Giveaway – A Killer Sundae by Abby Collette @AbbyVandiver @dollycas

Posted on February 17, 2022 by fundinmental

A Killer Sundae (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery) by Abby Collette

About A Killer Sundae

A Killer Sundae (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Berkley (January 4, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593099702
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593099704
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B091PHQ88M

Ice cream shop owner Bronwyn Crewse is in for two scoops of murder in this charming mystery from Abby Collette.
Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is gorgeous in the fall, and Bronwyn Crewse, owner of Crewse Creamery, knows just how to welcome the new season. At the annual Harvest Time Festival, residents will get a chance to enjoy hot-air balloons and hayrides, crown a new Harvest Time Festival Queen, and eat delicious frozen treats sold at Win’s freshly purchased ice cream truck. But she gets into a sprinkle of trouble when a festivalgoer is poisoned and Win is implicated.
Although the victim was a former Harvest Time Festival Queen, her once-sunny disposition had dimmed into bitterness, leaving no shortage of suspects at the festival. To clear her name before the chill of winter sets in, Win will have to investigate and hope that her detective skills won’t “dessert” her.

RECIPE

Aloysius and Kaylene’s Favorite Pralines and Cream Ice Cream

Ingredients

Pralines

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
1 cup pecans
Salt to taste

Ice Cream:

2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Caramel Sauce:

1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
A teaspoon of vanilla
Pinch of salt.
Small jar with lid.

Directions:

To make the pralines combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for approximately 3 to 4 minutes to start caramelization. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the pecans until they are coated. Remove from heat. Keep stirring until the candy coating cools. Spoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet to cool completely. Sprinkle on salt.

To make the caramel sauce combine the sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and continue cooking without stirring until mixture turns amber-colored. Approximately 8 to 12 minutes. Slowly mix in the cream and continue simmering until mixture is smooth about 2 to 3 minutes. Then add in butter vanilla and salt. Set aside to cool. Pour into glass jar to cool completely to thicken.

To make the ice cream combine milk, vanilla and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves. Take off heat and add salt. Allow to steep and cool. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge about two hours, until completely chilled. Using an ice cream maker, add the chilled ice cream base and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the mixture has thickened add the pralines and about ¼ cup of caramel sauce. Continue churning until well mixed. Place in a freezer-proof container and freeze for at least two hours.

Enjoy!

About Abby Collette

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Abby Collette loves a good mystery. She was born and raised in Cleveland, and it’s a mystery even to her why she hasn’t yet moved to a warmer place. As Abby Collette, she is the author of the Ice Cream Parlor mystery series, about a millennial MBA-holding granddaughter running a family-owned ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and the Books & Biscuits mystery series, starring a set of fraternal twins who reunite and open a bookstore and soul food café. Writing as Abby L. Vandiver, she is the author of the Logan Dickerson Mysteries, featuring a second-generation archaeologist and a nonagenarian, as well as the Romaine Wilder Mysteries, pairing an East Texas medical examiner and her feisty, funeral-home-owning auntie as sleuths. Abby spends her time writing, facilitating writing workshops at local libraries and hanging out with her grandchildren, each of whom are her favorite.

Author Links – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram– Website –

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound – Alibris – Penguin Random House –

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
February 9 – Mythical Books – SPOTLIGHT
February 9 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 10 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT
February 10 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 11 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 11 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
February 12 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW
February 12 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
February 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
February 13 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 14 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
February 15 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
February 15 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 16 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 16 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT
February 17 – fundinmental – RECIPE
February 17 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
February 18 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – REVIEW*
February 18 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – SPOTLIGHT
February 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 19 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW*
February 20 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW*
February 20 – Tea Book Blanket – REVIEW*
February 21 – Ebook addicts – REVIEW
February 21 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
February 22 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
February 22 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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New Release – The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong

Posted on February 16, 2022 by fundinmental

I have read numerous books by Kelley Armstrong, so when I saw this on NetGalley, I had to have it. I love the cover and the title…secrets are delicious.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the cover of The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong, and the title. Secrets…they are delicious and I have a feeling that they will be revealed.

Rockton. Population 171. The Yukon. Where people go to hide. No roads. No phones. No internet.

Rockton started out as a place that rescued those who needed a place to hide and be safe. Now, it’s all about the money. Sound familiar?

Casey is the detective, Eric is the sheriff and her husband, and Will is the deputy. Storm is Casey’s K-9, a Newfoundland. She will be needed to do her part as the town begins to fall apart.

A council runs the town…and, something fishy is going on. One bad apple spoils the barrel applies in this very small community, where the residents start to turn on each other.

I loved the chase in the forest. It had me cracking up, but you will need to read The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong to find out why.

Secrets…they are always problems, especially when they are exposed. Danger, intrigue, mystery and betrayal abound in the last Rockton novel. I missed a lot of the series, but I enjoyed my visit. Would I have enjoyed it more, if I had read the entire series and was more invested in the characters? Maybe. Either way, I do recommend the series.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

It’s not always easy to live in the hidden town of Rockton, something Detective Casey Duncan knows firsthand. Tucked away in the Yukon wilderness, the community survives―and thrives―because the residents’ many secrets stay just that―secret.

But what happens when these secrets start to come out? Overnight, no one is safe. It’s not a question of if your secret will come out―but when.

Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, need to find the culprit while protecting those who have been thrust into the spotlight. For a place built on privacy and new beginnings, Rockton isn’t handling these revelations very well. People are turning on one another, and when one of the loudest complainers turns up barely alive, it’s clear that their trickster is actually a murderer.

ABOUT KELLEY ARMSTRONG

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Tumbler

MY KELLEY ARMSTRONG REVIEWS

Watcher In The Woods

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Giveaway – The Ladies of Carson Street by Rachel Brimble @RachelBrimble @GoddessFish

Posted on February 16, 2022 by fundinmental

I am excited to have Rachel Brimble here to share her latest book in The Ladies of Carson Street and to have her share The Inspiration for her books..

The Inspiration Behind A Very Modern Marriage

By Rachel Brimble

My latest release, A Very Modern Marriage, is the third and final instalment in my Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, BUT I promise each book can be read as a stand-alone story. I love writing series, but I also want readers to be able to enjoy whichever book they find first!

The inspiration for the series from my reading of The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. It is a non-fiction book exploring the lives of Jack The Ripper’s victims. Now, you are probably wondering how such a book could possibly inspire an historical romance series. The answer is not quite as unfathomable as you might think. You see, I was so moved by these women’s stories, so sympathetic to their situations and could completely understand how women resorted to whatever that had to in order to survive in Victorian London.

It was this that brought my fingers to the keyboard and led me to create three women who come together to live and work in a brothel which they run on their own terms. Apart from explaining their plight and showing my reader just how complex and caring these women were, my other objective was to find Louisa, Nancy and Octavia their happy ever afters.

For Octavia, the heroine of A Very Modern Marriage, I started with presenting her with the realisation that something had to change in her life if she was to go on should the brothel come to end which, by the opening of this third and final book, is looking more and more likely.

Octavia is determined, intelligent and educated, her life should have been one of privilege and opportunity but that was cut short when her mother died, and her father spiralled into depression. In desperation, she fled her family home and circumstances led to her arriving alone, hungry and without money in the city of Bath, England. Her survival has meant doing things she never imagined, speaking to people from every walk of life leading her to become someone tougher, more worldly-wise and empathetic than she would have ever been had she led life she had thought herself destined.

But now she has the tools and the courage to take risks, ask questions and deal with whatever circumstances arise. So, when she meets visiting Manchester cotton mill owner, William Rose, she spots an opportunity to learn about business and maybe start a business of her own. She needs William’s help and soon discovers he’s willing to give it to her… if Octavia is willing to help him in return.

The two of them forge a deal that should benefit them both from a business standing. Yet, things never quite turn out as we expect, do they?

A Very Modern Marriage by Rachel Brimble

GENRE: Historical romance

BLURB

He needs a wife…

Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

She has a plan…

But the only woman who’s caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she’s hardly respectable, but she’s determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose’s mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William’s a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she’s very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won’t follow them wherever they go.

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble’s exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for…

EXCERPT

There was something beguiling about a woman who spoke so eloquently, who clearly knew much of the world and wasn’t afraid to challenge and speak with a gentleman of wealth and standing. She was feisty, certainly. But it was more than that. Octavia Marshall had clear control of her emotions and an aptitude for conversation that challenged and intrigued him, that made him want to be a better man, to impress her with his strengths and play down any weaknesses.

He had never met a woman so mysterious yet open, so tormenting yet serious. It was baffling, but entirely captivating and the combination made his body shift carnally.

Dangerous. That’s what she was… very, very dangerous.

And he had to put a stop to her enchantment.

‘Octavia.’ He reached out as she stopped outside a closed bedroom door, gently but firmly grasping her elbow. ‘We should talk.’

Her hand slipped from the door and concern darkened her eyes. ‘Are you all right?’

William looked deep into her eyes and felt as though he was teetering on the edge of something he couldn’t explain. He released her elbow and pushed his hand into his hair. ‘I didn’t come here to be alone with you this way.’

Her gaze drifted over his face before she slowly lifted her incredible lashes and pinned him to the floor with her brilliant blue gaze. ‘Do you want to be with me now?’

‘I can’t make love to you when—’

‘You won’t be making love to me.’ She lightly touched her fingers to his jaw. ‘This is a business arrangement. The same as any other.’

A spike of something that felt far too much like a blow hit the centre of his chest and he swallowed. What in God’s name was happening to him? Since when did he react so uncertainly to anything… anyone?

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt

Website: https://bit.ly/3wH7HQs
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3AQvK0A
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3i49GZ3
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Giveaway – Pen Pal Gals: Friends Forever by Julie Thiessen @iReadBookTours

Posted on February 15, 2022 by fundinmental

Join Us for This Tour from February 1 to February 21!

Book Details:

Book Title: Pen Pal Gals: Friends Forever by Julie Thiessen
Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 64 pages
Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Early Chapter Book
Publisher: Mascot
Release date: February 1, 2022
Tour dates: February 1 to February 21, 2022
Content Rating: Rated G. Suitable for everyone

MY REVIEW

I remember the days of snail mail. Do you? When I would go to the store, sorting through the different stationery, choosing the perfect one. Friends Forever by Julie Thiesssen includes a few pages of Pen Pal Gals stationery at the end of the book.

Summer vacation and Reese is on her way to Lake Shore Retreat with her family. As she packs, I remember packing for vacation myself. But, we sure were packing much different things.

Reese’s mom noticed that something was bothering Reese and asked her about it. She was hesitant, then shared, “…wish I had a friend to share it all with”. Sometimes wishes come true and just because the adventure ends…for now,,…that doesn’t mean the friendship developed won’t continue. They can be PEN PAL GALS.

Julie’s daughter, Reese, was the inspiration for Pen Pal Gals, because she loved writing letters to family and friends. Shows how much we can learn from the children around us.

I love this. I know how much I look forward to a package to arrive, so to anticipate a letter from a best friend, a family member from far away, a Christmas card, a Birthday card…there will always be a place in the world for snail mail.

I have seen two different age groups for the Pen Pal Gals book 6 – 8 and 8 -12, so you decide. As for me, I am glad I got a chance to read it and plan to share it with my nieces, so I think Friends Forever will get lots of love.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Friends Forever by Julie Thiessen.

Book Description

Meet Reese and Addie―two girls, one great friendship. It’s summer break! Reese is on her way to vacation at Camp Lake Shore with her family. When Reese meets a new friend, Addie, the two immediately connect and form a lasting friendship. Swimming, boating, laughing, and soaking up the sun are just a few highlights of their summer vacation. The girls become best friends. When their vacation comes to an end, Reese realizes she may never see Addie again. Determined to stay in touch forever, can Reese and Addie find a way to continue their friendship and share their adventures?

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Walmart
BAM ~ Target ~ Mascot
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Julie Thiessen always had a passion for creativity, design, and adventure, but above all, she values her lifelong friendships. With her bachelor’s degree in graphic design and the inspiration of her daughter Reese, she created and branded Pen Pal Gals for all to share the gift of an everlasting friendship. Thiessen lives along the beautiful Central Coast of California with her husband, two daughters, and son.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram

Tour Schedule:

Feb 1 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
Feb 1 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 3 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Feb 4 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 7 – @twilight_reader – book review / giveaway
Feb 8 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Feb 8 – My Journey Back – book review / giveaway
Feb 9 – The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
Feb 9 – The Phantom Paragrapher – book review / giveaway
Feb 10 – Pick A Good Book – book review / author interview / giveaway
Feb 10 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 11 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 14 – Kam’s Place – book review
Feb 15 – fundinmental – book review / giveaway
Feb 15 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 16 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 16 – icefairy’s Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
Feb 17 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 17 – Older & Smarter? – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 18 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
Feb 21 – Reading is My Passion – book review
Feb 21 – Lisa’s Reading – book review / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

PEN PAL GALS FRIENDS FOREVER by Julie Thiessen Book Tour Giveaway

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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Giveaway – Blinded By Love by Gladys Cross @GoddessFish #GladysCross

Posted on February 15, 2022 by fundinmental

Blinded by Love by Gladys Cross

GENRE: Romantic Comedy, (RomCom), Contemporary

Here at fundinmental, I enjoy seeing what the authors like to share, so I left the topic for discussion up to Gladys Cross.

Things that make you go hmm…….

Recently I was asked in a podcast if I thought there was anything missing from the romance genre and immediately all the recommendations posts I read on a daily basis sprang to mind. The most common theme I’d noticed lately was paranormal romance readers clamoring for more mature characters that let the heroine have a say. A lot of readers mentioned they couldn’t identify with teenage characters, or they didn’t always want the man to save the day.

This was very thought provoking, and I wondered if I’d secretly harbored these same feelings and just not given it a second thought considering I write about the characters these readers desired. None of the women in any of my books are wilting daisies waiting on price charming. In fact, in my Order Bound Series, the women save the day more often than the men. None of them are young either.

Something still bothered me, though. Was I subconsciously writing for how I felt at this time in my life? Granted, I’m equal opportunity with ethnicity and weight in my characters, but was I missing some key component?

I’d love to hear what you guys would love to see happen in the romance genre. Drop me a line or stalk me HERE. I’m not shy.

BLURB

Kassie knew she was in trouble when her matchmaking best friend announced she’d gotten professional help in time for Valentine’s Day. Her friend’s attempts had always been hilariously ridiculous and never in a million years was Kassie expecting a hunky firefighter to show up on her doorstep.

Her online dating profile said she was looking for a superhero, and Declan couldn’t help but believe it had to be fate. But fate was a fickle mistress who left him to wonder who he was behind the mask. He’d been hiding in plain sight for long enough that he wasn’t sure if he even knew the answer. And until he figured that out, he had nothing to offer the world, let alone Kassie.

Love had already ended in tragedy once for Kassie, and she feared that history was doomed to repeat itself unless Declan could learn to trust her with his secrets. This time around, would it be enough to harden her heart for good, or would his deception restore her faith in second chances?

EXCERPTS

Excerpt from Declan:

“Declan went on a date and called me from in front of her apartment.” There was a hushed conversation that I only caught bits and pieces of, mainly hugged, and thought he was gay. Fuck my life, I thought as I drove down the long straight-away leading out of her apartment complex. “Are you still there?”

“Of course, I’m still here. Who else am I going to call Spencer?” I asked sarcastically. “I’m not even sure the boy’s balls have dropped yet.”

Sadly, there was no one else I could call for love advice outside the guys from the firehouse and it made me miss my mom that much more. Hell, she’d probably be calling Kassie herself, asking what colors she wanted for the baby blanket.

“He is eighteen,” Webster said pulling me from my melancholy. “It’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for.”

I snorted. “Do you remember that call we went on where there was an eighty-year-old dude in leather that had lost the keys to his handcuffs?”

He chuckled. “Don’t remind me, and I mean that literally. I’m still not fully recovered, and that was two years ago.” There was silence on the other end of the line as I drove under the overpass. The nothingness went on for long enough that I wondered if we’d gotten disconnected when he snapped his fingers. “Call her back right now and ingeminate the date tomorrow.”

“Do what with the date?”

“Repeat the date.” He huffed an exasperated sigh. “You didn’t make it to the movies, right?”

“Webster you’re a genius!”

“And Declan. This time kiss the girl, so she doesn’t have to ask if you’re a homosexual.”

“She only asked me that because I admitted to watching every episode of Sex and The City.” I hit my head against the back of the seat. “Never mind, I just heard myself, I am an idiot.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Books transport us to a fantasy world where anything can happen, and once I overcame my difficulties in learning how to read, I was hooked. My mother always carried a Harlequin Romance with her, so it was only natural that I was drawn to that genre. There was something magical about the concept of eternal love and as I grew older, my tastes within the genre broadened to include everything from historical to dark.

My writing blossomed in much the same way. The first story I wrote was the Vanderbilt Affair, which was inspired by a field trip. Back then, I was fortunate enough to have an English teacher willing to nurture my love of writing by becoming my editor after school.

The writing bug stayed with me, but over the years, life got in the way, and it wasn’t until my early forties that I published my first short story in a Christmas Anthology. From there, I began writing and publishing across many sub-genres, with each book carrying some element of the unexpected.

When I’m not up to devious pursuits, like shooting a character, you’ll find me curled up with a book next to my dog, watching TV with my better half, or engaging in random water gun fights with my daughter and the neighborhood kids.

Stalk Me!

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3w9JkKM
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2102530.Gladys_Cross
Facebook Private Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3772742262760749/?ref=share
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gladys.cross.author/?hl=en
Tiktok: http://tiktok.com/@authorgladyscross

The book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour. Buy Link: Amazon

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’.
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Valentine (Colony: Holiday #5) with Cupid (#4) by Demelza Carlton @DemelzaCarlton

Posted on February 14, 2022 by fundinmental

The covers for Cupid and Valentine (Colony: Holiday #4 & #5) by Demelza Carlton are so alluring, I couldn’t resist it when I saw the freebie. They may be green but they are hunkalicious.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am not sure how to write this review without spoiling anything for you. I love the cover, the colors drawing me in…and that hunkalicious green guy. LOL

A romance that put a smile on my face and a little heat in my Kindle. Anna is the Colony’s Jurassic Park creator, but in a good way. Valentine is an engineer on the Magellan. They were separated and…

You will have to read Valentine to find out the details for yourself. I will tell you, I enjoyed spending time with him and Anna and am sure I will be back to the Colony, seeing I have Cupid on my Kindle. I may be reading them out of order, but I don’t think it matters that much. Like a lot of series, each couple’s romantic story stands alone, yet best when beginning at the beginning.

GOODREADS BLURB

War widow Anna is ready to embrace a new life in the Colony. A fresh start bringing extinct species to life is just what she needs to get over the loss of her husband.
Until she discovers her husband isn’t dead…

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Ok…I think it is best to read the series from the beginning, but I didn’t and still enjoyed the three I have read. AND, yes, I think a Cupid does deserve love. It makes me think of the Cupid on Charmed.

Titans and Humans live together in the Colony and she can have her pick. Nihal is a djinn and has an ability to ‘sniff’ out the good and bad. That’s why she is the brewer of beer and wife at Forge’s bar.

Orel has his sights on someone he can’t have. I wonder who is waiting for him to find her? Speed dating? Hmmm…

I love the world Demelza has created in Colony with these quick easy reads. Though I am enjoying the world and the characters in it, there’s not much romance in the love.

GOODREADS BLURB

As a Cupid, Orel has plenty of experience helping other people find love, even if he’s unlucky in that department. But when he ends up covering for another Cupid at a speed dating event for singles in the leadup to Valentine’s Day, he dares to hope.
Can a lonely Cupid find love?
Or will he fall victim to the Cupid curse, too?

ABOUT DEMELZA CARLTON

USA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.

She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No – Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean’s Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn’t leave her alone.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY DEMELZA CARLTON REVIEWS

Ocean’s Justice (Siren of War)
Welcome To Hell (Mel Goes To Hell)
See You In Hell (Mel Goes To Hell)
Mel Goes To Hell (Mel Goes To Hell)
Water and Fire (Ocean’s Gift)
Ocean’s Gift (Ocean’s Gift)
Ocean’s Infiltrator (Ocean’s Gift)

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.
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Heartbreaking and Uplifting – Sacrifice by Charisse Moritz #CharisseMoritz

Posted on February 14, 2022 by fundinmental

Sacrifice by Charisse Moritz is a perfect romance for a romantic day!

Sacrifice is my third Charisse Moritz novel, and she does not disappoint.

The first book I read by Charisse Moritze was Shakespeare Burning. The title made me so curious, but the cover played it’s part. I had to read it and was blown away. This is not a genre I actively seek, so was there some ‘reason’ I was drawn to it? I have now found another author for my favorites list.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Need something to make you laugh out loud and feel good about life? Sacrifice is a must read.

Charisse Moritz and her novels would not seem like a fit for someone like me, who loves to delve in the darkness of romance novels. You know, the ones with murder and mayhem, rape and sex trafficking. BUT, Charisse’s writing and her characters draw me in so deep, sometimes I almost think they are real. They sure could be.

I have two pages of notes and wonder what I am going to do. Usually, with that many notes, I tend to share too much. I loved Sacrifice and the realistic, lovable characters that Charisse Moritz, so I don’t want to spoil a moment for you. I want you to experience their struggles, hope and dreams for yourself. I am sure you want a happy ever after. I know I did, and with Charisse, that is possible.

The situations the characters find themselves in could happen to anyone. The characters feel as if they could be the band members you find in the bar you frequent, the girl who left her abusive boyfriend and is hiding out, the single father that suffers from the lies his ‘ex’ feeds him.

The two main characters, Shae and Daisy, are flawed, frightened, insecure, beat down by life. Shae will do whatever it takes to make sure his son has the things he did not. Daisy looks through rose colored glasses, yet flinches at a knock on her door and things Shae is some kind of Sasquatch.

Her is a reason why I love Charisse Moritz’s writing so much…At 4 %, they meet for the first time and it is JUST TOO DARN CUTE AND FUNNY. The tone of the writing is serious, yet written in such a way that I never got too dogged down, too sad or depressed, because her vivid, hilarious descriptions of Daisy’s thoughts when letting her mind road to Shae, had me laughing out loud.

Mutt is a character that has to be mentioned. And if you want to know more, you’ll have to find out for yourself. I love when a peripheral character basks in the limelight…as I write that, I have a smile on my face.

A chat between Daisy and Shae when he picked up his son, Patrick, from babysitting, leaning against the doorframe with his feet crossed and his arms across his chest (which I so can visualize):

“Want to tell me why my boy is not wearing any pants?”
“He didn’t share his reasons, but I support his choices.”
I mean, how can you not crack up. Laugh out loud, whether anyone is around or not.

Patrick, a two year old, is, of course, adorable. I can hear that baby voice ‘speaking’. His actions and the dialogue is so cute, sweet, except when he’s letting them know he’s not happy. After all, he is two years old.

Shae took Daisy shopping. I don’t want to spoil the why of it, other than to say, Mutt is playing him like a fiddle. Her’s another quote that will share why I love Charisse Moritz’s writing

Patrick got a new jacket and a puzzle out of the deal. I got a hard on and a headache.

The sexual attraction is off the charts and I have never read of a couple of characters with this much self control. They both have their reasons, but Daisy is irresistible and his jealousy surprises even him

“Why don’t you just pee on me?”

I laughed out loud…again. Warning: If you read this around other people, well, you know.

There is more than one moment that shocked and awed me, in good and bad ways. I didn’t even try to figure out what was going on and why. I thought, even though I love Charisse Moritz’s writing, this is a romance, and I am along for the ride. Even a good romance rarely gets more than a four star rating from me. Out of the three books that I have read by Charisse, two of them have been five star ratings. She manages to supply those BAM, in your face moments and I love that.

EVERYTHING…PERFECT…for me. Romance with a dash of mystery and suspense.

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Eighteen-year-old Shae is the daddy of a two-year old.
On his own and barely getting by.
Every day, he struggles to be good enough for his boy.
Every day, he falls a little further behind.
He doesn’t apologize.
He tries harder.
Sacrifices more of himself.
Because keeping his son is all that matters.
When Daisy Goodwill moves in across the hall, she is an irresistible splash of color and hopeful smiles. She disrupts his every waking moment in such wonderful ways, daring Shae to imagine a brighter future. But his new neighbor is full of apologies, hiding from an overly possessive ex and a threat to Shae’s black-and-white world. Because championing Daisy requires the one sacrifice he can’t survive.

ABOUT CHARISSE MORITZ (from Amazon)

Emily Award Finalist and Melody Of Love Award Finalist, Charisse Moritz divides her life between upstate NY and northern Florida. When not barricaded inside her writing cave or enjoying every possible minute with her husband and three kids, you’ll find her listening to 60’s music, singing off key and looking for new reads.

Her debut book, Shakespeare Burning was released in July 2019 and is available in digital and print.

https://charissemoritz.com

MY CHARISSE MORITZ REVIEWS

Shakespseare Burning
Shatter (Choosy Beggars)

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Spider Shifter – A Spider In The Garden by Courtney Davis @AuthorCDavis @GoddessFish

Posted on February 14, 2022 by fundinmental

Welcome to my tour stop for A Spider In The Garden by Courtney Davis. Spiders creep me out and so does that cover. I love it!

I am happy to have Courntey Davis visiting fundinmental today and talking about her characters. Take it away Courtney:

How do I come up with my characters?

I think I am a bit of an observer in general. I am quiet and introverted so it’s natural for me to watch other people and I am sure that I unintentionally get ideas from the people I interact with or see, to add in to making my characters. Never on purpose though.

For the characters in A Spider in the Garden, as with most of my characters, I start with superficial things like their looks. Next, since it’s Urban Fantasy, I think about what powers they should have and any weaknesses. Then I think about their backgrounds, family situations and socio-economic status. I consider their love lives and view of relationships for their future. Even education and work at times must be considered. From that I start to get an idea of how this person would act or react in different situations and what their goals and hold backs might be.

I also consider their mood, some people are just serious all the time, others like to joke and laugh. In this story Aranha starts out in a deep depression, and that really plays into the events of the story and why she decides to do certain things.

With Urban Fantasy in particular with character development you have to consider what their species is like. If you create a species that is pack centric it is going to have a huge effect on how that character interacts with those in and out of their pack. If the species is weak then you may have to consider their drive for safety in the way they interact. A lot goes into character development and species development. I don’t always have it well planned before I start and sometimes have to go back and make adjustments after I decide something needed to be different, but that’s what editing is for!

Luckily, I find people very interesting, what makes them do certain things intrigues me. So I hope this helps me to write believable and relatable characters for others to read.

I love to people watch too. I make a game of it, imagining their lives, occupations… Thanks so much Courtney.

A Spider in the Garden by Courtney Davis

GENRE: Paranormal Fantasy/Romance

BLURB

Aranha is the last of her kind, a spider shifter who preys upon the dregs of society in an attempt to validate her existence and feed her hunger. She’s lived alone for two hundred years, no family and no friends; always watchful for those who would kill her.
Dag is one of a dying species, vampires who can walk in the day. They have lost their companions and live in dread of the day that they too will become extinct; leaving the earth to the vile creatures who prey upon humans without mercy.
Aranha sees danger in Dag’s face, Dag sees the future in hers. Neither can believe the other exists and their lives are about to get very complicated. Together they embark on a mission to save a young human from the vampires and learn the reality of what their two species were doing in The Garden of Eden.

EXCERPT

She didn’t like the idea of being in his space, but the public was no place for this conversation. She didn’t trust him, but she was curious as to what he could possibly think she needed his help with, and how did he even exist? She had as many questions as he did, she was sure. She couldn’t keep Jonah and herself safe if she didn’t know what was out there; maybe he wasn’t the only one and she needed to be aware of them as a danger too. She decided she had no better option. “I will follow you,” she agreed.

He nodded and held the door open for her gallantly. She didn’t move. “I said I’ll follow you.”

“You should trust me,” he said quietly.

His blue eyes stared straight into hers, it touched her soul and she had to steel herself against the threat of feelings she had no use for. “Why?” she hissed.

“I don’t think you have anyone else,” he said quietly, then went out the door and up the stairs.

She bristled at the truth in his words. Other than Jonah, she didn’t have anyone, but she didn’t have to trust him, she had no reason to think he meant her anything other than harm. She tucked her knives away and locked the door behind them. Three brown spiders crept out of the dark and looked up at her. “Cover the door, make sure it looks unused and unwelcoming.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Courtney Davis is an author of urban fantasy, paranormal, supernatural fiction with a little romance and humor thrown in. She loves creating worlds and exploring human, and inhuman, interaction. She lives in North Idaho with her husband and children where she teaches and enjoys time spent relaxing in the summer sun and winters by the fire. She has always had an affinity for reading and writing and a goal to make a career of it. There is no greater joy than to know her words took a reader out of reality for a time and into another world.

AUTHOR SOCIAL MEDIA

AUTHOR WEB PAGE: http://authorcourtneydavis.com
5PP PAGE: www.5princebooks.com/courtneydavis
5PP BOOK PAGE: www.5princebooks.com/aspiderinthegarden
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: www.facebook.com/authorcourtneydavis
INSTAGRAM AUTHOR PAGE: www.instagram.com/authorcourtneydavis
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/authorcdavis
TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/authorcdavis
BOOKBUB AUTHOR PAGE: @courtneymaydavis

Buy Links: Amazon / Apple / B&N / Kobo / Smashwords

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.
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Sherry’s Shelves – 2.6 – 2.12.22 #stackingtheshelves #thesundaypost #thesundaysalon

Posted on February 13, 2022 by fundinmental

Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Sunday Salon is hosted by Readerbuzz
Stacking The Shelves by Reading Reality
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**

Hi All. I have made some changes to the blog and still want to make my own banner for Sherry’s Shelves. I have added some of my own pics to the header and updated some other stuff. I am staying current on writing reviews, pretty much writing them as soon as I finish reading the book. I am going to try and review everything I read, but I’m not sure how that will work out. I have some reviews sitting, waiting, because I think we will be making our trip north this year and blogging will be hit and miss. I have wanted to go to Michigan for two years and put it off because of Covid. This year we plan on ‘business as usual’ with safety in mind. It makes me a bit anxious, but I am not a spring chicken, so I am ready to GO.

Our Azaleas are blooming like crazy.

The International Space Station flew over the house on 2.6.22. How cool is that?

Stay safe and wear a mask..

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

Sherry’s Shelves
Giveaway – Playing Possum by Lois Schmitt
Spider Shifter – A Spider In The Garden by Courtney Davis
Music Monday
Heartbreaking and Uplifting – Sacrifice by Charisse Moritz
Reviews – Valentine & Cupid by Demelza Carlton
Giveaway – Pen Pals by Julie Thiessen
Giveaway – The Ladies Of Carson Street by Rachel Brimble
New Release – The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong
Books From The Backlog
Giveaway – A Killer Sundae by Abby Collette
Dragons, Unicorns and Bianca by Meg Dendler
Giveaway – Discovery of the Five Senses by K N Smith
Piggyback Killer – If I Had Two Lives by A B Whelan
Giveaway – Trust Me by Kelly Irvin
Tackling The TBR

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!

Giveaway – Playing Possum by Lois Schmitt @schmittmystery @partnersincr1me

Posted on February 13, 2022 by fundinmental

Playing Possum

by Lois Schmitt

February 1-28, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Playing Possum (Kristy Farrell Animal Lovers Mystery #3)

Murder, Mayhem, and Missing Animals.

When animals mysteriously disappear from the Pendwell Wildlife Refuge, former English teacher turned magazine reporter Kristy Farrell is on the case. Days later, the body of the refuge’s director is found in a grassy clearing.

Kristy, assisted by her veterinarian daughter, investigates and discovers strong motives among the suspects, including greed, infidelity, betrayal, and blackmail.

As Kristy delves further, she finds herself up against the powerful Pendwell family, especially matriarch Victoria Buckley Pendwell, chair of the refuge board of trustees, and Victoria’s son, Austin Pendwell, who is slated to run for the state senate.

But ferreting out the murderer and finding the missing animals aren’t Kristy only challenges. While researching a story on puppy mills, she uncovers criminal activity that reaches far beyond the neighborhood pet store.

Meanwhile, strange things are happening back at the refuge, and soon a second murder occurs. Kristy is thwarted in her attempts to discover the murderer by her old nemesis, the blustery Detective Wolfe.

Kristy perseveres and as she unearths shady deals and dark secrets, Kristy slowly draws the killer out of the shadows.

Praise for Playing Possum:

Lois Schmitt’s Playing Possum does cozies proud. Fresh and traditional all at once.”
-Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Sleepless City

“In her third book of the series, writer Lois Schmitt has crafted an intricately-plotted mystery full of twists and humor, with a cast of colorful characters, set in a wildlife refuge rehab center. Cozy fans, and especially followers of Schmitt’s animal lovers’ mysteries, will find great entertainment in Playing Possum.”
-Phyllis Gobbell, award-winning author of the Jordan Mayfair Mysteries

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Encircle Publications
Publication Date: December 8, 2021
Number of Pages: 296
ISBN: 1645993051 (ISBN13‎ 978-1645993056)
Series:A Kristy Farrell Animal Lovers Mystery, #3
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

I waited until a man and a woman emerged from the county medical examiner’s van. I followed them into the wildlife preserve, maintaining a discreet distance while wondering what happened. Did a jogger succumb to a heart attack? Did a child fall into a pond and drown? I inhaled deeply, hoping to steady my nerves.

I passed the clearing on the right where the administration building was located. I continued trailing the two members of the medical examiner’s staff until another clearing came into view—this one bordered by yellow crime scene tape.

I gasped.

Not far from where I stood, spread out in full view was a female body with blood covering much of the head. The body was face down, but I recognized the small build, sandy colored hair, and jade green shirt.

I tasted bile. I wanted to scream, but I slapped my hand in front of my mouth.

After regaining my composure, I surveyed my surroundings. Three people wearing jackets emblazoned in the back with the words Crime Scene Investigator were near the front of the clearing. One was bent over the body and the other two appeared to be examining the nearby ground. When the medical examiner’s team approached, the investigator next to the body rose up and started talking. I couldn’t make it all out, but I did hear him say “Blow to the head.”

“Oh, no,” I mumbled when I spied two homicide detectives I knew.

Detective Adrian Fox, a thirty something African American, stood on the side of the clearing, near a small pond. He was talking to a woman who yesterday had been arguing with the preserve’s director.

The director had called this woman Elena, so I assumed this was Elena Salazar, the education coordinator. I couldn’t hear what she was saying to the detective, but she was gesturing wildly with her arms.

The other detective, Steve Wolfe, had marched over to the body and was now barking orders to the medical examiner’s staff, who didn’t seem pleased. As Wolfe turned around, the woman in the medical examiner’s jacket shook her head.

I sighed. Wolfe and I had a history. He was a bully who had gone to school with my younger brother Tim, constantly picking on him. Granted Tim was the classic nerd who might as well have worn the sign “Kick Me” on his back. I had recently solved two of Wolfe’s murder cases, which only irritated him more.

Wolfe spied me and headed in my direction, his face turning the color of a beet. His gray pants hung below his pot belly, his glacier blue eyes as cold as ever, and he wore the same annoying grin as when he was a kid that made me want to slap his face.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I’m here about a dead squirrel,” he said. “I’m a homicide detective. What do you think happened?”

“I know the victim,” I said.

He narrowed his eyes. “How do you know her?”

“I’m doing a story on the wildlife refuge and—”

“How come whenever you do a story people die?”

Not really a nice way to put it.

“Who found the body?” I asked.

“Three hikers.”

“What caused—”

“This is none of your business. This is a crime scene.” He pointed a fat finger at me. “You need to leave.”

“I’m behind the yellow tape,” I argued.

I didn’t think his face could get any redder, but it did. “Stay out of my way.” He spun around and stomped off toward the side where Detective Fox appeared to be jotting something in a notepad. Elena Salazar was no longer there. I had no idea where she went.

I had lots of questions, but I wasn’t getting answers from Wolfe. The crime scene investigators were packing up. Maybe I’d have better luck with them.

“When was she killed” I asked the one investigator, who looked young enough to appear on an acne remedy commercial.

“We need to wait for the autopsy.”

“Do you have an approximate time of death?”

“Sorry. We can’t talk to the public.”

I sighed. I’d have to get the answers somewhere else.

I wondered why the victim had been at the clearing. I glanced at the pond, guessing this was where the rehabilitated turtle would be released. Did she come here early to check things out before the release? But what would she be checking?

My thoughts were interrupted as the medical examiner’s team passed by me carrying a stretcher with the covered body. I figured I might learn something if I listened to their conversation. Eavesdropping was one of my talents.

I scratched my theory about arriving early to check on conditions for the turtle release when one of the attendants said, “I can’t imagine why anyone would be in these woods at midnight.”

***

Author Bio:

A mystery fan since she read her first Nancy Drew, Lois Schmitt combined a love of mysteries with a love of animals in her series featuring animal magazine reporter Kristy Farrell. Lois is member of several wildlife conservation and humane organizations, as well as Mystery Writers of America. She received 2nd runner-up for the Killer Nashville Claymore award for her second book in the series entitled Something Fishy, She previously served as media spokesperson for a local consumer affairs agency and currently teaches at a community college. Lois lives in Massapequa, Long Island with her family, which includes a 120 pound Bernese Mountain dog. This dog bears a striking resemblance to Archie, a dog of many breeds featured in her Kristy Farrell Mystery Series.