Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 162

Author Feature: Bryan Cole and his book, BEGINNING OF ARROGANCE

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK

 

            Beginning of Arrogance is a fantasy adventure in the sword-and-sorcery style. It centers around the protagonist, Krell, a recently called paladin in service to the erratic god of the seas and skies, ReckNor. Paladins in my setting are direct agents of their god, there to make their will manifest in the world, and to that end ReckNor communicates with Krell directly. Through following the vague and often unhelpful guidance he receives, Krell and his companions stumble across a larger threat, and are tasked with confronting it.

 

 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?

 

            Fundamentally, I wanted to read a story like this, and couldn’t find it! I am an avid reader, and love the fantasy genre. However, when I see settings where the gods are manifestly and provably real, too often the setting disregards the impact that would have on every aspect of every living creature’s lives. Even simple magic, to heal wounds or treat disease, would utterly transform society in ways I’ve so rarely read about.

            Beginning of Arrogance is my view of how the influence of accessible magic and deities you can interact with would restructure society. The main setting is a small coastal village town, to minimize some of the impact as it is figuratively at the end of nowhere and utterly unimportant. As the stories progress and more of the world is revealed, the town of Watford will be shown for the undeveloped backwater that it really is.

            Beyond the desire to read the story I want, there is an immense amount of joy in the actual process of writing itself. I hope that people enjoy Beginning of Arrogance enough that I am able to write the entire series I have plotted out!

 

 

 

WHAT DRIVES YOUR CHARACTERS IN YOUR STORY?

 

            Each of the characters have different motivations, some obvious, some not. Gerrard, Tristan, and Orca appear to be motivated by wealth, while Kraven seems driven by a desire for combat and excitement. They are contrasted by Krell, who is driven by the thunderous voice of ReckNor in his thoughts. There are a lot of spoilers describing what motivates the other characters introduced later. Fundamentally, each of the characters has a nearly unique motivation for doing what they are doing, and while that isn’t necessarily obvious to Krell (or the reader!), each of them has their own reasons for being there.

 

 

 

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS A PIVOTAL SCENE IN YOUR BOOK AND WHY?

 

            Chapter 10, where the characters learn just what they’ve stumbled across and the ramifications for the town of Watford specifically, but the entire kingdom generally. For Krell, in particular, it is the moment when he begins to realize why ReckNor called him as a paladin.

 

 

 

IF YOUR BOOK WERE TO BE MADE INTO A MOVIE, WHO WOULD BE YOUR CAST?

 

This is a really hard question for me! Both because I’m only generally aware of what is happening in the up and coming actor and actresses world, but also because there are so many characters in Beginning of Arrogance. For Krell, I would pick someone like Timothée Chalamet. He blew me away with his portrayal of Paul Atredies in Dune and has the right sort of wiry strength that I imagine Krell would have. Olgar would be well served by someone like Stellan Skarsgaard, while Captain Gijwolf would be Idris Elba. Maybe someone like Tanner Buchanan for Tristan, who has a major narrative role as the lancer to Krell, our protagonist.

 

 

WHAT CRITERIA DID YOU USE WHEN SELECTING THE COVER FOR YOUR BOOK?

 

I needed something both visually interesting that would attract attention, but also something that tied into Krell and his towering arrogance. I went through a few iterations, but early on I had settled on a scene from the climax of the book, showing the desperate odds they face and a relatively cocky Krell thinking that everything is fine. The first few drafts were much larger and more complex, and didn’t capture what I was looking for. The final version shows Krell up close, but visible in the reflection of his helmet and shield are multiple enemies coming for him. Combined with the battle damage to his gear, the spatters of blood, and the cocky smile, it sums up exactly how I think Krell would be acting in that moment. I’m really happy with how it turned out!

 

 

 

 

WAS THERE A MESSAGE IN YOUR BOOK THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO CONVEY?

 

One of the overarching themes of the book is freedom of choice, and the consequences that come from that. I limited the scope of the book to Watford and the environs, both because this is my debut novel (start small!) but also because the consequences of their choices can be portrayed as more intimate and impactful to the characters directly. This theme will continue throughout the series, where freedom of choice is contrasted directly against the consequences of making choices.

 

 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A WRITER?

 

The biggest challenge is finding time to write. Between a full time job in the enterprise software space, and my friends and family, I only manage to get a small amount of time to write. The second biggest challenge is motivation to write. When I have the time and the motivation, I can in a single session write a half dozen scenes. When I don’t have the motivation, I find I cannot manage to do anything productive. After that, the biggest challenge I face is my tendency to edit while I write. Despite knowing that you just need to write now, and edit later, I constantly find myself immediately going back over the words I have just written and making changes.

 

 

IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT ARE THE 3 THINGS YOU WOULD BRING WITH YOU?

In the real world, I would bring a water filtration and purification system, a satellite phone with GPS, and a solar charging station. I would, after getting sufficient charge, contact everyone I know and get them to call for help, while also providing precise coordinates as to my location. The water purification so that even if it takes a week for a rescue ship to arrive, I’d still be fine. Being stranded is not something I would enjoy, and I would want to minimize that time as quickly as possible!

If we’re going hypothetical, then I’d lead with a Starfleet replicator, a fusion battery to power it, and… um… actually, I wouldn’t need anything else, because I have a replicator.

 

 

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR NEW WRITERS?

Two pieces, actually. First, write then edit. Get your story written out, and then worry about making the character motivations and the plot flow smoothly and seamlessly between scenes. Second, you must hire a professional editor. I encourage you to get beta readers as well, but a professional editor is a mandatory part of the process. They’re an objective third party and will see things you could never spot on your own. Chapter 11 of Beginning of Arrogance is substantially better because I hired an editor!

 

 

 

ARE YOU WORKING ON ANYTHING NEW RIGHT NOW? IF SO, WHAT?

Onward to book two, which is about eighty thousand words in, and will focus on the survivors of Beginning of Arrogance, and the consequences of their actions in that book. It’s tough to talk about without giving away spoilers, but Krell learns a lot about what he and his companions want, and that sometimes he really needs to listen to Tristan - who, I would point out, was almost always correct in Beginning of Arrogance, yet rarely listened to!

              

Excerpt:

 

Krell shrugged and looked back at Gerrard. “Whatever else I am, Gerrard, I’m a survivor. Maybe that’s why ReckNor chose me to be a paladin. Maybe he wrecked the ship on purpose to see if I had what it took. Maybe he didn’t. Either way, I hear the call. My blade is in his service, my will is his will. His voice thunders in my head, making his will known to me.”

 

“Wow. You know, Kraven’s right, you are intense!” Gerrard walked along in silence for a few minutes next to him. Then he turned and said, “That sounds really hard, having another voice in your head all the time.”

 

Krell laughed. “Nah, it’s really easy. When he tells me something, I do it. When he doesn’t say anything, I do whatever I want.”

 

Gerrard frowned. “I thought paladins had all sorts of rules they had to follow.”

 

Krell grinned at him. “You’re thinking of followers of Hieron the Honorable, lord of justice. There’s a big temple of his in Heaford, just up the coast, where the duke holds court. I’ve never met one of his followers, but apparently he loves calling paladins, and they’re pretty common in that faith. Most paladin stories are about paladins of Hieron.” 

 

“Not common in ReckNor’s faith, though?” 

 

“Not remotely. Apparently, Olgar can’t remember the last time ReckNor called one. He’s… well, most people think he’s insane, and that if you don’t appease him, he’ll destroy you. A cult of sailors and the mad. That he’s temperamental enough that even if you appease him, he still might destroy you. Which is all… somewhat true, I’d say.” 

 

Ahead, Tristan laughed. “You’re telling me you think your god is insane?” 

 

Krell shook his head. “No, but temperamental? Absolutely. Appease him or else, which is how his faith works. Sailors and those who live and work on the sea pay homage, though for many, it is out of fear. He’s often thought of as a survival-of-the-fittest sort of god.” Krell noticed they were all looking at him now. Orca looked unhappy, Kraven appeared to be controlling his laughter, and Tristan and Gerrard were looking at him like he was dangerous. 

 

“So… what does ReckNor teach, then?” asked Gerrard. 

 

Krell thought about it, and Tristan looked like he was dreading an explanation. Better to keep things simple for now, he thought. “Basically two things. The first is that the seas and skies are his, so make offerings when you use them and he’s happy. The second is that he takes joy in the freedom of choice.” Krell went silent, and they walked on for a few moments before anyone said anything. 

 

“I thought you were going to drone on incessantly about your god and how great he is all the time,” said Tristan. 

 

Krell looked at him and smiled. “I’m a paladin. If you want that, go talk to Olgar. I’m here to show the faith of ReckNor through action, not through words.” Thunder rumbled in the distance as if on cue, adding ominous weight to his words. 

 

Gerrard snorted. “Did ReckNor just add some thunder in the background to make you sound more intimidating or dramatic or something?” 

 

Kraven laughed, and Krell joined him. Orca said, “That’s ridiculous!” at the same time Krell said, “Probably!” 

 

Book Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Arrogance-Bryan-Cole-ebook/dp/B0B5JJ338K/

Blog Tour: THE WARLOCK'S CURSE by C.B. Oresky

 

The Warlock's Curse

by C. B. Oresky

 

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GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

Clara and Angelica Grace have never met ghosts. They’ve never sailed on a tall ship, ridden wild unicorns, or fought with magical weapons. Instead, the teenage twins have a wretched existence, ignored by their troubled parents in a rundown home and tormented by the town’s snobs.

 

Everything turns topsy-turvy all of a sudden when discovery of an ancestor’s hidden journal with an odd key to an unknown door leads them into an entirely different realm.

 

The girls go on a thrilling oceanic voyage to search for mysterious whales, train with a seasoned warrior, and are befriended by a wise Master. But all is not a bouquet of lovely lilies…they are hunted by a cunning warlock and must rid themselves of The Warlock’s Curse.

 

 

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Excerpt #1

 

The whales’ frenzied song grew even louder—the electrical atmosphere intensified.

 

 “Now what’s happening? We’re dissolving!” Clara yelled, watching her little hands disappear and then reappear again.

 

Angelica observed different parts of the ship, their cats, their bodies, and the monkey crew all vanishing momentarily. She drew a sharp breath. She was about to say something when the ethereal whale swimming directly before them opened its massive mouth, saltwater pouring down its yawning maw that seemed miles and miles deep.

 

 “This is madness!” Clara shrieked, staring down the vast gaping throat of the beast. “Even a hurricane would be much better than this.

 

We’re going to die, for sure!” Angelica lost her composure. “Turn the ship!” she demanded. “I don’t wanna die!”

 

 “Impossible!” Claudius cried. “We must go!” “I’m gonna be sick!” Clara cried, her face pasty. She clasped her sister’s scrawny hand in horror. What lay before them was far worse than that scary roller coaster Angelica had once convinced her to try at their town fair.

 

Catapulted forward by the hurrying tide, Claudius’s ship now sailed upon the phantasm of a massive whale. The sleek vessel hung momentarily on the edge of the watery precipice of white light, then slipped straight down the monster’s wide-open chasm…

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Fascinated by the works of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, C.B. Oresky began writing her own fantasy novel, The Warlock’s Curse, after dreaming of being whisked off to an alien realm. Besides her debut novel, she has seen four of her short stories published in a small, national literary press: Conceit Magazine. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through the  woods, dancing flamenco, or planting flowers in her garden. She currently lives in a small town in Connecticut with her bodybuilder husband, their exceptionally naughty Scottish terrier and Siamese cat, ten chickens, Mr. Tiggy the hedgehog, and a yard filled with majestic flowers.

 

Website: www.cbOresky.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarlockscurse/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarlockscurse/

Twitter: @cbOresky

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cboresky

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-b-oresky

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22747540.C_B_Oresky

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

 

 

A randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $50 Amazon/BN GC.

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Book Blast: BLACK MAGIC MURDER by Polly Holmes

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Polly Holmes will be awarding a $15 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.

Careful what you wish for!

Graduating to a fully-fledged witch on my upcoming birthday should be a momentous occasion, but when a local hairdresser turns up dead, I know it’s going to be one hell of a week.

Saltwater Cove’s resident infuriating fae looks like a good suspect for the murder, but insists she’s innocent and reveals a huge secret too amazing to be a lie. But if she didn’t do it… then who did?

The murder triggers the return of a dark force… dark enough to send even the most experienced witches into panic mode. Harriet, Jordi and Tyler join me as I try to find the culprit, putting my magical abilities to the ultimate test.

When the killer strikes even closer to home, I need to up my game if I’m going to keep evil at bay.…or have I finally met my supernatural match?

Read an Excerpt

A vibration jumped my phone across the dresser followed by a chorus of Dance Monkey. I picked it up to see Jordi’s smile plastered on the screen.

Now what?

“Hello, Jordi. Did you forget something?” I asked, prepared for a quick talking answer.

“Um, no not really.”

The awkward tone in her voice put me on edge. My free hand gripped the edge of the dresser. “Jordi, what’s wrong?”

“I think we have a problem,” she said, an urgency in her tone that sent my blood cold.

“What are you talking about?”

“I was on my way home and drove past Salty Snips. There were police cars with sirens and flashing lights, and they’d cordoned off the entrance with tape.”

Please don’t say it. Please don’t say it.

“Being the sticky beak that I am, I pulled over to check it out. Although they won’t confirm it, I think you better get over here and fast. I believe we have a murderer loose in Saltwater Cove.”

She said it.

Jordi wasn’t wrong. As I turned down the road toward Salty Snips, blue and red police lights flashed while sirens pierced the air. A pile of cars had blocked off different parts of the street and the entrance to the hairdresser. That didn’t stop the nosy onlookers from planting themselves at any available advantage point, mobile phones ready to take a photo or recording of what or who was the main attraction.

I pulled to the curb in the first available parking spot and grabbed my phone to call Jordi. I needn’t have bothered; she was on a beeline for my car. My stomach tensed as I got out to greet her.

Three days out from my birthday and we have a new dead body in town. And I didn’t even need a party!

About the Author: Polly Holmes is the cheeky, sassy alter ego of Amazon best-selling author, P.L. Harris. When she's not writing her next romantic suspense novel as P.L. Harris, she is planning the next murder in one of Polly’s cozy mysteries. She pens food-themed and paranormal cozy mysteries and publishes her books solely with Gumnut Press.

As Polly Holmes, Cupcakes and Corpses was a finalist in the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America’s 2019 IDA International Digital Awards, short suspense category. Cupcakes and Curses claimed second place and Cupcakes and Cyanide gained third place making it a clean sweep in the category.

She won silver in the 2020 ROAR! National Business Awards in the Writer/Blogger/Author category and for the second year in a row, she was a finalist in the 2021 ROAR! National Business Awards winning bronze in the Writer/Blogger/Author category with Gumnut Press taking out the gold in the Hustle and Heart category.

2022 saw Polly Holmes’ books Muffins & Magic and Mistletoe, Murder & Mayhem long-listed in the Davitt Awards, a prestigious award run by the Sisters of Crime, Australia. Muffins & Magic also placed in the finals of the cozy mystery category in the Nashville Silver Falchion Awards. She lives in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, with her Bichon Frise, Bella.

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Blog Tour: ILSA AND BEAR'S BANGS by Rosemary J. Robson

 

Ilsa and Bear's Bangs

by Rosemary J. Robson

 

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GENRE: Children's Book

 

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BLURB:

 

I'm sorry to say; in fact, very reluctant to tell you that, because you picked up this book to read, your life will never again be the same.

 

I am reluctant because I know your resistance, and I know how much you want things to stay the same. I am reluctant because I know how much work I have caused myself because of your resistance. You need to read this story because it is the first in a series of the most astounding fables. Ilsa is a friendly and warm young lady who is always available to help her friends. Since you have bothered to pick up this book, would you be so kind as to join her as she helps Bear overcome his outgrown bangs? This will offer Bear a renewed sense of energy to help him deal with his mischievous cubs.

 

And so, you must know you have now entered the world of Incredible Ilsa, and there is no looking back. Change, good change, necessary and inevitable change, is happening right now.

Come on in and enjoy the ride.

 

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Excerpt Two:

 

Ilsa helps others by cutting their hair. One day…Ilsa saw that her friend Bear was having a bad day. Ilsa thought maybe Bear was having a bad day because Bear’s hair was hanging down in his eyes

 

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Review: Meet Ilsa, a girl that likes to find beauty in everything. One day, she finds Bear in a foul mood. She thought maybe it was the long bangs covering her eyes. Perhaps Ilsa could help with that.

See how Ilsa takes the reader through the hair-cutting process.

A cute and colorful story. There’s not much substance to it. It’s pretty much short and simple. But it’s a nice picture book nonetheless.

 

Rating: 4 stars

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Rosemary Robson is a hairstylist, a personal trainer and a yoga instructor. She is a girl and a woman and a mom. She is a writer and loves to cook almost anything. She loves to paint, sing, and write poetry. When there is a problem to solve or a task to be done, she has no problem rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty. To create new space, let go of what was to make room for what is. She loves the outdoors and is very good at sipping wine on a patio during a beautiful sunny day, especially when in the company of a very dear friend.

 

 

CONNECT WITH KATHRYN LEE

 

WEBSITE:

https://rjrobson.com/

 

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/155278239-rosemary-robson

 

PURCHASE LINKS:

 

Amazon.com.au

https://amazon.ca/dp/0228875064

 

Amazon.com https://amazon.com/dp/0228875064

 

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ilsa-and-bears-bangs-rosemary-j-robson/1141706397

 

Book Depository

https://www.bookdepository.com/Ilsa-and-Bears-Bangs-Rosemary-J-Robson/9780228875062

 

Kindle https://amazon.com/dp/B0B4QTZS21

 

Indigo

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/ilsa-and-bears-bangs/9780228875062-item.html

 

Walmart

https://www.walmart.com/search?q=9780228875062

 

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GIVEAWAY:

 

Rosemary J. Robson will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Blog Tour: THE GUARDIAN by Jen Colly

 

The Guardian

by Jen Colly

 

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GENRE:   Paranormal Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Prepared to die...fighting to live.

Savard was in a mood to die, but when a human insists on saving his life, death is no longer an immediate option. He knew of no species – human, vampire, or demon – that could see him while in his invisible Spirit form. Unique to this world, this woman's singularity was a danger to the entire vampire race.

Waking behind bars in an underground vampire city was not how Sera envisioned her night drive ending. She has come to expect nothing from those who pass through her life, but this man, dying on the side of the road, proves to be different. Savard fights to free her from tyrannical vampire laws and to hide her unique abilities. What Sera doesn't understand, is why he would fight his growing love for her.

Savard's haunted past threatens to tear them apart. Soon, Sera discovers just how far her guardian is willing to go, and what he's willing to do, to keep her safe.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

A total of twelve Justice had been slaughtered in less than two nights by a single Forbidden. None of them had been prepared for the violent force of unholy power and honed skill that was Devlin Savard.

 

When it was done, the Forbidden didn’t bother to look around, to make certain none had enough life left in them to make a second attempt. Savard knew he’d finished them.

 

Stepping over the bodies and twisted limbs, the Forbidden strode to the trees, toward Gideon. In a flashing moment of panic, Gideon looked down at his body, made certain he remained concealed in his invisible Spirit form. He was, but the confirmation only gave him a marginal sense of security. Savard still advanced up the hill in his direction.

 

The slippery layer of snow on the grass didn’t slow the Forbidden, his injuries didn’t affect him, and Gideon couldn’t help but wonder if there was anyone in this world who could take down Savard.

 

Savard walked into the forest, never slowing, weaving around the bare trees at the top of the hill until he faced the spot where Gideon stood, still invisible and undetectable, or so he’d thought. How the hell had Savard known where to find him?

 

“Afraid to face me?” Savard asked, but not at all in a taunting manner, as Gideon had expected. Then, seeming somehow disappointed, Savard turned his back on Gideon, casually surveying the carnage he’d left in the clearing. “I can understand why.”

 

Gideon didn’t care for confrontation. Never had. It was a ridiculous trait for a man in his position of both Guardian and Justice to possess. Some would say he’d chosen the wrong profession, but few were aware he’d had no choice in the matter. Releasing his Spirit, Gideon appeared not eight feet behind the infamous Forbidden.

 

“Ah,” Savard said in a satisfied manner at the sound of Gideon’s boots sinking into the snow. Turning slowly to face him, Savard looked him over as if he’d already known what he would find. “The man who commanded the Valenna Justice.”

 

Not caring for Savard’s usage of the word command in the past tense, Gideon assured him, “My captain will send more men.”

 

“He always does,” Savard said, his gaze drifting off to some distant point. As his body turned slightly, it was clear the Forbidden’s shirt glistened wetly in the moonlight, sticking to his side.

 

“You’re bleeding.” Gideon smiled, tight-lipped. Behnam had made a damn good strike.

 

“Am I?” Savard said easily, as if he hadn’t noticed, and then his gaze caught Gideon’s sword still secured in its scabbard. “Yet I see you’ve no interest in rekindling the fight.”

 

Gideon shrugged. It was true. He’d tracked him down and set the Justice loose as instructed. Nothing more. He refused to risk his life when Captain Basteen’s betrayal of the very laws Gideon himself struggled to uphold lingered fresh in his mind. “I don’t see the point. This round has been won.”

 

“So the generals live to fight the next battle. Is that the idea?”

 

“Something of the sort.”

 

“Be honest. That was hardly a fair fight. You brought them here to die.” Savard turned his back on Gideon again, boldly walking away. Then, just before he went down the other side of the ridge, Savard called out, his voice echoing in the night, “Want me dead? Bring an army.”

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Jen Colly is the rare case of an author who rebelled against reading assignments throughout her school years. Now she prefers reading books in a series, which has led her to writing her first paranormal romance series: The Cities Below. She will write about anything that catches her fancy, though truth be told, her weaknesses are pirates and vampires. She lives in Ohio with her supportive husband, two kids, one fluffy dog, and four rescued cats.

 

 

Purchase Links: https://www.amazon.com/Jen-Colly/e/B00O13V3YO?

 

https://books2read.com/cbtheguardian

 

Social Media Links:

 

Website – https://www.jencolly.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jen.colly.1/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/collyjen

Blog - http://www.jencolly.com/the-jen-mind-blog

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8634547.Jen_Colly

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/authorjencolly/

 

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GIVEAWAY :

 

Jen Colly will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Blog Tour: THE SUNRISERS by Robyn Singer

 

The Sunrisers

by Robyn Singer

 

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GENRE:   Lesbian Space Opera

 

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BLURB:

 

After years of adventures, professional thief and amateur noodle critic Yael is invited to join The Order of the Banshee, a collection of the greatest female thieves in the universe, despite being decades younger than any of them.

Yael’s childhood best friend, Molina, has lived the opposite life: a stern and serious member of The Sunrisers, the universe’s premiere peacekeeping organization, she’s just been promoted to Captain, serving under her father. Her first assignment of her new command: Bring down The Order of the Banshee.

Yael and Molina now find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict neither of them will escape unscathed. The love they have for each other is the same as when they were young, but either their personal values or their love will break.

In this game of cat and mouse, both women must use all their wits and tricks to stay ahead of their new enemy. Will order triumph, or will chaos? No matter what, Yael and Molina will both lose.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

Outside the cave, ground troops were being deployed, the sound of their combat boots stomping on the moon’s surface echoing. And inside the cave, eleven of the smartest and most dangerous women in the universe were staring daggers straight into my eyes. 

 

“I knew we couldn’t trust a whippersnapper,” Athena York said. 

 

“How very disappointing,” Beatriz Nunez snarled. 

 

“I have a granddaughter in the Sunrisers,” Lilith hummed. “If you tipped her off, I’ll at least respect you for going for the heart.” 

 

I shook my head and swung my arms around, sweating from every pore. “I swear I didn’t call them. This is all just a big misunderstanding. You have my complete loyalty.” 

 

Madame N’gwa cocked her head to the side and grinned. “You wanted to be a Sunriser when you were even more of a baby than you are now. Perhaps you made a deal to make your dream finally come true.” 

 

A shocking pain surrounded my heart. Those Sunriser bastards had stolen all the trust I’d earned from my idols through years of deceit. Whichever captain was in charge of this operation was going to pay. 

 

Lioness stepped forward, crushing her glass in her hand and sending small shards flying all over the place. “Thank you for sharing your story with me. But I don’t think we’ll be hearing anymore of them. Rather, I don’t think you’ll be living any more of them.” 

 

 

 

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What are the most important elements in a space opera?

The most important elements in a space opera are the same as the most important elements in any story: the characters and their dynamics. At the end of the day, what most readers will remember about a story aren’t the nuances of the plot, the details of the world-building, or any amount of purple prose. All these elements can of course enhance a story, but the characters are what people will most latch onto. They are what people will most discuss and analyze, and passionately hate or love. They are the story.

When it comes to a space opera specifically, you’re creating a whole universe wholecloth, and the characters you create, who potentially grew up on different planets, should not only be drastically different from each other because of where and how they were raised, but these character traits should be used to inform the reader about the state of the setting, without overt exposition.

Looking at my own core cast, three of them come from the same planet, while the other two are from different planets. Yael Pavnick, Molina Langstone, and Princess Kaybell Kose Bythora all come from Cykeb, the capital of a universe spanning empire which presents itself as a utopia, even as all the worlds under it very much are not. The impact of this world, and different aspects of its culture, are shown through Yael, Molina, and Kaybell. Yael comes from a middle-class family with a pickle business, showing that while poverty may not exist on this world, a class system still does, who’s life was taken off course by the discrimination she faced as an Autistic woman, showing that the planet isn’t as free of bigotry as it claims. Molina is the daughter of the supreme general of The Sunrisers, an intergalactic peacekeeping group which, while officially politically neutral, is inextricably tied to The Cykebian Empire. Molina grew up submerged in the propaganda of both her government and the military organization she dreamed of joining, and believes in it till the present. Rounding out this trio, Kaybell shows what the elites of this society are truly like, the attitudes they hold, and how they live. With our two non-Cykebian leads, Aarif Bhatti was a low-level criminal from a planet full of low-level criminals, showing how worlds outside the empire suffer in their own way, and P’Ken Amatyn is the daughter of a finishing school headmistress, with the entire culture of her planet based around the school she grew up in.

These five are products of their environments and their experiences, and they couldn’t be more different from one another. Having contrasting characters like this, showing how they bounce off one another, and exploring their relationships and what they say about the real world is what’s at the heart of all stories, and especially space operas.

 

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Robyn Singer is a lifelong New Yorker, and since she was a kid playing with her action figures, all she’s wanted to do is tell stories. She went to SUNY Purchase to get a degree in Playwriting & Screenwriting with a minor in Film and has produced several comic books, but she’s always had her eye on becoming a published novelist.

As an Autistic, bisexual trans woman, diversity and inclusion in stories are vitally important to her, and she seeks to represent as many groups as possible in her work. While she wants to show characters of marginalized groups experiencing joy, she also draws inspiration from real-world problems which bother her.

The Sunrisers (Cinnabar Moth Publishing, November 2022) is her debut novel. She writes novels and short stories of all genres and for all ages, and she continues to produce comic books. Her ongoing series, Final Gamble, will begin publication by Band of Bards in 2022.

Follow her on twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmaLSinger

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robynlsinger/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sunrisers-Robyn-Singer-ebook/dp/B0B9C1HCB9/

 

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GIVEAWAY :

 

Robyn Singer will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt: THE MYRK MAIDEN: DAUGHTER DARKNESS by Alyssa Charpentier

 

EXCERPT:

I should have felt something.

Sadness. Regret. Despair.

Anything but nothing.

Our slow descent back into the bowels of the building produced no distinct emotion. The longer we walked through the twisted halls, the more cemented my mental paralysis became. I would not feel for my friend.

Cobi was a zyz, and I, as Solshek had noted, was different. Cobi and I could never understand each other again as we once had. He was as he was always intended to be; dead to me.

"Here is its home," said Father.

He paused in front of a weathered stone door with a tiny square of bars stretching across the top and allowed me a moment to gather myself. Before he opened it, he said his piece.

"Remember to forget whatever it once was to you. It has a very slim hold on life now as it is. The saas is yours. Consume it and move on. You are above any zyz now," Father told me. "Remember who Twilight is."

"Yes," I agreed. "I will remember."

Father nodded, then unsecured each lock, one by one. When the stone door swung open, a slow second passed with each inch it crept forward. I thought about how I would feel when it revealed the body lying inside.

Nothing.

It was almost wearisome how long it was taking. Was that my mind turning a door into eternity, or was it actually that stubborn and cumbersome?

But then, as it happens with all moments, the moment was gone. I found myself gazing upon the figure of the boy I had almost grown to cherish months ago when we were just a bit younger and much better, much more well in our bodies and minds…

When I entered the cell, I fought back the revulsion I felt at the thought of demolishing him, of gutting his insides and shredding him to unrecognizable ribbons of flesh and battered bone so no one would remember the boy the Sharavak Aaquaena had once called friend. The old Twilight grappled with the new again, but the new me was winning.

No zyz is worth its heartbeat, Shadow Twilight snarled. An irreversible action can occur in one moment, meaning the difference between eternal contentment and existential regret. You will not regret destroying this thing as it deserves, but you will regret trading Aaksa's favor for fancying lesser creatures.

But why does he deserve such a thing? The girl in me argued. What crime has he committed by living?

A much darker voice in my head growled, A crime against the sacredness of Aadyalbaine. Kill the zyz. This is your true testament of faith, your final chance.

But– Girl Twilight started to protest.

The voice hissed again, But nothing. The game has changed, Twilight. Committing raefsa on this zyz will determine what and who you are. Twilight Urik, Aafyrira, Myrk Maiden, and Aaquaena of the Sharavaks, or Twilight Mavericc, meritless zyz girl, Queen of Nothing?

Queen of Nothing. Daughter Darkness. Queen of Nothing...

 

Available on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Myrk-Maiden-Daughter-Darkness-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B098MXQHTK/

Review: MY FILTHY, LITTLE HOUSEWIFE by Vivian Gunn

A man furious to learn his wife was having an affair. He wants proof and the security cameras around the house will reveal the truth. What he views is an erotic girl-on-girl action. When he goes home to confront the situation, it ends in a rather pleasant experience…for everyone. Who knew it would turn out to be a contest for the wife?

A short, hot read!

 

Rating: 4 stars

Review: HOTEL AFFAIR by Vivian Gunn

Why would a 42-year-old woman send a friend request to a plain, old college student? It didn’t take long to realize her sensual intentions in the matter. Thing was that the college student has always been bi-curious and didn’t know which way to swing.

Solution: a hotel affair with her and her husband. Oh my! What a hot, short affair!

 

Rating: 4 stars

Review: STALK AND STUFF HER by Jenna Rose

A mob man looking to go legit is obsessed with a woman that he’ll protect at all cost. His possessive side certainly was…hot.

Callie is a woman hiding from an abusive ex-boyfriend. She’s through with all men, but she can’t help her attraction to her protective stalker—a stalker who saves her from a sticky situation. Again, that’s hot.

Hot and sweet, this is a story you’ll want to gobble up.

 

Rating: 4 stars