DIABOLICAL: DESCENDANTS SAGA AFTERMATH BOOK ONE

Just an update on the new series and first novel for Descendants fans. I figured it was a good time to give a bit of perspective on the direction of the new series. Descendants Saga Aftermath is, of course, linked with Book 4 (MILLENNIUM) from the original series. In fact, MILLENNIUM served as a transition between these two series, closing out events from the perspective of Brody West, our previous main character in order to take up the AFTERMATH TRILOGY from a new character's perspective. The novels will continue to focus upon one first person character as well as an omniscient point of view for everyone else.

 

Considering several characters I might have used for the main, first person p.o.v. I have decided to go with Cole as the lead character here. Don't fret, though, as our other characters, like Brody West, aren't cut out of the story by any means. We also have a new potential villain in MILLENNIUM's late entry, Adolf Hitler, and what may seem an odd direction at first. AFTERMATH will follow Cole's point of view as the Descendants move out into the human world, taking up in Ireland, and the problems they face.

 

For those of you who are familiar with the other four books, in the original quadrilogy, AFTERMATH will continue as an alternate history, blending fantasy with real persons, places and events. However, I have decided to twist the timeline a bit. I had thought to possibly play out our famous villain's development along the natural course history took throughout World War II and prior to it. Instead, I feel led to flesh out the possibilities of how things might have gone, if the allies didn't win?

 

Some might even wonder why I would utilize Hitler as a villain at all in the series, or make him out as one of the Descendants. However, I simply couldn't resist the possibilities. Could there be anyone in human history as compelling a villain as Adolf Hitler? Has there been anyone who fit the antichrist mold so much? Remember that this man came close to conquering the civilized world in under a decade of recent history. How could that happen? What spiritual forces might have been at work in order to bring it about? After all, the Bible clearly states, 2 Thess 2, that "the mystery of iniquity is already at work," attempting to bring about the rule of Antichrist in the world.

 

Descendants Saga saw Grayson Stone as one failed attempt. AFTERMATH will flesh out another we're all familiar with...yet heading into uncharted waters for the fun of it. I hope you've enjoyed Descendants Saga up to this point, and that you will all hang on as the ride continues!

 

As always STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES and if you've enjoyed the Descendant novels then please go back to Amazon.com and post reviews for all the books you've read. Every good review helps!

SERPENT KINGS SAGA: OMNIBUS EDITION

As work continues on my new Descendants Saga series of novels, (including: Fallen,  Descendant & Revenant), I have been toying with the idea of re-releasing my previous Serpent Kings novels together in an Omnibus Edition. With new edits and a spanking new cover, I have finally done it!

The SERPENT KINGS SAGA Omnibus Edition has just released on Amazon.com in Kindle format and includes "The Serpent Kings, The Wraith Dancer & The Shadow Walker," as well as a new preview of the recently released "Fallen: Descendants Saga Book One."

I've set this special edition at a low, low price of only $3.99

(That's a savings on the series of $2.98... letting it all go at nearly half price!)

Now, that's a deal you can't pass up, folks! Check it out! Tell your best buds! And enjoy the new SERPENT KINGS SAGA Omnibus Edition Exclusively on Amazon Kindle!

SPECIAL OFFER on PERDITION'S GATE!

PERDITION'S GATE has UNOFFICIALLY been released by my publisher, TRILOGUS MEDIA GROUP. What does this mean, James?

It means that I can offer the novel at a special discounted rate here on my website during the two weeks before it becomes available on AMAZON.COM.

The novel will become available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle book before it becomes available in bookstores and other online book sellers -- probably a month from now, so that we can get back further author reviews to put on the cover from bestsellers like Wayne Thomas Batson and Jeremy Robinson, as well as reviews from Megalith and Midwest Book Review.

Here is the link to order PERDITION'S GATE at a 15% discount through Amazon's Createspace website --- everything is handled by Amazon -- safe & secure. Don't forget to input your discount code: KQGWZ7EZ

Synopsis: Raised to kill, as the leader of Babylon's most elite special ops team, Jason Night, codename: Nightstalker, never thought he would fall in love with Sarah Cross and desire to leave the life he's always known. Nor could he foresee the dangerous secret Sarah harbored leading to her death at the hands of another Babylon agent. With the world in chaos, a powerful, charismatic leader, Oliver Theed, rises to lead the nations into a New World Order of his own sinister design. But those rising to power in his wings have their own plans and Theed may be the next target in a deadly cat and mouse game deciding the fate of the world.As Jason questions all that he's ever believed, he seeks answers and revenge. But what he finds will shake him to the core and bring him face to face with Theed, Babylon and a coming Apocalypse that cannot be avoided.

THE SWORD OF GIDEON has been RELEASED!

The third and final installment in the REALM SHIFT TRILOGY: "The Sword of Gideon" has released on Amazon.com. Just thought I would share that news for all the readers following the series. As always, I hope you enjoy the story!

All of the novels can be purchased in either AMAZON KINDLE FORMAT or TRADE PAPERBACK.

DAY #3 "HEED THE PROPHECIES!"

On our last day of the blog tour for Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper's "Berinfell Prophecies," we're featuring the great new website dedicated to the series: HEED THE PROPHECIES (dot)com

On the site you'll find the latest news on the series as well as a public forum where you can interact with the authors and other fans. And if you want to know a bit more about Wayne and Christopher, there's also some great biographical info as well.

FLASHPOINT by Frank Creed

FLASHPOINT by Frank Creed may just be one of the freshest pieces of Christian Fiction to come along in years. I've personally never read a christian novel quite like it. Frank Creed pushes the reader into a cyber-punk future where some Christians are become hyper enhanced warriors called Sandmen (anyone remember Logan's Run?) and Frank has included plenty of ultra-cool technology to help out in the fight against the One World Government which has seized control of the world. One of the coolest aspects of the many awesome fight scenes between sandmen and their foes is the way Mr. Creed takes the reader right into the action in "Bullet-Time" to catch every cool move as it happens. And if you're looking for family friendly, all of the "Kill'n" is done with tranquilizers by the Christians. "Thou shalt not Kill" is still in effect here for these high tech, mindware enhanced believers, but they still mean business. This short novel is full of "ultra-fresh" sci-fi ideas and its protags are two teens who are bent on rescuing their parents and their church. If you loved the Matrix, Terminator, or the like then you'll find "Flashpoint" to be fresh and fun reading from cover to cover and it leaves you wanting the next installment!--James Somers: Author "The Chronicles of Soone."

I've also had the opportunity to interview Mr. Creed:

1.) What was your inspiration for Flashpoint and this series?

This has to do with my whole life. During the Iran Hostage Crisis, I heard TV reporters using the term "fundamentalist terrorist" without regard. I'd been taught in Sunday-school that those who believed in the Bible were Fundamentalists. That bothered me and it was the planted seed.
Shortly before being saved in the early 1990s, I read a copy of Hal Lindsey's, Late Great Planet Earth.
I always wanted to write fiction, but as a fan of science fiction, and with my new fascination in eschatology, everything clicked. Christ coming in the near future? Cyberpunk (near-future dystopian high-tech sci-fi), was the perfect genre.
I did learn soon that obsession with the end Times was not very useful. The Gospel is all about love, and new believers are easily distracted.

2.) You are obviously a big action fan. What influences the way you write an action scene?

Congratulations on asking the hardest question I've ever had to answer in an interview. (No problem,) My short answer is life. And I mean all of it, highs and lows. Pack it all into 60k words. What don't kill ya' makes you stronger. Yeah that's a cliche, but when you can pack all that pain into so little space--that's action. Blow by blow.

If one wants to learn how to write a tight action scene, check the Cyberpunk series called Shadowrun. Thanks to Kevin Lucia's Titletrack, I discovered Mel Odom's Website and I got to nag him one night to write another of my top three favorite cyberpunk novels. Run Fast, Die Hard is a classic. Argent, his main character rocks. One of my top ten novelists replied by next morning. I Smiled.

Cyberpunk is all about action:
Top novels Wolf and Raven, Run Hard Die Fast, Striper Assassin, by Michael Stackpole, Mel Odom, and Nyx Smith.
Top Films: The Matrix, Blade Runner (genre debateable--sue me), Johnny Nemonic.
Sci-fi aside? Die Hard, Raiders, and Bourne--all-that. My big complaint about action films, if bullets miss there has to be a reason why.

3.) Would you say that, as a writer, you have been more influenced by movies or other books? And what are your favorites?

Both--but there's another fiction source--gaming. Tabletop dice-rolling role-playing games and first-person-shooter computer games have shaped a big part of my fiction. Props to TSR (now Wizards of the Coast), and ID Software. Gaming fires imagination. For purposes of evangelism and discipleship, look for Flashpoint the Role Playing Game in 08.
All-time favorite movies: The Matrix, Schindler's List, Monty Python and the holy Grail.
All-time favorite authors: George Orwell, CS Lewis, and ML Tyndall.

4.) Are you a disciplined writer or seat of your pants? Do you outline everything first or allow the mood to strike?

Beginning and end. I do write out a rough outline before I begin a fiction project.
But from my creative approach, a story must tell itself. I detail the outline as I go.

When it comes to fiction there is no moral absolute. There is no proper way. We're all created in the image of the Creator, so we fallen-scribes have that going for us. I cannot believe a number of creative methodologies through which successful authors approach.

5.) What can we expect in the future from Frank Creed as a writer and this series?

War of Attrition: Book Two of the Underground: the Unholy Trinity, trauma-action, and a surprise at the end--stand alone novels only in this series. Necessary background data included.

In coming months, Frank Creed the writer will be offering manusript evaluation services

6.) How did you come to be published with the Writer's Cafe Press?

Here comes the big secret. Marry a schoolteacher. I met my wife online, on May 9, 2003. Cynthia edited many things for local schools and education organizations, and offered to edit Flashpoint.
We wound-up marrying. Because it took her two years to get her Green Card, the only thing we could think of for her to make income was her editing skill. She started a business called the Writer's Café. After years of editing and networking, she learned that the Web and trend for corporate outsourcing had changed the publishing industry forever. A small independent press could now do everything that the traditional houses had been doing for decades.
When she told me she wanted to publish Flashpoint, it was very exciting, but that excitement was tempered by an amateur feeling. Face it, being published by your wife is a short step away from being published by your mom. I gained confidence quickly as she published a fantasy anthology (Tales for the Thrifty Barbarian), and A Child Underground, the memoirs of a Holocaust survivor. By the time the Biblical speculative fiction Anthology, Light at the Edge of Darkness, was compiled in August of 06, my confidence was complete.
I may be sleeping with my publisher, but our business relationship is completely professional. She respects me as an artist, and I get the same kind of deadlines, contracts, and expectations as everyone else she publishes. We work well as a team and I expect this to be a huge advantage as together we live the crazy-paced lifestyle. Book signings are also desperately needed weekends away.
Just as everything else in my life goes into my books, how God gave me a gift like Cynthia, is absolutely unreal. In conclusion: marry a schoolteacher! TWCP is currently booked through Dec of 2008.

Thanks for taking the time, Mr. Creed and I hope all goes well with your exciting new Christian Action series.
To be interviewed by the Chronicles of Soone mastermind. The honor is all mine, Mr. Somers.
To God be the glory,Frank Creed--novelist & founder of the Lost Genre Guild

A VALLEY OF BETRAYAL by TRICIA GOYER

A Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer is a gripping historical fiction novel set during the time of the Spanish civil war. Tricia Goyer has the innate ability to transport the reader back in time. This story is an engaging trip back in time to the days of the Spanish Civil War. The challenges of the war and politics behind it were intense, but provided a good backdrop for the faith of the characters in the story. Sophie is an American who is trying to get into Spain during the outbreak of the Spanish civil war. Her purpose for being there is to find her fiancé whom she has not seen for some time. She is expecting to marry him and then head for home. Instead she is caught up into the drama unfolding in this country; in a world and culture that are unfamiliar to her. Sophie will not be able to escape the dramatic impact this conflict is going to have upon her life. Some of Mrs. Goyer's descriptions are often very poetic. The scenes of war and the damage done to the people, who are attempting to go about living their normal lives is a reminder of just how important it is to find the peace which only Christ can give. Goyer manages to display the horror of war, and yet still offers the hope that can only come by faith in God...Highly Recommended.