Title: Satyr from the Shadows

Author: Rebekah Lewis

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Long ago, a nymph fell in love with a mere mortal destined to be a legendary hero. Until the gods saw fit to tear them apart and tamper with fate.

Everyone has heard the story of Daphne and Apollo, of her transformation into a laurel tree to escape his obsession. If only it were so simple. Held prisoner for thousands of years, Daphne is close to death until a last minute rescuer smuggles her out of Olympus and to Melancton, the satyr she loves.

Melancton has always preferred to be on his own, keeping to the shadows and maintaining a stoic appearance. Only Daphne can be the light to his darkness, and now that she’s returned, the fear of losing her again shakes him. With grave danger lurking on the horizon, Melancton and the satyrs of The Aegean Inn prepare for battle, but the odds are stacked against them.

Meanwhile, Apollo enlists the aid of Dionysus in his determination to reclaim Daphne and punish those responsible for her disappearance. Is it possible to survive the fury of the gods?

Review: Despite not having read book one and two, I could follow along remarkably well. The book focuses on the myth of Daphne and Apollo, and "Satyr from the Shadows" builds on that story and expands it, making it a lot more interesting, with the addition of Melancton, a satyr. This is the first book I've read that focuses on a satyr, and it's great. I definitely want to read more books featuring satyrs - I'll probably go through a satyr phase now, like I went through a selkie phase last year, LOL. The other gods appear too, and there's a ton of characters. An entertaining book!

Book Excerpt

But it was Dorothy, not Virginia, who was now escorted into the maternity ward hospital room.
“What a surprise!” Nila fairly squealed with delight. “You look fabulous.”
“Mayonnaise,” she declared.
Dorothy waited a beat. When Nila failed to react, she bestowed a look confirming her suspicion that her child’s intelligence had been grossly overstated.
“Mayonnaise,” she repeated. “It’s cheaper than cold cream and has most of the same ingredients.”
Her tone added obviously.
While the vision of her mother’s face lathered with salad dressing etched itself permanently into Nila’s brain, Dorothy slipped out of her light jacket, folding it neatly before laying it on the foot of the bed.
“Now. How do we get you out of here?”
“It could be a day or two. I haven’t even seen the baby since the delivery. They said he looked a little blue. He’s been getting some oxygen.”
As if on cue, a nurse flung open the door and held forth a bundle of blanket. “Here he is, pink as a pearl and ready for lunch.”
Dorothy lifted a bunting corner to take a perfunctory peek at the squirming baby. “Ah, a redheaded little boy. When can we leave?” she asked the nurse.
The nurse stammered that the decision was not hers to make, consulting the chart on the door.
“Circumcision ordered. I’m not sure that’s scheduled for today.”
“Let’s get the doctor on the phone,” Dorothy replied coolly.
While Nila busied herself counting fingers and toes and urging the baby to latch onto a nipple,
Dorothy conversed with her doctor.
He must have been making rounds in the hospital. Within an hour he marched into Nila’s room, whisked the baby away, and returned within thirty minutes to hand off the now squalling infant who had been grossly insulted by a scalpel.
“I would be much more comfortable if we could watch him for another day.” The doctor’s tone indicated premeditated defeat. “But since your mother is here to help, I guess it would be all right for you to take him home.” He patted Nila’s shoulder. “I don’t like sending a new mother home so soon when there are other youngsters to care for, but since there’s someone there to lend a hand...”
Dorothy ignored the implied request for assurance.

About the Book

Title: The Daughters Lem

Author: Nila Aamoth

Genre: Biographical / Memoir / Historical

The Daughters of Lem witnessed and survived the tragic event that forever transformed them. Orphaned, frightened, fiercely independent, the four sisters fought defiantly to raise themselves. But Lucille, Louise, and Nell Rose could not defeat the notion of a Lem bad seed; they chose to remain childless. Only Dorothy sought to achieve what she perceived to be a “normal” life as a wife and mother. In the process, she discovered her power as an independent woman. Her own three offspring became a new generation of the Daughters of Lem, and fortunate participants in their mother’s improbably joyful journey.

Author Bio

Nila Knack Aamoth wrote her first story at age four, and never stopped plying the pencil, the typewriter, and finally the computer keyboard. She began her journalism career in Houston, Texas, and owned two community newspapers in Michigan. For 25 years, she was editor and publisher of The Penasee Globe. “I figured my thoughts were more valuable than the traditional penny, so I called my weekly column A Nickel’s Worth,” she likes to joke. Those mostly light-hearted musings won her numerous state and national writing awards. Her insightful editorials, both humorous and serious, won the Michigan Press Association award for “Best Editorial” two years running. “I believed I could write about anything,” she says. “But writing the incredible story of my own family was almost too heart-wrenching. I think I’ve finally grown up!”

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About The Book

Title: Run

Author: Becky Johnson

Genre: Mystery / Suspense

A decades old mystery and a deadly game of cat and mouse will change Charlotte Marshall forever.
Charlotte has a good life: friends, family, a successful career. Her perfect life is destroyed when research for a book and a connection from her past plunges her into the middle of her worst nightmare.
On the run, with no one to trust, Charlotte begins to unravel the work of a sadistic murderer. Afraid and alone, she will learn the meaning of trust and just when to run.

Author Bio Run is Becky Johnson’s first published novel, but not her first book. Books are Becky’s passion and always have been. She used to get in trouble in school for reading during class! Becky has Master’s degrees in social work and history, and for her day job she is a social worker. In her writing she tries to answer a question that is important to both social work and history: Why? She always wants to know why people do the things they do or feel the way they feel. When not reading or writing she enjoys yoga, running, cooking, and makes a pretty mean chili!

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Book Excerpt

There was a tremble in Nathan's hands when he first reached for the hem of Sasha's shirt. He wasn't desperate for oblivion like he had been the night he left the Gatehouse, but he did want and need with enough urgency that he was shaking.

"Nathan," Sasha whispered against his lips, warm hands reaching down to take Nathan's and still his trembling. Sasha helped him then, he didn't push Nathan's hands away, just guided them, lifting the T-shirt up his body until it was off. "It's okay," the shirt fell to the floor and Sasha reached for Nathan's face with both hands, "I love you. Nothing's ever going to change that."

Another kiss, just as new, like breathing, like coming up out of deep water and breathing again for the first time. Nathan didn't even realize at first that he had started to back Sasha toward the bed. It was instinct, moving for a comfortable surface so this could be easier, so he didn't have to struggle to stay standing when his knees were weak.

Sasha smiled when they neared the bed, pulling back and lowering himself onto it with nothing but trust on his face, and love, and encouragement.

Nathan didn't hesitate. He sunk right down into Sasha, kissing again, touching the pads of his fingers to the smooth skin of Sasha's chest. It felt so natural, even as it was fresh, and new, and different. It didn't feel rushed or wrong like Nathan had feared. Dave had taken the shadow from Nathan's heart, and though it wasn't yet bathed in light, it knew how to turn toward it and seek the light out.

Nathan's over-shirt was pushed down his arms, his T-shirt pulled up over his head and tossed away, leaving both of them only in jeans. They scooted up the bed as they kissed, smiling throughout it all like they almost couldn't believe they could have this again.

It had been three weeks at least, close to four, since the last time they were together long enough for Sasha to feed. Sasha had to need this more than he was letting show, and Nathan had to wonder what the incubus would have done if he had been in the Veil for longer than a week's time on Earth.

They shared a smile as they came up for air, but Nathan wasn't sure what to do next. Well, he knew what to do. It was just difficult to undress Sasha the rest of the way when his hands were shaking.

About the Book

Title: Sidhe (The Incubus Saga – Book Three)

Author: Amanda Meuwissen

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Gay Romance

Nathan Grier returns from the Veil a changed man. The consequences of his time with Malak, the dark sidhe king, and the deal made to free him may be more than he can bear. The weakening of the Veil and new enemies foretell of a greater battle still ahead. With Nathan’s brother Jim now an Awakened changeling, and Nathan’s role in Malak’s plans finally revealed, Nathan’s love for fae hunter and incubus, Sasha Kelly, may not be enough to save him after all.

The Previous Books in the Series

Incubus (The Incubus Saga – Book 1)

Nathan Grier only ever wanted a normal life, but for him, life, family, and love are anything but normal. On the other side of the Veil, dark and light fae exist outside the knowledge of most humans. Nathan was born human, but his twin brother Jim is a changeling. On the run since they were children, time for both of them is running out. Turning to fae hunter Sasha Kelly for help, Nathan must soon face his growing feelings for the other man while trying to save himself and his brother from a fate worse than death.

Changeling (The Incubus Saga – Book 2)

Nathan Grier’s dark fae bounty looms overhead. As he faces the very real threat of becoming a slave to the bounty’s owner, his brother Jim uses his changeling abilities more and more trying to save him. Every changeling throughout history turns evil once their powers manifest, meaning time may be running out for both of them as Jim nears True Awakening. Fae hunter and incubus, Sasha Kelly, is prophesized to save Nathan, but while Nathan has embraced his feelings for the other man, he fears their time together will be cut short—either from his impending fate…or Jim’s.

 

Author Bio

Amanda Meuwissen is the author of The Incubus Saga and the novelette The Collector. She also serves as COO and Managing Editor for BigWorldNetwork.com. She oversees editing and series selection, and is featured as a narrator for several BWN audiobooks and series. Amanda lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, John, and their cats, Helga and Sasha (no connection to the incubus of the same name).

Links

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Buy the Books:

Incubus on Amazon

Changeling on Amazon

Sidhe on Amazon

Book Excerpt

NIGHTLIFE: AS THE WORM TURNS excerpt:
The bank dominated the center of the block. The letters that had once been fastened above the entrance were gone—no doubt stripped long ago and pawned as scrap—but watery gray ghosts of the name, Empire Bank and Trust, remained, staining the lintel just beneath the crumbling cornice.
The bank was a relic from the days when money was kept on-site, when buildings like this needed to project an aura of safety and power. Power it had in spades, even if that power was a dark, haunted one. Safety, however, had long since taken the last train out of Camden.
Blood’s growl grew to a timber-sawing buzz. Jack knelt by him, resting one heavy hand on the dog’s neck. “Stay here, boy.” Beth fought the urge to do the same, to share in the bond between them. However, as close as she’d grown to Blood these past ten months, she knew he answered to but one master.
The boarded-up door gave way. The bottom edge ground against the sidewalk, leaving just enough room for them to slip through. Blood took his place just outside, standing sentry.
The place reeked of stale air and piss. Their own tentative footfalls echoed like timpani in the hollow structure. Each of them clicked on a flashlight, and the beams pierced the gloom, presenting a patchwork picture of the interior. Above them, the vaulted ceiling stretched past the reach of their beams. The curved sides were covered in a ruin of torn silk bunting that hung in shreds like funerary wrappings. In the center of the cracked tile floor were the remains of a mosaic. It might have once depicted an eagle clutching a shield, but half of it had cratered away. Many holes gaped in the floor, any one of them an invitation to a turned ankle.
Directly ahead of them was a row of iron portcullis windows, behind which a battalion of tellers had once stood. The shelves beneath each pass-through sported an uneven divot at the center, worn smooth by decades of deposits and withdrawals.
At the far wall, just past the bars, Beth could spot the shadow of an open vault. And between the two, the shadow of something else. Something that was moving toward the only door separating them. A door that was open.
“Don’t look at it.” Jack was already reaching for a snap vial. “Cover the door. Let me know if you see anything. Shadows, movement, anything.”
Beth drew her pistol and trained it on the narrow slit of night just past the entrance. She fought constantly to keep her eyes from flicking over to where that thing was. “What’s it doing?
“It’s waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“An opportunity.”
Beth clamped her jaw tight, gripped her pistol tighter. She backed up until she could see Jack in her peripheral vision. There was a quick cracking sound as Jack activated the vial. He breathed in deeply, and she watched his entire body begin to vibrate as the chemicals took hold. “What do you see?”
Jack took another step closer. He leaned in. And then he shook his head and coughed out the vapor. “Too dark to see much. It’s pacing. I’m pretty sure it knows we’re here. But every time it comes close to the door, it pulls back. I think it wants to attack but is afraid to come too close.”
“Is it wounded? Like the other one?”
“Yes. No. I’m not sure.” He coughed again, and when he spoke, his voice was little more than a gravel whisper. “Wounded, yes. But not in the same way. And . . .” Jack’s voice trailed thin into the musty air.
“And what?”
“And this is a trap.”

About the Book

Title: Nightlife: Night Terrors

Author: Matthew Quinn Martin

Genre: Horror

Release Date: July 7, 2015

“Doesn’t get any darker than this; you can actually feel the blood spatter…” –Hugo & Nebula winner James Patrick Kelly

Enter the world of Nightlife, where the streets crawl with unimaginable demons, and a monster can lurk behind every friendly face…

Matthew Quinn Martin first terrified horror fans with Nightlife, the captivating story of two unlikely monster hunters determined to save the city of New Harbor from the Night Angels—bloodthirsty creatures that feed on the forgotten. Jack Jackson and Beth Becker are among the few who can see these creatures for what they really are, but as they hunt the creatures, a mysterious organization known only as The Division is hunting them.

In the novella Hazardous Material, we get a glimpse of The Division’s origins and aims, when a young man stumbles onto a long-abandoned video arcade—which three decades ago was the site of the largest mass shooting in New York history—and unwittingly uncovers a relic of unimaginable power and mind-altering terror.

And in the never-before-released As the Worm Turns, Jack and Beth are back, along with their faithful dog, Blood. For months they’ve been keeping just one step ahead of The Division, whose enigmatic leader has been pursuing them with the single-minded obsession to capture them by any means necessary. But as Jack and Beth continue their quest to rid the world of the creatures once and for all they find themselves facing off against something even more terrifying than the Night Angels––something that could hold the key to humanity’s salvation…or its doom.

Three amazing horror stories in one chilling bundle…the only thing you won’t fear is the price!

Reviews for the first book:

“Thrilling, edgy, and scary as hell, Nightlife is an outstanding debut and one of the most original takes on the vampire novel I’ve ever read.” – Jason Starr, International Bestselling Author of The Pack

“Nightlife completely creeped me out. Martin is a master of suspense. Keep me up all night again soon!” –Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Wicked Saga

“Doesn’t get any darker than this; you can actually feel the blood spatter. Nightlife is the gutsiest debut I’ve read in a long time.” – James Patrick Kelly, Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of Think Like a Dinosaur.

“An incredibly riveting, edge of your seat plot that was equal parts spooky mystery and gruesomely tragic horror novel.” – All Things Urban Fantasy

“Whoa! This is like the ultimate Vampire book! No fluff here. This is not your modern, sexy, ‘I wanna get laid by a vampire’ book – this was some scary stuff.” – Wall to Wall Books

“I don’t think I’ve actually read anything like it!” – Bibliosanctum

“If you like your fantasy urban and dark, give this book a try. If you want to see vampires restored to a fearsome glory, give this book a try. If you just want a creepy good story for the Halloween month, give this book a try!” – Badass Book Reviews

“Nightlife is the perfect story to read if you like to get a good scare on!” – Jersey Girl Book Reviews

“Have you been wanting vampires that are mean, nasty, eating machines? Tired of the glitter and sparkle and angst? Well, check this book out….a perfect blend of action and pathos that most readers of horror should enjoy.” – Now is Gone

“The vampires Matthew created are nothing like I ever read before. They are scary and creepy!” – Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks

 

Author Bio

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, it wasn’t until Matthew moved to Manhattan that he realized he was a writer. These days, he lives on a small island off the North Atlantic coast of the United States where it gets quiet in the winter…perhaps too quiet. . .


Links

http://www.matthewquinnmartin.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewqmartin

Buy the book:

Buy the Book on S&S Publishing

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About The Book

Title: Tempted by Pleasure (Secret Invitation Part One)

Author: Devon Hart

Genre: Erotica

Welcome to a game of risk and indiscretion.

The prize: a night of passion.

The price: your silence.

Nothing exciting happens to someone like me. I live between the lines, only dreaming about breaking the rules. My chance at love disappeared the night I left home to escape my old life.

Eight years later, I never expected that “old life” to resurface in my bookstore.

Foster Wagner is the type of man most women would crawl through fire or broken glass to possess. And judging by the way he’s staring, that danger goes both ways.

I’m in trouble.

Note: Part Two will be released soon.

Author Bio

Devon Hart lives in the Pacific Northwest and loves to travel. Married to her biggest fan, her husband is the inspiration behind many of her super sexy heroes. When she’s not hanging out with friends or in the garden, she can be found in her favorite spot in the house reading or writing her next story.

Links

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Book Excerpt

10 a.m.
The press auditorium at Brooklyn police headquarters appeared under siege.

The space was just about big enough for the crowd pushing and shoving to squeeze in past security checks, the room airless, noisy, electric with tension, reeking of overheated bodies, slush-wet shoes, damp clothes.

Outside, another snowstorm smothered the city.

Inside, District Attorney Cecil King, flanked by homicide detective Lieutenant Florence Ott, approached the lectern in front of the wall-long photographic projection of the F train subway car’s interior and the seven sprawled corpses, all labeled with names and ages, but some key features like a handgun intentionally blurred. Six pictures, and no photo of the end of the subway car with the yellow X on the floor.

From the media mob, a cacophonous barrage erupted.

CECIL KING: Please, we can answer one question at a time, from my right and going across row by row.

TERENCE DANGLER: The Post over here. When were these bodies found? You got nobody arrested yet, what’s going on?

CK: The bodies were discovered just before three this morning. We’ve been working flat out ever since, Mr. Dangler. Check any subway station. The police are out everywhere.

TD: So you--

CK: Next.

Q: Who found the bodies?

CK: A retiree.

Q: Name?

CK: He’s still being questioned.

Q: How many people on the train?

CK: Eighteen, plus the motorman.

Q: These other passengers, the ones still alive, are they suspects?

CK: The police are interviewing them.

Q: How did the victims die?

CK: We’re waiting for autopsy results.

Q: We don’t see any blood in these pictures. Was it gas?

CK: It could have been.

Q: And it’s clear everyone was murdered? This wasn’t some kind of accident?

CK: It appears intentional, that’s our belief.

Q: What was the weapon?

CK: Like I said, the police are examining all the evidence.

Q: Lieutenant, any arrests?

FLORENCE OTT: So far no suspects, but we’re out there. No one gets away with this massacre. Count on it.

Q: You think it’s one killer or more?

FO: That’s still unclear. We’re drawing no conclusions.

Q: The motive?

FO: They’re cowardly killers, and we don’t know why yet. But we will.

Q: Anyone claim responsibility? Any group? Any known terrorists?

FO: No claims. We’re following every lead. We can’t reveal anything now that might help these killers evade capture. Every subway station has a police patrol on it, the whole city is covered, we don’t expect this to happen again, but we’re prepared. We’re out to get the killers and we’re going to bring them to justice.

Q: Is this like that gas attack years ago on the Tokyo subway? You think it’s some kind of a copycat group?

CK: Tokyo was much bigger, many more deaths.

Q: Did anyone on the F train try to resist the killers?

FO: We’re looking into that right now, it’s still early.

Q: Exactly where did it happen?

FO: We believe the killers struck somewhere between the Borough Hall and Fifteenth Street stations.

Q: This have any connection to some kind of Al-Qaeda cell? Any organized terror group?

CK: So far we’ve no reason to believe so. No claims have been made. And like I said, Lieutenant Ott and her colleagues are looking into every possible explanation.

Q: Could it have been a lone maniac?

FO: Not impossible.

TERENCE DANGLER (agitated): This is absolutely unbelievable. Seven bodies in one place. And you don’t have the slightest idea yet who did this? You got nobody in custody? What about those foreign names up there? Hakim? Panesh? Who are those guys? Who else besides foreign terrorists would commit an outrage like this?

FO: Mr. Dangler, these people have been dead only a few hours. The outrage, as you correctly call it, is being investigated with every available law enforcement resource our city has. The subway system is on full alert with police everywhere. New York transit is safe and it’s working. As soon as we have more developments to report, we’ll let you all know. Immediately. Thank you.

TD: The victims, tell us more about the victims--

CK: You have all the names. Out of consideration for the families, and the police investigation, no further details are available at this moment.

FO: In the back on your way out, you can pick up CD-ROMs with these pictures.

The press conference ended. The crowd began pushing and shouting for press kits, reporters emailing dispatches, attaching files with pictures of the victims.

Television crews wrapped up their live coverage, the commentaries breathless, authoritative, distressed.

And under cover of this maelstrom, District Attorney Cecil King and homicide detective Lieutenant Florence Ott slipped out a side exit and headed back to their offices.

About the Book

Title: F Train

Author: Richard Hilary Weber

Genre: Thriller

In a fast-paced thriller perfect for readers of Kathy Reichs and Linda Fairstein, dedicated Brooklyn cop Flo Ott unravels the mystery of a terrifying mass murder–from the cold underbelly of New York to the city’s glittering heights.

Beneath Brooklyn’s wintry streets, seven people are dead, slumped in their seats on an F train. Fast thinking and good fortune prevent the subway car doors from opening, spilling poisonous gas into the station. It’s not long before a frightened metropolis of eight million demands answers: if this was an act of terror, where will these cruel killers strike next? NYPD detective Flo Ott looks closely at the victims. Each of their stories leads to another, one more colorful and complex than the last. A few of these quintessential New Yorkers catch Flo’s attention: a mysterious off-duty FBI agent; the beautiful woman next to him, who may have been his lover. Then there’s a Russian mobster with more than his fair share of enemies. As Flo battles false leads, conflicting witnesses, and meddling politicians, her investigation delves into the dark side of the city that never sleeps. Flo becomes convinced that this wasn’t a random act of violence, and she fears something much worse may be rumbling down the tracks.

Author Bio

Richard Hilary Weber, a native of Brooklyn and a Columbia University graduate, has taught at the universities of Stockholm and Copenhagen, and has been a scriptwriter for French and Swedish filmmakers. He lives in Provence, France.

Links

Penguin Random House: Penguin Random House

Amazon:  Amazon

Barnes and Noble: B&N

iBooks: iBooks

Google play: Google Play

Books a Million: Books a Million

Goodreads: Goodreads

Kobo: Kobo

Book Excerpt

A plastic tote bag on the floorboard contained two dozen garage-door remote controls Doc had collected in burglaries over the years. They’d spent the past few weeks driving up and down residential streets, pushing buttons on the remotes. Only so many frequencies in use for garage-door openers, so once in a while they’d get lucky and a door would glide open. They’d back the rusty white van up to the garage and load up anything of value. Be gone in minutes.

A good scam, but fences paid only pennies on the dollar and you could burn a lot of expensive gasoline before getting a hit. And the prowling was tedious, particularly for a man like Doc, a high-wire act surviving on a diet of fast food and amphetamines and Mountain Dew.

Dylan handed over a remote, an anonymous gray plastic box with two buttons on the top.

“This’ll do fine,” Doc said.

The blue station wagon drove away.

“This is crazy, Doc. Don’t screw around with this teller.”

“I’m about to show you how it’s done.”

“They take this shit seriously.”

“They should! I’m serious as a heart attack.”

“Come on.”

“I’m serious as cancer.”

“You’re gonna get us busted.”

“Shut up. I’ll do the talking.”

Late-afternoon sun glared through the windshield. Doc let the van creep forward, trying to get into the shade of a flat awning that jutted above the drive-through teller window.

Dylan pulled up the hood of his favorite sweatshirt, an oversized gray pullover that had “Dukes” scrolled across the front in black. The defunct Albuquerque Dukes minor-league baseball team had been named after the Spanish duke from whom Albuquerque gets its name. The Dukes were replaced years ago by the Isotopes, so now anything that said “Dukes” was considered retro and cool. Dylan still wasn’t sure what the hell an “Isotope” was supposed to be. He pulled the hood close around his face, trying to hide.

“They’ve got cameras everywhere, Doc. They’re taking our picture right now. They’re recording our license plate.”

“I don’t give a shit. This ain’t my van.”

That gave Dylan a brain stutter. “It’s not?”

“Hell, no. You think I’d pay good money for a piece of shit like this?”

“We’ve been driving around for weeks in a stolen van?”

“Stop distracting me.”

Doc rolled down his window, letting in a gust of cool October air scented with auto exhaust.

Dylan peeked out of his hood just enough to get a look at the teller. She was a plump brunette in her mid-forties—around the same age as Doc. Her black dress and lacy white collar made her look like a judge.

“Good afternoon, sir.” Her voice sounded tinny through the speaker set into the thick glass. “How may I help you today, sir?”

Dylan whispered, “Don’t. Please.”

If Doc heard, it had no effect on him. He held up the gray garage-door opener for the teller to see.

“This is a holdup!”

Dylan groaned.

“I’ve got a bomb,” Doc yelled. “Hand over the money or I’ll push this button and blow us all to kingdom come.”

The plump teller pursed her lips.

“Sir, that appears to me to be a garage-door opener.”

Doc twisted his scowl even tighter and shouted at the woman, “It’s a detonator! This van is loaded with explosives! I’ll level this entire goddamned block!”

“All right, sir. There’s no need to curse. If you say you have a bomb, I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“Goddamned right,” Doc growled. “You’ve got one minute to round up the cash and hand it over. Any longer than that, and we all die here.”

“Yes, sir. I understand the situation, sir. I’ll get right on it.”

As the teller turned away from the window, Dylan muttered, “She’s not buying it.”

“Shut up,” Doc said through clenched teeth. “It’s working.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I’ve got her buffaloed.”

“They’re calling the cops.”

“I said shut up.”

“This is crazy.”

Doc looked over at him, his eyes on fire, a muscle twitching in his cheek. He still had his bony finger poised over the button.

“Drive away,” Dylan whispered. “Right now. Before it’s too late.”

“Shut up, you little prick. You’re gonna ruin my play.”

“Sir?”

The teller was back at the window.

“Yeah?”

“The money bags won’t fit through this drawer. Those zippered deposit bags are as big as we can go. Unless you want me to haul it outside—”

“Use the zippered bags. Hurry up. You’re almost out of time.”

“Yes, sir.”

As she turned from the window, Dylan heard the quick whoop of a police siren. Maybe a mile away.

“Screw this.”

He unsnapped his seat belt and popped open the door.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Dylan didn’t answer. He was too busy running.

About the Book

Title: Duke City Desperado

Author: Max Austin

Genre: Thriller

For fans of Breaking Bad and the bestselling fiction of Don Winslow and George Pelecanos comes Max Austin’s latest fast-paced, rollicking “Lawbreakers Thriller” of criminals and lovers, malcontents and madmen–all within the treacherous city limits of Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Under a sky full of stars, Dylan James lies sleeping on the roof of a pueblo-style house. Everyone in Albuquerque seems to be looking for him. A murderous Mafia prince wants to kill him. Two FBI agents want to cuff him. A Goth girl wants to make love to him. And a fierce, sexy Chicana just wants to clean up the mess Dylan made. The trouble started with a drug-addled career criminal named Doc, and a bank robbery staged with a garage-door opener. And it all goes off the rails after a little misunderstanding with Dylan’s ex-girlfriend and her jealous, gun-toting new beau. When the sun comes up, this sleepy, scrawny desperado is going to show the world what he is made of–all for a one-in-a-million shot at walking out of Duke City alive.

Author Bio

Max Austin is the pseudonym of writer Steve Brewer. He lives in Duke City (Albuquerque), New Mexico.

• Blog: http://stevebrewer.blogspot.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/brewerrules
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7847087.Max_Austin

Links

Penguin Random House: Penguin Random House

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About the Book

Title: Song of a Dead Star

Author: Zamil Akhtar

Genre: Science-Fiction / Fantasy

When Kav sleeps, a firefly whispers in his ear that his wife is not dead. But to find her he has to kill the three Magi that protect the land of Eden.

The same Magi destroyed Kav’s hometown four years ago to crush a rebellion, and he hasn’t seen his wife since.

As Kav plots to kill the Magi, a flying armada bent on conquest and destruction invades Eden. Only the Magi and their ability to turn sunshine into magical energy can stop them.

Granted the same power by the firefly, Kav must either kill the Magi to reunite with his wife, or let go of his longing for the sake of Eden and its people.

Author Bio

Zamil Akhtar is an indie science fantasy author and blogger living a location-free lifestyle. He can be found in Boston, Dubai, or Manila depending on the time of year. Of Pakistani-heritage, he grew up in the Middle East and moved to Western Massachusetts when he was thirteen, and his varied upbringing colors his fiction. He has a BBA in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts and an MA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. His loves are videogames, science-fiction and fantasy novels, HBO dramas, and Southeast Asia.

Links

http://zamilakhtar.com

Twitter: @zamakhtar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zamil-Akhtar/166211690075437?ref=hl

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About the Book

Title: Obliteration

Author: Barry K. Nelson

Genre: Science-Fiction

The three reprogrammed Brelac Reploids forming the special team Silencers still faithfully serve the United Protectorate under the watchful monitoring of the Central Intelligence Division. Stationed on Maseklos Prime, Colin McKenzie, Diane Christy, and Kelly Lytton are called to a hostage scene and end up with clues that lead to the elusive Dr. Arthur Trevors. Although initially a traitor who worked undercover with the Brelac, Trevors was in large part responsible for the capture and reprogramming of Colin, Diane, and Kelly so they could serve their current function as weapons for the Protectorate. The war with the Brelac is not going well, and the Silencers are given an advanced warp-drive ship and sent beyond their home quadrant, Poseidon, to the last known coordinates of a missing ship. Their mission is to locate the missing ship, part of an original task force of five ships sent out to find other human colonies and enlist their help with the war against the Brelac. As soon as Colin and his team leave the quadrant, they run into trouble, and things go downhill from there. They find themselves in the midst of a war between local factions on a planet far from home and feel obliged to aid the human faction against a clearly superior force that seems to have help from a monster who leaves a wake of death and destruction wherever it goes. The more they find out, the weirder things get, and they end up stranded with no way home, much less any hope of completing their original mission to find the lost task force ship. This new enemy they face seems invincible, and they wonder if they’ll survive as everything and everyone around them is destroyed. Maybe this time not even their Reploid powers will save them. But what other hope does humanity have?

Author Bio

A Pennsylvania native, Barry K. Nelson has attended college and has worked at a variety of jobs, including retail and the corporate environment. Barry enjoys reading and gardening and is a fan of science fiction and horror movies, Marvel comic collecting, and the X-box 360.

Barry has written short stories, and his first book in the science fiction series, The McKenzie Files, is soon to be followed by a sequel, Assassination Anxiety.

Barry is a member of Ning and Goodreads, can be found on Facebook, and can also be reached through Penumbra Publishing.

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