AQP Special sales: $0.99 Books & Bundles!

That’s right, Amber Quill Press has just introduced a new feature on their website! Each week AQP will be featuring a new set of ten titles, or sometimes book bundles, for only $0.99!

The sales will commence on a Friday and end the following Thursday! The intent is to start with books that have been with AQP since the publisher opened its doors way back in 2002!  An excellent opportunity to find some new authors, or perhaps read the older books of a favorite author.

Have a look at the first page: http://www.amberquill.com/store/c/413-Special-99-Books-Bundles.aspx

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Wonderful review for QUESTOR!

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I was delighted to be notified today that my SF futuristic / Fantasy novel, QUESTOR, has been given a 4.5 star review by Long and Short Reviews:

“L. S. Gibson has written an exciting story which captured me from the very beginning. The plot takes many twists and turns, keeping the tension building until the end. And the ending is rather like the solution to a mystery novel in that all the clues are there, but I was totally taken by surprise. The exciting, fast-moving pace along with the wonderful characters make this a sure-fire hit.”

To read the full review go here:

 

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What’s been happening?

First off, I want to say sorry that it’s been so long so I posted, but a family situation has been taking up quite a bit of my time lately. On top of that, probably related to that, when I did get to my keyboard I was having trouble getting my writing to work, and when it did it was going slowly, but then any words added to the story is good, right?

Then last weekend, I sent the last couple of chapters to my beta to have a read through, and as ever she got back to me with comments and suggestions. But this time, she was quick to point out a glaring flaw in the plot. Something I should have seen but didn’t. I’m just pleased it was picked up before I got much further into the story! It’s taking me some time to get the story back on track because of this, but I will!

As the story I’m talking about is a sequel – to my popular fantasy novel, The Eynan – I’m keen to get it finished sooner rather than later, but not at the cost of spoiling the story. I’m aware that quite a few of you are looking forward to where I take my characters next:)

Still got a ways to go yet before I can even write The End to my novel, but hopefully now I’ve got the story back on track it will flow better for me:)

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QUESTOR – new excerpt from Chapter 3

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I thought it was past time I posted a new excerpt from my Science Fiction novel, QUESTOR. Here’s a scene that also shows there’s a Fantasy element at play here too:

“You know us?” Jon queried, for the first time feeling threatened, though he couldn’t say why.

“Don’t be disturbed,” Triena replied. “You’re in no danger from us.”

There she goes again, Jon thought.

“What did you mean by the Gift?” asked Manny from her other side.

“It’s a term we use to describe our ability to discern things about others and our surroundings and, in certain cases, particular abilities of the some minds that can manifest physically. It varies from person to person, but each Rhiava has the Gift to some degree, for one specific purpose or another. Some have more than one manifestation.”

“You referred to those elders remaining not being strong enough in the Gift, so what does that mean?” Manny queried, glancing at Jon, who didn’t understand either.

He figured Manny probably didn’t even know what questions to ask.

“You’re a curious people to be sure,” interjected one of the other Rhiava from across the table.

“Allow me to introduce Sernov, one of the senior elders.”

“Do you object to our asking questions?” Jon asked. “If so, please accept our apologies. We meant no offence.”

“No offence has been taken, young one. I see nothing wrong with curiosity; it’s the way one learns. Mistress Triena explained to you we all possess the Gift. What she didn’t tell you is that, when necessary, we can combine our Gifts for the good of all. Those who didn’t attend Ritual and who faced the Midea alone were not strong enough, even when joined, to discern the truth of their intention until it was too late.”

“Enough talk for now,” interrupted Wirva. “My good food will be cold if you don’t stop talking and start eating.”

Everyone gave Wirva a small bow and began eating dutifully. Jon was very pleasantly surprised at how good the stew was. He finished his meal in record time.

“I appreciate your gesture,” Wirva said on seeing his empty plate.

“It was no gesture…that was delicious.”

“Yes, it sure was,” Manny agreed. “It’ll make a welcome addition to Martin’s collection when we return to Questor, if you’ll allow us to take the recipe, and perhaps some supplies?” He raised a questioning eyebrow. “If we can discuss some form of exchange when you’re ready.”

“That can be discussed later. When will your vessel begin to be concerned that you do not return?” asked Sernov.

“They probably already are. We were supposed to contact our vessel when we attained orbit, but the transmission was very garbled due to interference. I’d said we’d try again on landing. That was before I entered your atmosphere and discovered just how bad the interference was. Manny, how long was I unconscious?”

“About three hours I’d say. Triena and Lector found us immediately following our crash and then brought us here. It must be over four hours since we last spoke to the X.O.”

“They’ll certainly be anxious already, but how long before they can come after us is another question,” Jon said.

QUESTOR is available in both eBook and Print from Amber Quill Press and all the other usual avenues:)

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The Eynan up for Book of the Month!

I’m delighted to announce that  my novel, The Eynan, which was awarded a 5 Star Review by Long and Short Reviews, is eligible to be voted as Book of the Month in their August poll.

The voting starts at midnight EST tonight, 1st September and the poll runs through till midnight on Monday 2nd September.

Please use the link below – which is valid from midnight – to go and vote and hopefully you will choose to vote for The Eynan.

http://wp.me/p2ZcT9-5yC

To read the full review go here

To check out my novel, visit

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Wonderful Review for The Eynan!

I was delighted to be informed by Long and Short Reviews that they had given my Fantasy novel, The Eynan, 5 stars!

Here’s a little of what they had to say:

“The plot is full of action and while the book is 436 pages long, I found that I couldn’t put it down. I resented any interruptions, and I was totally absorbed in the plot as the action never let up. If you enjoy fantasy, this is definitely a book not to be missed. It offers a rich, complex story with great characters in an interesting setting. I highly recommend it to any lovers of fantasy.”

To read the full review go here

To check out my novel, visit

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Questor, excerpt from Chapter 2!

Here’s a never seen before excerpt from the second chapter of my SF/Futuristic novel, QUESTOR:

Triena looked overhead as the strange sound assailed her ears. She saw an unknown craft and it was obviously in trouble. It was clear someone at the controls was struggling to maintain level flight. The craft wouldn’t make it. Already one of the short wings was dipping toward the ground. She called to Lector, pointing into the sky. “Look, it’s coming down nearby. I’ve never seen a vessel like that before.”

“No, neither have I. It sure doesn’t belong to any race we know. It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it? It’s much more aesthetically pleasing than any of the oppressors’ craft. It’s going to land…crash…over the rim.”

“Let’s go and see if we can help.”

“Is this wise, Mistress?” The question stopped her flight before it really began. She looked back at Lector, surprise written all over her face.

“They’re not our oppressors. We mustn’t judge all by their actions. We must help if we can,” she replied sternly.

Lector nodded in acceptance.

They ran across the meadow as the craft screamed overhead.

***

Jon did his best to keep the craft level as he searched desperately for some sort of landing site. He saw a level meadow of pale blue grass just to the right of his erratic flight path and aimed the shuttle for it as best he could.

The surface of the planet was quite beautiful. If he’d not been so involved with trying to land the ship, Jon would’ve been impressed, and painfully reminded of home. It was lush as far as the eye could see. There were huge tracts of forest with striking pale blue foliage and high mountains in the distance with what looked like snow on the tops. Dotted here and there were deep green lakes and one large sea, also green, but tinged with a deeper blue where the surf touched the land.

Jon was doing his best to regain control, but he didn’t think he’d be able to, at least not in time. He did feel some response from the instruments, but it was far too late. Some power was returning, but when it had abruptly failed before, they’d been sent into a spiral he couldn’t pull out of. All he could do was try to edge the shuttle into the softest possible landing, and hope.

Finally, they hit the ground with a loud thud, striking so hard Jon’s safety harness snapped and he was thrown forward. He slammed into the console, pain creasing across his head and blooming in his arm. The last thing he saw before his world went dark was the console’s blinking lights.

QUESTOR is available in both eBook and Print from Amber Quill Press and all the other usual avenues:)

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Progress on my WIP

I’m still working on the sequel to The Eynan, tentatively called, The Eynan 2: Cambrion. I’d hit something of a roadblock in the plot and for a while I mostly sat at my keyboard, staring at the screen and grumbling, but at last I think I know where I’m going! Fingers crossed that I don’t hit a fork in the road:)

I started adding new scenes yesterday, continuing with more today, gradually increasing my word count. I still have to go back to earlier chapters and make some edits because I’ve made some minor plot changes, but just now I want to carry on getting new stuff written. Feel as if I’m really making progress:)

So far today, I’ve written over 2,300 words and it’s flowing better than it has for the last couple of weeks. Almost scared to say that out loud, don’t want to tempt fate!

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Thanks to my readers!

 

I just wanted to thank all those lovely people who have bought my fantasy novel, The Eynan, and helped push it up  the Amazon best sellers list to make it #37 in the Fantasy rankings:)

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New excerpt from SF novel, Questor

Here’s a new excerpt from the first chapter of QUESTOR:

“Right,” the captain had said decisively, not as if someone had just told him his ship was facing a violent unknown. “How long?”

“Three minutes, sir, tops,” Jon had replied.

Sullivan had glanced at Lieutenant Philip Piper over at transmissions, who’d nodded immediately. Piper would send out a warning to the crew; meanwhile he’d get the engineering chief for the captain. “Henricks, have you been following this?” Sullivan had queried.

“Yes, sir. Robert has kept me fully apprised,” Lieutenant Commander Sara Henricks had said. Robert Simpson was Sara’s second, but she’d never liked command center duty, preferring to stay in engineering, and she invariably assigned Robert to the command center. “I’ve no frame of reference, though, to say whether or not we can make it. If we can’t get out of the way, I suggest we broadside into it.”

“No, sir,” Jon had interrupted, his tone sharp. The very fact Jon had interrupted like that would’ve grabbed Sullivan’s attention. Jon wasn’t the kind to push himself forward; doing so in such a situation meant he felt strongly about what he was saying. “This is acting like a storm, like a violent hurricane at sea; you must turn your nose into that. Broadside and it will crack you like an egg.”

“We’re not at sea,” Sara had shouted irritably.

“I know that,” Jon had replied, “but the effect is the same. It’s coming in like waves, only waves of energy, right, Manny?”

“Yeah, that’s it. I’ve discovered it’s chock full of ionizing radiation and that’s pulsing against some other energy I don’t recognize. It’s forming waves behind the leading edge.”

“I still can’t say for sure if we can withstand this…storm,” Sara had reported. “The hull was made to take a lot and the shielding is in good order, but…”

“Sir?” Jon had queried, looking hard at his captain, who’d regarded him intently.

Jon had seen the moment the captain came to his decision. He’d nodded. “Whatever you think best, Jon.”

“Yes, sir.” Jon’s voice had been surprisingly calm. Inside, he’d felt like ice. God, I’d better be right, Jon had thought, as he’d swung the ship’s bow forward into the terrible energy surging toward them. Manny had told him time and again he had to trust his instincts.

“Henricks, supplement structural integrity support systems. Back up whatever other systems you can.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Barlow, make sure all bulkhead doors are secure and everything is battened down.”

“Already on it, Captain.” Glancing at the view screen, Barlow had added, “Can we survive in there?”

“We’ll know in one minute,” Manny had called.

Without needing to be ordered, Piper had opened the communication channels again and announced ship-wide, “Now hear this. Contact with the storm is imminent. All hands make preparations.”

Jon had noted Piper didn’t say what preparations to make—none of them knew exactly how they could prepare other than to hold on—but the man had to say something. Jon had been aware many of the command center crew were watching him, probably praying he knew what the hell he was talking about. His stomach had twisted at the knowledge that all their lives were in his hands. He’d prayed, too.

Also available from AMAZON and ARe BOOKS

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