Monthly Archives: September 2022

Sherry’s Shelves 9.18 – 9.24.22

Posted on by

Hi Everyone.

Mr Wonderful talked me into a trip to Biloxi. We had a great time and the weather was…HOT! We came home with more than we went with and that is always a good thing.

Stay safe.

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Giveaway – Stripped Bare by Alia Glass
  • Giveaway – The Counterfeit Wife by Mally Becker
  • Giveaway – Wild At Heart by Stacy Gold
  • Giveaway – The Wild Rose And The Sea Raven
  • Giveaway & Review – The Perfect Brother by Chris Patchell
  • Review – Broken by Maggie Shayne
  • The Spotlight Is On To Catch The Setting Sun by Richard I Levin
  • Tackling The TBR
  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ 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!

Giveaway – National Geographic Kids Book Bundle #nationalgeographic

Posted on by

Welcome to the National Geographic Kids Book Bundle Giveaway!

1 Winner

This giveaway is part of our Fall Gift Guide – Stop by to see all the giveaways and great products.

HOST IS:

DELICIOUSLY SAVVY

, Pink Ninja Blog,

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

This giveaway’s Sponsor is:

Sponsored By

~~~

1 Winner

1 Lucky Winner will the Nat Geo Books listed below! (TRV $69!)

Read My Review

~~~~~~

THE GIVEAWAY

This giveaway/sweepstakes is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This Giveaway is valid to continental United States residents only, Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 10/28/22. The winner will have 48 hours to email their information back to mcushing7 at hotmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The giveaway is not valid where prohibited! By entering you are authorizing us to collect the information on the form below, this information is used only to contact the winner! No purchase necessary, Void where prohibited by law, and the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners are chosen randomly by the Giveaway Tools program. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contest are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Melissa Cushing at mcushing7 (at)hotmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

Sponsors interested in joining our gift guides can see the information HERE.

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ 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!

Giveaway – Stripped Bare by Alia Glass @XpressoTours

Posted on by

Stripped Bare
Aila Glass
Publication date: September 23rd 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

A grumpy construction worker. An exotic dancer. And a night that leaves them wanting more.

Daphne
As a broke college student, I’m putting myself through school as an exotic dancer. Dozens of men come to watch me perform every night, and I’ve never been tempted by any of my clients…until him.
Mack with his smouldering gaze and sexy smirk. He knows exactly what to do with my body and how to ignite me with just a touch. Now this grumpy, possessive construction worker is telling me I’m his. But he’s so much older than me. Can we make it work despite the age gap?

Mack
I’m big, grumpy, and I don’t care much for the club scene. The only reason I’m here is to get my coworkers off my back. But the second I spot Daphne on stage, something feral is awakened within me.
She’s a younger woman but that won’t stop me from claiming her. I’m counting down the days until she’ll be tied to me forever. Soon, she’ll learn that possessive is my middle name and from now on, she’ll spend every night screaming it.

If you’re looking for an older man that quickly claims his younger woman, then you’ll love meeting Mack in Stripped Bare.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

The lights on the outside of the White Onyx are white and pink. It doesn’t look like a strip club. It looks like a regular nightclub, which I guess has as much sex appeal as a strip club. I park in the back and head to the door.

I see Tyler, Jason, and Peter outside. Tyler waves his hand to get my attention. As I pass by, a group of women turn my way and I can feel their eyes eating me alive. They’re three young ladies, all with lust in their eyes. I can feel their stare as I walk away.

“You came,” Tyler says and hands the bouncer some money.

“You sound surprised,” I say as I hand the bouncer some money as well.

“Yeah, well…” Tyler says as we walk in. He turns to face me, “I thought you’d change your mind when you realized that you don’t want to come, but since you’re here…”

I shake my head, then look around the club when I walk in. It’s pink and blue but dark, with the smell of cheap alcohol and even cheaper perfume. Men and women are dancing on poles throughout the room as men and women watch them.

We head to the bar and order some drinks. I take a whiskey on the rocks, Jason orders the same, and Tyler and Peter order a beer.

“Well,” Tyler shouts over the booming music, “have fun!” He heads toward a table with a small dark-haired woman dancing on it and takes a seat. Then I see Jason and Peter go their separate ways. It’s then I realize that we may be close but not I’ll-stand-next-to-you-while-looking-at-a-stripper close.

I walk to the corner stage where a tall woman with dirty blonde or brown hair dances on the pole. There are a couple of men already there, but I sit down anyway.

The woman is mesmerizing. She dances to Sam Tinnesz’s Play With Fire and wears a small black bra that shows a lot of her breasts and an even smaller black panties with lace on the back. She swings her hips around and her hands play with her hair. Then she sinks down and crawls toward me. My cock grows fast in my pants.

It wants her. I want her.

She crawls around the table and when she faces the other way, her ass is on full display and I groan. She looks back at me and smiles, telling me she heard me. Turning around, she crawls back to me and is now a foot away from my face. She gracefully slides onto her back and stills, looking at me as she spreads her legs and moves them around like she’s riding an invisible bike.

It takes all my strength not to grab her from the stage, take her to a secluded corner and fuck the shit out of her. As she stands up and dances around the pole, I take a breath and think about what’s happening to me. No woman has ever induced such an intense need in me. The need to take. The need to fill this gorgeous blonde with my cum. To tie her to my bed and fuck her six ways to Sunday.

Holy fuck.

I take a big sip of my whiskey. When I put it down, she’s come back to me and the other men have left.

“You want a private dance, baby?” she asks.

Author Bio:

The Dirty Romantic

Aila Glass is a Canadian romance author and a hopeful romantic. She loves to write forbidden romances with some dirty talk and dirty alphas. When she’s not writing she is reading romance books or listening to music. Preferably classic rock or country.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / Bookbub


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ 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!

Tackling The TBR 9.17 – 9 23.22

Posted on by

I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken. It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current events and to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been hanging around for years.

COME ON….JOIN IN.

Previous Total: 2067

Currently Reading

Books Read

Books Added

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 0

Duplicates Removed: 0

New TBR Total: 2065

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ 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!

Giveaway – Bargain With A Beast by Grace Goodwin @XpressoTours @LuvGraceGoodwin

Posted on by

Bargain with a Beast
Grace Goodwin
Publication date: September 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction

Adrian Davis thought getting on a real-life, ‘beam me up, Scotty’, transport pad was adventure enough. Visiting her mother—and the Atlan beast her mom had chosen as a mate—on another planet? Setting foot in an Atlan prison? Completely crazy.

Like totally, bat-shit, what-the-hell-was-she-doing-with-her-life crazy.

She was supposed to spend a few days wandering around with her twin sister, seeing the sights, expanding her horizons. The trip was supposed to be a much needed break from the hectic schedule she was keeping in school. She was only nineteen. She had plans. Finish college. Medical school. Husband. House. Two-point-five perfect kids and a golden retriever named Buddy.

All that changed with one roar of pain. She heard him. A beast. He was out of control, locked behind an impenetrable wall, alone. Suffering the agony of mating fever.

Ready to die. Forsaken.

Adrian can’t let him go. She will have to fight a centuries old system, warlords on another world, and the beast himself to get what she wants.

To save him.

To keep him for herself.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Turning my head, I found my mate and her sister both staring at me, hands on their hips. Stances, identical. Adrian’s expression? Determined.

The other female had more sense. She had the decency to be nervous, biting her lower lip. “I don’t know about this, sis.”

“They won’t even realize where I am until tomorrow.”

“I know. But you know how much I hate lying to them. What if they check on us when they get home?”

Adrian chuckled. “They won’t. Mom can’t keep her hands off him. They’ll be too busy bumping uglies to worry about where I am.”

Bumping uglies? Ugly what? And why would they bump?

“I’ll worry.”

“That’s why you’re going to be back here in exactly four hours and let me out.”

Stephanie looked at me, inspected me from head to toe. I remained silent. “What about him?”

“I’ll figure it out. After.”

After?

Stephanie’s head dropped backward so that her face looked up at the ceiling. She groaned. “God. And you were making fun of mom for being a horny wench. This is insane. You know that, right?”

“I know. I don’t care. I’m calling in my twin card.”

“Oh, I know. You told me. Why the hell do you think I’m down here again? And low blow by the way. I used my twin card for that stupid calculus test.”

Twin card?

“Not my fault I saved mine for something juicy.” Adrian gathered her sister to her, their heads identical in height as well as form. In fact, the twins were remarkably similar except for my mate’s beautiful hair. “Look. I’m going in there. I know what I know. I can’t explain it, okay? You have to trust me.”

The brown-haired twin’s voice was muffled in her sister’s neck. “Okay. But if you die, I’m going to be really, really mad at you. Like, forever mad.”

I’m going in there?

Adrian’s words finally registered, and I moved forward to tower over them as much as I could with the energy barrier still between us.

“You will not enter this cell, my lady.” I was furious that she would take such a chance. Still, I could not force a threatening tone from my throat, not while I spoke to her.

And my lady? What evil spirit possessed me to speak those two words?

Fuck. What was happening to me? I should shout. Rage. Scream. Act like an out-of-control beast ready to rend and tear and kill. I could do none of those things. My beast, it seemed, had as tight a leash on me as I did on him. He would not allow me to frighten her. Would not allow me to disrespect her. Upset her. Injure her in body, mind or spirit.

Gods be damned. What the fuck was I going to do now? I could never offer her my mating cuffs. I could not. I would be executed in a matter of hours.

I could offer her nothing.

With a low rumble, my beast disagreed, shoving erotic images into my already fracturing mind.

Adrian released her sister and turned to face me. This close she was even smaller than she had at first appeared. Yet her eyes blazed with defiance. “Stephanie?”

“You sure? Really, really, really sure?” Her sister moved toward the control panel.

“Do not,” I ordered.

“Twin card. Playing it. Now.” Adrian ignored me.

Stephanie sighed. The energy barrier dropped.

Adrian took three steps forward. Her scent washed over me. My beast growled. My cock throbbed in pain. My vision blurred. I ordered my limbs to move, to remove this female from my cell. The beast took control of every cell, every muscle of my body. The transformation moved through me. My muscles screamed as they exploded, grew larger. My bones elongated. My beast shoved me aside as if I were no more than a wisp of fog in his peripheral vision.

The energy barrier reappeared, locking her inside the cell.

With me.

With my beast.


Author Bio:

Grace Goodwin is a USA Today and international bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance with nearly one million books sold. Grace’s titles are available worldwide in multiple languages in ebook, print and audio formats. Two best friends, one left-brained, the other right-brained, make up the award-winning writing duo that is Grace Goodwin. They are both mothers, escape room enthusiasts, avid readers and intrepid defenders of their preferred beverages. (There may or may not be an ongoing tea vs. coffee war occurring during their daily communications.) Grace loves to hear from readers.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

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

The Ultimate Seasonal Lunchbox by Audrey Schaerrer @RoxanneRhoads @authoright, @kaleidoscopicbt #UltimateSeasonalLunchbox

Posted on by

SUMMARY

Making time to prepare a full meal and a healthy lunchbox might seem impossible between work, traffic, school, and after-school activities.


It’s important to make time for family cooking because there are plenty of benefits for the family. Family is a team and reinforcing that bond will only make your family a stronger unit.

This book consists of healthy recipes that are not only delicious but fun to prepare. It is written with the intention to encourage families to gather in the kitchen, cooking and connecting over food.

The idea behind the curious food provenance facts is to create culinary interest in the younger generation. Knowledge about the food they are eating will make them aware about the environment and land that provides us with such healthy produce.

There are plenty of benefits to cooking together as a family. Nutrition is something that many schools don’t teach. Cooking with your kids helps teach them how to eat healthy and make informed choices about the food they consume.

Information about the Book

  • Title: The Ultimate Seasonal Lunchbox
  • Author: Audrey Shaerrer
  • Genre: Non-Fiction Cookbook
  • Publication Date: 22nd September 2022
  • Publisher: Clink Street Publishing

A picture containing tree, outdoor, person, standing Description automatically generatedAudrey Schaerrer attended the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Indianapolis, United States of America, and qualified in Fitness Management, Nutritional Therapy and Science of Exercise. She has been practicing as a nutritional therapist and food specialist in Europe for over twenty years.

Audrey is mother to an 11-year-old girl, and she considers motherhood as an exciting living experience. She has always affirmed and demonstrated that raising children constitutes a passion which no mother should set aside, and that strongly positive values should be imbued in one’s own children for them to grow up as true and genuine leaders of tomorrow’s world. This publication highlights the importance of children’s attendance in the kitchen where they may watch and partake in the preparation of their family’s eating patterns.

Audrey’s mission is (i) to help busy parents and individuals lead a healthier lifestyle with fuss-free, varied, delicious meal plans and products, (ii) to introduce delicious foods that enhance physical and mental health, as well as general wellbeing, and (iii) to help clients look after their health naturally, lowering cholesterol, controlling blood pressure, and properly tackling functional gastrointestinal disorders by means of a naturally healthier lifestyle. Audrey’s view is that, like medicine, food can help avoid many illnesses in adults and children including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, cancer and heart-related illnesses.

Her core belief in raising children through example has driven her to create a platform which is accessible to all persons wishing a healthier lifestyle and to allow healthy nutrition to become a target at everybody’s reach.

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Product images are linked/I am an Amazon affiliate.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Shadow Of Fire by Kate Schumacher @XpressoTours

Posted on by

Shadow of Fire
Kate Schumacher
(The Fires of Aileryan, #1)
Publication date: May 5th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

A potent power is about to be unleashed.
Forbidden and forged in flame.

Control over the elements is a gift from the Gods, but since the creation of the Rift, fire magic has been outlawed in Merawuld. The Rift is a source of mystery, fear, and, for some, a tempting source of power.

Ash is a fire caster who has spent years hiding her magic, but when her explosive powers reveal themselves she is imprisoned by the Mage Council. Ash’s powers are coveted by the High Mage, who seeks to use her as a pawn against not only his enemies, but his allies as well.

With the Bone Mother’s winter fast approaching, the fae Princess vows to fight against the corrupting influence of power, forming an alliance whose success rests on a human man’s desire for peace; a man who must decide if he will play the game he’s inherited or begin one of his own.

But in Aileryan, the Gods have their own plans. As the Mother of All turns the wheel of the year, the land is brought to the edge of war. Loyalty and courage will be sorely tested as paths intertwine and Fate plays her hand.

If Ash can’t learn to control her magic, the scheming of gods and mortals could spell doom for them all.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Laeli jumped as the sound of steel striking steel cut through the night. She slipped into a crouch, buckling on her scabbard, sliding the twin swords against her back and crept to the opening of the cairn.

Bran shouted a single word. Run.

As wings of light fluttered across the dark pit of the sky, Laeli saw him, his lithe body ducking and weaving around a sword wielded by a tall man in a cloak of fur. Two dead men lay on the ground, Bran’s dagger protruding from a chest. As Laeli watched, Bran’s opponent crouched and swept his leg wide, catching Bran off guard. Her companion tumbled to the ground and, before he could get to his feet, a sword swung through the air in a precise arc.

Laeli stared in horror as Bran’s head was swiftly sliced from his body. Slowly, so slowly, it fell, toppling to the ground to bounce and roll away. Laeli’s dinner rose like a snake and she turned to the side and vomited.

The sky opened, and as veins of light cracked the black canvas of night, the man in furs looked up and saw her. His sword glinted as he approached, blood dripping hypnotically to the ground.

Bran’s blood; fae blood.

Without another thought, Laeli sprang from the cairn and sprinted for the safety of the forest. The trees reached for her, inviting her in; she bent her head and dove between their trunks, taking shelter in their branches, in the roots that snaked from the earth and the rocks and soft grass that spread across the forest floor. The sky ripped apart again, illuminating the trees, the forest bending and swaying in the fierce wind as the storm intensified.

She pushed on, running at a reckless pace that no human could match, until her lungs burned and she fell to her knees in a puddle of dirty water, her breath coming in pants that shook her to the bone. She was still a long way from the border, from safety.

Laeli took a deep breath, preparing to run again, but the point of a sword pressed into her spine.

‘Get up, Witch.’ The voice was low, husky, his breathing quick.

Author Bio:

KATE SCHUMACHER is a writer, mother and teacher. When she isn’t writing, she is reading her way through an ever-growing TBR pile. Kate has wanted to be an author since she was a child, when she used to write stories about her friends and ‘publish’ them with the help of a stapler. Kate completed a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Journalism, and an Honours degree in Screenwriting, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Education. She currently works as a High School English and History teacher.

She lives in Northern NSW, Australia, with her partner, two children and three very spoiled cats. Shadow of Fire is her first published novel.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

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

Giveaway – Deadly Traditions – A Cozy Mystery Christmas Anthology @dollycas

Posted on by

Deadly Traditions: A Cozy Mystery Christmas Anthology
by Justine Maxwell, Gayle Leeson, Estelle Richards, Erin Scoggins, Sage So, Dianne Ascroft, Ellie Ballard, Melicity Pope, Mollie Cox Bryan, and Sam Cheever

About Deadly Traditions


Deadly Traditions: A Cozy Mystery Christmas Anthology
Cozy Mysteries
Grace Abraham Publishing (September 27, 2022)
Number of Pages TBA
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B2LHQ2G9

Have yourself a DEADLY little Christmas.

Celebrate the holidays with mistletoe, mayhem, and murder. Join your favorite authors as they cozy up by the fire with twelve festive short mysteries that feature treasured holiday traditions. Serve up a slice of fatal fruitcake and deck the halls with danger, because the holiday season has never been so much fun.

This original collection is available for a limited time only, so grab your copy today.

Includes:
A Pickle in a Pear Tree by Erin Scoggins
Mistletoe and Murder by Dianne Ascroft
O Deadly Night by Estelle Richards
Larceny and Gingerbread Lattes by Justine Maxwell
Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas by Gayle Leeson

About the Authors

About Gayle Leeson

Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. Gayle has also written as Amanda Lee. She is currently writing the Kinsey Falls chick-lit/women’s fiction series, the Down South Cafe cozy mystery series, and the Ghostly Fashionista cozy mystery series. Her book KILLER WEDDING CAKE won the Bronze Medal in the 20th Anniversary IPPY Awards. Gayle lives in Southwest Virginia with her family and enjoys hearing from readers.

About Mollie Cox Bryan

Mollie Cox Bryan writes cozy mysteries with edge. She’s the author of several bestselling mystery series, also writing under the pen name Maggie Blackburn. Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman’s World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People’s Choice Award. She’s also penned a historical fiction: MEMORY OF LIGHT: AN AFTERMATH OF GETTYSBURG. She’s the mother of two nearly perfect daughters, each pursuing careers in music.

About Erin Scoggins

USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Scoggins is a long-time Southerner with a fondness for offbeat humor and fresh fried chicken. After fifteen years in marketing with a Fortune 500 company, she traded her MBA for fictional crime scenes and feisty small-town families. She writes fun, flirty mysteries that are celebrations of food, family, and the killer South.

Visit her at www.erinscoggins.com for book news and shenanigans.

About Estelle Richards

Estelle Richards lives in the beautiful American Southwest and writes cozy mysteries. Connect with Estelle at estellerichards.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/estellerichardswriter/.

About Justine Maxwell

Justine Maxwell writes cozy mysteries with brave heroines, strong family bonds, and a touch of romance. She has degrees in psychology from Northern Arizona University and Grand Canyon University. She hopes to one day become a reclusive author in a mountain cabin near Flagstaff, AZ. Until then, she’ll be a busy mom of four small children and one (allegedly) hypoallergenic pup, writing in the midst of chaos.

About Wendy H. Jones

International Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring DI Shona McKenzie are set.Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. Killer’s Countdown was her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Killer’s Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2017. The seventh book in the series. Killer’s Curse will be released early august 2020. The Dagger’s Curse, the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries, was a finalist in the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. Turning to humorous crime the Cass Claymore Investigates series was born. She is also a highly successful marketer and is currently in the process of rereleasing her completely updated marketing book Marketing Matters. This will be part of the Writing Matters Series following the release of Motivation Matters. She is also the author of the Bertie the Buffalo picture book and associated soft toy and colouring book. Wendy is delighted to be one of the authors in two anthologies aimed at empowering women – The Power of Why, and Women Win Against All Odds. She is proud to be the President of the Scottish Association of Writers and is the host of The Writing and Marketing Show podcast, a writing and marketing coach. and CEO of Writing Matters online writing school, Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy.

Dianne Ascroft

Dianne Ascroft is a Canadian writer living in Britain. Since moving to Britain in 1990 she has lived in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Online she can be found at http://www.dianneascroft.com.

She writes cozy mystery, historical and contemporary fiction, often with an Irish connection. Her non-fiction articles and short stories have been printed in Canadian and Irish magazines and regional newspapers including the Toronto Star, Ireland’s Own, Senior Times, Celtic Connection and Irish Connections Canada.

She was co-editor of The Fermanagh Miscellany, the Fermanagh Authors’ Association’s yearly anthology for several years and she also contributes material to other local history and writers’ anthologies.

Dianne is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Sisters in Crime, Historical Novel Society, Writers Abroad, Fermanagh Authors’ Association and Fermanagh Writers.

Dianne started life in a quiet residential neighbourhood in the buzzing city of Toronto and has progressively moved to smaller places through the years. She now lives on a small farm in Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong willed animals. If she ever decides to write her autobiography the working title will be ‘Downsizing’.

Sam Cheever

USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 80+ books.

NEWSLETTER: Join Sam’s Monthly newsletter and get a FREE book! You can also keep up with her appearances, enjoy special content, and get previews of her upcoming work! https://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html

TEXT NEWS ALERTS: Or if you’d rather not receive a monthly newsletter, you can sign up for text alerts and just receive a brief text when Sam’s launching a new release or appearing somewhere fun. Just text SAMNEWS to 781-728-9542 to be added!

ONLINE HOT SPOTS: To find out more about Sam and her work, please pay her a visit: Her website: https://www.samcheever.com; Her blog: https://www.samcheever.com/blog; and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor. She looks forward to chatting with you!

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ 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!
You can see my Giveaways HERE. You can see my Reviews HERE. If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me? Look on the right sidebar and let’ 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!

Review – The Nostalgia Gambit by Carmen Webster Buxton @CarmenWBuxton

Posted on by

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Woo Hoo…Another Threecon Sci/Fi novel by Carmen Webster Buxton. I have loved exploring the worlds she has created, so I am really looking forward to The Nostalgia Gambit. I love the creative cover and I wonder what…or who…the red pawn represents.

Carmen Webster Buxton comes up with some of the best, most unusual characters. Tychon Altair Damiano is the star in The Nostalgia Gambit. He doesn’t know who his father is, seeing his mother’s ‘career’ made it hard to figure out. He is a fence, dealing with stolen goods, and has spend some time in prison. His friends consist of hookers and thieves, until…

Carmen Webster Buxton writing has created a world of vast richness, with detailed glimpses into life on a planet of the future. I find it fascinating, getting lost in the detailed descriptions.

When I started reading, I thought, I know it will be good, but how can Carmen come up with something new and exciting. I am a blood and guts kind of girl. I love reading about serial killers, vampires and shapeshifters, but have found science fiction taking a larger piece of the pie than ever before. It’s because of authors like Carmen.

Threecon is like our United Nations, though there are no nations, only planets. To join, you must be a unified planet. One for all and all for one. The Palatinate, Kallisto’s ruler, was determined to join Threecon. Good for him. I’ve spent several novels visiting other planets and loving every minute of it. I find the Threecon world Carmen has created fascinating. Even more so the characters, and their interactions. They come alive on the pages, drawing me in, becoming involved in their life, as if they are real. I empathize and sympathize with them…at least most of them.

I loved The Nostalgia Gamibit by Carmen Webster Buxton, another unique and highly entertaining read!

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Far future science fiction:
Tychon Damiano makes a living, of sorts, fencing stolen goods. He’s especially proud of dealing in items stolen from rich aristos. On the other hand, the hookers and lowlifes in Prime, the largest city on Kallisto, are his friends. They send him enough business to keep himself fed and clothed, and help him stay one step ahead of the law. And then one day Ty walks into the wrong bar and finds his life forever changed. Now he lives a life of luxury in a palace, with fine food on the table, servants to wait on him, and a virtual girlfriend on tap. There’s only one problem. Ty can’t leave.

ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON

Carmen Webster Buxton

Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.

Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.

Carmen has published many books:

WAKANREO SERIES
Alien Bonds
Alien Vows
Alien Skies

HAVEN SERIES
The Sixth Discipline
No Safe Haven

THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order)
The Nostalgia Gambit
Saronna’s Gift
Shades of Empire
Tribes
Worlds Apart

ALTERNATE HISTORY
King of Trees

YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION
Turnabout
Drifters

FANTASY
Where Magic Rules
Bag of Tricks
Hidden Magic

THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021)
The North Edge of Nowhere
Oaths and Promises

Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON REVIEWS

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

Giveaway – The Sleeping Giant b Tammy Lowe @XpressoTours

Posted on by

The Sleeping Giant
Tammy Lowe
(The Acadian Secret, #2)
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: September 21st 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Time-Travel, Young Adult

When a tormented man begs 17-year-old Elisabeth London to travel back in time to save his life, she reluctantly agrees. Assuming Scotland is the destination, she ends up in Ancient Rome instead.
The good news is she finds the man; now a bold 17-year-old named Aquarius. The bad news is he’s an indentured slave, sentenced to death in the arena, and doesn’t even know her yet.
Elisabeth helps Aquarius escape and becomes an outlaw herself. Armed with her wits and his rock sling, the new friends are on the run from a relentless slave dealer, Rufus Leptis.

Elisabeth soon realizes she’s not here to save Aquarius from Rufus, but from the doomed city of Pompeii. Although trying to be brave, the thought of remaining in Aquarius’ swashbuckling world a minute longer than necessary is inconceivable.

At least, it used to be.

Before that darn, happy-go-lucky slave stole her heart.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

The thundering sounds all around them seemed to fade into the distance as Elisabeth stood pinned against the side of the cliff. Her gaze darted up to the grassy overhang. There were only two ways off this ledge; the tunnel or the rushing river that would sweep them over the falls within seconds. About to hyperventilate, Elisabeth buried her face in David’s back. Every millisecond moved at an unbearable speed. She held her breath as the inevitable moment drew nearer. Their only chance would be if Rufus didn’t step outside of the tunnel, but that would take a miracle. David looked prepared to fight, but from the side of a mountain ledge with a giant of a man? That could end up a bigger disaster.

She pushed a pile of rocks aside with her foot and shuffled as far along the ledge as possible so David could step back and they’d be flush against the wall. When they heard Rufus grumbling, she knew he had to be near the end of the tunnel. Her leg muscles tightened. Elisabeth wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go.

He was so close.

Too close.

She dared not look to see if he had walked onto the ledge. He would only need to step outside to see them.

What was that noise?

Hissing?

Elisabeth felt the color drain from her face, and then turned ever so slightly to look at the ground beside her.

She gasped, and the sound of her heartbeat thrashed in her ears. If anyone thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, they’d be wrong. Coiled at her feet, next to the dislodged rock, was a snake, looking as startled as Elisabeth. Her mouth fell open, repulsed, but unable to look away from the creature.

“No…no…no…” she whimpered.

Author Bio:

An adventurer at heart, Tammy has explored ruins in Rome, Pompeii, and Istanbul (Constantinople) with historians and archaeologists.

She’s slept in the tower of a 15th century castle in Scotland, climbed down the cramped tunnels of Egyptian pyramids, scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge, sailed on a tiny raft down the Yulong River in rural China, dined at a Bedouin camp in the Arabian Desert, and escaped from head-hunters in the South Pacific.

I suppose one could say her own childhood wish of time traveling adventures came true…in a roundabout way.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Pinterest


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ 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!