To Be Or Not To Be: Scales by Pauline Creeden

Posted on June 18, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for Scales by Pauline Creeden.

I am so excited to share this mer Novella.

I am loving the awesome cover, but I have so much more to share with you. Be sure and read my review and the excerpt we are sharing today.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Cover: Quirky Bird

MY REVIEW

Scales by Pauline Creeden is a mermaid novella and does not stand alone.

I love anything to do with mer people and when I see a book, I will grab it pronto. The cover is beautiful and the title catchy, makes me think I will enjoy Pauline’s writing.

The Reckoning has come for Verona. Will she choose the land or the sea?

I wonder…do mers go to school? Do they learn to read and write? Do they quote Shakespeare?

Pauline’s vivid and detailed description of Verona changing from breathing water to breathing air had me hanging on her every word.

I feel Verona’s sense of accomplishment when she catches her first fish. She has worked hard to learn something I had thought would come easily to her. Pauline does a great job of showing us her growth and development as she struggles to survive.

Verona has made friends with the horses of Chincoteague. When the annual roundup occurrs, she feels like she is losing her furry friends. At least they will be together, she thinks, but she is so alone. I have read about the horses and find it fascinating.

I do not see a lot of mer books, so I am always on the lookout for an original approach to the subject. Pauline’s writing kept my interest throughout the novella.

The novella ends abruptly and I was pissed. LOL Now I have to wait to find out what happens next, but I will be waiting.

I received Scales by Pauline Creeden in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

BLURB

Verona is a bottom feeder. She is the one mer in her clan who is considered the ugliest and least intelligent. Growing up with the constant bullying and abuse wasn’t the worst of what her kind had in store for her. At seventeen years old, she must now endure “The Reckoning.”

The scales will measure her worth to her clan. Will she endure thirty days as a land-walker to gather information and knowledge to appease her clan and return a valued member? Will she wait three years, until she is twenty, and find a mer of her kind to accept her and marry her? Or will she suffer exile for the rest of her life?

Genre: YA

Buy on Amazon Available May 26th

ABOUT PAULINE CREEDEN

Pauline Creeden is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Follow Pauline Creeden: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter

Follow the Tour

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

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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FREE Plus a Giveaway- BORN TO MAGIC by David Wind

Posted on June 15, 2015 by fundinmental

Born To Magic

by David Wind

Series: Tales of Nevaeh: Volume 1

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Release Date: February 15, 2015

Welcome to Nevaeh—where magic has replaced technology.

Long ago, the violence and radiation of terrorist wars killed America. Descendants of the survivors now dwell in a world of ritual and magic, where ten dominions struggle for supremacy and a dark, formidable power has emerged.

Areenna, the only daughter of the King of Freemorn, is barely eighteen, yet her psychic ability is strong. She is called to The Island and learns that the fate of her world is in her hands. She must undertake a perilous journey to save Nevaeh from malicious destruction. But she will not travel alone.

Mikaal, the son of the High King of Nevaeh, has just as much at stake as Areenna. The quest takes them through haunted wastelands filled with mutants while a vile and evil force will do everything in its power to stop them—for it wants Nevaeh as its own.

“My Lord,” Enaid called.

Turning to his wife, the High King of Nevaeh raised his eyebrows.

“All but two have arrived. They are quartered and being fed. Freemorn and Lokinhold will be here in the morning.”

“Thank you,” he said.

She took his hand and gently squeezed it. “You must go and greet them.”

“In a moment,” he whispered.

“What troubles you?”

“The past,” he said, seeing not the woman standing before him, but the world he had come from, and knowing every aspect of his previous life was gone…except for memories.

Book 2: The Dark Masters: Tales of Nevaeh, Volume Two

I live and write in a small village about thirty miles upstate of NYC, and share my home with my wife, Bonnie and our dog Alfie, an apricot poodle.

When I began writing in 1980, I had no idea where I was headed. Since then, I’ve published thirty-five novels, thirty-three of them with traditional publishers, but I decided I wanted more freedom than the traditional publishers would allow and began a new phase in my life as an Independent Author.

Sci-Fi & fantasy has always been my most favorite genre. My first novel in the genre, Queen Of Knights was a medieval / historical fantasy and reached #2 on the amazon.com bestseller lists for historical fantasy and medieval fantasy, and my sci-fi of parallel worlds, The Others, received wide acclaim.

My first Independent novel Angels In Mourning, was my ‘homage’ to the old time private detective books of the late 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I used to love to sneak them from my parents’ night-tables and read them as a young boy. Angels, is a modern day take on the old style hardboiled detective. Angels In Mourning won the Amazon.com Book of the Month Reader’s Choice Award shortly after it was published.

My most current thriller, The Cured, was written with Terese Ramin.The idea for this Medical Thriller came shortly after the death of a close friend. I couldn’t help but wonder about the medication….

My previous suspense thrillers are The Hyte Maneuver, (a Literary guild alternate selection); As peace Lay Dying, Conspiracy of Mirrors, And Down will Come Baby, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep and Shadows.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review & Giveaway: Joshua and the Lightning Road by Donna Galanti

Posted on May 21, 2015 by fundinmental

Donna Galanti’s latest novel, Joshua and the Lightning Road, is an action adventure novel that kept me entertained from beginning to end. This may be for the younger crowd, but there is no reason you and I can’t enjoy it too and I did, very much.

MY REVIEW

This is a story of friendship, love, sacrifice, hope and courage. A wonderful, magical, mystery adventure for kids of all ages.

This book could start out: It was a dark and stormy night…

Joshua is the worrier and Finn is the adventurer. Finn is his Joshua’s best friend.

Their game of hide and seek ended badly. The lightning struck and when Joshua could see again Finn was gone and he was left with a warning…

He would be next.

So…it’s down the Lightning Road to find the answers. Let’s go together, shall we?

The descriptive writing showed me the road and I traveled it with Joshua.

There was the Child Collector who steals kids to sell.

The Reekers, because of their smell, he things they are stinky.

Giant ravens, like the Wizard of Oz monkeys and giant rats.

Myths, Greek Gods, and super powers.

Flying deer, sound familiar?

Takers – Earth people who came looking for the missing children. Not all are good.

Prophecy – one born who is part Earth human, part Nostos and part Olympian – the Oracle – all powerful. He could bring back all twelve gods. They would have to do good and close the Lightning Road forever.

I thought of so many movies I have watched that could have contributed to the writing of this story: Indiana Jones, where Kalimar abducts children to make them slaves; Harry Potter with his magic; the Neverending story.

Once I put my mind together with my inner child and let my imagination follow Joshua, the roller coaster ride shot out of the gate…

The characters are giving and go above and beyond anyone’s expectations. Some put their lives on the line for friends, family and all the missing children, while the others are so despicable, it makes me want to climb into the book and put them on the hamster wheel to produce the power, then finish them off after a suitable amount of torture.

Donna writes with humor interlaced throughout, giving this adventure that light touch that keeps it to a comfortable level for the youngsters.

“Mizzle – misty drizzle. “…we’re being mizzled right now.” “Better than being whizzled on.”

“If I ever got home again I would cherish every minute being bored. Bored was better than dead. “

I received this book in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Joshua and the Lightning Road
Publication date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Donna Galanti

SYNOSIS

Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch the orb.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.

To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.

In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series and the Element Trilogy. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs at www.project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogs…, a cooperative of published middle grade authors. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com and www.ElementTrilogy.com. Donna wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote a murder mystery screenplay at seven and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship (and has been writing fantasy ever since). She’s lived in other exotic locations, including her family-owned campground in New Hampshire and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse and dreams of returning one day to a castle.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

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

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway: Mermen by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Posted on May 18, 2015 by fundinmental

MBB_TourBanner_Mermen copy

I love merpeople, so I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did.

Be sure and enter the giveaway at the end of the post. 🙂

Add me to Goodreads

MERMEN

by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

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

BLURB

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

These Mermen Don’t Have Tails, They’re Deadly as Hell, and They’ve Got Something He Wants…

INFAMOUS BACHELOR and SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE ROEN DORAN IS A BASTARD. Yes, he knows it. And no, he doesn’t care. He’s got money and power, and he depends on no one. But when his estranged father dies, willing him a secret island, Roen will come face to face with an even bigger secret: its occupants. And these savage, sea-obsessed warriors are quick to make their position clear: Leave now or die.

There’s only one problem. Nobody tells Roen what to do. Ever. Oh, and one other thing. He’s just met the island’s other new “guest” and something about her brings out his possessive side.

SOLE SHIPWRECK SURVIVOR LIV STRATTON had been adrift at sea for ten grueling days when salvation miraculously appeared: an uncharted island. Only, the deceivingly beautiful men who live there aren’t interested in saving her. No, not at all. Because they somehow believe she is their property, a gift from the ocean to do with as they please. This is not good.

Her only hope? Billionaire Roen Doran, of all people. A man who’s said to care for nothing and no one. But if he’s so heartless, then why is he about to risk everything to help her?

~ ~ ~

NOTE FROM MIMI ABOUT MERMEN: Anyone who has read the Accidental Series or King knows I love to flip things on their heads. Mermen is no exception. THIS IS NOT A FLUFFY STORY ABOUT men with fins and tails who sweep ladies off their feet and make them long to be mermaids. Uh-uh. This is NOT that kind of story. Nobody in their right mind would want to hang out with these very beautiful yet dangerous men (who don’t actually have tails, fins, or gills, by the way) NOR would anyone want to be their mates. Well, at least, not me! Run. Away!!

Hope you enjoy the ride. – MIMI

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

EXCERPT

Bump. Bump.

“What the fuck was that?” Twenty-nine-year-old Liv Stratton sat up in her sagging life raft, trying to stay conscious.

Bump.

There it is again. Liv’s eyes skimmed the perimeter but saw nothing. Well, except the warm March sun glaring off an endless stretch of eerily calm North Pacific. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to—

From the corner of her eye, she caught a splash about a hundred yards out. It appeared to be…

Wait. She leaned forward. Is that…is that? No. You did not just see a naked man swimming. The dehydration was playing tricks on her, making her believe she’d just seen a tanned, muscular form floating on his back, everything on display.

You’re hallucinating again. Liv sighed and flopped back onto the raft, shoving her sticky dark hair over her eyes to block the sun from her face. I’m so thirsty. I’m so thirsty. Oh God…

It had been ten days since the fishing boat capsized in a storm, taking with it the crew of eight to the bottom of the ocean. Now she wished she’d gone with them instead of having been ordered into the life raft. “What about your crew? What about you?” she’d screamed over the roar of wind and relentless waves pounding the side of the vessel. Captain Harris, a man in his late seventies with a weather-beaten face, flashed his crooked teeth. “We are men of the sea, my dear. Here we live, and here we will die.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Remy Pamfiloff

New York Times and USA Today bestselling Romance author, host of the radio talk show, Man Candy, on Radioslot.com.

When San Francisco native Mimi Jean went on an adventure as an exchange student to Mexico City, she never imagined the journey would lead to writing Romance. But one MBA, one sexy husband, and two rowdy kids later, Mimi would trade in corporate life for vampires, deities, and snarky humor.

She continues to hope that her books will inspire a leather pants comeback (for men) and that she might make you laugh when you need it most.

She also enjoys interacting with her fans (especially if they’re batshit crazy). You can always find her chatting away on Facebook, Twitter, or saying many naughty words on her show MAN CANDY on Radioslot.com !

Find out more about Mimi and upcoming books at www.mimijean.net.

BUY Links: Book is priced at $0.99

Amazon / B&N

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GIVEAWAY

The author is giving away the following 10 prizes:

PRIZE #1:Mermen Pillow + Signed Mermen

PRIZE #2: Mug + Signed Mermen

PRIZES #3-7: Tote + Signed Mermen

PRIZES #8-9: Signed Set of KING Trilogy + Signed Mermen #1&2

PRIZE #10: KING TRILOGY Audiobooks on CD + Signed Mermen #1&2

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER HERE

Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

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

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Book Trailer Reveal for Joshua and the Lightning Road by Donna Galanti with Giveaways #M9BFridayReveals

Posted on May 15, 2015 by fundinmental

M9B-Friday-Reveal

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are featuring the book trailer for

Joshua and the Lightning Road by Donna Galanti

presented by Tantrum Books/Month9Books!

There are two (2) giveaway opportunities available.

Find out more information at the end of the post!

Enjoy the Trailer!!

Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch the orb.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.

To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.

In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.

Title: Joshua and the Lightning Road
Publication date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Donna Galanti

Pre-order Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

about-the-author

Donna Galanti

Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series and the Element Trilogy. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs at www.project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogs…, a cooperative of published middle grade authors. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com and www.ElementTrilogy.com. Donna wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote a murder mystery screenplay at seven and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship (and has been writing fantasy ever since). She’s lived in other exotic locations, including her family-owned campground in New Hampshire and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse and dreams of returning one day to a castle.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

iPad-Promo-JOSHUA-Web

To enter: Pre-order Joshua and the Lightning Road from your favorite bookseller and email proof of purchase to LightningRoadContest@gmail.com.

First Prize: Apple iPad Mini 16GB

Second Prize: $25 B&N Gift Card

Third Prize: Signed map of the book’s world, the Lost Realm

Proof of purchase must be received before May 17th, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST to qualify. Open to U.S. residents only. Winners will be chosen using a random number generator and notified by May 22, 2015.

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

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Can she tame his beastly heart ~ Dragons Don’t Love by D’Elen McClain

Posted on May 11, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for this amazing paranormal romance.

If you love dragons like I do, this series is a MUST READ!

You can see my review for Book I, Dragons Don’t Cry here.

Add to Goodreads now.

Title: Dragons Don’t Love by D’Elen McClain

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Series: Fire Chronicles

ISBN: 9781311864826

Book Length: 110

Publisher: BL Publishing

Buy Links: Amazon / B&N:  will be available on release date 5/5/15 / Apple

MY REVIEW

I am ecstatic to be able to share Book II of the Fire Chronicles, Laryn’s stoy by D’Elen McClain. This is one of the best dragon series I have ever read. I could not put it down. Dragons Don’t Love is an adult tale of romance and love that flows smoothly from the pages.

Laryn had been alone for 25 years, now it was his turn to claim his new bride. The symbiotic relationship the curse placed on both dragons and humans was misunderstood by both of them, but because of the dragons love of their brides, they are constantly learning more about them.

Laryn first meets Roxanne when she ends up on his back, trying to kill him. Silly human. She can’t hurt a dragon.

Laryn is stubborn and brings a lot of suffering onto himself, but that is the way of dragons and their pride. He has never been know for his gentleness with his new brides, but when he meets his warrior woman, Roxanne, he marvels at her desire to fight side by side with him. I love the cat and mouse game Laryn plays with Roxanne as he attempts to seduce her, but Dragons Don’t Love and he fights his feelings for her.

Dragons love to steal others treasures and a trip is made to Earth, where we find vampires, shapeshifters and an athlete named Tiger. LOL Thought that was great for some laughs.

Their relationship grows and develops, from acting like a couple of kids having temper tantrums, to adults learning to love and live together. The characters personalities shine through making me love them all, especially Ashrac. Who doesn’t love a baby dragon?

The writing and dialogue had me hanging on D’Elen’s words. At times it was humorous, other times sad, yet other times so very touching.

After Dragons Don’t Cry, I knew where this story was going, but I am still amazed at the ride, reading page after page, unable to put it down until the last word was read. I hated it to end.

Next…Sarn’s story, Dragons Don’t Forgive. I think there may be a new twist in this one and I am very eager to find out.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

It’s finally the day of claiming. A dragon charges in breathing fire and leaves with an unwilling captive as his new bride. Roxanne, one of the brides he will chose from, wants nothing to do with the tradition that has gone on for thousands of years. From an early age she’s had one goal…

Kill the dragon.

Laryn—arrogant, gorgeous, and heartbroken since the death of his former bride has a plan for the new one. He will never love again. Of course, the last thing he expects is a feisty warrior landing on his back with a sharp sword in her hands intent on death. His death.

It’s a match made in… well… you need to read to find out.

A dragon shifter fairy tale for adult readers.

EXCERPT

Laryn

I admire my nakedness in the looking glass, flex my muscles and watch them ripple with undeniable power. I am more than a mere human. I’m faster—stronger—deadlier.

I am dragon.

“Why are humans so inferior?” I ask myself aloud. Their weak bodies give them no advantages. And they are ugly, even their females. Their puny appearance and sickly skin tone only enhance their frailty. At least some of the women are decent companions if they don’t nag too much. I grumble loudly. Chances are I’ll be stuck with a whiner again. I’ll not put up with it and I’ll quickly teach her to fear me.

As amazing as I am in my human form, it holds no comparison to my dragon, which is superior to all others. My mind flashes to Acasia, Bastian’s mate. Yes, she is beautiful, but all her damn rules ruin it. It doesn’t matter that she is the only female dragon in existence. Today, I chose my new bride at the claiming ceremony. Her training will begin immediately after our return to my lair. The sooner she stops the waterworks and settles in, the better it will be for her.

I turn and walk through the large doors of my bedroom and stand on a rounded stone ledge looking over my kingdom. The wind whips across my naked body and blows hair into my eyes. It needs trimming. I will gift my bride with the privilege, if she cooperates. It will be her first reward, well… after I fuck her, of course. Fucking always comes first. Bastian had no clue how to control a human female and now he’s stuck with Acasia. I always show the bride who’s boss and immediately put them in their place. My way works best.

I spring from the ledge and dive off headfirst in my human form. I pull in the magic and my dragon bursts free—the small amount of pain completely overshadowed by my majestic form. I spread my wings and admire their fifty-foot span of beautiful blue against the morning sky. Fire erupts from deep in my chest and shoots more than one-hundred feet in front of me. My roar echoes through the canyon and reverberates off the cliffs.

In all my blue glory, I fly to claim my bride.

Roxanne

I sharpen my two-foot steel blade before holding it up against the morning sun. The light shines off the blade, which fractures it into multiple beams of brilliance. Soon it will bathe in blood—the magical blood of a dragon. I will clean off the gore using my white bride’s dress and dance in the red puddles after I kill him. No sister of mine will become a dragon’s bride today. My death for this deed will be satisfying—the ultimate sacrifice.

I’ve spent most of my life preparing. No one in the village knows my true intentions. My parents think I’m reconciled to my fate. I was born during the span of years that established me as a claiming bride. A week ago, a proclamation went up throughout town informing the brides that our time has come. Our duty to keep the peace between dragons and humans demands our presence at the claiming. Today.

Early on, I used my family’s need for fresh meat and my father’s disability as the reason for learning to hunt. Every minute of every day that I could safely get away from home, I sharpened my skills. If the men of my town won’t defend the women, I will.

Slipping off my dreary daily garments, I don the beautiful, white, sacrificial gown required to entice my enemy. I secure the sword into the hidden back sheath knowing I can remove it and use it before anyone stops me. The virgins of this town will truly have something to celebrate tonight. I adjust my dark hair so it completely covers the blade’s grip. I walk from the glade with my shoulders back and my head held high refusing to acknowledge my racing heart and shaking knees.

I have a dragon to kill.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Best-Selling Author D’Elen McClain is a retired sex crimes and homicide detective who managed to retain her sense of humor. She writes under three pen names dreaming about stories from life on the street as a beat cop in an unflattering blue uniform to paranormal and spicy romance.

USA Today Best-Selling Author, Holly S. Roberts, is her new adult and erotic writing pen name and Suzie Ivy is her tough crime fighting alter ego pen name.

Her two dogs, Dizzy, a Rottweiler with anxiety issues, and Duchess, her overweight Chihuahua, sleep and play under her feet while she writes at her home high in the Arizona mountains. She also keeps her pen in blue ink as a contributing writer for UniformStories.com, Below The Salt News, and Bad Luck Detective blog.

Author (Contact Links)

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway info: General tour giveaway. 2 – $25 Amazon gift cards, 3 – free books the back list writing as D’Elen McClain or Holly S. Roberts

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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

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

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway & Review ~ The Christmas Dragon/Strings by Ruthanne Reid

Posted on May 6, 2015 by fundinmental

fundinmental would like to welcome Ruthanne and The Christmas Dragon and Strings.

I am a dragon lover, so this was a must have for me.

What is your favorite shifter?

MY REVIEW

The box jumped. Between the cover and the first sentence, I knew this is a story I wanted to read. The writing was humorous from the opening line and I started laughing when I read about the rusty wand. Magic and a snow white dragon, what’s not to love?

This is a short story that left me wanting to know more.

Katie had left her family because she wanted a normal life, without magic. She is Merlin’s niece. She wondered who could have left the dragon on her doorstep – she can’t keep it and doesn’t want it. It’s cute, but she was getting rid of it. She can bring it by my house, at least that was my first thought, until I found out it had been stolen and whoever had it would be in serious trouble.

A wonderfully cute, light read that goes on to tell us how and why she has the snow white dragon, whose name is Starling. What other color would a Christmas dragon be?

Grey, a Fey, was unwilling to help her, but we will learn more about him in Strings.

A wizard, a Lin, an Unseelie, a baby dragon, vampires, elves, magic…I can hardly wait to learn more.

4 Stars

BLURB

*The Christmas Dragon*

All Katie Lin wants is to get away from her family: from the magic, from the mayhem, and from the never-ending war.

Unfortunately, someone has other ideas, and sends her a box. A box that jumps.

The tiny fire hazard inside may just force her back to Wales – and right into the path of a dragon war, the Crow King, and at least one reluctant elf prince. Sometimes, running away just doesn’t work as planned.

EXCERPT

*I chose this excerpt because of the first sentence. A smile jumped onto my face.*

The Christmas Dragon

The box jumped.

Boxes are not supposed to jump. It’s a law somewhere, I think. Maybe Guyana. Apparently not in New Hampshire, because the box kept jumping.

I sat in my idling car, puffs of exhaust rising in my rear-view mirror, and stared at the uncoordinated box-dance. It was wrapped in the loveliest paper, too, which was a shame, because bouncing on my boot-scraper had roughened all the corners and torn one edge. The bow was big and purple and covered in small green somethings. I wasn’t close enough to make them out.

I didn’t want to be close enough to make them out.

If I didn’t do something soon, the neighbors would notice. The box probably hadn’t been jumping all morning, or there’d be a crowd. Or maybe it was already on YouTube. I didn’t know.

So much for a safe, boring life among the Ever-Dying. New Hampshire, you have failed me.

I turned off the car. Time to go see what invaded my (mostly) magic-free space.

MY REVIEW

This is Grey’s story.

The Seelie feel they are the ones meant to rule everyone, including the humans.

Music is his magic. He is a prince, but left home to weave a magical spell of music around the humans and share the love.

Now he is called on to save them from the Slivers. He is determined to save the humans, no matter the consequences. But, who can he trust? He lives in a magical world where your enemy could be your friend and savior.

Among the Mythos, science fantasy and twenty thousand years of Earth’s history, Grey is an unwilling hero, but a hero just the same.

My only complaint is the story goes on and for how long, I do not know.

3 Stars

BLURB

*Strings*

Need help? You probably shouldn’t ask Grey.

A runaway Unseelie prince, Grey feeds on love – a commodity he conjures via music and magic in late-night Manhattan. It’s a sweet gig, if lonely, and Grey is almost sure the dire warnings he was given about New York in December won’t come true.

Then a monster from his childhood attacks in the middle of the night, and everything changes.

He survived, but he’s marked, and more monsters are coming for him and everyone who survived. Grey has no plans to be a hero but fate doesn’t care what he wants. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you aren’t the one pulling the strings.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Indie author Ruthanne Reid writes about elves, aliens, vampires, and space-travel with equal abandon. She is the author of the series Among the Mythos, and believes good stories should be shared. Subscribe to her free email newsletter for free books and more at http://amongthemythos.com. You can connect with her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ruthannereid), Facebook (http://facebook.com/mythos), or Tumblr (http://ruthannereid.tumblr.com), where she looks at too many kittens and Avengers blogs.

Ruthanne’s love of magic, urban environments, and deep space birthed a strange world with undercurrents of faith, magic, villainy, and heroism (along with swords and lasers, on occasion). Among the Mythos showcases aliens with all-too-human feelings, entire societies on the decline due to greed and fear, protagonists who might actually be the bad guys (or vice-versa), and endings every bit as messy as the world that creates them.

Ruthanne knows from experience that endings are messy. No matter how exotic the setting, how many limbs the characters have or what (if any) genders, the problems and questions addressed by a good story are very real, and that’s why they have power. If she has a theme, it is this: keep fighting, and keep pushing toward hope, because the struggle is worth the finish-line.

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The Dreamweaver’s Journey by Diana L Wicker @masqtours

Posted on May 1, 2015 by fundinmental

Want to take a trip to Feyron?

Check out The Dreamweaver’s Journey by Diana L Wicker.

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SYNOPSIS

The Realm of Feyron has always been. It is the origin of all things magical, the axis point where all the worlds meet. Once, in days gone by, there were many gateways within the Temple of Pyli connecting the Worlds Beyond seeded with magic to their home. Now many gateways have flickered out, and Feyron weakens as the magic fades and the Guardians are lost.

For the first time in over three hundred years a Dreamweaver has come of age and is tasked with contacting the Guardians. When she awakens in the night after a vision of her best friend lost and alone, injured in the snows at the top of the Crystal Mountains, she seeks out the Sacred Fire in the Temple in an attempt to call forth more information. A voice calls out from the fire, “Dreamweaver, you are summoned.” An image appears of an ancient path through the Mist Shrouded Forest leading to a hidden gate into the Crystal Caverns below the mountains. The Guardians have summoned her on a quest that will take her to the four realms of light within Feyron in search of answers and aid.

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#DjinnBlast ~ WISH FOR ME BY A. STAR

Posted on April 29, 2015 by fundinmental

Series: The Djinn Order, Act One

Publication Date: April 27, 2015

Genre: Steampunk Fantasy/Romance

Three wishes. Two lovers. One destiny.

When the snarky Glory St. Pierre discovers the gold mechanical vase in her deceased grandmother’s basement, she has no idea that she has uncovered a priceless treasure: a genie lamp. With a real genie inside. A very sexy genie with a not-so-sexy grudge against the entire human race.Irving Amir hates being called a genie. He’s a Djinn, and he is none too happy to be in the service of Glory, who is as intolerable, and beautiful, as humans come. Now he owes her his gratitude for freeing him and three wishes. Damn his luck.But an arrow through the shoulder alerts Irving to the fact that he is being hunted, and after a truce dinner with Glory ends with them both almost being killed, hating each other goes right out the window. As feelings change and love starts to develop, they must dig through the secrets and lies to find the truth…a truth neither of them will ever see coming.

WARNING: Not suitable for ages 18 and under. A significant source of bad language, sexy times, and dirty jokes. If you suffer from a lack of a sense of humor, take with plenty of wine. If the symptom persists, see a doctor.

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A. Star is a fan of dirty passion. She loves to read it, and she damn sure loves to write it. She is the author of the Mythos: Gods & Lovers series, the Djinn Order series, and the Knights of the Joust series. She is a night-owl and a coffee junkie, and the only sneaker she would be caught dead wearing are Converses.

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Review: Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

Posted on April 8, 2015 by fundinmental

I saw Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner and knew I had to have it.

This is not your romantic version of mermaids, so beware.

Themes and Distinguishing Factors:.

● Portrayal of mermaids based on the true legend of flesh-eating sea demons.
● Predominantly female cast of eighteen-year-old warriors and mermaids.
● Native American setting, near Haida Gwaii and in the Gulf of Alaska.
● LGBT: self-discovery and acceptance of sexuality.
● Themes of love, loyalty, betrayal, and trust.

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ICE MASSACRE by Tiana Warner

File Size: 1654 KB
Print Length: 307 pages

ISBN -0988003937 (ISBN13: 9780988003934)

Publisher: Rogue Cannon Publishing (September 18, 2014)

4.5 out of 5 stars out of 22 reviews on Amazon

SYNOPSIS

A mermaid’s supernatural beauty serves one purpose: to lure a sailor to his death.

The Massacre is supposed to bring peace to Eriana Kwai. Every year, the island sends its warriors to battle these hostile sea demons. Every year, the warriors fail to return. Desperate for survival, the island must decide on a new strategy. Now, the fate of Eriana Kwai lies in the hands of twenty battle-trained girls and their resistance to a mermaid’s allure.

Eighteen-year-old Meela has already lost her brother to the Massacre, and she has lived with a secret that’s haunted her since childhood. For any hope of survival, she must overcome the demons of her past and become a ruthless mermaid killer.

For the first time, Eriana Kwai’s Massacre warriors are female, and Meela must fight for her people’s freedom on the Pacific Ocean’s deadliest battleground.

MY REVIEW

The cover jumped out at me and I knew Ice Massacre was a novel I had to have.

The blood spewing off the mermaid’s tail told me this would not be a nice story with warm and loving mermaids. Ice Massacre is a grim and dark tale. I am super excited to read a mermaid book in which the Splash version (which I loved) is replaced with vicious sea monsters. An original mermaid “tail”, probably more true to the legends than the romanticized version we seem to prefer. Ice Massacre starts out wicked bad and continues that way. This novel will wipe out any illusions or fantasies you have about the beautiful and sexy mermaids.

Tiana’s writing is detailed and descriptive, riveting and engrossing, from beginning to end. Her ability to weave a story kept me reading long into the night.

Oh, goodie, a mermaid hunter. I can’t believe it. New to me and I love it. I was thinking there will be a lot more to the story and I wasn’t disappointed.

The island people are starving to death, because the mermaids do not allow them to catch their main resource, fish. They have no choice but to continue the massacres. Their very survival depends on it. Would the citizens of the island of Eriana Kwai get their life back, or stay poor, depending on others charity for their very survival?

Since the age of thirteen, Meela had spent her life training for this moment. She is part of the Ice Massacre. The ship sails tomorrow and her life is in her own hands and that of nineteen other girls.

The training masters methods were barbaric and desperate.

Would twenty girls do better than the twenty men they’d sent all the years before?

I walked with Meela through the woods to the dock. I heard the leaves rustling and smelled their musty fragrance, I heard the birds singing, and felt the mist hanging heavy in the air.

Meela had been taught mermaids are sea demons that keep them from fishing, sink their ships and kill everyone on board. It did not stop her from becoming friends with a mermaid named Lysi, after saving Lysi’s life. They knew it was wrong, but it didn’t matter to them. The oceans are vast and Meela doesn’t understand why there isn’t enough for everyone.

“Our friendship is stronger than her instincts.”

I think that statement will be put to the test.

Tiana Warner’s characters come alive on the pages. I loved and hated them. I yelled at them as they began to fight each other, wanting to warn them and help them in any way I could. Their very survival could depend on the girl next to them.

Annith is her best friend. Other than Lysi.

Dani is a bitch and that about covers her personality. She is mean, a bully.

Tanuu is the young man in love with her.

Tiana’s descriptions of the mermaids are so vivid I can see them; their red eyes, razor sharp teeth, webbed fingers, flesh morphing into scales to the end of their tail. They are ferocious and ugly, but can make themselves look almost human with lovely hair and bright alluring eyes with a voice that can hypnotize the human male.

I can visualize the battle; the mermaids super strength, shells and darts used as weapons, against iron bolts and knives. The humans thought they had an edge because they could plan and strategize. Did they really believe that mermaids were only demon fish, with no ability to plan and execute?

I couldn’t help but smile at the end. I LOVE it. That thought had entered my mind and came back to me off and on as I read htrough the novel, but it was still a bit of a surprise. A fantastic ending that is so unique and original, it will stick with me for a long time.

My only complaint is I want more. Trilogy???

I picked this up for free, during a tour I participated in.

5 Stars

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tiana Warner was born and raised in British Columbia. She graduated from UBC in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, and works at a software company doing technical content marketing. Tiana is an avid supporter of animal welfare. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her horse, Bailey, and collecting tea cups. This is her second self-published novel.

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