Giveaway – The Babel Apocalypse by Vyvyan Evans @GoddessFish @VyvEvans

I love apocalyptic novels and great covers. The Babel Apoclypse by Vyvyan Evans has both a great story and a great cover in equal measure. I mean, if the means of communication is lost, I think we all knows how that goes from our own experiences. Welcome, Vyvyan.

Guest blog post by Vyvyan Evans

If you knew an apocalypse was imminent, how would you prepare?

The Babel Apocalypse is set in the near future, the early twenty-second century, when language is no longer learned but streamed from internet in space direct to neural implants (“language chips”) implanted in citizens brains, at birth, governed by lang-laws.

So what could possibly go wrong? Plenty as it turns out. When a cyberattack destroys the language streaming servers in low-Earth orbit, large swathes of the world’s population lose the ability to communicate, at a stroke.

The only person who saw the Babel Apocalypse coming was the last native speaker in the automated world: Professor Ebba Black. Ebba is an heiress, and a hacker extraordinaire. But she had been planning for just such a catastrophe, a global language outage. She set up a secret base, Freetown, and with her team of scientists, established a Language Unplugged protocol: a medical procedure to “untether” human brains from the language chip technology that makes much of humanity entirely dependent on big tech.

In such a near-future landscape, when something akin to ChatGPT is literally embedded inside everyone’s heads, language has become a commodity, and no one actually learns it anymore. This is why a low probability event—a global language outage—is so catastrophic; no one can use language without it being streamed directly into their brains via the internet-of-things ecosystem.

But Ebba is ready. The only problem is that corporate powerplays, money and governmental politics inevitably have made her an outlaw–she is a wanted woman. Hence, Ebba must use skill and daring to stay off the grid. And with the assistance of the loner, Europol commander, Emyr Morgan, they must together figure out who is behind the outage, and how to restore language to humanity, when sinister, global forces are dead set against them.

https://amzn.to/3SlrYGN

THE BABEL APOCALYPSE AUDIOBOOK by Vyvyan Evans

GENRE:  Science Fiction

BLURB

Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can’t afford monthly language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.

But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.

Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. Suspect number one is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems. After all, if the mysterious Ebba Black is to blame, why is the Russian Federation being framed for an outage it claims no responsibility for? And why is Ebba now a target for assassination?

As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a deadly war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it.

And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.

EXCERPT

As I was about to glance back at the voices, a light flickered in my peripheral vision, drawing my gaze upward to the night sky. A soft white glow, high up in the dark. At first it was indistinguishable from the airway lights. But it persisted, the size of a small disk at first, before shifting to red-orange, getting larger. At that point I realized it definitely couldn’t be a hover car. This was farther up, probably low Earth orbit, which explained the initial white. But the shift in coloration—that meant a detonation, producing nitrogen dioxide, which turned deep orange when mixed with air. A gaseous cloud has reached the atmosphere, I thought. I was witnessing a chemical explosion in space large enough to be visible to the naked eye. But what was exploding?

As I continued looking up, the orange grew in intensity until it flared across the skyline, illuminating the entire landscape around me with an eerie red-orange. It was only then that I became aware of the newly hushed silence of the drunken revelers nearby. And the silhouettes of other people too, who had also stopped and peppered the pedestrian corridor. We were all now strange red creatures, watching transfixed in rapt silence as the night sky was on fire. And just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone; the orange light faded back into a deep well of pitch black.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Dr. Vyvyan Evans is a native of Chester, England. He holds a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and is a Professor of Linguistics. He has published numerous acclaimed popular science and technical books on language and linguistics. His popular science essays and articles have appeared in numerous venues including ‘The Guardian’, ‘Psychology Today’, ‘New York Post’, ‘New Scientist’, ‘Newsweek’ and ‘The New Republic’. His award-winning writing focuses, in one way or another, on the nature of language and mind, the impact of technology on language, and the future of communication. His science fiction work explores the status of language and digital communication technology as potential weapons of mass destruction.

Book website (including ‘Buy’ links): http://www.songs-of-the-sage.com

  • Author website: https://www.vyvevans.net/
  • Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vyvevans
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/VyvEvans
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vyvyan.Evans.Author
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nephilim_publishing/
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Fight Or Flight – The Price Of Rebellion by Michael C Bland @mcblandwriter

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

It all began in the year 2030, when a virus rendered more than a billion people blind. Genetic engineering brought sight back to the people, but a price will be paid. I love when an author fills in the highlights from the previous book, so if The Price Of Rebellion is your first book by Michael C Bland, you will not be lost, though I definitely recommend beginning with The Price Of Safety.

Dray Quintero is labelled an enemy of the state. He created something he thought would benefit mankind, but we all know how things can be twisted and corrupted.

The core group of characters, Dray, Raven, Jex and Senn, have come to feel like family to me, but the peripheral characters are vital to the story. The all have their part to play.

There is so much action, so many tragic moments, that I couldn’t stop reading. The technology is truly frightening and makes me wonder…could this be our future? Genetic engineering, robotics, the environment, and the need for power. Looking at current events, we all know how power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

We end the book by finding out what happened to Talia…who was the most tragic part of the first book, for me. She was a child genius, with the courage to put herself in the line of fire. I was heartbroken when she died and the quote below gives you a hint as to why she was such a favorite character of mine. She is in fourth grade:

“Your daughter argued with the teacher,” the principal announced.

“She was pandering to me,” Talia said.

“Do you even now what that word means?: the man asked.

Talia looked up at me with her big brown eyes, “My god. It’s an epidemic.”

Her dad may have needed to hold in his laughter, but not me.

OMG!!!!!!! What a cliffhanger ending. I don’t know whether to congratulate Michael or throw my ereader through the wall!!!!!!! He tells me the wait for this book was because of the pandemic and he thinks it created an even darker book. Okay, I want to thank him for that, because the things he puts his characters through are tragic and inspiring at the same time. He, also, tells me the twists and turns, and horrors and sorrows, will be worth it in the end. I am counting on it.

I can’t think of anything I would change, other than to make it one book and give it to me all at once. That would make one gigantic book and I would be lost for days.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Price Of Rebellion by Michael C Bland.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL OF THE YEAR – Indies Today (2022)
BRONZE MEDAL – SCIENCE FICTION – Readers’ Favorite (2023)
MEDALIST – DYSTOPIAN FICTION – The BookFest (3rd place, Fall, 2023)

 
It’s 2047. Secrets have been revealed. And Washington wants revenge.
 
Dray Quintero learned an ugly truth: the leaders in D.C. are fake. They’ve stolen the identities of those elected to Congress and are determined to stay in power, using his own technology against him and the rest of the population.
 
After revealing the dangers of their mandated implants to his fellow citizens, and calling on everyone to rise up, Dray joins the already-underway rebellion. But his joining is as much to free the U.S. as it is to avenge his daughter’s death. Before he can strike, The Agency attacks with devastating consequences. Dray and the other survivors are forced to run as Agents hunt them.
 
Then Dray makes a discovery that could change the nation.
 
As he and the rebels prepare a bold offensive, his wife, Mina, broadcasts a preposterous claim. He’s forced to choose between the rebellion and a desperate hope. Between family and country.
 
What he does will change everything.
 
The Price of Rebellion is the action-packed second installment of The Price Of series from multiple-award-winning author Michael C Bland.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Genetic Engineering, Science Fiction
  • 388 pages, Paperback
  • Published May 16, 2023
  • Series: The Price Of Trilogy, #2

ABOUT MICHAEL C BLAND

Michael C Bland is a founding member and the secretary of BookPod, an invitation-only, online group of professional writers. He pens the monthly BookPod newsletter where he celebrates the success of their members, which include award-winning writers, film makers, journalists, and bestselling authors.

His novel, The Price of Safety, was chosen as a Finalist of the 2020 Indie Book Awards for both Science Fiction and Thriller, and is the first in a planned trilogy.

Michael currently lives in Denver with his wife Janelle and their dog Nobu.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

MY MICHAEL C BLAND REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Valkyrie Earth by Merrin Slade @goddessfish

 



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Merrin Slade will award a $50 Kobo gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In a world where perfection is demanded of its citizens, one imperfect woman may be the only person who can save humanity.

One thousand years in the future, humans have developed the ability to alter their genes to create a perfect version of themselves, but not all are so fortunate. Cerys Skye is a Wild Type, genetically unaltered and forced to live in the Refuge—a place for Wild Types and the unlucky citizens whose genetic modifications society has deemed as imperfect.

All the fiery tempered young woman knows is how to fight. Using her wits and skills, Cerys must compete in brutal prize fights if she is to bring food to the table for her younger sister. But, she is always aware that the next fight could her last—she must find a way out of this life.

Leaving behind all that she knows, the last place the tempestuous Cerys expects to find herself is joining the United Planet’s Space Force Academy, where she battles prejudice and intolerance in a world run by genetically modified humans.

As the new recruit discovers, not all is as it seems at the Academy with a shadowy cyber-evil seeking to threaten humanity. But, when loyalties are tested and the stakes are high, can Cerys rely on newfound allies and her unshakeable courage to stop the impending catastrophe?

Contains mature themes.


Read an Excerpt

She felt light-headed. “I need half an hour. To find my sister, that’s all…” Starla would understand this was for both of them. She would ask Gerry to take Starla in. Of course, she would. Gerry had a big heart.

“If you’re joining the Space Force, you leave now. You must decide,” he said.

Panic seized her. “I have to say goodbye. I must make arrangements.”

“Step into the pick-up zone. Or you are free to stay behind.”

Cerys glanced up at the silver disk darting through the clouds towards them. She looked back at the crowd. Inquisitive tourists gathered in a wide circle around her. Standing on the edge of the pick-up zone, their faces flashed: green, white, green, white.

In that moment, a woman shoved to the front of the crowd, the haft of a sword glinting over her shoulder—a Valkyrie.

“Kara,” Cerys shouted. “Over here.”

“Cerys.” Kara strode towards the checkpoint. GMs shrank away. “What’s going on? Did they take you? I heard about it.”

The secofficer scowled, and the crowd whooped.

“Kara, listen.” Cerys tugged her aside. “I’ve been recruited to the Space Force. Tell Gerry to look after Starla, and tell Starla…I love her. I’m getting her out of here. I’ll send money. Promise me.”

Kara blinked. “Now? You’re going now?”

“Just promise.”

“I promise.” She nodded vigorously. “Of course, I promise. Hey, what’s this…?”

Secnoids grabbed Kara from behind, dragging her away. Even the famous Valkyrie were not permitted to say goodbye.

“Tell Starla I’ll message…” Cerys shouted, but Kara was already lost in the crowd.

About the Author: Merrin Slade is a science fiction writer who transports readers to alternate futures and faraway universes.

Connect with Merrin Slade:

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@merrinslade
Website: https://merrinslade.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/merrinslade
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merrinslade

The book is discounted for a limited time in NZ, Australia and the UK. https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/cerys-valkyrie-earth

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Giveaway – The World Council by Norm Meech @GoddessFish

The World Council by Norm Meech

GENRE: Science Fiction action/adventure

BLURB:

Ricky Montgomery had just graduated high school in June 1976 and was enjoying life as an 18-year-old teenager. He was hired by the Dawson City Police Force, and after graduating from police college he was assigned to work as an undercover operative in a motorcycle gang.

Ricky, although happy, was struggling living his double life as a cop and biker. Then it happened: during a biker war, Ricky’s life was saved by agents from the World Council (TWC). TWC was created by the world’s leaders to prevent manmade disasters from happening and to liaise with aliens who have been monitoring mankind for hundreds of years. TWC’s mandate, with the assistance of aliens, is to ensure mankind’s continued existence.

TWC is a highly secretive organization, whose agents have the ability to travel through time, to change history, and to take lives to save lives. Ricky becomes a TWC agent and discovers that TWC’s command staff is making unethical decisions, hiding secrets about aliens and trying to reduce the world’s population through biological warfare. Ricky teams up with other agents and tries to save mankind and the world from disaster.

EXCERPT

Just as I turned and looked outside, the van’s side door slid open and two masked men with guns opened fire. I yelled to everyone, to get down as I hit the floor. There were shards of broken glass and bullets flying everywhere.

Although the barrage of gunfire only lasted a few minutes, it seemed a lot longer, like time had slowed down. One of the Devils who was packing a gun was able to return fire and the van disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. I looked around and most of the people were starting to get up off the floor. All except for a couple.

Then I realized that Vicky was still on the ground and there was blood pooling beside her. My God, she had been shot!  I yelled for someone to call an ambulance and to get me some towels. I got the towels and applied pressure to her midsection. I looked around for help but there wasn’t any. The other waitresses were helping one of the Devil’s members and another waitress who had also been shot. Hammer and the other guys took off knowing that the cops would be showing up soon.

Sure enough, in a matter of minutes ambulances and a ton of cops arrived at the bar. The ambulance attendants started working on Vicky and the cops pushed me off to the side, telling me to stay back, let them do their job. Obviously none of the cops or ambulance people knew we were undercover. I was judged to be a low life biker and my “old lady”, a waitress, was also judged to be the lower part of society. They allowed me to ride in the ambulance with Vicky, only after I gave some uniform cop our names and addresses. They worked on Vicky all the way to the hospital and they told me that she was in critical condition when they wheeled her into surgery.

It suddenly hit me like a truck. It did not matter who I was, a biker or a cop. We are all humans and Vicky did not deserve this. She was only 23 years old and she was a beautiful person. I knew she understood the risks of being a cop, especially an undercover cop, but she was harmless.  She had stepped up to the plate, she had warned me, she had my back. Besides saving me, she probably had saved a lot of other people in that bar. I was so emotional and confused; I was holding back tears and I was so full of anger I did not know what to do. Who could I call?  It could not get out that she was a cop! I called Christine to tell her what had happened.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Norm Meech has been retired for nearly two years, capping a distinguished forty-four-year career in policing. He fondly recalls the camaraderie of work friends forged during his tenure and the unique experiences as a police officer.

While missing aspects of his former profession, Norm keeps himself engaged by maintaining fitness and pursuing various hobbies. Additionally, he channels his creativity into writing, aiming to produce a book annually. His latest work delves into science fiction, inviting readers to ponder questions about the existence of aliens, unidentified flying objects, government involvement in secret conspiracies, the potential for time travel, and the impact of human activities on the planet. Norm hopes readers enjoy the fictional stories he crafts, sparking contemplation and curiosity.

  • Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/people/Norm-Meech/100078187723504/
  • WordPress.com  https://normmeech.wordpress.com/about-author/
  • Instagram
  • Amazon buy Link:https://amzn.to/3toOVQO
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Tyranny Rules – The Price Of Safety by Michael Bland @mcblandwriter

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Price Of Safety by Michael C Bland is anything but…I was quickly swept up in the incredible world he has created.

“Dad, I need help,”: my nineteen year old daughter said.

Dray’s life is going to change in ways he never could have imagined, and he has been instrumental in many of the scientific advancements in the year of 2047. His heroes will become his worst enemies.

Neural implants, drones, genetic engineering, tyranny, conspiracy, and scientific advancements make up Michael Bland’s incredible world of The Price Of Safety, an oxymoron. Imagine, if you will, that every action you take and every word you utter is being observed. And if THEY don’t like it, well…there will be repercussions.

Dray may be the main character, because he has what everyone wants…knowledge, but others stood out to me, too. One of the characters, Kieran is the ultimate villain and one of my favorite characters because of it. On the flip side, Talia, Dray’s youngest daughter, is another of my favorite characters. Her chutzpah is adorable. She is bright and impulsive.

As Dray’s eyes are opened and reality seeps in, the danger rises for him and his family. There is nowhere to hide.

The action ramps up to a frenetic level. Bodies will fall in the streets, buildings destroyed, entire neighborhoods invaded. A war is on, but the ‘herd’ has no knowledge of it. They are caught in the middle of those who rule and those who refuse to go down without a fight.

Mina, Dray’s wife….Good one, Michael. I love that you show no mercy to anyone. Every time I turn around, I find my jaw dropping, my sense of wonder at the depth and creativity of your writing coming alive on every page as the tension takes over, making me rapidly flip the pages, devouring the words, lost in the story. I was filled with anger and rage, sadness and despair, yet hope for those who will not stop to keep us free from tyranny.

I want to share so much more, but I want you, the reader, to have the same emotions running riot as you read The Price Of Safety by Michael C Bland, as I did. So this is all you get.

The Price of Safety is part of a planned trilogy and I can hardly wait to see what comes next.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

2020 INDIE BOOK AWARD FINALIST – SCIENCE FICTION
2020 INDIE BOOK AWARD FINALIST – THRILLER
2020 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD FINALIST – NEW ADULT FICTION


By 2047, no crime in the U.S. goes unsolved. No wrongdoing goes unseen. When Dray Quintero learns his 19-year-old daughter Raven committed a heinous act, he covers it up to save her life. This pits him against the police he’s respected since he was a child and places him in the crosshairs of Kieran, a ruthless federal Agent. To survive, Dray must overcome the surveillance system he helped build and the technology implanted in the brains and eyes of the citizens.

To protect his family, he turns to a group of fighters who also discovered the government’s secret. But their help isn’t enough, for his adversaries have a level of control he’s unable to escape. That no one can.

Hunted and betrayed, with time running out, Dray must choose between saving Raven and dismantling the near-perfect society he helped create.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Genetic Engineering,Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 335 pages, Paperback
  • Published April 6, 2020
  • Series: The Price Of Trilogy

ABOUT MICHAEL C BLAND

Michael C Bland is a founding member and the secretary of BookPod, an invitation-only, online group of professional writers. He pens the monthly BookPod newsletter where he celebrates the success of their members, which include award-winning writers, film makers, journalists, and bestselling authors.

His novel, The Price of Safety, was chosen as a Finalist of the 2020 Indie Book Awards for both Science Fiction and Thriller, and is the first in a planned trilogy.

Michael currently lives in Denver with his wife Janelle and their dog Nobu.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Review & Giveaway – If The Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith @GoddessFish @bsmithnovelist

https://amzn.to/49dhgtr

IF THE SUN SPARES US by Brenda Marie Smith

GENRE:  Post-apocalyptic thriller

MY REVIEW

We begin If The Sun Spares Us by Brenda Marie Smith where If The Light Escapes Us left off. The books are best read in order, letting the characters seep into your heart, the danger get your pulse pounding, and your hopes for them come to fruition.

Oh man, I never saw Bobby doing what he did. Was it the right thing to do? Who knows in the crazy world they are living in.

It’s a year later and they have settled into their new home. They still have their highs and lows and are meeting and trading with others, taking in those who want a place in their community. Perhaps there is hope for humanity yet.

Life goes on and mistakes will be made. Rebuilding the world will not be easy, but taking one step at a time and letting bygones be bygones allows them to work together to create their new world one step at a time.

Braving The Light Series by Brenda Marie Smith has been a tragic, gut wrenching adventure filled with despair and hope and love.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Two years ago, a solar pulse destroyed modern life. Bea Crenshaw organized her starving, suburban neighbors into a farming community. But now Bea’s gone, and her grandchildren must carry her legacy forward.

In the post-apocalyptic pressure cooker of Austin, Texas, 19-year-old Keno and his younger cousins struggle to ensure their community’s survival even as they’re forced to relocate to safer grounds. Northern Lights that don’t belong this far south grow increasingly intense, making Keno fear what harm the sun will cause next.

Even worse, a marauding militia called the Raiders is closing in, led by a deranged woman who preys on teenage boys. Despite Keno’s debilitating flashbacks from a firefight, he and his wife have a new baby to protect. Though Bea is dead, her spirit desperately searches for ways to shield her grandkids. When Raiders target two neighborhood members, the only hope lies in the community’s strength, Keno’s ingenuity, and the family’s fierce love for one another.

EXCERPT

I’m half-starved, about to drop in my tracks, and emotional pain is clawing me up inside. Living through this apocalypse, I don’t know if it’s the deprivation or the heartache that will kill me first.

I think I’ve been scouting South Central Austin for a place to move my family and neighbors for about two weeks, but I’ve lost track of time, and I’m not finding a freaking thing. We have to move; we just have to. I was hoping to find a place with walls and water, but no such luck.

It’s dusk when I come upon a row of warehouses, looking for a spot to sleep. Most warehouse doors are bent, with the jambs and locks broken. All looted inside, messes that don’t look like they have anything worth scavenging. One door has a big hasp and a bigger lock intact. Maybe I’ll break it in the morning to see if I can find some food.

A few doors down, there’s a stairwell leading to a basement door. A good place to hide where I have an escape route. I duck down into it.

“We’re so screwed,” I grumble to myself as I lean my rifle on the stairwell and slide off my backpack.

“You got that right.”

F***. Who said that? I whip my face around, my hand on the pistol behind my back.

“I wouldn’t fire that if I were you.”

A face looms above me… behind a crossbow that’s aimed at my head. I throw up my hands.

“Don’t shoot!”

AUTHOR Bio and Links

2018-10-18_Brenda Marie Smith

BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

  • Website: https://brendamariesmith.com
  • Blog: https://brendamariesmith.tumblr.com
  • Twitter: @bsmithnovelist
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlLSnORIyoaygvZ1j49ZKw

Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series:

  • IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One): https://amzn.to/461geyL
  • For IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two): https://amzn.to/464zPOD
  • IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three): https://amzn.to/3LzIpwA
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MY BRENDA MARIE SMITH REVIEWS

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Review – If The Light Escapes Us by Brenda Marie Smith @GoddessFish @bsmithnovelist

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

If The Light Escapes Us by Brenda Marie Smith can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend beginning with Book I in the Braving The Light Series, If The Darkness Takes Us. An electromagnetic pulse has created an apocalypse and their Austin, Texas neighborhood has become dangerous and unable to sustain their small community long term. Decisions will need to me made, and disagreements will arise.

It’s four months after If The Darkness Takes Us.

The story is told through Keno’s voice, a teenager forced into adulthood before his time. He is not the only one, and when his wife, Alma, becomes pregnant he vows to protect her with his life. The choices seem monumental and his nightmares haunt him. Alma, grounds him and helps him see that everything is a process. One step leads to the next and the next and the next….

Milo can be reckless and I saw what was coming. I hated it, but, thank goodness, Mazie has a connection with him that nobody understands. I also knew there would be another character or two that would cause trouble.

We shall see, in If The Sun Spares Us and I can hardly wait!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The standalone sequel to IF DARKNESS TAKES US. A solar electromagnetic pulse has fried the US grid. Now, northern lights are in Texas—three thousand miles farther south than where they belong. The universe won’t stop screwing with eighteen-year-old Keno Simms. All that’s left for him and his broken family is farming their Austin subdivision, trying to eke out a living on poor soil in the scorching heat. Keno’s one solace is his love for Alma, who has her own secret sorrows. When he gets her pregnant, he vows to keep her alive no matter what. Yet armed marauders and nature itself collude against him, forcing him to make choices that rip at his conscience. If the Light Escapes is post-apocalyptic science fiction set in a near-future reality, a coming-of-age story told in the voice of a heroic teen who’s forced into manhood too soon

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Science Fiction
  • 257 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published August 24, 2021 by Southern Fried Karma
  • Series: Braving The Light, Book 2

ABOUT BRENDA MARIE SMITH

2018-10-18_Brenda Marie Smith

BRENDA MARIE SMITH is attracted to stories where everyday characters transcend their limitations to find their inner heroism. She lived off the grid for years in a farming collective where her sons were delivered by midwives. A lifelong community activist, Brenda has managed student co-op housing, produced concerts, and raised a small herd of boys. She and her husband live in Kyle, Texas. They have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

  • Website: https://brendamariesmith.com
  • Blog: https://brendamariesmith.tumblr.com
  • Twitter: @bsmithnovelist
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlLSnORIyoaygvZ1j49ZKw

Buy Links for the Braving the Light Series:

  • IF DARKNESS TAKES US (Book One): https://amzn.to/3Q6TvKU
  • For IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES (Book Two): https://amzn.to/464zPOD
  • IF THE SUN SPARES US (Book Three): https://amzn.to/3LzIpwA

MY BRENDA MARIE SMITH REVIEWS

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Political Intrgue – The Vitruvian Heir: The Awakening by L S Kilroy #TheVitruvianHeir #LSKilroy

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am blown away by this epic saga, The Vitruvian Heir by L S Kilroy, When I read she had no intention of making this a series, I was so surprised. I guess the characters kept talking, telling her they had a lot more to say, and boy do they ever.

The political intrigue and betrayals had my head spinning. The world grew larger, new characters made an appearance and I was lost, reveling in the treachery. I don’t know who to trust and I hope Lorana is up to the task. She really doesn’t have much of a choice, fate or destiny be damned.

Stepping back in time to the 1800s is sickening. No women’s rights. Child slavery…To think there are those that want to keep it that way shows their fear. That to keep control, they have to step on the neck of the peasants…and anyone else that gets in the way of what they want.

How far is too far when trying to save a people?

I love that the characters are individuals, walking to the beat of their own drum in their personal life, yet stepping outside themselves, willing to sacrifice their life in the service of what they feel is right.

I am able to compare the events in The Vitruvian Heir to our own current events and see TOO MANY similarities. I love when I find novels that speak to me on a personal level, opening my eyes to possibilities, good and bad, in fiction and reality. I am so invested in the characters. I fear when they fear. I weep when they weep. I love when they love.

I read for hours, not wanting to quit…for anything…I can hardly wait to see what comes next.

At the end are Book Club Discussion questions.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

“Once again, Kilroy has swept us right off our feet and into the richly imagined world of Vitruvia. This second installment of the series is positively dripping with palace intrigues, unforgettable new characters, and masterful world-building. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to step inside a truly magical imagination, just pick up this series, turn the pages, and get wildly, deliciously lost.”

– E.E. HOLMES, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GATEWAY TRILOGY , THE GATEWAY TRACKERS SERIES , AND THE RIFTMAGIC SAGA “If you find yourself attracted to a villain, it doesn’t mean that you are one.” With the fate of Vitruvia resting in her hands, young Lore has decisions to make. And one of her first is to strike up a deal with none other than Ursula, her former mentor and current prisoner. Now that the country has once again made contact beyond its borders, the fledgling empress finds herself invited to an annual summit in Orsia where she’ll take her place among the world’s most powerful leaders. But what awaits her there is far more dangerous than anything even Ursula can prepare her for – or Avery can protect her from. Meanwhile, back in Vitruvia, Sawyer and the formidable vigilante, Lucy Shaw, try to keep a more sinister force at bay. From faraway palaces and a mysteriously alluring foe to a traitorous uprising and fierce new allies, see what happens when a young woman steps into the role she’s both doomed and destined to play.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Teen, Young Adult
  • 372 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published July 7, 2023 by Little Tree Press
  • Series: The Vitruvian Heir, Book II, The Awakening

ABOUT L S KILROY

“The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” – Dorothy Parker

L.S. Kilroy is an irreverent sort of person who likes to write about things. Growing up an asthmatic only child in a neighborhood of geriatrics, she made friends with books at a young age because she had to – luckily, she also really liked them. Early exposure to the classics fueled her own writing. At fifteen, a man in a bookstore asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied, “Writer,” without hesitation.

Writer is a title that has driven her both personally and professionally. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Merrimack College and a Master’s degree in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College. By day, she’s a communications professional; by night, she’s an award-winning indie author.

She lives in a rural community in Massachusetts with her husband, stepson, and three naughty cats. Aside from writing, she loves being creative in the kitchen, belting out show tunes, traveling, throwing epic dinner parties, reading, and scouting out vintage finds at consignment shops.

Website / Patreon / YouTube / Instagram / Facebook / Spotify

MY L S KILROY REVIEWS

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  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Giveaway & Review – Dark Dweller by Gareth Worthington @DrGWorthington @partnersincr1me

Dark Dweller

by Gareth Worthington

November 13-24, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Gareth Worthington writes some amazing novels that have given me hours of entertainment and that is why he is on my must read author list. I am super excited to get my hands on Dark Dweller, a thought provoking science fiction novel. The illustrations by Bona Chang are amazing, bringing to life The Six.

Paralas is a freighter visiting ******* to siphon off Helium 3. The danger is getting too close and being unable to break the planetary pull, so they though. Actually, ******* had moved. As the crew debates the possibilities, an escape pod appears…a very old one. They proceed to investigate.

Dr Sarah Dallas is the main character, but that is not meant to deny that the peripheral characters don’t have an important part to play in the story, especially Kara, the 15 year old girl they had found on the escape pod.

Nobody respects Sarah, considering it is her family that has gotten rich from siphoning off the Helium 3 from *******, creating an empire back on earth. Helium 3 was needed, because humanity cannot live without electricity and they have depleted many of Earth’s resources through greed and disregard of what nature had given them.

Kara states that she is Captain Kara Psomas, who died over a hundred years ago in a failed mission. She confides in Sarah, because she needs her help to be released from the contamination chamber they locked her in. She knows about Captain Chau’s plan, but she can use what he has hidden to stop the Fulcrum that was set in motion eons ago.

Commander Feng Chau resented everything about Sarah, but there is more to his story than that. He has a mission of his own and has worked with Dona, the artificial intelligence that runs the ship to implement it. Dona has the ultimate power, so negotiating with the AI is required from the crew members.

The danger and suspense comes from without and within. I wonder who will live and who will die, or will they all have to sacrifice themselves to save humanity? Sacrifice the few for the many? Does humanity deserve to be saved? After all, they are destroying their own world and branching, taking others down its own destructive path.

My thoughts about the singularity was flawed and I love it. As I approached the emotional ending, I wondered how Gareth would make it happen. I couldn’t decide how ‘I’ wanted it to end. The tension increased, the danger rising, I read faster. The Epilogue…..

Gareth Worthington doesn’t just think outside the box, he creates a new one. His ability to create worlds that stretch the imagination never fail to amaze me. ‘Gareth…take me away.’

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Captain Kara Psomas was pronounced dead when her research vessel slammed into *******.

More than a century later, the crew of the Paralus, a helium mining freighter, find a pristine escape pod with a healthy young girl nestled inside. A girl who claims to be Kara—and she brings a message of doom.

She says she has been waiting in the dark for that exact moment. To be found by that particular crew. Because an ancient cosmic being has tasked her with a sacred responsibility. She claims she must alter the Fulcrum, a lever in time—no matter the cost to the people aboard—or condemn the rest of civilization to a very painful and drawn-out demise.

She sounds convincing. She appears brave. She might well be insane.

Praise for Dark Dweller:

“… intense, exciting, and nerve-wracking … taut, tense, and ultimately explosive. A fantastic read not just for science fiction aficionados but for all lovers of adventure.”
~ Readers’ Favorite

“Dark Dweller is that rare beast of hard sci-fi that can pull off high-end concepts, but also entertain the reader with tension and strong set pieces.”
~ SFBook Review

“A story steeped in intrigue, vivid descriptions, and action-packed dialogue.”
~ Midwest Book Review

“Epic, bleak, provocative.”
~ Indiereader Review

“Knuckle-hard science fiction.”
~ Bestsellers World

Book Details:

Genre: Hard sci Fi mixed with esoteric elements
Published by: Dropship Publishing
Publication Date: February 2023
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781954386051 (ISBN10: 1954386052)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

PROLOGUE

Dr. Sarah Dallas

“Are you the fucking pilot, Hair?” Boz screams at me, piggy eyes aflame in her round face.

I hate that moniker: Hair. Not important right now. The fact we’re going to die is. “No, I’m not, but—”

“Then stay in your lane and shut your hole.”

Breathe, Sarah. Don’t punch her. You’re the ship’s counselor. Be professional. Do not punch her. The mantra rings over and over in my skull, but Boz tests every ounce of my training. There are four of us on this twelve-year round trip. Assaulting the pilot isn’t the best idea.

I release a very measured breath and fix my attention on the largest planet in our solar system looming large in the viewfinder of our liner—the Paralus. ******* is enormous, its surface banded with reddish-brown and off-white clouds, rushing and crashing into one other. Its one angry red eye stares at us, at me.

My supposed intellect short-circuits as I try to quantify and categorize. In the face of something truly awe-inspiring my tiny human biological computer is unable, or refuses, to comprehend the sheer magnitude of this world. Yet my limbic system must have some ancient recollection of dealing with overwhelming reverence, forcing a rush of adrenaline through my bloodstream and into my trembling muscles.

Just look at it.

The Paralus shudders as we hurtle into the upper atmosphere. ******* has a will of its own, intent on sucking us into its gassy interior. Ironic, given we’re here to grab its vapors. Helium-3 to be specific, to act as cryogenic coolant for our nuclear fusion reactors at home and space stations set out along the Interplanetary Transport Network. ******* has helium in spades, while Earth has precious little, and so now we risk our lives on ridiculously dangerous missions to mine the ether. In the age of interplanetary travel and colonization, profit trumps human life—as always.

Metal squeals and the hull creaks. The luminous tabs and keys beneath crystal glass control panels stutter and flicker. Even the slick white walls and soothing curves of the Bridge’s interior can’t muffle the complaints of the frail, human-made underpinnings.

A tear slips from the corner of my eye and my knuckles are white as I grip the armrests.

“Are you crying?” Boz yells, peeling her stare from the enormous viewfinder to gawk in disgust at me for daring to have any emotion other than anger.

“We’re coming in too hot,” I press, flitting a concerned frown from Boz to the planet and back again in hopes she takes the hint to watch where the hell she’s going. “Can’t the AI take over?”

“Which part of shut up isn’t penetrating all that hair?” Boz clicks her tongue, then tweaks on the thruster yokes. Sweat beads on her forehead. “I got this, Dallas. Now back off.”

I wriggle back in my seat and adjust the harness again. Everyone hates a backseat driver, but if she gets this wrong ******* will seize the Paralus and we’ll never have enough thrust to escape. We’ll either be torn to shreds or crushed like a tin can. Either one a shitty way to go.

Our freighter shakes like a rag doll in the mouth of a puppy, the nuts and bolts of this dilapidated piece of junk threatening to come loose. The Paralus is fragile as all hell and entirely breakable—the sort of construction a five-year-old makes out of drinking straws and modeling clay. A mile-long needle with a nuclear fusion engine at the aft end, a Scoop and transport shuttle docking bay, the AI mainframe in the center, and two spinning rings: one for cargo, and one for medbay, exercise room and living quarters. Ops, also called the Bridge, sits right in the nose.

Perfect for a front-row seat to our doom.

“Still too much speed,” Boz says. “Increasing retro-thruster burn.”

Will that do anything? The main retro-thrusters have been firing while we’re asleep for months now, slowing us to enter orbit correctly, which sounds great on paper but—given the heap of shit we’re in—means diddly squat.

“Boz, keep her steady,” Commander Chau calls from his chair.

“I’m trying, sir,” she yells back.

“Tris?” Chau says loud enough to be heard over the din of warping metal punctuated at regular intervals by the warning alarm.

“The trajectory is off, something’ changed,” Tris Beckert, our co-pilot and chief engineer, replies in his Texan drawl. “*******’s not where we predicted. It’s not a big ol’ shift, but enough.”

I swear my ass just clenched hard enough to make a button on the seat. A ton of unmanned craft have slammed into their destination planet or just whizzed on by into space forever. I’m no astrophysicist, but was once told reaching a target in space like standing on Everest and firing a bullet at a pea-sized target on the other side of the Earth.

“We’re comin’ in a little steep,” Tris says, tapping away at his readout. “AI is helpin’ Boz compensate—”

The alarm blares again.

“Warning, orbital entry path suboptimal,” says a synthetic, sonorous voice from overhead.

Only an AI could so calmly announce our deaths.

“Yes, I fucking know, Dona,” Boz spits back. “Reverse thrusters won’t do it. Gotta skip over the atmosphere. Just need to burn more delta-v.”

The Paralus lurches under a burst from the engines. The horizon of ******* fills the viewfinder, its swirling fumes mixing like milk and coffee in a fresh latte. A fresh latte? Shut up, Sarah.

On the horizon, flashes of white light, tinged with green edges, emanate from just below *******’s cloud line.

Tris shoots a worried look at Boz.

“Asteroids exploding on impact?” she yells without breaking her concentration.

“I don’t think so,” Tris shouts back.

“You better fucking hope not or we’re about to get cratered,” Boz says.

Cratered. Great. Pebble-dashed with chunks of space rock. The spindly nature of the Paralus helps it to not be a gigantic target, but it only takes one puncture and we’re all screwed.

Why am I here, again?

“Hold on to your pantyhose,” Boz says, perspiration running down her temples.

The Paralus is battered, a pathetic kite in impossibly strong winds, as we plunge farther into the outer atmosphere of *******. The viewfinder is near black—sunlight can no longer penetrate the violent vapors assaulting us. Multiple feeds from external cameras cycle on and off, but offer no help.

Boz roars long and loud, heaving on the yokes while Tris taps away at his console, calculating and recalculating—pinging his very human assumptions off the computations of the AI. Chau sits, smooth jaw set and stoic, his narrowed sights fixed on some imaginary endpoint to this nightmare of an orbital entry. He looks oddly calm.

I squeeze my eyes shut and mumble a prayer, though to whom I don’t know. God, Yahweh, Allah. Anyone who’ll listen. In moments of extreme stress, time seems to slow, the human mind suddenly able to function on some higher level, absorbing all the information it can in hopes of averting disaster. Behind my eyelids, in a weird half-dream, half-out-of-body experience, I see myself clinging to the harness. Observing the cowardly pose fills my astral-projected self with shame, which only grows with the knowledge I’m not praying for loved ones at home who might miss me when I’m gone, but to make it out alive so I can go on ignoring them for a little longer.

Except for Dad, always have time for Dad.

The shuddering stops.

I open my eyes. The last wisps of *******’s atmosphere slip past revealing vast, open space. Here, unadulterated with the light of human cities, the universe is alive. The light from the smallest of stars reaches out to me from across the expanse. The feeling of relief at still being alive is replaced with nausea. The same feeling one gets when peering into a pitch-black well, wondering how far down it goes. We came so close to death, but what difference would it make? The universe doesn’t care. Look at how big it is.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Boz says, slumping back in her chair.

“Hey now,” Tris pipes up.

“Sorry, Tris.”

She’s not sorry. Tris doesn’t like too much swearing, but Boz does it anyway. Several times a day. So do I, just in my head. Isn’t that what we all do? Hide a little piece of who we are to placate others. To survive society. But again, it’s hard to care when you’re out here knowing the cosmos really doesn’t give a rat’s ass what we do. The desire to let loose a string of expletives nearly overwhelms me. Nearly.

“I want to know what happened,” Chau says, his expression cold like granite. “How could our trajectory be that off?”

“It wasn’t,” Tris replies, shaking his head. “I told you, ******* moved.”

Chau narrows his eyes. “Not possible.”

“Engineer Tris is correct,” the AI says, its tone unchanging. “*******’s orbital path appears to have altered.”

“How the hell is that possible?” Boz asks.

“Ya’ll got me,” Tris replies, tapping at his screen. “Some kinda gravitational irregularity?”

“Affecting *******?” Chau says, one eyebrow raised. “******* moves celestial bodies, not the other way around.”

Tris shrugs. “I’ll look into it.”

“Fine, but after the grab,” Chau says.

“I need to get us back into a proper orbit,” Boz says, already tapping away at her console. “That’s gonna take a while. We had to burn long and hard to skip over the atmosphere. It’s gonna be like turning a galactic Buick.”

“Do it,” Chau says.

“Um.” As the word leaves my lips I wish it hadn’t.

All eyes fix on me.

Shit. Well done, Sarah. Best follow through now. “Is that an aerostat in our flight path?”

“What are you talking about, Doctor,” Boz says.

I point out of the main window.

The crew follows the imaginary path from my fingertip out into space and to the spheroid metallic object. “If that’s an aerostat, it’ll do a lot of damage if we hit it.” Though they’re flexible, colliding with one of these weather stations dropped into the atmosphere to monitor the constant violent storms would fuck us up.

“That ain’t an aerostat, that’s a ship,” Tris says, squinting. “Too far out of the atmosphere. Wrong shape.”

“Are we going to hit … whatever that is?” Chau asks.

Boz shakes her head. “We’re headed out. Seems it’s geo-synched, in orbit.”

“You’re eyeballing it?” I ask.

Boz glares at me. “How about you let me do my job, Dallas?”

Chau holds up his hand. “Enough. What do we do about it?”

Tris clears his throat. “ITN protocol says we have to prioritize the grab, but … this is a little unorthodox. There’s no precedent for an alien ship.” He shoots a nervous glance at Chau.

Chau sniffs hard. “There’s no evidence to suggest it’s an alien ship. How close will we come to it?”

Tris’s fingers flit across his console at lightning speed. Then, with a dramatic swipe, he sends the flight path file from his panel to Boz who looks it over.

“Within a hundred feet,” Boz says. “Just like I said.”

Yes, Boz, I get it— you’re a genius and I’m an idiot. Seriously, Sarah, hold it together. “Do we need to adjust?”

“If we try that, we’ll push ourselves further out,” Tris says, “and it’ll take longer to re-enter synchronized orbit.”

“At a hundred feet we can get a pretty good look at it, though, right?” I say.

Tris nods. “I’d get a window seat now, because we’re about to zip by.”

We, of course, aren’t going to unbuckle and float over to the large window, so we all just fall into a confused silence and fix our attention to the small vessel that is fast approaching—or rather the one that we are fast approaching.

Could this really be alien? Are we the first humans to encounter other intelligent life? Finding microbes on Mars some fifty years ago was a little anticlimactic, especially at a time when humankind had finally started to pay consideration to our own dying world. Too little too late. But a spaceship? Maybe this crappy trip was worth it after all.

The alien vessel is now large enough in the viewfinder to study it a little better. Too damn close if you ask me, but hey, I’m just the shrink right?

Boz glances over her shoulder at Chau. The two of them don’t cross words, but exchange an unspoken question.

They’re right to be confused. What the hell is going on?

The ship, or pod, is roughly egg-shaped, and in the outer lights of the Paralus seems to be grey in color. No windows. Small rear thrusters. And an ITN insignia.

“Holy shit,” Boz says. “It’s an escape pod.”

“Did the last liner report a pod ejection?” Chau asks.

“Not to my knowledge,” Boz says. “Tris?”

The Texan shakes his head. “I got no record of that.”

“Those markings, they’re old,” I pipe up. “See the logo? ****** is included now, since the expansion. This is pre-rebrand, done more than twenty years ago. Actually, that looks even older. Museum old.” That tidbit of information only serves to remind them who I am, how I’m here, and that they really don’t like me or my family. Shit.

“Chief,” Tris says. “We gotta see what’s over there. I can take a Scoop.”

Chau looks to Boz.

She just shrugs. “I have to swing her around ******* to get us into orbit. I can use the gravity to catapult us ’round and come up on the pod again. Give us time to gear up.”

Chau tents his fingertips. “How will that affect the grab?”

“Well, it’ll delay it,” Tris says, rubbing at his square jaw. “But ******* isn’t going anywhere.”

“Didn’t you just say it moved?” My lips try to hang on to the last word as if I can suck back the regrettably snarky remark.

Tris pinches his lips together and gives a subtle shake of his head.

You’re right Tris; shut up, Sarah.

“Oh man, we best still be haulin’ when we return,” Boz says, and shoots me a look as if this whole thing is somehow my fault. “Only get paid if we have a load.”

Hauling back Helium is all anyone gives a shit about, because it means getting paid. Helium is this century’s gold rush. This is hilarious, given I’ve listened to enough company speeches to know that helium is the second most abundant element in the universe. The problem is, while God was handing out the element, He—or She or It—seemed to skip Earth. Our planet’s crust is probably not even in the parts per billion range. In the Earth’s atmosphere, it’s only 5.2 parts per million per volume. So, ******* is our reservoir, our lifeline. Still, the ITN has protocols for situations like this. The pod could pose a threat to continued mining. Though no idea what kind of threat, not my wheelhouse. “I think the ITN are gonna call this one,” I add. “Something like this will trump a helium grab. The AI has probably locked all systems anyway. We won’t get to do the job yet.”

Boz tuts again.

“You are correct, Dr. Dallas,” the AI says. “Current mission suspended until investigation completed.”

Chau tents his fingertips. “The faster we clear that pod, the faster we get back on mission.”

Everyone unbuckles and swims out of the only door in or out of the Bridge. Boz gives me a long, hard, disapproving stare, but Tris flashes a grin. Chau doesn’t even bother to acknowledge me. For him, a shrink has two jobs on these freighters: make sure the crew don’t lose their minds in deep space, and stay the hell out of the way.

So far, no-one’s lost their marbles, yet.

***

Excerpt from Dark Dweller by Gareth Worthington. Copyright 2023 by Gareth Worthington. Reproduced with permission from Gareth Worthington. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Gareth Worthington

Gareth Worthington holds a degree in marine biology, a PhD in Endocrinology, an executive MBA, is Board Certified in Medical Affairs, and currently works for the Pharmaceutical industry educating the World’s doctors on new cancer therapies.

Gareth is an authority in ancient history, has hand-tagged sharks in California, and trained in various martial arts, including Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai at the EVOLVE MMA gym in Singapore and 2FIGHT Switzerland.

He is an award-winning author and member of the International Thriller Writers Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the British Science Fiction Association.

Born in England, Gareth has lived around the world from Asia, to Europe to the USA. Wherever he goes, he endeavors to continue his philanthropic work with various charities.

Gareth is represented by Renee Fountain and Italia Gandolfo at Gandolfo Helin Fountain Literary, New York.

Catch Up With Gareth Worthington:
GarethWorthington.com
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Instagram – @garethworthington
Twitter/X – @DrGWorthington
Facebook – @garethworthingtonauthor
YouTube – @garethworthington7564

 

 

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The Spotlight Is On The Epsilon Account by Joni Parker @PumpUpYourBook

 

In a thrilling mystery of intrigue, the Elfin Keeper of the Keys, Alex, uncovers a sinister plot to steal the gold set aside for the Golden Harvest by a rival group of Elves, who will stop at nothing to get it.

Title: The Epsilon Account: The Golden Harvest Series Book 1
Author: Joni Parker
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 388
Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction Hybrid

goodreads add to

Thousands of years ago, Eledon was created for the Elves by their Mentors when they were forced to leave Earth. At least, that’s how the legend goes. In return, the Elves must pay them a tribute in gold, known as the Golden Harvest, every four thousand years. The Elfin Council of Elders appoints Lady Alexin (Alex) Dumwalt, the Keeper of the Keys, to manage the next payment, due 244 years from now. That is, until the Mentors show up unexpectedly and demand immediate payment of the Epsilon Account. Since the Harvest has never been called that, Alex suspects foul play and uncovers a sinister plot by the Star Elves, a rival clan from the Constellations, who want to steal the gold. To make matters worse, they’re willing to do anything to succeed to include murder. Can Alex stop them and save the Elfin gold before it’s too late?

Buy Link:

Amazon


Book Excerpt  


It worked! The emergency contact system I had set up with the help of my Elf grandfather really worked. With this system, I could leave the magical Keys of Eledon with my grandfather, just in case something disastrous happened, like a flood or a quake. My grandfather had been the Keeper of the Keys before me, so he could fill in as needed, but if there was something he couldn’t handle, he’d sent Lord Hillen for me. 

Lord Hillen had been in London recently to investigate the presence of Elf slaves in the mortal world and had posed as my Uncle James. If he needed to contact me, his lordship would use the portal and call me on a pay phone on the street corner outside of Hyde Park. We rehearsed it several times to make sure it worked. Unfortunately, when he called for real, I was the middle of a fashion show in Paris. 

A few months ago, I signed a five-year contract to work as a fashion model for the Echelon Modeling Agency owned and operated by Andrew Miller. The next day, my exile to the mortal world ended, and I was allowed to return to Eledon. But since I had signed a contract, I felt obligated to finish it, so I asked for and received permission from the Elfin Council of Elders to do so. Five years meant nothing to the Elves. 

My mobile phone rang when I returned backstage to change into my next outfit. I should have let it go to voicemail, but the caller ID said it was Mrs. MacDougall, the dog walker from Hyde Park in London. Why would she be calling me? Then I recalled how much Lord Hillen had liked the woman, so I answered it. 

“Mrs. MacDougall? This is Alex. You’re on speaker.” I needed my hands free to touch up my makeup.

“Oh, Alex. How wonderful! I just wanted to let you know your Uncle James is here, and he asked me to call you.”

“What ‘s wrong?” 

“Alex? Alex, are you there?” Uncle James/Lord Hillen shouted loud enough to be heard over the music. Everyone shushed me.

“Sorry.” I turned off the speaker and put the phone to my ear. “Yes, Uncle James. I’m here. You don’t have to shout. Is everything all right?” I was concerned about my grandparents. They weren’t old by Elf standards; they were considered middle-aged even though my grandfather was thirty-five hundred years old, and my grandmother was about fifteen hundred years old, give or take a thousand years.

“Lord Ashur must speak to you immediately,” he said. “It’s about the Epsilon Account.”

I paused. “What Epsilon Account?” I’d never heard of it although I knew it was the fifth letter in the ancient Greek alphabet. But the Elves had never used Greek letters for anything. Still, I was relieved to hear it wasn’t about my grandparents. 

“We don’t know what it is,” he said.

“Okay, so why is this an emergency?”

“Because Lord Ashur said so.” 

“Oh.” Lord Ashur was the Elfin leader of the Council of Elders, and I should drop whatever I was doing and rush home, but I couldn’t right now. “I can meet you in Hyde Park by eleven tonight.” I had memorized the Eurostar train schedule from Paris, so I knew what time it got to London. Once I got there, I would have to transfer to a local train for Hyde Park. “Can you wait with Mrs. MacDougall?”

“Oh… my pleasure,” he said, as he ended the call. 

I knew he liked her, so I was sure he’d be happy to spend more time with her. I rushed off to make my next entrance and slipped the phone in my pocket without thinking. As I strutted down the runway, my mobile went off again. It was making too much noise to ignore, so I took it out to turn it off. It was Mrs. MacDougall again, so I swiped it and answered it as if it was part of the show. Uncle James/Lord Hillen came on the line, saying he forgot to tell me my grandparents were fine. 

“Thank you so much,” I said, as I hung up. But instead of putting it away, I continued talking as if I was in the middle of a business deal. “But you don’t understand. I want two million, not one.” I rolled my eyes at the audience. “No deal!” I touched the screen, shook my head, and waved my mobile in the air.

The audience laughed, and cameras flashed all over the place. So, I turned my back to the audience and took a selfie. The show’s narrator, Philippe, grimaced at me and waved me off the stage. I strolled by him and waved my mobile to thunderous applause.

It was never my intent to become a fashion model, but after I was exiled here, I needed to earn a living. Modeling didn’t require a special skill except to walk in high heels. At the time, I was staying with Vice Admiral Sir Malcolm Teller and his wife in London because I had no place else to live. Their daughter, Suzette, was a fashion designer and asked me to be her model because hers had quit unexpectedly. I did fine in my first show, but my heart wasn’t in it. I’d been trained as a soldier, so I applied to join the Royal Marines. When they rejected my application, I went back to work as a model. 

After several more dress changes, I ended the show wearing a spectacular wedding dress. My boss, Étienne, had specialized in them at one time in his career, and this dress was exceptional. It was made of embossed white silk with kimono-type sleeves, with a definite Japanese flair, but with an off-the-shoulder look. The train was at least twenty feet long, and the veil was to die for. I’d get married in that dress except I didn’t want to get married. Maybe one day. After all, that’s what fantasies are made of.

When the show ended, Philippe, the narrator, stormed backstage and chewed me out for taking a phone on the runway and violating the model’s code of silence. It wasn’t the first time he did this. The man hated me from the moment we met. He spoke so rapidly in French I couldn’t understand what he said except for those few words that crossed over to English, like ‘idiot’ and ‘mobile phone.’ I didn’t know why the French language was a such problem for me. I was fluent in four other languages—English, Scinthian (ancient Greek), Dwarf (Droogan), and Elf. Maybe it was a self-defense mechanism, so I wouldn’t understand all the nasty things Philippe said to me. 

His tirade lasted for ten minutes. By the time he was done, everyone else had left, and we were the only ones backstage. He stalked away and left me to find my way to the mandatory after-show party at our boss’s house.



 
About the Author

Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved to Japan when she was 8 so her father could become a professional golfer. Once he achieved his dream, Joni and her family returned to the U.S. and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. After high school, Joni served her country for 22 years in the Navy and another 7 years in federal civil service. She retired in Tucson, Arizona, devoting her time to writing, reading, and watching the sunrise.

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