H.L. Wegley's Blog, page 2
July 24, 2014
Clash of the Titles for June Releases
http://www.clashofthetitles.com/2014/...
There are some great selections for this month's clash. Hope you like mine. :)
Stop by and vote before the contest ends on July 28th.
Here's a bit about the book:
In an instant the Maui honeymoon of Lee's dreams morphs into a nightmare when Jennifer disappears on their wedding night, and now everyone seems to want this beautiful, young NSA research scientist. The US government wants her because she's a huge security problem, the trafficking syndicate she destroyed for revenge, a Middle-Eastern prince for what she looks like, foreign agents for what she knows, and Lee for what she is, his bride.
July 5, 2014
The Aloha People
http://www.pattishene.com/pattisporch...
The Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands have a fascinating history in which the preservation of the knowledge of God in their culture played a large role, leading to one of the greatest revivals of the 19th century. I’ve given the nutshell version in a post called “The Aloha People” on Patti’s Porch.
Check it out and enter the drawing for a signed copy of Moon over Maalaea Bay, or your choice of books 1 - 3 of the series in print or an e-book format of your choice.
June 14, 2014
New Release: Moon over Maalaea Bay
Moon over Maalaea Bay, my inspirational Maui thriller with romance, officially released Friday, June 13, under a full moon. Good thing I'm not superstitious.
The book has drawn a lot of interest and gotten several early, 5-star reviews. I am giving away a signed copy of the printed version. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on the blog, including an email address so I can contact the winner. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 18.
In the weeks leading up to this release, I've posted several hi-res photos that I've taken in Maui over the past several years. These drew so many comments that I assembled a Maui slide show, featuring the beauty of this island paradise and some locations from the setting of the book. I think you'll enjoy it, especially if you watch it in full screen mode and listen through good speakers, or earphones/buds. You'll see some spectacular shots of my favorite place in all creation -- well, so far it's my favorite. Watch and enjoy:
The Weather Scribe
or
YouTube
Here's the book blurb:
In an instant the Maui honeymoon of Lee's dreams morphs to a nightmare when Jennifer disappears on their wedding night. Were the abductors the trafficking ring Jennifer crippled or does an even a more sinister organization want her for other purposes.
With the clock ticking toward Jennifer's impending sale, Lee, accompanied by their fifteen-year-old foster daughter, Katie, and Jennifer's grandfather, begins his own search of the island. As the search by Lee and the authorities intensifies, he fears beautiful Katie might end up in the crosshairs of the traffickers.
Can Lee save both his bride and his future daughter? What if he has to make a choice? If Jennifer is sold, could she kill herself to avoid a life filled with degradation and horror? If she did, would God forgive her?
March 17, 2014
Reviews of On the Pineapple Express
"Fast-paced, exciting, scary, violent when necessary, and always Christian, this is a great book with twin messages, of faith and fact, for teens and adults of all ages."
"H.L. Wegley has woven together an action filled story with purpose. I really appreciate how he calls attention to the awful reality of human trafficking and the need to take action."
"Non-stop action and tension keep you turning the pages in a fast-paced race against disaster. The close point of view puts you in their (main characters) heads and lets you feel the tension."
"'God’s better than bullets,' says one of the characters in H. L. Wegley’s Christian suspense novel, On the Pineapple Express. But this is no tale of simple thrills and deus ex machina. The God of this novel is very real. The primary characters are believable, authentic Christians, with real problems and concerns."
"The author combines real issues and real faith into pure, thrilling fiction with expert ease. The novel never feels preachy. The situations never feel contrived. And the characters never feel false, even when contemplating the beginnings of new faith."
See the book trailer: http://bit.ly/1gxtLP6
An interview with the heroine: http://faylamb.com/innersource/?p=599
Q&A about the book: http://kimberlysmusings.wordpress.com...
Buy the Book:
On the Pineapple Express
March 1, 2014
Release Day Enter Book Giveaways, Character Interviews & More
Finally, February 28, 2014 has arrived and On the Pineapple Express, an inspirational thriller written 3 1/2 years ago, is fully released in all formats, digital and printed. Want to win a free, signed copy? There are several giveaways running today through March 3. See the links below.
Win a free copy of On the Pineapple Express at any one of these 4 blogs hosting giveaways:
Barn Door Book Loft
Inner Source (Fay Lamb)
Kimberly's Musings
The Weather Scribe
Leave a comment on any of the 4 blogs above by March 3 along with an email address (used only to contact you if you win)
Book Info, Reviews, Author & Character Interviews:
Book Trailer
Early Amazon Book Reviews
Heroine interview, Jennifer Akihara
H. L. Wegley Q&A About the Book
Author Interview with H. L. Wegley
Buy the Book:
Pelican Book Group: On the Pineapple Express
Amazon: On the Pineapple Express
Stay tuned for more books in this series. Book 3, Moon over Maalaea Bay, a thriller with some romance, set entirely in Maui, releases June 13. Book 4, Triple Threat, also a thriller with romance, should release late fall of 2014.
December 30, 2013
Outtakes - Prologue from On the Pineapple Express
Prologue
Friday, October 25, 3:50 PM
Katie Lloyd sighed with relief as she stepped from the sidewalk, across the rock border, and onto the lawn in front of her home—her new foster home. By taking back streets on her way home from school, she managed to avoid the harassment which had plagued her for the past two years. Many of the boys tormented her with crude remarks, wolf whistles, and constant leering. Her appearance had attracted this unwanted kind of attention since she turned thirteen.
When a shrill whistle pierced her ears, she stopped. Dustin, the obnoxious freshmen from next door, was ogling her with his head propped up on the cedar fence between the two houses. More than once he had tried to peep through her bedroom window. That wasn’t going to happen again.
Katie jumped back to the rock border, stooped, and grabbed an egg-sized rock. Putting her whole body into the throw, her well-trained, throwing arm cracked like a whip.
Dustin ducked behind the fence when an eighty-mile-per-hour fastball parted his hair. The rock flew across the neighbor’s yard. A loud crack sounded when it broke a board loose from the fence at the far side of the yard.
Katie pursed her lips and shook her head. Too bad his nose wasn't there when the rock arrived.
As she walked toward the front door, she stared at it for a few seconds. Her stomach knotted and her smile morphed to a frown. She wasn’t safe even behind that door. Everybody needed somewhere they could feel safe.
But nobody gets everything they need.
She had almost made it home without any—
Tires grated on pavement as a vehicle braked hard. Katie turned toward the street, where a minivan with dark windows came to a stop in front of her house. The passenger-side window slid down, and she recognized Anya, a new girl at school. More than just a new girl, Anya was the only person who had tried to befriend Katie since she started school in September.
"Hey, Katie, I heard something at school today I thought you should know."
Katie took a step toward the van. "What's that?"
"You don’t want this broadcast to the whole neighborhood. Come here and I'll tell you."
Was this about another stalker? She walked across the lawn toward the van, wishing she was ugly and obese.
Well, at least ugly. That wouldn't keep me from making the varsity softball team.
"Come on, Katie. This is good news." Anya motioned for Katie to step closer.
She stopped near Anya's open window. "OK. What's so important you needed someone to drive you over here to tell me?"
Anya waved her closer. "This is for your ears only. You'll understand when you hear it."
Katie rested her forearms on the base of the open window. "Here I am. So—"
With a quick, deft movement, Anya hooked both hands inside Katie's collar and pulled her against the vehicle. Katie gasped. The side door slid open. "What are you—"
Two large arms shot out of the door and vice-like hands clamped the front and back of her head. The hand on the front sealed Katie's mouth.
Her heart pounded out the tempo of panic. The hand smothered her. She ripped at it using all her strength, but powerful arms yanked her into the back of the van.
The back seats had been removed. Realizing that, her panic deepened. The door slammed shut.
Katie tried to roll, wiggle free, kick, pound on the vehicle, scream—anything to attract attention. The large, meaty hand still covered her mouth, clamping it so tightly she couldn’t bite. Something restrained her arms, pulling them behind her, cutting into her wrists. A knee pushed into her back, forcing the air from her lungs. Another set of hands shoved her head into the floor of the van.
The van took off and a gravelly voice spoke. "Go to sleep my blonde-haired, blue-eyed princess."
Katie tried to keep her wits about her. She tried to think of a way to escape, but the second set of hands clamped like giant pliers on both sides of her neck. When someone squeezed the pliers, her vision and her thoughts became fuzzy. Katie’s mind screamed a silent plea for help...
If you don't want to read the e-book, the full release, including printed copies, is scheduled for February 28.
The subject of human trafficking is treated carefully without being overly graphic. I would even recommend this book to my 14-year-old granddaughter. It's a sad commentary on our society that we have to warn our kids about these very real dangers they could encounter at the mall, on a street corner by their school, anywhere kids gather ... but we do. We must!
November 25, 2013
Meet Jennifer from Hide and Seek
Ms. Akihara, a 5’2″ 110-pound, stunning, Japanese-Hawaiian beauty proves that dynamite does come in small packages. With an IQ pushing 200 and a temper hovering near 212°, she can slice and dice you with her words or her laser look. She has been stalked too many times to count, so she carries a .38 in her purse, a gun with one notch on it. She’s a 24-year-old PhD candidate in computing security and a rising star in the field of Internet forensics. NSA and several other government agencies want her for an employee, a group of cyber spies and terrorists want her dead, and a guy named Lee Brandt just wants her in his life.
Book Trailer: Hide and Seek trailer
October 30, 2013
Release Dates for Books 2 & 3 Pure Genius Series
There are pictures from the setting of Triple Threat on my facebook profile. Check out the gondolas hanging over Whistler Valley.
Don't forget, book 1, Hide and Seek, a cyber-espionage thriller with romance, is available now.
July 23, 2013
Book 4, Pure Genius Series Submitted to Publisher
Brilliant, beautiful, 21-year-old Katie Brandt, PhD candidate and woman of faith, detects a deadly conspiracy. Suspecting it's only the tip of an iceberg, she dives in, pulling fellow grad student, Joshua West, with her into a high-risk investigation of a cyber-terrorist plot. Damaged by the foster-care system, Katie takes huge risks to win acceptance and love. But when she risks Josh's life, an agnostic who isn't prepared to die, she fears her mistake might have eternal consequences. That's a mistake that would break Katie's heart, a heart rapidly falling for Josh. If Katie and Josh survive the investigation, can they ever span the chasm of divergent worldviews that separates them? How can they awaken a dozing nation to a three-pronged danger that threatens its very existence?
Triple Threat, a conspiracy you might read in tomorrow's paper, but pray you never will. An adventure that spans the Pacific Northwest, from the shores of the Olympic Peninsula to the mountains of Whistler, BC.
February 20, 2013
Pure Genius Series Books 2 & 3
Book 2: On the Pineapple Express - a thriller set on the Olympic Peninsula
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8mvHZHl2ZKU...
Hidden somewhere in the vast 3,600 square miles of the rugged Olympic Peninsula, human traffickers are holding girls to sell to international clients. When brilliant, NSA researcher Jennifer Akihara intercepts a mysterious cell call and hears the desperate cries of a girl calling for help, she is obsessed with finding the holding location. Lacking enough evidence to engage the FBI, she enlists the help of her fiancé, Lee Brandt, a meteorologist. With a deadly storm and international criminals bearing down on them while the clock ticks toward the sale of the captives, can Jennifer and Lee survive the bullets and the elements to find the girls? Will the beautiful Jennifer survive to see her wedding day…or it’s antithesis?
Book 3: Moon over Maalaea Bay - a thriller set entirely on Maui
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F9ZUKZZEkN0...
In an instant the honeymoon of Lee's dreams morphs to a nightmare when Jennifer disappears on their wedding night in Maui. The trafficking ring Jennifer crippled wants revenge by selling her into slavery. But a more sinister organization wants to buy Jennifer for other purposes.
With the clock ticking toward Jennifer's impending sale, Lee, accompanied by their fifteen-year-old foster daughter, Katie, and Jennifer's grandfather, begins his own search for her. As the search by Lee and the authorities intensifies, beautiful Katie ends up in the cross hairs of the traffickers.
Can Lee save both his bride and his future daughter? What if he has to make a choice between them? If Jennifer is sold, could she kill herself to avoid a life filled with degradation and unspeakable horror? If she did, would God forgive her?
