Amazeballs – Asylum by Susy Smith @susy8469

Posted on by

I won a Gift Card through a giveaway for Susy Smith, so I bought a copy of Asylum.

Asylum

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WOW! For a debut novel, Asylum by Susy Smith has knocked it out of the ball park. I am impressed and will be marking her as a must read author. I rarely buy books any more, but I had to have Asylum. The cover, title and synopsis has everything I need to lure me in. I am eager to see what she comes up with next.

Asylum immediately brought to mind The Walking Dead, without he zombies. It also reeks of real life possibilities. With an economic collapse, marshal law is declared. Think about it. I sure have.

A farm. A 19 year old girl. A sanctuary. Secession. Labor camps. Brother against brother. Jace and Zach are brothers of murdered parents. Complete opposites.

How do you help someone, when you can’t help yourself? You JUST DO IT. Even in doubt, Lacy moves forward.

Jace had always had a thing for Lacy and so does Travis, the first person to join her in the sanctuary. A love triangle. I know some people don’t like them, but in this world, it fits perfectly.

I was immersed in Asylum by Susy Smith from the opening pages and it never let me go. Through the entire book, shades of real world history came to life. I kept thinking…could this happen in our current world?

I smiled. I cried. I loved. I hated.

Susy Smith did an amazing job on her debut novel and I will be keeping my eye on her.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

In the aftermath of the Big Crash, the President of the United States declares martial law. The National Guard rounds up citizens who are never heard from again. While fear and chaos reign, a small band of revolutionaries rise up to resist.

Lacy Monroe, barely out of high school, never saw herself as a leader. All that changed after the Big Crash. When the rest of her family fled, she remained on the farm, the last piece of land in the state holding out against the hostile government. Alone and vulnerable, she endures a horrific attack, yet survives and offers sanctuary to others like herself—until an old friend turns her world upside-down.

Jace Cooper has harbored a secret for years—he is completely in love with his best friend’s sister. The world is crumbling around them, no one knows how long they will survive, and all he wants is to protect Lacy and stay with her.

With the National Guard circling ever closer, hunger and sickness taking a toll, and betrayal and jealousy threatening to destroy the group from the inside, the struggle to hold onto the farm pushes them to the brink. And Lacy is keeping a secret so devastating it could drive Jace to unthinkable actions. Is the farm a safe asylum—or will the fight for freedom destroy them?

ABOUT SUSY SMITH

Susy Smith

Susy Smith has a bachelor’s degree in English and is a language teacher for the Kanza Tribe. Her debut novel, Asylum, won the 2020 WriterCon contest in the novel category. She loves creating a home on paper for the characters in her head and dabbling in poetry. She lives in a small Oklahoma town with her husband, four grown children nearby, and two spoiled dog-children.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • 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’.
  • Product images are linked/I am an Amazon affiliate.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Loving Dark Men by J A Huss @XpressoTours @JAHuss

Posted on by

Loving Dark Men
J.A. Huss
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Thriller

A man lures a woman into the woods.

Another ruins the life of his best friend.

And yet another strings them along like puppets.

Dark men.

They are intriguing, and charming, and powerful.

They are changing the world.

They are changing themselves.

They are playing with lust, and love, and fear, and loathing.

Addicted to each other, to their secret, to the seduction, to the sex.

It’s a crash in the making.

And yes, it’s on purpose.

These men are dark.

And this is the messy story of how Nova Ryan loves them.

Loving Dark Men is a seductive romantic thriller that will have you turning pages well past your bedtime. A standalone book by New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

The guy.

He’s been missing since the first day. Well, maybe I’ve been missing. He’s never in the dining hall, and, of course, he’s not in the lab. And those are the only two places I go, so…

He smiles at me and my whole body goes tingly with the memory of what we did in the woods.

I stop walking and just stare. He’s leaning against a tree and immediately I see him the way he was that first day. He’s wearing something very similar—sweat shorts and a shirt tucked into his waistband.

He must jog a lot.

He signals to me with a single finger. Not a wagging finger, but a point. Almost like he’s beckoning a waitress. I do a half-hearted wave back and turn to the coffee cart.

I don’t know what’s going through his mind right now, but I’m not interested. It was a one-time thing as far as I’m concerned, something I’m not going to dwell on or feel shame over, but there is no burning need inside me to force it to make sense.

It was… a need met. An itch scratched.

Hell, that’s giving it way too much credit.

It was a weird once-in-a-lifetime sexual opportunity that came about due to my new surroundings and—

Once-in-a-lifetime? Really?

Fine. I’m slutty, what can I say?

I still don’t feel any shame.

And I do not look over my shoulder. Not before I order, not while I order, and not while I wait for my coffee.

I give him plenty of time to go somewhere else.

But when I turn, he’s still there. Lifting that one finger at me again.

And this time, he does beckon me. Then he turns and walks into the trees.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I mutter this under my breath, then look around, to see if anyone is paying attention.

No one is, as far as I can tell.

When I look back at him, all I catch is his bare back disappearing into the woods.

Nova, you will not follow that man into the woods.

Nova…

Nova!

But I’m already walking in that direction. Because… that kiss. Holy shit, that kiss. I mean, I don’t think a man has ever kissed me like that. Well, maybe Travis. But that was his one and only chance. I was leaving the next day for college. And, in fact, we never did see each other again.

No. One teenager’s desperate attempt to make himself memorable is not the same as this man’s all-encompassing lust.

Nova. You’re walking.

Yes. I am.

You’re walking towards the woods.

You’re very observant, monologue me. But save your breath. I’m going. At the very least, I need his name. I mean, what kind of man beckons a strange woman into the woods, helps her jerk himself off, comes in her hand, then just… walks away?

Not even a half-hearted ‘see ya later?’

Not even a ‘thank you?’

I need something to add to this story. I can’t leave it like this. It will drive me crazy.


Author Bio:

JA Huss is a New York Times Bestselling author and has been on the USA Today Bestseller’s list 21 times. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world. Her book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017. Her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Her book, Total Exposure, was nominated for a RITA Award in 2019. She lives on a ranch with her family, dogs, cats, birds, chickens, horse, donkeys, and goats in Colorado.

Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon / Audible


GIVEAWAY!
(Starts July 26 – Ends August 8, 2022)
PRIZE – $250 Amazon Gift Card, FOUR SIGNED Loving Dark Men dust-jacket hardcovers. (1 Retail edition, 3 Special Editions). Swag bag.
LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS JAHUSS BLOG POST TO ENTER!

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

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

New Release – Mail Order Bride by Britney King @britneyking_

Posted on by

MY REVIEW

Gina’s dad is concerned about what will happen to her when he is gone, so he places an ad in the Farmer’s Almanac for a Mail Order Bride. I do wonder if there is more behind his desire to have her married. What could be in it for him?

Joel responds and comes to Tennessee. He propose and Gina grasps at her chance to get out, but it’s to Texas. She wants to be an actress and her goal is to get to Hollywood.

In the beginning I was confused. We were jumping from one point of view to another. It took me a while to figure out who was writing in the diary, and that is a good thing, a little mystery to stir my curiosity. I never felt a sense of urgency, though I was curious about how it would end.

I did enjoy my time with the characters and seeing this is an ARC, that may be why I thought Mail Order Bride was not polished, was a bit jumbled, not fleshed out. It did not grab me, making me want to read into the early hours of the morning.

I have enjoyed all the Britney King books that I have read, and some of them have blown me away, so she will always be a must read for me.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Mail Order Bride by Britney King.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

The bestselling author of the “clever spine-tingler” The Secretary returns with a vicious and suspenseful tale of love-gone-wrong. 

When Joel answers an ad in the back of the Farmers’ Almanac that promises to deliver the perfect wife, he isn’t sure what to expect.

For sure, it isn’t Gina.

Gina was aware she possessed secret powers—that’s what her father called them—from a very young age. He always told her she would make a perfect bride. So that’s exactly what she became.

She knows she’s not supposed to use her “powers” for evil and destruction, but Pine Lake is a small place, and Gina has big dreams—plans, in fact. She also has charm, beauty, sex appeal, and intelligence.

Only two things stand in her way: the social norms of 1953, and her new husband, Joel.

The solution may call for desperate measures. But, then, if anyone can get away with murder, it’s Gina.

However, there’s something Gina has yet to realize. That handsome groom of hers? He’s a serial loner for a reason.

Buy Links:

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

Britney King lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, a dog named Gatsby, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a peach tree.

When she’s not wrangling the things mentioned above, she writes psychological, domestic and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.

Without a doubt, she thinks connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. You can find Britney online here:

MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

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

Giveaway – The Last One by A S Kelly @XpressoTours

Posted on by

The Last One
A.S. Kelly
Publication date: July 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Anya O’Donnell, and I’d like to declare myself guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.
Guilty of what, you ask?
Well, for starters, I’m guilty of lying to everyone for years; of pretending when I should have been showing them all who I really was, what I really wanted. I’m guilty of pushing away the only person who wanted to stay, convinced that, one day, he’d have left, anyway.
I told him we were a mistake.
I told him I was better off without him.
I told him that I didn’t love him.
And now I miss him. I miss his cups of tea and his stupid cheese crackers. I miss his clothes, strewn about the house. I miss the way he would watch me sleep. I miss his arms, holding me tightly each night, making me feel at home.
But now we’re both alone. And I’m scared.
I’m scared that he believed everything I told him; that he has no intention of coming back.

Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Owen McKenna, and I’m furious.
Why, you ask?
Well, because I decided to follow my heart and not my head. Because I didn’t listen to my friends or to their far-fetched theories. Because I left anyway – even when everyone was telling me to stay.
And now she doesn’t want me back. But I want her, desperately.
She’s the woman I’ve been waiting for. She’s incredibly sexy, and can make you laugh, even when you least want to. She’s never let anyone in, apart from me; and when she crumbles into my arms, it makes me feel like the only guy in the world.
But I ruined everything.
I let the L-word slip, and she panicked.
She told me things she didn’t even think – I know that. I know her.
I know that she’s scared, that she doesn’t want to take this risk. But I do. I’m ready.
I’m her exception.
I just need to make her see that, too.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Ms. O’Donnell.”
“What?”
“My surname. O’Donnell.”
“Mine is…”
“I didn’t ask. I’m telling you mine. You can call me Ms. O’Donnell.”
“Are you serious?”
“Good morning, Ms. O’Donnell. Or good evening, depending on the circumstance.”
“Can I wish you goodnight, too?”
“You’re not helping yourself.”
I laugh. I like winding her up – mainly because she doesn’t flinch.
“Are you telling me I can’t even say your name?”
“Only friends use my name.”
“And I’m not a friend?”
“No.”
“And I’ll never become a friend?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ve seen me naked. And usually, friends don’t see each other naked.”
“Is that one of your rules?”
“It’s just become one.”
“A special rule for me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not even my type.”
“What is your type?”
“That’s something I don’t share with strangers or acquaintances. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work waiting for me.”
She slowly walks to the entrance, under my watchful gaze. I can’t help but fixate on the slinky, sensual movement of her hips.
“Ms. O’Donnell?” I call. She stops and looks around at me again.
“I hope you have a great day.”
“I thought it would be. Now I’m not so sure.”

Author Bio:

A. S. Kelly writes Rom-Com, Romantic Fiction and Family Saga.
Avid reader, hopeless romantic, lover of yoga, knitting and home baking.
She was born in Italy but lives in Ireland with her husband, two children and a cat named Oscar.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

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

Giveaway – Unbreakable by Kristin Smith @XpressoTours @SwordsStilettos

Posted on by

Unbreakable
Kristin Smith
(The Deception Game, #4)
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult

From best-selling and award-winning author Kristin Smith comes the riveting fourth and final book in the Deception Game series.

A terrible discovery that will change everything.

Armed with valuable information, Sienna and her friends find asylum in the east coast province of Pride. While initially grateful for Pride’s open arms, they begin to question exactly what kind of loyalties its president is after. Sienna must grapple with her new condition, Trey has to figure out how to win a war without losing Sienna, and Zane needs to recreate a gene regeneration therapy to cure Sienna without knowing if he’ll ever win her heart. When they learn Trina survived the Zenith Camp bombing, they also discover she’s been living a nightmare.

In the end, Sienna and her friends must somehow come together and fight a war for a government they aren’t sure they can trust.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

SIENNA:

Ever since we arrived in Old Richmond, President Turner’s team of doctors have done test after test and x-ray after x-ray to determine how severely my spinal cord is damaged. And it’s all led to the same conclusion. It’s damaged beyond repair. Which means I’ll never walk again, at least, not in this life.

Am I angry? Yes. Do I feel sorry for myself? A little. But that’s not what keeps me tethered to this bed. Sadness is a weighted sandbag that drags me down, down, down. All I want to do is sleep.

Day after day, I lie on my back in a bed in a room that’s too posh to be a sick room. I let them check my blood pressure and temperature. I let them empty my catheter. I let them switch out my IV bag. And I don’t complain when they stick me with this needle and that one. For all intents and purposes, I’m alive.

And yet, I’m not.

I lost the two most important people in my life, and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover. So what that I can’t walk? So what that my life as I knew it is over? So what. So what. So what. My mom and sister are dead. Burned alive.

Death is a plague that has visited my doorstep over and over. No matter where I go, it finds me and the ones I love.

And I’m tired. So very tired. Tired of living. Tired of loving. Tired of caring.

There’s a soft knock on the door, and then Zane sticks his head in. His face lights up when he sees me. “Hey,” he says. “Can I come in?” His gaze travels to Chaz, who is asleep in a chair near the corner of the room. His head sags against his propped-up arm, his chubby cheek squished against his fist. Chaz hasn’t left my side since we got to Old Richmond. My eternal watchdog.

“Trust me,” I say, “nothing short of an explosion can wake him when he’s asleep.”

Zane chuckles at this as he crosses the room and sinks into the chair beside my bed. “How are you holding up?”

“I’ve been better.”

His face is awash in pain. “I’m really sorry, Sienna—”

“It wasn’t your fault, Zane,” I remind him. We’ve been over this again and again, but he still carries the blame. Like he could somehow have avoided the hidden explosive. The thought is absurd.

“It was,” he says, his voice firm. “But I’m going to fix it. I promise.”

“I know you will,” I say. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”

He smiles. “Your confidence in me means everything.”

A loud snore comes from the corner of the room. Zane and I exchange looks. “See?” I say. “Told you.”

When Zane laughs, it feels like a little bit of goodness has returned to the world. His laugh almost elicits a smile from me. Almost.

He reaches for my hand, then takes it in his. His hand is strong, solid, the muscles arching as he squeezes my fingers. “I’ve missed you,” he says, and it’s so sudden and completely unexpected that I’m not sure what to say back.

“I’m right here,” I joke.

“That’s not what I mean.” His eyes connect with mine, and his gaze is so intense I have to look away. “Sienna, I need to know.”

“Need to know what?”

“Is there any hope for me? For us?”

I draw in a sharp breath. I thought I spelled it out pretty well in my bedroom that night in his house before the assassin tried to kill him. Apparently not. I try to say the next words as gently as I can. “I’m with Trey now. I love Trey.”

Pain fills his eyes as his hand slips from mine. “I understand.”

“Zane, I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be. It’s not what I wanted to hear. But it’s what I needed to hear.”

I reach for his hand again, and reluctantly, he gives it to me. Bringing it up to my lips, I kiss the soft spot between his knuckles. “There’s a girl out there for you. One who will love you and appreciate you for the incredible person you are.”

When Zane stares at me, his eyes full of longing, it tears holes in my heart. “I know,” he says. “I just hoped it would be you.”


Author Bio:

Kristin Smith is the best-selling and award-winning author of the DECEPTION GAME series. Her first book, CATALYST, is a 2018 IAN Book of the Year Award finalist in the Young Adult category.

A graduate of Brigham Young University, Kristin currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and five sons. To read more about Kristin or her books, please visit her website at kristinsmithbooks.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

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

Giveaway – The Virus Of Beauty by C B Lyall @GoddessFish

Posted on by

The Virus of Beauty Series by C.B. Lyall

GENRE: YA Fantasy

BLURB:

The Virus of Beauty – Book 1

Ugliness is power, and the Virus of Beauty is spreading causing panic throughout the witch population.

Wilf Gilvary is a teenage wizard who is terrified of using magic. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, the same day the Mages Crystal shatters, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the Magical Realm. He’d rather play soccer than practice magic, but he’s forced to make a choice between the life of a normal Hong Kong teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community. The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal’s secrets – but will it be too late to save her?

EXCERPT

The Virus of Beauty – Book 1

“Wilf, is that you?” Reginald’s shout was followed by a creaking sound from the basement stairs.

Wilf bolted for the front door. His shoes crunched on the broken glass. He jerked open the door and the bell gave a traitorous jingle. He shot out of the store and back into their living quarters. He barged into the kitchen.

“What happened?” Myra asked, putting down the bread knife.

He threw himself onto a chair, poured cornflakes and milk into a bowl, and shoveled a spoonful into his mouth.

“Wilf,” Myra said, taking on the adult tone she’d started using two years ago, when she’d turned eighteen. “I take it you didn’t find your card in the store.”

“It wasn’t me,” he mumbled through his mouthful of cereal. “But I’ll be blamed. Tell him I was here, having breakfast.”

“Why am I covering for you again?” She folded her arms and tried to look more imposing than her five-foot, two-inch height would allow.

Wilf’s spoon leaped from his hand and splashed into the bowl with the first heavy footstep on the stairs. The faucet stopped dripping and the clock held its next tick. The small kitchen in the Gilvarys’ Hong Kong apartment held its breath.

The kitchen door flew open, and revealed his father, shaking with rage. After a moment, Reginald thrust his hands into his pants pockets.

“You’ve shattered the Mages Crystal.” His lips formed a thin line on his angular face. “It’s been in our family for generations.

The Veil of Corruption – The Virus of Beauty Book 2

Witches and magic are taking over Wilf’s life.

After being thrust into a long-standing conflict between the witches and wizards that has destabilized the Magical Realm and finding the antidote for the Virus of Beauty, Wilf would like to return to his normal soccer playing teenage life. But he can’t rest until his stepsister, Myra, is caught and brought to justice. It’s been three days since Myra took to the skies above Hong Kong and disappeared. Now Wilf is accused of corrupting the Veil, a defensive barrier between the witch and wizard cities. As the spell expands throughout the magical realm it is attacking witches and wizards. But Wilf would rather embrace his witch friend, Katryna, than his wizard powers. When evil forces have other plans and they kidnap Katryna, Wilf realizes that he’d do anything to save her and the Magical Realm, even if it means risking his own life by connecting to the primary source of all magic.

The Vassal of Magic – The Virus of Beauty Book 3

Wilf Gilvary is a slave to the magic he hates.

Yet his powers seem a solution for saving the Magical Realm and Katryna, the girl he loves. If only he could figure out how to tap his magic’s full potential.

As factions of witches and wizards vie for control of the Magical Realm, Wilf embarks on a harrowing journey that plunges him into the realm’s ancient secrets. At first, Wilf begins to doubt everything. His affection for Katryna might be the remnants of a broken love spell. And he still struggles to control his magic.

But Wilf risks his life to learn more about his powers and his destiny. It leaves him facing an impossible choice: forever abandon his dreams of life as a Normal in Hong Kong, or allow magic and the Magical Realm to perish from the world.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • 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’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Alternate History – King Of Trees by Carmen Webster Buxton @CarmenWBuxton

Posted on by

.

King Of Trees by Carmen Webster Buxton was a pleasant surprise, more than I expected. Why I was so surprised, I don’t know. After all, I have loved everything I have read of hers. Maybe it was the cover? The title?

King of Trees

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been reading Carmen Webster’s work for some time now, and she never fails to entertain me. Her writing is captivating and many times she creates an original story that keeps me reading until the last sentence is read, like with King Of Trees, a novel approach to time travel. Instead of going forward or back, we go sideways, into a parallel universe, and due to damage to their ‘vehicle’ they will not be coming back.

Their mission: stop the desecration of the environment. I love reading novels that include global warming, pollution…who knows what fictional ideas could become our new reality.

The world Carmen Webster Buxton has created took me back in time with the characters, looking through new eyes and an open mind. At this point, I became wrapped up in the paperback I was reading and quit taking notes. Now I regret it. There was so much I wanted to share and I waited too long.

As I sit here thinking, one of the first things that came to mind was how the characters learned to work together, grew to trust each other and become a community, each part of the whole. I love books that get me thinking and King Of Trees does that.

The story, for me, is about the characters…the personal sacrifices they make and their growth that Carmen has so richly developed.

King Of Trees by Carmen Webster Buxton is a complete novel, no series. The story is finished and I enjoyed my time in Albion. I look forward to more from Carmen. I feel my review does not convey how much I enjoyed the story, the fantasy, the perils…

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of King Of Trees by Carmen Webster Buxton.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREAD BLURB

In an alternate version of Britain, a group of sideways-in-time travelers have forever altered the course of their new world’s history. “What if the world we’re on is only one thread out of millions of threads in the rope of time?” The question the Outsider woman posed to him left Bardolph as confused as ever. He knew the Outsiders had appeared as if by magic many years before, during his great-grandfather’s reign, but he had never understood where they came from. He only knew they had changed Albion forever. Melissa York might have been grateful to her rescuer, who called himself King of Albion, but she saw no reason to let her gratitude influence her opinion of antiquated notions like monarchy and pagan religions. Let the Druids go back to their forests. She and her people were the best defense Albion had against the invaders. Bardolph knew better. All the people of Albion would need to work together or they would find themselves conquered again. Only this time instead of a Roman emperor, their tribute would be paid to one in faraway China. He only hoped the Outsiders were as clever and as powerful as rumor said they were, because Albion needed all the help it could get.

ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON

Carmen Webster Buxton

Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.

Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.

Carmen has published many books:

WAKANREO SERIES
Alien Bonds
Alien Vows
Alien Skies

HAVEN SERIES
The Sixth Discipline
No Safe Haven

THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order)
The Nostalgia Gambit
Saronna’s Gift
Shades of Empire
Tribes
Worlds Apart

ALTERNATE HISTORY
King of Trees

YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION
Turnabout
Drifters

FANTASY
Where Magic Rules
Bag of Tricks
Hidden Magic

THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021)
The North Edge of Nowhere
Oaths and Promises

Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON REVIEWS

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

Giveway – Yearning To Live by Shirley Anne Edwards @ShirlAwriter @XpressoTours

Posted on by

Yearning to Live
Shirley Anne Edwards
(Finding the Strength, #4)
Publication date: July 24th 2022
Genres: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance

A self-proclaimed ordinarily average girl meets the one larger than life person who will make her yearn for so much more.

Natalie Benton has nursed enough heartbreak in her twenty-one years. But she doesn’t like to complain even though her parents’ marriage might be falling apart, and she’s still mourning her brother, who committed suicide five years ago. On top of that, she was recently ghosted by her lover, an emotionally detached tattoo artist who ran off to California. She’s ready to graduated college in a few months but she’s not sure what her next steps will be. For now, she’ll take each day as it comes, which has become her mantra as an ordinary, average girl in Albee, Pennsylvania where nothing exciting ever happens.

But fate has other plans for Natalie, when a very not ordinary average girl enters her life. It’s the larger than life Gem Grove, one of the most popular singers of the past decade. Gem’s been hiding out in Albee while she also tries her best to take each day as it comes, but her addiction to bigger fame and fortune could lead to her downfall. The public may think she’s entitled and spoiled but she’s ready to prove them all wrong. She’s more than just a singer who performs on demand. She wants to create art with her songs and gain the respect she has always wanted.

Natalie and Gem shouldn’t fit together but they do. The ordinary average girl and the larger-than-life diva might be destined for more, but only if they can achieve it together.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“How did you know I’d be here?” I finished my juice with a loud pull on my straw.

She tapped her now painted silver thumbnails together. “Yesterday morning I went back to your work to check on the dog but then I saw you get in a car with some guy. I, ah, followed you home. After your boyfriend dropped you off and you walked inside your house, I was going to ring the doorbell, but I didn’t want you to think I was a stalker.”

“Israh’s not my boyfriend. He’s my best friend and next-door neighbor who—” I shut up before I told her too much about him, and me. “But you knowing I’m here now isn’t being a stalker?”

She stopped fidgeting with her fingers and stared out the window. “I drove away and decided to stop by your house again this morning. But then you were walking on Main Street, and I saw you come here.” She turned back to me with a confused expression. “You really do like to walk instead of driving?” Her eyes widened dramatically. “Unless you don’t have a car? But you live in a nice neighborhood in what I would say is an expensive house for this type of small town.”

The front door opened, and the bell rang. She slouched in her seat and tugged down her hood. She looked nervous, and even though I should have been offended by her rambling speech, I grew concerned. She was too twitchy and perhaps scared? She was really paranoid about being spotted.

“You’re that worried someone might recognize you and rat you out to the press? Why do you think it would happen here, in such a small town like Albee?”

“I’ve been hounded by the press since Gio and my first album was released. It’s been nonstop for twelve years.” She hugged herself and glanced out the window again when Savannah came over.

“You and your friend ready to order?” She focused on me first, not appearing to recognize Gem.

“I’d love another juice. My friend is still deciding what she wants.” I expected Gem to face me, but she kept staring out the window.

“Sure. Take your time.” She grabbed my glass and left.

Gem exhaled and gave me her attention.

“See? Savannah didn’t recognize you. This is a safe place.” I tapped her shoe with mine.

“Guess so.” She stared at the meu. “What’s good here?”

“The pancakes.” My stomach growled, but Gem didn’t seem to notice.

“Too many carbs and too much sugar.” She turned the menu over. “I ate breakfast already, but I’d kill for a chai tea.”

“Sorry, only regular coffee here.” I thanked Savannah when she brought my juice.

“I can’t sit here while you eat and I don’t.” She held up her hand as I started to speak. “I can’t drink any type of coffee. I have standards.”

I paused in taking a sip of my juice, afraid it would go down the wrong way or I’d spray it on the table or on Gem.

“Unless you have something important to tell me, I’m staying and enjoying my banana pecan pancakes I have every Sunday.” She might be used to people doing what she wanted, but I was sticking to my routine.

She checked behind her when the door opened, and a group of six girls around my age came in. She cursed under her breath and turned back around. “I want to explain why I left so suddenly after the phone call Friday night, but I’m really not comfortable talking here. Can we go somewhere more private? Please?”

The pleading tone in her voice, and her use of the word please, which I had a feeling she rarely used, stopped me from telling her no. But I was curious, well more than curious.

A waitress brought over the meals to the table nearest us. I watched the couple dig into their breakfast, and I sighed.

Gem curled her fingers around mine holding my glass. “Pretty please?”

“Not many people say no to you.” I finished my juice, even though she kept her hand on mine. I should have told her to let me go, but having a celebrity like her touch me was something I’d never expect in a million years.

“I can’t remember the last time I was refused something I wanted.” She pressed my hand and let me go.


Author Bio:

Shirley Anne Edwards is a Northeast girl who first found her love for books when she read Nancy Drew’s The Secret of the Old Clock Tower at thirteen. Shirley found her love for writing at a very young age, and since then has let her imagination run wild by creating quirky characters and vast worlds in her head.

Shirley lives in New Jersey and works in the entertainment industry in New York City.

In the immortal words of Mark Twain: “Life is short, Break the Rules. Forgive quickly, Kiss SLOWLY. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret ANYTHING that makes you smile.”

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

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

Giveaway – Shielding Her Son by K D Richards @dollycas

Posted on by

Shielding Her Son (West Investigations) by K.D. Richards

About Shielding Her Son


Shielding Her Son (West Investigations)
Romantic Suspense
4th in Series
Harlequin Intrigue (July 26, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335582088
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335582089
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09N1PY2PH

She thought she’d escaped her past…

Has it caught up with her?

Erika Powell has lived in hiding for years to protect her son from his wealthy, tyrannical grandfather. Wary of strangers, she’s suspicious of James West, who’s renting a neighboring cabin, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when attempts are made on Erika’s life, James fears he may have endangered her—because the undercover PI’s investigation of Erika may have led someone dangerous right to her.

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the West Investigations series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:

Book 1: Pursuit of the Truth
Book 2: Missing at Christmas
Book 3: Christmas Data Breach
Book 4: Shielding Her Son

About K.D. Richards

K.D. Richards was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C. A writer since a young age, after college Kia earned a law degree and worked as an attorney and legal instructor for fifteen years but never stopped writing fiction. She currently splits her time between Toronto and Maryland with her husband and two sons.

Author Links

Purchase Links

Harlequin   Amazon    Kobo     B&N 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

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

Giveaway – Spark Of Madness by Brynn Ford @XpressoTours

Posted on by

Spark of Madness
Brynn Ford
(Ember Glen, #1)
Publication date: July 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Dystopian

In Ember Glen, men purge under the full moon. It’s the duty of women to serve them. When Mercy refuses to serve, Arlo will force her to find absolution through three brutal trials. But will their forbidden romance destroy their world?

Mercy
Neglecting my duty to serve is a sin, and during the last full moon, I became a sinner.

He saw me run from my duty, chased me, and caught me.
He promised me that I would be punished.

But I never could have imagined the hellish fate that would be chosen for me. More than that, I never could have imagined the maddening lust that would spark between me and the man who caught me.

This passion is forbidden…and it might set us on fire.

Arlo
It’s my role to catch the sinners, and Mercy sinned gravely.

I saw her and I chased her, drawn to her inexplicably.
She sparked something within me, but she had to be brought to judgment.

Her punishment is coming in the form of an archaic ritual we’re bringing back to make an example of her. I’ll be her warden, her keeper, the man to ensure she stays alive between her torturous trials.

Something within her brings out the worst of me…and the worst of me wants to ruin her.

AUTHOR NOTE: This is a dark romance series that involves many triggering elements which may be upsetting for some readers. A complete list of tropes and triggers can be found on the author’s website at brynnford.com/triggers.

SERIES NOTE: Spark of Madness is book 1 of 3 in the Ember Glen series and it ends on a cliffhanger. The author plans to publish all 3 books by the end of 2022. The trilogy follows Mercy and Arlo and must be read in order.

READING ORDER
Book 1: Spark of Madness (July 21, 2022)
Book 2: Blaze of Misery (October 20, 2022)
Book 3: Embers of Mercy (December 29, 2022)

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

I sinned.

I ran, and I hid.

I rebelled from my soul’s purpose, and I was promised punishment.

He’s come to punish me.

As soon as the realization hits me, I scramble, kicking against the earth to push myself backward and crawl out from beneath him. He ignores me as I awkwardly rush to my feet and back away; instead, he bends to pick up my mother’s journal.

No!

I lunge for it, but he jerks his hand away, holding the journal beside his head.

“Give that back.”

“No,” he says plainly.

He slowly lowers it in front of him, thumbing open the pages.

I lunge again to snatch it, but he only steps back, narrowing his eyes at me with his head tilted toward the pages. “Stop. Your property is my property now.”

“What?”

What is he saying?

I’m entitled to have my own things.

Except, the Control has license to take authority over the personal property of sinners.

And I’m a sinner now.

I feel frozen as I watch him flip through the pages, reading a sentence here and there. A shiver runs up my spine despite the warmth of the sun, and I hug myself, running my hands up and down my arms. Movement in the distance catches my eye; standing at the tree line, at the edge of the meadow, are the other six members of the Control.

Watching.

Waiting.

The notion of my death claws through my mind, scratching away all other thoughts.

Have they come to kill me?

Will I die today?

How will they do it? Burned at the stake like my mother?

“What is this?” Arlo asks, closing the journal and holding it up. “Is this your mother’s?”

I hear him, but I struggle to respond. The very essence of my being is trapped behind a thick wall of ice inside my mind, frozen and paralyzed to thoughts of punishment and death.

“Forget it,” he says with exasperation. “Come with me.”

He holds out his palm, covered with a black leather glove, and I stare at it as if it’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen, as if it’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen…because it is.

If I take his hand, he’ll lead me away, only I don’t know where to and I don’t know what will happen then. I don’t know if I’ll be hurt or tortured, or if I’ll be killed immediately.

I lift my gaze from his hand to meet his stare. “Are you going to kill me?”

His eyes are blue—bright blue, like the clear sky above. They sparkle as he watches me, waiting for me to take his outstretched hand.

I think it’s the first time I’ve ever really looked at him. I’ve only known him by name and in passing before the other night in the forest. I knew of him; I’d seen him and could identify him easily. But looking at him now, I know I’ve never truly seen him before.

“Not personally, and certainly not today,” he offers. “Come along now. We have things to discuss.”

“What things?”

He takes a step closer, and instinctively, I step back.

“Mercy.”

“What’s going to happen to me? Please. Can’t you just tell me now?”

“I’m not going to ask you again.” His offered palm twitches with threat. “We will drag you away if you insist on resisting.”

Part of me wants to resist. If my fate has already been decided—and I suspect it has—then resistance won’t change the outcome. Resisting might make me feel like I did something, that I at least tried. That part of me makes my knees bend with the urge to run.


Author Bio:

Brynn Ford writes dark romance for daring readers. She is a lover of the dark, twisted, and playful, and strives to bring these elements into her stories.

When she isn’t obsessively writing, you may find her binge-watching favorite shows while eating far too much junk food or fanatically reading, always seeking to lose herself in the emotional roller coaster of a damn good story.

She’s a firm believer that her characters continue to live outside the pages in the minds of her readers. Stories don’t end just because there aren’t any more pages to turn.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / Newsletter / TikTok / Amazon / Bookbub


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • 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’.
  • Product images are linked/I am an Amazon affiliate.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!