|
Eve
Blakethorn can barely remember what it was like to be unaware of the
vampire world around her. Many years have passed since she met the
stranger, the man who saved her life, gave her the world and promised
her immortality. Unfortunately for Eve someone in power had not wanted
her to have the world. Within days of her marriage her life is
shattered. Everyone Eve cares for, vampire and human, is taken from her
and she is left alone to fend for herself in a world she neither
understands nor fits into.
How
can she hope to survive her dark and lonely existence while still
plagued by the horrors she witnessed when her husband died? How can she
avoid becoming prey to the monster who stalks her footsteps, the devil
she has long suspected to be the one who brought about her husband’s
downfall?
Desperation
drives her every move, leading her into the darkness where monsters
wait. Can Eve discover the truth about how her world came to crumble and
who was really responsible? Is there another stranger out there capable
of bringing her some sense of peace? And just what is the vampire
government, The Senate, hiding in the dark tunnels under the city?
Praise for Absolution*:
“I enjoyed every chapter haven't stayed up so late for a book in so long I just couldn't put my phone down. Great book.”
“Wow!
It's a nice change to read something in the vampire category with a
more mature storyline. Your story was interesting and had me captivated
from the beginning until the end. It was beautifully written, and
falling in love with with the characters was easy. Great job absolutely
loved it!”
“I
have thoroughly enjoyed this book! I think this has been one of the
most original, mature vampire stories I have ever read... The lives of
your vampires are fully realised, their abilities are believable, and
the twists in your story are sublime.”
*All comments are from readers.
Genre - Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Rating – R
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Given that both my novels were based on fact, and that the facts were not in my field of expertise, I had to go to enormous lengths to find mentors who could guide me in subjects like religion and science in general and energy and climate change in particular. Relative to actually writing the story, the research was probably 85% of the problem.
I spent 10 years of my life as a member of the Board of Directors of a Muslim family owned company and this was of enormous assistance in allowing me to understand the Muslim way of looking at life. It did not happen by accident. I told the elder statesman of the family when we first became business associates that one of my objectives was to learn about Islamic culture even though this particular family was not religious in the formal sense. He was/is a true gentleman and also a sort of elder statesman in his community. We developed a strong relationship of trust and I believe I helped him significantly in his business. Over the years I came to understand that the “traditional” Muslim values and the “traditional” Jewish values are very similar. But it took over a decade. I already had a personal relationship with a highly respected Catholic priest, who kindly gave me invaluable guidance as to the Christian perspective.
Similarly, it took around four years under tutelage of my world-class scientific mentor for me to finally get to grips with the issues surrounding nuclear energy, over-unity electromagnetic energy and climate change.
As I had spent over 30 years in and around the finance industry, the central banking and economic issues were “my meat” so to speak, but it had taken a huge amount of research over a period of 20 years to finally understand what really drives the global economy; and it was quite frightening to discover that the central bankers don’t really understand the implications of what they have been doing. Effectively, their actions have been blocking the arrival of (meaningful) new energy paradigms. By analogy, we are travelling in dangerously shallow economic waters which are hiding exceptionally sharp rocks from view; and largely without either a compass or sonar.
Ultimately, the fact is that “energy” is what drives the world economy and that’s why both my novels focus on alternative energies to fossil fuels. Writing the fictional stories was the fun part. But even that took me a couple of years to master under the tutelage of Beyond Neanderthal’s editor/publisher. The big challenge in writing the books (the other 15% of the work) was how to communicate all the facts without boring the reader to tears. That’s why my stories lean heavily on humour and on the very human interactions and adventures of the attractive characters. I also rely a lot on travelogue type writing, where I take the reader to exotic places. If the books are ever made into movies, those movies will be visually unusually compelling in those scenes.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Abso-defi-lutely-nitely yes! The whole point of writing those novels was to communicate a primary message of hope, flowing from the subsidiary messages which define the seven “core” problems facing 21st century humanity and present some potential solutions to those problems. To find out what those seven core problems are, you will have to read the novels.
Will you write others in this same genre?
My books fall within various genres and it depends on who is the potential reader as to what genre I choose to emphasise. “Conspiracy Thriller” is the main genre of both books – because the largest selling novel of all time (The Da Vinci Code) fell into that category with around 80 million books sold.
Another main genre is “Sci-Fi Thriller”, and I have tried to model my work loosely on Michael Crichton’s work, because he sold around 100 million copies of all his books combined during his career. However, given the intent of the third (as yet unwritten book) these two genres will be inappropriate. Other genres that I have focused on in my first two books are “Science Fiction” , “Adventure”, “Spiritual”, all of which will be appropriate for my third book. I may have to read Jules Verne’s various books again because his work was oriented towards what the future might look like; but I will be emphasising the value hierarchy of society that I believe will exist in the future, after the dust has settled following the next – and final – down leg of the Global Financial Crisis.
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was in it?
Again, abso-defe-lutely-nitely yes! We have talked about the “hardest” part of writing the books. Well, overcoming those obstacles required me to climb a steep learning curve on all fronts.
How much of the book is realistic?
Where the science is concerned, all of it as far as I have been able to validate it.
Ditto where the modern day central banking/economic situation is concerned
Ditto where the subject of religion is concerned.
I have used author’s license in interpreting the meaning of some of the biblical passages to which I referred, but even that is within the bounds of reasonable probability. For example, by cross referencing selected information in the ancient tomes of the various religions across the planet, I was able to arrive at a startling conclusion that is objectively defensible and, to my knowledge, no one else has arrived at this same conclusion – yet.
The stories are totally fictional but, again, they are based on carefully researched fact. For example, the little town in the Dominican Republic is just as I have described it in Beyond Neanderthal, right down to the names of the owners of the various retail outlets. It is a matter of fact that the experiences of the two main characters as they flew through the Bermuda Triangle were capable of replication in a laboratory. Indeed, what I described was drawn from those laboratory experiments as augmented by actually reported Bermuda Triangle incidents. For another example, the intentions of the military Junta in Myanmar (in The Last Finesse) were deduced from carefully researched fact as provided by the Democratic Voice of Burma, amongst other sources. This begs the question as to whether the military Junta has genuinely let go of the reins of power when they allowed democracy to prevail, or whether they have just changed tactics.
There is an energy force in the world—known to the Ancients—that has largely escaped the interest of the modern day world. Why? There are allusions to this energy in the Chinese I-Ching, in the Hebrew Torah, in the Christian Bible, in the Hindu Sanskrit Ramayana and in the Muslim Holy Qur’an. Its force is strongest within the Earth’s magnetic triangles.
Near one of these–the Bermuda Triangle–circumstances bring together four very different people. Patrick Gallagher is a mining engineer searching for a viable alternative to fossil fuels; Tara Geoffrey, an airline pilot on holidays in the Caribbean; Yehuda Rosenberg, a physicist preoccupied with ancient history; and Mehmet Kuhl, a minerals broker, a Sufi Muslim with an unusual past. Can they unravel the secrets of the Ancients that may also hold the answer to the future of civilization?
About the Author:
In 1987, Brian and his young family migrated from South Africa to Australia where he was employed in Citicorp’s Venture Capital division. He was expecting that Natural Gas would become the world’s next energy paradigm but, surprisingly, it was slow in coming. He then became conscious of the raw power of self-serving vested interests to trump what – from an ethical perspective – should have been society’s greater interests.
Eventually, in 2005, with encouragement from his long suffering wife, Denise, he decided to do something about what he was witnessing: Beyond Neanderthal was the result; The Last Finesse is the prequel.
The Last Finesse is Brian’s second factional novel. Both were written for the simultaneous entertainment and invigoration of the thinking element of society. It is a prequel to Beyond Neanderthal, which takes a visionary view of humanity’s future, provided we can sublimate our Neanderthal drive to entrench pecking orders in society.
The Last Finesse is more “now” oriented. Together, these two books reflect a holistic, right brain/left brain view of the challenges faced by humanity; and how we might meet them. All our problems – including the mountain of debt that casts its shadow over the world’s wallowing economy – are soluble.
Genre – Thriller
Rating – MA (15+)
Connect with Brian Bloom on Twitter
Wen knows what love looks like. Since her mom died over a year ago, she’s seen it every day on her orphaned younger brother’s face. Wen’s made good on her promise to her mom that she’d take care of Ezra, even quitting her carefree party-girl ways to become a hard-working college student so she can provide for him.
Wen knows what love feels like, too. Because when she touches people, she feels what they do. "Uniquely perceptive" is what her mom called it, and Wen’s not going to argue; she doesn’t know any different.
But an energy therapy study changes not only what Wen knows about her unusual gift; it also changes her. Now, instead of feeling emotions, her touch brings death to others. No one is safe around her, especially Ezra.
Wen turns to energy healers for help. And that’s where she meets him: Mr. Tenacious and Audacious, Gabe Dumas. He knows about love, too; he speaks it in ways Wen has never experienced. And he’s never even touched her.
With her heart unravelling, Wen discovers a world only she can see. It may offer hope for her condition… or it may be better left hidden.
Free until 15 January 2014
The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club by Duncan Whitehead Amazon Little is what it seems to be in a leafy Savannah neighborhood as members of an afternoon cocktail and dog walking club mourn a neighbor’s death. Jealousies surface when friends vie for the widower running for mayor. An old woman with an infamous uncle plots to avenge a wrong. Memories haunt a once successful children’s writer. And a model has won the trip of a lifetime. But a killer lurks and secrets unfold, as does a web of deceit. Is anyone really who he or she seems to be? A mysterious South American, a young Italian count, and a charitable nephew add suspicion and intrigue, as do an enigmatic organization linked to organized crime, a handsome firefighter, and three widows with hidden agendas. What’s a retired accountant’s secret, and why did a former showgirl really have plastic surgery? The plot thickens, the Georgia temperature rises, and someone is destined for an early unmarked grave. The truth contorts to a climax that leaves readers breathless.
Ice Station Zombie by JE Gurley
For most of the long, cold winter, Antarctica is a frozen wasteland.
Now, the ice is melting and the zombies are thawing. Arctic explorers
Val Marino and Elliot Anson race against time and death to reach
Australia, but the Demise has preceded them and zombies stalk the
streets of Adelaide and Coober Pedy.
Hooked by K.C. Falls Amazon Hooked--the perfect storm of modern erotic romance and adventure at sea.
Morgan Wolf is a complicated man living an uncomplicated life on a mega yacht he doesn't own. He lets women believe what they think they see. It's easier that way. No woman would want the truth he's never shared.
Lara Lamb is sailing away from what she thought she wanted. Because she wanted the wrong things and always for the wrong reason.
Lara sees Morgan for what he is: a rich, shallow Peter Pan who happens to have a cute monkey. Trouble is she's only right about the monkey.
She's everything Morgan never wanted. She makes the easy way look like the coward's way. Ready to take the chance, Morgan struggles with how to let Lara closer than anyone's ever been. Will his unspeakable wounds be too deep for her to bear?
Deviants by Maureen McGowan Amazon In Glory's world, different means deviant--and dead. In a post-apocalyptic world, where the earth is buried by asteroid dust that’s mutated the DNA of some humans, orphaned, sixteen-year-old Glory must hide and protect her younger brother. If their Deviant abilities are discovered, they’ll be expunged—kicked out of the dome to be tortured and killed by the Shredders. Glory would give anything to get rid of her unique ability to kill with her emotions, especially when Cal, the boy she’s always liked, becomes a spy for the authorities. But when her brother is discovered, and she learns their father, who was expunged for killing their mother, is still alive, she must escape the domed city that’s been her entire world. Outside in the ruins, they’re pursued by the authorities and by sadistic, scab-covered Shredders who are addicted to the lethal-to-humans dust now covering the planet. Glory’s quests to transport herself and her brother to safety make up the thrilling and fascinating first volume of The Dust Chronicles. The author of Deviants has donated this book to the Worldreader program
A Shoulda Woulda Christmas by Michelle Stimpson Amazon HOLIDAY BESTSELLER! After being fired twice in the same day, Chaka Stringer wonders how much worse her pointless life as the wife of an underachieving husband and mom of two musty pre-teen boys can get. If only she had finished college and picked a different husband, her life would be better...or would it?
Through a mysterious haze, Chaka gets her shot at fame, fortune and the passionate relationship with her high school crush who never quite left her heart. But what ugly truths about herself will be revealed in the process? And what about the life she left behind?
Anyone who has ever wondered what "shoulda" or "woulda" happened if they had made different choices will enjoy this funny, inspirational, faith-based Christmas novella by bestselling Author Michelle Stimpson.
Suited by Gina Watson Amazon After eight years as a professional poker player, Cashel St. Martin needed a break. The endless glow and ceaseless action of Vegas had lost its luster and his interest. He missed his family and still wore the bracelet Isabela had woven for him all those years ago. In fact, he’d never taken it off. He was willing to give all of his success away for a chance to patch things up with the only woman he’d ever loved.
Isabela had thought of him every hour of everyday since he’d been gone. She’d loved him and she knew he’d loved her but he’d just left it all behind and never once looked back. Now he was back and wanted to pick up where they’d left off all those years ago. He must be insane. After all, this wasn’t Vegas. Relationships required trust, not luck. Hell, he’d been lucky she hadn’t punched him in his too handsome face.
**This erotic romance novella is intended for adults. Contains explicit sex scenes powered by love and romance between intense characters.**
Lighting Candles in the Snow by Karen Jones Gowen Amazon Newly divorced Karoline London needs to heal and find her normal again, as older sister Suzie keeps reminding her. But what does Suzie know about divorce? She has the perfect husband and seven gorgeous children, while Karoline had six years married to a man tormented by addictions.
When Karoline meets handsome Zac Kline, things just might be looking up. Until she learns about a tragic event in ex-husband Jeremy’s childhood that explains old complications, while creating new ones–complications that threaten to further obstruct Karoline’s difficult path back to herself. (Caution: Due to the serious themes in Lighting Candles in the Snow it, unlike Gowen's other work, contains some profanity as well as scenes that may be too graphic for some readers.)
The Adventures of Crog and Zog by Emily A. Cabot Amazon Kindle US Frog Toad adventures will keep your child delighted as this precious frog tale unfolds. In The Adventures of Crog And Zog In The Land Of Frogs And Toads, frog and toad are friends, teaching your children important lessons about getting along with those who are different from them. This story features the frog prince Crog and his friend, Zog, who decide that when frog and toad are friends, everyone's life is better off.
In this delightful book, your child will stay on the edge of his seat while learning of the trouble that frog and toad get into throughout the pages of this book. Your young child will meet the friendly ducks who can make frogs fly,and learn about the thrills of adventure while our young stars visit the place where frog and toad all year live together. Because of the exciting nature of this children's book, like the other book in the frog and toad series, your children will learn that being brave enough to face the unknown can take them to marvelous places that they had only before dreamed of visiting.
Emily A. Cabot goes all out in this frog tale, giving children the opportunity to learn important lessons while remaining safely within the realm of comfort for a children's frog prince story. Since frog and toad are friends in this book, your children are introduced to the always challenging concept that just because you are different from someone else doesn't mean that you can't be friends.
Within this second book featuring the frog prince Crog, your child will be delighted with colorful drawings and playful illustrations that bring the frog and toad drama to life in your hands. Your child will want to read about frog and toad all year long, quickly becoming one of their favorite tales to be told at the bedtime setting
As frog and toad together gives the story a feeling of unity and delight, your child will fall in love with these playful characters from the frog and toad series all over again in this newest adventure.
The time spent with your child reading these tales will create fond bedtime memories that your child will cherish for the rest of their lives. Don't delay, get your copy of this tale of frog toad today, and open your child's mind to the delights and wonders of the imaginative world of Emily A. Cabot's delightful story.
Chasing Superwoman by Susan M. DiMickele Amazon The Christian community tends to operate under the assumption that the only women attending church are traditional stay-at-home moms. But in truth, more than 75% of mothers with school-age children work outside the home. Chasing Superwoman gives these working mothers what they’ve been craving—a funny, intelligent, relevant exploration of what it means to live out a vibrant faith amidst the many demands placed on their time and energy. Chasing Superwoman provides a much needed dialogue (not a formula) about the complex spiritual struggle of the working mother, plus a lot of laughter and encouragement for working women to embrace their busy life and trust God’s grace for getting it all done.
Not the Marrying Kind by Helen Conrad Amazon Will she risk her heart to catch a thief?
Shelley Carrington isn't sure if movie-star handsome Michael Hudson is a conman or one of the good guys and when he draws her into his crazy schemes, she finds herself walking a tight rope. His lovemaking thrills her but his games scare her. Is he a good guy or not? She's had so much uncertainty in her life, she doesn't dare to trust her own judgment. She watches him fool and dazzle others-is he doing the same to her? Is that why she can't even trust what her own heart tells her?
Carpe DiEmily by Riley J. Ford Amazon Emily Keane has her life all planned out. She's played by the rules and never stepped outside her box, and now she will finally be rewarded with everything she always dreamed of: a job promotion, a fiance, and a future she can count on. But when her perfectly planned world falls apart, Emily is plunged into the wildest year of her life.
From the beaches of California to Jamaica, New York, and Europe, Emily finds herself on a madcap race against time, running from an unscrupulous organ broker who wants her dead, all the while checking items off her unusual bucket list. On top of it all, she's falling in love with the most unlikely person, a man who can never return her feelings . . . but will his friendship be enough?
Confronting one hilarious misadventure after another, Emily finally learns who she really is and how to seize the day . . .
Outrageous Openness by Tosha Silver Amazon A compilation of funny, irreverently reverent stories on aligning with the Divine in daily life. For the passionately spiritual and
bemusedly skeptical alike.
Adapted from a popular column originally published as San Francisco's Spiritual Examiner at examiner.com.
"What if God IS the story? What if the Divine is constantly igniting roadside flares to get our attention? What if there actually IS a Supreme Organizing Principle with a ribald and unbridled sense of humor? And what if we each have this ardent inner suitor who's writing us love letters every day that often go unopened?"
What if indeed?
Jesus Today by Sarah Young Amazon Jesus TodayTM was written during a very difficult time in Sarah Young's life. Yet the words of Scripture and Jesus' own Presence were ever near, bringing her hope and comfort for each new day.
Whether you need a lifeline in your discouragement and hurts or are longing for a close intimate relationship with the Lord, you will delight in this new devotional book - a sequel to #1 bestselling Jesus Calling®. It is written as if Jesus Himself is assuring you that He is in control, that He is good, and that a glorious future awaits all who anchor their hope in Him.
Reaching out with peace-filled reminders of Jesus' Presence from the Word of God, these devotions will intimately, quietly connect you with Jesus, the One who meets you right where you are.
The God Virus by Skip Coryell Amazon Suddenly, the lights went out, not just in one town or village, but all across the world. It was an act of cyber terrorism that plunged the world into the heart of darkness, into the 1000-year night, letting loose the demons of a billion souls, pitting dark against light, causing each person everywhere
to choose sides. Not since Stephen King’s “The Stand” has there been an apocalyptic thriller of such epic proportions. Read book one of this 3-book series and see what happens when society’s thin veneer of civility is stripped away. “The God Virus” is gripping, seething and oozing with the best and worst humanity has to offer.
Funny by David Misch Amazon (Applause Books). Funny: The Book is an entertaining look at the art of comedy, from its historical roots to the latest scientific findings, with diversions into the worlds of movies (Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers), television ( The Office ), prose (Woody Allen, Robert Benchley), theater ( The Front Page ), jokes and stand-up comedy (Richard Pryor, Steve Martin), as well as personal reminiscences from the author's experiences on such TV programs as Mork and Mindy . With allusions to the not-always-funny Carl Jung, George Orwell, and Arthur Koestler, Funny: The Book explores the evolution, theories, principles, and practice of comedy, as well as the psychological, philosophical, and even theological underpinnings of humor, coming to the conclusion that (Spoiler Alert!) Comedy is God.
A Shadow in the Flames by Michael G. Munz Amazon Northgate is in turmoil. Decaying, violent and corrupt, it is a common enough city in the mid twenty-first century, yet discoveries beneath the Moon's surface have marked it with their first distant echoes.
Into Northgate has come Michael Flynn. Jobless and down to his last few dollars, Michael still dreams of making a positive difference of his own. Yet he has no family, no friends save for the freelancer known only as Diomedes, and tonight the apartment they share will burn to the ground.
When Diomedes becomes his mentor in a search for the arsonist responsible, Michael will get his chance to realize those dreams. But he must face dangers far more personal than fire if he is to succeed, for like a shadow in the flames, neither arsonist nor mentor may be what they appear.
And the ones who search the Moon will be watching.
The Awesome Girl’s Guide to Dating Extraordinary Men by Ernessa T. Carter Amazon Four women. Two years. A friendship to last a lifetime. The only things that Sharita, Thursday, Risa, and Tammy have in common are their disastrous love lives. But the year three of them turn 30 will be different, they swear! Sharita, a plump and conservative accountant wants to make partner at her firm and find the man of her dreams. Thursday, the daughter of a formerly chart-topping political rapper, wants to stop being a serial one-month stander, and settle down into a stable life with a stable boyfriend. Risa, a skinny and audacious electronica punk rocker, wants to finally land an album deal, which she feels is the only way to win back the heart of her on-again of off-again closeted girlfriend. And after getting fired as the spokesmodel for her family’s hair company, sweet and gorgeous Tammy wants to prove that she has what it takes to make it on her own. None of these women get what they want, but over the course of two years, they get exactly what they need. And that proves to be the best thing after all.
|
|
|
|
Posts
