House of Ash and Brimstone by Megan Starks – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 28, 2019 By 2 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan Starks will be awarding a prize pack of best-selling urban fantasy romance + a copy of House of Ash and Brimstone to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Hell has come to collect…

…but Gisele Walker has no plans to pay the debt.

As a half-demon paranormal bounty hunter, Gisele is used to flirting with death, but stealing a curio and opening a portal to Hell’s demon court is more than your average day job.

Now, she’s partnered with an infuriatingly handsome demon, Shade, who has more levels of grey than she can count.

Who can she trust to help save the city as Baltimore burns to the ground and ghouls roam the streets?

With a white-hot attraction burning between them and secrets blocking their path, Gisele must face her past and venture into the twisted heart of the demon royal court.

But with no memory of her past…

…will she be able to save their future?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Gisele whimpered when she came to. Her whole body hurt. She was lying on her back, someone cradling her head, a strong hand on the nape of her neck. A thumb brushed her cheek, and warm, calloused fingers tipped her head back. The world careened beneath her, and she swallowed against a surge of rising bile.

“Wake up, Gigi. Please, you have to wake up.” He murmured the words over and over, his voice shattered, raw—and so pulse-flutteringly familiar.

For a second, it triggered a half-formed memory from her childhood, warm and happy—a memory of another’s hand in her hair, brushing aside dirt and weeds, of a boy laughing and whispering against her ear. But then the image flared and died.

It was a lie. She’d had no happy childhood. And Shade couldn’t have possibly been there. Just like he couldn’t be here now.

“Come on, Gigi. Open your eyes. I need you to look at me.”

She blinked up, and her coworker’s annoyingly handsome face blurred into focus.

Except he looked different, less abrasive. His slate-gray eyes, wide and clouded with concern, searched hers in silent questioning. His mouth was a taut line, and his dark brows were furrowed, but relief softened his usual grim expression.

He was shirtless, his bare chest sheened with sweat. His ash-brown hair had slicked across his forehead, and a peculiar urge to brush the damp strands aside twisted in her belly. She must’ve fried her brain, because it looked as if large, black wings curved high off his back.

“Christ, Gigi, what were you thinking? I thought it’d killed you.” Shade pressed his forehead to hers, breath catching. When he pulled back, his gaze slid to the curio in her hand, then lingered, intent. The hand cupping her face slipped away.

When she opened her eyes again, he was gone.

About the Author:

Megan Starks is the award-winning author of the Gatewalkers urban fantasy series and a game writer at Obsidian Entertainment. A Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® finalist, Writers Guild of America award nominee, and Pitch Wars alumna with an MFA in fiction, Megan enjoys reading and writing paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy novels. Whether it’s dark demons, brooding vampires, howling werewolves, or feisty witches, Megan loves it all.

When she’s not penning novels about magic and strong, kick-butt heroines, she enjoys playing video games and spending time with her husband and their cat, Sushi, in California.

Look for Night of Sunder & Sorrow, the sequel to House of Ash & Brimstone, coming in Spring 2020.

Get a free prequel to House of Ash & Brimstone by joining Megan’s mailing list.

Crave more #Gatewalkers? For updates and to chat about writing, video games, coffee, and cute kitty-cats, come hang out on any of the author’s social media sites.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter

Buy the book for only $0.99 during the tour.

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBooks, or Owl City Press.

Buy the print book at https://smarturl.it/Gate1AmzPrt.


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Soul Reader by Lisa M. Zajkowski – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 8, 2019 By 25 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When skeptic Marvin meets artistic Natalie in a coffee shop on a cold October morning, the two fall fast in love, but nothing is ever as easy as it feels.

Natalie believes that a divine something is guiding her life for her greater good, and it seems to be true. She lands her dream job and she and Marvin marry at a beachside castle. However, the ease and flow of their lives start to change. At the same time that Natalie becomes pregnant, Marvin experiences strange symptoms and visits his doctor.

When faced with a diagnosis that changes everything and odd dreams of the child that hasn’t yet been born, will Marvin let go of his skepticism or will he miss out on a lifetime with his loving family?

Enjoy an Excerpt

They walk through the archway and the dancing roses appear to be just what Talie said it would be. The roses grow in such a fashion that they dance with the breeze and the aroma in the garden is what love would smell like if there were such a scent associated with it. There are thousands of vibrant colored roses up and down in rows and they do not look like typical rose bushes. The stems of the roses are different, stronger, and able to uphold the bud. Almost any color that can be thought of is here, including purple, red, blue, yellow, rainbow, black, turquoise, white, pink, orange, two and three tone colors, and a bright red-orange sparkling rose. “Who owns this place?” Marvin asks.

“There’s a plaque with the owner’s name on it over here,” Talie says leading the way.

The memorial reads: Jonathan Rutherford and Ellen Campanilli Rutherford established “Roses of the Garden” in 1913.

“Wow,” Marvin says, “They must have some secret formula regarding horticulture because I’ve never seen such roses!”

About the Author: Lisa M. Zajkowski has an exhilaration for life while exploring all areas from the ethereal to the ordinary, and she appreciates learning something from every aspect. Her main theme in life is fun, as she indulges in laughter and looks for the positive in every situation. She also thrives on pushing the boundaries of the body while enduring in the sport of Triathlon, having completed a Half Ironman. However, it’s her first love of running that brings her an immense sense of liberation and connectedness with the beauty of the world. Lisa loves connecting with people, and being a massage therapist allows her to do this as she enjoys helping people facilitate healing within their innate body systems. She is comforted in the softer side of life while cuddling with her dogs and cat, and desires to own a horse ranch. Lisa revels in the freedom of being fluid in her writing, taking pleasure in all genres of authoring. She is currently working on Drama, Sci-Fi, and Horror novels.

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Homo Robiticus by Mayet Ligad Yuhico – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 4, 2019 By 33 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mayet Ligad Yuhico will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

US Colony Agent Brice O’ Rourke is traumatised as a child when half the world disappears as waters rose because of climate change and when North Korea unleashed sentient human like droid soldiers to conquer lands for their hungry people.

When the US Congress passed laws allowing the Homo Roboticus Sollus and Aequilavum programs, Brice gains Ira, a sister, and meets a fellow droid agent Lee Jae Sung who saves her life during a mission.

As a new President wins on an anti-robotist, authoritarian stance vowing a pre-machine existence, will Brice defy her own government and risk her life to save loved ones from extinction?

“Homo Roboticus is a richly-imagined cautionary tale of a future earth in which long-feared climate disaster has actually happened, the world’s population is permanently at war, and robots have become almost more human than their creators.” –Susan Krawitz, author of Viva, Rose!, a Sydney Taylor Honor winner, National Jewish Book Award debut fiction finalist, and Spur Award finalist

Read an Excerpt

As the small hand of the clock hit six, Brice turned to the window and saw a wave of metallic spike-droids rise from the ground outside. She counted backwards from ten, and when she reached zero, the spikes bloomed multi-layered metal petals and started turning in different directions. They looked like dancers performing ballet steps, she thought with amusement; one executing a deep plié to measure the temperature of the soil; another, a hundred pirouettes to record the ferocity of the wind. These were once tasks both her father and grandfather were responsible for, but for some time now, no human had been allowed outside the tundra and these droids had done most of the scientific work.

There was a sound behind her – an excited screech, and Brice turned away from the window. Eilish was jumping up and down as she did every day when the spike-droids emerged.

“Be careful, Eilish!” she said. “Come and sit beside me,” and she patted the broad windowsill she was perched upon. Eilish was the same size as she was and looked her exact age, which was six. She was wearing the same pajamas, pink with flowers. She patted down a few stray hairs sticking out on Eilish’s head, then checked her left leg. Made of glassinex, it had broken two weeks before, when she fell from the same windowsill. “If you break another leg, we’re in trouble,” she warned Eilish. “There are no spare parts coming to this side of the world any time soon. Which is a pain in the behind, because that’s what you’ll have to walk on if you break your other leg, so hobble carefully!” And then she laughed. Eilish grinned, and shook her head.

About the Author:

Mayet Ligad Yuhico is the author of FOURTEEN DAYS, a work of romantic contemporary fiction published in 2011.

Based in Singapore since 2012, Mayet has shifted to the genre of speculative fiction in her new novel, HOMO ROBOTICUS, to ponder on the consequences of global warming and climate change.

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Buy the book at Amazon.



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Live Soldier by Liam Clay – Spotlight and Giveaway

October 3, 2019 By 7 Comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $75 Amazon/BN gift card via the Rafflecopter at the end of the page. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

THE APOCALYPSE WILL BE TELEVISED.

You know what they call me.

Camera-eyed killer. Spawn of the ruins. Man who stole a city.

These are not the names of a saint. But every legend has an origin story. And because of what I am, you can experience mine in real-time.

Fair warning, though: my life contains instances of drug use, bio-terrorism, aquatic street fighting, unsolicited retinal surgery, advanced warfare, amateur sex and straight-up murder.

But if you’re sick of sanitized heroes… then log in, lose yourself and become the Live Soldier. Because you’ve never met a marine like me.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Fifteen years I’ve been dreaming this scene.

I’m treading water, naked save for a sheen of oil, clinging to a cube of crushed plastic bottles. The sun is a burning weight against my brow. The Hive and its lesser brethren are miles behind, the mainland just a rumor ahead. The Gulf surrounds me. A churning sea of debris and rotted kelp, it stretches to the horizons, a heat haze glazing its fetid surface.

I’m going to die out here. I know it, the fish and the gulls are sure of it, the tiny crabs in my hair consider it a foregone conclusion. If only Kalana would get the hint too. She’s crouched atop a net filled with 4-liter milk jugs, screaming at me to keep struggling. Or I think she is, anyway. My submerged ears hear only the ocean’s monotonous voice, imagination transforming it into the whispers of our drowned companions.

This dream is based on a memory. In real life, Kalana climbs down and pulls me bodily from the water. And together, jumping, crawling and swimming by turns, we cross the floating garbage dump that separates the Hive from Opacity. The first acolytes ever to escape the Designer’s service. But in the world my mind likes to recreate, she doesn’t bother. After screaming herself hoarse, she makes a gesture of negation and vanishes, leaving me to sink into the abyss to the taste of a lover’s disappointment.

Fifteen years is a very long time.

About the Author:

Liam is a Canadian who recently moved to Australia after getting kicked out of England for apologizing too much. He works on the commercial side of design agencies as a job, where his seething jealousy of the creative staff boils over into writing.

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Buy the book for only $0.99 at Amazon.


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

September 18, 2019 By 3 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy an Excerpt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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SF Interview with Kelli A. Wilkins – Giveaway

September 12, 2019 By 3 Comments

Long and Short Reviewss welcomes back Kelli A. Wilkins who is visiting with us to talk about science fiction among other things. It’s contest time! Want to win a PDF copy of Extraterrestrial Encounters? Here’s how to enter: 1. Leave a comment or post a question to Kelli. 2. One week after the interview, Kelli will choose a winner at random from all the comments posted.

Kelli has always loved horror and sci-fi, and she’s also had an active imagination. From an early age, anything horror, speculative, or creepy on television held her attention. Some of her favorites were Dark Shadows, The Addams Family, The Munsters, and Bewitched, along with any horror movie she could find.

“I saw Rosemary’s Baby when I was seven years old and I wasn’t scared – I was annoyed that they didn’t show the baby!” she explained. “Right from the start, I learned how to scare people and build suspense.

“My imagination combined with my love of horror inspired me to write my own stories. I credit Stephen King and Rod Serling as my two biggest influences – they know how to tell a good story. Without a doubt, Stephen King is my favorite author. He has been the main influence in my writing. My mother bought all of his books, and I read Night Shift when I was about nine years old. (I think it was the first “grown up” book I read.) The stories showed me how to plot, use details and descriptions, and give the story a voice. I think King’s On Writing book is a great way for anyone to get inside the mind of a writer and see how the process unfolds.

“I also have to give credit to Rod Serling, because I learned about the mechanics of great storytelling, world-building, and character development from watching The Twilight Zone. After being exposed to these types of stories I was motivated to write my own.”

I asked Kelli what she saw as the difference between science fiction and fantasy.

“For me, science fiction is imaginative fiction. Sci-fi (or SF) stories explore anything possible (or that may be possible one day): time travel, parallel universes, aliens, lost civilizations, artificial intelligence, robots, cloning, repressed societies, UFOs, mind control, futuristic societies, and more.

“There are two types of sci-fi. ‘Hard’ sci-fi focuses on science (biology, chemistry, physics, genetics) and technology (inventions). ‘Soft’ sci-fi stories deal with people, societies, and relationships. The short stories in my anthology, Extraterrestrial Encounters are all “soft” sci-fi stories.

“Fantasy stories take place in imaginary worlds that don’t exist in our reality. In most cases, fantasies are set entirely in the realm of the impossible, but occasionally, the fantastic element crosses over into our real world. (For example, a child finds a hidden entrance to a cave leading to an underground world populated by elves.)

“With fantasy stories, you’re not limited to what is (or could be) scientifically possible. In your fantastical world, your characters can teleport from place to place with the wave of a magic wand, and you don’t need to explain how it’s done. Readers naturally accept these things as normal and don’t think twice about it.”

As a fan of sci-fi/fantasy, Kelli likes being transported into another world. Whether it’s time travel, exploring another planet, or resurrecting dinosaurs, she likes reading stories that take you out of the ordinary.

“It’s fun, escapist, and if, done correctly, it’s believable,” she explained. “As a writer, I like being able to make up weird stuff. So I might write a sci-fi where an astronaut lands on a planet and discovers it’s populated by giant lizard creatures, or a team discovers a UFO under the sand in Egypt. It’s fun to make up unique stories and not have to worry so much about how ‘real’ something in this genre could (or should) be.”

Kelli told me that it’s a Golden Era for sci-fi/fantasy fans and authors.

“The sci-fi/fantasy fans are amazing! They’re fiercely devoted to their genre, their favorite characters, movies, and TV shows. The internet (and e-publishing) has made it possible for fans around the world to connect to each other, swap stories (and merchandise), and even write their own fan fiction,” she said. “Sci-fi/fantasy authors now take center stage at festivals and conventions, and they are finding more appreciation for their writing. Fans have the power to bring back TV shows that were canceled, and show their loyalty by dressing up as their favorite characters for Cos-play and LARP events.”

Kelli writes in multiple genres (romance and horror – with branching off into SciFi) because she gets to explore different styles of writing.

“After writing a few romances I like to switch up and focus on horror for a while,” she told me. “My horror stories tend to be more psychological and creepy than bloody, and my sci-fi stories are about strange things that happen to ordinary people. I write in almost every romance genre: historical, fantasy, paranormal, gay, and contemporary. So I’m pretty comfortable switching genres as the characters and plots dictate.”

She’s also written several non-fiction pet guides and authored two online writing courses.

“Is there a genre you don’t ever see yourself writing?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. Right now, I’m not ruling out anything, but I don’t particularly see myself writing mysteries. I have included mystery elements in my romances (Dangerous Indenture and Redemption from a Dark Past) and short stories, but I don’t see myself writing a full-on mystery.”

Kelli writes everything in longhand first – when she gets an idea, she writes her outline, lets the ideas for the characters and plot marinate in her head for a while, then she starts writing on paper. Once she’s completed the first draft, she types the book or short story. During this time, she adds details and edits out parts she’s not crazy about, so by the time she has that typed version, it’s very close to being a revised second draft.

I wondered, “What is your work schedule like when you are writing?”

“Each day is different, depending on what I’m working on. If a new book just came out (like now, for instance) most of my ‘writing’ time is spent doing interviews, writing blogs, promoting, getting reviews, sending out my newsletter etc. I also might be editing or revising a book or a short story, or actually writing a new piece. (I’m always working on something!) I try to get in at least an hour of writing every day, but sometimes I’ll block off three or four hours a few days a week. If I’m on a roll, I’ll write as long as I can.”

Finally I asked, “What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?”

“My sense of humor is very unusual and somewhat morbid and sarcastic. (Very Addams Family.) I grew up watching Monty Python, Benny Hill, and other Britcoms, so that type of humor is something I appreciate more than American comedy shows. (John Cleese banging an ex-parrot” on the counter? Hysterical!) And I absolutely love Miranda Hart!

“I don’t actively seek out many too comedy movies or TV shows, though. Usually I find them too predictable and just not funny. But every so often I’ll catch an episode of a show and I’ll be surprised to find myself laughing out loud. For me, the writing has to be clever and sharp. I liked The Cool Kids. The episode where Margaret dated the Zodiac Killer had me rolling!”


Are you ready to step into the unknown?

In these 18 sci-fi stories, you’ll encounter aliens of all shapes and sizes, curious (and sometimes unlucky) space explorers, and ordinary Earthlings having otherworldly experiences.

Some of the out-of-this-world tales in this short fiction anthology include:

“The Hoax” – A reporter learns that a creature from another planet is a dangerous thing to fool with

“It Grows on You” – A strange kind of mold has invaded an office, and it’s the perfect tool for revenge

“What Lurks Below” – Everyone knows there’s no life on Mars, but nobody thought about what might be lurking under the surface…

“The Con” – An alien becomes an unlikely ally to a down-on-his-luck petty crook

“Space Cowboy” – When a second-rate rodeo star is abducted by aliens, he makes the most of the situation

“They Just Keep Eating” – A Nebraska farmer encounters a menace from space… and it’s hungry

This collection of speculative fiction will stimulate your imagination, unnerve you just a little, and make you wonder… “What if we’re not alone?”

About the Author: Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 19 romance novels, 5 non-fiction books, and 2 online writing courses. Her romances span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers with her horror stories.

Kelli released Extraterrestrial Encounters, a collection of 18 sci-fi stories, in August 2019. If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her disturbing novella, Nightmare in the North.

Her latest historical romance, The Viking’s Witch, was released in June 2019. This full-length novel takes place in Celtic Scotland and blends a sensual romance with paranormal elements.

In March 2019, Kelli published Dangerous Indenture, a historical mystery romance set in Colonial Pennsylvania. She released the second half of her flash fiction series, Cupid’s Schemes, in early 2019. These two volumes of lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence.

Kelli released her latest Teachable mini-course, Fiction Basics: Finding Ideas in February 2019. She authored Fiction Writing for Beginners through Teachable in 2018. These courses are perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit her website for more details.

Not just an author, Kelli is also an amateur photographer. Visit her pages on Shutterstock and iStock to view her photos.

Website | Blog | Amazon Author Page | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Historical Romances | Facebook Contemporary Romances | Facebook Gay Romances | Free Reads | Instagram | BookBub | Books2Read | Pinterest

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Science Fiction/Fantasy

Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle – Spotlight and Giveaway

September 10, 2019 By 1 Comment

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Brittni Chenelle will be awarding a free e-book version of the box set to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Kingdom Cold
The Complete Collection

——-

Book I: Kingdom Cold
Book II: Kingdom Soul
Book III: Kingdom Untold

——-

Beware: a binge awaits.

Deliciously dark, romantic and gripping, the Kingdom Cold trilogy now can be yours in a dazzling collection.
Kingdom Cold follows the impulsive, teenage princess, Charlotte, as she attempts to murder her betrothed. But an arranged marriage is only the beginning of her problems, for the world as she knows it is falling apart. Her kingdom faces total destruction at the hands of Merlin and Lancelot, leaders of power-crazed Camelot.

Will wicked King Arthur prove, once and for all, that ruthless deeds create the legend? Can Princess Charlotte sacrifice love to save her home?
Only one can reign.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Come on, Charlotte,” I said, kneeling. I tilted her head up to look her in the eyes. “We’re almost th—” I froze. A heavy stream of tears flowed down her cheeks, dripping from the bottom of her chin.

She sobbed. “I don’t want to marry you.”

It wasn’t news, but I’d never seen a woman cry before. She seemed so fragile it made something ache at the bottom of my stomach. This was not the girl who shot the arrow or the girl who showed her disappointment upon our first meeting. This was someone new.

I sighed. “I know.” I felt fear seep into my skin before my next question manifested. “Do you want to marry my brother?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to marry anyone.”

I nodded as her breakdown worsened. It was a terrible reality, but somehow it made me feel better. I hadn’t exactly been a disappointment, she just didn’t want any of this. I had a lingering urge to reach out to her, to wipe her tears, or hold her in my arms, but I didn’t. I let her cry.

“I don’t want to be a princess,” she sobbed. “I just want to be free.”

Afraid to touch her, I inched back and settled into a more comfortable position on the floor.

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” I said.

“Stop the wedding then!” she cried.

My body stiffened. “I too am bound to honor my father’s agreement.”

She wiped her face and looked me straight in the eyes, her swollen cheeks red and brimming with emotion. “What do you want?” she asked.

I shook my head.

“My kingdom? You can have it,” she breathed. “Let me go.”

Frozen, I begged my body to tear my gaze from hers.

Her lips parted and she breathed in like it hurt, before she spoke. “Aren’t you afraid of what you’ll be giving up?”

My brow furrowed as I contemplated what she meant. I bit the inside of my bottom lip.

“Do you honestly think you could ever love me?”

The word “love” struck me, like an arrow masked by dusk.

She studied my face, my silence burning away her last seeds of hope. Her tears began to fall again, this time slow and sorrowful.

About the Author:

BRITTNI CHENELLE currently lives in Seoul, Korea which inspires her multicultural fantasy books. Her favorite genres to read and write are Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Romance, Fairytale Retellings, and Young Adult Dystopian novels. She’s very passionate about equal representation and makes a point to include characters from different backgrounds and cultures in her Fantasy stories.

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Finding My Voice by Maya Tyler – Guest Blog and Giveaway

September 4, 2019 By 6 Comments


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

Finding My Voice

The hardest part about writing was… finding my voice. Every story has been written before or so the saying goes. How can I differentiate my work from the countless authors that came before me?

After years of practice, I feel like I’m finally coming into my own voice. I’ve always been pleased with my technical use of language—grammar, semantics, etc—but it is only when you are truly comfortable, you can bend, and even break, the rules, letting your individuality shine. In every book I write, I find renewed confidence in who I am as a writer. I gain the trust of my characters which expands my capacity to fully convey their experiences to the reader.

How can you find your writing voice? I think it has more to do with you personally than your reader. Your voice is developed through writing practice and experimentation, reading other authors, and defining why and how you want to write. Your voice reflects who you are as a person.

Although I am multi-published, I still find sharing my work a highly personal experience. Whether my reader realizes it or not, my stories are often about me, providing a glimpse into my psyche. Yet, I write fiction and can mold reality into a fictionalized version. In that way, it’s less obvious what is actually real and what is not. Sometimes, I have to reread my work several times before the parts of my life are revealed.

I am constantly growing as a person and as a writer. I imagine my voice will keep maturing as I continue trekking on my writing journey.

Dreams or duty?

Wizard apprentice Kurtis Warde doesn’t want to become a full-fledged wizard, but he feels obligated to his grandfather who raised him. Making The Choice, whether or not to become a wizard and join The Circle, doesn’t feel like a choice at all. Leaving The Circle would give Kurtis the freedom to follow his own dreams, and to pursue vampiress, Dee, who has always intrigued him. He knows there’s more to Dee than the icy being she portrays, but will she give him a chance to know the real her?

There is unrest in the magical world. Fairies, a magical being thought to be long extinct, still exist. And the long-time feud between wizards and fairies threatens everyone Kurtis cares about, including his life coach, Alina, who has quickly become a close friend. And perhaps more. He discovers his connection to the ancient beings The Annunaki, the ancestors of wizards and fairies, may be key to the future. The more he uncovers, the more questions he has.

Will Kurtis choose to follow his heart or risk sacrificing his own happiness for peace in the magical world?

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Waldor.” Emotion—relief and love—flooded Kurtis’ voice. He released the breath he’d unconsciously held, scanning Waldor for obvious injury.

“I’m in one piece, Kurtis.” Waldor pushed past him to unlock the cottage. “You can quit being a fusspot.”

Kurtis chuckled at Waldor’s mock irritation, unfazed by his grandfather’s gruff ways. They didn’t need to exchange words to know how relieved they both were for the other’s safety.

Waldor filled the kettle and, a moment later, the sound of a cheery whistle blasted from the small kitchen. Kurtis joined Waldor at the table. They sat in silence, wrapping their large hands around mugs of steaming tea.

“The kind of potent brew you need after a night like this to settle your thoughts.”

Kurtis grunted in response.

“What’s on your mind, my boy?”

What do I tell Waldor? Conflicted thoughts swirled around in his brain. Am I really that transparent?

Waldor smiled as if he knew all Kurtis’ secrets. “I know you. I raised you from a little baby.”

“I know.” He scowled, guilt gnawing at the lining in his stomach. How can I tell him? How can I break his heart? Like my father.

Waldor took his time to sip his tea as if waiting for Kurtis to open up.

Will I ever have the courage to leave? He cast a mournful eye around the small cottage, the only home he’d ever known. “Where is my father? Do you know?”

Waldor recoiled, looking like he’d been punched in the gut. “I don’t know.”

What do you know? What are you keeping from me? Kurtis paused before asking his next question, torn between his aversion to causing Waldor pain and desire for finding answers. “Do you know…Who is my mother?”

Something akin to fear, shame perhaps, lurked in Waldor’s eyes. He focused his intense gaze on Kurtis. “Yes.”

About the AuthorMaya Tyler is a multi-published author of paranormal romance novels and blogger at Maya’s Musings (https://mayatylerauthor.blogspot.com/). An avid reader, Maya writes the books she loves to read—romances! She still believes that “True Love’s Kiss” is the most powerful thing in the world. Her paranormal romances come with complex plot twists and happily-ever-afters.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, listening to music (alternative rock, especially from the 1990s), practicing yoga, and watching movies and TV.

Maya loves to hear from fellow authors and readers! Please connect with her through social media (see links below) or the contact form on her website.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Someone Else’s Soul by Meradeth Houston

August 30, 2019 By 2 Comments


Thanks for joining us on our 12th anniversary scavenger hunt! There are two ways to enter to win and it’s easy to play– first read the blurb below, then answer the question on the first Rafflecopter. You might win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC. Follow and visit authors social media pages on the second rafflecopter and you’re entered to win another $100 Amazon/BN GC!

There are 14 strangers who share her face, and one company is determined to erase them all.

Everyone has secrets, and it’s Diana Kane’s job to know them. It’s a talent–being able to see into someone’s life from the scuffs on their shoes to the way they hold their hands–a talent that sets her apart from everyone. When a mysterious stranger drops into her life dangling the possibility of something she’s longed for, a real connection with someone who might actually understand her, she’s too intrigued to refuse.

But when David Addington shows up to their date knowing too much about her, and the top secret agency she works for, Diana realizes their meeting was anything but coincidence. David has more than his share of surprises, including an impossible claim about Diana’s past and photos of an inexplicable woman who shares her face.

When her life begins to unravel around her, Diana has no choice but to put her faith in the mysterious David and the man he claims is his father. As she struggles to piece together the truth about where she came from, she’s forced to face the reality that her entire life has been manufactured, along with fourteen other women who share her exact same DNA. Confronted with the troubling reality that she’s nothing more than a research experiment that’s pushed the boundaries of science and ethics, Diana must rescue the others like her before the company can erase them as mistakes, putting all her skills to the test in the ultimate game of survival…

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Traitor Knight by Keith W. Willis

August 29, 2019 By 1 Comment


Thanks for joining us on our 12th anniversary scavenger hunt! There are two ways to enter to win and it’s easy to play– first read the blurb below, then answer the question on the first Rafflecopter. You might win a $100 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC. Follow and visit authors social media pages on the second rafflecopter and you’re entered to win another $100 Amazon/BN GC!

When Morgan McRobbie rescues a damsel-in-distress from a dragon, he expects she’ll swoon, murmuring “My hero!” Instead, Marissa has only loathing for the man everyone believes will betray Kilbourne. That’s fine with Morgan. A woman in his life would just complicate things.

A high-level informer threatens the kingdom’s security, and Morgan is out to stop him. Posing as a turncoat himself, he’s walking a fine line between honor and betrayal. A single misstep could result in disaster, and his mission is fraught with distractions: the pesky dragon, a pair of conniving courtiers, and the disillusioned damsel who’s certain Morgan can’t be trusted.

If Morgan’s going to save the kingdom, win the girl, and manage to stay alive, he’ll need to step up his game. Because the traitor is lurking in the shadows, and his scheme calls not just for the betrayal of Kilbourne, but also the destruction of Morgan McRobbie.

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