Tag Archives: 4 star review

I Have Been Waiting For Dragon Clan by Kristie Clark #KristieClark

Posted on by

I am excited to be sharing Dragon Clan by Kristie Clark. I want to thank Kristie Clark, Delphi Imprint and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a copy.

Don’t ya just love that cover?

Dragon Clan (Order of the Dolphin, #3)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

It is fantastic to be back in Roatan with Eva and the gang to find out what happens next in this creature feature. No slow start. Action from the getgo.

Now, they are being moved from Roatan, Honduras to Hawaii, courtesy of DARPA and the US Navy.

Kaili is the guardian spirit of the Dragon Clan. She is a Komodo Dragon like no other.

Eva is worried about her dolphins. They have dealt with a mutant Tylosaurus, drug lords, mutant CobiX fish ad Julian Gulliver. It’s hard to tell which is the most dangerous. As if that isn’t enough, now we have to deal with tsunamis.

Kristie Clark does insert ecological, climate change as it applies to the events in the story. She doesn’t get preachy, just includes the pertinent data, just like any other part of the story. I find, when an author does that, it adds that real element and makes the story richer.

You may wonder how someone can write a series with dolphins as the stars. Ask Kristie Clark. She has managed to keep me eager for more and surprises me with how quickly I become involved. She blends fact and fiction seamlessly.

I caught the hint, but was still surprised when she hurt her arm.

I am soooo loving this series. Kristie Clark does her due diligence when it comes to research, sharing the rich history, myths and legends of Hawaii.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dragon Clan by Kristie Clark.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A dragon will kill her creator to protect her family.

Dr. Eva Paz wants only a peaceful life on Roatán for herself and her dolphins, continuing their research in dolphin communication and educating children on the importance of caring for the reef.

But when the Navy reactivates Taffy and Finn for exercises in Pearl Harbor, that all changes. For she finds Julian is there as well, and he is armed with yet another genetically modified creature. This time, it has the spirit of an actual dragon.

Thankfully, Eva has her friends and her family—and Thomas—on her side. Not to mention a whole host of new friends: the members of Dragon Clan.

Join Eva as she works with Thomas and her dolphins to save the Hawaiian Islands from an environmental disaster that could destroy them all.

For fans of Michael Crichton, Dragon Clan is book three in Kristie Clark’s Order of the Dolphin series.

Book club questions included. May be read as a standalone, but Dragon Clan is best enjoyed with the other Order of the Dolphin series books: Killing Dragons and Dragon Gold.

ABOUT KRISTIE CLARK

Kristie Clark

KRISTIE CLARK, a pediatrician, lives on the High Plains with her husband, sons, border collies, and a cat named Bonsai. An avid scuba diver, she holds a Roatan Marine Park Bay Islands Lionfish Spearing License.

You can see more about Kristie on her WEBSITE.

MY KRISTIE CLARK REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Tis The Season – Toymaker by Tony Bertauski @tonybertauski

Posted on by

.

HAPPY HOLIDAZE AND A NEW RELEASE

Toymaker: Return of the Lost Toys (A Science Fiction Adventure) (Claus Universe Book 9)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Is there a Santa Claus? Elves? Reindeer? Do they live at the North Pole? Why haven’t humans ever found them? If you have been following the series, you may have some of the answers already.

Avery Neva (Snow) Tannenbaum was born on her Nana Rai’s birthday and they celebrated it together every year. This year is different. Her Nana has passed away and left a last request.

Toymaker is all about him, and the Hunt for him. But there is so much more going on the just a game and there is more to the Hunt than win or lose.

I love the unique characters and the world they live in. Dangerous and magical, good and bad…and TOYS. Thank you Santa.

Tony Bertauski has a way with words and has written of a fantastical, magical fantasy world, filled with imagination and creativity, weaving the real world, the future, the past, and the present into a present (?).

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Toymaker by Tony Bertauski.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

The 9th standalone novel in the Claus Universe.

One Christmas morning, a mystery gift appeared under trees around the world. It was the exact same gift, inscribed with the maker’s initials in tiny letters: BT and Company. It was months before anyone knew exactly what the gift did.

Avery Tannenbaum’s brother was one of the lucky few to receive one. It was on her birthday when the mysterious gifts came to life. A contest was announced. It was also on that very same day Avery’s grandmother passed away.

An eccentric, wealthy woman, Nana Rai left detailed instructions on how to commemorate her passing, a celebration to be held on Christmas morning, which just so happened to be the same day the contest was set to end. Avery’s family travels to a cold and snowy land to honor her grandmother’s wishes. And it’s here she uncovers the true purpose of the mystery gift, and why the makers launched a global contest.

As Nana Rai’s celebration nears, Avery follows clues her grandmother left behind. BT and Company are searching for the Toymaker. And Avery knows what they’ll do when they find him. She becomes part of her grandmother’s plan to stop them. The real mystery isn’t where the Toymaker is hiding.

It’s why he’s hiding in the first place.

REVIEWS FOR THE CLAUS UNIVERSE

  • “Amazing rewrites that will astound you!” –Ruth Jackson, Amazon Reviewer
  • “Best Santa Story Ever!” – Bob, Amazon Reviewer
  • “Simply lovely.” –jl, Amazon Reviewer
  • “MY HEART GREW THREE SIZES…” – Amazon Reviewer
  • “Couldn’t Put It Down.” – Amazon Reviewer
  • “Fantasy at it’s [sic] finest.” –Carol, Amazon Reviewer
  • “Absolutely phenomenal!” –JayFly, Amazon Reviewer
  • “A++” –TKJ 131, Amazon Reviewer
  • “Absolutely Awesome.” –Dee greusel, Amazon Reviewer
  • “I absolutely love this series…” –Kara McCabe, Amazon Reviewer
  • “Tony is an excellent story teller!” jjjlake, Amazon Reviewer
  • “I want MORE!” –J. Bunch, Amazon Reviewer
  • “Awesomely engaging!” –Janice Everett, Amazon Reviewer

ABOUT TONY BERTAUSKI

Tony Bertauski

Get my books FREE. Tell me where to send them at http://bertauski.com

My grandpa never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but he was a voracious reader. I remember going through his bookshelves of paperback sci-fi novels, smelling musty old paper, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off shelf and promising to bring them back. I was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died?

I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.

I’m a cynical reader. I demand the writer sweep me into his/her story and carry me to the end. I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain. That’s the sort of stuff I wanted to write, not the assigned reading we used to get in high school. I wanted to create stories that kept you up late.

Fiction, GOOD fiction, is hard to write. Having a story unfold inside your head is an experience different than reading. You connect with characters in a deeper, more meaningful way. You feel them, empathize with them, cheer for them and even mourn. The challenge is to get the reader to experience the same thing, even if it’s only a fraction of what the writer feels. Not so easy.

MY TONY BERTAUSKI REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Inferno Rising Review – The Cursed King by Abigail Owen @AOwenBooks

Posted on by

It is a pleasure to be back with the dragons in Abigail Owen’s latest novel in the Inferno Series, The Cursed King. Want to know why he was cursed? Gotta read the book. LOL

The Cursed King (Inferno Rising, #4)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Angelika: A phoenix with no flame.

Airk: a dragon afraid to shift, king of the White Clan

I am sure sparks will fly in the conclusion to the Inferno Rising series and it sure has been one wild ride with the characters as they find their destiny.

High King Pytheios wants Angelika.

Angelika Amon’s three phoenix sisters are happily mated with their dragon counterparts. She wonders if she will ever find her mate? It seems she has spent her whole life waiting for this or that and she was done with it. She wants something. In this case, it s Airk and she was going after him. Their innocence in the sex department is sweet, sexy, and HOT, as they discover each other.

Abigail Owen has a way with words and this was only one of Angelika’s comments that cracked me up:

“Oh, Gods, do not think about fucking the hot, lonely, dangerous dragon shifter.”

I have spent some time with the dragon clans in their world and loved every minute of it. Not only do we have dragons, but we have many other wonderful supernatural characters that are well represented: phoenix, werewolves, gargoyles, hellhounds, witches, trolls…and when one is taken I mourn them.

I am so happy that I was there at the beginning for the Inferno series by Abigail Owen. She did a wonderful job of wrapping up the series in a spectacular fashion. Do I want a happy ever after? You bet! Did I get it? Yes, but it came at a cost. Even you may shed a tear or two or three.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Cursed King by Abigail Owen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

He will burn. She will rise.

Airk Azdajah, the rightful King of the White Clan, spent half a millennium being tortured by the false High King Pytheios. The only reason he’s alive is a curse— the man to kill Airk will be consumed in his own fire. Which is why Pytheios kept Airk alive, barely, unable to shift in his prison cage, driving the creature half of him into madness. Airk escaped, but he’ll never be truly free. What good is a king who can never let his feral dragon loose, never fly, and never lead his people? He’s better off dead.

Angelika Amon is the last unmated phoenix. The problem? She has no powers. Zip. Zilch. Angelika hates being dormant, especially now that her three sisters are blissfully mated to powerful dragon shifter kings and are very much part of the fight to take down the rotting king Pytheios, their parents’ killer. What good is a useless runt of a phoenix in a battle to save the dragon kingdom?

Desperate to find some way to help, she offers herself to Airk as a mate — just for political leverage. But a dormant phoenix is no damn use to him just like a dragon who can’t shift is no use to her. Until Pytheios sets his sights on Angelika for himself…

ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN

Multi–award-winning paranormal romance author, Abigail Owen, loves plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, alpha heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of sexy shifters! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic. Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it. Abigail currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero (who she totally married!) and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.  

Website & Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Bookbub

MY REVIEWS FOR ABIGAIL OWEN

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

New Release – One More Kill by Carolyn Arnold @Carolyn_Arnold @HibbertStiles

Posted on by

.

YEAH! TODAY IS RELEASE DAY FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD’S LATEST BRANDON FISHER FBI NOVEL, ONE MORE KILL

One More Kill (Brandon Fisher FBI #9)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Carolyn Arnold’s opening pages for One More Kill made me cringe and I love that she pulls me into the story so quickly.

FBI Special Agent Brandon Fisher of the BAU, along with his cohorts, Paige Dawson, Kelly Marsh, their new boss, Tony Manning, and, of course, we cant leave out Nadia Weber, the gang”s Penelope Garcia from the Criminal Minds TV show, are called in. As they discuss their next case, Jack, their boss before he was temporarily replaced by Tony Manning, steps through the door and says, “”Wheels Up.” They believe The Leopard is back and the higher ups have let Jack return for the case. He was there when The Leopard first hit their radar. It was his first major case and it haunts him. For Jack, it’s personal. Could his career be on the line?

The Leopard has not been heard of for fifteen years, and Jack has been diligent about keeping his ears open and constantly on the alert for anything that could hint he was active. He is back and they are headed to Huntsville, Arkansas.

His targets are Caucasian couples and his modus operandi is always the same. His signature is cats eye marbles and he puts them to a gruesome use.

The Leopard is a chameleon, easily shedding one persona for another. He is charming, but his life is a facade. He kills for the sheer joy of it. He felt life was survival of the fittest and he doesn’t shy away from a challenge. In fact, it gets his blood boiling. For Jack it was personal, and before it’s over, it will be for The Leopard too.

One More Kill unravels like a Criminal Minds episode, as does much of Carolyn Arnold’s Brandon Fisher series. Does she do her research? That is a definite YES. That is also why she is highly respected by law enforcement. I have watched and still watch reruns of Criminal Minds, so it is easy to follow along and visualize their journey, beginning to end.

While the story was quick to grab me, it slows down as the investigation begins. We have to do some research of our own for the case and things are not always action, action, action. Carolyn Arnold paints an accurate description of events through her words. She is a must read author for me.

I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of One More Kill by Carolyn Arnold.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

He told her to run. And she did. As fast as her legs would take her, but it wasn’t fast enough…

The bodies of a husband and wife are found in a patch of woods in small-town, rural Arkansas by a neighboring farmer. They were shot with an arrow, gutted, and left to bleed out. The killer also removed their eyes and replaced them with large cat’s-eye marbles. The murder method and signature are too bizarre to point toward an isolated incident, and FBI Special Agent Brandon Fisher recognizes this right away. His boss with the Behavioral Analysis Unit, Supervisory Special Agent Jack Harper, confirms that he’s crossed paths with this killer several years ago, and he has a voracious appetite for blood. In fact, Jack’s seen his work firsthand—six times, three couples, in three states.

Brandon, Jack, and the rest of the team head to Arkansas for one purpose: to bring down the ruthless and elusive serial killer who calls himself “the Leopard.” Versatile and adaptive, this madman hunts his prey like a wild, hungry cat—tracking them, then striking with swift viciousness. But just as the FBI think they might finally be getting closer to the Leopard’s true identity, he adapts his method and starts killing people faster than ever before.

Racing to catch up, and struggling to get one step ahead, the FBI comes to uncover buried family secrets that aid the investigation—while at the same time, flipping it on its head. Suddenly, the hunters are now the hunted. And while this case has haunted Jack since he joined the Bureau, things are about get more personal and dangerous than he ever would have imagined. If he and his team aren’t careful, one of them—or someone they love—may become the Leopard’s next victim.

A totally gripping and heart-pounding crime thriller. Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Catherine Coulter.

ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

Carolyn Arnold

Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:  Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.

MY REVIEWS FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

The Teacher is … Malignant by Michaelbrent Collings @mbcollings

Posted on by

.

COMING SOON

Expected publication: October 25th 2021 by Written Insomnia Press

Malignant

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Michaelbrent Collings writes some amazing novels and I never hesitate to say YES when I see a new one to read. Gimme Gimme.

…for this lesson he would be called teacher…death, destruction, instruction.

Already I have chills running up and down my spine at 4%, because from past experience with Michaelbrent Collings writing, his villains are at the top of my worst ever list. I am shoring myself up for the Teacher’s visit…I know it won’t be a pleasant one.

I began my journey into blackness thinking this is like a Criminal Minds episode and Michaelbrent Collings can take me to a place I have never been before, so dark and disturbing that sometimes I have to wonder what my fascination is with such criminals, psychopaths and sociopaths. They fascinate me.

“Is it just me or did he actually act like a human?” “He did….

But, the human monster can be the worst monster of all, the one you may not see coming. For me, I like reading about monsters and I like my stories dark and disturbing, hitting on humanities best and worst traits, making me uncomfortable and questioning…why…what is my fascination with the human mind, a human’s ability to inflict so much damage to another human being baffles and intrigues me.

I want to warn you…read the Prologue. Check out some reviews. This may not be a book for you…graphic brutality and triggers.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Malignant by Michaelbrent Collings.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Global bestseller and multiple Bram Stoker Award and Dragon Award Finalist Michaelbrent Collings brings you his most thrilling tale yet!

***

When armed commandos storm an elite boarding school, the police think it’s a plot for ransom, or an attempt to extort favors from the teens’ powerful parents.

But the men, led by a killer who calls himself ‘‘Teacher,” have much darker plans in mind.

Teacher intends to give a lesson unlike any taught before. Written on flesh, inked in blood.

A lesson about monsters.

The bell has been rung, the lesson begun. And the lesson is this:

The monsters are real, and to them… you are just a plaything.

ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS

Michaelbrent Collings

Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of the top indie horror writers in the United States.

He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.

Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.

Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC… and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!

STALK MICHAELBRENT: Website / Twitter

MY MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

New Release – Some Trust Can Be Rebuilt by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Posted on by
Some Trust Can Be Rebuilt (River's End Rescues #5)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I feel like I am on the verge of reading burnout. Soooo, I am going to a tried and true author that never lets me down…Jane Blythe and the next book in the Saving Seals series, Some Trust Can Be Rebuilt.

I have met Mia and Shark before and I am excited to get their story. Shark caught my eye early in the series, and even though the books can stand alone, I have enjoyed getting those early glimpses of him and Mia before their story was told.

Mia is the head of Search and Rescue in Rivers End. She has been involved in hundreds of searches, but there was something different about this one. They were looking for a ten year old boy. She knew what he was going through, because she had been lost in a forest for ten hours when she was eight years old.

STCBR teaser 1

Mia feels as if someone is watching her. You know, those feelings that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and goosebumps rise on your arms. Knowing Jane, someone probably is…and who will be the one to come to her rescue? Julian, better known as Shark to his Seal teammates.

STCBR teaser 2

If you have been following the series, you will know why he had blown it with her. Can he win her back? They were high school sweethearts and he wants her, asking himself why has hasn’t gone after her? What is holding him back? What does he have to lose by trying to woo her back into his arms?

The break up was mutual. At least that is how Mia saw it. She missed him terribly, but, like him, she won’t make the first move. Why do WE make it so complicated? Communication seems to be at the center of many a misunderstanding.

The flowers….

A second boy goes missing…

Some Trust Can Be Rebuilt is like a Criminal Minds episode rolling through my mind. Hey Jane, I think you could be a writer for their show. Or how about having a movie of your very own? I can see Mia walking through the forest, trying not to show her unease. Would we pan around to see if…

I love visiting River’s End, but I’m not to sure about living there. For a town of a little over ten thousand people, they sure do get their fair share of evil dropping by. Thank goodness my friends are still in one piece.

Even though each book can stand alone, which I love if I find myself reading a series out of order, I love this series so much, I highly recommend beginning at the beginning for hours of suspense, love, tears, and laughter.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Some Trust Can Be Rebuilt by Jane Blythe.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Trust is fragile.

Mia Taylor-Black loves her job as the head of the River’s End search and rescue team. When the children of the town start going missing, turning up unharmed in the forest, she starts feeling like someone is watching her. She’s been there before, had a stalker whose reign of terror ended up costing her everything, and the idea of going back to that dark time in her life terrifies her.

Julian Black loves his wife but guilt over not protecting her tore them apart. Seeing his brother get a second chance with the woman he loves makes him hope that he might get that same chance with Mia. He knows it won’t be easy to regain her trust, but nothing worth having in life is easy and he vows that nothing and no one is going to stop him from reclaiming his marriage.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

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

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

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review – Worlds Apart by Carmen Webster Buxton @CarmenWBuxton #sciencefiction

Posted on by

.

I fell in love with Carmen Webster Buxton’s Wakanreo Science Fiction Series, so I am very eager to go on another adventure with her. Carmen….take me away….

Worlds Apart (ThreeCon)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read some of Carmen Webster Buxton’s work, of which her Wakanreo series was my favorite, so far. She builds worlds that are easy to visualize with her creative writing and her characters quickly draw me into their lives, as I struggle right along with them.

We start out with a wild west gunfight, but it’s out on the plain, not at the OK Corral. Out of the sky comes a flash…and Praxiteles’ life is changed forever.

Praxiteles is a Mercouri, an unsophisticated man who lives a primitive life on the plains. The Mercouri are language refuges, colonists who left the city instead of giving up their language. Praxiteles is naive, loyal, trustworthy, and committed to the debts he owes.

I love watching him grow and learn, adjusting to his new circumstances, his new world.

I got lost in the fabulous world Carmen Webster Buxton created with her ability to show me through words the planets and characters. I lived and loved as Praxiteles and Rishi lived and loved. The peripheral characters were as interesting and vital to the story as the principles. I am looking forward to spending more time in their world and am curious to see what will happen next.

Love can conquer all in their world, but it wasn’t easy getting there.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Worlds Apart by Carmen Webster Buxton.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

“Meet cute” is one thing, but “meet dangerous” is something else. Praxiteles Mercouri’s people live a low-tech, nomadic existence on the plains of the planet Celadon. When they are attacked by well-armed merciless marauders, they are saved from annihilation by the timely intervention of a visitor to Celadon, the very wealthy Rishi Trahn. In the ensuing celebration, Rishi overdoes the potent local wine. A sense of duty makes Prax agree to her request that he go with her to her world, Stone cold sober the next morning, Rishi is appalled at her own actions. But while she feels terrible for taking Prax away from his people, she doesn’t feel bad enough to send him back. Now if they can just get past his gratitude and her scruples.

ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON

Carmen Webster Buxton

Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.

Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.

Carmen has published many books:

WAKANREO SERIES
Alien Bonds
Alien Vows
Alien Skies

HAVEN SERIES
The Sixth Discipline
No Safe Haven

THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order)
The Nostalgia Gambit
Saronna’s Gift
Shades of Empire
Tribes
Worlds Apart

ALTERNATE HISTORY
King of Trees

YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION
Turnabout
Drifters

FANTASY
Where Magic Rules
Bag of Tricks
Hidden Magic

THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021)
The North Edge of Nowhere
Oaths and Promises

Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Shark’s Story – Saving Logan by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Posted on by

.

TODAY IS RELEASE DAY! Be one of the 1st to get your copy.

Woo Hoo…If the tent is rockin’, don’t come a knockin’.

Saving Logan (Saving SEALs, #4)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Shark”s story…I have been waiting for it. For some reason, this character really caught my attention in the previous novels. He is the perfect example of the strong, silent type. Action starts from the opening pages and never lets up. My favorite….so far.

Logan hopped a ride on the chopper, to join his team in Afghanistan, after his mother’s funeral. He is a pro at keeping his feelings to himself, but Claire picks up a vibe from him. Could he be the one after her? What, if any, are his intentions? She is gorgeous, but it is not her looks that get Logan’s attention. He can sense the fear radiating off her. He feels the need to know more. After all, he is a protector.

His Seal team mates, and the women who love them, are his friends, his family, but there is something about Claire that draws him in. He uses his size and gruffness to create distance from people and convey a sense of menace. It doesn’t take a lot of effort on his part. It seems to come naturally.

I love how he got his nickname in school….Shark. Should I tell you? Can you guess? Hint: what do sharks do? Cruise around and…

When the helicopter went down, Claire’s badass side came out. I am impressed, and surprised, and I love it. Her and Logan are the only two who survive and neither one trusts the other. They need to figure it out…and soon. They would have to work together to survive long enough to be rescued. Logan knew his Seal team would come looking, they just had to last long enough for the team to find them.

Claire Bear…walls collapsing…feelings coming out….taking over…BUT, it’s all in or nothing with Logan. He tries to use his ‘shark face’ on her, but she can see right through it. We do have some of the back and forth angst, the push and pull, but they have only known each other for days, not weeks or years. Still, the intense situation can put things in perspective.

When Logan and his team were sitting around a scrounged up barrel that created a makeshift fire pit, I immediately thought of a Seal Team TV episode. From them on, it was easy to visualize the action, making the suspense and thrills even more intense.

Terrorists, HIM, the traitor…I don’t understand their ideology and motivations. Does HE truly believe, or does he want revenge for some slight he feels?

Shark’s story was worth the wait. AND, with Jane Blythe’s tease about Chaos coming home and finding a woman in his bed, she has me eager for the next Seal team story. This was my favorite, no bones about it.

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

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

They’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive.

When Claire Barrett decided to dedicate her life to helping those who serve in the military deal with the horrors they experience, the last thing she expected was that she would wind up lost in the middle of Afghanistan. The only other surviver of the helicopter crash is a sexy SEAL with dark, empty eyes. She isn’t sure that she can trust him, but if she wants to survive she doesn’t have a choice.

Logan “Shark” Kirk knows that Claire is afraid of him, and that she’s keeping secrets. He has to wonder if she knows why their helicopter was shot down. As she fights alongside him, his respect for her grows, along with it feelings he’s completely unprepared for. Things between them heat up, but with Claire in the sights of a terrorist cell, their fight for survival has only just begun.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

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

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

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway & Review – Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu @byyobeqiu @iReadBookTours

Posted on by


Join us for this tour from September 7 to September 27
 

MY REVIEW

Our Moon Festival is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that shares a glimpse into the moon festival in Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese cultures. The oversize book is easy to share while reading with your children. Multicultural families make everyone feel welcome. The little ones (and us older ones) will get a glimpse into other cultures and may even be curious enough to want to know more. Isn’t that what all us book lovers want, more readers?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Book Details:
 
Book Title:  Our Moon Festival by Yobe Qiu
Category:  Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7),  30 pages
Genre: Children’s Picture Book 
Publisher:  Yobe Qiu LLC
Release date:  January 2020
Content Rating:  G
 
Book Description:
 
“Our Moon Festival” is a beautifully illustrated children’s book celebrating the unique ways the Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese communities celebrate the Moon Festival. The story highlights different families and their traditions as they observe Zhong Qiu Jie, Tết Trung Thu, and Tsukimi!
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
 
Yobe is an educator, entrepreneur and mom who lives in NYC. As an educator, she focused on teaching families to embrace love, diversity and different cultures. Through the years working in the classrooms and closely with other educators, she noticed the lack of multi-cultural resources that represented children of color. That is when Yobe decided to create multicultural children stories that feature Asian children, families and cultures! Yobe loves spending time with her daughter, reading to children and taking long walks during the day!

Connect with the Author:  Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram
 
Tour Schedule: 

Sep 7 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
Sep 7 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway
Sep 7 – Kam’s Place – book review
Sep 8 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Sep 8 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Sep 9 – I’m Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 10 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review / giveaway
Sep 13 – fundinmental – book review / giveaway
Sep 14 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Sep 14 – The Adventures of a Traveler’s Wife – book review / giveaway
Sep 15 – Chit Chat with Charity – book review / giveaway
Sep 15 – She Just Loves Books – book review / giveaway
Sep 16 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 16 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
Sep 17 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review / giveaway
Sep 20 – Fictional Vixen – book review
Sep 21 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Sep 21 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Sep 22 – 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS – book spotlight 
Sep 22 – The Momma Spot – book review / giveaway
Sep 23 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Sep 23 – Laura’s Interests – book review / giveaway
Sep 24 – Westveil Publishing – book review / giveaway
Sep 27 – The Phantom Paragrapher – book review
 
Enter the Giveaway:

OUR MOON FESTIVAL Book Tour Giveaway


 

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review For New Release – City of Prey by Blake Pierce #BlakePierce

Posted on by

City of Prey (Ava Gold Mystery #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read quite a few of Blake Pierce’s first in a series novels that he offers for free. He writes some wonderful mystery, suspense, thriller fiction, and I am happy to be here to share City of Prey with you. The simplicity of the cover still manages to give me a creepy feeling, a sense of foreboding.

Blake Pierce quickly got my attention. My spidey senses were tingling as soon as HE walked in the door.

Let’s step back in time…the 1920s in New York City, to be precise. Women had their place…at home, in the kitchen. Not so for Ava Gold. At her husband’s funeral, when the captain asked if there was anything he could do for her, she blurted out, “…I’d like a job.”

Ava’s father had been a boxer, until he broke his hand. He’s a trainer…and he taught Ava, so beware. This may be the 1920s and women were thought to be helpless, but not Ava. Once she starts working, he helps her with her ten year old son. She doesn’t realize it, but he has the utmost respect for her.

I could rant and rave about how the women were treated, but I want you to feel the same frustration and disgust that I felt at the stupidity of it all. Of course, I believe so much of this still goes on today, so it should be easy to imagine.

Ava has to deal with racism and sexism and understands neither. She loves Jazz and singing. She’s not afraid of Harlem and ignores those that frown at her independence. She is a natural investigator, whether because of her husband’s insight while discussing police business with her, or her own abilities to think like the criminal she is chasing. Investigating was not as sophisticated in the 1920s, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t those who stand above the rest, not willing to accept the easy way out. Piece by piece she puts the puzzle together to catch him.

I had a few issues with City of Prey, but overall they were minor. I loved the character of Ava and those who surrounded her had their place. History shows, it takes characters like these, willing to step outside the box and push the boundaries, to help us all progress.

City of Prey by Blake Pierce touches on racism, prohibition, and women’s rights.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of City of Prey by Blake Pierce.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In the rough streets of 1920s New York City, 34 year-old Ava Gold, a widower and single mom, claws her way up to become the first female homicide detective in her NYPD precinct. She is as tough as they come, and willing to hold her own in a man’s world.

But when a psychotic serial killer unleashes a rampage, murdering young women across the city, Ava will have to search the dark canals of the twisted killer’s mind if she has any hope of hunting him down. With psychological profiling still in its infancy, and mocked by most, Ava will be even more alone as she follows her instinct, and hunts him down in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Just when it seems the stakes couldn’t be higher, Ava comes to an awful realization: she herself may be the next target.

Amidst the speakeasies, jazz clubs, mafia-run prohibition rings, horrific mental asylums and dangerous back alleys of the city, can Ava achieve what all the men cannot: enter the sick mind of a killer, and stop him before more women die?

A heart-pounding suspense thriller filled with shocking twists, the authentic and atmospheric AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES is a riveting page-turner, endearing us to a strong and brilliant character that will capture your heart and keep you reading late into the night.

Books #2 and #3 in the series—CITY OF FEAR and CITY OF BONES—are now also available.

ABOUT BLAKE PIERCE

Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising thirteen books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising seven books (and counting); of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising two books (and counting); of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); of the new ADELE SHARP mystery series; and of the new EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series.

ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery–Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery–Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery–Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery–Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige–Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery–Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller–Book One), and IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery–Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

MY BLAKE PIERCE REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!