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Book Spotlight: Last Star Standing

2/23/2021

0 Comments

 
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​Last Star Standing
By Spaulding Taylor
Genre: Soft Science Fiction/Speculative/Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic
 
About the Book
 
A post-apocalyptic Earth under alien rule. A lone wolf assassin with a chip on his shoulder. Can he find his way through a maze of deceit to victory?
 
 Aiden has always felt like an outsider. After the rebel operative is captured and imprisoned by the world’s galactic overlords, he awaits execution. Then a mole working for the occupying regime alerts him to a plot that could destroy the entire resistance... Engineering a daring escape, Aiden’s growing feud with the new rebel leader leaves him out in the cold – and smouldering with resentment. Faced with deceit and betrayals on every side, he recruits a group of overlooked outcasts and stakes everything on one last mission.
 
Can the restless, reckless Aiden take a stand long enough to save humanity from enslavement?

​

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​About the Author
 
Alice McVeigh was born in South Korea, of American diplomatic parents, and lived in Asia until she was 13, when the family returned to Washington D.C. She then fell in love with the cello, winning the Beethoven Society of Washington cello competition, and reaching the finals of the National Music Teachers Association Young Soloists national competition. After achieving a B.Mus. with distinction at the internationally acclaimed Jacobs School of Music, she came to London to study with Jacqueline du Pré and William Pleeth. Since then she has performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique all over Europe, America and Asia.
 
Her first two contemporary novels – While the Music Lasts and Ghost Music – were published by Orion Publishing/Hachette in the late 90s, and her first play (Beating Time) put on at the Lewisham Theatre. (The film rights to her first book were also sold, to Channel 4, but Mozart in the Jungle got there first!)  As well as performing, Alice has ghosted or edited over 200 books. She has also scribbled a witty guide to the orchestral profession: All Risks Musical, cartoons by Noel Ford. Her most recent novel, Last Star Standing, will be published by Unbound Publishing under her pen name, Spaulding Taylor, on February 21st, 2021.
 
Alice is married to Professor Simon McVeigh, and lives in London. They have one daughter, who just graduated from the University of Oxford, and a second home, by the sea in Crete. Apart from fiction, Alice’s greatest enthusiasms involve playing chamber music, dachshunds and tennis. (She is a powerful but notably inaccurate tennis player, with the distinction of being ladies’ singles runner-up four years in succession at the - very - local Farnborough Tennis Club.)
 
 
Website: www.alicemcveigh.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicemcveighauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcveigh.alice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/astmcveigh1
Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/Alice-Mcveigh/e/B07TDKZPVT?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1610184384&sr=1-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1108881.Alice_McVeigh
 
 
 
Excerpt:
 
I caught hold of something, something which must have blended into its
background so perfectly that I hadn’t even spotted it. Something
alive, nestling under the co-pilot’s seat.
 
I couldn’t believe it. A live gromeline. Trembling, possibly with
fury, and trying in vain to squeeze back. Grabbing my trophy – I
could feel its hot little heart throbbing like an injury against my
palm – I hopped out of the plane so fast that my wound protested.
 
‘Bully!’
 
Bully raised one eyebrow. Two would have been overkill.
‘Bully, you are not going to believe this. I found a gromeline!’
The gromeline – only about fifteen centimetres – bit my finger,
hard, even though I could have easily crushed its entire body with
my fist – and probably would have, were I a real tester.
 
Feisty little gromeline. I flicked it lightly with my sausage-
sized finger. When it protested, I growled, ‘Cheese it, munchkin,’
though I could feel it struggling obstreperously against my palm.
 
Bully was intrigued.
‘Is it genuine?’
 
‘Of course it’s genuine. It just fucking bit me.’
 
Bully probably considered this no proof. But they’re rarer than
clean air these days and his fascination was obvious. (Gromelines come
from the farthest galaxy so far discovered, can speak any tongue
and own enviable mental powers. They are also brave to the point
of stupidity and ludicrously small. This one was mouse-coloured
– they can be spectacular – with tiny red eyes. Few humans have
ever seen one.)
 
‘What on Earth was Ho Chi doing with a gromeline?’
 
It was a reasonable question. A mission was no place for such
a valuable alien. Could have been bounced to pieces, even during
that feather-silk landing. I leaned down. ‘Did you stowaway on
Ho Chi’s blinguard?’ I asked, but it just slit its eyes, pursed its lips
and glared at me.
 
Bully trotted to his backpack and removed a small bag.
‘Shove it in here. Not even a gromeline could tunnel out of that.
Once we’ve had something to eat, we can find out what it knows.’
 
With some difficulty we succeeded in loosing the little creature
inside, where it immediately started gnawing on a corner.
 
‘You sure it can’t just chew itself out?’ I asked.
 
‘Not unless it’s got a small but serviceable nuclear device.'

0 Comments

Review: Factor 7

2/5/2021

1 Comment

 
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​CLICK TO PURCHASE!
│ Amazon│ Kobo│ Barnes and Noble│

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You know those gripping action movies that seem to have a little bit of everything? Factor 7 is basically that, right down to the thrills that keep you turning each page to find out more. Lucky for me, I've been looking for more of a thrilling read lately to cleanse my reading palate. 

I found the characters of the doctors, Sam Hawkins and Rainee Arienzo, to have been written so well and in a captivating manner. Anyone who reads my blog knows that I am a character-driven reader. If I don't like the characters, I basically can't really like the book. What I found in Factor 7 was a pair of characters I cared about and who found themselves unwilling partners in a grand adventure - so much of my reading catnip consists of this premise right here. 

The backdrops, each place that was visited, and the scientific background of the story were all so well researched. Don't let that make you think that the story reads sterile or cold at times - it does not at all! Instead, just like a thriller of an action movie, it adds seasoning to a very well told story. 

There is a love affair in this story. I mention this because it some people might see this as a hindrance. If you take a look at my blog, you will see that I most certainly see this as a plus (haha). 

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspenseful, gripping read. You will not regret it!

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◆  WEBSITE  ◆ EMAIL authorjdmay@gmail.com◆ 
◆ FACEBOOK  ◆  TWITTER ◆
◆  INSTAGRAM  ◆  GOODREADS  ◆
 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
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TWO GRANDPRIZE (US only):
Signed Paperback + Coffee Mug, Coaster, Pen, Tote Bag, Travel Mug, & Bookmark
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Ends Midnight, CST, February 12, 2021
​

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a Rafflecopter giveaway
CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE
FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, 
or visit the blogs directly:
 
 
2/2/21
Excerpt
Hall Ways Blog

2/3/21
Character Interview
The Adventures of a Travelers Wife

2/4/21
Review
Jennie Reads

2/5/21
Review
Book Fidelity

2/6/21
Video Interview
All the Ups and Downs

2/7/21
Guest Post
Forgotten Winds

2/8/21
Review
The Clueless Gent

2/9/21
Author Interview
It's Not All Gravy

2/10/21
Review
Reading by Moonlight

2/11/21
Review
Chapter Break Book Blog
​
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1 Comment

Book Spotlight: The Kingdom Under Siege

1/11/2021

0 Comments

 
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The Kingdom Under Siege
By Steven Szmyt
Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy 
 
About the Book
 
The pieces have fallen after the battle at Elm Hills and the Kingdom’s two biggest foes, the Prominent Order and the Wanderers, have regrouped to plan their retaliation.  With help from unlikely sources, the Kingdom’s hierarchy is threatened as it also uncovers one of the boldest coups it has ever faced.
 
Meanwhile, a key young potential has fled from the Kingdom which has created a ripple effect of dangerous events that the Wolf King must navigate through. As Anne learns more about werewolf lore an unusual ally is revealed. She must also overcome the greatest deception she has ever encountered, a deception that will have every Kingdom member questioning its own.
 
This powerful lycan syndicate must unleash all of its might to survive or the future of the Kingdom will finally lie in the hands of its enemies. Even if the Wolf King and his soldiers can endure, these historic events could change the future of the Kingdom as they know it.
 
Author Steven Szmyt blends the modern era and familiar locations with ancient legends and warm characters to make you wonder, “What if werewolves existed?” Follow the continuing tale of the Wolf King as he defends his Kingdom against rival wolf packs while keeping his ancient society hidden from human civilization.
 

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About the Author
 
A native New Englander, author Steven Szmyt lives in Portsmouth New Hampshire with his wife and two daughters.
 
Inspired by the writings of Stephen King, J.R.R Tolkien and Clive Cussler, he attended Notre Dame College then transferred to the Maine College of Art where he honed his artistic creativeness.  
 
After a few other ventures, Szmyt focused on writing. Starting many stories but never completing, he became frustrated. One cold winter evening, he experienced a brief but vivid dream. He got out of bed, fired up his computer and started typing.  His wife woke up a few hours later to find him working feverishly over a growing manuscript. During the next several weeks, he wrote tirelessly before and after work.  
 
“The story just wrote itself, I was compulsive, I wanted to know where it was going to lead me,” he says. The work he was doing would become his first novel, “The Kingdom.”
 
Steven is an avid cyclist and is frequently found on the roads surrounding Portsmouth.  He plays piano and drums, and is learning guitar along with his youngest daughter.  His passion is rescuing Doberman Pinschers. 
 
Book Two: The Kingdom Under Siege, promises to give readers an intriguing re-entry, a dramatic delve into darker areas of the story, and breathtaking ending to Book One: The Kingdom.  
 
Links
 
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q6SVN1P?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
FB: https://www.facebook.com/steven.szmyt.1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/molyoy
Website: http://www.stevenszmyt.com/about.html
B & N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kingdom-steven-szmyt/1126122012
​​

0 Comments

Book Blitz: Rain on Neptune

7/19/2018

2 Comments

 
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Rain on Neptune
by Lisa Jade
Genre: Sci Fi, Dystopian
 
In the city of Pyre, only those with excellent genetics can visit Earth’s colony planets, including the legendary Orithyia. Those without this advantage live in relative poverty, under the forceful control of the Council.
Quinn isn’t one of Pyre’s elite, though she’s desperate to see the stars. After an incident with the Council’s thugs, she stows away on the latest ship to launch, the Neptune.
But when a series of deadly ‘accidents’ occur on board, Quinn and her new friends must figure out who’s orchestrating the attacks – and why.
 
About the Author

Lisa Jade is a fiction writer based in the UK. She lives in Shropshire with her husband and mostly writes Science Fiction, Dystopian and Post-apocalyptic fiction. With two novels already available, she is currently working on a number of new projects.
Having joined her local writer’s group, Lisa has been involved with the creation of annual anthologies, as well as attending and hosting writing workshops. She also regularly takes part in flash fiction competitions and has had a number of pieces of short fiction published.

https://www.facebook.com/LisaJadeBooks/
https://lisajade.net

Amazon UK - https://amzn.to/2meayNv
Amazon US - https://amzn.to/2N8RVWA
Goodreads - https://bit.ly/2mehn1x
 
Excerpt

I wait until the early hours before sneaking out. I creep down the stairs and past Dad’s room, reassured by his squeaky snoring, and pull my rucksack from the cupboard. I try to be even quieter than normal tonight – Alice decided to stay over for once, dozing in the box room that sits upstairs, next to mine. Perhaps she sensed some tension between the two of us and took it on herself to provide a barrier to keep us from clashing. I’ll never call her out on it, but secretly I’m immensely grateful.
Even so, I don’t want her to know where I’m going. If they wake in the night, they’ll know exactly where to find me; but they have no clue how often I’m out here. How often I slip away.
There’s an absolute silence over Level Four as I make my way towards the edge. Despite the warm day, the night is bitterly cold. I tug my jacket a little tighter around myself.
Eventually, I reach a rusted sign. DANGER – KEEP OUT is scrawled across it in what looks like spray paint. A half-hearted, last-ditch effort to keep people like me away from the Drop-off.
None of the Levels have external fences. The floor simply drops away into the darkness, meaning that a drunken stumble or accidental misstep can spell disaster. It’s not quite so bad on the upper Levels – they’re smaller, so falling just means you hit the next floor down. It’s still certain death of course, but here? When there’s nothing but miles of ocean below and no way of being found?
Only a lunatic would come out here.
I nudge past the sign and keep walking.
 
The Drop-off.
Here, the lights of Pyre fall away. The cobbles underfoot sink down into a smooth, white tile. This tile is always underfoot in Pyre, though it’s usually disguised by concrete or shrubbery. Sometimes, it’s bizarre to think about it. Pyre is just a massive airship floating over the Atlantic – and yet, somehow, it’s become a country in its own right.
But I don’t care about that – not right now.
Because as the lights fade, and the chaos of the day sinks back into the folds of my memory, I’m captivated by the stars.
The sky overhead is inky blackness decorated with a tapestry of stars. Swathes of deep blue and indigo swirl above me, highlighted every so often by a splash of pink. The lonely moon resembles a silver disc that sinks into the glittering canvas. And the stars themselves – a million tiny, indifferent specks, images created a billion years ago. Many are already dead, burnt out millions of years ago. In their place are millions of others, stars I’ll never see, patterns that will cascade through the sky like brushstrokes on a scorched, blackened wall.
I can’t help it. When I think about the beauty that must be out there, how long a simple thing might take, how impossible it all seems – I’m filled with strange emotions.
​
Excitement. Ambition. Hope. And a wonderful, indescribable, near-painful sense of joy.

2 Comments

Review: To Find You

11/4/2016

2 Comments

 
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To Find You
by Cerece Rennie Murphy

Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: November 29, 2016
 
Two Souls
One Desire
To Find Each Other...Again
 
The journey begins with Ama and Ekow ~ Two lovers betrothed, then torn apart by an enemy disguised as a friend. And in the midst of an unthinkable bargain, their freedom is sold for a bag of gold.

But what their enemies thought would break them only unleashed a power greater than life itself.
​
From the ancient shores of Ghana to the streets of pre-colonial India,
From the burning embers of Oahu to the heart of a nation’s capitol,
Their souls risked war, death, and betrayal to bend destiny to their will.
 
Will they survive?
Will they succeed?
 
Join them on this timeless journey and see…


Review

​First of all - can we talk about that gorgeous cover??? I know people say not to judge a book by its cover, but we have to admit that the cover is what draws us in most of the time. And that up there, dear reader, is a fantastic cover. Gorgeous. 

Okay, now on to the book. Murphy does a fantastic job writing a well-thought out and thought-provoking novel. The teaser tempts us with describing this work as a timeless tale and it is so fitting, because together (and separately) with Ama and Ekow, we travel to distant lands and times to find out their story. What the reader might be surprised in realizing is that we get the story through 4 individually told tales. There is dealings with reincarnation, so you don't let go of the characters of each story. Entwined and connected, Ama and Ekow somehow find their way back to each other. 

Is this book a romance? Fantasy? Science Fiction? All of the above? I think that is for the reader to decide. Although the reader can definitely tell there is a formula to each story, I did not find that it took away from the main concept of these two lovers finding their way back to each other. If anything, it cemented the idea of soulmates for me. Murphy is able to tell this tale without it seeming cliche. If anything, it felt monumental - important. So, whether it's the love story or the concepts of reincarnation and fantasy that get you hooked - no worries. It is definitely a work to be read. 
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About the Author

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Cerece Rennie Murphy fell in love with writing and science fiction at an early age.  It’s a love affair that has grown ever since.
​
In addition to working on the release of the 2nd book in the Ellis and The Magic Mirror children’s book series with her son, Mrs. Murphy is developing a 2-part science fiction thriller set in outer space.  Mrs. Murphy lives and writes in her hometown of Washington, DC with her husband, two children and the family dog, Yoda.  To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, please visit her website at www.cerecerenniemurphy.com.
 
Twitter: @cerecermurphy
https://www.facebook.com/Cerece-Rennie-Murphy-205753729546299/

www.cerecerenniemurphy.com

2 Comments
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