Review – The Broken Heart by N J Gallegos @DrSpooky_ER

Posted on September 19, 2023 by fundinmental

MY REVIEW

MMMMM All kinds of dark and delicious psychopathic goodness. Imagine hearing these words out of six year old child’s mouth: Fuck you, cunt and fucking bitch. You also have a useless drunken husband and an infant daughter to protect…for the six year old.

If you are on a matchmaking app, you may delete it after seeing how easy it is to be a fish in a barrel for a serial killer.

There are two story lines going on: Casey, with her psychopathic son, alcoholic husband, infant daughter, and heart failure. She will need an organ transplant and a serial killer is the one to save her. Or does he? Do you believe that an organ can pass the good or bad of the donor onto the receiver? What would happen if it did?

Of course, we know the serial killer has to die so she can get his heart, but the way it happens is sweet Karma at work. LOL He was a savage, reveling in his victim’s blood, so no matter what happened to him, I didn’t think it could be bad enough.

I was excited about the plot and wondered…would a good woman be negatively affected by a serial killer’s heart? Will she turn into a serial killer too?

The marvels of medicine do amaze me and creep me out at the same time. And after reading The Broken Heart, I am even more freaked out about hospitals. I’m sure I am not the only one that gets tensed up just entering one.

After the surgery she felt an icy cold in the center of her chest and would carry that for the rest of her life. She knew…things were going to be different now. No more doormat to Jack. No more shying away in fear from Owen.

Her rant in her therapist’s office…I could see it unfold and I loved it. He sits there in judgment, doing nothing to help a desperate mother save the life of her infant child from her psychopathic son. I couldn’t help but chuckle under my breath as I read on.

Her in laws sit in judgment, having no clue of the depth of her desperation and I don’t think they would have cared any way. Casey couldn’t do anything thing right, in their eyes. She has no one to support her, no one to lean, no help at all.

Their date night…I went back and forth between wanting to puke and laugh out loud.

I saw some of what was to come and eagerly devoured the words. N J Gallegos didn’t make it so easy to figure everything out and I am happy about that. I couldn’t imagine how the story would end. There are so many possibilities and I wondered what the author would choose. She chose well.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Broken Heart by N J Gallegos.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Casey Philips has it all: a deadbeat husband, a psychopathic son, a beautiful newborn daughter, and catastrophic heart failure necessitating an organ transplant. When a serial killer becomes an unexpected organ donor, Casey gets a heart and a new lease on life.

But dark dreams plague the disgruntled housewife—visions of places she’s never been, chasing women she’s never met. Sometimes, Casey wakes up outside her kids’ rooms without realizing how she got there—knife in hand.

How far will a mother with a newly acquired taste for vengeance go to right the wrongs of an abusive husband, an increasingly violent son, and even her own sins? Only the heart knows what it truly wants.

Genre: Dark, Horror, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
340 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 19, 2023 by Winding Road Stories

ABOUT N J GALLEGOS

N.J. Gallegos is an Emergency Medicine Physician who enjoys horror, medicine, and wicked women looking for revenge. Put all three together? Now we’re talking! She lives in Illinois with her wife and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys binging reality trash tv, brewing beer, and running while listening to EDM so she can drink said brewed beer.

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Risen From The Dead – The Legend Of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni #JTBaroni

Posted on September 8, 2023 by fundinmental

I was excited to get my hands on this book. I mean, look at that cover..and his inspiration for writing it. How cool is that? Welcome to fundinmental J T.

How did this book come about?

While hunting whitetail one year, I stumbled upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods. Waiting patiently for that big buck to cross my path gave me plenty of time to think about that lone grave’s inhabitant and ponder her story, which I was then driven to write.

Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first novel that Damnation Books in California published in 2012, which I have just recently revised, then self-published. Between holding down a job as a transformer repairman, and life in general, it me took two years to write the original book back then.

However! I am now enjoying retirement; and in the first half of 2023, I revised the story by adding 165 pages and a new ending chapter. My ghost tale is now even more descriptive, has added details, and the final chapter comes out of left field and smacks you upside the head!

Describe your writing habits.

I simply write when it’s raining, or when the urge hits, but mostly when I think of a good scene and the thoughts are flowing. Sometimes the rough draft will sit on the shelf for a month or longer, then I’ll dust it off and look at it with a fresh perspective.Only after ten or more chapters when I get lost, do I start an outline.

Do you listen to music while writing?

Sometimes I tell Alexa to play Santa Esmeralda, Supertramp, Bob Seger, INXS, or the Golden Oldies, or the news. At times, silence, especially when I’m using the narrator function during editing.

Which authors influenced your writing?

I enjoyed Harold Robbins’s The Adventurers, Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. I know I’m telling my age with that answer, but I enjoyed their books because they wrote captivating stories that held my interest to the last page.

Are there any projects in the works now?

I’m 32 chapters into a psychological thriller. The plot revolves around a psychologist and an attorney who are planning to rule the world; they both share the same dark secret, but one of them has a deadly, ulterior motive. Three more chapters should finish it. Then edit, edit, edit… Keep your eyes open for, “Tell Me about your Childhood.”

It’s funny, but when I asked you for your thoughts I left it up to you, and you covered all the things I was thinking of. I love when great minds think alike, don’t you? LOL I’m excited to see what you come up with next, since I think The Legend Of Rachel Petersen was a hit!

Amazon / Goodreads

UPDATE: J T Baroni now has an Apple audiobook available, created by AI.

MY REVIEW

I confess. It was the cover that drew me in. It had that horror, paranormal, supernatural feel to it and I investigated further. When I finished the book, I found where the author’s inspiration came from. He was deer hunting and came across a tombstone. As he sat there, waiting for that elusive big buck to come through, he had plenty of time to wonder and ponder…and that What If came to life.

Christian Kane is a sports writer for The Post Gazette. He doesn’t get the anticipated promotion he was expecting and quits to write fiction. The Legend of Rachel Petersen is about the characters finding a tombstone hidden in the briars on their property and what happens after.

“We are living in a house where a twelve year old girl went cuckoo, killed her family, an’ then hanged herself in our barn.”

A book in a book is always a fun concept. J T Baroni did foreshadow what was to come and I love that he did it in such a way that I never took notice. Well done. I found myself laughing…at myself. There are other moments of laughter and I love an author that incorporates fun into some doom and gloom.

The ending was worth a star alone. I love when an author can catch me so off guard I am left with my mouth hanging open. I highly recommend The Legend Of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni and I would love to know what you think.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Legend of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni.

GOODREADS BLURB

Did his book raise the dead? Outraged when The Post Gazette overlooks him for a promotion, thirty-nine year old sports writer, Christian Kane quits and moves to the country to write fiction. Inspiration flows from a grave he stumbles upon in the woods. He compiles The Legend of Rachel Petersen, a fascinating story revolving around the dead twelve year old girl lying beneath the weathered tombstone. His book becomes a Best Seller; then Hollywood makes it in to a blockbuster movie. Kane becomes rich and famous, but only to have Rachel rise from the grave to seek revenge on him for slandering her name!

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural
Kindle Edition (Revised Edition)
First published November 23, 2011 by Sky Publishing

EXCERPT

Page 79

Staring back at him were two large empty eye sockets in a tiny skull, which rested on a satin pillow. Her facial skin, once having a flawless peaches and cream complexion, was now brown, deeply gouged with wrinkles, and drawn tight, exposing her baby teeth. Her nose was reduced to two narrow slits. Red hair, parted in the middle, covered her forehead before coming to rest in curls on her shoulders.

Page 80

While jumping up and down, he tripped over the shovel’s handle and fell face first over the freshly dug dirt pile back into the grave, landing three inches from Rachel’s mummified face; he swore he saw Rachel smile at him!

Page 82

His eyes widened and his jaw fell open. Floating on top of the broth were the words… ‘help me’… spelled out with the alphabet macaroni! Thaddeus quickly stirred his soup and watched in awe as the words reappeared amongst the chunks of chicken, chopped celery, and diced carrots — ‘help me.’

ABOUT J T BARONI (from Amazon)

Living in Western Pennsylvania all my life, I have been an avid Whitetail hunter since I was old enough to tote a rifle, which is also about as long as I’ve had a fondness for word games and literature. While hunting last year, I actually did stumble upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods. Waiting patiently for any deer to cross my path gave me plenty of time to think about that lone grave’s inhabitant and ponder her story, which I was then driven to write. Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first published novel. I have also composed several songs that are currently signed with a music publisher.

My home is Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, where my wife Becky and I are both proud members of the Lions International. We share our home with our son, Skyler, and an AKC boxer, Butkus.

Author’s Den / Facebook

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Creature Feature – What Doesn’t Kill You by Ken Brosky #KenBrosky #Horror

Posted on September 6, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The intriguing cover for What Doesn’t Kill You by Ken Brosky caught my eye and I had to check further. I am glad I did, because I love creature features and stories that put characters to the test…and they will be. Not all will survive and I love that too. (evil grin)

Emma rolls into town, bringing with her a gift that will change the town forever. It invades the town slowly, and has a sweetness to those who claim its gift. Don’t we all know that nothing comes without a cost, and no on knows what the cost will be.

Valerie and Danny are the stars, but they are not alone. Some of the most surprising characters are those staying at the halfway house, seeking help for their addictions.

In a small town, there are no secrets, and Seven Sisters is in dire need of anything that can help the people, since Highway 55 became the Old Highway 55. How many towns have died because progress has passed them by? Why do they stay, when there is no future? What would be the lure that would compel people to move on? Does Emma know?

For Seven Sisters to survive, residents will be put to the test, needing the courage to fight for what is their lives. They will need to work together. They will need to draw from deep inside and find the strength to overcome their fear.

What Doesn’t Kill You by Ken Brosky was not exactly what I thought it would be, but the more involved I became, the more the characters drew me in, the more the tension built. The pacing and action allowed the suspense to build and I did not see the end coming. I do appreciate an author that can make me say, “Well, I sure didn’t see that coming.”

I felt the rating jumping between a three and a four. Whenever that happens, a four it is.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of What Doesn’t Kill You by Ken Brosky.

GOODREADS BLURB

Valerie Miller and her younger brother have spent their entire lives in the dreary town of Seven Sisters, where most people are resigned to a bleak future of debt and despair. But when a mysterious woman with a dark past arrives, she brings with her a gift that could transform the town’s fortunes – and the lives of Val and Danny.

This extraordinary woman’s power is both awe-inspiring and terrifying, capable of unleashing a force that will shake Seven Sisters to its core. The stakes are high, and danger is omnipresent. Can Val and Danny rise to the challenge and seize the opportunity to finally break free from the suffocating grip of their hometown? Or will they fall victim to the terrors unleashed by this enigmatic figure? One thing is certain–when the sun rises on Seven Sisters, nothing will ever be the same again.

Part creature-feature, part survival story, What Doesn’t Kill You will keep you on the edge of your seat as Val and Danny fight for their lives and all of Seven Sisters.

Genre: Fiction, Horror
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 5, 2023 by Timber Ghost Press

ABOUT KEN BROSKY

Here’s the short and skinny:

I got my bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from UW-Eau Claire
I got my Master’s Degree in Writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
I wrote a bunch of books and short stories.
Some got published, many did not.
I self-published a YA series, which was awesome.
More stuff got rejected.
I sold a book to Kindle Press.
I wrote a mystery novel.

Sometimes, in between this stuff, I do woodworking.

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Horrorlicious – Horror Library #8 by Eric Guignard @ericjguignard @Checanty

Posted on August 31, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

First off, we have 31 contributors to Horror Library #8 and some wonderful illustrations sure to catch your eye. Look closely. You never know what might jump out at you. Each short story has an amazing illustration to introduce you to the wonder of an author’s imagination. At the end of the book is a guest artist’s gallery by Jana Heidersdorf!

Whether you like stories based on claustrophobia, repercussions, broken rules, a child that….covens, masks, art, time travel, perversion, temptation or witchcraft, you are sure to find something that whets your appetite.

Probably the one that stood out the most for me was Only The Stones Will Hear You Scream. I am claustrophobic and felt shivers running up and down my spine as he squeezed and twisted into a space I feel no one was not meant to enter.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Horror Library #8 by Eric J Guignard.

GOODREADS BLURB

The +Horror Library+ anthologies are internationally praised as a groundbreaking source of contemporary horror short fiction stories—relevant to the moment and stunning in impact—from leading authors of the macabre and darkly imaginative.

Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the world(s) we live in.

Containing 31 all-original stories, read Volume 8 in this ongoing anthology series, and then continue with the other volumes.

Shamble no longer through the banal humdrum of normalcy, but ENTER THE HORROR LIBRARY!

Included within Volume 8:

• In “Saving the World,” a family feeds their captive devil the sorrows of neighbors.

• In “We Can’t Let Go,” a welfare check by a child services worker proves that not all in life is as expected.

• In “Only the Stones Will Hear You Scream,” a man meets his nightmares while caving through narrow underground passages.

• In “Broodmare,” a teen girl yearns to be as free as her beloved horse while waiting to give birth to the savior-figure of her tribe.

• . . . and more!

• Also including a special guest-artist’s gallery of Jana Heidersdorf!

Genres: Adult, Anthologies, Fiction, Horror, Short Stories
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2023 by Dark Moon Books

ABOUT ERIC J GUIGNARD

ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books. He’s twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of horror fiction), been a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award, and a multi-nominee of the Pushcart Prize.

He has over one hundred stories and non-fiction author credits appearing in publications around the world. As editor, Eric’s published multiple fiction anthologies, including his most recent, Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror , and A World of Horror , a showcase of international horror short fiction.

He currently publishes the acclaimed series of author primers created to champion modern masters of the dark and macabre, Exploring Dark Short Fiction ( Vol. I: Steve Rasnic Tem ; Vol. II: Kaaron Warren ; Vol. III: Nisi Shawl ; Vol. IV: Jeffrey Ford ; Vol. V: Han Song ; Vol. VI: Ramsey Campbell).

He is also publisher and acquisitions editor for the renowned +Horror Library+ anthology series. Additionally he curates the series, The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics through SourceBooks with co-editor Leslie S. Klinger.

His latest books are Last Case at a Baggage Auction ; Doorways to the Deadeye ; and short story collection That Which Grows Wild (Cemetery Dance).

Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children, dogs, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.

ABOUT JANA HEIDERSDORF

Dark fantasy illustrator | beware of nature photography

Website / Newsletter / Facebook / Twitter

MY ERIC J GUIGNARD REVIEWS

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Supernaturalesque – Chasing Demons by C D Kester @CD_Kester

Posted on August 25, 2023 by fundinmental

I received an email from C D Kester with an opportunity to read and review The Bunker and Chasing Demons. If you check out the covers (find The Bunker here), you will see why I did not hesitate.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Just looking at the cover for Chasing Demons…and the one for the novella, The Bunker by C D Kester, made me jump all over these horror, paranormal, supernatural stories. You would benefit from reading The Bunker first. I will introduce you to the evil permeating these small towns. It is filled with detestable characters, heroic characters, and those that overcome their fears and make the ultimate sacrifice to save others.

I have so many highlights in my ereader, I had to sift through them and try to share only those that will tell you why I love the world that C D Kester has so vividly created. Thanks to the Supernatural TV show, it was easy to visualize many scenes and the actions of the demons that are called forth by vile humans that will do anything for greed and power.

I didn’t know what to rate the book, a four or a five, so I figured I would wait and decide while I write this review. Will it get my dander up, after it being a week or so since I have read it. Now, I will browse my highlights and we shall see. The point of view shifts from character to character, allowing us to experience their individual terror.

It has been ten years since The Bunker.

We are back in Texas, in a small town called Fairmont, right next door to Fern Hollow. If you are traveling in the area, don’t stop. Keep on driving. I am immediately drawn in as a body is dumped in a landfill. From there, the evil spreads, and spreads, and spreads. Blood flows and heads roll, literally.

The main characters are four youngsters, Tim, Mike, Logan and Dominic. They are in a band. They are bullied at school. Basically, just average kids, doing average things, until…

When Mike walked into the garage with a shadow following him, all I could think is…not Mike. He has been through so much. He doesn’t deserve this. And it goes downhill from here. It’s a good thing he has such good and loyal friends that will not turn their back on him.

Logan is sent to Camp Gensis for conversion therapy. I think most of us know what that means. Cruelty and torture, but this camp is run by a pedophile. A sheep in wolves clothing.

Nancy is the owner of the Halloween story and has become their friend. Her, on the airplane, I was terrified. I have a fear of flying and sure wouldn’t want to read this book while I was on a plane. LOL

There are so many evil, terrible characters that belong on the bottom of the pond, or that may be too good for them. They conjure evil worse than themselves and I can only hope it will demand a steep price from them for doing so. After all, demons are not your friend.

Every time I turned around, another evil popped up and I was terrified for all the characters I came to love. I was constantly surprised, shocked, saddened, devastated…and the ending. As I write this and check out my last note in my ereader…

She broke down into tears…

And so did I, at least, tears formed in my eyes…again. And that is worth a 5 star rating.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Chasing Demons by C D Kester.

GOODREAD BLURB

Be true to yourself and stand up for what’s right. Michael, Tim, Dominic, and Logan are four buddies in the suburban town of Fairmont, Texas. Their lives are turned upside down when a demonic entity begins to terrorize their families and all of Fairmont as a whole. Logan knows that he is gay, but has to deal with his family that go to a hate-fueled church led by Johnny Cumberland, otherwise known as Johnny Gospel. The four friends must band together through thick and thin to stand up in the face of evil and hatred. Days and years may come and go, but one thing remains the same. When you’re at your lowest you shouldnt be afraid to admit you need help. And don’t forget, that we can get by with a little help from our friends. Thanks, Joe Cocker.

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2022

ABOUT C D KESTER

C. D. Kester is an author of fiction who does most of his work in the horror genre. He lives in Kingwood, Texas with his wife and two children. Kester recently published his first full length novel, Chasing Demons. His first self-published work is a novella titled The Bunker. He has also had many stories published in anthologies, ezines, and read in podcasts and YouTube videos.

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MY C D KESTER REVIEWS

The Bunker

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Couldn’t Stop Reading – Nobody by T Joseph Browder #TJosephBrowder

Posted on August 23, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The hunkalicious NCIS looking customer ordered a Chocolate Overdose and said, “Keep your head down.” Robyn Carr wondered why he kept hanging around after finishing his drink. Four clowns enter, begin blasting away with their automatic weapons, until the customer makes a stand. When Robyn asked who he was, he responded, “I am Nobody.”

And that is the beginning of the book. It took me by surprise, because I thought I had it all figured out early on, and I was sooo wrong. So wonderfully wrong. The writing flowed smoothly, leading me deeper into this fabulous story, making me unable to stop until the last word was read, shaking my head, and thinking….what an awesome ending! Sure didn’t see that coming.

Arianna Price was fourteen years old when Nobody had saved her life. Twenty five years later, she is a Special Agent of the FBI. A profiler. She has never quit searching for the man who appears at violent, traumatic events, saving some and letting others die. She has a question only he can answer, and she will not quit looking until she finds him. WHY? Why did he save her and her mother, but let her father and brother die? That is the question I always seek an answer to when I read a murder mystery, when I read about serial killers. Many times the why is never answered, but this time may be different.

Is she special…or is it more than that?

Arianna had fought for her position, being a black woman in a man’s world. When she met Goldenfeather, a Navajo woman, she was told her to stop searching. It is a fight between good and evil and it will destroy her. I love the addition of Navajo folklore, myth and legend, and voodoo.

The history of the pacemaker was fascinating.

The ‘In The Bank’ chapter was wonderfully inspiring.

I also learned about the immortal jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii. I love a book that has me going to the web for more information, and the author did his research.

If you love books about battles between good and evil, this is for you. I got so much more than I had anticipated, and I have read a couple other books by T Joseph Browder, so my expectations were pretty high. No worries. He met and surpassed them.

Be sure and read the Afterword and Acknowledgments and let us know if you think T Jospeh Bowder was prescient.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Nobody by T Joseph Browder.

GOODREADS BLURB

Fourteen-year-old Arianna Price, rescued, bloody and terrified, from a bathtub by a stranger after witnessing the brutal slaying of her father and brother during a home invasion, had no time to ask questions of the man who’d interceded on her behalf before disappearing, without a trace, into the night. Twenty-five years later, her future and profession dictated by that single event, Special Agent Arianna Price of the FBI is determined to bring the still unidentified vigilante, her erstwhile savior, in for questioning. Except he seems to have never existed. He has no name. No past. No identity. He appears during horrific acts of violence, intervenes, then vanishes like a wraith. Evidence suggests he’s been doing so for thirty years, or more. Yet, according to witnesses, he has never aged. He is punishment. He is vengeance. He is Nobody.

Genre: Angels and Demons, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Vigilante
296 pages, Paperback
Published: June 5, 2023 by T. Joseph Browder

ABOUT T JOSEPH BROWDER

T. Joseph Browder was born in Lima, Ohio in 1969 and is the author of ‘Dark Matters,’ ‘Plague,’ and ‘Infernal,’ the first in a series of novels about the Multiverse and the age-old battle between good and evil.

Of writing T. Joseph Browder says, “I’m an addict. Some people are addicted to alcohol, some to marijuana, coke, or heroin. I’m addicted to writing. It’s my drug of choice and like the monkey on the back of the heroin user it compels me to sit down at my computer every day and check out of reality. Since I work a full-time job in the meat industry my time is limited. If I don’t ‘use’ often enough I suffer withdrawals. The pain is tangible. For me, writing is a high like no other. It’s one helluva buzz.”

A student of Psychology, T. Joseph Browder also holds Doctorates in Divinity, Metaphysics, and Religious Humanities. “I’m an ordained minister,” Browder says, “but that’s a prerequisite for the education I was pursuing. I’ve performed a wedding ceremony or two but have never felt the urge to preach before a congregation.”

Like his education, Mr. Browder’s writing is driven by an insatiable curiosity for what makes people behave the way they do, make the choices they make, and feel the way they feel. Drawing on an intimate knowledge of the evil alive in humanity his work centers on the darker aspects of life, the sudden changes and left turns life throws at all of us and how we react to those things that lurk around the next corner and go bump in the night.

Mr. Browder currently lives in Kansas with his wife, Marie, and is hard at work on a new novel.

Website

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Dark Net Horror – Mr Sticks by Jeffrey Hale @jhalehorror @SandsPressPub

Posted on August 22, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank Perry Prete for introducing me to Sands Press and Sands Press for the opportunity to read and review Mr Sticks by Jeffrey Hale.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The dark net is filled with monsters. It’s frequented by thieves, drug dealers, child predators, and cold-blooded killers. But Mr. Sticks is the most fearsome of them all.

Mr Sticks, Mr Sticks, master of tricks,
Tallas a shadow and wide as a mouse.
Call him and tease him, but don’t displease him…or you might end up stiff as Barb Klaus.

That was the hook for me. The cover makes me think supernatural horror, but the dark net makes me think horror of the two legged kind. Sure did make me curious and I pushed it to the top of my reading list.

Let’s talk characters: Lucia is the main character. Finley is her sixteen year old sister. Their parents are no longer together, and the fact that Finley has gone missing doesn’t affect them at all. If Lucia hadn’t come home, no one would be looking for her. Brian Van Pelt is her old boyfriend, and her sister’s current boyfriend. I immediately disliked him and everything I thought about him being a douche came to light. The only redeeming quality he had was that he was willing to help her search for her sister. Peter is a computer whiz and comes on board to help them navigate the dark web and search for Finley.

Lucia does exactly what I kept telling her (LOL) not to do and l lost a lot of respect for her, but she was willing to put her life on the line to find out what happened to Finley, so I have to give her kudos for that.

Mr Sticks was definitely creepy and not easy to figure out. I felt like yelling through my ereader at Lucia. Everyone knows you don’t go off on your own. Nothing good comes of it. But, if she didn’t stay persistent, she would have had no answers at all. I give her a lot of credit for going the distance, but, boy of boy, did she make some boneheaded moves.

My rating is what it is because of my inability to figure it all out…and I was still left shaking my head and thinking WTH. Seeing Mr Sticks is a series, the story is not over and I am curious where Jeffrey Hale will take it.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Mr Sticks by Jeffrey Hale.

GOODREADS BLURB

The dark net is filled with monsters. It’s frequented by thieves, drug dealers, child predators, and cold-blooded killers. But Mr. Sticks is the most fearsome of them all.

Mr. Sticks uses the dark net to locate the lost and vulnerable; to lure young men and women into his web. And once he has a fly in his web, he doesn’t let go.

Nobody knows what happens to Mr. Sticks’ victims, after the dance is done, but Lucia, an office administrator from Eaton, Colorado, is determined to find out. Before her sixteen-year-old sister becomes another notch on Mr. Sticks’ belt.

Genre: Fiction, Horror
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2019 by Sands Press
Series: Mr Sticks #1

ABOUT JEFFREY HALE

Jeffrey Hale is no stranger to suburban horror. He’s been accosted by goat-human hybrids, chased by inbred wenches, attacked by giant killer bees, and survived countless hours of prime-time television. When he isn’t busy fighting for his life, he can be found reading, writing, playing the bass guitar, or otherwise making a damn fool of himself.

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Review – Like Father, Like Son by Michael B Chikondi #michaelbchikondi #vampires

Posted on July 31, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The old time feeling of the cover for Like Father, Like Son by Michael B Chikondi definitely speaks of vampires to me.

Sinjen Carlyle is a typical vampire, some good and some bad about him, and he quickly grew on me. When he meets Miriam Green, a human, he is immediately attracted to her and wants to get to know her better. Sinjen is a complicated character. He seems very needy and he looks after those he cares about, but he is not afraid of killing those who get in his way in a brutal and savage fashion.

Eliza is waaaay past cruel…to everyone. She is Sinjen’s master. I will be curious to see if she gets her comeuppance in Book II The Mystery Game.

Boredom seems to be these vampires downfall. Is it better to take yourself out, or find a reason to go on. Living forever can be quite the pickle. What do you do with all that time?

There are a lot of characters that make their own statement and I loved meeting each and every one of them, the good, the bad and the ugly. Jack may be one of the primaries, but Richard stood out to me, too.

We have a lot of vampire action, human and vampire interaction, romance, murder, mystery and mayhem. A worthy read that is kept me entertained.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Like Father, Like Son by Michael B Chikondi.

GOODREADS BLURB

After fifty years in the custody of his ‘aunt’ Eliza, Sinjen Carlyle is allowed out for New Year’s eve. He spends it in Whitby, meeting Jack, the thief, and his sister Carol, an enterprising madam. As it begins to rain, he takes cover in a tea house. A sweet woman catches his eye, dark, plain and proper. The very picture of his cousin in her youth. Miriam Green, hard-working, and alone in the world, sticks in his mind. When his ‘aunt’ Margaret suggests he should find someone to make him feel human again, he decides to get to know her better. For the first time, Carlyle has a taste of freedom. Can he entice Miriam with a little mystery, while keeping his own secrets? Can he keep her alive? And, when Jack is attacked, can they find the culprit, or has he stumbled onto something beyond his capabilities?

Genres: Fiction, Paranormal, Supernatural, Vampires
251 pages, Paperback
Published June 28, 2023

ABOUT MICHAEL B CHIKONDI (from Amazon)

Michael B. Chikondi is not to be trusted, but the creature agrees to a meeting in its burrow. We enter with trepidation, given that the thing has no doorbell. As we crawl through the narrow tunnel, gored out by its own teeth, by the texture, we hear what can only be described as a hacking cough.

“Can we approach?” we call.

“No soliciting.” the voice returns.

“You sent for us; you told us to ask you questions. You know, for promotional reasons.”

“Ask.” the dread voice responds.

“Alright, who are you?” we try.

“A creature of mist and shadow, half-mad, I used to go out, I did, and know those…humans. Not now, not since…the pen.”

“You found a pen? That’s why you became a writer?” we ask, now terrified, trying to gauge how fast we can leave the burrow. The photographer has already left us, chewing off his own watch, caught on a tree root.

“Yes, but now…I hunger…”

We are not proud; we turn tail and flee, before it can leave its den. We aren’t paid enough to get a full bio. We can only pray someone buys its books, so that the thing never comes out on its own.

Ed. What the hell is this? This isn’t what we requested. Just some nonsense and an artist’s rendition of what one of my people saw before he contracted rabies? Eh, whatever. Plenty more writers in the sea.

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Early Review – Fault by Lumen Reese @ZoominLumen

Posted on July 25, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank Book Sirens and Lumen Reese for the opportunity to read and review Fault.

It will be released on 8.24.23 and is available for Preorder.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the awesome cover for Fault by Lumen Reese. It told me everything I needed to know. I love creature features and eagerly cracked open my ereader to begin.

And begin we did. An earthquake that sunk part of the California coast gave the creature its freedom. It reveled in it.

Lucille Bennet is in Montana for work when it hits. Her children are lost, but she refuses to leave them for the creature to eat. She proceeds to build a submarine and enters the quarantine zone to retrieve their bodies. Things sure didn’t go the way I thought and I love it.

She is rescued by a ship called the Last Chance. A ship of criminals and rejects. It is dangerous, not just for her, but anyone that takes on the job. It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. They go to the most dangerous place, where the creature is, searching for oil. Yeah, keep drilling and maybe you’ll find another creature. Only one of three workers will survive the mission.

I am not going to share a ton of details, because the blurb stayed nondescriptive. The parts of the book share a separate character and their point of view. We have some romance and a few laughs. She wins over the crew by cooking good food and with a little help from those she makes friends with.

Fault by Lumen Reese unraveled like a B movie, and I devour them like the creature devoured anything that got in its way. Fault seems to be a bit different, not just a creature feature, but scifi and a bit of time travel?

The beginning was action packed and set the hook. The middle introduces us to the cast of characters and life aboard the Baton Rouge. The end is tense and thought provoking. All in all a very satisfying read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Fault by Lumen Reese.

GOODREADS REVIEW

A grieving mother.
A monster.
A ship crewed by the damned.

The Thing swam out of the magma in the Earth’s core and clawed its way up through the San Andreas Fault on the night that a chunk of the California coast sank into the Pacific. Millions died, including the two children of Lucille ‘Ceely’ Bennett, an accomplished engineer stranded in rural Montana when the cataclysm occurred. Ceely builds a submarine, complete with mechanical arms and a set of harpoons -the biggest on the market- with the intention of going down among the ruins of Los Angeles to collect her daughters’ bodies.
A mother’s love -and fury- drive her to hunt the creature across oceans and decades in this story of grief and revenge.

List: Fantasy, Horror, Queer, Science Fiction
396 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 24, 2023

ABOUT REESE LUMEN

Writer of diverse science fiction, fantasy and horror from Michigan. I failed many math classes in high school to write first drafts of the books I’ve published. It was worth it.
I think that a story should be entertaining, but should handle important social and class issues in order to be an accurate portrayal of our world. I value honest resolution over shock-value, and happy endings wherever possible, especially for my LGBT characters.
You can find me on Twitter @ZoominLumen
Or follow me on Goodreads for sales and announcements.

FAULT is a SCIENCE FICTION/HORROR novel.
(Out August 24, 2023! Available in ebook and paperback.)

THE BRIDE HUNT OF ELK MOUNTAIN is a SPECULATIVE/SCIENCE FICTION novel.
(Out now! Available in ebook and paperback.)

MONSTER MIDWIFE is a FANTASY/HORROR novel.
(Out now! Available as an ebook.)

TRIAL OF THE LOVEBIRD BUTCHER is an URBAN FANTASY/THRILLER novel.
(Out now! Available in ebook and paperback.)

CLAIRE GOT HERSELF IN TROUBLE is a YA/NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY novel. A portion of all proceeds go to Planned Parenthood.
(Out now! Available in ebook and paperback.)

MONARCH FALLS is a SCI-FI MYSTERY novel. (1st in the FOUR QUARTERS OF IMAGINATION TRILOGY)
(Out now! Available as an ebook.)

THE UNDESIRABLES is a WWII THRILLER.
(Out now! Available as an ebook.)

ROMANI and ROMANI: AMBASSADORS were the first two parts of a trilogy that I started when I was seventeen. At the time, I intended to bring awareness to an underrepresented and much maligned group, in a story about how the privileged in our society have a moral responsibility to help the less fortunate. I have since decided that I did not have the right to be telling that story, and have unpublished both books.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Review – Dead Of Winter by Darcy Coates @darcyauthor @NetGalley

Posted on July 11, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of Dead Of Winter.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Darcy Coates had me until the last head rolled and that was fantastic and very unusual. This dark and disturbing, graphically suspenseful novel had me so wrapped up I couldn’t stop reading until the last word was read.

I don’t even have the breath to scream. My face is to the sky, my back to the empty white void beneath me as I plunge, carrying a wave of snow in my wake.

And that is only the beginning of Christa’s nightmare. Nine people begin the tour and only one person will be left standing. I figure…it has to be her…doesn’t it? But, how will the others be taken out and who is the one doing it that is the question.

At first I rated Dead Of Winter by Darcy Coates a four, but as I wrote this review, seeing the novel had everything I could want in a suspense novel and an ending that deserves a star of it’s own, I had to raise my rating to a 5. I mean, I love a good storm, whether in the cold climes leading to a blizzard or the warm climes leading to a hurricane, an isolated location, a killer amongst them, bloody, gruesome and graphic deaths…I mean, what more could I possibly require for a mind numbing thrill ride into the depths of depravity and revenge?

We have those ‘don’t go out there’ moments…and I love it.

The writing and pacing keeps the suspense at a high level, the story flowing seamlessly. The list of suspects included all of the tour goers, Darcy Coates making me suspicious of them all, at one time or another. I couldn’t eliminate anyone, except Christa. Did I see who the villain was and the need for revenge? Sure, there was a hint or two here and there of the reason, but it did not lead me to the villain…until Darcy Coates exposed him. I bow to her for a job WELL DONE.

OH, I forgot to mention the gorgeous cover and the intriguing title that screams, “Read me!”.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates.

GOODREADS BLURB

From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she’s hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they’ll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing…only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport…and they’re far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 11, 2023 by Poisoned Pen Press

ABOUT DARCY COATES

Darcy Coates is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen horror and suspense novels.

She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates

Website / Twitter