Spotlight and Excerpt: We Call It Monster by Lachlan Walters (Severed Press)

A story-cycle/novel-in-stories, We Call It Monster is written in a grounded and realistic way, with each chapter unfolding from the perspective of a different character, and detailing his or her first-hand experience of the conflict between humans and monsters.

Hey everyone, hope you’re all well and that you enjoyed your weekend! I’m back with another spotlight for a book that should be on your radar – and what a cover!

Here’s some info about the book:

One ordinary day, an enormous creature dragged itself out of the ocean and laid waste to a city. In the months and years that followed, more and more creatures appeared until not a single country remained untouched. At first, people tried to fight them. In the end, all they could do was try and stay alive.

We Call It Monster is a story of forces beyond our control, and of immense and impossible creatures that make plain how small we really are. It is the story of our fight for survival and our discovery of that which truly matters: community and compassion, love and family, hope and faith.

Here’s the excerpt from ‘We Call It Monster‘:

The old man shuffled out to the balcony, dusted off an outdoor chair and then made himself comfortable. The sky was a shade of blue that painters only dream about; it was a beautiful sight. The old man drank it in, leaning back in his chair. He sipped at his coffee and smoked a cigarette. He was happy to wait as long as was necessary – he had all the time in the world and he wasn’t going anywhere.

The monster finally appeared, a blurry smudge in the distance.

Slowly, but not as slowly as he would have thought, it grew both closer and more distinct. The old man laughed out loud; it looked like nothing more than a child’s drawing of something that might have been a lobster or might have been a spider or might have been both, propped up on flagpole-like legs that supported a wetly-shining carapace, a beaked head, and a tail as long as a bus.

It was enormous and ridiculous in equal measure. The old man was surprised to find that it failed to frighten him.

It drew closer to the city. It stopped suddenly and bit a great chunk out of a stately old tree lining a boulevard. Chewing slowly and methodically, it worked its way through the mass of wood and foliage before throwing its head back and opening its mouth wide. Despite his deafness, the old man felt the monster’s keening in his bones and in the pit of his stomach.

He pulled his hearing aid from his pocket, turned it on then slipped it in place.

The beast’s cry was low and mournful, more a melancholy bellow than a ferocious roar. Thankfully, the klaxon-blare of the evacuation alarms had stopped. The monster cried out again and it shook the old man, both literally and metaphorically. The beast shifted its legs, presumably adjusting its weight, and destroyed an office building in the process.

Almost comically, it looked down at the destruction it had wrought and seemed to shake its head.

It looked back up and cried out a third time, and then started walking again. It seemed to meet the old man’s eye. Without breaking its gaze, the old man took another sip of coffee before lighting another cigarette.

Slowly-slowly-slowly, the monster drew closer. You could almost see a smile on the old man’s face.

Paperback: 210 pages

Publisher: Severed Press (February 13, 2019)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1925840522

ISBN-13: 978-1925840520

The novel was written by Lachlan Walter, and I’m looking forward to reading this because I really enjoyed ‘The Rain Never Came‘, and this looks absolutely epic! The books is available for your Kindle and as a print-edition.

Here’s some info about Lachlan:

Lachlan Walter is a writer, science-fiction critic and nursery-hand (the garden kind, not the baby kind), and is the author of two books: the deeply Australian post-apocalyptic tale The Rain Never Came, and the giant-monster story-cycle We Call It Monster. He also writes science fiction criticism for Aurealis magazine and reviews for the independent ‘weird music’ website Cyclic Defrost, his short fiction can be found floating around online, and he has completed a PhD that critically and creatively explored the relationship between Australian post-apocalyptic fiction and Australian notions of national identity.

He loves all things music-related, the Australian environment, overlooked genres and playing in the garden. He hopes that you’re having a nice day.

You can connect with Lachlan on Facebook and Twitter, and don’t forget to check out his site and the web-home of Severed Press.

That’s it for now, and until next time…

Be EPIC!

 

Pre-order Alert: A Sea of Broken Glass – The Lady and the Darkness Book 1 – by Sonya M Black

Hey everyone, I hope you’re all well. 🙂

Friday was a bit of a crazy day, so I’ll be posting the review I have planned for this coming Friday. I’m back today with a pre-order alert for you – check out the details below:

Secrets have a price.

After enduring weeks of torture and being convicted of witchery, Ris escapes, only to discover the Darkness and the Lady are hunting her. They need the magic that sings within her.

Creator of all, the imprisoned Lady needs Ris, her last vessel, to find the Heart of Creation. The Darkness seeks to corrupt the vessel and retain his hold on the Lady, and with it, the world.

Ris finds help from a pair of Paladins of Light who aid her in cleansing the evil taint from the lands. As her power grows, so do her questions. How can she restore balance to the world and free the Lady? Should the Lady be trusted or is she as much at fault for the evil in the world as the Darkness? With powerful demons War, Ruin, and Plague at her heels, Ris struggles to stay alive as she tries to unravel the secrets hidden within her before it’s too late.

Secrets that may cost Ris her soul even if she does succeed.

‘A Sea of Broken Glass’ will be releasing on March 19, and I’ll also be reading and reviewing this book in a couple of months or so. 🙂 You can pre-order your copies on Amazon at this link – or click on the beautiful cover. 🙂

Check out Sonya’s website for more info regarding her and her writing, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter, and add her immanent release to your Goodreads shelf.

Until (hopefully) Wednesday,

Be EPIC!

 

Spotlight and Excerpt: May I Want by Tiah Marie Beautement (Stubborn Raven Publishing)

Hey everyone, hope you’re all well. 🙂

I’m back today with a spotlight on Tiah Marie Beautement’s ‘May I Want’, published by Stubborn Raven Publishing and available as you read this. Here’s the beautiful cover:

 

To some the seas hold many mysteries, but not to Laila. Her seaborne gifts have given her much, but when she is visited by an old acquaintance from her previous life she will find out that all gifts, hers included, come at a price.

Here’s a bit about Tiah:

Tiah Marie Beautement is an American-Brit living on the South African Garden Route with her family, two dogs, and a small flock of chickens. She is author of two novels and numerous short stories, including the award winning Memento Mori. She is the managing editor of the The Single Story Foundation’s journal, teaches writing to all ages, and freelances for a variety of publications. In her spare time she has been taking photographs, riding horses, and zipping along on motorcycles.

And here’s the excerpt:

The ghostly light of the waning moon shimmered on the skin of the sea, creating an endless road. To Laila, it beckoned with promise. Seduction. “May I want?” she whispered, borrowing her daughter’s phrase. But from where she sat in her rowboat, she already knew the answer. For women like her, there was no climbing on the back of a dolphin and riding the moonbeams until morning. There was a child to raise and a family tradition to uphold. With a deep breath, Laila locked her oars and dove into the deep.

The water caught her in its embrace, pulling her towards the secret lair. In time, it would do the same to Ziya, and to Ziya’s daughter after that. But for now, in this realm, the work was for Laila’s hands alone.

Laila approached the seabed, abundantly strewn with swaying grass and tinged with silvered moonlight. Nestled amongst the vegetation she saw the long, oblong fan mussels she had been searching for, their razor-fine filaments dancing at her approach. Her magic surged in reply, reacting to the ocean’s power that was absorbed in the mysterious animal. She worked quickly, taking care to do no harm as her scalpel harvested sections of the mollusks’ beards. The tradition was passed on from her mother, who learned from her mother, who was taught by her mother before that. As she worked, the ocean’s magic hummed in satisfaction.

As time wore on, Laila’s lungs begged for relief. The water answered, shooting her body upwards. She arched over the sea, curved like a dark rainbow as she inhaled fresh air, then plunged back into the moon-touched water. Again and again, she dove, worked, surfaced. Each time she emerged, the moonlight blessed her. Each time she submerged, the water returned her to its secret lair.

 

Here’s a link to review of May I Want, over at Apex Magazine.

***

You can order the story from Amazon at the following link, and do check out Stubborn Raven Publishing (also open for submissions). 🙂

Follow Tiah Marie on Twitter, bookmark her on WordPress and BooksLive, and check out her Instagram accounts: one for writing, one for photography.

That’s it for today – see you back here on Friday!

Until then,

Be EPIC!

 

New and Impending Releases in SFF, Horror, Urban Fantasy and More: 25 Feb ’19

Hey everyone, I hope you’re all well. 🙂

I’ve got news of some new books worth your while. This ‘feature’ will probably happen here every Monday, so if you’ve got new releases you’d like to share the news of, or books that’ll be published in the next two months, get in touch. 🙂

Here are today’s notable new releases and books up for pre-order:

Jason Guinn‘s The Wretched (The Lucifer Chronicles)

Lucifer has been expelled to a place worse than Hell…Tucson, Arizona.

Having lost everything to the usurper Beelzebub, Lucifer finds himself trapped on earth, the one place he can die. Without options and shit out of luck, he does the unthinkable and realigns with his old nemesis, God, for a shot at vengeance against Beelzebub.

But there is a price.

Earth has been overrun by evil forces and God needs Lucifer to clean house. Forced to work with a band of redemption seeking degenerates, Lucifer must learn to put aside his hatred for mankind and learn to trust his teammates or they will not survive. Assisting Lucifer in his quest to liberate the world is the hot-tempered immortal Lilith, stoner Adam, a resurrected hit-man, and a witch with a pesky undead feline familiar called Dead Meat.

And they only have three days.

With the clock ticking, Lucifer must get his unwanted team up to snuff for their first mission while being hunted by his ex-wife, Agrat. Their mission is to assassinate an earthbound Demon Lord named Hornblas, who parades around as the head of the largest music conglomerate in the world.

And it gets worse.

Their contracts with God prohibit them from killing innocents or falling back into their sinful ways. Failure results in immediate banishment to Hell and certain death for Lucifer.

Filled with angels and demons, trips to Hell, and other supernatural beasties, The Wretched follows Lucifer through an ever-increasing vortex of trouble across the Copper State with a final climactic realization leading to the unraveling of Lucifer himself.

You can order your copies at the following links: Kindle version, Print version.

Next up: Philip Palmer‘s Morpho – a NewCon Press Novella:

When the corpse on the mortuary slab sits up and speaks to Hayley, asking for her help, she thinks she’s losing her mind. If only it were that simple… 

In Morpho, distinguished novelist, screenwriter, and radio dramatist Philip Palmer delivers a tense and fast-paced tale of a secret society through which the privileged govern from the shadows, of immortality bought at a horrific price, and of a rebellion that threatens to undermine the social order of our entire world.

One of four independent novellas by four different authors that form NewCon Novella Set 5: The Alien Among Us

You can order your copies at the following link: Kindle Edition, Print Edition

And finally, John A Pretorius‘ Living in a Time of Dragons:

Just to make sure you know what the book is about:

“…as with everything in my life all this began with dreams…”

American ex-pat, father and widower, Roger Rommel, did not believe in dragons. Unfortunately they did not return the sentiment.

After returning from a self-imposed exile to his adopted country of South Africa, Roger is confronted by these legendary fire-breathing reptiles who risked exposing their hidden world simply to hunt him. Gifted with the ability to create and enter dreams, as well as to see the future, he tries to survive and protect his son from enemies he does not understand.

But the past isn’t dead, and he finds himself linked to a conflict thousands of years old. The world he knew is now stranger, more fantastic and terrifying than he truly knew, especially when everyone is out to get you.

The book is already available – check out the covers below for the Kindle and Print versions:

 

Print version – click cover to purchase on Amazon

Kindle version – click cover to purchase on Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, Helen Brain‘s The Fiery Spiral was released last week, following on from the first book, The Thousand Steps, and the second book, The Rising Tide (links for TakeAlot).

Ebba is in Celestia, the land of the gods, and the only way to return to earth is to journey across a barren, lifeless landscape until she reaches the Fiery Spiral. But the road is fraught with difficulties and danger. She must learn the meaning of love and courage before she can fulfill her true destiny. It seems like Lucas has to share her journey. But to save everyone she loves, she might have to give up her life… and her heart.

You can purchase the third book on TakeAlot, too, at the following link.

Mary Helen Norris got in touch regarding pre-orders for a charity anthology, Defending Earth, one of many anthologies supporting the Cancer Research Institute. Here’s some info on the anthology:

And yes, it’s a Dr. Who themed anthology. 🙂

“I saw amazing things out there in Space—but there is strangeness out there to be found wherever you turn. Life on Earth can be an adventure too…you just need to know where to look!”

Sarah Jane Smith is perhaps one of Earth’s greatest defenders. Some grew up watching her adventures alongside two different Doctors, others met her in the revived series, and still others fell in love with her when she returned with her own spin-off. Throughout it all, Sarah Jane Smith has stood for justice, for truth, and for the defense of the innocent. From her childhood, to her journeys through space and time, to the wilderness years, to her adventures with her children and beyond, all periods of her life are featured in this collection!

What set a six-year-old Sarah Jane on the path she’d follow all her life? In a feature-length adventure, can Sarah Jane and the Doctor save London from disappearing in a morass of every possible London? In an independent investigation, can Sarah Jane discover who is murdering 60s pop stars—and when an 80s musical is put on about her life, can Sarah Jane get to the bottom of who’s putting the show on? All this and killer moths, the music of universal spheres, and stories especially exploring each of the Bannerman Road kids.

Proceeds from Defending Earth will go to the Cancer Research Institute. They are dedicated to harnessing our immune system’s power to control and potentially cure all types of cancer; they fund the most innovative clinical and laboratory research across the world, support the next generation of the field’s leaders, and serve as the trusted source of information on immunotherapy for cancer patients and their caregivers. Their scientific director, Dr. James P. Allison, won the 2018 Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine, showing the advancements the CRI has achieved.

Defending Earth features stories by Kara Dennsion, Jon Black, Niki Haringsma, James Macaronas, James Bojaciuk, Anna Maloney, Joshua Wanisko & Lillian Waniso, Tina Marie DeLucia, Scarlett Ward, William J. Martin, M.H. Norris, Harry King, Sophie Iles, and Anne-Laure Tuduri.

Pre-order your print copies here, which will be releasing on 2 April. The ebook edition is already available. 🙂

Also up for pre-order, Jesse Teller‘s Legend of the Exiles:

The isolated barbarians of Neather have deep ancestry and strict traditions. Four resilient women defy tribal customs as they fight to overcome their own tragedies. Abuse. Addiction. Assault. Grief. What struggles can they endure to defend their hopes and their hearts?

 

Helena seeks a love as bold as she, yet finds the men of her village lacking. Jocelyn fears her strange visions and sacrifices a life with the man she loves for the one her destiny demands. Torn apart by abuse and grief, Ellen is a brilliant woman who must focus her intellect on finding reasons to persevere. Rachel, a brash girl of noble heritage, dares all men to challenge her and longs for one who will.

 

In this set of four interwoven novellas, award-winning author Jesse Teller challenges assumptions and showcases the strength of feminine resolve.

The book will release on 15 April, and you can pre-order at Amazon. Also, check out Jesse on Goodreads, Facebook and Instagram.

Until next time (Wednesday, probably, with a new review),

Be EPIC!

 

Eye of the Storm by Frank Cavallo

Today, I’m sharing an excerpt from Frank Cavallo’s new novel EYE OF THE STORM…

On a research mission in one of the most remote regions of the world, former Navy SEAL Eric Slade and Dr. Anna Fayne are caught in a mysterious storm. Catapulted through a rift in space-time, they are marooned on a lost world. 

Struggling to survive and desperate to find a way home, they must confront the dangers of this savage land—a dark wizard and his army of undead—a warrior queen and her horde of fierce Neanderthals that stands against him—and a legendary treasure with the power to open the gateway between worlds, or to destroy them all: the Eye of the Storm.

Excerpt:

Kerr watched the horror unfold beside Azreth.

Down from their perch among the jagged stones and hills, the approach to Storm Crag Pass had been transformed into a black inferno. Shrieks echoed through the skies, as the lightning wraiths struck down warriors and raptors of dark flame soared through the ruined heavens. The beasts climbed in killer sorties, their fiery wings scorching everything in their path. Scalding talons skewered men, carrying them through the air as they died, burned alive and then cast aside like carrion.

True fires stoked by the wreckage of chariots and war machines painted the sky in livid hues of gold and orange. Columns of smoke churned up from the fighting; black plumes on the helms of war gods. Across the burning plain, men encased in shells of hot iron, half-mad from the heat, slashed and tore at each other in a blind frenzy.

It was a death feast. Bodies ravaged by all manner of calamity lay strewn upon the rocky terrain; charred remains that were unrecognizable for the twisted grotesquerie of flesh melted into metal.

Everywhere across the battle-plain the Hordes of Tulkoras fell back. Split into pockets, some were surrounded by the black knights of Tvath, who moved without fear of the dark flames that ravaged the steppe-warriors. Penned in like animals, the trapped hordes-men were slaughtered without quarter.

“The day is lost,” Azreth muttered. “Tarquin has bested my summoning.”

Kerr scoffed at the mystic. He was about to do more, when he saw a figure scrambling up the hill toward them. In a moment he realized it was Slade.

The former SEAL was covered in blood and soot. His chest was heaving as he rushed up from the lower reaches, struggling to make it to the heights of the pass.

Kerr grabbed a jug of water and limped to meet him, leaving his cane behind. When the two met neither said a word. Kerr handed the water to Slade. The warrior took it, nodded and drank every drop.

By the time he’d finished, Azreth had made his way down the hill to join them.

“What happened?” he demanded. “Where is the Queen you swore to protect?”

Slade scowled at the holy man. Instead of an answer, he smashed the clay jug on the rocks at Azreth’s feet.

“We got separated,” he said. “Black smoke. Black knights. Black fire. You can’t see a goddamn thing down there. One minute she was beside me, the next…”

Azreth shook his staff in anger, pointing it at Slade like a school teacher.

“The Queen must not be lost, despite this disaster she has wrought,” he said.

“This is your doing,” Slade said. “If anyone is to blame for this it’s you.”

“I did my part,” Azreth answered. “If only you had…”

Slade didn’t wait for the shaman’s reply. He turned back to Kerr.

“What do we have left to work with here in camp?” he asked.

“Very little, I’m afraid. The reserves have all been called into the fight,” the leper said. “There is nothing but a rearguard.”

“How many men?” Slade asked.

“A hundred, at most,” he said. “And that’s counting the couriers and their lizard-wing mounts.”

“Lizard-wings?” Slade asked, recalling the high flying dinosaurs he’d once witnessed by chopper. “You’re talking about pterosaurs?”

“That may be a word my father did not know,” Kerr answered. “We keep them behind the lines, in a separate camp. How does that help us?”

“You can ride them, can’t you?” Slade asked.

“If you need to, but they’re only for relaying messages.”

“Not anymore they aren’t,” Slade said.

“You’ve never ridden one before,” Kerr replied. “It is not easy.”

“Then I’ll have to be a fast learner,” he answered.

Kerr shook his head. He looked out toward the battle, and then turned his back.

“There isn’t enough time,” he replied. “Tarquin has already won. We cannot prevail. Honorable surrender is now our only option. I’m sure his terms will be fair.”

Azreth scoffed. Slade moved in closer to Kerr, grabbing him by the arm.

“You have a problem with me…fine,” he said. “But this is isn’t about winning. It’s about saving her. Which one do you care about more, hating me or helping Threya?”

Kerr looked at him for long, quiet moment, then back out toward the chaos. Finally, he nodded. Slade shook him by the arm.

“Let’s get to those winged lizards,” he said.

#

Khurghe was back on the high ground overlooking the fading battle, Threya beside him again.

“So it comes to an end,” he said.

A messenger came upon them in a rush, dashing up the hill.

“My Queen, if you are to withdraw it must be done now. The wizard-king presses the attack,” he warned. “We’re almost overwhelmed.”

Khurghe looked to his queen, who tightened the buckles on her armor.

“There will be no retreat,” she said. “Already our best thanes have fallen. I will fall with them.”

“My Queen,” he protested. “If we stay, the whole army will be destroyed. At least call down the rearguard so we might have a chance to escape.”

“No. It ends here,” Khurghe said. “I will ride out with you. You will not…”

Khurghe did not notice that the messenger no longer paid him any mind.

It was only when Threya called out that he looked up. What he saw stunned him, and left him unable to utter even a word. The scream of a pterosaur peeled across the burning plain. A giant aerial lizard skimmed the rocks from the east, its forty-foot wingspan carried upon the wind. Upon its back, an azure-cloaked rider held a long-bow, launching a hail of arrows upon the Etruscans as his mount swooped through the smoke and flames.

A second winged war-lizard charged against the tide alongside him. Another warrior rode forth upon it, carrying a red-stained scimitar. The shield-less thane was garbed in the armor of a Tulkoras horde. It was Slade. Kerr rode beside him, Azreth seated behind.

The lizard-riders dove down toward the trapped Queen. Flying in a single-line formation, they split the Etruscan ranks, opening a clearing in front of Threya and Khurghe. Hacking and chopping from the back of his pterosaur, Slade led the charge, carving a bloody swath through the wall of black iron, warrior after warrior brought down by his scimitar.

The screeching, enormous aerial reptiles cleared the ground a hundred feet in front of Threya, as the surprised Tvath knights fell back. They broke to either side, yielding a space at least half as wide between their divided lines.

Then, Slade pulled up on his mount, rearing in mid air. He banked hard to the right. Behind him, Kerr and Azreth cut in the other direction. The shrieking lizards circled, leaving the shattered Etruscans behind them as they curled back toward the Queen. One hoplite remained behind, and he charged toward Threya, whose back was against a boulder. Khurghe, seeing an opening, dropped his shield and ran for the safety of Storm Crag, disappearing into the smoke.

Slade brought his lizard down in a dive-bomber fashion, hurtling toward the single remaining Etruscan. When he was within reach, he pulled up, again rearing the animal as it spread its wings like giant sails, braking its momentum.

The knight turned, just in time to see Slade’s sword cut in an arc, splitting the shield of the Tvath thane, cleaving his chest and his throat in one strike. Pale flesh and bone splinters spat outward.

Kerr and Azreth brought their reptiles down beside Slade’s. The beasts folded up their wings as they landed on all fours, where they stood as tall as three men. Looking down from his great mount, the former SEAL sheathed his sword, reaching his hand out toward Threya.

“Need a lift?” he said.

About the Author:

Horror and dark fantasy author Frank Cavallo’s work has appeared in magazines such as Another Realm, Ray Gun Revival, Every Day Fiction, Lost Souls and the Warhammer e-zine Hammer and Bolter. 
His latest novel, Eye of the Storm, was released in August 2016 by Ravenswood Publishing.

“In Eye of the Storm, I try to bring back some of the elements that I like from old time pulp fiction,” says Frank. “It is a throwback to old school adventure stories, combining the pacing and the feel of those classic tales with some newer elements that are not all that common to typical fantasy fiction.”

Frank’s previously published works include The Lucifer Messiah, The Hand of Osiris, and the Gotrek & Felix novella Into the Valley of Death. He is currently working on a new novel, The Rites of Azathoth, with Necro Publications, due out in February 2017.

Frank was born and raised in New Jersey. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in Communications in 1994 and he earned a JD from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 2001. He currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio, where he has been a criminal defense attorney for fifteen years.

Readers can connect with Frank on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to http://www.frankcavallo.com/

 

Spotlight: Michael G Munz – Zeus is Dead & The New Aeneid Cycle

Hey everyone, Dave here, hope you’re all well. 🙂

I featured Michael on the blog a couple of years ago, and it’s time to revisit his work, so let’s get into it!

THE GODS ARE BACK. DID YOU MYTH THEM?

You probably saw the press conference. Nine months ago, Zeus’s murder catapulted the Greek gods back into our world. Now they revel in their new temples, casinos, and media empires—well, all except Apollo. A compulsive overachiever with a bursting portfolio of godly duties, the amount of email alone that he receives from rapacious mortals turns each of his days into a living hell.

Yet there may be hope, if only he can return Zeus to life! With the aid of Thalia, the muse of comedy and science fiction, Apollo will risk his very godhood to help sarcastic TV producer Tracy Wallace and a gamer-geek named Leif—two mortals who hold the key to Zeus’s resurrection. (Well, probably. Prophecies are tricky buggers.)

Soon an overflowing inbox will be the least of Apollo’s troubles. Whoever murdered Zeus will certainly kill again to prevent his return, and avoiding them would be far easier if Apollo could possibly figure out who they are.

Even worse, the muse is starting to get cranky.

Zeus is Dead was published by Booktrope but the publisher has since closed down – not to worry, though, as the book is still available. 🙂 Check out the following links:

Amazon  –  Kobo  –  iTunes  –  Nook

As you can see above, Zeus is Dead won the Bronze Reader’s Favorite Award; it was also a finalist in the 2015 Independent Author Network Awards, and was a 2015 Semi Finalist in the fourth annual Kindle Book Awards,

Good reasons all to check the book out! 🙂 While you’re at it, have a look at these two books from Michael:

Northgate is in turmoil. Decaying, violent, and corrupt, it is a common enough city in 2051, yet soon, discoveries beneath the Moon’s surface will mark the city with their first distant echoes.

New arrival Michael Flynn is jobless and down to his last few dollars, but he still dreams of making a positive difference of his own. 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 the chance to realize his dreams. Joining them is Felix, a wise-cracking “information bounty hunter” who claims that neither the arsonist nor the man Michael idolizes are quite what they appear.

Will Michael find the courage to pass through the flames unscathed, or will the violence that surrounds him incinerate all that he is? Those who search the Moon will be watching…

Order here

Save humanity from itself. It is the goal of the worldwide conspiracy known as the Agents of Aeneas. For months they have struggled to unlock the mysteries of Paragon, an alien spacecraft buried on the Moon. Once a closely guarded secret, word of the craft has leaked, and now multiple forces plot to seize it for themselves.

Agent Marc Triton has breached its depths and returned alive. While Michael Flynn protects Marc from those who believe he knows too much, together they must confront a demon from their past: the freelancer Diomedes. Michael’s violent ex-mentor, Diomedes has assassinated a man at the heart of the spacecraft’s discovery. They must learn why.

Meanwhile, the vigilante Gideon, ruthlessly murdered six months prior, has been spotted alive in the city of Northgate. Seeking the truth behind his impossible return will draw Caitlin and Felix into dangers far beyond those that lurk on Earth.

Each of them driven by a memory, their fates will soon collide amid the blackness of Paragon.

Order here

I’ll be featuring Book 3, A Dragon at the Gate, on the blog closer to its release date. 🙂

Visit Michael’s website for for info, and check him out on Twitter and Facebook, too.

I’ll leave you with this cool choice of books to read and see you again on Friday. 🙂 Until then,

Be EPIC!

 

Rosarium Publishing – Help Them Level-Up!

Hey folks, hope you’re all well. 🙂

If you’ve not yet heard of Rosarium Publishing and the awesome work they publish (including fellow AfroSF author Tade Tompson’s novel, Making Wolf), then head on over to their website and familiarise yourselves. 🙂 And then support their IndieGoGo campaign to raise enough money to launch them into the well-deserved spotlight!

Rosarium Publishing (distributed through IPG) was started in 2013 with one goal: to bring true diversity to publishing so that the books and comics we enjoy actually reflect the fascinating, multicultural world we truly live in today.

We publish science fiction, crime, steampunk, satire, comics and represent over 40 artists and writers from all over the world.  With the success of this campaign, we will be able to print thousands of books and continue our mission to further our quest for diversity in publishing with the high quality of work you deserve.

Check out this video for more info about Rosarium, their campaign, what they hope to achieve, and much more:

And then head on over to IndieGoGo and support them! 🙂 Ensuring diversity in SFF is a damned kickass goal, and Rosarium needs your help to ensure that diversity is the norm, not the aspiration.

Be EPIC!

 

New Release Spotlight: Scardust by Suzanne van Rooyen

Hey everyone, Dave here! 🙂

Suzanne van Rooyen, fellow reviewer on this blog and also a fellow writer, has a brand new release out!

Raleigh Williams made a promise to his brother before he died, that he’d scatter his ashes on Mars. Desperate to leave a life of bad memories behind and start over in the Martian colony, Raleigh fully intends to keep that promise. But his plans are thwarted when a meteor near-misses him in the desert, and Raleigh finds in its crater not debris or even a spacecraft, but a man covered in swirling scars and with no memory of who he is. At least he looks like a man—a man Raleigh can’t seem to keep his eyes off of—but whenever they touch it ignites a memory swap between them.

Raleigh agrees to help Meteor Man piece together his life through their cosmic connection. But the memory share goes both ways, and Raleigh becomes inexplicably entangled with a guy who is everything he needs—everything good that Raleigh is not—but might not even be human. As their minds and worlds collide, reality unravels and Raleigh must face a painful truth, one that could shatter his dreams of finding love, reaching Mars, and fulfilling his brother’s last wish.

One of the many books I’m reading at the moment is Suzanne’s ‘I Heart Robot’, and I can confirm that Suzanne has massive talent as a writer and storyteller; she should be more widely read, so go ahead and grab this new release: Amazon US – Kindle edition – $3.99

And remember to add it to your Goodreads shelves!

Suzanne is the author of the YA novels THE OTHER ME and I HEART ROBOT, as well as the NA novel SCARDUST. A tattooed storyteller from South Africa, Suzanne currently lives in Sweden and is busy making friends with the ghosts of her Viking ancestors. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When she grows up, she wants to be an elf – until then, she spends her time (when not writing) wall climbing, buying far too many books, and entertaining her shiba inu, Lego.

Check out more info about Suzanne and her work over on her website and blog and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Until next time,

Be EPIC and read South African SpecFic authors! 🙂

 

‘Kros: Hallowed Ground’ by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake

Vampire Hunter Kros fights a battle at night as fearful and horrific as the battles fought during the day at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Kros: Hallowed Ground began over 10 years ago as a tale of horror set during the Battle of Gettysburg. A dream project for us both, it waited silently, like a vampire in the shadows… The story was written, some pages were drawn–atmospheric, dark murky landscapes, the dimly lit surgeon’s tent, a figure swirling from the smoke of battle…

It’s time to hear the wolf’s howl; to watch the undead descend like buzzards to the feast.  It’s time to unleash the vampires…

 All wars are horror stories.

Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. The blood soaked battlefields of the Civil War draw Vampires who descend to feed on the wounded and dying as Blood calls to Blood. One man, a Vampire Hunter named Kros, stands against them, waging a battle at night as fearful and horrific as the battles fought during the day.

KROS: HALLOWED GROUND is a 128 page horror graphic novel by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. Kros is a dream project and Kros’ story is one we have been wanting to tell for a long time.

With just under 24 hours to go, this kickass Kickstarter project has been FULLY FUNDED! Absolutely epic news for John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake! 🙂 The first stretch-goal has been achieved and the second, which will see 20 additional pages of content added to the graphic novel, is very close to being passed.

 

THE STORY

Set against the backdrop of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, KROS: HALLOWED GROUND is a tale of horror that follows the story of Vampire hunter, Major Kros, who fights two wars. During the day, Kros fights the battle history remembers. At night, he fights a secret battle against supernatural forces.

Kros himself is an enigmatic character. He’s a dampyr – a vampire hunter – and has some of the vampire’s abilities. Long lived, Kros cares nothing for the politics of ordinary mortals. The Civil War means nothing to him. Kros is on the trail of the undead. There are considerable dangers to Kros as well–and death is not the worst of them. Blood calls to Blood and there is always the danger that could be turned and become that which he hates.

Around Kros are ordinary people, civilians and soldiers from both the North and South in the midst of a cauldron called Gettysburg. They have faced the conflict and horror of the battlefield and now must face an even greater horror. Vampires have followed the armies and come at night to feast on the fallen. A second battle is fought at Gettysburg of which the history books know nothing. That’s the tale we want to tell. We’ve waited a long time to tell it. With your help, it will happen.

The KROS: HALLOWED GROUND 128 page graphic novel will include character and production artwork by Tom Mandrake, cover/poster art, as well as a short KROS story by John Ostrander.

Definitely a graphic novel I’m looking forward to devouring, and I’m really stoked for Tom and John that this dream of theirs is in the process of becoming a reality. 🙂 If you’d like to help make sure that the next stretch-goal is reached and passed -and who wouldn’t? There is some really cool swag to be had in exchange for your help- check out the project’s page over at Kickstarter.

Massive congrats to John and Tom once again – very well deserved, guys! 🙂

Until next time,

Be EPIC!

 

New Release: Through a Mirror, Darkly by Kevin Lucia (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Hey everyone, Dave here!

Released today, Through a Mirror, Darkly is Kevin Lucia‘s second short story collection, following Things Slip Through.

 

 

Arcane Delights. Clifton Heights’ premier rare and used bookstore. In it, new owner Kevin Ellison has inherited far more than a family legacy, for inside are tales that will amaze, astound, thrill…and terrify.

An ancient evil thirsty for lost souls. A very different kind of taxi service with destinations not on any known map. Three coins that grant the bearer’s fondest wishes, and a father whose crippling grief gives birth to something dark and hungry.

Every town harbors secrets; Kevin Ellison is about to discover those that lurk in the shadows of Clifton Heights.

Through a Mirror, Darkly is a Supernatural Thriller collection masked as a novel. With elements of mystery, suspense, and otherworldly horror,Through a Mirror, Darkly successfully delves into the worlds of Lovecraft, Grant, and the mysterious Carcosa.

“Through a Mirror, Darkly serves as Kevin Lucia’s early-warning system to the horror field – Brace yourselves, folks.” – Gary A. Braunbeck, Bram Stoker Award-winner of To Each Their Darkness, Destinations Unknown, and the forthcoming A Cracked and Broken Path

“Kevin Lucia writes my favorite kind of horror, the kind not enough folks are writing anymore.” – Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy and Kin.

Order your copies on Amazon and then head over to Crystal Lake Publishing’s website to see what else is waiting for you. 🙂 You can also add the book to your shelf on Goodreads, follow the Board on Pinterest, and don’t forget to check out more awesome work from the cover artist, Ben Baldwin.

Until next time,

Be EPIC!