Amazeballs – Asylum by Susy Smith @susy8469

I won a Gift Card through a giveaway for Susy Smith, so I bought a copy of Asylum.

Asylum

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WOW! For a debut novel, Asylum by Susy Smith has knocked it out of the ball park. I am impressed and will be marking her as a must read author. I rarely buy books any more, but I had to have Asylum. The cover, title and synopsis has everything I need to lure me in. I am eager to see what she comes up with next.

Asylum immediately brought to mind The Walking Dead, without he zombies. It also reeks of real life possibilities. With an economic collapse, marshal law is declared. Think about it. I sure have.

A farm. A 19 year old girl. A sanctuary. Secession. Labor camps. Brother against brother. Jace and Zach are brothers of murdered parents. Complete opposites.

How do you help someone, when you can’t help yourself? You JUST DO IT. Even in doubt, Lacy moves forward.

Jace had always had a thing for Lacy and so does Travis, the first person to join her in the sanctuary. A love triangle. I know some people don’t like them, but in this world, it fits perfectly.

I was immersed in Asylum by Susy Smith from the opening pages and it never let me go. Through the entire book, shades of real world history came to life. I kept thinking…could this happen in our current world?

I smiled. I cried. I loved. I hated.

Susy Smith did an amazing job on her debut novel and I will be keeping my eye on her.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

In the aftermath of the Big Crash, the President of the United States declares martial law. The National Guard rounds up citizens who are never heard from again. While fear and chaos reign, a small band of revolutionaries rise up to resist.

Lacy Monroe, barely out of high school, never saw herself as a leader. All that changed after the Big Crash. When the rest of her family fled, she remained on the farm, the last piece of land in the state holding out against the hostile government. Alone and vulnerable, she endures a horrific attack, yet survives and offers sanctuary to others like herself—until an old friend turns her world upside-down.

Jace Cooper has harbored a secret for years—he is completely in love with his best friend’s sister. The world is crumbling around them, no one knows how long they will survive, and all he wants is to protect Lacy and stay with her.

With the National Guard circling ever closer, hunger and sickness taking a toll, and betrayal and jealousy threatening to destroy the group from the inside, the struggle to hold onto the farm pushes them to the brink. And Lacy is keeping a secret so devastating it could drive Jace to unthinkable actions. Is the farm a safe asylum—or will the fight for freedom destroy them?

ABOUT SUSY SMITH

Susy   Smith

Susy Smith has a bachelor’s degree in English and is a language teacher for the Kanza Tribe. Her debut novel, Asylum, won the 2020 WriterCon contest in the novel category. She loves creating a home on paper for the characters in her head and dabbling in poetry. She lives in a small Oklahoma town with her husband, four grown children nearby, and two spoiled dog-children.

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Giveaway – Loving Dark Men by J A Huss @XpressoTours @JAHuss

Loving Dark Men
J.A. Huss
Publication date: July 26th 2022
Genres: Adult, Thriller

A man lures a woman into the woods.

Another ruins the life of his best friend.

And yet another strings them along like puppets.

Dark men.

They are intriguing, and charming, and powerful.

They are changing the world.

They are changing themselves.

They are playing with lust, and love, and fear, and loathing.

Addicted to each other, to their secret, to the seduction, to the sex.

It’s a crash in the making.

And yes, it’s on purpose.

These men are dark.

And this is the messy story of how Nova Ryan loves them.

Loving Dark Men is a seductive romantic thriller that will have you turning pages well past your bedtime. A standalone book by New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

The guy.

He’s been missing since the first day. Well, maybe I’ve been missing. He’s never in the dining hall, and, of course, he’s not in the lab. And those are the only two places I go, so…

He smiles at me and my whole body goes tingly with the memory of what we did in the woods.

I stop walking and just stare. He’s leaning against a tree and immediately I see him the way he was that first day. He’s wearing something very similar—sweat shorts and a shirt tucked into his waistband.

He must jog a lot.

He signals to me with a single finger. Not a wagging finger, but a point. Almost like he’s beckoning a waitress. I do a half-hearted wave back and turn to the coffee cart.

I don’t know what’s going through his mind right now, but I’m not interested. It was a one-time thing as far as I’m concerned, something I’m not going to dwell on or feel shame over, but there is no burning need inside me to force it to make sense.

It was… a need met. An itch scratched.

Hell, that’s giving it way too much credit.

It was a weird once-in-a-lifetime sexual opportunity that came about due to my new surroundings and—

Once-in-a-lifetime? Really?

Fine. I’m slutty, what can I say?

I still don’t feel any shame.

And I do not look over my shoulder. Not before I order, not while I order, and not while I wait for my coffee.

I give him plenty of time to go somewhere else.

But when I turn, he’s still there. Lifting that one finger at me again.

And this time, he does beckon me. Then he turns and walks into the trees.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I mutter this under my breath, then look around, to see if anyone is paying attention.

No one is, as far as I can tell.

When I look back at him, all I catch is his bare back disappearing into the woods.

Nova, you will not follow that man into the woods.

Nova…

Nova!

But I’m already walking in that direction. Because… that kiss. Holy shit, that kiss. I mean, I don’t think a man has ever kissed me like that. Well, maybe Travis. But that was his one and only chance. I was leaving the next day for college. And, in fact, we never did see each other again.

No. One teenager’s desperate attempt to make himself memorable is not the same as this man’s all-encompassing lust.

Nova. You’re walking.

Yes. I am.

You’re walking towards the woods.

You’re very observant, monologue me. But save your breath. I’m going. At the very least, I need his name. I mean, what kind of man beckons a strange woman into the woods, helps her jerk himself off, comes in her hand, then just… walks away?

Not even a half-hearted ‘see ya later?’

Not even a ‘thank you?’

I need something to add to this story. I can’t leave it like this. It will drive me crazy.


Author Bio:

JA Huss is a New York Times Bestselling author and has been on the USA Today Bestseller’s list 21 times. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings. Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world. Her book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017. Her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Her book, Total Exposure, was nominated for a RITA Award in 2019. She lives on a ranch with her family, dogs, cats, birds, chickens, horse, donkeys, and goats in Colorado.

Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon / Audible


GIVEAWAY!
(Starts July 26 – Ends August 8, 2022)
PRIZE – $250 Amazon Gift Card, FOUR SIGNED Loving Dark Men dust-jacket hardcovers. (1 Retail edition, 3 Special Editions). Swag bag.
LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS JAHUSS BLOG POST TO ENTER!

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  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • 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’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!