Friday 56 #59 & BB #39 – Gator Bait by Adam Howe

Posted on October 23, 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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This has been a busy week that included a road trip to Biloxi, Mississippi with my mother. As the summer season comes to an end 🙁 I am “trying” to prepare for the upcoming holidays. That means blogging ahead and doing some yard cleanup so I can begin some projects. Because it is so hot here in Florida during the summer, I try to do my bigger projects in the fall and winter. I find if I wait until spring, I end up behind, because spring is so shortlived, it quickly becomes summer…And I must have my quota of sand, sun and water play.

Today, in celebration of the Halloween season, I have a real live monster to share with you. I must warn you, it is very dangerous in the swamps of Louisiana. The monsters are both animal and human, so tread lightly.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Cover: Inkubus

MY FRIDAY 56

Croker nudged my ribs. “See, what he’ll do now is, he’ll tuck ole Johnson under the tree stump. Let him turn good and ripe before he snacks on him later.” He chuckled at the wonder of nature. “Ain’t that something?”

(56% in Kindle)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

I fled the city: Two fingers short and sworn off dames for life.

(LOL, like I’m going to believe that!)

MY REVIEW

Gator Bait by Adam Howe has such a fantastic cover, I knew I had to read this novella. I was sure it would be full of grisly horror and I was not disappointed. The creature feature was inspired by true events and that only added to my eagerness to read on.

Adam Howe spun a tale that had me laughing at the tone of the writing, all the while cringing, waiting for the bad to snap at me from the pages I read. The action began from the opening pages and took me to the bad place I knew I was going to visit.

The Grinnin’ Gator, a honky tonk in the swamps of Louisiana, can only contribute to Smitty’s, well, I would say bad luck, but he tends to bring it on himself. Of course, there is a dame, and she belongs to the “club” owner. He has a very interesting pet and a very bad reputation.

I don’t think there is a good person among the lot, so maybe they all get what they deserve.

Gator Bait starts with blood, torture and murder. It continues with the evil and twisted “fun” the characters of The Grinnin’ Gator do for entertainment. After all, it is in the isolated swamps of Louisiana during Prohibition, which is as bad or worse than the Wild West.

It ends…

OMG! The ending blew me away and I couldn’t help but laugh. I never could have seen ALL that coming and I love it. The best laid plans often go awry and boy, oh boy, do they.

This is my first adventure with Adam Howe and I can only tell you, it will not be my last!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Prohibition-era 1930s… After an affair with the wrong man’s wife, seedy piano player Smitty Three Fingers flees the city and finds himself tinkling the ivories at a Louisiana honky-tonk owned by vicious bootlegger Horace Croker and his trophy wife, Grace. Folks come to The Grinnin’ Gator for the liquor and burlesque girls, but they keep coming back for Big George, the giant alligator Croker keeps in the pond out back. Croker is rumored to have fed ex-wives and enemies to his pet, so when Smitty and Grace embark on a torrid affair…what could possibly go wrong? Inspired by true events, Gator Bait mixes hardboiled crime (James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice) with creature horror (Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive) to create a riveting tale of suspense.

What does the cover say to you?

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Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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Giveaway – Zombie Vacay – Wormfood Island by Ken La Salle

Posted on October 14, 2015 by fundinmental

This intriguing cover of Wormfood Island by Ken La Salle wasn’t the first thing that caught my attention, it was the title.

I can’t help but smile and think… bad things are a comin’.

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

Wormfood Island is now $0.99 for the Kindle (for a limited time)!

Add me to Goodreads now.

Front cover art: Estevez

Cover design: Maggie Ward

MY REVIEW

Warning: Adult Zombie Erotica. LOL

Wormfood Island by Ken La Salle is an adult horror novel. The sex is not so much erotic, but savage as it feeds on the human bodies of these not-so-happy vacationers. The writing struck me as humorous horror. If there isn’t such a thing, I’m laying claim to the genre.

A beautiful tropical island…not so much.

Flawed characters that end up in a shitload of trouble, very much so.

Kevin Miller had turned into a couch potato, just waiting for death to claim him. Until…

He has everything riding on next week…the trip.

It started with a BITE.

The character chosen to set off the chain of events that will have the others in shock or sent running and screaming to their death, was a bit of a surprise, but when I think about it…perfect.

I love flawed characters and Kevin is a doozy. I sure hope he mans up.

As the story progresses, so does the contagion.

Zombies run wild, with the uninfected unable to believe what they are seeing.

Imagine, if you knew the changes you were going through, what you would become, unable to change the end result.

As an example of the humorous horror, I will share the head of securities comment while watching a woman bite off a man’s penis:

“Don’t you have any sense, you two? Can’t you see people are watching you?”

Wormfood Island is a fun and grisly adventure into Ken La Salle’s twisted mind.

There is tons of running, screaming, shock and awe, and blood and guts a plenty.

Half the time I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so I laughed. Sorry, perhaps I am a bit twisted myself. LOL

I received Wormfood Island by Ken La Salle in return for an honest and unbiased review and I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Wormfood Island is the story of a family on the verge of collapse. When they win a trip to a hedonism resort out of the country, Kevin Miller hopes this is the chance they need to save their marriage. But instead, they find themselves quickly facing a quest for survival against an infestation of parasitic worms that cause the infected to gain monstrous sexual appetites…which quickly turns to an appetite for living flesh.

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE (from his website)

“Novelist and Playwright, Ken La Salle grew up in Santa Ana, California and has remained in the surrounding area his entire life. He was raised with strong, blue collar roots, which have given him a progressive and environmentalist view. As a result, you’ll find many of his stories touching those areas both geographically and philosophically. He’s also very funny.”

Blog / Website / Twitter / Facebook / G+ / YouTube / Smashwords

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GIVEAWAY

Ken La Salle is giving away two ebooks of Wormfood Island. Entry is easy peasy. Leave your email and answer the question.

What would you do…if you knew you were turning into a zombie?

Giveaway ends October 29, 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’.

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Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

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Northwoods Wolfman by Scott Burtness

Posted on October 7, 2015 by fundinmental

Northwoods Wolfman by Scott Burtness

Monsters in the Midwest – Book Two

Check out this cool cover.

Title: Northwoods Wolfman

Series: Monsters in the Midwest, Book 2

Author: Scott Burtness

Publication date: June 24^th, 2015

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Comedy

Amazon

MY REVIEW

I saw the cover for Northwoods Wolfman by Scott Burtness and thought, huh, this might be interesting. I knew it would be different and I was looking for a fun and easy reading story to keep me entertained for a little while.

What happens to a tick when it feeds off a werewolf? Hmmm. A humorous and horrible thought. I mean, THINK about it.

I do want to warn you about something. If you are ever in Trappersville, WI, I would highly recommend staying away from the state park. It could be very hazardous to your health.

I did not read the first novel, but it wasn’t necessary. I didn’t feel like anything was missing, but I would like to catch up with Wisconsin Vamp.

Each character is a total individual, unique and lovable, contributing to this unique and fun read. Dallas does things believing they are right, only to figure out he could have handled things differently, saving himself a lot of anguish. Love makes strange bedfellows with Lois and Herb and the most loyal, faithful, truest friend Dallas could ever have is Stanley. He overcomes his fears for his friend.

I sure was feeling bad for the poor werewolf when the story was done.

I received a copy of Northwoods Wolfman in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION

When Dallas is recruited by an ancient order of monster hunters, he’s more than happy to sign up. The self-proclaimed Hero of Trappersville did kill a bloodthirsty vampire, after all. As far as Dallas is concerned, monsters are monsters, and they have no place in Wisconsin.

Or do they? And does Dallas really get to choose which side he’s on?

EXCERPT

“You’re needed.”

The nasally voice cut through the whiskey fog, rousing Dallas from his stupor. Before he could put meaning to the words, turn his head and identify the speaker, the person was gone.

“Haven’t seen him b-before,” Stanley commented.

“Stanwee?” Dallas slurred. “Whend’choo get here?” Stanley had hung around with Dallas and Herb for years. Wiry, fidgety, and a terrible bowler, he had rounded out their backwoods version of the Three Musketeers, or more like Two Musketeers and That Stuttering Guy Who Claimed He Was Abducted by Aliens. Since Herb’s death, he’d been Dallas’s near-constant drinking companion.

“J-just now,” Stanley replied. “Saw you talking to that guy,” he said, pointing toward the door.

Dallas’s bleary gaze followed Stanley’s finger, and he locked eyes with a stranger across the bar. The two considered each other for a moment before the man nodded and walked outside.

With a shrug and a short belch, Dallas returned his attention to Stanley. His friend was scrutinizing a business card, a perplexed look layered on top of the usually perplexed look he wore as a matter of course, making him look especially… Dallas groped for the right word… perplexed.

“Crap on a cracker, Stanley. You looking for the cure for cancer on that thing? Give’er here and let me help you with the big words.” Swiping the card, he read out loud.

“Find us. You’re needed.”

Dallas borrowed Stanley’s perplexed look and tried it on for a moment. He’d heard that before. Recent like. A nasally voice. For some reason, the face of the man he’d just been trading looks with popped back into his mind. The voice he recalled seemed like it would fit the man’s face. Gaunt, squinty eyes, straight brown hair slicked back from a dark widow’s peak, scraggly hairs making a go at becoming a goatee. Yeah, it could’ve been that guy, but why was he talking to Dallas? What did they talk about? Why leave the card? A closer look popped the tab on a deeper mystery. Why leave a card telling him to find someone but not leave an address or a number? It was a mystery, pure and simple, and there were few things Dallas hated more than mysteries.

“Guy must have a busted furnace,” Dallas reasoned out loud, causing Stanley’s head to bob in assent. “Jackass didn’t leave a number though. How the hell am I supposed to help if he didn’t leave me a number?”

“Something’s on the b-back,” Stanley offered, a touch of drama coloring his tone. Unlike Dallas, Stanley liked mysteries. He had every season of Murder, She Wrote, Columbo, and Veronica Mars, and took great pleasure in rewatching them and solving the crimes before Angela Lansbury, Peter Falk, or Kristen Bell.

Dallas turned the card over, and sure enough, there was more.

TURN 2 2 AT 2 2 2

Dallas read the line once, then twice, trying to make it make sense. Sometimes, the right amount of alcohol allowed for just the kind of out-of-the-box thinking a riddle like this might need to solve. Sadly, this wasn’t one of those times. This time, the amount of alcohol Dallas had imbibed didn’t help him to think around corners, so to speak. It just helped him get more upset in less time. A win from an efficiency standpoint perhaps, but otherwise a complete loss.

“The hell does that mean? Well, I guess the jackass will just have to freeze.” With a grumbled curse, Dallas crumpled the card and dropped it on the bar. Slapping Stanley on the back, he stumbled toward the door and into the gathering night, the strange man and even stranger card already forgotten.

ABOUT SCOTT BURTNESS

Scott lives in the Midwest with his wife and their boxer-pitt mix, Frank. He’s a horror, urban fantasy, and dark comedy fan, and also enjoys beer, bowling, karaoke, and rooting for the underdog. After not nearly enough consideration, he decided to write about the things he enjoys. The result was the Monsters in the Midwest series.

Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter / Amazon Author Page

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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!

Review: Sucking in San Francisco by Jessica McBrayer

Posted on October 3, 2015 by fundinmental

Sucking in San Francisco by Jessica McBrayer is a bloody good read that you will want in your horror collection.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the title and ran right over to sign up to review this fun vampirc novel through Masquerade Book Tours R2R program.

I mean, check out that cover. How could I possible resist?

Add me to Goodreads now.

Cover: Marik Berghs

MY REVIEW

Sucking in San Francisco by Jessica McBrayer has a great title and cover combination. This paranormal romance is written with a light and comical touch, with characters that got me involved and kept me there.

I love the fun humorous, witty, snarky writing that makes sucking sound like it’s okay, just a necessity, whether it’s for blood or energy.

Lilith, a vampire, works for a suicide hotline. How funny is that? She is an obsessive compulsive under stress, a germaphobe, lysol and handi-wipes always in reach. She swabs the neck of her victim before she sinks her teeth into him. HA HA HA!

Sebastian, a fellow vamp who has been like a brother to her, all of a sudden has the hots for her. He is a vamp casanova. Can she trust him? Or is this just lust? After 76 years, Lilith is having some of the same feelings. How long can she ignore them? Lilith does acts like a teen, so is she a baby vamp?

Aidan is a djinnn that has formed an attachment to her. He met Lilith when he called into the suicide hotline she worked for. She’s awakened his curiosity, given him a reason, a disire to live. Can a vampire and djinn be, you know together?

Hannah is another vampire friend. She is a hippie and dresses like a Goth hooker. I mention her, because she is a badass, unique individual and I love her. Will she have a book of her own. *crossing fingers and toes*

Someone else wants Sebastian and Lilith is in the way. Even Hannah is attracted to Sebastian. Is it vampire allure or just his hotness?

The mine’s bigger than yours going on between Sebastian and Aidan is comical, sweet and a triangle I didn’t mind…for a while. The testosterone challenge was fun, though it did drag on for a long time and Lilith comes across as somewhat of a bitch and a slut. I love them both and hate that she has to choose. But…I feel I do know who it will be.

I loved all the characters each playing their important and unique part to the story. Helena, Julian and Andrew deserve a mention. I love that Lilith works at a crisis center answering a suicide prevention hotline. At least that keeps her food supply going strong. LOL The writing is wonderful and the mystery is alive. We have heroes and villains, the vindictive, evil kind.

I received Sucking in San Francisco in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I see there are more books in the series and I was able to get the second one as an Amazon freebie, YAY. And it is about Hannah. I had a feeling she deserved a story of her own. I am looking forward to another fun and dangerous romp in San Francisco.

3 Stars

ABOUT JESSICA MCBRAYER

Jessica McBrayer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She lives in a house that looks like the prow of a
cruise ship and is surrounded by hills too steep for mountain goats, although every other animal seems to
make it their go to place. Jessica shares her home with her husband, her two children, assorted animals
and her mother who is a writer too. She is a member of
Romance Writers of America.

Be sure and stalk her at the following links:

Website / Blog / Twitter

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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!

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

Friday 56 #57 & BB #33 – Stephen KING of Horror

Posted on October 2, 2015 by fundinmental

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

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2015-09-30 23.17.21

As you can see, I am a huge fan of Stephen King, who some would call the master of horror.

I found it hard to choose my favorite one, so I put them through random.org and it chose #26, The Gunslinger, The Dark Tower I, by Stephen King.

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY FRIDAY 56

“You’ll be leaving in the morning,” she said dully.

“I should. I think he’s left a trap for me here.”

(page 56 of paperback, Signet, published in 1989)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.

GOODREADS BLURB

This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations – The Gunslinger, a haunting figure who embodies the qualities of a lone hero through the ages, from ancient myth to frontier western legend.

This is the cover for the paperback I have, which was printed by Signet in July, 1989. The cost was $4.95.

Which cover do you like best?

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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!

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Skull and Crossbones (c) Sherry J Fundin

Friday 56 #56 & BB #32 – Beast by Peter Benchley

Posted on September 25, 2015 by fundinmental

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 author on *this* bookshelf and…

now I am moving on to Beast by Peter Benchley

2015-07-23 03.12.21

I have read a lot of his work and love this horror author.

Beast by Peter Benchley

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY FRIDAY 56

Everybody had been allowed to blow off steam and offer cockamamy suggestions for dealing with a monster that few people had every heard of and nobody had every seen.

(page 156 of hardcover, 1st edition, published in 1991)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

It hovered in the ink-dark water, waiting.

It was not a fish, had no air bladder to give it buoyancy, but because of the special chemistry of its flesh, it did not sink into the abyss.

SYNOPSIS

“Makes the shark from “Jaws” look like a pet goldfish . . .” USA Weekend
Straight from the cutting edge of science and the logs of ancient mariners comes an immense horror — a creature that rises up from the well of an ocean gone mad with an insatiable hunger and an endless lust to kill. One man leads a harrowing struggle to defeat the beast amid a threatened Bermuda paradise. His name is Whip Darling, a down-and-out sea dog who doesn’t know where he’ll get his next meal — or whether it will get him first.

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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!

Teaser Tuesday #48 – A Tinfoil Hat Of My Own by Echo Shea

Posted on September 8, 2015 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of adailyrhythm.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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A Tinfoil Hat Of My Own by Echo Shea

The title, A Tinfoil Hat Of My Own, made this super short story a must read for me.

The cover put a smile on my face.

What do you think of when you read the title or look at the cover?

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

I love the title and cover for A Tinfoil Hat Of My Own by Echo Shea. Not only did she write this super short, but she created the fabulous cover too.

Eunice should know better than to walk in the isolated part of the park. After all, it is very possible that her ex boyfriend’s biker club may come after her for what she did to them.

There are screams, a bite, she runs, but doesn’ t get far.

Thank God for Billy Joe.

Got 5 or 10 minutes, check out this fun and quirky supernatural tale.

I think the title shows that the story will not be all blood and guts, but smiles and laughter with the light hearted and comical writing.

Sometimes I find it hard to write a review for a story so short, 23 Kindle pages, without giving too much away.

That being said, I find it amazing that Echo Shea could pack so much into such a small place.

I read this four times and liked it better each time.

I received a copy of A Tinfoil Hat Of My Own by Echo Shea in return for an honest and unbiased review.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Dealing with the devastating end to her long-term relationship with Cobweb, Eunice decides to pick up the broken pieces of her heart and glue them back together with the healing song of nature and a nourishing brandy to replenish the soul.

As evening falls on her drunken pity party in the park, it’s time to head home and deal with the consequences of the not-so-anonymous tip to the cops and what she may or may not have done to Cobweb’s bike–and clubhouse.

All thoughts of that end when something bigger than a pissed off biker gets aold of her–nothing says burning calories like booking it through woods with a mermaid-killing werewolf at your heels.

Will Cobweb miss her? Will Eunice survive?

Friendship, bikers, werewolves, and repurposed tinfoil. Some stories just have it all.

My review for Light A Candle For The Beast by Echo Shea

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What are you reading?

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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 #53 & BB #29 – Galilee by Clive Barker

Posted on September 4, 2015 by fundinmental

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 author on *this* bookshelf and…

now I am moving on to Galilee by Clive Barker

2015-07-23 03.12.21

As you can see from my bookshelf, I have numerous books by Clive Barker and revel in his fantastic adventures into the unusual. I try not to add more books to my shelves, so I keep updated on his current releases through my wonderful library, for the most part.

Galilee by Clive Barker

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY FRIDAY 56

“There’s nowhere for us to go,” Kekmet told the young man.

“My father saw the city of Samarkand,” Zelim replied. “He told me it was like a dream.”

“That’s exactly what it was,” the man working alongside Kekmet said. “If your father saw Samrakand it was in his sleep. Or when he’d had too much wine…”

(page 56 of a hardcover)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

At the insistence of my stepmother Cesaria Barbarossa the house in which I presently sit was built so that it faces southeast. The architect-who was no lesser man than the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson-protested her desire repeatedly and eloquently. I have the letters in which he did so here one my desk. But she would not be moved on the subject. The house was to look back towards her homeland, towards Africa, and he, as her employee, was to do as he was instructed.

SYNOPSIS

Rich and powerful, the Geary dynasty has reigned over American society for decades. But it is a family with dark, terrible secrets. For the Gearys are a family at war. And their adversaries are the Barbarossas, a clan whose timeless origins lie in myth, whose mystical influence is felt in the intense, sensual exchanges of flesh and soul. Now, their battle is about to escalate…When Galilee, prodigal prince of the Barbarossa clan, meets Rachel, young bride of the Gearys’ own scion Mitchell, they fall in love, consumed by a passion that unleashes long-simmering hatreds. Old insanities arise, old adulteries are uncovered, and a seemingly invincible family will begin to wither, exposing its unholy roots…

I love covers!

I have shown two different covers, which do you like best?

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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!

Beware, things are not what they seem – Zed by Jason McIntyre Review

Posted on September 2, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Zed by Jason McIntyre!

I love this cover and joined the tour because of it. I am very happy I did.

This was a great story that had me asking, is this paranormal, science fiction, horror? WTF is going on?

Zed…The title alone had me curious and I love what Jason McIntyre did with this unique story.

I have some great things to share with you, so grab your coffee, get comfy and let’s begin.

Cover: Greg Simanson

MY REVIEW

The unusual title, Zed, and the gorgeous cover hooked me. Zed is a wild ride on a wave of evil and horror that will have you questioning the evil that lurks around us.

In the opening pages, Jason McIntyre included a map of Dove Cove and I love that.

Right from the beginning, with the little old lady, Karen, Jason got me. I love it. He grabbed me by the hand and never let me put the book down until the last page was read.

Tom worked for her in the group home for the mentally disabled.

Zed, Zeke, what can I say about him. He was different than the others and I thought him very creepy.

Jason McIntyre amazed me with his characters, good and bad. They each have their distinct personalities. Sometimes, the least likely people are the ones that step up and do the right thing, regardless of the outcome. I loved them all.

It’s so hard to describe this book without giving away the good parts. A bit of horror, suspense, thriller and mystery, Zed kept me reading until the last page was read. A creepy mystery in Dovetail Cove.

This is a MUST READ for those of you who love mystery, the best and worst of humanity and an ending I never saw coming but left me feeling just fine.

I received a copy of Zed by Jason McIntyre in return for an honest and unbiased review.

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

It’s the waning dog days of August, 1975 and Tom Mason’s in Dovetail Cove for the last few weeks of his summer job at the group home. His boss and the home’s owner is Karen Banatyne, one of the wealthiest folks in town. It seems like she’s got it in for Tom; she’s the only one standing in his way as he scrimps for a new camera.

But Karen has her own problems. A regulatory agency might cut off her funding, plus her hubby hasn’t been seen in a few weeks, and she’s not saying why. Most ominous of all, it seems as though something’s hiding in the hot spring north of the main beach and one of Karen’s ‘houseguests’ is about to come face to face with evil. Tom is too.

Buy on Amazon

Author Interview

What has inspired you to become a writer?

Inspiration to tell stories came early. I was the kid in the fourth and fifth grade sneakily reading Stephen King novels at 800 pages apiece behind my propped-up math text book. At eight, I was the editor of a short-lived school paper and we didn’t have enough content to fill the back page. I went home and hauled out my Mom’s old IBM typewriter to begin an epic serial about two young girls who are abducted by aliens in their backyard. I knew I had something when the other kids begged to know what would happen in part two. Alas, the teacher who managed the newspaper project got a transfer and part two of the saga never made it out. I guess, in a way, I’ve been writing towards the end of that tale ever since.

How do you come up with your characters and how do you make them so interesting?

I start in a very visual way. Without even closing my eyes, I can clearly see what’s happening and, as I noodle around on the ‘what’ of a story, I eventually start to form a visceral view of the ‘who’ in the tale. The people inside that vision have to become real to me, even before I start the first sentence. If they don’t then I don’t care about them. I have to care, or else I never haul them out of trouble. And, really, isn’t that what makes fiction great? Dumping someone you care about into a heap of worry and then methodically traipsing them out of said trouble in a believable and satisfying way.

My biggest conundrum is when a dazzling or lovely person gets in a trap and they aren’t pulled out in time. It’s the biggest challenge for me — I can’t save everyone and, sometimes, a character I adore needs to die so that things keep chugging for the whole story. Forgive me, readers. I will kill again.

What makes your stories and books different than other books you have read? Everyone has their own style, what is yours?

I mix and match genres, influences and types of stories. One major thrust of my writing life is to never repeat the same kind of book twice. I want to push myself to unearth new and different pieces of myself as I tell stories. So while a book like ZED has companion books that have a flow between them, there are nearly a dozen different genres represented among them. One might be a coming-of-age paranormal while the next might be a murder mystery and then I may discover that the next works best as a straight-ahead horror. There’s noir and crime books and even a western. Now, do they all look exactly like their home genres suggest? Not at a glance. They use the tropes from each genre but usually in a new mix. They meld into something that, I guess, looks and reads like a Jason McIntyre novel. Hopefully, readers enjoy the journey through all the different places I like to play. Oh, and I hope they get scared and a little upset along the way.

Do you plan on writing any other genres?

Future genres include something that no one who’s read my work will believe. I want to write a romance novel and a deeply historical fiction that is true to an extremely ancient time period. As always, I want to have fun with what I write, and produce something unique that interests readers, but pushes me into new territory.

Anything else you would like to discuss about you as a writer?

ZED is part of a mosaic novel. The only other writer I know who’s written this kind of a work is George RR Martin. His mosaic comprised of books written by a dozen different writers all working within one world and telling stories about the same characters.

DOVETAIL COVE works in a similar way. The characters flow in an out of the background of several books and the island setting is the same place, spanning a decade in the history of one place that has a succulent past and a lurid present. The difference between Martin’s mosaic and this one is that I’m writing all the pieces myself. Each DOVETAIL book stands on its own, with a distinct beginning, middle and end. But if you read more of them, the pieces of a much larger puzzle begin to fall into place. At present, ZED marks the fourth of ten books to be released. Others available now are BLED, SHED and DREAD. Look for new ones in 2015 and 2016.

Getting to Know the Author as a Person

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I travel as much as I can and spend time with my crazy kiddos. Readers and friends from social media will likely remember all the posts about the nutty things my kids say. I won’t even mention my wife here. She has her own cult following among my Facebook and Twitter feeds.

I have built a lovely studio in my home and use it to write music, paint when I’m able and, yes, nap profusely when the spirit is not moving me otherwise.

What relaxes you when you need to unwind?

Creation of every sort is about the most relaxing thing I can imagine doing. I adore many forms of music and art and, when I’m in the middle of drafting a new book, it’s the greatest escape from life’s stresses. I peel back the page and transport to an entirely new place as I write. The process of uncovering a story is food for my soul.

What are your favorite foods?

I have always loved to travel and try new experiences and dishes wherever I go. Lately, I’ve been on a jag for Eggs Benedict and have been trying that in as many countries and cities as I can. Now, of course, lots of places don’t have that so I’ve broadened it to ordering eggs prepared in whatever style is most prevalent in the place I’m visiting. It’s really interesting to discover the different cooking methods — not to mention the different kinds of birds’ and lizards’ eggs that have been brought to my table!

Have you ever had any paranormal experiences?

I’ve had what I call ‘inconclusive’ paranormal experiences. Things have happened that, even after intense scrutiny, a rational person might not be able to form a judgment as to whether it was explicable by science or by para-science. Rest assured, all strangeness in my world (paranormal or just odd and intriguing) eventually finds its way into a story or two. Writing, I’ve discovered, has really become my own form of torture, er, I mean self-therapy. I write to understand the events of the world, of people and of my own life.

Tell us anything you would like your readers to know about Jason McIntyre.

I once shared a bottle of expensive red wine with a homeless man. The throat infection I developed the following week nearly put me in the hospital and my health insurance had lapsed so I couldn’t get a scrip for antibiotics. I went through six tubes of topical Polysporin. Yep, I gargled the stuff five times a day until I could see straight again.

About Jason McIntyre

JASON MCINTYRE is the #1 Kindle Suspense author of THE NIGHT WALK MEN, bestsellers BLED and SHED, plus the multi-layered literary suspense, THALO BLUE. His first novel, ON THE GATHERING STORM, earned a spot in the Top 20 Debut Authors for the Goodreads Choice Awards.McIntyre’s debut novel, ON THE GATHERING STORM was VOTED as one of the TOP 20 DEBUT AUTHORS — Goodreads Choice Awards

Learn more and connect with the author at www.theFarthestReaches.com

Amazon Author Page

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Giveaway – The Vampire, The Hunter and The Girl by Martin Lastrapes

Posted on August 24, 2015 by fundinmental

The cover for The Vampire, The Hunter and The Girl by Martin Lastrapes made me curious. Check out the drop of blood on the tip of the blade. I love a visual image that includes hidden elements that pop out at closer inspection. How frickin’ cool is that? Excellent job, Martin.

Add to Goodreads now.

Book & Author Details:

The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl by Martin Lastrapes
(The Vampire and the Hunter Trilogy #1)
Publication date: March 18th 2015
Genres: Adult, Horror, Paranormal

MY REVIEW

The Vampire, the Hunter and the Girl by Marti Lastrapes is Book I of a trilogy. The title tells us there will be a triangle, but this triangle will include some unusual characters in unusual situations. I see some serious problems ahead for all of them.

They were brought before Dracula. Why? Let’s read on and find out.

Adam is a vampire and his biggest problem is boredom, so he takes up a hobby, bowling. Cherry, a vampire, had found him there and after she changed him they became inseparable. When Cherry disappears he notices Olivia.

Jesus is the Mexican vampire hunter. His mother had been killed by a vampire, so he became a latch key kid at a very young age. The WWF and wrestling were his babysitters. He had wrestled in school but mixed martial arts was what he wanted do. He’d only had one friend, Daniel and they had a plan. Jesus would be the fighter and Daniel the trainer until…

Now, Jesus walks the dark side and uses himself as bait to lure vampires in for the kill.

Olivia works at the bowling alley and is a huge wrestling fan. She is writing a book about vampires. Her memories draw her to Heritage Park. She loves looking out at Rancho Cucamonga, feeling the dewy grass beneath her feet and the air flowing around her body as she swings to and fro, until…

Adam and Olivia become friends of a sort. She lets him feed and he gives her information for her vampire novel. How dysfunctional is that?

Jesus and Olivia meet at the gym where he works and trains, the Ground and Pound. She was there to learn self defense.

Olivia’s friend Elowyn strips at Tropical Lei where Olivia also bartends. Johnson is Jesus’s friend at Ground and Pound . The scene where Elowyn and Johnson are on a date and Victus, a vicious vampire, sees them is great. The vampire TV shows and movies I have seen help me to visualize the action and I love it.

Elowyn and Olivia’s ideas of life seem very naive, but had a ring of truth to them. It adds a bit of reality into their fantasies and expectations and shows how different life really is – life lessons.

The Barbershop, vampires went there for a cut and dinner. A gruesome scenario, where humans are chained to the wall, half dead to almost dead to barely alive. Would a vamp care if they were filthy and stank of day old sweat and fear?

A girl, a boy, a vampire – not your normal triangle. The story being told from different character views, was good and bad. At times, the story seemed to jumped around a lot with the repetition slowing down the pacing, but I did like the different characters descriptions of the same event. This is an ARC, so I think this can easily be improved upon before the finished product is released.

I found some originality in the storyline. Martin Latrapes development of the characters brought them to life on the pages. I really wanted them to end up friends, but something tells me that cannot happen. What do you think?

Why did Dracula haul them in? The ending explained many of my questions and raised many more. I enjoyed and would recommend The Vampire, The Hunter, The Girl by Martin Latrapes. I will be following the author to find out what happens in Book II, The Vampire, The Hunter and The Witch.

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

3 Stars

ABOUT MARTIN LASTRAPES

MARTIN LASTRAPES won the GRAND PRIZE at the 2012 PARIS BOOK FESTIVAL for his debut novel INSIDE THE OUTSIDE.He grew up in the Inland Empire, has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Composition from Cal State San Bernardino, watches his favorite movies over and over again, learned many a lesson from professional wrestling, wonders if he’ll ever be famous enough to be on “Dancing With the Stars,” thinks good stand-up comedy is rare and under appreciated, is scared of Vladimir Putin, wonders if it’s too late to learn how to play the guitar, gets depressed when he hears the theme song from “M*A*S*H,” wonders why Teen Wolf never made it to the NBA, and wants Morgan Freeman to narrate his life.

He is also the host of THE MARTIN LASTRAPES SHOW PODCAST HOUR. Subscribe on iTunes or listen on the official website MartinLastrapesShow.com. New episodes every week.

Author links: Blog / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook

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GIVEAWAY

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

3 signed copies of The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl
Ends Sept 10th

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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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.

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Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

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