Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 66

No November Reads Voting...

Sorry guys! Due to a backlog of submissions and requested review material, along with trips and my own writing, I won't be doing a vote this month. But stay tuned! Once I've caught up, I'll start again.

Fall Into Fantasy Week #8

Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!

Week 8: The Heirs of War series
Book One: Heirs of War
Book Two: Heirs of War, Crown of Flames


Seventeen year-old Zelene has never believed in magic or been one to trust fate. Prophecies about princesses and long lost families were the stuff of fairy tales and had no place in her life. But then magic-wielding assassins attack claiming she is one of the five Duillaine Ainnir, the next generation of the most powerful women who rule over the worlds. Together, the five girls are prophesized to save the worlds from the war that has been raging for years.

As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, but Isauria is completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.

Zelene views them all, especially the elders, with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know what she can do when her own magic is still locked within her, but can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.

Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.

Buy it from: Amazon  Amazon UK  Barnes & Noble  iTunes  Kobo  GooglePlay Or add it to Goodreads

Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen's dungeon, but danger isn't far behind them. The guilt of his past weighs heavily on Alec’s shoulders, and his secrets only push Ariana further away. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another.

The world appears to be going on regardless of the risks Ariana faces. The Duillaine insist that they are doing everything they can to find Ariana, but their actions betray that claim. Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival and Terrena’s betrothal than rescuing Ariana.

Well…not everyone.

Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene’s plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.

Buy it from: Amazon  Amazon UK  Barnes & Noble  iTunes  Kobo  Or add it to Goodreads

ABOUT MARA VALDERRAN: 
Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.
Find Mara Online: Website  Twitter  Facebook  Google+  Goodreads  Wattpad  Amazon Author
Sign up for Mara's newsletter so you don't miss news on new releases and fun contests!
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Don't forget to join us at the Facebook party here! If you are interested in joining up as a blogger, you can always sign up here. We are happy to welcome more bloggers into the fold as the promotion continues. If you are an author or blogger and want to sign up to help with the party, please fill out this form.a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: A Different Kind Of Fine by K.K. Hendin (Twelve Beats In A Bar #1.5)

Publication date: November 2014 
Synopsis:Happily Ever After is never as easy as it seems…

Hayley’s finally come back to Texas, and seeing her is everything Nate dreamed it would be. But four years apart means that everything has changed between them, and all the things that broke them up in high school have come back to haunt them.

Nate’s barely recovered from the explosion that lost his leg, part of his eyesight, and his entire squad. Being able to spend a week back in Leland was supposed to help him recover, yet all it has done is make everything worse. Everything still seems like a threat, nothing is safe, and Nate’s nightmares are only getting worse. His survivor’s guilt is crippling him, and ruining his relationship with Hayley. He loves her more than anything, but she deserves more than a broken man slowly losing his mind.

Being with Nate again is all Hayley’s wanted for the past four years. But reality isn't exactly like her dreams. Nate’s fighting demons he brought home with him from Afghanistan, and Hayley’s scared that she’s not enough to help him fight them. When an unexpected ice storm and road trip stumble into their Christmas plans, Hayley and Nate are both forced to face their pasts and the unknown future.

It’s a love story that has spanned five years, over seven thousand miles, and countless YouTube videos, and it all boils down to a seven hour road trip. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23286311-a-different-kind-of-fine

AUTHOR BIO:
(No author photo)KK Hendin's real life ambition is to become a pink fluffy unicorn who dances with rainbows. But the schooling for that is all sorts of complicated, so until that gets sorted out, she'll just write. Preferably things with angst and love. And things that require chocolate.
She spends way too much time on Twitter (@kkhendin), and rambles on occasion over at www.kkhendinwrites.blogspot.com.
Author links:https://twitter.com/kkhendinhttp://www.kkhendinwrites.blogspot.ca/https://www.facebook.com/pages/KK-Hendin/425268687590642?ref=tn_tnmnhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7231267.K_K_Hendin

Release! Isla's Inheritance by Fellow Aussie Ownder Cassandra Page

Isla’s Inheritance by Cassandra Page (Isla’s Inheritance #1) Publication date: October 9th 2014




Synopsis:
Isla was content to let her father keep his secrets, but now she can’t stand the touch of iron and her dreams are developing a life of their own. She must discover the truth — before it’s too late.
Seventeen-year-old Isla Blackman only agrees to participate in a Halloween party séance because Dominic, an old crush, wants to. She is sure nothing will happen when they try to contact the spirit of her mother. But the séance receives a chilling reply.
SHE IS NOT DEAD.
Isla doesn’t want to upset her father by prying into the family history he never discusses. When the mysterious and unearthly Jack offers to help her discover the truth, Isla must master her new abilities to protect her loved ones from enemies she never knew existed.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22549788-isla-s-inheritance?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Islas-Inheritance-Book-ebook/dp/B00NUN83NASmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/479275






AUTHOR BIO:Cassandra Page is a mother, author, editor and geek. She lives in Canberra, Australia’s bush capital, with her son and two Cairn Terriers. She has a serious coffee addiction and a tattoo of a cat — which is ironic, as she’s allergic to cats. When she’s not reading or writing, she engages in geekery, from Doctor Who to AD&D. Because who said you need to grow up?
Author links:http://cassandrapage.com/https://twitter.com/CassandraPage01https://www.facebook.com/CassandraPage01https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8328228.Cassandra_Page




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Cover Reveal: ALL FALLS DOWN by Ayden Morgen

I am so excited to help reveal the cover for ALL FALLS DOWN by Ayden Morgen! ALL FALLS DOWN, a contemporary romance about learning to live and love again after escaping an abusive relationship, is scheduled to release exclusively for Kindle on November 1, 2014. The novel will release to other formats in February, 2015. The lovely Jada of Jada D'Lee Designs created the cover.

With each new release, Ayden allows her friends, family, and readers to designate a charity which will receive a percentage of the proceeds. Ayden is happy to help announce that 25% of all sales from ALL FALLS DOWN will go to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH), a 24/7 toll-free hotline connecting domestic abuse victims with services and support all across the United States. You can find out more about the NDVH and domestic violence at: http://www.thehotline.org.


When Savannah Martin walks in on her abusive boyfriend and her best friend in bed together, she thinks life can't possibly get any worse. And then she wakes up in a hospital in Italy, scared and alone. With nowhere left to go, Savannah runs to the family who took her in when her mother abandoned her as a teenager.
But things aren't as simple as they were then.
For starters, two years of constant emotional and verbal abuse has broken Savannah in ways she's not sure can be repaired. And patriarch Matthew Talbot has been murdered, leaving his eldest daughter, Lexi, in charge of a global non-profit and her younger sisters.
Jared Corbit, Lexi's gorgeous boyfriend, is the only thing standing between her and whoever murdered her father. That doesn't stop Savannah from falling in love with him. She knows it's wrong, but she just can't stay away from him when he makes he feel like no one else ever has before.
Finding out his relationship with Lexi is a ruse should make things easier, but when the truth is finally revealed, Savannah's fragile world threatens to fall apart. There's a murderer on the loose, and he's gunning for the only family she has. To save their lives, she and Jared will be forced to make a decision that just might destroy her completely.
How is she supposed to let the man she loves be with another woman? 

Pre-purchase today:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O4G149C
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23299789-all-falls-down
Excerpt: 
"Here."I jump and cry out as a small box lands in my lap."Shit," Jared curses when I start to topple backward over the railing.He grabs me around the waist and yanks me forward before I can go over. A painful cry bursts from my lips the instant his fingers dig into the bruises still healing all across my back. The box falls to the floor of the porch with a thud.Jared plucks me up like a ragdoll and sets me on my feet. As soon as they touch the floorboards beneath me, he releases me, snatching his hands back as if I've burned him."I'm sorry," he says.I close my eyes and shake my head, waiting for the fog of pain to recede slightly so I can speak. It takes a moment, and when I finally open my eyes again, Jared is staring at me, his beautiful eyes clouded with concern."What's wrong?"The question isn't a demand like last time he asked, and I'm so tired of trying to sort everything out by myself, so tired of keeping my wounds and scars hidden from everyone. I can't find the will to brush him off this time."Surgery," I whisper and shuffle a few steps away from him. I turn my back to him, lift the hem of my shirt so he can see, and squeeze my eyes closed.A shocked hiss echoes across the porch.My cheeks flame when I feel his hand on my bruised skin.I pull my shirt down and move away quickly. My heart pounds."I fell," I mumble, desperate to focus on anything other than the feel of his hands on my bare skin."You fell." It's not a question and he doesn't sound happy."In glass. It went through my back." I stop talking, unsure why I've said so much.He's quiet, and I can't force myself to turn around and look at him again. I'm not sure what I'll find if I do. I want to slip through the front door and pretend that I've said nothing.I want him to say… something."There's a phone in the box for you," he says as if on cue.I immediately regret wanting him to speak. His voice is low, angry. I hear his heavy steps retreating. Once again, I have to fight the urge to apologize.He stops walking."Your boyfriend should be in jail for what he did to you, Savannah. You didn't deserve it."I gasp and spin around, only to find him stalking across the yard with his shoulders hunched. His stride is long, furious. Oh, God. He knows about Toby.
About the Author:

Ayden lives in the heart of Arkansas with her childhood sweetheart and husband of ten years, and their five furry minions. When not writing, she spends her time hiking, reading, volunteering, causing mischief, and building a Spork army. Ayden graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology in 2009 before going on to complete her graduate degree in CJ and Law. She currently puts her education to use in the social services field. 

Ayden also writes Young and New Adult fiction under the penname A.K. Morgen. Her first novel, FADE (The Ragnarok Prophesies: Book One) is an Amazon Bestseller.

You can find Ayden on Twitter, Facebook, or via her website at http://aydenmorgen.com.

Cover Reveal: Billy Lovecraft Saves the World by Billy Lovecraf

Curiosity Quills is thrilled to reveal the cover for middle-grade, action-adventure, paranormal, horror, science-fiction Billy Lovecraft Saves the World , by Billy Lovecraft, which is scheduled for release November 13, 2014. 

The stunning cover was designed by Andy Garcia.

Description: The last thing Billy Lovecraft’s parents sent him before the crash was a photo of something on the wing of their plane. Now he’s stuck with a horrible and heart-breaking mystery: What was that awful creature, and why were his parents targeted? It’s up to Billy to gather a team of like-minded kids and lead them through a dark new reality where the monsters are real, not everyone is who they seem to be, and an ancient alien wants to devour the world.

 Add Billy Lovecraft Saves the World to your Goodreads 'to-be-read' list.

 
About The Author: Billy Lovecraft is the young leader of the Cthulhu Detective Squad, which he formed after the death of his parents when he was twelve. He is a writer, scientist, occult scholar, and frequent savior of the world. The things in his basement will give you nightmares.


Find Billy Lovecraft Online: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Aussie To American Translations

This is another post I originally wrote for Aussie Owned and Read. Find it Here.


Kangaroos, Koalas, Eucalyptus trees, Thor, Wolverine. We're pretty down right awesome. But one thing I've learned is that although we speak English, sometimes we need translating. I'm an Aussie who has been living in the USA for more than four years, plus six months after high school as an exchange student, so I've had people call my Aussie-isms cute, giggle at me, and give me weird confused looks quite a lot.So here we go!In Australia, our school system is fairly simple. We have Kindergarten(Kindy) through Year 6, aka 6th grade, which we call Primary School, then High school is 7th-12th. Juniors are 7th-10th grades and Seniors are 11th and 12th grades. Our grades are called Year (insert number here). Most Aussie schools have school uniforms, and on the days kids get to wear casual clothes it's called a "mufti day."Schools have sports, but they are not the main source for sports. Clubs for Saturday comps is how most people participate in sports.Our seasons also run opposite to most of the rest of the world. It's a hemisphere thing... So, Dec/Jan/Feb is summer and Jun/Jul/Aug is winter. This means... Christmas is in the summertime! It's so sweet. Gosh I miss water guns and body boards for Christmas. Or laying on the tiled floor to cool off. Mmm... home sick... moving on...Guns are banned in Australia. Living here in the US where this particular topic is hot, hot, hot, especially here in AZ, this is a good thing to know, as some Australian authors might pop something into their stories about not having guns, knowing how to use guns etc. My husband asks me, "how do people defend themselves?" I smile and say in a heavy drawl, "That's not a knife..." and he gets the picture. Mind you, the only thing people seem to get riled up about is how the football is going, especially during State of Origin.Here are some words the other Aussie Owneders mentioned that they noticed confused others outside Oz.Breaky - BreakfastUte - truck (pickup)Plait - BraidBraid - French BraidMaccas - McDonald'sArvo - AfternoonBarbie - BarbequeLoo / Dunny - ToiletFair dinkum - "No Way!" "Are you serious?"Prezzy - PresentWoop woop - The middle of nowhere, like here in Arizona! LOL I kid.Bogan - ahh roughly equivalent to a redneck, or maybe trailer trash? Usually they wear scruffy clothes often with a plaid shirt.Westie - Someone who comes from Western Sydney, often combined with bogan hehehe.Car park - Parking lotEsky - Cooler/Ice chest/Ice boxDouvet/Doona - Comforter maybe even a quiltWe also say, "I'm going to the toilet" rather than "I need to use the bathroom."We also spell things differently! Hooray! That was fun when I moved over here... so here are some examples.Mum - Momcolour - colorbehaviour - behaviorgenerally anything ending with "or" is "our"Also -ize's are -ise's for example -realise - realizeOh, and my favourite:gaol - jailI must admit, I sometimes switch between these two ways of spelling and thank goodness for CPs who catch them!Aussies like cricket, rugby, Aussie Rules football, soccer (which is mostly played by boys), and netball. Funny story about netball. I played netball for years upon years like a lot of girls, and when I came to the US as an exchange student a friend asked me while we were at a wrestling tournament what kind of sports I played. I said netball and she looked at me weird and said, "What??"So I repeated, "I play netball."Then one of the wrestlers turned around and was like, "WHAT?? Like this?" and he lifted his shirt and flicked at his nipple. Turns out, with my accent, Netball sounds like nipple. That was one of those moments.Anyway! I hope this helps at least a little. If you have any other words you've seen/heard us use, go ahead and ask! I'm happy to help.

My Writing Process

Post originally from the AZ Typelings.

Since being offered a contract to have my book published, I've found people asking me how I go about writing my books. I know the normal ways are using spread sheets to map out ideas, outlining the plot first and so forth, but to be honest, I just don't do that.

For me, the first thing I have in my head is the main character and something that has happened to them to change the course of their life. This usually becomes my opening scene. With Kiya, for example, Naomi popped into my head while I studied Ancient Egypt and said; "Let me tell you Kiya's story my way." So, I saw her with several younger sisters who were about to be taken but she stepped up in their place despite her highly ranked father's wishes.

The next thing I have in my head is how I want the story to end. With that in mind, I can figure out how to get there. I keep the finale as main points but don't write it down, because I find I change small details along the way. It gives me the freedom to have the characters develop as they will while heading to the conclusion.


The characters are the most important thing to me. I often have several scenes in my head once I have the beginning and end, but I won't write them down until I feel like I can express it the way my characters would tell it. While I'm developing my WIP I spend most of my time thinking about my characters, spending time with them while doing chores, going to the store, at work and mostly while I take my kid out for a walk to the park. Knowing the characters is the most important thing to me because it's what they do and how they react that creates the story.

When I write historicals, that means I also need to do research. Kiya had a TON of research involved for each of the characters, the chronology of events, culture of Egyptians and Hebrews, and daily life. Usually I read all of this during the character process, but sometimes I have to do it while I'm writing. Using Kiya again as an example, there's one scene where she has to clean the restrooms. So I paused and went and found out how Egyptians went to the toilet. It was a small detail, but it was important for accuracy's sake.

Once I have my beginning and end and know my characters, I fill in the middle. I usually write from beginning to end, occasionally writing a scene for later on a separate document, but generally I just let it flow. Then once I've written it, I'll go back and touch up details that I neglected to link up the first time around.

It makes things surprisingly fast. My last WIP I wrote 96,000 in a month and the whole Kiya series took me 2 1/2 months to write with about a month's research before hand. I think I can do it so fast because I spend so much time with my characters so I just chug through the scenes and rarely get stuck.

It's not very profound or ground breaking, I know... but this is what works for me. I really believe that a writer should do whatever works for them and not what other people say they "should" do. So, if you are stuck, try something different until you find what makes you tick. Creating a story shouldn't be hard, and it shouldn't be stressful. I believe being a writer is a labor of love, so do it the way that makes you happy! :-D

Release Day Blitz: Wiked Paths by Eliza Tilton

Curiosity Quills is excited to announce the release of young-adult, epic-fantasy Wicked Path , by Eliza Tilton, which is book two in the Daath Chronicles.

The amazing cover was designed by Michelle Johnson at Blue Sky Design.

About Wicked Path:

 In Wicked Path: Book Two of the Daath Chronicles brother and sister are forced to opposite sides of Tarrtainya on a fast-paced adventure where the wildlife isn’t the only thing trying to kill them. Three months have passed since Avikar defeated the Reptilian Prince, and he still can’t remember his battle with Lucino. On the hunt for answers, he returns to the scene of the fight and discovers a strange connection between his family’s dagger and the mysterious kingdom of Daath, and it seems only his distant father can reveal the truth behind it all. Before Avikar can travel back home, Lucy assaults him in the market and forces him to flee to Nod Mountains—a place few dare to enter, and even less return from. With Raven and her childhood friend by his side, they must survive the treacherous journey through the pass with a vengeful Lucy hunting them. If they don’t, they’ll never see home again. Jeslyn’s new life in Luna Harbor is the perfect remedy for her confused and broken heart. But when a group of mercenaries kidnap her beloved Grandfather, interrupting her daily routine as his jewelry apprentice, she's forced to join forces with the one person from her past she tried to forget. And his assistance comes with a price.

  Find Wicked Path Online: Goodreads | Amazon US | amazon UK

  About The Author: Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing. Her YA stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a hot romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull.

  Find Eliza Tilton Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog tour: Division Zero: Lex De Mortuis by Matthew Cox

Excerpt – Kirsten was not sure what to feel more foolish about: resorting to cyberspace dating, or spending six thousand credits on a shimmering emerald gown that left her shoulders and most of her back bare, and stopped just short of the middle of her thigh. When he turned away, she slipped a hand under it and cradled her chest.Damn, two days and my boob still hurts. I hate wraiths.She fidgeted at the hem the whole time she sat; it was longer on the left, with some purposeless strip of cloth trailing to the floor. A few strands of hair that escaped the clip tickled at the nape of her neck, every so often making her grab for a nonexistent insect. Awkwardness pervaded her being; she could not remember the last time she had worn a dress, much less one so short. Most of her effort went toward keeping tabs of how she positioned herself. Lean too far forward, the room got a show; too far back and she remembered how cold the chair was.Armando seemed nice enough, but she had yet to come clean with him. Every time she thought about it, the silver finish of her high-heeled shoes became quite fascinating. She smiled and nodded at his attempts at conversation. At least he was not the type to drone on and on about his success, or money, or other such trite things. He did mention he worked in technology, some manner of investor or engineer; she had not been paying enough attention when it came up. He had gone over it out front while they waited for a table and she focused too much on feeling stared at.“… and that’s when I told him we’d have to start over from scratch. The system infrastructure was too… are you all right? Is your foot bothering you?”Her face grew warm, red. “I’m okay, I’m second-guessing this gown… It’s a bit, um…”“It’s radiant, matches the woman wearing it. The green sets off your hair.”More warmth came to her cheeks. “It’s a bit open, not my usual sort of thing…”You’ll have to show a living man the goods sooner or later.Theodore’s voice mocked her from memory.“It is fine, Kirsten. You should see some of the trash in Paris these days. They might as well not even bother. Sometimes you wonder how it even stays on.” He sipped his wine, leaning back. “Of course, it’s cyclical. In two years, there won’t be a scrap of skin showing; floppy bags on their heads or some such nonsense.”She laughed, though could not hide her nerves. A waiter arrived, setting a small bowl of shrimp cocktail in front of each of them, flecked with scallions and shaved cucumber. Kirsten fumbled to get a grip on her fork, again fascinated by the reflection on her shoes.“You’ve the look of a guilty conscience. Don’t tell me you’re having doubts this early on?” His concern seemed genuine. “Was this an unfortunate choice of location?”“It’s…” She sighed, losing a staring contest with her shoes.“Are you sick? Dying?”“No… it’s―”He lowered his voice to a whisper. “You prefer women?”She giggled, looking up. “No.” Taking a bite of shrimp delayed her having to keep talking.“Dangerous ex?” He followed suit, lifting an eyebrow. “Rather good food here. I hear they ship it in from a colony.”“Pointlessly expensive.” She poked at the next shrimp. “It tastes the same as vat-grown.”He chuckled. “It tastes a lot better if you have it fresh, loses something in shipping. Have you ever been to a colony settlement? It’s adventurous.”“No.” Fascinating shoes. “I get enough adventure down here.”“So what’s got you all mopey?”She looked into his hazel eyes. “You don’t give me the feeling you’re just trying to get in my pants for a night.”He coughed, gathering a napkin over his reddening face.“No… I’m not saying…” She blushed. “That’s what I want. I’m looking for more than a one-nighter.” She lowered her volume when a few people nearby turned. “I want something real, but…”Armando swallowed, taking a few sips of water to clear his throat. “What’s wrong? Can’t have kids? Leaving the country soon?”“Is your name really Armando?”He laughed. “Is that all? It actually is… I changed it a few years ago. I was born Brian, if you want to know. Not very sexy.”“You’re kind of pale for an Armando; Brian is cute.”He smirked, finding her assay of him as “cute” a bit deflating.“I like you, Brian, Armando, whatever. I’ve had a damnable time finding a guy I can trust.” She stared deep into the woven tablecloth, as if some secret to love hid among the threads. “I have to tell you something.”He tensed. “All right.”“I have a son.”The cringe was nigh imperceptible.“I didn’t have him as a baby. I took him in, a special situation.”Brian/Armando relaxed. “Oh, well, perhaps I should meet him soon. That isn’t such a big issue.”“There’s more.” She picked at the shrimp. “I never did tell you about my job.”He squinted. “Something less than legal?”Her laugh startled half the room. When the din returned to normal, and her cheeks to normal color, she gazed at him as her last threads of whimsy mixed with sadness. “I’m with the police.”“Oh.” He bit his lip, shifting in the chair.Two strikes. Kid, cop. Great. Dammit.“Well, I suppose… You don’t really seem to be the type of woman involved in that sort of thing.”So help me, if he says delicate flower… “I’m not a beat cop, I’m with investigations.”“Oh, well that’s better, I think? You don’t get shot at so much?” He took a sip of wine. “I’m not sure I would be able to cope with wondering if you came home each night.”She lifted her glass to her lip, enough to smell the wine, but hesitated. No, I just get blown off the eleventh story of parking garages. “Not so often. I usually deal with people after they’re dead.” Damn it, K, just spit it out.Last shrimp gone, he had another sip of wine, and smiled while dabbing at his lip with the napkin. “So you’re a homicide detective? You must have some stories.”Kirsten stared at her appetizer shrimp cocktail, compliments of the house. She took in a deep breath. Better now than after I get attached.“I’m with Division 0.”The expected cough, the same chest patting, the usual lifted brow. “There’s a zero?”“Yeah, it’s small, there’s not many of us. I’m ps―” A well, or ill, as the case may be, timed shrimp muffled the last bit.“Pardon?”She chewed it like gum. The longer it took to swallow, the longer she could entertain the fantasy this one would be different. He wouldn’t be the same as all others. Adventurous. “I’m psionic.”“I see.” Color drained out of his face.The lip bite, the shift in posture, interest became trepidation.Figures. What would his family think if he brought a psionic girl home?


Date of Publication:September 8, 2014
Cover Artist: Alexandria Thompson at Gothic Fate 
Description:
Some soldiers don’t let anything sway them from their mission, not even death from high explosives.
Free from her troubled past, Agent Kirsten Wren finds happiness mentoring Evan, a boy with similar talents with whom she soon forms a strong bond. Her efforts to help Dorian settle his past become complicated when a team of corporate “issue resolution consultants” continue their mission to kill a man in the afterlife.
Kirsten gets involved when their postmortem grudge match spills into the realm of the living. At the scene of a surgical explosion that gutted only one floor of a residential tower, she discovers a strange arcane circle drawn in silver. There, she senses energy darker than any wraith she has yet encountered; a force that questions everything she believes about the world.
Vikram Medhi, the hacker targeted by Lyris Corporation for elimination, begs her to protect him from undead out to destroy him. With no way to track these spirits, she seeks help from an enigmatic billionaire who offers her more than a simple translation of ancient Sumerian pictographs.
Chasing down a dangerous psionic criminal in the oldest lawless zone in the city, trying to protect a man on a corporate death list, and trying to keep both of them from hurting the one person in the world she loves, Kirsten must reach deep within herself to accept her destiny.
Find Online:
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About Matthew Cox:
Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests: Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it. He is also fond of cats.Find Matthew Cox Online:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads