Book Brief: Thief of Hope

Thief of Hope
by Cindy Young-Turner
Genre: Fantasy
96,000 words

Sydney, a street urchin and pickpocket in the town of Last Hope, has managed to evade the oppressive Guild for years, but there is no escaping fate when she’s sentenced to death for associating with the resistance. After she’s rescued by a wizard, Sydney is forced to accept that magic—long outlawed throughout the Kingdom of Thanumor—still exists, and the Tuatha, a powerful faery folk, are much more than ancient myth and legend. When the wizard offers a chance to fight the Guild and bring Willem, bastard prince and champion of the Tuatha, to the throne, Sydney embraces the cause as a way to find her own redemption. But Sydney’s fear of the Guild, distrust of authority, and surprising connection to the Tuatha threaten Willem’s success. Can she untangle the strange threads that entwine her life not only to the fate of the kingdom, but also to Willem himself?

This title is available from Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Barnes and Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief: Thief of Hope”

Book Brief: Back From Chaos

Back From Chaos; Book One of Earth’s Pendulum
by Yvonne Hertzberger
Genre: Epic Fantasy
112,000 words
Gaelen, with Lordship unexpectedly thrust upon him, weds Marja, daughter of the enemy, to complete his victory over Catania. A trusted advisor turned traitor seeks to murder Marja, perhaps even Gaelen.
Klast, loner, perfect spy and assassin, orphaned by murder, brutalized by his sadistic captor, appears incapable of feeling. Yet it is he who must rescue Brensa, Marja’s maid, captured by brigands. But before he can complete the path Earth has set for him, Klast must help Lord Gaelen to apprehend and bring to justice the traitor who threatens them all.
All of them must survive the Red Fever, a symptom of Earth’s imbalance and pain, which ravages the population.
Earth shows Liethis, her true seer, that the bond between Klast and Brensa must not be severed. Earth’s healing, the future of the people, even the birth of the heir Marja bears, depend on it. But even Liethis is not shown just what Earth has in store for Klast and Brensa. There is no time to waste!

This title is available from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief: Back From Chaos”

Meet the Author: Mark Jacobs

Author and martial arts master, Mark Jacobs

Mark Jacobs is a freelance writer, martial arts instructor and semi-professional poker player who says he regularly plays for more money than he can afford to lose.

His written work has appeared in publications such as Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health, and TimeOut New York.

The author of the acclaimed instructional text, The Principles of Unarmed Combat, he currently serves as a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Black Belt Magazine. His other books include the detective novel, Pascal’s Wager, and the upcoming boxing saga, A Bittersweet ScienceContinue reading “Meet the Author: Mark Jacobs”

Meet the Author – M. J. Neary

Author M. J. Neary

[This is a golden oldie—it ran on Indies Unlimited back in October 2011.]

Meet award-winning historical essayist, multilingual arts & entertainment journalist, novelist, dramatist and poet, Marina Julia Neary.  She also serves as an editorial reviewer and steady contributor for Bewildering Stories magazine.

Marina has a passion for telling untold stories and for “illuminating the dark side of the moon.” She incorporates real historical figures into her narratives and works to give them psychological dimension.

“For instance, in one of my novels, Wynfield’s War (a sequel to Wynfield’s Kingdom, both published by Fireship Press), I show a dark, almost demonic side of Florence Nightingale, who is regarded as a saint by the medical community. Within each saint there is a demon – and vice-versa,” she says.

When writing her books, she envisions the storyline, but writes  various scenes and then assembles them into one big mosaic, rather than approaching them in a sequential order.

She finds her inspiration in the past, “. . . in the smell of obscure rare books that have been out of print for decades. That’s the ‘indie’ side of me, I suppose. I usually don’t read bestsellers and don’t watch blockbusters. I like to dig up lost treasures.” Continue reading “Meet the Author – M. J. Neary”