Giveaway – Queen Of The Underworld by Felicity Heaton @XpressoTours @felicityheaton

Posted on February 3, 2023 by fundinmental

Queen of the Underworld
Felicity Heaton
(A Guardians of Hades Series Prequel)
Publication date: January 31st 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Hades, the wickedly dark god-king of the Underworld, needs a queen…

And he’s chosen Persephone.

All Persephone has ever desired is control of her own life, and someone noticing her once in a while. Kept in her mother’s shadow, and overlooked by the entirety of Olympus, her dream seems impossible… and now she’s doomed to wed a dull god of her mother’s choosing…

Until she crosses paths with a handsome, dark warrior who rouses wildfire heat in her veins—a male whose immense power is unmistakable, and who matches the fearful tales whispered in Olympus—stories of a cruel, heartless king who rules his realm of death with an iron fist.

When Hades abducts her and imprisons her in the depths of the Underworld, a dormant part of her awakens. And as she slowly discovers the truth about him, Persephone isn’t sure whether the snarling, dark beast of a king is her doom… or her saviour… but she knows one thing…

She will embrace the fire he awakens in her with every heated glance, and every vicious growl.

And use it to tame him and forge her dreams into reality.

Because, Persephone, the quiet, gentle goddess of nature, desires a king.

And nothing will stop her from claiming his black heart.

Queen of the Underworld is a forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance novel retelling the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, and a prequel in my Guardians of Hades series. In the vein of an adult beauty and the beast, it features a grumpy-sunshine pairing that will steal your heart, with a secretly cinnamon roll hero and a secretly fiery heroine, and a powerful forever kind of love. All Guardians of Hades books have no cliffhangers, a guaranteed happily ever after, and some strong language.

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EXCERPT:

Feminine voices curled through the trees, a trio of them speaking while one continued her siren’s song, luring him towards her.

Hades stilled where rock met grass and tried to pinpoint their owners with his senses. One was closer to him than the other three, who were all grouped together at a distance. He edged to his right, his focus on that single female, curiosity rising within him again to have him trying to catch a glimpse of her.

That desire to catch just a glimpse transformed into something else—something powerful and demanding—as her soft voice grew closer, her song growing clearer, and he smelled the faintest hint of lilies.

Heat curled through his veins, that scent rousing a fierce need that thrummed in every inch of his body and had the darkness writhing harder, violently attempting to wrench control from him and make him find the owner of it. He needed to see her. He couldn’t remember the last time he had smelled such a delicate scent. His world was ash and smoke and blood, and death.

Everything about this female seemed to be the opposite of what he knew.

Her song teased his ears as her scent teased his nose, and his breath caught in his throat as he was swept up in her—a female he hadn’t even seen yet. Not just the man in him either. The darker side of him burned with a desire to see her too. He needed to know if her beauty matched her voice and her scent. He loosed a low growl and took another step forwards, remaining just within the shadows of the cave, the powerful need to see her colliding with a wariness of disturbing her.

He inched further to his right and straightened to his full six-eight height, the hard black plates of his armour shifting as he strained to catch a glimpse of her. He felt as if he wasn’t master of his own body as he tried to spot her, but it wasn’t the darkness in control of his actions.

It was the pressing desire to see her.

She was moving closer, but no matter where he moved, the trees blocked his view. His claws itched with the need to attack them until they were nothing more than splinters of wood and his view was clear of the obstruction.

He moved the other way, tracking her with his senses, and discovering something intriguing.

She was strong.

Not mortal.

There were mortals near to her though. The other three females. Were they her servants?

What goddess had come to this place, so far from Olympus or Poseidon’s realm?

Her power caressed his, grazing it lightly in a way that urged him onwards and made him forget about the mortals as it cranked up the desperation to see her.

Because he had never felt anything like her power.

It was light. Warmth. Goodness.

It was everything he wasn’t.

Hades edged closer, a predator stalking his prey, his mind churning with dangerous thoughts that roused the darker side of his blood and brought it to the fore again. Perhaps the Moirai had brought him here after all, seeking to give him something he desired for once, an attempt to appease him. Poseidon had his new queen. Zeus had his. Hades hadn’t even seen this female, but already his blood burned for her. The brush of her power against his and the delicate beauty of her voice were enough to entrance him and rouse his desire to an unbearable degree.

He wanted this female.

The thought of her warming his bed had his blood quickening.

It had been too long since he had taken a female, his duties keeping him too busy to indulge in such things as his brothers did. But he had the feeling it wasn’t his ignored physical needs that had his body aching for this female.

It was something else.

He growled low, baring his fangs, and his breaths came faster still as he moved to his right. He glared at the trees that continued to deny him, blocking his view. There had to be a better vantage point, one that would allow him to see more than tree trunks and the leafy scrub that covered the ground in places.

He froze, his entire body locking up tight.

His breath gusted from him.

A striking scarlet-haired maiden stepped into view.

She was beauty and light wrapped in flawless pale skin and rosy cheeks and pink lips that beckoned him, awakening something fierce in him as her tongue poked out to wet them. His breath lodged in his throat as he gazed at her, his awareness of the world destroyed and something fundamental inside him changing from just the sight of her. She was perfection, and she roused not only the man in him, but the darkness. It growled at him, sharpening his fangs and his nails as it whispered a fierce demand that echoed the desire that thrummed in his blood and beat in his heart.

Take her.

Author Bio:

I’m a NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and International Best-Selling Author writing passionate paranormal romance books and series for adults.

I love to create detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! All of them alpha as you would expect in paranormal romance, and every book with a guaranteed HAPPILY FOREVER AFTER!

Sign up to my newsletter for exclusive sneak previews, freebies, special offers and more! (copy / paste link into your browser):

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Fans of paranormal romance books by authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole and Christine Feehan will love my books too.

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Review: A Dexter-ish & Dark Suspense Thriller – Hades by Candice Fox

Posted on February 6, 2015 by fundinmental

HADES by Candice Fox

A Dexter-ish twist to this debut thriller.

This novel had me on the edge of my seat. Candice Fox had some twists and turns that surprised and amazed me. One, especially. I felt it coming, but didn’t want it to happen. I love when an author can keep me guessing, is she really gonna do that? And the ending? Awesome and I can hardly wait to read the next book!

Is there a book that stands out in YOUR mind where the author kept YOU guessing until the very end?

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

Covers are very important to me and this one spoke volumes. I knew something bad would happen, but the butterfly made me wonder if there was a ray of hope for the girl. What do you think?

I read the blurb and it said Dexter-ish, so that only peaked my interest more. I loved the show and the books and was left wanting more, just like Hades.

The book starts out dark and grim and stays that way. The descriptions and details make me cringe at the Hell I have entered. This is Candice’s debut novel and she knocked it out of the ballpark. So, come with me, into this evil and dangerous world of human monsters. Because, yes, there is more than one human being that doesn’t deserve to draw breath in our world.

Hades – Lord of the Underworld. He creates sculptures from junk, believing things should not be so easily tossed aside, just like Eden and Eric, brother and sister. They exude danger. He did not seek them out, but he will not give them up. They give him hope, where he had none before. How does he end up with “family?” That is a mystery worth finding out for yourself.

Eden – a loner, switchblade in hand, manicured yet ready for battle.

Eric – well, what can I say about Eric. Nothing good.

Frank – a detective, selfish, arrogant. Eden’s new partner, which she isn’t that happy about.

Jason – serial killer and psychopath. He had been abused and was puzzled by feelings, both animal and human. They are beyond his understanding. But, he is so much more than just your run of the mill serial killer.

When I didn’t think think it could get any worse, it did, and in a big way.

What breeds a serial killer? The age old question – Nature or nuture?

We all have our beliefs and boundaries. Desperation will cause people to justify their actions, no matter how grotesque and horrendous.

I watch a lot of crime shows and read a lot of crime books, both fact and fiction, trying to get a glimpse into their minds. How does a serial killer and psychopath think? How can they do the things they do? I have yet to be able to understand. I just can’t see it. I believe they are so damaged and evil, they cannot be redeemed. Do the ones who catch them have to become them?

When Eden and Frank talked to Derek and Eliza, my anger and rage went off the charts. I would have loved to pull out a gun and shoot them on the spot. How in the world can they plead for mercy after what they have done?

And Martina – OMG.

OMG – I knew it was coming, but damn, I didn’t see it coming this way. I kept telling Candice, no, please don’t do it. Hello “Dexter”. I can’t believe it took me this long for it all to come together. The two different, yet connected storylines fooled me. This is such a great approach to the serial killer. I love the twists to a well known storyline.

I was blown away by Candice Fox’s debut novel. She got me on the cliff and made me hang there, wanting to read more, yet afraid to go on. I was pissed, enraged, terrified and heartbroken. The ending – I can’t get over it. Candice had surprise after surprise in store for me and I loved every minute of it.

More to come in Eden, Book II. Check out the book cover below. That is how I felt while reading Hades.

I received Hades by Candice Fox from Net Galley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

SYNOPSIS

A dark, compelling and original thriller that will have you spellbound from its atmospheric opening pages to its shocking climax. Hades is the debut of a stunning new talent in crime fiction.

Hades Archer, the man they call the Lord of the Underworld, surrounds himself with the things others leave behind. Their trash becomes the twisted sculptures that line his junkyard. The bodies they want disposed of become his problem for a fee. Then one night a man arrives on his doorstep, clutching a small bundle that he wants ‘lost’. And Hades makes a decision that will change everything…

Twenty years later, homicide detective Frank Bennett feels like the luckiest man on the force when he meets his new partner, the dark and beautiful Eden Archer. But there’s something strange about Eden and her brother, Eric. Something he can’t quite put his finger on. When the two detectives are called to the scene of an attempted drowning, they find a traumatized victim telling a story that’s hard to believe – until the divers start bringing up bodies.

Frank is now on the hunt for a very different kind of serial killer: one who offers the sick and dying hope at murderous cost. At first, his partner’s sharp instincts come in handy. Soon, he’s wondering if she’s as dangerous as the man they hunt.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Candice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney’s western suburbs composed of half-, adopted and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a prison parole officer and an enthusiastic foster-carer, Candice spent many of her early Christmases travelling to Long Bay Correctional Facility in the family minibus to knock on prison cell windows, run around the razor-wired yard and eat fruitcake prepared by inmates. While her mother and stepfather developed an ever-growing mob of Sydney’s most disadvantaged children throughout her later youth, entertainment had to be cheap. She spent her school holidays exploring free, open spaces – farms, bushland and cemeteries.

As a cynical and trouble-making teenager, her crime and gothic fiction writing was an escape from the calamity of her home life.

Bankstown born and bred, she failed to conform to military life in a brief stint as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy at age eighteen. At twenty, she turned her hand to academia, and taught high school through two undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees. She currently works lecturing writing at the University of Notre Dame while undertaking a PhD in literary censorship and terrorism.

She recently won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction.

Website / Goodreads.

Do you think the butterfly signifies a ray of hope?

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Teaser Tuesday #35 ~ Hades by Candice Fox

Posted on February 3, 2015 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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HADES by Candice Fox

A Dexter-ish twist to this debut thriller.

Is there a book that stands out in YOUR mind where the author kept YOU guessing until the very end?

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY TEASE

“What have you done?” Hades ran a hand through his hair. He gazed at the body. “What have you done?”
(41% on Kindle)

SYNOPSIS

A dark, compelling and original thriller that will have you spellbound from its atmospheric opening pages to its shocking climax. Hades is the debut of a stunning new talent in crime fiction.

Do you think the butterfly signifies a ray of hope?

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

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 stopping by fundinmental!

The Gods Have Spoken – Release Day for The Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons

Posted on February 13, 2014 by fundinmental

THE DEEP END OF THE SEA is a New Adult Fantasy set for release, today, February 13, 2014. You will see the Gods of mythology as you have never seen them before. The Deep End of the Sea is a story of rape, a curse, vengeance, love and sacrifice, one you need to add to your TBR pile!

I wanted so much to share this for my Teaser Tuesday, but because it is a new release, I had to wait until now. I hope you enjoy what I have to share as much as I enjoyed reading the book and writing this review.

A unique and intriguing love story that had me going off the Deep End.

About THE DEEP END OF THE SEA

Cover design: Carl Stevens / Cover Art: Kelsey Patton

What if all the legends you’ve learned were wrong?

Brutally attacked by one god and unfairly cursed by another she faithfully served, Medusa has spent the last two thousand years living out her punishment on an enchanted isle in the Aegean Sea. A far cry from the monster legends depict, she’s spent her time educating herself, gardening, and desperately trying to frighten away adventure seekers who occasionally end up, much to her dismay, as statues when they manage to catch her off guard. As time marches on without her, Medusa wishes for nothing more than to be given a second chance at a life stolen away at far too young an age.

But then comes a day when Hermes, one of the few friends she still has and the only deity she trusts, petitions the rest of the gods and goddesses to reverse the curse. Thus begins a journey toward healing and redemption, of reclaiming a life after tragedy, and of just how powerful friendship and love can be—because sometimes, you have to sink in the deep end of the sea before you can rise back up again.

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My Review of Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons

I am the Gorgon, Medusa. And my eyes can turn anything living to stone.

This is my story.

The Deep End of the Sea cover swept me away and I dove in with eagerness. Heather Lyon’s descriptions of the Gods, doing and acting like ordinary people is graphic, detailed and very realistic. I love mythology and The Deep End of the Sea is a unique and refreshing love story that had my full attention from the first page to the last.

Medusa – Poseidon raped her, Athena cursed her and Hermes loved her. Danger surrounded her. She is a gentle soul before being turned into Medusa and that did not change. She loves modern electronics, her only contact with the outside world. She has been exiled to the island of Gorgon for the past two thousand years.

Mikkos is one of her only friends. He is blind, so she does not worry that he will turn to stone when he looks upon The Girls. He sells her temple relics, so she can purchase real everyday items and donate to worthy causes, trying to make up for the deaths she has caused. After freezing a human, I can visualize her moving the statue, trying to find the perfect spot for him. I can’t walk in her shoes because she is so damn nice.

Medusa talks about The Girls, her head of snakes. It is funny and sweet. Especially, I can picture Mikkos being allowed to feed and pet The Girls.

Hermes is Poseiden’s nephew and Athena’s brother. He does errands for Zeus and his uncle, Hades. He is determined to help Medusa have a life. He would talk to his dad, Olympus, and find out what would need to be done to reverse the curse. He shows the lengths “people” will go to to be with their soul mate. Heather Lyons describes it as imprinting, like werewolves do with their mates.

Medusa describes the girls actions – happy, unhappy, disapproving, excited, wriggling and trying to peak out from under the scarf she wears to hide them. Had me smiling and giggling as I develop the picture in my mind.

Heather’s descriptions are so vivid, I can picture Zues in a T-shirt, torn shorts and flip flops. Imagine sitting at a bar, not knowing a God is sitting beside you. It made me laugh out loud as she made their world blend into ours so realistically.

I love her detailed description of butterflies, but I would like for you to experience it yourself, so I will leave that for you to discover, along with so much more wonder in Medusa’s world.

I loved learning of our world through her eyes. Medusa is very knowledgeable, but after being isolated for two thousand years, she does not know how to fit in. How does she see our world, going from a two dimensional computer image to three dimensional reality? She is a total innocent in interaction with people, the crowds, restaurants, shopping, all the things we take for granted.

Oh no! NO! I didn’t see that coming. My heart breaks along with Medusa’s. I am crushed. What the hell, Heather? How can you do that to her, after all she has been through?

Usually, books about Gods and their mythological world can be confusing and heavy. Heather’s writing and Medusa’s world left me wanting more, a lot more. The characters came alive on the pages. I now see snakes as lively, fun and mischievous creatures. As I walked with Medusa, I began to see our world through her eyes. It is a scary and wonderful place and I would not want to be anywhere else.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

Just a few fingers against his shoulder, but suddenly I’ve just stepped off a cliff and am soaring through the air, into the unknown after drowning in the deep sea for so long.

“Obviously, the reason I’ve yet to marry is because I was a recluse of a a monster living on an enchanted isle. Most may draw the line at scaly women whose hair can bite them during arguments and eyes which turn them into stone. Your turn.”

“You really don’t know, do you?”

I run. I kick. I punch. I listen. I write. I give. I live. Stars above, I love.

Heather Lyons would like to tell you, if you or anyone you know is a victim of sexual assault, you do not need to suffer in silence. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE, visit the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) website or connect with an online counselor to learn more about your options.

I received an arc ecopy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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About Heather Lyons

Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Stalk the Author at the links below:

Website / Author Goodreads / THE DEEP END OF THE SEA Goodreads

Twitter / Facebook

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To get your copy of The Deep End of the Sea or learn more about Heather Lyons, click on the cover below.