The Bone Collector (Lincoln Rhyme #1) by Jeffrey Deaver @jefferydeaver

Posted on May 20, 2020 by fundinmental

I have been reading Jeffrey Deaver’s work for a long time now and when I won this special copy of The Bone Collector from Goodreads, I was ecstatic. I have read some of the Lincoln Rhyme series, but it was fun going back to the beginning.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I was ecstatic when I found out I won from Goodreads this special copy of The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver. I get, not only the first story of the Lincoln Rhyme series, but the short story, Captivated, where we meet Jeffrey Deaver’s new character Colter Shaw and an excerpt from his new Colter Shaw series, Book I, The Never Game.

I loved going back to the beginning with Lincoln Rhyme and how it all began. Even though I knew that outcome of his struggle to accept his life after becoming a quadriplegic, I felt his all the suspense and despair.

He finds a kindred spirit in Emilia Sachs. She has her own baggage she carries around, refusing to let anyone get close to her, searching for her place in life.

The serial killer, though I had a hunch he was ‘right there’, was a surprise to me. I love delving into the twisted minds of those who can do such wretched things to another person. At least he has some feelings, those it doesn’t stop him.

The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver is everything I want in a novel. I love the deep dark world he takes me into and his ability to leave me feeling good about everything when it is all said and done….until the next time.

CAPTIVATED: I love an author bonus and I got a good one with this short story. Colter Shaw is a bounty hunter and he always gets his ‘man’, picking and choosing the jobs he will take on. Colter and Jeffrey were ahead of me every step of the way, keeping me in suspense, never giving away the bad guy until they step forward and expose themselves. I quickly fell for the character and eagerly flipped the pages…

…then moving on to the excerpt for the first book in the series, The Never Game.

He’s in the water, struggling to enter the capsized boat and save the pregnant woman inside. Will he succeed? And why is she in there…alone…

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

From the bestselling and award-winning master of suspense, the first novel in a thrilling new series, introducing Colter Shaw.

“You have been abandoned.”

A young woman has gone missing in Silicon Valley and her father has hired Colter Shaw to find her. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. But what seems a simple investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of America’s tech hub and the cutthroat billion-dollar video-gaming industry.

“Escape if you can.”

When another victim is kidnapped, the clues point to one video game with a troubled past–The Whispering Man. In that game, the player has to survive after being abandoned in an inhospitable setting with five random objects. Is a madman bringing the game to life?

“Or die with dignity.”

Shaw finds himself caught in a cat-and-mouse game, risking his own life to save the victims even as he pursues the kidnapper across both Silicon Valley and the dark ‘net. Encountering eccentric game designers, trigger-happy gamers and ruthless tech titans, he soon learns that he isn’t the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast.

GOODREADS BLURB

Lincoln Rhyme was once a brilliant criminologist, a genius in the field of forensics — until an accident left him physically and emotionally shattered. But now a diabolical killer is challenging Rhyme to a terrifying and ingenious duel of wits. With police detective Amelia Sachs by his side, Rhyme must follow a labyrinth of clues that reaches back to a dark chapter in New York City’s past — and reach further into the darkness of the mind of a madman who won’t stop until he has stripped life down to the bone.

ABOUT JEFFREY DEAVER

#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He’s received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.

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Giveaway – Sunspots by Karen S Bell @KarenSueBell @SDSXXTours

Posted on September 1, 2019 by fundinmental

Sunspots

by Karen S. Bell

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Time Travel

Aurora Goldberg Stein is lost in grief. Her beloved husband, Jake Stein, has just died in a tragic car accident and her sorrow is overwhelming. But is this really the end? Perhaps, perhaps not. She hears his voice. She sees his ghostly presence. She travels back in time to another life with Jake. What is going on? What is the message?

Jake Stein, a dashing Texan, sweeps Aurora off her feet and changes her life. A Brooklyn born actress, she moved to NYC and does temporary work to pay her bills. On this particular assignment, she accidentally meets Jake Stein, who is her dance with destiny. Leaving everything she knows, she marries him and moves to Austin, Texas. No longer struggling to make ends meet, Aurora wiles away her time bored and lonely, and trying to recapture the excitement she once had with this man. And then suddenly, it’s all over, her life, her future is gone. Vanished are all her hopes and dreams.

But destiny comes in many forms, and when Aurora moves to a new house, she discovers that the previous owner has never left. The ghostly presence of Viola Parker looms large and becomes Aurora’s guide through time revealing to her the mistakes she’s made with Jake Stein through the centuries. This time, maybe this time, Aurora can get it right.

Goodreads * Amazon

I get so much satisfaction in the writing process. I take care to choose just the right word, to make sure each sentence has the right cadence. I appreciate other writers who respect the craft in this way, and I hope my readers do so with me. Writing is a need, a desire for expression, and springs from well within my subconscious mind. Thoughts rise up, scenes rise up and blend in with the over-arching story. These thoughts emerge whenever they want to and wherever I am and probably not when I am at the computer. The computer is for the craft, the technique. The thoughts come during walks, or while driving the car, or at the grocery store. I am the willing recipient of these thoughts and so they seek me out. It’s a mystery this business and art of writing and it keeps me enthralled.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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Giveaway – Minds Eye by Skyler Dean #SkylerDean #RoanePublishing

Posted on August 31, 2017 by fundinmental

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO

MIND’S EYE!

Mind’s Eye

A Romantic Suspense Novel

By Skyler Dean

Release Date: August 28, 2017

Keywords: paranormal, psychic, New York City, Wiccan, astral projection, murder

MY REVIEW

I love suspense and thrills, then add a bit of the supernatural, and I am super excited. Skyler Dean did not let me down.

Cassandra is a character that immediately won me over. Her dream came to life on the front page of the paper and brought death front and center. But she’s in denial. How could she know?

Now, they are leaking into her waking life. Afraid to sleep, unable to stay awake. No one to help. Until…Detective Derek Ward, and he isn’t buying her story of being in the park, in the middle of the night, wearing her pajamas, looking for a lost earring and then she just happens to come across a dead girl. He knows she didn’t commit the murder, but he also knows she’s hiding something and he just can’t let it go. He’s like a dog with a bone.

There is a slow burning romance. Derek does know the meaning of no, and doesn’t get all pissy about it. Just more determined to win her over at her own pace.

He must be an amazing kisser, because “he had officially fried her brain” after laying one on her. I laughed out loud.

When she saw HIM, she never saw his face, but she knew he was the killer. Could he sense her? Did he know she was watching? I wasn’t sure one way of the other for a while.

Skyler Dean has created a feeling of danger, an ominous darkness laying in wait for Cassandra. I know something has to happen, something worse than her visions, and we know, Derek will be there to ride in on his white horse and save her.

Two of my favorite genres, the supernatural and suspense, are brought together in a smashing success. My expectations were twisted and just when I thought I knew it all, it went in another direction. I love when I don’t know it all, don’t you? Highly recommend.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Mind’s Eye by Skyler Dean.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Newly hired NYC blogger Cassandra Hale has finally achieved her dream-living and writing in the big city. Eager to prove her skills and secure her place, Cassie pushes hard to gain respect from the new age publishing group where she’s recently snagged a position.

With her energies focused, Cassie’s work flourishes…until her reality rapidly unravels.

As a sudden witness to murders in her sleep, Cassie becomes convinced that she’s losing her mind.

All she wants is to discover a way of making these gruesome visions stop. But with no control over them, her subconscious mind begins to wreak havoc on her life.

At the edge of her sanity, Cassie decides to take matters into her own hands and tracks down the latest victim from her dreams, subsequently gaining the unwanted attention from NYPD detective Derek Ward.

Struggling to cope, not only with accepting her newfound abilities but with her perceived involvement in a crime, Cassie is forced to contend with interrogations from Ward, who’s convinced she has something to hide.

As Cassie and Derek both fight to discover the truth, as well as a growing, unwanted attraction towards each other, they are ultimately thrown together as the stakes jump even higher-Cassie’s premonitions turn to a man whose diabolical intentions are eerily close to her.

Purchase Links

~~~oOo~~~

Excerpt:

The spacious expanse of hardwood shined against the low glow cast by the growing moon. Despite the icy air, the window had been boldly left open, sending the filmy cream curtains fluttering eerily against the washed glass.She moved through the palatial home, silent as a ghost. Extravagantly decorated, overly lavish with marble gleaming and crystal dripping. Cassie could hear no sound, see no movement. But that didn’t stop the fear.As she looked across at the illuminated floor, she saw tiny drops scattered over the wood, shimmering red against the monochromatic glow of the night. She followed them into the bedroom where the trail of drops turned to puddles. Crouching down, Cassie tried to touch a finger to the wet but she couldn’t make contact, her body light as the air and just as elusive.

A gust of wind swept through the room, blasting out angry bursts of cold. Still kneeling, Cassie realized she was at the foot of a huge four poster bed. The duster and comforter pillowed out around the carved wood panels, creating voluminous puffs of shimmering trimmed satin.

She felt herself move in slow motion as she lifted her gaze up the nearest bed post. Slowly she reached forward, following the red splatters, tracing her invisible fingers alongside their path.

Rising up, over the wood and satin, the red puddles led her to the dead.

Long thin limbs lay sprawled across the bed, delicate bare feet turned under. The woman, raven haired and beautiful even in death, was stretched on her stomach with her head cocked unnaturally to one side. Her mouth slacked open and her eyes were dark and blank as a doll’s.

Cassie saw that her shoulder had been wrenched back, the bone protruding up at an odd angle. The blood that had dripped and pooled across the floor was smeared over her arm to her wrist where she had been shackled to one of the bed posts. And in the center of her back, the pool swallowed her, covering her torso in heavy crimson.

Panting now, her breath gasping out, Cassie whipped her head back and forth. She was surrounded. Surrounded by the death. Blood everywhere. She lifted her hand and saw the woman’s blood drip from her fingertips.

Desperately she tried to wipe her hands clean, for now she could feel the slimy slickness coating her skin, choking her, as she pushed away from the bed. The scream that ripped through her throat followed her out as she tumbled backward and into the black.

#####

“No, no, no! Son of a bitch!”

She woke with her heart leaping against her chest. Surging up, Cassie fought to shove aside her covers. Arms and legs shaking with terror, she nearly tripped over Luna as she began running for the door. Something made her stop, made her catch her breath and think.

Derek, she realized. She needed Derek. Not only to find the woman, but she needed him with her. To help get her through.

Snatching up her phone, Cassie barely noted the time showing nearly 2am. She wasn’t worried about that courtesy at the moment.

“Derek!” she rushed out his name as soon as his sleep roughened voice answered. “I dreamed about a woman, you have to help me! She’s in some really fancy condo or townhouse and she’s already dead.”

“Cassie,” he said when she stopped talking abruptly. “How do you-”

He halted then and after all the hesitation and doubt he’d previously grappled with, Derek allowed himself to have a little faith.

“Where is she?”

~~~oOo~~~

GIVEAWAY!

A $10 Roane Publishing Gift Card

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Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use a RoanePublishing.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.

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Fanged Mania #10 – Giveaway and Review of Charmeine: The Light-Bearer Series, Book I by Emily Guido

Posted on January 18, 2013 by fundinmental

To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

The prize pack I mentioned includes Vampire Diaries and Breaking Dawn posters as well as a paperback copy of Erica Steven’s Captured (my review here) and the complete collection of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter stories by Jennifer Malone Wright, in paperback, too! =D

Oh, and the contest is international. And the more Fanged Mania posts you have, the more entries you get! So what are you waiting for? Hop on the bandwagon!

As Tabbruis held Charmeine, he asked her if she thought the Prophecy would be revealed today.

Charmeine – Angel of Harmony

Tabbruis – Angel of Self Determination

Charmeine (The Light-Bearer, #1)

Add To Goodreads

Tabbruis had fed from the stag and was ready for a hot shower. He hopped in his Dodge Charger SRT8 and drove to the hotel.

After his shower, he looked in the mirror and saw her. She appeared in the steam, a vision to behold. He knew it wasn’t real, but he couldn’t forget her.

For some reason, he felt an urgent need to go to New York City. He always stayed at the Ritz Carlton, in the Penthouse Suite. He loved it there and Ferrell always took such good care of his needs and wants. He was alone, but he liked his luxuries and some of the things he required were above and beyond the normal.

Charleen was a school teacher and Shane, her best friend, called to tell her he had to cancel their Billy Joel concert date. Ferrell, his boss, had a super job for him that was too good to pass up. Charleen ended up going to the concert by herself.

In the orphanage, Charleen and Shane had become like brother and sister.They were drawn to each other, but never had the desire to take it further.

While Shane drove Tabbruis around, they listened to a Billy Joel CD.All Tab could think about was her. He listened to the CD and felt as if he was being called to the concert.

Charleen watched the concert, until a feeling of fear overcame her. She felt she was in great danger and knew she had to get away. Tabbruis had felt it too and was heading towards her. He came upon her, lying on the ground with a Blood Hunter standing over her.

Charleen saw Tabbruis was losing the fight. She reached out to him. Before he lost consciousness, he saw her face and a brilliant white light.

Tabbruis had one friend, Dimitri. They were both Blood Drinkers and Dimitri had helped him when he had lost everything. He had told him about himself and the others, the Blood Hunters and the Light Bearers. The Light-Bearers are the good of God, God’s Angels. Dimitri also told him about The Prophecy – a special Light- Bearer, along with her mate, a Blood Hunter, and her family, would bring justice and harmony to Earth.

Tabbruis was in a desperate situation. It was time to call Dimitri for help.

3 STARS – Would Recommend To Others

**********************************I am not surprised that the story started out slow, I feel it is just setting the foundation for the series. The first three books were meant to be one BIG BOOK. So don’t be discouraged, you really need to read on********************************

The cover is pretty and caught my eye. I love brilliant, saturated colors.

I love hot cars, so any time I can slip one, especially a super cool one, into my post, I do. ^_^ I felt if Tabbrius drove such a hot car, he had to be hot, too. ^_^

I had heard and seen so much about this series, I felt I had to read it for myself. I am not a huge romance fan, so I wasn’t sure if I would like the book. I really want more to the story than love and happiness. I like a lot of action and as I read along, the story began to pick up the pace. By the time I reached the end of the book, I was ready for more. A love story, but so much more. You can feel the love oozing out of the pages, the sexual tension builds until …………

Emily Guido’s writing will draw you deeper into Charmeine’s and Tabbruis’ lives as they discover their true purpose. Is it Fate? Is it Destiny? Have their lives already been written?

What would you do, if in the blink of an eye, everything you believed in was no more?

Do you believe in angels? If you believe in good, there must be bad.

As Emily described the fight, I could picture it. I love it , when the writing is so descriptive, I can picture the scenes. The story unrolls like a movie in my mind. When Emily says she pictures the characters and scenes in her mind, I can definitely relate, as the scenes played out in my head because of her deep and thorough descriptions.

Emily wants you to know that Charmeine is just the tip of the iceberg in the series….to really get to the lip-smacking gravy part, you really need to read Charmeine, Mactus and Accendo, which were one book. That is why, for the giveaway, if you already have Charmeine and Mactus (which were free on Amazon, which is how I got mine), Emily will replace your win with Accendo.

By the time I got to the end of Charmeine, I was ready for Mactus. Some people look at a big book and won’t even pick it up. It seems all the publishers want authors to make two books instead of one, but I can get into long books. So the series are good because it’s like a really long book and I can get so into the story, that when I’m done and the last page is read, it is such a let down, that I almost go into a depression from such a deep feeling of loss. It’s kind of silly really, it’s just a book, and the characters are not real, but I have always been emotionally involved in my reading. I love traveling into new worlds and meeting new people through the characters in books.

I picked up this book on a FREE day on Amazon and I am very glad I did. I see many hours of traveling through time with Charmeine and Tabbruis.

A Couple Of My Favorite Quotes

“Semper tuus ero……I am forever yours”

“You quiet me and stir my passion all at the same time.”

ALERT*****ALERT******ALERT******ALERT******ALERT******ALERT*****ALERT

Emily Guido has her first book signing coming up February 2 at the Book Expo in the Birmingham Library in Birmingham, Alabama.

Emily will also be at the County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey on March 4 in the college bookstore.

How exciting for her. If you are in the area, you too, can be a part of it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Guido is a very new Young Adult, Paranormal Romance Author. She was inspired to start writing “The Light-Bearer Series” because one day she got an idea of two light and dark characters who have an epic romance. A week later, Emily had over a 100,000 words written. When she writes, she pictures the characters in her head going through vivid descriptions of each scene. She has written five novels, “Charmeine” “Mactus” “Accendo” “Seditious” and “Ransom” The sixth novel in “The Light-Bearer Series,” is entitled “Conundrum” and will be released in 2013.

Notes to Reviewers and Readers:
First, the Blood-Hunter race or Elders have been on Earth for thousands of years. Because of this, they do not use contractions like I’m, don’t or can’t. They communicate in a more refined way because of their age.

Second, there are several OLD editions out in circulation of my books. Please leave a review on the current edition. Please feel free to contact me, Emily, at guido.emily@gmail.com to check the edition you have is the recent edition.

To Find Emily, Follow The Links

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Emily Guido – Author FACEBOOK Page

To order any of the books, simply click on the cover.

GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos Emily Guido is generously offering 5 ebooks (PDF, MOBI, Epub and HTML) of Charmeine for the Giveaway. If you already have Charmeine and Mactus, Emily will give you Accendo instead.

International. Easy entry as always, just leave your email address and answer the question:

Who is your favorite hunk or hunkess in a book, movie………?

Giveaway will run from 1/18 – 2/1/2013.

CLOSED. WINNERS are — Lacey G – emaginette – Jenny – Kylie – Pragya.

To see all my Giveaways, click HERE.

I hope you will tweet this out and share it with your friends, family and followers.

You don’t want to miss more of my posts, so take a moment to become one of my followers. ^_^

I am going to be featuring Emily Guido’s Light-Bearer Series until the story is told, so be sure and stay tuned for more wonderful adventures of Charmeine and Tabbrius.

What do you do with your Spare Change?

Posted on October 9, 2012 by fundinmental

SPARE CHANGE by Bette Lee Crosby

Not sure what I expected, but it was so much more. Good things do come in small packages.

.
In the 20’s it was unusual for a woman to be unmarried, work and live on her own. Olivia had never considered herself a spinster, she just liked her life. She didn’t want to be one of the herd or do what was expected of her. She was terrified of kids. Her father had disowned her at 26 and her mother told her that no one would want an old woman.

It was totally unexpected when she met Charles Doyle. They fell for each other at first glance. When he proposed, she choked on the chocolate truffle she was eating. She told him no and it broke her heart. He told her he didn’t want kids. And if she didn’t want to clean or cook, no problem. Those things weren’t important to him. He had a son he hadn’t seen in fifteen years and a grandson he had never met.

She was very superstitious. During the wedding ceremony, a hail storm broke out. Charlie blew it off, so she did too. She was afraid of the number eleven. On the tenth day of marriage they arrived in Miami for their honeymoon. On the eleventh day, she talked him into staying low-key, taking no chances. They went shopping, she was thinking that nothing could go wrong shopping. He snuck off and bought her a surprise. Back in the room, he told her to close her eyes and he put the necklace around her neck. When she what it was, her heart fell. Opals were bad luck. He died that night.

Susanna Doyle told her husband she had to be in New York City for her singing career. Benjamin knew he would lose her if they went anywhere near there, so he’d played a stalling game with her. He would promise her they would go, then find an excuse not to.

When she became pregnant, life got even worse. To get even, when the baby was born, she named him Ethan Allen, after the furniture store she worked at. As Ethan grew older, their fights became so vicious that he built a fort out back to get away from them.

One day at the diner, he noticed Mister Scooter, the owner, touching his mom’s butt. He asked her about it and she said if he kept quiet, she would make sure she always had enough spare change for him to go to the movies.

Susanna was very excited because Benjamin had promised they would go to New York City in September. When September rolled around, he found another excuse not to go. She had been working and saving the money, so she told Ethan they were going without him, but not to say anything so he wouldn’t find out and try to stop them. She went to the bank for her money, but Benjamin had already closed the account.

Susanna immediately went to Scooter, telling him she wanted to run away with him and Ethan to New York City. He thought about his own kid, for only a moment, and said okay.

Ethan was eleven years old and his mom had always promised him she would never run off without him. But that night, Ethan’s whole world changed.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I don’t know why I was drawn to the cover, title, then the blurb. Something tugged at me.The cover conveyed such a sense of sorrow from the boy. I loved the second reference to spare change, but you will have to read the book to find out what it is, and why the title is so very appropriate.

I am not much for a story without some murder, killing, death, blood, gore, mystery, magic; in other words, some kind of action or adventure. This was a different kind of murder story, more a story of a woman alone, and a boy with no home and no one to love him. The murder was just a small piece.

For a short book, Bette made me feel like the story covered a lifetime. I kept reading faster and faster. I was afraid for Ethan and then both him and Olivia. She put so much story into a small book. Plot was detailed and suspenseful. I kept waiting for…..

The characters were amazing. Her descriptions left me feeling like they were my neighbors. I felt like I knew them. They were realistic and reminiscent of a time when we knew our neighbors. Such a feel good book. Made me tear up and cry because of its sweetness. I know my neighbors and speak to them, but I am a solitary creature, so it really surprised me that I felt such strong emotions while reading the story.

How do you get an eleven year old boy to trust you? I felt Ethan’s fear and panic. To win him over, it took much empathy, patience and compassion. So much, packed into its 280 pages. I know I keep repeating myself, but I still can’t get over how much this book affected me.

I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Not only was the author gracious enough to send me a paperback, she also autographed it for me. I love to add another book to my collection.

Giveaway – Bette Lee Crosby is offering for the giveaway:

International – ebook of Spare Change – OR – US and Canada a signed paperback. As always the entry is easy. Leave a comment telling us what you do with your spare change and an email address.

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. The Winners Are:

Kimba – won the signed paperback Alana – won the ebook

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful, warm and touching comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bette Lee Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006, when she won the National League of American Pen Women Award for unpublished fiction with What Matters Most. Her novel, Cracks in the Sidewalk, received the 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award and then went on to win the 2011 FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal. In 2011 Spare Change received the Reviewer’s Choice Awards and it garnered a second Royal Palm Literary Award. Her books have earned numerous five-star ratings with readers acclaiming them as heartwarming and captivating.

Most recently, Bette completed a memoir written for Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as The World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

To get your copy of Spare Change or any of Bette’s books, simply click on the covers below.

To see my Review of What Matters Most, go HERE.

To see my Review of Cupid’s Christmas, go HERE.

To see my Review of Cracks In The Sidewalk, go HERE.

Author Interview: Spare Change by Bette Lee Crosby (+ Giveaway) (iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com)

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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.

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

Dark Dealings Review

Posted on August 30, 2012 by fundinmental

Dark Dealings by Karen-Victoria Smith

. Dark Dealings

Micaela was driving to Bridewell to visit her Una when she saw Reece, the son of Chief Deerfield of Pokanoket, on the side of the road. He appeared bloody and beaten, maybe dead. She stopped and went back to check, but there was nothing there. Had her visions returned? Samhain was approaching and was the time of year when Spirits and people could move between worlds. Was Reece a spirit?

.
Peggy, Reece’s wife was Yankee. She was at the house when Micaela arrived and told her Reece was missing. Because of her “gift” , Micalela had been treated as a pariah but now that they needed her help, they wanted her to use her “gift” to find Reece. She had buried it deep when she left Bridewell and wasn’t sure if she could pull it out at will. As she held Adam’s hands, she found her way to Reece. It was if she was really with him, not sitting on the porch with Adam. The horror was more than the mind could imagine and she told Reece to hold on, Peggy was pregnant and they were coming to save him.

Micaela returned to New York just in time for the party at the Metropolitan Museum. While she was there she met Francois Leveque, who tried to get her alone. She could tell he was afraid, but they were interrupted by Baron Vasilievich before they could talk. She arranged to meet him in a couple of days at his hotel.

She had a recurring nightmare for the past four years. She was fleeing something and ran into a clearing. Her Una and mother were there and told her they were glad she had come to take her rightful place, but there had never been a beast before.

Micaela was meeting Francois in his hotel room, but there was no answer at the door. As she knocked again, the door opened on its own. The living room was in a shambles. The bedroom was covered in blood, it was everywhere. Even though she didn’t want to, she went to the bathroom thinking he could still be alive. When she saw him in the tub, his throat and chest had been ripped out. As she fought the scream, she fumbled with her cell phone trying to dial 911.

Thank God her friend responded with the others. Nikki was a cop and her friend, there to help. She had accumulated time and said she was taking it. Micaela was determined to find out what happened and Nikki was going to help.

At first she was surprised when she looked across the room and saw Francois. They were having his wake at the Salmon Run Inn. What was he trying to tell her?

She headed back to Bridewell for some leisure time. She needed to regroup. She stopped at a diner for a quick bite. When she felt a tingle, she looked around to see why. Lately she had been having more and more psychic events and tried her best to control them. She spotted a Hummer she thought was following her. When he rammed into the back of her car, she thought of Francois. The road was abandoned and the police were too busy to respond to her call for help. When she gunned the Porsche to outrun the Hummer, two motorcycles took over the chase. She managed to lose them. The only thing watching her now was a large bird, black as night, as she headed to Bridewell and Una hoping she wasn’t bringing the bad to her.

When she arrived and was leaving the car, she saw a black feather on the dashboard and took it with her. It felt like it was humming to her and she looked up to see the Raven above her parents bedroom.

Everyone was there, Nikki, Liam, Una, Reece, the Pokanoket Ethan Lowell, Sons of Danu, Sean Murphy… What was going on? Whoever had been after Francois was now after her.

Liam and Micaela walked to the creek to talk, he told her she should come to the gathering in the Grove, that plans for Beltaine were set. She said no, she never came to the Grove but she would be at the Ceili.

She felt her gift was out of control, she had to talk to Una before she left again. Micaela told her about seeing the entire Grove when Reece was missing, seeing Francois beat up and dead, and how at the dance she was there, yet somewhere else. Una told her to remember what her father used to tell here while they were out sailing. “Don’t fight the currents or the wind, use them.” Una assured her the Grove was there to help her.

3 STARS – Would Recommend to Others

I won this in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway. Karen was gracious enough to sign my copy for me. Thank you Karen.

I liked the cover and the title. I always like a simple, clean look, with a little mystery. I like it when they make me think what the book might be about before I read the book blurb. I thought the cover and title both were relevant to the book.

Events start happening at the very beginning of the book. The suspense and mystery continue through the book, keeping you on your toes while you try to figure out what is going on. Karen doles the story out in small pieces so you can’t quite be sure of what will happen next.

Characters were interesting. Really had me wondering about Lowell and Ivan. Couldn’t quite figure out who was good or bad. Even when I thought I had them figured out, it kept twisting and turning making me unsure again.

“When she thinks the spirit world is a much a part of her childhood as the NE Patriots and the Boston Red Sox”, it made me smile. My husband is an avid Red Sox fan and his brother is a Patriots fan. It makes the story feel more real when I can relate to it in a personal way.

Other than a few editing errors, nothing that interfered with the flow of the story in any way, I thought it was well written and easy reading.

To order this book, simply click on the cover.