Giveaway & Review ~ Victim Souls by Andrew Terech

VictimSoulsTourBannerWelcome to my tour stop for Victim Souls by Andrew Terech. When I saw the cover, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to review and share.

Check out this awesome cover by Brianna Strawn and be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

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Victim Souls by Andrew Terech
Publication date: November 8th 2014
Genres: Horror, Young Adult

MY REVIEW

I love everything about the cover. It says so much in its simplicity, loaded full of what is to come.

A trio, a road trip and the devil nipping at their heels.

Their parents died in a car crash and there was no one left to raise them but a worthless uncle. Is Sam good? Is Johnny bad? Could one or both of them have been saved if given half a chance?

As kids, they had a good time sitting outside the store, watching people come and go. I wanted to mention this, because it reminds me of a time in Mobile, Alabama and a certain convenience store. I used to run in for things like milk and bread and there was always people of one age and type or another hanging around. By tagging my inner me, a book draws me in further and makes me immediately relate to the story.

Sam was ten when Johnny made his first kill, he had to do it to save Sam.

…foot to nuts mistake…hit in the twig and berries. I laughed out loud!!!

When Ash enters the picture, Sam becomes very suspicious. Secrets were being kept and he had no idea the impact they would have on their lives. As they set off on their adventure, evil forces surrounding them have an agenda of their own.

To put it bluntly, this is a fucked up story about three fucked up kids on a spree that I’m hoping will take them down and soon. At times, I have a small amount of empathy for Sam, but I’m still hoping he gets his. At other times, I find myself torn between wanting them all to die or wanting them all to get out of the evil mess they are in.

It is great writing when I want to root for the most heinous, despicable trio there is or so I thought. Is anybody who they really seem to be? If not who or what are they? If you aren’t all bad are you good?

The supernatural genre can be so off the wall, yet I knew the answers were coming and I let the story come to me instead of trying to make it fit into a preconceived notion.

Horror that goes on and on. What keeps someone from giving up? How much can someone take before they surrender? Possession. Undead. Its so hard to describe the rabbit hole Same goes down. I find it hard to believe he can survive. Manipulation. Hallucinations. Creatures that morph into even uglier creatures.

I had this as a B movie running through my head, yelling kill it again, kill it again, they never stay dead. LOL Cut their heads off and burn them to ashes, disperse the ashes into the wind.

Victim Souls by Andrew Terech was a horror story that had me anticipating what was coming next and wondering when it was going to end. I don’t know what else could happen to them and any of them survive. I don’t think there will be a happy every after for the trio, but I am eager to find out what their end will be. A great read that will have you looking over your shoulder and squinting into corners, wondering… is that movement in the shadows?

I received a copy of Victim Souls in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Sometimes, only bad guys can beat the Devil…
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The plan is simple: get the money and deliver the car. What could possibly go wrong? What can’t?Things start to go south when Sam Drake realizes that his brother Johnny is hiding something, a secret about Sam’s troubled childhood that goes beyond his most feverish nightmares…Then Johnny’s girlfriend, Ash, starts sending Sam the kind of mixed signals that can only lead to big trouble…As the trio of small time crooks falls deeper into an abyss of betrayal and violence, they will discover that the greatest danger they face is not of this world.With everything he believes about himself and the world around him shattered, Sam will become the unlikely champion in a battle with true evil, a fight to save a soul that has already been forfeited to darkness.

His own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AndrewAndrew’s a horror fiction writer who is also a massive fan of the genre. He’s been writing short stories and working on his novel for over 5 years. He has several short stories published, as well as some editing credits. He moderates a writing workshop in Phoenix, AZ where he’s been exposed to many different forms of fiction, which have broadened his influences. He aims to write stories that creep out his readers, while offering well-developed, rich characters they can sink their teeth into. He’s also a fan of experimenting with form and structure to create something uniquely my own.Andrew grew up on Long Island in New York, and has lived in Arizona for the past 7 years. His professional background is in psychology where he’s carved out a nice career for himself. However, writing has always been his passion.Currently, he’s hard at work, developing additional content to publish. He hopes to find an audience that loves the genre, and is up for a good scare.
Author links:  Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter

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GIVEAWAY
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Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
5 signed copies of the Special Edition of Victim Souls that contains the short story that inspired the novel.
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Ends April 9th.

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Pirates & Treasures ~ A Pirate Looks at Forty by Chip Bell ~ Review & Giveaway

Chip Bell is a Jimmy Buffet fan. Did you guess?

I feel like I have met a kindred spirit and can hardly wait to embark on his A Pirate Looks At Forty adventure.

Add me to Goodreads now!

A PIRATE LOOKS AT FORTY by Chip Bell

A Jake Sullivan Novel

MY REVIEW

The publisher offered me an opportunity to read and review this awesome looking novel and there is no way I would turn down that offer. Between the title, the cover and Chip Beck’s love of Jimmy Buffet, I knew I had met a kindred soul (as I rub my hands together in eager anticipation of reading the book).

A beautiful sunset, a ship, a relic, a prophecy….

We start out with Abraham Abulafia and his need to recover the relic in 1260 A D. The Rabbi strives to protect it during the time of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in 1492 A D. In 1702 A D, 13 year old Louis Estabar found the hiding place where the Rabbi had secreted it and vowed to keep it forever.

In 1715 A D, Estebar is now a Captain and sets sail from Havana, heading toward the Florida Straits, which at this time belongs to Spain. A monster storm and rogue wave would end their trip home. The Spanish, pirates and looters salvaged much of the treasure and the wreck was abandoned. Until…

U S Senator Daniel Simmons had read about the loss of the Spanish fleet, so when he retired, he bought a yacht, the Treasure Trove, and went hunting. He listed his findings online and asked for help in identifying a relic of a boy with a pretty stone on a leather thong. He did not anticipate what is to come.

Treasure, pirates, storms, sinkings, Florida…what more can I say for the dreamer? An adventure the likes of Indiana Jones, only underwater and off the Florida coast.

Jake Sullivan is the Chief Prosecuting Attorney in the Justice Department Miami Office. When the Senator and his wife are murdered, he’s called in to solve the crime. Told this would be a slam dunk, he knew it would be anything but an easy mystery to solve.

The repercussions if the relic falls into the wrong hands, could bring on WWIII.

Is it possible for a small group to rule the world? I believe in conspiracies and it would not surprise me at all if there was.

Worldwide economic collapse. International intrigue, political conspiracies.

Perfect for the upcoming beach reading season.

Some characters are good, some bad, with death on both sides. Even when things are obvious, it is that special investigator that has a gut feeling, or is it intuition, that there is more than meets the eye.

I’m wondering, does Lev, a Special Agent with Mossad, suspect, like I do, who the traitor is? Is it a setup? At first I am disappointed he doesn’t suspect who I feel is the culprit.  But…WAIT…As I read along, I  believe I was very wrong about the spy. The way the story was written, Chip fooled me. I was part right and part wrong. Way to go Chip. I love it. Not only did I not figure it out, I figured it out wrong. LOL

Parts of the novel read like current events. I do believe it is in their best interests for Israel, Palestine and all the rest of the countries in that neck of the woods to figure out a way to get along. Will it ever happen?

Chip Bell’s ability to blend the past and the present, treasure hunting, murder and political intrigue, myths and legends, kept me reading from cover to cover. He presented me with so many obstacles to overcome in my search for the answers that I could not quit reading.

I will eagerly be on another adventure with Jake Sullivan in One Particular Harbor.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4  Stars

SYNOPSIS

When a retired United States Senator’s passion for deep-sea treasure hunting off the coast of Palm Beach leads to murder, Jake Sullivan, Chief Prosecutor for the Justice Department in Miami, thinks he has an open and shut case: the DNA of the man pulled out of the warm waters near the ill-fated yacht, matches blood found on the deck. But life is never so simple for Jake.

In a rush of political maneuvering, Jake’s suspect is whisked away by the State Department under a claim of diplomatic immunity. The mystery man is no simple treasure thief; he is a covert operator for the Mossad, Israel’s elite intelligence agency.

But, Jake and his investigator, Mike Lang, are no less committed to solving the murders of Senator Daniel Simmons and his wife.Their instincts are piqued when information leads them to the writings of an ancient Hebrew mystic and the lore behind an iconic relic of Medieval Spain lost in 1715 when a hurricane wrecked a Spanish treasure fleet off the Florida coast.

But those findings are less bizarre than their uncovering of an Israeli army faction intent on realizing a dream of a “Greater Israel.” Discovering the identity of the mysterious leader of “The Group of 40” becomes more than a quest to solve a murder investigation. Jake and Mike hope to prevent South Florida from becoming a war zone, and the fuse that could light the powder keg that is the Middle East.

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Since June of 2011, Jake Sullivan has taken readers on adventures from Miami to Key West, from Havana to the Middle East, and most recently, sailing through the Virgin Islands…

Dealing with corrupt politicians, criminal masterminds, assassins, the old and new Havana Mob, rogue military factions, and revenge-seeking tycoons, Jake and his best friend, Mike Lang, have encountered twists, turn, tricks and plots… always keeping their readers guessing and providing endings that surprise and satisfy.

His latest releases for the series, books four and five, are  A Pirate Looks at 40 andOne Particular Harbor. A Son of a Son of a Sailor is coming in Spring 2015.

And to catch up on the series author Chip Bell has released an eBook titled The Trilogy,  a chance for new readers to obtain the first three adventures in this series for only $3.99, to meet Jake Sullivan, Mike Lang, and a great cast of ever-changing characters… and to become part of the legion of fans who find thrills, suspense, humor, and the tropics an unbeatable combination.

The Jake Sullivan Series is must-read for fans of political thrillers and quick and dirty action novels.

Find out more about both novels at:  http://www.chipbellauthor.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chip BellCharles L. “Chip” Bell, Jr., lives in the City of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Linda, is the father of two daughters, Jennifer and Jessica, and is a practicing attorney specializing in personal injury litigation, with his main office in Arnold, Pennsylvania.

Born on February 23, 1950, in Harrison Township, Pennsylvania, he grew up in Tarentum, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Tarentum High School in 1968, attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, from 1968 to 1972, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude. He served in the United States Army from 1972 to 1974, attended Duquesne University School of Law from 1975 to 1979, and graduated Cum Laude. He practiced law as a personal injury trial attorney with the law firm of Rosenberg, Sewak, Pizzi and Bell from 1979 to 2002, and thereafter as a sole practitioner up to and including the present date.

He is a member of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (formerly the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association) and has served on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association from 1988 to 1990. He is also a member of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and served on the Board of Governors in 1988. He is a founder and past president of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

He is the author of the Jake Sullivan series of novels, the first of which, Come Monday, was published in June of 2011, and the second, Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season, in October 2011. His third novel, Havana Daydreamin’, was released in April 2012. His fourth novel, A Pirate Looks at Forty has just been published as of June 2, 2014.

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GIVEAWAY

I have 1 (one) ecopy of A Pirate Looks at Forty by Chip Bell for the giveaway. International. Entry is easy peasy. Simple leave your email and answer the question:

Do you have a favorite Jimmy Buffett song, or exotic island locale?

Giveaway runs March 24 – April 3, 2015.

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Parrotheads Arise ~ Review ~ Tales From Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett

I confess, I am a Parrothead!

I would like to share my beachy vibe with you to help you overcome the winter doldrums.

Jimmy Buffett – Mañana Lava Lamp music video

Published on Dec 16, 2014

Jimmy Buffett’s home movie takes you away with a classic hit from 1978 – Mañana. Come for a sail and escape the winter for a few minutes with Jimmy.

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In Jimmy Buffett’s words

Tales from Margaritaville: Fictional Facts and Factual Fictions

MY REVIEW

I have read some of Jimmy’s books and I am a huge fan of his. You may label be a Parrothead and I will wear it with pride.

Tales from Margaritaville is a journey for dreamers and adventurers to let your imagination and your inner child run wild and free. Join us in this wonderfully fun walkabout with Jimmy Buffett.

Everyone asks, “Where is Margaritaville?” It is in the minds and souls of all us beach lovers.

We will spend a lot of time In Heat Wave, Alabama, we will also travel from the west to the east coast, visit Wyoming with Tully Mars and cruise the Carribbean. You will meet the Swamp Creature, enjoy some football, play some golf and sail the seas.

You will smell the ocean and the swamp and feel the cool tropical breezes as we travel through the imagination of a third-generation sailor.

So many of the destinations are familiar. I have lived in Alabama, been to Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, traveled to Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and Cancun, cruised the Carribbean and had a cocktail or two at Pusser’s in Tortola.

I loved it! It brought back many memories and gave me thoughts for the future. All the time I was reading, his songs were playing through my head and I had a smile on my face, even when I was worried about them being stranded on the seas in a terrible storm. I had confidence that Jimmy would prevail.

So, hop aboard and let the adventure begin!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Margaritaville may not appear on a map, but it does exist–at least in the brilliantly creative, sometimes slightly skewed imagination of Jimmy Buffett. Tales from Margaritaville is a collection of short stories (some purely fiction, some based in truth) so vividly packed with restless dreamers, wild wanderers, and pure gypsy souls that just reading it is a wild adventure. Travel along with a cowboy named Tully Mars, as he heads from Heartache, Wyoming, to Graceland, and relive the autobiographical odyssey of a third-generation sailor and first-rate musical outlaw. With unforgettable stories that present the true roamer’s twin loves–the sea and the road–Tales from Margaritaville is one “smooth sailing book of infinite imagination” (Chicago Sun-Times).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jimmy Buffett

James William “Jimmy” Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is a singer, songwriter, author, businessman, and recently a movie producer best known for his “island escapism” lifestyle and music including hits such as “Margaritaville” (No. 234 on RIAA’s list of “Songs of the Century”), and “Come Monday”. He has a devoted base of fans known as “Parrotheads”. His band is called the Coral Reefer Band.

Aside from his career in music, Buffett is also a best-selling writer and is involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best known songs, “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Margaritaville”. He owns the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain and co-developed the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant concept with OSI Restaurant Partners (parent of Outback Steakhouse), which operates the chain under a licensing agreement with Buffett.

 DESTINATION: Margartiaville  /  Facebook  /  YouTube   /  Twitter

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Do You Believe? Review ~ Water So Deep by Nichole Giles

I love this gorgeous cover and I knew this was going to be a winner.

I was not disappointed.

My question to you – do you believe in mermaids?

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

I saw the beautiful cover and knew this would be about mermaids and that I had to have it!

Nichole Giles’ writing had me from the beginning.

Emma knows she only has 412 days, days before she must return to the water, 412 days left to be human, 412 days left before she is completely mermaid, 412 days left before she is to join Merrick, who will take her to Atlantis.

Emma – she was hatched. How funny is that? I never really thought of where mermaids come from, have you? I can’t help but chuckle as I write this. 🙂 I feel she will get what she wants, but I don’t know how. Since the change had begun, she needs both the air and the

Mermaid (c) Sherry Fundin

Mermaid (c) Sherry Fundin

sea. Her gills are not fully developed, but as the end of her life as she knows it approaches, she requires more and more time in the sea. I love Nichole’s vivid descriptions of Emma’s underwater world, the colors, the coral, and the critters. I would love to swim with the fishes like she does.

Heather is her best friend, but the most important person in her life is her brother, Keith. How would she be able to leave him? Keith is handicapped, yet very observant. He is naive and gullible.

Merrick – how could he love her, he doesn’t even know her. The Sea King has given her to him, but does he have an agenda of his own? He is the Duke of Atlantis and determined to have her, at all costs.

Only two people know her predicament – her grandma and Merrick, until she meets James. No matter how she fights the attraction, it can’t be denied. How will she tell him? How will he take it? I am so eager to find out and I want her to be happy…with James, not Merrick, but how can that be?

James befriends Keith and he is surprised how much he comes to care for the little guy. That just shows us how we need to be open to people and experiences, otherwise we may miss something truly special in our lives. I really like that James does not allow high school peer pressure to dictate his actions. The romance between Emma and James develops slowly, making it realistic, with all its trials and tribulations.

I seem to be reading a lot of young adult books since blogging and have come to love them. Parts are predictable and cliche – two boys fighting over the same girl gets old, but when the writing is good I have to ride the wave with the author, wanting to share the characters experiences. The teenage angst of growing up is a big part of the story and Nichole did a great job of showing how Emma and James overcome their problems, at least, until…the cliffhanger. DRAT! I hate having to wait for the next book, so Nichole, I hope you are writing…and quickly.

I received an ecopy in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

No one knows what’s happening to her, and she’d like to keep her evolution from human to mermaid a secret, but the truth is getting harder and harder to hide. From her adoptive family, from her friends, and especially from the irresistible James Phelps.

Her time in the ocean is spent dodging a possessive merman, while her time on land is split between caring for her special-needs brother and squeezing in every last possible moment of human life. She soon realizes falling for James is unavoidable when he constantly comes to Emma’s rescue and somehow manages to see through her carefully constructed icy facade to the vulnerability she lives with every day. Everything about James makes Emma yearn for a life on land she just can’t have.

When Emma’s brother disappears on her watch, James is the only person she trusts to help her save him. But even if they can save her brother, nothing can prevent her return to the sea. Whether she likes it or not, Emma is changing—unable to breathe without yielding to the tide—and it’s only a matter of time before she’s forced to surrender forever.

Nichole GilesABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nichole Giles had early career plans of becoming an actress or a rock star, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer. Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her husband and children, travel to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.

Blog  /  Goodreads Twitter

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Fact or Fiction ~ Terror Never Sleeps by Richard Blomberg

Terror_Never_Sleeps_-_Updated
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.
 Terro_Never_Sleeps_(updated)

Add me to Goodreads now. 🙂

TitleTerror 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
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MY REVIEW
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I love the simple, yet descriptive cover.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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SYNOPSIS
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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.
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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.
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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
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Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.

***
About The Author
 SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERADr. 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.
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To learn more about the author, sign up for his newsletter, read his blog, or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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Connect with Richard:  Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Goodreads
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 ***
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Review: Personal by Lee Child

Lee Child, a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, is back with another Jack Reacher novel, Personal.

I have read numerous novels by Lee and he is on my list of ‘grab their books’ authors.

PERSONAL by Lee Child

A Jack Reacher Novel


Add Me to Goodreads now.

  • File Size: 1296 KB
  • Print Length: 369 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0804178747
  • Publisher: Delacorte Press (September 2, 2014)
  • Sold by: Random House LLC
  • ASIN: B00HBQWGXK
  • Book Design by Virginia Norey

MY REVIEW

I love political intrigue and the machinations of the government at work. Personal by Lee Child is a book that kept its secret from beginning to end. I do love when I cannot figure out the ending of a book. I have read numerous books by Lee Child and I will be looking for the next one.

He saw his name in the paper – Jack Reacher call Rick Shoemaker.

Jack was a retired military cop and they were reaching out to him.

Someone had taken a potshot at the president of France from 1400 feet, 3/4 of a mile away. How many snipers could there be, that are capable of making a shot like that? It didn’t take long for Jack to figure out this was Personal.

Jack Reacher had disappeared after quitting the service. He had no home, just went where the wind blew him. He is Sherlock Homeless. He is a no nonsense kinda guy. Why did they chose him? He had no resources, no contacts. When something smells, he can run through the options and eliminate the unlikely suspects. But, Jack Reacher plays by no rules but his own. He did not feel bad about his kills and felt food was wasted on some of the people he had run across. I would hate to get in a staring contest with Jack. He could stare all day without blinking.

Jack believes there are four necessities – smart people, work hard, pay attention and think laterally. He is quick and intuitive, a bad ass and shows no mercy. Jack is observant and a fast thinker. Will he be fast enough?

John Kott was suspected of killing his parents when he was 17 years old. He was recruited by the army anyway. He became a Special Forces sniper, but he had a screw loose. A dead Ranger, a guilty John Kott and Jack Reacher would be the one to put him away for 15 years. Now he is out…

Casey Nice is a rookie analyst for the CIA, working under the State Department. She feels the weight of the world on her shoulders and is determined to guard Jack’s back. She has never worked a mission. We think we know how we would respond in certain situations, but until you walk in those shoes, you can’t really know.

The characters are too numerous to list. I loved some and hated some, was terrified of some and pissed off at some. I do like that Lee Child does not let the bad guys off the hook and their actions will have severe repercussions.

Details in thrillers are very important. Careful use of them can keep the pacing, action and suspense, at a high level, making me wonder what will happen next as I quickly turn the pages. My only complaint – too much detail. The beginning hooked me. Then, I got lost in the details. The last third of the book kept my attention from wandering and I loved the ending.

Snipers, political intrigue, spies, conspiracies, corruption, the mystery abounds as I weave my way around the pitfalls of Jack’s mission, a mission that has twists and turns that kept me in the dark.

Lee Child’s ability to weave a story that does not give away the ending is phenomenal.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   4 Stars

 .

SYNOPSIS

 Jack Reacher walks alone. Once a go-to hard man in the US military police, now he’s a drifter of no fixed abode. But the army tracks him down. Because someone has taken a long-range shot at the French president. Only one man could have done it. And Reacher is the one man who can find him. This new heartstopping, nailbiting book in Lee Child’s number-one bestselling series takes Reacher across the Atlantic to Paris – and then to London. The stakes have never been higher – because this time, it’s personal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lee ChildLee Child was born October 29th, 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV’s “golden age.” During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars’ worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.

Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.

Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar’s Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.

Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.

Website  /  Goodreads  /  Twitter  /  Facebook  /  Jack Reacher Facebook  /    G+ You Tube

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Review & Giveaway ~ Turnabout & Shallow Secrets by Rick Ollerman

Turnabout & Shallow Secrets

by Rick Ollerman

 

Genre: Crime

Published by: Stark House Press

Publication Date: September 26, 2014

Number of Pages: 389 – the “book” contains 2 novels

ISBN: 978-1933586472

More: This is a set of two books featuring Crime.
These include strong language.

Purchase Links:

MY REVIEW

I love the simple cover, the colors and palm trees spoke to me. Murder and crime are my game, so I was excited to read this twofer. I thought it was two separate mysteries, but it is really one long book. I am going to review it that way.

This noir detective story started out with a splat. Rick’s description of what it’s like to fall (or to be pushed) out of an airplane, with no parachute, counting down the seconds until you hit, knowing you are going to die, had me white knuckled as I read. With a start like that, I am eager to read on. So I did.

Frankie O’Neil sets out to determine what really happened to his best friend. He never believed he committed suicide and he would not let the deed go unpunished. If something happened to me, I would love to have a friend like him.

O’Neil had retired from the police force because it was so hard on his wife. He loved her and did not want to lose her. He knew getting involved in this investigation would take its toll on their marriage, but it was something he had to do. He has a plan, but there are two police officers who are determined to be kept in the loop, dogging him at every turn.

This is in the early days of computers and his friend, Tim Clayton had a consulting business. He had taught O’Neil the ropes and he had started his own consulting business.

Reed is a naive and innocent kid he recruits to help him with the investigation. I love the kid. Poor Katy is caught in the middle.

Five years later, B J Donnelly is busted with a thirteen year old girl in his trunk and he drops O’Neil’s name. They try to keep O’Neil out of the investigation. He had been running the Sun Coast Murders Task Force, but Detective Sergeant James Robinson will be running it now and every time O’Neil turns around, James is there.

O’Neil has become a suspect and once accused, it doesn’t matter much if you are guilty or not. The stigma will follow you everywhere you go. Your life will be ruined.

Now it’s eight years later and there is another body. How could that be if Donnelly was the guilty party? Guess there is only one thing for him to do, and that’s to solve it himself. I knew that, but I am happy to ride along with him as we dodge the dirt and corruption. When you don’t know who to trust, trust no one.

There is more going on than meets the eye. I had my suspicions. I am so glad I did not quit reading after finishing Turnabout and went right on to read Shallow Secrets. Yes, there are secrets. Suspense, oh yeah. Fear, oh yeah. Twists and turns that kept letting me relax for a moment, thinking the story is over, then knocking me for a loop, again and again.

I would highly recommend the debut twofer, Turnabout and Shallow Secrets, by Rick Ollerman.

I received a signed first edition paperback in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Remember those old Ace paperbacks, with two actioners in one volume? Stark House is reviving them, with the current offering holding all the slam-bang anyone might want.

In Turnabout, ex-cop Frankie O’Neil is skeptical when a friend’s death is ruled a suicide. He uncovers a crime unknown to the Ace masters: computer theft. These crooks have friends with guns, and halfway along the novel becomes a series of cliffhangers that hit another memory: movie serials. Will Frankie escape in time? Find out in the next chapter. You won’t stop until you know.

Shallow Secrets moves slower, with a subtext: the power of chance to provoke horrors, then avenge them. Cop James Robinson doesn’t just know the accused killer. They’re roommates. The coincidence ruins his career. Then there are fresh killings, and Robinson is “a person of interest.” Near the end, Robinson almost tells a woman that “there wasn’t anything they could do to make the world safe” from murders. But coincidence can bring them down, as when someone sees something he’s not supposed to.

– from Don Crinklaw

EXCERPT

When they touched down in Miami, Gene could have passed out in relief. In a superhuman test of will, he forced himself through the cattle call of customs without drawing attention to himself. From there he almost ran to the nearest rest room and claimed the first open toilet as his own. He had pains in his gut now, his lower abdomen, and he swallowed two Ex-Lax tablets as he lowered himself onto the toilet.

It was a very unpleasant feeling when the first one came out, goose bumps breaking out across his thighs and arms, but Gene almost cried he was so thankful. He counted carefully, not wanting to get up until every last one of those damned things was pushed through his body, never relaxing, always afraid that any one of them might rupture, get caught on something on the way out, just before it cleared his asshole. Never again, he thought. His days as a mule were over.

Finally, the last condom exited his spent body and Gene slumped forward, exhausted. He had to spend some more time waiting for the effects of the laxatives to subside, but he didn’t mind. It was over and he had made it. He was tired and stinking of dried sweat and public bathroom, but he had brought the drugs in. All he had to do now was pick those little white torpedoes out of the toilet and boogie on back to Everglades City. To Midge and his knife and that damned spooky necklace.

Gene finally stood up and looked over his shoulder. It was hard to imagine how much money that ugly mess was worth. He took a half step forward and bent over to pull up his pants then stumbled and fell into the door of the tiny cubicle. The whoosh of water from the flushing toilet sent a bolt of electrified panic down his spine.

On his knees he turned and dove towards the toilet bowl in time to see the last wad of crumpled tissue get sucked into the hole at the bottom. In a futile gesture he grabbed for it, grabbed for anything, jamming his hand up to the wrist into the small opening.

Oh my fucking lord, Gene thought as he looked up at the piping coming out of the wall. What the fuck happened? There was no way to flush the damned thing, no goddamned lever to pull. Christ! he swore again. He hadn’t done anything!

He pulled his hand out of the toilet and wiped it in his shirt as he got to his feet. Staring in disbelief, he finished fastening his pants as he took a step back toward the door. Again the toilet flushed itself.

The damned thing was like the automatic doors to the terminal! It flushed itself when he moved away from it! How the hell was he supposed to know, God damn it? Nobody ever told him anything about fucking automatic toilets.

 

Author Bio:

Rick Ollerman made his first dollar from writing when a crossword magazine printed a question he’d sent. Later he went on to hold world records for various large skydives, appear in photo spreads in LIFE magazine and The National Enquirer, can be seen on an inspirational poster during the opening credits of a popular TV show, and has been interviewed on CNN. He also had a full-screen shot as an extra in the film Purple Rain. His writing has appeared in technical and sporting magazines and he has edited and proofread many books, and written introductions for a dozen more. Notably in 2014 he sold a short story and an essay to Noir Riot and his first two books, Turnabout and Shallow Secrets, were published by Stark House Press in September.

Catch Up:

Grab you copy at Amazon.

Tour Participants:

1. 3/02 Guest Post & Showcase @ Our Wolves Den
2. 3/05 Review @ fundinmental
3. 3/09 Review @ 3 Partners in Shopping
4. 3/10 Review @ Tea and A Book
5. 3/16 Guest Post @ Writers and Authors
6. 3/16 Review @ Deal Sharing Aunt
7. 3/19 Review @ Vics Media Room
8. 3/22 Review @ Quirky Book Reviews
9. 3/25 Showcase @ Mommabears Book Blog?
10. 3/29 Radio Interview @ Suspense Magazine
11. 3/31 Showcase @ Ryder Islingtons Blog

GIVEAWAY

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Rick Ollerman. There will be three winners of 3 sets of – 1) Signed book plus a 2) signed, limited chapbook of two essays on paperback original writers that served as introductions to other books. The giveaway begins on Feb 28th, 2015 and runs through April 3rd, 2015.

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

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Review ~ In The Woods by Nancy Gideon

Tour Banner - In the WoodsChapter-Divider

In the Woods (Based upon the original screenplay by Lynn Drzick)
Genre: Horror/Thriller/Suspense
Published by: Katharsys Pictures Publishing
Release Date: January 17, 2015
Length: 201 Pages

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.MY REVIEW

With that delicious cover and knowing there is a screenplay and motion picture, how could I say no to this awesome sounding horror novel. I love the woods and trees! Add some spookiness, death and danger, a magical Hellhound and a serial killer, and I cannot resist.

I, too, am from the north and feel a need to support a fellow Michigander.

In the era of knights and kings, the battles were brutal and savage. The dark magic will follow firefighter, Alex Kerwood into the future.

Laurie was a cautious driver, so when she heard the thump, she had to get out and check. Oh yeah, deserted, lonely road at night, she knows she shouldn’t do it, but does it anyway. I love it. I was yelling at her, telling her to keep on driving. Something bad will happen to her if she gets out of the car. Damn, she does it anyway. 😈

She isn’t the only missing person in town and I doubt she will be the last.

People think Alex is a good guy, but he carries a lot of guilt. He thought he should have been there to save his friend and fellow firefighter, Terry. He drowned his sorrow in alcohol. He and his wife, Helen, love each other, but will the alcohol destroy their marriage? I do love a tortured and fallible hero, trying to do the right thing. Makes him easier to relate to when I know he’s not perfect. I want him to succeed and live happily ever after.

Of course, we have to have the Police Chief, Connor Pellman, wanting to be governor and needing to catch the killer to promote himself. Will that cause him to take the first suspect that comes along? The problems he can cause had me wanting to reach into the pages and smack him.

As Alex and his friend debate what to do about the incident in the forest, the decision is made for them. The past meets the future and IT sets ITS eye on Helen. They WILL know HIS name. Sometimes, you just need to make a decision and do it. Right or wrong, at least it was YOUR decision.

The suspense had me looking ahead, waiting for the worlds to collide with the supernatural Hellhound and the serial killer. Could you ask for two worse entities? I didn’t know which would do the most damage, but I was eager to find out. The story was predictable, but I loved it. There is enough going on that the pacing kept my attention and I was anticipating what would come next. Reads like a B movie and I love them, too. Just like In The Woods, the novel, B movies are not the best ever written, but I love them all the same.

I received the book in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Hundreds of years ago their battle began . . .

In an age of knights and sorcery, a good king must raise a monster to protect his people from the demon unleashed by a dark-hearted enemy determined to claim his kingdom. But once called forth upon blood-drenched fields, can such evil ever be truly laid to rest?

To a present day community held hostage by fear, a serial killer will soon be the least of its worries after two off-duty firefighters enter a forest and find a grave. What they dig up isn’t a victim or family pet. When they race from the woods, they bring a timeless hell with them . . .

ABOUT NANCY GIDEON

Based upon the original horror screenplay IN THE WOODS by Lynn Drzick, now an independent motion picture.Author Picture - Nancy GideonWith over 58 sales since her first publication in 1987, which was written in long hand then typed up on a manual Smith Corolla, Portage, Michigan author Nancy Gideon’s writing encompasses romance genres from historicals and regencies to contemporary suspense and the paranormal.

Under her own name, she’s a bestseller in contemporary romantic suspense, has written an award-winning vampire romance series, and has a six book shape-shifter series with Pocket Books. Also listed on the International Movie Database (IMDB), she collaborated on Indie horror films In the Woods and Savage with screenwriting and ADR script credits, and even played a small role, that of “bar extra.”

Writing historical romance as Dana Ransom, she’s a “Career Achievement for Historical Adventure” and “K.I.S.S.” award winner with books published in Romanian, Italian, Russian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, French, German, Icelandic and Chinese.

As Rosalyn West, she’s a HOLT Medallion winner with nominations for “Best North American Historical Romance” and “Best Historical Book in a Series.”

A prolific writer, Nancy attributes her creative output, which once peaked at seven novels in one year, to her love of history and a gift for storytelling.  She also credits the discipline learned through a background in journalism and OCD.  The due date for her third book and her second son were on the same day . . . and both were early!  When on deadline, she turns on the laptop between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. to get a chapter in before heading in to her full time job as a legal assistant. She’s a member of GDRWA, MMRWA, FF&P and dotes on her critique group.

 

Website 3 Blogger  Twitter Facebook Google+ Pinterest Goodreads  Amazon

Chapter-Divider

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Review & Excerpt ~ Three Days To Forever by Lauren Carr

fundinmental would like to welcome Lauren Carr and her new mystery novel, Three Days To Forever.

I have so much to share, I hope you will take the time to enjoy it all.

Pour a cup of coffee, put up your feet, wrap up in your snuggly and let’s check it out.

Three_Days_to_Forever_banner

Title: Three Days to Forever
Author: Lauren Carr
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Pages: 466
Genre: Mystery
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Three_Days_to_Forever_3

MY REVIEW

I am familiar with Mac Faraday and his cohorts, so I was happy to be able to read to review this mystery novel. I felt Lauren Carr would not let me down and was right. I enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading more of her work.

I am loving the cover, simple, yet I sense an aura of menace.

Mac Faraday and Archie Monday are getting married. It will be the event of the season for the Spencer Inn and Deep Creek Lake, Maryland.

Just days before the wedding, Mac receives an envelope, containing a warning. As if that is not enough of a problem, he is attacked by a professional hit squad and the tale is off and running. Someone wants him dead. Or do they? Is he the real target? It seems so obvious, I am suspicious. I read on, getting deeper into the story, more involved with the characters as the danger spreads.

Plots within plots. There is so much going on, twisting and, turning, keeping me wondering how this will come together in a completed story. Who’s doing what to whom? Is it revenge for a perceived wrong? A terrorist threat from Iraq?

There are too many characters to mention, but they all contribute to the story in their own special way. We have met some of them before and will hear about some of them again and again, as we travel through the mystery series with Lauren Carr.

An invisible unit: Under the cover of anonymity, a secret unit, that does what no one else can do, what cannot be allowed to reach the light of day. They are cloaked in secrecy and deniability.

The politics are dirty, but necessary. This book will expose its biggest weaknesses, at the highest levels. Three Days To Forever by Lauren Carr reads as if it could be true. The good. The bad. The current events. Revenge, murder, terrorism, romance, love, loyalty and a determination to do what is right, regardless of the consequences.

Three Days To Forever is not a light read. The mystery and suspense kept me captivated, as I traveled from Iraq to the United States and back again. Lauren kept me guessing and on my toes. I never anticipated all the events that would ensue.

I did not sit on the edge of my seat with bated breath, or have to stay up all night until I finished it, but I did read the book, which is 434 pages in this ARC paperback, within a twenty four hour period.

I look forward to reading more Mac Faraday mysteries by Lauren Carr, or anything else she chooses to write.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery from best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr, readers will embark on a rollercoaster adventure with old friends (including the Lovers in Crime team of Prosecutor Joshua Thornton and Homicide Detective Cameron Gates), but also meet new ones as Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica Faraday and Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy Thornton join the team in the race to get the love birds to the altar!

With three days left to the year, Deep Creek Lake is hopping with holiday vacationers and wedding guests pouring into the Spencer Inn for Mac Faraday and Archie Monday’s huge wedding ceremony which is being touted as the social event of the year.

But droopy flowers and guests who failed to RSVP are the least of Mac’s and Archie’s problems when a professional hit squad hits Spencer Manor to send the groom, Joshua Thornton, Archie’s mother, and Gnarly running for their lives.

With time running out to the big day, Mac Faraday and Spencer’s small police force have to sort through the clues to figure out not only who has been targeted for assassination, but also who is determined to stop everything … FOREVER!

“Lauren Carr’s mystery novels are indeed one of my go-tos when I’m looking for a good whodunit.” –Reviewer: Shana Benedict, ABookVacation Book Reviews.

“Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.” – Reviewer: Every Free Chance Book Reviews.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

  • Three Days to Forever is available at Amazon.
  • Watch the book trailer at YouTube.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

EXCERPT

How many years have I lived here, and I still don’t know where Archie puts the scissors?

After closing the drawer in the nightstand on his side of the bed, Mac gave up and twisted around to grasp the designer tag hanging from under his armpit. Hoping to not tear a hole in the new blue sweater that his daughter, Jessica, had given him for Christmas, he gave it a sharp tug.

The tag gave way, but the plastic “do-hickey” that kept it attached to the sweater didn’t.

Rats!

From where he was sprawled out in the center of the bed, Gnarly cocked his head at him.

“I don’t suppose you could bite it off without putting a hole in this sweater, huh, Gnarly?”

Mac studied the label he had torn off. Dolce & Gabbana.

Never heard of them. But if Jessica bought it, it has to be expensive, and she’ll have a fit if I put a hole in it. Mac went into the master bathroom in search of nail clippers.

Gnarly’s bark, and then his jump between the bed and the door, prompted Mac to forget the do-hickey hanging under his armpit. After grabbing his gun from the drawer in the nightstand, he followed Gnarly down the stairs to the two-story foyer, out the cut-glass front door, and onto the front porch. Mac clutched his weapon behind his back. When Gnarly, sitting at his side, uttered a low growl, Mac tightened his grip and watched the sedan slowly make its way around the circular driveway before coming to a halt at the bottom of the porch steps.

When the elderly driver stepped out of the car, Mac placed her and the car.

Agnes Douglas. Archie’s mother.

No wonder Gnarly had growled. He never had liked her very much … and the feeling was mutual.

Shoving aside his fears about the safety of Archie, his family, and their friends, Mac forced a wide grin onto his face.

After shoving the gun into the back waistband of his pants and covering it up with his sweater, he hurried down the steps to take the white-haired woman into his arms. Like her only daughter, she was petite. She fell two inches short of five feet tall, and Mac had to bend over to hug her. In her heavy dark blue winter coat and thick snow boots, she resembled a blue snow man.

Shouldn’t she be with Archie and the bridesmaids getting their hair done at the salon? Oh well, Agnes goes and does what she wants when she wants. Best not to question.

“Agnes, I’m so glad to see you.” Mac clasped her arm, slipped his other arm around her waist, and guided her across the slick ice, up the steps, and inside.

At the top of the steps, Gnarly backed away. Agnes had made it quite clear to Gnarly that he was only allowed to look at, but not touch, her.

“I told her that I had one of my headaches.” At the top of the porch steps, she turned to Mac. She tilted her head back to peer up at him from over the top of her glasses. She paused to look him up and then down, and then she noticed that he was wearing only his bedroom slippers without any socks. “What are you doing outside in two feet of snow and ice without boots on?”

“I heard you coming and didn’t want you to slip on the ice.”

Agnes’ head bobbed up and down while she chastised him. “Do I look like I need your help? I haven’t broken a hip yet. Archie depends on you. What good are you going to do her dropping dead from pneumonia?”

Unable to come up with an answer, Mac shrugged.

Willing Gnarly out of her way, she opened the front door.

“I hope you have the tea ready.” Grabbing him by the elbow, she ushered him inside. Gnarly was barely able to slip inside before she slammed the door.

“Actually,” Mac said as gently as possible, “I was on my way out.”

Her head snapped up to glare at him. “What do you mean you were on your way out?”

“One of my groomsmen and I have an appointment with the tailor.” Mac looked down at the tiny elderly woman who stood before him in the middle of the living room. She clasped her handbag with both hands in front of her.

Like a referee at a boxing match, Gnarly sat between them, looking from one to the other.

“Did I do something to upset you, Agnes?”

“I think it’s best if we lay out our ground rules before you marry Archie,” she said.

Sensing a battle, Mac folded his arms across his chest. He was physically setting up a barrier. “Okay, Agnes. Shoot.”

“To be blunt,” Agnes said in a tone devoid of emotion,“I’m giving this marriage five years. Archie refuses to tell me how much you’re paying for this huge three-ring circus, but I hope you’ll think it’s worth it when you only get five years on your investment.”

“Five years? Investment?” Mac chuckled. “With all due respect—”

Agnes’ hand shot up. She shook her head. “Don’t give me that all-due-respect crap. I’ve had seven children, six boys.

Archie’s daddy keeled over with a heart attack when she was only five years old. Since that time, I’ve been ’round the block so much that I wore a rut in it and”—she shook her finger at him—“I learned ages ago that when someone says to me ‘with all due respect,’ they’re not giving me an ounce of it.”

“I don’t consider Archie to be an investment,” Mac said through gritted teeth. “And to be blunt, I don’t think you know enough about our relationship to be in a position to make any sort of prediction about the success or lack of success of our marriage.”

“Archie has spent the last dozen years of her life hiding out in this mansion, taking care of your mother,” Agnes said.

“Then, she’s spent the last few years in your bed. Now,” she glanced him up and down, “you’re a very attractive man, and I’m sure Archie wouldn’t want to marry you if you weren’t good in bed. I’m sure all of that money adds to your appeal, but there’s more to lifelong happiness than sex and money. There’s character, and marriage with a man who has no character—”

Mac stepped toward her. “What gives you the right to comment on my character?”

As if to voice his agreement, Gnarly barked.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren_Carr_3Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Three Days to Forever is the ninth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Three Days to Forever introduces Lauren Carr’s latest series, detectives, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Look for the first installment in this series in Spring 2015.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

For More Information

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Review ~ Dictating Death by Bonnie R Paulson

This wickedly delicious cover for Dictating Death by Bonnie R Paulson makes me think I will be going over the falls and into deep water. And I go willingly. 😈

Add Me to Goodreads now.

Cover: Ashley Byland of Redbird Design

MY REVIEW

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

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

Is Samantha good? Is Maria bad? Who is the responsible party? Many times they are at cross purposes, both struggling for control. Sam is a slob, a pussy. Maria is the doer, she wants to look hot and pretty, she is the angel of vengeance.

As the book opens, Maria thinks, this is not my first kill and I sure don’t want it to be the last. She knew she would get caught…just not yet.  She must have her

r
 e
v
e
n
g
e

Everything before hand is just icing on the cake.

She is 300 pounds of woman. Sam did it to slow them down, forgetting, or never really believing she may meet Mr Right.

Rebecca – where did she come from?  I think I will leave it to you to learn about Rebecca.

When Sam met Luke, she felt he was different.

Dr Luke Lawson. Imagine coming home to your messy house, only to find it sparkling clean. What would you do? What did he do?

He left his door open, hoping someone would come in and erase all evidence of his ex. DONE. But, you better be careful what you wish for. Poor Luke. Even when something good enters his life, it turns to shit. He can’t get a break.

I was into this book from the beginning and it gripped me until the end. Like the synopsis says, this is not for the faint of heart. The torture, blood and gore keeps on giving. I knew her ending, but the way it happened was wrapped up in a neat package that had me saying, “Well, that’s that.” I am satisfied.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

This book is not light reading. There are graphic scenes and there is not HEA. NOT intended for teens or young adults. Again, this is not light reading. Violence and craziness. You’ve been warned.***

Samantha wants to love him.

Maria wants to kill him.

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

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

But Luke is special.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bonnie R. PaulsonBe safe. Tuck your feet up under your rump, wrap your blanket tight, and survive in the pages of Bonnie’s stories.

The question is… do you have what it takes to turn the page?

Some more fun facts about Bonnie:
– Dirt biking is a hobby.  No, changing diapers is not – that’s a vocation.
– Favorite food?  Chocolate of course, the darker the better – then Italian anything!
– Favorite thing to do?  Be with my family and Hubs!  He is the best!
– Bonnie is licensed as a Radiologic Technologist (R.T.)
– Six kids run her all over the place and keep her sane.

Bonnie is a member of Story 4 Story
Zombie Survival Crew
And so much more!

(Info and pics from Goodreads and Bonnie’s blog)
Blog  /  Goodreads  /  Twitter  /  Facebook
Do you believe in split personalities?

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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?

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