In Retrospect ~ Review with Excerpt

In Retrospect
By Ellen Larson

Merit Rafi was the Select the one chosen to be the Retrospector.  But when war ravaged what was left of the world she became a fighter - until she was betrayed by one of her own.

When the man who betrayed her is brutally murdered the fragile peace that is could be lost unless the murderer is found and quickly brought to justice.  But how can Merit work for the Rasakans the people who destroyed her world as she knew it?

But as the only surviving Retrospector Merit has no choice.  Adding to her dilema is the fact that she will have to work with the man who once held her heart, a man who is the enemy hiding behind his shield - a shield that he vowed to never wear when she knew him before.  Before the war changed them.

In Retrospect is set in the future in the year 3324 and Oku time travel technology has become the prize.  Whomever controls Retrospect technology will control the world.  And the murder that Merit is to investigate will determine ultimate control.

In Retrospect is a book that has many aspects that will appeal to a number of readers.  Time-travel, romance, murder mystery, and world in peril. 

As one character states "You have to be willing to die to change history."  But can history be changed, can the future be affected by what one might do by going back?  Or is it already set in stone?  Merit is about to find out whether she wants to or not...

With glimpses into Merit's past throughout the book, one gets a sense of who she was and why she has become the woman that she now is.  An exciting read that will keep you guessing as to the outcome.

I was provided a ARC of this book in conjunction with this PUYB Blog Tour, but all opinions expressed are my own

For sensitive readers there are brief passages of language that may be offensive

In Retrospect
About the Author:
Ellen Larson’s first story appeared in Yankee Magazine in 1971. She has sold stories to AHMM (Barry Award finalist) and Big Pulp and is the author of the NJ Mysteries, The Hatch and Brood of Time and Unfold the Evil, featuring a sleuthing reporter. Her current book is In Retrospect, a dystopian mystery (Carefully crafted whodunit -PW starred). Larson lived for seventeen years in Egypt, where she developed a love of different cultures. She is editor of the Poisoned Pencil, the YA mystery imprint. These days she lives in an off-grid cabin in upstate New York, enjoying the solitude.

Visit her at http://www.inretrospectbook.com

About the Book:
Former elite operative Merit Rafi suffered during her imprisonment at the end of
a devastating war, but the ultimate torment is being forced to investigate a murder
she would gladly have committed herself.

The year is 3324. In the region once known as Turkey, the Rasakans have attacked
the technologically superior Oku. The war is a stalemate until the Oku commander,
General Zane, abruptly surrenders.

Merit, a staunch member of the Oku resistance, fights on, but she and her comrades
are soon captured. An uneasy peace ensues, but the Rasakans work secretly to
gain control of the prized Oku time-travel technology. When Zane is murdered,
the Rasakans exert their control over Merit, the last person on Earth capable of
Forensic Retrospection.

Merit, though reinstated to her old job by the despised Rasakans, knows she is only
a puppet. If she refuses to travel back in time to identify Zane’s killer, her family
and colleagues will pay the price. But giving in to Rasakan coercion means giving
them unimaginable power. She has only three days to make this morally wrenching
choice; three days to change history.

As the preliminary investigation progresses, Merit uncovers evidence of a wider
plot. How did the Rasakans defeat the technologically superior Oku? Why did
the Oku surrender prematurely? How did the Rasakans discover her true identity?
Merit realizes she will only find the answers by learning who killed the traitor,
General Zane.

In Retrospect is a good old-fashioned whodunit set in a compelling post-
apocalyptic future.

Purchase Your Copy from Amazon.

Excerpt

Prologue: Three Days Later

Monday, 17 April 3324, 1:10 PM

A stately room. Black-lacquered cabinets flank a massive desk. Maps and
oil paintings hang on pale green walls. Burgundy woodwork. Globe, grandfather
clock, and fireplace with brass andirons cast in the shape of lions, teeth bared. A
room steeped in the past. Except in the sunny east bay, where a closet-sized
polyhedron floats a handsbreadth above the carpet.

Three men in sage-green uniforms will stare at the Vessel. One, a sneering
rat of a man, will peer through the open hatch and see the sole of a boot.
“Is she dead?” he will ask, hopping closer to get a better look.

“Back off, snitch!” The man with the sentry’s insignia on sleeve of his beefy
arm will step in front of the hatch and shove him back.

The snitch will stagger against the clock, but he has seen enough. He will
grin as he straightens the curved blue half-shield that covers his forehead and eyes.
“I knew she’d botch it. I told her—I warned her! Skank. Who’s a heap of dung
now?”

A choking sound will escape the throat of the red-head at the comm. His
mouth will work as he looks pleadingly at the sentry.

The sentry will shake his head and glance at the thing on the floor of the
Vessel. “She’s gone. Torrified.” He will take a deep breath, hold it, then exhale
explosively through clenched teeth. “Get the Marshall. Now!”

Blinking away his tears, the red-head will remove his comm-set with
shaking hands and stumble away.

“Hey!” the snitch will cry. “That’s my job! I get to tell the Marshall, not you!
Hey!” He will follow the red-head through the door and down the stairs beyond.
The sentry will wait for the tap of footsteps to fade, then squeeze through
the hatch.

Above the console, the mission chronometer will show all zeros. The lower
panel will be mangled, as if someone has bashed it in with a heavy object. He will
glance at the pilot’s chair, unclamped and upside down.

He will kneel beside what is left of the body.

Except for the black pendant on its silver chain, pillowed in the ash that had
been her neck, there will be nothing there to remind him of the woman he had
known. He will ease the plasma gun from her holster and note that two bolts have
been fired. His brow will furrow and his gaze will dart from the canted walls to the
crumpled sage uniform. Then he will grunt and replace the gun.
“Thanks, Reb,” he will whisper.

The sound of running feet will remind him he has no business being in the
Vessel.

He will clap the ashes from his hands as he rises. “I guess you got your
wish.”

View the trailer

White Rogue ~ Spotlight and First Chapter Reveal

White Rogue
By Dr. David R. Fett, Stephen Langford and Connie Malcolm

About the book: Cold War era biological experiments are resurrected and after Boston experiences a seemingly inexplicable bio-terrorist attack, the Center for Disease Control’s Dr. Davie Richards and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Paula Mushari once again join forces to uncover who is behind it. An obscure reference to a Dresden project found amid crash site evidence marks them both for execution. Paula and Dave are forced to leave Boston in the middle of the night and head to Washington, D.C.,where they soon find that anyone they contact also becomes the target of assassins. When the daughter of the CDC’s director is taken hostage, Dave and Paula come face to face with an evil that forces them to question the very nature of duty and service to country. With the help of one man, they learn the true meaning of dark operatives while they desperately try to stop another bio-attack from happening.

~*~*~*~*~

First Chapter Reveal

There was a chill in the morning air.  A marine layer had moved into the Bay Area of San Francisco, creating a soft mist off in the distance as Anna looked up the street.  Anna Wheat was late to her job at one of the downtown branches of Bank of America.  She so wanted to be on time that she wished she could just jog the rest of the way, but her three-inch heels made that idea more comical than practical.  She had been a teller for the last two years and had been in line for a promotion, but like most things in the last few days, it had stalled.  Anna knew it wasn’t just her bosses were who preoccupied.  It seemed as though everyone in the country was distracted with the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Coworkers chatted about the evening news instead of last weekend’s football games.  Married friends told her of their concerns for their kids. And she too felt on edge from the constant news bulletins that came across the radio and filled the morning and evening TV news reports.  Anna just wanted to concentrate on her work, start her new job, and be preoccupied with something positive.

She knew the bank’s human resources division in Los Angeles was waiting for the paperwork to expedite the change in her employee status from Grade 1 to Grade 3.  Anna had done an amazing job that she jumped a pay grade, something that barely had been achieved in the bank’s history and even more rarely by a woman.  The bank’s manager, John Kiley, often cited Annie’s accomplishments to other employees, saying that hard work made anything possible and they should all reach for the stars.  He was fascinated with the NASA astronauts, and the Space Race with the Soviet Union inspired his language.  He would remind any employee that would listen that Americans didn’t like settling for anything, and setting goals was the surest way to focus a nation’s, or a company’s, energies.  President John F. Kennedy had set a goal for the country back in 1961, he would remind his staffers, and soon after, on May 5^th, Alan Shepherd became the first American in space.  The Soviets beat us there, but we were catching up, Mr. Kiley would say.

Mr. Kiley’s cheerleading and holding up Anna’s promotion as an example didn’t go over well with other employees, especially other women.  Anna was very young, attractive, and ambitious.  And while she liked the attention she earned for her work, she hated the unpleasant glances from the other young tellers and the ashen-haired head teller with the droopy eyelids.  Some of the young women would whisper despairingly behind her back, lewd suggestions on how she had moved up the corporate ladder. Anna tried to ignore them and do her job.  She wasn’t going to let them have the satisfaction of knowing they upset her.

That morning, as she walked along the street, Anna passed a newsstand that featured papers emblazoned with warnings about the Cuban Missile Crisis.  There was a palpable fear in the fear in the city and across the country that the missiles placed in Cuba by the Soviet Union and now aimed at the United States would lead to nuclear war, if not by intent, by some accident or miscommunication. Anna’s sister in Virginia was so panicked about it that she packed up her kids and drove across the country to Monterrey, California, in order to live with their mother and father until the crisis ended. Anna’s personality was the opposite of her sister’s. In fact, it was her cool demeanor that made her a perfect fit for the banking world. She always managed to stay calm no matter how upset a customer was.

She passed a TV store as she headed up to California: one of San Francisco’s steeply inclined streets. The brisk morning walks kept her quite fit, but this morning, she didn’t seem to have the same vigor she usually had.  It had been difficult to get out of bed, and she had to skip breakfast because she was running late.  No food, no coffee—that was the problem, Anna thought. She really wanted to push past the fatigue and be on time for work.  She believed punctuality was important, especially if she wanted the men she worked with to take her seriously.

Anna was determined to be the first woman to become bank manager at her branch. She wasn’t like all her high school friends, who also were working, but whose long-term goals were marriage, a house, and kids.  She wanted those things too, but she knew she wanted something more.

Anna looked in at an appliance store window as she passed by, and all the TV screens displayed news coverage of President Kennedy in a press conference. The president looked tired and unusually grim. She had been a Richard Nixon supporter and felt he would have been better at handling such a dangerous confrontation with the Soviet Union. Anna continued walking, reached the top of the street, and had to stop to catch her breath. That’s unusual, she thought, and then noticed her hands trembling. She remembered there was a donut shop near the bank, and she planned to stop in there and get a coffee and something to eat.

She stopped again.  There was something more ominous going on than low blood sugar.  She wiped her forehead. Her breathing was rapid and shallow. She was perspiring. She tried to catch her breath but started coughing up thick, bloody mucous. A passerby showed concern. She held up her hand to signal that she was fine.

Anna straightened up and made her way another half a block to her Bank of America branch.  She reached for the door, but severe vertigo prevented her from grasping the handle. Her legs became wobbly, and she fell in a heap in the doorway.

Mr. Kiley came running out to her. “Anna. Anna. Can you hear me?”

She didn’t answer.

Mr. Kiley asked the other employees who had gathered around to stay with Anna as he rushed back into the bank to phone for an ambulance. Anna just lay on the sidewalk, semiconscious, vision blurred.

~*~*~*~*~

Meet the Authors

DR. DAVID FETT, a board certified ophthalmologist, received his BS and Masters from MIT before earning his MD from Dartmouth Medical School. He now runs a private practice in Los Angeles and serves as an assistant clinical professor at UCLA School of Medicine. He lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Randi, and their four children.

STEPHEN LANGFORD is a veteran writer/producer of over 150 hours of primetime television. He has also ventured into screenwriting and fiction. He lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Sandy, and their two daughters.

 

CONNIE MALCOLM is a recovering journalist who worked on The Globe and Mail in Toronto. She has worked previously on ten books of nonfiction authored by her husband, Andrew. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and the youngest of their three sons.

Available for purchase at Amazon 

External Forces ~ Book Spotlight and First Chapter Reveal

External Forces 
By Deborah Dix

About the Book:

Treason, betrayal, and heartbreak.

A lot can happen to a girl between her first kiss and her first kill. 

It’s 100 years since the Genetic Integrity Act was passed and America closed its borders to prevent genetic contamination. Now only the enemy, dysgenic Deviants, remain beyond the heavily guarded border. The Department of Evolution carefully guides the creation of each generation and deviations from the divine plan are not permitted.

When 16-year-old Jess begins to show signs of deviance she enlists in the Special Forces, with her best friend Jay, in a desperate bid to evade detection by the Devotees. Jess is good with data, not so good with a knife. So when the handsome and secretive Sergeant Matt Anderson selects her for his Black Ops squad, Jess is determined to figure out why.

As her deviance continues to change her, Jess is forced to decide who to trust with her deadly secret. Jess needs to know what’s really out there, in the Deviant wasteland over the border, if she has any hope of making it to her 17th birthday. Because if the enemy doesn’t kill her first, the Department of Evolution probably will.

About the Author:

Deborah Rix’s favourite position for reading a book is head almost hanging off the couch and feet up in the air with legs against the back of the couch. She’s been reading too much from Scientific American for research and ideas and needs to get back to some fiction. She has a long standing love of science fiction, some of her favourite authors include William Gibson, Philip K Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr, Douglas Adams, Iain M Banks. A bit old school.

Deborah enjoyed a successful career in entertainment publicity, live music promotion and event management. Which means she slogged through muddy fields for music festivals, was crammed into concert halls with too many sweaty teenage boys and got to go to Tuktoyaktuk (that’s in the Arctic Circle) for a Metallica concert. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada, where she is the proprietor of The Lucky Penny, a neighborhood joint in Trinity-Bellwoods.

External Forces is her first novel.

Visit her website at www.DeborahRix.com.

Connect and Socialize with Deborah!

TWITTER  | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | YOUTUBE

Discuss External Forces in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads
by clicking HERE.

FIRST CHAPTER REVEAL 

Title: External Forces
Author: Deborah Rix
Publisher: Dime Store Books
Pages: 268
Language: English
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Format: eBook

Prologue:

I haven't slept in forty-eight hours.

It's part of the Special Operations Assessment and Selection course, twenty-eight days of grueling work. The two days of no sleep are meant to disorient us, part of discarding our former selves. There are three hundred of us trying to figure out how to do what we're told, when we're told to, and how to do it correctly. Jay and I weren't assigned to the same platoon, which was unexpected. I’m in the “civilian” platoon; we’re the ones with skills that don’t generally require brute force. I think Jay is in some kind of elite group because I haven’t seen him, I’ve only seen the G-men platoon. They are all about brute force; they’re the ones that opted for genetic enhancement at age thirteen without the supervision of the Devotees. But Special Forces is, well, special, so they have to prove they’ve got more than muscle and I’ve gotta prove I’ve got more than a quick mind.

If I don't make it to Special Forces, my life expectancy in the regular army could be pretty short. And if I’m a complete washout, I’ll have to go to my assessment with the Devotees and they’ll find out about me, making my life expectancy even shorter. I seriously need to pass.

Zero dark thirty is when I have to haul myself out of bed in the so-called morning. My drill sergeant has been yelling at me for most of the past two days. The word “why” has been surgically removed from everyone's vocabulary. Any individual hesitation in following orders means at least one private is getting smoked, if not the whole platoon, which usually means push-ups. We've done a lot of push-ups. I stare straight ahead as the drill sergeant walks by me and continues down the row of privates. I made the mistake of “eyeballing” him yesterday.

Never. Eyeball. A drill sergeant.

First Chapter:

Three weeks earlier – May, 2125

My mother thinks I'm a Deviant.

It’s the kind of thing that can really throw a girl for a loop.

The Devotees missed it when I was born, she said, but one day they would come for me. That was a few years ago, she didn't know I was home when I overheard her; I got out of there lickety-split.

And it's not as if I haven't noticed the way my mother looks at me sometimes. If they had taken me when they had the chance, maybe her other baby would still be with her. I'm pretty sure that's what goes through her head when she looks at me.

So the early assessment notice wasn't entirely unexpected. It doesn't necessarily mean anything. Lots of kids are called for early assessments and nothing happens; they show up at school the next day. Some of them are all excited because they got called to become a Devotee.

But some of them, well, they don't come back.

I'm in the parking lot of my high school, West Liberty. It’s prom night, and I came with my best friend, Jay. He’s still inside; he likes this sort of thing. I haven't told him the early assessment notice came this afternoon. I didn't want to ruin tonight for him. The humidity has made my dress even more uncomfortable than it was inside. Jay owes me. At least he won't mind if I go home; it's not that kind of date.

A car door slams shut. There aren't a lot of kids who can afford the fuel to drive their own car to the prom.

Uh-oh. Blake.

I take a step back. Blake is a popular kid, with the right look, the right home, the right pedigree.

Right.

Despite my attempts to blend in and stay in the background, Blake noticed me this year. When I didn't respond like all the other girls do, I became his target.

His car keys jangle as he drops them in his jacket pocket. I stand still; maybe he hasn't seen me.

“Hey, freak,” he calls as he comes around the blue pickup I was hoping would shield me.  “Not leaving, are you?”

I smell alcohol as Blake backs me up against the truck.

His slicked-back hair smells slightly astringent, and his tongue slides over his upper lip as he looks me over from top to bottom. A shiver of revulsion goes through me. I can’t imagine what girls like about him. I can hear some voices, but they're at the other end of the parking lot. It's just me and Blake.

“I've got an early graduation present for you,” he says quietly. His face is close to mine, and I can see beads of perspiration on his forehead. Slick from the humidity, his hand glides down my bare shoulder, as if he's entitled to touch me.

I don't think I want a present from Blake.

I'm surprised when my hand moves. There is a wet sound as Blake's head snaps back.

Blood spurts, and it seems as if time has gone into slow motion. The blood sprays toward me. I move my head to the side to avoid it, and watch it slowly drift by, suspended in the air.

I turn back to Blake and a thrill zips through me. Thick, glossy blood creeps down his chin from his mashed nose. His mouth is open in shock; blood colors his teeth and gums. He moves sluggishly, and each blink seems to take effort.

Drip by slow drip, the blood falls from his chin onto his shirt. Fascinated, I watch each droplet burst on his crisp white collar.

A wet plonk hits my forehead as a sudden coldness envelops me. The grin I’m shocked to find on my face sags. Fat droplets of rain release the pressure in the air and mix with the blood on Blake's shiny shoes.

Hands to his face, he doubles over as time suddenly speeds up again. The rain pelts down now. I take two steps to the side and run. I hear a sob and realize it's me.

What just happened?

It’s the morning after prom, and Jay saunters along beside me as we walk back to my house. I met him half way, as per my usual. His t-shirt is a bit wrinkled, but that's on purpose, to go with jeans that are a little baggy in back. He's over six feet and gets asked if he's a model, which he laughs at, but I know he's pleased. He could be quite popular if he wanted, but he hangs out with me instead.

Jay and me are Fifth Generation. We’re the ones born between 2100 and 2120. We found each other in the seventh grade. We were the last two kids left when we all paired up for gym class. He asked me why I wasn't moving when we were supposed to be heading out to the field. I explained that I was trying to activate my special powers so that I could use them to transport me far away. Usually that kind of talk would send kids running, and they’d whisper that I must be a Deviant. But not Jay. He blinked at me, then asked if I would take him with me, should my special powers ever actually work. We've been best friends since, and tell each other pretty much everything.

“So, can you come to the thing?”

Uh oh.

I think I’m supposed to know what he’s talking about.

“Uh, when is it again?” I stall for time. What thing?

I push my hair behind my ears to help me think. It doesn’t always work. I have shoulder-length brown hair, parted on the side. My no-nonsense look is how I think of it. I still don’t know what the thing is.

“Wait. Jess. You’re joking, right?” Jay says with a laugh that’s on the edge of anger.

“I’m sorry.” I do my best pleading cringe. “I’m a little distracted.”

The early assessment and whatever that was with Blake last night are the distractions. I can’t quite believe I punched him, broke his nose by the look of it. He’s probably going to have two black eyes. But more than that punch, as surprising as it was, is the way time seemed to slow down around me. I want to say it was shock, or some kind of temporary fugue state, but that’s not what it was. Something happened.

“My mother’s thing, remember?” Jay practically yells at me.

“Oh, that,” I say with relief. Jay’s mother is hosting a party to celebrate his seventeenth birthday. That’s what the thing is. It’s going to be awful.

“We met up, what? Five minutes ago? And you’re already trying to drive me crazy?” He pinches my butt. Hard. He’s pretty worked up about this party.

I yelp and dance around. “No way. You are not blaming your crazy on me.” I give him a solid punch in the gut. “You had years of exposure to your mother before we even met.”

I go rock climbing, so my arms are strong. I've never needed to go to the gym to work outand “stay in shape” like some of the other girls do. I’m five feet ten and a half inches and the coach at school said I have an athletic body; he tried to get me to go out for track and field. I don't like the idea of people watching me like that.

But hitting Jay is like hitting concrete. He doesn’t even notice my punch.

“And of course I’m coming, I already told you. That’s why I didn’t know what thing you were talking about. I thought you meant some other thing.”

“You didn’t actually confirm with my mother,” he complains, “and I know how you feel about people, in general.”

“I don’t have a problem with people, in general. Just the idiots,” I say. “And your mother.”

It’s kind of a toss-up, I suppose. A mother like mine, who actively avoids you and has already decided you’re not worth the effort, or one who pays too much attention and has too many expectations.

Jay nudges me as an unfamiliar dark-haired boy, a bit younger than we are, walks toward us. He doesn't look right at us, but he flashes us two crossed fingers with his right hand.

I look up ahead and see them coming our way. Three Devotees. Jay and I mumble the greeting in unison, “Blood of our blood, flesh of our flesh, soul of our soul,” and we look down as they brush past us in their crisp white lab coats. It's best not to be noticed.
*
The Devotees work for the Department of Evolution —everyone just calls it Devo— andthey do the work of Creation in partnership with God. The Department of Evolution is under the direction of Secretary Galton. Basically, she’s God's voice here on Earth. In the midst of the genetic revolution a hundred years ago, when the Genetic Integrity Act closed America’s borders, strict protocols for border biosecurity were instituted to stop genetic contamination. But we were still in danger of being overrun by the Deviants on the other side. Galton took control, ordered the fortification of our borders and gave the military the authority to do what they needed to do. Most people agree; she did what was necessary for our survival by relinquishing certain powers to the military to ensure our protection. Including the ability to create proprietary, genetically enhanced soldiers. The G-men. Since then, Galton has been leading us through the current stage of evolution, Regenesis, removing unwanted traits and improving and enhancing our best traits with the guidance of God.

In Social Biology class, Devotee Theresa taught us that we must all work for the common good, whether we like it or not. The less intelligent are more fertile and must be discouraged from breeding. Only those with desirable traits are allowed to produce the next generation.

There's this section, practically a whole semester of tenth grade, where we studied pedigree charts, and DNA, RNA, proteins, and ribosomes. DNA is a double helix that carries the genetic information for all life. If only one part of one gene is wrong, it can create a whole generation of imbeciles, and that is not in God's plan. Or in Devo's plan. All Devotees have that DNA double helix tattooed on their forearm, as a constant reminder of their purpose in life.

That's what the crossed fingers warning represents, the double helix tattoo.

We come up to the old Palace Theater. It's been shut down for a long time, and the large sign that hangs out front lost its first A, so it says PLACE. Someone found a way in down the side alley, and now kids hang out there. They say, “Meet me at the place.” If they're overheard or an adult sees a message, it only says “the place.” So far it's stayed secret.

I've heard they have illegal sim-seats in there, ones that can scramble the biometrics and mask what you’re doing.

“Jess,” Jay says as he slows right down, “something’s wrong.”

“It's time to wake up!” a skinny boy with curly red hair yells. He's standing on a wooden crate, and people are hesitantly milling about. “People are dying! Out there, children are starving, and you send them poison. People are sick, and you send them plagues. The blood of our blood is on your hands!”

There are gasps at his blasphemy, but a few people cautiously move toward him in morbid fascination. His eyes are wild, there’s spittle on his lips. Jay grabs my arm to tug me backward.

When the bullet enters the boy’s left temple, it's as if he doesn't know it’s there for a moment.

He's about to yell, his mouth opens, his lips form a word he will never say. Then he topples backward, and I hear the terrible thud as his head hits the ground. The people closest to him quickly step back. No one screams, no one looks up to see the Guardian with the rifle on the roof across the street. Everyone wants to blend in.

Another Guardian comes toward the Palace. The Guardians work for Devo and protect us from Deviants. The stiff collar somehow makes his slightly rumpled, brown uniform shirt look crisp. The yellow double helix is on the front of his cap, and above his left shirt pocket.

“Move along,” he says. “It was just a Deviant.”

We all know that the plain fact of his yelling out crazy stuff in the street like that is proof of his deviance. It’s what happens sometimes, but it’s most prevalent during adolescence. The deviance manifests and people become dangerous, psychotic Deviants, intent on our destruction.

The Guardian rests his hand on the butt of the holstered pistol hanging from his belt and waits for the brown panel truck with the whooping siren we can hear approaching.

Jay swears at him under his breath and keeps hold of my arm. We hurry off with the rest of the crowd, wanting to move as far away as possible. I look back in time to see somebody dart in behind the Guardian, dip a hand in the boy's blood, and leave an angry red handprint on the front of the Palace Theater. A red hand. I’ve heard the whispers but never thought it was true. As I stare at it, I bumble into Mrs. Yamoto, one of my neighbors. She walks fast, gripping her daughter’s hand tightly. Last year, I saw the brown truck with the double helix on the side parked in front of her house. The Guardians had come to take her son.

Wes.

That was his name.

~*~*~*~*~

External Forces tour page

~*~*~*~*~

Rafflecopter for Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

ACCELERATE YOUR POWER GRAND PRIZE

GRAND PRIZE: Winner will have a minor character named after them in Acceleration, 

the second book in The Laws of Motion Trilogy by Deborah Rix. PLUS: 1 (One) 

WakaWaka Power – a solar powered charger and light, 1 (one) Limited Edition 

EXTERNAL FORCES Black Ops Beanie, and 1 (one) signed copy of External Forces.

The fine print: Grand Prize winner will have a minor character named after them in the 

forthcoming book, Acceleration. The winner can choose a name other their own as long 

as it is mutually agreeable with the Author, Deborah Rix. That means nothing obscene, 

stupid or ridiculous, as decided at the sole discretion of the author. Winner agrees that 

the gender, race, physical description, sexual orientation or any other characteristics of 

the character are at the sole discretion of the author. Winner agrees that the character 

may suffer some sort of gruesome downfall or may be a heroic figure in the story, it is at 

the sole discretion of the author what the role of the character will be and to what extent 

the character will be part of the story. The author assures the winner that it will be a real 

character in the story and part of a sub-plot or major plot.

Terms and Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.

• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive the Accelerate Your Power 

Grand Prize.

• This giveaway begins November 4 and ends January 31.

• Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, February 3, 2013.

• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

With Autumn's Return ~ Review

With Autumn's Return
Westward Winds #3
By Amanda Cabot

With Autumn's Return is the concluding book in the Harding sisters trilogy ~ Westward Winds.  This time the focus is on the youngest Harding sister - Elizabeth.  Elizabeth has just graduated from medical school and is determined to make her mark as a doctor.  But with prejudices against women doctors she heads to Cheyenne, after all Wyoming has given women the vote so they should welcome a doctor of the female persuasion. But evidently giving women the vote is vastly different than going to a woman doctor...

Jason Nordling has been looking forward to meeting Cheyenne's newest resident, but he is shocked to learn that E.M. Harding, MD is Doctor Elizabeth May Harding.  Not that he objects to a pretty face, but he knows from experience that Cheyenne is not as open-minded as Elizabeth seems to think.  But his warning falls, not on deaf ears, but ears that rise to the challenge.

Slowly Elizabeth wins the confidence of Cheyenne's fairer population, but her reputation is soon threatened when she takes on a medical case.  After all she's treating whores and single men all while she is unchaperoned!  

When a murder is committed Jason and Elizabeth work together to prove the innocence of the accused party.  But can her skills as a doctor and his oratory skills as a lawyer solve the case and bring the guilty party to justice?  Or will their efforts cost them their lives and even a chance at love?

With Autumns Return is as equally delightful as the two previous books in the series.  And Gwen and Rose are back and this time Gwen may find true love, but only if she can see herself through the eyes of her Creator.  These are characters that you will love to visit again.  And it is fun to get a glimpse of medicine in the late 1880's and even the prejudices of the time to anyone who didn't fit into the mold society had created for them.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review of this book - all opinions expressed are my own.

She's planning on instant success. She didn't plan on love.

When Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne to open her medical practice, she is confident that the future is as bright as the warm Wyoming sun. Certain she'll have a line of patients eager for her services, she soon discovers the town may not welcome a new physician--especially a lady doctor. Even Jason Nordling, the handsome young attorney next door, seems to disapprove of her chosen profession.

When a web of deceit among Cheyenne's wealthiest residents threatens to catch Elizabeth and Jason in its snare, they must risk working together to save one of Elizabeth's patients--even if it means falling in love.

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, as well as Christmas Roses, Summer of Promise, and Waiting for Spring. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers Best. She lives in Wyoming. Find out more at www.amandacabot.com.

It Had to Be You ~ Review

It Had to Be You

A Christiansen Family Novel #2

By Susan May Warren

It Had to Be You is the second book in the Christiansen Family novels this book follows Eden Christiansen.  Eden has always felt like she's the Christiansen who is in the shadows.  Someone whose job it is to help others fulfill their dreams.  Eden wants to celebrate life with her writing, but she is stuck writing obituaries.

Eden is trying help her younger brother Owen to keep his life on track.  But Owen wants to live life his way and no one is going stifle him even a bossy older sister.  When Owen gets himself into yet another almost mess, Eden confronts team captain Jace Jacobsen about his lack of leadership.

Little did she know that by confronting the infamous J-Hammer Jacobsen she was about to change her life.  Eden is about to be shown her true worth and the value her life is to those she hasn't ever met.

When Owen faces a potentially career ending injury Eden discovers that first impressions aren't always right and there is more to Jace than just the media bad-boy image that has been presented.  But both of them are dealing with insecurities that keep them from thinking that the other could ever see them as they truly are.  A potential big-break story may just pull them together or it could drive them apart.  

I really love the way Susan May Warren's writing draws you in to the story.  You feel for these characters - when they hurt so do you, the joy they feel is yours.  All the song references through-out the book made me pull out my Michael Buble and my James Darren This One's From the Heart cd's.  I love all the songs that were referenced and had to have them playing! 

As an added bonus there is a series prequel at the end of the book - I Really Do Miss Your Smile.  This sweet novella takes place over 11 years and it is John and Ingrid's story - a story almost wasn't.  But one that was meant to be.

It Had to Be You is a lovely book that will touch your heart.

I was provided a copy of this book by the Tyndale Blogging Network in exchange for my honest review, all opinions expressed are my own and no expectations were placed upon this review.

About the Book:

Eden Christiansen never imagined her role as her younger brother Owen’s cheerleader would keep her on the sidelines of her own life. Sure, it feels good to be needed, but looking after the reckless NHL rookie leaves little time for Eden to focus on her own career. She dreamed of making a name for herself as a reporter, but is stuck writing obits—and starting to fear she doesn’t have the chops to land a major story. If only someone would step up to mentor Owen . . . but she knows better than to expect help from team veteran and bad-boy enforcer Jace Jacobsen.

Jace has built his career on the infamous reputation of his aggressive behavior—on and off the ice. Now at a crossroads about his future in hockey, that reputation has him trapped. And the guilt-trip he’s getting from Eden Christiansen isn’t making things any easier. But when Owen’s carelessness leads to a career-threatening injury and Eden stumbles upon a story that could be her big break, she and Jace are thrown together . . . and begin to wonder if they belong on the same team after all.

And Face the Unknown

Today we were scheduled to have a Guest Post from author CD Harper but unfortunately unforeseen circumstances arose so instead will instead focus our attention on the book he has just released ~ And Face the Unknown...

Title: And Face the Unknown
Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: CD Harper
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 232
Language: English
ISBN – 978-1-47594-754-0


As Levy clings to a tree high above a river and tries to catch his breath, he doesn’t know what to do next. He has been a slave for Mr. Willoughby since he was little boy, and now things are changing. Unsure of what year it is, Levy escapes the jaws of slavery on the cotton plantation. He is a runaway slave without a plan.

As soon as he sees a boat floating in the river, Levy knows what he must do. With Mr. Willoughby on his tail, Levy boards the boat and hides behind the big wheel. As he somehow eludes capture, he begins a journey with a colored captain at the helm who works for none other than Levy’s former owner. As the captain takes Levy under his wing and they travel down the river, Levy finally learns what it’s like to be a free man with choices and the ability to make decisions for himself. But danger lurks around every curve, and Levy soon finds that his journey to independence will not come without challenges.

In the second installment of this historical tale, a Lincoln-freed Colored risks everything in order to realize the sweet taste of liberty and justice for all.

ABOUT CD HARPER

CD Harper is a retired professor and arts administrator who holds degrees from the University of Illinois and St. Louis University. His first novel, Covenant, began the story that now continues in And Face the Unknown, the second installment of an intended trilogy. He and his wife reside in Gleneden Beach, Oregon.

The Redcoats Are Coming ~ Review

The Redcoats Are Coming
The Imagination Station #13
By Marianne Hering and Nancy I. Sanders

The Redcoats Are Coming is the first in a three book arc and Beth and Patrick are about to go on an adventure that will take them to the start of America's Revolutionary War.  Not only will they meet some of the men who names are closely linked to the Revolution they take part in spreading the word that "The Redcoats are coming!"

This is a book that should appeal to homeschooling families as this can be a launching point into a study of the Revolutionary period.  The excitement and adventure will appeal to kids.  Readers of The Magic Tree House, Time Warp Trio, and the A - Z Mystery books will want to pick this up as it will have an appeal to them while providing an educational experience at the same time.

Take a trip back in time with the Imagination Station and join the Revolution, but be careful or you may get stuck in the past... until Captured on the High Seas!  This one story arc you won't want to miss. And be sure to check out the Secret Word Puzzle at the end of the book for even more Redcoat fun!

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book as part of their Blogger Program, no expectations were placed upon this review.

Available at Amazon in digital or paperback format

About the Book:

The Redcoats Are Coming!

Marianne Hering

The first of a three-book story arc about the American Revolution, The Redcoats Are Coming follows Patrick and Beth as they assist the revolutionaries by waking up the sleeping citizens of 1775 Concord before the Redcoats come. In this adventure, the cousins meet Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. They help smuggle musket balls, sound the alarm that the Redcoats are coming, and deliver a secret message to Paul Revere. Along the way they learn that most of the revolutionaries leaned on God’s direction and even pastors helped in the cause.