Jason Zandri's Blog: The GUNDERSTONE GOODREADS Review, page 21
August 24, 2015
The Top Ten Questions You Should Never Answer
Originally posted on Fiction Favorites:
The inspiration for this list came from observing everyday life and watching others fall into a dark pit for no other reason than attempting to answer a dangerous, politically incorrect or impossible question.
Top Ten Questions You Should Never Answer
10 If you are asked, “How do I look?” do not answer the question. If you do, at best you only have a 50% chance of being right which is also a 50% chance of being wrong. At worst, the person who asked the question knows they look awful and now picks a fight with you for misleading them. (Your credibility is now null and void. Good luck with the comforting an old friend excuse.)
9 If you are asked, “Have you been drinking?” do not answer. If you do, at best your answer will not be credible. At worst, if you do answer yes you might have some explaining…
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August 20, 2015
Replay of my BLOG TOUR post – I, Hero: Nathan Returns – Excerpt II
Over the last week of July and into the first two weeks of August I took all of my past, present, and even my future, road-mapped works “on the road” so to speak with one very long blog tour. Across a number of very generous hosts’ blogs, I was featured as their guest and I had the opportunity to showcase my work.
A portion of that tour was for the “I, Hero” series. I not only talked about my current release “I, Hero: The Beginning” but also introduced readers to “I, Hero: Nathan Returns”.
If you want to check out my free excerpts from “I, Hero: The Beginning”, you can via the links directly below:
I, Hero: The Beginning – Links to Excerpts
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt I
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt II
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt III
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt IV
It was on author A. G. Moye’s blog where I introduced “I, Hero: Nathan Returns” – Excerpt II and I am happy to once again deliver it here for you.
I, Hero: Nathan Returns – Excerpt II
CHAPTER ONE
Adia closed the apartment door behind her and sighed. She stepped into the kitchen and pulled her phone out of her pocket. It was nearly eight o’clock and there was a new message from her roommate, Melinda, “out with the boyfriend, don’t wait up.”
She smiled, dropped her purse on the table, and walked over to the couch. She flicked the television on, set the remote down, and took her shoes off. She tossed them aside and lay down on the couch.
“…World News with Mark Daniels; thank you for joining us for this special edition of America’s Roundtable. With us tonight…” Adia stopped paying attention, sat up, and grabbed the remote. She was just about to change the station when the topic grabbed her attention.
“…hero or menace? With me to discuss the implications of Nathan, his powers, and his impact, good and bad, on the people is tonight’s distinguished panel of guests.”
Adia set the remote down and fixated her attention on the television.
“To my far left we have U.S. Senator Mackenzie Kelly from New York, who is now serving his third term. To my near left we have General Kevin Westmartin, the most senior member of the US Air Command. On my far right we have Congressman Patrick Johnson from Texas who is now serving his sixth term in that office. To my near right, noted scholar, Professor Rebecca Farnsmith who is the head tutor of the Folklore and Mythology department at Washbury University. Welcome everyone,” he said looking around to the four people sitting around him, “and welcome to everyone at home, tuning in this evening for this special, live broadcast.”
Adia continued to watch as the view on screen changed to smaller news feeds along the right edge and the lower portion of the display. The overall video feed shrank to the upper left two thirds of the screen to accommodate the data streams from the network.
“To remind everyone here and the viewers at home of our format,” Mark said as the camera view focused on him, “this is an open, roundtable discussion. Technically, it can be on any topic; obviously the major topic this evening is Nathan and his extraordinary powers, but the conversation is free to go anywhere. We will only interrupt the discussion if we cannot maintain some semblance of order, which I am sure we all can agree, is needed to have a discussion.”
Mark smiled slightly and looked over to Professor Rebecca Farnsmith. “Let me open the discussion with you Professor Farnsmith. There has been a lot of speculation regarding Nathan’s powers. While they seem to equal, or in some other manner, mimic the fictional characters from EarthWorld comics, there has been a smaller discussion, mainly from your current and prior students, as well as followers of your work, that they are rooted in the characters from Greek Mythology.”
The camera panned past Congressman Johnson, who had a look of disbelief on his face over the comment, and stopped at Professor Farnsmith.
“Thank you for the opening, Mark. First let me say the beings from Greek Mythology were not ‘characters’,” she said turning casually, propping her seated position. She wanted to have presence, but she did not want to insult or dominate. “We believe through our studies of the writings and records, that these beings existed here on Earth for an extended period of time.”
“Oh please,” Congressman Johnson said in a burst of contempt. “I thought we were going to discuss this man Nathan and his threat to our society; not sorcery, or some such, from two thousand years ago.”
“What’s harder to believe Congressman?” Professor Farnsmith responded quickly, defending her position and turning towards him. “That there are very powerful beings that once visited us from another realm; where they once lived among us, and the people of that time thought of them as gods. Or is it easier to believe there is a man flying around, with the powers of the fictional character of Mister Atomic, helping dissipate wild fires by breaking down the molecular bonds of oxygen and thereby removing one of the required fuel sources that feed it?”
“Is that how he helped with the southern brush fires in your home state of Texas, Congressman?” Senator Kelly asked with a smug look on his face.
“Look,” Congressman Johnson responded with his hands open in front of him, with his southern accent becoming more pronounced, “I do not deny that this Nathan has done a great many things that has helped a great many people. There are so many issues and concerns with his powers. Where is his allegiance? What is he working on for the President? Or other nations for that matter?”
“I can tell you, unequivocally, Congressman Johnson,” Senator Kelly responded, “and you good people at home, the young man we all know as Nathan is extraordinary not only in the powers he wields, but the level of discretion under which he uses them. Or doesn’t, as is sometimes the case.” Senator Kelly moved in his seat slightly and continued quickly, concerned that he might get cut off. “We, the United States government, have asked him for help on occasion on matters that I cannot discuss here. When it was applicable and he was able, he helped. When he felt it was too high a level of interference, in a gray area, where a sovereign nation was concerned, and we would not contact them to explain our incursion, he would decline to help us.”
“And who is he to question the Commander in Chief?” General Westmartin barked loudly.
“He’s an everyday citizen,” Senator Kelly countered. “He does not serve as an enlisted American, and as such, he has every right to decline something. At best, he working with us like a consultant might for the FBI or the CIA. And just like them, if he feels there is something off, he simply declines.”
“So what is he working on?” General Westmartin asked smugly. “I haven’t been in the loop on much of anything and yet I should be, more so than not.”
“Obviously General, I am unable to comment on that,” Senator Kelly responded plainly.
“And yet,” General Westmartin countered quickly, “it’s only you and the President with those special little phones to call him. Now why is that?”
“Well the choice of the President having one is pretty self-explanatory; if anyone is going to need to pull a major rip cord and need the help of a superhero, it would be the President of the United States.”
“Fair enough,” the General responded, shifting in his seat and leaning forward. “Then why do you have the other one?”
“Because he trusted me with it,” Senator Kelly responded calmly.
There was a brief lull and the Senator took advantage of that and turned back to Professor Farnsmith. “Professor,” he said plainly, “You commented before on your beliefs and studies of the Greek gods, Zeus, Hera, and so forth. Can you lend more of your knowledge? I am very interested in your theories.”
“Well,” Professor Farnsmith said unassumingly, “we believe these beings existed on another plane of existence, where the laws of time, nature, physics, and perhaps some others, like magic, apply very differently than in ours. For instance, it’s been hypothesized that those beings were few in number. There were not millions or billions like the number of us as we exist here on Earth. They may number in the hundreds, or even less. That is a theory as to why they are able to tap into the powers they have. They are connected to their version of nature and their universe at such a level that they can tap into the very energies around them and channel those for directed use.”
“Zeus and his thunderbolts,” General Westmartin responded sarcastically.
“We harness electricity with machines and technology; why couldn’t a highly evolved being channel it through his body with nothing more than his will?” Professor Farnsmith countered quickly. “We have Earth; we hypothesize that their Mount Olympus is where they reside. Because they were around for many centuries it is assumed they either live a very long time or that time moves differently on their plane of existence. Or perhaps it is both.”
“So those beings could be alive today?” Senator Kelly asked in a serious tone.
“They could,” Professor Farnsmith responded simply.
“WOO!” Congressman Johnson said loudly, “that blasphemy is going to cost you some nice votes come next year.”
“First off I never called them gods. Having said that, who said aliens have to be green and arrive on spaceships?” Senator Kelly responded coolly. “Why couldn’t they be “alien” beings, but rather than coming from another world far away, they instead live on another plane of existence?” Senator Kelly asked making finger quote marks in the air.
“Exactly,” Professor Farnsmith responded quickly. “In the Hebrew Bible, the Torah, the Book of Joshua, the Book of Job, and the two Books of Chronicles, to name just a few ancient writings, each mention a number of people that lived well beyond 400 years of age. They were the few; the exceptions. If we are to assume those as correct ages of beings on this world, it supports that the same could also be true for beings in other planes of existence. Additionally, if time moved differently there, where years here were days or hours there, they would seem to be immortal and seemingly live forever.”
“That’s an interesting theory Professor,” General Westmartin mused, “you wouldn’t happen to have any concrete proof to back any of it up?”
“I have as much proof to my beliefs as you might for whichever ones you hold,” she responded holding her ground. “As with all ancient texts, there are possible mistranslations from text to document, document to parchment, and so on. It doesn’t have to be egregious; even a minor one can throw something off. A decimal in the wrong place… that sort of thing.”
“So even your own hypotheses and theories are suspect?” General Westmartin countered.
“Of course,” she said plainly. “I believe in the work I do and the topics I study, but I am limited to the data and information I am given to review and work with.” She paused for a moment, and then continued. “I do believe in it wholeheartedly. And if Nathan has been given this gift by them,” Professor Farnsmith paused and quickly turned to see Senator Kelly nod slightly, “then it stands to reason that he is tapping the same energies that other heroes have in the course of history.”
“Helen of Troy? Hercules? Perseus? I think that if any are going to be somewhat household names, those would be it,” Congressman Johnson said loudly. “I might have to consult my grandson for some of the new age fiction ones.”
“Sarcasm is the tool of a weak mind,” Professor Farnsmith panned.
“I would like to know what the issue is, that certain factions of the government and the military, have with Nathan,” Senator Kelly said as be repositioned himself in the chair. “If the fact alone that the President of the Unites States has zero issue with him isn’t enough, what is it that bothers people? He’s not acting as law enforcement. He’s never performed any function as a citizen. He’s assisted when called upon but it’s not like he made citizen arrests. He’s been on the scene of the occasional crime, like when helping with flooding and holding looters while the police arrived, but he’s effectively never acted independently.”
“You tell them, Senator” Adia said to the television as she got up from the couch to get something to drink. She made her way into the kitchen and continued to look back at the television as Senator Kelly continued.
“The fact of the matter is, with all the powers he has, I think he’s shown great restraint. I wonder how many other people could do the same. Perhaps it’s why they chose him.”
“All this issue aside with the Greek gods, Senator, granting powers and all,” General Westmartin countered, “I have never seen, in man or nature, an imbalance to any one side, maintain. With man, when one side moved away from clubs to fire sticks, so did the other side. Right now, we stave each other off with tons of nukes pointed at one another. Oh, sure, they are dormant now, and the escalation is way down from where it was in the 60s and 70s, but they are all available to use when and if needed. As far as nature goes, I am far less the expert, but when too much ground water is tapped, we have sinkholes. When too much over fishing is done, other species suffer or die off. If there is so much of a counterbalance in a force of good, my concern is when the opposite of Nathan shows up.”
There was a quiet pause over the panel for a moment.
Adia walked from the kitchen with her glass of water and set it down on the coffee table.
“Would you care to elaborate further on that, General?” Mark asked to try to re-engage the conversation that stopped.
“There are two major issues on this point; let me start with the first one, Nathan himself. What if the power goes to his head? What if he suddenly does decide he is bigger than all of us and decides protecting isn’t enough and that he should rule? How can we possibly defeat someone so powerful?”
“His powers are not absolute,” Senator Kelly chimed in. “He confided in me that fact, and I hope he’ll forgive me if it was something he wanted kept more confidential. He never explicitly identified as such but… he indicated that his powers are… regulated, to a degree. He basically said, they were granted by the Greek gods. He knows this although he never explained how, and freely admitted he’s never seen or met any of them. Since he’s indicated that much, I believe that if these beings decided to intervene in such a way, to try to affect without directly getting involved, that they would also have a way to intervene should he become a direct threat.”
“What makes you so sure?” the General asked.
“Faith,” Senator Kelly responded. “It would seem to me that if they desired, these beings could directly involve themselves as they did millennia ago. For whatever reason, they left and decided to stay gone, as far as we’re all aware. Who knows if they indirectly influenced things along the way? We’ll never know for sure unless we could communicate with one of them. At the end of the day and for whatever reasons, they have decided to act in this manner through Nathan. From what I seen, in such an ordinary man, they have found someone extraordinary.”
Adia smiled. Her thoughts drifted to the last time she saw Nathan and the day he said goodbye. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Excuse me,” Mark said, moving his hand up to his ear piece. “We are getting word now that there is an emergency at the Hanford Nuclear Power Plant. We are going to interrupt our broadcast… Stacy Martins for the local affiliate is on the scene. Stacy… we are live to you.”
“Yes, good evening Mark. Details are sketchy at the moment but apparently there was an issue earlier with one of the reactors and its cooling system. About an hour ago, the criticality level changed from Site Area Emergency, which is an issue that is contained within the site boundary, where no action is needed by the general public, to General Emergency. With that enacted, the evacuation order was initially given for the two inner zones around the plant, but that now has been escalated and emergency sirens have gone off. I have unconfirmed reports that containment loss may occur if they cannot get the situation remedied in short order.”
“Come on Nathan…” Aida said aloud. “Show them what you’re made of.”
***
Persephone stood in the garden by the reflecting pool on Mount Olympus. She smiled upon the chaos that was occurring on the scene. With the crisis at the Hanford Nuclear Power Plant escalating, Zeus and Hera also arrived.
“Fancy seeing you here daughter,” Hera disparaged while walking around the far side of the reflecting pool.
“My hand is not in this, as it is, of course, forbidden,” Persephone said feigning a smile to her and then turning to her father. “I am, of course, as equally surprised to see you here, both of you. It’s unusual to see either of you at the reflecting pool at all, let alone together.”
Zeus said nothing but only looked down into the pool at the scene.
“We all feel it too; I do expect you to realize that,” Persephone said looking at her father. “The hero Nathan is pulling power from this realm, and through all of us, as you commanded, father. We know when something is amiss. You may feel it first, but we know it too.”
***
Adia continued to watch the scene unfold on the television when suddenly Nathan appeared on the screen, landing in the background of the shot with the reporter. She clasped her hands together and prayed.
“Yes Mark, it does appear that Nathan has arrived.”
“We have confirmation here as well,” Mark responded. “We are getting the automated telemetry feed information from Nathan’s Computer Central network. As viewers might be aware, since enabling the Computer Central network a few months ago, Nathan makes available to all news reporting networks, via the AP feeds, all and any pertinent information for any major emergencies. You will see this information on the right side and bottom of your television screens at home. From time to time as well, the view on the screen may break away from our network control to live feeds that Computer Central provides. Nathan has maintained that he does this in an effort to provide clarity and transparency to anything that he is doing in the public interest.”
The camera in the studio zoomed out to show the entire panel and then the shot went back out to the reporter on the scene. Almost immediately, the shot then cut away to a raw feed from Computer Central.
***
Nathan entered the facility and raced toward the reactor core.
“Computer Central?”
“Enabled.”
“What’s the status of the core?” Nathan asked as he reinforced his personal shielding as Captain Delta.
“It will go critical. It will need to be evacuated.”
Nathan moved quickly to the area of the core. “Looks like I am going to have to pull the same move I did with the shuttle; I’m going to need to extend my own shielding and then move this whole unit.”
“Affirmative; you will not be able to contain the reactor once the critical level is reached.”
“I might have been better served today to be Mister Atomic; he could have simply absorbed all this radioactive energy until it became inert.”
“Confirmed,” Computer Central responded. “The known quantities of nuclear and radioactive material onsite Hanford Nuclear Power Plant are within Mister Atomic’s capabilities to neutralize.”
“I’ve learned not to second guess the compulsion to don one shirt over another,” Nathan responded while he focused and extended his personal force field around the failing reactor core. The action sheered electrical circuits and crushed much of the supports and the surrounding super structure. Once fully enveloped, he strained to raise the enveloped material while he gravitated alongside. “How far,” Nathan asked, straining under duress, “do I have to get this into the edge of space to jettison it completely out of orbit and Earth’s gravity well?”
“Scanning the mass of the matter you are now raising based on density. Scanning… Sending the information to your wrist monitor. It is based on the readings I have. I have added twenty five percent to the weight calculation and the speed requirement based on the read out. You will need to reach that altitude and speed away from Earth to send the matter away successfully. I have also plotted a course to allow it the best trajectory towards the sun.”
Nathan looked quickly at the display. He continued to strain as he raised the material. “That exceeds the highest altitude I’ve ever attempted as Captain Delta.”
“Affirmative; by 313 percent. It is within the parameters of the character’s abilities based on the fictional accounts of his powers.”
“Yes,” Nathan responded, continuing to lift the mass, under pressure, “nothing like the words ‘fictional accounts of his abilities’ to instill my personal confidence.”
The emergency crews on the ground watched the major portion of the reactor complex lift and leave the site within Nathan’s protective shielding.
“Segmented portions of Captain Delta’s powers are derived from willpower,” Computer Central responded as Nathan continued to lift the radioactive materials and the remnants of the reactor tower and core skyward. “Your supply of willpower, to date, does not have an upper measure.”
Nathan continued upwards for several minutes in silent concentration at his best speed to reach escape velocity.
“Distance from ground?” Nathan called out, interrupting the silence, with his voice beginning to break.
“Twelve, point three miles.” Computer Central responded.
“Is the radiation leaking outside the shielding?” Nathan asked looking around.
“Negative.”
“Storm clouds are forming out of thin air up here.” Nathan said as his tone shifted to concern.
“Analyzing… analyzing… conditions are not permissible for the formation of storm clouds at your location.” Computer Central responded.
“What?” Nathan asked slightly dazed as he began to slow his acceleration and move slightly lateral and away from his original position directly under the core materials.
Lightning strikes began to leap from cloud to cloud and then exchange down to Earth.
“The clouds should not exist given present conditions.” Computer Central responded.
Suddenly, Nathan grabbed his throat, gasping for air, with his personal shielding gone.
With the total loss of his powers, he began to plummet back to Earth with the reactor materials falling with him.
Nathan is back in New York City; the place where it all started, nearly one year later. While he has been away, he has been establishing a base of operations and trying to follow the direction his life has taken – making a difference and answering the call for help where and when he is needed.
He has returned to this birthplace of his powers with more questions of why he is on the path he is on and what is expected of him.
During a dangerous rescue, his powers dissipate, and leave him critically vulnerable.
He connects back with old friends who help him rediscover the man he used to be to in order to help him be the man he has become and the man who he must be.
Magical forces come into play, pulling on nature itself, which introduces an unexpected challenge to Nathan while he is at this perilous juncture.
The pendulum swings even farther out of alignment; it is up to Nathan to respond before forces are set into motion that cannot be countered.
——
Books and links
Before Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book 1)
Another Sunset (The Sunset Series Book 2)
BOOK RELEASE ROAD-MAP (PLANNED)
As Life Goes: The End of the Innocence – (expected November 2015)
As Life Goes: The Reunion – (expected April 2016)
As Life Goes: The Wedding (expected July 2016)
As Life Goes: The Funeral (expected October 2016)
I Hero: Untitled Book 3 (Expected first half 2016)
I Hero: Untitled Book 4 (Expected second half 2016)
I Hero: Untitled Book 5 (Expected first half 2017)
August 18, 2015
CONNECTICUT AUTHORS’ DAY September 1st, 2015 #CTAuthorsDay
#CTAuthorsDay CONNECTICUT AUTHORS’ DAY September 1st, 2015
Replay of my BLOG TOUR post – I, Hero: Nathan Returns – Excerpt I
Over the last week of July and into the first two weeks of August I took all of my past, present, and even my future, road-mapped works “on the road” so to speak with one very log blog tour. Across a number of very generous hosts’ blogs, I was featured as their guest and I had the opportunity to showcase my work.
A portion of that tour was for the “I, Hero” series. I not only talked about my current release “I, Hero: The Beginning” but also introduced readers to “I, Hero: Nathan Returns”.
If you want to check out my free excerpts from “I, Hero: The Beginning”, you can via the links directly below:
I, Hero: The Beginning – Links to Excerpts
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt I
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt II
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt III
“I, Hero – The Beginning” – Excerpt IV
It was on author John W. Howell’s blog where I first introduced “I, Hero: Nathan Returns” – Excerpt I and I am happy to once again deliver it here for you.
I, Hero: Nathan Returns – Excerpt I
PROLOGUE
The morning sun rose over the horizon and immediately began to heat the crisp morning air.
A middle-aged woman sat on a park bench with a small, mixed breed dog on a leash. The dog sniffed around at the grass to the left rear of the bench and the woman turned her back to face her dog.
She was holding her smart phone and had ear buds in her ears. She listened to music that played while an older gentleman with white hair, dressed in a long suit coat, came along. He moved alongside the park bench in the grassy area off the paved path. The smaller dog immediately tugged on the leash to see the other dog.
The woman casually lifted her hand to her left ear, dropped the ear bud out of it, and glanced over at the pure-bred Labrador Retriever. “We might as well be having that affair we’re always accused of, meeting up like this as often as we do,” she said quietly without taking her attention off her dog.
“It’s better that the talk is of an affair that we’re not having than what we’re actually doing,” the man replied, turning his back towards her and allowing the dog to move him a couple of steps away. “Status and update?” he asked plainly.
“We still have no way to track him,” she said while getting up from the bench to pick up after the dog. She took the opportunity to scan the area for other people. There were none. “His powers… change, for a lack of better description. We are following a given signature then it disappears entirely. When it does come up again it registers differently. We track that for a while and then he just falls off the radar.” She dropped the small bag into a nearby pail and walked her dog near his so they could sniff each other. “He generally seems to head west before he drops out of sight. We’ve eliminated California, Oregon, and Washington because of the number of occasions he disappears heading east from those states. Intelligence is liking Nevada, but it’s still too loose and just a guess.”
“Do you think it’s deliberate? Do you think he knows we are trying to track him and he is masking his movements?” he asked tugging slightly at his dog’s leash.
“I can’t know for certain,” she said looking up at him and smiling slightly. She reached into her coat pocket to make sure her identification badge was still there. “His movements are too casual; if I had to guess I would say ‘no’. He’s young, not skilled or trained, and he trusts easily. Why his signature disappears and then shows up differently is something we haven’t figured out. It does repeat; there are times it matches prior signatures and we have a catalog of nine distinct ones to date, but why they are constantly changing is another unknown. We also see no detectable pattern in the changes. It appears random.”
“We know Senator Kelly is the direct link between Nathan and the President; have we had any luck with that route?” the man asked looking directly at the woman.
“No. He’s tight-lipped, he won’t budge, and he has to be the cleanest politician I’ve ever seen too; we can’t even find anything to leverage on him,” she said withdrawn.
“Everyone has a closet and there are always skeletons. I don’t want to have to go that way with him, but if I have to I will, even if I have to fabricate something. We need to figure out what is going on. It’s a matter of national security,” the man said looking over at his dog as it began doing its business in the grass.
The woman glanced over and then tended back to her dog. “I’ll put some more people on it but eventually it’s going to leak. The people like Nathan; once it gets out that the CIA and Homeland are trying to track him it’s not going to be good.”
“The CIA and Homeland are not tracking him,” the man responded matter of factly.
“Yes, two rogue groups within each organization are; without authorization, and without Presidential backing. That will go over so much better with the public,” she said in a sarcastic tone. “Is it such a smart idea to engage tonight on World News with Mark Daniels?”
“America’s Roundtable is the place for a discussion like this,” the man turned and stepped over to her near the edge of the paved walkway. “The top thirty-five most populous cities in the United States, with a total population that exceeds 40 million souls. Offshore, shell companies, buying, leasing, or otherwise occupying property in the dead center of each of those cities. We have been stymied on just about every legal front, trying to gain access to some of those locations, and others that we have been able to access have not produced anything worthwhile to date.”
She looked up at him with a steely look in her eyes. “I am as much a Patriot as you are. Have you ever considered that there is no conspiracy there? Even if there is one, how can you be so sure it has to do with him? Nathan has no income that we’ve been able to detect. We have no idea where he lays his head at night. As far as food goes, there are millions of families that would offer him dinner, if he even needs to consume food anymore with respect to the powers he has. He just doesn’t have the means for anything nearly as grand as what you’re assuming, based on all of our intelligence.”
“You’re naïve, Jane,” the man said in a stern tone. “His capabilities are unmatched. There are governments that would pay a fortune to exploit them. He has a commodity that no one else can provide in his abilities.” The man tugged at his dog slightly to bring him out of the grass and onto the paved path. “Everyone has a price and everything can be bought.”
“Said the man who has brokered his share of said deals,” Jane replied plainly. She pulled the other ear bud out and put the unit in her purse.
“It is exactly because of that, I know something is going on. I will get to the bottom of it,” he said as he took a couple of steps away from her.
“If you are right about this, then hopefully the people will understand the need for some of the illegal activity…”
“We are covered under the Patriot Act,” he said, stopping his departure abruptly and cutting her off mid-sentence.
“That’s a load and you know it, but if it helps you sleep at night, so be it. Sooner or later it’s going to surface, whether we want it to or not, Congressman Johnson, and I hope you’re ready for that.”
“I’ll be ready because there is just no way I’m that far off base on this. Those properties in those cities… they all tie back to Nathan somehow and I am going to figure it out. All that power he has and it’s not enough. Now he’s involved with something in the middle of all those cities…all those lives. I will find out what that is,” he said turning to walk away.
Jane turned back to where the Congressman was exercising his dog. “You going to pick that up?” she asked plainly.
“The park has paid caretakers; they’ll tend to it,” he said without turning around.
Nathan is back in New York City; the place where it all started, nearly one year later. While he has been away, he has been establishing a base of operations and trying to follow the direction his life has taken – making a difference and answering the call for help where and when he is needed.
He has returned to this birthplace of his powers with more questions of why he is on the path he is on and what is expected of him.
During a dangerous rescue, his powers dissipate, and leave him critically vulnerable.
He connects back with old friends who help him rediscover the man he used to be to in order to help him be the man he has become and the man who he must be.
Magical forces come into play, pulling on nature itself, which introduces an unexpected challenge to Nathan while he is at this perilous juncture.
The pendulum swings even farther out of alignment; it is up to Nathan to respond before forces are set into motion that cannot be countered.
August 17, 2015
It’s Difficult Being an Author
Originally posted on Booth Talks Books:
Honestly, I had no idea being an author was such a difficult thing. You write your stories when you have a publishing company and you’re gold, right? Right? Apparently not. It seems that writing the book is the easy part and the struggle starts after that.
Let me first list my assumptions as a non-writer. You writers can IM amongst yourselves and snicker over my naivety. It’s okay, because I’m still going to buy your books. I like your characters too much…darn you. Then, I will let you know what the authors have told me we can do as readers to help them out. Ready? Get your IM windows ready authors.
Assumption One: All Authors Go on Book Tours
Nope. The publishing companies only spend the big touring bucks on their big names. A lot of the smaller names have to do what they can to spread their name. This…
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The BIG, three week, blog tour is DONE! Time to ready the GIVEAWAY!
I want to thank everyone that stopped by on the different blogs along the tour to read about my recent releases.
Below are the links and a majority of the main post from the original launch page of the entire tour – hosted by 4WillsPublishing Author Services
I have the GIVEAWAY to draw as well – I am busy tallying up the blog stops and I’ll be drawing those and announcing on Friday.
Welcome to the I, HERO – THE BEGINNING Blog Tour!
Author, Jason Zandri
(Jason is on a whirlwind three week tour for three of his releases! Each week’s tour, is for an individual book and each tour will be listed in 7 day increments. The giveaways listed below will be awarded after the final tour is over and that is August 15, 2015. To enter the drawing for the fabulous prizes and prize packages listed below, simply leave a comment at the bottom of this page, as well as each stop along his tour. Each day that you leave a comment on a tour stop, your name will go into the drawing. The more stops you visit and leave comments, the greater your chances to win! GOOD LUCK!)
GIVEAWAYS (5 Winners):
1st Place: $25 Amazon Gift Card + Kindle Versions of all 3 of Jason’s books
2nd Place: $10 Amazon Gift Card + Kindle Version of winner’s choice of 1 of Jason’s books
3rd Place: Kindle version of “As Life Goes – Elementary”
4th Place: Kindle Version of “I, Hero – The Beginning”
5th Place: Kindle Version of “Another Sunset”
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TOUR LINE-UP for “I, HERO – THE BEGINNING”
Sunday, August 9, 2015:
Monday, August 10, 2015:
Tuesday, August 11, 2015:
Wednesday, August 12, 2015:
Thursday, August 13, 2015:
Friday, August 14, 2015:
Saturday, August 15, 2015:
Sunday, August 16, 2015:
REPLAY OF THURSDAY, JULY 30TH STOP!
BOOK BLURB:
An everyday man, living less than ordinary life in New York City, simply makes his way about his work life and one at home. A kind heart and an empathetic soul, who tended to think of others before he thought of himself.
With his childhood totally left behind and gone with the final resting of his father, Nathan has come to terms with his past as he forges his life in the present, unaware of what lies ahead.
An unlikely friendship, a random act of violence, a budding romance, all part of a life changed.
*****
TOUR LINE-UP for “AS LIFE GOES…ELEMENTARY”:
Sunday, August 2, 2015:
Monday, August 3, 2015:
Tuesday, August 4, 2015:
Wednesday, August 5, 2015:
Thursday, August 6, 2015:
Friday, August 7, 2015:
Saturday, August 8, 2015:
BOOK BLURB:
Mark Sanford returns to his hometown with his son Matthew in tow to rebuild their lives. Recently divorced, and with the mother totally abandoning her parental responsibilities, both father and son are beginning their fresh start together.
Matthew begins to make new friends in the neighborhood and at school while he tries to find his place among people that have been friends with one another for years at elementary school.
Mark takes over the reins of the former family corner store with the help of a young woman looking for work. The ability to love and trust that woman entering his life is difficult for him because of all he has lost. For Matthew, that “first love” is difficult to understand without a motherly influence and with a father that has been deeply hurt.
*****
TOUR LINE-UP for “ANOTHER SUNSET”:
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
This stop will be re-listed shortly
Friday, July 31, 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
BOOK BLURB:
David Stephenson is a kind drifter who comes to settle in the small Texas town of Westville. His sense, empathy, and awareness are well received by the residents of the failing town as they welcome and befriend him. During his stay he helps a small local girl try to realize her dream and while doing so excites and energizes the whole town to help out. Lives change as fate takes a critical turn. The local would-be reporter, tasked by David’s longtime friend, takes off on a mission to unravel the mystery of his travels, where he came from, and discovers why he is on his journey.
***
NONNIE JULES’ REVIEW OF “ANOTHER SUNSET”: 5***** Star!!!
This story had me confused in the beginning. I felt there were too many characters introduced too soon, and I was getting them all mixed up, especially with David and Peter Dempsey, and then with Caroline and Charlotte. I couldn’t remember who was the passenger and who was the truck driver, and then I couldn’t remember which was the child and which was the elderly woman (that confusion very well could have been my own mind, mind you). After having read the first two chapters twice, I began to force myself to focus better. Then, I got it! It all clicked! I was so moved by this story-line, which was filled with comedy at times, sadness at times, frustration (if you’ve read this already, think David letting Su Ann have it!), then it all leveling out into a marvelously joyous read. I mean, how many people are there in this world like David? He made me want to be better, kinder and more generous. Anytime an author can evoke those feelings inside of you, the reader, HE/SHE is damn good! My original review rating was going to be a 4 star because I found that there were many occasions where punctuation was needed, yet there was none. For it to be a fluid read for me, I need yellow lights, red lights and green lights guiding my drive…and although not very often, I am guilty of this crime, too. (The good thing about that, is the author, Jason Zandri can fix those minor hiccups in no time!). With all that said, by the time I had rounded the final bend of this tale, I was so wrapped up in this AWESOME story, this wonderfully crafted story, that ANOTHER SUNSET gets a 5 star rating from me!
Now, let me say what I know you came here to hear…you DO want to read this book and you DO want to read it right away. The story was better than good, and Mr. Zandri, you have just garnered yourself a new fan! I hope to see this book as a Rave Reviews Book Club “Book of the Month” selection in the very near future because I know ALL will enjoy it! And if you are a follower of my reviews, you know I don’t say that very often. Only when it’s true!
August 13, 2015
The World of Jason Zandri
Originally posted on rhanidchae:
I’m so glad that you decided to join me today. As some of you know, I’m a member of Rave Reviews Book Club, and this week is a “Bethany Turner say It Forward” week, which means that I get to bring you three amazing authors. On Monday, I hosted Carl Stevens, and on Friday I will host Lizzie Chantree, but today I get to shine my mini spotlight on Jason Zandri. Jason is an incredibly supportive member of #RRBC, and I always enjoy retweeting his posts, that often include his adorable kids. So now, please allow me to present Jason Zandri.
* * *
About Jason
Author
Another Sunset
Before Another Sunset
From Wallingford, CT
President of the Wallingford Fireworks Fund
http://wallingfordfireworks.org
Proud member of the Rave Reviews Book Club
#RRBC #RaveReviewsBookClub
* * *
About Jason’s Books
Before Another Sunset
Westville, Texas. A small town with friendly people…
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On Tour – Jason Zandri -Author of “I,Hero: Nathan Returns” #RRBC
Originally posted on Fiction Favorites:
I am pleased to welcome Jason Zandri to Fiction Favorites. Jason is on tour to promote his book I, Hero: Nathan Returns. Jason, welcome.
Thanks, John. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to everyone, via the blog tour, the very first look at “I, Hero: Nathan Returns”.
I, Hero: Nathan Returns – Excerpt I
PROLOGUE
The morning sun rose over the horizon and immediately began to heat the crisp morning air.
A middle-aged woman sat on a park bench with a small, mixed breed dog on a leash. The dog sniffed around at the grass to the left rear of the bench and the woman turned her back to face her dog.
She was holding her smart phone and had ear buds in her ears. She listened to music that played while an older gentleman with white hair, dressed in a long suit coat, came along. He moved alongside the…
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August 10, 2015
Meet Jason Zandri
I, Hero: The Beginning – Excerpt V
Originally posted on Right The Writer:
Who is Jason?Jason has been working in the information technology field in one form or the other since 1996. He is currently employed full time at Bloomberg LP as a Systems Engineer in the R&D group. Jason lives in Wallingford Connecticut, with his wife Renata. He is the father to four children, three boys and 1 girl – 11 years (Andrew), 9 years (Angela), 7 years (Adam) and 6 years old (Alex).
I, Hero: The Beginning
An everyday man, living less than ordinary life in New York City, simply makes his way about his work life and one at home. A kind heart and an empathetic soul, who tended to think of others before he thought of himself.
With his childhood totally left behind and gone with the final resting of his father, Nathan has come to terms with his past as he forges his life in the present…
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August 9, 2015
Guest Author Jason Zandri
Originally posted on Entertaining Stories:
“I, Hero: The Beginning” falls in the realm of your standard fantasy / mythology / superhero story. It’s an “origins” story, and like any origin tale, it seems slow to tell, at least from the start. In order to have a good base to work future adventures from, you have to know how the hero got their start. That was the premise for “I, Hero: The Beginning”.
The book has been set up as a part of a planned series of stories. I have four more “planned”, with book two titled “I Hero: Nathan Returns” which is already in the works and expected ready for delivery for the Kindle for the middle of September. After that, I have tentatively plannedthree more books in the series as follows:
I Hero: Untitled Book 3 (Expected first half 2016)
I Hero: Untitled Boo
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