New Years Giveaway Extravaganza!

2015NYGSorry for the email that went out early. Funny thing about time is that there’s an AM and a PM! Turns out I’d set the post to go live at 9 AM instead of PM!

Regardless, our subscribers who saw that oops this morning know what’s coming – our Melange New Years Giveaway Extravaganza!

I am so excited for this. We’ve done giveaways in the past here and there, but nothing like this. We’ve got ebooks, we’ve got ARC’s, we’ve got autographed print books AND one lucky winner will walk away with a brand spankin’ new Kindle Fire HD6 AND a $25 Amazon Gift Card to stock it full of books! How awesome is that? Even if you already have an e-reader, you know what great gifts they make.

Instead of posting all of the giveaway sign up forms here on the blog, I’ve opted to list them on the Melange website to avoid the wonky formatting that sometimes happens with the blog posts.

To enter, go HERE: https://melange-books.com/2015NYGiveaway.html
And for the blog comments entries, come back and leave a post here!

NOTE: There are a LOT of giveaways on that link above! Please let the page fully load all of the giveaways before entering. Click the link, go check your Facebook or Twitter, then check back!

A “Within Reach” Interview with Jill Bisker + Giveaway

The talented Jody Vitek took some time out of her busy writing schedule to interview fellow talented author Jill Bisker about her shot story “Within Reach.”


 

Within Reach is a very moving and touching story about Emma and the relationship she has with her mother who is suffering with dementia. When Emma finds a special box her father carved with a seashell from her childhood inside, something happens and questions arise that she wants to ask her mother. Questions go unasked and when a small agate replaces the shell, she questions her own sanity.

Within Reach is a short, fast, fulfilling story I recommend everyone reads. The ending will have you looking within yourself.

JODY: I’d like to say hello to everyone and thank you for joining us. Jill, can you share a little about yourself? Where you live? Are you married? Do you have children?

JILL: I live in Stillwater, Minnesota.  I am just celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary with my wonderful husband, George.  I have a 21 year old son named Nathan and a 13 year old cat named Senora.

JODY: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

JILL: Yes, but it is only in the last few years that I was able to believe in myself enough to allow anyone else to read my stories.

JODY: When did you start writing?

JILL: I remember writing stories as soon as I was old enough to write.  I would staple pieces of paper together and make story books.  My mother used to tease me that I couldn’t finish a story because I was so intent on writing the dedication page.  It made me laugh a little to write the dedication page to her.

JODY: You write many different genres and I wondered if you write multiple stories at one time, within these multiple genres, at different times of the hour, day, week, month or when the mood strikes? How do you decide what to work on?

JILL: I have a lot of stories in production at a time.  I am outlining, writing and editing all at the same time.  I have many projects in various stages of completion.  My husband edits my work and helps with story continuity.  Outlining can take some time but when I am ready to write then I write 6 – 8 hours a day until a story is done.  I decide on a word count that I have to get to, usually 1500 – 2000, and I work until I get there.  As far as what to write, I find a story will often ‘demand’ to be told, whether that’s what I had planned or not.  It also helps me to rotate amongst different projects because after a first draft, it’s good to step away from it for a while so that I can return to it with fresh eyes at a later date.  So I typically have a few stories percolating in my mind, am actively writing one, and have one or two in a holding pattern waiting for the next revision.

JODY: You acknowledge your mother, Marlys, in the acknowledgments. Will you share how close to home this story is to you and your mother? If at all.

JILL: I wrote this story when I was helping my mother through the last stages of chronic illness, dementia and leukemia.  I simplified elements in the story just to keep the flow moving.   Some of the elements in the story are things that really happened.  All of the feelings and emotions are genuine.  In our family’s real story – I come from a Yours, Mine and Ours family – my father is living and I have many siblings, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.  We were all deeply affected by my mother’s struggle with dementia.  A portion of the proceeds from this story will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org.

JODY: Was it difficult to write at times?

JILL: It was actually cathartic to write.  I could focus my feelings into the piece, and it gave me a way to express those feelings and share my experience with others.

JODY: What are you working on now?

JILL: I will be starting edits on my paranormal novel that is coming out in June. (NOTE: “Finding The Way Back” was released from Melange on June 19, 2014.)  I just finished a first draft of the next story in the series and I am on the second draft of a fantasy novel.  I am outlining 3 other stories as well.

JODY: Where do you see your writing career in five years?

JILL:  I hope to continue to be able to bring new stories to life.  Who wouldn’t love a movie deal?  😉 Honestly, as long as I’m able touch others with my writing in some way, I will feel successful.

JODY: My own writer’s curiosity has to ask a few questions: Are you plotter or pantser or both? Organized working area or a mess? Do you have a designated work area? Critique group and/or beta readers?

JILL: I am a firm believer in plotting.  I have many different ways that I outline.  Each story seems to come to me in a different way.  I ask my characters a lot of questions before I even start writing so I know them very well.  I know how they act and what motivates them as well as where I want them to go in the story – how I want them to evolve.  I am very organized, I can’t work in upheaval very well.  I have a vintage vanity I use as a desk and a vintage table in the room to work on outlines.  I don’t let anyone read anything until it’s finished and then I have beta readers.  I tried critique groups but it hasn’t worked for me.  I have found that I have to write in a way that’s true to who I am and what I believe in, and if it’s good enough then hopefully it will find an audience.


 

 About Jill Bisker

Jill Bisker lives in Stillwater, MN with her husband and a calico cat named Senora. She believes in empowering women to be strong enough to protect themselves, while still soft enough to be loving and compassionate. Her work includes paranormal mystery and traditional high fantasy, as well as contemporary and humorous fantasy and an everyday living blog. Her novella Within Reach is her first publication with Melange. Once a dedicated stay at home Mom, Jill now writes full-time.

Website: www.jillbisker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjillbisker
Blog: http://www.unaccompaniedjaunt.blogspot.com
Melange:  https://melange-books.com/authors/jillbisker/index.html


About Jody Vitek

Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody has remained close to home living with her husband of twenty plus years, three children and a cat named Holly. Growing up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews’ the Dollanganger series, starting with Flowers in the Attic, S.E. Hinton, and Stephen King to name a few.

She has traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. Between watching soccer games, scrapbooking and being the COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances.

Visit and contact Jody at: www.jodyvitek.com
And on Melange: https://melange-books.com/authors/jodyvitek/index.html


GIVEAWAY

Want to get your hands on a FREE e-book copy of “Within Reach”? Simply leave a comment below and you’re entered to win!

A winner will be chosen on or soon after June 30, 2014.

An Interview with Joanne Rawson + Giveaway

Upcoming Fire and Ice author Melissa March took the time to interview the “queen of chic-lit” Joanne Rawson about her most recent Melange release, “Always Mr. Wrong.”

 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Melissa: Nothing stays cemented in a girls mind like her first real crush. Who was your first serious crush?

Joanne: Oh my, that was a long time ago. In the words of Greta, from Sound of Music, I was sixteen going on seventeen. He was seventeen going on eighteen.

First day back at school in the lower sixth form, he walked into the registration room, and I felt my face blush, my stomach fluttered and if I had been standing, I am sure my knees would have buckled. He was much taller and well built than any of the other guys in my year. He had a cheeky smile, and oozed confidence, so why had I never seen him before? It turned out he was retaking the lower sixth, hence his maturity!

Like having a new car, every car you see is the same as yours, I saw him everywhere, popping up in the most unexpected places. Then the bombshell came, I saw him with a girl from the upper sixth. Like Clare my life was ended, I would never find love again. Weeks later I was trying to forget him, praying for a miracle that he would see me across a crowed room, and knew right then and there he couldn’t live without me. “Yeah, like that is so going to happen.” Said my best friend.

Oh yea of little faith. It was as I was standing in the lunch line, someone muscled in at the back of me. An arm slipped around my waist, and whispered in my ear, “would I like to have lunch with him.”

My crush became my first love, for two years after.

 

Melissa: This story invites us to be a part of how Clare met Guy.  I always love a good how-did-they-meet story. So….how did you meet your husband?

Joanne: Having just got out of a relationship I was so off men. I had gone to my friend Polly’s for the weekend; I sat in a pub having a quite drink, when the proprietor placed a fresh glass on the table. “It’s from John,” pointing to a hunk in tight jeans, denim shirt and a waistcoat. Yummy! Much to Polly’s amazement, I asked him to join us. We talked for a while, had a couple more drinks and then Polly and I left. A couple of hour later the phone rang, it was him, apologising for it being so late, but it had taken him an hour to find Polly’s phone number. Next night he took me out, and since then we have never spent a day apart.

 

Melissa: Clare’s friend Jess doesn’t know that Clare and Guy have history so she plays matchmaker. Have you ever played matchmaker or had someone try to fix you up?

Joanne: When I was a restaurant manager, on Sundays we had anything up to a three-hour waiting list. Every Sunday, I had an elderly man who came in asking for a table of one, which always caused me trouble taking up a table of two for a one. Anyway, one Sunday a lovely elderly lady came in asking for a table for one, not long after my regular guy. Talking it over with my assistant Jason, wondering if I could ask them to share, he thought I was crazy. Even so, I wandered over put my solution over to my regular guy, then took him and introduced him to the lady. I could not believe it they both agreed. For the next six months, I was at that restaurant they came in every Sunday and during the week. Not sure how it all ended.

 

Melissa: Have you ever had a bad Star Wars fantasy episode?

Joanne: Not a bad fantasy as such, but enough to put me off having one.  I was dating this guy, with long unruly hair, a bushy beard, that I found a rather intellectual, cultured and mature, seeing as I was going through my arty, farty, intellectual phase at that time. Then one-night things got a little amours; off came his shirt, and to my horror, the beard continued down his chest, and around his back, yes folks I was dating Chewbacca. Just to say every time now I see Chewbacca I cringe.

 

Melissa: I love English sayings. But I’m not familiar with one in the book. What is silly o’clock?

Joanne: I am not sure if it is an English saying, but it is a saying I use. Instead of saying, “She rang me at three o’clock in the morning.” I would say, “she rang me at silly o’clock this morning.” My friends would know it was an inappropriate time of the morning she called.

 

Melissa: Your character Eleanor was a hoot. Is she based on someone you know?

Joanne: Mainly I make up my characters, but there perhaps is a mix match of people I know, or that I have observed. Some of the tales I tell are real life stories from people I have met over the years.

 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

About Joanne Rawson

Joanne Rawson was born and brought up in Derbyshire England. After leaving college in 1984, she headed off to be an au pair in the Loire Valley, France for one year.

Returning back, to England, Joanne worked work for Derbyshire Education Authority in special education, and then for Derbyshire Social services working with adults with learning and physical difficulties.

In 2005, Joanne and her husband decided to give up their hectic lifestyle, after ten years of managing branded restaurants around London’s M25, now spending her time in England, Goa, and Malaysia, writing romantic novels and short stories.

Melange: www.melange-books.com/authors/joannerawson/index.html
Blog: http://authorjoannerawson.blogspot.com

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

About Melissa March

Melissa March lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son. Love You To Death is her first published novel.

She gravitates toward YA fiction and is currently working on three other novels, expanding her genre to include an adult mystery.

She spends most of her time writing, trying to figure out how to work her blog site, and chasing after her toddler.

Website: www.melissamarch16.com 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/melissa.march.963

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

~ * ~ GIVEAWAY ~ * ~

Leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of “Always Mr. Wrong”

A winner will be chosen on March 16, 2014

An Interview with John Steiner + Giveaway

We’re happy to be introducing a new series of interviews with some of our authors.

We’re kicking things off with author Daphne Olivier (“The Pegasus Project”, “The Way it Was” and “The Kennaway Woman”) interviewing author John Steiner (“Fire Alive!” and The “Squad V” series)

First, a little about “FLIPSPACE: Flight of the Mockingbird”

Training for the ISS Mockingbird, Colonel Sumitra Ramachandra and Major Lamarr Fitch find that they’re being deployed before certification. The ISS Astraeus, an International Space Organization vessel fails to transmit its latest exploration report in the Gliese 667 System twenty-two light-years away. Colonel Ramachandra learns that the Mockingbird she commands was built for more than intra-solar operation. Three people with complicated and enigmatic backgrounds are added to her crew roster just before launch.

Now let’s get things started!

“FLIPSPACE: Flight of the Mockingbird” by John Steiner

Daphne: Hello. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

John: As a kid I was disappointed by the science fiction I was seeing, and in junior high school I preferred writing a fictional character’s journal rather a journal of myself as assigned by the teacher. Because I’d practically addicted to spaceflight I’ll start daydreaming it if I’m not getting enough in the news or in fiction.
Daphne: Flight of the Mockingbird is science fiction story that takes place in the far-distant future. Do you write in any other genre?

John: Other genres include speculative fiction, fantasy and horror.

 

Daphne: Who is you favourite sci-fi author?

John: It’s probably a tossup between Michael Crichton and Arthur C. Clarke. They both tackled stories with the backing of solid science, and still engrossed us with the depth of their characters and events in the story.

 

Daphne: What is the most memorable sci-fi book you’ve ever read?

John: That would be the Giants of Ganymede series by James P. Hogan. It involves finding a dead human astronaut on the moon who has been there for over 50,000 years. The discoveries and debates between main characters were intense and riveting, and engaged me to also speculate as to the outcome of the novel. This is what’s referred to as Active Reading, as those the audience is a participant in the story.

 

Daphne: What inspired you to write Flight of the Mockingbird?

John: The spaceflight monkey was riding me pretty hard. NASA missions were few, far between and all unmanned. Even shows involving space exploration were a let-down. I was excited for the series, “Star Trek: Enterprise” until a character I call, “Captain Buzzkill from the 26th century” steps in and spills the beans about what the first starship will encounter in the future.

 

Daphne: If Flight of the Mockingbird was made into a film, who would you choose to be the leading character?

John: That’s tough, because I’m not that familiar with Hindi-American or Bollywood actors from India. Most of the actresses from India I’ve seen kept their hair long, whereas Colonel Sumitra Ramachandra has hers very short.

I do picture Chief Carl Anders as being played by Carl Weathers, and wrote Major Lamarr Fitch as if he were Nathan Fillion.

 

Daphne: What are you working on at the moment?

John: The finale for the Astraeus Event series of Flipspace. I have a science fiction novel, “Bridging the Lotus” and a fantasy novel, “Brute” that are both waiting to be finished.

 

Daphne: Do you manage to write every day?

John: Not always. I’ve learned never to force a story if it’s not flowing, because the results always turned out bad.

 

Daphne: How do balance writing with all of life’s responsibilities?

John: To quote Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, “First order of business, survival.” The day job must be dealt with, because that’s where my steady money is. Sometimes Sniffles, my cat demands attention and may get very insistent.

 

Daphne: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do to overcome it?

John: Originally I wouldn’t take on more than one story at a time, but lately I’ve realized that a mood shift will push me to do a story in another genre, where creativity opens up. Also, I have a few PC games that I imagine my story through as I play, or just to numb the mind.

 

Daphne: Do you plot your stories from beginning to end or do you just get an idea and run with it?

John: I envision key scenes, and gauge how much character growth or plot development is needed to bridge them. Many times the ending isn’t known to me until I get there. Other stories I had plotted out, but the pathway leads itself to an unexpected direction.

Think of Shmendrick the Magician in The Last Unicorn, “Magic, magic, do as you will.”

There are even times when I get the story in whole or in part during the dream. If it’s too vague, sometimes the dream will provide a narrator or subtitles.

 

Daphne: Do you think the Flipspace device you describe in your novel will ever be developed and used to achieve faster than light space travel?

John: The science suggests that tesseracts could exist, but the question is why they don’t occur naturally. Two hurdles exist for interstellar flight. The first is energy, but the second is precision. Vacuum Energy could solve the power problem if we can figure out why observed

Vacuum Energy doesn’t match what established quantum principles suggest should occur. Also, figuring out how to harness it is the other issue. With precision that may prove trickier, because it means calculating trajectories with several magnitudes more accuracy than we’ve ever done before.

Alternative means of FTL travel are serious points of interest for NASA. One of those is the Alcubierre drive. You can find a description on nasa.gov or other the 100 Year Starship Project which is 100yss.org.

 

Daphne: The combat scenes you describe in Flight of the Mockingbird are very realistic. Are they based on real life experience or are they simply drawn from your imagination?

John: My time in the military was only a couple months, and that was back in 1992. However,

I had spoken to veterans of wars from WWII all the way through to the latest Iraq War. I read about military combat experiences, operations and watched documentaries on the subject. I had decided that in adult fiction I wanted no sugar-coating of combat. That combat is a terrifying thing is the point of why we should avoid conflict until left no other choice.

 

Daphne: I was intrigued by the gene importation therapy, cellular cybernetics and genetic hacking you describe. Do you think humans will ever utilise such practices?

John: The 20th century is where we discovered DNA, learned its code for proteins and unravelled the human genome. In the 21st I expect us to understand the epistatic genome which are the genes that don’t code for proteins, but influence those which do. Then Our understanding of gene interaction will be good enough that we’ll tackle major medical problems and work them with the same efficiency as any other machine.

Gene therapy exists now in its infancy, and I think we’ll go further at first to deal with genetic disorders. Following that, we’ll tackle those genes which are normal in the human species, yet lead to series problems, such as joints, blood flow, aging and other ailments that are the result of mutations that all primates inherited or that are common to all mammals.

Then we’ll decided that maybe we should have a double-retina. There is one defective step in the pathway for making vitamin C that all primates have, which we may decide should be fixed. If we learn how to prevent harmful mutations, we’ll then be able to insert the amphibian regeneration gene, whereas the one all mammals, birds and reptiles have contain defects.

In the century to come we’ll learn to write genes that have no natural parallel, but create enzymes that can in turn produce nanotechnology. This would give us thumbs at the molecular level.

 

Daphne: One of your characters is reconstructed and brought back to life 28 years after his death. Present-day doctors are already using stem cells to grow new body parts, but is it theoretically feasible to reconstruct a whole body.? And if so, would the reconstructed man have the memory and personality of the one who died?

 

“Fire Alive!” by John Steiner

John: Captain Malcolm O’Connell is a carry-over character from “Fire Alive!” His reconstitution had to do with the Xerces Protocol, which involved not only preserving neurological stems cells, but a computer backup to the neuro-synaptic pattern that represents his mind at the moment of death. I’m still deciding on what new limits to lifespan might emerge, but in Flipspace there are several legal issues as to what is considered the same person, and whether a patient has a living will for “Do Not Reconstitute.”

 

Daphne: Is your novel part of a series?  Can you tell me a little about the world you’ve created and what makes it so different from today’s world.

John: At present, Flipspace is a twelve part series, which I constructed on the model of television or cable series. The first twelve stories are “The Astraeus Event” which is where the ISS Mockingbird crew are sent on various missions to eventually figure out what happened and how to find the crew of the ISS Astraeus.

The world of Flipspace, which is in 2175, is where I think we’ll end up as a world of nations and alliances based on the social and geo-political trends I see today. While I can’t be sure we’ll have solved the FTL problem, I think the other technologies of Flipspace will arrive by 2175 or sooner. That all depends on what emerges that might stall advancement of civilization or even knocks us back.

 

Daphne: Did you use a critique partner or group to help with revisions and editing?

John: With Flipspace I had a test audience. One of those is a civilian pilot, who is a big fan of WWII aces, and another is a good friend of mine at the college I work for.

 

Daphne: If you had a time machine, what time period would you travel to?

John: Forward… definitely forward. I tell people never wish to live in an era before penicillin. I have a good idea of where humanity will be in the future, but the time to get there is likely longer than I’ll live. Malcolm O’Connell as the “oldest non-consecutively living” human being is born in 2002. Most especially, I would love to be on hand to witness our first encounter with extra-terrestrial life, in particular intelligent life.

 

Daphne: Some of your characters are genetically enhanced. If you had access to such “enhancement” what characteristics would you choose?

John: My wish for enhancements is closer to fantasy, which would be a duel state genome, where traits for human and wolf were present, and I switched between them. Barring that, the claws and sharp teeth just because I feel like I should’ve had them. The fluorocarbon nano-cages that O’Connell and the Ghostwalkers have would be nice. I’d love to sprint for nearly an hour and not be short of breath. Anything that meant joints and nerves never broke down. Having the kind of immune system like a shark, where disease and cancer are never a factor would be great, without having to wait four hundred million years of evolution to get it. Better senses, and greater capacity of the brain. It’d be a long list.

 

Daphne: What hopes and plans do you have for your writing future?

John: I have to wrap up “Brute” and “Bridging the Lotus.” I’m also considering an urban fantasy series in the same writing template as Flipspace. I feel like the “Squad V” series needs one more novel to show where the overall theme is ending at, and maybe a few prequel stories to go with it. Other stories will be brought to me as the universe sees fit.

GIVEAWAY:

Leave a comment below and we’ll give one lucky commenter a free copy of John’s first FLIPSPACE mission, “Flight of the Mockingbird.” Winner may choose Kindle, PDF or ePub file format.

Winner will be chosen via random.org on February 25, 2014 March 4, 2014.

NOTE: Due to an issue with comments not posting, this giveaway has been EXTENDED.

John Steiner

John Steiner

About John Steiner:

John Steiner earned his Associate of Biology at Salt Lake Community College and works as a college tutor at Salt Lake Community College. He exercises an avid interest in history, science, philosophy, mythology, martial arts as well as military tactics and technology.

Contact John:
Melange: https://melange-books.com/authors/johnsteiner/index.html
Email:
john@walkingotherworlds.com
Website: www.walkingotherworlds.com

Daphne Olivier

Daphne Olivier

About Daphne Olivier:

Daphne Olivier grew up in the foothills of the Amatolas, where the novel is set, and where many of the locals still speak with pride of their German/Irish heritage. The story of the Kennaway Girls has always fascinated her, and a visit to the museum in East London, which displays a collection of historic memorabilia, inspired her to write a novel based on the life of one of these brave women.

After training as a nurse, Daphne married and for many years lived on a farm. Today she lives in a small South African town together with her husband and their two dogs.

Contact Daphne:
Melange:
https://melange-books.com/authors/daphneoliver/index.html
Email: 
dafol@mtnloaded.co.za
Blog: http://dapholivier.wordpress.com

Melange Book Release|| February 12, 2014 + Giveaway

Melange Book Release|| February 12, 2014

Melange Book Release|| February 12, 2014

 

"Always Mr. Wrong" by Joanne Rawson

“Always Mr. Wrong” by Joanne Rawson

Always Mr. Wrong by Joanne Rawson

Clare Darby is feeling restless, but can’t quite put her finger on why. Her life is in order, so what is the problem? When her daughter asks what she really wants for Christmas how can Clare tell her all she wants is to get laid. All her life she has fallen for Mr. Wrong. Will she ever find Mr. Right?

 

"Point of No Return" by Tara Fox Hall

“Point of No Return” by Tara Fox Hall

Point of No Return by Tara Fox Hall

Promise Me # 7

When Sarelle discovers Theo’s love for Tasha is not all it seems, she breaks the love spell, even as she fears the consequences. Dreaming with Theo again awakens old feelings, even as Devlin’s possessiveness increases when Sar is discovered to be pregnant. Influenced by her blood bond to Devlin and Danial, and her magical bond with Theo, Sar is determined to make the relationship with her lovers work. But can Sar trust her heart fully, much less her own desires?

"Blood and Fire" by Tori L. Ridgewood

“Blood and Fire” by Tori L. Ridgewood

Blood and Fire by Tori L. Ridgewood

The Talbot Trilogy, Book Two

What chance does one witch have against five vampires? Alone, not much. But Rayvin’s allies are gathering… The battle between good and evil supernatural forces heats up in the long, cold November nights of the former mining town. But how will Rayvin’s motley crew of spellcasters and shapeshifters cope when they discover the threat they face is even greater than they imagined?

"Death Song" by Richard Dawes

“Death Song” by Richard Dawes

Death Song by Richard Dawes

A Tucson Kid Western #2

The Tucson Kid is sentenced to death when he’s accused of murder after killing a man in a gunfight. He’s bought out of his sentence by a woman who has a job for him. A bandit is holding something over her father, and she asks Tucson to infiltrate his gang to discover what it is. Tucson is pitted alone against the outlaws and must face the bandit chief in a battle to the death.

"Elmo's Sojourn" by Walt Trizna

“Elmo’s Sojourn” by Walt Trizna

Elmo’s Sojourn by Walt Trizna

Elmo, a retired scientist, travels through a wormhole to the planet Roth where he helps combat an alien invasion which is menacing the planet.

Buy the book here: 

“Little Girls Dream Big” by Nicole Angeleen – Giveaway

About the Book:

Olympic gymnast Trixie Dalca’s world is destroyed the day her sister Ileana falls during training, slips into a coma, and dies. To cope with the loss, Trixie turns to her best friend, American gymnast Shaye Sylvester. Together with Shaye and amateur documentary filmmaker Abby Vicari, the three unlikely investigators question whether Ileana’s death was merely a tragic accident or murder.

Melange Releases for October 23-28, 2013 plus print book giveaway!

Melange Book and Fire & Ice YA Books Releases / September 23-28, 2013

Melange Book and Fire & Ice YA Books Releases / September 23-28, 2013

Three great new releases this past week from Melange!

We’ve got fantasy, paranormal serial killers and romantic escapades!

Over at Fire and Ice we’ve got the tale of a young girl coming of age and discovering she’s a mermaid in “Into the Deep” and another young girl being forced to grow up too fast and give up everything she loves in “No Time for Horses.” Both are already ranked on Amazon’s Top 100 lists!

Melange Books Releases

 

"Squeeze" by J. B. Wolfe

“Squeeze” by J. B. Wolfe

“Squeeze” by J. B. Wolfe

In every person’s life there is a moment which uniquely defines them. A moment that divides life into “before” and “after”, a single point in thaeir lives which will change them forever – a threshold moment which, once the threshold is crossed, completely changes everything about a person. For Wendy Calloway, a one-time vocalist recovering from the hellish car accident that claimed her mother’s life and her father’s mind, the greatest “threshold moment” of her life is the moment in which her life is ended. Slain by the diabolical serial murderer known as the “Squeeze Killer”, Wendy finds herself catapulted into the “unseen world”, now a disoriented, disembodied spirit who must come to terms with her afterlife before she can succumb to the overwhelming desire to mete out justice to her killer.

"Savior" by Dennis K. Hausker (The Shattered World Saga #3)

“Savior” by Dennis K. Hausker (The Shattered World Saga #3)

“Savior” by Dennis K. Hausker

The Shattered World Saga – Book Three

In the stunning conclusion of the epic story of Aron and his post apocalyptic world, Damien poses the threat of a society of his rabid followers bereft of rational values and concerns. He’s faced with the impossible in leading the rebellion with primitive arms against a nightmare enemy armed with fearful weapons from the ancient war that destroyed the world. His personal angst continues, as again love remains elusive with the obstructions of endless setbacks and interference from others. Can he find a way to prevail and warrant the faith his friends have in him or will the world sink into Damien’s dark reality?

"Wicked Lustful Tales Volume 1" by Maria Cox

“Wicked Lustful Tales Volume 1” by Maria Cox

“Wicked Lustful Tales Vol. 1” by Maria Cox

Wicked Lustful Tales is a compilation of three short stories that blend, drama, friendship and most certainly steamy romance.

Stranded
During a group cycling vacation in the Caribbean Shana White learns that her boyfriend is moving to New York to further his career without her. With no intention of sulking Shana opts for a day excursion with former beau and fellow cyclist Nick Marino. After a biking accident leaves them stranded the rekindling of an old friendship and memories of their torrid past emerge leaving Shana to struggle with conflicting emotions. Now on the rebound can she afford to seek solace in Nick’s arms and risk heartache all over again?

The Charity Event
With a career in photography about to take off Adam Baxter is at the top of his game. Office buddy Jennifer Silva has been a supportive friend from the start and the two have an easygoing platonic relationship. But when Adam’s assistant Nellie singles out Adam’s jealous behavior he’s forced to analyze his true feelings for beautiful, caring Jennifer. Adam knows all too well that a romantic involvement can complicate matters. So, is Adam ready to put it all on the line and take their friendship to the next level?

Snowed In
When Nina Bates discloses her pregnancy she’s soon shunned by her boyfriend and her mother. Alone and confused Nina turns to her grandmother who suggests she leave her hometown of Seattle and move to Alaska. In Anchorage, divorcee Dexter McIver hires Nina as live-in nanny to his son. An emotional bond develops between them and after Nina delivers her baby the smoldering attraction that existed for months threatens to boil over. With so much at stake should Nina and Dexter go out on a limb for a brief liaison?

Fire and Ice Releases

 

"Into the Deep" by Missy Fleming

“Into the Deep” by Missy Fleming

“Into the Deep” by Missy Fleming

No one understands the fury of the ocean like Zoey.

Ten years ago, she lost her leg in a freak shark attack. The night after her sixteenth birthday, she has yet to accept her awkward prosthetic limb or the fact she will always be different. Wary of the sea, and its hidden threats, she ventures to a bonfire at the beach. She’s mesmerized by its awesome power, wondering what she ever had to fear, until a rogue wave sweeps her into the cool, salty water.

Zoey believed mermaids were creatures of legend, characters in silly children’s stories, but it’s hard to ignore the captivating tail that’s suddenly appeared, or the sense of finally being whole. She abandons her life on land in search of answers about who she really is and where she came from.

What she discovers is a kingdom full of intrigue and danger, as well as a royal father she never knew existed. Settling into her role as a mermaid princess, she learns her family is under attack, both on land and in the water. Raging storms swell up, threatening coastal cities, and sea levels rise practically overnight, endangering the lives of everyone she loves. Determined to stop the strange phenomena, Zoey becomes caught up in the race to track down what, or who, is responsible for the catastrophic events.

But, Zoey possesses another secret, one born of legend and more powerful than any mer or human can imagine.

"No Time For Horses" by Shannon Kennedy (Shamrock Stables #2)

“No Time For Horses” by Shannon Kennedy (Shamrock Stables #2)

“No Time for Horses” by Shannon Kennedy

Shamrock Stables #2

Sixteen-year-old Vicky Miller feels overloaded since her parents filed for divorce. Her mother got the house and a new job. Her step-dad has the new car and a new girlfriend. Vicky has the five kids, her younger half-brothers and sisters who range from 18 months to 10 years old to look after and her own life now comes second to their needs and wants.

It’s been six months of house-cleaning, baby-sitting, cooking, non-stop laundry and Vicky is through waiting for her life to improve. She has plans for her sophomore year at Lincoln High and they don’t include being an unpaid servant. If it takes a constant battle to attend her riding classes and complete her internship at Shamrock Stable, she’s ready to fight for her goal to be the best natural horse trainer around.

Her parents may not have time for her to be with horses, but she has dreams no one can steal. Why should she give them away? But will keeping them mean she loses her family?

“The Kitchen Dance” by Geri G. Taylor

WIN IT!

We’re giving away FIVE printed ARC’s (Advanced Release Copies) of Geri G. Taylor’s “The Kitchen Dance.”

Being ARC’s, these books may contain print errors in the text and/or the jacket.

“The Kitchen Dance” by Geri G. Taylor ~ Melange Books~ ARC ~ WIN IT!

About the book:

According to Rene Descartes, no two bodies can occupy the same space at the same time and any physical motion of a body involves moving other bodies from the space they occupy. In my first work of contemporary fiction, Joule and Allen create their own movements in THE KITCHEN DANCE.

Joule Dalton, a successful interior designer with a prestigious architectural firm, lived her life choreographed by her loved ones until a tragedy forces her to learn her own steps. Allen Brooks has endured his own share of manipulations and all his hard work and sacrifice has left him with nothing. He wears his troubles like the too large overcoat he picked up at a mission while living on the streets. This coat brings them together in an unexpected way. Joule takes the misfortunate Allen into her home in hopes of turning his life around. She gives him a place to live, a job, even introduces him to her wealthy friends. What she does not give him is her trust. This he must earn. The two combine their dreams and create a wonderful relationship. Then Allen gets a call that will challenge his sense of responsibility. He makes a choice, one that Joule cannot begrudge. Allen struggles with his decision while Joule goes back to her old life until they both realize what they really want.

 

Book Releases for Sept 2 / 3, 2013 ~ Giveaway!

Book Releases for Melange September 2 - 3, 2013

Book Releases for Melange September 2 – 3, 2013

 

Somehow this month we’ve pretty much ended up with a red/black/white color scheme for our covers!

Read on through and at the end of this blog post learn how you can win a free e-book copy of one of the books featured in the blog today!

Melange Releases

“Immortal Confessions” by Tara Fox Hall ~ A ‘Promise Me’ Origins Tale

Immortal Confessions” by Tara Fox Hall
Promise Me – Book 5

 

At the turn of the 19th century, former aristocrat turned lowly vampire Devlin Dalcon gets by on his supernatural charms until he meets bride-to-be Annabelle. Smitten by Anna’s forthrightness, intellect, and bravery, Devlin risks his life to spirit her away to Fontainebleau, France. There Devlin begins his ascent to power in a desperate bid for wealth and social standing for himself and Anna.

Forging alliances with other supernatural leaders, he usurps the vampire Lord of Fontainebleau, amassing many enemies during his brief reign. Within a few years, he and Anna are again forced to flee for their lives to America. Living in hiding, Devlin is determined to amend his ways. But when tragedy strikes, Devlin’s dark side, never fully extinguished, emerges rampant, securing him the bloody throne of America even as his malevolence and loneliness consumes him.

“Waite For Midnight” by J. B. Wolfe

Waite for Midnight” by J. B. Wolfe

 

Vivian Waite has spent her entire life pretending to be someone else. As a KGB mozhno in 1957 Florida, she seduces whomever her novator and would-be paramour Viktor Petrov has targeted for her. Her life is changed dramatically, however, when a small oceanographic firm in Florida discovers a dangerous breach in the American coastal defenses exposing a secret which catapults the fledgling KGB agent, the little girl who survived the Siege of Leningrad, into the gnashing maw of the “Space Race” and leaves her fighting for her life.

As Viktor, the Soviet “Devil in the Details”, guides her through the dangerous maze of Cold War espionage she is doggedly pursued by the ambitious Leland Bell, a CIA officer striving for recognition and respect, and Bell’s tight circle of CIA henchmen. Will Vivian’s near-photographic memory, her quick-thinking, and her passion for Viktor be enough to enable her to evade her enemies, to define her identity… to live? Can Vivian, an inexperienced former mozhno, little more than a KBG call girl, piece together an answer for the riddle that lies off the Florida coast; the enigmatic C-FAR breach?

“A Role to Kill For” by H. Paul Doucette

A Role to Kill For” by H. Paul Doucette
A Matt Murphy Mystery – Book One

 

When the mutilated body of a young man is found in an alley in the early hours of a winter’s day, events would be set in motion that would lead Matt Murphy into the world of a young woman’s twisted desire to find a love that could never be had and the betrayal of a father.

As the bodies pile up, he is drawn into the delusional mind of a serial killer who is obsessed with young, handsome actors working the Off Broadway circuit of the Village. Why these men? And, why the mutilations? As Murphy delves further into the case, he knows he is moving closer to a confrontation: a confrontation that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

“Covert Exposure” by Valerie J. Clarizio

Covert Exposure” by Valerie J. Clarizio
A Nick Spinelli Mystery (#1)

 

* Previously published under the title “Cookies For Santa”

Detective Spinelli’s life is tossed sideways when he is reassigned from the Homicide division to assist in the Child Services division of the Social Services Department for the holiday season. From the beginning, Spinelli and Caseworker Shannon O’Hara generate their own kind of fireworks, causing more than the normal workplace stress. They both have their own philosophies for dealing with the clientele. However, the forces of nature have their own plan for Spinelli and Shannon.

Shannon moonlights as Santa Claus’ little helper at the mall, and when Santa and an elf turn up dead Shannon appears to be next on the killer’s list. Spinelli is placed back on homicide and goes undercover as Santa to help capture the killer. He catches a great deal of grief along the way but will he capture the heart of his little Santa’s helper as well?

 

Family Plots by C.G. Eberle

“Family Plots” by C.G. Eberle

Family Plots” by C.G. Eberle
A John Seraph Mystery – Book Two

 

When John Seraph’s neighbor is murdered, John goes on the warpath to bring the killer to justice and he unearths forgotten atrocities left over from World War Two.

John Seraph’s newest challenge begins when he finds Rory Duffy’s dead body in his friend’s apartment. Despite being warned off by the police, John’s determined to see justice served, but in the course of his investigation he learns of Rory’s involvement in the infamous Dachau Massacre, a cache of hidden riches taken by the Nazis from their victims, and he learns of a plot to create a Fourth Reich. With threats coming from the lead detective and a group of Neo-Nazis, John gets some backup from mob enforcer/ gun-for-hire Katsuro Ryuu. Together they protect Rory’s family and hunt for the killer as the Neo-Nazis declare war on John.

“Murder Most Foul” by JoAnne Myers

Murder Most Foul” by JoAnne Myers

 

When two dismembered and unidentifiable torsos wash up on a local riverbank, beautiful 29-year-old registered nurse Jackie Reeves, believes the killer is a man from her past with a history of mental problems. She contacts the dangerously handsome 34-year-old FBI Special Agent Walker Harmon, who arrives in the sleepy town of Pleasant Valley, and met with a reception of lies and threats from local police and citizens. Under constant pressure from both the media and public, along with taunting messages aimed at Agent Harmon and Jackie from person’s unknown, the agent races against time to catch the killer before he strikes again, and before an innocent man is convicted. With a suspect list involving the victims’ parents, ex-lovers, Satanists, a contaminated crime scene, corrupt police, and the motorcycle gang the Devil’s Disciples, circumstances turn the hunt personal, as the hunters become the prey.

“Promise Me Anthology” by Tara Fox Hall

“Promise Me Anthology” by Tara Fox Hall

 

With Every Goodbye (Sarelle)
Sarelle McGarran loves her new country life, her pets, and her husband, Brennan. When she loses him to a tragic climbing accident, Sarelle must fight depression, financial hardship, and her family and friends’ good intentions to embrace a new destiny all her own.

Heart’s Bells (Theo) 
College students Theo and Casey are in love, but Theo’s father’s ambition for his artistic son stands in their way. When Theo’s family is attacked by a werecougar on vacation, he alone survives. Now afflicted himself, will Theo dare endanger the one person he loves most, hoping their love will endure his new animal nature?

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Heather, Devlin, Ulysses)*
Heather is a hardworking college student studying to be a nurse. When she meets the vampire Devlin Dalcon, infatuation quickly becomes obsession. Will Heather heed Devlin’s warnings, or let herself be destroyed by her dangerous desire?

Night Shift (Jordan, Heather) * and Just Business (Tony, Thane, Danial, Devlin, Nate, David, Jordan, Angelica, Lash)*
When the mortal teen Angelica witnesses careless vampires draining accident victims on the hospital night shift, she runs to her bosses, mobsters Tony and Thane, for protection. While angered at the problem, Devlin also sees possibilities for expansion with Tony and Thane…if he can maneuver everyone into place in time.

Partners (Danial, Devlin, Angelica, Theo)* this is an extended version
Vampire investigator Danial Racklan finds more than his target when the suffering werecougar Theo crosses his path one evening. For Theo is not only a man with a past as tragic as his own, but also destined to give Danial something he’s never had before: a partner he could trust.

State of Grace (Nate)*
Made a vampire by accident, timid Rodney has been reduced to feeding on animals to survive. Befriended by a veterinarian, Jackie, Rodney goes after her the night she attempts to thwart a dogfighting ring alone. But can he kill others of his own kind to save Jackie’s life?

Sonata (Devlin, Nate, David)* 
When Nate challenges Devlin to seduce a human woman using limited words, the handsome vampire agrees to the bet, figuring to let a musical composition do the work for him. But Mary Ann, the woman in question, has an agenda of her own.

Night Music (David and Krys)* 
Grieving Krys Markman has come to lose herself in family memories at Letchworth State Park, and try to figure out her next step. Yet the unearthly beautiful music she hears each night stirs her soul to romance. Can its creator, the attractive vampire David Helm, heal her broken heart?

Tears and Rain (Terian, Kyle)
Terian has come west, seeking his friend and former mentor Colin in an effort to forget his unrequited love for Sar and increase his magical skills. Instead, he finds a harsh lesson in the bonds of family, along with fresh purpose and determination.

Heart’s Solace (Theo and Tasha) 
When the badly wounded cougar comes to her father’s country estate, Russian teen Tasha names him Nazdeha, the word for hope. But as time goes on, Tasha discovers that the animal is instead a werecougar named Theo, whose only thought once recovered is to return to his family. Scared that Theo is doomed to die if he leaves, Tasha bespells Theo with Heart’s Solace, a magical love potion given to her by a mysterious cloaked figure.

*These stories link together to tell a wider story

Book Releases for Fire and Ice September 2 - 3, 2013

Book Releases for Fire and Ice September 2 – 3, 2013

 

And onto our young adult books from Fire and Ice!
Both of these books are sequels. Be sure to check out the first books in the series on our website.

 

“Spirits of the Pirate House” by Paul Ferrante

“Spirits of the Pirate House” by Paul Ferrante

A T.J. Jackson Mystery #2

 

Even Paradise has a Dark Side…

During their first adventure in Gettysburg, T.J., LouAnne and Bortnicker established themselves as talented ghost hunters. So when The Adventure Channel gives them an opportunity to visit the island of Bermuda to film the pilot episode of Junior Gonzo Ghost Chasers, they can’t resist. What could be better than scuba diving, sightseeing, and ghost hunting for pirates in a romantic tropical oasis? But the teens soon realize that their target, legendary Bermudian buccaneer Sir William Tarver, has a back-story that never made it into the history books. The problem is, even if T.J.’s team is able to make contact, will their investigation raise more questions than it answers? And will the proud people of Bermuda be able to deal with the truth?

 

“Call of the Canyon” by Nancy Pennick

“Call of the Canyon” by Nancy Pennick
Waiting For Dusk Book Two

 

Two Lives…
Two Worlds…

Heartbreak awaits.

Call of the Canyon, second of the Waiting for Dusk series, continues the dramatic story of Kate Roberts and Drew Kelly. New challenges face the couple when Drew joins Kate in the present. Nothing is easy. Tyson’s still their nemesis, causing trouble whenever he can. Carl, Kate’s friend and neighbor, moves back home to Ohio and creates unexpected problems at the canyon. A wedding, a tragic accident, and a family broken by scandal affect both the past and present. And in the end, Kate may pay the ultimate price.

 

To win a free e-book copy of any one of the books featured in the blog today, simply leave a comment and tell us which book you are most interested in! We’ll choose a winner on or shortly after Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

“Long Snows Moon” by Stacey Darlington

And finally, congrats to the winner of the ebook copy of “Long Snows Moon” by Stacey Darlington…… LISA W.
Check your email, Lisa! Congrats!

Trailer Tuesday: “Long Snows Moon” by Stacey Darlington

Welcome to the first edition of: Trailer Tuesday!

Today we are happy to bring you the book trailer for Stacey Darlington’s book “Long Snows Moon.”

 

“Long Snows Moon” by Stacey Darlington / Trailer Tuesday

A young socialite finds herself hurled from her comfort zone of luxury and self-denial into the esoteric world of animal magic. When her pet wolf/husky hybrid, Long Snows Moon, plummets from her car window to the forest below, Devon Danforth must explore the haunted woods to find her. During her drunken stumble through the forest, Devon finds love in the arms of Jameson Jordan, the Native American girl she met as a teen during a family skiing vacation. During her sexual awakening, Devon discovers her own animal nature and her wild family lineage.


WIN an ebook copy of “Long Snows Moon!”

 

Igniting Fire Alive! // Guest Post by John Steiner

 Igniting Fire Alive! 

It licks without a tongue.
It breathes without lungs.
It devours without teeth.
It rages without a heart.
It cannot be frightened.

"Backdraft" (1991)

“Backdraft” (1991)
Photo from IMDB

These are the reason for writing the novel, Fire Alive! As a kid I wasn’t one of those who saw being a “fireman” as something I wanted to do when I grew up. Having seen Backdraft, I started to take interest in the idea that fire might be a living thing of sorts. I brought this up with one of the students at the college, where I work, and he mentioned that he had been in the wildfire service. He told me that the ideal psychology of a firefighter was one of believing the fire to be a living creature that was out to get you. I also realized that there weren’t that many stories which centered on firefighters.

Originally, I planned to write the story as taking place in the present day, but stopped myself. I’m a science fiction writer! Why not have it happen in the future? Who else has done science fiction firefighting other than Ray Bradbury? His firefighters burned books, so I didn’t think that counted. Fire Alive! takes place in the year 2026. It would allow me to toy with technological ideas, and possibly show how fire departments of the future might update their training.

From there, I endeavored myself to cast a story of how real firefighters handle their job using the metaphor of living fire creatures to convey to other people what the job was like. First, as always with my work, was to get the details right. I set about learning about fire suppression tactics, equipment, culture and procedures around firefighting.

An especially lucky find were the YouTube training videos by Captain Dale G. Pekel of the Wauwatosa Fire Department. Along with being a company officer, Captain Pekel is a certified firefighter instructor. His many videos demonstrate how to handle all manner of emergencies, and he shows how to build training props out of low-cost materials. After watching these, I emailed Captain Pekel explaining what I was writing and entailed some ideas I had. He particularly enjoyed my invention of the Ninth Evolution or “Ninth Circle” to the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus confidence course, which at present has eight evolutions or tests that every firefighter must overcome.

I then decided on the environs for the novel to be set in, and realized that I should pay tribute to a local fire station not far from home. As such, Fire Alive! centers on Salt Lake City’s Station 8. I called that station and asked if I could interview them and get a sense of the station’s layout. The first time I called was interrupted by an alarm that the department had to respond to, which I describe later. The idea of compartment fires, those being fire incidences in enclosed spaces, seemed the most interesting. Urban/suburban fires were also the reason for choosing Station 8, whose zone of operation overlaps these nicely, giving a wide variety of action scenes. For that, I needed more information about combating fires.

Thus, I found firetactics.com, a webpage created by Paul Grimwood, retired firefighter who worked in New York and London, former Principle Fire Safety Design Engineer and currently serves as a Principle Fire Safety Engineer. His website contains a library of articles, many written by Grimwood himself, regarding various fire emergency situations. I still have the notes I took, when studying the websites articles on compartment fires. The basics seemed simple; that every fire needs fuel, air to oxidize and an ignition source.

However, the world is a bigger lab and things get more complicated when entering the Dragon’s Lair. Grimwood’s descriptions of how to read smoke, establishing tactical ventilation and the mechanics of fire behavior had me thinking firefighters faced an enemy akin to John Carpenter’s The Thing. I learned things that truly creeped me out, such as the concept of “Snake Fires.”

Snake Fires are when the smoke, which is unburned fuel, is so dense that it prevents sufficient air for a fire to burn. A room that’s ablaze might appear to be contained from spreading to other compartments. However, as the main fire is being slain by people on the hose line, a streak of combustion could occur along the ceiling. Lacking enough air to reignite the gas billowing over fire crews’ heads, this sinusoidal line of incineration would slither along at random until entering a new room where ample air exists with enough smoke for a new inferno to be born.

"The Thing" (1992)

“The Thing” (1982)
Photo from IMDB

This is likened to a scene in The Thing where the creature’s head detaches itself from the body, as the characters attempt to kill it. That this event had a real world parallel instilled into me more respect for what dangers firefighters face on the job. Of course, there’s also room in storytelling to show when things get really bad, and that sometimes people make mistakes.

In my correspondences with Captain Pekel he sent me a video of the National Firefighter Instructors Association. The speaker was Lieutenant Ray McCormack of NYFD’s Ladder 28. Lt. McCormack brought up the four D’s of firefighting: Dirty, Demanding, Difficult and Dangerous, which he said is how it will always be. There’s nothing wrong with today’s firefighter, Lt. McCormack said, however, he did find fault with some of today’s leadership. In detail, he described a steady drip-drip of safety messages that he believed undermined the most critical asset to any firefighting company, public trust. In this, he described the fact that a fire company might be so focused on safety for the firefighter that they fail to prioritize the safety of the people counting on firefighters to be there when needed most.

In place of the Culture of Safety, Lt. McCormack argues strongly for a Culture of Extinguishment. This led me to add a plot element in Fire Alive! where the main character, Captain Duane “Longhand” Longhurst reflects back on McCormack’s words as one of the firefighters who was in the audience that day. In the novel, Captain Longhurst often receives praise for a rescue of fellow firefighters early in his career. However, Longhurst himself always saw that mission as a failure for one unanticipated fact. Civilians, whose presence wasn’t known during Longhurst’s evacuation of other firefighters, had died just minutes prior to a new rescue team discovering their final whereabouts.

This is the memory that both haunts Captain Longhurst and motivates how he works throughout the story. Longhurst’s occasional discarding of safety protocol in order to save civilians earns his fire battalion the name Crazy Eight, but captures the firefighter motto of, Risk a lot to save a lot, risk little to save little and risk nothing to save nothing.

However, that’s ordinary fire with complexities that might elude those of us not baptized by its fiery wrath. For this novel, I set out to learn how an organism based on fire might come to exist. I looked into particle physics to uncover such things as Superfluidity. I postulated that in certain quantum states particles might convey their kinetic energy, which we experience as heat, in only one direction along their axis of spin.

This allowed me to devise a creature composed of particles that hadn’t formed atoms and didn’t have appreciable mass. Because of their quantum states, infinitesimally thin filaments became the composition of the creature’s body. These Superfluid filaments exist at less than a tenth of a degree above Absolute Zero. However, because of their spin-specific heat convection, the fire creatures were enveloped by temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun. This spin property also allowed me to craft a way that the creatures could absorb heat from fuel sources as a means of eating.

“Fire Alive!” by John Steiner

The title itself, exclamation point included, I came up with as a new emergency code that firefighters would declare when encountering what I called a S.P.O.T. or Self-Propagating Organized Thermotroph. When firefighters encounter Spots in the novel they would declare, “Fire alive, fire alive, fire alive.” This then informs all other first responders on the scene to change their tactics to suit the infernal creatures.

The stage was set, it seemed. However, I still felt that the spirit of firefighting needed to be defined. In my interview of SLC’s Station 8 firefighters there was great emphasis that I learn about the Knights of Malta and the origins of the Maltese Cross. The Maltese Cross has become the symbol of firefighters everywhere. The Knights of Malta arguably were the world’s first fire rescue professionals. During sieges of the crusades the Knights of Malta encountered a new weapon in the form of naphtha, a moderately combustible liquid that Arabic soldiers employed to defend their fortifications. At that moment knights found their mission changed from one of combat to rescuing their fellows from a fiery fury. This became the inspiration for a couple of scenes in Fire Alive!, one of which is Longhurst’s dream before waking up to the sound of a station alarm.

Equally important to American firefighters was the Irish symbolism that pervades firefighter culture. When Irish immigrants came to America they encountered bigotry that tends to be aimed at every new wave of peoples who choose to become Americans. The shamrock was a code that let Irish know they could find work without discrimination. For the story, I decided to advance this proud history by including Hispanic firefighters facing similar injustices.

A number of other social and political issues entered into the novel, which is something I find myself compelled to do in all my works. Living in Utah, I saw a chance to highlight issues that I believe Utahans need to address as a civic body and as a culture. Furthermore, because I find soldiers’ stories fascinating, I included a second main character who is a veteran of America’s war with Iran. Malcolm O’Connell, who in the story is a probationary firefighter fresh from the academy, was injured in the line of duty in the U.S. Army. His background allowed me to splice political issues into one of the most prevailing themes of science fiction. O’Connell is the beneficiary of technological and genetic enhancement from an Army Medical Corps program code named C.A.R.E. or Combat Augmentation and Recuperative Engineering.

It was my belief that the near-sociopathic urge to destroy the social contract of civilization would lead to a bill that forbids the government from paying for veterans’ healthcare. Forces into a voucher system, veterans become the latest prey by opportunistic private enterprise. This was a fictional legislative test bed that might well become the forerunner to dismantling Medicare and Medicare, despite the fact that the United States had a history of government run healthcare dating back to 1897.

The Army Medical Corps and Pentagon officials realize that outlawing government healthcare for vets would be its own national security crisis. Who would enlist if they knew that any injury meant they would be discarded as if their lives were cheap and disposable? The C.A.R.E. acronym is meant to imply that it’s a weapons program, which both parties are just in love with, but in fact is a clever way to break an unjust law and do right by those who put their lives on the line. I merged two real life Pentagon agendas, the Future Force Warrior Project and the Wounded Warriors Program.

My argument for its justification dates back to the earliest tool-using hominid, that of Homo erectus. The shaped stone that anthropologists call a hand-axe represented to me the first cybernetic augmentation technology. In place of sharp teeth or claws, we used inanimate stone to grant ourselves powers otherwise not bestowed onto us by evolution. Whether it was clothing, crutches, a peg leg, having a hook on the stump from a lost hand or today’s artificial joints and organs; human augmentation was always with us. I proposed through one of my characters that the C.A.R.E. Program was simply the next chapter in human progress. There is potential for misuse and abuse, even the emergence of monstrosities, however, I wanted to show readers how well-meaning justification might lead to such advances that many find abhorrent. It’s why Probationary Firefighter Malcolm O’Connell becomes the second most important character in Fire Alive!

However, he is just on probationary status at Station 8, which brings me back to that fire phone call I made to today’s Station 8. A signature of any fire station is their warped, even morbid sense of humor. I proposed an initiation prank that would befall Malcolm O’Connell on his first day on the job. I mentioned this to the firefighters I interviewed, and they agreed that it seemed like something their brothers would pull on a new guy coming into the station.

Then, their captain described to me the event which interrupted my first attempt to schedule an interview and tour of the station house. The newest firefighter at Station 8 was having his first day on the job. His first call was a Dead On Arrival scene, where the victim had passed away quite some time before anyone thought to call for help. Engine 8’s crews found the victim in a state of rigor mortis. The company captain insisted that the “Probie” [short for probationary firefighter] check for signs of life anyway. The probie described all the sounds of dead tissue straining and creaking, as he forced the mouth open and pressed the tongue down for a clear airway. He then made a plea for the dead woman to not open her eyes, while he put his ear to her mouth in order to look, listen and feel for any sign of breathing. His company got a good chuckle out of his momentary fear of a zombie plague Patient Zero. From their recounting, I realized that I needed to brush up on my firefighter humor. Those guys at Station 8 are way ahead of me in that department.

With all that firefighters face, the culture requires coping skills the likes of which we fiction authors might never contemplate as part of great storytelling. In writing Fire Alive! I wanted to write a novel that firefighters wouldn’t be disappointed in. At the same time this novel is geared toward allowing other untrained civilians like me to get a peek into the world of Old Man Fire and those who dedicate themselves to slaying dragons.

I hope you enjoy reading Fire Alive! as much as I had in writing it.

Fire. The light by we tell our stories and mythic tales. It kept the night at bay for hundreds of thousands of years. It guided humanity’s migrations across the globe, and became mankind’s first weapon of mass destruction.

What if fire developed a mind of its own?

Fire Alive!

-John Steiner

Author John Steiner

About The Author

John Steiner earned his Associate of Biology at Salt Lake Community College, where he is currently working as a tutor in math and chemistry. He exercises an avid interest in history, science, philosophy, mythology, martial arts as well as military tactics and technology.

Giveaway!

We’re giving away a free ebook copy of “Tampered Tales” by John Steiner! Winner may choose PDF, HTML, or Kindle format.

“Tampered Tales” by John Steiner

About the book:

Theme I: The Other is a Mirror into Ourselves

The storyteller is an honest liar, for they admit fully to their fiction. However, a tale can be false, yet tell us the truth. For while the adventure speaks of “The Other,” it reflects back upon us what we know to be within ourselves.

Wry Folk
Oh, the age of innocence. A time in childhood where you could clap your hands and say “I believe in fairies.”Then one such creature is found, only it’s not a fairy and definitely not from this world. Six year old Jesse and her mother quickly learn that things which appear small, harmless and cute potentially bring with them more than one world’s worth of trouble into the house. The binding ties of any civilization of any planet are that they fiercely protect their young and seek their safe return at all costs.

Red Rover, Red Rover
People of the Earth had only their own eyes through which to see themselves. That all changes when the technological eyes of an alien probe comes to our planet in study of the local inhabitants around the world. What future lays ahead of Homo sapiens depends on streams of sensor data and number crunching of the undetectable and seemingly innocent Red Rover.

Four Days in Backwater
The Great Coyote chase to build the first faster than light vessel over, America’s U.S.S. Roadrunner is the third place design out of four nations. Yet it is first in FTL speed. It is also the first FTLV to discover traces of civilizations in other solar systems. The crew of U.S.S. Roadrunner are in awe of the aliens they meet, and take precautions the best human minds advise. However, the aliens see under privileged wayward yokels needing to be humored and humbled. Here Homo sapiens discovers all their theories of first contact fall flat on bad premises and do nothing but give the employees of Planet Copan’s truck stop a good laugh.

Small Time
With new technology comes many uses. Some constructive or even lifesaving. Others for great harm and to satiate personal ambitions. Many often end up what hobbyists tinker with in the garage. Others still become the expression of mischief. In Todd’s day hacking long since departed the digital world and entered into the very physical realm of biology. DNA became the new code to write and manipulate. Small Time racing of “mini-mounts” drew talent from all corners to be applied to a myriad of species. All bred to small stature, yet still strong enough to carry a rider heavier than they. Todd also dabbled in “Jacking” with a G of genetic code to wage a harmless war of ridicule against the corporate world. He fit the bill of real bioterrorists all too easy, even if it was clear to the authorities he didn’t do it.

 

Theme II: In Dreams, Thus Speaks the Universe

When the universe so commands, the story writes the author. Such tales come to us as we sleep, waking us with the urge to reveal what was shown us when our closed eyes rapidly darted from side-to-side.

Encyclopedia Capella
We think of autism as a rare affliction brought onto few among us. In Mr. Ency’s world nearly everyone, including Ency himself, exhibit the condition. A distant colony finds itself inextricably sinking into the proverbial sands of their desolate desert planet. Being an habitual encyclopedist cursed with such keen attention to absolutely everything around him Mr. Ency can’t help but record all of it. But it’s what lives in the wild dunes between cities that will test him and everyone else aboard one of the great hover ships cruising over burning sands.

The Rez
Most American Indians have had live in two worlds. Whether they grew up on The Rez or, like Randy Crowfeather, constituted “City Indians.” Believing that service as a Navy Seal prepared Randy for anything, he would discover how wrong he was. When the bodies of mutilated white people show up during one of Randy’s frequent visits with grandfather there came with it a tragic family past to be confronted. It is said that all Indians must, at some point in their lives, make a choice.

Dimensional Cloister
All parents hold their children up as being special and destine for great achievements. In Aziz’s time the scale of greatness would span across the entire multiverse. Brought to a school for gifted children, Aziz learns he isn’t the only little boy who can send his mind slide back and forth along the temporal threads of his life. Now he’s to learn how to save humanity from extra-dimensional parasites that unravel the very existence of their hosts throughout all time.

Hellbound 
Suppose you lived your life all wrong. Imagine that because of bad decisions or even inadvertent choices prior to death your soul had been condemned to hell. Then what…? A tale of learning coping skills no living spirit would need in order to accept and accommodate an afterlife of deafening horror and blinding pain lasting eternity.

Theme III: Conjure Me A Tale

The act of storytelling is a form of sorcery. The teller casts a spell upon their audience in summoning up tales that never happened, yet impact the reader as if they had lived the adventure.

Enkindle
Just because you’ve studied sorcery for more than fifty years doesn’t make you a sorcerer, Eric’s master, Iccabazzi had said. Were it so easy sorcerers would be everywhere. The power of magic remained an external tool to him. To BE that power and have it within him as the air he breathed Eric needed to face the challenge of the dragon. Only it could make sorcerers of mere mortals. It more often made smoldering ash of those who failed.

Counting Coup
We’ve all heard the story of Custer’s Last Stand, and in recent years we learned the more accurate sequence of events as told by Crow scouts working alongside the U.S. Cavalry. Suppose there’s yet more to tell. Most armies pray for divine intervention in battle. With the arrival of a Manitou, a spirit of the Earth, one side will receive that aid in their darkest hour.

Arrows of Winter
Sure, being a diplomat in a feudal age can be tough in any civilization. On an alien arctic world harboring two indigenous species, one avian the other a rather out-of-place serpentine people, the rules of victory and defeat don’t change. The prince whom Ayawa served had to pay tribute to another kingdom who staked victory over his air forces in battle. Part of that tribute would take more than questing for the famed Redsmiths and healers of the serpentine Fshajar. It required that Ayawa learn nobility isn’t only bestowed at hatching, but is also earned though noble acts.

To Drop A Bead
Carl Bohonowicz struggled with more than simply getting people to say his name right. As the police department negotiator he didn’t quite seem suited to the job, and possibly the reassignment was a punishment as well as a leash. Then came the Randal Ivison hostage case. We all wear masks. How much they hide and what they let through are the only true differences.

Theme IV: Too True to be Real, Yet Was Lived

Bride of the Blackbird
On the first day of summer, 2010 a small neurotic songbird wages mono a mono war against an equally dark clad talking ape to defend The Misses and their beloved nest of hatchlings. An absolutely true tale of nature’s comedy in the style of the great humorist himself, James Thurber.

Releases for August 2, 2013

Releases for August 2, 2013 Melange Books

Only one release this week for August 2, 2013.  This one is for the sci-fi fans, a tale of fire alive. Enjoy!

“Fire Alive!” by John Steiner // Cover art by Caroline Andrus Designs

Fire Alive! by John Steiner

Fire. The light by which we tell our stories and mythic tales. It kept the night at bay for hundreds of thousands of years. It guided humanity’s migrations across the globe, and became mankind’s first weapon of mass destruction.

What if fire developed a mind of its own.

* * * *

Firefighting is already a tough job even in 2026. Captain Duane “Longhand” Longhurst and probationary firefight Malcolm O’Connell of Salt Lake City’s Station 8 discover it’s going to get much harder. A phenomenon of particle physics called Self-Propagating Organized Thermotroph or S.P.O.T. emerges to burn whatever they can to ingest the heat that fuels their semi-living existence. Breaking in a new enigmatic probie, and struggling with memories of past fire calls, Captain Longhurst has to now take on the blazing entities.

 

GIVEAWAY!

Enter below for your chance to win “Tampered Tales” a collection of stories by John Steiner.

“Tampered Tales” can be purchased from Melange Books

About the book:

Enter to win an ebook copy of

Enter to win an ebook copy of “Tampered Tales” by John Steiner

Theme I: The Other is a Mirror into Ourselves

The storyteller is an honest liar, for they admit fully to their fiction. However, a tale can be false, yet tell us the truth. For while the adventure speaks of “The Other,” it reflects back upon us what we know to be within ourselves.

Wry Folk
Oh, the age of innocence. A time in childhood where you could clap your hands and say “I believe in fairies.”Then one such creature is found, only it’s not a fairy and definitely not from this world. Six year old Jesse and her mother quickly learn that things which appear small, harmless and cute potentially bring with them more than one world’s worth of trouble into the house. The binding ties of any civilization of any planet are that they fiercely protect their young and seek their safe return at all costs.

Red Rover, Red Rover
People of the Earth had only their own eyes through which to see themselves. That all changes when the technological eyes of an alien probe comes to our planet in study of the local inhabitants around the world. What future lays ahead of Homo sapiens depends on streams of sensor data and number crunching of the undetectable and seemingly innocent Red Rover.

Four Days in Backwater
The Great Coyote chase to build the first faster than light vessel over, America’s U.S.S. Roadrunner is the third place design out of four nations. Yet it is first in FTL speed. It is also the first FTLV to discover traces of civilizations in other solar systems. The crew of U.S.S. Roadrunner are in awe of the aliens they meet, and take precautions the best human minds advise. However, the aliens see under privileged wayward yokels needing to be humored and humbled. Here Homo sapiens discovers all their theories of first contact fall flat on bad premises and do nothing but give the employees of Planet Copan’s truck stop a good laugh.

Small Time
With new technology comes many uses. Some constructive or even lifesaving. Others for great harm and to satiate personal ambitions. Many often end up what hobbyists tinker with in the garage. Others still become the expression of mischief. In Todd’s day hacking long since departed the digital world and entered into the very physical realm of biology. DNA became the new code to write and manipulate. Small Time racing of “mini-mounts” drew talent from all corners to be applied to a myriad of species. All bred to small stature, yet still strong enough to carry a rider heavier than they. Todd also dabbled in “Jacking” with a G of genetic code to wage a harmless war of ridicule against the corporate world. He fit the bill of real bioterrorists all too easy, even if it was clear to the authorities he didn’t do it.

 

Theme II: In Dreams, Thus Speaks the Universe

When the universe so commands, the story writes the author. Such tales come to us as we sleep, waking us with the urge to reveal what was shown us when our closed eyes rapidly darted from side-to-side.

Encyclopedia Capella
We think of autism as a rare affliction brought onto few among us. In Mr. Ency’s world nearly everyone, including Ency himself, exhibit the condition. A distant colony finds itself inextricably sinking into the proverbial sands of their desolate desert planet. Being an habitual encyclopedist cursed with such keen attention to absolutely everything around him Mr. Ency can’t help but record all of it. But it’s what lives in the wild dunes between cities that will test him and everyone else aboard one of the great hover ships cruising over burning sands.

The Rez
Most American Indians have had live in two worlds. Whether they grew up on The Rez or, like Randy Crowfeather, constituted “City Indians.” Believing that service as a Navy Seal prepared Randy for anything, he would discover how wrong he was. When the bodies of mutilated white people show up during one of Randy’s frequent visits with grandfather there came with it a tragic family past to be confronted. It is said that all Indians must, at some point in their lives, make a choice.

Dimensional Cloister
All parents hold their children up as being special and destine for great achievements. In Aziz’s time the scale of greatness would span across the entire multiverse. Brought to a school for gifted children, Aziz learns he isn’t the only little boy who can send his mind slide back and forth along the temporal threads of his life. Now he’s to learn how to save humanity from extra-dimensional parasites that unravel the very existence of their hosts throughout all time.

Hellbound
Suppose you lived your life all wrong. Imagine that because of bad decisions or even inadvertent choices prior to death your soul had been condemned to hell. Then what…? A tale of learning coping skills no living spirit would need in order to accept and accommodate an afterlife of deafening horror and blinding pain lasting eternity.

Theme III: Conjure Me A Tale

The act of storytelling is a form of sorcery. The teller casts a spell upon their audience in summoning up tales that never happened, yet impact the reader as if they had lived the adventure.

Enkindle
Just because you’ve studied sorcery for more than fifty years doesn’t make you a sorcerer, Eric’s master, Iccabazzi had said. Were it so easy sorcerers would be everywhere. The power of magic remained an external tool to him. To BE that power and have it within him as the air he breathed Eric needed to face the challenge of the dragon. Only it could make sorcerers of mere mortals. It more often made smoldering ash of those who failed.

Counting Coup
We’ve all heard the story of Custer’s Last Stand, and in recent years we learned the more accurate sequence of events as told by Crow scouts working alongside the U.S. Cavalry. Suppose there’s yet more to tell. Most armies pray for divine intervention in battle. With the arrival of a Manitou, a spirit of the Earth, one side will receive that aid in their darkest hour.

Arrows of Winter
Sure, being a diplomat in a feudal age can be tough in any civilization. On an alien arctic world harboring two indigenous species, one avian the other a rather out-of-place serpentine people, the rules of victory and defeat don’t change. The prince whom Ayawa served had to pay tribute to another kingdom who staked victory over his air forces in battle. Part of that tribute would take more than questing for the famed Redsmiths and healers of the serpentine Fshajar. It required that Ayawa learn nobility isn’t only bestowed at hatching, but is also earned though noble acts.

To Drop A Bead
Carl Bohonowicz struggled with more than simply getting people to say his name right. As the police department negotiator he didn’t quite seem suited to the job, and possibly the reassignment was a punishment as well as a leash. Then came the Randal Ivison hostage case. We all wear masks. How much they hide and what they let through are the only true differences.

Theme IV: Too True to be Real, Yet Was Lived

Bride of the Blackbird
On the first day of summer, 2010 a small neurotic songbird wages mono a mono war against an equally dark clad talking ape to defend The Misses and their beloved nest of hatchlings. An absolutely true tale of nature’s comedy in the style of the great humorist himself, James Thurber.