Teaser Tuesday #100- Stranger Than FanFiction by Chris Colfer @chriscolfer

Posted on November 28, 2017 by fundinmental

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

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

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I won a fabulous package from Chris Colfer that included the book, Stranger Than FanFiction, a pair of sunglasses, a notebook for travel , and a keychain of America. I would have missed this wonderful story if I hadn’t been lucky enough to win it.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

This is a wonderful adventure novel about a group of nerdy high school kids traveling from coast to coast with their childhood idol, stretching their horizons and growing as individuals, learning the true meaning of friendship. Stranger Than FanFiction by Chris Colfer surprised me by being so much more than just kids on a road trip, with the writing drawing me in slowly and the ending hitting like a punch to the gut.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Cash Carter is the young, world famous lead actor of the hit television Wiz Kids. When four fans jokingly invite him on a cross-country road trip, they are shocked that he actually takes them up on it. Chased by paparazzi and hounded by reporters, this unlikely crew takes off on a journey of a lifetime–but along the way they discover that the star they love has deep secrets he’s been keeping. What they come to learn about the life of the mysterious person they thought they knew will teach them about the power of empathy and the unbreakable bond of true friendship.

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Giveaway – Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats by Carla Rehse @CRehse @SDSXXTours

Posted on November 26, 2017 by fundinmental

Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats

by Carla Rehse

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Witches must bond with humans in order to produce children

—and once the bond is made, it cannot easily be broken.

Imagine seventeen-year-old Gracie Mason’s surprise when she accidentally
bonds with a witch named Asher. Sure, he’s cute, but that’s
beside the point. She’s not gonna settle for a guy just because
she’s magically bound to him.

To dissolve the bond, Gracie must seek out another witch to perform a
magical rite. However, matters become considerably more complicated
when witches begin turning up dead. Wanting nothing more than to get
on with her life, Gracie must now team up with her new witchy friend
and wade deeper into a complex world of enchantment and
intrigue.

Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats is an enthralling story of magic,
mystery, and murder—and each new twist will draw you further under
its spell.

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Amazon * B&N

Although not a native Texan, Carla prides herself on having mastered

the correct usage of “y’all” and “bless your heart.”

Carla is owned by a persnickety kitty, who rules the computer keyboard

and only allows Carla to write when demands for cat treats are met.

Website * Twitter * Goodreads * Amazon

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Giveaway – Addicted by Krys Fenner @FennerKrys @XpressoReads

Posted on November 24, 2017 by fundinmental

Addicted
Krys Fenner
(Dark Road Series, #1)
Publication date: September 29th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Sixteen-year-old Bella Kynaston has been the victim of a brutal rape, by someone she can only describe as ‘the scar-faced man.’ With little recollection of what happened, she must somehow rebuild her life. Being the person she once was proves more difficult than she imagined.

To complicate matters, Bella has just met Jeremiah Detrone, the new guy in school. He’s attractive, funny, and smart. All things she’s ever wanted in a boyfriend. Too bad she’s conflicted over so many unexpected emotions. Without realizing it, she falls down a rabbit hole and begins walking a dangerous line between addiction and self-preservation.

As Bella works together with the police to bring her attackers to justice, will she be able to see it through to the end? And even if she does, will it only bring her more pain and misery? Or will she find an anchor in Jeremiah and figure out how to move forward?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

EXCERPT

Each small table was draped with a red-white-and-green checked cloth and bore a flickering candle that added to the light from the chandelier. It was the pizza parlor where she had her first date with Miah. And there he was. With a smile, she waved and started for the table. Just as she arrived, Jeremiah stood. Believing he intended to pull her into his arms, Bella moved to hug him, but he turned and disappeared into the crowd. She followed, but after a few steps, lost sight of him in the crowd.

Why would he leave without her? The hairs on the back of her neck stiffened and goosebumps traveled up her body. Despite her sudden terror, she continued to search for Miah. Then, she spotted the back of his head at the door. She would know that cropped hair anywhere. He could protect her. She pushed through the throng of patrons, but when she reached the door, he was gone. She spun in circles looking for him. He must have gone outside.

She stepped out and glanced up and down the sidewalk. Even though she didn’t know which way he’d gone, she started running, calling his name. Her voice echoed as if she was in a dark and empty cavern. Heart racing, she ran until the familiar became unfamiliar, then became familiar again.

She stopped, lungs heaving. Why did it look so familiar? Oh. She was on her own street, the street where she lived. How had she gotten so far? She glanced over her shoulder. A shadow shifted behind her. Swallowing, she walked toward her house.

No police tape across the door. No sign that read, “Do Not Enter.” Nothing to mark the house as a crime scene. Had they finished? Had the house been released? It couldn’t have. Her parents would’ve told her. She checked for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing stood out. Squeezing her hands into fists, she took a deep ragged breath, then stepped onto the pathway and headed up to the front door. She wiggled the knob, and the door opened.

Something was wrong. They never left the door unlocked. Why would the door have opened so easily? Unless … Was she in a dream? “That has to be it. I’m dreaming. I just need to wake up.”

But she didn’t wake up. She remained outside her house … alone. What should she do? Chewing on her bottom lip, she peeked inside.

Author Bio:

Krys Fenner has been infinitely passionate about writing and helping people for as long as she can remember. To date, she has published two books, numerous poems, and is now avidly working on a fantasy series. Krys received an Associate of Arts in Psychology and is currently working on her B.A.

To find out more about Krys Fenner and her upcoming book releases, visit her official website: www.krysfenner.co

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Giveaway – Enchant by Micalea Smeltzer @micaleasmeltzer @XpressoReads

Posted on November 20, 2017 by fundinmental

Enchant
Micalea Smeltzer
(The Enchanted Series #1)
Publication date: November 17th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Mara Pryce never imagined that her life was anything but normal and then a strange gray-eyed young man appears at her graduation. When he vanishes without a trace, she’s convinced he’s a figment of her imagination. Then he appears again and shatters her whole world.

Mara is an enchanter, part of an ancient line of Wiccan power, and a war is raging—one of good and evil—between the Enchanted and the Iniquitous.

The Iniquitous want her dead and it’s Theodore’s job as her protector to keep her safe.

When Mara and Theodore arrive at a safe house, where Mara will remain hidden while learning about her powers, they find that the real threat might be a little closer to home than they want to believe.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

—

Author Bio:

Hi. I’m Micalea. Ma-call-e-uh. Weird name, I know. My mom must’ve known I was going to be odd even in the womb. I’ve written a lot of books. Like a lot. Don’t ask me how many, I don’t remember at this point. I have an unhealthy addiction to Diet Coke but I can’t seem to break the habit. I listen to way too much music and hedgehogs have taken over my life. Crazy is the word that best sums up my life, but it’s the good kind of crazy and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

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An Island Mystery – The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West @karilynnwest

Posted on November 9, 2017 by fundinmental

An island, a mystery, and the beautiful and intriguing cover of The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West drew me in. I had to know what the story was.

Cover design by Ebook Launch

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

Ronan is an iluminator. That’s all he desires in his life. He’s no slacker, though his boss at the book store may have another opinion. He’s a diligent student, loves the training, pouring his heart and soul into his studies. He has his apprenticeship, graduating near the top of his class, until…

Luminators are endowed with the power to see and restore memories. The rich used to dominate the luminators, until hard times forced them to sell some of their land. The power comes from the land itself. Now, even families and second class citizens, a common islander, like Ronan, may have the power. The rich think it’s wrong. Sound familiar to present day circumstances? The rich and empowered want it all to themselves.

Cassie is a long time friend, along with Eli. She’s bold, daring, maybe a bit headstrong, (lol, very understated description of her) a daredevil. Eli’s family was wealthy. Somewhat of a surprise that he is friends with Ronan and his snooty parents hates it. They felt only the wealthy should have the power. The same goes for Cassie. She is not a luminator, but her father is.

Eli and Ronan met at the Academy. Cassie met them there, when they befriended her. She needs to think twice about her playful suggestions of entertainment, which can be dangerous and foolhardy.

They believed all they did was good, but everything can be misused and abused. Power can be a seductive thing and abuse of power can be easy to fall victim to for some of our characters. Some danger is hidden and some is in your face.

Some things had a ring of familiarity and I had to see if check I’d read it before. Once I got into the book, it didn’t take long to realize that I hadn’t. I have read thousands of books, so maybe that’s why some things rang familiar.

When everything Ronan has strived for is at risk, when his friends memories are on the line, I wonder if Ronan will do the right thing. What do you think? Well….I’m not telling. Find out for yourself by reading the book.

The Secrets of Islayne by Kari Lynn West is filled with fabulous characters and I loved each and every one of them, even the bad ones. It was great watching the gang grow and rise to the occasion. The world on the Island of Islayne was filled with action, intrigue and danger that I would definitely recommend.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A powerful island. A dangerous mystery. An impossible choice.

For centuries, the island of Islayne has given certain residents the ability to revive other people’s memories. These gifted individuals are known as luminators, and sixteen-year-old Ronan Saunders desperately desires to join their illustrious ranks. As he struggles against the prejudice of the old, powerful families who have an iron grip on the trade, Ronan falls under the tutelage of a reclusive luminator, rumored to be insane.

kari . As they delve deeper into the mystery, what they find forces them to question their loyalties, doubt long-held beliefs, and wrestle with the dire consequences of revealing the truth. Ronan finds himself torn between everything he loves and the only future he’s ever wanted. The entire fate of the lumination trade hangs in the balance of his decision.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kari Lynn West writes contemporary YA fantasy—normally while drinking far too much coffee. She likes to create character-driven stories that are set in the real world with a twist, weaving fantastical elements into everyday life. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two daughters

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Monday Mini – Armageddon Has Arrived – Hell Holes by Donald Firesmith @DonFiresmith

Posted on October 23, 2017 by fundinmental

Perfect for the Halloween season, Hell Holes by Donald Firesmith.

I love the cover (by Ellie Kay Bockert Augsburger) and horror, so I was super excited to get a free copy from Amazon, but be sure and check for the ‘0’.

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

Hell Holes by Donald Firesmith was everything I had hoped for and more.

They were asked by Exxon to come up and check out the Hell Holes that had become a threat to the pipeline. Stowaway photographer, Aileen O’Shannon, is quite a handful and so much more than she appears to be.

Have you ever thought about not just climate change, but all the holes we punch into the earth? Could we be destroying the planet we live on…or is there something else happening, something so monstrously evil we cannot imagine.

What had been a secret, which I love to have revealed to me, was on the verge of becoming Armageddon. Bloody, gory, slasher type horror. Demons rise from hell, hungry and I sure don’t want to meet them on a dark lonely highway…or anywhere else, for that matter.

Characters fall, so be careful who you become attached to. I love when an author does that, leaving me wondering who will be taken out, how they will be taken out, and who will be left standing. I also love when an author can surprise me and I did not see the direction the story would go when I began. Nice job, Donald.

I wasn’t ready for the ending!!!!! but end it did. Does not stand alone and I am left hanging…BUT This is a two book series, and Book II is out and ready for reading.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…

Hell Holes, Book I: What Lurks Below was FREE at time of posting.

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Friday 56#141 – Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin @aileen_erin

Posted on October 13, 2017 by fundinmental

.
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

I won a signed copy of Becoming Alpha (Alpha Girl #1) by Aileen Erin and a beautiful bookmark some time ago and just got around to reading it.

Check out this beautiful cover. Do you think it’s safe to take a walk in the woods?

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Goodreads

MY 56

We walked across the lawn to the large brick house. A lilting beat flowed across the yard. I took a look down at my outfit – black skater dress, thin silver belt, flip-flops, thin silver scarf, and black over the elbow gloves – as my nerves started to reach an all time high. I smoothed my skirt down and centered the knot on my scarf as my nerves rose.

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin has all the elements for a great young adult story, danger, betrayal, supernatural creatures of all kinds, romance, confusion, a fight to the death, and I’d follow her flip flopping footsteps all day long.

4 Stars

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Blog Tour – From The Sky by J E Nicassio @jennie3963 @YABoundToursPR

Posted on October 12, 2017 by fundinmental

From the Sky (Beyond Moondust Trilogy #1) by J.E. Niccasio
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Romance

Summary:

From the Sky from best-selling author J.E. Nicassio writes the kind of close encounter that will leave readers spellbound.

When high school junior, Samantha Hunter, and her father move to New Mexico, it’s a chance to leave tragedy behind and start over. However, the arrival of a dark-haired stranger changes everything. Lucien introduces Sam to the prospect of enjoying life again, and to the hidden world of aliens. But crazier than that, Lucien doesn’t feel entirely like a stranger. Redemption and romance follow Sam in her new life as she works to understand the alien-human romance she’s developing—a romance that feels beyond her control. There’s something bigger happening around her, and to her, too, and this is just the beginning….

—J. E. Nicassio packs in the action like a superhero movie— From the Sky has all the hallmarks of a Hollywood blockbuster—ready to light up the sky like a fleet of UFOs. “A must read! It had me from the very beginning to the last word. Every page had a plot twist and turn to make my imagination run wild.” —Online Book Club.org Nicassio is a freelance writer and MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) Field Investigator in Pittsburgh, PA, where she resides with her mother, two sons, and German Shepherd, Ava. She loves writing and is passionate about creating stories that entertain and comes straight from the heart. Her Children’s book, Rocky (About Rockefeller Center and a tiny Christmas tree named Rocky) made the Amazon Top Ten Christmas Book List in 2016.

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Equinox (Beyond Moondust Trilogy # 2) by J.E. Niccasio

Summary:

“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” Author C. Clarke.

From the Sky Saga Continues! The day after the winter solstice, Samantha Hunter is found naked and bleeding in a remote cabin in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico. As Sam works to understand what’s happened to her, she is whisked into the Underground—a secret community of scientists, civilians, and aliens that are connected to her story and to the alien boy she’s in love with—Lucien. This is where the fight begins, and Sam must decide what price she’s willing to pay for life and love.

“Equinox gives the reader a totally different way of thinking about extraterrestrials. Anyone with interest in the possibility of life outside this planet—and for those who love a great romance—this book for you. It is exceptionally written and will leave you wanting more!” —Kelly Fait Goodreads “American teenagers have to grow up fast because dark forces are out to get them—J.E. Nicassio gives us a fast-paced and exciting tale full of car chases, close calls, and the angst of star-crossed love. Teens and even older readers will love From the Sky.” —Ray Simmons for Readers’ Favorite

About the Author

E. is the bestselling author of the From The Sky series and was listed as one of the top 1000 authors on Amazon in 2015, and was Amazon all-star top ten-holiday children books for Rocky: The Rockefeller Christmas in 2016. She is a freelance writer and MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) Field Investigator in Pittsburgh, PA where she resides with her mother, two sons, and German Shepherd Ava. She loves writing and is passionate about creating stories that entertain and comes straight from the heart.

Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

Blog Tour Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours

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Giveaway – Broken Chords by Jessica Bayliss @JBaylissWrites @YABoundToursPR

Posted on October 9, 2017 by fundinmental

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

Broken Chords
by Jessica Bayliss
Genre: YA Horror (novella)
Release date: October 9th 2017
Leap Books

Summary:

They rip, they tear, they FEED, and you never come back again.

Here’s how last year’s Gypsy Cob Music Festival should have gone. Lenora “Lenny” Ragno was supposed to rock her duet with her long-time crush, Jeb, during the open-mic competition. Then, swept up in the glow of success, he’d finally kiss her. Instead, Lenny choked on stage and spent the whole year dodging him online. And avoiding playing her fiddle in public. She thought her worst nightmare was behind her, but she was way wrong.

Now, she’s back at Gypsy Cob where avoiding a public performance is about as impossible as hiding from Jeb. She thinks facing him will be the scariest part of the festival, but when one of their friends talks everyone into trying astral projection, Lenny catches the eye of a demonic entity that marks her as its own.

Now, whenever it wants, the demon can pluck Lenny from her reality and transport her to a hellish between-world, haunted by its countless, gruesome victims. If she doesn’t want to become one of them, she must discover the nature of the demon’s hold on her and remove it. But how can she defeat a literal demon when she can’t even get over her personal ones?

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About the Author

Jessica Bayliss is a fiction author who loves all things reading and writing. Her genre-bending fiction holds a little something for everyone. A lover of ghost tales and horror since her days scanning VHS rental shelves–admittedly with eyes half-averted from the gory covers–a touch of the mysterious always finds a home in Jessica’s work. Romance with a dash of supernatural. Horror with a bit of humor. You get the gist. Jessica also writes across age groups and is a firm believer in the motto, there is a new reader born every day, whether young or not-so-young. Because one cannot live on writing alone, Jessica also spends a great deal of time with friends and family. She is a lover of all animals especially one very special Havanese and one extremely ornery cockatiel. She also loves to eat, cook, and exercise–in that order–and is a firm believer that coffee makes the world a better place.

Jessica also has stories in several of Leap Books anthologies: Beware the Little White Rabbit and Fright Before Christmas.

Author Links:

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Blog Tour – Tethered by Jenn Marie @AuthJennMarie @YABoundToursPR

Posted on October 4, 2017 by fundinmental

Tethered (Intertwined series #2)

by Jenn Marie

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Release Daye: July 16th 2017

Summary:

A previous lifetime. A malevolent curse. A love they can’t live without. Will their past claim them once more? Elizabeth and Adam are about to find out …

Elizabeth and Adam survived the century old curse that nearly claimed the lives of their counterparts, Josephine and Braden, but at what cost?

As the veil between timelines continues to diminish, they yet again find themselves in a race against time to cheat death in the past in order to salvage their futures. But with the curse given form, everything is changing, leaving them vulnerable to new threats. No longer are the dangers of their former lifetime contained to the Jefferson Plantation—a land fraught with peril and where horror reigns every summer between July 20 and August 13.

Until now …

Having changed the past, history has rewritten itself, extending the last day of the haunting to August 31—their new expiration date. Without the aid of visions, though, Elizabeth and Adam must find a new way to uncover their past, leaving Adam to scour the plantation for clues, while Elizabeth learns how to access Josephine’s subconscious.

Meanwhile, the Callahans—a vengeful family intent on keeping Elizabeth and Adam apart—will stop at nothing to preserve their bloodline and keep the curse from destroying their family. Will their ruthless antics prove tragic once more?

Now more than ever, their love will be tested as Elizabeth and Adam contend with the forces of the curse and fight to save their counterparts in 1905.

Will they overcome the odds stacked against them? Or will the curse claim them for good?

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Buy Links: Amazon US / Amazon UK / iBooks / B&N / Kobo

Intertwined (Intertwined series #1) on Goodreads

About the Author

Jenn Marie currently lives in sunny California with her wonderful husband and their runt kitty, Chloe. When she’s not writing Young Adult Fiction, she can be found reading, plotting or spending time with her crazy, lovable family. Current obsessions include the movie, Frozen, the New Girl series, Arcade Fire’s latest album, and avocados. Seriously, she can’t get enough of it! Writing, for her, is a passion that refuses to be under prioritized. No matter what’s going on in her life, whether good or bad, writing is always there to lift her spirits.