Posts Tagged ‘aliens’

Welcome to Freakin Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping.

I’ve been delving back into some science fiction. Those of you who know me won’t be surprised that this also has elements of horror. It’s time for some aliens!

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My Review

The opening scene is from 40 years ago. A group of friends slowly regain consciousness, battered and confused about what had happened to them.  Flash forward 40 years and the suicide of one of the group. The event brings them back to the place they’d hoped never to return to. It was time to dust off the buried memories they couldn’t outrun and once and for all put an end to them.

This is a fairly short story and I think that worked well. I was quickly filled in on past events and the author kept the momentum of the story moving right along as the story leapt to the present and the scary stuff began.

Ever wondered about those reported cattle mutilations? Does the government know who or what is behind them?  Michael McBride took those elements and gave me quite the scary read. He also kept me guessing. What really happened to all of those missing people? Was it aliens or wasn’t it?

As the childhood friends meet up 40 years later they have their own set of questions. Did they stop it all those years ago or did whoever or whatever was doing the killings just learn to hide their actions better? How could they not be discovered? This is where it got particularly creepy. As the characters get their answers so did I, and they weren’t what I was expecting. I leapt to one conclusion and then to another and back again.

I wish I could share how it all ends. Another surprise.

Did I enjoy Unidentified? Yes, I did. Especially when the story took a surprising and creepy turn. Would I recommend it? Sure enough. It’s a fun spin on alien’s that would make a great movie.

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 Read by Joe Hempel

Joe Hempel did a good with the creepy scenes and I could easily tell which character was speaking. He made this a fun experience and I’d gladly listen to him again.

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Synopsis

Four teenagers awaken in a scorched cornfield with no memory of how they got there. All they know is that there were five of them when they found the carcass of the mutilated cow.

Forty years later, Eric Devlin sends a cryptic email to the other three survivors: I remember everything.

Karl Doering has spent the majority of his life trying to understand what happened that night and learn the fate of his missing friend. He responds to the mysterious message and finds that Eric has killed himself in a decrepit barn, behind which is a cornfield filled with mutilated cattle.

When a local girl goes missing, Karl realizes that he and the other two survivors are her only hope. To find her they must confront repressed memories so traumatic they’d driven Eric to take his own life . . . and creatures straight out of their worst nightmares.

Amazon / B&N / Tantor

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The above cover is for the audible edition.

Here are some additional covers.

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Which do you like more?

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Welcome to my Saturday Screams.

Today’s reviews are for all of you lovers of creepy critters and aliens. Both of these are books I turn to and reread whenever I can’t decide on something to read. Figured it was time to share them with you.

 Darkfall

by Dean Koontz

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Genre: Horror

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My Review

Ssshhh! Did you hear that? The stealthy movement under the bed? What about in the walls, or in the basement? Or in the sewer?

This was creepy on so many levels. People are found mutilated, riddled with wounds. What puzzles investigators is how the killer or killers got in. There’s no signs of break in or other entries.

Right from the get go I had the shivers. Creepy critters are slithering around in the dark. Hissing, snarling, and whispering in blood chilling voices.

All to soon its running, screaming, and more running as these creatures find their targets, killing them off one by one. And then, time runs out.

This was a super fast, really creepy tale. Not being able to see what’s stalking you, knowing it’s not human, and then actually seeing the nightmares that want to kill you. I can’t imagine anything more terrifying.

I loved it from the beginning, to each horrifying attack, to the relentless chase and finale.

 5 Stars

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Synopsis

They found four corpses in four days. Each more hideously disfigured than the last, the bodies punctured with dozens of tiny wounds. At first they thought it was a savage psychopath. Then they thought it was a vicious gangland war. Then they thought packs of demonic rats were escaping through the ventilation system.

Then they saw the nightmare itself, in all its mottled, slimy horror, coming after them from every direction, and they realized that the Gates of Hell had been left open…

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Here’s the cover for edition I own from 1984.

Not too “pretty in pink” is it? LOL

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Contest

by Matthew Reilly

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Genre: Thriller / Science Fiction

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My Review

What a terrific story.

I loved the setting for this book. The New York Public Library. I’ve always wanted to go there and get list in the thousands and thousands of book stacks.

In the middle of a phone call, Dr. Stephen Swain and his young daughter, Holly, are teleported into the library. A strange little man, all in white, informs Stephen he is a part of the Presidia, a contest that has been going on for millenia. There are 7 contestants from different planets. The only way out is to be the last one alive. You win or you die.

I’ve read all of this authors books. Contest is his first book and still my favorite. I loved the setting, the plot, the characters, and the incredible and terrifying alien contestants.

It’s non stop action that will keep you glued to the story until you read the end.

If I knew who to ask, I’d beg for this to be made into a movie.

    5 Stars

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Synopsis

The New York Public Library. A silent sanctuary of knowledge; a 100-year-old labyrinth of towering bookcases, narrow aisles and long marble hallways. For Doctor Stephen Swain and his daughter, Holly, it is the site of a nightmare. Because for one night this historic building is to be the venue for a contest. A contest in which Swain is to compete – whether he likes it or not.

The rules are simple: Seven contestants will enter, only one will leave.

With his daughter in his arms, Stephen Swain is plunged into a terrifying fight for survival. The stakes are high, the odds brutal. He can choose to run, to hide or to fight – but if he wants to live, he has to win. For in this contest, unless you leave as the victor, you do not leave at all.

Readers all over the world have been cheering about Matthew Reilly’s lightning fast adventure thrillers. Contest, the action-packed extravaganza that launched this international bestselling career, is vintage Reilly at his explosive best.

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I also have the paperback. Here’s its cover.

Which do you like more?

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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I remember the day I spotted Steve Alten’s book Meg at my favorite book store. A prehistoric megalodon shark leaps off the cover. I was in love before I even read a word. From there I read his Dominion series and then The Loch.

I couldn’t wait to read the sequel, Vostok. To reconnect with some old characters and meet new ones.

I can’t wait to share with you!

Enjoy my review.

Have fun with Steve’s short interview.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

New York Times best-selling author and screenwriter Steve Alten’s latest novel VOSTOK, the sequel to his popular novel THE LOCH, finds two major Steve Alten characters meeting up—Dr. Jonas Taylor from MEG and Dr. Zachary Wallace from THE LOCH.
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Vostok by Steve Alten

Book Details:

Book Title: Vostok by Steve Alten
Category: Adult Fiction, 416 pages
Genre: Science fiction thriller
Publisher: Rebel Press
Published: February 17, 2015
Available in: Print or PDF
Will send print books to: USA and Canada
Will send ebooks: International
Tour dates:  March 16 to April 10, 2015
Content Rating: PG

Enjoy this quick interview with Steve Alten!

How did you do research for your book?

You begin with a concept and hit the Internet.

 

Your book is set in East Antarctica. Have you ever been there?

Hell, no.

 

What genre do you write and why?

Fictional thrillers… and a comedy.

 

Do you write every day?

Yes.

 

If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?

Playboy, a book on survival, and the Encyclopedia Brittanica to use as toilet paper.

LOL Thanks for sharing, Steve!

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My Review

I loved Steve’s Meg series. Who wouldn’t love a prehistoric shark loose in today’s oceans. I’ve read the complete series and then moved on to The Loch. Another winner with a prehistoric creature lurking in Loch Ness.

Steve has brought two amazing characters together from these books. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace and Dr. Jonas Taylor. Both of these men have drowned and come back from meetings with giant terrors of the deep seas. Neither ever thought they would enter primal waters again, but here they go.

From the village of Drumnadrochit, Scotland,  to America, and back to Scotland to battle and defeat the beast of Loch Ness,  Zachary is now about to jump down the rabbit hole into the coldest place on earth. Antarctica. But not on the surface. H he’s going two and a half miles below the ice cap to an undersea lake called Vostok.

No man has ever gone there before and Vostok has been undisturbed for over 15 million years. Here be monsters. Behemoths of unimaginable size and voracious appetite.

Imagine it if you can. Lasers burn the way, forming a narrow tube for the sub to pass through the ice cap. You break through and fall, plunging into a vast undersea lake over a thousand feet deep. A beast rises, mouth gaping wide, teeth taller than you, so huge you can’t grasp it.

When things go wrong, which they do, who do you call for help? How long will it take for them to get there, if they even can?

And what if there is another reason for sending you down there? Something ancient, powerful, non terrestrial that you have to retrieve. Big brother has their sticky fingers in this expedition. They want what’s down there. No one knows what they are up to. You get it or die trying. Sounds like a conspiracy doesn’t it?

The cast of characters is diverse and many. Some were old favorites and some were new to me. I crossed my fingers the good guys would survive, but you never know with Steve. He’s not above killing some off. And the bad guys. Some were just annoying, and some I’d drop through the tunnel myself.

By the time I reached the third part of the book, I was feeling the terror, the frustration, the courage of these characters. And then the author took the story in yet another direction. I stumbled  a bit. Partly because it was hard for me to grasp how it worked at first. And partly because I didn’t want it to go in that direction. I was dragged kicking and screaming away from my beasts. I went with it though, and soon was engrossed and into it.

Vostok is the crossover book that brings The Loch and The Meg series together for the upcoming release of Meg 5: Nightstalkers. The title alone has me imaging all types of monsters.

 I follow Steve’s newsletter and have been waiting years for his Meg book to be made into a movie. It will be coming soon and I’m sure it will be a huge hit. From there, maybe we’ll be meeting these beasties on the big screen.

Thanks so much to Steve Alten and Rebel Press for gifting me a Limited Edition Hardcover copy for my honest review.

What a strange, terrifying, spectacular ride it’s been from the first Meg book to Vostok and beyond!

5 Stars

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Book Description:

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct – and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

Watch this intense trailer!

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Author Steve Alten

Steve Alten

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar’s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.

Connect with Steve:  Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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“Author Sherry Soule’s Dream Cast”

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Today bestselling author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! She will be publishing a brand new Upper YA / Sci-Fi romance series: the “Starlight Saga” with scorching-hot character chemistry, exciting suspense, and epic romance on June 26, 2014.

To help promote this interstellar love story, “LOST IN STARLIGHT,” Sherry is doing this guest post to share the news with fellow booklovers.

So without further ado here are Sherry’s top actor picks…

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For my tough heroine, Sloane Masterson, I think this lovely and brilliant actress: Lucy Hale (just imagine her with purple hair!) would be perfect.

Tough talking, girl reporter, Sloane is not your typical heroine. She’s a feisty, disarming, and a fiercely independent seventeen-year-old. But she’s not flawlessly beautiful, or super thin, or extremely intelligent like some YA protagonists. Sloane has very real and relatable body issues and insecurities like most teen girls do. She favors the dark-side in clothes and music, loves to watch scary movies, and likes hanging out in graveyards. She uses her wits to cover her emotional scars, and if you can break through her tough exterior, you’ll have a fearless, loyal friend for life.

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For the part of the stoic and brooding, Hayden Lancaster, I think this dynamic actor would be great, Luke Mitchell.

At first glance, it seems that eighteen-year-old Haydenhas a detached, unemotional exterior, but what lies beneath is a kindhearted individual that will go out of their way to help another. Although he’s self-assured, he does have a tendency to emotionally distance himself from those around him, and this can make Hayden an unpredictable and confusing companion at times.

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For Sloane’s best friend, Viola Saks, this remarkable actress would be fantastic: Camilla Belle.

Outgoing and feisty, Viola’sa fun-loving spiritgirl, who loves to read. Never lacking in optimism, Viola is frequently seen as a crusader for the rights of others and a defender of lost causes. Popularity makes no difference to her as long as she believes in the cause.

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For Devin Greenspan, Editor of the school paper, I like this gifted actor best: Ed Westwick.

Devin has had a crush on Sloane for years and never gave the hope of one day hooking up with her. But when Hayden becomes her best friend, he feels threatened by the newcomer.

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Only one actor comes to mind that could portray Hayden’s younger brother, Zach Lancaster, and it is actor, Paul Wesley.

Zach and his brother grew up in a close-knit family where outside friends are discouraged. So when Hayden becomes good friends with Sloane, Zach tries to sabotage the friendship and strongly opposes the relationship.

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For Sloane’s good friends, Tanisha and Raymond, I like both of these talented actors: Erica Hubbard and Daniel Andrew Sharman:

Tanisha and Raymond are loyal friends that hang in Sloan’s crew. Tanisha dresses sort of Goth, and she’s really into Wicca and alternative bands. Raymond is more punk rock, and plays the role of the tortured musician to perfection.

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Please mark your calendars to buy your copy of LOST IN STARLIGHT on June 26th 2014!

Read the first 3 chapters on wattpad HERE

Author page on Amazon

VOLUME ONE: Starlight Saga

Is a star-crossed romance worth sacrificing your own life?

High school senior Sloane Masterson lives a quiet existence. She has awesome friends, gets excellent grades, and writes a column for the Haven Gazette. But her life goes from dullsville to bizarro when she witnesses mysterious loner Hayden Lancaster performing some freaky superhuman feats.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, and she’s not above stalking. But one look into Hayden’s remarkable eyes, and she’s crushing hard.

Even at the swoonworthy hunk’s insistence that hanging out with girls like Sloane is “off limits” by his strange family, she can’t resist him or wanting to solve the mystery.

Things get really complicated when a beautiful alien sets her sights on Hayden—and this devious girl’s not looking for a green card!

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and getting a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating. As their diverse worlds collide and the romantic sparks fly, Sloane must decide if Hayden’s secrets are worth risking her life to protect.

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Author Sherry Soule

Sherry Soule

Award-winning author, Sherry Soule writes thrilling tales of romance and suspense, often mingled with a dash of the mystical and a splash of trendy fashion.
Her published novels do not include any graphic sex, explicit violence, or excessive profanity, so that all of her novels can be read and enjoyed by both teens and adults .
Sherry currently lives with her family and one very spoiled black cat in California’s San Francisco Bay Area.

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Places you can cyberstalk Sherry Soule:

Official Blog ~ Twitter

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

 

COVER REVEAL

SECTION 51 and DEPARTMENT 51

PROJECT SOLSTICE SERIES

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Adult Science Fiction by VG Harrison

Section 51 (Book #1) will be released November 12, 2013

Empath Ava Frost is searching for her triplet brother, Ian, who’s disappeared without a trace. When she learns he’s been murdered and his death covered up, she also discovers a terrifying secret that could endanger billions of people across the planet…

Skinwalkers, vampires, and werewolves – the entire supernatural world, in fact – are the result of breeding between humans and aliens who crash-landed on earth thousands of years ago. Now, Section 51 is a super top-secret facility dedicated to splicing alien genes with human ones to create an unstoppable army of soldiers.

Determined to hunt down her brother’s killer, Ava inadvertently becomes the target of Colonel Briggs, the megalomaniac in charge of Section 51. He has plans for Ava’s unique abilities…plans that would give him the key to world domination. And if she doesn’t unravel the mystery Ian left behind, Briggs will splice it out of her as well as her last surviving brother.

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Department 51 (Book #2) will be released November 12, 2013

Ava Frost has spent the past three months mourning the death of her brother, Ian, but now she’s facing criminal charges from Department 51 – charges that could put her in federal prison for the rest of her life unless she accepts their “work-release” deal.

She can hardly stand working for the organization she blames for the death of her brother, yet while on the Department 51 base, she makes a chilling discovery… a sentient, complex computer program called Ian 2 has been imprinted with her brother’s anagrams. More shocking, the computer is linked to her brain, sharing the same organic metal as her cybernetic implant.

Department 51 wants her to disable Ian 2, but when an alien craft threatens the Earth, Ava discovers her brother’s computer program may be the only key to deciphering the invaders’ intentions. Can she use Ian 2 to stop the alien invasion? Or will she be forced to save herself when a band of supernaturals try to remove her implant and Ian 2 can’t reach her?
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About the Author

Science ficiton 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 my writing and me? 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 paranormal. 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 Battlestar Galactica on DVD. As for Defiance, I’m really trying to get into it. So far, so meh.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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I’m so ready for some alien reading!

I just can’t ever get enough of otherworldly beings.  Just picture this!

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This is what I envision when I think of aliens coming to Earth. Very disturbing, eh?

So, do you believe in aliens? Do you think they are watching us or may already be among us?

One thing I feel for sure. If they do come, I don’t think they’ll be bringing us the cure for cancer or anything good. They’ll come for food (meaning us!) or for our resources.

Just sayin!

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I’m so excited to be a part of the tour for Sanctuary!

It’s October, the season for tricks or treats.

This was a treat for sure!

There’s so much to show you.

Read the early praise for Sanctuary. Watch the book trailers.

Check out the peek inside Sanctuary and enjoy the note from the author.

And enjoy my review.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Did I mention I had a lot to show you?!!!

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                      ISBN-13 – 9781491072066

Title – Sanctuary

Author – Pauline Creeden

Pub Date – October 10, 2013 (Paperback)

                   September 30, 2013 (eBook pre-release)

Price – $9.99

Description

“Left Behind for the Hunger Games Generation”

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

Advance Praise

“Pauline Creeden managed to mix more genres into one book than I could possibly imagine. The overall concept, aliens attacking the earth, is straight out of Science Fiction, but then you throw in a few zombies and post-apocalyptic fiction with how the dead/sick humans are acting. Overall, the entire story was charged with the adrenaline and thrills of a suspense/thriller novel, but the mood was terrifyingly eerie like a Horror story. There was almost too much sensory information for my primitive human brain to handle. Still, all of these genres combined made for one unique and fascinating story. This kind of book is of the same flavor as The Hunger Games with its originality, which I really appreciated.” – Katelyn Hensel for Readers’ Favorite

“Sanctuary is a fast-paced Christian fantasy thriller that is original and quite entertaining. The story revolves around Jennie and her family, Pastor Billy and his wife, and two brothers who are polar opposites of each other. Each chapter is presented in the point of view of Jennie, Brad or Hugh (the brothers), which gives Pauline Creeden’s Sanctuary, a multidimensional feel. The three different story-lines merge into a full-fledged fantasy/horror novel that never sags or lets up on the action. While there are Christian themes present in Sanctuary, and Jennie’s faith is an important part of who she is, I, a non-Christian, did not feel I was being preached to or proselytized. I recommend Pauline Creeden’s Sanctuary — it’s well-written and a lot of fun to read.” – Jack Magnus for Readers Favorite

*****

My Review

As the story begins, the aliens have already damaged the sun, causing perpetual twilight during the day, making it difficult to grow crops. And they’ve contaminated the water supply, which has killed off one-third of Earth’s population.

As the aliens don’t do anything further for quite some time, just hover in the skies, people try to go about their daily lives.

But the aliens unleash something horrific, something beyond imagination, and it has serious repercussions, killing off another third of the population.

This is where things really get dicey.

What comes next? Are they planning on wiping us out completely? Or do they have something else in store?

Once I started reading Sanctuary I happened to glance at the cover and realized how perfectly it represented the story. The church is in the background and Jenny is prominent, just as she is in the book.

Jenny never did get to return for her second year of college. The aliens attacked again and life as she knew it crumbled.

Now, she’s separated from her parents and has to protect her five-year old brother.

I admire Jenny. She’s a young woman, alone, facing something we couldn’t even imagine. What she focuses on is getting her and her little brother to safety.

She’s scared to death as she navigates the streets. But she has keen instincts and stays sharp when things get really bad. She’s a natural nurturer and has a heart of gold.

You’ll get to know Hugh and Brad, the brothers.

Hugh was a teacher at Jenny’s old highschool. He was trapped in his apartment building. When people were being attacked in the street, his first instinct was to go outside and help, but the apartment manager wouldn’t risk unlocking the doors.

When he finally does leave his apartment, he ends up at the church. There he runs into his younger brother Brad.

There is no love lost between these two.

Brad is lucky when he stumbles upon the church. But he didn’t much like the fact his brother was there.

I liked Hugh. He was a quiet, introspective man. Willing to help in any way he could.

Brad was another story all together. Every story needs a villain and he seemed to wear the title proudly. He was arrogant and self-serving. Quite the spoiled brat. And he never missed a chance to get under Hugh’s skin. One thing he did had me thinking he might be redeemable but I can’t spoil it for you.

Each chapter is told from the points of view of Jenny, Hugh, and Brad, but they flow easily and you quickly recognize their individual voices.

This is listed as a christian thriller, but it’s not like any you’ve read before. There are aliens, dog/lion creatures that bite you and turn you into zombies, and the disturbing situations you have to deal with when in a group, struggling to survive.

I was kind of reminded of Stephen King’s The Mist, when they are all confined in the grocery store. Not everybody likes each other or gets along. Life and death situations make people do weird things.

While Jenny draws on her religious beliefs to get her through this, I never felt like I was being preached at. If anything, she had me asking myself how I would hold up, what would I turn to. And with so much going on, I was kept busy following the action, trying to stay one step ahead of the horror.

The religious tones in this story are a natural progression and make it more real. Look at all of the disaster movies and books out there. So many of them have people gathering at a church, either for spiritual strength or just solace in the company of others.

If you like a mix of genres, some science fiction and fantasy with your horror, I recommend you read Sanctuary. It keeps you connected, never bogs down, and there’s plenty of action and danger.

5 STARS

*****

YouTube book Trailers:

http://youtu.be/tVQNvPzk3rc

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

Why on earth did I write a Christian novel that has both aliens and zombies in it?

When I was a teen/young adult and my faith was wavering at best, there were several movies out with the likely design to shake faith even more. End of the world movies were in their hay day. Alien invasion was another big one. And I couldn’t help but wonder. If something like this actually happened, would anyone be able to maintain their faith?

And now today, Zombies are on the rise.

Could aliens be reconciled with the Bible? Zombies? This is the purpose of Sanctuary.

Because of its poetic nature, the book of Revelation lends itself to a plethora of interpretation. I am not saying that my book is the only true possibility, but it could be one. Could not demons be misinterpreted as alien life forms? Might not Satan use this mirage to his advantage to explain the bitter water or the blotting out of the sun, moon, and stars?  And then there’s Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

Zombies?

If anyone reading this book at least opens themselves up to the fact that yes, a biblical interpretation could resolve the problems between faith and an apocalyptic reality, then Sanctuary has completed its purpose.

EXCERPT:

When Jennie reached the back door, she saw them. Four large dog-like creatures with pinched faces like bulldogs and lion-like manes. They snarled, and one of them leapt at the window on the top half of the door when it saw her. Jennie jumped back and fell hard on the cold tile floor. The bottle of painkiller bounced across the kitchen tiles. The creature slammed against the window a second time, cracking it. She blinked hard. Her heart sunk, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. A horrendous gargling howl rent the air, causing a shiver down her spine. She held her breath and waited for the creature to slam into the door again.

“What on earth?” she whispered to herself.

When the third attempt never came, she scrambled toward the door. Blinking hard, she used the door knob to help herself stand. Out the cracked window, her mother was still out of sight, but the last of the dogs headed across the field behind her backyard.

“MOM?” Jennie called out.

The rumbling faded, and the vibrations in her chest receded with the dogs. She pulled open the door and rushed onto their back deck. “Mom, where are you?”

When she reached the banister, she looked over the side. Her mom lay sprawled with one hand on the lattice. Blood gushed from Mom’s leg and her opposite arm. Jennie’s ears rang and flooded with every beat of her heart.

Jennie didn’t know how she got to the second floor of her house, but she found herself shaking her sleeping father. How had he slept through the rumbling? “Outside, it’s Mom…”

Her father leapt from the bed. Mickey, her little brother, lay asleep and undisturbed. Dad ran down the stairs and outside in his flannel pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. He scooped Mom up to his chest and carried her inside. Blood stained his shirt in crimson.

“Jennie, call 911!”  Her father had said it at least three times before it finally registered in her brain.

She pulled the cell phone from her pocket, but it refused to connect. With a groan, she grabbed the cordless from the wall receiver, glad her heart stopped pounding in her head so she could hear.

“All operators are busy at this time,” a mechanical voice deadpanned, “Please stay on the line, and the next available operator will take your call.”

“They have me on hold, Dad. Should I hang up and try again?” She held the phone in both hands away from her face.

“No, just stay on the line.” Her father lifted the shredded jeans from Mom’s leg. “It looks like a shark bite. What on earth happened?”

Jennie took in the damage through tear-filled eyes. A huge chunk was taken from her mother’s calf, exposing the fibrous tendons that covered the bone in her leg. A bloodstain grew on the beige couch. Was she going to die? Panic rose up.

“What happened, Jennie?”

“I…I…They looked like lions, or dogs, or something. The rumbling shook the whole house…I tried to go outside to get Mom, but—” A sob blocked her throat.

Her father grabbed a throw pillow and held it against the leg. Mom’s exposed forearm laid across her chest in much the same condition as her calf.

“Grab me the duct tape.”

Jennie suddenly remembered the phone, put it back to her ear, and headed to the hall closet. She reached for the shelf above the jackets and grabbed the junk basket next to the toolbox.

“Please stay on the line. An operator will be with you shortly.”

She shoved the phone in the crook of her neck and fished through the box.  Half the contents dropped around her feet. Who cares? When her fingers wrapped around the silver duct tape, a short-lived relief sent prickles down her arms. But the urgency gripped her chest in less than a heart beat, and she threw the junk basket on the ground with the rest of the items.

“Hurry, Jennie!” her father called from the living room. “And turn on the TV. Maybe they’ll have something about what’s going on.”

She handed her father the tape and turned toward the TV. The mechanical voice on the phone came through again, followed by more easy listening.

When she clicked on the TV, the shouting and wailing began before the picture warmed up on the screen. A sideways picture of New York City broke through, with the shaky voice of the newscaster voicing over.

“What we are watching now – I can’t believe it – is live footage of Times Square,” the newscaster’s voice paused for a deep breath. “We’ve lost our man on the scene and his camera man to what appears to be some kind of new alien creature. Just a short half-hour ago, the doors to the ship that hovered above Central Park opened and these dog-like creatures flooded out.”

Jennie couldn’t pull her eyes from the screen. She straightened and dropped the phone on the hardwood. The battery popped out and skidded across the floor.

~~~~~

Pauline Creeden

In simple language, Pauline Creeden breaks down Biblical stories and applies them to real life in new ways. Her methods of teaching have brought new light to old scriptures. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

She is the Admin for Spirit Filled Kindle and an administrator for Readers’ Realm. Her articles, reviews, and devotionals have been featured in RUBY FOR WOMEN Magazine, Devotionals for Bloggers, Faith Filled Family Magazine, and Christian Fiction Book Reviews.

One of Pauline’s short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group. She is currently editing and drafting several novels at various stages.

 

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Prizes:

Swag Pack

Signed Paperback of Sanctuary

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

I love book trailers. They;re like mini movies and really help me relate to the content and characters.

I can’t resist the book after watching!

Sanctuary

By: Pauline Creeden

Expected Publication Date: September 30th, 2013

Published by AltWit Press 

 

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. 

 

Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

(more…)

WWW Wednesday

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Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

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What are you currently reading?

 Falling Stars (A Surah Stormsong Novel, Book #2)

by H.D. Gordon

18332658

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Surah Stormsong’s life has fallen down around her in the past week. Her father is in a coma induced by demon poison, two Highborn Sorceresses have been murdered, and a crazed Sorcerer by the name of Black Heart has made it his mission to take the kingdom for his own. As princess, and next in line to the throne, Surah is his primary target. But he’s not the only one she has to look out for.
Now, Surah is on the run, having just helped Charlie Redmine escape from the castle dungeons. This makes her a traitor in the eyes of many, as Charlie is not only a common man suspected of murder and treason, but also Black Heart’s younger brother.
The stars are crossed against the two lovers, the universe trying to keep them apart. In the end, will the stars align for Surah and Charlie, or will they fall from the heavens, dead and lifeless, like the tears of angels?

~~~~~

What did you recently finish reading?

Resilient

by Patricia Vanasse

16247958

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Livia has never felt like she fits in. As normal as it sounds, Livia is anything but ordinary. She can feel every emotion of every single person around her, and it’s maddening. In pursuit of some psychic quiet, she moves with her family from New York City to Whidbey Island in the lush and sleepy Pacific Northwest. But when a horseback riding accident in her new home gives her a broken leg that heals in a day, she finds that another unexplainable ability has manifested, and her life isn’t about to get any easier.
Adam has no problem fitting in and making friends. In fact, he’s the top of the school, the boy everyone knows and loves. However, people only see what he allows them to. No one knows what Adam is truly capable of. After witnessing Livia’s accident, Adam sees something intriguing in her quick recovery, something that gives him hope that he’s not alone.
Adam is the only one whose emotions Livia can’t read. Afraid of not knowing what goes on behind his dark eyes, Livia decides to keep him at a distance. Yet the more she tries to ignore him, the more alluring he becomes, and while their personal quests for identity will inevitably bring them closer together, it is the confirmation of what they really are that threatens to tear them apart.

Resilient, told in alternating point of views, is a gripping story of survival and romance, in which two teenagers face the consequences of being anything but normal.

~~~~~

What do you think you’ll read next?

Elysian Fields

by Suzanne Johnson

16059404

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An undead serial killer comes for DJ in this thrilling third installment of Suzanne Johnson’s Sentinels of New Orleans series. The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi. New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans. Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren’t random—an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard. Namely, DJ.Combatting an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn’t easy. Jake Warin’s loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world’s most annoying wizard, and former partner Alex Warin just turned up on DJ’s to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte’s pirate wench could be DJ’s best option.
~~~~~

So, whatcha readin?

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Welcome to My Monday Minis.

This is where I review very short stories and flash fiction.

For today I’ll be telling you about Hummingbirds

by William Sharp 

Hummingbirds

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John and Carley have found the perfect getaway.

When Carley spotted the rustic cabin for sale on-line, there was no stopping her.

The idealic little cabin with its panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado was an escape after the noise and stress of New York.

Still very much in love after six years of marriage, they are quite happy with just each other for company.

While enjoying his morning cup of coffee and the breathtaking scenery, John’s peace is shattered when he sees Carley stumble out of the brush and collapse.

She’s rushed to the CDC’s Genetic Displacement Lab, where she comes to and is able to tell what happened to her on her morning walk.

A hummingbird had attacked her. She knew immediately it was one of them, and hurried to get to the cabin before the symptoms overtook her.

The first thing that caught my attention was what could a little old hummingbird do to cause such distress.

Well, these aren’t really hummingbirds, they are just labeled as such because they look similar to them.

These things are actually hatched from meteorites that made it through our atmosphere and landed in various locations.

They are indiscriminate creatures, attacking men, women, children, and animals, injecting their victims with something.

If that’s not creepy enough, their injections cause irreversible changes.

A really good horror story is one where you have a real connection to the characters and are concerned for their well-being.

In this case, I just hated what might happen to these two. The author had me connect and like them immediately, so I felt sadness for Carley and John. I wanted to go back and change what happened.

The author had all of the power and wielded it well. I was completely hooked right to the bitter end.

If you like horror and science fiction, I recommend you read Hummingbirds.

It has a lasting impression.

4 Stars

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The term Trochilidae isn’t what these creatures are called. It’s the latin word for hummingbird and I just used it for my title because it sounded alien!

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William Sharp

William    Sharp

William Sharp is a life-long scifi fan. He has been writing for pleasure since he was a child, right on through creative writing in high school and college, and lots of medical/technical/professional writing in his career as a litigation attorney.

William’s stories are heavily influenced by the themes and style of Golden Age and some New Wave scifi. He believes the most memorable scifi stories explore the human condition, human interactions, and common human problems, against a backdrop containing futuristic scifi elements. The writings of Arthur C. Clarke, Harlan Ellison, Issac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein are the most influential to his work

William is married and lives in Texas. He dabbles in acting in community theater, enjoys playing the guitar, and has just recently written his first one-act stage play. He loves his wonderful German Shepherd named Liesl and loves even more his terrific wife and three kids, all of whom would kill him if he repeated their names here.

You can find the author and his books HERE.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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Feeling like stepping out of the moment, doing a bit of space travel?

Join us on the tour for Coming From Nowhere.

An epic Science Ficton adventure/thriller.

 Coming From Nowhere
Pembroke Sinclair

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Genre:  Sci Fi

Publisher:  eTreasures Publishing

Date of Publication:  November 5, 2009

ISBN-10: 1616582774

ISBN-13: 978-1616582777

Number of pages:  226

Amazon   eTreasures

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Book Description:

JD does not have a past–at least not one that she can remember–and that makes living life on Mars challenging.

With nowhere to go, she is sent to the local military academy where she is trained to become a member of the elite secret police. While there, she becomes a pawn in Roger’s struggle for military dominance and Chris’s rebellion to overthrow the military regime.

She supposedly holds a secret that will change the face of the soldier, but, unfortunately, she doesn’t know what that secret is. Her only desire is to find the truth of her existence, and finds herself thrust into a realm where the truth of her past and present is more horrific than she ever imagined.

~~~~~~~

 Enjoy this peek inside Coming From Nowhere

CHAPTER ONE

JD stared out the cockpit at the blackness beyond, wondering how she had gotten into this situation. So much had happened in the short time she had been awake, and she didn’t understand half of it. Where had she gone wrong? She reached out and placed her hand on the glass. The coolness migrated from her fingertips to her wrist, and she leaned forward and placed her forehead next to her hand. She closed her eyes, and the tears dropped onto her cheeks.

The door slid open and shut silently, but JD didn’t realize anyone was there until they placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look upon Alex. He stood just a few inches taller than JD, and was a very muscular man. He had jet-black hair cropped close, ice blue eyes, and a square jaw. His mouth was normally cocked to one side in a half grin and there was a sparkle to his eyes, but as she looked at him, his lips were turned downward in a frown and his eyes were glassy and red.

“We’re here,” he spoke softly.

JD wiped the tears away from her cheeks as Alex slid an arm around her waist. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and the pair hobbled their way down the loading ramp. As they made their way to the bottom, the light temporarily blinded them both. When she was able to focus, JD was astonished by the towering white city before her. Huge buildings with pillars, reminiscent of the Greek and Roman temples, rose thousands of feet into the blue sky and stretched out to the right and left as far as the eye could see, surrounding them in all directions. She noticed that Maxx and Dale were a few feet in front with a stretcher suspended between them. Her breath caught as she noticed Chris. His breathing was shallow and the skin that wasn’t covered with cuts and bruises was a pasty white.

They continued forward onto the marble landing pad when a group of women dressed brightly in red togas emerged from the building. Ten of them lined either side of the walkway and stood at attention with spears clutched between their hands. A woman in a radiant white gown with a gold sash and flowing cape followed them. Alex and JD made their way to the woman. It wasn’t until after he had kissed her knuckles that JD recognized who she was.

“JD,” Lady Celia spoke, “you look like utter hell.”

Celia had long black hair that fell to her waist. She was slender with a dark complexion, and had dark red lips that sat on a perfectly oval face. Her brown eyes sparkled with sympathy as she looked JD up and down.

“Please, get them inside. The doctor will be with them shortly.” She waved her hand and ushered the group in.

They made their way through the foyer into a large square room adorned with pillars and statues and furnished with chaise lounges and plants. It was painted white, but had accents of gold. The lady stopped and directed Maxx and Dale to take Chris into a room off to the right, then proceeded toward Alex and JD.

“You can put her in the room next to Chris’s. I have summoned a doctor, and she should be here at any moment.”

Alex nodded and proceeded to take JD to her room. She stopped him before they got to the door and requested that she be taken into Chris’s room. Alex obliged, and Maxx left the room to drag in one of the lounge chairs. Alex set her gently down on the cushions, and they all stared at the unconscious man before them.

No one spoke; no one knew what to say. They just stared in silence until the doctor burst into the room.

She was an older woman with graying hair and lines that curved from the outside of her eyes and mouth. She glanced at Chris briefly and muttered a “My God” before grabbing her stethoscope and beginning the examination. After a few moments, she turned to Alex and Celia.

“We have got to get him to the hospital. I don’t have the equipment here to do anything for him.”

Alex shook his head. “We can’t do that, ma’am. If you let us know what you need, we can send someone to get it.”

The doctor furrowed her brow. “He could have internal bleeding, and the only way I would be able to catch it is by doing a series of tests. You have to let me take him to the hospital.”

Alex took a deep breath and covered his mouth with his hands. He stood silently for a moment, then dropped his hands and sighed again. “It’s too dangerous. Please do the best you can for him here.”

The doctor set her jaw and folded her arms across her chest. “I will not be responsible for him if he dies. If anything happens, let it be on your head.”

Alex nodded. “Fine. Whatever you say. Just, please, help him.”

She turned back to Chris and finished her examination. She jotted down a quick list of supplies she needed from the hospital and handed it to Lady Celia. Alex followed her out of the room, and the doctor turned her attention toward JD. She knelt on the floor in front of her and opened her bag.

“Well, at least yours is a bit more manageable.”

The doctor turned JD’s head from side to side, and pulled some cotton balls and alcohol out of her bag. She dabbed the ball until it was wet, then placed it on the side of JD’s head. JD flinched and jerked away as the liquid burned into her skin, but the doctor didn’t give up.

“Sorry, I’m sure that stings a bit.” She dabbed at the wound again before letting out an “Oh,” and reaching for something else in her bag. “I didn’t think it was that deep, but after cleaning out the dirt, it’s a bit more substantial.”

She instructed JD to lie down on the chaise lounge, and she took a seat next to her. The doctor explained that she needed to put in a few stitches, but she was first going to apply a numbing agent. JD listened without hearing, her gaze focused on Chris. She saw out of the corner of her eye the flash of the doctor’s needle and the black thread as it sutured the wound, but she had no realization of what was going on. Scissors clicked next to her ear.

“OK, that should take care of that,” the doctor’s voice spoke next to her head, and JD felt her pat her shoulder. “Could I please get you to sit up and take off your shirt for me?”

Mechanically, JD did as she was instructed. She was pulled out of her daze by a sharp pain in her side, and turned to watch as the doctor gently prodded her ribs. She noticed for the first time that a deep purple bruise covered her right side.

“Sorry,” the doctor murmured and poked softer. She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. “I’m guessing a couple of them are cracked, but I don’t have the luxury of an X-ray. Is your breathing all right?”

JD met the woman’s gaze and nodded slowly. “It hurts a little, but I can manage.”

The doctor shrugged. “All right.” She reached into her bag and pulled out two bottles. She pointed one in JD’s direction. “This one is an antibiotic. You need to take it three times a day until gone.” She pointed the other one at her. “This one is a pain killer. Take them every four hours as needed for pain, but don’t exceed six in a twenty-four hour period.” She handed over the bottles. “I’ve done all I can for you right now. I suggest going next door to your room and taking a shower before anything else gets infected.”

JD was about to obey the doctor’s orders when Celia and Alex entered the room. They were followed by a few of the guards in the red robes who were dragging in equipment. The doctor jumped to her feet and instructed the group on where everything needed to go. JD waited until Chris had been hooked up to an IV, breathing machine, and heart monitor and the doctor began to clean and dress his wounds before slipping out.

She found her room, which was small and decorated with a bed that had gold head and footboards, a few pillows, and a chest at the end. She made her way into the bathroom, which was decorated in blue and white tiles, and almost didn’t recognize herself in the mirror. Her left temple was twice its normal size, black with a bruise and speckled with dried blood. Both eyes were swollen and bruised, her lips were cut and fat, and crusted blood lined both nostrils. The areas on her face that weren’t covered with contusions or blood were smeared with gray dirt. Her hair was either matted with blood or twisted in a rat’s nests. Her clothes were shredded and caked with filth.

As she stepped into the open shower, the water streamed on from jets in two of the walls and the ceiling. Lowering her head, she let the hot water massage the back of her neck. The black and red water swirled in the drain, and she waited for it to be mostly clear before using shampoo and soap.

When she finished, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She made her way back into the bedroom and noticed a change of clothes and a gold tray with a water pitcher, cheese, grapes, and sausage on the chest. She pulled on the billowy pleated tank top and skirt, grabbed the tray, and proceeded next door to Chris’s room.

The room was empty and silent, except for the occasional hiss of the breathing machine and the almost inaudible beep of the heart monitor. JD made her way to the chaise lounge and set the tray down. She downed half of the water and the majority of cheese and sausage before leaning back on the chair. She stared at Chris’s motionless body and the tears flowed from her eyes. JD had no idea how long she sat like that, or how many tears she cried, but exhaustion eventually took over, and she fell asleep.

Whispered voices broke through her unconscious and brought her out of her sleep. She cracked open one eye and noticed that Celia and the doctor were speaking next to Chris’s bed; the doctor was right in the middle of changing out the IV bag.

“You do know what kind of danger you are putting Feiss in, don’t you?” the doctor hissed as she hung the new bag on the pole.

“Of course I do, but what was I supposed to do? You know how much Alex has done for us. I couldn’t just turn him away.”

“They’ll be looking for them. It’s best if they don’t linger for long.”

Celia wrapped her arms around her chest and nodded.

“They may have to leave him here.”

Involuntarily, JD sucked in a deep breath. Both women turned to face her.

“JD, you’re awake.” Celia moved away from the doctor and sat on the edge of the chair.

The doctor finished what she was doing before scowling at Celia and leaving the room.

“How’s he doing?” JD pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Celia licked her lips and averted her gaze to her lap. She took a deep breath and held it for a second. “The doctor isn’t too optimistic about Chris’s recovery.”

JD looked at Chris; Celia’s voice still drifted into her ears but it sounded far off.

“She says he has sustained massive head trauma, and it is a possibility he may not come out of the coma.” Her voice trailed off. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

JD didn’t know how to respond. She stared, silently. What was she going to do if Chris didn’t wake up? What would happen to her? So few people had been involved in her life, and he was the only one who had been there from the beginning. He was the only one who knew everything about her.

“Oh, JD,” Celia’s voice brought her out of her daze. “We’ve got to do something about your hair.” She stood from the chair and disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned, she had a comb and began to work on JD’s knots.

The small tugs caused JD’s headache to return, but she didn’t say a word.

“What happened to you guys?” Celia’s question was quiet, cautious.

JD averted her gaze to the floor and shook her head. “We broke one of Roger’s rules.”

“Which one?”

The tears sprang back into JD’s eyes, but she wiped them away before they fell. “I don’t know.”

“Not like it makes that much difference when you’re dealing with Roger.”

“What did the doctor mean when she said we were putting Feiss in danger?”

Celia sighed. “Feiss is the capital of the Andromeda galaxy and publicly independent. We have no affiliation with Mars’ militia, and are free to trade with whomever we chose. I rule over a few, small, sparsely populated planets, and the Independents pride themselves on staying out of the rest of the universes’ problems. Of course, most of the reason for that is because we don’t have a large army.” She finished working the knots out of JD’s hair and sat down next to her. “By hiding you here, we are no longer staying neutral in the affairs of the galaxy.”

“What will they do to you if they find us?”

Celia shrugged her shoulders. JD noticed her eyes move to look at something or someone behind her. She stood up quickly and walked to the door where she conversed briefly with one of the guards in a red toga. She turned back to JD, apologized, and exited the room.

JD stared at Chris for another moment before deciding to find the other guys. She stood slowly from the chaise and after checking the other rooms, made her way outside. The sunlight was brilliant, but before she was temporarily blinded, she caught the silhouette of the ship in the distance. She waited for her eyes to adjust, then stared at the ship, which was one hundred yards long with a tapered front that curved down like a beak; the cockpit was behind and on top of the curve, completing the look of the bird’s head. The back fanned out like a tail, while the wings extended out on either side. It stood on two landing gears that had bases that spread out like toes and curved down to points like talons. The door was open and the ramp extended under the left wing; she walked up it slowly, mesmerized by the bottom of the wing. She stretched up and touched it; the metal was smooth and cool on her palm, and she noticed that there weren’t any seams of any kind on the ship. Intrigued and bewildered, she walked down the ramp and around the ship, looking for some indication of how it was put together, but found nothing. As she came out from under the ship, McKinnon was standing at the base of the ramp with his arms crossed.

He was an older man, somewhere in his fifties, with graying hair buzzed into a spike. He had a tanned wrinkled face, and pale blue eyes set deep under a prominent brow ridge with thick eyebrows. His nose was wide and crooked, and he had full lips, which smiled slightly at her. He had a square jaw with a cleft chin, and a slender body that stood a head taller than JD.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

JD limped over to him. “Probably. I was wondering where everyone was.”

He nodded toward the inside of the ship. “They’re trying to figure what to do next.”

She made her way up the ramp and found Alex, Dale, and Maxx in a circle. Dale was in his late twenties and was a few inches shorter than JD. His block-like body was pure muscle and stood in contrast to his round smooth baby-face. His red hair was shaved close to his scalp, and his green eyes twinkled as they moved to take in his surroundings. His thin red lips curled into a tiny smile as she entered the room.

Maxx was a very dark black man with a slender yet muscular physique. He looked to be in his late forties and stood a few inches taller than McKinnon. Like Dale, his hair was shaved close to his scalp. He had dark brown eyes, a thin face with high cheekbones, and full lips under a pointy nose. They had been speaking in hushed tones, contemplating what their next move would be, but they went silent as she entered. Alex turned, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Is everything OK?” He took a step toward her.

She nodded, and lowered herself into one of the bench seats that lined the wall. She took a moment to catch her breath.

“What are we going to do?” she asked when she could breathe normally.

“We’re going to leave. We can’t stay and endanger Celia and her people.”

She felt a lump develop in her throat. “What about Chris?” The question came out as a whisper.

Alex turned his gaze from her face and looked at his men, they averted their gaze to the floor. “We can’t leave him here.”

“That might kill him.”

Alex took a deep breath, and swallowed hard. “That might be out of our hands now. We’re going to try and leave in two hours.”

It took a moment for Alex’s words to sink in, but when they did, JD felt an overwhelming desire to be back with Chris. She forced herself up from the seat and made her way back into Chris’s room. She crawled into the bed and laid her head on his chest, wrapping her arm around his waist. She tried to imagine what the world would be like if Chris was dead. The tears started to flow again, and she shook the thoughts out of her head. Inadvertently, she drifted back to sleep.

She dreamed she was sitting in Chris’s room, as he lay connected to his respirator and IV, while Alex stood behind her with Lady Celia, McKinnon, and Roger, whispering quietly amongst themselves and pointing at Chris. She couldn’t understand what they were saying, and she didn’t understand why Roger was there, but the whispers kept getting louder and louder until it was static that filled the room. She covered her ears and stared at Chris; his skin was ghostly white and tight against his bones. He was sitting up, eyes wide in horror. His mouth was moving, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying, so she placed her ear next to his mouth; he kept repeating, “I still have time. You can’t do this. I still have time.” His attention never drifted from the group on the other side of the room. JD moved to ask what he meant, only to find that he had melted into a skeleton. As she pulled away, her eyes popped open.

Chris was sitting up in his bed, his swollen eyes prevented him from staring wild-eyed, but he was repeating the same phrase she had heard in her dream.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and began shaking his shoulders gently, his body jerked and his head turned toward her, his brown eyes twinkled through tiny slits, and he croaked out her name. She squeezed him, tears dripping down her face, then she laid him back down, explaining to him that she would be right back before she made her way out of the room as fast as she could. She found the boys where she had left them and told them what had happened. They made it back to the room before she did. Chris’s hands were extended and grabbing at the air; he was whimpering and wondering if anyone was there.

Alex grabbed his hands and assured him that he wasn’t alone.

“Are we safe? Did you get her far enough from Roger?” There was a sense of urgency in his voice.

Alex placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’re safe. You don’t need to worry about that now.”

“I’ve taken every precaution to ensure your protection while you’re under my care,” Celia spoke in the same low tone.

“Is that you Celia?” Chris tried to raise his head. “I can’t see you. Where are you?”

“I’m right here,” she moved around the bed and took his hand.

At that moment, the doctor burst into the room and began to examine Chris. When she finished, she turned to the group and explained that everything seemed to be in order. She still didn’t recommend him traveling, but she also knew that they couldn’t leave him there. They tried to figure out how he would be the safest on the journey. When they figured out the best solution, they left the room to finish the preparations for leaving. JD curled back into the bed with Chris and snuggled next to him. He moved so that his cheek rested on the top of her head, and they stayed like that until it was time to leave.

Dale, Alex, and Maxx secured Chris into the ship before takeoff. Lady Celia had followed them into the room, and JD watched her kneel next to the bed and whisper something in his ear. As she walked past, she kissed JD on the cheek, and headed down the ramp. The rest of the group secured themselves in their seats and braced for takeoff. The pressure increased on JD’s chest as they attempted to break the gravitational pull, then disappeared as they entered space.

The crew left the cockpit and headed to other parts of the ship to take care of their duties. JD stayed behind and stared out at the blackness. They were headed to the planet of Simmstiniga, a backwater mining world that owed allegiance to Alex. Chris assured her that they would be safe there for a while, but JD found it hard to believe that was true. Her mind kept drifting back to the past year and how everything she thought was safe fell apart.

About the Author: 

Pembroke Sinclair

In 2009, eTreasures Publishing published my first novel, a sci fi adventure story.  Since then, they have published my two YA zombie novels, my religious zombie novella, two children’s picture books, and two novellas with romantic elements.  I have an urban fantasy novel about dragons and a vampire novelette that was published by MuseItUp Publishing.

Musa Publishing has published my novelette with romantic elements and a collection of short stories.  I have a middle grade urban fantasy novel that was published by Little Devil Books.

My nonfiction book about slasher films was published by Scarecrow Press.

I write under several different pen names.  For my children’s titles, I write under J.D. Pooker, and for my YA and adult novels, I write under Pembroke Sinclair.  My nonfiction work is done under my real name.

Blog  http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/jessicarobinsonauthor

Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3522214.Pembroke_Sinclair

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/Pembroke-Sinclair/e/B007RFYJ6W/

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