The Ghost Hunter's Daughter by Caroline Flarity (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

The Ghost Hunter's Daughter

by
 Caroline Flarity

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GENRE:   YA Supernatural/Paranormal

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BLURB:

Sixteen-year-old Anna sees things from another world, the spiritual world, a skill that isn’t exactly useful in high school. It’s bad enough that her mother, possessed by a demon, took her own life when Anna was a child, a loss she remains tortured by. Now her father makes his living “clearing” haunted objects, and Anna’s job as his assistant makes her a social misfit. Most kids in her suburban New Jersey town refer to her just as “Goblin Girl.”

Only Freddy and Dor remain loyal friends. But Anna’s so focused on her own problems, she’s missed that her connection with Freddy is moving beyond the friend zone.

As junior year approaches, a rare solar storm lights up the night skies and the citizens of Bloomtown begin to act strangely: Anna’s teachers lash out, her best friends withdraw, and the school bullies go from mean to murderous. When Anna realizes she can harness this evil power, she sets out to save Bloomtown and the only family she has left.

But to do so, she must keep her own increasingly dark urges at bay.

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EXCERPT

It was possible to zoom in on one of the girl’s closed eyelids until her eyelashes resembled a network of massive black bridges that curved over a far horizon. But why stop there? Tunneling further down to a cavernous follicle at the base of a single lash, there was a cluster of microscopic mites. They had long, sectioned, eight-legged bodies covered with blue scales. One mite was half submerged inside the follicle, feeding, while the others huddled in the shadow of the giant eyelash, avoiding the moonlight. The mites had a hissing focus on mating and territory. Although their language was alien, their joys, rivalries and fierce protectiveness of their young were palpable. Was it possible to zoom in further onto their armored skin and discover even more layers of life? Where would it end? Was there an end? Ha! It was like the what-if game.

Wait. The what-if game? In a great swoosh of images and sensations, the memories came of her and Freddy as kids, lying on the slant of roof outside her bedroom window. That’s right! She had an identity. She was Anna Fagan, also known as Goblin Girl. What was she doing staring at a bunch of microscopic mites on someone’s eyelash? Her awareness expanded outward in great swaths of rushing space, further and further from the mites to the cluster of giant bridge-like eyelashes, until she once again hovered above the body of the girl. A realization rippled through Anna—the girl on the floor was her.

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Caroline Flarity is a web content producer living in NYC. Her fascination with fringe topics and love of scary movies led her to begin her writing journey penning creepy screenplays. Her debut novel THE GHOST HUNTER'S DAUGHTER started life as a feature script, placing in the finals of the StoryPros Awards and as a semifinalist in Slamdance Film Festival's writing competition. She enjoys pitting her characters against both supernatural and cultural evils.

Twitter

Author website

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here 

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My review:

4 out of 5stars

The Ghost Hunter’s Daughter by Caroline Flarity centers around sixteen-year-old Anna Fagan, who has to deal with multiple levels of bullying at her high school, but fortunately has her buddies Doreen and Freddie to help keep her grounded. The tragedy of her mother’s death, the unusual profession her father has adopted, and the negativity that constantly bombards her all combine to make her life even more complicated than ever, then things get worse.

This mature young adult paranormal story provides an enthralling and often creepy glimpse of a world that contains many evils, some otherworldly and others mundane. Unfortunately, Anna seems to have very few positive adult role models, and she has been forced to mature and cope with things that most of us would run screaming from.

I really liked the beginning and hoped there would be more examples of the supernatural interactions that she deals with so nonchalantly, but I felt weighted down by all of the negativity that continues to escalate. I’m not quite clear about what the newcomer and her invention were meant to accomplish but there are some delightfully creepy events that kept me on the edge of my seat and wincing as the evils of the humans also were increasing. There are multiple very serious issues. including bullying, mild sexting, suicide, and molestation, that are touched upon, so those with triggers should use caution. I also think some things are resolved a bit too nonchalantly after the major fight scene, especially since some folks definitely need counseling!

This is a vivid and thought-provoking story that artfully blends real-life problems with supernatural ones in an exciting combination. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author’s vivid imagination.

A copy of this title was provided for review

Rich and Gone by W.F. Ranew (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Rich and Gone

by

W.F. Ranew

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GENRE: Mystery

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BLURB:

PI Red Farlow is on the hunt to find $300 million a Florida insurance executive has bilked out of family and friends.

Woody Cunningham stashed the money in safe havens around the world before disappearing. Has he been done in by one of his enemies? Or did he skip town with his girlfriend to live off the ill-gotten wealth? If that’s the case, where is he?

Farlow must quickly learn how and why people hide their money in offshore accounts if he's to find out what happened to Cunningham.

When a tough guy from Farlow's past resurfaces, wanting to settle an old score, Farlow discovers he also has links to the missing man. Clues lead him across Georgia and Florida, and Europe, to find the answers.

Is Woody Cunningham dead, or just rich and gone?

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EXCERPT

As we went inside, I reached back to touch my pistol. At the threshold to the kitchen, I flipped on the living room lights and looked around. Nothing looked out of place in the larger room. The kitchen posed a different scene. I didn’t go into the room because of the mess. There could be evidence there, in the worst case. I suspected the worst case. You get that feeling sometimes.

I walked through the rest of the house, with Julie behind me. I turned down a long hallway, at the end of which glowed light from what we found to be the master bedroom. I stepped cautiously to the door and looked inside. The horrible scene instinctively sent me bringing my gun out and at the ready. But instead of proceeding, I turned around and pulled Julie back down the hall.

“What is it?”

“You don’t need to see this, Julie.”

She paused and put her hands over her face. She stood there a moment, dropped her hands, and said, “Red, I’m a reporter. I’ve probably seen worse.”

“Lord, lady, I hope not.”

With that, she stood beside me to look into the bedroom. Her scream wasn’t nearly as loud as I expected, but it echoed throughout the house. She screamed again, and yet again. I put an arm around her shoulder. She sank into me.

In the room, Rye Whitworth’s body sprawled face up across his bed. The sheets, which likely started out white, bore a strong resemblance to a ritual slaughter pit. Blood soaked into the covers and mattress. Rye’s right hand dangled over the bed over a large pool of blood. Someone had stabbed him repeatedly.

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

W.F. Ranew is the author of Rich and Gone, a Red Farlow mystery set for publication May 29, 2019, by Tirgearr Publishing.

Ranew is a former newspaper reporter, editor, and communication executive. He started his journalism career covering sports, police, and city council meetings at his hometown newspaper, The Quitman Free Press. He also worked as a reporter and editor for The Augusta Chronicle, The Florida Times-Union, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he was a news editor.

Ranew has written two previous novels: Schoolhouse Man and Candyman’s Sorrow.

He lives in Atlanta and St. Simons Island, Ga.

Website

Tirgearrbook page

Tirgearrauthor page

Goodreads

Blog

Facebook

Twitter: @wfranew

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here






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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Rich and Gone by W.F. Ranew is the first story in the ‘Red Farlow Mysteries’ series and details private investigator Red Farlow’s search for a man who has vanished along with a considerable amount of money that he had purportedly invested. The case twists and turns and the stakes continue to rise as some of the threat becomes personal and potentially fatal. Tenacity and a bit of luck will be required, plus a little help from his friends and allies.

This mystery story showcases a combination of crimes and provides a glimpse of several areas of Florida as well as a few more exotic locations. The reader is taken on a journey that demonstrates the tedious aspects of proving whether a crime has taken place as well as the unexpected dangers that arise when following leads.

Red seems to have a lot of contacts who think highly of him and don’t mind sharing information plus his intrepid newspaper reporter source and they all help provide puzzle pieces. For me, there is a bit too much exposition interspersed with brief periods of excitement, and a confusing shifting in tenses, so that it seemed that some events are foreshadowed while other occurrences take place in real time even though they happened in the past. There is a large cast of characters and although some of them provide red herrings, others seem to be superfluous, and it was difficult to make a connection with any of them. I’m still a little puzzled about one villain’s antipathy that seems to stem from a murky connection in their respective pasts.

Understandably, establishing a series requires a lot of exposition to set up the main character’s background, and the glimpses of Red’s past hint at a very dedicated investigator. He seems to be allowed a lot of latitude from his former colleagues but he apparently has a penchant for getting into dangerous situations which makes one wonder about his facility for self-defense. The story leans toward the noir mystery style, so those who are a bit squeamish should be advised that there is a bit of violence scattered throughout the story. I am also a little ambivalent about the ending although it was a version of justice. Those who like to armchair travel while solving a mystery or two may wish to give this story a try.

A copy of this title was provided for review

The Road to Reality by Dianne Burnett (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

A brief interview with Dianne Burrnett:

What is something you’ve lied about?

DB:  I used to lie to my mom. She would drop me off at the roller rink and I would go next door to the disco.

Who is the last person you hugged?

DB:  My girlfriend at the airport.

What are you reading now?

DB:  The Mastery of Love.

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The Road to Reality

by 

Dianne Burnett

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GENRE: Non-fiction

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BLURB:

Get ready to laugh. Get ready to cry. Get ready for a whirlwind of an adventure. Settle in for a powerful, poignant story of inner strength and courage-and get a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Survivor, the world's most popular reality show.

Spinning their mutual love of exotic adventure into gold, Dianne Burnett and her former husband, TV producer Mark Burnett, co-created Eco-Challenge, an expedition-length racing event televised on Discovery Channel that catapulted them into the arena of reality TV and set the stage for Survivor-a modern-day Robinson Crusoe with a million-dollar prize. But Dianne and Mark's fairytale marriage did not survive their Hollywood success . . . she found herself left behind, her contributions unrecognized. She lost her partner in life and began to lose her identity. In that experience, she found an opportunity to grow.

A fascinating, fast-paced, heart-warming "page-turner," The Road to Reality takes readers on a roller-coaster ride-complete with a zesty romance, as well as the ups and downs of going for your dreams-while it imparts the lessons learned as Dianne discovers what really matters in life is something beyond fortune and fame.

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EXCERPT

Dianne Burnett: What I learned writing The Road to Reality

I couldn’t be quiet anymore. That would have been the polite thing to do; zipping it was the societally-preferred course of action. Just smile and take it. For years I did just that.

We do, after all, have two wonderful sons. I didn’t want them to feel torn in what was happening between me and my husband, Mark Burnett. I smiled at dinner parties, showing up with guy friends, explaining my husband was “on location” with Survivor or attending another awards dinner in New York. I explained to the boys that Daddy had a new clubhouse where they could play and where he could work.

The impact of an absent husband no longer living at home, however, sent my world into new orbit. I went from “Does not compute” to the realization I had to find my own path again. The one I’d been on before I met Mark—who, like me, came from a modest background, but who took me gallivanting around the world--the handsome Brit with whom I had a synergy and shared a belief that we were unstoppable. And we were.

We had no background in doing what we were doing, no fancy degrees, no connections. We had nothing but sheer will, and the willingness to research, put together proposals and run through our pitches again and again. But we did it—first with Eco-Challenge, the world’s premiere endurance-adventure race. And then with the idea for a TV show, that was a modern-day Robin Crusoe story. I gave the name to the program that would catapult reality TV into new directions. “Survivor.” And my handsome hubby finessed the concept, developed it, and pitched it.

Nobody bit. Ever single network gave it a red light. But Mark kept honing his pitches and I kept coaching him and encouraging him—“Honey, I know it will fly!”

And it did.

But winning at the lottery machine of life destroyed our marriage. Nobody preps you for success, for the way your credit cards suddenly don’t have limits, and you cause a sensation walking into a room. We went from “aspiring” to “golden” in six months time. And after another year, the union that had defined me for over a decade was seriously unraveling.

The truth is I didn’t know my marriage was effectively over until radio host Howard Stern announced it to the 18-34 male listening demographic. As calls came flooding in from friends asking if Mark and I were divorcing I took it calmly, still believing we’d get back together, that our trial separation wasn’t permanent. But then, as another year, then another went by, with Mark and I both dating other people, I understood that I had to get back on my own road. I didn’t want to be defined by my relationships any more. I wanted to have my own life again.

It wasn’t easy.  At first, I felt like Chevy Chase in Vacation, caught on the roundabout, trying to forge my own way, trying to find my road again. I could see where I wanted to be but I wasn’t yet there. Writing this book proved to be the ideal exit.

I began writing it when I realized that I couldn’t get to where I was going until I understood where I’d been. So I went back and traveled my past, back to Commack, Long Island and the talent shows we put on at the swimming pools, back when I dreamed of entering showbiz. I relived my life discovering a tale of making one own way, with a love story at the heart, and a lot of adventure in between.

I understood finally that it wasn’t the destination that mattered, it’s the journey. And as I wrote the last words of The Road to Reality on a balmy, palm-breezy evening in the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, I turned off the computer, walked into the night and felt like at last I’d found my road again.

Buy Link

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Dianne Burnett is an author, producer, and actor of stage and screen. She is also a philanthropist and entrepreneur. Dianne and her ex-husband, Mark Burnett, joined their creative forces to invent Eco-Challenge, the impetus for Survivor, which kickstarted America’s reality-television show craze and went on to become the longest-running and most lucrative reality TV series of all time.

Following the success of Survivor, Dianne produced and acted in the stage play Beyond Therapy at the Santa Monica Playhouse, served as Executive Producer of the indie film Jam (which won Best Narrative Feature at the Santa Fe Film Festival), and acted in Everybody Loves Raymond. In memory of her mother, Joan, who lost her battle with esophageal cancer in 2010, Dianne formed Joan Valentine—A Foundation for Natural Cures, a nonprofit organization that serves as a resource for those seeking alternatives to traditional medicine.

She also recently launched a multimedia platform and social network called theotherside.com, it explores alternative views on everything from relationships to health. Formerly of New York, Dianne now lives in Malibu, California, with her family.

LINKS

Facebook The Road to Reality

Website 

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here

SEAL Hard by J.M. Madden (spotlight) ADULT title

Note from ELF: I read the beginning of this story at AMZ and was captivated!

SEAL Hard

(Silver SEALS Book 9)

by

J.M. Madden

ADULT title

Blurb:

Former Navy SEAL Commander Jack Bishop thought he was done with the government shenanigans that cost him part of his mobility. So when he’s presented with a new case thanks to the Bone Frog division of the Department of Homeland Security, he’s less than enthused, until he learns that Navy SEAL families are in danger. But there’s a more personal connection. Somehow his best-friend’s widow is involved and no matter how hard he has to fight his need for her, he has to be there to help her out. He has no desire to rejoin any part of the government, but there are lives at risk, as well as a personal connection he can’t ignore
.
Andrea Winters knows that something hinky is going on in her high traffic coffee shop. As a former Navy SEAL wife, she knows something feels off. She reports her feelings to a man she thinks she can trust, and suddenly she’s running for her life. Is there a conspiracy afoot? Or is she just overreacting to a strange set of circumstances? Things begin to turn around when Jack Bishop returns, looking even more handsome than he did years before. In spite of his scarred, inscrutable exterior, she still sees glimmers of the man she thought at one time would help her rebuild her life after her husband—his best friend— was killed.

Will he help her understand what’s going on now? Or just confuse her further with his hungry looks and even more demanding hands… more importantly, will he stay this time?
They’re in a race against time to save lives, and possibly hearts…

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Excerpt

 

Jack refused to think about the ramifications of holding Andrea in his arms. He couldn't. And he refused to acknowledge she smelled of sultry nights and things he hadn’t had for a very long time. Things that made his body respond in a very inappropriate way. Shifting off the couch, he carried her to the master bedroom. The room that she had shared with Dorian, his best friend. Doing some maneuvering, he managed to brace her on his knee and pulled the blankets down, then he settled her to the mattress. Pulling the covers up over top of her, he met her eyes. "We’re both fried," he told her. “You need to sleep.”

Andrea blinked, her lids already sagging. He started to turn away but she grabbed his left hand, the mangled one with only three fingers. “Thank you, Jack. I knew you were the one I needed to call."

Her eyes closed completely and she sighed out a breath. Jack stared at her for a long moment, tracing the lines of her face. She’d cut her hair again. The golden brown strands were almost boyishly short, but it just seemed to make her that much more delicate. Andrea had always been the strongest woman he’d ever known. Her tears tonight didn’t change that fact.

He had long ago realized that that innate strength was part of what drew him to her. Men liked to believe that they were stronger sex but he thought the exact opposite. After watching her put herself through school, raise two kids, deal with a husband that was deployed more often than not, Andrea had still managed to build a life for their family, a real home. And that family, again more often than not, included him.

It had been a couple of years after he met her that he realized he had feelings for Andrea. Not that he would never do anything about them. Dorian was his brother and he would never betray him. But the feelings for her were difficult to deal with. He'd never been in love before so struggling with the need she roused in him was challenging, a constant tug of war, and that internal fight had actually led to his first panic attack. It had been at a backyard gathering, just one of those just hang out and unwind days, but his tension began to increase rather than decrease. Maybe it was seeing the way she doted on Dorian, after he’d been gone for the past two months. At the time he’d thought he was having a heart attack. It hadn’t eased until Andrea had knelt down beside him, looked into his eyes and started talking to him about normal, everyday family things like the weird sound the car was making and a teacher the kids were having a problem with at school. She’d made Jack feel like he mattered, like he was part of the family too. For years, decades, he'd yearned to have her in his arms for him, not for any other reason. Not because she was just glad to see Dorian’s friend, and not because she needed a handy man, or a shoulder to cry on, but because she saw and wanted him.

Buy links:
 
Amazon link
Universal link
 

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Author BIO-

NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author J.M. Madden writes compelling romances between 'combat modified' military men and the women who love them, but occasionally she writes spicy, angst-ridden love. An eternal optimist, she believes there is a soulmate for everyone, no matter what the situation or physical challenge. 

Where you can reach J.M. Madden! 

Email

✔LIKE my Facebook Page

✔Follow me on Twitter--  @authorjmmadden

✔Sign up for my Newsletter if you haven’t already

✔Give my Amazon page a FOLLOW

 and
✔Follow me on:
Instagram

Pinterest

Bookbub

Goodreads

 

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Books in the series:



SILVER SEALS
(there is a great website with all of the authors and their books! Click on the series title)


 
SEAL Strong (Silver SEALs Prequel) Cat Johnson
SEAL Love's Legacy (Silver SEALs Book 2) Sharon Hamilton
SEAL Together (Silver SEALs Book 3) Maryann Jordan
SEAL in Charge (Silver SEALs Book 4) Donna Michaels
SEAL in a Storm (Silver SEALs Book 5) KaLyn Cooper
SEAL Forever (Silver SEALs Book 6) Kris Michaels
SEAL Out of Water (Silver SEALs Book 7) Abbie Zanders
Sign, SEAL and Deliver (Silver SEALs Book 8) Geri Foster
SEAL Hard (Silver SEALs Book 9) J.M. Madden
SEAL Undercover (Silver SEALs Book 10) Desiree Holt
SEAL for Hire (Silver SEALs Book 11) Trish Loye  (coming soon)
SEAL at Sunrise (Silver SEALs Book 12) Caitlyn O'Leary (coming soon)




                                                  

The Gift by Tegon Maus (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

The Gift

by 
Tegon Maus

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GENRE:  Fantasy, Action/Adventure

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BLURB:

Tucker Littlefield is a liar, a thief, a con-man. In an attempt to take advantage of a party thrown by the King, he becomes involved in a kidnapping – the King’s niece, Elizabeth, to be exact. Because of his fear of the dark as well as heights, and a good many other things, he finds himself stabbed and bleeding to death. To save him, a Shaman for the Jonda – Daneba – turns him into a soul bearer for the Kindred. In an effort to find Lizie, Littlefield finds the Norha instead and their leader Tahki - a cannibalistic tribe the lives under a volcano that will leave no stone unturned to find Lizie. Littlefield is blackmailed into her recovery. Will the help of his companion, Enon, help them save Lizie...and themselves?

"Transformed by a primitive magic beyond a civilized man's understanding, I was given a horrible gift that no man should possess... It held me, twisted me, turning me at its bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to find the answers to fulfill my hope. I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten stone to peer into the depth of a man's soul. I watched as a promise made at birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again - all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is true-spoken."

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EXCERPT

She grabbed my right hand, holding it tightly. I was frozen with fear and could not escape. The dagger suddenly flashed in her hand and she drove it deep into my palm. I wanted to scream, but nothing came out of my mouth. If it did, it was drowned out by the wails of Enon’s dog. It howled, pained as deeply as I, as the flames of the fires became fingers, rippling out to tear open the dog’s chest. They responded to Daneba’s voice, doing her bidding, and peeled layers of flesh, laying open bone and hide alike, exposing the animal’s beating heart.

A second unholy scream filled the air, deeper, wilder than that of the creature laid open at my side. It was Enon, and all that had happened to the dog began to repeat itself with him.

He, still kneeling, screamed as his chest turned inside out, his beating heart exposed to my gaze.

I was next to be disemboweled by her spell. The tearing of cloth and the sizzle of the fire as it pulled open my skin was deafening. The snap of bone wrenched at my fear and as I looked down, there beat my own heart. Blood ran freely from the hole in Enon’s hand. Daneba’s chant gained volume as she collected it in a silver bowl and the wind blew harder. As she chanted and the fire licked out repeatedly toward me, she poured Enon’s blood into the fresh wound in my palm and between my fingers. She raised the bowl higher and the blood that streamed from it thinned to a single strand.

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was raised pretty much the same as everyone else... devoted mother, strict father and all the imaginary friends I could conjure.

The first thing I can remember writing was for my wife. For the life of me I can't remember what it was about... something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after that. I spent a good number of years chasing other dreams before I got back to writing.

It wasn't a deliberate conscious thought it was more of a stepping stone. It was the eighties, my wife and I had joined a dream interpret group and we were encouraged to write down our dreams as they occurred. "Be as detailed as you can," we were told.

I was thrilled. If there is one thing I enjoy it's making people believe me and I like to exaggerate. Not a big exaggeration or an outright lie mine you, just a little step out of sync, just enough so you couldn't be sure if it were true or not. When I write, I always write with the effort of "it could happen quirkiness" very much in mind and nothing, I guarantee you, nothing makes me happier.

Goodreads

Tirgearr Publishing

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway



The tour dates can be found here




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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Gift by Tegon Maus is the first book in ‘The Chronicles of Tucker Littlefield’ series and features Tucker as he becomes embroiled in a desperate rescue attempt aimed at retrieving the queen’s young niece who has been kidnapped. Forced into close proximity with a primitive Jonda, Enon Tutelo, and his fearsome dog, Tucker manages to fumble his way through quite a few adventures, some of which net him far more responsibilities than he ever dreamed of coping with and which may prove fatal if he doesn’t find a way to control them.

This madcap fantasy story is full of exciting and sometimes gory adventures. One is taken on a whirlwind adventure where something is constantly going wrong and it is sometimes difficult to tell friend from foe. I love the imaginative situations (not so fond of the weird rituals that involve so much pain and gore) and the intense devotion between some of the characters, but I didn’t feel that I really got to know any of the characters or establish a rapport with them. I have lots of questions that remain unanswered, including why there is such antipathy toward the Jonda and why the kidnap victim was so essential to certain rituals.

The story-in-a-story technique was a nice twist, but it would have been helpful to get a clearer look at the world and learn how all of the people interconnect. This book is a great showcase of the author’s fertile imagination and I hope that the second book in the series ties some of the loose ends up even as it continues to awe and entertain those following Tucker’s adventures.

A copy of this title was provided for review

 

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