Friday Reads-Reversal Zone

Happy Friday friends! We are excited to be a part of the Reversal Zone blog tour. I don’t believe we have featured a science fiction novel yet. This one is part of a series and we love series,,don’t we? Be sure to enter to win signed copies of the first three novels!

J. Grace Pennington has published four science fiction novels. They each have a unique bent to them, but this one is very different. Each book is a standalone, but as with any series, you get more of the story if you read them all in order. In Reversal Zone, the main character, Andi Lloyd, becomes the only one who can save the ship and crew. Can she do it in time?

About the Book

Nothing is as it should be.
After weeks of boredom, Andi is excited when the Surveyor is called upon to rescue a freighter that mysteriously vanished in uncharted space. Excitement quickly turns to unease when the ship encounters an unknown phenomenon—a cloud that appears not to exist. But with the freighter’s crew in danger, the Surveyor has no choice but to venture into unknown territory.
As soon as they enter the cloud, its unstable effects wreak havoc on the ship. They’re flying blind. Every piece of equipment is malfunctioning. And every member of the crew is unable to think straight or act like themselves—except Andi.
Now she’s expected to guide them through the predicament with no previous command experience and no one to turn to for support. And with each passing hour, it becomes clear that if they don’t escape the cloud soon—they won’t escape it at all.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZV1ILB

About the Author

Grace Pennington has been telling stories since she could talk, and writing them down since age five. Now she lives in the great state of Texas, where she writes as much as adult life permits. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading good books, playing movie soundtracks on the piano, and looking up at the stars.

You can find out more about her writing at www.jgracepennington.com.

Friday Reads Interview

Tell our readers why they should choose your novel as their Friday Read.

Firmament: Reversal Zone is a great Friday read for three basic reasons.

a) It’s short. Reviewers have told me that they’ve read it in one to three sittings. So you don’t have to worry about using up your whole weekend.

b) It’s twisty. My readers so far have reported there were multiple twists they didn’t see coming. Who doesn’t love a good twist?

c) It’s clean. Unless you’re sensitive to some medical jargon and moderate peril, you should have nothing to worry about.

1. d) Space. We all love space!

e) The characters. I know I’m biased, but I love my characters—even if none of them are quite them selves this go-round.

(Okay, that’s five reasons. I thought of more while I was writing. But five reasons is better than three, amiright?)

I agree, and they are excellent reasons. I’m sure our readers would like to know the book’s backstory, what inspired you?

Well, this is the fourth book in the series, so it’s partly inspired by the books that came before it. Other than that, I tend to be inspired by two types of “what if” scenarios. The first is “What if this idea were taken to its logical conclusion?” and the second is “What if this character were thrown into this particular situation?”

In Firmament: Reversal Zone, I was inspired by both. I wanted to explore the idea that we are responsible for our choices, no matter how we feel, and I wanted to explore what it would look like if my characters behaved in completely different ways than they usually do. It was great fun, and I have to say this might be my favorite of the series so far.

Who were your favorite authors as a child and teen.

Too many and too varied to count, as per the norm, but among them were C. S. Lewis, L. M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Donald J. Sobol, Dr. Seuss, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and of course I loved Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys! I also loved Elsie Dinsmore, but we won’t talk about that.

(As an aside, I can still recite much of Dr. Seuss. I pride myself on it. People love it when my brother and I just start spouting Seussian tongue-twisters for no reason. Or when my sister and I recite selections from The Silver Chair and other Narnia books.)

4. Those are interesting authors! Now, imagine a modern day, big name author that you love is reading and raving about your book. Choose one of these reactions and explain why.

Freak out and shake all over.
b. Google everything you can find about your book and the author
c. Call everyone you know to share your excitement
d. Post immediately to Face Book so your friends can freak out with you.
e. Begin to mentally compose a tweet to tell the world.

Hmm, it’s hard to choose just one. I would probably post immediately to Facebook to tell all my friends and family, because all of them have been such a huge part of my writing journey, and I would be eager to share the joy and excitement with them. But I would probably be freaking out and shaking all over while I did it.

I’m sure I would be shaking too!

Giveaway

Grace is generously offering three prizes. A signed copy of each of her three previous novels in the series. They are each standalone stories, but they are also connected. If you would like to read more about them, you can read about them here: Radialloy, In His Image, Machiavellian.

To enter the giveaway, please fill out this form.

Tour Schedule

Friday, October 7
Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Introduction
Fathers and Sons-Sports and Life-Guest Post
The Destiny of One-Guest Post
Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-Excerpt
Rebekah Lyn Books-Author Interview
Saturday, October 8
Shout outs-Guest Post
Author Franky A Brown-Excerpt
Shire Reviews-Book Review
Sunday, October 9
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima-Excerpt
Zerina Blossom’s Books-Excerpt
Monday, October 10
Rachel Rossano’s Words-Excerpt and Guest Post
In the Bookcase-Excerpt and Book Review
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections-Book Review
Tuesday, October 11
The Abrahamic Adventures-Book Review
The Overactive Imagination-Excerpt
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke-Book Review
Lisa Swinton Queen of Random-Excerpt
Wednesday, October 12
Bookish Orchestrations-Giveaway Winner
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Friday Reads- The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School

If you enjoyed Nancy Drew novels as a child, you will enjoy today’s author spotlight for Friday Reads. Tara Ellis has just released book five in her Samantha Wolf Mysteries and she has agreed to answer our Friday Reads questions, so let’s get started.

Tell our readers why they should choose your novel as their Friday Read.

This would make the perfect Friday Read, due to it being a fun, quick mystery. While the book is written at the middle grade level, it is an intelligent story that readers of all ages will enjoy.

What is the book’s backstory, what inspired you?

This is book #5 in an on-going series, so finding new and exciting adventures is something I rather enjoy. Each book can be read on it’s own, or you can start with book one. They are chronological, and this one happens during Halloween. It was only natural to feature something spooky, but as with all the other books, there are a few different layers to the mystery. I was inspired by reviews on the other books to include the brothers more, which ended up adding to some really fun scenes.

Who were your favorite authors as a child and teen.

Julie Campbell (Trixie Beldon), Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew), Lois Duncan. As I got older, I spent some time reading Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Ken Follett.

Imagine a big name author that you love is reading and raving about your book. Choose one of these reactions and explain why.

a. Freak out and shake all over.
b. Google everything you can find about your book and the author
c. Call everyone you know to share your excitement
d. Post immediately to Clean Indie Reads so your friends can freak out with you.
e. Begin to mentally compose a tweet to tell the world.

d. Post immediately to Clean Indie Reads Facebook group so your friends can freak out with you.

You know, it’s funny. Not that long ago, I would have chosen any other option equally. But I know that this is what I would do, because I have done it already. It was under different circumstances, but exciting nonetheless. There is something about sharing news that you KNOW only another author can fully appreciate, that is worth SO much. Having the support of other writers is monumental and something I absolutely cherish.

I feel the same as Tara about Clean Indie Reads. In the words of its founder, Lia London, it is awesome sauce!

After reading her Friday Reads answers I am sure you would like to know more about her, so here is the official bio.

Author Tara Ellis lives in a small, rural town in Washington State, set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She enjoys the quiet lifestyle with her husband, two teenage kids and several dogs. Tara was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years, before committing herself to writing young adult and middle grade novels full-time. (she still dabbles in teaching CPR)

She grew up on sci-fi, was a devoted Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica fan, and has since found a love for conspiracy theories. This background, combined with a wild imagination has led to The Forgotten Origins Trilogy. The first book in the series, Bloodline, was a finalist in the IAN 2015 Book of the Year Awards, was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2015 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards, named ‘Indie Book of the Day in Oct, 2014’ and voted as ‘Top 50 Indie Books of 2014’. (readfreely.com)

Her on-going middle grade mystery series, The Samantha Wolf Mysteries, has hit the best seller status on Amazon in the children’s detective story genre several times, and continues to grow in popularity. The engaging, fun stories herald back to the days of Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon, and several readers have commented that the series is of the same caliber. These are clean reads that are suitable for the whole family to read together, and are also part of the Kindle Unlimited program.

*Find her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/taraellisauthor

**Visit her personal blog at: taraellisauthor.blogspot.com/

***Twitter: @taraellisauthor

Without further ado or chit-chat, I am pleased to introduce you to Tara’s new release.

The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School

Halloween is right around the corner, and the girls find themselves in the middle of a hauntingly good mystery.

Sam, Ally, and Cassy help form a new club at their school in order to raise money for charities. Their first mission is to save a struggling program founded by a local widow, but the benefactor has some secrets.
It turns out that Eagle Creek Middle school has some secrets too, including a tragic story passed down for fifty years. Does a tormented ghost really roam the basement of the school?
While creating a haunted house to raise the needed donations, the young detectives uncover the shocking truth. One that will forever change the lives of people they have come to cherish.

Visit Amazon to view the whole series.

If you have enjoyed meeting Tara Ellis today, consider signing up for her newsletter.

http://eepurl.com/bzdHA5

Tara is one of over 2,000 authors who are committed to writing Flinch-Free fiction, books packed with excitement but without the “ewww factor.” Visit them on the Clean Indie Reads book blog where each author listed has a short Q&A .

Thank you, Tara for allowing us to share in the excitement of your new release. We would love to host you when book six comes out!

Friday Reads~The Gladiator and the Guard

Hey friends! We have made it to another Friday and that means we are hosting an author to share why her book will make a great #FridayRead.

I’m excited to announce that my young adult action and adventure novel, The Gladiator and the Guard, is now available for purchase!

This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, sequel to

The Collar and the Cavvarach.

A new book is definitely an exciting announcement!

Tell our readers why they should choose your novel as their Friday Read.

TheGladiator and the Guard is a unique type of story that takes place in a unique setting. Allow me to tell you a little about both.

This is the second book in the Krillonian Chronicles, the first one being The Collar and the Cavvarach. The stories take place in a world almost exactly like our own. Although most aspects of the culture are just about what they are currently on Earth, a few sports are different, such as the martial art known as cavvara shil. The main difference, however, is that slavery is legal there.

The Krillonian Empire rules much of the world. An emperor, who is never named, governs from the capital city, Krillonia, on the continent known as Imperia. Eight separate provinces (independent nations before they were conquered) can be found on nearby continents. Each province, plus Imperia, is allowed to elect its own legislature and decide on many of its own laws, but the emperor reserves the right to veto any of them and make changes as he sees fit. This seldom happens, however, and to most people the emperor is merely a vague and distant ceremonial figure.

The prevalence of slavery is probably what would stand out the most to visitors from Earth. There are nearly as many slaves in the city of Jarreon, where both books take place, as free people, and they are easily identified by the steel collars they are required to wear locked around their necks. From each collar hangs a tag inscribed with the slave’s name, their owner’s name, and a copy of their owner’s signature. On the back of the tag is their owner’s phone number and a bar code that can be scanned to access additional information.

Many families own one or more slaves who do their housework and yard work. Businesses often own a large number of slaves, usually for manual labor, though some are trained for more complex tasks. Those who don’t own their own slaves may “hire in” one belonging to someone else. The accepted rate for an hourly wage is two-thirds the amount that a free person would earn for equivalent labor (the money goes to the slave’s owner, of course).

To read more about the culture of the Krillonian Empire, take a look at this post on my blog.

And the blurb for The Gladiator and the Guard :

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?

What is the book’s back story, what inspired you?

I’ve had the idea growing in my mind for the last few years. It started as just a picture of the setting and its culture: a world almost exactly like ours, but with legalized slavery. The main characters, Bensin (a 14-year-old slave at the time of the first book, and a martial artist) and Steene (his owner and coach) emerged gradually, along with the plot (Bensin’s struggle to protect and free his younger sister). It wasn’t until after the first book had been published that I thought of the ideas that eventually led to the second book.

Who were your favorite authors as a child and teen?

As a child, I enjoyed C.S. Lewis, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Beverly Cleary, and Enid Blyton, among many others. As a teen, I grew to love Ray Bradbury, J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen Lawhead, Fay Sampson, and Frank Peretti.

Imagine a big name author that you love is reading and raving about your book. Choose one of these reactions and explain why.

A. Freak out and shake all over.

B. Google everything you can find about your book and the author

C. Call everyone you know to share your excitement

D. Post immediately to Clean Indie Reads so your friends can freak out with you.

E. Begin to mentally compose a tweet to tell the world.

Definitely d. Probably a as well, but d for sure. Very few people I know in person would understand the true magnitude of such an event, but everyone in Clean Indie Reads see it as the momentous occasion it is and celebrate with me. That’s one of the many reasons I love that group!

It’s one of the reasons I love it too!

Let’s not forget Book 1:

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?

The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).

Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

Click here to order The Collar and the Cavvarach from Amazon
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!

The Gladiator and the Guard, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!

Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard in Kindle format from Amazon
for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May30th!

Click here to order The Gladiator and the Guard from Smashwords (for Nook or in other digital formats) for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through May 30th!

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since
her childhood, and to date has published twelve books (two YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, and five anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.

Connect with the Author Online:

Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com

Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnnieDouglassLima
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
Google Plus: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus

Now, enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of The Collar and the Cavvarach!

CLICK HERE

Annie, it has been a pleasure to host you today on Friday Reads.

Best of luck with your new release.

Friday Reads~Drawn to You

This week’s installment of Friday Reads is brought to you by Liwen Ho, author of the Taking Chances Series.

Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA being a stay at home mom) and a writer by night. In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children, and blogs about her adventures as a recovering perfectionist at www.2square2behip.com.

My favorite part of hosting other authors on my website is getting to know them and sharing them with our readers. Liwen has just released the third novel in the Taking Chances series, Drawn to You.

Tell our readers why they should choose your novel as their Friday Read.

Because you won’t regret it! 🙂 Reading Drawn To You is a great way to wind down and relax from a busy week. You’ll swoon, laugh, and fall in love with the main characters as they grow to fall for each other.

What is the back story of Drawn to You, what inspired you?

When I was writing the second book in my series, one of the supporting characters, Sam, jumped up and down, insisting that I write the next book about her. If you know Sam, as I’ve gotten to know her, you’ll learn that she doesn’t take no for answer. That’s how she got a whole story dedicated to her and her alter ego, Lucas. I absolutely believe in the theory that opposites attract because my hubby and I are living proof of it. You’ll find bits and pieces of our personalities in Sam and Lucas, and even a scenario involving a dishwasher that was inspired by us (LOL).

Who were your favorite authors as a child and teen.

As a child, I loved reading the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery and later on, the Babysitters Club series by Ann M. Martin, and Sweet Valley High series by Francine Pascal. As a teen, I moved on from romance to mystery when I discovered Mary Higgins Clark’s books.

I loved Anne of Green Gables too and was disappointed when my family made a trip to Nova Scotia and didn’t have time to visit Prince Edward Island.

Imagine a big name author that you love is reading and raving about your book. Choose one of these reactions and explain why.

Freak out and shake all over.
Google everything you can find about your book and the author.
Call everyone you know to share your excitement.
Post immediately to Clean Indie Reads so your friends can freak out with you.
Begin to mentally compose a tweet to tell the world.

Oh my, can I choose all five?! I would definitely do a little dance like I did when I got my first book published, then go on social media and virtually “shout” (in all caps, of course!) the amazing news to anyone and everyone who will listen! And I’d probably look something like this. 🙂

I LOVE the picture! Friends Liwen is a funny lady and her novels are fun too. No interview is complete without a blurb.

Drawn To You, Taking Chances Series, Book 3

Can love embrace differences?

Wanted: A man who can handle his alter ego. Quick reflexes recommended.

Feisty and adventurous, art teacher Sam Koo is used to getting what she wants, including talking her way out of traffic tickets. When it comes to money matters though, she’s a lost cause. Her studio is in trouble, and there’s no way of charming herself out of this mess.

Police officer Lucas Choi is the last person she expects to rescue her. Handsome and rule-abiding, he was the best—and worst—part of her high school experience. When they meet a decade later, he’s still on her case and quick to point out her flaws.

Their differences drive each other crazy, but also draw them closer. The attraction is tangible, yet so are Sam’s fears. Will she choose to protect her heart or trust the only man who ever rejected her

I asked Liwen to share an excerpt with us. I don’t know who wins in the exchange below, Firecracker or Squealer. 🙂

“I hope you know you can’t sweet talk your way out of everything, Sammie Koo.”

Sam’s ears perked up. Where had she heard that line before? Pursing her lips, she took a good look at the officer. Jet black hair. High cheekbones. A dimple in his chin. There was something familiar about him, particularly that dimple. If only she could see his eyes. “Do I know you? No one calls me Sammie anymore.” Her eyes roamed over his well-defined chest and over his name tag again. “Choi. Wait a minute. Lucas Choi, is that you?”

The officer lowered his sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose. “Hey, Sammie. It’s good to see you, too.”

Her jaw dropped when she met his gaze. Those eyes. She would recognize them anywhere. Brown irises so light in color that they had flecks of green and gold in them. Once upon a time those eyes, so uncommon for an Asian, made her envious, but now they completely infuriated her. Judging from his haughty expression, she could tell he was taking way too much pleasure in tormenting her. It figures he went into law enforcement. Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes loved nothing more than following the rules and making those who didn’t pay for it.

Not much had changed since the last time they crossed paths, except that she had her hands free today. She looked around for something to throw, settling for a fistful of candy wrappers, and tossed them at him. “How long were you going to mess with me? I can’t believe you let me beg you for mercy! Stop wasting my time. I know you want to write me up, so do it.”

He brushed off an orange Kit Kat wrapper stuck to his pressed shirt. “Hey now, settle down, Firecracker. I could arrest you for assaulting an officer.”

Heat flared from her neck up to her cheeks, likely causing her complexion to match the red highlights in her hair. Oh, how she hated his nickname for her. “Oh, please. Assault you with what—paper cuts? Or maybe the overpowering aroma of chocolate? If you want to arrest me, Squealer, go ahead. It’s not the first time you got me put in handcuffs.”

“Now, now, there’s no need for name-calling, Miss Koo. We’re both adults here.”

“You started it.” Sam wrinkled her nose at how juvenile she sounded. Why did he have to bring out the worst in her? And how did he manage to look so cool and composed? It wasn’t fair. She swiped at some wisps of hair that were stuck to her damp forehead. “I don’t know why you enjoy tormenting people. What did I ever do to you?”

“Someone has a short-term memory. Need I remind you that you left me to do all the experiments in chem class and then tried to copy my answers? We weren’t assigned as lab partners so you could flirt with the jocks while I did all the work.”

“Ah! I see what’s going on. You were jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Of all the attention I got. Admit it. You’re still jealous I got elected Student Body President and you didn’t.”

“You got lucky. There were more guys than girls at school. Of course they voted for the prettier candidate. It was a no-brainer.”

Sam covered her open mouth to feign shock. “Did you just say something nice about me? What’s the catch, Lucas? Do you have a hidden police cam on you?”

“I said you’re prettier than me, but we both know I’m the more handsome one. Let’s not forget who got crowned Homecoming King.”

A genuine smile crossed Sam’s face for the first time that day. Lucas was still as charming as ever, in an annoyingly appealing kind of way. “You’re still such a dork. We both won that night. I was Homecoming Queen.”

“I remember. It was the one time we didn’t try to kill each other.”

“You almost maimed me with your gigantic lead feet. Come on, how hard is it to slow dance without stepping on your partner’s toes?”

“Apparently, very hard when the girl doesn’t allow you to lead.”

Sam crossed her arms and faked a laugh. “Ha! You just don’t know how to handle a strong, independent woman.”

“I think the word you meant to say was stubborn.”

Drawn to You is book three in the series and the good news is that each book in the Taking Chances series can be read as a standalone novel.

Read for free with Kindle Unlimited

Liwen’s novels are available on Amazon

Connect with Liwen Ho

Blog: 2square2bhip

Facebook

Amazon author page

Twitter: @2square2behip

Goodreads

Liwen, it has been fun hosting you on this week’s installment of Friday Reads. I think you made an excellent case for why Drawn to You should be chosen as a Friday Read.

Liwen Ho was part of our Christmas Reading Banquet.

Click here to read about

The More the Merrier