Are you a Leader or One of the Herd – Tainted Reality @AshleyFontainne

Posted on April 4, 2016 by fundinmental

Tainted Reality by Ashley Fontainne is the second book of The Rememdum Series. I have read Tainted Cure and loved it. You can see my review HERE.

The covers for this series blow my mind…almost as much as the story contained within the pages.

Covers: One of a Kind covers

Add me to Goodreads.

MY REVIEW

Tainted Reality by Ashley Fontainne is Book II of The Rememdum Series. The books need to be read in order and Tainted Reality picks up where Tainted Cure left off. This is one horror story that will have you wondering….could this really happen?

Everett Berning had found the cure for addiction, but the cure had become Tainted with a fatal result. Some preach the end of the world by global warming and nuclear detonation, but no one had anticipated this…Apocalypse.

Who will survive? Can they find a cure for the Tainted Cure or will this be a new world that mankind will have to learn to traverse?

I love this saying: Courage is being afraid but doing it anyway.

“Normal” people’s actions will go above and beyond the horror that is worse than their wildest imagination could concoct. In a time of crises, people show what they are made of, their true character shines through. Some are leaders, some are followers. Some are able to overcome their fears, others are cattle, either saved or lead to slaughter. Which are you?

And the government…What happens when it collapses? What happens when the leaders are dead or missing and presumed dead…communications nonexistent.

The world has ended, at least any world you would recognize. The dead come to life and they want YOU!

Executions, murder, slaughter…See who rises to the top, leads when in doubt, shoots to kill.

As a read along, I am always trying to put myself in the characters place. What would I do? Would I step up to the plate or collapse, paralyzed by terror. What would you do?

I felt for the characters as they struggled to survive. I felt their sorrow and determination. Is there anybody left who can figure out the answers?

Regina and Jesse, a mom and daughter, will step up in a big way. They stand out as exceptional characters to me and I had to mention them…specifically.

Ashley Fontainne’s books I have read are unique, fast paced and anything but predictable. I was a bit disappointed as I read along…because it is predictable. After all, how many variations can there be to a zombie story?

BUT, Ashley Fontainne’s fantastic writing of such bloody and gruesome savagery, with twists and turns of the plot, filled with love and sacrifice among the horror and conspiracy, makes the predictable work all too well. It’s a new world and the more I read, the more involved I become with the complex characters. Her writing is at such a high level that even the predictable is a cut above the rest.

Now…the wait begins for Tainted Future, Book III of The Rememdum Series.

I received a copy of Tainted Reality by Ashley Fontainne in returne for an honest review.

5 Stars

AMAZON BLURB

DR. EVERETT BERNING achieved his life’s work by discovering a cure for drug addiction. Unfortunately, the formula was stolen and fell into the hands of the enemy.
DRUG LORDS from around the world unknowingly released the altered, deadly formula into their supply, affecting millions across the globe.

WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS, the entire planet is thrown into chaos as the disease spreads.

REGINA PARKER, Chief of Police of the tiny town of Rockport, Arkansas, isn’t willing to let the military kill thousands of innocent people in a rush to contain the outbreak. She leads a small contingent of survivors on a dangerous quest to keep her town safe from the soldiers and the dead.

WILL DR. BERNING be able to isolate the contagion and find a way to reverse it, or is it too late to save humanity from the tainted cure? How far will Chief Parker go to save the lives of others as the world collapses around them?

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.

Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.

Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.

Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / LinkedIn / G+ / You Tube / Twitter

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Ashley Fontainne’s writing is so spectacular, I am always anticipating the next book I will read of hers. Here are my reviews…so far:

A Meg(a) Hit ~ Review, Interview & Giveaway ~ Vostok by Steve Alten

Posted on April 1, 2015 by fundinmental

I am familiar with Steve Alten’s work, so I have been following his newsletter, waiting for this book to be released. Vostok is the sequel to The Loch and the prequel to Meg 5: Nightstalkers. I cannot get enough of his stories. (You can see the books and review links below)

AWESOME!! cover. It looks so real to me. I feel like the croc is swimming towards me, getting ready to open its mouth and eat me. Bring it on. (On the hardcover, it is embossed and looks 3D.)

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

Steve Alten writes some amazing creature stories that arise deep from the ocean’s floor. I have had Vostok sitting on the arm of my couch, where I couldn’t help but keep looking at it longingly, wanting so badly to pick it up and begin reading…but, I made myself wait. I wanted to savor the moment and bask in my anticipation. This creature story takes a wild twist that I never saw coming but I jumped aboard for the amazing ride through Steve’s creative and imaginative, out of this world, adventure.

In Antarctica, help is sparse, so when the Aussies asked for someone to check out something they discovered, Thomas Nilsson a marine biologist responded. They wanted him to identify not one, but two species of creatures. It’s over Thomas’ head, so who better to call in than, Zachary Wallace, the marine biologist who solved the mystery of The Loch Ness monster.

We will meet with some familiar characters from The Loch and Meg novels and I was happy to see them again. Welcome back, my friends. Of course, that doesn’t mean Steve might not kill you off. He is not afraid to make a character…disappear.

We will be going under the ice cap to Vostok Lake. When they drop the sub through the hole, I could imagine what that would feel like. I am very averse to small, tight places, let alone an under the water ice world that Steve describes so well I can see it. It made me think of Lost World, but instead of jungle and heat, picture ice, water and cold. His description of the mountain coming up from the water with the ice, like a sky, overhead make me scream MOVIE! The words opened before me as if I was watching the action. And, yes, there is plenty of that.

Thomas had died twice before, so imagine his terror facing it again…and again. He had dealt with drowning and giant creatures of the deep that wanted to eat him. How in the hell did he end up doing it again? LOL

Steve Alten has me engrossed, reading as if this is history unraveling before my eyes. Well, who knows what creatures dwell in the deepest oceans. New discoveries are being made all the time.

Throw in big business and the government, what chance does humankind have?

Now, comes the really, really, really nice spin – ALIENS. Who are they and what do they want? I did not expect this, but went with it and enjoyed the ride. Sometimes, an author will take a spin that ruins the book for me, but Steve pulled this off. I am curious how he will pull everything together in Meg 5: Nightstalker and eager to find out!

This quote sums up big business and government to me:

.

“There exists a shadowy Government with its own Air Force, its own Navy, its own fundraising mechanism, and the ability to pursue its own ideas of the national interest, free from and checks and balances, and free from the law itself.

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Senator Daniel Inouye, Iran-Contra hearings

Do the elite work their hardest to keep the herd distracted? I feel there are some messages in Steve Alten’s stories, subtle, yet ones that should already be obvious to us.

If you could go back in time and change events, would you? What would it take for you to do it? This made me think of a Person of Interest episode where the machine ran through all the different scenarios, trying to find the groups best chance of survival.

There is so much more going on than I anticipated. It flows so smoothly at times I find myself relaxing too much, being jerked back into the story letting me know I wasn’t getting off that easy. If you found a UFO would you run toward it or away from it?

Steve Alten is a superb storyteller, weaving the genres together like water down a lazy stream, pulling me in, deeper and deeper (critters, aliens, conspiracy, betrayal, big business and government corruption, fantasy science fiction and horror) creating an amazing novel that will stick with you long after reading and will leave you anticipating the next book, Meg 5: Nightstalkers

Just two pages left and I read this:

“It’s a Nessie dildo so women like you can go –“

I busted out laughing.

I received this first edition hardcover of Vostok by Steve Alten for an honest review. Thanks so much, Steve and Rebel Press. It looks beautiful on my bookshelf, with the other Steve Alten books I own.

5 Stars

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Nobles

I am so excited to have Steve on my blog today, sharing his thoughts on inspiration and writing.

INTERVIEW

How did you do research for your book?

You begin with a concept and hit the Internet.

Which was the hardest character to write?

Kwan Wilson in SHARKMAN. He’s a paraplegic. I spent time interviewing a neighbor who was also wheelchair bound.

The easiest?

Dr. Vincent Cope, Boca Raton gynecologist in my comedy novel, DOG TRAINING THE AMERICAN MALE (written under the pen name L.A. Knight). A man after my own heart.

In your book, VOSTOK you make a reference to JFK being assassinated because he was going to shutdown MAJESTIC-12. How did you come up with this idea?

By interviewing Dr. Steven M. Greer, the foremost authority on Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

What made you write a book about a subglacial lake in Antarctica?

The facts about Lake Vostok are just amazing. VOSTOK is located two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap in East Antarctica, the coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Vostok is a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace has been recruited to join two other scientists aboard a tiny 3-man submersible tethered to a laser which will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct – and an Extraterrestrial object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

TV, newspapers, dreams…

There are many books out there about….What makes yours different?

I wouldn’t say different, I’d say additive.

What advice would you give budding writers?

Don’t write about what you know, write about things you like to read and do the research.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Steve. I look forward to reading more of your work…and soon. 🙂

SYNOPSIS

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct – and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar’s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.

Connect with Steve: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Prizes: One of 100 (or more) print copies of VOSTOK Open internationally. Ends April 18.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review: Personal by Lee Child

Posted on March 9, 2015 by fundinmental

Lee Child, a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, is back with another Jack Reacher novel, Personal.

I have read numerous novels by Lee and he is on my list of ‘grab their books’ authors.

PERSONAL by Lee Child

A Jack Reacher Novel

Add Me to Goodreads now.

File Size: 1296 KB
Print Length: 369 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0804178747
Publisher: Delacorte Press (September 2, 2014)
Sold by: Random House LLC
ASIN: B00HBQWGXK
Book Design by Virginia Norey

MY REVIEW

I love political intrigue and the machinations of the government at work. Personal by Lee Child is a book that kept its secret from beginning to end. I do love when I cannot figure out the ending of a book. I have read numerous books by Lee Child and I will be looking for the next one.

He saw his name in the paper – Jack Reacher call Rick Shoemaker.

Jack was a retired military cop and they were reaching out to him.

Someone had taken a potshot at the president of France from 1400 feet, 3/4 of a mile away. How many snipers could there be, that are capable of making a shot like that? It didn’t take long for Jack to figure out this was Personal.

Jack Reacher had disappeared after quitting the service. He had no home, just went where the wind blew him. He is Sherlock Homeless. He is a no nonsense kinda guy. Why did they chose him? He had no resources, no contacts. When something smells, he can run through the options and eliminate the unlikely suspects. But, Jack Reacher plays by no rules but his own. He did not feel bad about his kills and felt food was wasted on some of the people he had run across. I would hate to get in a staring contest with Jack. He could stare all day without blinking.

Jack believes there are four necessities – smart people, work hard, pay attention and think laterally. He is quick and intuitive, a bad ass and shows no mercy. Jack is observant and a fast thinker. Will he be fast enough?

John Kott was suspected of killing his parents when he was 17 years old. He was recruited by the army anyway. He became a Special Forces sniper, but he had a screw loose. A dead Ranger, a guilty John Kott and Jack Reacher would be the one to put him away for 15 years. Now he is out…

Casey Nice is a rookie analyst for the CIA, working under the State Department. She feels the weight of the world on her shoulders and is determined to guard Jack’s back. She has never worked a mission. We think we know how we would respond in certain situations, but until you walk in those shoes, you can’t really know.

The characters are too numerous to list. I loved some and hated some, was terrified of some and pissed off at some. I do like that Lee Child does not let the bad guys off the hook and their actions will have severe repercussions.

Details in thrillers are very important. Careful use of them can keep the pacing, action and suspense, at a high level, making me wonder what will happen next as I quickly turn the pages. My only complaint – too much detail. The beginning hooked me. Then, I got lost in the details. The last third of the book kept my attention from wandering and I loved the ending.

Snipers, political intrigue, spies, conspiracies, corruption, the mystery abounds as I weave my way around the pitfalls of Jack’s mission, a mission that has twists and turns that kept me in the dark.

Lee Child’s ability to weave a story that does not give away the ending is phenomenal.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

4 Stars

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SYNOPSIS

Jack Reacher walks alone. Once a go-to hard man in the US military police, now he’s a drifter of no fixed abode. But the army tracks him down. Because someone has taken a long-range shot at the French president. Only one man could have done it. And Reacher is the one man who can find him. This new heartstopping, nailbiting book in Lee Child’s number-one bestselling series takes Reacher across the Atlantic to Paris – and then to London. The stakes have never been higher – because this time, it’s personal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lee Child was born October 29th, 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV’s “golden age.” During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of 40 as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars’ worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.

Killing Floor was an immediate success and launched the series which has grown in sales and impact with every new installment. The first Jack Reacher movie, based on the novel One Shot and starring Tom Cruise and Rosamund Pike, was released in December 2012.

Lee has three homes—an apartment in Manhattan, a country house in the south of France, and whatever airplane cabin he happens to be in while traveling between the two. In the US he drives a supercharged Jaguar, which was built in Jaguar’s Browns Lane plant, thirty yards from the hospital in which he was born.

Lee spends his spare time reading, listening to music, and watching the Yankees, Aston Villa, or Marseilles soccer. He is married with a grown-up daughter. He is tall and slim, despite an appalling diet and a refusal to exercise.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Jack Reacher Facebook / G+ / You Tube

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Teaser Tuesday #28 – End of Enemies by Grant Blackwood

Posted on October 21, 2014 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page.

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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END OF ENEMIES by Grant Blackwood

I saw the tag line from Clive Cussler and knew I had to read this.

I love conspiracies and intrigue.

Throw in an adventure that could rival the likes of Clive Cussler and I have to find out for myself.

Kindle Edition, 612 pages

Published May 27th 2014 by Diversion Books

(first published May 1st 2001 by Berkley)

Original title -The End of Enemies

ASIN -B00K5HMYL6

4.2 out of 5 stars – 131 reviews on Amazon

MY TEASE

(11% on Kindle)

It could have been much worse.

If the plane had been at altitude, that much explosive would have been overkill.

The pilot had done a hell of a job.

SYNOPSIS

Veteran covert agent Briggs Tanner leaps into action when a man is brutally assassinated in front of him. His search will lead him from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, through the bullet-riddled back alleys of Beirut, to a deadly secret buried since World War II-and only Tanner can keep it from falling into the wrong hands…

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Click on the covers below to get your Amazon copy of a Grant Blackwood novel.

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WHAT ARE YOU READING?

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BOO_2

Oil, Texas Tea – The Cost of Crude by Inge-Lise Goss Tour & Giveaway

Posted on July 19, 2014 by fundinmental

The Cost of Cruse by Inge-Lise Goss is my favorite genre. I love a good Mystery/Thriller, Suspense, Romance, Crime book.

When I read the blurb, it immediately brought to mind the movie, Silkwood, with Cher, Meryl Streep and cutie Kurt Russell. It is the story of Karen Silkwood, a metallurgy worker at a plutonium processing plant who was purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing blatant worker safety violations at the plant.

Granted, The Cost of Crude is not about plutonium but gas and oil, but the similarities make me think this will be a great read.

That drop of RED on the cover raises the hair on my arms and the back of my neck. I am ready to start reading now. LOL

Check out the blurb, excerpt and TWO giveaways and let me know what you think.

BLURB

Gwynn Reznick’s life is shattered when her best friend and co-worker at Wilton Oil & Gas Company dies in a car crash. She doubts it was an accident. Her suspicion is confirmed when a private investigator, Ruben Dordi, shows up at her door. His team has discovered a trail of unusual deaths and disappearances among Wilton employees. To make matters worse, Gwynn is under constant surveillance by those responsible for her friend’s death. But that doesn’t deter her from getting involved in the investigation. Danger lurks in every corner of the Wilton Tower. One false move could turn a risky situation into a death trap. As the investigation team digs deeper, they begin to unravel a sinister plot that threatens a catastrophic pipeline disaster. Will they solve the crime before it is too late?

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EXCERPT

Gwynn awoke slowly with tape covering her mouth again, her wrists firmly tied together, and her body aching. She saw the back of man dressed in a Wilton security guard uniform sitting a few feet from her. Glancing down, she saw she was lying on a cot and her blouse had been torn, the rose pin gone. She managed to move her forearms over her bra and found the bug was also missing. The bandage, a tracking device waiting to be activated, was still securely attached to her arm. With her hands and mouth bound, she couldn’t pull it up.

She smelled a musty odor and wondered where they had taken her. Looking around, she saw a high ceiling with rusty metal trusses, several broken insect-infested skylights, and walls covered with masonry and metal siding. Pigeons fluttered around in the large open space, their droppings marked the walls. Old abandoned equipment stood in the center of the room, puddles of water on the cement floor. Off in the distance, she saw large double doors standing ajar with daylight shining through the opening.

The security guard turned around. He was the guard with the deep set eyes who had stared at her when she entered the Wilton Tower.

“You’re finally awake,” he said, rising to his feet. “Now don’t go away while I get Luke.” He gave her a malicious smile as he turned and strode toward the door.

She held onto the side of the cot with her bound hands, raised herself up to a sitting position, and saw the rope tightly wrapped around her ankles. Her feet were bare. She swung her legs over the edge as Cromer walked toward her.

His eyes were locked on her as he yanked the tape off of her mouth. “You’re moving around too freely. Looks like I have to sit down with Todd and criticize his hostage binding technique.”

She sat silently, immobile, staring at him.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to be difficult like your friend, Julie,” he said with a stone, cold, emotionless face..

She took a few deep breaths but remained silent.

“When I questioned Taylor, he was very concerned about his girlfriend, Cindy. She’s also your friend. Will you be as concerned about her as Taylor was?”

Gwynn felt her stomach churning as she continued staring at him.

Cromer picked up a chair, lowered it down next to her, and sat, looking at her intensely. He loosened his necktie, and then pulled a knife from under his sport coat. He ran the side of the blade against his fingers. He leaned forward and caressed her neck with the tip.

Gwynn forced herself not to move as he wielded the knife around her.

“You’re in for a treat; a technique that was used on me in Iraq.” He popped off her buttons with the tip of the blade. “I screamed, bled tears, and begged for death. Like you’ll be doing if you don’t answer my questions.”

She flinched and pressed her lips together.

“I suppose I should be thankful for that experience. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be the well-adjusted person I am today.” He pushed the tip into her side.

Gwynn couldn’t prevent a scream from escaping as the blood ran down her blouse.

“That’s just to give you a little taste.” He stood and took off his sport coat, revealing a gun in a holster strapped across his shoulder, ready for the final assault. He hung it over the back of the chair and sat down. “Now that we’ve had some fun, let’s get down to business.” he said, rolling up the sleeves on his blue shirt.

Buy Link: Amazon

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Inge-Lise Goss was born in Denmark, raised in Utah and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah. She is a Certified Public Accountant and audited oil and gas companies for over twenty years. She now lives in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon with her husband and their dog, Bran, where she spends most of her time in her den writing stories dictated by her muse. When she’s not pounding away on the keyboard she can be found reading, rowing, or trying to perfect her golf game.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page

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To get an Amazon copy, click on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAYS

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos There are two different giveaways available on this tour!

The first giveaway is for five print copies of The Cost of Crude! This giveaway will run until July 30, 2014 and is restricted to USA only entry. Enter through Goodreads!

The second giveaway will run 7/14/14 – 7/28/14. One winner will win a $25 Amazon GC and a signed copy of The Cost of Crude, while two other winners will each win an e-book copy of the book (Open Internationally). Enter through Rafflecopter.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Mini Review – Kingdom by Anderson O’Donnell

Posted on June 22, 2014 by fundinmental

Everything about Kingdom by Anderson O’Donnell made me want to read the book. The cover hints at dystopia, but the story goes even deeper – can bioengineers discover and use the soul gene for their own nefarious means? This is a horror story about man’s inhumanity towards mankind. I had a hard time with the book. I could not get invested with the rich druggie, Dylan, nor the scientist looking for redemption, Campbell. The mix of science and religion is one that will probably go on forever as we push the boundaries of morality and ethics. Is the good of many worth more than the life of one when it is your life on the line? Kingdom is a Kirkus Reviews Top 25 Indie Book of 2012, but I could not get into the book and would not recommend it, however, I did like the ending. Maybe it was just me and the moment, so if this sounds interesting to you, be sure and check it out further. Just because it didn’t grab me, doesn’t mean it won’t grab you.

You can pick up your copy or learn more about Anderson O’Donnell by clicking on the cover above.

I won this signed paperback in a giveaway by Fighting Monkey Press. Thank you to the publishers and the author, Anderson O’Donnell. It holds a place on my bookshelf.

2 Stars – I finished the book, but would not recommend it

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Monday Mini #9 – Chimera by David Wellington

Posted on February 10, 2014 by fundinmental

The title – Chimera – by David Wellington made me stop and investigate further. I thought it would be mythological, but was pleasantly surprised to see it was so much more that that.

Barbed wire, men in foxholes guarding a camp, an escape and the detainees running free, hmmmmm what could that mean? And who are the detainees?

BLURB

A fabulous new talent-the heir to Patrick Lee and James Rollins-delivers his first published novel: a wildly imaginative tale that combines elements of horror and science in the vein of Michael Crichton, in which a circle of unlikely heroes must uncover a nefarious cabal and prevent it from unleashing a diabolical threat that could destroy the world

7 fugitives escape from a secret military facility in upstate New York, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

7 super-soldiers gone rogue.

7 innocent citizens targeted for death.

Disabled Army Vet James Chase is drafted for a desperate mission to stop this lethal force. Aided by a mysterious woman named Angel and a courageous, beautiful veterinarian, Chase sets off on a hair-raising cross-country hunt.

But are the killers really rogue soldiers, or are they only the tip of a sinister conspiracy . . . the first piece of a shocking nightmarish plan that will lead to ultimate destruction?

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MY REVIEW of Chimera, A Jim Chapel Mission, by David Wellington

Chimera – an organism with more than one kind of DNA

David Wellington has been compared to Patrick Lee, James Rollins and Michael Crichton. That being said, I knew I would love this story and I wasn’t wrong. A sci-fi government conspiracy that will leave you shaking in your shoes. With all the genetic research being done, do you think that no one has thought about building the ultimate soldier?

Jim Chapel, a Special Forces veteran, is called in to save the day. The only clue – Chimera. The writing is excellent and the dialogue had me smiling and laughing, when I wasn’t pissed off and terrified. A sci-fi thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I knew Jim would accomplish his mission, but how? Secrets, danger, an uncontrollable evil that must be prevented from escaping into civilization. The ending – not what I thought it would be – oh, so much better than I imagined. I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I won a hardcover, first edition copy from Jessica at Jess Resides Here. YAY! Thank you Jessica and David. It looks beautiful in my collection.

“Is it not a glorious thing to be living in a George Jetson world?”

To get your copy of Chimera or another David Wellington novel, click on the cover below. David is a prolific writer and has many novels to choose from.

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Gold Train Robbery – Conspiracy – Spies – Lada Ray

Posted on May 31, 2013 by fundinmental

I read the book blurb and it made me think of Clive Cussler. This is more of a spy adventure than a treasure hunt. It is based on a true story. In 1918, during the Russian Civil War, the Gold Train was attacked and the entire Russian Empire’s Gold Reserve was taken. Intrigued? Put your traveling shoes on and come with me.

Gold Train (Accidental Spy Russia Adventure)

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The conductor stopped the train when he saw two kids on the tracks, running and waving him down. He couldn’t run over the kids. The commissar tried to get the train back up and running, but it was too late. When the Gold Train was found, the cargo was gone and only bodies were left behind.

Russian Journalist Svetlana Svistunova told me she was closing in on an answer and would love to have my help. I was more than ready. I had married Paul and and had my sweet baby Lara, but I also had a gypsy spider that wanted to be let free. Now was the perfect time.

Paul was very helpful. He gave up a great opportunity to give me one of my own. I was shocked by his sacrifice. I guess I never realized how much he loved me and wanted me to be happy.

I kissed Lara good bye and told Lily to watch over her. No one ever seemed to notice that Lily and I communicated telepathically. After all, she is a cat.

Boris, an old friend of my grandma’s, had given me a package for Vera, his friend in Russia. It was a jewelry box. I never looked inside it, but I might have been better off if I had.

Svetlana and I clicked right away. She showed me the secret compartment where she kept her notes and off we went, sightseeing. She said tomorrow would be soon enough to start on the story.

We saw a sign. Rada Famous Gypsy Psychic and Fortuneteller. Her predictions were ominous.

“You’ll find something extremely valuable, but lose something even more valuable in return.”

But for Svetlana it was more foreboding.

“…it won/t be your destiny to get to the bottom of this story…you won’t live to finish it….”

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I love treasure hunting stories and I love Lada Ray’s writing so I was really looking forward to reading this. It was not what I thought it would be, but I was not disappointed. I have read several of her books and love the way she blends the historical with fiction and the paranormal. The words flow smoothly as the story unravels.

Her writing grips me as soon as I open the book and the ride to the end is full of murder, conspiracy, intrigue, passion, betrayal, loss and sorrow.

Trouble always seems to find Jade. What would we do if it didn’t? After all, I don’t want to read about my life. I want fast paced, action packed adventure. All the rest is gravy. lol

Vera – Boris’ friend. Jade hadn’t listened to her Grandma’s stories, but Vera told her she had royal blood. She wanted Jade to go with her to the Grand Ball at the Menshikov Mansion. Jade was suspicious of her and felt she had an ulterior motive.

The gypsy fortuneteller had told her, “you’ll go to a ball, where you’ll meet your Prince Charming.”

Alexei – He had saved Jade from muggers in Moscow. She was very suspicious of him. He seemed too convenient, too helpful, too trusting. Was he her Prince Charming or would he turn into a frog? When she was around Alexei, it was hard to keep in mind that she was married, with a child waiting back in the US.

Be aware that there are a couple adult scenes.

I was almost to the end of the book when I saw it coming. The segue into her next adventure.

Rachel, her best friend – “you only come truly alive when you are working on a case.”

“I recall Jason….” (from Stepford USA)

“Last I heard he was in Asia. “

I am hooked again. Where is my Asian adventure? Dragon Gate.

Once I read her book Earth Shifter, I was eager to read more from her. I won this book on Lada Ray’s blog, along with Green Desert and Stepford USA, books in the Accidental Spy Adventure Series. To see my reviews of those books, scroll down to the links below.

I look forward to reading many more books from Lada Ray.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Living her life in the fast lane, Lada Ray, M.A., always wanted to write cool stories, which she’d been imagining in her head ever since she can remember. Instead, she listened to her well-meaning parents and started her life in a more traditional way (for her, that is). Born in Russia, she is a world traveler, linguist, financial consultant, Feng Shui Master, shaman, futurist, and metaphysics/spirituality researcher.

Lada holds a Master’s Degree in comparative linguistics (graduated summa cum laude,) is fluent in several languages and has traveled to twenty six countries in Europe, Asia, North and South America, as well as Africa. She had worked in Havana, Cuba as an interpreter for the Russian educational exchange delegations, including a couple of interviews with the man himself – Fidel Castro.

In the USA, she published articles in the Hartford Courant & taught Russian on cable TV. Then, something inexplicable possessed her to work as financial consultant for AIG and Smith Barney/Citigroup. But later, she came back to her senses and quit the corporate world to pursue her dreams. She studied Feng Shui in Hong Kong and Malaysia, and received her Feng Shui Master’s certification from the famed Asian author, Lilian Too (graduated first in class). For years, Lada operated an extensive feng shui website and blog – a hit with both local and worldwide fans – and authored over thirty articles on feng shui and spirituality. At the same time, she taught her proprietary feng shui courses and did public speaking.

A few years ago, Lada finally got her ultimate wish, and now she imagines her stories full-time in the bustling New York City and beautifully serene Catskill Mountains, NY, where she lives with her family and calico cat.

Lada Ray is the author of the Accidental Spy Adventure Series, including the Amazon & Kindle bestseller, GOLD TRAIN (Accidental Spy Russia Adventure), mystery/thriller STEPFORD USA (Accidental Spy Smalltown Adventure), and GOLD TRAIN (Accidental Spy Iraq Prequel). She is the creator of the new, top-rated metaphysical YA fantasy/thriller THE EARTH SHIFTER, and the EARTH KEEPERS CHRONICLES: ORIGINS (Catharsis, Lemurian Crystal, Atlantis).

Visit Lada’s innovative & cool author website: LadaRay.com
For posts about Russia & world, feng shui, spirituality, predictions read her popular blog: LadaRay.wordpress.com
Twitter: @LadaTweets
Youtube: Lada Ray Channel

To Purchase Lada Ray’s books on Amazon, simply click on the covers below.

To see my 5 STAR Review of Stepford USA, go HERE.

To see my 5 STAR Review of Green Desert, go HERE.

To see my 5 STAR Review of Earth Shifter, go HERE.

To see Earth Shifter videos, go HERE.

To see Lada Ray’s Tour Sales and Giveaway, go HERE.

To see The Earth Shifter “Virtual Tour” Interview, go HERE.

To see Lada Ray’s extension of the above interview, go HERE.

To see the Tour update, go HERE.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

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