Juicy Jungle Tidbits for Vampires Elisabeth Wheatley’s Fanged Mania

Posted on November 30, 2012 by fundinmental

To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

The prize pack I mentioned includes Vampire Diaries and Breaking Dawn posters as well as a paperback copy of Erica Steven’s Captured (my review here) and the complete collection of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter stories by Jennifer Malone Wright, in paperback, too! =D

Oh, and the contest is international. And the more Fanged Mania posts you have, the more entries you get! So what are you waiting for? Hop on the bandwagon!

MY REVIEW by Sherry Fundin

Goddess of the Moon – Mayan World of Vampires by Glenda Reynolds

. Goddess of the Moon: Mayan World of Vampires

King Tetaneeka and Queen Almika traveled to Chichen Itza.

While the king was occupied with palace business, Almika wandered off by herself.

Cenote at Chichen Itza by Sherry Fundin

She came upon the Sacred Sacrificial Cenote and threw her gold ring in, praying for her and her unborn daughter, Melanna. Unknown by anyone else, her labor started. As she lay dying, a stranger came out of the jungle and she bade him, protect her baby. After her body and the baby were taken away, he found the ring she had tossed into the cenote, thinking he may need it in his duty to protect the baby.

Melanna grew up in Coba, which became a Mayan city of note, with far-reaching influence. When Melanna came of age, she went on a pilgrimage, the Women’s Right of Passage, to Izla Cozumel. While there, she had wandered off on her own and fallen into a cenote. Tez was there to save her.

Back home, her personal servant Quaileen told her some of her family history. Her mother had come from a line of warriors. As she was thinking about what she learned, she wandered out to the garden, where she ran into Micah. He told her his gift and purpose in life was to appear where there would be a terrible conflict. He went on to tell her that she would have an important role to play.

Melanna was ecstatic when Tez showed up at the door of the palace. He had always been near her, keeping her safe, but she was unaware of it. As they got to know each other, she asked about his family. He told her that a blood thirsty cult had killed, not only his wife and family, but his enter village. A group of men arrived shortly after and had taken him in. They became his family.

On Bonfire Night, they had a feast, dancing and celebrating the end of school. Manny and Melanna went together, Zonya cozied up to Noctli. When Melanna looked around, she thought she saw Micah and remembered his warning.

“It all begins now.”

Zafrina, the Dark One, climbed to the top of the bonfire and announced, unless they followed the way of human sacrifice they were doomed. It was time to choose. As a show of strength, she brought the fury of a storm down upon them. Lightning flashed and wind and rain tore at their clothes, while thunder clapped all around them. Zafrina vanished into the clouds. It looked as if they wrapped her up and carried her away. As if she was part of them.

El Castillo – Chichen Itza by Sherry Fundin

They began to worship the Ancients and the droughts and plagues vanished as the sacrifices began. At first it was the prisoners that were chosen, then the ones who displeased Zafrina.

Melanna plead with her father, King Tetaneeka to stop the sacrifices. Her friend, Noctli had just been killed and she was devastated. He hated explaining to her he had no real power any more, he was just a figurehead. The Dark One, Zafrina, was the real ruler.

As events escalated for the worse, some felt a need to rebel, the Ancients had to be stopped.

Tex knew their freedom would come with a hefty price. He also knew he would have to tell Melanna his secret.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 – Would Recommend To Others

I liked the cover and when I read the book blurb and saw Mayan, I didn’t need to read any further, even though the vampires gave it an intriguing twist. I knew it was a book I wanted to read. I have many memories of travel to Cancun, Chichen Itza and Cozumel. I love to read about places I have been to and am familiar with. I remember standing in the ball court wondering how in the heck they ever got the ball through the hoop, and, of course, the legend of what happened to the players.

Ball court at Chichen Itza by Sherry Fundin

Good and evil. Mayans were pretty brutal in history, could that have been because they were vampires?

A fun and entertaining read. The plot is full and varied, with more than one storyline going on. The characters are both likeable and hateable (?). I really liked the book and wanted to get more involved, would have liked to see more depth and detail to draw me deeper into the story.

I didn’t race through the pages, but I did very much enjoy the read. I will definitely be interested in reading any further books Glenda Reynolds writes, as I think she will only get better. If it was summertime, I would call it a summer read to be put on your to-be-read list.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Glenda Reynolds was born in East Tennessee and spent her years growing up both in Michigan and later in Kentucky at a private Christian school. She currently resides in the Florida Panhandle with your husband of 29 years. Tales of the modern vampire inspired her to write about a paranormal romance saga involving her home state of Florida. Her writing is geared toward an audience who enjoys reading paranormal romances/fantasies/historical romances with Christian values such as those of Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight Saga.

To see what Glenda is up to, follow the links below.

Facebook

Goodreads

Enter Goodreads Giveaway HERE.

To order the book, simply click on the cover.

Experts: Mayan ballgame had astronomical function (sott.net)
Mexico: Mayan ball court was celestial ‘marker’ (news.yahoo.com)
Anthropologists Believe Mayan Ballgame had Astronomical Function (hispanicallyspeakingnews.com)
Mexico: Mayan ball court was celestial ‘marker’ (cnsnews.com)
Fanged Princess by Elisabeth Wheatley + Cover Reveal! (talesofbooksandbands.com)
‘The Vampire Diaries’ Preview ‘My Brother’s Keeper’: Will Damon and Elena Hook Up? (buddytv.com)
‘Vampire Diaries’ Season Premiere: Elena Finally Bares Her Fangs (hollywoodlife.com)

“Sweetness” of Small Town Living – Review of Finding Infinity

Posted on November 27, 2012 by fundinmental

Finding Infinity By Susan Kiernan-Lewis

Finding Infinity

Liddy was ready to leave for Paris when she received a call from the hospital in Infinity, Georgia. Her mother had taken a bad fall and now Liddy was on her way to her. She knew her mother wouldn’t leave Infinity and she wouldn’t leave her mother. Only one thing was left, she would be moving to Infinity.

Her husband had died after 20 years and her son went off to school. She had to sell the house because she could not afford it. She had no reason to stay in Atlanta.

Her first stop, when she stopped reached Infinity, was the gas station. That was when she met Tucker Jones. At the time, she had no idea how big a part he would come to play in her life.

As she drove down the road, she saw a vacant shop. She didn’t know why, but she stopped the car and went to look through the dirty window. What was she thinking? She wasn’t. Was it fate?

A month later, Liddy had her cupcake shop and an apartment above it. It made her think of Paris. Maybe living in a small town like Infinity wouldn’t be so bad. On an impulse, she also bought a horse. It might be foolish, but she wanted one.

Meryl was her first friend in Inifinity. She was a real estate agent and was helping Liddy deal with her mother’s house. As they talked over coffee, they named the cupcake shop – Le Cupcake Shop.

She was busy cleaning the shop when Tucker came in with coffee. She wasn’t one to turn down coffee. He knew she bought Old Sugar and proceeded to tell her she had paid too much. Then he went on to question her choice of ovens she was looking at on Ebay. He hated seeing people being cheated. When she said he probably knew her rent, he saw she was angry. Did she forget or not know how small towns are?

When she decided to check on her horse, she found Tucker had waited for her so they could ride together. Once she was on Sugar’s back, she knew she had made the right choice in getting the horse. All her troubles seemed to melt away.

She arrived home, but entered her shop with trepidation. The lights were off even though she had not left it that way. Someone had broken a window and her new mixer. She managed to opened the store anyway. Six hours and not one person had come in. She was proud of all her hard work even though she didn’t know how long she would be able to keep the shop open before she ran out of money.

When Meryl came in, she was surprised no one had been in. She took a box of cupcakes with her to her church meeting and said she would have someone pick up some for a donation. Liddy had no idea of what she was really up to.

Liddy’s mom had a knack for pissing her off and then making her laugh. They were having a picnic of coffee and cupcakes, when she told her about someone opening the front door and throwing a rock with a note telling her to take her cupcakes and go back to Hotlanta. Her mom suggested going to the Infinity Business Bureau, maybe they could help. When she hugged her mother and thanked her, she felt needed.

The girl at the business bureau told her don’t bother to fill out any paperwork and to take her cupcakes and leave. She was so stunned, she picked up the cupcakes and walked out.

Liddy didn’t know Tucker was once a cop but he really did seem out-of-place in Infinity. She really had no idea of what was going on, but she was caught up in it all the same.

3 STARS – WOULD RECOMMEND TO OTHERS

It was pretty easy to know where this was going, but it was a fun ride getting there. The book is well written and flowed smoothly making it a good and easy read.

The plot had some twists and turns that kept me interested and on my toes looking for the bad guy (?), guys (?). Most of us know of the peccadilloes of small town life. No one has any secrets, at least not for long.

The pettiness and meanness of some of the characters, down right ticked me off. The saying, “What goes around, comes around”, definitely applies. I liked the fact that the characters evolved throughout the book, just as in real life.

The interaction between Liddy and her mother seemed realistic and believable. It was nice to see how the relationship grew and changed between them. I think, as children of our parents, we sometimes forget that they are people too.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Kiernan-Lewis is an Air Force Brat who has traveled the world and racked up over 40 addresses in her life (and she’s not finished yet.) Presently living in Atlanta, Georgia she writes in several genres including mystery, romance and women’s lit. Professionally, Susan is a freelance advertising copywriter and video editor. Connect with her at suekier27@me.com and follow her at her website: susankiernanlewis.wordpress.com.

Goodreads

Susan Kiernan-Lewis has more than twenty books to her name. To order one of those below or see what else is available, simply click on a cover and you will be taken to Amazon.

My Review of Murder in Provence by Susan Kiernan-Lewis – HERE.

TO GET YOUR COPY OF FINDING INFINITY FOR .99, SIMPLY CLICK ON THE COVER, FOR TWO DAYS ONLY starting Wednesday, Nov. 28

These Cupcakes Are the (Bath) Bomb (bellasugar.com)
a cupcake is a cupcake is a cupcake (thepausesbetween.wordpress.com)
Baking Delicious Cupcakes for a Child’s Birthday Bash (berries.com)
Cupcake – Berlin (glutenfreegermany.wordpress.com)
Cupcakes Dominate in the Beauty World (bellasugar.com)
Easter Cupcakes for Kids, Easter Egg Cupcakes (potterybarnkids.com)
Desserts! (savysartillys.wordpress.com)
Good Food Alert: Peirce Cupcakes! (thekenyonthrill.com)

A GIFT FROM BETTE

Posted on November 26, 2012 by fundinmental

. Christmas Pictures, Images and Photos

Get ready for Christmas and some fun love…CUPID’S CHRISTMAS is going to be a FREEBIE for all Bette’s Kindle Friends, but it will be ONE DAY ONLY!

Be sure to mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 27th, then stop by Amazon and grab a FREE copy of this fun holiday romance.

TO SEE MY REVIEW, GO HERE.

There’s enough love to go around, so be sure to share this invite with your friends and book buddies.

Cupid will definitely make your holiday merrier!

Simply click on the cover to get your free copy.

Happy Holidays To All

Giveaway of Love Travels Forever by Jaye Francis (fundinmental.wordpress.com)
WINNERS!!! of Cupid’s Christmas (fundinmental.wordpress.com)
Giveaway and Review of Cupid’s Christmas by Bette Lee Crosby (fundinmental.wordpress.com)

Giveaway/Guest Post and Review of Love Travels Forever by Jaye Frances

Posted on November 13, 2012 by fundinmental

Jaye Frances has some of the most beautiful covers for her books and Love Travels Forever is another beauty.

Jaye Frances has been kind enough to offer fundinmental a guest post, promo and giveaway of her new book, Love Travels Forever. I will also include my review after her post, so keep reading.

Welcome Jaye.

Thank you, Sherry, for hosting me today with my new release Love Travels Forever, an anthology of my favorite short stories and essays. Inspired by interviews and personal recollections, each one takes the reader on an emotional journey of love, passion, and inspiration that lifts the spirit and touches the heart. In “What Might Have Been,” you’ll revisit those angst-filled high school years, courtesy of a twenty-fifth class reunion and the surprise revelation of a secret love. Here’s an excerpt:

The reunion party was earmarked by all the usual characteristics: a rented banquet hall, some hastily prepared table decorations, and a few balloons taped over doorways. As I made my way to the reception table, it was impossible to ignore the unmistakable uncertainty in the air. The electric charge of youthful anticipation ever-so-present at seventeen had been replaced by awkward pauses and quick scans at nametags, making it clear how time had affected our memories—and expectations.

As I ate my wilted salad and pretended to enjoy the overdone roast beef, I reminisced with girlfriends about hairstyles, prom nights, the teachers we liked, and of course, some of the boys we dated. As we picked at the dessert—dry chocolate cake—prizes were awarded for the person who had traveled the farthest, changed the most, and been married the longest. One of the gals at the table wondered out loud if the emcee was the same overly aggressive twerp who hadn’t been able to keep his hands off the typing instructor.

As we began to run out of small talk, it became obvious that four years of high school was, in most cases, our only commonality, and a few adolescent memories could not compete with the twenty-five years of life that had passed since. As the conversation turned to career concerns, aging parents, and unappreciative offspring, I found myself drifting away from the group. Retreating to an outside patio, I sat at an empty table to collect my thoughts. I had been there less than a minute when I was approached by someone I didn’t recognize.

“Hi, Jaye, I was hoping you’d be here.”

I couldn’t place him. He was definitely familiar, but I couldn’t make the connection. I managed a few clumsy questions about mutual friends and teachers, yet I was still clueless. Then he asked if I had kept the old Chevy Nova I drove in my senior year. I felt terrible. He had recognized me, even remembering the car I used to drive. I finally had to admit it—I didn’t remember him.

“That’s okay,” he said. “It’s my fault for not wearing my nametag. I’m Neil Graham. My locker was across the hall from yours. We were also in senior English together.”

The memories came rushing back. In high school, he’d been an anomaly—good looking, athletic, smart—and painfully quiet. Seldom seen at school dances or other social functions, he didn’t seem to have a lot of friends, and yet he usually offered a smile to anyone passing by, as if silently inviting them to stop and chat.

SYNOPSIS

In Love Travels Forever, Jaye Frances captures the reader’s heart with an inspiring collection of seventeen stories filled with romance and passion, the hopeful innocence of youth, and a love so strong that it transcends the mortality of life. Here are just a few of the people you’ll meet:

Evan and Frankie, a loving couple traveling through life hand-in-hand, are unaware that the shadow of fate is about to tear them apart. Helpless to change their shortened future together, one of them makes a promise—a promise of devotion and courage, honoring a love that surpasses the boundaries of time.

Mark and Janice, the perfect couple with the perfect life, are on the threshold of finally seeing their dreams come true—until an unexpected circumstance changes their lives forever.

Danny, a young soldier fresh out of boot-camp, is desperate to find a way to travel home and marry his sweetheart before being shipped overseas. Stranded in a train station on a three day pass with no hope in sight, Danny meets Wanda, an incredible woman who vows to find a way to bring Danny and his fiance together.

Nora and Georgia are two eight-year-old best friends who share giggles, dolls, and secrets. But when one of them faces sudden danger, the other responds with an unconditional act of love and forges a lifelong bond between them unaffected by fear or prejudice.

So find a quiet spot, get comfy, and grab a box of Kleenex. You’re about to take an unforgettable journey of the heart, to a place where compassion and hope have no limits, and where love continues to travel forever.

Love Travels Forever is available now

in kindle eBook on Amazon for $1.99

Author Bio: Jaye Frances is the author of The Kure, a paranormal-occult romance novel, The Possibilities of Amy, a coming-of-age romance novella, The Cruise-All That Glitters, a humorous adult satire about love on the high seas, The Beach, a sci-fi supernatural tale about a man who is given the opportunity to receive his ultimate wish, and Love Travels Forever, a collection of poignant short stories and essays. She is also a featured columnist for the NUSA SUN magazine. Born in the Midwest, Jaye readily admits that her life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent. When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which find their way to her website. Jaye lives on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes.

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MY REVIEW

The cover is beautiful and leads you into the seventeen short stories of life and love.

Travel through life – not necessarily to places but to times and memories.

Love Travels Forever – the opening story, sums up the collection.

Valentines Day – holds a special surprise and has a special meaning for Jaye.

Life is Too Short For Regrets – as Cassie said, “Admit it, get over it and get on with it.”

Halloween Man – put a smile on my face and made me feel warm and fuzzy.

Packed With A Promise – I fought to read the words through the blur of tears in my eyes.

What Might Have Been – why she wrote The Possibilities of Amy.

The Angels of Ellis Island – The angels do make this a true Thanksgiving story.

Middle Age Crazy – now what? In youth we think we are invincible and are allowed to make mistakes and have fun. Then mid-life crisis – where we make adjustments to find out where we want to go and how to get there.

A Gift From the Mayans – superb ending to a captivating collection.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

Full of gems of wisdom.

“Mary Ann Evan, writing as George Eliot, “The strangest principle of growth lies in human choice.”

The stories are full of choices people made. The choices we make don’t always make sense to others, but are so vital to us! Will make you feel good about your life, or maybe let you know you need to change it.

Sometimes the most important things are the little things.

Packed full of love, life, emotion, tears, happiness, smiles, heartbreak, warm and fuzzy, kindness, compassion, hope and giving. Moving, touching, beautiful, poignant stories.

Be sure to be alone, with your hanky or tissue and take time to think about what you read as you travel on Jaye’s wonderful voyage through life.

This is a book you will want to pull out again and again to read this story or that story. Not necessarily front to back. Excellent. Must have.

With so many examples of the generosity and kindness of strangers, this is the perfect time of year to give this as a gift.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and impartial review.

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos

Jaye Frances has offered one kindle copy of Love Travels Forever to one lucky commenter. Just answer the question – WHERE IS YOUR DREAM DESTINATION? – and leave an email address. Giveaway ends November 27, 2012.

TO SEE ALL MY GIVEAWAYS, GO HERE.

My favorite time of any giveaway is announcing the winner. So without further ado, the winner of Love Travels Forever by Jaye Francis is:

Ann Herrick

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

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To grab a copy of The Beach or any of Jaye Frances’ books, simply click on the cover

below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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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.

Goodreads / Website / Facebook

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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.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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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.

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos

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

Twitter

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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Twitter

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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.

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

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.