Tackling The TBR – 12.6 – 12.12.20 #tacklingthetbr

.

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 I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog, from Carole’s Random Life in Books, 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: 2434

Currently Reading

Stranger Danger

Books Read

A Ghost of a Chance (A Brimstone Inc. Short Story)

Books Added

Home For the Holidays (Whiskey Creek, #10.5)
Knight's Ransom

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 1

Duplicates Removed

New TBR Total: 2430

  • 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 – 11.22 – 11.28.20 #tacklingthetbr

.

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 I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog, from Carole’s Random Life in Books, 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: 2440

Currently Reading

Books Read

Books Added

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 0

Duplicates Removed: 0

New TBR Total: 2440

  • 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!

Sherry’s Shelves – 9.20 – 9.26

.

Sunday Post #431 August

Good Morning…In the last weeks, Mr Wonderful was on vacation, then Hurricane Sally dropped in for a prolonged visit, so he was off another week. It was a good thing, because we were without power for five days and there was a ton of clean up. Thanks goodness the damage was only outside and an insurance adjuster will be around today to assess the damage. I will be sharing a Hurricane Sally post as soon as I can get my act together. I hope everyone on the Gulf Coast made it out unscathed.

Sometimes I wonder if the end is near…Covid, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, protests, uncontrolled police force…I fear, here in the US, it is going to get much worse, before it gets better, considering the nasty political climate and the upcoming election.

Oh, to be an ostrich, burying my head in the sand…or wherever I can find a place to hide.

That being said, I hope you had the best week possible and wish you another good week.

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Music Monday – Irreplaceable by Beyonce
  • Plant Your Money Tree by Michele Schneider
  • Books From The Backlog – Headache by Crystal Marcos
  • Giveaway – Up From Adams Street by Larry Crane
  • Mistletoes, Moussaka & Murder by Tina Kashian
  • 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!

Creature Feature Review – The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea @huntershea1

The Jersey Devil is not my first Hunter Shea novel, nor will it be my last. His creature features are packed with horrifying thrills and chills that entertain me for hours and I always hate to see the story end.

I borrowed this paperback copy from Laura, my sister at fuonlyknew.

ALSO, be sure and check out Hunter Shea’s bio. I find him VERY interesting and I think you will too.

28475212

Amazon  /  Goodreads

I love creature features and The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea is a gripping and terrifying horror tale that unrolled like movie film as the images flitted through my mind. I am an avid watcher of B movies and this cover told me all I needed to know.

Boompa knew the legend of The Jersey Devil was true and his family had been waiting…waiting…waiting…knowing this day would come.

I love that Boompa, a farmer in his eighties, used a computer to keep aware of any monster sightings. The Willet family had prepared for this moment their entire lives and they will fight to the death.

I can’t imagine being in the woods and I mean so far back in the boonies that even the people that live there are off the grid…dangerous…Imagine how dark it is, how every rustle of leaves or crack of a branch leaves you shivering in fear. I have sat in my back yard, very late at night photographing the moon and freaked myself out listening to the sounds of the night, looking over my shoulder wondering if it is really some harmless lizard or…

The characters all have their purpose, some heroes and some not so much, and some who will not make it out alive and I felt Hunter Shea disposed of them in a way that made me feel it was okay.

So…look to the side, look to the back, look below, look above…

This action packed legend comes to life early with bloody, savage, gripping and terrifying horror. These super charged monsters will take you to a gruesome place where no one is safe. You won’t want to miss it.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars

~~~

GOODREADS BLURB

“Old school horror.” —Jonathan Maberry

THE LEGEND LIVES

Everyone knows the legend of the Jersey Devil. Some believe it is an abomination of nature, a hybrid winged beast from hell that stalks the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey searching for prey. Others believe it is a hoax, a campfire story designed to scare children. But one man knows the truth…

THE DEVIL AWAKES

Sixty years ago, Boompa Willet came face to face with the Devil—and lived to tell the tale. Now, the creature’s stomping grounds are alive once again with strange sightings, disappearances, and worse. After all these years, Boompa must return to the Barrens, not to prove the legend is real but to wipe it off the face of the earth…

THE BEAST MUST DIE

It’ll take more than just courage to defeat the Devil. It will take four generations of the Willet clan, a lifetime of survivalist training, and all the firepower they can carry. But timing is critical. A summer music festival has attracted crowds of teenagers. The woods are filled with tender young prey. But this time, the Devil is not alone. The evil has grown into an unholy horde of mutant monstrosities. And hell has come home to New Jersey…

~~~

ABOUT HUNTER SHEA

Hunter SheaHunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself. Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. His video podcast, Monster Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. He’s a bestselling author of over 13 (lucky number!) books, all of them written with the express desire to quicken heartbeats and make spines tingle. Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to gobble down Gray’s Papaya hotdogs when the craving hits.

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

~~~

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

MY REVIEW FOR THE MONTAUK MONSTER BY HUNTER SHEA

Save

Save

Save

Suspense at its finest – The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter #KarinSlaughter @pumpupyourbook

.
Karin Slaughter is a must read author, for me, so when I had the chance to read and review The Kept Woman, I had to have it!
.
So, without further ado, let’s get to it.

Title: The Kept Woman
Author: Karin Slaughter
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Format: Ebook/Paperback/Hardcover/Audio
.
MY REVIEW
.
Karin Slaughter is an amazing storyteller and she continues to surprise and entertain me in The Kept Woman, a psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.
.
I have met Will and Sara before, and am happy to be with them again. Not only do they get along, even though they come from opposite sides of the track, but so do their dogs. I love it. Can’t help myself. It is the bits and pieces like this that make Karin Slaughter’s stories so wonderful.
.
Will’s past will comes back to haunt him, putting Sara’s trust in him to the test. He is damaged goods and carries a lot of baggage. I like my heroes to be a bit flawed. After all, we humans are far from perfect. I am so glad the difficulties in their relationship seem real…not dragged out over many chapters before both of them come to the realization that they love each other, though outside influences keep causing conflict.
.
The first part of the book is told from Will and Sara’s point of view. The second part of the book is told by his haunting past, Angie. It makes it easy to relate to all the characters and understand their motivations.
.
The peripheral characters played an important part, some more so than others. I know the writing resonates with me when I even love the villains, no matter how flawed and evil they are. I love to hate them and the things they do. I am always trying to figure out the WHY!
.
If you want to know how the police investigate a murder, The Kept Woman is definitely for you.
.
The Kept Woman may be Karin Slaughter’s best work yet. The writing kept me on pins and needles. When I didn’t think it could get any worse, the people couldn’t get any worse, Karin took me to another place, showing the ugliest side of humanity…worse than I anticipated and it went on…and on…and on…
.
I received a free copy of The Kept Woman from Karin Slaughter.
.
Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars
.
ABOUT THE BOOK
 Husbands and wives. Mothers and daughters. The past and the future.

Secrets bind them. And secrets can destroy them.

The author of Pretty Girls returns with an electrifying, emotionally complex thriller that plunges its fascinating protagonist into the darkest depths of a mystery that just might destroy him.

With the discovery of a murder at an abandoned construction site, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is brought in on a case that becomes much more dangerous when the dead man is identified as an ex-cop.

Studying the body, Sara Linton—the GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover—realizes that the extensive blood loss didn’t belong to the corpse. Sure enough, bloody footprints leading away from the scene indicate there is another victim—a woman—who has vanished . . . and who will die soon if she isn’t found.

Will is already compromised, because the site belongs to the city’s most popular citizen: a wealthy, powerful, and politically connected athlete protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers—a man who’s already gotten away with rape, despite Will’s exhaustive efforts to put him away.

But the worst is yet to come. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case . . . and the consequences will tear through his life with the force of a tornado, wreaking havoc for Will and everyone around him, including his colleagues, family, friends—and even the suspects he pursues.

Relentlessly suspenseful and furiously paced, peopled with conflicted, fallible characters who leap from the page, The Kept Woman is a seamless blend of twisty police procedural and ingenious psychological thriller — a searing, unforgettable novel of love, loss, and redemption.

 

Meet the Author:

karin-slaughter-ap

Karin Slaughter is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant New York Times bestselling standalones, Cop Town and Pretty Girls. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world.

Visit her at http://www.karinslaughter.com

———————

Tour Schedule

 Monday, September 19 – Book featured at A Title Wave
Tuesday, September 20 – Book featured at The Writer’s Life
Wednesday, September 21 – Book reviewed at The Bookworm Lodge
Thursday, September 22 – Book featured at The Dark Phantom
Friday, September 23 – Book featured at Voodoo Princess
________
Monday, September 26 – Book reviewed at Cover2Cover
Tuesday, September 27 – Book featured at As the Page Turns
Wednesday, September 28 – Book featured at The Literary Nook
Thursday, September 29 – Book featured at From Paperback to Leatherbound
Friday, September 30 – Book reviewed at Doing Some Reading
________
Monday, October 3 – Book reviewed at fuonlyknew
Tuesday, October 4 – Book featured at The Review From Here
Wednesday, October 5 – Book reviewed at The World As I See It
Thursday, October 6 – Book reviewed at Polished Bookworm
Friday, October 7 – Book reviewed at Chick with Books
________
Monday, October 10 – Book reviewed at Shelley’s Book Case
Tuesday, October 11 – Book reviewed at I’m Shelf-ish
Wednesday, October 12 – Book reviewed at Fundinmental
Thursday, October 13 – Book reviewed at Cheekypee Reads and Reviews
Book reviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt
Friday, October 14 – Book reviewed at A Word at a Time
________
Monday, October 17 – Book reviewed at Svetlana’s Reads and Reviews
Tuesday, October 18 – Book reviewed at Art, Books and Coffee
Wednesday, October 19 – Book reviewed at Authors and Readers Book Corner
Thursday, October 20 – Book reviewed at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews
Book reviewed at Freda’s Voice
.
Friday, October 21 – Book reviewed at Why Girls are Weird
Book reviewed at The Book Tree
Book reviewed at Nay’s Pink Bookshelf
Book reviewed at True Book Addict
________

  • You may see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Save

Save

Save

One Sentence Review – Where Darkness Dwells by Glen R Krisch #GlenRKrisch

BOO_2

I have read so many books and don’t have time to do long reviews for all of them, but I do want to share my thoughts. So…here is my…

One Sentence Review

Where Darkness Dwells by Glen R Krisch

10671932Goodreads  /  Amazon

MY REVIEW

Coal mining and the great depression are horrors in their own right, but add to that an underground world where no one dies and they want you, (and if you are like me and a bit claustrophobic and afraid of being buried alive) Where Darkness Dwells by Glen R Krisch will have you cringing and shivering, maybe even keeping you up at night. LOL

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

Goodreads Blurb:  During a hot summer night in 1934, tragedy strikes when two local boys search for the truth behind a local legend. They stumble upon the Underground, a network of uncharted caverns just below the surface of Coal Hollow. Time holds no sway in the Underground. People no longer age and their wounds heal as if by magic. By morning, one boy is murdered, while the other never returns home.

The Underground is hidden for a reason. Certain locals want to keep their lair secret, no matter the cost.

After learning a long-held family secret, Theodore Cooper is set adrift. Once well off and set in his ways, he is no longer sure of his role in society. He leaves his comfortable life in Chicago to tramp the countryside, searching for meaning in this new context. During his travels, he’s drawn to an abandoned house in Coal Hollow and impulsively buys it.

Cooper doesn’t know that a massacre had taken place in his new house. In 1851, a group of bounty hunters tracked a family of runaway slaves to the home. They wound up killing the homeowners as conspirators, then chased the runaways into a cellar tunnel leading to the Underground. The bounty hunters cornered the slaves and killed them. To everyone’s astonishment, the slaves then rose from the dead. Over time, the bounty hunters chose to stay below ground, taking advantage of their new slave labor to build what they term “Paradise.”

Their numbers are augmented by deathbed miners who are offered immorality in exchange for their subservience and labor.

Below a town struggling to survive both the Great Depression and the closing of the local coal mine, there lives an immortal society built on the backs of slavery and pervasive immorality.

  • You may see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Save

Save

She Knows Your Secrets – Touching Death by Becky Johnson #Becky Johnson

That hand…the Touching Death by Becky Johnson cover…reaching out…touching me.

Have to have it!

 

Today’s guest is Becky Johnson, author of the mystery suspense novel, TOUCHING DEATH.  Please leave a comment or question for Becky below to let her know you stopped by!

 

About the Book:

 

TitleTouching Death
Author: Becky Johnson
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 209
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
 .
Rachel Angeletti knows things. She always has. With one touch she sees secrets, emotions, lies. Her gift helps her to be the best museum curator in Chicago. It also makes her personal relationships difficult.
.
Her life is complicated enough when a run in with her ex and an unanticipated vision sends her reeling. One touch and she sees death. One touch and she is thrown into the midst of killer’s dark fantasy. Now Rachel is in a fight for her life against a killer she knows too little about.
.
With danger stalking her around every turn Rachel is in a thrilling race against the clock. Can she catch a killer before he catches her?
.
Touching Death will take you on a riveting, page-turning, journey into the mind of a killer and the heart of a survivor.
.

For More Information

  • Touching Death is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

I was eleven the first time I saw someone die.
It was hot. The kind of hot where your shirt sticks to your back and every breath feels  thick and heavy. The waistband of my plaid, pleated school uniform was itchy. It was always itchy, but in Chicago in early September with the temperature in the nineties, I could barely stand it.
“Look,” my best friend April gave my arm a sharp and eager tug, “I can’t believe he’s talking to her.”
I looked across the museum where she was pointing. Jonathan Adams. With his dark hair and blue eyes he was the cutest guy in our class. He was talking to Carol, the prettiest girl in our class and our sworn enemy. April had such an intense crush on Jonathan. She had already named their children and when we played the name game she always wanted to get him.
While April plotted revenge on her arch nemesis, I looked across the Ancients room in The Chicago Museum of Anthropology and Archeology to where Billy Masters stood by a glass display case. His hair was unruly and stuck up in odd peaks from his forehead in complete disregard of the rules. His white, button-down shirt hung out over his waistband. Technically, he was wearing the school tie; he just wore it tied around his belt loop, a bright red flag of rebellion. I never wanted to admit it, but when I daydreamed and played the name game, I was always looking for Billy Masters.
Our class slowly moved through the large room. My teacher, Ms. Daniels, stood at the front of our group lecturing on the Egyptian Empire. With her graying hair pulled back into a tight bun, her stockings sagging around her skinny legs, and her soft and squeaky voice the lecture didn’t keep my attention. Her high-pitched voice faded to the background as I gazed at the surrounding exhibits. They were all so beautiful and fascinating. My imagination ran wild with stories and images. I imagined hands cupping a bowl or pulling a comb through a child’s hair. In my mind’s eye a thousand stories and possibilities ran wild.
We walked through the center aisle of a room, clustered with pottery and remnants of houses. I felt the strangest urge, the almost all consuming desire to touch. My fingertips itched. The power of it drew me. The crumbled edges of the pottery bowl almost begged me to touch them. Only a velvet rope and a few feet separated me from that tantalizing edge.
One touch. No one will know.
I didn’t even realize I’d stepped forward until the velvet rope stopped me from going any further. Vaguely, I heard my teacher discussing social structure and family groups, but the pounding of my own heart overpowered all other noise.
Rachel, the past whispered, “come. See. Life and death.”
I reached my hand out and my fingers brushed the edge of the bowl.
Laughter.
Raised voices.
Yelling.
Screams.
Crying.
The images bombarded me — a woman sat in front of a fire pit making dinner for her family. A dispute nearby grabbed her attention. Two men were fighting. The crowd surged and pulsed with the energy of the fight. Screamed words sounded foreign to my ears, but the emotion made perfect sense — fear, anger, uncertainty.
Only the woman with the bowl saw the little boy standing too close to the fighters. Only the woman with the bowl saw the danger. She screamed his name. Her screams went unheard in the din. The crowd moved with the fight, their bodies cutting off her view.
The bowl was clutched tight in her fingers as she struggled forward, pushing people aside. It grew eerily quiet. The crowd slowed, then paused responding to a different energy. Shoulders and heads slumped as they parted before her. The little boy was on the ground. A bloody rock lay near him. She dropped the bowl as she surged forward, screaming.
I awoke on the ground in front the display my face wet and my throat raw with the echo of the screams still ringing in my ears.
About the Author

 Books are Becky Johnson’s passion and always have been. She used to get in trouble in school for reading during class!

Becky has Master’s degrees in social work and history, and for her day job she is a social worker. In her writing she tries to answer a question that is important to both social work and history: Why? She always wants to know why people do the things they do or feel the way they feel.
.
When not reading or writing she enjoys yoga, photography, cooking, and makes a
pretty mean chili!
 .
Her latest book is the mystery/suspense, Touching Death.
.
For More Information

 

Save

Save

Friday 56 #101 – Cape Cod by William Martin

.
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.

~~~

2014-03-25 02.46.13Cape Cod by William Martin would have been on my reading list because of the many trips I have taken there. It is a very unique place and that cover pretty much tells it all for me.

2911819
Amazon  /  Goodreads

My 56

Then the woman in front called, “Ten.” And before Geoff could get his hand up, the bid bounced to ten-five, then eleven.

Geoff’s hand relaxed, as though it had gone beyond him.

Janice said, “Thank God for her.”

“Are we out of it?” G” Geoff said to his wife. “I think so,” he whispered to his friend.

(Page 56 in hardcover, published in 1991)

Book Beginnings

Each year the whales went to the great bay. They followed the cold current south from seas where the ice never melted, south along coastlines of rock, past rivers and inlets, to the great bay that forever brimmed with life. Sometimes they stayed through a single tide, sometimes from one full moon to the next, and sometimes, for reasons that only the sea understood, the whales never left the great bay.

My question to you:  Have you ever been to Cape Cod or gone whale watching?

GOODREADS BLURB: By the bestselling author of Back Bay, this is a majestic multi-gnerational saga that brings to life the story of Cape Cod, from the landing of the Mayflower to the present. From its highly-charged opening to its shattering conclusion, Cape Cod is a novel as impressive and captivating as the land it portrays.

  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
  • To see all my reviews, go HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

WHICH COVER WOULD YOU CHOOSE, including the one above?

Cape Cod

Save

Giveaway & Review – Storm of Aaranon by R E Sheahan @RESheahan @RESheahan

 

We’re happy to have with us today R. E. Sheahan, author of STORM OF ARRANON!  R.E. is on a virtual book tour this month and is giving away paperback copies of Book Two: Storm of Arranon: Fire and Ice and Book Three: Storm of Arranon: Allies and Enemies.  Enter below!

 

 

Author: R. E. Sheahan
Publisher: Rule of Three Press
Pages: 300
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy
.
MY REVIEW
.
I have seen Storm of Aaranon by R E Shehan around for some time now and was curious, so when this tour came up I decided now is the time. My sister, Laura @ fuonlyknew had all the books, so the one I didn’t have, I borrowed from her.
.
I love covers and this is an interesting one. There is a lot going on and I wonder who is good and who is bad.
.
I didn’t anticipate the story inside. Intense…from the opening sentence. So you better buckle up because this may be a bumpy ride.
.
Erynn is special, but she doesn’t know it. There is a lot she doesn’t know, as her enemies come after her. She had been secretive and isolated, alone because of her differences. She’d always done her best to control and conceal her powers, feeling there was something wrong with her. That she was a freak. Sounds like a real person, doesn’t it? She thought she was the only one…
.
Until Jaer. There is something about about him, something she’s drawn to. As things become clearer to her, she finds her purpose and place. R E Sheahan brings her from innocence and naivety to determination and bravery.
.
When she was taken, she didn’t know, but her life would be changed forever. I am curious to see how she adjusts and adapts to the changes in her life and and she learns of her true heritage. R E Sheahan handles it in a fantastic way making me believe, forgetting that Storm of Aaranon is a fantasy.
.
Betrayal…I like trying to figure out who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. Just like the characters, I have to be observant and sift through the clues. It’s like playing chess, you have to think way ahead, planning your moves.
.
Most books I read, the characters dance around their feelings for each other. We do it to protect ourselves from hurt and embarrassment.  I understand the reason for it, but don’t do it too long. In the face of danger, I would think they’d fess up.
.
I love the magic, the creatures and her connection to the world of Aaranon. A combination of elements gives this read a freshness and conveys the innocence and goodness of Erynn. She grows and develops into a confident and independent woman, believing in herself and the ability to GET IT DONE or die trying.
.
There was one part with Faylen that I would have loved to have seen developed more. I grew to care for him and his ability to change his mind when the facts were in. I couldn’t quit thinking about him.
.
Storm of Aaranon by R E Sheahan is a mashup of science fiction and the paranormal with nature having its share of input in a big way. The story could have ended here, except for…
.
I debated about the rating, because I like a lot of depth, detail, blood and guts, but this is a perfect read for the target audience, teens and young adults. So, with that in mind…4 stars.
.
I received a copy of Storm of Aaranon from R E Sheahan in return for an honest review.
.
Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars
.
ABOUT THE BOOK

 A forbidden birth. A remarkable young woman. A marauding alien society. The battle begins.

 A brutal alien society invades Korin and Arranon, intent on destroying the two worlds that make up Cadet Erynn Yager’s home. Forced to expose her strange abilities and reveal her forbidden birth, a guarded web of secrets unravels.

Stranded on an unfamiliar planet of eternal winter and predatory wildlife, the mysterious living consciousness of Arranon intervenes, leading Erynn on a mystical journey.

Aware of Erynn’s potential, the alien enemy pursues her. She struggles to gain control of her growing powers while in a constant race to elude the invaders, and join the forces preparing to fight a mounting occupation.

Erynn’s secret may be her worlds’ only hope, but at the cost of her life. Swept up in a chain reaction of events, Erynn’s dedication extends far beyond service and duty. She learns the true meaning of sacrifice.

Along with courage and hope, Erynn finds something unexpected on her journey of awareness and growth.

Love.

~~~

Fire and Ice (Storm of Arranon, #2)Storm of Aaranon, Book II, Fire and Ice by R E Sheahan

MY REVIEW

The story could have ended with Book I, except for Dhoran, the evil leader of Aaranon’s Underworld.

I read this three book series, one after the other. Once I began, I had to know…

As evil plumbs the depths, I am looking for some serious…stuff to happen. Dhoran’s goal was to seduce Erynn to the dark side. He definitely underestimated her.

Her powers and the danger mounts, so does the suspense and my anticipation of what comes next.

Erynn doesn’t seek trouble, but she does what she feels she has to, no apologies, recruiting followers along the way.

The story gets better, the dangers grow, love blooms and the adventure continues…above ground and below.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars
.

Allies and Enemies (Storm of Arranon #3)Storm of Aaranon, Book III, Allies and Enemies by R E Sheahan

MY REVIEW

I read all three books straight through and it keeps getting better and better. I am excited to see that the finale ROCKED!

The first sentence told me the gloves were off and we were coming out fighting. That’s how good the writing is…I felt part of the story.

Who can she trust? Will her enemy be her friend?

“I’m figuring this out as I go.”

Isn’t that real life?

“Flying fast and low, just the way I like it.” Her motto.

Danger surrounds them all and I cannot figure out who to trust.

I felt deeply involved in the outcome, BUT…it doesn’t end here. I didn’t know there was more coming and I am deeply disappointed that I don’t have the next book. I am VERY eager to find out what happens next.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

For More Information

  • Storm of Arranon is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

 TENDRILS OF BLUE STATIC POPPED and snapped around Lieutenant Erynn Yager’s fingers as she tapped the keypad. Black numbers and symbols streamed across the white screen of her monitor. She glanced up, checking the equation on the large overhead at the front of the cramped classroom and smiled, her answer correct.

Delicate blue currents reached out and wrapped around her hands with a faint tingling sensation. In a breath Erynn whispered, “Com avlash.” She brushed at dappled shadows that danced across the pool of sunlight at the edge of her desk, amused by the wispy blue filaments tracing her movements. They flowed like a lazy stream, trailing the path her fingertips traveled before the energy faded. As the static disappeared, she glanced around to make sure no one noticed.

No one ever had.

The buzz of winged centinents drifted in on a warm breeze through the open window next to her. She sighed and fingered the neck of her white uniform shirt, the stiff collar tight and irritating in the rising temperature.

From the front of the classroom the instructor, Major Kendal, his tan uniform meticulous, asked, “Does anyone need more time?” He scanned faces in the room. No one responded and he continued, “I trust you took into account gravitational pull, divided by trajectory angles, while factoring in speed given mass and friction before multiplying . . ..”

Erynn tried to listen, but his incessant droning soon matched the hum from outside.

Static crackled, and the air thickened with a sinking heaviness. The temperature plunged to an icy cold, chilling her moist skin. A sweet, spicy aroma replaced the electronic scent of computers and sour sweat of bodies pressed into a tight space for too long. She glanced out the window and frowned. What

Broad yellow, orange, and red leaves trembled in the breeze. Brown stone buildings melded with the blue sky and manicured green lawns. The colors ran, blurred, and morphed into dark oily shapes with faint outlines of long arms and legs. She stiffened and squeezed her eyes shut. Images played in her mind like a silent vid in fast-forward.

Flash—a brilliant jeweled city nestled in a deep green forest. Flash—majestic spires of trees surrounding a clearing, the woods tossed in a violent windstorm. Flash—mountain peaks covered by snow and ice.

More impressions swirled and sped by, eclipsing her thoughts, taking control.

Bright pinpoints of red and orange exploded, swarming under her closed lids. The high-pitched sound of a hundred musical instruments in discord screamed in her mind. The syrupy aroma intensified. She caught two words through the cacophony—a plea, and a warning.

“Cadjoo. Mabrath.”

Her chest constricted, unable to expand.

Help. Death.

The meaning of these two words, in a language she’d made up as a child, took her breath. She pushed recognition away, refusing the insistent vision that pried at the corners of her mind seeking purchase.

Prophecy.

The word slithered across her nerves like a dry whisper.

Heart thudding, her lids flew open. At the periphery of her vision, the sparkling colors blinked out, and the heavy atmosphere in the room lifted. Erynn’s ears popped and the shrieking voices died, sudden quiet making her believe the shrill proclamation left her deaf. She jumped up, chair legs screeching backward on polished tile as the desk banged into the seat in front of her. “No!” Her shout rang out in the small, quiet room.

Floor heaving like rolling waves, she leaned against the desk on unsteady legs. Startled students in her weapons-and-tactics class stared at her, most of them shaking their heads and smirking. Ridicule and resentment came as a barrage of stinging barbs digging under her skin. Concentrated emotions of pity, anger, concern, scorn, disgust and envy bombarded against her attempt to focus, to gain control.

In a practiced technique, Erynn envisioned a wide tunnel of white brightness spiraling into a tiny point of light. This method narrowed her exposure to the emotions of others. The reactions assailing her all but disappeared. She hissed quick breaths through clamped teeth and the nauseating sensation of motion stopped.

About the Author

 

I have always been a reader. I love books. When I’m not able to read, I listen to audio books. I started writing while working as a Paramedic/Firefighter in Northern California. Trust me, it’s not like it appears on TV. There was plenty of time for books, mostly reading them. I didn’t seriously start writing until I moved to my ranch in Oregon. While waiting for lambs to be born in the middle of the night, I would head back to the house for an hour or two and sit down at the computer. Before I knew it, I had a manuscript. Not a good one, but a start.I joined critique groups and attended writer’s conferences. I was on the fast track to learning.

In 2013, I received an honorable mention in Writer’s Digest’s Self Published book awards for MG/YA. I guess I am learning something!

Ideas from dreams follow me into warm sunny days or the quiet of falling snow. “What ifs” feed a vivid imagination. Even mistyped phrases may lead to an “aha” moment. Brain storming sessions standing in windy, dark parking lots with fellow writers release thoughts that pry at the corners of my mind, grasping for purchase. Sometimes the ideas pursue me, with persistence.

For More Information

GIVEAWAY

R.E. Sheahan is giving away a paperback copy of Book Two (Storm of Arranon Fire) and Book Three (Storm of Arranon Allies and Enemies)!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive both books
  • This giveaway ends midnight October 28.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on October 29.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

So far, there are three book in the series, and if it sounds like it’s for you, it is available in a three book set for $8.97 on Amazon.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Giveaway – Victoria At Sea by M Kate Quinn @mkatequinn @GoddessFish

The lovely cover of Victoria At Sea by M Kate Quinn reminds me of myself, sitting on the beach with a camera, kindle and cocktail, enjoying the summer breeze.

Soooo, let’s set sail and see what’s in store for Victoria.

MediaKit_BookCover_VictoriaAtSea(1)

Victoria at Sea by M. Kate Quinn

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

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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

BLURB

Why has no place in what the heart knows for sure.

On the eve of their wedding Victoria Gliden and fiancé Owen Walker call it quits. He accuses her of not being able to get over her deadbeat father’s vanishing act when she was a child and she and her cold feet run and don’t look back.

An interior designer, Victoria, has an important meeting on Cancun that could garner her a promotion and the plan was to incorporate her presentation with the honeymoon cruise that’s journeying to the island. Since she’s sure Owen is on his way to Portland to escape the aftermath of their ruined wedding, Victoria takes the honeymoon cruise anyway. Only Owen has the same idea and they’re stuck with each other for six days, five nights.

Tony Gliden, Victoria’s father, dies in a freak accident and is sent back to earth disguised as a crotchety old man with the mission to convince his daughter to believe in love. So, he, too boards the ship.

At sea, destiny takes a detour when Victoria befriends the quirky old man with kind eyes and together they join forces with a quartet of unabashed women in their fifties who drink pink martinis and flirt with the wait staff but are wiser than they look. While trying to dodge Owen, Victoria’s new acquaintances help her face old wounds and confront new fears.

Most of all, Victoria and Owen both realize it all boils down to one word—why?

By journey’s end will two broken hearts get their answer?

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

EXCERPTS

Words spilled from Owen’s lips before he had the chance to think. “I don’t know, Vic, maybe on some level I was meant to be here on this ship.”

She didn’t respond, kept her tooth locked down on that lip. But, her eyes were windows to some distant place he longed for. So, he and his glass of vodka let more words tumble free. “Sometimes I still can’t believe you really did this.” He gulped his drink in an effort to shut himself up, but it was fuel to his fire. “That you did this to us.”

“Don’t.” Victoria grabbed the fancy clutch that she’d squeezed into a misshapen blob of sparkly fabric.

“You know what?” He couldn’t stop and suddenly he didn’t want to. “It’s just too bad you’re so ridiculously afraid of veering off that rigid path you’ve carved out for yourself. That’s got to be a tough trek, Victoria. You must be exhausted.”

She stood up from the bar stool, chin held high, eyes swimming.

“You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question. Owen knew the answer too well.

“Um, yes, I uh, promised my friends that I’d meet them.”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you back at the suite then, huh?” Pent-up energy raced around in him banishing every urge he had to stroke her hair, pull her to him, make them right again. His tone was caustic and it felt good and lousy both.

For each millisecond that he held her gaze, Victoria squirmed, her hands wringing that now pretty ugly evening bag, that tooth all but drawing blood as it pressed the pink flesh of her lower lip. She broke the stare and darted away as though she were being chased.

Owen’s heart squeezed like a fist had wrapped itself around the muscle. A tear pricked his eye. Victoria could run all she wanted, but for the first time in almost two days something finally made sense. She loves me.

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links

MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_VictoriaAtSea(1)Born to a feisty Italian mother and a gentle blue-eyed Irishman, I was given the name “Marykate,” inspired by Maureen O’Hara’s character in the movie, The Quiet Man, an old-time favorite love story that co-starred John Wayne. With a grandmother Catherine and an Aunt Mary the name was an obvious choice.

I’ve been writing stories all my life. There’s an old Macy’s box in my attic filled with my writings from childhood, now smudgy-looking pages produced on my portable Olivetti Underwood typewriter, an eighth-grade gift from my Grandmother Catherine.

I am a recent First Place winner of a short story contest sponsored by Reader’s Digest Magazine and write a column entitled “Boomer Humor” that appears monthly in my neighborhood newspaper.

My husband and I are our own love story. We have a slap-happy middle-aged second marriage with a combined total of six grown children, one delightful granddaughter, another precious little baby on the way and one ridiculously spoiled, amazingly handsome cat named Sammy.

Website:          www.mkatequinn

Twitter:            @mkatequinn

Facebook: Fans of M. Kate Quinn

Amazon Author Page:  www.amazon.com/M.-Kate-Quinn

Goodreads Author Page:  www.goodreads.com/author/show/4128663.M_Kate_Quinn

Blog:  www.mkatequinn.com/blog

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

GIVEAWAY

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE.

  • You may see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!