Review – For Home And Hearth by Ethan Warrener #ethanwarrener

Posted on January 16, 2025 by fundinmental

MY REVIEW

I am a huge fan of apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, so when Ethan Warrener offered me a copy, I was happy to grab his debut novel, For Home And Hearth.

It started a bit slow for me, but that’s okay. Ethan lays a solid foundation for the novel, introducing characters and the world they live in, fleshing them out as the book progresses.

Ella Holland is the star of the show. When a drifter comes to their small town in West Virginia, bringing the pigmen at their doorstep, she struggles to protect him…and herself. The town definitely does not look kindly on strangers.

The characters run the gamut, which happens when people are struggling to survive. It seems everyone wants or needs what others have and will do whatever they must to get it. For Home and Hearth is a prime example of genetic engineering gone wrong.

Once For Home And Hearth by Ethan Warrener got going I couldn’t stop reading. I think Ethan has a hit with his debut novel and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of For Home And Hearth by Ethan Warrener.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Ella Holland wanted a simple life, but she would have settled for survival.

Life in the ravaged wilds of Appalachia is dangerous, and most folks don’t live past fifty. Even if sickness or starvation doesn’t get you, the rival clans, or shifty nomads, or the unbred monsters that roam the hills will. This is why a clan must stick together at all costs, nestled in whatever patch of peaceful land it has scratched out for itself.

When a wandering drifter turns up with an army of ravenous pigmen at his heels, Ella Holland and the rest of her clan will have to confront the all the harsh realities they’ve kept sealed outside their walls, the lies they’ve told themselves, and even the specter of their own extinction.

Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction
386 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2024 by Ethan Warrener

ABOUT ETHAN WARRENER

Ethan Warrener grew up in Southwest Missouri, which resembles West Virginia if you really squint. If he’s not writing or teaching, he’s spending any extra free time with his wife and kids or playing too many video games. As you might expect from a Midwesterner, he’s an occasional farmer, a regular churchgoer, and a huge metalhead. For Home and Hearth is his first novel fit to see the light of day.

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Review – The Bloodstone Legacy by V E Huntley #VEHuntley

Posted on January 16, 2025 by fundinmental

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Bloodstone Legacy: Damnation by V E Huntley grabbed me and never let me go. I love walking on the dark side, so if you are looking for sparkly vampires, don’t look here. These guys are vicious and I can’t look away.

Damnation takes place in a dystopian world 500 years in the future, where vampires rule and humans are their slaves.

Aden Westcott has spent 300 years lost to the darkness. He lost his love, his soul mate, and can never forgive himself…until a human enters his life. Could this be his second chance at love?

I love vampire stories and it’s hard to find a new take on a familiar story, but V E Huntley has managed to do that and more. We have a slow burning romance and many triggering moments, and savagery and brutality are the norm.

There is a cliffhanger ending. I definitely appreciate the author making me aware of that in the blurb. Atonement, Book II is due out in the Spring of 2025 and I can hardly wait.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Bloodstone Legacy by V E Huntley.

GOODREADS

“My penance will never be enough”

Blood. Power. Darkness. Agony.

For the last almost three hundred years, these are the only things Aden Westcott has known.

But as the world’s most notorious and most feared vampire commander, what do you do when you unexpectedly encounter the love of your life—only she’s human?

Do you cling to the darkness you’ve always known, or do you join the fight for a world where her light has the power to transform a vicious vampire-dominated society and save your undead soul in the process?

Set in a dystopian world five hundred years in the future, where vampires rule and humans are slaves, The BloodStone Legacy is a hauntingly sensual story of forbidden love, heart-wrenching choices, sacrifice, and redemption in a world consumed by darkness.

In a society divided by power and blood, Aden Westcott is a brutal vampire haunted by the memory of a lost love. When he meets Ellie, a human thrall who bears a striking resemblance to his past, she challenges everything he believes and turns his world upside down.

As their lives intertwine and their passion ignites, Aden’s inner turmoil and Ellie’s resilience spark a forbidden bond, unraveling long-buried secrets. Together, they must navigate a treacherous path in a world where darkness and light collide and choices have consequences.

As the first book of The BloodStone Legacy series, “Damnation,” will leave you breathless and aching for more.

If you enjoy dark and steamy paranormal romances such as “Adrian X Isolde” by Scarlett St. Clair and “The Dracula Duet” by Karina Halle, then “The BloodStone Legacy” is a must-read.

With its slow-burn romance, intense darkness, and escalating heat, “Damnation” is just the beginning of an unforgettable journey of a forbidden love that could save or destroy a world ravaged by vampires and ruled by darkness.

And with a cliffhanger ending, you’ll be left on the edge of your seat, eagerly awaiting the next installment of The BloodStone Legacy series. So, don’t wait, immerse yourself in the first book now. And stay tuned for the release of book two, “Atonement,” in late Spring 2025.

Warning: this book contains graphic violence, sexual situations, non-consent (not between MMC and FMC), adult language, and scenes and references of physical and/or sexual abuse/assault that some readers may find triggering.

Genre: Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
568 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2024
Series: The Bloodstone Legacy: Damnation, #1

ABOUT V E HUNTLEY

V.E. Huntley is a retired producer who has spent her life telling stories in one way or another. Just ask her cats. They had to endure a lifetime of her endlessly reciting entire dialogue scenes to them, even though all they desperately wanted to do was nap.

Her childhood fear of Dracula was so intense that she couldn’t sleep without the lights on and her mother guarding her bedroom door. Over time, this fear evolved into a lifelong obsession with the dark and twisted world of vampires and the concept of immortality. So, after more than two decades in the film and television industry, she ultimately chose to pursue her true passion—writing dark and sexy paranormal romance.

Besides writing, her hobbies include reading, watching movies, traveling, and keeping her husband busy with an endless honey-do list.

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Nurse Dorothea Presents Why Coping Skills Work @pumpupyourbook

Posted on January 16, 2025 by fundinmental

Mental health for teenagers and young adults, but older adults are saying they are learning new things too.

Title: Nurse Dorothea Presents Why Coping Skills Work and What Are Some That Can Be Done Anytime and Anywhere

Author: Michael Dow

Pages: 308

Genre: Nonfiction for Young Adults

We are starting the process of removing stigma about mental health issues. Let’s share ideas of the journey to well-being and seek to understand others as they are instead of how we wish them to be. By learning to know ourselves and trying different coping skills that are specific to the situation that we find ourselves in, we can achieve balance and peace. As we deepen our self-awareness and harness tailored coping mechanisms for diverse situations, we pave the path to equilibrium and serenity. Let’s foster an environment conducive to both individual and collective growth within our society. By doing this, we unlock potentials previously unattainable, empowering us to fully cultivate our knowledge, skills, and abilities. With gratitude in our heart, peace in our mind, and confidence in our capabilities, we can face the future with bravery, courage, and determination to help make the best lives for ourselves and others that we possibly can. If society wants something we have never had, we’re going to have to do something that has never been done.

Nurse Dorothea Presents Why Coping Skills Work and What Are Some That Can Be Done Anytime and Anywhere is available at Lulu.

Book Excerpt

“Hi everyone, my name is Nurse Dorothea. Thank you for coming to the after-school club on mental health. I hope to provide you with some tools to manage your emotions and navigate life’s challenges.Mental health is complicated because there are so many things that can affect it. This class was created to show that it is ok to talk about your mental health with others as well as to give you ideas to improve your mental health.

“We will be recording this session. People in the future will get to experience the same things you will today. Sometimes, I will speak to people watching this showor reading the future book about the class. This is an interactive class and I want you all to ask questions as you have them. We will stop sometimes and discuss things with each other. If you are watching the show or reading the book, then I want YOUall to also discuss the questions and topics with those in the room. This book is an experience, and you will only get the full experience by talking with others. Please take breaks from the show as you need to since this will be a long discussion.”

– Excerpted from Nurse Dorothea Presents Why Coping Skills Work and What are Some That Can Be Done Anytime and Anywhere by Michael Dow, Dow Creative Enterprises, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

Michael Stephen Dow is married to Perla in Arizona and has 3 kids. Michael was on a path to attend medical school and then the events of September 11, 2001 occurred. Michael became angry at the terrorists and decided to join the US Air Force. He went through Officer Training School and then graduated specialized Navigator training to become an Electronic Warfare Officer. Michael deployed 6 times for the Global War on Terror between 2005 and 2009 with the EC-130H Compass Call mission. Michael medically retired in 2010 and then became an US Army contractor serving Wounded Warriors and ensuring they received all of their entitled benefits for 8 years. Michael always had a love for science and the human body so he then used his GI bill to go through nursing school and graduated in August 2020. Michael now works as a Registered Nurse at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Michael’s education is as follows: B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University in 1999, B.S. in Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2001, M.S. in Management from Troy University in 2010, Masters in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2017, and M.S. from the University of Arizona in 2020 through its 15 month accelerated Masters Entry to the Profession of Nursing program. Michael is the Founder and Manager of Dow Creative Enterprises, LLC. His books have garnered the Silver Nautilus Book award in 2020 (Nurse Florence, Help I’m Bleeding) and an Award-Winning Finalist in the Religion category for the 2021 International Book Awards (A Prayer to Our Father in the Heavens: Possibly the Greatest Jewish Prayer of All Time). Michael believes we will need the best of science and religion to successfully navigate ourselves, our civilization, through the future obstacles we will face. More information can be found at www.DowCreativeEnterprises.com and www.NurseFlorence.org. Nurse Florence® is a federally registered trademark by Dow Creative Enterprises. The Nurse Florence® series seeks to promote science and health among children and to help increase the health literacy levels of our society. With teamwork, inclusion, faith and perseverance, we can bravely face our problems and help each other reach our better selves as well as our best collective good.

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜ www.nursedorothea.com

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095060389625