In the Beginning – Blitz

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Sci Fi/Space Opera
Date Published: Sept 5th 2017
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The origins of Judeo-Christian religion and mythology come together in this mature science fiction page-turner.
To combat overpopulation on the planet Orion, the government releases a birth control virus to keep women from becoming pregnant. Only the brightest and most attractive of their species are allowed to mate. But the virus rages out of control, killing both mother and child. Attempts to develop a cure fail. They only have one option left: search other worlds for advanced societies that may be able to help.
The two most intelligent minds on Orion—and former best friends—Lucifer and Zues band together to search for a secret planet. When they finally arrive, they are greeted with unexplainable death and destruction. This planet is not the answer. Something doesn’t add up. They discover an extra unknown planet in the solar system.
The new planet is covered in lush land masses and bodies of water. Different species of hominids run—and mate—freely. Fire-breathing dragons guard the land. Lucifer is determined to figure out who or what created this planet. He thinks it just might be the key to saving Orion and the Orionites.

 

Excerpt
Hippolyta cleared the launch tube and dived down into the planete’s atmosphere. It only took her a few seconds to begin to get a full view of the alien planete. She had heard the rumors that this planete wasn’t actually a planete—that it was artificial or something like that. Sure looks real to me, she thought as she made her approach. The closer she got to the actual planete itself, the more amazed she became.
This place is huge, and it’s gorgeous. It’s perfect. No pollution, no buildings, nothing covering up its inherent natural beauty. It is too perfect; maybe this place isn’t real after all. It’s too good to be true, too beautiful to have just happened by chance.
She found herself completely mesmerized by the incredible landscapes, gigantic bodies of sparkling blue water, and enormous amounts of vegetation existing all over this untouched planete. Then as if out of nowhere, she saw it. Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! It was one of the gigantic flying beasts that were supposedly capable of breathing fire or something like that. She had been briefed on their existence. She had even been shown pictographs, but she quickly realized that until this very moment, when she was seeing one of the great beasts with her own eyes, she hadn’t really believed it.
She brought her Vimana to a complete stop and hovered in midair, not moving at all. She knew that she was in no real danger. Her Vimana was cloaked, and the miniature arc-core power source that Vimanas used was completely silent. Flight operations of Vimanas in general were completely silent. There was no exhaust or propulsion system to speak of. Vimanas moved air and space around them; they didn’t actually move through air and space, although it seemed as if they did.
“What a majestic creature! Hera, help me!” she heard herself say. Hera was Hippolyta’s grandmother. She was the greatest female warrior in Orionite history. So great, in fact, that the Orionite government deemed her worthy of deification. Hippolyta knew that it was disrespectful to say her grandmother’s name aloud since she had been made a deity, but when she was alone, where no one else could hear her, she often did. It just made her feel better.
For a few moments, she sat there completely still, in wonderment of the sheer power and grace that the creature possessed, and then said to herself, “I am going to have to go in for a closer look at this magnificent beast.” Hippolyta moved her Vimana slowly toward the creature. She was able to match its speed and came up along the side of the winged beast.
It looks like it has armor plating on its chest and head. I’d like to see it shoot some fire out of its mouth, as Mikael said it could, she thought.
Then suddenly the beast flipped end over end and turned toward her ship. Hippolyta brought the Vimana to a complete stop and didn’t move a muscle. She was holding her breath, she realized. It appeared as if the creature were looking directly at her. What the fuck? There was no way this thing could know that she was here. She was completely cloaked and completely silent. And that was when it came.
Hippolyta got her wish as a gigantic superhot blue-and-white ball of fire shot out from the creature’s mouth and totally enveloped her Vimana. “Fuck!” Hippolyta screamed as her Vimana began to plummet toward the surface of the planete. She attempted to regain control of the craft, but her flight systems were not responding. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the craft began to come back online, and she was able to reestablish control of the ship.
“Holy fuck! How did that thing see me? Must have some kind of infrared vision or some bullshit like that. That’s fucked up!” she said as she evened out her flight path. She got on the horn and spoke into her comm unit. “Olympus actual, this is Sergeant Hippolyta requesting immediate assistance. My ship has been damaged, and I may not be able to make it back into orbit.” She waited for a reply for one second, two seconds, three. “Olympus actual, please respond and advise.”
There was no answer.
“Oh, this is seriously fucking great. Fireball must have fried my communications array. Shit!” She continued on her flight path and tried to decide what to do. She’d probably be able to make it back to the Olympus; she just didn’t know how much damage the ship had endured. Then she saw, or rather sensed, a very large shadow looming over her. She looked up and saw the same creature directly overhead.
“Mikael said these things never left their own territory! Well, that was a total fucking lie! Mikael, fucking dumb-ass son of a bitch, give me good intel before you send me out on a mission! I am so going to kill that motherfucker when I get back! How the fuck is this thing tracking me?”
And then the shadow grew larger. She looked up and saw the great beast descending on her, producing a brilliant stream of blue-and-white flame from its mouth. She put the Vimana into a dead drop and pushed it to its top speed. See ya, you son of a bitch, she thought as she escaped her pursuer. She had started to approach a landmass to the southwest of where they were setting up the Atlantis base when she saw the creature again; it was right on her tail. The beast was matching her speed. She couldn’t believe it. That’s not possible, she thought, and then she saw the flame coming toward her again; this thing was not going away.
She dropped the Vimana down to an even lower altitude and began to follow the path of a wide winding body of water. She was using this winding river like a highway. She had grown desperate to escape the flying menace, but she still couldn’t keep herself from marveling at the incredible beauty and splendor of the untouched waterway that she was using to help navigate her flight path. Then even at this low altitude, she felt the shadow of the creature creep over her Vimana once again.
I’ve got to get the hell out of here, she thought. She didn’t know where to go; she needed a place to hide. The shadow grew larger as the beast began to descend upon her ship. She saw a clearing to the north of the jungle. There, right there. She flew her Vimana through the clearing and a little way into the jungle itself, where it would be under the cover of some large trees.
She didn’t know if this would work. Her Vimana was already cloaked, but it felt better than being out in the open, waiting to be burned alive and eaten. She sat there holding her breath for ten, twenty, thirty minutes, waiting for the blue-and-white flame to cook her where she sat, but fortunately it never came. After she got herself together and after many more failed attempts at contacting the Olympus, Hippolyta decided that it was time to try to make it back to the mother ship, but for some reason, she just couldn’t bring herself to go. Maybe it was fear of encountering the giant flying reptile again, or maybe it was something else. She had been entranced by the beauty of the surrounding jungle the entire time that she had been hiding from her tormentor. She decided that she was going to get out of her Vimana and take a look around.
Just for a few minutes, she thought. The beauty of this place was pulling her toward it; she could feel it. Sergeant Hippolyta popped her cockpit and was the first Orionite person to ever set foot on Terra Firma. She stomped on the ground. Felt like ground to her, but the grass was so green; the skies were so clear. It was familiar but different. It was better…much better. She was nervous about it, but she decided to remove her flight helmet as well. Mikael had said that the air was breathable. Let’s find out, she thought. She removed her helmet and held her breath for a very long time. Then in one big gasp, she sucked the alien air into her lungs.
“Great Hera!” she said to herself as the clean, oxygen-rich, alien air hit her lungs. This is magnificent; this is intoxicating! I feel incredible! Her head felt light; she was initially a little woozy. She had never experienced such raw, untouched, and unpolluted air as this. It was truly a beautiful experience. She lay down in the soft green grass and just soaked in the beauty of the place for a long time. She felt at peace; she felt happy. She felt, maybe for the first time in her life, that she was at home. After spending some time lying in the grass and soaking in the astron rays, Hippolyta sat up and looked around. The jungle was gorgeous. She wanted to go see what was back there, and so she did.
She walked through the jungle and again marveled at its untouched beauty—the plants, flowers, trees all so complete and untouched by the hand of man. She came around a turn, and that was when she saw them. There were hominids up in front of her. “Oh shit!” she whispered to herself as she ducked down behind a rock formation. They didn’t see her.
Thank Hera, she thought. She spied on the hominid creatures for quite a while. They were completely naked and without shame. They were bathing themselves and one another, she noticed, in what must have been a hot spring of some kind. There was a small waterfall up over their heads. The water was clear and beautiful; she could see their forms clearly. They were beautiful, magnificent specimens. They were much taller than the other hominid species she had seen in the pictographs; they were almost as tall as she was.
They don’t have any pictographs of these hominids up on the Olympus, she thought. Their skin, eyes, and hair were so dark. Their bodies were so muscular, their thighs and buttocks so strong, their breasts so firm and full. Sergeant Hippolyta felt something begin to stir down deep between her thighs, a feeling she had never felt before. What the hell is that? she wondered. She shifted on the rock that she was sitting on, but no matter which way she tried to sit, she could never get comfortable. She continued to spy on the hominids bathing in the hot spring.
They’re all female, she suddenly realized. There wasn’t a male among them, and she slowly began to understand that she liked that. Her breathing began to get heavy, and she began to perspire in the heat of the jungle. She began to tug and pull at her flight suit; her skin felt flushed. Other parts of her body began to feel flushed as well. Certain parts of her body began to swell and ache that had never swollen or ached before in her entire existence.
Then as if she were having an out-of-body experience, Sergeant Hippolyta removed her flight suit and her undergarments and stood up on the rock that she had been hiding behind. She stood completely naked for all these gorgeous female alien hominids to see. She wanted them to see her. She knew that she should be embarrassed by her swollen genitalia that could easily be seen through the clear pubic hair that all Orionite women possessed, but for some reason, she was not. She stood tall and proud and naked.
The hominids in the hot spring did see her. They did not seem afraid, however. They seemed curious. Hippolyta slowly stepped off of the rock face and made her way down toward the all-female tribe and then slowly entered the water. It was warm and inviting; it felt so good as the water rose up above her thighs and began to make contact with her swollen and aching clitoris. The alien females began to slowly move toward Hippolyta; they still seemed unafraid. They began to stroke her clear hair. They looked into Hippolyta’s large blue eyes; they explored her face, her nose, her ears, her mouth, her lips, and her neck. Then they began to explore other parts of Hippolyta’s anatomy.

That was the first and last mission that Sergeant Hippolyta ever flew for the Olympus arc vessel. She was never heard from again.About the Author

 

BCE is originally from parts unknown and currently resides in areas of the planet yet to be explored. His favorite pastime is reading old encyclopedias while eating Peanut M&M’s. He does believe that the warehouse depicted at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark actually exists. He has only one goal left in his life that he wishes to accomplish: to live long enough to see the aliens return so he may look over at his beautiful wife in her nursing-home bed and say, “I told you so.”

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The Lighthouse Keeper -Blitz

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Cozy Mystery
Date Published: June 2017
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A few months in a rented beach cottage in Peron Cove seems like the perfect respite for artist Laura to create her next series of paintings. However, hidden behind the idyllic seaside town and its quirky inhabitants lies a dark secret from the past which refuses to remain hidden any longer.

 

About the Author

Lily Night is a Western Australian author who enjoys travel, gaming and photography.

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Adoration – Release Blitz

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Alterity Series, Book 2
Contemporary/ Rocker Romance
Date Published: 9/6/17
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Desire. Surrender. Discovery.
 
A man committed to shaping his future…
 
Austin MacKenzie shares a passionate relationship with Liz Carlisle, a union rooted in mutual respect and honesty. A feat complicated by the vow of purity handed down by his Scottish forefathers and the ire of his scorned ex-girlfriend. When a series of tragedies rock their worlds, the couple must fight for their relationship and lives.
A woman about to discover the mystery of her past…
 
Liz Carlisle has led a challenged life. The survivor of a childhood stained by drug addiction and poverty, Austin MacKenzie’s love is helping to mend her heart from the inside out. But echoes from the past threaten to destroy her newfound happiness.
With music as a common bond…
 
Fate brought them together, but music remains the centrifugal force tying Liz and Austin to one another. With the popularity of their Indie rock group growing, Cupid’s Crush prepares to join alternative rock sensations, Justice Denied, on the European leg of a worldwide tour that promises to catapult them to mega stardom.
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Excerpt
 
Our threshold…
Austin no longer thought of the condo loft as his space alone. More than happy to share the dwelling with Liz, he considered it their space. Extending both arms toward her, he murmured, “Come out on the terrace and dance with me.”
“I’ve never slow danced before. We don’t even have music.”
“Neither have I,” Austin confessed. “It’ll be the first of many first times for us. I just want to be near you.” He placed his hand in the center of her chest. “The beating of your heart is all the music I’ll ever need.”
Liz took his hand and allowed him to lead her out of the glass double doors into the magnificent night. “This is some backyard you have here, Texas.”
“We have. I want us to build a life here. And I’m fairly certain you feel the same.” Austin approached her from behind, reverse bear hugging her against his body. She was soft and warm, her flesh effortlessly matching each part of his. “I want to move all of your things from next door—to make us official.”
“I’d really love that.”
Their beings rocked, imitating the ever-imminent motions of love.
“I don’t think I’d be alive were it not for music,” Liz admitted, the weight of her words more profound with her head flush against his chest. “I was a mess right after the Perry situation. Then, I spent some time in therapy because I attempted suicide. Aunt V sending me to that summer program for young musicians literally saved my life. When I play, it’s like I’m outside of myself and I can see everything so clearly. Is it like that for you?”
“Yeah. Sometimes, I toss my pick and play bare-fingered. There’s something about the feel of the rough strings that’s cleansing—damned near cathartic—even when the tips of my fingers are bruised and covered in bandages. I guess I’ve always had the aptitude for music. It was something my father felt strongly about. He didn’t push Carol and me to do much of anything, but he was adamant that we learn an instrument. The Brat has a lovely singing voice and she plays piano just as well as I do—maybe better.” Austin felt himself swelling with pride. As far as little sisters went, Carol was a keeper.
“When did you know that music was something you seriously wanted to pursue?”
“Oh, that’s easy. The visual of Jimi Hendrix pouring lighter fluid on his guitar and then setting it on fire—man that was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Looking back, I think eleven was probably too young for me to witness the Monterey Pop Festival. No pun intended, but seeing the energy on that stage lit a flame in me that has burned my entire life.”
“What was it about Jimi Hendrix?”
“He just had this way of making a guitar sing. Each note and gesture told its own story. Prince is the only other artist who could hold a flame to Jimi, in my opinion. I must’ve watched that footage at least a hundred times. I think my dad was afraid that he was raising a closeted pyromaniac. I tried hard to emulate him before I found my own voice and style. What about you?”
Liz laughed. “There wasn’t a particular artist that brought me into the realm. I’m a huge fan of girl groups. I love seeing women rock out.”
He knew Liz would be one hell of a rocker. She possessed a rare, raw talent that few artists could claim. Her talent, stage presence, natural beauty, and undeniable sex appeal were qualities that would make Liz Carlisle a star. Recalling how she’d belted out the songs for their demo session, Austin felt a sudden surge of satisfaction. He was so proud of her for realizing one of her dreams. Strength was something he admired about the woman he loved. Given her rough start in life, Liz could have easily folded and let her disadvantages take her down. Instead, she was on the cusp of super stardom and a nursing degree—things she’d sought and earned through sacrifice, hard work and grit.
Austin parted the halves of her silk robe, his hands caressing the tender mounds underneath. He lifted her hair, kissing the bend of her neck. “There was always this emptiness…this overwhelming need in me. I couldn’t pray it away or study it away. Nothing I did filled the hollow ache deep down in my heart. I felt trapped…like my life was on a path that led to nothing but pain and misery.” He twirled her, kissing her when they were face to face, his bottom lip slowly enveloping hers. “That all changed the moment I laid eyes on you. When I saw you my heart was so full.”
Liz swooned, her eyes heavy as she stared up at him with something close to admiration mixed with a heavy dose of love. “Full of what?”
“Love. Lust. Hunger.”
“I thought I was dead the first time I saw you. I looked into your eyes and wondered why such a beautiful man was even wasting his time with me.” Liz rested her head against his chest, her face nuzzling into his bare skin. “I used to dream about what it would be like to live on your side of the mountain. For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong. It’s weird being surrounded by powerful people and actually feeling like I’m a member of the club.”
“Growing up rich isn’t exactly charmed. Sometimes, I still don’t feel like I belong.” Austin nestled his nose into her flowing locks. “I mean, sure you don’t have to worry about the money part but there are other things. The pressure to measure up to your family name. The expectation that you’ll marry well and have kids you’ll raise to be carbon copy cutouts of yourself. That was my biggest fear, I think.”
“What?”
“I feared fading into the crowd and becoming like everyone else.”
“Oh, Texas.” Liz’s lips puckered against his pectoral, the intimate caress bringing with it a peace that calmed Austin straight to the soul. “Trust me, there is no way you’d ever be lost in a crowd. You’re different than all of them because you have the purest heart.” Her arms tightened around his waist. “You saw me—really saw me for the first time in my life. No one like you ever took the time to look past my circumstance and just see the woman underneath. That makes you special. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with you.”
“And you’re beautiful—inside and out.”

About the Author

Ashlynne Laynne is the author of contemporary romance and the award-winning erotic paranormal romance succession, The Progeny Series, as well as an accomplished songwriter and poet. She’s an avid horror movie fan, admitted vamp groupie, and lover of all things Celtic. A hopeless romantic, she’s always had a thing for the fanged ones and hot guys in kilts.
Ashlynne writes on the edge and combines erotica and romance in sensual tales that always feature heroes with heart. A flexitarian, Ashlynne enjoys cooking vegetarian recipes that support a healthier lifestyle. In her spare time, she likes to read, watch crime shows, and spend time with her family. Ashlynne juggles the hats of wife, mother, full time employee and part-time writer, hoping to write exclusively in the future.
Ms. Laynne is an advocate of autism research and is always looking for projects to benefit the cause. She lives in the southern United States with her husband and son.
Ashlynne Stats
Zodiac: Leo
Favorite Music Genres: Alt Rock, 90’s Grunge, Pop
Favorite Musical Acts: Maroon 5, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Imagine Dragons, Florida Georgia Line, Adele, Rob Zombie, Robin Thicke, Kings of Leon, Coldplay, Drake, Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Eminem, Evanescence
Favorite Movie Genre: Horror
Favorite Television Shows: Family Guy, Outlander, Deadly Women, Wives with Knives, American Horror Story, Bate’s Motel, Grey’s Anatomy, Orange is the New Black
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Authors: Stephen King, Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, Sylvia Day
Book Boyfriends: Gideon Cross from the Crossfire Novels, James Fraser from the Outlander Series, Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood
Favorite Literary Heroines: Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games Series, Claire Beauchamp from the Outlander Series
Foods: Yogurt, Chocolate Milk, Chicken Alfredo

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BLAZE BY DONNA GRANT

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His strength, his masculinity brought out something primal within her. In his arms, she felt like the Amazon warrior she’d once pretended to be as a little girl.

Anson is a fierce Dragon King, a dragon shapeshifter born and bred to protect his own. But when a rogue tech company hacks into their world, he must join forces with the unlikeliest of allies: a human female. Her name is Devon Abrams. A rising star at the firm, she has no idea that her boss is in league with the sinister Fae and their secret war against humanity. If Anson gains her trust, he can defeat the enemy from within. But first he must fight his own attraction—to this exquisitely beautiful mortal…

Devon loves her job at the firm. But sometimes she wishes she could find a man—a real man—who isn’t threatened by her success. When she first meets Anson, she’s overwhelmed by his powerful masculine presence and disarmingly gorgeous smile. But when he reveals his true mission—and his ability to transform into a dragon—she’s irresistibly drawn into an epic battle between humans and immortals, magic and technology, danger and desire. Anson vows to protect her from the Fae. But can he control the flames of passion that blaze within his heart, in Blaze, the next sexy Dragon romance in the Dark Kings series from New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant.

BOOK DESCRIPTION COURTESY OF AMAZON

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review.

Blaze: A Dragon Romance (Dark Kings Book 11) is a must read. This is the first book I have read in this series, and I will definitely will be going back to read the other books. Anson  is with Kinsey and Ryder to investigate a tech company that Devon works for. They must enlist her aide to help them out. When Devon finds out that the company has her home, phone  and computer on surveillance, her life is put in danger. I recommend this book to everyone. I give BLAZE 5/5 STARS.

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FLAME IN THE DARK BY FAITH HUNTER – REVIEW

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Set in the same world as Faith Hunter’s New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock novels, the third, thrilling Soulwood novel stars Nell Ingram, who draws her powers from deep within the earth.

Nell Ingram has always known she was different. Since she was a child, she’s been able to feel and channel ancient powers from deep within the earth. When she met Jane Yellowrock, her entire life changed, and she was recruited into PsyLED—the Homeland Security division that polices paranormals. But now her newly formed unit is about to take on its toughest case yet.

A powerful senator barely survives an assassination attempt that leaves many others dead—and the house he was visiting burns to the ground. Invisible to security cameras, the assassin literally disappears, and Nell’s team is called in. As they track a killer they know is more—or less—than human, they unravel a web of dark intrigue and malevolent motives that tests them to their limits and beyond.

BOOK DESCRIPTION COURTESY OF AMAZON

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review.

Nell and the gang are back and trying to solve their most difficult case to date. Someone is trying to kill a senator and his family. The only clue to the identity of this assassin is they kill the vegetation where ever they walk. Also, Nell is faced with two suitors who want to date her. She has to decide if she is ready to take that next step in her life. Plus, this case will push Nell to test her powers to the limit and beyond. Faith Hunter is a master of her craft! I loved this book, and recommend it to everyone. I give Flame in the Dark (A Soulwood Novel) 5/5 stars.

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