Heidi Ruby Miller's Blog, page 22
July 23, 2015
CONTEST: 2015 SFPA Poetry Contest
CONTESTS
2015 SFPA Poetry Contest
DEADLINE: August 31, 2015.
JUDGE: Lesley Wheeler
Blind-judged - author identification will be removed before poems are sent to judge.
ELIGIBILITY: The 2015 SFPA speculative poetry contest is open to all poets, including non-SFPA-members.
GUIDELINES: Unpublished poems only.
All sub-genres of speculative poetry allowed in the following categories:
Dwarf (poems 1–10 lines [prose poems 0–100 words], not including)
Short (11–49 lines [prose poems 101–499 words])
Long (50 lines and more [prose 500 words and up])
Line count does not include title or stanza breaks.
Submissions via web forms (separate for members and non-members).
SFPA Members - http://bit.ly/2015SFPAMember
Non-Members - http://bit.ly/2015SFPANonMember
ENTRY FEE: SFPA members - $1/poem (unlimited entries)
non-members - $2/poem (unlimited entries)
*All payments via PayPal. Confirmation of receipt of your submission should follow within 3 days.
PRIZES: For each of the three categories, first prize of $100, second prize of $50, third prize of $25 will be awarded.
Publication on Poetry Planet (StarShipSofa.com) podcast magazine and on the SFPA website for first through third places.
Winners to be announced by October 1 on the SFPA website.
2015 SFPA Poetry Contest
DEADLINE: August 31, 2015.
JUDGE: Lesley Wheeler
Blind-judged - author identification will be removed before poems are sent to judge.
ELIGIBILITY: The 2015 SFPA speculative poetry contest is open to all poets, including non-SFPA-members.
GUIDELINES: Unpublished poems only.
All sub-genres of speculative poetry allowed in the following categories:
Dwarf (poems 1–10 lines [prose poems 0–100 words], not including)
Short (11–49 lines [prose poems 101–499 words])
Long (50 lines and more [prose 500 words and up])
Line count does not include title or stanza breaks.
Submissions via web forms (separate for members and non-members).
SFPA Members - http://bit.ly/2015SFPAMember
Non-Members - http://bit.ly/2015SFPANonMember
ENTRY FEE: SFPA members - $1/poem (unlimited entries)
non-members - $2/poem (unlimited entries)
*All payments via PayPal. Confirmation of receipt of your submission should follow within 3 days.
PRIZES: For each of the three categories, first prize of $100, second prize of $50, third prize of $25 will be awarded.
Publication on Poetry Planet (StarShipSofa.com) podcast magazine and on the SFPA website for first through third places.
Winners to be announced by October 1 on the SFPA website.
July 22, 2015
BOOK: Rising from the Darkness by D.A. Bale
BOOKS
RISING FROM THE DARKNESS
It’s finally here – the explosive finale of the Deepest Darkness series.
Samantha Bartlett has a new mission – and this time it’s one of her own choosing. Armed with information worth killing for, Samantha pieces together secrets spanning generations and uncovers the key to Debrille’s plans, including the horror of his true identity. But will it be enough for redemption? Especially when facing the bridges she’s burned?
Life was once clearly black or white, but now Joe Roberts has a target on his back – and it’s sighted by his boss at the FBI. It’s not just from running off with their primary suspect in President Warner’s murder and then allowing her to escape. No. He’s the Elite’s latest scapegoat. That alone begs the question. Is Sam a cold-blooded killer or a mere pawn used in a global chess game?
World War III looms on the horizon as the Middle East threatens to implode, world alliances are scrapped, and a once tenuous truce with a former enemy collapses – all under President Durksen’s watch. Shadowed by the Elite’s constant and vigilant guard, Durksen must find a way out of the hole he dug for himself long ago. But can he accomplish it in time, or will the United States die like so many nations before it?
Explosions light up the night. Friend becomes foe. Sister against sister. Lives are lost. Sacrifices made. But in order to realize true freedom, evil must be defeated.
No matter the cost.
Sometimes life emulates fiction.
Life is filled with tragedy and D.A. Bale's writing reflects this reality. However, there is always a silver lining...even if one must spend their entire life searching for it.
In her previous career, Ms. Bale traveled the United States as a Government Relations Liaison, working closely with Congressional offices and various government agencies. This experience afforded her a glimpse into the sometimes "not so pretty" reality of the political sphere. Much of this reality and various locations throughout her travels make it into her writing.
She dreams of the day she can return to visit Alaska.
Visit her blog - leave a comment or send a personal message at http://dabalepublishing.blogspot.com .
RISING FROM THE DARKNESS
It’s finally here – the explosive finale of the Deepest Darkness series.
Samantha Bartlett has a new mission – and this time it’s one of her own choosing. Armed with information worth killing for, Samantha pieces together secrets spanning generations and uncovers the key to Debrille’s plans, including the horror of his true identity. But will it be enough for redemption? Especially when facing the bridges she’s burned?
Life was once clearly black or white, but now Joe Roberts has a target on his back – and it’s sighted by his boss at the FBI. It’s not just from running off with their primary suspect in President Warner’s murder and then allowing her to escape. No. He’s the Elite’s latest scapegoat. That alone begs the question. Is Sam a cold-blooded killer or a mere pawn used in a global chess game?
World War III looms on the horizon as the Middle East threatens to implode, world alliances are scrapped, and a once tenuous truce with a former enemy collapses – all under President Durksen’s watch. Shadowed by the Elite’s constant and vigilant guard, Durksen must find a way out of the hole he dug for himself long ago. But can he accomplish it in time, or will the United States die like so many nations before it?
Explosions light up the night. Friend becomes foe. Sister against sister. Lives are lost. Sacrifices made. But in order to realize true freedom, evil must be defeated.
No matter the cost.
Sometimes life emulates fiction.Life is filled with tragedy and D.A. Bale's writing reflects this reality. However, there is always a silver lining...even if one must spend their entire life searching for it.
In her previous career, Ms. Bale traveled the United States as a Government Relations Liaison, working closely with Congressional offices and various government agencies. This experience afforded her a glimpse into the sometimes "not so pretty" reality of the political sphere. Much of this reality and various locations throughout her travels make it into her writing.
She dreams of the day she can return to visit Alaska.
Visit her blog - leave a comment or send a personal message at http://dabalepublishing.blogspot.com .
July 20, 2015
TWEET LOVE from @RMasonWriter for Starrie
TWEET LOVE
Just finished STARRIE by @heidirubymiller - WOW, what a fantastic sci fi romance! #scifi #SFR #spaceopera @Dog_Star_Books
— Rhonda Mason (@RMasonWriter) June 18, 2015
July 5, 2015
EVENT: The SFR Brigade Summer Cafe Space Opera 2
EVENTS
Space Opera 2 - JULY 6-12
');
Since I'm doing an international giveaway for a paperback ( MARKED BY LIGHT or GREENSHIFT ) and an ebook ( MARKED BY LIGHT or GREENSHIFT ), I'm sharing a couple of cocktail-related excerpts from the ambasadora-verse and the recipes to go with them. The chance to enter the giveaway is at the bottom. Enjoy!
FROM GREENSHIFT:
Mari slid her arm through David's. "Nothing a drunken coffee won't fix. Do you want one?"
Say no.
He'd had more than enough alcohol tonight. Another drink and his judgment might be impaired. That was one of the reasons he didn't take the stims she offered from the med suite.
"What kind of bourbon do you have?" he asked.
"Koley's Reserve. What else?" She winked.
"You're kidding." He let his skepticism show. "Do you know how difficult that is to get? It's only made in the Koley Mountains, and in very small batches."
Even as an Armadan captain, he sometimes had to wait months for a bottle and he'd given his last one to the dockmaster as a bribe.
She just smiled that big smile of hers. "I wouldn't kid an Armadan about bourbon."
~~~
Drunken Chai with Koley's Reserve
1. Brew a cup of chai tea.
2. Add a splash of milk or cream liquor.
3. Add a shot of bourbon.
(Preferably Koley's Reserve from the mountains on Yurai, but Woodford Reserve or your favorite bourbon will work in a pinch.)
4. Sweeten to taste.
5. Stir.
~~~
FROM AMBASADORA BOOK 1: MARKED BY LIGHT:
The guests' screams overpowered the rumbling quakes, localizing the chaos for the first time. Sean held onto the table's round edges with both hands.
"It’s tipping," Mari yelled. "The table is tipping!"
Neons spilled. Pointy leaf plates slid. Yogurt-covered scraps of fish tumbled. The lily pad table capsized.
The cool water sucked Sean down. He kicked for the surface and emerged into a world of panicked screams from the other sixty tables. Most floated on their sides, the long stabilizers protruding from the pool in all directions like huge green knives. Geir and Mari hung onto the table and helped Kenon get a handhold. David popped up beside Sean with a struggling Soli under his arm.
"Where's Sara?" Sean asked, ignoring the oily spills of yogurt and curry sauce sliding across the surface near his face.
"I don't know," David said.
~~~
Blue Neons
1. Combine 1 oz. of tequila with 1 oz. of curacao and 2 oz. grenadine.
2. Blend with ice and 2 oz. pineapple juice for 10 seconds.
(Preferably azure glowing ice from the glaciers of Tampa One, but regular ice will work. See step 5 if using regular ice.)
3. Sugar the rim of a tall glass.
4. Pour in the alcohol mixture.
5. Drop in a couple of glowing novelty ice cubes to get the true neon effect.
~~~
NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!a Rafflecopter giveaway
Space Opera 2 - JULY 6-12
');
Since I'm doing an international giveaway for a paperback ( MARKED BY LIGHT or GREENSHIFT ) and an ebook ( MARKED BY LIGHT or GREENSHIFT ), I'm sharing a couple of cocktail-related excerpts from the ambasadora-verse and the recipes to go with them. The chance to enter the giveaway is at the bottom. Enjoy!
FROM GREENSHIFT:
Mari slid her arm through David's. "Nothing a drunken coffee won't fix. Do you want one?"
Say no.
He'd had more than enough alcohol tonight. Another drink and his judgment might be impaired. That was one of the reasons he didn't take the stims she offered from the med suite.
"What kind of bourbon do you have?" he asked.
"Koley's Reserve. What else?" She winked.
"You're kidding." He let his skepticism show. "Do you know how difficult that is to get? It's only made in the Koley Mountains, and in very small batches."
Even as an Armadan captain, he sometimes had to wait months for a bottle and he'd given his last one to the dockmaster as a bribe.
She just smiled that big smile of hers. "I wouldn't kid an Armadan about bourbon."
~~~
Drunken Chai with Koley's Reserve
1. Brew a cup of chai tea.
2. Add a splash of milk or cream liquor.
3. Add a shot of bourbon.
(Preferably Koley's Reserve from the mountains on Yurai, but Woodford Reserve or your favorite bourbon will work in a pinch.)
4. Sweeten to taste.
5. Stir.
~~~
FROM AMBASADORA BOOK 1: MARKED BY LIGHT:
The guests' screams overpowered the rumbling quakes, localizing the chaos for the first time. Sean held onto the table's round edges with both hands.
"It’s tipping," Mari yelled. "The table is tipping!"
Neons spilled. Pointy leaf plates slid. Yogurt-covered scraps of fish tumbled. The lily pad table capsized.
The cool water sucked Sean down. He kicked for the surface and emerged into a world of panicked screams from the other sixty tables. Most floated on their sides, the long stabilizers protruding from the pool in all directions like huge green knives. Geir and Mari hung onto the table and helped Kenon get a handhold. David popped up beside Sean with a struggling Soli under his arm.
"Where's Sara?" Sean asked, ignoring the oily spills of yogurt and curry sauce sliding across the surface near his face.
"I don't know," David said.
~~~
Blue Neons
1. Combine 1 oz. of tequila with 1 oz. of curacao and 2 oz. grenadine.
2. Blend with ice and 2 oz. pineapple juice for 10 seconds.
(Preferably azure glowing ice from the glaciers of Tampa One, but regular ice will work. See step 5 if using regular ice.)
3. Sugar the rim of a tall glass.
4. Pour in the alcohol mixture.
5. Drop in a couple of glowing novelty ice cubes to get the true neon effect.
~~~
NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 3, 2015
BOOK: The Valley of Happiness by George Williams
In
The Valley of Happiness
George Williams returns with a second collection of stories as original and arresting as his first, Gardens of Earthly Delight. From a Texas reservoir a fisherman hauls in a record-breaking bass that transforms his life forever. In Georgia a man is required by federal law to become chattel for a day. A criminal and his ventriloquist’s dummy wreak havoc wherever they go. The son of a Syrian soap maker becomes obsessed with a fellow graduate student in Colorado and plans an atrocity he believes will bring him the admiration of the world. In the title story, two physicists traveling across southern Germany keep and reveal secrets about their relationships that comfort as much as they trouble. A girl discovers she has a strange medical condition that will eventually benefit the world. In the final story, two pickpockets working Indiana fall festivals make the mistake of lifting the wallet of a relentless and vindictive ATF agent.In these fifteen stories, George Williams takes readers from 16th century England to 21st century post-apocalyptic Canada, from suburban Georgia to rural Texas, from a Baton Rouge motel to the shores of Northern California. At turns comic, disturbing, and visionary, The Valley of Happiness reveals a writer in peak form using a subtle, daring range of styles to create unforgettable characters, fully human in their heartbreak, cruelty, and capacity for self-deception.
George Williams
was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of a novel, Degenerate. His stories and essays have appeared in The Pushcart Prize, Boulevard, and The Hopkins Review, among others. He is the recipient of a Michener Fellowship and a grant from the Christopher Isherwood Foundation. He teaches at Savannah College of Art and Design and works as a consultant and writer for Corra Films.
July 1, 2015
CAST YOUR CHARACTERS: Keir by Pippa Jay
CAST YOUR CHARACTERS
A NOTE FROM PIPPA:
Oddly enough, Keir is about the only one of my books where I’ve ever thought about the casting list. In fact, one of my earliest conversations with a fellow author was about who we each saw as the hero. We had some rather differing opinions! And that was only for Keir. I’ve only recently discovered an actress that I would love to have playing my heroine, so when Heidi invited me to cast my characters, it gave me a chance to really think about who else I’d love to see in the film.
KEIR
AUTHOR: Pippa Jay
DESCRIPTION: A demon waiting to die...
An outcast reviled for his discolored skin and rumors of black magic, Keirlan de Corizi sees no hope for redemption. Imprisoned beneath the palace that was once his home, the legendary ‘Blue Demon of Adalucien’ waits for death to finally free him of his curse. But salvation comes in an unexpected guise.
A woman determined to save him.
Able to cross space and time with a wave of her hand, Tarquin Secker has spent eternity on a hopeless quest. Drawn by a compulsion she can’t explain, she risks her apparent immortality to save Keir, and offers him sanctuary on her home-world, Lyagnius. But Quin has secrets of her own.
When Keir mistakenly unleashes the dormant alien powers within him and earns exile from Lyagnius, Quin chooses to stand by him. Can he master his newfound abilities in time to save Quin from the darkness that seeks to possess her?
Book One of the Redemption series and part of the Travellers Universe. A science fiction romance novel previously released by Lyrical Press Inc. 7th May 2012, Keir is a Readers Favorite Contest Awards Finalist 2012, HOD RWA Aspen Gold finalist (3rd place), The Kindle Book Review’s 2013 Best Indie Book Awards semi-finalist, and a 2012 SFR Galaxy Award Best May to December Romance winner.
CHARACTERS:
Aidan Turner as KEIRLAN DE CORIZI
Better known as the Blue Demon of Adalucien. A blue-skinned, heavily tattooed outcast, born into a medieval society who view his disfigurement as some kind of black magic. This tortured soul is my hero, and since his name is Irish for ‘dark one’, I guess Aidan Turner (better known as Kili in The Hobbit, or in the recent remake of Poldark) was a logical choice. Actually, he was my husband's suggestion way back when, while Aidan was playing tortured vampire Mitchell in Being Human. It's mostly the hair. :P
Scarlett Johanssen as QUIN (TARQUIN SECKER)
A three-hundred-year-old time traveler who doesn't look her age! Small, red-haired, not a born fighter but she doesn’t take any stick from anyone. I’d love to have Scarlett Johanssen play her. I’m going to admit to a serious girl crush over her portrayal of Black Widow, which is why I chose her for Quin (although Quin isn't so kick-ass). She also happens to be the perfect height for Quin - 5 ft 3. Um, which also happens to be my height too. And I know she can pull off the red hair.
My tetchy avian medic
Gigi Edgley as TALER
Quin’s companion, one of a pair of haemovores (literally blood eaters, though not much like our legendary vampires in any other respect)
Taler's brother, the other half of the haemovore pair
My reptilian queen, (Rebecca Romjin because she’s already pulled off one scaly character as Mystique with the same level of dangerous sensuality that I imagine in T’rill.)
Cory Hardrict as S’RANO
My saurian captain who saves and then befriends my two main characters while they’re stranded on his planet
The cold hearted military leader on the backward world of Salusan would be played by Daniel Craig, best known as the latest incarnation of James Bond (though I think he’d make a much better villain than a questionable ‘hero’. He’s certainly the most ruthless and chilling version of 007 I’ve ever watched, and therefore perfect for Rialto).
The final villain in Keir and the most terrifying. We don’t really learn much about his past until the very end, but he has no difficulty removing anything that gets in his way, nor any hesitation in carrying out his threats. Guy Pierce has the perfect face and he’s already played a lot of bad guys in the past, so I think he’d slip into the role quite easily and scare the pants off the audience!
After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 22 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.
Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, Broad Universe, and EPIC, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include YA and adult stories crossing a multitude of subgenres from scifi to the paranormal, often with romance, and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), the EPIC eBook awards, and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).
You can stalk her at her website, or at her blog, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.
A NOTE FROM PIPPA:
Oddly enough, Keir is about the only one of my books where I’ve ever thought about the casting list. In fact, one of my earliest conversations with a fellow author was about who we each saw as the hero. We had some rather differing opinions! And that was only for Keir. I’ve only recently discovered an actress that I would love to have playing my heroine, so when Heidi invited me to cast my characters, it gave me a chance to really think about who else I’d love to see in the film.
KEIRAUTHOR: Pippa Jay
DESCRIPTION: A demon waiting to die...
An outcast reviled for his discolored skin and rumors of black magic, Keirlan de Corizi sees no hope for redemption. Imprisoned beneath the palace that was once his home, the legendary ‘Blue Demon of Adalucien’ waits for death to finally free him of his curse. But salvation comes in an unexpected guise.
A woman determined to save him.
Able to cross space and time with a wave of her hand, Tarquin Secker has spent eternity on a hopeless quest. Drawn by a compulsion she can’t explain, she risks her apparent immortality to save Keir, and offers him sanctuary on her home-world, Lyagnius. But Quin has secrets of her own.
When Keir mistakenly unleashes the dormant alien powers within him and earns exile from Lyagnius, Quin chooses to stand by him. Can he master his newfound abilities in time to save Quin from the darkness that seeks to possess her?
Book One of the Redemption series and part of the Travellers Universe. A science fiction romance novel previously released by Lyrical Press Inc. 7th May 2012, Keir is a Readers Favorite Contest Awards Finalist 2012, HOD RWA Aspen Gold finalist (3rd place), The Kindle Book Review’s 2013 Best Indie Book Awards semi-finalist, and a 2012 SFR Galaxy Award Best May to December Romance winner.
CHARACTERS:
Aidan Turner as KEIRLAN DE CORIZI
Better known as the Blue Demon of Adalucien. A blue-skinned, heavily tattooed outcast, born into a medieval society who view his disfigurement as some kind of black magic. This tortured soul is my hero, and since his name is Irish for ‘dark one’, I guess Aidan Turner (better known as Kili in The Hobbit, or in the recent remake of Poldark) was a logical choice. Actually, he was my husband's suggestion way back when, while Aidan was playing tortured vampire Mitchell in Being Human. It's mostly the hair. :P
Scarlett Johanssen as QUIN (TARQUIN SECKER)
A three-hundred-year-old time traveler who doesn't look her age! Small, red-haired, not a born fighter but she doesn’t take any stick from anyone. I’d love to have Scarlett Johanssen play her. I’m going to admit to a serious girl crush over her portrayal of Black Widow, which is why I chose her for Quin (although Quin isn't so kick-ass). She also happens to be the perfect height for Quin - 5 ft 3. Um, which also happens to be my height too. And I know she can pull off the red hair.
My tetchy avian medic
Gigi Edgley as TALER
Quin’s companion, one of a pair of haemovores (literally blood eaters, though not much like our legendary vampires in any other respect)
Taler's brother, the other half of the haemovore pair
My reptilian queen, (Rebecca Romjin because she’s already pulled off one scaly character as Mystique with the same level of dangerous sensuality that I imagine in T’rill.)
Cory Hardrict as S’RANO
My saurian captain who saves and then befriends my two main characters while they’re stranded on his planet
The cold hearted military leader on the backward world of Salusan would be played by Daniel Craig, best known as the latest incarnation of James Bond (though I think he’d make a much better villain than a questionable ‘hero’. He’s certainly the most ruthless and chilling version of 007 I’ve ever watched, and therefore perfect for Rialto).
The final villain in Keir and the most terrifying. We don’t really learn much about his past until the very end, but he has no difficulty removing anything that gets in his way, nor any hesitation in carrying out his threats. Guy Pierce has the perfect face and he’s already played a lot of bad guys in the past, so I think he’d slip into the role quite easily and scare the pants off the audience!
After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 22 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, Broad Universe, and EPIC, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include YA and adult stories crossing a multitude of subgenres from scifi to the paranormal, often with romance, and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3rd place), the EPIC eBook awards, and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2nd place).
You can stalk her at her website, or at her blog, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.
June 22, 2015
TWEET LOVE from @CharPrincessa for Starrie
TWEET LOVE
I'm reading a novel by @heidirubymiller that has a character with my name. I fear for Char's life like it's my own. https://t.co/9LqVH7MKL9
— Char Duff (@CharPrincessa) June 3, 2015
June 20, 2015
NEWS: Greenshift at SFR Station
NEWS
Greenshift (From the World of Ambasadora) is currently at SFR Station . Browse by sub-genre , pairing type , author , and series to find the romantic science fiction read you're in the mood for today!
Greenshift (From the World of Ambasadora) is currently at SFR Station . Browse by sub-genre , pairing type , author , and series to find the romantic science fiction read you're in the mood for today!
June 18, 2015
CAST YOUR CHARACTERS: Steel Victory by J.L. Gribble
CAST YOUR CHARACTERS
STEEL VICTORY
AUTHOR: J.L. GRIBBLE
PUBLISHER: DOG STAR BOOKS
DESCRIPTION: One hundred years ago, the vampire Victory retired from a centuries-long mercenary career. She settled in Limani, the independent city-state acting as a neutral zone between the British and Roman colonies on the New Continent.
Twenty years ago, Victory adopted a human baby girl, who soon showed signs of magical ability.
Today, Victory is a city councilwoman, balancing the human and supernatural populations within Limani. Her daughter Toria is a warrior-mage, balancing life as an apprentice mercenary with college chemistry courses.
Tomorrow, the Roman Empire invades.
CHARACTERS:
The vampire Victory has taken on the hardest challenge of her long life—trading warfare for politics. But the mercenary skills of Victory’s past are what she must turn to in order to confront the enemies that beset the city of Limani, her adopted home.
Victory’s adopted daughter has everything going for her: warrior-mage ability, apprentice mercenary, college student. What happens when she loses everything instead?
This was really not how the elven girl expected to spend her week. But no, these crazy people need her to solve magical problems, orchestrate manhunts, shoot Roman soldiers in the woods, and save the city.
Victory’s daywalker has been by her side for almost a century. Don’t be fooled by the mild-mannered musician exterior—he might not start fights, but he knows how to finish them.
Warrior-mages come in pairs, and Kane is the other half of Toria. Never forget that the earth may be less flashy than the storm, but an earthquake can do much more damage than a simple lightning strike.
Victory’s sire is still a career mercenary and doesn’t work for free. But Limani has become his home as well, so he won’t hesitate to bring two thousand years of experience wreaking havoc to bear on the city’s enemies.
By day, J.L. Gribble is a professional medical editor. By night, she does freelance fiction editing in all genres, along with reading, playing video games, and occasionally even writing.
Previously, Gribble studied English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She received her Master’s degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and Steel Victory was her thesis novel for the program. This is her debut novel.
She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with her husband and three vocal Siamese cats. Find her online (www.jlgribble.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jlgribblewriter), and on Twitter and Instagram (@hannaedits). She is currently working on more tales set in the world of Limani.
STEEL VICTORY
AUTHOR: J.L. GRIBBLE
PUBLISHER: DOG STAR BOOKS
DESCRIPTION: One hundred years ago, the vampire Victory retired from a centuries-long mercenary career. She settled in Limani, the independent city-state acting as a neutral zone between the British and Roman colonies on the New Continent.
Twenty years ago, Victory adopted a human baby girl, who soon showed signs of magical ability.
Today, Victory is a city councilwoman, balancing the human and supernatural populations within Limani. Her daughter Toria is a warrior-mage, balancing life as an apprentice mercenary with college chemistry courses.
Tomorrow, the Roman Empire invades.
CHARACTERS:
The vampire Victory has taken on the hardest challenge of her long life—trading warfare for politics. But the mercenary skills of Victory’s past are what she must turn to in order to confront the enemies that beset the city of Limani, her adopted home.
Victory’s adopted daughter has everything going for her: warrior-mage ability, apprentice mercenary, college student. What happens when she loses everything instead?
This was really not how the elven girl expected to spend her week. But no, these crazy people need her to solve magical problems, orchestrate manhunts, shoot Roman soldiers in the woods, and save the city.
Victory’s daywalker has been by her side for almost a century. Don’t be fooled by the mild-mannered musician exterior—he might not start fights, but he knows how to finish them.
Warrior-mages come in pairs, and Kane is the other half of Toria. Never forget that the earth may be less flashy than the storm, but an earthquake can do much more damage than a simple lightning strike.
Victory’s sire is still a career mercenary and doesn’t work for free. But Limani has become his home as well, so he won’t hesitate to bring two thousand years of experience wreaking havoc to bear on the city’s enemies.
By day, J.L. Gribble is a professional medical editor. By night, she does freelance fiction editing in all genres, along with reading, playing video games, and occasionally even writing.Previously, Gribble studied English at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. She received her Master’s degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and Steel Victory was her thesis novel for the program. This is her debut novel.
She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with her husband and three vocal Siamese cats. Find her online (www.jlgribble.com), on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jlgribblewriter), and on Twitter and Instagram (@hannaedits). She is currently working on more tales set in the world of Limani.
June 16, 2015
BOOK: Storm and Steel (The Book of the Black Earth 2) by Jon Sprunk
BOOKS
STORM AND STEEL
An empire at war. Three fates intertwined.
The Magician. Horace has destroyed the Temple of the Sun, but now he finds his slave chains have been replaced by bonds of honor, duty, and love. Caught between two women and two cultures, he must contend with deadly forces from the unseen world.
The Rebel. Jirom has thrown in his lot with the slave uprising, but his road to freedom becomes ever more dangerous as the rebels expand their campaign against the empire. Even worse, he feels his connection with Emanon slipping away with every blow they strike in the name of freedom.
The Spy. Alyra has severed her ties to the underground network that brought her to Akeshia, but she continues the mission on her own. Yet, with Horace’s connection to the queen and the rebellion’s escalation of violence, she finds herself treading a knife’s edge between love and duty.
Dark conspiracies bubble to the surface as war and zealotry spread across the empire. Old alliances are shattered, new vendettas are born, and all peoples—citizen and slave alike—must endure the ravages of storm and steel.
Jon Sprunk
grew up in central Pennsylvania. The eldest of four children, he attended Lock Haven University and graduated with a B.A. in English in 1992. Although he had always been an avid reader of speculative fiction, it was during his college years that he developed a broader passion for literature and began his first awkward forays into fiction writing. Encouraged by his professors and peers, Jon set out after graduation to become a “Serious Writer.” Unfortunately, he had failed to notice the specter of Reality stalking at his back. When his disastrous first fantasy novel failed to find a publisher, he bent his knee to the Real World and sought gainful employment. Crushed, he thought his dreams were over.
Over the next decade he married (twice), changed jobs (numerous times), and after much soul-searching, returned to writing. Like most writers, he suspects, he tried to go it alone, seeking to pound his head through the glass ceiling of his innate talent through sheer willpower and effort. Finally, after many more rejections, he joined Pennwriters and attended their annual conference in 2004. Jon is both proud and ashamed to admit that he learned more in those two days about the business of writing than he had in the previous ten years. He was also getting the first inklings of why his fiction had not yet made him a household name. Up till then, he hadn’t known how to fashion a true story.
So,Jon did what any Serious Writer would do. He joined a writers’ group ( Pennwriters , to be exact). And he read about the art of writing, a lot. He started to admit to himself that perhaps he could use a little help, that the next Great American Novel wasn’t going to spring from his head, full-grown and ready for world acclaim like some literary Athena.
Since then Jon has seen some success. He has had several short stories published and in June 2009 he signed the first of two multi-book contracts with Pyr Books. And we is adjunct faculty in Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. Best of all, he has the love and support of his wife, and that makes all the difference in the world.
STORM AND STEEL
An empire at war. Three fates intertwined.
The Magician. Horace has destroyed the Temple of the Sun, but now he finds his slave chains have been replaced by bonds of honor, duty, and love. Caught between two women and two cultures, he must contend with deadly forces from the unseen world.
The Rebel. Jirom has thrown in his lot with the slave uprising, but his road to freedom becomes ever more dangerous as the rebels expand their campaign against the empire. Even worse, he feels his connection with Emanon slipping away with every blow they strike in the name of freedom.
The Spy. Alyra has severed her ties to the underground network that brought her to Akeshia, but she continues the mission on her own. Yet, with Horace’s connection to the queen and the rebellion’s escalation of violence, she finds herself treading a knife’s edge between love and duty.
Dark conspiracies bubble to the surface as war and zealotry spread across the empire. Old alliances are shattered, new vendettas are born, and all peoples—citizen and slave alike—must endure the ravages of storm and steel.
Jon Sprunk
grew up in central Pennsylvania. The eldest of four children, he attended Lock Haven University and graduated with a B.A. in English in 1992. Although he had always been an avid reader of speculative fiction, it was during his college years that he developed a broader passion for literature and began his first awkward forays into fiction writing. Encouraged by his professors and peers, Jon set out after graduation to become a “Serious Writer.” Unfortunately, he had failed to notice the specter of Reality stalking at his back. When his disastrous first fantasy novel failed to find a publisher, he bent his knee to the Real World and sought gainful employment. Crushed, he thought his dreams were over.Over the next decade he married (twice), changed jobs (numerous times), and after much soul-searching, returned to writing. Like most writers, he suspects, he tried to go it alone, seeking to pound his head through the glass ceiling of his innate talent through sheer willpower and effort. Finally, after many more rejections, he joined Pennwriters and attended their annual conference in 2004. Jon is both proud and ashamed to admit that he learned more in those two days about the business of writing than he had in the previous ten years. He was also getting the first inklings of why his fiction had not yet made him a household name. Up till then, he hadn’t known how to fashion a true story.
So,Jon did what any Serious Writer would do. He joined a writers’ group ( Pennwriters , to be exact). And he read about the art of writing, a lot. He started to admit to himself that perhaps he could use a little help, that the next Great American Novel wasn’t going to spring from his head, full-grown and ready for world acclaim like some literary Athena.
Since then Jon has seen some success. He has had several short stories published and in June 2009 he signed the first of two multi-book contracts with Pyr Books. And we is adjunct faculty in Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. Best of all, he has the love and support of his wife, and that makes all the difference in the world.
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