Black Star Renegades by Michael Moreci

Sci-fi/YA

Date Published: January 2

Publisher: St. Martin’s

In the tradition of Star Wars, a galaxy-hopping space adventure about a galactic kingdom bent on control and the young misfit who must find the power within before it’s too late.

Cade Sura holds the future of the galaxy in his hands: the ultimate weapon that will bring total peace. He didn’t ask for it, he doesn’t want it, and there’s no worse choice to wield it in all of space, but if he doesn’t, everyone’s totally screwed. The evil Praxis kingdom is on the cusp of having every star system under its control, and if that happens, there’ll be no contesting their cruel reign. Especially if its fanatical overlord, Ga Halle, manages to capture Cade and snag the all-powerful weapon for herself.

Cade can’t hide from Praxis, and he can’t run from the destiny that’s been shoved into his hands. So he only has one option:

He has to fight.

Cade’s not going to let destiny send him on a suicide run, though. With some help from his friends―rebels and scoundrels alike―Cade’s going to use this weapon to chart a new destiny for the galaxy, and for himself.

He just has to do so before everyone around him discovers that he’s a complete and total fraud.

Blending the space operatics of Star Wars and the swagger of Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Star Renegades is a galaxy-hopping adventure that blasts its way from seedy spacer bars to sacred temples guarded by deadly creatures―all with a cast of misfit characters who have nowhere to go and nothing to lose.

About the Author

Michael Moreci is a bestselling author who’s the creator of numerous original comics series and has written and collaborated on multiple established properties. His sci-fi trilogy, Roche Limit (Image Comics),is currently in development for television with SyFy, and it was recognized by many publications as being among the best comics of 2015.  It’s been called the “sci-fi comic you need to read” by Nerdist and io9, and Paste Magazine named it one of the “50 best sci-fi comics” of all time.  Moreci has also written stories for iconic characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Conan the Barbarian.

In 2018, Moreci's debut novel, Black Star Renegades, was released with St. Martin's Press. Drawing inspiration from the space operatics of Star Wars and the swagger of Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Star Renegades is a galaxy-hopping adventure that blasts its way from seedy spacer bars to sacred temples guarded by strange creatures--all with a cast of misfit characters charged with saving the world.

His second novel, The Throwaway—an espionage thriller—is slated for release with Tor in June 2018. A sequel to Black Star Renegades will be released in 2019.

He lives outside Chicago with his wife, two children, and his dog.

Contact Links

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iBooks

Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon

Warranted Desires by Shannon Nemechek

Title: Warranted Desires

Series: A Warranted Series Book 2

Author: Shannon Nemechek

Genre: Military Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: Limitless Publishing

It’s been six months since all hell broke loose. Six months since I killed the organization’s leader. And six months since I fell for the love of my life.

Samantha and I thought the worst was over, that we would be able to move on—together. But we were wrong.

What we thought was in the past has now come back to haunt us. We’ve only managed to scratch the surface of this war raging against terrorism, and we have no idea who to trust anymore.

But one thing is for damn sure. I won’t let anyone hurt her. I will keep Samantha safe…even if it kills me.

Where could that man be? Sam wondered as she grabbed a sheet from the bed, wrapping it about herself as she started the coffee. She had already been up nearly half an hour, and he still wasn’t showing. Not even a note, weird. Must not have gone far then. As the coffee pot filled with water, she caught what she thought was Raleigh’s voice in the hallway. Turning off the water, she strained to listen. Yep, that’s him. She inched closer to the door and, still unable to hear clearly, pressed her ear against the wooden door and heard his voice clearly.

“Yes, sir,” he said. “I can report to Fort Bragg as soon as we close up this investigation.” Sam could feel a lump in her throat start to form as she listened to the excitement in his voice. This is something he wants.

“No, sir. I have nothing holding me in Alabama. Nope, no relationship either. I am as free as a bird.” His words cut through her.

No relationship? Nothing holding him? Report to Fort Bragg? None of this made sense to her; they hadn’t known each other long, but he never mentioned leaving and had continued to express his love for her and how he never wanted to leave her side. The tears started to flow as Sam tried to hold herself back from flinging the door open and punching him in the throat.  

Stopping herself, she paused and thought about it. He was right—they didn’t have a “relationship” and there wasn’t anything holding him back. Just because he says he loves me doesn’t mean we’ll be married and live happily ever after, white picket fence and all. Besides, I’m not the white picket fence kind of woman. What does Happily Ever After mean in the first place?  

Samantha paused and pressed her ear against the door to catch more of the conversation just as she heard the door key click. She quickly jumped clear of the door just in time and made it to the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror when Raleigh waltzed in, a huge smile on his face.  

Seeing Sam in front of the mirror as he entered the room, he snuck up behind her, scooped her up in his arms, kissed her, and tossed her onto the bed, jumping next to her. “Good morning, darlin’. How’d ya sleep?” he asked as he propped his head up, looking down at her.  

“I slept fine. I’m good.” Straining to rise, she uttered, “I’m just fine.” Her lips were pursed and her eyes almost burned with anger.

Confused, Raleigh sat up as Sam stood in front of him naked. “Well darlin’, you don’t look okay. You look pissed. If I didn’t know any better, I would think those hazel eyes of yours want to burn a hole right through me. Did I do something?”

“No,” she snapped back. “I’m okay, just sore is all.” “Well, baby, do you want me to give you a massage or we can get into the shower and see what comes up?” He smiled and winked at her. She couldn’t resist that damn smile, let alone be mad at him. Samantha smiled back. He will tell me in his own time. For now, I will enjoy what he has to give and hope for the best.

Samantha looked down at him, her eyes bright with anticipation. “Well, what are you waiting for?” she spoke, extending her hand to his to pull him up from the bed and into the shower. It didn’t take much for Raleigh to figure out what she was hinting at; he grabbed her hand, sprung to his feet, and pulled her into the bathroom all in one complete action. Sam giggled as he picked her up and placed her on the bathroom counter. When he bent over to turn on the water, she slapped him on his ass.  

She did love that ass of his, so tight and firm he could crack a walnut between those cheeks.  

“Whoa now, missy. It ain’t time for that yet. You will get your chance to play. Right now, it’s my turn.”  

As he turned toward her, she could already see the effect she had on him. She never thought of herself as someone who could affect a man that quickly. They hadn’t even gotten started with the fun stuff yet.

Shannon started her writing career while still serving in the US Army. As an NCO in the Army she lead and trained soldiers. 

Shannon grew up in Macomb, IL where she graduated from High School in 1987 and soon after joined the US Army. Shannon served from 1987 to 2015 during Operation Desert Storm and during Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In April 2015 Shannon retired from the US Army with 23 years of service as a Unit Supply Sergeant in several Army unit overseas and the United States. She served as a US Army Recruiter for 4 years and She holds a degree in clinical psychology and has been awarded multiple awards during her Army service. She is a mother of 4 children and a grandma to 2 beautiful Grand-daughters. She has been married 24 years to her husband, Ken. They reside in Staunton, IL a small town along Old Route 66.

HOSTED BY:

Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks

This is my stop during the blog tour for Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 14 till 28 May. See the tour schedule here.



Phi Alpha Pi (21st Century Austen #2)

by Sara Marks

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age category: New Adult, Adult

Release Date: May 28, 2018

Blurb:

Phi Alpha Pi is the oldest and largest sorority on campus and new president Lizbeth has a busy senior year ahead of her. She’s determined to keep her sorority in good standing on campus after a year on academic probation. She’s trying to manage the new sorority house manager, Mrs. C, who has her own ideas about how to support the sorority sisters. All while trying to find balance with her own academic goals to complete an honors thesis, graduate, and decide her future plans.



The last thing Lizbeth expects is her anger when Wil, a new member of the Alpha Pi fraternity, pushes every one of her buttons. Lizbeth finds Wil, a new transfer to the university with his best friend, to be rude, snobby, and judgmental. Even though she tries to avoid him, he seems to be everywhere, scowling with displeasure when he sees her. That is, until his Thanksgiving proclamation of love. That causes Lizbeth to reconsider how she sees the world.

You can find Phi Alpha Pi on Goodreads



You can buy Phi Alpha Pi here:

- Amazon

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Excerpt:

Excerpt #2:

The more they walked around the museum, the more Lizbeth realized they liked a lot of the same pieces and artists for very similar reasons. They didn't draw while in the Matisse exhibit, but Lizbeth would periodically sit and doodle while listening to tour guides who led groups through the space. Her paper was quickly filled with little triangle butterflies and poorly drawn horses.

"Suddenly I expect you to love unicorns and rainbows,” Wil said, sitting next to her on a bench and looking over her shoulder.

"I do!"

"I was joking."

"I'm not. I also love mermaids. Ask Becca. For years I was going to turn into one when I grew up. It was my career goal for quite a while."

"Are you a good swimmer?"

"Fantastic! I’m a much better swimmer than I am an artist."

Wil laughed at her.

"You are great at riding horses and swimming? Did you want to become a unicorn later?"

"No, I was going to be a mermaid princess who came on land to ride her unicorns. That's why my grandparents bought me Windfola."

Wil blushed, probably remembering his plan to buy her horse.

"Then your income would be princess-based."

"Obviously, a great plan."

This time they both laughed. Wil wouldn’t let her see what was on his paper. They left the exhibit and headed for a cafe in the museum to grab lunch. As they left the exhibits, Lizbeth saw him fold his paper and slip it into his back pocket. As they made their way to the cafe, they got distracted by a collection about roosters across cultures. They stood before a painting of a rooster called "The Cock.” Neither recognized the artist, but Lizbeth felt inspired.

"The thing that catches my eye about this cock is the color and shape. Notice the left curvature of the cock. The shape is of an average cock. What are your thoughts about the cock, Wil?" Lizbeth said.

She turned to face Wil and found him trying to stifle a laugh.

"Do you find cocks funny, Wil? A cock is nothing to laugh at. If you had a cock as grand as this would you want people laughing at it?" Lizbeth said.

She would have continued, but she started laughing herself. She let Wil take her hand and pull her out of the room.

"You’ve seen my terrible drawings. Let me see what you did," Lizbeth said once they were seated with lunch from the cafe.

"No, it's nothing."

"Wil, don't worry. I won't tell your aunt how you aren’t a well-rounded young lady."

Wil laughed at the joke, but refused to let her see what he had drawn.

"This isn’t over. The more you refuse, the more I want to see what you drew,” Lizbeth said as she got up to throw away their trash.

Check out the first book in this series!



"Tension builds as they each learn about the current version of the person they once loved and resolve the ramifications of their choices."



Links:

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About the Author:

Born in Boston, MA and raised in Miami, FL, Sara Marks has two masters degrees and plans to never stop getting over educated. She likes the idea of having all the academic regalia she can ever possess and winning with the most degrees in her family. By day she's an academic librarian. In what little free time she has, she also knits and plays with her dog Cedric Doggory.



You can find and contact Sara Marks here:

- Website

- Facebook

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- Instagram

- Goodreads

- Amazon

- Mailing List



Interview with Sara Marks

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?

I don’t let characters hijack a story, but I do give them some room to explore.  After years of doing NaNoWriMo I’ve learned that I should have an outline of what I want to happen, but to leave room for characters to go where it makes sense.  For example, with Phi Alpha Pi, I tried to fit Jorge in the spot Wickham had in the original story. It doesn’t make sense anymore. Once I gave him the freedom to explore and I found a place for him in the story that really made sense.  There are other stories that I have written when I’ve had no idea how things might be resolved. In those cases, I really let all the characters flow through the story until the resolution fell into place.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

I find that people either love or hate Austen.  For those who can’t get into her books because of how they relate to modern lives, my books are more relatable.  For those who love Austen, this is a way the story could look in modern times. They are also fun and easy reads that don’t require you read the original to understand what’s going on.  

Have you written any other books that are not published?

SO MANY!  Right now I’m focused on about four different projects.  The next book, out in the summer of 2019, is a mystery book that isn’t based on anyone else.  The third book in the 21st Century Austen series, Woodhouse Yarn and Cafe, will be out in 2020.  I also have some short story collections, including a horror one about an ice planet that requires sacrifices. Last, I’m beginning to lay the foundation for an epic, romance, fantasy series that I’ve been playing with for most of my life.

Pen or typewriter or computer?

Computer!  I’m not a romantic when it comes to the writing process.  I want to be able to move quickly. That being said, I use pen and paper to keep organized and write down brainstorms.  I’m a huge fan of bullet journaling and writing down outlines in a shared notebook. When I start actually writing something, it’s right to the computer. I write at a local cafe and it’s common to see me there with the notebook with my notes for the book I’m working on, the computer, and my writer’s bible managing all my projects.

Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you!  Everyone I meet in person and online has been incredibly supportive and open.  So many new opportunities have come up to connect with new people and share my writing.  I hope this next year, sharing Phi Alpha Pi, will continue to help me meet new people and find new readers!

Giveaways

There are two tour wide giveaways during the blog tour of Phi Alpha Pi! There is a US Only Giveaway for a prize pack and an international giveaway for 14 e-copies and a print copy of Phi Alpha Pi!



US Only Giveaway

One winner will win a Prize Pack containing:

- Mrs. C's homemade officers shirt in Comic Sans (you pick XL or XXL)

- A Phi Alpha Pi sorority sticker, candle, and bracelet (some of the items mentioned in the story).

- An illustration by cover designer Risa Rodil

- A rooster dishtowel (so you can make cock jokes with Lizbeth and Wil)

- Autographed printed copies of Modern Persuasion, A Little More Modern Persuasion, and Phi Alpha Pi (not pictured)





For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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Open for all Giveaway

These are the prizes you can win:

- 14 winners will each win an e-copy of Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks

- 1 winner will win a print copy of Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks



For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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Red: A Modern Fairytale Retelling by Jessi McPherson

Red:
A Modern Fairytale Retelling

by
Jessi McPherson

Genre:YA
Fantasy

Everyone
has read the tale of Little Red Riding Hood... Such a carefree, naïve
girl who fell victim to the wolf and had to be saved by the Huntsman.
I’d like to set that story straight. It all began with a girl, a
curse, and wolf. We all have a hero inside. All it takes is to
believe. Cara knew the legends of her village but she never thought
she'd become one.

Add
to Goodreads

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Excerpt:

“Please help me,” a weak voice said in the distance. Cara ran toward the faint

sound, and on the ground found a young man, no older than she, lying covered in

blood and wounds.

“Oh, god. Are you okay?” He was silent. She knelt beside him to check his

pulse. It was there, but it was weak. “Well, hang on. Hopefully Gran has

something to help.” Carefully she lifted him, but it took everything she had to

bring him to the trail. She knew there was no way that she would be able to carry

him all the way there. “Please stay alive until I get back,” she whispered to him

and took off running. It only took a few minutes to make it the rest of the way to

the cottage. “Gran, Gran, please come quick!” she yelled as she headed for the

door.

“Dear child, what has you all worked up?”

“I need your cart. There was a young man in the woods, and he’s injured.”

Her Gran looked up at the moon. “Come, child. Show me where.” They

hitched her horse to the cart and Cara led her Gran to where she had left him.

“Was he alone?” Gran asked.

“Yes, and gravely injured.” As they rounded the bend, they could see that he

was still lying on the side of the road.

“Oh dear. He’s been attacked. Come, let’s get him to the cottage and tend to

his wounds. We don’t have much time,” her Grandmother urged.

“He’s coming,” he groaned. Her Gran knelt beside him and whispered

something. He seemed to relax.

“What did you say to him?”

“Only that he was safe and being treated,” she replied. They walked quietly

back to her cottage. “Place him on the cot, dear. Do you have the elixirs your

mother sent?”

“Yes, here in my bag.”

“Good. I need those− also, some wolfbane and jasmine from my shelf.” Cara

grabbed the plants that she had been asked to get and sat beside her

Grandmother, watching her work.

“I don’t recognize him from the village,” Cara said, placing the plants in the

mortar for her Gran.

“No, I don’t suppose he is a villager.”

“Where do you think he came from?”

“I think we will find out, either when he wakes or when the sun rises,” her

Grandmother said.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see, child, and it’s about time.”

Cara didn’t understand what she meant. She watched as her Grandmother

pulverized the herbs and noticed she spoke quietly as she did. “What are you

saying?”

“Just a little spell to help with the healing. He is in a lot of pain and won’t heal

until he calms.”

“So it’s true. You are a witch.”

“That’s a strong word, but yes. You are, as well. You come from a long line of

them. We are here to help protect the Hylands. That is why your mother sent you

tonight.”

“What do you mean?” Cara asked, wonderment evident on her face.

“She noticed you’ve been changing and slowly coming into your gifts over

the last few months. There’s a lot you are going to learn about, but now we must

attend to this man.”

Cara was in shock. Her Grandmother was, in fact, a witch, and apparently, so

was she. She started to shake.

“It’s okay, sweet child.”

“Why didn’t you or Mother tell me sooner?”

“We weren’t sure if you would inherit any gifts. Not every child that is born

into our line has the power. We had to wait.”

She couldn’t believe it. Their attention was drawn to the young man as he

started groaning and speaking frantically. “Lily, Lily run!” he yelled, thrashing

about.

“Come, hold him down while I work, dear.” Grandmother mixed herbs and

covered his wounds. Cara still hadn’t moved. “Cara, snap out of it. Yes, I know

it’s a lot to process− and not how we intended to tell you− but right now I need

you to focus, or he will die.”

Cara blinked a few times and moved to do what she had been asked. His face

calmed slightly as she laid her hands on him, but the anguish was still evident.

She finally took a moment to look him over. She didn’t know why, but she felt

compelled to gaze at his perfect figure. Even covered in wounds, dirt, and blood,

his beauty was evident− from the sculpt of his chest to the contours of his face.

She slid the blood-matted hair from his face, and he slightly opened the most

beautiful green eyes she had ever seen. As he gazed into hers, he said, “Please

find Lily.” Then he closed his eyes again.

“Who is Lily?” she asked. He didn’t answer. Instead, he started thrashing

again.

Hi
all, I'm Jessi
Mcpherson.
I live in a small town in Iowa right on the banks of The Mighty
Mississippi. I started writing when I was about 10 years old. Almost
every girl has a journal but I not only had fun stories of the day
but poems and short stories that popped in my head. I love fantasy
and romance novels and read almost daily. I like to find my
inspiration in everyday life. That's one of my goals is to find one
thing every day that inspires me. I grew up an army brats so I have
traveled to a few places over the years. I have two amazing children
and a very amazing husband. They thankfully put up with crazy work
schedules because being a mom and a writer isn't enough but I am also
the general manager of Sidelines Sports bar in my home town. No
matter how busy I find time for it all. I do hope you enjoy my books
and I look forward to writing more.

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