Giveaway – Apocalypsis by Elle Casey

Posted on January 18, 2016 by fundinmental

Kahayatle
Elle Casey
(Apocalypsis #1)
Publication date: June 22nd 2012
Genres: Horror, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Young Adult

After a wedding filled with werewolves, fay, and vampires, Vicky is lookia

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ELLE CASEY, brings readers Book 1 of 4 in the YA Dystopian APOCALYPSIS Series, suitable for older teens and adults.

KAHAYATLE. My name’s Bryn Mathis. I’m seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I’m almost out of food and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day. It’s time for me to leave and find another place to live … a place where I can find food and shelter … a place where they won’t be able to find me. Alone, it might have been possible, but now I’ve got company. I’m worried that I don’t have what it takes to get from here to my final destination, and I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

Content Warning: Mild violence and some foul language. Meant for older Young Adult readers (age 15+). This book is in the Dark Science Fiction / Horror / Post-Apocalyptic genres, featuring teen characters only.

APOCALYPSIS SERIES READING ORDER
Kahayatle (Apocalypsis Book 1) **Special introductory ebook price**
Warpaint (Apocalypsis Book 2)
Exodus (Apocalypsis Book 3)
Haven (Apocalypsis Book 4)

This series is dedicated to the amazing, wonderful Native Americans who populate our nation, continuing their traditions and reminding the rest of us that sometimes, progress isn’t always the best thing for our people. I invite you to learn more about the Miccosukee tribe, their history, culture, and lifestyle by visiting this website: http://www.miccosukee.com/indian-village/

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / GooglePlay / Kobo

Currently available for FREE!

—

EXCERPT:

Prologue

I STUFFED THE SLEEPING BAG down into my backpack with angry, punching motions, sick and tired of having to be here and having to do the same thing over and over again. I hated camping, I hated being organized, and more than anything, I hated what this exercise stood for.
“Don’t do it like that. I told you – you have to conserve the room as best you can. You have to travel as efficiently as possible. Take it out and start over.”

“I don’t see what difference it makes.”

“Trust me, it’s going to be a really big deal to you in the not so distant future.” His voice sounded hollow.

“Says who?” I was being ornery. I knew the answer to the question already.

“Says me, Bryn. And the news. Look around, would you?” He sounded like he was pleading now. “Stop defaulting back to the rebellious young teen act, and get serious. We don’t have enough time to play those games anymore.”

“They’re not games, Dad. I am a teenager. I don’t care what the news jerks and the government say.” I threw my backpack down on the ground. “And it’s not rebellious to not want to play friggin’ survivor in the backyard every day.”

My dad looked at me with a sad expression and sighed, reaching over to pull me into a tight hug. He dropped his nose to my head and inhaled deeply.

My face was pressed up against his shirt, and I could smell his sweat mixed with the sweet scent of his aftershave. My dad always said he was the last of a dying breed, using that stuff. He couldn’t have been more right.

“Maybe it’s not going to happen here … to us.” I said it just to hear the words, but I knew it was only wishful thinking.

I could tell he was getting choked up again when he started talking, his voice now hoarse.

“I wish, more than anything else in this world, that you didn’t have to be standing here with me in this backyard playing survivor.” His whole body started to shake with silent sobs. “Oh, God, Bryn. If I could do anything to change this, anything at all, I would. I swear to God I would. But it’s happening. No one can stop it.”

I put my arms around his waist, letting go of my earlier stubborn anger, now choking back my own tears. “I know, Dad. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did,” he said, sniffing hard and clearing his throat, shifting to hold me at arm’s length. He was staring at me while he smiled through his tears, giving me that look. The one that always made me confess.

“Okay, so maybe I did mean it. But I’ll shut up about it for a little while.”

“Not for too long, though. You wouldn’t be my daughter if you weren’t complaining about something.”

I tried to slap him playfully but he moved too fast for me. My dad is light on his feet, an expert level-one practitioner of krav maga – a certified badass. He’d only recently taken up camping.

“Pick it up,” he ordered, now back in control of his emotions. “Do it again. Only this time, get the air out of that bag first, condense it down …”

I cut him off. “I know, I know … ‘down into the smallest footprint possible.’ Geez, Dad, I’m not an idiot.”

I shook the sleeping bag out and started rolling it up quickly, using the moves I’d been practicing for four months straight to squeeze it down into a lump the size of a small loaf of bread. I folded the whole thing in half, pushed it to the bottom of the backpack, and then let it unfold itself one time, before putting the other items in on top of it: unbreakable water bottle, half-liter of bleach, square of plastic, cup, hunting knife, and various other tools my father was quite certain I would need … once all the adults in the world had died off, leaving us kids alone to fend for ourselves.

Author Bio:

Elle Casey is a prolific, NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling American writer who lives in Southern France with her husband, three kids, and several furry friends. She writes in several genres and publishes an average of one full-length novel per month.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Giveaway – Twisted Sisters by Kimber Leigh Wheaton (@Cymberle)

Posted on December 23, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop on the Twisted Sisters blog tour!
Here’s a link to the host list if you’d like to follow the tour Click Me!

Twisted Sisters

The Orion Circle, Book 2

Kimber Leigh Wheaton

YA Urban Fantasy/Mystery

Sea Dragon Press

October 27, 2015

Amazon | Goodreads

It’s a
child’s toy—what could go wrong?

While playing with a spirit board, two sorority sisters summon the vindictive spirits of three women brutally murdered by a psychopath. Join Logan, Kacie, and the rest of the Orion Circle as they delve into the disturbing events of the past to find the key to freeing the spirits.

But this isn’t any ordinary haunting. These ghosts were banished before, and now they have returned more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Anger breeds hatred and hatred leads to darkness—these phantoms are on the verge of losing their last spark of humanity and becoming completely lost to the shadows.

Can Logan and Kacie convince the tortured souls to embrace the light and move on, or will the spirits succumb to the hypnotic pull of evil, leading to an eternity of torment and suffering?

My First Ghost Hunt

by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

The paranormal has fascinated me for most of my life. In fact I can’t remember when it started or if there was a trigger. What I do remember vividly was my first foray into paranormal investigations. That sounds so much better than trespassing, doesn’t it?

It was a hot and muggy Texas evening. I was visiting my grandmother—she was so lenient, it was scary… but that’s an entirely different story. I loved visiting her because every year was an adventure, though the visit when I was twelve years old might have been a bit more exciting than I liked. We were playing in my friend Becky’s backyard, slow and lethargic due to the heat. My first major crush, Mike, was poking a dead snake with a stick—fun stuff.

It started as a suggestion, turned into a dare, and exploded from there. Visit the haunted house at the edge of the neighborhood. I was game. It beat poking a snake, that’s for sure. With the heat as bad as it was and the mosquitos appearing in masses, inside sounded better than outside. Besides, though my father believed otherwise, I was sure that ghosts were nothing but fantasy.

We made the three block trek to the broken-down, abandoned home at the end of a cul de sac. It was a Victorian, built at the turn of the century (yeah, I didn’t know that at the time, but I do remember thinking the house was really pretty, even as decimated as it looked). The porch was askew, rotten boards poking up all over the place. Windows were broken or boarded over. Oddly enough, the front door was solid and locked. After Mike almost fell through the rotting porch, we decided to check out the back.

After only a couple seconds wading through the knee-high grass, I decided I was better off with any ghost lurking in the house than the snakes, spiders, and scorpions hiding in the grass. But at that age I refused to show any weakness, especially in front of two boys. So I trooped on, praying with every step that there wasn’t anything deadly lying in wait.

For better or worse, the dilapidated back door was hanging off its hinges. The moment of truth had arrived: go inside an abandoned house that was probably the lair of every criminal in the area or look foolish in front of a boy—obviously a no-brainer. Inside we went.

The door creaked and groaned when Greg pushed it open, the perfect sound to start our haunted house adventure. We entered a kitchen that was nothing but a skeleton. Even the cabinet doors had been stolen. A strange smell filled the air, musty but something more. At the time I didn’t recognize it, but now it’s a smell I associate with death. As we passed into the dining room, Mike and Greg had to turn on their flashlights due to the setting sun coupled with the boarded-up windows. It’s amazing how much a little darkness can add to the freak factor.

Scared out of my mind, I grabbed onto Mike’s arm, drawn to the light and his potential ability to protect me from the things that go bump in the night. Arm in arm we crept around the downstairs, our footsteps echoing on the hardwood floor. It couldn’t have been creepier if someone staged it: dirty white sheets over furniture, a dusty old bookcase with rotting books, and cobwebs everywhere. As we passed the bookshelf, something grabbed my hair. I whipped around, ready to yell at Greg for trying to scare me, but he and Becky were across the room examining an armoire. When I turned back toward Mike, he was busy pulling cobwebs from my hair. With a soft whimper, I pawed at my hair, searching for the millions of spiders I just knew were there. Did I forget to mention that I used to hate spiders?

Mike wrapped both arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug. My heart melted at the sweet gesture until I realized he was trying to silence me. Steady footsteps sounded from upstairs. Thud, thud, creak, thud. We stood in silence at the bottom of the stairs, gazing into the inky darkness of the second floor landing. Who or what was upstairs? Mike and Greg both extinguished the flashlights, leaving us in shadows. My eyes strained as I continued to stare upstairs, listening for more noises in the sudden silence. Click, click, click. Thud.

We stood frozen, too frightened to move. A series of loud thuds broke whatever trance was holding us hostage. To my chagrin, Mike shoved me away in his fervor to flee the house. I watched his back disappear into the kitchen before grabbing Becky’s hand and dragging her toward the door. We burst out into the twilight, my eyes darting around looking for Mike and Greg. Those louses were gone. They seriously left us behind to be eaten, killed, or whatever by the menace lurking in the house.

Four days later there was a report on the news about a child molester found hiding in that same house. It wasn’t a ghost after all, but something much worse: a real-life monster. I consider myself lucky to have escaped, but the experience did not leave me unscathed. I developed a keen fear of real-life monsters, one that plagues me even today. It also sent me on a quest to find a chivalrous guy, one who would fight at my side, rather than leave me behind while he fled. I’m happy to say that those guys do exist, so if you haven’t found yours yet, keep looking.

But most of all, this experience cultivated an interest in paranormal hunting that has grown with me. While it’s true that I’ve never experienced anything that I can definitively label as paranormal, I refuse to give up. Life is full of mysteries, and one of the joys in my life is pursuing them.

Excerpt

I sense movement, and in the next moment Tracy throws herself at the barrier, a screaming, howling banshee. She fights against the magic barring her. Static electricity sparks through the room, zooming around, visible in the darkness. I push Kacie behind me as the manic ghost continues her relentless assault on the barrier. A deafening boom reverberates through the room, followed by a wave of energy. I push Kacie down, falling on top of her to shield her from the ghost’s wrath. Pain lances up my back like thousands of cat claws, making me cry out both in shock and pain. I glance back—Samson and
Delilah hiss their displeasure at Tracy, their claws digging into my back.

The claws retract when I yell at them, and all the other pain surfaces. Ignoring the throbbing in my ribs, I roll to my side to free Kacie, sending the cats leaping away. Tracy lets out one last anguished wail before slumping and falling to the floor. My familiars circle her prone body, mouths open, scenting the air. The heaviness in the air lessens, but I continue to take in shallow breaths to keep from aggravating the pain. I watch Tracy, searching for… well not signs of life, but existence? Her form flickers like an old movie, and I wonder if she’ll just wink out of existence.

“Is she…” Blake trails off, pushing himself up on his elbows. “That was quite a blast. You both okay?”

“Yeah,” Kacie says, rubbing her head.
“Where’s Mr. Kincaid?”

“Out here,” Mr. Kincaid says from the hall. “I got out just before the explosion.”

“Logan…” Kacie pulls on my arm while pointing at Tracy’s prone form. “I’ve never seen, I mean, she can’t…”

“Her spirit would’ve disappeared if she was destroyed.” I try to struggle to my feet but give up, sagging back down.
Kacie leans against me, and I wrap my arms around her.

Blake eyes us. “You two are not okay.”

“When Tracy forced the barrier, she released a lot of psychic energy,” I say, resting my cheek on Kacie’s head.

“It drained all of us, not just her,” Kacie adds.

“I feel fine,” Blake says stretching his arms over his head.

“Yeah, why is that?” I ask, unable to hide the genuine surprise from my voice.

“Rebecca will be thrilled,” Kacie says.

Blake raises his brows. “Why, she like stamina?”

Kacie giggles. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Blake. She likes researching puzzles.”

“Oh, no. I ain’t no one’s guinea pig.”

Tracy’s spirit releases a soft sigh, like a light exhale of breath… if ghosts could breathe. She floats to her feet as though controlled by invisible strings. Still solid, her dark eyes scan the room. A smile crosses her face when she realizes that she made it through the psychic barrier. All I can do is stare at the ghost and wonder what that mysterious smile means. Maybe she’s as drained as we are. Kacie squeezes my hand, her aura flickering from exhaustion. I meet her gaze. Evade and stall for time to recover—I try to send the message to her in my expression.

“Now that you’re in here, love,” Blake says, gesturing at the room. “Care to share why you wanted in so bad?”

Tracy blushes at Blake’s obvious flirting. I had no idea a spirit could blush, even one who appears as human as she does. I mean, it takes blood to blush, right? More manipulation? She glides to one of the beds and reaches out to it. Her hand goes straight through. When she tries again, she lets out a frustrated growl as her hand once again passes
through the mattress.

“I can’t touch anything?” she says, her words sounding more like a question than a statement.

One moment she’s by the bed and the next she appears inches from Blake’s face. He doesn’t flinch, which I have to admit is rather impressive. I’m pretty sure even I’d have reacted to her sudden appearance.

“Are you really a werewolf?” she asks, leaning so close they’d touch were she human.

“Yep.” Blake manages a blank face as the ghost circles him.

“Shift for me.”

“It ain’t a full moon, love,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. I’m well aware that Blake can shift whenever he wants. He’s a born alpha werewolf, not a bite victim. Blake’s features take on a look of complete innocence. Damn but he can rival Kacie and Daniel in the acting department. “Why’re you deflecting attention from that bed? What’s under that
mattress?”

“Nothing,” she says, backing away, shaking her head furiously.

“Now we both know that ain’t the truth.” Blake saunters over to the bed and lifts the mattress.

“No!”

“Now what have we here?” Blake tosses a small book to me.

I open the book and flip through the pages. “It’s a journal.”

“It’s mine!” Tracy howls, making a grab for the book. But her hand passes through. She may have enough power left to look almost human, but not enough to manipulate physical objects.

Kacie takes the book, hugging it to her chest. “This is very private, but it could also be what’s keeping you from moving on.”

Tracy’s form flickers and sinks to the floor. She returns to an ethereal, misty spirit, and I can’t help but notice how much lighter she is now than before. Swirling white and light gray misty energy compose her figure, a sure sign that she’s close to acceptance of her fate.

“I’ll talk, but just to you,” she says, pointing at Kacie.

“No,” I say, unwilling to leave Kacie alone with this dangerous adversary.

“Of course,” Kacie says, directing a glare at me.

About the Author

Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling
YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works
as an editor for two publishers, as well as select indie authors. She is
married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three
dogs and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, video games,
superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has
to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Winner of the 2014
Rising Star Award at the BTS Red Carpet Awards in NOLA & a Silver Medal for
YA Mystery/Horror in the 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.

Author Links:

http://www.kimberleighwheaton.com

https://twitter.com/Cymberle

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7885752.Kimber_Leigh_Wheaton

https://www.facebook.com/KimberLeighWheaton

http://www.pinterest.com/Cymberle

http://www.amazon.com/Kimber-Leigh-Wheaton/e/B00IN498L2/

https://instagram.com/kimberleighwheaton/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/URgwH

Giveaway

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Martina McAtee creates an amazing world in Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things – Giveaway, Review, Excerpt & Teasers

Posted on November 19, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things by Martina McAtee. I love the purple cover that made me look again and again, but it was the title that put a smile on my face and made this a MUST READ.

What dead things, you ask?

Well…you will have to read on to find out.

Be sure and scroll to the end to enter the fun giveaway.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things
Author: Martina McAtee
Publisher: Martina McAtee
Pages: 450
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Cover: Nathalia Suellen

MY REVIEW

The title and cover for Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things by Martina McAtee reached out and grabbed me by the short hairs and said , “READ ME!” So I did. I was captured from the opening pages and Martina McAtee never let me go.

The opening made me think of the character, Victoria on Mike & Molly’s TV show. She too has a job like Ember’s, prettying up the dead for a funeral home. I could visualize Ember talking to the dead as she prepares them for their showing. How creepy a job is that? Could you do it? Not me.

Ember is seventeen years old and she is alone, after her father’s death. Social services is coming to take her away, but she will have none of that. She has always been drawn to the cemetery and spends a lot of time with the dead. She heads there now.

Mace is a supernatural serial killer sent to WATCH her.

Kai felt he was being called to save his cousin, Ember, and talked his sister, Tristan, into joining him on the adventure. What could possibly go wrong?

As Ember meets her family, the introductions don’t go smoothly, but she is accepted. Now, she will find some answers, but they are nothing she could have ever anticipated.

Supernaturals live a humanly life, going to school and learning math. They have the same feelings and problems as we do, plus the additional burden of the magical community.

The snarky dialogue had me smiling, sometimes laughing out loud.

All the supes are here: windigoes and chupacabra, werewolves and fairies, reapers and soul eaters, necromancers and all the rest.

I was drawn deeper and deeper into the supernatural world Martina McAtee has created. She makes me believe there is a real town, with real issues, and I want more of Ember, Mace, Kai, Rhys, Tristan and Quinn. I feel as if I have grown up with them. They are in danger and I can only wonder if they will all make it out alive.

Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things is an adventure, some fun, some deadly. An amazing and gripping story. I was fully engulfed in Ember’s story, devouring the words, sometimes laughing, sometimes in sorrow, sometimes shocked and angry.

I feel I must mention the gay element, because when I found there were gay men, I was regretting my decision to read this. No need to worry. The characters are just part of the story. I loved them and Martina McAtee handled it with a feeling of reality and class. Just a normal relationship, “people” living their lives, one a reaper and one a werewolf. There is no erotica.

I LOVED this novel and hated for it to end and I will be looking for Book II in the Reanimator Series, His Soul To Take, coming in 2016. You can bet the house I will be snatching it up, and Martina, PLEASE WRITE FASTER.

I received a copy of Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things by Martina McAtee in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things
Author: Martina McAtee
Publisher: Martina McAtee
Pages: 450
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

17 year old Ember Denning has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie. Standing in the cemetery that’s been her sanctuary, she’s threatened by the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen and rescued by two people who claim to be her family. They say she’s special, that she has a supernatural gift like them…they just don’t know exactly what it is.

They take her to a small Florida town, where Ember’s life takes a turn for the weird. She’s living with her reaper cousins, an orphaned werewolf pack, a faery and a human genius. Ember’s powers are growing stronger, morphing into something bigger than anything anybody anticipated. Ember has questions but nobody has answers. Nobody knows what she is. They only know her mysterious magical gift is trying to kill them and that beautiful dangerous boy from the cemetery may be the only thing standing between her and death.

As Ember’s talents are revealed so are the secrets her father hid and those in power who would seek to destroy her. What’s worse, saving Ember has put her cousins in danger and turned her friend’s lives upside down. Ember must learn to embrace her magic or risk losing the family she’s pieced together.

For More Information

Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things is available at Amazon.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

EXCERPT

She went lightheaded as the enormity of her words hit her, “Oh, God. This is like the part in the movie where you try to kill me, right? You are going to try to kill me and I feel too crappy to even try to run.”

She was talking more to herself now. She leaned back against the rusted mausoleum gates behind her, enjoying the cool metal against her skin. Her head was swimming, the stars above blurring in the sky. No, not now, she thought. It was happening again. Whatever had happened earlier in the cemetery was happening again. She could feel it rising up in her, that weird feeling like her insides were melting and liquefying while she could do nothing to stop it. Was this a panic attack? Could a panic attack cause what happened in the cemetery earlier? Maybe this was some kind of fight or flight adrenaline response.

She felt caged, trapped by her own body. It was all in her head. The ground wasn’t vibrating at her feet. There was no way she was really burning up in forty-degree weather. Even in her haze she could see him watching her. Maybe if she just held still, he would be quick about it.

Her head lulled on her shoulders. She was going to pass out. It would serve him right. Then he was just there, in her space, fingers cupping her face. She moaned at the feel of his cold hands against her overheated flesh. “And if it is, Luv? If this is the part where I try to kill you? What then? Are you going to pass out and take all the fun out of it? Or will you fight back?”

There was no mistaking the threat of his words, but he was close enough to whisper them against her skin like a promise. She couldn’t think straight. Her head filled with a sound like angry bees. She pitched forward, dropping her forehead to his shoulder, eyes drifting closed.

He was so cold; even through the layers of his clothes; his body seemed to emit this pleasant icy radiance that soothed her feverish skin. She wrapped herself around him, locking her arms. She buried her face against his throat, nose rubbing against his skin.

She felt his body go rigid in her arms. She didn’t blame him, on some level she understood sane girls didn’t try to cuddle their killers. But nobody ever accused her of being sane. She was the girl who played in cemeteries and talked to the dead. She was the girl with three therapists before she was twelve. She was the girl in flames and he was ice water; if she was going to die, she was going to have this first.

They stood there, bound together by her forced embrace. Those strange vibrations increased, building inside her like a living thing, a burning energy trying to melt her from the inside out. She could hear his ragged breath panting against her ear, could feel him writhing in her grasp, but she refused to let go. Could he feel it too?

She clung to him, knowing if she let go this peculiar energy would overwhelm her. She breathed him in, letting him anchor her as it kept building and burning, growing until it thrust from her with the force of a sledgehammer. He groaned like he’d received the physical blow, he may have fallen had she not been holding him to her. Finally, the world seemed to right itself. Her blood ceased to boil and the vibrations stopped. When her mind quieted, she became very aware of what she was doing.

She let go, shoving him back. Despite his size, he stumbled, blinking hard. They stared at each other, his confusion mirroring her own.

“What are you?” she whispered. “What are you doing to me?”

He rushed her, shoving her against the concrete hard enough to knock her teeth together, “What did I do to you? What game are you playing? What are you? What was that? What did you do?”

She whimpered, feet scrambling for purchase as she realized he’d lifted her from the ground. Her heart thundered in her chest. He was fit but not big enough to haul her off her feet like that. She shoved at him uselessly. “Put me down.”

Her descent was abrupt, her heart lodging in her throat. His eyes narrowed, his hands tangling in her messy hair, tilting her head to the side. “Come on, Luv, you can tell me. I’m sure it’s eating at you, keeping this secret.”

He was insane. She opened her mouth to say so but her brain short-circuited as his nose traced along the column of her throat. “I promise, things will be so much easier if you just tell me,” he purred, his lips pressing the words into her skin. She moved closer to him. In her defense, she’d never been this close to a boy before; especially not one who looked like he did.

“We can do this one of two ways,” He inhaled her scent, pressing his mouth to the shell of her ear as he said, “I promise one is infinitely more pleasurable than the other,”

Ew. Oh, God. What was she doing? What was he doing? Seducing her for information? Threatening her? It really bothered her that she didn’t know the difference.

She needed to get it together. Her breath hitched in her chest. This was not how she saw herself dying. She’d had a plan. She’d written it down obituary style for a morbid ninth grade English assignment. She was supposed to die of obscenely old age in her enormous but tastefully decorated plantation home surrounded by her beautiful and ungrateful grandchildren.

He huffed out a laugh and she realized she’d said all that aloud. She was too scared to be embarrassed. Instead, she slapped at his hands ineffectively.

He stepped away so abruptly she staggered, pacing before her, “You’re seriously not going to tell me? You’re only hurting yourself on this one.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she told him, “You’re crazy.”

He sighed heavily, his tone shifting as if speaking to a rather stupid child, “I’ll figure it out eventually.” He told her, pointing at her, “You don’t smell like a witch. You certainly aren’t a shifter.” Then he was back before her, gripping her chin, turning her head side to side, like he was examining livestock, “But you most definitely aren’t human.” Tiny hairs rose along her skin at his touch, “You’re trying my patience. What the hell are you?”

She pushed away from him, head throbbing with his words. “Stop with the grabby hands,”

She needed to think. He was clearly unhinged. She had very few options. She could run but she doubted she could outrun him. Her gaze raked across broad shoulders and a flat stomach, he looked like he did a lot of cardio. She could scream but there wasn’t anybody to hear her. Instead, she did what she always did when she was nervous…she babbled.

She’d watched a million documentaries on serial killers and the mentally ill. She could figure this out. Netflix was her friend. She wracked her brain, if he was a killer she had to make him see her as a person, tell him about her life, say her name a lot, make him believe people cared if she died, even if it was a lie.

But what if he was schizophrenic? He thought she wasn’t human. What was she supposed to do? Orient him to reality? Play along with his fantasy? She should have paid more attention.

“What’s your name?” she heard herself say, voice breathless.

He arched his brow, tsking softly, expression bored. “I’m asking the questions here,”

“Just tell me your name,” she demanded, panic creeping back in.

“Mace,” the answer tumbled from his lips unbidden. He looked mystified, like his own mouth had betrayed him. He absently rubbed a spot on his chest.

“Mace,” she repeated, with a nod. Okay, it was a start. “So um, here’s the thing, Mace. I’m only seventeen and I don’t want to die.”

He gave her a look and a ‘fair enough’ shrug and gestured for her to continue, clearly amused by this turn of events.

She frowned, but soldiered on, “You can’t be much older than me so let’s just think about this for a minute, okay?” She raked a hand through her damp hair, “I’m not really sure why you want to kill me but my life has pretty much sucked up until now. Like so much suckage. I can’t even explain the level of suck, but I feel like, statistically speaking, that’s gotta change. I’m not trying to sound like a motivational poster but it’s supposed to get better. I’d very much like to have a pulse when it does,”

He narrowed his eyes at her, brow furrowed. He stepped forward.

“Stop,” she held up her hand, palm out, “Just listen,”

He stopped, looking at his feet then at her again.

“I’m a nice girl,” she told him, before frowning, “but maybe you don’t care about that. I mean, if you’re, like, a murderous psychopath, you probably aren’t super interested in my feelings, but what about yourself?” She reasoned, gesturing spastically to all of his…self, “You seem like the kind of guy who thinks a lot of himself.”

He cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. She was in turbo babble mode now, “If you kill me your life is over. You will definitely go to jail. I mean, look at me.” She gestured to her face, “I look like an ad for facial cleanser and girls who eat yogurt. Juries eat that stuff up. You’d probably get the chair.”

He looked a little dazed. “You make a passionate yet confusing plea, Luv,”

Her heart sank as he took a tentative step towards her, then another. He grinned as he advanced.

“Come on. I’m sure you don’t want to go to prison.” She whined, “You are way too pretty for prison. You’d make a lot of the wrong kind of friends in prison.” Stop saying prison, Ember, she begged herself. “Do you want those kind of friends? Of course, you don’t. We could be friends?” she finished lamely, face flushing with shame. Maybe he should just kill her. It would be less embarrassing.

He blinked at her, cheek twitching, “Aw, are you asking me to be your friend? One might question your judgment.”

Her hands fell to her hips, swaying on her feet. “Wow, not to put too fine a point on it, but I’ve only seen you twice and both times you were here,” she gestured to their surroundings. “You hang out in cemeteries because you have so many friends? Is this were your book club meets?”

“I can see why you have no friends,” he told her drolly.

She squinted as something glinted in the air above his head.

“I-” was all he managed before the object made contact with his head, sounding like a hammer hitting an overripe melon. He hit his knees with a groan, whatever he was going to say dying on his lips.

She looked at his crumpled form, unreasonably disappointed.

She’d really wanted to know what he was going to say.

ABOUT MARTINA MCATEE

Martina McAtee lives in *******, Florida with her teenage daughter, her best friend, two attack Chihuahua’s and two shady looking cats. By day she is a registered nurse but by night she writes young adult books about reapers, zombies, werewolves and other supernatural creatures. When she isn’t working, teaching or writing she’s reading or watching shows that involve reapers, zombies, werewolves and other supernatural creatures. Her debut novel Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things is set to release on August 31st, 2015. She is currently working on the second book in the series, Your Soul to Take, due to release in 2016.

For More Information

Visit Martina McAtee’s website.
Connect with Martina on Facebook and Twitter.
Find out more about Martina at Goodreads.
Visit Martina’s blog.

GIVEAWAY

Martina will be giving away a sugar skull coffee mug with Day of the Dead tea and sugar skull shaped sugar cubes! Enter below!

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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Cover Reveal Giveaway for Twisted Sisters by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Posted on September 21, 2015 by fundinmental

I am so happy to have Kimber Leigh Wheaton her for the cover reveal of her new novel in The Orion Circle series, Twisted Sisters, Book II. I have read Tortured Souls, Book I and am so excited to see Twisted Sisters, Book II is coming to life.

Have you ever challenged the fates?

Add me to Goodreads now, please.

Cover: AM Design Studios

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Twisted Sisters by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
(The Orion Circle #2)
Publication date: October 27th 2015
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

It’s a child’s toy—what could go wrong?

Can Logan and Kacie convince the tortured souls to embrace the light and move on, or will the spirits succumb to the hypnotic pull of evil, leading to an eternity of torment and suffering?

See my Review for Tortured Souls, Book 1———Purchase on Amazon

EXCERPT

“Huge EMF spike!” Carl shouts, waving the EMF detector in the air.

That’s it. I can’t wait for Raven any longer. Mr. Kincaid’s voice echoes in my ears, calling me stupid for rushing in not knowing what’s in there. I’m in charge of this fiasco… I never should’ve let her run in without more information. Steeling my shoulders, I cross the threshold into the house.

I stop and survey the scene in seconds, taking in the ridiculous amount of damage. The living room is trashed: sofa overturned, lamps broken on the floor, and the front window shattered by the flying armchair. No sign of Raven, but the girls said they were using the board in the kitchen. As I walk down the hall toward the back of the house, a ceramic figurine flies at me. I duck just in time as it grazes the top of my hair. I’m finding it difficult to believe spirits summoned from a spirit board by amateurs could be this powerful.

The family room is in a similar state to the living room. When I spy the sixty-inch TV on the floor in a smashed mess my heart thumps faster. These are powerful spirits or maybe even a rogue gang. That TV had to weigh over one hundred pounds, and it’s a good twelve feet from the entertainment center. No sign of Raven in here either.

A fierce wind blows from the kitchen, slamming me against the wall. So much power. None of this makes any sense!

“Raven.” I try to call out, but my voice comes out a hoarse croak.

My body is freed as the wind dies down, and I race toward the kitchen. Something shoves me from behind, sending me reeling across the tile floor. I manage to rotate myself at the last second so my shoulder impacts the wall instead of my head. The wind stops the moment I hit the wall. As I rub my sore shoulder, a loud scream pierces the silence. My stomach drops at the sheer terror echoing in that scream. Raven.

Leaping to my feet, I search the large kitchen for her. When my eyes land on her, I blink a few too many times. This shouldn’t be possible.

“Hang on, Raven,” I call out to her form suspended in midair near the ceiling.

“Hang on? Really?” Her arms are splayed out to the sides. Though she tries to project confidence with her words, I can tell from her face that she’s terrified.

“Release her at once!” I yell at the invisible spirits. “She has done nothing to you.”

“Don’t you think I already tried that?” Raven bites out in between gasping breaths.

“St. Michael, the archangel, def—” I start the prayer, but something crashes into me, knocking the wind from my lungs as I’m slammed into the floor. It takes a few dazed seconds to realize it’s Raven’s body crushing me. “Can you move?”

“I don’t know.” She rolls off me despite her words, groaning. “Those damned spirits. Madder than cornered rattlesnakes.”

“I can’t feel anything but intense hatred and fury.” I push to my feet, ignoring the searing pain in my side. After hauling Raven up by the arm, I drag her toward the back door.

“Wait!” she yells, yanking her arm away. “The board.” Raven disappears beneath the long oak table. A few seconds later, she pops out holding the spirit board.

“Come on,” I shout when I feel the spirits returning for round two. “Crap, too late.” An invisible force plows into me, pushing me back into the unforgiving wall. “Raven, run!”

Something hits me in the ribs, banging my body into the wall once, twice, three times. My head spins from the impact. At least Raven made it out. A white mist fills my vision, and I blink several times. It doesn’t go away, only becomes sharper, more focused. Her form is wispy, ethereal. She would be beautiful were her lips not turned into a vicious sneer. I lay on the ground, waiting for her to make her move while she floats around me.

ABOUT KIMBER LEIGH WHEATON

Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works as an editor for two publishers as well as select indie authors. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, video games, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Winner of the 2014 Rising Star Award at the BTS Red Carpet Awards in NOLA.

Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/URgwH

Blog / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram

GIVEAWAY

Kimber Leigh is hosting a giveaway to celebrate the reveal.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

See my Review for Tortured Soul s, Book 1———Purchase on Amazon

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

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Book Trailer and Cover Reveal – A Whisper of Death by Paul Barrett

Posted on September 1, 2015 by fundinmental

Flat Bewitching Cover Reveal

A Whisper of Death

The Necromancer Series

Book 1

Paul Barrett

Genre: YA Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Fiery Seas Publishing, LLC

Date of Publication: December 22, 2015

Cover Artist: Jess Small

Add me to Goodreads now.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Born with the power of ultimate evil, he is the world’s only chance at survival.

Erick Darvaul is a Necromancer, a descendant of the original sorcerers who turned against their dark masters and exiled them. Now these beings have returned, it falls upon Erick and a cadre of newfound allies to rally against these powerful entities and defeat them again.

Through fire, ambush, and betrayal, Erick and his companions claw their way to Broken Mountain to reunite with others who share his ability. There, Erick battles the mortal foe of his ancestors pushing the limits of his Necromantic magic, a force that seeks to corrupt him every time he summons it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paul has lived a varied life full of excitement and adventure. Not really, but it sounds good as an opening line.

Paul’s multiple careers have included: rock and roll roadie, children’s theater stage manager, television camera operator, mortgage banker, and support specialist for Microsoft Excel.

This eclectic mix prepared him to go into his true love: motion picture production. He has produced two motion pictures and two documentaries: His film Night Feeders released on DVD in 2007, and Cold Storage was released by Lionsgate in 2010.

Amidst all this, Paul has worked on his writing, starting with his first short story, about Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, at age 8. Paul has written and produced numerous commercial and industrial video scripts in his tenure with his forcreative agency, Indievision. He has two published short stories (As You Sow and Double Cross) and one self-published novel (Godchild). He lives with his filmmaker/graphic artist partner and their three cats.

Website / Twitter

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

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Giveaway & Excerpt for The 52nd by Dela

Posted on August 31, 2015 by fundinmental

The52ndBlitzBanner

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

What does it say to you?

Add me to Goodreads now.

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Book & Author Details:

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

SYNOPSIS

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

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

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

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

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

EXCERPT

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

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

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

It was not a man.

—-

AUTHOR BIO

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

Author links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

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

Giveaway – Shadow in the Sea by Sheila A Nielson

Posted on August 25, 2015 by fundinmental

ShadowInTheSeaBlitzBanner

I would like to welcome Sheila A Nielson to fundinmental. I love mermaids, so I am very eager to begin. What do you have to share with us today, Sheila?

Your newest book, Shadow in the Sea is a follow-up to the mermaid novel, Forbidden Sea, published by Scholastic Press. Do you have to read Forbidden Sea first in order to enjoy Shadow in the Sea?
Shadow in the Sea is more of a companion novel rather than a true sequel to Forbidden Sea. I knew this book would be the first time visiting Windwaithe Island for many readers—so I wrote Shadow in the Sea as a stand-alone. If readers decide they like Shadow in the Sea, they can always go back and read Forbidden Sea to find out what happened before.

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Why mermaids? Or should I say, mermaids and mermen—since one of the main characters in Shadow in the Sea is a handsome merprince.
I was first introduced to Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale, The Little Mermaid, as a child. My family had an illustrated version of the story and I used to look at the pictures in it again and again. I hated the whole lose-the-guy-and-turn-into-sea-foam-ending—so I would imagine my own mermaid stories to go along with the pictures. Ones with much better endings.
After I became a children’s librarian, I noticed that many girls who came in asked for mermaid books. We didn’t have a lot of them so the kids left looking very disappointed. I thought to myself, Someone needs to write more mermaid stories. That’s when I realized that person could be me. When I finally got around to writing my mermaid stories, I found myself revisiting some of the things I’d first imagined about mermaids back in my elementary school days.

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Do you think there are real mermaids out there in the ocean somewhere?
You would be surprised how often I get asked that question. I, myself, am a complete skeptic, though, nothing would make me happier than to be proven wrong. I will say this—while doing my research for Shadow in the Sea I discovered there are a lot of people who strongly believe in mermaids—both in present day and historically. In fact, the Orkney Islands have an extensive history when it comes to mermaid sightings. (Try Googling “Deerness Mermaid” sometime and see what you find!)

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What part of Shadow in the Sea did you enjoy writing most?
The Sea Prince, Araedyn, was the most complicated (and enjoyable) character to write in Shadow in the Sea. Because he speaks only merlanguage, I had to find other ways to communicate his story and personality to the main character, and the reader. As an author, I know a great many private details about my characters. Some of this information can’t be fit into the final story. In the first book, Forbidden Sea, I didn’t have time to flesh out Prince Araedyn the way I wanted to. Shadow in the Sea finally gave me a chance to bring the mysterious merprince front and center, the way I’d been dying to from the start.

Are any of your characters based on real people?
An author writes what she knows, so bits and pieces of real people do sneak in here and there. However, there is only one character in Shadow in the Sea who is completely based on reality. Dartemore, the horse. My grandfather owned an animal just like him while I was growing up. He was a one man horse who adored my grandpa and hated everyone else. If he could have slept at the end of my grandfather’s bed like a dog, he would have. When grandpa rode the horse, he lifted up his feet and let his tail fly high. When I got on him he tried to kill me. Every. Single. Time.

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Fictional characters often find themselves in situations they’re not sure they can get out of. Have you ever found yourself in a situation like that? What did you do?
I almost drowned when I was young. I was swimming in a lake all alone. (A really stupid thing to do!) I felt something swim into my legs under the water—either a good sized fish or a water snake—I ‘m not sure which. I panicked, started thrashing around, and quickly went under. I remember looking down through the water and realizing that I couldn’t see the bottom because it was so dark and deep. Luckily, I was able to calm down enough to stop flailing and float back up to the surface before it was too late. I’ve had a phobia of fish and deep water ever since. This made writing about merfolk who live fathoms beneath the surface of the ocean an interesting experience. There were times I had to take a break from writing because I would start to feel like I couldn’t breathe.

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You are a children’s librarian as well as an author. Do you find this affects your writing in any way?
Children want to share their joy when it comes to reading. I’ve had the plots of far too many novels spoiled for me by eager young library patrons who just wanted to tell me everything about their favorite book. I don’t mind one bit. This has given me a unique understanding of what kids do and don’t like when reading a book. Sometimes, I find myself thinking, What would the kids at the library like to see happen in this chapter? then I write the scene accordingly. Kids love fun little details that don’t necessarily have anything to do with the book’s main plot. The game of Quiddich is a great example of this. In Shadow in the Sea, the Sea Prince has eyes that change color based on his emotions and moods. I recently had a young fan write me an email to ask if I could please make a list of every eye color and its corresponding emotion and send it to her as quickly as possible.
There is one other perk to being a librarian author. Kids will sometimes come to the reference desk and ask me for one of my own books—never realizing I’m the one who wrote it.

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Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
A couple of years ago, I wrote a paranormal romance story about a haunted doll museum. It was much scarier and darker than anything else I’ve ever written. It was so creepy one member of my writer’s group decided they didn’t want to finish it. That book is one of my favorites despite the fact that it may never be published.

What would Sadelyn, Shadow in the Sea’s protagonist, think about you if she could meet you?
After everything I put her through in this story–she would probably refuse to even speak to me. Sade would forgive me in time, but then find some sneaky way to let me know she didn’t approve of my methods of entertaining readers at her expense.

A very entertaining interview. Thanks so much for sharing, Sheila.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Book & Author Details:

Shadow in the Sea by Sheila A. Nielson
Publication date: July 15th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

When sixteen-year-old Sadelyn Hanson washes up on the shores of Windwaithe Island, her beauty and the strange marks on her wrist make superstitious locals suspect she is a mermaid. Feigning amnesia, Sade hides a far worse secret: she was sailing to her own murder trial when she was thrown overboard by the real killer, the cunning and cruel Captain Westwood.

Sade’s quiet effort to rebuild her life on the island is threatened when she meets an actual young merman. Unable to speak his language, Sade still longs for the warm companionship he offers, despite the locals’ dire legends about merfolk and their dark magic. But her confused feelings for the impossible boy become the least of her problems when Captain Westwood’s ship docks at Windwaithe. With nowhere to escape, Sade must trust in the one person who doesn’t fear the merfolk. A woman who had dealings with them herself—years ago.

Purchase: Amazon / B & N / eBook Mall

ABOUT SHEILA A NEILSON

Sheila never did figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She graduated from college with a BFA in illustration, has worked as a children’s librarian for over eighteen years, and would eventually like to be a full-time author. Why pick one career when you can have many? Sheila lives with her two pets, a goffin cockatoo and a tiny toy poodle. She was born and raised in California but has come to also love her adopted home in Utah where she currently resides.

Author links: Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY IS OVER

(1) ebook copy of Shadow in the Sea. Open internationally.

Ends 9/8/15.

What was your favorite question/answer in the interview?

Winner is Laura Thomas.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L Reid

Posted on August 3, 2015 by fundinmental

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

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

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Stars

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

SYNOPSIS

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

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

ABOUT HEATHER L. REID

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

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

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

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Adventures in Freyna – Exile by Sally Ann Melia

Posted on July 23, 2015 by fundinmental

Sally Ann Melia caught me totally off guard with this awesome story of two young boys lives, in the Guy Erma and the Son of Empire series.

I have read and reviewed the first book, Kidnap, and fell in love with it., so now I am sharing Exile, Part III in the series. You can see my review for Kidnap HERE and my review for Hunter HERE.

Add to Goodreads

Cover: Nevena, Sugarbricks

MY REVIEW

Spoiler Alert: Even though Exile is Part Three of the Guy Erma and the Son of Empire series, I have tried to keep my comments general to keep from giving away any of the goodies contained between the pages.

Exile is Part Three of the Guy Erma and the Son of Empire series. If you are a fan of action and adventure with some science fiction thrown in, this is a series for you. Each book picks up where the other left off. I was fortunate enough to receive Hunter and Exile before I was done with Kidnap, so I was able to continue reading this fantastic series.

The artwork by Sally Dickson will help you see things as they really are, whether it be a character or one of the creatures. We have both probably watched some of the same movies that help to visualize the world and some of the action sequences Sally Ann Melia has created.

I love the combination of fashion, politics and thrills. At times I cannot help but smile and sometimes a chuckle passes over my lips. At least the characters will be fashionable dressed while they are fighting.

Each boy contributes a vital component that brings them together as friends and leaders.

My mother is visiting from out of state and I was very bad. I ignored her so I could finish this series and I loved it.

Kids of all ages will love meeting Teo, Guy, Des and Sebastian. I had characters that I rooted for and characters that I wanted to get what’s coming to them. Sounds like real life.

I find myself lost in the world of Freyna and want to return there as soon as possible. I was lucky enough to have all three of these, but now I have to wait. 😥 How many books will there be? When is the next one due out? Inquiring minds want to know.

I received Exile by Sally Ann Melia in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

13-year-old Teodor has found a way to escape from kidnap, how long before he is safely home?

13-year-old Guy Erma has run away from everything he has even known and no longer knows what the future holds.

They escaped through dark tunnels and back alleys but they also discovered a hidden terror that now threatens their entire planet.

Two boys as different as two boys might be. Their adventure has forged an unexpected friendship, but do they really trust each other?

Dare they share their darkest, deepest secrets?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sally Ann Melia The author was born in Wallasey, England, in 1964, and moved to the South of France when she was eleven. She spent her teenage years living in the cosmopolitan city state of Monaco and became immersed in its many languages and cultures. An English girl in a French school, for three hours each week she would sit at the back of the class as her colleagues learnt English. To pass the time, she wrote stories. This led to a lifetime of writing novels, scripts, stories and articles.

In her working life, Sally writes marketing communications and manages large international websites.

In 2010, Sally joined the Hogs Back Writers, a club located on the outskirts of Guildford, and she set about turning an old manuscript into this novel: Guy Erma and the Son of Empire. Sally currently lives in Farnham, and she is married with two children.

Connect with Sally: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

Exile

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Awesome Mermaid Giveaway and Novella – How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes

Posted on July 8, 2015 by fundinmental

HowToBeAMermaidBlitzBanner1

I am so excited to be able to share Erin Hayes new novella, How To Be a Mermaid.

I have the option to share so many things, it was hard to choose. Everyone likes a bit of music, so I chose to share the song list. Here is a little something to listen to while you see the great things I have to share.

How to be a Mermaid Soundtrack:

Below is a list of songs that I listened to while writing How to be a Mermaid. Each of these songs helped to get me into the right mindset in order to pretend that I was a mermaid!

Go – Grimes featuring Blood Diamonds
Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Never Let Me Go – Florence and the Machine
What the Water Gave Me – Florence and the Machine
Start a Riot – Jetta
Believe – Mumford and Sons
I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons
Dirty Paws – Of Monsters and Men
Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding
Part of Your World – Jodi Benson from The Little Mermaid ß No mermaid soundtrack would be complete without that song!

Check out the beautiful cover, keep scrolling to check out more about the story and enter the awesome giveaway! I want to wish you good luck in the giveaway, but I want to win it too. LOL

Add me to Goodreads now.

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How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes
(Falling in Deep Collection, #10)
Publication date: July 7th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

SYNOPSIS

All Tara ever wanted was to be a mermaid.

So she takes a year off between high school and college to don a fake tail and tour aquariums across the country in a professional mermaid troupe.

Everything’s great until she meets a gorgeous real-life merman named Finn. Suddenly, what she thought was a dream turns out to be a nightmare — she’s turning into a mermaid herself. For real.

Yet when she returns to the sea to seek out Finn and reverse her transformation, she finds herself in the middle of an impending war between the land and sea. Tara may have always wanted to be a mermaid, but now it’s sink or swim. In order to survive, she has to learn how to be one, too.

Summer 2015, award-winning, and best-selling authors will bring you romantic tales of mermaids, sirens, sprites, and other creatures of the deep! Keep in touch as we reveal each title in our collection!

Purchase: Amazon I B&N

ABOUT ERIN HAYES

CASTKatie_McGrath Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery novel Death is but a Dream, the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, and the Her Wolf paranormal series.She works as an advertising copywriter during the day, and she moonlights as an author. She has lived in New Zealand, Texas, and now in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Author links: Goodreads I Website I Facebook I Twitter

GIVEAWAY

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

A mermaid care package to help you be the best mermaid:
- A signed copy of How to be a Mermaid
- Tara’s necklace
- Two Mermaid Mix soaks
- A mermaid mirror compact
- Six starfish hairpins
- A mermaid wallet
- Mermaid perfume
- Mermaid Tail Nail Polish
- A mermaid makeup bag
- Four Little Mermaid Buttons
- And one mermaid handbag to carry all your dinglehoppers