Lincoln Cole's Blog, page 22
December 30, 2016
Raven's Rise Progress Update
I've been working to finish Raven's Rise and the pre-order is now live! When I'm not procrastinating with other things, I'm working on finishing the story with as much action and intrigue as possible!
I've already got the first draft done, and now I'm working on rewriting and editing and getting it ready to send off to the editor! If you haven't pre-ordered a copy, then grab one today!
Raven's Peak
December 29, 2016
Fragment 5 - Power at all Costs
"Great," she muttered, "just great."
She stripped off her shirt and bunched it up, hoping the material would be enough to protect her from the heat. Enough time or enough heat, she knew, and it would catch fire. Still, she had to try.
She quickly grabbed the metal and pulled herself up, careful not to touch her bare skin against it. The air was sweltering in here and the machine hum sounded immense and overbearing. She felt it beating against her eardrums. It was sauna hot, at least two hundred degrees, probably more.
She stepped onto the metal walkway and could smell the rubber soles of her shoes burning. She wouldn't have a lot of time.
After only a few steps she realized she wouldn't be able to last long. It already felt like her lungs were burning and her entire body was covered in a sheen of sweat. Her shoes stuck to the floor where she stepped and she went as fast as she could to the controls. There were two valves she was looking for, one to release the pressure and one to stop the flow of the supercritical carbon dioxide into the system.
She found the pressure valve and used her unburnt hand and the shirt to grab hold and turn it. She could feel how hot it was even through the bunched up shirt, and after a few turns she smelled the fabric burning. By the time she was done she could hear the huge sound of steam being released above her. It was venting up into the atmosphere and would keep the system from overloading.
That meant it wouldn't explode, but it would still cook her. She stumbled her way to the other valve, feeling her body giving out from the intense heat. There was a banging sound above her, though she might have been imagining it.
Using the shirt, she started turning the other valve. The humming sound decreased with every turn, but it was hard to get it to move. The shirt got hotter, started burning again, suddenly caught fire. She threw the shirt to the ground, cursing, and looked back at the valve. It was mostly closed, but not completely. Until it was closed, she couldn't open the door and escape.
With a groan of frustration, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then grabbed the valve. She screamed in pain as it torched her skin, but she managed to turn it all the way closed. When she pulled her hand back, she felt the metal cling to her and kept screaming as the pain intensified.
The ground fell silent, and the only sound was her screaming and the steam being vented overhead. Suddenly, there was another enormous crashing sound and she saw light from above. Aaron jumped into the hole, carrying a fire protective blanket, and he quickly wrapped it around her. He led her to the exit, and she saw Fred standing there.
The ladder was still hot, but with fresh air things cooled off fairly quickly. They hid under the blanket and gradually he helped her out of the hole. She heard sirens in the distance and figured they were for her.
"That was crazy," Aaron said, wrapping her in a hug as the ambulance loaded her up on a gurney. They hooked her to an IV and started pumping her full of drugs. She felt better almost immediately. "You shouldn't have risked yourself like that."
She smiled at him, loopy with the pain medication. "No risk at all when you're the best damn engineer out here."
Book Review: The Remnants
Today I will be reviewing The Remnants by W.P. Osborn.
About the Book
The Remnants
By W. P. Osborn
The Remnants begins in Edwardian England and follows the story of Danny and Rose through their desperate struggle to hold on to their love - and their lives, during a time of momentous change.
Danny Pulbrook is a handsome and rebellious young man. Born the bastard son of a minor royal and orphaned at birth he is determined to find a new life far beyond his "pre-ordained oblivion". His only way out - a forced enlistment into the army brings him to an inevitable confrontation with his own demons in the cauldron of the first world war.
Rose Quayle is a beautiful and confident hazel-eyed housemaid who, like her mother and her mother's mother is employed in service at Meaford House - an expansive vice-regal estate near Tunbridge Wells. Like Danny she longs for a life beyond the tyranny of the rigid class system that defines her humble destiny.
Their chance meeting becomes the catalyst that changes both of their lives forever.
The Remnants spans four continents and is a true emotional rollercoaster. Told through the lives of two young lovers it's a legacy of love and loss, passion, despair and quiet redemption; the profound story of enduring human spirit amid the agony of chaos and devastation.
..... "Downton Abbey" meets "Atonement".
Anytime a book is able to sink its teeth into me so effectively that I can't stop reading once I start is one I truly treasure. The author does an amazing job of bringing this world to life, and considering the story is about his grandparents adds an extra level of depth and beauty that makes it even more fun to read.
The scenes were riveting and entirely well-written and I found myself transported to the pre war world where a young man has to enlist to avoid punishment for a small offense. From there we go on a journey with the characters involving love, history, and many other beautiful and brilliant things that bring this story to life.
This is a gem for sure, and I can imagine a lot of people finding this and realizing what they have, because it isn't often that books like this come along. I'll easily give this a 5-star review because it captivated and entertained the way not many books can. Well-done.
About the Author
I loved to hear my grandfather's incredible stories about his experiences during The Great War. While 'The Remnants' is a work of fiction, it is rooted in the true narrative of my grandparents who overcame a multitude of trials to escape the class tyranny of Edwardian England and find their way freedom.
I have carried this amazing story with me and was determined to one day share it with others and what better time than the 100th anniversary of World War One.
I was raised in a military family and during my formative years I lived on bases all across Canada. I know first hand the challenges and sacrifices that families face when they devote their lives to the service of their country. And I'm very happy that a portion of the proceeds of 'The Remnants' will be donated to True Patriot Love Foundation- a charity in support of Canadian Military Families.
December 27, 2016
Book Review: Sleep then my Princess: A thriller by O.N. Stefan.
Today I will be reviewing: Sleep then my Princess: A thriller by O.N. Stefan.
About the Book
Sleep then my Princess: A thriller.
By O. N. Stefan
Sleep then My Princess is an emotional thriller set in Arizona. While mourning the death of her husband, Senior Tissue Engineer, Stephani Robbins, is plagued by recurring visions of a child being locked up in a chicken coop. Meanwhile, someone is sending her creepy love poems, roses, and photos that have been taken without Stephani's knowledge.
As more photos appear, the police suspect that Stephani has hired someone to take these photos. Before she can convince the police to take her seriously, she is kidnapped. While imprisoned she discovers why she has been having these visions and it is more chilling than she ever imagined. Can she make it out alive?
What some of my beta readers said...
Wow! You've got a thriller with a level of horrific reality here.
You take the reader inside a perverted serial killer's head and an innocent woman whose life has been ripped from her and whose present season of recovery is being trespassed. You describe the love of an adoring niece for her mourning auntie and this connects the reader to the prologue and adds another level of emotion to this already captivating plot.
What a book!
I have to say 'wow' because your writing style is so picturesque. You show a every detail to plainly. I was captured right away.
The showing is real and to telling, which is a top virtue in any real book.
The main character Stephanie has a sassy attitude underneath all of the hurt. Her story is heart breaking and so deep I felt her agony.
This is a worthy read.
O.N. Stefan, this one is so chilling and well written. The villain jumps off the page at the reader and scare the bejeebers out of you. You descriptions of the lab scene in the first chapter are right on and her getting the poem was quite spooky. The conflict of the mother and Puddles was well done showing just the type of upbringing or lack of this man had. High stars!
I think you have a great novel here. The prologue is intense and urged me to keep reading, as well as setting the stage for when she discovers the pictures to give a sensation of malice. Your voice is exciting and the dialogue is good. It does seem more formal at times, but that is to be expected when having highly educated characters. I especially like your detailed descriptions and the use of medical terminology.
This book manages to capture both the depravity and the strength of humanity all in one. Stephani is getting strange calls and photos from an admirer/stalker and a lot of uninvited attention. When she tries to present this to other people they think she is just seeking attention and don't take her seriously. She tries her best to get other people on board with believing something is going wrong, but it just doesn't have the right effect.
Then, the story gets kicked into overdrive when she is kidnapped by her stalker. It becomes a story of survival. She has to stay alive and find a way to get away from her kidnapper, and this is when the 'thriller' side of the story kicks in.
There were some editing issues throughout, but nothing too over the top as to detract from the story. And, it is a good story: all of the pieces line up and Stephani is well-developed and interesting. Certain parts weren't as imaginative as I would have liked, but all in all I give this a solid 4-stars as a high-quality book about kidnapping and survival against the depravity of some people.
About the Author
The seed for my thriller Sleep then My Princess was planted many years ago when I was nine-years-old. Our family went to visit friends. My parents were sitting at their friends' dining table after they had enjoyed a home cooked lunch and the discussion was about a woman who lived across the road from these friends. This woman was minding a pre-school age child from Monday to Friday. This child slept in the chicken shed at night summer and winter and was only cleaned up before her mother came to pick her up on Friday evening. I was shocked as were my parents.
Many years later, I saw a news report while holidaying in Scottsdale, Arizona about a woman who was babysitting children in a similar situation. This gave me the impetus to write that story.
December 25, 2016
Underneath is on sale now for only 99 cents!
For only today and tomorrow you can get Underneath: A Merfolk Tale, for only 99 cents on Amazon!
After that the price raises to 1.99, and then after a few days it'll be back up to full price.
Now would be the perfect time to grab a copy!
December 23, 2016
Raven's Peak - 12 Days of Deals UK only 99p
Raven's Peak is featured in the UK as part of Amazon's 12 Days of Christmas Deal!
December 22, 2016
Raven's Rise Pre-Order
Raven's Rise pre-order starts today! It has an official launch date of March 21st, 2017!
Raven's Peak
Fragment 4 - Power at all Costs
She heard a radio crackling. "Kate! Kate! Come in, Kate!"
It was Aaron. She'd forgotten she had one clipped on her belt. She clicked it on, still panting. "Get away from here," she said. "Clear the area."
"What in God's name are you doing?" Aaron asked.
"Remember how you showed me the geological map of the natural tunnels that were here?"
"The ones we collapsed," Aaron agreed.
"We only collapsed ones that connected to your reservoir. Not the other ones. A tunnel leads directly to Valve Three."
Kate found the hole she was looking for in the sand.
"It's too risky," Aaron said. "You need to get out of there."
"How much time do I have?"
He ignored her. "Even if you were able to get to the Valve, it's going to be too hot by the time you do. You won't be able to survive—"
"Aaron," she said sharply. He shut up. "How much time do I have?"
A momentary silence, then he said, "Seven minutes."
"All right," she said. "Now get out of here, in case this doesn't work."
Then she tossed the radio into the sand. She heard it crackling; she didn't have enough space in the tunnel for it, and she didn't need it anymore. She slipped her belt off, kept only the flashlight and then climbed headfirst into the tunnel.
It went down at an angle for the first dozen or so feet and then rounded sharply to a drop off. This section opened into the actual tunnel network. She'd gone spelunking with her father when she was young, but it still made her claustrophobic. The ground vibrated beneath her, increasing her feeling of dizziness, but she crawled on.
She'd explored several of these tunnels, though never very deep. The only one she used regularly was the one that connected to the series of manmade tunnels surrounding Valve Three. It breached just under one of the service walkways surrounding the equipment, and she'd used it to surprise and scare her coworkers on occasion.
The only hard part was the twenty meter winding passage that connected the two chambers. It was a tight fit even on the best of days, but with the ground shaking it was even more difficult. She slid into the open hole in the cavern floor and started pulling herself arm-over-arm into the tunnel.
It was easy going at first, but suddenly her light stopped in front of her. The vibrations of the ground had knocked a chunk of sandstone loose, and it was blocking most of her passageway. What had previously been an uncomfortable fit was now a tiny hole blocking her way forward.
She cursed, realizing she didn't have enough time to go back. She was trapped, twenty meters under the ground in a tunnel with nowhere to go. Worse, she was only a few dozen feet short of the walkway.
Maybe she could slide through, but she doubted it. Even with her small frame, it would be an impossible fit.
"Not a lot of alternatives," she muttered to herself, brushing hair out of her face. She slid the flashlight through the opening, rolled onto her side, and started pulling her way through past the rock.
It was painful and uncomfortable, and she was forced to suck in a deep breath each time she tried to move. About halfway she got stuck on her hips. She pulled and felt the rock scraping painfully, but it wouldn't budge. She heard the alarm blaring and felt the heat emanating from the room ahead, but she couldn't move.
Panic set in as she realized she was completely stuck. Trapped, unable to breathe underground. She started gasping, feeling lightheaded. She tried to remember what her father always said when she got scared as a little girl. He always told her: fear can be a powerful tool if you know how to use it.
She bit back the panic and forced herself to relax and focus. She was running out of time. She shifted, rolling her hips, and jerked her way past. She received a nasty scrape on the leg for the effort, but she was free.
She scrambled the rest of the way forward up to the catwalk and grabbed ahold of the metal to pull herself up. She instantly regretted it as the scalding metal scorched her hand. She let out a sharp cry and yanked herself back. She checked her hand and saw a nasty second degree burn on her palm and fingers.
December 19, 2016
Book Review: The First Five Days
Today, I will be reviewing The First Five Days by John O. and Archie A.
About the Book
The First Five Days: of the Lionean Saga (Volume 1)
By John O., Archie A.
When Yosi Sint ascends the military throne of Lionea, he immediately knows
that his life is in danger; as all who held the position before him died under
mysterious circumstances that could only have been as a result of Dark Arts.
Within the first five days of his rule, before he can begin to understand the
treacherous schemes at play, those who lurk in the shadows set into motion a
whirlpool of events that leave all who are caught within struggling for dear
life… An inopportune time indeed; for the beast to the North, a nation bent
on subduing the might of Lionea, stands poised to invade and finish what
they started eleven years ago.
In this medieval world of intrigue and peril, there’s no telling who will live or
die…
There were certain aspects of this story that I really enjoyed, but also a lot of it that I felt missed the mark. Certain things just didn't quite add up, and even with the world being built up in a clever and large fashion, I think the fact that they pulled a lot of the back history of the story out and included it as little blurbs tacked onto the end just sort of threw me off.
The thing is, the story itself came together fairly well, but the decision to include any eroticism in the story at all felt off-putting and confusing. It didn't seem necessary, or well-done, and actually just detracted a lot from the overall story.
There was a lot going on in here, and the thing is they handled much of it well, like the intrigue and politics of what is happening. But, there were so many poorly handled things (like vague back stories of abuse against women that felt more like an overused trope than a setup for the world) that just made it hard to fall into this story and get a grip on what was happening.
Personally, I would have preferred the story with more focus on intrigue and less delving into things like the erotic scenes, and ideally I would like them to put the back story and setup into the novel rather than including it as an extra. I never read those pieces, even when it comes from an amazing novel, because if something is important to the plot it should be in the story.
All in all, I'll rate this book at a 3 out of 5 with the hopes that the authors will be able to pull the story together a little cleaner for the follow-up, avoid using tropes quite as much, and deliver the awesome story I know they are capable of.
About the Author
John is a practicing electrical engineer who spends his spare time programming and philosophizing. Earthly woes, which his sharp mind made him aware of at a young age, drove him into the arms of fiction as it was his only escape route for many years. It therefore comes as no surprise that he has now partnered up to create the unique world of Lionea; a world in which his complex mind finds utmost expression.
Archie is a practicing chemical engineer and is also a graduate student at Columbia University. In his spare time, he enjoys reading about global history: from the time of the gorgons and dinosaurs to the reign of the Romans, the Dark Ages, the Japanese Shogunates, the Bantu Migration, the Scramble for Africa and the World Wars e.t.c. In addition, he enjoys travelling to exotic corners of the globe and spending time with his dog, Nancy. Co-creating a peril-filled world such as Lionea is a direct result of the copious information and imagination in his large head!
View it on OBC:
December 16, 2016
Winter Solstice Reached #1 Free Anthologies on Amazon!
Winter Solstice reached #172 in the entire Amazon free store and #1 in multiple categories, including Anthologies and Anthologies and Literature Collections!
It is incredibly exciting because the copies are just flying off of Amazon's virtual shelves!
Winter Solstice
