She Won’t Stop Til She Finds Her Bestie – Shade by Marilyn Peake @marilynpeake

Shade by Marilyn Peake is more than just a supernatural/paranormal mystery.

It is a look inside a trouble teenager’s life and how she more than rises to the challenge.

Shade (The Shade Series #1)

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Shade is a YA Paranormal mystery that includes some difficult subject matter, such as cutting and alcohol and drug abuse. More than anything it is the journey of Galactic Shade Griffin as she struggles with life and the danger and difficulties that cross her path.

A drug addict, a ghost, faeries, a troubled teen girl, her missing friend, a messed up mom, an amulet…will Shade be the hero she created in her graphic novel?

Shade has pretty much raised herself and hasn’t done too bad of a job, considering…no father and a mother who drank and drugged herself into oblivion.

Her mother moved them again, and things changed for Shade. She met Brandon Yates, a ghost that haunted their new home. When her best friend turns up missing, they band together to figure out the mystery.

More girls go missing…

I love how Shade struggles and grows to develop. I knew a girl who cut herself and I cannot stress how upset and sad I was for her. I could not understand how hurting yourself could make you feel better. Or maybe it was just so she could feel…something.

I love a good mystery and the paranormal is a nice touch. It adds an extra element I always appreciate. The danger rises and the the mystery is darker than Shade could have imagined. I have read of what can happen to girls who go missing and I fear how vulnerable the female species is…how unprepared and innocent we can be about the evil men do.

Marilyn can spin a wonderful tale that is easy to read and contains lovable characters that will wiggle their way into your heart. I would love to have Shade as my best friend too.

Amongst the dark, there is light.

In the tragic and sadness, there is hope and love.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Finalist in the 2015 National Indie Excellence Book Awards, Young Adult Fiction category

Thanks to her offbeat mother, Shade’s full name is Galactic Shade Griffin. Having a name like that while being the new girl in school is pretty much catnip for bullies. The summer before Shade’s junior year of high school, her mother breaks up with yet another boyfriend and moves them once again to a new town.

This time, they move into a dilapidated old house where Shade has an entire attic bedroom to herself—at least until she discovers it’s haunted by the ghost of a teenaged boy named Brandon Yates. When Shade’s best friend goes missing, her life becomes even more complicated. With the help of Brandon who’s struggling with his own issues in the world beyond, Shade faces the question of whether or not she has what it takes to become a true hero.

Although this novel deals with a number of serious issues—drug and alcohol abuse, cutting, and disturbing world events—it’s primarily a novel about a teenaged girl finding out who she really is and that she’s capable of so much more than she ever thought possible.

Shade is a Young Adult Paranormal Mystery novel.

ABOUT MARILYN PEAKE

Marilyn PeakeFrom Goodreads:

Marilyn Peake is the author of both novels and short stories. Her publications have received excellent reviews. Marilyn’s one of the contributing authors in BOOK: THE SEQUEL, published by The Perseus Books Group, with one of her entries included in serialization at THE DAILY BEAST. In addition, Marilyn has served as Editor of a number of anthologies. Her short stories have been published in seven anthologies and on the literary blog, GLASS CASES.

Awards: Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, Winner of the Dream Realm Awards, and eight Top Ten Finisher Awards in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll.

Stalk Marilyn Peake:  Website  /  Twitter
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MY REVIEWS FOR MARILYN PEAKE

 

Review – The Rising by Heather Graham & Jon Land @jondland #HeatherGraham

No need to think twice when it comes to The Rising by Heather Graham and Jon Land.

The Rising

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Buckle your seat belt because this is going to be a very bumpy ride.

Two of my must read authors, Heather Graham and Jon Land, have come together to create to create a fabulous science fiction  thriller in The Rising.

Alex is special and he doesn’t know it. He suffers a football injury, winding up in the hospital, and the action and adventure begin.

As Alex, Sam, Raiff and Donati are drawn together, forces are determined to stop them.

The Trackers want him. The Watchers and Guardians protect him.

And don’t we always have someone that wants to rule the world and will do anything to accomplish it? Villains are fascinating, to me. The worse they are, the more I love them.

Scientists beware. Your actions can change the world!

Particle accelerators, quantam space, wormholes, doorways into space, space time continuum…

This Terminator like suspense story has everything you would want in a science fiction fantasy…action, mystery, thrills and a story line that will spur your imagination and give you hours of reading pleasure.

There is more to come and I think H G Wells has nothing on Heather Graham and Jon Land. I can hardly wait to go on the next adventure. …Take me away.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From acclaimed thriller-suspense novelists Heather Graham and Jon Land comes a story of action, mystery, and the endurance of young love.

Twenty-four hours. That’s all it takes for the lives of two young people to be changed forever.

Alex Chin has the world on a plate. A football hero and homecoming king with plenty of scholarship offers, his future looks bright. His tutor, Samantha Dixon, is preparing to graduate high school at the top of her class. She plans to turn her NASA internship into a career. When a football accident lands Alex in the hospital, his world is turned upside down. His doctor is murdered. Then, his parents. Death seems to follow him wherever he goes, and now it’s after him.

Alex flees. He tells Samantha not to follow, but she became involved the moment she walked through his door and found Mr. and Mrs. Chin as they lay dying in their home. She cannot abandon the young man she loves. The two race desperately to stay ahead of Alex’s attackers long enough to figure out why they are hunting him in the first place. The answer lies with a secret buried deep in his past, a secret his parents died to protect. Alex always knew he was adopted, but he never knew the real reason his birth parents abandoned him. He never knew where he truly came from. Until now.

ABOUT HEATHER GRAHAM AND JON LAND (from Amazon)

HEATHER GRAHAM is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than one hundred novels and novellas. A recipient of the RWA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet, she has been honored with awards from Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, RT Book Reviews, and more.

JON LAND is the USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels, including Strong Enough to Die, Strong Justice, Strong at the Break, Strong Vengeance, Strong Rain Falling (winner of the 2014 International Book Award and 2013 USA Best Book Award for Mystery-Suspense), Strong Darkness (winner of the 2014 USA Books Best Book Award and the 2015 International Book Award for Thriller), and Strong Light of Day (winner of the 2015 Books and Author Award for Best Mystery Thriller and the 2016 Beverly Hills Book Award for Best Mystery). Land is a graduate of Brown University. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

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MY JON LAND REVIEWS

MY HEATHER GRAHAM REVIEWS

#RomanticSuspense Review – Morgan’s Hunter by Cate Beauman @CateBeauman

Cate Beauman is a must read author for me.

I love romantic suspense and she is a top notch author with The Bodyguards of LA County series to her credit. I am eager to meet them all, and I will be happy to introduce you to therm…one by one.

I love the cover, the bright green catches my attention quickly, and the elements tell me the story inside will be an interesting one, involving murder and mystery.

Cover by Streetlight Graphic

Morgan's Hunter (The Bodyguards Of L.A. County, #1)

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I cannot imagine how our brave men and women feel as they dodge IED’s and bullets in a foreign land, so…

When Hunter was at Jake’s side in Afghanistan, as he lay dying, Jake made Hunter promise to take care of Sarah and the baby.

Hunter had been injured himself and nightmares haunted his sleep.

Morgan didn’t hurt for money, but she worked hard anyway. She and her friends were the six Musketeeers and committed to their environmental work…until three are found murdered. She seeks answers with a vengeance.

She is a scientist doing wildlife research, not a fighter, so her dad’s solution…Ethan Cooke Security and Hunter is assigned to work with her.

This is my favorite type of reading. I do want a high degree of suspense and I  feel it throughout…waiting for the culprits to show themselves and the confrontation that will result. Making this mystery even harder to solve, is their location, alone in the wilderness.

Two strong personalities clash and the verbal foreplay begins. Sparks are flying from their first meeting. Of course, we knew this was coming. After all, Morgan’s Hunter is a romantic suspense, so I would be hugely disappointed if it didn’t.

Cate Beauman does a fabulous job of creating desire and painful denial, the characters not allowing themselves to act on their attraction. Their  denial creates it own suspense and anticipation as I wait for them to act on their feelings. I keep waiting for them to drop their guard and get it on.

I knew something would happen before they left the forest. I hate the way it happened, but it had to be that way. Sometimes Morgan acts like a spoiled brat and it makes me wonder about myself. I can be obstinate and cantankerous when someone tries to boss me around. Would I do that in her situation?

Greed, money, power…who knows what will cause a person to corrupt themselves.

The danger doesn’t end when I thought it would. I love that Cate kept me on pins and needles, sneaking in the last tidbits of goodness, choosing the time when I can take a breath and say, “OMG, What’s next?.”

This fabulous series stands alone and ranks high on my reading list. I can hardly wait to read more.

I voluntarily reviewed Morgan’s Hunter by Cate Beauman.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars

ABOUT CATE BEAUMAN

 
International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her popular Bodyguards series.

For information on Cate’s new releases, monthly giveaways, and upcoming events, sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.catebeauman.com/author/home.html#!newsletter-sign-up/c9td

Contact Cate:  Amazon Author Page  /  BookBub

Social links:  Twitter  /  Website  /  Facebook  /  Goodreads  /  Instagram

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MY REVIEWS FOR CATE BEAUMAN

To read in order:

While reading the series in order is recommended, it is not necessary. Each story is a stand alone title featuring new primary characters with limited overlapping secondary characters. Click the highlighted link below to check them out:

Book Eleven: Deceiving Bella, the story of Isabella and Reed (In production)

It’s A Gusher – A Wildcatter’s Trek by Gene Ames Jr #GeneAmesJr

A Wildcatter’s Trek by Gene Ames Jr reads like a true story, told by a real oilman.

Think you know about the oil business, think again.

If you are a fan of the TV series, Dallas, A Wildcatter’s Trek by Gene Ames Jr will fill in some of the blanks and show how much oil people really contribute to technology, education, the arts…

A Wildcatter's Trek: Love, Money & Oil

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I loved A Wildcatter’s Trek by Gene Ames Jr, that tells a story of one man’s belief that life can be run on a handshake, that the next big one is just around the corner and a home is where the heart is.

The spirits said he would find a river of oil, but disaster and death will follow.

Jordan is driven to drill more and more oil wells.

As I learn about supply and demand, I am thinking he’s heading for trouble. Also, someone very close to him will betray him and I wonder if he will find out in time to divert the disasters that are heading his way.

A Wildcatter’s Trek makes me think of poker players, risk and reward. Rich, poor and rich again. Fortunes made and fortunes lost.

If you are a fan of the TV series, Dallas, like I am, this will sound familiar to you. A Wildcatter’s Trek is a down and dirty education of the oil world. Corruption, betrayal, revenge…Just like any  business, personal or professional, everyone has their own agenda. You need to listen to those closest you, proven friends that are trustworthy, but sleep with one eye open.

Are you of the thought that all oil people are greedy, egotistical, selfish people, only out for themselves? My eyes were opened to the contributions they make to medicine, research, education, museums, libraries, technology…

I freaked out when I read…Oh no, it can’t be…But you will have to read it for yourself to find out what made my jaw drop, and kept me rapidly turning the pages to find out what happens next.

So…if you are looking for an eye opening glimpse into the world of oil and the people involved, A Wildcatter’s Trek by Gene Ames Jr is a story you don’t want to miss.

I voluntarily reviewed A Wilcatter’s Trek by Gene Ames Jr.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A Wildcatter’s Trek: Love, Money and Oil tells the harrowing tale of Jordan Phillips, a young pipe salesman who risks everything to drill for oil in East Texas and discovers the largest oil field in the world by accident. The breathtaking core of A Wildcatter’s Trek: Love, Money and Oil is fully exposed as Jordan Phillips is unwittingly thrust into the brutal, never-ending race of the oil wildcatter. Fraud, greed and danger abound. Will Jordan survive?

ABOUT GENE AMES JR (from inside the book)

Gene Ames Jr is fourth generation oil field. He is married to Ellen Rhett Young Ames, and they live in San Antonio, Texas. He was born in Gladewater, Texas in the East Texas Oil Boom where his father owned fractional working interests in producing oil wells and an interest in a gasoline plant. He and his family have been in the oil business starting back in Oklahoma, more than a hundred years ago.

Buy on Amazon

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Tag Team Giveaway – Deadly Spirits by E Michael Helms @EMichaelHelms

 

taguritfinal2Welcome to my Tag Team Tag Team Events & Giveaways Page!

This is where myself (Sherry at fundinmental) and Laura at fuonlyknew tag team authors and their books.

We share our reviews and giveaways, giving you two views and two chances to win!

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I am a huge fan of E Michael Helm’s character, Mac McClellan and he is back in Deadly Spirits.

Check out this awesome cover!

Does it make you think of ghosts and hauntings?

Amazon  /  Goodreads

Cover:  Sabrina Sun

Publisher:  Camel Press

MY REVIEW

Mac and Kate are back in Deadly Spirits and this time we will be hanging out with the Palmetto Paranormal Society investigating the haunted Navarro Hotel.

I haven’t met Mac in person…yet, but seeing as how he hangs around the Florida Panhandle, it may happen. His investigations lead to danger and mayhem. His personality and the fact that he lives in a trailer always makes me think of the Rockford Files and Magnum PI. He’s a bit old fashioned where it really matters, loyal and trustworthy. Even a bit of a prude…He even has a Dobie, my favorite breed of dog. So much is familiar to me, marinas, woods, fire towers, lighthouses, hauntings…

Action and mystery abound and Mac is on the case. E Michael Helms always includes some humor and I do love chuckles with my murder.

The downside to his job, he has a hard time collecting payment before his clients kick the bucket.

Mac has a hard time taking the whole ghost thing seriously, until…the scream. I am a skeptic too. As they walk around with their ghostly equipment and asking the spirits questions, I would be hard put not to crack up laughing.

I loved everything about Deadly Spirits by E Michael Helms. He has included a lot of extras besides the mystery…a critter to fall in love with, a dash of the psychotic and a pinch of the paranormal…a recipe for success.

I love Mac and this is my favorite adventure…so far. Michael has brought him a long way, making him more complex in his simplicity. I can hardly wait for more!

It’s New Year’s Eve 2016 and between football and the year end fireworks, I cannot quit reading.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

When PI Mac McClellan’s girlfriend convinces him to join the Palmetto Paranormal Society, he becomes embroiled in a case of whooodunnit. The society president, while investigating an old hotel, is found dead at the foot of the stairwell, his neck broken. The man’s secretary and current squeeze stands horrified beside his body. Authorities rule the death an accident. Mac has doubts—no one heard the man tumbling down the stairs. Then the secretary dies in an apparent suicide. Two deaths in two paranormal investigations, and not a peep out of either victim. Mac suspects there’s more going on than a vengeful spirit.
Book 4 in the Mac McClellan Mystery series, which began with Deadly Catch.

ABOUT E MICHAEL HELMS

E.Michael Helms

I was born in Georgia way back in the last century but grew up and lived most of my life on the Gulf Coast of Florida in Panama City (beautiful beaches, girls galore–ah, the memories!). In 2004 my wife and I moved to the Upstate region of South Carolina in the shadows of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, a land of stunning vistas and numerous waterfalls.
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I’ve been traditionally published since 1990 when my Vietnam War memoir, The Proud Bastards, launched. TPB chronicles my time as a combat U.S. Marine in 1967-68. It’s still in print after all these years, currently with Simon & Schuster/Pocket. I’ve since written a few novels in different genres. I’m also working on a collection of “Dinger, PI” short stories that are being published on Motive Means Opportunity, a crime/mystery blog I share with two other writers of the same ilk. Currently I’m writing the Mac McClellan Mystery series which is set along the coast of the Florida Panhandle where I grew up.
 

WebsiteFacebookGoodreads  /  Twitter  /  Amazon Google+  /  Mystery Blog

GIVEAWAY

Michael is offering a fabulous giveaway and we will have 7 winners:

  • 1st Prize – $25 Amazon GC (International, where legal)
  • 2nd & 3rd Prize – Print copies of DEADLY CATCH (U.S. only)
  • 4th – 7th – ebooks of DEADLY CATCH (International, where legal)

To enter, simply answer the question and leave your email, letting us know if you are US or International:

Do you want to come back as a ghost?

For another entry and review perspective, hop over to fuonlyknew and say hi to Laura.

Giveaway runs from 1.16.17 – 1.30.17.

tag you're it photo: You're awesome tag-game-awesome-friends_zpscce89964.jpg

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My Reviews for E Michael Helms:

E Michael Helm’s Military Novels:

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One Sentence Review – The Grownup by Gillian Flynn #GillianFlynn

I borrowed The Grownup by Gillian Flynn, a short story, from my sister, Laura, and I am so glad I did.

I sat, stunned, saying over and over WTF!

Gillian Flynn is now a MUST READ author for me.

The Grownup

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Grownup  by Gillian Flynn is a fabulous short story that had me twisting, turning, wondering, WTF…hand jobs to fortunetelling to aura cleaning, Gillian had me laughing at the fun writing, wondering along with Susan where she would end up…and once again saying WTF!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB:  A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the “psychic” visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan’s terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan’s teenage stepson, doesn’t help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it.

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Mothman is lonely in A Cold Tomorrow by Mae Clair @MaeClair1

I love creature features and A Cold Tomorrow by Mae Clair stars Mothman, plus…

This is the second book in the Point Pleasant series. You can see my review for Book I, A Thousand Yesteryears here.

Check out this gorgeous cover. What does it make you think of?

Doesn’t it have an eerie feel to it?

A Cold Tomorrow (Point Pleasant, #2)

Amazon  /  Goodreads

A COLD TOMORROW
Book 2 in the Point Pleasant Series
Genre: Suspense/Mystery
Length: 82,00 Words
Publisher: Kensington Publishing/Lyrical Underground Imprint
Publication Date: December 20, 2016

MY REVIEW

I LOVED the first book, A Thousand Yesteryears, so I was very eager to continue my journey down the road in Point Pleasant to see what happens next in this fantastic creature feature.

The cover alone gives me an eerie feeling, sending shivers up and down my spine as I try to guess at what lies ‘between the covers.’

Katie misses her sister, her best friend, Wendy, who disappeared three days ago. No one knows what has become of her.

One of the things that caught me early was Katie’s aversion to smells in the salon. I too have a problem with them. These smells of reality make it easy for me to feel as if I am there with her.

I love how Mae Clair develops the relationship between Katie and Doreen Sue, her mom. Reads like real life as the work through a not so good past.

The town has not been kind to Katie’s family, treating them like white trash. Maybe they want to think twice before they cast the first stone.

Ryan Flynn is called to Chester Wilson’s farm to investigate star snot and outer space grass. The mystery begins. Then, the cow…

“It’s been a weird day.”

“Weird how?”

Uh…let’s see…cow mutilation, phantom deputy, missing resident. Does that fit the bill?”

Point Pleasant is a hotbed for Mothman and UFO sightings, in real life too. Adds another element of reality for me. Could it be true? Is Mothman real? For the moment, Mothman is silent.

As things become stranger, Katie’s past comes to the forefront, her memories causing her to fear for herself and her son, Sam.

All of a sudden, something sets Mothman off and he is terrorizing the people of Point Pleasant. How would you feel if you were the only one of your kind…people so afraid of you, they shoot first and take names later?

The Mothman, aliens, Men In black, lights in the sky, mutilated animals, people feeling the compulsion to draw…There are mysteries galore that kept me on pins and needles, fearing for the characters I have grown to love.

Oh Yeah! I believe we will have a Book III.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Cold Tomorrow by Mae Clair.

 
Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars
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GOODREADS BLURB

Where secrets make their home…

Stopping to help a motorist in trouble, Katie Lynch stumbles upon a mystery as elusive as the Mothman legend that haunts her hometown of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Could the coded message she finds herald an extraterrestrial visitor? According to locals, it wouldn’t be the first time. And what sense should she make of her young son’s sudden spate of bizarre drawings—and his claim of a late-night visitation? Determined to uncover the truth, Katie only breaks the surface when a new threat erupts. Suddenly her long-gone ex-boyfriend is back and it’s as if he’s under someone else’s control. Not only is he half-crazed, he’s intent on murder….

As a sergeant in the sheriff’s office of the famously uncanny Point Pleasant, Officer Ryan Flynn has learned to tolerate reports of puzzling paranormal events. But single mom Katie Lynch appears to be in very real danger—and somehow Ryan’s own brother, Caden, is caught up in the madness, too. What the skeptical lawman discovers astounds him—and sends him into action. For stopping whatever evil forces are at play may just keep Katie and Caden alive…..

Buy at Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble  /  Google  /  Kesington Books

You can check out the Mothman Museum in Point Pleasant West Virginia HERE.

https://i0.wp.com/usercontent2.hubstatic.com/11931249_f520.jpg?w=584&ssl=1

photo courtesy of angelwing314.deviantart.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back. Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.

Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with conflict, romance and elements of mystery. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about writing, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.

Visit her Website  /  Twitter  /

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One Sentence Review – Blythewood by Carol Goodman @C_Goodmania

I won Blythewood by Carold Goodman and I am so happy I did. I have not read any of her work before, but after reading this, I will be on the lookout!

I have a thing for trees, so I really want to walk in this forest.

Blythewood (Blythewood, #1)

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The rich and complex characters in Blythewood, that made me think of a Harry Potter school for girls, took me on a grand adventure with surprising twists and turns in a phenomenal world full of rich detail, all while good battles evil.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB:  At seventeen, Avaline Hall has already buried her mother, survived a horrific factory fire, and escaped from an insane asylum. Now she’s on her way to Blythewood Academy, the elite boarding school in New York’s mist-shrouded Hudson Valley that her mother attended—and was expelled from. Though she’s afraid her high society classmates won’t accept a factory girl in their midst, Ava is desperate to unravel her family’s murky past, discover the identity of the father she’s never known, and perhaps finally understand her mother’s abrupt suicide. She’s also on the hunt for the identity of the mysterious boy who rescued her from the fire. And she suspects the answers she seeks lie at Blythewood.

But nothing could have prepared her for the dark secret of what Blythewood is, and what its students are being trained to do. Haunted by dreams of a winged boy and pursued by visions of a sinister man who breathes smoke, Ava isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or getting closer to the truth. And the more rigorously Ava digs into the past, the more dangerous her present becomes.

Vivid and atmospheric, full of mystery and magic, this romantic page-turner by bestselling author Carol Goodman tells the story of a world on the brink of change and the girl who is the catalyst for it all.

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Giveaway & Review – Red Death by Jeff Altabef @JeffAltabef

Welcome to a another Novel Publicity Review Tour! Today, we’re helping Author Jeff Altabef launch his new book Red Death!

We’ve been with Jeff from the start, and we love helping him launch his latest titles. He and his daughter just finished launching the last of The Chosen Series, Scorched Souls, and now it’s time for something new!

To celebrate, we’ve got prizes, sales and more! Check it all out below, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of Red Death. If you love action packed YA adventures, or Jeff’s other YA books like the Chosen Series, we know you’ll love this title too!

I love the cover for Red Death by Jeff Altabef.

It definitely hints at the story inside.

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The cover for Red Death by Jeff Altabef is so appropriate for the story inside. There is an Eden, so, of course, there is an apple orchard.

The priests rule Eden and I immediately became suspicious. They hold tightly to the archaic rules. Why is that, do you think? Are they afraid?

The Soulless, well I have my thoughts about them too.

I have so many questions from the start. I am intrigued and I wonder how the characters will grow and change, because I feel it coming.

The writing is so descriptive, it brings the worlds, critters and characters to life on the pages.

We have a huge cast of characters, but by focusing on one in each Tribe, it wasn’t difficult to follow them as they struggle to survive. They all have their place in the story, some good and some bad and some just down right evil. In times of trouble, the best and worst come out. People show their true colors. Some rise to the occasion and some descend into the pits of Hell.

The evil oozed off the pages from the getgo, pissing me off, making me angry at some of the characters for their ignorance and their thirst for power. The suspense never let up.

Betrayal, brutality, loyalty, love…

I fretted, sweated, thinking…it can’t be…can it?

I felt good at the end, but the battle continues in  Book II, The Ghost King. I can hardly wait to find out what happens next!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Red Death by Jell Altabef.

4 Stars

 ABOUT THE BOOK

What happens when everything you believed turns out to be a lie?

Every child of Eden fears the Red Death. All those afflicted with the plague die young, their souls stripped away as punishment for ancient sins long forgotten. For centuries, Guardians have protected Eden from the Red Death by killing outsiders who stray too close.

Seventeen-year-old Aaliss is a highly-trained Guardian, but when her rather odd thirteen-year-old brother, Wilky, discovers a cure to the plague, her world turns upside down. Branded as traitors by the corrupt High Priest, Aaliss and Wilky are forced to seek refuge in the last place Aaliss thought she’d ever go—beyond the boundaries of Eden and into the land of the Soulless. Here they must navigate a medieval world filled with witches, magic, and warrior kingdoms run by Elders only a few years older than her.

Aaliss yearns to return home, but when her heart tugs her deeper into the world of the Soulless, she questions everything she once believed. Has her soul been taken? Will she and Wilky fall victim to the Red Death, or might they die sooner in the center of a battle that threatens to tear apart the Soulless world? Or… might Aaliss finally find, against all odds, what her heart has yearned for all along?

Exclusive Blogger only Interview with the Author.

We asked author Jeff Altabef 3 questions you won’t see anywhere else besides our tour. They’re fun,

NP: Thanks for offering some extra questions for our bloggers Jeff! First, what’s your favorite meal and drink?

JA: Coffee and chocolate! I’m not sure what that says about me. My favorite time to write is in the morning so coffee is a no-brainer. My mind can’t start to function without my first cup of Joe. I also like to write in coffeehouses from time to time when I need a little more energy and can feed off of those around me. So when in Rome!

I have a pumpkin stuffed with tootsie rolls on my desk. It’s a terrible habit that I quit from time to time, but it keeps coming back.  I just grabbed another one!  I’d like to say my favorite writing food is something healthy like kale, but I won’t lie, and I hate kale!

NP: Some of our staff have a love hate relationship with chocolate and coffee too! I bet that’s pretty common with our bloggers too. Now, the next question is tough, but do your best! Who was your favorite Character to write in Red Death?

JA: This is such a hard question to answer. I really feel such a close connection to all of these characters, that choosing one is a bit of a “Sophie’s Choice.” I loved to write Piers. I thought he was such a deep character and certainly Aaliss was a lot of fun. She’s a really strong character that most people love. The Viper and the High Priest were also a lot of fun. I always love dwelling on the nasty characters, but my favorite character to write was probably Wilky. I did a bunch of research before starting to make sure I captured someone with his condition just right. In many ways, he’s the real hero of the series. Now I feel bad that I didn’t mention Eamon or P’mina. Argh!

NP For such a tough question you did a really good job of explaining why so many characters in Red Death are loveable. Last but not least, and it may be another head-banger…who are your favorite authors?

JA: This is a tough question too! I love a wide variety of genres. Really everything from thrillers (Dean Koontz), to historical fiction (Bernard Cornwell), to mysteries (Jonathan Kellerman) and even horror  (Steven King). In the Young Adult genre I really like the characters Sarah J. Maas writes in the Glass Throne series. They come across as strong and memorable. I absolutely loved the End of Days series by Susan Ee. Her dystopian world and the use of angels was totally brilliant. I love the first person voice Joelle Charbonneau writes in the Testing Trilogy. She was a huge help when writing the Chosen Trilogy. Still, if I had one writing wish and could write like anyone, I’d choose Christopher Moore. He makes writing funny characters and situations seem effortless. I love his books!

Wow, those are some really interesting authors, and definitely diverse. I bet you’ve introduced our readers to some great new authors! Thanks again for doing our interview Jeff!

You can sign up to Jeff Altabef’s newselter and get a FREE short story at: http://www.jeffaltabef.com/

Exclusive Excerpt!

Chapter 5 – Eamon

Eamon studied the faces around the campfire, worry etched on his own as he wondered whether this would be the last time they would all gather together. He sat between his two older brothers, King Dermot and Prince Fintan. Dermot had lived six winters more than Eamon had, and Fintan one, yet he was the planner and worrier. Often he wished he could be more like them, but he never stopped fretting about tomorrow, the next season, the next winter. All the council members, twelve in total, joined them this night, forming a loose circle around a campfire that had started to lose its intensity. They met in the Courtyard, in the middle of the Stronghold, a small city protected by a sturdy stone wall. The Stronghold stood in the center of Dermot’s kingdom between the Outpost to the north and the Settlement to the south.

When Eamon realized everyone had stopped talking and were looking at him, he remembered what they had been discussing. “We’ll have to slaughter more cattle this year. The tribe’s grown since last winter.” The answer was obvious to him.

“The herd’s also added numbers this year, my Lord,” added Keenan, the Cattle Master. Built broad and strong like a steer, he had been Cattle Master for three years, and Dermot trusted him. “I reckon we could cull the herd by another twenty over last year and still maintain the size.”

All eyes turned toward Dermot. His reign had already lasted six years, almost an eternity. The Sword of Power lay across his lap, a long sword so heavy that it required two hands to wield it in battle. Its blade gleamed in the firelight, and the many rubies in the gold and silver hilt sparkled brilliantly. An inscription, written in a language no one understood, ran down both sides of the blade and glimmered in the firelight. The smithies could no longer make a weapon like the Sword of Power. That knowledge had been lost. They made other swords, fine ones, victorious ones, but none so grand. Only the King could wield the Sword of Power, the tribe’s finest.

Check out these great prizes from author Jeff Altabef, including a six month Kindle Unlimited Subscription! Did you know we offer exclusive reviewer prizes for tours just like this one? Want in on it? Sign up to Novel Publicity’s Newsletter for more great review opportunities!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Altabef is an award-winning author who lives in New York with his wife, two daughters, and Charlie the dog. He spends time volunteering at the writing center in the local community college. After years of being accused of “telling stories,” he thought he would make it official. He writes in both the thriller and young adult genres.

In the Young Adult genre, Jeff co-authored the Chosen Trilogy with his teenaged daughter, Erynn. The Chosen Series has won multiple awards including the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Best Coming of Age Novel, the 2015 Beverly HIlls Book Award for Best YA Fiction, and a Mom’s Choice Award.

As an avid Knicks fan, Jeff is prone to long periods of melancholy during hoops season. Jeff has a column on The Examiner focused on writing and a blog designed to encourage writing by those who like telling stories.

You can connect with Jeff on his website, Facebook, Twitter & Newsletter.

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The Extraordinary Journey of Vivenne Marshall by Shannon Kirk @ShannonCKirk

Shannon Kirk’s award winning debut novel, Method 15/33, blew me away…so when I saw The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall was available on Netgalley, I snagged it. Thank you Shannon Kirk and Reputation Books.

Such a gorgeous cover and I do hope I am walking on clouds when it’s over.

Book Design:  Lisa Abellera

Ebook Design:  Mary C Moore

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Be careful…when you are texting. Your inattention could be the death of you.

Vivienne lay hovering on the brink of death, one foot in the land of the living and one foot with the dead.

Noah, her dead, dream husband explains it to her. The scene made me think of a Supernatural episode, where Castielle says our Heaven is of our own making.

Is there a Heaven? Does our life pass before our eyes?

What would it look like? Who would you want there with you?

What secrets would be brought to light after your death?

And if there is a Heaven…what about Hell?

The lovely pics sprinkled throughout are a nice touch and I love it.

I am sitting in one of my favorite reading places, my patio and watering the lawn, even as the black clouds roll in, the thunder rumbling, and I am lost in Vivienne’s world, unable to quit reading.

Shannon’s descriptive words draw me into this novel from the opening pages, her poetic words bring to life fantasy worlds full of vibrant colors, beauty and love, but the flowery prose becomes onerous for me, having me starting, stopping and rereading, but that is me. I think there are many readers who will LOVE it and get lost in the story too.

This Heavenly love story is tragic, yet hopeful and very thought provoking.

I voluntarily reviewed a free ARC copy of The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall from Shannon Kirk.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB:  What if you could choose your heaven now? Go on a celestial shopping trip of sorts? Thirty-five-year-old Vivienne does just that, as she lies dying in the ICU; a fatal walk into the path of a truck. In her final week of life, Vivienne treks through the Heavens of a priest, a best friend, a homeless child, and a lover who never was. Vivienne’s guardian angel, Noah, who may just be her soul mate, escorts her through selections of Heavens and through the confusion Vivienne experiences as she flounders between a doubt of life and the certainty of death. Although her visits to varied afterlives provide peace and beauty, choosing proves not so easy: Vivienne’s love for her young son and her earthly father pull her from her colorful journey—and from her divine love of Noah.

The nature of love, the variety and magic of life, unending hope, and the importance of saying goodbye are central to this uplifting tale.

ABOUT SHANNON KIRK

Shannon Kirk

Shannon has been honored three times by the Faulkner Society in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition for her works The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall (2012 finalist), Method 15/33 (2013 finalist), and Impossibility of Interplanetary Love (2014 short-list finalist). When not practicing law, Shannon writes in her free time. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son.

Shannon writes in several genres: literary fiction, suspense/thriller, and young adult.

Shannon is a member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.

Website  /  Twitter

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

My review for Method 15/33

 

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