Thursday, February 29, 2024

Babel Apocalypse Guest Post #GoddessFish

 


THE BABEL APOCALYPSE AUDIOBOOK

by Vyvyan Evans

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Science Fiction

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BLURB:

Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can’t afford monthly language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.

But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.

Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. Suspect number one is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems. After all, if the mysterious Ebba Black is to blame, why is the Russian Federation being framed for an outage it claims no responsibility for? And why is Ebba now a target for assassination?

As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a deadly war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it.

And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt

As I was about to glance back at the voices, a light flickered in my peripheral vision, drawing my gaze upward to the night sky. A soft white glow, high up in the dark. At first it was indistinguishable from the airway lights. But it persisted, the size of a small disk at first, before shifting to red-orange, getting larger. At that point I realized it definitely couldn’t be a hover car. This was farther up, probably low Earth orbit, which explained the initial white. But the shift in coloration—that meant a detonation, producing nitrogen dioxide, which turned deep orange when mixed with air. A gaseous cloud has reached the atmosphere, I thought. I was witnessing a chemical explosion in space large enough to be visible to the naked eye. But what was exploding?

As I continued looking up, the orange grew in intensity until it flared across the skyline, illuminating the entire landscape around me with an eerie red-orange. It was only then that I became aware of the newly hushed silence of the drunken revelers nearby. And the silhouettes of other people too, who had also stopped and peppered the pedestrian corridor. We were all now strange red creatures, watching transfixed in rapt silence as the night sky was on fire. And just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone; the orange light faded back into a deep well of pitch black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Guest post by Vyvyan Evans, February 29 2024, at Readers Roost

The context against which The Babel Apocalypse is set is the World’s Fourth Industrial Revolution, or 4IR.

We currently stand on the brink of a new technological revolution, involving connectivity, smart AI and the Internet of Things. This will lead to a transformation in scale and complexity that humans have not witnessed previously. We don’t yet know how things will play out, but we can make some pretty educated guesses—which is the point of the novel, especially in terms of the future of language and communication.

First, the novel takes the advent of implantable neuroprosthetic technology, and imagines the very real possibility that within the next 100 years, the hallmark of what it is to be human—language—an ability that our species alone possesses, will be replaced by AI. Such a development would call into question what it means to be human.

Second, The Babel Apocalypse explores the consequences of humans “giving up” on language, offloading language learning, allowing AI to take over. The consequence of this, according to the novel, is that language will become a commodity (like any other, such as movies, music, and so on, that we currently stream on demand, for a fee), controlled for and by big tech, in service of shareholders and corporate interests.

The novel then predicts that this leads to a slippery slope of issues ranging from potential censorship, control of thought, and even, through cyberterrorism, the prospect of an existential crisis for the human race. This is manifested in several ways in the book, notably a global language outage, which prevents large numbers of people from being able to communicate.

Hence, these two concerns, that underpin the book, call into question what it means to be human, whether AI can and should be allowed to replace previously fundamental aspects of the human experience, and points to potential abuses of what we previously assumed to be a human birth-right.

As further context, it is worth pointing out that science fiction has a track record of successfully predicting aspects of the future. For instance, the work of Isaac Asimov, from 1940 onwards, successfully predicted some aspects of the rise of AI and its inherent dangers for humans, in terms of his Robot series of books and stories. William Gibson, in his 1984 novel Neuromancer, coined the term “cyberspace” and predicted some of the issues and dangers that would arise.

In 2015, a wide array of leading researchers, economists and even captains of industry, warned, in an Open Letter and accompanying report, against the new dangers of AI. This Open Letter was issued in response to new breakthroughs in AI that, without adequate control, might pose short and long-term existential threats to humans.

One response to the existential threat posed by AI for humans, and championed by Elon Musk (who incidentally was one of the signatories of the 2015 letter), has been, through his leadership of Neuralink, to develop neuroprosthetic technology that, ultimately, might allow the human brain to become hybridized with AI. The rationale is that by embracing AI, the new “transhuman” can stay one step ahead.

But this is the very research trajectory that leads to the potentially catastrophic prospect of language becoming a commodity, which is exactly what The Babel Apocalypse predicts.



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Dr. Vyvyan Evans is a native of Chester, England. He holds a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and is a Professor of Linguistics. He has published numerous acclaimed popular science and technical books on language and linguistics. His popular science essays and articles have appeared in numerous venues including 'The Guardian', 'Psychology Today', 'New York Post', 'New Scientist', 'Newsweek' and 'The New Republic'. His award-winning writing focuses, in one way or another, on the nature of language and mind, the impact of technology on language, and the future of communication. His science fiction work explores the status of language and digital communication technology as potential weapons of mass destruction.

Book website (including ‘Buy’ links): http://www.songs-of-the-sage.com

Author website: https://www.vyvevans.net/

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vyvevans

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VyvEvans

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vyvyan.Evans.Author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nephilim_publishing/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

The author will award a copy of the audiobook to a randomly drawn winner.

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Brake Check Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

 

Horror, psychological thriller, dark fantasy, occult, fiction

Date Published: February 18, 2024


 

When winning turns deadly…

It's 1972. On a scorching summer day in North Carolina, the sight of Rut, the father of her child, cheating with the next-door neighbor, sends pregnant Loretta into labor. Amidst the chaos, she promises that her baby boy, Rich Richardson, will not follow in his father's footsteps as a loser, but become something much greater - a professional race car driver. Loretta leaves the hospital's entrance, filled with anticipation of a fresh start and dreams of her baby's prosperous future. However, the fairytale life she had sold herself quickly takes a dark turn, when she is left with no choice but to go back home to the child's waiting father. Driven by a sense of entitlement to fame and fortune, her impulsive decisions forever change her and her son's fate.

Are you ready to face the horrors that await?

Get your copy today and uncover the rollercoaster of frightening evil that lurks beneath a young man’s life of fame.

 

About the Author

Brigitte, "Gitte," Tamar was born in a small rural Oregon town. Growing up, she was enthralled by scary tales featuring poetic tones and consistently gravitated towards writing darkened narratives. In the different storylines, Brigitte explores the harsh realities of social issues faced by today's generations. This includes the dark outcomes brought on by peer pressure, addiction, homelessness, mental illness, childhood trauma, and abuse. She feels it is essential to share narratives that refrain from sugarcoating the topics society tends to shy away from.

 

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Hidden Treasure at Little Lake Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

 

Children's Mystery

Date Published: January 29, 2024

Publisher: Mindstir Media


 

It seemed like it would be another quiet, summer morning of fishing for 11-year old Charlie, her older brother, Finn, and his best friend, Tyler. Their friendly lakeside town in west Michigan was usually peaceful and a bit boring during summer vacation for these three mystery-loving middle schoolers. Little did they know, they were about to stumble upon a thrilling treasure hunt with tricky clues and a sinister thief who is determined to beat them each step of the way. Join these three amateur detectives for a small town Michigan mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing.


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Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Before the Emerald Crown Release Blitz #rabtbooktours

 

The Before Series, Book 5


Fantasy

Date Published: 02-28-2024

Publisher: Sword and Thistle LLC


 

In a time nearly ancient, before a brave Scottish princess defied her mother, a young woman has lost everything.

Except for her unexplainable talent for magic.

Now Magda's being hunted, and in her attempt to survive, loneliness and desperation take control.

Until she meets someone who offers her a chance at happiness, at normalcy, at the fullness of life. Then she discovers something wrong, so shockingly wrong with this hopeful future, and she must make a harrowing decision to ensure her survival.

And she will have to draw on all her magic to do it.

Actions have repercussions -- Magda knows this better than anyone else -- and with her magic, she will ensure everyone else learns that lesson as well.


About the Author

Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple is an award-winning author of historical romance -- Scottish, Highlanders, and Ancient! To Dance in the Glen was recently a bestseller! She also writes contemporary romance as M.D. Dalrymple -- police and campus romances, and as Strawberry Chase, paranormal romance author.

Winner of the Top Ten Author Academy Award for 2018, Best Indie Book 2019, and N.N Night's 2021 Winner for Scottish Romance.

 

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Blood and Bonds Series Tour #GayBookPromotions

SERIES TOUR

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Bleed In The Night (Blood and Bonds #2)

Author: S. J. Coles

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Release Date: February 27, 2024

Genre:  Paranormal/Vampire/Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers/BDSM

Themes: Overcoming demons/identity

Length: 55 711 words/223 pages

Heat Rating:  4 flames

It is Book 2 in the ‘Blood and Bonds’ series.

This book ends on a series cliffhanger, but with a HFN for the couple in the story.

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It’s not just fear keeping Tyler up at night…and that’s what frightens him.

Blurb

Tyler Lomax met Lucien, supposedly the oldest haemophile in existence, on a dark night in the depths of winter. Tyler was protesting against Baron Emory Von Magnusson taking possession of a human child. He thought he’d been doing the right thing—fighting against evil, against fear.

Lucien had almost killed him for it. Now it’s months later, and Tyler hasn’t slept since. Tyler wants Lucien found. When the authorities fail him, he feels forced to take matters into his own hands.

Tyler’s contact ‘Damon’ doesn’t call himself a ‘vampire hunter’, but that is exactly what Tyler intends to pay him to be. What Tyler doesn’t bank on is having Lucien at his mercy, forcing him to confront what’s really consuming him.

Tyler will not only have to face what he is feeling but finally open his mind to a perspective other than his own. He just has to pray that opening up to Lucien won’t bleed him dry before he realizes the truth.

Excerpt 

Summer was at its height. York hadn’t felt a breath of wind or a drop of rain in weeks. Even at night, the air was still and heavy, like it was choked by a storm waiting to break.

But the weather wasn’t the reason Tyler couldn’t sleep.

It had been the same every night for weeks. As soon as he switched the light off, he was back on Askham Moor. Hands stronger than iron crushed his body. Adrenaline coursed through his veins like venom. The smell of his own urine was sharp in his nostrils.

He could hear his own voice bleeding out of him, freezing and dying in the cold night air: “Let me fucking go,” he cried. “Let me go now, or I swear I’ll…”

The grip on him tightened. Fingernails sharp as glass shards pricked his flesh.

“Be still.” The voice was as smooth as an oil spill. It poured into his ear and down his nerves, stretching them to the point of snapping. The hot, fragrant breath against his skin made his traitorous body shake.

“This is assault. I’ll have you arrested, I swear.”

“This is what happens when weak men pretend they are strong.” The creature tightened his grip in Tyler’s hair and pulled his head back, exposing his neck. “Do you still think you are strong?”

Tyler fought air into his lungs, staring at the stars that had started to wheel overhead. “Who…who are you?”

“I am Lucien,” murmured the voice. “Whether you live another fifty seconds or another fifty years, you will never forget that name.”

Tyler threw his pillow across the room. It knocked a hi-fi speaker flying. It crashed to the floor with the sickening sound of splintering wood. He sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands, breathing hard, until the red mist swirling before his eyes faded.

He checked his phone. Three-o-one a.m. He threw it at the wall, shoved back the sheets and paced the flat until, finally, the sun began to rise, and he dared open the curtains.

By the time he was nearing Fulford Road Police Station an hour later, he was finishing his fourth coffee, and his body felt like it was strung through with hot wire. There was a bitter, metallic taste in his mouth. His heart skittered in his chest.

He swore and swerved to avoid an ambulance bombing the other way down the narrow street…then another. He pulled over and climbed out of the car, shaking as the sirens faded away. Silence descended. He took a steadying breath and made for the police station on foot.

It wasn’t yet six a.m., but when he arrived, the entrance was swarming with activity. Another ambulance was pulled up onto the curb. Paramedics were hoisting up a stretcher on which sprawled an unconscious form. There was blood everywhere—on the man’s face, clothes, matting his hair. The ambulance screamed off after the others.

Tyler stood staring for a moment before shaking himself and striding into the police station.

“DI Walker,” he barked at the harried-looking desk officer. She held up a finger and continued her conversation on the phone. “Oi, lady. I said I want to see Walker. Now.”

“One sec,” she said into the phone then gave Tyler a hard look. “Please, sir. Take a seat.”

“I won’t take a bloody seat. Get Walker out here. Now.”

The woman’s face tightened. “DI Walker is engaged. If you want to leave your number, I will be sure he contacts you. Yes, I’m still here,” she spoke again into the phone. “We need extra techs to go over the CCTV as soon as possible. Yes. Scene photographers, too—”

Tyler reached over and cut the woman’s call. “I said I want Walker…now.”

She held his glare without blinking. “And I said he’s busy, sir.”

“Mr. Lomax.” Tyler turned. A tall man stood in the doorway. His brown hair was disheveled, like he’d been running his hands through it, but the hard amber of his eyes was as unyielding as stone. “You’re up early.”

“Finally,” Tyler said, folding his arms. “I came for an update on my case.”

The detective studied him for a moment. “This way, Mr. Lomax,” he said, stepping back and holding open the door.

Tyler strode through, muttering under his breath. Walker took them to an interview room and shutting them in.

“You’re avoiding me,” Tyler said.

“Why would I avoid such pleasant company as yours?” Walker replied, standing with his hands in his pockets. There were shadows under his eyes and spots of blood on his collar.

“I’m serious,” Tyler said, lifting his gaze from the stain. “You don’t think I’m serious? Because I can show you just how serious I am, if that’s what you want.”

BOOK 1

Book Title: Touch in the Night

Author: S. J. Coles

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Release Date: November 7, 2023

Genre:  Paranormal M/M Romance

Tropes: Vampire, BDSM, Single Dad, Billionaire 

Themes: Self-worth, self-acceptance, overcoming prejudice 

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length:  85 673 words/344 pages

It is Book 1 in the ‘Blood and Bonds’ Series. Books 2 & 3 due for release in 2024

This book does not end on a cliffhanger

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Jesse Truelove never felt a part of his own family. But can a vampire really give him a new one?

Blurb

With a criminal record, no steady job and a penchant for kink, Jesse Truelove has spent most of his life feeling like an outsider. He tells himself it doesn’t bother him, that he never needed human connections anyway.

Now the Undying Baron, Emory Von Magnusson, a vampire—or, to use the modern term, ‘haemophile’—has reclaimed his ancestral home north of Jesse’s hometown, and the human population isn’t sure how to react. Jesse knows a thing or two about what it’s like to be misjudged, so he keeps an open mind. But when a bungled break-in at Emory’s home brings them face-to-face, Jesse finds it’s much more than his mind that’s stimulated.

However, building a relationship with an undead blood-drinker was never going to be straightforward, especially when that undead blood-drinker reveals he wants a family.

About the Author

S.J. Coles is a Romance writer originally from Shropshire, UK. She has been writing stories for as long as she has been able to read them. Her biggest passion is exploring narratives through character relationships.

She finds writing LGBT/paranormal romance provides many unique and fulfilling opportunities to explore many (often neglected or under-represented) aspects of human experience, expectation, emotion and sexuality.

Among her biggest influences are LGBT Romance authors K J Charles and Josh Lanyon and Vampire Chronicles author Anne Rice.

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What We Were Making Book Blitz #rabtbookpromotions

 

Adult Coming of Age / Romance

Date Published: February 23, 2023

 

 

A #1 Amazon Bestseller, Peter Cloutier's "What We Were Making" is a must-read for those who love ocean adventures, political thrillers, romance, or coming-of-age stories!

 

When the lives of two expatriates intersect at the edge of civilization, opportunity, duty and deception collide. Jane is a budding ambassador of heightened motivation, insight, and curiosity. Relentless in her pursuit of justice, ethics, and the common good, her life lacks love. Enter Bill, an adrenaline-fueled waterman who lives breath to breath, wave to wave, and fish to fish. A schoolteacher by day, he embodies the island life but without partnership. When catastrophe unfolds, the two must respond to those in need while attempting to dismantle the deeper collusion around them. In the end, the only winners are those who have the resilience to stand.

What others have to say about Peter Cloutier's "What We Were Making":

"A masterful blend of two contrasting worlds, political and natural, Peter Cloutier's What We Were Making is a sensational and evocative journey into the lives of two lovers suffering the greatest challenge of all: meaning. With a new layer of domesticity, romanticism, policy, and reality in each chapter, it is as multidimensional as it is tragic, and a must-read in any event." - JJ Hebert, USA Today, WSJ and #1 Amazon best-selling author

 

"A tremendous homage to the worlds of land and sea, of beautiful conflicts of interest, and I hope that all readers may find the same grace, eloquence, and courage that I found in..." - Mariel Hemingway, Oscar-nominated actress and author, granddaughter of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway


About the Author

Peter is a waterman with over twenty years working in the South Pacific, Southeast Asia and Southern Africa. He has enjoyed working with countries and communities in the development of greater marine conservation and access to justice, more resilient water, sanitation and hygiene systems, and better maternal-child health and control against infectious diseases. He is married and a proud father of two children. He is disabled after suffered a traumatic brain injury while working in Afghanistan and has pledged to donate a significant portion of the revenue from his writing to charitable groups located in the countries where he has worked. Learn more about Peter and his family on social media and www.seatheworld.org.

 

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Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Cressida's Betrayal Teaser Tuesday #rabtbooktours

 

A Steam and Spells Steampunk Adventure

 

Empire of the Sky, Book 2


Steampunk Romance

Date Published: March 1, 2024

Publisher: Changeling Press LLC

 


Things are going well for Cressida. Egged on by Marjorie, the spirit who has taken shelter in her mind, Jacob proposes marriage as they flee the moon and its goblin king. However bigger things are at stake, and their mission to save all of humanity is jeopardized by mistrust and magical chicanery. Sexual energy flares as the danger to the empire overflows in an orgy of lust and violence. Can Jacob and Cressida’s love survive?

Attention: The following excerpt contains material suitable only for adult readers.

EXCERPT

Copyright ©2024 Mikala Ash

 

December 1865 -- Earthbound

Making love in the absence of gravity is a pleasure experienced by few. In this regard my beloved fiancé Jacob and I, and of course Marjorie, made full use of the three-day journey from the moon. Whenever the mood to clicket like a pair of foxes took us -- as it often did -- we’d strap ourselves into our cocoon -- the Lunarians’ term for the soft woollen bag designed to keep slumbering space travellers from drifting about -- and had at it with unbridled enthusiasm.

We were not the only ones. The dozen or so “marionettes” -- as Jacob termed the human bodies possessed by the spirits of goblins -- also took every opportunity to experience the joy of sex. In their natural form, the small leathery-winged creatures, which resembled the ugly statues of gargoyles, were denied by their nervous systems the ability to derive pleasure from copulation. For them, the act of coitus was simply a procreational chore, and so the ecstasy of sexual intercourse that the human body provided was to them as addictive as laudanum is to opium eaters.

Thus, the mid-section of the ship presented a scene straight from a nightmare. Cocoons bolted to the metal wall jostled their neighbours as they twisted and bucked like angry caterpillars. The contortions were accompanied by a discordant symphony of grunts, groans, and ultimate cries of climactic release.

I blush to recall that Jacob and I were no different. I was in seventh heaven with his cock relentlessly sliding, piston-like, in and out of my accommodating quim, causing my heart to gallop and my breathing to quicken into ragged gasps. I wasn’t alone, of course. Marjorie was enjoying it as well, albeit deep inside my head.

Oh, his cock is so very hard, she bellowed.

She didn’t have to tell me that. I could feel every inch of his rigid shaft stretch my tight fleshly sheath. Having a ghost possess me had added a new dimension to the constant monologue people conduct with themselves in their heads. Marjorie knew my thoughts before I could even express them to myself, and she had access to all my memories as well. The most amazing fact of her residency in my mind was that she could “feel” everything I did, from stubbing my toe to the ecstasy of sexual climax, and everything in-between.

Marjorie could also massage my body from the inside, as it were, stimulating my nipples and nub, and creating the sensations that Jacob would make with lips, tongue, fingers, and cock. She was thoroughly enjoying her demise, making liberal use of this ability, and wasn’t a passive member of our unconventional ménage which united the living and the dead.

I’m not dead, she would protest. Just misplaced, and very grateful I found you.

Murdered while she was a virgin, Marjorie’s spirit had, for some unknown reason, been irresistibly drawn to me, and had possessed my body to alert Jacob and I that her corpse had been stolen from her grave. Marjorie’s body was now possessed by a goblin who named herself Esther. One of our goals once on Earth was to return Marjorie to her rightful home. We were confident that I could perform the swap, as I had successfully done the same for Jacob in the chamber of the dead on the moon.

That Esther was writhing in ecstasy in the cocoon next to us, being ploughed enthusiastically by her so-called husband Warrick, both angered and intrigued her. He’s fucking her now, she said bitterly. I wonder what his cock feels like.

“Ugh!” I groaned, as much in disgust on her behalf as from the jolt of Jacob’s thrust. A half dozen followed, and my rising excitement was reflected in the increasing cadence of my whimpers and moans.

Jacob paused, his body tensed, but not from imminent climax.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Something’s changed. I’ll have a look.”

Now that we were not wholly engaged in pleasure, I noticed that the previously muffled grunts and groans were no longer stifled, but clear as a bell. I lifted Jacob’s arm so I could see out of our woollen shell. The agitated caterpillars, not content to remain in their cocoons, had erupted like butterflies from their chrysalides. With no gravity to keep them to the floor they twisted and tumbled through the air until the space became a mass of undulating human flesh. Jacob and I remained inside our woollen bag. The thought of intimacy with stolen bodies repelled us.

I shuddered at the memory of fucking the king of the Lunarians, Mon Ilson, and his concubine Gloria, but that had been in the cause of buying time and favour till our escape. I had only suffered the act by imagining I was making love to Jacob and Marjorie.

My memory of that awkward situation was suddenly interrupted by our cocoon being ripped open, and before I could react, Jacob and I were separated by gentle but insistent hands. In an instant Esther was kissing Jacob full on the mouth.


About the Author

Aussie Mikala Ash used to be a mild-mannered training & development consultant by day, and a wild sci-fi and paranormal adventure writer by night. Now she is a brazen full-time writer and nature photographer who is concentrating on having among other things, “… bags, and bags of fun!” Mikala can be found on Facebook and on Twitter.

 

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Hatfield 1677 #rabtbooktours


Historical Fiction

Date Published: May 21, 2024

Publisher: Acorn Publishing


 

Colonist Benjamin Waite, a devoted husband, father, and skilled military scout in King Philip’s War, reluctantly obeys orders to guide an attack against a camp of Algonquian Natives.

After the catastrophic event, Benjamin is burdened with guilt and longs for peace. But the Algonquians, led by the revered sachem Ashpelon, retaliate with vengeance upon Ben’s Massachusetts town of Hatfield, capturing over a dozen colonists, including his pregnant wife Martha and their three young daughters.

Hatfield 1677 is a tale of three interwoven yet diverging journeys of strength and survival: Benjamin, driven by love and remorse to rescue his family; Martha, forced into captivity and desperately striving to protect her children; and Ashpelon, willing to risk everything to ensure the safety and freedom of his people.

Based on the lives of the author’s ancestors, this riveting and unforgettable novel gives voice to three vastly different experiences in North America during a time before the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Then, the land was but a wilderness and a battleground; equality was not yet perceived as self-evident; and liberty and happiness were nothing more than dangerous pursuits.


About the Author

Laura C. Rader earned a BA in psychology from San Diego State University, where she minored in history and took creative writing and literature classes. She drew on those passions in her thirty-year career as a history and English teacher of elementary and middle school students. Now, a full-time historical fiction writer, Laura also enjoys studying genealogy, attending neighborhood book club meetings, taking forest walks with her Rough Collie, and visiting her adult daughter in Brooklyn. Originally from California, Laura lives twenty miles north of  Raleigh, North Carolina.  Hatfield 1677 is a work of historical fiction inspired by a story Laura discovered about her ninth great-grandparents while researching her family’s genealogy.

 

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Northman's Pleasure Teaser Tuesday #rabtbooktours


Northman's Brides 2

 

Historical Romance

Date Published:  03-02-2024

 

 

Stories say that in the heat of battle, Grim Hammerhand becomes a two-legged wolf. His prowess prompts the king to send Grim after his daughter Asgerd who has been captured by the brutal warrior Stein. In return, the king offers Grim Stein's land as well as Asgerd's hand in marriage. Mistrusting of all women, Grim vows never to marry. He reserves his passion for battle and the forge.

Asgerd has loved Grim for years, but the handsome red-haired warrior has never noticed her. Defiled by Stein, Asgerd doubts she could ever desire any man again, but when Grim defeats Stein and claims Asgerd as his wife, she realizes her feelings for Grim are stronger than ever, but can she win the trust and heart of her reluctant husband?

 

Excerpt

 

“Come face your destiny,” Grim bellowed. “I grow tired of waiting.”

A moment later, Stein and Asgerd emerged from the longhouse. She was more beautiful than ever. Even her worn tunic couldn’t hide her generous curves. What impressed him most was that her eyes shone with rage instead of fear despite the rough hold Stein had on her and the threat of his blade against her throat. She had always been an uncommonly beautiful woman. Now he saw that she had courage as well.

“You know why I’m here, Stein.” Grim tightened his hold on his sword. “You have cheated the king and abducted his daughter. Now you'll pay your debt.”

“If you want to kill me, Grim, you’ll have to go through her—the king’s daughter.”

Stein’s attraction to a woman as luscious as Asgerd was understandable, but it was no reason to abduct her, and nothing could excuse his behavior at this moment.

Grim had once fought alongside Stein years ago, but the man who stood before him was a shadow of that young warrior. Dressed in filthy clothes, his hair and beard matted, he stared at Grim with eyes glazed from too much drink. What had happened to him over the years Grim couldn’t say, and he had no time to ponder it. Asgerd’s safety mattered more than figuring out the reason for Stein’s downfall, as did reclaiming this land that the king had given to Stein when he’d been in favor. Clearly the king hadn’t realized how low Stein had sunk over the years.

“You call yourself a warrior?” Grim curled his lip in disgust. “What manner of man hides behind a woman? It seems you haven’t lived with dignity, Stein, but perhaps you can die with it. Release her and face me.”

A look of defeat and terror passed across Stein’s face. A bit of reality must have penetrated his madness and made him realize that no matter what he did there was no escaping Grim’s blade.

Surprisingly, Asgerd took advantage of her captor’s moment of doubt. With a mighty effort against the hold of Stein’s burly arms, she managed to thrust all her weight to one side and slam her fist between his legs.

Grunting in pain, he loosened his grip. She tried to flee, but only managed a few awkward steps before tumbling to the ground.

Grim howled, a battle cry that never failed to instill fear in his enemies. He raced for Stein who managed to deflect several blows before Grim’s blade rammed his gut.

The defeated warrior’s eyes bulged. He dropped his weapon and sank to his knees.

With a fierce tug, Grim withdrew his bloodied weapon from its cocoon of flesh and bone. Stein fell to the ground, dead.

Grim turned to the crowd of villagers who had gathered to watch the spectacle.

“By order of the king I lay claim to this house and lands,” he said in his most resonant voice. “Obey me and we will live in peace. Cross me and suffer Stein’s fate. Now go about your business.”

The crowd dispersed, and his men went about interrogating Stein’s warriors, deciding who would take orders and who might cause problems.

Grim turned to Asgerd who had risen awkwardly to her feet, her face and tunic stained with dirt from her fall. She stared at him warily. The delicate tip of her tongue moistened her full pink lips and her blue eyes gazed into his.

For years he had tried to ignore her. Grim wouldn’t allow a woman’s claws to sink into his heart. Bedding them was one thing, but caring for them was another. Something about Asgerd had always tempted him far too much, which was why he paid so little attention to her. She was almost irresistible, and that made her dangerous.

Now he realized her beauty was only a small part of her charm. The way she’d used her wits and meager strength against Stein inspired his admiration, and he wasn’t easily impressed. Still she was a woman and they were crafty.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No,” she replied.

“Then we should go inside and talk.”

Asgerd nodded and took a few awkward steps. It was then that he noticed the chains on her ankles.

“Wait,” he ordered, placing a hand on her shoulder. When she stopped, he squatted in front of her. His hand curled around her slender ankle that was luckily protected by a boot. The soft leather was worn from the shackle. He checked the strength of the chain and realized he would need tools to free her.

Grim lifted his gaze to her face. “He kept you like this?”

She nodded, staring at him. He imagined looking into her large blue eyes while coupling with her. Those beautiful eyes looked wary, but deep inside he saw a spark of desire. No doubt Stein had used her badly, but he hadn’t killed her passion.

Grunting softly, he stood again and swept her into his arms.

 

About the Author

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby

 

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