Nicholas Fox. When she does manage to catch him, she does not get to put him in prison. Instead, she ends up working with him chasing down other criminals.

Nicholas Fox is an international thief, with a twist. He is the tenth man on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Nick has the heart of a conman, he just can’t seem to help himself. He reminded me of Robert Wagner in It Takes A Thief. Bad, hot and irresistible. He will be teaming up with Kate.

The peripheral characters are unique and quirky, especially her father. I found myself loving them all, well, almost. Who would be your “hero”?

You’ll travel around the world and back again in search of a rare stolen Chinese artifact, as Nick and Kate do their own little dance. I can’t help but think they will end up together, but as yet, Janet and Lee are keeping them apart.

Their snarky banter is fun and highly entertaining. I love the mix of humor and mystery.

The story goes so much deeper than protagonist and antagonist. The sexual innuendo is so thick at times, you can cut it with a knife.

This is a quick, light read with romance and thrills that will keep you reading long into the night.

Cinch up your seat belt because it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

4 Stars – Would Highly Recommend To Others

SYNOPSIS

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling authors of The Heist, return in this action-packed, exciting adventure featuring master con artist Nicolas Fox and die-hard FBI agent Kate O’Hare. And this time around, things go from hot to nuclear when government secrets are on the line.

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad.

A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O’Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / G+ / You Tube

New York Times Bestselling author Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee whose many TV writing and/or producing credits include “Martial Law,” “SeaQuest,” “Diagnosis Murder,””Hunter,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “Nero Wolfe,” “Missing.” “Monk” and “The Glades.” He’s also the author of the Fox & O’Hare series with Janet Evanovich (The Heist, The Chase, The Job), “The Walk,” “Watch Me Die,” “King City,” the “Dead Man” series, as well as the “Diagnosis Murder” and “Monk” series of original mystery novels.

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook / G+ / Pinterest / You Tube

Click on the cover to get your Amazon* copy now.

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Review ~ A Zombie Trilogy by Anthony Renfro

Posted on January 5, 2015 by fundinmental

I had meant to do separate posts in 2014 for these fantastic holiday zombie stories, but time got away from me.

I was really excited Anthony Renfro gave me a copy of A Zombie Trilogy to read.

What do zombies do for the holidays?

Let’s start with A Zombie Thanksgiving and find out, shall we?

A Zombie Thanksgiving by Anthony Renfro

Dawn went to the market, shopping for her holiday feast. She had to walk over the dead bodies and kill a couple zombies to get to the “goodies”. The blood, guts and nauseating smells didn’t even phase her. She missed the simple things, like a run through Raleigh on a cool crisp fall day, but those days were done.I was so hoping she would find the turkey to finish off the feast for the small band of survivors. She risked her life to try and have one “normal” day. What would you risk? 4 Stars for this short and wonderful feel good story for a thankful time of year.

A Zombie Christmas by Anthony Renfro

The zombie tried to take off with Rudolf and he wasn’t going to allow it. It’s the little things that keep us sane and we all have a point in our lives, where enough is enough. A Zombie Christmas is comical and horrible at the same time. Can you picture zombie carolers singing Silent Night and Frosty? In times of trouble, there are those who stand up and give of themselves, expecting nothing in return. 4 Stars for this short and heartwarming Christmas story.

A Zombie New Year by Anthony Renfro

A girl on her own, trying to survive not only zombies, but men of the human (?) kind and a ghost too. Could you do it? At times I felt sorry for Joe, other times I felt he deserves whatever he gets. Joe and Becky had gotten separated during the zombie attack. They had shouted to meet where the acorn dropped on New Year’s Eve. Who would show? Or would either make it? 4 Stars for this horribly sweet short story of love and hope.

A Vampire Christmas by Anthony Renfro

How about a bonus story. We don’t want to forget about the vampires at holiday time, do we? Ever meet a Parrothead vampire? How about a vampire who’s favorite time of year is Christmas? Do they decorate trees with lots of blinking, sparkling lights? He decorated his casket with tinsel. He looked 25, dressed in jeans and work boots. He would have played music if he felt no one would hear. His favorite song is Margaritaville. Discovering Christmas had changed his feeding pattern. Now he chose mostly those who deserved it. He should have met up with the thugs who intended to rape Becky in A Zombie New Year. He even listened to music in his coffin with an mp3 player. I love him and the humorous writing of Anthony Renfro. 5 Star for this fun vampire short story.

This is a wonderful collection of short stories for the holidays, or any time, that I would love to buy for all my friends and family.

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I chose this version of Margaritaville, because Jimmy Buffet did this benefit concert for the Gulf Coast after the BP oil spill.

ABOUT ANTHONY RENFRO

Anthony Renfro lives in Apex, North Carolina. He is a reader, writer, runner, husband, father, and stay at home dad – one of the toughest jobs anyone could ever do. He was born in Bristol, Tennessee, and is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro.

You can find him at many spots on the web, but if you really need to find his center in the social media storm it would be at his blog, apoetryjourney.wordpress.com.

Now reach out, just beyond the light, right into that big black space, and let him take your hand on a journey into cold dark places. You will be scared, and you may even be terrified, but in the end you might just find you liked the ride.

Find him on:

Blog ~ Goodreads

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Crater Lake is under siege – Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Posted on January 2, 2015 by fundinmental

Kathryn Meyer Griffith is a prolific writer of some awesome books and I believe she will have another hit with Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising.

I love creature stories and these dinosaurs look wickedly mean.

I can hardly wait to get my hands on Dinosaurs Arising.

I have read Dinosaur Lake, Book I and loved it. Look below for the fantastic cover and 5 Star review!

Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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And this one has wings.

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Ugly Gargoyles, Henry calls them.

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For this one isn’t alone.

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

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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.

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Dinosaur Lake, Book I by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

MY REVIEW

Creature Dines on Crater Lake Smorgasbord

Crater Lake was formed by a volcano. When Mount Masama erupted, it left a caldera. It filled with rain and snow, making it into the lake it is today.

Henry’s friend and fellow ranger, George Redcrow, thought it was warming since the earthquake two years ago. They both wondered what damage had been done under the lake.

While showing tourists the lake, another earthquake hit. Henry looked around for any damage. He loved dinosaurs. He read all the Godzilla and Jurassic Park books, so when he spotted the bones, he thought he would come back later and check them out. They looked too big for a bear.

In the morning, Henry ran into George. George told him he had been out to the island and found a lot of carcasses. They were surrounded by monster sized tracks that looked like nothing he had ever seen before. Henry thought back to yesterday. A woman had been telling him about her friend that had visited the Park the year before. Her friend had told her she saw the Loch Ness monster in the lake.

Henry called in a Paleontologist from John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Dr. Justin Maltin introduced himself to Henry and told him he didn’t know what kind of bones they were. He had never seen fossils like these, ever. Justin talked about his concern for any damage under the lake. They agreed to meet for dinner to discuss the situation further.

Justin told Henry the water temp was still rising and there was ongoing volcanic activity. It was not inconceivable that it could destroy the Park. What upset him the most was a huge track he had found. If it were real, it was from a creature he had never seen before.

Justin believed that dinosaurs were extinct because they couldn’t coexist with humans. Some were just too vicious. Think of King Kong and what happened to him. Or the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

With all the changes around the lake due to the earthquake, could it be possible?

If so, where did it live? How would they find it? What would they do once they did find it?

I found the book full of suspense and anticipation. The writing led me into the story and never let me go. The book was so good, I didn’t want to quit reading. What was going to happen? What were they going to do? I started reading it too late, otherwise I would have read it straight through.

It captured enough details of the characters daily activities to allow me to imagine their lives and know them as if they were my neighbors. I like that it included things about the current economy and joblessness. It seems I am reading a lot of books that talk about current events. It makes the stories seem real to me.

Henry and Justin were both concerned about damage to the park when the news came out. What would happen to the Park when it was invaded by seekers of the creature? Americans are known in other countries as being rude and crude, disrespectful of the environments around them.

Henry calls it Godzilla. I love it. Some of my best weekend afternoons have been spent watching cheesy B rated monster shows. I think they are a blast to watch and I find I get into the books even more so. If there is a creature on the cover, I want the book. I am rarely disappointed.

They search the caves for a voracious meat-eater – Jack in the Box.

I loved the book and look forward to reading more from this author.

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

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

Check out this awesome cover. Doesn’t it make you want to dive right in?

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy of Dinosaur Lake I or II by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

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A One Way Ticket To Dead by D V Berkom Review & Giveaway

Posted on November 11, 2014 by fundinmental

The Kate Jones Thriller series is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

A One Way Ticket To Dead picks up where Yucatan Dead left off, but they can be read in any order.

Read my 5 Star review for Yucatan Dead here.

D V Berkom sure can pick a cover. I love them all.

Almost as much as I love the stories inside.

Be sure and enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

Paperback, 284 pages

Published March 20th 2014 by Createspace (first published March 6th 2014)

ISBN -149737765X (ISBN13: 9781497377653)

4.9 out of 5 stars – 21 reviews on Amazon

Cover – Kim Killion from the Killion Group

SYNOPSIS

After years of running from her ex-a vicious Mexican drug lord-and his subsequent death, Kate Jones is ready to bury the past and try to piece together a new normal. But first there’s a loose end to tie and it involves digging up old ghosts that are best left alone.

Unaware her actions have attracted the notice of a powerful enemy Kate is plunged into a deadly fight for survival, as both her life and the lives of the children of a man she once loved hang in the balance. And, with the possibility of an informant inside the DEA, she doesn’t know who she can trust.

From the emerald green shores of Seattle to the lush Yucatan jungle and unforgiving Sonoran desert, Kate Jones must once again face her past…and hope she survives.

MY REVIEW of A One Way Ticket To Dead by D V Berkom

D V Berkom asked me if I wanted to read A One Way Ticket to Dead. I had just finished reading Yucatan Dead and had met Kate while she was tearing through the jungle on a mission. I loved Yucatan Dead, so of course, I jumped all over A One Way Ticket To Dead. I was ecstatic when the package arrived and I opened it. Take a gander at this sweeeeet cover. Blood, guns and money, oh my. 😆

I must confess that the book stared at me for a few days before I gave in and said OK already. I love holding the pretty book in my hand, turning the paper pages instead of virtual ones. 🙂

We are going on another adventure with Kate. If you don’t know her, let me tell you a little bit about her. She had been young and impulsive when she made the biggest mistake of her life. She had been paying for it for ten years and so had anyone who befriended her. She had been kidnapped and chased through the Mexican jungle in Yucatan Dead and I knew it couldn’t be over yet. YAY!

I began reading the series out of order and you can to, but if this is your first DV Berkom novel, you might as well start at the beginning. I love these so much, I am sure I will work my way through them all.

My anticipation and tensions are high. I’m waiting for something to happen, you know, the proverbial shoe to drop.

In A One Way Ticket To Dead, Kate goes back for the stash of money she had stolen from the drug lord. They thought she was dead, she had been cautious, changing her appearance and keeping a low profile. She thought this would be her last trip here and she was happy for it. She’s determined to change her life. It’s time to lay all her cards on the table and hope the truth will win out.

But, she was wrong. She brought doom to all those close to her. Kate was determined to finish this, once and for all, to get Cole’s, her new husband, kids back come hell or high water.

I love the hint of Alaskan shamanism heritage. It adds that extra element that takes a book to a higher level.

Why would she jump from a perfectly good airplane? HALO 21,000 feet High altitude low opening . I am terrified just thinking about and so was she.

A One Way Ticket To Dead is my favorite kind of book. A fast paced adventure of a thrill ride. The suspense builds from page one, when I found her back in Mexico, and never let up. The sex and romance is light and the action heavy. Perfect.

DV Berkom knows how to create tension and suspense in a simple yet masterful way. Her writing flows smoothly and the pacing kept me turning the pages, unable to put the book down.

I’m wondering where HE is – Quinn. I feel sure he will make another appearance and I can hardly wait to see him again.

The fortune teller told her – Danger surrounds you. Be certain of your enemies even more so of your friends. You will soon have reason to fear.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Others (lol)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.

For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.

Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Pinterest / Amazon US / Amazon UK/ Newsletter

Author Pages

Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / itunes / Kobo

The Kate Jones Thriller Series, Vol. 1 box set (includes the 1st four novellas in the series).

(The Kate Jones Thriller Series, Vol. 2 includes Cruising for Death (#5), YD, and AOWTTD, all for $8.99 (bought separately they would be 12.99)

Check out all these beautiful covers for the Kate Jones thrillers by DV Berkom.

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GIVEAWAY

D V Berkom is offering for the giveaway two (2) ebooks of each novel, Yucatan Dead and A One Way Ticket to Dead. The novels can stand alone. Entry is easy. International.

Which book would you like and why?

Giveaway runs from November 11 – December 2, 2014.

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Don’t Turn Off The Lights – Night Terror by Jeff Gunhus

Posted on October 30, 2014 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for Jeff Gunhus’s Night Terror, Book II of the trilogy.

I read Night Chills, Book I and new this was a series I would follow to the end.

Each page I turned made me wonder what Jeff Gunhus’ dreams must be like.

The cover is so appropriate for spooktacular Halloween.

Title: Night Terror
Author: Jeff Gunhus
Publisher: Seven Guns Press
Pages: 400
Genre: Supernatural Thriller/Horror
Format: Kindle

Purchase at AMAZON

Ten years after her abduction and near-sacrifice to the Source, Sarah Tremont struggles to be a normal teenager. As much as she’s tried to suppress the power inside of her, it’s grown dangerously strong and has drawn the attention of those who want to possess her power for themselves.

The nightmare that she thought was long over starts again as powerful forces descend upon Prescott City to seek her out. With her parents and Joseph Lonetree’s help, Sarah must stand up to an evil much more powerful than the one she faced in the caves a decade earlier. But in the end, she discovers the greatest danger might come from the power living inside of her.

MY REVIEW

Spoiler alert – Book II of the trilogy

Book I Night Chills. See my review here.

Night Terror starts out with a gruesome and horrifying description of Charlie’s death, making me prepare myself for a frightening and terrifying ride into the unknown evil. I am really looking forward to getting my scare on.

I was surprised at the horrible action from the very beginning, but I rubbed my hands with wicked glee and a gleam in my eye. I want to be terrified, hanging on every work, rapidly turning pages, having to know…to know what comes next.

Lonetree loved fighting the evil that roamed his world, but not Jack. When Jack saw Lonetree, he knew the news had to be bad.

Jack saved his family once with Lonetree’s help, but you kill one evil and another rises in its place. Would he be able to do it again?

Sarah could look into others minds. She did her best to control it. At times it seemed as if it wasn’t her, but someone else making her do things. The threat is back and the danger is real. And they are after Sarah.

“…We can go to the police…”

“…And tell them what? That your daughter with psychic powers is being hunted by a horde of semi immortal cannibals…”

They had been lulled into complacency, feeling as if the danger was over, then a new evil reared its ugly head, a new threat that must be stopped. They are back to where it all started and it makes me wonder when it will end and who will be left standing.

The characters are real to me, as familiar as a long lost friend. I missed them and their struggle to fulfill their desires and save their souls? Sarah’s growth throughout her ordeal is believable and I had a lot of feeling for her. I worried, was scared, was proud and I felt confident she would come out stronger than ever.

Jeff Gunhus’s ability to create tension that builds throughout the story is amazing. The world he builds is so clear it is as if I am there. As I near the end, I am sitting on the edge of my seat, my fingers gripping my Kindle tightly, and my expectations run rampant. I keep thinking the end must be here, but he adds this and that and takes me on a roller coaster ride of terror that won’t let me go.

I love this trilogy…and we know it’s not over. So, Jeff, where is Book III?

I received this ARC in return for an honest and unbaised review.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Others (lol)

EXCERPT

The woman didn’t look evil, but there was no better word to describe her. Charlie Winters would wonder later how he could have missed sensing her earlier than he did. It was equivalent to normal people walking halfway through a field only to look down and find themselves thigh-deep in a pile of rotting animal carcasses, the stench hitting them like a wave. After retching their stomach contents, they would question both their senses and their sanity. How could they have missed such a smell? How could they have not felt their feet sinking into the liquefied soft tissue?

Charlie’s senses were better than a normal person’s. Way better.

It had started when he was only a baby, a fact he knew because he still remembered every second of this life since the moment of his birth. It was a long time before he understood that such a memory was not a normal thing. Other people, normal humans, could not remember the first feeding at their mother’s breast. The hot pain of circumcision. The first glimpse of sunlight as they left the hospital. So many firsts, memories as clear to Charlie as what he’d had for breakfast that day.

Inside those memories, the echoes and shadows of his other unusual senses lingered. The ability to sense emotion. To pick up on intention. Sometimes these abilities strengthened what he observed in the physical world. His grandparents’ cooing excitement over him matched an internal warmth that felt the same as sunshine. His father’s thoughtful stares mirrored Charlie’s sense that his dad would do anything to protect him, to provide for him. Even if there was an undercurrent of trepidation that vibrated like a single out-of-tune string on a guitar, the other intentions drowned it out and gave Charlie a sense of comfort. This was very different from his mother, whose kind smiles and soft features once masked a nearly constant desire to kill him.

Her thoughts alternated between putting a pillow over his head or dropping him down the basement stairs. In darker moments, when his father was gone overnight for a business trip, she would consider carving up her child with a knife. Even going as far as pulling a cleaver from the block and slowly running her sweaty palm down the length of the blade. She never did this in front of him, but that was part of his gift. He could see through her eyes. Feel her emotions. Know her dark intentions. And understand that the threat of violence was very, very real.

But as much as she fantasized about it, his mother didn’t kill him. In fact, she never so much as laid a finger on him in anger. Slowly, over time, the dark thoughts faded, and the light inside his mother came to match her soft eyes and the beautiful mouth that sang to him and called him sunshine. A normal person might never have been able to forget the darkness and might never have trusted the woman who once considered taking a ball-peen hammer to his forehead, but he wasn’t normal people. He was special. And it was that specialness that showed him the truth in her absolute love for him once the veils of shadows had fallen away from her like someone passing through heavy curtains.

Much later, Charlie read about a condition called post-partum depression and understood where the dark had come from. It hadn’t been his fault. Or hers. It was the depression that spawned the evil thoughts. And he liked to think it was her love for him that pushed them back enough to keep him safe.

Even after she recovered, he could sense when she felt pangs of guilt about those days. They were like electric bolts jolting through her. When those moments happened, and they could happen at any time, he would come up and hug her, kiss her on the cheek and tell her how much he loved her. At first, she cried harder when he did it, and he sensed her guilt grow even stronger. Later, she puzzled over how he timed the affection to her thoughts. Over time, the puzzling turned to suspicion, even fear that somehow he knew. After that, like with all of his special gifts, he learned it was best to hide.

But he hadn’t hidden his powers well enough.

If he had, then the woman who called herself Mama D would never have come looking for him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Gunhus is the author of both adult thrillers 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 book Reaching Your Reluctant Reader has helped hundreds of parents create avid readers. As a father of five, he and his wife lead an active lifestyle simply trying to 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.

His latest book is the thriller/horror novel, Night Terror.

For More Information

Visit Jeff Gunhus’ website.
Connect with Jeff on Facebook and Twitter.
More books by Jeff Gunhus.
Contact Jeff.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Click on the covers below to get your Jeff Gunhus amazon copy now.

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Horror to the Nth Degree – Crawl by Edward Lorn – Review

Posted on October 23, 2014 by fundinmental

Edward Lorn is a prolific writer of some of the most original and frightening horror novels.

Crawl by Edward Lorn is not what I expected, but OMG, so much more.

His covers and titles foreshadow what is between the pages.

If you love horror, this is an author you want to add to your reading list.

SYNOPSIS

You’re out in the middle of nowhere.

You’ve been crippled and left for dead.

There’s something in the woods.

It’s coming.

There’s only one thing you can do…

CRAWL

MY REVIEW

Colton did bad and bad was gonna bite him. He had betrayed Juliet and I thought this was about Karma biting him back.

Boy was I wrong, or this is the most twisted form of Karma I have ever seen.

Edward took this in a very shocking direction that I never saw coming. I am amazed and delighted by my surprise.

Saying I was caught off guard is putting it too mildly.

I do not want to give anything away, so I have few details to give you. But I will share my thoughts and feelings about Crawl as I read it, twice.

It went from spine tingling and hair raising fear to paralyzing terror and I loved every minute of it.

I think that may say something about me. 😆

I am not a masochist or a psychopath, I just love to be freaked out.

I love to find an author whose writing is so creative and at such a high level that their story stays with me long after I have finished reading it.

OMG, the horror!

I saw no reason for these things to happen.

Evil saw, evil wanted and that’s that.

Crawl is a paranormal horror novel that will have you cringing at Edward Lorn’s description of the torture.

The hair was raised on the back of my neck, chills ran down my spine and I shivered with dread for what was coming next.

I could not see the end coming and it was worse than I imagined.

I could not help myself. I went back and reread this short story while I was writing this review.

Because of all the wonderfully horrific surprises Edward had for me, right to the very end, I must give this 5 Stars!

I got this book on a free Amazon day. My thanks go out to Edward Lorn.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Others (lol)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person.

Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother.

With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history.

Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

STALK EDWARD LORN

Goodreads / Website / Twitter

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MY REVIEW for Dastardly Bastard

MY REVIEW for Life After Dane

To pick up a copy from Amazon, simply click on the cover.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Zombie Humor – Unfed by Kirsty McKay – Review

Posted on October 21, 2014 by fundinmental

Zombies beware, Bobby is in town.

Me thinks the cover speaks for itself.

Unfed by Kirsty McKay

This is Book II, but I jumped right in and was off and running on a wild adventure with Bobby and her gang.

This young adult zombie novel is a bit different from the norm. It is funny and snarky in a sick way and I had a great time reading it.

Zombie hordes and teenage heroes run AMOK in quarantined Scotland. How did the zombies come to be? Why are they so different from a normal zombie? (Is there such a thing?) They seem to be able to think and figure things out for themselves, albeit slowly.

I loved when Bobby was running and jumping from pipe to pipe like a gymnast above the zombies head. Will she fall? What do you think? I can picture them all on the hospital gurney, barreling down the hospital corridor, plowing through the zombies as they fly right and left, not even bothering to try to get out of the way. There is plenty of blood, guts and body parts flying to satisfy zombie lovers everywhere.

I love Bobby and hate Alice, the whiny pretty girl that never has a hair out of place. Bobby is more of a tomboy. She doesn’t need protecting, she’ll do it herself. Alice is quite the trip. She does nothing but complain. She is not like the innocent Alice in wonderland. But I do wonder about her. Sometimes the one you love to hate can surprise you. Zombinos – kid zombies. Lol

Unfed is well written, fast paced and hilariously funny. Kirsty described the characters so well, I could picture them in my head. And the zombies, well, you will have to find out for yourself. Oh yeah, Kirsty. I hope you are rapidly writing the next book, because I have to know what the future has in store for our teenager heroes.

I won this ARC paperback in a Box o Books giveaway on the Tiffany Loves Books blog. I love adding books to my collection. Thanks Tiffany and Kirsty.

5 Stars – Would Buy It for Others (lol)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stalk Kirsty McKay: Blog / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Click on the covers below to get your Amazon copy of Undead or Unfed by Kirsty McKay.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Teaser Tuesday #24 – Poetic Words of…. Life Under Examination by A T Glazki

Posted on September 23, 2014 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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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I have a backlog of reviews owed to some very patient authors.

I am determined to catch up before the year is out, so I hope you don’t mind if I share them on my Teaser Tuesday from time to time.

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This cover is so exquisite in it’s simplicity that I marvel at it’s beauty every time I look at it.

The colors are lush and vibrant, just like Life.

I love to photograph benches, chairs and seats.

I find the combination of ingredients for the Life Under Examination cover is spectacular.

***get you Amazon affiliate copy here***

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About Life Under Examination

~Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award Winner! (Summer 2013)~

Life Under Examination is a collection of poetry exploring the gamut of interpersonal relationships, with a blend of lighthearted satire and earnest, emotional expression.

MY REVIEW

In school, my favorite subject was English, but poetry was not high on the list.

I cannot say that I have read and reviewed a lot of poetry, but I know what I like.

And I like Life Under Examination by Aria T Galzki.

I guess that adage is true – with age comes wisdom.

I used to have to work really hard to get the message from poetry.

Now it seems easier and touches me more.

I am including THE ROSE by Bette Midler, a heart wrenching and uplifting song that brings tears to my eyes.

I do so because Aria’s poem Unexamined Rose brought it to mind.

What song evokes strong emotions from you?

Some of my favorite poems are:

Otherworldly Remedy

In words full of magic, you’ll forget and forgive.

Commercialized Love

Why can’t we show our love and always buy flowers.

I love that line because Mr Wonderful brought me home some flowers just yesterday.

He does that quite often…because he’s Mr Wonderful. 😉

Every day is a special day.

Do something special for someone without it being a holiday.

I won a signed first edition paperback on Aria T Glazki’s blog.

I love adding it to my collection.

Due to the strong emotions this book of poetry brought forth, I give it:

5 Stars – Would Buy It for Them (lol)

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WHAT HAS ARIA T GLAZKI BEEN UP TO?

Here she is to tell you:

Here it is — the cover for my very own novel, Mending Heartstrings.

I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts and reactions in the comments!

Please of course feel free to share this.

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for organizing this reveal!

MENDING HEARTSTRINGS

by Aria Glazki

Release Date: December 2, 2014

Swoon Romance

Kane’s a country singer who’s tangled with too many deceitful women. He’s learned his lesson: girls are for flirting and fun; emotions are for his music. But after spending a night with an earnest woman unlike any he’s known, he can’t force her out of his mind. So he goes in search of the woman he knows only as “Elle.”

On her last night in Nashville, the staunchly pragmatic Sabella found herself in a situation more suited to a romance novel than reality. Swept away, she ignored her rigidly self-imposed rules, succumbing to the fantasy just this once. But she knows real-world relationships have nothing in common with their fictionalized portrayals. When Kane unexpectedly shows up at her Portland apartment, she must choose between the practical truths she has learned and the desire for a passionate love she has struggled to suppress.

Despite the distance, Kane’s tour schedule, and their meddling friends, both are drawn to the chance for a romance neither quite believes is possible.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aria’s writing story started when her seventh-grade English teacher encouraged her to submit a class assignment for publication. That piece was printed, and let’s just say, she was hooked!

Since then, Aria has run a literary magazine, earned her degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian literatures), and been published in a few collections. Though her first kiss technically came from a bear cub, and no fairytale transformation followed, Aria still believes magic can happen when the right people come together – if they don’t get in their own way, that is.
Other than all things literary, Aria loves spending time with her family, including her two unbearably adorable nieces. She also dabbles in painting, dancing, playing violin, and, given the opportunity, Epicureanism.

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was this review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads!

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Action Packed Jungle Thriller – Yucatan Dead by D V Berkom – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Posted on September 16, 2014 by fundinmental

Yucatan Dead by D V Berkom is my first Kate Jones thriller and I love it.

I knew by the awesome cover that this is my kind of book.

I love the kickass protagonist and can hardly wait to see what see will be up to next.

I have lots of fun stuff to share.

Check out her gorgeous and bold cover, my 5 Star review, see the characters through DV’s eyes, enter the fantastic giveaway and much more.

Soooooo………let’s get started!

Paperback, 258 pages

Published July 17th 2013 by Createspace (first published June 24th 2013)

ISBN: 149096326X (ISBN13: 9781490963266)

4.7 out of 5 stars – 30 reviews on Amazon

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I LOVE covers! I guess you could call me a cover whore. And PROUD of it. 😉

We may not be able to judge a book by it’s cover, but it is most always the thing that makes me say, “I GOTTA have that book.”

WHAT DV BERKOM HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE COVERS

I did all but Yucatan Dead and A One Way Ticket to Dead–Kim Killion from the Killion Group created those. I just love working with her- she’s fast and professional.

MY REVIEW

Yucatan Dead by D V Berkom is an action packed adventure that had me racing through the Mexican jungle, dodging danger and death with Yucatan Kate. The characters come to life on the pages with multiple stories being told.

Mexico Cenote (c) Sherry Fundin

All Kate wanted was to have a normal life with her new love, Cole. She had a family now, but the past continued to haunt her. Would she have to pay for the rest of her life or would the assassin finish her off?

Kate had made a mistake falling for a drug lord. She knew you didn’t just walk away from someone like him.

I cannot imagine how terrorized she must be. Kate is plucked from her home in Arizona and hauled out of the country to Mexico. Back to Salazar, a dangerous drug lord, who is super pissed at her. Kate had not just left him, she took some of his money too.

Kate escapes. She is on her own and being chased, hiding, not knowing which way to go. Until…..

Quinn. He is a warrior of the twenty first century kind. D V Berkom describes him as a Rottweiler kind of guy. I love it. He has a pack of dogs, always at his side and has his own war going on with the cartel. Him and his team work the jungles, shutting down the traffickers.

He nicknames her Yucatan Kate.

The cartel is blood thirsty. They are ruthless and cruel, not just dealing in drugs, but also human trafficking and the slave trade.

Your enemy could be standing right beside you posing as your friend, your ally. Trusting the wrong person could get you killed.

A touch of mysticism walks with Kate through the jungle. She had bad spirits around her, but her jaguar spirit was watching over her. I am always intrigued with mystical cultures and, even though Yucatan Dead is light in this department, it does add a special additional element that makes me wonder if D V Berkom will add to it as the series develops. Or maybe she already has, I just don’t know it yet. 😀

Yucatan Dead is a spine tingling race for survival as Kate dodges the ruthless cartel who, will stop at nothing to get her. I loved running and hiding in the jungle with Kate, hanging out at camp with Quinn, his dogs and the team, floating through the Cenote, and trying to evade the people sent to find her.

I have a feeling I will be seeing Kate again and I am eager for the next adventure. How about you Kate? Are you ready? Will Quinn be there?

“I’ll give you a worse case scenario. Yucatan Kate is going to be Yucatan Dead.”

“If I had to die, the one thing I can control is how..”

I love that and will keep that handy for future reference.

I find D V Berkom’s bio pretty adventurous itself. Be sure and check her out.

I received Yucatan Kate from D V Berkom in return for an honest, unbiased review.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

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Soooooo, let’s meet Yucatan Kate as seen through D V’s eyes

Welcome D V. I am so excited to have you on fundinmental and I’m eager to hear what you have to say about your characters. I am always curious how authors create them. So let’s take a sneak peek into the mind of DV.

Where Did She Come From?

A Character in the Making

As a writer, I’m often asked this question. I write a couple of thriller series featuring strong female characters—both of whom frequently end up in extreme circumstances—but each one is uniquely different and have their own way of dealing with danger.

Like Kate Jones, for example.

Mexico Palms (c) Sherry Fundin

When we first meet Kate in Bad Spirits, she’s in her 20s and on the run from a huge mistake she made that I’m sure many of us can relate to—she fell for the wrong guy. And I mean the REALLY wrong guy. Turns out, Roberto Salazar is the vicious leader of a Mexican drug cartel. And, well, he’s not one to appreciate a woman who takes something that belongs to him and just up and disappears into the Sonoran desert. Oh, and did I mention she stole a bunch of his money?

She watched him slit the throat of a friend over basically nothing and in a blinding moment of insight realized if he could do something like that to a good friend, she could be next. Due to the nature of the business, drug lords often become a tad, um, paranoid, and what you don’t want to do is cross them. Ever.

So she runs, attempting to stay one step ahead of Salazar.

Until she doesn’t.

Several people have asked if I’m writing this series from memory (I lived in Mexico for a time in my twenties) and I can tell you that, to my knowledge, I wasn’t involved with a member of a drug cartel. I did meet several people in my travels who were probably connected in some way, but they didn’t talk about it. And, you know, I didn’t ask.

The truth is, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life that had long-ranging repercussions—and yes, a couple of those mistakes involved men. That’s the thing about decisions. You don’t know what consequences might be set in motion when you make them…

For Kate, I took something I might have done in the same circumstances and then threw everything I could think of at her, putting her in the worst possible situations and then letting her figure out how to get herself out of them (because, well, if she died then the series would be over J). She’s grown quite a bit from that first terrifying adventure but she hasn’t lost what makes her Kate. She’s still dealing with the three I’s that make up her character: impatient, impetuous, and intrepid, which, in real life as well as in fiction is a sure recipe for disaster.

My other character, Leine Basso, came into being when I had a bizarre dream about a reality show where beautiful women compete for a date with a serial killer (Serial Date). The dream came to me as a promotional spot featuring women contestants and the killer-bachelor. For balance, I needed someone who would be able to go toe-to-toe against a serial killer. I love writing strong women characters and it didn’t take long before Leine showed up, fully formed and demanding a leading role. Leine is a burned-out female assassin with daughter issues who doesn’t like people very much, except for a certain sexy homicide detective named Santiago Jensen…the perfect match for a serial killer. Her character is derived from several people I’ve met through the years, shot through with a few of my own imperfections, just to make it interesting.

Both characters are a kick to write, and, what I’ve heard from readers, fun to read. If you enjoy genuinely flawed but gutsy female characters who know how to handle danger, then you just might like meeting Kate and Leine.

***Warning: Neither series is for the faint of heart***

There’s adult language and situations, dead bodies, sleazy politicians, and enough villainous characters to fill a book.

Enjoy!

This is a fantastic guest post and I enjoyed it tremendously. I love how you threw everything at Kate knowing she couldn’t die. LOL The informative, yet light telling of your thoughts had me smiling and chuckling as I read it. I even went back and read it again. Thanks so much for visiting fundinmental and I look forward to having you back again…..soon.

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SYNOPSIS

She was a dangerous man’s lover…now she’s his dangerous enemy.

For Kate Jones, being on the run from her former lover-the vicious leader of a Mexican drug cartel-was never going to be easy. But with a new identity, a new lover, and a new life in Arizona, she was beginning to believe she’d made it through the worst.

Then, in an act of twisted revenge, Kate’s kidnapped and imprisoned by her deadly enemy, his intention to force her to pay back the money she stole before he kills her. Fate intervenes and she finds herself working against the cartels deep in the Yucatan with a group of off-the-grid commandos.

From peaceful northern Arizona to the steamy jungles of Mexico, Kate Jones must decide for herself if she’ll continue to run…

…or turn and fight the evil that pursues her.

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The next Kate Jones Thriller I will be reviewing is A One Way Ticket To Dead by DV Berkom.

Another fabulous cover that makes my mouth water and my hands itch.

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Check out DV Berkom’s other kickass female protagonist, Leine Basso in her Awesome Indies Approved novel, Serial Date.

Leine is an assassin who will stop at nothing to track down the serial killer who stole her daughter.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.

Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Pinterest / Amazon US / Amazon UK/ Newsletter

Author Pages

Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / itunes / Kobo

The Kate Jones Thriller Series, Vol. 1 box set (includes the 1st four novellas in the series).

(The Kate Jones Thriller Series, Vol. 2 includes Cruising for Death (#5), YD, and AOWTTD, all for $8.99 (bought separately they would be 12.99))

Check out all the Kate Jones novels by DV Berkom. I believe they are in order from 1-7, even though they can stand alone.

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GIVEAWAY

D V Berkom is offering for the giveaway two (2) ebooks of each novel, Yucatan Dead and A One Way Ticket to Dead. The Novels can stand alone. Entry is easy. Just leave your email, your preference of which ebook and answer the question:

What do you like to see in your female protagonists?

Giveaway runs from September 16 – September 30, 2014.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was this review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads!

Thank you for visiting fundinmental.

To comment, please sign in through your favorite social media. This will only need to be done once.

Teaser Tuesday #23 – Are Mermaids Real? – Ocean’s Justice by Demelza Carlton

Posted on September 16, 2014 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Demelza Carlton has a new series and it is a whale of a tale.

(Ocean’s Gift – Turbulence and Triumph Series, #1)

These are prequels to the Ocean’s Gift Series.

I love how she throws in some of the Ocean’s Justice, so beware.

Look at this awesome cover.

Does it speak to you like it does to me?

MY REVIEW

Yippee! Another mermaid story, Ocean’s Justice by Demelza Carlton.

A humorous and sexy introduction to Demelza’s new Ocean’s Justice series. Recommended for adults.

This novella only took me a couple of hours. I was curious, happy, sad and left wanting MORE.

I love a kickass female protagonist, no matter WHAT she is!

A woman on a ship of superstitious men cannot be good. But she has two men that will do whatever they can to see that she is okay and stays that way.

William McGregor pulled her from the sea. He quickly becomes her protector, her hero. Little does he know, she can take care of herself. He is a gentleman and proves that chivalry still exists.

Charlie, the embarrassed young man, whose clothes she wears, has a serious crush on her.

Allchin – what a great name for the cook. Hints at the humor in Demelza’s wonderful tale.

She is in a world where she knows nothing and cannot communicate. Where did she come from?

Her introduction to chocolate is a sensual one.

Her first taste of rum was a doozy.

Demelza Carlton has a way with words. Her descriptions are vivid and place me right in the middle of the action, like a fly on the wall.

I love her blend of savagery and humor. Even during the worst parts, I usually have a smile on my face. I hope that doesn’t tell my badness.

At the end of the novella, Demelza asks, “What is your favorite part of the story?” It’s hard to choose just one.

I smiled through so much, I will have to say, the part that put tears in my eyes. BUT, I cannot tell you that part. You will have to find out for yourself. If you love mermaids, Ocean’s Justice is a MUST READ.

I wanted to be able to say, “Tell me what hurts, you great big baby, so I know what to tend first.”

5 STARS Would Buy It For Them (lol)

SYNOPSIS

Cast adrift on the Indian Ocean, eighteen-year-old Maria is saved by the crew of the steamship Trevessa.

She can’t tell them her tragic tale, so the superstitious sailors make up their own stories – and some would sacrifice her to the seas to save themselves from the coming storm.

Scottish engineer William McGregor boarded the Trevessa in search of adventure. He finds a crew convinced their ship is cursed, as he fights to protect the mysterious girl and bring her safely to shore.

When the sharks start circling and the storm closes in, are sirens more than just a myth?

.

Demelza Carlton’s Mel Goes To Hell Series is fantastic.

I love this series and you can check out my review links below.

5 STAR Review – Mermaids walk among us – Ocean’s Gift by Demelza Carlton

There is more to this series that I have placed high on my TBR list (sigh).