Off the Bookshelf: EMISSARY, by Thomas Locke

My pursuit of reading all fellow Realmies' books in my possession before arriving at Realm Makers takes me to our keynote speaker's book, EMISSARY, Legends of the Realm Book 1.

Thomas Locke turns out to write "other" books under another well-known name, but since it's not SF/Fantasy ... meh, not gonna mention it. You can find out for yourself!

Must admit, this one had me neglecting my writing so I could keep devouring the book. I just wanted to know: What happens NEXT? And considering this is Camp NaNoWriMo month, that's saying something! I mean, I have multiple deadlines and goals this month, but when you need to finish reading a story, it's better just not to resist.

Hyam is our hero, a farmer who has just lost his mother to illness. He goes to deliver a message to fulfill his mother's last request, and what he is told in return turns his world upside down. Hyam isn't who or even what he thought he was, and then he isn't even permitted time to consider all the ramifications, because big trouble is coming against his friends and the kingdom. The worst part is, the trouble originates from within the kingdom. What do you do when there's rot at the heart of the kingdom? Well, sometimes you have to break some laws.

Slowly and surely, Hyam does what he knows is right -- he makes some mistakes along the way -- and puts himself on the line for truth and life. He's the quintessential hero with an agonizing secret and shame. As he lets magic work through him, he is changed, and so are the unique and admirable cast of supporting characters who gather around him.

If this sounds like I'm holding back a lot of details, I am, because that would ruin the story. Doggone it, another series I'm going to be following. When am I going to have time to write?

Up next -- because I'll be reading and finishing it before Realm Makers, even though this report will come out afterward -- BLOOD FOR BLOOD, by Ben Wolf. Why I am reading a vampire novel, I have no idea!

Book Trailer: THE COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSE

An overview of many of the storylines and series and covers in the Commonwealth Universe series from Writers Exchange.

Please note, some of the covers have been updated, while this trailer has not!!

Off the Bookshelf: A STAR CURIOUSLY SINGING, Kerry Nietz

The next book in my quest to read all the books by fellow Realmies in my to-be-read queue  before this year's Realm Makers conference.

This first book in the Dark Trench Saga is mind-blowing -- which, in the case of the culture imagined here could be actual, literal, and pretty painful.

The hero, Sand, is a debugger -- one of a group of people who have brain implants that let them touch the Stream -- essentially, the Cloud, the worldwide Internet -- touch data, manipulate and service machines, do research, all in the comfort and iffy safety of their own heads. For the Abduls (a slang term used by debuggers to refer to the repressive culture that rules the world), control of everyone's lives, their attitudes, their bodies, their very thoughts, is a top priority. Debuggers are considered property, and are controlled by pain, tweaks" that punish them whenever their free-roaming thoughts (necessary in their line of work) stray too far in the wrong direction.

And you thought Big Brother was bad.

Dark Trench is also a revolutionary, super-advanced starship. Sand is sent up to an orbital station to deal with problems relating to the first voyage of the ship, and the strange behavior of one of the advanced 'bots that service the ship and crew. What he discovers as he investigates leads to encounters with the song of the title -- am I giving too much away when I call it the song of creation, the song of truth -- essentially "the heavens are telling the glories." Whose glories? Well, the deity everyone is required to worship is called simply A. But the defective 'bot speaks of "A not A cubed." To speak of, even to think of, this particular being, reaching out through song and changing the very implant in Sand's head is considered so heretical as to deserve death.

What happens when Sand understands the 'bot's strange words and dares to think freely -- essentially, to become a freehead? What's a freehead? Read this and find out. Guaranteed not to hurt one bit when your mind is blown.

Off the Bookshelf: SPACE DRIFTERS, The Emerald Enigma, by Paul Regnier

I know I said the next book would be A STAR CURIOUSLY SINGING, by Kerry Neitz, but I've been working on this one for a while -- it's my book for reading on my iPhone in line or waiting somewhere.

To be honest, I don't know if Paul Regnier is a Realmie, and/or if he's coming to this year's Realm Makers conference. However, this one qualifies because I heard about it at last year's conference. When the publisher himself takes the time during your pitch session to tell you about the book, that's a good recommendation. So officially this is another book in my trying-to-read-before-Realm-Makers queue.

Wanna snicker? Wanna catch a lot of SF geek/fandom/series inside jokes? Wanna laugh at cliches and stereotypes? This is the book. I mean, you gotta love a book where the 1st person hero's name is Glint Starcrost, and after a really close call with death, he talks about something being "severely ouchy."

It's your classic quest SF adventure, with evil nemeses and menacing cyborgs and over-the-top space weapons and stations and a beautiful, deadly space princess (who happens to be a lot smarter and a lot tougher than the captain) and weird creatures and great names for things, like the captain's beloved gun is called a DEMOTER -- yeah, all caps.

What's the Emerald Enigma? Well, it's a green stone that everybody wants, supposed to give lots of luck -- and fortune, and revenge, and healing, and protection and whatever you want -- and grant wishes. There's a major problem with the kind of  luck given and the wishes granted, and I'm going to leave you to discover what that is.

It's guaranteed snarky, snickery, groaning, I-can't-believe-how-stupid-he-is-and-that-I'm-still-reading-this! fun. Whether it's your reading-while-waiting-in-line book or sitting on your nightstand or for reading between innings, (Go, Tribe!) Read It! You'll be glad you did. Next up -- I promise! -- is Kerry Neitz's book. Followed by a book by Tosca Lee.

Book Trailer: The SUNSINGER series

My YA series set in the Commonwealth Universe

Off the Bookshelf: FINDING ANGEL, by Kat Heckenbach

My next book in my quest to read all the books in my to-be-read pile by fellow Realm Maker alumni is the first book in the Toch Island series,

FINDING ANGEL
by Kat Heckenbach

The slugline says "Where magic and science collide."

How? Well, they've got a university, and there are scientists, and the threat to the welfare of this hidden magical island comes from man-made things, from applying scientific principles to overcome some very necessary rules of magic -- such as those who kill lose their magic ...

Angel is a foster child, found seven years ago, injured and lost, with no identification and no memory of her life before waking in the forest. Odd things happen to her, such as something always interferes when her foster parents try to adopt her, and whenever one of her foster brothers torments her by stealing things from her, she's always able to find it.

Then an odd boy, too warmly dressed for Florida, shows up in her life at the start of summer vacation. Gregor talks of magical creatures and magical things as if they were real -- ordinary parts of his life. Then when he saves Angel's life, things really get strange. She's willing to risk anything, though, when Gregor admits that he knows who she is and how she got lost in the forest, and who her parents are. He takes her to the island, and prophecy starts to unfold.

Do I need to say it? I gotta read the rest of the books in the series! Angel is too real not to wonder what's going to happen to her next.

Next up: A Star Curiously Singing, by Kerry Nietz

In the Spotlight: RESURRECTION OF HOPE, Excerpt, by Tamera Kraft

Vivian tried to hide how startled she was at Henry's proposal. Of course she remembered the quiet boy who she and James had been best friends with since childhood. He was always tall and skinny, but with all the weight he'd lost, he looked like a scarecrow. She wasn't sure she liked his short army haircut. It didn't seem like Henry for him not to have an unruly mop of dark, curly hair falling in his eyes.

"You're talking crazy. Why would you want to do a foolish thing like marry me?"

Henry's hazel gaze became intense as he started to reach out to touch her then drew back. "I was with James when he died. His last words to me were, 'Take care of Vivian.' I've always been fond of you." He bit his lip and looked away.

Vivian touched his arm. "It's not fair to saddle you with a wife because of this promise you made."

"I don't have anyone left. I want a wife and a family. I promised James. Say yes."

He made it sound so easy, and his pleading eyes compelled her to agree, but they didn't love each other. "I can't, Henry. It wouldn't be right."

"I don't know how you could say that." Henry tipped back on his heels and gave her a slight grin. "People have been getting married for centuries without love entering into it. We are friends. Isn't that a good start?"

"I don't know what to say. I'm not ready to even think about caring for anyone else. I'm still grieving James."

"If you give me a chance, we can make this work." This time Henry did hold her hand. "We'll marry, and you can move into my place. I'll provide for you, but we'll have separate bedrooms. I'll give you the time you need. When you're ready to be my wife…" He blushed. "I'll give you the time you need."

Vivian touched her chest. Her breathing shallowed until she'd become lightheaded. "Can you give me time to think on it?"

Henry grinned. "I'll be back tomorrow." He descended the stairs and turned down the hallway until he ebbed out of her sight.

His footsteps clacked against the wooden floor, the sound of hope shuffling back into her life. She wiped the tears from her face. She didn't even know why she was considering this. He didn't love her, and she didn't love him. Henry was always in the background, not the kind of man you considered marrying. Maybe she could learn to care for him that way.

When he came back tomorrow, she would say yes.

Resurrection of Hope is not available until July 11^th but will be available in the following stores:

• Desert Breeze Publishing
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Christianbook.com
• Sony
• Kobo
• iTunes
• All Romance eBooks
• Koorong.com (Australia)

Tamera Lynn Kraft

Faith Filled Historicals For the Adventurous Heart

Coming Soon: Resurrection of Hope

A Christmas Promise

http://tameralynnkraft.net

http://tameralynnkraft.com

http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraft