Sex, Torture and Human Trafficking ~ Blood is Power by Ella Medler Review

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MY REVIEW

Ella Medler’s Hunter Series has some of the most awesome, vibrant, eyecatching covers that relate to the story and I love them. I could never walk by without picking them up, just by the cover alone.

I had read Blood Is Heavier, Book I, and I was dying to continue Nick’s story. Blood Is Power picks up where Blood Is Heavier left off. I knew this would be another hit thriller and I was not disappointed. Fast paced, exciting and suspenseful.

Nick was tired of all the killing, but Campbell or Dallas had kidnapped Cameron and Maxi to make him do their bidding, so now they would have to pay. They had no idea what a big mistake they had made. If he was good enough to hire, they should have thought of the repercussions. He found the yacht easily.

Tequila is Nick’s best bud. They had been in Special Forces together and had a special bond. She understood him and would do anything for him. She is strong, stubborn and resourceful. He had Max and Cam. She was alone, but she takes care of his family as if it’s her own. She is obsessive, impetuous and pushes things too far. It gets her in trouble. I was freaking out for Tequila. I love her and am scared for her.

Police Officer Newton, along with Marsh is doing a lot off the grid. Newton has a disregard for rules. They are walking a mighty fine line, venturing on their own to save…..They will risk their careers to do the right thing.

What was Dollar dela Rue’s game? He enjoyed being turned on by others pain. Is he in to human trafficking? Aweful, just awful Ella. How do you come up with such evilness. LOL I love it.

“So much blood? I hope its worth it.”

“Blood is power. Its money and influence and authority. It’s me.”

Hard to not give away too much. Police corruption. Rich powerful men ruling the world. A few out for the few. They can bring you down on a whim. Is that happening now? I do believe in conspiracies. Just look at current events.

I love thrillers and this is a great one. From the UK to Cypress to the Maldines. Greed, corruption, pornography, sex slaves, murder, and the deepest, darkest depravities of the sexually perverted.

Death of a 1000 – ling chi.

The writing was so real, I was at turns afraid, disgusted and super pissed.

I can’t think of where she will go next but am glad to hear that Tequila’s story will be told.

Bonus material and an interview with Ella Medler is at the end of the book.

The interview is very entertaining. When she tells how she remains sane, I loved it. Cracking up. I loved reading how she chooses characters names, and does her research on locations, the military culture, maps, organ transplant, slave trade, trafficking…

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Blood Is Power from Ella Medler.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

In this second instalment of his story, Nick Hunter proceeds to track down and eliminate every person involved in his son’s kidnap. But where will the chase end? And has he bitten off more than he can chew? Nick discovers a tangled net of human trafficking and corruption, and world-class players with a penchant for disturbed obsessions. Gritty, dark, chock-full of suspense. Don’t start reading if you cannot finish it in one sitting.

85,000 words approx, plus Bonus Materials 1, 2 & 3.
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(non-spoiler excerpt)
“Action!” Dollar shouted. Then, quieter, to her. “Oh, I will enjoy watching your end, Precious. Every single second of it. Every cut, every lick of blood, every morsel of flesh that drops off your body.” Tequila felt her eyes bulge out of their sockets. She was too terrified to breathe, too stunned to think. And still, the beast walked nearer. He sneered, and then lifted up the scalpel until it was level with his chin. “Don’t forget to scream,” he whispered.
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Don’t miss BLOOD IS THE END, the last book in the Hunter trilogy, due for release in 2014, and DEAL WITH IT! – Tequila’s story, a spin-off created by popular demand.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ella MedlerElla Medler is a U.K. author and free-lance editor. She writes fiction in more than one genre in a seemingly vain attempt to slow down her overactive brain enough to write non-fiction on subjects she knows a thing or two about. She also does not believe in the starchy use of English and ignores the type of rule that doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. Her books are action-driven and well-developed characters are her forte. Loves: freedom. Hates: her inner censor.

Stalk Ella:  Blog Goodreads  /  Facebook  /  Twitter Paper Gold Publishing

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Blood Is Heavier, Book I

Blood Is Heavier (Hunter)Blood is Power (Hunter)
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They Killed Santa in Cowabunga Christmas @aburke59

 Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke hooked me. How can I possibly resist sitting in that lounger, watching Kim and Brien hit the surf and wonder what trouble they will find as they butt into a murder mystery.

Christmas, a tropical beach locale and a dead Santa…Merry Christmas to you.

Cowabunga dudes and dudettes, “Sur’f Up.”

MY REVIEW

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke has so much going for it…A gorgeous cover, hot surfer dudes and dudettes, Santa, a murder mystery and…

We begin our adventure by jumping the fence around the closed pool at this elite resort and taking a “midnight” swim. I have jumped a fence or two in my time, so I thought this was a good sign.

Daniela Ruah - Monte-Carlo Television Festival.jpgIt’s Christmas, Kim is on her honeymoon with her hot and hunky surfer dude hubby, Brien. Kim was going to learn to surf and she got her very own wettie for Christmas.

They are opposites – He is hard and fast, she is slow and soft. The picture of them, in my head, is my favorite two characters from NCIS Los Angeles, Kensi Blye, Daniela Ruah, and Marty Deeks, Eric Christian Olsen.Eric Christian Olsen - Monte-Carlo Television Festival (cropped).jpg

Shortly after their pool jumping adventure, a body is found floating in the pool…dead. Oh no, it’s Santa.

We have a double and a triple cross and is there a treasure?

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke with its easy reading and colorful characters has all the elements for a fun and humorous cozy mystery.

One mystery is solved…but, wait, there’s more on the horizon in Gnarly New Year.

“Cowabunga Christmas – it’s the most epic Christmas anyone could every have. We had one of the most awesome mornings surfing.” From Brien.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  3 Stars

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Last Train From Perdition by Robert McCammon @MacCammon

Last Train From Perdition is only one of the many stories Robert McCammon has to tell.

If you love some vampires with your horror, you’ll want to check him out.

If you have read I Travel by Night by Robert McCammon, and have been waiting for the next adventure in the series, then your wait is over. Book II, Last Train From Perdition is now available for pre-order and has a publishing date of October 31, 2016. I have not read the first book, but don’t feel it made a difference in my reading enjoyment.

Cover:  Michael Whelan

Publisher:  Subterranean Press

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MY REVIEW

I won this ARC of Robert McCammon in the black and white scifi/fantasy/horror novella surprise giveaway at Little Red Reviewer. Thanks Andrea. I am very excited to read it. Robert McCammon’s name is familiar to me and he is a prolific author of horror.

Last Train from Perdition is the second novella in the I Travel By Night series. I don’t feel like it made any difference in the reading by not having read the first novella, but I sure do want to now.

Trevor is a vampire, but not the vicious, human killing kind, though he does have a mighty thirst for blood…he drinks cattle blood, but it is a constant struggle to keep to that. He takes on a “job” to recover a man’s errant son, who wants to come home, from a gang of Wild West killers and teams up with Ann to do it. Just think of having a sidekick like Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane. Together they must fight the Dark Society to accomplish their mission. The battle is vicious, savage, and lethal for humans and vampires alike. These are not your run of the mill vampires and Robert McCammon has many surprises in store for us in this original storyline that makes me love Trevor and see why Ann will sacrifice her life to help him. If you need another gun you guys…I’m in. Last Train from Perdition by Robert McCammon left me SCREAMING for more.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

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AMAZON BLURB:  In I Travel by Night, master of horror Robert McCammon introduced the tortured and instantly unforgettable vampire adventurer Trevor Lawson—All Matters Handled—as he searched for his maker, LaRouge, in hope of becoming human once more. It wove a tale about the terrors of the Dark Society, featuring the gothic sensibilities of old New Orleans, and the unforgiving violence of the untamed frontier of 1886. Now McCammon returns to Lawson’s gripping journey and sends him West, in the chilling sequel novella Last Train from Perdition.

Ever on the hunt for LaRouge, Lawson still travels by night, but no longer alone. Crack-shot, whip-smart Ann has become his companion, on her own search for her vampire-taken father and sister. Lawson has been summoned from New Orleans and the Hotel Sanctuaire to Omaha by a wealthy man who needs his son retrieved from a band of outlaws. Lawson and Ann agree to take the case and travel to the town of Perdition where they find their prey—but things get complicated fast when a saloon shootout leaves an innocent girl badly injured.

On a night train from Perdition to Helena to find medical help, it soon becomes clear that Lawson and Ann’s enemies may also be looking to prey upon them. As they struggle against those forces of darkness with a trainload of their most unlikely allies yet, Lawson also wages battle with the darkness LaRouge left within him. This latest installment in Trevor Lawson’s battle for redemption finds bestselling McCammon at his thrilling best.

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Review – The Company Store by H D Gordon @hd_gordon

All ages will enjoy this dystopian tale of Earth and the characters that fill the pages. Some I love and some I hate, but they entered my life and I feel I will benefit from knowing them.

Will you?

I borrowed this book from my sister, Laura at fuonlyknew, and I want to thank her for sharing with me.

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MY REVIEW

I have read most of H D Gordon’s work and The Company Store is another fabulous tale with rich characters and a storyline that will stick with me for a long, long time. The Company Store reads as if it could be a history of the world. The greed that corrupts and taints everything it touches. The destruction of the forest and oceans. The death and extinction of the amazing animals that inhabit it. The people, good and bad. Some will sacrifice everything to have what they believe is theirs (the 1%). Some will sacrifice everything to save the ones they love, the weak and poor. Does any of this sound familiar to you? I thought I knew how this would go…and I did, to a point. The surprise ending put a smile on my face and gave me hope.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

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GOODREADS BLURB:  Thanks to the greed of man, Earth is dying. Climate change and human greed has wrought mass destruction over the planet, and a fraction of the population remains.

The Company Store controls the last civilization, known as the Single Nation Circle. Those outside the Circle are Outliers, outcasts and gangsters who do whatever it takes to survive.

Samuel Poe is the 18-year-old leader of the Poe Boys, the Northern Outlier gang. With resources ever dwindling, Sam knows he must be the toughest of the dogs fighting over the scraps if he hopes to keep himself and his people alive.

When Sam meets Anna Rose, daughter of Mr. Company, the most powerful man in the dying world, he finds himself in a deadly race toward resources and a new life.

Much like those of their ancestors, the choices of the two star-crossed teenagers will echo through the ages, the fate of the human race resting on their shoulders.

4 Stars

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My Reviews of H D Gordon’s novels

 

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Romantic Suspense – Scar Tissue by M C Domovitch @Moniquedomovitc @pumpupyourbook

 

Scar Tissue by M C Domovitch has such a creepy cover, I had to find out what’s inside.
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I mean…she keeps looking at me…calling to me.
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Do you believe eyes reveal the secrets of the soul?
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Scar Tissue
TitleScar Tissue
Author: MC Domovitch
Publisher: Lansen Publishing
Pages: 396
Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller/Paranormal
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MY REVIEW
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The cover for Scar Tissue by M C Domovitch is calling to me, that eye drawing me into the book, making me have to know what’s inside. Add to that a paranormal romantic suspense thriller and I am sold down the river.
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The opening lines had me hooked…
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Ciara had been kidnapped, raped and tortured, but…somehow…escaped. Then, to top it all off, she was hit by a car and now has amnesia. What more can possibly happen to the poor girl? Well…let’s read on and find out, because I have a feeling her journey is far from over.
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Her boyfriend was due to inherit millions, but a morality clause was creating problems for him and his siblings. Could one of them be behind the kidnapping? Power and greed does strange things to people, bringing out their ugliest sides. OR, could it be The Cutter, a serial rapist on the loose.
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I occasionally got pissed off at Ciara. I wanted her to step up and slap someone once in a while, instead of letting them walk all over her. I hate when authors make a woman so meek and mild, afraid to stand up for themselves…but M C Domovitch has her reasons. You will have to read Scar Tissue to find out for yourself.
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Ciara has terrible headaches. Could the Scar Tissue be the cause or is there more going on than meets the eye? She decides to take self defense classes and train in make-up artistry. The self defense classes make sense, but is the training in the art of totally changing your appearance going to play a bigger role than just making a living?
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When she gets a job at a mortuary, making up the dead, it made me think of the TV show, Mike and Molly, and the character of Victoria. One day, as she is going about the business of beautifying a dead body, she forgets to wear her gloves and…WOW! I don’t know what I was expecting from the story, but it wasn’t that and I am loving it. Now, the potential for Scar Tissue rises to an even higher level and I can hardly wait to see where M C Domovitch is going to take me..
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Scar Tissue is wrapped up in an interesting ending and I see so much potential for Ciara to go into a series, to develop and use her talents to solve crimes, so I am curious to see if M C Domovitch has more in store for her. I hope so!
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I received a copy of Scar Tissue from M C Domovitch in return for an honest review.
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Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars
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ABOUT THE BOOK
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When successful model Ciara Cain wakes up in hospital, remembering nothing of the weeks she has been missing, her only clues are the ugly words carved into her skin. According to the police she was a victim of the Cutter, a serial killer who has already murdered three women. For her protection the police and her doctors give a press conference, announcing that because her amnesia is organically caused, her memory loss is permanent. But, whether her memory returns or not is anybody’s guess.

Overnight, Ciara’s glamorous life is gone. Her scars have killed both her modelling career and her relationship with her rich boyfriend. With nothing to keep her in New York, she returns to her home town of Seattle, moves in with her sister and goes about building a new life. But when her sister lets it slip that Ciara’s memory is returning, the killer comes after her again. If Ciara is to stay alive, she must keep one step ahead of the Cutter.

For More Information

Book Excerpt

 It was the pain that pierced the fog in her brain.

It seemed to come from all over her body, more intensely from her right leg,
where it pulsated to the rhythm of her heart. She tried to open her eyes, but
her lids felt…so…very…heavy. It was easier to fall back into the haze inside
her mind. She floated there, vaguely aware of somebody calling her name.
“Ciara, it’s me.” The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. “Please wake up.”.”” She drifted off again.
Time had lost all meaning. She wandered in and out of a great void. She might have been sleeping for minutes or days. Occasionally her eyelids fluttered for a few seconds, only to grow still again. One day when she opened her eyes, the fog had lifted. The first thing she saw were old acoustic ceiling tiles. Puzzled, she blinked. A beeping caught her attention and she shifted her gaze to the side. Next to her was a monstrous machine.
Tubes were running from it to her and back again. Where was she?
She tried to speak, but there was something in her mouth. She moaned, and then a woman was bending over her, her eyes full of tears.
“Ciara. Can you hear me?” Her sister? Deirdre was here? All the way from
Seattle? She must be in a hospital. If she was sick, whatever she had was
serious.
“If you can, squeeze my hand.” She strained to move, but her limbs were great weights. Her movements were sluggish. But she must have squeezed because suddenly Deirdre was yelling, “She’s awake. Ciara is awake.” But she was asleep again.
Over the next few days, there were more and more moments of awareness. The tube in her mouth was removed and she was given ice
chips, and then water. She couldn’t seem to get enough.
“Good morning, young lady,” a doctor said.
It was morning? She’d had no idea. He shone a penlight in her eyes. She vaguely remembered him doing this before. She must have drifted off again, because she blinked and he was gone.
A different doctor came to visit. He wore surgical greens. He too peered into her eyes with a light and then asked her a number of questions, starting with her name.
“Ciara Kelly,” she said in a voice she barely recognized. From a corner of her room came an excited voice. “Oh, my God! She’s speaking. That means she’s fully out of the coma, doesn’t it?”
She hadn’t dreamed it. Her sister truly was right here in New York.
This is New York, isn’t it?
“It’s still too soon to be certain, but things look good so far.” The doctor continued with his questions. “Can you count backward from one hundred for me?”
She had to think hard. “One hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight.” Had she gotten that right?
“Very good.” After another half dozen questions, the doctor smiled at last. “Welcome back, Ciara. You’ve had a lot of people very worried for a long time. Do you remember what happened?”
“I was in an accident?” she guessed.
“That’s right. Do you remember it?”
She wrinkled her brow in concentration. “I was at a photo shoot for Prêt-a-Porter,” she said, naming a popular magazine.
“Oh, my God. I was supposed to fly to Milan today. I’ve got to get out of here.
My agent will kill me if I miss my flight.”
“You already missed that flight,” her sister said. “You’ve been in a coma for a while.”
“In a coma?” Ciara looked at her blankly. “How long of a while?”
There was a hesitation, until at last Deirdre said, “Seventeen days.”
“Seven…” That was impossible. Why, that photo shoot was only yesterday. She was sure of it. She’d been looking forward to her flight to Italy and auditioning for all the glamorous designer shows. Could that really have been over two weeks ago? She suddenly noticed her forearms.
She hardly recognized them as her own. They were so thin.
She must have lost a ton of weight. Her first reaction was one of joy. Even her agent would have to agree she was thin enough now. She imagined what she might say when she saw her. Why Ciara, you’re a perfect size two. Armani will adore you.
But from what her sister had just said, the collections were already half
over. And come to think of it, she had no idea what kind of shape she was in.
How badly was she hurt? Could she even walk? She flexed her toes and was
relieved to see movement under the bedsheet. At least she wasn’t paralyzed.
“What’s wrong with me?” At the same time she became aware of a dull pain in her right leg. “Please tell me I don’t have a broken leg. I don’t have time for that. I have to get back to work.”
Deirdre came closer, placing a comforting hand over hers. “Work will have to wait. You have some healing to do first. You were pretty banged up when you were brought in. You had a compound fracture of the leg, not to mention a lot of cuts and bruises. But, didn’t I always tell you, you have a really hard head, Ciara Kelly, because with the blow you got you should have had a broken skull. Instead, all you got was a concussion.”
The doctor took over from there. “But as far as concussions go, yours was a beauty. Your leg will be fine. We had to put in a few screws, so from now on you might beep when you go through airport security.
Your cuts are healing nicely. All in all, you are one very lucky young lady.”
He called this lucky?
“What about my head? Am I… Will I…” She could deal with all of that, but the thought of having a brain injury was too much.
“You did have a brain bleed when you came in. But we were able to treat it without surgery. You’ve had an MRI, and from what we can tell, except for a tiny bit of scar tissue in the posterior cingulate cortex, everything is fine. If you had lingering problems, they most likely would have shown up by now.”
“Posterior cingular…What does that area of the brain do?”
“The posterior cingulate cortex,” he repeated with a teasing smile. “That’s an area most people have never heard of. It’s one of the most metabolically active regions of the brain, but the simple truth is nobody really knows what its true cognitive role might be.”
“Are you telling me I might have brain damage, and you don’t know how it might affect me?”
The teasing glint was gone, but his tone was still light. “No idea whatsoever.” He picked her chart and scribbled a few words. “But we’ll keep an eye on you and if we notice anything, we’ll deal with it then.”
Her sister gave him a reproving look. “You’re fine, Ciara. Don’t worry about it. They’ve taken every possible test and everything looks perfectly normal.”
A nurse walked in at that moment, signaling for the doctor’s attention. “The police are sending somebody over to question the patient.”
“The police?” Ciara said. “Of course. The accident.” They’d want her version of what happened.  “Why can’t I remember anything between the
photo shoot and waking up here?”
The room became quiet. “That’s not abnormal,” the doctor said at last. “You’ve only been fully awake for a few hours. It could take days, maybe even longer before everything comes back to you.” Ciara nodded, her eyes darting from the doctor to her sister. She had the feeling they were keeping something from her.
About the Author

 

M C Domovitch is the author of nine novels, four of which were published under the name of Carol Ann Martin (by Penguin), another two under the name Monique Domovitch (by Carina Press) The other three are published as M C Domovitch, Scorpio Rising, The Sting of the Scorpio (Both now republished in one single tome) and Scar Tissue. The decision to use a different pen name was based on her departure from cozy mysteries and entering the Romance and Romantic Suspense genres.
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Before becoming an author, Monique had multiple careers, beginning with modeling. She won a modeling contest in the 70s and became one of Canada’s top models. After retiring from the fashion industry, she studied finance and joined an investment company. This led to a new career as host of her own television show about investing, with the television network, WTN. Following her retirement from finance, she decided to pursue her true passion, writing. At a writing workshop at San Diego’s Writers’
Conference, one of her unpublished books caught the eye of a publisher and of an agent. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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Domovitch lives with her physician husband and their dogs. They divide their time between homes in Victoria and Toronto Canada and Key Largo Florida.
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Book Trailer & Giveaway for Joshua and the Arrow Realm @DonnaGalanti

I’m thrilled to unveil the trailer for book two in Donna Galanti’s fantasy adventure Lightning Road series,  JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM, arriving August 30th. The Midwest Book Review calls book one, JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD, “a heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish.”  Grab book one for just $.99cents now through September 20th.

Be sure to enter the fun giveaway package at the bottom of this post that includes a paperback of book one, poster of the Lost Realm, bookmarks, and a $25 B&N gift card (U.S. only). Sign up for Donna’s Thunderclap book release campaign and help her zap the world through social media with her lightning message!

Joshua and the Arrow Realm ebookClick here to see my Review for Joshua and the Lightning Road,  Book I

MY REVIEW

I loved the first book in the series, Joshua and the Lightning Road and was very excited to get my hands on Book II, Joshua and the Arrow Realm. These magical children’s books are highly entertaining for all ages.

Twelve year old Joshua and his friend Charlie were having a great time sledding…until the Lightning Road brought the Mystery Girl. Who is she and what does she want?

Joshua and Charlie are not ordinary kids. They are older than their years and have traveled to magical realms, battling evil. Joshua is able to talk to animals. Nifty talent to have that comes in very handy.

Now…they are off on another adventure, taking the Lightning Road back to Nostos to save their friend, Sam, the King.

They will travel through trees that come alive and could stomp you into a pancake, battle birdzilla with razor sharp claws, cadmean beasts with red eyes, and fire breathing foxes.

They eat some odd food…dried squirrel mash and ache cakes…MMM, yummy.

Magical lands and fantastic characters, myths and legends, the Gods and Olympians, the Oracle and Joshua. Is he the one to make things right? Others believe it is so.

I am excited to be back in Donna Galanti’s magical world of adventure, friendship and loyalty. The main characters stand tall as they race through the pages proving time and again that together they can accomplish what seems impossible.

I received an ARC of Joshua and the Arrow Realm from Donna Galanti in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   5 Stars

ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:

On August 30th take the lightning road back to a world of beasts, bandits, and heroes in book two of the Lightning Road series. Join Joshua in a new fight for power in the Arrow Realm. Can Joshua and his friends conquer an unstoppable evil?

Joshua never thought he’d return to the world of Nostos but is soon called to the Arrow Realm to free his imprisoned friend, King Apollo, kidnapped as a power pawn in Queen Artemis’s quest to conquer every realm. With his loyalties divided between our world and theirs, Joshua wonders whether he alone can restore magic to the twelve powerless Olympian heirs and save all those enslaved. But when he finds himself abandoned in his quest, he fears he cannot only save those imprisoned—but himself as well.

“Fast-paced and endlessly inventive, Joshua and the Arrow Realm is a high-stakes romp through a wild world where descendants of the Greek gods walk beside you, beasts abound, and not everything—or everyone—is as it seems.” ~ Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of the TombQuest series

JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM BOOK TRAILER:

EXCERPT:

A faint rumble groaned through the whistling wind.

Boom!

Thunder ripped the sky overhead.

Charlie reached the frozen pond, spinning across it. “Woohoo! I win! You Americans can’t beat us at speed!”

Lightning flashed. It zinged across the pine trees like brilliant sunlight. A seed of terror flickered inside me.

Boom! Boom!

Another flash scorched the sky.

Charlie’s smile fell to a frown as he raced across the ice, peering up into the swirling clouds.

We both knew what lightning could do.

Suddenly, sneaking outside for a moonlit sled ride before Bo Chez got home from his monthly poker game didn’t seem so smart.

The sleet turned to snow. Icicles flew off trees like glass splinters, shattering on the hard snow. As I shot toward the pond, a tree on the edge moved. Its branches swayed in the swirling snow.

It wasn’t a tree, but a girl! She stumbled through the mad flurry, arms outstretched.

“Charlie, look!”

Gusts snatched the words away as my sled hit the ice and careened out of control on the bumpy surface. The girl staggered and fell onto the pond. I twisted my sled away to avoid hitting her and smashed right into Charlie. With a yelp, he pulled me up, and we clumped toward the girl. We lifted her up, half dragging her back up the hill to the house in the pelting snow and sleet.

“Who is she?” Charlie yelled.

“No idea,” I yelled back.

He said more, but his words were lost in the wind.

My lungs burned with the cold and effort. There was only one reason someone would appear with lightning—to steal us. This girl might appear like a waif unprepared for a storm but I couldn’t trust that’s all she was.

PRE-ORDER JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:

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MEET DONNA GALANTI:

Donna GalantiDonna Galanti is the author of The Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship. She’s lived in other exotic locations, including Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse, and dreams of returning one day to a castle. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. You can find her at www.donnagalanti.com.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

BOOK REVIEWERS:

E-book ARCs are available for this next thrilling book in The Lightning Road series! Email donna(at)donnagalanti.com for copies and specify the format you’d like.

GIVEAWAY:

Donna Galanti has offered an ebook of Joshua and the Lightning Road, Book I for an International giveaway that will end 8/22/16. Just leave an email and answer the question:

If you could have a magical talent, what would you like it to be?

The rafflecopter is a US only giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • You may see my Giveaways HERE.
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Review – Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin @juliathrillers

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?

Black-Eyed Susans

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.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  4 Stars

Add me to Goodreads

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.

  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
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Book Blast: A Gentleman and a Rogue by Stephanie Burkhart @StephBurkhart @GoddessFish

MBB_TourBanner_AGentlemanAndARogueI am always on the lookout for something new and A Gentleman and A Rogue by Stephanie Burkhart, a steampunk romance, fits the bill nicely.

Have you read any steampunk?

MediaKit_BookCover_AGentlemanAndARogue(1)A Gentleman and a Rogue by Stephanie Burkhart

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

GENRE: Steampunk romance

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

Lady Keira Russell is destined to bring compressed natural gas to Britain. Her inner courage and mental toughness rarely falter – except when Prince Edmund Windsor is involved.

Edmund of Wales is from the future. His last jaunt through history muffed up the time line. Now, he’s here to set it straight and win Keira’s heart.

For Keira, if it isn’t one obstacle, it’s another. Queen Victoria has sponsored a competition to find a cleaner fuel source than coal. Keira’s father is trying to build a windmill and the Ridgecrofts are working with gasoline. Then there’s Edmund, whose sensual kisses and heated stares distract her down to her bones.

Keira has a choice: trust Edmund’s notorious mischief-making or put her faith in Queen Victoria to make the right decision, but if Keira makes the wrong choice, the future of Great Britain will be changed forever.

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

EXCERPT

The song ended and Edmund grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the nearest hallway. At first, she wanted to protest; call out for her father and defy Edmund’s wishes, but then reason kicked in. She wanted — no, needed — answers. And, she had plenty of questions.

They entered the main wing, and passed two rooms before Edmund opened a door and dragged her inside. Books littered the shelves. The library. A beam of light from a full moon shined through the window, casting Edmund’s features in sharp, contrasting shadows. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms. His eyes narrowed, giving his expression a dark, hard edge. He looked like a devil in this moment. She steeled her shoulders, ready to do battle Silence grew between them as they both set their postures. Damn Edmund. She wanted to kiss the devil senseless. Thankfully, she still had her wits.

“What are you doing with Jonas Byron?” Edmund’s voice was cold and exact.

“Dancing.” She surprised herself with the ease of her retort.

“Looked more like flirting to me.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “No.”

“You are a horrible liar.”

“Keira, you can’t trust him.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “Curious, you’re the second man tonight to tell me that.”

“Grayson has your best interests at heart. You need to listen to him.”

“He’s been missing for four years.” She paused, glaring at him. “Like you have. And I thought you weren’t coming back.”

“I’m here now, and I’m not leaving you again.”

She tilted her head and laughed. Oh, yes, he’d leave her again, and she had no intention of letting her heart get broken.

Edmund lunged forward, placed his hands on her waist, and pulled her against the length of his hard, muscled body, trapping her arms between them so her hands rested on his chest. His emerald eyes flamed with desire. Her heart turned over in response. His unique scent, spice and currants, weakened her resolve. As her memories flooded through her mind, her lips ached “God, Keira, don’t test me like this.”

~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_AGentlemanAndARogueAuthor Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD.  She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire.  After serving 11 years in the US Army she currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate, is addicted to coffee and enjoys early morning walks.  She’s also an assistant den leader for her son’s Cub Scout den and is a Boy Scout mom. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has two children’s books published with 4RV Publishing.

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE TWITTER

FACEBOOK  /  GOOD READS  /  YOU TUBE CHANNEL  /  PINTEREST

BUY LINKS FOR A GENTLEMAN AND A ROGUE:

PUBLISHERALL ROMANCE EBOOKS  /   BARNES & NOBLE  /  AMAZON

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

GIVEAWAY

Stephanie will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via

rafflecopter during the tour.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better you chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE.

  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

 

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A Tag Team Giveaway Event – Suicide Lake by Ashley Fontainne @AshleyFontainne

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Welcome to a Tag Team Tag Team Event & Giveaway!

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

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

~~~

I am a huge fan of Ashley Fontainne’s and I am always eagerly awaiting whatever she comes up with next. That being said…check out Suicide Lake and the fantastic giveaway at the end of the post.

What a vibrant and gorgeous cover by One of a Kind.

Add me to Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Ashley Fontainne is a MUST READ bestselling author, to me, so…when Suicide Lake came up for grabs, I was all over it! I like a little romance with my murder, so Suicide Lake held all the must haves for me. Another hit not to be missed for all mystery/thriller readers.

Poor Renee.

Such a dark and dismal life. She has finally given up. As I read about her, I thought I might even be tempted to walk out on that beautiful dock, check out the heavily polluted water, think about all the suicides that have happened before…and dived in myself.

Ironic that a dead body would save her.

The small town must have a “dick” for a sheriff. Isn’t that mandatory? LOL

I get angry for her. It’s not like she doesn’t try. No education, bad situations and  bad choices can take control of our lives, don’t you think? I am very suspicious when she is offered a job at the mayor’s office.

Ashley Fontainne has a way of stringing me along, letting me become complacent, thinking all is good…then BAM…she kicks my teeth in… my heart beats faster and fear and suspense build to an almost unmanageable level. Her endings are the cherry on top of the sundae.

My only complaint…I am so spoiled by her novels that start with action at a fever pitch and go from beginning to end, fell a little flat in Suicide Lake. The first half of the novel seemed a bit slow and not up to her usual standards. Could this be me? Could it be my mood at the time of reading? Does that ever happen to you?

Doesn’t matter, Ashley Fontainne and Suicide Lake rocked and I expected no less.

I received a copy of Suicide Lake from Ashley Fontainne in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 STARS

AMAZON BLURB:  Those who have secrets…

Renee Thornton is on the brink of despair, ready to take a final plunge and join the other tragic souls at the bottom of Bradford Lake—known to locals as Suicide Lake.

Beneath the murky waters…

Her plans change when she’s startled back to reality after a body brushes up against her from the depths below. Terrified, Renee runs away and slams into her old flame Cliff Simpson, a deputy with Whitten County Sheriff’s Department.

Will stop at nothing…

Strange events unfurl after the discovery of the corpse. Renee and Cliff find themselves caught up in a web of lies, deceit, and mystery.

To keep them hidden…

Now instead of being able to slip away silently and become another anonymous statistic, Renee finds herself entangled in a murder investigation. Is Cliff her ally or enemy? Who can she trust? What other secrets will rise to the surface?

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, which released in June of 2015.

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

GIVEAWAY

Ashley Fontainne always has great giveaways. Check it out:

  • 2 ebook copies
  • 2 signed paperbacks copies
  • 2 audio books copies

To enter, all you have to do is answer the question:

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A DEAD BODY? WOULD YOU WANT TO?

FOR A SECOND REVIEW OPINION AND CHANCE TO WIN THE GIVEAWAY, VISIT LAURA AT fuonlyknew.

Giveaway will run 7/22/16 – 8/3/16.

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  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!.

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:

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Giveaway & Review – Hidden Truths & Lies by Fran Lewis @franellena

Hidden Truths & Lies

by Fran Lewis

on Tour June 13 – July 31, 2016

Synopsis:

Hidden Truths and Lies by Fran LewisMY REVIEW

Enter Golden Stone Cemetery at your own risk.

Hidden Truths & Lies by Fran Lewis are short stories, where the dead speak from the grave. Did they get what they deserve? Did Karma come knocking on their door demanding payment?

Each story left me wondering what lurks around the corner. This compilation of short stories had me cringing, wondering what I would do in their shoes. Who’s good? Who’s bad? By whose definition?

Murder, vengeance, greed, negligence…evil of many shades.

Once I picked up Hidden Truths & Lies by Fran Lewis, I couldn’t put it down. Fran has plenty of surprised and I loved when some of the stories didn’t play out quite like I thought they would. It’s not easy to pack so much punch into such short stories, but Fran Lewis’s great writing showed creativity for her worlds and characters.

I received a copy of Hidden Truths & Lies by Fran Lewis in return for an honest review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

Each story in this series teaches a lesson the person behind the stone should have learned before committing crime, hurting someone else, or generally failing at life.

We’re about to enter Golden Stone Cemetery, where these unfortunate people are buried so deep you can barely find their markers. Their crimes are so heinous and their deeds so cruel that family members buried them here because they want to forget they ever existed.

Enter at your own risk.

Reviews:

“The stories in this collection by Fran Lewis are gripping in suspense and demonstrate a vivid imagination. I picked them up planning to read for a few minutes and couldn’t stop until I had finished the last story. Fran understands well and expresses the dark side that many people have. Motivated by greed or self-interest, some in these stories who seem like people we encounter every day are willing to undertake terrifying actions. It makes for an excellent read.” — Allan Topol, author of !e Italian Divide and The Washington Lawyer

Hidden Truths and Lies is a compilation of stories told from beyond the grave each one filled with terror as the character faces his or her own fate. The final two stories are pure science fiction and will hopefully allow readers to see the magnitude of this talented writer.” — Susan Ross, Board Of Education, NYC

Book Details:

Genre: Horror; Paranormal Suspense
Published by: Fideli Publishing Inc.
Publication Date: April 7th 2016
Number of Pages: 98
ISBN: 1604149124 (ISBN13: 9781604149128)
Series: Hidden Truths and Lies is the 4th book in Fran Lewis’s FACES BEHIND THE STONES series of stand alone novellas.
Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Smashwords Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Introduction

Each story in this series teaches a lesson the person behind the stone should have learned before committing crime, hurting someone else, or generally failing at life. We’re about to enter Golden Stone Cemetery, where these unfortunate people are buried so deep you can barely find their markers. Their crimes are so heinous and their deeds so cruel that family members buried them here because they want to forget they ever existed.

Welcome to Golden Stone Cemetery, where the voices of these unfortunates can be heard loud and clear. Learning what they did and what their fates became will make you shudder. When you find out just how cruel they were in life, you’ll be glad they’re gone. You’ll be relieved that their families made sure the spirits of each of these nefarious characters will never rise again.

Who lies behind these unmarked stones? Let their stories unfold…

© Copyright 2016 Fran Lewis All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

Author Bio:

Fran LewisFran Lewis: Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters Degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who’s Who of America’s Teachers and Who’s Who of America’s Executives from Cambridge. In addition, she is the author of three children’s books and a fourth that has just been published on Alzheimer’s disease in order to honor her mom and help create more awareness for a cure. The title of my new Alzheimer’s book is Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey; Ruth’s story and Sharp as a Tack and Scrambled Eggs Which Describes Your Brain? Fran is the author of 13 titles.

Catch Up:
Fran Lewis's website Fran Lewis's twitter Fran Lewis's facebook

Tour Participants:



MY GIVEAWAY

Along with the rafflecopter tour giveaway, I will be offering one (1) print copy of Hidden Truths & Lies by Fran lewis. Entry is for US only, sorry. All you need to do is answer the question:

Have you ever had a scary experince in a graveyard?

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win!

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Fran Lewis. There will be 3 US winners of one (1) eBook copy of Hidden Truths and Lies by Fran Lewis. The giveaway begins on June 13th and runs through July 31st, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

  • To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments, I’ll drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

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