A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 30
March 1, 2024
The Poison Dart – Blog Tour and Giveaway #Mystery #Thriller
Some tales don’t want to be told. They’re shrouded in the dark and cloaked in danger. Sensible people leave those mysteries well enough alone. But not Debbie Bradley. After all, that’s how she makes her living.
The Poison Dart
Debbie Bradley Crime Mysteries Book 2
by Geri Dreiling
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
An overdose. A drug bust. A captive of the cartel. When fates collide, who will survive?
The ripple effects of an overdose send shock waves through a community.
A sweeping drug bust upends lives, exposing the cartel’s deep reach into the Midwest.
A quest for a better life threatens to destroy a family.
As Debbie Bradley digs deeper into each story, startling connections emerge. When fates collide, who will survive?
What readers are saying:
“The narrative contains the right blend of mystery, crime scenes and action. It is one of those books that keeps one glued until the very end.“
“Dreiling relies more on intelligent conversations, on the proper and strategic use of lies, and on wordplay“
“Grab or download a copy, curl up with a blanket on the couch, and enjoy this good read and solid, accurate, crime story with interesting twists and turns.“
“With a talent for plot creation, patiently unwinding the threads of all angles, and never lacking for excitement, Dreiling is an author you will want to read time and time again.“
**On Sale for Only .99 cents until March 1st!!**
Amazon * Left Bank Books * Bookbub * Goodreads
Crime Beat Girl
Debbie Bradley Crime Mysteries Book 1
A girl is dead. A boy is locked up. Can Debbie Bradley discover the truth before more lives are lost…maybe even her own?
A series of deadly shootings. An outbreak of stolen cars. When journalist Debbie Bradley returns home to St. Louis, the summer crime wave has started. And she’s in the center: A witness, a reporter, a target.
Debbie’s reasons for leaving behind her promising career in Washington D.C. were complicated. Her mother, a prominent lawyer, was diagnosed with cancer. Her engagement was cooling. When she got offered a job in St. Louis that she hadn’t been looking for, Debbie recognized an opportunity. Or an escape.
But she didn’t expect to come home and see a girl die. Debbie never planned to investigate a boy behind bars. And she didn’t anticipate colliding with hostile cops and wary politicians.
As her work gains attention, Debbie gathers enemies. Will her assignment to cover the St. Louis crime beat be her last?
What readers are saying:
“Intense crime story full of unexpected twists and turns” — Readers’ Favorite, 5-Star Review
“Gripping crime story…with deep themes and highlighting very real problems” — Readers’ Favorite, 5-Star Review
“A page-turner, engaging the reader from the first page to the last” — Readers’ Favorite, 5-Star Review
Geri L. Dreiling is the author of Crime Beat Girl, the debut novel in the Debbie Bradley Mystery series, which received seven book awards. She is also the author of Erasing the Past. Dreiling is an award-winning journalist as well as professor and lawyer. She lives in St. Louis.
Check out the St. Louis on the Air interview for Crime Beat Girl!
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
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February 26, 2024
Not Quite A Scandal – Cover Reveal and Giveaway #HistoricalRomance #Regency
An inheritance lost. A betrothal threatened. A scandal brewing…
Not Quite a Scandal
Audacious Ladies of Audley Book 2
by Bliss Bennet
Genre: Historical Regency Romance
An inheritance lost. A betrothal threatened. A scandal brewing…
Outspoken Quaker Bathsheba Honeychurch knows how difficult it is for an unmarried woman to successfully champion political change. Her solution? Wed best friend Ash Griffin as soon as he comes of age and begin remaking the world. But when Ash’s urbane, aloof cousin arrives with inconceivable news, Sheba’s future dreams are suddenly at risk…
The death of the Earl of Silliman reveals an appalling lie: it is not Noel Griffin, but his long-lost cousin Ash, who is the true heir to their grandfather’s title. Raised to place family above all, Noel accepts his grandmother’s bitter charge: find Ash, disentangle him from his religious community, and train him to take on the responsibilities and privileges of a title that Noel had been raised to believe was his. Noel certainly won’t allow a presumptuous, irritating Quakeress to thwart him in doing his duty—no matter how fascinating he finds her…
When scandal threatens both their reputations, can Sheba and Noel look beyond past dreams and imagine a new world—together?
Bliss Bennet writes smart, edgy novels for readers who love history as much as they love romance. Despite being born and bred in New England, Bliss has always been fascinated by the history of that country across the pond, particularly the politically-volatile period known as the English Regency. Though she’s visited Britain several times, Bliss continues to make her home in the States, along with her spouse and an ever-multiplying collection of historical reference books.
Bliss’s Regency-set historical romances have been praised as “savvy, sensual, and engrossing” by USA Today, “catnip for the Historical Romance reader” by Bookworlder, “romantic, funny, touching, and extremely well-researched” by All About Romance, and “everything you want in a great historical romance” by The Reading Wench. Bliss’s latest book is Not Quite a Scandal, the second book in The Audacious Ladies of Audley series.
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Follow the reveal HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon
February 24, 2024
Excerpt – The Last Forest
Excerpt from The Last Forest
(C) A. L. Butcher
The whine of the chainsaws, and the rumble of iron machines cut through the growing sound from the forest. Death came on tracks of metal and wheels of rubber. The monkeys who commanded the machines waited, smoking and pointing towards the edges of the forest. “Where do we start?” one asked, eyeing the trees.
“Make your way to that big old one – the tallest. That will take out plenty when it falls. Look it’s three-quarters rotten anyway! Break the heart of the forest and tame it! That is how it’s done, lad.” The speaker pointed towards the Great Oak, satisfaction creased his face, and power gave his countenance a smirk. The monkey who walked on two feet was lord of the land and knew it well. He had brought death to flora and fauna of this land, and their sap and blood soaked the soil. And he ignored the cacophony of music around him.
“This is the last patch of woodland in the country, the only unspoiled wilderness left,” someone said, from the back. “Must we?”
“It’s coming down. It’s needed for houses – people are more important than trees. They are just plants.” The foreman glared at the speaker, as the wind began to blow around them. “It’s not the last, there’s that coppice over in Haydock, and the Amazon of course.”
“The Amazon went a decade ago, boss. And that place in Haydock was bulldozed last year.” The first speaker reminded him.
The boss shrugged. “Not my problem. We have our orders. Now get to it, there is no place for conscience or sentiment here.”
The machines snarled, they spat their poison breath and rumbled forward, inexorable, awful. Monsters of modernity, some had called them. Progress had been their name from others. All the trees understood was the choking stench and the inexorable roar of impending death. Trees are not complicated, but they are not stupid. The knowledge of the wood pulsed through every branch and root; the force of nature, the will of life to survive surged.
Crack! The sound of tons of wood uprooting drowned the roar of the engines. It was the sound of defiance. Earth showered from roots, and leaves swirled as the mighty trees moved. Nature stopped; from red fox, and blackbird to tiny grey mouse life paused – the cry of war flowed through the ground, squeaked from the lowliest and sung from above. ‘We come! We stand! We fight! Nature Rises!’
Birds swooped, squawking at the monkeys who walked on two feet. Beaks were sharp, and eyeballs soft. The brave robin and the humble thrush dived, their song the sound of battle as they flew towards danger. ‘Be gone! Be gone!’
The humans flapped their arms against the onslaught.
“Get away, filthy creatures!” one monkey yelled. “I hate birds!” His flapping arms knocked birds to the ground, and some rose up for another onslaught. Others lay broken but roused the song to inspire their comrades.
“What is this? Alfred Hitchcock been ‘ere?” The foreman cried, trying to bat away the crows, pecking at his face. Blood flowed, feathers flew, and the beat of the Primal Song changed again – the music surged as other creatures joined the fray. https://books2read.com/TheLastForest
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February 23, 2024
What is the Secret of Blossom Rise?
When a young nurse takes a job at an old military hospital she finds the answers to an old family question – what is the secret of Blossom Rise Hospital? Who is the long-dead man who walks the grounds?
#Ebook #Audiobook #Paranormal #Ghoststory
February 22, 2024
Excerpt – The Shining Citadel
Excerpt from The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book II
(c) A.L. Butcher
“So, you cannot find the way out, how…unfortunate. Many have wandered into this place, to become my playthings,” the voice laughed nastily. “I find myself hungry, craving sustenance. These pathetic minions provided a mere snack. A game, I think, is in order. It has been some while since there was so much delicious entertainment in my halls!”
“Ignore it, he is Faekind,” Archos snapped before he paused and shifted his Focus, calling up his Astral Sight.
Searching the paths and mists of the Arcane Realms for the creature, he felt the chill of the arcane winds as they billowed around him. He felt the dark shadow before he saw it, felt the force pushing back into him.
“Get you from here, creature, these realms are mine!” Archos growled to the air around him.
The laugh echoed. “So the Lord of Magic is territorial, is he? You invade my captivity, come to steal and destroy what was brought to me.”
Archos crossed his arms. “The destruction is of your own doing, creature, for you defile this place, feeding on the fear and the misery. You think I cannot feel it, all around? The others are mine, they belong to me. Heed that warning, fae.”
The fae laughed his terrible laugh. “Is that so? Perhaps we shall see, Storm Lord. Those women, the red-haired witch and that terrified blonde who holds so many secrets, they will soon belong to me. The forest elf, she is no more than a snack. So many memories, such pain and fear between them. You will watch them become mine.”
Synopsis
Who rules in this game of intrigue where magic is forbidden, and elves enslaved? Journey, where beliefs shatter like glass, truth is unwelcome, and monsters from ancient times abound: share the romance and revenge, magic and passion, and the wages of greed in a world of darkest fantasy.
(18 rated)
Universal Link https://www.books2read.com/ShiningCitadel
February 19, 2024
Stone of Love – Blog Tour and Giveaway #Paranormal #Romance
Against all odds, is true love strong enough to save a human soul?
Stone of Love
Stones of Iona Book 1
by Margaret Izard
Genre: Paranormal Romance
After leaving her abusive ex, American scholar Brielle DeVolt embarks on a career-changing opportunity, the renovation of Laird Colin MacDougall’s Chapel ruin. The attractive, broad-shouldered Laird leaves her weak-kneed, but can she trust herself to love again?
Dusted in construction dirt, the curvy beauty in his study captivates Colin. As Brielle steps to the window, her brunette tresses halo in the sunlight, and he sees her as his dream soul mate. When he learns his hereditary duty is safeguarding magic Fae stones, all he wants is to protect Brielle from the evil forces of the Fae.
Traveling to the past to assume his forefather’s identity and find a missing magic stone is challenging enough. When Brielle appears, an undeniable attraction to his ancestor ignites, causing her confused passion. Faced with fighting an evil Fae to save the realms, Colin must choose between saving the stone or saving his love.
**Releases March 4th!**
Amazon * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads
What’s Next?
We are so excited to share that the second book in the series, Stone of Fear, Marie, and John’s love story, will be released on June 12, 2024.
A Christmas companion book, Thistle in the Mistletoe, will be released during the holidays of 2024, and Stone of Lust, book 3 in the series, will be released in 2024.
Check out the Book Trailer for Stone of Fear:
Margaret Izard is an award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She spent her early years through college to adulthood dedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed a love for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a good story, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discovered historical romance novels in middle school, which combined her passion for romance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenes and always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets and loves to hear from readers.
Watch out for the March 4th Facebook Release Party! 10am-5pm CST
Stop by for some giveaways and fun on Facebook!
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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– 1 winner each!
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February 14, 2024
What is the Secret of Blossom Rise?
When a young nurse takes a job at an old military hospital she finds the answers to an old family question – what is the secret of Blossom Rise Hospital? Who is the long-dead man who walks the grounds?
#Ebook #Audiobook #Paranormal #Ghoststory
February 10, 2024
Dirty Dozen Character Interview – Temi
Character: ARTEMIS (TEMI) JYMLADD
How did you end up in the situation you’re currently in? I was rescued from a submarine cave where I had been trapped for over 200 years.
Do you have any regrets? That I had ever come to be there in the first place.
Is your life now as you envisioned it? If not – then why? Absolutely not. To be transported 200 years into the future is illogical.
Do you believe in magic? How do you feel about it? Yes and No. Seeing as I survived in that cave for over 200 years without ageing as a result of drinking the ‘magic’ water from the lake in the cave, as yet, I have no logical explanation, although I am certain there is one.
How do you think others see you? As someone from another time and place…which is true.
Who is your greatest friend? Kai (aka Chimera) the sea serpent who lived in the lake in the cave with me.
Who is your greatest enemy? Igor Muttovsky. Evil incarnate.
Tell us about your family? Mama was an actor and opera singer (mezzo soprano), Papa was an inventor and polymath, and my younger brother was an explorer, archaeologist and anthropologist. Since being discovered and rescued, I find I now also have a Great Great Grandfather who is a sea captain and I have been adopted by dear Professor Little who has twin daughters whose mother tragically died. His now wife has a son from a previous marriage, so I also now have two sisters and another brother.
Do you believe in god(s)? Once, but no more. I now believe only in Reason and Logic. ‘Faith’ is a false construct.
What is your greatest fear? That I shall awake to find the life I now dearly cherish was nothing more than a dream.
What do you think of your author/creator? I know not of the being to whom you refer as ‘Creator’ as already stated, I no longer believe in such mythical entities.
If you could have three wishes, what would they be? Wishing is also illogical and changes nothing. Wherever life takes one, it happens whether one wishes it or not.
Artemis Jymladd (aka Temi) first appears in V5 of the 7 volume work ‘S.O.S: Sentinels of Sol’ and later in the 2 sequels ‘The Professor and the Portal’ and ‘The Curse of the Blue Angel’.
Temi’s Author Creator is:
Owen Bell (aka Eugene L’Estrange)
Born Aug 17 1948 in Perth, Western Australia.
Lived in the UK from 1966 to 1994
Self- taught illustrator, musician and writer.
Became a freelance illustrator in 1974. Mostly known for revamping the illustration style of the Thomas the Tank Engine brand as primary illustrator for almost 2 decades until 2001. Created art for all worldwide merchandise including over 30 books.
Also designer of postage stamps worldwide, initially for the Crown Agents Stamp Bureau (London) and WWF Stamp Collection and more recently for Australia Post.
Plays a Swedish instrument called a nyckelharpa semi-professionally.
Writes for the fun of writing, never expecting it to result in fame and fortune.
Like Temi, believes whatever happens, happens. It is what it is…
February 5, 2024
Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Owen Bell/Eugene L’Estrange #YA #Fantasy
Author name: Owen Bell (aka Eugene L’Estrange)
Please tell us about your publications/work. I began writing what was to become my 7-volume epic ‘S.O.S” Sentinels Of Sol’ way back in the late ’90’s in the form of TV scripts as it was initially envisaged as a CGI animated tv series. At that time it was far shorter than it ultimately became. After a possible TV deal fell over I decided to rewrite it in prose form which is when it expanded exponentially ending up with over 2000 pages. Having self-published all 7 volumes on Amazon, I then set about writing a sequel and a year or so later, a second, both of which are now also published on Amazon.
Do you think the written word (or art) bring power and freedom? I suppose so but the purpose of my writing (or creating in general) is to amuse, inform, entertain and possibly even enlighten, not change the world at large.
What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey? Don’t expect anyone else to care as much as you do about what you write.
What’s your greatest networking tip? I don’t have any because apart from posting on Facebook, I don’t ‘network’. I’m autistic and ‘networking’ isn’t really on my agenda. If it works for you, go for it, but I’ll pass.
How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at? Plenty. Seeing as my work is a blend of fact and fantasy it involves a lot of research. Google makes it easy. Without it I probably wouldn’t have bothered writing anything. Wildest subject? Flexible rock orRazzle Dazzle warships? (both exist)
How influential is storytelling to our culture? If religious ‘stories’ or ‘Mein Kampf’ are any indication, one hell of a lot… and not for the better.
What is your writing space like? A desk, a chair, a computer and the occasional Guinness. What else do you need?
Tell us about your latest piece? It’s the second sequel to my original 7 volume epic ‘S.O.S: Sentinels Of Sol’ entitled ‘The Curse of the Blue Angel’. It follows on from the first sequel entitled ‘The Professor and the Portal’ Both are standalone stories and feature core characters from ‘S.O.S’ as well as a bunch of new ones.
How do you deal with bad reviews? Ignore them, Most reviews, both good and bad, are subjective and as it’s impossible to please everyone, why the hell bother trying? If YOU love what you do, who cares if nobody else does? If you’re in the ‘arts’ to make money, you need to rethink your career.
What is your greatest success? Making it to 75 and still having enough marbles to do the stuff that matters to me.
How important is writing/art to you? If I don’t ‘create’ something every day, it’s a day wasted. Paint, learn a new tune on my nyckelharpa, or write something that amuses me, doesn’t matter which. All three in one day is a bonus.
What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’? Taller. I made it…I’m 6’2”
Links to book http://www.eugenelestrange.com
Bio
Owen Bell (aka Eugene L’Estrange)
Born Aug 17 1948 in Perth, Western Australia.
Lived in the UK from 1966 to 1994
Self-taught illustrator, musician and writer.
Became a freelance illustrator in 1974. Mostly known for revamping the illustration style of the Thomas the Tank Engine brand as primary illustrator for almost 2 decades until 2001. Created art for all worldwide merchandise including over 30 books.
Also designer of postage stamps worldwide, initially for the Crown Agents Stamp Bureau (London) and WWF Stamp Collection and more recently for Australia Post.
Plays a Swedish instrument called a nyckelharpa semi-professionally.
Writes for the fun of writing, never expecting it to result in fame and fortune.
Like Temi, believes whatever happens, happens. It is what it is…
What is the Secret of Blossom Rise?
When a young nurse takes a job at an old military hospital she finds the answers to an old family question – what is the secret of Blossom Rise Hospital? Who is the long-dead man who walks the grounds?
#Ebook #Audiobook #Paranormal #Ghoststory
