Thursday, December 31, 2015

A Touch of Charity by Robert Chifton Storey Junior- my review

 I gave this four stars on Amazon indicating I liked it. I purchased this book for the sole purpose of reviewing it. So here goes-
Sister Mary Vincent has a hard chore today, closing the food pantry that fed the local homeless and poverty stricken people. Closing was due to the death of her Reverend Mother's passing and her order was now being absorbed by another order that believed praying was the highest priority instead of feeding the starving masses. Posting a sign "Free food" Sister Mary tried to help the hungry while closing up the food pantry. The more she gave away, the less she had to pack to take back to her new order. Into her life came a mass murderer fleeing the rapidly closing police dragnet. Unafraid for her own life, she extends a helping hand to the lost soul.
What I liked about the story was it was well written and how Sister Mary dealt with what could have been a deadly confrontation when the killer threatened her with a gun,wanting her keys to her car. The only thing I disliked was the story ended being a short story leaving me to wonder what happened next.
If you are into reading short stories, this is a good one for the Holiday season.
About the author Robert C Storey Jr Born in Detroit in the late fifties, I lived on the Eastside. While growing up in the Motor City, I loved to play games that relied on my imagination. I really enjoyed pretending to be a cowboy when I was very young. Westerns were big in those days, and I watched a lot of the Lone Ranger, Cheyenne, and Zoro. As I got a little older, I developed a fascination with space that bordered on obsession. The space race with the old Soviet Union was in full swing. I spent a lot of time pretending to be an astronaut. I enjoyed watching TV shows such as Lost in Space, Thunderbirds and Star Trek. All these shows help to grow my creativity. Later, we migrated all the way over to the Westside where I spent my rebellious teenage years—it was a crazy and foggy time.
In school, I found that I loved to write. I kept a notebook where I would experiment with small stories, a kind of doodling with words. Writing was a way to free my imagination and let it run wild. I thought books were the greatest invention ever made, and I still do. The first book that really affected me deeply was Flowers for Algernon. Later, I read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings both of which started my love affair with the fantasy genre.
At twenty, I joined the service and was deployed aboard two Robert Clifton Storey Jrdifferent aircraft carriers, the USS Enterprise and then later on the USS Coral Sea (Both of which are decommissioned—man, I feel old!). I voyaged to such wondrous places as the Philippines, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong. It was an awesome experience and a great personal adventure. I read constantly and would write every night for hours as the ship rocked gently in the middle of the ocean. I wrote a book that could be considered a prequel to Flight of the Vessel.
I was determined to complete my college degree, so after leaving the service, I enrolled at Western Washington University and studied English, Literature, and several writing styles such as novel, short story, and playwriting.
In search of better job opportunities, I left Washington State for Columbia, SC to help my family in their small businesses. And then a few years later, I move to Virginia to work for a small newspaper in the Shenandoah Valley as the director of technology responsible for technology strategies. I decided to start a family and I now have two wonderful sons.
I did manage to write a little here and there, but not as much as I would have liked. Wanting to improve my management skills, I went back to school to study business, earning a masters from a local college. It was about this time that began to write down some ideas for a book that would carry on the story I wrote on ship…and thus began the Vision Dream Series.
I hope you can read his bio, I copied it from his about page. 
Talk back, I'm listening as always. Have a great new year as well.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Cleaning out my inbox

It seems like it is the time of the year for everyone to ask for a donation. My in box is filled with different charities wanting a money donation. I raise money for several charities in my volunteer work so I don't give to those that request it in my inbox. I just go through and delete them without reading most of them being so many. Politics is another item filling my inbox, most want me to contribute to various races all over the country. It is too early in my mind to pledge my support to any candidate in the National election. I want to see how things shake out after a few primaries then I will get serious about looking at each candidate and deciding which be would be best leader for America for the next four years. So I go through and delete them as well. I do sign some petitions that I feel will make a good change in America especially the one about open internet, that is something I hold dear to me. I may not agree with everything that is blogged or posted but feel everyone has the right to say how they feel unless it is promoting harm to an individual or government official. Even though my books in the Lightning in the Tunnel contain violence that is necessary to tell the story, I am against the death penalty. I do not believe anyone should take the life of another, life is too precious to waste.

Talk back, I'm listening as always with you agree with me or not. I value your input.  

Monday, December 14, 2015

The Hardest thing about being a multi-genre writer

It seems that everyone wants to peg you into one genre but I'm the type of writer that writes the stories as they appear in my head. One of my books might be a mystery. The next one about an Alien coming to Earth. One might be a western( I'm almost finished with this one). I started out my Lightning in the Tunnel series a Dystopia/Apocalyptic series and bringing it to a conclusion in Space. I had my Character in T.T. Gristman to go back into time to find his love and rescue her from the past. My mind is very active coming up with new and different works such as IronHeart a story about a young man that is forced to become an adult being unprepared for the event. It is a straight fiction, no SiFi, time travel or anything bizarre except maybe a little crime mixed in it.  So I'm a round peg everyone tries to put in a square hole. Sometimes I fit and sometimes I don't. Maybe if I stuck to one genre, more people would be aware of my work but sticking to one does not satisfy my inner self. That is what I write for now, just to get these stories out and maybe entertain a reader or two. You can find me on Goodreads, Amazon and Smashwords among other fine writing and reading places. Have a good day and week. Talk back I'm listening as always.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Found by Jason Smith-book tour

  Banner3   Found by Jason Smith Genre: Thriller Publisher: MaxQ Enterprises Publication Date: May 13, 2015  
Synopsis
Not all the good in the world is known - the same can be said for the bad. People, places and events that seem random, really aren't.
How are we to know whose lives will be affected, or destroyed? Will one wrong move make the difference? Will one bad decision end somebody's life?
No one knows what will be lost - or who will be Found.
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About the Author
Jason Smith began his career in television production before becoming both a network TV and radio personality. He has spent the last dozen years with ESPN, the NFL Network, and Fox Sports Radio. He currently hosts "The Jason Smith Show", heard nights on FSR and iheart radio.
His other highlights include an Emmy Award for his work on 'Sportscenter,' marrying well, memorizing "Caddyshack" and the '86 Mets. And not necessarily in that order.
And he's glad Revis is back.
'Found' is his first novel.
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Thanks for dropping in, Have a nice day and talk back, I'm listening as always.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Angel 6.0: Concubine (Space Opera) by Travis Luedke-my review

 I know the first thing everyone wants to know is how I rate it, that was a tough one for me Liked it well enough but didn't actually love it so I am giving it four stars. This was an Amazon verified purchase. Now to my review-
The story is that in the future, Earth travels into deep space where they encounter an warring Alien species that is more advance. Conflict ensues and a hidden part of the peace treaty is where Earth supplies dumb down human clones that the Fran. Alien Species built like giant cats that walk on their hind-legs as humans do. On this hidden space station, scientists are creating these illegal human clones. Bored with just creating clones, the scientist work on creating a better human as well. This was what led to the creation of Angel 6.0 which means they tried at least six times to create a human that was smarter, faster and perfect. I don't know what happened to the ones before her if you cut her, she finds pleasure in it and heals in a matter of hours. Her sexual prowess is well stated and demonstrated in the story. By accident, the Fran spot her and they desire to have her thinking she could be bred with other humans to make super slaves for them. When she is taken into the Fran's custody, she learns that she is illegal and not considered human. Hell, the whole operation was illegal but she survives in the Fran custody for as long as they think she can produce offspring. A compelling story that you will like. It is well written and if you are a reader of space opera; you will find this interesting.Travis has an whole series about Angel 6.0 that you will want to read. This is the first book in this series. http://www.amazon.com/Angel-6-0-Concubine-Space-Romance-ebook/dp/B00U6X83DW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1449189547&sr=1-1&keywords=angel+6.0+concubine click to get your copy.
Talk back, I'm listening and follow this blog for more reviews. My taste is varied so who knows what genre I might read next.     

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Michael's Mystery by Linze Brandon-book tour-guest post


*** BOOK  TOUR ***

It was time for the Lords of the High Council to step in when the Grandmaster of Kryane is accused of murdering his own people. They had little choice but to prevent the collapse of the whole magicians order, so they sent Michael to investigate the allegations.
The people of the desert planet were an enigma, but none more than Andesine, the healer assigned to assist Michael. Why did she report the Grandmaster? Was she involved, or was there something more sinister going on?
The more people they interrogated the more they suspected that nothing was as it seemed. Not the murders, nor the Grandmasters' motive as everyone thought.
Unable to resist the growing attraction between them, Michael and Andesine learn that they had to trust each other with their own secrets, and risking any future they might have.
Time and again the High Lords had to step in to prevent chaos on Kryane, but time was running out for Michael and Andesine. They had to get a new Grandmaster in place before the Kryane Order collapsed completely. And they had to find the who the true culprit was.
Fortunate to escape an attack from this monster once, they were risking the lives of many others in the process. Before the High Lords could formulate a plan, Michael and Andesine were captured, leaving the High Lords helpless to prevent it.
Kidnapped and imprisoned, Andesine was confronted with the realisation that if they were to survive their ordeal, it was up to her and her long suppressed powers. But as a healer she saved lives, would she be able to destroy the monster before he forces her to unleash her power to destroy the future of mankind?

About the Author:
Teaching herself to read before she went to school, it was the start of her life long love affair with books. Trained as an engineer, Linzé has worked as an export consultant and is presently a project manager. Although she still loves to read, she also enjoys counted stitch embroidery, archery, tai chi, fly fishing, painting, her husband's medal winning photographs and watching Manchester United play.

She counts both novels and short stories to her publishing credit. Her fourth novel, Waiting for Adrian, is planned for publication early in 2016. Her story, The Vernal Equinox, was a finalist in a sci-fi flash-fiction competition in 2015.

Linzé Brandon lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her engineer husband and German Shepherds who are convinced that the world revolves only around them.

Follow Linzé Online:



Check Out the other Tour Stops:


Talk back, I'm listening as always and have a great day,

Monday, November 23, 2015

Outcast by Andrea McKenzie Raine- short story-my review

 I purchases it so here is my honest review. On Amazon, I gave it four stars. I liked the story, just wish it had been longer. A pretty well written book about a woman (Francis) on the verge of a mental collapse due to perceived problems at home. She believes her husband is cheating on her and her two teenage children give her nothing but grief.
The tipping point of her mental state occurred when the boss called her into his office for a meeting. He was none too happy with her work and progress. She always felt she was a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. After that meeting her mind crossed the border into insanity. At first she could no longer understand what people were saying. Her mind could no longer process their words. Even her husband and children seem to speak in a foreign tongue. As her mental state grows worse, she is put in the hospital, where she no longer could understand what the doctors had to say.She gets worse even after being released from the hospital, they couldn't find a medical condition that might be causing her breakdown. She regresses to the point where she feels she understands baby talk and desires to go back to the womb.
I recommended this to anyone that likes short quick stories. I will not tell you how it ends. Read the story and find out yourself. Talk back, I'm Listening. Have a great week. As always, feel free to follow this blog or my other blog at http://lightningbooksbyagmoye.blogspot.com   

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

A Bullet for the Ghost Whisper by Stan Schatt- my review

 I know I am a couple days late posting this but I got sidetracked. On Amazon I gave it five stars because it is a well written mystery by Stan Schatt that kept me turning each page. Once I started, I could not stop reading until the end.
The story is about a female detective named Frankie Ryan on the ropes for overstepping her boundaries in solving cases. She is added by a reporter, Josh that has a mysterious friend called "Andy" that sees things before they happen. Josh the reporter has her as his guardian (somewhat) being a physic. His being a physic like his forefathers before him had Andy as his connection.
The addition of a physic to the case leads Frankie down the path to solving it as he has done on occasions before. Frankie starts out trying to solve a case where no shooter could be there killing a CEO of a company on the verge of going public. Along the path, other murders get thrown into the mix including her partner and lover.
All in all the story has enough technology and paranormal activities to lock you into the story along with enough twists and turns.
to get your copy use this link  http://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Ghost-Whisperer-Frankie-Mysteries/dp/1942428332/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1447612162&sr=8-4&keywords=stan+schatt
About the Author

Stan Schatt is a futurist, technologist, novelist, and a person curious about many things. His writing takes advantage of his wide-ranging work, from autopsy assistant to police department administrator, salesman, literature professor and telecommunications professor, technology analyst, and research director. He has always loved technology and politics almost as much as writing. Stan is also volunteer job acquisition facilitator for the unemployed in San Diego. He writes mysteries in Carlsbad, California, where he lives with his wife, Jane. Find Stan at www.StanSchatt.com (website & blog) and on Twitter at @stanschatt

Schatt, Stan. A Bullet for the Ghost Whisperer (Kindle Locations 3729-3736). Pen-L Publishing.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Check it out if you like mystery/suspense books. A.G. Talk back I'm listening. 


Monday, November 16, 2015

Dark Shadows by Toni Vallan

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1McDKdY
My name’s Ella Raimi. Until last week, my life was pretty normal for a sixteen-year-old. Until I spent that awful night trapped in the janitor's closet in utter darkness. Until the dreams began — suffocating, panic-filled dreams. My best friend Kyla stays with me, but the dreams still continue. And I wake each morning with cuts & burns on my skin. I don’t recall inflicting them. And then there is the blood on my hands and my sheets when I wake up. I’m afraid of myself. I'm afraid I am a killer. Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway About Toni Vallan Toni Vallan is the author of two contemporary titles in the contemporary suspense series DESPERATION, and her ongoing Thriller line. Toni loves the dark side of the soul, and studied to become a neuropsychologist. A career path taken over by her first love - writing. Toni lives in the land of the Hobbits, and secretly wants a Hobbit house, although her husband and two daughters may not agree. Facebook Goodreads Mailing List  
Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1McDKdY
My name’s Ella Raimi. Until last week, my life was pretty normal for a sixteen-year-old. Until I spent that awful night trapped in the janitor's closet in utter darkness. Until the dreams began — suffocating, panic-filled dreams. My best friend Kyla stays with me, but the dreams still continue. And I wake each morning with cuts & burns on my skin. I don’t recall inflicting them. And then there is the blood on my hands and my sheets when I wake up. I’m afraid of myself. I'm afraid I am a killer.  
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About Toni Vallan
Toni Vallan is the author of two contemporary titles in the contemporary suspense series DESPERATION, and her ongoing Thriller line. Toni loves the dark side of the soul, and studied to become a neuropsychologist. A career path taken over by her first love - writing.
Toni lives in the land of the Hobbits, and secretly wants a Hobbit house, although her husband and two daughters may not agree.
 
Thanks for dropping by, talk back, we are listening.

Feeling sort of Blah, today

it is raining outside, I just wanted to sleep the day away but my bladder forced me from the bed. Once up, I headed to the coffee pot that my wife turned on so I would have coffee to get my morning started. After brushing my teeth, I threw on my sweats and headed to the computer with coffee in hand. Checking my emails for anything important, i took my second step and followed all those that followed me on twitter http://twitter.com/Agmoye then I went to Pinterest http://pinterest.com/A.G.Moye/ to follow all those that followed me there as well. Now that i concluded my morning ritual, it is time to think which book to work on this morning. I am not happy with the opening lines of "Doomsday Rock" and may rewrite it this morning instead continuing to write the story. I am about three-fourths the way through the story. But feeling blah, I don't think this is a good day to do so, I am just not into it. I know I should go visit the mayor of our city to see about using their meeting office as a place to hold the state executive board meeting in December for the organization I am the local President of ( a volunteer organization) People helping people. I don't want to get dressed, so I m sitting here at the keyboard just thinking about that and typing this instead. 

Have a great day and week, talk back, I'm listening as always.  

Thursday, November 12, 2015

What makes a writer's day?

I just re-released the first book in the Lightning in the Tunnel series called "In the Beginning" and I tweeted it saying, "This book would make Fifty Shades of Gray blush" Three days later, I got an email from one reader demanding to know when the next book in the series called "Dangerous Rescue" would be available. I was on a natural high for several hours knowing that at least one reader couldn't wait to read the next book. All you authors out there know the feeling and you don't have to have any alcohol to reach that high. Thanks to that reader for making my day.

Talk back, I'm listening and feel free to drop me a line. 

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Well I did it, I republished my first book- In the Beginning-Lightning in the Tunnel series

Yes that is the republished kindle version it is also available on prime at no cost. A couple of years ago I took it off the market but have had several requests to republish the book as I originally wrote the beginning of the Lightning in the Tunnel series. It is for adults only since it contains graphic violence and explicit sex scenes.  You can order your edition at http://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Tunnel-Beginning-Book-ebook/dp/B017PL35Y4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447124241&sr=1-1&keywords=Kindle-Lightning+in+the+Tunnel for non prime members it is only $3.99 US dollars
or free on prime. Check with your Amazon location if out of the USA, it should be available there soon.
For those desiring good old paper backs they will be available in three to five days  On Amazon locations under ISBN-13 978-151982371 or ISBN-10 1519182376  For those that can't wait you can order it on Createspace at http://createspace.com/5852046
For those that never heard of the series, it is about a man and his family that has his world turned upside down when a nuclear bomb hits LA. In a city gone crazy, survival is the game of the day.
Talk back, I'm listening as always. 

Friday, November 6, 2015

Faith of the Nine by Sachin Dev-book blast

~ Book Blast ~

About the Book:
The Third Yuga is slowly drawing to a close. Nam – the greatest Empire on Janani – is going to face some fierce winds of change. Seers foresee omens of death and destruction in the return of the Banished One – A God who will claim the ashes of this world as revenge. While out in the streets, rumours abound - of older forgotten powers stirring.

Caught in this maelstrom of a power struggle between Gods are three ordinary lives: General Fateh, the most celebrated soldier in Nam who starts to question his faith, Ishan – a gifted orphan who struggles to comprehend his destiny and Abhaya – a young monk in search of truths about this world. Their choices and actions will shape the destiny of this scarred world that becomes the playground for vindictive Gods.

In a world where Rakshasas arise out of left-over traces of Maaya and twilight forms the portal to countless worlds around us for Daityas and Yakshis to dance through, a God is only as powerful as those who believe.And when Gods rise, faith of men will be tested…And broken.

Buy Links:
eBook: Newshunt * Google Play




Read an Excerpt

Somewhere deep within the palace, wind chimes were ringing like crazy, deep and sonorous, like temple bells gone rogue. Bajah rushed through the dimly lit long corridors of the palace, her heart hammering inside her. If she didn’t reach her lady in time, she was doomed, and so was the child.
The child! Was it really going to be as foretold in the Apocrypha? Then again, the Book of Truths just pointed out the various branches of the future; the one branch on which they would walk wasn’t disclosed. Could she choose? Could anyone choose? She was confused and afraid. All she knew was that she had to get to Lady Anuskaya, and alone and terrified within the Confinement, she would go crazy and not be able to manage the childbirth. The thought brought chills to her mind. If the Inner Council were to know that one of the Blessed acolytes was pregnant, then they would both be executed; the acolyte and the unborn child. Nobody broke this cardinal rule. Bajah still didn’t know who the father was, but that was the last thing on her mind. She had to save her mistress, and the thought gnawed away at her soul like a flesh-worm. Would she be able to manage on her own?
The bells tolling in the distance urged her on. Her light feet pattered soundlessly, flying past the carpeted walkway. Suddenly, her balance shifted. Something snagged against her cloak, tightening up against her throat as she slipped forwards. She croaked, her helpless arms flailing and soundless screams stifled as the cloak tightened. Someone had tripped her and was trying to strangle her! The pressure suddenly let up and she slipped.
The carpeted floor slammed into the side of her face and her cloak ripped as she rolled away. A dark figure stepped out of the crevasse in the wall, the lamp in hand obscuring the face in the gloomy shadows. A falsetto voice greeted her.
“Little birdie, flitting freely, flying fast, you won’t last … so sit awhile and rest your pile.”
The lamp swung in her face, as the person squatted down and peered at her. In the dark, a pair of wolfish white teeth shone through, leering at her. She knew the voice. Cheema Okuri—a guard inside the Shikshadhaam, the House of Learning, where acolytes lived. A kill dog for his masters at the Inner Council.
“Do you like the poem? I made it … as a paean for you. Maybe I will coach the cook to sing it for your funeral, huh?” He grinned, swinging the lamp. The shadows played hide and seek on his face. “Pruksa’s blessings, little birdie, you really oughta slow down. Don’t you know, the corridors within Shikshadhaam are treacherous places? Nasty places where you slip and break your neck ... you follow, li’l birdie?”
“What do you want, Cheema?” Bajah sat up, mustering as much dignity as she could.
“What I want … ah! No time for social chit chats, I see?” He squatted down, bringing his face closer to her’s. “You seemed to be in a tearing hurry, and that set my warning bells a-tingling, Bajah Sudhanshu. You know that feeling, don’t you? When this multi-legged creature walks up and down your spine, your heart beats faster and you’re left feeling a little dry in the mouth. It’s called suspicion. And when I see birdies trying to take flight without letting me know, then somethin’ don’t add up right. Must I remind you that within the confines of the Dhaam, anything that flies, flies with just one wing, the other being busy protecting itself, lest it get shot down? Ye with me so far, li’l birdie?”
Bajah nodded, dull fear thudding through her like bellows in a forge. Did he know about the lady? Did the council suspect? Displaying an outwardly calm that she didn’t feel at all, Bajah stood up, “Cheema, you are not threatening me now, are you?”
Cheema laughed, “I always maintained that birdies oughta be caged. Nooo, li’l birdie, I am not threatening you. Charged with keeping the acolytes safe within the Dhaam, this hurried flight of yours ruffled quite a few feathers on the upper levels. I’m just a messenger, birdie. Just like you. So, now … d’ye want to tell me where ye’re flying with such haste?”
Bajah turned her back onto Cheema, making sure he didn’t see the flint of fear that sparked in her eyes. “Lady Anuskaya’s been taken sick. She wanted me to bring her the Book of Solace and fetch the Castle Vaidyas to care for her.”
“The Book? An acolyte demanded for the Book?” Cheema’s tone had an edge to it that Bajah hated, the tone twisting in her gut like a stuck knife. ‘Does this lowly guard know that the acolytes aren’t allowed to read the Book, not without one of the priests around?’ Cheema’s sharp question brought her back to the rain-lashed parapet of the castle.
“So what are you doing here? The Haveli is to the North. The gardens ought to be the easiest route to the Haveli to get the Book?”
“I have to collect the Lady’s medicines,” Bajah lied, her face taut. Cheema nodded, holding the lights over the handrails, peering out into the cold night, “Some kind of a freak windstorm whipping in from the Odhaan. You ought to keep indoors and not take this route. I will accompany you to the living quarters. Oh wait, where’s the Book?”
Bajah bit her lips, blanched white with fear. This wasn’t going good. As with the windstorm and the rain Gods, this was fast going downhill. Mists of raindrops sprayed onto her face as the winds shifted. The sky cleaved, as purplish lightning crashed and rolled across the clouds. The smell of acrid burnt ozone hung heavy on the parapet as Bajah’s heart raced. A sudden gust of wind swept across and doused the lantern lights, blanketing the corridor in complete darkness. Cheema cursed over the sounds of wind ripping through the dark hallway, the curtains near the far oaken doors billowing and flapping hard. He knelt down to light the fuse inside the lantern.
It was now or never.

  
About the Author:
Sachin discovered Tolkien in his teens, alternative rock as a new adult and digital marketing in pretty much his late twenties. These still form a large wedge in his circle of life. Travel, radio and theatre have also figured in that ever-expanding and diminishing circle.

On perhaps a more prosaic note, he is an engineer from BITS Pilani and holds an MBA from Indian School of Business. Attribute the love for numbers and pie-charts to this. He is currently based in Bangalore and happily married to Harini. He spends an inordinately large amount of time chasing after his two dogs (who love the free life a bit too much) when he is not busy dreaming up fantasy worlds full of monsters. And beautiful Yakshis, of course.

He can usually be found ranting on twitter under the handle @xenosach, devouring books and talking about them on his blog. You can always stalk him online at his official website



Another new book hitting the market. Talk back, I'm listening


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Soul Warrior by Falguni Kothari - Release day blitz

About the Book:
Twisted myths. Discretion advised. 

Fight fate, or succumb to destiny?

In the dark Age of Kali, the Soul Warrior alone stands guard over the Human Realm, protecting its denizens from evil-willed asuras or demons. When a trick of fate appoints him guru to a motley crew of godlings, he agrees to train them as demon hunters against his better judgment. Suddenly, Lord Karna is not only battling the usual asuras with sinister agendas, but also rebellious students and a fault-ridden past.

Spanning the cosmic realms of mythic India, here is a tale of a band of supernatural warriors who come together over a singular purpose: the salvation of Karna’s secret child.




Book Links:
Kobo * iBooks * Amazon US * Amazon UK * Amazon Canada

Read an Excerpt:

CHAPTER ZERO
DWANDA-YUDDHA: THE DUEL

The Himalayan Mountains.
Five thousand years ago.

Absolute darkness shrouded the Human Realm, and had for three days and three nights. Some believed the occurrence was prophetic, like the prolonged amavasya or new moon night that had heralded the Great Kuru War two thousand years ago. The war had given birth to the dark Age of Kali, the age of asura. In contrast, hope was ripe that this event would trigger the Age of Light. But the Bard wasn’t here to succumb to superstition. 
The first day without the sun’s light had spread confusion and chaos across the realm. The second day had brought desperation in the breasts of humans and fear in the belly of Celestials. The third day—today—was a feast for the asuras. Death lay everywhere. 
The human world burned without its sun. How soon before the Heavens went up in flames?
The Bard’s troubled eyes reread the last line. Then he deliberately scratched it off, lifting his long, pointed talon from the parchment made of dry palm leaf. With a sigh, he rested his aching hand on his trembling thigh. He would spare a moment to ease his body, and his mind from the strain of observation and due recordkeeping. If he didn’t, he’d forget his duty as Witness of the Cosmos, and begin to question fate. 
Despite the fire that crackled close to his right knee, and the feathered form of his upper body, he was cold. An icy wind had settled around the Pinnacle of Pinnacles, where he sat cross-legged on a seat made of rock and snow. He’d chosen this perch because it gave him an impartial view of the events happening in the world. He was the Bard, entrusted with keeping the Canons of the Age of Kali, just as the Soul Warrior was entrusted with keeping the Human Realm safe from asuras. Would they both fail in their duty today?
The Bard shook off the heavy despair the darkness had brought into the world. He mustn’t judge. He shouldn’t question. He would sharpen the talon on his forefinger, dip it into the vessel of ink kept warm by the fire, and write this tale. That was all he could do. Be the witness to history.
So he raised his feathered hand and began to write again while his eyes, sparked with power, knowledge and magic, saw clearly events unfolding from great distances. A thousand kilometers to his right, Indra, the God of War and Thunder, fought the Dragon. Indra did not fare well. But that didn’t concern the Bard as much as the clash between the Soul Warrior and the Stone Demon. Over and over, his eagle eyes were drawn to the duel taking place in the heart of the world, not only because it was a magnificent battle to behold, for it was, but because its outcome would decide mankind’s destiny.
The Soul Warrior was more than a great warrior. Karna was a great soul. Fair, honorable, brave and resilient, he was the perfect protector of the Human Realm. Of course, there were other reasons he’d been chosen to fill the office of Soul Warrior—there always were when Gods and demons were involved. But Karna’s existence was a testament to righteous action and if anyone could bring back the day, it would be him. 
But how did one vanquish stone, the Bard wondered?
Avarice and cruelty, two nefarious desires, had made Vrtra and Vala attack the Human Realm. Three days ago the Dragon had swallowed the Seven Rivers in the north, and the Stone Demon had imprisoned the Sun God, his daughter, and all the cattle of the region in his cave.
The Bard paused his writing as a thin vein of lightning winked across the skies, but without the accompanying roar. Indra’s strength waned. His thunderbolt hadn’t left Vrtra screaming in pain this time. The Bard spared a moment’s attention on the duel, just enough to note that the Maruts, the Celestial Storm-gods, waited in the clouds to rescue their god-king in case of a calamity. Indra would survive even in defeat. Of that, the Bard was sure.
But Karna had no one at his back. His might and god-powers had depleted without the sun’s healing warmth and light. His divine astras, weapons, had not slowed the Stone Demon down, at all. Only the conviction that he could not fail his godsire, his sister, and the innocents under his protection drove him now. His birth family had once abandoned him to his fate, but he would not abandon them to theirs—such was the greatness of Karna.
The Bard crossed out the last observation. No questions. No judgment. No praise, either. The canons would be free of all emotion. He wasn’t here to embellish history or glorify the history-makers, as some bards were wont to do. 
It wasn’t embellishment to write that the foothills of Cedi were drenched in the Soul Warrior’s blood. Or observe the gushing wounds on his body, despite his armor, that would make the hardiest of warriors bellow in agony, but not him. It wasn’t embellishment to write that the Heavens were empty for the Celestials had come to Earth to watch the battle, firelight cupped in their palms to light the warrior’s way. 
The Naga, the Serpent People, also looked on, hissing from the mouth of the portal that led to their underground realm beneath the hills. The Serpent King will not choose a side. Vrtra and Vala were half Naga, after all. All across the Human Realm, demons roamed free, taking advantage of the darkness and preying on human flesh and human souls. It was a terrible moment in history. The asuras had the upper hand in the eponymous age of Demon Kali.
Vala did not have arms and half a leg, but still he came at Karna. He had an ace up his sleeve. There were plenty of creatures about, an entire mountain close at hand. He began to chant the spell of soul transference. It was the darkest of all magic, the possession of another’s soul. Soon, he would be whole again and stronger than before.
Battered and bleeding, the Soul Warrior veered away from the Stone Demon. He leapt over boulders and charred vegetation. The onlookers called him a coward. Had he forfeit the duel? Has he forsaken mankind? 
Karna dove for Manav-astra, the spear of mankind, he’d thrown aside yesterday after his bow, Vijaya, had shattered under repeated use. In one smooth motion, he rolled, picked up the astra, coming up in the spear-thrower’s stretch. His tattered lower garment billowed about him as a gust of wind shot through the air. His muscled torso glistened with blood and sweat, tightened as he pulled the arm holding the spear back. 
He meant to throw Manav-astra at Vala. A futile attempt, to be sure? As long as Vala was made of stone, broken or not, his body was impregnable. Karna should have waited for Vala to transfer his soul to an onlooker. Then Karna should have vanquished the possessed creature. 
Taunting laughter reverberated through the foothills of Cedi. Vala had reached the same conclusion. The Celestials looked at each other in angry silence, unable to interfere. A dwanda-yuddha duel was fought between two opponents of equal size and strength alone. The humans hadn’t stopped screaming in three days, the din simply background noise now. 
The Bard scribbled the observations onto the parchment in no particular order. He wished he was a painter, for surely this was a picture worth a thousand words.
The demon hobbled toward the warrior, who stood still as stone with his arm drawn taught behind him. Then finally, with a roaring chant the Soul Warrior shifted his weight from his back leg to his front and let fly Manav-astra at the Stone Demon with all his remaining might. 
Karna didn’t wait to see the ramifications of his action. And there were plenty to come. He ran into the mountain cave to free Vala’s hostages. Within moments the rock face rent in half, and bright streams of light speared through the terrible darkness. A new day had dawned on the Human Realm after three days of perpetual night.
The sun’s power was too bright, too full of hope. Yet, the Bard looked on pensively, wondering if the Soul Warrior knew this wasn’t a victory. It was merely a reprieve.

About the Author:

Falguni Kothari is a New York-based South Asian author and an amateur Latin and Ballroom dance silver medalist with a semi-professional background in Indian Classical dance. She’s published in India in contemporary romance with global e-book availability; Bootie and the Beast (Harlequin Mills and Boon) and It’s Your Move, Wordfreak! (Rupa & Co.), and launches a mythic fantasy series with Soul Warrior (The Age of Kali, #1)

I’m embarrassed to admit how many social media accounts I own :

Website * BlogTwitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Pinterest










Talk back, I'm listening as always. Have a great day!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Interview with Andy James Trevors, Author of The Gaian Chronicles: Birth of Hope

 It was pleasure to contact this young man with creative writing skills along with with a positive view of his future-A.G.  

  1. Is your main character a composite of you or people you know? Does he/she have some characteristics that you wish you possess?

Rather than being a composite of just one person, I believe that my main character, all his behaviors, quirks, humor and persona, in general, are drawn from a wide range of persons.

Just like Damien, I have seen some of my friends in leadership positions that labor under the weight of expectation, of being that magical bullet that solves every problem. I have seen some friends that fall in love, like Damien, and how he nurtures that relationship does, admittedly, reflect some of my own personal beliefs.

Characteristics I wish I possess? Maybe strength in the face of adversity. Like every human being, I sometime suffer under the scorn of others or face a problem that feels insurmountable. However, if I possessed the power of whatever Damien faces in the world of Gaia (being the savior of humanity no less!) perhaps I will find a better life.

  1. If you had to rewrite the book now, would you change anything about it, such as adding another dimension to character?

Ah, God, I hate the word ‘rewriting’ by now! Readers don’t notice but I believe authors everywhere can sympathize with my plight. We rewrite the first time, then the second time then we lose count as we chisel here, nick and smoothen out the edges of our work. By now, my fingers are numb from the number of times I’ve written the same sentence again and again only to delete it afterward! Story of author’s lives sadly.

Anyways, rant over. If I could, maybe I would have made Damien grimmer? The novel does get quite dark in some places and maybe a protagonist that reflects the world around him might have been a better way to move the story forward.


  1. Do you plan on this being a series? If so, how many books do you think the series will be?

Yes I do! So the first book is entitled The Gaian Chronicles. I have written storylines needed for a trilogy or 6 book series, depending how well the first book does. If it sells well and readers and reviewers alike love it, I may bend towards a 6 book series. If not, then maybe 3 books is enough!

The second and third books already have titles. The second book will be entitled The Valkyrie Chronicles: Pinnacle of Dreams and the third is entitled The Earth Chronicles: Shadow of Despair. I hope readers and future fans of the series will anticipate what comes next for Damien and co.


  1. What are your ambitions for your writing career?

That’s the question, isn’t it? Your ambitions. Your dreams. What you want to achieve through writing. Well, I think the answer is simple. When people purchase and enjoy my stories, I’m happy and chalk it off as success. Of course, I won’t complain if I earn some money along the way.

Other than that, I hope to do this full time or at least balance this out part-time with other part-time projects I have in the pipeline.

  1. Which writers inspire you?

Oh, there are just so many. Let’s see…well the first author which introduced me to how fantasy should be written is Brent Weeks, author of the Night Angel Series (Way of Shadows, Edge of Shadows, and Beyond the Shadows). He introduces a diverse mix of characters, from the anti-hero Durzo Blint, the reluctant protagonist Kyler Stern plus the cunning Momma K etc.

Readers enjoy the characters and the complicated relationships each share. It helps that there is a coherent plot throughout all three books, an achievement in itself. Other than that, I enjoy the uplifting stories of Mitch Albom, especially Tuesdays with Morrie, and The Shack by William P. Young

Other fantasy cult favorites include George RR Martin and Stuart Hill (Author of the Cry of the Icemark Series).

  1. So, what have you written?

Before writing my first novel, I have written two novellas before this. The first one is a thriller entitled “Stab in the Back:” about a government assassin performing his last job before retirement and a happy life with his fiancé. The second one is entitled “Phae and the Sun Chariot”, which is an urban fantasy adventure about a godling called Phae, the son of the Greek God Helios and his quest to repair his father’s Sun Chariot.

If I were to say myself (without sounding too proud!), both novellas were minor successes. Both were available through Smashwords, iBookstore, Barnes and Noble and other ebook stores for free. In total, both have had over 1000 downloads and counting, which is considered, in my book, pretty swell for novels between 4-9 chapters long.




  1. What is it about?

It’s about a boy called Damien and his special ability to summon a beast called a Morphe. Morphes are a reflection of your inner being, a mirror of your unimaginable desires. Damien’s Morphe is a reflection of the emotion of Hope and, like his Morphe, he shoulders the hope of an entire galaxy that is afire due to the Vangarians, an alien race that also have the ability to summon Morphes.

The first book is based on just one planet called Gaia, where readers will be able to experience many wonderful sights such as the sand-blasted plains of the Tahiba dessert to the rocky and lava-flooded valleys of the Smulders. In the end, it’s a battle between good and evil, between hope and despair. But a lesson that I want my readers to learn is that sometimes, it’s not always that black and white. In war time, there are always shades of grey instead.


  1. What genre is your book?

Fantasy/Sci-Fi

  1. What draws you to this genre?

The fact that you can create worlds with just your imagination. I would be sitting down by the window, my head lolling in my hands, when suddenly inspiration would strike me! My mind would race, ideas would pop up like bubbles and webs are intricately spun in between these floating ideas to form the worlds, characters, desolation, happiness and relationships. An entire existence is created out of scratch. If that doesn’t excite anyone, I don’t know what does!

10.  What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
It was during my high school years that I realised that I enjoyed writing. I especially loved English class. There would be a time during class when we would be provided with an essay title which provides you the first line of a story, for example, and you just write! My creative endeavours grew incrementally during my school years and, when I went to uni, I flowered creatively which led me to release two successful novellas online
11.  Do you write full-time or part-time?
Part-time! But hopefully I can do this full time.
12.  Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
It’s just when I have free time, though I do try to write for at least 2 hours every morning before I go to uni. Mostly between 8am to 10am daily.
13.  Do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
It depends. I usually write 5 days a week every morning unless it’s a public or university holiday. Then I take a break. Writers are human too! We love holidays.
14.  Where do your ideas come from?
Some ideas on dialogue and the characters found in the book are based on my interactions with real life people. Some come from deliberate research, especially since it is sci-fic, I try to get my scientific facts right as much as possible. However, most of my ideas just come from my imagination, especially in world building. I hope readers will enjoy whatever my mind could conjure up J
15.  When is the book available?
The novel will be available in e-book copy on Amazon on the 15th of November 2015for PRE-ORDER. This will be to facilitate Kindle users first.The release date for the book is on the 1st of December 2015

For those with Apple or B&N devices, the novel will be available on the 10th of December 2015 for PRE-ORDER on iBook store and on B&N. The novel will be released for other devices on the 20th of December 2015.

So drop by and get your pre-order in for this marvelous book. You will be glad you did. Talk back, I'm listening and have a great day. A.G.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

EARTH by Caroline Allen-blog tour



Welcome to my tour stop of Earth by Caroline Allen, a literary fiction novel.  This is book 1 of the Elemental Journey series.  The tour runs from October 26-30 and the full schedule can be seen here.


Print: $15.99

eBook: $4.99

ASIN: B00SUWJ5FQ

Apple ID: 962247664

ePub ISBN: 978-1-62015-665-0

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-62015-651-3

Series Title: Elemental Journey series (Book One)

Winner of the 2015 Independent Publishers’ Gold Medal for Best Midwest Fiction. 

In rural Missouri in the 1970s, thirteen-year-old Pearl Swinton has just had her first mystical vision. There is no place for Pearl’s “gift” in the bloody reality of subsistence farming and rural poverty. As her visions unfold, she must find her way in a family and a community that react with fear and violence.

When Pearl discovers that her Aunt Nadine, the family shame, has a similar gift, she bicycles across the state to find her. That trip unexpectedly throws Pearl into a journey to save her runaway sister and sends her into a deep exploration of herself, her visions and her visceral relationship to the earth.

Told with fierce lyricism, Earth is a story about the importance of finding one’s own truth and sense of self in dire circumstances and against the odds. It is also a story about the link between understanding ourselves and our relationship with the earth.

In this first of the four-book Elemental Journey series that will follow Pearl across continents and into adulthood, Caroline Allen introduces a form of storytelling that is unflinching in its honesty, filled with compassion and underscored with originality.


EXCERPT

That King James Bible and an almanac were the only books we ever had in the house. Once, a hardbound Reader’s Digest Father had found in the woods, some of the pages so speckled with mold you could make out only sixty percent of the words. All my life I was starving for books. Hungry for story.

 I’d already read the Old Testament. After Meghan left, I’d locked myself in the bathroom and covered the begetting and begatting, brother killing brother, being forced off the land, tossed off the earth, ripped from the magic of the soil. Lobbing a rock, flailing a bit of a plow, cracking a sibling over the head. Blood flowing and soaking. Forced to roam. Some crazy, heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching universal plan.

 In my house, nobody ever told tales. It wasn’t just my parents. My relatives were all shut up too. The silence of my kinfolk wove core-deep. So few stories, you could fit them in the palm of your hand. Poor folk didn’t talk about themselves, wary of what specters such stories might invoke. I was surrounded by clenched jaws, thinned and bitter lips. My story was a lack of story, a poverty of legend, a dearth of poetry. I wanted to tell Mother that our being poor wasn’t just about food— we were starved for legend. 



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Caroline Allen worked in newsrooms across Asia and in London. She is now a novelist and visual artist who lives in rural Oregon. She is the founder of Art of Storytelling, a coaching service for writers. This is her first novel. To learn more about Caroline and the upcoming novels in the Elemental Journey series, visit:


GIVEAWAY


The prize will be a 9x12 original watercolor painting that was done as part of Op365, featured on www.carolineallen.com.   It has a retail value of $125.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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