Thursday 30 April 2015

BOOK PROMOTION - INTO THE LAND OF DARKNESS BY ARTHUR L. HAARMEYER

Title: Into The Land Of Darkness
Author: Arthur L. Haarmeyer
Genre: Memoir
Release Date: 6th June 2013

BLURB from Goodreads
On a wintry morning in 1952, young Lt. Arthur L. Haarmeyer reported for duty in Korea as a B-26 bombardier-navigator to Colonel Delwin Bentley, Commander, 95th Bomb Squadron, 17th Bomb Group, K-9 Air Force Base, Pusan. Haarmeyer was immediately challenged by the colonel: "You've got an MBA from a high-priced university. You could be riding a desk at the Pentagon right now. So why the hell are you here?" His reply--"I always wanted to be here, sir. I can be an accountant later"--was apparently convincing. But over the next seven months, flying fifty missions, mostly low-level nighttime bombing and strafing raids over mountainous North Korea, there were times when he had reason to question the sanity of both his response and his decision. In this book Haarmeyer recalls with clarity and economy of style just what it was like to fly these missions. He puts the reader in the B-26, flying into deep valleys to find and attack communist freight trains and truck convoys carrying men and materiel to the front lines, and then being unexpectedly caught in the sudden and blinding glare of enemy searchlights that triggered multiple streams of deadly and upward-arcing green or white tracers. And he recalls instances of agony, guilt, and terror: such as the times when the flak was so heavy on all sides that he was unable to advise his pilot to "break right" or "break left"-so their B-26 just simply plowed straight through it, or when they flew low enough for Haarmeyer to see, through the Plexiglas of the nose compartment, the terrified faces of the young North Korean soldiers they were targeting. He also recalls moments of breathtaking beauty and poignancy, and it is this artful juxtaposition that makes Haarmeyer's work more than just another wartime memoir. Although Haarmeyer left the Air Force upon completion of his three-year contract of military service, the recurring and troubling memories of Korea never left him. Hence, the start of this manuscript fifty years after the restoration of freedom to the people of the Republic of Korea. Just as telling these stories was therapeutic for the author, so reading them will be healing for any reader who is a veteran of that or any war, as well as their family members and friends. The book also provides a valuable perspective on the United Nations Command's tactical approach to Korea, namely, the aerial interdiction of North Korean troops and materiel, and so it will be of interest to students of the war, as well as military personnel and historians.


PURCHASE LINKS


MEET THE AUTHOR
Born in Chicago in 1928, Arthur L. Haarmeyer earned an MBA from the University of Chicago before volunteering for service in Korea in Douglas B-26 bombers. After completing a fifty-mission combat tour of duty in Korea with the 95th Bomb Squadron, 17th Bomb Group, he served as a first lieutenant and as project officer in design and development of bombing tactics and devices until his honorable discharge in 1955. His earned military awards and citations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, two Presidential Unit Citations, and a Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. After earning a law degree at Northwestern University in 1958, he practiced law and then engaged in the development and management of commercial properties in Sacramento, California. He is currently working on his second manuscript, a compilation of biographical sketches featuring twelve Korean War combat veterans, representing every branch of our military services, whom he knew during or after that oft-forgotten United Nations effort.
It wasn't until later in life that I gave any thought whatsoever to writing a book of any kind. I was a retired lawyer and had never written much beyond legal briefs. Then, after realizing that I was afflicted with PTSD, I began writing this memoir for therapeutic reasons. You see, in 1953 I completed a fifty-mission tour of duty in Korea: flying and fighting as a bombardier-navigator in Douglas B-26 light bombers. Over the next fifty years I tried to put the war out of my mind. But it haunted me. Finally, in 2004, I began recording the frequent and horrifying flashbacks and “bad dreams” I had been experiencing for decades. That's how this book came about. It has been most gratifying. Into The Land Of Darkness was self-published in 2013. I am currently working on a second manuscript. You can get more information at my website: arthurhaarmeyer.com

AUTHOR LINKS


PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

Even if I hadn’t served at K-9 AFB, editing the USAF newspaper Knight Life, I would have found Art Haarmeyer’s Into the Land of Darkness totally fascinating. For a so-called "forgotten war," the Korean conflict has merited a remarkable number of books. This is one of the very best of them. 
—Curt Gentry, the author of Helter Skelter, the Story of the Manson Murders; Operation Overflight: The Francis Gary Powers Story; The True Story of the Pueblo; John M. Browning, American Gunmaker; and many other fine books of nonfiction
A forgotten aircraft in a forgotten war. With its ten 50 caliber machine guns, six 5-inch high velocity aerial rockets, and ten 500-pound tritonal bombs, the Douglas B-26 was a formidable Night Intruder weapon. The havoc and destruction it caused has never been documented. This book describes its impressive record of combat performance and its major impact upon the outcome of the Korean War.
 —Major General William C. Lindley (Lindley flew fifty combat missions in Douglas B-26s while serving as the Group Commander, 17th Bomb Group, K-9 AFB, South Korea, 1952-1953.)
Into the Land of Darkness delivers a full-scale view of what went on in the air, as well as on the ground, over North Korea and in South Korea in 1950–1953. I found it impossible to read more than a half dozen paragraphs before setting it down and reflecting upon my own combat experiences as a gunner at K-9 AFB (and later as a P-51 pilot). This book’s content and style of writing have a way of touching the soul. Haarmeyer allows us to reach back sixty years and brings back the full spectrum of the events we shared.
—Ted Baker, writer/editor/publisher of The Sortie, the quarterly newsletter of the 17th Bomb Group (WW II), the 319th BG (WW II), and the 17th/452nd Bomb Group, South Korea



SERIES PROMOTION INCL REVIEW - THE ESLITES CHRONICLES BY C.M. DOPORTO

SERIES PROMOTION

Title: The Eslites
Series: The Eslites Chronicles
Author: C.M. Doporto
Released Date: 1st January 2013

BLURB from Goodreads
Can Miranda save the Eslites?
When an advanced alien species invades Earth, it negotiates an agreement with the world’s leaders to provide cures for various human diseases in exchange for a generation of young women. Detained in an otherworldly facility named Nidus, sixteen-year-old Miranda Mays is designated a superior donor and must submit to risky egg extractions, which the Eslites fertilize in a last-ditch, desperate attempt to reproduce. While Miranda is more than willing to help the aliens survive, she soon wonders if there is more to their story.


PURCHASE LINKS


Title: The Arrival
Series: The Eslites Chronicles
Author: C.M. Doporto
Released Date: 5th November 2013

BLURB from Goodreads
Can Miranda save the human race?

An elegant, sophisticated alien species on the verge of extinction has invaded Earth and confined an entire generation of young women, after negotiating a treaty with the world’s governments. Eager to help the aliens reproduce, but frightened by her imprisonment at Nidus, the Eslite medical compound, sixteen-year-old Miranda Mays endures callous scientific experiments in the Eslite’s quest for survival.

When Miranda discovers the ultimate consequences of her egg donations, she organizes a rebellion, enlisting fellow donors in her cause. But soon she realizes the mysterious headmaster, Dimas, knows of her plot. And there’s something about him that bothers Miranda, though she can’t describe it. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance, so she can’t back down. But will Dimas expose her defiance?


Goodreads Link


PURCHASE LINKS


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CM Doporto lives in the great state of Texas with her husband and son enjoying life with their extensive family along with their Chihuahua, Mexican Redhead Parrot, and several fish.

She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Arlington. She briefly worked in the area of Public Relations and Advertising and then pursued a career in the field of Human Resources. CM considers herself a life-long learner and returned to school and earned her Master of Art’s Degree in Organizational Development from Dallas Baptist University.

She writes Young Adult and New Adult Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy stories about ordinary women who do extraordinary things, become a heroine, and find love along the way. 


AUTHOR LINKS


REVIEW


Title: The Eslites
Series: The Eslites Chronicles
Author: C.M. Doporto
Released Date: 1st January 2013

BLURB from Goodreads
Can Miranda save the Eslites?
When an advanced alien species invades Earth, it negotiates an agreement with the world’s leaders to provide cures for various human diseases in exchange for a generation of young women. Detained in an otherworldly facility named Nidus, sixteen-year-old Miranda Mays is designated a superior donor and must submit to risky egg extractions, which the Eslites fertilize in a last-ditch, desperate attempt to reproduce. While Miranda is more than willing to help the aliens survive, she soon wonders if there is more to their story.


PURCHASE LINKS


MY REVIEW

INITIAL THOUGHTS
My impression's from the blurb are that this novella will be an introduction to a possibly dystopian, sci-fi, series with perhaps some romance thrown in. I am looking forward to it a lot. I read quite a few genres but I always get a kind of pulling back to reading some dystopian/post-apocalyptic whenever I can. I am needing a little slice of dystopian and I'm hoping this novella fills that hunger, as I have a few "review by date x" books to finish before I can just look at the bookshelf or kindle list and pick whatever I feel like.

MY REVIEW
I downloaded a free copy of this ebook from Amazon UK. The cover depicts a scene from within the novella. I'd say the female pictured on the cover is one of the main characters, Miranda May. The novella begins will a nervous but resigned 16 year old female (Miranda) saying goodbye to her family and boyfriend Bryce. All females between the ages of 16 years old and 25 years old are taken away to be "tested". This arrangement has been agreed by the governors of earth and the resident alien race, the Nidus. Miranda is naturally worried about the tests she will have to undergo, but spurred on to being brave by her family sh hopes she will fail the tests and be returned to her home within the year. She leaves her family, reciting the family phrase/motto "May's are strong leaders, we never show weakness" 
The Alien race are all male, as the females of their species have died off. Which is why the Nidus need the human girls to help them keep their race alive by donating their eggs and having their babies. It's not all bad, sure the living quarters are pretty dismal looking all grey with the odd silver/chrome accent.
So this novella is a great start to a possibly brilliant series. I like the different cultures and what the "aliens" don't realise the young girls would want, such as make-up, fancy colourful clothes etc. There is also a promising little spark of a romance near the end of the book. 
The only downside I could say was that at one point there is a rather abrupt time jump of 7 months, which made me feel like I had missed out on how the girls were feeling and exactly what was happening to them.
So did I enjoy the novella? On the whole, other than the abrupt jump in time in the one section I mention above, I really did enjoy this short novella. Would I recommend the novella? I would, I think it's probably quite necessary for the back story given in the novella to read it prior to Bk#1 The Arrival. Would I want to read more in The Estiles Series? Yes, I'd really like to read The Arrival. If I hadn't had so many books "to read by a set date"  books I'd be wanting to read it now!  Would I want to read any other books by this author? Yes, I'm about to head to Goodreads to checkout more books by C.M. Doporto now.

Wednesday 29 April 2015

ONE DAY BLITZ - THE REAPER SERIES BY LISA MEDLEY

Title: Reap & Repent
Series: The Reaper Series
Author: Lisa Medley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Big Cedar
Cover Design: Sweet and Spicy Designs
Release Date: 3rd March 2013

BLURB supplied by Bewitching Blog Tours
They see death. Can they share a life?

Ruth Scott can read the energy of every person she meets. Then she meets Deacon Walker. She can see his ice-blue eyes, his black hair, and his gorgeous face. But this beautiful stranger has no aura.

Deacon is just as unsettled by Ruth—and, having spent more than two hundred years ushering souls to Purgatory, Deacon is seldom shocked by anything. As he helps Ruth to understand her true nature, she awakens desires that he decided long ago a Reaper can’t afford.


A demon invasion forces Deacon to confront the darkness in his own past even as he fights to save the human souls he’s charged to protect. When he’s taken captive, his first concern is for Ruth. But Ruth just might be able to save herself—and the Reaper she can’t live without—if she can learn to wield her newfound powers.


PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Reap & Redeem
Series: The Reaper Series
Author: Lisa Medley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Big Cedar
Cover Design: Sweet and Spicy Designs
Release Date: 10th March 2015


BLURB supplied by Bewitching Blog Tours
He’s a reaper who has given up on saving souls. Will a dying woman be his salvation?

After a century of enslavement to pure evil, Kylen Larson is finally free. But he’s long past caring. The only woman he ever loved is dead, and he’s tormented by memories of the horrors his demon parasite forced him to commit. Now, he lives for nothing more than hunting down the infernal creatures invading Meridian, Arkansas, and destroying them.


Olivia Evans is in the final stages of cancer when Kylen accidentally saves her from demonic possession. When he rescues this innocent soul, Kylen rediscovers his mission—and his heart. All he wants is to help Olivia stay alive. He’ll just have to fight off an invasion from Hell first…


PURCHASE LINKS

Title: Reap & Redeem
Series: The Reaper Series
Author: Lisa Medley
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Big Cedar
Cover Design: Sweet and Spicy Designs
Release Date: 5th April 2015


BLURB supplied by Bewitching Blog Tours
By day he saves lives in the city he loves. Can he save souls too?

Nate is an EMT, a witch and a newly inducted member of the Reaper Authority Force. What he's not is a reaper. With unexplained abilities, his true nature lies somewhere in between the angels, demons and reapers he finds himself involved with. When he's paired with the reaper Maeve, he struggles to find his place in the rising war to save the souls of Meridian and the world.

Maeve has tried to hide her reaper handicap--her toxic reaper energy--from her colleagues. But when she's possessed by a fallen angel and forced to poach souls for Hell, her greatest weakness might be the only thing that saves her.

Nate uses his growing powers and his innate magic to find Maeve. He'll do whatever it takes to save her, revealing more than he ever imagined in the process.


PURCHASE LINKS

AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Lisa has always enjoyed reading about monsters in love and now she writes about them, because monsters need love too.
She adores beasties of all sorts, fictional as well as real, and has a farm full of them in her Southwest Missouri home, including: one child, one husband, two dogs, two cats, a dozen hens, thousands of Italian bees, and a guinea pig. 
She may or may not keep a complete zombie apocalypse bug-out bag in her trunk at all times, including a machete. Just. In. Case.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
My latest book in the Reaper Series is, Reap & Reveal.
Summary: By day witch, Nate Blackburn, saves lives in the city he loves. Can he save souls too?

On average how long did it take you to write the individual books in your Reaper Series, from the original idea to finishing writing them?
Each book took me about six months to write. I have an evil day job, so that interferes with things. I think I could write a novel in half that time if I could write full-time.

Which of your Reaper Series books were easier/harder to write than the others?
 Book three, Reap & Reveal, was certainly the easiest. Reap & Repent was the first book I’d ever written. I pantsed it for half the book then got my act together and started plotting. By the third book, I started with an outline and went from there.

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books in the Reaper Series? Books of a different genre/series?
There will be at least one more book in the Reaper Series. I have the first few chapters of Reap & Reckon (book four) written. There are certainly more stories to be told in this series :D I’m currently working on a sci-fi/space opera romance called Space Cowboys & Indians. It’s so much fun! You can expect it sometime late this fall.

What genre would you place your Reaper books into?
Dark Urban Fantasy is the best place for them. With their occult tendencies, demons, angels, reapers, witches and such, I think they fit into that category nicely.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?
I love monsters. And monsters in love? All the better.

If so why is it your favourite?
Oh, yes. Reap & Redeem is my favorite. Even though people tell me Reap & Reveal is a darker story, I don’t see it. I love the torment of Reap & Redeem.

Do you have a favourite character from your Reaper Series? and why are they your favourite?
Shhhh, Kylen is my favorite. He’s a dark hero one step away from damnation. He has to choose the light if he wants it. Unfortunately, he has very little left to live for.

If you had to choose to be one of your characters in your Reaper Series which would you be? and why?
Wow, that’s a tough question! I’d want to be Maeve because she is a total badass, even though she has a very rough go of things in the series for a while.

Where did you get your book plot ideas from for your Reaper Series? What/Who is your inspiration?
Like a lot of authors, I started writing about vampires. After a while, I knew I wanted to write about some more unsung monsters. There aren’t that many books about reapers. I thought, what if reapers weren’t the skeletal monsters of death but were more...human…and conflicted? Maybe even being used as pawns in the ultimate struggle of good vs evil? One thing led to another and the world and characters of the Reaper Series were born.

How did you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your Reaper Series? Who designed the Cover of your books?
Reap & Repent started out as Reap ‘Em & Weep. I contracted the first three books with Harlequin but later my rights were reverted. Harlequin needed a shorter title, so I came up with Reap & titles. I love them all so far! And as for covers, Jaycee at Sweet & Spicy Designs (http://jayceedelorenzo.com/sweetnspicy/  did all of my covers. She’s amazing!

Did you choose the individual book titles of your Reaper Series first, or write the books then choose the titles? 
I’ve done both actually. I think the titles really reflect the tone and plot of the each individual book.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
Lots of Google searching until I find something that seems right. My fictional Arkansas city of Meridian took quite some time to nail down. I love it now and couldn’t imagine the city being named anything else.

Are character names and place names decided after their creation? or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
I typically choose the name first. The name drives the character/world building for me, with the exception of Meridian. That one took a while to iron out!

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along? 
My characters develop as I write. Some are strong and vocal right at the beginning. Others come on more slowly.

Did you basic plot/plan for your Reaper Series, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
Book one was totally let’s-write-and-see-where-this-goes. Books two and three were outlined so I could pick up and carry through plotlines and details. Book four, Reap & Reckon, will have a full synopsis written before I start.

Do you think your Reaper Series books would transfer into movies well?

Who would you want to play Ruth and Dean? 
I really do think it would be a great movie series. 
For Dean, I’d love to see Jensen Ackles 
(Dean Winchester from Supernatural) playing his part.  


For Ruth, Natalie Portman would be perfect!

AUTHOR LINKS 





RELEASE DAY BLITZ - STOLEN ART BY RUTH SILVER

Title: Stolen Art
Author: Ruth Silver
Publisher: Lazy Days Publishing
Genre: YA. Sci-fi, Romance
Release Date: 28th April 2015

BLURB supplied by the author
Sixteen-year-old Madeline has been living on the streets, biding her time until she's eighteen. With little to no money, she takes on a heist in hopes of making ends meet. What could possibly go wrong?
Everything.

Getting caught is just the beginning of Madeline's adventure as she meets Weston and discovers the secret of where she came from.


EXCERPT
I rush back up the dark stairwell, shoving the key into the doorknob. It takes a minute for the lock to click and I push myself inside the apartment, securing every lock and deadbolt. I can’t stay here in Hutchinson, Kansas any longer. Pulling my phone from my purse, I text Weston.
Tatiana is here. It’s not safe for me.
I grab the few belongings that have any value to me, sentimental or otherwise, and shove it into my shoulder bag, including the stolen silver necklace. It has value and if I’m forced on the run, I’ll need money to survive.
I know.
What did Weston mean he knew Tatiana is at the bar? Had he seen her? Is he there?
What do you mean, you know? I type into the phone. If he saw her, why didn’t he warn me? I can’t go down out the front door and it’s only a matter of time until she finds me just a few feet away. I grow restless waiting for an answer.
The  phone  buzzes  and  displays an  incoming  call  from  Weston. "Wes,  tell  me  you’re here." The only thing to do is hop in his car and drive into the night, far from Kansas.
A female’s voice bubbles with laughter. "Oh he’s coming darling, but you should know he won’t get here in time. Amazing how easy it is to clone a phone number and steal his service. The advancements Stem Tech has made is encouraging."

TEASERS



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing multiple series under her name as well as the pen name Ravyn Rayne. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Follow Ruth here

Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here


RUTH'S TOP SIX. . . . 
Sci~Fi Shows

The X-Files

Fringe

Orphan Black

Doctor Who

12 Monkeys


The 100


***GIVEAWAY***
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Tuesday 28 April 2015

COVER REVEAL - IMPLANTED - ASCENSION BY HEATHER LETTO

Title: Implanted  
Series: Ascension  
Author: Heather Letto
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Publication date: June 2015

BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
After a narrow escape from the city of Impervious, Fran’s heart aches for the ones she left behind. Will her brother ever connect the dots? And, what about Pete? Could he, along with the remaining Rebels, have survived the Council’s violent oppression?
As Fran ponders the fate of her friends, an even more disturbing revelation drops into her world—the knowledge that she, along with anyone who had lived underground remains implanted with the sinister presence of the Council. A fate rendering her powerless to save.
Yet one with pure blood, untouched by the Council’s defiling, lives among them. Could he be the new lifeline of hope? Is salvation of the city worth risking the life of this one-and-only?


Title: Impervious  
Series: Ascension  
Author: Heather Letto
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Publication date: June 2015

BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
The residents of Impervious are the remnant—the survivors of the War of Annihilation. And though the city is chockfull of pleasures to tantalize and entertain, a beast lurks in the corners, haunting the residents with its presence. 

The Beast—a mysterious and terminal illness killed off most of Generations One, Two, and Three. And as Gen-Four prepares to take the stage, a provocative, yet questionable, new method to avoid an untimely death incites a cultural rage. 

But Fran lives counter-culture, off the grid in true rebel fashion. With a life far from opulent, she scurries through dark tunnels, searching for hot meals with Pete while ditching the holographic security team. To her, it’s a healthy trade-off. Unaccountability means The Council can’t steal her sliver of hope―a belief that she’ll see The Epoch arrive before The Beast can pull her into its fetid embrace. 

After losing her mother and then her Rebel mentor, Fran stumbles upon a miraculous discovery that may save the residents of Impervious. That is, if she can outrun The Beast…


PURCHASE LINKS

[In keeping with the spirit of celebration--for reveal day only--all IMPERVIOUS (Ascension Series Book 1) Kindle downloads will be .99!]


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m a book-writing, selfie-taking, latte-drinking, social media gal. I’m living a good life on the road as a full-fledged Bedouin (Well, except, my tent is actually a fully-equipped RV.) Me and my partner-in-crime (Benj) tend to hunker down wherever the skies are clear and the temps stay in the 70’s. We call ourselves Gypsy Nerds because we aimlessly wander the U.S. with glasses perched upon our noses and faces jammed into computer screens (for the first half the day... The second half of the day is typically devoted to playing because we’re also somewhat immature.)

Like most authors, the characters I create are my extended family.  And like most readers, when the story ends, I get a little sad. In real life, I have two handsome, hardworking, grown-up boys who know how to make their Mama proud! *Waves to Joey and Mike!*

The Ascension Series is my debut into the world of YA fiction.

I’m living what I love and loving what I live! 

AUTHOR LINKS