Wednesday, 31 August 2016

Shadow Stalker Part 3 (Episodes 13 - 18) by Renee Scattergood

Renee Scattergood lives in Australia with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Taiya. She has always been a fan of fantasy and was inspired to become a story-teller by George Lucas, but didn't start considering writing down her stories until she reached her late twenties. Now she enjoys writing dark fantasy, and she’d dabbling with paranormal thrillers under a pen name.

She is currently publishing her monthly Shadow Stalker serial, and she has published a prequel novella to the series called, Demon Hunt. She is also working on a new series of novels, A God's Deception.

Aside from writing, she loves reading (fantasy, of course), watching movies with her family, and doing crafts and science experiments with her homeschooled daughter. Visit her site for more information and a free copy of Shadow Stalker Part 1 (Episodes 1 – 6)

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About the Book


Things go from bad to worse when the Galvadi Empire develops a new technology to use against the shadow stalkers. Now Kado and Makari are more determined than ever to keep Auren away from their enemies, but Auren decides enough is enough and takes matters into her own hands. She turns herself over to the Galvadi to get close to Drevin and Makari has no choice but to play along. He is forced to either torture Auren to prove his loyalty or die knowing she will be tortured and enslaved anyway. Somehow they have to get close enough to Drevin to bring him down and put an end to the Galvadi’s tyranny once and for all.

Pre-order it today!


If you haven't read the Shadow Stalker serial yet, get Part 1 (Episodes 1 - 6) free!


Keep reading for an excerpt:


Cali gave me a nudge as she took a seat next to me. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"No idea," I said, moving over a few inches so she had space to sit between me and Shai on the log someone had converted into a bench.

Shai slung an arm around her cousin and Cali returned the gesture, then wrapped her free arm around me. I smiled at her. Cali was the only one who had helped me maintain my sanity over the years. It drove me crazy never knowing what was happening to Makari. Kado kept me busy, as usual, but any time I had a free moment, all I could do was wonder if he was safe. I would know if he died. I would sense him again in the shadow world. He had been blocking me to keep me safe, though I had no idea how it was supposed to help. All it did was make me want to go to him, which would be more dangerous.

Of course, Kado would never allow that. He saw my thoughts as I had them most of the time, and he would know as soon as I made the decision. I learned quickly not to allow my thoughts to go down that path too often. That's where Cali came in. She distracted me by helping me forget the war and making me feel like a normal person once in a while. She was as good a friend as Jade, except she didn't encourage me to disobey Kado when I was angry.

"Maybe the Galvadi have decided to give up," Shai said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Cali snorted.

"I know. It's wishful thinking."

I smiled at Shai. "I want this to be over too."

"You'll figure it out soon." Cali gave my shoulder a squeeze.

All the shadow warriors knew the end of the war would not come until I stopped Drevin. The only problem was I had no idea what I was supposed to do, and no amount of training helped. Each day it seemed like I was further from my goal instead of closer.

After everyone had taken their seats, Kado held up a hand calling us all to silence. "Makari has just given me some disheartening news. The Galvadi have developed a—"

I tried to listen, but I couldn't get past the fact that Makari had been here. "He didn't even bother to see me?"

Kado glared at me, and I suddenly realized I'd blurted it aloud.

"Makari has to keep a low profile for his own safety, and they were not aware he had left. He couldn't stay away long."

"I think it's time he left the Galvadi all together," I said, folding my arms over my chest.

"It would be the healthier option," Cali added on my behalf.

"Makari's work has been invaluable to us, and would not be possible if he weren't living among them for the time being," Kado said, then leaned in my direction looking straight into my eyes. "And he knows what he is doing."

Kado watched me, and I was sure he was waiting to see if I would continue to interrupt him. I remained silent, but neither he nor Makari would be able to convince me the man I loved wasn't taking an unnecessary risk. They could get whatever information they needed from their missions.

When he was sure I wouldn't interrupt again he finished explaining that the Galvadi had developed a new recinder and how it worked. "You will need to avoid capture at all costs. Once these recinders are placed on you, there is no known way to nullify its effects even after removal. Auren, I want you to visit Makari's unit to steal the schematics, and if possible, one of the recinders along with any other information you can find about new technologies. Makari suspects there is more, but they are keeping him in the dark."

I stood quickly, smacking my hands together. "When do I leave?"

"Wait a moment. I have other things I need to discuss with you first."

I sat again, hoping I wasn't in for one of his long lectures.

"The rest of you are dismissed. Sephir, you and Shai are clear to leave on that special mission you've been training for as soon as you're ready, but please be careful."

"We will," Sephir said, bowing.

I leaned over Cali to give Shai a quick hug. Cali wrapped her arms around both of us. Shai stood as soon as we released her, and Sephir, who had been standing next to her, wrapped an arm around her as they headed off.

"Good luck," Cali said, winking at me before following Sephir and her cousin.

Kado sat next to me. "Auren, you have been the most adept at overcoming the effects of the beryllonium. That's why I'm sending you on this mission, but you need to be extra careful this time. Makari believes even you wouldn't stand a chance with this new recinder. If they are looking for test subjects, they may also have new ways of detaining shadow stalkers that Makari might not be aware of. If you are discovered, do not take any risks. Makari will not be able to help you. You will need to leave immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, Kado. I'll be fine." I only just managed to stop my eyes from rolling.

"I'm serious, Auren. We can always return at a later time, but if you are captured, you may be lost to us for good this time."

The fear in Kado's eyes sobered me. Things came easily to me now that I had completed my training, and though I had discovered abilities not even Kado had known about, I wasn't foolish enough to believe I was all powerful. Sometimes my foster father seemed to worry more than he should, but I was beginning to think that wasn't the case here.

"I'll be careful, Kado. I promise." It wouldn't hurt to pay Makari a little visit too if he was alone.

Kado gripped my arm and tilted my head with his free hand so I was looking directly at him. "Under no circumstances are you to seek out Makari. If you attempt something so foolish, Auren, you will be punished and banned from future missions."

My shoulders sagged. "It was an errant thought, Kado. I will focus on my mission."

"The mission and nothing else, Auren. This is important."

I nodded and averted my eyes. I just missed him. That's all it was.

"I know you miss him, Auren, and that it's been hard for you both to be apart, but it won't be forever. You and Makari will have your time in this world if the shadow people will it, but not if you risk both your lives on foolishness."

"I know. I'm sorry." Makari was being the more foolish of us both, and yet Kado supported him. It didn't make sense, but whenever I brought the subject up with either of them, they redirected the conversation.

Kado pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, "Come back to me in one piece, please."

I returned his embrace. "I will."

Saturday, 27 August 2016

Locksmith's Journeys by Paul Briggs

Paul Briggs learned to read and write when he was two, about the same time he learned to talk. He then spent the next twenty years learning that most people don't talk the same way they write.

He lives in Maryland, has a master's degree in journalism, worked for a daily paper for 12 years and is also an editor, proofreader and ghostwriter. He is the author of several short plays, including the award-winning "The Worst Super Power Ever" and "The Picture of Health."

In his spare time he is a stage actor.


Connect with Paul on Goodreads!


About the Book


In the second book of the Locksmith Trilogy, 12-year-old Lachlan Smith and his family and friends travel back and forth between the present and the future in hopes of preventing the extinction of the human race. It becomes increasingly clear that they will need help if they're to succeed — but who do they turn to for help? And how can they do this while keeping the time portal a secret?


Get it today on Amazon!


Keep reading for an excerpt:


“I know this is going to sound like a dumb question,” said Tara, “but… if we were actually going to solve this mystery and save the world… why can’t we just look in the future and see how we did it?”

“Nothing wrong with the question,” said Gary, “but the answer is, it doesn’t work like that.”

“Why not?”

“Yeah, why not?” said Brandon.

Gary looked a little embarrassed. “I haven’t had much luck explaining this stuff to people,” he said. “I’m not sure if I can help you understand.”

“Can I make a suggestion?” said Lock.

“Sure.”

“This time, try leaving the cat out of it. It doesn’t help.”

“Okay. Give me just a minute. Let me think.”

They waited. After a long moment, Gary spoke again.

“If you think about it,” he said, “we see into the future all the time. When you walk down the street, or ride your bike, you look ahead, and you’re seeing where you’re going to be a few seconds from now.”

“Yeah,” said Tara, “but that’s not really seeing forward in time, that’s just… seeing forward.”

“Time and space are all part of the same thing,” said Gary. “Like, the event horizon of a black hole is where time and space rotate into each other. That’s why nothing can get out — once you’re in, the past becomes up and the future becomes down.”

“I thought it was because there was… too much gravity down there or something,” said Lock.

“That’s another way of saying the same thing,” said Gary. “Wait… is any of this making sense?”

The rest of them shook their heads.

“Okay,” said Gary. “My point is… suppose you’re riding your bike and you see a pothole in the street up ahead, right where you’re about to go. You don’t just go ahead and hit it, right?”

“No,” said Tara. “If you see it in time, you go around it.”

“Right. And when you move, it’s not in front of you any more. You’re not going to hit it. It hasn’t disappeared — it’s still real — but your worldline doesn’t intersect with it anywhere. And if you were never going to go down that stretch of road again…”

“Yeah, but if you’re on a bike, you can stop or turn around,” said Tara. “You can’t stop going forward in time.”

“But you can still steer,” said Gary. “We do it all the time — we just don’t realize we’re doing it. Philosophers call it ‘free will’ only they’re not sure if it exists or not. But what Lock and I found out is, you can change the future. But you can’t go to the future and see the changes you make until after the point where you’ve already made them in the present. Does that make sense?”

There was a long pause.

“So… the end of the world is… like… a really big pothole?” said Brandon.

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Shadow Stalker Part 1 (Episodes 1 - 6) by Renee Scattergood

Renee Scattergood lives in Australia with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Taiya. She has always been a fan of fantasy and was inspired to become a story-teller by George Lucas, but didn't start considering writing down her stories until she reached her late twenties. Now she enjoys writing dark fantasy, and she’d dabbling with paranormal thrillers under a pen name.

She is currently publishing her monthly Shadow Stalker serial, and she has published a prequel novella to the series called, Demon Hunt. She is also working on a new series of novels, A God's Deception.

Aside from writing, she loves reading (fantasy, of course), watching movies with her family, and doing crafts and science experiments with her homeschooled daughter. Visit her site for more information.

Connect with the Author



About the Book


Auren learns she is destined to enslave the people of her world, and Drevin, emperor of the Galvadi Empire is determined to end her life before it happens. Her foster father, Kado, has sworn to protect her and trains her as a shadow stalker. But her training is cut short, when their people are overrun by the Galvadi Empire. Now she has to find a way to help her people without succumbing to the prophecy.

The Hidden Truth (Episode 1)


A young shadow stalker is destined to enslave the people of the Serpent Isles, and the Galvadi Empire want this child of prophecy dead. Auren Trasks perfectly normal life is disrupted when the Galvadi invade, and she learns a startling secret about her past. A secret that will change her life forever.


The Delohi-Saqu's Fate (Episode 2)


Auren is being targeted by the Council of Elders, and the only one who could put an end to their corruption is her father. But leaving the Dark Isle would turn Kado against her.

Shadows' Betrayal (Episode 3)


After seeing the monster she will become, Auren swears not to leave the Dark Isle. Despite that, the elders are conspiring against her. To escape their scheming, she and Kado decide to explore the Dark Isle. But worse things await them in the forests.


Forbidden Love (Episode 4)


Kado and Auren survive a deadly storm, but when Auren is forbidden from pursuing love with another young shadow stalker, will it be enough to drive a wedge between her and her foster father?

Destiny Reconciled Part 1 (Episode 5)


Auren and Kado accept that they may not be able to avoid her leaving the Dark Isle. Now they have to prepare for that eventuality. Will the training be more than Auren can handle?


Destiny Reconciled Part 2 (Episode 6)


Cathnor has been arrested and is facing a death sentence. The Dark Isle is out of control, and Kado is the only one who can help his people. So he prepares Auren for the possibility that she may have to leave the Dark Isle without him and face her destiny alone, but can she leave him and do what must be done?

Get it FREE Today!


Shadow Stalker Part 2 (Episodes 7 - 12) is also free to my newsletter subscribers!


Be on the lookout for Shadow Stalker Part 3 (Episodes 13 -18), which will be available for pre-order starting the 31st of August! Get it half price for a limited time!


Keep reading for an excerpt:


"Eyes forward," Dosien said, at the same time Obeir placed his hand on my head and gave it a twist. "As the elder of this village, I will be presiding over your hearing. Etan, you are aware of the rules, but I'll need to explain them to Auren before we continue."

"You didn't know?" Etan asked, his voice cracking.

"Know what?" A hearing? This made no sense. I had broken no laws.

"You will not speak unless spoken to," my uncle told us. "Now, Auren. This is all new for you, so you won't be punished, but I need to make you aware of the rules regarding mating."

Heat rushed to my face, and I was glad for the dim lighting in the room. Mating? We had done nothing wrong. We touched lips. It wasn't even a kiss. Well, it might have been if we hadn't been disturbed, but still.

My uncle continued. "We shadow stalkers do not choose our mates. They are chosen for us."

"By who?" I asked, my voice raised and my fists clenched. I wasn't a child. No one was going to tell me who I could and couldn't have a relationship with.

"Do not interrupt again, Auren," Dosien warned. "I understand you know little about our people and where we come from. We expect you to make mistakes, but you must learn our ways and respect them. The shadow people created the shadow stalkers for a specific purpose. Only the Foramar knows what that purpose is. He is sworn to keep the shadow stalkers on the right path. Since he is not with us for the moment, that responsibility falls to the elders."

He paused and gazed at me as if checking to see I was paying attention. "As part of ensuring things go as they need it to, the shadow people choose our mates when our training has been completed. There is a reason for everything they do even if we don't understand it or agree with it. Some shadow stalkers are not given mates, Auren, and if this happens with you, you will be expected to accept it and not attempt to mate. You must also refrain from being with someone before a mate has been chosen for you. Do you understand this?"

"No, I don't." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. All these years I spent believing Kado stifled my social life because he was being overprotective. Now I wondered how much of it had to do with rules set by the shadow people. What if my difficulty in making friends had more to do with his interference rather than my differences?

My foster father scowled, but relaxed when my uncle gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"What don't you understand?" Dosien asked.

Everything, I thought. "Why it matters? All we did was kiss, and we didn't even manage that much, really."

My uncle nodded. "Kissing isn't a problem on its own, but it leads to deeper feelings. It's clear you and Etan have a connection."

"So? Kado and I have a connection. Why is it such a bad thing?" My voice raised in pitch.

My foster father gave me a warning look, though he still didn't speak.

"The bond you share with Kado is different. What you share with Etan will elicit strong romantic feelings. It's best if you don't see each other again."

I took a deep breath and bit my lip to keep from screeching. "What? We can't even be friends?"

Sunday, 21 August 2016

Preparing to Write Settings That Feel Like Characters by J Lenni Dorner

J weaves fantasy with lore to unhinge your mind. Speculative Fiction, especially fantasy, is the focus of this author's quill. 

  • A Write Club 2014 and 2016 chosen competitor. 
  • Creative Writing Institute published one of J Lenni Dorner's short stories in December 2014 in WRONG!: A themed anthology 2014 (available on Amazon). 
  • Winner of the Write Edit Publish Now flash fiction "Youthful Frights versus Adult Fears" Halloween challenge 2015. 
  • Signum University's Mythgard Institute's autumn 2015 "Almost an Inkling" Popular Vote Winner in week 6. 
  • Operation Awesome Flash Fiction Contest 12 win in April 2016 went to J Lenni Dorner. 

When not writing or reading, J enjoys pinning dragon pictures and watching funny cat videos.

The best advice J has heard: "Even if you make a mistake, it's better than making no attempt at all."

Connect with the Author



About the Book


This reference guide is a tool to help you organize your thoughts and ideas to obtain the goal of making a setting that feels like a character.

This valuable reference guide is useful in revealing a simplified way to create settings that feel like characters by using an organized sketch sheet. This practical approach will help focus your writing. The challenge of making a setting into a character is easily conquered with this informative guide. Make your story more interesting in today's competitive fiction market by giving your writing this edge.

Get it today on Amazon and Smashwords!


Keep reading for an excerpt:


If your setting is not on Earth, it becomes illogical to use Earth time measurements. In our own solar system, if one character is from Earth, and is 30 years old, and another character was born at the exact same moment, but on Saturn, the second character would only be 1 year old. This gets worse on planets that spin slowly. For example, if another character was also born at the same moment, but on Mercury, they could be 125 years old, but only 185 days old! Or suppose the setting is a generational space ship, and the characters have never been near Earth or our Sun.

For ancient historical fiction, be sure to research how time was measured during your setting. There were places that once used phases of the moon, rather than trips around the sun, to determine the date.

Minor details like this will make your setting more realistic for readers.