Category Archives: Reviews

Inferno Rising: The Blood King by Abigail Owen @AOwenBooks

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I have read Abigail Owen’s The Shadowcat Nation Series, The Svatura Series,The Fire’s Edge Series and now, The Inferno Rising Series. I even met her at the RWA Convention in Las Vegas a few years ago. I’ve tried to find the photograph, but I have so many and did a bad job of organizing them, so I am on the case…I will find it.

NEW RELEASE: 8.25.20

The Blood King (Inferno Rising, #2)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I LOVE SKYLAR!

The Blood King is book II of the Inferno Rising Series and I am lovin’ every minute I am in their world. We have love and romance, danger and battles that have me flying the unfriendly skies, swooping, flipping, feeling the wind blowing through my hair, freezing, the feeling of freedom…well, everything has it’s good and bad. LOL

Saying Skylar is feisty is putting it politely. She doesn’t make it easy for anyone to get close to here but her sisters. They are Phoenix and they are highly desired for their abilities and because dragons believe whoever has a Phoenix will be high king.

Of course, I am looking for some romance…How about you? When Skylar meets Ladon Ormarr, the sparks start flying and never quit. I love how he ‘tames’ her. LOL Like that can be done. It won’t be easy , but they ride the rollercoaster of love to a happy ever after.

Maul, what can I say about Maul. Have you ever met a Hellhound? I love him!

Battles will be fought, lives will be lost. The battles are fierce, betrayal abounds, enemies become friends, new alliances are made, and their world becomes a better place. Saying a better place just popped into my head and I was going to change it, but seeing the place we live in now leaves me wanting, I’ll take fantasy land any day of the week.

I loved the haters to lovers premise, and the snarky banter, with sexual tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. BEWARE…it does get HOT.

I love that Abigail Owen has Skylar saying she had always wanted to fly with the Blue Angels. Now, as Sklyar watches the dragons in formation, she feels as if she is. I salute you Blues! They are very familiar to me. I love how she describes the dragons as moving together, like a flight of birds.

Well, this is the first time in a long time that I scrapped my notes and WINGED it. LOL

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Blood King by Abigail Owen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Ruthless dragon king Ladon Ormarr must keep his throne at all costs. And now, with war on the horizon, he’ll need a miracle. Luckily, the fates have dropped Skylar Amon right into his lap.

Except he may have met his match.

The feisty Amon sister has no fear — of him or any other dragon shifter — is brash, doesn’t stick to protocols, and regularly offends his warriors and advisers.

Skylar also has no intention of sticking around. She doesn’t believe in the whole destined mates thing and believes all dragon kings to be dangerous. But if it means taking out the High King who murdered her parents, she’ll put up with Ladon… temporarily.

But the fates have other plans. And when Skylar disappears in the middle of a battle, Ladon will burn down the world to find her.

ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN

AbigailOwen

Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | YouTube l Bookbub l Instagram

MY REVIEWS FOR ABIGAIL OWEN

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Do You Dare To Go Into The Forest by Michaelbrent Collings @mbcollings

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I DO…sooooo come on in. (evil laughter)

The Forest

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Forest is a familiar story…they go into the forest and they don’t all come out. It’s what the author does to the characters more any original idea that will be the deciding factor. Having read some of Michaelbrent Collings stories, I expect something…surprising.

Alex and Trish are best friends. They are highly intelligent and keep to themselves…until Sam. He fits right in with them.

Now, Sam’s lost…in the forest…and they are going in to find him. They believe in science, regardless of what they saw, and they are looking for scientific answers. They have a need to understand…WHAT IN THE HELL IS IN THE FOREST?

The writing takes us to the past and back to the present again and again. In the beginning, I was confused, but quickly got the hang of it. As I reached the end, it all became clear.

I had a high level of anticipation when I opened The Forest, because I have read some of his other work and loved it. Though this was not my favorite Michaelbrent Collings novel, I did enjoy reading it. I am sorry to say that I was, at times, bored, finding my mind wandering. Could it be the writing (this is an ARC), the story being familiar, or Covid and the fact that I have been at home for almost six months now…

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Forest by Michaelbrent Collings.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Three kids went in.
Now, twenty years later, the two survivors are going back…
***

For Tricia and Alex, the idea is simple: find and rescue their friend, Sam, from his insane mother.

But when they enter the forest, they discover that their idea is anything but simple. Because this forest isn’t like any other. In this forest, a silver mist hangs. In this forest, a simple trip of a few miles can turn into a nightmare.

In this forest, the monsters are real.

Twenty years later, Tricia and Alex remember nothing of what happened that day they lost their friend. They know only that three kids went in, but only two came out.

Now, they are going back. To find their lost memories. To discover what happened to Sam that day.

To encounter fear itself.

The forest, as Alex and Tricia will discover, is a place where madness reigns. A place where a simple path becomes an ordeal. A place where the past comes to life, and the future is anything but certain.

Because the dead don’t stay dead… in The Forest.

ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS

Michaelbrent Collings

Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of the top indie horror writers in the United States.

He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.

Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.

Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC… and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!

STALK MICHAELBRENT: Website / Twitter

MY MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS REVIEWS

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Selkie Moon – The First Lie by Virginia King @selkiemoonbooks

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I was introduced to Virginia King and Selkie Moon through a free Amazon copy of Laying Ghosts. I probably found it through a newsletter. Laying Ghosts is still free at the time I created this post, so I hope you take a moment to introduce yourself. Be sure and check to make sure it is still free.

This is the latest cover, and I do love the blue, but I also like the other cover because it sure looks like Hawaii and I love the location. Which does it for you?

The First Lie (The Secrets of Selkie Moon, #1)
The First Lie (Selkie Moon Mystery #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I reviewed the Prequel Laying Ghosts, in the Selkie Moon Series by Virginia King, and when the author saw it, she offered me a review copy of The First Lie. I love the cover, the location, Hawaii, and any kind of water…person, so there was no doubt in mind I had to continue on with the series. I was not disappointed.

Living in a difficult situation in Sydney she heard the call of Hawaii.

Selkie heard a voice, “Someone is trying to kill you.”

And so we begin. Is it real or a figment of her imagination? Is it Pele, warning her? Is she psychic? She’s seen the woman twice. Who is she? What does she want?

With the name Selkie Moon, I felt things would happen differently and The First Lie did not play out like I thought. It seemed a slow pace, but I think that is on me, not Virginia King…or Selkie herself. It takes time for her to work through her issues, her psychological introspection, growing and developing as a character to come into her own, becoming more mature, poised, and confident.

We have Hawaiian mysticism, and I love Hawaii, so this was that little bit extra that I look for in a good book. And, a friend, Wanda, who believes in all of it. Who doesn’t like to learn about the country they are visiting? I sure do. Years ago, Hawaii was #2 on my bucket list. I was so fortunate I was able to cross that off, though I would love to visit it again.

Selkie Moon almost drowned as a child and has a fear of water. The ocean calls to her, but she turns her back on it. Makes me wonder what is to come, if she won’t even get near it, let alone step into it.

Looking back, I appreciate the slow build and details of her life even more, walking in her footsteps and looking through her eyes. My anticipation for the next book, The Second Path, grew after reading the first chapter. I wasn’t going to read it, but seeing the next book is already out, I know there is no wait. And I do want to know what comes next…very much.

At first it felt hard to rate this, bouncing between a 3 and a 4, while reading. After writing this review and seeing the notes I made, I had to go with a 4.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The First Lie by Virginia King.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

“A dizzying array of events, mysteries, supernatural intrigue, and action!” – Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Reviews

Selkie Moon is a woman on the run.

In a mad dash for freedom she’s escaped her abusive husband to start over in Hawaii. But her refuge begins to unravel and she’s running from something else entirely. A voice in a dream says: Someone is trying to kill you. Not that Selkie’s psychic, no way. But the visions escalate until the truth hits her – someone, or something, is stalking her. Entangled in Celtic and Hawaiian mythologies, the mystery becomes so bizarre and terrifying that Selkie’s instinct is to keep running. But is she running from her past or her future? And can she piece together the fragmented clues before time runs out?

The First Lie is a psychological thriller with a mythical twist, peppered with a cast of quirky characters. It’s a story about secrets, about the shadows we don’t know are driving us, from our mythical pasts and our present reality, told with a touch of humour.

Join Selkie Moon on the rollercoaster ride of her life. Rollercoasters make her throw up – but that’s the least of her problems.

ABOUT VIRGINIA KING

Virginia King

When a voice wakes you up in the middle of the night and tells you to write a mystery series, what’s a writer to do? That’s how I came to create Selkie Moon, after a massage from a strange woman with gifted hands was followed by this nocturnal message. I sat down at the keyboard until Selkie Moon turned up — a modern woman with a mythical name. Soon I was hooked, exploring far-flung places full of secrets where Selkie delves into psychological clues tangled up in the local mythology.

Before Selkie Moon invaded my life, I’d been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, the author of over 50 children’s books, an audio-book producer, a workshop presenter and a prize-winning publisher. These days I live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with my husband, where I disappear each day into Selkie Moon’s latest mystery. Bliss.

Website

MY VIRGINIA KING REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Heart Sister by Michael F Stewart @XpressoTours @MichaelFStewart

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I am a huge fan of Michael F Stewart and was excited when I got my hands on Heart Sister, an amazing story that is a perfect example of The Butterfly Effect in Chaos Theory.

The wonderful cover for Heart Sister definitely fits the story inside.

Heart Sister

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the cover and it definitely relates to the book and means so much more after reading Heart Sister by Michael F Stewart. Michael speaks from the heart in this fabulous story of a young boy that searches for the people that received his sister’s organs.

The characters are fully developed, richly detailed and I love how Michael F Stewart shows them growing and changing. Emmitt steals the show. It’s not awful enough that he lost his sister, but he lost his twin sister.

The movie that Emmitt is making was a different take on the story than I expected, but a wonderful way to tell the tale. Anything more, you will want to learn for yourself.

My heart goes out to him. I love him. He is doing everything for his mother, to pull her out of her paralyzing depression, but so much happens and many lives are changed. His sister gave them life, he helps them live it.

The butterfly effect is an idea that is more commonly used in chaos theory. it shows that a small change can make much bigger changes happen; that one small incident can have a big impact in the future. The ripple in the pond….

I cannot say enough about this novel, which is inspired by Micheal F Stewart’s own life.

Heart Sister has it all…fun and games, grief and misery, laughs and tears..and the way Michael presented it was heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly wonderful.

Even though Heart Sister is aimed at middle grade, to me, Michael F Stewart’s novels are excellent for all ages. He sends a subtle message that I hear loud and clear.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Heart Sister by Michael F Stewart.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

After Emmitt’s twin sister, Minnie, dies in an accident, his world goes sideways. He’s lost his best friend and it feels like his family is falling apart without her. But Minnie was an organ donor and Emmitt soon receives an anonymous thank you letter from one of the transplant recipients. Inspiration strikes, and he decides to try and put his sister back together, in spirit. He’s going to track down each organ recipient and film them to show his parents Minnie’s selfless act and help them move on. But when each recipient falls short of his expectations and the star of his film, the girl who received his sister’s heart, refuses to meet him, Emmitt has to turn to extreme measures to find her. What he doesn’t know is that his “heart sister” is hiding an agonizing secret, one that could push Emmitt to the breaking point.

ABOUT MICHEL F STEWART

Michael F. Stewart is winner of both the 2015 Claymore Award and the 2014 inaugural Creation of Stories Award for best YA novel at the Toronto International Book Fair.
He likes to combine storytelling with technology and pioneered interactive storytelling with Scholastic Canada, Australia, and New Zealand’s, anti-cyberbullying program Bully For You. In addition to his award winning Assured Destruction series, he has authored four graphic novels with Oxford University Press Canada’s Boldprint series. Publications of nonfiction titles on Corruption and Children’s Rights are published by Scholastic and early readers are out with Pearson Education.

For adults, Michael has written THE SAND DRAGON a horror about a revenant prehistoric vampire set in the tar sands, HURAKAN a Mayan themed thriller which pits the Maya against the MS-13 with a New York family stuck in the middle, 24 BONES an urban fantasy which draws from Egyptian myth, and THE TERMINALS–a covert government unit which solves crimes in this realm by investigating them in the next.

Herder of four daughters, Michael lives to write in Ottawa where he was the Ottawa Public Library’s first Writer in Residence. To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit his website at www.michaelfstewart.com or connect via Twitter @MichaelFStewart.

Michael is represented by Talcott Notch.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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MY MICHAEL F STEWART REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

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