Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 75
March 11, 2024
Spotlight: INVASIVE SPECIES by D. Bohica
Summary:
In a realm where magic intertwines with the forces of nature, a formidable orc gladiator, Roar'Z, joins forces with Becky, his steadfast companion, in an urgent quest for survival. This epic tale unfolds in the mystical Enchanted Expanse, a land teeming with powerful druids, ferocious dragons, and other mythical beings.
Roar'Z, renowned for his brute strength and battle prowess, faces an array of daunting challenges. His journey is one of valor and resilience, marked by intense battles that test his mettle and leadership. With each skirmish, Roar'Z harnesses his fierce rage to overcome adversities, leaving a trail of awe in the wake of his flaming darts and strategic combat.
In stark contrast, Becky embodies a spirit of hope and healing, her presence a beacon in the direst of circumstances. Together, they navigate treacherous terrains, confronting both external threats and internal conflicts. Their bond, rooted in unshakeable loyalty and courage, proves pivotal as they confront the formidable Crimson Ruby, a dragon whose presence looms large over their fate.
Their path is fraught with danger, from a harrowing escape from the Gladiator Gulague to a tense showdown on a seaweed-strewn platform surrounded by perilous waters. These encounters underscore the story’s central themes: the resilience of the spirit, the power of unity, and the relentless pursuit of safeguarding one’s kind against overwhelming odds.
In this high-stakes adventure, alliances shift like the winds, and the line between friend and foe blurs. Each chapter is a testament to the extraordinary strength found in togetherness, even in the darkest of times. The narrative races towards a climactic confrontation, where the fate of Clan Rotem hangs in the balance.
This novel is more than a story of survival, it is an exhilarating journey through a world brimming with danger and unexpected alliances. It's a vivid portrayal of heroism, steeped in fantasy and rich in emotional depth. Prepare for a riveting experience that resonates with courage, echoing in the heart of every reader who dares to delve into this fantastical world.
Scene:
While the twogladiators prepared for the evening's final fight, the announcer gave anuninspiring introduction of the two fighters. He completed his speech byannouncing this evening's contest would only be to first blood.
Roar'Z walkedthrough the arena to a stand with a water bucket, mirror, and straightrazor. He used the straight razor to cut off his skull's two weeks of hairgrowth. He made many deep, painful cuts on his head, drawing blood.
Blood and pain makerage and anger flow. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as feralenergy coursed through him. His wounds began to heal with remarkablespeed, fueled by an unstoppable rage.
Roar'Z did not knowthat his extraordinary healing ability had been passed down to him from one ofhis grandparents, a pure-blooded Troll. The pain and steady flow of bloodlasted only a few seconds. The sight of congealed blood covering Roar'Z'sface and neck was horrifying. Roar'Z threw the sharp razor up into thesky.
Roar'Z gloweredfiercely at the elephant man, the airborne razor ignited, it landed and stuckin the wooden stand. Flames engulfed the stand, licking its surface as ifeager to devour any trace of its existence.
Roar'Z drank fromIandel's dragon blood-filled water skin.
GlauKus's floppyears quivered with anticipation...
Author's Social Media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/D.Bohica
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/d_bohica/
TickTock - www.tiktok.com/@d.bohica
Webpage - https://dbohica.com/
March 9, 2024
Review: THE RUNNING GIRLS by Matt Brolly
Randall, after having beenconvicted for murdering his wife, was officially released. With nowhere else togo, he returns home, where relatives still remember what had happened. Laurie,a homicide cop and also married to Randall’s son, still remembered how theyfound Annie that day—positioned on the ground like if she was running.
In his old house, Randall contendswith the haunting memories of his old life, his loss, his trial, and his brokenfamily.
The writing was good—lavish andvivid—however, the prose was a little slow. By chapter 6, Laurie begins toinvestigate a missing girl that was last seen running the night before. Thepace was slow all the way. The family drama seems to get too much in the way.When do we find a dead body? It was just one long search with not much to showfor. I was kind of enjoying it up until about a ¼ of the way in. Then it juststarted becoming a drag.
It can be a fairly nice read ifyou’re patient enough to stick with it.
Rating:3 stars
Review: THE CABIN BELOW by NL Hinkens
A couple working on their marriagewas embarking on a cruise. On the first day onboard, Allison’s expensivenecklace is stolen. At first, it became a question of whether the necklace wasstolen or if Allison simply misplaced it. Story gets more interesting whenAllison starts suspecting that her husband might be trying to kill her. Itturns out there were various characters on this ship with motive and secrets.
The mysteries here were random andunspecific, but they were alluring. It certainly made you think, which I liked.
About halfway through, we don’tget Allison’s POV anymore, so we begin to wonder what happened to her—anothermystery and probably the biggest one here. What happened to Allison? Did shefall overboard? Was it suicide? Or murder? Now we’re really riveted to thestory.
Fortunately, a new friend on theship wasn’t going to let this go.
You eagerly await for this complexweb of deceit to unravel. You’re just itching to find out. What a surpriseending!
A spectacular read!
Rating:5 stars
Review: IF YOU WERE HERE by Alafaire Burke
The news storyof a mysterious superwoman saving a promising young teen on the subway track.Was there something here? The reporter doing the story didn’t expect torecognize the face on the video. It was the face of a woman that disappearedwithout a trace 10 years ago. If the woman was alive, where had she been thiswhole time?
This mysterysort of lures you in. For a while, McKenna reminisces about Susan—how she wasand how she introduced her to her husband. Then she gets down to research. Thenarrative was pretty good—decent—but still slow. The progression was evenslower. I will say that this Alafaire Burke book held my interest longer thanall the other books I’ve tried to read. Still, this wasn’t a 4 or 5-star readfor me. The MC McKenna spends way too much time writing her book.
The read,overall, was fairly nice, but I just expected more excitement and a fasterstory. I wanted more suspense. This was probably the best book I’ve read fromthis author and it got no more than 3 stars from me.
Rating:3 stars
Review: 21 DARES by JC Gatlin
This one takes a long while to getgoing. I was actually surprised at how long it was taking. First, we had a longchapter of Abbie’s sister getting taken or killed or whatever. Then we get aneven longer storyline of Abbie’s life in college. Pace was very slow! It justseemed like we were taking forever to get to the 21 dares. I was like 10chapters in and there were no dares. Get on with it already! This was not whatI was expecting. Just terrible!
Rating:1 star
Review: FIND ME by Alafair Burke
It’s been 15 years. She’d beenliving under a new name: Hope. The first chapter ended on an interesting note,I have to admit. However, getting into the second chapter kind of confuses youon the timeline. This was supposed to be later in the day, right?
The prose keeps a consistentlyslow pace. Time jumps around so much that it makes you dizzy and it mainlyfocuses on character backstories rather than a mystery. Does something happensoon? This book showed promise, but it was a big flop.
This was very disappointing. I’mreally starting to hate this author.
Please find me a good book by thisauthor!
Rating:1 star
March 8, 2024
Blog Tour: PETRIFIED PRUNELLA by Sophie Jupillat Posey
Join Prunella on a journey of self-discovery as she navigates thefears surrounding her first tooth loss in a new country in this newbook, Petrified Prunella.
Petrified Prunella
by Sophie JupillatPosey
Genre: BilingualChildren’s Book
Join Prunella on a journey of self-discovery as she navigates thefears surrounding her first tooth loss in a new country in this newbilingual book, Petrified Prunella.
Sweet Prunella issoon to lose her first tooth. She dreads the pain and the LittleMouse who in France whisks your pearly whites away.
But as sherelocates to the United States with her family and learns about newtooth traditions, will Prunella be able to conquer her fears andinhibitions?
Petrified Prunella motivates children toovercome their fears, inspires them to embrace change, educates youngreaders about different cultural traditions, and empowers them tomake choices. This book will help you raise open-minded, confidentkids.
Get your copy today and join Petrified Prunella onthis heartwarming journey from France to the United States, as shediscovers the magic hidden within every gap-toothed smile.
Meet Prunella, a sweet girl thatcould not hurt any living thing. See how gentle she was with all living things.The art work was lovely.
Prunella had many good qualities.But she also had fears, and the fears multiplied when she was forced to moveout of her country. Everything was new to her and she was scared of everything.Meanwhile, she was having pain on her tooth and was afraid of a rodent thatmight come take it. I kind of felt that there were two separate issues herethat didn’t quite coincide.
Oddly enough, it was her toothsuperstition that opened her up to the new kids at school.
Story was a good reflection of thedifferences in cultures around the world. Was this more a story about Prunellafacing her fears as the new kid in a new country? Or was this more aboutPrunella figuring out the legend of the Tooth Fairy? Either way, it was aboutPrunella getting over her fear.
A nice read!
Rating:4 stars
I Really REALLY Don’t Want Braces
by Sophie JupillatPosey
Genre: BilingualChildren’s Book
Join Mario as he gets his braces and learns to stand up against hisnot-so-friendly friends in this bilingual book.
Mariohates his braces. They are painful, they look ugly, and his food getsstuck in them all the time.
As everyone at school makes fun ofMario and he is disheartened by all the mocking he faces, willMario’s elder brother, Tony, be able to help him stand up againsthis bullies and finally accept his braces?
I Really REALLY Don’tWant Braces inspires children to embrace their braces, educatesthem on the benefits of braces, teaches children to stand up forthemselves, and motivates young readers to discover their innerstrength. This book will help you raise confident and resilientlittle humans.
A kid doesn’t want to get braces.
The are is nice and the words arewritten in a poetic limerick. It was cute and funny. It expresses the agony ofhaving to get and living with the braces. Oh, the pain and shame!
This is a story that mostkids—those that have had braces—will be able to relate to. A good example oftaking things in stride and not letting the taunts bother you. I especiallyliked how the kid kept changing the colors of his braces all year round. It waspretty cool!
A great read!
Rating:5 stars
French-Venezuelan Sophie Jupillat Posey wrote a poem about spring inthe 4th grade and started a mystery series a year later. She’s beenhooked to creating stories ever since. She studied writing and musicat Rollins College. She’s had numerous short stories and poetrypublished in literary magazines since 2014. She enjoys reading andwriting anything from science fiction and fantasy, to paranormal andmystery novels. When she isn’t writing, she is composing music,creating albums, and teaching English to students in France. She canbe reached on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and her website.
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Blog Tour: WHEN THE STARS ALIGN by Emery Cruz
A fake dating, movie star romance
Loving a Star
When the Stars AlignBook 1
by Emery Cruz
Genre: ContemporaryRomance
Pretend to date the broody, ridiculously handsome movie star whilewriting the score for his film… It’s a great gig until we scorein other ways.
In my teens, Ethan Stone was one of thebiggest stars, and I had a huge crush on him. Until a decade later,while I’m standing next to him on a movie set and he opens hismouth. What a jerk!
Luckily, I’m here to write andperform the songs for the movie. So I don’t have to work with himat all.
That is until the director and Ethan’s agent askme to fake date him to generate some tabloid gossip about themovie.
I’d rather shower naked with a hungry bear.
ButI’ve made a promise to myself, so I need to see this project to theend. And if I play this right, I might just be able to do that andget the hell out of this selfish, backstabbing industry.
ButEthan has a secret, and I’ve just fallen in love…
**Only.99cents!**
Unlucky in Love
When the Stars AlignBook 2
Dating your childhood idol is never a good idea. That doesn’t meanI won’t do it.
When my client auditions for the role ofa lifetime, I cross paths with the casting director—former teenagebad boy Joey Radnor all grown up and even more delicious than Iremember. But he’s also broody, rude, and self-centered. I want torun when he asks me out, but I can’t tick off the guy in charge ofhiring my client.
Our date is even worse than I expected,and once it’s over, I ignore him rather than admit I can’t standthe man I spent most of my teenage years drooling over. But when hecuts my client from the roster, my job and reputation are on theline. Meeting him face to face again is a bad idea. We’re oil andwater. We don’t mix.
But when I look into those gorgeouseyes, I know we can beat the odds…if we don’t kill each otherfirst.
Love in the Spotlight
When the Stars AlignBook 3
I didn’t start the conversation with Teddy, but now all I want isfor it to continue.
Ready to leave modeling behind, Istrut into an A-lister event to pitch my cosmetics line. Investorsare swarming until a self-absorbed movie star barges in and asks meout. I’m dumbfounded when the investors scatter, but Teddy is goodlooking, famous, and most importantly, rich.
A few datescertainly couldn’t hurt.
Teddy’s agent thinks I’mbad news, but dating him is better publicity than modeling. WhenTeddy and I become closer, though, his agent makes him choose betweenme and his career. Hurt when he hesitates, I end it forhim.
Depressed and alone, I cling to his fading spotlightand release my cosmetics line early. When sales explode, the pressclaims our relationship was a stunt to sell products, which was maybetrue…at first.
When my personal life implodes, I realizethe one solid thing in my life had been Teddy, and I’d let ambitionruin that.
He has no reason to take me back, but with therest of my life in ruins, I have nothing left to lose.
**On Sale - Get the box set for only .99cents!! **
Loving a Star - Excerpts
Mila
Outside, a car iswaiting for me, and I climb in, feeling a little throb of excitement in mychest. I have no idea how tonight is going to go, but I’m sort of excited tofind out. I know it’s going to be weird, playing up to the cameras andpretending like I actually enjoy Ethan’s company, but I can do it, right?
The future of mycareer—or rather, the lack of it—hinges on it.
I arrive outsidethe restaurant and sneak a look around to see if there are any photographerstrying to snatch a picture. Nobody yet, at least that I can see.
I brush down thedress and balance on my heels to make my way inside without falling flat on myface. The pointy black stilettos are precisely ten inches higher than anythingI have ever worn before—at least, that’s how they feel—but I need to act asthough it’s natural to me.
“Mila?”
I look up, and mybody floods with relief when I lay eyes on Ethan. Damn, I never thought I wouldbe happy to see him.
He takes my armand smiles at me. “You look great,” he murmurs, letting his eyes travel up anddown my body slowly.
I feel a littleshiver. He looks really good, too. He’s in a sleek suit with a tie that matcheshis eyes, making them stand out even more than usual.
Ethan
I watch as the carpulls away and stare until it vanishes around the corner. Then I close my eyesfor a moment and remind myself this is nothing more than another role for me. Butdamn, it’s been hard to make myself believe that tonight.
It started themoment I saw her at the door of the restaurant, dressed up in that sleek blacknumber that showed off her curves, her long, slender legs. With her hair downaround her shoulders, she seemed to be someone else entirely, ready for the redcarpet instead of for an argument.
She seemed nervousat first, but I just sat there and took her in. She’s gorgeous in a way I nevernoticed before, and she didn’t walk in trying to pick a fight with me, sothat’s a start.
I have to becareful here. I don’t want to let any attraction to her get in the way of whatI’m here to do. I just … wanted to treat it like a real date, like this was areal chance for us to get to know each other, a real chance for me to see underher tough exterior and find out what drives that attitude of hers.
Mila
I sink my headonto the plush couch and close my eyes, just for a moment …
I’m distantlyaware of him coming to sit opposite me, and I shift toward him withoutthinking, closing the distance between us. I feel his arms brush against me,and I press myself into him. I’m so tired I can hardly figure out why what I’mdoing might be a problem, and I don’t give a damn. I just like the feeling ofhis closeness, the feeling of his strong body against mine.
I’m not sure howmany hours have passed by the time I wake up, but when my eyes open again, Ileap away from him.
Holy hell, what amI doing?
He lifts his headup like he has been dozing, too, and smiles at me.
“I should, uh …get back to my place,” I murmur as I get up off the couch and rush to gather mystuff.
What the hell am Idoing? What the hell have I been thinking? Sleeping on his couch like that,nestling into him like the two of us are meant to be together. No. I need toleave. I need to get the out of here before anything else can happen, becausethis? This is so far beyond the realms of what I know is appropriate.
As I pull on myshoes and throw on my coat, I feel a tingle in the base of my stomach. Because,even if it was wrong, there’s something about having his arms around me thatmakes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Something about being held byhim that makes me feel safe and settled in this mess of an industry.
And I start to wonder, deep at the back of my mind,just how much I am really faking all of this.
Loving a StarA new movie was about to be made,which would revive the career of famous actor Ethan and be a big break forfresh-out-of-college musician Mila. Like others, Mila has always had a crush onEthan, but a misunderstanding between them makes her realize that he was justthe playboy starlet she’s always heard about him. The tension in their fightwas off the hook. So much so that the director wanted to keep it going bysuggesting a fake relationship on the set. Are you kidding me?
This was your typical fakerelationship romance where you have two people hating each other at first andfalling in love with each other after. Story was quick and easy to fall into.Your heart definitely softens when you see how much Ethan loves his daughter.The connection between Mila and Ethan felt genuine. Something real andbeautiful was definitely happening here.
But loving a star ain’t so easy.When the media gets a hold of the juiciest story ever, everything falls apart.Can these two handle it?
A sweet and loving Hollywoodstory!
Rating:4 stars
I'mEmery Cruz. I LOVE books! I love to read them, and I love to writethem. My favorites are contemporary romance stories. I like to behooked and twisted and left feeling exhausted and happy ;)
I am a newly published author.I plan to turn my passion into my full-time career. So, I willcontinue to write stories I hope you will love.
If you'd like to receive mynewsletter or be a part of my ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) team, pleasejoin from my website: EmeryCruz.com
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Blog Tour: LATENCY by Nathaniel Koszer
LATENCY
by Nathaniel Koszer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Sci Fi biotech
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Serais a LO-EC, a human who gained superpowers as an unintended side effect of abiotechnological breakthrough. Her unique abilities allowed her to survivewhile others like her, including her parents, were exterminated by a worldgovernment fearful of their potential.
Afterdecades of hiding, she meets Naren, another superpowered survivor who hasinfiltrated the ranks of the military. Together, they form a plan to unite withother surviving LO-ECs, claim vengeance against the forces who murdered theirfamilies, and ultimately stoke a worldwide rebellion against the governmentthat wanted them dead.
Theentirety of 26th century Earth’s armed forces stand in their way: Soldiersequipped with terrifying weaponry, armies with electromagnetic cannons,merciless bloodthirsty androids, and Spidre, the World Leader with unnaturalabilities of his own. The world brought Sera and the other LO-ECs pain andloss, and they’re determined to return it in kind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
In the basementof a skyscraper hundreds of stories high, a constant shaking and groaningaccompanied the cacophony of breaking glass and falling bricks from the streetabove. A man and a woman had spent the night here, fearing those sounds meanttheir building was on the verge of collapse. Finally, the sun rose and thesounds gave way to stillness. The death of the noises gave life to new fears,in that now the man and woman had to take action.
“Are there anysort of supplies on the cycles?” the man asked. He was bleary-eyed, his facewas flush, and even the simple task of standing up seemed to be a struggle.
“I doubt it,”the woman replied, her expression as beleaguered as his. “And you’re sure therewas nothing in these boxes?” she continued, glancing around the small storageroom.
The man shookhis head. “Just lots of cleaning supplies. And we can’t risk going backupstairs,” he replied. “I can’t even hear the big one lumbering around, thathas to mean they’re searching another building. We need to move now. We’llworry about supplies after we get out of New Orleans, and after it feels safe.”
The womannodded and walked over to one smaller pile of boxes. She pulled them away andthe room lit up in an orange glow. The boxes had been covering a young girl, nomore than six years old, whose skin had trails of orange light swirling acrossher arms, legs, and face.
“We need toleave, sweetie. We’re going to find our cycles in the garage, Ok?”
The little girlnodded.
“Do youremember that woman? Alison?” she asked the girl. “Do you remember where sheand her friends live?”
The little girlnodded slowly, while the man’s face furrowed with skepticism.
“If anythinghappens to us, you go straight to her. Do you understand?”
“She can’t goto them!” the man exclaimed in an elevated whisper. “They’re a bunch offanatics!”
“They are, butthey will keep her safe!” the woman responded
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What makes your book different from any other book in thisgenre
Latencyhas unique aspects specifically because it is a book. This always seems strangeto admit as an author, but I am by no means a prolific reader. I listen to afew audiobooks a year and that’s about it. What I have consumed a lot of isother science fiction media (movies, TV shows, comic books, video games) andLatency uses a lot of ideas that are much more common, albeit exploreddifferently, in those other spaces and throws them together in an 83,000 wordnovel.
The unique aspect of Latency readers will first notice isthat there are six protagonists. Yes, this book bounces back and forth acrosssix different character’s points of view throughout its chapters. Multi-POVbooks do occur in sci-fi and fantasy novels, but having this many is a rarity.But for comic books and anime, six main characters is standard fair. The X-men,who are arguably the single biggest influence behind Latency, have dozens ofcharacters who all take the “main character” role at some point. In anime thereis usually one “main” character, but they are often flanked by several otherprotagonists who are united in their goals and who are frequently just aspowerful, engaging, and interesting as the main character.
One part of Latency that I do think is truly unique, evenif you include tv, film, games, and comics, is the origin story of thecharacters superpowers. It is also unique in the sense that the inspiration forit came from one single source. That source is The Matrix, the epic sci-fiaction movie from 1999. I was intrigued by the idea of machines using humanbody heat and synaptic energy as a fuel source and was always frustrated thatno one ever wrote a story exploring what would happen if we, humans, were ableto store and use that energy. Eventually I got tired of waiting for someoneelse and wrote it myself, and thus Latency was born.
Bio-punk as a genre isn’t really explored much as it canbe, and that’s unfortunate. In fact, I have now had to explain what thebio-punk genre is to easily a dozen different people, and some were prolificreaders and even librarians! My go-to now is to say something like “You everread or see a story where people get genetically spliced to have animalfeatures? That’s bio-punk,” and that is really what most people’s familiaritywith the genre is. I’d love to see more bio-punk, and I’m glad I have abio-punk superhero book coming out into the world.
The last unique feature of my book was one I learnedrecently, when doing an interview for another podcast. The interviewer saidthat the protagonists in Latency felt like real people, that there wasinterpersonal conflict but that an overall gentle understanding made itbelievable when they eventually reconciled their differences. So I guess whatmakes Latency different is empathy. Don’t get it confused though. When it comesto their enemies, the six protagonists are brutal, some might even sayremorseless. But when they finally meet up with each other, they understand thehard life each has led and keep that in mind as they all work through theirhangups. Having six main characters helps here. If two of them have an issue,there is always one or two other characters around who can see a middle ground.But even in instances where there is no mediator, characters work through theirdifferences in a relatively healthy way.
It was not even a conscious decision to write characters likethis, at least not exactly. What I was trying to avoid was something thatannoyed me about many other fiction stories: Two characters having a hugefight, one that if it happened in real life would irreparably damage therelationship, but a few chapters or episodes later they’re friends or lovers orteammates again like nothing ever happened. I didn’t want that, but it was alsohard to imagine six characters coming from different backgrounds being in completeagreement with each other about everything all the time. Empathy was just themiddle ground I landed on, and hearing that it makes my book unique makes mevery happy (and also a little sad, because let your characters have empathy people!).
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Nategrew up in Brooklyn NY, but now calls the Bronx home along with his wife andtheir sons. Nate grew up on all things sci-fi. Partly due to his chronicillness, Nate always had a special place in his heart for the X-Men, andespecially the invulnerable Wolverine. This was heavy inspiration for his firstnovel, Latency a superhero sci-fi story to be released March 5, 2024.
Website:https://natekoszer.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/natejklol.bsky.social
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Latency-Nathaniel-Koszer/dp/1962308073/ref=sr_1_1
Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1489470
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
NathanielKoszer will award a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveawayMarch 7, 2024
Blog Tour: ALEX by Dianne Hartsock
ALEX
Dianne Hartsock
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: psychological thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Alexis twenty and confused. He always is. The world presses on him with its horrorsand pain, with scintillating auras that bewilder his eyes and drive themigraines deeper. He hears the cries of the children, sees the brutal images oftortured victims. He feels out of control and his mind slips…
Severelyabused as a child, he is left with horrible scars on his body and even worsescars within his mind. Even though it puts him in danger, he’s compelled tohelp those who call to him. He’s driven, motivated by his visions to rescuethem and hopefully uncover the killer. When he can, he helps the police; yetsome detectives suspect he’s involved. Often, Alex finds himself alone andafraid in a world he doesn’t always understand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
He hurried after her as she went inside but froze when hisfoot landed on the bottom step. The thought of walking into the confining spaceof their home made him nauseous.
He raised his head suddenly, alert, his skin crawling.Someone had called his name from the driveway behind him.
“Jane?” he managed through a constricted throat, needing herhelp as he stepped back into the yard. Someone called his name again from theroad, drawing him irresistibly forward. He moaned, not wanting it to happen,but he broke into a stumbling jog.
His mind cleared briefly as he neared the bridge. He slowedhis pace. A figure sat there with their feet dangling over the water. “Helen?”
She looked at him and smiled. “I was hoping to see you. Thisis nicer than going up to the house.”
He glanced around, then cautiously sat on the bridge nexther. “It’s good to see you out of that place. But what are you doing here?”
“Father brought me as soon as you’d left the clinic.”
Alex scrambled up, but it was too late. Helen lunged forhim, throwing him off balance. Unable to catch himself, they both went over theedge and plummeted into the icy water.
Helen clung to him as the dark, roaring water closed overhis head. The current dragged them to the bottom where the numbness grippinghis limbs made it impossible for Alex to break free. His chest was on fire ashe kicked desperately for the surface.
The river slammed him into a boulder along the shore and helost the last of his air. Helen’s hold slipped and she tumbled away. Alexmanaged a painful intake of air before the swiftly flowing water pulled himunder again. He almost surrendered, but someone grabbed his arm and hauled himto the bank.
He didn’t have time to think before the person jerked himinto the brush and pushed his face into the dirt. He tried to break free, buthis arm was bent painfully behind his back.
“Hurry, you damn fool.”
Hearing Kramer’s voice, Alex struggled, ignoring theblinding pain in his arm. He let out an oath when he heard someone elseapproach and Kramer’s satisfied breath.
“Hello, Alex,” Beckett sneered and kicked him in the face.
“Enough of that shit,” Kramer hissed. “Get it done.”
“With pleasure.”
Beckett knelt and dug into his medical kit.
Alex cried out when Beckett withdrew a syringe filled with amurky liquid.
Beckett patted his bruised, aching cheek. “If you weren’tinsane before, this will send you there.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Diannegrew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place ofhardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghostslurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the frontstairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s whereher love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of m/mromance, paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional thriller, andanything else that comes to mind.
Shenow lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incrediblypatient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over thekeyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are theperfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up inthe house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in herhands, which kindles her imagination.
Currently,Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is theperfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the richcolors and textures of flowers and foliage.
Blog:https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
FaceBook:https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
FaceBookAuthor Page: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsockbooks/?show_switched_toast=1&show_switched_tooltip=0&show_podcast_settings=0
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/diannehartsock/
JMS Books: https://www.jms-books.com/dianne-hartsock-c-224_445/alex-p-4993.html
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alex-dianne-hartsock/1104468927?ean=9781685506599
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alex-76
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1519070
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GIVEAWAY
Theauthor will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
