Saving Seals Finale – Saving Charlie by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

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Saving Charlie by Jane Blythe is the last of her Saving Seals series, but the series is part of something so much bigger. There are many more books and authors putting their own spin on the Operation Alpha World.

About Operation Alpha

Operation Alpha is the fan fiction world for Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection, Delta Force Heroes, and Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Worlds. The books all have at least one of Susan’s characters in them. The authors have created worlds where Wolf, Ghost, Dax and all the other characters interact. Check it out at Aces Press.

Saving Charlie (Special Forces: Operation Alpha; Saving SEALs #6)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Saving Charlie is Jane Blythe’s final book in the Saving Seals series, so let’s get right to it. Saving Charlie picks up where Saving Grayson left off. You might think that it ended with a cliffhanger, but really, it ended with a tease to this book, and what a tease it was.

Charlies “King” Voss and his team were captured and tortured by terrorists in Iraq. They were held for five loooooong weeks. Everyone, but him, had family to come home to. He felt the loss, though he knew in his heart that someone would come for them, he was willing to trade his life for theirs. King had enjoyed his single life, but after his capture, something had changed. He wanted his own special someone.

Faith is going through her own crisis. She is waiting…looking…focusing on surviving. She had worked at a non profit, helping women and children of domestic violence. She is stubborn, determined, strong. She had survived being held by an international serial killer, known as the Prince of Blood…and I’ll leave it to you to figure out why. Go ahead. Let your imagination run wild.

When the ladies enter the hospital room, one by one, I challenge you not to tear up.

King and Faith had both lost their bearings.. Now, they had to figure out how to move on. Was it Fate, Kismet, Karma, that they found each other in their time of need?

“…maybe I need a…a friend.”

“I…I think I need a friend too.”

It is so easy to get lost in Jane Blythe’s characters. They are strong, loyal, deetermined, loving, and will put their lives on the line for each other. I don’t have all the details, but this is romantic suspense, so they can’t have a happy ever after until she puts them through hell. LOL

Jane Blythe’s writing continues to amaze me. She is a master storyteller. I know the format, hunkalicious man meets damsel in distress…love, danger, fireworks!, doubt, denial. We are having some fun, some sweet romantic moments, while I am waiting for evil to rear its ugly head. She is great at creating suspense with pacing, creating tension that has me on the edge of my seat, cringing, white knuckled. She puts her characters through hell, but once is not enough. It keeps on coming, again and again.

If you are a Disney lover, a fan of magical dreams coming true and your prince coming to your rescue, you will love Saving Charlie.

Though Saving Charlie is the final story of Jane Blythe’s Saving Seals series, she has a new series coming in March of 2022. Prey Security is sure to become another favorite series of mine. Also, there are many more books and authors putting their spin on the Operation Alpha World.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Saving Charlie by Jane Blythe.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Suffering recognizes suffering.

Faith Johnson is the only surviving victim of an international serial killer. She survived weeks in his torture room and when she escapes she thought the hard part of her ordeal was over. She was wrong. The hard part was only just beginning. When she meets a man who makes her feel normal for the first time in months she convinces herself she’ll be happy with whatever he’s willing to give her, but she’s a romantic at heart and she’s falling hard and fast for the sexy SEAL.

Charlie “King” Voss’ world changed forever when he and his team were captured. While his teammates went home to their families he went home to an empty house. When he meets Faith he can’t deny the instantaneous attraction he feels for her, or the protectiveness she invokes, but he doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t want to break her heart. All he can offer her is his friendship but he knows it won’t be enough for her and he’ll lose the only good thing he has going in his life.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series, Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.

When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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Giveaway – The Twist and Shout Murder by Teresa Trent @ttrent_cozymys @dollycas

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The Twist and Shout Murder: A Swinging Sixties Mystery
by Teresa Trent

About Twist and Shout Murder


The Twist and Shout Murder: A Swinging Sixties Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Historia (January 4, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1685120709
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1685120702
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09NQWZTGR

In 1962, Dot Morgan was told the best thing she could do besides being a nurse or teacher was to learn to type. While attending secretarial school, she decides to rub elbows with an elite ladies’ club to help her father with a struggling campaign for city council. Instead of getting the help she sought, Dot is thrown into a world of adultery, deceit, and murder when one of the town’s sons is found dead.

Time to put that 45 on the record player and bring out your best dance moves in The Twist and Shout Murder.

Character Guest Post for Fundinmental

Breaking News Report from Ben Dalton, The Camden Courier

Hello everyone, this is Ben Dalton from the Camden Courier reporting on happenings in our fair city of Camden, Texas. You would think it being 1962, things would be more civilized, but sadly I have to tell you that our little town has been rocked with scandal and murder.

As for the murder, yours truly here, was on the scene when a man was crushed by an oversized bookcase during a violent summer storm. I was accompanied by the lovely Dot Morgan, the daughter of a local candidate for city council, Mike Morgan. Indeed, we were there for a local debate when attendees were told to flee to the basement. Dot and I were on our way there when her pearl necklace, a family heirloom, broke and we were scrambling to pick it up from the floor.

Coming upon a person recently deceased is no picnic, readers, and then Dot’s own father was accused of the crime by the victim’s brother, Morton Manning. If you aren’t in the know, he’s our local D.A. and an important man in this town if you are ever accused of a crime. If Manning isn’t on your side, then no one is.

It has also been rumored that the accused was caught in a raid over at Miss Daisy’s, a local house of ill repute. This reporter will be checking out this claim and expect to see future information in the Camden Courier. The Morgan family appears to be above reproach, but pretty boxes do not always reveal lovely gifts.

The Camden Police Department are investigating the case, while also investigating a strange hit-and-run incident that happened in the early morning hours.

Like I said, you would think that in 1962, Camden would be a safe haven from the big city of Dallas, but you can read it in print. Things are buzzing on our streets.

Signing out,

Ben Dalton

The Camden Courier

About Teresa Trent

Teresa Trent writes historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, romance, and short stories. She lives in South Texas with her husband and son with Down syndrome and splits her time between writing and caretaking.

Author Links:

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Sherry’s Shelves – 1.30 – 2.5.22 #thesundaypost #thesundaysalon #stackingtheshelves

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Sunday Post

Hi Everyone. Hope you are all well and having a good week. I spent a few days moving a bunch of books. I took my signed blogging books and moved them into the office and took that bookcase and put in the kitchen to use for a charging station, etc. I took my unsigned blogging books and moved them into the guest bedroom and moved that bookcase against the wall in the living room. Then I took my bought signed books and put them in another bookcase in the office. Then, I left a mess. I have to think about what comes next because we have so much stuff…that neither I nor Mr Wonderful want to get rid off. If I don’t share photos this week, I’ll take some for next week.

May be an image of 1 person and outdoors

I am now watching the Senior Bowl that is taking place in Mobile, Alabama. We used to go to it every year, but since Covid…nope. Mr Wonderful has went to a practice and got some great shots.

No photo description available.

Well, gotta run. Things to do………

Stay safe and wear a mask..

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Music Monday
  • Giveaway – Twist and Shout Murder by Teresa Trent
  • Saving Seals Finale – Saving Charlie by Jane Blythe
  • Giveaway – The First Transit by Benjamin X Wretlind
  • Giveaway & Review – Olive and the Valentine’s Spell by Helen Millman
  • Giveaway & Review – Cindi’s Chocolate Valentine by Beverly Reichman
  • Giveaway – Fool Her Once by Joanna Elm
  • Giveaway – The Dark Beast by Dave Maruszewski
  • Books From The Backlog
  • New Release Review – Black Orchid Girls by Carolyn Arnold
  • Giveaway – Ashes To Ink by Lisa Lucca
  • Giveaway – Ashby Jones and The Crossing
  • Tackling The TBR
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Tackling The TBR – 1.29 – 2.4.22 #tacklingthetbr

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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: 2177

The number of books on my TBR didn’t change, because most of the books I read this week were on my currently reading shelf (review books). This is my way of keeping track of review books. They are front and center and hard to ignore. 🙂

Currently Reading

I actually have added more books, both for review and for fun, but didn’t get around to adding them to my TBR, which seems to be growing, rather than shrinking. LOL

Books Read

Books Added

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 0

Duplicates Removed: 0

New TBR Total: 2177

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All I Can Say Is: Baby Please (LOL) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff @MimiJeanRomance

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I don’t read a lot of contemporary romance with a sports star as the main character, but I will read anything Mimi Jean Pamfiloff writes! Can you resist that sweet cover?

Baby, Please (OHellNo #7)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read numerous books by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and I will happily read anything she writes. This is my first book in the OhHellNo series. Even though it is the seventh in the series, it had no affect on my enjoyment of the story. Mimi writes with humor and wit, with dialogue that has me laughing out loud. Look at that cover…then add a sexy damsel in distress and you tell me…can you resist it?

Dean had worked hard to get where he was. A chance at the NFL. A baby he is raising by himself. And brother who’s an addict and needs constant help. The NFL is his answer to all his problems. But…life is never that simple.

In one of his lowest moments, she walked into the bar. Older, classy, and just what the doctored ordered…at the time. Or, so he thought, because the wrong head was thinking. The result, two year old Patrick and trouble he couldn’t have seen coming.

No one has given him anything…well, except Minnie, his landlady. She is selective about who she rents to. Daisy comes to town and the OhHellNo begins. When Dean and Daisy meet for the first time, Mimi Jean Pamfiloff had me cracking up.

I was wondering about the book. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff usually has more going on than Three Men and A Baby, and about halfway through it bites. My heart dropped right along with his.

This tough guy football jock has changed and I am loving it. I am curious to see how it will all play out, because I want warm fuzzies when the story is done.

I found the plot predictable, but that’s okay. I still enjoyed Baby Please by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff and would recommend it. I have enjoyed some of her other series more, but I have other books of the OhHell No series on my Kindle and I will be reading them.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Baby Please by MImi Jean Pamfiloff.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a Surprise Baby Romantic Comedy, BABY, PLEASE.

SURPRISE! IT’S A GIRL!

DEAN

Ever since I was recruited by my college football team, I’ve pushed myself hard. Going pro and earning some real money is a must. Mostly because my brother, Flip, is in a bad place, and I’m all he’s got.

No problem. I’m tough. I’m a hard worker. I’ve got a plan.

Then right before the season starts, a woman shows up at my apartment with a baby, claiming I’m the father. And then she leaves her with me. For a week? Forever?

I have no idea, but college, football, and the single-dad gig don’t go together. And forget about my experience with babies. Does this thing come with an off switch? Volume control? Is that a poopie diaper? Help!

Things go from bad to worse when the public catches wind of my surprise-baby situation, and it turns into a PR nightmare. I’m suddenly the poster boy for young single dads.

This isn’t happening.

Suddenly, all eyes are on me, both on and off the field, and the only person who can keep me from losing my mind confesses her love.

And I mess it all up. Her, football, baby, everything.

Now I’m going to have to choose: fix my career or fix my personal life, including coming to grips with loving a baby girl who might not be mine.

ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.

Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF REVIEWS

MY M O MACK REVIEWS

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Giveaweay – Undoing Time by Rachel Dacus @GoddessFish @Rachel_Dacus

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Liv Pomeroy’s high hopes and lavish lifestyle come horribly undone when her fiancé runs off with her maid of honor. Swearing off love forever, she goes on a summer escape to Florence, Italy. Agreeing to help her cousin May raise funds for an art restoration project, Liv is astonished to find they share a genetic gift for undoing time. Soon she’s joining a team of time travelers who rescue history from those who would change it. And fighting her attraction to a sexy time traveling colleague, who just might turn out to be working for the wrong side in the American Revolution. A thrilling tale of time travel, romance, and espionage.







Read an Excerpt

He turned to look at her, his brown eyes wide, but his brows pulled together in concern. “Are you going to be okay?”

The smoke from the 1906 earthquake was thick in the air. She repressed a choke. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you cold? You look like you’re shivering.”

That wasn’t why she was shivering Liv looked down at her clothes and was startled to find herself swathed in a long skirt of heavy silk brocade. Her petticoat rustled its many folds. She was encased in so many layers, she might have been wearing an overcoat to shield her from the wind.

“I’m not cold.”

She turned again and looked down the hill, seeing the ferry building and docks, a familiar landmark. Her emotions calmed.

A man in a bowler hat passed them.

“What’s happening?” Tom asked.

“You’re aware, surely,” the man said. “You see the smoke, the rubble. Pardon me, I must find my family.”

He scooted down the hill.

“In a matter of days, people begin to thirst and even starve,” Tom said. “Half the city is homeless. I just wanted to know if that fellow was a helper.”

“A helper?”

“San Franciscans who had something left began to help the others. The city grew together under the devastation. I wasn’t kidding when I said half of everyone here is homeless, or nearly so.”

Liv couldn’t reply. The enormity of what she was seeing choked her. Tears rolled down her face, and when she wiped them away, soot came off her hand. Her face must have already grown gray with the ash from fires. Tom’s had too.

About the Author:
RACHEL DACUS writes about history, love, romance, and art – usually with a touch of the supernatural. If time travel were possible, she’d hop over to Renaissance Rome, and then check out how the American Revolutionary War is going, and maybe visit an 18th century London artist’s studio. A poet and novelist, Dacus has published four novels and four poetry collections. When not writing, she listens to music, new and old, from indie and progressive rock to classical and jazz. Once a dancer, she’s now an avid walker, often twice a day — once for the Muse and once for the world’s liveliest Silky Terrier. She blogs about the writing life and has collected a wealth of writing and publishing resources.

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Twitter
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Giveaway – Ghost Agents by Nita DeBorde @dollycas @DebordeNita

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Ghost Agents by Nita DeBorde

About Ghost Agents

Ghost Agents
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently published (July 26, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 309 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8544028789
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B098PM3LDT

An organization that has operated in secret for centuries… a mystery that threatens to burn it all to the ground… and she’s the only agent who can stop it…

To the residents and tourists of Galveston Island, Claire Abelard is the friendly young woman who works at the local candy store by day and leads ghost tours of the island’s haunted locations by night. They don’t realize this persona is a cover for Claire’s real job as an agent of the Bureau for Historical Preservation, a clandestine organization that monitors and assists energy projections, or the entities more commonly known as “ghosts.”

When projections begin disappearing from around the island, Claire worries that history may be repeating itself. She launches a dangerous investigation and uncovers a sinister, arcane organization whose agenda threatens not only Galveston’s ghosts, but everything she has worked her whole life to protect.

The truth behind the disappearances rocks Claire’s world to its core and shows her that ghosts aren’t the only things that can come back to haunt you.

Ghost Agents is a genre-defying, cozy paranormal mystery, with a little sci-fi, romance, and Texas history thrown into the mix!

About Nita DeBorde

Nita DeBorde is a published author and teacher from Houston, TX. Writing and teaching are her two major passions, though traveling and being dog-mom to a crazy Staffordshire-Boxer mix named Mabel are high on the list as well.

Nita has taught high school French for more than 20 years and absolutely loves her “day job” job (about 95% of the time). She loves to travel, and not surprisingly, France is her favorite destination, though her home state of Texas runs a close second.

She is also a huge history buff, which comes through in her fiction writing, and particularly in her latest novel, Ghost Agents, a genre-defying, cozy paranormal mystery with a little sci-fi and romance thrown into the mix. Ghost Agents: Revelations, the 2nd book in the Ghost Agents Trilogy, is slated for release in March 2022.

Nita’s first novel, Project Lachesis, is currently available in both Kindle and hardcopy format from Amazon.com.

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Ocean World – Pelagia by Steve Holloway #steveholloway @GoddessFish

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The cover for Pelagia by Steve Holloway intrigued me sooooo much, I had to read the book…and it was worth all the hours it took for me to read it.

Pelagia – Between the Stars and the Abyss by Steve Holloway

GENRE: Science Fiction

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The cover for Pelagia by Steve Holloway is soooo awesome, that I HAD TO HAVE a copy and diving into Steve’s world of oceanic wonder was a delight, when we weren’t dodging bullets and being rescued.

He’d been kidnapped and awakes, trapped in the bow of a yacht, being thrown around during a storm. When the warmth of the water closes over him, he feels at home. What a great start to fantastic adventure that crosses the globe.

Pelagics have a saying, ‘we make our lives at the edge of creation, we walk in wonder’.

The Pelagic Territory is a water community in international waters. Because there are no laws governing them, it creates tremendous problems and dangers for the residents.

Ben’s losses overwhelm him and he struggles to find solid ground to stand on. In his darkest moment, Paul Whitestone found him. The friends he accumulates as he puts his life back together are steadfast, loyal, everlasting. His faith will be tested. Though religion is mentioned a lot, it is pertinent to the story. No preaching, just characters questioning….

Though Ben is the star of the show, Paul Whitestone has his back in dangerous situations, knowing when he is in need. Sophia is autistic and one of the standout characters. I love the relationship she develops with Ben and her ‘Rainman’ life.

The Caliphate wants Ben. The need him, to accomplish their evil goals they have set to disrupt the lives of their enemies. It always amazes me how religion can be twisted to suit some people’s needs. How something developed for good can be used for bad. How far some people will go to get what they want.

I found the life of the seasteaders fascinating. I got lost in their beautifully created undersea world. Steve Holloway’s descriptions made Pelagia come to life, and Nemo’s bedtime stories were mesmerizing. His words created images that rolled through my mind like a YouTube video. It makes me wonder how far we have advanced in real life.

“The exploration of science is systemic wonder.”

Pelagia by Steve Holloway is 416 pages filled with wonderful words of wisdom, filled with warnings and wonders of what the future could hold.

I would like to finish this hard to write review with these words of wisdom:

‘All that is necessary for Evil to triumph is for good men – good people, people like you and me – to do nothing.’ Edmund Burke

Where do YOU draw the line? When do YOU make a stand?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Pelagia by Steve Holloway.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Former special forces agent turned particle physicist Ben Holden is on the run.

The New Caliphate will stop at nothing to get their hands on his wife’s scientific research, which is believed to hold the key to unleashing chaos in the West and advancing their cause.

But in reality it’s Ben’s biometrics that have the potential to unlock the information they so desperately need. Within the oceanic world of Pelagia, in the year 2066, Ben finds sanctuary among the sea settlers of the South Pacific Pelagic Territory, but his respite is short-lived.

ABOUT STEVE HOLLOWAY

Steve Holloway grew up on the beach cities of Los Angeles and has always loved the sea. This passion led him to gain a degree in Aquatic Biology from the University of California Santa Barbara; a background which opened many opportunities for him in researching, developing, and engaging with mariculture activities around the world.

Steve and his wife have lived and travelled in many countries over their forty years of marriage, successfully raising three kids in exotic locations in the process. They have always engaged with the people and cultures they live among.

Currently Steve lives in England and consults for a Christian charity in areas of research, leadership development, adapting to new cultures, social enterprises, and mariculture projects. Currently he is consulting for a Indo-Pacific mariculture project – a social enterprise – growing sea cucumbers, a delicacy for the Chinese market.

Steve has always loved books and writing. The story of Pelagia reflects three of his passions: science, the sea and the narratives of faith. The background, in his words:

“I have for many years believed that settling the open sea was within our grasp, and even more accessible than space as our ‘next frontier’. So through the last ten years or so I have been thinking just how this might happen, what would be needed, where people would settle, what kind of livelihoods they might have on the open sea, beyond the EEZs of terrestrial countries. My son Adam told me about what would become a key component of Pelagia, Biorock or seacrete, because of his experiments with it. Many discussions with other scientists, engineers and others helped to begin to fill in the gaps and the concept of the Pelagic Territories, similar to the unincorporated territories of the early US, and what geopolitical contexts they would find themselves in.”

Steve finds any excuse to get into the ocean: sailing, diving, swimming, or just poking around tide pools.

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Giveaway – The Last Keeper by J V Hilliard @JVHilliardBooks @GoddessFish

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. J.V. Hilliard will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A young boy’s prophetic visions.

Blind at birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of prophetic Sight. Now, as a Keeper of the Forbidden, he must use his powers of the Sight to foil the plans of a fallen Keeper, Graytorris the Mad.

An elven Princess with a horrifying secret.

Princess Addilyn Elspeth travels from Eldwal, the magically hidden home of the Vermilion elves, to begin her life as a diplomat to the human capital of Castleshire. During her journey, she stumbles upon a mystical creature foretelling ill tidings. A terrifying force of evil.

Daemus’ recurring nightmare vision threatens to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers—and the realm—hanging in the balance. Daemus and Princess Addilyn must set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence. Will the entire realm fall to its knees?

The Last Keeper is the first book in The Warminster Series. With gripping, epic action and heart-pounding adventure, you’ll love this new adventure series.

Read an Excerpt

“Drenering uderforer dodt,” the blind man uttered.

All the men surrounding him winced in agony, grabbing at their chests and throats. A pain grew in Graytorris’s arms, pulsing through his veins. A magical necrosis drained the energy from the trees and grass around him. The wave of energy inside him morphed from life to death, temporarily becoming one. The spell was working.

“Drenering uderforer dodt,” he repeated, with some difficulty.

The troops writhed and collapsed to their knees, as did Rhron, though Radu had evidently escaped. Graytorris did his best to ignore their groans, as well as the brutal, scorching pain that racked his entire body as the spell took effect.

Almost unable to stop himself, Graytorris repeated the incantation one final time, completing the spell. He fell to his knees, trying not to faint, but the spell had taken something from him, too. He realized that Rhron’s knights were dead, as much from a rising stench as through his own magical senses. But the spell kept moving on to the valley itself, leaching life out of the flora, stilling the limbs of insects, seeming to even deaden the noise of the nearby stream.

He felt the stolen strength of the living things in the hollow rush into his limbs. The pain was still there, but as seconds passed it became less intense and he found he could stand tall.

Before he knew what he was doing, he made his way to his former friend’s corpse, where it lay in the grey and ossified grass. The plants, once green and pliant, now crunched harshly under his feet, and once or twice even broke his skin. Graytorris knelt among them, feeling for Rhron’s body.

When his fingers found the mail-covered torso, it rose slightly under his hand.

He started. One hand flew to Rhron’s mouth to check for breath, and he felt the faintest gust touch his palm. Stunned, he sat back. The captain was clearly on the edge of death, but by all rights he shouldn’t have survived the first wave of the spell, let alone the last.

Graytorris paused, listening to Rhron’s quiet, labored breathing. Apologies and explanations sat just under his tongue, but his lips twisted against them.

“You brought this on yourself,” he told the dying man.

The two of us must make a grim picture, he thought, sitting in the middle of a stillness born of death rather than peace, surrounded by petrified trees and scorched earth. This hollow will never be a natural place again.

His heart skipped a beat, then slowed to a deathly pace as the spell continued to exact its toll on his body. The pain returned with a vengeance, searing through his flesh like hellfire.

In his agony, a single, wild thought suddenly entered his brain, and he quickly spoke the incantation of another spell—one that would both save and damn Rhron. One that would preserve their friendship, even if only in its most twisted possible form. In that moment, his only wish was to not be alone.

Though still unconscious, Rhron drew in a harsh breath, followed by a loud, keening scream.

The cracking of bone met Graytorris’s ears as the man beside him began to transform. At the same time, his own pain intensified so that he too was unable to keep from crying out. His strength finally drained to its limit by the necrotic ravages of the spell that had petrified the hollow, Graytorris lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Moments later, the nameless beast that had once been Rhron Talamare stirred and whuffed quietly, sat back on its haunches, and waited for its master to awaken.

About the Author:
Born of steel, fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.

His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.

Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he learned his first words. HIs uncle helped him to learn the basics of life—and, most importantly, creative writing.

Hilliard’s training and education readied him to lift a quill that would scribe the tale of the realm of Warminster, filled with brave knights, harrowing adventure and legendary struggles. He lives in the city of silver cups, hypocycloids and golden triangles with his wife, a ranger of the diamond. They built their castle not far into the countryside, guarded by his own two horsehounds, Thor and MacLeod, and resides there to this day.

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Giveaway – Bentley’s Best Birthday Ever! by Claire Eckard @iReadBookTours

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Join us for this tour from January 31 to February 18, 2022!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Bentley’s Best Birthday Ever! by Claire Eckard
Category:  Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7),  32 pages
Genre:  Children’s Picture Book
Publisher:  Mill City Press, Inc
Release date:   September 28, 2021
Content Rating:  G for everyone.
 

MY REVIEW

I love dogs, so to read Bentley’s Best Birthday Ever! by Claire Eckard, a children’s interactive illustrated book, was fun and I smiled throughout. Bentley thinks everyone forgot his birthday, so he grabs his magic stick and walks through the park. He finds Bella, a new dog in town, that is lost.

For me, the great thing about reading children’s books is the simple wonder of life, the appreciation of everyday things that we, as adults, are sometimes too busy to see.

I can see a youngster reaching out to touch the wonderfully illustrated pages and pet all the different dogs. At the end are some questions to prod your youngster, words to find, things to count, playing your own birthday games with Bentley.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bentley’s Best Birthday Ever! by Claire Eckard.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Book Description:

Bentley’s Best Birthday Ever!

Bentley is back, and it’s his birthday! Bentley is excited to share his special day with his new friends, but they are nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Bentley meets Bella, a lost dog whose family has recently moved to Bentley’s neighborhood. Tia, Bentley’s Fairy Dogmother, and the Dog Pack have a BIG secret! They are planning a surprise birthday party for Bentley, and when Tia is around there is always some magic. Wait till you see Bentley’s reaction to his surprise party, and especially to the special guest that Tia brings!

This book once again highlights Bentley’s kind nature, and also shows that moving to a new neighborhood can be fun! Beautifully illustrated by Anne York, Bentley fans will not be disappointed as they follow Bentley’s latest adventure. 

Buy the Book:
Claire Eckard
Amazon ~ B&N ~ IndieBound
add to goodreads

 

Meet the Author:

Claire Eckard is an animal lover and believes in volunteering to give back to her community, especially to the homeless animals that need to find their forever homes. Her animals often inspire her writing, weaving their way into the stories that she writes, blending reality and fiction to entertain, teach, enlighten, and share the joy that animals bring to our lives! Claire is an author, poet, songwriter, wife, mother and grandmother! She lives in Arizona, splitting her time between her home in Yuma, Arizona and her ranch in the mountains of Prescott. Claire has three dogs, eight horses, and a miniature mule!

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~instagram ~ goodreads ~ bookbub
 
 
Tour Schedule:

Jan 31 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Jan 31 – Because I said so adventures in parenting – book review / giveaway
Feb 1 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Feb 1 – The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
Feb 2 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
Feb 2 – fundinmental – book review / giveaway
Feb 3 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Feb 3 – @twilight_reader – book review
Feb 4 – Sandra’s Book Club – book review / giveaway
Feb 7 – Lynchburg Reads – book review / giveaway
Feb 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 8 – Westveil Publishing – book review / giveaway
Feb 9 – Reading is My Passion – book review
Feb 9 – The Phantom Paragrapher – book review / giveaway
Feb 10 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway
Feb 11 – Chit Chat with Charity – book review / giveaway
Feb 14 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Feb 14 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
Feb 15 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Feb 15 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 16 – Pause for Tales – book review / giveaway
Feb 16 – Kam’s Place – book review
Feb 17 – @jayme_reads – book review / giveaway
Feb 18 – Pick A Good Book – book review / giveaway
 

Enter the Giveaway:

 

Bentley’s Best Birthday EVER! 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?
  • 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!