Friday 56 #106 – The Saga of Baby Divine by Bette Midler @BetteMidler

Posted on November 4, 2016 by fundinmental

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I love Bette Midler. Her talent crosses many boundaries, from music, to movies to the written word.

I love her song, The Rose. It brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.

Check out this cute illustrated story of The Saga of Baby Divine.

This is the cover for my 1st edition hardcover published in 1983.

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

“I am Anxiety, friend to Despair!

I appear when your Courage departs.

‘I find you whenever your Confidence fails you

And Fear makes a Home in you Heart!”

(Page 36 in hardcover, published in 1983)

Book Beginnings

The skies were ablaze with Disorder that Night,

The Planets, aghast and aquiver;

The Delirious Moon had the Brass to be Full

When it should have been only a sliver.

Do you have a favorite Bette Midler song, movie or book?

GOODREADS BLURB: This book is divine, it’s simply sublime, As Baby Divine’s tale’s related in rhyme. Bette Midler inspires with her words full of charm. As she tells us how Baby Divine escapes harm. How so much talent could be in one girl? To fathom it makes my poor brain start to whirl. She not only acts, sings, dances and writes! She’s the brightest of stars in a world full of nights …

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Friday 56 #105 – Caribbean by James A Michener #JamesAMichener

Posted on October 28, 2016 by fundinmental

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I have a few James A Michener novels, but seeing I am a love of the Caribbean, my favorite area to visit, I chose Caribbean, a historical fiction novel.

James’ death is a huge loss to the writing world.

This is the cover for my 1st edition hardcover published in 1989.

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

“That afternoon the captain general summoned all hands to the afterdeck, very nervous he was, and he said: “What did I promise yesterday when you were near mutiny?” and a man near me bellows: “That if we don’t see land in three days, back we go safe to our homes in Spain.” And he said: “That’s still the promise,” and we cheered

(Page 56 in hardcover, published in 1989)

If you like Witches and magic, check out the fabulous new Tag Team Event and enter to win an ebook or audiobook for your very own. Multiple chances to win. HERE

Book Beginnings

The first chapter is the Hedge of Croton and if you know these plants, they paint a vivid and colorful picture right off the bat. Too bad they die back in winter here in the Florida Panhandle.

The chief character in this narrative is the Caribbean Sea, one of the world’s most alluring bodies of water, a rare gem among the oceans, defined by the islands that form a chain of lovely jewels to the north and east. Although bounded on the south and west by continental land masses, it is the islands that give the Caribbean its Unique charm. On the north lies the large and important trio: Puerto Rico, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Domincan Republic) and great Cuba. On the east are those heavenly small islands that so artistically dot the blue waves: Antigua, Guadeloupe, Martinique, All Saints,Trinidad and remote Barbados among them. The southern shore is formed by the South American countries of Venezula and Colombia and the Central American nation of Panama The western shore is often overlooked, but it contains both the exciting republics of Central America – Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras – and the wonderful, mysterious peninsula of Yucatan where the ancient Maya flourished

GOODREADS BLURB: In this acclaimed classic novel, James A. Michener sweeps readers off to the Caribbean, bringing to life the eternal allure and tumultuous history of this glittering string of islands. From the 1310 conquest of the Arawaks by cannibals to the decline of the Mayan empire, from Columbus’s arrival to buccaneer Henry Morgan’s notorious reign, from the bloody slave revolt on Haiti to the rise of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Caribbean packs seven hundred dramatic years into a tale teeming with revolution and romance, authentic characters and thunderous destinies. Through absorbing, magnificent prose, Michener captures the essence of the islands in all of their awe-inspiring scope and wonder.

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WHICH COVER WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

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Friday 56 #104 – Night Whispers by Judith McNaught #JudithMcNaught

Posted on October 21, 2016 by fundinmental

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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2014-03-25 02.46.13 Night Whispers by Judith McNaught is a suspense thriller mystery based in Florida.

My 1st edition hardcover published in 1998.

The jacket design was done by Lisa Litwack.

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

“Because I got better that very night. And do you know why I made such a miraculous recovery?”

“No, why?”

“I made that miraculous recovery because I refused to do anything that would ever, ever force us to accept one cent from that creep.”

(Page 56 in hardcover, published in 2005)

Book Beginnings

He’d been following her for three days, watching. Waiting.

GOODREADS BLURB: A policewoman in a small Florida community, Sloan Reynolds knows that her modest upbringing was a long way from the social whirl of Palm Beach, the world inhabited by her father and her sister, Paris. Total strangers to Sloan, they have never tried to contact her — until a sudden invitation arrives, to meet them and indulge in the Palm Beach social season.

A woman who values her investigative work, Sloan is unmoved by the long-overdue parental gesture. But when FBI agent Paul Richardson informs her that her father and his associates are suspected of fraud, conspiracy, and murder, Sloan agrees to enter into her father’s life — while hiding her true profession.

Sloan’s on top of her game until she meets Noah Maitland, a multinational corporate player and one of the FBI’s prime suspects — and finds herself powerfully attracted to him, against her deepest instincts. When a shocking murder shatters the seductive facade of the wealth and glamour surrounding her, Sloan must maneuver through a maze of deceit and passion, to find someone to trust — and to decipher the truth behind those terrifying whispers in the dark

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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Which cover do you like best?

Night Whispers (Second Opportunities #3) Gece Fısıltıları Sussurri nella notte

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Friday 56 #102 – Double Tap by Steve Martini @StevenPMartini

Posted on October 7, 2016 by fundinmental

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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Double Tap by Steve Martini is an action adventure thriller.

This is the cover I have for my 1st edition hardcover publilshed in 2005.

The cover was done by Stephanie Huntwork.

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

“At least according to the cops,” says Harry. “Could be whoever did it just panicked. Think about it: You just get in the place, getting ready to do your burglary. She walks in. You freak out. You pop her It’s happened before.”

“Hell of a shooter for a panicky burglar.” I am talking about the two shots to the head. “Less than an inch apart.”

(Page 56 in hardcover, published in 2005)

Book Beginnings

Mist off the ocean was already beginning to drift over the pavement as he cruised along the beach in the rented Chevy. The house stood out like a gem, the last piece of private real estate before the public steps leading down to the beach. With chocolate-brown siding and white trim, the house sported rustic gables going in every direction beneath a river rock chimney.

GOODREADS BLURB: The Arraignment, Steve Martini’s most recent bestseller featuring defense attorney Paul Madriani, has proved his most popular yet. Now Madriani is faced with daunting ballistics evidence: a so-called “double tap”-two bullet wounds tightly grouped in the victim’s head, shots that could have been made only by a crack marksman. Paul’s client, Emiliano Ruiz, is an enigma-a career soldier who refuses to discuss his past though it is clear that he is a battle-tested pro. Ruiz is accused of killing a beautiful businesswoman and guru of a high-tech software empire catering to the military. A key to the case: the murder weapon is one used solely in special operations, where the “double tap” has become the signature of the most skilled assassins.

Ruiz is sitting on secrets-there’s a seven-year gap on his military risumi, for which Madriani can find no details. And, more troubling, he discovers that the victim and her company were involved in a controversial government computer program designed to combat terrorists. Madriani finds himself in a deadly legal quagmire-with a client who is unwilling to cooperate and prosecutors who stonewall his every question about the victim’s shadowy business and his client’s past. Justice, and the unvarnished truth, has never been so elusive-or so dangerous.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
To see all my reviews, go HERE.
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WHICH COVER WOULD YOU CHOOSE, including the one above?

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Friday 56 #92 & BB #68 – The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King #StephenKing

Posted on July 15, 2016 by fundinmental

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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The Blue Angels are back in town and gearing up for the beach show this weekend. Mr Wonderful snuck off to practice without me and this is what he came home with.

Check it out!

Fat Albert is their support plane and starts off the show.

Flying over Pensacola Pier.

In Formation. I love that you can see them inside the jets.

I love the vapor running over the plane.

If you would like to see them in action, visit Fundimonium for more.

What have you been up to this week?

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Are you a dragon lover?

I don’t think there is anyone that hasn’t heard of Stephen King, but have you read this epic fantasy of dragons, princes and evil wizards?

MY FRIDAY 56

In Peter’s cool gaze he saw the very possible derailment of all his plans and careful work. More and more Flagg came to believe that getting rid of Peter was a necessity.

(page65 in paperback)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

Once, in a kingdom called Delain, there was a King with two sons.

Add me to Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB:

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The cover above is for the paperback copy. The cover below is for the ebook copy.

Which cover do you like best? Why?

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
To see all my Review, go 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, I’ll drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #66 & BB #42 – Choosers of the Slain by James H Cobb

Posted on January 8, 2016 by fundinmental

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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MY FRIDAY 56

They’re finally putting that gold-plated spit kit of your to work, huh? What have you got?”

“I can’t say.”

CNN just broke a story about things going to hell between Argentina and Great Britain in the Antarctic. Are you getting a piece of that action?”

“Sorry, Dad. I can’t say.”

(page 56 in hardcover)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

“Awake and about, woman! There’s a hot plankton count to be done.”

Captain Evan York peeled the covers off his first mate and applied a hearty slap across her bare bottom. She in turn responded with a squealed curse, yanked them back up over her head, and burrowed deeper into her corner of the double bunk. York smiled down at the curl of tousled blond hair that showed from beneath the heavy Hudson’s Bay blankets. Roberts Eggerston had been sharing his life and bed for the better part of five years now and yet she maintained her own individuality. Among other things she would never be a morning person.

I can relate. I am not a morning person either. How about you?

GOODREADS BLURB

On a frigid fall morning in 2006, a sudden attack against a British scientific outpost in Antarctica heralds the beginning of an invasion of the seventh continent. Resurgent after the Falklands war, Argentina has launched an armed takeover of the Antarctic Peninsula, in an attempt to seize the last untapped pool of natural resources on the planet. The global community can only look on helplessly in the face of a continuing Argentine military buildup and a looming polar winter. One hope remains, a lone U.S. Navy vessel docked in the harbor of Rio de Janeiro. The guided missile destroyer Cunningham is at the cutting edge of naval technology, the world’s first oceangoing stealth warship. Her 580-foot hull is invisible to hostile radar, while her own sophisticated Aegis sensor arrays grant her mastery of a 250-sea-mile radius. On board she carries a bristling complement of sophisticated weaponry: two SAH-66 Sea Comanche helicopters with nose-mounted APG-65 radar, Boeing Brave 2000 reconnaissance drones piloted by virtual reality helmet, and a full spectrum of the Navy’s deadliest precision-guided munitions. She is sleek, swift, secretive – and untested. Likewise untested is her commanding officer, Amanda Lee Garrett, U.S.N. Brilliant, bold, and tenacious, she leads her crew into the storm-wracked waters of Drake Passage. Together, they confront not only the massed might of the Argentine air force and navy, but the deadly, ice-clad majesty of the Antarctic itself. At stake, the destiny of the earth’s last frontier.

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I am a “cover girl”.

Cover by Junie Lee.

What does the cover say to you?

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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Friday 56 #65 & BB #41 – Tom Clancy

Posted on December 18, 2015 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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This is the last series of books on the first shelf of my first bookcase.

I have been a fan of Tom Clancy’s for many years. His novels have kept me enthralled through many adventures and many countries. I have read them once, twice, three times. His movies are amazing and I have watched them over and over again.

Tom Clancy was, not only, a prolific writer, but he co-founded Red Storm Entertainment, a video game developer that created games mostly based on the plots of his books, such as “Rainbow Six.”

I began my reading affair with Tom Clancy in The Hunt For Red October. It is still my favorite novel. I either borrowed the book or checked it out from the library, so it is not in my collection.

MY FRIDAY 56

“The Americans are good technicians, Comrade Captain,” Putin said, “but they are not giants.Their technology is not so awesome. Nasha Lutcha, he concluded. Ours is better.

Ramus nodded thoughtfully, thinking to himself that zampoliti really ought to know something about the ships they supervised, as mandated by Party doctrine.

(page 6 in paperback)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

Captain First Rank Marcos Ramus of the Soviet Navy was dressed for the Arctic conditions normal to the Northern Fleet submarine base at Polyarnyy. Five layers of wool and oilskin enclosed him. A dirty harbor tug pushed his submarine’s bow around to the north, facing down the channel. The dock that had held his Red October for two interminable months was now a water-filled concrete box, one of the many specially built to shelter strategic missile submarines from the harsh elements. On its edge a collection of sailors and dockyard workers watched his ship sail in stolid Russian fashion, without a wave or a cheer.

GOODREADS BLURB

Here is the runaway bestseller that launched Tom Clancy’s phenomenal career. A military thriller so gripping in its action and so convincing in its accuracy that the author was rumored to have been debriefed by the White House. Its theme: the greatest espionage coup in history. Its story: the chase for a top secret Russian missile sub. Lauded by the Washington Post as “breathlessly exciting.” The Hunt for Red October remains a masterpiece of military fiction by one of the world’s most popular authors, a man whose shockingly realistic scenarios continue to hold us in thrall.Somewhere under the Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision. The Red October is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. And the most incredible chase in history is on..

To meet his most famous characters – Jack Ryan, John Clark, Ding Chavez and Jack Ryan, Jr – visit Tom Clancy’s Website.

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I am a “cover girl”.
What does the cover say to you?

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How about a Zombie Christmas freebie. Today only.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

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Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #65 & BB #40 – Night Court by Ashley Fontainne

Posted on December 11, 2015 by fundinmental

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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If Night Court looks and sounds good to you, I have some great news.

I have a fantastic giveaway and my review just posted today.

Ashley Fontainne is offering all of her ebooks for the giveaway, so be sure and check out my teases for Night Court and then enter the giveaway at the link below.

MY FRIDAY 56

Harold’s fist slammed into her mouth and the impact let her dazed – but only for a second. “Enough! Both of you!” Merry screamed, holding her hand under her face to catch the dripping blood. “All this isn’t helping one bit! We need to sit down – talk about this as a family – just like they suggested in counseling…”

“No, Mom. We don’t. There’s nothing left to discuss.”

(page 56 in Kindle)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

Merry watched, her presence cloaked by the shroud of night.

She’d been outside long enough for her vision to acclimate to the darkness. She missed nothing from her perch against the old brick wall. Her shoulders, back, and legs ached, angry for being stuck in the same position for so long.

GOODREADS BLURB

Judge Merry watches, her presence cloaked by the shroud of nightfall. Nothing moves except her eyes which focus on her target. No remorse. No regret. No second guessing the decision to end the lives of the monsters who turned her into a killer. Jury The peddlers of death from potent chemicals are found guilty. Punishment for their crimes–death. Appeals denied. Sentencing to commence immediately. The leeches who sucked out the life of addicts with each snort, shot, swallow, and injection will now pay the ultimate price. Executioner The idyllic world of Merry Marie Hall, once the loving wife of Harold and mother to their only child, Joshua, is over. Extinguished when Joshua overdosed and Harold died of a heart attack at the funeral. Now Merry hunts down the guilty parties, and one by one, carries out her internal court’s orders. Court is now in session. *This book was inspired by one mother’s journey. A trip down the dark path paved by the demon that came looking for her son-and found him. Her boy’s life turned from the pursuit of a football scholarship to the relentless need for heroin. His life was stolen by the demon. What’s a mother to do? What can a mother do? This fictional mother did what so many only dare to consider behind closed eyes, in their nightmares, and in their dark fantasies.

ENTER THE AWESOME GIVEAWAY FOR ALL OF ASHLEY FONTAINNE’S EBOOKS HERE

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I am a “cover girl”.
What does the cover say to you?

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I also have a freebie to share.

Looking for a holiday horror read. Today only.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go 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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #35 & BB #12 Death Sight and a freebie from David Bain

Posted on January 9, 2015 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I have been reading and reading and reading.

I finish one book and immediately begin on another.

I can’t seem to stop myself long enough to write the reviews.

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DEATH SIGHT by David Bain

A Will Castleton Novel

Will Castleton is a paranormal detective that mixes crime with the supernatural.

Will Castleton is from my home state of Michigan, so, of course, that adds a little something extra. 🙂

I love the cover and it makes me want to dive right in!

(page 56% on Kindle)

“I know. You corrected everybody. You corrected Brooks Welling, the quarterback…Not ‘buffalo’, you told him – boo – foo – low!”

Boo-foo was Green River speak for butt-fucking,” Will said.

(You will have to read more to get the joke)

(Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a really good tease, so I decided to share a little bit of the writers sense of humor in his writing)
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(Book Beginnings)

The dark stared at him with dark, empty, accusing sockets that formerly held their eyes.

Will’s feet were rooted in a nightlit desert.

A full moon. A dry, coppery odor to the air. Cacti. Rocks. Low dunes rising out of the ankle-deep water – for the desert was also the shore of an infinite sea.

One of him. Hundreds of them – everyone who would now die because he was still alive, all the ghosts hw would ever create, ever encounter.

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SYNOPSIS

Hospitalized after drowning during a rescue attempt, newly graduated U.S. Marshal Will Castleton is besieged by visions of a hulking executioner torturing a bound man.

A perilous race against time leaves Will broken, unsure if he even wants to join the marshals.

Escaping to his Michigan hometown, Will finds his father dying, a young woman’s ghost desperate to communicate with him, and a biker kingpin out to make a statement by taking out local law enforcement’s golden boy.

Here is a free paranormal short story from David Bain.

MY REVIEW

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #30 & BB #6 – Freeblood by Marny Copal

Posted on October 24, 2014 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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FREEBLOOD by Marny Copal

There is plenty of blood, guts and gore for all of you gruesome horror lovers.

What does it take to kill a vampire? Are the stories you’ve heard really true?

I read and reviewed Freeblood by Marny Copal in February of 2013.

I was looking at my bookshelf, it’s just something I do, and saw this cover. It’s different from many covers and stands out, so I grabbed it for this weeks meme. I hope you enjoy another fun and gruesome horror novel for the waning days of October.

(page 56 of a paperback)

But she didn’t know she’d end up this way, a small voice cried from within. She’d heard that vampire blood was powerful and that she coud get hooked, but she didn’t believe it. Addicted? Not her. Will of steel. She’d drink the blood a couple times, rescue Mom and Theo, then she wouldn’t need it anymore.

(Book Beginnings)

A slender feminine figure stepped out of the apartment building and started across the rubble. In the dim twilight, Quinn recognized the precise, purposeful gait of her cousin. Picking her way through burned-out remains wasn’t a typical hobby for the well-groomer Kasey, so Quinn knew this meant trouble. She dropped her armload of bricks and ran the back of one glove across her brow.

Kasey planted herself squarely. “Have you been keeping secrets from me?”

My Review of Freeblood by Marny Copal

SYNOPSIS

Secrets and lies have surrounded 21-year-old Quinn Zauber since a vampire killed her mother and brother a year ago. Jo-Jo Huang, her best friend and roommate, has offered steady support, even going along with Quinn’s crazy ghost-hunting schemes. Now Jo-Jo has been kidnapped, and clues point to an audio recorder the roomies placed in Portland’s notorious underground tunnels.

With her naïve cousin Kasey riding shotgun and an old attraction, paranormal investigator Del Whelan, imposing his own brand of help, Quinn searches for Jo-Jo, fights supernaturals, and strives to keep her horrible secrets under wraps.

What Quinn doesn’t realize is that her witch bloodline makes her of special interest to one of the deadliest vampires around.

Click on the cover to get your Amazon affiliate copy of Freeblood.