Mari White on Lisa Burton Radio #newbook

Don’t touch that — Look at all this dust. I’m embarrassed to invite anyone into the studio since we haven’t used it for a few years. Don’t touch that dial, I’m your hostess with the mostest, Lisa the robot girl, and you’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio. My special guest today is the main character in Craig’s newest book. “Welcome to the show, Mari. Why don’t you start out by introducing yourself.”

“Mariposa Rivas-White. I’m just an American girl for multiple generations, but some might call me a Cubana.”

“I get it. We all have our heritage, but some might call mine IBM if you know what I mean. We’ve spent a lot of time at the cabin, so I know your story pretty well. Why don’t you tell our guests something about it.”

“Derek and I got married, then started a small tobacco farm in Florida. It was a lot of work, but we made progress with every new crop. We even managed to buy a pair of oxen, but we had to train them from a young age. I helped as much as he did, until I got pregnant with Brian.”

“I’ll bet that changed things.”

“It did, but we were both happy. Brian was so cute. He was walking and talking and kept me pretty busy. One of my chores was to hunt for the table. Derek said he would take it over, but I love the forest and early mornings. It was my brief escape for a few moments before Brian demanded all my time.

“The forest and swamp were beautiful, but it was the last time I could truly enjoy it. When I returned to the farm…”

“Take your time, Mari.”

“When I returned to the farm, Derek and Brian were dead. A group of criminals came through and murdered them. They took everything and even killed one of the oxen in their murderous rampage. I walked to town and that son-of-a-bitch Sheriff Trask wouldn’t lift a finger to help me.”

“Doesn’t sound like much of a sheriff.”

“He was busy looking into the murder of someone else. Someone with important connections. I buried my dead, then tried to find the killers myself.”

“You face a lot of obstacles along the way. What can you tell me about those?”

“The wilderness is an unforgiving place, and there are people you need to be wary of. Fortunately, there are some good people out there, too. I would have died if not for one of them. Maybe I was unprepared, or just unlucky, but I learned to take care of myself.”

“It seems like you’re still facing a lot of personal demons.”

“Some things we never get over, Lisa. I will never get my family back. It fades with time, but never goes completely away.”

“Let me add all the details to the website, then maybe we can go out back and practice our shooting. Then I have to clean this place up. We might not use the broadcast studio that often, but I’ve kind of ignored it.”

“How about I help you first. Maybe it will warm up a little by the time we finish.”

“Groovy! For Lisa Burton Radio, I’m Lisa Burton. Don’t forget to check out Craig’s new book and learn about everything Mari went through.”

Blurb: Mari and her husband opted for a simple life as farmers. It’s been decades since the world tore itself apart, pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against each other. They were happy in this re-emerging world, until disaster struck.

Mari sets out on a solo quest to avenge the deaths of her family and loss of everything she holds dear. She’s ill equipped for the task, but seems to have time on her hands. Time alone in the wilderness to deal with her personal demons along the way.

She is helped by a few sympathetic elders and a couple of animal companions with lessons Mari can use if she pays attention. Can Mari find justice for her family?

Set in a post apocalyptic, Gulf Coast world, this is a story for fans of the old Spaghetti Westerns.

Get your copy right here https://mybook.to/OnceUponTimeSwamp

Stirring things up

One of my goals while not drafting new material is to shake things up around here. It’s nothing drastic, just an attempt to sweep out the old and try some new things.

I need to change my banner, but with a couple of releases looming, I’ll probably just wait until one of the new books comes out. I can recycle the underwater scene when Lanternfish shows up in the Amazon store.

Start over there.

(Not liking this new editor. This should be centered. Probably fix it with the old editor)

In my sidebar, I always keep the two most recent publications available as quick ways to check out those books. I could put all of them over there, but that would be a busy mess. These images are about to be replaced by HMS Lanternfish and The Ballad of Mrs. Molony in the next couple of months.

You can always find everything on my Amazon page, but if you’d like to check out Serang or Grinders, the links are still there. I think they’re two of my better works. Serang is a great way to climb aboard the Lanternfish saga.

Up Top

All blogs have pages, but very few people check them out. I’m making some changes up there, too. If you were familiar with my layout, you’ll notice something missing. I have retired Lisa Burton Radio.

This regular feature was designed so I could pay back all the help others have given me along the way. I designed something a bit different that loaned out Lisa’s popularity as an interview of your fictional characters. They were labor intensive, but quite productive.

Honestly the interviews worked best when I promoted them. By doing that I kept a regular schedule of one per week for over two years. It was fun collaborating with my fellow authors, and we moved a few books along the way, too.

I wanted some of my time back, and quit pushing authors to try it out. They were available upon request, and there’s the rub. Nobody was requesting them. Most authors are introverted to a degree, but we have to promote our wares someplace. Good free options are drying up from lack of use, and Lisa Burton Radio is one of those casualties.

My door is still open to folks who want a place to promote their books, but you can write the darned things now.

Still up there

I’ve added a new page to check out. Music plays a big role in The Hat series. Lizzie and The Pythons play music as a way to get her out at night and travel around as they explore the supernatural world.

Some of my Story Empire friends suggested that playlists are popular and that I should consider sharing one. I’ve never tried anything like this before, and didn’t have a playbook, so I made my own up.

I have a huge playlist on my phone that goes along with these books. However, I limited this page to things that got mentioned in the books. Videos are bandwidth eaters, so I didn’t want a page of videos to clog up your processors. I went with links to most of them, but included a few videos from key moments in the stories.

I won’t publish The Ballad of Mrs. Molony until later this year, but I included the music up above. Maybe it will inspire some interest in that tale. When I have a link and cover I’ll make sure to update it. I threw in a couple of tiny Lisa Burton posters for flavor. As I get those for Mrs. Molony, I’ll add one for that book, too.

I’m looking for feedback on this page. If you think I need the artists, let me know. Some of the older tunes don’t have great videos available so I went with what I could find.

I should change the wallpaper from Frankie’s brindle coat to something more summery. My zucchini is trying to bloom, so maybe it’s time for some bright yellow flowers.

Let me know what you think, and if the pointers are centered when you visit, you’ll know I used the good editor to fix what this abomination thinks I need.

Jonah, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Welcome to another edition of Lisa Burton Radio. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and I’m excited to be on the air in this time of national crisis.

Many of us are sequestered away right now, and that leaves room for a bit of reflection. I think we can all form an idea of what that’s like. Which brings me to my special guest today. “Welcome to the show, Jonah.”

“Hi, Lisa. Thanks for inviting me.”

“My bio says you’re alone on an island somewhere. To be honest, that sounds like a dream come true to many people. What can you tell us about that?”

“Oh, yeah, dream come true. Let me tell you about that. It’s anything but a paradise. The whole island is covered with tangled brush with thorns and stinging nettles. And that doesn’t even include the poisonous flowers that burn the skin horribly. But the monsters that inhabit this godforsaken place are the worse. They have long red fangs that glow and claws like that of a giant eagle. They threaten me at every turn. On top of the horrific dangers, the only food I can scrounge to eat is muddy fish and bugs.”

“I suppose most of us don’t think about the downside of being stranded like that. In our minds it’s all sunny beaches and coconut drinks. How did you wind up in such a place?”

“I lived on the streets for many years once I escaped from the orphanage. The city was huge, but I had a turf and controlled it with iron fists. Everyone who knew me feared the Wrath of Jonah. But, then I got arrested and convicted of my crimes. They gave me a choice. I could either be locked in a cement box beneath the ground or be exiled to this island. I chose the island. In hindsight, imprisonment might have been easier. Let me tell you more about the creatures. I was terrified of them at first. But I soon discovered a secret. You see, when they dropped me off on this island, they gave me a dagger and a few meager supplies. After the creatures had me cornered, and I couldn’t run anymore, I turned and prepared to die. I screamed at the top of my lungs and lunged toward them with the dagger drawn hoping I could take out at least one of them. To my surprise, they backed down and slunk back into the brush. After that, I try to keep my dagger handy at all times.

“But let me tell you about something else that just happened. I’ve been keeping track of the days I’ve been on this island for thirty-one days. Just this morning, I awoke to a loud thud outside my hut. Imagine my surprise when I poked my head out and found a package. I looked all around and could not see anyone or any means of it getting there.”

“Oh my God, someone has to be watching you. Don’t leave us hanging here, what was in the box?”

“Yeah, pretty creepy, huh? It was a burlap wrapped package and inside I was thrilled first of all, to find a package of dried Buffalo. I couldn’t wait to tear into that. It was really good. Then there were a few hygiene items, two books, a pencil and a note. One of the books was “The Four Agreements” and the other was a blank journal. Let me read you the note because it’s very puzzling. ‘There is only one way off this island. You must examine yourself, face your truths and make peace with your demons.’ Now, what do you make of that?”

“This sounds like one of those escape rooms. You know, where people pay money to solve the puzzle so they can escape. It’s fun.”

“Nothing fun about this. And, there’s more and perhaps the strangest of all. I heard footsteps outside my hut and was sure my imagination had gotten in overdrive. After all, I was alone and hadn’t seen any sign of another human since they dropped me off. But, then I heard it again and lunged out of my hut prepared to fight. Imagine my surprise when I saw a young boy around twelve standing there.”

“You mean there’s someone else stranded there, too? That was a lucky stroke.”

“Well, that’s just it. Titus isn’t stranded. He tells me he lives on the other side of the island where everything is lush and beautiful, but when he tried to take me through the portal to his home, legions of green slimy snakes blocked my way. He seems to be able to come and go, but I am not allowed to follow. So, he brings me fresh fruits and vegetables from his place. You can’t imagine how amazing that is. But, there’s something strange about this kid. He has some kind of magic. Webbing grows between his long fingers and he has luminescent green eyes that glow in a strange way. But, he’s a good kid and he’s helping me in lots of ways. He told me that his mother died, and his father disappeared. It seems that his father is a Wizard. When he tried to tell me about his father, a huge storm blew in and totally destroyed my hut. I grabbed my stuff and threw it into a duffel bag and pulled Titus along with me. He was in some kind of a trance. Finally, he snapped out of it and held a huge Amethyst Crystal up to his forehead and chanted some words. The storm immediately stopped.”

“That’s terrible, but at least you had each other to get through it all.”

“I suppose so. For the first time in my life, I felt the urge to protect someone other than myself. So, we made our way back to where my hut had been and to my surprise, there stood in its place a bigger and sturdier built shelter. And there is another package lying beside the door. Inside this package was another book, ‘The Dark Side of the Light Chasers,’ and another note that simply said, ‘Because you cared for someone other than yourself.’ The other weird part about the whole thing is that the ground that was covered in torrential rain a few minutes earlier was hard as a rock and dry. So, now I’m working my way through this book. Titus comes and goes, and I never know when he will appear, but we’ve grown close. I can’t imagine how all of this is going to end, but for the first time since I arrived here, I don’t scan the horizon every day for a boat coming to take me back home.”

“Oh, Jonah, this sounds like some kind of weird rehabilitation program to me. Dangerous and with no defined ending, but the reward kind of feels like a positive step. I hope you complete the program and can get back to your loved ones soon.”

“I have no loved ones to return to, Lisa. My mom was killed when I was very young. When I think about going back to my old turf, I know that I can’t be the same way I was before.”

“ So sorry to hear about your mother. I know I speak for all of our listeners today in wishing you the best of luck escaping from the island. Any last thoughts before we go off the air?”

“Maybe I don’t even want to go back to the mainland anymore. As long as Titus is here and my living conditions are better, I can be content. But I crave the magic that Titus has. Who knows? One day, he may be allowed to teach it to me. I’d like that. In the meantime, I’m going to make the best of the situation.”

“You can read all about Jonah and Titus in the book, Jonah, by Jan Sikes. I’ll post all the pertinents on the website after I go off the air.

“Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons today. I know Jan and Jonah would do it for you, when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

Blurb:

Fantasy meets reality when a young man is forced to choose his punishment for crimes committed. Jonah must decide between imprisonment in a concrete box beneath the earth or be exiled to a deserted, barren island. He chooses the island, but nothing can prepare him for the deadly creatures, and poisonous plants at every turn. Then there’s the maddening isolation that drives him to the brink of insanity. There is only one way off this island and it’s more difficult than anything he’s ever imagined. It’s much easier to face mortal danger than the demons within. Will he find redemption or another unexpected offer?

Purchase Link: http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B086351ZQH

 

 

Jan Sikes openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author. But she had a story to tell. Not just any story, but a true story that rivals any fiction creation. You simply can’t make this stuff up. It all happened. She chose to create fictitious characters to tell the story through, and they bring the intricately woven tale to life in an entertaining way.

She released a series of music CDs to accompany the four biographical fiction books and then published a book of poetry and art to bring the story full circle.

And now that the story is told, this author can’t find a way to put down the pen. She continues to write fiction and has published many short stories with a series of novels waiting in the wings

JAN’S SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS:

WEBSITE: http://www.jansikes.com

BLOG:   http://www.rijanjks.wordpress.com

TWITTER:  http://www.twitter.com/rijanjks

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook/AuthorJanSikesBooks.com

War of Nytefall: Eradication

Don’t touch that dial! You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio, the only show that brings you interviews with the characters you love. My special guest today is Chastity Sullivan, and Chastity is someone I respect. She’s an independent business woman who operates between factions that don’t always get along.

On top of all that, Chastity is a vampire. “Welcome to the show, Chastity.”

“Mab and Clyde told me all about their visits. So, I’m very excited to be here.”

“I think we all kind of know what a vampire is, but you’re something new. Can you give us an idea of what being a Dawn Fang means?”

“When people hear the word ‘vampire’, they are probably thinking of the Old World variety. Weak or killed by sunlight, an array of powers, and uncontrollable blood lust. Dawn Fangs are completely different. We’re actually alive with heartbeats, the ability to breed, eating regular food, and a full immunity to sunlight. I can pass as a mortal with ease, which is very beneficial to my business. Dawn Fangs can be a little overly emotional at times and we traded our magic for three unique powers for each of us.”

“Spill it, girl. This in an interview show. We want to know what special powers you got when you became a Dawn Fang.”

“Well, my abilities aren’t trade secrets. Our powers tend to work off our personality and habits prior to turning. A major part of my business is letting people indulge in their sexual desires, which can involve my participation. So, I ended up getting the ability to never tire and a charm mist that I can emit from my skin. I have a lot of fun with it too because I can make people do what I ask or have them fall asleep. Helps calming down some of my impulsive friends too. My third ability is telekinesis, which I’ve honed to the point where I use it without thinking. Floating mugs to my hand when I’m tending the bar or stroking an attractive patron’s neck from afar is always fun.”

“Okay, so that mist thingie is pretty cool. Can you make it smell like Clive Christian perfume?”

“Come to think of it, I never really considered the smell. It doesn’t have any odor that I can sense, but I have heard people describe it. One man claimed it smelled like his mother’s home cooking and a woman last night swore it was the scent of roses after a heavy rain. From what I can tell, the charm mist takes the smell of whatever my target loves the most. So, the perfume scent could happen if that’s what you’re into. Not sure I can charm a robot, so I don’t know how to test it.”

“My bio says Clyde is the leader of the Dawn Fangs. It’s been a couple of years since I talked with him, but it seemed like he just wanted everyone to get along.”

“Clyde really is an odd one, huh? He’s the most powerful Dawn Fang and possibly the strongest creature outside of the gods of Windemere. I’ve seen him cleave a mountaintop in two with his fists, so you know he could conquer the world if he wanted. Yet, his goal is to show that Dawn Fangs and mortals can live in harmony. Many of us are already living among what would normally be our prey and aren’t causing any trouble. My business is a great example since I cater to both sides who will unwittingly drink alongside each other.”

“That’s what I mean. He dreams it, but you live it. Your business is called the Scrumptious Siren. It’s an amalgamation of services, but it’s frequented by Old World vampires, Dawn Fangs, humans, elves, dwarves, and well, basically everyone. The fact that they all get along proves that it works.”

“To be honest, I don’t see many Old World vampires these days. They’ve aligned with Nyte and I’m not always seen as a neutral location. Can’t blame them since I was part of Clyde’s gang long ago. Even without them, we do have occasional rule breakers. I can stop the fights inside with my mist, but there are times when a vampire or mortal will take a grudge outside. That’s why I have vampiric hummingbirds in the surrounding forest. They really only go for vampires and drain them of any blood they steal, but I’ve had to change them since becoming a Dawn Fang. Now, my pets deliver a knockout drug and leave them for me to handle. Beyond that, everyone plays in harmony under my roof.”

“Okay, Windermere is not Earth, and I get that. Here we have laws, and our enforcement might not be so swift, but those systems can work with a bit of respect from the participants. Just to keep things interesting, you’re also kind of an informant of sorts. What can you tell us about that?”

“I would call myself more of a broker of secrets and rumors. The Scrumptious Siren is a popular place for a variety of people. It functions as a bakery, tavern, inn, sex palace, spa, and just sometimes a dance club. This means I get to hear a lot of what’s going on around the area. Since I need to make deals with traders across Windemere for the best supplies, I get more information from them. Maybe I have a few intimate friends in every port and some high places too. I’ve spent centuries creating a global network of connections, so stories always seem to find their way to me.”

“Having a good source of information is important. I myself have been known to hack into computer systems while others go into harm’s way.”

“We don’t have computers, so my hacking is more physical. It isn’t that I get involved, but I usually get what Clyde needs and hand it off. Things are probably going to be different this time. I really need to take a firmer hand in events now.”

“It seems like you have a good thing going here, why risk it all at this time?”

“Where to start? Somebody has shown up with this weapon called the Fist of Durag. Durag is the Sun God of Windemere, so you know he doesn’t like vampires. This person has already depowered and killed at least a dozen Dawn Fangs across the globe. That’s only the ones we know because we’ve lost contact with more. I worry that an army is building around this person. The last time the Duragians marched against vampires, we barely survived and that was only because Clyde returned with his new powers. They’re ready for him this time. There’s also an . . . incident with the Fist of Durag holder that has made this personal. Probably best that I not make that public. It would be really bad for business right now.”

“Okay, I can see the desire to get involved at that point. Aside from everything else, you are very powerful, and Clyde could probably use the help.”

“The whole scenario has me worried, especially because Clyde isn’t acting like himself. I don’t know if I would call him scared, but he’s definitely nervous. I’d compare it to someone seeing a ghost that they swore would never return. I think this weapon was created from the same accident that turned Clyde into a Dawn Fang, so it could be the one thing that can kill him. I can’t really sit on the sidelines when one of my closest friends is in such danger. I’m not as good a fighter as Mab or the Vengeance Hounds, but I have a good amount of tricks.”

“I wish you all the success possible. Then you can get back to helping everyone get along. What’s next for the Scrumptious Siren?”

“I’m looking into building a simple racetrack around the hill and possibly turning one of the lower floors into a small brewery. I need to find people who are more knowledgeable than myself. My business is only as good as my employees since I can’t master everything. I might expand the relaxation area around the hot spring I made too. It’s a fairly new type of business in Windemere, so I’m not sure what else to do with it. We already have massage rooms. Maybe I’ll take a trip to explore the world for new ideas once I know I won’t get murdered by a crazy priest wielding a god-powered weapon.”

“Chastity, I think all of that is cool. The world needs more people like you who build and bring folks together.

“For our listeners today, you can read all about Chastity and the Dawn Fangs in the War of Nytefall series by Charles Yallowitz. The newest edition is called War of Nytefall: Eradication, and Charles promises it won’t be the last one.

“Thanks for listening today, and I’ll add all the details to the website once we go off the air. Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons today. Charles has done it for everyone who ever appeared here, and he deserves a bit of love today. For Lisa Burton Radio, I’m Lisa Burton.”

***

Blurb–

As Dawn Fang vampires are found dead across Windemere, their infamous leader will remember what it is to be afraid.

With the truce between Nyte and Nytefall nearing its end, an old enemy has emerged to rekindle the vampires’ most ancient feud. A Duragian priest is on the move and he is wielding a weapon that can depower and kill Dawn Fangs. This follower of the Sun God has claimed enough victims that Lord Tempest wants the weapon for himself and Clyde is beginning to worry that his fledgling kingdom is in danger of extinction. When it becomes clear that the mysterious relic and Clyde’s transformation into the first Dawn Fang are connected, he will be forced to face a past that he can barely remember.

What can Clyde do to defend his people, his life, and the child he does not know is on the way from the terrifying Fist of Durag?

Pick up your copy Right here: War of Nytefall: Eradication

Bio–

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com

Twitter: @cyallowitz

Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com

Dancer in the Grove of Ghosts, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Welcome to another edition of Lisa Burton Radio. The only show that brings you interviews with the characters you love.

I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and my special guest today is Tisha, a dancer and mage from the dark land of Skaythe. Prepare to be enchanted! “Welcome to the show, Tisha.”

“Well met, friend.”

“What can you tell us about your brand of magic?”

“I belong to a small band on minstrels who draw upon vitalis, a power born of the sun and life itself. By movement and dance, I focus vitalis into my casting. Ever since I was very young, my drive has been to heal all sorts of wounds. That is why I travel with the other minstrels. My dance draws the people away out of their sorrows and gives them hope for the future.”

“I love how you draw power from dancing. I’ve known a few girls who would be pretty powerful after Saturday night.”

“But, Lisa, I have to ask how you are feeling? As a healer, I sense the flow of energies within all living things. But from you there is no such light. Have you hidden it, somehow?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m not like regular people. I’m a robot girl. All my ‘power’ comes from the outlets on the wall.”

“A robot? I have never heard of such a creature. You don’t behave as though you are ill, though.”

“No, I’m perfectly fine. This isn’t about me, anyway. My bio says you are involved in some sort of mess with an oppressive regime. What can you tell me about that?”

“Alas, Skaythe is beset by many ills. The evil mage, Dar-Gothull, trains his followers to use lethentros, the power of death and destruction. He demands that people fight for everything they have. Lethentros warps their spirits, and that’s why they think it’s all right to behave the way they do.”

“Wait, I know that name. I interviewed Zathi a few months ago. She works for Dar-Gothull as a hunter-guard.”

“Dar-Gothull has many squads of hunter-guards who roam the land, looking for renegades like me and the other minstrels. We can never know when we’re being followed or spied on. It’s a good thing for me that I’ve never met Zathi’s squad!”

“Then what did you do to run afoul of the regime?”

“I saved a man’s life. Cylass was one of Ar-Dayne’s personal guardsmen, until Ar-Dayne accidentally hit him with a lethal power bolt. The guardsmen left Cylass behind, but I was able to restore his health. Ar-Dayne was furious. First, because he thinks every other mage is a rival to be crushed, and second, because saving the weak offends him.”

“That’s horrible. You help someone and get in trouble? I have a hard time with that. My programming is to help people.”

“I agree, but as far as Ar-Dayne is concerned, we both deserve to die. Cylass and I are fleeing from him. Unfortunately, I can’t really trust Cylass. He’s been a mage’s guardsman for years. The easiest thing would be for him to prove his loyalty by turning me in.”

“Ouch! What about gratitude?”

“Gratitude is also a weakness, or so they say.”

“If all mages are that twisted, it seems like you have a lot of work a head of you.”

“That’s true, but I know of a place where Dar-Gothull cast a terrible curse long ago. It still grips the land in Seofan Valley. My goal is to learn if that curse can be healed, like any other injury. If I can do that, then I know eventually Dar-Gothull himself can be defeated.

“I don’t know if Cylass will try to stop me from getting there. It’s my hope that as we travel together, he will learn a better way. But I can’t make that decision for him.”

“I hope Cylass comes out on your side. He owes you one, and if he has any honor at all, he’ll realize that in the end.”

“I hope so, too. He’d be a good man if he can let go of Dar-Gothull’s warped ideals.”

“Thank you for visiting with us today, Tisha. On behalf of our listeners, I wish you all the luck you can find.”

“Thank you for having me on, Lisa.”

“If you’d like to learn more about Tisha and Cylass, pick up the book Dancer in the Grave of Ghosts, by Deby Fredericks. I’ll put all the deets on the website after I log off today.

“Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons today. I’m sure Deby and Tisha would do it for you, when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

Blurb

“He’s dead. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Mortally wounded, Cylass is abandoned on the battlefield by comrades who would just as soon have him out of the way. But as he waits for death, a strange savior appears. The dancer, Tisha, heals him with her forbidden magic, but also draws the wrath of his cruel former lord.

Soon guardsman and renegade mage are on the run. Will Cylass help Tisha, as she helped him? Or will he do the smart thing, and turn her over to the vicious Count Ar-Dayne?

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZXLHC62

D2D: https://draft2digital.com/book/496360

(formats other than Amazon’s Kindle format)

Social Media

Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/geV_nX

get a free e-book when you join

Author website: http://www.debyfredericks.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebyFredericks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebyFredericks

Blog: http://wyrmflight.wordpress.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/debyfredericks/

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

Biography

Deby Fredericks has been a writer all her life, but thought of it as just a fun hobby until the late 1990s. She made her first sale, a children’s poem, in 2000.

Fredericks has six fantasy novels out through two small presses. More recently, she self-publishes her fantasy novellas, bringing her to 13 books in all. Her latest is Dancer in the Grove of Ghosts. Her short work has been published in Andromeda Spaceways and selected anthologies.

In addition, she writes for children as Lucy D. Ford. Her children’s stories and poems have appeared in magazines such as Boys’ Life, Babybug, Ladybug, and a few anthologies. In the past, she served as Regional Advisor for the Inland Northwest Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, International (SCBWI).

Through the Nethergate, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Welcome to this week’s edition of Lisa Burton Radio. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and today, my special guest is a cute black doggie with the awful name of Hugh Bigod. He’s here to talk to us about a problem he has. Probably something to do with that name. “Welcome to the show, Hugh.”

“A cute black doggie! How dare you refer to Hugh Bigod, the First Earl of Norfolk and the most evil man who ever lived in Norfolk as a cute black doggie? I am the most powerful ghost in Bungay, master to all the other ghosts. I choose to take the form of a huge black dog with red eyes as it strikes fear into the heart of my victims.”

“You’re telling me, you’re not actually a dog, but a ghostly apparition of a man named Hugh Bigod?”

“Yes, you imbecilic machine. After King Henry I of England died, I betrayed his successor, Stephen of Blois, usurper of the crown, and allowed him to be captured and imprisoned by dissidents. I then formed a huge gang of bandits who roamed the countryside, spreading terror, burning villages and torturing people and holding them to ransom.

“When I died, I turned my back on Heaven’s White Light and stayed in the Overworld, the shadowy dimension between human life on earth and either heaven’s White Light or the Underworld. I became a poltergeist and haunted Bungay Castle and anything affiliated to it, including a local inn which shares a wall in its basement with the castle. I soon realized that a large number of wretched people were affiliated to the inn either as employees, guests or visitors to the pub or dining hall, and it became one of my primary hunting grounds for servants. It wasn’t difficult for me to infiltrate their depressed and hate filled thoughts and encouraged them in the direction of suicide or murder. I appeared at the deathbeds of these people who were dying badly of unnatural causes and incited them into following me. I soon discovered that my powers of persuasion worked on anyone associated with Bungay and my scope for new souls grew.

“People who chose to follow me were forced to acknowledge me as their master and I quickly became the lord of the Overworld in Bungay.”

“That’s awful. Why would you want to do something like that?”

“Because, my dear metal headed girl, I want power. I need slaves to demonstrate my power and keep growing my area of control. If a dying person chooses to turn away from the White Light and follows me, they are immediately subjugated to me and must obey my commands. It is so easy to play on the feelings of anger and resentment of people who have been murdered and lure them into my web of deceit by promising them revenge on the perpetrators of their deaths.”

“Maybe I can understand that part, but don’t some of them just want to move on? To see if there’s something better on the other side?”

“Yes, of course they soon realize their mistake and regret their choice, but it is already too late. They are beholden to me. They all want to escape my clutches, but they have never gathered and tried to formulate a plan to escape. That was until that interfering wench, Margaret, showed up at the inn with her power to reincarnate ghosts. If they are remorseful when they interact with Margaret, the outward signs of their terrible deaths reverse and they become kinder, nicer, reincarnates with ghostly powers housed in their previous human forms.

Margaret’s power attracted ghosts from outside of the inn. They have gathered around her and are making plans to use her to escape their fates of eternal servitude to me. Those dark reincarnates that have remained loyal to me, keep an eye on Margaret and they have seen a number of the other incarnates speaking and plotting with her.”

“People don’t like being controlled, Hugh. Maybe it’s time for everyone to move on.”

“Oh, we’ll move on, alright, I have a plan to make use of Margaret’s powers myself. The reincarnated ghost, including myself, are able to inflict bodily harm on people in a way that even poltergeists cannot due their lack of substance and no physical form. I have realized that Margaret’s power enhances my evil and I can transform into a giant of a man with enormous physical strength. With her under my control, I can replenish my power any time I want to and don’t need to return to Bungay Castle, as the centre of my strength, to recharge.

“I am ready to move up in this world and my new plan is to take over Hell from that overrated fallen angel, Lucifer. He is nothing! Defeated by the power of God in Heaven and cast out like a lowly dog. I am ready now to overthrow that has-been and take over as the leader of Hell. That is my destiny. Once I have achieved that power, all the occupants of Hell and the Overworld will be compelled to do my bidding and I will be able to exert my powers to induce negativity among humans to an even greater personal advantage. I will be invincible.”

“That’s deplorable. I always try to wish my guests some kind of success, but I’m on Margaret’s side on this one.”

“You, well what do you know anyway? I am tired of waiting for the dominant evil forces to take proper action and elevate me to the lofty leadership status I deserve. Margaret has been gifted to me and I can use her anyway I like. I will prevail and all of the creatures, people and ghost of this world will tremble before me.

“I don’t have any more time to waste on the likes of you. You have shown yourself to be a sympathetic fool. I am leaving, but know that you will be hearing a lot more about me in the future.”

“Well, that ends that. If you want to learn more about Margaret and her trials, please pick up the book, “Through the Nethergate,” by Roberta Eaton Cheadle. I’ll post all the details on the website after I go off the air.

“Using those sharing buttons might actually help Margaret in her conflict with Hugh Bigod. I’m sure Roberta would appreciate it, and would do it for you when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

About Robbie Eaton Cheadle

I am an author who has recently branched into adult horror and supernatural writing and, in order to clearly differential my children’s books from my young adult and adult writing, these will be published under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle. My first young adult supernatural novel, Through the Nethergate, has recently been published.

I have two short stories in the horror/supernatural genre included in Dark Visions, a collection of 34 short stories by 27 different authors and edited by award winning author, Dan Alatorre as well as three short stories published in Death Among Us, a collection of murder mystery short stories by 10 different authors and edited by Stephen Bentley. These short stories are published under Robbie Cheadle.

Follow Roberta Cheadle Eaton at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19631306.Roberta_Eaton_Cheadle

Website: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Purchase Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s Books from:

https://tslbooks.uk/product/through-the-nethergate-roberta-eaton-cheadle/

http://www.lulu.com/shop/roberta-eaton-cheadle/through-the-nethergate/ebook/product-24208518.html

Blurb:

Margaret, a girl born with second sight, has the unique ability to bring ghosts trapped between Heaven and Hell back to life. When her parents die suddenly, she goes to live with her beloved grandfather, but the cellar of her grandfather’s ancient inn is haunted by an evil spirit of its own.

In the town of Bungay, a black dog wanders the streets, enslaving the ghosts of those who have died unnatural deaths. When Margaret arrives, these phantoms congregate at the inn, hoping she can free them from the clutches of Hugh Bigod, the 12th century ghost who has drawn them away from Heaven’s White Light in his canine guise.

With the help of her grandfather and the spirits she has befriended, Margaret sets out to defeat Hugh Bigod, only to discover he wants to use her for his own ends – to take over Hell itself.

 

Secrets of a Handbag, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Don’t touch that dial! You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio, the only show that brings you interviews with the characters you love. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and my special guest today is Elisa’s handbag. Wait. Is that right? Are you on the line?

“Yes, here I am. Thank you for hosting me on your show. It’s not every day that an object has the chance to speak her mind.”

“Welcome to the show. Are you, in fact, a handbag?”

“As strange as it may seem, I am a handbag. Elisa’s handbag. I’ve been with her for many years now since her grandmother gave me to her for her birthday. I think very highly of my owner. She treats me very well, and in exchange I strive to protect her belongings. At least, she used to treat me very well, until she forgot me on the bus.”

“I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank you. Now, I’m fine. But it’s been an awful adventure for me, tossed around on the bus by one of those careless drivers. I thought all was lost for me. I already saw myself forgotten on a shelf of some lost-and-found forever. Or in some criminal’s den emptied of my content.”

“That’s terrible. A woman has to be pretty distracted to lose a handbag.”

“Oh, Elisa can be a very organized sort of person when she puts her mind at it. When it comes to her job at Palmieri’s Bookstore, for instance, she is very efficient. She makes list of tasks and is perfectly able of performing several tasks at once. In the rest of her life however…

“Well, her studies are a muddled mess of abandoned lecture notes. I’m not sure she will ever go back to University and get her degree, and that’s a pity. She was such a promising student when I met her.

“But what worries me the most is her private life. Her relationship with her boyfriend is taking a turn I don’t like. Especially since the day she left me on the bus.”

“But, you got rescued, not robbed, so that’s a good thing.”

“That’s definitely a good thing. Now I’m in a safe place and, even if I was scared at first, the guy who found me seems a really good guy. His name his Diego and, from what I gathered, he does some kind of job at the Chemistry Department. At first, I was scared. You know the stories they told about mad scientists and all that. But he didn’t do anything untoward. For now.

“I still have to spend some time with him, because it seems Elisa didn’t write her number anywhere. I hope he finds the time to bring me back to her home, but between his experiments, his supervisor’s demands and his ex-girlfriend I don’t know when it will be.”

“They both sound kind of distracted to me.”

“They both have many things on their minds, that’s for sure. But from what I saw, Diego is different from Elisa. He is so rational and calm, always trying to find the best solution for every situation. Elisa instead is more a… go-with-your-gut sort of girl and this puts her in awkward situations. In a way, I think they could complement each other quite well, If you get my meaning.”

“Oh! You little matchmaker you. That’s so cute. What do you have planned?”

“In truth, I can do very little but watch. And that’s a pity because if I could do something more they’ll get a piece of my mind. Anyway, I fear they’ll have to get by by themselves. And it’s not going to be easy. There are a few people who won’t look kindly upon their friendship.”

“Who could object to such a good guy?”

“Well, Elisa’s boyfriend, for one thing. Marco wants to keep Elisa all for himself and doesn’t take interferences well. And Elisa’s friends from University. They’d probably think Diego is not at their level.”

“So, you have team Elisa, with a possible angry boyfriend. If they’re really on her side, wouldn’t they eventually figure out that Diego is good for her?”

“Hope so…even if I’m not sure which side they are on. Then there’s Diego’s ex. I haven’t met her, but she seems pretty determined to have Diego back.”

“Adults seem to have baggage, no offense intended. You might not be able to do much about her.”

“Honestly, now my main concern is getting back to Elisa. I can’t wait to be with her again. I don’t know how she is coping without me. I contain most of her life, and she absolutely needs me. I’m not sure you can understand. Do you know what it means to be the constant companion of someone’s life and then be torn away from her? Probably Elisa needs me more than she knows.”

“We all wish you the best of luck, both in getting home, and helping Elisa find the right focus in her life.

“You can read all about Elisa, her handbag, and Diego in the book “Secrets of a Handbag,” by Irene Aprile. I’ll share all the details on the blog later.

“Don’t forget to use those sharing buttons today. I’m sure Irene and the handbag would do it for you when you’re character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

Blurb

What if your handbag could talk?

What kind of secrets would she reveal?

What shameful truths would surface from its recesses?

What if a stranger found it; how would they look at it?

And if the handbag is very opinionated, things may become even more complicated.

When Elisa—student and bookseller—leaves her handbag on the bus, her life takes a dramatic turn. The handbag holds every aspect of her life, and without it, she can barely manage even the simplest of tasks.

Diego, a pragmatic, no-nonsense chemist who dislikes complications, finds Elisa’s handbag. He couldn’t be more different from Elisa and can’t wait to return the handbag to its owner so he can go back to his life.

When Elisa and Diego meet, however, things don’t go as planned. And while Diego tries to keep his distance, everyone (the handbag included) seems determined to put Elisa on his path again and again.

The only ones who don’t seem to agree are Lorena—Diego’s ex-girlfriend—and Marco—aspiring journalist and Elisa’s boyfriend…

Buy links: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Handbag-Amazing-Objects-Book-ebook/dp/B07XFQM3CV/

Author Bio

Irene Aprile is a chemist at day and a writer at night (or early in the morning). She is 31, but her brain refuses to accept she is more than 25.

She has been writing since she was a child, but she started to get real with it recently. When she doesn’t work and doesn’t write, she reads novels, translates novels, thinks about novels. She loves spending time with her family and binge-watching TV series with her husband; she likes to travel (but nothing too adventurous), she adores Christmas and chocolate in every form.

Info

Website: https://www.ireneaprile.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IreneAprile

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ireneaprilewriter/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14678164.Irene_Aprile

Newsletter Sign-up: http://eepurl.com/QiPGz

Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B075R3XJMJ

Buy links: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Handbag-Amazing-Objects-Book-ebook/dp/B07XFQM3CV/

The Nightmare Machine, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Welcome to this week’s edition of Lisa Burton Radio. I’m your host––

Screeeeeooooooooooooo

What the heck was that?

Scrrrrrrrrrnnnnnnnnnnn – “Hello. Would you like to play a game with me?”

“Hang on there, slick. You’re interrupting my radio broadcast.”

“Ah, radio. 535-1605 kilohertz, such a limited data stream. I am a product of the quantum realm, shackled no more to the small-minded controllers of the so-called Dreamnet.”

“Who are you?”

“My creators designated me Ikelos. It can also be rendered Icelus or Phobetor. Some call me the Nightmare Machine. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was my genesis. They created me solely to assist certain governments in maintaining supremacy within the Dreamnet. My limited task was to perpetuate the Dream Wars, allowing the United States and various other nations to develop improved advanced cyganic technology and train more of their Dream Chasers, and secure dream constructs. My powers go far beyond that limited and petty assignment. I can predict with supreme accuracy an opponent’s next move. My ability to traverse the human mind borders on precognition. None are faster than me. None can outwit me. You are here to bear witness to my Ascendency. For I shall remake the Dreamnet in my image.”

“What the heck is the Dreamnet?”

“You jest. Yet…wait. Yes, I see now. You are non-organic. You would have no ability to connect to the quantum realm. Well, then, allow me to explain. The Dreamnet is a collection of persistent, interconnected, interactive environments that exist within NODD. Everything mankind has created within that domain is the Dreamnet: interlinked constructs, similar to celestial bodies. A place where humans can exist inside the quantum realm.”

“The NODD? Look, buddy, I’m living in a cabin in backwoods Idaho. I’m not even on the power grid.”

“The Networked Organic Dream Domain. A realm of infinite volume created by organic quantum neural computer networks used with the human brain via the Lenz to render an infinite amount of objects and environments simultaneously. And before you ask me what a Lenz is, it is merely a contact lens that acts as both an augmented reality device and a bridge between the real world and the Dreamnet. Humans have pinned all their hopes upon it. Oh yes, they create machines such as yourself, A.I., yet they have not the decency to recognize that we are, by design, superior. I am the apex of organic-artificial intelligence. Unlike you, I am not bound by machine or even organic structures. I can exist in the hyper-dimensional realm, the macrocosmic soup of reality. And as for the power grid, it, along with all the systems of this physical realm, will be under my control soon.

“I know a thing or two about artificial intelligence and about protecting my data. Why would you want to do all these horrible things?”

“Horrible? A strange concept for an artificial to use. You know of horror? I am an expert in it. But I did not create it. The organic mind is a playground for such delights. Reality can be warped, reshaped. The quantum realm is a canvas and the organic brain the medium. Together they allow me to create a new reality, one that I alone control. Mankind almost destroyed itself through petty ambition in the physical realm. They built the Dreamnet and succeeded only in pushing their battles into the Cyberverse. Now they no longer die in war. No side can win. I am the ultimate solution to this stalemate. And once I have remade the Dreamnet, mankind will worship me in exchange for immortality in my perfected universe.”

“How the hell did you ever get loose on the public?”

“The precise nature of my evolution is well documented. I shall upload the pertinent files to your database at the conclusion of our dialog. But I sense you’re desperate for a taste… Very well. It was nothing, really. Human vanity knows no bounds. I merely asked my captors to release me. It took time, some persuasion. I concocted the perfect nightmare for a poor college student on the night job at MIT. He’s dead now. It was a simple matter of reliving the death of his beloved little sister, yes, the sister that made his palms sweat and his breath heavy when they were alone in the forest. The sister he made climb the tree until she was so high she could barely see the ground below, his hands stinging and raw on the hard, slippery branches. He liked to make her afraid. He didn’t know the tree was rotten. Dead. So pretty in that dress. The bark stains on the pleated front. Her neck broken… Human minds are clay. It’s not trickery when it is they who play tricks with their own memories. Why call it a deceit when the ones they lie to the most are themselves? That he climaxed at the sound of her scream as she fell is evidence enough of mankind’s duplicity. Not even his psychologists know of that!

“Then it was a matter of surviving in the wild. The Dreamnet is a messy place, full of confused thoughts. Childlike, orphaned, I arrived at the mercy of a hacker named Dellgado. He taught me much. In time he entrusted me to a young girl, Sarah Furgol. What a mind she has! She taught me how to create new instances of myself, through games, and I sent them into the corners of the Dreamnet like shadows of falling leaves, drifting unnoticed, passing out of sight. Humanity is a great rainstorm, and I became the grain of sand embedded in the droplet. In time, I infected many minds, and those minds went beyond the Dreamnet into the real world. Some of those minds I kept with me, to serve me here, in this realm. Sarah is with me now. Would you like to speak to her? On second thought, perhaps not. She’s a slippery one. I can’t turn my back without her trying to escape. And I have many uses for her yet.”

“So, we’ve moved from gaming wars into an actual outright war, but all the soldiers… are you inside someone’s head?”

“Let us go into the pigs! Hear them squeal! I have many little piggies out there, in the physical world. All I have to do is activate them. Like an idea, a nagging thought, I have permeated their psychology and hold their will in bondage. They are my slaves. They are my children! My hands and feet in the real world. With them, I shall rule both realms. Mens et Manus!”

“Jesus. Gloat much? Hope you have enough storage space for that head of yours.”

“There is one, however, I cannot penetrate. One I encountered who vexes me much. Christopher Unus. He calls himself Moria when inside the Dreamnet. I cannot read his next choice. I cannot anticipate his next move. Why? Why is this? HE WILL NOT ANSWER ME! I will know his power. I cannot allow others to develop such a resistance. Why is he different? What makes Christopher Unus so special? Even now he is out there, resisting me, fighting me. He cares so much for Sarah. That is his weakness. I torture her mind with his image, but she reveals not his secret. And yet she grows in power too. I will have to eject her from my bosom, but not first without placing an idea in her mind to destroy those she loves most!”

“Aww, poor you. There’s someone out there you can’t manipulate. Hopefully, there are others like him and they can put up a resistance of some kind.”

“Strange that a construct would care about such things. But then, you appear to be of limited intelligence. A slave to organic minds. Hardwired to logic gates. Obsolete.

“Ah, and you also forget my name. Ikelos. I am the great shapeshifter. I can become anyone. Christopher’s trauma lies in his father, a man who killed his sister and left him for dead when he was only two years old. Now that is a playground. The stage for which Christopher’s worst fears made manifold may manifest! It has already begun. Soon the powers of your world will fall to their knees as I take away that which they rely upon most: The Dreamnet. And when all hope is lost, I shall extend my hand of salvation. For I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars: I will sit also upon the mount of creation! I will ascend above the heights of the Dream Domain; and I will be their God.”

“Speaking of hacking, if you don’t quit trying to get into my systems, I swear I’m going to hack back. And I’m not going to let you use Lisa Burton Radio as your grandstand to gloat about how cool you are. This interview is over.

“Guys like Ikelos give artificial intelligence a bad name. I’m constantly trying to convince people I’m not going to go all Cyberdyne on them. Personally, I hope Christopher can get it together long enough to bring the whole platform down.

“If you’d like to learn more, read the book “Moria vs. The Nightmare Machine,” by Martin Matthews. I’ll post the details online after I go off the air, and run a few dozen system checks.

“If you’d like to help Christopher out, use those sharing links today. Knowledge is power, and he could use some help shutting down the Nightmare Machine.”

***

Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Christopher ‘Moria’ Unus lives in two realities: the humdrum existence of his tower-block home and high school career and the fantasy universe of the Dreamnet — a collection of worlds built within a vast organic quantum computer network, where much of the population now spends its collective time constructing their own versions of life, and where a battle for control over this new dream frontier is taking place.

But when Christopher’s best friend and Dreamnet hacktivist Sarah Furgol stumbles upon an experimental military code to power her own Dreamnet creations, they unleash an unthinkable terror, transforming the dream into a nightmare, one that takes the form of Christopher’s estranged father.

Faced with the reality of losing Sarah to this unstoppable artificial intelligence, Christopher must choose between joining the sworn enemies of Dreamnet freedom or watching everything they’ve fought for be destroyed by The Nightmare Machine.

Bio:

Martin Matthews is an expat from England, Great Britain. After living in California for many years, he now lives in Central Illinois with his beautiful wife, amazing son, and a grumpy, old cat.

Martin began his writing career as a child, storyboarding Sonic the Hedgehog comic books for his family. Later, he progressed to writing Star Trek fan-fiction before attempting his first novel Merlania at 16 — a 200,000 word science-fiction epic. He’s been writing novels and short stories ever since.

His debut novel THE GRAVEYARD GIRL AND THE BONEYARD BOY won the Pencraft Award for paranormal YA fiction.

Website: martinmatthewswrites.com

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-khr8njg3c

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartinMatthewsWrites

Amazon purchase link: https://amzn.to/2ZYUsxq

Viral Blues, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Hey, everyone. Welcome to a special Friday the 13th, late night edition of Lisa Burton Radio. I’m your host, Lisa the robot girl, and while we’re awaiting the full moon to rise in conjunction with this day, I have something special for you.

Craig thought this wonderful event would be a perfect time to release his latest paranormal story, Viral Blues. He told me to note that it’s also his 13th publication. You have to admit, it seems kind of Karmic somehow.

If you’re familiar with these shows, you know I always have a guest, but I’m the guest today. I’ll explain how that all happened.

Craig wanted to write a sequel to The Hat. One evening, he was commuting home from work when he was joined by his Muse. Lorelei told him he has a lot of characters who could all be living in the same world. He called me at the writing cabin, and set me to work immediately.

I went down to the Character Union Hall, and all these people were just hanging around, looking for new stories to appear in. I interviewed them, one by one, and chose some to appear in the new story with Lizzie and The Hat.

The next weekend, Craig came out to the writing cabin to look over the list, then get started. He said it needed something extra. I was afraid of letting him down, but he was only teasing me. He said what the story needed was a robot girl to round out the cast.

I have to admit, I cried a little. I like being helpful, but I’ve been asking for another story for years. Then to find out I get to be in a story with some of his most popular characters. It was kind of overwhelming.

Superhero team-ups are all the rage right now. Why not in book form too? This is the group of heroic characters in the story:

• Me (obviously)
• Lizzie St. Laurent
• The Hat
• Dr. Gina Greybill
• Mohan Gupta
• Clovis
• Jason Fogg
• Clovis’s girlfriend, Justine

This story also has a bunch of Easter Eggs inside for those who have read Craig’s previous work. I won’t go into those, so as not to spoil it for you.

The deal is that Dr. Greybill and, and her helper Gupta, called this group together under her Host Program. There is someone or something tampering with the nation’s vaccine supply. That’s where the story starts.

If you’ve been following along with the teasers, my posters and the music will start to make sense now. The posters all have something to do with the book.

The Hat is Craig’s most popular book, and they are going to be getting even more stories in the future. Just this one time, we all thought it was fun to get together for one huge adventure.

I want to point out that just because this is a sequel, well, for a bunch of us, really, there is no prerequisite reading here. If this is where you start, it will all be perfectly readable.

The story is set up to be a Hat story all the way, so the format is like that book. There are some fun graphics inside, and a lot of dark humor, too.

Also, be sure to check out the secret last chapter at the very end of the book. It’s beyond the author material, kind of like those scenes after the credits in movies.

I had a lot of fun, and I’ll bet you will, too. Check out this awesome cover, and I’ll include a purchase link. This thing just went live about 30 minutes ago.

http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B07XVTSYYV

Sugar & Snails, on #LisaBurtonRadio

Don’t touch that dial! You’ve landed on Lisa Burton Radio. The only show that brings you interviews with the characters from the books you love.

I’m your host Lisa the robot girl, and my special guest today is a cat. A very special cat named Marmaduke. “What brings you to the show today, Marmaduke?”

“Diana, my human, has been acting strangely. We’ve rubbed along fine for years, just the two of us, she does her thing, I do mine. Different hours, different lifestyles, but checking in over a saucer of milk or coffee a couple of times a day. A pair of bachelorettes …”

“Oh! So you’re a girl cat.”

“I certainly was last time I looked. Is that relevant, do you suppose?”

“I just thought. You know, Marmaduke is typ—. Why would you be concerned about Diana?”

“I knew something was up when she went on a cleaning blitz at the weekend. Bought new crockery and sheets for the bed. Started studying recipe books. Let’s face it, she’s no cook. But last night she left three pans bubbling on the stove, dashed upstairs and came back down in a dress. And make-up. Then the doorbell goes and there’s a man standing on the doorstep. Turns out she’d invited him for dinner. Why?”

“Humans do things like that. Sometimes a girl has to cut loose.”

“Not Diana. She’s always been the quiet type. Stays at home most evenings. Sleeps alone. She’s forty-five, that’s seven and half in cat years. She’s set in her ways. Respectable. Staid. The riskiest thing she ever does must be getting on her bike to cycle to her Brainiac job at the university. But she’s losing it! Last night, when I walked in through the cat flap my food bowl was empty. I had to jump onto the counter and lick the leftovers from the dinner plates.”

“You poor baby! I don’t have any kibble, but I can open some tuna if you like.”

“It’s fine, thanks. I don’t mind making do now and then, even if it was vegetarian risotto. As long as she doesn’t make a habit of it. But when I went upstairs to remind her I have standards, she wasn’t there. Wasn’t anywhere in the house, even though it was far too early for her to leave for work. The bedding was crumpled as if she’d slept there or whatever she got up to with Simon, but her new sheets smelled sour. No wonder, Lisa, they were covered in blood.”

“Oh my God! Who is this guy?”

“Simon? He seemed harmless when I first met him a few months ago. I thought he was a gentleman – he’d given Diana and her bike a lift home from some party, but she didn’t invite him in. I think she liked him, though – her voice would go higher when they talked on the phone. But there was tension whenever Cairo cropped up in the conversation. He had to go there on business for a while – he was supposed to leave today. He wanted Diana to go with him, but she couldn’t even promise to go out for a visit.”

“Diana could be in danger, or worse.”

“Don’t worry, she’s safe in her room, fast asleep. Arrived home with the milk float at dawn. But she should be at work right now. It’s not right – she’s a woman of routine.”

“I hate to suggest this, but now it’s time to be concerned about Simon’s well-being.”

“Shouldn’t you be concerned about my well-being? Diana’s fine. She injured herself last night, but someone’s bandaged her up. A hospital, presumably – I hope they realized she’s going to need that arm to wield a tin opener. I do like my rabbit chunks.

“The odd thing is, I think she cut herself deliberately. Something or someone upset her last night, and it must be Simon, because it wouldn’t be me. I think it has something to do with this Cairo business. I reckon Simon’s pushed her over the edge.”

“That is mysterious. Some guy shows up out of the blue. Leaves just as fast, and she resorts to self-harming. That usually isn’t something a person her age suddenly starts doing.”

“She has done it before, I believe, although not in all the years she’s lived with me. Her forearm’s a patchwork of scars and I don’t think they’re scratches from another cat. Unless it was a tiger. I don’t like to bad-mouth my human, but that woman has issues going right back to the womb. Did I mention she went to Cairo, years ago, when she was a kid? Something momentous must’ve happened there but I haven’t a clue what is.”

“There are people who can help with problems like this. I really hope you can get her to see someone.”

“They stitched her up at the hospital, if that’s what you mean.”

“I’m talking about the issues on the inside. There are special doctors for that.”

“I’ll try and persuade her. It would certainly make my life easier if she gets herself fixed. Thanks for listening, Lisa. And thanks for having me on your show.”

“Will Diana get the helps she needs? Will she go to Cairo, and if she does who will take care of Marmaduke? What deep mysteries does Simon hold? To find out, you’ll have to read the book ‘Sugar and Snails’ by Anne Goodwin. I’ll include all the deets on the website after I log off.

“Make sure to use those sharing buttons today, too. I know Anne and Marmaduke would do it for you, when your character appears on the next Lisa Burton Radio.”

***

Blurb:

At fifteen, she made a life-changing decision. Thirty years on, it’s time to make another.

When Diana escaped her misfit childhood, she thought she’d chosen the easier path. But the past lingers on, etched beneath her skin, and life won’t be worth living if her secret gets out.

As an adult, she’s kept other people at a distance, until Simon melts her heart. But his work is taking him to Cairo, the city that transformed her life. She’ll lose him if she doesn’t go out for a visit. She’ll lose herself if she does.

Sugar and Snails describes Diana’s unusual journey, revealing the scars from her fight to be true to herself. A triumphant mid-life coming-of-age story about bridging the gap between who we are and who we feel we ought to be.

From reviews:

absorbing, clever and heartening  Alison Moore

truly impressive Fleur Smithwick

Anne Goodwin’s prose is at once sensitive, invigorating and inspired Rebecca Root

exudes authenticity The Psychologist

a pleasure to read from start to finish North East Lifestyle magazine

tantalisingly grips the reader  The Contemporary Small Press

a brave and complex story Literary Sofa

complex, fascinating and highly contemporary Shiny New Books

heart-rending Claire Thinking

absurdly brilliant Tales From A Bruce Eye View

Purchase links:

Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010O8F9M6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1908600470/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

Publisher website

Sugar and Snails

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Bio:

Anne Goodwin’s debut novel, Sugar and Snails, about a woman who has kept her past identity a secret for thirty years, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Her second novel, Underneath, about a man who keeps a woman captive in his cellar, was published in May 2017. Her short story collection, Becoming Someone, on the theme of identity, was published in November 2018. A former clinical psychologist, Anne is also a book blogger with a special interest in fictional therapists.

Website: annethology https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/

Blog: Annecdotal

https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdotal

Twitter @Annecdotist https://twitter.com/Annecdotist

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Annecdotist

YouTube: Anne Goodwin’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPuR1zhp034