Asleep Now! My Baby Sleep Recipes: Gentle Sleep Solutions, Baby Sleep Aids, Book for Parents by Jessica Ram

 Free for Kindle July 28!

 

'Princess Wanted (An Alpha Billionaire Prince 3-in-1 Series)' by Autumn Star

Blurb:

The Complete Trilogy In One Book! The Best Selling Trilogy about three brothers that are modern day Princes and the women they love and put crowns on!

Have you ever hoped to find true love? Come along as each of our amazing heroines meets up with the man of her dreams.

Finally all three stories available in one book!

Book one – Love Miracles -The Elephant Sanctuary 

Prince Luke has no direction. Eldest to the throne much is expected of him, yet he’s not ready to be put in a royal mold. Emma is an American woman who cares about the world and wild life. She travels to Thailand to help save mistreated elephants and ends up finding a partner in a lofty young do gooder named Luke. She never suspects that he is truly the son of a real modern day king and heir to a throne. Luke, afraid of losing her, keeps the truth from her. There seems to be no way to solve the split that occurs in their worlds. But sometimes, when love is involved, miracles really do happen. 

Book two –Unbridled - The Race Track Winner 

Billionaire Prince Christof sets out to buy a winning racehorse and gamble his money into even more of a fortune. A player with no direction and a lost soul, Prince Christof is no match for the down to earth cowgirl from Texas, Jody, who loves her horses more than he loves money…. 

Book three – Princess Wanted – The Royal Ball 

Prince Will is the good son. The middle, sweet and loving family son. He is also honor bond to help his small kingdom. The small country has been hurt financially by the price of oil rising and it’s hurting the everyday person. Prince Will agrees to help at all costs, and ultimately to a royal single ball that will end in a marriage of convenience that will be for the benefit of his country. When Samantha attacks him his world turns upside down.

Available on Amazon

'Leap of Faith (The Faith Series)' by Emma Carolan

Blurb:

Katriona lost her Mum in a car crash at the tender age of four leaving her in the care of her possessive father, Nick. That horrific day and the tragic events to come changed her life forever.

This young woman has suffered a lifetime of pain, yet never shed one tear. Hiding her sorrow became second nature, leaving her a shell of a woman, until she met Jason. Never wanting or needing love, Katriona finds herself at crossroad with the young and handsome green eyed stranger, who from the moment they met was determined to tear down the walls encasing her damaged heart.

Will she ruin this perfect man?
Will he run when he gets to know the woman with no soul?
She'll only know if she takes a...
Leap of Faith

Available on Amazon

US / UK

About the Author

Emma Carolan is a bright and talented new comer residing in Dundalk, Ireland. She enjoys digital photography, and is very passionate about writing. The joy of creating something from nothing, is all Emma asks from life. This creative young woman is one to watch.

'Broken Sky' by Saurav Dutt

Blurb:

Under the glassy, dark pallor of a Manhattan sky, deep within the fall, Madison Avenue is teeming with people. Commuters and shoppers scurry past like frenzied ants, paying no attention to a woman who has been sitting there loitering for months on end. They pass her by paying no attention to the vacant stare and sullen expression wrapped around her worn features. She has no name. She is homeless, wandering the streets and denying any memory of the past and any hope for the future.

Though she finds no hope amongst the throng of uncaring faces around her, she is sat there for a very careful and deliberate purpose. One that will bring her closer to the daughter she left behind years ago and which at the same time will place both of their lives in mortal danger.

***Check out an excerpt on Wattpad***

Available on Amazon

~~Currently rated 4.4 out of 5 *s!~~

'Story of the Ghost' by Charles Mahoney

Book blurb:

All Gavin knows is that he’s in a new place. He doesn’t know why and he barely knows where. On the first day of the year, his sixteenth birthday, he had to leave everything behind because his mother had said that was what they needed to do. His life in the Sonoran Desert went from a three bedroom house in Sierra Vista to a lonely trailer in a remote campground forty miles to the north. A trailer he lives in by himself for six days out of the week.

To beat his anger and frustration he runs the desert dirt and lonely strips of highway. He runs and runs and runs until his feet burn. And he doesn’t stop running until something stabs at his foot.

Will he run after something tangible for once? Will he tackle his dream? A dream that is as wild as his youthful imagination allows for. He needs to meet with someone that can help. And with the way things are turning out, Gavin is on a collision course. His mother changed overnight. The people around him and scenery changed. And for Gavin, everything is about to get turned on its head. His journey is about to begin.


SOTG is the debut novel for author Charles L. Mahoney. It is a hero’s journey. A story of fate, unconventional in many ways. Like his hero, he has something to say without speaking a word.

Available on Amazon

SOTG is my debut novel and I am happy to be a part of the growing author/reader community here on Amazon.

The story is a hero's journey. Given my experience at the University of Arizona (1997) and playing football there, I wanted to integrate my knowledge of football into my work. I believe writing about what you know is a great start to crafting an original story.

I also wrote about change, fathers and sons, the hero/sage relationship and fate.

SOTG is something that I was very inspired to write! I look for inspiration in writing because it takes so long and requires such focus that it has to be worth the effort. Writing is hard, but I love it.

Follow Charles

Website \ Goodreads \ Amazon

Get the first two Everville books for free 1/23-2/1 & 'The Rise of Mallory' for only $0.99!

'The Rise of Mallory,' third installment in Roy Huff's bestselling epic fantasy series, Everville, is now available! For a limited time, you can get this book for a promotional price of $0.99! The first two books will also be available for free downloads during this promotional period.

Blurb for Book 3:

As the epic journey continues, a victorious Owen Sage stands undefeated against his enemies. His last battle in Everville gave rise to a new insidious evil, Mallory; whose determination to defeat him opens an unexplored Pandora’s box. Owen's search for truth will unveil the mystery and surprising insights surrounding himself and his friends at Easton Falls University. New creatures will be uncovered and the true value of friendship will be tested, as Owen embarks on yet another battle in Everville.

Available on Amazon

Promo price of $0.99 for a limited time!

Blurb for Book 1:

Critics are raving about Roy Huff's Everville series. "5 Stars!" "Creative and Original" “Potentially one of the greatest YA sagas of recent decades."

Owen Sage is the emblematic college freshman at Easton Falls University. With all the worries about his first year in college, he was not prepared for what would happen next. His way of life was flipped upside down when he mysteriously crossed into another dimension, into the beautiful land of Everville. His excitement was abruptly halted when he discovered that there was a darkness forged against both the natural world, which he knew well, and the new land which he discovered, Everville. He must devise a plan to save both worlds while joining forces with the race of Fron and The Keepers, whom both harbor hidden secrets he must learn in order to gain power over the evil that dwells in The Other In Between.

With a race against time to save both worlds, his short time at Easton Falls did not quite prepare him for the evil, dark forces he must fight in order to conquer The Other In Between.

Rave reviews:

"Everville by Roy Huff is a powerhouse read!" 

"Mr. Huff's true talent lies in his creativity...He has created not so much a magic system as a new way a viewing the operations of the universe." 

"An Unexpected Hero" "A fantasy carousel!" 

"A world of imagination with original work. Loved every minute of it from beginning to end. A must have for any fantasy reader from young to old." 

"Exciting Read!" "Spectacular!!" "Magical Adventure About Another World" "Absolutely Spellbound!!" 

"Roy Huff has created and crafted a spellbinding tale, with well written characters that engage your mind; and have you turning the pages and keep you enthralled to the end of this story and leave you wanting more." 

"Brilliant story telling, a must read" 

"Huff is extremely creative while giving the theme of good and evil a fresh new look." 

"A NEW TASTE OF FANTASY" 

"I can't really find one word for it! To my mind, I find it as an amazing combination of the bravery from Lord of The Rings, the friendship from Harry Potter, the struggle from The Hunger Games (I haven't read the books yet but I am familiar with it) and it also gave me the nice feeling like the one you get after reading Artemis Fowl! It is a really wonderful combination of all the elements that there should be in a book of this kind. Do not imagine it as a copy of the books I have mentioned before because it is not! Huff brings us a new world, Everville, a fascinating place that we can picture while he reveals it's hidden magic."

Available on Amazon

Get it for FREE 1/28-2/1

Blurb for Book 2:

College freshman Owen Sage has just started to understand the darkness trying to overtake Everville and the earthly realm. With the help of The Keeper and the Fron army, Owen has managed to buy some time, but new problems have already emerged, new secrets need to be revealed, and the race against time to stop Them from conquering both dimensions has only just begun. The Keeper, Owen Sage, and his friends at Easton Falls University must now battle threats from within. To do it, they must reunite with familiar creatures and join forces with new ones as they navigate their journey to the truth that awaits them in Everville.

Rave reviews!

Critics are calling the second book in the Everville series "BRILLIANT!" "A MUST READ!" 

"A solid well crafted tale" full of "ACTION & EXCITEMENT!" 

"Classic battle of good vs. evil and unexpected twists." 

"5 Stars!" "EXCEPTIONAL!" "A creatively, smart written fantasy novel." 

"Everville:The City of Worms is an exciting adventure" 

"Wow! Great Fantasy Series!" 

The uniqueness and originality of this Everville fantasy series is the real key here in how a solid, well crafted tale grabs at your mind and thus is remembered as being exceptional with each installment/volume released. 

"Another Winner worthy of 5 Stars." 

"Intrigue and suspense also make an appearance in this magically crafted world. Huff's vividly visual descriptions draw you in and his intriguing storyline keep you there. He definitely takes the fantasy genre and gives it an exciting twist."

Available on Amazon

Available for FREE 1/23-1/27

'ConQuest: Danger Redefined (The Quest Saga)' by Dhayaa Anbajagane

Blurb :

Q didn't exactly have an exciting life. A small description would be able to tell you that. What it wouldn't be able to tell you is how all of that changed. In a flash, Q's world is tossed about as his perception of 'fear', 'anxiety' and 'danger' are pushed to completely new limits. Join him in his journey through space (and obviously time) as he meets new allies and enemies, forges new relationships, explores infinity and beyond, and most importantly, discovers the hidden power inside him.

But he isn't the only one with secrets. One of his friends holds a deadly secret.

A secret that could make him or break him.

And the Odds are not good.

Omnibus Edition Available on Amazon

About the author:

My name is Dhayaa Anbajagane (Pronouncing it is not as easy as it seems).

Though branded a Science Fiction author, my books constantly touch Mysteries and Thrillers and of course the occasional Romance and Drama that a teen craves for.

I'm an excellent allround athlete, known to enjoy a frequent game of Basketball, Football or Tennis. 

I'm also very passionate about physics. An die hard fan of Richard Feynman, I believe that life is meant to have fun.

"What do you want to do in life?" Is a question I'm frequently asked.

"Just have fun" I say with a smile.

I pride myself with the fact that once I set a goal I put my heart and soul into it and consequently, never ever go past a deadline (Something authors tend to do a lot).

I believe that anything and everything happens for a reason. I'm an atheist as well. An unique one at that. I don't believe in God as a mystical force but I do think there is some superior force in the universe.

My first thoughts on writing a book started when I finished reading a book with a cliffhanger. I was so determined to know the rest of the story that I started making up endings on my own.

That's when I realised "Hey! I can write books too!"

Connect with Dhayaa Anbajagane

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+

'Writing Habit Mastery' by S.J. Scott $0.99 Countdown Special 1/13-1/19

LEARN:: How to Forever Eliminate Writer's Block and Write THOUSANDS of Words a Day

Do you struggle to write every day? Many people dream of becoming a successful author, but can't *find* the time to write. The truth is this: Great writers don't have more time than you do. They make time to write. Not only do they make time, they also follow specific routines that help them avoid writer's block altogether.

By developing the "writing habit" you'll have the confidence to sit down in front of a computer every day, knowing the words will come.

YOUR GOAL:: Write 2,000 Words a Day -- Every Day!

One of the key factors to effectively developing ANY habit is choosing a specific, measurable goal. So if you want to become a prolific writer, then you'll need to choose a specific word count for each day. While I *suggest* 2,000 words as a goal, you can pick any number that fits in with your busy schedule. You might choose 500 or 1,000 words a day. Or, you might have more time than I do (or write faster than I do) and choose to write 3,000 or 10,000 words each day. The important thing is to establish a daily word count goal and then stick to it.

In "Writing Habit Mastery" you'll learn how to incorporate writing into your daily routine. What you'll get is a strategy and list of tools that will help you develop a sustainable writing habit and demolish writer's block.

DOWNLOAD:: Writing Habit Mastery - How to Write 2,000 Words a Day and Forever Cure Writer's Block

"Writing Habit Mastery" contains a step-by-step blueprint of habits and routines you can use to develop this routine.

Inside this guide you'll learn how to:

• Establish the PERFECT writing routine and environment
• Find the time to write--even if you have a full-time job
• Minimize distractions and interruptions
• Crank out PUBLISHED works on a consistent basis
• Create an energized state where you're ready to write
• Make money from your completed books or screenplays
• Follow a simple seven-step process that prevents writer's block

You can write thousands of words every day. All you need is a strategy to develop this habit.

Available on Amazon

S.J. Scott believes that the way to improve yourself is to set achievable goals and develop daily habits that move you towards these outcomes. That's why he publishes actionable books that help you immediately develop positive habits.

'The True Story of Kill or Be Killed in the Real Old West: The Recollections and Personal Photos of Gunfighter and Lawman Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton'

True Story Of Kill Or Be Killed In The Real Old West 

 If you've ever wondered what it was like to strap on a six-gun in the real Old West and have a face-off-in-the-street gunfight where only the fastest gunslinger walks away - - then this recently discovered memoir by one of the Old West's most feared (but virtually unknown today) gunfighter's and lawmen puts you behind a pair of Colt .45 six-guns and immerses you in what it was like to live and die in the real Wild West. But, you won’t find this fascinating story in any of today's western history encyclopedias or glorified in the movies or on TV. But, you will find it at: 

OldWestLawmansForgottenMemoir.com

Also available on Amazon

Currently rated 4.4 out of 5 *s!

"The book is great. I have read other so called real west books and a few magazines, but this one tops all the others."

- Franklin Foster
Warwick ,R.I.

To read the true story of how a series of bizaare (almost deadly) events led to the discovery of this long forgotten memoir hidden away in an old stagecoach trunk in an abandoned barn go this website: 

www.OldWestLawmansForgottenMemoir.com.

At the end of this amazing story there's a link back to this page so you can lasso your own personal copy of this one-of-a-kind memoir.

'Life in a Half Second: How to achieve success before it's too late' by Matthew Michaelwicz

Blurb:

What if there was a proven path to success? A path supported by science and research? A path that led to your goals and aspirations in less time, with less risk?

Would you take it?

Truthful and hard hitting, Life in Half a Second is the first "fact-based" formula for achieving success in life and business. Proven through thousands of studies and decades of research, it presents the five doors you must walk through to achieve success in your career, business, or personal life.

Gimmicks, mind tricks, fairy tales, and wishful thinking NOT INCLUDED. Just facts.

Read an excerpt:

Fear is a tranquillizer, a sedative; it prevents action and holds us back from living a full life. Fear is the reason that we don’t takeaction, the reason we don’t pursue dreams, start a business, change jobs, change countries, get married, get divorced, go back to school, and more. When fear is present, the safest thing to do is stand still, do nothing, live in suspended animation.

**Read the first chapter here.**

Available on Amazon

Matthew is an international expert in entrepreneurship, innovation, and success psychology. He has established boards that include former heads of state, Nobel Peace Prize winners, and Fortune 500 CEOs, and has a track record of starting businesses from scratch and selling them for tens of millions of dollars.

From 2005 – 2012, Matthew was the co-founder and CEO of SolveIT Software, a supply chain optimisation business he grew from zero to almost 180 employees and $20 million in revenue before selling the business to Schneider Electric. Under his leadership, SolveIT Software became the 3rd fasting-growing company in Australia in 2012, as ranked by Deloitte. The company won numerous awards, and counted among its customers some of the largest corporations in the world, including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, and Xstrata.

From 1999 - 2003, Matthew was the co-founder and CEO of NuTech Solutions in the USA, where he raised more than US$15 million in venture capital and grew the business to almost 200 employees in six international offices. Matthew established an “A-list” board of directors, which included former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Lech Walesa, former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, Zbigniew Brzezinski, former Bank of America Chairman and CEO, Hugh McColl Jr., and world-renowned fraud expert and subject of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster “Catch Me if You Can,” Frank Abagnale. NuTech Solutions was acquired by Netezza Corporation, which was subsequently acquired by IBM Global Services.

From 1994 – 1999, Matthew was the founder and operator of Fitness Forever, a personal training business, and later, the co-founder of CFG Investments, a money management and financial planning company with more than $150 million under management.

Matthew’s business achievements have been featured in numerous television shows and publications, including Time Magazine, Newsweek, and Forbes. He was named the Pearcey Foundation “Entrepreneur of the Year”, Business Journal “40 under 40” list of accomplished business leaders, University of North Carolina “Alumnus of the Year”, and Ernst and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist.

Matthew is the author of several books, including “Life in Half a Second” (Oct 2013), “Winning Credibility”, “Puzzle-Based Learning”, and “Adaptive Business Intelligence”. He is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Adelaide where he lectures on the subject of technology commercialisation, and an investor and Limited Partner in Blackbird Ventures, an Australian early-stage venture capital fund.

www.Michalewicz.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/lifeinhalfasecond

'Believe' by Shelly Hickman

Blurb:

Believe. A message that still taunts her years after the passing of her daughter. In the days of her daughter's illness, she considered herself a seeker, open to the possibilities of prayer and faith. Now cynical and guarded, she is forced to reexamine her beliefs and relive her past when an old love resurfaces, with a sick child of his own. Believe is a story that examines fractures to our foundations in the face of tragedy. It is a story that asks if prayers are always answered, but often in ways we do not see.

NOTE: Despite the spiritual tone of this work, please be aware it contains strong language.

Read an excerpt:

Silent you left
With no goodbye
Don’t understand
Won’t even try
I cannot move
I cannot breathe
I cannot find
The will to grieve
A void of light
Is what you leave
I now know not
What I believe

Six years later, the words to that song still made her think of the morning she woke to find Sarah lying next to her, her spirit gone. She turned down the radio and remembered how determined she was to save the world at that time. It was simply unacceptable that children die, that parents sit by and helplessly watch their child suffer, and she was going to travel the world until she learned the secret to healing.

What a joke. Now her big contribution was taking her miniature Yorkie to the cancer clinic as pet therapy. Woo, hoo! You're really making a difference, Rachel.

It now seemed strange that she ever felt that connected to whatever it is out there, so watched over. It made her question if we're only allowed to feel that way during crisis, simply as a blind impulse. Or maybe it was all in her mind. Now all that remained was a somewhat detached confusion with occasional spurts of understanding—that is, until they fell away again. She sometimes felt guilty that she no longer made the effort to cultivate that relationship, that understanding.

She recalled the day in the coffee house with Cooper. How ridiculous the need for closure, even under the most ill-timed circumstances. What an idiot. The memory prompted her to reflect upon some of her other bizarre behavior in the days immediately following Sarah’s death. After the people came to collect Sarah the morning it happened, Rachel went apartment hunting. Not seeking comfort in friends and family, but apartment hunting. A pleasant elderly lady drove her around on one of those little golf carts, showing her the grounds of one of the complexes she visited. “You’ll find that we have a very nice workout facility, clubhouse, and over here is one of our two swimming pools.”

Rachel nodded politely as she surveyed the women in their bikinis lounging by the pool. How can they just lie there like that, worrying about their stupid ass tans? I hate them! She continued to pretend like everything was perfectly normal as she journeyed on this little cart, when what she really wanted to do was scream to everyone within a five-mile radius, “I died this morning!”

A few days later, she found herself eating lunch alone at Sweet Tomatoes. It hadn’t even occurred to her, until she sat down with her food, that it was Mother’s Day. The place was busting at the seams with husbands, wives, children, grandparents. Everyone so happy, enjoying a family meal, again, as if nothing existed in this world that was evil or tragic. They never noticed the unaffected android mechanically spooning food into her mouth, failing to taste a thing.

Book buy links

Bio:

Living in Las Vegas since she was two, Shelly Hickman has witnessed many changes in the city over the years. She graduated from UNLV with a Bachelor of Art in 1990, and in her early twenties worked as an illustrator for a contractor for the Nevada Test Site. In the mid-90s, she returned to school to earn her Masters degree in Elementary Education. She now teaches computer applications and multimedia at a middle school in Las Vegas. She loves to write about people, examining their flaws, their humor, spirituality, and personal growth. Shelly lives with her husband, two children, and their dog, Frankie.

Links:

Website \ Facebook \ Twitter

'She Likes It Rough' by GVR Corcillo

Blurb:

Can daring adventures with an outdoor extremist give a daydreaming pushover the courage she needs in order to make her life count for something?

After that humiliating freak fast-food accident, discombobulated scaredy-cat Lisa Flyte finally gets fed up with letting life walk all over her. Time to get a backbone and really start living life! But how is a shrinking violet like Lisa supposed to get tough all of a sudden after a lifetime of watching from the couch?

Jack Hawkins, that's how. When Lisa finds out that the adrenaline junkie from her MBA classes needs a clueless urbanite to test his top-secret line of beginner adventure gear, she gets the most daring idea of her life: she will be his undercover test dummy if he helps her to become brave on their adventures in the wild.

They strike a deal. But can Lisa use her outdoor moxie in the real world? Will she be bold enough to pursue a career she really wants or stand up to her bullying family?

And will she get gutsy enough to go after Jack? He's a man who's not afraid of anything...except maybe of falling for Lisa.

Add to Goodreads

Find out more about the book, and author GVR Corcillo, by reading this interview.

Buy it on Amazon

About the author:

GVR Corcillo’s Ivy League education, white-trash sensibility, and pop culture savvy come together rather eclectically in her romantic comedies. She writes about strong female characters who try not to trip as they valiantly march to their own bongo beat.

Corcillo hit the New York Times Best Sellers List with her short story, "Jane Austen Meets the New York Giants," in the Marlo Thomas anthology The Right Words at the Right Time: Volume 2. Her short story "All Summer on a Date" was chosen as the lead story in the 2012 anthology Romancing the Pages. She Likes It Rough is her debut novel soon to be followed by Queen of the Universe.

Originally from Scranton, PA, she lives with her husband Ron Corcillo in North Hollywood, CA, where she delves into all things Los Angeles: she’s co-hosted a syndicated radio show, acted in an award-winning short film, written a screenplay for Roger Corman's Concorde Pictures, picketed during the 2007 Hollywood writers strike, and taught high school in Watts and South Central. And while she loves her life on the west coast, she’s still a die-hard New York Giants fan.

Follow GVR Corcillo

Website \ Facebook \ Twitter

'Unit 51 (Project Solstice #3)' by V.G. Harrison

Title: Unit 51
Author: V.G. Harrison
Series: Project Solstice, Book #3

Blurb:

The aliens have stepped up their game via a series of pinpointed EMP attacks, starting with the weapons research base Unit 51. Like the base, Ava learns just how vulnerable she is after another EMP strike not only cuts her off from Ian 2, but crashes her plane. Her only hope for rescue is a small, Canadian town where the residents are werewolves.

They know about Project Solstice, and they're not the only ones. Dozens of supernaturals have joined forces to share not only their technological advances, but to prepare for a confrontation with Project Solstice. When an EMP barrage is launched on the supernaturals’ “safe ground”, it’s proof that the real war is with everyone on Earth regardless of their race.

A temporary truce has humans and supernaturals joining forces. But is anyone safe with paranoia, bigotry, and treachery running rampant among the Unit 51 ranks? Will Ava stay off an alien dissection table after mentally connecting with the alien war ship?

Read an excerpt:

An ear-piercing signal scrambled the images across the command center. Several techs yanked out their earpieces, screeched, or both. Darkness blanketed the room. Red emergency lights flipped on from a backup generator buried deep under the base where more than a thousand people monitored unusual activity throughout the world and beyond. Dozens of technicians scrambled to figure out what had happened in their so-called secured world alone. The command center door slid open without the low hiss of the motor. The person on the other side opened it manually with the crank behind a panel in the wall. A woman stormed in wearing a dark gray jumpsuit that looked like something a pilot would wear. She had colonel stripes across the sleeve and a nametag that read Warbaugh. She stood front and center of the room like she was fresh and alert, though it was after three in the morning. She had probably been asleep, like most on Unit 51. “What hell is going on?” Colonel Warbaugh demanded. A tech turned in his chair, his face stolid, as though he knew to check his emotions at the door. “We’ve just been hit by an electromagnetic pulse.” “A pulse?” She marched over to where he sat and bent slightly to see the fluctuating readings on his console. “EM pulses should’ve knocked out everything.” She glanced around the room, watching as system after system revived itself. Thank goodness their otherworldly technology made it possible to recover faster than anyone else on the planet. The technician’s fingers slid across his keyboard. “It’s a pulse, but…there’s something strange about it. I put it through the analyzer and an EM pulse is the closest thing it’s related to.” “It wasn’t a pulse,” another tech said. Warbaugh turned and stared. “Explain.” He continued to slide his finger across the touchscreen, pulling one wavelength after another on top of each other and pressing several buttons on a virtual keyboard as he went. “Gamma radiation is usually a characteristic of E1 and E2, but I’m not detecting anything. It doesn’t have the geomagnetic quality that’s usually seen in a solar storm either. That’s a characteristic of an E3 EMP. This was more like a probe. To figure out where the backdoors were into our system. It’s like someone wanted to gain a tactical advantage, ma’am.” “More like prepare for an invasion.” She straightened, determination and ire riddling her eyes. “Get the other 51 bases online. Send them a level-one communication. Let them know we’ve been probed and that our systems have been compromised.” He hesitated. “Are you sure you want to wake everyone across Solstice without any more information? I mean—I don’t have any more information than that because I’m still waiting for most of the system to finish rebooting.” She glared at him. “Sergeant Raferty, when I want your opinion, you’ll be a Council member. Until that happens, you’ll follow my orders without question. Understood?” “Yes, ma’am.” “Continue your diagnostic. You’ll need it for the meeting.” He gulped. “Excuse me?” “Well, sergeant, since you’re so eager to get more information, you should be happy to present what you have so far. Unless you have a problem with being thrown to the wolves.” He turned, fingers shaking so bad that he could hardly move the images into place on the touchscreen again. “N-n-no, ma’am.” “Good. Prepare to be eaten alive.” Warbaugh walked away knowing she’d be the first to tear him to shreds, if he didn’t have his facts together. Tearing him apart in front of the officials would be even better, because it would teach him a lesson about countermanding her orders. “Damage report?” she said to no one in particular. A woman turned in her chair. “The pseudo-EM pulse hit everything with an electrical current, except for what’s in our physiology. Whatever damage our network systems suffered, we’re in the middle of repairs, and so far I can’t detect any rebooting problems. Everything is coming up as though nothing had ever happened.” “I want a sweep of the base. Include the outside perimeter. I want security beefed up around all of our special projects. Also, wake up our contacts in the neighboring Canadian towns and tell them to keep an eye on the residents.” “Would you like our pilots on alert?” another tech asked. Warbaugh paused. Until there was a threat they could lock on to, it didn’t make sense to have one of their most prized possessions on standby. She wanted them fresh. Not sitting around and dozing off while waiting for an attack to happen. “No. But I want the skies scanned. Let me know the second you see something that doesn’t look right. In the meantime, I want a complete analysis done on that signal. I want to know who sent it, where it came from, and can they do it again. I want to know—” “It came from our solar system,” Sergeant Raferty said, more confident than he had been a minute ago. “I’m trying to line up trajectories now, but the problem is I’m not getting a line to the alien-invasion fleet from the Pleiades.” Impressed at his comeback, but unwilling to show it, Colonel Warbaugh approached him again. “Explain.” Confused, he shook his head. “No matter how hard I try to project the EM pulse with known space anomalies and how their astrophysical properties might affect the signal’s paths, I can’t get the Pleiades to line up. So I tried something else. I took away all of the physical properties and the computer says it came from within our solar system. Our own planet, to be exact.” What the fuck is going on? Colonel Warbaugh chewed her bottom lip like she wanted to draw blood. She squelched her wrath into a low, direct tone. “First, I want the Board wakened and their pretty little heads on consoles in the next five minutes. Second, I want to know exactly where that signal originated. Have a ground crew on standby ready to dispatch to that position at a moment’s notice. Third, this base goes on lockdown until this is figured out. No one comes or goes. Understood?” “Yes, ma’am.” “Good.” She stepped away, but stopped. “Oh, and Raferty? This doesn’t win you any favors with me. If anything, you’ve only dug your hole deeper.” With that, she walked out of the command center ready to hunt down the first cup of coffee she could find. This was going to be a long night. Maybe, if she was lucky, she might be able to grab a nap around noon. * Space epics involve the hero wanting to be the best fighter pilot in the fleet or captaining a starship. I just wanted to survive my insane science-fiction world. The easiest way to do that was to put some distance between myself and the catalyst: an enormous government conspiracy that involved the supernatural world’s alien origins. Even though the year was 2014, I had seen things that would say we were about four hundred years into our future. Too bad the rest of the human population didn’t about know it. Too bad the supernatural world did and wanted to do something about it. They want their ancestral technology back. Closing the door to my car, a smile brightened my face. I grabbed three eco-friendly bags of groceries before shutting the trunk. It was nice to have a home to go to that didn’t involve having to look over my shoulder. I had two undercover bodyguards for that. To everyone in the upscale townhouse community, they were exchange students studying at the University of Toronto. As for me, my cover was that I taught computer science fundamentals at the university. I hated my job. Thankfully—never thought I’d say that—I worked as a consultant for Project Solstice’s Department 51. At least they put my skills as a software engineer to use. I hated project management and the System Development Life Cycle. I hated Agile and Waterfall methodologies. If I ever found the person who came up with my job at the university, I’d slam their face between the pages of the required textbook. “Hold on a sec.” Vinny, one of my undercover bodyguards, hurried to catch up, three of his own bags in tow. Using my foot, I kept the door open for him in my separate garage. “You’re going to get tired of following me around, you know.” “I’m already tired. Not to mention your class is boring.” He motioned for me to continue across the stone path through my small backyard and up to my backdoor. As always, I stood aside while he used his key to trigger the lock. Even though the alarm went off when he entered the house, he put in his personal code to shut it off. A 3-D woman’s face appeared from a projector hidden in the ceiling’s speakers. “Welcome, Agent Krennon. The house is secured.” Meaning nobody broke in. I pushed past him and placed my finger-choking bags on the black granite kitchen island. I massaged my digits before putting away the groceries. “We should think about patenting my home security system. We could make a fortune, you know.” “Find another get-rich-quick scheme.” Vinny closed the door. “If anyone even suspected you had this technology, we’d have to declare a gas leak, evacuate the neighborhood, and blow it to kingdom come.” I stopped mid-unpacking and stared. “A little extreme, much?” “Not in this case.” He continued toward my pantry, where he reached around the topmost shelf and pressed a button. A click and the shelves pushed forward and to the side. A light clicked on in the four-foot wall space between our townhouses. Another door opened on the other side. “Are you planning to attend the homeowner’s association meeting?” I paused. “No offense, but do I look that desperate?” “No, but you seem to have this thing for boredom.” I turned and allowed a tiny smirk to make its way to my lips. That was a good one, considering he knew I abhorred my assignment as much as he did. He must have thought he was being punished by having to protect me. Once I composed myself, I asked, “Are we doing dinner together or separate tonight?” He shrugged. “It depends. What are you cooking?” I held up a pack of steaks. “If one of you guys start the grill, I’ll provide the meat.” “I take back everything I said about your class.” He turned and headed into the passageway. “Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll have a fire so hot those steaks will wish they were back on the cow.” “A yellow alert has been issued across all 51 bases.” A yellow halo blinked around the 3-D model’s head like an aura. The words “yellow alert” blinked across anything with a display. Vinny returned through the passageway, startled, but all business. “Report.” The 3-D imaged blinked out and a new one replaced it. To this day, I’d never get over my dead brother’s computerized image living inside Project Solstice’s network and throughout the internet. He was better than any bodyguard was because he was imprinted with Ian’s personality, though he was self-sufficient and the most highly advanced computer program on the planet. Probably beyond, too, but that had yet to be proven. “Unit 51 has been attacked,” he said. “Attacked?” I asked. “By what? When?” Vinny leaned over the island, holding on to every word and not caring that he was actually corresponding with a program. “It’s unclear at this point, but it looks like someone might have fired a pulse wave at the base and caused a blackout. All of their systems were down for a while, but they’re back up now. Colonel Warbaugh just reported it and is asking for assistance in trying to figure out what happened. As for when it happened, 3:19 this morning. Local time.” “What does Unit 51 do?” I asked. Vinny waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter. Right now, we need to—” “Their primary task is to develop aircraft and machinery using alien technology,” Ian 2 said, ignoring my bodyguard. “Currently, they’re working on creating longer-range spacecraft that can go beyond our solar system.” I smiled and folded my arms. Checkmate, buddy. Unlike you, I actually have someone working on the inside who won’t keep me at arm’s length until I’m needed. “You mean they have spaceships that have gone beyond the moon?” “Yes.” “Discover what you want. But I have my orders.” The agent placed his bags on the counter and pulled his cell phone from his waistband. Walking toward the living room, he called whomever he needed to contact and kept his voice low. I closed the distance to Ian 2’s 3-D head. “Do you have anything else on the pulse?” “No. If you’d like, I could do a diagnostic. However, I must consult Colonel Kendrick first. That was one of the agreements we made in an effort to put expunging me from the system as priority number ten and not number one. His words, if you’d recall.” Yeah, I knew those words. Even though Ian 2 had been tremendously helpful to everyone in Project Solstice, he was also a liability because he wasn’t invented with the military discipline that everyone else had. In a way, the program was as rogue as anyone could get. So rather than have everyone on their guard and constantly wasting time to track him across the network, I convinced Colonel Kendrick that the best way to deal with him was to come to an agreement. Of course, he thought it was crazy to have to work out an arrangement with what amounted to a software application. Over the past year, he had changed his mind drastically and learned to trust me, knowing my word was as good as Ian 2’s. “Fine,” I said. “Contact him. Let him know that you can probably do a diagnostic faster than anyone else on the base.” “It’s not him I’m worried about. It’s Colonel Warbaugh. She’s made it clear that no one outside of human DNA is allowed on her base unless it’s by strict orders from the Board. That includes me, since I’m a program.” “Seriously?” “Yes. She is very aware of how you became to be a part of Project Solstice, as well as Elias. She’s not the least bit impressed, as she has said.” I shook my head, astonished and puzzled by the level of prejudice this woman had—and she hadn’t even met me. With a little luck, she never would, being that the base was located on Ellesmere Island in Canada. Given that there were about 150 people on the tenth-largest island in the world, it was highly unlikely that anyone would notice a sophisticated base of operations there. From what I understood, the Canadian government was perfectly fine with that, since they had an eleven percent stake in Project Solstice. Australia had five. Just as Vinny stepped back into the room, Doug came through the passageway. Vinny clipped his phone back in place. “We all have one hour to pack and then we’re moving to a more secure location.” “What?” Fear began to rifle through me. “But why? There hasn’t been any—” “Do you need to ask?” He started for the backdoor again. “We take the truck and head to the airport. Colonel Kendrick will have a private jet waiting for us there.” “Waiting for us to go where and for how long?” Sadly, I was thinking about how much to pack and what I should tell my parents during their weekly call. “Hong Kong.” I blinked. “Hong what?” “Hong Kong. That’s your newly assigned safe site.” “Safe site? China? Not that I’m complaining, but how is that a safe site? I mean—why not prance me around in Bangladesh to make sure we’re covering our bases? Doesn’t witness protection normally happen in the States, anyway?” He grinned, anything but friendly. “You now have fifty-eight minutes.” Vinny continued outside and to the garage where I parked my car. A few seconds after he disappeared inside, the power to the house was completely shut off and the temporary backup turned on. Just enough power to keep communications open, but that was it. That, from my understanding, was protocol.

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Also check out Book 1: Section 51

While investigating her brother's strange behavior, Ava Frost uncovers a government secret that will alter the entire world. Vampires, werewolves, witches. They all have their own origins, and Earth isn't it. These creatures are the ancestors of aliens who have crash-landed on the Earth throughout history. But that's not what scares Ava the most. It's what our government did with the debris.

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And Book 2: Department 51
Ava Frost has a choice. Either she can help Department 51 figure out the alien signal that has been transmitting from Earth or she can spend the rest of her life in jail. When a MIB-type man convinces her to take the plea deal with Department 51, her fears have only started. Her dead brother has left her something to remember him by. Something that might be more dangerous than the alien invasion.


Author Bio

Science fiction has been my love since I was a little kid who purposely tried to stay up at 11pm to watch Star Trek. When Star Wars hit the scene, I would've given anything--even pay a total stranger--to watch it everyday at the movie theatre. Of course, my parents would've yanked me out of my seat by the scruff of my neck. But...my all-time favorite is Alien 2. And here I thought Alien wouldn't be topped.

So what does any of this have to do with me and my writing? Well, I've been writing for a few years now and even though I watch a lot of sci-fi, I don't read it nearly as much of it as I do urban fantasy and horror. So, it made sense to combine the two and come up with my Project Solstice series.

Between the day job, family, and enjoying life as a North Carolinian implant, I'm catching up on episodes of The Walking Dead, Dr. Who, and Teen Wolf (it's a guilty pleasure--honest). Of course, it helps when you own seasons of Firefly, Stargate, and The 4400 on DVD.

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