Today I have another book spotlight, a sneak peek of the upcoming sci-fi/fantasy mashup, Dwarves in Space by S.E. Zbasnik. The book has a release date of April 8th.
Dwarves in Space by S.E. Zbasnik
Thousands of years after the jewelry’s destroyed, the sword reforged, the dragon ridden, and the indecipherable prophecy translated into a recipe for sugared biscuits, the dwarves turned to that final frontier: space. And along came the elves, orcs, gnomes, trolls, ogres, and those vermin-like upstarts, humans.
Dwarves in Space is Tolkien merged with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in a horrific transporter accident.
The Elation-Cru is not the flashiest ship, nor the newest, or even has all of its bolts attached; but she can fly. Well, sort of wade through space, and that’s when all the parts are working. She supports a sugar addicted dwarven pilot, an elven engineer, an orcish doctor, a silent djinn, and the lone human trying to hold the entire thing together with duct tape. Variel, the captain, has been hiding from a secret for the past five years and time’s finally run out.
When she goes against her common sense and fights to save her onboard assassin/renter from a job gone sour, she finds herself before an ex-colleague that knew her in her previous life as the Knight of the realm. The entire ship is sent on a mad dash across the universe — from a decaying space station, home to the wackiest species the galaxy has to offer, down to the Orc homeworld, which wouldn’t be so bad if Variel hadn’t spent most of her previous life fighting in the war against them. Chances of survival are nil and slipping fast.
Available now for pre-order, releases April 8th, 2015.
Author Bio:
S.E. Zbasnik has published three fantasy books. Tin Hero and TerraFae follow a female heroine on a classic fantasy quest to mess with some elves and crack jokes along the way. Her most recent book is The King’s Blood, about a 16 year old black girl tasked with saving her kingdom before a bunch of magical zombies destroy it. Typical stuff.
Today on Drabble Wednesday we’re hoisting the mainsail and
taking to the oceans. I have pirates, sea creatures and ghost ships steering a course through my drabbles, and, as an extra treat, some flash fiction. So read on and
breathe in the salt air…
Beware the Kraken
“Be that a storm, Capt’n?”
The sailor at the helm pointed to the ominous, inky shadow
gathering on the horizon.
Captain Kenyon peered with his spyglass. “That’s no storm,
that’s a ship. That’s the Kraken! Increase the speed, Mr. Anders! ‘Tis pirates a‘coming!”
To the rest of the crew he shouted, “Full sail! Man your stations!”
Mr. Anders obeyed posthaste, but asked, “The Kraken? Ain’t she
but a myth?”
“Nay. She’s half ship, half-beast, and all pirate. We’d all best
pray.”
Running fast, the Captain held out hope. Until a tentacle whipped
across the sea foam and snagged the rudder.
Welcome to Skull Island
The rain lashed the sails, and above Toby’s head the
lightning cracked the sky. He heard waves pound against the ship’s wooden sides
as the Obsidian Blade cut through the waters. Then footsteps sounded, even
through the storm; the heavy tread of Captain Walsh’s boots.
“A wild night for a homecoming, eh lad?”
Toby longed to turn his head and spit in the Captain’s eye, but tied as he was to the figurehead he could only stare from the vessel’s bow towards the craggy rocks ahead. He shivered at his view, the looming spectre of
the pirate’s stronghold, Skull Island.
Ghosts of the Sea Moon
The moon blended into the obsidian sky, a luminescent silver
veneer striding across the horizon. Its grace swayed and suspended on shifting
ethereal clouds, and its children stars gathered close in a bright, shimmering
embrace. To the melancholy sailor on deck it seemed the lunar object to be the
ship’s destination, the full sail and choppy wake speeding the vessel to the
heavens.
“She’s a sight, the Sea Moon. Once a year, she looms this
vast and grand above us, beckoning home her seafaring brood. But she’d swallow
us whole if we let it her.”
The sailor flinched, the captain’s voice abrupt and loud in
his ear. No warning the man gave to his presence, for the ship’s master had a
step quiet as a cat’s paw.
“Do you really think it would swallow the ship, sir?”
“Aye, in a fashion. Not the moon itself mind you, but the
celestial magic spilling into the air and sea. And it could do worse, if we
miscalculate the bearings. It’s tricky work navigating these moonbeam waters,
and the otherworldly rifts.” Then the captain smiled, and clapped a hand on the
sailor’s shoulder. “But not to worry, lad, I've been doing this run a long,
long time, and I never floundered my ship in the hoary moon mist yet. I’ll get
you home.”
“Home.” The sailor let the word flop on his tongue, its
taste bitter. “Home is far behind this ship, back on shore with a weeping
widow, who barely had time to be a bride.”
“Aye, lad. I’m sorry for what you've lost, and the hardship
of your death. I hope you take some comfort in the fact I plucked your spirit
from the deep, before the sea demons feasted on your soul. Moreover, be glad
you finally accepted your fate. Some never leave this ship, vainly hoping to
find a way back to the living.” A fleeting frown crossed his lips, and then
pivoted back to his customarily, wry smile. “Besides, my lad, you’ll see your
widow bride again one day, in the afterlife you’re seeking, and there’ll be
people that went before waiting for you. So be cheered.”
The sailor said nothing, simply turned his face to the
imposing moon, as the ship of ghosts sailed toward his last port of call.
I have a review for you today, a book of poetry from the talented author, Ash Krafton...
My Review of The Scent
of His Feathers
The thread of
relationship, human connection, winds its way through this book creating a
marvellous tapestry of broken hearts, searching souls, yearning spirits, lost
hope, and hesitant faith. The thread coils its way through fascinating paths, intersecting
darkness and death, connecting fantasy and reality, until it makes its way past
starlight musings into universal truth.
The poems in this
book are both profound and personal, objective and reflective. They play with
words and dance along the edges of the shadows. I delighted in the expressive imagery
conjured and emotional infusion contained with the penned lines (some of my personal
favourites were Hush, Six Words For Edgar, Gaslight Fancies, Passage, Natural Deception, Note To Self:, and Oubliette). The Scent of His Feathers is superb, and I highly recommend this volume of
poetry.
Today we're venturing into strange worlds with the spotlight on a debut sci-fi novel, The Court of Stars by Malcolm Schmitz. The book is the first in the planned Commonwealth Quartet series, so read on and enjoy...
The Court of Stars by Malcolm Schmitz
The universe is bigger and stranger than Christian Arundel could ever have imagined- and right now, almost everything in it is trying to kill him.
On the eve of Christian's betrothal to a woman he doesn't love, the castle where he lives is attacked by a force of demons from the sky. When he tries to fight against them, he's taken prisoner. One of their other prisoners, a sarcastic miniature dragon named Miriet, agrees to help him escape.
Christian must learn how to use the demons' weapons to escape their clutches, but that's only the beginning. To rescue the people he loves, he must cross half the world and return to the invaders' ship.
Malcolm Schmitz was born in a small-town hospital in Ohio, where the doctors said he was a girl. Shortly after that, a doctor said that he was autistic. Only one of those things proved to be true.
He currently lives in the American Midwest, where he writes books full of aliens, dragons, and gay people. The Court of Stars is his first novel.
Today I'm playing host, for the wonderful author Clarissa Johal, as part of her blog tour for her novel, Between. Read about the book, plus an excerpt, learn a bit about the author, and check out the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of the post.
Welcome to the Virtual Book Tour for BETWEEN!
Follow the Tour to Read Exclusive Excerpts, Interviews, and Reviews, and Make Sure to Enter the Giveaway!!
Second Place - Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012 Clarissa Johal’s novel BETWEEN is a “haunting” paranormal novel that will have you on the edge of your seat!
How far would you go to redeem yourself?
About BETWEEN:
As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved.
After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.
As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.
Ignoring
him, she ran blindly toward the cliffs and down the steep, narrow path. The
wind blew around her in great gusts. Her long hair swirled around her face,
blocking the cliff’s edge from her view.
Cronan
quickly caught up with her midway and grabbed her arm from behind. He pulled
her around to face him. She teetered at the edge as he gripped her waist.
“I want
everyone to leave me alone!” Lucinda yelled. “All of you people! I want to be
left alone!” The wind gusted, drowning out her voice. From the corner of her
eye, Lucinda saw the woman, making her way down the path toward them. “Oh God!”
She turned and covered her eyes, sinking down to the ground. “I can’t do this
anymore!”
She
felt Cronan kneel behind her, his arms stealing around hers. Lucinda opened her
eyes. The cliff side tilted up dizzyingly in front of her and she could see the
waves crashing below. Her breath came in shallow gasps as they both perched at
the edge. She felt the weight of his body pressing against her before he
stiffened and pulled her back with a tug.
“Lucinda,”
he whispered into her ear, “she is gone.”
“What?”
Lucinda panted. He paused, his arms tightened.
“She
already fell.”
Still
looking down the drop off, Lucinda’s mind reeled. The height and Cronan’s
affirmation pulled the thoughts and breath from her. Rain began to spatter.
Panicking, she struggled out of Cronan’s grip and scrambled to stand against
the cliff side. Laying a cheek on its cold, jagged surface, she heard her own
breath rattle in and out as the wind howled behind her.
Cronan
followed. Placing his hands firmly over hers, he intertwined their fingers
together. His lips, close to her ear, whispered insistently as he pressed
himself against her.
Foreign
words pulled at her memory, words she couldn’t decipher. Words from long ago.
She felt her body tremble against him. Her mind, her thoughts flitted in and
out of focus. Coldness forced its way into her as the heavy weight of his body
stilled her shaking. The sound of the wind began to fade, and her heart and
breath slowed. Her head fell back onto his shoulder. Cronan’s breath merged
with the rhythmic pounding of the waves and her slowing heartbeat.
“No!” a
voice roared from off in the distance.
Lucinda
felt a sudden, painful pull from behind her. There was a rush of cold air, and
she stumbled to the ground, gasping. The sound of the wind returned.
“Leave
her, Cronan!”
“Lucas.”
Cronan grimaced. “I wondered when you would show.”
“You
have no business with her, Cronan.”
“Neither
do you, anymore.”
Lucinda
flattened herself against the cliff, leaning heavily against the damp rock.
Staring wildly at them both, she began to shake. “What’s going on?”
“Go, Lucinda. Just go.” Lucas stood to one
side on the path. “I’ll take care of him.”
Cronan
laughed without mirth. “Oh, how gallant.”
Lucinda
edged away from Cronan. The rain was now a steady drizzle, dampening her hair
and clothing. She stood between the two men, clutching the slippery cliff face.
“Go,
Lucinda!”
“Why?”
“Yes,
Lucas,” Cronan mocked. “Why?” He took a step toward Lucinda.
“Leave
her!”
The
smirk on his face died. “You should have never broken the rules.”
Lucas
moved forward quickly and pulled Lucinda toward him. Lucinda was crushed into
his chest and felt the pressing weight of both men — Lucas pulling her toward
him and Cronan approaching from behind. She closed her eyes tight and felt
Cronan leaning in. He pressed on her heavily and whispered something into
Lucas’s ear. She felt him slide a hand over her hip as Lucas tightened his grip
on her shoulders and murmured something unintelligible back.
Cronan
suddenly gripped the back of her neck. A shock went through her body, and
everything went black.
About the Author:
Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn't happened yet.
Escape Into a Book"I loved how original the idea was for this book, I haven't
read a book like this one...fast paced and kept my interest till the very
end."
MommaSez"Creepy, scary, haunting–just up my alley...gothic romance
that makes the hair stand up on my neck!"
Musings from an Addicted Reader"It was haunting, unpredictable, and intriguing. All the
characters were unique and draw you in from the first chapter. Excellent
read."
Shut Up & Read"I love a good ghost story, and this
one did not disappoint...I've heard the saying painting a picture with words,
and that is exactly what the author does here. Each sentence is vivid and
alive."
Happy Tails and Tales"I would recommend it to my fellow
ghost lovers, Gothic lovers, and historical paranormal lovers alike. There are
some interesting paranormal characters...I wasn't expecting them...a really
well done plot twist. "
Demons Do it Better"Between kept me guessing. I had no clue where the story was
going to end but I made a couple of guesses along the way and I was
wrong."
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How did you come up with the idea for
BETWEEN?
Three years ago, I was working on a sequel to a fantasy
novel when I had this weird “calling.” Two characters came to me in a rush;
Lucas and Cronan from BETWEEN. They weren't fantasy characters nor they didn't
fit into what I was writing but they wouldn't go away. I kept setting them
aside but they’d come back, stronger than ever. I put the fantasy sequel on
hold, wrote non-stop for a month, and finished the first draft. That never
happens! It usually takes memonthsto finish a first draft. A year later,
my edits were finished, and two months later, BETWEEN was picked up by Musa
Publishing. I've got my feet firmly planted in the Otherworld now, the ideas
come faster than I can write them down.
What first inspired you to become a
writer? And what compels you to continue your career as an author?
I wrote my first short story in grade six. I was asked by
the teacher to read it aloud to the class, which terrified me. After I was
finished, I realized that I actually had everyone’s attention! I was shy and we
moved every year, so I was always the new kid. When you’re in that situation,
it’s kind of like being invisible. Finding my voice through story-telling made
me realize how powerful writing could be. As far as continuing—truthfully? I
think I’d go nuts if I didn't write.
What made you choose the genre of
paranormal gothic horror?
I started out writing fantasy fiction. I was working on the
second installment to my PRADEE series when there were two characters that kept
showing up on the page, over and over. They didn't belong in fantasy novel, nor
did they belong in my story! But their backstory came to me so vividly, that I
set aside my series and wrote my first paranormal novel, BETWEEN. I've been
pulled into the Otherworld permanently now. The ideas come faster than I can
write them down.
Today on Drabble Wednesday we visit the realm of Death…
Past the Moonlit Arch
Two figures, black hooded cloaks dark as spilled ink, stand
guard on opposite sides of the arch. Aria stares through the opening , at the
sterling pearl of a moon in the raven shadowed sky.
“Will it hurt?” she whispers to her guardian and escort.
“Only for a moment, and then you will be free.”
Her steps are hesitant, but steady, as she walks down the
path to her fate, through the archway, past the stone, to halt under the moonlight.
She inhales, a brief, delicate sound, her last act before
the horned beast rips out her heart and feasts.
Always a Bride
She stroked the faded ivory silk, the lace yellowed with
age. The edges had tattered, and the pink ribbon fastened around her waist, but
it was still her wedding dress. She remembered that day, her marriage. She had
been happy.
If she only knew. That her precious joy would turn to ash when
her husband imprisoned her in his family crypt. Each day she believed she would
die, but as the years rotted away her flesh, she remained. A haunted skeleton living
in her tomb.
A noise made her turn her skull, her neck bones creaking.
Her husband was visiting.
Three Stones
Molly wiped away her tears, afraid her mind finally snapped
from grief. She stared at three gravestones under a forest tree. Graves that
appeared out of nowhere.
Come closer, Molly.
Molly jumped back. She knew those voices.
Come closer, Molly.
“Mama? Daddy?”
Heart soaring, not caring if she was insane, she raced
forward to the graves, lured by the sound of the impossible. Molly gasped.
Three names were inscribed on the stones.
“Richard. Janet. My parents.” She trembled. “And Molly? What
does it mean?”
That we saved a place
for you.
Molly screamed as the earth opened and swallowed her.
The place where Valentine’s Day is
celebrated with heartbreak, love gone wrong, romantic mayhem and tragedy, and
where you find out what happens when the rose petals die, the candy melts, and
lovers are looking for payback.
The bloggers that signed on are offering many delights in romantic misfortune, and you can check out
the full list at the end of this post.
First up, though, is my
contribution:
A creepy little story about
lingering too long in a relationship
Some poetry — two poems written by
me and another penned by special guest poet, Sean Theall
So read on…
Leaking Out
Drip,
drip, drip.
The sound dances with the sunbeams streaming through the
bedroom window. It’s a rhythm, a mind numbing vibration of liquid striking
metal. Such a strange sound to hear in the morning, the drip, drip, drip of the tap.
Or is it the tap?
Maybe it isn’t a leak. Maybe it’s something else. Blood flowing
through the veins of the house. Drip, drip, dripping someone’s life away. All oozing
out over the sink. Or the floor.
I wonder why I thought that?
I smell coffee.
I’m in the kitchen.
How did I get here? I’m not sure. My memory plays tricks these
days. Or maybe time is playing tricks. Either way, I’ve gotten used to it.
Mostly. But the dripping noise is gone. Maybe it never was. Maybe it was in my
head. Probably was. Too many things are in my head.
But I still smell coffee. And toast. He made breakfast. He
always made breakfast when we were first married. Or maybe I did. No, that’s
not true. He did. He was sweet in the beginning.
I don’t think he’s here anymore. I think he left. But I don’t
know why. Why would he leave? None of this feels right. All I know is the house
is empty. Shut up tight. It’s so quiet.
And there’s no breakfast on the table. Just dust.
We were happy.
I thought we were happy.
I must’ve been wrong.
Something must’ve been wrong.
Our happiness had cracks.
He didn’t love me.
Or he wouldn’t have… no, I won’t… he didn’t… couldn’t have…
he left me?
No.
I left?
Drip,
drip, drip.
I can hear it again. The wet noise.
It isn't coming from the kitchen. It sounds like it’s coming
from the bathroom.
But it may not be coming from anywhere, except my head. It’s
hard sometimes to know.
I’m standing outside the bathroom door now. But I was just
in the kitchen. Wasn’t I? I think I was. Maybe not.
I don’t want to be here. Why? Why do I want to run?
Something happened in there? I think it did. My hand is shaking.
I’m afraid.
But I can still hear the dripping.
I open the door.
The room is empty. A cheerless room.
I look down.
The stain’s still there. It’s been scrubbed and scrubbed,
but it wouldn’t come out of the tile. Where the blood dripped into the widening
pool of red. Bright, bright red. The stain’s more pink now.
It’s even kind of pretty. If I forget what made it.
Blood. Too much blood.
Painted on my memory. Scarlet and screaming, and all jumbled
with questions. Whys and how’s. I don’t have answers. I’m not sure I want
answers. I might not like them. I’d rather forget. I like it best when I don’t
remember it at all. Those are the best days.
But that’s not today. Today’s not a day when I don’t
remember.
Today I have a special treat, with the spotlight on a new release The Andromedans, Book 3 of the Empire Series, by Elizabeth Lang. Having read and enjoyed the first two books in the series, I am delighted for the publication of book three.
So read on, and enjoy!
The Andromedans (Book 3 of the Empire Series) by Elizabeth Lang
Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find out who you really are.
After being kidnapped by a bounty hunter and getting mixed up with a band of rebels, Adrian and Kali are finally together. They find a quiet corner of the galaxy to live in peace and...who are we kidding...
Just when they think it's safe, the unthinkable happens. Adrian, a man who prides himself on the perfect mind, loses everything, forcing Kali to revisit what she is willing to do in order to save him, and this time the stakes are even higher. Not only does Adrian's life hang in the balance but the survival of two galaxies.
Just who are these Andromedans and why are they willing to go to such lengths to destroy us? What do they want with Adrian? And who is crazy enough to go to the Andromedan galaxy to rescue him?
After many years in the computer industry, Elizabeth Lang wrote her first novel, The Empire, which was fortunate to be a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, 2011. Mainly a science fiction and fantasy writer, she did end up with a sci-fi romance, though she swears she has no idea how that happened.
We embark on a journey today on Drabble Wednesday, a trek
through worlds sublime, and stories short…
Bon Voyage
I heard the gulls squawking, and the sound of crashing waves
as the ocean rolled past the day into twilight. The last vestige of sun
scattered through the gathered clouds, glinting sparkles off the water. In the
company of this grand sea, I remembered better days, sorted memories like
photos in a forgotten album; scenes of picnics at the beach, sunset walks,
laughing children.
The reminiscences helped. They distracted from the cold,
from the water that invaded my nose, my mouth, my lungs. Then I shut my eyes as
I choked my final breath and sank beneath the ocean’s surface.
The Morning
He settled on the grassy hillside and removed a hard biscuit
from his rucksack. He chewed the tough bread—his only breakfast—and watched the
sun rise above the fog shrouded mountains he left behind. Wondrous colours
diffused the sky, a melange of titian and burnt umber, brushed with blush, that
spread across a heavenly field of sapphire blue.
The old tree still stood in the meadows beyond the mountains
and he remembered the day he carved his initials, and Ellen’s, in the bark. The
day he first kissed her. She was gone now, and he could no longer stay.
Rendezvous
Alice waited on the train platform, her carpetbags packed
with her belongings. She clutched her ticket, wondering for the umpteenth time
if she was a fool. Risking it all for love, for Avery, a man with twinkling
hazel eyes and promises of marriage. Her father would never take her back,
never forgive her shunning the husband he
picked out in favour of a gentleman he considered a wastrel.
She checked her small pocket watch again. What would she do
if he didn’t show?
“I’m not that late, am I?”
Alice spun, greeted by his smile and a matching train
ticket.
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