Annie Douglass Lima's Blog, page 2

Let There be Dragons: a Fantasy Novel by Janet Post

 

Dark Fantasy

Published: October 2020

Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing

In a post-apocalyptic world, dragons, elves, vampires and demons war for control of Earth. A girl with powerful Gifts is the only hope the world has to destroy Slygon, a demon from the Pit come to rule all.

​With the aid of a half-orc, his friends and a fairy, Annabelle tames dragons and rides to fight Slygon on his home territory. On a mission to rescue her sister from Slygon’s power, Annabelle will stop at nothing. When everyone around her is saying it’s time to quit, Annabelle is just getting started.

Excerpt

Chapter Three

Jackal

“We be getting mighty close the city, Jackal,” Slag said.

I glanced at my green friend sitting astride the Belgium draft mare he’d named Bunny even though she was mean as a snake. Slag was three-quarters orc. Slag’s mother had been a halfling, his father an orc who raped her when she was hunting. Slag had been given to the same wet nurse taking care of me. We were raised together along with Chub, our third companion, another half-orc.

Slag’s frown emphasized the pointed ivory tusks that rose at the corner of his mouth from his bottom jaw to above his upper lip and nearly to his flat nose. At seven feet of solid muscle Slag weighed in at three-hundred pounds, and was two inches taller than me, and twenty-five pounds heavier. When I noticed the sun shining off the top of Slag’s head I grinned. Slag kept his head shaved to show off what he thought were his best features, a broad forehead and small, slightly pointed ears, each pierced with three golden rings.

“Aye, the city be close” I said as I glanced around us. “The big lake be over that hill. The walls of New Orleans be about a league to the south of us.”

“This be dangerous ground,” Chub said. “It’s getting’ late and I’m terrible hungry. Let’s stop and cook up some of that shoat we bagged this morning.”

I laughed. Chub was always hungry, a huge halfling who besides food, loved me, Slag and no other being in the universe, except perhaps the draft mule he rode. The mule was always hungry too. Chub shared other qualities with his mount, such as strength, tirelessness, and a foul temper. A dangerous combination. But then all of us are dangerous.

“I’m good with that,” I said. “You two set up camp. I’m gonna ride up to the top of that hill and get a look see.”

I spurred Thor, a black Friesian with feathered feet and too much mane. The big horse was a gift from my mother, the elf queen, Ashera. It was the only thing besides my light skin, pointed ears, and thick brown hair she’d ever given me. That, and she’d carried me to term and not killed me at birth, which was the custom, because I was the result of an orc rape. Instead of killing me, she sent me to the village of Wildwhisper. She’d never raise a half-orc babe herself. Elves were all racists. They believed in the purity of the elf race and any mixing of blood was considered an abomination. I was glad she’d sent me to Wildwhisper. Life in the village suited me down to the ground. I’d learned to forge and use the weapons I made.

My two warrior friends and I were raised in the same small village outside the elves’ mountain fortress in what used to be Arkansas. It was also near Edenvale, a hidden sanctuary populated with humans who didn’t care to be serfs to the Magics or live within walls. The people of Wildwhisper maintained themselves by hunting in the forest, tanning hides, and forging weapons. They mined ore and coal in the mountains and found old steel and metal in abandoned cities to melt in forges fueled by the coal. Their swords were highly-valued, the metal folded and then sharpened to perfection and modeled after the Japanese blade, the katana. They also forged enormous axes to be used as weapons and smaller ones for cutting down trees. If it could be made of metal, it was forged in Wildwhisper. I always carried a satchel full of weapons to use in trade if we needed food or lodging, and sometimes I sold them for the most common form of money, silver coins.

As I galloped Thor to the top of the hill, reveling in the strength and immense power of the horse beneath me, I surveyed the landscape. Below stretched the big lake and the wall built around the city of New Orleans. The city center was too far to see clearly, just the spire of a great church, and the remains of tall buildings now crumbling ruins. Inside the wall, small farms were green with summer’s bounty.

I squeezed Thor’s sides sending him charging into a valley and up another hill. At the top, I spotted a group of orcs camped in the bottom of the next valley inside a copse of oak saplings. Smoke from their cook fire rose between the leafy boughs. I couldn’t see all of them, but the usual orc raiding party was ten or twelve. Seven were visible, tending to the huge boars they rode. The hogs grunted and snorted from their position tied to trot lines. I was close enough hear the restless animals.

This was good news to me. Finding a raiding party before it found you was always good news. Then I spotted the girl. She looked about ten and was tied face down across the back of a hog. One of the orcs dragged her off the massive pig and tossed her to his fellow who laughed and ripped off her clothes.

I felt my animal nature rising. Anger at the terrible treatment of the child, for the girl was no more than that, warred with my inner voice cautioning me to take care. I wanted nothing more than to tear down the hill and fight all of them.

I whirled Thor around on his hind feet and galloped back to camp. It was almost dark. Slag and Chub would appreciate the chance to kill some orcs.

I pulled the big Friesian to a sliding stop at the edge of the camp. Slag grabbed my reins. “I see that light in yer eye.” Slag grinned. “Ye found us a bit of work, didn’t ye?”

“Orcs have a girl. We gotta go now. Setting up camp can wait. Mount [JP1] up and let’s ride.”

Slag and Chub leapt on their mounts[JP2] . Chub still had his long bow slung over his shoulder, a quiver full of arrows and his axe in a holster attached to his leather body armor. Slag favored a broad sword, a crossbow with bolts tipped with rattlesnake venom, and a spear. I still had my katana and sheath hooked to the back of my armor. Armed to the teeth, we thundered down the trail, knowing the girl might soon be dead, or worse. A ten-year old was a woman to orcs.

We stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the orc encampment. The sun had set, and a huge moon slowly rose over the trees behind them. The ghostly-blue light illuminated the troop of orcs gathered in a raiding party. We sat still and silent, impatient as we watched the orcs move out. When the orcs crested the far hill and headed toward the city, I dismounted, left Thor ground-tied, and slunk down the hill staying in the cover of shrubs and underbrush. Chub stayed with the horses, but Slag followed.

The fire I’d seen earlier was extinguished, but the orcs obviously planned to return to this camp. Two huge, ugly, green monsters squatted close to the girl. They weren’t touching her, just sitting there watching. Two hogs wandered around behind them, saddled and ready to go, but eating acorns and snuffling in the leaves beneath the trees.

I waved, sending Slag off to the left, while I went right. The hogs scented us and squealed an alarm. The two orcs jumped to their feet. One held a massive hammer, the other a multi-bladed mace, crude but effective. A brace of spears leaned against one of the trees. The hogs came close to inspect me and I shooed them away. One charged, its tusks gleaming blue in the moonlight. I held my katana high over my head in a two-handed grip as I waited for the hog, then I stepped aside and sliced its head off with my razor-sharp blade. The head rolled, foam dripping from its gaping maw as blood gushed from the body. The other hog squealed and ran away.

Alerted, the two orcs raced around in circles searching for us. Slag stepped up behind them and put two poison bolts into the biggest one while I slashed the other diagonally across its body from neck to thigh, opening its belly. Guts and blood poured onto the ground as the stunned orc took a minute to figure out he was dead, then toppled over.

Smiling, I do love a good fight, I wiped my blade on the grass to clean it. “Get the girl.”

Slag moaned. “Really? Like we ain’t got enough problems?”

“If we leave her here, the orcs will find her and their two dead friends and come looking for us after they kill her.”

“Happen, they’ll come for us, no matter.”

“Not if we catch them first.”

Slag lifted one bushy eyebrow.

“We have to go after them. They’re headed for the city.”

“When did you become a lover of the Magics?”

“It’s not the Magics I care about. The regular folk die too, and they don’t deserve it.”

Slag sighed. “Let’s be off then. Chub’s missing his dinner and that will put him in a right bad mood.”

We found the girl curled into a ball under a rough blanket made of sacking. I pulled the sacking off her face. She was red headed, with pale skin and bright blue eyes. She pounced on me, clawing at my eyes. “Whoa, there filly.” I pulled her off my head. “I ain’t an orc.”

“You are!” she screamed. “You might not be green, but you look just like them.”

“I know I ain’t pretty, but it’s not kind of you to remind me. I might be half orc, but I always thought I was better looking than orcs.” I held her out in front of me and noticed she was younger than I’d thought, and feistier. “We just killed your captors and we plan to get the rest.” She kicked and scratched at my leather wrist guards, tried to bite me, and shrieked bloody murder.

“I can always give you back, if you’d druther.”

She stopped shrieking. “Put me down.”

“Are you gonna run?”

“Duh.”

“Where to?”

“Away from you, that’s for certain.”

Slag stepped forward in all his hugeness and laughed. “Jackal be your onliest chance of surviving, missy. I’d stick with him if I was you, for a kinder heart in a bigger ass you’ll never find.”

About The Author

Janet Post is a self-described military brat from Hawaii. She worked as a reporter for years before retiring to write books. Horses and dogs are her passion along with writing adventure and fantasy for young adults. She currently lives in the swamplands of Florida.

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Ashes of Blood: a Fantasy Novel with a Giveaway!

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[image error] Ashes of BloodThe Dragon Mafia Chronicles Book 1by Lela GrayceGenre: YA Fantasy
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Do not serve drinks to a dragon mob boss. They bite. Zero stars.
A century ago, rips in reality appeared all around the globe, allowing creatures from myth to surge into our world.
Dragons.Shifters.Fae.Witches.
All now walk the earth in an established hierarchy of power. At the bottom of that chain are mixed-species Mutts... like me. My abilities should be minimal. Yet, after an unfortunate run in with a dragon mob boss, the thirst for my blood quickly becomes his obsession. Violence. Seduction. Bitter betrayal. He will stop at nothing to use me as a pawn in his dark agenda. My only ally is Kreed, a pureblood Zavarian, who will push his own annoyance at being saddled with a Mutt aside if it means bringing down the dragons.
But when someone I trust betrays me, suppressed memories resurface to remind me of how destructive my power can be. No matter how I fight it, a rain of ash and blood is coming. When it stills, will I be the healer of the people... or their destruction?

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[image error] Lela Grayce lives in rural Wyoming in a small college town. She works for a non-profit organization and loves what she does for the company. She is married to her best friend and hero. By day she is a working mom and wife but by night she is lost in dreams, moonlight, and delusions that she is, in fact, Batman.

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The Franklin Chemists: a Middle-Grade Science Fiction Adventure!

 

Middle Grade

Published: December 2020

Publisher: Warblebox

Elephant Toothpaste... submarines... rockets and a chase across the lakes of England. This book follows the adventures of Hannah and George as they find themselves on an unexpected adventure with their scientific Aunt Rosalind. When she disappears, they must protect her biggest scientific discovery from two scientists intent on stealing it as their own.

A fun and enjoyable STEM tale from an exceptional author.

#TheFranklinChemists #TillyTurbet #Warblebox #STEM #BookBuzz

Other Books by Tilly Turbet:

One Thousand-Eyed Spies

Publisher: Warblebox

Published: June 2018

Middle Grade

One Thousand-Eyed Spies is a fantastical middle-grade children's story about Gopi, a hapless soldier who is tasked by his Queen with a quest to save the White Island. Gopi must cross an ocean, battle a sea dragon and deliver the heir to the Island to the Upper World and to safety until he is ready to return and fight for his legacy.

Eleven years later and Nana tells her grandson Jag the story of the White Island and how it came to sink to the bottom of the sea. Jag soon realises that there is more to his history than he has been told and a great sea voyage delivers him to a very different destination, one which exists many leagues under the sea and where he must fight for his destiny and the future of the White Island.

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Excerpt

“Listen.” She leant forward, whispering. “Between you and me, I don’t really like children. In fact, they’re just about my least favourite animal in the whole world. Worse than spiders. I just can’t bring 9 myself to care about your little plastic toys or your annoyingly loud games or your shocking lack of vocabulary. What’s your name?” “George.” “And yours?” “Hannah.” “It doesn’t matter, because I’ve forgotten you already,” confided Mrs Muddle. “I see forty, maybe fifty children just like you every week. If I cared about every child that I sent away from their family, it might make me sad; and you wouldn’t want me to be sad, would you? So instead, I don’t care. I don’t lose any sleep. I don’t shed a tear. Not ever.”

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Hearts Set Free: a Historical Christian Novel with a Giveaway!

 

Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour and giveaway for Hearts Set Free by Jess Lederman. The book tour will run January 18-29, 2021.

 

Book Title: Hears Set Free

Genre: Literary Fiction/ Historical/Christian

 

ISBN-10 : 1098511093

ISBN-13 : 978-1098511098

A graduate with a degree in music from Columbia University, Jess Lederman is an author of Christian-themed fiction who lives with his wife and two young sons in the Pacific Northwest.

 

He is currently at work on a novel that begins in the last days of the Wild West and ends in Las Vegas in 1955. When Jess is not writing or chasing his young sons around, he can usually be found at the piano playing Chopin nocturnes for his wife, Ling.

Seven Lives Inexorably Intertwined. Over Eighty-Six Years. That Will Bring a Revelation Beyond What Any of Them Could Imagine.

 

The Alaska Territory, 1925. When Yura Noongwook’s husband abandons her and her thirteen-year-old son, she vows to win him back and destroy the woman who stole his heart. They embark on an epic cross-country quest that leads them to the Nevada desert, where they meet a man who has turned into the last thing anyone expected him to become …

 

David Gold. Reno, 1930. A Bible-school dropout known as the Pummelin’ Preacher. His boxing career is fading, just like his faith. But then a former call girl shows up, tells him about the rag-tag congregation she’s part of; how their pastor was murdered. And that the Spirit is moving and David’s destiny is to lead their tiny flock.

 

Las Vegas, 2011. Cable TV star Tim Faber is an atheist bent on proving God is only alive in people’s imaginations. But Joan Reed, his producer, is trying to recapture the faith of her youth. And both of them are driven to unravel a mystery surrounding the Big Bang theory, never dreaming the answer will forever change their lives.

 

To do that, they have to meet with the now 99-year-old Luke Noongwook and David Gold’s grandson, Daniel.

 

The veil is being pulled back, but none of them are prepared for what they’ll find on the other 

side.

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Chapter One

Luke and Yura: The Alaska Territory, 1925

 

My father deserted my mother and me when I was thirteen years

old. He had become famous that winter on the Great Race of Mercy, one

of the Athabascan mushers who brought diphtheria serum to Nome

and saved ten thousand lives. He’d done the impossible, a blind run in

the howling darkness, crossing the open ice of the Norton Sound, the

temperature falling to sixty below, the sun a distant dream. He was our

hero, our North Star.

 

And then he was gone.

 

He left us, of course, for a woman. A blizzard had hit him at

Unalakleet, a storm so powerful that it travelled four thousand miles,

till at last it reached New York and froze the Hudson River. The woman

lived in just that far-away land, on the wild island of Manhattan, and

her name was Kathleen Byrne. The Hearst papers had been giving the

Great Race front-page headlines; Kathleen was a reporter, lean and

hungry, she’d go to the ends of the earth for a good story, and one day

she got her chance.

 

No one in my hometown of Nenana had seen anything like her,

a slender redhead with emerald eyes, smoking Lucky Strikes and

exhaling expertly through her nostrils, this coolly confident young

woman with fiery hair.

 

She wanted details that would bring the story to life, so Father

brought her to our home to show off his sled dogs. At least, the ones

who’d survived, for three he had raised since they were pups had died

on the trail. Somewhere in the madness of that journey he’d forgotten

to cover their groins with rabbit skins, and they’d perished of frostbite

in the unfathomable cold.

 

I gaped at her stupidly.

 

“Excuse my son,” said my mother. “He has no manners.”

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Bre's Heavenly Adventure with Jesus: a Children's Book with a Giveaway!

Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour and Amazon gift card giveaway for Bre's Heavenly Adventures with Jesus by Breanna Brown. The book tour will run Jan 11-22, 2021.
ASIN: B08R6M41Q1Genre: Christian Children's Book





Bre Brown currently serves as the Youth Minister of Watchman Ministries, alongside her Husband Eric Smith, located in Fredericksburg, VA. She’s been regarded, as the "prophetic voice for the next generation." She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Louisville and currently possesses her qualified mental health professional registration in the state of Virginia. She is currently pursuing her graduate certificate in non-profit studies. She is the CEO and founder of Child Enrichment Solutions LLC. Which is a full-service coaching and consulting firm that helps youth to identify negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that inhibit them from achieving personal achievement utilize constructive coping strategies to lead happy, empowered, and successful lives.

 

Bre gets angry when her father breaks his promise and refuses to play with her. But Bre's mom tells her that she another father named Jesus-and he is the best father ever. He is always there, always ready to listen, and he will never stop loving her-even when she has made a mistake! So Bre goes to heaven to meet him...and this book will tell you what happened there!

"As the tears began streaming down her face, her mama stopped to ask, "Will you be ok?" "Why doesn't he love me?" Bre asked. "He always does this! Do you think he's mad?"

 

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The Talented Trilogy: a Fantasy trilogy with a Giveaway!

 

Seventh BornThe Talented Book 1by Rachel RossanoGenre: Christian Fantasy

In a world where seventh born sons are valued for their strength and power, she is born a daughter.
Zezilia Ilar is the disappointment. Born after six brothers, she was supposed to be the son to restore her family’s prestige. She intends to remedy her shortcomings by being a dutiful daughter, marrying well and producing children, preferably a set of seven sons. But when someone offers her an alternative, she begins to dream of more.
In a society that worships a goddess, he follows the Almighty.
Hadrian Aleron, as a seventh son of a seventh son, stands to take up the second highest position in government, Sept Son. His main qualification for office is his birth. Despite preparing for this role from childhood, he does not desire what is to come. As a follower of the Almighty, he knows he will be the target of many, and his faith might eventually lead to death.
SEVENTH BORN is first in a series of three books.

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The DefenderThe Talented Book 2

Zezilia Ilar joins the sept son's entourage as a defender. Her growing Talent ability makes her a target for the Elitists, and her gender makes people question her competence. She must protect the sept son.
 Any mistake could be fatal.
Hadrian Aleron always knew his beliefs would cause trouble, but he didn't realize how much. Rebels are rising. He could lose his title, his position, and if he's not careful, his life. As the assassination attempts grow bolder, Hadrian must rely upon his young defender and their shared faith in the Almighty to keep him from faltering.
The Defender is the second in a trilogy. Reading Seventh Born first is recommended.

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Living SacrificeThe Talented Book 3

Separated, but still joined, they strive for freedom.
Left behind at the sept son's compound, Zezilia Ilar struggles with the after effects of her prolonged commisceo-link with Hadrian. She devotes herself to caring for the wounded arriving almost daily from the battlefields. Pressed to perform procedures and make decisions far beyond her training, Zez grows in confidence and skill. All the while, she wonders if she'll see Hadrian again, fearing the worst possible news will arrive any day.
Sept Son Hadrian Aleron fights to bring peace to his home nation. Allied with the new high king, he and a small army of Talented struggle to retake the capital city. Elitists, though scattered, continue to pick off the strongest of his men. As he battles the remnants of the commisceo-link and tries to organize the campaign, he begins losing himself to exhaustion. Only a miracle will keep him alive. 
Living Sacrifice is the third in a trilogy. Reading  Seventh Born and The Defender first is recommended.

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Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction.
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Folder: a YA Fantasy Thriller!

 

YA Fantasy, YA Sci-fi, Science Fiction

Published: November 2020

Publisher: Regilius Publishing

Eric Folder has moved to Oregon to attend Portland State University when an automobile accident leaves him stricken with migraine headaches. The resulting visual effects—something medical professionals term an aura—render him virtually blind and defenseless when a gang of street thugs attacks him. Desperate to see and needing to protect himself, Eric reflexively tears at the luminous lines of light and finds they have become tangible. When he pulls them aside, his present reality folds away with them, leaving him in better circumstances with his enemies vanished. Attempts to fold his way out of subsequent perils leave him in increasingly strange situations until, eventually, his world becomes a nightmare.

Praise for Folder:

“A wild young-adult alternate-worlds adventure that will leave you guessing right up to the end! Fans of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials will love this!” - D. J. Butler, author of Witchy Eye

“A big, engaging ride across our infinite possibilities - and our choice to be heroes.” - Anthony Dobranski, author of The Demon in Business Class

ExcerptPROLOGUE

I’m lost.

I don’t know if I should laugh or cry when I say this, because I sound as if I’m repeating words from a hymn or I’m in need of a compass, or else I’ve given up completely. The thing is, I’m terrified because all these things are true and I don’t know how to fix them. I would say a prayer if I thought someone could hear, but even if they did, I don’t think this is a place where prayers get answered. If I had a compass, knowing whether I’m facing North or South wouldn’t take me away from this place, let alone back to where I started. In fact, no one can get me out of the mess I’m in, except maybe me, and I’m as scared to try to change what has brought me here as I am afraid do nothing.

I remember when my friends and I were kids and we hid in the bushes and pretended there were monsters coming after us. Well, now the monsters are real. I’ve been listening for what seems an eternity to their angry snorts and the clatter and scratches of their claws on the large stone surface where those creatures are gathered. Every now and then, one of them hisses and another does the same in response. The rate of their footsteps escalates and I imagine two of them colliding and squaring off in an expression of indignation. It’s too dark to see whether this has actually happened, or if it’s just my imagination, but the pounding of my heart in face of the impending danger keeps me riveted on what’s happening.

As I hide in a clump of bushes and the minutes pass, I’m more than a little relieved that they’re taking so long to find me. Unexpectedly, the full moon peeks through a break in the cloud cover and the scales on the bodies of several great beasts glisten. Each is twice the size of a bullmastiff and I count six of them several yards from here. Their eyes glow whitish gold and appear to have vertical slits, although it’s hard to be sure at this distance. As they circle a spot where I was standing a short while ago, sniffing the ground in several directions around it, one of them raises its head and opens its mouth, baring rows of long, needlelike teeth. I expect the creature will howl. Instead, a rasping reptilian sound emerges and I shudder, wondering what kind of beings they are.

Although I’ve recently arrived, from my earlier experiences and the landscape’s layout, I recognize this place as being near where the street car used to stop in a time that’s lost to me forever. The place where I’m hiding used to be the parkway where Park crosses Mill—or what used to be Park and Mill before everything transformed into this new reality. There aren’t any streets anymore and I’m surprised there are even deer trails to mark where Park and Mill once intersected. This used to be Portland State University, but now everything’s grown over and forested. The clock tower has vanished, as have the student union and the rest of the buildings that were part of the campus.

Without warning, a thought bubbles up from a world I’ll never see again and I almost cry out loud. Cursing this lack of control, I force my idiot self to keep quiet. Still, there is some truth to the thought that this situation is what Dad would have called a mixed blessing. It’s because it rained so hard that those things haven’t discovered me already. Here I am, kneeling on a thick bed of leaves. If they weren’t so soggy, they would crackle each time I move and announce my location. Instead, their wetness muffles whatever noise I might otherwise make. On the other hand, because the night is so cold and water is starting to soak through my pants, I’m beginning to shiver and I’m afraid I might sneeze any minute. If I do, those creatures will certainly hear and I know I will die because I’m sure they can out-run me.

The breeze that’s been chilling me starts to increase and I wonder if another storm is building. The last of autumn’s leaves whip though the air and there is a sharp crack above me. The creatures turn in my direction and two cock their heads. A third one starts walking toward me and I hold my breath, wondering whether it will continue to advance, when a second crack drops a large bough into the bushes a few yards to my right. The creatures stop and stare at the spot where it landed. Then, apparently satisfied they understand what caused the disturbance, they resume their search in the original location. Realizing I’ve been holding my breath and that I need to breathe, I inhale deeply, then exhale. My breathing is starting to grow normal when something grabs my shoulder.

About The Author

Raymond Bolton lives near Portland, Oregon with his wife, Toni, and their cats, Max and Arthur. His epic fantasies are published by WordFire Press, publisher of the Dune and Star Wars novels, and have received endorsements by the late Mike Resnick and award-winning author Paul Kane.

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Call Me Dragon: a Fantasy Novel with a Giveaway!

 

Call Me DragonDragon Fires Rising Book 1by Marc SecchiaGenre: Humorous Fantasy


Call me Dragon. It’s the last thing you’ll ever do.
Blitz the Devastator has never done a decent day’s devastating in his life. Fireless, artistic and shunned by his Dragon Clan, he struggles to pillage even the meanest village. A future full of misery and failure beckons.
This much is true until the day the burly brown Dragon successfully – imagine that – kidnaps the Princess Azania. As a black Princess of T’nagru, this spirited beauty is by definition the most unforgettable woman in the seventeen realms. Knights errant, men-at-arms and sundry Princes expire at her feet in drivelling worship.
Unfortunately, they all want his scaly head on a platter shortly thereafter. Goes with the territory.
To Blitz’s consternation, the royal nuisance refuses to behave herself and be a typical pampered Princess. With humour, unconventional flair and the odd stomp of her diminutive slipper, she sets out to reform her Dragon.
One question remains. Who will save the Dragon from the Princess?

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Marc is a South African-born dragon masquerading as an author, who loves writing about dragons and Africa, preferably both at the same time. He's the author of 25 fantasy books in 5 languages including 10 rip-roaring dragon fantasy bestsellers. Dragonfriend won a Gold Award for Fantasy in the 2016 IPPY Book Awards.When he's not writing about Africa or dragons Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon.
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Black ≠ Inferior: a Poetry Book with a Giveaway!

 

Poetry

Date Published: January 1 2021

Publisher: The Roaring Lion Newcastle LTD

Black ≠ Inferior is a collection of poems divided into 2 parts. The first part is a collection of thematically linked poems exploring Blackness and the myriads of issues it attracts. The second part oscillates themes— talking about consent, a query of death, a celebration of love among others. In his usual stylistic, this collection deals with weighty matters like race and colourism with simple and clear language.

In Black ≠ Inferior, we see Tolu’ Akinyemi reacting in response to the world, to issues that affect Black people. Here, we see a poet shedding off his burdens through his poems; hence, the beauty of this collection is in the issues it attempts to address. In this collection, Tolu’ wears a coat of many colours – he is a preacher, a prophet, a doctor and a teacher.

We see Tolu’ the preacher in these lines:

‘I wish you can rise through the squalor of poverty

and voices that watercolour you as under-represented.

I wish you can emblaze your name in gold,

and swim against every wave of hate.’

This is a collection of poems fit for the present narrative as any (Black) person who reads this collection should beam with confidence at the end. This is what the poet sets out to achieve with his oeuvre.

About the Author

Tolu’ A. Akinyemi hails from Nigeria and lives in the UK where he has been endorsed by the Arts Council England as a writer with “exceptional talent”.

Tolu is the author of seven outstanding books which includes, Dead Lions Don’t Roar (Poetry, 2017) Unravel your Hidden Gems (Essays, 2018) Dead Dogs Don’t Bark (Poetry, 2018) Dead Cats Don’t Meow (Poetry, 2019) Never Play Games With The Devil (Poetry, 2019) Inferno of Silence (Short Stories, 2020) A Booktiful Love (Poetry, 2020). Two poetry collections, “Black ≠ Inferior” and “Never Marry a Writer” are scheduled for publication in early 2021.

A former headline act at Great Northern Slam, Crossing The Tyne Festival, Feltonbury Arts and Music Festival, and featured in various Poetry Festivals, Open Slam, Poetry Slam, Spoken Word and Open Mic events in and outside the United Kingdom.

His poems have appeared in the 57th issue (Volume 15, no 1) of the Wilderness House Literary Review, The Writers Cafe Magazine- Issue 18, GN Books, Lion and Lilac and elsewhere.

His books are based on a deep reality and often reflect relationships, life and features people he has met in his journey as a writer. His books have instilled many people to improve their performance and/or their circumstances. Tolu’ has taken his poetry to the stage, performing his written word at many events. Through his writing and these performances, he supports business leaders, other aspiring authors and people of all ages interested in reading and writing. Sales of the books have allowed Tolu’ donate to charity, allowing him to make a difference where he feels important, showing that he lives by the words he puts to page.

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Realm Explorers Part CXXXVII: Visit Heaven with Darlene N. Bocek

Welcome to Realm Explorers!  In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors.  Enjoy your travels!  And don't forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book. 

Author's name:

Darlene N. Bocek

Title of book and/or series:

The Last Noel (Return to Me series) (paranormal dystopia)

Brief summary of the story :

When fireman Reuben Morales learns his unsaved sister has been tragically killed, he struggles with her death until he is swept up into Judgment Day and sees her life and death through the eyes of God. The trauma of this vision propels him as he directs the church Christmas pageant and discovers the answers to his questions in an unexpected way.

Brief description of the world or location you created for this story: The story takes place in Southern California. But at one point, Reuben is brought into a vision or dream of Heaven. The strange and fantastical, “speculative” world in this story is a paranormal view of heaven on Judgment Day. The “otherliness” of this story lies in the spirit world and its contact with us. This is the first book of a trilogy, in which the supernatural and paranormal (ghosts, phantoms, demons, dreams and visions) are examined in their real impact upon us. I call this realm “paranormal dystopia.”

If we were to visit Heaven as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?

Ha ha. Judgment Day before the throne of God. I know I’ll be looking for Jesus to hide under the shelter of his wings.

What dangers should we avoid in Heaven?

Certainly, the way to avoid a dangerous Judgment Day is to listen and bend to the truth that is readily available to us today, in the Bible.

Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Heaven?

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Fruit from a tree that gives twelve different kinds of fruit.

What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Heaven?

There is the Sword of Truth that will cut through bone and marrow, soul and spirit.

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Heaven?

In The Last Noel, a vision of the Nativity story and of the Crucifiction is put on display at Judgment Day.

What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Heaven that we don’t see on Earth? There will be a Tree of Life, and some beings described as having “the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.”

Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Heaven?  What are dreams? What are visions? Are they real? Are they merely mental impulses? Is there some kind of heavenly-tech that conveys things like that? I’m not sure the means but maybe it’s heaven-tech!

What role, if any, does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Heaven? 

As a crossover contemporary/speculative novel, the supernatural experience of a vision or dream of Judgment Day compels Reuben toward finding resolution about the frightening thing that is Hell. But, moreso, the reality of such supernatural locations as Heaven and Hell as described in the Bible, help Reuben to understand and to treasure his life, his duty on earth, and God’s ways.

Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?

Every Christian has had to face the death of an unsaved loved one. It is not an easy hurdle to jump, and is never a pleasant time. This book is fostered in the heart of someone who has faced the death of Muslim friends who have died without faith in Christ.

What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?

Any Christian you ask would honestly say that the idea of “hell” is the most repulsive of all doctrines Bible-believers are to hold to. This book is the journey of one man who discovers, through his brief journey into Judgment Day, the rhyme and reason behind such a place. 

Author Biography:

Faith-building “What-If” Fiction. Darlene is a thinker of big thoughts and a lover of nature’s message, and her words are a merger of both. Her fans enjoy being challenged by new people, strange places and old ideas helping them to think and grow like never before.

Darlene’s favorite genre to work in is near-future dystopia sci-fi, and her current “Pogland” dystopian trilogy is under consideration with publishers. It takes place in Los Angeles, has “aliens” and strange technology. As a native southern Californian, she likes to write about life and troubles there.

Her first work, Trunk of Scrolls, takes place in ancient Turkey and is available in paperback and ebook. Darlene is grateful for endorsements by Michael Horton, Darrell Bock, and Joel Beeke. 

A native of San Diego, California, she studied Social Science at Westmont College, emphasizing ancient and modern Middle East, after which she received her teaching credentials.  As she is connected to Westminster Theological Seminary of California, her speculative writing is confessionally reformed.

As an armchair student of natural theology, an ancient history aficionado, a methodical homeschool mother, and especially as a pastor’s wife in Turkey, Darlene loves bringing readers and students into a deeper appreciation of the depth and truths of Christianity. 

Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?  Please include links.

The Last Noel is available as ebook for FREE for the 2020 Christmas season only for signup HERE. After January 6, it will be for sale on Amazon. Follow Darlene N. Bocek on Amazon to get a print copy.

Where can readers connect with you online?  

Darlene is found regularly on Instagram and Facebook.
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Heaven!  Questions about the world or the book?  Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!  

Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.

Please join us again next Monday for a trip to another world in next week's edition of Realm Explorers!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!-Annie Douglass Lima