Am I Alive? Bleedovers by William Todd Rose

Posted on September 12, 2015 by fundinmental

Bleedovers by William Todd Rose is a Dystopian novella that rivals Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

Cover by TK

MY REVIEW

Bleedovers by William Todd Rose is a dark fiction novella that will keep you awake at night, wondering, could it happen to you.

The title didn’t make much sense to me until I started to read. Then it became clear.

OMG! The elaborate details of William Todd Rose’s world building are amazing. I am thoroughly creeped out. I sure couldn’t figure out WTF was going on. I raced through the pages, sometimes forgetting to breathe.

Chuck is a Level I Recon & Enforcement Technician – Whisk. He works in a covert, underground facility. He loves puzzles, math equations and the process of finding solutions. Chuck was investigating an unnatural death. Would it take him too?

Meditation frees the mind from the body and sometimes someone gets stuck in a Crossfade. Imagine the horror of not knowing whether you are dead or alive.

The paranormal leads to science fiction horror. The experiments invade your privacy, they know all your thoughts. I cannot imagine what it would be like to feel someone crawling through my mind, ferreting out all my secrets.

There are ghosts who refuse to move on. They have unfinished business. They delight in terrorizing. Why did the ghost scare him more than Crossfades? Being haunted and tortured by a serial killer seeking revenge and you can do nothing about it.

The details take me into his head and I feel his paralyzing terror, his inability to move to save himself, as the hatred washes over him. The ghost can cause physical damage, maybe even kill. It is all powerful. It not only enters your sleep, but your reality, making you see things. How would you fight something you cannot touch?

What is real, what is illusion?

Poltergeist is a fairy tale compared to Bleedovers by William Todd Rose.

Bleedovers is a dark, and I mean dark, speculative fiction novella that kept me enthralled beginning to end. Oh, about the ending, I didn’t see it coming and I was let down. It had to happen that way, but I didn’t want it to. That makes it all the better. We can’t always get what we want.

I received a copy of Bleedovers by William Todd Rose in return for an honest and unbiased review.

4 Stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

William Todd Rose writes dark, speculative fiction from his home in West Virginia. His short stories have been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines, and his work includes the novels Cry Havoc, The Dead & Dying, and The Seven Habits, and the novellas Apocalyptic Organ Grinder and Crossfades. For more information on the author, including links to bonus content, please visit him online at www.williamtoddrose.com

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

Posted on September 2, 2015 by fundinmental

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

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

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

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

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

Cover: Greg Simanson

MY REVIEW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

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

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

Buy on Amazon

Author Interview

What has inspired you to become a writer?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you plan on writing any other genres?

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

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

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

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

Getting to Know the Author as a Person

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

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

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

What relaxes you when you need to unwind?

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

What are your favorite foods?

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

Have you ever had any paranormal experiences?

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

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

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

About Jason McIntyre

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

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

Amazon Author Page

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Giveaway & Excerpt for The 52nd by Dela

Posted on August 31, 2015 by fundinmental

The52ndBlitzBanner

Just looking at the creepy cover, I knew I had to share.

What does it say to you?

Add me to Goodreads now.

_________

Book & Author Details:

The 52nd by Dela
Publication date: October 27th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

Not one of the sacrifices chosen over the long history had survived–until now.

On the tip of the Yucatan peninsula, the immortal Castillo family gathers in Tulum. Weary and haunted, they receive the names of fifty-two human sacrifices chosen once every fifty-two years for the Underworld, a tradition thought to have disappeared with the fall of the Aztec and Mayan empires.

Driving home one night, college freshman Zara Moss swerves to avoid hitting a ghastly figure in the road. Lucas Castillo witnesses the car crash, but when it comes time to supervise her abduction from the wreckage, he intervenes. Something is different about Zara: Lucas has been having dreams of her arrival for five hundred years.

As Lucas and Zara come together to put an end to the bloody sacrifices, they discover that the ancient tradition isn’t so easily broken. The gods are angry, and they have until the Winter Solstice to drag Zara to the Underworld.

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

EXCERPT

“LOOK OUT!” she screamed, pointing to the front window.

A black figure stood in the beam of our headlights. I slammed my foot on the brakes, but they locked and the car began to skid. The smell of burning rubber filled the car as we screeched across the asphalt. The man didn’t move, and as we neared him, I cranked the wheel to the right as fast as possible to avoid him. We screamed as the car spun out of control.

As we skidded closer to the unmoving figure, I thought he was done for. I expected him to bounce up onto the windshield and shatter the window into thousands of tiny pieces. But the briefest second before impact, my door rushing directly at him, I saw—

It was not a man.

—-

AUTHOR BIO

Dela is the debut author of THE 52ND saga, a multicultural paranormal for young adults. Before tracing the minds of Aztec gods, Dela worked as a paralegal and could be found snowboarding at Brianhead, Utah. She currently lives in Las Vegas with her husband, three kids, and two exceptionally fat Chihuahuas. Her website is www.delaauthor.com.

Author links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

One (1) ebook copy of The 52nd Open internationally.

Mystical Romance – Mortal Musings by Aria Glazki Giveaway & Review

Posted on August 26, 2015 by fundinmental

I love the cover for Mortal Musings by Aria Glazki. I like when the cover matches the story and I feel the designer, Coreen Mantagna did an excellent job.

Be sure and read to the end to enter the giveaway.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Mortal Musings by Aria Glazki
Publication Date: 25 August 2015roma
Genres: Paranormal, Romance

MY REVIEW

The lovely cover portrays the sweet, loving romance inside. Adult, yet sweet and naive. The sex is more about the romance than the physical act.

Mortal Musings is told from two perspectives, those of Brett, the writer and his muse, Andie.

Brett had writers block. Had his muse deserted him, if there was such a thing?

Silly humans. Didn’t they had understand that they had to come up with the ideas, then the muse can help develop them.

As he typed the words, she appeared. I love the storyline. It sounds like so much fun. She is now mortal, no longer faerie. What will become of her? Can she go back? She had bucked the system, but never planned to leave it.

The flavor of Mortal Musings reminded me of Splash, learning to do all the simple things of being human that we take for granted. Her first taste of human food, learning about financial means. She had to learn about clothes, instead of clouds, of showers instead of fae lakes, where her hair floated and dried in a flash.

The details and description of simple things seen in a different light. The sweet gesture of Brett zipping up her for she doesn’t know what a zipper is.

The Dream Weaver, Rizen, had he been sent to help her? Andie had cast a spell and Rizen told her to search for the loophole.

The slow sweet, innocent and tentative moves toward closeness is so romantic, captivating and sensual. I love the slow pace as their relationship develops, even though it has only been days. Nothing is rushed or hurried. After all, this isn’t insta love. They have know each other for a long time.

Brett is sweet and chivalrous.

Allie has an other-world aura, that the people around her seem to sense without realizing it.

I am so curious how this will end. I know what I want to happen.

I have not read a story like this before and I was swept away with her innocence and naivety.To watch her grow and develop in a human world was fun and sad at the same time.

What man wouldn’t want a woman who would rather be naked the clothed?

Mortal Musings brought to mind the movie, Splash, where even the simplest thing is new – how to plug a bathtub, take a shower, dry off with a towel. Her wet hair stuck against her back, instead of being instantly dry in the faerie world, clothes on, clothes off at a snap or quicker. Because of watching Splash, Mortal Musings was easy to follow and picture the scenes when she is learning something new and I loved that.

It is so hard to describe the details without spoiling it for you and I want you to have the enjoyment of discovering it for yourself.

I received an ARC of Mortal Musings by Aria Glazki in return for an honest and unbiased review.

4 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon CAN • Smashwords • Barnes & Noble • Book Depository

Muse Alexandra has had it with the arrogant, ungrateful humans she is obligated to inspire. When the internal ranting of her latest charge pushes her past reason, she disregards the rules and forces her own words through his fingers, and is instantly entrapped in mortal form. With no magic, no identity, and no resources, Allie has no alternative but to navigate the mortal realm, depending entirely on her reluctant host while discerning what exactly caused her transformation — and how to reverse it.

Brett doesn’t have a chance to consider the words that mysteriously showed up on his screen; he’s too distracted by the stunning woman who appeared in his office out of nowhere. Before his brain can catch up, Brett’s uninvited guest becomes enmeshed in his everyday life. Her artless innocence gradually lessens his suspicions. Most importantly, the writer’s block that’s been plaguing him dissolves under the fantasies the naively beguiling Alexandra inspires.

All too soon, the forced proximity sparks a confounding awareness neither writer nor muse are able to resist.

ABOUT ARIA GLAZKI

Aria’s writing story started when her seventh-grade English teacher encouraged her to submit a class assignment for publication. That piece was printed, and let’s just say, she was hooked!

Since then, Aria has run a literary magazine, earned her degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian literatures), and been published in a few collections. Though her first kiss technically came from a bear cub, and no fairytale transformation followed, Aria still believes magic can happen when the right people come together – if they don’t get in their own way, that is.

Other than all things literary, Aria loves spending time with her family, including her two unbearably adorable nieces. She also dabbles in painting, dancing, playing violin, and, given the opportunity, Epicureanism.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Can you hear…the Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart

Posted on August 10, 2015 by fundinmental

Roane Publishing is giving away THREE eARCs of Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart!

Call of the Sea

By Rebecca Hart
Release Date: September 21, 2015

Publisher: Roane Publishing
Keywords: Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifter, Selkie, Pirates, Irish Lore, 17th Century Romance, Sea Stories

Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth.

Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O’Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren’s Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter.

Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other in order to quell the raging storm between them, and have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer.

~~~oOo~~~

Roane Publishing is giving away THREE ARC copies to three lucky winners!

You don’t even have to be a blogger.

If you are willing to leave an honest review before September 25th, you are eligible to enter.

How? Simply fill out the form!

You have until Midnight of August 15th when three winners will be chosen by random drawing.

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Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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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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Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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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

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

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.

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

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

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

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.