Dark Nights

By

Christopher Gray

BLURB:  
The machine believed it knew best how to save humanity... even if doing so meant destroying half the population. 

Astrophysicist Doug Lockwood's unusual discovery during his observation of the sun kicks off a chain of events that nobody could have foreseen. The powerful political and military influences that compete to deal with his discovery set Lockwood on a course which will carry him across worlds, and into the grasp of a formidable new intelligence bent on accomplishing its goal at any cost. With Earth itself at stake and time running out, Lockwood and his team must find a way to counter this unprecedented threat before the powerful new enemy completes its plan. Two civilizations are pitted against each other in a desperate struggle for survival.

EXCERPT

Meyer shut the door after the last person left and sat down in the nearest chair, directly across from Doug, rather than his usual spot at the head of the table. Doug waited for him to speak.

“It’s a planet,” Meyer said finally. “And it’s in an orbit directly opposite ours, at a distance of approximately one AU.”

Doug didn’t reply. The implications were massive, as were the questions. After a few seconds, Meyer rose from his seat and walked to the window, looking outside at the sloping volcanic Hawaiian landscape as he talked.

“Nobody knows where it came from, but it’s there, verified by NASA.”

“Using their STEREO satellites?”

“Yes, a few hours ago. But you and Foley at Atacama saw it first. STEREO was trained on another star when you logged the object. It took some time to reposition STEREO’s lenses. Because of their orbital distance ahead and behind us, together they will be able to keep tabs on the object at all times. We’re expecting some images soon, which will be free of the sun’s coronal interference.”

“So we’ll have a better view and can determine if its orbit is stable.”

“Correct.”

“But that doesn’t explain how it got there.”

“Correct again. But thanks to your discovery, and your reputation, you’ve been invited to an emergency conference in Washington. You’ll be meeting your plane at Pearl Harbor in two hours. Don’t bother to pack, there’s a helicopter on its way here, courtesy of the White House Chief Science Advisor.”

===

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Christopher A. Gray is a professional freelance writer living in Toronto. He has been a sales agent, project manager, actor, filmmaker, comedy writer & performer and world traveler.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Nights-Christopher-Gray-ebook/dp/B00GOH9CSE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403100145&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+nights+christopher+gray

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-nights-christopher-a-gray/1117683808?ean=9780986836497

Gemini Rising: Ethereal Fury

by Jessica O’Gorek

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

 

Angry at the human race and its methodical destruction of her resources, Mother Earth recruits souls who have just left their bodies to serve Her, and turns them against humanity. Gemini, a clan of paranormal beings, picked from these possessed humans, emerges. A powerful, rising force proceeds to carry out Mother Nature’s plan to systematically destroy towns, cities, states… and eventually, the world. Amidst the chaos, a forbidden relationship between a human girl, Violette, and Onyx, a lead Gemini, begins. They will both find themselves in the middle of a revolutionary war that will either save, or destroy our world.
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EXCERPT

Chapter 4

Everyone has spare humans-

“Give me my brother back and I’ll go to Saint Augustine’s,” a small voice, that of a child, caught his attention. He could barely make out the shadow of a little girl to his right, huddled behind a larger man with bulging eyes and greasy hair. With more gusto in her voice, she stepped out from behind the man and stood up taller, her jaw set in challenge.

“I said, let my brother Collin go, and I’ll get you into Saint Augustine’s.”

Something about the guts it took to speak to him so defiantly and offer herself for sacrifice intrigued him, but he wasn’t sure if she was even a member of the church.

“You belong to the church?” Onyx watched her head fall and her eyes blur with tears.

“I did…once.” She faltered in her brave facade, something in her broke, the frown on her face turned into a dark grimace.

“So none of you are current members?” A few murmurs of the word “no” and he was satisfied. Their testimonies seemed heartfelt and sincere. He did not feel like entering all of their minds one by one, his ire began to fade and the temperature immediately fell a few degrees. “All right, enough,” he said in defeat. The atmosphere then changed to one of relief and confusion.

“But you didn’t answer our question. We answered yours, but you didn’t answer ours!” A balding man almost cried as he slumped against the wall and rubbed his wrists where his shackles had scoured them raw.

“Why?” A woman beside him chimed in as Onyx turned to leave.

“Give me my brother! I know you have him!” The shy little girl was now screaming accusations at him, her fists pumping the air, but he paid her no mind.

It was always easier to leave out the details. Tork always said there was nothing worse than a room full of hysterical captives. Bad enough to be human, but add in the adrenaline and the fear of the unknown, they became that much more insufferable. He ignored their pleas and timid curses, pulling the door shut with a thud, cutting off their curious stares. Someone yelled out they were hungry and he hesitated a little, trying to remember what hunger was. Ah yes, the need for food. The youngest of his clan, Sapphire, usually fed them three meals a day: canned food, all stolen from the local country store. He had no need for food and didn’t keep any around. Sapphire and some others would simply slip into the stores at night and rob them blind in small quantities.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was born in Chesapeake, Virginia on April 19th, 1979. I was raised within the American Indian religion and was taught great respect for the earth and all its living beings. Powwows, sweat lodges, vision quests, you name it, I’ve done it. I was the weird kid who would confront kids on the playground in elementary school when they squished a bug. I would very sincerely tell them what they were doing was morally wrong and then I would pray for the bug to come back as a butterfly in its next life.

I grew up admiring my father, Barry Weinstock, as an author. He took me around the country to different places so he could research and write his Wilderness Survival books. One of his greatest works, “The Path of Power,” was written with a great medicine man, Sunbear.

When I was twelve I started hand writing novels. My first one was two thousand pages. My dad always encouraged me and would rave about my writing. He gave me the confidence I needed to keep writing and follow my dream. My daughter, who is twelve, is currently working on her first novel. I hope to continue the legacy.

https://twitter.com/GeminiRising1        

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-OGorek/306913389429972

http://geminirising1.blogspot.com                    

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17977415-ethereal-fury

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gemini-rising-jessica-ogorek/1116142763?ean=9780925776273

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Rising-Ethereal-Jessica-OGorek/dp/0925776254

BLURB:
Some things just can’t be erased.

Simon’s visions of a little girl are the only memories he has. Like an imprint on his heart, the visions cling. Who is she? Who is he for that matter? Tracked and hunted across the world, and in possession of a device that sets him apart from time and space, danger follows him at each turn.

He never meant to drag Tess into his drama. But with one slow, seductive dance in a candlelit night­club, that’s exactly what he’s done.

Tesla’s own heritage is a mystery in itself. Born of wealth into a corporation with no paper trail, she’s called back to take the helm. But what’s the nature of the business she’s supposed to lead? And how does it connect her to Simon?
 

Excerpt One:

Simon leaned with his back against the door. The metal was searing hot through his layers of clothing, but he barely reacted to the burn. He understood the feeling that flooded through his being, the sense that the young woman from the nightclub was just on the other side of the frame. It was false, of course. Once the device opened the slice it automatically detached and became inactive. When the door closed she was a world away.

What am I thinking? He firmly banged his head against the solid door, tacky with hot paint. When he’d told her he made a promise, he couldn’t have been more serious – and more disturbed by his reaction to the encounter in the night club than he cared to admit to himself.

What could he possibly have to offer such a beautiful young woman after a dance like the one they shared? God, he didn’t even know who he was. The only thing he could even be sure about was that he was in danger, all the time.

He had to learn the truth about his past and why he knew the things he did without remembering them. Until then, the only thing he could be is a shadow on the edge of society. Everyone was safer that way.

He replayed the way she felt in his arms, how she stood on her toes to kiss his chin with her irresistible lips. She felt familiar to him in a way he hadn’t experienced for what seemed like a lifetime. It didn’t matter, though. He couldn’t let it matter. She was halfway across the world now, and all the better for it.

…besides, he had work to do.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Kimberly Adkins is an author and artist who spends her spare time working on worm hole theories so she can go back in time and enter Star Gate’s ‘Get in the Gate’ sweepstakes as many times as it takes to win.

Says Kimberly of romance, “Fate lines up to reward the faithful who believe that love holds a power beyond our understanding and dreams have a chance to come true.”

Website: www.kimberlyadkins.com

Twitter: twitter.com/authorkimberlya

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Adkins/194607480611778

Resolutions

By

Teri Riggs

BLURB:  
DEA agent Eve Taylor has had her fill of alpha males. When Resolutions’ operative and former lover, Dillon “Mac” McKenna, threatened her hard-earned independence, she ran. On a mission to gather evidence against a Colombian drug-lord, Eve discovers the drug-lord is helping terrorists plan an attack on American soil. Before she can escape with the vital information, she’s captured and comes face to face with her mortality…

As a teen, Mac watched his family fall apart after his mother died doing dangerous U.N. work. The possibility of losing Eve to a mission ignited an overwhelming need to protect her. When he forced her to choose him or her job, she walked away. Two years later, it seems all his nightmares have come true and he’s tasked with rescuing her from a Colombian prison. Mac has never stopped loving Eve, but does he dare risk his heart when he’s so terrified of losing…

On the run, Mac and Eve must learn to trust each other again in order to stay alive.

Excerpt One
 
Occasional bursts of gunfire echoed in the distance as the distorted voices of Mendoza’s men moved closer. The damned monkey started chattering again. She flipped onto her back and forced her breathing and heart rate to slow. The night’s stars faded into the orange-red sky of morning sunrise and a welcomed calm washed over her. For the first time in her life, Eve wished she was still back home in Duncan Falls, Iowa with her four overprotective brothers. The Alpha Four, she called them. They’d be royally pissed if she didn’t somehow get out of this mess.

   Her mind turned to thoughts of Mac, the only man she’d ever loved. Maybe he’d been right after all. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this line of work. Maybe she did need him. So many maybes.

   Eve closed her eyes and the maybes and darkness took her.

 I: Why are you running away from a relationship with Mac? 

E: I’m running from Mac’s distorted idea of commitment. He expects me to be the ‘little woman’ who lets him control my life and smothers me with protection. I prefer to pull on my big girl panties, play by my own rules, and make decisions for myself.  With Mac, it’s his way, or the highway. Fortunately for me, I have one hell of a fast car.     

 I: Have you ever thought of being in a relationship with a non-alpha type of man?   

E: Yes. The problem is I find any other type man to be boring. As frustrating as Mac is at times, there’s never a dull moment when he’s around. I like when a man knows what he wants and goes for it. I don’t like when he thinks he knows what’s best for me. I guess I want it all.


 I: What do you mean when you say your independence is hard-earned?

E: My parents died when I was young, leaving my older brothers to raise me. I called them the Alpha Four. They were over the top controlling. I know they were just doing what they thought was best for me, but jeez, did one of them always have to be looking over my shoulder? The boys in my high school were afraid to date me. No guy wanted to take a girl out whose brothers were going to give him the third degree before, during, and after a date. And yes, the Alpha Four had a strange way of showing up wherever my date took me. Talk about a sad dating life!

 I: What drew you to the dangerous work of a DEA Agent?

E: I think after growing up with the Alpha Four, I was ready to take on the world as soon as I could get away from them. My choice of college was solely driven by how many miles I could put between Duncan Falls, Iowa and the campus. I wanted to prove just how tough I really was. Working for the DEA is about as tough as it gets!

I: What job will you do when you can no longer be the best in your current job?

E: You’re assuming I won’t always be the best?

  I: Sorry, my bad!

   E: No problem.

  I: Have you ever worked as part of a team?

E: Yes. When I was promoted to field agent I went in as part of the International Drug Enforcement Agency—IDEA. About a year later, I was assigned my own team.

I: You’re proud of your birth place, Duncan Falls, Iowa.  Why?

E: Duncan Falls is a small town and very close knit. After my parents died, the town’s people were almost as protective of me as the Alpha Four. Poor little Eve. Lost her parents at such a young age. At times, between my brothers and the town, I felt smothered, like I couldn’t take a breath without being watched.  On the flip side, I found it a bit comforting to know I could always count on the town to have my back. Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m glad my brothers were there for me, too. Just don’t ever tell them I said that!

I: Tell me 3 positive things about you ex-lover, Mac.

  E: 1.) Mac is by far, the hottest man I’ve ever known. My toes curl just thinking about   him.

     2.) The man is a god in bed!

     3.) Did I mention Mac is HOT?

Ocean of Dust

by Graeme Ing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:
Fourteen-year old Lissa is snatched from her home and finds herself a slave on a trading ship traveling on a waterless ocean of nothing but gray dust. A feisty, curious and intelligent girl, her desire to explore the ship earns her the hatred of the cruel first officer, Farq.

 Fascinated by the ocean of dust, Lissa becomes embroiled in its mysteries, sensing things that the crew cannot, while cryptic whispers in her head are leading her toward a destiny linked to the dust itself. Only one man aboard can help her make sense of her new talent, but can she trust him? All is not as it seems, and she must unravel the clues before it’s too late.

When a sinister plot casts her adrift on the barren ocean, her best friend is left in the hands of the treacherous crew. Everything hinges upon her courage, quick wits, and her ability to master her new talent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Listen to an excerpt
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iwi78ykedqn8qsn/WctYNqwnm7

Excerpt 
... she spotted a brown conical shape lodged on a fallen stump between a pair of trees. Dozens of bugs with red striped abdomens swarmed above it - War-blits. She couldn’t keep up the pace for much longer, and her lungs felt ready to burst. Her hastily formed plan might be her only chance to escape the feline snapping at her heels. She sucked in air and urged her aching body forward. Up close, the bugs were as large as her thumb, with wicked, black stingers on their rear-ends.

Now she was caught between a swarm of spiteful bugs and an animal about to bite her in half. It was now or never. Screaming for courage, she launched herself at the War-blit mound, praying her timing was right. She clenched every muscle, waiting for the stings to stab all over her body. The furious buzzing engulfed her as she flew through the air and over the mound.

Her shoulders hit the ground on the other side, and she tumbled over and over, smashing into a tree. Something stabbed her leg. Agony ripped through her body. Then a sharp pain on her right arm. She flailed her limbs in all directions trying to keep the bugs from her face.

The feline had landed atop the stump and crushed the mound. The air turned black as a cloud of War-blits sprayed from a hole in the stump, buzzing angrily and covering the creature like a cloak.