Chandelier - spotlight an #Giveaway

 

 Chandelier

by Michael Leon

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GENRE: SF/ Fantasy Romance

BLURB:

CHANDELIER is the genre-bending SF/fantasy-romance novel follow up of Michael Leon’s 2019 fantasy-romance book, PHANTOMS. A century has passed since the fabled Phantom ruled the Garnier Opera House. Technology has advanced, and AI has evolved beyond human knowledge. They reside in a virtual Earth, free from the ravages of an environmentally damaged Earth where humans and post-humans live under AI’s qualified governance. CHANDELIER follows one AI sentient’s journey, Benny, whose loyalty for a famous opera singer, Madame D’Arenberg, sets him on a dangerous course, entangling him in The Phantom of the Opera’s deadly web. 

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Excerpt 

The twilight between tired revellers and early morning risers had become Erik’s refuge, a place where the pains of past and present could coalesce in his ritual of the macabre. He’d dreamt of his tormentors again, beasts controlled by masters who understood their canine's savagery as intimately as a mother
knew her child and recurring nightly, taunting his mind.

Chilly breezes flowed down from the Lepontine Alps, carving patterns across Lake Como, so he drew his coat closer, protecting all but his face, but he wouldn't feel an arctic breeze there. He touched his pale cheeks, not to warm them for they were permanently cold, an immovable party mask. Instead, he felt the rough texture of the implanted skin, grafted to his face. Habitually, he reached into his coat pocket for a medicated ointment that soothed and camouflaged his face in equal measure.

A single boat predictably made its way toward the Bellagio port, the first for the day, in wait for the steady procession of commuters and tourists that would navigate the Lombardy region, Italy's foothills to the Swiss alps. The light from the slow-moving boat cast a darker than usual spotlight on the famous U-shaped lake, lit by its twin light, a crescent moon. It took Erik back to a dark past when he ruled the Garnier from the recesses of its famous lake chamber. His rule was cut short through carelessness, a mistake he would not repeat. He’d return to the jewel of the opera crown and rule that grand world again, but this time he'd lead it from the stage rather than Garnier’s hidden lake.

 Were similar dark secrets contained in the black depths of Lake Como? The thought made him grimace, drawing pain. He held his mouth and cheeks, soothing the scar lines camouflaged beneath a thick beard. The scars, like his name, Erik, were all that remained of his past life, contingencies needed to protect him from those who’d seek to destroy him.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 Michael Leon is an explorer, writer and author of the new novel, Sentient. Professionally trained in international trade, Michael has spent the last decade reading and writing SFF novels about new worlds

to be explored in the future. His latest work, Sentient, imagines Earth in the year 2120. His next novel, Chandelier, will be released in 2022. Michael has travelled extensively around Europe, walking the paths of his characters, from the famous European opera houses in Phantoms to the mountain tops of Switzerland in Emissary.

 

 

 

Website: https://www.michaelleon.com.au

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelleon043

Blogger: https://michaelleoncommentspage.blogspot.com

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5369984.Michael_Leon

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Leon/e/B01LNQALBW%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Horses Prayer

 Just came across this - as a horse lover, I think it's beautiful and wanted to share!

Undoing Time - My Review

 Amazon

I spotlighted Undoing Time on this blog on the 3rd of February, while still reading the book. It took me a little while to write a review (apologies) but here it is:

Although I haven't read the first two books, I had no difficulty in following this story and soon got to know and like the main characters. Although part of a series, this is a complete story, can be read as a 'stand alone' and does not end in a 'cliff hanger' (Although some of the chapters did have me on the edge of my seat!)

I enjoyed this original slant on time travel, with its various twists and turns and snippets of historical information, as well as hints of a budding romance.

The ending not only had me keen to read the next book but also to read the preceding ones.

Five Stars

About the Author: 

RACHEL DACUS writes about history, love, romance, and art – usually with a touch of the supernatural. If time travel were possible, she’d hop over to Renaissance Rome, and then check out how the American Revolutionary War is going, and maybe visit an 18th century London artist’s studio. A poet and novelist, Dacus has published four novels and four poetry collections. When not writing, she listens to music, new and old, from indie and progressive rock to classical and jazz. Once a dancer, she’s now an avid walker, often twice a day -- once for the Muse and once for the world’s liveliest Silky Terrier. She blogs about the writing life and has collected a wealth of writing and publishing resources.

Website
Twitter
Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

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! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Undoing Time, Spotlight and #Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

I will be reviewing this book shortly so please look out for my review.

Liv Pomeroy’s high hopes and lavish lifestyle come horribly undone when her fiancé runs off with her maid of honor. Swearing off love forever, she goes on a summer escape to Florence, Italy. Agreeing to help her cousin May raise funds for an art restoration project, Liv is astonished to find they share a genetic gift for undoing time. Soon she’s joining a team of time travelers who rescue history from those who would change it. And fighting her attraction to a sexy time traveling colleague, who just might turn out to be working for the wrong side in the American Revolution. A thrilling tale of time travel, romance, and espionage.

Read an Excerpt

He turned to look at her, his brown eyes wide, but his brows pulled together in concern. “Are you going to be okay?”

The smoke from the 1906 earthquake was thick in the air. She repressed a choke. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you cold? You look like you’re shivering.”

That wasn’t why she was shivering Liv looked down at her clothes and was startled to find herself swathed in a long skirt of heavy silk brocade. Her petticoat rustled its many folds. She was encased in so many layers, she might have been wearing an overcoat to shield her from the wind.

“I’m not cold.”

She turned again and looked down the hill, seeing the ferry building and docks, a familiar landmark. Her emotions calmed.

A man in a bowler hat passed them.

“What’s happening?” Tom asked.

“You’re aware, surely,” the man said. “You see the smoke, the rubble. Pardon me, I must find my family.”

He scooted down the hill.

“In a matter of days, people begin to thirst and even starve,” Tom said. “Half the city is homeless. I just wanted to know if that fellow was a helper.”

“A helper?”

“San Franciscans who had something left began to help the others. The city grew together under the devastation. I wasn’t kidding when I said half of everyone here is homeless, or nearly so.”

Liv couldn’t reply. The enormity of what she was seeing choked her. Tears rolled down her face, and when she wiped them away, soot came off her hand. Her face must have already grown gray with the ash from fires. Tom’s had too.

About the Author:RACHEL DACUS writes about history, love, romance, and art – usually with a touch of the supernatural. If time travel were possible, she’d hop over to Renaissance Rome, and then check out how the American Revolutionary War is going, and maybe visit an 18th century London artist’s studio. A poet and novelist, Dacus has published four novels and four poetry collections. When not writing, she listens to music, new and old, from indie and progressive rock to classical and jazz. Once a dancer, she’s now an avid walker, often twice a day -- once for the Muse and once for the world’s liveliest Silky Terrier. She blogs about the writing life and has collected a wealth of writing and publishing resources.

Website
Twitter
Facebook

 Amazon

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! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Who do I write like?

  I just inserted two excerpts from the third book in the Destiny Trilogy to find my writing style. Apparently:

I write like

Agatha Christie

 

What's really interesting is that I write Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance. Agatha Christie also wrote romances - but as far as I know, Raymond Chandler only wrote crime novels - and posting a third excerpt from the same book - Beloved Enemy - the programme told me I wrote like him too. Well I've always tried to inject an element of suspense and mystery into my novels,  so hopefully I've succeeded to some extent. I'm keeping my badge in the sidebar, anyway!

(If you want to find out who YOU write like, just click on the badge above.)

 

 

 

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! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Honouring the Dogs of 9/11

Yesterday was the 20th Anniversary of the terrible events of 11th September, 2001.  While it is absolutely right and fitting that the brave men and women who worked tirelessly day and night to recover bodies and survivors from the rubble be remembered and honoured,  it is also right that we should remember as well the nearly 400 dogs called into action - Search and Rescue and Police K9 dogs who also risked their lives in the search, and Comfort and Therapy  dogs who were there to comfort the injured and grief stricken. One Search and Rescue dog was killed and many suffered burns and scorched paws. One SAR dog was so traumatized after finding two bodies of fire fighters, that he lay down, refusing to eat or interact, and had to be retired. (These dogs are trained to normally find living survivors rather than bodies.)

 As a dog lover, I found this video incredibly moving and a wonderful tribute to the dogs and their handlers, and all the courageous men and women who worked tirelessly for a month, digging in the rubble in the aftermath of that horrific event. 

 

 

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! I also promise that I never have and never will share your information or email address with anyone or any organisation.  http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join