Meet the Science Fiction Authors of Outpassage: Janet Morris & Chris Morris + giveaway

What is something unique/quirky about you?
Together we breed Morgan horses. We consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose crosses to their stock to achieve a desired result.

We are also musicians; Janet plays bass guitar, Chris sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com 

 

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
Janet wrote her first novel, High Couch of Silistra in 1975; a friend sent it to an agent who chose to represent her; she had already written the second book in the Silistra Quartet and her agent told her not to disclose that until they finalized the contract for the first one. When the publisher learned of the others, Bantam Books bought the succeeding three. When the fourth book was published, the series already had four million copies in print. Suddenly Janet was a novelist specializing in environmental, gender, historical and political subjects. In the process, Chris started as her editor and ultimately a co-writer. Since then, she and Chris have co-authored many books.

Who is your hero and why?
Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. We’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.


Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?
All of them. We write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures we undertake without knowing the destination.  I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, and Outpassage are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.

What inspired you, to write Outpassage?
Outpassage — Many wonder if somehow salvation lies in the stars. In Outpassage pawns of industry are kidnapped to work on a distant mining colony. Waking from their long space voyage, they quickly discover strange properties in the surrounding straits of rock being mined for rare minerals needed for advanced tech production on Earth. Mysteriously, some miners die in questionable circumstances and reappear, coming to life and causing rebellion among their fellow contract laborers. Is this the result of natural conditions or supernatural forces? Outpassage takes you there to see for yourself.

Who designed your book covers?
The cover of Outpassage was created for Perseid Press by Vincent DiFate.

Advice to writers?
As for advice to writers, here is all we know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if we as writers can’t feel what it’s like being there, our readers can’t either. Close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell us what you see. Tell us what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to us.

War and Mystery Beyond the Stars 

Outpassage
by Janet Morris & Chris Morris
Genre: Science Fiction
WAR AND MYSTERY BEYOND THE STARS

Sgt. "Det" Cox has just spent three years under psych observation on Earth; now that he's out-system, he isn't about to tell anyone he's seeing aliens again. Paige Barnett has lost everything, even her name, because she knows too much about the rebellion spreading through the Earth-Space mining colonies.

Together Cox and Barnett stumble upon the mystery at the revolution's heart and learn why the rebels are willing to die for it.

Is their discovery humanity's worst threat or greatest gift? The authorities are willing to destroy whole planets to keep the revolution's secret from reaching Earth... What's to stop them from destroying two people

"The Morrises' blend of fast-paced narrative and meticulous research into near-space technology makes a novel you can't put down."
-- C.J. Cherryh

"Action sequences that would make any writer proud. OUTPASSAGE is a wonderful book."
--David Drake

"OUTPASSAGE might just be the perfect science fiction novel."
-- Jack Williamson

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For readers that are out of this world and can’t wait to find out what the future holds -
All SciFi books at Perseid Press are discounted for the month of January!
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About the Author:
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Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

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Interview: YA PNR Author: Robert Joncas + giveaway

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I have always read books since I was a kid. I knew that eventually I would write a novel.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

I have always believed in reincarnation. Even as a kid, I could not relate to other children my age. I have always felt like an old soul.

What are some of your pet peeves?

People that need a lot of attention. I am never bored; I always have something to do or somewhere to go.

Where were you born/grew up at?

I was born in Colchester, England and grew up in Southern California. It was nice to be able to go from the mountains to the beach in one weekend. I also liked the mild weather.

Who is your hero and why?

I don't really have one person as a hero. I admire people that struggle to succeed. It's easy to give up.

What kind of world ruler would you be?

Compassionate.

What are you passionate about these days?

My work and writing. I am a Real Estate Broker and sell mostly second home mountain resort properties. Lots of people in Phoenix want to get out of the heat in the summer. I sell to a lot of teachers and retired folk. I enjoy what I do.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I did a lot of skiing and backpacking. Now I'm getting older I enjoy traveling and writing. I spent the last few years during COVID finishing my novel.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

Stress free, laid back.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I had a short story published a few years ago in an anthology of International Writers. It was about a girl that bought an old muffin pan at a thrift store and the muffins she baked in it killed people.

Do you have a favorite movie?

I would have to say "Silence of the Lambs" is one of my top 10.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

Haha! I only have one out. Changing Tide would make a great movie. Also, it wouldn't break the bank to cast it.

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

I guess it would have to be an alien. One of the greys, like in my book.

Dive into this fast-paced, suspenseful Sci-Fi fantasy novel that melds sizzling romance, action, heart-stopping horror, and a high-stakes battle to save humanity.

Changing Tide
by Robert Joncas
June 29, 2023
Genre: YA SciFi Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Horror
I had to do it.

I wouldn't let anyone else I love die.

What did I do ...

A wild adventure that takes you on a journey from the California coast to the depths of the Grand Canyon. Dive into this fast-paced, suspenseful Sci-Fi fantasy novel that melds sizzling romance, action, heart-stopping horror, and a high-stakes battle to save humanity.

After her father's tragic death, eighteen-year-old Skye Conner and her mom visit her Nana on the California coast. There, Skye stumbles across a mystical conch shell in the surf. Suddenly her dull, empty life takes on a thrilling and terrifying turn.

Skye has had to endure a despondent mother drowning in grief, living in a private world of darkness. Nana is a feisty, intelligent, take-no-bull grandmother with a flaming sense of pride and heart of gold. Then comes a handsome, mesmerizing alien on a mission to save the Earth. But are his intentions sincere, or does he have another agenda?

Skye has finally found someone to love, but can he be trusted? Changing Tide is a witty, original page-turning thriller that will make you look at First Contact in a whole new way.

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--snippet of a review from OnlineBookClub.org--
“Robert Joncas has crafted a compelling narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The pacing is well-balanced, and the author's ability to evoke a wide range of emotions is commendable. Skye's character development is particularly noteworthy, as readers witness her transformation from a grieving and vulnerable girl into a brave and determined young woman.

....Changing Tide is a remarkable book that grabs the reader's attention from the very first page. With its compelling characters, intriguing plot twists, and seamless blending of genres, it is a true page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent reading this book and was genuinely sad when it came to an end. Without a doubt, I highly recommend picking up Changing Tide by Robert Joncas and awarding it a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars.

--snippet of a Review from Literary Titan--
In “Changing Tide,” Robert Joncas masterfully entwines an evocative narrative of a young girl, Skye, wrestling with her personal turmoil while being swept into a journey far beyond her understanding. Haunted by cryptic dreams and grappling with the tragic loss of her father and her mother’s spiraling depression, Skye’s world is painted with a brush of melancholy. However, a glimmer of hope emerges as she rekindles a connection with Paul, an alluring figure from her past, previously known for his childhood mischief.

Robert Joncas showcases an exceptional ability to portray raw emotions and delicate sentiments. His narrative is an intricate tapestry of romance, familial bonds, suspense, and an unmistakably human touch enveloped in a mantle of science fiction. The characters are vividly constructed, each contributing a unique hue to the narrative palette. Nana, Skye’s vivacious and fearless grandmother, was a particular standout, embodying a captivating blend of loyalty and audacious spirit.

The narrative is particularly successful in illustrating Skye’s internal struggle – her battle against emotional turmoil and her hesitant forays into new friendships. The character development of the alien entity is equally commendable, with its adaptation and backstory revealed in a layered, compelling manner.

“Changing Tide” is a warmly recommended read, particularly for young adults who yearn for a slice of relatable, yet enchantingly fantastic, reality. This novel embodies the essence of heartfelt storytelling interlaced with an adventurous spirit, ensuring a riveting reading experience.

Chapter I
First Contact
I never thought anyone close to me would die. I know it seems unrealistic because, sooner or later, we all die. But dying is supposed to happen in the future, like getting old. When you're eighteen, you shouldn't have to think about death. The idea of death takes you to a dark place where no one young ever wants to be.

It was the second week of June, and the first faint evidence of dawn trickled into the room. I pulled the curtain back, and fog blanketed the beach, darkening my mood. But then, a peculiar light shone from the shoreline in the distance, casting an eerie glow, like a beacon, in the mist.

I pulled a pink tee shirt from the closet and grabbed a pair of shorts from the pine dresser. Finally, I jerked a purple hoodie over my head, slipped on my flip-flops, and ran outside.

The strange light in the distance glowed like a full moon on a cloudy night. I crossed the beach and drifted in that direction. The long lines of white waves that swept across the shore glowed with a warm, radiant light. I kicked off my sandals at the shoreline, treading barefoot in the cold surf. Shivering, I clutched the sweatshirt tight around my neck. The ocean swirled around my ankles. I felt tiny shells and bits of seaweed in the ribbed sand under my feet.

Last week, after my high school graduation, Mom and I had flown from Phoenix to Nana's house in Crescent Cove, a small tourist town on the California coast. It was a two-hour flight from Phoenix to Sacramento, then another forty-five minutes in a small plane to the nearest airport. It would have been almost ten hours in the car had we driven. Unfortunately, Mom was in no condition to help me drive, so Nana said she would pick us up at the airport.

By the time we picked up our luggage, Nana was waiting outside the terminal in her old VW van. The trip was hard on Mom. Dark circles of exhaustion were under her eyes, and her hair hung in matted strings against her pale cheeks. She collapsed into the front seat while Nana helped me load the baggage into the back of the van.

When we drove up to the house, I knew it right away, even though it had been five years since I'd last been there. The red shutters and gray wood shingle siding looked the same as I remembered. I knew the inside would smell of lemon polish, and everything would be spotless and scrubbed.

Without seeing it, I knew the old back deck would be the same: weathered but sturdy and always covered in sand. I could picture Dad grilling and sipping beer while Mom and I watched the waves crash on the shore. I had hoped coming here would be a distraction, but memories of Dad continued to flood my mind.

My stomach ached as I remembered the heavy black dress I wore to Dad's funeral on that scorching day in Phoenix. The air was sizzling, too hot. I'd had to take deep breaths to keep from passing out. Although a canopy shaded the gravesite, the temperature was over 100 degrees. I ached with grief that I couldn't at least see Dad one last time — to make sure it was really him who'd died in that horrible accident. The burning car wreck left his body unidentifiable. The funeral home cremated what was left of his remains.

As I followed the light through the surf, the sea surged with a rolling wave that knocked me over. It was as if something had stirred below the ocean and was rising from the deep. I threw my hands out to break my fall but landed in the shallows on my butt. I sat motionless in the surf, shivering in my wet clothes…

About the Author
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Robert grew up in Southern California and has worked as a Real Estate Broker in Flagstaff, AZ, for many years. He has a BS in Health Science and graduated with Distinction from the prestigious UCLA Writers' Program, where he studied under Author Lynn Hightower in her Master Novel Classes. He is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the Horror Writers Association.

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Interview: Sci-fi Thriller Authors J J Cook + giveaway

The Percivious Trilogy is a bit of sci-fi, a bit of a medical thriller, and also a romance, how do you straddle these genres?
Cooks: We like to think of the trilogy as genre defying. While it is fair, and I suppose most appropriate to consider Percivious Insomnia a medical sci-fi story we deliberately did not shy away from writing across a variety of genres as the trilogy demanded. We don’t live life in one genre so in our opinion our story should not be restricted to one either. In Percivious Insomnia as well as Percivious Origins the reader will experience sci-fi, action, mystery and big-screen romance. It was our goal to pen a tale that would appeal to a large number of readers regardless their age, gender or literary preferences, and straddling a variety of genres became part of the equation. Having said that, I feel that Percivious Origins falls predominantly into plausible sci-fi and potentially speculative fiction.

You’ve said that illuminating issues of climate change with your writing is very important to you, please explain.

Cooks: We found ourselves contemplating how a story can bring us together on this planet as a society and as a species. It would be the greatest failure imaginable to destroy this planet before we discover what it is capable of. We were well into the writing of Percivious Insomnia, nearly finished, when the idea for Percivious Origins took hold. It was one of those epic quiet evenings when the arc for the rest of the trilogy, not just Percivious Origins, came to us. Inspiration struck from a number of sources not the least of which included our affinity for nature and specifically our love of the planet, the ocean and its creatures, most predominantly the whales that inhabit it. We have spent countless hours researching these magnificent animals that share the planet with us and it was their culture and emotional capacity that inspired the creation of our XYZ characters introduced in Percivious Origins. The plot of book 2 was also inspired by recent proof of black holes and the importance of the connection we have to the universe, the earth, but most importantly, ultimately, to each other.

What is it like to write as a husband and wife team?

J.J. Cook: Arguably, Percivious Origins was more charged with “debates” we affectionately now call “doozies” thanks to their increased frequency during the writing of book 2. I had a revelation while writing Percivious Origins. You can think you know someone, especially your partner, only to be surprised, yet again. Agreeing to write sci-fi, which wouldn’t have been the path I would have set out on had I been writing on my own, seemed exciting initially. AJ, a huge sci-fi fan, would ensure that the science was solid which would enhance believability so that the characters and the story would be guaranteed to stay front and center. How hard could it be? The only thing was, and I learned this in the very early days of writing Percivious Origins, that he is more than just a sci-fi fan, he is a science fan and I was very quickly drowning in the vastness of space - terms, physics and ideas I knew very little about. It was a humbling experience and to be honest one I would have rather avoided. But, this story, Percivious, is one that haunts us and the characters would not let me go. So, we persevered through time, space and countless doozies in order to finish the novel which in my opinion is the heart of the trilogy.

Percivious: Escape (Percivious Book 3)
by J J Cook & A J Cook, MD
Nov 8, 2022
Genre: SciFi Thriller
Who will survive when the future can only be saved by the past?

A vicious insomnia pandemic devolves into a devastating apocalypse, and humanity teeters on the brink of extinction in the thrilling final installment of the Percivious Trilogy, Escape.

Emerging from the dark side of the moon, the HELIX and its crew embark on a desperate effort to save the last of their species—and ours.

An unexpected alliance forms between humans and the XYZ—Earth’s first intelligent hominid species—to stop the pandemic once and for all. But when unforeseen forces surface, Herriden, captain of the HELIX—which carries the last of the cetacean XYZs—must make an unfathomable choice, if it’s not already too late . . .

Percivious: Escape is an astonishing conclusion to the Percivious Trilogy, in which life as we know it will never be the same.

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Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/YHVPLGXKa_s

Excerpt
They had started to just go along with it. The kids. They had been quicker to adapt to the exhaustion. What was at first but a blip in their well-imagined world had become the new “normal,” and they waited more patiently now, after months of tantrums, having forgotten how it was before. Now they were resigned to the fact that their parents just couldn’t do any better; they simply had no more to give.

His practiced hands shook with her safety belt. His mind was elsewhere. Still clinging to the smallest shred of hope that they would one day return to a life laced with discontent and dissatisfaction. A life that seemed a mirage now when compared to the insomnia-ravaged existence the world begged relief from. He thought he heard a click. But it was muffled and distant. The insomnia had gradually worn away his once-sharp senses and replaced them with cloudy, condensed versions of themselves that refused to fully come to life at his command.

The car drifted down the familiar route, late for preschool yet again. He needed to change lanes to make his exit, as he had done hundreds of times. It had become a reflex, a turn he took subconsciously. But with reflexes that no longer responded on time and eyes that now offered the equivalent of a side mirror’s perspective, he waited far too long. And as the garbage truck rear-ended the sedan and the airbag erupted against his chest, crushing his arm and simultaneously burning his flesh, his sleepy mind did not register his daughter’s screams as she was catapulted against the back of his seat. Her seatbelt, not securely fastened, failed to save her from the force of the impact, powerful enough to snap her tiny neck at nearly one hundred thirty kilometers per hour, immediately stifling the last time she would call “Daddy” at three years of age.

The Audi’s dashboard continued to blare the dismal daily news despite the blow. A newscaster urged listeners to never mind car accidents, as it was plane crashes that brought about mass-scale devastation on a daily basis. But the official reports were of isolated incidents, and there was always an explanation. To a talk show guest who was heartsick at her children not having seen their grandmother in over eighteen months and the compounding pressure she felt to visit, one last time, while there was still a chance, the guilt felt like a crushing tsunami on the shoulders of a daughter who had moved clear across the country. How could she hope to explain the situation to her mother struggling with sleep deprivation that had paved the way for early onset dementia? How could she possibly help her to understand that now there were simply no flights left, that all but the emergent were cancelled? Now she would be forced to gather the extended family for what would undoubtedly be another tear-filled video conference with Grandma’s hand up against the screen for the closest thing to contact with her beloved grandchildren she was allowed. Although none of the airlines would admit to it, the cancellations had been forced because the air traffic controllers and pilots could no longer function reliably due to their long shifts and trips through multiple time zones combined with the effects of the insomnia. As a consequence, the airlines could no longer guarantee the safety of any passengers. Which translated to the price of potential casualties rising past the acceptable level of corporate risk.

All of these changes were only relevant if the once-safe, now-dangerous forms of transportation had gas. Which had been erased as an option for countries that could not produce their own. Beyond the frustrating lack of fuel was the sister pandemic of drilling disasters that had resulted in hundreds of deaths of offshore crewmembers—mothers, daughters, fathers, and sons—who would never return to shore. These operators, already well versed in the practice of sleep deprivation, thanks to the grueling shift work they were subjected to, suffered the most. This, alongside the wave of insomnia, left them delirious, unable to make critical decisions and unable to recover. In addition, the resulting devastation to the environment, particularly the oceans, as a result of the oil spills, had been catastrophic. And the size of the resulting damage made the Exxon Valdez a glass of spilled milk by comparison.

One of the few remaining ambulances available, complete with two tired and traumatized EMTs, delivered the distraught father and his unresponsive three-year-old daughter to the emergency room and into the care of an exhausted medical resident nearly finished with her twenty-four-hour shift. It was with tears in her eyes, yet relief in her heart, that she delivered the news to the father that his little girl was gone. While she would have done everything in her power to save the child, she was quietly grateful she wouldn’t have to, because the number of medical errors she had almost made over the last twenty-three hours had her fearful for her patients’ lives in her own hands.

Instead, she placed a gentle palm on the shoulder of the father who held his dead daughter’s tiny hand in his own as she lay stiff, still on the ambulance gurney. He was unable to stop the shaking heaves of grief that stole his breath and dislodged a year’s worth of pandemic-induced tears he had fought so hard not to let fall. They cried together over the loss of the little one. A loss that should have never happened—was senseless—but was all too soon becoming inevitable for them all as they faced a storm of insomnia that seemed only to be picking up in speed.

**Don't miss the other books in the series!**

Percivious: Insomnia (Percivious Book 1)

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Percivious: Origins (Percivious Book 2)

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About the Authors

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J J Cook’s background in marketing across a spectrum of industries—technology, finance, and the arts—brings insight and depth to characters spanning an array of disciplines, ages, countries, and cultures.

AJ COOK, MD’s current role as chief of pediatric urology at the Alberta Children’s Hospital has allowed him the opportunity to author and contribute to numerous published studies, honing his writing skills, while his experience as a surgeon -- as well as the relationships he’s developed with his young patients and their guardians -- has contributed credibility and realism to the narrative.

They attribute the creation of the Percivious trilogy not only to the marriage of their unique skills and perspectives, but also to their marriage of each other.

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Book Review: Blood Cull (A novel of the Demon Accords Book 18) by John Conroe

Blood Cull (A novel of the Demon Accords – Book 18)

by John Conroe
Sept 2, 2022
Pages: 379
Before the end, there is often change, and change can be very painful. Declan and Stacia come face-to-face with the most powerful elemental of them all, one with the power to eliminate mankind before the Vorsook ever show up. It’s time to confront his destiny, and decide what it means to be the most powerful witch of all time.

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Blood cull brings us face-to-face with some real dire situations for Declan, Stacia and all of humankind. Declan and the team strategize on how to survive a Vorsook attack which is imminent when the most powerful elemental of all the elementals shows up and changes everything. One thing is for sure, if humans and the supernatural don’t work together, there will be no planet left.

I have been Conroe’s books for years and I have to say this one might be the best one yet. It challenges readers to think about where our world is right now and many of the social, political, and world events are front and center in this story. This book is so well written. It’s thoughtful but yet the story is still excellent, and the book is a breeze to read. I look forward to seeing what the next book in the series brings.

Getting 5 sheep

Denise B

About the Author:
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Conroe wrote his first readable novel, God Touched, right after finishing his daughter's copy of Twilight and muttering: "Vampires don't farging sparkle!"

With seven more books in the series and a stand alone novel (Black Frost), he doesn't seem to be slowing down. He cut his reading teeth on the likes of Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, JRR Tolkien, Robert Heinlein, Andre Norton, and H. Beam Piper.

Financial professional by day and author by night (actually by morning), he bangs out his stories with fingers that are usually sore from forge burns or getting beat up at the dojo.

5 Fun Facts About The Akseli (Aldebarian Alliance #4) by Dianne Duvall + giveaway

5 Fun Facts About The Akseli

Hello! Thank you for joining us in celebrating the release of THE AKSELI, the fourth stand-alone novel in my exciting new Aldebarian Alliance series. If you like sci-fi or paranormal romance with strong heroes and kick-ass heroines, action scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, fun secondary characters, humor, passion, and happily-ever-afters, then I think you’ll enjoy Eliana and Dagon’s story.

I have been beyond thrilled by the interest the preview of THE AKSELI has sparked. (You can find it here: https://dianneduvall.com/the-akseli). So today, I thought I would share five fun facts about Janwar and Simone’s story.

1

Though Simone’s introduction to deep space is intense and her need to seek vengeance very real, there’s quite a bit of humor in THE AKSELI. I always enjoy creating characters who can kick ass but also love to laugh and tease. That description fits Simone perfectly. She is utterly fierce in battle but sparks smiles and laughter from even the most withdrawn character in the book. I hope she and Janwar’s crew will make you laugh, too.

2

Something happens in THE AKSELI that fans have never seen before in my books. Here’s the only hint I’ll offer: It happens on Promeii 7. Mentioned in passing in previous books, Promeii 7 is the Las Vegas of the galaxy. As one character said in THE PURVELI: “What doesn’t happen on Promeii 7?” Simone will do something there that no other Immortal Guardian in history has, and I had so much fun writing it. ;-)

3

The Aldebarian Alliance series is tied to my Immortal Guardians series. BUT if you’re new to my work, don’t worry. You don’t have to read the IG books to enjoy the Aldebarian Alliance stories.

4

I enjoyed the research I had to do for this one. I always try to infuse my books with as much realism as possible, which requires me to explore a wide variety of subjects. For this one, I researched how low or no gravity affects the body (which is trippy), how higher gravity would affect the body, icy moons and the geological formations found on them, the atmospheres of different planets in our solar system (to use as a reference), wormholes, the science of science fiction (what is accurate and what isn’t), futuristic weaponry, and more. I found it all fascinating.

5

Janwar’s ship is the coolest spaceship I’ve created in the Aldebarian Alliance series. If I had to venture into space, I would definitely want to do so on the Tangata, especially if that voyage included engaging the bad guys in battle. And I’ve really come to love the Tangata’s makeshift-family crew.

Thanks again for joining us! I hope you’ll enjoy THE AKSELI!

The Akseli (Aldebarian Alliance #4)
by Dianne Duvall
October 11th, 2022
Genre: sci-fi romance, genetic engineering, first contact

New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the next stand-alone novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action and humor.

Simone has hunted and slain psychotic vampires night after night for hundreds of years and desperately needs a change. When the leader of the Immortal Guardians offers her an opportunity to guard ten mortal women who are venturing to another planet, she dives right in and finds traveling into space and meeting amazing alien races just as exciting as she'd hoped… until an enemy attacks. Simone saves everyone she can before she's thrust into an escape pod and the ship explodes. Alone, fearing some—if not all—of her friends have been killed, she vows to seek vengeance.

Despite his fierce reputation and propensity for violating the law, Janwar has formed a friendship with strait-laced Prince Taelon of Lasara. When the prince's ship is destroyed, Janwar joins the massive Aldebarian Alliance-wide search and rescue mission and soon locates the Gathendien ship that launched the attack. An odd thing happens, however, as he and his crew stealthily approach it. The lifeforms inside begin to perish, two or three at a time in quick succession. Much to his surprise, someone else has reached the ship first: one of the very Earth women he hoped to rescue.

Fascinatingly fierce, Simone bands together with Janwar and his crew to search for her missing friends and wreak havoc upon those who wish to harm them. She also widens eyes, drops jaws, and sparks laughter and mischief as she banishes the warriors' world-weariness and makes each day seem like a new adventure. The friendship that grows between Janwar and Simone swiftly deepens into love. But the enemy warriors they face are tenacious and boast more weapons in their arsenal than the alliance knows. Can Janwar, Simone, and such a small crew vanquish them?

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Aldebarian Alliance Series:

The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance #1)

The Segonian (Aldebarian Alliance #2)

The Purveli (Aldebarian Alliance #3)

About the Author:

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Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, the Aldebarian Alliance sci‐fi romance series, and The Gifted Ones medieval and time‐travel romance series. The Lasaran, the first book in the Aldebarian Alliance Series, was a #1 Audible Mover & Shaker. The Segonian, the second book in the Aldebarian Alliance Series, was a Barnes&Noble Top Indie Favorite. Audible chose Awaken the Darkness as one of the Top 5 Best Paranormal Romance Audiobooks of 2018. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), “extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and "wonderfully imaginative" (The Romance Reviews). Dianne's books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards. And her audiobooks have been awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award for Excellence.

Dianne's books have all appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and/or Kobo Bestseller lists. The first book in Dianne's The Gifted Ones series, A Sorceress of His Own, is a prequel of sorts to Darkness Dawns. A USA Today bestseller, A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that was awarded the AudioFile Earphones Award for Excellence and was an Audie Finalist. The second book in the series, Rendezvous With Yesterday, is a time travel romance that won the GraveTells Readers' Choice Award for Best Historical Romance.

In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-winning screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.

When she isn't writing, Dianne is very active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the psychotic vampires she creates in her books.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com or sign up for her Newsletter. You can also find Dianne online . . .

TOUR-WIDE GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate the release of The Akseli, Dianne Duvall will be giving away a Prize Pack to (2) two separate readers (US only please) AND a $25 Amazon Gift Card to (2) two separate readers! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form found in this post. Follow along with the Blog Tour at DianneDuvall.com for more chances to win daily. Good luck!

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Interview: Science fiction author Graham Fluster + giveaway

What can we expect from you in the future?
For books, I’ve already started the sequel to I Guess We’re Heroes, so expect that within the next year or so. For games, I write modules for single-session TTRPGs (up to 6 players) and murder mystery parties (up to 20 players). I’ve written and play tested several modules already, and am currently putting the finishing touches on them before posting. For updates on any of my projects, follow me on Twitter (@GrahamFluster), and you’ll be the first to know when they’re available!

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
The characters in the near-future plotline were based on several archetypes of academics that I noticed in college: those who learn for the intrinsic sake of learning, those who learn so they can improve the lives of others, and those who learn so they can make money. I made sure that each of those motivations was represented by one of the main scientists.

The characters in the distant-future plotline were written in the reverse order: I started with making the world around them, and then thought about what sorts of people would be produced by that environment.

How did you come up with the title of the book?
I’ve always enjoyed the premise of characters who have no business saving the world being roped into saving the world, and the title I Guess We’re Heroes felt like it captured that vibe perfectly.

I Guess We're Heroes
by Graham Fluster

April 26, 2022

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

A team of scientists discover intelligent alien life, and start a dangerous race to capitalize on the opportunity. As the decades pass, however, first contact fades from living memory, and is mysteriously absent from any official historical records. For the next five centuries humanity ventures out to the stars, their various political factions leaving no shortage of problems for an enterprising crew to make a living off of. The mercenaries of Specialized Support Contractors were only looking for small jobs befitting their fledgling company, but soon find themselves forced into the limelight when their employer’s ambitions place an ancient alien weapon in their possession. Digging deeper into the origins of their cargo brings even more heat from vested interests who want the truth of humanity’s first contact with alien life to be kept secret. With entire planets caught in the crosshairs of a looming interstellar war, any choice the mercenaries make could have catastrophic consequences.

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Alice struggled to pay attention to her work while Jamie swept his camera around the Galactic Exploration Corporation’s brand new scillicite lab. When left to her usual workflow, Alice was completely at home with the supercomputers, experimental sensors, and vast assortment of electronic parts for custom-crafting new tools; with Jamie filming over her shoulder, however, she was keenly aware of every movement and facial expression being immortalized on the memory card. Even when the camera was pointed at Gideon and Ryota, she still felt rigid from the thought that it could turn back to her at any moment.

The obnoxiously cheerful marketing manager normally wouldn’t film projects himself, but Jamie had wanted to be directly involved for the debut of the Scillicite Proximity Detector’s first prototype. Once he had enough footage of them working individually, Jamie backed up for a shot of all three scientists conducting their final safety checks. Finished with his wide shot, he focused in on Alice to start the introduction. “Care to walk me through what you’re doing?”

“Not particularly,” she responded flatly, pushing the camera away from her with one hand as she continued typing on her laptop with the other. “My notes on the SPD are all on the server. Read as much as you like.”

“You won’t get more money from the board of directors without a little showmanship, Dr. Turner; I need you to help me make this project pop!” Jamie said. Before hiring the three physicists, the Galactic Exploration Corporation had been entirely focused on engineering spaceships from known and proven concepts, and Jamie had worked for GEC long enough to know that a showy debut would be necessary to keep the new research wing of the company alive.

“You people in marketing making things ‘pop’ is GEC’s problem,” Alice grumbled. “‘Galactic’ is such a presumptuous title for a company that hasn’t even left the solar system yet. Half of our ships just fly rich tourists in low orbit around Terra, and the ones capable of leaving our planet’s gravity well only go as far as the asteroid belt.”

“You have to walk before you can run,” Jamie said. “Besides, the asteroid mining industry is the first step in exploring past—”

“I’ll handle the introduction,” Gideon said, gesturing for the camera to be turned towards him. Being the son of the company’s CEO, Gideon figured it was his right to be the face of the research team. “I’m Dr. Gideon Wright, and these are my colleagues Dr. Alice Turner and Dr. Ryota Saito. Here we have our latest prototype of the Scillicite Proximity Detector, a device that will greatly reduce the difficulty of locating new sources of scillicite and bring in an obscene profit from selling our surplus to the highest bidder.”

“Money is the least interesting thing here,” Ryota chimed in, turning away from his computer. “If we’re successful, the additional scillicite will accelerate new discoveries that break the laws of physics and improve people’s lives.”

“It’s not ‘breaking’ physics,” Alice said, sufficiently annoyed by Ryota’s oversimplification to end her boycott of Jamie’s camera. “Scillicite allows us to interact with the world like any other tool, but in a much more powerful way. It only looks like it’s ‘breaking’ the rules because we have an incomplete understanding of them.”

“Would you elaborate a little further?” Jamie prompted, happy that he finally had the whole lab involved.

Alice sighed, and continued working on the initialization checks as she spoke. “Imagine you lived on a tropical island with no mountains before the invention of the freezer. Since the temperature never goes below freezing naturally, you never would have seen water turn to ice. As far as you know, water can never be a solid, it’s only ever a liquid or a gas. Then, one of your friends invents a freezer, and you see water become a solid. The freezer hasn’t ‘broken’ the physics of water, it’s simply a tool that gave you access to a different set of rules that you didn’t know existed before.”

“And with those new rules, we can do a lot more than we could with our previous toolkits,” Ryota said, taking over before Alice said something rude to the camera again. “In the three years since asteroid miners first brought scillicite to Terra, multiple labs have independently confirmed its use in many applications, including changing the strength of molecular bonds in a steel plate, causing heat to flow from cold to hot in a copper wire, and here at GEC’s scillicite lab we made a wormhole!”

“What sort of impact would those changes make to the technology we use?” Jamie asked.

“All sorts of things,” Ryota continued. “Stronger steel would allow a crane to lift a heavier payload without bending, keeping wires cold would let a computer operate continuously at full power without worry of frying its circuits, and of course wormholes are the holy grail of travel technology!”

“But those experiments have yet to be engineered into any marketable products,” Gideon said, eager to have the camera back on him. “The change in the strength of the steel plate and the reversed heat flow in the copper were barely measurable, and the wormhole only moved a single atom across a few centimeters of space before collapsing. The real prize is controlling the supply of new scillicite while everyone else scrambles to figure out how to best use it, and that’s exactly what the SPD will capitalize on. GEC’s early dominance in the asteroid mining industry has resulted in us owning 85% of Terra’s stockpile of scillicite, and that number will grow even higher when the SPD boosts the efficiency of our mining ships.” Gideon assumed that GEC would sell most of its surplus to their own government, given that Phevra’s defense budget was far greater than any other nation on Terra, but he decided to leave speculations of GEC joining the military-industrial complex to the executives’ greedy imaginations.

About the Author

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Graham Fluster’s love of writing began with creating stories for tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, GURPS, and D20 Future, and has since evolved into the (slightly) less chaotic formats of science fiction and fantasy novels.

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AFTER: A Post-Apocalyptic Survivor Series (Entire Collection)

AFTER: A Post-Apocalyptic Survivor Series (Entire Collection)

September 3rd, 2021
Genre: Book Collection/ Dystopian/ Post-Apocalypse

Publisher: Eerie River
This is not our world. This is the world AFTER.

Featuring the entire eight-part novelette series

We challenged eight Eerie River authors to imagine life AFTER the world we know is destroyed by a cataclysmic event, leaving our species on the brink and struggling to survive. In each of these stories you will find a new world, years after the old one was ravaged by war, disease, invasion, climate change or mythological event.

In the caves and on the roads, through transformation and violence, and in the empty spaces left by the vanishing sea, discover the fate of the humanity that remains, both familiar and alien. Where survival is a struggle and the future lives in the ruins of the past.

This is not a collection of stories about how the world ends.

These are stories of how humanity survives.

Fans of “Love, Death + Robots” will love this collection!

Featuring Eight Original Stories:

Derelict by T.M. Brown

A Place Beyond the Storm by David Green

Quantum Rule by Jay Sandlin

The Creeping Void by Tim Mendees

Heart of Thorns by Chris Hewitt

Fading Echoes by Joel R. Hunt

Carry On by Holley Cornetto

Sin Chaser by S.O. Green

Amazon

Book Blitz Organized By:

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Excerpt: Crazy Rich Aliens by Jay Cannon

Crazy Rich Aliens

by Jay Cannon 

August 24, 2020
308 pages

Penda is heiress to one of the richest families in southeast Asia. Her dream is to create a startup that will commercialize space travel to Mars. To go her own way will ruin her relationship with her family, which is already strained from her being openly gay. Paul, her twin brother, wants to maintain family traditions and is angry with Penda for turning her back on them. Worse, Penda's business partner is Paul's ex-fiancée.

At an elaborate costume ball, Penda and Paul meet Luke, a gorgeous stranger wearing an alien "costume". They join him on an exotic yacht and after a night of partying, wake up on Tauran, a planet of gender-neutral beings. After their initial shock, Paul comes to view the trip as a business opportunity, while Penda prefers to learn about Tauran culture.

Penda soon falls for the amiable Timbor (Luke), heir to the richest fortune in the galaxy. Then the warm welcome to Tauran evaporates. Terrorists abduct Penda. She escapes but is relentlessly hunted. She must now evade government agents, xenophobes, and Timbor's jealous suitor on a strange planet, while foiling a plot to invade Earth, and defending her new friend, an alien.

Praise for Crazy Rich Aliens:

“Crazy Rich Aliens is more than a parody." —New York Times bestselling author Andrew Shaffer

“A rip-roaring tale with Cannon’s trademark engagingly quirky aliens.”  —Hugo Award-winner Morgan Gendel

“JC Canon’s strengths are on full display in Crazy Rich Aliens. The complex characters and detailed world-building will keep you coming back for every last bit of this fun and engrossing tale!” —J.D. Sanderson, author of AROUND THE DARK DIAL

Amazon (only print on amazon)

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Excerpt from Crazy Rich Aliens, Chapter 11
“Join our rebellion. The group here, representatives of their species, gathers information, collects supplies, and creates distractions to cover for more aggressive and disruptive acts by our fighters. They are hiding in caves outside of town where the magnetic properties of the hills keep them hidden from Tauran scans. We could use your help.”

“I’ll try to speak with Timbor. What else can we do?”

Chato reached between the workers at the table and picked out what looked like small pellets and showed them to Paul and Su-Yee. “Place one of these into Timbor, Kandra, and Murta’s pockets. Don’t worry if you can’t do all of them. They will aid our friends in the field to track and kidnap them and force the release of our people. We just want to go home.” Chato placed a hand on Paul’s chest, its eyes pleading.

Paul slid the hand away and shook his head. “Won’t they just recapture you from your planet?”

“They took us by surprise in the initial attack. Our defenses will keep it from happening again.”

“It wouldn’t be right to betray people who have shown us nothing but kindness.”

“So, you asked to be brought to Tauran?”

“No, but—"

“You haven’t asked to return?”

“Yes, but—”

“And you are free to walk around anywhere you like?”

“I have concerns over our treatment and their real intentions,” said Su-Yee. “I’m willing to speak to Timbor, but if the Taurans are as vicious and conniving as you say they are, I’m afraid we would put our own lives in peril.”

One of the larger aliens at the table stood and took a swat at Chato, knocking it back and yelling something. Chato responded and the alien abruptly stood and continued the shouting while stealing glances at Paul and Su-Yee.

Paul edged into the doorway, now filled with onlookers, pulling Su-Yee with him.

Chato shoved the alien back to its seat. “They don’t trust you. Run!” An alien across the table fired a weapon at Chato, slamming its body into the wall.

Paul grabbed Su-Yee’s hand and pulled her down the narrow corridor, dodging bodies as they went. They heard yelling behind them, but they didn’t turn to look. It must have been a call to arms, as the aliens in the corridor attacked them. Their weakened states and smaller frames made it easy for Paul to shove past them. He even tossed a couple at their pursuers.

They reached the storage room and closed the door behind them. Paul wedged a shelf against it. “It won’t hold long.”

“What do you suggest?”

Paul responded by lifting the grate from the floor and glancing at Su-Yee for approval.

Su-Yee shook her head. “There’s alien sewage and dead bodies down there.”

Paul nodded, then jumped into the darkness. Su-Yee shrieked, stamped her feet, and pounded her fists against her sides. As the door gave way, she jumped down after him.

About the Author:

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Jay Cannon (JC) grew up in the projects of western Michigan. After high school, he joined the Navy where he worked on the flight deck of aircraft carriers. After leaving the Navy, JC spent twenty years as a computer programmer, mostly at startups, in the United States, England, France and Sweden. After working at Microsoft for sixteen years, he retired and moved to DC where he joined Congress as a technical fellow. At the end of the fellowship, he and his wife moved to Richmond, Virginia and joined the James River Writers where he writes. He has written two technical manuals, five science fiction novels and a poetry book.

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