Giveaway, Guest Post & Review – The Element Trilogy by Donna Galanti @DonnaGalanti

Posted on December 6, 2016 by fundinmental

I am so excited to share Donna Galanti’s Element series with you today.

Soooo…let’s start with A Human Element.

A Human Element is an amazing fantasy that left me screaming for more.

The beautiful cover is only a prelude to the amazingl story inside.

MY REVIEW

A Human Element is about man’s inhumanity to man, man’s callous disregard of other’s lives, but also, the lengths some people will go to do the right thing.

When her parents are killed and she is left alone, she is committed to finding the killer.

I felt such tension, suspense, fear and dread for the characters, that I was talking to them. Shouting at them. Telling them to watch out. He’s coming.

I LOVE this book. The further into A Human Element I read, the more engrossed I become. My heart beats faster as my eyes race across the words…faster and faster. I just have to know what is going to happen. I read on and it gets creepier and creepier.

See my full review HERE.

GOODREADS BLURB: Evil comes in many forms…

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.

Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.

But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I loved A Human Element by Donna Galanti, so to continue the story in A Hidden Element was a no brainer. This is Book II of the trilogy, which contains a mish mash of genres: science fiction, mystery, thrills and romance.

A Hidden Element does fill in some of the story from A Human Element, but for the full effect I recommend starting with Book I.

I knew bad stuff was coming and I was afraid for Charlie. He is an innocent, but will he be swayed to the dark side?

Some of the aliens want to just live among us, fit in with us, side by side.

Others want so much more.

Aliens or human, it seems like we all have the same wants and desires, motivations and ego, dark and light, good and bad.

Charlie: Tomorrow. He would tell her everything tomorrow.

Adrian: He couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow delivered.

Ben: Tomorrow. He would fix this tomorrow.

Donna Galanti can sure spin an amazing tale that will keep you reading. The characters captivated me as I journeyed along with them, trying their best to make the right choices. I struggled to figure out who was good and who was bad, who would be the betrayer and who would survive. There are plenty of surprises and suspense and food for thought.

What would we do if we found out aliens walked among us? I have a feeling it wouldn’t be good. Would it be like First Encounter or War of the Worlds? Would you be curious or afraid? Would you want them living next door to you?

I’m just saying….

5 Stars

ABOUT A HIDDEN ELEMENT: Evil lurks within…

When Caleb Madroc is used against his will as part of his father’s plan to breed a secret community and infiltrate society with their unique powers, he vows to save his oppressed people and the two children kept from him. Seven years later, Laura and Ben Fieldstone’s son is abducted, and they are forced to trust a madman’s son who puts his life on the line to save them all. The enemy’s desire to own them—or destroy them—leads to a survival showdown. Laura and Ben must risk everything to defeat a new nemesis that wants to rule the world with their son, and Caleb may be their only hope—if he survives. But must he sacrifice what he most desires to do so?

Writing Your Last Line by Donna Galanti

What makes you decide to buy a book? Do you open it open up to the first page and decide on the first paragraph, or even first line? I have one friend who studies first lines. She roams a library or bookstore and randomly selects books to read their first lines then dissects them based on how drawn in she is. Did it grab her attention? Did it raise a question? Did it introduce the main character? And most importantly, does she want to keep reading?

Those first lines. They either grab you or they don’t. As writers, we only have a few seconds to impress readers enough so they will buy our book.

But what about those last lines? Those lines that complete a scene, chapter, or THE END itself that propel you to turn the page and read on, or that keep the story alive in your mind long after you’ve finished it.

One early reader of A Hidden Element was intrigued by the last lines of my chapters. She actually typed them up and sent them to me because she was so thrilled with how each one ended like a cliffhanger and kept her reading.

Here’s a sampling:

Killing was useful in so many ways.
The dark took her anyway.
She would do anything to save her family.
And that scared him more than anything.
She welcomed Death, but he did not come for her.
The nothing took him.
She screamed and ran into a darker hell.
The last words he heard whispered were, “forever dead”.
And it was not of this Earth.
He drifted away in it.
He could live with that, if only he could be a father to his sons.
The old fear hit him again in the gut.
The words shattered through him like hammer to glass – not from Earth.
He was empty inside, as he had always been.
The first stone flew.
The scars of Rachel and his sons seared his heart forever.
He was just a kid suddenly terrified of his own dad – and his own destiny.
He looked up at the open door that welcomed him.
After fifteen years the nightmare had begun – again.
They marched on toward a hidden enemy who watched – and waited.

Would you turn the page to read the next chapter – and the next? When you read these chapter lines together do they tell a story to you?

And what about our last lines in life? They are the final cliffhanger we leave the world with, leaving those we leave behind to wonder about.

Here are some cliffhanger last lines from famous folks. Would you want to keep reading about their life? Would their life story resonate with you?

Let us cross over the river and sit in the shade of the trees. – General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson

I die hard but am not afraid to go. – George Washington, US President

Get my swan costume ready. – Anna Pavlova, ballerina

Go on, get out – last words are for fools who haven’t said enough. – Karl Marx, revolutionary

Why do you weep. Did you think I was immortal? – Louis XIV, King of France

I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark. – Thomas Hobbes, writer

It is very beautiful over there. – Thomas Edison, inventor

All my possessions for a moment of time. – Elizabeth I, Queen of England

What will be your last line?

PRAISE FOR A HIDDEN ELEMENT:

“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall

“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath

“Will keep you up long past your bedtime…a pulse-pounding read.”—Allan Leverone, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Final Vector

PRAISE FOR THE ELEMENT TRILOGY:

“Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Code Zero

“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall

“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath

Purchase the Element Trilogy on sale through December 7th
Book 1 A HUMAN ELEMENT for $0.99
Book 2 A HIDDEN ELEMENT for $1.99

ABOUT DONNA GALANTI:

Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and the fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse that has lots of nooks and crannies, but sadly no ghosts. Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.

ENTER GIVEAWAY!

Prize Pak:

Win $15 Amazon Gift Card, e-book of The Dark Inside, Element Trilogy story collection, and become a character in the final Element Trilogy book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Save

Will her emotions be the Death of her? Empath by Becca Campbell @BeccaJCampbell

Posted on November 22, 2016 by fundinmental

I saw Becca Campbell’s influences and I found a kindred spirit, so when I was given the opportunity to read Empath, Book One, and the entire Flawed Series, I jumped all over it.

This will definitely be a series I finish!

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Empath by Becca Campbell hooked me from the opening pages. I was quickly drawn into Jade’s world and the characters became my friends too…most of them.

Jade walked into the classroom and it confirmed her reason for online classes. The feelings bombarded her…anger, attraction, excitement. She struggled to maintain a calm appearance. Were they her feelings, or someone else’s?

‘She believed in God…Why had he given her this FLAW?’

Everything changed for her when she met Logan. He calmed her.

Logan, is a professor at the college she was attending and he is a loner, for reasons of his own. He knew he should stay away from her, but we know how that goes. Becca Campbell’s writing drew me to him immediately. There is something special about him and I was as drawn to him as Jade was. She wondered…is he special too, is this the beginning of something wonderful for her, could she have a relationship?

Ethan…Becca draws a vivid picture of him in my mind. I do love a good villain and Ethan fits that picture perfectly. He is a psychopath, feels no fear and has powers of his own. He collects snakes and they are his tools of torture. Serial killers collect trophies and his are especially heinous. His thoughts and fantasies are EVIL, and they are about Jade. He MUST have her.

Cam, poor Cam. He has a huge crush on Jade and I wonder what will become of him. Since a snowboarding accident, he has blackouts that cause a sense of deja vu. I love that Becca describes his senses in depth…every sight, sound and smell, no matter how small.

Jade has more friends with unique powers of their own and they all hold a special place in her world. Why were they chosen? Maybe they weren’t FLAWS. Maybe they were gifts.

When Jade meets ‘Bigfoot’ I was not surprised. I expected it and had hoped it would happen. I think I know his name. Will I be right? We will have to wait and see.

I like how the romance is slow developing, subtle. Do you remember your first love…the butterflies in your stomach, the heat of a blush rising to the surface of your face, the excitement of even a glimpse of him/her, the teasing and playfulness of a conversation? It reads like real life and that makes the story even more believable. The triangle is not really a triangle, but Cam feels like it is.

I guess you can tell I fell in love with the characters. They may be young, but the danger surrounds them as they go about the normal business of life. I usually write more about the action in a novel and the characters just happen to be in the way. Not so with Empath. I am now heavily involved in their lives and will see it through to the end.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Empath by Becca Cambell.

5 STARS

GOODREADS BLURB

Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse.

Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her. Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college-and the world-with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.

When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her, unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.

Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.

ABOUT BECCA CAMPBELL

Becca J. Campbell writes New Adult (twenty-somethings) fiction that varies from Urban Fantasy to Thriller to Science Fiction. Her stories typically blend a taste of the fantastical with real-world settings and add a dash of romance for good measure.

She’s always looking for a great speculative fiction read, and she holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.

Becca is also the co-creator of JuNoWriMo.com, where you can join a vibrant community and write a novel during June.

To join Becca’s writing journey and be notified when her next book is released, sign up for her author newsletter.

I have read this series out of order, but I am loving it regardless.

My Reviews for Becca Campbell

Constricted

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

Save

It’s a Boy and He’s a Dragon – Dragon’s Egg by Emily Martha Sorensen @CleanYAFantasy

Posted on November 21, 2016 by fundinmental

I love dragons, so I am very excited to share Dragon’s Egg by Emily Martha Sorenson.

A 58 page fun, quick and easy novella that put a smile on my face.

Such a cute cover that made me grab this without hesitation.

Cover by Eva Urbanikova

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Can a baby dragon throw a tantrum?

Wellllllll, let’s find out.

This is not your usual dragon tale of hot shifters and the maiden in love with him.

It’s a baby.

It has been waiting for a long time….waiting…waiting…waiting…for its parents.

I felt so bad for the poor guy, so lost and alone.

He imprints before he hatches, on Rose and the stranger. He speaks to them telepathically and they cannot say no.

Rose’s life quickly spins out of control and I can hardly wait to see what happens when…

Imagine all the difficulties of raising a baby dragon…what do you feed it…where will it sleep…where will it go to the bathroom? It’s funny where my thoughts went as I wondered how they would handle something they never could have foreseen coming into their life.

OH NO! All to quickly I reached the end.

Kudos to Emily Martha Sorensen for this fun story and fresh approach.

This quick story was worth every minute and left me wanting more.

Now I NEED Dragon’s Hope.

4 STARS

GOODREADS BLURB

Rose didn’t count on becoming a mother to a brand new baby dragon egg.

She’s always wanted to be a paleontologist, and is now in college studying to become one. But a chance meeting at the American Musuem of Natural History turns her world upside down. Because, millions of years after dragons have gone extinct, there’s an egg that seems to be unexpectedly . . . alive.

The egg knows what he wants. He wants Rose and a stranger, Henry, to be his new parents. But can three strangers of two different species become a family?

A 14,000 word G-rated new adult fantasy.

Buy Links: Amazon, Nook, or Kobo.

ABOUT EMILY MARTHA SORENSEN

Emily is a prolific writer with many titles to choose from. She writes of fairies, dragons, fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, world peach in short stories and flash fiction.

You can find her on Goodreads & Amazon

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

Save

Giveaway – The Keep by Tenille Berezay #TenilleBerezay @YABoundToursPR

Posted on November 17, 2016 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop on The Keep (Converters #2) blog tour!

The Keep (Converters #2)
by Tenille Berezay
Genre: YA Scifi/fantasy
Release Date: November 12th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

After a pardon from the convergence, Desiree returns to the protection of home. But safety is an illusion and her family is shattered by the violent retribution of a desperate enemy. On the run again, Desiree struggles to keep those she loves from a host of gathering threats—debilitating doubts, manipulative converters, dark technology, and a murdering madman. To save them all, Desiree will need more than her ability to convert, she’ll need to redefine her strength.

THE KEEP is the dramatic sequel to THE CONVERGENCE; a continuation of Desiree and Blake’s story.

Buy
Link:
Amazon

Book One:

The Convergence (Converters #1)
by Tenille Berezay
Genre: YA Scifi/fantasy
Release Date: March 12th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Hiding unbelievable physical abilities, seventeen-year-old Desiree Morgan buries herself inside the realities of high school. But when Blake Thomas infiltrates her life, all of Desiree’s secrets begin to unravel. With answers come more questions and soon she is entangled in a world of secret societies, human experimentation, perilous power-struggles, and ultimate sacrifice. To escape, Desiree can’t be simply extraordinary…she must redefine the impossible.

THE CONVERGENCE is a story of one girl’s search to understand herself and the realization of what makes her truly great.

The
Convergence will be
free on 11/14 and 11/15 and then reduced to $2.99!

Buy
Link:
Amazon

Excerpt from The Keep:

“What you need is combat training.” She points at the screens as they
and the floor light up. The scene wavers then clears, leaving an image looking
remarkably like the island outside. From the desk, Jade hands me a pair of
goggles.

Since she’s being difficult, I slide them on without question. The
sudden realism causes me to stumble backward. With the lenses on, the trees and
vegetation of the island are suddenly alive. Their appearance is so authentic,
I slide the glasses on and off a couple of times.

Jade’s sigh draws my attention to her rolling eyes. “Can you take this
seriously?”

Tipping the goggles up, I glare at her. “Just enjoying the life I have
left.”

Her frown deepens. “You’ll enjoy it more by learning to stay alive.”
She points to the scene and I slide the glasses back on. “You can interact with
anything you see on screen. Use whatever you find for weapons. There are no
friendlies.”

Nodding as if everything she said was totally expected and
commonplace, I step to the center of the lit floor. I clap my hands together.
“I’m ready.”

“I doubt it.” I hear her say before the fight draws me in.

First, a man jumps from the tree to my right. I kick out knocking him
back. He disappears. A shuffling in the trees draws my attention to
another charging enemy. This one holds a knife in his hands. With a grab and a
flick, I have the weapon. I slash at him and he vanishes. From above, a man
drops. I roll away, throwing the knife simultaneously. It hits his chest and
both he and the weapon disappear.

Two men rush me from opposite sides. Using a large nearby branch, I
club one across the skull and fling one overhead with a well-placed hit between
the legs. I knock the next attacker from a nearby tree by pelting him with the
branch.

Then—from straight ahead—I’m threatened with a gun. I kick out,
knocking it from his hands. The metal glints as it flies through the air.
Sprinting, I catch it and spin to train it on the disarmed man. Seeing his
hands thrown in the air, my finger eases off the trigger.

Instantly, everything disappears. Ripping the glasses away, I spin to
Jade. She’s sitting at the desk, her chin resting on clasped hands, her
beautiful features twisted in disappointment.

I pull in a restless breath. “What?”

She gestures to the now empty space. “I’ll admit you can fight.”

I toss the goggles on the desk. “But?”

Her gaze is level with unflinching honesty. “But you’re not going to
survive.” I bite back my defense—the truth is I’m not even going to fight. Jade
mistakes my silence for acceptance. “I said there were no friendlies. You
should have pulled that trigger without hesitation, instead you didn’t pull it
at all. What you lack is a killer instinct. That’s something I can’t train into
you. You have to find it.”… She spins on a precarious heel and clicks to the
door.

I stop her retreat. “So I’m supposed to suddenly become a blood
thirsty murderer?”

“No, Desiree Morgan. You stay on offense. Always on offense. The
minute you drop to defense is the minute you die.”

About the Author

After living throughout the western U.S., Tenille now claims rural Northern Nevada as her home. If she’s not being consumed by a book–whether her own or another author’s–she’d like to be found horseback riding, backpacking with her high-school sweetheart/husband, or photographing their three beautiful children.

Tenille loves to read any genre (as long as there’s great dialogue with a touch of snark). She believes in authentic characters, romantic sub-plots, and realistic, happy endings.

Author Links:

GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Bah…Humbug by Tony Bertauski @tonybertauski

Posted on November 15, 2016 by fundinmental

I have been reading Tony Bertauski’s Christmas stories since the very beginning and have loved each and every one, so I was eager to get my hands on Humbug.

Be sure and check out his other books below, where you can find my review links.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Fantastic twist on a familiar tale.

Tony Bertauski has come away with another winner in Humbug. This is one of those books that is hard to review without giving away all the goodies inside.

You may think you know the story, but when Tony Bertauski spins a tale, he creates a world of his own, original, unique and highly creative.

I immediately thought steampunk because of all the technology involved, but cyberpunk will do just fine.

Ebenezer is constantly riding around his castle on a Segway. He is overweight and a bit lazy. He wants what he wants when he wants it and expects his androids to deliver. He doesn’t leave his castle and doesn’t want any human contact. No one knows what he looks like because he projects a created image when he talks ‘face to face’.

At times I felt like Ebenezer got what he deserved and other times I felt sorry for him. After all, we don’t always know what happens to shape a person into who they have become.

We do travel to the future, visit the present and go back to the past to find out his story.

The twists and turns kept me entertained and I surely never saw the end coming. I loved it.

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

4 Stars

AMAZON BLURB: Jacob Marley is dead. His business partner, Eb Scrooge, is left to run Avocado, Inc., an innovative technology business, all alone. An introverted shut-in locked away in a Colorado mansion, he changes the company’s mission statement. Only his servant droids keep him company.

Until the gifts arrive.

Each Christmas, a messenger forces Eb to look at his life in hopes he will change. But change does not happen in a single night. And only Eb can make it happen.

But who is sending the messengers?

ABOUT TONY BERTAUSKI

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

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

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

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

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

My reviews for Tony Bertauski’s books:

Save

One Sentence Review – Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent #RachelVincent

Posted on November 12, 2016 by fundinmental

I won a signed copy from fiktshun some time ago and even though this is Book VI of The Soul Screamers series, I don’t feel it affected my enjoyment of Before I Wake.

Check out this gorgeous cover.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Kaylee struggles to find her ‘place’ in this new world of the undead…reapers, extractors, necromancers…she wonders how she will fill the minutes, hours, days…and I loved following her in her struggles to kill the demon that haunts her, following her deeper and deeper in this wonderful tale of death and ‘life’, with well written twists and turns that kept me going, though I was disappointed not to find out how it all ends.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: I died on a Thursday— killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul.

The good news? He didn’t get it.

The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school…

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent “recovering,” she’s back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won’t keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn’t just gambling with her own life….

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

Save

Friday 56 #107 – The Trench by Abdelrahman Munif #AbdelrahmanMunif

Posted on November 11, 2016 by fundinmental

.
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.

~~~

I had a hard time finding the info on this book. I did not realize it was the second book in the series when I grabbed this book a long time ago, because of the controversy. It was banned in some Arab countries. I hate when someone tries to tell me what I can and cannot read, so I will do what I can to support the author.

This is the cover I have, but it was difficult to find it.

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

“He works until dawn – he doesn’t sleep until he hears the morning prayer call.” He smiled. “The light in that office is never even turned off!”

(Page 56 in hardcover, published in 1991)

Book Beginnings

Mooran seemed sunk, early that spring, in a meditative silence, as if the city had nothing on its mind. But a sharp eye saw, in this silence, expectancy and signs of unease. The calm was deceptive and would end abruptly, as if it had never been. With no plan or collusion, the silence was shared by all; their movements were exaggeratedly slow and measured, with a suggestion of secrecy and conspiracy, since any slip, whatever its cause, would give offense and create difficulties not easily dispelled.

Do you ever feel you have to have a book because it has been banned or is controversial?

AMAZON BLURB: Set in 1950, the novel brilliantly evokes the royal court of a fictional monarchy, in all its fatuousness, turpitude, and savagery – an obsenely rich monarchy that presides over artificial boundaries defined by imperialists, that depends on foreign intriguers and masses of migrant workers for its luxury, and that practices severly undemocratic and repressive policies. The book is banned in Saudi Arabia and other Persian gulf countries.

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

Which cover do you like best, including the one above? I love the shrouded man with the blue cover.

Save

Giveaway – Guardian of the Way by Diane Moat @DianeMoatAuthor @XpressoReads

Posted on November 11, 2016 by fundinmental

Guardian of the Way
Diane Moat
Publication date: November 7th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

It’s been two centuries since someone murdered the last Guardian of the Way, closing off this world from the many realms of magic and fae.

Cassiopeia “Cass” Wilson is an eighteen-year-old living on her own for the first time. The only magic she’s interested in is the kind that will help her pay the bills on time. Little does she know that a trip to the hospital after a fainting spell will change her life forever.

Cass soon learns she may be fae, and everything points to her being the next Guardian of the Way. There’s just one problem: whoever—or whatever—killed the last Guardian wants Cass dead too.

Cass quickly runs into problems, and an attack by djinn is just the first. But Cass joins forces with a wrath daemon, were-creatures, and fae on a quest to reach the Lighthouse—the site of the Way.

Cass soon learns about wizards desperate to keep the Way closed to serve their dark purposes, and she comes to a crossroads: will she take the test to become the new Guardian and leave her normal life behind? Or will the Way remain closed to all who need it?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

—

EXCERPT:

Adrenaline wiped away all of Cass’s tiredness.

“Get out! I don’t care who you are. Leave now, or I’m calling the police.”

Cass would have to move away from the door for the men to leave. So I’ll just leave. She could call the police from out on the street. As she turned the door handle and shifted around to bolt, the second man spoke. “Two more of us are posted outside, with more on the way. That’s not a threat…” It sure sounded like one. “…just an explanation. We aren’t…we can’t leave. Short of leaving, we’ll comply with whatever makes you feel safe. We brought your .38 out from the bedroom if holding it would help you.”

Cass’ open gun safe sat next to her gleaming .38 Ruger on the coffee table. She wanted to pick it up and check it, but that would bring her closer to the men. As if she had said that last thought aloud, both men suddenly appeared by the kitchen. She blinked, not understanding how anyone could move that fast. The taller man moved with grace, but the shorter man’s shoulder crashed into the kitchen hutch.

The taller man snickered. “Walk much, old one?”

The other man growled back, “It’s too bright in this world, and there’s too much space everywhere.”

Author Bio:

Diane is a Tennessee transplant, animal rescuer, and nurse. Dog Gone is her debut novel, born from years of hearing animal rescuers say about animal abusers, “If only I could get my hands on that person…” Diane is assisted by her many rescue dogs.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Tag Team Event – Tainted Cure by Ashley Fontainne @AshleyFontainne

Posted on November 9, 2016 by fundinmental

Welcome to my Tag Team Tag Team Events & Giveaways Page!

This is where myself (Sherry at fundinmental) and Laura at fuonlyknew tag team authors and their books.

We share our reviews and giveaways, giving you two views and two chances to win!

~~~

Is it a cure or a curse? The cover for Tainted Cure by Ashley Fontainne is only one of the things that drew me to this novel. I have read several amazing books by Ashley and she always leaves me wanting more. This author is at the top of her game and any book by her will be a MUST READ for me.

Some of her novels have been made into or optioned for film.

Tainted Cure is PermaFree on all sales channels, so Ashley will be offering multiple copies of her new book, Ruined, for the giveaway. Be sure and scroll down to see this beauty.

Cover design by One of a Kind Covers

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Tainted Cure by Ashley Fontainne is a unique and original look at drug addiction and the search for a cure for it. People are very creative and Tainted Cure will show you how something lifesaving and good can become twisted and evil. Do you believe in conspiracies…you may when you are done reading this.

Dr Everett Berning had been recruited to work for the covert program – Rememdium.

Their goal: find a cure for addiction.

A meth head had taken out his entire family, so how could he refuse?

Word gets out about a possible cure and the story takes an unexpected turn. Is it a cure or a curse?

At the beginning, I wondered where Ashley Fontainne could take a story about drugs. Haven’t we read all the storylines? She writes such great stories, I still expect a high level of entertainment and suspense with a unique and original twist and she did not let me down.

OMG. I didn’t see this grisly and horrific twist but I love it. They created monsters, monsters that may be the end of the world. Would anyone survive or would this be the apocalyptic event that wiped mankind from the face of the earth? The epidemic that creates the apocalypse is not what is foreseen by the doctors and medical community of today.

I never saw Tainted Cure going in this direction, fanfrickintastic. I love it and I will not tell you much, because I refuse to spoil it for you.

They don’t care who is good or bad, they just take whoever is unlucky enough to get in the way.

The twists and turns, the suspense, thrills and terror of what would come on the next page kept me reading at a rapid pace.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Tainted Cure by Ashley Fontainne.

5 STARS

Goodreads Blurb: Dr. Everett Berning, a leading researcher into the causes of addiction in the brain, spent ten years of his life dedicated to one thing: finding the cure. Recruited after a strange encounter with the enigmatic Dr. Roberta Flint, Director of Research on Code Name: Rememdium, Dr. Berning is sent to work in a secret lab as part of the research team.

When the moment the scientists waited on for years arrives, Dr. Flint and her team are ecstatic.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the world feels the same way.

Benito San Nicholas isn’t ready to give up his lucrative business. When the news of a cure arrives on his doorstep from a crooked informant, Benito enlists the help of other drug lords from around the world to stop the cure from hitting the streets and destroying their livelihoods.

What happens next ends up uniting the globe–just not the way society ever intended or hoped.

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.

GIVEAWAY

Because Tainted Cure is PermaFree, Ashley is offering a copy of her new novel, Ruined Wings, to be released in December.

Eleven (11) Winners

1 hardback copy (US) and 10 copies of Ruined Wings by Ashley Fontainne, 5 ebooks and 5 audiobooks (INT).

Entry is easy peasy. Leave your email and what format you would like.

Do you believe in conspiracies?

Be sure and hop on over to see Laura @ fuonlyknew for another chance to win.

Ends 11.23.16

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

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:

<br />

Save

Giveaway – Giant Slayers by the Jeff & Ken Altabef

Posted on November 9, 2016 by fundinmental

Giant Slayers
by Jeff Altabef & Ken Altabef
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Release Date: September 20th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

The Kingdom or the Girl?

Demons attack him.
Spirits protect him.
A seer foretells his shocking destiny.

In a primitive land filled with magic, witches and giants, a sixteen-year-old musician named David is summoned to chase away the nightmares haunting the King each night. But more than bad dreams trouble the King. Demons torment him, and David will need more than music to break the curse.

Demons are only the first sign of a deeper and darker evil that plagues the countryside. Bent on revenge and an insatiable thirst for power, the Witch of Endor and a giant named Goliath lead an invading force against the kingdom. King Saul’s army is crumbling and only a champion can save them, but who would be fool enough to face the giant?

Princess Michal is frustrated by the constraints of palace life, but David’s arrival makes things infinitely more interesting. She finds herself drawn to him, but the King strictly forbids her from having a romance with a poor musician. Only by defying her father’s wishes and risking her freedom do they have a chance to be together.

Armed with just his sling and his love for Michal, David must prove his worth by defeating Goliath against impossible odds. Worst of all, he must choose between saving the kingdom or being with the girl of his dreams. He can’t do both.

Buy
Links: Amazon

EXCERPT:

Look closely at a woman’s face and you can read her entire life story. It’s all there in the crevices and contours, the tiny expressions and doubts. Such little things, but they combine to give away her secrets. Men’s faces, however, were still mysteries to Michal. She’d spent so little time with men that their lines seemed written in a foreign language, unique and indecipherable.

In Hadi’s face, Michal saw rivers flowing down cheeks rich with experience. The canyons carved into her forehead spoke of a tough life, one without the blessing of children, where she had served as a house servant for as long as anyone could remember. The old woman’s walnut eyes sparkled with a hint of summer wheat, still sharp and bright and full of mischief, and the wrinkles creeping from the corners of those eyes had been etched by laughter.

Michal frowned at the way Hadi’s tunic drooped over her shoulders and hung low on her thin frame. She had lost weight in the past month, and her back seemed more sharply stooped than it had been only a few weeks ago. She must be ill, thought Michal. But whenever I try to summon a priest for help, she shrugs me
off.

Hadi slid close to Michal. Her whisper sounded coarse, as if age had stolen its smoothness. “This is too dangerous. I should never have told you about the staircase.”

“It’s too late for that. You know I’ve been waiting my whole life to see the Ark.”

“Your whole life,” Hadi chuckled. “You’re just fifteen. Barely a babe. Only yesterday, you were toddling around learning your first prayers.”

“That was a long time ago. Tonight’s my only chance to see the Ark before everything gets turned upside down for the festival. Who knows how long I’ll have to wait if I don’t go tonight?”

Hadi sighed and shuffled farther into the cellar. Her small lamp cast just enough light for them to make their way, brightening small swirls of dust ahead. The cool air smelled both sweet from raisins and acidic from the large oak casks of wine. It created an odd mix and Michal wondered if it meant a good omen or a bad one.

About the Authors

Jeff Altabef 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. Fourteenth Colony, a political thriller, is his debut novel. Jeff has a blog designed to encourage writing by those that like telling stories. You can find his blog, The Accidental Writers Workshop, on The Patch. Jeff also rights a column for The Examiner under the byline – The Accidental Writer.

Author Links:

Ken Altabef – As a Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America member, my short fiction has frequently appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. I also had stories in Interzone, Buzzymag, Abyss & Apex, Unsettling Wonder and Ominous Realities.
ALAANA’S WAY, my 5-part series of epic fantasy novels is published by Cat’s Cradle Press. Described as “cutting-edge fantasy from the top of the world” the arctic setting and unique characters will bring something new to even the most jaded fantasy enthusiast. You can preview this work and others at my website www.KenAltabef.com

Author Links: