OMG! They’re back and more dangerous than ever. Dinosaur Lake III by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Posted on September 7, 2015 by fundinmental

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Welcome to my Tag Team Tag Team Events & Giveaways Page!

This is where myself (Sherry at fundinmental) and Laura at fuonlyknew tag team authors and their books.

We share our reviews and giveaways, giving you two views and two chances to win!

**all covers linked to Amazon, I am an affiliate**

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The Dinosaur Lake series by Kathryn Meyer Griffith is fabulous. Book III, Infestation takes the danger to a whole new level.

If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the cover. How would you like to meet that face to face?

We do have all sizes, color and types. Which one would you like to take home?

Be sure and scroll to the bottom to enter my giveaway and find a way to have a second chance to win.

Add me to Goodreads now.

Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Cover art: Dawne Dominque

MY REVIEW

I just recently watched the Jurassaic Park movies, over and over again, in preparation for the recent release of Jurassic Park III. It made me think of Kathryn Meyer Griffiths series of Dinosaur Lake books and I realized I had not reviewed Book III: Infestation.

So, let’s party with the dinosaurs. Kathryn writes this series in a way that reminds me of Jurassic Park. Even while in terror, there is a sense of enjoyment, humor and fun.

Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore is back. He has been mulling over the past six years, first a monster dinosaur in Crater Lake, then dinosaurs flying over Crater Lake. What comes next? Will it be a water, air or land animal?

Let’s ask boat captain Willie Sander.

Poor Henry. Not again. How many times will he have to go through this? Maybe he needs to approach it in a different way? How will we learn to live WITH them?

Our old friends are back. Ranger Kiley Stanton and Ranger Elle Stanton seemed to have hooked up and are the better for it.

Ann is free of cancer, but she had made up her mind that she would do what made her happy, spending time with her family and Sasha, her new kitten. They were even thinking of retirement.

I’m so excited to find out what we will be playing with in this book, but I hope my favorite characters don’t get bumped off during the adventure. Kathryn is not afraid to kill off her characters.

I knew when he didn’t close the door all the way what would happen. No, No, Sasha. Come back. Will she or won’t she make it? I’m not telling. Even little kitties are on the dino’s snack list.

Justin, Henry’s son in law has been doing investigating of his own. Could this be happening in other locations? Oh man, it just keeps getting better and better.

They’re here. They’re big. They’re hungry…and they aren’t going anywhere. A dino apocalypse.

Nice twist, Kathryn adding Steven, a musician, dinosaur lover and ebook writer.

Denial of the problem could mean you would be served as lunch.

After watching Jurassic Park, it is easy to visualize the herds of dinorsaurs, their attacks, their eating snacks, which included pet squirrels and innocent people.

Kathryn’s writing makes me know that no on is safe. I may lose some friends. The big question is…who?

Dinosaur Lake is Jurassic Park without genetic manipulations, on steroids. Kathryn takes it so much further. The dinosaurs are mutating, they have sharp teeth and claws, are quick on their feet, attack in groups and herds, are vicious and smart, plotting attacks and setting traps the the unsuspecting humans. They are communicating with each other. They hit and pounce, like a cat playing with a mouse.

I have had a feeling from the opening ages that something really bad will happen and I am not going to like it. That is what makes Kathryn’s Dinosaur Lake novels so good. She pulls no punches, yanks the run out from under your feet as soon as you feel you are on solid ground and demands that you pay attention at every turn. Ignore the warnings at your own peril. I am left with a lot of questions and wonder…do I have to draw my own conclusions, or will there be more to come? How about it Kathryn?

I received Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation from Kathryn Meyer Griffith in return for an honest and unbiased review.

5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Chief Park Ranger Henry Shore has dealt with and fought real live dinosaurs at his beloved Crater Lake National Park for over six years. With the help of his rangers, a few brave FBI friends and army soldiers he’d been victorious over a prehistoric lake creature and years later some particularly fiendish, and clever, specimens of the flying variety. He and his newspaper publisher wife, Ann, thought their park was finally rid of the monsters and they could reclaim their tranquil life in a place they cherished. Not so. For suddenly across the park new and even more malevolent mutant species of dinosaur begin to appear and create havoc, attacking the park’s visitors and threatening its peace. And this time the primeval scourge isn’t confined to just their park. The creatures have moved into the nearby towns, across the western United States and up into Canada. They are so much more aggressive, smarter and hungrier than any that have come before and the infestation is spreading further and faster than Henry and Ann can even imagine. This time there’s no easy way to defeat the dinosaurs. There’s too many of them and they’re too devious. This time it’s full out war and the victor will someday claim Earth.

ABOUT KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH

I’ve been writing for over 41 years now…published for 30 of those years since 1984; have EIGHTEEN novels, 2 novellas and 12 short stories to my name…and more coming. Aug. 30, 2012: I (first time ever!) SELF-PUBLISHED MY 16TH NOVEL *DINOSAUR LAKE* TO AMAZON KINDLE DIRECT! January 2013 I SELF-PUBLISHED MY 17TH NOVEL *HUMAN NO LONGER*, my fourth vampire novel. Also in January 2013 I self-published my rereleased murder mystery (originally a 2003 Avalon Books hardcover) SCRAPS OF PAPER-Revised Author’s Edition and FOUR SPOOKY SHORT STORIES, a collection of 4 horror/romantic horror short stories.

I write traditional supernatural horror, SF horror, romantic time-travel, murder mysteries and paranormal romance. I’ve been writing about ghosts, ancient Egyptian spirits, haunted places and evil vampires WAY LONG BEFORE Stephanie Meyer (no relation to me even though my maiden name is Meyer) and the rest of the vampire author crowd, ha, ha. And now ALL 15 of my older Zebra, Leisure paperbacks, Avalon Books murder mysteries and my Wild Rose Press books have been revised, reprinted and rereleased for the first time in many years (and in e-books for the first time ever) from DAMNATION BOOKS www.damnationbooks.com and ETERNAL PRESS www.eternalpress.biz and AMAZON KINDLE DIRECT. Yippie! So look for them.

I’m a wife of almost 35 years (husband, Russell), mother (one son, James) and grandmother (two grandchildren, Caitlyn and Joshua). I was a graphic designer in the corporate world for 23 years; and have published with Dorchester, Kensington, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle Direct, Damnation Books and Eternal Press, and Amazon Publishing. Six years ago I crossed over into e-books as well as paperbacks and now ALL my old/new books are in ebooks…and soon to be in AUDIO BOOKS from ACX. I love cats and nature, classic rock and country music (my brother, JS Meyer www.jsmeyermusic.com, is a singer/songwriter and does the songs for all my self-made book trailers that are on my websites). VISIT me at www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffith or www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG or www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith to see all my book covers and trailers.

My published books: (ALL OF THESE OUT AGAIN…PLEASE LOOK FOR THEM!) Human No Longer (2013),Dinosaur Lake (SF horror), Scraps of paper-Revised Author’s Edition, Evil Stalks the Night (supernatural horror), Leisure 1984; The Heart of the Rose (historical romance) Leisure 1985; Blood Forge (supernatural horror), Leisure 1989; Vampire Blood (romantic supernatural horror), Zebra 1991; The Last Vampire (supernatural horror), Zebra 1992; Witches (romantic horror), Zebra 1993 & Pinnacle 2000; a novella called The Nameless One in Dark Seductions, an erotic horror anthology, Kensington, 1993; The Calling (supernatural horror), Zebra 1994. The Nameless One, a short erotic novella in the 1994 Zebra Anthology Dark Seductions. And Scraps of Paper (hardcover mystery) Avalon Books, 2003; All Things Slip Away, the second mystery in the series came out also from Avalon Books in February 2006 and now both are out again from Amazon and both in ebooks for the first time ever. And my three novels and two short stories from The Wild Rose Press are out again from ETERNAL PRESS: Egyptian Heart(ancient Egyptian time travel romance); Winter’s Journey(a romantic suspense novel); The Ice Bridge, (a contemporary romance e-novel with a dose of murder mystery) and two ghostly short stories, Don’t Look Back, Agnes and In This House. BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons, an apocalyptic saga from Damnation Books, June 2010. THE WOMAN IN CRIMSON, a vampire eternal love story, is out now from ETERNAL PRESS http://www.eternalpress.biz. The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Fiction: Volume 1 (I did the Introduction) 2011 and Telling Tales of Horror 2012(I did the chapter on Putting the Occult into your Fiction)***

Goodreads / Authors Den / Website

Dinosaur Lake I is an 2014 Epics Award Finalist in the Suspense/Thriller category. Check out

My review: Creature Dines on Crater Lake Smorgasboard

My review: They’re Here – Dinosaur Lake II by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

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GIVEAWAY

Kathryn Meyer Griffith is offering for the giveaway three (3) ebooks of Dinosaur Lake III. International. Entry is easy peasy. Just leave a comment along with your email address.

Answer Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s question…What do you do when they are smarter than you?

For a second chance to win and another review, visit fuonlyknew.

Giveaway ends 9/21/15.

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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.

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Friday 56 #52 & BB #28 – The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

Posted on August 28, 2015 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 is 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..

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I have tried to come up with a way to make things simpler for myself when it comes to choosing my next novel to share. This is what I have come up with.

I am starting with the first author on *this* bookshelf and…

now I am moving on to The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

2015-07-23 03.12.21

I have read a lot of his work and love this horror author.

The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY FRIDAY 56

Marty nodded, and downed his whiskey; it ran down his gullet like quicksilver.

“Tomorrow…”

(page 56 of hardcover, 1st American edition, published in 1987)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

The air was electric the day the thief crossed the city, certain that tonight, after so many weeks of frustration, he would finally locate the card-player. It was not an easy journey. Eighty-five percent of Warsaw had been leveled, either by the months of mortar bombardment that had preceded the Russian liberation of the city, or by the program of demolition the Nazis had undertaken before their retreat. Several sectors were virtually impassable by vehicle. Mountains of rubble-still nurturing the dead like bulbs ready to sprout as the spring weather warmed-clogged the streets. Even in the more accessible districts the once elegant facades swooned dangerously, their foundations growling.

SYNOPSIS

Marty Strauss, a gambling addict recently released from prison, is hired to be the personal bodyguard of Joseph Whitehead, one of the wealthiest men in the world. The job proves more complicated and dangerous than he thought, however, as Marty soon gets caught up in a series of supernatural events involving Whitehead, his daughter (who is a heroin addict), and a devilish man named Mamoulian, with whom Whitehead made a Faustian bargain many years earlier, during World War II.

As time passes, Mamoulian haunts Whitehead using his supernatural powers (such as the ability to raise the dead), urging him to complete his pact with him. Eventually Whitehead decides to escape his fate after a few encounters with Mamoulian and having his wife, former bodyguard, and now his daughter Carys taken away from him. With hope still left to save Carys, Marty Strauss, although reluctant to get involved in the old man Whiteheads deserved punishment, decides to get involved and attempt to save the innocent gifted addict from being another victim to the damnation game

I love covers!

This is the Kindle version.

Which do you like best, this one or the hardcover at the beginning of the post?

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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’.

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Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Author Spotlight – Anna Albergucci

Posted on August 22, 2015 by fundinmental

Anna Albergucci

Anna Albergucci has always had a vivid imagination. When she was a child, she entertained her mother and anyone who would listen with the telling of her intricate dreams. Now she puts that inspiration to paper, weaving her stories into deeply passionate characters that live lives the rest of us only dream about.

Married to her high school sweetheart, Anna lives in Texas surrounded by her ever-growing family and her fur babies. She serves as president of Cisco Writers Club, and is the founder of a yearly writers’ retreat she hosts at her estate each fall.

She loves mornings, coffee, and sitting on the porch appreciating her life. She’s a sucker for hosting parties, especially historical costume parties. And in her spare time you can find her touring old mansions, shopping for antiques, or curled up reading a romance, paranormal, or thriller, whether historical or contemporary.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Knowing when to pull away from my computer and live life. I am very driven, and I don’t know when to stop.

When you write, do you see yourself in the characters?

Absolutely. I accept that all of my characters—bad included—are in some way like me, even if it’s just a minute personality trait, but the ones I relate to most are the males. Yes, I know, that sounds weird, but it’s true. I’ve decided it’s because in general I make them suffer more than the females. To do that to a character, you dig deep to write the scene. I will say, that it was the character of Jinny in To Each His Own that did the greater amount of suffering. I put that poor girl through hell. She better be glad it was a novella. Had it been a full novel, she was looking at really bad times. :-\

Of all the characters you’ve written, which are your favorites?

Oh, wow, that’s like choosing a favorite child. I love different things about different characters. In To Each His Own, I love Douglass’s gratitude and his desire to please Jinny, and I love Jinny’s concern for others and her broadmindedness toward Douglass. In The Phoenix Decree, my time travel series, I love the protectiveness Devon and Elz feel for each other. Jarrett’s cockiness and Jaymi’s humor. Kyle’s intelligence and Pris’s innocence, etc…

Which famous person would you like to meet and why? – Famous person?

Well, that would be Jason Momoa. Not only is he the most beautiful man on the planet and total eye candy, he is hilarious! He seems the most genuine person—a man without ulterior motives. I like people like that—people you can trust.

What is your favorite quote?

Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia. ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Name ten things one can expect when reading one of your books?

Romance.
To be swept up into the scene and atmosphere around the characters.
At least one character to be filthy rich, so the doors are opened to that world.
To like the characters.
To discover the heart or mind of the characters.
They can expect characters that are deeply passionate about something, whether it is love, hate, loyalty, revenge, etc…
To be drawn to the villain at some point, as all my villains are charming.
They can expect the villain to be attractive—I don’t write ugly evil characters. In the real world many evil people are charming and physically beautiful, which is part of what makes them alluring and dangerous. In my books the bad guys are usually near and dear, and so who wants to hang out with a hideous ogre who smells like an outhouse, huh?
They can expect to feel strong emotion—to be surprised, shocked, aroused, and maybe even a little grossed out at times, especially in To Each His Own, as I always stay true to my characters. That book is not for the faint of heart.
They can expect a great story, filled with love, hate, jealousy, forgiveness, revenge, passion, fight scenes, love scenes, tender scenes—all the good stuff.

To Each His Own

by Anna Albergucci

Series: Falling In Deep CollectionGenre: Paranormal Romance with Horror Undertones

Release Date: September 1, 2015Buy links available soon!

The Phoenix Decree Saga

If you were given the opportunity to slip through time, would you? If so here’s your chance. This time travel series will allow you to break away from life as you know it. Join the characters and get to know each one first hand as you live every moment with them.

Book 1: The Phoenix Decree

Book 2: Phoenix Unbound

Book 3: Phoenix Under Fire

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review & Free Book ~ Demon Energy by Anthony Renfro

Posted on July 2, 2015 by fundinmental

Today is the last day to get this free, so pick up your copy HERE.

Anthony Renfro writes short horror stories that will have you looking over your shoulder and under your bed, twitching at every noise.

MY REVIEW

Got 5 or 10 minutes?

Do you like horror/religious stories?

Check out Demon Energy by Anthony Renfro.

Anthony’s inspiration for Demon Energy was Matthew 8:28 – 32 (HCBS).

A man is possessed by a thousand demons and all he could do is lay in bed as the demons had their way with him.

Three priests have come to save him.

As the priests fought to exorcize the demons, the demons negotiated a deal.

The pigs…

What an ending! I never saw it coming and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

This story is worth reading for the ending alone!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

1 Man – A 1000 Demons Possession. Redemption. Salvation. This short story is about one man tormented by evil, and his journey into the light.

Exp:

A man lay on a bed.

His dreams were vivid and strong–evil things done by evil beings haunted those dreams.

His soul felt lost, departed.

He wasn’t himself.

How long had he been this way?

How long had he suffered in this torment of a hellish nightmare?

He wasn’t sure.

A distant knock on the door.

No, it wasn’t a knock. It was pounding. It was the sound of breaking. The door shattered inward. He managed to turn his sweaty head, brown hair matted to his skin, face covered in a thick sweat, body covered in cuts and bruises–all self-inflicted by his fingernails and his own fists.

He felt his soul losing again. The demons were crawling around inside of him, pushing his soul back to the shadows. He had no choice but to watch. He was a passenger inside his own body.

The demons raised him into the air, levitated him for all to see. Then his small skinny frame started to spin like a pig in a roast. Spinning violently around and around and around and around, and then he stopped. He was now sideways, and looking at the crowd who had come to take him away. He hung there like a limp rag doll. His blue eyes were not his eyes. Those two orbs now belonged to the thousand demons who tormented him.

Amazon US / Amazon UK

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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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Teaser Tuesday #44 – Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L Reid

Posted on June 30, 2015 by fundinmental

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of adailyrhythm.

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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Pretty Dark Nothing, Book I, by Heather L Reid is a horror novel that’s a bit different from the norm. Sure there are demons and a battle between good and evil, but we also have a psychic and an amnesiac (why an amnesiac is a story in itself). I am really on Book II, Pretty Dark Sacrifice of the Pretty Dark series. It is available for pre order, so if you like Pretty Dark Nothing, you won’t have long to wait.

Add Me to Goodreads now.

TEASE ONE

It only took a second for the veil between reality and nightmare to rip.

TEASE TWO

Dragging Quinn through the splintered void, the fog suspended her in its web across the black abyss of the tunnel below, until, one by one, the tendrils unraveled and dissipated into the walls, leaving gravity to pull her into a long, terrifying free fall.(1% on Kindle)

SYNOPSIS

It’s been twenty three days since Quinn has slept for more than minutes at a time. Demons have invaded her dreams, stalking her, and whispering of her death. The lack of sleep and crippling fear are ruining her life. Energy drinks and caffeine pills don’t make a dent. When Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. The demons are determined to keep them apart, and Aaron from discovering the secret locked away in his memory. Together, they could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.

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I am a “cover girl”. What do you think of the cover for Pretty Dark Sacrifice by Heather L Reid by Mette Breth Designs?

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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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Friday 56 #46 & BB #22 – Northwoods Wolfman by Scott Burtness

Posted on June 26, 2015 by fundinmental

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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I told Scott Burtness that I would share Northwoods Wolfman with my readers, but I thought I would kill two birds with one stone. Do you like a little humor with your horror? Check out the guest post from Scott and let us know what you think.

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Northwoods Wolfman by Scott Burtness

Monsters in the Midwest – Book Two

Check out this cool cover.
MY 56

“That can’t be but a mile, maybe two into the woods, but there ain’t nothing out there. I think maybe an old, abandoned cabin. Otherwise, just empty woods. Why draw me a map to go there?”

(Page 56 on Kindle).“It has feasted on my blood. It might help someone. Or not. Just like the rest of your ‘potent panacea.'”

(56% on Kindle)

BOOK BEGINNINGS

IT HAD TO START SOMEWHERE…

The egg hatched, releasing the young Dermacentor vaiabilis larva upon an unsuspecting world. Wriggling away from the nest into the surrounding grass, it had no thoughts, no plans, no aspirations. Those were the burdens of more evolved creatures. Only one desire occupied the tiny ganglion of nerves that served as the wood tick brain. It was tie to feed.

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GUEST POST

I am so happy to have Scott Burtness here to share his new book. Take it away Scott.

Title: Northwoods Wolfman

Series: Monsters in the Midwest, Book 2

Author: Scott Burtness

Publication date: June 24^th, 2015

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Comedy

Buy on Amazon

Author Links: Amazon / Twitter / Goodreads / Facebook

Author Bio

033 Scott lives in the Midwest with his wife and their boxer-pitt mix, Frank. He’s a horror, urban fantasy, and dark comedy fan, and also enjoys beer, bowling, karaoke, and rooting for the underdog. After not nearly enough consideration, he decided to write about the things he enjoys. The result was the Monsters in the Midwest series.

Description of the Book

When Dallas is recruited by an ancient order of monster hunters, he’s more than happy to sign up. The self-proclaimed Hero of Trappersville did kill a bloodthirsty vampire, after all. As far as Dallas is concerned, monsters are monsters, and they have no place in Wisconsin.

Or do they? And does Dallas really get to choose which side he’s on?

Excerpt

“You’re needed.”

The nasally voice cut through the whiskey fog, rousing Dallas from his stupor. Before he could put meaning to the words, turn his head and identify the speaker, the person was gone.

“Haven’t seen him b-before,” Stanley commented.

“Stanwee?” Dallas slurred. “Whend’choo get here?” Stanley had hung around with Dallas and Herb for years. Wiry, fidgety, and a terrible bowler, he had rounded out their backwoods version of the Three Musketeers, or more like Two Musketeers and That Stuttering Guy Who Claimed He Was Abducted by Aliens. Since Herb’s death, he’d been Dallas’s near-constant drinking companion.

“J-just now,” Stanley replied. “Saw you talking to that guy,” he said, pointing toward the door.

Dallas’s bleary gaze followed Stanley’s finger, and he locked eyes with a stranger across the bar. The two considered each other for a moment before the man nodded and walked outside.

With a shrug and a short belch, Dallas returned his attention to Stanley. His friend was scrutinizing a business card, a perplexed look layered on top of the usually perplexed look he wore as a matter of course, making him look especially… Dallas groped for the right word… perplexed.

“Crap on a cracker, Stanley. You looking for the cure for cancer on that thing? Give’er here and let me help you with the big words.” Swiping the card, he read out loud.

“Find us. You’re needed.”

Dallas borrowed Stanley’s perplexed look and tried it on for a moment. He’d heard that before. Recent like. A nasally voice. For some reason, the face of the man he’d just been trading looks with popped back into his mind. The voice he recalled seemed like it would fit the man’s face. Gaunt, squinty eyes, straight brown hair slicked back from a dark widow’s peak, scraggly hairs making a go at becoming a goatee. Yeah, it could’ve been that guy, but why was he talking to Dallas? What did they talk about? Why leave the card? A closer look popped the tab on a deeper mystery. Why leave a card telling him to find someone but not leave an address or a number? It was a mystery, pure and simple, and there were few things Dallas hated more than mysteries.

“Guy must have a busted furnace,” Dallas reasoned out loud, causing Stanley’s head to bob in assent. “Jackass didn’t leave a number though. How the hell am I supposed to help if he didn’t leave me a number?”

“Something’s on the b-back,” Stanley offered, a touch of drama coloring his tone. Unlike Dallas, Stanley liked mysteries. He had every season of Murder, She Wrote, Columbo, and Veronica Mars, and took great pleasure in rewatching them and solving the crimes before Angela Lansbury, Peter Falk, or Kristen Bell.

Dallas turned the card over, and sure enough, there was more.

TURN 2 2 AT 2 2 2

Dallas read the line once, then twice, trying to make it make sense. Sometimes, the right amount of alcohol allowed for just the kind of out-of-the-box thinking a riddle like this might need to solve. Sadly, this wasn’t one of those times. This time, the amount of alcohol Dallas had imbibed didn’t help him to think around corners, so to speak. It just helped him get more upset in less time. A win from an efficiency standpoint perhaps, but otherwise a complete loss.

“The hell does that mean? Well, I guess the jackass will just have to freeze.” With a grumbled curse, Dallas crumpled the card and dropped it on the bar. Slapping Stanley on the back, he stumbled toward the door and into the gathering night, the strange man and even stranger card already forgotten.

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I love covers! What do you think of Scott Burtness’ covers?

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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’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

M9B Two for Thursday Book Blitz – Horror Business by Ryan Craig Bradford and Fingers in the Mist by O’Dell Hutchison with Giveaway #T4T

Posted on June 25, 2015 by fundinmental

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Horror Business by Ryan Craig Bradford and
Fingers in the Mist by O’Dell Hutchison

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Horror-Business-Cover

Armed with a passion for classic B-grade horror movies, a script co-written by his twin brother, and a wicked crush on his death-obsessed neighbor; hardcore horror fan Jason Nightshade must finish his student film.

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But his plans are derailed when the children of suburban Silver Creek start disappearing – his twin brother among them. Battling a possessed video camera, a crazy zombie dog, a monstrous bully, and a frighteningly broken down family life, Jason embarks on a mission to find his lost brother so the two can write an ending for his story.

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As any horror fan knows, saving the day won’t be easy, as Jason finds himself forced to face the real world where death isn’t just a splash of fake blood on a camera lens.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“Horror Business is, more than anything, an old-school horror story, digging deep into King’s meticulous nostalgia, processed through the postmodernism ofScream, filtered at turns through the nerdiness of Dawson’s Creek and Super 8, and then drenched in the blackness of a teenage boy’s brain.” – Keith McLeary, Author

“What the author really captures here is not just a skin-crawling tale of monsters. He shows us where the real horror lies, in the awkward development of children into teens, the fearful uncertainty.” – Matt E. Lewis, The Radvocate

“Horror Business combines intelligence and entertainment into a particularly creepy read.” – Jennifer Bardsley, Author

about-the-author

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Ryan grew up in Park City, Utah. His fiction has appeared in Quarterly West, Paper Darts, Vice, Monkeybicycle and [PANK]. He currently lives in San Diego where he acts as Creative Director for the nonprofit literary arts organization So Say We All. He’s the co-editor of the anthology Last Night on Earth and founder of the literary horror journal, Black Candies.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | YouTube

Fingers-in-the-Mist-Cover

Sixteen-year-old Caitlyn Foster never believed in the legend of the Redeemers. That was before the trees started to whisper her name. Before a murder of crows attacked the town. Before she and her family came home to find a bloody handprint on their front door, marking one of them as a sacrifice. As Caitlyn’s friends are ripped from their homes, she knows it’s only a matter of time before the Redeemers come for her. Caitlyn has the power to stop the terror, but she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to sacrifice herself to save those she loves.

WHAT READER’S ARE SAYING:

“Hutchison does a fine job crafting a creepy tale that will leave many readers sleeping with a light on, or at least reading with an extra one on.” – Jenn, Book Reviews and Giveaways

“Fingers in the Mist created an eerie atmosphere that pervaded the entire story. The town, the legend, the characters– everything was downright creepy.” – Kimber Leigh Wheaton, Author

“I LOVED every single second of this book, and cannot wait to see what he comes up with next!” – Jaime, The Best Books Ever

about-the-author

ODell-Hutchison-HS-1-300x244

O’Dell was born in a small rural town in Idaho. There were no Redeemers living there (that he knows of). After attending college in the Pacific Northwest, he found his way to the Houston area. By day, he is a Business Systems Analyst and at night you can either find him sitting at home, dreaming of random super powers he wishes he had, or directing plays and musicals at various theaters around Houston.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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.

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Run and Run Fast – Review – The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon

Posted on June 23, 2015 by fundinmental

The title for The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon caught my eye, but it was the cover that finished me off. I love horror and this looked like a good one.

Check out this awesomely creepy cover for yourself. Simple, but it says so much.

Add me to Goodreads now.

The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon

Publisher: Damnation Books, LLC (May 1, 2015)

Cover Art: Dawne Dominique

MY REVIEW

The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon is a fantastically good debut horror novel loaded with action from the getgo.

Karoline Hale lives in the small town of Bradley Downs. The legend of mysterious deaths and the burning of the town were rationalized by its citizens, because no way could they conceive the truth. She had pale skin and her lipstick was a red slash across her face. She loves horror movies, but she doesn’t want to be in one.

Mitch is her best friend, but he would like to be more. The question is, does she? Sometimes the one you love is right in front of you, but you don’t see it.

She is on the run…from IT. Is that IT in the shadows? Is that IT making that noise? Is that ITs crunching footsteps behind her? Is that IT exhaling ITs hot breathe on her neck?

Stephanie O’Hanlon uses all the horror trickes, including my, er…favorite, the monster under the bed, reaching out to grab my foot…I mean YOUR foot. 🙂

The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept waiting, waiting, knowing it was coming, just didn’t know when. Uh oh, she’s way too happy and it’s Halloween.

My biggest problem was buying the fact that the townspeople blew off the danger to everyone after numerous gruesome deaths. But, as I thought about real life, don’t we refuse to see the unexplainable? Besides, it is fiction and sometimes we need to let some things slide to make the story better. I let it play through my mind like a movie.

A lot of the story is predictable, but beware, every once in a while Stephanie will throw a surprise at you. The suspense of the threat of attack was felt throughout The Beast of Bradley Downs. I had a feeling that something I didn’t want to happen would, and darn it Stephanie, you did it! I feel that made the book even better, though I didn’t like it. LOL I had a feeling I knew the ending…yeah, right. Stephanie did it again. The ending knocked me for a loop and it was most definitely not what I thought it would be. I love that. How often does that happen to you? I will be looking for more of her work.

I received The Beast of Bradley Downs from Stephanie O’Hanlon in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Can Beauty outrun the Beast?

Karoline Hale is on the run. After witnessing her boyfriend get killed she abandons everything she once knew for a new life consisting of bus tickets and hotel rooms, a duffel bag full of old clothes, and a shotgun.

She isn’t running from any ordinary killer. She is running from the Beast of Bradley Downs—a creature that kills without judgment and is hunting Karoline. She can only run for so long before she needs to gather her strength and face the Beast that howls under the wind, prowls the night, and cannot be killed by modern means.

ABOUT STEPHANIE O’HANLON

Stephanie O’Hanlon graduated from the Toronto Film School in 2008 with aspirations of starting a career in film, but found herself drawn to writing.

Combining her love for writing and history, her preferred genre is historical romance, as seen in her EP title Affaire de Coeur, though she has also enjoyed the paranormal romance genre, as seen with her EP re-release Out of my Grave. Check out her New Adult horror title The Beast of Bradley Downs, now available from Damnation Books!

Now a full time writer, she lives in Ontario, Canada with her dogs, Judas & Dante, and beloved cats, Nevermore & Willow.

Keep an eye out for the first installment in her The Raven Series, A Swan Song for the Raven, to be released by Eternal Press.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Cover links to Amazon (I am an affiliate)

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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.

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

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New Cover for A Haunted House Tale by Anthony Renfro

Posted on June 19, 2015 by fundinmental

Anthony Renfro has a new cover for his horror short, A Haunted House Tale.

I love the vibrant colors and the evil face buried inside the cover.

Look deeply and tell Anthony and I what you see!

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

I love a good horror story, not so much the Jason/slasher type, but A Haunted House Tale is a horror story that speaks to me.

Five kids are looking for a place to party for Halloween. Anthony Renfro’s goal is to give them a party they will never forget.

Picture the house: the “lawn” overgrown with weeds, neglected, a broken and uneven concrete driveway, the large porch, rotting and falling down. Of course, it has a reputation.

I can imagine what it smells like, as bad as the bottom of Perdido Bay when the tide goes out.

The horror had me squirming in my seat, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. I have a pretty morbid sense of humor at times.

The ending was a shocking surprise and so original I would have read it for that alone. It’s pretty hard to surprise me and it requires an imaginative mind that takes me where I haven’t been before.

There is also a bonus short story – The Man From The Road. It packs a super punch into in a very small package. So, beware.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

This short story is about five students on Halloween night who discover the secrets and terrors of the town’s most infamous haunted house. Will they live to see the morning?

ABOUT ANTHONY RENFRO

Anthony Renfro lives in Apex, North Carolina. He is a reader, writer, runner, husband, father, and stay at home dad – one of the toughest jobs anyone could ever do. He was born in Bristol, Tennessee, and is a graduate of UNC-Greensboro.

You can find him at many spots on the web, but if you really need to find his center in the social media storm it would be at his blog, apoetryjourney.wordpress.com.

Now reach out, just beyond the light, right into that big black space, and let him take your hand on a journey into cold dark places. You will be scared, and you may even be terrified, but in the end you might just find you liked the ride.

Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

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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.

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

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Was my review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

Polar Day by Julie Flanders ~ Giveaway, Interview & Excerpt

Posted on February 20, 2015 by fundinmental

VBT_TourBanner_PolarDay

I am excited to be sharing Polar Day by Julie Flanders today.

I love learning about characters and Danny has graced us with his presence.

Take it away, Danny.

Hello and thank you for hosting me today! I appreciate the opportunity to be featured on your blog. I always enjoy character interviews so I am sharing an interview with my Polar Day protagonist, Danny Fitzpatrick. I previously shared an interview with the antagonist Jamie Dzubenko over at UnabridgedAndra, so I thought I would ask Danny the same questions I asked Jamie.

Character Interview with Danny Fitzpatrick

What can you tell us about your family?

I don’t really have a family anymore. I was an only child who was raised by my mother, but she is dead. I used to be married, but my wife Caroline was murdered a few years ago in Chicago, my hometown. Those two were my family and they’re both gone. I do have a dog now though, a mutt named Sox. I guess he’s my family.

What about friends? Do you have a surrogate family?

I don’t know that I’d call her a surrogate family member but I am friends with my partner Tessa Washington. She’s a loner like me so we get along well together. I’m also friends with a librarian I met while working the Aleksei Nechayev case over the winter. Her name is Amanda. I guess you could say Amanda and I are friends with benefits.

What do you do for a living?

I’m a homicide detective for the Fairbanks police department.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A cop

What are you passionate about?

Stopping murderers and other monsters

What do you hate?

Murderers and monsters. Namely, I hate Aleksei Nechayev and I hate the man who was my partner when I was a detective in Chicago. He’s the man who murdered my wife.

If you had to choose one word to describe yourself what would it be?

Bitter

If time travel was possible, would you go to the past or to the future?

To the past, but not too far back. I’d just go back to when Caroline was still alive. I’d make sure she wasn’t home the night my former partner came to our apartment and slit her throat.

Do you have a favorite book?

Not really. I’m not much of a reader.

How about music. What songs do you enjoy?

Darkness on the Edge of Town by Bruce Springsteen, Love Stinks by the J. Geils Band, Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, I Am a Rock by Simon & Garfunkel, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Guns & Roses

Add me to Goodreads now.

Polar Day

by Julie Flanders

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BLURB

The midnight sun bakes Fairbanks, Alaska as residents gather for the annual summer solstice baseball game. Amidst the revelry and raucous shouts of “Play ball,” a spark alights and a jogger bursts into flames. Detective Danny Fitzpatrick, still reeling from his near death at the hands of vampire Aleksei Nechayev, watches in horror as the man burns alive.

Someone is burning Fairbanks and its residents and leaving nothing but smoldering embers behind. As the city sweats under a record-breaking heatwave and unexplained fires claim more victims, Danny and his colleagues struggle to find an arsonist who can conjure fire out of thin air.

To Danny’s horror, the only one who may be able to help him stop the arsonist is his nemesis Nechayev. Will the vampire help in the hunt for a witch?

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EXCERPT

Danny flipped through the channels, stopping when he came to a Seattle Mariners game that had gone in to extra innings. They were playing the White Sox in Chicago and Danny felt a slight tug at his heartstrings as the familiar sight of Cellular Field filled the flat screen television. The time difference made it difficult for him to catch Sox games live. It was a welcome surprise to find one that was lasting so long into the Chicago night that he could watch it live as it happened.

It was dark in Chicago, but of course the sun was still high in the sky here in this strange frontier he had chosen as his new home. He squinted from the sun beaming through the window and cursed himself for not shutting the blinds before he sat back down. Next time he got up for a beer he would need to do that.

Danny rested his hand on his dog’s head as he finished one beer and started another, the bottles now lining up on the end table beside him. His eyes grew bleary as Sox’s gentle snoring mingled with the sounds of the faraway baseball game. When yet another inning ended and the game went to a commercial, Danny closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the couch.

The noise of the television grew fainter as he slipped into sleep and his mind flashed images of fangs and bloodless bodies in an endless landscape of snow. As Danny drifted farther into unconsciousness, the snow was overtaken by fire.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AuthorPhoto_PolarDay Julie Flanders is a librarian by day and a writer all the rest of the time. She is also a television show addict with a particular fondness for Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and a slightly obsessive sports fan who cheers for the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cincinnati Reds. Julie is an animal lover and animal rescue advocate who shares her home with her rescued dog and cat. She has written about the joys of pets for outlets such as Cat Fancy, Thrive in Life, and Best Friends Animal Society. Visit Julie at julieflanders.net.