Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 ... "I should go now, while I still can."

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

Weekend Writing Warriors for Eight Sentence Sunday

Snippet Sunday Facebook Group

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 

Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx
(A little mutilation of punctuation to keep within the allowed sentence count.)

You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE  (This week's excerpt is a few sentences later.)

The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance.  One man appears to be fighting the assailants alone, the other, and their wounded companion having disappeared under cover of the smoke capsule Cat activated. Now the lone fighter appears to have been hurt - or dead!

SNIPPET:

She should have been long gone. I should leave now, while I still can.The effects of the smoke capsule she’d released would not last long, already the air was becoming clearer. She turned once more and trained her viewer back on the clump of rocks; the man in black lay motionless.

Leave him. Leave him and get out of here. If she was right and he and his companions were human, presumably they’d have some sort of transit ship, unless their starship was small enough for planetary landings. Either way, they’d surely come back for him. Then it dawned on her that if they returned, perhaps she could persuade—or force—them to take her with them. If he was alive, he’d serve as a bargaining chip.

             

BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Enemy-Destiny-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBCBYCS

Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 ... The charge still held but it would not be long before it ran down

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

Weekend Writing Warriors for Eight Sentence Sunday

Snippet Sunday Facebook Group

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 

Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx

You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE  (This excerpt is a few sentences later.)

The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance.  One man appears to be fighting the assailants alone, the other, and their wounded companion having disappeared under cover of the smoke capsule Cat activated.

SNIPPET:              

He checked his blaster. The charge still held but it would not be long before it ran down.He allowed another couple of minutes to elapse before risking a look. The smoke still hung in the air, although it seemed to be clearing a little. Apart  from several bodies, the landscape seemed deserted. With all the caution he could muster, finger on the trigger button, he crept from around the rock. He froze.
Sensing movement in the boulders opposite, he dived back again. Just as he reached the shelter of the rock, the ground seemed to explode around him. A piercing pain shot through his shoulder and he knew no more

BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Enemy-Destiny-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBCBYCS

Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 ... What are they waiting for?

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

Weekend Writing Warriors for Eight Sentence Sunday

Snippet Sunday Facebook Group

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 

Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx

You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE

(The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance. Cat decides to even the odds a little and fires a smoke capsule.

Kerry Marchant persuades his friend and commander, John Quinlan to take their wounded comrade back to their starship, so her wound can be treated.

SNIPPET:              

The commander slung the woman’s unconscious form over his shoulder and bending low beneath the smoke, edged his way back the way they’d come, keeping close to the tree-line. Kerry kept their attackers busy with a volley of well-aimed blaster fire.

How many of them are there? He must be hopelessly outnumbered, but he might as well be killed here as on some other planet. If only he could keep them busy long enough for Jon to get Zeldra safely to the Destiny’s ferry craft. He ducked behind the boulder as another volley of blaster fire singed the surrounding undergrowth. He fired once more and heard a strangled scream as another of his assailants went down; a long silence ensued. What are they waiting for?

BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Enemy-Destiny-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBCBYCS

Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Destiny's Gambit - Spotlight, Review and #Giveaway

This is my stop during the book blitz for Destiny’s Gambit by R.J. Wood. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 5 till 11 February. 
See the tour schedule here.

Destiny’s Gambit (The Voyages of Jake Flynn #1)
By R.J. Wood

Genre: Fantasy/ Science Fiction/ Sword and Space/ Space Fantasy

Age category: Middle Grade/ Young Adult

Release Date: January 24, 2015

Blurb:

Jake Flynn’s parents disappeared when he was a baby. On his twelfth birthday, the mystery of why his parents disappeared begins to unravel when he discovers a glowing talisman with a message from his father.

Jake is directed to a derelict sailboat in a field. He watches in awe as the talisman knits ropes and sails for it out of golden energy. Awash in light, the boat sails up into space, and the voyages of Jake Flynn begin.

During the quest to find his parents, Jake encounters space pirates in tall sailing ships, channelers that can wield energy like magic, and evil cabalists led by a sinister snake-woman. Assisted by a young healer and her aged protector, a spirited cabin girl, and a salty space captain, Jake learns that he too can channel, and that he is central to stopping the cabalists from resurrecting a long-dead evil

Puzzles, a pirate asteroid, walking the plank, fantastic magic, traps, treasure caves, multiple planets and great ship battles – Jake must experience them all on this epic sword and space adventure.

By the end, Jake will discover the truth about his destiny, realize that family can transcend blood lines, and understand that his own needs are sometimes less important than those of others.

You can find Destiny’s Gambit on Goodreads
You can buy Destiny’s Gambit here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Smashwords

REVIEW
It's a little difficult to categorise this very original and gripping story. It's part Science Fiction Adventure, part Fantasy and has a very Steampunk feel as well. The protgonist is a twelve year old boy so I guess it's intended for older children and young adults. Anyway, as a 'much older' adult I enjoyed it very much although the occasional incident of 'telling' rather than 'showing' and the odd 'headhop' drew me out of the story at times, but not enough to spoil what is actually a 'rattling good yarn'.

Briefly, the story concerns the boy, Jake, whose parents have mysteriously disappeared, and he lives with his rather stern Uncle and kindly grandmother. When, on his twelfth birthday, he finds a talisman and a message from his father he sets off immediately to find them. His adventures take him into space, where he encounters an evil snakewoman, makes some interesting friends, and becomes involved with pirates, space battles and visits various strange and dangerous planets

I loved the idea of an old time sailing ship being able to travel through deep space, thanks to Jake, the young hero's newfound ability to 'chanel' his special talents to power the ship. It's not without a scientific 'rationale' either as some of the companions he meets on his first visit to another planet are also able to 'chanel' and they are able to form a bubble of air around the ship and also to control the pressure and temperature so they don't freeze to death. The author clearly has a very thorough knowledge of all things nautical and the descriptions of the ships, their weaponry and handling are put across in a way that makes the reader feel he or she is taking part in the voyage themselves.

I was sorry when the book ended - I'm not too keen on books that aren't actually complete, and I had expected Jake to conclude his search for his parents - but it seems I have to wait until the next book to find out if he is likely to be successful. It wasn't exactly a 'cliff hanger' ending though  but there is obviously more of Jake's story to come in what looks like being a very enjoyble and entertaining series.
*four stars*

About the Author:

R. J. Wood has been creating stories and adventures for others since 1979. A bard at heart, he trained in Drama (BA) and History (MA) while at university. He currently lives near Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State with his wife and children. There he does a little fishing, some adventuring, and of course, his writing.

Like everyone of my generation and beyond I have been heavily influenced by film. I like to think of my books as movies in my mind. I developed my creative writing through fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal RPGs. My degree in drama helps me with story, characters, and especially dialogue. Having an advanced history degree is excellent for plots and characters, but it also helps me with world building.

You can find and contact R.J. Wood here:

- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram

Giveaway

There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Destiny’s Gambit. One winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift card.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Sienna Matthews: Piracy

I'm reposting this post by Sienna Matthews because I think it's so important. As a reader, you may think it's a good thing to get free or cut price books from a 'pirate' site, but this is actually theft,. An author spends months, sometimes years, writing and rewriting a book they hope will give the reader a few hours of pleasure. Most authors make very little from their Royalties, but even this small amount is denied them by the pirates. You expect to be paid for your 'day job' so authors should also be paid for their hard work don't you think. Please read this post and think very carefully before being tempted to use a pirate site. (I'm in a similar position to sienna, published by a small press and I really don't want to change, or worse still stop writing altogether.


Sienna Matthews: Piracy: Piracy sucks -- I agree. Y'all know about what happened to my friend Jenna Rose Ellis . She's angry and frustrated, and worse -- ...

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 ... Where did that damned smoke come from?

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

Weekend Writing Warriors for Eight Sentence Sunday

Snippet Sunday Facebook Group

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 

Here's the next snippet from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy. Thanks so much to everyone who has been following this series, and stayed with me xx

You can read the previous snippet of  Beloved Enemy HERE

(The story so far - Cat Kincaid has crashlanded on an unknown and seemingly hostile planet, apparently in the middle of a gun battle in the not-too-far distance. Cat decides to even the odds a little and fires a smoke capsule, as it clears, she realises there is only one person now, fighting alone. (This snippet is from the hero's p.o.v. )                         

(some very creative punctuation and slight rewording from published version to comply with sentence count

Where did that damned smoke come from -- Kerry Marchant wiped his streaming eyes and tried to focus on the area where he last saw his attackers.

There was another question—the identity of the third party who seemed to be siding with them against their assailants; he turned back to glance at Jon Quinlan, the main concern, at the moment, was Zeldra. “How is she,” he asked, indicating the unconscious woman.

The other man looked up from his ministrations, coughing and trying to waft some of the choking smoke away with his hand.  “Not good, I’ve used my bioregenerator and it’s repaired some of the damage but we need to get her back to the Destiny.”

“Then take her, at least this smoke will give you some cover, I’ll hold them off here for as long as I can.”

“What? And leave you here to fight them alone?”

“I can handle it, come back for me.”

“I don’t like the thought of leaving you down here—”

“Have you a better idea -- we can’t both go, we would just be sitting targets  if this smoke clears; I can cover you, but as the Destiny’s commander, you need to be with the ship."

BLURB

Cat Kincaid is obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival becomes a greater priority than revenge.

Kerry Marchant, haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.

Marooned on an inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?

https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Enemy-Destiny-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBCBYCS

Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  

For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join