Monday 23 December 2013

THE DEVIL INSIDE - It's OUT!



THE DEVIL INSIDE is OUT!  The newest little novella featuring Jax Marlin, super-sexy vigilante, and Special Inspector Michael Pedroni, from the full-length novel, To Catch A Marlin has been released.

It was anticipated for a Christmas Eve release, but whoo-hoo! It's out early.

The Devil Inside is #5 in the series, and things get a little dark in this one.  Here's a short blurb:

Death Comes To Us All.
When her inner demon screamed, Jax Marlin set it loose upon the world's criminals. When the demon wanted blood, she gave it like an offering.
Special Inspector Pedroni chases his foes--always a step behind. This time, with heavy heart, unable to believe his Jax has become a common murderer.
After the events with the Necromancer Killer, after having set her prey free, Jax struggles to come to terms with her decision. Her inner monster, one she's kept at bay for years, surfaces in outrage and goes on a rampage. Can she stop in time before her sanity is lost? And can Pedroni come to terms with what's she's become?

Here's a wee-short excerpt:
Dead man’s punch!
Jax Marlin pivoted her body like a matador, right elbow raised high over her head just before she delivered a powerful blow into the man’s chest.
Like a bull grunting, the man let out a gust of breath. He crumpled inwards then teetered sideways, falling heavily on his side. Jax imagined his heart fibrillating from the trauma; his system would soon go into shock. Leaning over him, she drew her arm back, poised to hit him again in case the first blow didn’t take.
She waited.
Red-faced, his eyes rolled up into his head as his breath came out in strained gasps. All over his naked body, welts and bruises covered him, some bleeding. His face displayed an impressive collection of red, swollen lumps. From his mouth, blood seeped, staining the few remaining teeth. One eye was swollen shut, the other barely open.
“You will die,” Jax stated calmly.
---

There you have it!

Here's hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas!! Eat, drink (and buy my book) and be merry!!

Cheers!

Sunday 1 December 2013

Welcome To GreenGrass by S.A. Check


Coming this December, S.A. Check's science fiction/fantasy adventure novel Welcome to GreenGrass, published by Bedlam Press. It is available for pre-order right HERE.



A red cloaked intruder infiltrates an office penthouse, leaving a prominent city leader dead, murdered by his own hand.

Across town, a man tumbles through a glowing portal and is attacked by bestial street predators. He’s rescued by a shotgun wielding fellow terran, John Traveller, five year veteran of those harsh alien streets.

Welcome to GreenGrass, a realm where people facing near death experiences are inexplicably drawn to live out their remaining days imprisoned under an impenetrable glass dome. The city’s two main factions, the Enchanters and Technologists, live under the auspices of magic and advanced science and stand at the brink of a cultural civil war.

Traveller heads an impromptu investigative agency with his housemates, Talyn - a red skinned religious pacifist, Bonz an usurped demi-god who thrives on battle, and Sil - a green skinned female believing the male gender subservient to her own.

Diandelia, the city’s premier enchanter, convinces the group to investigate the recent murder by using a criminal from Traveller’s past, Mikey Nickles, who claims knowledge of the fate of Traveller’s family on Earth.

Venturing out in search of the red cloaked suspect, Traveller and friends haggle with a giant toad huckster, discover a hidden virtual reality resort, expose a vampiric acting troupe, and court an ill tempered elderly goat woman, in their search for answers.


Sounds intriguing, right? But wait, there's more. S.A., was kind enough to let me share the first few paragraphs of Chapter One. Check it out!



There have always been alleys. Whether in a big city, a small town, or the end of the world, the spaces in between, the dark corners of civilization, have always needed a place to breathe. The Mayans had Tikal, Rome raised the bar, and the Big Apple grew into a city that never slept. Too many eyes made secrets difficult to hide. Worlds need those pockets, the urban closets that hide the skeletons of a modern society. Just as sure as the sun rises, even if it’s not the one you’re expecting, there are places that never see the light of day.

Resting against the fire escape grating, John Traveller knew as well as any that even the cast-outs and misfits needed a place to call home. For two nights straight, he watched the same alley from his metal perch and all he had to show was a sore back and numb fingers. The dual red moons overhead stared back at him, a constant reminder this world was not his own. Not that he needed any.

“Another thunderin’ dead end.” Traveller tossed a stone at a garbage can. The clang echoed down the alley. “I guess you can’t surprise anyone if there’s no one here.”

He laid a single barrel shotgun on the grating beside him and pulled a small notebook from his back pocket. The calculations seemed right. Traveller looked over all his data at least ten times. It looked like he missed his mark on this one. He couldn’t wait any longer. They would all be expecting him back at the house. He made it up to one knee when something caught his eye near the ground.

A blue pinhole of light hovered over the quiet cobble stoned street, floating in the evening air, unaware it hadn’t existed moments before. Traveller felt the air in the alley pull towards the floating glow. The tails of his trench coat bustled in the artificial breeze. And then everything stopped, like the moment before someone unleashed a sneeze.


The radiance rushed out into the night, erupting from its center and blowing discarded trash down the passage. A pair of tennis shoes emerged inside the pulsing glow. They hovered in the brisk night air before a figure gushed out of the portal, flowing through like a water slide without the benefit of a pool underneath. The confused rider struck the ground hard, tumbling end over end until skidding to a stop on his stomach. The body remained motionless.

Traveller chuckled. That may have been one of the top five most unglamorous entrances he ever witnessed. The naked guy from a couple months back would still be hard to beat. From his shadowed vantage, Traveller watched the bewildered figure scrambling along the ground. His red jogging pants and t-shirt that read Start Slow Then Back It Down was covered in whatever muck accumulated on alley floors. The man clung to his elbow that took the brunt of the initial impact and blood seeped out between his fingers. 

There you have it folks. Sounds exciting, and for sure, this'll be in my To Be Read pile up.

For more on S.A. Check, check him out here: http://sacheck.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 19 November 2013

It's Been A While...

It's occurred to me that I really haven't posted anything, rambling-wise, in quite some time. Aside from SFFSat posts and Cover Reveals, I've been skirting under the radar once again. So, here's a little catch-up...

Well, it's November, and we're already halfway through it, and that means we're one month away from the end of the year, that, seriously, only JUST started the other day. Didn't it? Scary! This entire month, and the last few, I've been busy writing some more Jax Marlin shorts. For short stories, it's pretty hard work. My goal is to finish three shorts before the end of the year. One is already completed and scheduled for a December release. I'll keep you posted on the details for that as I get them.

Bengaria's War is also (still) in the works. Let's just say it's in its 5th draft, and hopefully this will be the last one before I can finally push it out into the delivery room.

All the while, I'm juggling my day job responsibilities. As the Christmas Season approaches, the work load is increasing steadily and writing needs to take a simmer on the back burner for a spell.

Social networking has also taken a back seat. Helpful as it is, it tends to get very addictive and very distracting. Even while writing, I keep Tweetdeck open for Twitter feeds, just to stay abreast. But I think I may have to stop that else I'll never get any writing done. Interesting thing I have noticed that even though I haven't been chatty on Twitter of late, I seem to have gained quite a few followers. Weird. But, thanks.

On a personal level, there's social engagements to attend and with a young in-law's wedding coming up, even more socializing. There'll also be a houseguest staying with us, so I'll be busy playing host until the end of the month.

So, that's it in a mini-nutshell. Until December...

Cheers!

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Cover Reveal - Wasteland Blues

Of Mice and Men Meets The Odyssey in a Post-Apocalyptic Future
Having only ever known the uncivilized wake of nuclear and biological apocalypse, three friends and their wheelchair-bound hostage set out on a perilous fool’s mission--to cross from one side of the devastated United States to the other, in the desperate, half-believed hope of finding a rumored haven. 
Spurred by a dark vision and the murder of their father, rageaholic Derek Cane and his over-sized, simple-minded brother, Teddy, flee the only home they've ever known, a struggling shantytown on the edge of the vast Wasteland. Heading ever eastward, they are accompanied by their friend, John, an orphan brought up by a fanatical religious order, and Leggy, a crippled old drunk who brags that, in his youth, he once traversed the Wasteland as a scavenger.
Cover Art by Bradley Sharp Post-Apocalyptic novel  coming from Dog Star Books in March 2014
 

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Cover Reveal - S. Craig Zahler


Who should be given a second chance at life? 
Decades in the future Corpus Chrome, Inc. develops a robotic body, dubbed a “mannequin,” that can revive, sustain and interface with a cryonically-preserved human brain. Like all new technology, it is copyrighted.
Hidden behind lawyers and a chrome facade, the inscrutable organization resurrects a variety of notable minds, pulling the deceased back from oblivion into a world of animated sculpture, foam rubber cars, dissolving waste and strange terrorism. Nobody knows how Corpus Chrome, Inc. determines which individuals should be given a second life, yet myriad people are affected. Among them are Lisanne Breutschen, the composer who invented sequentialism with her twin sister, and Champ Sappline, a garbage man who is entangled in a war between the third, fourth and fifth floors of a New York City apartment building.
In the Spring of 2058, Corpus Chrome, Inc. announces that they will revive Derek W.R. Dulande—a serial rapist and murderer who was executed thirty years ago for his crimes. The public is horrified by the decision, and before long, the company’s right to control the lone revolving door between life and death will be violently challenged….
Cover Art by Bradley Sharp
Cyberpunk/Transhumanism novel  coming from Dog Star Books in January 2014
---
  
What They’re Saying About S. Craig Zahler
“Zahler’s a fabulous story teller whose style catapults his reader into the turn of the century West with a ferocious sense of authenticity.” —Kurt Russell, star of Tombstone, Escape from New York, Dark Blue, and Death Proof.

“If you’re looking for something similar to what you’ve read before, this ain’t it. If you want something comforting and predictable, this damn sure ain’t it.  But if you want something with storytelling guts and a weird point of view, an unforgettable voice, then you want what I want, and that is this.” —Joe R. Lansdale author of Edge of Dark Water

Monday 21 October 2013

Great Way to Start a Monday...

So, I wake up, I crank open Tweetdeck to see what's happening in the Twitterverse, and wah-hoo, I see a sweet little post in my interactions column from J.M. Blackman.

Click to see the review: http://jmblackman.com/2013/10/20/t-k-toppin-author-spotlight-double-header-review-of-the-lancaster-ruleto-catch-a-marlin/

First of all, thank you J.M. Such kind words, and as an author yourself, I'm sure you know how nice that feels. Yep, J.M writes some incredible Sci-Fi/Speculative Fiction.

J.M. recently finished reading both The Lancaster Rule and To Catch A Marlin. I wrote TLR in 2008, and TCaM in 2011, and I'm sure she noticed how much my writing has changed (she did), and how little it stayed the same (I didn't know) in regards to how I treated the characters and the world-building. It's nice to be able to find out about these from completely unobjective eyes.

It's also great to start the week off grinning like a fool.

Again, thanks, J.M.

Cheers!

Friday 18 October 2013

SFFSat - Oct 19

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


This week, more in the continuing adventures of, well, other than Mason and Elmo (the ship's computer), I've no idea what to call my protag other than Captain.

For a short little preamble for those who don't know: Two characters on an old ship that looked like it originated from the 1960s. They discover a creature that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, but more like a dragon...they scramble. They've just made it back to their drop ship for (hopefully) and escape...

You can catch the previous ones:
Part 1: here.
Part 2: here.
Part 3: here.
Part 4: here.
Part 5: here.
Part 6: here.
Part 7: here.
Part 8: here.

Part 9: here.
Part 10: here.
Part 11: here.


Last week, the ever-helpful Elmo informed our heroine they were too close to the landing zone to deploy weapons to shake the creature off and their thrusters would be damaged in the process... We ended with my protag saying: "If we don't shake that thing off, it won't matter either way."

And now this week's snippet....we have Elmo responding to that comment.

“Suggestion, Captain.”
I would’ve rolled my eyes. “What!”
“Realigning the thrusters towards the creature might dislodge it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Do it then!”
I heard a low grate as thrusters turned, then the engines whined even louder, immediately followed by a sudden earthquake-like tremble rocked the ship; the creature attached to us scrabbled loudly against the hull and let out another of its bone-chilled roars. In one quick jerk, the drop ship bounded like a sideways slingshot.
Mason screamed.
I screamed.

Stay tuned for more next week! 

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

Monday 14 October 2013

Cover Reveal: THE DEVIL INSIDE

Yet another Jax Marlin novella is soon to be released through Ring of Fire Publishing. THE DEVIL INSIDE, #5 in the short story series.

All Must Die!
When her inner demon screamed, Jax Marlin set it loose upon the world's criminals. When the demon wanted blood, she gave it like an offering.

Special Inspector Pedroni chases his foe--always a step behind. This time, with heavy heart, unable to believe his Jax has become a common murderer.

After the events with the Necromancer Killer, after having to set her prey free, Jax struggles to come to terms with her decision. Her inner monster, one she's kept at bay for years, surfaces in outrage and goes on a rampage. Can she stop in time before her sanity is lost? And can Pedroni come to terms with what she's become?

Stay tuned for the release date!

Cheers!

Friday 11 October 2013

SFFSat - Oct 12

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


This week, more in the continuing adventures of, well, other than Mason and Elmo (the ship's computer), I've no idea what to call my protag other than Captain.

For a short little preamble for those who don't know: Two characters on an old ship that looked like it originated from the 1960s. They discover a creature that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, but more like a dragon...they scramble. They've just made it back to their drop ship for (hopefully) and escape...

You can catch the previous ones:
Part 1: here.
Part 2: here.
Part 3: here.
Part 4: here.
Part 5: here.
Part 6: here.
Part 7: here.
Part 8: here.

Part 9: here.
Part 10: here.

And now for this week...

Elmo, engage weapons. Activate the below turrets—”
The drop ship lurched again, we jerked wildly to the aft of the vessel. Mason’s elbow rammed into my ear, inflicting more vertigo into my head. I wanted to vomit.
“Elmo just shoot the thing off us!” I screamed from under Mason.
“We are too close to the landing zone, Captain. Weapons fire will destroy our thrusters.”
“If we don’t shake that thing off, it won’t matter either way.”

Stay tuned for more next week! 

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

Friday 4 October 2013

SFFSat - Oct 05

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


Today, we've been asked to use a cue word, that being 'suns'...so, I tweaked this rambling, mad-capped tale to suit.

For a short little preamble for those who don't know: Two characters on an old ship that looked like it originated from the 1960s. They discover a creature that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, but more like a dragon...they scramble. They've just made it back to their drop ship for (hopefully) and escape...

You can catch the previous ones:
Part 1: here.
Part 2: here.
Part 3: here.
Part 4: here.
Part 5: here.
Part 6: here.
Part 7: here.
Part 8: here.

Part 9: here.

And now for this week...

“Elmo, for all the suns and moons, get this clunker up in the air!”
“We appear to have taken on extra weight, Captain.” Elmo, ever-helpful.
Mason let out a guttural bellow. “We’re going to die!”
Scared as I was—literally, it was close to bowel-loosening scared—I sucked in my most bracing breath and pushed up to my hands and knees. “Not today!”
From beyond the hull, I heard something like the screams of fingernails on a chalkboardlots of them. The creature was trying to rip the drop ship apart. Mixed with the frenzied whine and vibrations of the ship straining its engines to take off, it sounded downright nightmarish.

Stay tuned for more next week! 

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.

Cheers!

Monday 30 September 2013

The Seventh Equinox - Trailer Reveal

Presenting the trailer reveal for Matthew Warner's THE SEVENTH EQUINOX, from Raw Dog Screaming Press (RDSP).



THE SEVENTH EQUINOX by Matthew Warner will debut on November 6th but the pre-order starts today and we're celebrating with the reveal of the book trailer:


“The best part of Warner’s easy-paced, almost pastoral tale is the friction between Bessie’s attraction to Robin, her longing to believe in magic, and her fear of trusting again—all of which run deep. This is a world-shattering crisis acted out in small scale, with a subtle appeal to romantic fantasy.”Publishers Weekly


The Seventh Equinox
From the Back:
Her recent divorce left Bessie Henderson on guard against being exploited by any man. When she escapes to Augusta, Virginia, she’s captivated by the small town’s charm, but also its quirks: her intrusive elderly neighbor, the secret labyrinth of caverns beneath her Victorian house — and the man hiding from the law in her root cellar.
But Robin Goodfellow is not just a criminal. He’s a fertility demigod called the Hunter. He’s been injured, and he needs Bessie’s life force to survive. By the spring equinox, he must complete the grand Hunt, an ancient ritual of environmental renewal, or the planet will slowly die.
As the equinox nears, the couple must reconcile their growing feelings for each other. Bessie may not be ready to trust and give to another man, especially one who takes so much from her. And Robin must choose between love and duty — a duty that means life for the planet but death for himself.


About the Author:
Matthew Warner’s publishing credits span a variety of formats, although readers mostly know him through his horror novels and short stories. Dramatic works include films from Darkstone Entertainment based on his screenplays, plus a radio play and stage play premiered by theaters in central Virginia. Warner lives with his wife, the artist Deena Warner, and sons, Owen and Thomas.
Readers can visit him at matthewwarner.com.
Pre-order NOW for $2 off.

Friday 27 September 2013

SFFSat - Sept 28

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


Okay... Last week, our two heroes just dived into their drop ship to escape and we learned the on board computer is called Elmo.

A little preamble for those who don't know: Two characters on an old ship that looked like it originated from the 1960s. They discover a creature that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, but more like a dragon...they scramble.
You can catch the previous ones:
Part 1: here.
Part 2: here.
Part 3: here.
Part 4: here.
Part 5: here.
Part 6: here.
Part 7: here.
Part 8: here.

And now for this week...


The hatch doors slammed shut, instant silence greeted us for but a brief second. A horrific crash against the hull made us lurch inside.

“Elmo, take off. Now!” I sat, frozen, like one waiting for an accident to happen.
The drop ship trembled, running through the usual take off sequences. Thrusters fired up rapidly with a deep burp, the engines screamed as it engaged for maximum elevation—
The creature rammed the drop ship again. Mason fell flatter, having never gotten up in the first place. I gritted my teeth.

Oh no!! And then what will happen? Stay tuned next week, same bat time, same bat channel.

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.



Cheers!

Friday 20 September 2013

SFFSat - Sept 21

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


I'm still torturing you with my madcap ramble about the dino-dragon on an abandoned ship. Last week, our two heroes were just about to jump into their drop ship to escape.

A little preamble for those who don't know: Two characters on an old ship that looked like it originated from the 1960s. They discover a creature that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, but more like a dragon...they scramble.
You can catch the previous ones:
Part 1: here.
Part 2: here.
Part 3: here.
Part 4: here.
Part 5: here.
Part 6: here.
Part 7: here.

And now for this week...

The beast barreled into the doorway, the metal frame bent and spread wider and the distinct sound of old corroded metal snapping and screaming terrorized the air. Mason made a pining noise, his eyes riveted to the drop ship’s open hatch, his legs pumping across the deck. Unable to stop myself, I kept looking back; the dragon seemed stuck, but with a heave forward, it burst through, roaring with indignation. I made the pining noise now.
A hot rush slapped against our ankles, the bitter scent of smoke and char spurred us on. Mason dived into the drop ship first, like a rugger player slamming into the scrimmage. I followed, uncaring if I landed on him.
“Shut the doors, Elmo!” The computer’s name. “Take off now-now-now!”

Oh no!! Will our two heroes make it? Stay tuned next week, same bat time, same bat channel.

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.



Cheers!

Friday 13 September 2013

SFFSat - Sept 14

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


It's been a long time since I last participated. I took a break in the form of a nice long holiday, hopefully to recharge and reboot, as we humans need to do every once in a while.
Now onto to the snippet. Still continuing with my madcap ramble about the dinosaur-dragon on an abandoned ship...last time we met up with our two bumbling heroes, 
they were scrambling to make their way back to their drop ship.

A little preamble for those who don't know: Two characters on an old ship that looked like it originated from the 1960s. They discover a creature that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, but more like a dragon...they scramble.
You can catch the previous ones:
Part 1: here.
Part 2: here.
Part 3: here.
Part 4: here.
Part 5: here.
Part 6: here.

And now for this week...

We belched out a doorway, one we’d noticed earlier that had suspicious scorch marks and long scratches. If only we’d taken heed then and not ventured further. Curse curiosity!
Tumbling onto the main deck, we sighted our drop ship waiting for us. Wisps of exhausts from the idling thrusters caught the ocean breeze and dissolved; the homely grey and black vessel never looked better.
I slapped a hand to my ear, activating the audial implant and alerted our on board computer. "Prepare for immediate take offand open the door now!"
“Affirmative,” a reply tweaked into my air, directly followed by the hatch doors sliding open.

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.



Cheers!

Thursday 29 August 2013

Energize...Well, Not Quite

So, I've returned from my much-anticipated holiday. I had such fun during my 3 weeks away, it has truly left my brain slightly addled. To be honest, as holidays go, we did more on this trip than in previous ones (excluding our long journey down to Australia over a decade ago). But it was fantastic seeing relatives and friends again and just enjoying their company. But as all good things go, it had to end and reality happened once more.

One would think that upon my return, I'd be ready and raring and energized to tackle the challenges of work and daily living again. Not. Like most good, fun-filled holidays, another is needed just to recover from it. It didn't help that I was afflicted with a plague that took the form of a rattling cough and thoroughly blocked up nasal passage. Ugh. Travelling back home with such an affliction was not fun. I had the worst ever earache imaginable! I thought for sure the depressurizing plane would make my eardrum explode. I even asked hubby if my ear had blood in it.

Anyways, I am slowly getting back on track (and sort of recovering, if I can only shake this rattling cough) and sorting through my pile-up of emails and work and junk. On the writing side, I have multiple projects to wrangle, including new ones that are zinging me with shots of adrenalin as I think about them. Stay tuned folks!

Cheers!

Tuesday 30 July 2013

To Catch A Marlin Takes a 3rd Place Tie!

Just a short and sweet announcement to say that TO CATCH A MARLIN has taken a 3rd place tie in the You Gotta Read Reviews Cover Art Contest! Woo hoo.

I get a shiny little badge to show off now...check it out!


Cheers and thanks to all who have voted!! 

Friday 26 July 2013

SFFSat - July 27

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


So, where were we last time?
Our heroine and her bumbling partner, Mason, have run out of the bridge of the old ship (and yes, I've decided to make it a ship-ship) and are en route to their drop ship...

A little preamble for those who don't know: Two characters on an old ship that looked like it originated from the 1960s. They discover a creature that looks suspiciously like a dinosaur, but more like a dragon...they scramble.
You can catch the previous ones:
Part 1: here.
Part 2: here.
Part 3: here.
Part 4: here.
Part 5: here.

And now for this week...after diving for cover, our heroine has but a brief moment to survey the threat...


Our legs propelled us down the same route we took as we boarded the vessel, and straight to the waiting drop ship on the deck. The sooner we got off the ancient tanker and blew it out of the water, the better. Dragon-dinosaur and everything!
In the back of my mind, I cursed our employer. Sometimes, I little heads up would be nice. Science vessel, my eyeball! It was a freaking freak house. How else would one explain an old 1960s ship, the maritime kind, materializing out of nowhere like a ghost? The thing was close to 600 years old, and by all rights, it should’ve crumbled up into fine rust particles or sunk to the bottom of the ocean—freak show creature and all.

(PS: I'm taking another break for August. It's that time of the year when holidays are needed to ensure sanity is maintained. See ya all again in September!!)

If you are interested in participating in next weeks SFFSat, just click HERE, and follow the rules. Sign up is open every Wednesday - and if you're on Twitter, use the #SFFSat hashtag.



Cheers!

Monday 22 July 2013

Cover Art Contest - To Catch A Marlin


You Gotta Read Reviews has accepted the cover art for To Catch A Marlin for its July Cover Art Contest. Voting begins NOW and until July 27.

So if you wanna help Jax Marlin catch the winning spot, scroll down to the No. 5 entry and click the tab to vote!
Here's the link: http://yougottaread.com/vote-now-for-the-july-2013-cover-contest/

Thanks in advance to all those who have already voted. And spread the word!!

Cheers!

Friday 19 July 2013

SFFSat - July 20

Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday (SFFSat) is a place where a bunch of us post snippets from our written works and also shoot the breeze a little. And before I get ahead of myself, thanks and appreciation as always to those who stop by and leave fantastic comments.


This week, things are a little different. We've been asked to do a snippet using a word prompt (still keeping to the 10 sentences, of course). 

The word prompt is SUN.  For the snippet, I thought to share with you the beginnings of a brand new Jax Marlin novella. For those who don't know, Jax is a particular favourite of mine. I mean, who doesn't love a sexy vigilante who gets up to no good, right?



The overhead incandescent light beamed down in the small cubicle, heating her head like an unrelenting sun.

Bugger this.
Jax Marlin tipped her head left and right, inspecting the blossoming bruises forming on her cheek and jawline. It had been a while since she’d gotten herself hammered in a fistfight. But that security bot had been particularly crafty. It seemed someone had gone to the exacting trouble of uploading it with several new fight moves. Jax made a mental note to make sure she upgraded herself. She would not be caught unawares again—ever.
With a final glance at her reflection, Jax gave herself a wink and left the small confines of the orbiter shuttle’s lavatory.


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