Giveaway & Review – Dead Man’s Curve by Alex Van Tol @AlexVanTol @YABoundToursPR

Posted on October 21, 2016 by fundinmental

Need a good scare? Dead Man’s Curve by Alex Van Tol will supply it.

So…hop on in and let’s take a ride.

Dead Man’s Curve
by Alex Van Tol
Genre: YA Horror (novella)
Release Date: October 17th 2016
Leap Books’ Shine

MY REVIEW

The title for Dead Man’s Curve by Alex Van Tol made me curious, so here I am, telling you about this horrifying novella. Like a true horror story, I knew it would not end well.

The kids were taking a shortcut home after the Halloween party. Hmmm, think something wicked this way comes.

After hitting someone or something and hearing a cry, they search the woods. Oh no, we all know not to go there!!

Blaire Witch meet Stephen King. I was already leery of clowns and this only reinforced it.

Wait..is that the house settling, or…

Alex Van Tol grabbed me, twisted me, not letting me go until I found all the answers.

Dead Man’s Curve was not what I thought it would be and the ending only confirmed Alex Van Tol’s ability to take a rollercoaster of a ride horror story to frightening level. And, no, I did not figure it out until the very end. He totally surprised and the ending left me flabbergasted. Great job, Alex!

I received a copy of Dead Man’s Curve from Alex Van Tol.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

The road to Hell passes through Dead Man’s Curve.

It’s been two years since Booker broke up with Rachel, and he wants to get her back. Only problem is, he doesn’t realize it until he and his four friends are hip-deep in a deadly nightmare. They’ve run over a wispy figure on the highway on Halloween night and now something is preying on them, one by one, going after their deepest fears.

Lost and scared in the New England wilderness, the group realizes they’re trapped in their own twisted version of The Blair Witch Project. They’re powerless against dark forces. When Rachel’s life is threatened, Booker realizes it’s up to him to figure out a way to stop the unholy madness.

If he’s man enough to face it head on.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

PLAYLIST

For Dead Man’s Curve

Yonderboi Trains in the Night

Jon Swift All that I Have is Nothing

Arcade Fire Sprawl (Flatland)

Emilana Torrini Gun

Jon and Roy Five in the Morning

Ill Dependents Innacitytears

Travis The Fear

Imagine Dragons Demons

Gem Club Braid

Arcade Fire Windowsill

Johnny Cash Folsom Prison Blues

Bon Iver Holocene

Daft Punk Alive

Depeche Mode Suffer Well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsKyxkfj8ak

Pink Floyd On the Run

Gorillaz Clint Eastwood

The Band Atlantic City

Jay-Z & Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind

Kid Loco A Grand Love Theme

Nina Simone Baltimore

Andrew Bird When that Helicopter Comes

Led Zeppelin When the Levee Breaks

Moby My Weakness

Amy Winehouse Back to Black https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJAfLE39ZZ8

Rae Spoon I Will be a Wall

Kanye West Runaway

ABOUT ALEX VAN TOL

A born writer, Alex Van Tol cut her teeth on Stephen King novels so terrifying she had to turn them face-down on the floor in order to sleep at night. Alex writes across a broad range of genres for youth and adults, including contemporary, paranormal, historical and, of course, horror and thrillers. She lives between the mists and moody skies of Vancouver Island.

Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY

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Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours

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Giveaway – The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak @MelanieKarsak @XpressoReads

Posted on October 19, 2016 by fundinmental

The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak is one of those series that I meant to read in its entirety because I loved the first book so much, but I am terrible at following up and never got to it.

If you would like to read my thoughts, here is my REVIEW.

The Harvesting
Melanie Karsak
(The Harvesting, #1)
Publication date: January 8th 2014
Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Zombies

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up undead.

Layla Petrovich has spent her whole life running away from her hometown of Hamletville. Raised by the town’s medium, and dubbed the “weird” girl for her fascination with swords, the last thing Layla wants is to go home.

But when she receives a desperate call to return just as a mysterious outbreak sweeps the country, Layla’s instincts urge her to go. Good thing, because the dead are rising.Layla, however, isn’t entirely on her own. With her psychic powers growing, surely everything will turn out okay, right?

Not so fast. Just when Layla believes she might survive the apocalypse, a sinister and ancient force rises from the shadows to finish mankind for good.Because the truth is, we were never alone in this world.

Begin The Harvesting Series with The Harvesting, Book 1.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“If you ever need to slice someone’s head off, this is the blade you want,” I said as I lifted a curved sword off the table in front of me. “We’ve been practicing épée and foil so far, but tonight I want to introduce you to the sabre.” The practice sabre’s curved blade reflected the orange streetlight shining in through the window. A grant from the Smithsonian where I worked allowed me to teach my two passions: ancient weapons and their arts. “The sabre is a slashing weapon,” I continued and then lunged, showing the wide-eyed and excited students a few moves. “And in general, it’s my favorite,” I admitted with a grin.

The students laughed.

“Is that why you have it tattooed on your arm?” Tyler, one of my best fencers, asked.

My hand went unconsciously toward the tattoo. The ink was a sword interlaced with other once-meaningful symbols. “That’s not just any sabre,” I said, mildly embarrassed. “Here, let me show you. I brought something special tonight.” Setting the training sabre down, I lifted a rolled bundle. I laid it down on the table and unrolled it to reveal weapons in various elaborate scabbards.

“Some are épée, foils—you can tell by the hilt—a broadsword, a claymore, a katana, a scimitar, throwing daggers,” I said, pointing, “but this, this is a Russian shashka.” I pulled the shashka from the bundle. “It’s like a traditional sabre, but has no guard. She’s light, single-edged, wielded with one hand, and good for stabbing or slashing. Not awkward in close quarters like a Scottish claymore, but it will kill you just as dead,” I said with a smile. I unsheathed the weapon and gave it an under-and over-hand spin around my head, shoulders, and back.

The students grinned from ear to ear.

I put it back in its scabbard and handed the shashka to them. “Pass it around, but keep in mind it is sharp enough to cut a blade of hair in half.” I then turned my attention to Tyler. “Now, since you’re so interested, let’s see how you do with the sabre.” I tossed one of the training swords to him.

Tyler, already in his gear, jumped up and lowered his fencing mask. “But you’re not in gear,” he said.

I shrugged. “Hit me, if you can.”

We stood at the ready, made the ceremonial bow, and began. Tyler was not overly aggressive, which is partially why he was so successful. He waited for me, moving slowly. He was smart, quick, and often tried to over-tire his opponent.

I waited, dropped my sword a bit, and let him make the lunge. He took the bait.

The swords clanged together, and we clashed back and forth across the strip. He lunged and slashed while I dodged and blocked. He was fast. I was faster. When he lunged again, I ducked. With an upward movement, I went in.

“A hit,” Kasey called.

They clapped.

“Man, that’s what you get for taking on a former state champ—and the teacher,” Trey told Tyler with a laugh.

Tyler pulled off the mask and smiled at me.

Just then, my cell rang. I would usually ignore it, but something told me to answer.

“Everyone pair up and start working with the training sabers,” I said and pointed to the sword rack. I went to my bag and grabbed my cell.

Before I could say hello, she spoke.

“Layla, Grandma needs you to come home,” my grandmother’s voice, thick with Russian accent, came across through static. I was silent for a moment. My grandmother lived 500 miles away, and she never used her telephone. With the exception of her T.V., she hated technology. She’d cried and begged me to take away the microwave I’d purchased for her one Mother’s Day.

“Grandma? What’s wrong?”

“Come home now. Be here tomorrow,” she said. She hung up.

I lowered my cell and stared at it. Confused and worried, I dialed her back. The phone rang, but she did not answer. I had obligations: practice, bills to pay, groceries to buy, tons of work to do, and a date for god-sakes. But my grandmother was the only one I had left in the world.

“Sorry, guys. Emergency,” I called to my students.

Disappointed, they groaned.

“Sorry. Let’s pack it up for the night.” My hands shaking, I slid the shashka back into the bundle and rolled up the weapons. What had happened? Maybe Grandma was sick. Maybe she had some problem. Or maybe she had seen something.

Author Bio:

Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, and The Celtic Blood Series. A steampunk connoisseur, zombie whisperer, and heir to the iron throne, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

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You can get the entire series for $14.95

One Sentence Review for Mutation Z by Marilyn Peake @marilynpeake

Posted on October 15, 2016 by fundinmental

I have been reading Mutation Z by Marilyn Peake, a novella series, that, even with the zombies, smacks of realism.

You can find out more and check out my reviews at the links below, but for now, I will share #5 and #6, the final chapters of a truly frightening glance at the apocalypse that could make the human race extinct. Do you believe something like this could happen in real life?

If you want to find out if this zombie horror is for you, the first story is FREE.

Amazon / Goodreads

~~~

Mutation Z: Dragon in the Bunker Novella #5 by Marilyn Peake

Amazon / Goodreads

Mutation Z: Dragon in the Bunker Novella #5 by Marilyn Peake

MY REVIEW

Journalist Hunter Morgan is a seriously messed up guy who has lost so much because of the Z virus, but he never gives up and I love that, because in this apocalyptic horror novella, all my conspiracy theories developed into full blown betrayal and treason showcasing an evil so potent that it makes me so angry I want to jump into my Kindle and beat the hell out of someone…or so much worse and with writing like that I say, “Well done, Marilyn,” as we move on to a new beginning in Hunter’s life.

GOODREADS BLURB: Journalist Hunter Morgan gains an unlikely ally in his search for the truth about the origins of the zombie virus. Mark Chen, youngest son of a co-owner of Chen-Zamora Pharmaceuticals, shows him information more frightening than his greatest nightmares. Together, they travel all the way from an abandoned meth shack in the Mexican desert to China, evading the authorities by communicating with Mark’s contacts through a video game on the Dark Web. NOVELLA. GENRES: Apocalyptic Science Fiction, Zombie Fiction, Conspiracy Fiction, Horror.

4 Stars

~~~

Mutation Z: Desperate Measures, Novella #6 by Marilyn Peake

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Marilyn Peake wraps up this novella series, exposing all the conspiracies and corruption, the perverted reasons for setting the zombies loose, and my juices were flowing as they pissed me off and sickened me beyond words, but left me with the faith that a ‘few good men/women can make all the difference in the world.

GOODREADS BLURB: Sixth and final book in the series.

As things heat up in the United States with both the U.S. military and radical militias targeting those trying to develop a vaccine and cure for the Zombie Plague, more researchers flee to Mark Chen’s bunker in China. There, they will be free to carry on their research. Bringing patients afflicted with the Zombie Virus to China on a cargo ship, they’re attacked by pirates. It becomes very clear that they’re in a race against time to try and save the human race. NOVELLA. GENRES: Apocalyptic Science Fiction, Zombie Fiction, Conspiracy Fiction, Horror.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos

5 Stars

~~~

Marilyn Peake has now created a complete set of all 6 novellas for the Mutation Z series at an amazing price of $.99.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Each novella is an important part of the whole in the Mutation Z series by Marilyn Peake. Her writing amazes me, bringing the characters and the world they created to life. The Zombie Virus was developed by some of the most evil men ever to walk this earth, all for their own gain and self interest. The brutality they dealt out as the blood and guts flew, the lives that were lost as the good people struggled to expose the conspiracy, is shocking. I felt this story rang of possibilities, that something like this could really happen. Maybe not exactly as written, but when push comes to shove, the elite will sacrifice anything and anyone to get what they want. If you want to be shocked, pissed off, saddened, frightened, left with food for thought, then Mutation Z is for you.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Omnibus Edition of All Six Books in the Mutation Z Series

Ebola, one of the most feared of the hemorrhagic diseases, begins spreading across the borders of countries in West Africa. Soon after, the disease mutates into the “Z” or Zombie Virus. Journalist Hunter Morgan uncovers a disturbing connection between Chen-Zamora Pharmaceuticals and this mutation. Further investigation reveals a web of sinister intrigue connecting the pharmaceutical company to a treatment and research camp in West Africa, U.S. government officials, the CDC and the World Health Organization. Racing against time to find a cure, Hunter and several scientists go underground in order to hide from powerful forces trying to silence them forever.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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MY REVIEWS FOR MUTATION Z BY MARILYN PEAKE

Mutation Z: The Ebola Zombie

Mutation Z: Closing Our Borders

Mutation Z: Protecting Our Own

Mutation Z: Drones Overhead

With the fantastic price for the entire series at a shocking $.99, I did not feel it necessary to list them individually, but if you would like to see if this is for you, you can grab the first novella for FREE HERE. Grab your Amazon copy today!

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One Sentence Review – Jezebel by Gordon A Kessler @gordonkessler

Posted on October 8, 2016 by fundinmental

I found Jezebel by Gordon A Kessler through my sister, Laura @ fuonlyknew, and after seeing the cover, I had to have it, so I actually broke down and bought the hardcover.

I thought it was a Doberman Pinscher, but it is a Great Dane and looks pretty evil regardless of the breed.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I knew we would have a devil dog, but I never saw the savagery and resulting chaos right out of the gate, every sentence oozing with foreboding, making me anticipate the next attack from around the corner of the house, behind the opening door, down the cellar steps and all I could think of when I was done…What about the critter lying beside you at night while you sleep…

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: A madman has come to town seeking a diabolical revenge and large dogs begin attacking their masters for no apparent reason and with heinous results.

Animal Control Director Tony Parker must find out why and stop the murderous attacks. Meanwhile, Jezebel, a huge black Great Dane has killed her master and is loose, terrorizing the city and stalking Parker and his family. Parker and Sarah Hill, his beautiful and seductive young assistant, attempt to unravel the mystery and stop the terrible carnage while dealing with their own demons and lusty desires.

The attacks must be stopped. Jezebel must be found-and soon, you see–there is one other complication. Parker seems to have come down with an annoying little virus. No, it’s not one of those irritating summer colds. It’s certain death.

She’s a murderess, huge and black as a hell-bound night.

Beware. Jezebel is on the loose!

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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#FREE – What are you afraid of? – Fear of the Scarecrow by Anthony Renfro @atothewr

Posted on October 6, 2016 by fundinmental

Anthony Renfro writes some fantastic horror short stories and Fear of the Scarecrow is up there at the top.

FREE

Check out this awesome cover. Looks harmless, doesn’t it?

BUT…

Amazon / Goodreads

I love the cover and as I began reading…OMG…this is so fabulous. Not what I expected. I am horrified and delighted and I don’t believe I will ever look at scarecrows and pumpkins in the same light ever again.

Fear of the Scarecrow was inspired by his Haiku: Fear of the Scarecrow:

In a field you hang

Upon this wood post you wait

for the night’s darkness

And it does arrive in a big way!

I picked this up as an Amazon freebie.

5 Stars

FREE

GOODREADS BLURB: This short story is about a desperate man hungry for revenge seeking justice. Sometimes justice comes with a price.

ABOUT ANTHONY RENFRO

Anthony 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. His influence for writing horror is Stephen King.

Website / Twitter

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
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Check out some of my reviews for Anthony Renfro’s work.

She

Joyride

A Vampire At Christmas

Killer Treads

Demon Energy

A Haunted House Tale

A Zombie Trilogy

Nightlight Tales

.

Some of the books may be free and you may find your next holiday read.

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Ghosts & Serial Killers – The 5: A Paranormal Thriller by Richard Freeland @dragonlyre

Posted on October 3, 2016 by fundinmental

Everything about The 5: A Parnormal Thriller by Richard Freeland spoke to me and spoke loudly. With the horror season upon us, this seemed like a perfect read to share.

Richard Freeland enjoys a good margarita around a warm fire and so do I, so let’s get comfortable…for now.

Look at the creepy cover and tell me what you think the young lady has on her mind.

Amazon / Goodreads

Everything about The 5: A Paranormal Thriller by Richard Freeland has everything it takes to stop me in my tracks and check it out further. The fantastic cover is creepy and drew me in and I love paranormal thrillers, and the title finished me off. THEN, OMG, we have a serial killer. I know that may sound bad, but I LOVE serial killers. 😈

Ben is a young boy with a vivid imagination and a penchant for writing. When Sarah comes to visit him from the spectral world, no one will believe him, but she keeps asking him to…

“Find me.”

He is a brave, young man whose investigation takes him down a dangerous path that could cost him his life.

Yes, there is a cellar, and…well, we are going down, no matter how afraid we are.

The 5: A Paranormal thriller by Richard Freeland started out like any ghostly tale and I thought this would be a normal, fun paranormal read. I had no idea where Richard would take me, but the twisty, turny, windy trail into the hidey-hole and the pit of hell had me on the edge of my seat. Each time I thought the story was over, he took me to another horrid and terrifying place.

Richard lulled me into a sense of complacency, then jerked me awake. The 5 was written in such a way that the surprises burst forth like a rose opening its bloom, unfolding each petal slowly, showing me its thorns as I grabbed ahold of the story. The horror kept coming and the ugliness of the killers made me sick as they laughed with glee. They are written perfectly. Camouflaged as ordinary people, the evil is hidden right in front of me.

I never suspected the killers, but I don’t think there were enough clues for me to find out ahead of time. Normally, I don’t like surprises, but Richard, I’ll take these kind of surprises any day of the week. I WANT MORE!

I received a copy of The 5: A Paranormal Thriller from Richard Freeland in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS & INTERVIEW

Gone Without a Trace

Between 2011 and 2014, five young girls living within a 40 mile radius of Sutton, Tennessee, disappeared. They were never seen again.

Until Now

Sarah Nordstrom has returned. With an anguished request for twelve year old Ben Hilary.

“Find Me…”

These words will send Ben on a terrifying quest to uncover the truth about what really happened to five lost girls. A journey that will cause him to question everything he believes in. And everyone he trusts.

Trust No One

Because there’s someone in the shadows. Watching Ben’s progress. Someone who has everything to lose. Someone who will kill to make sure that the past remains buried.

The 5 – a novel by Richard Freeland

*****

Interview with Thriller Writer Richard Freeland

Q – Your latest book is The 5, a paranormal thriller. What’s the story behind the book?

RF – They say write what you know, and The 5, while fiction, has it’s birthplace in my own youth, visiting my grandparents in a small Tennessee town that became Sutton in the book. Ben’s grandparents’ house closely mirrors my grandparents’ home, right down to the spooky cellar.

Q – Are the issues you touch on in the book, like trying to win a parent’s love, coming of age, burgeoning sexuality, and the uncertainty of growing up, issues that you dealt with as a child?

RF – I think we all go through some of the things Ben experiences. The emotions, I mean. My Dad was a stepdad and I loved him a lot, but sometimes he was hard to relate to. He could be kind of aloof. And all guys, and girls probably, experience that unsettled sexual awakening period. I know that if a girl even looked at me at that age I’d lose my capacity for intelligent thought! Girls were the great mystery when we were in our early teens. So a lot of those feelings crept into the story.

Q – What motivated you to become a writer of occult thrillers?

RF – Riches! Fame! Fortune! No, really, I like to write, to explore ideas and situations and try to come to terms with things. But what’s a writer without a reader? I knew I wanted to reach more people than just my friends and family. Then there’s that whole fame and fortune thing…

Q – What do you want your fans to experience when reading your work?

RF – I want to write stories that resonate. Tales that make my readers care for what’s happening to the characters. That scare and entertain and keep them on the edge of their seats. And maybe learn a little about themselves and others.

Q – What authors have most inspired you?

RF – I think I should have been born in the pulp era. My Dad turned me on to reading at an early age. He loved Edgar Rice Burroughs, Zane Grey, Luke Short, and a host of others. He had all the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars books, and some really old dime paperbacks from before WWII, and I read most of them as a boy, and they all influenced me. A co-worker once gave me a copy of The Key-Lock Man, by Louis L’Amour, and I was hooked. He’s my huge western influence, and I think of him as a mentor. Then there’s King, Koontz, McCammon, Preston & Child…the list goes on.

Q – What do you have in the works?

RF – My main goal right now is finishing an epic historical paranormal thriller (how’s that for cross genre?). It’s called Seed, and will be released as a trilogy. The first book in the set is being edited as we speak. I’m also in the planning stages of a paranormal thriller series featuring Macon Grant, a really bad ass character with certain Abilities, but also towing along a lot of serious baggage. Mac and his motley crew will be thrown in to some pulse-pounding situations, I think. The first book in the series is tentatively titled Ravager.

Q – Sounds like quite a ride.

RF – Fing

ABOUT RICHARD FREELAND (from Amazon)

Hey there! I’m Richard Freeland, and I write thrillers “with a bite”. Most of my stories are set within the horror, suspense, thriller, and fantasy genres, although I aspire to a more literary flavor. Many of my short stories appear in the compilation “Equinox – Six Declinations”, my first published book.

Currently, I’ve just finished “The 5”, a paranormal thriller. You can find it here at Amazon.

I enjoy writing, reading, fly fishing Georgia’s freestone trout streams, gardening, boating, hiking, playing tennis (bum knees and all) and – after all that – settling down with my lady in front of a warm fire and enjoying a fine margarita.

I live in Gainesville, Georgia with my wife Martha and cat Henry (widely regarded as the “King of the Known Universe). I’m a registered landscape architect and a certified master gardener. I’m currently working on a second collection of short stories and and my second novel, an epic historical paranormal thriller called “Seed”, coming soon from DragonLyre Publishing. You can find all my fiction at RichardFreeland.com

Website / Twitter

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I Read This Epic Trilogy in 2 Days – The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey @RickYancey

Posted on August 29, 2016 by fundinmental

I saw this fun challenge, Can You Read A Series In A Month, and thought, “I have the perfect series to read”. I recently won the third book in the Rick Yancey series, The 5th Wave, from Jessica @ a Great Read. When I read it had been made into a movie I checked it out further and found the first two books in a bundle on Amazon and they were on sale, so I grabbed them.

Here is my completed series screenshot for The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey.

You may want to check out my reviews and see if this fantastic adventure series is something you or someone you know would enjoy. From teens to us old guys, Rick Yancey has created a fantastic alien/zombie, science fiction/horror, apocalyptic/dystopian series that KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is a #1 New York Times Bestseller, and now a major motion picture starring Chloë Grace Moretz.I have not seen it, but after reading the series I really, really, really want to.

Now, it’s time for my reviews.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

OMG. Rick Yancy grabbed me by the throat right out of the gate and never let me go. I am blown away and totally creeped out.

Alien = extinction.

‘The only way to stay alive is to stay alone.”

And Cassie is. Five months from normal to alone.

Now, let’s go back in time and find out how Cassie came to be alone.

Ninety seven million people wiped off the face of the earth. She keeps a journal just in case…well, in case there is anyone left to read it, except for the aliens. She has a special note just for them…”BITE ME!” I’m with her!

Could you imagine? Silence! Think of sitting on your porch or patio listening to the hum of the world around you…automobiles in the distance, birds singing, your neighbor starting their car to go to work. Now, imagine it gone.

Deafening silence (urban dictionary definition) – when even the solemnity of silence has become too loud.

Deafening silence described: the point of silence in which one can feel the fine hairs in the inner ear vibrating with the subtlest change in air pressure. Going out on a limb, but the sound of dead proteins rubbing and creating static nerve pulses to the brain at such a lean frequency that the wave pattern is then magnified by your brain to the point of confusion, annoyance, uneasiness, or anxiety.

Will the children be the ones to save mankind?

Other than Cassie, some of the characters I became curious about were Evan, Zombie, Ringer and Nugget.

The twists and turns take me down the long…dark…rabbit hole. I want to know who will win the war for Earth. Who will survive and who will not? Be careful who you get attached to. Like some authors I know, Rick Yancey is not afraid to kill off his characters.

Rick created a dark and terrifying world where characters counted on their insight and intuition, as much as their training and their desire, to survive.

I just can’t stop reading…my eyes are blurring and I can’t see the words, can’t focus, but…I’m almost there…

Truly an unputdownable book. I laughed and I cried. I screamed and I whispered.

I despaired and I hoped. But, above all, I kept reading til the very end…of The 5th Wave.

Even the acknowledgments written by Rick Yancey are very entertaining.

I read all three books, 1095 pages, in two days. That’s how good this epic series is!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I did finish the book and went straight to bed, only to pick up…

The Infinite Sea first thing in the morning.

The Infinte Sea by Rick Yancey

I absolutely loved the first book. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, and could not wait to open the pages for The Infinite Sea, and I mean really open the pages of my paperback copy that I bought. I rarely buy books any more, because I get so many great ones free, and borrow from my sister or the library, but this was a set I wanted to have for my shelf.

I began this in the morning and I read it cover to cover in one sitting.

Picked up right where the first book, The 5th Wave, left off.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey started out with a BANG…and kept on going.

Dammit Teacup.

We discover what the gang is made of as they experience love, loss and sacrifice.

What do the aliens want? Why don’t they just wipe them out already? Are they toying with them, like a cat with a mouse?

We will lose some old friends and meet some new ones, but at least for the moment, life goes on.

Rick Yancey is a master storyteller in this epic series filled with complex characters, some good, some bad, and some down right evil.

The Infinite Sea is a thought provoking novel that may keep you up at night…wondering.

I read all three books, 1095 pages, in two days. That’s how good this epic series is!

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

…

The Last Star, the final book in this epic series by Rick Yancey

Finally…I will know the end of this awesome trilogy.

Who will be the last one standing…alien…human…somewhere in between?

I root for the ultimate romance to survive.

Dumbo is the one who brought me to my knees!

Treachery, betrayal, love and sacrifice…

The Last Star by Rick Yancey will stick with me long after I have put the book on my shelf. Will it do the same for you? Will it leave you pondering your own definition of purpose and humanity?

I have fears for Cassie and a smile for Bear, as Cassie thinks, “Yes, Daddy, I want to fly.”

The 5th Wave series is not the story I thought it would be…it far surpassed all my “high” expectations. I cried through the ending with a smile on my face for the happy and the sad.

Life goes on.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: The enemy is Other. The enemy is us.

They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.

But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.

In these last days, Earth’s remaining survivors will need to decide what’s more important: saving themselves…or saving what makes us human.

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Giveaway & Review – Turning Grace by J Q Davis @JoJoQD

Posted on June 22, 2016 by fundinmental

The cover for Turning Grace by J Q Davis grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. It is so creepy, I can’t help but think there is a great story hidden “between the pages.”

What do you think? Is this something that whets your appetite?

Add to Goodreads

Turning Grace (The Turning Series #1) by J.Q. Davis

Genre: YA Horror/Sci-fi

Release Date: June 10th 2014

MY REVIEW

LOVE LOVE LOVE Turning Grace by J Q Davis!

The cover is amazing and it shows both sides of Grace…

Grace has an unusual appetite…She’s always Hungry, HUNgry, HUNGRY! I think she would be a definite winner of Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Contest. She loves horror movies and is becoming a star in a horror story of her very own. She believes in murdering masked men and serial killers, but zombies? Everyone knows they aren’t real. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t she see it coming? I guess, even if I was voraciously hungry and my body miraculously healed some pretty horrendous wounds, I would have a hard time believing I was a zombie too. She lives a normal life, otherwise, the usual school days and hanging with friends.

Things get continually worse for her…at 36%…in the bathroom…I cringed and felt like upchucking. My reaction was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Even my teeth hurt as I scrunched into myself.

Grace and her best friend, Phoebe, are planning a double date on Halloween. I wouldn’t mind having Phoebe for a friend myself. What do you think their costume will be? Correctamundo…ZOMBIES. I don’t think it will go well.

There is a YA triangle, but this one is different than the usual and worked just fine for me.

Tristen loves Grace and will do anything for her…or will he once he knows the facts?

If you want gross, Turning Grace by J Q Davis is a MUST READ. Horror, plenty of that. Suspense, yep. With every putrid breath she breathes, I wonder what will happen next.

I received a copy of Turning Grace by J Q Davis in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads

**Medal Winner of the 2014 New Apple Book Awards in the E-Book Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Category**

Life or death?

It all seems to be the same for Grace…

Some of us have been there before — falling for the hot, popular jock who just so happens to be dating the hot, popular girl in school.

Your snarky-but-always-right bestie insists you make a move, but you’re not so

much into putting yourself out there.

Then it happens, and suddenly you find yourself eating a cat on your neighbor’s porch.

No? Never happened to you?

Well, Grace Watkins can’t say the same. Her hunger is growing with each day that passes and her urges are getting harder to control.

No one can explain why her body is changing, except one man.

About the Author

J.Q. Davis is from New Orleans, Louisiana. She and her husband, an active duty Marine, have no children but consider their pooches, Lucy and Bella, their daughters.

When she was little girl, she aspired to become a writer. But then one day, she learned about zombies…and now she wants to be a zombie.

Author Links

Website │ Goodreads │ Twitter │ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours

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Are you a Leader or One of the Herd – Tainted Reality @AshleyFontainne

Posted on April 4, 2016 by fundinmental

Tainted Reality by Ashley Fontainne is the second book of The Rememdum Series. I have read Tainted Cure and loved it. You can see my review HERE.

The covers for this series blow my mind…almost as much as the story contained within the pages.

Covers: One of a Kind covers

Add me to Goodreads.

MY REVIEW

Tainted Reality by Ashley Fontainne is Book II of The Rememdum Series. The books need to be read in order and Tainted Reality picks up where Tainted Cure left off. This is one horror story that will have you wondering….could this really happen?

Everett Berning had found the cure for addiction, but the cure had become Tainted with a fatal result. Some preach the end of the world by global warming and nuclear detonation, but no one had anticipated this…Apocalypse.

Who will survive? Can they find a cure for the Tainted Cure or will this be a new world that mankind will have to learn to traverse?

I love this saying: Courage is being afraid but doing it anyway.

“Normal” people’s actions will go above and beyond the horror that is worse than their wildest imagination could concoct. In a time of crises, people show what they are made of, their true character shines through. Some are leaders, some are followers. Some are able to overcome their fears, others are cattle, either saved or lead to slaughter. Which are you?

And the government…What happens when it collapses? What happens when the leaders are dead or missing and presumed dead…communications nonexistent.

The world has ended, at least any world you would recognize. The dead come to life and they want YOU!

Executions, murder, slaughter…See who rises to the top, leads when in doubt, shoots to kill.

As a read along, I am always trying to put myself in the characters place. What would I do? Would I step up to the plate or collapse, paralyzed by terror. What would you do?

I felt for the characters as they struggled to survive. I felt their sorrow and determination. Is there anybody left who can figure out the answers?

Regina and Jesse, a mom and daughter, will step up in a big way. They stand out as exceptional characters to me and I had to mention them…specifically.

Ashley Fontainne’s books I have read are unique, fast paced and anything but predictable. I was a bit disappointed as I read along…because it is predictable. After all, how many variations can there be to a zombie story?

BUT, Ashley Fontainne’s fantastic writing of such bloody and gruesome savagery, with twists and turns of the plot, filled with love and sacrifice among the horror and conspiracy, makes the predictable work all too well. It’s a new world and the more I read, the more involved I become with the complex characters. Her writing is at such a high level that even the predictable is a cut above the rest.

Now…the wait begins for Tainted Future, Book III of The Rememdum Series.

I received a copy of Tainted Reality by Ashley Fontainne in returne for an honest review.

5 Stars

AMAZON BLURB

DR. EVERETT BERNING achieved his life’s work by discovering a cure for drug addiction. Unfortunately, the formula was stolen and fell into the hands of the enemy.
DRUG LORDS from around the world unknowingly released the altered, deadly formula into their supply, affecting millions across the globe.

WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS, the entire planet is thrown into chaos as the disease spreads.

REGINA PARKER, Chief of Police of the tiny town of Rockport, Arkansas, isn’t willing to let the military kill thousands of innocent people in a rush to contain the outbreak. She leads a small contingent of survivors on a dangerous quest to keep her town safe from the soldiers and the dead.

WILL DR. BERNING be able to isolate the contagion and find a way to reverse it, or is it too late to save humanity from the tainted cure? How far will Chief Parker go to save the lives of others as the world collapses around them?

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.

Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.

Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.

Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / LinkedIn / G+ / You Tube / Twitter

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Ashley Fontainne’s writing is so spectacular, I am always anticipating the next book I will read of hers. Here are my reviews…so far:

Want a quick and FREE horror read?

Posted on March 20, 2016 by fundinmental

FREE HORROR

THE DEAD OF WINTER by Anthony Renfro

They picked up their feet and hurried through the thick snow. It was tough going, but fear made their muscles move. The moaning sounds faded into the distance as they moved as quickly as they had moved all day. Bobby could see something looming, growing closer. It was an oasis of safety, a big hulking dark mass.

What they were moving towards was a package delivery truck that looked like an armored vehicle from a Road Warrior movie, parked long ways across the fast and slow lanes. It looked like it’d been barreling through the cars before it came to a sudden and sliding halt. The front had a big spike sticking out of it with at least ten dead zombies hanging from it. Bullet holes to the head of each of them had stopped their moaning and taste for flesh. Zombies, as we all know, won’t stop until you stop them. The doors on either side of the cab had a gigantic spike welded to them with more zombies hanging around, dead, dark holes in the center of their foreheads. There was nothing on the sides of the truck, beyond the doors. It was smooth and flat like it was the day it rolled off the factory line, but dinged and severely scratched, covered in blood, as if this truck had been through a war zone.

They reached the truck and stopped.

Eric motioned to Bobby to stay put, handing the cat carrier to him as he cocked the gun and approached the truck. He tried the cab doors first, but they were both locked. A loud moan erupted from the dark, but this time it wasn’t behind them. It came from somewhere in front of them. It, like the moans behind them, was too close for comfort.

GET IT HERE: Amazon: US / UK