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

Posted on October 3, 2016 by fundinmental

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

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

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

Amazon / Goodreads

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

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

“Find me.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS & INTERVIEW

Gone Without a Trace

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

Until Now

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

“Find Me…”

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

Trust No One

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

The 5 – a novel by Richard Freeland

*****

Interview with Thriller Writer Richard Freeland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q – What authors have most inspired you?

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

Q – What do you have in the works?

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

Q – Sounds like quite a ride.

RF – Fing

ABOUT RICHARD FREELAND (from Amazon)

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

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

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

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

Website / Twitter

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Save

Giveaway – Clementina by Simon Cann @simonpcann @GoddessFish

Posted on August 8, 2016 by fundinmental

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Simon Cann and share his novel, Clementina. Welcome Simon…now, take it away.

What is something you’ve lied about?

I never lie.

…wait a minute…

Who is the last person you hugged?

I plead the fifth.

What are you reading now?

I’ve just started Breathing Water by Timothy Hallinan. He’s a great writer and the Poke Rafferty series is a great series.

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

Some books start from the title—for instance, the title The Murder of Henry VIII came before the book. Others, for instance Clementina, come after a struggle and several renaming ceremonies.

I wish there was a solid scientific method for finding titles, but the truth is that finding a good title is more matter of luck for me.

Share your dream cast for your book.

I’m not sure whether that’s legal under English law.

Clementina by Simon Cann

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

GENRE: Crime Thriller

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

BLURB

Leathan Wilkey has been hired to babysit Clementina, a seventeen-year-old whose rich daddy is going through a messy divorce and is over-compensating.

Leathan soon tires of her spending habits, her selfie obsession, and her social media preoccupation as his ward drags him from shop to boutique to jeweler, approaching each with the self-possession that comes from a lifetime of getting her own way and never once having to worry about money.

But when Clementina snaps her fingers and her boyfriend doesn’t come running, something is up. He doesn’t appear because he’s been murdered.

When Leathan investigates, he finds that the boyfriend has no background and met Clementina through a connection made by daddy’s business partner.

Daddy’s business partner who has been slowly and progressively putting daddy in a vice, grabbing more of the business, and who is now menacing Clementina directly to manipulate daddy.

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

Excerpt

Johnson McElroy and Orville Michael Mallet seemed pleased to have fixed a problem. A problem where I was having trouble understanding what really made it a problem.

The two men—one groomed to look like a logical and rational arguing machine; the other determined to display his individual creativity, which looked exactly the same as everyone else’s individual creativity—shook my hand at the door.

“You know the way out,” I said, as if I had a clue. I only knew how to enter and leave if I was driven by Reece.

The two headed for the elevator and I made my way through the cavernous entrance hall back to the open living space and the kitchen area. The kitchen area, which had more floor space than most apartments I had lived in.

“I should have a word with Clementina,” I said to Angeline Bautista, the housekeeper who had remained invisible while the two company men had been present.

“She’s gone out,” said the housekeeper.

“When?”

“While you talked.”

“Where?”

She shrugged.

“What did Reece say?”

She looked confused.

“Reece—the driver. What did he say?”

The confusion remained. “Nothing.”

“But he must have said something when he came up.”

“He didn’t come up,” she said.

“She went to him?” I could feel the hesitation in my speech as my brain tried to catch up with the situation and make sure my language was unambiguous for the non-native English speaker.

“No. She went out on her own,” said Angeline.

“When?”

“While you talked,” she said with greater emphasis.

“How long ago?”

She tilted her head from side to side. “Ten minutes?” she said. More a question than a statement.

I pulled out my phone and called Reece. “Does Clementina go out on her own?”

“Nope,” said Reece. “Daddy says no.”

“Well, she has.”

Reece swore under his breath. “I’ll be up.”

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Simon Cann is the author of the Boniface, Montbretia Armstrong, and Leathan Wilkey series of books.

In addition to his fiction, Simon has written a range of music-related and business-related books, and has also worked as a ghostwriter.

Before turning full-time to writing, Simon spent nearly two decades as a management consultant, where his clients included aeronautical, pharmaceutical, defense, financial services, chemical, entertainment, and broadcasting companies.

He lives in London.

Website: http://simoncann.com

The book will be free on Amazon from Monday 25 July to Friday 29 July (inclusive).

B/N / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

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

GIVEAWAY

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments, I’ll drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Save

Teaser Tuesday #66 – A Piece of You @DMHemingway

Posted on April 5, 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!

~~~~~~

A Piece of You by D M Annechino

I was very excited when I won a signed paperback of A Piece of You by D M Annechino. Suspense thrillers are my favorite genre and even the cover tells me this story may hold a piece of my heart. I love jigsaw puzzles and look forward to finding that missing piece. Review to come soon.

My thanks go out to D M Annechino and IReadBookTours.

I also have a fabulous new review and giveaway that began…right now. Check it out HERE, but wait until after you check out this wonderful thriller!

Add me to Goodreads

MY TEASE

He opened his duffle bag and removed a hacksaw, a utility knife, and a thick towel.

“I’m so sorry, Theresa.”

“You really didn’t deserve this, but I had no choice.”

“All I want is A Piece of You.”

(page 7 of paperback)

GOODREADS BLURB

Homicide Detective Sami Rizzo is at it again! She never dreamed “America’s Finest City,” would be tormented by yet another serial killer, but for the third time in the last five years a depraved maniac is stalking the streets of San Diego. Based on her qualifications and prior successes dealing with multiple murders, who else would Captain Davison assign to head the investigation? Different from Sami’s past experiences, this fanatic is like no other. His methods of killing defy everything profilers think they know about serial killers. As an intense investigation begins and bits and pieces of evidence emerge, no one can understand his motivation. He’s merciful, yet brutal. And just to make things even more confusing, all of his victims are blood-related. Is he settling a vendetta? Did he randomly pick a name out of the phone book and begin a rampage? Or is there a deeper story? Based on very little evidence and a lot of gut instincts, Detective Rizzo pieces together a complex puzzle and narrows the field of possible suspects. She learns that the killings may connect in some way to powerful people within the judicial system and doesn’t know who to trust. Ultimately, she comes face to face with the killer for a battle of brain and brawn. Can she outwit the shrewd killer, or will she be his next victim?

I also have a fabulous new review and giveaway that began…right now. Check it out HERE.

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

Monday Mini Review – Blindsighted by @SlaughterKarin

Posted on March 14, 2016 by fundinmental

Karin Slaughter is a thriller and suspense writer that I have been reading for years and Blindsighted amazed and thrilled me beyond my expectations.

Blindsighted is the first book of her new The Grant County Thriller Series. I look forward to reading many more.

MY REVIEW

Blindsighted begins in a small Georgia town when a college professor is found murdered.

WOW! The level of violence and depravity of the villain filled me with anger and disgust, yet the writing drew me in…deeper and deeper.

I love Sara, but her character is predictable, whereas Lena captivated me with her independence, strength and inability to let her defenses down and let people close. Sara is a pediatrician and and coroner. I love the “Bones” aspect, there is room for more than one.

The flawed, realistic characters are ones I want to meet…again and again.

The mystery and suspense builds, making it hard to put the book down…

Blindsighted is the first book of her new The Grant County Thriller Series. I look forward to reading many more.

5 Stars

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

Politics and Murder – The Eyes Die Last by Teri Riggs Tour & Giveaway

Posted on July 31, 2014 by fundinmental

I love murder, mystery and suspense, so when I saw Teri Riggs’ novel, The Eyes Die Last, I knew it was a book that was right up my alley.

All I have to do now is dodge all the hookers and johns. lol

The Eyes Die Last by Teri Riggs

MY REVIEW

The title made me think murder and then I saw the cover. Awesome. Yeah, it’s murder all right, but so much more than that.

A serial killer is on the loose in Las Vegas. I have spent many vacations in Vegas and love when a novel takes me there. I can walk the streets with the killer or the cop.

Let’s not forget the politician. All of a sudden, I’m thinking there may be some romance in someone’s future.

Prostitutes are the killers target. Will the investigation be done differently because they are “disposable” people? Not with Kennedy O’Brien on the job. Her and her partner, Wilder “Wild Thing” James will stop at nothing to find the killer. A crime is a crime and they do not discriminate between those with money and those without.

I love the characters and connected to them quickly. The dialogue between Kennedy and Nick Campenelli, one of her prime suspects, is sharp and filled with sexual innuendo. I like that.

When Kennedy becomes the killer’s target, who will be the hero that saves her?

The book and story is predictable and I felt the “love” story happened very quickly and I’m not sure if a character like Kennedy would let someone in so fast. But, life has a funny way of working the wiles of sexual attraction and making us unable to forget that certain person, even after just meeting them once.

The Eyes Die Last is a murder mystery that has all the elements for a great read – a serial killer, suspense, of course the mystery and some romance to top it off. I enjoyed the ride and will be adding more of Terri’s work to my reading list.

I received this book in return for an honest, unbiased review.

4 Stars – Would Highly Recommend To Others

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

BLURB

The Las Vegas Mayoral race is heating up, and the incumbent doesn’t have a prayer. Wealthy real estate speculator Nick Campenelli, who wants to legalize prostitution in Clark County, and former pastor Louis St. Louis, running on a ‘clean-up-Vegas-by-getting-rid-of-the-whores’ platform, are the front runners.

They’re also front runners on the suspect list for a string of murders. Kennedy O’Brien, four-year detective with cop blood running in her veins, and her partner Wilder “Wild Thing” James, a veteran, are determined to find the man who’s murdering prostitutes who work the wrong side of the street, and they don’t care how important or politically active he is.

The killer is a man with a mission. He stalks the women before he kills them, leaving a “BEFORE” photo on their bodies, and sending an “AFTER” shot to the local news hound. Ed Hershey, an aging newscaster with just the right amount of grey in his hair, is determined to turn this story into a network gig, and his interference, along with the LVTVS legal team, are making Kennedy and Wilder look bad. Campenelli’s good looks and charm, and St. Louis’ vitriolic hatred of prostitutes are muddying the waters too, and now the killer seems to have taken a liking to Kennedy.

So the big question remains. Can she get him before he gets her?

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

EXCERPT

THE CALM MIDNIGHT SKY DID LITTLE TO LESSEN THE BRUTAL AND UNRELENTING LAS VEGAS HEAT THAT ENGULFED HIM AS HE STOOD WATCHING FROM THE SHADOWS. Sweat, mixed with anticipation and fear, made his cotton dress shirt stick to his back. Adrenaline pulsed through him, blurring the flashing neon lights in his peripheral vision into distorted, iridescent streaks of color dancing across the sidewalks. He rubbed his clammy palms together as he watched a woman step from a Mercedes onto the littered curb.

With a quick tug on the rough denim, she straightened her tight, micro-mini skirt and, placing a hand on each side of her jewel-trimmed halter top, jiggled her size double-D’s into position. Smiling, she tucked a wad of bills into her tiny purse and waved as the dark sedan sped away.

His heart pounded an erratic rhythm in double-time against his chest wall and small beads of perspiration dotted his forehead. He wiped his moist hands on his pants and approached her, head down, shoulders hunched.

“How much for twenty minutes?” He tipped his head in the direction of the alley. “Over there, standing up.”

Her eyes widened, bright purple eye shadow sparkling in the light of a passing car. “Standing up? You like it a little dirty, do you?”

He eyed the creamy breasts overflowing from her halter top. “Don’t we all?”

The woman shrugged, and for a few seconds he could see the boredom in her gaze. She looked down at the sidewalk and back up at him. Then she smiled.

“You’re in charge, boss. Twenty minutes, fifty dollars. Cash up front and I have a strict policy about condoms. I only use my own. A girl’s gotta protect the merchandise.”

He closed his eyes, savoring the moment that would propel him into greatness. When he opened them again, he could tell by the look on her face she thought he was mulling over the price. He’d go along with it. “Fifty dollars up front?”

“Take it or leave it. Hooking this side of the county line is illegal, you know. I’m taking a risk.” She ran her hands slowly over her double-D’s and wiggled her ass. Her voice purred, “As you can see, I’m not a blue-light special.”

He looked down one side of the street, and then the other. He studied the alley for a moment, and then looked her over again, slowly.

“I’m worth every penny.”

Did the whore actually think he’d find that sexy? “Yes, love. I can see how much you’re worth.”

“Well then make up your mind.”

He pulled a fifty from his pants pocket and handed her the cash. “Of course I’ll pay you what you deserve.” Pushing past her, he walked into the dark alley, rolling up the long sleeves of his once neatly pressed dress shirt.

“Thanks, sugar.” She folded and then tucked the cash into her purse.

He looked over his shoulder at her. “So how about you get that sweet, fifty dollar ass of yours over here?”

She followed willingly and when they stopped, stood face to face with him. The stink of cheap perfume smacked him in the face and his stomach muscles tightened. His voice roughened.

~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Teri Riggs was destined to be a writer. As a small girl she didn’t read bedtime stories, she made up her own. Who needed Little Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs when there were so many great tales bouncing around in her head? When she grew up and became a mother to three little girls, she continued the tradition of making up bedtime stories. On the occasions she chose to tell conventional fairytales, Teri usually gave them a bit of tweaking here and there or added a new ending. Her girls loved it.

After her daughters had the nerve to actually grow up and leave home, Teri discovered she had a passion for writing and jumped right in. It came as no surprise she chose to write mysteries and happily-ever-after’s since that’s the genres she loves to read.

Teri lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, one of her daughters and two dogs that seem to think they rule the world. And some days Teri thinks maybe they do.

Teri still frequently tells herself stories as she falls asleep. The only difference now is she wakes up the next morning and turns her bedtime stories into books.

Amazon / Facebook / Twitter: @TeriLRiggs / Goodreads

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

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy of The Eyes Die Last by Teri Riggs.

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

GIVEAWAY

One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

Share some comment love with Teri Riggs. What did you think of the cover, the excerpt, or just say hi.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found by clicking on the image below.

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

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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

Friday 56 #17 – Serial Killer runs AMOK – The Eyes Die Last by Teri Riggs

Posted on July 18, 2014 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 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.

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

THE EYES DIE LAST by Teri Riggs

I love murder, mystery and suspense, so when I saw Teri Riggs’ novel, The Eyes Die Last, I knew it was a book that was right up my alley. All I have to do now is dodge all the hookers and johns. lol

Be sure and stay tuned for my review on July 31, 2014.

(56% on Kindle)

Nick got a beer out of the bar fridge and sat down on his couch. His muscles were still knotted after seeing the news clip of his altercation with Ms. Mixer and the biased interview Hershey had given. It’s bad enough to be called a murderer on live television, but in an odd way, the idea of the slimy news anchor conferring with Detective O’Brien about the case was more unsettling. He’d never been jealous a day in his life. Was he now? Is this how jealousy felt? What did he have to b jealous about?

The way Ed told the story, he and the detective had spent an entire evening discussing the murders. An evening trying to pin the murders on Nick and doing who knows what else. Was there a relationship between the two of them? Surely the detective wouldn’t be interested in someone like Ed. Would she? Why in the hell would Nick care if she was? He had bigger issued to deal with for now. Like spending some time remembering how to relax.

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