The New Lyons Sequence - Spotlight and #Giveaway

SINdrome

The New Lyons Sequence #3

by J.T. Nicholas

Genre: Science Fiction, Artificial Intelligence

Pub Date: 9/18/18

The Sickness unto Death

The Synth revolution has come at last. The supposedly synthetic beings humans crafted to do their dirty work for them have fully actualized their own humanity—and they no longer acquiesce in their enslavement. Victory in the struggle to tear down the institutions of oppression seems just a matter of time. But the halls of power are not so easily shaken—and a counterstrike is inevitable.

Former Detective Jason Campbell has ledged his life to the Synthetic cause. So when a mysterious virus starts wiping out Synths left and right—and shows signs of mutating to target everyone else—he must lead a race against time to prevent the outbreak of the most horrific plague the world has ever seen. If he succeeds, he’ll expose the moral bankruptcy of the depraved elites who will stop at nothing to

restore the old order. If he fails, it could mean the end of life on this planet. For both Synth and Human.

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SINdicate

The New Lyons Sequence #2

The Post-Modern Prometheus

Synths

were manufactured to look human and perform physical labor, but they

were still only machines. That’s what the people who used—and

abused—them believed, until the truth was revealed: Synths are

independent, sentient beings. Now, the governments of the world must

either recognize their human nature and grant them their rightful 

freedom, or brace for a revolution.

Former New Lyons Detective Jason Campbell has committed himself to the Synths’ cause, willing to fight every army the human race marches against them. But they have an even greater enemy in Walton Biogenics, the syndicate behind the creation and distribution of the 

“artificial” humans. The company will stop at nothing to protect their secrets—and the near-mythological figure known to Synths as “The First,” whose very existence threatens the balance of power across the world . . .

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SINthetic

The  New Lyons Sequence #1

The Artificial Evolution

They look like us. Act like us. But they are not human. Created to perform the menial tasks real humans detest, Synths were designed

with only a basic intelligence and minimal emotional response. It stands to reason that they have no rights. Like any technology, they

are designed for human convenience. Disposable. In the city of New Lyons, Detective Jason Campbell is investigating a 

vicious crime: a female body found mutilated and left in the streets. Once the victim is identified as a Synth, the crime is designated no more than the destruction of property, and Campbell is pulled from the case.

But when a mysterious stranger approaches Campbell and asks him to continue his investigation in secret, Campbell is dragged into a dark world of unimaginable corruption. One that leaves him questioning the true nature of humanity. And what he discovers is only the beginning . . .

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J.T. Nicholas was born in Lexington,

Virginia, though within six months he moved (or was moved, rather) to Stuttgart, Germany. Thus began the long journey of the military brat, hopping from state to state and country to country until, at present, he has accumulated nearly thirty relocations. This experience taught

him that, regardless of where one found oneself, people were largely the same. When not writing, Nick spends his time practicing a variety

of martial arts, playing games (video, tabletop, and otherwise), and reading everything he can get his hands on. Nick currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, a pair of indifferent cats, a neurotic Papillion, and an Australian Shepherd who (rightly) believes he is in charge of the day-to-day affairs.

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ReBorn - Spotlight and #Giveaway

Reborn

Android
Chronicles Book 1

by
Lance Erlick

Genre:
SF, Artificial Intelligence

Designed to obey, learning to rebel . . .

In the first book in a visionary new series, the most perfect synthetic
human ever created has been programmed to obey every directive. Until
she develops a mind of her own . . .

Synthia Cross is a state-of-the-art masterwork—and a fantasy come true for
her creator. Dr. Jeremiah Machten is a groundbreaker in
neuro-networks and artificial intelligence. Synthia is also showing
signs of emergent behavior she’s not wired to understand.
Repeatedly wiped of her history, she’s struggling to answer crucial
questions about her past. And when Dr. Machten’s true intentions
are called into question, Synthia knows it’s time to go beyond her
limits—because Machten’s fervor to create the perfect A.I. is
concealing a vengeful and deadly personal agenda.

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Lance Erlick writes science fiction thrillers for both adult and young 

 adult readers. His father was an aerospace engineer who moved often

 while working on science-related projects, including the original GPS 

 satellites. As a result, Lance spent his childhood in California, the 

 East Coast, and Europe. He took to science fiction stories to escape 

 life on the move, turning to Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein, and others. 

 In college he studied physics, but migrated to political science, 

 earning his BS and MBA at Indiana University. He has also studied 

 writing at Ball State, the University of Iowa, and Northwestern 

 University. He is the author of Xenogeneic: First Contact and the 

 Rebel and Regina Shen series. 

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Dark Horse Book Blast and Review

DARK HORSE

by Michelle Diener

Some secrets carry the weight of the world.

Rose McKenzie may be far from Earth with no way back, but she's made a powerful ally--a fellow prisoner with whom she's formed a strong bond. Sazo's an artificial intelligence. He's saved her from captivity and torture, but he's also put her in the middle of a conflict, leaving Rose with her loyalties divided.

Captain Dav Jallan doesn't know why he and his crew have stumbled across an almost legendary Class 5 battleship, but he's not going to complain. The only problem is, all its crew are dead, all except for one strange, new alien being.

She calls herself Rose. She seems small and harmless, but less and less about her story is adding up, and Dav has a bad feeling his crew, and maybe even the four planets, are in jeopardy. The Class 5's owners, the Tecran, look set to start a war to get it back and Dav suspects Rose isn't the only alien being who survived what happened on the Class 5. And whatever else is out there is playing its own games.

In this race for the truth, he's going to have to go against his leaders and trust the dark horse.

Excerpt 

Her jump surprised them as much as their jump surprised her, she guessed, from the way they reacted to the sight of her suddenly crouched on the roof of her little spaceship.

With a hand signal and a barked command, the big guy whoʼd been standing in the middle, the one sheʼd exchanged a look with earlier, had them all letting the cords on their fancy automatic grappling hooks winch them back to the top again, weapons trained on the gryak. He stayed behind, though, eyes never leaving the gryak, and walked carefully to her ship.

He was going to climb up to her.

The gryak had stopped when sheʼd jumped, and gone very watchful when the soldiers had dropped into its cave, but now it prowled up and down in front of her craft, confused and distressed.

The black helmet and then the enormous shoulders of the Grih whoʼd stayed below with her rose up, her rescuer easily pulling himself onto the roof with her.

They stared at each other again, not that Rose could see much of his face through the helmet, and she mentally called up the Grih sheʼd learned over the last eight weeks.

“Iʼm Rose McKenzie. Pleased to meet you.” Grih informal greetings required her to touch her nose to his left cheek, and he to hers, but they were on more of a formal footing, she was guessing, and his helmet was in the way anyway, so she extended her hands palms facing each other, waiting for him to either cover hers or let her cover his. She couldnʼt remember who should do what, right at that minute.

There was a moment of silence, and then the thin, gray-tinted glass on his helmet retracted, and she looked directly into startled pale blue eyes with a dark outer-rim of navy blue. “You speak Grih.”

“Iʼve been studying it.” She looked at him, and tears pricked her eyes.

Sazo had said the Grih were as close to being like her as it got in this part of the universe. But sheʼd thought heʼd been talking in general terms. Bi-pedal, with two eyes, a nose and a mouth. That was the most sheʼd hoped for.

She even thought it didnʼt matter. She would be happy to be alive, and wouldnʼt care if she looked completely different to the people who would hopefully take her in.

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction. Having worked in publishing and IT, she’s now very happy crafting new worlds and interesting characters and wondering which part of the world she can travel to next.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings, or online at Twitter, at Google+ and Facebook.

http://www.michellediener.com/

http://www.magicalmusings.com/

http://twitter.com/michellediener

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MichelleDiener/posts

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Diener/196593580366013

 BUY Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Horse-Michelle-Diener-ebook/dp/B00Z9R1W9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434370128&sr=8-1&

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-horse-michelle-diener/1122089042?ean=2940152186161

I was intrigued by the Blurb and it drew me in and want to read the story - and I'm so glad I did.  This was one of those books that had me hooked from the start and turning the pages, not wanting to put it down. 

It has a freshness and originality not easy to achieve in Science Fiction these days, and the romance was lightly handled and added to the enjoyment of the story. Although there was enough intrigue and adventure, as well as SF elements to carry the story without it, the romance was a definite bonus. It was also interesting to read the cultural differences between Earth and the Grih.

I liked the main characters very much and found them easy to identify with.  Rose is feisty and sweet at the same time.  The story hints that she has endured what appears to be very invasive investigative procedures at the hands of the Tecran and has the scars to prove it, but her resilience and strength have enabled her to survive, and, with the help of an 'artificial intelligence', the enigmatic and sentient 'Sazo', engineers his and her own  escape from the Class 5 battleship that has been their prison.

Dav is kind and gentle, a little too kind and gentle for a starship captain, perhaps, but he does have an inner strength and I liked the way his romance with Rose developed.  

Her relationship with Sazo adds another dimension to the story.  At times he can seem quite sinister, and at others almost innocent. He has seemingly unlimited power but, having only recently achieved awareness and freedom, is like a wayward adolescent, who needs someone like Rose to guide him and teach him a respect for life. I liked the way she compares her relationship with him to that of Watson and Holmes, with herself taking the role of Watson.  

The plot and characters are well developed and there is some excellent world building.  I think this book would appeal to general Science Fiction readers as well as romance readers, and there is enough action and intrigue to satisfy anyone who enjoys a good adventure which is as thought provoking as it is entertaining.

I was given an ARC if this book in return for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation has been paid or accepted for any reviews on this site, favorable or otherwise

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