#Excerpt from MOXIE'S PROBLEM by Hank Quense @hanque99 #Humor #Camelot #AmReading

Scene background: 

Percivale is trapped in the Sherwood Forest with Bors and Gareth. They escape when Robbin’ Hoody implores the Green Man to send the knights back to Camelot.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Percivale hit something. He groaned in pain, smelled pine needles, and continued to fall. He thumped into the ground and passed out.

When he regained consciousness, Percivale sensed people around him and decided to act like he was still unconscious until he could assess any possible danger. The ground were he lay was cold and Percivale shivered despite his attempt not to.

"Looky here, my pretties," a high-pitched voice said.

"A bonnie lad," a second voice replied.

"A warrior, methinks from the ax he carries," first voice said.

"Is he dead, you think?" second voice asked.

A toe gave Percivale's ribs a hard nudge making him move involuntarily.

"He lives." The footsteps rapidly retreated.

"Can we keep him?" a third voice asked.

"Nay, Carla, warriors make poor pets. They hate captivity and are dangerous when caged."

Percivale rolled over and sat up. His first glance at the three strangers startled him. Middle-aged women with scraggly white hair, they had nightmarish features. Their black, tight-fitting kirtles threatened to burst from the mass of flesh the cloth attempted to control.

"Good morrow, handsome visitor. Where are ye from?" The voice belonged to the first speaker. She seemed a bit older than the other two.

"I hope he ain't a bloody damned Brit," said the second. "Are ye?"

"Where am I?" Percivale ran a hand over his body searching for broken bones. "Where's my horse?"

"Ye are in the bonnie Highlands," replied the third woman. "And a horse grazes over yonder." She pointed deeper into the woods.

Percivale's mouth dropped open. How did he end up in the far north when the Green Man was supposed to send them south? Apparently the Green Man didn't understand directions.

"He's a wee one," second voice said.

"How can ye tell, withal he still wears his pants?" third voice asked.

"Ye have a filthy mind, Carla," the oldest one said.

"Aye, and proud of it I am."

"A filthy mind is an awful thing to waste," the second one observed. "So, who are ye?"

"My name is Percivale. I'm a knight inna service of King Artie of Camelot. Who are you three?"

"He is a bloody damned Brit," the oldest one said. "But I guess we can't be choosey at our age. I'm Agatha, and this is Bertha." Bertha dropped a curtsy that set mounds of flesh rippling and quivering under her kirtle. She had a large green wart on the right side of her nose.

"And this is our baby sister, Carla." Carla looked boldly at Percivale and slowly licked her upper lip. She had nostril hairs so long she weaved them into twin braids.

"We are the Wryd Sisters, witches all," Agatha added.

"Here," Bertha said handing Percivale a small flask. "Take a wee sip of this. It'll restore your natural humors."

Percivale took the flask and pulled the stopper. A whiff of alcohol escaped from it. He sipped and swallowed. Immediately, his throat and stomach felt like he had swallowed liquid fire. "What is that stuff?" he gasped.

"Double malt," Bertha replied.

"From a secret family recipe," Agatha said. "We age it in oak casks."

"Aye," Carla said. "Sometimes as long as a week."

"Mayhap, Percivale will join our quest," Bertha said. "We could use a bold lad to dismay the laird."

"Aye, especially since this one is twice beholden to us," Carla added.

"I'm beholden to you?" Percivale frowned and tried to work that one out. "How so?"

"First, we stood guard over ye and didn't leave ye for the wolves. Second, we didn't steal from ye, even though ye lay helpless as a new-born newt."

"Carla has the right of it," Bertha said. "You owe us recompense and we need help. Will you honor your debt or must we turn you into a beetle, food for the nearest snake?"

"What's this quest?"

"We seek to protect our pet Nessie from the wrath of the Laird of the Loch," Agatha replied.

"The scion of Malcolm," Bertha said, "the one who killed MacBeth and seized the throne."

"The despicable Laird has sworn to kill Nessie with a great hunt," Bertha said.

"I've raised her since she was a wee tadpole," Carla said. "Why, only last year, I loosed her in the loch when she grew too big to care for in our hut. And now, the Laird means to harm her."

Percivale stood up and knocked dirt and pine needles from his pants.

"Have ye always been so short, or are ye enspelled?" Bertha asked.

"Mayhap, upon kissing a virgin, ye'll regain your natural height." Agatha winked at him.

"Here now," Carla huffed. "I saw him first. I'll be one doing the kissing."

"I propose we all take a turn to break the spell," Bertha said.

"I'm not enspelled and no one is kissin' me." Percivale barely restrained himself from shuddering at the idea of the kisses. A quest would occupy his mind while he figured out how to return to Camelot.

Do you enjoy untypical coming-of-age stories? Well, you won’t find one more untypical than Moxie’s Problem. Moxie is an obnoxious, teen-age princess who has never been outside her father’s castle. Until now. The real world is quite different and she struggles to come to grips with reality. The story takes place against a backdrop of Camelot. But it isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe. So, all bets are off!

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Genre – Fantasy, Sci-fi

Rating – G

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Website http://hank-quense.com/wp/

SUPERHUMAN NATURE #Excerpt by Brandon Overall #SciFi #AmReading

The guard behind him tried to hit Neil in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle, but he felt nothing from the blow.  Anger consumed him.  The guard had shot Sung in cold blood.  There was no arrest, no trial, and no judge.  He didn’t deserve any mercy, and Neil wasn’t going to give him any.

Neil lifted the guard off of the ground several feet and slammed him hard onto the pavement.  The distinct sound of snapping bones would have made anyone cringe, but Neil did not have enough humanity left to care.  The guard behind Neil yelled something, but he wasn’t paying any attention.  The guard was raised into the air again, and slammed down once more.  Every time Neil slammed the guard down, the bones disintegrated under the immense force.  The guard screamed in agony.

The guard behind Neil fired several shots from his AK-47 into Neil’s back, but his body reacted automatically to the threat.  The bullets bounced off of his back like nerf darts.  Neil was still too focused on the guard that he was repeatedly slamming into the ground to worry about the crushed projectiles falling to the ground behind him.

As the guard lay bleeding and broken on the ground, Neil walked up to him slowly.  He could see the fear and pain in his eyes.  He cried, knowing what was going to happen to him.  The guard behind Neil was still firing, but it didn’t distract Neil from what he was about to do.  He raised his foot above the guard’s head, and brought it down, again and again.  He was gurgling and blood poured out of his mouth.  He stopped crying.

Neil turned around to focus his attention on the guard that had been shooting him in the back.  At the sight of the gruesome execution before him, the guard dropped his rifle and sprinted away, trying to escape.  He didn’t get far.  Neil severed his Achilles tendon, and he tumbled face first into the ground.  He screamed as the tendon shot up into his body like a rubber band.  He was completely helpless, as his calf muscles were no longer attached to his foot.

The man desperately tried crawling away.  He was crying as he chanted something while inching forward, pulling his body along the road with his hands.  Neil didn’t have to speak Korean to know what a prayer sounded like.  As he approached the man, Neil’s shadow loomed over him, blocking the last sunlight he would ever feel.

Neil slowly and deliberately pulled on each limb of his body.  The muscles stretched, the tendons began to tear, and a soft pop could be heard as the joints at the shoulders and hips separated.  He shrieked with pain, but his suffering wasn’t over.  The skin connecting each limb stretched several inches without giving way.

Pools of blood began to form inside his body where the internal arteries were severed.  Finally, the skin couldn’t stretch any more, and it tore.  The pooled blood spilled out onto the ground.  With each beat of his struggling heart, a line of crimson shot out of each severed artery where a limb was supposed to be connected.  The beats became slower as the life drained from his body.  The screams turned into soft moans.  Finally, the noise stopped, and the blood stopped pouring.

Superhuman Nature is Brandon Overall's first novel. It was written and published during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a 2nd Lieutenant in late 2013.

Neil Hitchens was a senior ROTC Cadet in college. He was just weeks away from graduating and becoming an Officer in the United States Army, until a strange dream set off a chain of events that would twist his life into something he could have never prepared for.

In the days following his dream, several strange happenings occurred that he began to suspect were the result of his own actions. Before long, he discovered that he had the ability to control the world around him with his mind.

What started out as an unpredictable ability quickly evolved into an extraordinary power that had the capacity to change the world. It didn't take long for the government to find out what Neil could do.

They knew having such limitless potential on the side of the US Military could give them limitless political influence, and they would stop at nothing to get Neil to do their bidding. They would find out what happens when you back a dangerous animal into a corner.

Neil spent his whole life believing he would amount to greatness, but he never expected how greatness could corrupt even the most innocent of minds.

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Genre – Science Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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#ReviewShare #SciFi #Fantasy - The Soul of the World by Joshua Silverman @JG_Silverman

The Soul of the World by Joshua Silverman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a real treat. As with most books the plot boils down to the battle between good and evil in this story. I found that the writing style used really magnified the events as they unfolded, every decision and scene felt important. The world that the characters inhabit is a dark one, this makes the presence of danger feel constant meaning simmering suspense is with you as you read.

The POV element added by the author really was an inspired move, it allows you to really experience the hardships and battles the characters are facing which heightens your attachment to them. I was impressed by the fact you actually witness the growth of the characters as the story progresses, the amazing events that take place would have an effect on anyone so to see the characters change and develop is a really clever touch.

There is certainly enough adventure and excitement to satisfy even the most demanding of fans and overall, I came away from this book with a feeling of pleasure, I enjoyed it from start to finish and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other readers.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.

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#ReviewShare #SciFi #Fantasy - Wotan's Dilemma by Hank Quense @Hanque99

Wotan's Dilemma by Hank Quense
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was first drawn to this book by the intriguing and imaginative sounding plot, it was enough to convince me to dive right into the story. From the beginning I knew I was reading something special. The author has a certain writing style that draws you into the events as they unfold, it simply commanded my full attention at all times as I was treated to mythology, a wide range of personalities and at times, hilarity.

I feel the strongest attribute this book has is to do with the characters, each one has been creatively crafted and they really were a joy to follow throughout their own personal journeys. It’s worth mentioning the humour this book has, very few pieces of literature have made me laugh through the years but this is certainly an exception. The actual plot is a strong one that ensures nothing is predictable, I certainly couldn’t second guess what was coming next and that’s always a positive in my eyes.

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The author has certainly found a new fan, I look forward to other pieces of work from him in the future.

Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.


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THE REALITY MASTER (Vol. 1) by @PMPillon #GoodReads #BookClub #SciFi

DISCOVERY IN BIG SUR

Joey was unable to discern why he felt apprehension about traveling to Big Sur, which previously had induced nothing but pure joy for him. Frank stayed overnight at Joey’s to make sure they got an early start Saturday morning for the two-hour drive down the coast to Grandpa Karl’s digs. They brought along plenty of camping equipment. Grandpa Karl hated phones, so they weren’t concerned that he didn’t call to confirm he was back from his trip back east. They would manage at his place even if he wasn’t there, sleeping in a tent and shopping for groceries further south along the coast highway. Karl lived in a one-room shack, and although they could all fit on his floor with sleeping bags, it was more fun to pitch a large tent and manage their own schedules. Unlike his life at home where he struggled to get up for school, Joey always jumped up at first light when he was in Big Sur. He loved the smell of moist pines and redwoods, the frigid, misty mornings, being surrounded by forest, within earshot of loudly barking sea lions cavorting along the ocean’s edge. Joey didn’t have to go far from Grandpa Karl’s to where he could watch these exotic creatures, as well as seals and sea otters, gallivanting and floating among the rocks and kelp. 

Once he even saw Gray Whales passing by as they migrated south to their winter breeding grounds in Baja California. On their way to Big Sur they passed by Carmel where tourists actually pay a road fee just to drive around Carmel looking at the plush homes that they heard celebrities like Doris Day, Clint Eastwood, or Paul Simon lived in at one time. But the drive further down the coast to and along Big Sur is a completely different story from carefully carved Carmel. The winding road is flanked by guard rails that don’t always prevent a car’s plunge down a steep incline and even into the ocean. Just the previous week, a woman had gone off the road and down a steep embankment, and was only rescued two days later because she managed to get to her cell phone and call for help. 

As Joey contemplated the woman’s plight, he thought of the famous rock musician who was reputed to be a physics genius; found dead in his car long after it went off a road and fell into thick brush. But that accident was far from the coast, somewhere east of LA. There were rumors about the last communications from the musician darkly suggesting his possible assassination because of some great mathematical discovery that he was on the verge of achieving. While pondering this, Joey developed a feeling of cold on the back of his neck; it seemed his body might be communicating a warning to him. What warning could it be? I’m no genius like that rock star. He shook his head and tried to dismiss the thought by looking out the car window at the scenery. Then Frank engaged him in conversation, and he forgot the strange sensation. It was a typically sunny day in the Bay Area when they started out in the morning, but it was drizzling in Big Sur. This was actually ideal from Joey’s view point because the flora looked especially beautiful with drops of rain on it and puddles everywhere, and the moisture brought out wonderful fragrances.    

Eventually, they turned off the coastal highway, wending their way along the bumpy, pocked private road that brought them to Grandpa Karl’s abode. He drove an ancient 1948 Ford truck that he managed to keep going by scavenging parts wherever he could. Because of this scavenging, there were quite a few auto parts near his shack, enough to ironically mimic a junkyard in the midst of a natural paradise.
Many people in Big Sur were essentially bohemians who rebelled against pressure to conform to orthodox aesthetic standards. In this respect, they were like many residents of Bolinas on the coast above San Francisco, a town that is locally famous for its hippie and iconoclastic population, much of which likewise junkyard their otherwise picturesque properties. Bolinas is a beach town that isn’t tree-laden like Big Sur, but Mendocino, a short distance north, sports a mil ion of acres of dense forest. Big Sur residents became the subject of a school report by Joey after the one he wrote about San Francisco. Many of them could be described as relics of the old 60’s counterculture. 

His celestial companion was waiting for him

Precariously climbing a sea-side cliff near Big Sur, ten-year-old Joey Blake was as yet unaware that near his grasp was an object, so odd, mysterious and alien to earth that it would change his life forever and the lives of countless others in the next few astonishing days. Reaching up as far as he could for a handhold it was just there; it had subconsciously lured him, occupied his mind, and made him find it. It was like he was meant to see and discover this object of unimaginable power … the power to change reality.

Time travel and more
This young adult series of sci-fi fantasy novels begins with The Reality Master and continues through four other exciting and amazing stories about time travel and mysterious alien devices. Joey and the reader will face dangerous shadowy criminal organizations, agents of the NSA, bizarre travelers from other times and even renegade California bikers and scar-faced walking dead.

- Vol 1 The Reality Master
- Vol 2 Threat To The World
- Vol 3 Travel Beyond
- Vol 4 Missions Through Time
- Vol 5 The Return Home

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Genre – Science fiction, Fantasy, Young adult

Rating – G

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Lights Over Emerald Creek #Excerpt by @ShelleyDavidow #SciFi #YA #AmReading

The Return

‘Is that a light?’ he whispered.

Further down the creek, over the water, she saw a familiar sight: a beautiful, round blue glow hung in the air, and Lucy had no fear. It was hard to play and talk at the same time. She kept playing and the light expanded. She felt Jonathan’s trembling presence. It’s real, she thought. Utterly real.

‘Hold me, if you can,’ she said above her music.

‘What?’

‘My shoulders.’

He scrambled and stood behind her, and placed warm unsteady hands on her shoulders. The music expanded, the notes lengthened so that they played over one another. The air thickened, and the blue light cast giant shadows as it moved closer towards them. Lucy saw herself and her wheelchair as a massive dark caricature on the sand next to the creek. Jonathan’s shadow loomed next to hers — an oblique, strange giant. Her heart sang. Every atom of her body was one with the music, then the light engulfed them, and there was no more division between girl and instrument, between the light and her substance, between her and Jonathan. Weightless and windborne, Lucy closed her eyes, blinded by the light which drew her into itself, aware only of speed and sound as all sense of orientation dissolved. Time warped over her head, and she flowed along with it, losing track of it.

‘Jesus Effing Christ.’

She heard his words, and blinked.

She’d never imagined Jonathan capable of expletives, but life was full of surprises. When Lucy’s eyes finally adjusted, they burned with tears. Her heart expanded with unstoppable joy.

Jonathan lay on his back, bathed in pink light, on a familiar, soft, sea-edge, swearing softly to himself.

Low, dense vapours swept around them.

The wheelchair lay on its side, next to her cello. She was curled up in a foetal position, her hands clasped around her knees, holding the end of her bow. Slowly she unfolded herself and stretched. Bending her legs at the knees, she relished the stretch of her calves, the feelings of pins and needles in her toes. She stretched her legs out in front of her and sat up, crossing them.

‘Did you say something?’ she said. She wiped an errant tear from the corner of one eye. She leaned forward, held her own ankles and felt her hands on them.

‘Holy Shit,’ Jonathan said, and came up on his elbows.

‘Keep it up,’ Lucy said. ‘I like this new talent of yours. Didn’t know you had such a store of foul language.’ She looked into his face, which for the moment, resembled a desperate trout swimming upstream.

‘Christ, Lucy, look at you!’

She got up and stretched her arms over her head, holding her bow as she stood on her tiptoes, an inadvertent ballerina.

‘You’re … standing!’

She ran towards him through the mists and dense fog, trailing her fingers through the strange atmosphere, briefly looking behind her as small eddies swirled up into the mist and spiralled out behind her.

Lucy Wright, sixteen and a paraplegic after a recent car accident that took her mother’s life, lives in Queensland on a 10,000 acre farm with her father. When Lucy investigates strange lights over the creek at the bottom of the property, she discovers a mystery that links the lights to the science of cymatics and Scotland’s ancient Rosslyn Chapel.

But beyond the chapel is an even larger mystery. One that links the music the chapel contains to Norway’s mysterious Hessdalen lights, and beyond that to Saturn and to the stars. Lucy’s discoveries catapult her into a parallel universe connected to our own by means of resonance and sound, where a newly emerging world trembles on the edge of disaster. As realities divide, her mission in this new world is revealed and she finds herself part of a love story that will span the galaxy.

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Genre - Young Adult SF

Rating - PG

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Scott Moon's Definition of a Successful Writing Career @ScottMoonWriter #SciFi #AmReading

What motivates you to write?

Reading, listening to, or watching a great story. I’m also inspired by artists, athletes, and professional people who have taken their vocation to a high level. I first noticed this while watching American Idol with my family. I sat on the couch thinking how talented the performers were, and wished I could do something that fantastic—like write the Great American Novel. 

What writing are you most proud of?

I really like my novel Enemy of Man, though there are several sections in Dragon Badge that have serious legs. This is a hard question to answer, because I always want to make the writing better. As an Indie author, I can polish a book after publication. Dangerous, but a nice option to have.

What are you most proud of in your personal life?

My kids. They’re amazing, and they think their dad’s pretty cool.

How did you develop your writing?

I started writing as a panster, and still prefer to explore characters with writing instead of character sheets. However, the more books I read, and the more reviews my published books receive, the more I study plot and structure. From the beginning, I’ve sought to improve grammar. I read, write, and study a lot.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Books, movies, music, dreams, and the blank page.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?

Landing a traditional publishing deal seems almost impossible. I tried that for years, but spent too much time writing and not enough time submitting. As an aspiring author reading the Writer’s Market, I took the ‘no simultaneous submissions’ seriously, which meant I’d wait two years for a reply. In one case, I waited seven years for the final rejection. The initial response to the manuscript that eventually became Dragon Badge was very positive, but after seven years I was finally advised it didn’t meet the publisher’s current needs. Disappointed, but encouraged, I re-wrote the story and pursued self-publishing. Writing is the most fun, so I’d say it is the easiest part of the success triangle. Marketing isn’t rocket science, but it’s a lot of work and no matter what anyone says, is easier with a fat budget.

What marketing works for you?

I’ve used the KDP free day technique with decent success, though the industry has changed a bit since then. Currently, paid promotion sites like Orangeberry Book Tours, Bargain Booksy, and Ereader News Today do well. I also recommend World Literary Café tweet teams, though I haven’t tried the paid promotions there yet.

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you? 

When I can justify writing four or five hours a day, I’ll have made it. I often write the much now, but it makes me look crazy. The competition is fierce. Last I heard, there were about 1,500 new books published each day. Making a full time career is almost more than I can hope for. It would be nice, but it’s not a requirement for me. I must write. In a perfect world, I would write four hours a day, workout two hours a day, attend Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class every day, watch three or four movies a week, read constantly, and still have time for my family. That makes it sound like I want to be a full time writer able to make my own schedule. Guilty as charged.

It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?

Finding your niche is the key to success. How easy would it be to sell your book if you knew exactly who is looking for it? There are a lot of marketing books on newsletters and mailing lists, claiming this is the key to world class success. I can’t argue with that, but it is a process I have not mastered. My first novel, Dragon Badge, best fits in the urban / contemporary fantasy genre, but not perfectly, and is hard to market as a result. But I love it and a lot of readers do as well. It has fifty-two reviews and a 4.1 star average. Enemy of Man fits well in the science fiction genre and outperforms my other books, though sales ratios change month to month.

The basic marketing formula is to be friendly and helpful with social media, pay for advertising that works, avoid paying for what doesn’t, and make every book you write the best it can be. I rarely do free days, though I often price my books at $0.99 to gain exposure. In the beginning, I tried starting several blogs. Now I recommend focusing all of your blogging effort in one place, and possibly have a separate static web page that is product oriented and informational. Ask me again next year, and I’ll have a different answer.

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?

I am working on the second Chronicles of Kin Roland book, Son of Orlan. I wanted to get deeper into the characters and take the plot to the next logical, but hopefully surprising, level. In the first novel, Enemy of Man, the protagonist is established as someone who refuses to commit war crimes. Son of Orlan puts Kin the position to reconsider his choices, but also focuses on a villain from EOM and his son. The son, of course, holds the secrets of the universe. The villain is a surprisingly dedicated father, if a bit violent and rash.

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?

My mother’s father Jack, my father’s mother Ruth and my aunt Debbie, and my wife’s grandfather Joseph. I wish I had a chance to know them better. As for famous people, I’d have Stephen King, Michael Connelly, J. K. Rowling, and George R. R. Martin over for dinner as long as they promised to tell me I’m a great writer. 

Lost Hero

Changed by captivity and torture, hunted by the Reapers of Hellsbreach and wanted by Earth Fleet, Kin Roland hides on a lost planet near an unstable wormhole.

When a distant space battle propels a ravaged Earth Fleet Armada through the same wormhole, a Reaper follows, hunting for the man who burned his home world. Kin fights to save a mysterious native of Crashdown from the Reaper and learns there are worse things in the galaxy than the nightmare hunting him. The end is coming and he is about to pay for a sin that will change the galaxy forever. 

Books

Enemy of Man: Book One in the Chronicles of Kin Roland was written for fans of military science fiction and science fiction adventure. Readers who enjoyed Starship Troopers or Space Marines will appreciate this genre variation. Powered armor only gets a soldier so far. Battlefield experience, guts, and loyal friends make Armageddon fun. 

Movies

If you love movies like Aliens, Predator, The Chronicles of Riddick, or Serenity, then you might find the heroes and creatures in Enemy of Man dangerous, determined, and ready to risk it all. It’s all about action and suspense, with a dash of romance—or perhaps flash romance. 

From the Author

Thanks for your interest in my novel, Enemy of Man. I hope you chose to read the book and enjoy every page. 

If you have already read Enemy of Man, how was it? Reviews are appreciated! 

Have a great day and be safe.

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Genre – Science Fiction

Rating – R

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#Zombie Days, Campfire Nights by Leah Rhyne @Leah_Beth #Excerpt #Horror #SciFi

The fear of the lab bubbled up. I reached down to pull my old knife out of my boot. It wouldn’t provide much protection, but its weight in my hand was comforting. I continued forward, nudging Chicken along when he faltered. His hair stood on end and a low growl issued from deep in his throat.

At the door, I reached for the knob, expecting it to be locked, but it turned easily in my hand.

Of course, I thought. No one from the camp who went into the labs ever came out, so it wasn’t like people were trying to get in.

We headed inside, the cool air conditioning made less welcome by the zombie stench that flooded the hallway.

“C’mon, buddy,” I whispered to Chicken, who hovered in the doorway. “Stay with me. It’ll be over soon, either way.”

The faint glow of an “Exit” sign provided scant illumination. I took a moment to get my bearings, and was surprised to see cheerful murals painted on both walls. Little shelves with hooks for little jackets also lined the walls.

The realization came with horror—the laboratory had once been a nursery school.

I opened a door, hoping to find a weapon of some sort, and found a jackpot. The room looked like a janitor’s closet, and there was some old sports equipment tucked away in the corner. Lying on top of a pile of gloves and balls sat an aluminum baseball bat, and I rushed to it. It wasn’t a Louisville Slugger, but when I closed my eyes and ran my hand along it to feel the metal, it felt like I was home. I took a deep breath and smiled down at Chicken.

I opened the next door to see what else we could find.

Millions died when the zombie plague swept the country. For the survivors, the journey has just begun. Jenna, Sam, and Lola are still alive. Jenna avoids human contact, traveling East Coast backroads with her boyfriend, a dog named Chicken, and a Louisville Slugger. Sam escapes to the mountains, where he's conscripted into a zombie-slaying militia sent on nightly raids to kill the undead...and innocent civilians. Lola's imprisoned in the "safety" of a zombie-free New Orleans hotel, but life grows more dangerous when her brother gets bitten by a zombie. 

Jenna arrives in the French Quarter, lured by the false promises of New Orleans' drunken leader. There, she's ripped away from her boyfriend, drugged, and dumped in a death camp after refusing Franklin's sexual advances. Jenna and Lola's lives collide there, where the dead live and the dying are victims of gruesome medical experiments. Escape isn't easy: release the genetically-enhanced zombies from the lab to create a diversion, slip away, and don't get eaten. When Sam arrives, will he join the right side of the battle?

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Genre – NA-Horror, Sci-fi

Rating – PG-13

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Website http://www.leahrhyne.com/

#Fantasy #Excerpt - Promised Land: A Galatia Novel (The Galatia #Series) by C. D. Verhoff

The last survivors of the human race are riding out nuclear winter in an underground bunker when disaster strikes. Forced to the surface centuries ahead of schedule, what they find blows their minds. Who can explain it? Two social misfits work together to unravel the mystery.

After living in a posh underground shelter his entire life, Lars Steelsun is plunged headfirst into a mind-blowing adventure on the surface of the Earth. As Lars and his displaced bunker mates are led across the grasslands by Mayor Wakeland, a man of questionable sanity who claims to talk with God, they discover a primitive world where human beings are no longer welcome. 

Even more mystifying is the emergence of new senses and abilities from within. Learning to use them has become a priority, but his biggest challenge comes from the vivacious Josie Albright. Her lust for glory is going to get them both into trouble. Sparks fly when her gung ho ways clash with his cautious personality. Can they overcome their differences to find love and a homeland for their people?

May not be suitable for younger readers. 

Contains mild profanity, sexual situations (infrequent), and violence. 

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Genre - Epic Fantasy

Rating – R

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Blog http://cdverhoff.blogspot.com/

#Author Brandon Overall on #Writing #SciFi

Can you tell us about your main character?

-Neil is a character I feel that a lot of people can identify with.  He doesn’t have a super personality, he is just a regular guy with super powers who doesn’t really know how to deal with them.  I feel like Neil captures the struggle a lot of people would face if they were placed in a similar situation.  What would you do if you had all the power in the world?  Would you use it for good or evil?

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

-I remember really enjoying writing in school.  I loved having the ability to create a story from my imagination and turn it into something that someone else could read and remember.  I didn’t really start writing as a hobby until very recently, and that just sort of happened all at once without much reason other than extra free time.

When did you first know you could be a writer?

-I still don’t know that I can, but it’s looking promising.

What inspires you to write and why?

-I like the idea of thousands of strangers reading my work and talking about something I came up with to their friends.

How often do you write? And when do you write?

-While working on my book I wrote a lot.  I wrote the first draft in a month and spent 3-4 hours per day writing.  I usually write best in the mornings or in the evening while listening to music.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

-I love science fiction, and I have a decent knowledge base to pull from with my Computer Science degree and an interest in science/physics.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?

-Definitely writer’s block.  When I’m on a roll, I can knock out thousands of words in a single day, but when I get to that part of the story where I just don’t know exactly what I want to happen next, I can spend several days without writing more than just a few hundred words.  It’s tough, but you just have to push through it.

Did writing this book teach you anything and what was it?

-It taught me that what you want the story to be might not necessarily be the best way to write it.  You aren’t writing it for yourself, you’re writing it for your readers.  You have to let the story unfold the way they want it, even though you might rather have it play out differently.  At the end of the day, they are the ones you are trying to satisfy.  You have to write something other people will want to read, not just yourself.

Do you intend to make writing a career?

-Not a career, but definitely a lucrative hobby!

How did you come up with the title?

-The title is a combination of several ideas that come together in the story.  The first, and most obvious, is the fact that the story is about a character with superhuman powers, and talks about the nature of those powers.  The second meaning is a kind of play on words in reference to the “human nature” that is often cited to be the source of many problems in society.  The main character’s flaws as he deals with his extraordinary abilities are sort of a reflection of his “superhuman nature”.

How did you develop your plot and characters?

-A lot of the story and characters were actually improvised as the story progressed.  I went back a few times to reshape the earlier parts of character or plot development to allow something that I thought of later on to occur.  I knew what the major plot points and characters would be, but the journey from point A to point B was mostly improvised.  That way, writing the story was just as much fun for me as reading it is, because the story was unfolding in front of my eyes, and each new advancement in plot was a surprise to me.

What do you hope people will take away from your writing? How will your words make them feel?

-I want people to put themselves in the shoes of the main character of my book and imagine what they would do with that kind of power.

Superhuman Nature is Brandon Overall's first novel. It was written and published during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a 2nd Lieutenant in late 2013.

Neil Hitchens was a senior ROTC Cadet in college. He was just weeks away from graduating and becoming an Officer in the United States Army, until a strange dream set off a chain of events that would twist his life into something he could have never prepared for.

In the days following his dream, several strange happenings occurred that he began to suspect were the result of his own actions. Before long, he discovered that he had the ability to control the world around him with his mind.

What started out as an unpredictable ability quickly evolved into an extraordinary power that had the capacity to change the world. It didn't take long for the government to find out what Neil could do.

They knew having such limitless potential on the side of the US Military could give them limitless political influence, and they would stop at nothing to get Neil to do their bidding. They would find out what happens when you back a dangerous animal into a corner.

Neil spent his whole life believing he would amount to greatness, but he never expected how greatness could corrupt even the most innocent of minds.

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Genre – Science Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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