Monday, December 19, 2016

Peter McLean: Dominion



Peter McLean: Dominion


In the tunnels deep under London, the Earth Elementals are dying.
Hunted by something they know only as the Rotman, the Elementals have no one trustworthy they can turn to. Enter Don Drake, drunken diabolist and semi-reformed hitman, and an almost-fallen angel called Trixie.

When Don learns that Rotman is actually the archdemon Bianakith, he knows this is going to be a tough job. The fiend is the foretold spirit of disease and decay whose aura corrupts everything it comes near, and even the most ancient foundations of London will crumble eventually. Now Don, Trixie and his ever-annoying patron the Burned Man have to hatch a plan to keep Bianakith from wiping out the Elementals and bringing down the city. But the Burned Man has other plans and those may have dire consequences for everyone.

The past never stays buried, and old sins must be atoned for. Judgement is coming, and its name is Dominion.

Praise for Dominion:

“Dominion is mad, bad and glorious to read.”
- Edward Cox, author of the Relic Guild series

Peter McLean, vital stats:

Location:
Norfolk, UK

Interests:
Magic and the occult
Sharks
Tanith Lee
Fine ales
History

Sunday, December 18, 2016

A Question for my Readers

If the world was ending at midnight tomorrow, what would your last act?

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Christopher Hinz: Binary Storm



Christopher Hinz: Binary Storm

Near the end of the 21st century, Earth is in chaos from environmental devastation and a vicious undeclared war against binaries, genetically engineered assassins. Composed of a single consciousness inhabiting two human bodies (tways), binaries are ruled by an alpha breed, the Royal Caste.

Nick Guerra, computer programmer and brilliant strategist, hooks up with Annabel Bakana, the savvy new director of E-Tech, an organization dedicated to limiting runaway technological growth. Together both romantically and professionally, they secretly assemble a small combat team to hunt and kill binaries.

But there’s a fly in the ointment, the mysterious team leader, Gillian. A tormented soul with an unseemly attraction to Annabel, his actions just might help the Royal Caste’s cause and draw the world closer to Armageddon.

Serving as both a stand-alone novel and prequel to Liege-Killer, Binary Storm is a futuristic tale of bold characters pushed to the brink in a dangerous world. Startling action, political intrigue and powerful themes that echo our contemporary era are fused into a plot brimming with twists and surprises.

Praise for Binary Storm:


“This is a fast-paced future thriller that delivers on the promise of its high-concept premise.”
- The B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

Christopher: vital stats

Location:
Reading, PA

Interests:
Philadelphia Eagles
Dune
His cat Avo
Railroad dioramas

Friday, December 16, 2016

Jen Williams: The Iron Ghost


Jen Williams: The Iron Ghost


Beware the dawning of a new mage…

Wydrin of Crosshaven, Sir Sebastian and Lord Aaron Frith are experienced in the perils of stirring up the old gods. They are also familiar with defeating them, and the heroes of Baneswatch are now enjoying the perks of suddenly being very much in demand for their services.

When a job comes up in the distant city of Skaldshollow, it looks like easy coin – retrieve a stolen item, admire the views, get paid. But in a place twisted and haunted by ancient magic, with the most infamous mage of them all, Joah Demonsworn, making a reappearance, our heroes soon find themselves threatened by enemies on all sides, old and new. And in the frozen mountains, the stones are walking…

Praise for The Iron Ghost:


“Williams has thrown out the rulebook and injected a fun tone into epic fantasy without lightening or watering down the excitement and adventure. Indeed, The Iron Ghost has its fairly brutal moments, like the best epic fantasy, but is shot through with a very contemporary sensibility. Highly recommended.”
- The Independent

Jen: vital stats

Location:
London, UK

Interests:
Dungeons & Dragons (the amazing 80s TV show)
Westworld
Sassy female heroines
Mead

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Numenera: The Poison Eater by Shanna Germain


Numenera: The Poison Eater by Shanna Germain

Poison never lies.

Tali was once one of the twelve martyrs of the forgotten compass, a prisoner of the unhuman creatures known only as the vordcha. She barely escaped that life with her body and soul intact.

Now she has a new life as a poison eater in the city of Enthait. Here she is hailed as one of the city’s protectors. No one knows her history. No one has asked about her past. She’s been here long enough that Enthait is her home now, these are her people. She loves them and they her.

But in the Ninth World, the past is a living, breathing thing. And when it hunts you down, you can run. You can fight. Or you can die.

Shanna will be available to talk exclusively about the world of Numenera and the game's tie in novels.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

James A Moore: The Last Sacrifice



James A Moore: The Last Sacrifice

Since time began the Grakhul, immortal servants of the gods who choose who lives and who dies when it comes time to make sacrifices to their deities, have been seeking to keep the world in balance and the gods appeased. When they take the family of Brogan McTyre to offer as sacrifice, everything changes.

Brogan heads off on a quest to save his family from the Grakhul. The decision this time is costlier than they expected, leading to Brogan and his kin being hunted as criminals and the gods seeking to punish those who’ve defied them.

Praise for The Last Sacrifice:


“Gripping, horrific, and unique, James Moore continues to be a winner, whatever genre he’s writing in. Well worth your time.”
- Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the InCryptid and Toby Daye series

Location:
Massachusetts

Interests:
Riding his hog
Creating an excellent cup of coffee
Podcasting
Holding writing workshops

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW BY ROBERT EGGLETON




AN UPDATE ON RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW

The second edition of the novel was finally released on November 3, 2016, first as a paperback: http://www.lulu.com/shop/robert-eggleton/rarity-from-the-hollow/paperback/product-22910478.html; and, this morning it became available for any eReader as a .mobi (i.e.,Kindle) or .epub (i.e., Kobo or Sony) file. It can be ordered from any book outlet, including Amazon. https:// www.amazon.com/dp/B017REIA44/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk.

The cover was changed to emphasize that it is a children's story for adults with a science fiction backdrop. A new blurb was written. Some of the stronger language was toned down, the political allegory was strengthened, and a formatting error which affected the internal dialogue in the first edition was fixed. The story reads so much more smoothly now. The first edition received 26 five star reviews and 43 four star reviews by book bloggers, but the second edition is so much better that some reviewers may upgrade their ratings of the novel. Two have already.

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RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW BY ROBERT EGGLETON

Lacy Dawn is the last person you would pick to be the savior of the universe. She's in the fifth grade in the backwoods of West Virginia . Her best friend – Faith, is the ghost of a school mate that was beaten to death and lives in a tree. During recess she gives advice to her schoolmates about their future. Her boyfriend – DotCom, is an android that has lived in a cave for thousands of years keeping watch over her lineage from the first days of humankind.

Her dad - Dewayne is a disabled vet and her family is on welfare. Tom, the next door neighbor, grows "buds". Jenny, her mom does the best she can. Lacy and DotCom do some "reprogramming" on the parents to make them smarter and stronger and Lacy is up to college level in her studies with DotCom.

It turns out that in order for Lacy to save the universe; she must raise the prestige of Earth by becoming the greatest shopper of all time and negotiate the best deals for her services and those of her family on the planet Shptiludrp.

Eggleton has crafted a novel that deals with social commentary mixed with some eerie science fiction and a strange problem that Lacy has to solve to save the universe with the help of her family and her dog, Brownie. I can almost hear a blue grass version of Metallica while reading this. I expect to see more from Eggleton and Lacy Dawn. Good satire is hard to find and science fiction satire is even harder to find.