Welcome Nancy LaRonda Johnson !

Welcome Nancy LaRonda Johnson !

Bio

Nancy LaRonda Johnson is a passionate writer of Christian and other fiction and poetry. She has written short stories, poetry and personal journals most of her life, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Juris Doctorate.

Her first book, the literary Christian speculative novel, Anticipation of the Penitent, reached the finals in the Indie Publishing Contest sponsored by the San Francisco Writer’s Conference 2012, and is receiving high acclaim. Salted With Fire, a book of flash fiction and poetry, is her second publication.

She is working on several projects, including a sequel to Anticipation of the Penitent. Visit her website at www.nancylarondajohnson.com.

Anticipation of the Penitent

Synopsis: Anticipation of the Penitent

 When Alezea is trapped by the Devil, she bears him a son and knows her life will never be her own. She is the mother of Thomas, a man reared by Satan to be a killer of life’s most innocent – little girls. Alezea lives detached from the horrors committed by her son and from her domination by the entity who uses her as he pleases. Until she meets Martha who shows her a way out. Now Alezea will risk her very soul to free Thomas from his father. The fight to save her son will either redeem Alezea or destroy her forever.

Rachel knows Thomas’ history, yet she believes her presence can transform him. Her belief in Thomas might send her fully into the Devil’s realm or provide an opening for God’s miracles in both of their lives. In a scheme to continue his father’s line, Thomas may ruin his alliance with Rachel or rend himself from the dominion he was born to hold. The impulse to contrive his future takes Thomas to new heights in his lifework as a killer, pushes him toward maturity, and forces him to encounter the astonishing truth of his heritage.

Anticipation of the Penitent depicts the battle between good and evil in one family until it is rendered to its destined completion. Only then will it be known whether Alezea succeeds in her struggle for a life free from Satan’s control.

Short blurb:

When Alezea is trapped by the devil, she bears him a son and knows her life will never be her own. She is the mother of Thomas, a man reared by Satan to be a killer of life’s most innocent – little girls. When Alezea finds a way out, she will risk her very soul to free Thomas from his father. The fight to save her son will either redeem Alezea or destroy her forever. Rachel knows Thomas’ history, yet she believes her presence can transform him. Rachel’s belief in Thomas might send her further into the devil’s realm or provide an opening for God’s miracles in both of their lives.

Book Trailer:

Salted With Fire

Synopsis: Salted With Fire

 Black magic, murder, insanity, humor, honor and devotion. Salted With Fire is a journey of flash fiction and poetry that shows my writing transformation from worldly to wanting to please God.

Flash fiction is my passion; poetry is my release. I love creating a complete story, with a beginning, middle and end, with twists, humor, drama, compassion and horror, all under 1000 words. Salted With Fire isn’t just a book of stories and poetry, it is my journey as a writer, from writing only for the mere joy of it regardless of the message, to writing stories that highlight God’s will for people, even if the stories themselves are not religious in nature.

Inside are fifteen flash fiction pieces and twelve poems with full-color pictures, and short Biblical discussions after each story.

 Available in print and eBook:

 Amazon

Smashwords

CreateSpace

My webpage: www.nancylarondajohnson.com

My blog: www.nancylarondajohnson.blogspot.com

Purchase Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Anticipation-Penitent-Nancy-LaRonda-Johnson/dp/1479258555

Nu Revelations Christian Books and Novelties

22431 Foothill Blvd.

Hayward, CA 94541

(510) 397-0474

The Book Shop

1007 B St.

Hayward, CA94541

(510) 538-3943

Pegasus Books

1855 Solano Ave.

Berkeley, CA 94707

(510) 525-6888

ISBN# 9781479258550

Publisher: Writer's Mark Publications

Pages: 304

Price: $15.95 for print; $4.99 eBook

Welcome Sandra Ulbrich Almazan!

Welcome Sandra Ulbrich Almazan!

About the Author

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan started reading at the age of three and only stops when absolutely required to. Although she hasn’t been writing quite that long, she did compose a very simple play in German during middle school. Her science fiction novella Move Over Ms. L. (an early version of Lyon’s Legacy) earned an Honorable Mention in the 2001 UPC Science Fiction Awards, and her short story “A Reptile at the Reunion” was published in the anthology Firestorm of Dragons. She is a founding member of BroadUniverse and a long-time member of the Online Writing Workshop for Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror. Her undergraduate degree is in molecular biology/English, and she has a Master of Technical and Scientific Communication degree. Her current day job is in the laboratory of an enzyme company; she’s also been a technical writer and a part-time copyeditor for a local newspaper. Some of her other accomplishments are losing on Jeopardy! and taking a stuffed orca to three continents. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, Eugene; and son, Alex. In her rare moments of free time, she enjoys crocheting, listening to classic rock (particularly the Beatles), and watching improv comedy.

Enter for a chance to win a free copy of  Twinned Universes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sandra can be found online at her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. 

Twinned Universes

Paul Harrison always wanted to play Hamlet, but he never expected he’d live the role first.

In the aftermath of a family tragedy on 21^st century Earth, Paul discovers he’s the clone of Sean Lyon, his great-great-grandfather and a famous TwenCen musician. Suspecting his mother’s death was no accident, Paul comes up with a plan to trick the answers out of the great-uncle who had him cloned. But in order to make his plan work, Paul needs help from Sean himself—and Sean’s time is running out in the TwenCen universe next door. Although Paul’s family lives on the spaceship that travels between the universes, he’s never been allowed on TwenCen Earth. Now, with the help of his friends, his disguise-creating holoprojectors, and a quantum quirk, Paul must make his way to Sean while evading other time travelers who fear he’ll change the history of the TwenCen universe. If Paul is to achieve justice, he must not only risk his own life, but the wormhole connecting the universes. “To be or not to be” was a simple question in comparison....

Twinned Universes Excerpt –Sandra Ulbrich Almazan

Great-Uncle Jack turned around, pinning him with a glance. Before Paul could seek shelter by talking to someone else, Great-Uncle Jack came over. “Hello, Paul.” His dark eyes gleamed. “How are you feeling?”

Paul glanced at the urn. Mom had always buffered him when he’d met with his great-uncle before. He blinked against the moisture prickling his eyes, hoping he’d scrubbed away all traces of the tears he’d shed earlier. He couldn’t show weakness now.

“You miss her, don’t you, even if you don’t want to admit it,” Great-Uncle Jack continued. “You don’t have to look at me like that; I was a teenager too. None of us Lyons are good at showing our emotions.”

“I’m an actor. I can show all sorts of emotions: anger, joy, sorrow, fear….” Paul put on a dopey grin, caught his grandfather’s shocked stare, and let his face revert back to neutral.

“I’m not talking about acting.” Great-Uncle Jack draped an arm over his shoulders and tugged him towards the hall. “You need to express your deepest feelings.”

“Then I’d like to find out how she got exposed to that stupid virus.” Was it those ugly roses? And why didn’t Cass and I get so sick, even though we did have the same virus? Why didn’t I get rid of those flowers before Mom saw them? It’s all my fault....

Great-Uncle Jack paused to study a holo showing angels carrying people into clouds. When he looked at Paul again, his expression seemed more mask-like than a face mesh did. “It was an occupational hazard. Why don’t you take your mind off of things for a while and stay on Earth? There’s plenty of room in my penthouse. You could have all the latest stuff and go anywhere you want.” His grip on Paul’s shoulder tightened. “What do you say?”

Paul’s heart beat faster at the idea. After leave on Earth, the Sagan always seemed too confining. Once he turned eighteen, he’d have complete freedom. He’d have a lot more acting opportunities with Ramirez’s troupe; maybe he could even audition for a holo....

But Mom wouldn’t be there; she’d never accompany him to an audition or attend one of his performances again. There’d always be an empty seat in the audience where she should be. How could he think about acting or having fun on Earth when she hadn’t been laid to rest yet?

Paul sighed, but he shook his head. “Thanks for the offer. It sounds great, but Mom would want me to stay with Dad and Cass.”

“You’re old enough to make your own choices. You can do whatever you want—even if Jo wouldn’t approve.” Great-Uncle Jack lowered his voice and drew Paul near, like a conspirator. “I can give you more freedom on Earth than you’ll ever get in that cramped old spaceship.”

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Twinned-Universes-Catalyst-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00BO9GIHU/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1374205823&sr=1-1

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twinned-universes-sandra-ulbrich-almazan/1114756241?ean=9781482312898

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/291642

Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/sandra-ulbrich-almazan/twinned-universes-catalyst-chronicles-book-two/_/R-400000000000000987672

Diesel: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000291642/Ulbrich-Almazan-Sandra-Twinned-Universes-Catalyst-Chronicles-Book-Two/1.html

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/twinned-universes-catalyst/id615791491?mt=11

Available in eBook, paper, and audiobook formats

Welcome Margaret Taylor!

July 22nd through 26th

Blogger Book Fair 2013-Authors 

Welcome Margaret Taylor!

A First Love Never Dies: Book 1 of the Spi-Corp Series!

Read Margaret's interview with MACC, of one of the exciting characters from her novel, A First Love Never Dies: Book 1 of the Spi-Corp Series!

From Margaret Taylor:

So, since Jeff’s wonderful blog and books deal with cybernetics and sentient computers, I thought I’d introduce his wonderful fans to a character of mine named MACC.

MACC makes his first appearance in the Spi-Corp Series in Book 2, but don’t worry, you’ll get to see plenty more of him throughout the others as well.

Interview with MACC

Margaret: 

MACC, why don’t you tell these fine folks a little about yourself?

MACC:    

 Must I? Really? *computerized sigh*. Fine. My name is Multi-Accentuated Computer  Components, or MACC for short.

Margaret: 

I see. And what do you do?

 MACC: 

This again? How many times must I tell you, I run EJ’s station.

Margaret:  

And who is EJ?

MACC: 

Erika John Starr Sisko Killkenny Jackson Macpherson, Princess Tecka to the Royal House of Mutarians, of course. Oh, and she’s my maker.

Margaret:  

How did that happen?

MACC: 

Well, see here’s the thing. EJ is human and she likes to meddle. She really can’t help it, it’s just part of who she is. So, when she decided to build a second home in the stars for her people, the Mutarians, she needed someone to run it…and well, here I am.

Margaret:  

And what exactly are you?

MACC: 

Probably the best way to explain it, for your limited human and non-human sort of minds, is I’m an organic brain wrapped with metal. I’m 3 miles high and 2 miles wide and a fortress if you must know. No one has ever breached my systems…well, except for that one time.

Margaret:  

Oh? Tell us about that.

MACC: 

Well, see here’s the thing. There’s a young lady named Janel Canton. She was kidnapped from Earth a number of years ago. She managed to escape her abductors and was gallivanting about the stars for a long time. Eventually she was caught and turned back over to the Consortium though and just before they began torturing her, she took a drug called starra. *components shudder violently.* Nasty stuff that and well, it, I sort of got it on me…and well, I might, maybe, just a little bit, have gone completely schizoid and tried to kill everyone on board the station…maybe. I’m not really sure. I honestly don’t remember much about that time. EJ was nice enough to wipe my memory of it.

Margaret: 

Are you ok now?

Margaret:  

MACC? Are you there?

Well, I suppose if you want to know more, you’re just going to have to pick up Book 2 of the Spi-Corp Series, Saving His Love, which is available through all the major eretailers and find out what happened.

Thanks for visiting with us. I hope you’ll enjoy the Spi-Corp Series as much as I did writing it and getting to know all the wonderful characters, computers and starships…

Excerpt from Saving His Love – Book 2 of The Spi-Corp Series…

Two days later and the first real sign that anything was wrong on the station came in the form of MACC’s inability to operate the lifts. Jake was one of the first stranded between decks four and five and he looked up at the ceiling the moment it jerked to an unexpected halt. He was on his way to medical, intent on resuming his vigil at Janel’s side. “MACC? What’s wrong?”

The computer’s throat cleared. “Nothing. Why?”

Jake couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the fact that he was talking to a machine but did his best. “I’m stuck. The lift just stopped.”

“Oh, I apologize.”

The small cube started up again without further comment but it was strange enough to detour from medical and seek out EJ. He found the Princess on the bridge and firmly in the middle of a very real crisis.

“Are you serious?” she bellowed at no one in particular. She strode to a console, red hair floating out behind her and punched angrily at the keys. “What in the all fires of Mutar Prime is happening to my station?!”

“We have fires on decks 12, 15, 22 and 25. Crew trapped in lifts everywhere, and deck eight just had a blow out,” someone replied.

“Are you serious!”

He stood in the back of the room and eyed Cresta as the Prince appeared in a puff of sulfur smoke much as EJ had a couple of days ago. It surprised him and he wanted to know how they could travel like that, but kept his questions for later.

“What is wrong?” Cresta inquired.

“I think the station may have gone insane,” Jake said, providing the best guess he had.

“Starra?”

“Yes, starra,” EJ shouted over her shoulder. “It’s spreading through MACC’s systems like wildfire!”

“How is that possible? It’s a machine, isn’t it?”

EJ snorted. “Multi-Accentuated Conscious Components,” she explained on a snarl. “MACC.”

He cut a look up at the Prince, who shrugged and pointed at his sister. “She likes to meddle.”

“So, he’s sentient?”

Cresta laughed. “More or less. His components are biologically enhanced.” He waved a hand to encompass the bridge. “I do not understand it myself, but the station is more or less metal wrapped around an organic brain.”

EJ’s hands flew over one of the consoles. “And right now that brain is going psycho on us! Where is this counter-agent?”

Cresta’s lips hardened into a line. “How should I know?”

“Well, find out dammit! Before this place implodes and kills us all…”

Buy link for A First Love:

Find Margaret Taylor on the Internet!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMargaretTaylor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/AuthorM_Taylor

Blog: www.margarettaylorsthoughts.blogspot.com

Website: www.margarettaylortx.com

Welcome Maryann Miller!

July 22nd through 26th

Blogger Book Fair 2013-Authors 

Welcome Maryann Miller!

Boxes for Beds

January 1936

"Hush little baby, don't you cry ... " The plaintive melody whispered in the otherwise resounding silence.

One small candle flickered atop the dust-­encrusted chest of drawers, the feeble light unable to dispel the gloom born of the murky darkness. The yellow flame wafted in a sudden draft, casting macabre patterns on a precarious stack of old boxes supported by an intricate network of cobwebs. The pale light briefly touched a figure hunched over an open trunk.

The figure loomed more like a shadow than a real person and reached out a hand to lightly trace the features of the tiny bundle nestled within the trunk's musty interior.

"Would you listen to me? Singing to a doll-baby just like you was real."

Wide, unblinking eyes stared back.

"Sometimes I wish ... but no. It's better this way. If you was real, then I'd have to tell you to hush for sure. The Man don't let me play with no real babies. Says I might hurt 'em. But he don't know. I can be real gentle. Ain't my fault those others broke. You ain't gonna do that are you?"

Silence.

Thus begins, Boxes For Beds, a new, independent release from the award-winning author, Maryann Miller. This historical mystery is set in Arkansas when the mob ruled Hot Springs, and a corrupt sheriff has to find who is making babies disappear. Why not pin it on the do-gooder Yankee that just moved from New York? Leslie Richards came to a small town near Hot Springs to find some peace in a rural setting and finds anything but.

Maryann Miller has been writing all her life and has numerous books published in fiction and non-fiction. She is currently working on the third book in the Seasons Mystery Series that debuted with Open Season in 2010 and followed with Stalking Season in 2012. Both have received rave reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus, and Library Journal. 

Buy link for the book: Buy it on Amazon

Visit Maryann at her Website  and Blog   and follow her on Facebook   and Twitter         

If you visit Maryann Miller's blog during the Blogger Book Fair and leave a comment, you will be entered into a drawing for an advance copy of Stalking Season, the second book in the Seasons Mystery Series, or an e-book of your choice.  http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/

Welcome Julie Flanders!

Book Blogger Fair this Week

July 22-26, 2013!

Welcome Julie Flanders!

DELTA PROJECT: HIDE

Summary:
When Detective Danny Fitzpatrick leaves his hometown of Chicago and moves to Fairbanks, Alaska he wants nothing more than to escape the violence and heartbreak that left his life in pieces. Numbed by alcohol and the frozen temperatures of an Alaskan winter, Danny is content with a dead-end job investigating Fairbanks' cold cases. That all changes when a pretty blond woman goes missing on the winter solstice, and Danny stumbles upon some surprising connections between her disappearance and that of another Fairbanks woman three years earlier. Forced out of his lethargy, Danny sets out to both find the missing woman and solve his own cold case. The investigation points Danny towards Aleksei Nechayev, the handsome and charming proprietor of an old asylum turned haunted tourist attraction in the Arctic town of Coldfoot. As he tries to find a link between Nechayev and his case, Danny's instinct tells him that Nechayev is much more than what he seems. Danny has no idea that Nechayev is hiding a secret that is much more horrifying than anything he could ever have imagined. As his obsession with finding the missing women grows, Danny finds his own life in danger. And when the truth is finally revealed, the world as he knows it will never be the same.

Purchase Links:

www.amazon.com/Julie-Flanders/e/B00BFXMB8A/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/polar-night-julie-flanders/1114583560?ean=9781939156051

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Polar-Night-Julie-Flanders/dp/193915605X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362327529&sr=8-2

www.smashwords.com/books/view/284944

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Polar-Night/book-eZ7i0963PkiU-ksjf0MZkw/page1.html

My Interview w/Julie Flanders

  

Question 1: -Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in Cincinnati and work as a librarian at a small college. I’m an animal lover and run a blog called Cincinnati Tails which is devoted to animal rescue and animal welfare issues.

Question 2: - How long have you been writing?

I’ve only been writing seriously for about 5 years or so. Before that I always had stories in my head but I never considered writing them down because I never viewed myself as a writer.

Question 3: - How did you get started? Tell us about your journey to publishing.

The thing that really made me start taking writing seriously was when I volunteered as a writer for Best Friends Animal Society, which is a nationally known rescue organization located in Utah. I was able to volunteer virtually and write feature stories for their website. I loved the experience and loved meeting so many great people and writing about their rescue efforts. I realized I really enjoyed trying to find the right words to tell a story in the best way, and everything else took off from there.

Question 4: -What's the name of your most recently published title? Tell us about it!

My most recently published title is also my first title, and it’s a supernatural thriller called Polar Night. It takes place in Alaska during the dead of winter and pits a Fairbanks detective against a frightening foe who may or may not be human.

Question 5: -What was your inspiration for it?

I had a dream where I was on an ocean liner in the 1920s and I met a man who told me about a woman he had loved and lost in Russia during World War I. It was a long way to get from there to the finished story, but if you read it you can see how that beginning became the book.

Question 6: Did you identify with one of the character in the book? If so, which one?

Not really, but if I had to pick one it would be the detective, Danny Fitzpatrick. I haven’t experienced the tragedy in my life that Danny has, thankfully, but I can relate to his cynical nature and to his tendency to be a loner.

Question 7: What are you working on at this time?

I’m working on polishing up my next novel, which is called The Ghosts of Aquinnah. It takes place on the island of Martha’s Vineyard and crosses back and forth between the present and the 1800s. It’s a ghost story combined with a love story and some elements of mystery.

Question 8:  Where can readers buy your book?

Polar Night is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Indiebound, and Kobo.

Question 9: What book are you reading right now?

I’m reading Suspect by Robert Crais. My sister recommended it to me because I’m such a dog lover and a dog plays a prominent role in this book.

Question 10:  Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

My advice would be that it’s never too late to find your way as a writer. I didn’t start taking all of this seriously until I was on the wrong side of 40 but now I’m happier and more fulfilled than I’ve ever been. If you love to write, keep doing it and don’t give up.

Question 11:  What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to read and I’m also addicted to television. I love to walk and enjoy taking my dog out on adventures with me.

Question 12:  Any authors or books that inspired you and your writing?

I find Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird very inspiring when it comes to writing. I think my writing has been inspired by King in some ways because I love stories that bring the paranormal into the “real” world.

Question 13:  Any future writing plans you can share?

I hope to finish a sequel to Polar Night called is tentatively called Polar Day. It’s given me fits but I hope to get it worked out soon.

Question 14:  One of your favorite quotes - (Either a general quote or from one of your own books!)

My favorite quote is “It is never too late to be what you might have been” from George Eliot.

Where can we find you on the internet?

Please visit me at: 

my blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Pinterest

About the Author:

Julie Flanders is a novelist and a freelance writer. Her debut novel, the supernatural thriller Polar Night, is now available from Ink Smith Publishing. When not writing fiction, she loves writing about animals and animal-related issues and she runs the animal rescue blog http://cincinnatitails.blogspot.com/ Find Julie online at http://julieflanders.blogspot.com/"target="_blank">http://julieflanders.blogspot.com

Book Blogger Fair this Week

July 22-26, 2013!

Welcome Jerry Hatchett !

Bio and Books: Jerry Hatchett was born and grew up in the creatively fertile Mississippi Delta. After plenty formative years in the Magnolia state, he writes now from Houston, Texas. His specialty is writing tales you can't put down, plots that capture your attention early and never let go, populated by rich characters you can cheer for and against.

7UD

Are monsters born or created? Is it possible for mortal man to bring about the apocalypse of Armageddon? Technology and insanity combine to create a very bad week for the United States and the world. In this can't-put-it-down thriller, tech celebrity Matt Decker is on top of the world until his flagship creation, the system that runs the U.S. power grid, suffers a crippling cyber attack. The week is all downhill from there, with the USA and eventually the world suffering from escalating disasters that stretch from New York to Israel to the "sulfurous scarps of hell."

Purchase Links:

Author website:

StoryFreak blog:

Public email:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Author Central:

Goodreads:
Amazon:

Cyberspace Trilogy: A Sneak Preview...

Cyberspace Trilogy: A Sneak Preview...

The Cybersp@ce trilogy follows the Reynolds family as humanity takes its first steps out into the cosmos.

Cybersp@ce is a novel that chronicles Nick Reynolds, a former NSA analyst now working for Cyber Command. When the world approaches the brink of World War III, he must find a means to prevent a massive cyber attack that will cripple the United States and trigger global nuclear war.

Frontiers picks up with Nick's son, Hank. Endowed with incredible intellectual capacity from his childhood, Hank is instrumental in constructing then piloting humanity's first interstellar spacecraft, which is based on technology discovered in Cybersp@ce.

New Beginnings follows Hank's daughter, Nicole, as she leads humanity's first off-world colony in another star system after Earth is nearly destroyed. To save humanity she must learn to adapt to a new reality, fend off attacks by an alien race, and overcome her own past.

Cybersp@ce is available today, Frontiers will be coming soon, and New Beginning is well on its way toward completion and publication.

Find Cybersp@ce on Amazon