Podcast Binging and the Sendek Serial
Every time I finish a novel, my brain desperately needs a break. This go around, I've been binge-listening to the RED WEB Podcast on Spotify. It's on Apple Podcasts as well. It's a lot of fun listening to these guys goof off as they talk about internet mysteries, cryptids, unsolved true crime, and paranormal mysteries. It's all in good fun, but I've been finding all kinds of things that could weave well into science fiction stories. ;)
I decided to write a prehistory story for The Magic Wakes series on Amazon's #kindlevella. Episode 6 of THE RISE OF THE DRAGUMON is now live. The first three episodes are free to read, and all others only cost ten (or less) tokens to read Vella. It's a new way to read stories one episode at a time. (For your general info--200 tokens are only $1.99)
A mage and his dragon. What trouble could they possibly get into?
Meet the young mage Elvin on the day he finds a dragon egg. He has no idea how the discovery will change his life, his world, and the dragons. Their bond will set events into motion that will mean war between man and beast. New episodes every Thursday.
And finally, before we get to book shares, I'm still looking for reviews for DEMON RISING. It came out last month, and I'm willing to give free review copies. You can read the first scene at the end of this post. (Available in print and Kindle Unlimited, Audiobook in production)
“Every planet the dragons created will fall. I'll open every demon pit and free the captives to claim a new life. Darkness will rain, and the dragons will weep.” ~Korigorath
Daemon Ryce has waited nearly twenty years for Talia to return to Sendek. He's determined nothing will stop him from harnessing her power and darkening Sendek's suns. Then he will finally have his revenge on the dragons.
The Suttons may not have uncovered the mysteries they sought on Orek, but they've brought allies who will be more helpful than they know. There are new battles to be fought with even more to lose. However, they each have new secrets, and the dragons are at the heart of it all. Will the growing rift between them be the one thing that finally tears Sendek apart?
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Book Shares
$0.99 or Free in KU
Unite, Fight, Survive: A High-Stakes Mission to Rescue Loved Ones, Stop an Alien Invasion and Take Down an Evil Corporation.
Elliot: Trained from birth to be a killer, he's the best in the business. But when his only two friends are kidnapped by a shadowy corporation, he'll have to use his deadly skills to bring them home.
Arthur: Life as a D-list celebrity has left him wanting more. But when Hellinix kidnaps his wife and daughter, he'll stop at nothing to get them back.
When these two men with nothing to lose cross paths, they'll have to rely on each other to take down the evil corporation and stop an impending alien invasion.
$2.99 or Free in KU
Plundering innocent worlds is Doc Roberts’ job, and he is good at it until his bosses in the Alliance go too far by having his wife assassinated. Her death is the start of outright war, at least for Captain Roberts. Now, he is both a pirate and a rebel, with people on both sides of the border who either love him or want him dead.
After fighting a duel with the Alliance's promising new captain, torturing him, and leaving him for dead, he has made powerful enemies in the Alliance hegemony. The Alliance military leaders want to make Captain Roberts suffer like he has made their rising star suffer.
One man can only do so much, and Doc is getting tired. It is time to pass the reins of command to his son. But first, he must crush his son's dreams and teach him what it means to be an Alliance citizen.
Currently FREE (regularly $2.99)
Award-winning author Bruno Martins Soares comes back with a new scifi novel that will bring you to a dark hard world at war. What if WWII’s Battle of the Atlantic happened in Space, thousands of light-years from Earth?
In a distant solar system, a war breaks between the Webbur Union, its ally the Kingdom of Torrance, and their rival, the Axx Republic. Byllard Iddo is a lieutenant in the powerful Webbur Navy. Byl embarks on a desperate mission to diminish a ruthless threat: the invisible Silent Boats that prey on the convoys that cross the void Dark Sea space between Webbur and Torrance.
He is sure of only one thing: many will die in the battles ahead, and he will do whatever it takes to bring the war closer to an end.
Demon Rising Chapter 1
Orek
Landry Sutton shivered beneath a thicket of bushes. The gray dawn offered no warmth or comfort, just misty rain and the promise of another day of hiding. It didn’t sit well with him, especially after a night of traveling across the forests of Orek to reach their spaceship. The group of travelers avoided the main roads, using game trails and sloshing through riverbeds to avoid getting caught. Unfortunately, the volatile rebellion started by the underprivileged Outliers had the area flooded with high-tech soldiers called Controllers. Because of that, Landry and those with him needed to be extra cautious.
His wife, Talia, huddled nearby, as did their crew mate Craig. The older man had curled into the fetal position and dragged his coat over his head. All three had had enough of the planet Orek. Even with its two suns, it wasn’t home. The sooner they reached the Vis Vires and returned to Sendek, the better they’d all feel. At least, that’s what he hoped. But unfortunately, they had not been prepared for their first experience with another planet and civilization.
Thoughts of the soldiers searching for them sent cold fear into his heart. It threatened to overcome him. Less than a week ago, he’d been held prisoner by the ruthless military regime. He’d been tortured, but he never gave the information they sought. How could he? He would have died rather than tell them where Talia hid.
Except, she didn’t stay hidden like she was supposed to. She disobeyed his orders and put herself in danger by cutting her hair, dressing as a soldier, and slipping into the fortress where he was imprisoned. After a brutal round of torture, he regained consciousness to sense her walking through the massive doors. Shortly after, she had to fight for her life in a labyrinth while he remained bound and near death, unable to assist her.
He couldn’t keep her safe then, and he feared he wouldn’t be able to keep her safe now. Helplessness was a new feeling he didn’t like.
“Landry?” Talia reached over and touched his hand.
The familiar current sparked between them as their minds linked together. He sensed her gentle nudge as she sought their shared mind space. Yet, as much as he loved the ability to share everything with his wife, he kept his mental walls firmly in place and her on the outside. The memories of pain and the fear of losing her were too raw. He didn’t want her to suffer the emotions the way he did.
“Hm?” He threaded their fingers together. His hands were cold; hers were warm.
The current evened out between them. Talia pushed heat into his fingers, arm, and the rest of his body. He tried to stop the flow of energy.
“Don’t waste it on me,” he whispered.
“What good is magic if we don’t help one another?”
“Are you pulling from the suns?” he asked.
“No. It’s still not as easy as on Sendek.”
“Then keep it for yourself. If you deplete your strength, we’ll both struggle.” He moved to hold her body next to his and share warmth the old-fashioned way. “Come here.”
She wiggled past a branch between them as Landry shifted closer. The ground was pocked with holes and pebbles, and the cold air augmented the pressure of each stone and twig pressed into his legs and backside. More branches and leaves scratched at his arms and face with each movement. It seemed as if he were doomed to be forever uncomfortable.
Landry had endured days of torture by the Controllers and a week traveling over the countryside of a foreign planet in the freezing rain. He wanted to hold his wife and know she wouldn’t disappear. He wanted to be warm and dry and to escape the memories every drop of water evoked as it raced across his skin.
“Talk to me,” Talia whispered again.
“About what?” he feigned ignorance.
“Anything,” she whispered.
Her hand moved to his face, and he met her gaze in response to the gentle pressure. How he loved those vibrant eyes. They often shifted colors depending on how much magic she pulled to her. At the moment, they were deep indigo drifting to blue. That meant she was already low on magical energy. When she held the most power, they lightened to pale violet.
Talia was the most unique, beautiful creature he’d ever met. The strength within her drew him in and held him captive. The fact she’d fallen in love and married him, an untrusting soldier, still boggled his mind. He had promised to love and protect her, but she was covered in scratches and mud. The weariness in her eyes gutted him, and her delicate skin should never carry such blemishes. Not with her ability to heal with the rising of the suns. And yet, he had allowed Talia to be bruised on the journey, and she left the marks irritating her skin like a regular human instead of a powerful mage. Why? So she could be like them? She would never be so ordinary.
Landry gazed into her eyes, seeing not only the woman he loved but the woman who had saved his world from the Dragumon. She had been the key to unbinding them, essentially causing them to cease existing so that their storm of violence ground to a halt. But, even now, they didn’t understand the depths of her power. Something about her permitted their spaceship to fly. Her magic allowed them to move through space faster than light through the warp conduit. Not his. His only job had been to keep her safe. Help her find the answers she wanted so desperately to find. But he had failed her in that too.
“Talia, we need to get to the Vis Vires soon,” he whispered. It was easier to focus on her instead of his deficiencies.
“We’ll get there eventually.” She pressed her face into the crook of his neck. Her warm breath feathered against his skin.
“You’re exhausted.” Landry shifted to hold her better, reveling in her touch.
“I’m fine. Remember, your workouts helped strengthen my body without magic constantly flowing through it. I’ll not take comfort when you don’t let me share it with you.” She squeezed her arms tightly around him. “You’re the one I’m worried about. You’ve been too quiet since we left the fortress.”
“Just tired,” he mumbled.
“Let me help,” she pleaded, and he almost gave in.
“Not until the rain stops and the suns shine down on us with real strength.” He resolved to shake off his fears and be the man she needed.
“You’re being stubborn.” Her voice grew louder.
“Shh.” Landry reminded her to whisper. “Practical. We need to reserve energy for travel. Now rest.”
He was being stubborn, though. Talia could ease the journey for all of them, and part of him resented that. He had his gifts, but they felt useless in these circumstances. Reading emotions, pulling magic from others to use as his own, and perhaps bending their will to his would not help them get to the spaceship faster. And Landry refused to use Talia’s magic as his own. Not again, even though he did it in the fortress.
She’d been trapped in the labyrinth. The soldiers were closing in. He knew she wouldn’t pull energy from them to strengthen herself or weaken them, but he couldn’t let her be captured. It had taken everything he had to force his will on hers. He used her power to drain the men until they fell to the ground, and Talia escaped. She had cried and railed at him in their minds. He hadn’t killed the men, but he would have if it had been the only way to protect her.
A drop of water struck the back of Landry’s neck. The icy liquid slid down his spine, causing his body to tense in preparation for the oncoming torture. Every muscle and nerve ending remembered the suffocating fear of drowning, the pain of broken bones, and the knowledge death was closer than it had ever been.
“Breathe.” Talia broke through his barrier and spoke directly to his mind. “I’m here. They’re not.”
Landry concentrated on regulating each breath. The water continued to drip down his back, but he felt it multiplying across his face and flooding his eyes, nose, and mouth. It was everywhere in his memory. There was no escape. His breath caught, and he gasped, choking on his saliva.
Warm hands replaced the cold sensations crawling across his cheeks.
“Breathe. Let it go. They can’t hurt you anymore.”
But the Controllers could do so much worse than hurt Talia. The only safe place was the Vis Vires. Only then could they leave Orek behind for good. Only then would Talia be safe from the Controller’s reach.