Romance that's 'Out of This World' : 2019-11-17

Wednesday, 20 November 2019

Fractured Prophecy: Science Fiction Action Adventure by PJ McDermott - Review and Giveaway

Fractured Prophecy:
Science Fiction Action Adventure by PJ McDermott

Publisher: Patrick McDermott Publishing (July 21, 2019)
Category: Science Fiction, Space opera, Action Adventure
Tour Dates: October-November, 2019
ISBN: 9780648092162
Available in Print and ebook, 282 pages

Description: Fractured Prophecy: Science Fiction Action Adventure by PJ McDermott

An alien messiah is missing, presumed dead. Will one woman’s interplanetary search for answers bring resurrection or betrayal?

Auriga, 2183. Empath Hickory Lace is desolated by the fiery death of the alien she once considered the son of God. But a tiny flicker of hope that he could still be alive brings her back to the Corps for a perilous mission behind Bikashi lines to recover the powerful sword of Connat. And although the Teacher’s self-sacrifice burns in her heart, the truth she uncovers on the enemy’s planet ignites a fierce new purpose.

A desperate sprint across an alien landscape unearths two different species kept in slavery by the Bikashi. Hickory decides she must liberate these suffering people and plans a daring rescue. But her assignment demands that she find the high-tech sword before the Bikashi can harness its power to enslave her home world.

Will Hickory use her abilities to save the innocent and thereby allow an alien warlord to conquer Earth, or will she leave the slaves to their fate?

Fractured Prophecy is the fourth book in the engrossing Prosperine YA science fiction series. If you like tenacious heroines and political intrigue with spiritual undertones, then you’ll love PJ McDermott’s epic story.

Follow Hickory in her quest for galactic truth.

Trailer Fractured Prophecy: Science Fiction Action Adventure by PJ McDermott

https://animoto.com/play/2RqzW4Mm8xtlcSggV1TC2A

Praise for the Prosperine Series by PJ McDermott
“A Great read. Had me at the first chapter. Did not want to stop. Love the plot, the storyline, the action!!”

“Great characters; storyline with action, drama, and fast-paced intrigue; and unique description of an alien planet, society and it's population. Highly recommended. I would get other books in the series.”

“McDermott creates a very original and hopeful future world similar to the kind of sci fi I grew up loving. His alien characters are delightful and believable. I could not wait to read the second book, Rise of the Erlachi which is even better!”

“This is a full-blown outer space adventure. Well described characters and a story that has a nice flow to it. I read it straight thru cover to cover.”

EXCERPT

Honor and Faith

Hickory found the empathic receptors located beneath the gamma-blocks placed in her cerebellum when she was sixteen and tried to replicate the anger and rage she’d felt when she’d discovered her power over the Charakai, the bird-reptiles on Prosperine. Why did Kar leave me? It was unfair. He said he’d be with me ’till the end of time itself. Instead of anger, she experienced profound sadness. Taking several deep breaths, she changed tack and brought to mind the memory of the crocodile attack on Bonni. She felt the power begin to build. Electrical impulses gathered pace, speeding from her SIM to the hippocampus and auditory centers of her brain and back again, faster and faster.

Her head buzzed, and nausea overcame her. She retched and abandoned her efforts to reach the Scarg. I knew this was pointless. I haven’t communicated telepathically with any creature since Kar died. Her attempt to use the memory of Kar to stoke her anger filled Hickory with shame. Anger was never his way. She recalled the Teacher’s lessons on using love rather than fear or rage to activate her gift.

‘The first thing you must do is have faith in me. I can teach you, but you must open your heart as well as your mind.’ He would be disappointed to see her give up so easily.

She began once more, delving deep within to locate the source of her emotional energy. She concentrated on bringing to mind the marvelous experiences and positive influences in her life: her recruitment by the Corps and the excitement of being chosen for her first mission; her friends, Kar, Gareth, and Jess; her role models, Maria and Talya. Blinding flashes of energy increased in intensity behind her eyes until she felt as though her mind and heart would break free of her body.
At that moment, she reached out and made contact, and all sadness left her.

Hickory took a few seconds to appreciate this new manifestation of her power. At first, she merely observed, noting the animal was a young female, not yet of mating age. The memories the Scarg carried of her mother and her brothers were like faded black and white video. The recent journey to the ice had been her first, and she’d been excited to be chosen. Recollections of her first kill, a sea lion, were still raw, seared into her memory by the sight, taste, and smell of the other’s lifeblood. Hickory was astonished to find grief and reasoning; the knowledge she had taken another’s life to preserve her own.

Hello. Hickory whispered into her mind.

About PJ McDermott

Born in Scotland, PJ McDermott moved to Australia 50 years ago, and now lives in the tropics in the North Queensland town of Trinity Beach. He started writing after he retired from the corporate treadmill and published his first novel in 2015— Small Fish Big Fish, a coming of age thriller set during the sixties. But he has always read and loved adventure and science fiction books. PJ has fond early memories of hiding under the blankets in his bed, torch in hand, reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Gulliver’s Travels. In his teenage years, like many other kids, he had lots of unanswered questions about God and the purpose of life (is there one?). Even today, similar questions remain unanswered in his mind, providing him with a springboard for his book series, ‘Prosperine’.

Website: https://pj-mcdermott.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pj_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thealiencorps/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mcdermott1705/

I enjoyed this Science Fiction Adventure and it kept me turning the pages. Fractured Prophecy is the fourth book in the Prosperine series. I had already read the first three but this is perfectly readable as a 'stand-alone' as the author manages to subtly trickle through enough of the backstory for the reader not to get 'lost'.

I liked the character of Hickory, as well as the supporting cast, especially Gareth and Jess, there were one or two characters whom I would have liked to have been a little more fleshed out, but there are a lot of characters in this novel so that is excusable.

The religious aspects of this story were both interesting and intriguing, especially the 'Messiah-like' character of The Teacher, Car. A strong story line and excellent world-building kept me turning the pages and I can thoroughly recommended it to anyone who enjoys a gritty and thought provoking science fiction adventure.

Buy Fractured Prophecy: Science Fiction Action Adventure by PJ McDermott

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Giveaway Fractured Prophecy: Science Fiction Action Adventure by PJ McDermott

This giveaway is for the winner’s choice of one print or ebook copy of the book. Print is open to Canada, Australia, and the U.S. only and ebook is available worldwide. There will be 3 winners. This giveaway ends November 29, 2019, midnight pacific time.

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Sunday, 17 November 2019

#WeekendWritingWarriors #SnippetSunday - The Matchmaker's mare

Weekend Writing Warriors

Eight Sentence Sunday

Snippet Sunday Facebook Group

Hi folks, I'm continuing snippets from the draft of my current 'work in progress' unpublished fantasy romance 'The Matchmaker's Mare' which takes place in Wales. The story is told from three p.o.vs. and two time-lines. Today's excerpt is again in Glyn's P.O.V.

Don't forget to visit the other authors at the link above, there's something for all tastes.

SNIPPET

(This is only a rough draft to give the gist of the novel, and is subject to change and edits - and improvement on the creative punctuation which is needed to adhere to the ten sentence rule!) Any feedback gratefully received.

Summary: Megan, new to the village, is delivering some medication from the vets where she works, to her neighbour Glyn Phillips. He is alarmed when a young boy walks across the paddock leading the pony which has just thrown his horsebreaker, Evan.

SNIPPET

“Huw—Huw my boy, what are you doing - hand the reins to me, son, gently now, don’t startle her.”

(Working Cover)

“But Dad, she’s not dangerous, she won’t hurt me.” So saying the boy walked straight past him toward the paddock gate, the mare followed him through, walking quietly behind him like a gentle children’s pony, instead of the raging little demon who had just bucked off the most experienced horse breaker Glyn had ever known.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes in exasperation -

stubborn as his mother.” For a moment he’d almost forgotten his visitor, he glanced toward her and then nodded in the direction of the stables with a wry smile.

“I’m sorry,” he said, reluctant to appear discourteous, but desperate to make sure the boy didn’t get injured, “I’d better go and make sure he’s all right with that pony."

“Of course I’ll be on my way then, goodnight, Mr Phillips.”

she said, turning to cross the yard back to her vehicle, with a quick wave of her hand.

Glyn sprinted toward the stables, he needed to make sure Huw didn’t get hurt by that wretched pony. At the same time he cursed himself for his abrupt dismissal of Megan Johnson; poor woman, she must think he was completely neurotic, but Huw was his only son, after all, and he couldn’t help being protective.

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