5 Stars for Surviving Doodahville by Ashley Fontainne #AshleyFontainne

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

I have been reading Ashley Fontainne’s novels ever since I won some. She is a must read author for me. AND, what an amazing cover!

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WOW…Ashley Fontainne and Lillian Hansen can sure pen a novel. I only have a half page of notes, because the power of Doodahville was so intense, gripping me, not letting me stop to even jot a note or two. All my emotions came to life, at times overwhelming me.

An impending death, and Gail, Kevin, and daughter, Kassandra are off to Daltville, Arkansas. A small town, small minds, small everything.

I quickly grew to love Gail. She is badass, take no prisoners, kick your ass, leave me and mine alone. At times she cracked me up, other times I wanted to be beside her fighting the good fight.

Kevin and Lurlene are no slouches in planning ahead. Kassandra is a teenager moving from Southern California to small town Daltville, as if teenage angst isn’t already enough. It is a culture shock. At times she feels like life is over for her, but there are also many benefits, which she will learn in time.

The kitten…HA HA HA HA HA.

Racism rears its ugly head on many of the pages. It is the south, so I find that is no surprise and I love the way she handled it in the novel, along with all the nasty secrets and ongoing issues from them.

I have read a lot of Ashley Fontainne’s work, and she easily crosses genres. Her mother, Lillian Hansen did a fabulous job in this collaboration.

Looking at the fun cover, I underestimated the power of Doodaville. Southern living, fraught with danger and secrets that come to light with disastrous results for some, for others freedom. The marvelous characters rise above their situations, sharing love and hope with those who need it. I also went down memory lane from the 1980s. Many scenes were taken from Ashley’s personal experiences, so maybe that’s why they read like true life.

I CAN SEE THIS AS A GRAND MOVIE (along the lines of Gone With The Wind) OR A TV SERIES.

WARNING: Tissues may be required.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Surviving Doodahville by Ashley Fontainne.

GOODREADS BLURB

“Filled with powerful scenes and great characters! Brings the ’83 Old South to vivid life. One of my all-time favorite reads! Loved it! ~ Janelle Taylor, NY Times Bestselling author

The summer of 1983—the era of big debt, big hair, and big dreams. Seventeen-year-old Kassandra Lawson is excited about starting her senior year of high school. She has a crush on a local hunk, and her best friend, Valley Girl extraordinaire, Liz Hendricks, insists on helping her snag the hot guy—for sure!

July starts out uneventful for Kee and her parents. Her father, Kevin, is a partner at a CPA firm, and her mother, Gail, works as a secretary at the police department. The small family lives an idyllic life in sunny Hacienda Heights, California.

1983 also brings upheaval and strife for the Lawson clan. A death in the family forces Kevin and Gail to make the painful decision to pack up and move to Kevin’s hometown of Daltville, Arkansas.

Each face daunting challenges adapting to their new lives. Gail and Kee aren’t quite sure they can handle the culture shock. They encounter social and racial issues they never faced on the West Coast, strange food, weird dialects, odd customs, and wicked secrets that have the potential to destroy their family.

More than just a coming-of-age story, Surviving Doodahville explores family bonds, racial barriers, and just how much a person is willing to sacrifice for others. The tale is full of humor, action and a touch of mystery, making it a fun romp into the past.

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne enjoys stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters lurking within each of us. She writes in numerous genres including mystery, suspense, horror, sci-fi and sometimes poetry.

Ashley lives in Arkansas with her husband and is the proud mother of one son and grateful daughter of co-author, Lillian Hansen. To learn more about her books please visit https://ashleyfontainne.net/

Website / Facebook / Pinterest

MY ASHLEY FONTAINNE REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Where You Are by Felice Stevens @XpressoTours @FeliceStevens1

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

Where You Are
Felice Stevens
Publication date: August 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Former model and B-list actor (B meaning really bad) Isaac Seidel is now a NYC firefighter on special assignment in the one-horse town of Serenity, Pa. But all work and no play makes Isaac a dull boy, and when he hooks up with the most explosive one-night stand he’s ever had, it looks like country life might not be so boring after all.
Especially when the guy he thought he’d never see again turns out to be one of the volunteer firefighters he’s expected to train.
Levi Everett is a master at pleasing everyone—except himself. He’s spent his whole life hiding who he is and what he wants. It’s a lot more complicated now that he’s going to be seeing gorgeous Isaac Seidel every day. How is he supposed to pretend he’s straight when he and Isaac can’t keep their hands off each other?
Isaac has made it clear he’s only interested in friends with benefits, so when he returns home to NYC, Levi knows he’s gone forever.

Until he isn’t.

Trust doesn’t come easily to Isaac—he’s been hurt and used before. But Isaac is unable to forget the man he left behind, and in a shocking move, he makes Levi an offer that could change their lives forever. Now it’s up to Levi to put himself first, risking the love of his family, to go after his dreams—dreams that were unimaginable before Isaac but are now within his reach.

Because love is wherever Isaac is, and it’s the only place Levi wants to be.

Where You Are is a sweet and steamy, age-gap MM romance featuring two smoking hot firefighters who can’t seem to keep their hands off each other or their clothes on whenever they’re together. It’s filled with found family, first time love, a swoony happily ever after, a well-meaning but nosy mother, and plenty of good old country fried chicken.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Is this seat taken?”

Levi’s grip tightened on his bottle of Stella before answering the man who stood by his side. He was gorgeous—tall and dark-haired, with a gleam in his blue eyes and a slightly wicked but charming half smile tugging at his lips. He looked somewhat familiar, but Levi knew if he’d ever met him, he would’ve remembered.

“No. It’s not.” Anxiety sang through his blood as the man slid into the empty seat next to him.

“Great. My first time here. Seems like a cool place. Not many like it, I’m gathering.”

Levi swallowed. “Uh, yeah, me too. And I don’t think so.” Nervous and unsure what he should say or do, he kept quiet.

“Hey. Don’t worry. I’m not a serial killer or anything.” The man appeared to be nice, but Levi wasn’t taken in.

“Would you tell me if you were?”

The man laughed. “No, I suppose you’re right.” He pulled out his driver’s license and held it up. “See? That’s me.”

Isaac Seidel.

Levi noted the address in New York City and wondered what he was doing in the middle of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “I wasn’t fishing for information. My name’s Levi, by the way.”

“I know you weren’t.” Isaac signaled the bartender. “Another beer, Levi?”

Levi shrugged. “Sure. Thanks.”

He watched Isaac chat easily with the bartender as he opened their bottles of Stella. And despite his teasing about serial killers, Levi couldn’t help a frisson of fear. Was he crazy to do this? Maybe there was someone in town.…God, he hoped he wasn’t going to throw up from nerves. He hadn’t done that since he was a little kid.

“Here’s to new friends,” Isaac said, then raised a brow. “And maybe more?”

“New friends. And maybe.” He clinked Isaac’s bottle and took a swallow. Warmth settled in his belly, and he took another sip, feeling Isaac’s steady blue eyes on him. Seemed like Isaac had the same thing on his mind, and a thrill built up inside Levi at the thought of Isaac being his first.

“What do you do, Levi?” Isaac’s appreciative gaze ate him up, and Levi’s breathing accelerated. “You’re in fantastic shape.”

“I own a bar with my brother, so lifting all those cases of beer and liquor helps.”

“I’ll bet. No need for the gym.”

“We don’t even have one in my little town. You’d have to travel a few miles to get to one. But most of the young guys who work on the farms don’t need it, or they lift at home.”

“Makes sense. All that country living.” Isaac finished his beer. “In the city we can run in the park or work out, but most people belong to a gym.”

Figuring he needed to add something to the conversation to let Isaac know he was interested, he cleared his throat. “You’re in pretty good shape yourself.”

Isaac let loose that crazy, sexy smile. “Thanks for noticing.”

About to ask what Isaac did for a living, Levi froze when Isaac set his bottle on the bar and leaned in close. The cool scent of his aftershave sent a hot punch of lust through Levi, and he found himself swaying toward the man until their lips almost touched.

“Care to take a walk with me?”

Author Bio:

Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner. Her characters have to work for it, because just like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.

Felice is the 2020 Lambda Literary Award winning author in best Gay Romance. She lives in New York City and has way too much black in her wardrobe. If she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her watching reality TV or procrastinating on FB in her reader group, Felice’s Breakfast Club.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Amazon / Pinterest / Bookbub

GIVEAWAY!
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Giveaway – Hope And The Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan @iReadBookTours

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

Join us for this tour from August 15 to September 2, 2022!

Book Details:

Book Title: Hope…And The Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 100 pages
Genre: Philosophy/Spirituality/New-Age
Publisher: Choir Press
Release date: May 2022
Content Rating: G. It has no swearwords or sex scenes.

Book Description:

Hope…. And The Hedgehog is a ‘pocketbook philosophy for the present age’, a digestible exploration of the meaning of life which aims to unpick the big questions most of us spend our lives avoiding: how did life begin, how does it end, and what happens to us after we die?

Is there life after death? Is there a higher power? Or, is life one big cosmic accident; a clash of particles and atoms and one big bang? Tom looks instead at the power of faith and spirituality which he separates from religion. While he does not attempt to present any definitive argument, he looks at all sides, gathering thoughts from history’s most influential philosophers and scientists.

He makes the proposition that, between only two possible explanations for the existence of life, there is a greater likelihood of the one over the other. He believes in the importance of opening up our minds and finding more of a sense of purpose and direction in life – a view that, as we look towards a post-lockdown future, will resonate with many people.

“I chose the book’s title Hope … and the Hedgehog because hope is one of the principal drivers we resort to as human beings when confronted with a challenge to which there is no obvious solution. In the case of this book, that challenge is a very prickly issue: how we came into existence. It is an issue that we are all drawn to, but at the same time we do not want to handle or investigate too closely. Like the proverbial elephant in the room, we know that little hedgehog is there, we just prefer to leave it be – even if, in the end, there is no avoiding it.” – Tom Vaughan, May 2022.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Meet the Author:

Tom’s life has come full circle from his first career as co-founder of the successful chain of Juliana’s discotheques, which he started in the 60’s and grew to be the world’s largest entertainment group of its type at the time, with offices in London, New York, Singapore and Sidney. With no scientific, philosophical or theological training and few school qualifications but armed with heaps of life experience as an entrepreneur, Tom switches gear with his latest work Hope…And The Hedgehog to take on the role of ‘everyman philosopher’, creating a new book that makes people stop and think.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook

Tour Schedule:

Aug 15 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
Aug 16 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Aug 17 –@bookswithstace – book review
Aug 22 – Books are a Blessing – book spotlight / giveaway
Aug 24 – Literary Flits – book review / giveaway
Aug 25 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
Aug 26 – @just_another_mother_with_books – book review
Aug 29 – Splashes of Joy – book review / giveaway
Aug 29 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Aug 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Aug 31 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway
Sep 1 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Sep 2 – Kam’s Place – book review

Enter the Giveaway:

HOPE…AND THE HEDGEHOG by Tom Vaughn Book Tour Giveaway

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Giveaway – The Foundation Of Plot by Elena Hartwell @partnersincr1me @Elena_TaylorAut

Posted on August 29, 2022 by fundinmental

The Foundation of Plot

by Elena Hartwell

August 1-31, 2022 Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Foundation of Plot by Elena Hartwell

Structure underlies every story, but without a strong foundation, even well-written sentences can fail to result in a marketable manuscript. The Foundation of Plot defines the components of a story arc, details the differences between plot and story, and covers common errors writers make. It also includes exercises which apply concepts to works in progress or new projects. Drawing on the author’s decades of storytelling and teaching experience, this short guide provides the framework for fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir, walking writers through a first draft, the repair of a failed manuscript, or any draft in between. For experienced authors and first-time writers alike, applying the concepts outlined in this manual can help launch a submission from the slush pile to the bookstore shelf.

Book Details

Genre: Nonfiction Published by: Elena Hartwell Publication Date: July 19, 2022 Number of Pages: 97 ISBN: 9798986020600 Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | IndieBound

Read an excerpt:

Section of Chapter One: The Foundation of Plot

Raw doesn’t mean terrible. It’s just not ready for prime time. Foundation—story structure—underlies everything that writers produce. No matter how avant-garde a literary work might appear on the surface, dig deep enough and a skeleton lies underneath. Solidifying that underlying foundation can come at any point during the writing process. It could be in an outline before writing a single sentence, much as a carpenter uses a blueprint to build a house. Or it could be during a rough draft, determining the foundation through trial and error with character and action, like a dancer experimenting with choreography while the music plays. What’s important is that the process suits the writer for each individual project. For one project, a writer might benefit from building an outline first, while another project might evolve better with an organic method, discovering the foundation during a first draft. There’s no right or wrong about writing from an outline or relying on an organic process—only that the writer finishes that often stubborn first draft. Some writers mix and match, starting by writing organically, then creating an outline partway through, or changing the original outline completely as scenes begin to unfold. Or writers might create a simple outline, then figure out the bulk of the project while building the scenes on the page. It’s never too late to make repairs. Even after multiple drafts, a writer can still improve a manuscript’s foundation. Regardless of when the writer pays attention to foundation, the manuscript will continue to evolve through each rewrite. From the first inklings of an idea to the final, polished manuscript, writers—whether they know it or not—shape and reshape the foundation of their work. One concept that will be useful before going deeper into foundation is the difference between story and plot. Once that concept is clear, it may be easier to identify what does or doesn’t work in a current project.

Story Versus Plot

As used in this guide, story is all-encompassing. It includes what happens before a book starts, everything in all the scenes, and everything that occurs off the page. It even includes what happens after the manuscript is finished, when the reader’s imagination runs wild after “the end.” Plot, on the other hand, is made up solely of the events on the page. One error writers make in their early—and sometimes even late—drafts is to include parts of the story that aren’t necessary for the plot or leave out scenes a reader most needs on the page. This comes back to foundation. Those errors would be like using either too many joists to hold up a floor—making it heavy, cumbersome, and expensive—or not enough joists—causing the floor to fail the first time it bears weight. In both of those instances, the writer has confused story and plot. Falling in love with our own words, our characters, and the scenes that play out in our heads are constant dangers for writers. We want to include everything we research and invent. Sometimes this causes us to start too early in the lives of the characters and include scenes that are potentially beautifully written and explore behavior, motivation, and backstory but don’t move the plot forward. We love our characters and believe a reader will be just as curious as we are about every aspect of their lives. Readers, for the most part, want to follow a series of connected events leading to a satisfying conclusion. They don’t want to read a series of unconnected events that send them in circles or down alleys that ultimately lead nowhere. That is not the same as sending a reader down a wrong path for dramatic effect, as in a mystery where the detective follows the wrong lead. That experience can add to the plot, as a wrong lead can increase suspense. But it can be a problem if a detective goes down a wrong path and learns nothing from it. Readers want each road the writer takes them down to add to the overall story—even when that road teaches the protagonist what they don’t want or what won’t solve the problem at hand. A detective determining who isn’t the culprit can be just as important—and satisfying in its own way—as when the detective catches the killer. Readers may not be able to put this concept into words, but we’ve all heard comments like, “it took several chapters before I got into it” or “the writing was fine, but nothing happened at the beginning” or “I lost interest halfway through.” Those are instances when a writer likely included material the reader didn’t need—no matter how good the quality of the writing. Don’t confuse well-written sentences with a well-written book. High quality paints and canvases and excellent brushstrokes can still turn out an unsuccessful painting. A solid manuscript is more than just well-written sentences, beautifully crafted paragraphs, or even interesting chapters. A solid manuscript has a clear story arc, with each scene in each chapter adding to the whole and building a solid foundation. — Excerpt from The Foundation of Plot by Elena Hartwell. Copyright © 2022 by Elena Hartwell. Reproduced with permission from Elena Hartwell. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Elena Hartwell PHOTO CREDIT MARK PERLSTEIN

Elena Hartwell has spent years supporting writers and constructing stories. Her award-winning and bestselling works include the Eddie Shoes mysteries and All We Buried (written under Elena Taylor). Her plays have been seen around the US and UK, garnering critical acclaim and stellar reviews. As a developmental editor she has worked with hundreds of writers, most recently as senior editor and director of programming for the boutique editing house, Allegory Editing. She regularly teaches writing workshops and enjoys helping others achieve their writing dreams.