Fire and Flint by: Andrew Grey w/ Creative Post & Giveaway

Title: Fire and Flint

Author: Andrew Grey

Series: Carlisle Deputies #1

Genre:  M/M Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: Dec 8 2017

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

Jordan Erichsohn suspects something is rotten about his boss, Judge Crawford. Unfortunately he has nowhere to turn and doubts anyone will believe his claims—least of all the handsome deputy, Pierre Ravelle, who has been assigned to protect the judge receiving the threatening letters. The judge has a long reach, and if he finds out Jordan’s turned on him, he might impede Jordan adopting his son, Jeremiah.

When Jordan can no longer stay silent, he gathers his courage and tells Pierre what he knows. To his surprise and relief, Pierre believes him, and Jordan finds an ally… and maybe more. Pierre vows to do what it takes to protect Jordan and Jeremiah and see justice done. He’s willing to fight for the man he’s growing to love and the family he’s starting to think of as his own. But Crawford is a powerful and dangerous enemy, and he’s not above ripping apart everything Jordan and Pierre are trying to build in order to save himself….

Will their fledgling romance dissipate like fog in the sun before it has a chance to burn bright?

“Not particularly. Your main task is to let me continue to do my job and to ensure I remain safe. I have private security arranged for my home and commute.”

Pierre nodded, and the judge gave him the information for the firm so Pierre could coordinate with them. He needed to try to find the source of the letters—which was going to be a difficult task, given how very little there was to go on—and to make sure Judge Crawford had the extra security he seemed to think he needed. The building itself was already secured, with all visitors and employees passing through metal detectors and all their bags X-rayed so nothing dangerous got inside. But if someone was intent on causing harm, they didn’t necessarily need a weapon.

“Please work with Jordan. He can give you any information and support you might need.” Judge Crawford turned to the clock on his desk. “I have to be in court in ten minutes.” Any additional information was going to have to come from Jordan, as Judge Crawford’s expression hardened and he turned to his computer. Pierre knew he was dismissed. He left the judge’s chambers and closed the door behind him.

“He’s a peach, isn’t he?” Jordan said in the same tone that he might use to ask about the weather. The judge’s behavior was just a part of Jordan’s everyday work, it seemed.

“Intense” was about the nicest thing Pierre could come up with.

“Judge Crawford isn’t a morning person, and he always needs some time to get ready for court.” Jordan stood and filled a mug from the coffeepot in the corner. He then carried it into the judge’s chambers and returned with an empty mug. “Sometimes I swear he mainlines the stuff.” Jordan rinsed the mug and took his seat once again. “I need to make sure he has everything he requires for his day, and then I can go over anything you want.” He hurried into the office, and Pierre watched him go with pointed interest.

Pierre sat back down. He reminded himself that he was working and had to keep his mind on the task at hand, not let it wander to the delicious paralegal who seemed to check all the boxes for the type of man he preferred: lanky, with great eyes, and a backside that bobbed perfectly with each step and made him feel disappointed when Jordan closed the door behind him.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Dreamspinner Press

Blood's Song by: Tempeste O'Riley w/ Creative Post & (2) Giveaways

Title: Blood’s Song

Author: Tempeste O’Riley

Series: House Millar books, #1

Genre: LGBTQ Romance, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult / New Adult

Publisher: Encompass Ink, Teen

Release Date: Nov, 24^th, 2017

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

Even in darkness, love lights the way.

Anya awakens alone and afraid in a new world soaked with blood and terror. The only things she knows for certain are her name and that humans are precious.

Unwilling to give in to her hungers, she sets her feet upon a path of discovery, searching for clues to her forgotten past. Along the way she runs headlong into the unimaginable world of the undead and the waiting arms of Nicholas, a fearless nocturnal defender searching for his love, lost in eternity.

Into their midst stumbles Declán, a young, natural born vampire hunter and Guardian whose passion for Anya is only matched by his draw to Nicholas. His arrival could mark the end of their tale, or with the gift of Anya's blood kiss, it might bring about the beginning of a new chapter for them all.

Fate has a wicked sense of sensibility…

“What did you tell him?” I could feel myself losing control of my voice, but I couldn’t seem to rein it back. “Please!” As Nicholas began, I could see the effect of my panicked voice in his features and bearing.

“I talked to him about you a little. But yes, you’re right to worry. He is very aware you are not normal. However, he hasn’t figured out what that difference is. That’s not really what concerns me the most, though.”

“What are you more worried about?”

“Well, I believe his feelings go much deeper for you than curiosity or even attraction. What I can’t figure out is how he could be so beyond already.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I tried again though my thoughts were so jumbled, finding the right words was difficult.

“What do you mean deeper and beyond?”

“I’m not entirely sure yet, my dear. But, we’re going to have to find a way for you to be near him or you’re going to have to leave. I fear you will drive him mad otherwise.”

Mad? “I don’t understand, Nicholas. What do you mean ‘drive him mad’?”

Nicholas paused. “Declán’s fascination and infatuation are not likely to diminish, especially if he’s actively around you. And, well, he’s attracted to you physically and emotionally. Do you honestly think the fact he can’t touch you won’t cause him problems? Then there’s the fact he knows you are not being honest with him. He can’t help how he feels about you any more than you seem to be able. I’ve never seen anything like it, well, except....” He looked away a moment and seemed almost embarrassed. That couldn’t be right, though. Could it?

“I am so lost here. You are the only person I can talk to about this, but it is not fair to you either. You already said this is hard for you to watch.”

“Anya, what is difficult to watch is you fearing yourself. To see the doubt and pain this situation is causing you. As to what to do, though, I’m not sure how to help.

“If you choose to move forward with this relationship with Declán, you are going to have to reveal at least some of what you are. I got a good sense of him when we spoke after you left and you’re both hurting from this issue. He has a good heart that, if you aren’t careful, will belong to you.”

“He cannot even hold my hand, how can this do anything, but cause pain?” Pain for both of them.

“Maybe there’s a simple solution we aren’t thinking of, yet. Of course, I’m still trying to figure out why Declán reacted to me the same way. I wonder....” A strange flash flickered in his eyes, and he seemed almost obsessed for a moment. “No, that would be too dangerous.” He was mumbling to himself now. “But I wonder.”

Amazon

B&N

iBooks

Kobo

Heart Unheard by: Andrew Grey w/ Creative Post & Giveaway

Title: Heart Unheard   

Author: Andrew Grey

Series: Hearts Entwined Book 2  

Genre:  M/M Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: Nov 17 2017

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

The attraction between Brent Berkheimer and Scott Spearman peels the wallpaper, but Brent is Scott’s boss, and they’re both too professional to go beyond flirting. Their priorities realign after Scott is badly injured in an accident that costs him his hearing, and Brent realizes what is truly important… he wants Scott.

Scott first pushes Brent away, fearing a new romance will just add to his problems, but perhaps he will find unexpected strength and solace in Brent’s support as he struggles to communicate with the world in a new way.

Just as they decide the chance of a happy future together is worth the risk, Scott and Brent discover darker challenges in their way—including evidence that the “accident” Scott suffered may not have been so accidental.

Scott was in a small room, the bed surrounded by monitors with a number of tubes and cords hooked to him. His usually robust cheeks were sallow, his normally intense eyes closed, his pouty lips pale.

“Please remain quiet.”

“Of course,” Brent said as he pulled forward the small chair and sat next to the bed. He didn’t ask her a bunch of questions about how he was doing because Brent knew she couldn’t really tell him anything without specific written permission.

The nurse checked Scott over and left the room.

“Hey, Scott. It’s Brent. I wanted to stop by and see you.” He blinked as Scott’s chest slowly rose and fell. “I read somewhere that people can sometimes hear things when they’re out like this. So I hope you get better.” He turned to make sure no one was around to hear him, then leaned closer. “I should have told you how I felt.” He sniffed and took one of the tissues from the box on the tray table. He reached for Scott’s hand and slid their fingers together. Brent probably didn’t have a right to do that, but he wanted Scott to know he was there.

To his surprise, Scott’s fingers squeezed his just a little. At first, he wasn’t sure it was real, but Scott did it again. Brent gently rubbed the back of his hand but received no further movement in response.

“Are you Brent?” a man who had to be Scott’s dad asked. He looked so much like him, only an older, more weathered, and very worried version, with touches of gray in his hair.

“Yes,” Brent whispered, setting Scott’s hand back on the blankets, his cheeks heating. “I was just trying to make a connection with him. I think he might have squeezed my hand a little.” He wondered what Scott’s dad—and then his mom as she followed him inside—must be thinking with him holding Scott’s hand.

“He did that last night before we left. It’s the only indication that we’ve had that he’s there and knows we’re here.” Scott’s mother approached, and Brent stood to give her the chair. She sat, gently stroking Scott’s hand. “Is there something between you and my son?” She lifted her gaze, and it was like she was looking deep into his soul. It was immediately evident where Scott got his amazing eyes, even if hers were red and definitely filled with concern. “I heard what you were saying to him before we came in.”

“Don’t mind Carolyn. She has bat-like hearing sometimes.” Reggie stepped to the other side of the bed, looking at Scott. If Brent were to hazard a guess, Reggie was willing his son to wake up. The worry and sheer willpower were written on the lines of his furrowed brow.

“Reggie,” she said gently, then turned to Brent. “Scott talked about you all the time. I think he may have a crush on you.” She looked him over. “I can see why, but aren’t you a little old for him?”

Brent nodded. “That’s why nothing ever happened.” He turned back to Scott, not believing he was having this conversation. “I’m his manager and….” There were so many reasons why he’d never said anything to Scott, though all of them seemed too stupid now. Scott lay on the bed, largely unmoving, and none of Brent’s reasons mattered. All that did matter was that Scott would recover and get better again.

“I see,” she said, as though there were some great meaning behind Brent’s words. “He told me about the time the oil gun sprang a leak and he got sprayed. You got the oil shut off and him out of there and cleaned off so fast, before it could get in his eyes.”

“He told you that?” Brent closed his eyes, stifling a groan, as his cheeks had to be turning beet red. He’d cleaned Scott off and had damn near kissed him just because he was relieved Scott was all right. Just as he’d gotten close, Scott had opened his eyes and their gazes had met, but Brent had backed away. His cowardice had taken over the way it usually did.

Carolyn nodded. “He said you were gentle and made sure he was okay before everything else. Then you apparently took apart the equipment, fixed it, and made sure that didn’t happen again.” She smiled. “Scott tells us stories about work all the time, and many of them featured you.”

What was he supposed to say to that? Brent wanted to hide and lick his wounds somewhere. It seemed that the teasing and flirting Scott had done was more than just playing. Brent had never been sure, but now he knew. Scott had cared and might have been truly interested, but now it might be too late.

“That’s so nice to know.” Brent couldn’t help looking at Scott and wondering what might have been if he had just had the guts.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Dreamspinner Press

Girl Within Girl Book 2: by S. P. Aruna

Title: Healing

Author: S. P. Aruna

Series: Girl within Girl Book 2

Genre: Erotic Thriller  

Publisher: BookBaby

Release Date: Sept 3 2017

Edition ~ 1^st /Formats ~ eBook

Blurb/Synopsis:

Trapped in a mountain cabin with three, possibly four, women...every guy's dream, right? Or could it turn out to be a nightmare?

Dr. Sean Paisley needs to find out how to bring these women together - his survival depends on it. To make matters worse, he's in love with all of them...made passionate love to all of them. Throw in a nasty grizzly bear and the dark forces of the government and the situation becomes even more dire.

In the end, he was stuck with Belinda, a hysterical, suicidal, homicidal maniac of a person, confined together in the wilderness of the onset of winter. Now both their lives were at stake.

** Girl Within Girl is a dark erotic thriller that wanders through a sensual maze of manipulation and mind control. **

Katrina

I cannot believe the nerve of this man. It’s my fault that I can’t get over this hurt, isn’t that his attitude? It’s up to me, get over it, or don’t get over it. And if I can’t, it’s my fault.

But it’s not as simple as that. I don’t have that kind of power over my feelings. I could rationalize all I want, but the result is the same. It hurts.

It hurts to be ignored, to be relegated to the back of the line. And that’s exactly what he did to me. I can understand, really, I know that I am a boring, non-descript individual. Cherry and Anisa are way more exciting to be with. I don’t even understand how the hell this man got into my life. Perhaps, if I had never met him at the hospital, my life would have continued normally without all this confusion. 

Somehow in my heart, I knew that wasn’t true. And yet, it was all the more reason I hated him.

I resent the fact that Cherry and Anisa share my body. It’s not fair that they can decide what to do with it. They are not me, they are other people.  And, okay, I admit it, I’m jealous.  Dr. Sean Paisley met me, not Cherry, not Anisa, not Belinda or whoever, but me, me, me! Is this going to be a stumbling block on my path to healing? What does healing entail? Does it mean the end of me, Katrina Novak? Cause if it does, I want no part of it. 

Yet, I sense that it does mean the end of me. Maybe that’s another factor responsible for my emotional defense. I’m a bit scared, actually.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm a Cambodian woman of mixed blood, married to an aspiring author, and of course he had something to do with my idea to write entertaining fiction. We live in a little green house in the countryside in southern Cambodia. No kids yet, but we're working on it.

I live on a large plot of land and I enjoy taking care of my trees, plants, and flowers. I also love embroidery, stitching to make beautiful pictures. It's very meditative for me. And then I frame them and put them all over the walls of my house, which drives my husband crazy.

I'm a newbie when it comes to being an author, but being an avid reader with eclectic tastes (I enjoy reading just about any genre as well as non-fiction) has helped me in my plunge to write commercial fiction. Since I love erotic thriller type films, I decided to write an erotic thriller series. I like the challenge of devising a strong plot to embed my sexy scenes.

Amazon Author Page

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads Author Page

Blood's Song by: Tempeste O'Riley (BLITZ)

Title: Blood’s Song
Author: Tempeste O’Riley
Series: House Millar books, #1
Genre: LGBTQ Romance, Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult / New Adult
Publisher: Encompass Ink, Teen
Release Date: Nov, 24th, 2017
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
Even in darkness, love lights the way.
Anya awakens alone and afraid in a new world soaked with blood and terror. The only things she knows for certain are her name and that humans are precious.
Unwilling to give in to her hungers, she sets her feet upon a path of discovery, searching for clues to her forgotten past. Along the way she runs headlong into the unimaginable world of the undead and the waiting arms of Nicholas, a fearless nocturnal defender searching for his love, lost in eternity.
Into their midst stumbles Declán, a young, natural born vampire hunter and Guardian whose passion for Anya is only matched by his draw to Nicholas. His arrival could mark the end of their tale, or with the gift of Anya's blood kiss, it might bring about the beginning of a new chapter for them all.
Fate has a wicked sense of sensibility…

Hinder by: Kristin Ping

Book Title: Hinder: A Bender’s Novel

Author: Kristin Ping

Series: The Guardian of Monsters

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Fire Quill Publishing

Release Date: 15th May 2018

Edition/Formats: 1^st Edition / Formats ~ eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

Ethan Sutcliff seems like a normal seventeen-year-old—at least that’s what he’s trying to portray. In a secret society run by the Supernaturals, Ethan is what witches call a Bender. Benders are Witches’ Guardians, who are able to control a witches’ ability, bend it, or move it away from harming humans. In Ethan’s case, he is able to bend the Earth element. But at the age of fifteen, he lost all connection to it, and the reasons behind it could only mean one of two things: His Wielder is either dead, or hiding out somewhere.

Alex Burgendorf has been living in her aunt’s locket for the past sixteen years with her mother—a Fire Wielder, and her father—a Water Wielder. For sixteen years, her parents vowed to protect her, and they have, as she is the last Earth wielding witch. However, time is running out. Alex must find her Bender, or the fate of the Supernaturals might be at stake.

PRE ORDER HindeR FOR 99¢.  

Yes, you’ve heard right. The pre order special is 99¢ only. The price will go up to $2.99 in its first month, think of it as a release day blitz, and from the second month it will go up to its normal price of $4.99¢. So it’s a major deal of getting the pre-order for just 99¢. Also as an Added Bonus if YOU Pre-Order Hinder TODAY FOR ONLY 99¢

YOU will get Crows of Winter by Kristin Ping & Adrienne Woods Absolutely FREE

http://www.subscribepage.com/u4n4w1

GRAB YOUR COPY NOW!!!

I cast my gaze around and found a guy staring in my direction. He was extremely tall and kind of cute with his messy, dark blond hair. I looked immediately away. My heart started to beat a few beats faster. Keep it together, I told myself sternly.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo

Kristin resides in South Africa with her husband, two beautiful girls and two bulldogs that tries to eat her house.

She has been writing for the past eight years and her first debut novel, Hinder: A Bender's novel will be published 2018 by Fire Quill Publishing.

When she isn't writing, she is spending her time with her family, or trying to teach her two bulldogs to not eat her house. You can find more about Kristin at www.authorkristinping.com

Facebook Author Page

Goodreads

Twitter @authorKristinP

Website

Want to win a Mac. Every two to three months, Kristin Ping is giving away a mac, all you have to do is subscribe to her newsletter, confirm to the confirmation email that will either be in your inbox or spam, or open the letter. Find the secret facebook group, join and enter the giveaway. It’s as easy as that. We even give you extra entries by inviting your friends to subscribe too. We already gave away the first laptop

The Ping Crate is a crate filled with goodies for readers. It’s built around the theme of the Guardian of Monster Series. The first few boxes will be built around witches. Think journals, cups, books, novelty jewelry, swag and something electronic that will push the worth of the crate up to $700 and more.

All you have to do is stay subscribed to the subscription list and open the monthly newsletter that Kristin will send out to find the rafflecopter for you to enter in this lovely giveaway.

Hell and Back by: Dirk Greyson w/ Giveaway

Title: Hell and Back

Author: Dirk Greyson

Series: Standalone

Genre: M/M, Contemporary Romance, LGTBQA, Military Romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: Oct 27 2017

Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

Seventeen years ago, Forge Reynolds fell in love… and had his heart broken.  When Gage Livingston was brought into Forge’s Army field hospital, temporarily paralyzed, Forge sat with him, read his letters, answered his mail, and formed a connection he thought would last. But Gage was sent home, Forge transferred to a new post, and Forge’s letters to Gage went unanswered.

Now, in the middle of a bitter divorce, Forge is sick and tired of his husband’s manipulation and is almost ready to make any sacrifice to get closure, and then he finds Granger murdered execution-style in their home. Forge had no idea about Granger’s illicit activities, but the killers don’t believe that. They think Forge has something they want, and they’re coming after him.

When Forge’s lawyer arranges for professional protection, the last face Forge expects to see is Gage’s. Can he even contemplate a second chance for them after almost two decades or will hoping only lead to more heartache? Before they can explore the possibilities, they must figure out what information Granger had—and others are willing to kill for—or that possible heartache could become a certainty

Gage went through the house to turn out the interior lights before settling in the family room in front of the television with the volume on low, listening for anything out of the ordinary. One thing the Army had done a good job of training into him was patience. He could sit in a mostly empty house and listen for nothing for hours.

A lot of his jobs were hurry up and wait. This one had seemed like it would be more active. When the call had come in to the office, he’d been about to go off duty. Margie, his receptionist, had relayed who was calling and what they needed.  That woman never seemed to sleep and had forwarded the office phone to her cell..  There had been no one else available, so he’d sprung into action and hurried home to get a bag together. It wasn’t until he’d been driving and Margie called to give him the particulars that he’d heard the name and nearly run off the road.

After all these years, to run into Forge again, and under these circumstances….

He turned toward the stairs and got up to make a round through the house, then checked outside just to ensure everything was quiet.

Forge Reynolds. Gage sat down, turned off the television, and retrieved his bag to pull out his iPad so he could read for a while. After a few minutes of reading the same page over and over, he set it aside, leaned back, and closed his eyes. Concentration wasn’t something he had at the moment.

Almost instantly he was lying in a hospital bed.

He’d been hit with shrapnel, a ton of it if what he’d been told was true, and a piece had nicked his upper spine. He couldn’t walk or use his arms at first. And he’d never forget the day a man, about his own age, sat in the chair next to his bed and picked up the pile of letters on his tray. They hadn’t wanted to transport him in case it caused more damage, and his family couldn’t visit him where he was, so old-fashioned communication was the best way.

“Would you like me to read them to you?” The man’s voice had been mellow and gentle, at odds with most things in the Army.

“Please,” he’d said softly. At least he’d been able to talk.

Forge had opened the first envelope and read Gage the letter from his mother, then a second one. The third envelope contained one from his mother and one from his dad, and Forge read both. Gage had been tired and fallen asleep, but when he woke, the man was still there. He picked up a pen and paper and asked if he wanted to write a letter. “My name’s Specialist Forge Reynolds, by the way. I never did tell you.”

“Gage Staff Sergeant Livingston. Gage,” he’d croaked, hating the way his voice sounded. He remembered feeling useless, helpless, and wanting to die. And when he’d dictated that first letter, all of it had come out in a burst of self-pity and loathing that Forge had faithfully written down, showed to him, and then ripped to shreds.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Dreamspinner Press

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dirk is very much an outside kind of man.  He loves travel and seeing new things.  Dirk worked in corporate America for way too long and now spends his days writing, gardening, and taking care of the home he shares with his partner of more than two decades.  He has a Master’s Degree and all the other accessories that go with a corporate job.  But he is most proud of the stories he tells and the life he's built.  Dirk lives in Pennsylvania in a century old home and is blessed with an amazing circle of friends. 

Amazon Author Page

Dreamspinner Press Author Page

Email

Facebook Author Page

Facebook

Twitter @dirkgreyson

Yellowstone Wolves Series

Challenge the Darkness

Darkness Threatening

Darkness Rising

Day and Knight Series

Day and Knight

Sun and Shadow

Dawn and Dusk  

Standalone Titles

An Assassin’s Holiday

Flight or Fight

Playing With Fire

Lost Mate

Hell and Back

The Goddess of Fortune by: Andrew Blencowe

Title: The Goddess of Fortune

Author: Andrew Blencowe

Series: Standalone Title

Genre: Historical Speculative Fiction/ Alternate History

Publisher: Hamilton Bay Publishing

Release Date: Mar 24 2014

Edition/ Formats: 1^st Edition ~ Formats: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

What if, by the passing of just two events, Japan and Germany had won World War 2?

The Goddess of Fortune is a work of alternative fiction in which history is re-explored, in sometimes surprising ways:

·       Beautiful Louise, while only 24 years old, uses her intelligence, wiles, and body to dominate the so-called "stronger sex."

·       Kaito Sasaki of the Bank of Tokyo, inspired by Lenin (“The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency”), proves just that with his printing of U.S. 100 dollar bills.

·       The treachery of Hermann "Fatso" Goering is uncovered and his punishment is swift.

As a work of historical fiction, Goddess reveals the private foibles, quirks, and lusts of the famous of the period.

Prepare to re-imagine history, get The Goddess of Fortune today.

 “I can retire, I will go quietly. Paul can tell the world I am ill.”

Without saying a word, the host moved to the desk and pressed a hidden electric buzzer. Four SS guards entered the room; the host nodded. With the authority of the German Chancellor, the four lifted Goering bodily and stood him against the cold concrete wall.

Goering’s eyes opened wide.

“You can’t be...”

Before he could finish his sentence the four had discharged their Lugers. The corpse of the former Great War flying ace—leader of the late Red Baron’s Flying Circus—slumped to the floor.

“Get rid of him,” the host said flatly, as if ordering one of his favorite cream tarts.

“Bury him behind the greenhouse. Use the picks to break the frozen ground.”

Paul and the host left, taking with them the folders.

Once back in the great room, the host said,

“What the hell was he thinking; did he not realize the implications? With your radio work and my performances, we’ve neatly been able to trick the world. The rest of the world wonders openmouthed at the power and the solidarity of the German juggernaut. Damn, if the world actually knew how frail we actually are, how brittle this spider’s web I try to hold together. Jesus. Remember when we marched into the Rhineland in ‘36? I know those fools in the Wehrmacht were ready to skin me alive if the democracies so much as farted. But as the British and French did nothing, our Struggle survived to live another day. Do you think the British are weak and as brittle as we are? Surely not—they cannot be that frail and fragile. For one thing, they have a wonderful ruling class. And that big moat, of course. But we have to be so, so careful. You know, I loved Hermann, and he had so many great and redeeming features, but perhaps it was the morphine for the shoulder. Perhaps it was the loss of his Swedish princess. Perhaps it was... God, I don’t know. He was such a tower of strength. Such a titan.”

Paul nodded at the host’s puerile musings. Business-like, as always, he said,

“Well, we’ll announce that he was killed by the Resistance while visiting France. Always good to bank some grievances, real or imagined. If the truth ever does get out, we will simply deny it; we should be safe for at least six months. Now regarding these files, I see absolutely no reason to keep them or the film. Yes, of course you are correct, there are other copies—those fucking French can be depended on to try to fuck us, but thank goodness we found this out now and not later.”

Back in the great room, Paul fed one sheet at a time on to the fire. Even the plain, buff-colored manila folders themselves were burnt. The cellulose film burnt with an acrid smell and filled the great room with lachrymose fumes. After a few minutes, all that remained was the charred steel spool.

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Print

Barnes and Noble

  Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Andrew Blencowe discovered at an early age what it was like to live on the edge of life. During his high school years he dropped out to become a motorcycle racer. Smitten by computers in his early twenties, he went on to become founder and CEO of an international software company with offices on five continents. It is his international perspective and a drive to challenge assumptions that influence his writing interests.

   As a weekend student of history, one point he noticed over and over was how a seemingly trivial action had such immense consequences. Regarding this point of minute actions, it is akin to a 1,000-ton boulder balanced precariously on a steel knife edge; at present still, but with the smallest nudge, an army of men cannot stop the monolith from rolling down the hill.

   Another reoccurring point was how people's time frames are always myopically short; Zhou Enlai, when asked in the early 1970s about the significance of the French Revolution, was reputed to have answered, "Too early to say".

   This myopia is daily becoming worse and worse as the destruction of the intellect by mobile "telephones" accelerates. Combined with iPads and other electronic reading devices, the ability of the human mind to think and ponder disturbance-free is being destroyed one interruption at a time.

   These are some of the main threads in Blencowe's novels - the arrogance and massive overconfidence in the new (blithely and wrongly considered better); the panoply of quick fixes rather than a thoughtful analysis of the unexpected consequences of these often dangerous modern expedients.

Facebook Page

Website