Maybe Tomorrow

September 28, 2009

Excerpt from “Life” by Sheila Deeth

Filed under: Authors, Excerpts — Tags: , , — fergus @ 7:45 am
Life by Sheila Deeth

Life

It was supposed to be the highlight of her career, an alien planet, as foreign as it gets. But the air in her helmet was stale as a college dorm at 10 a.m. The gloves and boots sealed her from touch; not a co-ed dorm in that case. And she felt like a walking machine. Rough fabric crinkled and squeaked round arms and legs as if she were still back home in the water-tank. Someone had scrubbed the scenery off the walls and scattered rocks on the tiles.
Forget looking for alien life, Jen thought. She wasn’t even sure there were humans here.

Twitter: @mayb2morrow

September 23, 2009

Excerpt from “Deathless” by Carole Gill

Filed under: Excerpts — Tags: , , , — fergus @ 11:57 am

The following is an excerpt from “Deathless” by Carole Gill.

“It is the year 2299.

Death has ceased to exist.

There are almost no births—over seventy percent of the population is sterile. A genetic outcome of past history.
There is no disease of any kind.
The eco wars of two hundred years ago caused society to virtually breakdown.
Disease killed three billion people, approximately half of earth’s population.
Those who survived faced great hardship.
Extraterrestrials, already familiar with ancient earth exploration, developed colonies here.
They became the Guardians.
Astute scholars of ancient biblical history—they began to re-establish God Centers for the betterment of humankind.
Eventually they withdrew themselves.
More recently, human-alien hybrid Guardians have taken their place.

My treatise on our history.
I am a scholar and documenter, employed at the Center for Archeological Studies in Zone 29.
I am at my place of work when two Guardians come into see me.
They inform me that my son Corsco 123 has requested a life termination.
Such requests are rare.
We ride to the Great Hall in their flytram. There is little or no conversation.
I have been to the Great Hall previously–once when my birth provider and I married and once to hand over the infant for education and treatment. Treatment consisting of cyclic vaccination therapy. Preventative medicine thus enabling immortality.

I am handed over to two different Guardians. They are from the Office of Termination.
The door is opened and I am asked to sit at a desk. Facing me is a familiar slogan:
The all loving spirit of God comforts us all.
A motto—but never something I questioned. For I have always been an obedient citizen. A willing participant in the world I knew to be mine.

My name is Arbin 157. I am 157 years old.
“You have been informed?”
“Yes, I was told my son seeks termination.”
“That’s quite true. How do you feel about that?”
“I should like to speak with him!”
One of the Guardians cuts me off.
“It will not be necessary. His termination was approved and he’s already been euthanized.”
His words hit me hard. I stutter.
“But surely I should have had an opportunity to speak with him.”
“No. The procedure was carried out yesterday. His remains are in transport.”
I didn’t speak for some time. But only squirmed under their watchful gaze—glancing up every so often at the slogan.
I couldn’t understand his action. Our world was perfect—every desire catered for. We knew neither sickness nor death. No war had been fought within living memory.
Finally, I managed to speak.
“What reasons did he give?”
“He said he was ready. That was all he said.””

September 7, 2009

Paradise Lost-Not! by Fiona Linday

Filed under: Authors, Stories — Tags: , , , , — fergus @ 12:01 pm

Story:

I’d like to say my story is on the light side, not the dark. But it all depends on what you believe. On holiday in exotic Asia the Jones family get it all sorted. For them the outcome of the greatest act of God is very good. But unfortunately for others, this story is not so pretty.

Author:

I live in the beautiful Vale of Belvoir and work with children and youths. For many years I’ve told and retold stories but took up the challenge of recording them a few years ago. That’s when I embarked on an online Certificate in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. I was a member of Melton’s Writers Club before joining The Association of Christian Writers, who meet in Southwell. I wanted to create fiction for youth in a voice that reflects their value systems but adds in hope to their many issues. I have had the success of publication on the web at www.therecusant.org.uk under prose, a short piece called ‘Off the Beaten Track’. This story raises awareness of the plight of teens suffering abuse in Eastern Europe and won a short story first prize with ‘The Fosseway Writers’.

After the experiences of volunteering in a day hospice and child bereavement centre I have written a teen novel. This adventure tells of a youth, John, who with his father goes to Greece to avoid the sensitive issue of his mum dying. Their story tells a hopeful journey adapting to life without her, with a lot of help from their friends. It’s called, ‘Get Over It!’ published by Onwards and Upwards in September 2009. It can be bought, on offer, at Waterstones and is available on Amazon, too. I hope it will give empathy to those families going through similar tough times.

I can be viewed in a short story listed in an Anthology at www.lulu.com – purchase books, under ‘The Critters Bar Anthology 2009’ see pgs 24-28, ‘Megs Diary’ or hear audio at http://www.crittersbar.com/

This is similar in content to Paradise Lost-Not! telling of another epic final journey.

September 3, 2009

“Maybe Tomorrow” edited by Brian L. Porter

Filed under: Editors, General — Tags: , , — fergus @ 7:18 pm

‘Maybe Tomorrow’ and it’s sister volume ‘Another Time, Another Place’ were compiled and edited by Mythica Publishing’s Mystery/Thriller Consultant Editor, Brian L Porter, author of the much acclaimed Preditors & Editors ‘Best Thriller of 2008 Award Winner, ‘A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper’. ‘A Study in Red, and it’s recently released sequel ‘Legacy of The Ripper’  (Double Dragon Publishing) are both under contract to Thunderball Films of Los Angeles for movie adaptation and ‘A Study in Red’ is currently in the development stage, in collaboration with Masterplan Films (UK). Porter’s short story collection ‘The Voice of Anton Bouchard’ was released in 2009 by Mythica Publishing, and the same publisher will soon be releasing his vampire Thriller ‘Kiss of Life’.  Brian’s novel ‘Glastonbury’ will also soon be released by 4RV Publishing.

Brian L Porter’s works are the recipients of a number of awards both for their literary content and their wonderful cover designs and the trailer for ‘A Study in Red’ also received a ‘Best Trailer’ Award from The New Covey Cover Awards.

***

A Study in Red

A Study in Red

A Study in Red

A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper by Brian L Porter tells the story of Robert Cavendish, a modern day psychiatrist who is bequeathed a strange set of papers which purport to be the journal of the long-dead infamous Whitechapel Murderer whose crimes gripped the hearts and minds and instilled terror on the streets of Victorian London. As he begins to read the journal, Robert becomes convinced of it’s authenticity and finds that the words of the Ripper have a strange and compelling effect on him. Unable to cast the pages aside he finds himself being drawn into the dark and sinister world of the killer until he is unable to distinguish what is fact and what is fantasy. In short, Robert Cavendish begins to feel as though he is being taken over in some way by the soul of the long-dead Ripper. What happens as he progresses through the journal will disturb and shock the reader as the close dividing line between sanity and madness is explored to the full.

A Study in Red can be found at Amazon in the USA and the UK.

Legacy of the Ripper

Legacy of the Ripper

Legacy of The Ripper

Jack Thomas Reid, nephew of Robert Cavendish who first appeared in A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper languishes in the secure Ravenswood Psychiatric Hospital, sentenced to confinement ‘at Her Majesty’s Pleasure’ for a series of apparent ‘Jack the Ripper’ copycat killings in the picturesque English coastal resort of Brighton. Jack’s defence at his trial, that he is a descendant of Jack the Ripper and that the crimes were conducted by an unknown ‘mystery man’ and that Jack was drugged and made to appear as the killer was regarded as so preposterous and unbelievable that his sentence was never in doubt. When one of the policemen who conducted the original investigation into the murders begins to doubt the truth of the case against Reid, Sergeant Carl Wright and Ripperologist Alice Nickels begin an investigation into his story. What they find is told through the voice of Doctor Ruth Truman, Jack’s psychiatrist at Ravenswood, and through a series of events that take place as far afield as the beautiful island of Malta and in Warsaw, Poland. Slowly but surely and with the help of Wright’s boss Inspector Mike Holland, the link between the events that shocked and terrorised Whitechapel over a century ago, and their link with the case of Jack Thomas Reid and the ‘Legacy of Jack the Ripper’ is revealed.

Legacy of the Ripper is available from Amazon in the USA and the UK.

The Voice of Anton Bouchard

The Voice of Anton Bouchard

The Voice of Anton Bouchard

As the city of Paris swelters in the grip of a summer heat wave, a serial killer dubbed “The Butcher Beast” stalks the dark streets of the great metropolis, dispatching his victims with increasing brutality and savagery. Author Brian L. Porter goes deep into the mind of multiple murderer Anton Bouchard, revealing the thoughts and the events that have shaped the life of that most heinous of society’s misfits, the serial killer! This definitive collection of tales from the pen of the author includes a second tale of multiple murder in “Breathing to Death,” and also takes the reader beneath the ocean, beyond the stars, and deep into the cellars of an English country mansion. Finally, we are treated to a four chapter preview of Porter’s latest novel Under Mexican Skies. A truly remarkable journey through the mind of an extremely talented author!

‘The Voice of Anton Bouchard’ is available from Amazon.com.

Kiss of Life

Kiss of Life

Kiss of Life

Investigative journalist Alan Dexter is beset by a recurring nightmare, in which the woman he met and fell in love with a year previously in Romania, appears to him as a vampire, calling to him in the depths of night. Convinced that the dream is a plea for help from the beautiful Christina Radaluc, Dexter tries to contact her through her employer at the Romanian News Agency, only to hear that she has been missing for two months. He enlists the help of his long-time friend and fellow journalist Karen Bailey, and the two intrepid journalists board a flight to Bucharest, and begin a dramatic and at times terrifying search for the woman of his dreams. As they journey into the mountains of remote and legendary Transylvania Dexter and Karen must face not only the perils of a Romanian winter, but the terrifying and brutal reality that slowly unravels as they learn the truth surrounding the sudden disappearance of Christina.

Details of all of Brian L Porter’s works can be found at www.freewebs.com/brianlp

September 1, 2009

Transition by Bill Kirton

Filed under: Authors, Stories — Tags: , , — fergus @ 7:51 pm

Story:

Everything’s so much better in the virtual world, so when the alienation of normal reality begins to scare him, Jez (or Gabriel, master of Glentyre, as he is in the online world of Alternative Dimension) decides to make the transition permanent. The consequences are not as he’d have wished.

Author Bio:

Before taking early retirement to become a full-time writer, Bill was a lecturer in French at the University of Aberdeen.

His radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC and on the Australian BC. He’s published three crime novels, Material Evidence, Rough Justice and The Darkness. and three of his short stories were selected for the CWA’s annual anthologies in 1999, 2005 and 2007. He’s written children’s stories and sci-fi but his main output is crime/mystery. His first two novels have also appeared in paperback editions in the USA (in 2008 and 2009) as part of a series called ‘Bloody Brits’. A historical crime novel, The Figurehead, set in Aberdeen in 1840 is due for publication by Virtual Tales in the USA later this year.

Bill has also written and performed in revues at the Edinburgh Festival; written, directed and acted in stage and radio plays; and presented TV programmes. He’s been visiting artist at an American University on four different occasions, directing, giving classes on creative writing and translating three plays by Molière for public performance, one of which, a verse translation of Sganarelle, won a BCLA prize.

He was one of the Royal Literary Fund’s first Writing Fellows in Scotland with spells at the Robert Gordon University, the University of Dundee and St Andrews. He also co-wrote Just Write, a book aimed at helping students with their academic writing, which was published in 2006.

His website is www.bill-kirton.co.uk and his blog’s at http://livingwritingandotherstuff.blogspot.com/

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