Review – Fury: a Cinderella story by David Allen @AnotherfunnyD

Posted on June 26, 2023 by fundinmental

MY REVIEW

For a debut novel, David Allen did a hellacious job with Fury: a Cinderella Story. The cover didn’t do a lot for me, but after reading Fury, it fits the story. After all, Cindy is the epitome of nice…until she dies…then, she wants revenge on those who feel they are entitled, not thinking twice about the repercussions of their actions.

Cindy does have a wicked sense of humor.

“…Also, when people trust you, it is so much easier to crush them under your heel on the way to the top.”

Cindy does indeed make a Cinderella transformation, from an office worker to the belle of the ball, bringing her to the attention of three of the worst male specimens on earth. It will be the death of her…until…

Cindy plots her revenge, with the help of her best friends, Anna and Jay, and they bring Hell right to them, one by one. David Allen shares her revenge in a graphic, gruesome manner, and the cover comes to mind. She looks sweet and innocent, but her revenge is flaming hot. Even though it is savage and brutal, I found myself smiling, occasionally even laughing. And I smiled as I went through my notes and write this down.

Like Lucifer says in the TV series, “I’m going to bring it right to you.”

When she returns to Inferno, I was blown away. I never saw anything of what was to come and I loved it. I never anticipated the finale and wanted to yell and cheer. Again, I want to congratulation David Allen on his debut novel and highly recommend you horror lovers to grab a copy. I think you will get more than you bargained for…as did Cooper, Ronnie and Emery!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Fury: a Cinderella story by David Allen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

When Cindy Tremaine showed up to the office work meeting Monday morning, no one was surprised given her legendary work ethic. Except for Cooper Washington, who killed her three nights earlier.
Cindy Tremaine is the best employee Cleaning California has, and helped turn is from an idea to a regional powerhouse. She and her best friends, the stepsisters Anna and Jay Hildebrand, are elated when they find out they are going to be merging with Royal Crown industries, a global leader in technology and architecture, founded by Gable Washington.
At a ball to celebrate the merger, she meets Cooper Washington, the unbelievably handsome and charismatic son of Gable, and heir to the company. Along with his two friends, Ronnie and Emery, he uses his prince charming persona to lead Cindy into a night out, in which she ends up drugged and dies as a result. The three men panic and hide her body and put a plan together to get away with the crime. A plan which didn’t account for Cindy arriving back at work. Cindy, along with the stepsisters, now vow vengeance as the men try to figure out a way to stop her.

Genre: Dark Comedy, Fiction, Horror, Humor
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2022

ABOUT DAVID ALLEN

I was born in Ogden Utah. Raised in Cape Girardeau,Missouri and now live in Columbia, MO. I graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia with degrees in Economics and Philosophy. Fury: A Cinderella Story is my debut novel.

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Grotesquely Funny – Little Mike by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle

Posted on April 7, 2021 by fundinmental

I have been reading Ken La Salle’s work for some time now and he never ceases to amaze me with his creativity and ability to spin a tale…and some of them are pretty far out there. LOL And I love it.

I was very curious about the cover, because I knew Ken La Salle just couldn’t find the right thing, so I asked him to write up a guest post and share his thoughts about it. The story is very original, unique and…well, it’s very hard to describe, but if you like something that can shock you and make you stretch your mind, this could be for you.

So….welcome Ken.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“Seat of the pants” is much more than a style of writing; it really is a way of life. And this is especially true in the writing world where book release dates and cover reveals are just as strategic as the handsome stranger entering in the third act.

For me, though, strategy can get boring sometimes. I was working on Heaven Enough when I was first captured by this strange notion of art as torture, which was only my first glimpse into the world of Little Mike. As strange as this notion was, I knew I couldn’t create a traditional outline or structure – or anything. Little Mike revealed itself much like a sculpture locked in stone, freed by the tiniest chips.

Because Little Mike was such a different kind of book, I talked up the idea with some friends just to see their response to some of the ideas presented and, after I wrote the novel, I managed to corral my first beta readers. I knew there would be pushback to some of my ideas but I was pleased to see the story connect in such a powerful way.

Agents and publishers turned Little Mike away in droves, however. Still, I had to believe that the reactions of my readers meant far more than the publishers and agents who turned their noses up at the mention of a Muslim prostitute. This was, of course, before my editor asked, and I’m paraphrasing, “Are you sure?” This was before two cover artists told me the cover was impossible to create and a third cover artist told me he couldn’t “draw funny.” (Not that anyone asked…)

Seat of the pants style, my wife and I bought a doll, found a place to shoot the cover, and brought Little Mike to life ourselves.

“Seat of the pants” is not a guaranty of success; it is an offer of adventure, a ticket to unexpected destinations. I hope Little Mike takes you someplace unexpected, just as it did for me.

You accomplished your mission, Ken. You definitely took me somewhere I couldn’t have gotten on my own and I LOVE IT! Keep up the great work.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“The country needed more pollution and dumber children, I guess.”

WOW! I mean…WOW! Ken La Salle blew me away with this grotesquely hilarious glimpse of what our future could behold.

Ken La Salle writes some of the most wildly entertaining, unique, and creative stories I have ever read and Little Mike hits all the marks.

I love the simple cover and it sure doesn’t give anything away. He worked on the cover for quite some time.

Ken La Salle’s version on the have and have nots, and the decline of the human race is…

BEWARE: There is graphic violence and his version of the end of the world, man, oh man…bereft of all hope, surviving while waiting to die…sure don’t see much to live for.

Perversion, depravity. Totally twisted. Laughs and disgust. Need a strong stomach…and maybe a puke bucket. LOL

A satire on the state of the union and what the future could hold for us. Think you have it bad…these characters show that it can always be worse.

Who is better off? An optimist? A pessimist? A realist?

Thought provoking. Soul crushing. Hopeless and hopeful. Had me questioning myself and my responsibilities towards the world we live in.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Little Mike by Ken La Salle.

GOODREADS BLURB

He’s come to destroy the world.
We beat him to it.
Welcome to a world where you have to suck the KKK for breakfast and people fight for the right to be warehoused. Welcome to a world where television is free just as long as you never turn it off, where opioids are delicious and safe, mostly, where the streets are filled with the bodies of the dead, worms are blessed, and children are tortured for the sake of art.
And into this world awakens Little Mike.
Little Mike is a doll.
Little Mike doesn’t know why he’s woken up. He doesn’t know that he means the end of humankind. He’s too busy being traded for sexual favors, watching Reality TV, and searching for the last shreds of human hope in the same landfill where they’d deposited their decency and their intelligence.
Dystopia is a word that gets thrown around a lot but what do you call a world where the future has been stripped of its meaning? Where the petty greeds of humanity eclipse survival? Where corporations have data-mined the human heart… and no one can see beyond the latest distraction… and human history culminates in silent surrender?
You’d call that the world of Little Mike. It only sounds like the world where you live.

ABOUT KEN LA SALLE

Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name. He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.

GIVEAWAY

Want a glimpse into Ken La Salle’s world? Now is your chance. Ken is offering 3 ebook copies of Little Mike. Entry is easy peasy. All you have to do is leave a comment answering the question and leaving your requested format and email:

Are you…An optimist? A pessimist? A realist?

Please share the love.

MY KEN LA SALLE REVIEWS

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Dark Humor – One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe @Adam_G_Howe

Posted on January 5, 2021 by fundinmental

EARLY REVIEW – One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe will release on 3.1.21

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

As soon as I saw the cover, I thought of Planet of the Apes. Then, as I began reading, I thought of Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way of Loose…but so much more twisted.

Adam Howe does write some in your face, way out there stories and I love spending time in his dark, wacky, perverted worlds.

Shane Moxie is a despicable person, but he does have his moments.

At times, I couldn’t keep myself from laughing out loud.

For all you cinephobes out there, One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe is full of movie and actor references.

I always have difficulty describing Adam Howe’s work. The characters are unique, original, crass, and even seem totally off the wall, at times, but when the ‘chimps’ are down, they are there, dodging bullets and knives.

One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe was not one of my favorite stories by him, but I did enjoy my visit.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of One Tough Bastard by Adam Howe.

GOODREADS BLURB

Shane Moxie: A washed-up 80s action star
who refuses to believe his best days are behind him…

Duke: A hyper-intelligent chimpanzee
and arguably the greatest animal actor of his generation…

Reunited for an anniversary movie screening, when Moxie and Duke are targeted by assassins, the feuding co-stars reluctantly join forces to smash an organized crime syndicate headed by an iconic German action star dealing death from his movie-themed fast food franchise.

One’s a big dumb animal
The other’s a chimpanzee
Shit just got real

From Adam Howe, writer of Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet and Tijuana Donkey Showdown, and the winner of Stephen King’s On Writing contest, comes a ‘buddy’ comedy in the tradition of Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, and Tango & Cash, and a love letter to the gory glory days of 80s/90s action cinema. One Tough Bastard will turn you into a goddamn sexual tyrannosaurus… just like its author.

ABOUT ADAM HOWE

Adam Howe writes the twisted fiction your mother warned you about. A British writer of fiction and screenplays, he lives in London with his partner, their daughter, and a hellhound named Gino. Writing as Garrett Addams, his short story Jumper was chosen by Stephen King as the winner of the international On Writing contest, and published in the paperback/Kindle editions of King’s memoir. His fiction has appeared in places like Nightmare Magazine, Thuglit, Mythic Delirium, and Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volume 1. He is the author of Tijuana Donkey Showdown, and two novella collections, Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet, and Black Cat Mojo. In the pipeline: the occult thriller Scapegoat, co-written with James Newman, a horror/crime collaboration with Adam Cesare, and 80s action throwback, One Tough Bastard.

Stalk him at Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter

MY ADAM HOWE REVIEWS

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Death Can Set You Free – Review for Sick to Death by Greg Levin @greg_levin @pumpupyourbook

Posted on October 28, 2016 by fundinmental

Inside the Book:

Title: Sick to Death
Author: Greg Levin

Release Date: September 3, 2016

Publisher: White Rock Press

Genre: Thriller/Suspense/Dark Humor

Format: Ebook/Paperback

MY REVIEW

Death Can Set You Free

The concept for Sick To Death by Greg Levin hooked me and the opening pages drew me in, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the last page was read. Death. Disease. Vigilantism. Terrorism. Retribution. Murder.

Over the previous six month, there was only one thing Gage has become more efficient at than killing…and that was dying.

In the lottery of life, Gage Adder has won a dead cat, an ex – wife and a cancerous pancreas! After finding out he has cancer and was given a death sentence, Gage comes out swinging.

According to my brother, I only became funny once I started dying.

A year to live.

What would you do with the time left? Probably not what Gage does! I knew what he was going to do, but not the way he would go about it and I love it. Sometimes the only way to see justice done is to do it yourself.

Cancer has a way of ruining a perfectly good murder.

Diarrhea’s what happens when you’re busy making deadly plans.

A humorous accounting of one man’s decision to take matters into his own hands. And the outcome is very surprising.

I never anticipated the creativity and originality Greg Levin displays creating these wonderful characters that jump off the page and into my heart with their willingness to step up, sacrificing their last days on earth to leave it better than they found it. They were drawn together by their disease and death and had a camaraderie many could never understand. Death kept them living.

The moral issues are addressed in a way some could find agreeable, others would condemn them no matter the why. What would it take to make you kill? What about the social and moral repercussions?

I laughed at ‘Tumor Terrorism’, ‘Metastaside’, ‘The Stage Four Slaughters’. Why not go out with a sense of humor and a few laughs.

I empathized with the gang. I have always loved vigilantes, loved the Charles Bronson movies, but, after reading Sick To Death I find why vigilantism is so bad, even when it’s good. Where do you draw the line?

I received a free copy of Sick To Death from Greg Levin.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

KNOWING YOU’RE DYING CAN BE MURDER.

When Gage Adder finds out he has inoperable pancreatic cancer, things really start to look up for him. He leaves his soul-crushing job, joins a nice terminal illness support group, and takes up an exciting new hobby: Beating the hell out of bad guys.

Gage’s support group friends Jenna and Ellison don’t approve of his vigilante activities. Jenna says fighting never solves anything. Poison, on the other hand… When the three decide to team up and hit the streets, suddenly no rapist, pedophile or other odious criminal in the city is safe.

They are the sickest of superheroes. Their superpower is nothing left to lose. But what happens when one of them takes this power too far and puts at risk the lives of hundreds of innocent people? Where does one draw the line when dying to kill?

Meet the Author:

Greg Levin is an award-winning author of dark comedic fiction.

Greg’s first novel… meh, nobody but Greg really cares about his first novel.

His second novel, The Exit Man, was optioned by HBO for development into a TV series and won a 2015 Independent Publishers Award (a.k.a., an “IPPY”), earning a silver medal for Best Adult Fiction Ebook.

Greg’s third novel, Sick to Death, is out now and is being hailed by critics everywhere as one of the top three books he has ever written. Author Craig Clevenger (The Contortionist’s Handbook)calls Sick to Death “a tour de force dark comedy.”

Greg resides with his wife, daughter and two cats in Austin, Texas, where he reportedly is wanted by local authorities for refusing to say “y’all” or do the two-step. He is currently working on his fourth novel.

Visit him at http://www.greglevin.com