Women Take Justice into Their Own Hands in Thirteen to None @ceebee308

The gorgeous cover makes me feel I am stepping into EVIL in Thirteen to None by Claude Bouchard. Women take justice and there are no holds barred.

I was soooooo right!

Thirteen to None (Vigilante, #8)MY REVIEW

Thirteen to None by Claude Bouchard is the 8th book in the Vigilante series. Even though it is a series, it is not necessary to read them in order. It is also the #3 Kindle Bestseller in Vigilante Justice and I can see why. I have watched and rewatched and rewatched Charles Bronson in his vigilante series. I love it…when justice is not served, sometimes it is necessary to take the law into our own hands.

The events take place in a week’s time and Thirteen to None is jam-packed with action. It starts out with a gang of thirteen sadistic killers leaving two burned bodies in their wake. When their men are taken…next on the blood thirsty killer list of victims…three women make it their mission to rescue them.

Thirteen to None contains some great twists that add that extra bit, making a novel stand out from the rest. This shocking thriller has a fantastic cast of characters, whether they are the lowest of the low or some of the most heroic and determined females I have had the pleasure to know. I am amazed at the story Claude Bouchard has created and wonder why I haven’t read his work before.

The storyline was written in an engrossing way, leaving me unable to put the book down until the last page had been read. Stupendous job, Claude! I want more.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars

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A Mind Blowing Betrayal in A Killing Truth by @dvberkom

DV Berkom is back today with her new prequel to the Leine Basso stand alone series, A Killing Truth. I have been very curious about Leine’s life as a government assassin, before she started chasing down serial killers, and now I get to know how she came to be the person she is today and the mind blowing betrayal that changed her life forever.

So come along on another grand adventure as the action and suspense take us down a long and ugly road of betrayal of the worst kind.

And if you missed DV Berkom’s guest post on Writing a Killer as Your Main Character, you can check it out HERE and enter the giveaway.

eBook Cover 1563x2500 A Killing Thruth

MY REVIEW

The Leine Basso series by DV Berkom is jam packed with action and adventure and Leine Basso is one badass protagonist that I would love to have on my side in my time of need. When I found out DV Berkom was going to write her story about before she started hunting down serial killers and taking out drug cartel, I thought, bring it on.

I have been looking forward to learning about Leine Basso before…

Leine Basso is an ex assassin, strong on the outside, yet soft on the inside, even though she does her best to hide it from everyone. She is super smart and does what needs to be down, no matter how tough the job.

What drove her to quit her government job as an assassin?

The betrayal by her boss leads to horrific consequences for Leine, so tragic, that it will haunt her for the rest of her life as she struggles to reconcile with her daughter. Will she ever be able to have a “normal” life…well, normal to her. You know love, a relationship, a man you can trust with your life. She has sacrificed so much, she deserves a chance at happiness…and DV…I believe you will give it to her. Right? LOL

I had wondered if I may be disappointed with A Killing Truth because I have been wanting to see how DV Berkom would write her story ever since I met Leine Basso. Now, I can breathe a sigh of relief. Disappointed? NO WAY. I am not surprised that this prequel is my favorite Leine Basso story yet. It explains her motivations, at the same time it is filled with action packed danger and suspense that kept me hanging on every word.

I found that I am happy I didn’t know her story before hand. It carries so much more meaning for me now and I feel her sense of betrayal and my anger makes me wonder how she could have ever allowed him to live and breathe. I am so pissed off, I don’t know how Leine manages. I never saw the twisted story that DV Berkom created and I love/hate it. I love it because it was such a horrible surprise that, in hindsight, I should have caught, but DV wrote it in such a way that shes slid it right by me. Excellent job! And I hate it because…well…you will have to read it to find out for yourself.

I received a copy of A Killing Truth by DV Berkom in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars

And if you missed DV Berkom’s guest post on Writing a Killer as Your Main Character, you can check it out HERE and enter the giveaway.

GOODREADS BLURB

Before serial killers and drug cartels, Leine faced the ultimate betrayal…

Leine eliminates terrorists for a living. After a routine assassination almost gets her killed, she chalks it up to a fluke. Her lover and fellow assassin, Carlos, has another idea altogether. He thinks their boss is setting them up for a fall.

When Carlos goes missing and a bombing thwarts another mission, Leine suspects the stakes are far higher than she could ever imagine, and wonders if the man in charge might have it in for her after all.

A Killing Truth is the prequel to the award-winning Leine Basso thriller series of crime novels. If you like no-nonsense heroines, page-turning plots, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love D.V. Berkom’s tension-filled series.

Download A Killing Truth to find out how the story began…

Image of D.V. Berkom ABOUT DV BERKOM

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.

And if you missed DV Berkom’s guest post on Writing a Killer as Your Main Character, you can check it out HERE and enter the giveaway.

I am reading my way through DV Berkom’s The Leine Basso Thrillers:

I am also reading my way through DV Berkom’s Kate Jones Thrillers:

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Friday 56 #76 & BB #52 – Deep Water by S V Date

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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.

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2016-02-25 05.16.31~~~

Next up on the shelf is Deep Water by S V Date, author of Smokeout.

No question, I grabbed this because of the cover…and title!

Book design by Meighan Cavanaugh

MY FRIDAY 56

“Oh, right,” Armstrong agreed. “They contract for their own police and fire protection, they can build their own airport, without state approval, or set up their own  power grid or even build a nuclear power plant. They sure as hell don’t have to let me monitor their environmental compliance. They do, though, have to follow the general laws of Florida. So if I can show they’re violating water-quality laws, I can get a subpoena and bust ’em. I’m waiting on some water samples from a CI. If they show what I think they’ll show, then I can leak you the whole kit and caboodle You put it in the paper.”

(page 56 in hardcover)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

The blue sea kayak glided silently through tea-colored water as Irlo “Bobby” King let the paddle rest against his chest. Somewhere in the thick morning mist, not so far ahead now, was the lone acacia tree that, according to his earlier reconnaissance, marked the southern boundary of Africaland.

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Smokeout’s bitingly entertaining portrait of a misbehaving Florida state legislature drew raves for both its inventiveness and timeliness, and the Providence Journal declared, “Carl Hiaasen may have an heir apparent.” Now, Date takes out after another cherished state institution, and the results are every bit as subversive.

In the “ideal” designed community of Serenity, Florida, pride of the late theme-park king Waldo Whipple, things are far from ideal. The houses are listing, the regulations are onerous, the mayor is lecherous, and the occasional Wild Dominion animal has started turning up dead. Graffiti is sprouting in odd places-“Serenityites Arise!” and “WWWS: What Would Waldo Say?”-and when a reporter begins poking around, he quickly discovers that Waldo’s successors have a decidedly different vision for America’s Hometown-and if certain people don’t stop interfering with it, animals won’t be the only things that start turning up dead. . . .

Filled with wicked humor and razor-sharp plotting, Deep Water is delightfully twisted-and maybe more plausible than any of us would like to think.

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I am a “cover girl”.

What do you like or dislike about the cover?

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Giveaway – Those Who Walk in Darkness @AuthorJLavene

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I am excited to have Joyce and Jim Lavene on fundinmental today, sharing

Those Who Walk in Darkness.

Scroll through my review before entering the giveaway.

THOSE WHO WALK IN DARKNESS
Those Who Walk In Darkness
(Jacks Jackson Mystery Book 1)

Historical Mystery
Print Length: 266 pages
Publisher: J. Lavene (March 8, 2016)
ASIN: B01AS8NN6Q

MY REVIEW

Westerns aren’t big on my hit list, but anything by the Lavenes and you can count me in. Those Who Walk in Darkness by Jim and Joyce Lavene is a step back in time, to the Wild West days of the Pinkertons. Beware, you’ll need a quick draw to survive.

Jacks is Julia. After her fiance died at her feet, she went to Allan Pinkerton. He said he would help her find the killer and hired her on the spot. Only two people know she is female, Allan Pinkerton, her boss, and Lil. Lil is a madame who recognized her femininity and felt a need to “mother” her. I can only imagine how hard it would be to change ALL your mannerisms. Cutting the hair and binding the breasts would be simple, but learning to walk, talk and act like a man would be much more difficult. She would have to be ever vigilant.

Jacks can take care of herself. She’s a cigar smoking, whiskey drinking, quick draw and is doing just fine, until Hume Boyd and Running Wolf. She preferred to work alone, but that would not be the case this time.

Now…what can I say about Hume. I can picture him, looking so young you wonder if he can even pick up a gun, naive, sweet and innocent and too eager for his own good.

I have a bad feeling about Boyd, but a good one about Running Wolf. With a name like that, I think we have some paranormal and mystical machinations coming up and I am looking forward to them. Jacks keeps denying the appearance of the raven, but we shall see.

The mystery unfolds and I am delighted to be teased…it can’t be him…too obvious, but he’s not a nice guy and that’s putting it mildly. So, what’s his beef? Okay, then how about…it could be him, and I waver back and forth. The big question is “Why?”

The characters are well developed and the mystery prolonged. I know something is coming…very soon. Even though I am expecting it, it’s still a shock when it happens. I jerk and gasp, laughing at myself for being caught off guard.

I have a love/hate feeling for the ending. The Lavene’s wrap this novel up in a neat package, but Jacks story lives on. There is no happy ever after and I will be more than glad to go on the next adventure to find out…who is the real Jacks.

This was a surprising 5 stars for me. When I began reading I was rating it a bit low, but it kept getting better and better. Fantastic writing and I would highly recommend Those Who Walk in Darkness by the Lavene’s for a great combination of multiple genres.

I received a copy of Those Who Walk in Darkness by Joyce and Jim Lavene in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars

Synopsis

Three years ago, Julia Jackson was a well to do young woman from Boston whose fiancé, Jonathon, was killed right before her eyes. Obsessed with finding the killer, a man whose face she saw only in a flash as he walked up and shot Jonathon, she leaves her family and her life behind. She starts a new life as ‘Jacks’ Jackson—a cigar smoking, dead eye, female Pinkerton agent…pretending to be a man.

Now Allan Pinkerton needs Jacks to find the man who kidnapped the wife and son of a railroad official, David Boyd. Their only clues are the severed finger from the man’s wife, complete with wedding ring, and a map of the Qualla boundary, the Cherokee reservation in North Carolina.

Jacks doesn’t like the way the whole thing sounds from the beginning. David Boyd isn’t important enough to target for sherry fundina kidnapping. And why travel so far with two hostages?

But Pinkerton tells her that he believes the man responsible for the kidnapping worked with Jonathon’s murderer in a train robbery five years ago. Jacks agrees to go after the kidnapper with hopes of catching him before he can reach his home grounds.

Pinkerton insists that Jacks bring three men with her—Boyd, her new partner, and a Cherokee guide named Running Wolf, who’s always watching her, like he’s trying to figure it out.

Can Jacks catch the kidnapper with her secret—and her life—intact?

joycejim

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.

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GIVEAWAY

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

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Teaser Tuesday #63 – The Body Market DV Berkom @dvberkom

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TeaserTuesdays-ADailyRhythm3Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of adailyrhythm.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 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!

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DV Berkom writes some amazing novels and Leine Basso, a retired assassin is my favorite character. This is a stand alone series.

In this novel…Everything’s For Sale…including women.The Body Market

Add me to Goodreads now

MY TEASE

Monday morning she was so going to ream Josh’s ass for wanting to go to that party.

Josh is dead, Elise.

(page 26 in paperback)

Fabulous giveaway at the link below:

OMG – They took her – The Body Market DV Berkom @dvberkom

GOODREADS BLURB

A retired assassin is called in when a celebration south of the border turns into a nightmare.

Former assassin Leine Basso is hired by a wealthy Beverly Hills power couple to find their missing daughter, Elise, last seen partying with her boyfriend at a club in Tijuana. At first, police believe the two teenagers are the victims of a carjacking. But when Leine finds their missing vehicle with the boyfriend’s mutilated body inside, and the local cartel warns her away, she knows if Elise isn’t already dead, she will be soon, or worse.

In the lethal world of organized crime, there’s always a worse.

As Leine races to uncover the reason behind Elise Bennett’s disappearance, she must also battle the powerful interests fighting to keep her from the truth.

Fabulous Giveaway at the link below:

OMG – They took her – The Body Market DV Berkom @dvberkom

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Hidden Chamber of Death Giveaway @iReadBookTours

Hidden Chamber of Death by Hawk MacKinney is Book I of the Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. I love murder, mystery and suspense, so let’s see if we can solve this one.

I love to learn more about authors than what is listed in their bio and Hawk MacKinney is here today to share some of his thoughts. Welcome, Hawk.

What is your next project?

The Cairnes of Sainctuarie Series sci-fi… Volume 3

The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series…Book 2/Book 3

The 3 manuscripts are in edit. Try to keep 3-5 manuscripts going at the same time. Lets me edit one while the others are on the shelf.

What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

Funny in hindsight…at the time definitely NOT…early-teens…where one knows all the answers before learning one doesn’t even know the questions. Title this Halters and Bits. We raised horses and mules, mainly Quarter Horses…for rounding up/herding cows, calves, colts, heifers/heffers, & assorted yearlings. It was fall, corn cribbed; hay baled; fields ploughed & harrowed…which proved a good thing. My job…corral those brought from the pastures…among our colts—one young colt-stallion. Bareback was an okay-ride…NOT with the gaps down, a rope halter, no bit, and fence gates to the feed stalls wide open. It was plowed cornfield; the stallion decided he wanted me OFF; top of his stall would strike me right about my waist. He went to a full-out gallop. I bailed. Spit dirt clods, corn & corn shucks for a good 10 minutes. Never rode that sucker again without a bridle and spurs.

What is (your) writing schedule?

Up early before the crack of doom, 4-4:30a. Break for lunch, 3-4 hrs afternoon, another break, a couple of hrs. Turn in by 9:30-10p and loose my fantasies to resolve any conundrum dropped into the plot, or have a character I like do the unexpected. ALWAYS keep a note pad by my nightlight

What do you do for fun when not writing?

Read historical non-fiction or the latest quantum revelations out of CERN…there’s some outstanding quantum physics writers that have a gift few ‘scientist-researchers’ possess…their writing is understood by the person in the street.

Have you a favorite actor?

Ingrid Bergman, Katherine Hepburn, Ava Gardner…I’m dating myself, but these actresses don’t need paparazzi or media blitz of so-called stars. They let their craft speak for them…most certainly not available to cast as the young widow of a SEAL

Critters do have a mind of their own and sometimes let us know it. LOL Glad you made it through in one piece. Quantum physics? You lost me, but to know there are scientists out there wanting to reach a lay person, like me, and telling it in words that even I can understand is a great thing. Thanks so much, Hawk, for sharing bits of yourself. 🙂

Be sure and enter the great giveaway at the end of the post.

recreated in 3D with vintage drawings of the 18th centuryMY REVIEW

Don’t let the cover for Hidden Chamber of Death by Hawk MacKinney fool you. This story is darker than you think.

A death brings ex-Navy seal, Craige Ingram, and Terri, a recent widow and bank examiner, together. Embezzlement puts Terri smack dab into the middle of danger. Craige will come to the rescue, which is what I expect from a hero. 🙂 Craige is a great guy. He takes you as you are, no bigotry, no judgments.

A grizzly murder and a psycho serial killer always catch my attention. I find out early who the killer is but there is more going on than murder. A death starts an inquiry into the bank records that someone desperately wants to keep quiet.

A bit of romance, a psycho serial killer, greed, embezzlement…it’s all good to me.

I’m not sure what it was about the writing, but it seemed a bit slow and I stumbled off and on…BUT, the ending makes it all worth it, so read on. I will be looking for the next adventure into the Vault of Secrets.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  3 STARS

I received a copy of Hidden Chamber of Death by Hawk MacKinney in return for an honest review.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Hidden Chamber of Death is a compelling tale of intrigue, murder, deception and suspense that leads retired Navy SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram in search of the connection between seemingly random murders and a banking conspiracy.

​Working with the local homicide investigator, who just happens to be a former Navy buddy, Craige Ingram’s attempts to protect a lonely widow and solve the case before another person dies are only thwarted by a psychotic killer whose motivation is based on pure depraved pleasure. In this first book of the MOCCASIN HOLLOW MYSTERY SERIES, the instincts and skills Ingram and his buddy acquired as Navy SEALS are tested to their limits.

​Buy the book:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble

ABOUT HAWK MACKINNEY

Hawk MacKinneyInternationally acclaimed author and public speaker, Hawk MacKinney began writing mysteries for his school newspapers. Following graduation, he served in the US Navy for over 20 years. While serving as a Navy Commander, he also had a career as a full-time faculty member at several major state medical facilities. He earned two postgraduate degrees with studies in languages and history. He has taught postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel.

In addition to professional articles and texts on fetal and adult anatomy, Hawk has authored several novels that have received national and international recognition.Moccasin Trace, a historical novel, was nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. This was followed by the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. In a change of direction, October of 2012 saw the release of Hawk’s first science fiction novel, The Bleikovat Event, in The Cairns of Sainctuarie series. Volume II, The Missing Planets, was released in 2014 with Volume III in the works.

​Hawk’s latest project focuses on The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. Hidden Chamber of Death is Book 1 in the series.

​Connect with the author:  Website

GIVEAWAY

Win 1 of 5 ebooks or print copies of Hidden Chamber of Death and a $25 Amazon gift card (International)

 ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Friday 56 #74 & BB #50 – No One Lives Forever @JordanDane

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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.

~~~

2016-02-25 05.16.31

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Next up on the shelf is No One Lives Forever by Jordan Dane, a romantic suspense.

Book III of the No One Series. The books will stand alone.

A simple cover that makes me wonder…is she dead or alive?

MY FRIDAY 56

“You trust this woman,”

“Yes, I do,” he lied.

Of course, he’d be the one to make the call on the payout, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her he’d be in Brazil to do it. And if the funds got paid early, Charboneau’s life would have no more value to the kidnappers. Timing would be everything.

(page 56 in paperback)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

Gripping in nine-millimeter Beretta, Nicholas Charboneau peered through the peephole of the penthouse suite, responding to a soft knock. The red and black uniforms of hotel personnel should not have given him any cause for alarm. And yet, the hair at the nape of his neck reacted to a rush of adrenaline. Two men stood by a rolling cart of white linen, covered with food platters and a bottle of Brazilian merlot with a distinctive label.

GOODREADS BLURB

Nothing Is What It Seems

Born to a childhood pitted by violence, Christian Delacorte is desperate for peace when he embarks on a new life with the woman he loves, Detective Raven Mackenzie. But soon his old life comes calling—in the tempting form of a mysterious woman assassin.

When a Deadly Seductress Comes Calling

Jasmine Lee is determined to collect an old marker from Christian. He owes her—big time—and she needs his help freeing her kidnapped lover, Nicholas Charboneau—a powerful mogul linked to Chicago’s underworld. Christian doesn’t trust her, but Jasmine entices him to leave Raven behind when she reveals his shocking connection to Charboneau.

And a Lethal Race Against Time Begins

Christian has seven days to attempt an impossible rescue of the father he never knew. And when a woman assassin with ulterior motives makes a lousy ally, Christian is alone to face the stark reality that no one lives forever . . . and he might be the next to die.
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I am a “cover girl”.

What do you like or dislike about the cover?

~~~

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FREE THRILLER – Jackpot by Susan Fleet

Jackpot, a free thriller, by Susan Fleet is a prequel for the Frank Renzi series. Each novel can stand alone.

Jackpot tells how and why Frank made the move from Boston to New Orleans, a story no thriller lover will want to miss.

Jackpot is FREE: March 1-5, 2016 .

To see my review:  Is Winning the Lottery a Curse or a Blessing – Jackpot by Susan Fleet.

To see my reviews for more of Susan Fleet’s novels, scroll to the end of the post.

To get your copy, click on the cover or HERE.

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ASIN: B00FCCO4EE   Universal link: JACKPOT

227 reviews: Ave 4.4 out of 5 stars.

A serial killer murders lottery winners.

A compulsive gambler hits the jackpot and thinks his problems are over, but they’re just beginning. Homicide Detective Frank Renzi is hunting a serial killer who targets lottery winners. Feathered Quill Book Reviews called Renzi “The coolest detective in literature today!”

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My Reviews for Susan Fleet’s novels:

 

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  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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Evil Walks Among Us – Betrayed by Jaye Frances Guest Post, Giveaway & Review

Betrayed (World Without Love, Book I) by Jaye Frances had me sitting, with my mouth hanging open, wanting to throw my kindle at…something. I wanted to scream and rage at the degradation and cruelty that was heaped on Jewel.

Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

I am so excited to have Jaye Frances here to share some hints about Betrayed, Book One in the World Without Love series.

Betrayed, Book One, World Without Love

A Suspense Thriller Series With an Erotic Edge

 PROLOGUE

We’re all captives, in one way or another . . .

I’m awakened by the sounds of creaking wood and straining rope—constant protests to the unsteady pitch and roll of the darkness.

Dizzy and disoriented, I take a breath, trying to dispel the nausea. But the air is laced with the pungent smell of damp rot, and its raw bite forces me to shallow my breathing.

Staring into the darkness, I search for a shape, a silhouette—anything to give me a clue about my surroundings. But there is only a thick layered blackness, as endless as the grave.

I’m plagued by the sensation of motion, of being rocked up and down. A flash of impaired logic tells me to dismiss it as a specter, an artifact from the nearly depleted dose of Halcion.

A minute passes—or an hour. I can’t tell which.

I hear something—a garbled voice, remnants of disconnected conversation. And from much farther away, the plaintive cries of a bird. The sounds seem genuine, missing that phantom-like quality associated with suspects from a barbiturate daze.

I take it as a sign—the drugs are finally leaving my system.

A prickly thaw sweeps the surface of my skin, bringing with it the nagging sensation that something is pulling at my limbs, tugging at me from both ends.

It’s not an after-effect of the drugs, I’m sure of that. It’s too strong, too constant. I have the sense it’s been there all along, waiting to break through the chemical cloud that kept me unconscious.

It’s growing stronger, getting worse, becoming a piercing burn stretching from my shoulders to my hips, cutting me to the quick.

I try to turn, to get away from the waves of searing heat raking at my arms and legs.

I can’t move.

The realization is as damning as if I’d awakened in the sulfur pits of hell. I’m bound like an animal, my wrists tied above my head, my legs strapped at the ankles—my body a living bridge of straining joints and wrenched sinew.

Even as my muscles scream at the draw of the restraints, I feel the bite of riveted steel against my back, the harsh, unforgiving surface running the length of my spine.

I’m naked.

It’s no accident. Whoever did this intentionally stripped me, leaving me exposed and vulnerable, determined to violate my mind as well as my body.

The blackness rolls then plunges, releasing something new into the shifting darkness. Slithering against me, it touches my skin with a bitter cold that breaks through the unrelenting agony of the rope. I hear my own tortured wheeze catch in my throat as I feel it scoring my stomach, the freezing nip and sting quickly followed by the unmistakable seeping of liquid, collecting in the hollow of my belly, running down my sides.

A rush of useless adrenalin floods my bloodstream, my chest threatening to explode as my racing heart frantically pumps blood to an unseen wound.

Even through the suffocating surge of panic, a vision of what I cannot see crystalizes with vivid detail: My arms and legs are tortuously drawn on a makeshift rack . . . a pendulum of biting chill slices across my naked torso . . . tiny rivers of fluid trickle down my sides.

I barely hear it over my pounding heartbeat—the sound of sloshing liquid.

In seconds, it becomes as familiar as it is terrifying.

I’m lying in water.

I take a halted breath as I realize the truth. The fluid running down my sides is not blood, but ribbons of over-wash from the frigid pool that surrounds me.

Rope and water.

Pain and fear.

It’s deliberate . . . to break me.

Again, the darkness lurches and rolls, churning the water, splashing it over my breasts and thighs. And although the icy burn forces me to gasp for air, it also sparks a moment of fleeting recognition—a vague memory from my past, a connection to the rise and fall of everything around me.

I’ve felt it before.

But where? When?

Stray thoughts flood my mind—the gentle climb, the momentary sense of weightlessness, the sudden drop . . . the unique motion of the sea.

It isn’t much, but it gives me something to hold on to, a starting point in remembering what has happened to me.

Thanks so much for the enticing peek into Betrayed, Jaye.

The cover only hints at the horror contained within the pages of Betrayed!

Betrayed

Add me to Goodreads now

MY REVIEW

WARNING: Graphic and explicit sexual scenes…kidnapping, sexual slavery, human trafficking, rape, abuse… I hesitate to call it erotica, because I view erotica as sex for sex’s sake. The scenes in Betrayed are pivotal to the story to show the savagery and brutality of the human trafficking of women.

I have read a couple of books by Jaye Francis, The Beach (review link below), Love Travels Forever (review link below) and The Kure (review to come soon) and they were quite different (wonderful paranormal and supernatural stories). I was caught off guard by the direction she took in Betrayed, but her writing is so fantastic, I will read anything she pens.

I love the cover and it screamed EVIL to me and I was soooooo right, BUT…I never anticipated just how EVIL it would be.

I find the review for Betrayed by Jaye Francis very difficult to write. I rarely read erotica, unless it is by an author I cannot resist, of which Jaye is one. I was talking to my sister about the book and how I could best describe it to get my point across. Human trafficking…one of the ugliest sides of “humanity”. The men who do this deserve the worst punishment possible…death! They are not fit to walk the face of the earth and you will meet some of them…especially her husband, Carl.

Jewel is shy and lacks self confidence. She marries Carl and his sense of adventure take them to exotic locales. I loved the thought of no nine to five, just going where their whims take them. Until…

I find it hard to believe she would let Carl do what he did, but I think her naivety and the inability to believe someone she trusted, should have been able to trust, allowed it to happen. After all, this is going on today, to intelligent women who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It makes me wonder…it is a desire in women to believe the best of everyone, to trust too much? I struggle to put into words what I am thinking and feeling. It’s one of those things…this could never happen to me. But, could it? Could it happen to you?

She would pay dearly for her mistake!

She would have to “learn to play the game” to survive. Does the Stockholm Syndrome play a part, or is it go along or die?

So many characters to hate and I wish I could climb through my kindle to make them pay. They should not be able to walk among us, living and breathing.

Betrayed by Jaye Frances is jam packed with action. I felt my emotions taking me into the depths of hell and she took me to a place I have never been before. I can only hope Jaye Frances will make them pay, in the worst possible way!

The storm descriptions were vivid and terrorizing, but I felt something good would come of it. I had a feeling I knew where Jaye was going and who Jewel would end up with to continue the story, but how that will play out…

The cliffhanger ending has me literally hanging on the edge…waiting to see where we will go next and I can hardly wait to get there. And I hope to see Carl again…soon.

I received a copy of Betrayed by Jaye Frances in return for an honest review. As I said earlier, I love her writing and will go wherever she wants to take me.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 STARS

Goodreads Blurb:  Jewel has everything going for her—a handsome husband, a promising future, and lots of time to explore an island paradise she now calls home.

But when a group of strangers accompanies her husband home for a friendly game of poker, her life quickly becomes a hellish nightmare of deceit and betrayal.

Now her very survival depends on entering a world where sex, domination, and money are inseparable, where women must obey all masters, and where every desire has its price.

“Betrayed” contains mature content and is intended for an 18 and over audience.

ABOUT JAYE FRANCES

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Jaye Frances, author of Betrayed

Jaye Frances is the author of “World Without Love,” a suspense thriller series with an erotic edge, including “Betrayed,” “Reunion,” and “Redemption.” Her other books include “The Beach,” a sci-fi supernatural tale about the possibilities—and horror—of wishful thinking, “The Kure,” a paranormal-occult romance novel, “The Possibilities of Amy,” a coming-of-age story of first love, and “Love Travels Forever,” a collection of poignant short stories. When not absorbed with her writing, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and taking pictures-lots of them. Jaye lives on the gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, and several hundred pairs of shoes.

For more information visit Jaye’s website at www.jayefrances.com
her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jayefrancesauthor
and her Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/www.jayefrances…

GIVEAWAY

Jaye Frances has offered 1 (one) ebook of Betrayed, Book One of the World Without Love series, for the giveaway. Entry is easy peasy. Just answer the question and leave your email so I may contact you if you win.

“Have you ever been Betrayed by someone you loved and trusted?”

Giveaway runs 2/26 – 3/11/16.

I have read a couple of her books and Betrayed is quite different, but her writing is top notch, so I will grab anything she pens. If Betrayed sounds a bit much for you, check out The Beach, see my review link below, The Kure or The Possibilities of Amy.

MY REVIEWS OF THE BEACH AND LOVE TRAVELS FOREVER

  • Guest Post-Review of The Beach by Jaye Frances
  • Guest Post and Review of Love Travels Forever by Jaye Frances
  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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Monday Mini – Danger in the Shadows #DeeHenderson

Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson is a prequel to the O’Malley Series, and all I can say is WOW! If this is the kickoff, I can hardly wait to continue.

Such a simple cover for a not so simple story.

I won this book in a giveaway. Lucky me.

MY REVIEW

Are you afraid of the dark?

Sara is terrified!

The suspense is high from the opening pages of Dangers in the Shadow by Dee Henderson. Romance is budding…and the mystery of her stalker hangs over her head.

Imagine…security, changing your routines every time you walk out the door,constantly looking over your shoulder, wondering if today would be the day…

Dee Henderson’s writing makes me able to see and feel Sara’s terror. I love that she also writes lovely picture books for children and is a bestselling author for novels of murdered children. I think it shows her wonderful ability to shift focus from the good to the bad.

Dangers in the Shadows is an inspirational suspense novel that did it’s job well. I kept waiting for IT to happen. I know it has to!

The romance was slow to develop, just like most real life instances. This read as if it could be a true story and if you are a suspense/thriller lover, like me, you won’t want to miss Danger in the Shadows by Dee Henderson.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

BLURB

From Goodreads:  Sara is terrified. She’s doing the one thing she cannot afford to do: fall in love with former pro-football player Adam Black, a man everyone knows. Sara’s been hidden away in the witness protection program, her safety dependent on staying invisible—and loving Adam could get her killed! Introducing the O’Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O’Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.

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 I am a “cover girl”.

Cover design by Ron Kaufmann and Dean H Renniger

What do you think?

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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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!