Giveaway – THE EXTRAORDINARY DAYS SERIES by Polly Becks

Posted on September 10, 2015 by fundinmental

SBB_TourBanner_ExtraordinaryDays copy

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THURSDAY’S CHILD: FAR TO GO by Polly Becks

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GENRE: Romance/Mystery/Thriller

NOTE: A percentage of the sales of this book will be donated to Children’s International, a not-for-profit organization very close to the author’s family’s heart. Past books in the series have benefited The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, Tuesday’s Children [a 9/11 charity], and The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

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BLURB

A mystery is introduced in No Ordinary Day, the first book in the Extraordinary Days series that is carried through all eight volumes and solved in the last book, Sunday’s Child: Born on the Sabbath Day, due out in January of 2017.

In the late spring of 1991, a flood and fire of historic proportions tore through the pretty resort town of Obergrande, New York, in the central region of the Adirondack mountains.

The twin disasters destroyed a large part of the east side of the town that bordered the Hudson River and Lake Obergrande.

In the aftermath, a new dam was built, and that damaged part of the town “drowned,” covered by the new, larger lake.

During that terrible flood, five kindergarten girls were trapped in their drowning school, huddled together as the water rose higher, rescued just in the nick of time. The nightmare bonded them, and three others like them, to each other for life.

These are their stories.

International attorney and human rights advocate Elisa Santiago believes she has life under control—an impressive career, a solid group of friends in Obergrande, and a handsome law partner for hot “car action” when she needs release. Little does she know that her entire world is about to burn down when she discovers that nothing she believes she knows about herself and her past is true. Can the gorgeous former CIA operative, acting as her guide and guard as she returns to Colombia, the land of her birth, looking for answers, set her world on fire in a good way?

THURSDAY’S CHILD: Far to Go is the fifth book in the eight-book series The Extraordinary Days by breakthrough novelist Polly Becks. The first book, No Ordinary Day, tells the tale of an epic tragedy that changes life forever in a small town in the wild, mystic Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and the mystery surrounding that tragedy.

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EXCERPT

Present day, Sunday, September 8th, 2:11 PM

Le Mille Neuf, 1009 Rue de Bleury, penthouse, Montreal

The young man at the front desk in the luxury apartment building looked up in surprise at the quartet of women making their way across the lobby, carrying what looked like a variety of flowers, sweets, and boxes, chatting happily amongst themselves as every male head in the lobby turned in their direction.

An older man in the uniform of a professional driver or chauffeur was following them, his arms piled high with packages, puffing slightly.

The women, who were carrying on an intense four-way conversation between them, did not notice the attention they were garnering like magnets. They ranged in height from just over five feet to just under six, with a variety of body types, hair and skin colors ranging from alabaster to ebony, and clothing styles, all of which had some sort of bright artistry to them.

They stopped in front of the desk.

The tallest of the group, a fair-skinned beauty with gray eyes and shoulder-length brown hair atop a tall, willowy figure, smiled down at him.

“Penthouse deux, s’il vous plait,” she said politely in a perfect French accent.

The young man slid his swivel chair quickly under the desk to shield his lap from view.

“Qui appelle?” he asked in a French-Canadian accent. “Er—whom shall I say is calling?” He picked up the phone.

“The—uhm—Fivesome,” Briony Windsor, known as Sarah to her friends, said.

The young man waited for an answer, requested permission for entry and, receiving it, directed the four women to the penthouse elevator, only to discover they had started across the back lobby while he was hanging up.

They already knew where they were going.

“Has anyone heard from Sloane’s father recently?” Dr. Corinne Byrnes, a veterinarian and the second-tallest member of the group asked the others as they entered the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor.

“I spoke to him last night,” said Reverend Grace Fuller, the Associate Pastor of the Obergrande Community Church back in New York State. “He says she seems to be doing better, as long as she rests. Apparently he hasn’t been entirely successful at keeping her in bed.”

“Shocker,” mused Elisa Santiago, esq., a practicing attorney and civil rights advocate who divided her time between law on the international stage and a quiet practice back in Obergrande, the pretty Adirondack hometown of the four young women and the friend they had come to visit. At five-foot-three, she was petite, like Grace, and extraordinarily well put-together, every detail of her wardrobe perfect, just as every detail of her business and personal life seemed to be.

“Well, between us we have plenty of things to keep her amused in bed,” said Briony. “Although that’s like selling ice to penguins; Sloane has made of art of being kept amused in bed most of her life.”

“Truth,” mused Corinne as the elevator doors opened, providing a stunning view of downtown Montreal and its exquisite spires.

The four women hurried down the sunlit hallway of windows to the door where the number 2 was elegantly displayed.

Elisa pushed the doorbell.

A tall, strapping, dark-haired man with a finely-featured, neatly-bearded face opened the door a moment later.

All four women blinked in surprise.

“Dr. Marlowe?” Elisa’s voice broke the silence.

The man’s dark blue eyes blinked as well.

“Come in, ladies,” he said quickly.

The women looked at each other, then followed him into the penthouse.

“What’s he doing here?” Grace whispered to Briony. “Sloane told me they couldn’t stand each other.” Briony shrugged.

“Perhaps they’re working on the Quadricentennial?” Elisa suggested as they passed through the elegant central foyer into the open living area, a high-ceilinged room ringed with floor-to-ceiling windows.

She turned to Corinne, the only one not to have met Nathan Marlowe. “He’s a world-class history professor here at McGill and in New York at NYU, a specialist in the Adirondack Park area and particularly in Obergrande. Sloane’s mother hired him to do the authentication and other research for the town’s four-hundredth anniversary next May.”

“Well, if her mother likes him, I can see why Sloane can’t stand him,” said Corinne. “Those two can’t agree on whether the sun is up or not.”

Dr. Marlowe was standing at the far left edge of the open sitting area, next to the door that led to Sloane’s bedroom suite.

The women and their driver, still lugging their packages, followed him.

A glorious spicy smell filled the air near the kitchen.

On their way past a recessed alcove in which a towering animal cage stood, Corinne paused and clicked softly at the sweet, melon-sized animal inside it.

“Hiya, Pfeffernusse,” she said. “You’re lookin’ good, gurrl.”

Ed Hillenbrandt, the driver, waited until she was following the other girls again, then paused in front of the cage himself.

“I still say you would make a nice hat,” he whispered.

Pfeffernusse just stared at him with her big black chinchilla eyes. Then she flicked her large ears and spun around, her white belly disappearing from view as she turned her gray-blue back to him.

“You’re not by any means the first female to give me the cold shoulder, ma’am,” Ed said as he went to join the women.

ABOUT POLLY BECKS

MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_ThursdaysChild Polly Becks has been making her living writing for more than twenty years, as well as working as an editor, curriculum developer, and teaching secondary-school Spanish. She has more than 350 books to her credit, mostly educational materials, as well as professionally published fiction in both the adult and YA market in a variety of genres, plus more than 30 Children’s books. She is excited about exploring the digital literature frontier and is honored to be the launch series for GMLTJoseph, LLC. – See more at: http://www.pollybecks.com/author/#sthash.pEZ6f3xO.dpuf

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

Polly is awarding one randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter one 3-foot long stem rose in a glass vase from TheUltimateRose.com or similar florist; US only

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 HERE.

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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 and let’s talk.

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Another Killer Hit – The Murderer’s Daughter by Jonathon Kellerman

Posted on August 29, 2015 by fundinmental

Jonathon Kellerman’s books, like his latest, The Murderer’s Daughter, are always on my must read list. No second thoughts, no hesitations, just, yes, please.

Add me to Goodreads now.

The Murderer’s Daughter by Jonathon Kellerman

MY REVIEW

I was very surprised at Jonathon Kellerman’s twisted novel, The Murderer’s Daughter. I loved the rollercoast ride of emotions as I struggled to understand Grace. I wonder, did she have a brother named Dexter? For those of you who don’t know, Dexter is a book and TV series characters that walks on the dark side of suspense, as does Grace. I love to read of a flawed protagonist, a hardass female and Grace appeared.

Grace is a complex character, a bit twisted, to say the least. She was born and raised in violence and death. All she had ever known is surviving, so she had a knack for figuring things out quickly. She grew up to be Dr Blades, a psychologist, and she was special at that. She was a prodigy and fast tracked through her PHD. She even took a seminar taught by Alex Delaware, you could say he was her inspiration. (For those of you who don’t know him, Alex Delaware has his very own series, courtesy of Jonathon Kellerman) She’s a loner and likes it that way. She keeps tight control of her life. Is she a psychopath? Well…she does have feelings, though they are buried deep to hide any vulnerability. She will not show weakness.

I love a strong female protagonist with flaws and Grace has her share. I liked how Grace developed from a severely traumatized child prodigy, neglected and abused, to a fully functioning adult trained in a complex profession as psychology, using her experience and knowledge to help others.

In matters of healing, the body initiates and the mind follows.

This is an ARC, so the phrase may change, but I loved it, so I shared it.

The Murderer’s Daughter did not go where I thought it would, but took me to a scary place all the same. Man can be evil, but…

The mention of the good and bad side of Child Services sounded all too read, as does the greed and corruption of the Elite. Then, as the cherry on top of the sundae, we have a psychopath on the loose that revels in the evil he does.

Jonathon Kellerman has a wonderful ability to twist and turn a story so it keeps me alert and on edge, waiting for the next shoe to drop or the next monster to pop up on the horizon or from around the corner.

The twists and turns, beginning with the flawed character, stirred up deep emotions. Feelings of anger, rage and sorrow are overcome by pride, confusion and hope for Grace. I wonder, will she have a relationship, you know, meet a man, marry… I can’t say and if you asked her, she would tell you she is doing just fine.

I do believe we have moments in time where we can make a difference in someones life, whether its with a simple smile or a word or two in passing. We never know what small gesture could turn a person’s life around.

Jonathon has the ability to create characters that touch me and feel real. I felt Grace’s fear, but when on those rare occasions she smiles, maybe even laughs, I want to laugh with her. It is so much better to laugh with someone than alone. Makes me think she is lonely, her life empty and all she craves is knowledge, absorbing it like a sponge. If you have ever watched the TV show Scorpion, where the main character is above genius and cannot relate on a “human” level with others, allowed me to easily spend time with Grace.

I guess you can tell by now, that my focus was on Grace. She grabbed me by the throat and never let me go. The Murderer’s Daughter is dark and suspenseful, with everything you could want in a thriller. The story unravels and the pacing builds, so don’t think this will be a cozy mystery.

I received an ARC of The Murderer’s Daughter by Jonathon Kellerman from the publisher in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Jonathan Kellerman delivers a riveting standalone thriller featuring the unforgettable Grace Blades. Master psychologist by day, seductive adrenaline junkie by night, Grace has a very dark past—one that’s about to bleed into a terrifying present.

ABOUT JONATHON KELLERMAN

Jonathan Kellerman was born in New York City in 1949 and grew up in Los Angeles. He helped work his way through UCLA as an editorial cartoonist, columnist, editor and freelance musician. As a senior, at the age of 22, he won a Samuel Goldwyn Writing Award for fiction.

Like his fictional protagonist, Alex Delaware, Jonathan received at Ph.D. in psychology at the age of 24, with a specialty in the treatment of children. He served internships in clinical psychology and pediatric psychology at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles and was a post-doctoral HEW Fellow in Psychology and Human Development at CHLA.

IN 1975, Jonathan was asked by the hospital to conduct research into the psychological effects of extreme isolation (plastic bubble units) on children with cancer, and to coordinate care for these kids and their families. The success of that venture led to the establishment, in 1977 of the Psychosocial Program, Division of Oncology, the first comprehensive approach to the emotional aspects of pediatric cancer anywhere in the world. Jonathan was asked to be founding director and, along with his team, published extensively in the area of behavioral medicine. Decades later, the program, under the tutelage of one of Jonathan’s former students, continues to break ground.

Jonathan’s first published book was a medical text, PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER, 1980. One year later, came a book for parents, HELPING THE FEARFUL CHILD.

In 1985, Jonathan’s first novel, WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, was published to enormous critical and commercial success and became a New York Times bestseller. BOUGH was also produced as a t.v. movie and won the Edgar Allan Poe and Anthony Boucher Awards for Best First Novel. Since then, Jonathan has published a best-selling crime novel every year, and occasionally, two a year. In addition, he has written and illustrated two books for children and a nonfiction volume on childhood violence, SAVAGE SPAWN (1999.) Though no longer active as a psychotherapist, he is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.

Jonathan is married to bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman and they have four children.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

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Let’s Meet at Mack’s – In The Drink by Allyson K Abbott

Posted on August 14, 2015 by fundinmental

Before we get started, how about preparing a nice, cool beverage, then sit back, relax and get your read on.

Murder on the Rocks by Allyson K. Abbott

MILWAUKEE RIVER ICED TEA

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. gin

1 oz. tequila

1 oz. white rum

1 oz. Triple Sec

1 oz. lemon juice

Beer

Combine all ingredients except beer in a shaker half full of ice and shake for about thirty seconds. Pour into a glass and top off with a beer of your choice.

For a mocktail version, combine 4 oz. strong black tea with 6 oz. apple cider and 1 oz. of fresh lemon juice. Pour over ice and top off with ginger ale and a maraschino cherry.

In the Drink (Mack’s Bar Mysteries Book 3)

Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0758280190

MY REVIEW

Suspense and mystery from the opening words. This is the third book in the series, but it did not affect my reading In The Drink in any way.

Duncan Albright is a homicide detective in Milwaukee. He is MacKenzie’s lover and they must keep their meetings secret, because of his suspension. It had been discovered that he used her on one of his cases and the higher ups didn’t like that.

MacKenzie owns a bar, left to her by her murdered father. She has synethesia – mixed up senses, sees music, hears smells… She works with her lover, Duncan, using her abilities. That she was even born is a miracle in itself. Could that mean she was meant for something great?

Her friends and bar customers formed the Capone Club to help her solve crimes. The group works as a whole. There are two mysteries going on and the lives at stake are the ones closest to Mack.

Cora and the Signoriello brothers are her closest “family”. She would trust them with the news about the evil game that was afoot, the challenge someone has issued to her.

M & M – Mack & Mal. I love both the guys. Can we keep them Allyson, pretty please? I don’t want Mack to have to choose. Mal has stolen my heart. I know Duncan is a busy cop, but so is Mal. Mal keeps Mack at arms length because he would not betray his friend, Duncan. But Mack is very hard to resist. Their attraction puts him to the ultimate test. He is chivalrous, hot. I feel bad about Duncan, but hey out of sight, out of mind.

The characters are individuals, with something of their own to contribute, whether its computers skills, connections to someone…

I am ticked off about the ending and that is all I am saying.

I love cozy mysteries, suspense and thrills. There is more going on than meets the eye at first glance. Plots, yep, more than one. Mystery, yep, plenty to go around. Suspense, yep, some of that too. Just be careful as you read In The Drink, because you may very well be caught up in the mystery, having to return in the next episode to keep up with all the wonderful characters. I know I am.

I received In The Drink by Allyson K Abbott in return for an honest and unbiased review.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Mack’s Bar and its crime-solving clientele are quickly gaining notoriety for helping solve some high-profile cases. But Mack is learning the hard way that not all press is good press…

By day, Mackenzie “Mack” Dalton is the proprietress of a popular Milwaukee watering hole. But after last call, she uses her unique cocktail of extra perceptive senses to help solve some of the city’s most grisly homicides. Now, Mack and her barstool detectives are happy to help when Tiny, one of the bar’s newest patrons, asks them to look into his sister’s murder. Though the case has gone cold, Mack’s heightened senses quickly put her on the killer’s trail. But when a throng of reporters intrigued by her talents descends on Mack’s Bar, her efforts are muddled as a real-life Moriarty begins putting her infamous skills to the test, leaving Mack feeling shaken and stirred…

* Includes drink recipes *

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Allyson K. Abbott is the pseudonym of a mystery and thriller writer who also works as an emergency room nurse. She lives in a small Wisconsin town with her family. Visit her at bethamos.com or Goodreads.

Purchase Links

Amazon / B&N / INDIE BOUND

Tour Participants

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August 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – Interview

August 11 – fuonlyknew – Review, Recipe

August 12 – deal sharing aunt – Interview

August 13 – Girl with Book Lungs – Review

August 14 – fundinmental – Review, Recipe

August 15 – readalot – Review

August 16 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Review

August 17 – Babs Book Bistro – Review, Recipe

August 18 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Recipe

August 19 – Jane Reads – Review, Recipe

GIVEAWAY

2 book copies, and a HobbyReads Travel Sewing Kit

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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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 and let’s talk.

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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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Was this review helpful? If so, please consider voting for it on Amazon or like it on GoodReads.

8 Novellas, 8 Authors for the Lei Crime Series

Posted on June 25, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome to my stop for the Lei Crime Series and this awesome group of authors!

BBT_TourBanner_LeiCrimeSeries

Lei Crime Series

by Eden Baylee, Craig Hansen, Corinne O’Flynn, M.L. Doyle, Julie C. Gilbert, J.L. Oakley, Christine Nolfi and Emily Kimelman

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BLURB

The Lei Crime Series: Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water—but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise. Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop, but often the cases she works activate wounds and complications from her tangled family history. Lei is affected deeply by her cases even as she solves them with persistence, obsession, and intuition. She falls in love with Michael Stevens, the charismatic detective she works with, and they make a life solving crime in contemporary Hawaii with all its beauty and deadliness.

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Both books are Crime/Mystery/Suspense

Add me to Goodreads now.

Half Moon Girls by Corinne O’Flynn

Even paradise has a dark side…

When Detective Leilani Texeira begins investigating a murder on Kaua`i, she’s struck by one thing: the victim looks like her. As Lei battles dark memories stirred up by the likeness, a friend calls, worried that her daughter didn’t come home last night. Lei soon discovers that the dead girl and the missing girl were friends and last seen together the previous day.

Can she conquer her demons and capture a killer in time to rescue the captive?

Add me to Goodreads now.

A Snake in Paradise by Eden Baylee

Lainey Lee has always dreamed of going to Hawaii. It should have been her honeymoon trip, only it never happened. Now, in a poetic twist of fate, she is making the journey twenty-seven years later—following a messy divorce.

Once on the Big Island, Lainey discovers paradise, but white sand beaches and blue skies are not all Hawaii has to offer. She soon meets Julian, a mysterious stranger ten years her junior. They share an instant connection.

Lainey is eager to shed the fears that trapped her in a loveless marriage, but is Julian a tempting distraction, a new beginning, or a snake in paradise?

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Author Bio – Corinne O’Flynn

AuthorPic1 Corinne O’Flynn is a native New Yorker who now lives in Colorado and wouldn’t trade life in the Rockies for anything. She loves writing flash and experimenting with short fiction. She is a scone aficionado, has an entire section of her kitchen devoted to tea, and is always on the lookout for the elusive Peanut Chews candy.

When she isn’t writing, Corinne works as the executive director of a nonprofit. She is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. You can find her online at her website, Facebook, or Twitter @CorinneOFlynn. She blogs about her adventures at http://www.corinneoflynn.com.

Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Amazon

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Author Bio – Eden Baylee

AuthorPic2 Eden Baylee left a twenty-year banking career to become a full-time writer. She incorporates many of her favorite things into her writing such as: travel; humor; music; poetry; art; and much more. She writes in multiple genres and has written three collections of erotic novellas and flash fiction—Spring into Summer, Fall into Winter, and Hot Flash, along with contributing to the anthologies: Allegories of the Tarot, Indie Authors Naked, and Triptychs.

In 2014, she released her mystery-suspense novel Stranger at Sunset, the first of a trilogy with psychiatrist, Dr. Kate Hampton. Look for the second book entitled A Fragile Truce in 2015.

Eden loves hearing from readers, so connect to her via her website at www.edenbayleebooks.com.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Amazon

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GIVEAWAY

The authors will be awarding a $30 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER HERE

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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 and let’s talk.

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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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Run and Run Fast – Review – The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon

Posted on June 23, 2015 by fundinmental

The title for The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon caught my eye, but it was the cover that finished me off. I love horror and this looked like a good one.

Check out this awesomely creepy cover for yourself. Simple, but it says so much.

Add me to Goodreads now.

The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon

Publisher: Damnation Books, LLC (May 1, 2015)

Cover Art: Dawne Dominique

MY REVIEW

The Beast of Bradley Downs by Stephanie O’Hanlon is a fantastically good debut horror novel loaded with action from the getgo.

Karoline Hale lives in the small town of Bradley Downs. The legend of mysterious deaths and the burning of the town were rationalized by its citizens, because no way could they conceive the truth. She had pale skin and her lipstick was a red slash across her face. She loves horror movies, but she doesn’t want to be in one.

Mitch is her best friend, but he would like to be more. The question is, does she? Sometimes the one you love is right in front of you, but you don’t see it.

She is on the run…from IT. Is that IT in the shadows? Is that IT making that noise? Is that ITs crunching footsteps behind her? Is that IT exhaling ITs hot breathe on her neck?

Stephanie O’Hanlon uses all the horror trickes, including my, er…favorite, the monster under the bed, reaching out to grab my foot…I mean YOUR foot. 🙂

The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept waiting, waiting, knowing it was coming, just didn’t know when. Uh oh, she’s way too happy and it’s Halloween.

My biggest problem was buying the fact that the townspeople blew off the danger to everyone after numerous gruesome deaths. But, as I thought about real life, don’t we refuse to see the unexplainable? Besides, it is fiction and sometimes we need to let some things slide to make the story better. I let it play through my mind like a movie.

A lot of the story is predictable, but beware, every once in a while Stephanie will throw a surprise at you. The suspense of the threat of attack was felt throughout The Beast of Bradley Downs. I had a feeling that something I didn’t want to happen would, and darn it Stephanie, you did it! I feel that made the book even better, though I didn’t like it. LOL I had a feeling I knew the ending…yeah, right. Stephanie did it again. The ending knocked me for a loop and it was most definitely not what I thought it would be. I love that. How often does that happen to you? I will be looking for more of her work.

I received The Beast of Bradley Downs from Stephanie O’Hanlon in return for an honest review.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Can Beauty outrun the Beast?

Karoline Hale is on the run. After witnessing her boyfriend get killed she abandons everything she once knew for a new life consisting of bus tickets and hotel rooms, a duffel bag full of old clothes, and a shotgun.

She isn’t running from any ordinary killer. She is running from the Beast of Bradley Downs—a creature that kills without judgment and is hunting Karoline. She can only run for so long before she needs to gather her strength and face the Beast that howls under the wind, prowls the night, and cannot be killed by modern means.

ABOUT STEPHANIE O’HANLON

Stephanie O’Hanlon graduated from the Toronto Film School in 2008 with aspirations of starting a career in film, but found herself drawn to writing.

Combining her love for writing and history, her preferred genre is historical romance, as seen in her EP title Affaire de Coeur, though she has also enjoyed the paranormal romance genre, as seen with her EP re-release Out of my Grave. Check out her New Adult horror title The Beast of Bradley Downs, now available from Damnation Books!

Now a full time writer, she lives in Ontario, Canada with her dogs, Judas & Dante, and beloved cats, Nevermore & Willow.

Keep an eye out for the first installment in her The Raven Series, A Swan Song for the Raven, to be released by Eternal Press.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Cover links to Amazon (I am an affiliate)

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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 and let’s talk.

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

Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.

Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Senior Citizens Beware ~ Blood Ties by Ashley Fontainne

Posted on June 1, 2015 by fundinmental

Ashley Fontainne is an amazing award winning and bestselling author that you will want to check out. Her novels are so good, they are being optioned for film.

Ashley Fontainne has teamed up with her mother, Lillian Hansen, in her new release, Blood Ties.

I am so excited to share all the goodies below, so please, grab a beverage, put your feet up and enjoy.

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

Ashley Fontainne and Lillian Hansen’s Blood Ties has a level of creepiness and reality that will linger long after you have finished reading the novel. The mother and daughter writing team continues into the characters of the story with Karina and her mother, LiAnn.

Karina, a private investigator for We’ve Got Ya, and LiAnn, a cop, had become sickened after their last case, that dealt with the abuse of senior citizens in assisted living facilities and quit their jobs. Now, it was off to Grandma and Grandpa’s farm in Arkansas.

Karina does not have female friends, except for her mother, who is her best friend. I love Karina’s badassery and the snarky dialogue between and her mother. My mother is my best friend and I spend more time around men than women. Who has time for cat fights, jealousy and shopping? Not me. I am not afraid to tell my mother anything, like Karina, sometimes in very “colorful” words. I do love Karina’s foul mouth and her “take out my gun and shoot you” attitude. I love fast cars and beer, too, Karina. She has a black Charger, with dark tinted windows and racing tires. She named it Dragula, after a Rob Zombie song based on the Munsters. Makes me think of driving the country roads when I first moved south with my Monte Carlo SS and doberman. Karina has a big dog, a 100lb black lab. I sure see the similarities and feel right at home with Karina and her family.

Of course, we need a love interest and her encounter with one of the twin Greek Gods had me grinning at the descriptive writing, which drew me further and further into Blood Ties.

Karina’s biggest Achilles heel is the mistreatment of senior citizens. She will not stand by and watch them be neglected or abused…by anyone.

The Magnolia is an assisted living facility that houses some of her grandparents friends. As Karina and LiAnn become aware of some funky goings on, they begin to investigate on their own.

Caesar is a mobster, a ruthless criminal and ex assassin that has taken many lives. When his wife dies, I find it impossible to feel empathy for him. What about the families he ruined? He has his sights set on The Magnolia, but…money isn’t the only thing he will be taking from the seniors.

Nick runs The Magnolia and sold his soul to the devil – Caesar – in return for money. He stuck his head in Caesar’s noose and would never get it out. Terror stalks him, day and night.

The Magnolia is understaffed with poorly trained workers, residents are neglected and abused – lawsuits and government investigations abound. How relevant is that today? Will you be in an assisted living facility? Blood Ties is a very thought-provoking novel that will haunt me into my golden years.

What can I say? I LOVE Blood Ties. Ashley Fontainne and Lillian Hansen’s ability to grab me from the beginning and keep me turning page after page, unable to put the book down, is proof of their awesome writing. The emotion I felt while reading ranged from happy and playful to rage and the need for justice. But is there any justice for crimes so despicable that I cannot find the words to describe them?

Blood Ties by Ashley Fontainne and Lillian Hansen is the first in a three-part murder mystery/suspense series and I can hardly wait to see what they come up with next!

I received the ARC of Blood Ties in return for an honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

LiAnn Tuck and her daughter, Karina Summers, are settling into their new life, enjoying the small farming community of Sheridan, Arkansas. The slower pace, compared to the craziness of Los Angeles, is a welcome distraction for them both. Taking care of her aging parents and their small farm is just what LiAnn needs to forget her twenty-five-year career as a detective. And Karina’s new love interest brings back the smile she lost from years of undercover work and her cheating ex-boyfriend.

The Bonds

Their idyllic lifestyle changes the minute a family friend, Cecil Pickard, pays a visit. He lives at The Magnolia, an independent living facility in Hot Springs, and believes someone is stealing from him. LiAnn and Karina offer to investigate and suddenly find themselves inside a living nightmare.

Are Permanent

Theft isn’t the only criminal activity taking place inside the historic, stately walls of The Magnolia. Organized crime has infiltrated Hot Springs, and what they’re after is not only money, but life itself. As LiAnn and Karina dig deeper, they might just be digging their own graves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released September 29, 2014. Ashley then delves into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, scheduled for release in the Spring of 2015. Plus, she will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her Mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.

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

For More Information

Visit Ashley’s website.
Connect with Ashley on Facebook and Twitter.
Find out more about Ashley at Goodreads.
Visit Ashley’s blog.
Contact Ashley.

Check out my review for her awesome novel, Growl, here.

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Review ~ Ghost of Death by Chrys Fey

Posted on May 21, 2015 by fundinmental

Welcome and I hope you are having a wonderful day!

I am so happy to be able to share my review of this fantastic story by Chrys Fey.

Are you a ghost lover? Well, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Add to Goodreads

Title: Ghost of Death

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Supernatural/Suspense

Format: eBook Only

Page Count: 41 (short story)

Cover: Debbie Taylor

MY REVIEW

I love the etheral cover for Ghost of Death by Chrys Fey. The ghostly effect made me eager to read this wonderful and sometimes humorous novella about a murdered woman, who is now a ghost, and the investigation into her death.

Jolie figured, if she had to be a ghost, she would be the best ghost she could be.

She could walk through walls, but not tweet. I thought that was very funny and the writing set the tone for the rest of the story.

Jolie doesn’t know how she died, but she watched as the police examined her crime scene. She had been going to college to be a journalist and noted everything in detail. Imagine watching the police document the scene, taking your body to the coroner’s office, watching the care and the feelings the workers put into their work.

Imagine watching as your family identify your remains, wanting to reach out to them in their time of need, feeling their anguish and wanting to alleviate their pain.

Jolie was watching the officer in charge of her case, Avrianna, pacing in her office. She shouted out in anger at her. Avrianna whipped around and shouted, “You know what? You need to stop shouting in my ear…” I busted out laughing. Didn’t see that coming at all.

Avrianna is Jolie’s Ghost Whisperer. I loved that Chrys mentioned the TV show, Ghost Whisperer, with Jennifer Love-Hewitt. I used to watch the show every week and have been watching some reruns on ION TV.

Jolie would find out first hand why earthbound spirits stay.

This novella had it all for me: mystery, ghosts, a great storyline and characters that I loved. The humor sprinkled throughout the story helped to make up for the times when I wanted to cry for those left behind.

I would highly recommend reading this fun story of Jolie and the detective that is determined to solve her case, if a murder mystery can be fun. 😈

The author supplied me with a copy of Ghost of Death in return for an honest review. I can hardly wait to begin reading Witch of Death.

5 Stars

GUEST POST

Welcome to fundinmental, Chrys.

I am so happy to have you here to share some of your thoughts with us.

I love chapter titles as a reader and a writer. I think chapter titles are a special dose of creativity that writers add to their books for readers to enjoy, whether readers look at those titles of not. For Ghost of Death, my seven-chapter short story, I created chapter titles for a bit of humor. My publisher doesn’t use chapter titles for shorter works though, so they were stripped from my story during the galley phases. I wanted to share those titles with you now.

Chapter One – I Can’t Be Dead

Chapter Two – Ghost of Death

Chapter Three – Tea for One

Chapter Four – The League of the Dead

Chapter Five – What Happened

Chapter Six – Evidence

Chapter Seven – Pesky College Ghost

QUESTION: What do you think of my deleted chapter titles?

Thank you for having my on your blog, Sherry. You rock!

You are most welcome, Chrys. It is definitely my pleasure and I look forward to doing it again!

SYNOPSIS

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can…by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.

BOOK LINKS

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

Add to Goodreads

Also available: WITCH OF DEATH

SYNOPSIS

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

BOOK LINKS

Amazon US / Amazon UK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!

Author Links:

Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads

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#Giveaway & Excerpt ~ Repossessed by Sandy Parks @SParksauthor

Posted on May 19, 2015 by fundinmental

Repossessed

by Sandy Parks

Series: Hawker Incorporated, #1

Genre: Action/Adventure, Suspense, Romantic Elements

Release Date: December 18, 2014

Repossessed is the Winner of the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Mainstream Mystery/Suspense Award and the 2013 Maggie Award for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements written by Sandy Parks.

A reclusive boss.

An unemployed pilot.

One devil in default.

When Brazilian gem dealer Maximilian Furst stops making payments on his fifty million dollar business jet, “Hawker” Dunlop, reclusive owner of a high-end recovery company, sends a resourceful team to Rio to repossess the aircraft.

Dunlop’s newest hire, ex-military pilot Amelia “Jet” Walczynski, has the perfect skills for infiltrating Furst’s inner circle and flying away the targeted plane. The assignment appears straightforward until Jet discovers Furst is a sociopath and knows she is after his aircraft. Her promised support team, a Greek lawyer avenging his brother’s death, a con man who sidelines as their scout, and a mechanic who paints her nails to match the country of operation, appear a hindrance rather than help. Jet finds it hard to play nice with her teammates when their private agendas put her life at risk. Yet, the closer she gets to Furst and the plane, the more she and her team will have to rely on each other to complete the repossession.

Santos Dumont Airport

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Gnawing apprehension spread through Jet as Maximilian Furst climbed up from the dark night onto his business plane and cast her a triumphant look. Behind him the door closed and the steward flipped the locking handle, securing the aircraft and effectively cutting off rescue if her true purpose were to be discovered.

The cushy leather seat beneath her offered little comfort. Minutes before coming onboard, she’d learned Furst had left a disloyal employee floating face down in a local lake. She drew a calming breath through a fake smile. Had she overestimated her ability to manipulate a powerful man—one who was proving far more dangerous and unpredictable than her boss portrayed?

Looking back, getting onto the Gulfstream 550 had been easy—maybe a bit too easy. Whatever the case, she had to keep a step ahead of Furst if she hoped to find the aircraft’s landing site.

He leaned over her leather chair, using his rock-solid body as unspoken intimidation. Without a word, he picked up the ends to her seat belt and buckled her in. Her heartbeat didn’t slow until the plane had taken off from the domestic airport and risen out of the haze into a clear night.

Jet controlled her fear by focusing on the sleek cabin. She related more to machines, particularly those with wings, than men.

“You have an impressive aircraft,” she said, with the proper amount of awe to feed Furst’s overblown ego. She could recite checklists and emergency boldface items for the fifty-million-dollar beauty that surrounded her, but she had to be careful not to reveal her flying expertise. “Will I be as impressed with your home?” Or wherever the plane might land and “magically” disappear.

Maximilian shifted in his seat to face her and tented his long, dark fingers. “After the excess of my party, you will like the peaceful place we are going.”

“Peaceful? I see you more as the type who never rests.” She pointed at a well-developed bicep on his arm, making sure not to touch or even hint at coming close enough to doing so. “Those don’t come from lounging around.”

“Senhorita, you flatter me. What is a strong body without a fit mind? My sanctuary awaits. It cleanses the body and soul of troubles.”

“I find it hard to believe you have many troubles.”

“A man without them has never been tested. Take this plane, for instance. The company and I have a financial disagreement to resolve. My legal sources have informed me impatient Americans have arrived to take it back. They are supposedly in Rio at this very moment.”

Perceptive sources. She held back the gulp striving to launch down her throat.

Maximilian, his spicy cologne still potent after the long night, leaned forward and encouraged her to do the same. She worked out of her seat belt and rather reluctantly moved closer.

With her head near, he softly added, “You, Senhorita de verão, are an American. I believe you have come to steal my plane.”

Print: Amazon

Sandy loves building worlds with memorable characters caught up in ever changing circumstances. She writes in several genres including action adventure thrillers with touches of mystery and romance, science fiction, romantic suspense, and historical romance, some under the name Sandy Moffett. She has won several national writing awards including the Daphne du Maurier Mainstream Award for Mystery & Suspense, Maggie Award for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements, and The Lories for Best New Author Paranormal. Before the days of writing, Sandy was trained as a hydrogeologic scientist, taught at a university, and worked for a civil engineering firm and on an Air Force flight test computer project. Her adventurous background comes from being a private pilot, traveling the world, hiking, scuba diving, and taking over fifteen years of Kenpo karate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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On Sale ~ Natalie’s Revenge by Susan Fleet

Posted on May 5, 2015 by fundinmental

Natalie’s Revenge Best Mystery – Thriller, 2014 Feathered Quill Book Awards

Book 3 in the Frank Renzi series, a New Orleans crime thriller

Reduced to 99-cents from May 5, thru 11PM Friday (May 9)

Dragon Lady Step Aside For Natalie (my 5 star review)

You can get it on Amazon here.

Two murders, twenty years apart.

Someone murdered Natalie’s mother and Natalie wants revenge!

But NOPD Detective Frank Renzi is hot on her trail.

Feathered Quill Book Awards named Natalie’s Revenge Best Mystery of 2014.

Universal link: myBook.to/NataliesRevenge

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For many years award-winning author Susan Fleet worked as a trumpeter in the Boston area. While teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music she began writing crime fiction. In 2001 she moved to New Orleans. Her first crime novel, Absolution, was named Best Mystery-Suspense-Thriller of 2009. Subsequent novels in her Frank Renzi series, Diva and Natalie’s Revenge, have won accolades from reviewers and readers alike. Jackpot is the fourth book in the series.

Susan blogs about true crime and has published twelve of her posts in an ebook. DARK DEEDS: Serial killers, stalkers and domestic homicides. http://darkdeeds.susanfleet.com/dark_deeds_book.html#.UYvV_MqYFaI

For nine years, Susan lived in New Orleans enjoying the music, food and ambiance of the French Quarter. She survived Katrina. She now divides her time between the Big Easy and Boston. Visit her at http://www.susanfleet.com

While teaching at Berklee, Susan created a course about 20th Century female musicians. Her book, Women Who Dared: Trailblazing 20th Century Musicians, spotlights violinist Maud Powell and trumpeter Edna White. http://susanfleet.com/women_who_dared-vol1.html See her profiles of other talented women at http://archives.susanfleet.com

You can stalk Susan at the links below:

Susan has some great book trailers. You can see them on her YouTube page.

Website / Goodreads / You Tube / Amazon Author Page

For more of Susan Fleet’s work, you can check out my reviews:

5 Star Review – Dark Deeds by Susan Fleet

5 Star Review – Is Winning the Lottery a Curse or a Blessing – Jackpot by Susan Fleet

5 Star Review – Diva by Susan Fleet plus a Free Thriller

5 Star Review – Absolution by Susan Fleet

5 Star Review – Dragon Lady Step Aside For Natalie

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A Meg(a) Hit ~ Review, Interview & Giveaway ~ Vostok by Steve Alten

Posted on April 1, 2015 by fundinmental

I am familiar with Steve Alten’s work, so I have been following his newsletter, waiting for this book to be released. Vostok is the sequel to The Loch and the prequel to Meg 5: Nightstalkers. I cannot get enough of his stories. (You can see the books and review links below)

AWESOME!! cover. It looks so real to me. I feel like the croc is swimming towards me, getting ready to open its mouth and eat me. Bring it on. (On the hardcover, it is embossed and looks 3D.)

Add me to Goodreads now.

MY REVIEW

Steve Alten writes some amazing creature stories that arise deep from the ocean’s floor. I have had Vostok sitting on the arm of my couch, where I couldn’t help but keep looking at it longingly, wanting so badly to pick it up and begin reading…but, I made myself wait. I wanted to savor the moment and bask in my anticipation. This creature story takes a wild twist that I never saw coming but I jumped aboard for the amazing ride through Steve’s creative and imaginative, out of this world, adventure.

In Antarctica, help is sparse, so when the Aussies asked for someone to check out something they discovered, Thomas Nilsson a marine biologist responded. They wanted him to identify not one, but two species of creatures. It’s over Thomas’ head, so who better to call in than, Zachary Wallace, the marine biologist who solved the mystery of The Loch Ness monster.

We will meet with some familiar characters from The Loch and Meg novels and I was happy to see them again. Welcome back, my friends. Of course, that doesn’t mean Steve might not kill you off. He is not afraid to make a character…disappear.

We will be going under the ice cap to Vostok Lake. When they drop the sub through the hole, I could imagine what that would feel like. I am very averse to small, tight places, let alone an under the water ice world that Steve describes so well I can see it. It made me think of Lost World, but instead of jungle and heat, picture ice, water and cold. His description of the mountain coming up from the water with the ice, like a sky, overhead make me scream MOVIE! The words opened before me as if I was watching the action. And, yes, there is plenty of that.

Thomas had died twice before, so imagine his terror facing it again…and again. He had dealt with drowning and giant creatures of the deep that wanted to eat him. How in the hell did he end up doing it again? LOL

Steve Alten has me engrossed, reading as if this is history unraveling before my eyes. Well, who knows what creatures dwell in the deepest oceans. New discoveries are being made all the time.

Throw in big business and the government, what chance does humankind have?

Now, comes the really, really, really nice spin – ALIENS. Who are they and what do they want? I did not expect this, but went with it and enjoyed the ride. Sometimes, an author will take a spin that ruins the book for me, but Steve pulled this off. I am curious how he will pull everything together in Meg 5: Nightstalker and eager to find out!

This quote sums up big business and government to me:

.

“There exists a shadowy Government with its own Air Force, its own Navy, its own fundraising mechanism, and the ability to pursue its own ideas of the national interest, free from and checks and balances, and free from the law itself.

.

Senator Daniel Inouye, Iran-Contra hearings

Do the elite work their hardest to keep the herd distracted? I feel there are some messages in Steve Alten’s stories, subtle, yet ones that should already be obvious to us.

If you could go back in time and change events, would you? What would it take for you to do it? This made me think of a Person of Interest episode where the machine ran through all the different scenarios, trying to find the groups best chance of survival.

There is so much more going on than I anticipated. It flows so smoothly at times I find myself relaxing too much, being jerked back into the story letting me know I wasn’t getting off that easy. If you found a UFO would you run toward it or away from it?

Steve Alten is a superb storyteller, weaving the genres together like water down a lazy stream, pulling me in, deeper and deeper (critters, aliens, conspiracy, betrayal, big business and government corruption, fantasy science fiction and horror) creating an amazing novel that will stick with you long after reading and will leave you anticipating the next book, Meg 5: Nightstalkers

Just two pages left and I read this:

“It’s a Nessie dildo so women like you can go –“

I busted out laughing.

I received this first edition hardcover of Vostok by Steve Alten for an honest review. Thanks so much, Steve and Rebel Press. It looks beautiful on my bookshelf, with the other Steve Alten books I own.

5 Stars

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Nobles

I am so excited to have Steve on my blog today, sharing his thoughts on inspiration and writing.

INTERVIEW

How did you do research for your book?

You begin with a concept and hit the Internet.

Which was the hardest character to write?

Kwan Wilson in SHARKMAN. He’s a paraplegic. I spent time interviewing a neighbor who was also wheelchair bound.

The easiest?

Dr. Vincent Cope, Boca Raton gynecologist in my comedy novel, DOG TRAINING THE AMERICAN MALE (written under the pen name L.A. Knight). A man after my own heart.

In your book, VOSTOK you make a reference to JFK being assassinated because he was going to shutdown MAJESTIC-12. How did you come up with this idea?

By interviewing Dr. Steven M. Greer, the foremost authority on Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

What made you write a book about a subglacial lake in Antarctica?

The facts about Lake Vostok are just amazing. VOSTOK is located two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap in East Antarctica, the coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Vostok is a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace has been recruited to join two other scientists aboard a tiny 3-man submersible tethered to a laser which will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct – and an Extraterrestrial object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

TV, newspapers, dreams…

There are many books out there about….What makes yours different?

I wouldn’t say different, I’d say additive.

What advice would you give budding writers?

Don’t write about what you know, write about things you like to read and do the research.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Steve. I look forward to reading more of your work…and soon. 🙂

SYNOPSIS

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct – and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar’s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.