Superheroes

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    Book signing on Saturday, May 5 at Mountain Empire Comics …

    I will be signing books on Saturday, May 5 at Mountain Empire Comics in Bristol, Tenn. as part of the store’s annual Free Comic Book Day events.

    I will be signing books from 10 a.m. to noon. I will have print copies of Spartan Heart, Mythos Academy spinoff #1, to sign, along with some (but not all!) of my other books.

    So if you are planning to attend the signing and want a specific book, please email me and let me know which book you want so I can have it on hand. Otherwise, I usually have the first and the most recent book in a series on hand to sign.

    Free Comic Book Day is a nationwide event where comic book stores offer free comics to readers of all ages, hold costume contests, and much more. If you like comics/graphic novels, then I encourage you to check out your local comic book store and see what all it has to offer.

    At Mountain Empire Comics, the store will give away free comics, and there will be a costume contest and vendors set up on the street outside.

    JULY 28 BOOK SIGNING AT ROB-CON

    I will also be signing books from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 28 as part of ROB-CON at the MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn. The con (which runs from July 27-29) will feature dozens of authors, comic book artists, vendors, and more, so if you love comic books/fantasy/etc., you might want to check it out.

    As always, a big thanks to Robert Pilk for hosting me at these events.

    Hope to see you there! 🙂

  • Books in my TBR pile …

    Can you guys believe that it’s April already? That means that summer (and all its excessive heat) is right around the corner. Sigh. Summer is not my favorite season.

    But in the meantime, there are always more books to read. 🙂 Here are some books that are in my TBR pile right now. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon.

    Good Guys by Steven Brust

    Available now

    A snarky, irreverent tale of secret magic in the modern world, the first solo standalone novel in two decades from Steven Brust, the New York Times bestselling author of the Vlad Taltos series

    “Delightful, exciting, and sometimes brilliant.” —Neil Gaiman on Steven Brust

    Donovan was shot by a cop. For jaywalking, supposedly. Actually, for arguing with a cop while black. Four of the nine shots were lethal—or would have been, if their target had been anybody else. The Foundation picked him up, brought him back, and trained him further. “Lethal” turns out to be a relative term when magic is involved.

    When Marci was fifteen, she levitated a paperweight and threw it at a guy she didn’t like. The Foundation scooped her up for training too.

    “Hippie chick” Susan got well into her Foundation training before they told her about the magic, but she’s as powerful as Donovan and Marci now.

    They can teleport themselves thousands of miles, conjure shields that will stop bullets, and read information from the remnants of spells cast by others days before.

    They all work for the secretive Foundation…for minimum wage.

    Which is okay, because the Foundation are the good guys. Aren’t they?

    At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    My thoughts: I haven’t read Brust before, but his books have good reviews, and this one sounds really fun.

    Gunpowder Moon by David Pedreira

    Available now

    “Interesting quirks and divided loyalties flesh out this first novel in which sf and mystery intersect in a well-crafted plot…Pedreira’s science thriller powerfully highlights the human politics and economics from the seemingly desolate expanse of the moon. It will attract readers who enjoyed Andy Weir’s lunar crime caper Artemis.” — Library Journal, starred review

    A realistic and chilling vision of life on the Moon, where dust kills as easily as the vacuum of space…but murder is even quicker—a fast-paced, cinematic science fiction thriller, this debut novel combines the inventiveness of The Martian, the intrigue of The Expanse, and the thrills of Red Rising.

    The Moon smells like gunpowder. Every lunar walker since Apollo 11 has noticed it: a burnt-metal scent that reminds them of war. Caden Dechert, the chief of the U.S. mining operation on the edge of the Sea of Serenity, thinks the smell is just a trick of the mind—a reminder of his harrowing days as a Marine in the war-torn Middle East back on Earth.

    It’s 2072, and lunar helium-3 mining is powering the fusion reactors that are bringing Earth back from environmental disaster. But competing for the richest prize in the history of the world has destroyed the oldest rule in space: Safety for All. When a bomb kills one of Dechert’s diggers on Mare Serenitatis, the haunted veteran goes on the hunt to expose the culprit before more blood is spilled.

    But as Dechert races to solve the first murder in the history of the Moon, he gets caught in the crosshairs of two global powers spoiling for a fight. Reluctant to be the match that lights this powder-keg, Dechert knows his life and those of his crew are meaningless to the politicians. Even worse, he knows the killer is still out there, hunting.

    In his desperate attempts to save his crew and prevent the catastrophe he sees coming, the former Marine uncovers a dangerous conspiracy that, with one spark, can ignite a full lunar war, wipe out his team . . . and perhaps plunge the Earth back into darkness.

    My thoughts: I bought this one for Wheezley (he likes scifi and Andy Weir’s books), but I want to read it too. It’s murder … on the moon! Okay, I like saying that in a dramatic voice, but the book does sound really good.

    Punisher Max: The Complete Collection Vol. 2 by Garth Ennis and others

    Available now

    Collects Punisher (2004) #13-30.

    Nick Fury has a dangerous mission for the Punisher: break into a Siberian nuclear missile silo and steal a lethal retrovirus. But Castle soon sets off a chain reaction that will bring him into conflict with a ruthless Russian general — and take the world to the brink of war. Then, mobster Nicky Cavella returns to plague the Punisher. But when his scheme unleashes a wave of violence that rocks New York to its core, other predators emerge from the darkness. Finally, the Punisher targets a human-trafficking operation that supplies kidnapped girls to brothels. Veterans of Eastern Europe’s ethnic genocide, the cruel slavers are a quarry unlike any Castle has hunted before. They’re ready to go to war to protect what’s theirs — but they’ll soon find out exactly what war with the Punisher means.

    My thoughts: Wheezley is a big Punisher fan, and he gave me this collection to read, since it contains “The Slavers” storyline. Supposedly, the Marvel TV show is adapting that storyline for season two, so I wanted to check it out.

    What about you guys? What books are on your TBR pile right now?

  • Fantasy books in my TBR pile …

    Is it just me or has this been a really good year for fantasy books? Here are some fantasy books that are on my TBR pile and that I’m looking forward to reading later this year. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon.

    Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

    Out now

    One of fantasy’s finest next-generation storytellers continues to break new ground.

    Michael J. Sullivan’s trailblazing career began with the breakout success of his Riyria series: full-bodied, spellbinding fantasy adventures whose imaginative scope and sympathetic characters won a devoted readership and comparisons to fantasy masters Brandon Sanderson, Scott Lynch, and J.R.R. Tolkien himself. Now Age of Myth inaugurates an original five-book series.

    Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever.

    Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.

    My thoughts: I bought Wheezley the first book in Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations earlier this year. Wheezley really enjoyed it, and he’s read the rest of the Sullivan’s books. So I’m hoping to read some of Sullivan’s books as well.

    Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

    Out now

    The highly anticipated, entirely new coming-of-age story for the world’s greatest super hero: WONDER WOMAN by the # 1 New York Times bestselling author LEIGH BARDUGO.

    She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .
     
    Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.
     
    Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.
     
    Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

    My thoughts: I’ve always been a Wonder Woman fan, and I also liked Bardugo’s Six of Crows series. Count me in.

    A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne

    Out on Oct. 17

    From the author of The Iron Druid Chronicles, a thrilling novel that kicks off a fantasy series with an entirely new mythology—complete with shape-shifting bards, fire-wielding giants, and children who can speak to astonishing beasts

    MOTHER AND WARRIOR
    Tallynd is a soldier who has already survived her toughest battle: losing her husband. But now she finds herself on the front lines of an invasion of giants, intent on wiping out the entire kingdom, including Tallynd’s two sons—all that she has left. The stakes have never been higher. If Tallynd fails, her boys may never become men.

    SCHOLAR AND SPY
    Dervan is an historian who longs for a simple, quiet life. But he’s drawn into intrigue when he’s hired to record the tales of a mysterious bard who may be a spy or even an assassin for a rival kingdom. As the bard shares his fantastical stories, Dervan makes a shocking discovery: He may have a connection to the tales, one that will bring his own secrets to light.  

    REBEL AND HERO
    Abhi’s family have always been hunters, but Abhi wants to choose a different life for himself. Embarking on a journey of self-discovery, Abhi soon learns that his destiny is far greater than he imagined: a powerful new magic thrust upon him may hold the key to defeating the giants once and for all—if it doesn’t destroy him first.

    Set in a magical world of terror and wonder, this novel is a deeply felt epic of courage and war, in which the fates of these characters intertwine—and where ordinary people become heroes, and their lives become legend.

    My thoughts: I’ve enjoyed Hearne’s Iron Druid series (although I am several books behind), so I’m interested to see his take on epic fantasy.

    What about you guys? Which fantasy books are you looking forward to reading?

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    Rob-Con 2017 appearance on July 29 …

    I will be one of several authors, artists, and more appearing at Rob-Con 2017. The convention runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 29-30, at Viking Hall in Bristol, Tenn.

    I will be signing books Saturday only — July 29 — from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I will have copies of Snared to sign, as well as copies of my other books.

    Also, T-shirts are available featuring the Rob-Con graphic, created by artist John Hairston Jr.

    A one-day pass is $10; a two-day pass is $15; kids under 10 get in free. A costume contest will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday. More information is online here.

    Also, one of the special guests this year is Timothy Zahn, who writes Star Wars novels and more. An event will be held with Zahn on Friday, July 28. Visit the Rob-Con website; the Rob-Con Facebook page; or email the organizers for more details.

    Hope to see you there! 🙂

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    New covers for Bigtime superhero books …

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    Book #1

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    Book #2

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    Some of you have seen these online already, but I have put some new covers on my Bigtime superhero paranormal romance series. The books are still the same, but I wanted to update the cover art and give the series more of a comic-book feel.

    The covers were designed by the awesome Jenny Zemanek of Seedlings Design Studio. Thanks, Jenny!

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    E-novella #3.5

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    Book #4

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    E-bundle

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    The covers are all so cool that I don’t know which one is my favorite. Maybe A Karma Girl Christmas, or Nightingale, although I really like them all. 🙂 Which new cover do you guys like the best?

    If you’ve never checked out the series, my Bigtime books are paranormal romances that feature superheroes and ubervillains. They are very fun, zany, and campy — sort of like the Batman show with Adam West or Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter.

    Book #5

    As of right now, I do not have plans to write any more books in my Bigtime series. I’m currently writing three other series — Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy spinoff, and Kill the Queen epic fantasy series — which is all that I can juggle. So the Bigtime series is the odd series out. I hope to get back to it someday, although I have no idea when that might be. Not anytime soon, though.

    The books (with the new covers) are available at all the usual sites in ebook format — Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc. The books are also available in print format from Amazon and will be available in print format from Barnes & Noble and Ingram in the next few weeks — in case you work in a bookstore and want to order some print copies.

    Karma GirlAmazon KindleAmazon print

    Hot MamaAmazon KindleAmazon print

    JinxAmazon KindleAmazon print

    A Karma Girl Christmas — e-novella — Amazon Kindle — also available in the print version of Karma Girl

    NightingaleAmazon KindleAmazon print

    The Bigtime Bundle — e-bundle — Karma Girl through NightingaleAmazon Kindle

    FandemicAmazon Kindle Amazon print

    I hope that everyone enjoys the new covers and gets a chance to check out the series, if you haven’t already. Happy reading!