Cozy Giveaway & Review- The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow @Frankie_Bow

Posted on August 27, 2016 by fundinmental

The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow has a pretty nifty cover and I love anything to do with the tropics. Sooooo…let’s take a trip to Hawaii.

Grab your bathing suit, sun tan lotion and flip flops and let’s begin our adventure.

The Black Thumb (Professor Molly Mysteries) (Volume 3)
Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: Hawaiian Heritage Press (April 18, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-1943476183
MY REVIEW

The cover for The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow has all the elements necessary to make me grab this cozy mystery for a read. I love the tropics and Hawaii. I am not the best gardener, though I do give it my all, so I was curious about the title. Great job with both, Frankie.

If you like character driven stories, The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow fits the bill. No matter how Molly feels about it, she cannot pass on solving the mystery. Her friends…and enemies…will be by her side.

There is a lot going on and a whole lot of people. I feel a bit scattered, but I want to know about the house, so I will read on. I demand a high level of of suspense in my mysteries, and cozies don’t really fit the bill, but there is just something about them that I can’t pass up. Over and over again, I am grabbing them for some light reading.

The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow is not my first cozy mystery by her and I doubt it will be my last.

I received a copy of The Black Thumb from Frankie Bow in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

Synopsis

.

When a violent death disrupts the monthly meeting of the Pua Kala Garden society, Professor Molly Barda has no intention of playing amateur detective. But Molly’s not just a witness-the victim is Molly’s house guest and grad-school frenemy. And Molly quickly finds to her dismay that her interest in the murder of the stylish and self-centered Melanie Polewski is more than just…academic.

About The Author

Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining.

In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.

Author Links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon – B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants

August 18 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

August 19 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

August 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

August 21 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 22 – FictionZeal.com – SPOTLIGHT with Excerpt

August 22 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – CHARACTER INTERVIEW/SPOTLIGHT

August 23 – CelticLadyReviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

August 25 – Lori’s Reading Corner – GUEST POST

August 26 – Jane Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST

August 27 – fundinmental – REVIEW

August 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

August 27 – Reading Authors – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – INTERVIEW

August 29 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW

August 30 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

August 30 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

August 31 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

August 31 – Ashleyz Wonderland` – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
To see all my reviews, go 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’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Save

One Sentence Review – Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer Seeley @katedyerseeley

Posted on August 20, 2016 by fundinmental

Kate Dyer Seeley is known for her Pacific Northwest cozy mysteries, which Scene of the Climb is the first. They are fun and easy reads that will stand alone.

So, put on your climbing gear and let’s get started.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Meg is afraid of heights and many outdoorsy things, but she is like a dog with a bone and sifts through the list of suspects that kept me guessing and kept the mystery alive in this fun cozy.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Portland, Oregon, is the perfect fit for someone like Meg Reed. It’s a city with a small town feel, where she can crash on the couch of her best friend Jill, now that she’s graduated from journalism school. . .

But a girl needs a job, so Meg bluffs her way into writing for Northwest Extreme magazine, passing herself off to editor-in-chief Greg Dixon as an outdoor adventure enthusiast. Never mind that Meg’s idea of sport is climbing onto the couch without spilling her latte. So when she finds herself clawing to the top of Angel’s Rest–a two-thousand-foot peak–to cover the latest challenge in a reality TV adventure show, she can’t imagine feeling more terrified. Until she witnesses a body plummet off the side of the cliff. Now Meg has a murder to investigate. And if the climbing doesn’t kill her, a murderer just might. . .

Includes Adventure Guides!

You may 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’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

I have also read and reviewed Silenced in the Surf by Kate Dyer Seeley. You can see it HERE.

Giveaway & Review – Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan @cshogan276 @dollycas

Posted on July 27, 2016 by fundinmental

Homicide in the House
by Colleen J. Shogun

Homicide in the House
(Washington Whodunit)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Camel Press (June 15, 2016)
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1603813334
MY REVIEW

I love the cool cover created by Sabrina Sun for Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan.

Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan has so many elements that relate to our current political climate, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Government shutdown. Political machinations. All decisions are compromised. Give to get. It’s not selling out your soul when you bend…not break. Representatives park themselves and build a kingdom. I could get on a rant, but let’s talk about the book.

Even though Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan is the second book in the Washington Wodunit series, I don’t feel my reading suffered from not having read Stabbing in the Senate first, where Kit was accused of murdering her boss. Will dead bodies follow her through Capitol Hill?

Right off, I like Representative Maeve Dixon and Kit, her right hand. When Maeve is suspected of murder, it is time for Kit to put her thinking cap on and begin her own investigation. Colleen kept me guessing who amongst the suspects was the guilty party.

Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan meets all the requirements for a cozy mystery: an amateur sleuth and her trusty friends. Some lovable and not so lovable characters along with a critter and easy reading and I would vote yes to adding this to your reading list.

I received a copy of Homicide in the House by Colleen J Shogan in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

Synopsis:

Kit Marshall has bounced back from her first brush with the law, when she was suspected of murdering her senator boss. Now she is working for a freshman congresswoman, Maeve Dixon, a young Gulf War veteran representing North Carolina. It’s February, and Kit is feeling out of sorts. A government shutdown has just been announced, wreaking havoc on the Hill, and Dan, Dixon’s chief of staff and Kit’s supervisor, is an inexperienced lightweight flying blind. Then there’s Kit’s distracted live-in boyfriend, Doug, who doesn’t seem any closer to popping the question. Kit’s best friend Meg is up to her eyeballs with her new beau and oversight committee job, and Clarence the beagle mix will certainly not win Capitol Canine if Meg has to campaign for him all by herself. Bad as things are now, they are about to get much worse.

Early one morning Representative Dixon is caught standing over the corpse of Jack Drysdale, the Speaker of the House’s top staffer, a man she argued with in front of the press the day before. The murder weapon was the Speaker’s gavel. This item was entrusted to Dixon at the time, leading the police to believe they’ve found their killer. To save her job, Kit must clear her boss’s name, and quickly. Dixon’s career may be over if the police declare her a suspect or an anonymous blogger known as Hill Rat breaks the story. Solving this murder will test Kit’s courage and all her fledgling powers of deduction as she roams a spooky, sparsely populated Capitol Hill looking for clues and sounding out suspects.

About The Author

Colleen J. Shogan is a senior executive at the Library of Congress. She is the former deputy director of the Congressional Research Service and previously served as a staffer in the United States Senate. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American government at Georgetown University, Penn, and George Mason. Colleen is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her BA from Boston College and her doctorate from Yale. A member of Sisters in Crime, she lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Rob Raffety and their rescue mutt, Conan. Her first book, Stabbing in the Senate, won the Next Generation Indie Award for Best Mystery in 2016.

Author Links: Webpage / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads

Purchase Links: Amazon – B&N

Tour Participants

July 25 – Back Porchervations – Review

July 25 – Babs Book Bistro – Spotlight

July 26 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – Review

July 26 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – Interview

July 27 – fundinmental – Review

July 28 – Sleuth Cafe – Guest Post

July 28 – T’s Stuff – Spotlight

July 29 – Teresa Trent Author Site – Review

July 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – Guest Post

July 30 – Brooke Blogs – Review, Character Interview

July 31 – Lisa Ks Book Review – Review, Interview

August 1 – Bookjunkie’s Book Blog – Review

August 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview

August 3 – Queen of All She Reads – Review

August 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Save

#SciFi #Fantasy Review – The Days of Tao – Wesley Chu @wes_chu

Posted on July 18, 2016 by fundinmental

The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu took me into a science fiction fantasy world where the voice in Cameron’s head was very real.

So…let’s enter his mind and see where it takes us.

Cover: Galen Dara

Publisher: Subterranean Press

MY REVIEW

I won The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu in the black and white scifi/fantasy/horror novella surprise giveaway at Little Red Reviewer. Thank you Andrea for some fun reading.

The Days of Tao is a science fiction novella that reminds me of The Host by Stephanie Meyer and the TV show Person of Interest.

Cameron is a college student and an agent of Prophus. He gets caught up in a war between Prophus and Genjix and is given the task of extracting Nazar who has vital information. He struggles to make the right decisions and save his college friends at the same time. He is courageous, though naive and learns some valuable lessons.

The Days of Tao is a coming of age story and Wesley Chu’s writing brings Cameron to life within the pages. The action is fast paced and the adventure makes the characters shine, some of them surprising me by their actions. I am still not sure of who the traitor was, but I see why Cameron he made the difficult choice he did. We have to live with the decisions we make and so does Cameron. After all…no one can ask us to do more than our best.

3 Stars

Add me to Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB: Cameron Tan wouldn’t have even been in Greece if he hadn’t gotten a ‘D’ in Art History.

Instead of spending the summer after college completing his training as a Prophus operative, he’s doing a study abroad program in Greece, enjoying a normal life – spending time with friends and getting teased about his crush on a classmate.

Then the emergency notification comes in: a Prophus agent with vital information needs immediate extraction, and Cameron is the only agent on the ground, responsible for getting the other agent and data out of the country. The Prophus are relying on him to uncomplicate things.

Easy.

Easy, except the rival Genjix have declared all-out war against the Prophus, which means Greece is about to be a very dangerous place. And the agent isn’t the only person relying on Cameron to get them safely out of the country – his friends from the study abroad program are, too. Cameron knows a good agent would leave them to fend for themselves. He also knows a good person wouldn’t. Suddenly, things aren’t easy at all.

The Days of Tao is the latest in the popular Tao series from award-winning author, Wesley Chu. Following after The Rebirths of Tao, this novella carries on the fast-moving and fun tone of the series.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments, I’ll drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Save

Giveaway & Review – Darkroom by Mary Maddox @Dreambeast7

Posted on May 4, 2016 by fundinmental

Welcome to another exciting tour with Novel Publicity. Today I’d like to share with you my thoughts on the newest novel from Mary Maddox, and don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter! It has some unique and super fun prizes including a photo essay book, gift card and signed books! There’s also a release week sale on, so grab your copy of Darkroom before the price goes up!

Grab your copy of Darkroom for only 99c!

Enter for a chance to win great prizes below!

MY REVIEW

I saw the title, Darkroom, for Mary Maddock’s novel and when I read the blurb I knew I wanted to read it. I am a photographer and love to read about characters who share my interest.

What is so important about a photograph that someone would kidnap torture and murder for it?

Kelly is a good friend and feels the police are not taking Day’s disappearance seriously. She takes it upon herself to solve the mystery. I don’t think she realizes how much danger she is in, but I, the reader, do. 🙂

Animal…poor Animal…Not the smartest kid on the block. Picture him as the muscle, drawn into something over his head, but he’s in so deep he must see it through. He’s not the main character, but I love a ‘tragic’ figure and want so much for him to make it through. Can he be redeemed? Mary Maddox is not afraid to kill off her characters, so be careful who you get attached to.

Drugs, wealth and greed rear their ugly head. I resent those who feel they are untouchable, that the rules don’t apply to them and I love to see them fall. On the other hand, I get frustrated with stupid characters doing stupid things, but it allows the story to go where it will.

The story was predictable, but the writing created a suspenseful feeling that gave me a sense of impending doom.

I received a copy of Darkroom by Mary Maddox in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

About the Books

There’s plenty of room for another grave in the mountains . . .

Talented but unstable photographer Day Randall has been living rent-free in Kelly Durrell’s Colorado condo for eight months. Day needs someone to keep an eye on her. Kelly needs someone to draw her out of her stable but not spectacular life. The arrangement works for both of them.

Then Kelly comes home one day to find Day gone. There’s no note, no phone call. Day’s car is still parked out front, but her room is starkly, suspiciously spotless.

No one seems to care. The police certainly aren’t interested in a missing bipolar artist, but Kelly knows something is wrong. Day wouldn’t just leave.

Alone, Kelly traces Day’s last steps through shadowy back rooms of Boulder nightclubs and to a remote mountain estate, where the wealthy protect themselves behind electric fences and armed guards. Along the way, she uncovers a sinister underworld lying just below the mountain snow, and a group of powerful people who will do anything to protect the secrets hidden in Day’s enigmatic photographs.

If she trusts the wrong person, Kelly herself will be the next to disappear.

“. . . tight, compelling, and convincing writing that is also witty and insightful.”
— Jon A. Jackson, author of Hit on the House and No Man’s Dog

“I couldn’t put this novel down. Darkroom is suspenseful and beautifully written. Kelly Durrell is a deftly-drawn, intelligent, and likable heroine.”
— Daiva Markelis, author of White Field, Black Sheep: A Lithuanian-American Life

“. . . unexpected plot twists and suspenseful action. The murder mystery is dark and menacing, and the characters are multi-faceted.”
— RT Source

ABOUT MARY MADDOX

Mary Maddox is a horror and dark fantasy novelist with what The Charleston Times-Courier calls a “Ray Bradbury-like gift for deft, deep-shadowed description.” Born in Soldiers Summit, high in the mountains of Utah, Maddox graduated with honors in creative writing from Knox College, and went on to earn an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She taught writing at Eastern Illinois University and has published stories in various journals, including Yellow Silk, Farmer’s Market, The Scream Online, and The Huffington Post. The Illinois Arts Council has honored her fiction with a Literary Award and an Artist’s Grant.

Connect with Mary on her website, Facebook, or Twitter

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review & Giveaway – The Ebola Game by Glenn Shepard

Posted on April 14, 2016 by fundinmental

The Ebola Game

by Glenn Shepard

on Tour April 2016

MY REVIEW

This is the third book in the Dr Scott James Thriller series. I have not read the first book in the series, but if you are just starting out, I would recommend beginning the series with Book I, The Missile Game.

I have been following Dr Scott James journey through hell and the action never stops in this horrific tale of zombies, terrorists, kidnapping and plague.

I am familiar with the characters and wonder what Glenn Shepard will do to them in The Ebola Game, which starts out with a bang…I mean a huge explosion at the hospital where Dr Scott James works. The bomb brought more than an explosion, it brought the Ebola virus. At the same time, a threat is delivered to Elizabeth at their home.

I found myself confused at times. I would have loved the story to be fleshed out. I think I needed more to fill in some of the blanks and add to the suspense.

I love James and Elizabeth, and especially JakJak. They all go above and beyond the doctor’s oath, putting their lives on the line to save the world. I love the twisted ending that leaves the story wide open for the next book.

I received a copy of The Ebola Game by Glenn Shepard in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

ISIS terrorists are trying to start an Ebola epidemic in America.

Only Scott James is immune.

“The Ebola Game just keeps coming at you and at you. Incredible.” -John Haslett

A BOMB

A bomb explodes at a local hospital.

A DOCTOR

Dr. Scott James must race through twists and turns to find a cure for a deadly biological weapon.

A PATHOGEN

A quarantined group of people await Dr. James’ help.

SANFIA, VODOUN BOKOR

Sanfia is the most powerful Vodoun priestess in Haiti. She may have the cure.

ELIZABETH, THE WILDCARD

Beautiful Elizabeth is one of the most notorious freelance operatives in the world. Scott James will need her unique genius to stop the epidemic.

“Scott, a biological weapon just exploded on your doorstep. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Medical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Published by: Mystery House

Publication Date: Jan 2016

Number of Pages: 205

ISBN: 0997134917 (ISBN-13: 978-0997134919)

Series: The Dr. Scott James Thriller Series, 3rd (Each is a Stand Alone Novel)

Purchase Links:

Read an excerpt:

Conference Room
Hospital Administrator’s Offices
9:30 a.m.

Dr. Reed called and said that he wanted to update hospital leaders on his team’s findings and give further instructions. I called the operator and had her contact the Executive Committee, a governing body comprised of the department heads, committee chairmen, and all the assistant hospital administrators quarantined in the hospital. The group assembled within fifteen minutes. The two from the CDC were the only ones in the room in hazmat suits and helmets.

Dr. Reed gave his report: “Ebola virus was definitively diagnosed by electron microscopy.”

Everyone groaned, even though they knew before this report came in that it was Ebola. Then, he gave what he called the “good news.” The vast majority of the patients who had been in the hospital at the time of the explosion, as well as most of the doctors, nurses, and people in maintenance and facilities, were not exposed and could be released from quarantine to return to their homes. I began to applaud and the other members of the executive committee followed.

Reed was resuming his talk when my telephone rang. I looked to see that the caller was the Mayor’s Office. I answered in a quiet voice, “Dr. James.”

It was Mayor LaShaun Washington. “I know you are in a meeting with Dr. Reed and your staff. I’m going to call back in a minute on Skype so I can teleconference with your entire group.”

I paused for a moment to comprehend his demand, and hung up. I opened Skype on my computer. The large screen at the end of conference room went from black to a picture of Mayor Washington and a group of people sitting at a conference table.

The Mayor spoke: “Dr. James, you will recognize everyone in my panel, the Jackson City City Council, and of course the City Attorney, Ms. Marks.

“Dr. James. This conference is called into emergency session. Now, let’s get right to the point: Dr. James, did you receive a message from a terrorist group that mentioned ‘Ebola?’”

“What?”

“Dr. James: Did you, or did you not, receive a message from a known terrorist organization in the last twenty-four hours? The Jackson City Police have the article in their possession. You are a terrorist. You affiliate with terrorists, you’ve been the center of multiple attacks, and why the FBI has allowed you to carry on, purely in the interest of having another informant—”

“I am not a terrorist, sir!”

“Dr. James—you are out of order here. This is an emergency meeting. Let’s get to the second point, of which this body has just been informed: You are immune to Ebola. Is that correct?”

“What?”

Reed stepped forward and said through his mask, “We have not informed Dr. James of that yet. We just got the results. Frankly I’m a little shocked that you know.”

“I assure you Dr. Reed, this body will be involved in every aspect of this ongoing tragedy. Dr. James, we find it all just a little too convenient that the epidemic you have created here in the United States is something that you also just happen to be immune to—”

“I didn’t create anything!” I screamed. “What are you talking about! It’s Omar Farok! He’s doing all this!”

“Dr. James! That’s enough! That is enough! That is enough! Now … The FBI will be taking you into custody shortly. We are cooperating thoroughly in their investigation. This body is going to make sure that the federal authorities do the right thing and indict you for conspiracy. You are directly responsible for a number of terrorist attacks and your connection with certain cults is well known. The City Council has passed a binding resolution that relieves you of your position at The Jackson City Hospital. Permanently. We are also considering civil action against you and your group.”

“Why don’t you just banish me from the city! You’re a dictator, right?”

“Dr. James.”

“Just throw me out of my own home! You are a dictator, right?”

“Dr. James. That’s enough.”

I turned and looked at the scornful stares of my hospital staff. Many of these doctors had been my friends for many years. I had grown up with so many of them. But no one spoke a word in my defense.

Author Bio:

Glenn Shepard’s first novel, Surge, was written while he was still a surgical resident at Vanderbilt. In the following years he wrote The Hart Virus, a one-thousand-page epic about the AIDS crisis, as well as three other novels. In 2012, he created “Dr. Scott James,” his Fugitive-like action-hero, and began publishing a series. The first volume of the Dr. Scott James series was The Missile Game, followed shortly afterward by The Zombie Game. The third of the series, The Ebola Game, is due out in December, 2015. Though the books contain many of the same characters, they don’t have to be read in order. Each can be read as a stand-alone.

Learn More About Glenn:

Tour Participants:

Don’t Miss Your Chance To Win The Ebola Game:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Glenn Shepard. There will be 2 US winners of one (1) eBook copy of The Ebola Game by Glenn Shepard. The giveaway begins on April 1st and runs through April 30th, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Hidden Chamber of Death Giveaway @iReadBookTours

Posted on March 11, 2016 by fundinmental

Hidden Chamber of Death by Hawk MacKinney is Book I of the Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. I love murder, mystery and suspense, so let’s see if we can solve this one.

I love to learn more about authors than what is listed in their bio and Hawk MacKinney is here today to share some of his thoughts. Welcome, Hawk.

What is your next project?

The Cairnes of Sainctuarie Series sci-fi… Volume 3

The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series…Book 2/Book 3

The 3 manuscripts are in edit. Try to keep 3-5 manuscripts going at the same time. Lets me edit one while the others are on the shelf.

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

Funny in hindsight…at the time definitely NOT…early-teens…where one knows all the answers before learning one doesn’t even know the questions. Title this Halters and Bits. We raised horses and mules, mainly Quarter Horses…for rounding up/herding cows, calves, colts, heifers/heffers, & assorted yearlings. It was fall, corn cribbed; hay baled; fields ploughed & harrowed…which proved a good thing. My job…corral those brought from the pastures…among our colts—one young colt-stallion. Bareback was an okay-ride…NOT with the gaps down, a rope halter, no bit, and fence gates to the feed stalls wide open. It was plowed cornfield; the stallion decided he wanted me OFF; top of his stall would strike me right about my waist. He went to a full-out gallop. I bailed. Spit dirt clods, corn & corn shucks for a good 10 minutes. Never rode that sucker again without a bridle and spurs.

What is (your) writing schedule?

Up early before the crack of doom, 4-4:30a. Break for lunch, 3-4 hrs afternoon, another break, a couple of hrs. Turn in by 9:30-10p and loose my fantasies to resolve any conundrum dropped into the plot, or have a character I like do the unexpected. ALWAYS keep a note pad by my nightlight

What do you do for fun when not writing?

Read historical non-fiction or the latest quantum revelations out of CERN…there’s some outstanding quantum physics writers that have a gift few ‘scientist-researchers’ possess…their writing is understood by the person in the street.

Have you a favorite actor?

Ingrid Bergman, Katherine Hepburn, Ava Gardner…I’m dating myself, but these actresses don’t need paparazzi or media blitz of so-called stars. They let their craft speak for them…most certainly not available to cast as the young widow of a SEAL

Critters do have a mind of their own and sometimes let us know it. LOL Glad you made it through in one piece. Quantum physics? You lost me, but to know there are scientists out there wanting to reach a lay person, like me, and telling it in words that even I can understand is a great thing. Thanks so much, Hawk, for sharing bits of yourself. 🙂

Be sure and enter the great giveaway at the end of the post.

MY REVIEW

Don’t let the cover for Hidden Chamber of Death by Hawk MacKinney fool you. This story is darker than you think.

A death brings ex-Navy seal, Craige Ingram, and Terri, a recent widow and bank examiner, together. Embezzlement puts Terri smack dab into the middle of danger. Craige will come to the rescue, which is what I expect from a hero. 🙂 Craige is a great guy. He takes you as you are, no bigotry, no judgments.

A grizzly murder and a psycho serial killer always catch my attention. I find out early who the killer is but there is more going on than murder. A death starts an inquiry into the bank records that someone desperately wants to keep quiet.

A bit of romance, a psycho serial killer, greed, embezzlement…it’s all good to me.

I’m not sure what it was about the writing, but it seemed a bit slow and I stumbled off and on…BUT, the ending makes it all worth it, so read on. I will be looking for the next adventure into the Vault of Secrets.

3 STARS

I received a copy of Hidden Chamber of Death by Hawk MacKinney in return for an honest review.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Hidden Chamber of Death is a compelling tale of intrigue, murder, deception and suspense that leads retired Navy SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram in search of the connection between seemingly random murders and a banking conspiracy.

Working with the local homicide investigator, who just happens to be a former Navy buddy, Craige Ingram’s attempts to protect a lonely widow and solve the case before another person dies are only thwarted by a psychotic killer whose motivation is based on pure depraved pleasure. In this first book of the MOCCASIN HOLLOW MYSTERY SERIES, the instincts and skills Ingram and his buddy acquired as Navy SEALS are tested to their limits.

Buy the book: Amazon Barnes & Noble

ABOUT HAWK MACKINNEY

Internationally acclaimed author and public speaker, Hawk MacKinney began writing mysteries for his school newspapers. Following graduation, he served in the US Navy for over 20 years. While serving as a Navy Commander, he also had a career as a full-time faculty member at several major state medical facilities. He earned two postgraduate degrees with studies in languages and history. He has taught postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel.

In addition to professional articles and texts on fetal and adult anatomy, Hawk has authored several novels that have received national and international recognition.Moccasin Trace, a historical novel, was nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. This was followed by the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. In a change of direction, October of 2012 saw the release of Hawk’s first science fiction novel, The Bleikovat Event, in The Cairns of Sainctuarie series. Volume II, The Missing Planets, was released in 2014 with Volume III in the works.

Hawk’s latest project focuses on The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. Hidden Chamber of Death is Book 1 in the series.

Connect with the author: Website

GIVEAWAY

Win 1 of 5 ebooks or print copies of Hidden Chamber of Death and a $25 Amazon gift card (International)

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Bette Lee Crosby’s What The Heart Remembers Review

Posted on March 4, 2016 by fundinmental

Bette Lee Crosby’s What The Heart Remembers is Book III in the Memory House Collection. I have been a fan of Bette Lee’s work since I first began reviewing and blogging in 2012 and remain so, eagerly anticipating each new story.

I love the softness of the cover and will happily travel to Paris with Max. I am excited to learn her story.

Cover: Damonza.com

Add me to Goodreads now

MY REVIEW

I was very excited to hear Bette Lee has another book for the Memory House Collection, What The Heart Remembers. The Memory House Collection is like a warm pair of arms on a cold winter’s night and I look forward to snuggling under my comfy blanket and beginning to read. I am very eager to learn Max’s story.

I feel these books can stand alone, and familiar characters occasionally return, popping in and out of the stories. Many have gifts, so it is no surprise they find each other and become close friends.

Ophelia had expected the memories to stay with the house she had given to Annie, but you know what happens with expectations and assumptions. They don’t always turn out the way you plan. Max Martinelli would find out…and so would I.

Max’s story starts when she returns to the States from Paris, but Julienne never showed up as expected. Here we are with expectations again. Do we all do that? Do you? Do you put your life on hold…waiting? Max did. There is only one thing to do…a trip to Paris is in order.

But…you can never go back. Have you ever been to your school reunion or went to visit the house you lived in thirty years ago? Everything changes and life would be pretty boring if it didn’t, don’t you think?

This is one of those times that my expectations might have bushwhacked me. Maybe they were too high, but Max’s story fell a bit flat for me.

Max…what can I say about Max. I first met her in The Loft and she came across as a strong and confident woman, taking nothing from noone, independent and self sufficient. As I read on, to me, she came across as wussy and in denial, unwilling to see the truth. I know her trip to Paris will not turn out like she plans, but Bette always manages to put in a twist or two that keeps me on my toes, a way of spinning the tale to make me feel there is hope and a happy ever after for all of us.

Her books I’ve read have mostly been 5s with a 4 or two thrown in, but I was disappointed with this one. Maybe my expectations were too high. After all, expectations leave us open to disappointment. This is still a worthy book and one you will want to add to your Memory House Collection.

I never fear, there is always the next book…Baby Girl.

I received a copy of What The Heat Remembers by Bette Lee Crosby in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

CAN YOU TRULY TRUST THE MEMORIES OF YOUR HEART?

Max Martinelli spent her junior year of college in Paris, and fell in love. Julien was a wickedly handsome young man who was crazy in love with her, or so she thought. He was a free-spirited artist and she an aspiring architect—impressionable, young, and standing on the brink of womanhood.

That was over three years ago but the memory of him still haunts her. Max’s life is stuck on hold because she can’t stop wondering what would have happened if she had gone back. Was Julien simply part of the magic of Paris? Or was he meant to be her destiny?

After a New Year’s Eve party that ends in disaster and bad dreams, Max decides to find out once and for all. She is going to return to Paris and search for Julien. But will her search bring forever after happiness or a truth so ugly it will change her life forever?

ABOUT BETTE LEE CROSBY

USA Today Bestselling and Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby’s books are “Well-crafted storytelling populated by memorable characters caught up in equally memorable circumstances.” – Midwest Book Review

The Seattle Post Intelligencer says Crosby’s writing is, “A quirky mix of Southern flair, serious thoughts about important things in life and madcap adventures.”

Samantha from Reader’s Favorite raves, “Crosby writes the type of book you can’t stop thinking about long after you put it down.”

“Storytelling is in my blood,” Crosby laughingly admits, “My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write.”

It is the wit and wisdom of that Southern Mama Crosby brings to her works of fiction; the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. She has since gone on to win twenty awards for her work; these include: The Royal Palm Literary Award, the FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal, Reader’s Favorite Award Gold Medal, and the Reviewer’s Choice Award.

Crosby’s published works to date are: Blueberry Hill (2014), Previously Loved Treasures (2014), Jubilee’s Journey (2013), What Matters Most (2013), The Twelfth Child (2012), Life in the Land of IS (2012), Cracks in the Sidewalk (2011), Spare Change (2011). A Cupid inspired romance, Wishing for Wonderful, is scheduled for release in November 2014 and Book Three of The Wyattsville Series, Passing through Perfect, will be be available in January 2015.

MY REVEWS OF BETTE LEE CROSBY’S NOVELS

Esther’s Gift

The Loft

Passing Through Perfect

Memory House

Jubilee’s Journey

Blueberry Hill

What Matters Most

Spare Change

Cupid’s Christmas

Cracks In The Sidewalk

The Twelfth Child

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush

Posted on February 27, 2016 by fundinmental

I am excited to have Rohn Federbush visiting fundinmental today. When I saw the setting for Hastings’ Dead, Michigan, I felt I had to share, seeing Michigan is my home state.

So…let’s get to it.

About the Book

Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush

Amazon
Genre: Mystery / Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Length: 136 Pages

MY REVIEW

Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush takes place in Michigan and the main characters attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor…GO BLUE. I hail from Michigan and root for the Wolverines during football season, so I was happy to spend some time in the small town of Hastings.

The villain is exposed from the very beginning, and boy is he messed up. I can almost feel sorry for him.

David wanted to stay in Hastings and Diane wanted to stretch her wings and fly. Well…

Arancia, nicknamed Range, and Ben, her boyfriend, attend the University of Michigan, but head to Hastings, Arancia’s home, for the Christmas holidays. She missed her small home town and planned to return there after college to teach. Ben wanted the big city life, where a lawyer can make a name for himself.

Problems arise immediately, but Range refuses to acknowledge them. I had a problem with Range. She ignores what her instincts are telling her. Is she just naive? Or is there more to the story?

Her brother, Coco is quite the character and I love his feisty personality. He could understand Ben better than Range, because he felt the same way. Until…

Hastings’ Dead reads like a cozy mystery. If anyone is the hero, it will be Range, but the peripheral characters supply a large part of the entertainment and contribute their problem solving to the story.

There was even a laugh or two and I loved when the brides to be made their grand entrance for the wedding. Very nice touch and it still puts a smile on my face as I write this.

I had some trouble with the writing, especially when dealing with Range. I didn’t like her very much and could not figure out what she was thinking. Was everything tainted by her need to live in Hastings? Well…the end was not what I thought and that is always a good thing and I enjoyed it. I really wanted more depth to the story, but Rohn Federbush threw in a twist or two to keep the story lively. If you like a quick read, murders to solve, and some romance, Hastings’ Dead could be for you.

“Since when is love a bad thing.”

“When demands snuff out freedom.”

I received a copy of Hastings’ Dead by Rohn Federbush in return for an honest review.

3 STARS

SYNOPSIS

What’s a guy to do when people don’t see things his way?

“Hastings’ Dead” is set in a small Michigan town, where a University of Michigan student, Range Goloso, has promised her father she’ll return to teach grade school.

In college Range falls in love with Ben Adler, a New York based law student who can’t very well start a lucrative practice without a substantial client base. She defends a local artist accused of pushing his girlfriend off the church bell tower when she wanted to leave town. Actually Range is upholding her town’s reputation and realizes her dreams of settling down in Hastings might be dead.

Hastings’ Dead – Excerpt

Prologue

Hastings, Michigan – Summer
St. Rose of Lima’s Bell Tower

David Dahlton encouraged his best girl to follow him up the narrow staircase. “Diane, you’ll love the view.”

Diane Pettergill shook her head. How many times must she wear herself out following him up creaking staircases to capture yet another view of their hometown? “Who’s going to look at your pictures?’

David sat down on the top step, realizing he had a problem. Photography would rescue him from farming drudgery without leaving the secure confines of Hastings. “Maybe I’ll publish a book someday.”

She smiled at him. “That’ll be the day.”

“Don’t you want to see our town become famous?” He noticed he hadn’t thoroughly cleaned the mud from his shoes. Maybe Diane was reacting to the smell of recycled pig food.

“I’m more interested in our future than this stupid town’s.”

“You don’t want to live here after we marry?” David’s mind spun out of control. He thought she loved him, wanted to have his babies and see them grow up in town. “Wouldn’t you miss your parents and your sister?”

“Betty said you wouldn’t listen.” Diane tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “We could visit, you know.”

Their life wouldn’t be the same. “We’d be strangers to everyone—even to our own folks if we stayed away too long.”

“You are a stick in the mud.” Diane turned her back on him.

He listened as she slammed the side door to the tower. David climbed up to the landing under the bell. Hanging over the side nearest the front door, he called to her. “Come back. I don’t want to lose you.”

Diane stopped her retreat down St. Rose’s front walk. She stood with her back to him. Then shaded her eyes as she looked up. “I’m not ready to say goodbye either.”

“Wait for me.” He wanted to ring the bell for the celebration in his heart. Instead he took several hurried photographs in each direction. He’d need to come back to get more shots. They’d known each other since childhood. Out on Route 43, only a corn field separated their farm houses. Both their families were among the first settlers of Hastings.

Once he reached her, Diane apologized, offering her hand. “I’m sorry. I know you love to take pictures. But, don’t you want to photograph the entire world?”

“It’s been done.” David dropped her hand. “I want the world to love our town as much as we do.”

“What makes you think I’d be happy in this dinky burgh?”

“Dingy?”

“Small. I said dinky.” Diane stretched her arms out. “I want to unfold my wings. Do something important before I die.”

That’s when David got the idea he couldn’t share. “Okay,” he lied. “I promise this will be the last time you ever need to climb a flight of stairs for me to click my camera in all four directions.”

“I knew I could convince you.” Diane smiled. “College will be more fun, together.”

David followed her up the stairs again. However as soon as they had both reached the landing, David lunged at her. He knocked her down against the west ledge, away from the view of any onlookers in town. For a second he wanted to turn her around to get a good look at her fear, but he decided she might survive and ruin his life.

“Let’s see how far you can fly with those important wings of yours.”

David watched her all the way down. In the struggling three-story fall, her body flipped over.

Diane stared right into his eyes until she hit the very hard pavement in the parking lot.

About Rohn Federbush

Rohn Federbush retired as an administrator from the University of Michigan in 1999. She received a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing in 1995 from Eastern Michigan University. Frederick Busch of Colgate granted a 1997 summer stipend for her ghost-story collection. Michael Joyce of Vassar encouraged earlier writing at Jackson Community College, Jackson, Michigan in 1981.

Rohn has completed fourteen novels, with an additional mystery nearly finished, 120 short stories and 150 poems to date.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Saturday Shorts – Stranger Than Fiction @EmelleGamble

Posted on February 6, 2016 by fundinmental

The title and cover for Stranger Than Fiction by Emelle Gamble are attention getters. They drew me in and I could not resist.

I love covers and think this one tells me there is trouble on the horizon.

Cover: Tammy Seidick

What does it say to you?

MY REVIEW

Claire had the feeling something was wrong…and she was right.

Claire is a buyer at a publishing house. Mr Harrison, her boss, sent her to investigate an accusation that a book they were getting ready to publish had been stolen, printed under another name. The dreaded word…plagiarism has reared it’s ugly head.

Claire considered herself boring, but to me she was one of us. You know, we are not rich, nor are we famous. We are just the average Joe helping the world go round. We all have a life and living it is not always exciting or adventurous.

The mystery grows the more I read. I’m not sure which characters are good or bad. Emelle Gamble is not giving me many clues to help me either, but I did know who the killer was early on. That’s okay, it’s all about the journey for me.

Hmmm…could we have the beginnings of a romance? I think so. But, is the player being played? Their affection in the office almost made me burst out in laughter. Love it.

The suspense is there and I am afraid for Claire. My only complaint is that when the suspense built, the pacing would slow, interrupting the flow.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: A Classic Tale of Romantic Suspense…Set in Manhattan and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island in 1993….

If books could kill…Plagiarism is an ugly word. And Tony Nichols keeps repeating it. Claire Kennedy is forced to consider that her bestselling, reclusive author might have stolen her latest mystery novel from one of Tony’s college students. Was Claire’s reputation, and the future of her employer, Cauldron Press, in jeopardy? Or is Tony masterminding a hoax?

The mystery takes a terrifying turn when these uneasy allies, who each realize they are more than a little attracted to one another, discover a corpse. Claire realizes that the truth behind The Poison Pen Pal’s creation not only threatens her career, but her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!