Showing posts with label Historical-Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical-Fiction. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2015

Release Day Blitz: Amber Prelude

Amber Prelude
Amber Gifts
Prequel
Kevin B. Henry

Genre: Fantasy, Time Travel, Science Fiction, and History

Publisher: Burst/ Champagne Books

Date of Publication: June 01, 2015

Word Count: 20,000

Formats available: eBook, PDF

Cover Artist: Ellie Smith

Book Description:

Mitchell didn't really believe the story the Man told him, Just take a sip and speak a year. He whimsically chose a historic event to witness. Little did he know he would become part of that history. Faster than you can say Teithwyr Amser our man Mitchell is chasing a bona fide assassin not only across America but across time.

Amber Prelude will require Mitchell to travel from the America he knows to France and Africa. He will travel to decades and centuries he is unfamiliar with. Mitchell will chase authentic villains and make historic friends, all in an attempt to set history back the way he remembers.




Excerpt Chapter One

1963: New Mexico

It had started simply. I uncapped the vial, drank the liquid, and spoke the year I had chosen aloud. The room spun. I dissolved.

I anticipated nothing happening. I began by sitting at the old wooden table feeling numb. My expectations extended to looking for shelter the following morning. Maybe I would move under a bridge for a short time; maybe I would do something much worse to myself. 

I’d experienced severely morbid thoughts for months. Moving often transformed me.  A nightmarish combination of a manic and depressed person was all I had been until the vial. It continued for months, and I expected it to continue forever. What I didn’t expect was a twisting feeling in my chest and lower abdomen. It wasn’t painful, just an unusual feeling. I didn’t expect the room to blur. I blinked several times, but it wasn’t my eyes; the room was blurry. Soon the room ceased to exist.

I had not spent long hours considering the year I would move to. I flippantly selected 1963. It would give me almost ten years before my birth moment and I vanished from the universe forever. The Man was specific about not existing past my birth moment. It would give me a chance to see some of the most tumultuous years in America, civil rights marches, hippies, the moon landing. My choice of year would give me a chance to stand at Dealey Plaza and personally see if there was a second shooter. It was a shallow choice, but it was the best I could come up with.

My first thought as the world congealed around me was that I had said something wrong. Had I said 1863? It was night. The stars above me were crisp and clear. Sagebrush surrounded me in all directions. Gone were the smells of the city. My senses absorbed a clean, fresh smell. This was how I remembered the world use to be. A scrub oak blended with the evening shadows just a few feet to my right. To my left was a light in the distance, a campfire. The flames created dancing shadows on the two trees surrounding the fire. Someone sat next to the fire, stirring the flames, sparks rising into the starry sky.

I walked toward the fire. I didn’t see that I had any choice; every other direction was pitch-black. Halfway there he rose from his place at the fire and raised his left hand above his head. 

He sparkled. It wasn’t anything residual from the fire. His whole body twinkled and sparkled. It was disturbing.

“About time, Mitchell,” he yelled. “I’ve been waiting here for damn near three days.” “Come on in. I’m sure you have questions, son.” 

I got over my initial anxiety of the twinkle man and sat on the far side of the fire. We had been sitting before the fire for fewer than five minutes. I was dazed, confused, and overwhelmed. Less than an hour ago, I was sitting in a dingy, two-bit hotel room. 

Now, here I was, in some large expanse of desert in the company of someone who looked like Ray Teal, that quintessential sheriff on so many TV westerns and movies. He wore standard blue jeans, a simple button-front dress shirt, and a light-gray jacket. This twinkle man had a slouch hat, not exactly cowboy, but not a fedora either. He was half a foot shorter than me, stockier, and a minimum of twenty-five-years older, if I had to guess his age. There was salt and pepper stubble covering his face. 

His voice was deeper than mine, but not so deep that I envied it.

“Okay,” I began. “Where am I?”

“New Mexico,” he answered without hesitation. “You’re about three miles east of Tucumcari.”

I considered that answer. “When am I?”

“It’s November, 1963.”

“What’s the date, the day?” It concerned me I might miss my reason for picking this year.

“It’s the sixth.” A wave of relief swept over me. I wasn’t too late.

His answers were rapid-fire, no pauses or measurable moments that I would have considered creative thinking. He was either telling the truth or extremely well prepared for my random questions. I tried to think of the relevant questions I should ask. The standard ones, who, what, when, where, seemed a good place to start.

“How did I get here?”

“Well now, that’s an obvious answer to a poorly considered, ill-thought out question.” He shook his head. “You took a drink from that vial you have tucked away in your jacket pocket.”

A sudden gust of wind caused me to wrap my windbreaker tighter around my body. Maybe it wasn’t the night air. I was a little hurt. It wasn’t an attempt at sounding stupid; just understand what had happened to me.

“How did you know I was coming?” Maybe that question would seem less inept.

“Now that’s complicated.” He answered this question more slowly. He was thinking more and not just responding. “My name is Gil, Gil Seward. I got a letter just a few days ago. It asked me to come here and see if you’d appear. The letter said to just wait here a while and see if you drank from the vial or not. If you did, I’m supposed to help you out a little. Get you started and send you on your way.”

“Asked by whom? That guy who gave me the vial?”

“Yeah” was his only response. I hate one-word answers.

“Who was he? Why did he give me this vial?”

“He was someone I owed a favor. I haven’t seen him for a long time. He isn’t someone you need to know. Forget him. I don’t know why he decided to give you his vial. He just did.”

He paused for a while, stirring the fire with his stick, a small branch from one of the nearby trees.

“One last question for now,” he said. “Make it a good one.”

“Okay, Gil,” I said, using his name for the first time. “Why the hell do you sparkle? You look like some creation by Industrial Light, a special effect in a vampire or science fiction movie.”

“Forgot all about that,” he laughed. “You sparkle too. You just can’t see it. You started as soon as you drank from the vial. All Amser will sparkle.”

“What’s an Amser?”

“Sorry, Mitchell, You’ve reached your limit on questions for now. It’s my turn to ask some.”

I started to say something, but the look on his face made me stop. I hoped that ‘for now’ meant there would be more answers in the future.

“What made you pick this year?”

“It wasn’t a rational decision. Who would believe this would really work? I figured I’d see something special, something historic. Dallas and the Kennedy assassination was a significant event in my life. All the other conspiracy theories I remember while growing up could never surpass this one event. Standing on the grassy knoll and knowing beyond a doubt if there was or wasn’t a second shooter seemed as good an idea as any.”

“With all of history to choose from, you wanted to watch somebody die?”

“That wasn’t my motivation.” I said “I thought of it more as watching a documentary on TV.”

“We’ll see what you think of your documentary as you watch it live. Did you have plans afterward?”

“I don’t have many concrete plans. Just live out the next decade before I die.”

“Why would you want to die?”

“The Man said I couldn’t live past my birth moment. That was another reason I came here. That gives me several years to live before that time.”

“He didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“You have it all wrong, Mitchell. You can use that vial repeatedly. Just refill it. You can travel to any year, any time, as often as you want, as many times as you want. You’re not stuck in this year or decade forever.”

I’m not sure my mouth actually fell open, but that is how I remember it.


About the Author:

From an early age, Kevin B. Henry was a voracious reader. His collection of science fiction, fantasy and mystery books bring tears of envy to the eyes of many small community libraries. 

Kevin has worked as an educator, technology specialist and day laborer most of his adult life. During all that time he lived the life of a frustrated author. That it took 30 years for him to piece together the series, Amber Gifts is a testament that the best meals need slow cooking to bring out the flavor. 

The Amber Gifts Series begins with Amber Gifts. The second story, which is really the first, is Amber Prelude, and is available now. The third story, Amber Legacy continues where Amber Gifts left off. It will be available in November 2015. All are published by the wonderful folks at the Champagne Book Group. A fourth story is in the process of being written.

Kevin is a natural story teller, so it’s logical that he lectures occasionally. Topics range from the implementation of cutting edge technology hardware to the creation, modification and use of e-books within education. He constantly pursues research to expand his range of possible topics. His most recent research revolved around the aerodynamic properties of reindeer. He’s also been known to include little known facts and trivia within his presentations. Did you know just 146 years ago today the Union Army marched into Atlanta. It took longer than anticipated. They were delayed by a traffic jam on I-75 and the toll booth on Ga. 400

He continues to live in the Mid-West without human or domesticated mammal companionship.


Twitter: @Kevin_Henry


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Cover Reveal: Deception

Deception: The Demon Hunters – Book Two bcc:

When Demons threaten Regency London, only a Lady can stop them.
Lillian Dellacourt is beautiful, refined and absolutely lethal. She’s also the most feared and merciless demon hunter in The Company. She’s come a long way from the penniless seamstress’s daughter sold to the highest bidder, and it wasn’t by trusting a man, let alone an exiled Marquis with more on his mind than slaying the hellspawn . . .

For Dorian Lambert, Marquis de Montalembert, being sent to keep track of Lillian is no mean task. He’s wanted the fiery vixen since he first heard of her five years ago. But wooing the lady while fighting the demon uprising is no easy feat, especially when the lady’s tongue is as sharp as the Japanese sai blades she favors for eviscerating the spawn of hell.

These two will have to learn to trust each other fast, because the demon master is back, and he’s planning to turn Edinburgh into a living hell…

Buy Links:


A.S. Fenichel Bio:

A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.

A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story.

Multi-published in erotic, contemporary and historical romance, A.S. is the author of the Mayan Destiny series, Christmas Bliss and many more. With several books currently contracted to multiple publishers, A.S. will be brining you her brand of romance for many years to come.
Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden.

Links






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Virtual Book Tour: Adelitas Secret

Adelita's Secret 
Written by Christopher Cloud
Published June 4, 2014 by Createspace


Synopsis -

Lost in a superficial world of materialism and social status-and ashamed of her Latino heritage-seventeen-year-old Adelita Noe is loved by two men, two men separated by a hundred years and vastly different stations in life. One man owns little more than the shirt on his back. The other, a poet at heart, is heir to a vast fortune. Their love for Adelita serves as the backdrop for the Latino girl's quest to better understand herself and her Mexican roots.


Read Chapter 1 – 4 on Amazon
Title is available at Amazon Kindle or Paperback
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble
Enter the giveaway of Adelita’s Secret (ends 12/12)





Adelita’s Secret Historical Facts that Create a Fantasy Romance Story
by Christopher Cloud 

I write middle-grade and young adult novels, and my characters dispense small doses of historical facts, facts that become an integral part of the story. Indeed, each of my four middle-grade/young adult novels plays out against a backdrop of history. I do try and tactfully educate the reader about the role history plays in all of our lives. In A Boy Called Duct Tape, I educate the reader about the exploits of Jesse James and his gang of outlaws; in Voices of the Locusts I show my readers the ugly psychological scars left by World War II; in Adelita’s Secret, the importance of the Mexican Revolution forms the backdrop for my story; in my upcoming novel The Ghosts of Petroglyph Canyon, the significance of preserving ancient rock drawings subtly weaves its way through the novel.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Legacy of Darkness Review

Legacy of Darkness by Jane Godman (ARC Review)
Published April 14, 2014
5 Dark Stars

"A deliciously dark tale that will definitely make you shiver and send more than a chill or two down your spine."

Synopsis - 

1837 Cornwall, England

Orphaned, penniless and reduced to the role of lady's companion, Lucy Alleyne is relieved when a distant relation spirits her away to Castle Athal. But gratitude soon gives way to fear--and unlooked-for pleasure.

The ancient Cornish castle is a dark monument to family, fortune and blood. Within its walls, the Jago family keeps its wards close...and its secrets closer. Lucy is drawn to Tynan, Earl of Athal. The young heir is handsome and caring, yet tortured in his mind like his father before him. Tynan is utterly different from his uncle Uther--a commanding, seductive presence whose leonine power radiates from his every word and gesture.-

These two Jago men have innocent Lucy enthralled--mind, soul and body. But if she remains within the poisonous castle keep, with its history of ill-starred passion and madness, a mere broken heart will seem a mercy.  (Goodreads)

Review - 

This is the first non-vampire novel that I have read in a very long time in which I can say I didn't even miss the fangs.  A tale that is truly dark and sinister that any fan of Gothic Romance would be sure to love, and crave for more.  Godman takes readers into a dark world in centuries past, where one families castle that has a history that may be as deadly as Count Vlad's, and even more sordid.

When Lucy is taken in by very distant relatives she at once feels like less than a squaller when she enters the beautiful and dark Gothic Manor, and takes in all the riches that belong to the family name.  But she soon learns that the grass isn't always greener.  For within the walls of the castle lie the secrets of long dead ancestors, one in particular that had no compunction in making a pact with the Devil.  And while people would have her to believe the sounds she's been hearing to be nothing more than that of the atmosphere that is making her imagination run wild, the truth is far more horrifying, and possibly deadly.  She will also learn every woman should, never trust a man willing to give you every pleasure imaginable, without expecting anything in return, even release.  Uther Jago is determined beyond reason to produce a Jago heir, and not just to keep the family name alive.  

Walk into the halls of the Jago Castle where nothing and no-one is as they seem, not even relationships.  Where trusting your instincts may very well be the only thing that could keep you alive.   Where reincarnation has never been more deadly.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Last Confession of the Vampire Judas Iscariot Review

The Last Confession of the Vampire Judas Iscariot (ARC Review)
Published April 15, 2014 by Koehler Books
5 BLOODY FANGS!!!

"The phrase 'I forgive you' can truly be a powerful thing."

Synopsis - 

Of all the people who ever lived, surely Judas Iscariot, history’s most notorious betrayer, must be in hell. Or maybe not.

After watching the crucifixion of Jesus, Judas despairs over what he has done and fumes that the Messiah he put his trust in has turned out to be just another pretender like all the rest. The toxic mix of emotions is too much for him to bear and Judas commits suicide by hanging himself.

He is restored to life by the Devil and made into a vampire apostle. The Devil teaches Judas to manipulate men and history. He becomes a king, a general, a teacher and a blacksmith, whatever is needed to effect the outcome of history and move it towards the goal of his new master.

Each time he is ready to move on to his next incarnation he must drink the blood of an innocent victim to be restored to his youthful vigor. But despite his many powers and abilities Judas knows there is one thing he desires and cannot have. Finally Judas meets a laicized priest, Raymond Breviary, and tries to steal from him what he was denied two thousand years before.  (Goodreads)


Review

This is a true must-read for true vampire lovers, male or female.  The takes this author gives on both historical and biblical events is beyond amazing.  Powerful, devine, sadistic, shocking, those are only some of the best ways to describe The Last Confession of the Vampire Judas Iscariot.

The story starts back in biblical history when Judas betrays Jesus Christ.  The guilt and more-so the anger he feels  at being betrayed driving him to commit suicide, and the Devil stepping in to resurrect him, as a vampire.  Feeding Judas' anger for more than two thousand years, egging him on to get the vengeance he so rightfully deserves, the Father of all Lies drives Judas to help history along the side of Evil.  Judas not seeing the truth of what is really going on.  From the fall of the Roman Empire to the birth of Vlad Dracul himself, Judas plays a part in many of the world's most prominent events, thinking himself to be the true Messiah.  All he needs to become a true Anti-Christ is the life blood of a Priest.  Which up until now has been beyond his grasp.  Though as events play out, he and the Devil both may have met their match.

A gripping, intriguing tale that will have readers desperate to know what happens next, and questioning everything they thought they knew.  Not for the faint of heart, definitely for every vampire fan out there. 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...