Not Your Typical Ghost Story - After Death

After finishing Jacqueline E. Smith's last story, Between Worlds, I was intrigued to see what lay in the third installment.  So after ending the second book, thirty seconds later, I picked up the ebook, After Death.

Not that I didn't already have the print version (signed by the author!), but the convenience outweighed my ability to safely carry the print book.  For the last six weekends or so, I had been at the Texas Renaissance Festival near Houston, Texas, selling books of my own.

It was finished in about a week, slowed only by my inability to stop for more than five minutes at a time.  This was very annoying as I kept wondering what was going to happen next.

Despite the delay, I finished it on the 24th of November.  Here's my review:

This is not your typical ghost story.  The adventure never stops.

Given tickets to a circus, Michael is completely unaware of why.  Encouraged by his girlfriend, Kate, they are accompanied by their television star friend.  In an effort to cheer Luke up, the three journey to what they think will be a nice vacation.  They could never be more wrong.

The story rolls smoothly.  The changes in action add well to the plot.  You can feel the emotion as family members are united and friendships become more solid.  We also see Michael, Luke, and Kate all grow as they define their place in the world.

But of course, there are always hiccups.  For those, you’ll have to read the story to find out.

I did and loved it!

So at last, I come to the end and look forward to the next book in the series.  Take the time if you haven't and read Cemetery Tours.  You will be in for a grand adventure!

James

P.S.

Check out the book at Goodreads too!

Between Worlds Continues to Intrigue

Between Worlds

Book Review

In the grand traditional that started in Cemetery Tours, Between Worlds by Jacqueline E. Smith continues not only the plot twists but also the intrigue.  We follow Michael, Kate, and Luke along with Luke’s team into the realm of a planned investigation.  It is an investigation that cannot take place unless Michael agrees.

Curious?  So was I, especially after his last brush with death.

The story weaves in the individual elements bringing them deeper and closer to the truth until at last the pieces start to fall into place.  When you least expect it to happen, the story takes another turn, and Michael is faced with a dreadful choice.

I liked how Michael stayed true to his character.  Still reluctant to deal with the spirits and even more hesitant to step into the limelight, he struggles with himself about how much to reveal to anyone in an effort to protect them, all the while knowing the danger is far worse than anyone may suspect.

Kate, enthralled by the glitz and glamour of participating in Luke’s television show, never realizes how dangerous it can really be until—

You’ll just have to read the story, won’t you?

You can find Between Worlds here.

So long for now!
James William Peercy

Etta Jean and the Pirate Cat

What's it like to be a cat on a pirate ship? Find out from author Etta Jean. While you're at it, check out her new book 'Chronicle of Summer'! ~ James

Daven Anderson

Captain's Log, 08 November 2014

The Admiral brought home a new crew member. He's a small thing. Spotted on the belly and dashed on the side. Dark Smudge jokingly called him Morse Code for a bit, but the Admiral was having none 'o that. The kid's name is Bastian. I didn't mind the kid much when he was brought onboard. Long as he kept to his own, that was fine with me. Black Hawk, being the quiet sort he is, just took the kid in stride. Dark Smudge took a sniff and then kept his distance. The Admiral has Bastian in the loo for the time being to make sure we don't fight. Ha. She should be more worried for herself. She got a nick or two from transporting him to this strange place.


Captain's Log, 09 November 2014

Bastian is still in solitary confinement but getting curious. I saw him peeking under the door. I sat and talked to him a bit to see if he was warming up. He's a kit, to be sure. I like the kits. So much easier to train. He's not a bad sort, just frightened. He'll have to buck up to be on me crew.


Captain's Log, 12 November 2014

Bastian has emerged from solitary and is beginning to mingle among the crew. I showed him around our base and introduced him to the galley. Tch. Bottomless pit, he is! Well, he's a growing boy. Ugh, and sooo skittish! The littlest noises spook him and sending him running to the Admiral to hide. I'm going to call him Yello' Bastian if that boy keeps this up! I got no room on me ship for a 'fraidy cat.


Captain's Log, 25 November 2014

Well, give me a beak and call me Polly. Bastian might be yello' but that kit has him some strong claws. The Admiral has but one true weakness, and she hates them flying, stinging, yellow and black bugs. She can't speak or breathe when she confronts them. Not much I can do for her except try to comfort. Black Hawk and Dark Smudge have tried to catch 'em, but it always comes down to the Admiral and an impromptu weapon. I thought that was where we were going this time, what with the way I could see the Admiral on the verge of tears. Ole Yello' Bastian wasn't having none of that! He crept into the galley like spotted death, crouched, and leapt. Shut my mouth, he snatched that little stinger from the air and splatted it flat on the ground! He got extra treats for his efforts, and he sure earned them! That boy can hide from all the vacuum cleaners he wants if he can get rid of our enemies that fast!


Bio:

Etta Jean was born in Sacramento, California and destined from birth to be a bard. She told tall tales while devouring the creative worlds of others until she finally had to create her own. She has seen both good and evil in her life, and her stories, like life, have no half measures. Her happy endings never come without cost, though, for she truly believes we can't appreciate the good and the joy without the bad and the pain along the way. Her current haunt is a comfy house in her beloved hometown where she wrangles three feline fur-kids while constantly overbooking her calendar. If she's not chained to her desk, she's stomping through the scenery in search of equally fantastical photographs.


Info:

CHRONICLE OF SUMMER is now available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IFAZK16 for Kindle or http://www.amazon.com/dp/1940938198/ for paperback. Etta's Summer Fest blog tour continues through February, and there are prizes to be won by commenting on the stops along the way.

CHRONICLE OF DESTINY, the original Chronicle tale, can be purchased from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1940938104/
@ettajeanfantasy on Twitter
www.ettajeanfantasy.com
www.ettajeanfantasy.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/ettajeanfantasy/

Encounter by Alana Lorens

New Mexico---a land of wonders beyond freak snowstorms. One of the New Mexico sightseeing trips the Harmonics trainers want to take while they're working with their law firm clients in the suspense novel ENCOUNTER is to see the nearby Earthships.

What's an Earthship?

An Earthship is a new sustainable form of housing springing up around the world. (attribution from Flickr, shot by Marvin's Dad, creative commons license granted)









They come in many shapes and sizes, as demonstrated by this video <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpoZaqYQEeA>, and also in this article <http://www.highexistence.com/10-reasons-why-earthships-are-fing-awesome/> recently on the webzine High Existence, which sold me before I could even get to the scientific stuff. These recycled and sustainable houses are just amazing!

The main headquarters and launching pad for many of the new Earthships is at Earthship Biotecture (http://earthship.com) in Taos, New Mexico. The Visitor's center introduces people to the form of house building, using recycled materials, solar panels, a cistern for water---and even has nightly rentals so you can experience the idea for yourself!

Here's another look at something a little different. (attribution from Flickr, shot by Little More Sunshine, creative commons license granted)









These things come in all shapes and sizes, using the recycled materials, especially old tires, as building blocks and sometimes as décor. So it's easy to see why these enthusiastic young outdoorsmen want to check them out! If only it didn't snow so soon...

Teo Haroun and the other lawyers in his firm look forward in varying degrees to the retreat at the Sherman Ranch in northern New Mexico. The boss has laid down some rules---no phones, no computers, no communication with the outside world---that makes them uneasy. But the
corporate team-building exercises are necessary for this firm to survive its inner sniping and turmoil---and to protect the secrets they hold.

Inez Suela and thirty other Mexicans have paid a coyote hundreds of pesos to take them across the border into the United States, where they hope to make a better life. The crowded truck heads north into New Mexico to meet their local driver, the occupants unaware that a freak March snowstorm is waiting in its path.

Jake Patrin, the caretaker of the Ranch, fights demons of his own as he struggles daily with addiction. Working far from the city on the lonely Ranch, hosting those who rent the facility, is his protection and solace. But he's about to lose the only peace he's been able to grasp.

Davi Pilar needs to make some fast money to appease a couple of St. Louis loan sharks, so he agrees to pick up a truckload of illegals and take them to St. Louis. He drives to New Mexico, not knowing that Inez, the woman who rejected him years before, is one of those on that truck.

The intersection of these people, the collision of their cultures, the revelation of their secrets---all these things lead to violence, death, and even redemption in their New Mexico ENCOUNTER.

Now available at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Alana-Lorens/dp/1940938066/ref=la_B005GE0WBC_1_5_title_0_main/186-8950717-6432518?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392062110&sr=1-5
in ebook and paperback, and at 3 Fates Press
<http://www.3fatespress.com/#%21the-books/c13pg>.

One Year Anniversay of Deception Peak by Dianne Lynn Gardner

Just around the corner, we see it.  Out of the forest, across the plains, a wondrous mountain of mystery...

Welcome to the world Dianne Lynn Gardner has created!  A magical adventure for young adults and the young at heart.  Journey into another world, feel the grass between your toes, and hear the wind's beautiful song that calls to the heart of everyone.  It is there if you only believe.

But who is Dianne?  She is an author and illustrator, a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators as well as the National League of American Pen Women. She writes young adult fantasy novels and articles for national magazines. With a flare for art and a hand for the pen, she combines both together to bring alive her worlds of fantasy.

Meet Ian, Abbi, and more as they journey through a portal to another world. While Ian's father attempts to find himself in the new world, Ian finds himself lost trying to grow into a man. What are the battles they must face?  It is a world of wonder caught in the midst of a growing evil that not only threatens the portal world, but all worlds.  Will Ian find his father?  Will the dragon be defeated?  Pick up a copy and find out the truth.

Newly edited, Deception Peak is celebrating its one year anniversary.  So join the fun, buy the book, and let Dianne know how much you love it.  You won't be disappointed!

http://www.amazon.com/Deception-Peak-Ians-Realm-ebook/dp/B00FCZ32MG/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1381479031&sr=8-1&keywords=deception+peak

Under The Bed Across The World

Coming in September!

Under the Bed Across the World, Rose’s poignant account of her journey from
incest and addiction into recovery, is both tragic and humorous. Her
account of how her sexually abusive Jewish father divided her loyalty
between him, her mother, and herself provides a microcosm for how sexual
abuse and addiction destroy the human family.  By confronting her past,
Rose sheds her loyalty to her abusive relatives and creates her own unique
family unit through international adoption.  The memoir raises the
question: Can contentment be found after departure from the quagmire of
toxicity?


Author Rose Candis lives with her daughter Erica, fiance Patrick, step-daughter
Lucy and two cats in Kentucky. She has a private psychotherapy practice
where she specializes in eating disorders and trauma. In 2011, Rose
returned to China in search of Erica’s birth mother. Since that time, their
story has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Pulitzer
Center for Crisis reporting. Rose met with the Executive Congressional
Commission on China in DC three times from 2012-2013 to encourage reform
for more transparent adoptions in China.

Coming in September!

Tasty Summer Reads – Cabbage Rolls, Tasty Tomato Sauce, Rice, and Moscow Salad

Thanks goes to Tony Acree,  author of the Amazon Bestselling novel The Hand Of God, for inviting me to participate in a Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop.  Food does play a part in my mystery ‘Without A Conscious…’ ( digital and audible).  Part of the mystery occurs at a Russian restaurant.  In actuality it is one of my favorite places to eat. Though the name in the book is a little different, the real place that inspired it is Taste Of Europe.  If you are in the Dallas/Arlington area you might check them out.

Here is the blog hop general blurb:

Welcome to the Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop! Each participant invites a number of others to answer five questions about a recent or forthcoming release, and a recipe that fits with it. Links to the participants I have invited may be found in a while, just above the extract and recipe. Their contributions should be in place soon after this, so check out their blogs over the next few days.

Tasty questions? You be the judge.

1)      When writing are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?

Though I eat most anything, I tend not to eat while I write.  Why? Each bite I take I like to savor the food, and since I cannot focus on it and write, I tend not to do it. My writing is all consuming.

2)      Are you an outliner or someone who writes by the seat of their pants? And are they real pants or jammies?

My brain knows the difference, and it is not any fun if I already know all the details. I tend to know the beginning of the story and the end, but the rest is filled in by human intuition and is character driven.  ‘Without A Conscious…’ is the first in a series of five books.  The second book in the mystery is ‘…Thought That’s Thin…’.  Each title of the five books combines to form a sentence that is used as a final clue in the fifth book, so the first two are ‘Without a conscious thought that’s thin…’.  The main character Cliff has to put them all together.

Real pants or not, it makes no difference to me. When I start to write, the rest of the world fades away.

3)     When cooking, do you follow a recipe or do you wing it?

I tend to wing things, but have found you have to know something about what you are doing to make it good.  Ask my wife.  Although I have created some cool stuff, sometimes winging it drops like a rock.  I learned this recently when my wife hurt her knee and could not get around well for about eight weeks.  As a dutiful husband I took over the kitchen duties, and low and behold, discovered some major differences in our personalities.  If enough people encourage me, I might even write about it. J

4)      What is next for you after this book?

I am currently working with ‘Thought That’s Thin’, the second book in the five book mystery. Jonna’s eyes open wider as he learns more about his murdered grandmother even as he is trying to attend her funeral. The mystery gets deeper, dark characters emerge, and a twist of fate wraps around Jonna’s life with strangling force.

Hydra Publications also published ‘The Wall Outside’ a fantasy about magic, elves, oh my, and I am working on its sequel ‘Partition Majik’.

I have a third book, ‘Ivan’, a scifi adventure, also in edits. Who wouldn’t like a UCT, universal computer tech, who travels the galaxy, but can’t seem to stay out of trouble?  One of my readers have called it edgy, retro, steampunkish, and very cool.

5)      Last question…on a level of one being slightly naughty and ten being whoo hoo steamy, how would you rate your book?

‘Without A Conscious…’ (digital and audible) has passion and adventure without going rated R. It is seen through the eyes of Cliff Fulton, a college student, with his thoughts and emotions dealing with the murder of his grandmother, being hunted by an assassin, and protecting those he loves.  In the midst of this he meets Penny, whose actions threaten to tear Cliff’s heart apart. Five stars would best describe the question asked here.

I am tagging (look for their names shortly):

A sample from ‘Without A Conscous…’ 

The photo stared up at him; it was the picture of an older woman lying under a bridge.  The light green sweatshirt, sweat pants, and bright white tennis shoes appeared clean and new, with the camera making sure the face was shown.  Not only that, but it showed her dead.

                Time stopped as the meaning of the photo slammed into his conscious mind.  This could not be real; it did not even feel real.  It was a movie one watched on television, or a play portrayed at the theatre, or a . . . the seconds stretched out as time waited patiently, taunting him with a reality that he refused to believe.  In the background the kitchen ceiling fan rattled, its repetitive singing lulling him into limbo . . .

********* Finally The Recipe! *********

Cliff Fulton enjoys the cabbage rolls, tasty tomato sauce, rice, and moscow salad, but where did the idea for this exquisite dish come from? Taste Of Europe in Arlington, TX featured on the food network! My wife and I met Guy Fieri at the filming!

Cabbage Rolls: Ground beef and chicken specially prepared with rice and carrots wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked in tomato sauce. It is served with rice. (I like to add the moscow salad!)

After talking with the owners, they are sending their special recipe. However, in the meantime, check out the one listed on the Food Network. Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Thanks for reading!

James William Peercy