It is a bit scary and humbling for an author to solicit independent book reviews. Let me preface this reblog with one word: Awesome!!!
Originally published in The Edifying Word:
http://theedifyingword.com/2016/05/30/book-review-the-fever-by-thomas-fenske/
My last kindle edition giveaway was a bust so I’ve reworked it.
No requirements, just enter!
What’s THE FEVER? More Info
Oh yeah, the giveaway: click here
As I was reading this story:
http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/us/treasure-hunters-disappearance-still-a-mystery-aft/nrH4Z/
I was amazed at the parallels between between this real-life drama and some of the situations I wrote about in my novel The Fever. The novel was published long before the tragedy of this man’s disappearance but his apparent fixation with his treasure parallels the trail of obsession for the Lost Sublett Mine my main character Sam follows in the book. As I explained while detailing Sam’s fictional quest, such an endeavor is extremely dangerous. In Sam’s case, no one knew exactly where he was headed. He almost died within the novel’s pages and I made it very plain, it would have been quite a while before anybody found him. If ever.
My heart goes out to this family. Even though I concocted and imagined a similar scenario, I can not help but feel sorry for their plight … I know how helpless they feel. Here’s hoping that he turns up soon, hopefully alive and well.
I’m hosting a giveaway through Amazon for a copy of The Fever. Three copies are still up for grabs.
Trust me, it’s not just another “lost gold mine” story … find out for yourself.
This giveaway is to celebrate the Hilah Cooking video detailing a dish described in the novel, Huevos Rancheros Especial. 
Click below, and watch the video (it’s a short video) and maybe you’ll win a Kindle version of The Fever!
GIVEAWAY >>>->> https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/6b3d884ab12e291b
Don’t have a Kindle? The free Amazon Kindle reading app can run on your tablet, your phone, your computer … there is no excuse not to enter!
Catch THE FEVER!
From a few of the reviews on Amazon:
“What an enjoyable read! Nothing better than diving into an adventure story and being swept along as if you are actually there.”
“This is a good read, fast paced, good action descriptions. Hard to put down!”
“…one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.”
“Fun story, great characters! Looking forward to the sequel”
“How far would you go to feed your Fever?”
“Fun read! Easy to place yourself in the old VW clunker with their minimalist heating and defrosting.”
If we were having coffee, I’d be complaining about how hard it is to sell a debut novel. I’d tell you how all my author friends say the first book is the hardest but to keep at it. They always assure me that by the time I publish the third or fourth book I will be on my way. But then again, they’re not really friends, are they? They are the competition.
Still … I’d tell you that I see their point. I’d finish my coffee and carefully place the empty mug on the table, then stand up and announce, “That’s it, then .. my next novel will officially be my FOURTH novel!”
Sigh.
Thomas Fenske is the author of The Fever
http://www.thefensk.com
I’ve always secretly wished someone would name a sandwich after me.
That has long been my theoretical high-water mark of fame. I’ve just about given up on that one, but I’ve always subscribed to the notion that if the wind is just right, sometimes a wisp of fame might blow across one’s brow.
I feel a bit like that today because something exciting has happened: The popular YouTube cooking show, Hilah Cooking just released a new video featuring a dish inspired by my novel, The Fever. 
I am very humbled by her effort. In the novel, the dish Huevos Rancheros Especial, was a specialty of a café that is not only mentioned, becomes a major locale in the book (as well as the upcoming sequel).
Okay, I confess, I’ve known Hilah for a quite a while and, since she is a friend, she read my novel. I am gratified that she said she really liked it. We kind of joked about her doing a video early on, but then I realized something … she was serious: she really wanted to recreate the dish.
Ah, but first I had actually make the dish I had described. Think “Proof of Concept” here. 
I did, and I have to admit that it was delicious and although I had completely made it up for the book, it tasted exactly like I had imagined it would.
Like any great cook, Hilah took what I did and tweaked it to fit her style. And of course, she knew what to do to make it look great on screen too. She did an awesome job! Did I say I was humbled? I am downright gobsmacked!
So I urge you to go watch the video, and while you’re there check out some of Hilah’s other awesome videos. You will be there a while because there are a LOT.
Picture me blushing right now – I may not be famous but I am surely honored.
Interested in the book? Please buy it >>>> details on THE FEVER here!
(links to buy and more info on the novel itself)
I am often asked: what is The Fever about?
I saw this photo today on Facebook. Okay, I blatantly borrowed it from a page called Texas Pride. There, I cited it. Great page, I am happy I found it. This is a springtime picture from near Ennis, TX.
It just reminds me how much I miss Texas. I have a saying: Life Intervenes. That is pretty much the story so far … my life has intervened to the point where I sit across the country and look at pictures of springtime bluebonnets and, well … you have to sometimes say, aw, shucks.
Don’t get me wrong, where I live is okay. It’ll do. Locals would likely feel the same way I do now if they uprooted themselves and put themselves someplace else, even Texas. I’ve lived in a number of different places and, really, I’ve found that life is about 90% similar just about everywhere.
When you get someplace new, you have to figure out where to get good hamburgers and which stores have the best deals. It might rain too much or not rain enough. Then you have to figure out the seasons … winter … Is there one? Or is it too much? Same with summer.
But no matter where I live … Texas is home. It always will be for me. That’s probably why I write about Texas … I mean, in my novels. The story in The Fever stretches from Austin and Houston to West Texas and back again, and I tried to weave the plot around a real piece of Texas lore that added some mystery and suspense. People seem to like it. Most of the reviews reflect on the general “Texas” feeling I tried to impart so I guess it was successful in that regard. Give it a try … experience some Texas Fever, like I’m feeling today …
I’m giving away two kindle copies of my novel , The Fever.
I think one has already gone so one left. Go for it. Follow me on Twitter.
People keep asking me about the sequel to The Fever.
Both the initial draft and first revision pass are complete. I’m about a third of the way through a second pass, firmly in what I call “who the heck wrote this crap?” mode.
Bear in mind that I have made just enough money on The Fever to definitely NOT quit my day job, so it is slow going.
But it is coming along, with more than a few surprises. Stay tuned!
Scratching the Surface 