#GuestDayTuesday – Astral Conspiracy by Staci Troilo

September 29, 2020September 22, 2020 / Marcia Meara / 64 Comments

Today, please welcome Staci Troilo, my friend and fellow Story Empire author, who would like to share her latest releases (yes, plural!) with us today. I’ve read Book 1 in this series and can attest to just how good it is, so I know you’re going to enjoy finding out more about all five books! Take it away, Staci!

Ciao, Marcia. I’m so glad to be back here today. And greetings to all your readers.

I’m here today to talk about my Astral Conspiracy series. It’s technically science fiction, as it’s part of the acclaimed Platt and Truant Invasion Universe, but my saga is as much thriller as it is sci-fi, so I thought I’d have a little fun with my marketing and include pages from the top-secret government files on my main characters.

Today, I’m sharing info on Dev Chandra.

DOSSIER

Name: Dev Chandra

Occupation: Agent for US Government AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program)

Of Note: Hired to debunk rumors of alien sightings and unaware of the existence of aliens before Astral Day.

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW BETWEEN AUTHOR (Staci Troilo a.k.a. D.L. Cross) AND CHARACTER (Agent Dev Chandra) ON ASTRAL DAY (the day the world is alerted to the approach of alien ships) via video conference. (Video is eyes-only, file #6221940-V, director’s approval required.)

Subject photo available, file #6221940-G

Staci: Hi, Dev. How’s it going?

Dev: How’s it going? Don’t you have the Astral app? Have you checked any news feeds today?

Staci: I do and I have. I know you work at AATIP. I thought you might have some insider information to share about the aliens on their way here.

Dev: Well, you’re going to get a kick out of this. I didn’t even know aliens existed until Rysoft sounded the alarm. This was as much a surprise to me as it is to you.

Staci: And now that you’ve had some time to process everything? What about your bosses? Aren’t they sharing info with you?

Dev: (he sighs) Tasha and Nadia are too busy trading insults and hostile glares to relay anything useful. And the director…

Staci: What about him?

Dev: (shrugging) Beck is Beck. It’s obvious he knows a lot more than he’s sharing. But I won’t know what that is until he shares it.

Staci: You can’t tell me anything?

Dev: Well, there has been talk. I thought it was just a rumor, but now…

Staci: What kind of talk?

Dev: There’s something going on at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Staci: Wright-Patt? What?

Dev: Like I said, it’s just a rumor right now. But it’s a juicy one. And now that I know aliens exist, I suspect it’s true. Especially since Tasha wants to go there.

Staci: Landon Thorne told me everything he knew.

Dev: The ancient astronaut kook? (he frowns) Well, I guess he’s not as “out there” as I thought.

Staci: He told me everything he’s thinking.

Dev: I doubt that.

Staci: He told me more than you did.

Dev: He’s a civilian. I’m a government agent. And because of that, I need to cut this short. Take care, Staci.

Staci: Wait! (but he left before another question could be posed)

Dev makes his debut in the Astral Conspiracy series in book one, The Gate. You can read a brief synopsis of all five books below, and each one has links to its product page and a purchase link.

The Gate: When the hypotheses of disgraced ancient alien theorist Landon Thorne prove to be true, he travels across the globe in search of a way to communicate with—and perhaps stop—the approaching alien armada.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Stones: The invasion couldn’t be prevented, but there is a chance the Astrals can be driven away… if Landon Thorne can reach the Georgia Guidestones, unearth its secrets, and decode the mystery before the aliens stop him.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Nine: Landon Thorne and his team of resistance fighters seek a cipher to decode the message accompanying a cache of alien artifacts they’ve unearthed, but the government, a clandestine cabal, and the Astrals themselves stand in their way and might not only put an end to their plans—they might put an end to their lives.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Twins: When all factions converge for a human-versus-alien showdown, resistance fighter Reverie Sterling gets help from the least likely source. But even then, it may be too late for everyone she loves to make it out alive.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Lab: In the final showdown between Earthlings and Astrals, twins Asha and Vonn insist their long-lost grandfather has a plan to save humanity. It’s a long-shot, but the resistance takes it—and no one is prepared for the consequences.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

About Staci Troilo/D.L. Cross

D.L. Cross has loved science fiction ever since she was a young girl and fell for Major Don West on television’s Lost in Space. To this day, she still quotes the show, though her favorite lines were spoken by the robot and the antagonist. Parallel universes or alternate realities, aliens or dinosaurs, superpowers or super viruses, time travel or AI… no sci-fi theme is off limits and all of them fascinate her. D.L. Cross also writes other genre fiction under the name Staci Troilo, and you can find more information about all her identities and all her work at her website: https://stacitroilo.com.

Connect online:

Let me wrap-up by once again thanking you, Marcia. And all of your visitors. This post was as fun to write as the stories were, and I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Grazie!

Got Some News to Share? I’m Looking for Guests!

September 27, 2020September 28, 2020 / Marcia Meara / 39 Comments

I have some #GuestDayTuesday openings coming up for October, if any of you have news, a promo running, a cover reveal, new release, or an excerpt to share. Drop me an email if you’d like to be featured.

NOTE: Full instructions are in the Header Bar under “Various Feature Instructions.” Please check those out to be sure what you want to share will work. Thanks!

#GuestDayTuesday – The Cat That Changed America – by Tony Lee Moral

September 22, 2020September 14, 2020 / Marcia Meara / 26 Comments

Today, I have something very special to share with you. Author and film producer Tony Lee Moral is sharing an excerpt from his latest children’s book, The Cat That Changed America, illustrated by Louise Groves. I think you’ll find this story as interesting as I do, especially if you have a love of wildlife in general and mountain lions, in particular. My thanks to Tony for sharing his book here today, and my very best wishes for a huge success. I know my grandson will be getting a copy of this one, for sure, and I’m guessing many of you will enjoy getting this book for the children in your own lives, too. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

Then the biggest and ugliest looking mountain lion that P22 had ever seen emerged from behind a tree. He had a thick brown coat, enormous paws, and muscles bulged from his long limbs. His name was Prime.

“Good Evening,” said Prime, with a smile, baring his enormously long teeth. “Looks like you’re having a dinner party, and forgot to invite me. Now what kind of manners is that?”

“We were just passing through,” Mom said. “We’ve finished now and we’ll be on our way.”

The Old Male snarled another smile that made P22’s hairs stand on end.

“Just passing through?” he said. “This kill looks and smells a day or two old. You’ve obviously been here before.”

“We’ve stuck to our territory,” Mama said bravely, even though she was quivering a little inside. Prime was about twice her size and she knew that she’d stand no chance against him in a fight. “Even though we are close to yours. But the deer have gone further west. As I said, we’ll leave now.”

The old male, leered at the two lion cubs who despite themselves, tried not to quaver.

BLURB:

Based on a true story with an imaginative retelling for young readers;
P22 mountain lion is born in the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains outside Los Angeles, California. But he is forced out of the mountains by Prime, a fierce older male lion who wants him dead. He heads east to stake out a new territory of his own in the bright lights of the big city. Along the way, he makes friends as well as enemies, and crosses two freeways, the 405 and 101. He passes through the City of Stars at night, and strolls down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, all the while trying to avoid those bothersome humans. After more adventures, he reaches the edges of Griffith Park. Can he make it his new home?

Pre-Order/Buy The Cat That Changed America HERE (US) and HERE (UK)

Author Tony Lee Moral

Tony Lee Moral is an author specialising in children’s, young adult, mystery and suspense. He has written three books on the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock: Alfred Hitchcock’s Movie Making Masterclass (2013) published by MWP books; The Making of Hitchcock’s The Birds (2013) published by Kamera Books and Hitchcock and the Making of Marnie (2005) published by Scarecrow Press. Tony was born in Hastings, England in 1971, before moving to California. He lived in Monterey and Big Sur for two years which forms the inspiration for his YA novel “The Haunting of Alice May”. His latest book “The Cat That Changed America” is based on his 2017 documentary film about P22 mountain lion and is aimed at young readers.

You can reach Tony here:
Twitter and Instagram
@tonyleemoral
Facebook
@tonyleemoralfans

Websites
www.tonyleemoralbooks.com
www.thecatthatchangedamerica.com
www.ghostmaven.com

#GuestDayTuesday – Mae Clair Introduces the Murder They Wrote Anthology

September 15, 2020September 8, 2020 / Marcia Meara / 54 Comments

So happy to have Mae Clair visiting us today to talk about the Murder They Wrote anthology. I can’t wait to grab a cup of tea, plop down in the Comfy Chair, and get going on this one. I think you’ll feel the same way when you read about all the goodies it contains, so let’s make Mae feel welcome here this morning as she gives us the details. Take it away, Mae!

Thanks for hosting me today, Marcia! I’m super excited to be here sharing news of an anthology in which I have a short story. Murder They Wrote brings together seven authors writing in various sub genres of whodunits.

You Can See the Variety by the Blurb:

Murder comes in 7 different genres. By 7 different authors.

Are you a fan of courtroom drama? In the anthology’s first story, Abraham Lincoln defends a friend’s son against a charge of murder.

For lovers of speculative fiction, Jason Fogg dissolves into mist to sneak through open windows and snoop for clues.

How about a cozy? Jazzi, Jerod, and Ansel discover a dead body while renovating a kitchen, dining room, and half bath.

Have a craving for a Regency? Lord Peregrine and his wife, Elizabeth, use their sharp minds and quick wit to solve a murder at a garden party.

Need a bit of literary fiction? A young, lonely widow must deal with the theft of a valuable butterfly collection.

And what about a little psychological horror? Twin sisters discover that their attic is haunted by not one, but two ghosts.

Last, but never least, the anthology concludes with a historical mystery. A young, newly married knight is accused of murdering his obnoxious host at a holiday gathering in his castle.

______________________________________________________________________________

If you’re wondering which one of those stories is mine, it’s the last one. 🙂

Normally, when I write a mystery, there is an old legend, or a paranormal element involved. Readers know me as a writer who loves creatures, but I wandered in a different direction this time. My story, A Winter Reckoning, is a straight murder mystery with a sizable group of suspects, an isolated location (a snow-bound castle), and—of course—a dead body. <cue theatrical music>

I chose a Medieval setting to tell a tale that I hope will keep readers guessing as they consider and discard suspects. There is a chivalrous romanticism attached to knighthood, and a courtly type of cunning that comes with intrigue. In many ways it is like a chess match.

My father first taught me how to play chess when I was in grade school. I like to think that strategy of manipulating pieces on a gameboard, transferred into manipulating characters in my story. And unless my lead, Sir Richard Essex, discovers who murdered a deceitful nobleman, his own life will end in checkmate.

A Winter Reckoning is just one of seven stories contained in Murder They Wrote, and I think you’ll enjoy the variety. I wish you happy reading and happy sleuthing!

Buy Murder They Wrote HERE

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

#GuestDayTuesday – #NewRelease by John W. Howell – #EternalRoad – The Final Stop

September 1, 2020August 25, 2020 / Marcia Meara / 76 Comments

Hi, Everyone! Welcome to the “official opening day” of #GuestDayTuesday, a brand new weekly feature. (Or at least, an updated one.) From now on, Tuesdays will not be limited to sharing reviews, but will expand to sharing pretty much anything and everything our guests would like to talk about. To start things off, I’d like to introduce our first guest, John W. Howell, a friend and fellow author from the Story Empire blog.

John has a brand new book out, and I’m delighted to be sharing it with you today. After reading the blurb and excerpt below, I can’t wait to grab my copy, and I suspect many of you will soon feel the same way. Please join me in giving John the warmest of welcomes this morning!

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Marcia. You are the first on the Eternal Road -The final stop blog tour and thank you for helping me launch this book. Speaking of the book, let me describe the kind of book it is. Eternal Road is the story of two people finding their way through the selection process leading to the place where one will spend eternity. Yes, it is true. They both have passed away. James Wainwright just died in an auto accident. Samantha Tourneau died seventeen years before. Sam is James’s guide to help him decide where to spend eternity. This is not your usual thriller or paranormal romance. It is a piece of fiction that is a combination of inspiration, adventure, time travel, sci-fi, a touch of erotica, and a dash of spiritual. In short, it is a lot of things, but hopefully, a story that will make you happy to have read it.

BLURB:

James Wainwright picks up a hitchhiker and discovers two things 1. The woman he picks up is his childhood sweetheart, only seventeen years older. 2. He is no longer of this world.

James began a road trip alone in his 1956 Oldsmobile. He stops for a hitchhiker only to discover she is his childhood sweetheart, Sam, who disappeared seventeen years before. James learns from Sam falling asleep miles back caused him to perish in a one-car accident. He also comes to understand that Sam was taken and murdered all those years ago, and now she has come back to help him find his eternal home.

The pair visit a number of times and places and are witness to a number of historical events. The rules dictate that they do no harm to the time continuum. Trying to be careful, they inadvertently come to the attention of Lucifer, who would love to have their souls as his subjects. They also find a threat to human survival and desperately need to put in place the fix necessary to save humankind.

The question becomes, will James find his eternal home in grace or lose the battle with Satan for his immortal soul and the future of human life with it? If you like time-travel, adventure, mystery, justice, and the supernatural, this story is for you.

EXCERPT:

The man squats low in the woods. The little girl will come to the curve in the sidewalk soon. For the past month, he’s watched her walk home. She always takes this way. He chooses to squat so that he won’t get his pants dirty while he waits. It wouldn’t do to go back to the office with dirt on his knees. That would give folks a tip-off for sure. Someone would remember him walking in with dirt on his fine gabardine pants, and the police would put two and two together.

He’s planned this snatch and grab for weeks. Has lain awake nights thinking of how he will need to take utmost care. And he must make sure that the girl makes no noise. Though the dense woods muffle a lot of sounds, enough people use the area that one cry could bring down disaster. After a series of deep, calming breaths, he believes he is ready

The sound of skipping comes to his ears. He looks toward the sidewalk. Through the brush, the girl approaches, singing as she skips. A few seconds more, and she will be his forever.

Eternal Road The Final Stop is now available on Amazon in paper and Kindle.
The Kindle edition is introductory priced at 99¢ until October 15th

Kindle Universal link
Paper Universal Link

John W. Howell, Author

John is an award-winning author who, after an extensive business career, began writing full time in 2012. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. He has written five other books that are on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. The paperback versions are also available in the Indie Lector store

John lives in Lakeway, Texas, with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.

Contact John:
Blog Fiction Favorites – http://johnwhowell.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/john.howell.98229241
Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/HowellWave
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7751796.John_W_Howell
Amazon Author’s page – https://www.amazon.com/author/johnwhowell