This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marc Wayne will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Life-altering tech is on the horizon, and someone wants it stopped—permanently. Can a murder witness escape paying the ultimate price?
Near future. Angela Kapp struggles with her past. Working remotely from an isolated cabin in a dead-end customer support job, she drinks too much and spends her days avoiding the world. But while on shift using a visual-interpretation headset to assist a blind person, the cynical loner is horrified when she virtually experiences the other woman’s gruesome slaying.
Shocked the next day when she recognizes the killer closing in on a second sightless client, Angela shouts for the software engineer to run. And after learning that he and the first victim are connected by a soon-to-be-released teleportation innovation, she convinces him to go to ground in her secluded home… only to become a target herself.
Can her paranoia and his unexpected skills thwart a sinister plot?
Quantum Reaction is a gripping science fiction mystery. If you like resilient heroines, unique blind heroes, and high-adrenaline action interwoven with humor, then you’ll love Marc Wayne’s flash forward to adventure.
Buy Quantum Reaction to take a leap into tomorrow today!
Read an Excerpt
Angela recognized the tall, powerfully built man with red hair who had strode into the building from the far door, a gap in his front teeth appearing when he smiled at the security guard.
“That’s him!” she yelled.
“Who?” JT had frozen in response to Angela’s panic.
“The killer. He’s at the far door,” Angela spit out the words.
JT’s head swiveled in that direction as Angela leaned in to confirm the sighting. “Keep looking that way,” she instructed as she remembered this time to snap a picture of the killer on her phone.
The killer caught sight of JT, his expression quickly morphing into grim determination. He took a stride toward JT, ignoring the identity check before the security guard reacted.
“Sir,” called the guard.
“He’s coming toward you.” Angela’s throat tightened, but she maintained her poise. “You’ve gotta get out of there. Turn to your nine o’clock.”
Two years of working together had JT reacting immediately.
“Now run.”
“Run?” questioned the blind man, even as his legs started moving anyway.
“Door opens automatically. Way’s clear.” Her voice was no longer panicked but rather conveyed certainty. She wasn’t going to lose another client—she’d get him to safety.
About the Author:
Marc Wayne writes thrilling sci-fi mysteries. After publishing 8 novels in another genre under a different name and having several best-sellers, he has turned to his first love: sci-fi.
His years of marketing leadership positions in Silicon Valley honed his writing skills and sense of humor. Writing fiction was part of Marc’s everyday work for many years—these were just called ads, emails, and other marketing materials.
To Marc, it often felt like he was living at the intersection of technology and the future, where things you dreamt about could often become possible. After that, writing near-future sci-fi hasn’t felt like such a stretch.
All I had to see was…a remote Pacific Island, something new birthed and not of this world, and I was curious. But, it was a little over my head when it came to the scientific information.
We started out with something I am familiar with, Holly’s mother being found dead. She goes to Melanesia to search for answers. All kinds of red flags were flying for me, and I asked myself, “Would I do it?” It doesn’t take long for danger to mount, guns blazing and bullets flying.
Holly needs to be on her toes, because danger and betrayal lurk around every turn. She has her boyfriend, David, at her side, and he is the only person she can trust. He is injured early on, and she is left to her own devices. As the story develops, other characters come into play that will be important to her.
The something new birthed is nothing I anticipated and I like that, but Vivek’s scientific explanations were confusing and stopped the flow of the story. I think others, more technically minded will grasp the concept quicker than I did, but once we got past that, the action ramps up, evil rises, betrayal and friendship come from unlikely sources, and savagery and death surround her.
I do love an author who isn’t afraid to kill off their characters, even ones I have come to count on and was saddened when they died a grisly death, but I have to consider the players in a game of world domination. Greed and power are at the forefront and the players will stop at nothing to go where no man has gone before. (LOL) Haven’t humans learned not to play God? Nothing good comes of it.
In the Afterword, Vivek Pravat shares elements of the story that are fact and fiction.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Xenome by Vivek Pravat.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
ON A REMOTE PACIFIC ISLAND, SOMETHING NEW HAS BEEN BIRTHED. SOMETHING NOT OF THIS WORLD…
Holly Truong is a field biologist on the verge of an experimental breakthrough on swarm intelligence. But when she receives news that her estranged mother has been found dead in faraway Melanesia, she is compelled to put everything on the back burner and go in search of answers.
Waiting for her there is an experiment of a completely unexpected kind: a recreation of alien life, made possible by a secret SETI program called Metis Eye. Earth is now host to a bizarre new life form—one utterly unlike anything the planet has seen in its four and a half billion years of existence.
However, as shocking as the revelation is, a deeper, far more terrifying secret lurks in the heart of the jungle. A secret that if left uncovered could mean the end of civilization itself.
Nature, red in tooth and claw, has returned to claim its dominion, and Holly is about to find out that she is the only one standing in its way.
Vivek writes books under the pen name Vance Pravat. Software engineer by profession, the author has been an ardent fan of science fiction since childhood. During the course of his work, he has lived and worked in several countries around the world, and prides himself on his ability to assimilate alien cultures and cuisines with all the gusto of some benign version of the Borg.
His love for fiction that doesn’t hesitate to ask big questions eventually compelled him to overcome the demands of his day trade and pen his first book.
His main areas of interest are AI, philosophy, history, physics, and geopolitics. When he is not too busy writing, reading, or entertaining his baby daughter, he likes to indulge in PC role-playing and collectible card games.
He is always happy to chat with his readers and can be found just an email or a PM away.
I grabbed Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson not realizing it was going to be a series. It seems like most of the books I read any more are series. It’s okay, as long as I get to find out the final result, beginning to end, but that doesn’t always happen. Anyways I did enjoy Sketching Rebellion. I was on a binge of apocalyptic/dystopian reading and got a little click happy, grabbing willy nilly.
Sketching Rebellion’s target audience is teen and young adult. I do enjoy a good coming of age story and Breel was a fascinating character. Normally, I like a little more brutality and depth of despair in my apocalyptic reading, but the blurb states that Breel is seventeen years old, so that is a clue for the target group.
As usual, those in power wield a heavy sword to keep everyone in line, using the threat of execution for the slightest infraction, like sketching/drawing, when she is forbidden to do so. How far can you push someone, no matter the age, before they push back? And what happens when they do?
One of the scariest things is…there is no punishment for those who report other citizens. In fact, they are rewarded for it. Who can you trust? You can never be sure what is going on in someone’s mind. Family turning in family, friends turning in friends, coworkers…Instead of ‘lock her up’, it’s take her out.
Some of the most unlikely people will be those who support taking action against the regime. Some will fall, and the ending….I was saddened, afraid for the ones who chose to reshape their world into something better. BUT, that is for another day. I am hooked and I look forward to finding out what comes next. I rated Sketching Rebellion with the target audience in mind.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Conformity is mandatory. But seventeen-year-old artist Breel rebels anyway.
In the city of Lexum, personal choice is nonexistent, and defiance is severely punished. Breel is alone in seeing the injustices in her world. Isolated due to her beliefs and haunted by the disappearance of her uncle, she finds solace in the forbidden act of drawing. Creating art is a rebellion against an oppressive regime that stifles self-expression.
When a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a resistance group, Breel faces a decision. Will she risk execution to join their fight for a society which would celebrate rather than condemn her artistic skills? Or will she continue hiding her non-conformity?
The outcome of her choice will not only define her own fate but may also set in motion a revolution that could reshape her world forever.
2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist (Juvenile/YA) .
Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Technothriller, Thriller, Young Adult [ Previously published as Intercludae.]
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2023
ABOUT FELICIA KETCHESON
Felicia Ketcheson is the author of Intercludae, which was a 2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist (Juvenile/YA category). At age seven, she wrote her first book about a dog, cat, and bee. Four years later, she randomly started writing a short novel, catapulting her into the world of series writing. When she’s not devising ways to destroy the lives of her fictional characters, she works as a medical researcher and database developer. Database developing is a passion she simultaneously loves and hates. She lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
ASIN: B0C7DQ18TW Publisher: Dropship Publishing (July 11, 2023) Publication Date: July 11, 2023 Language: English
Blade Runner meets Judge Dread and The Running Man in this no-holds-barred cyberpunk thriller from Dragon Award Nominee Stu Jones. Start this neon-soaked thrill ride today!
In a tech-addicted dystopia, a young cop struggling to survive is forced into a high-octane gladiatorial grudge match, where sinister corporate overlords pull the strings and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.
ONE WAY IN. NO WAY OUT
In the super-city of Neo Terminus, millions of tech-addicted fans surround a walled-off inner-city wasteland to watch nano-boosted gladiators called Enforcers fight to the death in the Conglomerate-controlled event known as The Zone. Enforcers are promised wealth and celebrity—if they survive.
Officer Chance Griffin fights to clean up the mean streets of Neo Terminus, and scrape together enough money for his infant son’s vital surgery. Driven by his family’s need, Chance signs on as an Enforcer for The Conglomerate.
As Chance rises to the top of the Enforcer ranks, The Glom’s mysterious Founders coerce him into competing in the greatest Zone trial ever conceived. Chance knows he’s the favorite to win. He believes his family is safe. He believes his son will get the medical care he urgently needs.
Chance is wrong.
Too late, he uncovers a plot by The Glom to rig the trial and enslave the citizens of Neo Terminus, ensuring obedience—forever.
Blinded by fame and fortune, and used as a pawn by the corporate machine, Chance resists. But he is about to discover that every deal with the devil has its price…
You can purchaseThe Zone at the following Retailers:
MY REVIEW
I haven’t read a lot of cyberpunk, but I have read some of Stu Jones work and loved it. The Zone sounds like something different for me, maybe a little bit scifi, a little bit techno, and a little bit superhero? Either way, if Stu Jones wrote it, I’ll read it.
I love the wonderful illustrations and quickly immersed myself in the wold of Neo Terminus. A world that had me, at times, thinking of The Hunger Games, for its gladiator sports, and The Walking Dead, for its have and have nots and what the haves will do to keep it and the have nots do to survive. Even though I knew some of what is to come, I still found myself sickened and disgusted, rallying behind those who want to change their world for the better.
The cast of characters is phenomenal, and even those who passed quickly, I enjoyed my time with, even the baddies. Not much enjoyable about them, but they do supply their share of chills and thrills. After all, can there be good guys without bad guys? And, when I say guys, I mean both males and females.
When I began The Zone by Stu Jones, I never thought of it being a series, but we have more to come for The Zone, and I hope to be there for it. It has all the things I love about a book: mystery, danger, darkness and light, evil villains, inspiring heroes and heroines, romance, the struggle for survival in an apocalyptic/dystopian world…with more to come.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Zone by Stu Jones.
4 Stars
Photo Content from Stu Jones
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).
Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary. He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle who thinks he’s human.
The GAIA Incident is my first book of Rod Pennington’s, but after checking out his list of books on Goodreads, and how much I liked this one, I don’t think it will be my last
Pryor’s ride of choice is a restored cherry red 1958 F150 pickup. I am a bit of a car buff, so one that stands out does catch my attention. His look is blue collar and he is no 20 something hottie, but entering mid life. I do love the hottie’s, but a character that is not perfect, and he is not perfect, is just as interesting.
I love Pryor & Holden’s antics while standing in a coffee line. It put a big smile on my face.
The GAIA Institute is the college’s cash cow. President Joan Winston’s success is linked to it and murder is not conducive to her success.
Pryor has been called back from suspension for the high profile murder…and assigned a new partner. the son of the man who trained him, Max Cummings. His ex father in law used his influence to pull him in. His daughter Brooke gets caught up in the investigation. The more I learn about her, the more I love her. What a fabulous character.
Pryor & Brooke’s dialogue is hilarious, when he found out who she really was.
The technology involved…could it be our future? Anything good can be used in a bad way and this scenario is frightening. Rod Pennington took it even further than I thought and if you ever wondered how a closed room murder could happen, this might help give you an answer. Could we be creating our own doomsday weapon? A wild version of ‘the butler’ did it.
Proper use of the brain is not endorsed by federal government. Timothy Leary…and I agree completely. Think about recent events.
R2D2, C3PO, Brooke, the ultimate Alpha female… I love books with fun critters and Blitz, a retired K9, shows bravery and humor.
After watching the TV show, Person Of Interest for years, I think this could be our wake up call.
The more I read, the better it got. The dialogue, the characters, the mystery and suspense, the pacing…it’s alllllll good!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The GAIA Incident by Rod Pennington.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Late at night, a hacker sneaks into the subterranean lab of a celebrity scientist where he makes a discovery which gets him murdered. The police soon learn surveillance video shows no one had left the facility since the homicide and a thorough search for the killer comes up empty.
To solve this locked room techno-thriller-mystery, an old-school detective and his retired K-9 reluctantly partner with a young high-tech rookie. Questions about motives and possible conflicts of interest fly when the veteran learns about the relationships his daughter has with his new partner and she had had with the deceased.
ABOUT ROD PENNINGTON
Rod Pennington writes a mixed bag of suspense stories filled with quirky characters, rapid-fire dialogue and whiplash inducing plot shifts. With his off-beat sense of humor and original storylines that do not fit comfortably into any established genre, he has developed a hard-core group of fans.
In addition to fiction, Pennington has either sold or has had optioned seven screenplays and also writes regularly in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal.
You can reach Rod at AuthorRodPennington@Gmail.com
Books by Rod Pennington Available on Amazon.com
The Fourth Awakening Series: A woman overcomes her mid-life crisis by going a vision quest with an enigmatic billionaire. The Fourth Awakening The Gathering Darkness The Fourth Awakening Chronicles I The Fourth Awakening Chronicles II The Fourth Awakening Chronicles III The Fourth Awakening Chronicles IV El Cuarto Despertar (Spanish translation of The Fourth Awakening)
The Family Series A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family of four of the world’s best assassins. Family Reunion (The First Charon Family Adventure) Family Business (The Second Charon Family Adventure) Family Secrets (The Third Charon Family Adventure) Family Honor (The Fourth Charon Family Adventure) Family Debt (The Fifth Charon Family Adventure)
Stand Alone Books Indweller “It is not often you stumble across a new and original character that immediately grabs your attention. This is the case with Gabriel Indweller. A Black ops veteran inadvertently forced into a state of total enlightenment by a botch government experiment, he is now like an Old Testament Archangel with a James Bond style license to kill.”
What Ever Happened to Mr. MAJIC? “Grace and Sunny are sisters but as different as night and day. When their mother dies they find out why. In searching for a lost manuscript and a lost father one of them finds a new way of looking at life.”
Better Choices “Despite dealing with the serious topics of divorce, complicated family relationships and death, this is a lighthearted and life-affirming story full of funny and interesting characters.”
I am a member of Book Sirens, and when I saw Killing Dragons by Kristie Clark, I had to have it. I love anything to do with water, but adding monsters is even better.
For all the fans of sharks (like in Jaws), dinosaurs (like in Jurassic Park), dolphins, intrigue, danger and adventure, I think you will love diving into the Order of the Dolphin series and Killing Dragons by Kristie Clark.
As soon as I saw the cover, I had to grab it. No doubt in my mind, I had to have it.
I had a bad feeling in the opening pages and I have my fingers crossed that I m not right about Lars.
Eva is the sole supporter for her family, so the grant for her dolphin research is vital. Wouldn’t it be cool, if not talk to dolphins as humans, but still be able to communicate by building a vocabulary?
A human body bit in half, a fin cut from a dolphin found on the beach…Eva would have to investigate the legend of the Lusea, a sea dragon.
A monster. A fish farm. Greed. Drugs. Need I say more?
Kristen Clark did a great job of pumping up a familiar tale with stories within the story, keeping it fresh and exciting. The pacing and intrigue kept me flipping pages. With all the doom and gloom, we do have some chuckles. Some romance. The complete package. Her research makes the blend of fact and fiction difficult to tell where one stops and the other starts. Some parts are very familiar and play out like a B movie, but that is just fine with me.
The story could end here, but I am sooooo glad it doesn’t. I can hardly wait to read more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Killing Dragons by Kristen Clark.
4 Stars
P. S. I also read Hatching The Dragon, a short story the explains the origins of the Caribbean sea dragon. You can find it HERE. You can also get Dragon of the Sea by following her newsletter HERE.
GOODREADS BLURB
On a tropical island, a sea dragon strikes terror. Marine Biologist Eva Paz is a survivor. Growing up in rural poverty, she loses her family after her brother dies in cartel crossfire. Mistrustful of others and more comfortable around animals, Eva throws herself into her work. When a sea dragon attacks her lead dolphin, Taffy, it threatens Eva’s dreams of cracking the dolphin communication code.
A man from Eva’s tragic past arrives on the island to lead a dive school; Geneticist Thomas Sternberg’s sabbatical soon turns into a nightmare when the sea dragon assaults one of his divers. Eva doesn’t trust him. On his watch as a former Navy SEAL, others died, and an injury left Taffy terribly scarred.
Drug lord Ignacio makes Eva an offer she can’t refuse. He’ll fund her research if she’ll help him catch the sea dragon. She needs the money. She lost her grant. Her dolphins could be turned loose in the Caribbean with that dragon. There’s a catch. Ignacio would capture and control the sea dragon at any cost.
To stop the dragon, Eva must decide if she should ally with Thomas or Ignacio. Or she could go after the dangerous dragon alone.
Can a haunted scientist slay the dragon in time to save her dolphins?
For fans of Jaws and Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, Killing Dragons is book one in Kristie Clark’s Order of the Dolphin series.
ABOUT KRISTIE CLARK
KRISTIE CLARK, a pediatrician, lives on the High Plains with her husband, sons, border collies, and a cat named Bonsai. An avid scuba diver, she holds a Roatan Marine Park Bay Islands Lionfish Spearing License.
“A lot of bad shit has happened throughout history in the name of ‘just following orders’.”
And that raises a lot of questions. Riveting. Amazing. Terrifying. Action packed.
Although Marie, the Baghdad Bureau Chief for the Washington Post, watched the beheading, that wasn’t why she was in Syria. A low block building stood out amongst the mud huts…that was her destination. Why was that more important?
Evan adored his wife, Marie. She was his life…that and his work, but she would always come first. When he got the call from the CDC, he dropped everything and ran to her. Why had she been in Syria? As an autistic, he needed order, and for Marie to be somewhere other than what she’d told him, it must have been very important.
Billy is way over his head. He works for the Criminal Investigation Division of the Army and known for not shirking his duty, but sometimes…doing what is right does not align with taking orders from your superiors. When do you say no to an order? It can be lethal, deadly, pitting soldier against soldier. But…again…why? What can be so important?
The results of terrorism in Condition Black have led to martial law. People are ruled by fear. Lockdowns, quarantines, curfews, rationing…could this happen in the United States? Think about it…hard. Who do you want leading the country when the shit hits the fan? It’s amazing the things that go on around us that we are never aware of.
The characters are amazing. Even the bad ones are filled with depth, as we learn who they really are and their motivations for their actions. I am very worried about some of the characters I have figured out are the good guys. I am very worried for them, because there are disgusting, pathetic ‘people’ doing their worst and it is like an out of control locomotive coming right at them.
The ability and desire to corrupt anything, whether it’s original intent was good or bad, is always there. And it is even scarier when the government is involved. Where those who desire what you have, or want a coverup to hide their actions, which happens all too often, will stop at nothing to stop those who get in their way.
Condition Black by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington is one of those books that gets me going. Anger…because I feel this is all too possible. Feelings of disgust, desperation, terror, sadness…and always there is hope…for a better day.
Stu Ones and Gareth Worthington are an unbeatable team. The depth and detail of their writing and the subject matter they cover paints a picture that makes me feel the story is all too real. I got lost in the narrative, unable to stop reading, ignoring everything around me, because there is sooooo much going on. I know there can be no happy ever after, but my main concern is…will there be a future for anyone?
I could go on and on, but to get the full affect, you need to read this for yourself. I highly recommend doing so.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Condition Black by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington.
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Praise for Condition Black:
“This solid sci-fi thriller [is] a well-balanced thrill ride. Well-shaded characters keep the pages turning. Fans of high-tech medical and military thrillers should check this out.” ~ Publishers Weekly.
Like Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, this book is revolutionary. Incredible.” ~ Jonas Saul, author of the best-selling Sarah Roberts series.
“Condition Black provides such an exceptional read. It’s highly recommended for fans of technothrillers who want a firm marriage between psychological depth and unpredictable action, all grounded by ethical concerns that challenge each character to reach beyond his skill set and comfort zone.” ~ Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review.
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller / Medical Thriller Published by: Dropship Publishing Publication Date: 27 April 2021 Number of Pages: 334 ISBN: 9781954386006 Series: Condition Black is a stand alone thriller. Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Through the lens of her SLR, Marie Wayland couldn’t pry her gaze from the morbid scene as it unfolded some two hundred feet away. Another twist of the objective and the image in her ultralight mirrorless camera became crystal clear, even in the fading evening light of the Syrian sun: a man, his hands bound secure with coarse rope, sucking with erratic breaths at the cloth bag over his head. The fabric molded to the shape of his quivering lips and stuck there for an instant before being blown out again. He cried out as two masked assailants forced him to his knees. A whimper emerged from beneath his hood, followed by a muffled plea for mercy. Unwavering, the men stood in a line behind the captive, their AK-47 rifles pointed to the sky. Above them all, a black flag, inset with white Arabic script, fluttered like a pirate banner in the desert wind.
A young man carrying a beat-up camcorder scurried onto the scene and set up his tripod. He fiddled with his equipment, then gave a thumbs up. One of the soldiers stepped forward and pulled a curved blade from his belt. He called out and pointed to the camera, stabbing the air with the long knife. For a moment, he seemed to look right at Marie. Her heart faltered and the hot prickle of perspiration dampened her forehead.
Marie lowered her camera and eased further into a small depression in the side of the hill, perfect for both observation and concealment. “Don’t be tree cancer,” she whispered to herself. A strange phrase, but one that had proved invaluable during her long and storied career as a war correspondent. A Marine Corps scout sniper had offered her this golden nugget of advice during a stint in Afghanistan. Master of short-range reconnaissance, he’d spotted her crouched in a ball, peering out from behind a twisted stone pine tree. After approaching undetected, he’d whispered in her ear: Don’t be tree cancer. Marie had nearly jumped out of her skin. She later discovered the phrase referred to an observer drawing attention to themselves by standing out from the world around them.
The voice of the knife-wielding man rose in pitch. Marie shuffled for a better view and raised her camera once again.
The knifeman jerked the hood from the captive’s head.
A chill crawled down Marie’s spine.
Glen Bertrum, the American relief worker kidnapped three months ago from the outskirts of Aleppo, shifted on his knees. With a brutal shove from his captors, the terrified relief worker flopped to his side, squirming. The knifeman descended on Glen, then sawed at his relief worker’s neck with the blade. Blood sprayed against the sand. Glen screamed for what seemed an eternity, the sound morphing into a horrible sucking wheeze.
His gore-drenched knife dripping, the murderer yanked Glen’s head free and held it aloft.
The men shouted in victory, thrusting their weapons into the air.
“Shit,” Marie said, lowering the camera.
The cruelty and barbarism of humankind knew no end, and these zealots had a way of making it even uglier, spreading their jihad across the globe like a pestilence. Without raising the SLR again, she watched the terrorists conclude the recording and march away, leaving Glen’s decapitated body to rot.
Marie’s stomach knotted, and she tried to swallow away the tingle of nausea in her throat. This isn’t why you’re here, she thought. A beheaded aid worker wasn’t news, even if she had met the man before. Such things hadn’t been news for a long time. The war had escalated, far beyond Syria and the Middle East, beyond single hostages and beheadings. Terrorist cells were now a pandemic, spread across the globe, and embedded in every country. There was no central faction anymore. No IS or al-Qaeda, or Allah’s Blade. The war against the west was now an idea, a disease infesting the world. Anyone, anywhere could be an enemy—the core vision metastasizing, traveling to every corner of the Earth and there propagating.
Major cities now operated under war-time policy; curfews and rationing to prevent too many people congregating in any one place, such as a supermarket or a major sporting event. Aerial surveillance and street-level military patrols did their best to keep people safe, but a cage was a cage. In some ways, Marie felt free out in the world, even if it was in the enemy’s backyard. Yet while hate for terrorists was justified, as in all wars the enemy wasn’t the only one capable of terrible things. So too were the allied forces—the people who stood against terror and extremism—and that was why she was in Syria.
The little jaunt Marie had undertaken was unofficial. Her boss would kill her if he knew she’d conducted this op. After flying into Istanbul and crossing the border south of Daruca, she’d spent the better part of the past three days moving from checkpoint to checkpoint, working her way along Highway 7 through northeastern Syria. With dark features and perfect Arabic, Marie hid with ease among the local population.
Marie pulled a tablet from her backpack and keyed up the map she’d gotten from her contact. The coordinates were correct. A tiny civilian village in Northeastern Syria. This ramshackle settlement was little more than a speck on the map, and from what she was told by her contact, this place was of zero military significance. No base, no known weapons caches, no landing strips. The small cell of terrorists she’d just found was likely that: a small cell. Little more than a coincidence, and by no means justification for this village to be firebombed back to the stone age.
Unless they’d found something of significance.
***
Excerpt from Condition Black by Gareth Worthington & Stu Jones. Copyright 2021 by Gareth Worthington & Stu Jones. Reproduced with permission from Gareth Worthington & Stu Jones. All rights reserved.
Author Bios:
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 Worthington 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.
Stu Jones. SWAT Sniper. Adventurer. Award-Winning Author of Epic Genre-Bending Fiction.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu has served as a beat cop, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Stu served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
He is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun).
Known for his character-driven stories and blistering action sequences, Stu strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Stu is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo-Helin-Fountain literary
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!
Enter to Win:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington. There will be two (2) winners who will each receive one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on April 26, 2021 and ends on May 22, 2021. Void where prohibited.
I know Michaelbrent Collings from his fabulous, highly creative horror stories and am amazed by Synchronicity, which is a departure from his usual writing and I LOVE IT.
I have grabbed some freebies too and they are waiting….
I love Michaelbrent Collings’ work and he is a must read author for me. He writes some amazing horror stories, so it was a no brainer to grab something new and different from him, a science fiction, suspense technothriller, And WOW, another HIT.
They worked for SINC, Stress Induced Neural Connector. The machine.
Axel, Jade and Duffy are on the run. Their goal is to save the world. Book was just minding his own business, until…Kane had been Axel’s friend, but now…well…he’s an assassin.
Kane feels he is the God of Chaos. He revels in killing. Michaelbrent Collings writes some of the best villains ever and I do love a great bad guy.
1 of 5 stars – The fabulous characters
2 of 5 stars – Storyline
3 of 5 stars – Excellent writing and pacing
4 of 5 stars – Uniqueness and creativity
5 of 5 stars – Ending…
The characters are intriguing, making me guess at who was good and who was bad, until the story was told. Not all survive. Even the peripheral characters had their moment. I do love that Michaelbrent Collings can keep me twisting, turning, flipping through the pages nonstop, because I have to know what happens. To say I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Synchronicity does not do it justice.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Synchronicity by MIchaelbrent Collings.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Some call it the Machine. Some call it the SINC. It’s the most dangerous thing ever created. And it’s fallen into the wrong hands.
Tyler “Book” Malcolm has lived a life on the run. Off the grid, out of sight of the authorities. Hoping to escape a terrifying secret; to outrun what he has seen and what he has done.
Kane is an assassin who, with the help of the Machine, possesses the ability to assume the identity of anyone he wishes. He can strike without warning, and kill without mercy. Stronger than a dozen men, faster than sight itself, he can be anywhere, anytime.
When Book catches Kane’s eye, he discovers the world is even more dangerous than he knew. Book must ally himself with people who, like him, know that Kane is on the verge of remaking the world in his image.
But how do you know who to trust, when the man who wants you dead can be anyone he pleases?
How can you fight for the ones you love…
…when you can’t even believe who you see?
ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist,
multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of
the top indie horror writers in the United States.
He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.
Michaelbrent
has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than
he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than
he is.
Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC…
and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings.
Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You
will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!
The Trapdoor by Hal Glatzer was originally published in the 80s and I think it would have been a realistic, frightening look at the computer world. I still enjoyed the book and remember those early years of computers and see how this would have people believing it could really happen….because it has.
Hackers put in trapdoors, so they can easily access a forbidden computer system and do what they will.
The Lightning is a hacker and his name is Joe. Of course, he is a nerd. 🙂 Anyone seeing him would recognize that about him. He loved his pocket protector and wore it everywhere, carefully choosing the pens. Even before he ever touched a computer, he loved to tinker with electronics, whether it was his electric train or the family’s television.
He makes his living taking from others, but gets in way over his head. There is a heart stopping moment or two, as his life is put on the line.
The Trapdoor is a great introduction into the world of computer hacking. It took half the book for me to get involved, but I would recommend meeting Joe and seeing what the repercussions are for crossing the line.
Hal Glatzer used his knowledge of computers to take us into his world and I enjoyed visiting it with him.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Trapdoor by Hal Glatzer.
3 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Originally published as a paperback in 1986, The Trapdoor was one of the first novels to be set in the underground digital world of cyber-thievery and online pornography. In the book, a hacker gets into trouble with organized crime, and has to hack his way out. The title refers to a sinister technique for theft; but it also alludes to the risk of falling into one’s own trap! A forerunner to today’s notorious hackers, such as “Anonymous,” the protagonist of The Trapdoor is Joe (alias “The Lightning”), a techie nerd who lives quietly in a small apartment, surrounded by computers. Secretly stealing money online – as much for the thrill as for the money – is a flirtation with danger to which many of the earliest hackers were addicted. But Joe is drawn into a wider digital underworld until he’s not safe anymore. Suddenly he has enemies. And it’s bad enough when they try to kill him; but it’s worse when they steal his secret hacker identity. Progress in computer technology was once front-page news. In 1983, TIME magazine – for the first time ever – didn’t name a “Man of the Year.” Instead, the editors named the personal computer “Machine of the Year.” Computer entrepreneurs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were just getting noticed; and magazines were launched to help people use those new “machines”. At first, noisy modems slowly dialed computers over telephone lines; data storage was limited to mere kilobytes, on easily-damaged floppy disks. But technologies were constantly surging forward, and illegal computing activities surged right along with them. Readers of The Trapdoor will get a glimpse of that early time, when anything seemed possible, and the shadowy side of high-technology was just coming into view. And readers of a certain age, who were intrigued by computers in the ’80s, will enjoy The Trapdoor as a fond nostalgic trip back in time. So The Trapdoor has now been re-issued in the most up-to-date form for a novel: the e-book.
ABOUT HAL GLATZER
Hal Glatzer wrote his first piece of fiction in elementary school. He submitted The Mysterious Island to his third-grade teacher, who handed it back with this critique: “Great imagination. Terrible handwriting.” Perhaps that is what led, years later, to his embrace of computerized word processing! Visit his WEBSITE to learn more.
Conserving the
Radio Spectrum (Sams, 1984). Glatzer was one of the founders of the
Computer Press Association, a virtual press club for fellow
writers and editors in the field. He served as its vice president, and
for six years chaired the committee that created and presented the
annual Computer Press Awards for excellence in high-tech journalism.
Glatzer
has subsequently had more mystery novels published; but his first was
The Trapdoor. “Considering how far information technology has
progressed since the early ‘80s,” he says, “I want to give the computer
users of today a good idea of what life was like when the computer
revolution began, and give people like me, who were there, then, a trip
into the past. And the best way to bring that vintage paperback to
today’s tech-savvy readers is to turn it into an e-book.”
I was really excited about Midnight Blue Over Mexico by D S Land because it seemed to be a bit different than the usual technothriller, you know, greed, conspiracy, technology…used for good and evil… characters that kept me reading, caring, hating…and I have to ask, could you do without your cell phone…for a minute, an hour, a day, to save your life and those of others?
I had added Midnight Blue Over Mexico by D S Land to my TBR on 10.9.12 and The Timekeeper by Jordana Baker on 10.12.12
I saw the cover…and the title…and thought The Timekeeper by Jordana Barber would be filled with awesome characters…IT WAS…a lot of danger and action…THERE WAS…some hot romance…CAN’T DO WITHOUT THAT.. a satisfying ending…GOT THAT…and a desire to read more…I DO.
I saw the cover…and the title…and thought The Timekeeper by Jordana Barber would be filled with awesome characters…IT WAS…a lot of danger and action…THERE WAS…some hot romance…CAN’T DO WITHOUT THAT.. a satisfying ending…GOT THAT…and a desire to read more…I DO.