Review of Ending Evil by Vickie McKeehan

Posted on November 12, 2012 by fundinmental

This is the last “Evil” book in the trilogy and I open my Kindle with trepidation. I do it with a feeling of loss, knowing I will be saying good-bye to some dear friends. Their story is told. Of course, I will read them again and I don’t even have to dust them off. lol

Ending Evil

“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”

Anonymous

Spoiler alert: This is the third book of the Evil trilogy. Each tells the story of one of three women. Kit. Baylee. Quinn. They were friends and had moved in together when they were only sixteen. They were the only real family each of them had. The evil that happens to them stems from the branches of the legal entity that is Boyd, Boyd, Geller & Getz. Their stories are interwoven and culminate in this, the last book of the trilogy.

“To let evil go unpunished is to breed more evil.”

Anonymous

Trevor Dane left the Medical Center as the LAPD hurried to lock it down. It seemed like his list was never-ending. Jessica. Eva. Alan. Frank. Now Connor. That left Cade and Collin and maybe even some cousins, before he could end the evil reign of Boyd, Boyd, Geller & Getz.

Quinn Tyler was a nurse at the Medical Center and wanted nothing more than to be a pediatrician. She had an overwhelming desire to care for all the babies in the world.

She was working in the ER when Connor Boyd was brought in. She helped work on him but to no avail. She heard his brother, Cade yelling and turned toward him. In his rage, he reached for her, but the cop held him back.

Reese Brennan was there to see his client, William Scott, Baylee’s father. He’d been at the Boyd’s all day, watching the police dig up human remains. One body they found was Sarah Moreland, Baylee’s mother, another was Luc Delaine, Sarah’s friend, the tennis player, but no one knew who the third body was.

Reese was hoping to get more information about the bodies from William and to see Quinn. He heard Cade screaming and yelling. He knew that Cade was a danger to Quinn, so he went to check it out. Cade kept screaming and yelling threats at her as he was drug away.

Reese loved arguing with Quinn. She had a sarcastic wit that he found very appealing. He couldn’t help getting turned on just by thinking of her. Reese had a calmness about him that Quinn was also drawn to, but she wasn’t happy about it, attracted to a lawyer of all things.

Quinn’s father, Nick Tyler, was a famous rocker and singer tor the Irish band, Shatter. She had never had a relationship with him, everything was handled through his lawyers, thus her dislike and distrust of lawyers. Her mother, Ella Canyon, was a crack whore and flake, pretty much non-existent. As a kid, they had slept wherever they happened to be, whether it was a car, or a friend’s house. Then Ella married Tyler’s record producer and they moved to Beverly Hills.

Reese was best friends with Jake and Dylan. Quinn respected them, so she thought Reese couldn’t be all bad. He was looking out for her, trying to get the detective to arrest Cade. To her, loyalty was one of the most important qualities a person could have.

Quinn got in trouble with Dr. Mendenhall, the chief of Emergency Surgery because of her past relationship with Cade. The family power of Boyd, Boyd, Geller and Getz carried a lot of weight and Dr. Mendenhall felt he had no choice but to suspend Quinn. She told Reese that if he got her reinstated, she would make it more than worth his while.

Mr. X was exacting his revenge. Reese finally voiced what they all thought, Mr. X was ending the evil, making sure it stopped now with the sons. No way were any of the six going to help the police catch him. He had saved their lives more than once.

When he had saved Sarah from Connor, he had left the gold cowboy in the shirt the baby had been wrapped in, but it was his own shirt. He had left DNA evidence for the first time.

Max St. John was there to question Baylee, Sarah’s mother. Dylan was trying to protect her, he didn’t want it known that Cade had claimed Connor was Sarah’s father. Dan, Max St. John’s partner, arrived. He had come from the Boyd’s house and was telling Kit and Jake what was discovered.

As Baylee was getting ready to leave, Reese was wondering why Quinn didn’t tell Kit and Baylee about Cade in the ER. She was very private but that didn’t make sense. They were her best friends and they confided in each other.

She had told him her story of Cade. She was 19 and he had made her feel special. After a couple of months she gave in to his charm. She thought he loved her. One night, Cade thought she had laughed at him, so he beat her and choked her. She really thought he would kill her. She was saved by his cousin, Adam Getz. Cade knew she had never told anyone other than the police. Sumner, of Boyd, Boyd, Geller & Getz, had talked her into dropping the charges. She did, but she kept the restraining order and forced Cade to make a deposition to the police.

Connor was so drugged up, he was useless. Cade told him they couldn’t just let it go. Quinn needed to pay. He blamed Quinn for everything, Quinn had had him arrested for domestic violence and he had never forgotten it. This was the last straw. He remembered what is was like, screwing her while he was choking her.

Cade and Collin were coming for Quinn. She wasn’t home, but Cade jimmied the lock to her house. He unhooked the gas line, while Collin looked for a candle. Collin lit the candle, set it on the table and they hauled it out of there.

Trevor had their houses and cars bugged, but the cops were all over both. His only means of tracking them now, was their cell phones. He had been busy with Connor at the medical center and had lost track of the boys.

Quinn and Reese had fun making out in the parking lot. Reese knew he was going to spend the night with her. He was afraid for her and wasn’t going to let her out of his sight until the Cade business was over. Just as they were arriving at her place, an explosion rocked her car, throwing debris. It was quickly followed by another blast, then another. Reese was sure he knew who set the fire.

Everyone (Kit and Jake, Baylee and Dylan, Quinn and Reese) were meeting at Crandall House. It was time to make their own plan for ending evil.

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

The “Evil” trilogy has been the highlight of my 2012 reading season. I have completely fallen in love with the story, the characters and the author, Vickie McKeehan.

The covers of the books have been awesome. The plots have been so detailed and Sun on a blue sky, behind a tree, in a late autumn day captivating, that I found myself lost between the covers, not wanting the books to end. Every time I turned around, Vickie McKeehan had another suspenseful, nail-biting detail to add to the story.

The characters, well, you will either love them or hate them, but you will feel emotions from beginning to end. They went from disgusting and despicable, to chivalrous, courageous, admirable, loving and sexy. I love books where the characters affect the outcome, not just wait for someone to come and save them.

What would you do and how far would you go to protect and save the ones you love from an evil so horrible that even the police could not stop it?

The ending surprised me, I did not see it coming, but I loved every word of it.

Now that the Evil trilogy is over, I will be moving on to Promise Cove and the Pelican Pointe novels. I can hardly wait to dip my feet into another series of Vickie McKeehan’s books, that I am sure will make me fall in love with an entirely new cast of characters who are screaming for my attention.

And now, I won’t say goodbye to Kit and Jake, Baylee and Dylan, and Quinn and Reese, but see you later.

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

My Review for Just Evil, go HERE

My Review for Deeper Evil, go HERE.

About the Author

Vickie McKeehan Just Evil was given Coffee Time Romance and More’s highest rating plus a CTRR award.

Vickie created her first character when she was four years old and came up with her imaginary friend, Marty. Together the two battled, they slayed, they conquered. She and Marty managed to get into plenty of trouble and usually had to come up with a clever way out of it. From the Marty experience a fertile imagination was born.

Today she’s graduated to more grownup characters. And after spending years sitting in a cubicle, writing boring corporate communiques all the while day-dreaming about stories beyond those dreary walls, she finally decided to let her mind run free.

The Evil Trilogy sprang from that.

Though she was born and bred in Texas, she now lives in her adopted home state of California, near the ocean she loves.

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Special introductory price to start The Evil Trilogy. Simply click on the cover to download Just Evil for 99 cents!!!!!!!
Click on the cover to order.

My Review for Just Evil, go HERE
My Review for Deeper Evil, go HERE.

Tony had me rolling on the floor, laughing out loud, when I wasn’t ticked off at Jack.

Posted on November 6, 2012 by fundinmental

Claus: Legend of the Fat Man by Tony Bertauski

At the North Pole, Nicholas couldn’t believe the Inuits had left them, taking all their gear and food. He left Jessica and Jon in the tent and went to investigate their disappearance. He had tied a rope around himself so he could find his way back. When it wrapped around his feet and tripped him, he realized it had been cut. He turned to walk back and fell through the ice.

Back at the tent, Jessica reeled in the empty line. When she stuck her head out of the tent to see if she could catch a glimpse of Nicholas, she was grabbed and thrown in the air. When she awoke, she found Jon with her in a warm room surrounded by ice. Where did the light come from?

She called out, “Hello” , and people-like creatures appeared. One of them, Merry, introduced herself and Nog. She said they needed to leave, now. Nog packed up the room and put it in a bag he had pulled from his pocket. What? How did he do that? How did the whole room end up in his bag.

Jon thought it was magic. Nog told him it was science. He said they were elven and had been around for more than 40,000 years. There was no time to explain right now. They had to relocate. The Fracture, war, had separated the elves, and the colony has to move every two weeks.

How would they travel? Why, reindeer and sleigh. Was there a reindeer with a red nose? What do you think?

Jack was the only elven with no sense of humor. When he was really upset, two words always calmed him, Silent Night, and he would repeat them over and over.

Pawn approached Jack to tell him they had found an injured warmblood. He had been caught in their trap, but the other two got away with the rebels help. He had been put in Claus‘ lab, because he had been injured and Claus was the only one who could heal him. Pawn told Jack the warmblood’s name was Santa.

Jack and Claus were twin brothers. Jack wanted to kill all the warmbloods and return the world to the Ice Age. He had been waiting to capture a warmblood and now he had one. He had held Claus prisoner, even though he was treated well, because he would need his help to turn the warmblood into a weapon.

Merry had a special relationship with the reindeer. She could hear them. When everyone found out, they all began ignoring her. No one would play games with her and they called her names. What a great twist on Rudolph’s story.

As she was calling out their names for Jon, he shouted out the last one, Blitzen. How did he know? He didn’t have an answer for her.

Claus tried to explain to Nicholas, that he could be their salvation or their destruction. He could bring distinction to the human race.

Of course Frosty the Snowman is there, but what part he plays, you will have to read to find out.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

There are two different covers for this book and I loved them both, so I used one at the beginning and another at the end of this post. The title speaks for itself. LOL

An amazing and awe-inspiring novel of how Santa came to be. I was stunned at Tony Bertauski’s descriptions of the characters, critters and their environment. It was nothing less than amazing. His descriptions of the environment, technology and science fiction involved in the writing of this novel had me……I can’t even think of the words to describe how impressed I was. As you can see, I am now repeating myself, so read the book and you will see what I mean.

His creativity with mixing so many genres – the environment, technology, science fiction, magic, fantasy, Christmas, etc. – was superb.

The book has an unexpected ending, but no peeking.

I can see this as a television Christmas special. I think it would be a classic.

I have read one other book of his, The Annihilation of Foreverland and was equally impressed with that novel. This is an author you want to place on your must read list.

I got the book for free, and whether Tony expected a review or not, here it is. LOL. I loved everything about this book and would have reviewed it no matter what.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.

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

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

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taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos Giveaway – Tony Bertauski is offering up 2 ebooks for the giveaway. It is International and easy to enter, as always. Just answer the question:

Everyone roots for the good guy, the protagonist, the guy/girl that saves the word and never tells a lie. But there’s something to be said for a great villain. I’ve always found the most compelling bad guy is the really nasty one that has some redeeming quality — tiny as it may be — that makes me not hate him/her nearly as much as I should. Everything I write features an antagonist that, by the end, leaves the reader scratching his/her head.

Given this criteria, who is a REALLY good antagonist? And why?

Ends November 20, 2012.

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.

WINNERS!!!!! are: Alana and Denise Z

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

To get your copy of a Tony Bertauski novel, click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

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Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Giveaway and Review of Cupid’s Christmas by Bette Lee Crosby

Posted on November 5, 2012 by fundinmental

This book has a new cover and title.

Click on the cover below to see.

Hello, my name is Cupid.

Love doesn’t just happen. I get my orders from Upstairs, then I proceed to make it happen, or try to.

I have spent centuries dealing with humans, but Lindsay Gray was a puzzle. She was so unpredictable and impulsive. She can’t seem to tell love from lust. If I can’t help Lindsay, she’ll end up being classified as Love-Challenged.

After losing her job and deciding to go home, she was in for a rude awakening. She envisioned home as if nothing had changed, as if time had stood still. She thought her friends and family would all be the same, just waiting for her to come home and pick up where she had left off.When she got home, she realized she never came back because it reminded her of her dead mother and she wanted to avoid any unhappy thoughts. But she soon settled in as if she had never left.

If I didn’t create a diversion for her, she would ruin more lives than her own. Cupid thought – dog – distraction.

Bugs Bunny Sleigh Taz Tasmanian Devil Daffy Duck Slyvester Tweety Pie Roadrunner Merry Christmas Emoticon Emoticons Animated Animation Animations Gif Pictures, Images and Photos

4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

Bette Lee Crosby’s stories and writing style are of the highest caliber. They grab me from the beginning and don’t let go, even after the last sentence is read.

Cute, warm, Christmasy cover. When you near the end of the book, the choice of the cover becomes clear. The title is appropriate. The story is as much about Cupid as it is Lindsay, maybe even more so.

A feel good love story – romance, full of the hills and valleys, highs and lows, roller-coaster ride… that love entails.

Cupid – I loved how he talked about manipulating humans. True love is a lot more subtle than people think, that is why they sometimes miss the moment. Humans thought they actually controlled their lives, but he knew better. All they do is muck it up. It makes you wonder why he cared so much. Even Cupid has faith. I guess he has to?

As he described us and our failings, I would find myself laughing.

Lindsay – so intent on her losses, she couldn’t see what was right in front of her. She was so gullible. She was very impulsive and unpredictable. You wanted her to go right, so you could bet your … she was going to go left. To me she seemed so selfish, that I really didn’t like her and never would have spent any time with her. I thought she needed a good slap up side the head. lol Do you think she will change? Is she going to find what she has been looking for?

I loved when Amanda talks to Lindsay and describes Phillip. “Phillip is nothing more than a gift box, gorgeous on the outside, totally empty inside.”

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

A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE DOG

Taken from the back of the book, in Bette’s own words.

The dog featured on the front cover is Katie, a rescued Bichon who has been with us for over nine years. We adopted her when she was just under a year old and at that time, she was terribly underweight, her hair tangled and knotted and her skin covered with fleas and ticks. The day we picked her up, she was trembling like a frightened rabbit.

All that changed. Over the years she learned the joy of tummy rubs and treats. She became my constant companion and spent most of the afternoon sitting in my lap as I worked at the computer. At times she was also my muse. In the novel Spare Change, the name Scooter Cobb was taken from Katie’s boyfriend, another bichon who visited Katie often and spent a fair bit of time at our house.

Katie was the inspiration for this book and the picture used on the inside pages was taken by Heavenly Acres Rescue on the day they picked her up. It’s hard to understand by anyone would neglect a sweet little dog like this, but the sad truth is it happens.

As the book goes to press, my heart is heavy because our sweet angel has been diagnosed with an inoperable carcinoma on the underside of her tongue. I know our days with her are numbered and it is breaking my heart. This book is my final tribute to the sweet little girl who has been such an important part of our life. I will always love her.

In an effort to help other rescue dogs find their forever people, a portion of the proceeds from this book will go the Treasure Coast Humane society to support their no-kill shelter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bette Lee Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006, when she won the National League of American Pen Women Award for unpublished fiction with What Matters Most. Her novel, Cracks in the Sidewalk, received the 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award and then went on to win the 2011 FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal. In 2011 Spare Change received the Reviewer’s Choice Awards and it garnered a second Royal Palm Literary Award. Her books have earned numerous five-star ratings with readers acclaiming them as heartwarming and captivating.

Most recently, Bette completed a memoir written for Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as The World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic.

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Giveaway – Bette Lee Crosby is offering for the giveaway:

International – 2 ebooks of Cupid’s Christmas.

US and Canada – 1 signed paperback.

As always the entry is easy. Leave a comment – What is your favorite part of the Christmas holidays? – and an email address. Contest ends on November 19, 2012.

My favorite time of any giveaway is announcing the winners. So without further ado, the winners of Cupid‘s Christmas by Bette Lee Crosby are:

Signed Paperback – mariacatalinaegan

ebook – Alyson@Snifferwalk

ebook – stuffsmart

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

FOR ALL MY REVIEWS, CLICK HERE.

FOR ALL MY GIVEAWAYS, CLICK HERE.

Is that a Chupacabra in the Tree?

Posted on October 24, 2012 by fundinmental

Shadow of the Oak by Eric Kent Edstrom

I find Eric’s writing to be fascinating and entertaining. His characters and worlds come from someplace else, not always sure from where, but I do enjoy visiting them.

Me, Bill and Becca were meeting at the dam to discuss our business – a comic book series we were writing .Chrissy, Becca’s younger sister, had tagged along, but that was okay. She sat by the water reading her book.

We heard Chrissy’s terrified scream and ran to where she had been on the riverbank. No Chrissy.

l ran, looking for her, following her screams. I spotted her near the top of a tree. How did she get up there? Then I saw it. It had orange eyes, big fangs and wings wrapped around its body.

Chrissy fell and I tried to catch her. Becca ran to her to see if she was hurt. Chrissy didn’t know how she got up in the tree, so I told them what I saw. Nobody believed me.

Kizmo, my online friend, helped me find the creature – it was a Chupacabra.

English: Picture of chupacabra. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The information read – Nicaragua, three-foot wing span, myth. Kizmo asked me if I lived in Mushkobewun. When I told him yes, he went on to tell me about an Indian dig and a famous murder that happened in 1977 or 1978 in our area. A body had been found in a tree.

Chrissy fell ill and I knew we had to find the Chupacabra in order to save her.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

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

Eric’s books always have some really awesome book covers. The title for this book is descriptive of the adventures of the trio in trying to solve the mystery of Chrissy’s illness.

Even though the book is very short and can be read within a couple of hours, I found it to be detailed and thorough in the plot and with the characters. Sal became my hero and I will be curious to see how he grows and develops into the young man he is becoming. Eric is currently working on the second Sal Van Sleen book and I can hardly wait to go on his next adventure with him.

I have also read Undermountain (my review HERE) and Afterlife (my review HERE), from Eric’s Undermountain Saga and loved them. I still think of them often and they bring a smile to my face as I remember them. Book III is in the works and I am eagerly anticipating getting my hands on it. With Shadow of the Oak, Eric does not disappoint.

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

Eric is an author, songwriter, husband, father, and guitarist. He is the author of Undermountain and Afterlife, the first two entries in YA science fiction series The Undermountain Saga.

Eric loves working out with kettlebells and eating pretty much anything with peanut butter.

To find out more about Eric Kent Edstrom, follow the links below.

Goodreads

Website

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taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos

Giveaway – Eric is offering up two paperbacks of Shadow of the Oak. This giveaway is U S only. As always, it is easy to enter. Simply answer the question – WHAT CRITTER SCARES YOU THE MOST? – and leave an email address. This giveaway will run 10/24/2012 – 11/7/2012. Closed.

. My favorite time of any giveaway is announcing the winners. So without further ado, the winners of Shadow of the Oak are:

Laura

ramheaded

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

To order any of the books below, simply click on the cover.

FOR MY REVIEW OF ERIC’S UNDERMOUNTAIN SAGA, GO HERE.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

To keep updated on the latest happenings here on fundinmental, follow by email.

Giveaway and Review – One thought she was a treasure, One thought she was an abomination.

Posted on October 19, 2012 by fundinmental

The Awakening by Mary Abshire

My first thought when the cute man woke me was good, I have my clothes on. But where am I? When he asked my name, I couldn’t remember.

Boss suggested I go with them to talk, my instinct said I could trust them. We walked through the dead bodies – burned, torn limb from limb, missing heads. Boss told Jonas to burn them all. But what about notifying their families of their death? He told me they already knew, but I didn’t understand what he meant. When Jonas asked when I had last fed, I looked at him in surprise.

“You’re not going to stand there and tell me you don’t know you’re a vampire,” he said.

We were in Indianapolis. As we drove around, I felt a familiarity with my surroundings but couldn’t remember anything specific. I was in the back seat of the car and could hear them talking, but their lips weren’t moving. I could hear their thoughts. When I said I couldn’t kill people, Jonas laughed. I could hear Jonas asking Boss what would happen if I couldn’t remember.

All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain rip through my skill and my ears rang. Boss was doing it, trying to read my mind. He found nothing there, no memories. The pain lessened as he backed off, finally believing me. There should be something there, some memory he could find, even if I couldn’t, but there wasn’t. It was possible for a vampire to erase some memory, but not all. Demons can alter memories and reality, but not wipe out memories.

Boss admitted to being a vampire. I asked about Jonas, but Boss cut him off before he could answer. He held my hand to his chest, no heartbeat. But I had one. He told me I was a half-breed. So I was only half dead. That was why I needed warm blood and human food. Boss could think of no one, or no reason for someone to wipe my memories. Whoever did do it, couldn’t be human. As Jonas and Boss talked, they mentioned other breeds, werewolves, demons, fae, shifters, warlocks…..

When I held my stomach while it was cramping, I felt a bulge in my skirt. I reached in my pocket and found two pieces of paper. Before I could see what they were, Boss grabbed them out of my hand. They were my clues. As we fought over them, they blew out the window. We chased them in the wind and finally caught them. One was a receipt to a bookstore. Still no memory.

The other paper was a pawn shop receipt. But if I hocked something, where was the money and what did I pawn? Boss kept my papers. He also found my knife when we got back in the car. It had fallen out of my boot. The handle was made from gold and had two initials, S and B, and was poisoned. Boss told me, if it belonged to me, the poison wouldn’t affect me.

Boss and Jonas worked for the Worldwide Organization of Peace and Protection. His job was to monitor the clans and make sure no one species dominated. We agreed to work together to find out who I was and who killed all those people, those creatures. I knew I wasn’t a killer. I didn’t drink blood and I didn’t have fangs. We figured someone had been looking for me and would do whatever they had to do to get me back. How did they lose me?

We went to the pawn shop, but it seemed to present more questions than answers. I had pawned a demon watch. It tells time in Hell and on earth. It could open a portal between the two worlds.

When the question came up, was I part vampire and part demon, Boss said that it was not possible. He said Tabby may be able to help. She was a Shape-shifter and was living with him and Jonas.

It was decided I needed to test my skills and Tabby would be the perfect sparring partner. When I shifted to mist, I had the not so bright idea to tease Boss. He not only attacked me, he called me an abomination and told me to get out. He thought I was a freak, thought me dangerous. Jonas saw me as a treasure, one of a kind. If Boss made me go, Tabby and Jonas said they would go with me.

Tabby suggested we go shopping and do girl things. We were having a good time, until I noticed the same guy appeared wherever we went. Tabby couldn’t see him, so I told Jonas about him over the phone. He wanted us home, now. Tabby went off to finish the shopping and I waited near the entrance.

Benny chose that moment to introduce himself. He knew I was a half-breed. He was an angel. He told me I needed to remember soon, Tabby’s life was in danger. Now I was human, vampire, demon and angel.

We went to the book store listed on the receipt. While there I had a flash of memory. I had been writing in a journal and there was a strong smell of coffee. Boss picked another memory. I had been writing in a journal and was going to mail it. That was four days ago. It should have arrived. What would the journal contain? Would it help answer all our questions?

While we were surfing the internet, a hacker began hunting for our IP address. Boss had us grabbing computers and weapons. Tabby was throwing bags of clothes and stacks of cash. Boss and I jumped in the SUV, Jonas and Tabby followed behind us. Gargumen were hunting us, so we split up, agreeing to meet up later.

What was up with Senator Galuzzi, presidential candidate, and Allison? Why did our internet search of them trigger such a hunt? On top of all that, Benny had told me I needed to remember, that Tabby was in danger and I could save her. From what?

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

It caught my interest from the beginning. Amnesia. But as the story progressed, I found myself reading faster and faster. The book was full of mystery and suspense.

The plot was going in several directions, but they do come together.

At times I forgot the characters weren’t human. I fell in love with Jonas and Tabby was wonderful. They didn’t even know Stephanie, but would leave everything to protect her, to help her.

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Stephanie wanted to know all the answers. She felt human and had no desire to do anyone any harm, until they threatened her new-found friends. She would do whatever it took to protect them all, even Boss.

Stephanie couldn’t always understand why Boss could be so cold and demanding. Guess she kept forgetting that he was a vampire. Isn’t that how they are? Yet, he took care of and protected Jonas and Tabby.

Then, boom it was over. I read the last page. Oh no, now what? I didn’t want it to end. I am really curious to see where this story will go. Book II: Quest came out October 8, 2012.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Outside of my government job, I write Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. Dark and dangerous creatures are my friends. I create worlds with vampires, demons, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. I even create new ones. How do I do this? I have a twisted mind and it gets better with wine.

Care to join me in my fantastical worlds? I’ll introduce you to my friends, and if they bite or corrupt your mind… it’s not my fault.

You can find more information about me and my books on the links below:

Website

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Facebook

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Blog

Goodreads

Giveaway – Mary has offered 1 ebook for the giveaway. It is International and easy to enter, as always. Just answer the question – If you were a supernatural being, what would it be and why? – and leave your email. Ends November 5, 2012. THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. The winner is – bev – I would like to thank everyone that stopped by to comment and enter.

Tweet it out and share it with your friends and family, not required.

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Book II: Quest came out October 8, 2012. To order any of Mary’s books, simply click on the cover below.

To order one of the books, simply click the cover.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

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Giveaway – $25 Amazon Giftcard and 2 signed paperbacks of The Steel Deal by James Blaklely plus Review

Posted on October 18, 2012 by fundinmental

The Steel Deal by James Blakley

If you are a conspiracy theorist, this may be a book for you. Sonny Busco, a Private Investigator finds himself mixed up with The Men and Women in Black, while trying to keep the other side from stealing sentient steel, a revolutionary new invention that could change the world as we know it. Sentient steel is lightweight like aluminum, elastic like rubber and durable like titanium. It can be shaped into almost any form. It can think and become whatever it wants.

My name is Sonny Busco. I am a Private Investigator. I am fifty-five and feel my age. I drive a twenty-six year old Oldsmobile, that I am never sure will start. I like my Bourbon and I bet on the ponies to try and augment my lack of income.

I have a second job as a security guard. It’s a steady job that helps to cover my bills.

When I am working as a Private Investigator, I wear a Blazer and tie. It’s really hard to tell, though, because I dress the same, whether I am visiting my Bookie, a bill collector or a broad.

I am in hock to a loan shark, because business has been slack. It seems private eyes aren’t in as much demand as we used to be. When I got the call from Pixy, I arranged to meet her right away. She offered me $2500, for what seemed to be a piece of cake job.
I would be able to pay my Bookie, my debts and still have some pocket change.

Santa Fe, Capital of New Mexico (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I saw the girl with the silvery box, I noticed how scared she was. We exchanged our agreed upon coded responses. She told me her name was Pixy Sage and all I had to do was retrieve a suitcase that held a new invention, sentient steel, and deliver it to her in Santa Fe, NM tomorrow night.

My Oldsmobile had broken down, so we got into the Stealth I had borrowed from my mechanic and headed to either the bus station or the train station. She hadn’t told me yet what mode of transportation she would be taking, only that it was too obvious to fly. When she said we were being followed by the taxi behind us, I thought, sure we are. But we were. With the Stealth, I easily lost them. She said only four people knew about sentient steel, now I was the fifth.

The taxi caught up to us and when I slammed on the brakes to avoid getting in a wreck, Pixy jumped out of the car and ran. I thought, no problem. I knew we were to meet in Santa Fe, so I would retrieve the briefcase and head there.

But my way would be much more difficult than I ever could have anticipated.

4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. James Blakely sent me a signed paperback. Thank you, James. I love adding another book to my collection.

I loved the cover and the title matched the story. It is not your average PI story, even though at times it seems to be very light-hearted.

The book was very well written. It was 213 pages of mystery, action and fun. The mismatch of fun and interesting characters kept me on my toes. If the plot had been more developed, this book could be rated even higher. It had a feel of James Bond, to me.

There was so much action packed into such a small book, every time I thought it was over, this happened, then this. Nothing big, nothing earth-shaking, but fun. The book can be read in a couple of hours, which I did, over coffee on my patio.

There was plenty of food for thought and it will keep you thinking long after you read the book. If you like conspiracy, this book will help feed your paranoia.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Blakley was educated at Missouri Western State College and Washburn University. While at MWSC, he was a local and national award-winning columnist and co-editor of “The Griffon-News”.

Blakley worked 10 1/2 years as a page and as an Assistant Librarian for the River Bluffs Regional Libraries of St. Joseph, MO. He currently lives in Topeka,KS where he worked for The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library before spending several years in clerical and customer support capacities for international computer companies such as EDS and HP.

For those “inquiring minds who want to know”, I’m almost finished with a screenplay version of “The Steel Deal.” And I’m rough-drafting my next novel (due out in late 2013/early 2014).

You can find James Blakely at Goodreads

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos Giveaway – James has offered an awesome giveaway.

A $25.00 Amazon Gift Card and

2 signed paperback books for the giveaway.

It is International and easy to enter, as always. Just answer the question – Do you think there have been enough scientific advances that there could be such a thing as sentient steel and if there is, would THEY allow it to be used? – and leave your email. Ends November 14, 2012.

My favorite time of any giveaway is announcing the winners. So without further ado, the winners of The Steel Deal are:

$25 GC – Stuffsmart

PB – Shannon

PB – Christie Rich

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

FOR ALL MY GIVEAWAYS, CLICK HERE.

Tweet it out and share it with your friends and family, not required.

It is always appreciated if you follow me on my blog and Twitter, not required.
To order, simply click on the cover.

Jurassic Wolves In The Ozarks? Giveaway, Review and Interview

Posted on October 15, 2012 by fundinmental

The Wolf’s Moon by Patrick Jones

The Wolf's Moon

Dire wolf skeleton and mural, La Brea tarpits museum, LA.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These Dire Wolves really did exist four thousand years ago. They are double the size of the grey wolf. Their bones were found in the La Brea Tar Pit in Los Angeles. Why did they become extinct? Who knows?

Mark Lansdowne saw a sign saying Granny Barton’s Antiques. He was curious and stopped. He was just browsing when he spotted an old book and was drawn to it. He purchased it for five dollars and left.

He was reading the book, when the dogs, he had three named after the Three Stooges, growled and the hair on their backs rose . He went out, but saw only a pair of red eyes and smelled a scent of rotting meat. The red eyes drifted back into the forest as if they were never there.

As he sat drinking a cup of tea, he heard a scream. It could be anything, a wild animal. He decided he couldn’t do anything in the dark, so he’d check it out in the morning.

In the morning, Lansdowne checked around his pond and found something had come to eat or drink. Just the one with huge paws, but no nail prints. The dogs were with him, and these prints did not look anything like theirs. And then there was the awful smell , which he and the dogs followed.

His dogs all had something that distinguished them from each other. Larry was the biggest, Moe heard the best and Curly was the smeller in the group. Curly returned with a bone. It could only be human, it contained a screw. It was Janey Malone, the waitress at Barkers.

In Maple Hills, Missouri, it is such a small community that everyone knew everyone else. Barkers was the local gathering place. Farmers were talking about missing cows and deer hunters were seeing no deer.

Dave and Janey didn’t show up for work at Barkers. Now Myron Cox was missing, with just a trail of blood . Lansdowne called the sheriff. Sheriff Ralph Benson showed up. Morrison, a deputy was at the Cox home, investigating his disappearance, while Benson was at Lansdowne’s. Benson received a call from Morrison saying Christine McKay, from the Department of Conservation, had found Dave Morris, dead.

Benson joined up with Skruggs, Lansdowne’s lifelong friend, and Lansdowne to follow the smell to the cave. The woods were silent, no sound of squirrels or birds. The smell was stronger than before and he spotted a paw print that hadn’t been there earlier.

Months ago two girls had turned up missing from their rafting trip. He found a tennis shoe belonging to one of them. As they left the cave, Lansdowne said one of them had to stay in the area. He told them he would stay and protect what was left of Janey.

Lansdowne had climbed a tree with a view of the cave entrance. As the creature approached, Lansdowne came down from the tree to track it. The creature felt something was wrong and turned around. It had laid a trap for Lansdowne. Now Lansdowne became the hunted.

The bite caused excruciating pain, but he was still able to kill the beast. He felt he was going to die.

When he came to, his pal, Skruggs, was there. He must have been at death’s door, because his wife, Glenna, had come to him telling him he must get better and move on. Mark seemed to be healing very quickly, he was hungry and anxious to go home.

As the sheriff and Lansdowne talked, Amy came in. She always cut his hair. She kissed his cheek and told “Mike” how glad she was he wasn’t dead. She looked to see if Benson caught what she had said.

The sheriff thought there were seven missing, but Lansdowne figured nine, maybe eleven. Too many in too short a time for it be done by one animal.

The carcass of the wolf had been taken in for examination. It was an extra-large wolf, even though there had never been any wolves in the Ozarks. It couldn’t be identified in any database. Where had it come from? Are there more?

4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

I won this book in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway. The author was gracious enough to autograph the book for me. Thank you. This is Patrick’s Jones debut novel and I feel he knocked it out of the ballpark. I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.

I thought it was going to be just another werewolf book, by the cover and title, but was very pleasantly surprised. The blurb made me a little more curious, but didn’t do the book justice.

It is about wolves that had gone extinct 4,000 years ago. I love creature books. It is so realistic and I can see how it could be true. With all the scientific advances of today, why couldn’t someone recreate a wolf? Jurassic wolves, what’s not to love?

The writing was excellent and the characters were well developed. I fell in love with Lansdowne and his “puppies”. He has an awesome best friend in Skruggs, now all he needs is a love interest, or does he already have one and not realize it? He thinks he hasn’t moved on from his wife’s death, but has this experience made him realize life is too short, you must live it, not just exist.

There is more than one mystery, and it seems Mark Lansdowne is not what he appears to be. This is a series and I am eagerly awaiting the next book, whether it is about how Mark came to be in Maple Hills, or about the wolves, I don’t care. I feel it can only get better. Soooooooo, write faster Mr. Jones. lol

This video is courtesy of Sandy Jones.

Interview with Patrick Jones: Hi Patrick. I want to welcome you to my blog and thank you for sharing with us.

Interview Questions:

What was the inspiration for writing about these particular wolves?

The Dire Wolf died out or went extinct around ten to twelve thousand years ago. (Bones found in Arkansas were dated to about 6000 years ago). If these dates are accurate, they lived alongside of prehistoric man. Some scientists believe the Dire Wolf hunted in packs and they probably did, but skeletal remains at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, CA indicate that they may also have been lone hunters. A grey wolf averages about 120–150 pounds, but can you imagine a wolf or a pack of wolves the size of African lions with three inch fangs? Scary? You bet!

Can you tell us about the cover and who designed it? I feel these are always key elements to drawing a reader to the book.

My wife Sandy did the original cover but she was just never satisfied with the way it looked. She always felt it could be better at grabbing the attention of the reader. She subsequently designed 4 other covers. It was not until this point that we both agreed on the cover. The cover is one of Sandy’s pictures taken on the actual “Wolf’s Moon” in January 2012, precisely because that picture described a scary night.

What was the hardest part of writing the book?

The hardest part of writing the story was stopping to eat. “The Wolf’s Moon” started out as a short story but took on a life of its own. I attempt to write every day from 5AM to noon but in the case of this book, I just never noticed the clock. On the days I could not write, for whatever reason, my mind kept going refining what was to come next in the story.

If the book was made into a movie, who would play Lansdowne and why?

Hmmm. John Wayne? Nope – dead. Sean Connery? Too old now. Anyway, I couldn’t afford either one. Then one day it came to me, the guy that played the part of the scientist in the TV program SG1, Michael Shanks. He looks much like I imagined Linden to look and I think he could pull it off.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I love to hunt with my son, Patrick and my daughter’s son, Cody. Fishing is great as is woodworking in my shop. I work mainly with walnut and cherry. Making a table or a bookcase out of either or both is so satisfying. The best thing is to be with all of my grandchildren.

I am a bit of a car nut. If you could own any car, what would it be?

We already own it! A 2011 Camaro, black with black interior. I love the 2001 Silverado Sandy bought me after nine-eleven. The truck means a lot to me but we bought the Camaro as an anniversary gift to each other.

If you had 24 hours to be alone, go anywhere, do anything (money not an issue), what would it be?

I already do that. I have a cabin tucked away in the woods in the Ozark Mountains. The cabin is small and rustic. No running water, no electric. A couple gallons of water and a kerosene lamp and I’m set. God has made many beautiful places on this planet but none more beautiful than the view of the glen from the cabin.

What are you working on now? Would you like to share anything with us?

I’m working on the next book involving Linden and Skruggs right now, as well as another story without the guys. There is one reader who wants to marry Linden and another who wants an introduction to Cindy Winters, and another still who wants to go to dinner with Amy. It’s really flattering that readers get that deeply involved with the characters. That means I did my job right.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with your fans?

When I have a reader that leaves a good review it makes me happy. When I get a review that isn’t so great, I smile and remember that everyone is different and it is possible they are only looking at the story and not everything as a whole. I am happy they read the story. When I’m in the grocery store and someone wants to chat about the book, it’s a great feeling.

Fun Facts

Country or rock and roll? Usually everything but rap.

Margarita or Martini? Sometimes a Black Russian; other times a Bud.

Summer or winter? All four seasons. I thank God everyday he allows me to see each.

Football or baseball? Football…you know God is a man…the NFL is on Sunday and Monday and Thursday.

Spontaneous or planner? More spontaneous.

High or low maintenance? Low more often than not

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patrick Jones

Pat Jones was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. His special interests include the science of paleoanthropology and archaeology.

Woodworking is one of his favorite hobbies, with special emphasis on the unique grains and textures of various species of trees. He and his wife, Sandy, thrive on designing and creating a flower garden of perennials, second to none! Constantly evolving, the garden began as a way that he could surprise his wife on her birthday. The rest is history! The garden now spans one fourth of an acre!

When their children graduated from school, the couple relocated to rural Missouri where they now reside with their four dogs. The love of the area, in combination with the uniqueness of the people, provided the impedance for “The Wolf’s Moon”.

The sequel to “The Wolf’s Moon” is already in the works and proves to be yet another suspenseful page-turner! Pat believes that there is a story in everything. Everybody that he meets has their own special story; one simply has to take the time to listen. The story then writes itself.

To order a copy of the book, simply click on the cover.

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos Giveaway – Patrick has offered 2 ebooks for the giveaway. It is International and easy to enter, as always. Just answer the question – Do you think there have been enough scientific advances to make a Jurassic wolf? – and leave your email. Ends November 5, 2012. CLOSED.

The Winners of the 2 ebooks were vetteklisa and Susan Laine. I would like to thank everyone that stopped by to comment and enter.

For another chance to win, go to http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho…

Tweet it out and share it with your friends and family, not required.

It is always appreciated if you follow me on my blog and Twitter, not required.

For all my giveaways, click HERE.

Study: Wolf’s coat color affects reproductive success (thewildlifenews.com)
Decrease in Denali wolves affects tourism dollars (juneauempire.com)
Wolves on the Prowl (trolldens.blogspot.com)
Wyoming wolf hunt (willeke73.wordpress.com)
Don’t Force Iberian Wolves Off Sanctuary Lands (forcechange.com)
Groups Ask MN Supreme Court To Block Wolf Season (minnesota.cbslocal.com)

What do you do with your Spare Change?

Posted on October 9, 2012 by fundinmental

SPARE CHANGE by Bette Lee Crosby

Not sure what I expected, but it was so much more. Good things do come in small packages.

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In the 20’s it was unusual for a woman to be unmarried, work and live on her own. Olivia had never considered herself a spinster, she just liked her life. She didn’t want to be one of the herd or do what was expected of her. She was terrified of kids. Her father had disowned her at 26 and her mother told her that no one would want an old woman.

It was totally unexpected when she met Charles Doyle. They fell for each other at first glance. When he proposed, she choked on the chocolate truffle she was eating. She told him no and it broke her heart. He told her he didn’t want kids. And if she didn’t want to clean or cook, no problem. Those things weren’t important to him. He had a son he hadn’t seen in fifteen years and a grandson he had never met.

She was very superstitious. During the wedding ceremony, a hail storm broke out. Charlie blew it off, so she did too. She was afraid of the number eleven. On the tenth day of marriage they arrived in Miami for their honeymoon. On the eleventh day, she talked him into staying low-key, taking no chances. They went shopping, she was thinking that nothing could go wrong shopping. He snuck off and bought her a surprise. Back in the room, he told her to close her eyes and he put the necklace around her neck. When she what it was, her heart fell. Opals were bad luck. He died that night.

Susanna Doyle told her husband she had to be in New York City for her singing career. Benjamin knew he would lose her if they went anywhere near there, so he’d played a stalling game with her. He would promise her they would go, then find an excuse not to.

When she became pregnant, life got even worse. To get even, when the baby was born, she named him Ethan Allen, after the furniture store she worked at. As Ethan grew older, their fights became so vicious that he built a fort out back to get away from them.

One day at the diner, he noticed Mister Scooter, the owner, touching his mom’s butt. He asked her about it and she said if he kept quiet, she would make sure she always had enough spare change for him to go to the movies.

Susanna was very excited because Benjamin had promised they would go to New York City in September. When September rolled around, he found another excuse not to go. She had been working and saving the money, so she told Ethan they were going without him, but not to say anything so he wouldn’t find out and try to stop them. She went to the bank for her money, but Benjamin had already closed the account.

Susanna immediately went to Scooter, telling him she wanted to run away with him and Ethan to New York City. He thought about his own kid, for only a moment, and said okay.

Ethan was eleven years old and his mom had always promised him she would never run off without him. But that night, Ethan’s whole world changed.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I don’t know why I was drawn to the cover, title, then the blurb. Something tugged at me.The cover conveyed such a sense of sorrow from the boy. I loved the second reference to spare change, but you will have to read the book to find out what it is, and why the title is so very appropriate.

I am not much for a story without some murder, killing, death, blood, gore, mystery, magic; in other words, some kind of action or adventure. This was a different kind of murder story, more a story of a woman alone, and a boy with no home and no one to love him. The murder was just a small piece.

For a short book, Bette made me feel like the story covered a lifetime. I kept reading faster and faster. I was afraid for Ethan and then both him and Olivia. She put so much story into a small book. Plot was detailed and suspenseful. I kept waiting for…..

The characters were amazing. Her descriptions left me feeling like they were my neighbors. I felt like I knew them. They were realistic and reminiscent of a time when we knew our neighbors. Such a feel good book. Made me tear up and cry because of its sweetness. I know my neighbors and speak to them, but I am a solitary creature, so it really surprised me that I felt such strong emotions while reading the story.

How do you get an eleven year old boy to trust you? I felt Ethan’s fear and panic. To win him over, it took much empathy, patience and compassion. So much, packed into its 280 pages. I know I keep repeating myself, but I still can’t get over how much this book affected me.

I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Not only was the author gracious enough to send me a paperback, she also autographed it for me. I love to add another book to my collection.

Giveaway – Bette Lee Crosby is offering for the giveaway:

International – ebook of Spare Change – OR – US and Canada a signed paperback. As always the entry is easy. Leave a comment telling us what you do with your spare change and an email address.

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. The Winners Are:

Kimba – won the signed paperback Alana – won the ebook

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful, warm and touching comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Most recently, Bette completed a memoir written for Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as The World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

To get your copy of Spare Change or any of Bette’s books, simply click on the covers below.

To see my Review of What Matters Most, go HERE.

To see my Review of Cupid’s Christmas, go HERE.

To see my Review of Cracks In The Sidewalk, go HERE.

Author Interview: Spare Change by Bette Lee Crosby (+ Giveaway) (iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com)

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Review – She was a miracle, yet they wanted her dead!

Posted on October 8, 2012 by fundinmental

What Kills Me by Wynne Channing

Her description in her bio is appropriate: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

I was walking back to Sofia’s from the bakery and saw a man in the square. He seemed to be eying me, but I was late and hurried on. Somehow I got lost and when I turned around, he was there. I explained what happened, described Sofia’s street and he took me there. I joked along the way, but he didn’t seem to get it. I do have a sarcastic wit. To repay him, I told him I would buy him a gelato and we agreed to meet at the pizzeria later. His name was Paolo.

I had come to Italy to go to the university and study art. I was living with my host, Sofia, and because I was so late, she instituted a 9:00 pm curfew and I was to meet Paolo at 9:15. Now what? I came up with the idea to leave a message for him at the pizzeria and meet him there at 3:30 Monday afternoon.

That night, as I lay in bed, I heard my name. I went to the window, looked out and Paolo was there. He talked me into climbing out the window and trespassing into the church. We stood by the collection box and he whispered in my ear, “I’m going to kill you.”

He turned toward the altar and I ran into the office. I saw a door, so I ran through it and down the stairs. The room was lit by candles that ringed a hole in the floor. Paolo kept backing me toward the hole, until someone yelled stop. I lost my balance and fell into the hole. It was so dark and I felt I was drowning. How I climbed out, I don’t know.

Uther explained, I was in his quarters in the church. He was the guardian of the sanctum. His niece, Lettie came into the room and asked me if I felt different. Why would I feel different? When I told Uther I had to go home, he said I couldn’t ever go home. He went on to explain that when I fell into the well, I had died. He said they were dead too. It was true. I had no pulse, no heartbeat. We were vampires.

When I saw myself in the mirror, my eyes were lit up as if on fire. Uther and Lettie told me I was a miracle. Never before had someone become a vampire without drinking someone’s blood. The well I fell into was full of vampire blood.

I didn’t think it could get any worse, until the General came. He called me an abomination and was taking me to the Empress. I had been thrown in the back of the truck, alone. I felt no pain and as I licked my lips I tasted blood. Soon I was cleaning blood from my body, lapping it up like a cat.

We arrived at the castle. I was chained and had a bag thrown over my head. I was made to kneel. When the bag was removed I saw hundreds of men and women surrounding me. Paolo was brought in. The Empress called him Transporter. She condemned us both to death.

I didn’t know where we were, but I tried to find a way to escape. As the sun moved around the room, I saw Paolo burn and turn to dust. Why didn’t I burn in the sun like Paolo? I amazed myself by climbing out of the tower. As I looked around, I saw nothing but rocks and water.

When I dove and began swimming, I realized I didn’t need to breathe. Apparently there were some benefits to being a vampire. I woke up and found I had washed up on shore, so I began walking. As I walked, I talked to myself. It was something I did all the time.

I was startled when someone answered me. I thought I was alone. He introduced himself as Noel and said he could remove my chains. He took me home and introduced me to the boys, Lucas and Jerome. I didn’t want to, but felt I had to tell them my story.

They said they made weapons for the Aramatta, the Monarchy’s guards. They told me the guards would come here, looking for me. Noel said they would take care of me and meant it. We prepared to leave, but had waited too long.

They beheaded Jerome in seconds. Noel fought hard but was outnumbered. I saw the jar of fuel by the sink, rolled it across the floor and threw the lantern. I grabbed Lucas and ran out the door, as the cabin went up in flames.

We decided to hide for the day, then go to see Uther. He had to tell us what was going on, why they wanted me so bad. When we arrived at the church, Lettie told us Uther had gone to Romania to consult the Sacriva, the vampire scripture. It had foretold of her arrival.

She proceeded to tell them about the Ancients, and the prediction. There were seven Ancients with super strength and great powers. They could walk in the sun, read your mind and predict the future. When two Ancients fought and one was killed, any vampires created by the Ancients died, the entire blood line. The Monarchy imprisoned the ancients, dug a well and put all their blood in the well. It was called the Crucivium.

The prophesy became the Sacriva. It says, when the natural world is threatened by the vampire empire, a human girl will be born, a vampire by unholy means. She will restore order.

The Monarchy is afraid of me. They will hunt me down and kill me. I told Lucas to leave, but he put his hand out and I took it.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

The cover is gorgeous and the title led me to learn more about the book.

When the General fought with Lucas, it made me picture Twilight, when Edward fought to save Bella in the church. I could picture them both, flying through the air and bouncing off the walls.

Wynne Channing created Axelia with a sense of humor and a sarcastic wit. She would need it. The trials and tribulations she goes through to save her and Lucas, create a strong character. I was running and climbing with her, as I rooted for her and hoped she’d get what she needs and wants.

The story was unique and creative. Very different from the vampire novels I have read. It captured me from the beginning and I eagerly ate it up. The action was non-stop, keeping me reading to find out what would happen next.

I loved the ending and it left me wanting more, but you will have to read the book to find out for yourself. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

Buy Links for What Kills Me

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

About the top-rated, best-selling book (#1 in occult, October 2012): An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race. So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive. How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

About Wynne: Wynne Channing is a national newspaper reporter and award-winning young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

Connect with Wynne

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Google+ | Pinterest |YouTube |Amazon Author Page

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taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos Giveaway

Wynne Channing has offered 3 ebooks for the giveaway. It is International and easy to enter, as always. Just answer the question – WHAT VAMPIRIC POWER WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE? – and leave your email.

Now comes my favorite time of any giveaway. Announcing the winners.

Drum roll, please!!

Emily Guido / Denise Z /Melanie

Congratulations. Your comments were wonderful and very much appreciated. This was a fun giveaway and I hope you will all come back again.

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To get your copy of I Am Forever, or another Wynne Channing novel, click on the cover below.