Off Planet Aileen Erin Published by: Ink Monster LLC Publication date: November 28th 2017 Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
From USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Erin
Maite Martinez has always yearned for more than waitressing in a greasy diner on the polluted ruins of planet Earth. Hiding her special abilities is a full-time job on its own, even with the government distracted by the mysterious alien race – the Aunare.
When a SpaceTech officer gets handsy with her, she reacts without thinking. Breaking his nose might not have been her smartest move. Now she’s faced with a choice: serious jail time working in a chain gang on a volcano planet or join the corporate army to fight against the impending war with the Aunare. It’s really no choice at all.
As with everything in her life, Maite quickly realizes that the war with the Aurnare isn’t what it seems. And Lorne, the Aunare prince, keeps popping up everywhere she goes. Being seen with him could get her in even deeper trouble with her commanders, but he’s the first person who sees through the wall she’s built around herself and she can’t bring herself to send him away.
When the situation between SpaceTech and the Aunare escalates, Maite has a way to end the war before it even begins. There’s only one question: Can she stop the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?
Author Bio:
Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.
GROND: The Raven High Yuri Hamaganov
Publication date: February 28th 2017
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
In the year 2086, Earth is exhausted. The seas have been emptied, the bedrock and soil stripped of their resources, and the superheated atmosphere churns with terrible storms. Those who can afford to do so live in the limbo of virtual reality, and the billions who suffer in poverty have no work, no clean water, and no security from the chaos.
The only hope for those trapped on a dying Earth are the Changed—the seven bioengineered post-humans who work in their separate manufacturing facilities orbiting high above the planet. Raised from birth for their work and fully matured at ten years old, their genius provides the nanomaterials that have begun to cleanse Earth of the pollutants that have wiped out almost the entire ecosphere.
But for Olga Voronov, youngest of the Changed, the isolation and endless toil are not the greatest of her challenges. Down on Earth there are those who resent and fear her talents—and would prefer that humanity not be given the second chance that only she could make possible …
…The orbital cannon, flying five hundred kilometers over the High House, readily obeyed the code introduced by Petrov, coming under his command in manual mode. He didn’t have to switch on the long-range radars since the House’s path was fixed and the curator only needed to introduce the station’s coordinates. Then he watched as the thirty-meter barrel turned on its electric drives.
He switched on the precise guidance telescope. What was left now was to aim at the ship moored to the axis. The cannon’s guidance system would independently calculate the required lead. Now the thin red lines were coming together on the Swan’s bow, where Petrov hoped the control post was. He didn’t want to hit the reactor compartment.
The cannon accumulators fully charged; the fragmentary round was in the barrel. The target was attached to the High House and therefore couldn’t evade, and it wasn’t protected by jamming. Everything promised an ideal shot.
“Well, dear citizens engaged in alcoholism, hooliganism, and parasitism!” Petrov announced with unconcealed relish. “Time for the fate you so richly deserve!”
A space artillery gun is an inconspicuous thing. It fires without a bright flash or deafening sound of a shot. But the shell, boosted by the pulse-driven electrode accelerator, rushed to the target at a speed of eighty kilometers per second.
“Ensign Voronov is calling Electra Donovan. Over.” Olga’s voice was even as usual, showing no emotions.
“Wha-a-a-t? You’re still alive?”
Olga smiled wryly and looked out the porthole.
“Alive, my friend. And now I’ll show you my funny trick!”
“Beautiful!” Olga exclaimed, watching with admiration as bow of the Black Swan shattered to hundreds of glittering fragments. The shell that hit the yacht exploded inside it, producing thousands of splinters in the shape of curved saber. They cut through everything on their way—partitions, equipment, spacesuits, human bodies … The maneuvering engines and oxygen tanks exploded. The controls inside the ship threw off showers of sparks. The dazzling flame flared up and died out. The metal and ceramite bulged outward, then came apart in a donut-shaped ring of shrapnel. Only the reactor compartment, protected by armor, survived. The High House’s docking unit was damaged, but it was of no significance now.
With the destruction of the generator, the pain vanished like a nightmare. Olga regained control of the station and immediately introduced new security codes that would make any further hacking impossible. Simultaneously an SOS signal and an encoded short message detailing the attack on the station left for Earth…
Digging in the Stars Katherine Blakeney
Published by: Blaze Publishing
Publication date: March 28th 2017
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
A lost ancient civilization and the tomb of a legendary king lie buried beneath centuries of ash on the volcanic planet Thror, but that’s not the only reason sixteen-year-old Carter has tricked her Archaeology of Outer Space class into coming here. Her best friend Conrad has just disappeared on a trip to Thror, leaving behind little more than a broken vintage camera. The strange and disturbing photographs she manages to extract make her suspect Conrad’s disappearance is somehow connected to the hidden tomb of the last king of Thror.
Unfortunately, the ludicrously over-friendly ‘Furry Giants’ who have taken over the planet’s barren surface would rather offer her cheap souvenirs than answers, and the local officials insist they have no record of Conrad’s existence. Inspired by fear for Conrad’s life and the chance to make the greatest archaeological discovery of the century, Carter and her friends follow Conrad’s footsteps deep into the mountains of Thror’s forbidden Black Zone and launch an illicit excavation.
Coded messages, stunning ancient ruins, and clues left by Conrad himself begin to surface as the young archaeologists fall victim to an alarming series of accidents staged by the increasingly hostile Furry Giants. Piecing together a history of dictatorship, terrorism and disguise, Carter glimpses the horrors beyond Thror’s flamboyant façade and startling revelations about the friend she thought she knew. The masks of Thror hide devastating secrets, and the golden tomb buried deep in the frozen core may claim the lives of everyone she loves.
“Please remain seated as we begin our descent into Thror. Welcome, and enjoy your stay.”
The time for action was at hand, and she still didn’t feel ready. The flight felt much shorter than she’d expected.
The girls exchanged bewildered looks across the aisles. Stunned silence. They couldn’t have missed that final announcement. Avoiding Professor P’s gaze, Carter still felt the look of shock the professor shot across the cabin. Once, Carter had seen herself arriving on Thror as a great explorer. Instead, she would be remembered as a half-baked deceiver and kidnapper. The Throrians would have called her a scent-changer.
* * *
Carter had been so close to her goal. She saw that crack with her own eyes, a portal into a lost ancient world, chambers filed with carvings, images that had never been recorded or reproduced. The greatest discovery of this or any other century, waiting less than twenty feet away. Waiting for her. And Conrad had been there first. The moment she thought it, she felt guilty. She was allowing herself to get carried away by archaeological fervor, mentally competing with Conrad, when he might have paid a terrible price for his discovery.
Author Bio: I am an author and independent filmmaker/stop motion animator with a BFA in Stop Motion Animation from the School of Visual Arts in New York and a PhD in Film Studies from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland, UK). My thesis focuses on silent film adaptations of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Gothic novels, with a special emphasis on psychological and aesthetic representations of the Monster figure. My debut novel, a YA Sci-Fi adventure called Digging in the Stars, is forthcoming with Blaze Publishing on March 28, 2017.
Raised by an Egyptologist mother, I grew up among museums and excavation sites, where I developed an unhealthy fascination with ancient art and mythology. I divide my time between bringing 12”-tall people to life in my studio in Edinburgh, excavating ancient tombs in the Egyptian desert, and researching Gothic literary monsters in silent film. I have worked for more than 10 years as photographer and videographer for the South Asasif Conservation Project, an archaeological expedition in Egypt and I have published numerous articles on film and archaeology.
I write, direct, design, and animate short films and commissioned projects in my studio in Edinburgh, Scotland and have been employed as an animator, screenwriter, modelmaker and art director for studios in Edinburgh, South Korea and Qatar. I have produced commissioned projects for IdeasTap in London, the Arts Trust Scotland and the British Library. My shorts have won competitions and screened at various international festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2015, my short film The Burglar With the Yellow Hand was nominated for an Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK) Research in Film Award.
You can find out more about all aspects of my work on my website, http://yorwickcastle.com
My new blog http://KatherineBlakeneyStardigger.blogspot.com is all about Digging in the Stars and my references and inspirations as a writer.
Title: Traveller - Inceptio Author: Rob Shackleford Blurb:If you were sent a thousand years into the past, would you survive? With
the accidental development of the Transporter, university researchers
determine that the device sends any subject one thousand years into the
past. Or is it to a possible past? The enigmatic Transporter soon becomes known as a Time Machine, but with limitations. An
audacious research project is devised to use the Transporter to
investigate Medieval Saxon England, when a crack international team of
Special Services soldiers undergo
intensive training for their role as historical researchers. The special researchers, called Travellers, are to be sent into what is a very dangerous period in England's turbulent past. From
the beaches of Australia to the forests of Saxon England, Traveller -
Inceptio reveals how Travellers soon learn that they need more than
combat skills and modern
technology to survive the trails of early 11th Century life.
Author Bio: I'm
an English-born Australian, having emigrated with my parents as 10
pound poms when I was only 3. While I have lived most of my life in
Australia, I have also lived
in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. I have had a varied career that has
included Customs Officer, Scuba Instructor, College Teacher and
management roles in far too many places, mainly in IT and the Media. I
have a couple of boring old degrees in the Arts and Business. The
not-so-boring parts might be that I am mad keen on travel, Scuba diving,
Family History, martial arts,
astronomy, and playing drums - Djembe and Congas. I am father of two as well as my partner's two - all are great early 20's guys and girls. I currently live on the Gold Coast
in Queensland, Australia
The monk stood before Michael
and wept in an open-mouthed cry that looked unlike grief or fear but
looked more like … joy? He didn’t appear to be as afraid for his life as
one would have thought when confronted by an
armed man in the depths of the forest.
To make matters even more
disconcerting, he moved forward until his face was but a hand’s breadth
away from Michael. There was an impression of rotten teeth and bad
breath, an almost a physical assault from which he immediately
recoiled. Many of the monk’s teeth were missing. Obviously he rarely
shaved as his face was covered with stubble that could have been blonde
or grey, so his age was almost impossible to determine. Thick, grey
hairs and pocked blackheads decorated the end of
his bulbous nose as pale grey eyes gazed adoringly up at the newcomer.
As the monk wept, Michael froze uncomfortably.
Without warning, the monk moved
as if to give Michael a hug and it was all he could do to fend the
smaller man off with raised hands. Thankfully he stopped at the last
moment. There was no desire for any close contact
with the damp wool that stank heavily. Quickly Michael scanned his
surrounds as he realised this monk would be a perfect distraction for
brigands, for he was completely immobilised by the man’s emotional
reaction. As he watched aghast, the sobbing monk sank
slowly to his knees while his eyes never left Michael’s face. Tears
poured down his weathered, whiskered cheeks and soon the childlike
weeping began to distress. Michael had seen weeping in many places;
weeping of mothers for sons, of fathers for children,
but nothing quite as mysterious as this. He crouched in front of the
monk and reached to touch the man’s grubby hands, his other hand still
on his short-sword, just in case.
He reached out a comforting hand to have it grasped and held by the monk’s hard, heavily veined hands , hands with swollen arthritic knuckles aggravated
by a life of hard physical labour. Before he could react, the monk
kissed his hand passionately. He felt the bristly face and a damp
slobber of snot and his initial reaction to pull away. He uncomfortably
patted the monk’s shoulder and made soothing noises
before he retrieved his hand and stood as he encouraged the other to
rise. More kisses were threatened, so he hurriedly addressed the monk in
Latin, supposing he could speak the lingua franca of clergy throughout
Christendom. “Peace be unto you brother,” he
said as he gave his slobbered hand a tactful wipe on the seat of his
breaches.
“And to you” was the automatic
sobbed response. There was an accent and the words were understood
though, at first, difficult to decipher.
“What is your name?” asked Michael.
“My name?” the monk asked in a
daze as if stunned at such a question. “Oeric, Lord, Brother Oeric,” he
replied quietly as he briefly averted his eyes.
“Oeric. Greetings Brother Oeric
my name is ..” and he paused. He knew it was best to provide his name in
a format best suited to the local language. “My name is Michael.” He
pronounced it ‘Meekal’ to give the pronunciation
that he assumed would suit.
At the name, Brother Oeric
wailed loudly and again placed his trembling, worn hands over his face.
Before Michael could react, the man again fell to his knees and bent to
place his face onto the leaf litter. Michael again
scanned the surrounding forest uncomfortably.
Indeed, they were alone.
He knelt and awkwardly patted
the prostrate Brother Oeric on the shoulder. “Oeric, Brother Oeric, is
something wrong? Why do you weep? Come now, stand and tell me, what is
the matter?”
After a titanic struggle,
Brother Oeric managed to retain some control. Rising to his knees he
wiped his freely running nose and eyes on the cloth that hung over his
chest, a simple square of wool with a head hole that
was his scapula, designed to protect his long brown tunic. Michael noted
the silver line of snot and decided that if another hug was attempted,
that was good enough reason to keep the monk at arm’s-length. Brother
Oeric wore a simple, one-piece robe of rough,
raw, dark-brown wool that enabled him to blend effectively with the
forest. Attached to his scapula was a cowl or large hood to offer
protection from snow or rain in a fashion similar to the hood Michael
wore on his own cloak. Michael watched the small man
clutch his shaking hands together in a moment of muttered prayer before
he looked up again. “Lord I give thanks that you are here”, he said with
eyes that were again downcast. He paused and gazed adoringly at
Michael, a look that was supposed to be a quick
glance but which ended in a stare akin to wonder.
Daybreak Cheree Alsop
(Girl from the Stars #1)
Publication date: October 7th 2015
Genres: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Liora Day, half-human, half mess-with-her-and-you’ll-die Damaclan, had been thrown onto a rough path at a very early age. But when she is broken out of a cage by Devren, the young captain of the SS Kratos, she is shown that perhaps humanity does have a heart. The Kratos is set on a mission to rescue fallen surveyors from the Revolutionaries, and Liora is given the choice to follow her Damaclan instincts, or trust Devren’s dark eyes and captivating smile that promise an adventure unlike any she has ever experienced.
Liora twisted the bent end inward until she felt the teeth slide free. She slipped the bar from the handcuff and let it fall off her wrist. In two more seconds, the other cuff was on the floor.
The lock of her cage proved to be more difficult. Luckily, Liora had the two pieces of the tweezers to work with. She bent the second one to match the angle of the first. Following the same steps the apprentice had done so many times, Liora pushed the bent end of the first piece into the lock opposite the pins. She turned it slowly upward until it was in tension.
Inserting the second piece, Liora raked it slowly along the pins. The small metal on metal sound set Liora’s nerves on end. If Malivian found out what she was doing, she would be tortured again. The voice in the back of her mind whispered that perhaps she wouldn’t survive a second round.
A subtle, metallic click sounded. Liora’s heart jumped. She pushed at the bars. Her breath caught in her throat when the door swung outward. Liora stepped onto the cold floor and stumbled lightheadedly. She caught herself on the next cage, pushed upright, and ran down the hall.
The alarm sounded when she hit the button for the hatch to open. As soon as the gap was wide enough, Liora jumped out. Her feet, then her knees, hit the deck of Gaulded Zero Twenty-One. She shoved up to her feet once more and ran past the other starships.
Even at the late hour, the Gaulded’s landing deck was filled with activity. It appeared the Kratos and Kirkos weren’t the only ships who had been attacked. Blow torches, plasma cutters, and blazers filled the contained air inside the Gaulded’s hold with the acrid scent of metal. The sound of mallets and hand saws sounded from every corner.
Crew members of the ships Liora passed turned to watch her go. She felt conspicuous and alone as she darted between space crafts and around repair gear. A giant pallet of artillery swung over her head. Liora ducked and made her way along the stripped hull of a Copper Crow painted to look like an iridescent fish. The name Space Poseidon glowed near the hatch.
Liora ran around the corner and slammed into Devren.
“I was about to come looking for you—” he began.
Tariq cut him off. “Dev, her face.”
Devren gently pushed her back so he could see her better. Liora dropped her gaze at his gentle probing.
“Malivian did this to you?” he asked.
The anger in his voice made Liora look up. Devren appeared ready to kill someone.
“Calm down,” Tariq told him. “Let’s get her to the ship. It’s the only place we’ll have leverage.”
Devren put a protective arm around Liora. Tariq walked behind them like a bodyguard. Liora felt as though she had entered some different reality. Somehow, even with the thought of Malivian coming after her, she felt safe between the two humans who had entered her life by accident.
Author Bio:
Cheree Alsop is an award-winning, best-selling author who has published over 30 books, including two series through Stonehouse Ink. She is the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and laughter. She is married to her best friend, Michael, the light of her life and her soulmate who shares her dreams and inspires her by reading the first drafts and giving much appreciated critiques. Cheree is a fulltime author and mother, which is more play than work! She enjoys reading, traveling to tropical beaches, spending time with her children, and going on family adventures while planning her next book. Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out, enjoy the outdoors, plan great quests, and never stop dreaming. You can find Cheree's other books at www.chereealsop.com
Clan Realm Lovejoy
Publication date: November 12th 2013
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
“Highly enjoyable, thought-provoking sci-fi by an author with considerable talent and promise.”–Kirkus Reviews
____
Clans are Unity.
No variation. No deviation.
On Clades, to be a Clan is to be an exact copy. A perfect society cloning themselves to survive, even as the zombielike Frags threaten to overrun them on an unforgiving planet.
Clan 1672 (privately known as Twain) was never supposed to survive the Incubation Tank. But he did. Illegally. He is different from the other Clans.
A secret that could destroy him.
A glitch. Being a glitch was somewhat bearable, but an intentional glitch was not. Twigg had told Father Krume and Brisbane that Twain had been an accident. Twain wanted to believe that he had been locked up because Twigg had wanted to protect him, not because Twigg had wanted to cage him like some sort of sick scientific experiment. All those years he had spent, hidden—agonized by solitude…
“Son.” His sponsor stood at the door. “Mandy reported to me that you’ve thrown away dinner two nights in a row. Don’t tell me you’ve got nausea again.”
Twain eyed his sponsor’s silhouette. “Father, are there other mutants besides us?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“We were wondering—someone mentioned that there were more.”
Twigg eyed him sharply. “Who told you this? I knew the Contribution Center was dangerous for you…”
“We didn’t catch his number.”
“I have never seen another mutant and neither have you. Are you sure you didn’t get the Clan’s number?”
Something about the tone of Twigg’s voice gave Twain the feeling that he shouldn’t talk about it anymore. “We honestly don’t know. We’re all the same after all.”
Author Bio:
Realm Lovejoy is an American writer and an artist. She grew up in both Washington State and the Japanese Alps of Nagano, Japan. Currently she lives in Seattle and works as an artist in the video game industry. CLAN is her first book. You can find out more about her and her book at realmlovejoy.com
Blurb: Seventeen-year-old Max has always felt like an outsider. When the
agonizing apocalyptic visions begin, he decides suicide is his only
escape. He soon finds himself in an institution under the guidance of a
therapist who sees something exceptional in him. Just as he begins to
leave the hallucinations behind, Max discovers the visions weren't just
in his head. There are three others who have shared those same
thoughts and they've been searching for Max. Like him, they are
something more than human. Each of them possesses certain abilities,
which they're going to need when a covert military group begins hunting
them down. As the danger escalates, Max doesn’t know which side to trust. But in the end, his choice will decide the fate of both species.
Okay, for once, I will get straight to the point: the blurb of this book doesn't prepare you for the total badassery of this short novel. I have warned you!
The Enemy Within got me hooked right away, I totally fell for the whole "crazy-visions-that-are-more-than-visions". I like the quartet made up of Max, Vincent, Jamie and Noah and I must say that - although short - the author managed to decently develop his characters. The sci-fi/ paranormal element was nicely woven into the story in a way that felt very harmonious.
The only thing that I felt the novel was a bit lacking was the level of the detail. The world-building is there but at times lacked substance, so much that sometimes I found it difficult to place a given scene or scenes....basically everything that was happening was happening on a blurry background. And the lack of detail made itself felt on a plot level too.I would have greatly appreciated some more detailed explanation on the background of the other race, why both parties (aliens & humans) acted the way they did and so on.
The final twist was good but I must say it it felt a tidbit too rushed. Still, the novel is enjoyable and I'd advice sci-fi fans to give it a try!
Blurb:Orion is a Subpar,
expected to mine the tunnels of Outpost Five, near the deadly flash
curtain. For generations, her people have chased cirium—the only element
that can shield humanity from the curtain’s radioactive particles. She
and her caving partner, Dram work the most treacherous tunnel, fighting
past flash bats and tunnel gulls, in hopes of mining enough cirium to
earn their way into the protected city. But when newcomers arrive
at Outpost Five, Orion uncovers disturbing revelations that make her
question everything she thought she knew about life on both sides of the
cirium shield. As conditions at the outpost grow increasingly
dangerous, it’s up to Orion to forge a way past the flashfall, beyond
all boundaries, beyond the world as she knows it.
Author Bio:Jenny is the author of
YA sci-fi/fantasy FLASHFALL, coming from Macmillan/Holt. She
lives with her filmmaker husband and their three boys in Des Moines. Find out more at http://www.jennymoyer.com and connect with Jenny on Twitter and Facebook.
Fact: This book got me hooked from chapter 1.
Flasfall turned out
to be an highly entertaining action packed novel. There were lots of
"hold your breath" moments and I must admit that I never got bored...not
ever once! Some action scenes were a bit confusing but still very
enjoyable. I also found the book quite original (it is not like I read
books about miners every day lol) with definitely some interesting
elements.
The writing style was clear, detailed and flowed easily.
The world-building wasn't bad at all, confusing at first it got better
along the way. Some things could have been explained better (the
conjies' bonding traditon too, I sort of get it but some further
explanation wouldn't have hurt.) Let's say that there is room for
improvement---overall I don't feel like complaining too much about it.
The
characters were developed (at least those that lasted more than a
couple of pages) and I appreciated everyone of them, if in different
ways.
I loved Orion and her strength and will to fight for her
dreams. Dram was....Hell, what can I say? He is such a cutie (but in a
good way, definitely in a good way!) and He & Orion (nicknamed Ray)
were a great pleasure to read. Besides their dark humor was just perfect
and I loved,loved it.
The bad guys were bad enough, in fact I was
really looking forward to see some of them dead...or badly hurt.
Er...better dead. (I'd have throttled Cranny myself...)
If I'm to voice a complain I'd choose:
-
Too many people dropping dead like flies!
Really I'm usually all for
blood and gore, doom & gloom but here...at some point I did not know
if I was supposed to cry or to laugh. Besides I was very disappointed
to see two interesting characters die (view spoiler).
I'm not sure if the author was just having a great penchant for death
or if she just chose the easy way...(two main characters are surely more
manageable than four and more...)
Still, I really liked the
book. For once I didn't find the romance cheesy and/or awkward in fact
it was all very pleasant. IT WAS LOVELY!! *sighs* And this is coming
from a person really picky about love stories. Besides...no insta-love
and no love triangle (not really) ...and this is not a drill!! I repeat:
this is not a drill, people!!
The epilogue left me with a hopeful fuzzy feeling...this is to say, I adored it.
Would I recommend this book? Yes!! And I'll be reading the sequel for sure!!
Quanta Rewind by Lola Dodge
(The Shadow Ravens #4)
Published by: Ink Monster LLC
Publication date: April 25th 2017
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
With more and more Red Helixes turning up missing or dead, the Shadow Ravens are ready to take their fight to Doctor Nagi himself.
But breaking into Alpha Citadel is no cakewalk, and Quanta isn’t so sure about this whole “teamwork” thing.
If she and the Ravens can’t learn to work together, no amount of rewinding time will save them from the inevitable.
And if the Seligo win, everyone loses.
Author Bio: Lola Dodge is a compulsive traveler, baker, and procrastinator. She earned her BA in English from Stonehill College and MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University—and hasn’t stopped moving since. When she’s not on the road, Lola spends her time indoors where the sunlight can’t melt her, writing or bingeing on anime and cherry soda. She can be summoned in a ritual involving curry, Hello Kitty idols, and a solid chocolate pentagram.
Shadow Fall Audrey Grey
(Shadow Fall, #1) Published by: Blaze Publishing Publication date: November 22nd 2016 Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
The asteroid hurtling toward the earth will kill billions. The Emperor and his Gold Court will be safe in their space station, watching from the stars. The Silvers will be protected underground. But the Bronzes must fight it out at the Shadow Trials for the few remaining spots left on the space station. When an enigmatic benefactor hands Maia Graystone a spot in the Trials, she won’t just get a chance at salvation for her and her baby brother, Max: She gets to confront the mother who abandoned her in prison, the mad Emperor who murdered her father, and the Gold prince who once loved her. But it’s the dark bastard prince she’s partnered with that will make her question everything, including her own heart. With the asteroid racing closer every day, Maia must trust someone to survive. The question is who?
You can get your copy now for the special release price of 99 cents, and be sure to meet us at the Facebook Party happening right now!
—
EXCERPT:
My legs wobble as I step into the now lukewarm water. I sink to the bottom. Tiny bubbles escape my nose as I watch all the ugly remnants from the last seven years leave my body.
Lungs burning, I rise and come face-to-face with Pit Boy.
I glare at him. “You really have to work on the knocking thing.”
Despite the fact that I’m indecent, his attention never falls from my face. I almost wish it would, just to give me a break from the intensity of his focus.
“I only get a few more hours to be the ‘one-eyed freak’ from the pit. Might as well take advantage.” He doesn’t dare crack a smile, so it’s hard to tell if he’s joking or serious.
“Don’t worry. In my heart, that’s exactly who you’ll always be.”
His words remind me that soon we’ll be reconstructed using forbidden nanotech. But it won’t just be our flesh they’ll reengineer. It will be our brains, too.
I don’t foresee my rewiring being too complicated, but Riser needs to upload almost twenty years of false memories. That will be tricky and time-consuming.
And time is the one thing we don’t have.
Riser flicks his gaze to the mirror. He lifts a hand, touches the patch of mottled flesh where his eye should be.
“How did it happen?” I ask.
“Careful, my lady.” His gaze settles on my face. “You’re beginning to sound like you care.”
I roll my eyes. “And I thought I was lacking in conversational skills.”
He focuses his attention on the graffiti sprayed across the mirror.
“It’s written language,” I blurt, even though all I want to do is end the conversation so Pit Boy can leave. His presence unnerves me more than the other Pit Leeches ever could. “It’s how we communicate.”
“I know what it is.” He examines his jagged thumbnail. “I just . . . can’t read it.”
“It’s just stuff about the Chosen. You know, insults.” The populace is finicky. As much as they love watching the Chosen with their petty intrigues and court life, they would be just as happy to see their heads on a pike.
“Chosen?” Time to explain what you are, Everly, Nicolai’s voice grates inside my head. Riser’s eyes flutter just enough that I know he’s heard Nicolai’s voice too.
You do it, I think, watching Riser’s reaction. But his face remains emotionless; either he’s a good actor or only Nicolai can hear my response.
“The Royalist astronomers discovered the asteroid twenty-one years ago,” I begin. “It’s actually a slow moving planet called an earth-crosser, meaning its orbit and ours intersect every twenty-thousand years. Usually it’s too far away to affect us, but this time it will pass close enough to wreak havoc and make the earth uninhabitable for years.” I stir the water with my big toe. “Before I was born, the Emperor decided that creating a population of genetically superior humans would be a great idea, you know, just in case the Caskets don’t work or the asteroid does more damage than predicted.”
Riser’s hyper-focused gaze bores through me. “You’re one of them?”
“Yes.” I run my hand through the filthy water. “But my father’s a Bronze, so even though my mother comes from a Gold House, the Emperor only allowed them one Chosen instead of the customary twins. So it’s just me . . . not Max.”
“What makes being Chosen so special?”
“I don’t know . . .” I bite my lip, trying to remember everything my parents told me. “My genes are perfect, I guess.”
For some reason, talking about my body makes me remember that I am naked in a room with a boy. As if reading my mind, Riser slowly lets his gaze fall, his expression both curious and unapologetic as he takes me all in, his thoughts cryptic.
“What are you staring at?” I blurt, smashing my breasts beneath my hands. Not like there’s much there to cover. “Haven’t you seen a naked girl before?”
A smile twitches his lips. “Not one that’s genetically flawless.”
“It doesn’t work that way! You can’t just look at us and tell. We look like everyone else—”
“No.” Riser shakes his head, a dark swath of hair covering his damaged eye. “You don’t. Whatever you are.”
“You must be happy . . . about our reconstruction, I mean,” I mumble, trying desperately to change the subject. “They’ll fix your eye . . . and . . . and all those horrible scars.”
I freeze as he slides off the counter, unable to look away as he hooks one finger beneath his shirt and lifts.
Scars ravage his anemic body in varying shades of red and silver and white. Some deep and pitted like the craters of a far-away planet, others smooth and neat. One particular nasty scar carves down his shoulder, tunneling across his chest and stomach. A fresh red wound nestles just below his throat.
He carefully touches the long ugly one. “I’m not ashamed for surviving.”
Author Bio:
Audrey Grey lives in the charming state of Oklahoma, with her husband, two little people, and four mischievous dogs. You can usually find her hiding out in her office from said little people and dogs, surrounded by books and sipping kombucha while dreaming up wondrous worlds for her characters to live in.
A very funny science fiction adventure that will change the way you look at life, the universe and why we're all here.
Billions of years ago, our universe was born. Not really that terribly exciting for most life forms except of course yourselves… and, well, Phil. The poor bastard who’s had to watch over all you people the last billion or so years.
Well, finally after years of listening to all your griping, bitching and whining, always with some imaginary being getting all the credit, he’s finally had it!
Phil has decided to explain what the world is, why you’re here and how you can evolve finally into a species worth talking about at parties.
In this hilarious actual account, Phil takes two unwitting Physicists on the adventure of their lives, which isn’t saying much for a couple of physicists, and shows them what life, the universe and lovely little corner pubs really is all about. They’re transported to other dimensions to meet their better looking selves, get taken prisoner by an evil but very good looking race, fly through black holes and help the creation of a new planet all while their greatest challenge hangs in the balance, saving earth from the most evil, and best dressed, species the universe has ever seen.
Will they save earth? Has all the years of hard work Phil has done creating you beings be lost? Does any of this really matter?
“You gonna answer that?”
Delphinia slurred. Typically an attractive female colleague, except now she had
half a glass of Pan Universal Kumquat Juice down her front, and somehow an
equal amount sprayed randomly throughout her hair. We were all drunk—she was
winning.
“Just another idiotic human with
some whiny ‘I can’t do anything for myself’ question.” “Are they still making
you do that? Didn’t you create some god chat line for them to look up on their
own?” asked Braithwaight, a much larger and uglier version of myself who had
the unusual characteristic of having the largest nostrils in the universe. You
wouldn't know them as nostrils, of course, given that their size and look is of
one of your outhouses, massively uneven, bright orange and dripping with
something I'd rather not discuss.
“Ya, but they seem to be using it
mostly for porn and watching other humans or animals doing idiotic stuff, which
is even stranger when you realize that the average human does 4.8 stupid things
per week; you would think watching each other in real time would keep them
amused enough,” I replied. Braithwaight was correct, after all—a number of
years ago, I had instructed humans to create something called God Gab to answer
all their questions and, hopefully, quit bothering me. As usual, they
misunderstood, called it Google, and continued to harass me anyway.
“Slow... what dey say?” Delphinia
slurred, spitting Pan Universal Kumquat Juice over both of us, which as it
turned out was actually rather tasty; I decided to order one next despite it
being a bit of a girly drink.
“Dear Lord.” (Dear Phil, it
should have actually read.) Please give me strength in dealing with my two
kids; I’m always so tired, they stay awake for hours on end, I seem to be the
only one in the house able to nap, they eat all my food, hide my weed and are
even messier than my 3 ex husbands. I can’t keep doing it. What should I do?”
“Signed ‘lame-ass, stoned and
grumpy Mom.’ I added the last part.” I ordered my drink despite Braithwaighte’s
sudden drunken episode of visualizing me in a short skirt with nice big perky ears;
an odd and very unsexy effect of the alcohol.
“So, how do you answer it?”
Braithwaight asked, refocusing himself.
“ I usually give some form of
positive bullshit advice that they ignore, and then they continue doing exactly
what they’ve been doing for years,” I replied.
“You should just sway what you
twink then; who cares what they do?” Delphinia again slurred, though this time
with more drooling than spitting, which was fine with me since I now had my own
drink. Oddly enough, this had never occurred to me before, which just goes to
show that the advice of a really drunk person should not be discounted even
when slurred, spat, or dribbled. I took two large gulps of my drink, hoping to
gain some more of this wisdom; my entire mind seemed to open up and swallow
everything around me; my eyes fell out of my head, dropped off the table, and
rolled under my now very short skirt, and then I spat the remaining mouthful
onto my two companions, to which Braithwaight said ‘mmmm’ before promptly
ordering one for himself.
If it had seemed like a good idea
before, after two sips of Pan Universal Kumquat Juice, it became the most
brilliant idea since the first crossing of the universe in a giant Easter egg
with very slightly modified snowshoes and a six-pack of Grantham Planetary
Beers. Without putting anymore thought into it, or in fact having any more
thought left, I promptly replied to my lame ass Mom message “I would suggest
refraining from drinking every night until near unconsciousness, or adoption,
whichever ones easier. Signed, Phil. PS. There is no Lord—Surprise!”
Author Info
R.P. Momsen was lucky enough to meet Phil in a very lovely but rather smelly pub a few years ago. After listening to the most amazing story of his life, and a half dozen pints, Rick agreed to bring Phil’s story to the world and finally get Phil a vacation. Through an arduous process over the next couple years of intense notes, grand philosophical debates, lengthy trips through multiple universes and numerous beers this masterpiece of answers was named Phil and finally released. A great friendship has been created and Rick has agreed to continue to write the real truth about everything, why it’s kind of a good thing to know and what humankind could do to be invited to the really cool parties.
Hillarious, fun adventure that challenges
everything we thought we knew about life and the universe.
Where do you
write from?
I live in Maui so I find a quiet beach is
the best place to write. I need somewhere tranquil and without distractions but
also an environment that's fluid so I'm not looking at the exact same thing
every day. Also, it's an awesome place to spend the day.
What led up to
this book? What inspired it?
Religion has always been such a divisive
issue that I wanted to write something that tried to answer the questions that
everyone has in a funny, lighthearted way that people, no matter of religious
background, would find refreshing.
What was the time
frame for writing this book? Tell us an interesting detail or two.
It took me about a year but it was in my
head for nearly 3 years before I began writing. When I was writing Phil I took
some of the style and mannerisms from Ricky Gervais and wrote it from a British
perspective which was where I was born. I like the dry, British humor.
Name a favorite
book and movie.
I love the Ricky Gervais stand up and the
original Office. When I was growing up I was a big fan of Douglas Adams The
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series.
Any future
projects?
I have another book in the Phil series
I'm working on and I have 2 books that are in the editing stages. I hate the
editing part but I'm getting through it.
What's your dream
in the closet?
I think I'm living it but if anything I
just want to find more time to write and travel. I think that's called
retirement.
Anything you would
like to say to your readers?
If you want a funny, lighthearted read
and want to know how everything ever came to be, read Phil. Or just go have a
beer, either way have fun. If you decide on the former please reach out to me
and tell me what you thought, I'd love to hear from you.
Seventeen-year-old Max has always felt like an outsider. When the
agonizing apocalyptic visions begin, he decides suicide is his only
escape. He soon finds himself in an institution under the guidance of a
therapist who sees something exceptional in him. Just as he begins to
leave the hallucinations behind, Max discovers the visions weren't just
in his head.
There are three others who have shared those same
thoughts and they've been searching for Max. Like him, they are
something more than human. Each of them possesses certain abilities,
which they're going to need when a covert military group begins hunting
them down.
As the danger escalates, Max doesn’t know which side to trust. But in the end, his choice will decide the fate of both species.
Captain Lincoln's last day is the hardest day of his life.
An
old, onetime Captain of the interstellar spaceship USNAS Hope Eternal,
Lincoln always knew that this day would come. For just as birthdays are
carefully planned, so are deaths. And although he must reckon with his
fate, this is not a somber story. It is a tale of love and sacrifice,
told in the context of the most advanced civilization ever to exist—a
society that has taken to the stars in an effort to save all that is
best in humanity.
Follow Lincoln through his internal struggles, his joy in having lived, and his journey to peace.
