L. Salt's Blog, page 14
December 14, 2020
[Book Blitz]: Junker Blues by Lon Varnadore
Genre: Science Fiction
Date Published: 8th August 2020
Spinning away from Mars was not what Marcus thought would be the best part of his day. Coming out of his escape, he finds an enemy waiting in the wings of his ship that he has to make a deal with, a commune that has some interesting customs, a colony of Alters, and even an old “friend” who helped him escape his Eridani overlord. But his friend cashes in that chip. He wants Marcus to help lure a mutual friend, Lash, into the Belt and set up a trap using a Judas Contract.
About the Author
I’ve always been a fan of science fiction and fantasy. Been writing it for years and will until I am have been lowered into the ground. My first novel, “Mostly Human,” has been in my head and on paper for years. There are more stories of 4Pollack and working on the next one as fast as I can. Also, I have spread my areas into urban fantasy noir with “Janus City,” space Opera with “Blood for the Empress” and even military sci-fi with “I.S.S. Starkiller.” And now, I must go back to my scribblings.
Contact Links
Website: http://www.lonvarnadoreauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dragolite
Twitter: @dragolite1
Instagram: dragolite36
Purchase Link
Giveaway
Amazon Gift Card $25
December 10, 2020
[Book Blitz]: Death Count by SL Beaumont
Genre: Financial Crime Thriller
Date Published: December 2020
Publisher: Paperback Writer’s Publishing
Can a conspiracy be uncovered before the Death Count rises?
Forensic accountant Kat Munro fights corporate fraud during the day and kickboxes her demons at night while trying to ignore the nightmares that have plagued her since a car accident changed her life forever.
DS Adam Jackson is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of a friend two years ago.
When the partner of a successful London Investment fund dies in suspicious circumstances, Kat joins forces with Adam to investigate the firm. As they gather evidence of a crime with implications beyond the City, they find that events in their pasts are on a collision course; one which will ultimately put them both in serious danger.
Fast-paced and entertaining, Death Count takes a deadly dip into the world of financial crime.
Excerpt
Kat Munro twisted in her seat and looked behind. A dark shape took form as it approached from the gloom at speed, its headlights bearing down on them. She sensed Gabe ease their car towards the edge of the bitumen to allow the other vehicle to pass. A frown creased the skin between his eyes for a moment, and his long slender hands gripped the wheel. The breeze tossed his hair as he turned his head to look at Kat, and a warm smile lit up his handsome face. But instead of passing, the engine of the car behind them roared, and it closed the distance like a lion tracking its prey. Kat felt fear clutch at her throat. Had she been seen? The drive into town for extra supplies in Gabe’s convertible now seemed fraught with danger.
“What the…” Gabe began, glancing in the rear vision mirror.
Kat looked across at him as she felt the car accelerate and gather speed.
From the back seat, Felicity hiccupped and giggled, twin dimples forming in her cheeks. She toed off her shoes and kicked her long legs up onto the seat.
Kat peered behind once more; her heart was thudding fast in her chest. The other car was keeping pace with them and was so close that she could make out the outlines of those in the front seat.
The light breeze, scented with the aroma of the wild honeysuckle growing at the side of the road, whipped her hair around her face.
“Gabe, slow down,” Kat said, pushing the strands aside.
A bend in the road was fast approaching. Gabe changed gears, slowing the car as they entered the corner, but then sped up as they exited the turn. Their pursuers fell back for a moment before catching up to them again. Kat gripped the edge of her seat, terrified. A second tighter bend loomed in front of them when the other vehicle made a sudden move to pass and clipped the back of their car. The convertible shuddered from the impact and hit the loose gravel at the side of the road. It began to spin, with Gabe fighting to control it.
“Hey,” Felicity shouted as she was tossed around on the back seat, too drunk to comprehend the danger they were facing.
The next images came into Kat’s mind in a series of flashes.
The slide into the low stone wall, the car sailing through the air before hitting the ground in a field and rolling twice… Felicity’s cries of pain… men approaching the vehicle and pulling a dazed Gabe away from the wreckage… thick and cloying smoke, blood, and flames.
Kat’s screams rang out as she looked at her arm, draped over the side door of the car, and saw her bloodied hand hanging on to her wrist by a flap of skin and tissue.
Kat bolted upright. The room was dark, the bedsheets twisted. Her breathing was coming in uneven gulps, and her heart was racing. She glanced at the bedside clock, 4:30 a.m.; there would be no more sleep for her tonight.
About the Author
SL Beaumont is the author of the award-winning novel Shadow of Doubt and the Amazon best-selling series, The Carlswick Mysteries.She lives in beautiful New Zealand, which is only problematic when the travel-bug bites (which it does fairly often)! Her passion for travel has seen her take many long haul flights to various parts of the world. Her love of history helps determine the destination and the places she visits are a constant source of inspiration for her.
Prior to becoming an author, SL Beaumont worked in banking in London and New York.
Shadow of Doubt won the 2020 Indie Reader Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Award, was long-listed for the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, and was a semi-finalist for both the 2019 Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize and the 2020 Kindle Book Awards.
Contact Links
Website: https://www.slbeaumont.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecarlswickaffair
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slbeaumontauthor
Promo Link: http://bookbuzz.net/blog/financial-crime-thriller-death-count-by-sl-beaumont/
Purchase Links
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-count-sl-beaumont/1138206480?ean=9780473551902
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780473551902
December 7, 2020
[Preorder Blitz]: Parallel by James M. Corkill
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The Alex Cave Series, Book 7
Genre: Science Fiction
Release Date: 25th December 2020
Some experiments should never be attempted!
Ex-CIA operative and geophysicist Alex Cave searches for the source of seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean and discovers an ancient alien laboratory. Getting inside is the easy part. Getting out of an alternate reality might be impossible.
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Excerpt
AREA 51. GROOM LAKE, NEVADA
A knot forms in Alex Cave’s stomach as the special jet swings around on final approach to the top-secret facility. He was visiting his family in Washington State when his boss, Director Holly Blake, called and ordered him to return to the base immediately. Her tone of voice indicated she was upset, but she wouldn’t go into details over a non-secure connection. He immediately caught a flight to Las Vegas, where he boarded this private jet for a ride to the base.
He looks out the window as the plane levels out on final approach, and the gray concrete runway rushes up to meet the plane. He feels the wheels hitting the ground and the engines drop to idle as the jet loses momentum and stops in front of a small security building. Before he gets up, he watches an unmarked vehicle drive up and stop next to the plane.
He releases his seatbelt while the attendant opens the exit door and lowers the stairs, then he stands and goes forward to grab his backpack. When the attendant indicates for him to leave it on the plane, he realizes whatever this meeting is about, he won’t be returning to his base apartment. He slowly descends the steps and stops in front of two serious-looking men. “What’s going on?”
The man indicates the vehicle. “I’m agent Garcia, and we have orders to escort you to Director Blake’s office. Get in, please.”
Alex’s gut tightens into a knot of apprehension. “All right.”
He does as instructed and climbs into the back seat. As the car drives away, he leans forward to talk to the men. “What agency do you work for?”
Garcia turns to look at Alex. “We’re part of the secret service.”
Several questions race through Alex’s mind, but he knows these men don’t have the answers. The vehicle stops in front of a familiar building and everyone climbs out, then Alex leads the way into the structure and down the hallway to Holly’s office.
The door is open, so Alex steps into the room, noticing the two agents remain in the hallway. He sees Holly sitting in a chair behind her desk, and a tall, masculine looking woman standing beside her. The woman is dressed in a US Air Force Captain’s uniform and is as tall as he is.
His heart races when he sees Jadin standing to one side of the room. She’s part of his team and he hopes she’s not in trouble.
Jadin notices Alex’s brows bunch together below his wavy black hair. She stares into his dark blue eyes and gives him a sympathetic expression.
Alex turns and looks at Holly. “What’s going on, Director?”
Holly indicates the woman. “This is Captain Sharon Fargo. It seems our new President wants the military to take over operation of your spacecraft, and she’s in charge of the first training program.”
Alex knew this might happen one day. A few years ago, he discovered an ancient alien spacecraft in the crater of a dormant volcano in Alaska and managed to get it working. Now it’s here, in Hangar 5. On the advice from his Chief of Staff, the new president had tried to commandeer his spaceship a few months ago. He didn’t get it then, and he will not take it now.
Alex looks over at Fargo. “That ship belongs to me. The government can’t just take it.”
Fargo moves around the desk and locks stares with Alex. “It’s done. Live with it.”
Alex’s hands clench into fists at his sides as he turns to look down at Holly. “You can’t let them get away with this.” The look in Holly’s eyes tells him she has no choice, so he turns back to Fargo. “On whose authority?”
Fargo grabs a folder on the desk and holds it out to Alex. “This is from the Attorney General granting me the authority to claim the ship under the law of Eminent Domain. Meaning, if it’s for the good of the country, the government can take your spaceship.”
Alex doesn’t take the folder and stares into Fargo’s eyes. “Over my dead body!”
Fargo grins sadistically. “I hope it doesn’t come to that, Mister Cave.”
“What about my team?”
“Since Jadin officially works for NASA, she will teach us how to operate that spacecraft. I’m sure we can get by without you, so I revoke your security clearance and my people will escort you back to the plane. Your personal belongings in your apartment will be shipped to your designated location.”
Alex gives Holly an imploring stare and sees the regret in her eyes. He knows she tried to stop it, but it didn’t work.
Jadin sees the rage in Alex’s expression and his clenched fists. She wants him to shut up before he gets into more trouble, so she grabs Fargo’s arm to get her attention away from Alex. “I think I can work with you on this, Captain Fargo. How about I start the training on Monday morning? That gives me three days to shut down my research project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.”
Fargo tosses the folder onto the desk. “That’s fine.”
When Jadin sees Fargo indicate for her men to get Alex back to the jet, she reaches up to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him close for a hug. “Call me later, okay?”
Alex puts his cheek against hers so he can whisper into her ear. “This isn’t over.”
Jadin notices Fargo staring at them and slowly raises her hands up to Alex’s face. She cups them over his ears to pull him close, covertly inserting a communication device into his right one. “I have an idea, so don’t do anything rash. I’ll explain later.”
When Jadin gives him a soft kiss on his lips and steps back, Alex reaches across the desk to shake Holly’s hand. “It’s been nice working with you.”
Holly doesn’t accept as she stares up at him. Instead, she stands and walks around the desk to give him a hug. When he bends down, she turns him so Fargo cannot see her face and whispers in his ear. “I’ll keep you updated on what happens here.”
“Don’t get in trouble over me.”
Holly lets go and steps back. “Stay safe.”
Fargo looks down at Jadin and sees the moisture building up in her green eyes. “Am I going to have any problems with you, Ms. Avery?”
Jadin wants to tell her where to shove her problems, but her self-restraint wins. “No, Captain. I’ll meet with your astronauts at Hangar 5 first thing Monday morning.”
Fargo indicates the doorway to Alex. “After you, Mister Cave.”
Alex reluctantly leaves with the two men for the flight back to Las Vegas. For the moment, he’s out of a job and decides to go back to his family in Washington.
Jadin steps into the hallway and stares after Alex and the two agents, finding it hard to believe he is leaving for good. She feels Fargo’s hand on her shoulder and moves back into the room, then folds her arms across her chest and stares at the Captain. “What about David? He can help.”
“Mister Conway no longer works here. He left four days ago.”
Jadin’s jaw drops open as her arms unfold to her sides. “What? That’s ridiculous. He’s the only person who knows how the engine works. He needs to be here.”
Holly looks up at Fargo. “She’s correct. If you have any problems, you’ll need his help.”
Fargo knows the ship works perfectly. “I’ll call him in as an advisor if necessary. I’ll expect daily reports on the program’s progress, Ms. Blake.” She spins around and heads out of the room toward the exit.
Jadin gives Holly a troubled expression. “I don’t think this will work. Even if I show Fargo’s people how to use the ship, Melvin won’t follow their commands.”
“Will he follow yours?”
Jadin thinks about it for a moment. “I have no idea.”
Holly moves around the desk to sit in her chair. “I’m worried about David. Fargo was less than subtle when she fired him. He took it hard and I haven’t been able to contact him since he left the base.”
“I’ll try to get ahold of him.”
“All right. When will you leave for JPL?”
Jadin suddenly realizes she can ride with Alex to Las Vegas and smiles at Holly. “Right now. I don’t need to pack anything, so I’ll ride with Alex. I’d better hurry. I’ll see you Sunday afternoon.”
“Listen, Jadin. I know how you feel about Alex, but you need to let him go. At least for now. Fargo will be on that plane and we don’t want her thinking there is a conspiracy between you two. The plane will be back in an hour.”
Jadin’ realizes Holly is correct. “All right. What do you know about my feelings for Alex?”
“That he thinks you two can’t be lovers and work together.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“To me, yes, but I can’t speak for anyone else.”
Jadin heaves a deep sigh of resignation. “At least that won’t be a problem anymore. I’ll start packing Alex’s personal items in his room while I wait. I’ll see you when I get back.”
Holly leans back in her chair and stares after Jadin. “This should get interesting.”
About the Author
[image error]James M. Corkill is a veteran and retired federal firefighter from Washington State, USA. He was an electronic technician before eventually becoming a firefighter for 32 years and retiring. He began writing in 1997, and was fortunate to meet the famous horror writer Hugh B. Cave, who became his mentor. His science fiction mystery novels have won six awards, including one international award.
His favorite quote: “When you wake up in the morning, you never know where the day will take you.”
He now lives in the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina.
Contact Links
Website: https://jamescorkill.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jamesmcorkill
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesMcorkill1/
Promo Link: https://bookbuzz.net/blog/science-fiction-parallel/
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Purchase Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Parallel-Alex-Cave-Book-7-ebook/dp/B08FZTC5X1
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/parallel/id1528023744?uo=4&mt=11&at=1010l9S2
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/parallel-james-m-corkill/1137495553
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/parallel-22
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/parallel-the-alex-cave-series/9781393085393-item.html
Angus Robertson: https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/ebooks/parallel-james-m-corkill/p/9781393085393
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1038568
December 4, 2020
[Release Blitz]: Little Miss Evil by Jim Ody
Today, I have a very special author to feature. Jim Ody is not only a talented author of numerous 5-star thrillers and suspenseful novels, but also my friend and fellow author. I met Jim working with Crazy Ink Publishing. Although we both left the publisher, our friendship continues and so does Jim’s publishing journey.
I wish Jim all the best with his new release. Please, give a warm welcome to…
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Tall Trees Book 1
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Suspense
Published: 30th November 2020
Publisher: Question Mark Press
Everybody has secrets. But in Tall Trees, the secrets are darker and cause bodies to turn up dead.
A couple getting away from it all; three teenage girls on their first holiday away from home; a lad back from Uni; a campsite with cameras; a treasure hunt and a mysterious little girl. What connects them all? And being so deep in the Wiltshire countryside, will anyone know they’re gone?
Will you ever be able to listen to ‘Silent Night’ again… Take a little Psycho, and mix with some Sleepaway Camp and Saw, then run for your life!
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About the Author
[image error]For 10 years Jim wrote for a number of websites reviewing and interviewing bands in his own unique way, as well as contributing dark poems and comedic features.
He writes dark psychological/thrillers that have endings that you won’t see coming, and favours stories packed with wit. If you look closely, all of his books are connected…
He has written 12 books, released and re-released by a number of publishers. He has also contributed to over a dozen anthologies. He’s the author of the popular Hudson Bell series, and his new book ‘Little Miss Evil’ will be released on Halloween 2020. Look out for his book ‘The Crazy Season’ which is due out early 2021!
Jim has a very strange sense of humour and is often considered a little odd. When not writing he will be found playing the drums, watching football and eating chocolate. He lives with his long-suffering wife and three beautiful children in Swindon, Wiltshire UK.
Purchase Links
Amazon USA
Amazon UK
November 30, 2020
[Release Blitz]: Venus Remembered by Jason J. Marchi
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Foreword By William F. Nolan
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Release Date: 30 November 2020
Publisher: Fahrenheit Books
Available 30 November 2020 for the 100th anniversary year of the birth of Ray Bradbury
Venus Remember – “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury and the inspired sequel “When the Rain Stops” by Jason Marchi
”There’s life on Venus! See for yourself… in two haunting, spectral stories of cold rain, poisoned jungle, and sickened hearts, penned by Ray Bradbury and Jason Marchi. As refreshing as an out-of-nowhere shower on a sun dazzling day.” – Joe Hill, New York Times Bestselling author of Heart-Shaped Box and Horns, among others.
NINE YEAR OLD Margot remembers the sun. “[A] yellow crayon or a coin large enough to buy the world with . . . a warmness, like a blushing in the face, in the body, in the arms and legs and trembling hands.” In Ray Bradbury’s revered short story, “All Summer in a Day,” the last time Margot saw the sun was when she was four years old and still living on Earth. After her family moved to Venus a year later, she longed to see the sun again and to feel its warmth on her skin. On the one day every seven years when it stops raining on Venus and the sun breaks through the perpetual cloud cover to brighten the landscape for a brief two hours, Margot is locked away in a dark closet by her jealous classmates. Readers familiar with the graceful and poetic writing of Ray Bradbury – and those new to his literary magic – will find themselves empathetic toward a young girl who is kept from feeling and seeing the sunlight by her mean-spirited peers. Jump forward in time and meet Margot at 16. In the story “When the Rain Stops,” Jason Marchi provides one plausible and satisfying answer to the question left in readers’ minds at the end of Bradbury’s classic tale of aloneness – whatever happened to Margot?
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About the Author
[image error]Jason J. Marchi made his creative writing debut in 1988 in the pages of Amazing Stories, Weird Tales Magazine, and Pandora, followed by additional fiction sales to Verbicide and Futures Mysterious Fiction Magazine, among others. His first book, a poetry collection, was published in 2010, followed by his first children’s book The Legend of Hobbomock: The Sleeping Giant in 2011, the latter which became a regional Barnes & Noble bestseller. His second picture storybook, The Growing Sweater, appeared in 2014 and won fourteen awards. Mr. Marchi also worked as an assistant developmental editor for a set of Grolier encyclopedias, and a division The McGraw-Hill Companies. In 1998 he founded and directed the New Century Writer Awards, which operated in close association with Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope: All-Story magazine until 2003. His next books, three collections of fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories, are slated for publication over the next few years, beginning in 2021. Jason lives and writes in his boyhood home in Guilford, Connecticut.
Contact Links
Website: http://www.jasonjmarchi.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Legend-of-Hobbomock-The-Sleeping-Giant-139383326177584
LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-marchi-275a5b1/
Promo Link: http://bookbuzz.net/blog/sci-fi-fantasy-venus-remembered-by-ray-bradbury-jason-j-marchi/
Purchase Link
November 26, 2020
[Book Blitz]: My Brother’s Keeper by Courtnee Turner Hoyle
A Pale Woods Mystery: Book One
Genre: Mystery
Date Published: 26 June 2020
Publisher: Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.
Seventeen-year-old Jerrod has struggled with the guilt of his actions for an event that took place almost a year ago. His friends have abandoned him, his family ignores him, and he lost his best friend. To make matters worse, he was unable to access records that may have revealed his father’s whereabouts.
His sister, Ella, guides Jerrod as he tries to learn and accept secrets his family has tried to hide. However, a sinister spirit may be influencing Ella’s actions, and it has an agenda of its own.
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About the Author
[image error]Courtnee Turner Hoyle was raised in Unicoi County, surrounded by the traditions and dialect of the area. She embraced the regional stories, mountain views, and culture -except sweet tea and unannounced visits – and sought to correct the misconceptions about the local people and the town stories that turned into rumors. Despite the challenges that face a young mother, she graduated East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English, with an emphasis in technical writing, and a Bachelor of Business. She received a Master of Arts in Teaching from the same university, and began writing novels. She volunteers with community organizations, and she has been involved with Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians for several years as a Troop Administrator. She also volunteers with the Girl Scout Service Unit in her area. Her responsibilities include planning events, organizing social media releases for the service unit, and writing articles about the activities and accomplishments of all the troops in her county. She resides in Erwin, Tennessee, with her children and husband. She has hiked the section of the Appalachian Trail near her home, has visited many of the caves and other mountain trails in the area, and is fascinated by their enigmatic appeal. She likes reading, writing, and any reasonable music. Most of all, she enjoys sharing adventures with her children and making memories through their experiences.
Contact Links
Website: https://courtneeturnerhoyle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Courtnee-Turner-Hoyles-Pale-Woods-Erwin-Mystery-Book-Series-109670063806502
Blog: https://courtneeturnerhoyle.com/blog/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pale_woods_mysteries/
Purchase Links
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-brothers-keeper-courtnee-turner-hoyle/1137334690?ean=9781950895434
November 7, 2020
[Book Blitz]: Destination Callao by David Adamson Harper
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Genre: Historical Fiction
Date Published: October 2020
Publisher: AjijicBooks Publishing
All good historical novels have a fascinating story written around a real event in history. In DESTINATION CALLAO the author has taken two separate historical events and woven them together into a thrilling story that has all the elements of adventure, romance and enough saber-rattling to more than satisfy those with a taste for action, including a duel with cutlasses and a deadly ambush.
The year is 1851 and Conor Fitzgerald, a former Midshipman in the Royal Navy having passed his Lieutenant’s Examination, finds he cannot get a Navy commission. He obtains a position as second mate on a merchant sailing ship that is heading for Callao, Peru, with a party of 180 Irish immigrants. To get to Callao the ship Louisa has to sail around Cape Horn in winter when it runs into more than just bad weather.
They arrive in Callao where the immigrants plans to set up a farming community are set back when they find that disease is rampant and they lose many in their numbers. Conor decides to stay in Callao where he goes to work for a Scottish ship chandler.
When the famous Italian freedom fighter Giuseppe Garibaldi arrives in Peru in October 1851, he and Conor become friends, but Garibaldi has enemies from his previous military encounters and none greater than the French. The French colony in Lima tries to humiliate him and, when that doesn’t work, they set out to kill him. Conor finds himself drawn into these events and is forced to fight for his own life while trying to work out his future and his marriage prospects.
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About the Author
[image error]After graduating from HMS Worcester Naval College in England, David Adamson Harper spent five years at sea as a deck/navigating officer. The latter two years in the Far East were the inspiration for his first book KWANGCHOW. After leaving the sea, David joined the Grace Line in New York as a management trainee. He spent the rest of his long career in the maritime industry and worked all over the world in various executive positions.
He retired in 2008 and moved to Mexico to become a writer. Together with his wife Susan and dog Bess, he lives on the north shore of Lake Chapala in the village of Ajijic. The lake is 5,000 feet above sea level in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the climate there is considered to be the best in the world, neither too hot in the summer nor too cold in the winter.
Contact Links
Website: https://www.davidadamsonharper.com
Promo Link: http://bookbuzz.net/blog/historical-fiction-destination-callao/
Purchase Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Destination-Callao-David-Adamson-Harper-ebook/dp/B08KYKQPKK/
October 28, 2020
[Book Blitz]: REMEMBER by Tara C. Allred
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A Prelude Novella to The Existence Series
Genre: Science Fiction
Date Published: October 2020
Publisher: Patella Publishing
One invention and two men hoping to change the way humans connect—through memory exchanges—but days before it’s released, one man realizes it may do more harm than good.
Foster Grady pleads with doctors to give his dying wife a moment of reprieve. He wants her to experience his creation: the ability to relive their life together through his memories. But when doctors refuse, terminal patient, Ashyr Harmon, convinces Foster to give him the chance instead.
The exchange becomes Ashyr’s lifeline and the two form a friendship and business deal which ignites dangerous consequences.
BEYOND THE END, BOOK 1 of THE EXISTENCE SERIES – Coming Nov 2020
Other Books In The Existence Series:
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Beyond the End
The Existence Series, Book One
Publisher: Patella Publishing
Release Date: 20th November 2020
Nothing else exists—at least that’s what she’s been told.
Strong-willed teenager Leilani Grady is suffocating on her family’s island. She wants off, but her parents say the rest of Earth is destroyed.
When a stranger shows up, Leilani realizes her parents have fed her a life of lies.
Ashyr Harmon shares a complicated history with her parents—and now he wants Leilani’s help with saving his society. It’s her chance to escape the only place she knows. But Leilani must decide who she trusts: her flesh and blood or this man who promises to fulfil her dream.
Excerpt
Both men pressed shoulder-to-shoulder to look down at the resume, neither commenting on the fact Mariana had emailed it to at least one of them earlier in the week.
Regardless, while they looked, she looked too. Past the pizza boxes, down a long table against the east wall. She slid a foot back toward the table and, with a lean of her head, read physiology handwritten across a banker box. Then a slide of the foot to the right to see the scribble in permanent marker mind vs the brain across a journal cover, and then to a loose sheet of paper with a sketch of a glove with the word pressable next to circles which lined the palm.
Her feet had shifted ninety degrees when she heard Ashyr say, “We want to hire you.”
She looked behind her back, a grin spilling over her face. “Just like that?”
He shrugged. “I almost died before I discovered this…this…”
“Em-Path” Folsom added, standing directly next to Ashyr as if the two spoke as one.
“It saved my life. And showed me what to live—”
“And we don’t have time to waste,” Folsom inserted.
Ashyr twisted to face Folsom, nodding his head, as if Folsom had said the key words. “Yeah. It’s about timing. And you seem like an excellent fit.”
Mariana turned her focus back to scanning the details of the room. On the north wall, a table presented itself as a technology graveyard with broken tablets, game consoles, power cables, remote control boxes, and all sorts of other things she didn’t recognize. She felt awkward, her back toward these men who had just offered her a job. But an urgent curiosity kept drawing her forward, her feet moving toward a dark room, only partially visible, tucked in the far corner between the back table and the west wall, which was lined with a lab sink, a long counter, and a fridge. The room’s door was ajar. Taped to the center of the door, she read the handwritten note.
Please Do Not Disturb—Memory Exchange in Progress.
She drew her head back and turned around to face her interviewers. Her breath caught in her throat, the question ready now. “What’s the pay?” As long as it was higher than minimum wage, she would have to take the job.
Ashyr stood taller. “What do you want it to be?”
Folsom released a sharp cough. “Within reason.” He gave her an apologetic grin. “We don’t have much to offer yet, but with your help finding the support we need, we will soon.”
Ashyr stepped closer toward her. His clear blue eyes pulling her in again. “We are committed to making this work. We’re investing everything we have into this. In other words, we’re super, absolutely, insanely committed to this. And we want to make this a win for you too.”
Mariana nodded slowly, unsure of what exactly she was agreeing to.
“Help secure us a sponsor in—what—?” He twisted looks from Folsom to Mariana, “Two? Three months? In three months. You secure us a sponsor in three months and…” his voice turned soft, dipping into a whisper, “we’ll make you a partner with us.” Then he flung back to face Folsom. “Right? She helps get us a sponsor and she has partial ownership, with you, me, and Brody. It’ll be the four of us.” He looked again, back and forth between the two of them. “A percentage.” He started waving his hands around as if a number wasn’t within his mental reach. “We draft up all that legal stuff. We’ll figure it out. Together, we all make this dream come alive.” He whirled back to face her with a grin. With a lopsided tilt of the head, he said, “It’ll be worth it for all of us.”
Folsom stepped forward, the three of them forming a triangle.
Ashyr straightened. His clear blue eyes met hers. From him to Folsom’s rich blue eyes, Mariana looked at both of them, a nod growing inside her, just as Ashyr said, “So, you in?”
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About the Author
[image error]Tara C. Allred is an award-winning author, instructional designer, and educator. She has been recognized as a California Scholar of the Arts for Creative Writing and is a recipient of the Howey Awards for Best Adult Book and Best Adult Author. She lives in Utah with her husband.
Her published works include REMEMBER (The Existence Series), SANDERS’ STARFISH and UNAUTHORED LETTERS (John Sanders Series), HELPING HELPER and THE OTHER SIDE OF QUIET, a 2015 Kindle Book Award Finalist and Whitney Award Winner.
Through online coaching, she helps other writers unleash their creative stories.
Contact Links
Website: http://www.taracallred.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraCAllred
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaraCAllred
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-allred-niekamp-45872412/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taracallred/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tara-c-allred
Promo Link: https://bookbuzz.net/blog/science-fiction-remember-by-tara-c-allred/
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Purchase Link
October 21, 2020
[Release Blitz]: The Injection by DL Jones
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Genre: Thriller, Medical thriller, Action thriller, Suspense
Date Published: 20th October 2020
Publisher: 43Ten Press
The only thing to save two old friends from death may also be what kills them.
Mr. Peters is a successful business owner. Other than dealing with a recent rash of break-ins, he lives a very satisfying life. That was until a childhood friend and brilliant scientist paid him a visit.
While the two friends had a troubled past, not speaking for ten years, the reunion was a happy one. That happiness quickly took a wrong turn as their lives are threatened.
Now held captive, the use of an experimental drug was the only option. A top-secret drug that enhanced a person’s will and physicality is the only thing giving them a fighting chance.
However, there are deadly side effects. Along with enhanced abilities comes a decrease in mental stability. Moreover, there is more to the kidnappings than first thought.
Will the two childhood friends maintain their sanity long enough to survive?
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Excerpt from Chapter 2
The lab environment was huge. There were tables and equipment everywhere; it was a spotless room with a lot of testing and sample stations in different areas. Michael and Trey got off the elevator and walked over to two large tables at the back of the lab. Each of those tables had a maze set-up that spread the length of them. Next to the tables were cages. One cage held about twenty little white mice. Trey stood by the table looking at the mazes.
“I don’t get this new set-up,” Trey said.
He pointed to one table and commented on how that maze wasn’t really a maze, but just a straight line to the end. Then he looked at the maze on the other table and pointed out how there were a lot of branching paths going in all different directions.
“Yes, sir! That is exactly what you are looking at. The table with all the branching paths circles around the cheese. If you notice, there is no access to the cheese in that maze,” Michael explained.
Michael reached in and grabbed a mouse from the cage. He held it dangling it by his tail. With his other hand, he held a piece of cheese in front of the mouse, almost teasing it. The mouse reached out while swinging back and forth, trying to grab at the cheese. He then put the piece of cheese in the middle of the maze. He put the mouse at the beginning of the maze and let it go.
The mouse sniffed around for a moment. Once it got a whiff of the cheese, it ran into the maze. It kept running through all the branching paths of the maze and ended up running around the path that circled the cheese. The mouse could smell the cheese but had no path to get to it.
“So, the mouse knows the cheese is there, and he just keeps circling it. Seems like typical behavior,” Trey said.
“It is indeed typical behavior. That’s the control, the mouse acts as it is expected. This maze here with the straight line to the finish is the test,” Michael said, pointing to the table as if he was displaying a prized showcase.
“Okay, that’s a single hall to the cheese. But it’s still blocked—”
“Yes, the cheese is blocked off,” Michael interrupted.
Michael reached down and picked up the little wooden block that ended the straight line on the table. He handed it to Trey, and Trey examined it. He noticed that the block was slightly heavier than what these mice could physically move. Michael then walked back over to the cage of mice and grabbed a different mouse. He took a syringe from the table and injected the mouse.
“Well, mice have been known to gnaw off their own limbs to escape mousetraps,” Tracy said. “Is that the idea here?”
Trey watched as Michael dangled the mouse in the air. He then took another piece of cheese and held it in front of the mouse. The mouse seemed to get excited trying to get at the cheese. The mouse viciously grabbed at the cheese, trying to bite it while dangling. It even bit Michael a few times.
“Damn, that mouse seems a lot more aggressive than before,” Trey said
“Take a look at this…Oh, just so you know, this is the thirty-seventh time we have done this today,” Michael said.
Michael took the weighted block from Trey and placed it back in its spot at the end of the maze. He then took the piece of cheese and put it behind the block. Trey examined the maze, which was just a straight line to the weighted block with the piece of cheese hiding behind it. Michael walked to the front of the maze and placed the mouse at the starting point.
The mouse immediately ran toward the maze’s finish at a speed beyond that of the fastest mice they’d seen in the lab. The mouse ran to the end of the maze and slammed head-first into the weighted block. The block moved, just a fraction of an inch. The mouse then viciously clawed and bit at the block.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that before. That mouse seems to be really determined, to the point where it completely ignored the pain from slamming into the block at that speed,” Trey said.
The mouse then ran in the opposite direction, back towards the beginning of the maze. It turned and sprinted back to the block at an even faster speed than before, slamming its head on the block once again.
“The mouse isn’t ignoring the pain. The brain stopped registering it,” Michael said.
The mouse repeated this act several times, moving the block just a fraction each time. After a few minutes of this display, the block had moved just enough for the mouse to slide through the opening. The mouse did so and ate the cheese.
“My research stated that this would happen, but I didn’t think we could achieve it this soon,” Trey said.
“Well, the last set of changes you proposed to the formula seem to put us at the almost there state. As you can see by the speed of the mouse, the brain is able to tell the body’s muscles to perform at levels above normal. The mouse’s skin seems to go into a protective mode and harden, just a tad, to brace for impact,” Michael explained.
Michael reached into the maze and removed the weighted block. The mouse continued to eat the cheese.
“So, we have created a near invincible mouse,” said Trey.
“No, the mouse is still completely vulnerable, but it will be the toughest mouse you have ever seen…for a short period of time.”
“How long?”
“Well, it’s hard to say with other specimens, but with the mice we have, and the dosage we have been giving them, it lasts about five minutes. The other problems we have had are still there with prolonged use, so we have been using a new mouse each time,” Michael said. “There is one problem…”
Trey looked at the maze and noticed the mouse was lying limp on the floor beside the cheese. The lab tech walked over and picked up the mouse as if it was dead, and put it in a second cage filled with a different set of mice.
“Did the mouse die?” Trey asked.
“No, it didn’t die. All the benefits of the formula are fueled by a goal, which in this case is getting to the piece of cheese. Once the goal is accomplished, the hypothalamus realizes it has delegated functions beyond the body’s safe capabilities. Tries to normalize the brain functions in a hurry. Thus, the mouse passes out,” Michael explains.
“Hmm…new problem,” Trey said.
“Yep, new problem. The passing out seems to have no effects on the mouse. Just looks like it’s a way of the brain returning to normal in a hurry. But it’s something you must be mindful of. Nothing we can do about it now.”
Trey looked over at the mouse cage to see the once-limp mouse running on the pinwheel like nothing had happened.
“That was fast. The mouse is back to normal again.”
“Yeah, they seem to be resilient… but it’s a mouse, and it is a very small dose that they receive.”
“I don’t remember sleeping that long,” Trey said.
“You slept for two days, Tracy. We almost took you to the hospital,” said Michael.
“Okay, yeah, you are right, it was a long time. Was some good sleep,” Trey said. “But this is a different formula. Improvements have been made, as you said.”
“Yes, that’s true. But even though you passed out, that never happened with the mice until the new improvements.”
“Something to think about,” Trey said.
“Something to think about indeed,” Michael echoed.
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About the Author
[image error]DL Jones is a Writer, IT Professional, and Tech Enthusiast.
DL Jones was born in Brooklyn NY, grew up in Newport News VA and has spent the last 8 years in Charlotte NC. He has served time in the US Army and works as an IT Professional. His first love has always been tech, well computers and the web specifically, which has led to a lot of writing.
Contact Links
Website: dljonesbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dljonesbooks/
Twitter: twitter.com/dljonesbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18424025.D_L_Jones
Instagram: instagram.com/dljonesbooks
Bookbub: bookbub.com/profile/dl-jones
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Purchase Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08G59FR9T
Books 2 Read: Books2read.com/theinjection
Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card:
October 16, 2020
[Guest Post]: Top Ten Favorite Books by Mike Murphey, the author of “Wasting Time”
My today’s guest author Mike Murphey is talking about his favourite reads and how they influenced his writing.
Top Ten Favorite Books
by Mike Murphey
1. Huckleberry Finn
Perhaps the greatest American novel by the greatest American author. It’s such a shame that it has become controversial because so many have chosen to see only a single word and ignored all the others. Huckleberry Finn is probably the most impassioned repudiation of racism I have ever encountered.
2. Red Sky at Morning
This modest little book written by New Mexico author Richard Bradford is a beautiful coming-of-age story that had a profound influence on my wanting to become a writer.
3. Lonesome Dove
Larry McMurtry’s masterpiece, which, like Red Sky, is very much about Southwestern culture.
4. The Stand
Although I am not the most passionate of Stephen King fans, two of his books are in my top ten. The Stand is the prototype apocryphal tale. I’ve read the unabridged version a half dozen times.
5. Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption
This novella is, I think, the best think Stephen King ever wrote.
6. The Milagro Beanfield War
This is the first book in John Nichols New Mexico trilogy. Another book that captures New Mexico’s cultural conflicts in an incredibly entertaining and insightful manner. El brazo de Onofre Martinez.
7. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Any of Douglas Adams’ books are funny and masterful. The Hitchhiker’s Guide is the first in a five-book “trilogy” all of which are hilarious. Adams also wrote two other books that deserve mention: Dirk Gently’s Wholistic Detective Agency, and The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul. I love his style and voice.
8. Lamb—The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
I could probably substitute any one of Christopher Moore’s books here. Lamb is one of my favorites. Moore, whose genre has been labeled absurdist fiction, can make anything funny. From Practical Demonkeeping to Secondhand Souls to Sacre’ Bleu, you can’t go wrong. Moore doesn’t do this just off the top of his head. Many of his books have required intricate research.
9. Another Roadside Attraction
The third of the big three influences on my writing—the first two being Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore—is Tom Robbins, a former journalist who one day “called in well” and never returned to work at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Like Moore, I could probably put any of Robbins books here. Roadside Attraction was his first, followed by Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Still Life with Woodpecker and many others.
10. Shoeless Joe
W.P Kinsella is a baseball writer, and this is the best of his baseball books.
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About “Wasting Time”
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Book 2 in the Physics, Lust and Greed Series
Genre: Science Fiction
Date Published: 1st October 2020
When time travelers fail test after test to significantly alter the past, most financial backers abandon the Global Research Consortium leaving veteran traveler Marta Hamilton to administer a vastly scaled-down project. She must protect the past from a greedy future, fend off political meddling, and foil a murder plot originating in a parallel universe. She presides over a conspiracy to hide the truth of her best friend’s death while coping with a confusing and discomforting romantic entanglement involving fellow traveler Marshall Grissom.
Marta, who has by professional necessity always distanced herself from emotional commitment, lapsed by allowing herself the luxury of friendship with Sheila Schuler and a night of wild sex with Marshall. Now, Sheila is probably dead, and—according to a genius physicists’ theory—Marshall soon will be. As she assumes her role as administrator of the time travel program, Marta must choose between the risks of loving someone, or the lonely safety of emotional solitude.
Buy Link
Amazon: amzn.to/2HF7bgH
Giveaway
$5 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook Copy
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/408264011203
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About the Author
[image error]Mike Murphey is a native of New Mexico and spent almost thirty years as an award-winning newspaper journalist in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest. Following his retirement, he enjoyed a seventeen-year partnership with the late Dave Henderson, all-star Major League outfielder. Their company produced the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners adult baseball Fantasy Camps. Wasting Time is his fourth novel. Mike loves fiction, cats, baseball and sailing. He splits his time between Spokane, Washington, and Phoenix, Arizona.
Contact Links
Website: www.mikemurpheybooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.murphey.author/
Blog: https://www.mikemurpheybooks.com/blog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandnmur/
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