Early Review – No Surrender by Patrick Bisher with Jon Land #PatrickBisher @jondland

Posted on June 9, 2017 by fundinmental

No Surrender by Patrick Bisher & Jon Land was not what I expected, but so much more than I anticipated.

The true story is disheartening and uplifting, emotions flitting through the pages like butterflies through the air, leaving me feeling like all things are possible.

This is an early review and the book is up for preorder, releasing July 4, 2017.

This is one you won’t want to miss.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Patrick Bisher’s true story is all about overcoming hardship and finding his true path in life. His determination and perseverance can be an inspiration to us all, giving us hope and encouragement to dream and reach for it.

Michigan is my home state, so knowing Patrick is a fellow Michigander made me want to know his story even more. He is an amazing man with a story to share that we can all walk away from being better off for knowing it.

Imagine, as a child, a 9 year old boy, hearing, “You’ll never be able to walk again.” When I read that, the first thought to pop into my mind was One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

At the end of each chapter is an inspirational summary of ‘What you can learn from this.’

Patrick takes us from a childhood of bullying, harassment, despair and pain, to an adulthood filled with hope and determination and a desire to inspire and uplift. He is dealt blow after blow, struggling to find his way through every setback. Even when he is lost, he finds an inner strength.

Life is full of surprises and the road twists and turns, a journey we must all take, but there is no straight line.

Funny that he also tasted the General Motors life and found it lacking. I worked there for fifteen years and took early retirement because I wanted more. It felt like a prison to me and I had to spread my wings. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith. No risk, no reward.

I totally agree with his final chapter and it concerns me for our country’s future.

Patrick believes in Paying It Forward. His story takes us from him being bullied and labeled as a cripple who would never amount to anything, to being a Navy SEAL, when everyone said it wasn’t possible, to giving back to all those who need a little help in achieving their goals and desires.

Believe…believe in yourself.

I felt so good after reading No Surrender and I want to thank Patrick for his service to our country and his willingness to share what he has learned with all of us.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of No Surrender by Patrick Bisher & Jon Land.

5 Stars

Never Surrender by Corey Hart is a song I hold close to my heart.

It was an inspiration to me when I needed one and I hope it lifts you up too.

GOODREADS BLURB

A Navy SEAL who first overcame a crippling childhood condition and then a devastating training accident offers his own experiences as lessons in defeating adversity.

Patrick Bisher’s career as a Navy SEAL should have ended after a parachuting accident nearly crippled him. But overcoming adversity, even an injury as serious as a broken hip, was nothing new for him. He’d spent a portion of his childhood in leg braces. Doctors told him he’d never walk again thanks to a degenerative hip condition. He wasn’t about to give up then, any more than he was in the wake of that parachute training accident. Instead, he went on to serve in combat as a member of SEAL Team Seven, seeing action in Iraq and ultimately winning the Army Commendations Medal, among other awards.

Now Patrick wants to take the lessons he learned on and off the battlefield and apply them to everyday life. He offers inspiration to all who’ve faced the kind of adversity he has. In chapters drawn directly from his own experience, he sketches a heart-wrenching tale of salvaging lifelong victories out of crushing defeats, and hope out of heartache.

From being branded a “cripple” to successfully negotiating BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALS) training, from agonizing pain to heroic achievement, from devastating loss to finding his faith, Patrick’s story is one of discovering ways to do everything he possibly can, instead of making excuses for what he can’t. An American hero who never surrendered is now sharing his lessons with those fighting their own battles to emerge from their dark places into the light and lead a better, more productive life

ABOUT JON LAND

JON LAND is the USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels, including Strong Enough to Die, Strong Justice, Strong at the Break, Strong Vengeance, Strong Rain Falling (winner of the 2014 International Book Award and 2013 USA Best Book Award for Mystery-Suspense), Strong Darkness (winner of the 2014 USA Books Best Book Award and the 2015 International Book Award for Thriller), and Strong Light of Day (winner of the 2015 Books and Author Award for Best Mystery Thriller and the 2016 Beverly Hills Book Award for Best Mystery). Land is a graduate of Brown University. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

MY JON LAND REVIEWS

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Early Review – The Future Is Now – Fracture Point by Jeff Altabef @JeffAltabef @novelpublicity

Posted on June 5, 2017 by fundinmental

Fracture Point by Jeff Altabef is not my first foray into his worlds and I can say for a fact that it will not be my last.

Fracture Point made me feel as if our future was held between the pages…and it is frightening.

The release date is set for June 26, 2017.

Cover by D Robert Pease

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Let me start by saying, make sure you have no plans…nowhere to go, nothing to do…because once you start reading, Fracture Point will take you down a path that will not let you go until the last word is read.

Is this what the future holds for us?

Warren Scott, well, he got my attention from the opening chapter and I felt nothing good was going to come from knowing him. He has a secret and he won’t share…yet. There is nothing he won’t do to win and revels in the evil he doles out to anyone who crosses him…or sometimes just because it feels good. Psychopath is too nice a word for him.

Jack is working a banquet for the richy rich and was hooking up with one of their wives. He was after info, but got more than he bargained for when he found a flash drive.

Once their paths cross, others become involved in the race to save Jack’s life and their own, running at a frenetic pace, making me worry and fret, wondering who will survive.

Fracture Point is a frightening glimpse into America’s future…voters rights taken away, the poor are discounted as lesser human beings, and terrorism is used to create fear and manipulate the people. Does any of this ring a bell?

They are at a Fracture Point, the point where a spark can set their world ablaze.

Fracture Point hits all the buttons for a heart pumping, blood boiling, terrorizing suspense thriller that smacks of realism, with big business and the 1% taking everything and leaving nothing for the 99% struggling to survive.

Is this what OUR world is coming to? Will it take a Civil War to wake up the leaders? What happens when the American Dream is dead, there is no hope left and we feel backed into a corner with nothing to lose?

CAUTION – Kindle is at risk of being thrown.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Fracture Point by Jeff Altabef.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A mysterious scarlet haired jazz singer.
A rebel on a motorcycle.
And a killer with a penchant for torture.

Food is scarce, good jobs the rarity, and big brother is watching everyone. Will Jack and Tom’s family be torn apart in the mayhem, and how far will one brother go to save the other’s life?

In 2041, America is rife with ghettos and armed checkpoints, and poverty runs rampant. A bloody civil war is brewing, and everyone will be forced to take a side. Education is the only way out of a life where you’re never sure where your next meal will come from, or what you’ll have to do to get it. Tom aced his assessment tests and scored an education contract, giving him a way out of poverty. Jack isn’t so lucky.

When Jack, a spy for a rebel fraction, goes missing, only his brother Tom can unravel the mystery of his disappearance. He will risk everything to save his brother from Warren, a killer who enjoys torturing his victims and making them beg for mercy. On a mission, Tom plunges into a world filled with mystery and danger. When he also discovers that his family has been keeping secrets from him—secrets that threaten to doom them all—he doesn’t know whom to trust.

Tom must break every rule he’s lived by, and go head-to-head with a psychopath if he’s to have any chance of saving his brother—and just maybe, keep America from reaching the fracture point.

ABOUT JEFF ALTABEF

Jeff Altabef is an award-winning author who lives in New York with his wife, two daughters, and Charlie the dog. He spends time volunteering at the writing center in the local community college. After years of being accused of “telling stories,” he thought he would make it official. He writes in both the thriller and young adult genres.

In the Young Adult genre, Jeff co-authored the Chosen Trilogy with his teenaged daughter, Erynn. The Chosen Series has won multiple awards including the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Best Coming of Age Novel, the 2015 Beverly HIlls Book Award for Best YA Fiction, and a Mom’s Choice Award.

As an avid Knicks fan, Jeff is prone to long periods of melancholy during hoops season. Jeff has a column on The Examiner focused on writing and a blog designed to encourage writing by those who like telling stories.

You can connect with Jeff on his website, Facebook, Twitter & Newsletter.

MY REVIEWS FOR JEFF ALTABEF

Red Death

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Are We Facing Extinction? Dark Light Dawn by Jon Land & Fabrizio Boccardi @jondland

Posted on June 2, 2017 by fundinmental

Jon Land has been a go to author for me from way back.

He is stepping outside his comfort zone in Dark Light Dawn, a horror thriller, and I am super excited to find out…

This is an early review and the book is now up for pre order and will be released August 1, 2017.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been a huge fan of Jon Land’s for many years and I am always eager to pick up another one of his novels.

Dark Light Dawn is a new genre for Jon Land and he has outdone himself. The opening is the hook, slowly reeling me in character by character, event by event, a war between good and evil ravages the world, innocents and guilty alike falling in agony.

Jon Land keeps the mystery going, slowly sharing pieces of what brought the world to this cataclysmic place, making it impossible for me to put the book down. Will anyone survive? Are we facing extinction?

The story is told from multiple points of view and I enjoyed seeing each character’s perspective and motivation.

It all began with Ben Younger…

Ben Younger and his partner, Dale Denton, are drilling oil, or at least trying to, on the impact crater of The Big Bang. Is it cursed, or is the Mexican way of doing business too costly. I guess that tells us there will be surprising developments arising.

Will arrogance and greed be Dale Denton’s downfall?

Max Younger, Ben’s son was in the fight of his life in Yemen. He functioned as if a man in auto mode, like he has a sixth sense. NOW, he’s in an even bigger fight and there is so much more at stake than just his life.

Vicky is a wiz with disease, having worked for the CDC and WHO and is called to Jordan.

Al-Qadir in Iraq, is a ruthless savage, hell bent on torturing and killing all those who oppose him.

Science fiction, religious, paranormal and supernatural, horror…you decide.

The minute I thought I had everything figured out, the worst is over…

Holy Moly, what can I say?

The tension goes on and on and on and one.

Dark Light Dawn by Jon Land filled me with so many emotions, I was spent by the time I read the last word….but, please Jon….I WANT MORE!

Amazing! Mind shattering!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

With an uncanny ability to survive any combat situation, Max Younger has built a good life for himself as a Navy SEAL. That is, until a rogue rescue operation plunges him back into the past he thought he’d escaped forever.

Waiting for him back home in New York are terrible, long-hidden truths rooted in the tragic death of his father. But the origin of those truths lie further back than that, and Max finds himself ensnared in a sinister plot involving nothing less than the biblical apocalypse.

The explosive conflagration of events reunites him with the only woman he ever loved: Victoria Lewin, a brilliant expert in infectious disease who may be the only one who can stop the spread of a deadly pestilence threatening the planet. Max’s reunion with Vicky comes amid a firestorm being unleashed by forces that date back to the very origins of the universe.

Across the globe, the stage is being set for a final, epic confrontation between the forces of good and evil. Sides are chosen, a fearsome army rises, and the lines between science and superstition become increasingly blurred. Max desperately seeks to discover whether he is fated, under the shadow of the Medusa Strain, to help save the world . . . or destroy it.

ABOUT JON LAND

MY JON LAND REVIEWS

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Friday 56 #134 – Bullet by Laurell K Hamilton @lkhamilton

Posted on May 26, 2017 by fundinmental

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

Bullet by Laurell K Hamilton is another book I picked up from a grocery store bin.

It must have been fate, because I rarely step foot in a grocery store. LOL

I am always up for one of her novels. How about you?

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

“If my choice is between opening a vein to you with Jean-Claude and Anita, or making that sadistic bastard Narcissus the animal king of St Louis, I’ll donate the blood.”

( page 56, in hardback,1st edition, published in 2010)

Book Beginnings

I was worming my way through a mass of parents and children with a tiny clown hat clutched in one hand. In my navy blue skirt suit I looked like a dozen other mothers who had had to come straight from work to the dance recital. My hair was a little curly and a little too black for all the blond mothers, but no one gave me a second glance. The one saving grace as I threaded my way through the crowd of parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and siblings was that I wasn’t one of the parent. I was just here as moral support and last minute costume rescuer.. It was just Monica Vespucci’s style to leave part of her son’s costume at her house and need an emergency save. Micah and I had been running late with client meetings so we got to ride tot the rescue, and now since the vast majority of the performers were female I was the only one safe to go backstage without scandalizing the mothers. What did little girls who only had male relatives do at things Like this? My dad would have been at a loss.

GOODREADS BLURB: The music came back up and the next group of little girls, slightly older, came out. There was a lot of that in the next hour and change. I liked dance, and it was no reflection on the kids, but my will to live began to seep away on about the fifth group of sequined children…

Anita Blake is back in St. Louis and trying to live a normal life-as normal as possible for someone who is a legal vampire executioner and a U. S. Marshal. There are lovers, friends and their children, school programs to attend. In the midst of all the ordinary happiness a vampire from Anita’s past reaches out. She was supposed to be dead, killed in an explosion, but the Mother of All Darkness is the first vampire, their dark creator. It’s hard to kill a god. This dark goddess has reached out to her here-in St. Louis, home of everyone Anita loves most. The Mother of All Darkness has decided she has to act now or never, to control Anita, and all the vampires in America.

The Mother of All Darkness believes that the triumvirate created by master vampire Jean-Claude with Anita and the werewolf Richard Zeeman has enough power for her to regain a body and to immigrate to the New World. But the body she wants to possess is already taken. Anita is about to learn a whole new meaning to sharing her body, one that has nothing to do with the bedroom. And if the Mother of All Darkness can’t succeed in taking over Anita’s body for herself, she means to see that no one else has the use of it, ever again. Even Belle Morte, not always a friend to Anita, has sent word: “Run if you can…”

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I have the second cover and some of the differences are very subtle.

Which do you like the best?

Sex, Torture and Human Trafficking ~ Blood is Power by Ella Medler Review

Posted on May 4, 2017 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Ella Medler’s Hunter Series has some of the most awesome, vibrant, eyecatching covers that relate to the story and I love them. I could never walk by without picking them up, just by the cover alone.

I had read Blood Is Heavier, Book I, and I was dying to continue Nick’s story. Blood Is Power picks up where Blood Is Heavier left off. I knew this would be another hit thriller and I was not disappointed. Fast paced, exciting and suspenseful.

Nick was tired of all the killing, but Campbell or Dallas had kidnapped Cameron and Maxi to make him do their bidding, so now they would have to pay. They had no idea what a big mistake they had made. If he was good enough to hire, they should have thought of the repercussions. He found the yacht easily.

Tequila is Nick’s best bud. They had been in Special Forces together and had a special bond. She understood him and would do anything for him. She is strong, stubborn and resourceful. He had Max and Cam. She was alone, but she takes care of his family as if it’s her own. She is obsessive, impetuous and pushes things too far. It gets her in trouble. I was freaking out for Tequila. I love her and am scared for her.

Police Officer Newton, along with Marsh is doing a lot off the grid. Newton has a disregard for rules. They are walking a mighty fine line, venturing on their own to save…..They will risk their careers to do the right thing.

What was Dollar dela Rue’s game? He enjoyed being turned on by others pain. Is he in to human trafficking? Aweful, just awful Ella. How do you come up with such evilness. LOL I love it.

“So much blood? I hope its worth it.”

“Blood is power. Its money and influence and authority. It’s me.”

Hard to not give away too much. Police corruption. Rich powerful men ruling the world. A few out for the few. They can bring you down on a whim. Is that happening now? I do believe in conspiracies. Just look at current events.

I love thrillers and this is a great one. From the UK to Cypress to the Maldines. Greed, corruption, pornography, sex slaves, murder, and the deepest, darkest depravities of the sexually perverted.

Death of a 1000 – ling chi.

The writing was so real, I was at turns afraid, disgusted and super pissed.

I can’t think of where she will go next but am glad to hear that Tequila’s story will be told.

Bonus material and an interview with Ella Medler is at the end of the book.

The interview is very entertaining. When she tells how she remains sane, I loved it. Cracking up. I loved reading how she chooses characters names, and does her research on locations, the military culture, maps, organ transplant, slave trade, trafficking…

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Blood Is Power from Ella Medler.

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

In this second instalment of his story, Nick Hunter proceeds to track down and eliminate every person involved in his son’s kidnap. But where will the chase end? And has he bitten off more than he can chew? Nick discovers a tangled net of human trafficking and corruption, and world-class players with a penchant for disturbed obsessions. Gritty, dark, chock-full of suspense. Don’t start reading if you cannot finish it in one sitting.

85,000 words approx, plus Bonus Materials 1, 2 & 3.

(non-spoiler excerpt)

“Action!” Dollar shouted. Then, quieter, to her. “Oh, I will enjoy watching your end, Precious. Every single second of it. Every cut, every lick of blood, every morsel of flesh that drops off your body.” Tequila felt her eyes bulge out of their sockets. She was too terrified to breathe, too stunned to think. And still, the beast walked nearer. He sneered, and then lifted up the scalpel until it was level with his chin. “Don’t forget to scream,” he whispered.

Don’t miss BLOOD IS THE END, the last book in the Hunter trilogy, due for release in 2014, and DEAL WITH IT! – Tequila’s story, a spin-off created by popular demand.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ella Medler is a U.K. author and free-lance editor. She writes fiction in more than one genre in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books are action-driven and well-developed characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor.

Stalk Ella: Blog / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Paper Gold Publishing

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

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Blood Is Heavier, Book I

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Giveaway & Reviews for Marred & Cleaved by Sue Coletta @SueColetta1 @SilverDaggerSxx

Posted on April 27, 2017 by fundinmental

If you are looking for a fabulous and informative crime and thriller blog to follow, look no further. I have been a follower of Sue Coletta’s for some time now, so I was super excited to get my hands on Marred and Cleaved.

Just check out the covers by EJR Digital Art!

Cleaved

Grafton County Series, Book 2

by Sue Coletta

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

I just finished MARRED and it blew me away, so there was no way I was going to wait to read CLEAVED. I have to have more!

I love anything to do with water, and when I saw the Marine Patrol and Fish & Game would be involved, I became even more excited. I know what water can do to a dead body and I’m looking forward to finding out who put it there.

Sue starts her books out with a bang and I am gasping for breath right along with Sage. Then, Sue takes it to an even darker place and I excited to see how it will play out.

I feel as if the characters have become my friends and I worry for them as the serial killer adds body after body and the action continues non stop.

Sage has great instincts and after all she has been through, she listens to them.

Frankie has become my favorite character. She is humorous, brash, dresses as if she’s going out on the town instead of to a crime scene, hates authority and is quick with a sharp retort. Niko doesn’t think she would be good as the Sheriff because of these faults, so he is constantly grooming someone else to take his place when he quits.

Niko’s team has a Keystone Kop, Mayberry feel to them, but they are coming together, making constant progress.

The serial killer is back with a vengeance and I wonder if it is the same one…or is there more than one.

Sue Coletta takes us to a very dark place with a kidnapping that would make any of us cringe and rage at the villain and the world.

I love how creative Sue is in coming up with new ways for the serial killer to torture and kill his victims, really making them suffer and beg for death. She never thinks the evil is bad enough, so she piles on more and more and more…

Her ability to create so much tension and angst, at times left me white knuckled, gripping my Kindle so tight my hands hurt, making me want to reach through the screen and take matters into my own hands.

I voluntarily reviewed Marred by Sue Coletta.

5 STARS

Author Sage Quintano writes about crime. Her husband Niko investigates it.
Together they make an unstoppable team. But no one counted on a
twisted serial killer, who stalks their sleepy community, uproots
their happy home, and splits the threads that bonds their family
unit.

Darkness swallows the Quintanos whole—ensnared by a ruthless killer out for
blood. Why he focused on Sage remains a mystery, but he won’t stop
till she dies like the others.

Women impaled by deer antlers, bodies encased in oil drums, nursery rhymes,
and the Suicide King. What connects these cryptic clues? For Sage and
Niko, the truth may be more terrifying than they ever imagined.

Goodreads * Amazon

Marred

Grafton County Series, Book 1

Marred by Sue Coletta starts out with a baby’s funeral and a severely broken woman who is pissed off at herself and the world because of it. I can’t help but wonder WHY.

Sage is broken in more ways than one…blaming herself for her unborn baby’s death even though she had been tortured by a serial killer and was lucky to even be alive. She is MARRED for life and now I understand why.

NOW, he’s back, terrorizing her and she has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

I cannot imagine what she has been through, though Sue Coletta’s writing makes me become totally engrossed in her story, filled with details that draw a too vivid picture in my mind. I think it is time she takes matters into her own hands and let him know she will not cow down…this time. I love when the character has been through a traumatic, life changing experience, and the past comes back to haunt them, demanding they take action to defend themselves.

Sage is a bestselling author, writing crime novels, and this adds an extra element, making it even more interesting. Does her writing bring the killer even closer, thinking of her as a challenge? She keeps secrets, pushing people away, even keeping her husband at arm’s length. She writes about crime and her husband investigates the.

The murders are described in detail and they are brutal, savage. The more gruesome the better for me. LOL I guess I am a little twisted myself.

The body count rises.

I’m almost at 50% and I see what you are doing Sue. I know what you set me up for and I think it’s going to get ugly. I am pissed off at both of them for not communicating, but if they did we wouldn’t be in this dark place, with a sense of urgency and danger making me want to read faster and slower all at the same time, savoring the story.

There is a touch of the paranormal, rape, brutal and mind numbing torture. Why do women and society place blame on the vivctim, when it is the villain’s fault?

At times I am so angry with Niko that I want to reach into my Kindle and slap him upside the head, cuss him out, and tell him, “It’s not about YOU!”

Having a couple of critters adds another element that I love. They’d put their lives on the line for her.

Uh oh, I am glad that what I was thinking at 50% was wrong. Sue…you did a great job of yanking my chain and it takes a lot to lead me down the wrong path. Fabulous!

Deputy Sheriff Frankie, a female, is becoming a favorite character for me. To say she is rough around the edges is putting it mildly. She is aggressive and a bit raunchy, but I wouldn’t want any one else by my side in a time of crises.

WOW, Sue. You can sure spin a tale that has a lot of suspense that keeps my emotions raging as I struggle to take a calming breath before moving on to more of the same. You twisted and turned the story, keeping plenty of surprises coming my way.

Marred is the first book in the Grafton County series. One villain is taken care of, but you will want to read more of the series, because one remains.

I voluntarily reviewed Marred by Sue Coletta.

5 STARS

When a serial killer breaks into the home of bestselling author, Sage
Quintano, she barely escapes with her life. Her husband, Niko, a
homicide detective, insists they move to rural New Hampshire, where
he accepts a position as Grafton County Sheriff. Sage buries secrets
from that night—secrets she swears to take to her deathbed.

Three years of anguish and painful memories pass, and a grisly murder case
lands on Niko’s desk. A strange caller begins tormenting Sage—she
can’t outrun the past.

When Sage’s twin sister suddenly goes missing, Sage searches Niko’s
case files and discovers similarities to the Boston killer. A
sadistic psychopath is preying on innocent women, marring their
bodies in unspeakable ways. And now, he has her sister.

Cryptic clues. Hidden messages. Is the killer hinting at his identity? Or is
he trying to lure Sage into a deadly trap to end his reign of terror
with a matching set of corpses?

Goodreads * Amazon

ABOUT SUE COLETTA

Member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International
Thriller Writers, Sue Coletta is an award-winning, multi-published
author in numerous anthologies and her forensics articles have
appeared in InSinC Quarterly. In addition to her popular crime
resource blog, Sue co-hosts the radio show “Partners In Crime”
on Writestream Radio Network every third Tuesday of the month from 1
– 3 p.m. EDT/EST (see details at www.suecoletta.com).
She’s also the communications manager for the Serial Killer Project
and Forensic Science, and founder of #ACrimeChat on Twitter.

She runs a popular crime website and blog, where she shares crime tips,
police jargon, the mind of serial killers, and anything and
everything in between. If you search her achieves, you’ll find posts
from guests that work in law enforcement, forensics, coroner,
undercover operatives, firearm experts…crime, crime, and more
crime.

For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where subscribers will be
the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside
access to deleted scenes. As an added bonus, members get to play in
the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door. Inside,
like-minded folks discuss their favorite crime novels, solve
mindbender and mystery puzzles, and/or relax and chat. Most
importantly, everyone has a lot of fun.

Sue lives in northern New Hampshire with her husband, where her house is
surrounded by wildlife…bear, moose, deer, even mountain lions have
been spotted. Course, Sue would love to snuggle with them, but her
husband frowns on the idea.

Website * Facebook Author Page * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Google+ * Youtube * Amazon * Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Creature Feature Review – The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea @huntershea1

Posted on April 20, 2017 by fundinmental

The Jersey Devil is not my first Hunter Shea novel, nor will it be my last. His creature features are packed with horrifying thrills and chills that entertain me for hours and I always hate to see the story end.

I borrowed this paperback copy from Laura, my sister at fuonlyknew.

ALSO, be sure and check out Hunter Shea’s bio. I find him VERY interesting and I think you will too.

Amazon / Goodreads

I love creature features and The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea is a gripping and terrifying horror tale that unrolled like movie film as the images flitted through my mind. I am an avid watcher of B movies and this cover told me all I needed to know.

Boompa knew the legend of The Jersey Devil was true and his family had been waiting…waiting…waiting…knowing this day would come.

I love that Boompa, a farmer in his eighties, used a computer to keep aware of any monster sightings. The Willet family had prepared for this moment their entire lives and they will fight to the death.

I can’t imagine being in the woods and I mean so far back in the boonies that even the people that live there are off the grid…dangerous…Imagine how dark it is, how every rustle of leaves or crack of a branch leaves you shivering in fear. I have sat in my back yard, very late at night photographing the moon and freaked myself out listening to the sounds of the night, looking over my shoulder wondering if it is really some harmless lizard or…

The characters all have their purpose, some heroes and some not so much, and some who will not make it out alive and I felt Hunter Shea disposed of them in a way that made me feel it was okay.

So…look to the side, look to the back, look below, look above…

This action packed legend comes to life early with bloody, savage, gripping and terrifying horror. These super charged monsters will take you to a gruesome place where no one is safe. You won’t want to miss it.

5 Stars

~~~

GOODREADS BLURB

“Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry

THE LEGEND LIVES

Everyone knows the legend of the Jersey Devil. Some believe it is an abomination of nature, a hybrid winged beast from hell that stalks the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey searching for prey. Others believe it is a hoax, a campfire story designed to scare children. But one man knows the truth…

THE DEVIL AWAKES

Sixty years ago, Boompa Willet came face to face with the Devil—and lived to tell the tale. Now, the creature’s stomping grounds are alive once again with strange sightings, disappearances, and worse. After all these years, Boompa must return to the Barrens, not to prove the legend is real but to wipe it off the face of the earth…

THE BEAST MUST DIE

It’ll take more than just courage to defeat the Devil. It will take four generations of the Willet clan, a lifetime of survivalist training, and all the firepower they can carry. But timing is critical. A summer music festival has attracted crowds of teenagers. The woods are filled with tender young prey. But this time, the Devil is not alone. The evil has grown into an unholy horde of mutant monstrosities. And hell has come home to New Jersey…

~~~

ABOUT HUNTER SHEA

Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself. Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. His video podcast, Monster Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. He’s a bestselling author of over 13 (lucky number!) books, all of them written with the express desire to quicken heartbeats and make spines tingle. Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to gobble down Gray’s Papaya hotdogs when the craving hits.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

~~~

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MY REVIEW FOR THE MONTAUK MONSTER BY HUNTER SHEA

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Assassin + Serial Killer = Come Hell or High Water by Britney King @britneyking_

Posted on April 19, 2017 by fundinmental

I love the fabulously eerie cover for Come Hell or High Water, the finale for a stupendous trilogy by Britney King.

Come Hell or High Water (The Water Trilogy #3)

Author: Britney King
Title: Come Hell or High Water
Series: Water Trilogy #3
Release Date: April 19, 2017

MY REVIEW

I didn’t think Kate could get any more twisted, but I was so wrong. Her desire to know drives her to do unspeakable, twisted and perverted things. Her actions constantly amaze me, and not in a good way. Where our anger and thoughts of doing something bad to someone may flit through our minds, Kate acts on hers.

This latest ‘event’ cannot end well and I don’t know what she’s thinking. She’s fooling herself. People like her can’t have friends. I’m not even sure she can have a husband and kids and I wonder how this story could possible end with a happy ever after.

If Kate and Jude could live in a sexual frenzy, could they be happy, content with a life in suburbia? Can a serial killer ever be happy? Does killing become an end all, must have, like the air they breathe?

This trilogy has been an amazing journey into the mind of assassins and serial killers, and what motivates them to do the things they do. Sometimes I think I am a little twisted because I loved reading about Kate and Jude so much, but then I think about the author that writes it. LOL

Kate starts out calm and in control…for now, and Jude will settle for that…for now. But what happens the shit hits the fan and Jude fears that more than anything.

And their children…Do serial killers breed serial killers?

Britney King’s in depth descriptions of people, whether it’s the main characters, their petty, drunken neighbors, or the woman in the dress shop treating people like crap because she hates her petty life

We get a glimpse into their past through flashbacks, but that is no excuse for them doing the things they do.

Seeing all books need to be read to follow the story, I don’t want to spoil anything, so all I can say is Kate and Jude are seriously fucked up and I can only wonder .how they haven’t managed to kill each other

I love the illustrations heading each chapter, hinting at what’s to come.

After Kate and Jude have sex, Jude’s thoughts are I think about what we’ve just done, how we’re so broken and yet we fit just right. Then why all the problems? Why can’t Kate be happy? Content?

I started to get bored with the killing (LOL), chatting, kids…and that’s when Britney King throws in a fantastic twist. She lulls me in with a sense of complacency then slams it home.

I have been trying to figure out how Britney King will wrap up The Water Trilogy and couldn’t wrap my mind around a happy ending, but she came up with one that fit very nicely and I can rest…

This twisted, dark suspense thriller series is one you won’t want to miss!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Come Hell or High Water by Britney King.

5 Stars

EXCERPT

“I’ve been studying her for weeks. I know how she takes her coffee, the color she prefers on her nails, the way her mouth moves when she sleeps. I don’t know what she looks like when she’s happy. But I will.”

When Cheryl Steinbeck-Edwards makes the decision to get in a car with a potential contractor, meticulous hitman Jude Riley and his lovely wife Kate, it appears to be the perfect partnership. Turns out, nothing is perfect, and getting in that car was a poor choice, to say the least.

When Kate decides not to kill the woman, as she and her husband agreed, a series of events, some might even call it karma, conspire to turn their worst fears turn into reality.

I’ve been studying her for months. I know how she takes her coffee, the color she prefers on her nails, the way her mouth moves when she sleeps. I don’t know what she looks like when she’s happy. But I will.

That’s not to say I meant to keep her this long. And, of course, you, well you, never intended to keep her at all. But then, what’s done is done.

“I want you to be happy here,” I told her the first week she was here, not long after we let the drugs wear off completely.

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she said.

“Tell me what makes you happy.”

I could see her thinking about my question; I could see that I’d set something into motion. It wasn’t immediate—most things that are truly great rarely are, but eventually her lips turned upward. Slowly, she broke out into a full-on smile, and it was like the sun coming out on a cloudy day. “He makes me happy.”

“Your husband,” I said. It wasn’t a question. Mostly because it hadn’t occurred to me that it should be.

She laughed just slightly. The smile remained. “Something like that.”

“I see,” I told her, raising my brow.

She looked at me then, really looked at me. The smile faded but her eyes lit up. “Not yet, you don’t,” she said. “But you will.”

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

Britney King writes modern love stories for mature audiences. She also enjoys suspense and often finds her sweet spot penning a good mixture of the two.

Britney is the author of eight novels and is currently at work on number nine.

She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat and a partridge in a pear tree.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

#RomanticSuspense Review – Morgan’s Hunter by Cate Beauman @CateBeauman

Posted on April 5, 2017 by fundinmental

Cate Beauman is a must read author for me.

I love romantic suspense and she is a top notch author with The Bodyguards of LA County series to her credit. I am eager to meet them all, and I will be happy to introduce you to therm…one by one.

I love the cover, the bright green catches my attention quickly, and the elements tell me the story inside will be an interesting one, involving murder and mystery.

Cover by Streetlight Graphic

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I cannot imagine how our brave men and women feel as they dodge IED’s and bullets in a foreign land, so…

When Hunter was at Jake’s side in Afghanistan, as he lay dying, Jake made Hunter promise to take care of Sarah and the baby.

Hunter had been injured himself and nightmares haunted his sleep.

Morgan didn’t hurt for money, but she worked hard anyway. She and her friends were the six Musketeeers and committed to their environmental work…until three are found murdered. She seeks answers with a vengeance.

She is a scientist doing wildlife research, not a fighter, so her dad’s solution…Ethan Cooke Security and Hunter is assigned to work with her.

This is my favorite type of reading. I do want a high degree of suspense and I feel it throughout…waiting for the culprits to show themselves and the confrontation that will result. Making this mystery even harder to solve, is their location, alone in the wilderness.

Two strong personalities clash and the verbal foreplay begins. Sparks are flying from their first meeting. Of course, we knew this was coming. After all, Morgan’s Hunter is a romantic suspense, so I would be hugely disappointed if it didn’t.

Cate Beauman does a fabulous job of creating desire and painful denial, the characters not allowing themselves to act on their attraction. Their denial creates it own suspense and anticipation as I wait for them to act on their feelings. I keep waiting for them to drop their guard and get it on.

I knew something would happen before they left the forest. I hate the way it happened, but it had to be that way. Sometimes Morgan acts like a spoiled brat and it makes me wonder about myself. I can be obstinate and cantankerous when someone tries to boss me around. Would I do that in her situation?

Greed, money, power…who knows what will cause a person to corrupt themselves.

The danger doesn’t end when I thought it would. I love that Cate kept me on pins and needles, sneaking in the last tidbits of goodness, choosing the time when I can take a breath and say, “OMG, What’s next?.”

This fabulous series stands alone and ranks high on my reading list. I can hardly wait to read more.

I voluntarily reviewed Morgan’s Hunter by Cate Beauman.

5 Stars

ABOUT CATE BEAUMAN

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her popular Bodyguards series.

For information on Cate’s new releases, monthly giveaways, and upcoming events, sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.catebeauman.com/author/home.html#!newsletter-sign-up/c9td

Contact Cate: Amazon Author Page / BookBub

Social links: Twitter / Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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MY REVIEWS FOR CATE BEAUMAN

To read in order:

While reading the series in order is recommended, it is not necessary. Each story is a stand alone title featuring new primary characters with limited overlapping secondary characters. Click the highlighted link below to check them out:

Book One: Morgan’s Hunter, the story of Morgan and Hunter (ISBN: 9780989569606)

Book Two: Falling For Sarah, the story of Sarah and Ethan (ISBN: 9780989569613)

Book Three: Hailey’s Truth, the story of Hailey and Austin (ISBN: 9780989569620)

Book Four: Forever Alexa, the story of Alexa and Jackson (ISBN: 9780989569637)

Book Five: Waiting For Wren, the story of Wren and Tucker (ISBN: 9780989569644)

Book Six: Justice For Abby, the story of Abby and Jerrod (ISBN: 9780989569651)

Book Seven: Saving Sophie, the story of Sophie and Stone (ISBN: 9780989569668)

Book Eight: Reagan’s Redemption, the story of Reagan and Shane (ISBN: 9780989569675)

Book Nine: Answers For Julie, the story of Julie and Chase (ISBN: 9780989569682)

Book Ten: Finding Lyla, the story of Lyla and Collin (ISBN: 9780989569699)

Book Eleven: Deceiving Bella, the story of Isabella and Reed (In production)

Horror at its Finest! Wrathbone by Jason Parent @AuthorJasParent

Posted on March 29, 2017 by fundinmental

Jason Parent writes some the best horror stories, so there was never any doubt that I would want to read Wrathbone.

Soooo…let’s step into his world and get our scare on.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

After reading Kealon Patrick Burke’s rousing recommendation and knowing from previous Jason Parent works, I’m eager to read this collection of short stories. The writing is top notch, the evil ever present and the suspense…well you won’t forget these stories any time soon.

I will start with a review of the entire collection, and afterwords, give you a little taste of what’s to come.

I pictured the scenes as a movie unwinding in my mind’s eye, making me wonder, “How in the hell do you dream this stuff up, Jason?” Are you stoned on something?

Some of the horror is the subtle kind, others more blatant, but make no mistake, the terror takes the mind into insanity, and a thirst for blood.

One of the best horror anthologies I have ever read. Tension filled, upchucking moments, and I can’t believe I’m going to say this to you, but I couldn’t help but smile at a job well done.

5 Stars and a puke bucket please.

Wrathbone

I like that Jason shows President Abraham Lincoln’s personality in this dark and morbid tale of a man trapped in his mind and haunted be demons or insanity…you decide. The writing is fabulous and the evil oozes off the pages. Would make a great Twilight Zones episode. I give it 4 stars.

The Only Good Lawyer

…is a dead lawyer. Couldn’t resist the joke. The horror Bradley experineces was brought on by himself, by his own actions and I, for one, feel like he gets what’s he deserves. Lawyers beware, your actions may have repercussions you never could have foreseen. I give this a rousing 5 stars.

Dorian’s Mirror

He had it all, looks, women, money…but the mirror would take him so far down the rabbit hole that the terror will never end. Another 5 star read that will have you stumbling around the Twilight zone wondering if you will ever find your way out.

For The Birds

I knew what was going to happen right away, but the twisted mind of Jason Parent had me feeling like I wanted to upchuck. Great job and a 5 star terror filled read.

Revenge is a Dish

So much about this story creeped me out. I felt a lot of his fear, understood that it was all in his mind, but Jason Parent has a way with words. He took this to an even more twisted, perverted, pukingly (is that a word?), gruesome place than I could have ever anticipated. 5 stars.

GOODREADS BLURB

Terror follows those who let it into their hearts.

Wrathbone

Guests of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln, Major Henry Rathbone and Clara Harris attend a showing of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. On that fateful night, a great man falls, but he is not alone. For Henry and Clara, the night is only the beginning of lives wrought with jealousy, madness, and horror.

The Only Good Lawyer

Bradley is a savvy defense attorney with no scruples. Under his representation, many a guilty man has gone free. But when a voodoo priest takes the stand, Bradley soon discovers that he, too, is on trial, and the punishment for guilt may be more than he could bear.

Dorian’s Mirror

Dorian loves himself, and why wouldn’t he? Every guy wants to be him, and every girl wants to be with him. He would trade all he has to make his looks last forever, but bargaining with the devil may leave him short a soul.

For the Birds

Nev’s best friend is his parrot. In fact, it’s his only friend… and his only ally when his home is invaded.

Revenge is a Dish

Maurice has landed a dream job, chef for a rich couple on their yacht. The wife has carnal desires for him. Maurice has some carnal desires of his own.

“From the eerie opening tale to the grisly closer, and all of the wonderfully mean-spirited tales in-between, Wrathbone is a winner!” –Jeff Strand, author of Dead Clown Barbeque

“This is horror of the mind at it’s very best . . . Very dark, very atmospheric, very powerful writing. Excellent stuff . . . Only the second time ever that I have given every story in a collection five stars. This one is going to be hard to beat.” –Nev Murray at Confessions of a Reviewer and Scream Magazine

“Wrathbone and Other Stories is a hard-hitting collection that you can completely immerse yourself in. The title story is a beautifully written period tale of love and tragedy.” –Mercedes M. Yardley, author of the Bram Stoker Award winner Little Dead Red.

“Jason Parent channels the darkness. Wrathbone and Other Stories offers a glimpse into the twisted mind of a gifted storyteller, whose characters are every bit as vivid as the demons that haunt them. Parent’s definitely an author to watch!” –Michael McBride, author of Subterrestrial and Burial Ground

“An elegantly written novella of madness, murder, and demons, Jason Parent’s Wrathbone reads like Edgar Allan Poe’s take on ‘Jacob’s Ladder.'” –Adam Howe, author of Tijuana Donkey Showdown, Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet, and Black Cat Mojo

ABOUT JASON PARENT

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it’s harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he’s back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that’s another story.

When he’s not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists into a knot or takes somebody’s head off – he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.

Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonP…, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, http://authorjasonparent.com/, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.