The Rose Book Tour

The Rose

by PD Alleva

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GENRE: Dystopian Science Fiction Thriller

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BLURB:

A masterful, dystopian science fiction thriller of underground genetic experiments, telepathic evil greys, mysterious rebellion, conspiracy, martial arts, and Alien Vampires.

Sandy Cox believed WW3 was over. But for those Alien Vampires, War Has Just Begun.

Forty-eight hours after a World War III treaty is signed Sandy Cox awakens in an underground compound unable to move. Tied to machines she screams for help but no one answers. At least NO ONE HUMAN.

And they’ve taken her unborn child.

Enter Phil, a rebel freedom fighter who has had more than his share of Alien Vampires. Armed with THE BLADES, a sacred alien martial art, he enters the compound on a mission to find Sandy. But as he battles his way through the compound, Phil discovers Sandy has her own agenda. Finding her stolen child is all that matters.

But the vampires have their own plan and Sandy’s baby is at the heart of their diabolical plot. Joined by a crew of rogue soldiers, they must navigate the underground compound, battling genetically mutated humans, aliens and monsters.

When battling Alien Vampires, one thing is certain…Get Ready To Bleed!

Fans of The Hunger Games, George RR Martin, VE Schwab, Star Wars and Ancient Aliens will be fascinated by this high-powered, intelligent, edge of your seat dystopian sci-fi action thriller.

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Excerpt:

He heard Sandy’s pounding heart growing stronger between his ears. Just one more corner. He took the corner as if he’d been shot from a cannon when his heart jumped, his feet slid to a stop. Not far down the hall stood Orion, blocking the hallway where Phil needed to go. The vampire’s eyes glared at Phil, standing erect, arms by his side and Phil could see he wore the blades. Orion’s face stiff. Phil took a few steps closer.

“This is the end for you,” said Orion. He shook his head and stretched his finger in Phil’s direction. “You will be no more.”

Phil looked to the floor, cocked his head. Times wasting. He shook his head. “No matter what,” he said raising his eyes to meet Orion. “I’m getting down that hall.”

Orion smiled. “Never.” He stretched his arms, taking a fighting stance. “After I sever your head like you did to Titus, I’ll reach into your corpse and pull out your heart to feed on.”

Phil stepped closer, stretching his arms. “Damn vampires,” he said. “Nothing more than devolved cockroaches, scattering in fear at the first sign of the light.”

Orion threw his boot into Phil’s chest. Phil reeled back, slammed on his back and slid across the floor. Orion dropped his arms. “Humans,” he snarled. “So pathetic and weak. Nothing more than food…” he glared at Phil who pushed himself to his feet. “…for us cockroaches.”

Phil spit a wad of blood to the floor. He gripped the handles in his palms and tightened his arms as he rushed at Orion who met Phil’s blade with his own. As they fought, crossing blade to blade, Phil could hear Sandy’s screams.

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Read an Interview:

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Letting it go at the end of the day. I always need to bring myself back down from the story and be present in the third dimension.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

Both. I don’t write outlines but I do write notes and send emails about the story, character development, or new directions for the plot when they arise, although the story always takes on a life of its own. When editing I’m a 100% architect, stepping away from the emotion in the story to deliver those needed and required sentence structures with appropriate grammar.

If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

Definitely, without a doubt, music. I don’t snack or really drink anything when writing. Most of the time I usually forget to do both but my wife is awesome and sends me reminders to eat.  Music on the other hand is a needed and required commodity when writing. Helps to set the tone for any particular scene and is also a needed distraction. I have this uncanny knack to tune out everything and anything that is going on around me; something my family refers to as Space Cadet PD. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say, “Earth to Paul, come back down.” However, I welcome the distractions from music. It’s as if I require background noise to maintain long-term focus.

What makes a good villain?

Well written with a thick and intriguing back-story that has chiseled the villain into an intelligent cerebral assassin with a no holds barred, anarchist, watch the world burn attitude. A character that embodies the dark side of the human condition with reckless abandon.  Has to be conniving, manipulative, sassy, intelligent, and illogically rooted in a desire for self and societal destruction.

What are your future project(s)?

I have a few projects stirring. The Rose is the first in a planned series of seven books over three interconnected series. So, I’ll be knee deep in alien lore, theories, and conspiracies for a long while. But I’m also writing horror thriller novels. I have two I’m working on currently, the first is my editing in progress, Golem, which takes place in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s New York City and chronicles the desperate act of a high society socialite and sculptor who incarnates a demon into her statue (Golem) who wreaks havoc on every aspect of New York’s infrastructure with the help of possessed orphans in an attempt for supreme power and control over the human race.

I’m also writing a second horror thriller, Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect. Carnivals, Cannibals, and Clowns! Oh My.

Once Jigglyspot is completed I’ll jump back into science fiction mode and write Vol. 2 for The Rose followed by the second Rose connected series and trilogy, Indigo.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

PD Alleva is an alternative fiction author. His novels cross genres, blending mystery, conspiracy, psychology, and action with horror and dystopian science fiction. Alternative fiction is PD’s attempt at describing what readers uncover in any one of his books, a new discovery towards mainstream storytelling. He’s been writing since childhood, creating and developing stories with brash and impactful concepts that he would describe are metaphors for the shifting energies that exist in the universe. PD exists inside of his own universe, working diligently on The Rose Vol. II and exceptional horror novels. Be prepared for Golem, PD’s upcoming horror thriller. 

Social Media Info:

Website/Newsletter www.pdalleva.com

Facebook Page: @pdallevaauthor

Twitter: @PdallevaAuthor

Instagram: pdalleva_author

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/pdalleva

Buy links:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rose-vol-1-a-dystopian-science-fiction-thriller-pd-alleva/1137496315

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One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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Haunting in Old Tailem Book Blast

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a print copy of the book to two randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter. Please click the tour banner at the top of the page to see the other stops on the tour.

An Australian Ghost town. A resident demon and a local Shaman. A confrontation with evil awaits.

Clarisse realizes that running from evil is not a bad idea until you figure out you can’t hide. When some ghosts get tired of hanging around, they latch onto you. At the centre of the war on evil is a historic Church that carries dark secrets within its walls. After she meets with the local Shaman, Clarisse discovers secrets with evil consequences by digging too deep into the town’s past. When matters become complicated, she visits a circus of young performers on the outskirts of town triggering unexpected paranormal events and unleashing memories of a one-hundred-year curse. After being caught in the crossfire of a battle for evil supremacy, Clarisse confronts Little Charlie as he rallies the town’s ghosts into an impeccable evil stronghold.

Can the local Shaman and townsfolk rally in her quest to defeat the evil incarnate or will the town succumb to Little Charlie and his evil crew? Haunting in Old Tailem is the third book of the Haunting Clarisse Series. If you like spine-tingling, chilling, creepy and spooky supernatural thrillers, then you will love this story by 2020 USA Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Finalist in Supernatural Fiction, Janice Tremayne.

Pick up your copy today and follow Clarisse through her battles with evil!

Read an Excerpt

She heard a flurry of steps run across the graveyard as stones flicked off the ground and crushed, dried-out weeds propelled into the air. Tiny steps that she had encountered once before—in Hartley. Was it Little Charlie?

Then another ominous sound. Children laughing and giggling while the faint sound of a circus tune played in the background. Da, da, da, da, da …

She immediately turned around to find four children, each one standing next to an unmarked grave.

One little girl, no more than ten years old, with a black ponytail, knee-high cotton socks, and a white frilled dress, played with her hula hoop. She swung it around in motion and with the equilibrium of an expert. She smiled as her, dark eyes with thick, black eyeliner resonating toward Clarisse.

Next to her was a young boy, no more than eight years old, playing hopscotch between two graves. His knee-length shorts, long socks, and blood-stained shirt, held up by suspenders, were ragged and worn out. He looked like he had been in a terrible accident and dragged across the ground, oblivious to any pain. While playing hopscotch, he balanced three small balls in the air like a juggler, quite a trick and well-coordinated.

Next to him was Little Charlie, sitting on a gravestone with his rope lassoed and legs crossed. He swung his lasso repeatedly and flung it toward an empty can as his target. He liked showing off his prowess to Clarisse, even though he couldn’t say any words, throwing his hands up in the air each time he conquered his target.

Another girl, albeit younger than the first, stood behind Little Charlie on an unmarked grave. She was wearing a crimson dress with frills and brown, country-style boots. Her dress was tainted red in parts from bloodstains, and her face was white as snow. It accentuated the eyeliner around her black eyes and sculptured face. She tilted her head slightly to the side as her red hair was tossed around in the slight breeze while holding a Raggedy Ann doll next to her face. She looked directly at Clarisse, smiling while caressing the doll.

The Raggedy Ann doll smiled one thoughtful expression, blinked its right eye two times rapidly, and then nodded before going back to its original posture.

About the Author:

Janice Tremayne is an Amazon bestselling and award-winning ghost and supernatural writer. Janice is a finalist in the Readers’ Favorite 2020 International Book Awards in Fiction-Supernatural.

She is an emerging Australian author who lives with her family in Melbourne. Her recent publication, Haunting in Hartley, reached number one on the Amazon kindle ranking for Occult, Supernatural, and Ghosts and Haunted Houses categories, for hot new releases and bestsellers.

Janice is well-versed in her cultural superstitions and how they influence daily life and customs. She has developed a passion and style for writing ghost and supernatural novels for new adult readers.

The concept of writing the Haunting Clarisse series was spawned over a cup of coffee many years ago, and she has not looked back since. Her books contain heart-thumping, bone-chilling, and thought-provoking ghost and paranormal experiences that deliver a new twist to every tale.

http://www.janicetremayne.com.au
author@janicetremayne.com
https://www.facebook.com/hauntingclarisse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCj4DGrx7VA

Buy the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HGPL2G5
Buy Haunting in Old Tailem: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B524JNW

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Lovers, Players, Seducer Book III Blitz

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. J. A. Jackson will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC and 8 Kindle Ebook copies of Lovers, Players, Seducer Book III The Betrayal of NicholasLa Cour to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Nicholas La Cour never expected to be betrayed.

Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit; it is only luck that proves his innocence.
Maëlle has always had a thing for bad boy Nicholas…

…and Nicholas has always had a thing for trouble.

After Nicholas left her at the altar, Maëlle wasn’t sure her heart would ever heal.

The wounds of the past run deep for both of them.
But despite their drama-filled past, their chemistry defies logic and burns hotter than ever.
As sparks fly and Maelle and Nicholas have the chance to reunite, will Nicholas sabotage their chance for happiness with his plans for revenge? Or will he finally focus on what truly matters?

Can they make love grow this time around?
Something both of them aren’t sure they can do…

A Betrayed man, a bride left at the altar, and a plan for revenge. Dive into the complex world of Nicholas in Book III of J. A. Jackson’s Lovers, Players The Seducer series and discover if love can transform even the best-laid plans?

Read an Excerpt

“So, talk to me Lacey. Tell me how you felt in that courtroom? I’m here to listen.” Lacey looked back at Maëlle’s eyes and seeing the trust staring back at her. She hadn’t meant to be so abrupt with her. She had known the feelings had always been there lurking, waiting. She hadn’t felt at ease enough to talk about them. She took a deep breath. “You are right Maëlle, maybe I do need to talk about it,” her voice softened. “Of course, you do. I’m here for you,” Maëlle pleaded. “Please talk to me Lacey.”

About the Author:

J.A. Jackson is the pseudonym for an author, who loves to write deliciously sultry adult romantic, suspenseful, entertaining novels with a unique twist. She lives in an enchanted little house she calls home in the Northern California foothills. Her love for cooking and writing come from her Southern roots of Louisiana and Arkansas. She isa member of South Bay Writers Association, Yosemite Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America (RWA).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jerreece
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jerreece-Ann-Jackson/204377496289139?ref=hl
Blog: http://jerreeceannjackson.blogspot.com
Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/jajackson
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jerreece1/boards/
Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/jerreece4559/
Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@j_a_jackson_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7515379.J_A_Jackson
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Mailchimp: https://mailchi.mp/1be4f2939d63/author-j-a-jackson-aka-jerreece
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerreece-jackson-1657853/

The book is on sale for only $0.99.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DV9SL23/

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The Buddha and the Bee

The Buddha and the Bee: Biking through America’s Forgotten Roadways on a Journey of Discovery

by Cory Mortensen

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GENRE: Memoir

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BLURB:

Life-Changing Journey…

…But this is NOT a typical blah-blah-blah memoir

Planning is for sissies. A solo bike ride across the country will be filled with sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and 80 degree temps every day, right? Not so much. The Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, an alkaline desert, and the Sierra Nevadas lay miles and days ahead. Disappointment with unrealized potential, and the thirst for what’s next drew farther away in the rotating wide-angle shockproof convex rear-view mirror.

“I will ride my bike down a never-ending ribbon of asphalt wearing a backpack.”

Cory Mortensen began his bike ride across the United States from Chaska, Minnesota, to Truckee, California, without a route, a timeline, or proper equipment. Along the way, he gained more than technical skills required for a ride that would test every fiber of his physical being and mental toughness. Ride along as he meets “unusual” characters, dangerous animals, and sweet little old ladies with a serious vendetta for strangers in their town.

Humor ■ Insight ■ Adventure ■ Gratitude ■ Peace

From long stretches of road ending in a vanishing point at the distant horizon, to stunning vistas, terrifying close calls, grueling conditions, failed equipment, and joyous milestones he stayed the course and gained an appreciation for the beauty of the land, the genius of engineering and marvel of nature.

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Excerpt:

DAY TWENTY-FOUR           

It seemed as if I was the only person on this road. I saw no cars, no trucks. I didn’t even see an airplane or contrail. The human race could have been completely wiped out, and I wouldn’t know it, just like I didn’t know what was going on back east a few days ago. As far as I knew, it was just me and the clerk at the Maybell General Store. My situation could be worse. Juliane Koepcke was seventeen years old when, on Dec 24, 1971, the Lockheed Electra OB-R-941 commercial airliner the she was a passenger on was struck by light- ning. The plane immediately broke up in the air. Still strapped to her seat, she fell two miles into the jungle. She survived the fall, with a broken collarbone, a gash on her arm that would eventually become infested with worms, and her right eye swollen shut. She spent ten days alone in the Amazonian rainforest, following a stream, wading through knee-deep water, until eventually she came across a group of fishermen. After two weeks spent recovering, she led a search party back into the jungle to locate the crash, ultimately finding her mother’s body.

And here I thought I was having a bad day.

Fighting the headwind, I occasionally took time to stop and stare at the road as it vanished into the horizon. I had been biking for forty minutes and gone only five miles.

I hoped to see a town, a house, a billboard—anything that showed signs of human life—but it was just me and the road and a rather large coyote.

“Coyote?!”

A coyote stood across the road, looking directly at me.

I had some important questions. What was I supposed to do when I came across a coyote? Were they aggressive? Did they attack humans? Were they fast? Could I out-pedal him? Not with this headwind. He could catch me without even having to run.

In the lore of Indigenous Americans, the coyote was many things. To some tribes, it was a hero who created, taught, and helped humans; to others, a warning of negative behaviors like greed and arrogance; still others looked at the coyote as a trickster who lacked wisdom—he got into lots of trouble, but was clever enough to get out of it.

This part of North America was home to the Snake Indians. The Snake Indians were made up of the Northern Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone. The Bannock believed the coyote came to help and did good deeds for the people.

I looked west and so did the coyote. I looked back at the coyote, he back at me, and then he looked west again and bobbed his head, as if to say, “Let’s go.”

I started pedaling. The headwind continued; my coyote com- panion making everything a bit surreal. He was now part of my journey. I put off any thoughts of him being an adversary. He was helping me get through the day.

“You live around here?” I asked the coyote. The coyote gave no answer.

“You have family? Wife? Kids?” Still no answer.

“Do you know if there is a good restaurant in Dinosaur? I’m really hungry.”

Nothing. He could only be of so much help, I guess.

We moved together along Victory Highway, fighting the wind.

Over the next few miles, I watched him as he pranced over the mounds along the highway. He’d stop and wait for me when he got too far ahead, then would continue once I caught up. I was no longer thinking about the wind or the heat or the bumpy road. I thought about the people who had lived along the Yampa River. Ruins of the Fremont people dated back as far as 1500 BC. Their petroglyphs told their stories. The Snake, Ute, and Navajo came after the Fremont and made the land their new home.

Later came the cowboys. Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, Matt Warner, and Isom Dart all traveled this route when it was just a dusty horse trail, known as the Outlaw Trail.

And as I rode along with my coyote and wistful thoughts, there it was: the all too familiar sound of ninety-five pounds-per-square- inch of air leaving my rear tyre.

The coyote heard it, too. Perhaps the sound startled him, per- haps it let him know dinner was ready. I looked down at my tyre and then at him. His body was turned, now facing me. I felt like perhaps our relationship had changed without my input. I thought back to lunch with my dad, when he asked if I was bringing a gun for protection. Then I looked at my flat tyre.

I took the pack off the bike, flipped the bike upside down to remove the rear wheel, and started removing the tyre and replacing the tube, as fast as I could. I looked up to see what the coyote was doing, but he was gone, vanished. I was relieved but also sad, as I was once again alone.

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An Interview with the Author:

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?  

Mint chocolate chip from Baskin Robbins. On a sugar cone.

Which mythological creature are you most like? 

The Phoenix. To cyclically regenerate after dying in flames before being reborn. I think that is the Saturn returns story in all our lives. In my lifetime I feel I have had many lives, recreating myself, in most cases to be better than the previous life. One life, many re-incarnations.

First book you remember making an indelible impression on you. 

On the Road – Jack Kerouac

I was born to roam and I really dove into the random, free-flowing process of Dada poems. I took pen to paper and wrote poems in that sort of organic randomness. 

As a gift, a mentor bought me On the Road when I was 23. It was like a Dada poem that flowed “all in one breath”, while making sense. His invention of words like lackadaddy and use of un-used words like lugubriously and hincty I found to be a fascinating way to perhaps hide insecurities or impress the reader.

Then there was the story. A roadtrip, heart break, happiness, growth, drugs, love, sex, poverty… Sal Paradise.

It wasn’t just the book, it was how it was created that really knocked this book out of the park for me. It is rumored that Kerouac created a 100’+ roll of paper, fed it into the typewriter and typed 100 words per minute for three weeks. The scroll was created as to not interrupt his flow by having to replace sheets of paper. 

Describe your writing space. 

I have two spaces at home that I like to work at. My office and the upstairs great room.

My office is a 12×14 room, painted Blue Note from Benjamin Moore with white trim. In one corner: a Wagner Shell Chair, an old spittoon sits in another corner, a black Dyson fan in the third corner, the fourth corner is empty. A model of a Northwest Airlines 747 sits on a small table behind my Airia Desk which is paired with an old Danish design antique chair. Atop my desk is a second monitor, iPhone charging stand and a Tissot watch that I bought in Switzerland in 1997 – otherwise the desk remains uncluttered. I used to be very cluttered, we are talking Einstein’s desk cluttered. Now I do not like clutter.

Upstairs great room is 40’x40’ and filled with light. East wall has two massive 6’x8’ windows, the south wall is a 30’ long 8’ high sliding glass wall that opens to the pool and the west side has an open galley kitchen with a 12’ long arcadia door that opens to a side deck. Vaulted ceiling and loud music.

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https://www.tonytaafe.com/ Headshot Photographer Headshot Photography

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Cory Mortensen has ridden his collection of bicycles over a million miles of asphalt, dirt, mud, and backroads. In addition to the cross-country journey detailed in this book, he has traveled to over fifty-five countries, cycled from Minneapolis to Colorado solo to raise money for children born with congenital heart defects. He’s completed sixteen marathons on five continents, and survived three days of running with the bulls in Spain.

Cory is a certified Advanced PADI diver, and has enjoyed taking in life under the waves in locations all over the world. In 2003, he took time off from roaming, and accidentally started and built a company which he sold in 2013. That same year he married his best friend and explored the state of Texas for two years. The couple sold everything they owned, jumped on a plane to Ecuador and volunteered, trekked, and explored South America for sixteen months before returning to Phoenix, Arizona, where he works as a consultant and is soon to be a bestselling author.

The Buddha and the Bee is his first memoir in which he shares how a two month leave of absence redefined his life’s trajectory of sitting behind a desk and his decision to break society’s chains so he could live life on his terms.

Website: www.TheBuddhaAndTheBee.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BuddhaAndTheBee

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoryMortensenAuthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/CoryMortensenAuthor/

Buy the book links

Amazon           Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Bee-Cory-Mortensen/dp/1735498114

                        Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735498122

                        Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FLLBBP9

Indiebound      Hardcover: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781735498119

                        Paperback: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781735498126

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One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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Apophis Into the Folds of Darkness Book Blast

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Raj Anand will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

January, 2022: A dark monstrous twin-headed apparition – Apophis – feverishly races past the expanse of the Milky Way galaxy and bolts to the edge of the solar system. Recklessly accelerating, the sinister rock-dyad enters the gravitational keyhole of the blue planet and continues its resolute inebriated journey – to soon arrive with an apocalyptic impact on Earth.

December, 2012: Five sentient beings born in different cities – New York, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Azores Islands and Istanbul, discover amongst haunting memories of their phantasmal past lives, that it is their destiny to save humanity from the evil forces unleashed by the alien fiends – the Skyllats.

And now, the reincarnated 9-year-olds must rely on their shared, ancient wisdom to prepare humanity for the war across the galaxy that is imminent.

A Note from the Author:


Writing Apophis over these past five years, has been a cathartic inner-journey that rippled across my life. It extracted all of my patience, diligence and life-learnings of my past 52 years lived on this orphic blue bubble, as it floats across a conscious Universe.

Now its journey complete, it was launched a few days ago on several platforms across the world. And I am left exhausted, numbed and humbled by this Initiation.

I acknowledge that it is a book that I have NOT written, for it was willed from me – by the Universe. And now, it is like a child set free – floating away – ready to choose its own path, life-journey and future.

Where it goes from here?

It is for the Universe to decide.

I did, what was willed of me to do…

All I can promise the reader is a book imbued with a magical wisdom. A restlessly paced story that transports you across time, teamed up with five children along their phantasmal, breathtaking journeys.

These 9-year-olds the reincarnations of ancient philosophers, including Confucius, Plato, Buddha, Ptah Hotep and a mysterious another.

Happy Reading!

Read an Excerpt

28.032848N, 85.530342E
Helambu. Langtang National Park, Nepal
January 23, 2022 (1100 hours)

“Agasthi, you must learn to draw the sacred symbol accurately,” implored the Ban-Jhakrani or the forest shaman, wrapped in a resplendent white dress with a crown of tall peacock feathers. Her extraordinary life etched on a relucent wrinkled face, she continued to pry stirring sounds from her shaman’s drum that reverberated across the mountains.

“Nata, what does ‘sacred’ mean?” asked the playful six-year-old moon-faced Agasthi with light gray eyes. Her loose, white, flared top and pants, twirled in the wind along with her.

“The ‘sacred’, is a space and thought held within the folds of the benevolent earth mother,” explained the Ban-Jhakrani.

“Nata, what does ‘benevolent’ mean?” the left-handed Agasthi, wondered.

The forest shaman laughed, “You are certainly an inquisitive young shaman; blessed by the primordial essence that unites us all. Now help me to place these peacock feathers, rice, and leaves within this sacred space. For I have much to teach you, but my time in this form…is limited.”

The large geometry drawn vividly on the forest floor, with red and yellow colors, was part of an ancient shamanic invocation to contact the mysterious forest spirits that remained nestled within these thick jungles. The forest adorned with the reverberant sounds of birds, animals, cicadas, scrambling waterfalls, and a bone-chilling wind that swooped across the Himalayan mountain range.

Agasthi, her name embodied in an indecipherable wisdom, followed her grandmother’s instructions while the Ban-Jhakrani added her chanting to the pulsating sounds of her shaman’s drum, to open the doorway of a limitless realm beyond time. And a beguiled crested goshawk swooped down and perched itself on her left shoulder.

The Ban-Jhakrani’s ancient incantations to initiate the young shaman began to increase in pitch and intensity as Agasthi sprinkled water over the rice, leaves, and peacock feathers. Soon the young girl became assiduously immersed in the spirits of the forest, before her eyes began to dilate and magnified all that surrounded her.

Agasthi, held within a trance, became drawn to a prodigious green leaf lying within the sacred space. She dropped to her knees and meticulously examined the giant blade; her dilated eyes following the mid-rib and the veins that branched off it as well as an occult dewdrop, which hovered just above the surface of the leaf.

Mystified, Agasthi peered deeper into this amplified, spherical, translucent world – seeded with infinite moons and stars – when an eerie, dark colossus with a serpent-like head and carmine eyes emerged. Swimming within this dark sea, it swallowed entire moons and numerous stars, before it turned and glared at a petrified Agasthi.

The charred monster abruptly shot across this uncommon convex world with its fangs bared, and a roar that pierced the young girl’s skin. A trembling, horrified Agasthi let out an unrelenting, terror-stricken scream that echoed across the forest before she collapsed, unconscious.

The Ban-Jhakrani stood over her granddaughter and smiled. What she had hoped for had become – the forest spirits had acquiesced. Agasthi had travelled across an immeasurable realm, and experienced an epiphany – a vision – for the very first time. The forest shaman patiently waited for several hours for the young girl to step out of her dreamworld.

“What happened, Nata? Did I fall asleep?” Agasthi asked when she finally stirred.

“No, my dearest Natini,” the Ban-Jhakrani whispered. “You drifted into a shamanic dream. An unerring state of being when multiple truths are revealed if your heart is pure. Search yourself and then speak of what you saw, for it is very important.”

The young shaman stared at her grandmother, while the recondite, eerie charcoal-black serpent reappeared and a petrified Agasthi began to quiver.

“Do not be afraid, my child,” assured the grandmother and held her left hand.

“A darkness that shamans have meditated upon…for thousands of years…has arrived,” mumbled Agasthi, lost within her trance.

“Why?” the bewildered forest shaman inquired.

“For a balance disturbed for so long…must be remedied…a justice delivered,” answered the swaying Agasthi and turned to stare in the direction of the sun.

“Who delivered this message?” questioned the Ban-Jhakrani, overwhelmed by the young shaman’s inconceivable first pronouncement.

“It was the Whisperer!”

About the Author:

Savinder Raj Anand is an architect and has been teaching Architecture & Design at various Universities in India for more than 12 years. A long-distance runner with a wanderlust to explore the world, and write stories that traverse across diverse cultures. He lives in Goa with his daughter, a dog, and two cats.

Inspired by his then 18-month-old daughter – when she quoted Socrates – while they together sat in a children’s bookstore in Bangalore (LIGHTROOM) in early January of 2015, he has completed this – his first book – as she turns 7 years old.

Website: https://www.rajanandbooks.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rajanandbooks/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rajanandbooks/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXPA0eY42VQ

The book is FREE November 5 to December 5.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Apophis-Folds-Darkness-First-Chronicles/dp/1648508979/ref=sr_1_1
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/Apophis-Folds-Darkness-Raj-Anand/dp/1648508979/ref=sr_1_1
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apophis-Folds-Darkness-First-Chronicles/dp/1648508979/ref=sr_1_1
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/apophis-into-the-folds-of-darkness
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Raj_Anand_Apophis_Into_the_Folds_of_Darkness
Notion Press: https://notionpress.com/read/apophis-into-the-folds-of-darkness-1339326
FlipKart: https://www.flipkart.com/apophis-into-folds-darkness-first-book-kleos-chronicles/p/itm7dbd182022818

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When the Wind Chimes Blog Tour

When the Wind Chimes

Mary Ting

Published by: Rosewind Books

Publication date: November 17th 2020

Pre-order here: https://rb.gy/f1md2z

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

SOMETIMES ANGELS COME IN HUMAN FORM.

Kaitlyn Summers is heartbroken.

When she receives an invitation to spend Christmas with her family on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, she feels it may be the perfect medicine.

She throws herself into helping her sister’s struggling art gallery, even taking a temporary job for extra money by looking after a little girl from her nephew’s school. She also begins to paint again, something she’s been unable to do since her breakup. It’s tempting to stay on Kauai, but she has obligations back in Los Angeles.

Life gets more complicated when circumstances keep putting her close to Leonardo Medici. Not only is he drop-dead gorgeous, he’s a local celebrity. But Kaitlyn can’t shake the feeling he’s hiding something.

Should she believe the rumors that he’s romancing half the island’s single women?

Or is the random sound of wind chimes when he’s close-by a sign that an angel is near and the secret to her happily ever after?

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My Review:

This love story is truly heart warming. From page one, the story draws the reader in and keeps the pages turning. Happiness and tears throughout the book. This author knows how to express her words so that the reader actually feels the emotions. Mary Ting is an author who I have followed for several years now and have read most of her books. This is a first genre for her and she, as with all her books, has mastered yet another genre in her repertoire. This book is not to be missed.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

International Bestselling, Award-Winning Author Mary Ting writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers all over the world. Her books run a wide range of genres: science fiction, fantasy, and swoon worthy stories. Her storytelling talents have won her a devoted legion of fans and garnered critical praise.

Mary was born in Seoul Korea and resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two dogs—Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Becoming an author was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, she retired from teaching after twenty years.

WEBSITE

GOODREADS

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

November 9th
–Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love >> Excerpt
–Jackie’s Book World >> Excerpt
–A Southern Girls Bookshelf >> Playlist
–The Write Stuff  >> Excerpt
–Independent Authors >> Review

November 10th
–Polly’s Books and Tales >> Excerpt
–Midwest Romantic >> Excerpt
–underneath the covers >> Excerpt
–Black Words-White Pages >> Review
–Adventures in Writing  >> Interview

November 11th
–My Fiction Nook >> Excerpt
–Ingrid’s Book Blog >> Review
–BooksBooks&More >> Interview
–Kari’s Book Reviews and Revelations >> Review

November 12th
–Movies, Shows, & Books >> Review
–Rockin’ Book Reviews >> Review + Guest post
–Literary Gold  >> Excerpt
–Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author >> Excerpt

November 13th
–Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! >> Review
–Susan Heim on Writing >> Excerpt
–Two Ends of the Pen  >> Interview

Centricity Blurb Blast

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nathaniel Henderson will be awarding a $40 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The world already ended once. Now it’s up to an outgunned negotiator, a disavowed spy, and an immersion-addicted hacker to stop it from happening again.

Centuries after the Fold, civilization is fragile. In the megacity of Naion, people live stacked in arcologies, most never going outside because the air is another enemy. Instead, freedom comes from technology: bodytechs modify the human form while synthetic intelligences whisper through brainware.

Now a new bridge between man and machine has emerged, one that could destroy humanity’s second shot at survival—or save it, depending on who gets to it first….

Adasha Denali is one of the government’s best dispute resolution specialists, but when a scandal threatens to destabilize the city and end her career, she’ll need more than words to escape the fallout. Venturing out of her office and into a fight for the future, she’ll team up with a disavowed spy, learning the hard way that betrayal wears many faces, and one of them may be her own.

Neon Nik is an immersion-addicted IT freelancer struggling to pay off debts to circling loan sharks. Threats of dismemberment become the least of his problems when a surprise inheritance throws him into a vortex of corporate kill squads willing to burn the city down to find him.

Engineered spies, high-tech mercenaries, and immersion hackers collide in this first gripping installment of the Centricity Cycle.

Read an Excerpt

NIK SMILED AND the building smiled back, its façade all black teeth angles and white gum signage held together with cables and fat tendrils of epoxy. Poetry curled along the bulging geometry, hand-painted in dead Persian. He’d never bothered to have his software translate it. In an age of information bloat, ignorance was a proactive sport.

Above the entryway a single word blazed: HALE.

Two store fronts down, a woman rested against the shell of a mutilated cleaning bot. The glow of her cig warmed her blank expression. Another silhouetted figure pissed into a gap between buildings.

Hands in his pockets, Nik rolled his too small shoulders in his too big jacket. Soft with age, the leather made no sound. Canopy environmental systems kept temperatures chilly or warm but never quite comfortable. He coughed and thought about clearing his throat onto the sidewalk, decided not to—didn’t want to waste the residue of his last Cinnamon Fire—and crossed the street to Hale. Underfoot, a trampled stew of discard formed the menu of some future archaeological buffet.

The air inside hinted at decomposing animals in heating ducts. Ironic, considering this was the Canopy’s premier breather bar, where patrons sucked down spiked air cocktails.

About the Author: Nathaniel Henderson was born in 1983 in Albuquerque, NM, USA. At a young age he moved to Tulsa, OK, where he spent the next fifteen or so years surviving adolescence. After graduating from high school, he packed it up and headed out west to the picturesque Santa Cruz, CA to attend UCSC. After a year of wrestling with computer science, he transferred to San Francisco to study computer animation and special effects. The career didn’t stick, and he set off to teach English in South Korea, Thailand, and finally Tokyo, Japan, where he currently resides.

email: citizenhenderson@gmail.com

website: http://nathanielhenderson.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/citizenhenderson
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/citizenhenderson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citizenhenderson
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/citizenhenderson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/citizenn8

The book will be on sale for $0.99 for a limited time, until release date of October 20.
Amazon Link (Pre-Order until 10.20.2020): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J859X4R

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Christmas Comes to Dickens

Christmas Comes to Dickens

Individual Author Feature/Box Set Information

Individual Book Title: Holly’s Wish

Author: Kathleen Lawless

Blurb for Holly’s Wish

Do wishes come true?

All her life, Holly has believed in the power of wishing.  Except for the “big one”.  The phone call that never came after a memorable encounter one Christmas Eve.

She can’t forget Nico and their synchronicity that night. Dare she risk a second heartbreak when her latest wish brings Nico back into her life?

Excerpt A: Holly’s Wish

“You should never underestimate the power of wishing for what you want. It always worked for me,” Holly’s friend, Kris, said.

“Oh, I do,” Holly said blithely. “Every shooting star, new moon, and birthday candle.  You

 name it, I send my wish out there. It’s not my fault no one seems to be listening.”

“Your time will come,” Kris said.

As Kris spoke, the shop door opened with a tinkle of overhead bells. Holly looked over to see a tall, dark-hair man stamping snow off his feet. She took a second look, because, truthfully there weren’t a lot of good-looking men in town. Something about him seemed familiar, but before Holly could get a good look he turned away. She was left with an impression of a square jaw, pronounced cheekbones, with a straight, masculine nose nicely balanced above full lips. Maybe she had taken his photo at some point.

When he passed her in the aisle without a second look, she figured she must be mistaken. She paused at the door for one last look, but his back was toward her.  Typical man, doing his Christmas shopping at the last minute.

Author Bio:

Kathleen Lawless blames a misspent youth watching Rawhide, Maverick and Bonanza for her fascination with cowboys, which doesn’t stop her from creating a wide variety of interests and occupations for her alpha male heroes.   

Her hero, Steele, in UNDERCOVER, is a modern-day cowboy, so when she was wooed by a man called Steel— while he’s not a cowboy, he is an Alpha male and her forever hero.  Which is why all of her stories end Happily Ever After.

Not that she can ever stick to just one genre.  So many stories to tell—never enough time.

With over 30 published novels to her credit, she enjoys pushing the boundaries of traditional romance into historical romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction and stories for young adults.        

Author Media Links:

Website:  http://www.kathleenlawless.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleenlawlessnovels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenlawless

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-Lawless/e/B001IXS2SA

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathleen-lawless

~ ~ ~

Box Set Title: Christmas Comes to Dickens

Box Set Blurb:

Welcome to Dickens—a quaint New England town bustling with excitement and anticipation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. We have the annual tree lighting in the town square, a snowman building competition, ice skating on Grosvenor’s Pond, and horse-drawn sleigh rides. You’re welcome to cut down your own Christmas tree at Gridley Meadows, or join in the caroling on the Common.

Dickens offers an abundance of heartfelt wishes, a few much needed miracles, and—quite possibly—a touch of magic! Families reunite, new friends are made, and old flames take a second chance at happiness. All while celebrating this most joyful time of the year.

Join us as our best selling and award-winning authors fill your holiday stocking with ten brand new novellas ranging from sweet to sassy.

Anthology Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/DickensChristmas

Free Cookie Book Link: https://books2read.com/dickens-cookie

YouTube Trailer Link:  https://youtu.be/aagiP09D00g

Jigsaw Puzzle of Anthology Cover: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=062b438f87a5

The Sinister Superyacht Book Blast

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ana T. Drew will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

French tycoon Jean-Louis Ponsard is having a bad year.
Unwise investments, canceled orders, deals falling through…
In the thick of it, his yacht becomes the scene of a suspicious death, and his year of misfortune hits the bed of the Mediterranean Sea.
To make matters worse, the victim isn’t just anybody.
She’s his much-hated mother-in-law.

Onboard, caterer Julie Cavallo and her quirky grandma Rose do some poking around.
But every luxury cabin hides a secret.
Every passenger has an alibi or no reason to want the victim dead.
Discretion rules.
The crew keeps mum.
So do the marble countertops, gem-incrusted walls, and gold sinks.
When the cops take charge, things go to pieces, and not only for the Ponsard family.

Can Julie dive to the murky bottom of the sea, unravel the case, and come back up still breathing?

About the Author:

Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind the recent series of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc. When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.

>>> Visit ana-drew.com for a free cookbook and a game!

Website: http://www.ana-drew.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/ana-drew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnaDrewAuthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ana-t-drew
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/anadrew
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoranadrew

Releases November 20

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Sinister-Superyacht-Provence-Mystery-Investigates-ebook/dp/B0882J3652/ref=sr_1_1

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All Bags go to Cleveland Book Tour

ALL BAGS GO TO CLEVELAND

by CS Hale

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE:  

paranormal romantic comedy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Angela Grimalke appears more blonde bombshell than the gremlin she is. But there is no denying her supernatural truth after her clumsiness gets her fired from her modeling career. Forced to work for her family’s upscale airline, she spends her days slinging luggage and wishing her parents would get off her back about finding a nice gremlin guy to settle down with. 

Relationships were the last thing on her mind, not that her family would accept that. 

For Dave Ford his frequent business travel made it next to impossible for him to find a woman who could tolerate his chaotic schedule. Which is why he appreciates Angela. Neither of them are looking for love, but Dave feeds Angela’s addiction for chocolate while she provides him with the chaos to keep him on his toes.

However, as Angela’s parents bombard her with a parade of “eligible” gremlin men at their weekly family dinners, she finds herself torn between who she longs to be and her family’s expectations. Will she give in and live the life of magic they want for her? Or risk it all by to confessing to Dave that she isn’t human?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Focusing on the sparks of energy skittering along her fingers, she sent her magic into the printer. Angela might look like the cover model she’d once been but no one would guess that Windsor’s check-in counter was currently staffed by a pair of gremlins. Dave’s day—or rather night and morning—were about to become a little more exciting than he’d imagined. Dave would have a nice, relaxing flight to London while his garment bag went to Cleveland.

She tamped down the tendrils of guilt rising in her gut. It needed to be done. It was this bag or some mishap not of her choosing. Besides, who in their right mind would check a Louis Vuitton garment bag? First class contained specially built closets in which to hang them. She searched Dave’s thoughts again.

Where have I seen her before?

Angela snapped right back out and jerked her head down. She attached the claim sticker to his boarding pass and handed it to Dave, keeping her focus on the counter. Hopefully, her smile hid the panic now whirring in her chest like the engines that would take Dave across the Atlantic. “Enjoy your flight, Mr. Ford.”

“Always do.” With a small salute, Dave headed toward the security queue. What were the chances he’d be so cheerful in the morning?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read an Interview:

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Coffee

Which mythological creature are you most like? The sphinx – cat-like, mysterious, loves questions, somewhat dangerous.

First book you remember making an indelible impression on you. The first book I ever bought with my own money was Stuart Little. I love that Stuart gets to make an appearance in Cleveland. But the book that made the longest lasting impression on me was Deryni Rising by Katherine Kurtz. Who I am today and my world view was shaped by the journey that started with Deryni Rising.

How do you develop your plot and characters? I usually have a character start talking to me. I spend some time hanging out, getting to know them,and then start trying to figure out the plot based on the Save the Cat method. Once I know those overall plot points, I pants it from point to point. For me, the characters reveal things more naturally that way, and I love the gasp out loud reaction I get when all the pieces suddenly fall into place.

Describe your writing space. I’m boring. My writing space is usually my bed. Sometimes, I’m curled up on the sofa instead, but I find I need the space to layout all my reference material. If I am in London on a writing junket (I go for several weeks at a time), I do spend about an hour a day writing in a park or cafe, but most of that time is still spent sitting on the bed, writing, and watching the world go by.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Catherine “C.S.” Hale has been writing fantasy since she could hold a pencil. When not holed up in a comfortable corner writing all her books out by longhand, she can be found somewhere by the sea, enjoying tea and pastries.

Website: cshalebooks.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CatSHale

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorcshale

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FVDJL54

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $50 Amazon/BN GC:

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