HERE BE NEWS for Monday May 17, 2021

 

                            

Monday May 17, 2021 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Tuesday May 11, 2021:  Author Ruth Casie reflects on Twilight Zone Day in her post, Submitted for Your Approval.

       

A DIFFERENT YESTERDAY
Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Futuristic Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count:  67.3K
$3.99 e / $9.99 p / $19.95 a
Narrated by Doug Greene
Length: 6 hrs, 33 min
Hear a Sample

The Apocalypse.

It didn't come because of man's inhumanity to man. It didn't come from bombs, or plague, or even from aliens descending from outer space. In fact, no one knows what triggered it. And even if they did, there was no way to turn back time.

Only one thing was certain. One evening the sun had grown unexpectedly bigger and hotter, and heat and radiation unlike anything ever experienced washed over the Earth, bathing it in searing rays that devoured over three-quarters of the world's population.

Now the sun is smaller, and it doesn't radiate as much heat as it used to. The world is colder. Food is scarce, and people are fighting to stay alive.

Andrew Michael Tollson, aka "The Silent Wraith", was a man who roamed from settlement to outpost to city, offering his protection from scavengers and renegades. Years ago, right before the sun had exploded, when he had been a boy growing up in a small Texas town, he had felt his first crush for the little tomboy he knew as Jo. Now, as a grown man, he has finally made his way back to his boyhood home to see if Jo is still alive, or if she has been a victim of the Apocalypse. He has to know if the dreams and memories he has harbored were mere fantasies, or if the infatuation he'd felt then has grown into something else, something stronger and more tangible.

JoBeth Wythe was a member of The Triad, three leaders who protected their little settlement, and tried to recall the carefree days before the Apocalypse. All they wanted was the chance at a decent life, with enough food, some shared warmth, and a little hope for the future. She had never forgotten the pudgy little kid who had followed her around when she was growing up, the little boy she called Mikey. Every time she thought of him, it only brought back pain and a wistfulness for a past that no longer existed.

For Drew and Jo, it was only a matter of time before they would be reunited to fight together. To survive together. And to discover that the innocent kisses they had shared as children had grown into a love that would overwhelm them with desire.

Warning!  Contains permanent extreme cold, love everlasting, survivalists, separation, a legend in the making, a brutal mass murder, childhood friends to lovers, and the end of the world as we know it.

Excerpt and Buy Links

Bring It Back(list) - A DIFFERENT YESTERDAY, a Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Futuristic Romance by Linda Mooney

A DIFFERENT YESTERDAY
Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Futuristic Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count:  67.3K
$3.99 e / $9.99 p / $19.95 a
Narrated by Doug Greene
Length: 6 hrs, 33 min
Hear a Sample

The Apocalypse.

It didn't come because of man's inhumanity to man. It didn't come from bombs, or plague, or even from aliens descending from outer space. In fact, no one knows what triggered it. And even if they did, there was no way to turn back time.

Only one thing was certain. One evening the sun had grown unexpectedly bigger and hotter, and heat and radiation unlike anything ever experienced washed over the Earth, bathing it in searing rays that devoured over three-quarters of the world's population.

Now the sun is smaller, and it doesn't radiate as much heat as it used to. The world is colder. Food is scarce, and people are fighting to stay alive.

Andrew Michael Tollson, aka "The Silent Wraith", was a man who roamed from settlement to outpost to city, offering his protection from scavengers and renegades. Years ago, right before the sun had exploded, when he had been a boy growing up in a small Texas town, he had felt his first crush for the little tomboy he knew as Jo. Now, as a grown man, he has finally made his way back to his boyhood home to see if Jo is still alive, or if she has been a victim of the Apocalypse. He has to know if the dreams and memories he has harbored were mere fantasies, or if the infatuation he'd felt then has grown into something else, something stronger and more tangible.

JoBeth Wythe was a member of The Triad, three leaders who protected their little settlement, and tried to recall the carefree days before the Apocalypse. All they wanted was the chance at a decent life, with enough food, some shared warmth, and a little hope for the future. She had never forgotten the pudgy little kid who had followed her around when she was growing up, the little boy she called Mikey. Every time she thought of him, it only brought back pain and a wistfulness for a past that no longer existed.

For Drew and Jo, it was only a matter of time before they would be reunited to fight together. To survive together. And to discover that the innocent kisses they had shared as children had grown into a love that would overwhelm them with desire.

Warning!  Contains permanent extreme cold, love everlasting, survivalists, separation, a legend in the making, a brutal mass murder, childhood friends to lovers, and the end of the world as we know it.

Excerpt and Buy Links

Submitted For Your Approval

 

Every Thursday night at 9:30pm I gathered with friends in the student center at Ithaca College. Seats went quickly, so you had to get there early. Some camped out as early as 4:00pm to make sure they had seats. Others grabbed comforters and pillows from their room and claimed their space on the floor. The show was wildly popular, stretched the imagination, and captivated viewers (well at least the college crowd where I was). We all waited for those iconic words and the host Rod Serling as he introduced, Twilight Zone.

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead is  our next stop, the Twilight Zone." — Rod Serling

We were fortunate at Ithaca College. Rod Serling taught on campus, screening his own work and mentoring students. He provided feedback on student scripts and projects and every once in a while appeared in their films.

After his death, his wife donated some of his work to the college and resulted in the Rod Serling Archives at Ithaca College. This is the largest single collection of his television scripts and screenplays. The college is the proud custodian of his six Emmy Awards.

Today, May 11th we celebrate Twilight Zone Day. The episodes were mysterious, weird, surreal and perhaps a little scary. His stories made social and political statements relevant for then and scarily so today. Judge for yourself with this, the closing epilogue for the “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.”

“There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill, and suspicion can destroy.”

Twilight Zone Day was a quick pleasant remembrance of being away at school, being with friends I haven’t seen for many years, and having a fan girl moment with an imaginative creator.

* * * *

The Guardian’s Witch
by
Ruth A. Casie

"Ruth A. Casie has woven an extraordinary story of a brave knight, a beautiful heroine, a King, a mysterious crest, and [magical] visions. Oh mercy! What more do you need??? Absolutely nothing! Don't miss this journey!!"  ~ L. Cook

 

England, 1290

Lord Alex Stelton can't resist a challenge, especially one with a prize like this: protect a castle on the Scottish border for a year, and it's his. Desperate for land of his own, he'll do anything to win the estate—even enter a proxy marriage to Lady Lisbeth Reynolds, the rumored witch who lives there.     

Feared and scorned for her second sight, Lisbeth swore she'd never marry, but she is drawn to the handsome, confident Alex. She sees great love with him but fears what he would think of her gift and her visions of a traitor in their midst.

Despite his own vow never to fall in love, Alex can't get the alluring Lisbeth out of his mind and is driven to protect her when attacks begin on the border. But as her visions of danger intensify, Lisbeth knows it is she who must protect him. Realizing they'll secure their future only by facing the threat together, she must choose between keeping her magic a secret and losing the man she loves.

Buy Link: Amazon

Ruth A. Casie is a USA Today bestselling author of historical fantasy and contemporary romance. She weaves exciting and beautifully told legendary tales that are both rich and engaging. Her stories are full of, ‘edge of your seat’ suspense, mind-boggling drama and a forever-after romance.

HERE BE NEWS for Monday May 10, 2021

 

                            

Monday May 10, 2021 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Tuesday May 4, 2021: Author PG Forte wishes you all a Happy Star Wars Day, and discusses the beauty of the 3 Act Structure.

Thursday May 6, 2021: Author nicole Luiken discusses the pros and cons of series recaps.

To Recap or Not to Recap?

 There are many different kinds of series. Some are like episodes of a TV show, with the same cast of characters and a  different plot with perhaps some overarching plots. Some are like chains, switching romantic leads every book. Some are like one massive story divided for the convenience of the reader (and the physical limit of paperbound books).

I have some of the massive-story fantasy books on my TBR pile right now. Some of them have been waiting for a while--not because I'm not interested in the story, I am--but because it's been months or years since I read the last book in the series and I'm daunted by how much I don't remember. The main characters, sure, often a few plot events. And many authors are good at dropping in little reminders in the early pages of later books. But the details? (And sometimes those can be vital.) The names of the minor characters and their relationships to each other? Not so much.

My husband has suggested taking notes while reading book one, but that seems like a lot of work, plus I'd need a  filing system, so I don't know how practical that is. Plus, it doesn't help with the books in my stack now.

I've noticed a lovely trend with massive fantasy tomes such as Brent Week's Lightbringer series: the recap. At the front of the book there's a section titled What Has Gone Before, that summarizes previous books in the series. I LOVE THIS. Can we normalize this, please? Authors often have synopses already written, just lying about... Or the recap could be on the author's website. 

What do you think? Would you read/like a recap for a series, or not? Or just the huge fantasy tomes?

Happy Star Wars Day!

 Yes, it's once again time to greet one another with that time-honored greeting: May the Fourth be with you!

I've been thinking A LOT about Star Wars lately--episodes 4 through 6--the ONLY episodes that exist in my world. Because they're so beautifully plotted. Individually they each follow a standard 3 act format, but TOGETHER--they also follow a standard 3 act format. Which is a technique I'm TOTALLY borrowing for my current project; a long neglected story I've titled Love Among the Runes, which features a city cop who's been accidentally possessed by the spirit of an ancient Norse god. 

I'm planning on releasing the first act (AKA the first story in the trilogy) in August and I'm soooo freaking excited about it! 

Here's a little sneak peek. 

What do a Norse god, a Dixie cup and a hot blonde have in common? They're all instruments of one man's destruction.

 

Meet Officer CJ Maclaine, currently serving a life sentence as vassal to the Norse god Loki. For the past fifteen years, CJ has had one goal in life: find a way to free himself from the trouble-making god who's been making his life a living Hel. 

 

But when he finds himself suspected of murder, and it looks like the next victim might be his partner, CJ realizes there are worse ways to go through life than with a deity on speed-dial.

Book One: The Serpent Sigil

Officer CJ Maclaine is having a rough week. He's managed to piss off nearly everybody he knows--including his commanding officer, his partner, her brothers AND his favorite bartender. Worse yet, the bully who'd tormented him when they were both kids has just crashed back into his life--and is looking for a handout. 

And that's all before the demigod who's taken up residence in CJ's head discovers the dark web and starts using it to trade in cryptocurrencies and illegal drugs.

Some days it really doesn't pay to get out of bed.

Read an excerpt HERE

HERE BE NEWS: for Monday May 3, 2021

 

                            

Monday May 3, 2021 

Welcome to HERE BE NEWS, where each monday we bring you all the latest from the fantasy romance authors at Here Be Magic:

Tuesday April 27, 2021:  Author Linda Mooney shares an additional scene from her HEARTFAST series.

                     

MATTOX
The D'Jacques Dynasty, Book 3
Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic Romance
By Linda Mooney
Word Count: 61.4 K
$3.99 e / $9.99 p

Every five years, Yulen D’Jacques, Battle Lord of Alta Novis, holds a conference to continue strengthening relations between the Normals and Mutah. Both battle lords and Mutah councilmembers from far and wide are invited in an effort to prove how important they could be to each other, and to dismiss any misconceptions Normals may still have toward the people they once considered their inferior enemies.  

This time, it’s determined Mattox D’Jacques, Battle Prince of Alta Novis, should take on some of the responsibilities of running the conference. After all, he eventually will be the one to take the reins from his parents, but his Mutah “tell” usually scares people off rather than gains him respect.

Caralas Edge is the battle princess of Vega City, the biggest compound in the west. But she doesn’t want to just be a princess, and have someone coddling her because of her title. She can hold her own. It’s moot anyway. She knows she’ll never take over Vega City, fearing someone wants to get her father out of the way so they can claim it for themselves. She’s long had her suspicions, but her father will hear none of it.

She and Mattox clash like two swords when they first meet. They’re too much alike in temperament. But when the red-eyed battle prince saves Caralas’ life, they discover the danger is not over. It seems someone is interested in the inner workings of the compound, and it’s more than a little suspicious. But who? With this many battle lords in attendance, trouble is sure to be found.

A possible takeover is brewing, but everyone is completely taken off guard when faced with an enemy no one can fight off. And when it becomes a battle to the death, Mattox and Caralas discover a deeper connection between them than they ever thought possible.

Warning! Contains flying weapons, tasty grilled snake, massive troop employment, head-butting, the destruction of a compound, treachery and deceptions, and a deadly force of nature that makes two people realize they need each other physically and emotionally in order to survive. 

Excerpt and Buy Links