Sherry’s Shelves 5.1 – 5.7.22

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Hi Everyone. Hope you had a great week. I stuck these bulbs over in the corner and planned on planting them this year, but….

May be an image of flower

We always have our friendly lizards hanging around.

We went to Fort Pickens to watch the Blue Angels.

May be an image of 2 people, people standing and outdoors
May be an image of aircraft and outdoors
May be an image of wading bird, nature and body of water
May be an image of body of water
May be an image of sunglasses, nature and body of water

IA margarita and taco salad for Cinco De Mayo. MMMMMMMMMM.

May be an image of 1 person and drink
May be an image of outdoors and brick wall

Stay safe and wear a mask..

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Giveaway – The Omen of Crows by Cathrina Constantine
  • Giveaway – Kiss of Darkness by Taylor Aston White
  • Superhero Or Villain – Hardcore Kelli by Wrath James White
  • Giveaway & Review – Unorganized Crime by Judy Serrano
  • Giveaway – Eating These Foods Makes Me… by Kalifa Rodriguez
  • Giveaway – Oathbreaker by River Starr
  • Review – Desecrated Essence by C A Rene
  • Review – Don’t Go ‘Beyond The Creek’ by Nico Bell
  • Giveaway – Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder by Mary Cunningham
  • Review – Time Killer by Todd M Thiede
  • Tackling The TBR
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
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  • 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!

Giveaway – The Omen Of Crows Nest by Cathrina Constantine @cathconstantine @XpressoTours

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The Omen of Crows Nest
Cathrina Constantine
Publication date: May 4th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

No blood. No body. No murder.

That’s what the police found after Penelope spun her bizarre tale. In a hysterical state, she said her father was butchered and eaten by a mob of birds ~ in her bedroom.

They claim she’s crazy.
That she suffers from delusions.
Penelope is dead set on proving them wrong.

After being institutionalized for eight months, Penelope is out and more determined than ever to find answers to her so-called hallucinations. With her father’s untimely disappearance, she’s convinced her family is hiding something sinister.

THE OMEN OF CROWS NEST is the latest masterpiece by the award-winning author Cathrina Constantine, and is sure to leave fans of fantasy gasping!

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

The electrodes in my brain were like a loop recorder, continuously dredging up the past. And problematic for the psychiatrist at Green Fields Sanitarium, who was in the process of rewiring me.

Bear with me as I digress: I witnessed the gruesome death of my father by a mob of birds. I know what you’re picturing: A scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s horror movie The Birds. Not exactly like the movie, it happened in my bedroom. An aberration that my brain conjured, so they say.

Gramma had reinforced Dad’s untimely disappearance to the police. After the thunderstorm he’d raced to catch a late flight. An overseas business trip. Lacking evidence of any misdeeds, no mutilations as I’d described, the police had nothing to go on besides a batshit crazy kid. I experienced a daymare, a delusion, and it hadn’t been the first time, so said Gramma.

Afterward, Mom spent a week in bed, purporting she had a bug. She couldn’t keep anything down and stopped eating. I noticed her yellowy sick skin and hair matted as if a brush hadn’t made contact in weeks.

Thirteen days passed at a snail’s pace since that night. I was in the library’s alcove, my daily vigil, half-expecting Dad to come strolling up the cobbled walkway. My fretfulness heightening because I’d spilled my guts to my best friend, Hillary, telling her everything. If she repeated it to anyone, the repercussions would come back to bite me.

Author Bio:

I am blessed with a loving family and forever friends. My world revolves around them.

I grew up in the small village of Lancaster, NY, where I married my sweetheart. I’m devoted to raising 5 cherished children, and now my grandchildren.

I love to immerse myself in great books of every kind of genre, which helps me to write purely for entertainment, and hopefully to inspire readers. When not stationed at my computer you can find me in the woods taking long walks with my dog.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


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Tackling The TBR 4.30 – 5.6.22

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I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken. It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current events and I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog, from Carole’s Random Life in Books, to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been hanging around for years.

COME ON….JOIN IN.

Previous Total: 2132

Currently Reading

Protected in Darkness (In Darkness #2.5; Special Forces: Operation Alpha)

Books Read

The Galston House

Books Added

Modern Day Cowboy: The Making of a Gunfighter

The goodreads givaway is still going on HERE.

Bad Girls Drink Blood

Goodreads giveaway HERE.

Better Off Dead (Jack Reacher #26)

Goodreads giveaway HERE.

The Crush

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 2

Duplicates Removed: 3

New TBR Total: 2129

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Giveaway – Chase Her by Kelly Finley @XpressoTours

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Chase Her
Kelly Finley
(Come For Me, #3)
Publication date: April 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Famous. Imposing. Mysterious. Daniel Pierce hides so much behind his A-list celebrity fame. Has that secret and that fame cost him the love of his life? The most incredible woman he’d ever met?

A force to be reckoned with, Charlie Ravenel was never supposed to fall in love with him—the one man she shouldn’t. While she followed no man’s rules, he convinced her to follow her heart. And him. Together they found a life of such promise, such passion… but also grave threats.

Did he commit the worst sin? Doubting her strength, her mission and her darkest fear? He loves her so much, he will chase that answer to the very end. Because their love was destined; a fierce desire they couldn’t resist.

And now the consequence, the collision of every force. A perfect storm. Of secrets revealed. Of pasts returned. Of the question everyone dares to ask…

Does love survive… even past our last breath?

CHASE HER, Book Three in the COME FOR ME series is a thrilling, steamy, romantic suspense novel that takes you to the very edge.

*This book is not for the fainthearted. This deep romance explores the dark theme of stalking.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

He scooped her into his embrace on the gym floor. “I’d ask you what’s wrong”—he wrapped his hand over her sweaty belly—“but I know.”

With every week of her possessed workouts, the swell had disappeared to her strong abs showing back through. But Daniel knew—this wasn’t about weight or vanity. Not his wife. She had none.

This was about the shooter.

For two months, Daniel had watched her. How, if she wasn’t smiling at the twins, she was lost in thought. What was she plotting? It concerned him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ll be okay.”

He didn’t believe her. “I know what’s driving you, but you’ve got to pace yourself. If you don’t, you’ll tear something, and then we’re fucked. The last place we want to be now is in hospital, not with this virus out there.”

The baby monitor he set on the bench cried out. He glanced at it. Caroline stirred. Of course she was awake again.

“I’ll get her.” She pecked his cheek. “You get your workout in.” She stood up from his arms.

“Fran’s got them.” He grabbed her hand gently. “Stay with me, just for a minute.”

He stood up, watching the monitor while he nestled her against his chest. Fran appeared on the screen in front of the cot, softly shushing Caroline back to sleep.

Thank God for that sweet woman. Fran gave them the breaks they needed. Charlie had protested at hiring a nanny, but he searched anyway and she was glad he did.

He called Fran for a phone interview from the hospital. She was perfect, from London, ending a job in Nashville with celebrity musicians whose teens no longer needed her. She had the experience and fifty-two years of wisdom.

Once Daniel explained to Fran the situation, fully disclosing the risk, she didn’t hesitate. She met them at the dock in Bluffton for the trip out to Daufuskie Island and hadn’t left since.

“See.” He nodded toward the monitor. “She’s got them.”

Charlie’s body relaxed against his, and a need, a tension started stirring within.

She had welcomed his hugs, his kisses, but that was all. He tried a few times after the six weeks they were told to wait. Fuck, he was desperate for her. But each time, Charlie gently removed his hand from between her thighs. Now, he didn’t even try, digging deep for patience instead. It was hard.

His cock didn’t receive the patient message, tenting his thin black gym shorts with a stiffy.

“I feel you, Sex God,” she murmured against his chest.

His hand pressed down to the small of her bare back. “I feel you too, Sex Goddess.” Her workout clothes always turned him on. Hell, she could wear a Hessian sack and make him horny as hell.

“I’m not ready yet.”

“Your patient husband knows that, but his lonely cock doesn’t.”

“Should I leave you here for a workout and to rub one off?”

“Only if you watch me… and you do the same.”

“You little shit.” She pulled back with a sly smile. “You tryin’ to tempt me?”

“I’ve got to. I know you’re not ready, babe, but I’m going to break my dick off wanking without you.” He meant it. It had been months, a lonely hell.

She sighed, eyes half-rolling. “I’m not trying to starve you. I know we can now, but I don’t feel like myself.” Pulling her body away. “I don’t know how ‘mom’, ‘wife’ and ‘Charlie’ come together now. It’s fucking weird. It’s like I’m out of my body and need to get back in it, but I don’t recognize it. And now… I’ve got this.”

Her gesture took his gaze, only turning him on more. Staring down at the pussy he missed, knowing its hidden beauty, he didn’t give a damn about a Cesarean scar, even though he hadn’t seen it yet.

“Good God, babe, you’re even more beautiful to me now.” His hand smoothed over her hourglass waist. “All I do is admire you and want you but you’ve been hiding from me for months.”

His finger lifted her chin, asking her eyes to meet his. “Let me at least hold you, in the shower, in our bed, with nothing on.” He kissed her lips, aware how his new beard tickled them, dusting over their sexy slope, confessing, “I miss us.”

They needed this. It was their connection, their love. The instant they met, the urge for the other was so powerful it overwhelmed their senses. The greatest desire thrilled his flesh from the moment he touched Charlie.

And he’d almost lost her.

He needed to cherish every inch of her, lavishing her with tender touches, fucking her so hard. He had no choice; he had to show her how much he loved her and would until his dying day.

“Even if we tried that, just being naked,” she said. “I won’t be able to relax. I don’t think I’ll have an orgasm again in this house, not with the twins and Fran down the hall.”

“Fran’s not uptight. Have you heard her talk? She’s an old-school feminist. I assure you when her wife can travel here from London, we will hear them down the hall.”

“Okay, fine. But what about the twins? Between Caroline, who never sleeps, and Duke, who demands my attention when he’s awake, I don’t get a second to relax unless I’m in the gym.” Her hand caressed his hard bicep. “It’s not fair between men and women. Your cock is a hot light switch, but my vag is a cold oven, it’s gotta warm up, and it can’t with all this baby stuff going on.”

That amused him. And challenged him. “Give me a chance, babe.” His lips climbed up her neck while he murmured, “You always switch my cock on, and you know I can melt you into the wettest heat you’ve ever dripped.”

He took gentle bites before she snapped her neck closed. “Fuck, your beard tickles.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Nuzzling into her, he made her squeal, squirming from his snatching embrace—a futile effort. He wouldn’t let her go.

“Quit it.” Her eyes twinkled. “Or I’ll tie you down and shave that thing off.”

He ceased the tickle, but not his smile. Fuck’s sake, he loved her like this. Laughing. Playful. Warming up to him, he could tell, her nipples pebbled under her sports bra.

His dirty mind devised a plan; his hard cock signed off on it. “I’m getting us an afternoon, alone, in the house for a few hours. We’ll just shower and cuddle, I promise.”

“How do you propose to do that?”

“Those two cherubs have grandparents on this island ten minutes away. Pop and Evelyn would jump at the chance to have them for a few hours. And Fran could visit with them or take the time to herself.”

“I feel like shitty parents sending our babies away for an afternoon so we can fuck.”

“Yes! Are we finally going to fuck?” That was all he heard. Not the “shitty parent” part, because that, he didn’t buy.

“I’m serious, Daniel. How does that look? We send our kids away so we can have an afternoon of sex?”

“Since when does my fit wife give two shits for what people think?” He gripped her hand. “I’m serious, Charlie. We’ve been through enough. If we don’t stay connected and strong as a couple, we are no good to them as Mum and Dad.”

“Quit trying to make that stick, Pierce.” She tongued her teeth, smiling. “I’m not gonna be ‘Mum’ and you’re not gonna be ‘Dad.’ More like ‘Mama’ and ‘Daddy’ in these parts.”

“You’re off your trolley. Fran and I will see to it that they have proper English accents.”

He teased her, relishing how it pissed her off, adoring when she fired back…

“Bless your heart, Pierce, and count heads. You’re outnumbered.” She wiggled against his cock. It was begging for her. “I’ve got you beat.”

Yes, she does, Pierce. Grinding on you. That’s your wife.

“So, it’s a plan then, Mrs. Pierce?” He seized her firm bum, pulling her harder against his raging hard-on, wanting to take her now.

“That’s not my name.”

Deploying the grin that inspired millions of thirsty posts, “It is when I’m fucking you,” he knew it wet her pussy too.

That naughty truth flashed across her eyes. The last time they made love, months before, he made her moan that name while rousing her with slow thrusts from behind.

“All right, Mr. Ravenel. Give my body a few more weeks to heal before you come at me with all this hard hotness. Then we’ll see if you get lucky.”

Breaking from his embrace, she delivered a swat to his arse before swishing out of the room. Minutes later, she appeared on the monitor with Duke, kissing his forehead before lying him down to change his nappy.

He watched the spectacle, a smile taking his entire being. Gawd blimey, I love her.


Author Bio:

Kelly Finley is fiction author of contemporary romances featuring bada** women and grown-a** men. She lives in the Carolinas with her husband and family. A rebel with many causes, she fancies black leather, dirty jokes, and smart mouths.

Thrilled by a flipped script and ticked off by women portrayed as weak, she noticed how many steamy, sexy heroines were missing, particularly from suspense and military romance. Her friends shared the frustration and told her to practice what she has taught for twenty years. Her books feature characters we champion and love—ones with shameless heat, brave hearts, and whip-smart minds.

She’s most likely at her keyboard right now, putting the next heroine on the page.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest


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Giveaway – No Matter What Happens by Kelly Collins @XpressoTours @kcollinsauthor

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No Matter What Happens
Kelly Collins
Publication date: May 5th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Does marrying well mean marrying rich?

As a senator’s daughter, Kennedy Blackwell has everything, or so it seems. But on her wedding day, a shocking secret changes everything, and Kennedy’s fortunes turn on a dime. Instead of offering their unconditional support, her parents turn their backs on her, proving once and for all that her father’s goal of becoming president is more important than his own child. Forced to start over, Kennedy relies on a pact she and five friends made to each other back in junior high. She also enlists the help of the “entertainment” from her bachelorette party, a handsome handyman-by-day, exotic dancer-by-night.

Wade Roberts faces his existence one crisis at a time. Everything bad in his life has directly resulted from a poor decision or the actions of a member of the Blackwell family. So, when the senator’s daughter calls asking for help, he’s torn between assisting her or making her “pay.” Soon tangled up in the Blackwell family drama, he finds himself being framed for an unspeakable crime. Wade must step up and prove his innocence and his love for a woman who deserves more than he can offer.

Can two people who start with nothing end up with everything?

Find out in No Matter What Happens…

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

She blinked and focused on her future husband standing at the end of the aisle. He looked as nervous as she felt. There was even a green hue to his complexion, probably a side effect from his bachelor party. Unlike Emily, he could toss the booze back with little effect, but last night they must have really tied one on.

She made her way toward him with knocking knees and trembling hands.

When the minister asked who gave this woman and her father answered, a ball of emotions welled inside her. Who’d thought those words were a good idea? It was like she was being traded for political favors when the only exchange between father and future son-in-law was the promise of box seats for next year’s games.

She took Logan’s hand in front of the officiant, who talked about the sacred vow of marriage and what love meant. They recited traditional promises to love, honor, and cherish until death do they part, but neither met the other’s eyes. Logan looked past or through her to her bridesmaids. She stared at a piece of lint on his shoulder.

“Does anyone here have a reason to object to this marriage?” The minister’s voice boomed, leaving no doubt everyone heard him.

Kennedy ran through an entire list of reasons to object in her head. She still had time to change her mind, but when she looked at Logan and saw the same fear she felt, a small giggle escaped her mouth. They both had wedding jitters. That was normal.

At that moment, he looked at her the way he had when they first met. Despite the anxiety and feelings of doom, she was the luckiest woman in the world.

The congregation sat silently as the minister waited the obligatory several seconds for anyone to object. He cleared his throat. “I now pronounce you—”

“Wait!” Emily said loudly enough for everyone to hear, though her voice cracked. “I can’t let you marry him.”


Author Bio:

Like FREEBIES? Join the VIP readers at http://bit.ly/KellyCollinsFreeBook for members-only exclusives!

~ Tip: Just hit “FOLLOW” for notifications about deals & new releases! ~

International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.

Kelly has sold more than a quarter of a million books worldwide, and in 2021 she was awarded a Readers’ Favorite Award Gold Medal in the Contemporary Romance category for A Tablespoon of Temptation.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon


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Giveaway – Bad Girls Drink Blood by S L Choi @XpressoTours @sl_choi

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Bad Girls Drink Blood
S.L. Choi
Published by: City Owl Press
Publication date: May 17th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Part sun fae, part blood fae, all abomination.

There is only one hybrid fae in existence, and that dishonor goes to Lane Callaghan.

After a life spent dodging slurs, threats, and assassination attempts, Lane gave her past the one finger salute and ditched her former fae home for good. The detective agency she and her sisters run on the edge of Las Vegas continues to limp along, with Lane doing more debt collecting and intimidating than investigating, but anything to pay the bills. Between working for low-lifes to bring down even lower-lifes, eating cheesy poofs by the bucket, and flirting with the criminally attractive bartender where she conducts business, life is good.

That ends when a routine job goes sideways, leaving Lane with a sack full of stolen sun shards—the source of sun fae power. Without the shards, the sun fae face giving up their magic completely, or risk death if they use their power. Considering they would rather see her dead, good riddance, as far as Lane’s concerned—except her father and adopted sister are sun fae. Lane must choose—return home to save the fae bastards that almost killed her, or let them burn.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Better luck next time, hybrid.

Fury roared through me. My ears burned and scalp tingled.

“What the hell is that?”

I spun with a snarl. My fangs elongated instantly, painfully.

Teddy’s tall, lean frame bent over my shoulder as he read the napkin. My body thrummed with the surge of unspent adrenaline and possibly the intimate proximity. I flexed my fingers, curled them, flexed again.

“It’s nothing.” I snatched the napkin and jammed it into my jacket pocket. I’d deal with how exactly that woman knew I was a hybrid later. That was a secret for me and my sisters, and I aimed to keep it that way.

There was only one hybrid, and I was the unlucky genetic winner. It wasn’t for lack of fae mixing, that was something they did often and copiously, but offspring were always of one race. It kept their magic powerful, and if fae worshiped anything, it was power. My existence wasn’t an exalted position.

“But—”

“It’s nothing,” I stressed, my gaze steady on his. I meant business.

“Okay, okay.” He tipped his forehead toward my face. “You should holster those things before you hurt someone besides yourself.”

Crap, not again. All at once my lip became a persistent throb, reminding me of the pain from my fangs punching out. I dragged a finger along the edge of my mouth. It came away sticky, warm, and wet. When startled, I had zero control of the things. It was embarrassing.

Teddy tucked a clean napkin into my palm and pulled me close to whisper, “You shouldn’t be wasting blood when you refuse to drink it.”

His hot breath warmed my neck and tickled my ear. The heady mixture of woods, earth, and vanilla—Teddy’s distinct scent—filled my nostrils, made me dizzy. Something melted and puddled in my core. My gaze fastened on the way my dark red hair danced with his bourbon-brown strands. The way they both brushed against the hard line of muscle leading from his neck to his shoulder.

Damn it.

That delicious scent shouldn’t be so strong. My olfactory sense was the same as any other fae, unless I’d smelled their blood. Then again, with the amount of brawls Teddy broke up in this joint, he was bound to have bled at some point.

I stepped away and scowled in a desperate attempt to hide my reaction. “And you should mind your own business.” What was wrong with me lately? I’d known the guy for years, but recently Teddy seemed more flirt than friend. I felt disgustingly girly when he got near.

“Whatever you say, sweet fangs.” He chucked a knuckle under my chin, letting it linger long enough to turn the gesture from playful to intimate.

I rubbed my chin on my shoulder. This was Teddy. He couldn’t possibly be flirting. He’d known me since I roared into Interlands at fifteen with way more balls and bravado than sense. More importantly, I wasn’t his type—empty headed and easy.

He swaggered toward the end of the bar, and some mysterious magnetic force pulled my appreciative gaze to the way he filled out his denim. My view disappeared as he stepped behind the counter. When I looked up, Teddy watched me with a knowing grin. I bared my fangs. He laughed.

I growled under my breath and turned to leave as he circled the bar and headed for the spot across the counter from me.

“Why take these jobs, Lane? They’re bad. You’re so much more than this.”

Teddy’s earnest words stopped me, and I looked back. His bottomless black gaze gripped mine.

My chest tightened. Teddy didn’t know how misplaced his faith in me was. I grabbed a freshly filled tumbler full of amber liquid from the bar.

“Hey!” The owner of the drink turned, opened his mouth to say more, and laid eyes on me. I raised my brows in a dare. The guy wisely spun to face the bar and tapped the counter, ordering a new drink for himself.

“Because I’m really, really good at it. Besides, haven’t you heard?” I slammed my confiscated drink. The taste of gasoline chasing cinnamon scorched a path down my throat. My nostrils burned and eyes watered. I shoved down the sensation and flashed a smile filled with a whole lot of fang. “I’m a bad girl.”

Author Bio:

S.L. Choi is an urban fantasy author with a deep love for humor, fast-paced action, and hit-you-in-the-heart feels. She grew up imagining goblins living in the rocks outside her bedroom window, while fairies flew through the flowers. Now she puts those stories to paper. When not writing, she is either photographing the beautiful New England area, hiking, gaming with her equally nerdy husband, or attending to the small furry overlords who rule them both.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / Bookbub


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100 eBook copies are being given away!
Enter here!

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Giveaway – Witchslayer’s Scion by L T Getty @GoddessFish

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I love a ‘morally grey protagonist’. I love villains. I think it makes it more interesting…and real. It’s not like we don’t need a little help and redemption at times. Besides, who are we to judge? So, let’s see what L T Getty has to share about her characters.

Morally Grey Protagonists?

               I grew up reading stories about heroes and villains, where things were not clear cut that the hero was perfect but there were definitive light and dark sides. Somewhere along the lines, the stories that claimed that they were for a more adult audience started to blur the lines of hero and villain. I didn’t mind it, because so long as the hero didn’t cross the line and had some redemptive qualities, I could still cheer for them.

               Suddenly reading more ‘mature’ stories meant more nuanced themes and ideas. I didn’t mind unreliable narrators, and even stories where there were no heroes. Perhaps the most honest among these is William Makepeace Thackery’s Vanity Fair. Its subtitle is A Novel without a Hero. It’s satire but not in the way you think.

               But what makes a hero?  I suppose we should define some terms.

               A Hero in the modern sense, is probably a loaded term. For the sake of this article, I will define as someone who at least attempts to do good. We’re not here to talk subversions, so I don’t want to hear about how much Hero A sucks at it. A Villain conversely, is someone who attempts to do bad. There are many, many many subversions of these tropes, and there’s no way I can go over all of them in any brief article. The fact that I had to define these terms speaks volumes, but let’s focus.

               A Protagonist is the center of the story. The antagonist is the person or force that opposes the actions of the protagonist.

               Up until recently, in most stories, we follow a heroic protagonist.  Think of most renditions of Cinderella or The Ugly Duckling. In more modern renditions of stories, we tend to flesh out the characters, or tell the story from a different perspective. My favourite novel, Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, tells the story from a villain protagonist. Lewis also pinned The Screwtape Letters, which was literally advice from one demon to another, whereas Till We Have Faces paints the character of Orual as incredibly sympathetic, but also completely in the wrong by the end of the tale.

               I’ve done villain protagonists. Dreams of Mariposa, Marie is a villain, and I didn’t want the audience to think she was the victim or somehow loveable, so much as delve into an extremely narcissistic mindset. I’ve written heroic characters; Daphne from The Mermaid and the Unicorns is jealous and stubborn, but she’s also brave and loyal, and grows from her mistakes. I’d say that Marie is a very flawed villain, and Daphne is a flawed heroine.

               What about the morally grey characters?

               When I was doing research for this article, I stumbled across why Heroic Fantasy deviated from Sword and Sorcery. I always assumed that Sword and Sorcery were referring to elements in the story, like sword and sandal (Vaguely historical romanish stories) or Sword and Gun (John Carter Space Opera). Turns out it was to deviate from the legacy of morally compromised protagonists common in sword and sorcery. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroic_fantasy )

               Although comics, movies, and other adaptations didn’t always stay true to the original, I grew up reading Conan the Barbarian shorts, and there’s plenty of stories where Conan gets himself into a situation because he’s blatantly there to steal something or do something that would land him up in the local jail. He takes up with pirates, isn’t shy on killing, and has been attributed to an awful lot of ravishing. He’s still an incredibly iconic hero that has stood the test of time.

               Why the morally grey heroes in Sword and Sorcery tales? In my opinion, sometimes stories lean better towards characters who might not be on the up and up in their society. There are certain situations that have to get pretty convoluted for a Lawful Good Hero go find himself in.

               I found this with my novel Tower of Obsidian. Kale gets betrayed by his lord’s men and they set out to sea to hide from the wrath of said lord, where they are attacked by drougr and Kale’s captors become captive themselves, and thus the adventure truely kicks off. I’m not calling Kale a morally perfect hero, far from it, but he’s also not the sort of person who’d go sailing off into contested waters. The drougr are looking for warriors and rough men to send to the tower; they don’t typically have access to people like Kale.

               I for one don’t like to think of people as morally complex but inherently flawed – even paragons of virtue probably should have a testing point or a weakness, and it’s ultimately their actions, and not their motives, that make them heroes or villains in the story. As a writer, I eventually have to take a side in a conflict, even if it’s “Hey, you’re all awful”. That doesn’t mean that I have to make the answers easy.

               For instance, in Witchslayer’s Scion, one of the major issues in the growing empire of Tenagee is that these conquered territories aren’t happy being ruled by people who aren’t from their island or culture. Yes, the Imperium is conquering the islands and sometimes they treat the natives pretty terribly. BUT they are also bringing in trade between the communities, and establishing a form of law that protects women and children. YES, the islanders are right to want to control their own futures, BUT the people who tend to rise to power tend to be the sort who use people and will sell their own people out to better their own positions.

               To me, the morally grey area is the situation which a given character is faced with making a decision in which there is no right answer. I love well-written characters who are upstanding moral citizens to which I inspire. The problem is that, when I was a younger writer they were difficult to write well. I think it depends on the audience, but in general most readers want a main character who is relatable, and even if they’re not perfect, understandable, and if they’re a villain, motivations that the reader can understand or even sympathize with.

               In short, I don’t think a character has to be capable of stealing but not of murder to be morally grey. I think the vast majority of characters in fiction need to be realized, and that includes flaws. It’s not such a bad thing as the vast majority of characters in modern fiction overcome their flaws and grow as people. An upright person, with a teeny tiny tint of darkness, could still be considered grey by this standard, but it’s ultimately their actions in spite of of these flaws that differentiate the heroes from the villains.

I loved the article and it only makes me want to check out your characters more. Thanks so much, LT.

Witchslayer’s Scion by L.T. Getty

GENRE:   Sword and Sorcery/Fantasy

BLURB

Koth’s life was decided for him since before he was born, for his ability to heal wounds by touch is rare even among his people. When an attempted kidnapping turns to sacrificial murder, he embraces vengeance and the sword. As he journeys far from his small isolated village in the north, he learns the truth as to why his bloodline is targeted by strange magic, in a world still rebuilding from a time when dark sorcerers didn’t bother with secrecy.

Koth thinks his quest is straightforward enough–find the men responsible, and kill them–and any who aid them. He will soon learn that those who have both privilege and power, there are few things they lack–and in the pursuit of godhood, their allies can prove even more sinister as mere mortals seek to advent empires and dynasties.

EXCERPT

“Something’s wrong,” Una said. “Koth, wait here.”

“Why?” If there was a problem, she should be waiting outside for him.

He sensed inside, his aunt’s thoughts remained hidden from him. Una shouted, and he ran inside the building. He thought there were lights on inside, but he saw no candles.

The tea house was very dark, and he felt a sudden dread—he wanted to leave. Baro barked from the outside. ~Una!~  he thought, before something hit his neck.

He knew at once it was a poison dart, and ripping it out he tried to smell what it was. Seeing metal reflect moonlight and he moved his hand, his skin cut. Moving instinctively out of the way, his next reaction was to purge the toxin that coursed through his body and tried to understand the wound. It was mostly his forearm, deep but he could still use it, the bone unaffected. He’d do a better healing later. He focused on something not unlike a burn before going for the knife at his hip. Striking 85 in the next liquid motion, Koth realized he was attacking his aunt.

She grabbed onto his injured flesh and seared it, destroying, weakening the sinew and the cartilage and causing it to age and die, following up the bloodstream, to find the heart and kill. Koth tried to brace; he couldn’t heal and keep her at bay. He was physically stronger and much heavier, but she was weakening his muscles. He tried to wrench the knife from her.

He knocked the blade to the ground then tried to lock minds with her to find nothing short of blinding pain take him over, wrestling him to the ground and making him drop his knife. She took the dagger and when he tried to force himself up, a familiar sense washed over him. Magic, but not coming from Una.

“Do not kill him yet,” Yeshbel said, “we will bleed him first.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.

Author Links: My Blog: https://ltgetty.ca/

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SPOTLIGHT BOOK TOUR: Unseen Arms: A Story about Cancer, Crisis, and Being Carried by Faith by Evelyn & Wayne Hausknecht @iReadBookTours

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Join Us For This Tour From:  May 3 to May 16
 
Book Details:
Book Title:  Unseen Arms: A Story about Cancer, Crisis, and Being Carried by Faith by Evelyn & Wayne Hausknecht
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 168 pages
Genre: Medical Memoir
Publisher: Mascot Books
Publication Date: May 3, 2022.
Content Rating: PG-13 + M: Mature as it is a medical journal/novel.
 
Book Description:

Patient and Caregiver: the main characters in a drama that started in 2007 and is still unfolding for Evelyn and Wayne Hausknecht. In 2007, Evelyn was diagnosed with an aggressive, recurrent type of non-Hodgkin’s T-cell lymphoma. Although in Unseen Arms Evelyn and Wayne are as medically accurate as their memories and blog allow, the greatest purpose here is to tell the story from a patient’s and caregiver’s perspectives.

Recently, while having an in-depth conversation with a lung doctor when Evelyn was in the hospital with pneumonia, Evelyn was thanked by the doctor for what she and Wayne were doing. She was in awe of his excitement for the book. The doctor saw the need for future patients to learn from experienced patients. Evelyn and Wayne were peer volunteers for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for years. The goal of that program was the same: an experienced caregiver and patient walk beside a person entering the transplant program to make their path smoother. Even though each diagnosis and circumstance is different, every patient has the same questions, fears, and needs. The greatest need is for someone understanding to talk to. When Evelyn was diagnosed, it was easy to find medical information, but caregiver and patient perspectives were limited.

Evelyn and Wayne had three purposes for writing this book. One was to give God the Glory for His faithfulness during this process. The second was to give hope to the patients and caregivers of today and the future. The third was to give some limited insights into the stem cell transplant process. The medical part of this process is rapidly changing, but the patients and caregivers still have the same needs.
Buy the Book:
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Amazon ~ B&N
 
Meet the Author: 

Evelyn and Wayne Hausknecht have spent most of their careers in education. Evelyn has taught different subjects and ages in public and Christian schools. Wayne, a wood engineer, helped build the largest sawmill in Brazil and has managed mills in Michigan and North Carolina. They both enjoy motorcycle riding and rode their Harley Davidson Road King to Glacier National Park in 2006. Recently, they traded their motorcycle for a Model A truck and now enjoy going to car shows. They have two married children and six grandchildren and reside in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

connect with the author:  facebook ~ instagram 
 
Tour Schedule:

May 3 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight
May 3 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight
May 4 – JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book spotlight
May 5 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight
May 6 – fundinmental – book spotlight
May 9 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
May 10 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight
May 11 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight
May 12 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight
May 13 – From the TBR Pile – book spotlight
May 16 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight 
 
 

 
 

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