A First Look at Reprisal, Kurtherian Gambit’s Latest Series!
Snippet #1 for Reprisal
YES!!! Finally, we get to see Akio in his own series! Check out this first snippet of the brand new series, Akio Revelations, on pre-sale now!
Kume Island off the coast of Okinawa, Japan
Just my luck. That idiot Issa forgot to tie the anchor, so I’m stuck minding the boat while he goes ashore. He should have gone over the side with the damn thing, Taka Ogata thought sourly as he held the twenty-meter fishing boat steady in the current fifty meters from shore.
The earthquakes that struck Japan after the day now called the World’s Worst Day Ever, or WWDE, had destroyed the docks on Kume Island and there had been no attempt yet to rebuild. The only way to get there was to take a small craft that could handle the shallow water near the beach.
Ogata watched through binoculars as the ship’s dinghy approached the shore. A man waited with a group of what appeared to be teenagers. When the crewmen stepped onto the sand, the teens surged toward them in a wave. Ogata watched helplessly as they quickly swarmed his crewmates, whose panicked screams echoed across the water as they went down under the onslaught. He stared in horror as the group tore each man to shreds. When an adolescent girl came into focus, Ogata’s blood ran cold as he saw her glowing red eyes.
He shoved the throttle wide open and sharply spun the wheel, racing for safety as the powerful engines carried him away from the island and the demons who lived there.
***
She watched her opponent warily as he approached, sword held ready and a look of determination on her face. He moved with fluid grace, his feet seeming to glide across the floor as he nonchalantly stalked her. A slight smile played on his lips as he held his blade in a deceptively casual grip.
She struck with the speed of a snake when he came into range. He never slowed as his sword appeared, like magic, to push hers aside. She twisted and quickly leaned back as he reversed his motion in a counterblow, his sword-tip creating a breeze that ruffled her hair in passing.
She circled left, feinted with a strike at his leg, then immediately swept the blade up to slice his sword arm as she pressed the attack. Again, his weapon was there before she connected. He casually pushed her blade down, and she barely avoided his backstroke before it took her in the throat. She kept moving, her eyes never leaving his body as she watched for the slightest hint that would signal another attack.
They continued their deadly dance, both silent except for the clash of steel-on-steel that echoed through the room in a rhythm of strike and counterstrike. Neither gave an inch as they dueled. She defended more than attacked and grew increasingly frustrated each time he effortlessly blocked her. After each failed attempt she changed her form, hoping to catch him off guard with the quick changes. When all her attacks proved unsuccessful, frustration turned to anger. The angrier she became, the faster she moved until their figures were colored blurs as they moved about quicker than the human eye could follow. They came together in a flurry of ringing blows and slid apart before the sound of the first strike died away.
The dance continued for several minutes until her body slammed forcibly into the wall. The impact momentarily disoriented her. The other blur flashed across the room and stopped, revealing a sword that rested lightly against her exposed throat.
“Akio, could you have hit me any harder?” she huffed.
“If you think more pain would help you remember not to let your emotions interfere with your fighting, I will be happy to provide it.” He fought to keep a slight smile from forming as he spoke.
“You must learn to control your anger. The angrier you are, the more you telegraph your intentions. You were so focused on attacking and ending the fight that you failed to see the ruse that allowed me to take you, again,” he calmly explained as he pulled the blade back.
She stepped away from the wall with a groan. A slight indentation marked where her body had impacted.
“Hai, Akio. I saw you commit to dodge the feint and thought you had taken the bait. I should know by now that you do not fall for such things,” she replied disgustedly.
“Your form and instincts are good, Yuko. You simply allow yourself to see what you want, instead of what is. You can’t let your frustration and anger blind you. Against a less-skilled adversary, you would have been successful. Unfortunately, one seldom has the luxury to pick their foes based on known skills. Shall we continue?”
Yuko was about to reply when Eve’s voice came through their implants.
“Akio, Yuko, please come to the operations center? I have received a message from the Japanese government liaison. I think you both need to see this.”
They placed their practice swords on the rack and walked down the hall into the operations center. Eve stood in front of a large monitor on the wall with an e-mail message displayed.
“There have been some strange occurrences on an island located off the coast of Okinawa. The information indicates that there may be Forsaken operating there. They sent two police inspectors to check on a report of missing people. The Inspectors called in after they arrived, but the transmission halted. There is an audio file attached.” As she finished, the speakers in the room came to life.
A panicked voice babbled, “Hiroso is dead! A monster, a monster with, with red eyes came from nowhere and tore his throat out. I shot—NO! NO! STAY BACK!” Rapid-fire gunshots, followed by a blood-chilling scream that abruptly ended in a gurgle, signaled the last of the frantic recording.
“The Okinawa police plan to send a larger group to investigate. Our contact in the ministry requested your input based on this discovery.”
Akio grimaced and glanced at Yuko. “Please contact the liaison and ask them to have the police wait. I do not believe they should risk more lives if this is what it sounds like.”
“Yes, I believe you are right,” she agreed as she reached for the phone.
“Eve, what island is this?” Akio inquired. “See if you can locate more information. Also, what was that about missing people?”
Eve was silent for a few seconds, and then additional documents appeared on the screen. “Its Kume Island, off the coast of Okinawa. They were investigating a report that a fisherman went there when he couldn’t contact a family member for several weeks. His boat was found adrift days later. No one has heard from him since. I’ve discovered other instances of boats found in that area. The reports date back for several months. There are rumors that pirates are operating there, but this is the first official report I have found where the authorities are involved.”
“Yuko, please let me know if your source has any additional information. I will need a Pod,” Akio called as he stepped out of the room.
______________
And you thought the Forsaken had been dealt with! Ha! This is going to be a great ride! Don’t miss out on the Akio Revelations. Reprisal, Book 1, is on pre-order now and will go live on June 26th!
Outstanding Wild Wednesday Deals June 17, 2020
Outstanding Wild Wednesday Deals For June 17, 2020
So many exciting deals for today! Which ones will tempt you?
Maybe all of them? LOL
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.
And be sure to scroll all the way down for something extra special!
Rise of Magic Complete 2-ARC Omnibus
Death Becomes Her – FREE
Books 1 – 6 of The Bad Company are each only 99c today!
Werewolf of Marines
Magi Academy
Don’t miss out on these other fantastic promotions! Just click the banner and go to the web page.
If you see this message after June 17th and want to be notified of future price promotions, please sign up for our newsletter at www.lmbpn.com/email
Fantastical New Releases from LMBPN June 8 -12, 2020
Fantastical Week in Review June 8 – 12, 2020
Did you see all of the exciting books we launched this week? Check out the list here: Week in Review
Legends of the Ancients:
Finally! The story continues! Arryn has been through more in her short life than most, and it’s finally caught up to her. She has been through hell and came through victorious every time – but there was a cost.
Magic Reclaimed:
Trust in the process, and everything will work out for the three Hadstrom witches. Yeah, sure. That’s how fairytales always go…
Escape the Deep:
I was innocent, and they called me a monster. Maybe a monster is exactly what the earth needs.
Too Young to Die:
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?
After the 6 new releases last week, this week should be easy! But, I must warn you, next week is going to be full of action and excitement every single day! LOL I hope you have picked up all of these exciting reads! If not, don’t miss them! This week’s Week in Review
Extra-Yummy Fan’s Pricing Saturday June 13, 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!
Legends of the Ancients
Magic Reclaimed
Helldorado
Rectify Injustice
The Exceptional S. Beaufont Boxed Set #1
Don’t miss out on this other fantastic promotion! Just click the banner and go to the web page.
If you see this message after June 6th and want to be notified of future price promotions, please sign up for our email list at www.lmbpn.com/email
The Final Too Young to Die Snippet!
Are you ready for the future? Then read the final snippet of Too Young To Die NOW!
“It’s a Valkyrie,” Tina said.
“Huh?” Justin looked at her in confusion.
“My tattoo?” She looked at her arm, where something peeked out from under her t-shirt. “I thought you were looking at my arm.”
In point of fact, he had stared into the middle of nowhere and wished he was literally anywhere else.
He hadn’t wanted to come on this date. His past experiences with dating hadn’t exactly inspired confidence, and there was something hopelessly awkward to him about striking up a conversation with someone he didn’t even know as if there were a simple, easy way to get from Point A to Point B.
Point B, of course, being marriage, babies, and a house with beige carpets.
Unfortunately, after several weeks of browbeating from his mother and dark comments from his father about how someone who couldn’t even afford his own apartment shouldn’t ignore simple requests from his parents, Justin was there and he did have to find something to say.
The amusing part of this was that however his parents had pictured Tina Castro, he was fairly sure it wasn’t anywhere close to reality. There was no way they would have gone from almost constantly getting on his case about his job, his prospects, and graduate school to setting him up with a woman who had worn ripped jeans and a sweatshirt out on a first date. They would expect…
Pearls, probably. And a nice sweater. read more…
BTF066: Nathan Lowell and Michael Anderle discuss Trader’s Tales From The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Series
[powerpress]
In today’s episode of Behind The Fiction: The Book Lover’s Podcast, Steve and Michael interview Nathan Lowell, incredibly gifted science fiction author of the Trader’s Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series and the almost everyday podcaster.
In this episode Steve, Michael and Nathan discuss the unconventional way that Nathan began writing, how he and Michael Anderle met, and discussing the fascinating details of the Trader’s Tales from The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper series (coffee, food, killing fan’s favorite characters, etc).
This episode is available as a podcast available through your favorite podcast app and through LMBPN’s YouTube channel. If you’d like to subscribe through your favorite podcast apps you can search on Behind The Fiction.
Links:
Start reading here
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Exciting Wild Wednesday Deals for June 10, 2020
Wild Wednesday Deals For June 10, 2020
So many exciting deals for today! Which ones will tempt you?
Maybe all of them? LOL
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.
And be sure to scroll all the way down for something extra special!
The Exceptional S. Beaufont Boxed Set 1
Reprobates – Kindle Countdown in US/UK
End Days: Complete Series
Deliver or Die – FREE
Don’t miss out on these other fantastic promotions! Just click the banner and go to the web page.
And for the something extra special!
Michael Anderle has started a new series! Check out the first 2 snippets from Too Young To Die!
Snippet #1
Snippet #2
The Unbelievable 2nd Snippet for Too Young To Die!
Snippet #2 – Too Young To Die
What do you do with an immersive gaming pod that’s too expensive for gamers? Find out what just might work!
Nick’s smoothie, which had seemed like a good idea when he ordered the box of mixes delivered to his house, had now begun to separate into two distinct and equally unappealing sections at the bottom of his Nalgene bottle. For some reason, he couldn’t stop watching it.
With a sigh, Amber picked it up and lobbed it at the sink. It missed and bounced off the floor on the other side of the counter. After she’d stared at it for a moment, she shrugged as if to say, “Good enough”, and looked at him.
“Can we focus now?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” He slouched in his chair. “Will you keep saying depressing things?”
“If by ‘depressing things’ you mean the numbers in our financial reports, then yes.” She gave him a smile that showed her teeth. “Let me put it this way, Mr. Ryan. Neither of us will leave this office until we have a plan in place.”
“That’s not fair,” Nick complained. “Jacob doesn’t have to be here. Why do I?” He picked at his sleeve. “Lucky bastard, having his grandmother in the ICU.”
Amber’s kick, when it came, was direct and to a particularly sensitive part of his shin. She jabbed a finger at him. “You never say things like that,” she told him severely.
He nodded, chastened. Put her in front of a problem and she would do whatever it took to solve it. It was one of the things that made her an incredible engineer—and one of the reasons he hoped she would never decide to take up politics. Or a military career.
Nick shuddered. The thought of Amber in charge of high-grade explosives was terrifying. read more…
An Exciting New Series by Michael Anderle! Check it out!
First Look at a brand new series by Michael Anderle!
Ever wonder if living in a video game was a viable option? Justin is about to find out! Check out this exciting, and dangerous, version of a new MMORPG story about a boy who needs a place to live while his body is fixed. Too Young To Die!
_______________
Jacob’s favorite part of MMORPGs by far was that you could be another you. Not someone else entirely because you could never be that, but you could find out who you were if you were dropped into the middle of, say, a fantasy world with a rusty sword and nothing else.
He liked to think he was the same in either world. A straight talker, he liked to give people the benefit of the doubt until they blew it and once they did, he immediately leapt to conclusions about their character.
It was why he wasn’t part of the public relations part of the PIVOT team, generally speaking. As Amber liked to say, no part of that cycle was helpful in PR.
She, meanwhile, took her opportunity in the game world to be a—mostly—more “woohoo” version of herself. In real life, she was five feet two inches of terrifying muscle, with a head of curls that could put Medusa to shame. She had studied engineering with Jacob and Nick at MIT, and she managed to meld creativity and an intuitive grasp of design with one of the most coldly analytical minds Jacob had ever seen.
Which made her druids both fascinating and pants-pissingly frightening. You never knew if she would preach about the harmony of the natural world, slit someone’s throat…or both. read more…
Fan-Freaking Tastic Week In Review May 31 – June 6, 2020
Fan-Freaking Tastic Week in Review May 31 – June 6, 2020
Did you see all of the exciting books we launched this week? Check out the list here: Week in Review
Steel Dragon 4:
The mages push Earth closer to a war that no one can win. Kristen and her team are all that stands between them and the utter annihilation of everyone she loves.
Death of the Mind:
A weapon to end the war? That’s what Vardis, the strange alien from another dimension, is offering the Riders. A weapon strong enough to kill the Dark One. But can he be trusted?
The Last Dance:
It’s time for Cali’s Last Dance. What battles lay ahead? Resolutions are at hand, above and below the waves.
Ghosts on a Plane:
Some things are far scarier than flying! Will Bonnie survive the ghost storm headed her way?
Rectify Injustice:
Who can turn an enemy into an ally? Sophia Beaufont hopes that she can. She just has to track down the steampunk cyborg.
Helldorado:
They left a man behind. 100,000 years behind.
WOW! With 6 new releases this week, you are going to be very busy! LOL I hope you have picked up all of these exciting reads! If not, don’t miss them! This week’s Week in Review