Short Horror Stories Anthology – Night Terrors #26 – #ScareStreet

Posted on October 12, 2023 by fundinmental

I’m not sure how I got my hands on this, other than through Book Funnel, but someone must have sent me the link. Whoever you are…thanks.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Night Terrors has to be one of, if not the, best horror anthology I have read. Eighteen stories that had something frightful to offer. Some were down right terrifying. Most of the time I can pick a favorite, but not this time. We have horrific creatures of all kinds, some supernatural, others of the human persuasion.

We have the Mother Thing, mirrors, missing children, a cannibal witch, human reanimation, vampires, a lycanthrope, unique marine critters, a neighborhood watch, the throb in the back of his head was super gruesome and it even made me shiver a little.

At times I cringed and look around, making sure I was alone. At times, I laughed…well, because I just had to. And my love of trees…well, I might need to rethink that.

If you ever wanted a horror anthology filled with short stories sure to make you pucker up, this may be the one. It sure was for me.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Prepare for a crash course in terror…

Maternal love takes a sinister turn, when a young man discovers that his mother is not quite what she seems. An ancient legend looms over a local street, as the neighborhood children search for their missing friends. And a woman awakens to the ultimate nightmare, after her bad taste in men leads to a horrifying predicament…

Scare Street is proud to present this monstrous new collection of macabre tales. Eighteen stories torn from the shadows, filled with bone-chilling fiends, skin-crawling monsters, and malevolent spirits.

As you lose yourself in the dark depths of another diabolical tale, a school bell rings in the darkness… You look around, shocked to find yourself chained to a school desk. As the teacher’s eyes glow red, she rakes her nails across the chalkboard.

The other students glare at you with hungry eyes and dripping fangs. Their claws scrape the floor as they surround you.

Class is in session. And today’s lesson is human anatomy.

Let the dissection begin…

Night Terrors Vol. 26 features the following
1. Mother Thing by Mathew L. Reyes
2. The Bar Visitor by Travis Lee
3. The Suicide Dead by Mason Gallaway
4. Eternally Yours by Jesse Rosenbaum
5. All the Children of Lesnaya Street by Sabrina Howard
6. The Wrong Kind of Attention by Angela Sylvaine
7. Neighborhood Watch by John Gallant
8. Snow by Edmund Stone
9. The Creek by Joshua Orr
10. Spooks by Christopher J. Nardone
11. B2 by David Barclay
12. My Wife Is Having an Affair by J. M. White
13. High Tension by Justin Boote
14. The Ghosts of Paris by C. A. Verstraete
15. Mark Breaks Up the Band by Ethan Robles
16. The Pitch Pine Witch by E. J. Werrlein
17. An Ocean Black by Stacey Dighton
18. Just Passing Through by Ron Ripley and Kevin Saito

Genre: Anthology, Fiction, Horror
Format: 267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published: May 15, 2023 by Scare Street
Language: English

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Giveaway – The Ghost Circus by Deandra Archer @RoxanneRhoads @OnyxWebb

Posted on October 19, 2022 by fundinmental

Onyx Webb: The 31 Immutable Matters of Life and Death

Based on the original 10 book, 31 episode Onyx Webb series.

Episode 1:

“Should you one day discover you have both light and darkness inside you, do not despair. We all do. The only thing that matters is which you choose to act on.”

Episode 2

“We do not fear heights, we fear falling. Nor do we fear the darkness… but, rather, what we think may be lurking there. And in matters of life and death, we do not fear dying: only that it may be final.”

Episode 3

“It is not important to know what fate awaits you beyond the living plane. All that matters is that you know there is a ‘there’ there.”

Episode 4

“The greatest temptation in life is to pursue everything that catches your eye. What matters is: Are you willing to pursue only that which captures your heart.”

Episode 5

“The universe is a blank canvas, and you are the paint. The only thing that matters is how much of yourself you are willing to splash upon it.”

Episode 6

“The universe is impressed when you find the courage to stand with others. What matters more, however, are the times you find the courage to stand alone.”

Episode 7

“Everything in the universe is temporary, yet everything lasts forever. And it does not matter if you believe this—it will be true with or without your consent.”

Episode 8

“It is not the job of the universe to tell you what your destiny is. For that matter, no one is destined to become anything other than what they choose to become.”

Episode 9

“No matter how unfair the world may seem, the world is perfect just the way it is.”

Episode 10

“Those filled with hate believe the edge of the universe is surrounded in darkness, while those filled with love believe it to be bathed in light. But what does it matter? Upon their deaths, both will discover they were correct.”

Episode 11

“Your forgiveness may not matter to those who harm you, but it was never intended for them anyway. It is a gift you give yourself.”

Episode 12

“When you die, one of the following two things must be true. You are dead and gone, or you are dead but not gone. To settle the matter once and for all, as far as the Universe is concerned, we are never gone.”

Episode 13

“The desire to remain young matters most to those who do not realize that growing old is a privilege denied to many.”

Episode 14

“Your dreams matter to you, but also to the universe. Do not let anyone who has given up on their dreams talk you out of yours.”

Episode 15

“The world is filled with unspeakable evil, but it is also filled with unstoppable love. The only thing that matters—as long as there is one person with a single ounce of love in their heart—is that evil cannot win.”

Episode 16

“The thing that matters most in your final hours is that you do not find yourself crying and begging for more time. Only those who have failed to live fear death.”

Episode 17

“There is no such thing as a lifetime—only a series of moments strung together that matter to us that we call a lifetime. To miss these moments is to miss your life.

Episode 18

“The universe is not interested in your long list of casual wants. The only thing that matters is your short list of passionate desires.”

Episode 19

“No matter what you think or how you feel when times are tough, life is a precious gift. Just how precious is it? Don’t worry. You know when you’re dead.”

Episode 20

“If knowing every secret in the universe matters to you, your time on earth will be a disappointment. The number of secrets is infinite; the capacity to understand is not.”

Episode 21

“The best way to deal with matters of hate, jealousy, anger, fear, and regret is to be so busy living your life that you simply have no time for any of them.”

Episode 22

“It does not matter that you reach out to the universe. What matters is that you reach inside yourself.”

Episode 23

“The universe does not care if you are beautiful. What matters is that you surround yourself with that which is beautiful to you.”

Episode 24

“Nothing in the universe is good or bad, big or small, hot or cold, up or down, right or wrong. The only thing that matters is the perspective of the observer.”

Episode 25

“If fulfilling your mission on earth truly matters, why have you yet to even start? And don’t say it is because you don’t know your mission. You have always known.”

Episode 26

“In matters of karma, the universe is excruciatingly fair. What goes around does indeed come around. But you must understand: the universe is under no obligation to ensure it comes around to you.”

Episode 27

“Thoughts don’t just matter. They are matter. In the same way that the moon tugs on the oceans, the gravity of your thoughts have pulled both things and people into your life.”

Episode 28

“The true wonders of the universe can be seen in three ways: through the lens of a telescope, the lens of a microscope, and—when it matters most—the lens of human understanding.”

Episode 29

“Every choice, large or small, matters more than you’ll ever know. In the end, your life will have been nothing more than a collection of your choices.”

Episode 30

“Show the universe what matters most to you, and the universe will show you… you.”

Episode 31

“The differences between us matter less than the ways in which we are the same, for in the end we come to understand we were all connected by the same frail web called life.”

The Ghost Circus: An Onyx Webb Supernatural Thriller

Diandra Archer

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Publisher: Lust for Living

Date of Publication: July 26, 2022

ISBN: 978-1947814226

ASIN: B0B7QVRLYK

Number of pages: 280

Word Count: 64,000

Cover Artist: Alex at https://www.nessgraphica.com/

Tagline: If You Think Life is Precious, Just Wait Until You’re Dead

Book Description:

A ragtag traveling circus sits outside a small California town. Two hundred miles north, the rumors of Onyx Webb, a legendary ghost, are “alive and well” in the seaside hamlet of Crimson Cove, Oregon.

After mysterious deaths occur in both places, the FBI gets involved. By the time the circus travels to Crimson Cove, the little town is starting to unravel. It’s one thing to stop people from committing crimes, but how do you stop ghosts?

Amazon

Onyx existed in a constant state of guilt over what she considered to be stealing the best years of Noah’s life. What some would call robbing the cradle or being what was currently called a cougar.

It was the opposite of the norm, in which men had a tendency to date and marry younger women.

When Onyx brought up the topic, Noah pointed out how it was no longer a big deal for couples to have differences in their age. “Age is just a number,” Noah would say, having pointed out the age difference between Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. “She’s like 15 years older than he is.”

First, Onyx had absolutely no idea who these people were since she never watched television. And the 15-year age difference paled in comparison to their ages since Onyx was 114 and Noah was still in his 30s.

The thing that made the age difference livable, no pun intended, was that ghosts appeared as the age they were on the day they died and returned as their perfect selves. No scars or blemishes or wrinkles. Even severed limbs reappeared.

She may have been 114 years old, but in terms of appearance, Onyx looked 39.

And as a ghost, she would be 39 forever.

Assuming she could get the energy.

Onyx watched as Noah took advantage of the last bit of daylight, shirt off—sweating and swearing when the rocks wouldn’t fit together—his skin glistening with sweat and red with color.

Onyx held up her hand and examined it. Unlike Noah’s, her skin was gray. Transparent.

When she held the hand up to her face, she could see right through it.

Unacceptable.

Tonight, she would go to the hospital and see if there was anyone whose time had come. If there wasn’t, she would go into town and look for an addict shooting up in a dark alley—the kind that could be found in all towns, even small ones like Crimson Cove.

She had no problem taking drug addicts. They were killing themselves, anyway. If they wanted to die, she was happy to help them along.

Those who were young and healthy? No. Onyx’s code would not allow it. They were off-limits.

And children? Never.

Onyx walked to the opposite side of the lighthouse and peered out toward the water, seeing thin red lines of red forming as the sun was being slowly swallowed by the ocean.
Soon it would be dark. It was time.

About the Author:

Diandra Archer is the pen name for professional speakers and best-selling authors, Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz. Richard and Andrea have been entrepreneurs, writing and publishing non-fiction business books for over twenty years. Onyx Webb is their first fiction book series. They live in Central Florida with their cat Storey, and newly adopted senior dog, Peppers. Diandra Archer is a combination of both of their first names.

http://onyxwebb.com/

https://twitter.com/onyxwebb

https://www.facebook.com/OnyxWebbSeries

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Horrorlicious – The Nightmare Room by Chris Sorensen #Chris Sorensen @RoxanneRhoads

Posted on March 5, 2018 by fundinmental

Continue reading →

Myths and Magic: An Epic Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Boxed Set @_TerriBruce

Posted on January 12, 2018 by fundinmental

Myths and Magic has16 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels by 16 New York Times, USA Today, and Award-winning and Break Out Authors!

With there being 16 stories by 16 authors, it will take me some time to work my way through them all, so I wanted to give you a taste of what is in store for you.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW FOR IRENE BY TERRI BRUCE

Irene and the Witch – Afterlife Book 3.5

Irene is dead, stuck in Purgatory, trying to return to Earth as a guardian angel.

Her traveling companion, Andras, is a 12th century Spanish knight, dead since 1911. Most of the time he is invisible. It takes tremendous effort for him to appear in ghostly form. Makes me think of when Bobby was a ghost in the Supernatural TV show.

They have a psychic link.

Are there things worse than death? You betcha.

Ya want to know what it’s like being in a crystal ball? Ask Irene. Even dead, her impatient recklessness has her in trouble.

Can a ghost burn, feel pain, be tortured, die again?

Irene worked through her fear, knowing they would all die if she didn’t persevere, push through, overcome.

I have been loving this series ever since I read Hereafter. I knew it would be a different kind of ghost story and Terri Bruce’s imagination and creativity have taken me into a world both wondrous and frightening, and I am so happy I am only here as a visitor.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Irene, which is included in the Myths and Magic: An Epic Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Boxed Set. I will be reviewing more of the books, so keep in touch and we’ll talk more.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

16 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels by 16 New York Times, USA Today, and Award-winning and Break Out Authors!

There is adventure out there … if you’re brave enough to risk it.

Explore worlds of darkness, danger, and magic in sixteen exclusive fantasy and science fiction novels, available for a limited time. There are tough choices to be made and dastardly villains to outwit in this breath-taking collection that will have you at the edge of your seat.

Plucky heroes and devastating anti-heroes face off against demons, spirits, shifters, witches, and more in this limited-edition arrangement that features a satisfying combination of epic fantasy, science fiction, romance, urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, and more!

This killer deal won’t last forever, so grab your copy today!

ABOUT TERRI BRUCE

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her second novel, Thereafter (Afterlife #2), will be released May 1, 2014.

Website/Blog / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

MY REVIEWS FOR TERRI BRUCE

Hereafter

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Giveaway, Review and Top Ten Fun Facts – Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Posted on August 7, 2014 by fundinmental

To follow the tour, click on the banner above.

The beautiful cover hints at the goodies inside the pages of Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton.

Before we get to my review, the synopsis, and the giveaway, I have invited Kimber to share her:

Top Ten Fun/Silly Facts About Me

1) I love to sing. Doesn’t sound all that strange except I do it all the time. I had a stranger in Target tell me I have a beautiful singing voice… so flattering and embarrassing at the same time!

2) I love animals, and that includes bugs, reptiles, etc. A neighbor out for a walk caught me trying to save all the dying earthworms on my driveway after it rained. She told me I was crazy.

3) I spend a lot more time than the average person daydreaming. That’s where I get my plot and character ideas. Am I cheating on my husband when I daydream about the male characters?

4) I’m not sure if I could survive in a world without Diet Coke and chocolate.

5) I play video games every single day—even if it’s only for twenty minutes. It’s a serious addiction. They help me unwind.

6) During my teen years, I spent more than one afternoon in a video arcade fleecing innocent teenage boys dumb enough to think they could beat me in a game because I was a girl. I really enjoyed serving up their pride on a plate.

7) I have a rather unnatural addiction to cars. My car is like an extension of myself. Right now he’s a 45^th Anniversary edition Camaro. When I was fresh out of college, I would forego new clothes and eating out to pay the auto insurance on my Dodge Daytona.

8) When I was fifteen, I snuck into the Whisky a Go Go in LA to meet Vince Neil of Motley Crue (I had connections at the stage entrance). Meet him I did, but within about five minutes, an older guy friend of mine showed up. He flung me over his shoulder and carried me out when I refused to leave peacefully. Worse—I had a major crush on him after that. Unrequited.

9) I can’t stand books without HEA endings. Lately I’ve been steering clear of dystopians since it’s rather hard for a HEA ending in a doomed world.

10) My characters become so real to me, I find myself talking about them like they’re real people.

I can relate to you about cars and am a bit jealous that you have the Camaro. I, too, love hot cars and I can understand your sacrifices. LOL And the singing, I can see you walking down the aisle singing a happy tune. Do you have a favorite song?

That is a wonderful Top Ten and I enjoyed it very much. I feel we can never have too many chuckles in a day. Thanks so much for sharing Kimber.

Tortured Souls,The Orion Circle #1

Kimber Leigh Wheaton

YA Paranormal Romance

June 29. 2014

Sea Dragon Press

Amazon * Goodreads

MY REVIEW

A young adult novel about school kids, doing school kid stuff, except for the serial killer ghost. The tag line – Sometimes Rest in Peace isn’t an option – is what caught my eye, but when I read the blurb and saw it was about a ghost serial killer, I knew I had to read it. I love ghosts and serial killers, so the combination sounds like a unique read. I don’t think I’ve read a book like this before.

“You’re not welcome here”, Logan says to the presence behind me.

He meets my gaze again.

“You know it’s there.”

Shivers run up and down my neck, just as if the presence is standing behind me. I am only 1% into the book. Now that is scary and creepy good and a very good sign that the book will meet my expectations. Do you every get the feeling that someone or something is paying a little too much attention to you?

Five nights in a row Kacie Ramsey has had the same dream, or is it a vision? She is wallowing in the girl’s blood that has pooled on the ground. Kacie is clairvoyant.

She is not a girly girl. She is on the cross country team, as is Logan. It seems they have a psychic bond. She has felt like an outsider, especially since her mother left. Kacie always thought it was because her mother couldn’t deal with her paranormal powers. She felt it was all her fault, but there is more to the story.

Kacie is a very strong psychic, but has denied it for so long that her powers have been stifled. She has no control over them and that makes her dangerous. Her best friend, Celia, is afraid of ghosts and has no idea she has supernatural powers. She keeps her in the dark.

Kodiak, her dog, looks like a polar bear. It is a goldendoodle – half poodle and half golden retriever. Designer dogs have become very popular. Here are a few mixes that I thought funny – Bassetoodle, Bossi-Poo, Cadoodle, Foodle, Schnoodle, Sheepadoodle and my personal favorite, Doodleman Pinscher. It makes me think of a Rizzoli and Isles episode that I saw recently. The punch line – what do you call a poodle? A poodle.

Logan invited her to a meeting of the Orion Circle. The Orion Circle is a mysterious group that you can only attend if you are invited. There are very few who know that it is a paranormal research group. She never belonged anywhere. Would she now that she is a part of the Orion Circle?

She sees ghosts and talks to them. Imagine waking up and a ghost is groping and pawing you. How freaky is that? She helped a young ghost move on and it brought to mind The Ghost Whisperer.

The Orion Circle made me think of a tiny Harry Potter school inside of a regular school. She has been chosen to train with them to enable her to use her powers and prepare for the upcoming battle.

The writing skims over and doesn’t flesh out all the details that I love to see for a 5 star novel. I love to be able to walk with the characters and visualize their actions. I wavered between a 3 and a 4, but the last quarter of the book confirmed a 4 for me. I was unable to put the book down, as I wondered what would become of them as they took on the Foxblood Demon .

I was given this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars – Would Highly Recommend To Others

SYNOPSIS

Sometimes Rest in Peace isn’t an option.

Kacie Ramsey sees ghosts—and it’s ruining her life. Her mother left, her father blames her, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t keep the ghosts away. Now a new power has emerged. Nightly visions of grisly murders and a relentless predator draw her to the brink of insanity.

When the phantom appears at a party, Kacie’s longtime crush, Logan, saves her. He invites her to join the Orion Circle, a group of supernatural hunters with chapters in schools all over the country. Through the Circle, Kacie learns to embrace her spiritual powers, and for the first time in her life she feels in control rather than a victim.

But the Foxblood Demon will not give up so easily. A demented serial killer in life who trapped the souls of the thirteen children he murdered, imprisoning them within the walls of his mansion. Now in death, he plots his return while drawing power from the pure souls of the children. He recognizes something in Kacie he’s never seen before—a medium powerful enough to provide a vessel for his tainted soul.

Kacie can’t ignore the tortured souls of the children crying out to her every night. With Logan at her side, she will fight the Foxblood Demon. But can they banish this powerful phantom, or will Kacie lose not only her body, but her eternal soul to the monster.

About the Author

Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling
YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. She is married to her soul
mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs, four cats, and
lots of dragons. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Kimber
Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not
necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate
covered superhero!) She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has been
somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different cities
and states..
.

Website * Twitter * Goodreads Author Page * Facebook * Pinterest

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton.

GIVEAWAYS

There are two giveaways, so be sure and enter both.

My blog giveaway is for an ecopy of Tortured Souls.

Leave your email and a comment answering the question:

Do you have a fun/silly fact that you would like to share?

Tour-Wide Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

1 Signed Print Copy – US Only

5 sets of signed bookmarks – US only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Friday 56 # 18 – A Serial Killer Ghost – Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Posted on July 25, 2014 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

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

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TORTURED SOULS by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton is Book I of The Orion Circle.

The cover and title are nice, but that was not what hooked me.

The tag line told me ghosts, but – man, oh man – this is so much more.

A SERIAL KILLER GHOST!

As if that isn’t bad enough, the killer likes children.

(56% on Kindle)

I awaken with a start, grasping at the hazy tendrils of a dream. It was about the murdered children. That much I know, and yet I can’t seem to remember anything else. Just fog and trees, some candles….A hand smooths my hair away from my face and I realize I’m not in my bed. As the memories come rushing back, I recognize the plush brown sofa beneath me, which means – the pillow beneath my head must be Logan!

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

SYNOPSIS

Sometimes Rest in Peace isn’t an option.

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton.

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What are you reading?

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Awesome new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle by Taylor Dean

Posted on May 17, 2014 by fundinmental

COVER REVEAL!

Brand new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle!

~A paranormal romance series by Taylor Dean~

Lancaster House was the first Taylor Dean book that I read. I loved it, but when I read The Middle Aisle, she won me over for life. It has one of the best endings I have every read. Even now, months later, it pops into my mind off and on.

I have always thought her covers are very original and I love the painterly effect.

Buuuuut. I totally agree with her decision to change them. I think these beautiful and fantastic new covers are going to scream from the shelf, “PICK ME! PICK ME!” What do you think?

My Review for Lancaster Hous e / My Review for The Middle Aisle

I love my OLD covers. (Pictured on the left.) I really do. They’re different from the norm and that’s why they captured my attention.For Lancaster House, I liked the idea of a hand reaching out from the grave. It seemed appropriate to the story; Andre reaches out to Zoe from beyond the grave. It was Carrie-like and kind of creepy.

There’s just one problem.

This is not a horror novel. Not at all. This is a paranormal romance. People who like horror are drawn to the cover and are sadly disappointed when they realize it’s a romance.

People who love paranormal romance are turned off by the cover because it looks too creepy. In other words, the cover just wasn’t working.

I love The Middle Aisle cover because it matched Lancaster House so perfectly. And part of the story takes place in Monterey, California. Monterey is known for its Cypress trees. The tree on the cover of The Middle Aisle reminded me of a Cypress tree and seemed perfect.

But, if the right people aren’t reading the first book, no one will ever read the second one no matter what the cover looks like!

Bam! Decision made!

It was time for new covers for Lancaster House and The Middle Aisle! I love the new covers because they speak so perfectly as to what’s on the inside..

Without further ado, here they are, the new covers!

…

ABOUT TAYLOR DEAN

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER* GOODREADS.

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GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/8/14

Open Internationally

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Good luck and thanks for stopping by fundinmental.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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What happens after you die? Thereafter by Terri Bruce – Giveaway

Posted on May 1, 2014 by fundinmental

I was supposed to have a review ready for the tour, but due to a family emergency, I have not finished reading Thereafter by Terri Bruce.

Please keep your eyes open for the review in the very near future.

Thereafter (Afterlife Book 2) by Terri Bruce

Genre: Contemporary fantasy/paranormal

Publisher: Mictlan Press

Date of Publication: May 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9913036-2-5 (print) / ISBN: 978-0-9913036-3-2 (ebook)

Number of pages: 318

Word Count: 99,000

Cover Artist: Artwork by Shelby Robinson; cover layout by Jennifer Stolzer

Book Description

When recently-deceased Irene Dunphy decided to “follow the light,” she thought she’d end up in Heaven or Hell and her journey would be over.

Boy, was she wrong.

She soon finds that “the other side” isn’t a final destination but a kind of purgatory where billions of spirits are stuck, with no way to move forward or back. Even worse, deranged phantoms known as “Hungry Ghosts” stalk the dead, intent on destroying them. The only way out is for Irene to forget her life on earth—including the boy who risked everything to help her cross over—which she’s not about to do.

As Irene desperately searches for an alternative, help unexpectedly comes in the unlikeliest of forms: a twelfth-century Spanish knight and a nineteenth-century American cowboy. Even more surprising, one offers a chance for redemption; the other, love. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to have either if she can’t find a way to escape the hellish limbo where they’re all trapped.

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Author’s Note

I am THRILLED beyond all measure to finally be able to bring you Thereafter, and I want to thank all the fans who have waited (more or less patiently) an extra year for this book to finally come out. Thereafter would not have been possible without your support—thank you all! I hope you love this beautiful new cover as much as I do, and I hope you find Thereafter to be worth the wait.

Excerpt

Her hand touched a rock, one of the flat beach stones she’d seen on graves. She picked it up, laying it flat in her palm. She didn’t remember picking this up. In fact, she had been careful not to take any. It had seemed disrespectful and too much like stealing to remove them, and while she’d seen a few here—both loose and piled in cairns—she hadn’t picked any of them up. There had been no point. What would she do with a rock?

No wonder her bag was so heavy.

She tossed the rock over her shoulder and heard it hit the ground with a satisfying thud some distance away. It felt good to be rid of something, to make a decision and be sure it was the right one.

She surveyed the pile again and then grabbed a small handful of paper animals. She picked one up between a finger and thumb. It was a horse. Irene had been in Chinatown during Chinese Ghost Festival, a holiday in which the living left offerings for the dead. These offerings included paper replicas of things people thought the dead would need in the afterlife—money, clothes, television sets, and even animals. Irene had admired the precise and delicate folds of the Origami figures and had picked some up to admire them more closely. Without thinking, she had dropped them into her bag and apparently been carrying them ever since.

Well, even Jonah couldn’t argue with her on this—there was no way she was going to need a paper horse on her journey through the afterlife. Plus, these didn’t hold any sentimental value. She cast the horse onto a nearby fire and watched as the paper curled and blackened in the low-burning flames.

The fire leapt and seemed to glow blue for a moment. Irene tensed—what was happening?

Thick black smoke began to rise slowly from the flames, spiraling upward in a thickening column. The smoke grew denser and then elongated sideways. Irene leapt to her feet and backed away, her heart pounding. Something was forming in the fire.

The smoke was taking shape now; there was purpose and design in its movements. She could see a long, horizontal back, four legs, a neck, and finally a head and a tail. The smoke swirled with a final flourish and then shuddered into the solidity of a smoke-colored horse. The animal blinked passively. Then it violently shook its head, blew out a breath, and delicately picked its way forward out of the fire. It immediately put its head down and began to lip the ground, looking for food.

Irene stared stupidly at it. “Are you shitting me?”

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About the Author

Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats.

Website/Blog / Goodreads Profile / Facebook Fan Page

Twitter / Amazon Author Page

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Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

To get your copy of Hereafter or learn more about Terri Bruce, click on the cover below.

Get you Amazon copy of Thereafter by clicking on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAY

2 $50 Amazon gift cards

5 signed paperback copies of Thereafter (U.S./Canada Only)

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

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Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Do you believe in the boogeyman? – When The Dead Whisper by Tara Neideffer – Review & Giveaway

Posted on February 4, 2014 by fundinmental

“Every little girl thinks there’s a Boogeyman in her room at night don’t they?”

When The Dead Whisper by Tara Neideffer is a riveting ghost story that left me screaming for more.

The whispers, “the rope ties us all.”

The whispers, “find the truth.”

The whispers, “….It’s time for you to see.”

The whispers, “It’s time to end this.”

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When The Dead Whisper immediately brought to mind the Ghost Whisperer. I love ghosts and a novel that has the main character able to see and talk to them is on the top of my to read list. I am ambivalent about ghosts. How about you? Do you believe?

A feeling of expectation and angst followed me throughout the book. I was on pins and needles, walking carefully through the pages. Waiting, waiting. Knowing it’s coming.

Knowing he’s coming? Is there a serial killer on the loose? In Danvers?

The writing was intense and at times humorous, lending the story a sense of reality and allowing the characters to seem as if they could be your next door neighbor. Tara Neideffer describes the ghost in such detail, I can see her standing in the doorway, beseeching me to help her.

I felt it was a great touch and I couldn’t help but laugh at Tara’s description of Mia and Ryan coming into her messed up apartment. Ryan thought there had been an intruder.

“Anyway, right there is the burglar.” It was Cyprus, her black cat.

When The Dead Whisper centers around a tattoo shop, Irish Ink. Tara creates some quirky and unique characters.

Mia is a beer drinking, regular every day girl, who just happens to be a tattoo artist. Oh, and ghosts talk to her.

Ryan’s persistence – coming to her work place, asking her out for months, wearing her down, should get the girl. He was growing on me and I began to root for him, wanting Mia to choose him. But…..I kept having doubts about Ryan and Tara’s writing kept me guessing. Is he good or bad?

Mia could choose between two guys, but I was kept unsure and guessing. It’s him, no it’s him, no it’s him.

Mia kept seeing the letter L. I was reading along, a bit on edge, but when she goes to Leslie’s Designs the shit really hits the fan. I was so terrified for her that I was racing through the pages having to know that she will be okay. Of course she will, it’s a novel and she’s the main character. I thought the L represented one thing, but it was another. I love it when I cannot figure the answers to my questions until they are sitting right in front of me and Tara does that extremely well. When it comes together, I feel such a sense of relief, as if I have been holding my breath.

The only thing I didn’t like about When The Dead Whispers – it ended.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I received When The Dead Whisper from Tara Neideffer in return for an honest and unbiased review. I had read Deadly Road (see review link below), Tara Neideffer’s debut novel, and was blown away, so I was more than happy to read another piece of her work. I am now a huge fan of Tara’s and the Mia Rushton Series. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next one, which is being written as we speak.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara Neideffer loves everything that has to do with the paranormal. She grew up reading Stephen King novels and watching horror novels. Deadly Road is her first paranormal novel. She is currently working on her next novel which will be a paranormal series.

In her free time she likes to spend time with her husband, daughter and step-son and sometimes go ghost hunting.

To find Tara Neideffer, you don’t need paranormal abilities, just look below.

Blog / Facebook / Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

Tara Neideffer is offering 3 (three) ebooks for international readers. Entry is easy. Leave your email and answer the question:

“Do you believe in the boogeyman?”

Giveaway ends February 18, 2014.

To get your copy of a Tara Neideffer novel, click on the cover below.

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One Fateful Mistake and………….5 STAR Review of Deadly Road by Tara Neideffer

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?

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Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

Posted on February 13, 2013 by fundinmental

Read on!

Hereafter

Afterlife Book One

Terri Bruce

Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary Fantasy

Publisher: Mictlan Press / Date of Publication: January 20, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9913036-0-1 / ISBN: 978-0-9913036-1-8

Number of pages: 369 / Word Count: 111,000

Cover Artist: Shelby Robinson

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Thirty-six-year-old Irene Dunphy didn’t plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on earth as a ghost, where the food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the sex…well, let’s just say “don’t bother.” To make matters worse, the only person who can see her—courtesy of a book he found in his school library—is a fourteen-year-old boy genius obsessed with the afterlife.

Unfortunately, what waits in the Great Beyond isn’t much better. Stuck between the boring life of a ghost in this world and the terrifying prospect of three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment in the next, Irene sets out to find a third option—preferably one that involves not being dead anymore. Can she wipe the slate clean and get a second chance before it’s too late?

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MY REVIEW

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Well, it’s just, because…you know. You’re…” “Well…dead”

When she awoke in the morning, it all came back to her. She had searched the web for information about ghosts and the after life, but found nothing describing her situation.

She got in the shower and brushed her teeth. She felt, just because she was dead, that was no reason she shouldn’t take care of normal hygiene.

Suddenly, it came to her. There must be others in the same situation as hers. So she left the house in search of more answers.

When Irene waved to Mrs. Boine, she waved back. She ran up on the porch and began talking to her, only to find out she was dead too. As they talked two little girls came out asking for Grandma to push them. Mrs. Boine told Irene that they couldn’t see her, yet they knew she was there.

Irene came right out and asked Mrs. Boine what she was supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go? Mrs. Boine said she had everything she could want right where she was, so why should she go anywhere.

Irene was in Limbo, but at least now she knew she wasn’t the only ghost. She found that ghosts tended to have an aura about them. She couldn’t help but wonder – Where’s the bright light? – like in the Ghost Whisperer.

She found herself in front of a house and noticed the name Johnson.Why did that sound familiar to her? Then she remembered, the kid, Jonah could see her and his name had been Johnson. But what could a 14-year-old kid tell her? She felt she had to talk to him. She went in the house, even though he wasn’t home, and she hadn’t been invited in. It was obvious from his bedroom he was alive and well. But why could he see her? She knew he could be unseen, invisible to others, too. Why? How?

book of spells

She left a note and hoped he would come find her. When he did, he told her he found a book with spells, about astral projection and transcendental meditation. They talked about what he had discovered from reading books. She kept asking him questions. How would she get to the afterlife? What was ahead for her?

“You’re like a two-year old, you know that,” was his response.

And so began their journey to find the answers that would help Irene move on.

4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

Pretty cover and an appropriate title.

I got some chuckles when…..Well, I can’t tell you. For the subject of death, I really like Terri Bruce’s approach to it and the afterlife and the time in between. How would you react? What would you feel like if life went on without you? Is there life after death? Funny light-hearted look at death. A lot of food for thought in this book.

Irene – was a spoiled rotten brat. Selfish. The 14-year-old kid acted more like an adult than she did. She didn’t put her full effort into her job, even though she liked it. Definitely liked drinking and had no qualms about calling in sick, after partying all night. She felt she had done what she was supposed to do, wasn’t that enough? She had an education, a good job, family, friends and a love life. What else was there?

Jokes

“Why aren’t ghosts good at telling lies?” ” Because you can see right through them.”

“…what kind of mistakes do ghosts make…” “Boo-boos.”

“What kind of street does a host live on?” “A dead-end.”

“Who does a ghost invite to his party?” “Anyone he can dig up.”

Quotes

“Cops Undead: Miami”

“Today is the first day of your afterlife”

“You can’t come in. I didn’t invite you. ”That’s vampires.” “

“Here take my sock, it’s stinky, just like you”

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

The book brought to mind Charmed, Supernatural and Ghost Whisperer, three TV shows that deal with magic, death, ghosts, the supernatural, the paranormal……when Irene and Jonah talked about scrying, finding lost objects, spells…..made me think of all three shows.

Maybe ignorance is bliss. Maybe we are better off not knowing what is to come. What is life about? The infamous, why me? Regrets? Set a wrong right? Unfinished business. Who does the judging? What are the rules?

The ending wraps it up nicely and left me with a warm fuzzy feeling and a smile. All’s well that ends well, went through my mind.

Hereafter on Goodreads | Shelfari | Library Thing

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