Tag Archives: fantasy fiction

Review – Hidden Magic by Carmen Webster Buxton @CarmenWBuxton

Posted on by

.

Hidden Magic

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Lord Garrick has an ambitious plan. On the surface, it sounds good, though it took a battle to bring him and Rickart face to face. Garrick wants Rickart to swear allegiance to him, the Lord of Cold Spring, bringing Esterby under his umbrella. I have a suspicious nature and see conspiracies around every corner…when it comes to novels. 🙂

Maura, Rickart’s sister, comes to Cold Spring to encourage Garrick to release Rickart and Garrick is smitten.

Magic had been banished under Garrick’s father’s rule and I won’t tell much about that because I want you to find out for yourself. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

The action is mild with many face to face conversations and I loved to watch the interactions. It is not so much manipulation as showing a person what could be.

Rickart is only eighteen. His father’s death made him the leader of Esterby. He puts his life on the line for his people, yet has a lot of life lessons to learn.

Gertie may be a peripheral character, but like Maura, I feel her importance. She is a pit bull and I love her.

“…Mother’s watching over her like a bitch with a one litter puppy.” I love that. I thought of the pitbull reference before I read that quote. It explains why Carmen Webster Buxton is a must read author for me and I love her stories so much. We seem to speak the same language.

As I learn more about Garrick, I love how Carmen Webster Buxton has written the story. Most of sword/sorcery fantasies I have read have brutal wars raging, blood and guts flying. Hidden Magic is more about characters coming together for the benefit of making a stronger unit.

Innocent romance.

Whether Carmen Webster Buxton meant to send a message or not, these characters made me feel good and have hope…that even in today’s real world, things change, circumstances change, rules change…nothing is written that can’t be rewritten.

Hidden Magic is not a series, the story is complete…unless you would like to prolong the ending by imagining what comes next for yourself.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Hidden Magic by Carmen Webster Buxton.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

The valley of the River Wystan is isolated from the rest of the world. Many years before it had been united under the Lord of Cold Spring, who had suppressed the practice of magic. But when he died, his son wasn’t strong enough to hold the other lords’ loyalty. Now Lord Garrick, the new Lord of Cold Spring, means to resume his grandfather’s role of overlord for the whole valley. Young Richart Tallengen, newly minted Lord of Esterby, tries to fight off Lord Garrick’s men, but he’s captured and carried to Cold Spring Castle. When his sister Maura comes to Cold Spring to see her brother, she catches Lord Garrick’s eye. Lord Garrick is as attracted by her courage and her brains as much as by her looks, but he is very surprised to discover that there is more to Maura than meets the eye. She has magical abilities, even though she doesn’t know it.

ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON

Carmen Webster Buxton

Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.

Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.

Carmen has published many books:

WAKANREO SERIES
Alien Bonds
Alien Vows
Alien Skies

HAVEN SERIES
The Sixth Discipline
No Safe Haven

THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order)
The Nostalgia Gambit
Saronna’s Gift
Shades of Empire
Tribes
Worlds Apart

ALTERNATE HISTORY
King of Trees

YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION
Turnabout
Drifters

FANTASY
Where Magic Rules
Bag of Tricks
Hidden Magic

THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021)
The North Edge of Nowhere
Oaths and Promises

Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON 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’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!

Series Finale – The Immortals by Jeff Altabef @jeffaltabef

Posted on by

.

The Immortals

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

‘Better to die with light than live in the darkness.’

“All great revolutions and movements start with a few people meeting in secret, hatching plans to change their worlds. More often than not, it ended in failure and the death of those involved.”

A prophecy: A boy made of light will end Eden from the darkness and break the curse that strangles it and the world.

It has been a while since I read the last book in the series, Ghost King, but everything came back to me pretty quick. It all began when someone dreamed up The Red Death (Book I), a plague that quickly took over the world.

“…We treated the world so shabbily that is was bound to fight back…”

I love books that hint at the real world, yet keep me living the fantasy.

I have almost two pages of notes and I know I can’t use them all. It would spoil everything for those who want to enter the world of The Red Death. The Red Death kills all those who were in their twenties and older. Everything is connected. If one world falls, they all fall, so the darkness must be faced head on. It starts with Eden.

We first meet Thorn and Rose, as they look out at Eden, hoping to have found a home, but it was not to be. As they travel through life, they are complete opposites and end up with opposing goals. Thorn had grown tired of war, but Rose was so driven to take Eden, he wondered why?

Thorn and Rose are the Immortals…chosen by the Devil. Wilky has come a long way, from a bumbling young man who couldn’t communicate, to a king. The Painted Ones, The Cursed Tribe…they were counting on Wilky and Aaliss to save them, and what they would do would cross all realms.

Aaliss had felt the Creator had deserted her because she was surrounded by death and then, Wilky returns from the Ghost Rider’s realm, a grown man. They needed to return to Eden to stop her uncle and his evil plans. He was a traitor. Aaliss is in love with Eamon, but when his father died, he became king and they both had a different road to take. Would they come together in the end?

I love this: Man had their chance and had screwed up the world so badly, it would take a girl to set things right. Could that apply to today?

“…for all who passed, so we can live in the light.”

I know not all will survive and when they called off the names of those who had fallen, I shared their sorrow. Much was sacrificed for those who chose to do the right thing.

The story was unpredictable, the battles crossed realms, the characters ranged from evil to angelic, the magic crossed all boundaries, the prophecy came to life and The Red Death…well, you will need to get the details for yourself. The series is complete, the story told and the characters live on…in everyone’s mind who has read it.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Immortals by Jeff Altabef.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Most believe the Immortals are a myth, a folk story meant to frighten children, but Wilky and Aaliss discover the truth is even more frightening than the myths.

Wilky, once a boy filled with light and a healer, is now the Ghost King, drawn to darkness and violence. As powerful enemies descend on Eden, he must find another, the true child of light, to help him save Eden and keep the world from descending into darkness. Does he have time? Can he still be trusted? Will he instead succumb to power and darkness?

Meanwhile, Aaliss is pushed to the limit to bring justice to Eden, and joins with the most unlikely of allies. In the end, she must accept the magic inside her, or all will be lost. Will she pass her ultimate test?

EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS the thrilling conclusion to the multiple award-winning “Red Death” series of epic fantasy/dystopian adventures, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very last page.

ABOUT JEFF ALTABEF (from Amazon)

Jeff Altabef lives in New York with his wife, two daughters, and Charlie the dog. He spends time volunteering at the writing center in the local community college. After years of being accused of “telling stories,” he thought he would make it official. He writes in both the thriller and young adult genres. Fourteenth Colony, a political thriller, was his debut novel. Shatter Point, a thriller, published by Evolved Publishing was his second novel. It won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for Best Thriller, Fall 2014.

Jeff’s first Young Adult novel, Wind Catcher: A Chosen Novel, is being published on March 23rd by Evolved Publishing. He’s very happy and proud that his co-author is his teenaged daughter, Erynn Altabef. Wind Catcher has won the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Coming of Age Novels, the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Award for Best YA Fiction and a Mom’s Choice Award.

As an avid Knicks fan, Jeff is prone to long periods of melancholy during hoops season. Jeff has a column on The Examiner focused on writing and a blog designed to encourage writing by those who like telling stories.

You can follow Jeff on Facebook, Twitter, or join his newsletter!

MY JEFF ALTABEF 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’.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review – Bag of Tricks by Carmen Webster Buxton @CarmenWBuxton

Posted on by

.

Carmen Webster Buxton is a fabulous storyteller. The wonderful cover fits the story inside perfectly, seeing they spend a lot of time on the road, so to speak.

Bag of Tricks

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Bag of Tricks was so well written, with original twists and turns that, even though for most of the book it would be a three star review, I had to give it four. The characters came to life in the magical, fantastical world that Carmen Webster Buxton created and I was lost. Though I never felt an urgent need to read on with white knuckles, my curiousity would not let me put it down. Another plus, no series. You get the complete story!!!!!!

When I went to write the review, I found I forgot to take notes. I was swept along with Aveline and Zarek. These two characters took the spotlight and I so wanted a happy ever after for them. They are selfless, loyal, giving, willing to put their life on the line to do the right thing.

We have royal machinations going on, betrayals and danger. The story is written with a lightness, no in depth details, with wars and blood and guts everywhere. Even the tragic events are written for young adults and I love all the little nuggets of wisdom woven throughout the story.

I feel Carmen Webster Buxton is such a fantastic writer, that no genre is beyond her. I feel she would be a success no matter what story she wanted to tell. I highly recommend any of her work and I hope you give her books a shot. I feel you won’t regret it and may even find a new favorite author for your bookshelf.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bag of Tricks by Carmen Webster Buxton.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Aveline is a trained magician, but Princess Inessa, the Heiress of Mazuria, hired her to pose as a lady-in-waiting, to protect her from court intrigues and literally sniff out lies. When a wicked duke tries to force Inessa into marriage, Aveline uses a spell to hide the princess. But even magic has limits, and when Aveline stumbles over Zarek, a man whose life has been cursed by more than one tragedy, she demands his help in getting the princess back to the capital. Zarek is on his own errand, and he’s suspicious of Aveline — magicians are feared — but he does help. As he and Aveline travel Mazuria in company with the princess and his wolf-dog Burden, they come to rely on each other and to respect each other’s skills. After Zarek leaves the two women in what he thinks is a safe refuge, he learns they’re in more danger than ever. So of course he and Burden go back to save them.

Now if only Aveline can bring herself to believe that Zarek wants to save her even more than he wants to save the princess — and admit to herself that what she feels for him goes way beyond gratitude.

ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON

Carmen Webster Buxton

Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.

Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.

Carmen has published many books:

WAKANREO SERIES
Alien Bonds
Alien Vows
Alien Skies

HAVEN SERIES
The Sixth Discipline
No Safe Haven

THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order)
The Nostalgia Gambit
Saronna’s Gift
Shades of Empire
Tribes
Worlds Apart

ALTERNATE HISTORY
King of Trees

YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION
Turnabout
Drifters

FANTASY
Where Magic Rules
Bag of Tricks
Hidden Magic

THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021)
The North Edge of Nowhere
Oaths and Promises

Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

MY CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON 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’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!

Giveaway – Katz Island by Katherine E Soto @iReadBookTours @KatherineesotoA

Posted on by

 



Join Us For This Tour From:  March 28 to April 15
 
Book Details:

Book Title:  Grey Dawn of Dharaven Bk.1: Katz Island by Katherine E. Soto
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 417 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Rhetoric Askew
Publication Date: February 24, 2022.
Tour dates: March 28 to April 15
Content Rating: PG
 

Book Description:

A fantasy adventure book about an archeology expedition that heads off into uncharted areas on Katz Island on the planet Dharaven. Earth Dragon Clan born archaeologist Grey Dawn Fields leads to a team of explorers and archaeologists into the wilds of Katz Island looking for a human underground settlement. She’s seen it on an ancient map found in an antiquarian store. That’s when the problems start, and they’re not only coming from the island. When they arrive on Katz Island the expedition is forced to wonder why they are even there when they find little in the first valley the team ground searches. The second valley is more promising as it shows signs of old habitation in its cliff caverns. It’s still not what Grey is looking for.

When an Earth Dragon attacks the second camp looking for food, then dies leaving a baby Earth dragon behind; Grey realizes she has trouble on her hands. Between training a baby Earth Dragon and her archaeology expedition duties Grey is required to stretch her problem solving capabilities and is forced to rely on her friends, colleagues and even her Earth Dragon Clan for help.

Is there an ancient human underground settlement on Katz Island or is Grey on a crazy quest to find something that does not exist? Grey’s archaeology career rests on her ability to solve every problem that stands in her way of success. Readers of fantasy adventure books will be captivated by this book.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ Apple
B&N ~ Kobo ~ Thalia ~ Vivlio

 

Meet the Author:

Katherine E. Soto is a writer of fantasy novels. Her passion for writing started in high school with free form poetry writing, although she does remember creative story writing at an early age. Katherine enjoys composing short stories, flash fiction, poetry, sci-fi/fantasy novels, and nonfiction. She wrote her first fantasy novel in 2019 and it was published in 2022.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ bookbub ~ goodreads ~ linktree 
 
Tour Schedule:

March 28 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
March 28 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
March 28 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
March 28 – FUONLYKNEW – book spotlight / giveaway
March 29 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
March 29 – JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book spotlight / giveaway
March 30 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
March 31 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / giveaway
March 31 – TC Marti’s Action-Packed Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 1 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 1 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
April 4 – From the Book Reviewer’s Desk – book spotlight
April 5 – Buried Under Books – book spotlight / giveaway
April 5 – Lamon Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 6 – Ravenz Reviewz – book spotlight / giveaway
April 7 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway
April 8 – Library Lady’s Kid Lit – book spotlight / giveaway
April 11 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
April 13 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
April 13 – Books for Books – book spotlight
April 14 – Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / giveaway
April 15 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / giveaway
 

Enter the Giveaway: 

 
KATZ ISLAND Book Tour Giveaway


 

  • 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 – Zealot by C Vanzale Lewis @cvonzalelewis @XpressoTours

Posted on by

Zealot
C. Vonzale Lewis
(Blood and Sacrifice Chronicles, #2)
Published by: Parliament House
Publication date: March 22nd 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Nicole Fontane thought her demons were buried deep enough. She was wrong.

After barely escaping the blood bath of the Harvest ritual, Nicole and her vigilante compatriots learn that there are others practicing blood magick on Tulare Island.

Hired to rid the island of the remaining blood magick users, Nicole and her allies come face to face with The Better Day Church and the mysterious Young Family, whose nefarious behavior is well known on the island. The murky organization stirs old memories of a cult buried deep in the Louisiana bayou—flickers of Nicole’s traumatic past and the altar she barely escaped.

But when Nicole receives an invitation to the Young family’s private residence to attend a secret meeting with The Daughters of the Vine—an elusive sect of women led by Gavina Young—she knows there is no escaping her fraught history with cults.

The invite is clearly a trap, but it’s also an opportunity to take down the church. Nicole soon learns that the sickness lurking behind the walls of the Young family’s manor runs far deeper than the banal allure of blood magick. The church’s matriarch harbors a predatory interest in Nicole’s power—barely disguising her desire to harness it.

Nicole must unravel the mysteries of her newfound abilities, or her first job may be her last. Worst of all, she may end up on the altar again.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

PRAISE FOR ZEALOT:

“For those who read Lineage, be prepared for Zealot’s wild ride…The twists were great, the writing fabulous…It’s a sequel not to be missed!”
– Candace Robinson, Best Selling Author of the Faeries from Oz series.

–

“Ms. Lewis kept us on a fast track with everything that was happening.”

–Rita Smith, Goodreads Reviewer

–

“Could. NOT. Put. It. DOWN!!!”
–Kelli Lea, Goodreads Reviewer

–

“This story is full of exciting twists, turns and mystery sure to suck in many avid readers.”
–Elizabeth Chapson, Goodreads reviewer

–

“A definite must read.”
 –Thomas Lake, Goodreads reviewer

–

“I love this series.”
–Shell Moore, Goodreads reviewer

–

“Lacing magic and demons, the author takes us on a freefall ride of terror and violence as Nicole and her friends take on the monsters that hide and feed on the innocent.”
– Dave Wickenden, Author of Homegrown

—

MEET SOME OF THE CHARACTERS!


Author Bio:

My name is Carla Vonzale Lewis and I like my martinis shaken… never stirred.

Carla was born in Georgia, but please don’t mistake her for a Georgia peach. She’s more like a prickly pear. Speaking of being born, someone asked her recently if she remembered her birth. And she had to say, “Yes, I do remember that handsy doctor pulling me out into the cold. Right Bastard!!!”

Despite being born in the South, she grew up in California. Every once in a great while she gets to experience all four seasons. But mostly, it’s just heat.

When not writing, Carla enjoys reading, binge watching shows on Netflix, and trying to convince her husband that getting a dog is a wonderful idea.

And one day, she will discover how many licks it actually takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub / Pinterest / TikTok


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

  • 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!

Unicorn Island: Secret Beneath the Sand by Donna Galanti @DonnaGalanti

Posted on by

I am loving the covers for the Unicorn Island series by Donna Galanti.

From Donna Galanti: It’s been a wonderful journey writing the Unicorn Island series and it all started with my publisher who said, “I’d like for you to write a book about a girl who has to take care of a unicorn.” And of course, I said YES to that because … unicorns! They are magical, wondrous, and mysterious. 🦄

Unicorn Island: Secret Beneath the Sand

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Unicorn Island is a magical story that has everything a young mind could want in an adventure, with plenty of fantasy and fact to inspire…the young and the old alike.

Foggy Harbor has begun to feel like home since Sam made a friend and discovered a magical island full of unicorns and other magical creatures. Now…their immortality is threatened and she searches for a cure, finding a secret from her past that links her to the future of the herd.

Sam had learned her Uncle Mitch’s legacy was to protect the herd and keep the secret of the island that was hidden by a fog bank. He was training Sam and her friend, Tuck, to be unicorn protectors.

When Donna Galanti mentioned elephants evolution and tusks (yes, I am talking real elephants), I had to check it out and see if it was real. I urge you to do the same.

Love. Selflessness. Devotion. Courage.

“…Science and magic together can create wondrous things…”

I loved this wonderful adventure into the magical world of Unicorn Island, with fabulous characters and magical creatures that work together to save the unicorns and the island. Not only does it have a gorgeous cover, but it holds factual tidbits at the end of the story to inspire young minds.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unicorn Island: Secret Beneath The Sand by Donna Galanti.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In Book 2 of the series, Sam and Tuck are on their way to becoming unicorn protectors when they discover new secrets about the island that threaten unicorns’ existence! From Epic! Originals, Unicorn Island  is a middle-grade illustrated novel series about a young girl who discovers a mysterious island full of mythical beasts.

Sam can’t believe how much her life and luck have changed since she came to Foggy Harbor: First, she discovered that unicorns are real, and now she’s on her way to becoming an actual unicorn protector! With her new friend, Tuck, by her side during Uncle Mitch’s lessons, Sam finally feels like she’s home.

But as the long-buried dangers of Unicorn Island begin to surface and a mysterious scourge spreads throughout the herd, Sam learns the truth behind Aunt Sylvie’s disappearance and her own connection to the island. With determination, courage, and fierce loyalty to one another—and to their code as unicorn protectors—the kids set out to protect the island’s secrecy and the unicorns’ very existence.

Download these fun Secret Beneath the Sand activities!

ABOUT DONNA GALANTI

Donna Galanti is the author of the bestselling paranormal suspense Element Trilogy and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine, a writing contest judge at nycmidnight.com, and regularly presents as a guest author at schools and teaches at writing conferences. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna also loves teaching writers about building author brand and platform through her free training series at yourawesomeauthorlife.com. Visit her at donnagalanti.com.

CONNECT WITH DONNA:

MY DONNA GALANTI 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’.
  • Product images are linked/I am an Amazon affiliate.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – The Gingerbread Curse by April Marcom @AprilMarcom @GoddessFish

Posted on by

The colors on the cover for The Gingerbread Curse by April Marcom sure caught my eye and made me curious…and Run, run as fast as you can. The moment you stop, you’re a dead man…what the hell is that all about? LOL

Amazon

The Gingerbread Curse by April Marcom

GENRE:   Fantasy/Fairy Tale

BLURB

All her life, Falon’s grandfather told her the age-old tale of ‘The Gingerbread Man’. Even as a teenager, she’d fallen asleep to his favorite bedtime story, a special tradition she knew she’d never outgrow.  However, when he makes a dying wish, asking her to visit a secret underground world of magic to rescue the best friend he left behind fifty years ago, the tale begins to come to life.

Setting out with her self-obsessed cousin and a cure for the magicked man with skin like gingerbread, she finds herself tangled within an adventure nothing like the story her grandfather always told.

Once having found the long lost man of her grandfather’s youth, her only hope of ever returning home, or even surviving his world, lies in the talons of a deadly hybrid she scarcely trusts. Together they must face the animals taken from the children’s tale and magicked into monsters, a man who can move mountains who is bent on killing them all, and a labyrinth rumored to have never allowed a survivor.

AUTHOR GUEST POST

I am usually attracted to a book, first and foremost, by its cover. So, whenever I get the chance to have an author share firsthand their thoughts, and here is what April Marcom had to say:

Topic: Discuss your cover — how it came to be, what it represents, what you love or don’t love about it, etc.  Anything you’d like to share about it.

It’s been so many years, it’s hard to remember exactly what ideas or descriptions I sent to 5 Prince Publishing in the book cover request form. I’m sure I described the magical underground world and the poisonous, deadly maze Falon has to travel through for most of the story. But the cover came out great. It’s an underground image with Falon running toward the gold pool of immortality, taken from a scene early in the story. I love the ‘catch phrase’ of sorts printed across the top of the cover: “Run, run as fast as you can. The moment you stop, you’re a dead man.” My favorite part has got to be the beautiful gold lettering of the book’s title, though. 5 Prince Publishing always makes amazing book covers! They capture the story in one shot beautifully. 

A thrill shot through me as I approached the spectacular tree. Something wonderful was about to happen, or something I might very well regret for the rest of my life. Either way, I was simply too hungry, and there was too much time ahead of me with no food, to have a choice in eating it or not…

I stared at all the tear drops. None stood out especially. The ones closer to the trunk of the tree were the biggest. My appetite was pushing me in their direction. I followed one of the branches inward, wondering if a larger crystal meant a stronger ability. No amount of time trying to decide which one would make any difference. And part of me was terribly excited to discover which of Sierra’s ‘gifts’ I was about to inherit.

The leaves twinkled and sparkled against one another. I reached out for the largest one in sight, wondering if it might give me fearlessness or musical ability or wisdom beyond my years, but stopped at the last moment when I noticed the one hanging just above it. Frost-like patterns etched over the higher crystal created a perfect calligraphy F. It was as if my name was written on it. This was the one.

I reached out with both hands and cupped them around the leaf, catching nearly every purple petal. They had a chill to them, and felt damp as if they’d been painted with fresh morning dew. The rest liquefied, one by one, as they hit the ground.

Cautiously, I ate one petal. The sweet burst that erupted like grape juice inside my mouth was so delightful, I ate the rest without restraint.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

April Marcom works as a Pre-K teacher’s assistant, but her true passion is writing. When she’s not teaching or creating stories, she’s enjoying the country life with her car-obsessed husband and three fabulous children. She also enjoys rainy days, traveling, and her very rowdy dogs. April grew up a southern bell in Mississippi, but is now a proud Oklahoman.

Website / Twitter

Buy links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Apple

The book will be $0.99.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

  • 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 – The Winged Child by Henry Mitchell @GoddessFish

Posted on by

The Winged Child by Henry Mitchell

GENRE: Fantasy

BLURB

An adult fairytale about a girl who might know how to fly, a neurobotanist who might be a dragon, an innkeeper who might be a machine and a politician who might be the antichrist.

Millicent McTeer grows to adulthood in Ashton, an Appalachian tourist town, convinced she knows how to fly. With a new president in power, the life Millicent knew changes. The government has spies on every corner, coercing citizens to follow the new order. As the country descends into anarchy, Millicent is drawn into political activism by her professor and becomes an exile.

In the Laurel Creek Containment District, separated from the chaos of the Atlantic American Republic, she finds a new life. As she develops her unique abilities and leads the exiles, incursions from the outside world threaten to destroy the tranquil life they have built together. Will Millicent reclaim her reality and discover the peace that has eluded her?

EXCERPT

“Dragon,” she blurted.

“Millicent,” he said. “Our trails cross again at last. I’ve been looking forward to it.” Ryder unfolded long legs and exited his hammock with reptilian grace, gestured at two large pillows on the floor beside a tray overflowing with papers weighted under what Millicent thought was a satellite phone of some sort. “Sit down. Rest from the world. Let’s talk about what trouble we might get into together next term.”

Millicent sat, rather awkwardly, she feared. Ryder, already comfortably settled upon his cushion, his legs folded beneath him as compactly as the pinioned wings of a bat, opened her student profile before she could arrange herself. He’d obviously studied her data previously because he flipped only a page or two before he nailed her with his gaze. She saw now that his eyes were deep deep blue, like the sky over Hillhaven after a rain.

“What made you want to study forest management, Millicent? There isn’t a lot of money to be made in that, so you’re not trying to get rich.”

Looking into this young/old face, she felt twelve years old again, incapable of anything less than the simple truth as she knew it, “Because … Because trees have been my best friends.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Henry Mitchell reads and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

He has written five novels and two collections of short stories.

Buy links: Amazon / B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Follow the tour HERE.

  • 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 – Blind The Eyes by K A Wiggins @kaiespace @iReadBookTours

Posted on by


 

Join Us for This Tour from  November 26 to December 17!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Blind the Eyes: A Dystopian-Gothic YA Urban Fantasy by K.A. Wiggins
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 300 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy, crossover to dystopian, paranormal, contemporary fantasy, gothic and post-apocalyptic.
Publisher:  K.A. Wiggins (Imprint: Snowmelt & Stumps)
Release Date: June, 2018
Tour dates: November 26 to December 17
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M. No on-page sex, low romance, minimal bad language, underage drinking, significant fantasy violence, scenes containing emotional manipulation, depression, and (light/brief) physical abuse.
 

Book Description:

A haunted teen outcast and her snarky ghostly best-frenemy outwit enforcers, monsters, and the scars of the past in a race to take expose a deadly conspiracy and escape a bloody end. A lush, award-winning debut to a captivatingly eerie YA Urban Fantasy trilogy. Discover a labyrinthine, post-climate-collapse dystopian Vancouver overrun by monsters and magic in this intricate and startlingly original journey of discovery, restoration, and revenge.

It’s hard not to be a little obsessed with survival when your only “friend” is an unruly ghost and the wrong thought could get your soul devoured by eldritch horrors. Haunted 17-year-old outcast Cole wants nothing more than to hide her forbidden fascination with the monster-taken and blend in with the (dreary) scenery. Her plans for a peaceful life take a turn for the deadly when a mesmerizing stranger and his dangerously tempting offer drive her into the middle of a grisly conspiracy.

But Cole hasn’t yet uncovered the biggest secret of all, and it might just have something to do with the mysterious threads tugging her into horrifying visions—not to mention the shimmering boy at their dark heart. Uncovering the truth will cost her dearly as she fends off scheming enforcers, dreamjacking ghosts & soul-sucking nightmares in a desperate quest for survival and retribution. Can she escape the scars of her past and expose the lies before she’s the next to die?

Blind the Eyes is the first book in a lush and labyrinthine trilogy of paranormal-meets-gothic-dystopian YA Urban Fantasy filled with glittering underworlds, delicious-and-deceptive strangers, and facing down the voices in your head. This slow-burn fantasy with an edge leads readers on a captivatingly unexpected journey of self-discovery, reclaimed identity, and conflicted sisterhood for those who like a little sparkle with their monsters (it glistens so nicely on all the blood.) Fans of post-climate-collapse dystopias, monsters-and-magic, and genre-bending dark fantasy will love this award-winning series starter in a complete and 100% binge-ready trilogy.

Buy the Book:
Books2Read
Amazon 
Apple ~ Kobo ~ Google
B&N ~ Waterstones ~ Chapters-Indigo

 

Meet the Author:


K.A. Wiggins (Kaie) writes award-winning speculative fiction for young people and adults that explores the tangled webs of society, environment, and identity through intricate, dreamlike tales of monsters and magic.

Her debut novel was a Page Turner Awards 2020 Book Spotlight Prize winner and a Barnes & Noble Press “20 Favorite Indie Books of 2018,” kicking off a celebrated and recently completed YA Urban Fantasy trilogy set in a gothic-dystopian post-climate-collapse Vancouver. Her short fiction has appeared in small press anthologies, genre magazines, and in translation for international audiences.

She’s also the President of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators of British Columbia society, co-founder of marketing and business services consultancy The Creative Collective, and a creative writing coach with the Creative Writing for Children society, and was recognized in the 2021 Arty Awards, taking first place in Literary Arts category.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ instagram ~ goodreads
 
Tour Schedule:

Nov 26 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 26 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 29 – GivernyReads – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Nov 29 – Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 30 – booking.with.janelle – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Dec 1 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Dec 2 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 3 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – book spotlight
Dec 6 – Character Madness and Musings – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 6 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 8 – The Bookshelf Scout – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Dec 9 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Dec 10 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 13 – Books for Books – book spotlight
Dec 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 14 – Books, Tea, Healthy Me – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Dec 15 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 16 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 17 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
Dec 17 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 17 – Girl with Pen – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

BLIND THE EYE by KA Wiggins Book Tour Giveaway


 

  • 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!

Books From The Backlog – Jack Templar by Jeff Gunhus @jeffgunhus

Posted on by

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

Jack Templar, Monster Hunter (The Templar Chronicles, #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack’s fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it’s great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend “T-Rex” from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he’s the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he’s destined to be in the family business. Second, that there’s a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits…until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.

As if that weren’t enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the “One?” Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.74  · 613 ratings  ·  156 reviews

I added Jack Templar Monster Hunter, Book One, by Jeff Gunhus to my TBR on 1.29.13. I have read some of his work and enjoyed it, so why not? I’m sure I got it free, probably during a tour as he was promoting future books in the series and offered this one for free. I do love reading about monsters of all kinds. How about you? Do you have a favorite monster?

  • 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!