Guest Post: The Enigma Dragon

Book Details:

Book Title: The Enigma Dragon: A CATS Tale (The Enigma Series Book 9)
Authors: Charles V Breakfield and Roxanne E Burkey
Category: Adult Fiction, 360 pages
Genre: Thriller, TechnoThriller
Publisher: ICABOD Press
Release date: Oct 5, 2017
Tour dates: May 28 to June 22, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (There are some descriptive sex scenes but not throughout)

Book Description:

Do the vast amounts of information and technology available hold humans hostage? Does analog communication create a vulnerability?

The political climate in the world is unnerving. North Korea is running missile tests, but where are they getting their deadly supplies? Meanwhile, terrorists are hiding in plain sight, using American technology that is out on display in libraries and museums for the world to see, but are using analog methods to gather and assemble their information. No internet searches equal no red flags which lets the bad guys believe they are operating undetected. But the Cyber Assassin Technology Services (CATS) team is on the job. As Juan and Julie Rodríguez send their operatives out across the globe to track down these foot soldiers also known as Analog Information Mules, they'll discover the horrible potential treats, and learn about each other along the way.

Mike and Marge control ePETRO, an oil shipping business with offices in London and New York, but they don't have the same business goals in mind. Marge intends to sell the North Koreans uranium in addition to oil obtained illegally from the government-sanctioned Middle East. But Mike may have other plans, mainly, keeping the profits of these sales for himself. Then there is the mysterious Steven Christopher, who oversees the AIMs, and is working several angles behind the scenes. Steven is the only one trusted by both Marge and Mike, but why?

The CATs team has feet on the ground, with Ernesto and Tyler following two women through Washington, D.C. as they visit the Smithsonian looking for nuclear fusion processes and down the Texas coast where a dangerous package makes its way onto a ship bound for Asia. Jamie, an Irish man with a heartbreaking past, joins the team in Texas and finds not only a new job, but acceptance. George and Summit travel across Asia following the oil and some suspiciously mislabeled furniture. After a rocky start at being paired up, Mercedes and Brayson head to Panama and are watching a previously known Dark Net data center, but Mercedes is soon extracted to help out in D.C. She quickly becomes embroiled in Steven Christopher's world. Brayson is left behind alone in Panama and, still recovering from a lost love, learns that he can't truly be a part of the team until he has forgiven himself.

While Juan stays with Quip and his supercomputer ICABOD, tracking his team members and relaying constantly updated information at the team's nerve center, Julie heads to London. Julie finds herself in the center of all the trouble as she goes undercover in the ePETRO offices. When Julie disappears, Juan drops everything to find her. Quip loops his wife EZ, a Unified Communications expert, to help monitor and control the CATS team movements so that operatives can find the culprits in their different theaters of operation.

Award-winning authors, Breakfield and Burkey, take readers on a new techno-thriller adventure with their 9th book in The Enigma Series. The Enigma Dragon is a chilling journey across four continents, and twelve cities that uncovers terrifying possibilities of what is to become of our world if the CATS team cannot defeat our enemies.

To follow the tour, please visit Breakfield & Burkey's page on iRead Book Tours.
​

Buy the Book:

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Guest Post: 

Finding Your Voice: Writing in First Person (or Third) 

Response: We typically write in 3^rd person with the narrator only limited omniscient.  Our Techno-Thriller series has pretty well settled on this approach for our nine (9) books, soon to be 10, which gives us the most latitude in our story telling.  We want a balanced approach to our story telling, but enough foreshadowing to keep the reader interested and engaged. 

Admittedly we did flirt with a combination of first person and third person when we started The Enigma Factor, but our editor quickly boxed our ears and provided a very spirited tutorial on the do’s and don’ts of fictional writing.  It was an honest mistake that Breakfield and Burkey brought to the Enigma Book Series after all the technical white papers and manuals that they had written while at Auerbach.  

We would have to say that writing in third person works better for our series since many of the insights placed throughout the book are key sign posts needed by the reader to get caught up in the drama, the suspense, the romance, and the humor we bake into the stories.  Great storytelling is an art form that we continually strive for but solid grammar and writing mechanics are something an author must have at the beginning of their writing career. As readers we have been totally turned off by poor grammar and word choice. We recommend that emerging writers concentrate on their writing mechanics early on so that it comes naturally while practicing their chosen craft. A compelling story will be marred if your writing mechanics are flawed.

In The Enigma Dragon – A CATS Tale we cover many places with our complex story threads, using multiple characters from our pallet, to enrich the intrigue and suspense. Trying to cover in in 1^st person would be difficult and would not flow as nicely as it does. By design, we also try to make certain that even though a given book, such as The Enigma Dragon – A CATS Tale is a part of a series it can be read on its own without the reader feeling lost. We make certain enough of the background events are present to help readers get comfortable quickly. Granted we would love for them to read the series for a richer experience, but if this is the only story we have a reader pick up, they will be intrigued with our 3^rd person approach. Read on!

Meet the Authors:

Charles Breakfield
Charles holds a master’s degree and works for a high-tech manufacturer as a solution architect, functioning in hybrid data/telecom environments. A long-time technology geek, Charles enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He’s also a fan of wine-tastings, riding his Harley, and continues developing his woodworking skills. Now included in people on the move in Dallas Business Journal.

Roxanne Burkey
Roxanne has two passions – working with technology and writing. She enjoys working to drive optimized customer experiences with technology in her role with a high-tech manufacturer. Texas is home for her and her family. When time permits Rox likes gardening, hiking, sewing, refinishing antiques, exploring, wine-tasting, and traveling. She loves to listen to people which often results in odd treasures that come to life in her stories. Now included in people on the move in Dallas Business Journal.

Connect with the authors: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

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Ends June 30, 2018

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The Last Dance : Guest Post

Book Details:

Book Title: The Last Dance by Lonna Enox
Category: Adult Fiction, 226 pages
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Lonna Enox Publications
Release date: June 24, 2016
Tour dates: June 18 to July 13, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M

​Book Description:

Saddle Gap, a quiet little town in southwestern New Mexico, seems the perfect place for Sorrel Janes to start her life over. But within a few days, she finds herself entangled in two murders, the object of harassment, and the number one suspect in a murder. Will her past terrors destroy her future dreams? Amid the evolving conflicts, she resolves to reconstruct her new life and find happiness. Detective Chris Reed is equally resolved to solve the murders as well as Sorrels secrets. Neither of them suspects where the steps of this dance will lead, but they are too stubborn to sit this one out.
​
To follow the tour, please visit Lonna Enox's page on iRead Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

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Watch the trailer:

Guest Post: 

Writing Rituals

My mind has always asked, “What if?”  In finding the answer, I am solving a mystery.  I have a natural curiosity, have had all of my life, and I hate ‘unfinished’ answers to questions.  I write ideas in my journal.

Writing is a solitary thing, so when I’m not writing I like to socialize.  I love to read, explore new places, walk on the beach (since I essentially live in a desert), and see new things.  I especially love the symphony, concerts, plays, and my church activities. 

People watching gives me inspiration.  I’ll see a person and wonder what they would do “if”…?  Incidents from the news sometimes sparks an idea.

When writing I usually write from a favorite comfy chair in the living room.  But I also write in the bedroom, at my desk.  I also write outdoors…anywhere. I think its important to try and write every day.  I write in the early mornings before the house “awakens”…a kitty on the back of my chair and the curtains open so I don’t miss the sunrise.  I do not tend to write in afternoons or evening unless the “muse” is pushing me.

In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper.  To keep fresh while writing I get up and walk, do a simple chore, that sort of thing to give myself a break.  Sometimes I return a phone call or take our dog, Maggie, for a walk.  

Meet the Author:

Lonna Enox is a former high school and college English instructor. She grew up on a ranch in New Mexico, where she learned to love critters, reading, and "wide open" spaces. She is a wife, mom, and grandmother, as well as the proud owner of 4 rescue pets--3 cats and a dog. Aside from an early stint as a newspaper reporter, she also spent 10 years as a freelance magazine writer. She is happiest exploring a wildlife refuge, cuddling little ones and critters, or snuggled up reading a good mystery. Lonna is a professional writer with over 250 printed articles in a variety of national and regional magazines. She has written in several genres and The Last Dance is her debut mystery.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram

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Ends Jule 21, 2018

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Book Tour: Dark Desires * Guest Post*

Paranormal / Fantasy Romance

Date Published: April 5, 2018

“A human and a vampire. An Assassin and his target. They made an impossibility possible, despite his past, despite their present. They had the future—they had Eternity.”

Ryu Takamura is the Dark Ones’ Assassin. He has never missed his target…until now. Until her.

Ava Monroe is a talented geneticist who holds the key to the vampire race’s future…and perhaps her own as well.

Their attraction is explosive from the first. She would do anything to have him. He would sacrifice all to protect her.

But will their love triumph over seemingly impossible odds as they battle enemies new and old? Especially the demons from Ryu’s past? And deep within his heart?

Guest Post: 

10 Things Reader's Would Be Surprised To Know About Me

1. I was born in China, and came to the U.S. at age 7 with a traveling theatre group touring top universities around the world.
2. I’ve studied, worked or lived on all 7 continents except Antarctica.
3. I’ve been brought up by white American families, African American families, lived with Latin American families (married to an Argentinean) and Asian families.
4. My favorite before bed treat is a pint of Häagen-Dazs (white chocolate raspberry truffle) and a bag of Lays Sour Cream and Onion potato chips. Every night. Until I gain 10 pounds, after which I stop until I sort of lose the weight and come back to it again when I can no longer help myself.
5. My second favorite snack is Cha Cha Five-spice sunflower seeds. I can go through a whole bag like a bird with a machine-gun beak while binge watching whatever drama series I’m currently hooked on (right now it’s Sons of Anarchy).
6. My childhood dream (aside from becoming a best-selling novelist) was to get married at age 21 and have 7 children with the love of my life, 6 boys, 1 girl (the youngest).
7. If I had one super power it’s to speak, read and write any language. I want to speak fluently like a native. I want to be able to communicate with anyone in the world and build meaningful relationships through a common language.
8. My pen name Aja is a combination of my best friend’s heritage (Swedish) and my own heritage (Asian). Aja is a Nordic name pronounced as “Asia.” And James is simply to make it less exotic :P Aja also happens to be an Indian baby name meaning goat. 
9. My birth name means “Not of this World,” or “ethereal.” And I was named after a famous male artist.
10. I’ve been to more than a dozen schools before my teens because I moved around so much. The shortest time was one day, and the teachers felt so sorry for me (because I didn’t even have a lunch) that they cooked me up a fried egg sandwich, which I thought was the best thing ever!

About the Author

Aja has been writing stories since the age of six, and novels since the age of thirteen. While she'd be the first to admit that those early efforts weren't particularly good, she sure loved putting them down on paper!

The best part of writing, according to Aja, is that it’s completely organic, the way the stories develop. When the inspiration hits, she writes just so she herself can learn where the characters are headed because oftentimes, they take her by surprise! It is her ultimate dream to share her stories with as many readers as she possibly can.

Her other loves include art, cooking, old movies (anything with Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford, Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Clark Gable, and all the song and dance numbers because she can’t watch them and not be happy!)

She adores taking long walks with her husband and running after her two rambunctious kids. She has traveled extensively (all seven continents except Antarctica) and has had a multi-cultural upbringing. She speaks two and a half languages and binge watch TV shows when the mood strikes.

Aja has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Comparative Literature and Economics and two Master’s degrees, one of which is in East Asian Studies.

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Book Blitz: Tough Karma

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: January 16, 2017

Publisher: Outskirts Press

A chilling tale of loss, tragedy, psychic warfare, and eternal love. Amber Macklin’s world is cruelly shattered when she loses her baby girl three months after her husband’s sudden death. Her cousin, Bryce, comes to her rescue, moving her into his home for fear she will kill herself from the grief. He provides solace and a shoulder to cry on, and he has loved her as more than a cousin for a long time. Amber and Bryce soon discover they are not blood relatives, which opens the door for romance as he pulls her through her darkest hours. When Mike, a college friend of Bryce’s, stops by to visit, Amber senses a deadly secret behind his nice guy persona. She has a frightening dream that Mike is trying to kill her and recurring sleepwalking episodes where she draws detailed pictures of him torturing her. Deeply troubled, Bryce uses his ability to astral travel to investigate Mike and uncover his terrifying past. Mike has had his eye on Amber for some time, and when he learns that Bryce and Amber have become lovers, he is furious. Mike abducts Amber and takes her to his rural Georgia hideaway, and Bryce must rely on his astral abilities to track her down. But will he be too late?

                                                                                   AUTHOR INFORMATION:                                                                  

I enjoy reading books on psychic phenomena and all things metaphysical. Most of my life I've been fascinated with astral travel, dreams, the ability to see the future, and reincarnation. I've wanted to write a book since I was a child, it was the first thing I can ever remember saying I wanted to do when I grow up. I love creating worlds in my mind and writing about them. My best days are when my characters decide to have lively conversations and I type them fast and furious.

Contact Links

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Stepping into Grey a Blog Post by Erica Kiefer

Through the Glass
Erica Kiefer
(The Window Series, #2)
Published by: CTP Pulse
Publication date: April 3rd 2018
Genres: Romance, Suspense, Young Adult

Still reeling from the discovery of her twin sister, Olivia struggles to face her mother’s betrayal. As Olivia and her friends seek to unravel the dark mystery of how and why the twins were separated, tensions escalate when Emma runs into her sister’s ex—who assumes she’s Olivia. When honesty is abandoned for more secrets and lies, the fallout between the sisters only intensifies. As they sift between truth and deception, it becomes clear that matters of the heart are not as transparent as they may seem.
A page-turning mystery laced with romance and emotional drama, Through the Glass is the satisfying conclusion to the Window Series duology by Erica Kiefer.

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—

Stepping into Grey

By Erica Kiefer

One of the themes explored in Through the Glass is how very grey relationships can be. Now, it’s difficult to use the phrase “shades of grey” without misleading an audience towards a discussion on the popular yet controversial romance trilogy.  Let me be clear that I write contemporary YA romance—very clean romance at that—so there’ll be nothing saucy about the content of this post or overly heated between the young love interests in my book. (Did I just lose about half of you? If not, stay with me.) What I do explore, though, with different intensity is how difficult relationships can be when emotions and circumstances do not fit neatly into categorized black and white boxes. 

We grow up exposed to structure. Order. We see it all over our nation in government, politics, school, religion. We judge and box things into categories all over the place. Right or wrong? Guilty or not guilty? But what about when it comes to people? How are you meant to feel about someone who is woven so deeply into your life but still hurts you—or someone you love—with a betrayal worth writing about? 

The storyline in The Window Series is completely fictional, and yet, perhaps we have all felt the back and forth heart-wrenching pull that makes us question relationships and certain situations in our life. What is the right answer? What is the appropriate response? I found myself exploring these feelings in a poetic piece that inspired pages in my novel. An excerpt from A Story Unseen:

My heart will find its way into writing, a heart that is not pink nor red, nor black nor white. In truth, my heart is grey, worn into shades that blur the rigid lines of love and hate. Of loyalty and scorn. Of truth and lies and all that must be seemingly so defined.

Readers get to feel some of this conflict multiple times with Olivia Cole, the main character in the series as she faces hurt and confusion, love and betrayal. What seems so clear to outsiders remains a muddled mess of indecision, pain, and knowledge she doesn’t want to face. When there are secrets or uncomfortable truths just beyond our immediate sight, psychology refers to them as blind spots—pockets of potentially emotional trauma just waiting to peak our awareness. However, once we cross that path, consequences will ultimately follow. Decisions need to be made. Relationships permanently altered. Is that a step worth taking? 

If you’re not yet ready to expose your own blind spots, walk instead beside Olivia Cole as she peers Through the Glass and grapples with her new world of grey.

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Book Tour: Losing Adam *Guest Post*

Losing Adam
Adrienne Clarke
Publication date: April 4th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

What happens when the person you love most in the world suddenly becomes a stranger?
Adam and Jenny’s world is falling apart. Their dream of attending college together away from home quickly becomes a nightmare when Adam begins hearing the voice of the Snow Queen. Adam’s startling transformation from popular drama student into a withdrawn, suspicious stranger leaves Jenny frightened and confused. How can the person she loves most in the world suddenly become someone she doesn’t recognize? As Adam drifts farther and farther away into the Snow Queen’s mysterious world of ice and snow, Jenny believes she must fight to bring him back or risk losing him forever.
Vividly narrated by Adam and Jenny, the struggle to understand the impact of Adam’s mental illness, forces both characters on a journey of self-discovery that leads to understanding about life’s uncertainty, the power of first love, and the pain of letting go. Drawing on elements of The Snow Queen fairy tale, Losing Adam is a unique combination of drama and romance.

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The challenge of writing about the recent past

Why 1994? The question most people ask when I explain that my YA/NA novel Losing Adam is set at a college campus in 1994. The agents and editors who expressed interest in the manuscript early on, were particularly concerned that the ‘historical setting’ would put off readers who preferred stories set in the here and now. 

I listened carefully to these concerns, but in the end, I chose to move forward, or backwards if you like, with 1994. The setting felt right for several reasons. First and foremost because I wanted to create a setting with a timeless, romantic feel, free from the technology shorthand that dictates the way modern teenagers communicate with one another. I wanted my characters to express themselves in letters, rather than through texts, and to do this I had to set my story before smart phones took over the world. While I don’t consider myself old-fashioned, I do long for the lost days of letter writing. I believe letters allowed people to reveal themselves in ways that texts messages just can’t. For those who claim that today’s teens don’t care about letters because you can’t miss what you never had, I think that for some, the past always holds a certain amount of fascination. Especially for those who might sometimes feel disconnected from the modern world. No matter what age you’re living in, I think there is always a certain amount of nostalgia for lost things.

My second reason for setting Losing Adam in 1994 is because that’s the year I started university. The first year of college is different for everyone, but there is a kind of rhythm and emotional language that’s difficult to recreate the farther you get away from it. The advantage of setting my novel in 1994 is that I would be familiar with the music, world events and pop cultural references relevant at that time. When it comes to music, many of the bands I reference in the novel including, The Clash, The Cure, Nirvana and Pearl Jam, are still popular in 2018. 

The more I talked to the young adults I work with, the more convinced I became that setting my novel in the recent past wouldn’t affect the novel’s ability to find readers. Just like in 1994, or at any other time in history, there are always teens who feel out of touch or disconnected from their generation. What matters more than the time period is the emotional connection readers feel to a specific character, and my hope is that readers will feel pulled into Adam and Jenny’s world. The adage, ‘the more things change the more they stay the same,’ holds true in the way that although our ways of communicating with one another may change, a lot of the emotional baggage stays the same. The struggle for self, for understanding, for compassion, for love, are eternal concerns. But don’t take my word for it. Take a journey with me in Losing Adam to the recent past and tell me what you think!

Author Bio:
I became a writer because the world inside my head was so real and vivid, sometimes more so than the outside world. In some sense I have lived parallel lives, present in my real and fictional existence in different ways. A lover of faerie tales, fantasy and gothic horror, a thread of the mysterious or unexpected runs through all my work. My dream is to find readers who will gather round and let me tell them stories that will become a part of their life the way they have become a part of mine.
My short fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, The Storyteller, A Fly in Amber, New Plains Review, Silly Tree Anthologies, and in the e-zines Les Bonnes Fees, The Devilfish Review, Rose Red Review and 87 Bedford. An excerpt from my forthcoming YA novel Losing Adam won first place in the Young Adult category of the Seven Hills Literary Review contest.

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Book Tour: Galatine’s Curse and Craft Beer!

  

Galatine’s Curse 
T.J. Green
(Tom’s Arthurian Legacy, #3)
Publication date: March 20th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

An ancient sword. A dark secret. A new enemy.
In the third book in the series, Tom has established a new life in the Otherworld, a life he loves. He lives with Arthur in New Camelot, and Arthur is hosting a tournament. Eager to test his sword-fighting skills, Tom’s competing. But while the games are being played, his friends are attacked and everything he loves is threatened. Tom has to find the intruder before anyone else gets hurt.
Tom’s sword, Galatine, seems to be the focus of these attacks. Their investigations uncover Galatine’s dark history and a terrible betrayal that a family has kept secret for generations. But this secret now puts others at risk, including Tom, and he realises that he could lose everything unless he can solve the mystery of his sword’s past.
Galatine’s Curse is the third book in the YA Arthurian fantasy series, Tom’s Arthurian Legacy. If you enjoy magic and mystery, a strong group of characters and Arthurian fantasy, then you’ll love this action-filled adventure.
Buy Galatine’s Curse for your thrilling new fantasy adventure today!

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Galatine’s Curse and Craft Beer!

OK, bear with me. This sounds odd, and it is a bit, but this is about how your life filters through your psyche and into your writing.

I live in the Hutt Valley, just outside Wellington, New Zealand, and in case you didn’t know, Wellington is the centre of craft beer in NZ. There are several craft beers breweries, some small and some large! In the Hutt there are three very successful craft beer breweries, Panhead, Kereru and Boneface, and in Wellington there are approximately  eight breweries - Garage Project, Tuatara, Parrot Dog, Fortune Favours, Whistling Sisters,  Fork and Brewer, Black Dog, and some I’ve missed - sorry. And there are also many craft beer pubs! And I like beer, which is fortunate.

So the beers range from the startlingly hoppy to the not-so-hoppy, malty, fruity, double IPAs, red IPAs, stouts and porters, and then sour beers. And I’m sure many others. So it’s no wonder a few beers have ended up in Galatine’s Curse. 

It wasn’t until my mother said something about, “What is it with all these beers?” that I even realised they’d crept in. And one of our favourite haunts and craft beer bars - Hashigo Zake - has become the Smuggler’s Retreat. However, there is nothing dodgy about HZ or its clientele, although the bar is downstairs below street level.

So what beers are in Galatine’s Curse? Arthur’s favourite is the Red Earth Thunder Ale - clearly a red IPA, a bit malty, a bit hoppy. He has a stash at New Camelot.

Tom’s Cervini friends are sipping Dryad’s Pride at the tournament - a porter, very dark with a strong taste - enough to “put hairs on your chest,” as Rek says.

When Tom and co. are in Dragon’s Hollow they end up in the Smuggler’s Retreat,  and are overwhelmed with the range of beers on display. Tom ends up sampling Nymph’s Nectar,  a pale ale.  

Pubs feature strongly too - I’m English. There’s the Quarter Way House in Twice Born, where Red Earth Thunder Ale first appeared - see, it was already creeping in there. The Dragon’s Tale is also in Dragon’s Hollow, but I don’t mention another beer. What a missed opportunity!

So now I know I’m doing it, I’m on a mission to name more pubs and beers. Tom  4 will be fun! 

Author Bio:
T J Green was born in England, but moved to New Zealand 10 years ago. She currently lives near Wellington with her partner and her cats Sacha and Leia. When not writing she does lots of reading, gardening and yoga.
In a previous life she's been a singer in a band, and has done some acting with a theatre company - both of which were lots of fun. On occasions she and a few friends make short films, which begs the question, where are the book trailers? Thinking on it ...
Tom's Inheritance is TJ Green's first book in the series Tom’s Arthurian Legacy, the sequel Twice Born was released in February 2017. Galatine’s Curse, book 3, will be released in March 2018. She is also working on a few short stories which further expand the world of Tom in the Other.
Her new project is an urban fantasy series about witches.

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Background to Galatine’s Curse - Book Tour

Galatine’s Curse
T.J. Green
(Tom’s Arthurian Legacy, #3)
Publication date: March 20th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

An ancient sword. A dark secret. A new enemy.
In the third book in the series, Tom has established a new life in the Otherworld, a life he loves. He lives with Arthur in New Camelot, and Arthur is hosting a tournament. Eager to test his sword-fighting skills, Tom’s competing. But while the games are being played, his friends are attacked and everything he loves is threatened. Tom has to find the intruder before anyone else gets hurt.
Tom’s sword, Galatine, seems to be the focus of these attacks. Their investigations uncover Galatine’s dark history and a terrible betrayal that a family has kept secret for generations. But this secret now puts others at risk, including Tom, and he realises that he could lose everything unless he can solve the mystery of his sword’s past.
Galatine’s Curse is the third book in the YA Arthurian fantasy series, Tom’s Arthurian Legacy. If you enjoy magic and mystery, a strong group of characters and Arthurian fantasy, then you’ll love this action-filled adventure.
Buy Galatine’s Curse for your thrilling new fantasy adventure today!

Goodreads / Amazon

Background to Galatine’s Curse

There are three books in my series Tom’s Arthurian Legacy  - so far. The first one, Tom’s Inheritance is about Tom entering the Other with his cousin Beansprout and finding he has to wake King Arthur to fight a powerful enemy. Twice Born is about Nimue and Merlin, and a bit of a twist on the old legend about what happened to Merlin. It also develops the Otherworld, introduces new characters and develops existing ones. For Galatine’s Curse I really wanted to show some growth in Tom and Beansprout as well as explore back-story.

I always do research on Arthurian  characters, places and weapons, and incorporate several into my books. Like many other Arthurian writers, we keep the parts we love and grow them. According to the myths and legends about King Arthur, Excalibur was created by a faerie forger on Avalon and given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake.  Galatine was the name of Gawain’s sword,  but I couldn’t find any  history to Galatine, other than it was again given by the Lady of the Lake, so this gave me lots of license! 

In Twice Born it’s the Forger of Light who made Excalibur, but there’s a bit of a mystery about what he did to upset the Sylphs who live in the Realm of Air. I thought that might be interesting to explore. Also Tom is given Galatine, and I thought it would be great to give that some back-story. I ended up combining the two to form the plot for Galatine’s Curse. If the Forger of Light made Excalibur, why not Galatine? And what if Galatine originally belonged to someone else?

Having his own famous sword has spurred Tom on too, so he’s learning lots of new skills which he puts to use at Arthur’s tournament. And of course Arthur has a castle now, so it had to be New Camelot.

What else happens in Galatine’s Curse ? The gang is back together - my core characters and Tom’s friends.  Tom goes to a Realm he’s never been to before - The Realm of Fire, Beansprout is exploring magic with Nimue, Granddad is back, and so is Bloodmoon! He’s lots of fun too. 

I can’t give too much away, but Galatine’s Curse is action packed.  I hope you enjoy reading it. I’ve already got a few ideas for book 4. The Lady of the Lake is back!

Author Bio:
T J Green was born in England, but moved to New Zealand 10 years ago. She currently lives near Wellington with her partner and her cats Sacha and Leia. When not writing she does lots of reading, gardening and yoga.
In a previous life she's been a singer in a band, and has done some acting with a theatre company - both of which were lots of fun. On occasions she and a few friends make short films, which begs the question, where are the book trailers? Thinking on it ...
Tom's Inheritance is TJ Green's first book in the series Tom’s Arthurian Legacy, the sequel Twice Born was released in February 2017. Galatine’s Curse, book 3, will be released in March 2018. She is also working on a few short stories which further expand the world of Tom in the Other.
Her new project is an urban fantasy series about witches.

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Guest Post: Treasure by Andrew Joyce

Today,  I have a guest post from a lovely author Andrew Joyce. I hope you enjoy!

Author Info:

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn't return from his journey until years later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written five books. His first novel, Redemption: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, was awarded the Editors' Choice Award for Best Western of 2013. A subsequent novel, Yellow Hair, received the Book of the Year award from Just Reviews and Best Historical Fiction of 2016 from Colleen's Book Reviews.

Joyce now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, tentatively entitled, Mahoney: An American Story.

Guest Post:

Hello, my name is Andrew Joyce. I have a new book out entitled Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups. It came about because my editor hounded me for two years to put all my short stories into one collection. Actually, it was supposed to be a two-volume set because there was so much material. I fended her off for as long as possible. I didn’t want to do the work of editing all the stories. There were a lot of them. But she finally wore me down. Instead of two volumes, I put all the stories into a single book because I wanted to get the whole thing over with. I had other books to write.

Bedtime Stories is made up of fiction and nonfiction stories and some of ’em are about my criminal youth. I must tell you, I never thought any of these stories would see the light of day. I wrote them for myself and then forgot about them. By the way, there are all sorts of genres within its pages, from westerns to detective stories to love stories and just about anything else that you can imagine.

There are a whole lotta stories in the book—700 pages worth. Enough to keep you reading for the foreseeable future.

Anyway, here’s one of the shorter stories from the book.

Treasure

He stumbled upon the treasure quite by accident. He was exploring the vicinity when he happened upon it. His first thought was, This cannot be real. He cautiously approached it. Someone might be playing a trick on him. Maybe he was being observed. But no one sprung from a concealed location—no one yelled for him to halt his advance. It seemed safe to move forward. When he arrived at the treasure, he bent down to touch it, just to make sure it was real. After one touch, he fled to better-known and safer environs.

That night he could not sleep for thinking of what he had discovered. He thought and thought of ways he could explain it to members of his tribe. If he suddenly showed up with the treasure, anything he said would be suspect. One does not find treasure of this sort every day. No, he would have to think this through.

The next day he went back to where he had found the treasure, but dared not get too close. Instead, he peered at it from a distance. It was still there and untouched. But for how long would it stay undiscovered? A fire burned within him to possess it. If not for the taboo placed on matters of this sort by the Law Giver, he would claim the treasure as his own. But no, the Law Giver would never allow it.

As he tried to sleep on the second night after his discovery, he thought perhaps the Law Giver would understand. Perhaps he should approach her, and tell her of his find. No! If she forbade him from keeping the treasure, it would be lost forever. Conceivably, he could bring it to his village and hide it from the Law Giver. But … where could he hide it? The Law Giver was all-wise; she knew the secrets of his heart.

Quite unexpectedly, he overheard the Law Giver speaking of the place he had found the treasure. This is what he heard: “When they moved out, they told me they left a few things behind, and if we wanted anything, we were welcome to it. I’ve been too busy to go over there, but I think I’ll take a look this afternoon. Maybe there will be something Billy might like.”

Something I might like. Something I might like! Was she toying with him? Did she indeed know of the treasure? Later that afternoon, his mother called Billy to the front of the house. He was not allowed far from home because he was only five years old, so he appeared right away. His mother said, “Look what I found next door where the Simms used to live.” And there it was—the treasure!

His mother handed little Billy the bright red toy fire truck that had caused him to lose so much sleep. You see, Billy had been afraid his mother would think he had stolen it, even though it seemed to have been abandoned. And in his home, stealing was the one thing his mother, the Law Giver, would never tolerate.

Book Information:

Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups is a jumble of genres—seven hundred pages of fiction and nonfiction … some stories included against the author’s better judgment. If he had known that one day they’d be published, he might not have been as honest when describing his past. Here is a tome of true stories about the author’s criminal and misspent youth, historical accounts of the United States when She was young, and tales of imagination encompassing every conceivable variety—all presented as though the author is sitting next to you at a bar and you’re buying the drinks as long as he keeps coming up with captivating stories to hold your interest.

Comprised of 218,000 words, you’ll have plenty to read for the foreseeable future. This is a book to have on your night table, to sample a story each night before extinguishing the lights and drifting off to a restful sleep.

Mr. Joyce sincerely hopes that you will enjoy his stories because, as he has stated, “It took a lot of living to come up with the material for some of them.”

Check out and purchase this book at the link below: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V8XNTC