M. Pax's Blog, page 37
August 2, 2021
#99c for Thrills, Chills, and Laughs: Spaceberg is on Sale! #SciFi
Ebook available at all retailers
Buy direct from me and get 25% off all purchases. Use coupon code 4XCZKXTR2W / Referral Bonus: When you refer any purchased product to a friend who becomes customer, you both get 10% off.
This berg has balls and they bite.
Spaceberg arrives without warning. The size of Jupiter, it hits with deadly consequences, taking out ships and colonies in the outer solar system.
Orbital Rescue Squad 51 is first on the scene with the most decorated first responder in the Sol. Nikili Echols battles the mega disaster to save her family, everyone in trouble, and entire worlds. With time running short, she’s forced to team up with her ex-husband in order to rescue their daughter and to save what remains of the solar system. His superstitions irk her like gas, but luck and organic plastic is what her plan needs to prevail.
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July 26, 2021
#Fantasy Worth Reading: Flex #BookReview
Flex by Ferrett Steinmetz is an engrossing fantasy set on modern-day Earth. I loved his space opera, The Sol Majestic, so had to try another book by this talented author.
The magic system has a bad side. For every wonderful gift, a dire consequence is required. The costs of doing magic are high and leave the ‘mancer without anything. Magic takes their homes, their friends, everyone and everything they love. Using magic is like a drug in this realm, and the magic users are addicts. They give up everything for their moments of glory and marvel.
The main character, Paul Tsabo, is an ordinary person dealing with some bad luck. He was once a cop, who gained notoriety for taking out a ‘mancer. He lost a foot during the battle, and the loss required him to take a new job. He now works as a claims adjustor at an insurance company.
Thing is, it’s there he learns he has a gift – bureaucracy ‘mancy. He can do extraordinary things with forms and reordering the world. He has to hide his gift, but he can’t stay away from it, especially once his daughter is horribly burned in a fire caused by the consequences of someone else doing magic.
He’s as obsessed with saving his daughter as finding quiet moments to do ‘mancy. This leads to him tracking down the ‘mancer who caused the fire that injured his daughter. Although he wants revenge in the worst way, he also needs to learn to hone his magic so he can help his daughter. This odd alliance and the search to find a better way to do magic drives the story.
The characters are very relatable. Most of us love to get lost in the beauty of our daydreams, which is very much like how the magic works in this book. It’s a great adventure with a great dose of self-discovery. Paul has to figure out what matters most and how to tame his ‘mancy for good.
I was entertained until the last page, and was rooting for Paul, his new ally, and his daughter. I was also rooting for magic. I highly recommend this fantasy.
Here’s the official blurb:
The first in a series by the author of The Sol Majestic that is “what might result if you put Breaking Bad and Reddit in a blender and hit ‘frappe.’ ” (B&N Sci-Fi Blog)
FLEX: Distilled magic in crystal form. The most dangerous drug in the world. Snort it, and you can create incredible coincidences to live the life of your dreams.
FLUX: The backlash from snorting Flex. The universe hates magic and tries to rebalance the odds; maybe you survive the horrendous accidents the Flex inflicts, maybe you don’t.
PAUL TSABO: The obsessed bureaucromancer who’s turned paperwork into a magical Beast that can rewrite rental agreements, conjure rented cars from nowhere, track down anyone who’s ever filled out a form.
But when all of his formulaic magic can’t save his burned daughter, Paul must enter the dangerous world of Flex dealers to heal her. Except he’s never done this before—and the punishment for brewing Flex is army conscription and a total brain-wipe.
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July 19, 2021
Weird and Wild #Oregon : Sea Lion Caves #animals
Sea lions are large and noisy creatures, but amazing to watch. A few miles north of Florence, Oregon, are the Sea Lion Caves, and definitely worth a visit.
The above statue is true to size. I was amazed at how they dwarf a grown man. What a treat to watch them and spend the day by the cool sea.
The species at the caves is the Stellar sea lion, one of the largest, and the cave is the largest in America. It’s part of a series of caverns open to the Pacific Ocean.
The sea lions can be viewed from an outlook. Even over 200 feet above, the sea lions can be heard (also the hella wind).
An elevator can be taken down to the largest cavern. It was a remarkable place to view wildlife in their natural habitat.
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July 14, 2021
July #SciFi and #Fantasy Deals and Giveaways!
Load up on ebook bargains for bargain travel to new worlds!
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July 11, 2021
July Not of this Earth Bookshop Under a Dollar Deal: The Tumbas is Half Off! #SciFi
Inside a dome called the Pearl, Rett is selected to be the next tumba master. To keep civilization from ruin, she must bond with her hatchlings and the tumbas must accept her. Triumph is a heartbeat away when the tumbas’ feral ancestors crash in through the dome and kill her golden herd. Can she bond with the wild ones? Or is her dusty red world doomed?
*ebook/short story
Usually 99c, on sale for 50c!
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July 5, 2021
M. Pax Titles in the Annual #Smashwords July Sale! #SciFi #Fantasy
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June 30, 2021
#99c Sale! The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear #fantasy
The journey into adulthood is stranger than she expects.
Ebook available at all retailers
Buy direct from me and get 25% off all purchases. Use coupon code 4XCZKXTR2W / Referral Bonus: When you refer any purchased product to a friend who becomes customer, you both get 10% off.
Paperback: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Graduating from community college, Hetty Locklear hopes for a new life. Her diploma doesn’t change anything. She delves deeper into her nerd-girl fantasy where she’s the savior of a dying ancient galactic race. When she’s not role playing in the game world she created, she’s still stuck working at the convenience store and doused in coffee stains. Her parents didn’t bother to come home but manage to send her an invitation to join them on the Renaissance Faire circuit for the summer. Her first reaction is to say no, until a ghost starts stalking her and a séance claims she’s in danger.
Meet Hetty Locklear
Sample the Audio
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June 28, 2021
#SciFi #MovieReview : The Crater Lake Monster
I love cheesy sci-fi movies. The cheesier, the better. Husband and I watch these so you don’t have to, but you may miss out on some fun.
Onto the movie…
A meteor crashes into Oregon’s Crater Lake and unearths a dinosaur egg. The heat from the meteor causes the egg to hatch, and the emerging dinosaur takes to snacking on the locals.
Dinosaurs! Meteors! in Oregon! I couldn’t resist, especially since Crater Lake isn’t so far from where I live [less than 2 hours which is like next door in the west].
There is only one dinosaur, but we see it often and it eats people. Yay! My favorite type of movie.
It wasn’t filmed at Crater Lake, however. Not even in Oregon. And there was a couple who ended up in Oregon on their way to Las Vegas from LA… that’s a bit of a geography issue.
There were awesome scenes that switched between night and day. There were scenes that didn’t need to be there. One minute the sheriff is wearing sunglasses, the next he isn’t. Awesome! Just what one wants to see in a cheesy dinosaur movie.
The best… a couple rents a boat and zooms off to enjoy the moonlight on the lake. A) It was definitely mid afternoon when they shot the scene. B) They comment on seeing all the stars under the moonlight. If there was a full moon, not many stars would be visible. But since this is the same couple that ended up in Oregon on their way to Las Vegas from LA, it’s to be expected.
Here’s the trailer for your viewing pleasure…
Dinosaurs eating people bump this to a HALF BEER movie. It was uber fun. You can even watch it for free on YouTube.
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June 22, 2021
#Fantasy Worth Reading: Trail of Lightning #BookReview
This post-apocalyptic story written by Rebecca Roanhorse is set in the American desert. The Big Water destroyed the world as we know it, and the Navajo have walled off a large portion of western territory in which the story takes place.
Maggie Hoskie is recovering from a broken heart and using her clan powers to fight monsters bothering her neighbors. Her clan powers give her speed and a thirst for blood. She doesn’t mind killing, and so thinks herself a monster. Her new partner challenges her to think of herself differently.
The Native American lore and main characters were well thought out and intertwined with the plot in a magical way-literally and figuratively. Every character has its secrets, mirroring Maggie’s nature to keep everything to herself.
The plot unfolds in layers and tangles everything together into a wonderful novel. Everyone has a past, and Maggie is forced to confront hers during the chaos of fighting an army of monsters. The plot twists were fun and the action exciting. The character journey was as pivotal as the mystery of finding the witch creating the monsters. There are also some interfering immortals.
Fun and fast-paced, I eagerly kept reading until the last page. More, please! Highly recommended.
Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel the rez, unraveling clues from ancient legends, trading favors with tricksters, and battling dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.
As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive.
Welcome to the Sixth World.
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June 15, 2021
Weird and Wild #Oregon: Flat Iron Trail #Explore
The Flat Iron Trail is part of the Badlands Wilderness. A few miles south of Bend, Oregon, off Highway 20, it’s an easy drive. The trail is relatively flat, but be warned, it gets very hot and there isn’t much shade.
There are great views of the Cascades, and in the spring, the desert comes alive with wildflowers. The ancient juniper forest i-s unique, and the entire network of trails is a true taste of the Central Oregon high desert.
A plus to the pleasant scenery is the peace and quiet. The trails aren’t heavily used, and you rarely see another person. It’s nice to spend some time alone with nature.
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