Release day Blitz and #Giveaway for Step On Me More by Mary Ricksen and Joan Afman

I am so thrilled to be able to help my dear friend Mary Ricksen, and Joan Afman, both Fellow Wild Rose Press authors,  to celebrate the release today of:

Step On Me More

by Joan C. Afman & Mary M. Ricksen

Genre: New Adult/Women's Fiction
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Release Date: January 15, 2016

Shelburne High School teachers Kailyn Hartigan and Lisa Stone have had enough. Bullying among students is reaching an all-time high, and the rest of the staff is either in denial or too afraid of repercussions to help address the problem.

When Stephanie Moore—aka: Step On Me More—is welcomed by Shelburne High as the new principal, taking an anti-bullying stance becomes a dangerous game. One that could cost Kailyn and Lisa not only their careers, but the lives of the students they seek to protect.

I puttered around for the rest of the afternoon. The smell of chocolate chip cookies filled the house. I knew many of the neighbors and always made enough for the parents, too. Making up my face, I plastered green face paint all over, even on my hands. Every year I wore the same costume. I loved the darn thing and so did the kids. I made a damn fine witch.

Outside, a small speaker fed the sound of wolves as they howled at the moon, followed by chains rattling and ghostly voices. Spider webs covered the bushes and porch, while a scarecrow jumped and groaned when anyone approached. When I first put him out there after I’d inherited my aunt’s house, he’d scared the bejesus out of everyone. The neighbors nicknamed him Clarence. He was part of my Halloween tradition and he had friends of his own. Very effective conversation piece.

At around three in the afternoon the doorbell rang. I wondered if it was a package from Pyramid I’d been waiting for, since it was too early for trick-or-treaters. When I opened the door, two figures stood before me. My breath caught as I stared at them. Both wore black capes, but their masks threw me for a loop. Jason. Pinhead. Were these the masks stolen from Lisa’s students? “What the hell,” I murmured, my voice as shaky as I felt inside. “What can I do for you?”

They stared at me through creepy cut out eyeholes.

Scared, I started to close the door. I couldn’t stop the thumping in my chest and I trembled as one of them stuck his foot in the doorway.

In a move so fast I couldn’t react, he forced my door open and I fell back a step. “Hey! Stop. Get out of my house.” I’d never had cause to be afraid on my own porch, despite the ghosts and witches.

“Take that, bitch.” He pushed me so violently I fell into a heap on the floor, slamming my knee so hard I heard a crack. One of them kicked me in my side and I writhed in pain as another foot connected with my back. I screamed, scared for my life. With one last connecting slam, they bolted. Agonized, I forced myself to breathe. That last kick had taken all the air from my lungs and I gasped. I heard their laughter as they ran down the steps. I lay there for quite a while. What the hell had just happened?

I fell into an agonized daze, holding my sides. Those brats knew where to kick to hurt a girl. The phone rang, jolting me to awareness. I dragged myself to the closest chair, pulled myself into it, and reached for the handset. Tears coursed down my face and landed on the numbers. I couldn’t speak. I wondered if it were enough liquid to wreck the circuits.

“Kailyn.” I heard screaming and shouting in the background as Michael yelled into the receiver.

“Michael,” my voice was the barest whisper.

“Can you hear me, K? Turn on the news. Something terrible has happened.” Michael shouted, his voice oddly shrill. “It’s Andy. Andy Klein.”

I couldn’t speak, but oxygen made its way through my body. I knew better than to clench my muscles, but it had been so long since my last beating, I’d forgotten how best to get past the pain. What about Andy?

“He brought a gun to school. He showed up in Marcelle’s last period class and waved it around. He…he…” Michael forced the words out. “He shot at two other students, K. The only good thing, God help us… is that he’s such a bad shot he missed them both.”

“Andy?” Devastated, I stopped trying to stand up and dropped back to the floor.

“They’re taking him away in handcuffs.” Michael’s voice broke. “He’s just ruined his life, and at this point, there’s not a damn thing we can do to help him.”

I enjoyed this book, it is an interesting story but with a very important message.The two protagonists, Kailyn and Lisa, are likeable, well written and easy to identify with. Their struggle to deal with the bully who blighted their schooldays and is now back in their lives makes for a nail-biting and fascinating read. I won't give too much of the plot away, but I will say I loved the play on words for the name of the antagonist Stephanie Moore.  Very clever.  Joan and Mary have done a wonderful job of combining an entertaining and suspenseful story, with some nice romantic elements, and at the same time putting across the message that one does not have to submit to bullying and in the end, all bullies are cowards and will eventually, as in this story, will get their well deserved 'cumuppance'.

Joan C. Afman
Joan Conning Afman grew up in western Massachusetts and central New York. Always interested in art, she began her career as an advertising copywriter and artist and went on to earn her BFA at the University of Hartford Art School, finishing up by teaching art for sixteen years in the Hartford Public School System.

Joan’s mother had been an English teacher and thought that her daughter had the potential to write. However, marriage and family delayed this option until her retirement to Florida, when at last the time and opportunity beckoned.

Married to the Reverend John Afman for twenty-two years, she is the mother of four grown children and grandmother of six. Joan always enjoyed the church life and remains active in church and Bible study at Jupiter First Church in Jupiter, Florida.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Mary M. Ricksen
Born in Vermont, Mary Ricksen, being the daughter of a government official, spent her youth in several places. From New York, Texas, and Virginia, to the beautiful city of Ottawa, her family moved every three years to a new place. A great love of horses found her cleaning stalls and grooming for the privilege of just being near them.

The people she met were diversified. And the scenery ranged from the aqua brilliance of the crystal waters of Florida, to the mountains of Vermont and North Carolina. Mary was always drawn to the beauty of Vermont. Now living in Florida, she still feels the call of those peaks and the tranquil waters of Lake Champlain.

Mary is married and lives with her two German Shepherds, a calico cat and her computer engineer husband.

It was the love of books that inspired her to write. Reading, being one of her favorite things, took her to places that she wanted to go. Somewhere between the pharaohs of Egypt and the whimsical world of Zanth, she found a voice. Writing led her to meet some of the most interesting people she has ever known. The mind of a writer is a wonderful thing. And that alone was worth the effort.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Website

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Monday's Musings

Thought you might like to see a picture of T'pau and Harri in the snow!

(No, it's not snowing today, this picture was taken a year or two back.  We've had non-stop rain nearly every day since before Christmas, but I thought this picture looked nicer than one of them in the pouring rain up to their fetlocks in mud.)  Oh if you feel sorry for them being out in the cold and wet, they have nice warm blankets on and a shelter with plenty of straw and hay which they can go into whenever they want to.


We're nearly two weeks into the New Year already and despite the miserable weather, we're not nearly as bad off where I live than other parts of the country which have suffered terribly from flooding.  There is always something to be thankful for.

This is going to be a busy month.  I have several author posts lined up and am delighted to be able to be part of my friend Mary Rickson's Facebook party on 20th January, for 'Step on Me More', a romance with a serious theme, that of bullying, which she and Joan Afman co-authored.  I'll be putting the details up here and on my Facebook Page.

Changing the subject I just heard on the radio that there are more stars in the sky than all the words ever spoken by humans.  Isn't that absolutely amazing!

Talking about stars, the third book in the series that started with 'Starquest' will be available in early spring and I should be able to make an announcement about the pre-order information soon. Watch this space! :)
Have a great week!

Shadows of the Highridge -Interview and #Contest

It's a real thrill to welcome Jay Swanson to the Flight Deck today.

Please help youself to something cool and sparkling, Jay - I hope you don't mind me being informal - and the astro-bot will be along in a moment with some delicious nibbles.  Ok, let's get started with some things I and the readers are dying to know about you:

 HL: Tell us a little more about yourself, with three things not many people know about you.

 JS: Most people probably don’t know that I was totally into zombies as the craze rose, the fervor pitch of which I personally believe was struck with the release of Left 4 Dead. I loved that game, probably played a gazillion hours of it and could still identify the special zombies by sound alone if you asked me to. Don’t stone me for this, but I think zombies are overplayed today. The undead will always remain an interesting aspect of genre fiction, horror, fantasy, what have you, but zombies… eh. I’m over it.

Except in the occasional dream. Then it’s fun again.

 I. Love. Pizza. I love it so much my sister and I got matching pizza tattoos. Don’t believe me? Check my Instagram.

 And for the final bit of trivia: I can’t tell you because it was illegal and I can’t share illegal things on this blog. I can however tell you about the time I convinced a man carrying an AK-47 to let me climb a massive lighting tower in a West-African port. That wasn’t TECHNICALLY illegal, it just required a little convincing on my part. And it was all to impress a girl.

Isn’t it always? She was South African. I love the South African accents, particularly with British inflection or a gentle dusting of Afrikaans.

 HL:  Hm, I think I agree with you about the zombies, LOL.  What fascinating answers. What do you do for fun when not writing?

 JS: You can do stuff for fun and not write? I need to have a conversation with my publiohyeah that’s me. I run a lot, around 20 miles/week or more. That’s more for health than fun though. To be honest, and this is kind of sad to put in writing, I don’t have a ton of fun right now. I just finished a job that required I travel every week. I flew over 100k miles domestically in 2015 (not counting international trips) and spent an average of 20h/week in transit.  To put that in context, I was on an airplane every four days. So… I’m very good at navigating airports. That’s almost like a game, right?

Now that the job is over, I intend to take up rock climbing and probably a video game or three. Oh, and friends. I’m going to have friends again.

 HL: Oh, we all need our friends! :) When did you start writing?

 JS: I wrote my first play when I was in first grade. My class produced it. I found the tape a few years ago and actually remembered writing it. I was (of course) the badass prince wearing purple boots and a cape. Can’t go wrong with any of that.

 HL: What comes first: the plot or the characters?

 JS: Eggs. No, chickens. Actually for me it’s end scenes and emotional payoff. What is it I’m aiming for? What does that climactic scene look like? Then, once I’m cheering or weeping or laughing or soaring, I start asking other questions. Who’s there? Who is required to be there? Who’s missing? Why? What makes this ending worthwhile? What was it that they had to overcome to get here? I build backwards. It’s fun to open with your first line, to craft it and hone it and hook hook hook – but then you’ve gotta end it somewhere, and while not all great beginnings lead to great endings, all great endings can have great beginnings.

 HL: Tell us about your latest release and what you think readers will enjoy about it

JS: Shadows of the Highridge is a book about how we handle grief, tragedy, calamity, and ourselves. This won’t post for some time, but I’m just now leaving Paris in the wake of the attacks that claimed so many lives in the city and national stadium. Having lived through an incident like that myself, I went into my time there understanding that not everyone would react the same. Not everyone sees these things with the same eyes, or comes out with the same emotions (if their minds even permit emotion to pass through so shortly after).

 Shadows of the Highridge explores that, but not in such a heavy-handed fashion. If you enjoyed Tremors (and can survive Kevin Bacon being an upstanding coward instead of a sleazy adventure-seeker) then you’ll really enjoy this book. I should stop bringing Kevin Bacon up in all of these posts. Shadows of the Highridge is fantasy, it’s horror, and there are some laughs along the way. It’s also a really quick and fun read.

 HL: It sounds like a wonderful read! If someone were to play one of your characters in a movie, which character and what actor would it be and why?

 JS: KEVIN BAC Oh wait I promised to stop doing that. A haggard and roughed up Jake Gyllenhaal would make a decent Vanig, although so would that guy with the huge mustache from Tombstone. I just wish we could get Sean Connery from the 80’s back to play Salisir.

 Cate Blanchett would make a great Hellen (Vanig’s epic sister). And get whoever played Gollum to play the worms. All of them.

 HL: (Grin) and I'm sure he'd be honoured! Have you a favourite actor/hunk? If you’ve answered question 6 would this be the same guy?

JS: My favorite actor/hunk would probably be Nathan Fillion, but I haven’t written any major roles that match his charm.

 HL: What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?

 JS: While you get better at writing, it doesn’t get any easier. I mean it does in many ways, but the ceiling is ever-rising. I thought I’d write a masterpiece out of the blocks. Ah, my sweet naïve younger self. It’s one of the great joys of the craft and simultaneously one of its most daunting aspects: there is always room to grow.

 HL: What’s you’re writing process? Has it changed since writing your first book?

 JS: Sit, hands on keyboard, music in ears (usually EDM of some variety), and maybe coffee in reach (I only drink the milked-down and sugared up kinds unless it’s straight espresso). My method has changed only in location. I used to write on an old Danish rail ferry converted into a hospital sitting on the coast of western Africa. Now I write primarily on airplanes or in coffee shops (I’m writing this on an airplane over Wichita right now – the view is alright but the dang clouds keep mucking the whole thing up).

 HL: Clouds have a habit of doing that, don't they! You've already answered this really, but I'm going to ask you to elaborate! Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?

 JS: Ah hey, my clairvoyance strikes again. I do write with music – I almost have to. The way I put it to people is that I’ve got this annoying ten-year-old version of myself throwing all kinds of ideas and wants at me at all times and I have to placate him somehow. Turn the music on. White noise with a beat. Get him to shut up for twenty minutes and when he finally has something to say, it’ll be worthwhile.

 HL: Do you have a support system? Do you have a writing community? What valuable lessons have you learned from them?

 JS: My support system is growing, which is really exciting. When I started out I sent my first manuscript to something like 20 people. Christmas day, 2010, from Appelsbosch, South Africa. I think five wrote back. The rest were stricken from my friends list forever (kidding). Those five people who did respond were key to moving forward and remain with me today in one form or another (life takes us all for different rides at different times).

 Now, thanks to conventions and really really generous acquaintances, I’m meeting all kinds of writers whose names I will refuse to drop here (but Mark Twain and I are tight). It’s so refreshing to meet other people like me in the sense that they’re burdened with stories to tell. Some of my favorite conversations have happened over beer in strange places like Saratoga Springs and Spokane (I even alliterate my convention destinations). More to come on that front, I’m sure.

 HL: I certainly agree that we can't do without those fantastic 'beta readers'. What is your personal definition of success?

 JS: Besides saving the world? Hmmm… I’ve been thinking on this a lot lately. I actually spent a few evenings in Paris sketching it out in one of my notebooks (let’s be honest, the fact that I can even say that makes my life pretty amazing as it is). What makes me happy? Where do I want to live and with whom? What do I want to do (because writing on its own may not satisfy me in the end)?

I need adventure. I need friends. Love. Romance. I need to sail the open sea and to dive into the depths of forgotten places. I don’t want to lose those parts of myself. I also need a home base. Something stable. Something known. I need family. I need to create.

So I don’t have an answer for you that is concrete. I would say that the day my writing (and the surrounding projects) can afford me the ability to pack up and leave on whatever journey calls me next would be the day I call myself a writing success. But then again it will be the day I actually fall in love for the last time. It will be the moment I reach some far-flung location I’d only heard of and realize I’ve overcome another deep personal failing. It will be when I can forgive myself the transgressions I hold too dear.All of those moments will be success as well.

 HL: What is your favourite source of inspiration?

 JS: Learning. Any time you read a good book that explains some aspect of the world, sit under the arch of an ancient building and admire arts long-lost, or see a new landscape unfold and break the horizon in ways you never before imagined – those are moments where inspiration lurks. As our mind opens to new emotions, new thoughts, ideas that contradict everything we hold true – as we change – we become agents of that change for others. And change is the great source of conflict, where conflict is the great source of story.

 HL: Absolutely! I couldn't agree more. Is there any advice, as a new writer, that you were either given, or wish you had been given?

 JS: I’m really glad no one told me not to do it. I’ll make something up though:

Don’t assume the publishing world is out to get you (in the negative sense). It’s not. It can be cold and cutthroat at times, but it is a business. Take the time to get to know other writers, befriend publishers, editors, and keep honing your craft. There are more friendly and helpful people around than villains. The gates may be closed to you for now, and your self-published efforts may feel futile, but do whatever you can to keep from taking any of that personally. Remember that no one owes you anything, and you owe your fans and readers everything – no matter how few or how many there are

HL: Very true! What sort of research do you do for your books and what’s your favourite source of information.

 JS: I just read as broadly as I can, and I try to read good stuff. I used to feel obligated to finish any book I picked up – not any more. I don’t have time for bad books, especially when they’re non-fiction (sometimes I’ll finish bad fiction just so I know what the heck the rage is about or to learn what not to do).

 HL: Funny, I've come to feel exactly the same way!  Now, just for fun - if you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?

 JS: Hippogriff – you can fly, you’re huge, tough, sexy, and yet not destined to be evil. If we’re going with the non-13-year-old-Jay answer, I’d be a dog because they’re probably the only species that humankind won’t be wiping out in the near or distant future (survivalist-Jay).

HL: Sadly that has the ring of truth to it! 
Many authors model their characters on people they know. Is this the case with your characters and do you see yourself in any of them?

 JS: They’re all pretty much modeled on the worst and best aspects of who I am and who I hope to be. Or who I hope I never become. I never consciously model any character off any person, but sometimes little ticks or quirks will find their way in, I’m sure. I should probably model some after my grandfathers, because they were total BAMFs in their own rights.

 HL: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

In Shadows of the Highridge I would say it’s Tolly. She’s got a lot of horrible things on her plate to deal with, and she won’t do it all in the right way, but who does? She’s quick-witted, smart, fast on her feet, tough, and unafraid to speak her mind. Calculating without a lack of empathy. I just like her a lot.

 HL: Who is your most favorite character of all time from any book?

 JS: Samwise, of course, but I didn’t always think that. I tended to prefer the big shiny heroes. Sam used to make me cringe, and while I never disliked him I really struggled with how his story ended. It wasn’t what I wanted for him – it seemed so unjust. He loses Frodo. Merry and Pip get their romance and seem to all but forget he exists. He’s left with a life that’s so… normal (albeit exceptional by Hobbit standards). But then it’s not about what I want, is it?

Sam is the loyal friend, the true hero of LOTR, we all know this. But Sam taught me how to handle happiness for others when it’s not what you would have for them – when it’s not exactly what they would have for themselves. None of us gets to choose our own ending, so let’s be thankful when they’re good ones – normal or otherwise.

 HL: That's a really interesting answer, not what I was expecting perhaps (I was thinking Strider) but yes, Samwise is a great character.
So...where can readers connect with you?

 JS: You can read my ongoing project, Into the Nanten at intothenanten.com. We bill it as the world’s first real-time fantasy blog, filled with illustrations by Nimit Malavia, and from which Shadows of the Highridge spun off. If you’d like to follow me you can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter @jayonaboat, check out the artwork on Instagram @mindofjayswanson, or come say hi over on Facebook. I’d love to hear from you.

 HL: Is there a question you really, really wish someone would ask, but they never do? If so what would be your reply?

 Interviewer: What’s your favorite word?

Jay: “Parraseux,” because it’s so delightfully ironic for how much work it takes to say.

Interviewer: Why do you have to be so difficult? Speak English.

Jay: Fine.

Interviewer: That’s your favorite word? “Fine?”

Jay: No! Would you stop? I’m thinking.

Interviewer: …

Jay: “Kleptocracy.” Spellcheck doesn’t even recognize it, but it’s an amazing word. Right up there with “Bankster.” I guess I have a thing for portmanteaus. Oh! “Portmanteau.” What a great concept.

Interviewer: You can stop now.

Jay: And XKCD’s take on it with his entry mocking Wikipedia with “Malamanteaus.” GENIUS!

Interviewer: I’m turning off the recorder now.

 Jay: And I totally forgot–END TRANSMISSION

 HL: Love it! Thank you so much for taking time to visit my blog, it’s been a thrill having you here and learning more about you and your writing. I wish you much success now and in the future.

 JS: Thanks for having me! It was a pleasure to thrill, and I hope you’ll have me back by sometime down the road.

HL: I'd be delighted, you're welcome on the Flight Deck anytime - just let me know your timeline and co-ordinates and I'll send down a shuttle for you! :)

SHADOWS OF THE HIGHRIDGE
BLURB;

Moving along the soil is the quickest way to die; for Tolly to survive she must learn to stay silent.
Life on farms like hers was difficult enough in the face of plague and a decade of drought, but something worse has come to the foothills under the Highridge Mountains. Something that will destroy everything she loves.
 Mere miles away, Vanig’s search for water to revive his farm is cut short when soldiers arrive bearing dark news of disaster striking farms throughout the region – and they suspect he is the root cause of it all. Those suspicions spike when a disheveled warrior appears hundreds of miles from home and takes Vanig hostage.

 Death looms in the shadows of the Highridge.

EXCERPT:

“Farmer.” Gaptooth grabbed Vanig by the shoulder and turned him. “We ain’t walkin’ no farther. You do your thinkin’ on the way back.”

“Do you think I came out here to ruminate?” Vanig was shocked at how the anger boiled over, but he followed it.

“To rumiwhat?”

“I need to make a survey of these draws.” Vanig shoved the soldier’s hand off his shoulder. It felt good. “Take measurements. Draw. No amount of thinking will move it without knowing just what I’m moving it through. You think because I live out here that I’m some stupid mystic. Sacrifice a goat and maybe this time the rain gods will bless me with abundance? Well they won’t. Gods and man have abandoned this place all the same. It’s a waste; and without someone like me to change that, that’s the way it will stay.”

Crooknose stepped forward to speak, but Vanig held up his hand.

 “I need an hour. Give me that. Go drink your fill and sit down to rest. Gods know you both need it.”

 Crooknose shoved his finger into Vanig’s chest. “Listen here you goat lovin’, dirt humpin’, ignorant piece of shit. We’re leavin’, and we’re leavin’ now.”

 “We are not,” Vanig growled. “So get your finger off my chest.”

“Don’t move. Any of you.” All three of them jumped at the sound of the voice. A new voice, one they didn’t recognize. “I mean it! Don’t move. Take one more step and you’re all dead.”

Jay Swanson is the creator of Into the Nanten, the world’s first real-time fantasy blog. He is also author of a spin-off novel, Shadows of the Highridge, the standalone short novel Dark Horse, and the Vitalis Chronicles trilogy. Jay grew up in Washington State, and has lived all over the world since then. Jay served for three years with Mercy Ships, a medical charity that runs the world’s largest private hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. In each country they visit, Mercy Ships donates free surgeries to the world’s forgotten poor, alleviating the suffering that so often accompanies a lack of access to medical care. He started in IT, then worked as the editor for their international Creative Pool, and finished as the on board Media Liason.

Paris will always have a place in Jay’s heart; he lived in France for two years, but he’s currently working in the US as a consultant on electronic medical records. Basically, he lives on planes.
Jay has a background in design and video production which have been instrumental in his self-publishing endeavors. Jay was telling stories from an early age, and latched on to video as soon as he discovered he could borrow people’s cameras. The stories that would one day become the Vitalis Chronicles began to take form in Jay’s head as movie ideas while he was still in college, and he began writing them down when he realized that they might make good books as well as films (and that if he died in Africa, there would be nothing left to prove they ever existed). He started writing White Shores in May of 2010 and finished on Christmas day of that year in Applesbosch, South Africa.

LINKS:

http://jayswanson.me/

https://www.facebook.com/jay.swanson.author

https://twitter.com/jayonaboat

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-the-highridge-jay-swanson/1122841797

http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Highridge-Jay-Swanson-ebook/dp/B016ATZML6

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/586676

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27203157-shadows-of-the-highridge

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Jay Swanson will be awarding print copies of Into the Nanten to two randomly drawn winners (US shipping only -- an e-book of Shadows of the Highridge will be substituted to international winners) and a print of the original artwork created for his series Into the Nanten (US only shipping) to two other randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Hedon - Spotlight and #Giveaway

Hedon

by Jason Werbeloff

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Dystopian Science Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

What if happiness were compulsory?

What if your thoughts were not your own?

Plunge into HEDON for soul-twisting sci-fi.

In 2051, the Bhutanese Empire rules post-apocalyptic Shangri with iron-fisted Buddhist compassion. Happiness is compulsory, but making everyone happy isn’t easy in an overpopulated world. Breeders are ghettoed, homosexuality is mandatory, and Shangrians’ happiness levels are strictly monitored by hedometers implanted in their heads. Become depressed, or feel too happy without helping others feel the same, and The Tax Man will get angry. Very angry.

Gemini and Cyan, winners of the pregnancy lottery, are on the run. Cyan can’t fall pregnant, and Gemini is addicted to the Experience Machine. Will they evade The Tax Man, and find a way to end the brutal pleasures of Shangri?

The lovechild of Brave New World and The Handmaid’s Tale, HEDON is gritty satire on a dystopia drunk with bigotry and positive thinking.

“A one of a kind dystopian novel.”

“As politically depraved as anyone could desire.”

“This is storytelling at its best”.

– ReadersFavorite.com 5 star review of HEDON

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

The day before his father died, Gemini had carried the old, old man to the summit of the district heap. Cardboard boxes, plastic packets, clothes hangers, rags, and a thousand other remnants of the past had sagged, crunched and scratched beneath Gemini’s bare feet. By the time he’d reached the top, he was out of breath. But it wasn’t the weight of his father in his arms, clinging to his neck. His father weighed less than a memory. No, it was the thought that this would be the last time they would share the view together.

The heap was higher than the ghetto Wall, higher than the Devas. From the top, they could see it all. Rows and rows, and rows, of tin shacks stretched behind them. And before them, a mile away, was the great Wall, brown as the earth. Beyond was the city, its brown-white spires shrouded in fog. Brown fog.

His father had looked at Gemini then. Really looked. Looked at him, his son, not as a war veteran. Not as someone from the past. “Boy,” his father’s voice was hollow, soaked up by the heap, “are you happy?”

The breath in Gemini had caught. Of course he was happy. Everyone was happy. It was Shangri. But his lips formed a different reply. “No,” he said, and stared out beyond the Wall. His cheeks burned.

“That’s okay, boy. They say they’re happy. But they’re not. Nobody is.”

Gemini swung his head to study his father’s eyes. The blasphemy. Sure, there was unrest here, in the ghetto. Sure, there was discontent. But few spoke such … such blatant heresy. Such negativity.

“Find a girl,” his father said, placing a veined hand on his son’s. “Be happy with her, but not too much. Never forget …” His head twitched. “Never forget that there is more.”

His father fell silent. Gemini scooped together a pillow of detritus so the dying man could lie comfortably as he stared out at the city. The city the old man had fought for, and lost.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Human. Male. From an obscure planet in the Milky Way Galaxy. Sci-fi novelist with a PhD in philosophy. Likes chocolates, Labradors, and zombies (not necessarily in that order). Werbeloff spends his days constructing thought experiments, while trying to muster enough guilt to go to the gym.

He's written two novels, Hedon and The Solace Pill, and the short story anthology, Obsidian Worlds. His books will make your brain hurt. And you'll come back for more.

Subscribe to his newsletter to receive a free novel, and a lifetime of free and discounted stories: http://smarturl.it/werbeloff

**Amazon Author Page: http://smarturl.it/AuthWerbeloff  – download all of Werbeloff's fiction from Amazon.

**Newsletter: http://smarturl.it/werbeloff – subscribe to get 'The Solace Pill' free, as well as VIP access to Werbeloff's latest fiction.

**Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7340789  – read and submit reviews of Werbeloff’s fiction.

**Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/solaceseries  and Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasonWerbeloff – follow Werbeloff for release date information on upcoming shorts and novels.

**Website: http://www.jasonwerbeloff.com/ - read about the author, and the philosophy behind his fiction.

Purchase link for Hedon: PLEASE NOTE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS FOR  F R E E today!

http://smarturl.it/hedon

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Jason will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

A Beginners Guide to invading Earth - Spotlight and #Giveaway

I'm so happy to welcome Science Fiction author Gerhard Gehrke

 to the Flight Deck today. Let's find out about his debut novel and his writing -


HL: When did you start writing?

 GG: I have a binder with partial stories from grade school. During math class two friends and I produced a regular series of Pac-Man comic books with dozens of reoccurring characters, convoluted plot lines, and questionable artwork. As my collaborators had input, I was forced to allow vampires and Shogun Warriors into the mix. My notebook stories ranged from a boy and his horse story reminiscent of Lassie to a dreary horror novel with a crowbar-wielding maniac with a breathing problem.


HL: If someone were to play one of your characters in a movie, which character and what actor would it be and why?

 

GG: I'd love to have a slightly younger Clancy Brown (The Kurgan in the original Highlander, etc.) play as my main character Jeff Abel. Such a great voice and the right build, as Jeff is also a big guy with a mop of hair and a slight case of exotropia. Clancy Brown brings a touch of class to some cheesy roles; thus he'd be a great fit.


HL: What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?

GG: No matter how hard you try, your novel may never feel finished, as there's always a nip/tuck/edit you wish you had done before releasing your project to the world. I find myself critical of my approach of perspective in A Beginner's Guide to Invading Earth which I've tightened up on now that I have the sequel going through the editing process. The balance comes from knowing you've listened to your editor and you've given it your all. This allows you to tame your anxieties with the knowledge that you will improve as you progress as an author.

HL: What’s you’re writing process? Has it changed since writing your first book?

GG: I have a connect-the-dots strategy that is essentially a loose outline. I know where I want to land and have several plot points to hit along the way. This all proves malleable as I go. I have several notebooks where I will lay out bullet points of what happens next and what needs to happen after, but these notes are rarely more than a few key words and phrases. I don't use any software for this even though I've tried, and I'm intrigued by ones who manage to lay everything out via spreadsheets like Excel. When I write, the story rarely cooperates with tight scripting. My approach seems locked in for now, but I'm willing to change if I find another way to write that looks like it will fit my style.


HL: Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?

 GG: How anyone can write while listening to music baffles me. I need silence and I'm easily distracted. Alt-tab is the enemy! But to be fair, I need to sit still when chewing gun, so there's that. Sometimes on a third+ read-through where I'm hunting for extraneous commas I'll put on some classical (Brahms, Beethoven, Chopin) or some Tool or Iron Maiden. I've got a selection of covers of Maiden's song “Fear of the Dark” if anyone's interested.

HL: What is your personal definition of success?

GG: Not to get too sappy, but when something I wrote made someone happy, that's a win. This is an inversion from the service business, where a quiet customer is a happy one. Happy readers will say something and sometimes leave a good review. Then again, angry readers leave feedback too. But at least I made them feel something. Nothing's worse than an audience that shrugs you off with a “meh.”

HL: Is there any advice, as a new writer, that you were either given, or wish you had been given?

 

GG: “Don't write if you don't have to.” A published author told me this once, and this is both good and bad advice. Writing can become an obsession, but it's also a rewarding pursuit. It reminds me of what the lawyer who taught my State Contractor's License class said concerning running your own business: “The highs are higher, the lows are lower.” This is true of writing as well, as there's nothing quite like having someone enjoy something you wrote, but rejection is part of the process too.

HL: Who is your most favorite character of all time from any book?

 

GG: Anyone who's read Allan Cole and Chris Bunch's Sten series knows Alex Kilgour. He's the heavy world sidekick who steals the show and has some of the series' best lines. One ongoing gag is his awful jokes which often take the entire novel to tell as he is continually interrupted or threatened to stop telling it. Of course, reading his parts were sometimes a challenge as the writers chose to render his Scottish brogue phonetically. In hindsight he's like The Simpsons' Groundskeeper Willie on steroids and with more firepower.

HL: Where can readers connect with you?

GG: I'm in the usual spots like Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/gerhardgehrkeauthor/) and Twitter (@gerhardgehrke). My blog is Capriciousnarrator.com where I talk about the world of science fiction and writing. My personal site ( http://www.gerhardgehrke.com ) has links to where you can find a copy of A Beginner's Guide to Invading Earth.

HL: Is there a question you really, really wish someone would ask, but they never do? If so what would be your reply?

GG: With writing and blogging I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop where someone asks me “Who do you think you are in talking so much about yourself?” I guess dreading is the word I'm thinking of here, not wishing. But this question is so sweet! I just appreciate Hywela Lyn for having me today.

Thank you so much for visiting with us today - it's been a real pleasure to have you on the Flight Deck! Wishing you much success with your debut  novel!


A Beginner's Guide to Invading Earth

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GENRE: Science Fiction

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BLURB:

What would you do if you found a dead alien on a lonely highway?

Was it an accident, sabotage, or murder? And why is everyone blaming Jeff?

The extraterrestrials aren’t waiting for answers. They want revenge. And Jeff isn’t ready for company.

His only hope is an outcast mechanic from another world and a woman who might do anything to get off planet, including selling out her own kind. Jeff has to get to the bottom of why there are so many alien bodies piling up and who is really responsible.

A science fiction adventure novel, A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth tells the story of a reclusive ex-computer programmer who is the unwitting central figure of a plot to keep humanity from ever making first contact.

Excerpt

“Do you believe in aliens? Jordan asked.

Outside of town and with no moon, Jeff drove with care. The road ahead curved into black beyond the pickup truck’s headlights. Some of the turns had helpful signs with black arrows on reflective yellow, but most did not.

“Like little green men with designs on our world?” Jeff said.

“More like what’s been going on in the news,” she said. “The actual sightings of extraterrestrials. That alien body in Nevada.”

“I don’t watch T.V. Heard some crazy stuff on the radio. But I don’t listen to it much, either.”

“You really are cut off, you know. Like a hermit.”

Jeff smiled. Only a couple of cars passed them, both heading the opposite way. He thought of the gangly, hairy creature he had seen, working to fix his broken spaceship, panicking at the sight of a human, and somehow knowing Jeff’s name without so much as an introduction. Had that actually happened?

“It seems like pretty big news,” Jordan said. “If it’s real, that is. So do you like keeping yourself so isolated?”

“I like to think of myself as unplugged,” Jeff said. “Maybe more people should try it. As for the aliens, there’s this old theory about hysteria. It’s happened before. A commie in every closet. Fluoride in the drinking water lets the government control the population.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Gerhard Gehrke studied film at San Francisco State University. He wrote and produced
several shows for community television. His Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror short stories have appeared in several publications, including an Editor’s Choice-winning short story at AnotheRealm.com. A Beginner’s Guide to Invading Earth is his first novel.

You can connect with him at Gerhardgehrke.com.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gerhardgehrke

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gerhardgehrkeauthor   

Blog: www.capriciousnarrator.wordpress.com/   

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+beginner%27s+guide+to+invading+earth+

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-beginners-guide-to-invading-earth-gerhard-gehrke/1122581957

Also available on iBooks

Link to YouTube Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwExDzGD6Js

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Gerhard Gehrke will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wishing all my guests, friends and readers a very Happy 2016

**************

I'd also like to give a big 'THANK YOU' to everyone who's following or joined this Blog (or re-joined in some instances) Having lost all my followers due to having to redo my Blog, it's taking a while to build up my following again so I really appreciate you taking the time to do so!