Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 132
March 20, 2014
Cover Reveal: Fragile Line by Brooklyn Skye
Fragile Line
by Brooklyn
Skye
Release Date: 04/21/14
Entangled Teen
Summary from Goodreads:
—starting
with the name haunting her, Gwen.Author Links
Female Shapeshifters: Seriously Shifter Giveaway Hop
_____________________
Welcome to my stop on the Seriously Shifter Giveaway Hop! I’ve been working on a shifter novel lately (keep an eye out for it!), so I’m happy to share my shifter love with you. :) Recently, I have also been thinking about shapeshifters in my academic work. Below, I share an excerpt from my recent conference presentation on female shapeshifters in urban fantasy. After you check it out, be sure to enter to win, then HOP to the other blogs. I’m giving away a copy of my current favorite shapeshifter novel, Anne Bishop’s urban fantasy, Written in Red, as well as a copy of my own novel, Fairy, Texas.
_____________________
While the forms of the female shapeshifters vary from novel to novel (and within novels), there are a few characteristics that most of them share. First of all, to be a powerful female is to be inherently Other, as these narratives illustrate. Their heroines are inevitably singular. That is, they are often depicted as being the only one of their species, as is Elena, the female werewolf in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series—or as at least exceptionally rare, as illustrated by Faythe Sanders, the protagonist werecat in Rachel Vincent’s Stray series, where there are “an average of five toms born to every one tabby.” This rarity makes them targets, though. In Patricia Briggs’ series, Mercy Thompson, who shifts into a coyote at will, is also singular—she discovers that most of her kind have been killed off by vampires who came to the New World and discovered “Shapeshifters who were not moon called. Men and women who could take on the coyote’s form as they chose.” Her vampire friend Stephan tells her “We killed your kind wherever we found them, and they returned the favor. . . . There are vampires everywhere, Mercedes, and you are the only walker here.”
This rarity makes them sexual targets, as well. The women both tend to be sought after by males and must learn to function in a male-dominated society, almost always by opposing the traditional, phallocentric mores of the imagined shapeshifter culture. This often leads to an apparent overturning of the social order and the installation of the female as leader, or Alpha—as occurs in Vincent’s more recent novels and in Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville werewolf series. These are women who change into monstrous creatures, complete with claws and teeth; women who fight and kill and otherwise overturn any potential readerly expectations that to be a woman is to be inherently kind and gentle.
It would therefore be easy to cast these female shapeshifters into a fiercely feminist mold. These are, after all, not what Diane Long Hoeveler describes as “the majority of female gothic heroines who, in thrall to the codes of sentimentality, cannot bare their teeth in anything other than a smile” (xi). These women bare their teeth. Often. And with bloody results. Each of these women engages, to varying degrees, in violence, using her shapeshifter abilities to enforce a form of justice. Hoeveler claims that “The optimistic dream that most often concludes the female gothic novel requires that juridical violence, paranoia, and injustice, figured as the ‘masculine,’ can be brought to heel, punished, and contained safely within the confines of the ultimate fantasy home—the female-dominated companionate marriage” (xiii-xiv). In urban fantasy, that masculine violence and injustice is more often countered with feminine violence.
_____________________
Enter to win an e-book copy of Anne Bishop’s Written in Red and a copy of Fairy, Texas.
Direct link to Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDc2NDEyMTFiMWVhMDg4MzE4NzZlNDdkNjZhMTgxOjI0/
_____________________
HOP to the rest of the giveaway stops!
Direct link: http://theherdhops.blogspot.com/2014/02/seriously-shifter-blog-hop.html
_____________________
Keep the Magic Alive: A World of YA Fantasy Global Blog Event Hop
Enter to win a book for you AND for your local library!
Hi, everyone! March is definitely hopping with the blog hops, and I was deeply honored to be invited to participate in this one!
This blog hop is all about YA fantasy and about keeping the magic of reading fantasy alive.
So for this stop on the hop, there are two prizes:
1 ebook copy of Fairy, Texas
AND
1 paperback copy of Fairy, Texas donated to the library of the winner’s choice
To enter to win, all you have to do is leave your name and an email address I can use to contact you.
Then HOP! to the rest of the blogs
Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other.
Laney Harris didn’t want to live there. When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that “boring” would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class.
She was right. Boring took on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.
_____________________________________________
Buy Fairy, Texas
E-Book:
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Texas-Margo-Bond-Collins-ebook/dp/B00I7BTMJ4/
Paperback:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Texas-Margo-Bond-Collins/dp/1495419800/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fairy-texas-margo-bond-collins/1118584512
Books a Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Fairy-Texas/Margo-Bond-Collins/9781495419805
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Fairy-Texas-Margo-Bond-Collins/9781495419805
_____________________________________________
Excerpt
I was partnered with Mason Collier, the infamous football-playing, cute, but possibly black-magicky friend-of-Bartlef I’d heard about at lunch. I looked around and saw a guy waving at me from across the room. He was looking at me kind of like he was hungry and maybe I was breakfast. It worried me.
Still, at least I hadn’t been paired up with Kayla. It could have been much worse.
“Okay,” Carlson said. “Go ahead and meet with your partner and plan your strategy.”
Mason and I stood up at the same time and walked toward each other. I was so busy making sure I didn’t trip over any desks that I didn’t see Kayla headed toward me until she was right in front of me. And then she leaned in close to my face and hissed at me. “Don’t get too cozy. He’s way out of your league.”
I rolled my eyes and moved around her without responding. Three days. Three days I’d been in Fairy, and already I had an enemy. And I lived in her house. My life kept getting better and better.
Mason and I met in the middle of the room. Kayla and her friends huddled nearby, watching us.
“Hey,” Mason said.
“Hey.” Nice, neutral word, hey. Can mean almost anything. Or nothing.
“So,” he said, “where do you want to start?”
He was asking me? Where I wanted to start was away from here, where there weren’t any dead boys to trip over.
So much for that option.
_____________________________________________
About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead (forthcoming in 2014). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.
_____________________________________________
Connect with Margo
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Facebook Novel Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waking-Up-Dead/502076076537575
Tumblr: http://vampirarchybooks.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
Manic Readers: http://www.manicreaders.com/MargoBondCollins/
Be sure to add Fairy, Texas to your Goodreads bookshelves: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19502285-fairy-texas
Spotlight On: Blood is Thicker, by Suz deMello
Blood is Thicker… a short story
(previously Immortal Hunters)
Genre: Paranormal action-adventure.
A century-old vampire, Rama is used to shadows and loneliness.
She uses the name Hestia White and lives in a coastal town working as a private investigator. If some bad guys disappear on her shift, no one cares…until John van Helsing shows up. Bearing the name of the vamps’ greatest foe, he interferes in her case and in her life.
Friend, lover or enemy?
Buy it here: http://www.ellorascave.com/blood-is-thicker.html
______________________
About the Author
Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s worked for Total-E-Bound, Liquid Silver Books and Ai Press, where she is currently Managing Editor. She also takes private clients.
Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.
A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.
–Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com
–For editing services, email her at suzswift@yahoo.com
–Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sueswift, and visit her group page at https://www.facebook.com/redhotauthorscafe
–She tweets her reading picks @ReadThis4fun and @Suzdemello
–Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/
–Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads
–Her current blog is http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.com
March 19, 2014
Mental Health Blog Hop Giveaway: Win a Copy of Untethered by Katie Hayoz!
Welcome to the Mental Health Blog Hop Giveaway
Although I have chosen to give away a favorite fiction book for this hop, the issues of mental health are important to me. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.” We still live in a world that all too often stigmatizes mental illness; this hop is, in part, designed to help call attention to an issue that touches all of us in some way. For more information about the statistics of mental health, see the NIMH website.
The directions for the blog hop are to give away “a book that inspired you to be something greater, something that helped you through a terrible time, or a novel that is about dealing with mental health.”
I have decided to give away a copy of Untethered, by Katie Hayoz–a book that is, in part, about the ramifications of giving in to one’s own darker impulses. It’s also the best YA book I’ve read in ages, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to share it! And it has the added benefit of having inspired me to be a stronger writer, so it fits the giveaway requirements in a variety of ways.
_____________________
Enter to win, then HOP to the other stops!
_____________________
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to view this Linky Tools list…
_____________________
About Untethered
A young adult novel about jealousy, obsession, and astral projection.
Sixteen-year-old Sylvie isn’t comfortable in her own skin. In fact, there are times she can’t even manage to stay inside it. But if there is one thing she’s sure of, it’s her love for Kevin Phillips. She’s willing to stake everything on it — her family, her friends, and possibly her soul.
Junior year is off to a less than stellar start for Sylvie: Her parents are splitting up, her little brother is sitting at her lunch table, and she’s the target of the school bully. Plus, she accidentally astral projects, slipping out of her body again and again at all the worst times. Sylvie is cast as the class freak and a medical misfit. She wishes she were somewhere else. Someone else. But it’s only when her best friend catches the attention of the boy Sylvie’s loved in secret since the fifth grade that Sylvie makes up her mind to do something drastic.
Sylvie intends to get Kevin by any means possible — even if it involves treachery, deceit, and the insidious side of the paranormal. After years of trying to ignore her ability to astral project, Sylvie finally decides to embrace it. But she also decides to embrace the shadows that accompany her on her out-of-body experiences. Opening herself up to the shadows and their evil, Sylvie comes up with a dark plan. She is positive her scheme will give her what she wants, but she doesn’t count on it all spiraling out of control.
Untethered by Katie Hayoz explores the intoxicating and dangerous world of jealousy and obsession when coupled with paranormal ability. It is a touching, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking novel that speaks to the self-doubt lurking in us all.
Mental Health Blog Hop Giveawy: Win a Copy of Untethered by Katie Hayoz!
Welcome to the Mental Health Blog Hop Giveaway
Although I have chosen to give away a favorite fiction book for this hop, the issues of mental health are important to me. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.” We still live in a world that all too often stigmatizes mental illness; this hop is, in part, designed to help call attention to an issue that touches all of us in some way. For more information about the statistics of mental health, see the NIMH website.
The directions for the blog hop are to give away “a book that inspired you to be something greater, something that helped you through a terrible time, or a novel that is about dealing with mental health.”
I have decided to give away a copy of Untethered, by Katie Hayoz–a book that is, in part, about the ramifications of giving in to one’s own darker impulses. It’s also the best YA book I’ve read in ages, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to share it! And it has the added benefit of having inspired me to be a stronger writer, so it fits the giveaway requirements in a variety of ways.
_____________________
Enter to win, then HOP to the other stops!
_____________________
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to view this Linky Tools list…
_____________________
About Untethered
A young adult novel about jealousy, obsession, and astral projection.
Sixteen-year-old Sylvie isn’t comfortable in her own skin. In fact, there are times she can’t even manage to stay inside it. But if there is one thing she’s sure of, it’s her love for Kevin Phillips. She’s willing to stake everything on it — her family, her friends, and possibly her soul.
Junior year is off to a less than stellar start for Sylvie: Her parents are splitting up, her little brother is sitting at her lunch table, and she’s the target of the school bully. Plus, she accidentally astral projects, slipping out of her body again and again at all the worst times. Sylvie is cast as the class freak and a medical misfit. She wishes she were somewhere else. Someone else. But it’s only when her best friend catches the attention of the boy Sylvie’s loved in secret since the fifth grade that Sylvie makes up her mind to do something drastic.
Sylvie intends to get Kevin by any means possible — even if it involves treachery, deceit, and the insidious side of the paranormal. After years of trying to ignore her ability to astral project, Sylvie finally decides to embrace it. But she also decides to embrace the shadows that accompany her on her out-of-body experiences. Opening herself up to the shadows and their evil, Sylvie comes up with a dark plan. She is positive her scheme will give her what she wants, but she doesn’t count on it all spiraling out of control.
Untethered by Katie Hayoz explores the intoxicating and dangerous world of jealousy and obsession when coupled with paranormal ability. It is a touching, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking novel that speaks to the self-doubt lurking in us all.
Fort Worth, Texas ~ Cowboy Charm: Springtime in the Country Blog Hop Giveaway
Welcome to the Springtime in the Country Blog Hop, hosted by Cowboy Charm. There’s a grand prize of at least $75 (and maybe more, by the time this post goes up!), and most blogs are offering additional prizes, too! So be sure to check out my post below, enter to win a prize here, enter to win the grand prize, and HOP to the rest of the blogs for more chances to win!
_________________________
As I have mentioned recently elsewhere on this blog, I have a contemporary romance under contract with Entangled Publishing. I can’t give away too many details yet, but I can say that it is set in Fort Worth, Texas, close to my own hometown and one of my favorite places in the world, and that one of my favorite scenes takes place during the twice-daily longhorn cattle drive in the Stockyard district.
For more information about the cattle drive or the Fort Worth Stockyards, check out the official website: http://www.fortworthstockyards.org/
_______________________
Enter to Win
To enter to win an advance copy of my contemporary romance when it becomes available, enter my Rafflecopter here:
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDc2NDEyMTFiMWVhMDg4MzE4NzZlNDdkNjZhMTgxOjI5/
_______________________
Grand Prize
To enter to win the Grand Prize, enter the Hop Rafflecopter, here:
Direct Rafflecopter Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a5c2548/
_______________________
HOP!
Then HOP to the rest of the blogs! Direct link: http://cowboycharm.blogspot.com/2014/01/springtime-in-country-blog-hop.html
You can also hop to the blogs by following the Linky List:
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
_______________________
Excerpt: Reap the Whirlwind by Robert Sells
CHAPTER ONE
Whit Emerson looked out his wide living room window. Lake Ontario was often beautiful, sometimes soothing, and, every now and again frightfully powerful. He could stare at it for minutes at a time. Not today, though. His eyes immediately pulled back to computer printouts strewn in front of him. The sheet he picked up was usually innocuous and always annoying. But never gut wrenching.
Whit scanned down his most recent bank statement. Florist, yeah, flowers for Elizabeth. Grocery bills, a bit high, but he liked good food. Gas station. All normal, within reason. He stopped on the line tagged at seven thousand dollars. Classy Girls? A porn site most likely. The amount was not presented by a photocopy of a normal check. Apparently it was an electronic check. But, he had never signed up for the electronic check service.
Whit ‘googled’ the company and called the one contact number. His eyes popped wide open when his call was answered with a silky voice on only the second ring.
“Look, I don’t know anything about your company. I never had any transactions with you guys. There’s an error somewhere and it has to be rectified before I go to the police.”
“Sir, we can discontinue service. But I’m afraid we can’t give you back money for the months already purchased.”
He looked angrily at the offending phone. “Months? This is the first time I’ve seen you on a bank statement and I didn’t buy anything from you!”
Silence. He nodded his head up and down, a smile grew on his face. She had finally listened. He looked back at the smooth blue sheet of water which seemed to extend to infinity. A minute later, a deep male voice brought him back to the phone.
“This is the manager. We have recordings…”
For the next few minutes Whit listened to his voice, definitely his voice, as he ordered one “premium” item after another.
Titles like Tammy’s Hard Time and Bathtime 2.
“Is that your voice, sir?”
“Yes. Well, a bit like my voice. But, it wasn’t me. It couldn’t be me. I wouldn’t have the time to watch one tenth of seven thousand dollars of porn!”
“So, you admit that you watched some.”
Whit yelled into the phone. “No! I didn’t order the damn videos or watch them.”
“Is your phone number 585-555-2794?”
“Yes…” Whit answered cautiously.
“That is the phone number on record for these calls.”
Whit was quiet for a few seconds. His cell phone number! How?
“Sir?”
“I’m… I’m still here. What time were these alleged calls made?”
“Hmm… ahh… it seems nearly all were made between noon and 1 o’clock. Let’s see… always on Tuesday and Thursday.”
Whit’s breathing was his final response. That was when he was at the gym. Every Tuesday and Thursday during his lunch hour.
He habitually carried his cell phone in his front short pocket in case he got any calls from the office. It was never out of his possession.
“Sir?”
He hung up and tapped a few icons on his cell phone screen. His call history appeared. He scrolled down and counted eighteen calls to the same 800 number. Calls he never made. Or did he?
He bailed out his college roommate, Mark, one cold Sunday morning from an even colder county jail. The police had caught him running through the campus totally nude. Mark had blacked out and never did remember his au naturel frolicking. Could
I have blacked out during my exercise sessions and made those calls?
Whit shook his head and turned back to his computer. If I ordered this crap, it should have been downloaded to my computer. After a minute of searching, he found the video files. Whit opened one and watched the video. Pornography. Two naked women making out in a bathtub. He clicked on another one. A foreign movie popped up. He didn’t understand the title, but after watching for a few minutes, two men and a woman had taken off their clothes and were rolling and groping on a king-sized bed.
There were hundreds of files in the folder. But, how did they get there? This laptop was with him from morning till night, it was his main workstation. When he visited the gym it had always been locked up in his office. Then he heard the door click open and a voice reached him from the foyer.
“Honey, I’m home.”
Liz! Crap, if she sees me with these files…. In a moment his computer screen was back to normal. Whit grabbed his bank statement and shoved it in drawer. His girlfriend, a slim woman, with short, well-coiffed blond hair click-clacked across the tiles into the study. She leaned down and kissed him on the neck.
“Missed you.”
He smiled up at her.
“You getting some work done?” She pointed to the computer screen which showed his desktop.
“Yeah. About to write a bit.”
She gave an exaggerated frown.
“You work too much, dear.”
The woman jiggled a Victoria Secret’s bag.
“Got a surprise for you. Don’t go away.”
She kicked off her high heels, smiled over her shoulder and walked quickly into the adjacent bedroom.
Whit looked out the window again. Distracted by his problem, he realized the sun had set and the water looked sinister, an oily black had replaced the shimmering blue. Though it was comfortably warm in the condominium, he shivered. What was going on? He never ordered any pictures or videos. But it sounded like his voice making the orders on his phone. And the files were on his computer.
He heard the bedroom door open and turned toward the hallway. Liz softly padded into his study and leaned against the door frame. Clad in a diaphanous light blue nightgown barely reaching to mid-thigh, she watched him for a moment, her breathing heavy as though she had just finished a run. Whit had already decided not to tell her about his financial problem. Anytime there were difficulties with money, hers or his, she went ballistic. Throw in the pornography angle and he could probably kiss this relationship goodbye.
“Working hard, honey?” she asked in a husky voice.
Whit smiled at her and rose from the chair, more than willing to succumb to the distraction. “Not working anymore.”
The love making proceeded quickly and he forgot about his problems. In a few minutes, after Liz enjoyed a shuttering climax on top of him, she rolled away and lay beside him. Whit turned to stroke her gently, an offering of affection. Elizabeth did not return his soft caresses. She never did. After she controlled her breathing, Liz spoke intelligible words which contrasted with her grunts a minute before.
“I was at the hairdressers this morning and opened up Vogue and saw an article on how to choose a computer just for you…”
He winced. A free-lance writer, he recently wrote an article titled A Computer Just for You. He didn’t think it would ever get published and he had not told her about it.
“You got into Vogue, and didn’t tell me!”
Though she smiled when she playfully rubbed his tousled brown hair, he detected irritation. Whit knew the subject did not interest her, but she liked to paint herself as his intellectual confidant. Even to her hairdresser, apparently.
“It wasn’t an article I was really proud of. But, I did mention it to you a few weeks ago.” He looked at her nervously, hoping she would accept the excuse.
“No, dear, whenever you talk about computers you always complain about not getting it into print.”
Whit knew full well which article she was referring to. It was a thought-provoking essay on the world’s, the country’s, even his own, over-reliance on computers. If it could just get printed he knew it would be a centerpiece article. Whit had even submitted the article to the New York Times magazine section. Their editors loved it, but for some reason did not pick it up.
With his own paper, the article was shuttled all the way to the CEO and he received a flattering note from that worthy man. But the clever and insightful essay never made its way to the pages of any newspaper or magazine.
“Yeah, well, I do talk a bit about that one, but I meant when I discussed with you about how you might pick a computer…”
Elizabeth rose without speaking and walked to the bathroom. Whit stayed down. His problem returned like an angry ghost in a haunted house. It must be some horrible fraud scheme, he decided. His voice could have been spliced in and his cell phone records manipulated. As much as he was on the Internet, it would not have been difficult to surreptitiously insert the files onto his computer. That had to be what happened. Might be hard to track, let alone prove. But when the perpetrators wrote the electronic check into his bank account they made a big mistake. He had never signed on for online checking. First stop tomorrow, the bank.
[hr]
About the Author
I attended college at Ohio Wesleyan where I struggled with physics. Having made so many mistakes in college with physics, there weren’t too many left to make and I did quite well at graduate school at Purdue.
I worked for twenty years at Choate Rosemary Hall, an exclusive boarding school in the heart of Connecticut. More often than not, students arrived in limousines. There was a wooded area by the upper athletic fields where I would take my children for a walk. There, under a large oak tree, stories about the elves would be weaved into the surrounding forest.
Returning to my home town to help with a father struggling with Alzheimer’s, the only job open was at a prison. There I taught an entirely different clientele whose only interaction with limousines was stealing them. A year later Alfred State College hired me to teach physics. I happily taught there for over ten years. A rural, low income high school needed a physics teacher and the superintendent, a friend, begged me to help out. So, I am finishing my teaching career in a most fulfilling way… helping kids who would otherwise not have access to a qualified physics (and math) teacher.
My wife pestered me about putting to “pen” some of the stories which I had created for my children and kids. I started thinking about a young boy and a white deer, connected, yet apart. Ideas were shuffled together, characters created and the result was the Return of the White Deer. This book was published by the Martin Sisters.
Years ago I gave a lecture on evolution. What, I wondered, would be the next step? Right away I realized that silicon ‘life’ had considerable advantages over mortal man. Later this idea emerged as the exciting and disturbing story called Reap the
Whirlwind, my most recent novel.
I have many other stories inside my mind, fermenting, patiently waiting for the pen to give them breath. Perhaps someday I will even write about those elves which still inhabit the woods in the heart of Connecticut.
Robert Sells has taught physics for over forty years, but he has been a storyteller for over half a century, entertaining children, grandchildren, and students. He has written the award-winning novel, Return of the White Deer, historical fiction, and he has written Reap the Whirlwind, a thriller. His third book, The Runner and the Robbery, a young adult book, will be published by December, 2013.
He lives with his wife, Dale, in the idyllic village of Geneseo, New York with two attentive dogs who are uncritical sounding boards for his new stories. He is intrigued by poker and history, in love with Disney and writing, and amused by religion and politics.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/geneseo4444? Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reap-The-Whirlwind-Robert-Sells-ebook/dp/B00E50K7XG/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388433137&sr=1-4&keywords=reap+of+the+whirlwind Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/Reap-The-Whirlwind-Robert-Sells-ebook/dp/B00E50K7XG/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388433137&sr=1-4&keywords=reap+of+the+whirlwind Amazon US Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Sells/e/B007A6481Y/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
[hr]
About the Book
Whitman Emerson had everything a man could want: a beautiful girlfriend, a growing recognition in literary circles, the respect of his peers, and more than enough money. Until he discovers his bank account has been depleted. A few days later he loses his job. Old friends who may have been able to help him either die, disappear or disown him. Everywhere he goes, he is watched by security cameras. Then he is arrested for child pornography.
Bourbon bottle in hand, he trudged to the door and opened it to red blinking lights of half a dozen police cars. He was pushed aside as black-suited officers forced themselves past him. Roughly grabbed by one of the officers, Whit listened as a detective recited his Miranda rights. Within moments he was handcuffed and led outside.
On the run from the law, Whit joins up a stuttering computer nerd, Rick, and his younger sister, Mary. The trio gradually put the puzzle pieces together and realize their lives and the lives of all humans have been subtly manipulated by a computer, a computer which controls all data… anywhere, from banks to hospitals to online games.
“Whatever is happening is coming from that military base, Whit. I’m sure of it.”
“So the military is behind this?” Whit asked .
Rick paused a moment, both hands wrapped around the coffee cup. “Maybe. But, I don’t think so. I think someone has remotely gained access to their main c-c-computer. The biggest, bad-assed computer in the world.”
“And he is using this giant computer to control parts of the internet.” Whit said.
“All the net. Everything. He’s greedy b-b-bastard.”
An old and unorthodox detective, Jimmy Northup, is assigned to find Whit Emerson. But, the more he digs into the case, the more he realizes it’s a set up.
Jimmy could hear cars pulling in, yells, and laughter. The light and the sound didn’t keep him from sleeping, though. He was unable to stop thinking about the fugitive. He pushed out assumptions until one by one, they dropped away, more tired than he was. He was left with only one assumption which held up: Whit didn’t do any of the crimes. Someone was setting him up.
Jimmy offers his help to ‘Trio of Terror’ and they search for a legendary computer expert, Little Lion who created a super computer ten years before. All four are shocked when they finally meet the legend.
Rick’s wide eyes blinked. “But… b-b-but, you’re a woman!”
She cast a look down at her body as though she was checking, just to make sure. “Correct. A woman, black, old, and unmarried. She tilted the glasses down and glared at him, “You have a problem with any part of that?”
Rick quickly shook his head as though he was trying shake off her stare.
“Little Lion… the name… we were expecting a man.” Whit interjected.
“Oh, for heaven’s sakes, how do such chauvinistic notions prevail? It’s not the big male lion with his fancy mane who is the real food-gather… it’s the female… smaller… admittedly not as attractive… who makes the kill. The little lion in the pride.”
Little Lion confirms that the computer represents a grave threat to mankind. A threat that no one else is aware of. The computer created by Little Lion had achieved artificial intelligence and self-awareness. To ensure its survival, the time of Man must end.
As Little Lion wearily rose from the chair, the technician handed over a print out of complex machine language.
“This line is before you pushed the button. The lines which follow are after union. The first page is gibberish. But the second page shows a positive check of all systems. Congratulations. It works perfectly.”
Little Lion did not look at the results of the union. Instead he focused on the “gibberish”. Hiding any reaction, Little Lion was deeply scared.
So begins the greatest battle for freedom ever fought, a battle which only Whit and his friends would ever know about.
He abruptly stopped, pulled his hand from hers and looked at the homes nestled in tree-laden yards, a call for dinner in the distance, a laugh somewhere else.
“They have no clue, Mary. No one even suspects their lives are being manipulated by a self-serving computer. We have to do something. We have to!”
Unfortunately the ‘something’ was destroying the internet as that was the only way to ‘kill’ the computer.
“Over the last few years,” Laisa (Little Lion) began, “I have been perfecting a computer virus unlike any other. It is powerful enough to bring down the entire net in a matter of minutes. Without the vast computer web, the computer is powerless. Then and only then would we have a chance to destroy it.”
“Do it.” said Whit.
She frowned at her over the glasses.
“Really, Whit? Are you ready to really take down the entire net? Sacrifice all financial institutions?”
“Hospitals, police links, GPS…” added Jimmy, emphasizing each with a note played on the piano.
“Satellites, airplanes would be impacted, perhaps even causing crashes…” offered Mary.
“Ships… our navy would be compromised,” continued Laisa.
“Agriculture would be d-d-damaged; they u- u-use computer programs for watering…”
“Pictures, genealogy, the stuff of families would be lost.” Mary said.
“The world would go into a financial and mental depression far worse than even the Great Depression. Trillions of dollars lost.
Trillions, Whit. Don’t worry about a stock market crash, the entire human civilization would crash. Wars would start up.
Millions, perhaps even billions would die.”
Despite the devastating prospect, the group goes ahead with their intentions. But, they are up against the military, the police, and even the general public as the computer controls what each group ‘sees’ and ‘hears’.
Beside the computer, of course, the villain in the story is Henry Jackson, an upper echelon government official in charge of the manhunt trying to capture or, if necessary, kill Whit. Jackson is efficient and brutal, single-minded and focused, charming and self-serving.
When Alice came to his suite that evening, he offered her some wine. At first, she declined. Jackson wiggled the bottle a little, grinning as he tried to convince her. “Come on. You’re off the clock, honey. Just one glass.”
In observing the way Jackson handled subordinates, she knew this was not a man to say no to. He could and did make or break careers. Alice agreed to the wine.
The closing chapter finds Jackson converging on Whit and his friends as they finally mount an assault against the computer.
They eventually succeed with their mission but not without collateral damage to the world and themselves.
__________________
Giveaway
One winner will receive a signed copy of Return of the White Deer (US only).
One winner will receive a $10 Amazon Coupon (International)
The two winners will be announced at the end of the tour.
Rafflecopter Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ODM2ZWMyZTA1ZWQ3MzAxYmExZjZlZTZhYzRiMTBkOjI0/
Spotlight On: My Life from Hell by Tellulah Darling
It’s Tellulah’s virtual book bash and you’re invited! Come to: http://tellulahdarling.com/tellulah-darling-live/ on Sunday, Mar 23 between 10-11AM PST and help Tellulah celebrate the release of My Life From Hell. She’ll be live on video, doing a reading, answering your text Q&A, and just chatting. So come on over, ask a question, discuss the pros and cons of swoony boys, or just say hi! She’d love to have you there to help mark the end of Sophie’s journey. Better yet, she’s the only one who has to get dressed for the event. :D
Series: The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #3
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mythology
Publication Date: 3/20/14
Hosted by: Wordsmith Publicity
Book Description
To say that
Sophie Bloom is at the top of her game with one only week until spring equinox
and the final showdown with Zeus and Hades would be, well, lying. The Goddess
of Spring feels more like the Goddess of Bzz Thanks For Playing than the savior
of humanity. And could her relationships be any more messed up?
Good times.
Sophie is convinced that things can’t get any worse than crawling back to her mother Demeter and begging for help. But she’s about to find out how very wrong she is.
It’s a race against time for Sophie to implement the big battle strategy in the YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology finale My Life From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book three of this teen fantasy romance series. Save herself; save the world. Humanity may be screwed.
Excerpt
(please insert excerpt of your choosing)
(links will be sent when the book goes live)
About
the author
Tellulah Darlingnoun
Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?
1. YA romantic comedy author because her first
kiss sucked and she’s compensating.
2. Alter ego of former screenwriter.
3. Sassy minx.
Writes about: where love meets comedy.
Awkwardness ensues.
Tellulah Darling is a firm believer that some of
the best stories happen when love meets comedy. Which is why she has so much
fun writing young adult romantic comedy novels. Her tales span contemporary,
teen fantasy romance, and YA Greek mythology, and range from stand alone books
to series. For Tellulah, teen romance is the most passionate, intense, and
awkward there is – a comedy goldmine. Plus smart, mouthy, teen girls rock.
Website | Twitter | GoodReads
Spring Fling Romance Blog Hop
I’ve been thinking about–and writing–quite a bit about romance lately. My own romance novella is due out from Entangled Publishing soon (check it out–I’m officially listed on Entangled’s author pages now! http://www.entangledpublishing.com/our-authors-m-r/) and I’m working on more.
I’ve also been reading a lot of romance lately and have been reminded of why the genre is so much fun. So join in and celebrate spring by having a fling with romance! There are piles of prizes to be won–each stop in the Spring Fling Romance Blog Hop is offering an individual prize, and you can also enter to win any of the grand prizes, including:
One Kindle Fire–Donated by Blushing Books
One $75 Gift Card to Amazon (or Barnes and Noble)–Donated by Jane
One $25 Starbucks Gift Card–Donated by Sue Lyndon
One $25 Gift Certificate to Blushing Books–Donated by Patty Devlin
At this stop, I’ll be offering one of Entangled Publishing’s fabulous ebooks. To enter to win the Entangled book, do two things:
1. Follow me or this blog in some way (see the links at the bottom of the page)
2. Leave a comment telling me how you followed and what kind of romance novels you like to read: Paranormal? YA? Contemporary? Sweet? Spicy? Scorching hot? Or some combination of those?
I will choose a winner using Random.org.
To enter to win one of the grand prizes, use the Rafflecopter entry form: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a5c2548/
So enter to win, then HOP!
____________________
Follow Margo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Tumblr: http://vampirarchybooks.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
____________________
HOP to the other blogs for more prizes! The Spring Fling Blog Hop runs March 20 – 23, so get your entries in soon!
____________________
