When Jess uncovers evidence that her boss is stealing technology to build
his company, her coveted internship at Aries turns from dream job to
catastrophe. Worse, her boss cons another young woman into becoming
his accomplice, and the duo’s chemically enhanced skills and
weapons help them become the most infamous supercriminals to sweep
the tech world. Before they pilfer every aerospace lab in North
America, Jess must use her ingenuity to stop them—risking her
career, her relationships, and maybe even her life.
Tiana Warner is the best selling author of the Mermaids of Eriana Kwai
trilogy. Her books have been acclaimed by Writer’s Digest, Foreword
Reviews, and the Dante Rossetti Awards. She holds a bachelor’s
degree in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia.
Tiana enjoys riding her horse, Bailey, and is an active
supporter of animal welfare.
Living in poverty with his abusive father, Adam Judson never considered
himself special. Not even when the authoritative American government
abducted him to be part of its secretive weapons program. But
becoming a highly-trained child soldier was just the start of Adam’s
journey. After being condemned to undergo the program’s most brutal
procedure, Adam became a super human of unimaginable power. Now he
faces the burden of deciding if his newfound abilities make him a god
or just another weapon.
Frank is a comic writer and author that is not as crazy as his work makes him out to
be…seriously.
Since his writing career began he’s had multiple short stories published in horror
anthologies by both Burning Willow Press and Stitched Smile
Publications. Frank has also had comic shorts appear in the
“fluff noir” anthology series Torsobear and the
all-ages horror anthology Cthulhu is Hard to Spell.
Frank also wrote and produced the comic anthology series Modern Testament, which featured
a wide ensemble of artists throughout its four volumes. Frank’s
novels include the YA sci-fi thriller Predestiny published by
Crossroads Press and the zombie horror Mountain Sickness published by
Severed Press.
Frank currently lives in New York with his wife and three kids.
Alan Maitland is a successful businessman on his way up the corporate
ladder. Life is good, but life is also full of the unexpected. A
scientific experiment goes awry and Alan’s mind is transferred to
the body of Hana Toussaint, a high-class escort. Suddenly, he must
not only contend with a new identity, but with the eye-opening
experience of living as a female: how to walk in high heels without
falling; how to put on a bra without dislocating a shoulder; how to
deal with makeup without poking out an eye; and how to get along in a
society which in many ways is still male-dominated.
When Alan discovers that Hana has taken over his body, the two of them
must work together to find the scientist who can reverse the
experiment and give them back their respective lives. Along the way,
they must cope with living as each other and learn what it’s like to
be a member of the opposite sex. And as their adventure goes on, Alan
the woman must figure out his growing feelings for Hana the man.
Alan faces the biggest challenge of his life which Hana sums up with one
decisive question:
William Quincy Belle is just a guy. Nobody famous; nobody rich; just some guy
who likes to periodically add his two cents worth with the hope,
accounting for inflation, that $0.02 is not over evaluating his
contribution. He claims that at the heart of the writing process is
some sort of (psychotic) urge to put it down on paper and likes to
recite the following, which so far he hasn’t been able to attribute
to anyone: “A writer is an egomaniac with low self-esteem.”
You will find Mr. Belle’s unbridled stream of consciousness floating
around in cyberspace.
Several hundred years in the future, Earth is a different planet. Antigravity
has been invented and “flying” has given way to “floating”:
giant platforms with cities remain above the growing surface
temperatures as enclaves of the privileged. A global pandemic has
wiped out 80% of those on the ground, and a virulent, flesh-eating
disease, necrofasc, has left most with artificial body parts. Insects
are the main food staple. A utopia for some, a dystopia for others.
Metrofloat New York, a futuristic city of thirty million, is run by an oligarchy
of five rich and powerful people. An unknown assassin, working from
within the system, attempts to seize control and declare himself
dictator by methodically removing all rivals. Detective Matthew Heart
of the Metropolitan Police must deal with his partner, a cyborg
policewoman, his unofficial family, a transgender woman and her
one-legged daughter, and a mysterious assailant bent on taking over
the world by killing anyone who stands in his way.
William Quincy Belle is just a guy. Nobody famous; nobody rich; just some guy
who likes to periodically add his two cents worth with the hope,
accounting for inflation, that $0.02 is not over evaluating his
contribution. He claims that at the heart of the writing process is
some sort of (psychotic) urge to put it down on paper and likes to
recite the following, which so far he hasn’t been able to attribute
to anyone: “A writer is an egomaniac with low self-esteem.”
You will find Mr. Belle’s unbridled stream of consciousness floating
around in cyberspace.
I’ve had a couple of lovely email exchanges with Hywela. It was wonderful to connect with her and learn more about her.
Author Bio:
Originally from rural Wales, Hywela
Lyn moved to England when she married. Her first novel, a Science Fiction
romantic adventure, ‘Starquest’ published
by ‘The Wild Rose Press’, was followed by two more novels ‘Children of the Mist and ‘Beloved
Enemy’ to complete what has now become the
Destiny Trilogy, each book being complete in itself. In 2017 Beloved Enemy won the Mid-Michigan
Romance Writers of America ‘Best Banter’ Contest in the SF/Fantasy category,
was nominated for the Romantic Novelists Association Awards (RoNA) in the
Paranormal category, and was also Runner Up in the RONE Awards.
Her fantasy novella,
incorporating Greek Myths and Welsh and Arthurian legends, entitled ‘Dancing
With Fate’ was originally published by TWRP as part of a commissioned anthology
but is now available as a ‘stand-alone’ novella. The first two books in the Destiny Trilogy are available in audio
format and Beloved Enemy will be
available in audio soon.
When not writing or reading and eating chocolate, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her horse and dog.
Tell us about yourself
I’ve always been a hopeless romantic and made up love stories in my head
from an early age. I became enthralled by TV westerns and wrote several short
stories about the Old West, before realizing there was no market for them in
the UK. Then I discovered Science Fiction and decided there was a great
similarity between science fiction and Westerns – a hero and heroine fighting
the odds in a hostile environment and facing unknown dangers – but with
starships instead of horses. I never thought of myself as a romance writer,
until I realized that everything I wrote turned into a love story, and the
penny dropped! I love action and adventure, and do tend to put my characters
through the mill until the end, but my intention is always for them to end up
in each other’s arms and get their ‘happy ever after.’
I’m also an ardent animal lover and usually manage to work an animal of
some kind into every story I write. I have a much loved rescued terrier and Quarterhorse
x Welsh mare. I’m also interested in wildlife and the environment.
My pen-name is composed of my first two Christian names, which are Welsh.
I’ve always been known by my second name, Lyn, so when I started writing I
thought it would be a nice idea to use my first name combined with my second
one, as it seemed a shame that Hywela was never used.
I’m a member of the Romantic Novelists
Association, and our local writers group ‘Chiltern Writers’.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I think I knew I wanted to write from the time I realized
what a joy reading was. I used to write short stories when we were set writing
assignments in school. I won a couple of newspaper short stories and wrote a
pretty bad Western historical romance, but although I had short stories
published over the years I didn’t try seriously to have a novel published,
until I wrote Starquest.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
Although my favourite genre is the one I write – Fantasy
and Science Fiction romance, I have a fairly broad taste in books, and enjoy
anything that is well written and exciting, from historical westerns to romantic
suspense.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
I think they’re suitable for both young adults and adults
of all ages, actually.
What is your current release or project?
I’m currently working on a romantic ghost story set on a
pony stud in Wales, but it’s still fairly rough, so if I may I’d like to tell
you a bit more about the characters in my latest release, Beloved Enemy.
Although this is the third story in the Destiny Trilogy, Beloved Enemy can be
read as a ‘stand alone’, although hopefully it will answer some questions
readers may have after reading Starquest.
The main male character is Kerry Marchant, who played an important part in the
first book, and some of the supporting characters are the crew of the Destiny who also featured in that book. The
female lead is Cat Kincaid, a woman with a mission – to kill him. The main
theme of the story is that wounded souls have a way of finding each other, and
when forced to work together toward a common goal there may be more at stake
than just their survival.
Tell us about the key characters
KERRY
MARCHANT
Dark
haired, blue eyed and good looking, Kerry Marchant is a man haunted by his
past. Taciturn and quiet, he is quick witted, with a dry sense of humour that
can sometimes be misinterpreted as sarcasm. Raised as an orphan by a cruel and
overbearing aunt, he was later sent away to be educated at a Government
learning centre where he met and formed a lasting friendship with Jon Quinlan.
Possessed of a brilliant mind, he soon displayed an aptitude for computer
programming and AI. In his mid-twenties, he designed the Destiny, the beautiful and powerful exploratory starship which he
part owns with Jon, who financed the construction of the ship and who is also
her commander.
Something
of a loner, Kerry’s only really close friend is Jon, although he has respect
and a certain amount of affection for the rest of the crew. He is single-minded
in his determination to ensure the Destiny’s
safety after foiling a plot to hijack her by an alien race, the Graaks. He
has an inherent mistrust of women, while mourning the loss of the only woman he
ever allowed himself to love. Although he does not show it, his emotions run
deep and he cares more for his friends on board the Destiny than he will admit.
CAT KINCAID
Tall, curvaceous and
attractive, with auburn hair and grey eyes, Cat is also independent and single
minded. She has learnt to trust no one and to rely on her wits to survive.
Raised on Earth with her only sister, her comfortable life was turned upside
down when her father deserted them. She can handle a starship or a laser-gun
and is well able to look after herself whether in hand to hand combat or with a
weapon.
After several years in
space, she has things in her past, secrets, which it would be dangerous to
reveal, and one in particular which she
has made a promise to keep safe, and to protect with her life, rather than
allow it to fall into the wrong hands.
Past experience has
led her to mistrust men and to be determined never to let another one betray
her trust. However, there is one man whom she has sworn to track down and
confront before killing him – the man she
believes to be responsible for her sister’s death. When she finally meets him,
however, she is confused by conflicting emotions which have nothing to do with
revenge.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Cat Kincaid is
obsessed with killing the man she believes is responsible for the torture and
death of her sister, but when she eventually catches up with him, survival
becomes a greater priority than revenge.
Kerry Marchant,
haunted by memories, regret, and self-blame, shields himself from the pain of
the past by committing himself totally to the starship, Destiny, of which he is
part owner. However, the beautiful, red-haired woman who reminds him of his
lost love, and who he suspects is working for a corrupt regime, represents a
possible threat not only to the ship, but to his heart.
Marooned on an
inhospitable planet, they need to work together to stay alive, fighting not
only unknown assailants, but their growing attraction. But how can they learn
to trust each other when he has vowed never to get close to a woman again, and
she made a solemn pledge to destroy him?
Share an excerpt
He made as if to stand, and in an instant, she drew her
pistol.
“Like I said before, no sudden moves. Get up—slowly.”
“So you are making me a prisoner?”
“Not exactly, but I’m not stupid enough to take any risks.”
He rose to his feet, his gaze not leaving her gunhand.
Several inches taller than her, broad shouldered and slim, he presented a
commanding figure. His expression froze as his gaze homed in on the insignia on
her breast pocket, his eyes like chips of blue ice.
“You work for the Union.”
“I work for myself.”
“Then why are you wearing the insignia of the Global Union
of Earth and Allied Planets?”
“I have a license to requisition any enemy ship trespassing
in the sectors of space over which they hold dominion.”
“A licensed pirate in the pay of the Global Union,” Kerry’s
eyes showed outright contempt. She almost preferred the icy coolness.
“I prefer to think of myself as a freelancer—doing a
service.”
His expression did not change, although he did change tack.
“You could have left me to die—or just shot me. Why didn’t you?”
“Call it a personality flaw. I don’t like abandoning
someone who’s wounded even to save my own skin. And I don’t kill in cold blood.
If I have to shoot someone, I’d rather they were facing me with their eyes
open.” Even if I did swear to leave their
dead body for the Union to use in their hideous experiments. Keep it casual.
Don’t let him guess what’s really in your mind.
To her amazement, he smiled the most devastating smile
she’d ever seen, made even more remarkable because he didn’t look as if he did
it very often.
“My own philosophy as it happens. It seems almost a pity we
are on opposite sides.”
“Opposite sides?”
“I have no love for the Union. That puts us on opposite
sides, even if you are just a pirate, doing their dirty work for them.”
She gave him her best withering look. “Fine. And just
because I decided to save your hide, don’t get any ideas. We don’t have to like
each other.”
Do you have a favorite scene?
Well, apart from the climax, which obviously I can’t reveal
*grin* but which I really enjoyed writing, I do rather like the part where Cat
has saved him from a monstrous alien river creature, but it wraps a tentacle
around her leg and pulls her towards the river. For a moment, she thinks she’s
been attacked by a snake – the only thing she’s afraid of. When they final kill
the creature, the smouldering attraction they’ve both been trying to ignore,
rises to the surface – but will they be able to put aside their mutual
suspicion long enough to act on it? Here’s a snippet.
“It seems I was
mistaken about the creature being dead.” Kerry prodded the smouldering mass
with his boot and looked across over the water. “It is now.” He leaned down and
grasped her wrist to haul her to her feet. “Are you hurt?”
“No, I don’t think
so.” Her shoulder was sore and probably bruised but she’d live.
She
tried to control her shivering. The incident affected her more than she wanted
to admit. Kerry’s proximity—naked to the waist, his lithe body shining from the
water droplets that still clung to his skin, and his legs swathed in tight
black leather—did nothing to help. The last thing she wanted was for him to
realize how scared she’d been when she thought a snake attacked her.
“Thanks.
That was close. It would have been a bit ironic if I’d been killed by the same
creature I saved you from.”
She
realized he still grasped her wrist. She tried to move away, but he pulled her
back, obliging her to turn to him.
“You’re
trembling.”
“I’m
fine.”
“No,”
he said. “You’re not.” He pulled her closer and his eyes softened, his gaze
holding her mesmerized.
She
opened her mouth to try to speak, but in the same instant, he put his hand
under her chin and his lips closed over hers.
What advice would you give a beginner?
Keep writing! Never give up and write what you enjoy writing about – and find a few beta readers or crit partners whom you can trust to give you an honest opinion of your final draft, after you’ve revised and rewritten it enough to make it the best you can get it. Then be prepared to revise some more – but only if you agree with what they’re telling you – you don’t have to accept everything but often they will spot something you’re too close to yourself, to be able to see.
When PI Cassie Tam is hired to investigate the death of a local virtual
reality junkie, she thinks it will be easy money. In New Hopeland, VR
junkies die every day, and the local PD already declared it an
accidental overdose on synthetic stimulants. But the more she digs,
the more that things don’t add up.
To make things even more complicated, her client, the deceased’s
sister Lori, is a Tech Shifter – someone who uses a metal
exoskeleton to roleplay as an animal – and Cassie has always been
wary of that community. That wouldn’t be a problem if Lori wasn’t
fast becoming the first person she’s been genuinely attracted to
since splitting with her ex.
When PI Cassie Tam and her girlfriend Lori try to make up for their recent
busy schedules with a night out at the theatre to watch the Tech
Shift performer Kitsune, the last thing they expected was for Cassie
to get a job offer. But some people are never off the clock, and by
the end of the evening, Cassie has been drawn into a mundane but
highly paid missing pet case. Unfortunately, in New Hopeland City,
even something as simple as little lost dog can lead you down some
dark paths.
Until now, Cassie wasn’t aware that there even was a rabbit hole,
New Hopeland City may be the birthplace of Tech Shifter gear, but it
isn’t the only place that likes to blend technology with folklore.
Now, a new nightmare is stalking the streets…
When PI Cassie Tam is attacked on the way home one night, she expects the
police to get involved. What she doesn’t expect is to be forced
into acting as bait to lure out a lunatic in a tech-suit
that’s literally out for blood. But past actions have consequences, and doing so may be
the only way she can get a clean slate from the city’s law makers.
If only that didn’t mean having to face down a wannabe vampire.
Matt Doyle is a speculative fiction author from the UK and identifies as pansexual
and genderfluid. Matt has spent a great deal of time chasing dreams,
a habit which has led to success in a great number of fields. To
date, this has included spending ten years as a professional
wrestler, completing a range of cosplay projects, and publishing
multiple works of fiction.
These days, Matt can be found working on multiple novels and stories,
blogging about pop culture, and plotting and planning far too many projects.
New today! Royal Undercover has been released this morning! Here’s the synopsis:
Mel Breuer is a supply officer and nothing else. Until a request to report to the security office on Space Station Joplin reveals her real identity. Demands from her large family change her life and drop her in the hands of John Vellum a professional protector. Her other life taught her to trust no one – ever. Former military, John Vellum is a Protector. He protects the elite. The elite can be difficult but John knows a firm hand will keep his clients safe but Mel is not what he expects. The danger to her life is real and imminent. While trying to keep her safe, he learns she is spunky, vulnerable, and sexy. Amidst kidnapping attempts and other threats, John’s desire leads to something deeper if he can only get her to trust him. This is available on Smashwords and Amazon for now. It’s available in ebook and paperback! This one popped into my head and wrote up fairly well. It’s a little different from what I normally write. I hope the reader’s like it. Keep an eye out for the next Wayfarer (August) and a sequel to Wild Magic(in editing)!
Marketing. It is the bane of my existence. I’ve been in writing mode – write, edit, production. With ten books published, I need to work on marketing. The problem – I’m not good at promoting myself.
This doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it. It means it is a chore. It is one of the aspects of writing I am not comfortable with. I do my blog (see I’m blogging) and my website. I tweet (though does this make any sense?) and I facebook. It would be nice if my magic genie would come out and take care of all the marketing issues – like convincing people to read my books or having a famous director like Steven Spielberg or Joss Whedon or Ron Howard to pick up my books and say wow this would make a great movie or series.
Unfortunately, that isn’t likely to happen. The genie is on strike with the brownies who are supposed to clean my house. This means I grind through researching and promoting and hope that somewhere along the line something clicks and it creates sales.
I’ve researched romance newsletters and sent off information to them in the hopes it will get my name out there and get Secret Past noticed. I’ve done the same with science fiction / fantasy newsletters to try to get the Wayfarer and Defender series noticed as well. I don’t know how successful either will be.
I’ve tried emailing bookstores announcements on my books. They haven’t been very responsive – either locally or nationally. This is probably going to be an ongoing thing which I need to spend some time working on.
If you have any ideas you want to share on marketing, let me know. I’m open to most things and will beat up my introverted self to work outside my comfy quiet little hermit cave.
