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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Showing posts with label Book Tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Tour. Show all posts

Wednesday 18 October 2023

Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn- Guest Review and Excerpt

 

Apologies for this post being later than originally advertised - due to circumstances entirely beyond my control - honest! (ever had one of those weeks...?)

 Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn: On Tour Publisher:  Swashbuckle Holdings (August, 2023) Category: Fantasy, Adult Epic Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Steampunk Tour Dates October 16-November 22, 2023 ISBN: 978-1962089005 Available in Print and ebook, 194 pages Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War

Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn

Description Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn

As a young wilderness girl, Pistol Rose knows nothing of the advanced Strelkie City or the mad king Ward Harrol who sits behind its walls. She doesn't understand why the Strelkie forbid marriage. When the king forces the surrounding countryside to change their traditional culture to match his vision, the Punimin resist, and Rose learns everything about how to kill Strelkie and get away with it. 

But throwing her own secret wedding without being caught... is another matter entirely. Rose refuses to give up her lover, Clock Dancin, for the tyrants who threaten her way of life. And most Punimin stand with her–only one is a betrayer. In this futuristic medieval steampunk country filled with liars, killers, and wilderuckers, the strongest weapon is love. But using it comes with a heavy cost. 

About Michael Ryan Hahn

 ‘Pistol Rose and the Wedding That Sparked a War’ is Michael’s debut novel and the first in a planned 7- part series, The Anthem of Ash & Pistols. He previously wrote a standalone horror novella called ‘Children of the Storm’. He recently released an adventure podcast in the style of old radio plays called


Fire Pockets. His stories aim to weave exciting action with humor and heart, with complicated villains—probably because of his upbringing. He comes from a big ol' raucous family, and he survived a shockingly bruising (but not altogether unfun) cadre of violently delinquent Boy Scouts to become an Eagle Scout. He loves fight scenes. 

Michael won a ScreenCraft competition that led to development with Bad Robot. He's a 3x ScreenCraft Finalist, and has 18 other accolades from major screenwriting competitions, including AFF and Final Big Break. As a director, he won Best Feature at GenCon and Best Director at BAFF for his micro-budget, wild sci-fi comedy action feature, ALIEN THEORY He lives in Los Angeles with his wife. In his spare time, he designs custom habitats for cats.* The habitats are highly popular with the cats. Website: https://www.michaelryanhahn.com/ Fire Pockets Podcast: https://www.michaelryanhahn.com/fire-pockets Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelRyanHahn

 

Excerpt from Pistol Rose

In a deep forest grove, Rose trots into a private, leafy pocket wearing leather armor and carrying a staff. This is a routine. “Face me, Mister! No dirty tricks, you cud.”

Dancin pops out from behind a tree wearing a “fancy” suit with many family clocks on it. There’s a blanket and picnic lunch nearby.

This isn’t the training session she was expecting. She laughs. “Are you going to charm me to death?”

“Thought I’d try something new.” He checks his pocket—oh no. It’s empty. She giggles as he rifles through more pockets. The pockets seem to be endless, and all of them empty.

“Lose something, Mister?”

He looks up—she’s holding an engagement ring. She leaps to him and kneels, thrusts the ring into his hands. Their names are beautifully inscribed on it. His craftsmanship has improved tremendously since those first clumsy scribblings of her face on his fighting stick, especially his lettering.

“Rose—”

“Put your ring on my finger, boy.”

“So you want to be my wife, Miss Pistol?”

“Yes, Mr. Clock, I do.” She jumps onto him and kisses him like a hungry woodpecker until he laughs. Then she swats him— “You made that ring five months ago!”

He’s aghast. “You knew?”

“Of course I knew! You think I’d spend all my waking hours with a man I didn’t know inside and out?”

“Well. You don’t know everything.” He kisses her slowly and she falls out of time with him.

Behind a nearby thicket, a weaselly Strelkie soldier named Net Nesting pulls up his army trousers, careful not to make a sound. A half-naked, sultry Punimin girl called Teeth Molly dresses and follows him. (The Teeth clan boasts of a dozen generations of dentistry wisdom, but it isn’t true: until fifty-six years ago they were simply known for biting, throwing fits, and generally acting like the forest’s lesser-intelligent animals. None of this horrid behavior made it onto clocks, for obvious reasons, so their history isn’t officially settled. But in truth, it wasn’t until one of the boys managed to marry an educated girl named Candle Sally from Almyter that the Teeth began to resemble something respectable. Molly, however, seems born to tug her family line backwards.) She has several polished bronze teeth that she claims are gold, unlike the rest of her family who all show off flawless pearly whites. Whereas Punimin generally find wood to carve, Molly has taken to her own skin with dyes and inks to tell stories—lies, really—of flying with crows. Her largest canvass is her shelfy bosom, which seems to have intentional difficulty fitting into every garment she selects. The ink she uses is allegedly “snake powder,” a new substance of multiple uses being whispered about on the underground markets. Some people say it makes you crazy, if it’s even real at all. Whatever Molly bought, snake powder or some imitation, it obviously made permanent marks on her skin, but if it made her crazier than she comes naturally, that would be hard to tell. They spy on Rose and Dancin.

Rose says, “Let’s get married in secret.”

“We could ask the district emissary,” he offers gently. A sharp glare from her makes him rethink the suggestion. “I’m sorry—I know how your family feels about that, but if we go the secret way and the Strelkie find out, they’ll come after everyone we love. That’s war.”

Net motions for Molly to hang back while he approaches like a cautious viper.

Rose says, “I’m not afraid of Strelkie. I’m just afraid of not living my life. I loved Ann, but I hate her for what she did. I won’t do it. I won’t bow to them. Do you know what sprawhammid is?”

Dancin squints searching for a school-time memory. “Is it what the ancients called brave adventurers?”

“I think so,” she says. “But people nowadays say different things. Pig-headed fool, reckless pirate, stubborn noble. The more I hear about sprawhammid, the more it suits me. All together I think it really means to chase what you believe in, especially in the face of tyranny.”

“And what do you believe in, Rose?”

“Love. It’s what Punimin have and what Strelkie want to stamp out. It’s freedom. It’s choice. All those words we don’t want to get overheard saying by the wrong people. If we say, ‘sprawhammid’ instead, we can be free to design our secrets openly, among our people. The Strelkie will never know. None are taught the word.”

Dancin whispers, “Then our wedding will be sprawhammid.”

Net Nesting blows a bone horn and startles them. He jumps out with a shiny shotgun. Teeth Molly leaps out with a rusty corkscrew knife. Psychos.

Net Nesting muses, “What do we have here?”

Teeth Molly shouts, “Lawbreakers! Them’s treasonists!”

Net flexes his power. “Plotting to get married without consent of the district emissary?”

Molly looks stunned. “Wait. You’re not the district em?” Did Molly just sleep with a low rank? She is perturbed.

Net shrugs her off. “No, but I work for him. I’ll have his chair soon.” He turns to Dancin. “I am Net Nesting. I reflect the district emissary. What you’ve spoken here is conspiracy of the sickest flavor.”

Dancin attempts respect. “We were just planning to come and visit you—”

“Liars!” Molly shrieks. “We’s heard your plots! What’s heard can’t be silent, not when it’s rot. We’ll make sure the authorities hear about this, what’d you call it, ‘sprawhammid.’ Your secrets is undone, they is.”

Rose bites back. “Teeth Molly, I know your cousin; she’s our dentist. Does she know you’re carrying on with a Strelkie soldier?”

Molly’s jaw drops. “Oh, ha ho! Blackmail? This cud just tried to blackmail me! Punish them! Stick them!”

Net looks unsure. Molly presses. “Punish them big, Net. I’ll meet you up with my girlfriend if you do. She swings, love-dove. You just tell the story, and she’ll play it for you.” She points at a string of tattoos on her leg like a menu. They are … enlightening to Net.

Net gulps and nods. “Okay. Okay, here’s what we’ll do. You come to my office later today and pay me to forget this.”

Molly won’t have that weakness. “You soft sludger, no! Punish them proper! Do it, Strelkie, or I’ll tell the district em you’re carrying on with a Punimin girl.”

“He’d kill you too, stupid,” Net snaps.

Molly rubs her neck sensually. “Not if he likes me. My bet’s he will.” Net turns shocked.

“Maybe we should all just go our separate ways,” Dancin says.

Molly is on a roll now. “Nah, nah, nah. Make these cuds fight to the death. Barbellics style.”

Net is in over his head with this girl.

Rose snarls, “Molly, what did I ever do to you?”

To Molly, everyone has wronged her. “Fight to the death. Tell them, Net! Tell!”

Net finds a courage he didn’t know he had. “Whoever wins, their family lives. The loser’s family dies with pain for conspiracy to host a wedding without permission. The emissary will want a strong example made.”

Rose looks grave. “You can’t be serious.”

Molly jumps. “My man’s serious, Pistol. And I gets the loser’s head! I get to carry it on a post! The whole village will see I’m the top Punimin. Watch them buttoned-up doves look at me like a whore then. I’ll see them gobble their words.”

Net points his shotgun at Rose. “Fight now, or both families die. All of them.”

©Michael Ryan Hahn

 

Guest Review by Gracie

If there is anything I learned from this book, it is that you do not mess with a girl with Pistol as a first name!

Pistol Rose was raised to respect two things, family and gun crafting. She was raised as a fighter and instilled at a young age with a deep and abiding hatred for the Strelkie, an over class of people that live in a shining, technologically advanced city that rules over Rose's people, the Punimin.

Though the Punimin are raised to honor fidelity, the Strelkie are non-monogamous, even in their families. It is for this reason, as well as many others, that Rose hesitates to ask for permission from her local Strelkie emissary when she and her beau, Clock Dancin' decide to get married.

Rose knows that the emissary will deny them. She has seen it happen before, when her cousin Ann asked to marry her own beau and was not only denied, but lost her man to be conscripted into the city for breeding purposes.

Rose does not wish to lose Dancin' in this way, and she realizes that she and her fiancé must flee their village and find refuge in a place called Afar if they are ever to be free together. Of course, this is easier said than done, and by the time everything shakes out, Rose has a lot more blood on her hands than she started out with.

Author Michael Ryan Hahn secures his place as one of the best modern steampunk authors of our time with this electric novel of love, strength and family.I simply couldn't put this down and I'm sure that other readers will agree.

'Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War' is a once in a lifetime reading experience that will leave you wanting more!

 

 

Buy Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn

Amazon

Giveaway Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn

This giveaway is for 2 copies. The winners will have the choice of print or ebook. This giveaway is open worldwide and on November 23, 2023 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Pistol Rose and the Wedding that Sparked a War by Michael Ryan Hahn

Teddy Rose Book Reviews  17 Guest Review Gracie & Excerpt Dawn Bound 4 Escape Oct 18 Guest Review Mark and Interview Lyn Romance that's 'out of this world Oct Oct 18 Guest Review Sal Gud Reader Goodreads Oct 19 Review Melissa Must Read Faster Oct 20 Review & Guest Post Linda Lu Goodreads Oct 23 Review Lu Ann Rockin' Book Reviews Oct 24 Review & Guest Post DT Chantel Amazon Oct 26 Review Kathleen Celticlady’s Reviews Oct 27 Guest Review Laura & Guest Post Mike Goodreads Oct 30 Review Melissa C. Deliciously Savvy Nov 1 Guest Review Betty & Excerpt Leslie Storeybook Reviews Nov 2 Guest Review Nora BookGirl Goodreads & Amazon Nov 3 Review Suzie My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews Nov 6 Review & Excerpt Denise Amazon.ca  Nov 8 Review Bee Book Pleasures Nov 9 Review & Interview Liam Goodreads Nov 13 Review Tammy TTC Books a more Nov 14 Guest Review- Betty B. Smitty Goodreads Nov 15 Review Cynthia Old Book Shanty Nov 16 Guest review-Ellen 

 

 

 



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Tuesday 27 March 2018

Offworld Book Tour and #Giveaway


Off World
by
Kimberly Adkins
Genre: Science Fiction
73 pages


Does space make you paranoid? 

Was The Corporation harboring a dark secret on the off world mining
colony to protect their bottom line?

ChristopherCarter loved to explore. He was a specialist in his field back home
on earth, and travel to a moon that orbited a gas giant 120 times the
size of his home planet was the opportunity of a lifetime.  This 
would be his first deep space assignment, and he'd wanted this
contract more than anything else in the world; except for his family,
of course. And he didn't have to choose one or the other. 

It was amazing how things worked out --Until they didn't. 

Everyone was hiding something at the facility, and it didn't take long to
figure out they were hiding it from him. Unfortunately for
Christopher, the truth would prove to be far more horrifying than
anything he could ever have imagined.

**Only .99 cents!**


KimberlyAdkins 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.


Q: Tell us something interesting about you that most people wouldn’t
know?

A: I have a Cylon toaster in my kitchen. So far, it hasn’t convinced
any of my other appliances to revolt against me and assume control
over the destiny of mankind. I guess I’m lucky there. It does burn 
‘Frak Off’ onto my toast every morning, though.



Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!







For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Tuesday 12 September 2017

Origins - #H.A.L.F. series spotlight


Origins
H.A.L.F.
Series Book 3
by
Natalie Wright
Genre:
YA S.F. Fantasy

Alien predators attack Europe. A deadly virus spawns an epidemic. And a
clandestine organization conspires to profit from chaos and forge a
New World Order.


In this heart-pounding finale of the award-winning H.A.L.F. series, Tex, Erika and the rest are in a race against time. For months they‘ve fought for their lives. Now they battle to save us all.

Tex and Erika are fugitives again, running for their lives. But when Tex falls gravely ill, a Navajo healer is his only hope for survival. Tex emerges from the ordeal changed in body and mind but with vital information: how to stop the predatory M’Uktah from destroying those he has come to love.



Erika Holt seeks a respite from the constant threats to her life but she’s not about to give up. As she and Tex launch a mission to shut down the galactic highway used by the predatory M'Uktah, she grows closer to her troubled half-human companion. But what about her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Jack?

Jack Wilson, with his new friend Anna Sturgis, is determined to put an end
to the Makers’ schemes for world domination. Complicating matters, an anti-viral that could save millions from an alien virus has been stolen.

As both alien and human forces line up against them, the destiny of all mankind is hand the hands of these young warriors. And time is running out.

What Others are Saying about H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS:

The latest satisfying addition to the H.A.L.F. series has something for
everyone: exciting action scenes; great, complex love stories;
fascinating new aliens; and relatable teen characters fighting to
save the world and find their places in it.” ~Alyssa H., Content
Editor, Red Adept Editing






The Makers
H.A.L.F.
Series Book 2

"Conflicts with alien races are given enormous depth in this engrossingly
written science fiction novel." ~
Forewords ClarionvReviews

Roswell. Area 51. The X-Files.


You've seen the aliens known as "thevGreys" in movies and on T.V. But what if everything you think you know about them is wrong?



And what if the Greys are only the beginning?

On a nondescript planet on the far side of the galaxy, the M'Uktah have
evolved from a wolf-like predatory creature into a highly advanced species that has mastered intergalactic travel. They are cultured. Refined. 
And hungry...

Wright's epic and much anticipated follow up to her multiple award-winning
debut Sci Fi novel 
H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath:

The Deep Beneath,
Runner Up in the Beach Book Festival 

Finalist, Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Semi-Finalist, Kindle Review Book Awards
and Library Journal pick for curated Shelf-e library collection




The Deep Beneath
H.A.L.F.
Series Book 1

Can a Human-Alien Hybrid, Created to be a Weapon, Save us from a Secret
War we Don't Know is Coming?

Library Journal eBook Selection


H.A.L.F. (Human Alien Life Form) #9 is the product of genetic engineering, the
union of human and alien DNA. Created to be a weapon in a secret war
we don't know is coming, he proved too powerful to control. He has
lived for seventeen years in an underground lab, sedated and trained
to be a cold-blooded killing machine.
But H.A.L.F. 9 has escaped the lab and the sedation has worn off. He has never been more alive. More powerful. Or more deadly.
While H.A.L.F. 9 revels in his newfound freedom, Erika Holt relaxes in the desert with friends. But a typical Saturday night soon erupts into chaos when fate brings her together with H.A.L.F. 9. Erika is forced to make a choice that will irretrievably change her life. If she chooses to help H.A.L.F. 9 escape, her fate  will become intertwined with his in what will become an intergalactic adventure. Little do any of them know that their actions trigger a vast New World Order conspiracy which began after the UFO crash in Roswell in 1947. Will H.A.L.F. 9 be reeled back in, once again forced to do the bidding of
the Makers? And will any of them survive the dangers of The Deep Beneath them?

Award-Winning Science Fiction Appropriate for the Entire Family

  • Silver Medalist, Wishing Shelf Book Awards
  • Semi-Finalist, Kindle Review Book Awards
  • Runner-Up, Beach Book Festival Awards Library
  • Journal choice for the curated Self-E Library Collection

˃˃˃
What Readers Say About The Deep Beneath:


"The action is great, and the scene with the alien spaceship was crazy

good. I found the ending to be quite surprising. It definitely made me want to read the next one to see what happens both above ground and below. I recommend this to all fans of sci-fi adventures."

~C.J. Anaya, Best Selling Author of The Healer Series

"Once I began, I couldn't put it down. It's well-written, fast-paced, and
the characters are believable. I highly recommend this book and
anxiously await book 2!" ~M. Williams
"Extremely exciting and fast-paced story that sucked me in its sci-fi vortex and
wouldn't let me go. H. A. L. F. 9 is probably my favorite alien hybrid of all time. Can't wait for the next book!"

 ~Ms. I Read to Escape



Natalie is the author of the award-winning science fiction series H.A.L.F., and The Akasha Chronicles, a popular young adult fantasy trilogy with over 2 Million reads on Wattpad. She lives in Tucson, Arizona with her husband, teen daughter, and two cat
overlords.

Natalie spends her time writing, reading, geeking out over nerd culture and cool science, and meeting readers and fans at book festivals and comic cons throughout the western United States. Natalie appears

frequently on radio, podcasts and vlogs such as The Speculative Fiction Cantina, Front Row Geeks and iHeart Radio.


Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
In celebration of the release of ORIGINS, the third and final
book in the H.A.L.F. series, all pre-order customers have the
opportunity to receive the following exclusive goodies:
  • A full-color, digital book extra, Lost Chapter and Cut Scenes.
    This book contains the author’s commentary on cut scenes as well
    as photos illustrations. This book is only available to pre-order
    customers.
  • A video retrospective of the H.A.L.F. series, complete with
    “soundtrack” for the series, an author interview, and tons of
    photos and illustrations documenting the series.
INSTRUCTIONS:

It’s simple to obtain the goods. All a customer has to do is:
  1. Buy the book in any format. Digital, paperback, hardcover, or audiobook,

    and at any retailer.
  1. Email a copy of the receipt (again, in any format—photo, screenshot, email receipt, etc.). Email the receipt to:
    half.origins.book@gmail.com
That’s it. The author or her representative will follow-up and send the
customer the awesome goodness of free gifts!

Additionally, every pre-order customer that avails themselves of the pre-order
giveaway will automatically be entered into the ORIGINS
Launch Mega Giveaway and have the chance to win the following:

GRAND PRIZE: 1 Winner will receive the following: $100
  • Amazon Giftcard + Signed, Hardcover copies of the entire 3-book
    H.A.L.F. series + branded book swag, including metal bookmarks,
    complete set of H.A.L.F. Character Trading Cards®, keychain, and
    buttons + non-branded, retail swag themed to the book. Retail value
    of this prize is $240+
FIRST PRIZE: 1 Winner will receive: $25 Amazon Giftcard +
  • Signed, Paperback copies of the entire 3-book H.A.L.F. series +
    branded swag (as listed above) + non-branded swag. Retail value of
    this prize is $75+
10 Runner-Up Prizes: 10 Winners will receive: A gifted copy of Amazon Kindle version of an eBook of the reader’s choice from among Natalie Wright’s published, single-book works (Emily’s House, Emily’s Trial, Emily’s Heart, The Deep Beneath, The Makers, or ORIGINS). Retail value of this prize if between 99¢ to $3.99 (depending on book chosen and price at the time gifted).







For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join