Friday 56 #48 & BB #24 – #SteveAlten and Megladon

Posted on July 31, 2015 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.

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I have tried to come up with a way to make things simpler for myself when it comes to choosing my next novel to share. This is what I have come up with.

I am starting with the first novel on *this* bookshelf and…

now I am on to the second novel, Meg by Steve Alten

2015-07-23 03.12.21

I have been a huge fan of Steve Alten’s for some time now. I find his creatures amazing and love having them come alive on the pages as I read each new story. I am always eager to see what he will come up with next and I think he is taking this series of novels in a direction most of us fans never saw coming.

BUT, let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Meg by Steve Alten

Are you afraid to enter the ocean?

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY FRIDAY 56

Jim shot a quick glance over his right shoulder and saw jaws wider than a school bus snap shut, catching nothing but water. As the Meg’s torso plunged headfirst and down into the wave, the surfer cut again hard to his right, accelerating n the dark, shooting past the last place he’d seen the luminescent white monster.

(56% of a hardcover)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

The Professor:

“Imagine a great white shark, fifty to sixty feet in length, weighing close to forty thousand pounds. Can you visualize that?” Professor Jonas Taylor looked at his audience of just over six hundred and paused for effect. “I find it hard to imagine myself sometimes, but this monster did exist. Its head alone was probably as large as a Dodge Ram pickup. Its jaws could have engulfed and swallowed four grown men whole. And I haven’t even mentioned the teeth: razor-sharp, seven to nine inches long, with th e serrated edges of a stainless-steel steak knife.”

SYNOPSIS

Revised and Expanded. On a top-secret dive into the Pacific Ocean’s deepest canyon, Jonas Taylor found himself face-to-face with the largest and most ferocious predator in the history of the animal kingdom. The sole survivor of the mission, Taylor is haunted by what he’s sure he saw but still can’t prove exists – Carcharodon megalodon, the massive mother of the great white shark. The average prehistoric Meg weighs in at twenty tons and could tear apart a Tyrannosaurus rex in seconds. Taylor spends years theorizing, lecturing, and writing about the possibility that Meg still feeds at the deepest levels of the sea. But it takes an old friend in need to get him to return to the water, and a hotshot female submarine pilot to dare him back into a high-tech miniature sub. Diving deeper than he ever has before, Taylor will face terror like he’s never imagined. MEG is about to surface. When she does, nothing and no one is going to be safe, and Jonas must face his greatest fear once again.

I love covers!

Meg has a couple of covers for different editions.

Which one do you like the best and why?

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #47 & BB #23 – Sharknado would like you to meet Zorro by Isabel Allende

Posted on July 24, 2015 by fundinmental

11732026_982058431826740_6358403754783642270_o

We came. We saw. We conquered.

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

~~~~~~

I have tried to come up with a way to make things simpler for myself when it comes to choosing my next novel to share. This is what I have come up with.

I am starting with the first novel on *this* bookshelf and…

2015-07-23 03.12.21

So…that means my first book will be:

Zorro by Isabel Allende

Margaret Sayers Peden (Translator)

I bought this hardcover, first edition novel a while ago, can’t remember when. It was published in 2005 by HarperCollins Publishers. Designed by Nancy Singer Olaguerra. I love maps and Zorro includes one by Jan Adkins.

I wonder what would happen if Zorro and Robin Hood were to meet. 🙂

MY 56

The exploit of the beast, exaggerated and embellished to the point of impossibility, spread by word of mouth; with time, it crossed the Bering Strait, carried by traders in otter skins, and circulated as far away as Russia. Diego, Bernardo and Garcia were not excused from the whipping administered by their parents, but no one could contest their fame as champions.

(Page 56 in hardcover).In October, when the town was still talking about nothing else, they were attacked by pirates.

(Page 56 in hardcover)

BOOK BEGINNINGS

This is the story of Diego de la Vega and of how he became the legendary Zorro. At last I am able to reveal his identity, which for so many ears we kept secret, though I do so with some unease, since a blank page is more intimidating to me than the naked swords of Moncada’s men. With this document I intend to set the record straight before the slanderers who are determined to defame Zorro have their say…

SYNOPSIS

A swashbuckling adventure story that reveals for the first time how Diego de la Vega became the masked man we all know so well. Born in southern California late in the eighteenth century, Diego de la Vega is a child of two worlds. His father is an aristocratic Spanish military man turned landowner; his mother, a Shoshone warrior. At the age of sixteen, Diego is sent to Spain, a country chafing under the corruption of Napoleonic rule. He soon joins La Justicia, a secret underground resistance movement devoted to helping the powerless and the poor. Between the New World and the Old, the persona of Zorro is formed, a great hero is born, and the legend begins. After many adventures — duels at dawn, fierce battles with pirates at sea, and impossible rescues — Diego de la Vega, a.k.a. Zorro, returns to America to reclaim the hacienda on which he was raised and to seek justice for all who cannot fight for it themselves.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isabel Allende Llona is a Chilean-American novelist. Allende, who writes in the “magic realism” tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at several US colleges. She currently resides in California with her husband. Allende adopted U.S. citizenship in 2003.

I love covers!

What do you think of the cover for Zorro by Isabel Allende?

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

New Release Blitz for An Officer and a Mermaid by Blaire Edens

Posted on July 21, 2015 by fundinmental

An Officer and a Mermaid

by Blaire Edens

Series: Falling In Deep

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy RomanceCover Designer: Quirky Bird

Release Date: July 21, 2015

When a slave uprising threatens the life of Syreena, the daughter of an eighteenth century plantation owner, a servant uses voodoo to transform her into a mermaid. The spell will be only broken when she returns to the beach where it was cast. After three hundred years of swimming, she’s ready to trade fins for legs. The only problem is she can’t find her way home.

Dylan, a twenty-first century Coast Guard Officer, has sworn off love for the sea. When a wave throws him overboard, Syreena uses her amulet to ward off the sharks and save his life.

With Syreena and Dylan stranded on a remote cay, Dylan has the know-how to build a raft and navigate but his near-drowning has made him terrified of the water. Syrenna will use every charm she has to convince Dylan to take her home.

Even if it means falling in love. . .

It was a small amulet, about the size of a small Manonsillo fruit, painted with the image of Mami Wata, a mermaid-like deity venerated by the slaves. She was carefully painted, from the curls in her ebony hair to the scales of the snake wrapped around her neck.

Guilliame said, “Mami will show you the way.” He held up a leather pouch and threaded onto the thin leather strap that held the amulet. “Do not lose be without these until you are sure you don’t need them.”

“How will I know?”

“There will be no question. You will be safe.” The lyrical sounds of West Africa were heavy in his voice. “Do not be afraid, mademoiselle. Your papa and I are doing this because it is all we can do. When it is time,” Guilliame said, “you must return here, to this very spot. Do you understand?” His eyes were serious. “You must complete the circle.”

“I understand,” she replied in a whisper.

Guilliame stood behind her. He placed the necklace over her head. The leather pouch hung right above her breasts. She touched it with her finger. It felt warm, alive.

“Keep your fingers on it,” Guilliame said. He touched her shoulders, a familiarity unimagined only minutes ago. “Good luck.”

His bass voice was hypnotic, drifting between the patois of the island and the stranger, foreign sounds of West Africa. Her eyelids became heavy; she was falling into a deep sleep.

The sounds of the beach became louder and Guilliame’s voice became more distant.

The last thing she heard was, “She will swim alone until the man who is her true equal comes to her.”

She whirled into a vortex of color, sound and wind. Her body felt lighter and lighter, weightless.

Then there was nothing but blue.

Blaire Edens lives in mountains of North Carolina. She grew up on a farm that’s been in her family since 1790. Of Scottish descent, her most famous ancestor, John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and Guardian of Scotland, was murdered by Robert the Bruce on the altar of the Greyfriars Church at Dumfries.

She has a degree in Horticulture from Clemson University. She’s held a myriad of jobs including television reporter, GPS map creator, and personal assistant to a fellow who was rich enough to pay someone to pick up the dry cleaning. When she’s not plotting, she’s busy knitting, running, or listening to the Blues.

Blaire loves iced tea with mint, hand-stitched quilts, and yarn stores. She refuses to eat anything that mixes chocolate and peanut butter or apple and cinnamon. She’s generally nice to her mother, tries to remember not to smack her bubble gum, and only speeds when no one’s looking.

She’s the past president of South Carolina Writers Workshop and an active member of Romance Writers of America.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Dirty Politics & Murder – Money, Family, Murder by Timothy Patten

Posted on July 16, 2015 by fundinmental

New Thriller Ignites Orange County with Mysterious Murder,

Glamorous Intrigue, and Family Secrets

Author Timothy Patten explodes onto the literary scene with a sleek, action-packed thriller that takes us into the dark heart of one of California’s most exclusive communities, perfect for lovers of NCIS and Criminal Minds. The mystery ignites around a beautiful corpse, a family of billionaires, and one man who must beat the clock and the system to clear his name in an enclave rife with secrets, lies, and betrayal—MONEY, FAMILY, MURDER (TMP Novels, LLC, $24.99, Hardcover, July 14, 2015).

I am thrilled to have Timothy Patten here today talking about his debut novel. I love learning about the characters and how the author feels about them, so let’s dive in.

Guest Post by Timothy Patten

Author of Money, Family, Murder

The Ladies of Money, Family, Murder

In my fiction novel, there are several female characters who play an important role in the plot, but the most dominant is Janice Martland, the Orange County District Attorney. After hearing from the local police and FBI in Newport Beach, California, which is one of the most safest, well-policed cities along the prestigious Pacific Coastline, she finds out that a murder had taken place and that the lead suspect is a multi-billionaire named Johnny Barnes.

Since her term as the Orange County District Attorney was up for reelection, she makes it her goal to take Barnes down and put him away forever. She’s a power hungry, egotistical politician that doesn’t take no for an answer. You would never want to disappoint Janice or cross her or you’d be either fired or get crushed by her looks that could kill. You do not want to be public criminal #1 in her county!

Janice grew up in a medium sized family with three older brothers who used to emotionally and sometimes physically beat her up as kids. Instead of causing emotional issues, they drove her to want to be “one of the guys” and become ruthless especially if it had to do with her jurisdiction in Orange County. She grew up to hate sentimentality and affection and never married. She would never hug or cry or offer her forgiveness to any of her siblings for what they did to her growing up.

That is why she became a lawyer in the first place because she saw law so peaceful. If she had it her way, then the whole world would be dis-passionate as well. So Janice wanted to beat her chest and pose in front of the FBI and Newport Beach police on TV and in front of the media cameras to show that SHE is the best DA that anyone could ever be.

In her mind, it was important that justice have a face attached to it, a powerful, intelligent and attractive looking woman from Orange County in a wealthy Mediterranean like city in Southern California.

She knew all of the tricks of the trade and even wrote all of her topics and questions that were asked by the media interviewers. And Janice loved the attention and focus on herself in the process.

Ms. Martland is so determined to get reelected and keep her high profile position that she stakes everything on putting Mr. Barnes away by bending some rules and evidence along the way to make sure that she is the winner when his case comes to trial for the murder of his family trustee, Eva. But she wasn’t afraid to lie her way to the top like she did in the past. In fact, Janice was used to lying, but she was used to not getting caught at it!

So if she was an actress in a movie today, then who could play her role?

Award winning actresses like Meryl Streep, like in The Devil Wears Prada, and Kate Winslet, like she played in Divergent, come immediately to mind. And as Sandra Bullock continues to expand her acting horizon in the film Gravity, I can see her playing this role if it should ever become a film. And never forget Glenn Close in Damages as another great actress.

Do I know anyone like Janice today? No. With as many metropolitan areas in the country like Southern California there may be someone out there that may think and act like Ms. Martland, but it’s up to you to decide!

Add to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

Timothy Patten’s debut novel, Money Family Murder, is a great read that combines politics, money and power and all the dirt and corruption that can come along with it. I love the vibrant colors of the cover and the yellow dress with the red blood is an awesome touch. It just screams, “Take me to the beach with you, please.”

District Attorney Janice Maitland is a blood thirsty politician who wants to use Eva Proliasky’s murder for her own political agenda. I wonder, would she have went as far as she did if the woman wasn’t from one of the most influential families in the United States?

Johnny Barnes never saw it coming. I can’t say I blame him, because why would he? He’s nobody special. Johnny is the kind of guy to hang out at a library, not a gym. Why would someone frame him for her murder?

Janice was incompetent, but driven. She went after him with all she had and then some. He didn’t stand a chance. She would do whatever it takes to win. Her narrow, narcissistic vision doomed him. Or did it?

I am so angry for John. I know life is not fair, but come on. The nerve of some people. No sense of right or wrong, just ME and MINE. It is obvious he will need to find his own answers, but I wonder if anyone will listen even if he does.

I was surprised when John went hunting. It seemed an out of place thing to do with the situation he was in. I thought he wouldn’t have done it for many reasons. I knew what was going on, didn’t he? Or is it one of those things, it’s too far out there for John to believe. It was hard for me to buy it, so the rating suffered…a tad. I get why Timothy Patten did it, but it just didn’t work for me.

The characters are great and Johnny’s kids…well what can I say…kids will be kids no matter what their age. We have the normal girl, a young woman named Mary. Then we have Mark, a computer nerd turned college playboy who knows how to throw a party. I couldn’t help but laugh along with…someone who shouldn’t (?) be laughing at the situation. I love a little humor to lighten the mood of murder. LOL

Andrew, not only is he an idiot, he is…well, you will have to read the novel yourself to find out what happens.

Money, Family, Murder is a novel that evokes emotions of rage at the injustice of the system and the people that play it. It also reminds us, when you come close to losing everything, the things most important come to light.

Predictable, it’s obvious to me from the beginning who is pulling the strings. But some predictability is to be expected. It’s very hard to come up with a story that hasn’t been written, but it is nice when Timothy Patten adds some nice twists at the end that, along with the mystery of the outcome, kept Money, Family, Murder by Timothy Patten as a novel worth adding to your reading list. Did you do it? I see more mystery coming from Timothy that I will be sure and read, so why not come along on the adventure with me?

I received Money, Family Murder by Timothy Patten in return for an honest and unbiased review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

In the picture-perfect community of Newport Beach, violent crime is virtually non-existent—until the beautiful bookkeeper of Newport’s wealthiest family is found strangled in her bed.

Johnny Barnes—loyal husband, dad, and philanthropist—is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit.

With his luck and resources running out, Barnes must battle a corrupt system to conduct his own investigation. His journey takes him from Montecito to North Dakota to Key—and draws him into a dazzling and dangerous web of intrigue, self-dealing, exhortation, and murder.

Racing again the odds and the clock, Barnes will be sent to prison—unless he is able to identify the true murderer and clear his name in time.In the picture-perfect community of Newport Beach, violent crime is virtually non-existent—until the beautiful bookkeeper of Newport’s wealthiest family is found strangled in her bed. Johnny Barnes—loyal husband, dad, and philanthropist—is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit.

He is released on $20 million bail, but the tide of public feeling turns rapidly against him: from the power-hungry DA to a perspicacious police detective to his own influential and unscrupulous in-laws. With his luck and resources running out, Barnes must battle a corrupt system to conduct his own investigation. His journey takes him from Montecito to North Dakota to Key—and draws him into a dazzling and dangerous web of intrigue, self-dealing, exhortation, and murder.

Racing against the odds and the clock, Barnes will be sent to prison—unless he is able to identify the true murderer and clear his name in time.

Packed with heart-pounding intrigue and exhilarating twists, Timothy Patten’s debut novel will leave you on the edge of your seat, begging for mercy — and begging for more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TIMOTHY PATTEN is retired, grew up in Highland Park, Illinois and graduated from University of Miami, Florida with a BBA and MBA in marketing. He volunteers and supports a few local charities in Orange County, California.

Tim and his wife, Kathy live in Irvine, California for over twenty-seven years with their grown children and golden retrievers.

Website / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Timothy Patten is giving away a paperback copy of Money, Family, Murder to one lucky commenter.

All you need to do is let Timothy Patten know what you liked best about the Money, Family, Murder post and leave your email.

Giveaway ends July 30, 2015.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Was this review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz – The Looking Glass by Jessica Arnold and Of Breakable Things by A. Lynden Rolland with Giveaway #T4T

Posted on July 16, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

The Looking Glass by Jessica Arnold and
Of Breakable Things by A. Lynden Rolland

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

The Looking Glass

Find the diary, break the curse, step through The Looking Glass!

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Fifteen-year-old Alice Montgomery wakes up in the lobby of the B&B where she has been vacationing with her family to a startling discovery: no one can see or hear her. The cheap desk lights have been replaced with gas lamps and the linoleum floor with hardwood and rich Oriental carpeting. Someone has replaced the artwork with eerie paintings of Elizabeth Blackwell, the insane actress and rumored witch who killed herself at the hotel in the 1880s. Alice watches from behind the looking glass where she is haunted by Elizabeth Blackwell. Trapped in the 19th-century version of the hotel, Alice must figure out a way to break Elizabeth’s curse—with the help of Elizabeth’s old diary and Tony, the son of a ghost hunter who is investigating the haunted B&B—before she becomes the inn’s next victim.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“Curses, ghosts, betrayal and love. All elements to a perfect ghostly story..” – Jasmyn, Bitten by Romance

“I think one of the creepiest things about The Looking Glass was the way it made me feel so claustrophobic. It was similar to the way I felt when I read Stephen King’s Under the Dome–trapped and a bit panicked.” – Kelly, Reviewer

“It was so different and so beautifully written and detailed that I really could not put this story down and I felt as though I was there with Alice throughout the story.” – Melissa, Simplistic Reviews

about-the-author

Jessica Arnold

Jessica Arnold writes YA, codes ebooks, and is currently a graduate student in publishing at Emerson College in Boston. She spends most of her time in class or work or slogging through the homework swamp. If she has a spare moment, she’s always up for a round of Boggle. Given the opportunity, Jessica will pontificate at length on the virtues of the serial comma, when and where to use an en dash, and why the semicolon is the best punctuation mark pretty much ever.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Of Breakable Things

A captivating debut about the fragility of life, love, and perspective.

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When Chase dies tragically, Alex embraces her own mortality. What she didn’t expect was that she’d have to make a choice: forget the years of pain and suffering once and for all, or linger as a spirit and get another chance at life and love.

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Alex doesn’t hesitate to choose; she’d follow Chase anywhere. But the spirit world is nothing like she expected, and Alex finds she’s forced to fight for her life once more. For even in a world where secrets are buried much deeper than six feet under, a legacy can continue to haunt you—and in a place this dangerous, no one is resting in peace.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“I am so in love with this story.” – Linda, Lala Toadstone

“This is one book that I can see being turned into a film adaptation successfully!” – Victoria, Escape into Pages

The concepts and worldbuilding are imaginative and fun–and so well written!–but it was the emotions and characters that really carry this from good to great for me.” – A.M. Supinger, Author

about-the-author

A. Lynden Rolland

A. Lynden Rolland was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, a picturesque town obsessed with boats and blue crabs. She has always been intrigued by the dramatic and the broken, compiling her eccentric tales of tragic characters in a weathered notebook she began to carry in grade school. She is a sports fanatic, a coffee addict, and a lover of Sauvignon Blanc, thunderstorms and autumn leaves. When she isn’t hunched behind a laptop at her local bookstore, she can be found chasing her two vivacious children. She now resides just outside Annapolis with her husband and young sons.

Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill

Posted on July 14, 2015 by fundinmental

SBB_TourBanner_CenterOfGravity copy

Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill is a twisted tale of a couple whose life is not what it seems. When Ava’s children come up missing, she will stop at nothing to get them back. How far would you go?

Add me to Goodreads now.

Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill

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BLURB

Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true.

In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is grand.

Or is it?

When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It’s temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.

If only Ava could believe her own excuses.

Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.

Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?

Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.

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EXCERPT

When your children are stolen, the pain swallows you whole. Logic fades, reason retreats. Desperation permeates the tiniest crevices of your mind. Nothing soothes the ache in your wounded soul.

Right in front of me, my sweet, charmed life fell to pieces. Everything destroyed; a hailstorm’s wrath on a field of wildflowers. All I’d known—gone. Foolish me, I’d believed in magic, clung tight to false promises. The lies, spoken from tender lips, haunt me now, follow me, and whisper into my ear like a scorned lover.

What’s left is emptiness.

Give up, a voice urges. Let go.

No! I argue back. My children aren’t gone. Not yet. Precious and delicate, tiny fossils, they exist in glass-boxed isolation. Hidden. Protected.

And so tonight, I run. Blood pulses through my legs, my muscles protest; my lungs scream for more oxygen. Thick storm clouds brew in the distance. The rain falls in blinding sheets. The force of it pricks my skin like needles, but the pain only makes me push harder.

I will rescue them.

Lightning flashes across the wet driveway. The bulk of his truck looms large in the black night. I skid to a stop and catch my breath, pressing a hand to my heaving chest.

They’re here. My children are here.

Thunder booms and crashes, nearer now, the wind whips my hair. A gust tosses tree branches to the ground. Birds cry and flutter to safety. An escaped sandbox bucket spins, clattering on the blacktop.

I grasp the railing and pull myself up the steps. At the top, the door’s shiny-slick with water and humidity. Mother Nature howls and drowns out my knocking.

“Hello! Can you hear me?” With my palm open wide, I slap at the barrier, willing it to open. I will rescue my children. I will rescue them . . . or I will die trying.

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ABOUT LAURA McNEILL

MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_CenterOfGravity After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.

Laura works at Spring Hill College as the school’s web content and social media manager and is active in her community—participating in fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, and Providence Hospital’s Festival of Flowers.

Laura was recently awarded a 2-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing, a division of HarperCollins. Her novel, Center of Gravity, set in Mobile, Ala., will be published in July of 2015. Laura is represented by Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, president of McIntosh and Otis literary agency in New York. Her writing awards include those from William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, Writer’s Digest, RWA, and the Eric Hoffer competition.

She holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in interactive technology from the University of Alabama. She is a native of Upstate New York and currently resides near the Alabama Gulf Coast with her two children.

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads / Instagram

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GIVEAWAY

Laura McNeill will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Awesome Mermaid Giveaway and Novella – How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

Posted on July 8, 2015 by fundinmental

HowToBeAMermaidBlitzBanner1

I am so excited to be able to share Erin Hayes new novella, How To Be a Mermaid.

I have the option to share so many things, it was hard to choose. Everyone likes a bit of music, so I chose to share the song list. Here is a little something to listen to while you see the great things I have to share.

How to be a Mermaid Soundtrack:

Below is a list of songs that I listened to while writing How to be a Mermaid. Each of these songs helped to get me into the right mindset in order to pretend that I was a mermaid!

Go – Grimes featuring Blood Diamonds
Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Never Let Me Go – Florence and the Machine
What the Water Gave Me – Florence and the Machine
Start a Riot – Jetta
Believe – Mumford and Sons
I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons
Dirty Paws – Of Monsters and Men
Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding
Part of Your World – Jodi Benson from The Little Mermaid ß No mermaid soundtrack would be complete without that song!

Check out the beautiful cover, keep scrolling to check out more about the story and enter the awesome giveaway! I want to wish you good luck in the giveaway, but I want to win it too. LOL

Add me to Goodreads now.

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How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes
(Falling in Deep Collection, #10)
Publication date: July 7th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

All Tara ever wanted was to be a mermaid.

So she takes a year off between high school and college to don a fake tail and tour aquariums across the country in a professional mermaid troupe.

Everything’s great until she meets a gorgeous real-life merman named Finn. Suddenly, what she thought was a dream turns out to be a nightmare — she’s turning into a mermaid herself. For real.

Yet when she returns to the sea to seek out Finn and reverse her transformation, she finds herself in the middle of an impending war between the land and sea. Tara may have always wanted to be a mermaid, but now it’s sink or swim. In order to survive, she has to learn how to be one, too.

Summer 2015, award-winning, and best-selling authors will bring you romantic tales of mermaids, sirens, sprites, and other creatures of the deep! Keep in touch as we reveal each title in our collection!

Purchase: Amazon I B&N

ABOUT ERIN HAYES

CASTKatie_McGrath Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery novel Death is but a Dream, the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, and the Her Wolf paranormal series.She works as an advertising copywriter during the day, and she moonlights as an author. She has lived in New Zealand, Texas, and now in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Author links: Goodreads I Website I Facebook I Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

A mermaid care package to help you be the best mermaid:
- A signed copy of How to be a Mermaid
- Tara’s necklace
- Two Mermaid Mix soaks
- A mermaid mirror compact
- Six starfish hairpins
- A mermaid wallet
- Mermaid perfume
- Mermaid Tail Nail Polish
- A mermaid makeup bag
- Four Little Mermaid Buttons
- And one mermaid handbag to carry all your dinglehoppers

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Giveaway – One Night by Lorhainne Eckhart

Posted on July 3, 2015 by fundinmental

One Night

by Lorhainne Eckhart

Series: Kate and Walker: Deadly Dangerous & Desired Series

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: June 30, 2015

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Lorhainne Eckhart brings you ONE NIGHT, A high-stakes suspense and sizzling, red-hot romance!

A blind date goes deadly on a night she’ll never forget!

He’d died and gone to heaven.

Then the cold reality bit him as he stared at the naked woman—who had the curviest ass he’d ever seen in his twenty-eight years—next to him. Kate was lying on his bed, and her breathing was light. He wondered if, in fact, she’d fallen asleep. What the fuck was he thinking, screwing a woman he should be protecting? He didn’t even want to think about all the ethical boundaries he’d just crossed. He ripped off the condom and walked across the hall to the bathroom to dump it in the garbage. When he strode back into the bedroom, the bedside light was on, and Kate had crawled under the comforter.

He stood before her, naked, and she sat up, running her gaze over him. She wasn’t shy, and he could tell she appreciated what she saw. But then…hell, look at her! She had a pair of tits that could make a man howl, and her ass gave him enough to hang on to. She wasn’t a toothpick, she was a woman: curvy enough, strong enough that she could take him and keep up with him. He didn’t want to worry about a woman breaking under him.

There were times like now when he just wanted to ride a woman hard. It was satisfying. He didn’t want soft and easy. His life wasn’t made that way. He wasn’t made that way.

“No regrets,” he said to her. He didn’t ask, because the last thing he wanted was a woman having second thoughts after all was done.

“None, you?” she asked him, sliding her knees up and wrapping her arms around them.

He could smell her from where he was, and he felt himself hardening again. There were times when he could walk away satisfied after having a woman, but there was something about Kate and the way she watched him, so seductive and sensual, that stirred something in him. She wasn’t asking for a commitment. She had offered him her body, and he had taken it.

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Lorhainne Eckhart’s books have been described as Longmire meets old-school Dallas, and she recently received the 2013 Readers’ Favorite Award for Romantic Suspense for her title Lost and Found. With over thirty five titles under her belt, her big family romance series have become a fan favorite. She is frequently a Top 100 bestselling author in multiple genres, such as romance, western, military and mystery/suspense. She has written multiple series, including The Outsider, Walk the Right Road, The Wilde Brothers, Saved, The Friessens, and her two newest additions, Married in Montana, and her high-stakes suspense and sizzling, red-hot romance series, Kate and Walker, Deadly, Dangerous and Desired.

You can chat with Lorhainne on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorLorhainneEckhart, Twitter @LEckhart, and her Kick Ass Books Blog at http://kickassbooksblog.com/)

If you are interested in finding out how to get your hands on early advanced release copies of all her upcoming books, or receiving exclusive access to weekly giveaways, special limited time promotions you can join her newsletter list at (http://eepurl.com/ZHFNz) and all those details will be delivered right to your inbox.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

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Mistaken Abduction – To Kiss a Rake by Barbara Monajem

Posted on June 29, 2015 by fundinmental

To Kiss a Rake by Barbara Monajem is an historical romance, a genre that can be hit or miss with me. I really need to be in the right mood, but To Kiss a Rake sounds like a fun read. What does it say about the kidnapper, if he kidnaps the wrong woman?

Read more and see if it is for you and don’t forget the giveaway at the end of the post.

To Kiss A Rake

by Barbara Monajem

Series: Scandalous Kisses, #1

Genre: Regency Historical Romance

Release Date: July 29, 2015

WHEN A LADY IS ABDUCTED BY MISTAKE…

Melinda Starling doesn’t let ladylike behavior get in the way of true love. She’s secretly helping with an elopement, when she’s tossed into the waiting coach and driven away by a notorious rake.

REVENGE REALLY DOESN’T PAY.

Miles Warren, Lord Garrison, comes from a family of libertines, and he’s the worst of them all—or so society believes. When Miles helps a friend to run away with an heiress, it’s an entertaining way to revenge himself on one of the gossips who slandered him.

Except that he drives off with the wrong woman…and as if that wasn’t scandalous enough, he can’t resist stealing a kiss.

Setup: Melinda Starling was abducted by mistake and is now being returned home by her abductor. She falls asleep in the carriage.

Melinda dreamed she was safe in the arms of a truly wonderful man. He adored her with a passion that knew no bounds; she loved him with all her heart. The swaying of the coach pressed them together. She inhaled his warm, male scent and snuggled closer, savoring the way her breast rubbed against his arm. She ached for the pressure of his lips on hers, yearning, yearning… She always woke before her dream lover kissed her.

Not this time. His lips were warm and soft, his breath hot and laced with brandy. Her lips parted instinctively beneath his, and she heard herself give a little moan of pleasure. The tip of his tongue slipped between her lips and touched hers.

The coach came to a halt. Her eyes fluttered open as she woke. The obnoxious lord who’d sworn he wouldn’t touch her broke the kiss, still holding her in his arms. She shoved at him, but he held fast.

“How dare you?” she cried.

The interior of the coach was still cloaked in gloom, but dawn was well on the way. She caught a glimpse of amused eyes before he pulled the brim of his hat over his face. “You fell asleep and slid right into my arms,” he said, his calm voice feeding her rage. “I couldn’t resist.”

She wiped a hand across her mouth. “I was—I was—” She couldn’t get the words out. She’d been saving her first kiss for the man she would marry, and this dastardly person had stolen it.

Thank God she was home. She wrenched herself from his arms just as the groom opened the door. She tumbled out of the coach without waiting for the steps, gathered the skirts of her costume, and ran up the pavement to the house.

She lifted the knocker and rapped it hard against the door, and rapped it again. And waited, shivering in the chill dawn wind, her arms tight about herself. Hurry!

No one answered. The servants must be asleep, but surely Grandmama would have left someone on watch for her. She knocked once again. And waited.

Silence, but for the shuffling of the horses, the barking of a dog, and the rumble of a wagon in the next street. London was coming to life.

She turned, anxious now. Why did the coach still wait? “You needn’t stay any longer. Someone will wake up and let me in.”

“Someone should already be awake and waiting,” the man said irritably from within the coach. He didn’t give the order to leave.

Melinda rapped again. What was going on? She thought she heard a sound within the house, thought she heard a voice, and knocked once more… Nothing. This was ghastly. She had to get indoors before someone saw her.

“Miss Starling, are you sure this is the right house?” The man who’d kissed her was framed in the coach window, his hat low over his brow once again.

“Of course I’m sure. Why don’t they answer?”

“Try the area stairs,” he suggested softly.

She’d never gone in by the servants’ entrance, but it was a good idea, the sort she would usually think of herself, but she couldn’t get her mind to work properly. She lifted the latch and hurried down the steep, winding stairs, shivering now from anxiety as much as the chill dawn air. She banged hard on the door. It was close to the housekeeper’s room, so surely that kindly woman would hear.

From inside the house came a furious bellow. “No! Do not open that door.”

Melinda froze. That was Grandma’s voice. She was…ordering the housekeeper not to let Melinda inside.

Her shiver became a tremble. She stumbled up the steep, narrow stairs and through the gate. She gaped at the dark house, her home, its curtains drawn like the blank eyes of a statue, cold and forbidding and utterly silent again.

“Damn,” the man who had kissed her said. “What the devil is going on?”

The sky lightened, and it finally dawned on Melinda. Grandmama wasn’t going to let her in. She’d been turned away from her own home.

“Did I hear her say not to open the door to you?” the man asked in a low, disbelieving voice.

Melinda blinked back hot, horrified tears and faced him, away from the house and the grandmother who had always wanted to be rid of her. “She used to threaten to wash her hands of me,” she said. “And now she has done it.”

Winner of the Holt Medallion, Maggie, Daphne du Maurier, Reviewer’s Choice and Epic awards, Barbara Monajem wrote her first story at eight years old about apple tree gnomes. She published a middle-grade fantasy when her children were young. When they grew up, she turned to writing for grownups, first the Bayou Gavotte paranormal mysteries and then Regency romances with intrepid heroines and long-suffering heroes (or vice versa). Some of her Regencies have magic in them and some don’t (except for the magic of love, which is in every story she writes).

Barbara loves to cook, especially soups, and is an avid reader. There are only two items on her bucket list: to make asparagus pudding and succeed at knitting socks. She’ll manage the first but doubts she’ll ever accomplish the second. This is not a bid for immortality but merely the dismal truth. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia with an ever-shifting population of relatives, friends, and feline strays.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

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Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review & Giveaway: Footprints in the Frosting by Laura Pauling

Posted on June 27, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for this fun and cozy mystery, Footprints in the Frosting by Laura Pauling.

Footprints in the Frosting
by Laura Pauling

MY REVIEW

I love the vibrant and fun cover of Laura Pauling’s Footprint in the Frosting, so I will follow the Footprints…to the conclusion.

Holly Hart’s new business, Just Cheesecake opens with a dead body in her dessert. With the help of her faithful companion, Muffins, she decides they must investigate the murder themselves. Right off the bat, I am smiling.

Her scruffy dog, Muffins, has a habit of leading her to the rich, hunky Mason Carlton. First he catches her in her pajamas and they share a cup of coffee, then he catches her lurking around his mansion. Muffin has good instincts about people, but why does he keep leading her to Mason? I think it’s too obvious for him to be the killer.

There is a lawyer who could be Santa Claus.

Charlene is the small town’s crazy cat lady. At first I don’t know whether to hate her or love her, but she kinda grew on me. She is quite the character. Will she become a friend or foe? I think we both know. Did she hide her smarts under a crazy layer? I couldn’t help but chuckle when Charlene talks about old people diapers. I will leave it to you to discover for yourself. It is worth your time.

The writing caused me to burst out in laughter now and then. Even the cop has a great sense of humor. The dialogue was sharp, snarky and witty, especially Holly’s part.

I left my Footprints, in my walk through Fairview’s cast of characters, as Holly investigates the murders. There are more than enough suspects, but none of them appear to be the real one…even Millicent. And how about a mystery book club? Holly will have a little more help now.

Food fight – a little cheesecake here, a little jello there.

Footprints in the Frosting is a fun and light summer beach read that will brighten your mood and keep you entertained. I hope the people around you don’t think you’re crazy when you break out in laughter.

I received Footprints in the Frosting by Laura Pauling in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Cheesecake, Love, and Murder!

It’s the Grand Opening for Holly Hart’s new business, Just Cheesecake. When footprints in the frosting lead to a body facedown in one of her cheesecakes, Holly becomes a prime suspect.

With her opening day delayed, Holly deals with a nosy no-good reporter and the local cop, the handsome Officer Trinket, as she puts her sleuthing skills to the test to save her business and her name. With the help of her dog, Muffins, she needs to find the real murderer, before the killer looks to frost someone else.

About the Author

Laura Pauling writes about spies, murder and mystery. She’s the author of the young adult Circle of Spies Series, the Prom Impossible Series, the time travel mysteries, Heist and A Royal Heist, and the Holly Hart Cozy Mystery Series: Footprints in the Frosting and Deadly Independence with more coming.

She lives the cover of a suburban mom/author perfectly, from the minivan to the home-baked snickerdoodles, while hiding her secret missions and covert operations. But shh. Don’t tell anyone. And she may or may not actually bake cookies. You decide.

Visit Laura at http://laurapauling.com to sign up for her newsletter and receive a free Holly Hart cozy mystery novella.