Search Results for: A Symbol of Time

A Story of First Contact by Olga Werby – Guest Blog and Giveaway

September 18, 2019 By 3 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Olga Werby will be awarding 2 books to a randomly drawn commenter (LIZARD GIRL AND GHOST and SUDDENLY, PARIS) via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

NOTE: Harvest is FREE this week on kindle!  Grab your copy here.

Harvest is a story of first contact. A 30,000-year-old alien artifact is found on one of the moon of Saturn, buried in the ancient ice. This means that back when humans didn’t even begin agriculture or domestication of animals or started using symbols to keep track of ideas or to send messages to each other; before the days of making clay pots and weaving baskets; back when we haven’t even discovered the Americas; in the deep time before the dawn of our civilization (night time, really), some aliens were already advanced enough to send a craft across the trillions and trillions of miles of space to our home star system. Why did they come? What do they want?

I became interested in the idea of galaxy’s first star-fairing civilization a few years back. I wanted to use all of the science I knew to extrapolate the implications of being the first intelligence and the first civilization and then the first space-fairing culture to arise in the Milky Way. There had to be the THE first. What if it is NOT us? How would we, humans, handle first contact with such people? Would it go well for us? Would it be like “Star Trek?” I had a feeling that it might not really play out that way…

The story of Vars, a professor of socio-biology who studies human origins and civilizations, came from my exploration on these ideas. I wanted her—a “soft” scientist—to try to solve the puzzle of communicating with someone very different from us, whose motivations we simply don’t understand. For when the time comes, it won’t be the physicists and mathematicians who will be on the forefront of interfacing with aliens. It will be diplomats, sociologists, linguists, and lawyers! (perhaps teachers…)

I have posted the first three chapters of Harvest on my blog. There, you can also find a large collection of my short stories, radio plays, other book excerpts, and lots of articles on writing, the universe, and life in general. I also regularly post book giveaways and, for those interested in subscribing to my rambling monthly newsletters, there is a free copy of my fist book, “Suddenly, Paris.” It’s a story of virtual worlds and love that overcomes all kinds of digital barriers.

I’ve made a little video introduction to Harvest. I hope you enjoy it.

Harvest is fully-illustrated—why do only kids get to have pictures in their books? Below is a small collection of images from the book.

Almost a century after Keres Triplets asteroid impact and subsequent nuclear exchange almost ended all human life on Earth, a strange artifact is discovered on one of the moons of Saturn. Who should be sent to the outer reaches of the solar system to initiate the first contact with an alien culture? Dr. Varsaad Volhard, an evolutionary-socio-historian, is chosen to help the world understand the alien civilization that left an artifact some thirty thousand years ago, before humans even learned to farm, at the time when other human species still walked the earth. While Vars prepares for the mission, her father, Dr. Matteo Volhard, discovers nanobots among the microplastics he studies. The bots are everywhere and seem to have been created to bond with human cyber implants. Why? Matteo is made to keep his discovery a secret…as well as his and his daughter’s true origins. Both were donated to a Human DNA Vault as babies. Matteo was raised as a Seed before leaving with his young daughter to study ecology around the world. Who knows what? Who is in control? How does one communicate with non-human intelligence? People seem to die in gruesome ways as their cyberhumatics go haywire on Earth and on Luna and Mars colonies. Is Earth under attack or is it all just a cosmic misunderstanding? Vars needs to use all she knows to solve the mystery of the ancient civilization on Mimas, as her dad battles the alien nanobots at home.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“The exton controls are not responding!” Marc shouted into his exoskeleton spacesuit helmet.

His exoskeleton was the heavy-duty dirt-and-boulder-mover type. Move a ton with exton. Right now, Marc was really just an intelligent bulldozer with life support. But the suit had disconnected from his D-tats, the personal computing device tattoos embedded in his lower arms and jaw, and his directional controls were busted. Now his exoskeleton acted with a mind of its own, moving him away from the construction site and out into the open Martian landscape. He needed to get back to the Malfy–an affectionate acronym for Martians Live Free, a city-sized habitat being built for the next wave of planetary immigrants.

“Marc?” his SB responded from the inside Malfy’s operational center. “What’s on the fritz this time?” Every contractor working outside was in constant communication with a personally assigned safety buddy. “I can’t seem to toss the controls over to my side.” In an emergency, Marc’s SB could take over the controls of his exton and bring him in, even if he was unconscious.

“I’ve got nothing!” Marc was more irritated than scared. This was his second equipment failure in as many months, and their group of union builders had reported three more to the management since the start of the project about two hundred days ago. It was always the same MO: at the end of a shift, the movement controls failed to respond to their operators’ commands, taking the builders out into the desert; and yet, after the rescue when the equipment was checked out, the engineers found nothing wrong with the extons. The first time it happened to Marc, he was even accused of faking the failure to get extra time off for hazardous conditions. As if construction work on Mars wasn’t dangerous in and of itself. Fortunately, Marc’s supervisor made everyone carry extra oxygen and a spare battery pack after the first few incidents. Just in case. Inconvenient for sure, but it was better than being stuck out of breath without a heater among the Martian dunes in minus 125 degrees Celsius.

“Send someone out to get me,” Marc said. “It’s an official request.”

“Are you sure, Marc? You know if they don’t find anything again—”

“I’m telling you, I’ve got nothing. Everything is dead on my side.”

“Yeah, mine too,” Marc’s SB agreed. “I’ll get Greg out there. But he won’t be happy. He just got his exton off and you’ll be cutting into his three days off period.”

“Tell him that I’d go if it was him out here. And tell him to hurry up about it.” The earliest he could expect Greg to arrive would be at least an hour, probably more–it took time get these darn things on.

About the Author: Olga Werby, Ed.D., has a Doctorate from U.C. Berkeley with a focus on designing online learning experiences. She has a Master’s degree from U.C. Berkeley in Education of Math, Science, and Technology. She has been creating computer-based projects since 1981 with organizations such as NASA (where she worked on the Pioneer Venus project), Addison-Wesley, and the Princeton Review. Olga has a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Astrophysics from Columbia University. She became an accidental science fiction indie writer about a decade ago, with her first book, “Suddenly Paris,” which was based on then fairly novel idea of virtual universes. Her next story, “The FATOFF Conspiracy,” was a horror story about fat, government bureaucracy, and body image. She writes about characters that rarely get represented in science fiction stories — homeless kids, refugees, handicapped, autistic individuals — the social underdogs of our world. Her stories are based in real science, which is admittedly stretched to the very limit of possible. She has published almost a dozen fiction books to date and has won many awards for her writings. Her short fiction has been featured in several issues of “Alien Dimensions Magazine,” “600 second saga,” “Graveyard Girls,” “Kyanite Press’ Fables and Fairy Tales,” “The Carmen Online Theater Group’s Chronicles of Terror,” with many more stories freely available on her blog, Interfaces.com.

Blog | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter |
YouTube | LinkedIn
Buy the following books at Amazon.

Harvest
Becoming Animals
Suddenly, Paris
The FATOFF Conspiracy
Twin Time
Lizard Girl & Ghost: The Chronicles of DaDA Immortals
Coding Peter
Pigeon
Fresh Seed

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , ,

Big Chance Cowboy by Teri Anne Stanley – Spotlight and Giveaway

August 21, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Teri Anne Stanley who is celebrating the upcoming release of Big Chance Cowboy. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a copy of the book.

At Big Chance Dog Rescue,
Even humans get a second chance
After a disastrous mistake disbanded his Army unit, Adam Collins has returned home to Big Chance, Texas. He just wants to sell the family ranch, set up his sister and grandfather with the funds, and then ride off into the sunset.

Lizzie Vanhook has landed back in her hometown, heartbroken and jobless. Adding to her troubles is the unruly stray who’s claimed her as his own. Lizzie knows she’s in over her head. Enter Adam—not only does he work with dogs, he’s also tall, dark, handsome, and the one who got away…

Adam wants nothing to do with other people, much less dogs. But when his old flame asks him to help her train her scruffy dog, he can’t say no. As his reluctant heart opens up, the impossible seems possible: a second chance with the woman he’s always loved in a place where he, his friends, and the other strays who show up can heal and call home, Big Chance, Texas.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Houston was three hours and a couple of broken dreams behind her when Lizzie Vanhook crossed the Chance County line, right about the same time the Check Tire Pressure light in her dashboard blinked on.

Crap. She’d been in the homestretch. There was something symbolic about an uninterrupted beeline home, to the place she planned to find her center of gravity. Maybe start doing yoga. Eat all organic. Drink herbal tea and learn to play the pan flute.

Flipping the turn signal, she pulled into Big America Fuel and stopped near the sign for Free Air. She stepped out onto the cracked gray asphalt and bent to search for the pressure gauge her dad always insisted she keep in the pocket of the door but came up empty.

She abandoned the driver’s side and went to the passenger door, hesitating when she noticed the dog leaning against the nearby air pump. The big dog. It was missing some significant patches of hair, and the rest was black and matted. Its big, shiny teeth were bared in what she hoped was a friendly smile. Its football-player-forearm-sized tail thumped the ground, raising a cloud of sunbaked, Central Texas dust. Lizzie sneezed. The dog stopped wagging and raised an ear in her direction.

“Good boy,” she told it, hoping that was the right thing to say. It was one thing to misunderstand the intentions of a tiny fuzzball of a dog and need a few stitches. Ignoring a warning from something this size could be lethal. It had to weigh at least a hundred pounds.

She kept the beast in her peripheral vision while she bent to search for the tire gauge. Ah ha!

“Y’all need some help?”

“No!” Lizzie straightened and turned, the pressure gauge clenched in her raised fist.

“Whoa there!” A sun-bronzed elderly man, about half Lizzie’s size, held his hands in front of him in a gesture of peace.

“I’m sorry,” she said, relaxing slightly. “The dog—” She gestured but the thing was gone.

“Didn’t mean to scare you, darlin’,” the old man said, tilting his Big America ball cap back. “We’re a little slow today, so I thought I’d check on you.” He indicated the vacant parking lot.

“It’s fine,” she said. She should remember she was back on her own turf, where it was way more likely that a stranger at a gas station really did want to help you out rather than distract you and rob you blind. “It’s been a long drive, and I’m a little overcaffeinated.”

“No problem. You local?”

“Yes,” Lizzie said. Even though she’d been gone for years, it was about to be true again.

The attendant squinted at the tool she carried. “You got a leaky tire?”

“I don’t know.” She stooped to unscrew the cap of the first valve. “The little light went on while I was driving.” Nope. That one wasn’t low. She put the cap back on and continued her way around the car while her new friend followed, chatting about Big Chance. He wondered about the likelihood the Chance County High School quarterback would get a scholarship offer. Lizzie had no idea; she hadn’t been keeping up. He speculated on the probability that the Feed and Seed might close, now that there was a new Home Depot over in Fredericksburg. She expected she’d hear about it from her mom and dad if the local place was closing and wondered if her friend Emma still worked there.

It had been ages since Lizzie had spoken to Emma, and a wave of guilt washed over her. Finally, the last valve was checked, and she screwed the cap back on. She reached through the open window and dropped the tire gauge on the passenger seat while she said “Everybody’s full. Must be a false alarm.” She wrinkled her nose as she caught a whiff of the interior of her car. Sheesh. The service station probably sold air fresheners; maybe she should invest in one. Compared to the breezy, wide open spaces of home, her car smelled like an inside-out dead deer. She wanted to get home, though, so she decided to deal with it later.

It wasn’t until she was backing out onto the main road that she realized the awful smell inside her vehicle wasn’t just long-drive funk. There was something—something big and black and furry—sitting in the middle of her back seat, panting and grinning in her rearview mirror.

***
Excerpted from Big Chance Cowboy by Teri Anne Stanley. © 2019 by Teri Anne Stanley. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author: When Teri Anne Stanley isn’t writing sassy, sexy, love stories from her home, she’s probably doing some sort of arsty-crafsty thing and hanging with Mr. Stanley, her three favorite children, and the dogs. Sometimes she’s masquerading as a day job science geek. She’s definitely not cooking or cleaning. Visit her online. Teri Anne lives near Sugartit, Kentucky (which is between Beaver Lick and Rabbit Hash. Seriously).

Website

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, IndieBound, BAM, Kobo, or WalMart.

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Mermaids of the Winding River by Katherine Eddinger Smits – Guest Blog and Giveaway

August 1, 2019 By 2 Comments

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Katherine Eddinger Smits who is visiting with us today to celebrate the upcoming release of A Darker Shade of Evil, a Demon and Devil anthology, in which her short story “Siren Descending” appears. Pre-order the entire anthology for only $1.99 and check out the bottom of the post to find out how to win an autographed book.

Mermaids of the Winding River

Named by the Seminole Indians, Weeki Wachee, a river near Central Florida’s west coast, means Little Spring or Winding River. Winding River fits it best. From underground caverns, the head spring puts out 117 million gallons of water per day with a 5 mile per hour current. The river twists, turns and angles, sometimes shallow, sometimes deep in what is either a kayakers dream or nightmare, depending on whether you want a challenging paddle or a relaxing drift. The water is 72 to 74 degrees all year. That’s freezing refreshing on a scorching hot day.

After purchasing and developing the land and inventing an air hose for trained swimmers to breathe underwater without scuba equipment, Newton Perry, a former Navy Seal, opened Weeki Wachee Springs park in 1947. He also hired the first “mermaids” and choreographed the shows.

The site was miles from any towns or other attractions. However, it became a major tourist draw in the 1950s and 1960s, especially after it was purchased by ABC.

I grew up about 26 miles from the park and took my first swimming lessons there. When my family took me to see the mermaid show, I was entranced. Descending from the 90+ degree heat of a summer day in Florida into the chilled, underwater theater 16 feet below the surface introduced me to a mesmerizing world of fish, turtles and real mermaids in gorgeous fish tail costumes. I couldn’t get enough.

From then on, I spent every possible moment in pools, the ocean and rivers, dreaming of breathing underwater. I loved the Greek stories of mermaids, sea nymphs (shape-shifters who could have legs or tails), nereids (water nymphs tied to rivers and springs), sirens (fish tailed or winged women who lured sailors to crash their ships on the rocks), sea witches (mermaids or women with power over the sea, weather, or seafaring life), and water sprites (creatures with skin the color of the sea who can breathe underwater).

The remarkable young women who performed in the mermaid shows personified my vivid fantasies. I desperately wanted to be a mermaid, but you must do more than swim well to perform underwater. The mermaids can hold their breath for up to four minutes! They are athletes who undergo extensive training and conditioning in order to look graceful and effortless. Think of a ballerina crossed with a marathon runner and you get an idea. I was not cut out for it.

For years in the small towns around the area, the mermaids were local celebrities who young men found irresistible. They made appearances at fairs and grand openings. Some had careers in show business.

One year dark rumors circulated about mysterious mermaid deaths. However, the newspapers never reported anything and the rumors stopped. I think jealous people were spreading malicious gossip.

After Disney World opened and the Orlando area became Florida’s tourist mecca, many of the old roadside attractions closed. We worried that Weeki Wachee would too. However, a small group of locals (many former mermaids) first incorporated the area into a small town and later convinced the government to take over the attraction and make it a state park.

In the 1980s, I took my children to the park, but they weren’t as enamored with it as I was. My daughter liked it, but preferred kayaking to watching the show. My son enjoyed swimming.

Today Weeki Wachee State Park bustles with visitors. Reasons to visit also include boat rides down the river, a picnic area, a beach with rope swings, and kayak rentals. For those of us who still long for the mermaid experience, two day camps for ages 30+ run during the summer. Want to sign up? Plan ahead. They sell out a year in advance.
Someday, when my granddaughters are old enough, I hope to take them to the park on the Winding River. Maybe they will love mermaids as much as I do.

Mermaids symbolize feminine beauty, power, mystery and allure. The legends of half-women, half-fish creatures who live in the sea and entice sailors with their irresistible songs are common to most cultures and are a popular trope for both ancient myths and contemporary stories.

Since I couldn’t be one, I write about mermaids, mages and other magical creatures. My mermaids have the siren song, can shape-shift, and are stronger than humans. They keep their existence hidden from ordinary people until they fall in love with them. When that happens, it’s combustible.

I’m doing a special giveaway for this blog. One person who comments will be randomly selected to win a signed copy of the first book in the Love’s Siren Song series, Water Dreams.

If you like stories about mermaids, shifters, and paranormal romance, I hope you’ll check out my website. Sign up for my newsletter at the link above and I’ll send you a free short story exclusively for subscribers. I write newsletters quarterly and always include contests, freebies and fun.

Thank you so much for hosting me here today, Long and Short Reviews. I appreciate the opportunity and hope your readers will be interested in A Darker Shade of Evil: A Demon and Devil Anthology.

My book in the collection is “Siren Descending.” Here’s the blurb: In this contemporary reimagining of the Orpheus myth, a sea witch journeys to the underworld to save her lover with her siren song,. Will she avoid Orpheus’ tragic mistake or will she lose her soul-mate and her soul?

A Darker Shade of Evil contains nine urban fantasy and paranormal romance tales. Preorder this anthology for $1.99 now and receive 13 free books from the authors, including “The Sea Witch and the Mage”, the prequel to “Siren Descending.”

Pre-Order *N*O*W*
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A Siren journeys to hell to rescue her lover with her song. One of the nine books included in A Darker Shade of Evil, Siren Descending, a contemporary paranormal romance, reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus. Can Athenia avoid Orpheus’ tragic mistake or will she fail to rescue Thorne and lose her soulmate and her soul?

In A Darker Shade of Evil, deadly demons, diabolical devils, and other creatures of the night keep you spellbound in a world of dark delights as they trifle in forbidden passions, suspense, and kick-ass battles.

Brought to you by USA Today and International Bestselling Authors, these nine stories of sexy, alpha heroes and heroines will keep you turning the pages as devils, demons and hunters draw you into their conquests, twisted power plays, deception, scorching heat, and yes, even love.
Releasing September 24, 2019

Including stories from USA Today and Bestselling Authors
Khardine Gray – USA Today Bestselling Author– Alone In The Dark
Dariel Raye – USA Today Bestselling Author – The Devil Upstairs
Lori Titus – USA Today Bestselling Author – Talons
Muffy Wilson – USA Today Bestselling Author – Succubus Unleashed
Keta Diablo – Bestselling Author – I Spy A Demon
Marilyn Harlow – Bestselling Author – Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend
Gracen Miller – Bestselling Author – Hex
Michelle Scott – Bestselling Author – The Demon’s Prisoner
Katherine Smits – Bestselling Author – Siren Descending

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About the Author:Katherine Eddinger Smits fell in love with mermaids, magic and stories of all kinds as a child. Though devastated to learn her first job choice—mermaid, was unrealistic, she found a fulfilling career helping veterans and their families as a clinical social worker at Veterans hospitals. From elementary school on, she wrote stories.

She has published three paranormal romances and a fourth is scheduled for release September 24, 2019 as part of A Darker Shade of Evil: A Demon and Devil Anthology.

Katherine lives with her husband in Homosassa, Florida and Falling Waters, West Virginia. They have a daughter who resides in Arlington, Virginia and a son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Website | Amazon Author Page

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Guest Blogs Tagged With: ,

What Would I Tell a New Author? by Jane Renshaw – Guest Blog and Giveaway

August 1, 2019 By 12 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jane Renshaw will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What would I tell a new author?

I would say that writing is a lot easier, less stressful and, above all, more fun if you have writer friends to support and help you (and, when necessary, give you a kick up the backside!). I can’t imagine, now, trying to write anything without the input of my wonderful friends Lucy Lawrie and Lesley McLaren. And I’ve learned so much from reading their work, commenting on it and trying to come up with suggestions.

We first ‘met’ on a writers’ forum. Their posts on the forum made me immediately warm to them both, as they had similar senses of humour to mine and were just all-round nice people. Then I started reading their work and loved it. Lucy writes women’s fiction and Lesley works in quite a broad range of genres, but mainly crime (sometimes with a supernatural or sci-fi twist) and nature writing. Their warm personalities and wit translate into their writing, but in both cases there is also a wicked streak which often makes me laugh.

I was thrilled when we started to exchange our work for critiques. We immediately ‘clicked’ and ‘got’ each other’s styles, although in some ways we are quite different. Lucy is great at putting emotions into words in a way that’s interesting and original but at the same time ‘right’ (‘Yes!’ you find yourself saying. ‘That’s how it feels!’) – she is our ‘layering’ guru, a great help when either Lesley or I is on the wrong track with a character’s motivation, internal dialogue or behaviour. Lesley’s stories are exciting and page-turny, with lots of dark humour – she is the plot guru, with the terrifying ability to home in on a plot problem like a guided missile. Not sure what I contribute – I’m maybe more of a details freak.

I don’t show my work in progress now to anyone else. I have done so in the past, asking non-writing friends and family to read it, hoping for feedback, but I found it not at all useful and in some cases very demoralising. Lucy and Lesley are honest but unfailingly constructive. And, being writers, they have the necessary skills and imaginations to be able to suggest fixes that work.

Most importantly, we have such fun! When I see an email come into my inbox from either Lucy or Lesley I smile. We are much more than writing friends now – we share all sorts of details about our lives. We’ve met in person a few times now and although it was quite scary the first time (What if they’re not the same as their virtual selves? What if we don’t hit it off? What if they don’t like me?) it wasn’t, in fact, like meeting strangers at all – we soon discovered that we knew each other very well already, and it was fine.

So, if you don’t have your equivalent of a Lucy and Lesley yet, I would suggest you start looking as a matter of urgency! Writers’ forums and groups are probably the best place to find writers of a similar mind-set.

Lucy has had two novels published: Tiny Acts of Love (‘Funny, poignant and honest, this is a cracker of a debut novel’ – The Sun) and The Last Day I Saw Her (‘It is clever, it is intelligent, it is full of twists and turns and it has rich characters with depth’ – On My Bookshelf). You can find out all about her here.

Lesley has had her crime novels shortlisted for some prestigious prizes (including the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger) but they are not yet published. You can read her nature writing (which is often as exciting as a crime story!) here.

Oh, and if you’re wondering how one administers a kick up the backside from several hundred miles away, this is the symbol we use in our emails: \_ (

When life has cast you in the role of victim, how do you find the strength to fight back?

When she was eight years old, Helen Clack was bullied so mercilessly that she was driven to a desperate act. Now she is being targeted once more, but this time her tormentor’s identity is shrouded in doubt.

When her life starts to disintegrate, she flees home to the wilds of north-east Scotland, and to the one man she knows can help her – Hector Forbes, the dubiously charismatic Laird of Pitfourie, with whom she has been hopelessly in love ever since those hellish days in the school playground, when he was her protector, her rescuer, her eleven-year-old hero.

But is Hector really someone she can trust?

And can anyone protect her from the terrible secret she’s keeping?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Helen looked up at the tree. There were plenty of pods hanging down from it, like peapods only skinnier.

How many would she need?

Yesterday when she was helping Daddy with the bales she had asked him, ‘How many laburnum seeds would someone have to eat before they died?’ and he’d shaken his head and said, ‘Hel’nie. You mustn’t ever take seeds from that tree,’ and she’d said, ‘I won’t. But how many would someone have to eat?’ and he’d shaken his head and said, ‘I don’t know, and I’m not just awful keen to find out.’

Helen wriggled her schoolbag off her back and dropped it down on the grass.

No one would see. The byre was between the tree and the kitchen window, and Daddy had gone up the fields to look at the calfies.

To reach the pods she would have to climb up on the fence, but Suzanne had shown her how to climb on barbed wire. She put one hand on the fence post under the tree, and one hand on the top wire, and climbed with her bum sticking out to keep her legs away from the jags. The wires were wobbly but she didn’t fall off. When she was high enough she let go the hand on the fence post and reached up and grabbed one of the pods.

About the Author:Having discovered early in her ‘career’ that she didn’t have what it takes to be a scientist, Jane Renshaw shuffled sideways into scientific and medical editing, which has the big advantage that she can do it while watching Bargain Hunt! Jane writes what she loves to read – series of novels in which the reader can immerse herself, which let her get to know an engaging, interesting and/or terrifying cast of characters slowly, in the same way you get to know people in real life. Ideally, the drama should be played out in a gorgeous setting, and the cast should include at least one dangerously charismatic, witty, outrageous protagonist with whom the reader can fall in love. A bit of murder and mayhem in the mix never hurts either… Hence the Pitfourie Series.

Website

Buy the book at Amazon or Amazon UK.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense Tagged With: , , ,

Discussion of a Decent Dream by E. Curtis

July 10, 2019 By 6 Comments


Discussion of a Decent Dream by E. Curtis
Publisher: Edwardian Stainless Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (246 pgs)
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

In the fall of 1789, on the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, a dense, persistent fog enshrouds the village of Ingleton. Shadowed spirits hide in the mist and bedevil the townsfolk, heralding a tragedy that has befallen one of their own.

Edmond continues to search for Alexandra, his fiancée, who disappeared the same night that the mist set upon their town. Presumed dead by all others, he visits Alexandra’s empty grave, desperate for any hint of what has become of her. Weary from the sleepless nights on his quest, no longer able to stay awake, Edmond falls into a dream before her headstone and there obtains clues from Alexandra as to her whereabouts.

Acute effects of ingestion of a novel whey-derived extract on vascular endothelial function in overweight, middle-aged men discount sale viagra and women. If a person really wants to get hard erection, it is super levitra made especially for giving you more pleasure. That is why; it is viagra pills wholesale advisable to follow eating this drug after the consultation of the health expert. So what’s the best way to resolve those tense situations where one child is trying to control or hurt or trespass on another and it is highly, highly effective. “Just walk away.” When a bully tries to steal your child’s emotional well-being, realize that that bully really does not have access to it, buy sildenafil viagra your child does. Haunted all the while by a malevolent spirit, Edmond follows the trail that Alexandra left for him and enters the underworld, only to learn that he has been there before, and in fact, quite often. But more, he discovers how he is to blame for Alexandra’s disappearance.

A dark literary novel rich in imagery, Discussion of a Decent Dream unearths the consequences of a child’s decision to surrender his heart in exchange for unholy power and transcendent knowledge.

Discussion of a Decent Dream is a Finalist in Britain’s Wishing Self Book Awards in the Adult category.

This is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve read in a long time. The words and phrases were so lyrical it was almost like reading poetry. It is not a book to be hurried through. It is, instead, a book to take your time with, to savor, perhaps even to reread in order to fully grasp all the richness that fills it.

The basic story is told in two parts– one point of view is Edmond’s, while he searches for Alexandra. And on the other hand, we have Vigil who is overlooking the action and recording it. The book is told on many levels and in many times, with these times sometimes colliding with each other. There are symbols and images I felt I was just on the edge of grasping, and that did occasionally frustrate me. However I feel as if it was my issue more than the book’s.

I’m looking forward to delving back into this book and try to fully understand all the nuances. Kudos!

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Dark Lands: War of the Sentinels by Lyn I. Kelly

June 20, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Dark Lands: War of the Sentinels by Lyn I. Kelly
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Heat Level: Sweet
Length; Full length (307 pages)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Here is some of the evidence: Enhanced levels of inflammatory cytokines causes a cascade cialis viagra sale of immune-inflammatory cell activation, constant skin cell proliferation, and development of psoriatic plaques. You should discuss all the details of cost low viagra your health with this natural Ayurvedic remedy for male weakness. Search Engine Optimization isn’t a viable option for the majority of people around the world are living in a way which would have been thought impossible a few years ago, in some ways echoing cheap super cialis the contemporaneous growth in internet social networking. Premature Ejaculation condition in man occurs before or too soon viagra sans prescription post-penetration. Welcome to the Dark Lands…again. In one explosive instant Sundown Thompson has found herself lost in the Dark Lands past, a world with which she is both familiar and estranged. The Willkeeper has no record of her. The Glorian Council does not recognize her. And the names Webb, Raven, Caleb, and Just Jake mean nothing to those around her. In the third book of Lyn I. Kelly’s Dark Lands series Sundown must tenuously navigate between a future she knows all too well and a past not prepared for what is coming. All the while an unrestrained evil known as Hekla, born during the living world’s creation, marches across the centuries intent on entering the Dark Lands and claiming what he perceives as his birthright. With horrors from Sundown’s future finding their way across time, she and her new allies, some familiar, some new, must stop these nightmarish intercessions before the past and future collide and the Dark Lands is irreparably marred.

Having read the first two books in the series, this third is my favorite so far, even better than the others. The author has continued an exciting story of a brother and sister in the afterlife dealing with a great evil. We learn more about Sundown and her brother Webb, but this installment is Sundown’s chance to shine. She is a great character and really grows during her time in this story.

Sundown was pulled from a battle in the last book, trying to save her brother, but something went terribly wrong. Sundown woke up…in the past. What happens there is fascinating. She discovers an awesome new talent and more hidden inner strength. She meets with the ruling council but cannot tell them what she knows about the future. Here, she meets younger versions of some of the people she knew in her present (in this afterworld). Readers are treated to the inside scoop of some of those interesting characters. They add a lot to the story, and there are some very touching moments, especially with a new, young character. Different types of relationships are explored in this story, adding depth. There are moments of exquisite happiness and others that are heartbreaking. The good and the bad alike have well-written backstories.

The tension escalates throughout the novel to an explosive end (cliff-hanger). Important people are lost in this book, but underneath this sadness, readers will wonder what actually became of them. Hopefully the next book will answer that important question, as it gives a sense of hope that maybe all is not lost for them.

There are some intriguing turns of fate and paradoxes, and the world-building, like in the previous books, is done by the hand of an artist. The author does a great job revealing things little-by-little while at the same time increasing the suspense of the story. It is clearly written, even with the complications time travel can bring. Symbolism is done well and really paints a picture, adding to the somber mood. Dialogue is realistic. This is a great third part to the series, and I look forward to the conclusion. I recommend this book.

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Nothing Else Matters by Peri Elizabeth Scott

May 27, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Nothing Else Matters by Peri Elizabeth Scott
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short story (63 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Claire and Liam had a good thing going until he walks out of her life. Being dumped without warning is devastating enough, discovering she isn’t pregnant leaves her without even a part of him. Withdrawing from everyone, she moves to another city and immerses herself in work, the better to forget Liam. Not that it’s working. Claire is a one-man woman, to her despair.

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Claire must decide what matters: her pride or taking another chance on Liam—and love.

Claire nearly fell apart when she was shockingly dumped by Liam. With her life falling apart around her and teetering on the edge, Claire finally managed to pull herself together, move to a different state and start her life up again. Only Liam has returned and life won’t ever be the same for either of them again.

In many ways this enjoyable short story feels like a throw-back to a vintage romance. Claire falls apart – mentally and physically – after a harsh and sudden break-up and her life spirals out of control. Watching her and Liam finally pick up the pieces together was interesting and very heart-wrenching. In a number of places my heart just bled for both characters – the pain and loneliness they’d both experienced and even though I’m not convinced their relationship was particularly healthy for either of them, watching them build something strong and firm together was lovely.

I genuinely questioned a few times whether Claire was a shade too dependent upon both Liam and their relationship. While I can certainly understand such a soft-hearted and giving character falling apart at the fierce ending of such an important relationship, a part of me wondered if she was a little too far out of her depth, emotionally speaking. I’m still unsure why Claire didn’t seek professional care – therapy or a group support or some other mechanism to help her cope with her issues. I fully realise the short length of the story meant some of these factors needed to be glossed over and put aside so the romance and actual relationship could be center stage – but in a few places I really did question whether Claire was healthy and acting in her own best interests.

Full of heartfelt emotion and two people who are deeply in love with each other, this is an interesting and intense love story. While I can see that it might not be every reader’s cup of tea, I found it to be heart-wrenching, deeply emotional and well worth the read.

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Jars of Clay by Mary Ann Poll – Guest Blog and Giveaway

May 27, 2019 By 14 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mary Ann Poll will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Jars of Clay
Mary Ann Poll
America’s Lady of Supernatural Thrillers
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2nd Cor 4:7

A day came when I was confronted with an indisputable fact. My eternal soul lives in nothing more than crockery. That day changed me forever – literally.

You see, I come from “good peasant stock.” In other words, I am a direct descendant of the hard-working American farmer. In a time when women were seen as weak, I prided myself on the fact I could do, and enjoyed, heavy physical labor usually reserved for men. I am also blessed with a decent intellect. So, I could not only take care of myself, I could make a good living. Until…

I awoke for another day of work. I stretched that wonderful morning stretch and stopped in tear-producing pain. It gave me pause and caused a nagging concern. I shook it off, took an Advil and went to work.

By noon, I couldn’t stop the pain unless I held my right arm at chest-level. My resolve to ignore the pain gave way to tears. Me, the proud and independent woman, was forced to call my husband to take me to the emergency room!

The diagnosis was serious. A disc herniated in my neck, and I faced surgery with a long recovery.

With this incident, I came to a place where I promised myself I would never, never go. This self-sustaining woman became physically and financially dependent on others. In the blink of an eye, everything I thought made me valuable had been ripped away. Despair and devastation flooded my mind and soul.

Just as with all grief, I went through shock, denial, anger, then acceptance. I saw the orthopedic surgeon who said, “You need surgery—yesterday!”

After I heard the risks involved, and because I am one who has more terror of an operation than of pain, I looked for other alternatives. (In retrospect, I do not recommend my approach to healing a herniated disc sitting in the spinal column. However, hindsight is 20/20.)

So, in my ignorance, I went to regular physical therapy sessions. They did little to alleviate the pain. Finally, I found an osteopath who was willing to adjust my muscles to help alleviate the spasms while the disc healed. I did small things to help my neck stay limber and to keep me moving.

It just so happens my only pain-free activity was reading. So, I read. Always the over-achiever, I read 100 books in three months. To keep me (and himself) sane, my dear husband made trips to the library.

By the grace of God, I began and continued to heal. I was so happy. I dreamed of returning to my life before this unfortunate affliction. I was destined for another deep disappointment and a time of overwhelming sadness.

No matter how I wanted to go back to my previous career, I couldn’t. I was unable to sit at an office desk and computer for more than a couple hours a day.

One day a friend of mine said, “You should write a book.”

I laughed. And laughed. And laughed. “Not happening,” I quickly answered.

As you may have guessed, my fear spoke for me. It terrified me to put something on paper and submit it to a publisher. Rejection is not my favorite feeling.

Still, after the initial feelings subsided, I thought about it. The more I thought, the more I became interested. After days (maybe weeks) of the idea rolling around the back of my head, I said, “What do I have to lose? It’s not like I’m going to submit anything to a publisher. I can just write. It gives me something to do.”

As I said, I could spend a couple of hours at a computer. I used those couple of hours to try my hand at novel writing. I sat down and stared at a blank screen. In a matter of minutes, the words cascaded out of my brain onto the paper. I could barely type as quickly as my mind was creating the scene.

The energy behind the writing should have been a definite and undeniable sign that I was destined to be an author. But no.

It took five years for me to defeat the self-doubt. To be honest, in those years, I was trying to convince myself I was not a writer, and I was being foolish. But, the passion and the excitement of writing would not leave.
I finally took writing classes, joined a writing forum, and talked to my family until they were ready to throw me out on my ear. (Kidding, they were very supportive. They still are.)

In 2010, I was blessed to see my first book Ravens Cove, An Iconoclast Thriller, in hard copy. When I held the book in my hands, I was flooded with joy, excitement and a overwhelming sense of achievement. What a wonderful day that was!

Between 2011 and 2017 I wrote three additional books which completed the Iconoclast series. This year, I was even more blessed when Ravens Cove came out in a second edition. A new book and yet the same.

When my disc ruptured, I thought my world was ending. To my amazement, God performed a miracle and put me on the road I was meant to travel. A road where I am constantly pulled out of my comfort zone and made to grow. A road where I live an abundant life—full of joy, and passion; and yes, a road where, on occasion, I must jump over the puddles of self-doubt and potholes of fear. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Endings aren’t always endings. Sometimes, they are amazing beginnings to the rest of our lives.

Welcome to Ravens Cove, Alaska, a tiny town nestled in a small hollow on the majestic Cook Inlet. A town familiar with storytelling—after all, Alaska abounds in rich legends. In Ravens Cove, though, legends have a tendency to come to life.

Meet Josiah Williams, the peculiar stranger whose warning to lifetime residents Kat Tovslosky and her cousin, Sheriff Bart Andersen, raises more questions than answers; a man whose dark past and knowledge of the murders make him a suspect more than an ally. Join Kat and Bart as an unlikely troop forms (including a very unwelcome FBI agent) to discover the identity of a killer. The unearthing of which will throw the reluctant warriors into a battle for their very lives and the lives of all who call Ravens Cove home.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Josiah marched to the back of the church, lifting his hand, waving it back and forth to part the black mist covering the door.

It shot to one side before he walked through, a dark curtain blown by an invisible wind.

The dark mist, Atramentous by name, vibrated with hatred, then fear at what he saw. An angel of God stood beside this man.

“Uriel!”

The angel turned and nodded. “Atramentous.”

Atramentous bent his head to avoid the blinding light. After they passed, he raised his head, formed an invisible mouth, a deep red chasm where the black mist had been. A guttural, gurgling roar spewed out to sound the alarm, sending sleeping birds flying into the sky crying in terror.

About the Author: I’m Mary Ann Poll, America’s Lady of Supernatural Thrillers and charter member of Author Masterminds. The first question most people ask is, “What is an Iconoclast?” Iconoclast means, “The destroyer of religious beliefs or symbols.” I took this definition and applied it to the supernatural realm, which is how the Iconoclast Thriller series was born. My books revolve around the battle between good and evil. They also revolve around the heroic acts of ordinary people who must face extraordinary, even unbelievable, circumstances.

I draw from real-life experiences, as well as my imagination, to create these supernatural thrillers. My love for a creepy, goosebump-creating ghost story and my love for Christ come together in these books.

I am a proud pet lover, which is also reflected in my writing. In my off time, I enjoy gardening, swimming and spending time with beloved family.

I pray you enjoy reading Ravens Cove as much as I enjoyed writing it. Blessings in Christ!

Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Facebook Series Page | Twitter
Buy the book at Author Masterminds.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Dark Lands: The Not-Where by Lyn I. Kelly

May 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Dark Lands: The Not-Where by Lyn I. Kelly
Part Two of the Dark Lands Series
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: YA Fantasy
Length: Full Length (200 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

The betrayal at the Requiem has passed, but the foreboding presence of the Dark Man still exists. While whispers of a new threat roll across the Dark Lands, Webb Thompson is plagued by a recurring nightmare that warns of a looming evil powerful enough to transform not just his life, but also that of his sister, Sundown, and her counselor, Raven. After the Dark Man initiates a move that destabilizes the shaky balance of good and evil in the Dark Lands, Webb realizes the only resolution may lie within a shadowy region known to few and traversed by even less. But does the cryptic Not-Where hide the source of tribulation or is it a place to release more insidious forces? As the paths of Webb, Sundown, and Raven surreptitiously intertwine, they realize too late that despite their caution and steadfastness, destiny cannot be tempered as new evils are unleashed, secrets are revealed, and a vast army rises. Now only time will tell if they can stop the Dark Man from escaping his otherworldly prison.

This is a worthy second book in the series, one that continues the adventure of a young pair of siblings who died and crossed over. The land the 17-year-old Webb and his 14-year-old sister Sundown have found themselves in is filled with wonder and untold dangers.
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Webb and Sundown have a bit of mystery about them, but in this second book, readers finally get to see what took them from the life of the living. They are likeable characters with strengths and weakness. The characters surrounding them are fun to read about and are essential in drawing out sides of Webb and Sundown that help readers to understand them better. Webb even gets a girlfriend in this mystical world, and she helps him to discover more about himself.

Even the animal characters and the villainous creatures add dimension and depth to the main characters, by the reactions they draw from them.

The nature of relationships is an important factor in this story. Around this are other themes, such as strength against adversity, good versus evil, and descent into madness. Webb is young but fights against his unseen enemies—who are trying to destroy him from afar. Will they weaken him enough to use him against those he loves? While reading about his struggles, readers will be worried for him. The psychological fight is intriguing, the suspense created well done. The unfolding of the plot is just right in drawing out other dimensions of the main characters.

Complications lead to a cliff-hanger, which is to be continued in the next book.

The book is written with clarity and is descriptive, creating a world that one could envision. Readers will feel something emotionally for the young hero and those he cares about. It’s a serious story but yet fun to read. Creatures and places are imaginative and also symbolize negative forces.

This is an enjoyable story, like the first in the series, and gives fans more information while leaving them wanting for more. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy YA or otherwise, who just enjoy good stories with unconventional settings and the paranormal. The magic not only rests in the wonderful gifts the characters have, but also in their potential. I look forward to the next in the series.

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Background of The Girl from the Lighthouse by Willard Thompson – Guest Blog and Giveaway

April 4, 2019 By 11 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Willard Thompson will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Background of the Book

Writing THE GIRL FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE was an unusual and enjoyable experience for me. To begin, I was in the Santa Barbara Art Museum with my wife, standing in front of a painting by Berthe Morisot, an artist who became one of the characters in THE GIRL FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE. The painting is titled View of Paris from the Trocadero. In it, two women stand with a small girl looking off into the city of Paris far in the distance. The women are blocked from moving forward into the city by a wooden fence that cuts diagonally across the painting. It isn’t a strong barrier, more symbolic in nature. I was struck by how the painting represented the restricted status of Victorian era women. From that painting I got the idea to write about a woman of that time who was strong and independent, and in no way indoctrinated about proper women’s roles. That woman became Emma Dobbins, my protagonist.

A short time before that, I was involved in the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s project to secure the Point Conception lighthouse lens from the U.S. Coast Guard for exhibit in the museum when the lighthouse was decommissioned. While doing the research on the lighthouse and its keepers, the idea came to me that I should write a commemorative book about the history of the lighthouse, and the lives of the lighthouse keepers, to have available for guests to purchase on the opening night of the exhibition. In just seven months I researched, wrote and published the book. Finished copies were delivered to the museum only one day before the opening ceremony. The process gave me a thorough knowledge of the Point Conception lighthouse to use in the backstory of THE GIRL FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE.

By the way, I learned that the great lens, made of 640 pieces of special glass was manufactured in Paris in the 1850s, so France was also on my mind.

Some of the background for the story goes back even further. Three or four years ago I was researching some family genealogical history. I was specifically interested in my Canadian grandmother, Emma Thompson. She had a very unusual upbringing, and I thought I might write some kind of homage to her. I want to be clear though that the Emma in THE GIRL FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE is in no way representative of my late grandmother.

Writing for me is always an exploration. I try to learn as much as I can about a subject as I write. While writing THE GIRL FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE, I learned about the treatment of women in Paris during the Victorian era. For example, young women were disrespected if they went about alone in public. When Emma tried to climb to the upper level of an omnibus, she was prevented by the driver from doing so because it was thought improper for a woman’s legs to be seen climbing the stairs. Courtship between young men and women was highly formal. There were many other restrictions on women we almost laugh at today, that you will read about in the novel. The information I uncovered adds to the sense of reality of the novel. I even had to learn about the use of contraceptives in the 1870s.

But I think the biggest surprise came when I had finished the manuscript. On reading it and discussing it with my wife, who is also a good editor, we decided the story did not work well in a third person format. So for the next six months, I literally became Emma, rewriting the story in the first person, present tense. That way I was able to bring the book’s characters and my readers as close together as possible. I know that this may sound strange to some readers, but I have always created strong female characters, and I listened carefully to what Emma was telling me as I wrote. I believe her story reads beautifully.

The Girl From the Lighthouse tells the compelling story of Emma Dobbins.

Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she was raised by her father, a lighthouse keeper at Point Conception in California, where early on she discovers her artistic talent. At the age of 17, Emma travels to Paris with a chaperone, to attend art school but is separated from the chaperone when the woman becomes ill. Emma arrives alone in Paris with no money, no language skills, and no friends. A chance meeting with a young working girl in the train station becomes her first Parisian friend.

The setting is Paris in the 1860s-70s, the start of the Belle Èpoque. France soon is involved in the Franco/Prussian War and the Commune Uprising; difficult times for Emma and all Frenchmen. Initially rejected by art schools, her determination keeps her moving toward her goal in the art world, where the Impressionists are starting to change the world. Frenchmen fall in love with her beautiful face and lustrous dark hair. Some wanted to paint her, others to court her, but either way, she does not abide by the rules they try to impose on her because she never learned them. She grows into an accomplished artist but never gives up her own principles… even when someone steals something precious to her and she fights to get it back.

The story is told in the first person, present tense, allowing the reader to enter the story and feel a part of it as it unfolds, sharing with Emma her highs and lows, loves and rejections, all focused in the art world of Paris. The novel is filled with vivid characters, both fictional and real people, and the story unfolds gracefully from the 1870s until 1912, just prior to the start of WWI.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“It’s been several months,” I tell Berthe Morisot, “and I still copy with pad and pencil and sometimes watercolors. I think I have learned a great deal, but I’m still not ready for oils.”

“You should try,” she encourages me. “Jacque-Louis David is a good artist for you to copy. His portraits are beautifully executed, especially the one of Madame Recamier you are working on. Portraits like that are the kind of commissions you are likely to get when you are ready.”

“How so?”

“There is always demand for portraits of wives and children that are best done by women artists.”

I study the wine in my glass, using the pause to consider Berthe’s recommendation. “I hope to paint landscapes one day,” I tell her.

“Difficult for a woman,” she replies. “Traveling alone to paint a landscape is often…” She pauses, “How do I say, looked down upon? There are not many buyers for the work of a woman landscape artist.

“I want to be free to paint whatever I want.”

She cuts a slice of cheese from the wedge on her plate and adds it to a piece of baguette before taking a sip from her glass. She looks at me with her doleful dark eyes the whole time. “That can be difficult,” she says at last. “Consider your decision carefully. It is easier for us to paint in a boudoir than side-by-side in a world with men.” She pauses again and picks at a piece of ham.

Feeling frustrated, and looking for a response that won’t offend my friend, I stab my fork at a mushroom. “It seems to me women in Paris have only limited freedom. Do you find it that way, Berthe?”

“I have never thought much about it, but yes, I do. It’s just the way life is for women.”

About the Author: Willard Thompson is an award-winning historical fiction and romance writer living in Montecito, California with his wife Jo. His newest historical romance, THE GIRL FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE was published in early 2019. His previously published three novels of historical fiction DREAM HELPER DELFINA’S GOLD, and THEIR GOLDEN DREAMS are part of his CHRONICLES OF CALIFORNIA trilogy. The Independent Publishers 2009 Book Awards selected DREAM HELPER for a gold medal as the best fiction in the Western/Pacific Region.

Thompson is a past president of the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. He is a native of Manhasset, New York and a graduate of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York

Amazon Author Page | Blog | Website

Buy the book at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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