New Release Review – Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni @robertdugoni #hercoldjustice

Posted on January 27, 2026 by fundinmental

MY REVIEW

I met Keera Duggan a couple of books ago, so I am very happy to see what she is up to in Her Cold Justice by Robert Dugoni. I am quick to become invested in the characters.

John Paul Harrison, Keera’s investigator, approaches her, asking her to defend his nephew. He is accused of a double homicide. The evidence is circumstantial and the further Keera gets in the trial, the more she senses that there is something very wrong. The danger rises, the deeper they dig. A conspiracy is exposed and there are those who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets from being brought to light.

Kim Tran is the prosecutor, known for winning her courtroom brawls, but Keera is no light weight. She calls Kim out when she tries to muddy the waters by playing fast and loose with the rules. Why does she seem to anticipate what Keera will do next? Is it really because she is just that good?

Robert Dugoni’s writing unravels the story smoothly, slowly, drawing me in. The suspense and a sense of anticipation build. Her Cold Justice is one part legal, one part police procedural and one part thriller. Sure to keep your mind working, Her Cold Justice is a wonderful addition to the Keera Duggan series. Each book can stand on its own, but I like to start at the beginning so I feel I can better relate to the characters.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

To save a client accused of murder, defense attorney Keera Duggan must fight a complex web of corruption in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

In a quiet South Seattle neighborhood, a suspected drug smuggler and his girlfriend are murdered in their home. When a young man named Michael Westbrook is accused of the brutal double homicide, his uncle JP Harrison turns to Keera Duggan to defend him. JP is Keera’s trusted investigator, and he desperately needs Keera to save his nephew against escalating odds.

The evidence is circumstantial—Michael worked with one of the victims, drugs were found in his possession, and he bolted from authorities. Ruthless star prosecutor Anh Tran has gotten convictions on much less. With the testimony of two prison informants, the case looks grave. But Keera never concedes defeat. To free her client, she must dig deep before Tran crushes both of them.

As the investigation gets more twisted with each new find, Keera is swept up in a mystery with far-reaching consequences. This case isn’t just murder. It’s looking like a conspiracy. And getting justice for Michael could be the most dangerous promise Keera has ever made.

Genre: Fiction, Legal, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 27, 2026 by Thomas & Mercer
Series: Keera Duggan #3

ABOUT ROBERT DUGONI

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 11 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and The Keera Duggan legal thriller series. He has written several stand-alone novels including the historical novels A Killing on the Hill and Hold Strong, as well as the suspense novel The 7th Canon, and Damage Control. He has written the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – one of Newsweek Magazine’s Best Books of All-Time and Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written the critically acclaimed novel, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a four-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni

MY ROBERT DUGONI REVIEWS

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$15 GC & Review – The Burning Desire Dupe by James Blakely #jamesblakely #theburningdesiredupe

Posted on January 23, 2026 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Burning Desire Dupe by James Blakely is a novel about a houseboat, The Burning Desire, in Juneau Alaska, that is burnt to the ground. Insurance investigators are brought in, and that is when we meet Luna Nightcrow.

Luna is an insurance investigator. She is fifty years old and a Cherokee. I love to see a character that is on the older side, but still manages to be able to hold her own and I do love diverse characters. She had been fired from a California fraud case, so she figured it was a great time to hop on a cruise ship heading to Juneau. She had no idea she would become embroiled in the intrigue that surrounded the destruction of The Burning Desire.

Luna runs into a familiar villain in Juneau, Casper Duppy. He thought he would have a light sentence if he was ever caught, because his crimes were on tribal land. Tough luck for him, because they would add crime on top of crime to take him out of circulation. Now he is suspected of arson.

“Meet the Sting smartphone protector stun gun.” I love it…and I want one.

“Do you want me to have a heart attack on the spot?” Stackhouse gasped.

“Don’t worry. I know CPR.” Luna tried to assure him.

James Blakely adds some lightness and humor to the death and destruction. The mystery of who burned the houseboat was not easily solved. There are plenty of suspects to go around. The danger was subtle, but I had every confidence that Luna could handle whatever came her way.

If you are looking for an intriguing mystery with some intriguing characters, you might want to give The Burning Desire Dupe by James Blakely a try.

GOODREADS BLURB

The heat is on when a reckless chase gets insurance investigator Luna Nightcrow fired from a California fraud case. But her Alaskan cruise “vacation” becomes an even hotter mess when The Burning Desire, a houseboat turned gentleman’s club in Juneau, burns. And when its shady owner Bernie Sparks is accused of arson, the heat of passion and assassination threaten Luna and fire investigator Kelly Day’s race to find the truth. Ashes, intrigue, and innuendo abound in this not-so-quaint capital town.

Genre: Action And Adventure, Fiction, Indigenous Literature, Women’s Fiction
344 pages, Paperback
Published September 22, 2025 by Powers That Be Publishing

ABOUT JAMES BLAKELY

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” (Associated Collegiate Press Award 1992-93).

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. Additionally, Blakley has worked in information gathering and analysis for various government agencies and programs for over a decade.

MY JAMES BLAKELY REVIEWS

The Steel Deal

GIVEAWAY (sorry, US only)

James Blakely is giving away a $15 gift card and 5 Kindle copies of The Burning Desire Dupe.

I love some laughs with my danger, how about you?

Leave a comment and your email so we can contact you.

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Giveaway & Review – The Death And Life Of Arturo Degado by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle #sciencefiction

Posted on January 21, 2026 by fundinmental

I have been reading Ken La Salle’s books for some time now. He possesses a vivid imagination and his stories make for some fabulous reading. Here’s his take on his latest novel, The Death & Life Of Arturo Delgado.

Hi Ken. It’s good to have you here today.

There comes this moment in the career of many authors. That last pitch.

I was working with an agent I respected but my book just wasn’t selling. I needed something new and hot and I came up with… werewolves? Werewolves taking over San Francisco? I don’t even like werewolves; they’re terrible on toast.

The pitch was a disaster, of course, and the agent and I parted ways amicably.

As my fiftieth birthday approached, however, I looked back on that pitch. Hidden away, beneath the werewolves and the fur and the werewolf chow were some very odd ideas. As an author, I live for odd ideas, ideas that stand out so far they pierce the veil of my worst ideas.

One such idea was my usual out of time and out of place character but with such a rough edge that it took years for me to put it into words. This is what authors do, though. They find an idea and they work it from odd, from rough, to undeniable.

That idea was: James Bond meets The Lord of The Rings.

Not literally, though. Strip away the Intellectual Property, the IP. I was more interested in deconstructing and merging the genres. So, on my fiftieth birthday, I made myself a promise, to write a nine-part space opera called The BreakThrough.

In the universe of The BreakThrough, the biggest question revolves around energy, as it always does. Those with the most power hold the most energy and understand how to travel faster than the speed of light. The lesser civilizations can only hope to travel that fast, the cost being so great you might as well acquire magic. As you might expect, our planet intersects there.

An unwell-kempt detective, Max Dedge stumbles upon a vast mystery of assassins plunging from San Francisco rooftops, a beautiful wizard who can control fire with a thought, and something called The Time of The Uniborg where all magics come together. There’s also this crystal that can either take him to new worlds or destroy this one; he’s not sure.

Single mother and restauranteur, Sue Jorgensen (the Queen of Space), tracks down the only man who can step between worlds, Max Dedge. She knows where the Earth fits in this galactic quest for magic and will use this knowledge and anything she must to save her son who is lost in a galaxy of enslaved Dreamers.

Neither of them will be safe without Arturo Delgado, however. They need the thief with the heart of a safe cracker, the only one who can be totally honest with them, the only one who can tell them exactly what they need to know. Sadly, he dies in his first book.

The BreakThrough is a gurgling, spicy stew of alien invaders, epic fantasy, social satire, romance, fun, and stand up and cheer kind of excitement that has only begun. No werewolves required.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Ken.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Arturo Delgado is a jack of all (illegal) trades and a master of none. He thought of Max Dedge as a one trick pony. Since meeting Max, he has learned there is more than what meets the eye in this world. There’s aliens, magic, crystals that allow you to travel through the universe and worlds that could never be dreamed of.

In The Death And Life Of Arturo Delgado, the band gets back together again. Arturo, Max and Sue Jorgensen. Sue is looking for her son, who is still lost in the universe. Even worse, aliens are coming to take over the world. We are just pesky little critters that are in their way.

Ken La Salle has a wildly creative imagination that makes for entertaining reading. His stories are unpredictable, making each event a surprise. Half the time I don’t know whether to laugh or cry or shout at the characters. Sure makes for some fantastic reading and I always look forward to the next story.

GOODREADS BLURB

A suitcase full of alien diamonds…

It’s everything Arturo Delgado has always wanted.

And it didn’t come cheap.

Art had once been the proprietor of one of Mexico’s hottest up and coming bars until Max Dedge had flown in with some beautiful wizard and burned the place to the ground. Art’s only option had been to follow Max from nation to nation, from world to world, until the debt was paid.

And did Max pay it? No. He was off on some adventure to another world, a world with magic and aliens and a cave full of diamonds, which Max Dedge refused to share. The only alternative left to Art was to steal the diamonds for himself and run before Max Dedge could find him.

Now, he’s looking for a way to sell a suitcase full of alien diamonds and doing his best not to be traced. In Washington State, he stops at a little restaurant owned by Sue Jorgensen (future Queen of Space) and devises a plan that will leave him rich for life and show the great Max Dedge who came out on top.

That’s all that matters. Not the eggplant aliens coming to destroy the world. Not the pasty slaves who sound like they came out of a 1970s sitcom. Not the Queen of Space.

All that matters now is a suitcase full of alien diamonds… and making Max Dedge pay.

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
Series: The Breakthrough #3

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE

Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name. He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.

MY KEN LA SALLE REVIEWS

False Starts
Cookies: Sluts of the Snack World
Heaven Enough
Heaven Denied
Heaven For Now
Wormfood Island
Work of Art
Work of Art II
Climbing Maya
Max Dedge in the Time of the Uniborg (The Breakthrough)
Sue Jorgensen (The Breakthrough)
Little Mike

GIVEAWAY

Ken La Salle is offering a digital copy of The Death And Life Of Arturo Delgado to two lucky winners.

What is your favorite thing about science fiction novels? Do you like the quirky characters? The novel planets and spaceships? The situations an author puts their characters in?

Leave a comment and email address so we can contact you. Sorry US only.

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Review – Retribution by Peggy Jaeger @peggy_jaeger #retribution #netgalley

Posted on January 19, 2026 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Unable to force her eyes open any longer, the world in front of her went black.

WOW! What an opening. Peggy Jaeger hit hard and never let up.

What a fabulous cover and the title is spot on for Retribution by Peggy Jaeger.

Tucker Petrie is the star of the SPCD – the Sexual Predators Of Children Profilers. Six teenage girls were kidnapped, brutalized, and murdered in the Washngton DC are and Tucker is on the job, but, he will need help. He sent the Petrie Posse to approach his last partner and retired profiler, Kella O’Brien.

Tucker and Kella have known each other since she was twelve years old. They are best friends, but Kella had made a life of her own and left the dangerous world of the FBI behind. But, when she got all the details, she couldn’t say no.

The writing flows smoothly, even though the tragic story made me stumble at times. Sure, some moments were predictable, but I felt they were necessary to keep the story moving forward. The danger and cruelty that comes from the villain, leaves nothing to the imagination. At times I found myself holding my breath, devouring the words as fast as I can. The suspense was off the charts.

Retribution by Peggy Jaeger is not for the faint of heart, so brace yourself and dive into this unputdownable psychological thriller.

GOODREADS BLURB

6 teenage girls have been kidnapped, brutalized, and murdered in the Washington DC area and the FBI’s SPCD Unit – the Sexual Predators of Children Profilers – are nowhere close to finding the monster responsible. How are the victims chosen? How does the killer find them, contact them, lure them into his sick web? Questions the team has no answers for.

When a high-ranking US Senator’s daughter is the next victim, SPCD team leader, Tucker Petrie, is forced to call upon retired profiler — and his last partner — Kella O’Brien for help. Kella’s been out of the game for 10 years, but her expertise and insights into a serial killer’s mind are unparalleled. If anyone can discover who this madman is, it’s Kella.

But as the team rushes to prevent another young girl’s death, clues the killer leaves behind have Kella wondering if his endgame is all about…her.

Genre: Fiction, Psychological, Serial Killer, Suspense, Thriller
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 23, 2024

ABOUT PEGGY JAEGER

Peggy Jaeger is an award winning author of contemporary romance. https://linktr.ee/peggyjaeger

Peggy is a contemporary romance writer who writes #RomComs about #strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.

#Family and #food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, Peggy brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

Her #hobbies include #painting #crafting #scrapbooking and #decoupaging old steamer trucks that she then gives as gifts to her friends

As a lifelong diarist, Peggy caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she’s blogging about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!” daily.

She’s a lifelong and avid #romance reader and writer, is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter

Website: http://peggyjaeger.com

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Review – Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart #jeffrake #robhart #detour

Posted on January 13, 2026 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart is the first book in the science fiction Detour series.

Ryan, a Washington DC policeman, was in the right place at the right time to save John Ward, a billionaire, from assassination. Because of that, John has offered him a chance in a lifetime, to go into space. Myself, I would have said thanks, but no thanks. I can’t imagine being trapped in a tin can, floating through space, hoping nothing goes wrong.

Ryan Crane, Padma Singh, Alonso Cardona, Della Jameson, and Mike Seaver will share their points of view, as they struggle from the aftermath of their trip. Lies and betrayal flow smoothly throughout the story. None of them know what is really going on, so that puts them in danger. Secrets are to be kept…and John Ward will do anything to keep them.

I do have a problem with all the series I get caught up in. Now, I’m hooked and I really want to now what comes next. The suspense and danger increased as the story unfolded, making me curious about where the authors will take the next book in the series. Is it a cliffhanger? Not in an urgent sense of the word, but I will still need to read the next book to find out how the character’s stories end. And, I do want to know. My mind is already running through scenarios. So, Jake and Rob, I hope you are writing fast.

GOODREADS BLURB

A space shuttle flight crew discovers that the Earth they’ve returned to is not the home they left behind in this emotional, mind-bending thriller from the creator of the hit Netflix series Manifest and the bestselling author of The Warehouse.

“If The Martian and The Twilight Zone had a baby, it would be Detour—a thriller that messes with your head as you scramble to piece together what’s really going on.”—Steve Netter, Best Thriller Books

Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.

As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to ******’s moon Titan.

A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier.

But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes.

When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled.

Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they’re willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins.

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 13, 2026 by Random House Worlds

ABOUT JEFF RAKE

Jeff Rake recently served as creator, executive producer, writer, and showrunner for NBC/Netflix’s Manifest. He previously developed and Executive Produced The Mysteries of Laura, which aired for multiple seasons on NBC and in more than 100 countries. His past credits include consulting producer on The CW’s Beauty and the Beast, TNT’s Franklin & Bash and Hawthorne, and Fox’s Bones. Jeff also executive produced ABC’s Cashmere Mafia and Boston Legal. On the feature side, he has written screenplays for MGM and Disney. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and many children.

ABOUT ROB HART

Rob Hart is the author of the USA TODAY bestseller ASSASSINS ANONYMOUS. He also wrote THE PARADOX HOTEL, which was nominated for. Lambda Literary Award, as well as THE WAREHOUSE, which has been sold in more than 20 countries. He also wrote the Ash McKenna crime series, the short story collection TAKE-OUT, the novella SCOTT FREE with James Patterson, and, with Alex Segura, the comic book BLOOD OATH and the novel DARK SPACE.

His short stories have been published widely, including “Due on Batuu,” set in the Star Wars universe, which appeared in FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and “Take-Out,” which appeared in BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2018.

He’s worked as a political reporter, the communications director for a politician, and a commissioner for the city of New York. He is the former publisher at MysteriousPress.com and class director at LitReactor. He lives in Jersey City. Website: http://robwhart.com/

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Review – Killer Of Killers: Vision by Charles Welch @CharlesDWelch #killerofkillers

Posted on January 9, 2026 by fundinmental

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love books about the paranormal and supernatural world, serial killers, and vigilante justice. In Killer Of Killer: Visions, we have all of those elements. Kalen is a normal man, with a wife and child, but he also has visions of killers. His visions are of the past and the future and when he sees a killer, they become his target. Makes me think of Dexter…and I love him.

Kalen had lost the only person who showed him love when he was a child, and each killer he seeks out helps to make up for the pain he had suffered…until he came across a killer known as BTK. Could he have a connection to his past?

Once I started Killer Of Killers by Charles Welch, I didn’t want to stop. I was drawn into Kalen’s life and wondered what would happen if his wife found out. The story moved at a steady pace, the suspense building as it unfolds. I didn’t anticipate the ending, but I love it. Surely makes the opportunity for future novels possible.

GOODREADS BLURB

Kalen McDonald is a normal man in every way but two. He is married to the love of his life; has a son he adores and enjoys his career as a real estate agent.

The exceptions to his mundane existence are, secretly, Kalen is a serial killer, and, secretly, Kalen has a special gift. He murders other killers, each death a temporary elixir for the pain of a past loss. As a child, the one person in his life who showed him, love, was brutally slain by a madman.

Kalen loves his family, and he has compassion for those less fortunate than himself, but when it comes to the killers in the world, those who take the lives of the innocent, Kalen is a cold-hearted, remorseless murderer.

Using the gift of the visions that have come to him since childhood, Kalen tracks and eliminates those who steal lives, those who destroy the good in the world. He seeks revenge for the painful loss of his dear sister and his childhood.

Kalen is an executioner, happy to kill those who kill, but a crisis arrives in the form of a man only known to the authorities as B.T.K

Is this maniacal serial killer trying to emulate the notorious killer of the past?

Kalen will find out soon, as this new fiend touches the life of the one person he loves the most. In his most crucial moment, Kalen will need to rely on his finely crafted skills. The woman who Kalen considers the very essence of his life is in a killer’s crosshairs and she needs him. She needs the Killer of Killers.

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Serial Killer, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, Vigilante Justice
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2022

ABOUT CHARLES WELCH

Charles Welch has been a home designer and builder, a middle school and high school teacher, education administrator, corporate learning and development professional and writer, previously publishing the spiritual book Walking Softly. His formal education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science Teaching, a Master of Education in Learning and Technology, and an Educational Doctorate in eLearning.

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Review – Storming His Heart by Nicole Blanchard #nicoleblanchard #storminghisheart

Posted on January 8, 2026 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Storming His Heart by Nicole Blanchard was previously published as Spark. Its a novella, a second chance romance, #0.5 in the Battleboro Fire & Rescue series. We start out with a hurricane in Northern Florida. I love it, seeing it takes place in my neck of the woods. The first time I experienced a hurricane warning, my brother and sister threw a hurricane party, so when that was mentioned in Storming His Heart, I chuckled. Something else that I have in common with the story. Other than that, I have nothing in common with Avery.

When Avery crosses the street to rescue her neighbors that are stuck in their damaged home, Walker just happens to appear. They had a one night stand, before he headed out of town. She never told him her secret. Could they have a second chance at love? Why not?

I do love a little bit of angst before the happy ever after. Sure, it’s predictable, but I enjoyed the journey. A great introduction to the Battleboro Fire & Rescue series.

GOODREADS BLURB

One night with him changed my life forever and I didn’t even know his last name.

I’m a small-town girl who’s never ventured even close to crossing state lines.

He’s a Wildland Firefighter working across the country most of the year.

The only thing we have in common is that for one night, we don’t want to be alone.

It can never last. He has to leave to go be a hero and I have obligations I can’t abandon.

I thought that would be the end…

Until a twist of fate brings us back together and he learns the spark we had may not be the only thing left between us.

Previously published as Spark

Genre: Fiction, Firefighters, Military, Romance, Second Chance Romance
104 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2021
Series: Battleboro Fire & Rescue #0.5

ABOUT NICHOLE BLANCHARD

Nicole Blanchard is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the TikTok-viral dark romance Toxic, a wildly addictive bestseller that has sold over 90,000 copies worldwide. Known for her morally gray antiheroes, off-the-charts heat, and jaw-dropping twists, Nicole’s stories drag readers deep into love’s darkest corners—where no one escapes unscarred.

When she’s not crafting twisted love stories that break your heart and then heal it, you can find her soaking up beach sun with a glass of sweet tea, getting inked, or running a farm full of lovable misfit animals.

You may learn more about Nicole and her work at www.authornicoleblanchard.com. Join her mailing list for updates at http://www.authornicoleblanchard.com

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Review – The Quantum Revelations by Stuart Heinrich @goddessfish #stuartheinrich #thequantumrevelations

Posted on January 5, 2026 by fundinmental

THE QUANTUM REVELATIONS by Stuart Heinrich

GENRE: SciFi Mystery Thriller

MY REVIEW

I am usually pretty good at picking novels that fit my preferences. I read the first sentence of the blurb for The Quantum Physics Revelations and requested a copy. I was disappointed. It’s not what I was thinking…at all. There is a lot of science, and I mean a lot, and some religion. It was light on the apocalyptic climate crisis, but it did give me some food for thought. I was expecting more mystery and thriller.

I am trusting Stuart Heinrich when It comes to all the research he did for the novel. I don’t know how to rate the book, but I hate to penalize the writing just because I chose a book that was over my head, so I stayed in the middle. I did finish the book and at times I was into the story, curious about the ending.

So, if you are heavy into physics, looking for a novel to put a different kind of spin on science, this could be for you.

BLURB

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic climate crisis and quickly spiraling out of control into a dystopian nightmare. As everything collapses around them, two scientists struggle for relevance in their quest to build the world’s first practical quantum computer. They discover so much more. A mystery of physics that goes deeper than they could have ever imagined..

EXCERPT

The importance of this seemingly mundane research could not be overstated. If things were really as bad as he feared, world leaders needed to know the truth, and fast. The very future existence of mankind might depend on it.

No, it was worse than that. He laughed to himself at the sad truth, that even this seemingly over-exaggerated description failed to capture the full gravity of the importance of their mission. It was not just the future of mankind that depended on it, but the future of all life on Earth. The very habitability of the planet was at stake. Every tree, every blade of grass, every insect. The future of every living thing, from the largest blue whale down to the smallest microbe hung in the balance.

Humanity had achieved much to be proud of. But like Icarus, mankind had been too greedy, and had flown too close to the sun: pushing forward mercilessly in pursuit of uninterrupted exponential growth and consumption. Mankind had become a scourge upon the Earth.

If humanity destroyed itself, he would have no sympathy. It was the rest of the natural world that he felt sorry for. The caribou of Alaska, the tropical birds of the rainforest, the elephants of Africa, the dolphins of the sea, the giant redwoods of California, and every other unsuspecting life form on this planet. They were the true innocent victims. They had done nothing to deserve what was coming.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Stuart Heinrich is a computer scientist with a PhD from NCSU and a passion for studying the fundamental nature of reality and physics. He is known for his unique theories on the Relativity of Existence (ROE), the Maximally Biophilic Principle (MBP) and Quantum Fluid Dynamics (QFD).

Please see my website below for editorial reviews.

Website:
www.stuartheinrich.com
www.thequantumrevelations.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234819016-the-quantum-revelations

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Review – The Viruses Enigma by Hazem Abdelmowla

Posted on January 2, 2026 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Viruses Enigma by Hazem Abdelmowla is one of those books that tempted me with the blurb. Since Covid, books about pandemics always strike a cord with me. Also, to read about a man that will sacrifice much to make the world a better place and to avert another catastrophic pandemic, is a man I want to learn about. What drives him? How much is he willing to give up? How much will be demanded from him? Where will he draw the line?

The Viruses Enigma is deep into the science side of things, while, I am more into the people side of things. I followed a lot of what was happening, how the pandemic had killed millions of people and changed the world. The virus apocalypse delved into the human psyche and the best and the worst of people and one doctor’s drive to stop the next pandemic from killing more. There are those who are for him and those who are against him. It made me think of our reality, when Covid stopped the world.

Another plus to The Viruses Enigma is that Book II, The Last Nuclear War, is already out, so Rami’s story will be told. I vacillated between a 3 and a 4, and when that happens, I round up. I enjoyed the story, but you need both books to get all the answers.

GOODREADS BLURB

Can an ordinary doctor who cares for his family come up with a new idea that will make us triumph over future viral pandemics?Will he have the courage to go down the road? What’s his success rate at reaching it? What will he do despite the lack of resources?After COVID-19, the world was on a date with a new pandemic that threatens humanity, which may not be the last. Rami, a doctor who works in the capital’s hospital, came up with a new idea that could be a revolution and humanity’s last hope for the treatment of future viral diseases. But it seems that the road is not as expected.

What is the idea? What are the requirements for its implementation, what are the obstacles that he will encounter in the way? What sacrifices does he need to bring it to reality? What is the unknown path he has to take to achieve his childhood dream of saving the world and solving the mystery that has puzzled scientists throughout history?

Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2024
Series: Future Novels #1

ABOUT HAZEM ABDELMOWLA

A dental surgeon, an entrepreneur and a writer who simply dreams of a better world.

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The Tiger Among Us by Chris Warner #chriswarner #thetigeramongus

Posted on December 30, 2025 by fundinmental

One day I walked into Florabama, a fabulous bar that sits on the Alabama Florida Line, the Redneck Riviera, and lo and behold there was Chris Warner with a stack of his books. How could I say no?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I bought a signed copy of The Tiger Among Us by Chris Warner from the author during a visit to Florabama. If you are looking for some southern reading that’s a bit outside the norm, come join me.

First off, I would like to salute and send out a huge THANK YOU to those who serve and protect to keep us safe.

We will be doing some traveling from Louisiana to El Salvador and Washington DC.

Michael Stein was born to be a Marine. Two years and he’s out…until…the NSA wants him. The NSA is an independent entity but operates under the Department of Defense. It’s purpose is to encode and decode intelligence communications and protect us from hackers taking sensitive classified information on government computes. Echelon…does it exist?

LSU…here he comes. It had been his goal to go to college, but not this way. Michael thinks the LSU chicks are hot, especially when he meets his teacher, Kimberly. Rule #1…Don’t get sidetracked…broken. He’s not a virgin, but ten years in the military as a Recon Marine, his life was not conducive to relationships. He is a hard man and when he metes out punishment, he does it with no hesitation, no remorse.

Being at LSU, ya can’t have a story without talking about food, fun and football.

WOW…as I was reading along, watching the Seal Team operate, I was impressed with Chris Warner’s ability to bring to life the action, the bangs of bullets and booms of claymore mines.

The twist wasn’t what I expected, though should have. I think I was distracted because of my mood. The troubling times we are experiencing through Covid and protests makes me realize that there is no reason to heap more on our military by asking them to battle those they are sworn to protect…us.

I got way more than I expected and I can recommend The Tiger Among Us by Chris Warner.

GOODREADS BLURB

…in the spring of 1990 a terrorist cell of Muslim computer science students exacts a brute force hack into the computer system of the Counter-Anti-Terrorism-Assistance-Program (CATAP) at Louisiana State University. Two traveling Israeli Mossad agents teaching counter-terrorism at the LSU instructional program are murdered in Athens, Greece outside their hotel. It is perceived as an international terrorist incident. Dr. Bobby Lee Broussard of the National Security Agency (NSA) discovers a terrorist cell at LSU trying to undermine the government’s efforts to combat terrorism. The United States civilian masters order a lone Marine Corps operative to LSU to locate, exploit and eliminate the terrorist threat in the name of national security…Michael Stein is an exemplary 28-year old Recon Marine. Nearing ten years of service, he is ready to retire from the military and pursue a degree and a family. However, Michael is offered a mission that alters all plans… Louisiana, his area of operation, is unlike any he’s encountered, containing a host of pitfalls and distractions… Stein survives these worldly impediments to fulfill his deadly mission in a thrilling, unforgettable climax.

MY CHRIS WARNER REVIEWS