Anything For Family – The Squandered by David Putnam @daveputnam @oceanviewpub

Posted on October 6, 2023 by fundinmental

I was so excited when I won hardcover, signed copies of The Disposables, The Squandered, and The Heartless, and a signed paperback of The Scorned by David Putnam.

Today, I am going to share The Squandered in the Bruno Johnson Thriller series by David Putnam.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

In The Disposables, things become very personal for Bruno Johnson when his brother’s grandchildren are kidnapped. Children Bruno never knew existed because he had been estranged from his incarcerated brother. Why is always the big question. As they dodge arrest, kidnappers, drug dealers and government agents, secrets will be exposed and we know some will go to any lengths to keep them under wraps. I twisted and turned with the characters as the danger dogs their every step. Bruno and Marie’s relationship will be tested, but I have confidence they will stand together. The action and suspense is nonstop. I was frantically turning the pages, on pins and needles, as I was gulping down words.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

“The Squandered “propels Bruno into an emotionally charged high-speed chase as he and Marie leave their rescued kids in Costa Rica and risk returning to the U.S. at the request of Bruno s terminally ill father. Bruno s estranged and incarcerated brother needs Bruno to help rescue his abducted young grandchildren, children that Bruno hadn t known existed.

Bruno cannot deny his father, and Marie will not let Bruno go alone. As fugitives, they return to the U.S. to face not only imminent arrest, but also to confront ruthless kidnappers, drug dealers, and government agents who will stop at nothing to keep a secret from the past buried forever.

Glimpses of Bruno s law enforcement past shed light on the mayhem they encounter once they are discovered in L.A. It seems that Bruno s brother, Noble, has inadvertently kicked a hornet s nest of criminals, both in and out of prison, and among various law enforcement agencies looking to find a long missing load of nine million dollars worth of cocaine. And Noble s grandchildren are caught in the crosshairs.

The chase, the brutality, and the emotional stress tests Bruno and Marie s relationship and forces them to define family what s okay to forgive, and what should never be forgotten. Armed with a new moral code, will they live long enough to put it into practice?”

Genres: Action and Adventure, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Vigilante
336 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2016 by Oceanview Publishing
Series: Bruno Johnson #3

ABOUT DAVID PUTNAM

Best-selling author David Putnam comes from a family of law enforcement. During his career, he did it all: worked in narcotics, served on FBI-sponsored violent crimes teams, and was cross-sworn as a US Marshall, pursuing murder suspects and bank robbers in Arizona, Nevada, and California. Putnam did two tours on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s SWAT team. He also has experience in criminal intelligence and internal affairs and has supervised corrections, patrol, and a detective bureau. In Hawaii, Putnam was a member of the real-life Hawaii Five O, serving as Special Agent for the Attorney General investigating smuggling and white-collar crimes.

Putnam lives in Southern California with his wife, Mary.

Website / Twitter

MY DAVID PUTNAM REVIEWS

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Review – Hopeless by Melissa Haag @MelissaHaag #Supernatural

Posted on October 4, 2023 by fundinmental

Hope(less) (Judgment Of the Six, Book I) by Melissa Haag, was added to my TBR on 2.16.20. I thought this would be the perfect time to share it. It was a nice introduction to her work and I will be keeping my eye open for more.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I find it easy to let myself go when it comes to the paranormal world. I love to get lost in a make believe world of the supernatural, so I did enjoy reading about Gabby and Clay in Hopeless by Melissa Haag. I have to be in the mood for clean, young adult reading, and I read Hopeless at the perfect time. The characters came alive on the pages, and it was fun watching Gabby figure things out, find those who she can relate to, and find a home, a place to belong.

Seeing this is the first book in a series that looks like it will spotlight an individual character in each book, and it is clean, targeted at the younger crowd, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. For those looking for steamy romance, this may not be for you. BUT, if you are like me, allowing the author to take me where they want me to go, you may want to give it a try.

GOODREADS BLURB

Freedom is so close Gabby can taste it. After years of meeting single werewolves and successfully dodging the mating bullet, she’s on her way to her last Introduction to say “No, thanks” one final time. As a human, she has no plans to attach herself to a werewolf. But, she didn’t count on meeting Clay.

With a single look, Gabby knows Clay is the one. And, unfortunately, he knows it too. The silent, ruggedly-handsome werewolf is determined to win his mate by any means necessary. Gabby does what any sane girl would do and runs. Not only does Clay follow, but something truly dangerous does as well.

Now, hunted for the secrets she’s spent her whole life protecting, Gabby must turn to the one man she didn’t want for the help she needs. Time is running out to discover who or what wants her, and Gabby’s just starting to realize there’s more at stake than the heart and freedom of one human girl.

ABOUT MELISSA HAAG

I love to write! Sharing the worlds I’ve created is beyond amazing . Want to read a book for free? Check out my website at:
http://melissahaag.com/free-ebook/

Connect with me on:
https://twitter.com/MelissaHaag
https://www.facebook.com/author.MelissaHaag

I also write adult books under the pen name M.J. Haag. Happy reading! (less)

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Splatterwestern – The Longest Thirst by Roxie Voorhees @theb00kslayer

Posted on September 27, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank Roxie Vorhees for the opportunity to read The Longest Thirst.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

When I woke up this morning, I didn’t expect to be killing my father by sunset, but here we are.

That’s the first sentence of the book and the hook was set. I thought this might be a good one, but I wasn’t prepared for how good. I love the dark side of life, but if you are a bit squeamish, you might want to think twice. We have brutality, racism, rape, torture…

Lillian had had enough when she took her father’s life. She rescued the woman tied to the stake, and has been on the run ever since. I love her thought, ‘I am so sick of men sticking their penis where it isn’t welcome.’ I would think twice, if I were a man, about putting it in an unwilling woman’s mouth. Could you resist the temptation to give him a what for?

I cringed, laughed and was shocked at the the levels of depravity…and that ending… WHAT…WHAT…marvelous, simply marvelous. Roxie Vorhees doesn’t hold back. It’s a short book, at 111 pages, and you won’t want to quit once you start.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Longest Thirst by Roxie Voorhees.

GOODREADS BLURB

he Quick and the Dead meets Carmilla.

When Lillian killed her father, getting the blood out of her dress was the least of her worries. The young Native woman to her left would soon prove to be a blessing or a curse. Just as hope is all but evaporated on the cracked earth of the Mojave, a beacon of light beams in the center of Calico.

Born into the rigidity of classism, Lillian struggles to trust the welcoming hospitality of the town and its inhabitants. Convinced this respite is brief, Lillian prepares to return the woman to her people, and flee from her crime. Even so, Calico softens her heart and Lillian soon feels truly at home.

But a stranger gallops into Calico. His presence commands obedience and soon he finds what he is looking for, Lillian.

And they have unfinished business.

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Splatterwestern, Western
111 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 26, 2023 by Book Slayer Press

ABOUT ROXIE VOORHEES

Roxie Voorhees (she/he/they) is a tangled threesome of Gag me with a Spoon, Welcome to the Darkside, and Catch me Outside. When she isn’t writing, she is hyperfocusing on whichever of the many hobbies her ADHD demands.
A California native, he resides with his service dog, Bellatrix, in Little Rock, where he refuses to use the word fixin’, battles pollen, and fantasizes of using a public bathroom without it being a political stance.
They are the co-editor of MINE: An Anthology of Body Autonomy Horror published by Creature Publishing and READER BEWARE: A Fear Street Appreciation Anthology to be published October 2023, by DarkLit Press.

Instagram: @the.book.slayer
Twitter: @theb00kslayer
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/rvthebookslayer
Website: www.roxievoorhees.gay

Roxie has come out as gender fluid! She prefers any pronouns and doesn’t mind being included in women specific lists, but asks you please note their fluidity.

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The United States Is No More – The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy #TheVitruvianHeir #LSKilroy

Posted on September 22, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“I want everyone who reads this book to become a rebel.” L S KIlroy

The Vitruvian Heir: The Unraveling (The Vitruvian Heir Trilogy, Book I) by L S Kilroy is one of those books that gets my heart pumping and my blood boiling. I love a book that gets me wound up, wanting to reach through my ereader and punch someone. LOL

We have wonderful illustrations.

L S Kilroy released an enhanced version of The Vitruvian Heir, Book I in 2020, the original was released in 2015. She made it a trilogy because current events made her characters demand it. 🙂

It may seem like we have a triangle going on, but as I read on, everything became clear and I saw the true relationship between Lore, Gideon and Fallon. It’s complicated is an apt description.

I love how L S Kilroy wove current events into her book, rolling freedoms back, making women second class citizens…or worse…Victorian standards that have people giving up any decision making they had, towing the line, becoming robots, fearing for their lives.

I had wondered if The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy would be a good fit for me, but decided to give it a try. I never know where I will find that hidden gem, and I found it in The Vitruvian Heir. I quickly became involved in Lore’s life, feeling her desires and confusion. Her need to be herself. Of course, I knew she would have to be part of the rebellion, but how it would come about was the mystery.

Lore wondered how things could have went so backwards, and I think we only have to look at current events to see how. Vitruvian is what used to be the United States in 2164. Their were brutal wars, famines, illness, tornadoes, decimated crops, endless natural disasters and an emperor.

There are book discussions questions at the end and we have a fabulous epilogue that makes me eager to get my hands on Book II, The Vitruvian Heir: The Awakening.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy.

GOODREADS BLURB

Welcome to Vitruvia.

In a nightmarish future, one girl holds the key – to rebellion. Society has regressed to Victorian standards and patriarchal dominion. Women have slowly lost their rights. And Lorelei Fetherston, an aristocrat with a forbidden talent for writing, inherits a powerful legacy that can set her free. Though running from her wedding to gentle Gideon, a childhood confidante, is a risk that may not be worth taking.

But this isn’t her only dilemma. Her heart has always been with Fallon, the brooding ward of the current emperor and heir to the Vitruvian throne, and she’s finding it harder to resist his melancholy charms.

Will she escape to carve out a new life or accept her role as a dutiful wife? When her free-spirited friend, Sawyer, comes to her one night in grave danger, Lore is forced to make a fateful choice. In the bordering nation of Hopespoke, women are free. And, according to legend, an enigmatic woman runs a squadron of lethal debutantes and is always on the lookout for new recruits.

From mysterious woodland strangers and underground clubs to spectacular fêtes and a clandestine rebellion, discover what happens when their worlds collide.

Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Steampunk
Format: 242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published: January 5, 2015 by Little Tree Press
Language: English
Series: The Vitruvian Heir Trilogy

ABOUT L S KILROY

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” – Dorothy Parker

L.S. Kilroy is an irreverent sort of person who likes to write about things. Growing up an asthmatic only child in a neighborhood of geriatrics, she made friends with books at a young age because she had to – luckily, she also really liked them. Early exposure to the classics fueled her own writing. At fifteen, a man in a bookstore asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied, “Writer,” without hesitation.

Writer is a title that has driven her both personally and professionally. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Merrimack College and a Master’s degree in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College. By day, she’s a communications professional; by night, she’s an award-winning indie author.

She lives in a rural community in Massachusetts with her husband, stepson, and three naughty cats. Aside from writing, she loves being creative in the kitchen, belting out show tunes, traveling, throwing epic dinner parties, reading, and scouting out vintage finds at consignment shops.

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Afterworld by Olivia Boothe & Victoria Liiv @TheOliviaBoothe #victorialiiv

Posted on September 21, 2023 by fundinmental

Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WOW, such an amazing cover for Afterworld: Losing Salvation by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv. There is no way I could say no when Olivia asked me if I wanted to read the series. Sure, there are a lot of trigger warnings that readers need to be aware of, but I love the dark world the authors have created.

Afterworld: Losing Salvation by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv is not available for purchase. It is a bonus that I received from the Olivia Boothe and is included as part of a special edition Afterworld hardcover and Renegade City anthology.

I want to thank Olivia Boothe for allowing me to get my introduction to Jax and Kate through Afterworld: Losing Salvation, a prequel. I was immediately drawn into this dark world that made me think of Supernatural and The Walking Dead. I love it!

A virus is spreading throughout the city creating zombie like creatures that can only be killed by a blow to the head or decapitation. Sound familiar? But, how they came to be…well…

I love the dog!

Everything comes full circle and we are on to the next ‘adventure’ in the Afterworld series.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, THE WORLD LEARNED THE UGLY TRUTH:
GOD EXISTS. HE JUST DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US.

Afterworld: Road To Redemption by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv is Jax and Kate’s love story. It was a traumatizing meeting for her…and him…

In the beginning, we bounce between Kate’s journal and Jax’s Grimoire in the year 2031.

I love one of Kate’s first entries…out scavenging and she scores some tampons. Aunt Flow still flows, even during an apocalypse. AND, she meets Hank, a service dog who lost his master. They become hard and fast companions. As they fight the beasts, there comes a blinding light…an angel, who gives his life to save hers.

Jax sees the light, knows it’s an angel, and races to get there. It’s his only hope of getting rid of the demon, War, one of The Four Horsemen, who resides inside him. When he sees her fight, he realizes she is more than a woman.

We do have that gruesome, brutal, blood and guts going on, The Walking Dead vibe, but we also have the, sort of, lightness of Supernatural. I found myself laughing in the middle of danger. Couldn’t help myself.

I would think if there is any kind of attraction, sex would arise. After all, how often do you come across a human that doesn’t want to kill you? She found it easy to trust him, but he has yet to tell all to her and how dangerous he can be. I feel there is even a dash of Fifty Shades of Grey…some smoking hot scenes.

At 65% an amazing surprise came to light…and I loved it.

There is one scene with rats in the sewers that The Walking Dead made it so easy to visualize. Also, the movie references made me think of Denizzo on NCIS. So many things I referenced to TV shows made the book even more special because it had those familiar elements that had me smiling or cringing.

Well, I read and read and read, slept, then read and read and read. It was so hard to put the book down, but I couldn’t get it read in one sitting. The pace and danger kept rising, the suspense off the charts, the action so fast paced near the end I was shouting out loud…NO, NO, NO…I was so fearful, but…well…all I can say is, if you love the dark side of paranormal romance, some Supernatural, some Walking Dead, some angels and demons, the Four Horsement of the Apocalypse…..this is a must read.

The story does end with a happy ever after, but there is more to come and I can hardly wait to begin. Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Afterworld: Road To Redemption by Olivia Boothe & Victoria Liiv.

GOODREADS BLURB

EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, THE WORLD LEARNED THE UGLY TRUTH:
GOD EXISTS. HE JUST DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US.

After a deadly virus wipes out most of the world’s population, those of us who survive are left as food for the Damned, the walking corpses ravaged by the infection.

Yet, something far more sinister stirs in the bowels of New York City. The Four Horsemen are prowling the streets, kidnapping young girls and dragging them back to their lair. And when a supply run becomes a rescue mission turned deadly, I’m left at the mercy of a sexy stranger.

Jax Constantine weaves himself into my life with blood tingling charisma and a smile that rekindles my hope in love. But a dark secret lurks beneath his penetrating gaze and sizzling touch. One he’s not willing to share, leading me to believe he might not be the man I thought.

Now, humanity’s last stand rests in my hands. To save a world consumed by evil, I must choose between stopping Lucifer from claiming an already scorched Earth as his own or saving the man I love.

The same man destined to curse my soul.

This is a dark apocalyptic paranormal romance and is intended for audiences 18 years+.

Please see below for the full list of content/trigger warnings:
Angels and demons, biblical lore, zombies, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, blood and gore, PTSD, trauma, profanity, graphic violence, explicit sexual content, and kidnappings.

Reader discretion is advised.

While Afterworld can be read as a standalone and has a resolution, this is a planned series, and the book ends with a Happily For Now.

Genre: Angels and Demons, Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural
Format: 378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published: September 16, 2022 by Three Brothers Press
Language: English
Series: Hell’s Angel, Book I

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

OLIVIA BOOTHE

REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY, COMPLICATED & SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.

Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey since the age of eight, Olivia always dreamed of becoming a story teller.

If you enjoy deadly-hot romance novels with deep, layered plots, she’s your gal. Because it’s not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between.

In addition to writing contemporary and paranormal romance, Olivia is currently working on an adult contemporary fantasy.

Fun Facts: When not locked away in her writing tower at the wee hours of the night, Olivia works a government 9-5 job and manages a house full of males (a husband, three sons, and a doggo named Hunter). On occasion, she summons her tribe for a night of wine and shenanigans. Dark chocolate is her kryptonite, she hates/loves to ugly cry during movies, and is a die-hard Bon Jovi fan.

Don’t forget to subscribe to her newsletter to receive exclusive news and updates such as book releases, giveaways, sales, events, sneak peeks and bonus material for upcoming projects.

Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub

VICTORIA LIIV

Victoria Liiv is a writer, reader, nature lover and traveler at heart. She has been traveling through magical worlds since a very young age and wants more than anything to share the wonder with everyone else eager to escape from all things mundane. Let it be a magical adventure through slowly darkening Earth or a soul crushing fight for survival and love while the world burns. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of romance.

She self published her debut novel Through Hell & Highwater on 2020 when the pandemics keeping her isolated gave her the reason to follow her dream of becoming an author. She hasn’t looked back since.
Afterworld: Road to Redemption is Victoria’s second novel. She is grateful for the opportunity to be able to co-write it with Olivia.
This February 2023, she’ll also be releasing Treasure Me, a contemporary romance, as part of Tease Me box set.
With many more ideas and characters keeping her awake at night this is only the beginning of her writing career.

In her everyday life she found the magic in her partner, who gave her courage to move out of Estonia, the country she was born in, to an equally small but more known The Netherlands. He was also the one who encourages and supports her throughout her writing process.

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Quick Review for Quick Read – Vigorous Defense by Audrey Walker #AudreyWalker

Posted on September 20, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“Every citizen deserv es a Vigorous Defense in a court of law.”

Vigorous Defense by Audrey Walker introduces us to Giselle Norwood, a forensic pathologist. Her husband has passed away from an illness and she was reluctant to take the job offered her in Washington DC. This had been their home and she wasn’t sure she wanted to leave it. Until…

She is approached by Bobby Kaminski, a personal injury lawyer who is representing an alleged murderer. She has a need to blend her work with her desire for justice.

A prequel, or short story that can be devoured (as I did) in a half hour or so, has to be pretty darn good and fast paced for me to give it a high rating. Audrey Walker also added an intriguing and unusual cause of death, which I found fascinating. I am eager to read more about Giselle Norwood and to dive into her future cases.

GOODREADS BLURB

When the courtroom becomes a battlefield, a young forensic pathologist is determined to shine a light on the truth.

In the gripping prequel to the Giselle Norwood Mysteries, Dr. Giselle Norwood’s peaceful life takes an unexpected turn when a quirky lawyer ropes her into a murder trial.
What appears to be an open-and-shut poisoning case reveals layers of deception and a battle between truth and motive, pitting Giselle in a race against time to unearth the facts before an innocent man is wrongly convicted.
“Vigorous Defense” is a thrilling tale of suspense that shines the light of truth on the shadows of deceit, exposing a corrupt system of justice.

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
33 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2023
Series: Giselle Norwood

ABOUT AUDREY WALKER

Audrey Walker is a young and rising international best-selling Author in the Mystery & Suspense niche.

Walker’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t see coming.

Walker lives currently in south Germany with her husband and a newly born daughter. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her climbing up the Alps in Switzerland and walking aroung the Black Forest in south of Germany.

Website / Facebook / Instagram

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Review – The Broken Heart by N J Gallegos @DrSpooky_ER

Posted on September 19, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

MMMMM All kinds of dark and delicious psychopathic goodness. Imagine hearing these words out of six year old child’s mouth: Fuck you, cunt and fucking bitch. You also have a useless drunken husband and an infant daughter to protect…for the six year old.

If you are on a matchmaking app, you may delete it after seeing how easy it is to be a fish in a barrel for a serial killer.

There are two story lines going on: Casey, with her psychopathic son, alcoholic husband, infant daughter, and heart failure. She will need an organ transplant and a serial killer is the one to save her. Or does he? Do you believe that an organ can pass the good or bad of the donor onto the receiver? What would happen if it did?

Of course, we know the serial killer has to die so she can get his heart, but the way it happens is sweet Karma at work. LOL He was a savage, reveling in his victim’s blood, so no matter what happened to him, I didn’t think it could be bad enough.

I was excited about the plot and wondered…would a good woman be negatively affected by a serial killer’s heart? Will she turn into a serial killer too?

The marvels of medicine do amaze me and creep me out at the same time. And after reading The Broken Heart, I am even more freaked out about hospitals. I’m sure I am not the only one that gets tensed up just entering one.

After the surgery she felt an icy cold in the center of her chest and would carry that for the rest of her life. She knew…things were going to be different now. No more doormat to Jack. No more shying away in fear from Owen.

Her rant in her therapist’s office…I could see it unfold and I loved it. He sits there in judgment, doing nothing to help a desperate mother save the life of her infant child from her psychopathic son. I couldn’t help but chuckle under my breath as I read on.

Her in laws sit in judgment, having no clue of the depth of her desperation and I don’t think they would have cared any way. Casey couldn’t do anything thing right, in their eyes. She has no one to support her, no one to lean, no help at all.

Their date night…I went back and forth between wanting to puke and laugh out loud.

I saw some of what was to come and eagerly devoured the words. N J Gallegos didn’t make it so easy to figure everything out and I am happy about that. I couldn’t imagine how the story would end. There are so many possibilities and I wondered what the author would choose. She chose well.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Broken Heart by N J Gallegos.

GOODREADS BLURB

Casey Philips has it all: a deadbeat husband, a psychopathic son, a beautiful newborn daughter, and catastrophic heart failure necessitating an organ transplant. When a serial killer becomes an unexpected organ donor, Casey gets a heart and a new lease on life.

But dark dreams plague the disgruntled housewife—visions of places she’s never been, chasing women she’s never met. Sometimes, Casey wakes up outside her kids’ rooms without realizing how she got there—knife in hand.

How far will a mother with a newly acquired taste for vengeance go to right the wrongs of an abusive husband, an increasingly violent son, and even her own sins? Only the heart knows what it truly wants.

Genre: Dark, Horror, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
340 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 19, 2023 by Winding Road Stories

ABOUT N J GALLEGOS

N.J. Gallegos is an Emergency Medicine Physician who enjoys horror, medicine, and wicked women looking for revenge. Put all three together? Now we’re talking! She lives in Illinois with her wife and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys binging reality trash tv, brewing beer, and running while listening to EDM so she can drink said brewed beer.

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Trafficking Endangered Animals – The Tiger Temple by Steven Moore @StevenScribe

Posted on September 11, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Tiger Temple by Steven Moore was so much more than I anticipated. Sure, I saw the blurb that mentioned Clive Cussler and I have read many books by Clive, so I thought The Tiger Temple would be a good fit. At times, I felt like I was on an adventure with Indiana Jones.

It all begins when a young girl is kidnapped by a vicious crime lord, Jago. As the story unfolds, it becomes even more disturbing. The trafficking of the endangered Sumatran tiger is deplorable. It’s hard to come up with words to describe the senseless killing.

Hiram is friends with the family and by their side every step of the way, as the try to locate Ayu and rescue her. Ayu is a courageous, young girl who fights to survive, . She is dropped in a pit, left to drown when the rain begins to fill it. Besides the rain storm, we have a volcano about to erupt. I love when an author gives an innocent, sweet child a starring role. It sure does tug at the heartstrings, as if the senseless killing of the Sumatran tigers isn’t enough.

Steven Moore gets his ideas from his travels and experiences around the world. It shows in the details his writing provides, with vivid characters and surroundings that make me feel like I am a part of the adventure. An adventure that shares the good and bad of humanity. One family member makes the ultimate sacrifice, and I think Steven Moore handled the situation in the best way possible.

It took me reading The Tiger Temple and Hiram Kane to get me engrossed in the series. Sure, the blurb caught my attention, along with the vibrant red of the cover, but it was the story itself that drew me deeper and deeper into Hiram Kane’s adventure.

The disgust I felt over the graphic details of the trafficking of the Sumatran tiger and it’s ‘parts’ was very disturbing. We know these things go on today and maybe Steven Moore’s story can help in some way.

GOODREADS BLURB

A betrayed criminal. A kidnapped child. A deadly race against time.

On the Island of the Gods, expedition leader Hiram Kane is on holiday after a long season guiding in the Peruvian Andes.

When a good friend’s greed leads him to betray Bali’s most notorious gangster, their peaceful community is left shell-shocked after the six-year-old daughter of its leader gets kidnapped in a vicious and violent raid.

What follows is a whirlwind race across the paradise island to rescue the girl before ‘The Rooster’ takes his sadistic revenge, and with the waking giant of volcanic Mt. Agung threatening to destroy them all, Kane risks everything to prevent a devastating tragedy.

The Tiger Temple is the exciting new prequal to the Hiram Kane adventure series. For fans of Russell Blake and Clive Cussler, Steven Moore’s action thriller will leave you breathless.

Genre: Action and Adventure, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2017 by Condor Publishing
Series: Hiram Kane Adventure

ABOUT STEVE MOORE

Englishman Steven Moore grew up by the seaside, thus his first true joy was the great outdoors. His innate love of travel and a degree in anthropology, archaeology, and art history help inform his fiction writing. Steven also loves painting, photography, and both playing and watching sport.

The travel bug bit the now perpetual nomad early, and to date Steven has lived and worked on five continents, and visited almost sixty countries. Steven combines an age-old writing adage; Write what you know, with his own mantra; Write where you know, and sets most of his novels in places in which he has either lived or spent an extended period of time.

When not on the road with his writer wife Leslie, San Miguel de Allende in Mexico is home, which they share with their rescue cats Ernest Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald (Ernie and Fitz).

A lifelong love of food, wine, and beer have demanded a new-found love of yoga and hiking in order to fend off the imminent arrival of middle age.

Website / Facebook / Instagram

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Animal Attraction – Denying My Wolf by Scarlett West @iamscarlettwest

Posted on September 9, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Denying My Wolfe is Book II in the Stone Mountain Wolf Shifter series by Scarlett West. It’s a pretty quick read at 165 pages in print, but it does not lack in animal attraction, steamy sex, and danger.

“Run her until she collapses,” my beta called out….

Julia is attacked by her pack, driving her to the enemy, Ethan’s pack. She is an alpha and he is a Beta, but she will bow down to save her sister. Can she find a home with the enemy? Can she save her sister?

Ethan is promised to another, prophesied by a seer. If, Julia can’t change that and create an alliance between the two packs, her sister will die. Of course, nothing is ever cut and dried and the past relationship comes to light when they cannot hide their attraction any longer.

Denying My Wolf by Scarlett West is a quick read, but the writing makes the wolf shifters world come to life. Julia running through the woods, the wind flowing through her fur, the smell of the forest as air rushed through her lungs…

The inner dialogue she has with her wolf has me cracking up, but I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself. It is well worth the smiles.

Because of Twilight, I can see it all unfold before my eyes. Sure, there wasn’t any vampires, but the wolfie scenes came to life. The battles are fought to the death, new alliances are made and we are on to the next romance, Lydia and Jace, who sure do deserve something good in their lives.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Denying My Wolf by Scarlett West.

GOODREADS BLURB

Falling for the pack enemy could destroy us both.

Ethan

After my life was destroyed by a curse, the last thing I needed was a mate—especially from the enemy pack. Julia was dumped on our doorstep for me.

No one knows about the time we hooked up in our teens, and damn if I never got her out of my system. Old sparks ignite between us, igniting a feral hunger I can’t stop, driving my wolf to claim her for good.

But can I put aside an old grudge and accept the only woman who stirs my wolf?

Julia

Rejected by my pack as an outcast, I’m delivered to the enemy in an arranged marriage.

No one knows Ethan crushed my heart when we were younger, yet he’s become devastatingly handsome and reawakened an intoxicating attraction my wolf finds impossible to ignore. Still, that doesn’t mean I have to let him back in my heart. I’m determined to fight my wolf’s need to mark him, but Ethan won’t take no for an answer.

And I’ve got secrets of my own.

My father is responsible for the curse and if anyone finds out, I’m dead.

If you love moody alphas, sassy heroines, and hot paranormal romance with a heart, Denying My Wolf, is for you. It’s the first standalone book in the Stone Mountain Wolf Shifters Series. Scroll up and One-Click this steamy wolf shifter romance that’s bound to pull your heartstrings.

Genre: Fiction, Occult, Paranormal, Parapsychology, Supernatural, Shapeshifters, Werewolves
Format: 165 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication: September 21, 2023 by Passion Press
Language: English
Series: Stone Mountain Wolf Shifters

ABOUT SCARLETT WEST

Scarlett West writes steamy, paranormal romance featuring sexy Fae. Deep characters and hot romance are her thing.

An avid reader and writer who will never stop dreaming, Scarlett has traveled to many countries and been on tons of adventures. She draws her stories from these places, life experiences, and her grand imagination.

Besides writing, she’s a hobby herbalist and a dancer. If she’s not by the computer typing these things up, she can be found in a forest, on a mountain, or by the ocean.

Scarlett West would like to thank her three F’s: Fans, Family, and Friends. Thank you forever for your support.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

MY SCARLET WEST REVIEWS

Stolen In The Dark (Fae Bureau of Investigation)
Hunted In The Dark (Fae Bureau of Investigation)
Cursed In The Dark (Fae Bureau of Investigation)
Enemy In The Dark (Fae Bureau of Investigation)
Fated In The Dark (Fae Bureau of Investigation)
Dragon Craved (Dragon Shifter Island)
Entangled Darkness (Immortal Desire Series)
Defying My Wolf (Stone Mountain Wolf Shifters)

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Risen From The Dead – The Legend Of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni #JTBaroni

Posted on September 8, 2023 by fundinmental

I was excited to get my hands on this book. I mean, look at that cover..and his inspiration for writing it. How cool is that? Welcome to fundinmental J T.

How did this book come about?

While hunting whitetail one year, I stumbled upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods. Waiting patiently for that big buck to cross my path gave me plenty of time to think about that lone grave’s inhabitant and ponder her story, which I was then driven to write.

Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first novel that Damnation Books in California published in 2012, which I have just recently revised, then self-published. Between holding down a job as a transformer repairman, and life in general, it me took two years to write the original book back then.

However! I am now enjoying retirement; and in the first half of 2023, I revised the story by adding 165 pages and a new ending chapter. My ghost tale is now even more descriptive, has added details, and the final chapter comes out of left field and smacks you upside the head!

Describe your writing habits.

I simply write when it’s raining, or when the urge hits, but mostly when I think of a good scene and the thoughts are flowing. Sometimes the rough draft will sit on the shelf for a month or longer, then I’ll dust it off and look at it with a fresh perspective.Only after ten or more chapters when I get lost, do I start an outline.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Sometimes I tell Alexa to play Santa Esmeralda, Supertramp, Bob Seger, INXS, or the Golden Oldies, or the news. At times, silence, especially when I’m using the narrator function during editing.

Which authors influenced your writing?

I enjoyed Harold Robbins’s The Adventurers, Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. I know I’m telling my age with that answer, but I enjoyed their books because they wrote captivating stories that held my interest to the last page.

Are there any projects in the works now?

I’m 32 chapters into a psychological thriller. The plot revolves around a psychologist and an attorney who are planning to rule the world; they both share the same dark secret, but one of them has a deadly, ulterior motive. Three more chapters should finish it. Then edit, edit, edit… Keep your eyes open for, “Tell Me about your Childhood.”

It’s funny, but when I asked you for your thoughts I left it up to you, and you covered all the things I was thinking of. I love when great minds think alike, don’t you? LOL I’m excited to see what you come up with next, since I think The Legend Of Rachel Petersen was a hit!

Amazon / Goodreads

UPDATE: J T Baroni now has an Apple audiobook available, created by AI.

MY REVIEW

I confess. It was the cover that drew me in. It had that horror, paranormal, supernatural feel to it and I investigated further. When I finished the book, I found where the author’s inspiration came from. He was deer hunting and came across a tombstone. As he sat there, waiting for that elusive big buck to come through, he had plenty of time to wonder and ponder…and that What If came to life.

Christian Kane is a sports writer for The Post Gazette. He doesn’t get the anticipated promotion he was expecting and quits to write fiction. The Legend of Rachel Petersen is about the characters finding a tombstone hidden in the briars on their property and what happens after.

“We are living in a house where a twelve year old girl went cuckoo, killed her family, an’ then hanged herself in our barn.”

A book in a book is always a fun concept. J T Baroni did foreshadow what was to come and I love that he did it in such a way that I never took notice. Well done. I found myself laughing…at myself. There are other moments of laughter and I love an author that incorporates fun into some doom and gloom.

The ending was worth a star alone. I love when an author can catch me so off guard I am left with my mouth hanging open. I highly recommend The Legend Of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni and I would love to know what you think.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Legend of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni.

GOODREADS BLURB

Did his book raise the dead? Outraged when The Post Gazette overlooks him for a promotion, thirty-nine year old sports writer, Christian Kane quits and moves to the country to write fiction. Inspiration flows from a grave he stumbles upon in the woods. He compiles The Legend of Rachel Petersen, a fascinating story revolving around the dead twelve year old girl lying beneath the weathered tombstone. His book becomes a Best Seller; then Hollywood makes it in to a blockbuster movie. Kane becomes rich and famous, but only to have Rachel rise from the grave to seek revenge on him for slandering her name!

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural
Kindle Edition (Revised Edition)
First published November 23, 2011 by Sky Publishing

EXCERPT

Page 79

Staring back at him were two large empty eye sockets in a tiny skull, which rested on a satin pillow. Her facial skin, once having a flawless peaches and cream complexion, was now brown, deeply gouged with wrinkles, and drawn tight, exposing her baby teeth. Her nose was reduced to two narrow slits. Red hair, parted in the middle, covered her forehead before coming to rest in curls on her shoulders.

Page 80

While jumping up and down, he tripped over the shovel’s handle and fell face first over the freshly dug dirt pile back into the grave, landing three inches from Rachel’s mummified face; he swore he saw Rachel smile at him!

Page 82

His eyes widened and his jaw fell open. Floating on top of the broth were the words… ‘help me’… spelled out with the alphabet macaroni! Thaddeus quickly stirred his soup and watched in awe as the words reappeared amongst the chunks of chicken, chopped celery, and diced carrots — ‘help me.’

ABOUT J T BARONI (from Amazon)

Living in Western Pennsylvania all my life, I have been an avid Whitetail hunter since I was old enough to tote a rifle, which is also about as long as I’ve had a fondness for word games and literature. While hunting last year, I actually did stumble upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods. Waiting patiently for any deer to cross my path gave me plenty of time to think about that lone grave’s inhabitant and ponder her story, which I was then driven to write. Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first published novel. I have also composed several songs that are currently signed with a music publisher.

My home is Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, where my wife Becky and I are both proud members of the Lions International. We share our home with our son, Skyler, and an AKC boxer, Butkus.

Author’s Den / Facebook

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