Book Blog: Buy Novels by New Authors at Mark's Writer Bloc

Under a Stone by A.L. White

2010-02-03T23:17:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

The bombing at Torry's warehouse and death of Jeffery Stewart will draw Thomas Stone into one of his strangest cases yet.With his own life falling apart Thomas Stone is connected to the murder of a man he hasn't seen in years, while someone with the power to clean up the trail is leaving bodies all over town. Thomas and his friends must battle the police and one of the most powerful men in Colorado to find the real killer. You never know what you'll find when you look...Under A Stone.

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Inked by Renda Dodge

2010-02-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Tori Liddell has struggled through her twenties suffering from undiagnosed Borderline Personality Disorder. She documents her radical lifestyle changes and shifting identity through the colorful tattoos that cover her body. By disconnecting from her family and personal history she has widened the rift created by years of absence, but when her widowed mother reveals her battle with AIDS Tori returns to small town Oregon to facilitate her care. At her homecoming Tori faces her own mortality, the inevitable loss of her mother and her new enigmatic neighbor's interest. Tori also confronts the realization that things and people are not always the way she remembers as she searches for the meaning of home in the rubble of her past. Inked is a window into the life of a woman struggling to overcome herself, her choices and a psychological affliction etched under her skin.

Author Bio:

Renda Belle Dodge was raised in a modern fractured family. She has lived all over the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Renda has been writing since she was a child. Her stories began as drawings on stapled notebook paper, evolving into four first drafts and finally into her first completed novel Inked, released October 20, 2009. Renda's writing is emotional and personal as she strives to capture the struggle of identity in current America, and what it means to grow up and create lives and families of our own. Renda facilitates several groups for writer's fellowship, support and feedback. For the past six years she has been involved in National Novel Writing Month, and for the past three has been a Municipal Liaison for the Seattle area working with and encouraging writers of all ages and skill sets. She is also a member of the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association.

Excerpt:

When I was nineteen I decided to force drastic progress in my metamorphosis. I felt the process of change was moving too slow and I wanted to do something radical to push it forward. I elected to change my full name. I was surprised at how easy it was to do. I thought I would have to explain the what’s and why’s of my choice in front of a courtroom full of people, however, it was a simple process and legally I was no longer Antonia Olivia Preston. I walked out of the court house smiling at my victory, clutching the piece of paper that declared my name was now, by law, Tori Liddell. On the same day I changed my name, I had my first tattoo inked. A dark red star on the back of my right hand. It became a personal ritual to get a new tattoo every time I made a significant personal or lifestyle change. In addition to several more stars; I have colorful fish, hearts, skulls and Celtic patterns covering and circling my hands and arms. Every image has a story and significance to my personal mythos. A permanent outward testament to my personal revolution.

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Tarasov Solution by Richard Trevae

2010-02-01T22:40:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Decades ago, in the midst of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, a paranoid Kremlin leader ordered the underwater deployment of two nuclear missiles near Cuba's shore; each warhead sealed in a protective cocoon. Buried in the sand, the twin nukes lay undiscovered for half-a-century.
Rumors of the missiles existence lure the attention of Yuri Tarasov, a pathological arms-merchant obsessed with possessing the doomsday weapons. Together with his ruthless assassin, Ivana Yenko, they board Yuri s high-tech yacht Decadence and head for Cuba.
,
25-year old MBA Dalton Crusoe is recognized for his quick analytical mind. When asked by friend and mentor Ed Kosko, head of the NSA, to interrogate a retired, Soviet military-officer seeking asylum, Dalton learns of a sinister plot to assassinate President Connor and Russian President Blinikov during an upcoming, historic summit.

In a race against time, Dalton struggles to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend, outwit the evil Tarasov, save the two presidents, and foil a nuclear strike on Washington D.C.!

Author Bio:

Part adventurer, part businessman, part author, Richard Trevae is a chemical engineer with an MBA in Finance and Management. Trevae matured a startup design/construction/development firm into a publicly traded company that later merged with a parent corporation generating four billion dollars in annual revenues. His articles concerning business valuation, mergers, acquisitions, and management practices have been published in various trade associations and business newspapers. Writing reality inspired fiction has become his latest passion, commencing with, THE FUSION BREAKTHROUGH, followed by the prequel, THE TARASOV SOLUTION. His extensive world traveling has provided a rich backdrop for the exotic locales featured in his novels. Mr Trevae lives with his wife along the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan where he is working on his next novel.

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Grim Hope by Matthew D. Brubaker

2010-01-27T23:03:00.001-08:00

Book Description:

The city of Maevin was founded in the ashes of a nuclear war between Christians and Muslims that nearly annihilated all life on Earth. By the efforts of two men, Maevin soon became a self-sufficient and thriving city. Then after a decade of peace, the two greedily sought to gain sole control over the city of Maevin. Both men survived, but the split between the two former friends was irreversible. The two men have opposed each other ever since, one leading the government and the other leading the rebellious Stasi. The two are locked in a deadly standstill. During the last twenty years of bloodshed the Muslims and Christians, hated by almost everyone and still harboring hatred towards each other from the Atomic War, have barely survived.

Author Bio:

Matthew D. Brubaker is a recent college graduate from Trine University (formerly known as Tri-State University) where he majored in a Business Associate degree in Golf Management while also playing a few years of collegiate golf. Throughout his life, Matt has always been an avid reader, but it was not until college that he discovered his passion for writing fictional stories and for making a spiritual difference in those around him. Since graduating from college, he has worked at a YMCA camp where he enjoys serving others. During his spare time he loves to read, write, and pursue various other hobbies that he enjoys. This book is the first one he has written, though he has several other novel ideas he hopes to complete in the future. If you are interested in finding out more about Matthew, please join his Facebook fan page.

Excerpt:

Larkin placed the Bible on Gideon's back. He took out a long, curved knife with an eagle hilt and thrust it through the Bible; the blade penetrating deep into Gideon's back, narrowly missing his spine. Gideon screamed in pain, as his family screamed in terror.

Larkin put his face close to Gideon's and whispered so only Gideon could hear, "That should work nicely to make you behave. Now, pay attention Gideon. I will kill your family, but how long it takes is up to you. Tell me the names of all the Christians you know. Tell me who it was who converted you. Tell me how you got that cursed book that is now pinned to your back. Tell me everything Gideon and they will die quickly and painlessly. Tell me nothing and it will take hours upon hours before they die."

Gideon's eyes bored into Larkin's as he growled. "I will not tell you anything. No matter what you do to my family, they will spend all of eternity in heaven. You think you are so powerful, but life is but dust and ashes compared to the eternal glory of God. When you die, you will burn in hell and that thought makes me a very happy man. I pray that day comes soon."

"You disappoint me Gideon. I thought one that knew what I am capable of would have been wiser with his answer. Oh well, you leave me no choice."

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The Dragon's Pool by Edward C. Patterson

2010-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

The Third Book in the Jade Owl Legacy Series. A shadow stalks the lanes and streets, from Gui-lin to San Francisco, from Florence to the Dragon's Pool. In its wake, Rowden Gray and his China Hands follow a course to right the wrongs of time. The relic is hidden, but stirs in the soul and archaic rituals long since forgotten, but never lost. Some books are closed. Others are open, giving up their secrets. In the darkness, ancient terror awaits. A barren field yields up its magic and . . . the comets return to earth. The stalwart characters of The Jade Owl and The Third Peregrination are back, and joined by new players and helper bees and . . . yes, villains. It is time for the Tien-xin Rite. It is time to close history's fissure. It is time to complete the prophesy that dwells beneath Her Majesty's hem. It is time to count the teeth that emerge from the Dragon's Pool.

Author Bio:

Edward C. Patterson has been writing novels, short fiction, poetry and drama his entire life, always seeking the emotional core of any story he tells. With his eighth novel, The Jade Owl, he combines an imaginative touch with his life long devotion to China and its history. He has earned an MA in Chinese History from Brooklyn College with further postgraduate work at Columbia University. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he has spent four decades as a soldier in the corporate world gaining insight into the human condition. He won the 2000 New Jersey Minority Achievement Award for his work in corporate diversity. Blending world travel experiences with a passion for story telling, his adventures continue as he works to permeate his reader's souls from an indelible wellspring.

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Under the Neon Sky by Jay Rankin

2010-01-19T23:24:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Under The Neon Sky is a gripping, true story about a Las Vegas Doorman who worked the graveyard shift at one of the major hotels on the Strip. The sights, smells, and page popping characters are unforgettable as we take a journey that will tramsform how we used to envision the city that never sleeps. We watch as this doorman begins to emotionally break and wonder if he will become broken seeing his friends, his wife, hotel guests, and himself cross too many boundries in this riveting, page turning story.

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The Cain Letters by Pierre Roustan

2010-01-18T23:32:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

All legends have beginnings— some are worth remembering -- others are better left to darkness.

When college student, Marcus Brennan, discovers an ancient book revealing the origin of vampirism, all hell breaks loose not just in his life but for the world around him. He is holding the ultimate weapon two master vampires desire more than blood. It is the weapon that will give them the power to rule not only the Vampire Nation but all mankind.

It is up to Alexandra Glade, fierce and radiant vampire hunter, and her team, the Berith Lochem, to find and protect Marcus in order to prevent the unthinkable…
… The awakening of Cain.

Author Bio:

As much as I love writing fiction, my first love growing up was poetry. I’ve been writing, essentially, since I could speak in complete sentences. My first short story was written in second grade. I only started writing stories, because at heart I believed I was a storyteller. That’s what was missing in poetry for me: the depth of a story. After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, achieving a B.A. in Creative Writing. I currently work full time as a caption editor for a company that manages the closed captioning for networks such as Fine Living, HGTV, ABC and DIY. Working in that profession has, of course, sharpened my craft in terms of editing and deadlines and proofreading.

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Adventures With Boys BOOK 5: Dragons Versus Dinosaurs by G.L. Strytler

2010-01-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Take a break from school and work and have an adventure with the boys! Prince Christopher, a fourteen year old boy, and his younger sister, Princess Elsie, embark on the quest Of a lifetime. When the vikings and their dragons receive a declaration of war from the orient and their Asian dragons, they set out across the sea and stumble upon a new land called America and its secret monsters- the dinosaurs. Now the young prince and princess, along with a cave boy named Og, and a Chinese boy named Ki, must try to stop the war before it gets any worse. But can they do it alone? Or do they need they need the help of Bashra the silver dragon and the red dragon of happiness? From the mighty T-rex, to the soaring pterodactyls, they're all here and ready to fight!

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Rutland's Curse by Roger Carpenter

2010-01-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Afghanistan 1879. Britain fights to keep Russia out of India. Peter Rutland, newly commissioned into the Royal Artillery, has been posted to Kurram with his Battery of 'Screw Guns'. Peter is puzzled that his father, a retired Major who had served in Afghanistan in 1840, asks him to resign his commission. The reason is a 'curse' on the Rutland name. "When your blood returns, it will darken the stones of our valley." This courageous and inexperienced officer embarks on a hazardous mission to return a precious holy relic to the religous Afghan clerics. The second in the Rutland Series is 'Rutland's Guns' based on the Boer War in South Africa 1898-1902. Available from Amazon Details are on http://www.roger-carpenter.co.uk/

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The Jitters by J.T. Cummins

2010-01-14T00:12:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

In a hostile mountain wilderness, a pack of monstrous woodland creatures pursue the survivors of a private plane crash and the stranded air rescue team sent to save them.

Author Bio:

J.T. Cummins is a fiction author and screenwriter, primarily in the thriller, horror, and fantasy genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of the mystery/thriller Cobblestones and the screenwriter and director of the horror movie classic The Boneyard. Early in his film career, J.T. provided special effects for such notable films as House, Strange Invaders, Enemy Mine, The Thing, and many others. As a writer, J.T.’s diverse creative background manifests itself in an aggressive narrative style that merges the immediacy of the screenplay and the intimacy of the novel. Utilizing an active voice and minimal exposition, J.T. creates lean, mean, mind’s eye movies geared to a busy, modern audience that enjoys reading smart, exciting, fast paced fiction—all in about the time it takes to watch a feature length motion picture. J.T.’s original story 4Below (working title), has been purchased for production by motion picture producer Nicholas Kalikow and acclaimed director and executive producer Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys, Flatliners, The Phantom of the Opera).

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Stolen by Kip Sloane

2010-01-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

The year is 2057, a new era in human technology, a world constantly moving forward down the line of man's evolution. However, that doesn't mean the world is any better off than it was fifty years ago.

Missing women, crooked politicians, and "golden" obsessions.

These are the least of Wolf Bluefeet's problems. As a runner-a bounty hunter-contracted with the United States government, the large, striking man has more than his share of excitement. After being dragged unknowingly into a massive government scandal, Wolf finds himself on the other end of the hunter-prey chase. Whisked across the globe in his adventures, the half-Cherokee makes his way through a sea of betrayal and suspense, and he manages to find a love he never believed was for him-the smart, beautiful, mysterious, sassy Valeria James.

Can they elude the dark forces working against them and stay alive long enough to explore the love that grows between them, or will time run out?

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The Guilt Gene by Diana Raab

2010-01-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Diana Raab will write anywhere about anything to not only rid herself of childhood "ails" but to enjoy herself completely, even poking fun at her foibles. She takes a close and courageous look at all her life's experiences, and in so doing, shares her wisdom and forgiveness of self and others with a raw honesty that is both refreshing and inspirational. Her poems are, as she writes of her ancestors, "bright candles trembling in their own wax." Perie Longo, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Emerita, author of With Nothing Behind But Sky

The poems in Diana Raab's The Guilt Gene deftly delineate the stages of a woman's life. From the quotidian chores of walking the dog and picking up dry cleaning to the small miracle of finding three whole watermelons on the beach, Raab savors her American life and invites you to join her. Molly Fisk, Listening to Winter

The Guilt Gene is a prism with a hundred facets offering glance and glimpse and deep seeing into encounters with love, loss, longing, and epiphany. From an author who has taught us the power of memory and story, these poems take us along the road from a World War II typewriter to the eyes of an old dog. Poetry here reminds us to heed what calls to us daily. Kim Stafford, The Muses Among Us: Eloquent Listening and Other Pleasures of the Writer's Craft

The Guilt Gene, Diana Raab's second book of poetry, has the straight-forward confessional tone that distinguishes her best work whether in prose or poetry. Eschewing high flying metaphor and dressed up formality, she confines her subject matter to her inner life and her journal-keeping voice and makes her poems through an emphasis on the line. Her poetry does not pretend to have figured things out; rather, this work is her process of figuring them out, of sorting her past and contemplating her present. The best of these poems derive their beauty from a disarming frankness and a heart that is open, willing to find a personal truth and say it. Philip F. Deaver, How Men Pray

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Are You Still Submitting Your Work to a Traditional Publisher? by Edward C. Patterson

2010-01-07T23:13:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

With the new and exciting world of Kindles and Print-on-Demand (POD), Independent Publishing is becoming an enticing choice and a viable alternative to traditional publishing. The old days of "self-publishing and vanity presses" are over. Indie Authors are giving readers a wide variety of quality reads in all genres. Are you unsure of how to go about it? Do you crave to know the best options? What are the pitfalls? "Are You Still Submitting Your Work to a Traditional Publisher?" provides tips and ideas, set-by-steps and coaching on quality control. In addition to the title article, this work includes three other craft discussions: "Writing Good Stories", "The Novelization Process", and "Revision vs. Re-Vision," an extensive guide to revising a novel. Whether you are new to publishing or an established author, the opinions expressed and experiences shared in this book should stimulate your curiosity and provide answers to questions you might not have asked.

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Life in a Week by Michael Shawn Keller

2010-01-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Hectic schedules and the stresses we unknowingly create for ourselves often end up taking over our lives, barely allowing us a moment to simply stop and enjoy the little pleasures that are given to us every day. Thoughtfully written as a conversation between author and reader, Life in a Week is an introspective journey that will remind you to make the best of every day, and have fun doing it!

Author Bio:

Michael Shawn Keller works with his family as VP of Operations at Duct Diagnostics, LLC and is a partner at Keller Bros. Cleaning Services, LLC. Life in a Week is his first published book. Michael grew up in Milford, Connecticut and now lives in West Haven, where he is close to family and friends. He enjoys camping and fishing in Lincoln, Maine and visiting the historical summer festivals in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

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IVD by Gregory M. Przywara

2010-01-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

By day, die-hard Chicago sports fan Mark Crizlanek toils away at his thankless retail job. By night, he retreats to a subterranean shrine to Chicago sports. One night, he runs into an old high school buddy Trevor Gates, who brags about his new job with the online movie rental service Reel Speedy, which is really a front for a terrorist operation run by the most ruthless mob family in the Midwest, the Cappellas, who eliminate their foes with IVD's (Incendiary Video Discs). Two hours later, Mark's secret soul mate Crystal Logan turns up murdered and he finds himself implicated in her death. In order to locate her killer, he is forced to become a Cappella hit man and team up with escaped school shooter Erik Stockton in an assassination plot against Jared Mendota, Mark's former employer and proud owner of the Midwest's largest collection of Chicago sports memorabilia.

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Terrorism and Espionage: The Third Threat by Barbara Blackburn

2009-12-30T00:25:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

The story is about an ordinary citizen who overhears part of a threat against America. After reporting the threat to authorities, her identity is discovered by the terrorists, and she is asked to risk everything to help stop the attack. She displays incredible courage and strength as they struggle against time to discover the targets.

It's non stop action and drama have been compared to the TV series "24" and the reluctant partnership formed by the main characters, Jessica Saunders and Agent Blake Conners has been compared to the partnerships between the characters on the series "Bones" and "Castle". But instead of solving murders, Jess and Blake are thrust into the world of counter terrorism and espionage.

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Supernatural Drama: Crisis of the Soul by Robert Greger

2009-12-23T00:50:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Christian Lee is caught between the desires of the flesh and the desires of eternity. Follow him as he suffers his "Crisis of the Soul" that nearly tears his faith apart and throws him into the eternal abyss of alienation from God. He begins to question his own sanity as "strange things" begin to happen to him. Soon, these "strange things" become more frequent and terrifying as he enters the "Valley of Decision."

The setting for Crisis of the Soul is the worldly town of Addersville. The ruling power: Addersville's Church.

Its power stretches far beyond the shores of western society as its traditions, rituals, and dogmas have encompassed all nations for the past two-thousand years. It's subtle deceptions continue to wreck havoc on the unsuspecting, blinded mass. The deception started in a Garden in the Middle East millennia ago and it continues to spread its wicked influence world-wide.

This supernatural/horror tale is written with much symbolism, metaphors, and figurative language and must be read with an open mind. Since this story can be interpreted on many different levels of understanding, the reader must look below the surface of the obvious and search deep into the message of the symbols.

This book will make you re-think your convictions and beliefs! Written with much symbolism, metaphors, and figurative language, this tale can be interpreted on many different levels. Read it with an open mind.

Crisis of the Soul is a must read during this age for any and all who desire and/or are curious about The Great Religious Organization, Beast, W hore of Babylon, Mother of Harlots, Apostate Church that is still ruled by the "potiffica maxima" to this very day. Angels and Demons bow to Crisis of the Soul.

Excerpt:

The TRIAL began unexpectedly. Nightmares. Noises. Strange apparitions. Eerie voices, shrieking voices, echoing throughout the confines of a dark lonely world. The beginning of the horror was subtle, dreamlike, as though created within a psychotic mind.

But the horror that followed could not be attributed to the illusory world of a psychotic mind; the horror that followed could only CREATE a psychotic mind.

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Latitude 18: A Perfect Storm for the Adventure of a Lifetime by Michael Levinson

2009-12-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Latitude 18 is a novel about Greg Star and Mark Barrett, two childhood friends in their mid-twenties who were fed up with their routine lives in Baltimore. What began as a desperately needed vacation in the islands of the Caribbean soon set the stage for a totally life-changing experience for the two young adventurers.

The Caribbean has always been dominated by patriarchal figures, those men who unofficially run their small communities in their own style. Greg and Mark unwittingly find themselves entangled with one such individual, Arsène Louis Fleming; who was always loyal to his friends, but merciless to his foes. The young men quickly realize that they are no match for the old-timer that everyone in the region refers to as "Sun;" that is, until they all discover there is a much stronger force to reckon with in the islands of the Caribbean-Mother Nature.

As you follow the adventures of Mark and Greg, prepare yourself for the twists and turns that thrilling, emotional journeys often bring. Love affairs, betrayal, jealousy, and the mighty bond of friendship, which is truly tested to the breaking point, are all features of this exciting adventure.

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Human Cloning: The Second Virgin Birth by Tommy Taylor

2009-12-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

The Second Virgin Birth is a unique and compelling read that takes on one of the most fascinating concepts - the cloning of Jesus Christ. It's an incredible premise, and the story is very engaging as a result. This book is a exploration of faith, power, corruption, and how one decision can lead us down paths we cannot always predict let alone control. The story shows how some people can demonstrate steadfastness in the face of danger and incredible temptation, while others crumble via unfettered greed and the lust for power and domination. The Second Virgin Birth takes on a plausible premise yet has a parable-like quality to it.

Author Bio:

Tommy Taylor was born in Fort Worth Texas and is a Librarian at a high school in Fort Worth. It was the loss of his young daughter that inspired this book. His wife, Barbara, is also a teacher.As the author of the book "The Second Virgin Birth," I thought you might be interested in why I wrote the book in the first place. I truly believe that each one of us has inside our very souls, something that we need to accomplish before we pass from this world to the next. Mine was to write a book. One that was not just entertaining but inspired thought among its readers. One that could cause heated debates among friends about its not so simple and clear-cut meanings. I feel that I have accomplished my goal with a book written on a subject that could touch us all and with characters that are so lifelike that they could become your true friends or your worst enemies. My idea for this book began after a personal tragedy in my life. I began to wonder what if we could truly bring a loved one back. Do we have the technology to cause them to be able to walk among us again? But I did not stop there, if we could bring back a loved one; why not bring back the most unimaginable loved one of all. After reading this book, it is my wish that you question all the possibilities and let your imagination ascend to a new elevation while contemplating our future. To question is the first step in understanding.

Excerpt:

We have all done it. We know we looked stupid doing it, but we do it anyway. That hurried walk down the hall. The one where you are trying to look like you are not running but just walking fast. As you pass people on the way in that awkward gait, you just smile and say, “Excuse me” as you try not to attract attention to yourself. This time it was Thurston Henry who was looking like an idiot in his “I’m not running” walk down the hall. Only this was not just any hall, it was the main hall to the forensic department at the Vatican in Rome. Thurston had in his possession two small items that would eventually change not only the history of the world as we know it, but also its future as well. They were not big items, but as small as a human hair; in fact, they were human hair. One single hair in a bottle marked #816 – Shroud of Turin, and in the other bottle, again, just a single hair marked #165 – Pile of Scrapings. Yet when combined, these two seemingly insignificant pieces of the human body would become more feared by the world rulers than all the atomic bombs ever manufactured. These hairs would destroy kingdoms and topple rulers all over the world, and no army would be able to protect them from their doom.

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Children's Fantasy: Beyond the Cellar by Melba May

2009-12-19T23:12:00.000-08:00

About the Book:

Can you believe this old key could hold the answers to many questions? What in the world has happened to Tommy the town bully? How could a simple old key, change Tommy from being The Evil One, to a regular sweet young boy?

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Ode to Joy Boy, Book the First: On the Origins of Joy Boy's Chasm by Liam James Leaven

2009-12-17T23:59:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Books these days make all kinds of outlandish claims: how they are going to bring you riches, tone your abs, fix your marriage, save your soul, clean your car, fix your roof, brush your teeth, blah, blah, blah, blah. Blah. Typically, you will find it is non-fiction books that are making these claims, written by people who have TV shows. Because people who have TV shows know infinitely more about our lives than we do. Well, Liam James Leaven doesn't have a TV show and his book is not non-fiction. But his book nonetheless does have a claim, albeit nothing of the outlandish sort. The claim is this: After reading his book, you will have achieved, to put it simply, Total Enlightenment. Yes, that's right, you heard it here, folks. Total Enlightenment. The price is small, especially if you elect free super saver shipping, but the Enlightenment lasts a lifetime. Joy Boy is puzzled by the mysterious nature of women. This, coupled with what seems to be a life slated for nothingness, has him reeling. His consequent search for Dude, and all that he must know, begins a zany quest for something, anything, with more meaning and staying power than the 18-word sitcom descriptions he writes for his job at the TV Talon Times. So begins a hilarious series of events filled with a wildly diverse array of impassioned, lonely and restless searchers, culminating in an explosion of pastoral bliss Godspeed, faithful reader.

Author Bio:

Liam James Leaven was born the son of a Midwestern crop duster. He spent his childhood rustling about in the buffalo grass and flying around the Great Plains with his Pop in a red-baronesque biplane, a pastime that proved perilous one foggy, springtime morning when his Pop flew the plane too low and wound up wrapped around a couple of large oaks, the two that held the hammock in which Mother was napping. At the age of 17, orphaned and without funds, he began walking westward, with pad and pen in hand, and shortly thereafter set to work on his informational dream, which he had provisionally dubbed, The Country Wide Web. His young vision proven bereft of a global reach with the advent of the first Web browser for the World Wide Web in 1993, and his dreams thus dashed, he found himself lost, and in a slump. In search of inspiration, he thence traveled to the narrow, cobblestone streets of Western Europe, where he had a black, 1972 Delta 88 shipped over from the States. From there, he lumbered through the windy pathways, eating crêpes and drinking Coke, in search of Truth, Honor, Justice, and the occasional Lovely Thing, as everybody looked on in repulsed astonishment and curiosity from their Twingos. He has since returned and currently resides in New York, where he works diligently at his craft; a picture of his Pop’s red biplane always close by, and ever on the hunt for a perfect moment.

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Ode-Joy-Boy-Book-First/dp/1587219999

Author Website: http://www.liamjamesleaven.com/

Excerpt:

Joy Boy turned the corner of his aisle to see Charles tapping furiously at his keyboard. "Hey Charles," he asked, "got an early deadline today?" "Oh, hello there, Joy Boy," said Charles, spinning around in his chair. "In a certain regard, you might say that, yes, I have an early deadline. Or, more precisely, that I had a deadline. A deadline to stop enabling ugsome and ill-begotten, evil-walks-the-earth scoundrels and swindlers from taking all of the glory and profit from my hard work and talent. However, my dear friend," Charles continued, looking to the floor as he shook his head, "how I let it pass. How I let it pass by being roped into their mind-numbing, zombie-yielding tactics. A yearly review. A Christmas insult. That mollycoddling worry: What will I do without health benefits? 401k? Oh Joy Boy, dear Joy Boy, this smokescreen they've created in order to run our lives and thieve our labor. Our days, our years, our very lives, I say!" Charles leapt up suddenly, raising his hands in the air. "Management by fear: knocking us down and making us fear that we will be lost without them. And all the while keeping us baited with a little something, or a little nothing, which is always just around the corner. Like this putrid mug!" he said, grabbing the TV Talon mug from his desk. "And so we live our lives, or we continue to breath while our lives pass, spending each day washed away from reality in thoughts of what little treat awaits just around the corner -- ooh what is it? what is it?" he said, prancing around in front of his desk on his tippy-toes as Little Red Riding Hood with her basket, "is it a five-cent piece of bazooka? Or maybe a two-dollar gift certificate to the bookstore? -- and we keep waiting for what's around the corner, waiting for what's around the corner, until finally we round that corner and we get what we deserve for being such weak fools -- a coffin! That's it, it's over . . . hold these nails, will you please, and step in, chap? Yes, that's it, just lie down right there, you've got the idea. Yes, Joy Boy, but they are deft in what they do, and I must say I have to give them credit, as they've succeeded in duping me for four years to the day. And when I leave, this chair will be filled by another wide-eyed starling who will begin unwittingly tapping away his or her life into nothingness. Oh, do I have a deadline, you ask. I'll say I've got a deadline," Charles concluded, placing the mug back on his desk as he looked to Joy Boy. "But look at you!" he remarked, with a change of demeanor, "you're looking rather happy today, quite a turnaround from the sorry state you were in yesterday!" "Oh yeah," Joy Boy said, sitting down at his desk. "Had a little spat with Flyaway yesterday, but things are looking up again. I'm sure that by the end of today everything will be worked out." "Oh, those women," Charles began. "Their incongruous thoughts can ruin even the best of times. Marplots, really," he said. "Nothing but unbridled higgledy-piggledy running rampant inside of their heads. My experiences prove it. One pippy dame after another, each more hell-bent than the next on conjuring up drama and confrontation out of thin air, like some sort of black magic sorcery. The only thing you need to know about women," Charles continued, "is that each and every one of them refuses to log on to logicandreason.com. Yes, their thought patterns are the very model for efficiency-defiance. Oh, but they don't mean it, and once you know the magic phrase, you can look forward to a lifetime of serenity: Yes dear, you're right. It's a keeper, give it a whirl when you get a chance. The sun will shine brighter, the air will smell sweeter and your head will stop spinning. Yes, women," Charles said, "what a unique creature, indeed. I gave up on them long ago." "But, you're married," Joy Boy noted. "Exactly," Charles said. "That is to say, yes dear, you're right." Charles spun back around in his chair and began once more tapping furiously at his keyboard.

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Historical Fiction Novel: The Jade Owl by Edward C. Patterson

2009-12-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

About the Book:

In China they whisper about the Jade Owl and its awful power. This ancient stone, commissioned by the Empress Wu and crafted by a mineral charmer, long haunted the folk of the Middle Kingdom until it vanished into an enigma of legend and lore. Now the Jade Owl is found. It wakes to steal the day from day. Its power to enchant and distort rises again. Its horror is revealed to a band of five, who must return it to the Valley of the Dead before the laws of ch'i are set aside in favor of destruction's dance. Five China Hands, each drawn through time's thin fabric by the bird, discover enchantment on the secret garland. Five China Hands, and one holds the key to the world's fate. Five China Hands. Only one Jade Owl - but it's awake and in China, they whisper again. BOOK I of THE JADE OWL LEGACY SERIES - and NOW available - BOOK 2 of The Jade Owl Legacy Series - THE THIRD PEREGRINATION go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1441456724

About the Author:

Edward C. Patterson has been writing novels, short fiction, poetry and drama his entire life, always seeking the emotional core of any story he tells. With his eighth novel, The Jade Owl, he combines an imaginative touch with his life long devotion to China and its history. He has earned an MA in Chinese History from Brooklyn College with further postgraduate work at Columbia University. A native of Brooklyn, NY, he has spent four decades as a soldier in the corporate world gaining insight into the human condition. He won the 2000 New Jersey Minority Achievement Award for his work in corporate diversity. Blending world travel experiences with a passion for story telling, his adventures continue as he works to permeate his reader's souls from an indelible wellspring. Published Novels by Edward C. Patterson include No Irish Need Apply, Bobby's Trace, Cutting the Cheese, Surviving an American Gulag, Turning Idolater and The Jade Owl (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book I). Coming soon: The Third Peregrination (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book II), The Dragon's Pool (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book III), Southern Swallow (Nan Ya), Look Away, Silence, Belmundus, The Road to Grafenwoehr, and Green Folly. Look also for The People's Treasure (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book IV) and In the Shadow of Her Hem (Jade Owl Legacy Series Book V). Poetry books available are The Closet Clandestine: a queer steps out and Come, Wewoka - and - Diary of Medicine Flower.

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Action and Adventure Novel: Act of Redemption by C.C. Cole

2009-12-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Act of Redemption is the first of a 4-part series. With combination of action/adventure/fantasy, you meet Shevata, a new heroine with a dark past that eliminates enemies with complete deliberation. She protects Gastar, a once-great city on the brink of ruin from a demonic presence known to her from the past. It's a fast read, fun entertainment, lots of action, and not boring. Visit: http://www.gastarseries.com/. Book 2 due out April 2010.

About the Author:

C. C. Cole is a writer from rural Mississippi. Schooled in medicine and martial arts, she lives a surburban life with her family and greyhounds.

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Science Fiction Novel: Money for Nothing by Christopher Bair

2009-12-14T16:46:00.000-08:00

About the Book:

After the Tribulation of the early 22nd Century, much of the Earth was left in ruins. The human population dropped considerably. Most cities were leveled. Entire governments collapsed. Corporations had to find new ways to sustain themselves globally. Private armies became the lethal edge of competition. New races and creatures appeared when mysterious portals opened throughout the world. Most recreated their societies where humans once flourished. With their cultures, they also brought magic. The dark elves were among the first new forms humans identified. Those who emerged from the Japanese portal were seized, most enslaved. Corporations found their dark magic and nefarious personalities perfect for training as ninjas, deadly assassins who were better than a handful of highly trained soldiers. Across the globe in Halcyon, built on the ruins of old New York City, corporations use anonymous mercenaries to raid their fellow companies. Stealing technology and sabotaging shipments bound for governments and other corporations are standard fare. Mercenaries dare not cross their clients or fail their missions. Life expectancy is short. With little other work available to ex-soldiers and trained gunmen, they become the pawns in the ongoing war of greed and survival. Alec Laurence has played the game for more than twenty years. He's been luck so far. But a near-fatal mistake leads him to consider his retirement. With his experienced gunman Jake Sutton, his loud-mouthed driver Beetle, and the calculating dark elf ninja Eizo, he ventures to escape the grind that his live has become. But with the knowledge he has of his clients, from years of corporate raids, can he just walk away?

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Science Fiction Book: Back to the Past by Kim Percival

2009-12-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

Book Description:

Back to the Past is about an entrepreneur, Ridge Crenshaw, who decides, with the depressed economy, to take matters into his own hands. He creates a sprawling RV park in Texas that is totally "green" and then witnesses the demise of America by a very believable Al Qaeda plot. That's when the fun begins. He makes contact with an Israeli, David Galad, who asks him to challenge the infiltrators and stop them from divvying up American resources.

This book was an answer to a question I had about what happens to America in the end times as it is not mentioned in the Bible as a western power or even in existence.

Author Bio:

I am a successful entrepreneur and currently starting a new ministry (using the proceeds from my book) in Liberty, Texas. I am married and have three grown children and five grandchildren.

Excerpt:

Ridge woke up suddenly and alert. It wasn’t daylight yet but he was getting used to that. After laying there for a moment longer he realized what had woken him up. It was the chop, chop, chop of a helicopter and he could still just barely hear it. He glanced over at his watch on the night stand but it was too dark to see the hands. He quickly swung out of bed and made his way through the trailer. He switched the power from standby and the small light over the stove blinked on. The clock on the counter had stopped at eleven- nineteen which meant he forgot to wind the dumb thing again. The chopper noise abruptly seemed louder so he rushed to put his clothes on and opened the door. It was still dark and he could barely make out the neighbor’s trailer by starlight. He looked up into the black sky but could tell it was definitely moving away. He had recently become suspicious of anything being out in the dark of night. It wasn’t possible to see without a light and using a light was a good way to used for target practice. There were a lot of trigger happy people trying to protect what meager things they had left.Anyway, the chopper had to be up to no good. And, it didn’t land in the Preserve because Ridge would have been notified. He closed the door, walked back to the bed, grabbed his old windup Timex and brought it into the kitchen, it showed five- fifteen. The sun wouldn’t be up for another hour, so he sat down at the table.His life had changed abruptly but so had everyone else’s. God had put a plan in his head that he believed would help some people ease the hardships they were experiencing with the failing economy. That was before, when there was an economy. Then, America went from an unpopular Christian President, to the first black President, and by default, its first female President then to apparently no President or government at all. The great United States of America had ceased to exist.

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