Interview, Giveaway & Review – Revenge by George Lockie @iReadBookTours

Posted on January 17, 2020 by fundinmental

Join us for this tour from January 6, 2020 to January 17, 2020!

Book Details:
Book Title: Revenge by George Lockie
Category:  Adult Fiction, 178 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Austin Macauley
Release date:   December 2018
Tour dates: January 6, 2019 to January 17, 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 – M:  This is an action thriller involving special forces military. There are scenes of violence, including torture.

MY REVIEW

It all starts with Achmael. His life was with his goats. He is lucky to be alive. Usually anyone handicapped is put to death because of their harsh life in Ghat, a remote and isolated village. He is club footed.

The soldiers had been told to dump the bodies in a pit, but did a lousy job of it, which was good for the survivors, which Achmael found.

The British were not going to let their torture go unpunished. Rory would be leading the team to get their revenge. But, it won’t be easy.

The training they go through is brutal, yet amazing. Pain suppression. It is highly secret, even to MI5 and MI6.

The Sultan is not one to be crossed and believe torture is the order of the day.

They make their first move and through they have blended in with their environment, I feel something terrible is coming their way. Will the Sultan catch onto their plan? Would he set a trap for them? If so, will they survive? Can they accomplish their mission and get out…alive?

If you read George Lockie’s biography, you will see he has military experience to draw on, making his characters, and the world they live in, come to life. The bond formed is one of respect and loyalty, working as a well oiled machine to accomplish a common goal. His research pays off and showcases the characters in a realistic way.

I loved Revenge and the characters that stuck together through thick and thin, no matter the danger they faced. To get an inside look at how they operate makes me appreciate what those in service sacrifice for us, that sit comfy, cozy going about our daily business.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Revenge by George Lockie.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

George Lockie: AUTHOR INTERVIEW FOR THE NOVEL REVENGE.

Question : Do you have another profession besides writing:

Answer : No I am retired now, I was national operations manager for

A very large packaging company which meant I travelled the

globe many times a year and met some fantastic people. I also

spent time in every location mentioned in all my novels to

date.

Question : How long have you been writing?

Answer : I toyed with it for a few years but became serious about 2004

And have been writing for almost fifteen years.

Question : What is your next project?

Answer : With my sixth novel waiting on my choice of publisher and

my seventh about 30% complete everything has become very

complicated as promotion of my novels has become a major

issue.

Question ; What genre do you write and why?

Answer : As I have said all my books relate to my own life. Experiences

I have had, places I have visited, military life and business

memories.

Question : My favourite authors are.

Answer : My two favourite authors are Bernard Cromwell’s historical

classics and David Baldacci for his popular crime stories.

Question : Where do you write?

Answer : In my study locked away from all interferences.

Question : Do you write every day?

Answer : No I only write when there is something pressing in my head

and it becomes automatic to get it down in writing.

Question : Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?

Answer : Yes early in the piece but it was tiresome and the computer

is so easy particularly with revisions and corrections.

Question : If you could go back in time, where would you go?

Answer : Interesting question, I have a love for medieval times and

exploring new places particularly Asian countries.

Question : If there is one thing I want readers to remember, what would it be?

Answer : Rory Glasson and his many exploits particularly in MI5.

Book Description:
Rory Glassen is selected to join an elite SAS cell. They are sent to Libya to seek retribution for the near-death torture of two of their SAS troopers, at the hands of a medieval-run empire led by a despotic Sultan. What was to be a milk-run operation turns sour, as a battle of wits to survive soon develops between two warring factions. Sultan and Rory lock horns, trying to outwit each other and prevent any more deaths. It is only when a most unexpected ally emerges from Rory’s distant past, and offers the cell information, that a solution appears. Like worms, they burrow into the catacombs of the old Roman Fort on which the Sultan’s Palace is built and seek their revenge.

BUY THE BOOK
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Meet the Author:
Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1941. Married in 1964 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Wife’s name is Avril. Has two children, Darren (52) and Vanessa (47). Enjoyed six years’ service in the Parachute Regiment in the British Army from 1960 to 65, mainly in the Middle East and Europe. Migrated as a family to Australia, in 1965, seeking new challenges and a different lifestyle in a more exciting environment. Traveled extensively worldwide whilst employed by a major Australian International Packaging Group, as National Operations Manager, a senior management role from 1986 to 2003. Started writing in 1995, as he felt that the Army relationships and strong emotional bonds that are created in life-threatening experiences in the field, had not been exposed, or described adequately, in the novels he had read. His first novel tried to cover that. It takes place post-WWI through to post-WWII. The second novel, a follow-up military story, again covers a subject not exposed as a problem before. His third novel covers a criminal gang and its unique way to produce huge profits from the saddest moments in human life; yet a boon to the medical world. The fourth exposes the world of computer hacking, with a clever killer achieving his aim of executing a crime boss in revenge for his wife’s death at his hands. 1st: Eye of the Hunter (Thriller, suspense.) 2nd: Chameleon (Suspense, thriller, crime.) 3rd: Miracle Cure (Military, Crime, Police.) 4th: Furtive Shadows (Military, SAS, MI6) All novels are linked by a common major character, Rory Glassen – a ruthless, dedicated soldier with extraordinary senses and physical attributes gleaned from his childhood upbringing alone in the Scottish Glens.

Connect with the author: website

Tour Schedule:
Jan 6 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Jan 6 – Ruvi – book review / giveaway
Jan 7 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 8 – My Reading Journeys – book review / giveaway
Jan 9 – The Clipped Nightingale – book spotlight / guest post
Jan 10 – Life as Leels – book review
Jan 13 – Four Moon Reviews – book review
Jan 14 – I’m All About Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 15 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 15 – Turning the Pages – book review
Jan 16 – A Fountain of Books – book review / author interview
Jan 17 – Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway
Jan 17 – fundinmental – book review / author interview / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

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Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
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Giveaway – Protecting Yourself from Emotional Predators by Steven J Wolhandler @iReadBookTours

Posted on September 24, 2019 by fundinmental

Book Details:

Book Title: Protecting Yourself from Emotional Predators: Neutralize the Users, Abusers and Manipulators Hidden Among Us
Category: Adult Non-Fiction
Genre: psychology, self-help, relationships, divorce
Publisher: Amare Press
Release date: January, 2019
Tour dates: Sept 9 to Sept 27, 2019
Content Rating: G

Book Description:

Steven Wolhandler, JD, MA, LPC knows how abusive and manipulative people prey on the emotions of good people – and how good people can protect themselves. He offers a radically different view of these Emotional Predators and provides practical effective solutions. For Emotional Predators, life is a strategy game to dominate and control, and you are either a player to be defeated or a game piece to be used. Without empathy or remorse, they’ll ruin your life, and traditional approaches will make things worse. You’ll learn 5 essential steps for protecting yourself, valuable guidance for safe relationships and over 30 specific defensive tactics for:

Distinguishing romance from intimacy
Restoring your self-esteem
Removing your emotional triggers
Using gratitude and humor
Playing their games better than they do – without becoming like them
Screening professionals to be sure they can help
Regaining control in family court
Breaking an addiction to an Emotional Predator
Re-balancing power in your favor
Adjusting beliefs that keep you trapped
Responding strategically, instead of reacting emotionally

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon * Tattered Cover Book Store
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Steven Wolhandler, JD, MA, LPC is a psychotherapist, mediator, arbitrator, custody evaluator, national consultant and retired attorney. He has decades of experience dealing with, and learning from, difficult and manipulative people, and helping their victims with penetrating insight, effective solutions, warmth and humor. He lives in Colorado, consults with people internationally through www.creativeresolutions.org.

Connect with the author: Website Facebook

BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:

Sept 9 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book spotlight / giveaway
Sept 9 – Just Another Reader – book spotlight
Sept 11 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sept 12 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sept 13 – Books for Books – book spotlight
Sept 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sept 16 – Phy Roselle – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sept 17 – 100 Pages A Day – book spotlight
Sept 18 – Library of Clean Reads – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Sept 19 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Sept 23 – JBronder Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Sept 24 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Sept 25 – #redhead.with.book – book spotlight / giveaway
Sept 26 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway, Interview, Review – Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr

Posted on February 18, 2016 by fundinmental

Lauren Carr has a new novel to share, Cancelled Vows.

Welcome, Lauren! I love the book and I am so happy to have you here to share your thoughts with us.

Lauren, all of your mystery series, from Mac Faraday to Lovers in Crime to the Thorny Rose Mysteries are called complex mysteries—meaning that they challenge the reader to figure out who done it. What process do you go through to write challenging mysteries?

I do a lot of thinking. First, I come up with the murder itself. Who is the victim? Who are the suspects? Then I decide on who the killer is. After I have all that, I work on the red herrings and the twists and turns in the plot—the ride from the beginning to the end. I’ll work on all that for weeks, sometimes months before I actually sit down to start writing.

You write three best-selling series. Are there some murder plotlines that work better with one series than another? At what point do you know which murder mystery goes with which series?

I usually know right away which mystery works best with which series. If you’ll notice, each of my series has it’s own unique flavor.

The Mac Faraday Mysteries deal with the wealthy resort, country club setting. These mysteries involve people of wealth and prestige.

The Lovers in Crime mysteries deal with the rural small town setting. The characters Joshua and Cameron encounter are small town folks who all know each other.

The Thorny Rose detectives, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton, live in the metropolitan Washington DC area. These mysteries involve people of wealth and power—politics and national security.

Once I know who the characters are, then I know which series will be the best fit for it.

Do you feel like you learn something new about your characters yourself with each book?

Oh, yes. My mysteries are character driven. I’m always diving deeper into the characters to figure out myself how and why they do the things they do. Sometimes, I learn things about the characters that I don’t even tell the reader about. For example, in Cancelled Vows, I really wanted to explore the character of David O’Callaghan and his relationships with women. At the beginning of the series, I’m sure for most readers, David simply came across as a hottie who maybe had an issue with commitment to women. But, by the end of Cancelled Vows, I’m sure readers will be surprised, as I was, to discover that there was more to it than meets the eye. Not only will readers learn more about David, but he learns more about himself.

If you could put yourself into one of your books, what type of character would you be?

Been there, done that! I actually did put myself in A Wedding and a Killing, the eighth Mac Faraday Mystery. The case in this book is based on a real murder that happened at a church, in which a church secretary was killed in the church office. My husband is the business manager at a church, so I decided to kill him. The victim in A Wedding and a Killing, Eugene, is based on my real husband, and the victim’s wife, Marilyn, is an over the top version of myself. Marilyn immediately becomes a prime suspect because she books a cruise the morning after her husband’s murder, and she doesn’t understand why that would be suspicious. She’s loud and fun and comically honest. I’ve had several readers ask to bring her back in another book, which I do plan to do.

Each of your characters are fully developed and unique? Where do they come from? Do you base them on real people you know?

My characters come from all over. Some of them, the very root, core of the character may be based on someone I know or have met. But then as other facets of their personality and backstory come about, they will evolve until I have the whole character. All the time, I have to keep the murder case of the book in mind. There have been times that I have developed characters who did not fit into the role I needed for the murder mystery. When that happens, I have to ditch the character and come up with a new one. Once I fired a congresswoman from one of my books. How many people can say they fired a congresswoman?

Of all the characters you have worked with in your books, who is your favorite?

Gnarly, of course! Gnarly has a life of his own. I just never know what he’s going to do next.

What project are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on Killer in the Band, the Lovers in Crime mystery coming out at the end of April, readers will get to know more about Joshua Thornton Jr (J.J.), Murphy’s identical twin brother. J.J. has graduated at the top of his class from law school and is returning home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to the Thornton’s shock and dismay, J.J. decides to move in with Suellen Russell, a lovely widow twice his age. The move brings long buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. When a brutal killer strikes, the father and son must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the crosshairs of a murderer.

Thanks so much Lauren. It is a pleasure having you here!

Now…about the “gorgeous” cover…what do you think?

MY REVIEW

In Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr we are back to visit Mac Faraday and other familiar characters. I love a stand alone series with returning characters. I feel a connection with them and want to find out what trouble they have found now. Cancelled Vows is a clean romance with fantastic mysteries galore.

Warning: Those drive through weddings in Las Vegas are real!

David O’Callaghan, a Spencer police chief, best friend and half brother to Mac Faraday, finds himself jumping from the frying pan to the fire when he heads to New York City.

Murder rears its ugly head and Mac Faraday and Gnarly, his K-9 cohort, rush to find answers. Gnarly is quite the character. He has a big attitude to go with his big personality and is a bit of a klepto. I can’t help but laugh at his and Mac’s antics. I mean, what kind of dog gets a dishonorable discharge from the service? Nice touch, Lauren, and its makes me love him more.

Curiosity and mystery from the opening page. I’m trying to figure out why…

I like the internet angle and internet trolls. I have heard nightmares about them and they come alive on Lauren Carr’s pages.

I am not liking David very much right now. Can the whore dog change my mind? I am liking Ali Hudson though. She is a witty investigative journalist, with a slew of Texas sayings and a determination to learn the truth.

Murders are adding up. The plot thickens and the suspect pool takes a twist I didn’t see coming. I love it. The pacing and my fear for the characters makes the suspense mount.

I love a happy ever after and this is great one! Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr is one of her best…yet.

I received an ARC of Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

Book Description for Cancelled Vows:

Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can tie the knot—divorce his first wife!

Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend—and he’s got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!

Buy the book here: Amazon

About Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

Win 1 print copy of Cancelled Vows with a $25 Amazon gift card (USA) or 1 of 5 ebook copies with a $15 Amazon gift card (International)

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY 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.

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway, Review & Book Trailer for Kill and Run by Lauren Carr

Posted on September 17, 2015 by fundinmental

Lauren Carr’s novel, Kill and Run is the first book in her new A Thorny Rose Mystery series. I have read numerous books by her and just reviewed Three Day To Forever. a Mac Faraday Mystery. Whenever I see her name, I grab the book.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Cover by Todd Aune.

MY REVIEW

The cozy cover of Kill and Run by Lauren Carr is not quite so cozy. Mystery and danger encompass the pages as the search for the serial rapist takes an impossible turn.

Let’s meet Lauren’s newest couple Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Farady in her newest series, The Thorny Rose Mysteries. Jessica is the daughter of multimillionaire Mac Farady, from Lauren’s Mac Farady Mystery series. We shall meet more of the characters from that series and I enjoy revisiting old friends.

Murphy and Jessica’s lively sexual banter as they learn about each other is in the honeymoon phase, but something tells me it will continue for a long, long time. Lauren makes her characters authentic with similar problems to our own.

I love the NCIS and other similar TV shows. I can relate to Kill and Run because of it. Murphy just happens to be the liaison between the military and civilian staff.

We have carnivores, vegetarians and pescatarians. Do you know what a pescatarian is? I didn’t and had to look it up. I love when I learn something new from a novel.

A serial rapist has been active and on the loose for more than 13 years and the past is coming back to bite Murphy. Politics and the military, conspiracies and cover ups, put Murphy and those close to him in danger.

Murphy and Jessica are newly married and they end up with a house full of quirky critters. They are a unique cast of characters! We have Spencer (Candi or Blue), whose name depends on the person calling him, is a Blue Sheltie. Irving is a cat that snubs most people and they are glad for it, he looks like a skunk. Irving has a big heart for a certain young girl that enters his life unexpectedly. Newman, now he is the man. He’s a couch potato, I mean REALLY a couch potato. He not only watches TV, he controls the remote. And going for a walk, that’s for those other dogs. Let’s not forget Monique, a tarantula. EEK!

Izzy becomes a temporary member of the family after her mother is murdered and Murphy promises to find out who did it and protect her in the process. Izzy has a way with the critters, a special connnection. I had immediate empathy for her. She is a strong, open hearted/open minded child/woman.

Lauren has a way with her characters, human and animal alike. They are complex and well developed, fiercely protecting each other as they struggle to find answers before they run out of time. Will they find the answers to the nightmares that keep them awake at night?

I am so pissed off at the injustice of the haves and their own set of rules, the feeling of entitlement they have. They do see evil. They do hear evil. They do speak evil. Where do they draw the line…or do they? It is bad enough there is a monster running loose, but what makes it even more terrible is the people that know about it, overlook it and pass the problem on to the next HIGHER level. The problem does not go away, it only grows bigger.

Kudos Lauren. Kill and Run looks like another mystery series that will be on my reading list for some time to come. Thanks for expanding on the family.

“You’re not a wimp Buttercup. Basically, what you need to do is learn how to press your bitch button.”

“…My bitch button?”

“Everyone has one.”

“…You have a bitch button?”

“I have a bastard button.”

This is an ARC, so the quote may be different than it appears here. From page 218.

I received the ARC of Kill and Run by Lauren Carr in return for an honest and unbiased review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

ABOUT LAUREN CARR

Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Three Days to Forever is the ninth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Three Days to Forever introduces Lauren Carr’s latest series, detectives, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Look for the first installment in this series in Spring 2015.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

For More Information

Visit Lauren Carr’s website.
Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit Lauren’s Goodreads page to find out more about her books.
Visit Lauren’s blog.
Contact Lauren..

GIVEAWAY

Win an ebook copy of Kill and Run with a $15 Amazon gift card (open internationally – 5 winners)

Win a print copy of Kill and Run (USA only – 4 winners)
Win a print copy of both Three Days to Forever and Kill and Run with a $25 Amazon gift card (USA only)

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.

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Who is the real target – Three Days To Forever by Lauren Carr with Interview

Posted on September 10, 2015 by fundinmental

Title: Three Days to Forever
Author: Lauren Carr
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Pages: 466
Genre: Mystery
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Author Interview By Lauren Carr

Lauren, you have been averaging two to three murder mysteries a year—all of them best-sellers! This year, you have released three books. Obviously you write every day.

LC: Yes, I do write every day. I guess you could say I’m a workaholic—or maybe I’m a write-aholic. I am actually driven to write. As the author, I am the creator of my characters’ world. So, when I get going in a plot, I have a hard time walking away to cook dinner for my family because I myself want to know what is going to happen next. I especially have a hard time leaving my laptop in the middle of a shootout or when a bad guy is creeping up on one of my detectives to go clean up the kitchen. I feel like I’m leaving a friend hanging. Recently, a friend of mine reminded me, “It’s okay to leave one of your detectives bleeding out for a few days. He’s not real!” Well, he’s real to me.

What is your writing schedule?

LC: I do write full time—but I have the luxury of creating my own schedule. In the morning, I take care of business—answering emails, book promotion, interviews. The Mommy stuff gets taken care of in the afternoon—going to the gym, laundry, dinner. Then, after dinner, I’ll work on my next book. After everything is taken care of and everyone in my life settles down, I can escape into my characters’ world.

Where do you write? Do you have an office?

LC: Yes, I have an office on the top floor of our house with a built-in desk and a view of the valley that is to die for. But my teenaged son took it! So, I write in bed—propped up on a pile of pillows.

Is there a ritualistic thing you like to do when you’re writing?

LC: Not really. Some writers refuse to answer the phone. Me—I just plain tune it out! Really. I have had the phone ringing right next to me and my son or husband will hear it, but I’m so absorbed in what I am writing that I don’t. Other writers will use a laptop or computer that doesn’t have social media so they aren’t tempted to surf. Not me. I don’t know if it is disciplined or obsessive. I prefer to call it disciplined.

What about snacking? Do you come back to reality to eat a favorite snack when you’re writing?

LC: I never have been a big snacker. My favorite snack is Hershey kisses, or anything chocolate. I recently had to give up ice cream as an evening snack because I was starting to get as big as a house!

What books are you obsessing about now? Please tell us that you have not abandoned Mac Faraday and Gnarly.

LC: Oh, no! I will never abandon Mac Faraday. Gnarly won’t let me. Look for Cancelled Vows this winter.

In Cancelled Vows, David O’Callaghan’s wedding plans hit a huge snag when he discovers he is already married to an old girlfriend! With less than a week to his wedding day, David, Mac, and Gnarly go to New York City to have the marriage dissolved—only to end up in the middle of a murder mystery.

What’s next in store for Jessica and Murphy? Tell us that you are planning more Thorny Rose Mysteries.

LC: Sorry, but the next Thorny Rose Mystery is at least a year away. I’m now working on three series! However, readers who fall in love with Jessica and Murphy should be on the lookout for the next Lovers in Crime Mystery, in which they will make a featured appearance. Murphy and Jessica rush to Chester, WV, when J.J., Murphy’s twin brother, disappears after his girlfriend’s murder. This mystery will be released in Spring 2015.

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

I am familiar with Mac Faraday and his cohorts, so I was happy to be able to read to review this mystery novel. I felt Lauren Carr would not let me down and was right. I enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading more of her work.

I am loving the cover, simple, yet I sense an aura of menace.

Mac Faraday and Archie Monday are getting married. It will be the event of the season for the Spencer Inn and Deep Creek Lake, Maryland.

Just days before the wedding, Mac receives an envelope, containing a warning. As if that is not enough of a problem, he is attacked by a professional hit squad and the tale is off and running. Someone wants him dead. Or do they? Is he the real target? It seems so obvious, I am suspicious. I read on, getting deeper into the story, more involved with the characters as the danger spreads.

Plots within plots. There is so much going on, twisting and, turning, keeping me wondering how this will come together in a completed story. Who’s doing what to whom? Is it revenge for a perceived wrong? A terrorist threat from Iraq?

There are too many characters to mention, but they all contribute to the story in their own special way. We have met some of them before and will hear about some of them again and again, as we travel through the mystery series with Lauren Carr.

An invisible unit: Under the cover of anonymity, a secret unit, that does what no one else can do, what cannot be allowed to reach the light of day. They are cloaked in secrecy and deniability.

The politics are dirty, but necessary. This book will expose its biggest weaknesses, at the highest levels. Three Days To Forever by Lauren Carr reads as if it could be true. The good. The bad. The current events. Revenge, murder, terrorism, romance, love, loyalty and a determination to do what is right, regardless of the consequences.

Three Days To Forever is not a light read. The mystery and suspense kept me captivated, as I traveled from Iraq to the United States and back again. Lauren kept me guessing and on my toes. I never anticipated all the events that would ensue.

I did not sit on the edge of my seat with bated breath, or have to stay up all night until I finished it, but I did read the book, which is 434 pages in this ARC paperback, within a twenty four hour period.

I received Three Days To Forever by Lauren Carr in return for an honest and unbiased review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery from best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr, readers will embark on a rollercoaster adventure with old friends (including the Lovers in Crime team of Prosecutor Joshua Thornton and Homicide Detective Cameron Gates), but also meet new ones as Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica Faraday and Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy Thornton join the team in the race to get the love birds to the altar!

With three days left to the year, Deep Creek Lake is hopping with holiday vacationers and wedding guests pouring into the Spencer Inn for Mac Faraday and Archie Monday’s huge wedding ceremony which is being touted as the social event of the year.

But droopy flowers and guests who failed to RSVP are the least of Mac’s and Archie’s problems when a professional hit squad hits Spencer Manor to send the groom, Joshua Thornton, Archie’s mother, and Gnarly running for their lives.

With time running out to the big day, Mac Faraday and Spencer’s small police force have to sort through the clues to figure out not only who has been targeted for assassination, but also who is determined to stop everything … FOREVER!

“Lauren Carr’s mystery novels are indeed one of my go-tos when I’m looking for a good whodunit.” –Reviewer: Shana Benedict, ABookVacation Book Reviews.

“Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.” – Reviewer: Every Free Chance Book Reviews.

ABOUT LAUREN CARR

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

For More Information

Visit Lauren Carr’s website.
Connect with Lauren on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit Lauren’s Goodreads page to find out more about her books.
Visit Lauren’s blog.
Contact Lauren.

GIVEAWAY

Win an ebook copy of Kill and Run with a $15 Amazon gift card (open internationally – 5 winners)

Win a print copy of Kill and Run (USA only – 4 winners)
Win a print copy of both Three Days to Forever and Kill and Run with a $25 Amazon gift card (USA only)

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Review: Kidnap by Sally Ann Melia

Posted on May 13, 2015 by fundinmental

Sally Ann Melia caught me totally off guard with this awesome story of two young boys lives, in Kidnap.

I will be making a note of this series so I will be sure and follow up with her future work.

Add to Goodreads

Cover: Nevena, Sugarbricks

MY REVIEW

I wasn’t sure about this book, but something kept pulling at me. It didn’t take long before I was fully involved in Teo and Guy’s world. I could not put it down and read it through in one sitting.

Teo is a recalcitrant prince, soon to be king and Emperor.

Guy Erma is an orphan who dreams of becoming one of the Dome Elite.

Two boys growing up, so different, yet the same. They have desires and insecurities, egos and jealousy.

When Teo has a nightmare of the tunnels…and finds himself taken there, I immediately tried to figure out who was behind the kidnapping. He just happens to be a pawn in the ‘game’ that is being played for the title of Emperor of Freyne.

The characters had me eating out of their hands and I think they will grow and develop into some exceptional people who think outside the box, making unpopular moves that take their world to a better place.

D’Elen McClain’s writing took me on a space odyssey that included all the things necessary to take me out of this world. We have shapeshifting aliens, telepaths and suicide fighters. Political intrigue, terrorism, plague. Wonderful writing, great world building and so much more.

I love the gorans, giant cats that are ridden like a horse, making me think of the creatures in Star Wars.

The thrill and suspense held my attention throughout and I love that D’Elen showed the good and bad of her characters, making them more believable.

I am curious how she will bring the different worlds together. This may be fiction, but it brings to mind some of the problems of our own world and the question of…will we ever learn to live in harmony with one another?

I want to know more of the story of Teo and Guy. Will Nell play an important part in the future? 🙂

I received this book in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

I don’t want to go… Do I have to go? 13-year-old Prince Teodor of Freyne knows his duty to the memory of his father and his kingdom. Always, he must help those less fortunate than himself. Yet a frightening nightmare fills him with foreboding, but still he must go – into the Dome.13-year-old Guy Erma lives in the shadow of the Dome, he has no father and no mother and his future is uncertain, he must start earning a living when he turns 14. He knows not where he will live or even how he will eat, and his only dream is to enter the military academy – at the heart of the Dome.Two boys as different as any two boys might be. One act of cruelty will throw their lives together, but who dare they trust?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sally Ann Melia The author was born in Wallasey, England, in 1964, and moved to the South of France when she was eleven. She spent her teenage years living in the cosmopolitan city state of Monaco and became immersed in its many languages and cultures. An English girl in a French school, for three hours each week she would sit at the back of the class as her colleagues learnt English. To pass the time, she wrote stories. This led to a lifetime of writing novels, scripts, stories and articles.

In her working life, Sally writes marketing communications and manages large international websites.

In 2010, Sally joined the Hogs Back Writers, a club located on the outskirts of Guildford, and she set about turning an old manuscript into this novel: Guy Erma and the Son of Empire. Sally currently lives in Farnham, and she is married with two children.

Connect with Sally: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

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Get Amazing Deals on ebook Bestsellers & $25 Gift Card ~ IgniteYourBook

Posted on January 28, 2015 by fundinmental

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