Michael Taylor's Blog, page 3

3 More Authors Worth Reading

Books by Janet
Morris:



The Sacred Band of Thebes lives on, a world away, in this
mythic novel of love in war in ancient times. In 338 BCE, during the Battle of
Chaeronea that results in the massacre of the Sacred Band of Thebes, the
legendary Tempus and his Stepson cavalry rescue twenty-three pairs of Theban
Sacred Banders, paired lovers and friends, to fight on other days. These
forty-six Thebans, whose bones will never lie in the mass grave that holds
their two hundred and fifty-four brothers, join with the immortalized Tempus and
his Sacred Band of Stepsons, consummate ancient cavalry fighters, to make new
lives in a faraway land and fight the battle of their dreams where gods walk
the earth, ghosts take the field, and the angry Fates demand their due.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sacred-Band-Janet-Morris/dp/1937035034/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_8








Books by Paul D.
Brazill:



English writer Paul D Brazill's 13 Shots Of Noir is a
collection of  flash fiction and short
stories in the vein of Roald Dahl, The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock
Presents.The first story, "The Tut", was nominated for a 2010
Spinetingler Award, while the story "Anger Management" was chosen as
one of the Predators and Editors top twenty crime stories.Crime, horror and
dark fiction are contained within the pages of 13 Shots Of Noir.

http://www.amazon.com/13-Shots-of-Noir-ebook/dp/B006AG3H6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335133181&sr=8-1

















Books by Gladys
Quintal:



Alexi is a Vampire trying to live a human existence, he even
has a human wife. The Vampire secret is paramount and cohabiting with humans -
unless you intend on turning them, just isn't done. Can Alexi protect his
beloved Cassandra from the would-be enforcers of this law or will he lose her
forever?

http://www.amazon.com/Careful-What-Dream-Series-ebook/dp/B0071IJ9NS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335133417&sr=8-1

Dark Place Entry 2

Having a great amount of
emotion can really help a writer.  It allows
us to give our characters personalities. 
We understand being cold, bitter, angry, loving, happy, thoughtful,
provocative, etc., but there’s a feeling that I always think I have more than
anyone else, sadness.


I don’t know what it is about
weekends, but they are not good for me.  I
try to do everything to keep myself busy, to keep my mind from wandering back
over the depressing thoughts.  Nothing
works.

Ok, so I’m seeing a doctor, a
therapist, I’m seeking advice from people I know, I’m trying everything I can
to change this ache inside.  I’m alone,
all alone, no matter what people say, or think, I’m alone.  I don’t have people calling or texting; I don’t
have people asking how I feel, or what’s wrong. 
Just one person asks those questions, me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I’m
an emotional person.  I’m glad I have
feelings and that I actually do care about people, including people I don’t
even know and haven’t even met.  I just
wish the depression wasn’t a part of me. 
It’s becoming a burden to have to carry with me each day.  Honestly, it’s a heavy weight. 

I haven’t left my house since
December.  Oh, I go to work, but basically,
nowhere else.  And if I do go somewhere,
it takes a lot of strength.  And as I said
earlier, I am trying to get help.  I just
hope someone out there will know how to help someone like me who is so far
gone.  I’m a recluse.  I’m scared. 


Whenever you see me online,
just know that I’m trying to push the darkness behind me.  Even communication with people across the
internet is good for me, good for my mental health.  I just wish I had a friend who could be here
with me.  I wish I had someone to share
things with, to laugh with, to go to dinner with, to just take a ride in the
car.

Tomorrow will give me a
little more relief.  It’s Monday, I’ll go
back to work.  I’ll be around
people.  And for five days I’ll be able
to wear the face I’m supposed to.  But
the one thing I should be looking forward to, the weekend, is my
nightmare.  That’s when I go back to
being alone.

4 More Authors Worth Your Time

Books by Graham
Smith:



11 Hard boiled stories of murder, misconception and mayhem.
Nothing ends as expected. Everything can change in an instant. Tense, thrilling
and funny. You’ll be cheering on, laughing at and crying for the characters.

Take a walk in the woods with Annie as a camping trip goes
horribly wrong, slug some bourbon in Bobby’s Bar with gumshoe Leonard Peters or
join Nicholas and Christine as their honeymoon trip takes a frightening turn.

Attend a night class with the girl who fears a stalker,
escape killers with Jason and his sons, join Cook & Barnes as they hunt a
twisted killer, look through a telescopic sight with an assassin and recoil in
horror as terrorists attack.

Why has Garry been stood up at the altar? What happens to
Susie? All the answers you need are in 11 The Hard Way.

http://www.amazon.com/Eleven-The-Hardest-Way-ebook/dp/B00771BMJ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335070119&sr=8-1








Books by Steven
Nedelton:



"As the world goes to hell, it proves very difficult
not to go with them."Fear!"is a novel from Steven Nedelton who tells
of a future where mankind is falling apart and oppression is the name of the
day. One family tries to hang onto their humanity, as Nedelton tells their
endeavor to stay together and stay united in a miserable world.
"Fear!" is novel of a potential terrifying future, well worth
considering."

http://www.amazon.com/FEAR-ebook/dp/B004U6LT6E/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1335070361&sr=8-8




























Books by Lily Childs:



A terrifying collection of short horror stories by dark
fiction author Lily Childs. These forty-three offerings comprise eleven long
tales, including the previously unpublished:

- SMILING CYRUS - dancing dolls of death in your attic

- IN ADORATION - demonic rebirth, revenge and new skin

- STARING AT THE PINK - when the dead don't let go

Studded and stitched together by shorter pieces and tiny
100-word drabbles this first volume of Cabaret of Dread ends with:

- THE INFANTA TRIPTYCH - living, dying art - breathing,
pulsing... ancient.

"Extreme vampire horror."

Words spill from the babbling mouths of demons and murderers
throughout Cabaret of Dread, combining fear and even humour as the reader
encounters serial killers and ghosts, historical entities and psychopaths, not
to mention a scuttling vampire or two.

Cabaret of Dread is extreme horror FOR ADULTS ONLY. Ethereal
and spiritual elements battle with the visceral and the insane; lustful
adoration dallies with laboured, lingering death. The Cabaret will shock, it
may well offend. But it is beautiful – at least in the author’s mind - and
that’s where the darkness lies.

http://www.amazon.com/Cabaret-Dread-Horror-Compendium-ebook/dp/B007KSVXQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335070816&sr=1-1








Books by Fiona
Johnson:



Crime doesn't just happen in the city and after being
violently attacked and tied up, Gordon Campbell's peaceful existence delivering
fish to his customers in a picturesque Argyll village is about to change
forever.

Crime noir mixed with a generous slosh of Scottish humour.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Wrong-Delivery-Corrins-ebook/dp/B0075YHO3A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335071241&sr=8-1

One More Time: Featuring 4 More Authors Worth Reading

Stuart Ayris
books: 



"A strange, magical book - a work of pure genius -
flawless perfection..."

- just some of the things reviewers are saying about the
74,000 word novel that is Tollesbury Time Forever.

Tollesbury Time

Nothing is real

And there's nothing

To get hung about

sing the children...

In September 2008 I accompanied the police as they entered a
house in Tollesbury. I was  a psychiatric
nurse at the time. The owner of the house was one of my patients. He had not
been seen for two weeks - neither had his wife or his son.

What I saw that evening will stay with me forever. On the
walls of the lounge, in tiny, neat black writing, were thousands and thousands
of words. The torch beams picked them out as if they were groups of
well-ordered flies. The words continued up the stairway, onto the landing walls
and into the main bedroom. I had been in the house before and had seen some of
the writing upstairs. Still I was mesmerised.

What you are about to read are the words that I saw on those
walls. I have ordered them into chapters and taken the liberty of providing
chapter headings. I have inserted two documents midway through which I trust
will make sense when you come to them.

I have since resigned my post as a community mental health
nurse and no longer work in psychiatry. The patient of whom I speak is called
Simon Anthony. I have met him only once - yet he is, and will always remain, my
hero.

Tollesbury Time

Nothing is real

And there's nothing

To get hung about...

sing the children...

http://www.amazon.com/Tollesbury-Time-Forever-ebook/dp/B006TJDJKE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335025429&sr=8-1



"A breathless literary experience...", "An
unforgettable book...", "One of the most powerful books I have ever
read..."

are just some of the things reviewers have been saying about
the 74,000 word novel that is A Cleansing of Souls.

Michael Parrish woke up in bed with his sister, Jennifer. He
was seventeen years old. She was fourteen and dead. There was a smell of dread
in the air.

What do you honestly do at times like this?

What do you honestly do?

Well, Michael, he just grinned. And he kept on grinning.
They took him away to the psychiatric hospital up on the hill. He was there for
twenty-eight days; time enough, they thought, to get inside his head, his mind
and his soul. But a thousand years would not have been enough - not for Michael
Parrish.

So they let him go. And he floats and he floats.

The world is real and it is not real. It moves and it shifts
and it envelopes us. What you see is not what I see. And that is the wonder of
this life.

But time catches up with us all...

http://www.amazon.com/A-Cleansing-of-Souls-ebook/dp/B0078MLK6Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335025535&sr=1-2



Laxmi Hariharan
books:

Amazon US epic fantasy, kindle best-seller, "The Destiny
of Shaitan is mind blowing, dark, humourous, and clever. It took me on a
powerful journey inwards, which was a surprise as I'm not generally drawn to
scifi or fantasy. I love the scene where the planet is covered with water and
Yudi rescues Tiina. It's core message is Unity. I believe it will appeal to
people across all ages." Sonia Ducie Dip.CSN.AIN, Numerologist, Author 11
Numerology books.

When Yudi, Tiina & Rai embark on a mission to save the
universe, they come up against the ruthless Shaitan who is determined to stop
them at any cost. But they soon realise they have a bigger enemy - themselves.
So they must learn to trust each other and overcome their fears as they fight
their way towards the ultimate showdown.

Partially set in a futuristic Bombay, The Destiny of Shaitan
is a coming of age story, painted against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic
world.

Yudi, Tiina and Rai are destined to come together, for they
are the Chosen Ones. It falls to them to save the universe from the powerful
Shaitan, who is terrifying, and utterly merciless. Driven by greed, and fear
for his own survival, Shaitan bulldozes his way through the galaxy, destroying
anything that gets in his path, including his lovers and his own children. The
battle between the Chosen Ones and Shaitan is a classic, epic encounter. Hated
and feared by all, Shaitan must win this fight to keep his power. The stakes
are high, the combatants are determined, and no matter what the outcome their
lives will be changed for all time.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Destiny-of-Shaitan-ebook/dp/B007M2IBH8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335025663&sr=1-1



G.D. Steel books:



Julianna Hastings had to put her grief for her father and
stepmother on hold when she assumed custody of her younger siblings. When she
loses them in a custody hearing, she is overwhelmed by grief and unable to
cope.

Jeremy Davies runs a successful business. While looking for
his next Executive Secretary, he is pulled into the fun and loving Hastings
family circle. When Julianna falls apart, Jeremy wants to be the one to help
put Julianna and her family back together.

Another watches and wants all that Jeremy has, including
Julianna. Will he tear their new family apart?

http://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Daze-Holiday-Romance-ebook/dp/B006EQW11U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335025763&sr=1-1







K.T. Banks books:



Action and Adventure with so many twists and turns you'll
need to buckle up for a Thrill ride. Nico is back and so is Luke and many of
the characters you loved so much from STAND AND PROTECT.

Nico's sister Toni is missing from New Orleans, so he teams
up with his former partner from the DPD, Luke Manning. They have to take on Russian
Mobsters. When Luke's sister Rachel tries to get involved, she gets kidnapped,
so it turns out they must find both of young women. Car chases, explosions and
fights break out all over New Orleans, with a mysterious woman named Dominique
lending her own form of Voo-Doo magic to help.

The Mobster Boss is psychopath and no one is safe around
him. He rules an army of men through fear and money. He owns strip clubs around
the City and is also involved in human slavery.

Will Toni and Rachel be able to save themselves, or will it
take the men to save them this time? These girls end up armed and dangerous
too.



http://www.amazon.com/NICOS-GUILT-STAND-PROTECT-ebook/dp/B004MDLQ4K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335025884&sr=1-1

Featuring 4 More Authors Worth Reading

Paula Shene
books: 



Santa tells his Elves to make Mandy's Christmas Wish come
true. Santa shares a secret with Mandy but she shares it with Shadow, Sophitia
and Snooper.

http://www.amazon.com/The-More-Merrier-ebook/dp/B007CIF5WG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1335023533&sr=8-4



















Mandy: The Alpha Dog features Mandy, the smallest Beagle in
the pack, and Shadow, the youngest and only non-rescue dog in the pack.

Mandy tells the story of her beginning and her overcoming
the obstacles of her plight. Shadow the dalmatian hangs out with Mandy, giving
her support and some prodding as she recounts her life.

There are more tales (the dogs prefer tails) to come. Be on
the lookout for The Midnight Caper, which will feature all the K-9 boys and
girls from Locus Street.

http://www.amazon.com/Mandy-The-Alpha-Dog-ebook/dp/B004RR1S5S/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1335023592&sr=8-5



Bud Scott books:



25 short stories and flash fiction on various and diverse
subjects. Most are short reads and everyone should find something to their
liking, from Sci-fi / Fantasy, to human interest and most things in between.

http://www.amazon.com/Out-My-Head-Vol-ebook/dp/B006GIVDJC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335023703&sr=1-1









John Reeves books:



Girls are taken out of public, and never seen again. Years
later one girl would be found. After that nothing seems to fit. Her story is published,
and then she is gone.

A writer will try to tell her story again, while also trying
to find out what happened to her. He will find out this mystery has a price to
pay.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Keepers-ebook/dp/B005FU4APG/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335023778&sr=1-3















How well do you know the kid down the road?

Children can be cruel to each other. In a perfect world that
would not turn criminal. In this story you will see how sadistic one child can
be. You will see a kid go to distances only comparable to the worst humans
mankind has ever seen.

http://www.amazon.com/Teen-Spirit-ebook/dp/B00513TLGK/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335023845&sr=1-5















C.J. Heck books:



This is a delightful, funny, and honest collection that
explores the sweet, naive and sometimes, scary world of a child. CJ Heck
captures the delicate humor and innocent insights that children have about such
things as the etiquette of passing gas to talking to your shadow, to thinking
that your parents are giants, to riding a "broom" horse. The unique
appeal of Barking Spiders is that each poem offers an assurance from someone
who understands that children, like adults, wish to make sense of the world
they live in ... and when it doesn't make sense? Well, that's okay, too.

http://www.amazon.com/Barking-Spiders-Second-Edition-ebook/dp/B005ALSA2E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335023955&sr=1-1



Poetry for preschool children, from a child's point of view.



http://www.amazon.com/Me-Too-Preschool-Poetry-ebook/dp/B005HSSCKU/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335023955&sr=1-6

Featuring 4(5) Authors Worth Checking Out

Instead of always tooting my own horn or babbling about
things you might get bored with, here are a few of my author friends that I
think you should look at.  Read the
description of their books and then, once you’ve discovered you’re interested,
click the link and make the purchase. 
You will not regret a single moment of any book listed.


I will be trying to add at least four new authors each day.  So, there will be a MUST READ for everyone
who checks them out.



Carol Wills books:

"A Whimsical Holiday for Children" is a collection
of holiday themed poems and short stories by five authors in the US and UK
known as the “The Peacock Writers.” They have joined together in the spirit of
giving this holiday season, anticipating releasing an anthology for charity
every year.

Their poems and stories are written to encompass the joy of
being a child during the most magical time of year, Christmas. Each author
contributed their talents to raise money to benefit children’s charities
through the purchase of this book.

This book also contains writings from Paula Shene:

http://www.amazon.com/Whimsical-Holiday-Children-Childrens-ebook/dp/B006MQ1A0K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335022371&sr=8-1



Written for grownups/parents’ to read to young ones and older
children to read themselves.

When Titus wants to visit his friend Jackson who is in
hospital, he runs into all sorts of trouble. So, he sets about trying to find
someone to help him.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Titus-Adventure-ebook/dp/B006H3JK32/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335022417&sr=8-2









Valerie Byron books:



The year is 1945 and a shy young housewife has been abandoned
by her husband. She takes a trip to London with a friend, and is instantly
drawn to a stranger she sees boarding the train. Against all odds they meet and
fall in love. This poignant "slice of life" explores their romance

http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-On-Train-ebook/dp/B003VYCALO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335022473&sr=8-1



Valerie Byron's back story reads like a script pitched at
the TV and movie stars whose lives and loves she shared in the swinging
sixties. But it is true and told with all the candour and raw honesty of a
beautiful woman remembering heady days and passionate nights with celebrities
on both sides of the Atlantic. She was part of Britain's ground-breaking ITV
company, Granada, which made global successes of Coronation Street and many an
edgy drama. In America, she worked in the film business and continued to bewitch
those who sought to bed her. This is a book that could only have been written
by an older, wiser woman but one who knows herself and is at ease with a life
well lived.

http://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Woman-Valerie-Byron/dp/1849631018/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335022515&sr=8-2















Erika Szabo books:



I bet you're thinking of the popular Hollywood detox
programs, aren't you? The coffee colonic, extreme purging, torturous enemas and
such... well, don't! Not going torture you, promise!

I'm far from being one of those extremists who preach raw
diet or torturous detoxifying methods! I love and take care of my body, and I
don’t like torture. I love food, and I enjoy every meal immensely. I just know
what is good for me, and I know how to get rid of the toxins before they build
up in my body.

Our bodies were made to get rid of toxins and waste
efficiently - if and I underline this - if we eat healthy, unprocessed food.

However, because we can't eat a simple and organic diet
anymore, we need a little helping hand in that department. In this short book,
I’ll tell you how I detoxify and protect my body by eating my favorite foods
and using simple methods. This information is included in my larger book, “Keep
your body healthy”, but I published this information separately as well for the
convenience of those who are interested only in my detoxification methods.

Should you have questions such as?

Is it good for everyone to follow the same one size fits all
diet? How should I keep my body clean and get rid of toxins? What should eat
and how should I live healthier? What kind of vitamins, herbs and supplements
do I need to keep me healthy? Why do I have bizarre cravings and symptoms? Is
my body lacking vitamins, or am I taking too much? What are the symptoms of
vitamin deficiency or overdose?

If you’d like to read about my advice on healthy foods,
healthy lifestyle and the best supplements for your body type, you might want
to consider my book “Keep your body healthy”.

In this book, I’ll tell you how I detoxify and protect my
body by eating my favorite foods and using simple methods.

http://www.amazon.com/Detoxify-your-body-Naturally-ebook/dp/B005232N0K/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335022547&sr=1-1



Ilona is a doctor and the descendant of an ancient Hun tribe
which still exist with its strict and fiercely enforced rules. Ilona is
resourceful and daring breaks those rules, but she must face the consequences.
She begins to remember the forgotten rhymes her mother was teaching her since
she was a small child. Her love life is nonexistent, unless her secret and
unreturned love for her best friend counts. Her dream reflects her desire, or
is her dream planted and controlled? Ilona inherited the ability to heal with her
touch. Nobody told her about her Hun heritage, she has to discover everything
by herself. A stranger explodes into her life. Could he bring happiness or
heartache? Is it a coincidence or faith that he comes to her life? Ilona slowly
adapts to her inherited Hun abilities. Some of the discoveries freak her out a
bit, but she learns to accept them. She comes from a noble blood line which is
new to her.

http://www.amazon.com/BIRTHRIGHT-Ilona-novels-Book-ebook/dp/B00785JD80/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335022576&sr=1-2



Roy Mauritsen books: 



One Last Chance To Save Happily Ever After! Can a group of
heroes, including Goldenhair, Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel, help General Snow
White and her dwarven resistance fighters defeat the tyrannical Queen
Cinderella? And will they succeed before a war with Wonderland destroys
everything? Their only hope to stop Cinderella's quest for power lies with a
young girl named Patience Muffet. She carries the fabled shards of Cinderella's
glass slippers, as well as the dark secret of who murdered the last of the
fairy godmothers. Roy A.Mauritsen's fantasy adventure fairy tale epic begins
with Shards of the Glass Slipper: Queen Cinder.

http://www.amazon.com/Shards-Of-The-Glass-Slipper/dp/1890096482/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335022620&sr=1-1

Best of Little Known Authors

I know a few people have read my book. If you think it was good, maybe you could find it in yourself to shoot me a vote on the Best of Little Known Authors. I'm at number 7 and would be so proud to hit the top 5.

Thanks in advance.

Survival of the Fittest – The Battle for Earth

The third book has begun to flow. I'm loving where it's headed. Here's an excerpt from the Prologue.

The question had been echoed over a million times, "How much longer?" As the days ticked by, and time drew closer and closer to the Quar return, everyone fell into a feeling of despair. The thought of having to go to war to save Earth wasn't something hundreds of thousands of Theta DNA teens around the world even wanted to consider. All of them knew, and all of them understood, this war would have a clear winner, and the loser, well, that was the one thing no teen wanted to think about.

The teens faced a harsh winter following the exit of the Quar. They found themselves trapped in skyscrapers that had already begun to decay. There were nights when the winds howled outside. The teens in New York City faced a blizzard, one greater than any had ever seen. During that, there were those who thought they all would starve to death. But in that group, there were some, who were determined to ensure the group wouldn't go hungry, ever.

Ricardo, Cain, and Matt, led the battle to find food. They braved snow drifts that buried buildings up to the second story. The fought the freezing temperatures while others made certain there was a warm place to call home. The arctic blast lasted nearly three weeks, and only one didn't survive.

Giveaway for 5 softcover books of Survival of the Fittest – The Last Hope for the Human Race

Just wanted to let anyone who reads this know that I've posted another giveaway on Goodreads for 5 softcover copies of my book.  So, 5 lucky winners, at least I hope they'll feel lucky.  The giveaway begins on February 1 and ends on February 28.

If you're not a Goodreads member, it's free to sign up.  If you love to read or write, Goodreads is the site for you.  Give it a try.  And they do lots and lots of giveaways that you can enter.

SOTF – The Closest Enemy

Well, I've done it.  I've finally finished all the chapters and only have the Epilogue left to complete.  This is what I've been working toward.  I don't know what's going to happen yet, but I know that things will be very interesting.  Maybe even shocking.

I can't wait to have the former student of mine, a huge reader, and probably my best critic, tell me what she thinks.  She actually read SOTF – The Last Hope for the Human Race, twice, and told me she loved it.  So I know she'll be very critical about what the second book holds.

I don't know if other writers of Young Adult lit actually have their readers look at their work before they send it out for publishing, but if they don't, they really should.  I'm thankful that I'm a Language Arts teacher and have such an invaluable resource that's so willing to help me out.

I've said it before, my students are the BEST!