After five days without power in the Gulf of Mexico, the more than 4,200 people aboard the Carnival Triumph returned home to the U.S., with many of them telling their horror stories for the first time.
Passengers began to disembark the damaged ship around 10:15 p.m. CT Thursday in Mobile, Ala. The last passenger disembarked the ship at 1 a.m. local time, according to Carnival’s Twitter handle.
Passenger Brandi Dorsett was thankful to be home, especially for her mother, who was with her on the ship. Dorsett said she wasn’t pleased with the doctor on staff.
“My mother is a diabetic, and they would not even come to the room because she cannot walk the stairs to help her with insulin. She hasn’t had insulin in three days,” Dorsett said.
The Carnival Triumph departed Galveston, Texas, last Thursday and lost power Sunday after a fire in the engine room disabled the vessel’s propulsion system and knocked out most of its power.
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.Since I posted this, T. Joseph Browder has made a book trailer that you may want to check out. While you are here, read my review and, if interested, you can pick up the book at the end of the post.
These 7 short stories take a ride on the wild side. They are dark, creepy, and end of the world scary, except for the first one, which I think T. Joseph put in just to mess with us.
TOBY
My father got me a Saint Bernard, Toby, when he was a puppy. He saved my life when I was only eight years old. Little did I know, that when he passed away, it would not be the last time I saw him.
A touching and uplifting story for the paranormal lovers. Just because someone is gone, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t looking out for you.
A personal note from the author:
“Toby is my personal favorite, possibly because most of it, right down to the boy falling off the roof, being punctured through the leg, and being saved by the dog, is true. And yes, I did bury him at the base of a lightning split elm in the back yard.”
ROUGE
When Jessie crashed his truck and rolled over the cliff, he thought the worst thing he would have to worry about was the freezing cold weather. Think again Jesse. You may wonder, what does a bear have to do with a car accident?
What goes around comes around and sometimes it is worse than you can imagine.This was my favorite story of the book. I guess it is probably because I love any kind of horror story that includes a creature of a critter of some kind.
HAMMERFALL
He heard a voice, but didn’t hear it clearly. Where was he? It was the Livestar operator. She said no one could respond at this time because of Hammerfall, an asteroid. Everyone had disregarded the Mayan prophecies. would they pay the price now?
Well, you’ll have to read the story to find that out. What do you think would be the end result? Would there be anyone left? Would you want to be one of them or be taken out in the first BIG BANG?
..
THE VISITOR
Lucas had a run in with Nicholai before, thus his ill-health. Lucas’ plan to destroy him was so out of the ordinary, that he felt Nicholai would never see it coming.
Just goes to show how far some people will go to see justice served.
THE CONTRACT
He hired me to kill him. I thought he was out of his mind, but when I heard the price, I jumped on it. I wasted no time, I shot him on the spot. Uh-0h. I should have waited until he told me the details.
I sure didn’t see the ending coming on this one.
AFTER HAMMERFALL
What do you think would be left? How many humans would survive? How many plants? How many animals? And what would they be like?
EDUCATOR
I was beaten nearly to death, stomped on, then shot in the face. No one knew why it happened. I kept secret, that I no longer needed the cane. I did not want people to know what I was really capable of, because I had a mission to fulfill.
How far would you go to seek revenge for the death of a loved one?
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4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others
It’s funny how many of the books I review have trees on their covers, in some shape or form. This cover is beautiful and fits in with the season. It brings back many memories, of when I lived in the wintry, northern states.
The stories were well written and flowed smoothly, making them very easy to read. Pick it up at lunch time, while waiting at the doctor’s or dentist’s office, anywhere you are when you have 10, 15, maybe even 20 minutes. Depends on how fast you read.
The characters are easy to love, hate or feel like they got what was coming to them.
The first story is a “make me feel good”, lovely story. I think T. Joseph Broder did that to set us up for what was to come, because he quickly moves on to things that are not so pleasant, in fact they are down right horrific..
I always find short stories very hard to review. I want to get across how interesting and unexpected so many of the stories are without giving away the good stuff. So how do you do that? I hope I did it well enough to peak your interest and wonder, “What in the hell is she talking about?” ^_^ Then pick up your copy to find out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After an extremely interesting childhood rich with the writings of Poe, King, Koontz, and many others, I left the real world in 1995 and lived for thirteen years in a timeless, soulless void. While there, I spent countless hours reading and studying Philosophy, Psychology, Parapsychology, and, oddly enough, Business. Ultimately, I returned to the real world (with virtually no identity or personal history and no official history whatsoever) and set about the business of making a life for myself from scratch, the pitfalls and hurdles of which, in this post 9/11 world, could fill an entire book.
I now live in Ellinwood, KS, with my wife and four granddaughters (the comedy and drama of that would fill an entire series of books) and published my first book, a short story collection of horror, science-fiction, and suspense, in April, 2012. I am currently working on a novel that defies genre classification with the greatest editor in the world.
T. Joseph Browder invites you to listen to a recent podcast review:
“I got a great one in a podcast from The Library Police starting at the nineteen minute mark:
To pick up a copy of the book from Amazon, simply click on the cover below.
GIVEAWAY
T. Joseph Browder is offering for the Giveaway, 10 (ten) ebooks. International. Easy entry as always, just leave your email address and answer the question:
I know there are a lot people who love short stories. Are you one of them and why?
GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.
CLOSED. WINNERS are: Pragya – Alana Perumal – Emma Meade – Joseph – Lada Ray – Lee (JaxGrampy) – Dia Palaez – Marianne – Vickie Evans and Cecilia.
Congratulations and thank you everyone for stopping by and commenting.
You might also be interested in stopping by The Linden Chronicles and say hi to Patrick Jones and check out his novel about the Dire wolves, who really existed until they became extinct 4,000 years ago.
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!
Not sure what I expected, but it was so much more. Good things do come in small packages.
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In the 20’s it was unusual for a woman to be unmarried, work and live on her own. Olivia had never considered herself a spinster, she just liked her life. She didn’t want to be one of the herd or do what was expected of her. She was terrified of kids. Her father had disowned her at 26 and her mother told her that no one would want an old woman.
It was totally unexpected when she met Charles Doyle. They fell for each other at first glance. When he proposed, she choked on the chocolate truffle she was eating. She told him no and it broke her heart. He told her he didn’t want kids. And if she didn’t want to clean or cook, no problem. Those things weren’t important to him. He had a son he hadn’t seen in fifteen years and a grandson he had never met.
She was very superstitious. During the wedding ceremony, a hail storm broke out. Charlie blew it off, so she did too. She was afraid of the number eleven. On the tenth day of marriage they arrived in Miami for their honeymoon. On the eleventh day, she talked him into staying low-key, taking no chances. They went shopping, she was thinking that nothing could go wrong shopping. He snuck off and bought her a surprise. Back in the room, he told her to close her eyes and he put the necklace around her neck. When she what it was, her heart fell. Opals were bad luck. He died that night.
Susanna Doyle told her husband she had to be in New York City for her singing career. Benjamin knew he would lose her if they went anywhere near there, so he’d played a stalling game with her. He would promise her they would go, then find an excuse not to.
When she became pregnant, life got even worse. To get even, when the baby was born, she named him Ethan Allen, after the furniture store she worked at. As Ethan grew older, their fights became so vicious that he built a fort out back to get away from them.
One day at the diner, he noticed Mister Scooter, the owner, touching his mom’s butt. He asked her about it and she said if he kept quiet, she would make sure she always had enough spare change for him to go to the movies.
Susanna was very excited because Benjamin had promised they would go to New York City in September. When September rolled around, he found another excuse not to go. She had been working and saving the money, so she told Ethan they were going without him, but not to say anything so he wouldn’t find out and try to stop them. She went to the bank for her money, but Benjamin had already closed the account.
Susanna immediately went to Scooter, telling him she wanted to run away with him and Ethan to New York City. He thought about his own kid, for only a moment, and said okay.
Ethan was eleven years old and his mom had always promised him she would never run off without him. But that night, Ethan’s whole world changed.
I don’t know why I was drawn to the cover, title, then the blurb. Something tugged at me.The cover conveyed such a sense of sorrow from the boy. I loved the second reference to spare change, but you will have to read the book to find out what it is, and why the title is so very appropriate.
I am not much for a story without some murder, killing, death, blood, gore, mystery, magic; in other words, some kind of action or adventure. This was a different kind of murder story, more a story of a woman alone, and a boy with no home and no one to love him. The murder was just a small piece.
For a short book, Bette made me feel like the story covered a lifetime. I kept reading faster and faster. I was afraid for Ethan and then both him and Olivia. She put so much story into a small book. Plot was detailed and suspenseful. I kept waiting for…..
The characters were amazing. Her descriptions left me feeling like they were my neighbors. I felt like I knew them. They were realistic and reminiscent of a time when we knew our neighbors. Such a feel good book. Made me tear up and cry because of its sweetness. I know my neighbors and speak to them, but I am a solitary creature, so it really surprised me that I felt such strong emotions while reading the story.
How do you get an eleven year old boy to trust you? I felt Ethan’s fear and panic. To win him over, it took much empathy, patience and compassion. So much, packed into its 280 pages. I know I keep repeating myself, but I still can’t get over how much this book affected me.
I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Not only was the author gracious enough to send me a paperback, she also autographed it for me. I love to add another book to my collection.
Giveaway – Bette Lee Crosby is offering for the giveaway:
International – ebook of Spare Change – OR – US and Canada a signed paperback. As always the entry is easy. Leave a comment telling us what you do with your spare change and an email address.
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. The Winners Are:
Kimba – won the signed paperback Alana – won the ebook
Thanks to all of you for the wonderful, warm and touching comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
Before we get to the snippet, I wanted to tell my friends about why I chose the paranormal genre to write in and especially… “The Light-Bearer Series.”
I love romance and yes, I could have written a romance novel or novels. They would have been lovely to write.
However, what gets my blood pumping is not only romance, but mystery, intrigue and terror from the supernatural! Forces that we have no control over or forces that twist our fate.
In “Mactus,” Tabbruis and Charmeine are so in love but their love is threatened by those supernatural forces that they have no control over.
The Elder Council, (the Blood-Hunter’s ruling body) are sort of ‘Mystic Bullies’ who mark this couple for death because one race cannot stand the other race. ”Light cannot have dark and dark cannot have light.” Both races rage this war because of prejudice.
So, I just thought a little insight might make you possibly want to download and read this wonderful continuation of “The Light-Bearer Series.” I hope you enjoy and onto the Snippet!
Shane shook his head while taking huge bites and swallowing the food down. He said, “Nope, not with that voodoo stare Dad has. He can convince anyone to do anything. Sort of like Obi-Wan Kenobi in Mos Eisley, when he stares down the Imperial Storm troopers to let them pass, you know? I would love to have that trick up my sleeve.” Shane mock stared at her grinning wide while he was gulping the last of his food down.
Among other things, Charmeine wondered why Shane had not inherited any of their powers. However, she thought it was better he was a normal human. This was his world since he was a child. Charmeine’s mind was flinging question after question one right after another as she was eating her cold toast and drinking her lukewarm coffee.
Tabbruis came into the room rubbing his hands together and smiling. He had already showered, shaved and changed. Charmeine thought how could ever think he was human; he was dressed in black jeans and boots with a tight fitted black T-shirt over his muscles. His green eyes were bright and his hair was combed back with his bangs of dark chestnut hair on his forehead. He also smelled terrific and she warmed when she caught his scent in her nose.
Tabbruis said, “Listen you two; I have a lot of things to say and I need no arguments from you…” He scanned their eyes for confirmation.
Charmeine nodded and Shane said, “Okay… shoot.”
Tabbruis took a breath and said, “I have wealth. I have a place where we can go and be secure. I know the terrain there and have security put into place for our transport and transition there. First, Charmeine…” he bent down and picked up her hand while it was sparking. He said, “My love, my Charmeine. I love you!”
Charmeine looked into his deep green eyes and saw he was telling the truth. She sighed.
Then Tabbruis and Charmeine heard a chuckle across the table and both stared at Shane. He said, “Oh, go ahead folks… just keep the mushy stuff to a minimum here. I’m trying to keep down my cold breakfast.” They all started to laugh.
Tabbruis pulled a dining room chair out and sat down. With a serious look, he said, “Now, I am having both of your apartments cleaned out and your belongings are being shipped with us. All of our cars are coming too. We leave on my jet in 90 minutes. If you do not have your passports, do not worry I have connections that will get yours done and waiting at the airport for us. I need you two to get your showers and change into comfortable clothes for travel. It will take us several hours to arrive there.”
Tabbruis held up hands and said, “I do not want any arguments, it is being done so our family can be safe. Nothing and I mean nothing is more important than our family being safe. Do you both understand? No arguments!”
Shane and Charmeine began to speak, but he looked at them in their eyes and said, “It is for the best we do this to protect our family. I need you dressed and ready to go to the heliport in about twenty-five minutes. Do not worry about packing what you have at the hotel either, everything is being shipped, and we will have it shortly after our arrival.”
Charmeine took a deep breath, no use arguing with her ‘husband’ when he used the ‘voodoo stare’ as her son called it, even though she knew it never worked on her. She said, “May I ask one question?”
He nodded reticently, “Where are we going Tabbruis?”
Tabbruis looked her and Shane in the eye with a big smile. Charmeine looked at Shane with a bit of anxiousness in her stomach.
Tabbruis said with a sparkle in his eye, “Romania!”
For everyone who didn’t win the giveaway, now is your opportunity to snag yourself a copy of Revamp by Beck Sherman. Be sure to tell all your friends and family.
FOR THREE DAYS, IT WAS DARK.
News reporters scrambled. This was the biggest story to come along in weeks.
They called it a blackout.
The last one was in New York City in 2003, but this one was different, special, because the grids in six major cities across the country had been fried, kaput, see-you-next-Sunday. Everyone with some jurisdiction blamed each other, and when there was no one left to blame, terrorism rode in on its gallant steed.
It was the media’s fault. They were so busy stuffing fanatical Muslims with a penchant for Allah and decapitations down the American citizen’s throat, that they never saw it coming. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on them.
They were partially right.
It was terror after all, but a whole new kind. And when the lights came back on, things had changed.
My father got me a Saint Bernard, Toby, when he was a puppy. He saved my life when I was only eight years old. Little did I know, that when he passed away, it would not be the last time I saw him.
After an extremely interesting childhood rich with the writings of Poe, King, 
5 
Bette Lee Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006, when she won the 
To get your free copy of Revamp, go 