**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hi Everyone. We’ve has some pretty wicked storms coming through the Florida Panhandle. How has your weather been? It sure does make everything sprout and I do love that. I haven’t given the pool a try…yet, but I see it coming. I want to feel the sun on my skin and smell the chlorine. LOL Says summer to me. Have a super week.
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Blog Names Are Taken. I love showcasing the books on Goodreads, my ereader and my bookshelves. The more exposure for authors and their books, the better….RIGHT?
I felt like I was visiting worlds like Grimm (the TV show), Harry Potter (that speaks for itself), and Stephen Henning’s Class Heroes series. So much fun for me, so I feel middle graders would love to go on fantasy adventures with the twins, Willow and Jake. And, how about that amazing cover created by Alexander Jansson. I have an affinity to trees, so it speaks to me.
I am very familiar with Michaelbrent Collings’ thrillers, and I am a huge fan of his. This is a step outside his normal genre, but all I had to do was read the blurb to put a smile on my face. With his ability to spin fantastic stories, I anticipate an entertaining read. Good writing is good writing, so the fact this is middle grade fantasy instead of a dark and dangerous thriller, doesn’t put me off in the slightest. I feel Grimmworld will be easy to read, so I can relax and enjoy the fun.
Willow and Jack Grimm are twins, living in Los Angeles and they are happy with their lives. Their parents tell them they will be moving to New Marburg, Idaho. What? From glitzy glamorous Los Angeles, their friends, the beach, the library, to a town only a select few have ever heard of, will be a huge adjustment.
Their parents are scientists and will be working at the Tank. It’s all very hush hush.
I love that Willow and Jack are friends as well as siblings. They are opposites, that complement their abilities, which they will need when they enter their new world. The combination of their skills will allow them to overcome the obstacles put in their path. Their teacher seems to have it out for them. What a way to start their new life.
Things and people are not always what they appear to be and first impressions and assumptions can be misleading, as with Mr Eli.
Of course, we have the age old question, just because you can do it, should you?
I love that Willow and Jack are Grimmwalkers. I have been watching Grimm on TV and it allowed me to let Michaelbrent Collings stretch my imagination and travel to Grimmworld with him and the kids. We have monsters of every persuasion, fairies and witches and more.
“The Brothers Grimm weren’t ‘fairy tale guys.’ They were Grimmwalkers like me…People who see the truth…”
You will never look at mushrooms the same way.
Instead of a chip on her shoulder, Willow has a cricket. LOL
I love a book that allows me to let my imagination run wild and be there in the moment. I love to let an author take me wherever they want me to go, see what they want me to see and Michaelbrent Collings has that ability. I loved being in his magical world as he brought it and the characters to life with his mad writing skills. The impossible becomes possible in The Witch in the Woods of Grimmworld.
The first adventure into Grimmworld, The Witch In The Woods by Michaelbrent Collings, may be over, but Willow and Jack have a new reason to return…….
At the end of the book is a Reading Guide and Discussion Questions.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Twins Willow and Jake Grimm are not prepared for the bizarre gadgets and scary changes in their new home of New Marburg, the location of the top-secret Think Tank where their parents now have jobs as scientists. In this town, people jetpack to work, robots direct traffic, and senior citizens duel with laser swords.
Yet nothing compares to what happens the day after lightning strikes the twins’ house. Their school building transforms around them, becoming a medieval castle—complete with moat, drawbridge, and a dangerous giant who looks strangely like the school’s overly aggressive hall monitor.
Barely managing to escape before a massive beanstalk lifts the castle above the clouds, Willow and Jake learn that their ancestors, the original Brothers Grimm, were more than storytellers. They were Grimmwalkers, able to travel from our universe to the universe where all fairy tales dare born.
Somehow, Willow and Jake have been transported to Grimmworld as well. But before the twins can figure out how to get back to their own universe, they discover that their best friends, Hank and Pearl, have morphed into the fairy tale characters Hansel and Gretel and been captured by a candy-obsessed witch deep in the Cursed Forest.
Now, aided by a mysterious wizard with shimmering golden eyes and a befuddled, talking naked mole-rat named Chet, the twins must trust in each other, believe in themselves, and find the courage to face their darkest fears in order to save their friends, return to their family, and maybe—just maybe—save the world.
Published: March 6, 2024 by Shadow Mountain Publishing
ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of the top indie horror writers in the United States.
He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.
Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.
Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC… and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.
In this companion short-story to Matt Archer: Monster Hunter, fifteen-year-old Matt Archer finds himself in the Australian Outback on the trail of his latest targets…and hunting hyper-intelligent, mutated Dingoes is not his idea of a great summer vacation.
Making things more complicated, Matt’s Uncle Mike–aka Major Tannen–is his C.O. for this mission. To Matt’s consternation, the major’s new fiancée, Captain Julie Hunter, is also along for the trip.
When Captain Hunter disappears during a routine scouting trip, it’s up to Matt to help his uncle find her before it’s too late.
Goodreads Ratings: 4.10 249 ratings19 reviews
I added Matt Archer: Monster Summer 3.14.13, but had grabbed a copy on 1.30.13. I’m not sure what made me grab a copy, but I do like the cover, love the paranormal, and it will be a quick read, at 41 pages.
I don’t read a lot of fairy tale retellings, but when one comes my way by an author I enjoy, bring it on. That is the case with Only Until Midnight by Michael B Chikondi. It’s always fun to see what kind of spin an author can put on an oft told tale and Michael did a great job.
The mice running around the house added a fun touch.
There is not a lot to say on a subject that has been written about so much, but Michael added this and that, making the story his own. The Prince…that was nice touch, even though I had immediately caught the twist.
A quick, fun story that is sure to entertain, and it left me with a smile on my face.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
There are battles in this world which most people never see.
Sometimes the need to preserve our spirit, hope and dignity is the trial that we face, and love just the prize. This is one such tale.
Retelling the classic fairytale, this story focuses not on the quest to win the handsome prince, but on Cinderella before the ball, and the reality of life with a narcissist – the stepmother in whose ‘care’ the young girl is left after she becomes an orphan.
How does a person maintain their optimism and their sense of self in a hopeless situation that they cannot control, when even other people living in the house cannot see what is going on right under their noses? Some conflicts are fought over many years, lost and won without anyone knowing that a war was happening at all.
Only Until Midnight is at once a return to the traditional values of the fairytale and an unflinching look at the reality behind it, making the magical princess more relatable than ever as a woman in an impossible situation.
Genre: Fairy Tales and Folklore, Fantasy, Fiction, Romance
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2024
ABOUT MICHAEL B CHIKONDI (from Amazon)
Michael B. Chikondi is not to be trusted, but the creature agrees to a meeting in its burrow. We enter with trepidation, given that the thing has no doorbell. As we crawl through the narrow tunnel, gored out by its own teeth, by the texture, we hear what can only be described as a hacking cough.
“Can we approach?” we call.
“No soliciting.” the voice returns.
“You sent for us; you told us to ask you questions. You know, for promotional reasons.”
“Ask.” the dread voice responds.
“Alright, who are you?” we try.
“A creature of mist and shadow, half-mad, I used to go out, I did, and know those…humans. Not now, not since…the pen.”
“You found a pen? That’s why you became a writer?” we ask, now terrified, trying to gauge how fast we can leave the burrow. The photographer has already left us, chewing off his own watch, caught on a tree root.
“Yes, but now…I hunger…”
We are not proud; we turn tail and flee, before it can leave its den. We aren’t paid enough to get a full bio. We can only pray someone buys its books, so that the thing never comes out on its own.
Ed. What the hell is this? This isn’t what we requested. Just some nonsense and an artist’s rendition of what one of my people saw before he contracted rabies? Eh, whatever. Plenty more writers in the sea.
Most Eligible Killer Daria White Publication date: June 4th 2024 Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Mystery
Love, lies, and a lethal reunion.
In the heart of Edenville, Texas, Bianca Wallace’s life is blooming—her business is thriving and her romance with Detective Lamar Sims is heating up. But when her high school crush, Eddie Talbert, becomes the prime suspect in a murder case at her mother’s matchmaking event inspired by ‘The Bachelor,’ her world spirals into chaos.
Reluctantly drawn back into Eddie’s life, Bianca must sift through past feelings and present dangers, as Lamar races to solve the crime. Torn between her blossoming love and a past flame, Bianca’s loyalties are tested—does she trust her heart or the evidence stacking up against Eddie?
As secrets surface, Bianca realizes she might be closer to the killer than she ever imagined. Will her quest for truth be her last?
Dive into Most Eligible Killer to discover if Bianca’s pursuit of justice will salvage her future or sever her deepest ties forever.
Daria has lived in Texas for most of her life. She never liked reading as a kid. In fact, she almost hated it. However, as she grew up that all changed. Though she received her degree in healthcare management, Daria kept her writing as a hobby. She meant it to be private and her own way of expressing herself. It never crossed her mind to publish until she was in college. So, she took a chance and self published. It worked! Starting off as a sweet romance writer first, Daria branched out in 2020 with books in cozy mystery and Christian fiction. She even has nonfiction titles in the works, reflecting her Christian faith and work in ministry.
I really mean it nowadays too. Life has a way of taking us on journeys that we didn’t want and maybe didn’t even need. but those journeys make up the essence of who we are. I, for one, will always look back and remember those fragments of time. Those pieces of memory.
The quote was at the end of the book, but I thought it was so pertinent to life, that I had to share it in the beginning.
Richie Sterling comes from a broken home. He felt he was on the outside, looking in, until…
A group of boys, in a Trailer Park, become fast friends and discover that life is not always as it appears to be. Richie, Jose, Roberto and Frankie are on the adventure of a lifetime.
The rumor is, the old man next door is a vampire. Of course, curious kids are intrigued and their imaginations run wild. Jose begins to act differently and the kids are on the case. They never could have anticipated what they would discover. I feel I should have known what Mr Rosen was all about, but I never stopped reading long enough to figure it out. A bit of a rhyme there. Maybe I could be a rapper too. :-).
When Richie’s dad comes clean and starts rapping, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Trailer Park by C D Kester is perfect for teen and young adult vampire lovers. A light, yet gruesome adventure sure to peak their imagination.
C D Kester’s writing is amazing. He can write some of the most in depth, gruesome horror for adults, and some of the most fun and adventurous mystery horror for teens. We have a great ending that is not all unicorns and rainbows. Trailer Park was a quick read but chock full or horror goodness and I couldn’t put it down. I thought of two ratings, a four for adults and a five for teens and young adults, so a five it is and I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Sometimes blood isn’t family, and family isn’t blood.The boys at Los Hermanos Trailer Park are no strangers to a good urban legend. The legends and reality collide when they begin to notice strange activity with Val Rosen in the trailer down the street. As times grow harder Richie, Jose, Frankie, and Roberto are getting sucked into some things that they probably shouldn’t. Sometimes that’s the way that it goes when you’re passing the time with your brothers in the trailer park.
ABOUT C D KESTER
C. D. Kester is an author of fiction who does most of his work in the horror genre. He lives in Kingwood, Texas with his wife and two children. Kester recently published his first full length novel, Chasing Demons. His first self-published work is a novella titled The Bunker. He has also had many stories published in anthologies, ezines, and read in podcasts and YouTube videos.
Riot by L. L. Ash & Pax Sinclair (Hard Rock Girls Series, #1) Publication date: May 12th 2024 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:
“He saved me in that group home when everything I’d ever loved was stripped away. He saved me with his smile, his kindness, and his guitar.”
Tayler
I’m the leftovers that nobody wanted; a casualty of the foster system. Now that I’m 18, I have nowhere to go. No job, no home, but I have my bestie Haze by my side, and together we’re going to make it. I love music. Yeah, everybody says that, but I know I have what it takes. We’re going to find a way to reach the top. Kind of like Dakota, the front man for Kings of Ash, except not as a-hole-ish and muscley as him. Ugh, the muscles. We were in foster care together, me, Dakota, and Haze. That’s where I fell in love with him. But, he was older than me and got kicked out of the group home when I was only fifteen. The guy ripped my effing heart out as he walked out that door. It’s a shame, really. He’s the only person in the world who ever really understood my love and need for music. He saved me in that group home when everything I’d ever loved was stripped away. He saved me with his smile, his kindness, and with his guitar. Since then, Dakota has changed and hardened in more ways than one. I’ve been trying my best to avoid him, but our paths have crossed and now he’s back, famous and hotter than ever.
Dakota
I gaze at Tayler for the last time while my mind repeats the same mantra: she’s your foster sister, you can’t be in love with her. But every part of me screams otherwise as I walk out of that group home. Aging out of the foster system at 18, I left behind a 15-year-old girl who knew I couldn’t stay. It broke her heart, but it’s better to be hated than to be in jail for loving her. Letting go of her was the toughest thing I’ve ever done, but I had to chase my music and put her behind me. Plenty of women came and went in my life, but none could fill the void that she left behind. It was always the music that drove me forward, pushing me to become a part of the punk Seattle music scene as the front man for Kings of Ash. Just when I thought I had moved on from Tayler for good, she blows back into my life–smoking hot and determined to make her mark. Even though she despises me for abandoning her all those years ago, I can’t help but admit to myself that I still want her. No, I don’t just want. I need.
L.L. Ash is a Washington-born writer who has traveled and lived across the western coast of the US. Ash has been writing fiction since she was a pre-teen, and while her writing has improved since then, her love for literature has not changed.
Oftentimes you can find Ash reading an indie romance or enjoying a historical fiction. Dabbling in culinary arts and music, Ash has been an artist for decades but found her true love and passion in romances.
Keeping Janie is the sequel to Call Her Janie by S R Fabrico. It takes place in Southport, North Carolina. Lizzie Levine has just been reunited with her daughter, Janie. Her relationship with Gray Stone is riddled with problems. Will they get married or are their problems insurmountable? I’m not telling.
The past tends to follow you everywhere you go, and that is no different for Lizzie. I swing back and forth on whether she will end up with Gray, or if her ex husband can lure her away, claiming he is a different guy than he used to be. The danger lurking in the background has me on edge, so I hope they are staying alert.
I never saw the ending coming and I love when an author can surprise me. I was shocked, not sure how to feel. I had to think about it for a while.
Keeping Janie is filled with danger, mystery, love, secrets, lies, deception, and so much more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Keeping Janie by S R Fabrico.
4 Stars
BLURB
Embark on an exhilarating journey with Lizzie Levine, the beloved character from the award-winning novel Call Her Janie. In this riveting sequel by S.R. Fabrico, set against the picturesque backdrop of Southport, North Carolina, the stakes soar, twists abound, and the drama intensifies.
Reuniting with her daughter, Janie, should be the start of Lizzie’s picture-perfect life. Behind the scenes, however, is a different matter. The happiness of having her daughter back is overshadowed by the fear and distrust of her ex-boyfriend, billionaire Gray Stone.
Amidst the tapestry of wedding preparations, the custody fight looms. The story unfolds in a battleground of secrets, lies, and deception. In this gripping narrative, love and lies entwine, danger lurks in the shadows, and the courage to confront one’s past becomes paramount. Can Lizzie gain custody of her daughter, marry the man she loves, and have her happily-ever-after, or will the mistakes of their past destroy them all?
S.R. Fabrico is a 16-time award-winning author. Her debut novel The Secrets We Conceal was published in March 2022. She has also written a series of sports journals for athletes, including the Amazon best-selling My Dance Journal.
A 25-plus-year professional in the business, marketing, and sports world has taken her to numerous places throughout the course of her life and provided countless life experiences. She is a World Champion Dance Coach, coach of the year recipient, and speaker and various conferences across the United States.
S.R. Fabrico works and writes from her home in Knoxville, TN, where she lives with her husband and two children. She appreciates the beauty of the mountains, but her favorite place to visit is the beach. She is a lifelong math nerd and enjoys good puns. When she isn’t writing, she likes to read books, wife hard, and mom hard.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hi Everyone and Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. It’s a beautiful day. I am back from taking two and half months off of blogging. I didn’t even pick up a book to read for 70 days. I went into the Emergency Room in early February and didn’t get out until the 16th of April. It was days of Hell. At times I was wondering if I was going to make it. One step forward and three steps back totally wore me out. I lost weight and am having trouble putting it back on. I may go in depth and share some pics later, but for now….
Have a wonderful week.
COMING UP ON fundinmental
Review – Keeping Janie by S R Fabrico
$25 Gift Card – Hard Rock Girls: Riot by L L Ash
Books From The Backlog – Matt Archer: Monster Summer by Kendra C HIghley
Review – Grimmworld: The Witch In The Woods by MIchaelbrent Collings
