Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts

Friday, August 16, 2024

The Price of Vengeance Review Spotlight

Welcome to the final day of the book tour for the novel, Price of Vengeance by Kurt D. Springs. Looking for a new scifi novel to sink your teeth into? Then Black Phoenix Book Tours has something for you right here. Vengeance is a dangerous thing...what price are you willing to pay to have it?

Price of Vengeance is a deep space scifi novel by Kurt D. Springs. This novel will take readers to a planet and a people in the fight for their lives. A young man, orphaned as a child is about to have his entire life disrupted yet again when an alien intelligence utilizing dangerous bugs to threaten the place he calls home.

Price of Vengeance will grab readers attention with a cover depicting a soldier in the forefront. It can be assumed that the soldier is Liam himself. He’s holding a weapon and walking forward as if to exit the cover. Behind him is a trio of soldiers off to his right (our left) jogging along as if in a hurry. The ground appears to be wet from a recent rain, and the lights are lit on buildings and signs behind them.

While the cover doesn’t depict a sense of chaos and danger that will be found within the pages of Price of Vengeance, it’s there. So while the cover may not give you the chaotic vibes you’re looking for that will tempt you to dive into this book, go ahead and give it a chance.

Price of Vengeance will give the false impression of “not being that long” of a book due to it’s small number of chapters, but these chapters are chonky! LOL! We would have preferred shorter chapters though. We say this because it would have helped spread things out more throughout the story without everything taking place in the first chapter or two.

As Price of Vengeance kicks off we’re immediately introduced to Liam and the individuals who will become his foster/adopted family. Liam is a small child when his biological parents are killed. It’s tragic, learning of their quick departure. You’ll worry that Liam and Randolf will have some tension in the beginning, but author Springs is quick to assuage those fears.

We don’t spend any time watching Liam develop over the years. Instead author Springs has readers leap frog ahead in time in Price of Vengeance to “present” day of Liam being a grown man serving in the military.

The fight is still on going against the chitin, but many things have changed. The planet that they live on has become more isolated. They’ve been cut off and have no means of getting off the planet or anyone being able to come in. The military might that the people used to have has been destroyed due to one person’s actions. Their quest for power. Now, the next move in this deadly game of chess is at hand.

Price of Vengeance has a slow start, but the story will gradually pick up steam. Author Springs will drop hints here and there to readers that...something is going to go bad sooner than later. This can be in the simplest form of Liam, especially, taking great pains to cover for someone else. That sense that you’ll feel in those scenes especially? Hold on to them. You’re still going to find yourself with your jaw on the floor, but you’ll probably recover a little quicker.

Price of Vengeance descends into a military drama fraught with chaos and a lot of death. Keep your eyes peeled for traitors and lots of betrayal, especially in the first round of chaos that reigns. No one is going to know who to trust. There will be some sparks of romance in the beginning, but author Springs makes sure to keep it as a passing thing that only gets more attention closer to the ending.

Price of Vengeance will focus on Liam fighting for his life, getting revenge for what has happened to his family, and doing his best to bring down an evil that threatens them all.

Throughout the Price of Vengeance author Springs explores Liam’s uniqueness and his abilities that he has had since he was a child. Now, Liam has help to improve what he has and what he knows if he is going to face off with the intelligence behind the chitin that are invading the city and killing it’s people.

Piece by piece this story becomes more interesting and engaging. Liam is the focus of the story, but author Springs also shifts to his brother from time to time as well, so that readers can get things from his perspective. Also, we get viewpoints from Azurius, the dangerous enemy who is looking to conquer the planet in the name of the Rebellion. Azurius has his own collection of secrets, and one by one they will come to light.

As Price of Vengeance draws to a close author Springs is quick to remind us readers – this is just the first book in the Dreamscape Warriors series. Liam and his brother may be getting a nice little “happy ending” for right now, but there is another player getting ready to step into the game. Does this mean that Liam and Randolf will be pushed to continue the fight? Or will there be someone new? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

4 out of 5 stars

Price of Vengeance

by Kurt D. Springs

Black Phoenix Book Tours

August 13-16

What is the price of vengeance?

One could understand why Liam was angry. He was orphaned at the age of two by a group of giant carnivorous insects called the chitin. Taken in by High Councilor Marcus and his wife, Lidia, Liam was raised with their older son, Randolf, in New Olympia, the last remaining city on the planet Etrusci.

As an adult, Liam becomes a soldier. After being cut off from the city, Liam finds that there is an alien intelligence behind the chitin. To defeat it, he must discover who he is and how to use his powers. Then, Liam discovers that a traitor, responsible for his birth parents' deaths, had murdered his beloved foster parents. Will the price he has to pay in his quest for vengeance prove to be an even more unbeatable foe?

Universal link for the book on Amazon

About the Author

Kurt D. Springs is presently an adjunct professor of anthropology and archaeology in New Hampshire. He holds a PhD. in anthropology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, as well as a Master of Literature in archaeology from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Master of Liberal Arts in anthropology and archaeology from the Harvard University Extension School. His main area of interest is megalithic landscapes in prehistoric Ireland.

Kurt also writes reviews on Kurt's Frontier.

Professor Springs currently lives in Manchester, New Hampshire.

https://kurtsprings.com/
https://twitter.com/kurtsprings1
https://www.facebook.com/Price.of.Vengeance.1
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7824275.Kurt_D_Springs
https://mewe.com/kurtsprings/posts
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kurt-d-springs

Black Rose Writing's Social Media

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/
https://twitter.com/brwpublisher
https://www.instagram.com/blackrosewriting/
https://www.facebook.com/blackrosewriting
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2042349-black-rose-writing

Friday, January 19, 2024

The Quelling Review Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour, The Quelling!

This fantasy novel is absolutely going to grip you & keep you coming back for more! Read on for my review and more details about this book.

The Quelling by C.L. Lauder is the beginning of a dynamic dystopian fantasy series that will grip you from the beginning and keep you coming back for more.

The cover for The Quelling quickly captures your interest with its splashy cover of eye-catching colors and three figures. Who are the figures? How are they connected? The answers are between the pages if you're ready to dive in.

The Quelling is a real page-turner of a novel. The minute you start reading this book the author drops you into a tense situation. The main character, Kyjta, is in hiding. She's not alone though. There are many others with her, and being quiet and staying safe is the name of the game. They are being hunted by monsters that if given the opportunity will take them away. Why? One simple fact...the marks that they bear on their bodies. But wait for it...because chaos is about to ensue.

Settle in as you read this book, because it will captivate you with the dynamic characters you'll be introduced to. Before you know it...BAM! You're halfway through and wondering where the time went. It's okay. This book is one we want to read, devour, and then creepily stare at the author for the next book. LOL! Okay, so maybe the "creepy stare" is just us. LOL!

Kyjta is a complex character. You're absolutely going to have questions about her and her past. Wait for it. These little gems of information are scattered throughout the story. You'll come across them at random times, and they will definitely give you "A-ha!" moments. It's a nice touch really because the questions drive you forward, but the answers...the answers will leave you dumbstruck. The laws of these people are WILD!

The Quelling blends dystopian with fantasy and a nice touch of science fiction elements as well. You get strange and bizarre creatures and the science-fiction angle from the characters and their technology. When I say the characters I mean Kranik and his people. They are such interesting characters and beings. They are more "pleasing" to look upon, in comparison to the others who live there with Kyjta and her people. But they are still feared.

The Quelling is an engaging and truly fascinating story. There is a lot going on, and you can even expect some jaw-dropping moments and situations. The title of this story ties in rather quickly, which is something that we especially love. The dynamics between the characters is well done and feels believable if they were real. This book is one that you're not going to want to miss out on.

For readers who enjoy fantasy novels with galactic mix-ins, this book is one that you're going to want to grab. We can't wait for what comes next!

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, C.L. Lauder, and Literally PR for the opportunity to read and review this book. We look forward to what comes next!

About the book:

Befriend your enemy, save your friend...

When Kyjta accidentally brands herself with an alien fluid while plotting revenge, she knows her fate is sealed. As one of the Stained, her skin glistens star-bright, and the creatures sent by the Rhemans to scavenge for bodies will have no trouble finding her. One night, while sheltering during a raid, Kyjta forms an unexpected pact with a Rheman rebel to protect a young girl, Calipsie, who’s fallen into her care. Days later, when Calipsie is taken, Kyjta abandons precaution to go after her. Facing impossible odds and allied by a Rheman she’s not sure she can trust, Kyjta must not only rescue Calipsie, but also face the Rheman overlord who’s taken a disturbing interest in her.

Perfect for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games! The Quelling is a captivating, dystopian fantasy about loss and love, oppression and rebellion, and delves into the power of the individual against a dominant evil.

Publication date: 16th January 2024
ISBN: 9781632997654

About the author:

Carla Lauder grew up in South Africa before immigrating to the United Kingdom, where she attended the University of London to complete an MA in Creative Writing. She now lives at the foot of a lush mountain in Hong Kong with her husband and two rapidly lengthening sons, who enjoy their newfound proximity to nature, especially the sea.

https://www.cllauder.com

https://twitter.com/c_l_lauder

https://www.instagram.com/c.l.lauder/

Want to know more about the author? Check out some of these interview questions she took the time to answer!

Interview Questions:

1. Tell a little about yourself. What do you do when you're not writing? What are your aspirations for the future?

One of my character quirks is that I’m happiest when achieving two objectives simultaneously. For example, I love listening to audiobooks when exercising, watching TV in the bathtub, and reading while writing. This last one might seem tricky, and I’ll grant you it’s not exactly simultaneous, but I find it’s a great way to mood-set a scene and conquer writer’s block. Some people listen to music; I read other people’s stories. There’s something about being in the flow of a narrative that keeps my writing moving.

2. Give us some backstory behind The Quelling. Where and when did you write it?

My best days are when I have enough time to run up my neighbourhood mountain and sit at a small table overlooking the sea to write. Most of the Quelling was written during COVID; I would be up the mountain before six am and back at my desk before nine.

3. What was your favourite part of writing The Quelling?

The Quelling wasn’t supposed to be part of the series initially. I wrote what are now Book Two and Book Three first, thinking they’d be Books One and Two. I was daunted to find that I needed to go back in time to understand the circumstances of my premise. The best part about writing The Quelling was having it all fall neatly into place. It’s like the story was already formed, just waiting to be told.

Want more? Check out the other stops on this tour across IG and Twitter (X)!

Book Tour Organized By:

@LiterallyPR

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Promise of the Visitor Review Spotlight

Welcome to the tour for Promise of the Visitor, one of three novellas in the Silver Sphere Series by David Gittlin. Read on for more info and a chance to win a $50 Amazon e-gift card!

Promise of the Visitor is volume three in David Gittlin’s The Silver Sphere Series. While this novella is the third in a series, it can also be read as a standalone story. Don’t worry, the author fills in some questions here and there that arise from previous books.

Promise of the Visitor is a fast moving novella told in the present tense that takes you on a whirlwind of a ride. The characters go from the frying pan into the fire. Jacob goes from dealing with an angry former “friend” to a new alien being coming to Earth. Friend or foe? Guess you’ll have to read to find out.

There is a lot of drama packed into this novella. It may not look like much, but it’s a really engaging story that will even pull you to the edge of your seat a few times. There are going to be a few times that you question – “Is everything going to work out?” Just hold on tight.

At the start of each chapter the author includes a different image that contributes to the story. The pictures will pique your interest as to what is coming in the story and keep you page-turning to find out what happens next. The pictures add a nice amount of detail to the story when you get the scenes that they contribute to.

Continuing forward from the previous books, there is some romance going on. Don’t worry, the author will fill you in on all of that. You will have a few questions here and there, but I can still comfortably say that this book can be read as a standalone. You might feel the desire to read the previous ones, but you won’t feel the pressure to do so. You will be curious as whether the story continues from here though.

I’m rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a good story, and has some interesting elements. There isn’t a lot of WOW factor to take this book over the top, but it is an engaging novella.

Thank you to the author, David Gittlin, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this novella.

Promise of the Visitor

(The three volumes in the Silver Sphere Series can be read independently and in any order)

Publication Date: April 14th, 2022

Genre: Science Fiction/ Sci-fi Fantasy

Length: 142 Pages

The police have arrived to investigate a strange report. What happens next?

An unconscious body lies on the kitchen floor. Two Daytona Police deputies are ringing the bell on the front door of the beach house mystery writer Jacob Cassel rents. It’s going to be an interesting morning for Jacob, his super-smart girlfriend, Amy, and Arcon, an AI from the other side of the Milky Way. If they can survive the morning without being thrown in jail, they are expecting a visitor from the planet Aneleya to arrive later in the evening bearing a cornucopia of gifts for the human race. Instead of gifts, the visitor arrives with dire news about a doomsday device threatening the destruction of planet Earth and the entire solar system.

Welcome aboard for this suspenseful interstellar adventure of The Silver Sphere Series!

Excerpt

NO ONE BESIDES ME and Amy knows that inside the golden sphere lives an artificial intelligence originating from the other side of the Milky Way. Said sphere rests on top of a beige granite counter beside a nickel-plated sink in Jeffrey’s ultra-modern kitchen. Except the kitchen belongs to a guy named Jack. I keep thinking “Jeffrey” because that’s the alter ego Jack uses as a front for his real name, Jack Markham. I thought Jeffrey Mortenson was my friend. Instead, he turns out to be an international criminal named Jack.

When I first met the artificial intelligence on a lonely stretch of Daytona Beach one night, it identified itself to me as “Arcon” because its actual name is unpronounceable in English or any other terrestrial tongue. At the time, Arcon was packed by his makers into something resembling a basketball-sized silver sphere. The packaging has changed on multiple occasions with the ridiculous demands of the circumstances we have somehow managed to live through. To be completely transparent, Arcon doesn’t actually have a name. He has an unpronounceable Aneleyan name only because the Aneleyan scientists who created Arcon needed to call him something besides, “it” or “the thing.” Arcon definitely doesn’t like to be referred to as a “thing.”

Arcon has preferences, but as far as I know, he doesn’t have feelings. He may, however, be developing them because his consciousness is evolving. I want to explore feelings and other matters in depth with Arcon when there isn’t a crisis at hand. Currently, we have one looming. I think of Arcon as a “he.” Actually, Arcon is neither male nor female. When we first met, Arcon presented himself to me as a “he” because he didn’t want any sexual tension to complicate our relationship. We only had three days to save the Earth, so there was no time to dither around with anything remotely romantic. Therefore, I’ve become accustomed to calling Arcon a “he,” although he really isn’t.

Speaking of sexual tension, my partner and current flame, Amy Goodwin, just walked back into the room. A white robe covers her lithe body. She’s put her long red hair up in a ponytail. She wears a light mask of makeup and a pair of flat heels. In her simple attire and after our long night of digging Arcon out of a sand dune, Amy still manages to look like a knockout. The ponytail, freckles, and white robe lend her an air of child-like innocence, despite her nearly six-foot-tall frame. I know that Amy can change from an innocent child into a desirable twenty-six-year-old woman in a heartbeat. She never ceases to surprise me. For example, if she wasn’t a brainy aerospace engineer and part-time astronomer, Amy might have had a successful career as a criminal. In the short time we’ve been together, Amy has proven she can think on her feet. She can talk her way out of the stickiest of circumstances. We’ve been through many of them. We’re in one now.

Amy had to take a break to put herself back together after what happened only fifteen minutes ago. Presently, there are two sheriff’s deputies knocking on our front door. Their unexpected arrival so soon after the incident is unnerving, to put it mildly. The man lying unconscious on the marble kitchen floor owns the beach house we’ve been staying in. Whether the house is owned in the name of Jack, Jeffrey, or some shell corporation doesn’t matter. What matters is Jack will surely claim that we broke into his house, or we had an argument, and I attacked him. He’ll say he came back from a business trip, found us in the house, and a struggle ensued. He’ll claim he used the double-barreled Derringer a few feet from his bloodied head for self-defense.

If he goes with the self-defense story, Jack will have to come up with a plausible explanation as to how he wound up conked out on the floor. He had a gun, after all, and we didn’t. In actuality, Jack cracked his head on the marble flooring when he crumbled after Arcon zapped him with an electromagnetic energy bolt. At the time, Jack was in a murderous rage. He wanted to kill Amy, again, after succeeding to do so once before. Jack is as devious a criminal as any. I’m sure he’ll come up with a doozy of a story to cover his tracks. And, since he owns the house, I fear the deputies will believe Jack’s fictional version of the story, assuming he wakes up to tell it.

“Daytona Beach Sheriff’s Deputies,” I hear through the front door. “Coming,” I announce.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Only one thing stood between me and my dream of becoming a creative writer: I couldn’t do two things at once.

Upon retiring from my career in marketing communications, I decided to devote my full attention to writing fiction, thereby solving my multi-tasking challenge.

I began my creative writing journey by enrolling in the online Writers’ Program offered by UCLA. In a series of courses taught by professional writers, I learned how to craft memorable characters, create colorful worlds, and outline suspenseful plots enriched with drama and conflict. Taking one baby step at a time, I managed to bridge the gulf between writing promotional copy in short bursts to rendering full scale novels. As an interim step, I wrote three screenplays.

My three feature length scripts; “Love Will Find You,” “Joshua’s Decision, and “A Prescription for Happiness” have reached the finals or placed in several major screenplay competitions. My first novel, a Science Fantasy, “Three Days to Darkness,” was nominated to the James Kirkwood Prize for creative writing. My publishing company, Entelligent Entertainment, has also published “Scarlet Ambrosia” and my latest novel: “Micromium–Clean Energy from Mars.”