Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 103
October 4, 2023
Review: MOONLIGHT IN MEXICO by Gilly Graham
A wedding trip to Mexico leadsJennifer back to an old crush. It takes a while to get through the weddingtrivialities and all the guests that come through, and, for being a shortstory, the read felt kind of long. But, all in all, I found this to be a shortand sweet romance, and I would check out more from this author.
Rating:4 stars
October 3, 2023
Blog Tour: EMISSARY by E.B. Brooks
Emissary
by E.B. Brooks
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GENRE: Science Fiction
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BLURB:
Two Worlds. One Future.
EwanO’Meara is no stranger to death: in recent months, he’s found his way to limboat least once per week, much to his parents’ concern. It’s a necessary pricefor getting experience to become the greatest adventurer his homeland ofVeridor has ever known, but the overbearing Veridian Church has him pinneddown, soaking him for the penance gold to unlock his stats each time herespawns. And because the Church’s ancient war put an end to both the godlikeGems and the epic quests they once bestowed, Ewan has no better alternative.
Thatis, until he encounters a young woman fleeing arrest from the Church’ssoldiers. At first glance, Treanna Rothchild needs it: she’s clueless aboutVeridian life. But she has other skills that defy Ewan’s understanding, and sheknows things. Unsettling, seditious things the Church wants kept secret at anycost.
Andshe’s in Veridor to raise an army, to fight an enemy only she can see.
Riskingboth life and soul, Ewan follows Treanna where no Veridian has ever been andthere is no respawning. But for him to have a chance at making a realdifference in the strange, harsh world she reveals to him, he must first cometo terms with it. Especially as he and Treanna discover how much it has incommon with Veridor—and how much they depend on each other to survive.
New-adultscience fiction, wrapped in gaming and fantasy around a hopepunk core, Emissaryis an immersive, thought-provoking adventure with a little teen romance and alot of heart.
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Excerpt One:
Ewan didn’t know why he did it. He had plenty of reasons. Hewas angry about getting censured, annoyed with Paul’s warning to keep his headdown, and embarrassed by how quickly he’d ignored it. No one took him seriouslyas an adventurer, much less understood when he asked the big questions.
But, more than anything, looking into those eyes, he simplyknew this girl was in trouble, and that he wanted to help her.
She flew past as time resumed its normal flow; Ewan shoutedand leaped in front of the Swords to draw their aggro. He called up his menu,winced when he remembered he’d given Kate his armor, then equipped his bladesanyway.
An ominous tone sounded in his mind, and a warning flashedacross his vision that he now had a bounty, along with a reminder that onlySwords were permitted to equip weapons in the cathedral. As if to prove thepoint, the soldiers slowed as they saw the blades flash into being on his back,but with grim smiles they equipped their own and changed targets.
Ewan spared a quick glance behind him to see the girl vanishdown the steps, then turned to face his opponents.
The crowd was whispering excitedly now, but he focused onthe Swords, quickly calling on his own basic aura-reading skills to scan them.They were stronger than him, and bigger too, but neither had bothered tobolster their defense beyond their armor, clearly seeing him as an easy mark.
Time to see what agility’s all about, he thought with anervous chuckle.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
E.B. Brookslives in the southeastern USA, where he splits his time between writing,research, and homesteading. He enjoys building fictional worlds, real houses,and landscape models, but he’s most at home with his wife and children, andtheir many, many pets.
Website: http://ebbrooksfiction.com/
Twitter:@EBBrooksFiction
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG2vFKJoCSoJaP6qCECwPIA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19919752.E_B_Brooks
The StoryGraph:https://app.thestorygraph.com/authors/d82b9abb-6a6a-48a7-8563-a84689316df7
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/e-b-brooks-df6155fb-c7c4-4568-b612-ac5ae2eeb86b
Buy Links(Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/stores/E.B.-Brooks/author/B087D6C88X
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GIVEAWAY
One randomly chosen winner viarafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: WAR OF THE ANIMALS by Jonathan Decoteau
War of the Animals (Book 1): The ShutFace Of Thunder
by Jonathan Decoteau
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GENRE: Sci-fi Fantasy
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BLURB:
Mankind struck first. This time, nature fights back...
Afailed effort to weaponize animals awakens their intellects. The militaryresponds by creating death camps to exterminate infected animals. Moon Shadow,an Arctic white wolf, unites with White Claw, a polar bear king, to form AnimusNor, the first animal republic, to negotiate peace. The uneasy peace is brokenwith the rise of Azaz, lord of the grizzly bears. Azaz attacks humansettlements, considering humans an invasive species that wreaks havoc on bearsand the environment. A world war breaks out as animals face humans and eachother to see who will rule the world.
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Excerpt One:
(The War of The Animals series asks: What if animals rose upagainst humanity’s pollution of the environment and destruction of theirhabitats? What if it was a fair fight? This excerpt is from the first chapterand introduces Moon Shadow, queen of the wolves, the protagonist of the earlybooks
Moon Shadow shook the harshest of the white winds off withan afflicted whimper. Her paws—icicles lined with nails—winced in theirimpending numbness. Still, Moon Shadow ran forward. In the distant echo ofdreams, she remembered what it was like to live in the world before the end ofworlds. An illegally smuggled white Arctic wolf, Moon Shadow knew the love ofher former masters before the new age. The tiniest of the humans reminded herof her own pups, tiny balls of white fur that she hoped to coddle until it wastheir time to hunt. Yet, the same masters took her pups from her, putting themup for the highest bidder to steal. Even after seeing more of the great NorthAmerican continent than she had ever dreamed of in her life of relativeleisure, Moon Shadow had seen no sign of her pups. She wondered if they werenow grown with pups of their own. In her heart, she knew it was unlikely thatthey survived The Rapsys, or Opening of Eyes, as the street dogs of her formertown rather poetically referred to this massive change that shook the verymarrow of their bones.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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I am a naturelover who lives and teaches in beautiful, pastoral New England.
The War of theAnimals books were inspired by the 2020 pandemic lockdown. I remember drivingby animals that freely roamed the streets after we were in lockdown (I wasgetting groceries—not ignoring state mandates—I promise!). I felt for the firsttime how much the animals were in lockdown whenever we weren’t. That inspiredthe idea of a variety of animals having voices and speaking up for the earth. Istarted writing the books shortly thereafter.
My website(with character profiles and links to other work) can be found at www.waroftheanimals.com
The eBook canbe downloaded for free at most major online retailers, including at thefollowing links:
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/War-Animals-Book-Shut-Thunder-ebook/dp/B0C9DWKSXS/
ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
Barnes andNoble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/war-of-the-animals-jonathan-decoteau/1143712349?ean=2940167299306
Apple BookStore: https://books.apple.com/us/book/war-of-the-animals-book-1-the-shut-face-of-thunder/id6450721110
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GIVEAWAY
Jonathan Decoteau will be awarding a $20Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 2, 2023
Book Blast: QUANTUM REACTION by Marc Wayne
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
“Hurry!” Angela called, attempting to take in everything as fast as possible. She had to guide JT safely through the T station. Rushing around close to fast-moving trains wasn’t safe for a fully sighted, agile youth, let alone a blind man like him.
JT hurtled down the stairs, making the image on her screen dim as he left the bright sunlight into the poorly lit subway. The staccato of the drums outside echoed against the concrete stairway and competed with her chest’s pounding.
Despite all the talk of upgrades to the T system, trains still screeched and rumbled below, their wheels and brakes protesting the rapid stops and starts.
Suddenly she was back in her nightmare.
Running through the night, flashes of light everywhere, rumbling and shattering the air.
“Angela!” JT yelled as he stumbled into someone when he reached the first landing, nearly falling from the collision and losing his white cane.
She snapped back. Aghast she had lost focus at a critical moment, she said, “Sorry. Another flight in two. You’re clear.”
As JT hurried down those stairs, she added, “After the next landing, one more flight, then straight to the fare gate.”
Biting her lip, she concentrated on her screen. She would not screw up again. “Okay, now straight,” she instructed as he reached the next landing.
But instead of going straight, he leapt sideways.
Abruptly everything turned black on Angela’s display.
“JT!” she screamed.
For the second time in eighteen hours, her view had disappeared.
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.
Book is on sale for $0.99 during the tour.
Buy Quantum Reaction at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCNHVWR3
Join Marc’s newsletter or learn more at http://www.Marc-Wayne.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marc-wayne
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Author.MarcWayne
Marc@Marc-Wayne.com
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: THE PALIMPSEST MURDERS by Reed Stirling
The Palimpsest Murders
by Reed Stirling
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GENRE: Historical mystery
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BLURB: Dayone: check-in on the Iphigenia, a Boat & Bike home for thirty guests ofdiverse backgrounds on a one week excursion through Holland and Belgium.Personalities clash, conflicts arise.
Day seven: a body is found in canal waters at thestern of the boat. On the final morning a second body is discovered.
Who among the cyclists and crew is hateful andmotivated enough to kill? Twice. How are the two murders related? Why two coinsfor the ferryman? Is the phoenix jug, both admired and derided, merely symbolic?How does the death mask of Agamemnon lead to resolution?
Determining truth entails travelling from Amsterdamto Bruges to Paris to the ancient site of Mycenae in Greece where what’s pastis shown to be prologue.
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ExcerptTwo:
She was definitely formidable, imperious even, possessed ofan elegant yet hardened beauty. Vanessa’s earlier estimation of Kat as awell-preserved, middle-aged vixen came to mind as I watched and listened toher, but any imagined resemblance to Sophia Loren was fading quickly. She wasstriking in her grandiose posing, seeming as though she’d slid down the reverseside of an ancient Greek vase intent on focusing our interest on her and her misery,the one-time exemplar of easy command and sensuous self-indulgence. I wasconsidering the possibility that Kat Steele was living up to the character shehad invented for herself in view of the performance the role of forlorn wifeand rejected mother presently required of her. We’d all noted the air oftheatricality about her. As to what I actually observed of her face that nightin the lounge as she entertained us with her anxious but less than soberself-absorption and resentment, I could not avoid considering her likelydependence on Botox and all the meretricious beauty resulting from itsapplication. Kat had brown eyes that appeared to be anything but lustrous onthis occasion because of the smeared mascara shadowing them. Patches of darkerpigment crested her high cheeks. The woman could boast having perfect teeth,the better to bite you with, and an aquiline nose sloped perfectly for lookingdown its length at you. I was intrigued particularly with how she worked herlips and how she slid words into statements with iambic stops and startsdesigned to smite verbal opposition.
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Q. Whatwas the hardest part about writing this book and what did I do to overcome it?
A. Thebook is a novel entitled The Palimpsest Murders, a EuropeanTravel Mystery. The plot revolves around thirty or so characters who have embarkedon a week-long Boat and Bike excursion through Holland and Belgium. Thestoryline begins in Amsterdam, continues in Paris, and ends in Greece. Duringthis time, two murders happen in real time and other suspicious deaths areuncovered as part of the backstory. All are reflected in events that echo theclassical past.
The hardest part aboutwriting this novel was coming up with so many characters in one place at onetime and keeping them under control, from captain and crew to all the cyclingguests. Each character had to be plausible, realistic, grounded inrecognizable attitudes and traits, be they likeable or not. From the get-go,each one was to be both a potential victim and a potential murderer; who, when,why, and where would prove to be an essential part of the enduringmystery.
Todeal with such diversity, I created a file for each character and relied on itfor verisimilitude. Each character had to be individual. So in that writer’sfile: name, age, nationality, occupation, connection to others in the group,and what baggage in the metaphorical sense each brought along, that baggage inseveral cases being anger and resentment. Revenge had a hearing as well. Withad a companion in cynicism. Curiosity had help from online research andsustained dialogue. Without resorting to stereotypes, I also arranged to havedifferent nationalities present on the boat — Dutch, English, Japanese,Canadian, Irish, American. That helped with establishing identifiable speechpatterns, for example, British idiomatic expressions, which would allow thereader to quickly identify who was speaking.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Reed Stirling lives in Cowichan Bay, BC, and writeswhen not painting landscapes, travelling, or taking coffee at The Drumroaster,a local café where physics and metaphysics clash daily. Before retiring andtaking up writing novels, he taught English Literature. Several talentedstudents of his have gone on to become successful award-winning writers.
He and his wife built a log home in the hills ofsouthern Vancouver Island, and survived totally off the grid for twenty-fiveyears during which time the rooms in that house filled up with books, thousandsof student essays were graded, and innumerable cords of firewood were split.
Literary output:
Shades Of Persephone, published in 2019, is aliterary mystery set in Greece.
Lighting The Lamp, a fictional memoir, was publishedin March 2020.
Set in Montreal, Séjour Saint-Louis (2021),dramatizes family conflicts.
The Palimpsest Murders, a European travel mystery,is forthcoming.
Shorter work has appeared over the years in avariety of publications including Dis(s)ent, Danforth Review, Fickle Muses,Fieldstone Review, and Humanist Perspectives.
Intrigue is of primary interest, with romanticentanglement an integral part of the action. Greek mythology plays asignificant role in underpinning plots. Allusions to art, literature,philosophy, and religion serve a similar function. Reed sits down to writeevery day and tries to leave the desk having achieved at least a workable page.Frequently what comes of his effort amounts to no more than a serviceable paragraph,a single sentence, or a metaphor that might work in a context yet to beimagined.
Links:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelove
https://authorcentral.amazon.comgp/home
https.//ca.linkedin.com>reed-stirling
Affiliated Authors @ LinkedIn
Reed stirling @ Instagram
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GIVEAWAY
Reed Stirling will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawnwinner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawaySeptember 30, 2023
Review: GOOSEBUMPS: HEADS, YOU LOSE by R.L. Stine
It all began in the magic shop atHorrorland. That’s where Jessica finds a two-headed coin that’ll guarantee youwill win every time. Heads, I win. Tails, you lose.
One flip of the coin sends twokids flipping back through time to a royal castle. Having been caught by theguards, they were blatantly accused of killing the prince. Uh-oh, that can’t begood. But the thing was that the prince was not even dead. He was headless, butnot dead. Now, the kids were at the mercy of an angry prince, who demanded toknow where his head was and wanted it back. Will these kids lose their heads,too? The kids will have to use every magic trick they know to get out of thisone.
A fun read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 10 by Jordie Bellaire
A new slayer shows up and it’sKendra! The arrival of Kendra was kind of cool, but, again, not much action inthis one. An okay read.
Rating:3 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 11 by Jordie Bellaire
Kendra, the slayer, attacksXander, the vampire. Buffy is dead because that’s the only way a new slayer isactivated. This one gives us a little backstory on Robin Wood, who was the sonof a slayer. We get some creepy cool graphics toward the end. A good read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 9 by Jordie Bellaire
Whoa, I guess Xander became avampire after all! Besides Xander’s fight with the vamp, this issue was totallyuneventful. Not a good read.
Rating:2 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 8 by Jordie Bellaire
Can’t really tell what’s going onin this one. Dru captures Buffy’s mom…I think? Not the best read.
Rating:2 stars
