Tag Archives: 4 star review

OSR – If You Tell by Gregg Olsen @Gregg_Olsen

Posted on by

.

Woo Hoo! I was so excited when I won a hardcover of If You Tell by Gregg Olsen from Freda’s Voice. I want to thank Freda and Gregg Olsen for my copy.

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen is an indepth look at a sadistic killer who had the ability to lure her victims in like a snake charmer as she plies her torturous ways on the innocent in the true crime novel that is written like a psychological thriller, making it hard to stop reading before the last page is read, but shows her four daughters ability to hold on to love and hope.

I won a hardcover of If You Tell by Gregg Olsen and I would like to thank Freda, Gregg Olsen and Thomas & Mercer.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

An Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestseller.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen’s shocking and empowering true-crime story of three sisters determined to survive their mother’s house of horrors.

After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now.

For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mother’s dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders.

Harrowing and heartrending, If You Tell is a survivor’s story of absolute evil—and the freedom and justice that Nikki, Sami, and Tori risked their lives to fight for. Sisters forever, victims no more, they found a light in the darkness that made them the resilient women they are today—loving, loved, and moving on.

ABOUT GREGG OLSEN

Gregg Olsen

Throughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Olsen has written ten nonfiction books, ten novels, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.

The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen’s Snapped, Court TV’s Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E’s Biography.

In addition to television and radio appearances, the award-winning author has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.

The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington’s Secretary of State for the book’s contribution to Washington state history and culture.

Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest /

  • 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!

And So It Begins – Day O by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

Posted on by

.

Oh yeah! More of the zombie apocalypse and my question is answered,” How did the zombie apocalypse begin?”

Another fabulous cover in the series.

Day O is an exclusive through he readers club HERE. I am a follower and Nick and I would love for you to join us.

Dead Meat: Day 0 (Dead Meat, #0)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen was released after Day 3, but tells us how the zombie apocalypse began.

Let me start off by saying, I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and wring Brigit’s neck.

Dennis may be mentally challenged, and I have my own thoughts on why that is, but he knows right from wrong, and this is very wrong.

How the apocalypse came about was a surprise to me and I loved the way Nick Clausen handled it.

Dead Meat: Day 0 is the best one yet and the cause of the outbreak was a refreshing zombie twist.

Bring it on, Nick!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The exciting beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

What happened to set it all off? Who was responsible for the disaster? And could it have been avoided? You’ll find all the answers in Day 0.

Whether you already read the Dead Meat series or haven’t begun yet, you can enjoy Day 0.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN 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’ 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 & Review – Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone @VictoriaDahl @dollycas

Posted on by

.

Problem Child: A Jane Doe Thriller by Victoria Helen Stone

Problem Child was right up my alley. I’m disappointed that I missed the first book, because I loved this one. They do stand alone.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads


Problem Child: A Jane Doe Thriller
Thriller
2nd in Series
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (March 24, 2020)
Paperback: 265 pages
ISBN-10: 1542014395
ISBN-13: 978-1542014397
Digital ASIN: B07SDTRJP9

MY REVIEW

I love what gets Jane Doe’s emotions revving, her hate for the power plant and her fascination with wind turbines. I, too, feel they are an art form.

Yeah, maybe you could blame some of her sociopathy on her worthless parents, who wouldn’t give her the time of day unless they wanted something from her. Her brother was just as bad. In and out of prison, a bully to her when she was a child. No one was there when she needed someone, so she has no use for them. She can take care of herself.

Unfortunately, she feels she must return home. Her niece, Kayla, is missing. No one seems to care about her either, but after finding out everyone thought that Kayla was just like her, she felt she had to know. Was she a sociopath too? Could she be a mentor, teaching her how to navigate life and keep herself hidden, and maybe have someone to share her true self with?

Sociopaths are not capable of feeling love and loneliness, but Jane feels something. Something for her boyfriend, Luke. He knows she is different, doesn’t want the white picket fence, but could they have a ‘marriage’ of sorts? He accepts her for who she is and that counts for a lot. She wants to keep him. LOL I couldn’t help but laugh at that. Like he’s a puppy or something.

At least searching for Kayla, she could keep from getting bored. When she gets bored, she does things that could bring trouble down around her, and being a lawyer, she has a place where she is comfortable, sorta. Don’t cross her though. You won’t like Jane if you make her mad. She loves the hunt and she’ll play anyone who gets in her way.

As a monster myself, I’m not under any delusion about the kindness of strangers.

Just because she’s a sociopath, doesn’t mean she’s a serial killer.

Problem Child, for me, was eye opening and thought provoking. I know not all sociopaths are murderers, but with Jane, it is just as frightening. It makes me realize, even more, that we could be surrounded by them and never know it. Could it be your neighbor? Your coworker? Your friend? Your family? Your lover? You may look at everyone differently after reading Problem Child.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BOUT THE BOOK

She’s cold, calculating, and can deceive with a smile. Jane Doe is back in the Amazon Charts bestselling series—and this time she’s met her match.

After a brutal childhood, Jane Doe has been permanently wired to look after herself and only herself. Now, looking next to normal, Jane has a lover and a job. But she hasn’t lost her edge. It sharpens when she hears from her estranged family.

Jane’s deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl’s eyes. It’s the empty stare of a sociopath.

Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her—by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one’s more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.

About Victoria Helen Stone

Victoria Helen Stone, formerly writing as USA Today bestselling novelist Victoria Dahl, is originally from the Midwest but now writes from an upstairs office high in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. After a career in romance that included the American Library Association’s prestigious Reading List Award, she turned toward the darker side of fiction and has written the critically acclaimed novels, Evelyn, After; Half Past; and False Step. Her Amazon Charts bestselling thriller Jane Doe has been optioned by Sony Television. For more on the author and her work, visit VictoriaHelenStone.com.  And on Twitter @VictoriaDahl

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N  

a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

March 17 – fundinmental – REVIEW

March 17 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

March 18 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW  

March 18 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

March 19 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 19 – The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

March 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

March 21 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

March 22 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

March 22 – This Is My Truth Now – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW

March 23 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here 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!

Giveaway & Review – Run Girl Run by Willow Rose @MadamWillowRose @SDSXXTours

Posted on by

.

Run Girl Run
Harry Hunter Mystery Series Book 2
by Willow Rose
Genre: Mystery, Thriller

MY REVIEW

Emilia and her mother are homeless, living in their car. She is awoken one night and the unthinkable happened. This took place in the first three chapters and it read like a prologue. I love prologues, because they hook me from the beginning and i eagerly read on to find out what lead up to the event and what happens after.

I am back with some familiar characters, so when Josie was rushed to the hospital, I thought, what could happen to them now. It seems bad luck dogs Harry and his daughter, Josie.

Because Run Girl Run by Willow Rose is Book II in the Harry Hunter series, I don’t want to spoil anything for those who start at the beginning, with Book I, All The Good Girls. I will skip over Camille, his comatose wife, and Jean, his wife’s best friend and love interest, and let you find out about them for yourself.

The situation presents some real life questions. Do you believe in miracles? When is enough enough and you move on with your life? How do you get past the guilt of giving up on someone you love?

Because of her ‘illness’, Josie leaves the hospital with more than she had when she entered. It puts her in great danger. And this poses some real life question too.

With Willow Rose, I am always waiting for that other shoe to drop. Her mysteries are complicated. She makes me wonder how all the characters will come together and what the outcome will be. She takes her characters to the extreme and back again and I am just along for the ride.

Uh oh, I’m thinking something bad about someone close to Harry. Could it be….Nope. How about…hmm…Alright, I was wrong again, sort of…I love how Willow Rose leads me down false paths, constantly questioning myself as I struggle to expose the bad guy. And we do have plenty of bad guys.

As Harry investigates, danger comes knocking. Of course, he makes it out alive, seeing there will be one more book, and I heave a sigh of relief, for now. The danger isn’t over yet!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Run Girl Run by Willow Rose.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Willow Rose’s beloved detective, Harry Hunter is back in this thrilling second installment of the bestselling series.
When a mother and her child are pulled out of the harbor in their car, the case seems pretty straightforward for Miami PD and Detective Harry Hunter.
Everything points to a murder-suicide.
They were homeless, living in their car, and the mother decided to end it all for them both by driving into the water.
But the case is not what it looks like, Detective Harry Hunter soon realizes.
Harry’s daughter is carrying devastating knowledge about their deaths, and soon she becomes the killer’s next target.
As Harry races to protect her, he is betrayed by someone he thought he knew, leaving him terrified of trusting anyone in a town filled with liars.
RUN GIRL RUN is the second book in the Harry Hunter Mystery Series.
All the Good Girls
Harry Hunter Mystery Series Book 1
This novel is the first book in Willow Rose’s electrifying new Harry Hunter series.
Detective Harry Hunter of Miami PD’s homicide squad throws himself into a case no one asked him to solve.
Four teenagers from one of Miami’s affluent neighborhoods are murdered on a boat. Another is found in a dumpster. All five of them go to the same school and are on a list of witnesses to another crime.
Because he’s in bad standing with his boss, Harry is given the task of protecting a possible future victim, but Harry isn’t always known to follow his boss’s orders.
Soon, he’ll risk everything while racing to stop a killer who has left everyone else in the homicide squad shaking in terror.
ALL THE GOOD GIRLS is the first book in the Harry Hunter Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.
**Only 99 cents!**
The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books.
Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
$50 Amazon
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

MY REVIEWS FOR WILLOW ROSE

  • 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!

New Release – Stranger Still by Michaelbrent Collings @mbcollings

Posted on by

.

I have picked up a book or two of Michaelbrent Collings on Amazon free days and through his newsletter. Most are waiting for their turn to be read, but I have read and reviewed Scavenger Hunt. Now, I see his name and I grab the book.

Stranger Still is due for release on 3.10.20. Don’t you just love that creepy cover?

Stranger Still

Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Stranger Still by Michaelbrent Collings is a stand alone novel, even though it is a sequel to Strangers. I didn’t realize I had Stranger on my Kindle, but now that I have met Legion, I have to know more about him.

He named himself Legion. He is a punisher. Doling out lessons to sinners.

Sheldon, but not the cute kid on Young Sheldon, or the genius on Big Bang Theory. No, this Sheldon is a hot mess whose specialty is kidnapping, torturing and murdering. He thinks he’s a god and revels in the gross and disturbing brutality he doles out.

Sheldon takes Camille and Alex hostage while they are on their honeymoon. But why? I have a feeling there is much more to Alex than we know at this time. At first, I thought he didn’t tell her his secrets to keep her safe, but….

I quickly became hooked on the characters, leading me to want to know more about them. I was riding in the front seat of the car with Camille, bouncing around in the trunk with Alex, and in the heads of Sheldon and Legion, and believe me, that is a frightening place to be.

At half way through Stranger Still, I am excited about what is to come. I have no idea how this will end, but I am fully committed and hoping Camille survives. There is something about Camille that comes through in Michaelbrent Collings writing that captures me. I feel she has a bigger part to play than victim, and I am curious to see if I am right. And Legion…

Bad childhoods, and I mean bad, can make people bad people, but there are those that walk out a decent person, overcoming the evil perpetrated on them. As I think about Legion, I wonder where exactly he fits in. He is a character that, even though he is brutal, at times savage, he has a reason for doing what he does. Can that excuse him? Only you can decide.

Is everyone twisted, insane, ruthless? How many sociopaths/psychopaths does it take to create Stranger Still?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Stranger Still by Michaelbrent Collings.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Star

GOODREADS BLURB

Your sins are Legion…

… and now you belong to him.

***

Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.

A madman.

Born in the blood of a dying mother, raised in the underground hideout of an insane father, he travels the world looking for those who keep secrets and sins. He finds those who have fallen short, and teaches them the lessons they need to leave their mistakes behind.

And if he has to teach a lesson that ends in death, well… sometimes that’s the cost of proper education.

That’s why, when he sees a man kidnap two people on the side of the road, Legion knows it is time to teach again.

Soon he finds himself caught in the crossfire of a coup in a Russian crime syndicate. Legion is captured, beaten, bleeding, in chains; cut off and alone.

It’s just the way he likes it.

Legion has his students. And the lessons are about to begin…

ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS

Michaelbrent Collings

Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist, multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of the top indie horror writers in the United States.

He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.

Michaelbrent has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than he is.

Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC… and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings. Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!

STALK MICHAELBRENT: Website / Twitter

MY MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS REVIEWS

Scavenger Hunt

  • 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!

Revenge is Poison – Sting by Cindy R Wilson @CindyRWilson #Sting #NetGalley

Posted on by

.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Sting by Cindy R Wilson. Just looking at the gorgeous cover, I felt this would be a good one.

Sting

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I was scrolling through the books on Net Galley one day, and stopped when I saw this great cover. The tag line: Revenge is poison, also did it’s job. It leapt off the page, and, when I read the blurb, I knew I had to have it.

Tessa. The Scorpion. Robin Hood of the Dark District.

She robs from the rich who live in the Light District and give to the poor in the Dark District.

Climate change has wreaked havoc on the world, making once was habitable, inhabitable. Their country is the place of last resort, and, of course, the privileged claim it as their own.

Tessa had started out the apocalypse on her own, but quickly added to her ‘family’. She does have a love interest in River, a best friend from the wrong side of the district, Elle, and Cass, a child, who she has taken in as if she were her very own. She feels now is not the time for love and romance and fights her attraction to River.

Tessa is a tinkerer, creating bots that she calls Scorpions. She sends them out ahead of the search party, scouting for danger. They scavenge for what little they have, on the verge of starvation, even setting traps for rats.

Everyone needs a champion in desperate times and Scorpion, a humble, young girl, rose to the challenge, believing that someone has to do something. She never saw herself as a leader and questions how that even became possible.

She is betrayed, ending up in prison, where she finds an unlikely ally. I saw the betrayal coming very quickly.

I love the inventory she takes at the beginning of each chapter.

I love the dystopian world Cindy R Wilson created. I felt the need, the desperation, the urgency for the characters. At times it unrolled like a movie playing in my mind, the writing making it so easy to visualize them skulking through the streets, patrolling, battling for survival.

This may be an ARC, but it read as if it could be the final product.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Sting by Cindy R Wilson.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Sting
by Cindy R. Wilson
Genre: YA Dystopian
Release date: March 3rd 2020
Entangled Teen

Summary:
They call me the Scorpion because they don’t know who I really am. All they know is that someone is stealing from people with excess to help people with nothing survive another day.
But then a trusted friend reveals who I am―“just” Tessa, “just” a girl―and sends me straight into the arms of the law. All those people I helped…couldn’t help me when I needed it.
In prison, I find an unlikely ally in Pike, who would have been my enemy on the outside. He represents everything I’m against. Luxury. Excess. The world immediately falling for his gorgeous smile. How he ended up in the dirty cell next to mine is a mystery, but he wants out as much as I do. Together, we have a real chance at escape.
With the sting of betrayal still fresh, Pike and I will seek revenge on those who wronged us. But uncovering all their secrets might turn deadly…

Purchase links can be found HERE! 

Excerpt 
“Don’t take another step.”
My breath catches. My fingers curl around the handle of my knife, but my feet are glued to the ground three steps outside the door. There’s only one Enforcer, but the others can’t be far away. His gun is aimed at my heart, and a dark smile plays on his lips.
“Are you the only one here?” he asks, voice deep.
“Just me.” I hope River and Elle are already hiding. Or maybe they left through the back. I resist the urge to look at Atticus’s and Magellan’s transmissions on my watch.
He narrows his eyes. “Out here all alone. What is it you’re doing at an abandoned warehouse in the middle of the night?”
“Delivering a pizza.” I give him an easy smile, but my voice isn’t as steady as I want it to be. When he glares, I shrug. “I saw the warehouse and got curious.” But I’ve heard pizza is really good.
“In the middle of the night,” he says. “Hmm. And what’s in the satchel?”
It’s not my satchel he should be worried about. It’s the throwing knife in my hand.
“Nothing special.”
“I’ve been hearing stories about a girl they call the Scorpion,” he says.
My heart stops. The Scorpion. How do they know? I pinch the blade of the knife between my fingers.
He smiles. “Is that you?”
My throat is too dry to answer.
There’s movement behind him. He whips around as River appears near the dumpsters, hands up. Crap! With a flick of my wrist, I fling the knife at the Enforcer. It lodges in his thigh, and he howls in pain. Before he can recover, River yanks the gun from his grasp. Elle is right behind him, eyes wide.
“Out of here. Now,” I growl, racing away from the warehouse. River and Elle are close by my side as we rush through the streets, dodging dumpsters and bags of trash. The slow burn of asphalt from the heat of the day reaches my nose. Lanterns shine in some windows, but it’s late, and, for the most part, we can only see our path by the glow of the moon. From here, the Light District is countless blocks away, a firefly of light buzzing with energy.
“Are you hurt?” River asks, glancing over.
“Not as bad as the Enforcer.” I brush off his concern even though my leg throbs and blood rolls down my calf. I shut down my receiver to save power. I’ll summon Atticus and Magellan later. “Lost my favorite knife, though.” One of the few mementos I have from my dad.
He lifts his arm. “Got a gun.”
“I told you this was a bad idea,” Elle says, breath short. “I heard what he said. The Enforcer.”
I slow down after we’ve put some distance between us and the warehouse. My heart still races, and my mind whirls. The Enforcers know about me.
“So did I,” River says. “That’s why they were there tonight. They were looking for the Scorpion.”

About the Author

Cindy lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She’s the mother of three girls, who provide plenty of fodder for her YA novels. Cindy writes speculative fiction and YA fiction, filled with a healthy dose of romance. You’ll often find her hiking or listening to any number of playlists while she comes up with her next story idea.



Author Links:

  • 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!

Twofer One Sentence Reviews – Sunny Weber and Elizabeth McKenna @sunnyone24 @elizamckenna

Posted on by

.

I won both these books through IReadBookTours. From warm and fuzzy to cold and dangerous, I loved both the books and want to thank IReadBookTours, Sunny Weber and Elizabeth McKenna for my beautiful copies. They look wonderful on the shelf.

From Wild to Mild: A Dog in Two Worlds

Amazon / Goodreads

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Told from Kaya’s point of view, From Wild to Mild by Sunny Weber is a wonderfully sweet and easy reading adventure story of a kidnapped puppy and how he makes hard decisions in order to find his place in the world.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Killer Resolutions

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

An isolated lodge in the woods, a blizzard, and I’m sure nothing can go wrong (LOL) as family and friends, along with one stranger, unite to put the past where it belongs in this novella that quickly turns into a mystery filled with suspense and a killer that goes on a rampage.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
  • 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!

Vigilante or Rogue – The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz @deankoontz #librarylove

Posted on by

.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Dean Koontz novel, so I joined the Library Challenge to encourage myself to catch up on some authors I have been missing. I am so glad I did and have already downloaded Book II, The Whispering Room.

The Silent Corner (Jane Hawk, #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I checked out The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz from the library and I am so glad I did. I love characters like Jane Hawk, who do what must be done when others are unable to stand for themselves.

Call her a vigilante? Maybe. Call her a savior? Well, she can’t save them all and she pays a huge price. It was the suicide of her husband that sets her on the hunt. She doesn’t believe it. She must find out for herself…WHY.

The hunter becomes the hunted, when those who want to keep the suicides secret find out she is on the hunt. She finds some unlikely allies as she struggles to stay one step ahead of those who want her dead.

I thoroughly enjoyed joining Jane Hawk on her wild adventure. It made me think…could this happen today? Nanobots…are they good or bad, or both? Someone always finds a way to take something good and make it bad and ‘they’ do it in a frightening way in The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz.

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz is part of the Jane Hawk series and does not stand alone. Read in order of release.

I immediately downloaded The Whispering Room, Book II in the Jane Hawk series.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Meet Jane Hawk—a remarkable new heroine certain to become an icon of suspense, propelled by the singular narrative genius of #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.

“I very much need to be dead.”

These are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live for—but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, does what all her grief, fear, and fury demand: find the truth, no matter what.

People of talent and accomplishment, people admired and happy and sound of mind, have been committing suicide in surprising numbers. When Jane seeks to learn why, she becomes the most-wanted fugitive in America. Her powerful enemies are protecting a secret so important—so terrifying—that they will exterminate anyone in their way.

But all their power and viciousness may not be enough to stop a woman as clever as they are cold-blooded, as relentless as they are ruthless—and who is driven by a righteous rage they can never comprehend. Because it is born of love.

ABOUT DEAN KOONTZ

Acknowledged as “America’s most popular suspense novelist” (Rolling Stone) and as one of today’s most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.

Dean R. Koontz has also published under the names Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, David Axton, Owen West, Deanna Dwyer and Aaron Wolfe.

Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Website

MY DEAN KOONTZ 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’ 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 for Heaven For Now by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle

Posted on by

.

Heaven for Now by Ken La Salle is book III in the Heaven series. His work is thought provoking, making me ask the question, what is my version of Heaven?

The series has some wonderful covers that hint at the story inside.

If you would like to read my review, you can find it HERE. You will also have another chance to win a copy for yourself.

Heaven For Now

Amazon / Goodreads

GUEST POST

I have been reading Ken La Salle’s stories for a while now and he covers many genres. He never ceases to entertain me. I just finished reading Heaven for Now, Book III in the Heaven series. He leads an interesting life, going on his own life affirming adventures and I think you will find his thoughts on Romance interesting. I know I did.

I don’t know the first thing about writing a romance novel.

But having gone through one divorce and having stood by my best friend as he lost his wife to leukemia, I guess I know something about heartbreak and loss.

How or why the idea for Heaven Enough originated as I hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail just outside of Warner Springs is something I’ll probably never figure out. The story came to me all at once and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was a simple, quiet story about a man who had lost everything, which is how you feel when you lose someone you love. Heaven Enough felt like such a departure for me that I even drove my wife, Vicky, out to Warner Springs and pitched the idea to her beside that same trail.

Most of my previous stories had been quite a bit louder.

And Heaven Enough picked up a few readers and a lot of great reviews. The book holds a special place in my heart precisely because I don’t know the first thing about writing a romance novel. Instead, I wrote the kind of love story that is born out of loss and pain and regret. Not a fairy tale but something real.

And when a few readers began asking me what happened after the events in Heaven Enough, I began to wonder as well. I had not planned a trilogy but that didn’t really matter. I wanted to see it happen.

You should know that I had a good laugh at the notion that I, an author who has forever disparaged any romantic fiction, would be releasing a trilogy of… again, not romance novels. How about this, instead: A trilogy about adult, grown up people who have been hurt by love, wondering if love is worth all the hype, and discovering that the value of love and meaning of life can only be measured by how much you’re willing to open your heart.

At least, those are my thoughts. Coming from someone who doesn’t know the first thing about writing a romance novel, you should expect the Heaven series to take you in different directions and even surprise you at times.

I’ve already been asked if Matt Murphy will return and I can assure you he will. But I’m gonna give him a few years off to rest. He’s gonna need it. Heaven Enough, Heaven Denied, and Heaven For Now are all available pretty much everywhere in ebook and paperback and you can also find Heaven Enough in audio wherever audiobooks are sold online.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Ken. I look forward to our next adventure, be it zombies, cookies, horror or romance. Bring it on!

GOODREADS BLURB

What would it be like to have heaven enough?
When Matt Murphy married his second wife, Heather, Paul and Neal were by his side. Neal, the brother of his first wife, Diva, had unwittingly sent Matt after Heather. Paul, also known as the cross-dresser Babette, was the only other person who knew Heather before her death.
Seeing two strands of his life come together at his wedding and fall in love made sense to Matt, somehow.
But it didn’t make sense to Neal. As far as Neal had been informed, he wasn’t gay. Though he could never deny his love for Paul, how can Neal grasp what such an admission would mean in his life?
Now, Paul has disappeared and Matt agrees to look in his last known location, Puerto Vallarta, home of sand and sun and – despite Matt’s searching – absolutely no sign of Paul. And when Matt Murphy meets Marisol Saucedo, a physical trainer who makes her living by teaching her students to beat people up, his search for Paul stops as his fascination for Marisol blooms.
What will become of Paul and Neal? How will Matt make sense of their lives when he can’t make sense of his own? Is love enough when it requires a leap of faith into a scary, new world? Can you use logic to find the answers? Or is it better to simply surrender to the moment, to the inebriating temptation that is love?
Any decision will change their lives forever…

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE (From Amazon)

Ken La Salle

Author and Playwright, Ken La Salle grew up in Santa Ana, California and has remained in the surrounding area his entire life. He was raised with strong, blue collar roots, which have given him a progressive and environmentalist view. As a result, you’ll find many of his stories touching those areas both geographically and philosophically. His passion is intense humor, meaningful drama, and finding answers to the questions that define our lives.

Website  /   Twitter  /  Facebook  /  YouTube  /  Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Ken La Salle is offering one copy of Heaven For Now to one lucky reader. Entry is easy peasy. Simply answer the question:

What, to you, is the most important element in a romance novel?

You will also have a second chance on Wednesday, 3.26.20, so be sure and come back.

Giveaway ends 3.4.20.

MY KEN LA SALLE 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’ 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 & Review – Heaven For Now by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle

Posted on by

.

Heaven for Now by Ken La Salle is book III in the Heaven series. His work is thought provoking, making me ask the question, what is my version of heaven?

The series has some wonderful covers that hint at the story inside.

I will be sharing his thoughts on romance in an upcoming post scheduled for Wednesday, the 26th of February. I hope you will stop by, because I believe it will add to your reading enjoyment of the Heaven series and offer another chance to win a copy for yourself.

Heaven For Now

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Ken La Salle writes thought provoking novels with quirky characters and humor. He makes me question myself, right along with his characters.

Whenever I read a Ken La Salle story, I find myself reading between the lines, at times adding my own interpretation of events.

Matt has been dealt some tragic blows in his life and finds himself adrift, but he never gives up on love. No job, nowhere to go, no reason to get there, until Paul disappears. Where has he gone? Why has he gone?

Now, Matt is on a plane to Mexico, in search of Paul and the adventure begins as soon as he gets off the plane. How is he ever going to find Paul? He doesn’t know where to go or how he’s going to get there.

But, he is also on a journey of enlightenment, trying to find a purpose in his life. On an Australian walkabout, if you will. Lost, with no direction.

His friends are a comical group of characters and he finds himself in some humorous situations. At times, I could see the events unraveling right before my eyes.

Matt has come full circle and is so much better for it. It’s not one single event that makes us who we are, but a lifetime of journeys. We don’t stay the same, and each event adds to our makeup. We learn, we grow, we gather those who mean something to use, who make us a better person.

Ken La Salle takes us on a life affirming journey, through death and sadness, humor and laughs, love and contentment, and I always enjoy the ride. He has a distinctive writing style and unique characters. I find his stories eye opening, making me look at myself in a way I never thought I would while reading a fictional novel.

I kept flipping between a three and four rating. Seeing I don’t do half stars, I always round up.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Heaven For Now by Ken La Salle.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

What would it be like to have heaven enough?
When Matt Murphy married his second wife, Heather, Paul and Neal were by his side. Neal, the brother of his first wife, Diva, had unwittingly sent Matt after Heather. Paul, also known as the cross-dresser Babette, was the only other person who knew Heather before her death.
Seeing two strands of his life come together at his wedding and fall in love made sense to Matt, somehow.
But it didn’t make sense to Neal. As far as Neal had been informed, he wasn’t gay. Though he could never deny his love for Paul, how can Neal grasp what such an admission would mean in his life?
Now, Paul has disappeared and Matt agrees to look in his last known location, Puerto Vallarta, home of sand and sun and – despite Matt’s searching – absolutely no sign of Paul. And when Matt Murphy meets Marisol Saucedo, a physical trainer who makes her living by teaching her students to beat people up, his search for Paul stops as his fascination for Marisol blooms.
What will become of Paul and Neal? How will Matt make sense of their lives when he can’t make sense of his own? Is love enough when it requires a leap of faith into a scary, new world? Can you use logic to find the answers? Or is it better to simply surrender to the moment, to the inebriating temptation that is love?
Any decision will change their lives forever…

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE (From Amazon)

Ken La Salle

Author and Playwright, Ken La Salle grew up in Santa Ana, California and has remained in the surrounding area his entire life. He was raised with strong, blue collar roots, which have given him a progressive and environmentalist view. As a result, you’ll find many of his stories touching those areas both geographically and philosophically. His passion is intense humor, meaningful drama, and finding answers to the questions that define our lives.

Website  /   Twitter  /  Facebook  /  YouTube  /  Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Ken La Salle is offering one copy of Heaven For Now to one lucky reader. Entry is easy peasy. Simply answer the question:

What, to you, is the most important element in a romance novel?

You will also have a second chance on Wednesday, 3.26.20, so be sure and come back.

Giveaway ends 3.4.20.

MY KEN LA SALLE 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’ 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!