Giveaway – Of Bells and Thorns by Valentina Cano @valca85 @YABoundToursPR

Posted on November 28, 2017 by fundinmental

Of Bells and Thorns (The Rose Master #2)

Genre: YA Gothic

Release Date: November 28th 2017

REUTS Publications, LLC

Readers fell in love with Anne Tinning, a maid in 19th century London, and Lord Grey, the master of a haunted manor. THE ROSE MASTER sequel continues their journey in another hauntingly beautiful tale.

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The Rose Master

Blurb:

The day Anne Tinning turns seventeen, birds fall from the sky. But that’s hardly the most upsetting news. She’s being dismissed from the home she’s served at since she was a child, and shipped off to become the newly hired parlor maid for a place she’s never heard of. And when she sees the run-down, isolated house, she instantly knows why:

There’s something wrong with Rosewood Manor.

Staffed with only three other servants, all gripped by icy silence and inexplicable bruises, and inhabited by a young master who is as cold as the place itself, the house is shrouded in neglect and thick with fear. Her questions are met with hushed whispers, and she soon finds herself alone in the empty halls, left to tidy and clean rooms no one visits.

As the feeling of being watched grows, she begins to realize there is something else in the house with them–some creature that stalks the frozen halls and claws at her door. A creature that seems intent on harming her.

When a fire leaves Anne trapped in the manor with its Master, she finally demands to know why. But as she forces the truth about what haunts the grounds from Lord Grey, she learns secrets she isn’t prepared for. The creature is very real, and she’s the only one who can help him stop it.

Now, Anne must either risk her life for the young man she’s grown to admire, or abandon her post while she still can.

The Rose Master on Goodreads

“In this Gothic fantasy, Cano evokes both Beauty and the Beast and Jane Eyre while creating something new and strange. Cano does a beautiful job of setting mood and atmosphere, and her characters dance around one another with relentless industry and brooding allure, fighting their inevitable attraction. This is a strong, satisfying effort.” ~Publishers Weekly on THE ROSE MASTER

About the Author

Valentina Cano is a student of classical singing who spends whatever free time she has either reading or writing. She also watches over a veritable army of pets. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best Of the Web.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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FREE – The Mother Earth Insurgency by J G Follansbee @Joe_Follansbee

Posted on November 25, 2017 by fundinmental

The first book in the series, Tales From A Warming Planet, is a free download from Amazon. Book 1, titled “The Mother Earth Insurgency,” is a novelette about Nick Sorrows, a special agent with the Bureau of Environmental Security. He’s tasked with infiltrating a terrorist group, and discovers his own family is in danger. The book also features bonus material and previews of upcoming book covers. The Kindle download is free through midnight on Saturday.

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Teaser Tuesday #99 – The Book of Genevieve by Mark Boyd #MarkBoyd

Posted on November 21, 2017 by fundinmental

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

~~~~~~

I am reading The Book of Genevieve, Book II of A Dragon’s Tale series. I read the first one and loved it, so I surely wanted to continue the story. You can see my 5 star review for Book I, The Prophecy here.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY TEASE

Pushing him away, she pleaded,”No…you tell me…what…is happening. Now! Isn’t it bad enough…that…that I am an eighteen year old woman trapped in a twelve year old body,” she cried, the sobs cotinuing to wrack her body. “But this!” she screamed. “What is this?”

(opening page in Kindle published in 2017)

GOODREADS BLURB

In the course of one days time, Princess Genevieve Cheval discovers that her ears are starting to point, that she is really the daughter of an Elven Princess that died giving birth to her and that she has inherited the only weapon that can kill the evil beast overtaking the forbidden forest…which also happens to be the step-brother she never knew she had.

Drawn into the forbidden forest by a mysterious dream, Genevieve is led to Queen Bellaserena of the Pegasaurs by two young elven brothers. She discovers the Queen is with foal and due at any moment. Delivering the young one, Genevieve saves the life of the Queen and her son with the weapon she’d inherited from her dead mother.

Bellaserena informs Genevieve that the young Princess is destined to a power and a life greater than she’d ever imagined. Now, not only seeking her elven family of origin, she finds out that she is an integral part of the Prophecy as told in the ancient Dragon Book of Lore. Embroiled in battle to save the forest and her elven kinsmen from the bloodvine, she soon discovers there is an ancient evil set to destroy her and the man she loves, King Leto Sargovia. Aware that this is a battle to the death, she is ready to commit to any action that will allow the Prophecy to manifest.

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Giveaway – Mental Damnation by Konn Lavery @konnl @SDSXXTours

Posted on November 19, 2017 by fundinmental

Dream

Mental Damnation Part 2

by Konn Lavery

Genre: Epic Dark Fantasy

Thought to be banished to the underworld by the humans, Krista mysteriously
finds herself as the first of her kind to walk on the surface in
centuries. This was caused by one of the underworld’s corrupt
leaders, Danil, who uses her in an unholy ritual to set their people
free. Danil’s infectious touch gives Krista the nightmarish disease
known as Mental Damnation.

She becomes the key interest of two men, Paladin and Dr. Alsroc, who
struggle to make sense of her sudden appearance and how it relates to
Mental Damnation. Her friend back in the underworld, Darkwing,
abandons his gang to begin his search for her.

Krista finds herself torn between two worlds, gaining acceptance among the
humans while experiencing inner turmoil from hallucinations caused by
her disease. These visions paint a hellish dream world known as
Dreadweave Pass where the realm’s ruler, a corrupt god known as the
Weaver, is on the hunt for her. Krista’s blood is believed to be a
key component for the Weaver’s retribution against the Heavenly
Kingdoms that once banished him!

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Reality

Mental Damnation Part 1

Having her family murdered by the humans during her people’s banishment
from the surface world, Krista and her only friend, Darkwing,
struggle to remain alive. The pair of reptilian street scum live in
their newfound home, the City of Renasence, dictated by a fascist
military known as the Renasence Guard. The two find themselves at
odds when Krista puts her faith in the Five Guardians’ goal of
unification, while Darkwing chooses to stand with a notorious gang,
the Blood Hounds, who are known for their anarchist views

This divide in their friendship forces Krista to persist on her own as the
Five Guardians become crazed from an unknown disease – Mental
Damnation. After their infection, the Guardians develop a bizarre
interest in her, claiming they must reap her innocence for their
newfound master, the Weaver.

With a military dictatorship, politically-driven gangs and their guardians
infected and on a hunt for her, Krista has limited options for
survival: Does she fend for her life in the City of Renascence,
against menacing forces, or risk leaving everything behind and enter
the uncharted realm of the underworld?

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Konn Lavery is a Canadian horror and dark fantasy writer who is known for
his Mental Damnation series. The second book, Dream, reached the
Edmonton Journal’s top five selling fictional books list. He
started writing fantasy stories at a very young age while being home
schooled. It wasn’t until graduating college that he began
professionally pursuing his work with his first release, Reality.
Since then he has continued to write works of fiction ranging from
fantasy to horror.

His literary work is done in the long hours of the night. By day, Konn
runs his own graphic design and website development business under
the title Reveal Design. These skills have been transcribed into the
formatting and artwork found within his publications supporting his
fascination of transmedia storytelling.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Goodreads * Amazon

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Aliens Vacation on Earth – Trespassers by Todd & Tim Wynn @WynnBrothers

Posted on November 15, 2017 by fundinmental

Earth is a resort destination for aliens in Trespassers by Todd and Tim Wynn.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

Hop aboard for an alien adventure in this scifi tale of mystery, intrigue, romance and intergalactic travel.

I love their description of us humans, but you will need to check out the book for yourself to learn it.

Denokin was an abductor of earthlings. It had become ho hum for him. Until…

Stewart and Mindy worked at the division that regulated alien traffic on earth and were responsible for their presence being kept a secret. For all we know, one could be sitting right beside us, right now. Look to your left, look to your right. Could they be an alien?

It was Bruner’s job to prove of the aliens existence. The poor guy is being duped and used by his own government.

When confiscating Denokin’s ship, Stewart failed to secure all the aliens on the ship, so Earth has some unexpected visitors…Trespassers.

The aliens lives mirror ours, in some ways. They have families, they go to school, they get married, they take vacations…

I couldn’t help but laugh when Mindy realized she was attracted to Stewart, as if seeing him for the very first time…and he’s HOT. I don’t feel this is a spoiler, because, come on, we all know its gonna happen.

There are many different types of aliens and Earth is considered a resort stop for them. Seeing Earth through their eyes makes me appreciate our world even more, reminding me of its beauty. I prefer to think of it as a resort destination, like them, and wonder at the marvels before me…water, nature, hills and valleys.

Trespassers by Tim & Todd Wynn is a science fiction fantasy unlike others I have read. The writing is serious, but not dark. The characters had me in their grasp, as I decided which I liked and which I didn’t like. Some were just doing their job, but I still didn’t like it. There were no villains, in my mind. Just human beings trying to do the right thing. We are primitive, they are so much more advanced than us.

All in all, a fun read with entertaining characters and, maybe, there is even a lesson to be learned through fiction. So, hop aboard and meet the Trespassers.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner 2015

When four alien visitors arrive on Earth and disappear into the cornfields of Indiana, it is Stewart Faulkner’s job to find them. Who they are, where they’re headed, and what’s important enough to make them jump from a moving spaceship are all questions that Stewart must uncover. And he will have to do it all while

1) training a new team member named Mindy—who is developing a crush on him;
2) flying under the radar of his boss to make sure he’s not removed from the case; and
3) staying one step ahead of a government agent named Karl Bruner, who is determined to expose the presence of aliens on Earth.

Website / Twitter

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An Island Mystery – The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West @karilynnwest

Posted on November 9, 2017 by fundinmental

An island, a mystery, and the beautiful and intriguing cover of The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West drew me in. I had to know what the story was.

Cover design by Ebook Launch

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

Ronan is an iluminator. That’s all he desires in his life. He’s no slacker, though his boss at the book store may have another opinion. He’s a diligent student, loves the training, pouring his heart and soul into his studies. He has his apprenticeship, graduating near the top of his class, until…

Luminators are endowed with the power to see and restore memories. The rich used to dominate the luminators, until hard times forced them to sell some of their land. The power comes from the land itself. Now, even families and second class citizens, a common islander, like Ronan, may have the power. The rich think it’s wrong. Sound familiar to present day circumstances? The rich and empowered want it all to themselves.

Cassie is a long time friend, along with Eli. She’s bold, daring, maybe a bit headstrong, (lol, very understated description of her) a daredevil. Eli’s family was wealthy. Somewhat of a surprise that he is friends with Ronan and his snooty parents hates it. They felt only the wealthy should have the power. The same goes for Cassie. She is not a luminator, but her father is.

Eli and Ronan met at the Academy. Cassie met them there, when they befriended her. She needs to think twice about her playful suggestions of entertainment, which can be dangerous and foolhardy.

They believed all they did was good, but everything can be misused and abused. Power can be a seductive thing and abuse of power can be easy to fall victim to for some of our characters. Some danger is hidden and some is in your face.

Some things had a ring of familiarity and I had to see if check I’d read it before. Once I got into the book, it didn’t take long to realize that I hadn’t. I have read thousands of books, so maybe that’s why some things rang familiar.

When everything Ronan has strived for is at risk, when his friends memories are on the line, I wonder if Ronan will do the right thing. What do you think? Well….I’m not telling. Find out for yourself by reading the book.

The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West is filled with fabulous characters and I loved each and every one of them, even the bad ones. It was great watching the gang grow and rise to the occasion. The world on the Island of Islayne was filled with action, intrigue and danger that I would definitely recommend.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A powerful island. A dangerous mystery. An impossible choice.

For centuries, the island of Islayne has given certain residents the ability to revive other people’s memories. These gifted individuals are known as luminators, and sixteen-year-old Ronan Saunders desperately desires to join their illustrious ranks. As he struggles against the prejudice of the old, powerful families who have an iron grip on the trade, Ronan falls under the tutelage of a reclusive luminator, rumored to be insane.

kari . As they delve deeper into the mystery, what they find forces them to question their loyalties, doubt long-held beliefs, and wrestle with the dire consequences of revealing the truth. Ronan finds himself torn between everything he loves and the only future he’s ever wanted. The entire fate of the lumination trade hangs in the balance of his decision.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kari Lynn West writes contemporary YA fantasy—normally while drinking far too much coffee. She likes to create character-driven stories that are set in the real world with a twist, weaving fantastical elements into everyday life. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two daughters

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Monday Mini Review – Fiery Edge of Steel by Jill Archer @archer_jill

Posted on November 6, 2017 by fundinmental

I was surprised by the originality of Jill Archer’s A Fiery Edge of Steel and wonder why I have not read any of her work before. My loss…

If you are looking for a fantastic demons and angels series, look no further.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

A wonderfully original magical adventure and I am loving this mismatched band of travelers that gave me a laugh here and there as Noon Onyx and her band of angels battle to save The Shallows, fighting fabulous demons with their magic. I love how Noon Onyx grows and develops while on their mission and there are plenty of surprises and second chances along the way that kept me reading til the early hours of the morning. I won this book and now I wonder why it took me so long to read it.

I won this book and have not read the first Noon Onyx story, Dark Light of Day, by Jill Archer. Even though this is the second book in the series, I felt it filled in enough blanks, that my reading enjoyment did not suffer because of it. The result of their mission is wrapped up, but there is more to come and, if you are like me, you will want to know what happens on their next adventure and to know…what about Ari?

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Lucifer and his army triumphed at Armageddon, leaving humans and demons living in uncertain peace based on sacrifice and strict laws. It is up to those with mixed demon and human blood, the Host, to prevent society from falling into anarchy.

Noon Onyx is the first female Host in memory to wield the destructive waning magic that is used to maintain order among the demons. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.

When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, a task which will most likely involve trying and killing the patron demon of that area, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…

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Congratulations, It’s A Boy – Dragon’s Hope by Emily Martha Sorensen @CleanYAFantasy

Posted on October 31, 2017 by fundinmental

Oh my, it’s a boy and it has claws…Dragon’s Hope, Book II of the Dragon Eggs series by Emily Martha Sorensen.

This is such a cute story with some of the best covers…Ever.

Cover: Eva Urbanikova

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

They’d barely finished saying, I do, when…

Congratulations, it’s a boy…with claws, a tail, and a hearty appetite.

What does he eat? And what’s in his diaper?

Does he have tantrums and cry like a baby when he wants or needs something? And what’s that sound like?

What happened to all the adult dragons? Why are the eggs hatching now?

This wonderfully cute novella kept me in smiles as I watched Rose and Henry trying to take care of the baby dragon, Virgil, who adopted them as his parents.

What does the future hold in store for them?

This series does not stand alone, but I will tell you that I look forward to each and every novella and eagerly anticipate reading this fun story in its entirety.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dragon’s Hope by Emily Martha Sorensen.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

As their wedding day fast approaches, Rose’s nerves hit their peak. More and more, she finds herself drawn to the other dragon eggs, pleading with them to hatch so that she won’t be the only mother to a baby dragon in New York City.

But when one of other eggs finally does awaken, the second dragon bonds with someone Rose would never have expected . . . and who does not seem suitable as a parent.

ABOUT EMILY MARTHA SORENSEN

Emily is a prolific writer with many titles to choose from. She writes of fairies, dragons, fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, world peace in short stories and flash fiction.

You can find her on Goodreads & Amazon

MY REVIEWS FOR EMILY MARTHA SORENSEN

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One Sentence Review – Dead by Dawn by Bret Wellman #BretWellman

Posted on October 21, 2017 by fundinmental

Bret Wellman and I have some Halloween Horror coming your way in this fabulous vampire apocalypse, Dead by Dawn.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

You’ll want some fire, some wood, some silver, some holy water and a cross to deal with these old time vampires since Bret Wellman has done a fantastic job of coming up with some new, gut wrenching ways to die in an apocalypse, and I fear for all the characters, especially the one that holds my name, Sherry…Hits a little too close to home in what has turned out to be one of my favorite vampire stories.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

At first it appeared to be a normal sickness, but when the bodies began to drop, the nightmare rose.

When a video goes viral of a man’s dead son walking around, people begin to speculate. These speculations only continue to grow as a new virus sweeps its way across the east coast, killing thousands. It soon appears that someone is trying to contain this disease, snatching almost every infected body during the night. As the government steps in, the people become aware that they are under attack from something much worse than a virus. Now they must ban together and fight for their lives against the creatures of the night.

Filled with suspense, fright, and action, Dead by Dawn is sure to be one of the best vampire fiction novels of the year. One of the greatest vampire plagues that you’re not going to want to miss!

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Friday 56#141 – Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin @aileen_erin

Posted on October 13, 2017 by fundinmental

.
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

I won a signed copy of Becoming Alpha (Alpha Girl #1) by Aileen Erin and a beautiful bookmark some time ago and just got around to reading it.

Check out this beautiful cover. Do you think it’s safe to take a walk in the woods?

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Goodreads

MY 56

We walked across the lawn to the large brick house. A lilting beat flowed across the yard. I took a look down at my outfit – black skater dress, thin silver belt, flip-flops, thin silver scarf, and black over the elbow gloves – as my nerves started to reach an all time high. I smoothed my skirt down and centered the knot on my scarf as my nerves rose.

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin has all the elements for a great young adult story, danger, betrayal, supernatural creatures of all kinds, romance, confusion, a fight to the death, and I’d follow her flip flopping footsteps all day long.

4 Stars