Tag Archives: sci-fi

The Dead Game by Susanne Leist (Book Showcase)

 

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~~ EXCERPT ~~

 

Linda was passing the empty tables by the tall windows when she felt her arm being tugged—very hard. Before she could react, she found herself being forcibly dragged through the open patio doors and onto the isolated garden path. She came face to face with the mighty Wolf and his trusted companion, Hayden. The grounds were deserted. Everyone had left the gardens and she was all alone with the two wicked vampires.

Wolf glared at Hayden. “Please let go of her arm; we are not animals. We never force ourselves on women.”

“Chivalry among demons—I’m very impressed. Too bad your table manners and choice of dishes leave a lot to be desired,” Linda said. Her hatred of Wolf had just caused her to forget her low position in the food chain; she closed her mouth to stop herself from talking. In the future, she must remember that he was a vampire—the strongest one in the world—and that he could easily destroy her at any time.

Wolf didn’t seem the least bit focused on her. “I didn’t come here to play parlor games with you. I need you to convince Todd to join with us. He can never be human or will ever be accepted by them. He belongs with us. He must stick with his own kind.”

“He’s not like you in any way at all: he cares too deeply for people and is loyal to his friends. On the other hand, you and your kind enjoy killing too much and have no feelings whatsoever.”

“Todd will never be accepted by humans or by his own kind. He will be an outcast with nowhere to go. He must join with us.”

“Todd is human and will always be accepted by humans.”

“Let’s kill her now, boss. She’s going to be trouble. I could take her away and no one will ever see her again,” Hayden said, grabbing hold of her arm again.

Oops, she did it again. Her big mouth had now sealed her fate. She had to learn how to be more assertive without getting herself into trouble.

Wolf strolled over to her with a wicked gleam surfacing in his eyes.

“I have a much better use for her in the future. When she finally comes to her senses, she’ll realize that she will be better off with a real vampire with limitless powers than with a pathetic human. She’ll learn about intoxicating love and passion—not the games that humans play that pale in comparison.

Here comes the human. Let her go for now.”

Linda was horrified to find herself wrapped in Wolf’s strong, muscular arms. She became hypnotized by his black eyes and tempted by his deep voice. He seemed perfect in every way. She only wanted to be with him.

“I’ll be back for you.” Wolf held her tight against his body and whispered in her ear. “I love the way you stand up to me with your flashing blue eyes. Soon you’ll be mine, my beautiful ice queen.”

Linda couldn’t move her body. She was stuck in some kind of trance…she couldn’t leave; didn’t want to leave if given the choice. His voice soothed her and made her think of love, passion, and great need: a need that could be satisfied only by him with his expert hands and mouth. She knew that one day she was going to be with him, to be joined with him.

He lowered his mouth onto hers and drew her into a swirling haze of unexpected feelings and desires. His mouth fully covering hers introduced her to a new realm of pure pleasure. His powerful form enveloped her, making her feel feelings that were foreign and untried for her. She couldn’t get enough of him. She tentatively began touching his face and then his body with an eager and unrelenting hunger. She didn’t know what she needed, but she knew that she wanted and desired this beautiful man standing right before her. Her past life was washed out of her mind, never to be considered again. She begged him to take her with him tonight. In response, Wolf lifted her in his arms, as if she weighed nothing, and turned to leave the party. His beautiful face looked victorious and happy. His black eyes filled with passion. She hoped that it was because of her. He looked down into her small face and gave a hearty roar.

While Wolf carried her in his powerful arms, a dark shadow swooped out of the house and flew directly at them. Linda was knocked out of his arms, and Wolf was thrown across the patio.

She looked up to see who had attacked them. It was Todd, his eyes a deadly shade of green, standing there panting.

Linda backed away in horror. Todd’s eyes cleared and returned to their original dark color. Then he looked at her. “Don’t ever be afraid of me. I’m here to protect you.”

Then he was struck down by Wolf.

They began circling each other like two wild animals. Todd thrust his body at Wolf, causing Wolf to lose his balance, and they crashed together to the ground. Wolf pushed Todd aside and stood back up. He lunged at Todd, who sidestepped his maneuver. Todd retaliated by lifting him high up in the air and flinging him through one of the glass doors to the house. Wolf rose up and dusted glass off his clothing.

He said to Todd, who stood before him, “We are not anywhere near finished, my dear friend. The next battle between us will be more private—without so many witnesses. If I were you, I would watch your back…and your pretty little girlfriend.” Wolf stalked away with Hayden following close behind. Todd quickly followed.

Linda was left standing alone outside. She felt bereft without the touch of Wolf’s lips on hers and the solid strength of his arms holding her. She had felt the unmistakable pull by him on all her senses. In his arms, she’d felt weak and needy—as if she needed him to live. Todd and Wolf were extremely powerful and both had taken hold of her senses.

 

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If I had known it was going to be so hard,

 involving computer skills to the extreme,

 I might have thought twice about it,

 thought twice about writing my book.

 Writers must write each and every day.

 We must promote our books daily.

 We must post on our blogs each day.

 But there’s not enough hours in a day.

 How do other writers accomplish all this?

 How do they leave free time for their families?

 They must be expert jugglers.

 Experts at writing, blogging, and juggling.

 I must learn this dance,

 this high-wire walk,

 this never-ending battle.

 I must learn to juggle.

 I will do it.

 I will do it all.

 Just give me the chance.

 Book two is being written.

 I feel free.

 I feel empowered.

 I will survive.

 James Patterson, eat my dust.

 

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Bliss: Fae Warriors Book 2 by Gini Rifkin (Book Review)

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Fae Warrior, Bliss Goodeve, fires up her empath skills to battle the Reptiles invading Earth. But when it comes to her new human partner, Nathaniel Calhoun, Bliss would rather make love than wage war. A man of mystery, she wonders what he’s hiding behind the horn-rimmed glasses and white lab coat.

Nate admits to being a brainiac, at least that’s the persona he shows the outside world. If his boss discovers his troubled past, life could get complicated. The bad boy in Nate wants the beguiling Bliss in the worst way. Yet, the scientist inside him calculates high odds of being left broken-hearted.

After one Reptile goes rogue, it’s up to Bliss, Nate, and an alien critter named Noodge to bring him down. But time is running out, and things are heating up—especially romantically. Bliss is all for living in the moment. But will that be enough for Nate?

 

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He wasn’t a muscled-bound jock who looked like he lived at the gym, but rather he was tall and lean, with the broad shoulders and narrow hips of a Soccer Pro. Or on her planet, a three dimensional air jockey. She could watch those bad boys for hours.

“Does this mean you’ve come to terms regarding where I come from.”

“I’m not sure what you mean by terms. And I really don’t know where you come from other than out there.” He randomly pointed toward the ceiling. “I’ve had sufficient time to digest the concept, of course, but there’s still too much undiscovered data to come to a conclusion. But then we all have secrets.”

“Do we now.” Her favorite superhero, Bruce Wayne, he had secrets. Did Dr. Calhoun have an alter ego? Was there a bat-cave nearby, and someone equivalent to Alfred waiting for him? “Have you been briefed on why I’m here, and what we’re up against.”

“Again yes. And again, still working on it. I try to keep an open mind. After all, I’m a big supporter of SETI. Did a “tour of duty” at the Lick Observatory for my postgraduate work.”

Lick, such a nice four letter word. And in her mind, one that did not conjure telescopes and long boring hours of record keeping with hopes of alien contact.

“So you see,” he continued, leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his broad chest. “I certainly believe in the potential for you to exist.”

 

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

When we shop for books, readers scan the covers and seek out what captures our interest the most. When we find something appealing, we read the book summary and decide if it’s worth the cost. For those who wonder if Bliss is worth the price tag attached, my opinion is YES!

Between the cover (courtesy of Debbie Taylor) and the book’s description, I had a feeling Bliss was going to be as memorable as Solace (book 1) and I was correct in my assumption. How can you go wrong with Fae triplets, an ex-army ranger, a cowboy/nerdy scientist, pet Rapran (defined on page 1 and/or see glossary, page 238), and the Reptilian creatures.

No joke, if I saw the transformation from man to reptile, a few things would’ve occurred.

1.) Cue scream 2.) Hello, pee pants. 3.) And timber….. I’ve passed out!

Maybe, I should sign up for martial arts lessons so I can do those fancy moves like Bliss or swing a staff like a ninja master. You know, just in case aliens do exist and they don’t come in peace. :mrgreen:

As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed Bliss and I know you will too. So get it and get Solace — if you haven’t yet!

Side note: Portence is up next and, based off the hospital scene and sneak peek, it’s going to knock my (our) socks off. 

 

Heart Rating System

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2

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In case you missed it. Click on this —-> link <—- to read my review of  Solace, book 1 in the Fae Warriors’ series. 
 
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Gini Rifkin lives on a little patch of land in Colorado where she cares for her Noah’s Ark of abandoned farm animals. Rather than rescuing them, they have rescued her…over and over. She loves reading and writing, but not arithmetic, and doing research for her books. Her greatest treasures are her friends and family. Please visit her blog and follow on Facebook.
 
 

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Author Showcase: Jeffrey L. Kohanek – “The Emblem Throne” ~ (CONTEST INCLUDED)~

You might recall, back on January 7th, Jeffrey was here giving away a signed print copy of The Buried SymbolHe was so overwhelmed by your support, he asked for a return engagement so he could present The Emblem Throne and once again offer ONE LUCKY WINNER a FREE COPY of The Buried Symbol. This time for your kindle !

He just knows (like me) that once you embark on this journey with Brock, you’ll be eager to ride shotgun on his next adventure, The Emblem Throne. Which will include friends he made from the Ministry and, of course, Tip. Plus, we shall meet many new faces. 

First though, lets take a peek at The Emblem Throne before you leave us a comment and/or question. Reminder, your feedback makes you eligible to WIN The Buried Symbol so, don’t be shy, drop us a line! 

(Contest runs from now until  January 28th, midnight – central time. Winner is selected January 29th and his or her name will be posted on a comment below! BTW: No matter where you call home, you may enter. So enter, my fellow bookworms!!) 

 

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As they strive to become Masters within the Ministry, Brock and his friends resume their training at the Academy, an institution founded on magic, science, knowledge, law, and combat. They soon discover an expansive web of conspiracies and deceit within the Ministry, hidden behind a veil of benevolence and piety. The exposure of one of those secrets forces Brock and his friends to flee the institution with their lives in the balance.

Joined by a fierce Tantarri warrior, the group embarks on a quest to locate a mysterious throne that has been lost for centuries. Guided by the cryptic words of an ancient prophecy, and backed by a forbidden magic that they are still learning to wield, they journey across the continent to save humanity from extinction.

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

Many characters we met in book one, The Buried Symbolare back and ready to assist Brock in his mission to save the world. Along the way, we meet several of their family members and begin to understand why they joined the Ministry. Cameron has two jealous older brothers. Ashland has an evil uncle but the sweetest and most loving parents. Benny, his father is a sweetheart and now sporting a wheelchair thanks to Benny’s ingenuity. As for Parker, his father made the biggest impression of all but I won’t disclose more. (No spoilers)  

Along with meeting the kinfolk, the group encounters mystical beings. Wraith: A bacabra, big dog but 3-4 times larger than your normal thought of canine, whom became a great ally. Also, they battled a horde of banshees. 

 

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Ten feet tall, red eyes, and sharp talons — These creatures are the things of nightmares. And unfortunately, the battle with them brought upon more than one death. However, not everything was a loss. Love did bloom despite the bleak future ahead. And with the end of the book came…… a promising start to book three, An Empire in Runes: releasing in Spring of 2017. I’ll be on the look-out for it and I’m sure you’ll be too. 

Heart Rating System:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2

 

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~~ Special note from  Jeffrey L. Kohanek ~~

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Book III, An Empire in Runes, is set to release in Spring of 2017, widening the story’s scope, further expanding the cast of characters, and uncovering the depths of the conspiracy that lies within the Ministry. Find out how this epic adventure ends, for the world will be a much different place at the conclusion of the trilogy. 

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Wolf of the Tesseract by Christopher D. Schmitz (Book Review)

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After merging with her copy from an alternate reality, Claire must work with an interdimensional soldier in order to stop a warlock from shattering the laws of existence. As they flee his wrath, she must decide if these romantic feelings for her guardian belong to her or the alternate-self whose soul suddenly inhabits Claire’s mind.

Zabe, the only remaining member of the royal Guardian Corps escaped the warlock’s conquest of the Prime Dimension and wages a one-man resistance. As he sneaks through an enemy camp he discovers they plan to use their sorcery to annihilate all the aligned planes of reality. To stop it, Zabe must break the forbidden dimensional barriers, reach Earth, and hide the key to the dimensional rifts. If he fails and the Warlock acquires the prize, it could spell the end of all existence.

After a dimensional shift, Zabe discovers the key is really a human woman: a college student named Claire Jones whose blood holds the ability to unlock cataclysmic power. The enemy seeks her desperately, yet Zabe and Claire fight–knowing that her blood could rip open a cosmic fissure if even the slightest detail of their plan goes awry.

 

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

 

Within the first few minutes of meeting someone, you know if you’re going to like them or not. You get a sense of their attitude, personality, and take note of how they interact with others. Maybe their facial gestures speak to you more loudly rather than their lack of action. For instance, a quiet/shy person tends to smile coyly, silently laugh. Whereas an overly cocky person might fold their arms, look annoyed, and give off a sense they don’t want to be there. In a nutshell. it’s the smallest things that sometimes can make or break a budding relationship.

I treat a new book like I treat meeting a new person because, really, that’s what I am doing — meeting a new person or group of new people. In the first few pages/chapters, I get a sense if a book is going to be a hit or miss (for me). If I am going to enjoy its company and possibly want to revisit it again. Rarely does my opinion change the longer I read a tale unless something epic happens to blow my mind.

When I began Wolf of the Tesseract, it was apparent that Christopher D. Schmitz meant to make an everlasting impression on me, the reader. This science fiction story literally had an explosive start and the action continued on until the final chapter.

Christopher’s imagination seemed limitless, his plot flawless, and the ending left it wide open for a highly-charged sequel.

The only thing missing from Wolf of the Tesseract was a terminology page — a point I made to Christopher on 12-2-16. With all the science fiction lingo, unworldly creatures, and/or beings, I thought the readers would benefit from a cheat sheet. He absolutely agreed. His exact words were this, “You are very right. I’ll make sure that future versions of the book include that.”  

Sci-fi/fantasy readers, grab this book and be prepared to encounter fire demons, werewolves, snake creatures, warlocks, and huge ass worms. Basically, everything you love about the paranormal world and much, much more! 

 

 

Heart Rating System:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2

 

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Author Showcase: Jeffrey L. Kohanek – “The Buried Symbol (The Runes of Issalia)” ~ (CONTEST INCLUDED)~

We are a week into the the new year and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a FREE PRINT BOOK OFFER courtesy of Jeffrey L. Kohanek. If you haven’t heard of him or his science fiction creations, then let me proudly introduce to you The Buried Symbol,  book one in The Runes of Issalia series. 

After you read the book summary and my thoughts on it, please leave us a comment or question because your feedback makes you eligible to WIN THIS SIGNED BOOK.

(Contest is open to anyone residing in the United States. It also runs from now until  January 8th, midnight – central time. Winner is selected January 9th and his or her name will be posted on a comment below!) 

 

~~ CHECK OUT THE PRIZE ~~

 

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Discover a lost magic, long buried and forgotten…

Without a rune marking his role in society, Brock is doomed to a life below the lowest rung of the social ladder. Unwilling to accept his fate, the teen risks his life to obtain a fake rune that marks him as a member of the Empire’s ruling class. He then embarks on a quest to join an institution where the Empire’s future leaders are trained.

As a student of the Academy, he soon uncovers a chain of secrets kept hidden for centuries, secrets that expose cracks in the foundation of Empire society. Among his discoveries is a powerful magic, long buried and forgotten.

Brock’s compassion and sense of justice are seeds that sprout tight friendships and a blossoming romance. An unwillingness to be bullied earns him a dangerous enemy, growing into a feud that escalates to a climactic showdown.

 

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

No matter your race/religion/gender/nationality, at one point in time you’ll do something to improve the quality of your life. Maybe it’ll involve going to college, switching jobs, or your address. No matter the how, it’ll occur and you have a 50/50 chance your decision was for the better. Brock took steps to improve his station and he brought his friend Tip along for the ride.

Tip didn’t have a rune placed on his head, he wasn’t off to the Ministry academy, but he was content remaining an Unchosen because he had a roof over his head, food in belly, a bed, and a wonderful woman whom he loved dearly.

Brock, on the other hand, felt he was meant for more and his assumptions proved true. He turned out to be a great and powerful student. He was able to harness the power of the Order and Chaos. Not an easy feat. Like his best bud, Tip, he found love — Ashland, a great healer.

~~Other notable characters~~

Cameron (Cam): tough on the outside but gentle on the inside.

Benny: the inventor who brought life to all his scenes.

Corbin: He reminded me of Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter series. Both characters you’ll love hating.  😈 

 

~~ Favorite scenes~~

1.) The boys trying out the Hedgewick Roller (bike). As a mother who’s just watched her daughter learn to ride a 2-wheeler this summer, I had to laugh at their attempt to ride the crazy contraption. Pure hilarity! 

2.) Couple years back, my son was assigned the talk of creating a working catapult. It was a happy moment when he finally got the marshmallow to soar across the garage. If I recall, he got an A on the assignment! Thanks for triggering the memory, Jeffrey!

 

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Heart Rating System:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2

 

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Jeffrey L. Kohanek grew up in rural Minnesota where comic books sparked his young imagination, inspiring fantasies of heroes with super-powers saving the day. His tastes later evolved to fantasy epics featuring unlikely heroes overcoming impossible odds to save worlds born from the writer’s imagination.

Now residing in southern California, Jeff uses that imagination to weave tales of engaging characters caught in fantastic plots to inspire young adults and the child within us all.

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