Serial Killers Run Amok In The Count To Ten series by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Posted on April 26, 2017 by fundinmental

The simple covers for Jane Blythe’s Count To Ten series speak to me and, of course, reading about serial killers is always a high priority.

I love dark stories, the darker, the better.

One…

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW FOR ONE

I love dark stories with murder and serial killers running wild, and Jane Blythe has come through in this fantastic series. This guy is a real sicko. Only death will stop him.

Right off, I’m thinking…Oh no she didn’t…

Yes, he fell for her and yes, there’s a lot more gory and brutal murder to come.

Who is it? Why such grotesque murders?

I have a problem with Annabelle and Xavier hooking up, but hey, stranger things have happened. He seems too old for a naive, inexperienced young woman like her. I like my books to be ‘realistic’ and, even though I enjoyed how it developed, not just jumping in bed, but the slow and getting to know you kind of thing, something still felt off.

Annabelle ‘s dialogue made her seem older than her years, but maybe the traumatic events she has been though have caused her to grow up sooner. After all, she had been the adult of her household.

I love the fact I can’t figure out who is the culprit, even though I feel I must have met him by now. I do have a feeling…oh, wait, maybe it’s him…or could it be him?

The sicko wants revenge and I want to know why.

The twists and turns kept coming, never letting up, even when the last page was read. I DID NOT want it to end. Jane Blythe was ‘this close’ to having me rate this a five and I definitely look forward to reading more of her work.

I voluntarily reviewed One by Jane Blythe.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Annabelle Englewood slaughters her family while they sleep.

Or so it seems to Detective Xavier Montague when he and his partner arrive at her house to find her sleeping peacefully, her family all dead.

But then another family and another are murdered, again with one family member left alive, and it becomes clear that Annabelle is simply a pawn in a vicious killer’s game.

Intrigued by Annabelle, the first woman Xavier has been attracted to since his divorce, when he comes face to face with the killer he will be forced to make the ultimate choice, a life and death decision, that could let a psychotic murderer walk free.

~~~~~~

Two…

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW FOR TWO

Jane Blythe writes of serial killers and grotesque murders and I LOVE it.

Brooke Mariano is a pregnant teenager with dreams of wealth and leisure and her life is snuffed out like a candle, all to keep a secret, a secret I want to be revealed and the guilty party to pay for it.

I like that Ryan’s interest in Sophia began before they were shoved together because of the murder. Her mysterious illness may seem to make her weak, but she is strong enough and determined enough to live on her own, disinherited by her rich father because she has a mind of her own. I love strong, independent female protagonists, and Sophia is spot on. I hate men that act like dictators and feel women are supposed to fall in line.

The body count grows and so does the suspect list. I love to be kept guessing and Jane Blythe is very good at doing that. Was someone in the family eliminating other members? If so, why? Most of them are wretched, miserable, pathetic excuses for human beings, so, in my book, none of them would be missed. LOL

Sometimes those surrounding the killer are worse than the killer himself.

When they go into the room…

Jane Blythe’s use of misdirection is very well done.

I can easily visualize events as they unfolded, as if a Criminal Minds episode was playing in front of me. It is so easy to picture Sophia…in a wheelchair, hunched over, looking at photos…But…I do hate a character I am growing very fond of making such a predictable and stupid error. Now, I am pissed at her. Is it my personal feelings keeping these ratings at fours, where others would rate them higher? It’s up to you to decide.

The book has an ending , but Three will bring One and Two together in a reunion I do not want to miss. I can hardly imagine where Jane will take it and I am rubbing my hand together in glee just thinking about it.

I voluntarily reviewed Two by Jane Blythe.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Before the sun rises, another will fall.

When Brooke Mariano is found murdered on the grounds of the powerful Everette family’s estate, it looks at first as though she may have been killed in order to keep the paternity of her unborn child a secret.

However, when another member of the Everette family turns up dead each night, it quickly becomes a race against time as Detective Ryan Xander and his partner try to discover which member of the family is the killer before the entire clan wind up dead.

Ryan’s only inroad to the secretive family is Sofia Everette. Shunned by her father for her refusals to obey him, and battling a mysterious illness, Sofia’s childhood dreams may be the key to saving her life and stopping the killer from exterminating the entire Everette family.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series, Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.

When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Assassin + Serial Killer = Come Hell or High Water by Britney King @britneyking_

Posted on April 19, 2017 by fundinmental

I love the fabulously eerie cover for Come Hell or High Water, the finale for a stupendous trilogy by Britney King.

Come Hell or High Water (The Water Trilogy #3)

Author: Britney King
Title: Come Hell or High Water
Series: Water Trilogy #3
Release Date: April 19, 2017

MY REVIEW

I didn’t think Kate could get any more twisted, but I was so wrong. Her desire to know drives her to do unspeakable, twisted and perverted things. Her actions constantly amaze me, and not in a good way. Where our anger and thoughts of doing something bad to someone may flit through our minds, Kate acts on hers.

This latest ‘event’ cannot end well and I don’t know what she’s thinking. She’s fooling herself. People like her can’t have friends. I’m not even sure she can have a husband and kids and I wonder how this story could possible end with a happy ever after.

If Kate and Jude could live in a sexual frenzy, could they be happy, content with a life in suburbia? Can a serial killer ever be happy? Does killing become an end all, must have, like the air they breathe?

This trilogy has been an amazing journey into the mind of assassins and serial killers, and what motivates them to do the things they do. Sometimes I think I am a little twisted because I loved reading about Kate and Jude so much, but then I think about the author that writes it. LOL

Kate starts out calm and in control…for now, and Jude will settle for that…for now. But what happens the shit hits the fan and Jude fears that more than anything.

And their children…Do serial killers breed serial killers?

Britney King’s in depth descriptions of people, whether it’s the main characters, their petty, drunken neighbors, or the woman in the dress shop treating people like crap because she hates her petty life

We get a glimpse into their past through flashbacks, but that is no excuse for them doing the things they do.

Seeing all books need to be read to follow the story, I don’t want to spoil anything, so all I can say is Kate and Jude are seriously fucked up and I can only wonder .how they haven’t managed to kill each other

I love the illustrations heading each chapter, hinting at what’s to come.

After Kate and Jude have sex, Jude’s thoughts are I think about what we’ve just done, how we’re so broken and yet we fit just right. Then why all the problems? Why can’t Kate be happy? Content?

I started to get bored with the killing (LOL), chatting, kids…and that’s when Britney King throws in a fantastic twist. She lulls me in with a sense of complacency then slams it home.

I have been trying to figure out how Britney King will wrap up The Water Trilogy and couldn’t wrap my mind around a happy ending, but she came up with one that fit very nicely and I can rest…

This twisted, dark suspense thriller series is one you won’t want to miss!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Come Hell or High Water by Britney King.

5 Stars

EXCERPT

“I’ve been studying her for weeks. I know how she takes her coffee, the color she prefers on her nails, the way her mouth moves when she sleeps. I don’t know what she looks like when she’s happy. But I will.”

When Cheryl Steinbeck-Edwards makes the decision to get in a car with a potential contractor, meticulous hitman Jude Riley and his lovely wife Kate, it appears to be the perfect partnership. Turns out, nothing is perfect, and getting in that car was a poor choice, to say the least.

When Kate decides not to kill the woman, as she and her husband agreed, a series of events, some might even call it karma, conspire to turn their worst fears turn into reality.

I’ve been studying her for months. I know how she takes her coffee, the color she prefers on her nails, the way her mouth moves when she sleeps. I don’t know what she looks like when she’s happy. But I will.

That’s not to say I meant to keep her this long. And, of course, you, well you, never intended to keep her at all. But then, what’s done is done.

“I want you to be happy here,” I told her the first week she was here, not long after we let the drugs wear off completely.

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she said.

“Tell me what makes you happy.”

I could see her thinking about my question; I could see that I’d set something into motion. It wasn’t immediate—most things that are truly great rarely are, but eventually her lips turned upward. Slowly, she broke out into a full-on smile, and it was like the sun coming out on a cloudy day. “He makes me happy.”

“Your husband,” I said. It wasn’t a question. Mostly because it hadn’t occurred to me that it should be.

She laughed just slightly. The smile remained. “Something like that.”

“I see,” I told her, raising my brow.

She looked at me then, really looked at me. The smile faded but her eyes lit up. “Not yet, you don’t,” she said. “But you will.”

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

Britney King writes modern love stories for mature audiences. She also enjoys suspense and often finds her sweet spot penning a good mixture of the two.

Britney is the author of eight novels and is currently at work on number nine.

She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat and a partridge in a pear tree.

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MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

Teaser Tuesday #92 – Vigilante Dead by DV Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on February 21, 2017 by fundinmental

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:

• 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! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

~~~~~~

This is how I felt as I rode Kate’s Crazy Train!

DV Berkom’s characters are strong women who face dark and dangerous situations, and Kate Jones is put to the test in Vigilante Dead.

You can see my Review HERE.

There are definitely turbulent waters inside.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY TEASE

I climbed the front stoop and rang the doorbell.

(page 56 in paperback)

GOODREADS BLURB: Death. Lies. Revenge.

After years of running, Kate Jones is finally putting her past behind her. Between restoring ties with her younger sister, moving in with Sam, a cop-turned PI, and working as a PI herself, she’s learning to live life without looking over her shoulder.

Then Kate lands a case that changes everything: a young college student with no history of drug abuse dies of an overdose, and the parents come to Kate demanding answers. Soon, Seattle is reeling from dozens more deaths, all with the same chemical markers. At first, police assume that the victims are closet junkies who got a hold of a bad combination, but after someone close to her becomes a victim, Kate believes something far more sinister is going on.

The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right… and getting revenge.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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You WILL Want To Ride This Crazy Train – Vigilante Dead by DV Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on February 15, 2017 by fundinmental

This is how I felt as I rode Kate’s Crazy Train!

DV Berkom’s characters are strong women who face dark and dangerous situations, and Kate Jones is put to the test in Vigilante Dead.

I love this amazing cover done by Deranged Doctor Designs.

There are definitely turbulent waters inside.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OMG, D! You have outdone yourself! Best one yet!

If you are looking for a strong female protagonist and a high octane thriller, look no furthert!

Every time I think DV Berkom can’t make a Kate Jones Thriller even more thrilling, she puts out a story like Vigilante Dead.

Kate has been running from her past for a long time, but now she has settled down. She is a private investigator and has a gorgeous man, Sam, at her side. He is a super guy who gives her space and time when she needs it and some lovin’ when she needs that.

When her sister ODs, the hunt is on…

Drugs, murder, vengeance…

I love books that make me think of our life choices. We all march to our own drummer and who knows what will work if we don’t explore our options. BUT, sometimes we get off course and the road we walk takes us down a dark and dangerous path. So does Kate.

Kate grows more complex with each story told, but danger follows her through each and every one. This time, D took her somewhere that totally blew my mind. Sometimes the character demands that you go there, go where the bad guy goes to get your answers.

DV Berkom’s characters are strong and bold, and sometimes I think they need to have a little more fear. I worry for them. Every time Kate went creeping around, staking out places, I waited for the hammer to fall. I do love that she does things I only think about.

Kate fights the lows that wash over her when she thinks of all she has been through and lost by making mistakes in her youth. They left her with nightmares. Her rash actions and decisions can get her in difficult and dangerous situations.

Kate’s family pisses me off! and her wimpy dad is a huge disappointment to me. Am I being too harsh? You will need to decide.

And Angie, a badass assassin, you are a woman after my own heart, until…

You make a deal with the devil and you get burned.

I cannot quit reading, not for a second. I cannot wait to learn the ending of Vigilante Dead…thoughts are running through my mind, fed by the title. I am loving and hating what I am thinking.

The twists and turns DV Berkom has supplied in Vigilante Dead has ratcheted the suspense and my anticipation to a white knuckled, nail biting level. With all that is happening I am wondering where DV Berkom will leave Kate.

I am mentally yelling at her…DON’T DO IT!!!!!

Yet the little devil whispering on my shoulder says…

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Death. Lies. Revenge.

The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right… and getting revenge.

ABOUT DV BERKOM

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.

For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
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Author Pages: Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / itunes / Kobo

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My Reviews DV Berkom’s Leine Basso Thrillers:

My Reviews for DV Berkom’s Kate Jones Thrillers:

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One Sentence Review – Tweedledum and Tweedledee by Willow Rose @willowredrose

Posted on February 4, 2017 by fundinmental

I am a loyal follower of Willow Rose, so I was able to pick up Tweedledum and Tweedledee on a free day.

She writes some of the most amazing, frightening, original horror novels I have ever read.

If you are not familiar with her…I highly recommend you correct that…NOW!

The fabulous cover was designed by Jan Sigetty Boeje, her husband.

The photo of the Siamese Twin Creepy Doll was done by Jodi Carr at Tatteredrags.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OMG…right out of the gate…breathtaking, jaw dropping, spine tingling…One of the most Criminal Minds on steroids, suspense, mystery, horror, thriller stories I have ever read, and a must read for all you extreme horror lovers…and I DARE YOU to go on that cruise? 😈

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: A hair-raising thriller from an Amazon bestselling author! …A must read for mystery lovers.

In the middle of the night, Alberto Alonzo sneaks out to play at the casino with his mother’s credit card in his hand. The next morning he is gone and no one knows where he is and, for his family, a real-life nightmare unfolds.

Emma Frost is with her family on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea when the boy goes missing from the ship. The boy is the son of a world-famous race driver. When the wife is killed shortly thereafter, everyone turns their attention to the race driver and thinks he killed them both.

But soon, another teenager disappears in the middle of the night and Emma suddenly finds herself leading a desperate manhunt to track down the killer before he strikes again.

-RUN, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN is a spine-chilling mystery. It is the third book in Willow Rose’s bestselling Emma Frost series.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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My Review of Slenderman

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One Sentence Review – Slenderman by Willow Rose @willowredrose

Posted on November 19, 2016 by fundinmental

I have read some of Willow Rose’s work and loved it, so when I saw this freebie on Amazon, I had to grab it.

What a creepy, fantastic cover!

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Harassment…oh, it is so much more than that…and I wonder if Brutus will go all Cujo on her as the past comes back to haunt her with characters that are so far out there, entitled, mean, cruel, deadly, and the mystery of Slenderman seems to come out of the computer and walk in real life…

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: An engrossing thriller from an Amazon bestselling author! Ever heard of Slender Man?

They say he is always there. They say he is always watching. A tall guy in a suit and tie, with no face, and arms like tentacles.

Some say he is an online myth; others will go very far to prove he is real, so far that they might even kill for him.

Fanoe Island is busy with the mayoral election coming up, when suddenly, the sitting mayor is found killed. Rumors tell that a faceless man dressed in a suit and tie did it.

In Emma Frost’s house that she inherited from her grandmother, a box of letters is found that tells a story from a long time ago. A terrifying story revealing a painful chapter in the life of her own family half a century ago.

– Slender Man is a spine-chilling mystery from the bestselling author Willow Rose. It is the ninth in her Emma Frost-series.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Teaser Tuesday #77 – Water Under The Bridge by Britney King @britneyking_

Posted on October 11, 2016 by fundinmental

Teaser

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

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!

~~~~~~

Water Under The Bridge by Britney King

This gorgeous cover looks so nice…doesn’t it? Britney King designed it herself.

Wait til you read the not so nice story inside!!!!!

Goodreads / Amazon

MY TEASE

I have to find you.

You need to know the only friend you need is me.

(7% on Kindle)

I will be reviewing Water Under The Bridge by Britney King on 10.25.16, so be sure and stop by to check out this fantastic suspense thriller!

GOODREADS BLURB

My whole life I’ve wanted nothing more than to fit in.
Only, my whole life I’ve done anything but.
That’s probably because I’m anything but average. After all—female serial killers seem to be a minority in today’s society.
And that’s ok—because I’ve longed for a change for quite some time now.
Which brings me back around to fitting in.
You know what one has to do to fit in?
I do.
One has to blend.
Which is great news!
Because I realize my clock is ticking, so to speak, and now I want a family. Luckily, I’ve always been good at getting what I want.
So I figure what better place to blend than suburbia?
All that stuff I did before—it’s water under the bridge now. I just hope it’s not too late to change my ways. Here’s to hoping for suburbia’s sake, too.
I mean, what are the odds I could be the girl next door?
Apparently, they’re better than you might think.

==============================

Your whole life you’ve wanted to fit in.
Only your whole life you’ve done anything but.
That’s probably because you’re anything but average— you’re a killer— but, then so am I.
You say you’ve longed for a change for quite some time now.
This is good because, well, me too.
Your clock is ticking, you want a family, but you waste so much time.
I know because I’m watching, waiting, blending.
What you don’t realize is if you want me, and I think you do, then you’ll have to change your ways because sometimes hunters become hunted.
But what are the odds of that happening in suburbia?
Apparently, they’re better than you might think.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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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

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Friday 56 #97 & BB – Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plante @LaPlanteLynda

Posted on September 2, 2016 by fundinmental

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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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Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plante has been made into TV, movie and video game adaptations. The Granda Television series starred Helen Mirren.

This is the cover for the mass market paperback I have that was published in 1993.

Amazon / Goodreads

My 56

Kernan cleared his throat. “OK, I’ve gone over all the reports on the Marlow case and it looks in good shape. I think, when I’ve had time to assess it all, we can go ahead and charge him. But until that decision is made, and I know time is against us, I am bringing in another DCI to take over. You all now Detective Chief Inspector Tennison…”

(Page 56 in paperback, published in 1993)

Book Beginnings

Mrs. Corrina Salbanna was woken from a deep sleep by the sound of the front door banging in the wind. She squinted at her bedside clock; it was almost two. Swearing in her native Spanish, she threw off the bedclothes and stuffed her plump feet into her slippers.

My question to you: Do you think she’s a bitch? Why or why not?

GOODREADS BLURB: In the dark night of the soul . . . . If Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison hadn’t been a woman, she might not have noticed the victim’s shoes . . . . and that they didn’t match the size given on the info sheet now so obviously misidentifying the dead blonde as a hooker named Della Mornay. Being so through, so good at the details, made Jane a top investigator; being a woman made the boys in the squadron want to see her fall on her face. But Jane Tennison was determined to catch the madman stalking women in London’s street shadows. She had a prime suspect, and she needed to make the charges against him stick. She also needed to keep her own secret in check: she couldn’t let anyone see that she was falling apart inside, as her obsession with cracking this case and breaking out from under the heel of the station house boy’s club took over life, destroying her relationship with the man she loved, pushing her closer and closer to the dark urges of a killer . . . .

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
To see all my reviews, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
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WHICH COVER WOULD YOU CHOOSE, Including the one above?

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Review – Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin @juliathrillers

Posted on August 3, 2016 by fundinmental

The cover for Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin told me all I need to know.

I am a sucker for a great cover and the book design by Dana Leigh Blanchette evokes feelings of mystery and intrigue, making it a book that I want on my shelf.

What do you think of when you look at the cover?

MY REVIEW

I won Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway and I was very excited to get my hands on this character-based psychological thriller. I love reading about serial killers and Black -Eyed Susans has enough twists and turns that it kept me guessing to the very end. To delve into the minds of Tessie and Lydia shows the games our mind can play with us and how nothing is ever as it seems on the surface. Being buried alive is one of the creepiest things I can imagine and even though Tessie survived the experience, the emotional scars are much deeper than the physical ones. Lydia… Is her entire story told…or does she keep some secrets never to be brought to light? Doesn’t matter to me, I love her anyway. The death penalty…O J Simpson…guilt…innocence…If you want to jump at every noise in the night, every doorbell ringing…you will want to read Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin.

4 Stars

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GOODREADS BLURB: For fans of Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn comes an electrifying novel of stunning psychological suspense.

I am the star of screaming headlines and campfire ghost stories.
I am one of the four Black-Eyed Susans.
The lucky one.

As a sixteen-year-old, Tessa Cartwright was found in a Texas field, barely alive amid a scattering of bones, with only fragments of memory as to how she got there. Ever since, the press has pursued her as the lone surviving “Black-Eyed Susan,” the nickname given to the murder victims because of the yellow carpet of wildflowers that flourished above their shared grave. Tessa’s testimony about those tragic hours put a man on death row.

Now, almost two decades later, Tessa is an artist and single mother. In the desolate cold of February, she is shocked to discover a freshly planted patch of black-eyed susans—a summertime bloom—just outside her bedroom window. Terrified at the implications—that she sent the wrong man to prison and the real killer remains at large—Tessa turns to the lawyers working to exonerate the man awaiting execution. But the flowers alone are not proof enough, and the forensic investigation of the still-unidentified bones is progressing too slowly. An innocent life hangs in the balance. The legal team appeals to Tessa to undergo hypnosis to retrieve lost memories—and to share the drawings she produced as part of an experimental therapy shortly after her rescue.

What they don’t know is that Tessa and the scared, fragile girl she was have built a fortress of secrets. As the clock ticks toward the execution, Tessa fears for her sanity, but even more for the safety of her teenaged daughter. Is a serial killer still roaming free, taunting Tessa with a trail of clues? She has no choice but to confront old ghosts and lingering nightmares to finally discover what really happened that night.

Shocking, intense, and utterly original, Black-Eyed Susans is a dazzling psychological thriller, seamlessly weaving past and present in a searing tale of a young woman whose harrowing memories remain in a field of flowers—as a killer makes a chilling return to his garden.