Christmas Eve Eve Wild Wednesday December 23rd, 2020
Merry Christmas Eve, Eve! Celebrate with some great deals!
Wild Wednesday December 23rd, 2020
Each week we bring you a list of books from not only LMBPN authors, but also friends of ours, that are on sale! Here’s a fantastic opportunity to discover some new authors or some exciting books you may not have seen yet.
Most of these books are FREE in Kindle Unlimited, but all are on sale today.
Please remember to double-check the price before you one-click.
Metal Legion Omnibus
Superdreadnought Complete Series
Crimson Empire Complete Omnibus
Yanked
The Quintessence
Rebel
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Intriguing First Snippet for John Chambers Book 1
John Chambers Book 1 : Her Mother’s Pendant
The only thing you can know for sure is that you don’t know who you are going to meet in a shady bar, and that there is going to be a bar fight.
John “Dick” Chambers studied the cards in his hand with the scrutiny of a pawnshop owner examining a diamond.
He was up considerably. Black, red, blue, green, and white chips littered his green felt corner of the table, and several towers threatened to topple. The surly expressions on his opponents’ faces were the sweet little cherry on top of his cream cake.
Arnie Taft tapped the table with his knuckles to indicate a check on his turn. Dick expected nothing less. Taft had the shriveled balls of a cockroach, but his mammoth size made him demand a space at the table. He couldn’t talk a hooker into a fuck with a handful of cash, but boy, could he knock her clear across the room in one clean punch.
Next, Connor would lay down a clean white chip to show that he was still in the game, but that was a ploy to hide his shitty hand. Tyrone and Jake would match the raise, Dick would up it another two levels, and soon they’d be sweating beneath their collars, each trying to save face as they went down swinging, hoping that Dick had a less than favorable hand for once.
Dick examined his cards again. A pair of twos. It was his first real stinker of the night, but he wouldn’t let that stop him toying with the others.
It’s right what they say about playing with meatheads. Bring a tenderizer, and you’ll have them eating their putty from the palm of your hand.
Dick caressed the cool neck of his Blue Moon beer and brought it to his lips. All eyes were on him, and he could detect their impatience in the air. He swigged the foam around his mouth, then swallowed, and closed his eyes.
“Man, that hits the spot.”
“Quit dawdling, Dick. We haven’t got all night.” Arnie’s voice was deep and carried easily around the small tavern. A thin layer of smoke hazed the air and carved mystic patterns around the overhead fluorescents. At the bar, the owner scrubbed lazily with a cloth while a handful of patrons sat scattered in the dark corners, interested only in their business.
The way that everyone is in Atlantica. Out for themselves.
“Haven’t got all night, huh?” Dick grinned. “In that case, I suppose I should wrap up and take my winnings with me. I thought you boys would want a chance to win back your dough, but if you’re just going to hand it over to me, then…”
“You know that’s not what he meant,” Tyrone snapped. He stared at Dick through his one good eye, the other made of glass and fixed in one direction. He had a patchy layer of black curled stubble across his face and a bald head that reflected the light above and cast an ironic halo. “Get your ass in gear and let’s play.”
Arnie nodded. Connor grumbled his agreement. Dick scanned the table and noted the small bowls of salted peanuts, and his opponents’ collection of beer bottles, which significantly outweighed his. Even if he had been as inebriated as the others, he knew he’d still have the upper hand. You didn’t take drinking daily as a hobby for over a decade and not build up an impressive tolerance for the stuff.
“I see you. I raise you.”
Dick threw a handful of chips at random and laughed internally, enjoying the fact he had made the others squirm. It was one of life’s little pleasures, drawing in the lowlifes and exerting dominance. Every day it became harder and harder in the streets.
Arnie and Connor folded, while Tyrone and Jake matched. Arnie took the opportunity to head to the bar and order enough bottles of beer to last him the next few rounds, while Connor excused himself with a grunt to take a leak.
“You can’t run on luck all night, sunshine,” Tyrone crooned, which revealed gold teeth among his ivories. “Luck can only get you so far. You’re bluffing out your ass.”
Jake scrutinized his cards, the features of his thin face harsh in the limited light.
“That may be true,” Dick replied. “But are you willing to take that risk?” He glanced at the decorated backs of Tyrone’s cards on the table. “I know for a fact that you’re playing with dirt. Bet you have little more than a pair in that deck. Maybe an ace-high at best, but you’re not going to admit that, are you? Even though your tell is incredibly potent. I can smell bluffing on you like I smell dog shit on my shoes.”
“Bullshit,” Tyrone growled. Although he tried to keep his cool, his confidence faltered, if only slightly.
“Ironic how ex-cons make the worst liars.”
Tyrone’s fists clenched, which confirmed Dick’s theory of his shitty hand. He grimaced, and it looked as though Dick was about to push him over the edge when a bell sounded at the door, indicating the arrival of a new patron.
Every head except Dick’s turned to the door.
Jesus, the whole city has us trained like Pavlov’s dogs. Hear a bell and look for the treat. Meanwhile, I’m the only one focused with my head in the game. Ain’t no wonder I’m up on these fleabags.
Several patrons wolf-whistled across the bar. Dick ignored them. They were all testosterone-fueled pricks with eyes only for the pink bit between a woman’s legs. Dick had his fair share of ladies, but when it came to a throwdown between women and cold, hard cash, he knew which he’d rather invite back to his place.
Dick took two greens from their pile, suspended them in the air, then threw them into the center. “Raise.”
He waited patiently for Jake to make his move but soon noticed his eyes were far from the game.
Dick took a white chip and tossed it at Jake. His aim was true. The coin spun through the air and caught him in the middle of his forehead. Jake’s brows knitted together.
“What d’ya do that for?”
“Your turn.”
More voices rang across the bar.
“Whoa, foxy miss. I think you’re in the wrong place, but I can help you find the right one.”
“Here’s a quarter, call your momma and tell her you ain’t going home tonight.”
“Mmhmm, day-um!”
Jake tried to focus on his cards, but his eyes kept dancing to his right. He absently ran a hand through his hair, which neatened the little tuft that had previously stuck up at the back. “Man, to have a piece of that—ow! Quit throwing shit at me.”
“Your turn.” Dick turned to Tyrone for support, unsurprised to find that he, too, was distracted.
Tyrone reclined in his chair and bit his lip. “Is that a bullwhip? I like a girl who values a good bit of BDSM. Even more so when we can play with toys.”
“How about this?” Dick’s impatience reached its peak. “You guys flush me out of cash, and you can pursue the pretty lady. If I clean you out, you can pursue the pretty lady. Either way, gentlemen’s code, let’s finish this goddamn game before the cock crows.”
“My cock’s already crowing.” Arnie arrived back at the table. “So is Connor’s. Check him out, going straight for the home plate.”
Dick finally submitted to the distraction and twisted in his chair toward the bar where Connor’s tall frame hid the woman’s outline. The most Dick could make out was a crop of brunette hair and the bullwhip’s silhouette at her waist.
Same as every other bimbo in this city. Well, minus the whip. It’s usually something metallic with more firepower.
After another nudge, Jake played his chips, and Tyrone followed. They reached the end of the round and Dick pulled more chips toward him, surprised that his dud hand still earned him cash. As he scooped them up and arranged them into their towers, he caught a snippet of Connor’s conversation with the stranger.
“What you gotta carry a bullwhip around wichoo for? When it comes to security in Atlantica, you need cold hard steel. I reckon it ain’t nothing but an aid for a bit of kinky foreplay.”
“You got me.” Her voice was soft like velvet. She spoke with a confidence that carried in every syllable. “Although, it’s more for nights like tonight where there isn’t anything big enough that interests me. A girl’s gotta take control of her pleasure, know what I mean?”
A ripple of laughter passed around the spectators at Connor’s foolish attempt. Connor laughed it off. “Barkeep, another Budweiser for me, and whatever the lady wants. On my tab, darling.”
The barkeep’s gruff voice added, “What’s your flavor?”
“I’d like this skinny creep to leave me the hell alone and for someone to point me in the direction of a Mr. John Chambers.” A short pause. “Please.”
Dick’s stomach fell. Nothing good ever came of someone hunting him down in a seedy bar. Couldn’t he have one night of peace? His eyes narrowed as he shuffled and dealt the cards to the table.
“No John Chambers here.” Connor sounded a little dejected. “You got the wrong place.”
“I don’t think so,” the woman replied. “I have it on good authority that John was in this establishment less than an hour ago. One of you should be able to point me in the right direction, surely?”
Tyrone glanced at Dick. “’Fess up, lover boy. She don’t know she ain’t looking for John. She’s looking for Dick.”
Dick glared at Tyrone unblinkingly. Tyrone snickered, then raised a hand and pointed at Dick. “Your lover boy is here, sweet-cheeks.” He stood and flexed his chest. “You’re going to have to go through me to get to him, though. I’m all the dick you need.”
“Sit.” Dick shortly followed his command with a sigh of resignation.
“Or what? You’re in the concrete jungle now, baby. The alpha dog takes the woman. You want her, come and claim her.” Tyrone’s voice lowered as he added, “You may be rinsing me of my cash, but you ain’t taking my girl.”
Dick’s patience snapped. He rose and kicked his chair back with the heel of his boot. It skidded along the floor and crashed into the wall.
The woman fixed him with a keen look. “John? John Chambers?”
John tore his eyes away from Tyrone and looked straight at the woman, getting his first full view.
It was no wonder the gents were fired up. She was the eye candy that all others set their bar to. Her skin was the color of warm caramel. Her dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her emerald green eyes caught the light and twinkled. She wore a grey halter top and khaki combat pants, with the fabled bullwhip fixed to her side. A variety of pockets that could have contained anything covered the pants, and on her hands were something akin to boxing hand wraps. On her feet were black walking boots, and on the other side of her hips was a holster where a pistol might sit—if she had one.
Dick looked at the dark faces staring at him and chuckled. “What was your first clue?”
Without the slightest tremble of doubt or fear, the woman moved closer to Dick until she was an arm’s length away. She offered a hand. “Santana Sokolov.”
Dick took her hand and shook it.
“I have a job offer for you.” She turned back to Connor and looked at him with mild disgust. “A platonic job, if that suits.”
“You know how to get a man’s attention,” Dick responded with a hint of sarcasm.
Santana looked past Dick to the poker table and noted the situation with the chips. “I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed your game. It can wait.”
Dick, whose curiosity was now piqued, shook his head. When was the last time a client had hunted him down and tracked his movements? More than that, when was the last time a stunning woman had taken the risk of walking unaccompanied into a backwater bar and forsaken all other gentlemen for him?
“It’s fine.” Dick picked up his cards and tossed them into the center of the table. “Game’s over, boys. Time to turn out your pockets and pay up.”
One quick look at Tyrone told Dick all he needed to know. The man’s nostrils flared. A vein in his throat throbbed. A sick grin painted his face as he shook his head and said, “We can’t do that, I’m afraid.”
Dick noticed then that the others had risen and created a small circle around him. The barkeep was nowhere in sight.
Dick sighed and turned to Santana. In a soft voice, he muttered, “You best lay low for this. Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty little outfit of yours.”
“I’m quite certain I can handle my—”
Before she could finish, the first punch was thrown.
_________
It’s all you could want in a good old fashion bar scene. I can’t wait to see what Santana does with that whip. Check back soon for the Second snippet. I already went over to Amazon and pre- ordered John Chambers Book 1 : Her Mother’s Pendant and you can too! Available on December 26th to all readers.
Ominous Second Snippet for Opus X Book 11
Opus X Book 11: Deception of Age
Is this ground breaking technology going to be the answer for humanity or the answer for one person only? Find out in this second Snippet for Opus X 11 Deception of Age.
Bright arcs and bolts of green energy zipped across the platform. Julia tingled.
She held her breath, just now realizing she hadn’t asked Doctor Selan something important, but judging by previous experiences, she already knew the answer. Whatever this process was, however different it might be from previous regenerations and de-agings, it would hurt.
A lot.
Julia took slow, even breaths and lowered herself to her knees in anticipation, careful to keep her body inside the generously-sized circle. There were so many lines of energy now that most features of the room had vanished, bathed in the blinding emerald glow and sizzling arcs of light.
Expectation could only do so much to prepare a woman, especially when the experience outstripped the expectation so thoroughly. Julia’s mouth opened in a silent scream as her entire body became a distillation of pure agony. This was what death felt like.
She had a paranoid thought before she fell unconscious.
What if Sophia was getting the last laugh?
***
Julia strained to open her heavy eyelids. She was in her bedroom now, an ornately decorated canopy above her. Her blankets and pillows were perfect: not too firm, not too soft.
“Welcome back, ma’am,” greeted Doctor Selan. The scientist stood beside her, flanked by one of Julia’s elite personal guards, a tall shaven-head man named Yan.
“How long have I been unconscious?” Julia asked, sitting up. Her entire body ached, but it was far from the pain she’d remembered before passing out. “And how long will this discomfort last?”
Doctor Selan smiled. “You’ve been asleep for a day. We’ve checked you regularly, and you’ve stabilized nicely. Mild pain should linger for a day or two, but other than that, it’s been an unmitigated success. Congratulations! You will never age again.”
“I see.” Julia took slow, even breaths. The thrill of achievement needed to take a backseat to operational concerns. “And you have all this research data backed up?”
“Of course.” Doctor Selan looked insulted. “I went ahead and typed up some notes concerning Chalice replication and put them in, but it’s all there in a nice central location. I could die tomorrow and this research could continue. Obviously, I hope not to die, but I understand the importance of this work for the future.”
“Have you been following the security protocols as instructed?” Julia asked.
Doctor Selan nodded. “I’m not going to let some Purist terrorist destroy humanity’s chance at immortality. There’s nothing out there to find, other than what I have on your systems, ma’am. It’s safe. Per your instructions, I verified that with the systems specialists you sent to talk to me. This whole project is successful, safe, and secret until you’re ready to reveal it to the rest of the UTC.”
“Excellent.” Julia lifted a hand and stared at it. “How sure are you that I’m stable?”
“One hundred percent,” Doctor Selan declared. “Well, at least ninety-ninety percent. Would you like me to go into the results or just provide a summary?”
Julia continued to stare at her hand, turning it one way and then the next. “Summary.”
“The short version is that all your test results and biomarkers are consistent with complete success. I needed a day of data to be sure, and now I am. It was successful, ma’am. The only thing is, while you were asleep, some of your assistants said that the other people on the project are temporarily reassigned.” Doctor Selan looked concerned. “I’m not going to downplay my own importance to the project, but I’ll need the others if we want to get going on the Chalice replication project. As you might understand from what I outlined before, the timeline on that project is such that I’d prefer to start as soon as possible.”
Julia took a deep breath. She really wished she weren’t in her bedroom for the next part, but she needed to verify certain things with her own eyes. Relying on second-hand accounts could cause trouble.
“If there were sabotage or an accident,” Julia began, “and the equipment was damaged, the personnel scattered or killed, how long do you think it’d take to replicate the entire experiment?”
Doctor Selan blinked. “I…it’s not going to happen without certain key artifacts, not just the Chalice.” She paused, looking at the ceiling, lost inside her head for a moment while searching through her mental file cabinets before she returned to looking at Julia. “We don’t have a method, even theoretically, of replacing the other artifacts.”
Julia put her hand down to focus on the doctor. “What if one already had most of those artifacts, or at least ones close to them.”
The doctor’s eyes widened. “You have spares?”
A quick shake of the head. “Not necessarily, but let’s assume the answer is yes.”
“If the new team had all the previous research data, it’d still be hard, and that’s if we have most of the key artifacts, not even considering the Chalice.” Doctor Selan cocked her head and furrowed her brow as she thought through the answer. “Before we get to the point where we need a Chalice replacement, there will be years of tuning and testing involved with all the necessary artifacts and equipment. I was only able to make as much progress as I did because I built on previous researchers’ work and artifacts that Miss Vand’s team had mostly prepared.”
“How long?” Julia snapped.
Doctor Selan swallowed. “From scratch with no calibration but most the artifacts and data?”
“Yes. Don’t tell me you can’t be sure. Give me an estimate.”
Doctor Selan shrugged. “Ten to fifteen years.”
“Good.” Julia nodded slowly. “Excellent, in fact.”
“Good? Oh. In case something happens, you want to make sure the project isn’t halted. I understand. I should have been thinking ahead. You’re already thinking like an immortal, ma’am.”
“You misunderstand.” Julia shook her head. “Now that I’m stable, I want to make sure no one else can become what I am until I decide I’m ready.”
“It’ll be a while,” Doctor Selan agreed. “We still have the chalice issue. You’ll have plenty of time to figure out the appropriate way to pass the information along.”
“Oh, let me make this clear.” Julia nodded at Yan, who stepped behind Doctor Selan. “I don’t think I’ll be ready for that for at least a century. Maybe three?”
“B-but…what about me?” Doctor Selan sputtered. “I can’t last that long, ma’am, even with de-aging.”
“You’re now a liability,” Julia explained. “You don’t have to last that long. Yan, did you take care of the others? It sounds like you did, but I’d prefer to hear it from your own mouth.”
The guard gave a curt nod. “The entire team has been disposed of, Empress.”
Doctor Selan looked shocked. “I…” She turned her head to look at Yan, then back. “What? Liability? Empress?”
“It’s presumptuous, perhaps, at this point,” Julia offered. “But the most loyal among me should get used to it. Thank you for your service, Doctor Selan. You have made my dream come true, and you have saved humanity, just not in the way you thought. Yan, please.”
He pulled out a pistol and shoved it against the doctor’s head. Her teeth chattered, and she put her hands out in front of her.
“Y-you don’t have to do this,” Doctor Selan insisted. “You need me. I-I can still help you!”
“No. I needed you.” Julia gave her a cold smile. “Now you’re one of the few people who could grant my enemies immortality. Don’t feel so bad, Doctor. I’m convinced Sophia would have done the same if our positions were reversed.”
“But—”
Yan pulled the trigger, creating an unfortunate mess all over Julia’s bedroom floor. She let out a long sigh as the body collapsed with a thump and stared down at the dead scientist.
“I’ll get that cleaned up, Empress.” Yan bowed his head and walked toward the door.
Julia lay back in her bed. She would have preferred to have killed the woman herself, but she was still weak from the treatment.
Now that she had what she needed, it was time to initiate her true plan. Only a small number of variables remained that would determine the course of human history.
“Let’s see how foolish they are before I make my next move.”
___________
So the Deception Begins. Why not share the technology with others, or even sell it right away? More answers to come in the next snippet of Opus X 11 Deception of Age. Available for pre-order today and will drop on all platforms Christmas Day.
Peace on Earth, and Good Books to All Giveaway!
It’s the Perfect Countdown to Christmas Plus a Little Extra!
Everyday this week we are giving away a free book. That means 6 free books for your collection! Check back everyday HERE to collect your books!
Once Upon a Midnight Drow:
I’m not Goth to hide my Drow heritage, I’m Goth because I’m not a quitter. My name is Cheyenne Summerlin, remember that name. Somebody should… The world can’t know I’m a Drow halfling. Not yet. I barely have these powers under my control, but time’s up. I’m about to take magic for a test drive. Want to come along? The black ops government group believe they can run my life… But I have plans of my own. Watch out magical evil doers – I’m about to crash your party. But will my training be enough?
Huntress Initiate:
How did they expect her to play the game if she didn’t even understand the rules? Abandoned as an infant, Quinn Faust is about to discover she’s not just a normal human being. Bounced from foster home to foster home, she came to rely on her street smarts, martial arts skills, and the tiny silver amulet that was the only link to her lost family. Hired by a video game company to test new Virtual Reality gear to train soldiers, Quinn quickly learns there’s more to the game than they told her. Now strange happenings reveal a world hidden in the shadows, the existence of supernatural creatures, magic and mystical powers. Does Quinn have what it takes to claim the birthright of long-lost Hunter clans?
Unexpected Opportunity:
Would you be willing to chance dying to come out of a coma? Would you do the same if it was your son’s life? Mary and Senator Tad Williams pushed their son Justin to go on a date that went horribly wrong. Now, they try to figure out a way to help their son out of a coma. At almost $5,000 a day for ICU expenses, their insurance options are running out. Amber, Nick, and Jacob built a new immersive game system for the future. The only problem is, at $800 a day, no one can afford it. Dr. Dubois wrote a paper about how you might help a person out of a coma, but it was crushed under the might of the medical lobbyists on Capitol Hill. Now, the three groups need each other to save a life, fight the establishment, and help a young man in need. The only challenge is, Justin can die in real life if he dies in the game. Will he wake up from his coma? Will lobbyists crush the principled senator who needs to talk to his son one more time? And can Justin possibly survive inside a fantasy world built in his own mind, where pain is real? It isn’t just the future of humanity at stake, it’s Justin’s life, too.
One Witch Too Few:
Lily Antony is a young witch playing in a very dangerous treasure hunt. She’s got to follow the clues her Mom left behind after her disappearance trekking the world. Maybe even put the pieces of her life back together with each one. First stop – get that cute guy, Romeo to help her out. Never hurts to have a werewolf along for the ride. Especially since Lily thinks her mom is still alive – and no one else does. Doubters gonna hate… and chase Lily and Romeo all over the world. Sounds like these doubters have something to hide? Before she can even start, Lily loses everything she owns except for a Winnebago and a little bit of money. Doesn’t matter. This girl has a wand and a will to get the job done. Like mother, like witchy daughter. Together, Lily and Romeo head north in her Winnebago with the first real clues. A business card written in French, a broken piece of metal and a magical speakeasy hidden beneath the streets of Montreal. Can she figure it all out and find out what happened to her mother? The race is on across the globe with other deadly players in hot pursuit of the young couple, and that team is playing for keeps. What exactly was her mother into? Will the final clue lead to treasure or death?
Death Becomes Her:
War is coming…To win it, an aging vampire needs an heir. Although she’s only in her mid-twenties, Bethany Anne has proven herself to be an elite government operative. She works to track down those who want to harm American citizens. Her doctors have just told her she has mere months to live. The vampire has other ideas. Bethany Anne is given a choice: she can die, or she can live forever. If she chooses the latter, will she survive the turning? If she survives, can she lead the coming war, the likes of which Earth has never seen? Grab this vampire thriller today, because everyone loves a hero who values justice about all else.
Resistance to Magic:
Magic killed her parents. Will it kill her too? The amulet Sariah found buried in the mines looked liked her ticket out of her half-starved backwater life. The pendant was surely very valuable. The assassin who tried to steal it apparently agreed. Now all she wants is revenge. Or at least justice. With a little help from a friendly mystic she learns about magic. Only with its help does she stand a chance to vanquish the forces that destroyed her life. She hates magic. But will her thirst for vengeance drive her into magic’s open arms?
For some extra holiday cheer enter for your chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Click HERE or the image below.
Merry Little Week in Review December 13 -19, 2020
Have Yourself a Merry Little Week In Review
December 13-19, 2020
Grab a Little Extra Joy Here: Week in Review
The Drow Will Leave:
Cheyenne is leading the Drows at last. But there’s still a lot that could go wrong. Bianca is still cursed and could bring the blight down on them. The Nimlothar forest could burn and all the Drow with it. But wait, there’s more… The O’gúleesh in Hangivol blame her for destroying their livelihood when they should have thanked her for destroying the blight. Cheyenne’s not a fan either. And now a new enemy is playing with portals on Earth.
Return of Magic:
Thirty-one years have passed. Leira and Correk have made a sudden return to Austin at the behest of Estelle. No one turns down a request from Estelle. Magicals have been found unconscious all over town. Their souls ripped from their bodies. Is it a virus? Or is it a new foe with a gruesome scheme? Leira Berens is left with no magical trails to follow and the bodies keep piling up. Felix Hagan has come back to help solve this case before it’s too late. Can Izzie be far behind? An old menace has reappeared. This time with a few new tricks. Will Leira be able to put the pieces of this puzzle together in time?
The Defender:
A powerful wizard working behind the scenes. The true power behind the throne. A bastard son trying to get a birthright to challenge the status quo. A dungeon that can provide the status he needs to challenge the next heir… and the wizard. Armed guards who don’t plan on the bastard making it back. Enter Skharr DeathEater into this story. A Barbarian in the wrong bar at the right time to stop an assassination attempt.The young prince hires Skharr to protect him, and Skharr figures he has nothing better to do. Nothing better than to stop hired assassins, a dangerous dungeon run he wasn’t planning on joining and perhaps meeting the ultimate creature feared by anyone with any sense.
Give No Ground:
Dorothy spent most of her life doing the right thing. Now, widowed and with a cancer diagnosis, she’s ready to cut loose in the world of PIVOT. After learning magic and defending a caravan from a set of elves with a seriously overblown sense of superiority, Dotty had only one request: in her next game, she wanted to be uglier. So, she’s an orc now, tusks and all. And when she finds out that a group of dragons have been posing as gods to prey on orc villages, she is not going to stand for that…even if it means giving a legendary orc shaman the dressing down of his life. Hey, you don’t raise 4 children, 7 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren without getting REALLY good at reading the riot act.
Dead Dragons, New Tricks:
Kylara and her friends are back at the Lumos School, but Cassandra still holds her mother prisoner, and Ky will stop at nothing to rescue her. The School’s mission is to help dragons and mages train their magic and learn new powers. But when an experimental trip to the pixie realm goes awry, a student ends up with a new magic that’s as powerful as it is disturbing. And when that student loses control, everything is at risk. But Kylara is growing stronger, too. She’s gaining new powers and learning to use them better. But will that be enough to stem the tide rolling in against her family and friends? And beneath all of that, someone who has slumbered a very, very long time is waking up…
Grab your new books here: Week in Review
All I want For Christmas is… Fan’s Pricing Saturday December 19th, 2020
The Best Gift of All is Books at a Great Price!
Fan’s Pricing Saturday December 19th, 2020
Note: We requested the price changes from Amazon on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, they don’t change all of the prices at one time. Please double-check the price before clicking “Buy”.)
All of these new releases are 99c for one day only!
And they are also available for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Grab them today before the prices go up!
Give No Ground
The Defender
Return of Magic
How to Be A Badass Witch Book Two
The Drow Will Leave
Nightwalker Complete Series
The Bad Company Complete Series
Judge, Jury, & Executioner Boxed Set: Books 5-8
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Historic First Snippet for Opus X Book 11
Opus X Book 11 Deception of Age
Humans have been fascinated with the search for eternal life and staying young for as long as stories have been written, in this story they might just have found the answer.
February 21, 2231, Ross 128, New Pacifica, Aurora, Private Residence of Julia Caldo
When every minor reversal is repaid with glorious fortune, it can instill curious thoughts in a woman—blasphemous, by some accounts.
Foremost among those was the idea that something providential—divine, even—must be guiding her path, a sort of blessed destiny.
Julia no longer cared if such thoughts passed into arrogance because the truth should never be ignored. Her successes in the last couple of years vastly outstripped her failures.
She was the chosen one.
There could be no doubt, and this day in human history would eventually go down as the dawn of a new era, even if only a small number of people were there to witness it.
The key to Julia’s destiny looked messy and unassuming as she circled it, tucked away in a heavily guarded back room in her Aurora mansion. A dark-gray platform filled the room, cables and tubing flowing from almost every spare centimeter into the walls and off to configurations of equipment she wasn’t arrogant enough to claim to understand the exact functions of.
Wealth and influence brought her specialists, such as Doctor Selan, a woman standing in the center of the platform peering at a data window.
If the device was the key to Julia’s destiny, the doctor was the locksmith who had created it.
“Is it ready?” Julia asked, keeping her voice calm despite the excitement threatening to shake her whole body. It wouldn’t be going too far to describe her as giddy.
She hadn’t experienced these feelings in over a century.
Whatever doubts she had about her future had vanished in recent months when she learned that the artifacts she’d collected, including those she’d taken from Sophia Vand, were more than she could have hoped. Unexpected breakthroughs in understanding them had led to this moment.
The beginning of her rise.
And what a perfect moment. Julia had been forced to begin to move her timetable forward because of the pressure from both the rest of the Core and those hunting it, including the Last Soldier and the Warrior Princess. However, she’d never forgotten that her plan wouldn’t succeed without being able to take full advantage of the Hunter technology she possessed.
The tech Elias had uncovered on the moon in 2064 and kept from others, unlike the mistakes on Mars, had set these events in motion.
Doctor Selan gave a firm nod. With the gray streaks in her dark hair and the fine lines marring her face, she could benefit from de-aging soon or the blessings of the very device she’d helped create. Julia had a hard time believing the doctor was so willing not to be first.
“Finishing final calibration of the Chalice,” the doctor explained.
Julia arched an eyebrow, disliking that her special moment was marred by confusion. “Chalice?”
The doctor looked over her shoulder. “Oh, sorry, ma’am. That’s what I’ve taken to calling Artifact 324-C. ‘The Chalice of Life’ because it kind of looks like a cup, and ‘Holy Grail’ seemed…presumptuous.”
Julia allowed herself a small smirk. Chalice of Life or Holy Grail? It didn’t matter what they called it as long as it gave her what she wanted.
“What about the Chalice?” Julia pushed.
The good doctor turned back to her computer. “All indications are that it’ll be destroyed in the process.” Doctor Selan swiped her finger across the window, revealing a mottled green tube with a flared opening—a rare piece of Hunter technology recovered by Julia’s agents. “I know I already indicated there would be such losses, but I wanted to make that clear before we use the device.”
“We must all make sacrifices,” Julia replied, staring at the image. “And you’ve been nothing but honest about its limitations, but what of the device? A sacrifice without purpose is nothing more than sacrilege.”
“I’m confident it will stabilize your genetic structure, ma’am.” The doctor smiled brightly. “I’m also confident it will happen without any of the telomeric degradation the previous treatments provided, let alone…” She shuddered, a euphoric look passing over her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing.” Doctor Selan shook her head. “Far from wrong, actually.” Her voice was solemn, almost reverent. “It just hit me what we’re accomplishing, ma’am.”
“And what is that, exactly?” Julia was always curious about what the lesser sentients thought when they weren’t trying to please her, especially those who lacked the full picture like Doctor Selan.
“You’ll be the first of a new race,” Doctor Selan explained. “We’re turbo-charging the advancement of humanity. Well, you’re not just the first of a new race, you’ll be doing something that reaches back farther than the dream of going into space. You’ll be the first of the true immortals.”
“Yes,” Julia replied softly, not bothering to hide her satisfaction in her tone. “I will.”
“And from there, we can continue on. We can finally unlock our true potential. Just think of what humanity will be able to accomplish. We’ve defeated death or at least aging. Individuals can spend lifetimes mastering skills and knowledge. Brilliant minds will never be lost.” Doctor Selan dismissed the window with a flick of her wrist. “I do have worries about nano-cellular reconstruction and its impact on the aging process, so please try to avoid any serious injuries. I can’t guarantee it won’t restart your aging, despite your already heavily modified body, ma’am.”
“I always endeavor to avoid getting hurt.” Julia smiled thinly. She’d had more close calls than she wanted to in recent years, but a woman didn’t take over the galaxy without taking risks.
Doctor Selan stepped out of the silver circle marking the center of the device and off the platform. “Forgive me for saying so. I almost feel like it’s not enough.”
“Immortality isn’t?” Julia chuckled quietly. “And some say I’m overly ambitious. Could you elaborate on why immortality isn’t enough?” She pursed her lips before continuing, “I’m genuinely curious.”
“No, not that. Immortality is enough, but what I’m saying what we’re about to do is more important than anything to date in human history. I am including the first hyperspace portals in my opinion.” Doctor Selan placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath, tears welling up in her eyes. “If we’d had this before, we wouldn’t have had to worry about FTL travel. We could make ships that travel for a thousand years, confident the people inside will live that entire time. I understand, ma’am, why you must keep this secret for now, but I feel like we should have reporters and archivists documenting this moment. It is the turning point for humanity, where we change from being the children to the true adults of the galaxy.” Her eyes widened. “More than that. There’s no indication the other races have this sort of technology. This may make humanity the dominant species in the galaxy. We can become the new Navigators or the new Hunters.”
New Hunters. Julia rather liked that idea, but it wasn’t necessary—yet—to wipe out the other species. Depending on how they responded to her eventual domination over mankind, they might prove useful subjects. She was patient.
Humanity would come first.
Julia folded her hands behind her back with a placid smile. Doctor Selan’s statement might be true, but humanity didn’t know enough about many of the Local Neighborhood races to be sure of that.
Not every species would brag about having the key to eternal life when other heavily armed races were around them. All struggle came down to battles over both life and legacy.
Immortality would be the ultimate legacy of the first unending life.
She would avoid the mistakes of the Navigators and Hunters, at least those she knew about. Slow and sure dominion without the secret of her immortality being leaked would be the key.
It would grant humanity the long-term planning and viewpoint they needed against the other species. Perhaps the entire galaxy could benefit in defense of whatever strange creatures might inhabit other galaxies—eventually.
Doctor Selan licked her lips and averted her eyes. “Our agreement still stands, ma’am? I’ll be the second to use it, right? I understand it might be a while, but I’m young, and I can use regular de-aging until then.”
“Of course. This advancement couldn’t have succeeded without your efforts, Doctor. I will be the first to walk through the gates of immortality, but you opened them. Your gift to humanity will be rewarded.” Julia sighed. “But I’m curious about something.”
“Yes?”
Julia’s gaze flicked to a wall. “It requires transference from other fully grown humans, yes?”
Doctor Selan rubbed her wrist. “Well, yes. It’s based on the data from the devices you and the other members of the Core used previously, ma’am. I…wish I could say I completely understood why that is, but the sacrifice is necessary, as unpleasant as it is.”
“Don’t worry,” Julia offered. “I had my people collect scum for this: terrorists, killers, that sort of person. No one giving up their lives today is worth anything.”
It was a lie, of course. This was what was inconvenient about working with people with anything resembling a conscience. Lying about higher-level plans was trivial, but having to remember lies about operational details was annoying. It was too easy to slip up, and then people had to die to preserve order.
“Clones,” Doctor Selan spat. “For the future. Force-grown clones. We might be able to transfer the life from those.” She offered a sheepish smile. “It’ll require more research, though. I have concerns about telomeric stability with clones based on the background data you provided me on previous attempts, but I don’t see any option unless we come up with some sort of alternative. It won’t be scalable. There are not enough bad people in the UTC for the transference to everyone else, and while I’ve explored using aliens, everything I’ve found suggests that won’t work. I think we could use Leems to strengthen other Leems with some modifications, or Zitarks to do Zitarks, but we need humans for humans.”
Julia’s careful self-control served her well. The doctor’s naïveté was almost too much.
There were few people Julia allowed to serve her or the Core without proof of their naked ambition and loyalty. People overly concerned with petty traditional morality often would balk at what might be needed to save humanity. Doctor Selan was a special case, a unique individual with the outstanding skills and drive necessary to lead the Hunter life-extension research project.
In the long years since the twenty-first century, when Julia joined the Core and was granted her first taste of extended life, she’d dealt with many talented individuals, but all were inferior to Selan. This woman was key to making Julia’s dream come true.
“The Chalice,” Julia murmured. “Isn’t that more the restrictive element? I’m sure we can come up with some way to fuel the device that doesn’t require the sacrifice of innocents, but I’m doubtful we can locate another Chalice anytime soon, let alone billions.”
Doctor Selan’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been worried about that for a while, but when I was doing some last-minute tuning, I came across some things.”
Julia raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”
“Although I can’t claim we understand the structure of Hunter artifacts well enough to copy them, the Chalice is mostly a biological artifact. I think with time, effort, and resources, we might be able to produce more Chalices ourselves.”
Julia’s mouth twitched, her heart rate kicking up from this rare genuine surprise. “What? Why hasn’t something like this been attempted before?”
“Because it hasn’t been possible before, ma’am.” Doctor Selan turned to another screen and summoned a new window filled with 3D molecular DNA models. “The previous artifacts used to de-age the Core were of a different type with different downstream biological effects, and quite frankly, we now know more about how the human body works and how the tech works. I don’t want to ignore the fact that we got somewhat lucky with the Molino group. Between advances in human technology, the artifacts, and some lucky breakthroughs, I think producing Chalices might be possible. That’s not the case with the other artifacts, so we’ll need to be careful to protect them. There will obviously be some restrictions in the rate of the procedure’s use, but first things first: copying the Chalice.”
Julia’s jaw tightened. “Why is this the first I’m hearing of any of this?”
Doctor Selan looked confused. “I sent a full report to Miss Vand about the potential. You haven’t seen it? On the Implications of Hunter Biotech Replication. I didn’t have direct access to all the Molino group artifacts then, but I assumed she passed on the report. I’m sorry. I assumed you already knew, and when you came to me, your people were rather specific about concentrating on getting this device working, so I didn’t worry about it. The project will be involved, and the important thing was making sure I had the necessary data for the future.”
“Ah. I see.” Julia forced a smile but folded her hands behind her back so the other woman couldn’t see her trembling fingers. “Sophia’s untimely demise led to not everything being passed along. There are many things she was involved in that I’m still learning about.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” Doctor Selan looked down at the floor. “Plus, this was all very speculative until recently. I wasn’t confident it could be achieved, but we’ve had so many breakthroughs with this current project that now I think we can. Again, it’s something that might take years, decades even, but I don’t think it’s impossible, especially since we’ll have you as a research subject. The key will be you, ma’am.”
“Of course.” Julia wrinkled her nose. “I’m sure I’ll be a useful key to others.”
She had been fortunate to recruit Doctor Selan after Sophia’s death. The doctor’s lack of involvement in deep Core politics meant the scientist didn’t question immediately moving her research efforts and accepting orders for another member. She’d brought most of the relevant research with her, but Sophia’s loyal underlings had managed to destroy a lot of her operational records before Julia could get to them under the impression the Intelligence Directorate or the Last Soldier and his team might get their hands on them. Perhaps some even understood who was ultimately responsible for the death of their leader.
Julia marched over to the silver circle and stopped, her hands at her side. “That can all wait for the future. For now, we must take the first step to a better world. Even though I will be the first to benefit, I’m also the first to risk herself.”
Doctor Selan backed up until she was in front of the door, then brought up more windows filled with colorful graphs, numbers, and text. She tapped on a virtual keyboard with one hand while dabbing at the different screens. “Shouldn’t we say something?”
Julia shook her head. “No. Results first, speeches later.”
Selan nodded quickly before she looked down to hit two more keys. “As you wish, ma’am.”
The lights dimmed in the room, and a low whine started up. Julia stood perfectly still, now regretting not having some sort of handholds built into the device, but for all she knew, that wasn’t possible. Momentary discomfort was a small price to pay for immortality.
I win, Sophia, she thought. I have triumphed over all of you. You people became foolish and lazy. You forgot why we began to walk this path.
_________________
What is immortality worth? The lives of others? What sacrifices are they willing to make for this technology to be widespread? Keep an eye for more snippets into Opus X Book 11 Deception of Age. Available for pre-order on December 21st, and the whole book will be available for download on Christmas Day.
Gift Wrapped Wild Wednesday December 16th, 2020
All these books nicely wrapped into book bundles, and at a great price!
Wild Wednesday December 16th, 2020
Each week we bring you a list of books from not only LMBPN authors, but also friends of ours, that are on sale! Here’s a fantastic opportunity to discover some new authors or some exciting books you may not have seen yet.
Most of these books are FREE in Kindle Unlimited, but all are on sale today.
Please remember to double-check the price before you one-click.
The Bad Company : Compete Series
Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Boxed Set books 5-8
Nightwalker: Compete Series
The Light’s Last Hope
The Voodoo Legacy: Complete Series
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Arctic Week in Review December 6th- 12th, 2020
Temperatures are dropping but there is plenty to read inside where it’s warm with this week in Review:
December 6th- 12th
Stay inside with a new release here: Week in Review
All Dwarf’ed Up:
Dwarf the Bounty Hunter’s going to Portland, Oregon, and the hounds are going with him. Eight humans all marked with dark magic are losing their mind, terrified of a demon that doesn’t exist. Keep Portland Weird just took on a whole new meaning. They need a bounty hunter. Johnny Walker is ready to clean up the streets and get back to his quiet front porch in the Everglades. He’s that good. But a clue to an old case comes up where he least expects it. The Red Boar’s drug ring has spread across the country like a poisonous vine, wrapping around the one place no one dares tread with the bounty hunter. The murder of his daughter.
Silent Night:
WHY CAN’T THEY JUST LEAVE CHRISTMAS ALONE? Kris Kringle left behind his mercenary life to atone and accepted the responsibility to deliver presents to the children each year. The children will smile on Christmas morning at all costs. Even if Kris has to die to try to make it happen. Someone has set a trap for Kris Kringle. The problem is, Kris is willing to go anywhere to get those gifts to the children. Including to his dark place. This time, even Kris is surprised by who helps him. Be careful, world. You don’t want to piss off Saint Nick.
Rogue:
She is crass, has attitude, drinks too much and is the only living agent working for Queen Victoria, the Paranormal Queen. In 1901, Queen Victoria passed away, and took over the responsibilities of the Paranormal Court. When Victoria ascends to the Paranormal Throne, she acquires the help of a human agent, code-named Rogue. For well over a hundred years, this human has helped settle problems between the normal and the paranormal worlds. Usually with massive displays of attitude and disrespect. And a really, really bodacious set of…guns. Now, Rogue has been sent to the Colonies to help stop a paranormal revolution. Is Rogue over her head, or is someone trying to pull a fast one on her? Either way, America better be ready, because this Paranormal Agent parties like it’s still 1899!
Hawthorn Academy Year Three:
The system is broken and if I’m not careful, it’ll break me too. While my peers get excited for college, I brace for disaster. I’ve learned at Hawthorn Academy that danger can happen to anyone. To the jock. To the class clown. To my brother. Now I’m in the line of fire. All known extramagi must have their abilities tested. The way they do it is a horrifying secret. After witnessing one last year, I made a plan to expose the ugly truth. But there’s a mind magus on campus now, threatening me. And he’s totally within his rights to do so. Mr. Fairbanks leads the Board of Trustees, which demoted the headmaster and expelled my brother. Last year’s threat was only a symptom of bigger problems. Half the Trustees play quid pro quo while the rest flex their authority for personal vendettas. Mr. Fairbanks blames me for his daughter’s troubles. Mrs. Onassis says I poisoned her son’s mind. And Mr. Pierce thinks I’m taking advantage of his children. All because extramagi are supposedly evil. But now I suspect we’re scapegoats the influential families pin blame on.
How To Be A Bad Ass Witch Book 2:
Virtutis gloria merces Translation: Glory is the reward of valor Believing is just the beginning. Kera has run into a bit more trouble since purchasing ‘How to be a Badass Witch’ on a famous online bookstore. Now, there are plenty of people looking to make her life significantly more problematic and perhaps deadly. Just to make life chaotic she figures she might have a chance at romance, or will she? Desperate to make a difference, Kera doubles down on using her abilities to help others. Trying to balance her personal life, work life, and now her witch life just might take the last of the sanity Kera has left.
Cozy Up With a New Book Here: Week in Review
Merry and Bright Fan’s Pricing Saturday December 12th, 2020
The days might be shorter but our spirits are bright because of all the books available on this
Fan’s Pricing Saturday
Note: We requested the price changes from Amazon on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, they don’t change all of the prices at one time. Please double-check the price before clicking “Buy”.)
All of these new releases are 99c for one day only!
And they are also available for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Grab them today before the prices go up!
At Athena’s Gates
All Dwarf’ed Up
Silent Night
Rogue
Hawthorn Academy Year Three
Paranormal University Boxed Set
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