Steel Deal Huge Giveaway HO! HO! HO!

Posted: December 1, 2012 in Action/Adventure, crime thriller, fiction, giveaways, Mystery, reviews, suspense, thriller
Tags: , , ,

In the spirit of the holidays, I am hosting a wonderful giveaway for James Blakley, author of The Steal Deal. Details are following my review.

The Steel Deal

by James Blakley

The Steel Deal

It all started with the horses. Sonny Busco, private eye, aged 55, thought playing the horses would help him make ends meet. Business had dried up and he needed money badly. Living without running water or a telephone was not good for business, or for him.

He figured he’d cash in on the ponies, but as it usually goes, he lost. Enter Gator Grimes, the loan shark.

Sonny borrows $500 and before you know it, it’s $1.500. When he can’t meet the payment deadline, friends of Gator come callin.

Ziggy and Sully don’t get quite the reaction they were expecting from Sonny. He’s more like, can’t we be friends, than scared.

“You’re too chilly,” Sully carped. “You take the fun out of the collection biz.”

Things get worked out and Sonny gets an extension, a costly one. Then, as luck would have it, he gets a client.

Pixy Sage looks like her name. She’s a petite thing with short platinum blonde hair and black, large framed glasses. She looks like a school kid. But her offer is all grown-up.

$2,500 large to retrieve a package and have it in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 24 hours. Doesn’t sound like too big of a deal.

He could pay off Gator and maybe pay for the repairs on his car. The rusty olds still had some life in her, and he didn’t think the sleek black Stealth he was driving was right for spying on people. He kind of stood out from the crowd in it, but when Hub offered to loan it to him, he couldn’t resist.

It brought back memories of Magnum P. I. except Sonny’s a little slower, older and portly.

Sonny retrieves the package easily enough, but before he can even get to his car the men in black appear. And the woman who steps out of his loaner is taking the package even if she has to pry it from his cold dead fingers. What’s a guy to do, he tosses it to her and ducks for cover. The next sound he hears is his car being driven away.

So now he has no car, no package and no idea where they went. The sentient steel in that package must be the real deal.
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tuvnz2W_pc]
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Sentient steel makes me think of the cop in Terminator Two.  It’s flexible, lightweight and incredibly strong and it can think and become whatever it chooses.

Now Sonny has a much bigger job and a sleuthing he will go.

I loved this book. The names and expressions the characters use when speaking were reminiscent of the old P.I. shows. I could just see Peter Faulk in Columbo, with his rumpled clothes and cloud of smoke following him, driving that old clunker. His appearance disguised a brilliant deductive mind, just like Sonny’s.

I even liked the bad guys. How could I not. They are so well written. The author makes it hard to guess who is telling the truth and who’s good or bad.  He has you spinning like a hamster in his wheel.

A super mystery in a small package. Steel Deal is a very fast story that you’ll want to read to the end once you start. There’s too much fun and action to pick a stopping point.

Fun from first page to last!

An International Giveaway

Do I have a giveaway for you. James has been very generous, just check out what you can win!

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

$15.00 Walmart Gift Card

Two signed Paperback copies of Steel Deal.

There will be four winners.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question, “What would you use sentient steel for?”

Contest ends December 18th.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Blakley    James Blakley was educated at Missouri Western State College and Washburn University. While at MWSC, he was a local and national award-winning columnist and co-editor of “The Griffon-News”.

Blakley worked 10 1/2 years as a page and as an Assistant Librarian for the River Bluffs Regional Libraries of St. Joseph, MO. He currently lives in Topeka,KS where he worked for The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library before spending several years in clerical and customer support capacities for international computer companies such as EDS and HP.

For those “inquiring minds who want to know”, I’m almost finished with a screenplay version of “The Steel Deal.” And I’m rough-drafting my next novel (due out in late 2013/early 2014).

You can find James Blakley at Goodreads

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. My opinions are my own.

To purchase Steel Deal, click on the book cover image below.

Comments
  1. Emma says:

    I’d make it into Edward Cullen 🙂 or an alien spaceship.

  2. A new car everyday.

    heather[dot]coulter[at]gmail[dot]com

  3. emaginette says:

    Sentient steel? I’m a writer damn it, not an engineer. –Stolen from Star Trek. Okay, so he was a doctor and I’m not but what the hey. 🙂

  4. jannashay says:

    I would use it to make a device to disarm nuclear bombs.
    Great review. The Steel Deal sounds intriguing. It went on my TBR list. As always, Laura, another great recommendation. Thanks for sharing.
    janna@jannashay.com

  5. Chris R says:

    I would use it to have a new car everyday

  6. Sherry says:

    I would use it to have a fantastic new sports car!!!

  7. Ann Swann says:

    New car (s) without a doubt!

  8. Arielle says:

    I would use it to build a jet that could change shape to match an enemies jet as it was flying over enemy territory. 🙂 awesome review! Can’t wait to take a look at it!

    dutchess7200@gmail.com

  9. Become a law enforcement person and help do good.

    Cherry Mischievous
    cherrymischif-spamme [at] yahoo [dot] com

  10. Deb Novack says:

    I read this book when James sent me a review copy it was great. I think a new car would be in order.

  11. I’d use it to make a dragon sculpture…. I’m obsessed!

  12. Maria says:

    And armor!!! So I could be a hero and save the world… or at least some of the cities. (who wouldn’t want to be a hero?)
    clanamoc [a]t gmail [dot] com

  13. Penumbra says:

    The first think that popped in my mind was a bad ass sword with intricate mystical engravings that enchanted the sword into something even more powerful. It could shrink to pocket size until I hauled it out to wield it against paranormal creatures 🙂

    penumbrareads(at)gmail(dot)com

  14. bn100 says:

    I’d use it to make a table.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

  15. Nuzaifa says:

    I’d use it to make a super cool samurai sword thingy that could slice through anything!I loved The Last Samurai movie! 😀

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    nbookaholic(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    Nuzaifa @ Say It With Books

  16. hmmm Sentient means aware, knowing (like extraterrestrial sentience). If reusable, I would make myself a vehicle and a robot driver, have it drive me to the mountains, and turn into a cabin. Steel cabin? oops.:)

  17. Mike says:

    I’m not 100% sure of the limitations… I like the idea of having a robot bodyguard (although I don’t have any particular need of one).

  18. JAMES BLAKLEY says:

    Hello everyone! I’m James Blakley, author of THE STEEL DEAL. Great responses so far! And great job of facilitating the conversation, ‘fuonlyknew’ (I won’t blow your cover). Thanks for your participation.

    And don’t worry, I’m not eligible to win my own contest prizes!

    Readers of THE STEEL DEAL often ask if sentient steel could really exist. Well, it’s not as far-fetched or as far-off as most people think. Here are a few articles that show we’re on the path to something similar to, if not exactly like, sentient steel.

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=computational-origami-robot

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_metal

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmable_matter

    And for all of you who would use sentient steel to continually create cars for yourselves, checkout this Youtube video of a programmable matter car!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqHfHIi2sRQ

    • fuonlyknew says:

      That clip is just unbelievable. He actually held it in his hands. I don’t know whether to be thrilled with this technology or terrified!
      That was on my mind the entire time I was reading Steel Deal. What if? and should we?

  19. stuffsmart says:

    I would use sentinel steel to trade my mini van in for a sports car. 😀

  20. Pam says:

    TheFourHorsemenSeries@hotmail I would use it to create something useful that could be used to feed the hungry, clothe the needy, house the homeless. Something that would enable those who need help to obtain the help they need.

  21. Lori Hayes says:

    If icould us sentinrl steel for anything id use it for whatevervi needed at the time, 1sports cars, no doubt,the new camaro. I’m totally obsessed since my 1st one ilost to a tragic accident , imiss it dearly.but after that I’d use it in any emergency to what if i have to fight a beast i need a sword poof their it is..you no. Possibliities are limitless.
    Lori529@comcast.net

  22. JAMES BLAKLEY says:

    Hello again, everyone. This’s James Blakley, author of THE STEEL DEAL. Just checking in to deliver some more food for thought. Although this latest morsel isn’t ice, it is sure is cool! It’s the latest development in nanotechnology–a branch of scientific engineering which plays a key role in THE STEEL DEAL.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx3Tn_51NEU

  23. Ritesh Kala says:

    Can I say that I’d like to turn sentient steel into a money printing press? Get new wads of $$$ everyday. LOL You have the best giveaways Laura. And you find the most interesting books too!

  24. JAMES BLAKLEY says:

    Happy holiday weekend, everyone! It’s James Blakley, author of THE STEEL DEAL…again.

    So, you want to be a private eye, huh (like the main character of THE STEEL DEAL, Sonny Busco)? Well, I tried not to glamorize the job, and kept Sonny performing some of its average tasks. Though to keep things entertaining, I hyped some of the situations Sonny finds himself in.

    For a real look at the life of a P.I., ‘investigate’ the job requirements, work environments, and pay scale through the sites below:

    http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4781255_becoming-private-eye.html

    http://bls.gov/ooh/Protective-Service/Private-detectives-and-investigators.htm#tab-4

  25. JAMES BLAKLEY says:

    Hello again, everyone. This’s James Blakley, author of THE STEEL DEAL.

    I’d like to take this opportunity to again thank Laura for designing such a visually striking blog and for fostering an inviting atmosphere; to everyone for entering the contest; and for all your enthusiastic responses to the question.

    Well, what would the featured author use sentient steel for, right? After much thought, I would have to use it to first build up the U.S.’s sagging infrastructure. To build near-indestructible bridges (with sentient steel girders and beams that adjust to weather and pressure changes); to insert it into roads and highways (so that potholes and fissures seal and repair themselves); and to aid in the construction of more durable and longer-lasting buildings, dams, and airports. Also, this technology would greatly improve the survivability of structures and the populations located in earthquake, tornado, and tsunami prone parts of the country (since sentient steel could repair an almost infinte level of damage done to it and be used to quickly repair damaged traditional structures).

    Of course, this (and many other seemingly good intentions) always come with risks–namely, that of causing perhaps irreparable damage to the world economy and basic social structure. Many new inventions–the car, electricity, and computers, for example–caused the destruction of other inventions, which caused downsizing, unemployment, and the obselescence of certain technology. Of course, not all of this came overnight. But some couldn’t adjust to the change, no matter the rate. And with something like sentient steel, crime rates would likely increase immediately (as our modern media would likely hype it to irresistible, gotta-have-it levels). What would self-repairing roads, bridges, and dams do to the ‘human’ element of the construction industry? And on a social scale, the gap between the sentient steel ‘haves’ and the sentient steel ‘have-nots’ would create another form of class envy…and perhaps worse, literal warfare.

    As I’ve shown (with a couple of mainstream Youtube clips) some form of sentient steel is obviously being developed. But I think its practicality is wisely being underplayed; and its mass utility, delayed–so the powers-that-be can gague exactly what impact it will have on society (before formally placing it on the market for mass production, distribution, and consumption).

    So while sentient steel would appear to be a heaven-sent answer to humanity’s problems, I’m reminded of two sayings: 1.) “Be careful what you wish for; you might get it”; and 2.) “Out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

    Thanks again, everyone. And all the best!

    James Blakley

  26. Betryal Bren says:

    Hmmm does using it for a sheild make sense? I think perhaps so.

  27. […] Steel Deal Huge Giveaway HO! HO! HO! (fuonlyknew.com) […]

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