Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L Reid

Posted on August 3, 2015 by fundinmental

Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L Reid is a paranormal series that will have you asking for more. I love the title and the cover spoke to me, kinda creeping me out. LOL

Check out the pretties and be sure to read to the end to enter the giveaway.

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

The Pretty Dark Nothing series has some of the most beautiful covers foreshadowing the story of the paranormal and supernatural. There was no way I was missing out on reading Pretty Dark Nothing, with a cover like that and the writing on the tombstone.

Quinn is being terrorized in her dreams, but the terror keeps escalating and now she lives in fear during the daylight hours. She is afraid to sleep, afraid to close her eyes, afraid to be alone, afraid of the dark, dark shadows that were after her. How long could she go without sleep, popping caffeine pills and sucking on energy drinks.

Aaron had died, along with his mother and sister, but he had been brought back to life. He came back with a gift and a curse. His music saved him after the accident. His father struggled at the loss, barely making it through each day.

Quinn was drawn to the new guy, Aaron. He was so mysterious and private, that he created interest for that very reason. He felt the connection too. Was it telepathy? Was it more than that?

Jeff is her ex boyfriend, even though it takes all her effort to stay away from him. He is now dating a snotty cheerleader and I think he is getting his due.

Marcus is Aaron’s best friend and has his eyes on Reese, Quinn’s best friend. He is a fun loving, big hearted, happy go lucky kind of guy. These two stick with Aaron and Quinn through thick and thin, half the time not even understanding what is going on. They are the yin and yang of friendships.

The love triangle in Young Adult is a common theme. As long as the story is written well and the relationships seem real enough, I can live with that. Teenagers can be dramatic and confused by such powerful emotions, but they are not alone. Love is love, no matter what age and being dumped is a personal rejection. I wanted her over the jock and moving on.

The novel is told from both Quinn and Aaron’s perspective. This caused the book to be drawn out and drag in parts, but it surprised me how quickly I became invested in Quinn, then Quinn and Aaron. Two damaged and lonely people drawn together. Heather kept the suspense and anticipation alive, even though I did not feel a sense of urgency. I was still very curious about why Quinn and Aaron seem to be so important – to who?

When Heather L Reid mentions Carl Sagan and Cosmos, I thought we had another connection.

Book II is available, so no waiting is necessary and I didn’t. I jumped right in to Pretty Dark Sacrifice.

I received Pretty Dark Nothing from Heather L Reid in return for an honest and unbiased review.

3 Stars

ENTER HERE FOR THE GIVEAWAY AND MY REVIEW OF PRETTY DARK SACRIFICE

SYNOPSIS

It’s been twenty three days since Quinn has slept for more than minutes at a time. Demons have invaded her dreams, stalking her, and whispering of her death. The lack of sleep and crippling fear are ruining her life. Energy drinks and caffeine pills don’t make a dent. When Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. The demons are determined to keep them apart, and Aaron from discovering the secret locked away in his memory. Together, they could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.

ENTER HERE FOR THE GIVEAWAY AND MY REVIEW OF PRETTY DARK SACRIFICE

ABOUT HEATHER L. REID

Heather L. Reid is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and writing new tales of fantasy and horror.

ENTER HERE FOR THE GIVEAWAY AND MY REVIEW OF PRETTY DARK SACRIFICE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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Can A Ghost Love – Giveaway & Guest Post – A Thin Slice of Heaven by p m terrell

Posted on July 27, 2015 by fundinmental

VBT_TourBanner_AThinSliceOfHeaven

A Thin Slice of Heaven by p m terrell has so much going on, I couldn’t help but check it out. A mass haunting and a new love, even though he does not belong in the land of the living.

I love this cover. I see it as a digital painting and think is is very creatively done. I am a “cover girl” and I am so happy to have p m terrell here today to tell us about her covers.

GUEST POST

A BOOK AND ITS COVER

When asked to select my favorite cover from my nineteen released titles, I find myself wavering. I have several favorites and for different reasons.

The Pendulum Files is the most eye-catching cover, and it placed as a finalist in the Best Cover Design in 2014. For that reason, when all my books are displayed together, my eyes always gravitate toward that one. It shows a ship at sunset on the open seas, which factors into the plot of the book where ships are being destroyed at sea but no one is taking credit for the action, leaving the United States government to unravel the mystery. The pendulum is on the cover as well; CIA psychic spy Vicki Boyd continues to hear a pendulum and knows it will lead to the culprits.

The White Devil of Dublin has a white background, which is unusual in today’s market. It depicts the image of a man’s eyes, brows and nose, which is meant to represent the albino Viking invader of Dublin, Hvitr Bard, or The White Devil. The image is taken from an actual photograph of Hunter Dorton, the son of John Dorton, a renowned international photographer (www.johndortonphotography.com). John took the photograph of his son himself.

I have sometimes had input in the cover design but sometimes I will see the cover after the book is in production. My least favorite cover is a pink one. It was released eight years ago at a time when I truly disliked the color pink—I think it had more to do with my efforts to be taken seriously as a suspense novelist than with the color itself—and I was horrified when I saw the cover. Unfortunately, I had no decision-making influence.

Other covers have depicted places where the book is set: Vicki’s Key shows a haunted house in which CIA psychic spy Vicki Boyd moves; Dylan’s Song shows a cemetery based on an actual photograph taken in Ireland—the cemetery is central to the unraveling of Dylan’s story; and my latest, A Thin Slice of Heaven, shows the castle in which Charleigh is stranded for the weekend due to an unusual snowstorm. Her room is in the turret and the castle begins to come alive with ghostly hauntings and secrets from centuries past.

Add me to Goodreads now.

A Thin Slice of Heaven by p.m.terrell

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BLURB

She had arranged to meet her husband in Northern Ireland for a second honeymoon, but when Charleigh arrives at the remote castle, she receives a message that he won’t be coming—and that he’s leaving her for another woman.

Stranded for the weekend by a snowstorm that has blocked all access to the castle, she finds herself three thousand miles from home in a country she knows nothing about.

She is soon joined by Sean Bracken, the great-grandson of Laird Bracken, the original owner of the castle, and she finds herself falling quickly and madly in love with him. There’s just one problem: he’s dead.

As the castle begins to come alive with secrets from centuries past, she finds herself trapped between parallel worlds. Caught up in a mass haunting, she can no longer recognize the line between the living and the dead. Now she’s discovering that her appearance there wasn’t by accident—and her life is about to change forever.

EXCERPT

He moved closer to her until he was leaning over her, looking deeply into her eyes. She felt his presence more than she recalled feeling any living being, and yet she knew… She didn’t know what she knew, she realized. It was beyond her comprehension.

Her eyes traveled along his shirt. It appeared custom made and fit him like a glove. She reached out to stroke the fabric. It felt coarse and yet soft, as if the fibers had originally been more abrasive than modern-day clothing, but it had been worn into a suppleness like her favorite pair of slippers. Her fingers traveled along the sleeve. She felt his muscle beneath it, rippling slightly as her fingertips pressed more deeply against him. The seconds passed as she continued moving along his arm until she felt the short, fine hair on the back of his hand. Then she traveled upward once more, memorizing the contours until her palm rested across his shoulder.

He never said a word but his eyes didn’t leave hers, even when her own scrutinized the hand-sewn seam of his shirt sleeve that lay a few inches below his shoulder, or the folds of fabric in the sleeve that was just short of billowing, or the carefully constructed cuff with the slightly misshapen, handmade buttons.

When her palm reached his face and her fingers followed the line of his jaw, she asked hesitantly, “How is it that I can—?” She stopped herself. Maybe she didn’t want to know. Maybe if she knew, he would disappear and she would be left alone in this massive castle. Perhaps if he wasn’t here, the moon and the stars would seem to disintegrate as well until she was left with nothing but the inky blackness of a night that would feel too long and too painful to endure.

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ABOUT p m terrell

AuthorPhoto_AThinSliceOfHeaven p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, a multi-award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than twenty books in five genres: contemporary suspense, historical suspense, romance, computer how-to and non-fiction.

Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence, themes that have carried forward to her suspense.

She is also the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She is the organizer and chairperson of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual event held in the real town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime. For more information on this event and the literacy campaigns funded by it, visit www.bookemnc.org.

Website / Twitter / Blog / Facebook

Buy links: Amazon / B&N / Smashwords

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GIVEAWAY

p.m.terrell will be awarding a Celtic Butterfly Suncatcher similar to the one mentioned in the book, symbolizing both the never-ending cycle of life and the metamorphosis of a butterfly to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER HERE

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found 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.

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

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Madison’s Song by Christine Amsden

Posted on July 15, 2015 by fundinmental

SBB_TourBanner_MadisonsSong copy

Welcome to my stop for Madison’s Song by Christine Amsden.

I love the cover and all the subtle clues about the story.

Add me to Goodreads now.

BLURB

Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…

Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s nightmares are not.

Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.

Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished. Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And she’s not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott’s are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.

*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series.

Buy Links: Amazon I B&N

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EXCERPT

“Silence,” David commanded.

Her throat continued to work, but no sound emerged. She felt like a fish being gutted, choking and spluttering as David returned to the work of cutting into the soft, sensitive flesh of her belly. Yet even as tears refilled her eyes and fear devoured her heart, some part of her recognized that her guts remained intact. Whatever David was doing to her with the dagger involved tracing shallow patterns across the surface of her skin.

Fight the pain. Take deep breaths. Ground and center. She was not in the empty living room of a house she had not quite moved into yet, she was at church, singing in the choir. Above her, Jesus hung from a cross, a crown of thorns atop his head, a soft glow surrounding him. She usually found the magic within that glow. She reached for it…

“Stop that!” David slapped her hard across the face.

Once again her eyes flew open. She saw the dagger dripping with blood – her blood. Had her feeble grab for magic actually made a difference? David seemed to have noticed something, but what?

“You’re just making this harder on yourself,” David said.

“What do you want?” Madison tried to ask. Her mouth moved, her lips forming the question, but no sound emerged.

She didn’t think he would answer; he couldn’t even have heard the question, but to her surprise he only hesitated a moment before saying, “Your soul.”

ABOUT CHRISTINE AMSDEN

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Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that affects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Website I Newsletter I Blog I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads I Google+ I

Amazon Author Page I BN Author Page

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GIVEAWAY

Christine Amsden is awarding a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter a $10 Amazon/BN gift card.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow the tour and comment, the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Follow the tour 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.

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

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – The Violet Crow by Michael Sheldon

Posted on July 6, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for Violet Crow by Michael Sheldon.

MBB_TourBanner_TheVioletCrow copy

I love the wicked cover and the premise of the book.

The paranormal and a mystery, sounds like a winner.

Add to Goodreads now.

THE VIOLET CROW by Michael Sheldon

BLURB

How do you solve the ultimate mystery, where the murder victim has no identity and there’s no physical evidence? You go psychic—deep psychic—and hire Bruno X. Sure, you’re going to have to put up with some Yiddish trash talk and recycled borsht belt shtick. But he’s the only one who can who can stop the crime spree in the ordinarily placid Quaker community of Gardenfield, New Jersey.

Follow Bruno X in Michael Sheldon’s fictional debut, THE VIOLET CROW as he fends off rabid journalists and feckless politicians; untangles webs of deceit in Professor Littlejohn’s Deviant Behavior 101 class; reveals why the Quakers are still fighting over decades-old military medical experiments; and finally, uncovers the secrets of the biotechnology firm whose symbol is The Violet Crow.

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EXCERPT

Introducing Gardenfield and Chief Buddy Black

The borough of Gardenfield is home to some 35,000 peaceful souls nestled in the friendly confines marked by Tiny’s Package Store to the north, the J. Kilmer Pub to the east, Lillian’s Tavern to the south, and the Tiki Lounge to the west. A Philadelphia suburb, it is a prosperous community with colonial roots and a variety of pretensions, including a prohibition on the sale of alcoholic beverages within Gardenfield proper. In fact, thirsty Gardenfielders simply have to drive past the town limits on any of the major roads, in order to enjoy a beer or a cocktail.

Buddy Black was not a drinking man by habit. Nor was he averse to dropping by a tavern from time to time, to see what the locals were up to and let off some steam after work. Tonight he made a beeline for Lillian’s. It had been a while. Lillian greeted him at the door. Rail thin and dyed blond, she appeared to be in her 60s and to subsist on nothing but whisky, cigarettes, and conversation. She welcomed Buddy with a hug. “Hi, hon. Nice to see you again. She’s expecting you.”

“How could she be expecting me? I only decided to come here 10 minutes ago.”

“We read the papers, too, y’know.”

“I’m that predictable…?” The Chief freed himself from Lil’s embrace and headed for the bar. “Daisy, did you really know I’d come here tonight?”

The woman behind the bar was dressed in tight jeans and a low-cut flower-print top. She was busy polishing a wine glass, and didn’t look up until she’d finished her task. Then she flashed a smile that was warmer than Lil’s rather spectral hug. “Buddy! I haven’t seen you since—what?—Bay of Pigs. It’s about time you came to see me.” Without asking she opened a bottle of Rolling Rock and set it down in front of the Chief.

ABOUT MICHAEL SHELDON

MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_TheVioletCrow Michael was born in Philadelphia and grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey. His father was a dentist, which accounts for his sense of humor. His mother, a Jewish mother without peer, instilled in him the idea that the world doesn’t owe you a living—and a love of raw oysters and dry martinis. His training in the craft of storytelling came from reading the masters beginning with Chaucer and Rabelais, through Sterne, to MacDonald and Westlake

Website / Liberty Island Mag / Amazon / Twitter

BUY LINKS: Amazon / B&N

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GIVEAWAY

Michael Sheldon will award a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter a $10 Amazon/BN gift card.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER HERE

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/06/book-blast-violet-crow-by-michael.html

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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’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental

To Be Or Not To Be: Scales by Pauline Creeden

Posted on June 18, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for Scales by Pauline Creeden.

I am so excited to share this mer Novella.

I am loving the awesome cover, but I have so much more to share with you. Be sure and read my review and the excerpt we are sharing today.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Cover: Quirky Bird

MY REVIEW

Scales by Pauline Creeden is a mermaid novella and does not stand alone.

I love anything to do with mer people and when I see a book, I will grab it pronto. The cover is beautiful and the title catchy, makes me think I will enjoy Pauline’s writing.

The Reckoning has come for Verona. Will she choose the land or the sea?

I wonder…do mers go to school? Do they learn to read and write? Do they quote Shakespeare?

Pauline’s vivid and detailed description of Verona changing from breathing water to breathing air had me hanging on her every word.

I feel Verona’s sense of accomplishment when she catches her first fish. She has worked hard to learn something I had thought would come easily to her. Pauline does a great job of showing us her growth and development as she struggles to survive.

Verona has made friends with the horses of Chincoteague. When the annual roundup occurrs, she feels like she is losing her furry friends. At least they will be together, she thinks, but she is so alone. I have read about the horses and find it fascinating.

I do not see a lot of mer books, so I am always on the lookout for an original approach to the subject. Pauline’s writing kept my interest throughout the novella.

The novella ends abruptly and I was pissed. LOL Now I have to wait to find out what happens next, but I will be waiting.

I received Scales by Pauline Creeden in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

BLURB

Verona is a bottom feeder. She is the one mer in her clan who is considered the ugliest and least intelligent. Growing up with the constant bullying and abuse wasn’t the worst of what her kind had in store for her. At seventeen years old, she must now endure “The Reckoning.”

The scales will measure her worth to her clan. Will she endure thirty days as a land-walker to gather information and knowledge to appease her clan and return a valued member? Will she wait three years, until she is twenty, and find a mer of her kind to accept her and marry her? Or will she suffer exile for the rest of her life?

Genre: YA

Buy on Amazon Available May 26th

ABOUT PAULINE CREEDEN

Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Follow Pauline Creeden: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter

Follow the Tour

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

Giveaway & Guest Post for Bound by Spells by Stormy Smith

Posted on June 13, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for Bound By Spells by Stormy Smith.

BoundBySpellsBlitzBanner1

I am happy to be able have Stormy Smith here today, sharing her thought on Bound by Spells. Welcome, Stormy.

GUEST POST

We caught up with the author, Stormy Smith, and asked her to give us five non-spoiler facts we should know about Bound by Spells, and here is what she had to say.

Bound by Spells, in Five Words – List five words that describe Bound by Spells the best, and tell us why.

Action – Bound by Spells drops you right into the story and basically doesn’t quit. You’ll follow Amelia and Aidan separately, but meet a lot of new faces and never stop learning along the way.

Growth – Both Amelia and Aidan are young, just eighteen and nineteen. They are still figuring out who they are and what they are capable of. As the story progresses, you’re going to see some significant change out of both of them.

Connections – As a reader walking along with Amelia and Aidan, you’ll make a lot of connections between what you learned in Bound by Duty and what the realities of their situations truly are. You’ll also find the ties between some of our central secondary characters.

Friendship – If you were hoping to see Bethany again, of course I brought her back! But, there are also a lot of new friends introduced, and the whole story is impacted by friendships that were forged (or broken) years ago.

Love – Because at the heart of every good story and complicated ending is love. Sometimes it is between hearts, and sometimes it is the bond between people who are simply tied together by the will of another. But love changes everything.

If you want to check out this awesome series, which has 190 combined 5-star reviews on Amazon, we’ve got everything you need below.

Add to Goodreads now.

Bound by Spells by Stormy Smith
(Bound #2)
Publication date: March 19th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

SYNOPSIS

Aidan Montgomery hadn’t been prepared for Amelia Bradbury to walk in and then out of his life. He also hadn’t expected to find the powerful magic hidden deep within him for the last nineteen years, but he’s embracing it — finding more control and more answers every day. Now, with the help of Amelia’s best friend, Bethany, Aidan is on a quest to understand his destiny and find Amelia.

Amelia decided to stand by her duty, which meant walking away from her first chance at love. Trapped in Cresthaven at the Queen’s mercy, she spends her days with Micah — an ally she still holds at arm’s length — struggling to manage her heartbreak while keeping her mind focused on the task at hand. As she continues to unlock the secrets of the Keeper power, Queen Julia’s true motives reveal themselves, forcing Amelia to decide, yet again, how much she’s willing to sacrifice.

Will Aidan get to Amelia before it’s too late, or will the very power that sustains them keep them apart?

Purchase: (Book 1 will be only 0.99c during the blitz!) Amazon / B&N

Add to Goodreads now.

SYNOPSIS

Amelia grew up in a world of half-truths. She knows she’s an Elder but has no idea what that means. Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control but he refuses to explain why. Even worse, she’s betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and she doesn’t even know his name.

Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky Southern girl and to fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is and not what she’ll be.

As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The question is, will her head or her heart win the battle?

ABOUT STORMY SMITH

Stormy Smith calls Iowa’s capital home now, but was raised in a tiny town in the Southeast corner of the state. She grew to love books honestly, having a mom that read voraciously and instilled that same love in her. She knew quickly that stories of fantasy were her favorite, and even as an adult gravitates toward paranormal stories in any form.

Writing a book had never been an aspiration, but suddenly the story was there and couldn’t be stopped. When she isn’t working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy’s favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.

If you want to stay tuned in to all of the new release news, sign up for Stormy’s spam-free newsletter. It only comes out when something exciting is happening…promise! http://eepurl.com/WLlq1

Get more information on her website – www.stormysmith.com.

Author links: Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

$40 Amazon Gift Card

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.

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

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Water or Land ~ Of Ocean and Ash by @ADraeger

Posted on June 10, 2015 by fundinmental

Of Ocean and Ash

by A.R. Draeger

Series: Falling In Deep, #3

Genre: Paranormal RomanceCover Designer: Quirky-Bird

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Of Ocean…

Cast into the sea at birth, human-born Ia found her adoptive family among the merfolk. While her underwater upbringing was peaceful, Ia’s blood-heritage and the strict societal rules of the merpeople lead her to wonder of the world above the waves.

And Ash…

When a storm lands Ia ashore, she discovers her body has transformed into the human she would have been. Taken in as property by a callous plantation owner, Ia works alongside the slaves until she can make her way back to the water. There is nothing Ia wants more than to go home, that is, until she meets a handsome, troubled man named Matthias, who has a touch that can be as kind as his tongue is harsh.

Torn between two very different lives, Ia must choose – stay in his world and risk her life for a love untested, or return to the familiar arms of the underwater world that raised her and risk losing what may be the greatest love she will ever know.

Will Ia’s choice lead to happiness or her destruction?

Summer was waning when I was born, marked by the heat leaving the waters and the nights growing longer. My family wanted to migrate with the rest of their people, but they waited for me in the stillness of the waves, keeping an ever-watchful eye.

Mother heard the wails of the fisherman’s wife the night the woman discovered she carried me in her womb. The fisherman and his wife lived next to the water in a small, dilapidated shack made of rotten wood and leaky thatch. They had six children before me, although Mother knew not in what mixture their genders numbered. All but two were taken away at birth. The couple had too many as it were for a meager fisherman and his wife, and I was yet another mouth to feed.

The fisherman’s cries of mercy woke my family the night I was born. My arrival was sooner than expected, his wife not having carried me nine months in her womb. I was tiny, frail. My left leg was misshapen, my head oblong.

Mother watched him from beneath the surface, saw his tanned sailor’s skin, ebony and white streaked hair, and grey-whiskered face. He looked down at me, the fragile bundle cradled in his arms, and cried out through parched lips and crooked, black teeth:

“Forgive me, O God! Have mercy on her. I leave her to your care.”

He dropped me in the water with a small plop.

My sister, Liliana, caught me before I plunged too far into the depths. My family crowded around me, anxious and excited. My uncles debated eating me, seeing my size and stature, convinced I would not survive. Mother waved them off and took me from my sister’s arms, cradling me as my still-human lips turned blue.

It was an enormous challenge for a human to come into the fold. Not many of us were capable of such a change, but Mother knew my lineage had been on and in the water. She had watched my father and his father before him.

She lowered her lips to my nose and mouth, and she breathed into me the life of the sea dwellers, the merfolk. I sputtered a bit, and my body shivered, unsure of the transformation. Mother held me tight, sang me lullabies of the whales, and when all my family had lost hope that I’d survive, I woke.

My scream was shrill, she said. Loud, piercing. She was proud, surprised at the pushing force of the water I had generated. She knew I would be a good Caller.

With that, they gathered to me – my mother, sister, uncles, aunts, and cousins – and in a ritual almost lost in the passage of time, sang as my mother fed me two drops of her blood.

My legs lengthened and molded together, as her nourishment pulsed through my body, changing me inch by inch. Where my feet had once been, two fins took shape, overlaid with iridescent blue scales.

The process was beautiful, my family told me, rare, and yet there I was, the adopted, healthy and changing. Born human, and through the grace and love of the one I would know as Mother, turned into a creature of the deep, a daughter of the ocean, a mermaid.

A.R. (Amber) Draeger resides in rural Texas with her husband, Josh, and son, Logan. When not writing or reading, she is watching reality TV shows or tromping through the nearby woods.

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of three great prizes Amber is offering:

* A beautiful shell necklace and matching earrings (see picture)

* $10 Amazon Gift Card

* $25 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Review ~ Ghost of Death by Chrys Fey

Posted on May 21, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome and I hope you are having a wonderful day!

I am so happy to be able to share my review of this fantastic story by Chrys Fey.

Are you a ghost lover? Well, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Add to Goodreads

Title: Ghost of Death

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Supernatural/Suspense

Format: eBook Only

Page Count: 41 (short story)

Cover: Debbie Taylor

MY REVIEW

I love the etheral cover for Ghost of Death by Chrys Fey. The ghostly effect made me eager to read this wonderful and sometimes humorous novella about a murdered woman, who is now a ghost, and the investigation into her death.

Jolie figured, if she had to be a ghost, she would be the best ghost she could be.

She could walk through walls, but not tweet. I thought that was very funny and the writing set the tone for the rest of the story.

Jolie doesn’t know how she died, but she watched as the police examined her crime scene. She had been going to college to be a journalist and noted everything in detail. Imagine watching the police document the scene, taking your body to the coroner’s office, watching the care and the feelings the workers put into their work.

Imagine watching as your family identify your remains, wanting to reach out to them in their time of need, feeling their anguish and wanting to alleviate their pain.

Jolie was watching the officer in charge of her case, Avrianna, pacing in her office. She shouted out in anger at her. Avrianna whipped around and shouted, “You know what? You need to stop shouting in my ear…” I busted out laughing. Didn’t see that coming at all.

Avrianna is Jolie’s Ghost Whisperer. I loved that Chrys mentioned the TV show, Ghost Whisperer, with Jennifer Love-Hewitt. I used to watch the show every week and have been watching some reruns on ION TV.

Jolie would find out first hand why earthbound spirits stay.

This novella had it all for me: mystery, ghosts, a great storyline and characters that I loved. The humor sprinkled throughout the story helped to make up for the times when I wanted to cry for those left behind.

I would highly recommend reading this fun story of Jolie and the detective that is determined to solve her case, if a murder mystery can be fun. 😈

The author supplied me with a copy of Ghost of Death in return for an honest review. I can hardly wait to begin reading Witch of Death.

5 Stars

GUEST POST

Welcome to fundinmental, Chrys.

I am so happy to have you here to share some of your thoughts with us.

I love chapter titles as a reader and a writer. I think chapter titles are a special dose of creativity that writers add to their books for readers to enjoy, whether readers look at those titles of not. For Ghost of Death, my seven-chapter short story, I created chapter titles for a bit of humor. My publisher doesn’t use chapter titles for shorter works though, so they were stripped from my story during the galley phases. I wanted to share those titles with you now.

Chapter One – I Can’t Be Dead

Chapter Two – Ghost of Death

Chapter Three – Tea for One

Chapter Four – The League of the Dead

Chapter Five – What Happened

Chapter Six – Evidence

Chapter Seven – Pesky College Ghost

QUESTION: What do you think of my deleted chapter titles?

Thank you for having my on your blog, Sherry. You rock!

You are most welcome, Chrys. It is definitely my pleasure and I look forward to doing it again!

SYNOPSIS

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can…by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.

BOOK LINKS

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

Add to Goodreads

Also available: WITCH OF DEATH

SYNOPSIS

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

BOOK LINKS

Amazon US / Amazon UK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!

Author Links:

Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads

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

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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Thank you for visiting fundinmental!

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz – The Reaper’s Rite Series by Dorothy Dreyer with Giveaway #T4T

Posted on May 16, 2015 by fundinmental

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

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

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

The Reaper’s Rite series by Dorothy Dreyer!

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

Sixteen-year-old Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.

When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“I felt that the author did a great job with her character developement. She was very vivid in her details and I felt like they were people I would meet on the street.” – Michelle, Goodreads Reviewer

“My Sister’s Reaper was a great paranormal, YA novel. Dreyer did an awesome job at creating Zadie’s linage and having it make complete sense.” – Tyler, Jolley Chronicles

“Okay, reapers, zombies, and death? Yeah, I was definitely reading this one.” – Kelly Hashway, Author

Months have passed since Zadie faced her sister’s Reaper, during which time she’s been under her mentor’s magical protection. But now that she’s turning 17, that protection is about to run out. When dark forces lure Zadie to wander at night, she’s manipulated into committing unspeakable acts. With her friends and family at risk, Zadie must try to use her powers to break free from the Reaper’s grasp, or surrender to the Reaper’s Rite, which can only lead to death.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“The series is magnificent and should be on the best sellers list!!” – Holly, Author

“Dorothy Dreyer continues the fast-paced, heart pounding journey she started in My Sister’s Reaper, delivering a YA paranormal romance filled with believable characters battling unbelievable odds.” – Katie, Author

“Ms. Dreyer has upped the ante in terms of characterization, suspense, some down-right spooky scenes, and a playful sense of humor, particularly in the dialogue between her teen protagonists.” – Stuart, Author

About-the-Author
Dorothy Dreyer

Dorothy Dreyer has always believed in magic. Born in Angeles City, Philippines, to a Filipino mother and American Father, Dorothy grew up a military brat, living in Massachusetts, South Dakota, Guam, New Jersey, and New York. She now lives in Frankfurt, Germany, with her husband, two teens, and two Siberian huskies. Dorothy not only writes books with some element of magic in them, but has a fondness for reading those kinds of books as well. She also enjoys movies, chocolate, take-out, and spending time with family and friends. She’s known to make a pretty sweet cupcake when she has the time. She also tends to sing sometimes, so keep her away from your Karaoke bars.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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’.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway & Review ~ The Christmas Dragon/Strings by Ruthanne Reid

Posted on May 6, 2015 by fundinmental

fundinmental would like to welcome Ruthanne and The Christmas Dragon and Strings.

I am a dragon lover, so this was a must have for me.

What is your favorite shifter?

MY REVIEW

The box jumped. Between the cover and the first sentence, I knew this is a story I wanted to read. The writing was humorous from the opening line and I started laughing when I read about the rusty wand. Magic and a snow white dragon, what’s not to love?

This is a short story that left me wanting to know more.

Katie had left her family because she wanted a normal life, without magic. She is Merlin’s niece. She wondered who could have left the dragon on her doorstep – she can’t keep it and doesn’t want it. It’s cute, but she was getting rid of it. She can bring it by my house, at least that was my first thought, until I found out it had been stolen and whoever had it would be in serious trouble.

A wonderfully cute, light read that goes on to tell us how and why she has the snow white dragon, whose name is Starling. What other color would a Christmas dragon be?

Grey, a Fey, was unwilling to help her, but we will learn more about him in Strings.

A wizard, a Lin, an Unseelie, a baby dragon, vampires, elves, magic…I can hardly wait to learn more.

4 Stars

BLURB

*The Christmas Dragon*

All Katie Lin wants is to get away from her family: from the magic, from the mayhem, and from the never-ending war.

Unfortunately, someone has other ideas, and sends her a box. A box that jumps.

The tiny fire hazard inside may just force her back to Wales – and right into the path of a dragon war, the Crow King, and at least one reluctant elf prince. Sometimes, running away just doesn’t work as planned.

EXCERPT

*I chose this excerpt because of the first sentence. A smile jumped onto my face.*

The Christmas Dragon

The box jumped.

Boxes are not supposed to jump. It’s a law somewhere, I think. Maybe Guyana. Apparently not in New Hampshire, because the box kept jumping.

I sat in my idling car, puffs of exhaust rising in my rear-view mirror, and stared at the uncoordinated box-dance. It was wrapped in the loveliest paper, too, which was a shame, because bouncing on my boot-scraper had roughened all the corners and torn one edge. The bow was big and purple and covered in small green somethings. I wasn’t close enough to make them out.

I didn’t want to be close enough to make them out.

If I didn’t do something soon, the neighbors would notice. The box probably hadn’t been jumping all morning, or there’d be a crowd. Or maybe it was already on YouTube. I didn’t know.

So much for a safe, boring life among the Ever-Dying. New Hampshire, you have failed me.

I turned off the car. Time to go see what invaded my (mostly) magic-free space.

MY REVIEW

This is Grey’s story.

The Seelie feel they are the ones meant to rule everyone, including the humans.

Music is his magic. He is a prince, but left home to weave a magical spell of music around the humans and share the love.

Now he is called on to save them from the Slivers. He is determined to save the humans, no matter the consequences. But, who can he trust? He lives in a magical world where your enemy could be your friend and savior.

Among the Mythos, science fantasy and twenty thousand years of Earth’s history, Grey is an unwilling hero, but a hero just the same.

My only complaint is the story goes on and for how long, I do not know.

3 Stars

BLURB

*Strings*

Need help? You probably shouldn’t ask Grey.

A runaway Unseelie prince, Grey feeds on love – a commodity he conjures via music and magic in late-night Manhattan. It’s a sweet gig, if lonely, and Grey is almost sure the dire warnings he was given about New York in December won’t come true.

Then a monster from his childhood attacks in the middle of the night, and everything changes.

He survived, but he’s marked, and more monsters are coming for him and everyone who survived. Grey has no plans to be a hero but fate doesn’t care what he wants. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you aren’t the one pulling the strings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Indie author Ruthanne Reid writes about elves, aliens, vampires, and space-travel with equal abandon. She is the author of the series Among the Mythos, and believes good stories should be shared. Subscribe to her free email newsletter for free books and more at http://amongthemythos.com. You can connect with her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ruthannereid), Facebook (http://facebook.com/mythos), or Tumblr (http://ruthannereid.tumblr.com), where she looks at too many kittens and Avengers blogs.

Ruthanne’s love of magic, urban environments, and deep space birthed a strange world with undercurrents of faith, magic, villainy, and heroism (along with swords and lasers, on occasion). Among the Mythos showcases aliens with all-too-human feelings, entire societies on the decline due to greed and fear, protagonists who might actually be the bad guys (or vice-versa), and endings every bit as messy as the world that creates them.

Ruthanne knows from experience that endings are messy. No matter how exotic the setting, how many limbs the characters have or what (if any) genders, the problems and questions addressed by a good story are very real, and that’s why they have power. If she has a theme, it is this: keep fighting, and keep pushing toward hope, because the struggle is worth the finish-line.

Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Buy Links for The Christmas Dragon

Kindle / Nook / Kobo / Google / Play / iTunes / Scribd / Oyster / Flipkart / Txtr / Smashwords

Paperback / IndieBound / Bookfinder / Powell’s

Buy Links for Strings

Kindle / Nook / Kobo / Google Play / iTunes / Scribd / Oyster / Flipkart / Txtr / Smashwords

Paperback / IndieBound / Bookfinder / Powell’s