A Remedy in Time by Jennifer Macaire

 

 

To save the future, she must turn to the past ...

Oslo, April 1945

San Francisco, Year 3377. A deadly virus has taken the world by storm. Scientists are desperately working to develop a vaccine. And Robin Johnson – genius, high-functioning, and perhaps a little bit single-minded – is delighted. Because, to cure the disease, she’s given the chance to travel back in time.

But when Robin arrives at the last Ice Age hoping to stop the virus at its source, she finds more there than she bargained for. And just as her own chilly exterior is beginning to thaw, she realises it’s not only sabre-toothed tigers that are in danger of extinction . . .

 

#TimeTravel #IceAge #Historical #Adventure

 

Available from

Books2Read / Amazon.com / Amazon.uk / Headlinne Hachette / Follow the Author on Goodreads

 

 

Excerpt

When I next opened my eyes, sunlight slanted into the cave. Motes of dust danced and sparkled in the air. An acrid, bittersweet odor filled my nostrils, and smoke made lazy spirals in the breeze. I heard a crackling sound, but it was just the fire dying into embers. My bed, if you can call a pile of furs a bed, faced the cave entrance with the fire between me and the opening. The cave was little more than an indentation in the rock, and not deep at all. It hadn’t been lived in long. The fire had hardly any ash. There were no other signs of human presence except the bed of furs and the fire. I would have expected a more structured space, perhaps some baskets, articles of clothing, weapons even.

I started to feel better and sat up, being careful not to jog my arm. I needed to urinate again, so, bracing myself on the stone wall, I stood. My knees wobbled, but I was up. I checked, and saw my comlink was still around my wrist. I called up my vid cam. It flew into the cave like a demented bat, and I winced. It must have spent the night outside and gotten hung up in a tree. A small branch was stuck to it.

I plucked the branch off it and sent it out to scout, and then I opened a floating screen. I didn’t want to walk into danger. If I had to, I’d stay here until the rescue team came and have my vid cam lead them to me. The screen showed the river. And it also showed the cave I was in. It wasn’t the cave I’d seen from the river - no, that one had been high on the cliff. This one was nearly flush with the river and must flood after too much rain. No wonder it wasn’t used as a dwelling. The caveman must have dragged me here from the river and lit the fire for me. And he’d gotten furs for me. His intentions had been good. He’d gone out of his way to help me. Another thought occurred. I hadn’t been wearing my modern clothes. There wasn’t too much about me that screamed “Woman From the Future!”. My comlink was one I’d chosen because it looked so natural - the band looked like leather with three large copper beads on it: one for my floating screen, one for my vid cam, and one for my computer.

I floated my screen in front of me and sent the vid cam downriver looking for the caveman. There he was, trudging along with a pile of sticks on his shoulder, dragging some sort of dead animal behind him. Oh joy. Breakfast.

 

About the author

Jennifer Macaire lives with her husband, three children, & various dogs & horses. She loves cooking, eating chocolate, growing herbs and flowering plants on her balcony, and playing golf. She grew up in upstate New York, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. She graduated from St. Peter and Paul high school in St. Thomas and moved to NYC where she modeled for five years for Elite. She met her husband at the polo club. All that is true. But she mostly likes to make up stories.

Meet Jennifer on

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / BookBub / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon

 

The Calling by Branwen OShea

 

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This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Branwen OShea will be awarding a prize pack of 1) One signed paperback,2) One Tote bag with the Finding Humanity Series logo (Savas' Compass)and 3) Two different bookmarks for The Calling, one signed by the author, to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Humanity’s wake-up call. Answer it or face extinction.

When Bleu’s little sister shows symptoms of the deadly Sickness, a strange vision directs him to leave humanity’s subterranean haven and seek the cure on Earth’s glacial surface. Joining the expedition team, Bleu expects extreme temperatures, not a surface ruled by ingenious predators.

Rana and her fellow star beings have co-existed with Earth’s top carnivores since the humans disappeared. But when her peers transform into Crowned Ones, the final stage of star being development, she fears remaining Uncrowned like her parents. To prove her worth, she undertakes a dangerous mission—contacting the hostile and nearly extinct humans.

But Rana’s plan backfires, and Bleu’s team retaliates. As war with the more advanced star being civilization looms, both Rana and Bleu separately seek a way to save their people.

Enjoy an Excerpt

She knelt, and with trembling hands, she grabbed the extra piece of soaked wood. If she put one log in the back of the cave and kept one in the entrance, then maybe she’d be safe between them until daybreak. Of course, that assumed whatever predator lurked outside lost interest in her by daybreak.

Two fires were her best chance. Her only chance. She quickly placed the second piece of wood, filled its opening with tinder, and grabbed her stones.

The growling grew closer. At this rate, she’d never get the log lit in time. Her mind raced through possibilities, but they all required skills she lacked and ended with her death.

Wait. Furred ones sense energy. In desperation, she expanded her energy to appear larger and hoped her fake size might give the predator pause.

In this enlarged-energy state, she struck the flint and fire stone together. They sparked, but the log remained unlit. Long claws scraped against the floor. She peered up from the flint. The pale light of the first log reflected off two eyes.

About the Author:

As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.

Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.

Website: http://www.branwenoshea.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/branwenoshea
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/branwenoshea
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/branwenoshea

Order Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735915998

Branwen OShea will be awarding a prize pack of 1) One signed paperback,2) One Tote bag with the Finding Humanity Series logo (Savas' Compass)and 3) Two different bookmarks for The Calling, one signed by the author, to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Strong Within Us by J. A. Boulet

 

The Strong Within Us

by J. A. Boulet

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GENRE: Historical Fiction

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BLURB:

A struggle. A war. The past. Would you recover?

Nathan Olason picks up the pieces of his life in 1893 and becomes a devoted father and grandfather. Except something from his past is holding him back.

His grandson, Mike grows up in a loving family with Nath almost raising him as his own. Mike develops a passion for hunting and guns, while his family supports him with trepid hearts as WWI looms.

Nath feels helpless to stop this dangerous chain of events, as Mike announces that he is joining the Great War. Armed and deadly, Mike hones his marksmanship skills to a perfection not seen in any other soldier. He is taken on a wild ride of following his passions, courage and gruesome fighting, arriving at Vimy Ridge, France for the fight of his life.

Nath fearing the worst, flees to a place that he thought was his salvation; an old weathered cottage that holds the key to his future.

Follow in the footsteps of heroes.

Be vulnerable.

Would you recover?

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Excerpt : 

She was a stunning woman with beautiful long black hair, shockingly rare blue eyes and tanned skin. She was captivating and absolutely gorgeous. Ivan thought that he didn’t have a chance until he found out that she lived down by the pier with her father. He bought fish from her father regularly, trading vegetables and grains some days. Every time Ivan visited the large fishery at the pier, he was always scanning the crowd for the beautiful blue-eyed fisherman girl. He found out that she was almost the same age as himself; she was 18, and he was 19. How she had managed to remain single was something beyond his stretch of knowledge. Maybe she was too beautiful, he thought. No man was courageous enough to approach her. Until this day, he thought. 

Ivan straightened his tie and proceeded to the fishery. He ran his fingers through his hair, adjusting his cowlick. The pesky tuft of hair at his crown annoyed him greatly. It seemed to have a mind of its own, especially in tense situations; it would stick up like a fork in a haystack. Otherwise, he thought that he was quite a handsome fellow, standing at six feet tall, slim but fit, with dark blonde hair, a young uneven beard and captivating green eyes. Women looked at him often, so he knew that he was attractive, but he still felt unsure of himself some days, especially around stunning women like her. Ivan pulled the door to the fishery open, unconsciously licking his hand and smoothing down the cowlick again as he stepped inside. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:  

J. A. Boulet is the passionate author of The Olason Chronicles, a historical saga of war, courage,

love and strength. The Strong Within Us Book 2 was released on Amazon November 11, 2020.

J. A. Boulet was born and raised in Western Canada as a first generation Canadian from European 

descent. Her father was enlisted with the Hungarian military and fought bravely during the Hungarian 

Revolution, changing sides to stand up for what he believed in. He was granted asylum in Canada and 

built his family here. 

J. A. Boulet was born many years later, raised with strong morals and values, which she stands behind to this day. She started writing poetry at the age of five and progressed to short stories and novels. She has a keen interest in settlers, healing, family bonds and military history. J. A. Boulet writes with a spine-tingling realism like none other, grabbing your emotions and refusing to let go. The Strong Within Us Book 2 will be the book you’ve been waiting for. She currently lives in Canada with her two teenaged sons and a crested gecko named Mossi.

Follow her on

Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit.

Website: https://jaboulet.ca/

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/love_walk_life

Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/jabouletauthor/

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/WnGkybvfMM4

Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/user/NormalFemal

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Within-Us-J-Boulet/dp/1777211239

NOTE: the book will be on sale for $1.99 at Kobo during the tour

Kobo (US):  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-strong-within-us

Kobo (Canada): https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-strong-within-us

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-strong-within-us-j-a-boulet/1137976794

Chapters Indigo:

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-strong-within-us/9781777211240-item.html

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION :

J. A. Boulet will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: 

Hello and welcome to my blog! Can you tell me a little about yourself, and how you became an author?

Hello! Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I’m a single mother of two teenage boys and ever since they were born, I felt a deep connection to the issues that men face. When I was growing up, I also bonded with my brother rather than my sisters, which lent me some tomboyish tendencies. Curiously enough, I always dressed very feminine and always spent considerable time on my hair and dresses. Although once I was outside, I often ended up in the garage or in the dirt making a terrible mess of my frilly dresses. It was definitely a source of frustration to my exasperated parents.

I started writing when I was five. It started with poetry and progressed to articles, short stories and historical fiction novels.

What is your book about?

The Strong Within Us is the continuation of The Olason family saga. It is Book Two of The Olason Chronicles and starts in 1893, spanning all the way to WWI. Nath picks up the pieces of his life and becomes a loving family man, raising his daughter and his grandson, Mike. Once his grandson chooses to join The Great War, he fears the worst and is forced to confront his deepest fears.

Who is your hero/heroine? Is he/she based on someone in real life?

Nathan Olason is the main character although the supporting character Mike Kozak is a pivotal point in the book, joining the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade and travelling to Vimy Ridge, France. They are both very strong men with admirable values, steel determination and family bonds. Neither of my heroes are based on anyone I know in real life, but as with all my characters, they all contain little parts of my own personality.  

What are your favourite times for writing? Morning? Evening?

I write mostly in the late evenings, sometimes until 2 am. I schedule my writing times to keep things consistent. I edit during the day, though, it mostly puts me to sleep if I try editing at night!

Who are your favourite authors? Did they influence your writing, and if so, how?

Ken Follett is my all-time favourite author. He has influenced my writing by helping me develop a style of my own and just generally becoming a better writer. I hope to one day meet him in person and thank him.

Did you have a favourite book as a child? Did it influence your choice to become an author?

I was a bookworm geek when I was a child. In my afternoon pastimes, I would walk to the library and take out five books and be happily skipping home to read them all! I also became intensely interested in Shakespeare during high school, eventually dragging my mother to many plays, including Othello, Caesar, Taming of the Shrew and many more. My teachers in high school were thrilled! I was a sponge for written words and artistic performances. 

I don’t believe there was one particular author that had influenced my choice to become a writer, I guess I always just knew that writing was my thing. There was never a question in my mind about where my passions lay. Writing gives my life meaning more than anything I have ever known. The ability to touch so many souls with my words is the most heartwarming feeling in the world. 

The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh by Ella Quinn

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ella Quinn will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Now available in print for the first time, USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn's second installment in The Marriage Game series is a witty, romantic historical tale about a young lady who must choose between her head and her heart...

Since she was a young girl, Anna Marsh has dreamed of Sebastian, Baron Rutherford asking for her hand in marriage. But that was in another life when her brother Harry was alive, before she vowed to secretly continue the work he valiantly died for. Now as Sebastian finally courts Anna, she must thwart his advances. Were he to discover her secret, he would never deem her a suitable wife...

Sebastian has always known Anna would become his wife someday. He expects few obstacles, but when she dissuades him at every turn he soon realizes there is much more to this intriguing woman. Somehow he must prove to her that they are meant to be together. But first he must unravel the seductive mystery that is Miss Anna Marsh...

Read an Excerpt

Anna had never before been so thankful for country hours. Rutherford had joined them for dinner and tea, and she was still in her room by nine o’clock. Lizzy helped her out of her evening gown and in to bed until she had to dress again. The few months before Christmas were always the busiest for her smugglers.

She woke two hours later, scrambled into her habit, and slipped down the back stairs through the side door to the stables.

Humphrey’s head was swathed in bandages. “Did the doctor remove it?

“Yes, miss, he took out two. Warned me not to wait so long the next time. Said there was a woman he saw that let it go so long she died of the infection. Right glad I am you made me see him, miss. I’ll be good enough tomorrow or the next day.”

“You need to rest. There is no reason at all for you to worry about me.”

“Master Harry . . . ”

Anna sighed. “Humphrey, Master Harry is no longer here. I’ll be fine.”

Anna led Thunderer to the mounting block. Once on the large gelding’s back, she turned him toward the meadow and the sea. After changing at the cottage, Anna arrived at the cliff with time to spare. She descended to the beach to wait.

Kev was the first to arrive. “We’re going to be later than usual. Got word of a patrol.”

“How’d that happen?”

“One of our men was in a tavern in Dover. He heard talk.” Anna could just make out his grin. “They expect to be back in by midnight.”

That was a relief. Harry had given her a contact in the event they were ever caught, but she’d never had to use it and didn’t want to now. “Good. That won’t put us off by much.”

“I sent word to Lizzy that you’d be late.”

Anna nodded. “Have you received the information for the next few shipments?”

“Yes, Mr. Arnold.” Kev gave the dates for the next couple of weeks.

Once the men were assembled and the delivery signal given, Anna climbed back up the path.

About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn's studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, was her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a Great Dane. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.

Ella loves when readers connect with her.

Author Contact and Social Media:

Website: https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-quinn
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ

Buy Links for the Mass Market Paperback:

Kensington: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781420147292/the-secret-life-of-miss-anna-marsh/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1420147293/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-life-of-miss-anna-marsh-ella-quinn/1115458071?ean=9781420147292
BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/search?query=9781420147292&where=All
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420147292
Target: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=9781420147292
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=9781420147292&ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_constraint=3920

Ella Quinn will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marie Laval: A Remedy in Time, a fascinating time travel novel ...

Marie Laval: A Remedy in Time, a fascinating time travel novel ...:   Something a little different today but absolutely fascinating! I am delighted to welcome Jennifer Macaire and her new book, A REMEDY IN TI...

Mental Health, Me, and My Characters

 My teacher once walked up to me and slammed a ruler on my desk - I never saw her coming though I was staring straight ahead, my eyes wide open. But I was lost in a daydream. I daydreamed my way through school, on the bus, at home. I was a docile, easy child most times because I would just sit down and disappear in my own mind. Daydreamer, the teachers called me. Scatterbrained, my parents said, when I couldn't clean my room or find my socks. 

I am easily stressed by silly things like parking a car or getting the heater turned on. A few months ago, I started my first full time job after raising three children and working from home or in part-time jobs. I get up extra early so I have time to do what most people can do in half an hour - wash, get dressed, take care of the dog, eat breakfast - and I make sure not to turn on the TV or computer or else I will lose track of time. 

I'm lucky in that my job requires a lot of different skills, so I'm not bored, and it's demanding, so I can't daydream at all or I'll miss something vital. I have adjusted, but I do feel on the very ege of being completely overwhelmed. I have had to put a lot of things on hold just to do my work. Luckily I have the most understanding husband in the world, who has taken over meal planning and laundry - otherwise I would never cope. But it's a feeling I have always gotten, so I know I'll get over it sooner or later. One day, I'll be able to think about other things than my work, and I'll let my creativity back into my world. 

No one ever told me that I had AHD or was on the autism spectrum, and I usually find I can cope with my quirks which include high levels of anxiety, and a tendancy to over-analyze and dwell on details for far too long. There is a good chance that I do have a mild form of AHD, because I do tick a lot of the boxes. I tend to over-react to things, I am hypersensitive to criticsm, I deal badly with frustration, I lose my temper easily, and I get distracted by the slightest thing. I lose things the minute I put them down, I need lists for everything, and I my imaginary world and dreams are often more vivid than my 'real' life. It took me a long time to be able to 'read' people and empathize. I'm extremely dislexic as well, but somehow I've managed to muddle through life, raise children (by following a book nearly word for word), work, and deal with setbacks and disasters. But some days are hard - some days I's a struggle to get out of bed, I can hardly understand what people want from me, and I feel as if my head is full of fog. Other days everything is clear, I can concentrate on one task at a time, and I get a mountain of work done. 

It took me years to be comfortable with myself (I truly think most people are like me)! When I started my last book, after I saw a blog post about a sabre tooth tiger, one of my early passions - I started writing with my own voice in my head instead of inventing a completely new character. Usually I love to write because it's like acting in a way - I can 'be' whoever I want to be - but this time the character's voice was my own, her view was similar to mind. She suffered from a disasociation with reality, a tendancy to see and feel things that didn't align with how others saw and felt things. A certain disregard for rules and regulations crept in. The character was flawed, but I was writing my own flaws into her. 

She's not as emotionally detached, like my first character Ashley was, in the Time for Alexander series. Ashley and I have a lot in common as well, Ashley rarely lets her emotions cloud her judgement unless it's falling in love, which was always my Achilles heel as well. Isobel, my character in 'A Crown in Time' was prone to depression. When my twins were born prematurely, I struggled for months, and I suffered post-partum depression after my daughter, Julia, was born. It ended after a couple weeks, but I can remember how frightening it was, how suddenly it struck, and how everyting suddenly seemed 'wrong', from how things looked (everything seemed to be the wrong shape or size), to how things felt, like cotton or wood. So I wrote my depression into Isobel's story, and I wondered if anyone else had felt like that - as if all the light had gone out of the world. 

Every character of mine is flawed, and they are, I'm afraid to say - many of my own flaws. What has made my life easier has always been my friends and family. Without their support and love, I don't know if I would be able to cope. Just as Ashley needed her two husbands, as Isobel needed her freindship with Charles, and as Robin needed her best friend Yasmine, I need my own support system to keep afloat. I am now working on a new book, and for once, Helen, my new character has no support system. It's one of the hardest books I've had to write, because it's too easy to imagine being completely alone with one's weaknesses, helpless to go on. She will have to ask for help, which is one of the bravest things anyone can do because for people like Helen, and me, showing any kid of weakness is the worst thing we can do. 

If you or your loved ones need help, don't hesitate. Reach out. Talk to friends and family. Request an appointment with your doctor - he will be happy to help you get the tools you need to cope. Mental health is worth talking about, or in my case - writing about.  

A Remedy in Time will be available January 11, 2021 

To save the future, she must turn to the past . . .

San Francisco, Year 3377. A deadly virus has taken the world by storm. Scientists are desperately working to develop a vaccine. And Robin Johnson – genius, high-functioning, and perhaps a little bit single-minded – is delighted. Because, to cure the disease, she’s given the chance to travel back in time.

But when Robin arrives at the last Ice Age hoping to stop the virus at its source, she finds more there than she bargained for. And just as her own chilly exterior is beginning to thaw, she realises it’s not only sabre-toothed tigers that are in danger of extinction . . .

Preorder from:

  Amazon.com  ; Amazon.co.uk ; Amazon.com.au :  Hachhette UK ; 

The Rose by PD Alleva

 

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:  “It’s in the blood, dear,” said Ellen, one of the women Sandy shared time and space with, her skin worn by age, hard labor, and days spent under the sun. Blotches, liver spots and creases led the observer to the eyes. One dark, the other a cataract milky white and she always wore a dark shawl draped over the head and shoulders. Sandy was afraid of Ellen, she reminded Sandy of a gypsy or witch from a fairy-tale.

“Come again?” said Sandy, her eyes shifting from soldier to Ellen to soldier then back to Ellen.

Ellen had cut herself transferring a wood bucket filled with rice to add to an already large trough of buckets. A thick wood splinter pinned in the bottom of her palm dripping with a thick stream of blood. She turned to Sandy raising the bloodied palm and caught a drop of blood in her unwounded hand.

“The blood dear,” said Ellen. “All magic comes from the blood.”

Sandy cringed at the sight; she’d always been squeamish. Her stomach bumped, blood curled. Magic, Sandy thought. If only magic was real. How wonderful would that be? Sandy understood she was naïve, the result of an isolated childhood and her parents’ death when she was ten years old. Not that they had taught the young Sandy about the world she lived in either. They’d kept her under lock and key, never so much as offering a glimpse or advice on the outside world. They were always so cryptic with their explanations, living in an abundant and overgrown mansion as if luxury were a childhood friend. Sure there were plenty of rooms for a child to explore but as time went by those rooms seemed more like a prison than a home.

Years of neglect, isolation and secrets were as torturous as physical suffering. And she was tired of secrets. She wanted to know truth. Truth was like a blanket that keeps you warm in the coldest winter.

“The blood, Sandy,” said Ellen who clenched her fist around those crimson droplets, shaking her hand in front of her face. “All is in the blood.”

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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.amazon.com/Rose-Vol-Dystopian-Science-Thriller-ebook/dp/B089JTPJ8G

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

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

Hi, and welcome to my blog! Just a few quick questions for my readers, if you don't mind! What advice would you give new writers?

Follow your gut. Connect with other authors and ask questions. The indie author community is a vast resource for help and advice. Learn it, use it, love it, but always figure out what will work best for you and what fits your personality and career needs.

That is good advice! What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding?

Anything really, but mostly landmarks, blips of historical periods, mythical and magical lore, old worlds with societies that have gone into the wasteland of the phantom abyss, and imagining a dystopian future based on current events.

Not hard to imagine anymore, is it? ;-) What inspires you to write?

Great storytelling, conspiracy theories, and interests in alien lore, the surreal, the unknown, mythology, philosophy, quantum physics, and the metaphysical.

What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?

Wake up, drop out of bed, drink a few cups of coffee, throw on the headphones, read the last chapter or two that I wrote the day before including the first paragraph or two in the new chapter, then start to think. Get into the character and the scene that’s coming up. Once I got it clear in my head I sit down to write. Where it goes from there no one really knows except the characters on the page.

Coffee! Yes, nectar of the gods, or in this case, the writers! What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in any of your books, and why?

The many action and fight sequences in The Rose. Writing those scenes was great fun. I had the images in my head that played out like watching a badass movie trailer. I’d use music, most specifically, Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir, to get the juices flowing and implement the best action sequences possible. My goal was for the reader to feel like they were inside of the scene, kind of like a referee in an MMA fight. Considering the reviews the book has been receiving it appears this goal was accomplished.

Thank you very much, and best wishes for your writing! Your book sounds fascinating!

Pink Triangle by Lea Bronsen

 

 

Fearing and desiring the enemy... Sometimes you can’t choose who you love.

Oslo, April 1945

Paul is a handsome, free-spirited Norwegian in the prime of his life, but he doesn’t fit the German occupant ideology simply because he’s gay. And so, when the Gestapo catches him for producing illegal propaganda, he’s tortured and threatened to be sent to a German concentration camp with a pink triangle sewn on his shirt, the symbol for homosexuals.

It will take great courage and mind-blowing circumstances of luck, as the Führer commits suicide and the end of the war seems nearer by the day, for Paul to avoid his death transport to Germany.

And it will take the growing attraction of the Gestapo commander himself to regain his full freedom—and capture his heart.

 

#WWII #WW2 #Historical #Manlove #MM #Gay #Erotic #Romance

 

Available from

Books2Read / Amazon.com / Amazon.uk / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks / Smashwords

Put the book on your to-read shelf on Goodreads

See photos that inspired me to write the book on Pinterest

 

 

Excerpt

A couple hours later, when the sun stood high and bright in the sky, the sound of horseshoes came from the garden. Paul had dozed in the hay, enveloped by the soft jacket lining and lulled by happy bird songs and the rustling of leaves outside, but the commander’s return had him sit up against the wall.

The horse’s hairy muzzle appeared in the crack before the big animal pushed the door open and stepped into the shed.

Heimlich sat straight in the saddle, bare-chested, slim but muscular in all the right places, his uniform folded across his lap. Paul tried not to gape at the sight. With ease and grace, the commander dismounted and hung his clothes on hooks on the wall. Drops of sweat pearled on his forehead and temple and rolled down his firm chest and abdomen, making his skin shine. So, so very sexy. He took off his hat, uncovering his dark blond hair slick with sweat—but it only accentuated the sexiness.

He turned to Paul and caught him staring. “What are you smiling at?”

Oops.

Paul straightened and regretted having let himself be carried away. “I wasn’t smiling.”

“Yes, you were. You think I’m not aware I look like an office rat? You need to rub it in?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know very well I could use more muscle, and that I need to strengthen my stomach.” He tapped his six-pack, which was perfect in Paul’s world.

“Well, that hasn’t crossed my mind.”

An understatement.

“Really?” The commander raised a brow. “Do you honestly like what you see?”

Holy fuck, what a question...

Uncertain whether the man realized what he’d just said, Paul waited a bit before he asked, voice low, “Are you honestly asking a homosexual if he likes your body?”

The commander blinked slowly. “When you put it like that...” With a goofy smile, he turned to gaze out of the shed and shook his head.

Paul allowed him a moment to recoup. He was tempted to tease, but didn’t.

When the commander returned to Paul, he pointed at him. “Forget I said that. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Yeah, I’m likely to forget...

They held each other’s looks for a while, the commander inscrutable.

“Listen,” Paul said, emboldened by the awkward situation. “I’m going to be very frank with you. I hate you with all of my heart—”

No reaction.

“—But when you parade around me like that,” he pointed at the man’s naked torso, “you make it difficult for me to...”

“To what?”

To not like you.

 

About the author

Lea Bronsen likes her reads hot, fast, and edgy, and strives to give her own stories the same intensity. After a deep dive on the unforgiving world of gangsters with her debut novel Wild Hearted, she divides her writing time between romantic suspenses, dark erotic romances, and crime thrillers.

Meet Lea Bronsen on

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / BookBub / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon

 

APOPHIS by Raj Anand

 

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

30.45506N, 130.48804E
Isso Town, Yakushima Island, Japan
January 19, 2022 (0700 hours)
“Peter, what is their present position?” the 1.7-meter-tall Claire with a sharp nose and radiant blue eyes inquired, “Quelque chose d’autre a signaler – do you have anything else to report?” She adjusted her glasses, pushing back her long brown hair.

“Herodotus has crossed into the belt, and is travelling at a speed of 346,000 kilometers per hour,” Peter replied, seated next to the astrophysicist, “I am amazed, Claire, how well the mission has progressed so far.”

Their Command and Control Centre located in a narrow peninsula, beyond Mount Yahazudake on Yakushima Island was housed several floors below an old island home that camouflaged its true purpose.

“You really doubted them? Incroyable!” smiled Claire, when she was interrupted by her secretary with an urgent message.

“It is my job to question and doubt,” grinned Peter and turned around. But Claire had already stepped into a high-speed elevator, climbing seven levels up.

A stoic Colonel Yoshimoto dressed in a dark gray suit and a black tie, stood inside a glass partitioned conference room, studying a large photograph of a Mongolian shaman staring ardently at the moon. The rustic house with rice paper screen walls or shoji, that separated the inner office from the outer living area, was capped with a gray shingled sloping roof supported by polished wooden trusses.

Colonel Yoshimoto bowed when Claire entered and addressed him, “How are you, Koki San? I don’t believe we had a meeting scheduled. In fact, I was about to leave for a connecting flight to New York from Kagoshima.”

“We are aware of your flight to New York, Claire San.” Colonel Yoshimoto spoke apprehensively. “So, I shall be brief. About two days ago we received an unexpected signal from the Sentinel Observatory. We have modelled it several times and have arrived at conclusions…that we frankly find deeply disturbing.”

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

 Raj Anand will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lions and Tigers and... Mammoths?

I've had a passion for time travel ever since I found out about dinosaurs. I admit, I've watched the Jurassic Park series about a hundred times. The dinosaurs never get boring for me. When I was in kindergarten, I stood at the blackboard and drew huge dinos. A t-rex chased a triceratops, a stegosaurus lumbered across a swamp, while a huge brontosaurus (now known as apatosaurus, which is a pity, given that brontosaurus meant "thunder lizard") grazed on high tree tops. One of my teachers discovered my obsession, and she would take me from class to class so I could draw and give a talk about dinosaurs.

Then one day I happened on a Reader's Digest that featured sabretooth tigers. In the illustration, the tigers are attacking a mammoth that has somehow gotten entrapped in a tar-pit. I stared at that illustration for hours, trying to imagine how the sabretooth tigers could hunt and eat their prey with such massive canines.

That was that for the dinosaurs. Suddenly I was fascinated by a time when woolly mammoths, huge cave bears, and even sloths the size of small houses, roamed the frigid plains of the ice-age tundra. The sabretooth tiger, with its out-sized canines became my spirit animal - I read everything I could about them, and spent my time drawing pictures of extinct mammals.

Years and years later, I stumbled on a blogsite that featured fossils, and it amused me to try and guess the mystery photos the author posted. And then one day, lo and behold, there was a sabretooth tiger! I recognized it right away. In the blog post, the author admitted that scientists still argued about how the animal hunted its prey. I started imagining a trip to the past to film a documentary about sabretooth tigers. 

Of course, the trip would start at Tempus U, where my time travel books all start from. And the heroine this time would be a single-minded young woman who not only specialized in paleolithic animals but infectious diseases as well, because when I started writing the book, there had been a breakout of an especially virulent form of typhus in California. And so I wove a story about corporate greed, vaccines, man-made diseases, and a trip to the far, far past. A Remedy in Time is available for preorder, and will be published January 7th, 2021!

And here is the fabulous cover my publisher, Headline Accent, made for it! 

To save the future, she must turn to the past . . .

San Francisco, Year 3377. A deadly virus has taken the world by storm. Scientists are desperately working to develop a vaccine. And Robin Johnson – genius, high-functioning, and perhaps a little bit single-minded – is delighted. Because, to cure the disease, she’s given the chance to travel back in time.

But when Robin arrives at the last Ice Age hoping to stop the virus at its source, she finds more there than she bargained for. And just as her own chilly exterior is beginning to thaw, she realises it’s not only sabre-toothed tigers that are in danger of extinction . . .

Preorder from:

  Amazon.com  ; Amazon.co.uk ; Amazon.com.au :  Hachhette UK ;