Mailbox Monday, Meme, Monday Memes, Musing Mondays

Monday Memes

CMash October 22, 2012 1 Comment

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today’s question:
Do you ever get crushes on fictional characters? Name one (or a few), and tell what you liked…

My response:
I’ll admit….I sure do. And with each book I pick up by one particular author, I know I will “swoon” with his male characters. What author am I speaking of? Michael Baron!! I was introduced to this author 3 years ago, and every book he has written since, I have read. His characters are kind, loving, compassionate, romantic, sensitive, endearing and the list goes on. How could a female not be enamored by those qualities? If you have never read a Michael Baron book, then it’s time. I guarantee you will be swept off your feet!!!! Here are just a few of his books that I highly recommend: Leaves, Spinning, A Winter Discovery, When You Went Away, The Journey Home.

October is being hosted by Parchment Girl

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.
According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
Click on title for synopsis via IndieBound. (I am an IndieBound Affiliate)

Sunday: Falling In Love by Stephen Bradlee from Author
Monday: Extraordinary Rendition by Paul Batista from BlueDot Literary
Monday: Blackberry Summer by RaeAnne Thayer from The TBR Pile-Won from BlogFest
Monday: Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne from The TBR Pile-Won from BlogFest

Meme, Sunday Memes, Sunday Salon

Sunday Salon–It’s Official

CMash October 21, 2012 2 Comments

Happy Sunday!!!

Wanted to share some exciting news with everyone.

It is official, the “Mash” family will be celebrating a very Blessed and beyond happy, special day on Nov. 16th, 2013. My youngest son, Mark and my beautiful future daughter-in-law, Jess, have booked their wedding.

Even though, we have known for a while that Jess was the one who held our son’s heart and even though we were excited when Mark proposed on July 13th, now that we know the date, I am feeling so many emotions. Love, happy, excited, thankful, beaming, being so proud of both of them, lucky that I am getting a daughter that we truly love as our own. I am also recalling so many memories of the past 26 years. When did my baby, he is our youngest, grow up and become a man that both Steve and I are so proud of. We are truly blessed.

It seems like yesterday that Steve and I were on our way to the hospital to welcome our 2nd child into the world and to find out what “it” was. I can vividly remember, because we hadn’t agreed on a name. I was a few weeks early, and in between contractions trying to decide on a boy’s and girl’s name. Unfortunately, there were complications and I was rushed to the OR . As I was waking up from the anesthesia, the nurse said to me, “meet Mark James”. At first I was just so relieved that he was OK, that it was then that I realized “it” had been named by Steve. We had discussed the name Mark so I was fine with it. And the years that followed, I can honestly say were the happiest moments of my life. I was lucky to be a SAHM for both boys and enjoyed every minute of it. Even though, there were times that they, both Paul and Mark, almost pushed me over the edge lol.

Mark: You will always hold a special place in my heart of being my baby. And right now, my heart is overflowing with love and pride. Even though you had your moments like when you “painted like Daddy” your room with vaseline, when you accidentally gave your brother a concussion after hitting him with a golf club at the range, or like the day when you picked up “your” first car and within 15 min had an accident. I will always treasure those special days that were “ours” right before Christmas when you helped with our Christmas Eve feast, decorating the house, watching you build your 3D puzzles, always wanting to learn whatever crafts that I was working on, your compassion towards others, your sensitivity and caring, overcoming obstacles and graduating college Magna Cum Laude and so much more. I want to publicly thank you for Jess. I love you.

Jess: Welcome to the family, officially. We liked you the minute we met you when you were “friends” with Mark while in college. We were so happy when Mark told us that “it was official, you were a “couple”. As time went on, I could see that you had Mark’s heart and knew that you were the one. We always loved you for being you, but you will always hold a special place in my heart also. You make my son so happy and for that, I love you. I can hear it and see the special smile when he says your name and can see the love in his eyes. In my heart, you are much more than my future daughter-in-law, you are our daughter. I love you.

I am looking forward to this upcoming year. So exciting!!! My baby is getting married and I am getting a daughter. And how could I not include and say thank you for another special member of our family……….Baylee!!

This was a picture of her the first time that she was coming to visit from PA to RI. They will be here in a few weeks to attend a family wedding and I can’t wait to see the 3 of them.!! I love you!!

Aloha Friday, Friday Memes, Meme

Aloha Friday

CMash October 19, 2012 11 Comments

Hosted by An Island Life

From An Island Life:

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

Lately I have been inundated, more so than usual, with spam both in my mail spam folder and on my blog. The other day I deleted 19 spam comments on my blog and in a day I get up to 20-40 in my mailbox. Which brings me to my questions for today:

My Questions:
Have you seen an increase in your spam,
both in your mailbox and blog?
Approximately how many a day for each, mailbox and blog?

Giveaway, Winners

And the winner is…….

CMash October 18, 2012 1 Comment

…..of Sonia’s Song by Sonia Korn-Grimani

38 Sandy Vandenberg Leave a Blog Post Comment

The winner has been notified and has 48 hours to respond with a mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Thank you to all that entered.

Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author A.J. Scudiere

CMash October 18, 2012 1 Comment

It’s old friend’s day. Which only means, a new book has been written. And A.J. is stopping back to tell us all about it. So without further ado, Ms. A.J. Scudiere!!

A.J. SCUDIERE

AJ Scudiere lives in a world where texture reigns supreme. Whether it’s air or virus or even location, it can be felt and smelled. At heart a biologist and avid student, AJ writes about the possibilities that keep us up late at night. The dark writer lives outside Nashville in an idyllic setting full of wildlife and open spaces.

The author has three suspense novels, Resonance, Vengeance, and God’s Eye. The fourth novel—Phoenix—is due out this fall.

At heart a biologist and avid student, AJ writes about the possibilities that keep us up late at night. Previous novels have won A Booky—top ten fiction novel of 2011, multiple Best Audio Fiction of the Year awards, and garnered 2 Audie Nominations.

The author has three suspense novels, Resonance, Vengeance, and God’s Eye. The fourth novel—Phoenix—is due out this fall.

GUEST POST

What makes a reader stay up all night with a good book?

There are a thousand different answers to that question and really only one: a character you care about and a good story.

When we talk about suspense novels (thrillers), we can define that even more. We now need a character we want to root for and a plot that convinces us something is very wrong here. One easy way to create this plot is to put our character in danger, the sooner the better! We can also let him walk around unknowing, while you—the reader—can see what he can’t.

Why do you like a character? Well, we all have our pet peeves, and when an author crosses that line, you probably won’t read further. But for the most part you have to either relate to or care for the character. All of us are different, so what we relate to will be different. For me, making the character as richly written as possible helps with this. One dimensional characters catch only readers who share that dimension in some way, depth means the reader can see more and therefore find more to latch onto.

For me, a plot has to have some level of reality to it. I’m not saying I’m against Fantasy or SciFi (my first novel was SciFi!) but as a reader—and therefore as a writer—I dislike plot points that simply happen. If a story needs an earthquake that shakes Florida to its core, or if New Yorkers suddenly riot and take over the city, it has to be believable. I need to buy in before I’ll read about a toddler on the quest for a holy grail. As a writer, it becomes my job to build that world for you. A world that makes you just a little concerned about the ground beneath your feet in Florida; one that makes you look sideways at New Yorkers . . . or toddlers!

What makes a good solid thriller is answers. You need your questions answered. Where is the killer going to strike next? What is the toddler going to do with that chalice? But what makes a great thriller is getting the satisfaction of figuring out the answer for one thing, while another question is arising. That’s what gets you involved. That’s what keeps you up at night when you have something to do early the next day. It’s what makes you wonder ‘what’s going to happen next?’ And that’s my job: to give you characters you understand. To give you a story that keeps you on your toes. To make you say ‘just one more chapter.’

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jason Mondy’s world is unraveling.

His seemingly secure job as a fire fighter is suddenly thrown into chaos.
The bright spot in his week is that he rescued two children from a house fire,
but he returns home that night to find all his furniture is missing.
His girlfriend has left him without warning and his nightmares keep him from sleeping.
Even just a simple trip home to find some rest leads his adoptive mother to sit him down
and tell him that maybe his troubles aren’t quite as innocuous as they seem.
Then she divulges a secret she’s kept for over twenty-six years . . .

Jason has a brother he doesn’t remember existed.

He doesn’t remember his life before he was adopted at age seven.
He only knows that he was rescued from the fire that took his birth mother’s life.
But the story is deeper than that, and the foundation on which he built his world is now cracking.
The brother he doesn’t remember it out there somewhere, left behind.

Armed with only this stunning new piece of information,
Jason embarks on a quest to find the truths buried deep in his past.
As he searches, one by one the pieces of his life fall like dominoes.
And the more he uncovers, the more everything he thought he knew
about himself and his past
begins to turn to ash.

His truth isn’t true at all . . .

THANKS TO SAMANTHA, JKS COMMUNICATIONS,
I HAVE THREE (3) SIGNED COPIES OF THIS BOOK,
ALONG WITH A HAT, TO GIVEAWAY. U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Giveaway

GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE “PHOENIX” by A.J. Scudiere ENDED

CMash October 18, 2012 4 Comments

OCTOBER 18th to NOVEMBER 1st, 2012

PHOENIX
by J.A. SCUDIERE

SYNOPSIS:

Jason Mondy’s world is unraveling.
His seemingly secure job as a fire fighter is suddenly thrown into chaos.
The bright spot in his week is that he rescued two children from a house fire,
but he returns home that night to find all his furniture is missing.
His girlfriend has left him without warning and his nightmares keep him from sleeping.
Even just a simple trip home to find some rest leads his adoptive mother to sit him down
and tell him that maybe his troubles aren’t quite as innocuous as they seem.
Then she divulges a secret she’s kept for over twenty-six years . . .
Jason has a brother he doesn’t remember existed.
He doesn’t remember his life before he was adopted at age seven.
He only knows that he was rescued from the fire that took his birth mother’s life.
But the story is deeper than that, and the foundation on which he built his world is now cracking.
The brother he doesn’t remember it out there somewhere, left behind.
Armed with only this stunning new piece of information,
Jason embarks on a quest to find the truths buried deep in his past.
As he searches, one by one the pieces of his life fall like dominoes.
And the more he uncovers, the more everything he thought he knew
about himself and his past
begins to turn to ash.
His truth isn’t true at all . . .

THANKS TO AUTHOR, A.J. SCUDIERE, AND

SAMANTHA FROM JKS COMMUNICATIONS

I HAVE THREE ( 3 ) COPIES, OF THIS
BOOK, ALONG WITH A HAT, TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.

*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL

ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: FROM READING THE SYNOPSIS,
DO YOU THINK HE LOCATES HIS BROTHER?*

*U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*

**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS NOVEMBER 1st AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

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Guest Author, Showcase, The Story Plant

Guest Author Ethan Cross

CMash October 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

Don’t you just love when authors come back and visit your blog? It means that they have another book to tell us about. Mr. Cross was here back in March of 2011. But today, for me, it is even more exciting for a few reasons. Not only does it mean that you will get to read about his book, but he is returning today at the request of The Story Plant as he kicks off his virtual tour with Partners In Crime Tours. But before I introduce this amazing writer, I would like to thank Mr. Aronica, publisher of The Story Plant. I have been reviewing this company’s novels from the time I first went public with this blog and can honestly say, that every author and book I have read under this imprint, has been added to my “authors to read list”. I invite you to visit The Story Plant, and see for yourself , the phenomenal authors and titles they have. And now, I ask you to help me welcome Mr. Ethan Cross!

ETHAN CROSS

When a fireman or a policeman would visit his school, most of his classmates’ heads would swim with aspirations of growing up and catching bad guys or saving someone from a blazing inferno. When these moments came for Ethan Cross, however, his dreams weren’t to someday be a cop or put out fires; he just wanted to write about it. His dream of telling stories on a grand scale came to fruition with the release of his first novel, the international bestseller, THE SHEPHERD.

Ethan Cross is the pen name of a thriller author living and writ- ing in Illinois with his wife, two daughters, and two Shih Tzus. In addition to The Shepherd and The Prophet, he has published two no- vellas––The Cage and Callsign: Knight (with Jeremy Robinson).
Connect with the author at his website, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT THE BOOK

OLD ENEMIES…
Francis Ackerman Jr. is one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Having kept a low profile for the past year, he is ready to return to work – and he’s more brutal, cunning, and dangerous than ever.

NEW THREATS…
Scarred from their past battles, Special Agent Marcus Williams cannot shake Ackerman from his mind. But now Marcus must focus on catching the Anarchist, a new killer who drugs and kidnaps women before burning them alive.

HIDDEN TERRORS…
Marcus knows the Anarchist will strike again soon. And Ackerman is still free. But worse than this is a mysterious figure, unknown to the authorities, who controls the actions of the Anarchist and many like him. He is the Prophet – and his plans are more terrible than even his own disciples can imagine.

With attacks coming from every side, Marcus faces a race against time to save the lives of a group of innocent people chosen as sacrifices in the Prophet’s final dark ritual.
Read my review here.

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONEFrancis Ackerman Jr. stared out the window of the dark copper and white bungalow on Macarthur Boulevard. Across the street, a green sign with yellow letters read Mosswood Playground – Oakland Recreation Department. Children laughed and played while mothers and fathers pushed swings and sat on benches reading paperback novels or fiddling with cell phones. He had never experienced such things as a child. The only games his father ever played were the kind that scarred the body and soul. He had never been nurtured; he had never been loved. But he had come to accept that. He had found purpose and meaning born from the pain and chaos that had consumed his life.

He watched the sun reflect off all the smiling faces and imagined how different the scene would be if the sun suddenly burned out and fell from the heavens. The cleansing cold of an everlasting winter would sweep across the land, cleansing it, purifying it. He pictured the faces forever etched in torment, their screams silent, and their eyes like two crystal balls reflecting what lay beyond death.

He let out a long sigh. It would be beautiful. He wondered if normal people ever thought of such things. He wondered if they ever found beauty in death.

Ackerman turned back to the three people bound to chairs in the room behind him. The first two were men—plain-clothes cops that had been watching the house. The older officer had a pencil-thin mustache and thinning brown hair while his younger counterpart’s head was topped with a greasy mop of dark black. The younger man’s bushy eyebrows matched his hair, and a hooked nose sat above thin pink lips and a recessed chin. The first man struck Ackerman to be like any other cop he had met, honest and hard-working. But there was something about the younger man he didn’t like, something in his eyes. He suppressed the urge to smack the condescending little snarl from the younger cop’s ferret-like face.

But instead of hitting him, Ackerman just smiled at the cop. He needed a demonstration to get the information he needed, and the ferret would be perfect. His eyes held the ferret’s gaze a moment longer, and then he winked and turned to the last of his three captives.

Rosemary Phillips wore a faded Oakland Raiders sweatshirt. She had salt and pepper hair, and ancient pock marks marred her smooth dark chocolate complexion. Her eyes burned with a self-assurance and inner strength that Ackerman respected.

Unfortunately, he needed to find her grandson, and if necessary, he would kill all three of them to accomplish his goal.

He reached up to her mouth and pulled down the gag. She didn’t scream. “Hello, Rosemary. I apologize that I didn’t properly introduce myself earlier when I tied you up, but my name is Francis Ackerman Jr. Have you ever heard of me?”

Rosemary met his gaze. “I’ve seen you on television. You’re the serial killer whose father experimented on him as a child, trying to prove that he could create a monster. I guess he succeeded. But I’m not afraid of you.”

Ackerman smiled. “That’s wonderful. It means that I can skip the introductions and get straight to the point. Do you know why I asked these two gentleman to join us?”

Rosemary’s head swiveled toward the two officers. Her gaze lingered on the ferret. Ackerman saw disgust in her eyes. Apparently, she didn’t like him either. That would make things even more interesting once he started to torture the young cop.

“I’ve seen these two around,” she said. “I’ve already told the cops that my grandson ain’t no damn fool. He wouldn’t just show up here, and I haven’t heard from him since this mess started. But they wouldn’t listen. Apparently they think it’s a good idea to stake out an old lady’s house instead of being out there on the streets doing what the people of this city pay them to do. Typical government at work.”

Ackerman smiled. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve never had much respect for authority. But you see, I’m looking for your grandson as well. I, however, don’t have the time or patience to sit around here on the off chance that he might show up. I prefer the direct approach, and so I’m going to ask you to level with me. Where can I find your grandson?”

“Like I told them, I have no idea.”

He walked over to a tall, mahogany hutch resting against the wall. It was old and well-built. Family pictures lined its surface and shelves. He picked up a picture of a smiling young black man with his arm around Rosemary. A blue and gold birthday cake sat in front of them. “Rosemary, I’ve done my homework, and I’ve learned that your grandson thinks the world of you. You were his anchor in the storm. Maybe the one good thing in his life. The one person who loved him. You know where he’s hiding, and you are going to share that information with me. One way or another.”

“Why do you even care? What’s he to you?”

“He’s nothing to me. I could care less about your grandson. But someone that I do care about is looking for him, and I try to be useful where I can. And like you said, sometimes bureaucracy and red tape are just too damn slow. We’re going to speed along the process.”

Rosemary shook her head and tugged on the ropes. “I don’t know where he is, and if I did, I’d never tell a monster like you.”

His father’s words tumbled through his mind.

You’re a monster…Kill her and the pain will stop…No one will ever love you…

“Oh, my dear, words hurt. But you’re right. I am a monster.”

Ackerman grabbed a duffle bag from the floor and tossed it onto a small end table. As he unzipped the bag and rifled through the contents, he said, “Are you familiar with the Spanish Inquisition? I’ve been reading a lot about it lately. It’s a fascinating period of history. The Inquisition was basically a tribunal established by Catholic monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in order to maintain Catholic orthodoxy within their kingdoms, especially among the new converts from Judaism and Islam. But that’s not what fascinates me. What fascinates me are the unspeakable acts of barbarism and torture that were carried out in the name of God upon those deemed to be heretics. We think that we live in a brutal age, but our memories are very short-sighted. Any true student of history can tell you that this is the age of enlightenment compared to other periods throughout time. The things the inquisitors did to wrench confessions from their victims was nothing less than extraordinary. Those inquisitors displayed fabulous imagination.”

Ackerman brought a strange device up out of the duffle bag. “This is an antique. It’s previous owner claimed that it’s an exact replica of one used during the Inquisition. You’ve got to love Ebay.”

He held up the device—built from two large, spiked blocks of wood connected by two threaded metal rods an inch in diameter each—for their inspection. “This was referred to as the Knee Splitter. Although it was used on more than just knees. When the inquisitor would turn these screws, the two blocks would push closer together and the spikes would first pierce the flesh of the victim. Then the inquisitor would continue to twist the screws tighter and tighter until they received the answers they wanted or until the affected appendage was rendered useless.”

Rosemary spit at him. As she spoke, her words were strong and confident. He detected a slight hint of a Georgian accent and suspected that it was from her youth and only presented itself when she was especially flustered. “You’re going to kill us anyway. No matter what I do. I can’t save these men anymore than I can save myself. The only thing that I can control is the way that I go out. And I won’t grovel and beg to the likes of you. I won’t give you the satisfaction.”

He nodded. “I respect that. So many people blame the world or society or others for the way that they are. But we’re all victims of circumstance to a certain extent. We like to think that we’re in control of our own destinies, but the truth is that much of our lives are dictated by forces far beyond our control and comprehension. We all have our strings pulled by someone or something. It’s unavoidable. The only place that we have any real control is right here.” He tapped the tip of his fifteen-inch survival knife against his right temple. “Within our minds. Most people don’t understand that, but you do. I didn’t come here to kill you, Rosemary. It will give me no pleasure to remove you from the world. But my strings get pulled just like everyone else’s. In this case, circumstances dictate that I hurt you and these men in order to achieve my goal. I’m good at what I do, my dear. I’ve been schooled in pain and suffering my entire life. Time will only allow me to share a small portion of my expertise with you, but I can tell you that it will be enough. You will tell me. That’s beyond your control. The only aspect of this situation that you can influence is the duration of the suffering you must endure. So I’ll ask again, where is your grandson?”

Her lips trembled, but she didn’t speak.

The smell of cinnamon permeated the air but was unable to mask a feral aroma of sweat and fear. Ackerman had missed that smell. He had missed the fear, the power. But he needed to keep himself contained. He couldn’t lose control. This was about information, not about satisfying his own hunger.

“Time to begin. As they say, I’m going to put the screws to this officer. Makes you wonder if this device is responsible for such a saying, doesn’t it?”

~~*~~

After several moments of enjoyment with his new toy, Ackerman looked at Rosemary, but she had diverted her gaze. He twisted the handles again, and the officer’s thrashing increased.

“Okay, I’ll tell you!” she said. “He’s in Spokane, Washington. They’re set up in an abandoned metal working shop of some kind. Some crooked realtor set it up for them. I’ve tried to get him to turn himself in. I even consider calling the police myself, but I know that he and his friends won’t allow themselves to be captured alive. He’s the only family I have left.” Tears ran down her cheeks.

Ackerman reached down and twisted the pressure from the officer’s legs. The man’s head fell back against the chair. “Thank you. I believe you, and I appreciate your situation. Your grandson has been a bad boy. But he’s your flesh and blood, and you still love him.”

He walked over to the table and pulled up another chair in front of Rosemary. As he sat, he pulled out a small notepad. It was spiral-bound from the top with a blood red cover. “Since you’ve been so forthcoming with me and out of respect, I’ll give you a genuine chance to save your lives.” He flipped up the notepad’s cover, retrieved a small pen from within the spiral, and started to write. As the pen traveled over the page, he said, “I’m going to let you pick the outcome of our little game. On this first sheet, I’ve written ‘ferret’ to represent our first officer.” He tore off the page, wadded it up, and placed it between his legs. “On the second, we’ll write ‘Jackie Gleason’ to represent the next officer. Then Rosemary. Then all live. And all die.”

He stirred up the wadded pieces of paper and placed them on the floor in front of her. “I think the game is self-explanatory, but to make sure that there’s no confusion, you pick the piece of paper, and I kill whoever’s name is on it. But you do have a twenty percent chance that you all live. And just to be clear, if you refuse to pick or take too long, I’ll be happy to kill all three of you. So please don’t try to fight fate. The only thing you have control over here is which piece of paper you choose. Have no illusions that you have other options. It will only serve in making the situation even less manageable for you. Pick one.”

Rosemary’s eyes were full of hate. They burrowed into him. Her gaze didn’t waver. A doctor named Kendrick from the Cedar Mill Psychiatric Hospital had once told Ackerman that he had damage to a group of interconnected brain structures, known as the paralimbic system, that were involved in processing emotion, goal seeking, motivation, and self-control. The doctor had studied his brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging technology and had also found damage to an area known as the amygdala that generated emotions such as fear. Monkeys in the wild with damage to the amygdala had been known to walk right up to people or even predators. The doctor had said this explained why Ackerman didn’t feel fear in the way that other people did. He wondered if Rosemary had a similar impairment or if her strength originated from somewhere else entirely.

She looked down at the sheets of paper then back into his eyes. “Third one. The one right in the center.”

He reached down and uncrumpled the small piece of paper. He smiled. “It’s your lucky day. You all get to live. I’m sorry that you had to endure this due to the actions of someone else. But as I said, we’re all victims of circumstance.”

Then he stood, retrieved his things, and exited onto Macarthur Boulevard.

~~*~~

Ackerman tossed his duffle bag into the trunk of a light-blue Ford Focus. He wished he could travel in more style, but the ability to blend outweighed his own sense of flare. He pulled open the driver’s door, slipped inside, and dropped some jewelry and the wallets and purse of his former captives on the seat next to him. He hated to lower himself to common thievery, but everything cost money. And his skill set didn’t exactly look good on a resume. Besides, he didn’t have time for such things.

He retrieved a disposable cell phone from the glove box and activated the device. As he dialed and pressed send, he looked down at the small slip of paper that Rosemary had chosen. The words All Die stared back at him.

After a few rings, the call connected, and the voice on the other end said, “What do you want?”

Ackerman smiled. “Hello, Marcus. Please forgive me, for I have sinned. But I do it all for you.”

Purchase links: Amazon B&N IndieBound

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,

in exchange for my honest review.

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or

Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.

I am providing link(s) solely for visitors

that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Book Review, The Story Plant

Review THE PROPHET by Ethan Cross

CMash October 16, 2012 6 Comments

The Prophet by Ethan Cross
Published by: The Story Plant
Publication Date: October 16, 2012
ISBN-10: 1611880459
ISBN-13: 978-1611880458
Pages: 400
Review Copy from: The Story Plant
Edition: ARC Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis:
OLD ENEMIES…
Francis Ackerman Jr. is one of America’s most prolific serial killers. Having kept a low profile for the past year, he is ready to return to work – and he’s more brutal, cunning, and dangerous than ever.

NEW THREATS…
Scarred from their past battles, Special Agent Marcus Williams cannot shake Ackerman from his mind. But now Marcus must focus on catching the Anarchist, a new killer who drugs and kidnaps women before burning them alive.

HIDDEN TERRORS…
Marcus knows the Anarchist will strike again soon. And Ackerman is still free. But worse than this is a mysterious figure, unknown to the authorities, who controls the actions of the Anarchist and many like him. He is the Prophet – and his plans are more terrible than even his own disciples can imagine.

With attacks coming from every side, Marcus faces a race against time to save the lives of a group of innocent people chosen as sacrifices in the Prophet’s final dark ritual.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
WOW! Chilling and fast paced!! A couple of caveats. This is the 2nd in a series but can be read as a stand-alone. The author did an amazing job of inserting information from the previous novel, The Shepherd, where needed with no interruption of the story. This author is now on my “authors to read” list, this book was that good!! I would also like to give credit to the publisher, The Story Plant. For the past three (3) years, I have been reading and reviewing books from The Story Plant’s catalogue and have put every author under this imprint, on the same list.

The book, The Prophet, pulls you in within the first few pages. The reader gets introduced to the cast of characters, all believable but unsure of how they are connected. This story has so many twists and turns that the pages just kept turning. The settings vivid. The author’s writing style is extraordinary at how he weaves and interweaves the plot and characters together. The story tense and intense.
A white knuckle read!! About 3/4 into the book, the author ramps up the suspense to warp speed pulling everything together. I found myself wishing I could read faster to keep up with the heart pounding thrill ride. I could not put this book down until I read the very last word. The ending, a huge cliff hanger, which I hope means there will be a subsequent novel. I highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a thrilling, accelerating plot with a surprising intricate puzzle to try and piece together, you will not be disappointed. An electrifying read!!!!