Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Remarkable Magic Release Blitz and Giveaway

 

Amid new threats and unsettling discoveries, hope still perseveres.

Remarkable Magic

The Hybrid Magic Chronicles Book 3

by Cristy L. Bowlin

Genre: YA Fantasy 


Amid new threats and unsettling discoveries, hope still perseveres.

Aaron is done letting the Defenders control his life. He refuses to continue running and hiding. The Defenders claim that hybrid mages are dangerous abominations, but Aaron and Lilith are determined to prove otherwise. Meanwhile, Elara and Theo are grappling with formidable new abilities that they never expected to possess. Striking out on their own, Aaron and his friends discover another group of hybrid mages living in the desert who are preparing to fight. New alliances are forged, yet not everyone agrees on how to confront the Defenders. When more people see what hybrid magic can do, it could either be revered or feared even more. Aaron and his friends must make some tough decisions before those choices are taken from them.


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

Hybrid Magic

The Hybrid Magic Chronicles Book 1

Amazon


Innovative Magic

The Hybrid Magic Chronicles Book 2

Amazon


Cristy L. Bowlin is an English professor at Oxnard College and author of The Temple Dancer’s Diary and The Hybrid Magic Chronicles, set in the fantasy realm of the Deravine Commonwealth. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband, daughter, and pet cat. When she isn’t reading or writing, she is most likely dancing, hiking, or getting invested in (another) TV series.


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Hey Jude Tour and Giveaway

 

Jude Hastings is one bad decision away from being forced into rehab until she meets four-year-old Shea Sullivan, a deaf child who saves her with a spiritual connection she cannot explain.

Hey Jude

by Kathleen Stone

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

2021 Indies Today Award finalist

“Nice to meet you…?”

Jude.”

Like Judith?”

No.”

Like Judas?” he teased.

Like hey,” I finally said.

In 1985 eighteen-year-old Jude Hastings loses her deaf twin sister to a brain aneurysm. A year later her longtime boyfriend dumps her for taking too long to grieve. Jude’s relationship with her parents is more volatile than ever because she’s the child who lived. The next four years see Jude on a path of destruction, leaving a trail of alcohol-induced nights and a laundry list of nameless men in her wake. Love simply doesn’t exist in her world.

Until she meets Shea Sullivan, an unreachable four-year-old deaf boy who steals her heart when she is hired to be his full-time nanny, based solely on her sign language skills. Things on the surface are not as they seem, as Jude quickly learns that Shea is a very troubled little boy with a history of violent behavior, uncontrollable outbursts and a cold, overbearing and curmudgeonly father. There’s no denying the connection Jude shares with Shea, but is it enough to keep her working in his unbearable father’s home?

Hey Jude” is the story of a young woman and a child who desperately need each other, with outside circumstances fighting against them at every turn. It’s a story that will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you question everything you know about connections of the spirit.


**Celebrate the International Day of Sign Languages on 9/23 & World Day of the Deaf on 9/24!!**

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Kathleen has been a freelance writer since 1999 and now writes full time. Her work has appeared in Doll World Magazine, Apolloslyre.com, The Lake County Journals, Trails.com; USA Today (travel), Livestrong.com (lifestyle), Essortment, eHow, Answerbag, Examiner.com, Suite101 and YahooVoices. She is the author of Heatherstone, the award-winning novels Hey Jude, Tell Me You Love Me and Whispers On A String, and the Head Case Rock Novel Series (Head Case, Whiplash and Haven). She also has short stories published in the Secrets: Fact or Fiction I & II anthologies.


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Beautiful Dangerous Tour and Giveaway

 

It’s exquisite torture watching you. 

For your sake, I hope you meet my expectations...

Beautiful Dangerous

Philly Heat Series #4

by Becky Flade

Genre: Romantic Thriller, Suspense 

It’s exquisite torture watching you. For your sake, I hope you meet my expectations...

In the year following her brother’s tragic murder, Public Defender Hannah Patel withdrew into the comfort of family and career. As time passed, the man obsessed with her became a terrifying threat.

A fatal error caused Detective Doyle Murphy to doubt his future in law enforcement, but protecting Hannah presents an opportunity for redemption. Neither expect their forced closeness to create genuine feelings.

As their burgeoning romance grows, it pushes her stalker over the edge.

Will love win? Or will madness?


**On Sale for Only $1.49!! Get it now!**

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Find the rest of the series here!

The Philly Heat Series 

on Amazon 


When I was little, I thought everyone had stories in their head. When I found out only special people had stories to tell, I wanted to be one of the magical ones who shared their stories with the world. I wrote my first book in kindergarten with the help of my teacher, Mrs. Daniels. My mom – my biggest fan and most ardent supporter – has that little crayon-drawn book tucked into the pages of her family bible. It took almost thirty years to get from there to published but here I am, making my own dreams come true, one happily ever after at a time.


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Heart of the Storm Virtual Book Tour



 Demon Storm, Book 4

 

YA Fantasy

Date Published: 09-13-2023

Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing


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More than night terrors keep Kari awake at night. Ari languishes beside her, broken by the horrors Raven bestowed upon him.

She hopes he heals, and soon.

When a familiar presence and an unexplainable human with magic happen upon their doorstep, Kari and Ari make a decision: leave Raziac Village in search of answers and a new home.

But the heart eater waits for them.

 


About the Author

Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other children & children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.

 

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RABT Book Tours & PR

Deadlock Teaser Tuesday

 

(Revenge and Zombies)

 

Sci Fi Romance, Suspense, Action & Adventure

Date Published: September 29. 2023

 

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Rory and Tessa have managed to work together to survive the island, but now they have an even bigger task at hand. Together, they must find Bennett and the missing zombie before the virus can take over the mainland.

Easier said than done. The mainland Tessa knew before is a different world from the one that exists now. A mysterious plague taking over the poorer population has people nervous, and Rory and Tessa will have their work cut out for them. Will they be able to stop Tessa’s virus before it’s too late?


 

EXCERPT


Copyright ©2023 Torri Heat

 

It was silent out on the water. The kind of silence that screamed in your ears, demanding to be heard. The kind of quiet that raised the hairs on the back of your neck and created trails of goose bumps along your arms. It spoke of a storm brewing in the distance, of an imbalance in the scales.

The last time it was this quiet was after my father died, when the laughter had died off, when I had snuck out from under the table I was hiding beneath and ran to cradle his body. Afterwards, I knew I had been screaming from the soreness of my throat, and the way I gasped for air. But during those moments, before the paramedics showed up and carried his body away, it was silent. Completely and utterly silent. There was only the screaming quiet in my ears, surrounding me in a way I thought I would never experience again.

Until now, on the boat. Rory was at the wheel, frowning as he stared into the grey skies. We hadn’t spoken since the rush to the boat, and that had been in mostly short sentences.

“Untie the rope for me.”

“Hand me that oar.”

“Push off.”

And getting to the boat had been too loud as we snuck past the small hordes of zombies that had spread out across the island. Luckily, since we had arrived at the safe zone, everything had quieted down. The zombies that had been at the door soon gave up and spread out, and we knew that it was now or never to make our move. Joe had loaded us up packs filled with supplies and food -- whatever the safe house had to spare. We probably had enough to last the two of us a week on the mainland, maybe two if we stretched our rations. A week to find Bennett, the zombie, and make our mind up about what would happen next. I wasn’t sure yet if we’d return to the island together, or go our separate ways. Right now, our minds were on the next steps, and the next steps alone. We needed to find Bennett and that zombie. There was no other way around it. If he managed to release it into the wild, the whole thing could be a complete disaster.

There was a reason I liked science. I liked reasons. Logic. I liked there to be answers to my questions if I worked hard enough. Two plus two always equalled four, and I had a plan in place for how I wanted to spread the virus. Bennett releasing one random zombie into the wild was not how my plan was going to go and could ruin a lot more than just my revenge. I needed to stop him before that happened.

As for Bennett when we found him… well. Unfortunately in my line of work, there were some things I needed to do, and this was one of them. But Bennett was a liability, and I couldn’t afford to have him running around any more than I could have that zombie running free. I’d take care of him when and where we found him.

The skies were darkening, and the wind was picking up, bringing my silence to an end. Reality was flooding in, and I still needed to figure out what our plan of action was. I pointed to the grey beach in the distance. “I think we should try there!” I called over to Rory, yelling to be heard over the screaming wind.

He turned to look at me, the boat cutting sharply over a wave that splashed us both with cool water. “What?”

I pointed again. “There! Try there!”

Rory nodded and turned the wheel in the direction of the small beach. It wasn’t the largest dock Bennett could’ve gone to, but it was definitely the closest and easiest, which if I was bringing a zombie on my own to the mainland is what I would’ve gone for.

The wind blew through my hair, and I grabbed for the elastic wrapped around my wrist. Twisting my hair into a tight braid, I watched Rory as he controlled the boat easily, as if he had been doing this all his life despite the increasingly choppy water. I wondered what was going through his head at this moment. Did he regret coming with me? Or maybe this was just his way of getting back to the mainland, and he’d dump my ass as soon as we touched ground, maybe even sending the cops my way. Not like I needed him, really. I was certain I’d be able to find Bennett without Rory’s help. I had been finding my way in this world alone since I was young, and nothing had changed now.

But it might be nice to have someone to bounce ideas off, since I no longer had James. A real, live sounding board. I didn’t need him to have pointless conversation with. I’d rather save my breath. But to see if my ideas were on the right track or not? Yeah, that might be nice.

I’d have to wait and see what his plan was once we got the boat to the mainland.


About the Author

Torri Heat has always loved control. Her mind was blown when she discovered she could control entire worlds through story writing. Throw some steamy romance in there, and it was pretty close to perfection. Torri loves dark heroes who ride off into the sunset on their motorcycles, fierce heroines who can fend for themselves, and a sprinkle of the paranormal to keep things interesting. When she's not creating alternate realities you can find her managing her three ring circus of kids and animals.

Find all of Torri’s books and sign up for her newsletter at her website, or follow her on social media. You can also leave reviews!

 

Contact Links

Author on Facebook: @torriheatwrites

Authoron Instagram and TikTok: @torriheat

 

Publisher on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @changelingpress

 

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RABT Book Tours & PR

A Duke's Introduction to Courtship Blitz

 

The Gentlemen Authors, Book 2


Historical Romance, Regency Romance

Date Published: September 26, 2023

 

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Love caught him completely off guard and forced him to question everything…

When Brody Evans, Duke of Corwin, goes incognito at a printing press, he doesn’t anticipate meeting Mr. Michaels, a charming young man with whom he shares an instant connection. Soon he’s questioning everything he believed to be true of himself, while losing his heart in the process. Accepting the way he feels is not only hard, it’s also illegal and downright dangerous. Until he learns the truth and is forced to wonder whether or not the person he fell for is real, or just an illusion.

Dressed as a boy, Harriet Michaels acquires a job at a printing press so she can support herself and her younger sister. It seems like a good idea until she meets Mr. Evans, the new assistant editor. Her attraction toward him cannot be denied, but it must be concealed if she’s to avoid detection and the risk of losing her job. The more time she spends with him, however, the closer she comes to heartache and ruin. For as it turns out, Mr. Evans is not who he claims to be either.


The Gentlemen Authors Series:


A Duke's Guide to Romance

The Gentlemen Authors, Book One


A Duke's Introduction to Courtship

The Gentlemen Authors, Book 2


A Duke's Lesson in Charm

The Gentlemen Authors, Book 2

Coming October 24, 2023


Available on Amazon


About the Author

USA TODAY bestselling author Sophie Barnes writes historical romance novels in which the characters break away from social expectations in their quest for happiness and love. Having written for Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins, her books have been published internationally in eight languages. With a fondness for travel, Sophie has lived in six countries, on three continents, and speaks English, Danish, French, Spanish, and Romanian with varying degrees of fluency. Ever the romantic, she married the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses.

When she’s not busy dreaming up her next swoon worthy romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga, baking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading.

 

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RABT Book Tours & PR

Cranky Superpowers Blitz

 

Life Lessons Learned from the Common CrankaTsuris Chronicles

 

Self Help / Humor

Date Published: September 26, 2023

Publisher: Enigami Publishing


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Cranky Superpowers: Life Lessons Learned from the Common CrankaTsuris Chronicles By Steven Joseph


Get ready to embrace your inner curmudgeon with crankiness expert Steven Joseph. In his award-winning masterpiece “A Grownup Guide to Effective Crankiness: The CrankaTsuris Method,” we learned how to navigate and celebrate our grouchy moments. Now, in “Cranky Superpowers: Life Lessons Learned from the Common CrankaTsuris Chronicles,” our journey to mastering our moodiness takes a humorous twist that is guaranteed to have you chuckling out loud.

Peppered with captivating tales, both fresh and familiar, “Cranky Superpowers” unveils the often-missed hilarity in our everyday grumbles and groans. But it's not all laughter—this witty guide offers priceless insights into our hidden "Cranky Superpowers," powers that when harnessed correctly, can ignite a more understanding, patient, and positively cranky version of ourselves.


“Cranky Superpowers” is a rollicking journey of self-discovery, one that not only entertains but enlightens. So, put on your favorite cape and tights, and get ready to unlock your potential, unleash your better self, and find a little bit of humor in the perfectly imperfect art of being human.

 


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RABT Book Tours & PR

Just a Fika: Coffee, Connection, and a Matchmaking Ghost Grandmother by Beck Erixson Virtual Book Tour



Just a Fika: Coffee, Connection, and a Matchmaking Ghost Grandmother
Beck Erixson

Genre: Speculative Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction with Romance
Publisher: Aegir Haven, LLC 
Date of Publication: October 3, 2023
ISBN: 979-8-9875998-0-8 (paperback)
ISBN” 979-8-9875998-2-2 (ebook)
Number of pages: 308
Word Count: 83,000
Cover Artist: Melody Jeffries

Tagline: Family. They’re always meddling in your love life… Even after they’re dead.

Book Description:

Brooklynite-and genealogist-Ingrid Ekstrom accepts a surprise request from her typically estranged family: to become the live-in caretaker of their shared historic house in the sleepy Jersey Shore town of Aegir Haven. A fun-loving cousin is quick to introduce Ingrid to the local handyman and bluegrass musician. As he fixes up the place, Ingrid digs into the house's past and learns about the family she barely knows. 

And then Mormor-her long-dead grandmother-shows up, acting as though not being in the spirit realm is perfectly normal.  

Ingrid's always yearned for stronger family connections, and it's nice having Mormor around. Mormor tries to set her up with a young real estate attorney who's closer to her more thunderous, god-like personal standards than the musician with keen senses Ingrid is falling for. As lore and legends mingle with real life, she's torn. Mormor's fantastical family sagas can't actually be true, right?


Excerpt:

“Show yourself, you meddling woman,” I say, probably too stern for a granddaughter. She did this to herself.

“Oh, relax. You had fun, didn’t you?” Mormor’s voice projects from the living room.

“You had no business showing up tonight. My social life is mine.” I kick off my shoes in the entry and cut across to the warmth of the lit fireplace. She’s kept herself busy.

“Oh, sit down,” she scolds me from the purple wingback chair, like the child she believes I still am.

Hard to say no to your grandmother, even if you don’t really know her. For civility’s sake, I take my place in the leather chair on the other side of the fireplace, garnering an unobstructed view of her. The heat and flames of the fireplace illuminate the bridge etched into the back of the black stone, only visible when the temperature hits high enough. She’s been waiting.

“Did you have fun?” The chair creaks as she adjusts her legs. “You two were adorable together.”

“So you said at the restaurant. Directly to him.” The energy it takes to argue isn’t worth the effort right now. Opting for a tone of juvenile annoyance takes less energy. “Can you please stay out of my personal life? Can this be something we agree to?”

“Absolutely not. You’ll blow it. Look at your track record. You need me.” She waves off my request. “Besides, it was one date, and of course that boy ended up there too.”
Ah, so she didn’t send him. Sweet. “Thatboy?“ I ask.

“Yes, the one with the instrument and the curls in his hair. The one who’s been fixing things here.” Mormorisn’t holding back niceties.

“Kurt?” I grin. “What do you have against Kurt?” Reveling in this is wrong, but so right.

“You need someone with their feet on the ground. Someone like Yale.” She sits high like a queen in her court.

“What do you know about him?” I’m not arguing. Who knows how long she’s been popping in and out of my life?

“I know what I need to.” She lengthens her neck. “Why even bother with him?”

“Ah, so you know nothing.” Makes two of us, really. Other than being kind, talented, and someone to joke around with, he’s a mystery. A mystery who’s comfortable to be around, but sometimes makes butterflies flutter in my chest. Yale makes me awkward and nervous. Ugh,I’m overanalyzing again. Inside me there’s a constant nag when I’m around Yale that he’s not a good idea. Not that Kurt’s a good idea.

“Let’s clarify something. I’m not going back until I know you are okay.” Mormor stares off at the fire. A gentle breeze whistles through the windows and flutters the edges of her hair.

“Is this a promise or a threat?” Please stay, for at least a while longer. I like getting to know her when she’s not meddling. Half the reason I agreed to move out here was to learn more about my family.

I suppose I should thank her. Dinner ended when the menu she was holding too close to the wall sconce caught fire and we had to run outside. Serves her right for spying and not paying attention. There’s nothing quite like the smell of melting plastic to inflict headaches and end a date quickly.

He was kind enough to walk me home after I made the first turn in the wrong direction. I’d have made it eventually. His gentlemanly self was fantastic. It was the long periods of not talking and staring at the candle that made me want to bolt.

“You know I love you.” I open my arms for a hug.

She turns non-corporeal and laughs as my arms slice through her.

Mormor! “What are the rules here? When are you—you? And when are you a ghost?” I stamp my voice like a toddler mid-tantrum, adding extra emphasis at the beginning of each sentence.

“You were going to squeeze me too hard.” She’s right. “When I’m tired, I fade a bit. I don’t like where I go when I fade.”

A tiny over-the-top squeeze to make her feel as uncomfortable as I felt with Yale is deserved, tight enough so she knows I’m squeezing love and the want of a direct connection with her.

“Where you go?” Legitimate question.

“I have to go somewhere? What? You think I’m like a fading light?”

I shrug. “Sorry, I don’t have experience with—ghosts?”

“We’ve been over this.” She rolls her eyes. “The rules are murky.” She pulls at the low braid on the back of her head.

“Oh, is that all?” This woman is off her rocker.

“It’s complicated.” She crosses her arms and huffs. “Haven’t you bothered doing your research?”

“This isn’t something I can research.” Hello, librarian, I keep seeing my dead grandmother. Do you have any books on this?

My jaw drops—this was an intentional diversion. “You’re trying to get sympathy and distract me from the fact you interrupted in the most inappropriate way on a date.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Caught me. You still need to think about dating a proper choice. I’m holding my ground on this.”

“Proper?” Again, with that word. “I don’t need to date anyone. I’m here to watch the house.”

She comes over and envelopes me in a too-hard hug.

I wheeze. “Besides it wasn’t a date, it was two people going to dinner.”

The unsuccessful wiggle of my arms proves Mormor’s ghost form is stronger than she lets on.

“Dating doesn’t mean a relationship.” I peck her cheek. “Having dinner once or twice is getting to know someone.”

She releases her arms and slinks back in her chair. “Don’t end up alone, Ingrid.” A tremble crosses her tone.

“I’ve got you. How can I be alone?”

“You know very well what I mean. You’ve squandered your twenties, and now—”

“I got an education and lived life.” There it is. Clear disappointment I’ve caused her in my life choices. “I traveled and dated. Not everyone finds themselves in their early twenties.”

“Will you consider dating while you are here? He’s really a nice boy.”

“I’m here to maintain the house. Not to date.” I’m over dating.

“Being here doesn’t mean you can’t date.”

I shake my head. She’s relentless.

Mormor waves her hand in front of the fire, and the flames dance higher. “Yale is…” She wags her eyebrows. “Kurt is…” A hovered eye roll punctuates the end of her sentence.

“A friend.” Sort of—he’s working here because Svea paid him.

Mormor grumbles something inaudible from my seat. “I have a list of projects for you. Promise me you’ll stay till you finish some?” She pulls her arm back to the chair and rests her hands on her lap.

“I’m a fill-in. The only person available with no ties to kids or an office.” Story of my life. The living family members call when they remember my existence. Supposedly they love me, but…eh, baggage to think about another day, right? “Promise me you won’t mess up Kurt’s projects on the house?” He works hard regardless of her impression of him.

“As long as he sticks to the house as a project and not you.” She wags her finger and heaves a sigh.

A halfhearted nod is the only option to end this conversation. “Tea?”

I’m not a project.



About the Author: 

Beck Erixson writes about the beautifully awkward world of navigating the journey to true happiness through friendships, love, and family—be it blood, found, or chosen. Her stories enhance the importance of positive interconnection, even when we feel lonely. She lives on the Jersey Shore, and can often be found either writing by the river, or in it in some way. Her short stories have appeared in Many Nice Donkeys, and Full Mood Mag.









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NBTM Virtual Book Tour: Emissary by E.B. Brooks

 


Guest Post from E.B. Brooks

The Backdrop for Emissary

Like the Diamond Lord says of Veridor and its people, no story exists in a vacuum. This is true of both the in-universe lore and the literary meta. Stories are a roadmap for the soul; we all draw inspiration from the tales we imbibe, and our psyches analyze, refine, and synthesize them in an ongoing alchemy. 

When I first started writing Emissary, I was the father of two young children and a recent graduate with a PhD. My fiction-reading time was severely limited, and visual media, in the form of video games (which my kids could drift in and out of) and anime in particular, was what I mostly took in. In the autumn of 2014, my wife and I had recently watched the first two seasons of Sword Art Online, as well as Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. (Both are excellent watches, by the way.) I still had a recent playthrough of Skyrim fresh on the brain, too. So when my wife’s own story-drafting catalyzed me to try creative writing as well, I naturally drew on those stories and settings to get started. 

Which, I’m sure, is why Emissary and its sequels have many nods and easter eggs to those stories: Ewan’s two swords and black armor call back to Kirito’s OP dual-wielding skill and black jacket; Ewan’s mom is named Tricia (the Irish version of FMA’s Trisha Elric), and Treanna’s home is called the Centre (and its people Centrals). Ewan’s sister Kate and her axes came from my recent Skyrim character. Veridor as a setting (or at least the Whitehaven region where Ewan’s from) resembles a game of Skyrim, long after the main quest was completed, and its Gems fulfil a role much like that games Daedric princes.

But these are elements, analytical components waiting to be synthesized into something unique. I thought about video-game worlds in general, especially the super-immersive kind. Why would not one player but an entire culture move permanently into such a game world? What would inspire—or compel—them to leave the real world behind? How long would it take for them to forget, or would they try to forget as quickly as they could? What about the people who inevitably would stay behind to manage things? How would they feel after a year, or ten, or a hundred, or thousands? What kind of lore would follow, and what story could rise from such strict separation of the worlds of spirit and matter? 

Massive spoilers for Emissary follow for the rest of the blog. Read on at your own peril, or better yet, read on after reading the book for yourself!

 Today in 2023, it’s sadly even easier than in 2014 to see what might drive people to retreat underground into virtual refuges. Picturing a world bereft of its ecology, deserted by its elites via spaceship in an event those left behind called the Rapture, and the brutal resource wars that would follow, I envisioned the Centre as being (as Ewan calls it) the last bastion of humanity on Earth. The Centre’s Founder, Charles Bellview, was a programmer and visionary determined to save whatever he could. He and his team designed over a hundred game worlds, all managed by the Central operating system which Bellview called the Logos (because its symbols and logic generated worlds). The Centre was maintained by a skeleton crew, and the game worlds were tended to by the game masters, staff with high-level access to manage the games and help their charges settle in. But, having survived human nature during the climate apocalypse, Bellview predicted that the five or so thousand Central staff would eventually take their frustration out on the 120 million physically-helpless players, so he designed system overrides for each game world to give players the determination of their own fate. When his predictions came to pass six hundred years later, these Priority 0 artifacts took the form of holy relics and weapons as players from every world, for whom Earth and its troubles, were forgotten, revolted against their game masters and expelled them from the game worlds. In doing so, they severed the one remaining link between themselves and the real world, though the remnant Central staff continued to maintain the system for the sake of one day returning to the surface world. 

The resentment between players and Centrals was, to say the least, intense. 

In Veridor, Ewan’s homeworld, the game masters (Gems, as the term evolved) were driven out in a holy war of unification by the world’s most legendary hero, Maximilian the Great, and the Veridian Church, which revered the Logos as the superior force of the world. Two thousand years later, Ewan O’Meara is trying to make a name for himself in a world where epic quests are a thing of the distant past. That doesn’t stop him from trying and dying, using Veridor’s endless respawns to chase his dreams as recklessly as he likes. But it’s not until Treanna Rothchild appears from beyond Veridor, warning of an impending threat to Veridor and every world, that Ewan gets a chance to do what no player has done since Old Max’s time: make a real difference.

Emissary

by E.B. Brooks


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


Science Fiction


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


Two Worlds. One Future.


Ewan O’Meara is no stranger to death: in recent months, he’s found his way to limbo at least once per week, much to his parents’ concern. It’s a necessary price for getting experience to become the greatest adventurer his homeland of Veridor has ever known, but the overbearing Veridian Church has him pinned down, soaking him for the penance gold to unlock his stats each time he respawns. And because the Church’s ancient war put an end to both the godlike Gems and the epic quests they once bestowed, Ewan has no better alternative.


That is, until he encounters a young woman fleeing arrest from the Church’s soldiers. At first glance, Treanna Rothchild needs it: she’s clueless about Veridian life. But she has other skills that defy Ewan’s understanding, and she knows things. Unsettling, seditious things the Church wants kept secret at any cost.


And she’s in Veridor to raise an army, to fight an enemy only she can see.


Risking both life and soul, Ewan follows Treanna where no Veridian has ever been and there is no respawning. But for him to have a chance at making a real difference in the strange, harsh world she reveals to him, he must first come to terms with it. Especially as he and Treanna discover how much it has in common with Veridor—and how much they depend on each other to survive.


New-adult science fiction, wrapped in gaming and fantasy around a hopepunk core, Emissary is an immersive, thought-provoking adventure with a little teen romance and a lot of heart.



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


EXCERPT:


Ewan didn’t know why he did it. He had plenty of reasons. He was angry about getting censured, annoyed with Paul’s warning to keep his head down, and embarrassed by how quickly he’d ignored it. No one took him seriously as an adventurer, much less understood when he asked the big questions. 


But, more than anything, looking into those eyes, he simply knew this girl was in trouble, and that he wanted to help her.


She flew past as time resumed its normal flow; Ewan shouted and leaped in front of the Swords to draw their aggro. He called up his menu, winced when he remembered he’d given Kate his armor, then equipped his blades anyway.


An ominous tone sounded in his mind, and a warning flashed across his vision that he now had a bounty, along with a reminder that only Swords were permitted to equip weapons in the cathedral. As if to prove the point, the soldiers slowed as they saw the blades flash into being on his back, but with grim smiles they equipped their own and changed targets. 


Ewan spared a quick glance behind him to see the girl vanish down the steps, then turned to face his opponents. 


The crowd was whispering excitedly now, but he focused on the Swords, quickly calling on his own basic aura-reading skills to scan them. They were stronger than him, and bigger too, but neither had bothered to bolster their defense beyond their armor, clearly seeing him as an easy mark. 


Time to see what agility’s all about, he thought with a nervous chuckle.


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


E.B. Brooks lives in the southeastern USA, where he splits his time between writing, research, and homesteading. He enjoys building fictional worlds, real houses, and landscape models, but he’s most at home with his wife and children, and their many, many pets.


Website: http://ebbrooksfiction.com/

Twitter: @EBBrooksFiction

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG2vFKJoCSoJaP6qCECwPIA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19919752.E_B_Brooks

The StoryGraph:

https://app.thestorygraph.com/authors/d82b9abb-6a6a-48a7-8563-a84689316df7

Bookbub:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/e-b-brooks-df6155fb-c7c4-4568-b612-ac5ae2eeb86b


Buy Links (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/stores/E.B.-Brooks/author/B087D6C88X


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