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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Sunday 4 February 2018

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:

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?





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

Wednesday 31 January 2018

A Star Called Home, Book Tour and #Giveaway


A Star Called Home
by
Marina Landry
Genre: SF Romance
198 pages
Jul Kisling's heart aches for the homeless children living beyond her
office window. Her father, Chancellor of the Third Quadrant of Akila,
refuses to use his power to help them. Frightened but determined, Jul
secretly searches for transportation to bring some of the children to
a newly-colonized planet.



Marc Prejean is an out-of-work, out-of-money Earth starpilot living on the
land of his Cajun ancestors. Wrongfully convicted of smuggling and
recently released from forcedsleep, he reluctantly agrees to Jul's
proposition. His desperate situation, the betrayal of his wife and
brother, the loss of his starpilot license, and his stolen six years
have left Marc angry and withdrawn.

Marc and Jul begin a journey of agonizing mistrust, smoldering sexual
desire, and the shared goal of safeguarding the twelve children.
Pursued by ruthless adversaries on both sides of the law, they soon
realize they are delivering the children into even greater danger.

EXCERPT
Excerpt from A Star Called Home by Marina Landry

 A blush rose up her fine-boned cheeks, and her pink mouth twitched, but she didn't respond. Instead, she turned her head and made soothing noises to the waif quietly sobbing in her arms. She lifted her bag from the floor, aimed her cool, emerald eyes toward Marc, and said, "If you'll direct me to their--"

"Through there," he interrupted again, pointing to the closed portal in the left part of the rear wall. He resumed his seat, turning his back on her and reaching for the console. "Cabins're all the same -- take your pick. Wait. One. Minute," he demanded, pivoting in his seat to frown at her. "You said you'd be bringing nine companions. This looks like more than nine to me."

"Yes," she admitted easily. "There are twelve children in all, but they're used to living in close quarters. We'll manage."

He stood and took an angry step off the bridge. "This starship is designed to accommodate ten passengers only. Space regs forbid me to--"

"I understood you would get us to Orum without concern for regulations, without passports, and without questions. However, if you insist -- which three would you like to tell to go back?" She stared him squarely in the eye, holding that genderless child on her hip, with two more clutching her legs.

He scowled down at the sea of dirty faces and unnerving stares, and he disliked this woman with her expensive clothes and cold eyes more than he'd ever disliked a total stranger before in his life. He forced himself to meet her haughty stare. "It will take me about ten minutes to get a clear window," he ground out. "So get them in the beds vite."

He stepped back up to his command console, then added, "I'll rewash the bedsilks later."

He studied the control screen, scanning frequencies, airspace, and ground perimeter for anyone too interested in why the Southern Belle had stopped there in the middle of the night.

She was still standing by the portal at the rear wall. What the hell was she waiting for? "Eight minutes!" he called out.

 "Well, you will just have to wait!" she snapped, spinning to face him.
     
He stood and glowered down at her.

Her back was rigid and her jaw clenched as she continued in a trembling voice, "No matter how much you try to bully me, there is no way I can get twelve children ready for lift in eight minutes. And if you lift too soon and one of these children is injured, I'll make you wish you'd never taken this job."

He studied her in barely-restrained anger, and not a small measure of admiration. Her ability to stand firm while he bullied her -- as she called it -- surprised him, though he could see her fingers shaking on the child's back. He stroked his wiry moustache with one finger and drawled, "I been wishin' dat ever since you boarded, chère."




Marina Landry has gained attention in both the romance and science fiction communities for her heart-warming, emotionally intense, character-driven stories. Her debut novel A Star Called Home (Desert Breeze Publishing) has consistently received five out of five stars on multiple online book review sites. Marina has taught language arts and mathematics in south Louisiana for 18 years. She speaks on the craft of writing and teaches all levels of writers online. Though her education has not followed a typical path nor timeline, she has Masters Degrees in Education of the Academically Gifted, Secondary Mathematics Education, and Adult Education.
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a 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

The Beautiful One


Genre: Historical Fiction, YA Fiction
Release Date: 8 September 2017
Publisher: S Books

Even as a small child, Helen, princess of Sparta, knows that there is something special about her; men come from far away just to catch a glimpse of her beauty. Also there are those rumours that her real father was someone more important than King Tyndareus of Sparta. But her beauty is to cause problems; her sister Clytemnestra is jealous of the attention she gets, and even her magical brothers, Castor and Polydeuces, can’t protect her from the predations of a brute like Theseus of Athens. Still, as she grows up, and knows she’ll have to find a husband, she thinks a good deal about love, and what it might mean to her.

EXTRACT
And that was when the terrible thing happened. There was no swan’s feather on my pillow that morning, but I woke up with a strange sensation that something soft was brushing my cheek. When I sat up and looked around, of course, there was no one there. Phyllis and my sister were still asleep. But I couldn’t help feeling anxious all day, though there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. If Castor had been there, I’d have confided in him, and he might even have been able to save me from what came later.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



Frances Thomas was born in Wales during the war, though she has lived most of her life in London. However, some years ago, she and her historian husband retired to a beautiful part of mid-Wales. She’s written many books for children and adults, her most recent being a trilogy about the girls of the Trojan War.
For many years Frances also used to teach dyslexic children. She enjoys reading, sketching, cooking, and looking out of the window at the changing colours of the countryside. She has two grown up daughters, and two grandchildren.
Website: Author: http://francesthomas.org










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

Tuesday 30 January 2018

Girl Divided by Willow Rose


Girl Divided
by
Willow Rose

Genre:
Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy

They think she's a monster, but she's their only hope…

In a divided nation, 14-year-old Jetta belongs nowhere. Her face is
split right down the middle: half-black and half-white. The non-white
residents of her New Orleans camp call her a demon. The white
oppressors who took over during the 2nd American Civil War have
called her much worse…
After years as an outcast, Jetta uncovers her true heritage as the daughter
of an African storm god and a Finnish death goddess. As she attempts
to harness her terrible new abilities to turn the tide in the war,
trouble comes to those she tries to help. Only Jetta has the power to
heal her divided homeland… or destroy everything in her path…
Girl
Divided
 is a post-apocalyptic sf novel infused
with magical forces. If you like immersive worlds, strong characters,
and a tale that reads like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King combined,
then you'll love Willow Rose's provocative story.
**On Sale for .99 cents!**





The
Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author
and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 40 novels. She writes
Mystery, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy. 

She lives on Florida's Space Coast with her husband and two daughters.
When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. 


Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 20 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada.
She has sold more than two million books.


Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a 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

Saturday 27 January 2018

Weekend Writing Warriors - #SundaySnippet - Beloved Enemy, The Destiny Trilogy Book 3 - Things heat up!

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

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

I clean forgot to register for last week's 'Snippets'. apologies, but I remembered this week! 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, being Cat has to get involved.  This excerpt takes place several paragraphs after the previous snippet, after several salvos have been fired on both sides.
(some creative punctuation to comply with sentence count

She rolled to the side as far as she could, at the same time, letting loose a few more bolts from her pistol. After several seconds, she risked a peek below her. One of the three, a dark haired man dressed in black, seemed to be holding his own and covering his two companions, a second man, blond haired and of slender build, knelt beside the motionless form of their fallen comrade. 

She made an adjustment to her weapon and flicked a control; at this rate, they could go on taking pot shots at the unknown enemy until they all died of starvation, she could at least shorten the odds a little.

Another crack of blaster fire caused her to duck for cover again. The salvo lasted for what seemed an interminable time. When the firing ceased, she risked another look - there was no sign of the other man or his wounded companion. 
The man in black crouched behind a rock. Where’s the other one? Did he leave his friend to fend off the attackers by himself? 

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?






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/joinry 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Tuesday 23 January 2018

Release Day and Giveaway for Spirit of the Sea Witch by Tara West






Spirit of the Sea Witch
Keepers of the Stones
Book Two
Tara West

Genre: YA fantasy

Publisher: Shifting Sands Publishing

Date of Publication: 1.23.18



Number of pages: Est 400.
Word Count: 100K

Cover Artist: Bob Kehl

Book Description:

Desperate to escape the wrath of the vengeful sky goddess Madhea, a group of brave young explorers flee to the sea in search of safe haven for their people while the apprentice witch Dianna steals away Madhea’s dragon to The Shifting Sands.

Though they are an ocean apart, the future of all humanity lies within their entwined fates.

Before they can defeat Madhea, they must stop the vindictive sea goddess Eris from destroying the world.

Amazon     Amazon UK    Books2Read

About the Author:

Tara West writes books about dragons, witches, and heroes while eating chocolate, lots and lots of chocolate. She's willing to share her dragons, witches, and heroes. Keep your hands off her chocolate. A former high school English teacher, Tara is now a full-time writer and graphic artist. She enjoys spending time with her family, interacting with her fans, and fishing the Texas coast.

@TaraWestauthor



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