Have You Ever Seen This At The Beach?!!!

I went to the beach and found this unusual sight.

After five days without power in the Gulf of Mexico, the more than 4,200 people aboard the Carnival Triumph returned home to the U.S., with many of them telling their horror stories for the first time.

Passengers began to disembark the damaged ship around 10:15 p.m. CT Thursday in Mobile, Ala. The last passenger disembarked the ship at 1 a.m. local time, according to Carnival’s Twitter handle.

Passenger Brandi Dorsett was thankful to be home, especially for her mother, who was with her on the ship. Dorsett said she wasn’t pleased with the doctor on staff.

“My mother is a diabetic, and they would not even come to the room because she cannot walk the stairs to help her with insulin. She hasn’t had insulin in three days,” Dorsett said.

The Carnival Triumph departed Galveston, Texas, last Thursday and lost power Sunday after a fire in the engine room disabled the vessel’s propulsion system and knocked out most of its power.

Check Out More Videos From The Fundimonium Collection

Come visit lancaster house and the middle aisle with Prism Book Tours

On tour with Prism Book Tours


 

One of the secret doors of the Stift Admont library, Austria.

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*If you missed
yesterday’s post about how American Idol inspired Lancaster House, sneak
through this hidden passage to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. . . but, watch out for ghosts along the way . .

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Lancaster HouseLancaster House
by Taylor Dean
Paperback, 304 pages
Published June 7th 2012 by Createspace

Premise: 

Zoe Grayson needs a change. So, she moves to another state, purchases an old, dilapidated 1920s Victorian Mansion, and sets out to restore it to its former glory. As she begins the restoration, she finds herself falling in love with the old house . . . not to mention its illustrious builder, Mr. Lancaster. Zoe becomes obsessed with the house as she discovers its secrets; hidden rooms, secret passageways . . . and a mysterious man who seems to think the house is his. Who is he? More importantly, how does he live in her home unseen and unheard?

The unexpected answers leave her reeling—and questioning everything she’s ever known. To her dismay, Zoe’s actions land her in the local psychiatric hospital, scheming for ways to return to Lancaster House . . . and the love of her life.

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The Middle Aisle (Lancaster House)The Middle Aisle
by Taylor Dean
Paperback, 356 pages
Published November 26th 2012 by Create SpacePremise:

Zoe Grayson is back in Lancaster House, ordered to bed rest for the duration of her unexpected pregnancy. Doctor Wade Channing, her overzealous psychiatrist, is living in Lancaster House, taking care of her, waiting on her, and tending to her every need. It seems to be the perfect arrangement.

There’s just one catch.

She has to tell him her story—everything that has happened in her life since the moment she escaped from Serenity Hills. It’s been quite an adventure to include renovating another home and a walk down the middle aisle.

But, that’s all over now. Nothing is real. It never was.

How did she end up in this miserable situation?

GUEST POST

Lancaster House contains many secret passageways and hidden rooms. It’s definitely part of its charm. The house itself is a main character in the book without me intentionally writing it that way. But Lancaster House isn’t the only one keeping secrets. I couldn’t resist adding a couple of secrets of my own into the writing of this book.

First I need to explain. I vividly remember sitting in my California Lit class in high school, listening to my teacher explain the hidden meanings John Steinbeck placed in the Grapes of Wrath—the types of things that are in Cliff Notes. I was mesmerized. I was impressed. Like the preacher’s name was Jim Casy. Initials: J.C. By no mistake did Mr. Steinbeck choose those initials—he chose the name Jim Casy to mimic the initials Jesus Christ. At least this is what my teacher taught me. Did Mr. Steinbeck confirm this? I have no idea. I’ve always wondered if these types of things are made up by people who study classic literature or if the author really intended it that way! Still, the concept fascinated me. Next I learned about East of Eden. The father’s name is Adam, and his son’s names are Caleb and Aron. (Father Adam=C for Cain and A for Abel) At any rate, you get the whole initial idea thing. To a young student of literature, this was intriguing and I never forgot it. (I grew up living only an hour away from John Steinbeck’s infamous Cannery Row, hence the obsession with Steinbeck.)

With the above thoughts in mind, I set out to name my hero. Since the visual of Adam Lambert was the image that inspired my main character, I decided to stick with A.L. as the initials. Andre Lancaster. Yes, I’ll put secrets in my book just like John Steinbeck, I thought. Brilliant.

Okay, so it’s not that amazing. But it felt amazing. The kind of thing that made me smile to myself whenever I thought about it.

There is one other similarity to Adam Lambert and American Idol placed in Lancaster House.  During the American Idol season, Adam Lambert would show up on stage dressed in his casual attire, with his hair flopping over one eye, looking like an anime rocker. In the next performance he’d show up with his hair slicked back, dressed in a classy suit, singing “Tracks of my Tears.”

To view Adam’s performance of “Tracks of my Tears,” click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc2lXKuXUD8

A total transformation. I couldn’t resist having my main character do the same.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Taylor Dean .
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Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.
Find & Follow:
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Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle, available in print or eCopy from Smashwords or for Amazon, click on the cover below:

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TOUR-WIDE GIVEAWAY

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5 WINNERS will receive….

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Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Taylor Dean. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Bay window with leaded stained glass windows in a Victorian home. What a lovely spot for a writing desk.

*To learn of another American Idol performance that inspired a certain scene in Lancaster House,come back tomorrow and visit my study at Proud Book Nerd. . . you won’t bedisappointed . . .

 Pssst… to see my real study, hop over to Letters to the Cosmos and Sarah’s review!
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THE TOUR:

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2/11 – Unputdownable Books – Guest Post
2/12 – I Am A Reader, Not a Writer – Guest Post
2/13 – Fundinmental Guest Post
–          Letters to the Cosmos – Review
2/14 – Oh, The Books You’ll Read – Review
–          Proud Book Nerd – Guest Post
2/15 – LDS & Lovin’ It – Review
2/17 – Phantasmic Reads – Review
–          Lavender & Camomile Press Guest Post
2/18 – The Reading Diaries – Guest Post
2/19 –  Living a Goddess Life – Review
–          Beck Valley Books – Guest Post
2/20 – Living the Goddess Life –  Recipe
–          Colorimetry
2/21 – Passion and Life – Guest Post
–          Books Mystify – Goodreads Review
2/22 – Christy’s Cozy Corner – Review
2/24 – Christy’s Cozy Corner – Review
–          A Buckeye Girl Reads – Guest Post
2/25 – Living a Goddess Life – Review
–          Icultgen – Guest Post
2/26 – Who’s Thanny?  (Byzinha) – Review
–          Letters to the Cosmos – Review
2/27 – Living a Goddess Life – Recipe
–          Tressa – Goodreads Reviewer

2/28 – A Buckeye Girl Reads – Review
3/1 – Grand Finale TBA…
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Blog Tour – The Dragon Empire by Heather McCorkle

 

Today we’re celebrating the release of Heather McCorkle’s fantasy novel, The Dragon Empire! For today’s stop Heather is answering the following question:

Are the dragons in your book shapeshifter?

Heather: No. While they can take other forms it is only with the use of magic, only temporary, and not all of them can do it. I figured there are enough great shapeshifter stories out there and not enough stories about just dragons, so my dragons are ‘all’ dragon. 🙂

B&N / Amazon / Goodreads

Here is a bit about it:

On Yacrana dragons are the advanced species. But advanced doesn’t always mean civilized…

There’s trouble in the Dragon Empire, the kind that could start a war between dragons and the races of people. Hidden factions of dragons believe they should rule the lesser races, not simply stand aside and allow them to develop as they will. Having lived so long in peace, the Emperors turn a blind eye, many oblivious that such attitudes even exist.

Despite being only an architect class, emerald dragon, Grendar is willing to risk banishment and death to stop that which his rulers refuse to see. The hope of peace lies not within the scaled breast of a dragon however, but within the hands of a group of people. But if the hidden factions have their way, these people won’t live to fulfill such a destiny. With a reluctant seer at his side, Grendar must leave his precious Empire for the outside world to save those that will one day save his kind.

While The Dragon Empire is for ages young adult and up, it does contain mild violence and some difficult subject matter.

Why not hop on over to HEATHER’S blog and see what’s shaking?

Giveaway/Review of The Man With The Green Suitcase by Dee Doanes

The Man With The Green Suitcase by Dee Doanes

.The Man With the Green SuitcaseAdd To Goodreads

What is in that suitcase? Why will he risk everything to keep it safe?

Curiosity killed the cat, now read on to find out why.

The bum had not only been dumpster diving in the alley, he was also taking a dump. While he was squat down, he found a diamond wedding ring, a cell phone and some cold, hard cash. He had picked it up and put it in his battered green suitcase, but when he spotted the cops he quickly pulled it out, dropped it and ran to the Open Door Community House. He went inside and immediately headed to the corner. He wanted only to be left alone, to be invisible. Eddie came over to sit with him. If he had a friend, it would be Eddie.

The Z Brothers came in complaining about someone stealing their stash. They had broken into a house, killed someone and hid the stuff. It was the stuff the old man found.

Lee saw he was nervous, but when she touched him, his skin looked like it was bubbling and worms were crawling underneath it. He told her it would be okay, to go ahead and touch his face. Then she would find out what she needed to know. Afterwards a peacefulness she hadn’t felt in a long time, washed over her.

$$$$$ Pictures, Images and PhotosGerald drove around, picking up the rent checks from the lessees. Life had been good to him. Then he runs into the old woman. She accuses him of being the cause of her husband’s death and tells him, he’ll get his and soon. When Tony, his new partner. says the same thing, almost word for word he can’t help but notice.

The nightmare woke him up. He knew he never should have done the deal with Tony. It was blood money. It had felt wrong when they made the deal and he should have paid attention to his gut talking to him.

Gerald drove by the Open Door and felt compelled to turn around and go back. He had no idea why. Before he knew what he was doing, not only did he donate money, he volunteered to work there.

For some reason, listening to Lee describe the house and the residents, Gerald finds himself actually enjoying listening to her. Then he spots the man with the green suitcase. Lee notices the man with the suitcase looking intently at Gerald and is surprised, because he usually tries very hard not to be noticed.

Valerie’s life wasn’t going the way she had planned. When she came to town, she had dreams, but they were short-lived. Now she was a hooker and she hated it. She had had it with her night job and decided to drive around and look for hiring signs. She stopped when she came to the Open Door and, on impulse,  went in to volunteer. She met Gerald, as Lee shows her around.

Gerald ran into the man with the green suitcase and chased him down. He just wanted to  talk to him. They both touched the bush at the same time and he had a vision. The old man ran off before Gerald could ask him what it meant.

Back in the Open Door, Gerald ran into Valeria again and asked her out. Over time, they began to feel they may have a future together. They both had the same thoughts running through their heads. They needed to fess up and disclose their secrets or it could ruin the relationship they had been building.

Tony served Gerald with a $15,000,000 lawsuit. He thought there was no way Tony could use the dirt he had on Gerald because he was so dirty himself, but if he did, Valerie would learn his secret. What would she do then?

Gerald was determined to question the man with the green suitcase. He finds out that he has no memory of anything. He doesn’t know who he is or how he came to be here. Gerald thinks he and the man have some kind of connection, because he is now having visions even if he isn’t near him. The old man is concerned about Gerald. He decides to leave town and buys a bus ticket with the last of his money. He promptly loses it.

Will Lee’s vision come true? Will Gerald and Valerie be able to get past their secrets?  What will happen when they do fess up? And what about the man with the green suitcase? Who is he? What’s in the suitcase?

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

The cover is eerie and has a sense of mystery about it. The title is self-explanatory.

You may find yourself losing track of time because the book is well written, easy to read and you will want to know – what is in the suitcase.

This story is about people and their daily lives. It tells about the trials and tribulations of them just trying to get through life with a little bit of peace and happiness. They learn they  can’t run from the past, but they can change the future. That by giving, they receive so much more than they gave.

It’s funny how it can be such a small world. How people’s lives can be connected, without them even being aware of it.

Some of the characters start out being pretty bad. Selfish, self-centered, corrupt, petty, pretty much everything you don’t want to be. The others just appear to be lost. By making one decision, their lives become so much worse than they had ever anticipated. They redeem themselves as they ride the roller coaster of life and end up helping each other become a better person.

Does it prove the rule, what goes around comes around? Do unto others?

Maybe all those sayings are true. Things happen for a reason. Are we just here and our lives already planned, we just act it out? Is the play written and we are the cast, acting our parts until the story is told?  Are somethings meant to stay a mystery?

As I read the story, so many clichés ran through my head, I knew I had to use them. I wanted you to get the same feeling I did as I read the book.

The ending had me laughing, even though it was pretty dark and drear. It was a fit ending and lives up to the cliché: Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dee Doanes  Dee Doanes is the author of The Man With the Green Suitcase, her first fiction novel.

She has previously published short stories and poetry. She has a deep passion for writing and has been writing since the age of five.

Doanes has a background in copywriting, communications, and social media.

She’s active in several charities and conducts a youth poetry workshop for the Atlanta Writers Club Youth Writing Camp, and is the former co-chair of the Writing in the Schools Program for Georgia Writers.

Doanes lives in Atlanta, Georgia and enjoys spending time with her daughter and parents. Doanes’ mother encouraged her to read and to be creative while growing up. In her spare time she enjoys attending writing events and workshops, fitness training, collecting art, world travel, and gourmet cooking.

Future plans:  I plan on getting The Man With the Green Suitcase made into a TV series or movie. Also, I will be releasing a book of poetry and doing poetry readings. I am working on a fiction book that deals with how people are connected to each other in the most remarkable ways. I will touch upon reincarnation a little bit and the setting spans across several countries. The title is not set yet. More details as I get closer to the release date.

To find out what Dee is doing, follow these links:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

 Facebook 

Amazon Author Page 

To buy your copy of the book, simply click on the cover.

GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos Dee Doanes  is offering  for the Giveaway, 2 ebooks (mobi or PDF). 

Easy entry as always, just leave your email address and answer the question:

What do you think is in the suitcase? 

Giveaway will run from 1/24 – 2/7/2013.

CLOSED. WINNERS are Laura T. and Andrea W. Hunt.

To see all my Giveaways, click HERE.

To keep abreast of all the goings on here at fundinmental, follow by email. Easy Peasy.

Please take a moment to tweet it out to your friends, family and followers.

BLOG TOUR BOOK BLITZ AND GIVEAWAY: Kendall Grey’s Just Breathe (Just Breathe #3) (@kendallgrey1)

He made a deal with the devil to save the woman he loves…

After a terrible accident rocks the foundation of their relationship, Australian Sentinel Gavin Cassidy and whale biologist Zoe Morgan call it quits. Gavin can’t forgive himself for shattering her trust, and being with the sexy rock star is killing Zoe. Literally.

But love—and duty—are powerful motivators, and alliances are forged in the most unlikely places. With the key to salvation locked inside the mind of an unconscious child, Gavin must find another way to snuff out the Fyre Elementals before millions of humans die, or make good on his deal with the devil and lose the one he loves. Again.

Just_Breathe_600X900

PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE

GIVEAWAY
Author Kendall Grey is having a HUGE Kindle Fire HD Giveaway!!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!!

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Kendall Grey

AUTHOR BIO
Word diddler and whale warrior, Kendall was born without an off-switch between her brain and mouth. She’s been called the “Flux Capacitor of Twitter” and “A little package of love all wrapped up in F-word paper,” but she’s really just a maniacal writer relaying eyewitness accounts of the rave inside her head. She writes urban fantasy romance and dabbles in erotica and horror on occasion. Kendall lives off a dirt road near Atlanta, Georgia, but don’t hold that against her.

Be sure to check out the Just Breathe Trilogy website for all things Just Breathe!

All profits from the sales of INHALE, EXHALE, and JUST BREATHE will be donated to whale education.

AToMR Tours Presents The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith – Giveaway

Thanks to AToMR for letting me be a part of this amazing tour.

The Crimson Hunt Cover V Smith JPEG HI RES.jpg.0x675.egrvsvxhlfupu8fr03ak313rvqme7b9

Title: The Crimson Hunt (Book One: Eldaen Light Chronicles)

Author: Victoria H. Smith

Release date: November 7, 2012

Genre: Science Fiction Romance

Age Group: New Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Print

Book Description:

College junior Ariel Richmond is working on year three of Project Normalcy.

Her house reeks of keggers past and her bestie is just a slight bit vulgar. But the thing is—they both aid in making life refreshingly uneventful.

So much for hard-earned mediocrity when Luca Grinaldi appears on the scene.

Luca’s sudden presence on campus is hard to ignore. Those bright eyes act like a beacon to unsuspecting females, and with features like his, he’s got to be moonlighting for GQ. Luca hopelessly captivates Ariel with his confidence and charisma, but the mysteries surrounding him make him nearly untouchable. And just when Ariel grows close enough to unlock his secrets, a tragic event sends her life in a downward spiral.

That steady life is no longer an option and allies quickly become scarce. The mysterious Luca seems to be the only one willing to help her—but with that trust comes the burden of his secrets. He has a dark mission of otherworldly proportions, and is willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to see it completed.

Gone are the days of simply maintaining normalcy, and if Ariel isn’t cautious with her trust, so soon may be her future.

The Crimson Hunt is a New Adult Science Fiction Romance.

Excerpt

I continued my rigorous review of the material. But as the night went on, I didn’t gain much ground. There were about fifteen chapters in the first half of the semester’s lectures. I was only up to chapter eight. There’d never be enough time for me to get them down pat before the midterm tomorrow. I wanted to cry at the thought. Laying my head in my textbook, I hoped the words would materialize into my brain.

“I think the book works better if you are actually reading it.” A gentle laugh accompanied the words.

I jolted, startled by Luca’s sudden appearance. I quickly raised my head, hoping to God there weren’t any page marks indented into my face. I rubbed my eyes, and Luca’s beautiful face appeared before me. “Don’t be so mean. I’m stressing out here. The midterm is tomorrow.” I said this though I didn’t really mind that he poked fun at me. It was really cute to see him joke.

I couldn’t help but notice how hot he looked tonight with his strong build lining his t-shirt. He should never cover his beauty with clothes and such things. He also wore a heather-gray carpenter jacket. I hoped my cardigan was enough for the weather when I left tonight.

“I was not trying to be cruel. I was just stating a fact.” He laughed again and sat on the edge of the table.

I smiled, his laugher bringing my anxiety down a bit.

“What are you caught up on? May I be of any use?”

There were a lot of things he could help me with at this point, but none of them had to do with Zoology.

About the Author

Victoria H. Smith

Victoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the twenty-something characters she writes give her an earful about it.

In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, blogging, reading, and sending off a few tweets on Twitter when she can. She writes new adult fiction romance in the sub-genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary, but really, anywhere her pen takes her she goes.

Author social media links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

(1) eBook copy of The Crimson Hunt (Book One: Eldaen Light Chronicles).

Open International.

eBooks will be in mobi, epub, and pdf formats gifted from Smashwords.

All winners will be sent to the author at one time after the Jan. 25th date.

  • If a winner does not have an e-reader they can download the Kindle app for free to their computers on Amazon.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question, “What did you think of the excerpt?”

Closed. The winner of The Crimson Hunt by Victoria H. Smith Giveaway is – Holly Letson

Contest ends Jan. 16th.

Thank you and Good Luck!

All Books .99! Enter to win a $100 Gift Card Now!

ATOMR Tours Presents: The Post – Christmas Holiday Book Sale

The Post-Christmas Holiday Book Sale, hosted by the Indie Book Festival, will kick off on December 28 and run through December 31. All books will be .99!! The Indie Book Festival will be posting the participating books to their Facebook page as well.
The Indie Book Festival website is the premier online website for seasonal ebook sales events! From Halloween to Valentine’s Day – we’ll celebrate it by bringing you bestselling books by today’s hottest Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal and Young Adult indie authors.

Indie Book Festival | Facebook | Twitter

You can also enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card now!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway and Review – A Lonely Vampire Looking For His Master Wreaks Havoc!

Giveaway and Review

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The Vampire Murders by Matthew Blake

The Vampire Murders

Detective Fehkal was sent to investigate the murder of a Chinaman. Why was this case so special? Murders of Chinamen were a weekly occurrence in the Seattle Chinatown.

The man was decapitated and disemboweled. It was like nothing Fehkal had every seen teeth Pictures, Images and Photosbefore. The carnage and cruelty were beyond description. It looked like someone had chewed off his arms and legs, but the marks weren’t like any human teeth Fehkal knew of, and the limbs had been taken by whoever had done such a thing. As he examined the pool of blood surrounding the body, he noticed that it looked like it had been licked up, lapped up like a cat would do. He looked up at the ceiling and saw a name, Peytor Droysvich, was written in blood. It was still wet.The only witness was a young Chinese boy.

Fehkal’s boss, Chief Shaffer, had the Mayor hounding him to solve the murder, quickly. It was election time and the Mayor needed the Chinese vote.

The boy told Fehkal he saw a shadow, where a shadow couldn’t possible have been, vampire moon black background picture and wallpaperoutside the house. It looked like smoke and went through the window into the house. Then he heard screaming and other horribly weird sounds.

The next morning, Fehkkhal went to the library to do some research. In the archives, he found several references to Peytor. There had been a European vampire scare twenty years earlier. It had begun right after Peytor’s death in Serbia. Some family members died mysteriously and it was said that Peyotr was supposedly coming around, after he was dead, telling them how hungry he was.

As Fehkal left the library, Sally  invited herself out to lunch with him. He’d always had his eye on her. He had thought of asking her out, but something always stopped him.

When he went into work, the Chief was waiting for him.The fingerprints that had been found at the murder scene were the same ones that were involved with three other murders. But the suspect had died more than a year ago.

The witness’s parents were murdered during the night. Fehkal knew the kid was good, that he didn’t do it. As he interrogated Xiao, Xiao told him  what he had seen, when he came vampire bats animated flying graphichome from goofing off with this friends. The front door had been wide open. He looked in and saw a shadow. When the wind blew the door and banged him in the head, the shadow looked up. Xiao saw red eyes, then the shadow flew out the window.

Another night, another murder, two actually. The scene was even worse and a message had been left for Fehkal. Now it was personal.

“I know you’re trying to find me detective Fehkal. If you don’t’ stop, you’ll end up like these two.”

https://i0.wp.com/i-love-cartoons.us/snags/clipart/christmas/looney-toons/Christmas-Taz.jpg?resize=138%2C131       4 – Would Highly Recommend To Others

The cover is cool. The only way it could have been better, is if it was a man with a long black coat. The character, Fehkal, always walked the streets of Seattle, he had no car.

This is a novella that can easily be read in one sitting, preferably when you are alone at night – jumping at the settling of the house, wondering if something is trying to get in.The  writing was very good and I raced through the pages.

For such a short book, it was packed with suspense. Had Fehkal looking over his shoulder as he walks the dark streets. I kept waiting for him to be attacked.

halloween vampire night evil picture and wallpaper

I loved it. I always like being surprised and that is pretty hard to do because I read so many books. But I was very surprised as it neared the end. I was really bummed and pissed off, but I thought about it and thought, WOW, that’s pretty good. Evoked a lot of emotion.

I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Blake   Matthew Blake lives in Spokane, Washington. He has been a fan of writing and reading horror since he was a boy. He keeps busy between writing and his three-year-old daughter. He was a soldier in the US Army and attained a degree in web development after his time in the service.

When he has free time he likes to play disc golf (a popular sport that a lot of people don’t know about, you should try it if you haven’t already,) and take long walks.

Follow Matthew Blake through the links below:

Website

Twitter

My Goodreads Review of Rose Blossoms at Midnight by Matthew Blake, click HERE.

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos

GIVEAWAY
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Matthew Blake is generously offering up for the giveaway 10, count them, 10 ebooks. The Giveaway is International, so come one, come all.
As always, it is easy to enter. Simply leave an email address so I can contact you and answer the question – Are you prepared for when the Vampires come flying through your window?
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Closed. Because of the great response and it being the holidays, Matthew says EVERYONE is a Winner. If you have not heard from the author by 1/8/2013, please leave me a message here WITH YOUR EMAIL and I will forward it to him.
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Giveaway runs from 12/8 – 1/2/2013.
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Please tweet this out to your friends, family and followers, not required.
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I love it when you follow me, but, also, not required.
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To see all my Giveaways, click HERE.
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To order any of the books below, simply click on the cover.

Is that a Chupacabra in the Tree?

Shadow of  the Oak by Eric Kent Edstrom

Shadow of the Oak (A Sal Van Sleen Adventure)

I find Eric’s writing to be fascinating and entertaining. His characters and worlds come from someplace else, not always sure from where, but I do enjoy visiting them.


Me, Bill and Becca were meeting at the dam to discuss our business – a comic book series we were writing .Chrissy, Becca’s younger sister, had tagged along, but that was okay. She sat by the water reading her book.

We heard Chrissy’s terrified scream and ran to where she had been on the riverbank. No Chrissy.

l ran, looking for her, following her screams. I spotted her near the top of a tree. How did she get up there? Then I saw it. It had orange eyes, big fangs and wings wrapped around its body.

Chrissy fell and I tried to catch her. Becca ran to her to see if she was hurt. Chrissy didn’t know how she got up in the tree, so I told them what I saw. Nobody believed me.

Kizmo, my online friend, helped me find the creature – it was a Chupacabra.

English: Picture of chupacabra.

English: Picture of chupacabra. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The information read – Nicaragua, three-foot wing span, myth. Kizmo  asked me if I lived in Mushkobewun. When I told him yes, he went on to tell me about an Indian dig and a famous murder that happened in 1977 or 1978 in our area. A body had been found in a tree.

Chrissy fell ill and I knew we had to find the Chupacabra in order to save her.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   5 STARSWould Buy It For Them (lol)

I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Eric’s books always have some really awesome book covers. The title for this book is descriptive of the adventures of the trio in trying to solve the mystery of Chrissy’s illness.

Even though the book is very short and can be read within a couple of hours, I found it to be detailed and thorough in the plot and with the characters. Sal became my hero and I will be curious to see how he grows and develops into the young man he is becoming. Eric is currently working on the second Sal Van Sleen book and I can hardly wait to go on his next adventure with him.

I have also read Undermountain (my review HERE) and Afterlife (my review HERE), from Eric’s Undermountain Saga and loved them. I still think of them often and they bring a smile to my face as I remember them. Book III is in the works and I am eagerly anticipating getting my hands on it. With Shadow of the Oak, Eric does not disappoint.

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
Eric Edstrom

Eric is an author, songwriter, husband, father, and guitarist. He is the author of Undermountain and Afterlife, the first two entries in YA science fiction series The Undermountain Saga.

Eric loves working out with kettlebells and eating pretty much anything with peanut butter.

To find out more about Eric Kent Edstrom, follow the links below.

Goodreads

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taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos   Giveaway – Eric is offering up two paperbacks of Shadow of the Oak. This giveaway is  U S only. As always, it is easy to enter. Simply answer the question – WHAT CRITTER SCARES YOU THE MOST? – and leave an email address. This giveaway will run 10/24/2012 – 11/7/2012. Closed.
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.   My favorite time of any giveaway is announcing the winners. So without further ado, the winners of Shadow of the Oak are:

Laura

ramheaded

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

To order any of the books below, simply click on the cover.

FOR MY REVIEW OF ERIC’S UNDERMOUNTAIN SAGA, GO HERE.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

To keep updated on the latest happenings here on fundinmental, follow by email.

Thanks to two of the best bloggers!!!

I was recently given two awards and it is so appropriate that the first two awards I ever received are from my sister, Laura, at fuonlyknew .

She is the one who introduced me to blogging, Goodreads and Twitter. I can’t thank her enough for all her help and support in helping me learn the ropes and introducing me to some of her great friends on the internet. It has brought us closer together. Thank you so much, Laura!

For the Fabulous Blog Ribbon you tell 5 fabulous moments, five things you love and 5 things you hate, and then nominate 5 friends.

For the Versatile Blogger award you tell seven things about yourself and nominate seven friends.

Emily Guido nominated me for not one, but three awesome awards. Even though she is extremely busy writing her Light-Bearer series, she still finds time to stop by my blog and say hi. Thanks so much.

If you haven’t met Emily yet, you can meet her here

The rules:

1) Include the award in your post.

2) Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them.

3) Tell 7 random facts about yourself.

4) Nominate 7 other blogs and let them know you’ve done so.

also the

Rules:

1) Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them.

2) List 7 things about yourself.

3) Nominate 7 other bloggers and let them know you’ve done so.

and then

There is only one rule:

1) Don’t do a damned thing!

I have decided to combine all the tasks into one. I will tell you seven things about myself. And keep it on the down low, because I have a reputation to protect. LOL

1. It took me an odd route (from Michigan to Alabama to Georgia to Florida to Alabama to New York and back to Florida) to make it here, Florida, but I feel like I am home.

2. I am a car nut, I love fast cars.

3. My husband calls me a mermaid because I spend so much time in the pool. I am a water and sun worshipper.

4. I have a love/hate relationship with golf. I hack around the course every chance I get and take along some beers to soothe my savage beast.

5. I am a bit of a loner, so the power of invisibility would be awesome.

6. I used to be a neat freak, but have found a little dust never hurt anyone. There are not enough hours in the day to do all I want to do.

7. My two hobbies are my passions, other than my husband, of course. I love reading and photography. I like to start my morning, with my coffee, kindle or physical book and camera on the patio by the pool.

All the header photos on my blog were taken by me and I will change them out every now and then.

What a life and I’m loving every minute of it.

Below are my nominees. I spend a lot of time browsing their blogs. Thanks guys. Stop by their blogs and check them out.

Tiffanyhttp://escapingonebookatatime.blogspot.com/

Tiffany – http://trh87books.blogspot.com/

Autumn – http://www.autumnreview.com/

Andrea – http://andreaheltsley.blogspot.com/

Tiffany – http://tiffanylovesbooks.wordpress.com/

Mandy –   http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/ 

Sarah – http://ssbookreviews.blogspot.com/