Archive for the ‘Science Fiction’ Category

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

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Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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 Jurassic Resort

by Brent Reilly

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Genre: Science Fiction / Horror

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MY REVIEW

I don’t know what I was expecting when I started this book, but not what I got. In a fun way. Dinosaurs are being designed to be used to fertilize planets so we can colonize them. There’s wormholes, portals, real dinosaurs and an alien invasion that will happen in 45 years. Wiping out all life on Earth.

There are some unlikely heroes. Raptor Ray, a cross between dinosaur and human DNA. He looks like a large lizard but he’s got the intellect of a human and can speak to dinosaurs. Then there’s Tom. A T-Rex Ray has been trying to befriend. A huge predator on their side would come in handy.

Dinosaur fights galore and a weird plot made this such a fun read.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

Author has sold 300,000 books and is briefly giving away 61 ebooks — get yours now! An alien fleet arrives in 50 years to exterminate humanity, but physicists discovered a portal to dinosaur times. Only by putting people in the past can we survive the future. All we must do is create a self-sustaining population in a world dominated by Earth’s fiercest creatures. What could go wrong?

Free On Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Are you sure you want to erase your love?

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Love Deleted

by Paul Indigo

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Light SciFi, Love Story

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“A masterpiece” PH … “Absolutely amazing” BA … “The coolest idea ever” JK … “Brilliant” EF … “Not like anything else I’ve ever read…” AC … “Exceptionally unique” RA … “Good luck putting this one down” EN … “I’m amazed it’s a debut novel” KK … “I loved it so much I’d invite the characters to dinner” BT

 

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO ERASE YOUR LOVE?

This is an impossible love story…

Cooper came home unexpectedly early that day. The day her world collapsed. The day she heard things she shouldn’t have. Saw things she shouldn’t have.

Now Cooper is running away. Driving recklessly. Blindly. A broken heart spiralling out of control after witnessing an earth-shattering scene.

Then Cooper discovers the website. Speaks to the doctors. Can they help her? Can they give her the treatment she desperately wants? Yes they can. They can do something mind-blowing.

They can surgically erase her love for her husband Jethro.

Only what appears to be the perfect solution sets off a devastating chain of events not only for Jethro and herself. But one also involving their teenage son Daniel in ways she can’t imagine.

A life-shattering moment. A rash decision. An easy solution. This isn’t just a love story. Not when a heart isn’t just broken, it is irreversibly silenced.

This is an impossible love story.

*Amazingly, this novel was inspired by the latest in genuine, cutting-edge medical technology.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

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PROLOGUE

 

THE FUTURE

“WILL IT HURT?”

“No Mrs McMillan it won’t hurt.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“And it really works?”

Mrs Erica McMillan’s eyes are red, gritty, sore. She’s crumpled and defeated. She cried all morning. She cried for months. For a man she gave her life to. She’s hopeful the treatment will solve all her problems. 

They’re in Dr John Applegate’s office. Dr Applegate sits behind a glass desk. He pushes his wire glasses up his nose.

“Yes Mrs McMillan, the treatment really works.”

Dr Applegate knows most patients come through the doors looking fragile, wishing on a dream, not quite understanding the treatment, not sure they believe it even. Now the pain in Mrs McMillan darkens into spiteful, narrow eyes. 

“I want to forget him. I want my husband gone from my memory.” The hate boils inside her for what her husband did to her. How dare he. How dare he. She almost spits the next words out.

“I don’t want to know that man exists any more.”

Dr Applegate takes this in. He gets this a lot – misunderstanding. The people who sit opposite are exhausted. Weary. Burnt out. In pain. Emotionally, bitterly confused. This treatment is a last lunge at hope. He clears his throat.

“Mrs McMillan, I’m afraid you’re thinking of the movie The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.”

Dr Applegate’s seen the film a dozen times himself. The film starts where Kate Winslet’s ended a troubled relationship with Jim Carrey and he soon discovers – when she doesn’t recognise him at a counter –  she has had her memory of him deleted.

Mrs McMillan frowns in confusion. 

“Isn’t that what you do? Make people forget the person they love? Isn’t that what you did with Cooper Hall?”

Cooper Hall. The woman who made the clinic accidentally famous because of her unusual request that resulted in the media frenzy.

“No I’m afraid not, Mrs McMillan.”

The confusion deepens.

“But please don’t despair. I said we can’t erase your memory of your husband. I didn’t say what we can do. We do something so much better.”

“What is it you do then?”

This is the part Dr Applegate enjoys, giving his patients back the emotional control they so crave. Giving them back command of their lives far from the emotions tearing them apart. He leans forward. 

Mrs McMillan leans forward. 

He places his elbows on the desk. 

She waits, expectant. 

He steeples his long fingers. 

“It’s simply this Mrs McMillan. We erase your love.”

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I’m a British author who loves page-turners. It doesn’t have to be a thriller. It can be anything, I just want to feel that desperate urge to turn the page. And if it grabs me on the first page…or the first paragraph…or the first sentence…Well! All the better.

I worked in the television industry for many years. However, though I’ve worked with words all my life, I’ve only recently decided to do something with it. I have a love of radio dramas and audio books and my writing has been heavily influenced by both.

I live on the English coast and love sea and nature reserve walks whenever I get the opportunity (at least once a week, sometimes more). I also love to wake early, long before the rest of the world has caught up with me.

Website * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

 

See the excitement behind the scenes of how Lucifer became the Adversary and the part he has played in the affairs of man since the creation of Adam and Eve, including the creation of the Nephilim causing the implementation of the worldwide flood, his influence on the construction of the Tower of Babel, his involvement in the curse of king Jehoiachin, and even how he interferes in modern times in our day-to-day activities…

 

 

Title: The Adversary Chronicles
Author: Randy C. Dockens
Publisher: Carpenter’s Son Publishing
Genre: Christian / Scifi

He has many names: Lucifer, Satan, Devil, Adversary. Through the eyes of
Mikael, the Captain of the Lord’s hosts, understand the conflict that
starts in Heaven and how it extends to Earth. Get a different
perspective on earthly events that will help you rediscover the awe of
age-old Bible stories and give you a new perspective for you to ponder.

Read how Lucifer prepares for his rise to power on Earth through his deceit
causing the fall of Adam and Eve, his engineering the Nephilim which God
ended with the worldwide flood, how he attempted to use the Tower of
Babel to prepare a superhuman off world using a time dilation field to
speed up his work for world dominance, how he utilizes a curse the
prophet Jeremiah gives to king Jehoiachin to try and change mankind’s
history by preventing the prophecy of the coming Messiah, to how he
attempts to hijack new technology today to create a plague that will
target those of Jewish descent and thereby change biblical prophecy and
attempt to turn it into a mere fairytale.

Title of Series: The Adversary Chronicles

Book 1: Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

Book 2: The Holy Grail of Babylon

Book 3: The Defining Curse   

Book 4: The Luciferian Plague 

Publication Date:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 01-Feb-2022    

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 06-Jul-2022     

The Defining Curse: 04-Oct-2022    

The Luciferian Plague: 01-Feb-2003

# of Pages: 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 320   

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 300   

The Defining Curse: 300    

The Luciferian Plague: 368

Purchase On Amazon:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

The Holy Grail of Babylon

The Defining Curse

The Luciferian Plague

Also available for sale HERE

~~~~~

The Luciferian Plague

MY REVIEW

It’s the twenty-first century and a new assignment for Mikael and Raphael. They’re sent to a lab where research is being done using nanobots to find a way to make us live healthier and longer. There’s no evil agenda until Lucifer and his minions kidnap a dog from the clinical testing trials.

I immediately liked Kaityln Sheridan, the doctor conducting the trials. Her objective was pure. Curing cancer and other life ending diseases. She had no idea of Lucifer’s plans. No idea angels were watching. She was confused about the theft of her research subject and when cancer patients in human trials show something that shouldn’t be there, she’s horrified. She’s worried they’ve taken their research to far, not knowing who’s hand is behind it. Lucifer vowed he’d never stop and the final battle is happening now.

I’m no scientist but I’ve heard about nanobots. The author explained the research focused in this story in a nanobots for dummies kind of way. I easily got it and knew things would be getting dicey. Not sure if it’s because the book takes place in the present and here on Earth but I found this to be my favorite in the series. Author Randy Dockens is a prolific writer and I’ve got my eye on a couple of his other series. They sound equally as intriguing annd exciting as The Adversary Chronicles.

5 STARS

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Book Excerpt  

 

 

 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: Chapter 1: Disturbance in the Force

Mikael approached two of his fellow warriors who were engaged in animated conversation. His left hand rested on the bejeweled hilt of his sword to keep the weapon from impeding his quick gait. He nodded to both as he came to an abrupt halt. Both stopped their conversation in mid-sentence and looked at Mikael expectantly.

“Raphael, have you or Uriel seen Ruach today?”

Raphael gave a wry smile as he brushed his golden[1]colored hair over his shoulder. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “Seen? Is that a trick question?”

Uriel chuckled but then stopped when he saw Mikael’s extremely serious expression. Mikael didn’t crack a smile.

“Mikael,” Raphael said. “What’s wrong?”

Mikael shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure.” He too brushed his long blond hair, which was somewhat darker than Raphael’s, over his shoulder. “Last time I saw him, he looked . . . different.”

Raphael and Uriel looked at each other. Both gave a slight shrug.

Raphael turned back to Mikael. “I’m not trying to be anything but serious. But how can you say he looks different? We can barely see him as it is. He’s Ruach HaKodesh, Elohim’s Spirit. He has a form, but he is transparent for the most part.”

Mikael sighed. They were taking him too literally. “Yes, Raphael. But he produces a feeling, a presence, an aura . . . that is powerful yet calming.”

Raphael nodded. “Yes, that’s true.”

“His aura, as we sometimes say, felt different . . . troubled. Unlike any time before.”

“Well,” Uriel said, “he does have a great deal of stress to unite both the love and justice of our Creator so they can both exist within him.” He shook his head. “Such stress likely takes its toll on him now and again. That’s a lot of tension to keep harmonious.”

Mikael rubbed his chin. “Maybe. This . . . this felt different, though.”

Uriel shrugged and patted Mikael on his shoulder. “We’ll keep our eyes out for him and let you know if we find out anything or hear anything.”

Mikael nodded to his friends. “Thanks. I’ll let you know what I find as well.”

Mikael walked on, wondering where to look, when he suddenly got the idea to head to the throne room. Ruach.

Ruach HaKodesh often sent telepathic messages to these warriors to let them know the will of their Creator. Going to the throne room sounded serious— definitely not a place to approach lightly. There were only a few select cherubim and seraphim, special angels, who had access to the Creator in his throne room. Mikael wondered: Why does Ruach want me there?

The throne room was not hard to miss. Since the place contained the Shekinah glory of the Creator, his brilliance was so bright the light would penetrate any crevice existing in a structure. In addition, with the throne room composed of various types of colored crystals, the place gave off a magnificent glow that could be seen from extremely far away. Not only was the throne room colorful, the area also sat on the highest place in the middle of the kingdom, a dimension in and unto itself. Mikael looked up and followed the path upward toward the glow—a glow he had always considered comforting knowing his Creator’s presence was always with him. Now he would enter his Creator’s dimension. That, he thought, was not as comforting.

As Mikael neared the throne room, he paused. Am I supposed to enter? There would be grave consequences if he entered uninvited. He looked around. His eyes caught a slight blur of something against the glow of the throne room. He approached.

“Ruach. I received your message. What is wrong?”

Only a vague outline of a Person could be observed. Although transparent, he appeared like heat waves between an observer and an object. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t want to alarm the others. You’re the archangel, the leader of our Creator’s heavenly host.”

Mikael often wondered why he was the leader of an army. Shouldn’t an army have an enemy? They certainly trained as if there was one. But everything here was so perfect. What was the need for such a force? Unless . . . Ruach was about to now tell him.

Mikael took a step closer to Ruach. He lowered his voice. He was unsure why he did, but doing so seemed the appropriate thing to do. “Ruach, tell me what’s going on.”

Ruach shook his head. “Mikael, I can’t yet reveal what is going on. All I can say is, I have felt a change, and it’s not a good change. There is a disturbance brewing. I can’t tell you what it is or who it is, but . . . ” His voice trailed off.

Mikael cocked his head. “But what? You can at least tell me where this disturbance is originating from, can you not?”

Ruach nodded.

“Okay. So, where?”

“That’s why I called you here.” Ruach’s form turned toward the throne room.

Mikael looked from Ruach to the throne room and back, realization slowly dawning. In almost a whisper he said, “What? Here? But . . . why? How?”

Ruach turned back to Mikael. “That is why I need your help.”

Mikael put his hand to his chest. “My help? But you’re the one who can sense all. What do you need with my help?”

Ruach put his hand on Mikael’s shoulder. Mikael could not see his hand, but he could feel it, as well as the warmth now radiating from his shoulder down through his very being. “That’s the point, Mikael. The time of choices is approaching. I need you to question the cherubim to see what they know. If a rebellion is brewing, I don’t want them to think I know.”

Mikael’s eyes widened. “Rebellion? Here? How—” He paused, his mind trying to catch up to such a thought. “How is such a thing even possible?”

Ruach shook his head. “It is a mystery. But a mystery you need to get to the bottom of.”

Mikael nodded slowly, then stopped. His heart sank. “Wait. You said ‘them.’ Why did you make this plural?”

Ruach seemed to look down and then back to Mikael. “It is plural, I’m afraid. The feeling I’ve received has gotten stronger over the last several days.”

Mikael took a step back in shock. “I can’t comprehend even one of us rebelling, much less several. Are you sure?”

Ruach slowly nodded. “Yes. I am certain.”

Mikael glanced back at the throne room. “And you think the rebellion is from one of the cherubim?” He shook his head. “They are the closest to our Creator. They reflect his glory back to him. How could rebellion be in one of them?”

“It is either one of them, or one of them knows something. You must find out what they know.”

“But how do I do that? They are in the throne room almost constantly. They come out only rarely, and for short periods of time.”

Ruach nodded. “Yes, that is true. And that is why you have my permission.”

Mikael cocked his head slightly. “Permission? For what?”

“To enter.”

Mikael’s mouth fell open. “The throne room!?” His voice was one of disbelief. “But won’t they know something is amiss if they see me in the throne room? Only the cherubim and seraphim are allowed.”

“Others are allowed with permission.”

Mikael swallowed hard. As far as he knew, no one— at least as yet—had ever entered the throne room except for select cherubim and seraphim.

“The glow of one has faded,” Ruach said. “Likely almost imperceptible, but perhaps you can notice so you will know where to direct your questioning. Don’t approach directly. Not yet at least. Let’s talk after your visit. Don’t engage. Just observe.”

Ruach stretched out his transparent arm and directed Mikael’s attention toward the entrance of the throne room.

Mikael’s eyebrows raised. “You mean, now?”

“Is there any better time?”

Mikael knew the answer was no, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for this step without further preparation. He started to ask if the Creator was expecting him but caught himself as he realized Ruach HaKodesh was one component of the Creator-Trinity. Ruach giving permission was the same as the Creator giving permission.

Mikael slowly walked toward the entrance of the throne room. Two large angels with broad shoulders and a muscular build stood next to the doorway. Each had blondish-colored hair and blue eyes that highlighted their tanned appearance. Both wore a sky[1]blue robe that contrasted with the golden sash around their waist and the other across their chest that was in place to hold a large, sheathed sword along their back.

“Hello, Azel,” Mikael said.

Azel nodded. “Ruach has already informed me to allow your entrance.”

Mikael nodded. “Thank you.” He paused briefly at the entrance. Would the portal to this dimension open?

He briefly glanced at Azel, who merely smiled.

The entrance seemed to simply fade, revealing a myriad of colors within. Mikael swallowed hard and stepped through the opening and into a dimension few—if any—had ever been invited into.

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

Dr. Randy C. Dockens
has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees
in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of
creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without
being enemies of each other. 

After completing his
bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to
graduate school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in
Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic
reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading
pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist
who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been
administered (i.e., absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted). 

Through the years, he
has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas,
including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to see and develop
new and novel medicines in these therapy areas. 

He has also had his
attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second
doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after
receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible
Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon. 

Randy has recently
retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on
his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian,
end-time prophecy, science fiction, and uniquely told Bible stories. All
his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to
give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and
allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have
thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format
that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers. 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

 

See the excitement behind the scenes of how Lucifer became the Adversary and the part he has played in the affairs of man since the creation of Adam and Eve, including the creation of the Nephilim causing the implementation of the worldwide flood, his influence on the construction of the Tower of Babel, his involvement in the curse of king Jehoiachin, and even how he interferes in modern times in our day-to-day activities…

 

 

Title: The Adversary Chronicles
Author: Randy C. Dockens
Publisher: Carpenter’s Son Publishing
Genre: Christian / Scifi

He has many names: Lucifer, Satan, Devil, Adversary. Through the eyes of
Mikael, the Captain of the Lord’s hosts, understand the conflict that
starts in Heaven and how it extends to Earth. Get a different
perspective on earthly events that will help you rediscover the awe of
age-old Bible stories and give you a new perspective for you to ponder.

Read how Lucifer prepares for his rise to power on Earth through his deceit
causing the fall of Adam and Eve, his engineering the Nephilim which God
ended with the worldwide flood, how he attempted to use the Tower of
Babel to prepare a superhuman off world using a time dilation field to
speed up his work for world dominance, how he utilizes a curse the
prophet Jeremiah gives to king Jehoiachin to try and change mankind’s
history by preventing the prophecy of the coming Messiah, to how he
attempts to hijack new technology today to create a plague that will
target those of Jewish descent and thereby change biblical prophecy and
attempt to turn it into a mere fairytale.

Title of Series: The Adversary Chronicles

Book 1: Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

Book 2: The Holy Grail of Babylon

Book 3: The Defining Curse   

Book 4: The Luciferian Plague 

Publication Date:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 01-Feb-2022    

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 06-Jul-2022     

The Defining Curse: 04-Oct-2022    

The Luciferian Plague: 01-Feb-2003

# of Pages: 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 320   

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 300   

The Defining Curse: 300    

The Luciferian Plague: 368

~~~~~

Purchase On Amazon:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

The Holy Grail of Babylon

The Defining Curse

The Luciferian Plague

Also available for sale HERE

~~~~~

The Defining Curse

MY REVIEW

Mikael is enjoying a moment of peace and quiet until it’s interrupted by a very upset Raphael. It seems Lucifer isn’t content to go quietly into the night. He’s trying to revive a curse that could change a prophecy that could have devastating consequences for all.

While the angels jobs are to observe, not solve problems that arise, they gather their numbers just in case a battle ensues. Lucifer’s ego won’t be contained and war is inevitable. He vows to never give up the battle until he wins.  And what a battle. I knew angels had weapons, but the aerial battles were exciting.

I’m still enjoying this series and would love to see it made into a television show or mini series. It would be out of this world.

4 STARS

 

~~~~~

 

 

Book Excerpt  

 

 

 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: Chapter 1: Disturbance in the Force

Mikael approached two of his fellow warriors who were engaged in animated conversation. His left hand rested on the bejeweled hilt of his sword to keep the weapon from impeding his quick gait. He nodded to both as he came to an abrupt halt. Both stopped their conversation in mid-sentence and looked at Mikael expectantly.

“Raphael, have you or Uriel seen Ruach today?”

Raphael gave a wry smile as he brushed his golden[1]colored hair over his shoulder. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “Seen? Is that a trick question?”

Uriel chuckled but then stopped when he saw Mikael’s extremely serious expression. Mikael didn’t crack a smile.

“Mikael,” Raphael said. “What’s wrong?”

Mikael shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure.” He too brushed his long blond hair, which was somewhat darker than Raphael’s, over his shoulder. “Last time I saw him, he looked . . . different.”

Raphael and Uriel looked at each other. Both gave a slight shrug.

Raphael turned back to Mikael. “I’m not trying to be anything but serious. But how can you say he looks different? We can barely see him as it is. He’s Ruach HaKodesh, Elohim’s Spirit. He has a form, but he is transparent for the most part.”

Mikael sighed. They were taking him too literally. “Yes, Raphael. But he produces a feeling, a presence, an aura . . . that is powerful yet calming.”

Raphael nodded. “Yes, that’s true.”

“His aura, as we sometimes say, felt different . . . troubled. Unlike any time before.”

“Well,” Uriel said, “he does have a great deal of stress to unite both the love and justice of our Creator so they can both exist within him.” He shook his head. “Such stress likely takes its toll on him now and again. That’s a lot of tension to keep harmonious.”

Mikael rubbed his chin. “Maybe. This . . . this felt different, though.”

Uriel shrugged and patted Mikael on his shoulder. “We’ll keep our eyes out for him and let you know if we find out anything or hear anything.”

Mikael nodded to his friends. “Thanks. I’ll let you know what I find as well.”

Mikael walked on, wondering where to look, when he suddenly got the idea to head to the throne room. Ruach.

Ruach HaKodesh often sent telepathic messages to these warriors to let them know the will of their Creator. Going to the throne room sounded serious— definitely not a place to approach lightly. There were only a few select cherubim and seraphim, special angels, who had access to the Creator in his throne room. Mikael wondered: Why does Ruach want me there?

The throne room was not hard to miss. Since the place contained the Shekinah glory of the Creator, his brilliance was so bright the light would penetrate any crevice existing in a structure. In addition, with the throne room composed of various types of colored crystals, the place gave off a magnificent glow that could be seen from extremely far away. Not only was the throne room colorful, the area also sat on the highest place in the middle of the kingdom, a dimension in and unto itself. Mikael looked up and followed the path upward toward the glow—a glow he had always considered comforting knowing his Creator’s presence was always with him. Now he would enter his Creator’s dimension. That, he thought, was not as comforting.

As Mikael neared the throne room, he paused. Am I supposed to enter? There would be grave consequences if he entered uninvited. He looked around. His eyes caught a slight blur of something against the glow of the throne room. He approached.

“Ruach. I received your message. What is wrong?”

Only a vague outline of a Person could be observed. Although transparent, he appeared like heat waves between an observer and an object. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t want to alarm the others. You’re the archangel, the leader of our Creator’s heavenly host.”

Mikael often wondered why he was the leader of an army. Shouldn’t an army have an enemy? They certainly trained as if there was one. But everything here was so perfect. What was the need for such a force? Unless . . . Ruach was about to now tell him.

Mikael took a step closer to Ruach. He lowered his voice. He was unsure why he did, but doing so seemed the appropriate thing to do. “Ruach, tell me what’s going on.”

Ruach shook his head. “Mikael, I can’t yet reveal what is going on. All I can say is, I have felt a change, and it’s not a good change. There is a disturbance brewing. I can’t tell you what it is or who it is, but . . . ” His voice trailed off.

Mikael cocked his head. “But what? You can at least tell me where this disturbance is originating from, can you not?”

Ruach nodded.

“Okay. So, where?”

“That’s why I called you here.” Ruach’s form turned toward the throne room.

Mikael looked from Ruach to the throne room and back, realization slowly dawning. In almost a whisper he said, “What? Here? But . . . why? How?”

Ruach turned back to Mikael. “That is why I need your help.”

Mikael put his hand to his chest. “My help? But you’re the one who can sense all. What do you need with my help?”

Ruach put his hand on Mikael’s shoulder. Mikael could not see his hand, but he could feel it, as well as the warmth now radiating from his shoulder down through his very being. “That’s the point, Mikael. The time of choices is approaching. I need you to question the cherubim to see what they know. If a rebellion is brewing, I don’t want them to think I know.”

Mikael’s eyes widened. “Rebellion? Here? How—” He paused, his mind trying to catch up to such a thought. “How is such a thing even possible?”

Ruach shook his head. “It is a mystery. But a mystery you need to get to the bottom of.”

Mikael nodded slowly, then stopped. His heart sank. “Wait. You said ‘them.’ Why did you make this plural?”

Ruach seemed to look down and then back to Mikael. “It is plural, I’m afraid. The feeling I’ve received has gotten stronger over the last several days.”

Mikael took a step back in shock. “I can’t comprehend even one of us rebelling, much less several. Are you sure?”

Ruach slowly nodded. “Yes. I am certain.”

Mikael glanced back at the throne room. “And you think the rebellion is from one of the cherubim?” He shook his head. “They are the closest to our Creator. They reflect his glory back to him. How could rebellion be in one of them?”

“It is either one of them, or one of them knows something. You must find out what they know.”

“But how do I do that? They are in the throne room almost constantly. They come out only rarely, and for short periods of time.”

Ruach nodded. “Yes, that is true. And that is why you have my permission.”

Mikael cocked his head slightly. “Permission? For what?”

“To enter.”

Mikael’s mouth fell open. “The throne room!?” His voice was one of disbelief. “But won’t they know something is amiss if they see me in the throne room? Only the cherubim and seraphim are allowed.”

“Others are allowed with permission.”

Mikael swallowed hard. As far as he knew, no one— at least as yet—had ever entered the throne room except for select cherubim and seraphim.

“The glow of one has faded,” Ruach said. “Likely almost imperceptible, but perhaps you can notice so you will know where to direct your questioning. Don’t approach directly. Not yet at least. Let’s talk after your visit. Don’t engage. Just observe.”

Ruach stretched out his transparent arm and directed Mikael’s attention toward the entrance of the throne room.

Mikael’s eyebrows raised. “You mean, now?”

“Is there any better time?”

Mikael knew the answer was no, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for this step without further preparation. He started to ask if the Creator was expecting him but caught himself as he realized Ruach HaKodesh was one component of the Creator-Trinity. Ruach giving permission was the same as the Creator giving permission.

Mikael slowly walked toward the entrance of the throne room. Two large angels with broad shoulders and a muscular build stood next to the doorway. Each had blondish-colored hair and blue eyes that highlighted their tanned appearance. Both wore a sky[1]blue robe that contrasted with the golden sash around their waist and the other across their chest that was in place to hold a large, sheathed sword along their back.

“Hello, Azel,” Mikael said.

Azel nodded. “Ruach has already informed me to allow your entrance.”

Mikael nodded. “Thank you.” He paused briefly at the entrance. Would the portal to this dimension open?

He briefly glanced at Azel, who merely smiled.

The entrance seemed to simply fade, revealing a myriad of colors within. Mikael swallowed hard and stepped through the opening and into a dimension few—if any—had ever been invited into.

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

Dr. Randy C. Dockens
has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees
in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of
creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without
being enemies of each other. 

After completing his
bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to
graduate school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in
Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic
reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading
pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist
who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been
administered (i.e., absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted). 

Through the years, he
has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas,
including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to see and develop
new and novel medicines in these therapy areas. 

He has also had his
attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second
doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after
receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible
Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon. 

Randy has recently
retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on
his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian,
end-time prophecy, science fiction, and uniquely told Bible stories. All
his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to
give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and
allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have
thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format
that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers. 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

 

See the excitement behind the scenes of how Lucifer became the Adversary and the part he has played in the affairs of man since the creation of Adam and Eve, including the creation of the Nephilim causing the implementation of the worldwide flood, his influence on the construction of the Tower of Babel, his involvement in the curse of king Jehoiachin, and even how he interferes in modern times in our day-to-day activities…

 

 

Title: The Adversary Chronicles
Author: Randy C. Dockens
Publisher: Carpenter’s Son Publishing
Genre: Christian / Scifi

He has many names: Lucifer, Satan, Devil, Adversary. Through the eyes of
Mikael, the Captain of the Lord’s hosts, understand the conflict that
starts in Heaven and how it extends to Earth. Get a different
perspective on earthly events that will help you rediscover the awe of
age-old Bible stories and give you a new perspective for you to ponder.

Read how Lucifer prepares for his rise to power on Earth through his deceit
causing the fall of Adam and Eve, his engineering the Nephilim which God
ended with the worldwide flood, how he attempted to use the Tower of
Babel to prepare a superhuman off world using a time dilation field to
speed up his work for world dominance, how he utilizes a curse the
prophet Jeremiah gives to king Jehoiachin to try and change mankind’s
history by preventing the prophecy of the coming Messiah, to how he
attempts to hijack new technology today to create a plague that will
target those of Jewish descent and thereby change biblical prophecy and
attempt to turn it into a mere fairytale.

Title of Series: The Adversary Chronicles

Book 1: Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

Book 2: The Holy Grail of Babylon

Book 3: The Defining Curse   

Book 4: The Luciferian Plague 

Publication Date:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 01-Feb-2022    

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 06-Jul-2022     

The Defining Curse: 04-Oct-2022    

The Luciferian Plague: 01-Feb-2003

# of Pages: 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 320   

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 300   

The Defining Curse: 300    

The Luciferian Plague: 368

~~~~~

The Holy Grail Of Babylon

MY REVIEW

I sometimes find it difficult when writing a review for the next book in a series. It’s important not to put spoilers from the previous book in the review while giving a little detail leading into the next book. Rebellion In The Stones Of Fire was a fascinating read and I was excited to continue in the science fiction/christian series.

In The Holy Grail Of Babylon, Lucifer’s head has always been too big for his shoulders and he’s got a crazy idea to create an alternate world mimicking Earth, thus God, and make his own master human to conquer all. Mikael and several angels, along with some new characters are challenged to stop him at all costs.  That’s going to be difficult as they’re up against three groups, with two of the groups wanting them dead. And doppelgangers appearing all over the place.

I had high hopes for this second book and it delivered. There’s a great cast of characters. Zane quickly became one of my favorites. An intriguing look at Lucifer possessing humans. And a lot happening all at the same time in the past, present and future. You’d think it would be hard to keep the tense jumping straight, but I had no problem and found it fun. While intense reading at times, needing me to focus, the author also lightened it up, even making me laugh at times. I’m now on to the third book, The Defining Curse, and curious about what comes next.

4 STARS

~~~~~

Purchase On Amazon:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

The Holy Grail of Babylon

The Defining Curse

The Luciferian Plague

Also available for sale HERE

 

 

Book Excerpt  

 

 

 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: Chapter 1: Disturbance in the Force

Mikael approached two of his fellow warriors who were engaged in animated conversation. His left hand rested on the bejeweled hilt of his sword to keep the weapon from impeding his quick gait. He nodded to both as he came to an abrupt halt. Both stopped their conversation in mid-sentence and looked at Mikael expectantly.

“Raphael, have you or Uriel seen Ruach today?”

Raphael gave a wry smile as he brushed his golden[1]colored hair over his shoulder. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “Seen? Is that a trick question?”

Uriel chuckled but then stopped when he saw Mikael’s extremely serious expression. Mikael didn’t crack a smile.

“Mikael,” Raphael said. “What’s wrong?”

Mikael shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure.” He too brushed his long blond hair, which was somewhat darker than Raphael’s, over his shoulder. “Last time I saw him, he looked . . . different.”

Raphael and Uriel looked at each other. Both gave a slight shrug.

Raphael turned back to Mikael. “I’m not trying to be anything but serious. But how can you say he looks different? We can barely see him as it is. He’s Ruach HaKodesh, Elohim’s Spirit. He has a form, but he is transparent for the most part.”

Mikael sighed. They were taking him too literally. “Yes, Raphael. But he produces a feeling, a presence, an aura . . . that is powerful yet calming.”

Raphael nodded. “Yes, that’s true.”

“His aura, as we sometimes say, felt different . . . troubled. Unlike any time before.”

“Well,” Uriel said, “he does have a great deal of stress to unite both the love and justice of our Creator so they can both exist within him.” He shook his head. “Such stress likely takes its toll on him now and again. That’s a lot of tension to keep harmonious.”

Mikael rubbed his chin. “Maybe. This . . . this felt different, though.”

Uriel shrugged and patted Mikael on his shoulder. “We’ll keep our eyes out for him and let you know if we find out anything or hear anything.”

Mikael nodded to his friends. “Thanks. I’ll let you know what I find as well.”

Mikael walked on, wondering where to look, when he suddenly got the idea to head to the throne room. Ruach.

Ruach HaKodesh often sent telepathic messages to these warriors to let them know the will of their Creator. Going to the throne room sounded serious— definitely not a place to approach lightly. There were only a few select cherubim and seraphim, special angels, who had access to the Creator in his throne room. Mikael wondered: Why does Ruach want me there?

The throne room was not hard to miss. Since the place contained the Shekinah glory of the Creator, his brilliance was so bright the light would penetrate any crevice existing in a structure. In addition, with the throne room composed of various types of colored crystals, the place gave off a magnificent glow that could be seen from extremely far away. Not only was the throne room colorful, the area also sat on the highest place in the middle of the kingdom, a dimension in and unto itself. Mikael looked up and followed the path upward toward the glow—a glow he had always considered comforting knowing his Creator’s presence was always with him. Now he would enter his Creator’s dimension. That, he thought, was not as comforting.

As Mikael neared the throne room, he paused. Am I supposed to enter? There would be grave consequences if he entered uninvited. He looked around. His eyes caught a slight blur of something against the glow of the throne room. He approached.

“Ruach. I received your message. What is wrong?”

Only a vague outline of a Person could be observed. Although transparent, he appeared like heat waves between an observer and an object. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t want to alarm the others. You’re the archangel, the leader of our Creator’s heavenly host.”

Mikael often wondered why he was the leader of an army. Shouldn’t an army have an enemy? They certainly trained as if there was one. But everything here was so perfect. What was the need for such a force? Unless . . . Ruach was about to now tell him.

Mikael took a step closer to Ruach. He lowered his voice. He was unsure why he did, but doing so seemed the appropriate thing to do. “Ruach, tell me what’s going on.”

Ruach shook his head. “Mikael, I can’t yet reveal what is going on. All I can say is, I have felt a change, and it’s not a good change. There is a disturbance brewing. I can’t tell you what it is or who it is, but . . . ” His voice trailed off.

Mikael cocked his head. “But what? You can at least tell me where this disturbance is originating from, can you not?”

Ruach nodded.

“Okay. So, where?”

“That’s why I called you here.” Ruach’s form turned toward the throne room.

Mikael looked from Ruach to the throne room and back, realization slowly dawning. In almost a whisper he said, “What? Here? But . . . why? How?”

Ruach turned back to Mikael. “That is why I need your help.”

Mikael put his hand to his chest. “My help? But you’re the one who can sense all. What do you need with my help?”

Ruach put his hand on Mikael’s shoulder. Mikael could not see his hand, but he could feel it, as well as the warmth now radiating from his shoulder down through his very being. “That’s the point, Mikael. The time of choices is approaching. I need you to question the cherubim to see what they know. If a rebellion is brewing, I don’t want them to think I know.”

Mikael’s eyes widened. “Rebellion? Here? How—” He paused, his mind trying to catch up to such a thought. “How is such a thing even possible?”

Ruach shook his head. “It is a mystery. But a mystery you need to get to the bottom of.”

Mikael nodded slowly, then stopped. His heart sank. “Wait. You said ‘them.’ Why did you make this plural?”

Ruach seemed to look down and then back to Mikael. “It is plural, I’m afraid. The feeling I’ve received has gotten stronger over the last several days.”

Mikael took a step back in shock. “I can’t comprehend even one of us rebelling, much less several. Are you sure?”

Ruach slowly nodded. “Yes. I am certain.”

Mikael glanced back at the throne room. “And you think the rebellion is from one of the cherubim?” He shook his head. “They are the closest to our Creator. They reflect his glory back to him. How could rebellion be in one of them?”

“It is either one of them, or one of them knows something. You must find out what they know.”

“But how do I do that? They are in the throne room almost constantly. They come out only rarely, and for short periods of time.”

Ruach nodded. “Yes, that is true. And that is why you have my permission.”

Mikael cocked his head slightly. “Permission? For what?”

“To enter.”

Mikael’s mouth fell open. “The throne room!?” His voice was one of disbelief. “But won’t they know something is amiss if they see me in the throne room? Only the cherubim and seraphim are allowed.”

“Others are allowed with permission.”

Mikael swallowed hard. As far as he knew, no one— at least as yet—had ever entered the throne room except for select cherubim and seraphim.

“The glow of one has faded,” Ruach said. “Likely almost imperceptible, but perhaps you can notice so you will know where to direct your questioning. Don’t approach directly. Not yet at least. Let’s talk after your visit. Don’t engage. Just observe.”

Ruach stretched out his transparent arm and directed Mikael’s attention toward the entrance of the throne room.

Mikael’s eyebrows raised. “You mean, now?”

“Is there any better time?”

Mikael knew the answer was no, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for this step without further preparation. He started to ask if the Creator was expecting him but caught himself as he realized Ruach HaKodesh was one component of the Creator-Trinity. Ruach giving permission was the same as the Creator giving permission.

Mikael slowly walked toward the entrance of the throne room. Two large angels with broad shoulders and a muscular build stood next to the doorway. Each had blondish-colored hair and blue eyes that highlighted their tanned appearance. Both wore a sky[1]blue robe that contrasted with the golden sash around their waist and the other across their chest that was in place to hold a large, sheathed sword along their back.

“Hello, Azel,” Mikael said.

Azel nodded. “Ruach has already informed me to allow your entrance.”

Mikael nodded. “Thank you.” He paused briefly at the entrance. Would the portal to this dimension open?

He briefly glanced at Azel, who merely smiled.

The entrance seemed to simply fade, revealing a myriad of colors within. Mikael swallowed hard and stepped through the opening and into a dimension few—if any—had ever been invited into.

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

Dr. Randy C. Dockens
has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees
in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of
creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without
being enemies of each other. 

After completing his
bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to
graduate school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in
Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic
reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading
pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist
who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been
administered (i.e., absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted). 

Through the years, he
has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas,
including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to see and develop
new and novel medicines in these therapy areas. 

He has also had his
attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second
doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after
receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible
Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon. 

Randy has recently
retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on
his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian,
end-time prophecy, science fiction, and uniquely told Bible stories. All
his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to
give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and
allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have
thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format
that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers. 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

 

See the excitement behind the scenes of how Lucifer became the Adversary and the part he has played in the affairs of man since the creation of Adam and Eve, including the creation of the Nephilim causing the implementation of the worldwide flood, his influence on the construction of the Tower of Babel, his involvement in the curse of king Jehoiachin, and even how he interferes in modern times in our day-to-day activities…

 

 

Title: The Adversary Chronicles
Author: Randy C. Dockens
Publisher: Carpenter’s Son Publishing
Genre: Christian / Scifi

He has many names: Lucifer, Satan, Devil, Adversary. Through the eyes of
Mikael, the Captain of the Lord’s hosts, understand the conflict that
starts in Heaven and how it extends to Earth. Get a different
perspective on earthly events that will help you rediscover the awe of
age-old Bible stories and give you a new perspective for you to ponder.

Read how Lucifer prepares for his rise to power on Earth through his deceit
causing the fall of Adam and Eve, his engineering the Nephilim which God
ended with the worldwide flood, how he attempted to use the Tower of
Babel to prepare a superhuman off world using a time dilation field to
speed up his work for world dominance, how he utilizes a curse the
prophet Jeremiah gives to king Jehoiachin to try and change mankind’s
history by preventing the prophecy of the coming Messiah, to how he
attempts to hijack new technology today to create a plague that will
target those of Jewish descent and thereby change biblical prophecy and
attempt to turn it into a mere fairytale.

Title of Series: The Adversary Chronicles

Book 1: Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

Book 2: The Holy Grail of Babylon

Book 3: The Defining Curse   

Book 4: The Luciferian Plague 

Publication Date:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 01-Feb-2022    

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 06-Jul-2022     

The Defining Curse: 04-Oct-2022    

The Luciferian Plague: 01-Feb-2003

# of Pages: 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: 320   

The Holy Grail of Babylon: 300   

The Defining Curse: 300    

The Luciferian Plague: 368

Purchase On Amazon:

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire

The Holy Grail of Babylon

The Defining Curse

The Luciferian Plague

Also available for sale HERE

~~~~~

The Stones Of Rebellion

MY REVIEW

I started reading knowing I would need to keep an open mind. Religion and science fiction. The fall of Lucifer and the end of days. The creation of humans and free will. Adam And Eve and the Serpent in the Garden Of Eden. The creation of Heaven and it’s purpose. That’s a lot to explain.

The author dropped me right into a conversation between Mikael and another angel. Thus begins a series of events felt by all in the realm of angels. The realm of angels. That intrigued me. Weren’t angels and God in Heaven? Not at this time. Right now Lucifer is amassing an army. Being told he’s not unique, special but not unique, is unacceptable. I was equally intrigued that Lucifer was created to be influential. That was his trait. But his desire to be unique, to be as beloved as God, caused him to use his trait for his own purposes. And many listened. Gathered. Plotted. War was coming.

Much of what was told to me by the author I recognized from the Bible. Then the author introduced dimensions and teleportation and the science fiction came into play. His visual writing showed me his story.

It was riveting to read how Earth was created. Then day and night were finished and time began. The angels struggled to understand this. They experienced time as one event and then another and another as they’re eternal. And the author’s description of the creation of Heaven. So visual. Such atmosphere. I let my imagination flow and had a fascinating read. I was hooked.

4 STARS

~~~~~

 

 

Book Excerpt  

 

 

 

Rebellion in the Stones of Fire: Chapter 1: Disturbance in the Force

Mikael approached two of his fellow warriors who were engaged in animated conversation. His left hand rested on the bejeweled hilt of his sword to keep the weapon from impeding his quick gait. He nodded to both as he came to an abrupt halt. Both stopped their conversation in mid-sentence and looked at Mikael expectantly.

“Raphael, have you or Uriel seen Ruach today?”

Raphael gave a wry smile as he brushed his golden[1]colored hair over his shoulder. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “Seen? Is that a trick question?”

Uriel chuckled but then stopped when he saw Mikael’s extremely serious expression. Mikael didn’t crack a smile.

“Mikael,” Raphael said. “What’s wrong?”

Mikael shook his head slightly. “I’m not sure.” He too brushed his long blond hair, which was somewhat darker than Raphael’s, over his shoulder. “Last time I saw him, he looked . . . different.”

Raphael and Uriel looked at each other. Both gave a slight shrug.

Raphael turned back to Mikael. “I’m not trying to be anything but serious. But how can you say he looks different? We can barely see him as it is. He’s Ruach HaKodesh, Elohim’s Spirit. He has a form, but he is transparent for the most part.”

Mikael sighed. They were taking him too literally. “Yes, Raphael. But he produces a feeling, a presence, an aura . . . that is powerful yet calming.”

Raphael nodded. “Yes, that’s true.”

“His aura, as we sometimes say, felt different . . . troubled. Unlike any time before.”

“Well,” Uriel said, “he does have a great deal of stress to unite both the love and justice of our Creator so they can both exist within him.” He shook his head. “Such stress likely takes its toll on him now and again. That’s a lot of tension to keep harmonious.”

Mikael rubbed his chin. “Maybe. This . . . this felt different, though.”

Uriel shrugged and patted Mikael on his shoulder. “We’ll keep our eyes out for him and let you know if we find out anything or hear anything.”

Mikael nodded to his friends. “Thanks. I’ll let you know what I find as well.”

Mikael walked on, wondering where to look, when he suddenly got the idea to head to the throne room. Ruach.

Ruach HaKodesh often sent telepathic messages to these warriors to let them know the will of their Creator. Going to the throne room sounded serious— definitely not a place to approach lightly. There were only a few select cherubim and seraphim, special angels, who had access to the Creator in his throne room. Mikael wondered: Why does Ruach want me there?

The throne room was not hard to miss. Since the place contained the Shekinah glory of the Creator, his brilliance was so bright the light would penetrate any crevice existing in a structure. In addition, with the throne room composed of various types of colored crystals, the place gave off a magnificent glow that could be seen from extremely far away. Not only was the throne room colorful, the area also sat on the highest place in the middle of the kingdom, a dimension in and unto itself. Mikael looked up and followed the path upward toward the glow—a glow he had always considered comforting knowing his Creator’s presence was always with him. Now he would enter his Creator’s dimension. That, he thought, was not as comforting.

As Mikael neared the throne room, he paused. Am I supposed to enter? There would be grave consequences if he entered uninvited. He looked around. His eyes caught a slight blur of something against the glow of the throne room. He approached.

“Ruach. I received your message. What is wrong?”

Only a vague outline of a Person could be observed. Although transparent, he appeared like heat waves between an observer and an object. “Thank you for coming. I didn’t want to alarm the others. You’re the archangel, the leader of our Creator’s heavenly host.”

Mikael often wondered why he was the leader of an army. Shouldn’t an army have an enemy? They certainly trained as if there was one. But everything here was so perfect. What was the need for such a force? Unless . . . Ruach was about to now tell him.

Mikael took a step closer to Ruach. He lowered his voice. He was unsure why he did, but doing so seemed the appropriate thing to do. “Ruach, tell me what’s going on.”

Ruach shook his head. “Mikael, I can’t yet reveal what is going on. All I can say is, I have felt a change, and it’s not a good change. There is a disturbance brewing. I can’t tell you what it is or who it is, but . . . ” His voice trailed off.

Mikael cocked his head. “But what? You can at least tell me where this disturbance is originating from, can you not?”

Ruach nodded.

“Okay. So, where?”

“That’s why I called you here.” Ruach’s form turned toward the throne room.

Mikael looked from Ruach to the throne room and back, realization slowly dawning. In almost a whisper he said, “What? Here? But . . . why? How?”

Ruach turned back to Mikael. “That is why I need your help.”

Mikael put his hand to his chest. “My help? But you’re the one who can sense all. What do you need with my help?”

Ruach put his hand on Mikael’s shoulder. Mikael could not see his hand, but he could feel it, as well as the warmth now radiating from his shoulder down through his very being. “That’s the point, Mikael. The time of choices is approaching. I need you to question the cherubim to see what they know. If a rebellion is brewing, I don’t want them to think I know.”

Mikael’s eyes widened. “Rebellion? Here? How—” He paused, his mind trying to catch up to such a thought. “How is such a thing even possible?”

Ruach shook his head. “It is a mystery. But a mystery you need to get to the bottom of.”

Mikael nodded slowly, then stopped. His heart sank. “Wait. You said ‘them.’ Why did you make this plural?”

Ruach seemed to look down and then back to Mikael. “It is plural, I’m afraid. The feeling I’ve received has gotten stronger over the last several days.”

Mikael took a step back in shock. “I can’t comprehend even one of us rebelling, much less several. Are you sure?”

Ruach slowly nodded. “Yes. I am certain.”

Mikael glanced back at the throne room. “And you think the rebellion is from one of the cherubim?” He shook his head. “They are the closest to our Creator. They reflect his glory back to him. How could rebellion be in one of them?”

“It is either one of them, or one of them knows something. You must find out what they know.”

“But how do I do that? They are in the throne room almost constantly. They come out only rarely, and for short periods of time.”

Ruach nodded. “Yes, that is true. And that is why you have my permission.”

Mikael cocked his head slightly. “Permission? For what?”

“To enter.”

Mikael’s mouth fell open. “The throne room!?” His voice was one of disbelief. “But won’t they know something is amiss if they see me in the throne room? Only the cherubim and seraphim are allowed.”

“Others are allowed with permission.”

Mikael swallowed hard. As far as he knew, no one— at least as yet—had ever entered the throne room except for select cherubim and seraphim.

“The glow of one has faded,” Ruach said. “Likely almost imperceptible, but perhaps you can notice so you will know where to direct your questioning. Don’t approach directly. Not yet at least. Let’s talk after your visit. Don’t engage. Just observe.”

Ruach stretched out his transparent arm and directed Mikael’s attention toward the entrance of the throne room.

Mikael’s eyebrows raised. “You mean, now?”

“Is there any better time?”

Mikael knew the answer was no, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for this step without further preparation. He started to ask if the Creator was expecting him but caught himself as he realized Ruach HaKodesh was one component of the Creator-Trinity. Ruach giving permission was the same as the Creator giving permission.

Mikael slowly walked toward the entrance of the throne room. Two large angels with broad shoulders and a muscular build stood next to the doorway. Each had blondish-colored hair and blue eyes that highlighted their tanned appearance. Both wore a sky[1]blue robe that contrasted with the golden sash around their waist and the other across their chest that was in place to hold a large, sheathed sword along their back.

“Hello, Azel,” Mikael said.

Azel nodded. “Ruach has already informed me to allow your entrance.”

Mikael nodded. “Thank you.” He paused briefly at the entrance. Would the portal to this dimension open?

He briefly glanced at Azel, who merely smiled.

The entrance seemed to simply fade, revealing a myriad of colors within. Mikael swallowed hard and stepped through the opening and into a dimension few—if any—had ever been invited into.

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

 

Dr. Randy C. Dockens
has a fascination with science and with the Bible, holds Ph.D. degrees
in both areas, and is a man not only of faith and science, but also of
creativity. He believes that faith and science go hand in hand without
being enemies of each other. 

After completing his
bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University he went on to
graduate school at Auburn and completed his first doctorate degree in
Pharmaceutics. He began his scientific career as a pharmacokinetic
reviewer for the Food and Drug Administration and later joined a leading
pharmaceutical company as a pharmacokineticist, which is a scientist
who analyzes how the human body affects drugs after they have been
administered (i.e., absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted). 

Through the years, he
has worked on potential medicines within several disease areas,
including cardiovascular, fibrosis, and immunoscience to see and develop
new and novel medicines in these therapy areas. 

He has also had his
attention on the academic study of the Bible. He earned a second
doctorate in Biblical Prophecy from Louisiana Baptist University after
receiving a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from the Internet Bible
Institute under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Congdon. 

Randy has recently
retired from his pharmaceutical career and is spending even more time on
his writing efforts. He has written several books that span dystopian,
end-time prophecy, science fiction, and uniquely told Bible stories. All
his books, while fun to read, are futuristic, filled with science to
give them an authentic feel, have a science fiction feel to them, and
allows one to learn some aspect of Biblical truth one may not have
thought about before. This is all done in a fast-paced action format
that is both entertaining and provides a fun read for his readers. 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Sometimes, death is only the beginning of the adventure.

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The IX

The IX Series Book 1

by Andrew P. Weston

Genre: SciFi Fantasy

Soldiers from varying eras and vastly different backgrounds, including the IX Legion of Rome, are snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing, and transported to the far side of the galaxy. Thinking they have been granted a reprieve, their relief turns to horror when they discover they face a stark ultimatum:

Fight or die.

Against all odds, this group of misfits manages to turn the tide against a relentless foe, only to discover the true cost of victory might exact a price they are unwilling to pay.

How far would you be willing to go to stay alive?

The IX.

Sometimes, death is only the beginning of the adventure.

**The IX is Perseid Press’ featured book for August and is on sale for Only $2.99 on Kindle!!**

Amazon * B&N * Perseid Press * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Ever wondered what happened to those lost Roman Legionnaires? What about the US cavalry, engaged in a secret mission for President Lincoln? And whatever happened to the Special Forces Unit from a future time who disappeared during their mission to stop a nuclear disaster?

The IX has the answers and they are out of this world. Literally.

I gotta say, this fascinated me. What a great way to explain the disappearance of thousands. And what a world the author built.

At the point of death, these people were whisked away to a distant galaxy by an alien race. The inhabitants of that planet are being killed off and face extinction. They need warriors, now. Told they fight or die, these people must work together, live by the code, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” if they are going to survive.

There’s no going back. There’s only the the Horde, an enemy that doesn’t hesitate to die by the thousands. They must be stopped or all perish. And what’s to stop them from finding Earth and doing to us what they are doing to these beings? And then to another planet, and another.

What a movie this would be! I’d kill, just kidding, to have a part in it. Even as an ugly Kresh!

My description is simplified. There’s so much happening. This book comes in at a whopping 565 pages. But don’t let that deter you. By the time you reach the end, you’ll be wishing it was longer.

Though I stumbled over some of the alien names and terms, laughed at my own attempts to pronounce them, I quickly came to recognize them, along with the numerous human characters. There are a lot, yet it doesn’t take long to recognize the individual voices.

The plot for The IX is mind blowing. The author gives you many sub plots, plenty of history, and an amazing world to explore. He was able to make this all flow easily. You’ll fly through this in to time.

The writing is superb. Ever read a book and see the entire story play out like on the big screen. Except for not being too sure what those nasty Kresh looked like, I could see this in vivid color and detail. Imagination is a wonderful thing, as is this authors talent.

5 STARS

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Enjoy this peek inside:

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By Strength and Guile

 

(May 4, 2052)

 

“Gold command, emergency hatchway has been breached and preliminary seal established. We now have access to pylon three. Repeat, pylon three is secured. Beginning final appraisal.”

“Roger that, Sunray,” a muted, metallic voice acknowledged, “You are go for tactical ingress, on your mark.”

Lieutenant Alan–Mac–McDonald, officer commanding SBS Four Troop, UK Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Wing, remained a shadow in the dark. His night optics brought the scene about him to life in lurid, silver-green detail. As he began his final assessment, he could clearly see the seven other members of his team, bobbing about in the swell beneath the Husker-Trent oil and gas platform. Each of them was silent, alert, and professional. Highly trained killers. But skill and training weren’t the only things on their side tonight. Thanks to their reactive micro-com network and chameleon armor, they were also invisible from prying eyes, eavesdropping and covert surveillance. Scanning their arcs, each specialist waited patiently for their leader to complete his evaluation and give his final affirmation.

From their briefing of only two hours ago, Mac knew this gravity-base derrick, situated nearly a hundred miles out into the North Sea, was the very latest in platform design. A floating, self-sustained city in one of the harshest environments known to man, she was also the apple of the Corroco Corporation’s eye. And the Corroco Oil and Technologies Corporation were not happy at being the latest targets of White Dawn, a group of eco-terrorists who had kept a number of security agencies around the world busy over the past thirteen months.

No one knew who the leaders of this faction were, or indeed how they were funded. The only facts available tended to support the theory that White Dawn operatives were highly trained, incredibly motivated, and skilled in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Their goal appeared to focus on public embarrassment, rather than financial gain. More worryingly, if cornered and unable to achieve their objectives, they weren’t reticent about making the ultimate gesture for their cause. Suicide!

The group was also very thorough when it came to researching possible targets, and this evening’s venture was no exception. Husker-Trent was fitted with the very latest in AI camera-motion detector recognition technology. If unidentified persons approached, they could either be blown out of the water by .50 rail mounted cannons, or the rig would go into safe mode. Security bulkheads would lower to seal off the strategic centers of operations, emergency valves would cut off oil and gas pressure, and automated distress signals would be sent via com-sat and wireless. Additionally, the platform had been constructed in such a manner that the drilling module was entirely separate from the run off vents, and the combined work-cum-habitat ring. The only way on or off, was via the central helipad, accessed by any one of three retractable gantries. These safety features should have made it very hard for anyone to breach her security measures. The fact that White Dawn had done so, this easily, smacked of exceptional planning and execution, or an inside job. As such, Gold Command were hedging their bets and treading cautiously.

Mac zoomed in on a number of the defensive systems as he made his assessment. The thermal and electronic heads-up display emblazoned across the left side of his visor, showed they were primed, tracking, and ready to deploy.

Difficult to get past, but not impossible. Not for my team…especially with what’s at stake.

He glanced at his radiological detector. The glowing red patches confirmed the presence of the real reason why Special Forces had become involved so quickly.

When it was realized Husker-Trent had been taken by an unknown number of assailants, contact between the derrick and the outside world had been suspended. Negotiators and law enforcement agencies had been put on alert, and, as a precaution, the Special Forces Directorate notified. Standard procedure, especially where oilrigs were involved. However, when an opening dialogue had been offered by trained mediators, they had been resolutely ignored. In fact, each subsequent attempt at communication had been met by a similar wall of silence. No ensuing ransom demands or political statements were made, and neither was a release of hostages offered. That had made the prime minister very worried.

When a high altitude fly-by had been ordered, the drone had quickly picked up the telltale signs of suspicious activity and the unmistakable signatures of a scattered number of nuclear devices. Odd, especially when White Dawn purported to be ecologically sympathetic. Needless to say, the discovery of such ordnance had guaranteed a swift response. One with an aggressive focus.

As the lead team on the duty roster, Four Troop had been deployed to gather intelligence, ascertain the reason for the attack, secure all radiological materials, and bring the standoff to an end. And we’ll do that alright! Mac thought, as he completed his assessment, by strength and guile.

Smiling to himself over his reference to the SBS motto, Mac gave a thumbs-up to his team, and depressed his throat mike to deliver his decision. “Gold command, this is Sunray, do you copy?”

“Go ahead, Sunray.” The reply was almost instantaneous.

“Traffic lights are at green. Repeat, traffic lights are at green. Waiting for final authentication.”

“That’s a go, team four. Use of lethal force authorized. Gold command authentication…Alpha, six, six, six, omega.”

“Alpha, six, six, six, omega, confirmed. From Sunray, we are now going dark. See you when this is all over.”

“Roger that, team four. See you on the other side. Good hunting.”

The radio went dead. Turning to face his section, Mac motioned with his hands for radio silence. As one, each team member moved to adjust their equipment to ensure they were cut off from all forms of outside communication. Once done, they switched to covert internals, before checking back in again.

Facing his second-in-command, Mac said, “Mark, take bravo squad and tag the location of each radiological device. Let me know if they’ll be suitable for tactical removal or deactivation. Secondary protocol, ascertain strength and deployment of the enemy.”

Throughout the entire process, Mac didn’t have to raise his voice once. The covert set enhanced his vocals until the whispers rang loud and clear in his teammate’s ear.

Sergeant Mark Stevens, a nine year veteran of special operations, raised his left index finger and tapped the side of his head twice, replying, “Roger that. I am Bravo-one. Primary objective, locate and tag radiological devices. Secondary, ascertain strength and deployment of the enemy.” Addressing his squad members in particular, he added, “Bravo confirm?”

Specialists Sean Masters, Richard–Fonzy–Cunningham, and Andy Webb all replied in the affirmative, each going through their call-signs and orders in turn, to confirm they fully understood their operating procedures.

Twisting slightly, Mac continued with his own squad, “Alpha, we will be concentrating on the hostages. Preliminary sat-recon shows almost the entire compliment of ninety-seven rig personnel are gathered together within the dining and kitchen areas. At least half a dozen managers have been relocated to the operations and radio rooms. Verification of their wellbeing is our priority. Secondary objective is intelligence, namely, rescue and casualty viability. I am Alpha-one. Alpha confirm?”

Specialists Stu Duggan, Sam Pell and Den–Jumper–Collins sounded off in turn.

Once they had done so, Mac addressed them all again. “During the first stage, we will not engage the enemy unless forced to do so. Only then, in order to save life. If we do go hot before phase two, take them down. No quarter…understood?”

Seven thumbs were raised into the air as confirmation.

Moving his own hand in a circular motion twice, Mac then clenched his fist and opened his fingers wide. Immediately, each of them moved to their designated points for insertion through the lining of the gravity base pylon.

Forming an outward facing fan about the hatchway, each specialist paired off. They then made sure to cover the movement of their teammate as they gained access. Having entered, the respective partner likewise kept on the watch for his buddy.

Mac was quietly complimentary of his men. Moving covertly was a time consuming process. However, they were so well rehearsed that the maneuver was over in less than two minutes. Fast going, considering the change in conditions.

As last man in, Mac had remained in the water the longest. When they had started to breech, the area was relatively calm, exhibiting a mild chop that had them bobbing up and down through six or seven foot swells. Nothing unusual. However, in the time that had elapsed since then, the sea had begun to heave alarmingly, as if suddenly agitated by a leviathan stirring in the depths beneath them. Mac was also sure he could hear the distant roll of thunder.

That’s odd? He thought. How did it move in so quickly? It wasn’t on satellite.

Adjusting his optics to get a better look, Mac let out a gasp of astonishment. A solid wall of cloud and rain was moving toward them. Darker than the surrounding star filled night, it was still a few miles out. But even so, he could see it seethed with a powering menace that gave him Goosebumps. Mac couldn’t shake the impression that the approaching tempest was a missile, with the rig as the bulls-eye on its target.

“Alpha-one? What is it boss?” Being the first in, Mark was higher up inside the platform’s structure and had totally missed the change in weather.

Mac paused to check he was seeing things right.

A seething maelstrom of midnight black, punctuated by bursts of lurid brightness charged toward them. Where it touched the sea, the water churned and frothed as if being distressed by a thousand propellers. Even at this distance, Mac was sure he could see the entire storm front rotating, both above and below the surface.

“Oh for Christ’s sake!”

“Alpha-one? What is it?” Mark repeated.

“Trouble.” Mac replied bluntly. “I think we’d better crack on, gentlemen. Our evening might get complicated…real soon.”

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Andrew P. Weston is Royal Marine and Police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with his wife, Annette, and their growing family of rescue cats.

An astronomy and law graduate, he is the creator of the international number one bestseller, The IX, and also has the privilege of being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, as well as the British Science Fiction Association, and British Fantasy Society.

When not writing, Andrew devotes some of his spare time to assisting NASA with one of their remote research projects, and writes educational articles for Astronaut.com and Amazing Stories.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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ASIN: B0C7DQ18TW
Publisher: Dropship Publishing (July 11, 2023)
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Language: English

 

Blade Runner meets Judge Dread and The Running Man in this no-holds-barred cyberpunk thriller from Dragon Award Nominee Stu Jones. Start this neon-soaked thrill ride today!

In a tech-addicted dystopia, a young cop struggling to survive is forced into a high-octane gladiatorial grudge match, where sinister corporate overlords pull the strings and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.

ONE WAY IN. NO WAY OUT

In the super-city of Neo Terminus, millions of tech-addicted fans surround a walled-off inner-city wasteland to watch nano-boosted gladiators called Enforcers fight to the death in the Conglomerate-controlled event known as The Zone. Enforcers are promised wealth and celebrity—if they survive.

Officer Chance Griffin fights to clean up the mean streets of Neo Terminus, and scrape together enough money for his infant son’s vital surgery. Driven by his family’s need, Chance signs on as an Enforcer for The Conglomerate.

As Chance rises to the top of the Enforcer ranks, The Glom’s mysterious Founders coerce him into competing in the greatest Zone trial ever conceived. Chance knows he’s the favorite to win. He believes his family is safe. He believes his son will get the medical care he urgently needs.

Chance is wrong.

Too late, he uncovers a plot by The Glom to rig the trial and enslave the citizens of Neo Terminus, ensuring obedience—forever.

Blinded by fame and fortune, and used as a pawn by the corporate machine, Chance resists. But he is about to discover that every deal with the devil has its price…

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MY REVIEW

The tagline is correct. The first thing that came to my mind was Judge Dredd. I really liked the 1995 release with Sylvester Stallone and loved the 2012 release with Karl Urban. Yum. And the plot had me thinking of Hunger Games. Gabriel Kess reminded me of Seneca Crane, organizing the players and the game play. And The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis helped me visualize the city of Neo Terminus.

Of course, being an Enforcer and fighting in The Zone is filled with danger. Death is a threat at any given moment.  Officer Chance Griffin has a personal reason for becoming an Enforcer for The Conglomerate. He has to live. His family needs him. This added to the suspense as I’d really come to care for the family.

Being a sci-fi, action thriller, The Zone was everything I’d hoped for and more. Fleshed out characters that I loved, liked and loathed. Action from the get go. And danger, fighting, death and triumph. At 436 pages, I was surprised how quickly I finished the book and could happily have read more….. and more.

5 STARS

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You can purchaseThe Zone at the following Retailers:
       
Photo Content from Stu Jones

A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.​

A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).

Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.

Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary. He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle who thinks he’s human.

       
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JULY 10th MONDAY Cover2CoverBlog EXCERPT
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JULY 17th MONDAY TTC Books and More REVIEW
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Cover Reveal Banner

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Check out the cover for upcoming release by Debbie Iancu-Haddad, The Goodbye Kids!

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cover 1.83 mb

The Goodbye Kids: A YA SF space adventure (The Children of the Stars #1)

Expected Publication Date: September 6, 2023

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

A million stars, but no friends.

Plus-size teen Haley grew up friendless on a space station thinking she’d never fall in love. She spends her time with her robot dog Nano, dreaming of the day she’ll leave the remote station and become an intergalactic pilot.

Haley’s plan shatters when Jorden, a boy on a suicide mission, drags her into his lethal scheme.

Jorden Lund isn’t the chosen one, he’s the guy who volunteered.

Raised by his controlling father in an eco-terrorist cell on Earth, Jorden volunteers for a mission to save the planet. He has four months to travel to the space station, build a bomb, and blow up a spaceship.

Falling in love is definitely not part of the plan.

When Jorden arrives on the space station, disguised as a traveler, Haley’s access to the station’s restricted areas makes her an asset.

But Haley has a strict rule: ‘No new friends’, because traveler friends always leave, taking pieces of her heart with them.

As the two grow closer, strange events wreak havoc on the station.

Amidst the growing danger can Haley stop Jorden before he breaks her heart and destroys her home?

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy soft, character-based, Sci-Fi, first-person dual POV, clean teen romance, space stories, talking robot dogs, and plus-sized heroines just living their life with no mention of weight loss.

Pre-order Here!

About the Author

e208d728-db4a-432b-a8cd-cd3383f3695e

Debbie Iancu-Haddad is a Jewish Israeli author living in Meitar in the Negev Desert.

She spends her time taking part in Anthologies (seven to date with two more on the way), writing VSS on Twitter, and buying way too much stuff online. Her goal is to promote body positive characters and include characters dealing with physical challenges. #ownvoices

For her day job, she gives lectures on humor, laughter yoga workshops and chocolate workshops, and sees how often she can make her two teenagers roll their eyes.

Debbie Iancu-Haddad | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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The universe called.

She answered.

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Everything you’ve seen or read till now took you only to the brink . . .

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Dream Dancer

Kerrion Empire Book 1

by Janet Morris

Genre: Epic SciFi Fantasy Adventure

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The universe called. She answered.

Everything you’ve seen or read till now took you only to the brink . . .

Neither pure fantasy, nor straight science fiction, nor earthbound dynastic saga, Dream Dancer is a stunning amalgam of all three. It is a family saga with the epic appeal of Dune and the action and excitement of Star Wars. It is a saga of love, power and treachery that will appeal to men and women equally; full of action, compulsively readable and quite unlike anything being published in the realms of fantasy today.

The heroine, Shebat, is a remarkable girl from Earth. She is brought to the vast empire of the Kerrion family by a renegade son; named as its future ruler on a whim of his autocratic father; abducted to the slums where the Kerrions’ slaves drug themselves with powerful mystical sorcery; and finally rescued to take part in a great rebellion. She falls in love with one brother but marries another and becomes more Kerrion than some born to the name. A magical seductress of men, passionate in her lust for power, Shebat moves among those who control the destinies of millions, for whom treachery and betrayal are as easy as murder. Set in the timeless future on a primitive, savage Earth and on the sophisticated habitats of deep space, Dream Dancer is the first volume of a three-part saga.

“Not since Dune have we witnessed a power struggle of such awesome intensity. Dream, Dancer may well be the I, Claudius of fantasy novels. A literary feast!” — Eric Van Lustbader, author of The Ninja.

“Dream Dancer is a fascinating and lyrical story, told with great invention” — Peter Straub, author of Ghost Story.

“The pacing is brisk; fascinating concepts abound.” — Booklist

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**The Kerrion Empire series is Perseid Press’ featured series for June and is on sale for Only $2.99 on kindle!!**

Amazon * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads

.

Enjoy this peek inside:

A.D. 2248: On the day after the killer frost took a ready harvest, a trio of cloaked enchanters came riding into Bolen’s town, New York, on froth-dappled black horses whose brasses shone like the sun.

There were plenty of folk to remark on the sight, lounging around on board sidewalks and split-rail fences with dour faces and bellies bloated from too much beer and too little food, as folk will when tragedy herds them together, and suddenly there is nothing left to do.

The three horses kicked up dust from one end of the single street in sere Bolen’s town to the other. The dust tickled the noses of the townfolk above their kerchiefs; the awkward scats and unfamiliar scarlet eagles blazoned on the black cloaks of the riders tickled their curiosity. And the fact that the dust did not seem to settle on the shiny black boots of the riders kicked up suspicion in one man’s mind that these must be the enchanters who had caused the demon frost to strike down their crops.

The suspicion, once voiced, spread through the ragged crowd like dust on the wind, touching one, touching all, uniting them in a heady rebirth of the purpose.

These were the culprits who had brought the ill fortune, all agreed.

In a mass of nearly thirty, the people of the town advanced down its single street to Bolen’s inn, the ramshackle way station around which the town had grown up and its most imposing building, being possessed of not only a cellar, but an upper floor.

The three horses snorted and skittered as the rumbling crowd approached, but their riders had entered the inn, and their reins held them fast to the porch rail.

Inside the inn one of the enchanters, who was tall and well made yet somehow lissome in skin-hugging ebony coveralls relieved with scarlet, pulled back a curtained window. He said something that lilted through his black beard in a language neither fat Bolen nor the uncombed, pinch-faced girlchild waiting sullenly upon the strange ones’ table understood. The second man, whose presence it was that made the first seem delicate by the force of his impact and the width of his neck, answered and left the enchantress with whom he had been sitting to disappear through the door.

The enchantress furrowed her creamy brow, brushed an auburn wisp from it, and smoothed her coveralls down over her hips. Then she gave an unmistakable order to the lissome, slighter man, who looked displeased and scratched in his beard, but seemed to obey. At least, he approached the bar.

The barefoot serving girl, watching the first man cross the floor to where Bolen fastidiously wiped tankards behind the bar, tugged at her patched shift and straightened her shoulders in emulation of the regal woman with the shining, chestnut coif. She tried to imagine her black tangles magically straightened, shining like brass. She failed; she sighed.

“Is there another way out of here?” asked the bearded one of Bolen in a clipped, oddly accented voice as from without the rumble of the crowd grew louder.

“My pardon, gentle sir, but there is not,” said Bolen carefully, all his chins bobbing in agreement. Everyone knew the dangers of deceiving enchanters. But the crowd wanted this lot. Should Bolen deny them, this would be Bolen’s town no more and Bolen himself would be stoned alongside the strangers when they were caught. He was trying to figure out a way to claim their horses when the rumble turned to thunder and the windows shattered in a rain of stones and the door came bursting inward, all the town behind.

The lithe man at the bar whirled around, seemed to arch back like a mountain cat. But even as he did the woman went down clutching her bleeding head, and he hesitated, stunned disbelief giving him a moronic, slack-jawed mien. Then the ragged girl was pulling at him, babbling too fast in a tongue he had superficially learned, dragging him toward the kitchen whence she had first emerged.

A rock caught him as he ducked beneath the curtain, numbing his arm. Then her strong little fingers grabbed at his beard, pulling it violently, and he realized he had not been deciphering her words, only hearing another compendium of unintelligible sounds.

“Get down. Through here. Crawl. Oh, go on!”

“You first,” he said grimly, pushing her ahead of him.

He pushed too hard, so that she tumbled down, and he recollected the frail, knobby backbone he had felt through the shift, and the gray, maelstrom eyes pleading, even as he picked up a stained kitchen knife and prepared to take a few of them with him.

But as a toil-roughened hand clutched the curtain from beyond, another clutched his ankle, jerking desperately. Off balance, he went to his knees. The waif’s heart-shaped face gleamed out at him from the dim passage. “Please, please, or they will kill me too.”

Thrusting the knife through his belt, he crouched low. Wedging himself into the waist-high passage, he pulled shut the door.

Then there was nothing left but to follow the scuttling sounds ahead of him in darkness. Suddenly, there was a crack of light.

“Your horses,” the girl’s husky voice announced with obvious pride, “are yet waiting. Will you take me with you?”

“I cannot.”

“You cannot leave me to their mercy!” Full lower lip grew fuller as determination turned pout to accusation.

“They are your people,” he fended her off, fidgeting now that escape was so close. A ridiculous vision of this tangled, odorous primitive garbed in Kerrion flight satins made his grin flash in the semidark.

“Then I will make a diversion for you,” she offered dully. “Take which direction you choose and I will take another.”

From such selfless courage, Marada Seleucus Kerrion could not turn away.

He rubbed his elbow, flexing his arm which was no longer complaining quite so bitterly, and wondered whether he might not be still dreaming off last night’s revel and all this the wages of incontinence. “No,” he sighed. “Come on then, small person, and if we reach the horses we will head them both the same way.”

“Aieeee,” crowed the girl in triumph, lunging through the half-door into the dusty street.

Later, he thanked the clouds that on this benighted world never lessened, and the cover it threw over the racing sprite, all knees and elbows, who by the time he reached her had two pairs of reins free and was trying with no success to mount the tall, dancing horse.

He boosted her up and scrambled atop a second quivering snorter, while from Bolen’s inn came howls and crashings and one man’s tortured scream rose above the rest.

“Bolen,” the girl gasped, full lips blue with terror.

“Too bad,” said the man bleakly, for his eyes had seen his broken companion all askew on the steps. “That way,” he said pointing, and slapped his horse’s rump.

There followed a nightmarish interval of leaves slapping him and branches raking him and pine needles seeking to blind him as the horse plunged wildly through the thicket behind Bolen’s inn. By the time he had gained control, Bolen’s town was far behind. The thicket became a copse, the copse gave way to forest. It was not until then he looked around to see if the rat-haired waif yet followed.

She did. She rode badly, though perhaps not as badly as he, and when they had been awhile in the lofty, dank trees he called a halt more for her than for the horses.

So there he was, walking a sweating horse in an alien glen with a more alien child whose disposition was easily as much a problem as his own would be to his superiors when all this came to light.

He scraped foam off the horse’s neck and tightened the girth, watching her. She was painfully thin, except for her belly. Malnutrition? Her shoulders were sharp, boyish, a distinct contrast to wise, woman’s eyes that dominated a child’s face. Was that why he had succumbed, brought her along? No, she was not that pretty, or that pathetic.

She was humming as she rubbed her horse with dead leaves.

“How old are you?” While he spoke he prodded a bracelet on his wrist. It sang briefly. He took his hand away.

“Seventeen.” She spoke sharply in an impossibly low voice. A shift of the wind brought her pungent odor to him like a warning. But it was too late to heed it. He was committed. And she was lying.

“Truly,” he demanded.

“Fifteen.” She turned to regard him, letting the leaves fall from her hand. The horse snorted, nuzzling her. She patted its muzzle absently, looking up at him from under the ebon froth that framed her face. Grass and dust hung in its thicket. The eyes, below, said: “You can’t blame me for trying.”

“Was Bolen your father?”

“No,” very softly. “My parents are dead.”

“Where would you like to go? Do you have relations, perhaps in the city?” He made his play casually, hoping she would be content, would let him off, take the horse and some money . . .

“No relations. I want to go with you.” The pale gray eyes had thick black lashes. They came together, and the man found he had been holding his breath while she looked at him as if he could hold his thoughts withal.

“No, you do not. You do not even know where it is I am going.” How could he explain to her that in the Consortium he served, she would be an object of ridicule, an oddity at which people would wrinkle their noses and turn away. He wondered if the malodor was congenital, as the wind brought it to him again.

“I do not care. I have no place else to go,” she shrugged. “I will serve you as I served Bolen. You will be pleased with me.”

He did not want to think about how she might have been serving Bolen, or might think to serve him. “Time to ride,” he said.

“I can do some small enchantments,” she proclaimed.

“Then enchant yourself up on that horse.”

He mounted and in doing so felt the jab of the kitchen knife. He took it from his belt. It was low-quality iron, crudely smelted. He threw it down. It stuck, wavering point-deep in the sod.

His elbow, still tender, objected, and he tried to credit the evanescent pain with having caused the catch in his throat. But he knew it was something else, something composed of black iron and unceasing clouds and enchantments and little girls in rags who stunk. From this, the mighty Consortium which ruled the stars was sprung?

“What is your name?” he asked, turning the horse deeper into the forest at an easy walk.

“Shebat,” she said hesitantly, giving up a great secret.

“Marada,” he introduced himself, leaving out all the rest which she would not understand, which made no sense here in this forest of forgetfulness on the world of his private dreaming.

Marada had come home, across vast reaches of lucent space, despite the fair warnings and suddenly sensible restrictions that prohibited landfall on the planet Earth.

His older brother and his betrothed, Iltani, would never leave it. He remembered Iltani’s arch challenge: “How bad can it be?” She had found out. But it was not her fault, rather it was his, his alone; his the obsession and his the price to pay.

“You are an enchanter,” Shebat breathed in fearful delight when she saw the little opalescent reconnaissance ship, perched like a stalking mantis in a sorcerer’s seared circle in the verdant meadow. “I was afraid you might not be, after all.”

His horse’s reaction was quite another matter. By the time he had it calmed and stripped and turned loose in the clearing, the moment had passed to deny sorcery. Watching the little girl kiss the horse on his slobbery muzzle, he wondered whether there might not be something for such a one to do in the far-flung empire of the Consortium he served.

“You are sure you would not rather go to the city, apprentice at some trade? I will give you money, secure you a position. You can grow up to be the Enchantress of all the Earth.” He had to kneel down to see her face, for she would not look at him. He took her by the arms, but she only repeated that she had nowhere to go and wanted to be with him.

So he took her onto the ship and showed her how to strap in, and soon there was nothing left in the dim clearing but a patch of seared ground and harness for two horses, and the beginnings of a legend that the townfolk—peering through the bushes but afraid to face the mighty enchanter, whose fire-spouting chariot rose on a deafening roar almost straight into the heavens—would tell to their friends and relations and to their children and their children for generations to come.

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What is something unique/quirky about you?

 

I breed Morgan horses. I consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose breeding combinations to achieve a desired result.

I am also a song writer; I play bass guitar with my husband Chris who sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com

 

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

 

I wrote my first novel, High Couch of Silistra in 1975; a friend sent it to an agent who chose to represent me; I had already written the second book in the Silistra Quartet and my agent told me not to disclose that until they finalized the contract for the first one. When the publisher learned of the others, Bantam Books bought the succeeding three. When the fourth book was published, the series already had four million copies in print. Suddenly I was a novelist specializing in environmental, gender, historical and political subjects. In the process, Chris became my editor and ultimately a co-writer. Since then, we have co-authored many books.

 

Who is your hero and why?

 

Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. I’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.

 

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

 

All of them. I write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures I undertake without knowing the destination.  I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, and Outpassage are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.

 

What inspired you, to write Dream Dancer?

 

Like the rest of my generation, I was inspired by the rapid development of computer technology and the thought that it might become sentient one day. I began to imagine how it would be to put our trust in machines to take us far beyond our own human reach. Dream Dancer is that story.

 

 

Convince us why you feel Dream Dancer is a must read.

 

Dream Dancer is an exploration of a far future human culture that has developed artificial intelligence to a point where space-faring ships pilot themselves through regions of space where time is fluid and human navigational skills are ill-suited. However, these smart ships need a biological clock as a check on their purely mechanistic capabilities and therefore need to partner with trusted human pilots to enter and exit these fluid regions called spongespace. Shebat, our protaganist, is a practioner of primitive magic arts and is uniquely gifted, a quality which, when combined with her omniscient spacecraft takes an entire culture where it has never been.

 

Who designed your book covers?

 

Most of my covers, including Dream Dancer, are realized by Roy Mauritsen, a gifted graphic artist.

 

Advice to writers?

 

As for advice to writers, here is all I know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if I, as the writer, can’t feel what it’s like being there, my readers can’t either. So close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell me what you see. Tell me what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it, wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to me.

 

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Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. She has contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of Stepsons, a mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. She created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell, writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related novel, The Little Helliad, with Chris Morris. She wrote the bestselling Silistra Quartet in the 1970s, including High Couch of Silistra, The Golden Sword, Wind from the Abyss, and The Carnelian Throne. This quartet had more than four million copies in Bantam print alone, and was translated into German, French, Italian, Russian and other languages. In the 1980s, Baen Books released a second edition of this landmark series. The third edition is the Author’s Cut edition, newly revised by the author for Perseid Press. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Janet says: ‘People often ask what book to read first. I recommend “I, the Sun” if you like ancient history; “The Sacred Band,” a novel, if you like heroic fantasy; “Lawyers in Hell” if you like historical fantasy set in hell; “Outpassage” if you like hard science fiction; “High Couch of Silistra” if you like far-future dystopian or philosophical novels. I am most enthusiastic about the definitive Perseid Press Author’s Cut editions, which I revised and expanded.’

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