A.B. Shepherd's Blog, page 6

Ancient civilization on Antarctica? 9th Cycle Antarctica by JC Ryan #amreading #bookreview

A couple of days ago I reviewed the first book in this series - The Tenth Cycle. You can read that review here.

 The big problem I had with that book was the over-the-top romance between Daniel and Sarah - the two lead characters. I am happy to report that there was no such problem for me with this book.

First, Daniel and Sarah are secondary characters in this book, which focuses on Daniel's younger brother  JR - a veteran suffering from PTSD - and entire cast of new characters setting out to explore the possibility of a past civilization on Antarctica.

The baddies in the form of the Orion Society are back again in this book, and again we aren't sure who to trust. There is still a little bit of romance in this one, but it is much less a focus and the plot takes precedence. I'm not a fan of the cover of this book either, but I really did enjoy the story and am left wanting to know more about what the crew found. If JC Ryan writes a sequel to this featuring a follow-up expedition to Antarctica I would love to read it. I'll give this one a solid four stars for that fact alone.

Comment and tell me what you have read lately that rated a solid four stars from you?

Book Blurb:
WAS THERE A HUMAN CIVILIZATION IN ANTARCTICA IN THE PAST?

WILL WE EVER KNOW?

In November 2002 a special U.S. Navy SEAL team is sent to Antarctica to locate and rescue a film crew that has become lost. No trace of them is found, except for film footage of strange artefacts buried under the ice. Everyone who saw the film is warned to never talk about what they have seen - EVER AGAIN.

More than a decade later, in Boulder, Colorado, Professor Charles Summers is intrigued by the discovery of a 16th century map showing the coastline of Antarctica so accurately that when NASA investigates the maps they find that they must update their own current maps! But this map predates any record of the discovery of Antarctica by 300 years!

Who Drew Those Maps and When?
Did They See Antarctica Without Its Icecap?
Did Humans Live On Antarctica Before?
But…Antarctica Has Been Under Its Icecap For 200 Million Years!

Is it possible that beneath the ice we will find the remains of an impossibly ancient civilization? The Rossler Foundation arranges an expedition to Antarctica to search for evidence of such a civilization. The Orion Society immediately mobilizes their resources to infiltrate the expedition. Will their treachery and hunger for power stop this expedition from reaching its goals?

Is There An Ancient City Under The Ice Of Antarctica?

About

NINTH CYCLE ANTARCTICA, the second book in the Rossler Foundation Series, is a full-length novel, a stimulating thriller about an attempt at uncovering true human history in the face of adversity. This adventure takes readers back into the Mysteries of the Rossler Foundation which began with JC Ryan’s THE TENTH CYCLE.

Make sure you also read JC Ryan's bestselling book THE TENTH CYCLE. - just copy and paste this link into your browser http://amzn.com/B00JMV358M

Books In The Rossler Foundation Mysteries

The Tenth Cycle - http://amzn.com/B00JMV358M
Ninth Cycle Antarctica - http://amzn.com/B00K8LRTLE
Genetic Bullets - Coming end of June 2014(less)

About the author:
J C Ryan writes spellbinding mystery suspense thrillers with an archaeological backdrop.

He has been a combat and intelligence officer in the military, practicing lawyer and information technology project manager.
He holds a military as well as a law degree and is married with two daughters and two dogs.

JC currently makes his home on the Gold Coast of Australia.

You can visit his website at http://www.jcryanbooks.com/ to get the latest information about his current and new books.
 

Great Pyramid mystery solved! The Tenth Cycle by JC Ryan #amreading #bookreview

I picked this one up on the recommendation of a Facebook friend.  I'm always on the look-out for great books written by Australian authors.

When I read the blurb I thought it was right up my alley - a thriller, conspiracy theories, and the Great Pyramid! What's not to love? Well I loved it and I hated it. I'll start with the bad, but do keep reading for the good.

So let me tell you what I didn't love. First of all, I hate, hate, HATE this cover. The author would have done much better with just the pyramid and leaving off the smarmy looking couple.

Second, the romance between Daniel and Sarah was teeth-achingly, diabetic-coma-inducing, sickeningly sweet and extremely unrealistic. Maybe I am just an old cynic, but PUH-leaze! It was written like the fantasies of a 14 year old girl.

I could have sworn it was written by a forlorn, immature spinster - but then that image  conflicted with some very chauvanistic ideas that were randomly thrown in - like when Daniel's thought was something along the lines of "the best way to keep a woman from thinking is to give her something to do in the kitchen'. What century was this book written in again???

And the fact that the woman he was referring to was a soon-to-be tenured professor of archeology just made it strike a nerve with me even more. Then of course there was the fact that all the woman in this book fit neatly into traditional "cooking and baking" roles that we women should. Ugh.

Oh! And the poor elderly widow who loses her husband of many years in the book is flirting and potentially developing a romance with one of the other characters only a few weeks after her husband is murdered? Nuh uh.

Okay, so you get beyond that because - really - that really doesn't have anything to do with the plot, right? So now we are at the plot of the book. My only complaint here is that some of this was a bit repetitive. Daniel had to explain his theories SO many times, to SO many people that reading them for the umpteenth time meant it was time to start skimming.

But here is what I loved about this book. There was a decent conspiracy theory. You didn't know who to trust. And the absolute best part about it was the explanation the author came up with for solving the riddle of the mystery of the Great Pyramid. I actually really loved where his imagination went with that.

So in spite of all the stuff I didn't like about the book, it really was worth reading just for that part, and I have already purchased and will read the second book in this series - The Ninth Cycle.


If you'd like to check out The Tenth Cycle for yourself, just click here to go to find it on Amazon.com.

Do you like fiction about some of the world's great mysteries? Please recommend your favorites in the comments. 

Book Blurb:
THE TRUTH ABOUT HUMAN HISTORY IS ABOUT TO BE REVEALED

WILL WE BE ALLOWED TO KNOW THE TRUTH?

For thousands of years the truth about human history has intentionally been suppressed and exploited.

For decades scholars have been saying that the truth about human history will be found inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, but up till now no one has ever been able to find it. Those who tried have been ridiculed and persecuted.

Will Daniel Rossler and Dr. Sarah Clarke be allowed to uncover the real and true message? As they come closer to the truth, skepticism out of the academic community is replaced by evil and malicious adversaries, dumping them into a very hostile world where violence, deceit and duplicity become their daily companions. The mysterious Orion Society with its deranged and psychopathic members, the CIA, the Marines, the Mossad and even the President of the United States become involved. Not all of them have good intentions.

THE TENTH CYCLE is a full-length novel, a provocative techno thriller about human history, conspiracies and an ancient society with power and money that will stop at nothing to reach their sinister goals.

This fast-paced thriller adventure is the first book in J C Ryan’s Rossler Foundation Mystery Series.

Enter this url http://jcryanbooks.com into your browser to sign up for special offers and pre-release notifications of upcoming books by J C Ryan.
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About the author:
J C Ryan writes spellbinding mystery suspense thrillers with an archaeological backdrop.

He has been a combat and intelligence officer in the military, practicing lawyer and information technology project manager.
He holds a military as well as a law degree and is married with two daughters and two dogs.

JC currently makes his home on the Gold Coast of Australia.

You can visit his website at http://www.jcryanbooks.com/ to get the latest information about his current and new books.

Lifeboat by A.B. Shepherd is on sale and some very sad news. #grieving #kindlesale

Hello Abites, I've missed you.

I apologize for being AFK (away from keyboard) lately. I've been struggling with a personal crisis the past few weeks which has kept me preoccupied and the last thing on my mind has been this blog. I've neglected you and I'm sorry.

Roughly three weeks ago we discovered that my little sister (little being a relative term, she is a year younger than I) has lung cancer. She was told she would have about a year to live "with chemo". Before her chemo port could be inserted she developed pneumonia. She already had COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) prior to her cancer diagnosis.

Her health rapidly declined and on Friday we were suddenly and shockingly told she wasn't expected to last through the night. After a hellish weekend for all concerned, on Sunday, June 1st (Monday morning for me here in Australia) she passed away. My head is still swirling from having a year left with her to her sudden death. I am not handling this well at all.

In the meantime, prior to this nightmare I had scheduled Lifeboat to go on sale, so if you haven't yet picked up your Kindle copy you can get it at a significant discount right now. For the next few days it is available for only $.99 on Amazon US and £0.99 on Amazon UK.  If you are interested just click on the links on the sidebar.


My little sister is gone and I am shattered. It may take me a little while to get back up to speed here with all of you, although life does go on and I am trying to force myself to go on too. Thank you for your patience and understanding while I struggle with my grief.

Is this our future??? Irradiance by David Bruns #amreading #bookreview

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Irradiance is set on a planet called Sindra in a distant solar system, where the people have been genetically engineered for centuries to eliminate unwanted anomalies and enhance certain traits. Those born with unwanted traits are "recycled" at birth. Yikes!

This is a sci-fi/fantasty tale that bears some frightening similarities to some possibilities of what could happen on our own planet in the not so distant future, much like the terrifying Big Brother from Orwell's 1984 which is pretty darn close to what is happening now in our world.Maribel is a wife, a mother, and a scientist who has discovered something that her government doesn't want their citizens to know. Their planet is dying and there isn't much time left. Desperate to provide this information to the public in spite of the danger to herself, and her family and friends, Maribel has to make some tough choices.
It's a well written story, with a good plot and I read it in pretty much one sitting - so that tells you right there that I was hooked. My only (very minor) complaint is that I wanted a little bit more at the end - an epilogue - but since this is the first book in a series I suppose I must wait for book two to know how things work out. Unlike many series these days I did find the ending satisfying even though I wanted more. I guess that is exactly how a series should work, right?
Want to check out Irradiance for yourself? Click here to find it on Amazon where you can read a sample and/or purchase your copy.

Have you read any sci-fi/fantasy books that make scary predictions for our future that are frighteningly possible? Tell me about them in the comments.
Book Blurb:The Community is your first responsibility as a Citizen.
So says the First Edict of post-Reformation Sindra.

Maribel is a new mother of twins in this bioengineered, telepathically networked society of comfort and safety, where the only relationship that matters is the one between a Citizen and her Community.

But Maribel is also a scientist, and scientists follow facts—wherever they lead.
Her search for the truth awakens emotions in her she never knew existed, uncovers ancient powers long hidden in Sindra’s history, and has the potential to destroy her Community.

A dying planet . . .
A desperate parent . . .
A daring plan . . .

IRRADIANCE is the story of Maribel’s choice.  About David Bruns:
[image error] I always knew I’d be a writer—someday.  I grew up on a small farm in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. We didn’t have a TV, so my reading habit gradually grew into a reading obsession. After high school, I was accepted to the United States Naval Academy where I earned a Bachelors of Science in Honors English (That’s not a typo. I’m probably the only English major you’ll ever meet who had to take multiple semesters of calculus, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, naval architecture and weapons systems just so I could get to read some Shakespeare. It was totally worth it.) I spent six years as a commissioned officer in the nuclear-powered submarine force chasing Russian submarines. Then the Cold War ended and I became a civilian. For the next two decades, I schlepped my way around the globe as an itinerant executive in the high-tech sector, and even did a stint with a Silicon Valley startup. In 2013, I took a break from corporate life and wrote a book. I enjoyed it so much that I wrote another (better) book, the first in a series. For the writer in me, my “someday” is today. My wife and I are self-confessed travel junkies. We’re proud of the fact that both our children had to get extra pages in their passports in order to fit all their visa stamps. Together, we’ve visited over two dozen different countries and almost all fifty states, but Minnesota is home. 
Contact: 
Website:http://davidbruns.com/ Email:david@davidbruns.com Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/davidbrunswriter Twitter:https://twitter.com/brunsdavid Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7184882.David_Bruns 
Books: 
Irradiance: The Dream Guild Chronicles – Book One, published March 2014 The origin story of the Dream Guild starts on the planet Sindra in a dystopian society called the Community, living on borrowed time. Then one brave scientist learns the truth and decides to take matters into her own hands. 
Sight: The Dream Guild Chronicles – Book Two, to be published May 29, 2014 A refugee of Sindra tries to make a new life among a clan of superstitious hunter-gatherers by offering them the ability to dream.  
The Dream Guild, published 2013 A sci-fi/fantasy adventure story about two friends caught in a cross-galaxy battle complete with superpowers, inter-dimensional space travel and dreams, lots of dreams. 
The Collector: A Short Story, published May 2014 An Internet-age bounty hunter gets more than he bargained for when he starts a personal collection of trophies.

Manhattan destroyed! A Gazillion Little Bits by Claudia Brevis #amreading #bookreview

A Gazillioan Little Bits is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the remnants of a destroyed Manhattan a few hundred years in our future. I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'll admit I had a little trouble getting into this book. Partly because there are so many characters that the author focuses on and I had trouble keeping them straight at first.

Partly because of the speech cadence/syntax the author uses in this future world is different from the speech patterns I am familiar with, which meant that I had to focus more on each sentence making it a slower read for me. I mentioned this to the author herself and she told me...
"I do appreciate your acknowledging the speech/cadence syntax of the society because one of the things I struggled with was how language would have evolved...and how the sound would be different from what we are familiar with now, just as going back two hundred years would find a syntax and manner of speech different than our modern way of speaking...."

I think she captured the language of a ruined world pretty well actually, but it did slow down my reading process just a bit.

And lastly, I had a little trouble at first because I had trouble envisioning the destroyed Manhattan landscape as she described it. I've only been to Manhattan once in real life. I suspect if I had more personal experience with the city my imagination would have worked a bit better here.

None of those are criticisms - just an explanation of my own reaction to the book. 

It is not a book for everyone - but it is a book that I believe many readers will enjoy.

I was intrigued by this story. People are struggling to survive in the ruins of society, building their own new worlds and fighting unseen foe for their very survival. Meanwhile some of these survivors are experiencing "whispers", visions of the past. They don't understand how or why this affliction occurs, but someone does and that someone is searching for the "touched" - for purposes of his own.

I think Claudia Brevis has a fabulous imagination. I did enjoy her future world - glad I don't live there though - and I liked the ending, finding it very satisfying - which is often not the case for me.

If you'd like to check out A Gazillion Little Bits for yourself you can read a sample of it on Amazon US by clicking here and on Amazon UK by clicking here.

How do you imagine language would change in a future world descended from destruction?

Book blurb:
New York City. 2256.

Isolated by shifting lands, fire and beasts, fewer than thirteen thousand people live in the ruins and rubble of Manhattan without technology, government or any connection to the world from which they've descended...

Until the mysterious whispers arrive, followed by a stranger who holds what may be the key to the city's ultimate survival.

A post-apocalyptic tale of courage, faith, betrayal and hope.

About the author:
CLAUDIA BREVIS is an author, songwriter, playwright & genealogist living with her husband, Skip, in NYC.

Claudia’s music and lyrics have been featured on stage, television, film and recordings.

She vocal-arranged and composed original music for the off-Broadway hit Beehive, the 60′s Musical, and co-wrote the 2011 New York International Fringe Festival hit, Winner Take All (A Rock Opera). Other works include Norwegian Cruise's Showdown, an interactive American Idol spoof now in its 6th year on the high seas.

When she isn’t writing music, digging in ancestral records, or working on her next novel or screenplay, Claudia can most often be found just hanging with her family!

The post-apocalyptic A GAZILLION LITTLE BITS is Claudia’s debut novel. 

Flash Fiction - One Chance by A.B. Shepherd #flashfiction

She had just one chance. If she failed...Well she couldn’t, no wouldn’t contemplate failure. Success was the only possible outcome. 

The travel through time was rougher than expected, leaving her dizzy and disoriented, but she didn’t have time to waste on recovery. She allowed herself to sit for a moment in the pitch black space, the overwhelming scent of chemical cleaning products adding to her nausea. She tucked her nose and mouth inside the fabric of her collar, breathing through it. Using it to filter the air she sucked into her lungs, fighting her body’s need to vomit.

She hoped her suit held. It allowed for a limited number of brief spurts of invisibility, vital to her mission. She would have to use them judiciously.
The North Koreans had to be prevented from starting World War III tomorrow. Their nuclear missiles must be disarmed, and their leader dethroned. 

She was only one woman and couldn’t do both tasks. The others would have to tackle the missiles. God she hoped they’d had a gentler journey and arrived when and where they were needed. 

Groping around her, she felt the rough bristles of two or three brooms, the solid metal of a bucket, and shelves stocked with plastic and glass bottles and tubs. 

She got to her feet, confident now that she was standing in a broom closet in what she hoped was the palatial residence of the Supreme Leader of North Korea, sweat trickling down her back. She ran her hands down over her limbs and torso, to conclude her suit seemed no worse for the wear, and then she took a deep breath to steady her nerves and her stomach. 

Opening the door just crack, she peeked out into the large room that functioned as a kitchen fit to feed an army. The tangy odor of kimchi lingered in the air. It was dark and unoccupied, the only light that spilling through the lit doorway on the far side, and she swiftly darted out into the shadows, softly closing the closet door behind her.

Across the room that doorway beckoned. She knew from her training this door led into the hallway she needed to traverse to reach the Supreme Leader’s sanctuary. 

She touched the button at her wrist, activating her suit and stepped out into the hallway where armed guards stood at both ends. She wouldn’t have much time. 

Although her suit rendered her invisible, she could still be heard. She stealthily approached the guard at the far end of the corridor, pulling the syringe out of her breast pocket and removing the cap from the needle. She inserted it into his neck, injecting the sedative as quickly as she could. He collapsed immediately. 

As she’d hoped, the guard at the other end of the hall raced toward his fallen comrade and she ran in the opposite direction, her footsteps on the carpet camouflaged by his own, passing him with a gust of wind which he thankfully appeared not to notice. 

She reached the sanctuary door, finding it locked. She retrieved the key from her hip pocket. Her hands shook as she inserted it into the lock, looking back over her shoulder to the soldiers. The conscious one was sounding an alarm, calling for help on his two way radio.

The lock turned and she opened the door as narrowly as she could squeeze through, darting into the sanctuary and closing the door silently behind her. 

She’d made it only seconds before the warning light on her wrist showed her suit’s invisibility function was about to fail. Now it would take at least an hour to recharge before she could use that feature again. She sighed.

Surveying the room in the moonlight cast through the small windows she saw comfortable soft sofas to one side and a large desk near the windows. A door across the room would lead to the bedroom of the Supreme Leader. 

She patted her other breast pocket to assure herself the syringes containing the poison intended to kill the Supreme Leader, and if necessary his wife or sleeping companion, were still in place. Their form gave her a sense of confidence. If she could approach him in his sleep, it would be easy.
The sudden opening of the bedroom door proved easy wasn’t meant to be.

Cursing under her breath, she darted behind one of the sofas before the intruder hit the light switch. Had the noise from the hallway woken him? She peered around the edge of her cover to see the Supreme Leader himself, and he wasn’t alone. He wore a bathrobe and had seated himself at his desk, one hand on the phone. She perched on the edge in display of blatant sensuality, wearing only a pout on her full red lips.

“Darling, come back to bed,” she whispered leaning to kiss him temptingly as she took his hand and placed it on her breast.

He willingly accepted the kiss but pulled away. “I must know what all the racket is about. If all is well, we will go back to bed. Okay?” He kissed her again before lifting the receiver and pushing a few buttons. The one-sided conversation followed.

“What is happening?He collapsed? Why?
Keep me informed.”

“There darling, you see? One of the guards collapsed. There is no evidence of foul play and a replacement has been sent. Now we can go back to bed.”

The consort smiled and stood taking his hand and pulling him up from his chair. He stepped around the desk. Then he saw something. His eyes met those of his would-be killer.

“Darling you go on, I will be right there. There is just one more thing I must do first.”

“But...”

“This is important. I won’t be long. Go now.”

The consort went into the bedroom and the Supreme Leader approached the sofa. 

The time traveller knew this would be it. She must kill him now. As he rounded the side of the sofa she sprang up, syringe at the ready. 

They stood facing each other, eyes locked.

“You know that all I have to do is call out? You will be shot dead in mere moments.”

She said nothing.

He lunged toward her, reaching for the arm with the syringe, but she anticipated his move, and brought it inside and up to his neck, her other hand grasping the front of his robe for purchase. 

She hesitated as she looked into his eyes, seeing just a man, not the monster she’d been taught he was.
“You’re not the first, you know. You won’t be the last either,” he taunted.

Her thumb applied pressure to the plunger at the second he struck her arm away. She had underestimated his strength based on his small stature. Damn! She held onto the syringe, fighting to bring it back toward him. He arm wrestled it toward her and she steadily lost ground. 

The cold syringe pricked her skin before he shoved the plunger home and the icy fingers of death filled her veins. 

“Nice try,” he said. Callously, he left her body there to be dealt with later as he joined his consort in bed. “Now where were we?”

Exciting Excerpt from The Dragon Shield by Dianne Lynn Gardner! @DianneGardner #excerpt

Dianne Lynn Gardner has just released the second book in her Ian's Realm Saga - The Dragon Shield on May 5th. She has graciously stopped by today to share with us an excerpt from this exciting fantasy novel, and her book trailer! I'm psyched - are you? 
Book Blurb:  "Integrity isn't something you do, it's who you are," Aren tells the confused Ian in  The Dragon Shield.  Now a young man, Ian returns to the magical Realm to fight against the tyranny that has befallen his friends. But the Realm is a different place, the forest is dying, the Kaemperns have lost the shield that protected them from the dragon, and Ian has a hard time proving his allegiance when trouble follows him through the portal. His struggle to do right buries him in confusion, and he must fight his own will to prove his integrity. The Ian's Realm Saga is filled with sorcery, wizards, magic, and fantasy adventure, great for young readers and the entire family.

Excerpt: He stood centered in the blue ring, his trusty leather pouch in hand. With a tap of his thumb Ian left the real world, unaware that the television remote remained behind, pulsating an eerie blue light. Wind stirred up stones, dirt, and shinning flakes of unfamiliar particles. He wasn’t in Alcove Forest when he stepped out of the circle. Dark walls surrounded him from three sides and he could see stars and a cold night sky in front of him. A campfire flickered, and on the other side of it he saw a small figure, half his height. He recognized the boy immediately. “You’ve come back, monsieur, alone. C’est bon. Is time to barter, no?” Ian’s eyes narrowed. The dark-skinned boy’s face glowed like a ghoulish mask in a haunted house. “I’ve come to find out who you are and what you know.” Ian quickly retorted. “I’m not making any promises.” The boy laughed quietly and tossed a piece of wood on the fire. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, Ian took notice of his surroundings. An outcropping of stone that had somehow been chiseled away from a huge cliff, perhaps by the wind, hovered above. The ledge he stood on overlooked a vista of desolate country that stretched treeless to the horizon. The stars formed a celestial globe.“Where am I?” he asked.The boy shook his head, still smiling. His grin stirred Ian’s anger.“Where is my father?” “You know not where you are? Still you think it good, maybe, to know where Père is? How would that help?” He laughed again. “You would still be lost.” “Tell me where my father is. You said you knew. You said when we were alone we’d talk. So talk.”Daryl chuckled again. Then he grew solemn. “Ah! But, to tell you I must have the key, no?”“No.”  The boy’s smile quickly disappeared, the fire danced shadows across his face.“You won’t get any key. Our world doesn’t need the likes of you in it.” Ian continued. “That’s your fault? You think I wish your window to go through?” He shook his head. “No, is not my plan. Your world is evil.” That surprised Ian. Why did this kid want the remote then? A locust chirped in the desert below. The cold of the night sky dropped the temperature and Ian stepped closer to the fire.“You’ve been to my world?” Ian asked.The boy sported a smug smile, but his grin could have been concealing another emotion, for Ian saw his lips quiver slightly. Without warning, the child pulled his dagger; its blade sparkled red from the flames. Ian’s knuckles wrapped tight around the hilt of his sword.He can’t be alone. How could a child so young have come here by himself?“Your window lets the wind go, or it keeps the wind in, monsieur. For me, the wind to stay is best.” The wind! That’s what this is all about.
Check out this trailer for The Dragon Shield!    






If you'd like to check out The Dragon Shield for yourself, click here to find it on Amazon.

About Dianne Lynn Gardner:
The Pacific Northwest is my home. After living in the dry desert of Arizona for over 23 years, I tired of always praying for rain, so I decided to come and get it on my own. Gray skies and deep forests give way to the most glorious summers you could ever imagine. Not to mention the abundance of berries, clams, oysters, salmon, fruits of all kinds, to me the Puget Sound area of Washington is the richest place in the world.  
I have seven children, all grown. Sixteen grandchildren that need stories written, and so they are my inspiration. 
People always find it fascinating that I lived in a mud house for over 13 years, hauling water from the well in a bucket, cooking on a wood stove, planting blue corn in desert washes, and generally living out of the box. Some of these experiences are tapped into my novels.  
My website is http://gardnersart.com You’ll find books, audios, artwork and how our movie production is coming along on that site. 
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DianneLynnGardner 
http://www.twitter/@DianneGardner 
My blog http://diendrial.wordpress.com/ 
Deception Peak http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FCZ32MG Author Central  http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Lynn-Gar... 

Dianne at PDMI http://pdmipublishing.com/book-release-dragon-shield-re-edited-and-re-designed-version-complete-with-map-and-character-lists/ 
Other books by Dianne Altered published by MKSP http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Dianne-...

Serial killer on the loose! The Grey Matter by Billie Sue Mosiman @billiemosiman #bookreview #amreading

Billie Sue Mosiman is not only an award winning and talented writer, she is also one of my Facebook friends. When I heard she had written a new novel I was eager to read it. I picked it up as soon as it was available for Kindle. 

The Grey Matter is the story of four young adults, still teenagers, who have made a home for themselves in the mountains of Alabama. Abe, Ben and Josie have been abused and neglected all of their young lives. Caleb is their wealthy young friend who takes them in and makes a home for them all. Together these four friends learn that family is not necessarily what you are born into, but what you make for yourselves.

There is even an older man up on their mountain that gives them sound advice and shares produce from his garden with them. What could go wrong?

Well for starters, the world as they know it ends when three EMP bombs explode over the USA taking down the electrical grid and everything that goes with it. Chaos reigns, and it becomes a world where survival means fending for yourselves and trusting no one.

But soon these kids learn they have more to fear than marauders intent on stealing their food. There is a killer on their mountain - one who kills for pleasure, not just survival.

I will admit this book didn't always go the way I wanted it to. People I wanted to stay safe were sometimes hurt or killed and people I wanted to die turned out to be harder than heck to kill. I cursed Billie at times while reading it. 

It's not a perfect read. There were a few tiny things I felt were flawed, but they didn't impact my enjoyment of this book and I did enjoy it.

Want to check out The Grey Matter for yourself? You can find it on Amazon by clicking here.

Do you like to read books with serial killers?  What are your favorites?

Book Blurb:
The mountains of DeKalb County, Alabama were majestic, tranquil, inspiring and isolated. Just the type of place a man like John Grey would choose to call home. A land where he was king of all he surveyed. A land where he could be God himself, if he chose to be. Until those kids moved into the cabin below the ridge.

It had been perfect at first for the four young people. Friends since their broken childhoods, now they stood together at the threshold of adulthood. They were a family by choice, not by nature. When supplies dwindled and society failed, so did the rules of civilization and the mountain closed in. Not all predators walk on four legs.

THE GREY MATTER is a novel of white-hot suspense where life is unpredictable and survival is paramount. Who is a friend and who's the enemy?

About Billie Sue Mosiman:
Author of more than 60 books on Amazon, I am a thriller, suspense, and horror novelist, a short fiction writer, and a lover of words. In a diary when I was thirteen years old I wrote, "I want to grow up to be a writer." It seems that was always my course. My books have been published since 1984 and two of them received an Edgar Award Nomination for best novel and a Bram Stoker Award Nomination for most superior novel. I have been a regular contributor to a myriad of anthologies and magazines, with more than 160 short stories published. My work has been in such diverse publications as Horror Show Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. I taught writing for Writer's Digest and for AOL online, and gave writing workshops locally in Texas. I was an assistant editor at a Houston literary magazine and co-edited several trade paperback anthologies with Martin Greenberg.

My latest work in paperback and Kindle digital is SINISTER-Tales of Dread, a compilation of fourteen new short stories all written in 2013.

Recently I've sold short stories to JAMAIS VU, the premier magazine, and the anthologies BETTER WEIRD edited by Paul F. Olson from Cemetery Dance, ALLEGORIES OF THE TAROT edited by Annetta Ribken, FRESH FEAR edited by William Cook, WRAPPED IN RED edited by Jennifer Greene, and SOMEONE WICKED edited by Weldon Burge. My latest suspense novel, THE GREY MATTER, was published by Post Mortem Press in April 2014.

I was born in Alabama and live now in Texas on a small ranch.

My work has been predominately suspense thrillers, with my short fiction being more speculative. My latest novel is BANISHED, a dark fantasy horror novel involving fallen angels.

I love to read (especially on my Kindle), watch old movies, take photographs, and travel.
Because of my love of storytelling, I've been fortunate enough to make a lifelong investment in writing stories and novels.

News of my e-book publications can be found at: http://peculiarwriter.blogspot.com/
My Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/billie.s.mosiman
Find me on Twitter @billiemosiman

A treat for UFO buffs - a REAL UFO sighting! #ufo #aliens

If you've read Lifeboat, or are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I find UFOs fascinating though I have never seen one in person. I am a firm believer that we are not alone in the Universe. We may not have definitive proof yet but the odds are in our favor.

On the night of the Blood Moon, April 14th, 2014 a friend (Andrew N.) happened to be filming the Blood Moon. He didn't see it when he was filming, but afterward when reviewing the video he noticed he had captured a UFO near the surface of the moon. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!

I am excited and privileged to share with you (with Andrew's permisssion) his video of that UFO. You are probably going to have to view this full screen on your computer to see it, but it's worth it! Or at least I think so.

It is about 10 seconds in and only visible for a few seconds on the right side of the moon near the middle.



Now my husband, the spoil sport, thinks it is just some kind of space debris - and maybe it is. But I like to think it is something more.

What do you think?

Is she crazy? - Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge

I love books that screw with the main character's head a bit. If the main character doesn't quite know what is going on neither do I and as long as it is suspenseful and interesting you've got me hooked.

This is one of those books. Chloe wakes up bound and locked in a dark underground room with no memory of how she got there and only her will to survive to get her out. When she escapes she has lost seven weeks of her memory and she has no idea who wants to hurt her or who to trust.
It's a fast ride and I was hooked. Like Chloe I kept trying to figure this one out, bouncing around between who I suspected to be the villain. It is definitely a page turner. The ending was just a little too pat for my taste, and that plus Chloe's stereotypical victim profile, as well as a tiny error on the part of the author and her editor near the end (reference to looking for Chloe's driver's license when we've been told repeatedly she doesn't drive) are all that kept this from getting a five star rating from me. But four is good and this is really enjoyable book.

Does it bother you when a main character is a little bit too stereotypical? Please share your thoughts on this with me in the comments. 

Book Blurb:
Chloe Benson wakes up kidnapped and bound in an underground tomb with no memory of how she got there.

She escapes through deserted woods with her life, but no one believes her story.

And when she suspects her husband is lying to her, Chloe is forced to retrace her past, following in her own footsteps to find the truth and stay alive.

But who is following Chloe?

Look Behind You. You never know who’s out there.

About the author:
Sibel Hodge an International. Bestselling and Award Winning Author. She has 8 cats and 1 husband. In her spare time, she's Wonder Woman! When she's not out saving the world from dastardly demons she writes an eclectic mix of genres.

Her work has been shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008, Highly Commended by the Yeovil Literary Prize 2009, Runner Up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Comp 2009, nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements in 2010 by The Romance Reviews, Runner Up in the Best Indie Books of 2012 by Indie Book Bargains, and nominated for Best Children's Book by eFestival of Words 2013. Her novella Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave has been listed as one of the Top 40 Books About Human Rights by Accredited Online Colleges