Teaser Tuesday and Giveaway: Once Upon A Tinder by Dr. Ann Donnelly

Nonfiction / Self Help

Date Published: 27th April 2021

If you suddenly find yourself in the dating world after a long absence, things have changed. Please don’t despair. ‘Once Upon a Tinder’ is here to gently introduce you to the world of dating Apps with some hard earned do’s & don’ts.

Dr. Ann Donnelly recounts stories of electronic communication, first dates & romantic encounters interspersed with learning tips and suggestions for your personal adventures!

As the stories unfold we explore the importance of boundaries, self love and self care while we live, love and learn. We also experience tonnes of self discovery and laughter along the way!

Relationships teach us about ourselves! Every encounter reveals more and more about where we are in our healing and growth as a person.

The overall lessons learned stimulate a sense of hope, and a call to adventure with better relationships between men and women as we grow in our knowledge of each other and ourselves.

There is no doubt about the fact that men and women are opposites, completely opposing forces. This explains why, when we do come together in love and in acceptance of each other, the potential is infinite and it is one of the greatest Magicks in life!

It is time to stop fighting and rediscover the love that is possible between a man and a woman. Your dating App is a doorway. What you do with it is up to you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Your Love Doctor Ann ❤

TEASER

Take your time to get to know someone. You can gauge their politeness and authenticity by the flow of the conversation. Do not feel you have to give any personal information until you are ready to meet them. 

About The Author

Dr. Ann Donnelly MB MRCGP DRCOG DFP DYT Dippallmed LFhom

Dr. Ann, ‘the love doctor”, author of Once Upon a Tinder, is a Family Doctor with over 25 years experience working in the NHS. She also has a broad portfolio of work in Palliative and Holistic Medicine. She is often consulted as a medical expert in the media, including Yahoo, Cosmopolitan and Glamour.

Her passion for helping people understand their full potential in life shines through, in this, her first book. It was written from her home in Ireland during lock down while unable to travel internationally. It was born out of a desire to create better understanding and more love between men and women. After her marriage ended, the valuable insights she gained through her personal dating life, gave her the courage to inspire others to ‘Dare to Love Again.’ In this little book about first dates and romance, she takes the lessons learned and gives a fresh perspective on what each of us bring to a potential relationship. Of course, the most important relationship of all reveals itself over and over, the one we have with ourselves. This dictates the ways in which we nurture and sustain ourselves.

Self knowledge is a key theme in healing and Metaphysical studies. Since Dr. Ann began her studies in Metaphysics with the Modern Mystery School in 2006, she has graduated as a Life Activation Practitioner, a Healer and Guide. She is also an Ensofic Reiki Practitioner and a Fundamental Ensofic Reiki Teacher. She is an International teacher with the Modern Mystery School while joyfully continuing her studies as a Universal Hermetic Ray Kabbalah Teacher.

Divina Ann serves as a Member of the Counsel of twelve women.

You are welcome to connect with her via: thelovedoctor@onceuponatinder.com

Or check out her website: onceuponatinder.com

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Teaser Tuesday: Despite the Devil by Shawna James

They Loved Collection Book 1

Women’s Fiction

Date Published: 11-11-2020

Publisher: Drummond Martin Publishing

To Stephanie, Andrew Simmons seemed like the perfect man. He was smart, handsome, kind, and athletic. And best of all, he was interested in her. As their romance begins to blossom, the truth about Andrew’s past comes to light. A misguided choice made many years before, hung over him.

When they start a family together, Andrew tries to move on from the past and enjoy his family life, but the past still haunts him.

As Andrew and Stephanie build a stable and happy home life together, they long for the day they can stop looking over their shoulders. With resilience and perseverance, can they overcome the dark cloud together?

Excerpt

It was Monday, and Stephanie was supposed to go to the gym in the evening. By the time she walked out of the teachers’ room with Maya, she still had a couple of hours to spare. Maya left and Stephanie was now alone. She tried to decide whether to go home or stay around. Just then she remembered that she had to make a poster for the new drama play she was planning for that year.

She spent the next half an hour designing the poster and getting it printed. Then, she went to the notice board to put it up. No such luck.  The notice board was all filled and she didn’t want to cover up any of the other posters. She scanned each one to see if there was anything that was past the event date so that she could ask the owner for permission to remove it.

While she was looking at the posters, she noticed Andrew’s soccer poster and read it once more.

“Interested in joining the soccer team?” came a voice from behind her.

 

Startled, she spun around to see Andrew standing behind her, smiling and looking down at her.

“You scared me,” she blurted out, placing a hand on her chest. Her heart was beating wildly.

“Oh, sorry,” Andrew apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Andrew looked genuinely worried.

Stephanie smiled at him reassuringly. “No, no. It’s alright,” she said. “I’m just looking for a place to hang my poster. I can’t decide which one to remove.”

“You can remove mine,” Andrew offered kindly.

“No, you don’t have to do that.” Stephanie blushed.

Andrew stepped forward, and before Stephanie could say anything else, he took down his poster. Then, he took Stephanie’s poster from her hand and, despite her protest, posted it in the now empty slot on the noticeboard.

“Don’t worry. I already selected my team and came here to take it down anyway.”

Stephanie couldn’t discern whether he was telling the truth or being sweet to please her. She was glad that her poster was now on the notice board though, occupying a prime spot that could grab lots of attention.

“You are too nice,” Stephanie complimented him.

Andrew smiled and said nothing. He glanced at his watch.

“Am I keeping you?” Stephanie asked, glancing at her own watch.

“No. I have about an hour to spare and was wondering where I could get a good cup of coffee,” Andrew explained.

“I know exactly the place!” Stephanie told him cheerily. She was encouraged by the fact that she hadn’t said anything stupid to Andrew yet. “In fact, it’s my friend Maya’s find. It’s on my way home; I could show you the spot. Have you met Maya?”

“I haven’t met most of the teachers yet.”

“You would have noticed her,” Stephanie quipped drily. “She’s bubbly and talkative, has short hair, and teaches math.”

“Ah, yes, I think I have,” Andrew chuckled. Even his laugh was enticing.

“Don’t tell her I called her bubbly,” Stephanie muttered in a low voice, glancing around them. Andrew cracked a smile and nodded. His eyes brimmed with humor and life. He had such a caring look and sense of gentleness about him. Stephanie tried to calm her stomach, which kept getting a swooping sensation every time she looked at Andrew.

They walked out of the school, and Stephanie directed him to the restaurant, the one Maya and she regularly visited.

“This place has the best coffee and cheesecake, approved by Maya,” Stephanie said by way of introduction. “Maya may be a math teacher, but her real expertise is food.”

“Approved by the expert.  Got it,” Andrew replied charmingly.

Stephanie glanced at her watch again. She also had another hour to spare. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Andrew studying her.

“Why don’t you join me for a cup of coffee?” he invited. “Maybe you could lend me more expertise on food-related matters.”

Stephanie could feel her heart skip a beat and her face flushed with excitement. She searched for words to politely refuse this invitation, but truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to spend time inside the restaurant with him. “I’m not the expert,” she argued lamely. “It’s my friend Maya who’s the foody, but I will join you for that cup of coffee.”

“Consider this an apology for bumping into you the other day,” Andrew added and held the door open for Stephanie to enter.

Stephanie stepped inside, her mind screaming ‘be cool, be cool … don’t show how much you like him’.

About the Author

When author Shawna James is not instructing at university or writing in her favorite coffee shop, Shawna spends most of her time reading, hiking, traveling abroad, and catching her favorite football games on Sunday afternoons.

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Teaser Tuesday: Killing Time by Mike Murphey

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Physics, Lust and Greed Series, Book 3

Humorous Science Fiction

Date Published: May 11, 2021

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

At every crossroads he has encountered in life, Sean Brody has made the safe choice. In the year 2046, at the age of ninety-three, Sean is given one final opportunity to deal with his greatest regret. Sean is the only man Marshall Grissom and Marta Hamilton can find who might be able to save Sheila Schuler, their friend and fellow traveler lost in the distant reaches of time. If Sean accepts the task of traveling to his childhood in a parallel universe—with no guarantee that any aspect of the past can be changed—Sean must also accept his death in the only world he knows.

Excerpt

Marshall’s response didn’t register, though, because Sean looked beyond Naomi and saw two huge gleaming globes flanking a white, brightly lit platform tinged by a throbbing green glow beneath its surface. Banks of computers, monitors and cameras edged the platform on three sides.

The globes pulsed with a bluish electronic sort of ooze that seemed to creep along their surfaces in random patterns. Where Sean could have sworn an instant before had been empty space between the globes, he saw a lovely, petite, and very nude black woman standing before him. He wondered if she had been there all along, and he’d somehow missed her among the computers and cameras and other shiny things. But . . . no. Old as he might be, Sean was pretty sure he could still tell the difference between a computer and a naked lady.

He felt frozen. He could not bring himself to speak or move. Like a needle stuck on an old phonograph record, his mind simply could not jump beyond this particular groove.

A comforting arm slipped through his and Sean found Naomi beside him.

“I’m sure you’re finding this a bit overwhelming. Do you need to sit? Can I bring you a bottle of water?”

Sean stared silently into the small Chinese woman’s black eyes for a moment before turning back toward the nudist.

“Hello, Mr. Brody,” said the woman, who now wore a white robe. “I know my entrance was a little theatrical. And I apologize for that, but we wanted to impress you. I’m Marta Hamilton. I think Marshall has mentioned me? You’ve just witnessed my return from a brief conference with my counterpart from another universe a few days past. And I do have to admit the timing wasn’t coincidental. We needed to get your attention.”

Sean continued to stare. He found this reality too much to process.

“I know Marshall hasn’t given you all the details yet. I sincerely hope you will agree to help us, though. We will be asking—”

“My God,” Sean croaked through a sandpaper dry throat, believing all this for the first time. “You people want me to be fifteen years old again.”

About The Author

Mike Murphey is a native of eastern New Mexico and spent almost thirty years as an award-winning newspaper journalist in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest. He left journalism in 1998 to form a business related to adult amateur baseball. At the age of 60, he stopped procrastinating and revived his life-long ambition to write a novel. He is author of Sections, an award-winning coming of age novel set in Eastern New Mexico where Mike grew up. He is also author of The Conman … a Baseball Odyssey, another award-winning novel. Killing Time is the third novel in his Physics, Lust and Greed Series. Mike splits his time between Spokane, Washington and Phoenix, Arizona where he enjoys life as a writer and old-man baseball player.

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Teaser Tuesday and Giveaway: The Fifth Cycle by Dan O’Mahony

 

Otherworldly Adventures #1

Middle-Grade Fantasy

Date Published: February 2, 2021

Publisher: Magic Cat Books

An ancient Irish goddess appears to thirteen-year-old Colin Caulfield and delivers a fateful warning. Later that night, his sister is almost kidnapped by goblins. His world is rocked even further when his mother and a family friend reveal that he is the reincarnation of Ireland’s greatest hero, CuChulainn, and destined to help the Irish gods return to their seat of power.

First, he needs to be properly trained, and there is no one better for that job than Scathach, the woman who trained the original CuChulainn. He arrives on her island, Alba, in the Otherworld, and joins her host of trainees. There, he meets Breccan and Alaynna, who become two of his best friends. He also meets Niall, who is somewhat hostile to him at first, but then agrees to help train him.

Colin faces a number of threats and challenges while on Alba, some of which are tied to a dark force that wants to stop him from fulfilling his destiny. Unfortunately, Colin’s greatest enemy just might be himself as a deep-seated personal issue triggers a warp-spasm, a type of berserker rage that the original CuChulainn suffered from as well. With the help of his friends, Colin must learn to control the warp-spasms if he is to become the hero both Earth and the Otherworld need him to be.

He had better hurry though, because the dark force that wants to stop Colin, that found him on Earth and tried to use his sister to get to him, discover he is on Alba, and who knows how far they are willing to go to stop Colin this time.

Excerpt

“It is time, Colin Caulfield,” a familiar voice said.

Ma’s office went all hazy around the edges, like the library did for me earlier that day. It grew too, became massive. And yep, there they were, the Morrigan, all three of them, a triple goddess, representing all stages of womanhood at once. Maiden. Mother. Crone. It was the Maiden who’d spoken first.

“Follow us, Colin Caulfield,” said the Mother.

“We shall lead the way,” said the Crone.

Ma and Sean both looked at me then in the direction I was staring then back again.

“You can’t see them?” I asked.

“See who?” asked Ma.

“The Morrigan.”

“They’re here?” Sean sounded in awe. “You can see them?”

“They were in the library. That’s why I rushed out like I did.”

Sean smiled. “This is a good sign. The Morrigan are the patrons of heroes. They appeared before the original CuChulainn.”

“Yeah, and he was too stupid to take their help,” I reminded him.

Sean rested his hand on my shoulder. “Hopefully, you won’t repeat his mistake.”

I answered with a tight smile. The Morrigan stood there, waiting for me. At least they were allowing me time to say goodbye to Ma and Jenny.

“You come back to me,” said Ma, trying really hard not to cry. “No matter what.”

I promised I would. Jenny gave me a thumbs-up.

“You’ve got this,” she said.

What did she mean? Got what? Little weirdo. I grinned and tousled her hair.

The Morrigan turned in unison and started walking. I followed. A mist rose out of nowhere. It kept getting thicker and thicker.

I stopped short when water brushed against my shoes. I squinted through the mist. All I could see was water, in every direction. The Morrigan were still walking ahead of me. I could buy that they could walk on water. But could I? Only one way to find out.

I took one step then another and chuckled in disbelief. I was walking on water. So weird, the way it shimmied beneath my feet. I sent out ripples with each step I made. I kept walking. The mist grew thick again, surrounding me. The Morrigan were nowhere in sight.

“Hello?” I called out. “Anyone out there?”

I took a couple more steps before finally stopping on what felt like dry, solid ground. That was when the mist started to clear. I was standing in a stone courtyard. There were cottages and larger buildings all around. The whole place was surrounded by huge stone walls.

Ma’s office, the Fenian, the world I knew — was gone.

Was this Scathach’s Island? Alba?

A man stood there like he’d been waiting for me. He wore a cloak with the hood pulled completely over his head. He tossed something to me. It clanged and clattered as it slid across the stones then landed near my feet. It was an ancient Irish war sword, one-handed with a short thick blade. I’d seen pictures of them in books. This one looked almost brand-new.

“Pick it up,” the man in the hood growled.

About The Author

It is widely believed that the man known as Dan O’Mahony was raised in a library by a pack of wild fantasy novels that accepted him as one of their own.

Dan currently resides near Chandler, Arizona but spends most of his time exploring new worlds and associating with unique characters. When not engaging in fulfilling flights of fancy, he teaches elementary and junior high students, hoping to inspire within them a love of reading and writing (The trick is to get them while they are young.).

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Teaser: Atlantis by M. Arcturus

 

Sci-fi, Urban fantasy

Date Published: Initially published on 12.21.12, revised version 03.02.2021

It was meant to be a place where knowledge could be exchanged peacefully between humans and advanced beings who live among the stars.

It was meant to be a place where amazing feats of science could accelerate the evolution of humankind.

Now, lost and forgotten, the isle drifts aimlessly on the fabric of time and space.

Those who linger on Atlantis use her technology to thieve treasure and fuel the ever-growing greed of the population.

Something powerful has been stolen and Atlantis is now treading close to the waters of karma and fate.

Is it too late to change what has been done?

TEASER

I still remember the fall of the Empire. We didn’t have streets paved with gold nor the fountain of youth, but we had corruption and ill-fated greed. In ignorance, we blamed a traveler for the ruin of our culture, when we should have taken the blame for our own destruction. The traveler was never the destroyer we made her out to be. Instead, she was a much-needed outside voice whispering in our ears. She came to us when we were already deep in an era of decay, which sadly drowned her message below the cries of the community. Juron knew where we were headed, yet he pretended to be like us, blind to the situation. He used the traveler as a scapegoat and we, not fully seeing the picture, clung onto the fearful beliefs of the masses. Now, I openly admit that I was wrong, and to the generations henceforth, I want all to know…I’m sorry, Giséi…I’m sorry.

About The Author

M. Arcturus was born and raised in the Midwest. Yearning to break free from a mundane life, she writes after hours hoping that one day her life will be launched in a whole new direction. Even though her stories are immersed in fiction, she dedicates a lot of time in researching science and history to create believable events and environments to assist the reader along their journey within her books.

Atlantis: City of Mages is her first published book; however, her poetry has been published in several publications such as: 2005 Labours of Love by Noble House Publishers Poetry Division, 2003 Gardens of Youth by The International Library of Poetry, and 1999 Poetic Voices of America by Sparrowgrass Poetry Forum. She is currently working on the sequel to Atlantis as well as another science fiction book, a poetry book, and a children’s book.

Her greatest aspiration is for her books to stir the imagination in others and even create a bit of controversy. She wants her readers to form their own ideas surrounding the topics she writes about. She believes that every point of view has the ability to expand knowledge and spur people into action to follow their dreams and pursue their personal truth.

When she is not writing on her books, you can find her on paranormal investigations, painting, working on her photography skills, and seeking new adventures.

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Teaser Tuesday: Airway is Life by Meghna Dassani DMD

 

Nonfiction

Date Published: February 28, 2021

A national health crisis is stealing your family’s sleep away, one breath at a time. In Airway is Life, Dr. Meghna Dassani, DMD gives you the information you need to spot sleep-disordered breathing and other issues so that you can get the help that you and your family need. Why are all stages of sleep important? What diagnosis might show that sleep is an underlying issue? How can you convince your doctor to prescribe a sleep study? Dr. Dassani’s interesting, accessible work will give you the tools you need to protect your family’s sleep breathing and change their lives.

About The Author

Dr. Meghna Dassani is an internationally educated dentist practicing in Houston, Texas. She received her initial dental training from the University of Mumbai, India where she graduated in 1996 and she operated a successful practice there for 6 years prior to moving to the US. She is a 2005 graduate of the Boston University (BU) Goldman School of Dental Medicine, where she was actively involved in research projects and she enjoyed working in communities surrounding the dental school.

She has been practicing in Houston, Texas for the last 15 years. She has a passion for providing patients with the highest quality of care that will benefit their overall health. Screening and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults and children is an integral part of her practice. Her vision and goal for herself and her team is to help patients with sleep disordered breathing get the treatment they need to live healthier, happier lives.

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Teaser Tuesday and Giveaway: Eat Your Heart Out by Shirley Goldberg

 

Starting Over Series, Book 2

Romantic Women’s Fiction / Romcom / ChickLit

Date Published: March 17, 2021

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

When a tyrant in stilettos replaces her beloved boss, and her ex snags her coveted job, teacher Dana Narvana discovers there are worse things than getting dumped on Facebook. Time for the BFF advice squad. Alex—hunky colleague, quipster, and cooking pal extraordinaire is Dana’s staunchest ally. So what’s with the smooching after hours? And why won’t this grown man make up his mind?

Actor turned teacher Alex Bethany craves a family of his own. Newly hotified, he’s now got the confidence to try online dating. Meanwhile he’s sending Dana mixed messages in the kissing department. After a surprising event rocks his world, Alex panics, certain he’s blown his chances with his special person.

Funny and bittersweet, Dana and Alex’s story will have you rooting for them all the way to dessert.

Excerpt

“So, this is what it’s like being on a date with you.” Dana hesitated—caught herself. “This isn’t a date, is it?

Her voice flattened and she took a sip of wine. “Oh, I’m not belittling your gesture, bringing me to this fine establishment. But it isn’t a date because you’re seeing that woman, aren’t you? The one you asked me for advice about.”

Alex fidgeted. Idiot. Asking Dana how to recognize the signs a woman was interested––what had he been thinking? What could be more awkward? This. This was definitely up there on the list of more awkward moments.

“You’ve always been straight with me,” she said, holding the wine glass in midair.

That little flash of skin whenever she raises her arm. He picked up his wine glass. At this rate, he’d have to order a second bottle, simply to block his mind from going where it shouldn’t.

“Alex, do it again, be straight.”

He leaned in, took the glass from her hand and put it on the table. “Come closer,” he said. “I want to whisper sweet somethings in your ear.”

She bent toward him, a puzzled but amused expression percolating, her face glowing in the subtle lighting.

“Yes?” Her voice throaty, challenging.

“This is a date,” he said and tilted his head, brushed her lips with his, pulled back slightly, and did it again.

About the Author

Shirley Goldberg is a writer, novelist, and former ESL and French teacher who’s lived in Paris, Crete, and Casablanca. She writes about men and women of a certain age starting over. Her website http://midagedating.com offers a humorous look at living single and dating in mid life. Eat Your Heart Out is the second book in the series Starting Over. Middle Ageish, the first, is available now and Shirley’s friends like to guess which stories in the book are true. Her characters believe you should never leave home without your sense of humor and Shirley agrees.

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Teaser: The Leadership Development Too Kit by Michael Sampsn and Faswilla Sampson

 

Redesigning Your Leadership Development

Template to Drive Individual and Organizational Change

Business; Management; Human Resources

Are you a CEO in a small business or start-up company interested in aligning business and talent strategy to inspire your employees?

Are you an HR “Department of One” professional looking to create a legacy project and be recognized as a more strategic partner?

This book is for you!

• Practical steps to implement immediately

• A set of tools for effective people leadership

• Real-life examples of how a leadership development program gives rise to self-motivated, high- performance individuals (and teams) that produce long-term results and a competitive advantage for your business.

With The Leadership Development Tool Kit, you’ll learn how to create a fool-proof talent-building process to impact productivity and help your people thrive in the 21st century.

Shape Organizational Culture * Measure Outcomes * Monitor Employee Satisfaction * Optimize Critical Processes

Teaser From the Book

“Leadership development programs empower employees, increase employee retention, and improve productivity, thereby adding to the bottom line of businesses. That said, we would like to acknowledge that the development of an organization does not depend only on a leadership development program; it also requires supporting and implementing equity throughout the organization.”

About the Authors

Michael Sampson

Michael Sampson is an author, lecturer, certified coach and former United States foreign service officer who has studied and led international development programs and cross cultural relations since 1979. Michael has over 30 years of leadership and management experience in government and corporate environments. Since retiring from national service, Michael has been CEO of LMI Kenya, a master licensee of Leadership Management International (LMI) Inc., which ranked #1 in Leadership Development Programs in North America by Entrepreneur magazine. Michael continues to promote self-reliance and facilitate leadership development programs which drive results, quality and customer satisfaction around the world. Michael started LMI Kenya because of his desire to be more active in promoting leaders and next generation leadership in Africa. Michael is active in civic organizations including American Chamber of Commerce Kenya. He lives in Kenya with his wife, Alma, and enjoys spending time with his three adult daughters (including Faswilla, with whom he co-authored this book) and two grandchildren. Michael holds a BA in International Studies from the School for International Training and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

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Faswilla Sampson

Faswilla Sampson is an author, certified coach and co-master licensee of Leadership Management International (LMI) Inc., a performance improvement company specializing in personal

leadership and organizational development. As an experienced CEO confidant, Faswilla’s mission is to develop leaders and organizations to their full potential. With more than a decade

working in the non-profit healthcare sector in Washington D.C., Faswilla’s strategic planning, program management, leadership and executive coaching experience, make her an organizational change agent. She believes that for any organization to be truly impactful in the 21st century requires developing leaders within all levels of the organization now. She enjoys speaking and

presenting on a variety of business topics from leadership to workforce planning to talent management. Faswilla holds a BA from University of Mary Washington and a master’s degree in International Administration from Central Michigan University.

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Teaser Tuesday: The Devil Whispered by Shawn Starkweather

 

Science-Fiction/Mystery/Detective

Date Published: 3/1/2021

Retired special-forces commander Jacobi Slate is drawn into a downward-spiraling vortex of fear and doubt while investigating a brutal murder committed by an old friend. As evidence mounts that someone else might be pulling strings from the shadows, Jacobi struggles to understand a developing connection to his own past, which is quickly catching up to him.

Near-future cyberpunk collides with gritty detective noir in this fast-paced thriller that shines a light on both the vast shortcomings and the noble heroism of the human condition. To unravel the mystery, Jacobi will pull on every thread while chasing leads from the squalor of the most dangerous streets to the high-tech towers of the wealthy elite on his quest to understand a truth he might not be ready to face.

Excerpt

Through the doorway, a shape was moving toward us, intermittently visible as the pulsing rings passed rapidly along the ceiling. It was low to the ground, and parts of it were glowing red. The lights were moving too quickly for me to fully assess exactly who or what was approaching us, until it had nearly reached the door. It was an elderly Asian man, seated in a wheeled chair, the metal of which was aglow. The colors of fire swirled within it and gave the metal the molten appearance of having just been drawn from the flames. The man looked to be in his seventh or eighth decade. His white hair was short, straight, and neatly combed. The sharp, piercing gaze from beneath his glasses belied any assumption that his advanced age might have dulled his mind. For a few moments, he quietly studied us, and I had the sense that we were being silently compared with a preexisting expectation of some kind.

I bowed then, timing it as I deemed appropriate to reflect the proper amount of deference, since I was a guest on this ship and had come seeking his assistance. Risa followed my example.

“Kangei Shimasu,” he said in Japanese, bowing his head respectfully. “Be welcome, Jacobi-san.”

“You know my name,” I said, unsurprised.

He paused for a moment, as if to consider how to answer, and then nodded. “I do. I know a great many things about both of you, but before you ask, I am unwilling to fully explain the methods that we use to gather our intelligence. We should use the limited time we have to share with one another this evening to focus on less complex matters.”

“You are The Blacksmith?” asked Risa.

“Yes. Welcome to the Forge, Ms. Corbin. You, of all people, might appreciate the room in which we stand now. Do you understand what you see, I wonder?”

“I think…” she said, looking slowly around the room, “if I had to guess, considering the amount of power you have being routed to that sphere, it’s probably the central processing unit for some sort of massive neural network. AI, perhaps?”

“Not just any artificial intelligence. Certainly nothing along the lines of those ridiculous programmed concierges you see installed in every home now. The Anvil,” he said, nodding in the direction of the sphere, “is the foundation of all of the work we do here at the Forge. I began developing it more than five decades ago, and it has since evolved into what you see before you now, a fully functioning example of the potential of machine learning.”

“What does it do?” she asked, walking closer and running her hand along the surface of the sphere.

“It manages complex medical procedures and data-mines the Evernet with astounding speed and accuracy to provide me with information. In many ways, it functions as an assistant of sorts for me, without which the work I do would take an extraordinarily increased length of time to complete.”

“And what is that exactly?” she asked. “The work you do, I mean.”

“You contacted me. That seems a great deal of trouble to go through without knowing what you seek.”

“It certainly does,” Risa said, giving me a poignant glare.

“Well,” he continued, “we do a great many things here in the Forge, mostly in the field of biological cybernetics. Our moral inclinations tend to be much looser than the places where this work is performed legally. And with the assistance of the Anvil, we can perform it in a fraction of the time it would take otherwise.”

“Why out here? Why on the ocean? A ship hardly seems the ideal place for a man in a wheelchair,” I said.

“Well, ship stability technology has made some leaps forward in the twenty years since you were in the navy, Mr. Slate. Advances in the field of magnetic internal stabilizers, as well as wave pattern recognition and prediction, have given way to a new era of onboard motion control. As you can surely see, there is a powerful storm raging outside yet barely the slightest hint of movement here within the hull.”

I hadn’t been paying too much attention, distracted as I’d been by the strange environment and the neural network, but he was correct. I bowed my head in concession to his point.

“To answer your question, it provides some amount of security, and the mobility we need to maintain our privacy. The ocean also provides a consistent, natural source of coolant that we utilize in maintaining our operation. Additionally, we have systems onboard that harness both thermal energy from the sun’s heat and mechanical energy from the tides and waves. Water, Mr. Slate, is a powerful tool when properly manipulated.”

My curiosity was sated, and I was impressed. The Blacksmith’s chair rolled forward past us, seemingly of its own violation as his hands were neatly folded in his lap. It repositioned to face us when it reached the Anvil.

“So, let us not waste any more time. Tell me, what service do you hope I can provide?”

I looked at Risa, who was watching me expectantly, and drew a deep breath.

“I need a kill switch for my head.”

About the Author

Shawn lives in Massachusetts with his wife and the handful of childhood stuffed animals that they’ve been unable to part ways with, even despite the awkward situation it occasionally puts their house guests in. He wields a coveted Associates of Liberal Arts degree from Greenfield Community college in an overly enthusiastic, flailing manner, and puts it to work writing both fantasy and science fiction stories. Using subliminal codes and hidden messaging carefully placed throughout his books, he plans to captivate the minds of his readers and insidiously manipulate them into purchasing subsequent releases.

As a novelist, musician, graphic designer, and a purveyor of fine games, Shawn is often confused about exactly who he is when he wakes up in the morning. It’s been said (by him) that perhaps he embodies all of these things so equally that a singular definition could not comprehensively impart a satisfactory description. With your support, and a sufficient demand for more novels, he secretly hopes that he’ll have no choice but to formally acknowledge the prevailing label of ‘author’ and spend the rest of his days providing a sense of wonder and adventure to everyone who helped him solidify his nebulous identity.

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Teaser and Giveaway: Blood Law by Blaise Ramsay

Vampire Chicago #1

Urban Fantasy, Noir, Detective

Date Published: November 25, 2020

Publisher: Indies United Publishing, LLC

 

Former ADA Alastair Maddox pursues Prohibition Chicago’s most dangerous monsters after witnessing the deaths of his parents and grandparents as a boy. When a former colleague in Chicago PD comes to ask Alastair for help, he comes face to face with the mysterious Alexandra DeLane. But something’s off. DeLane is way too calm and her eyes are the color of blood. After she escapes, Alastair goes on the hunt only to find himself the prey of an ambitious and mysterious mob boss who plots to have him murdered. The problem? Alastair doesn’t stay dead and comes back as something else. Something more dangerous and straight out of a horror novel.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Nothing stays buried forever. I learned that the hard way after I witnessed the brutal murder of my parents as a little boy, moved out to live with my grandparents, and relived the nightmare when they succumbed to the darkest sin of human nature.

After that, I built a career for myself by putting the punks who dared to cross a line away. If I were truthful, I guess I did it to fight the demons still haunting every moment of my life.

I was good at it, too.

Everything went insane the day I met her, found myself in something no one could have expected, standing on the threshold of death.

Only, I didn’t stay a stiff, and the statement nothing stays buried forever took on a whole new meaning.

Buzzing. That was the sound assaulting my ears. It sounded like hundreds of swarming bees hammering at me during my days on my grandparents’ land.

God, make it stop.  I shifted my head, still unaware of where I was or how I’d gotten there. Something cold dripped into my ear, tickling it, but my senses stayed so blurry, I couldn’t tell what it was.

Alastair,  a gentle voice of a woman purred in my ear, joining the assault on my senses.

I shifted again, more of the tickling in my ear. All I knew for certain is how damn tired I was. Let me sleep.

Wake up, my love.

Leave me alone. Please, let me rest.

She called again, adding a stronger desire for me to wake. It’s not your time. Come, lover. Awaken to your new life.

My new…life?

My eyes opened to see nothing except darkness. Something fell into my eyes causing me to blink from the stinging invasion. The scent of earth wafted in my dirt filled nose.

Then everything came through the blur. Oh God, have I been buried alive?

Terrified, I clawed my way toward freedom, finding my way out of the darkness to feel the source of the buzzing soaking my face.

Rain. It’s the rain hitting the leaves on the ground, the branches, and the ground.

Breaths heaved from my chest, but it felt strange. Bouts of coughing helped to clear my lungs of the mud and roots.

Maggots slithered over my skin, making me shriek and shove them off. I’d seen maggot-ridden corpses during my career, though I never thought I’d become one of them.

Somewhere in the distance, a swollen river gurgled and bubbled. A hunting owl’s call sounded as near to me as my own breath or heartbeat.

Wait.  I reached to touch my chest. My heart didn’t beat. I had no need for breathing.

Memories failed me, save for a few. Lingering bitterness on my tongue reminded me of her words. “All you need to do is die.”

I blinked. Even without the moon, light stung my eyes, forcing me to cover them to shield them from the light of the moon. Things inaudible to a normal person – the pounding of hooves in the distance, fluttering heartbeats from the creatures in nestled out of the storm and even the sound of insects skittering over the leaves — became as vivid as a radio speaker on an unstable station.

Disorientation added to the confusion, unease, and fear. I looked at my hands, baffled at how young they appeared.

About the Author

Blaise started her journey in writing at the age of the fifteen with her first unfinished urban fantasy novel based on a popular video game series known as .Hack. From there she moved her journey into designing characters and doing concept art for various paying clients. In her older career, Blaise moved into working for the Indie Gaming industry where she did concept art for the company HollowRobot and their debut game, Johnny Reboot and various other clients. Sadly, the game didn’t go anywhere and Blaise found herself losing interest in what she had done for fifteen years.

In 2017, Blaise embarked on her first ever NaNoWriMo challenge where she finished the Paranormal Shifter Romance, Blessing of Luna which she indie published. It has then produced a second installation into the Wolfgods series titled Bane of Tenebris. Both have recently been picked up by BlackRose Writing.

Both of these books gave birth to the first of Blaise’s three businesses. The first, FyreSyde Publishing, a small press, has recently opened its doors to authors and works alongside them in the ever difficult challenge of book marketing. A running joke is Blaise considers herself an “odd duck” in the sense that she loves the marketing phase more than the writing phase of production. Her other two businesses include full-time freelance ghostwriting and the independent bookstore, GreenWood Grove Booksellers.

After falling in love with the Dresden files by Jim Butcher and later Saints & Shadows by Christopher Golden, Blaise found a new love for Urban Fantasy. Reading the beloved Vampire Files by PN Elrod prompted Blaise to initiate her next phase and begin producing paranormal detective and noir novels. Now she combines the two and loves every minute of it.

She currently lives in the hometown of Bonnie & Clyde with her husband, two adorable kids, two cats and a dog.

 

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