New Addition to Blog

Mr Three-And-A-Half

Simon, also known as Mr. 3½ - though the latter was not his preferred choice of name - worked as a junior salesman in a typical office environment, one governed by the irresistible yet somewhat flighty manageress, Mandi. And an office in which he met the woman of his dreams.

Estelle, the object of his affection, was unique. A powerful young woman on the very brink of discovering her powers, her seemingly limitless force. Though he may have cause to wonder at the end of this story if, in fact, all that he believed to be true, was just so…

He’s really not sure of anything anymore. Other than his feelings. His mind may be thoroughly disassembled, but those feelings… they’re the real thing.

This short story is one of obsession, lust, and the most powerful desire of all… to be more than you are. Much more.

(Adult content. Short fiction. Paranormal/Mystery. Approx: 9,500 words.)

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Freebies.... limited offer 12th May - 16th May 2018

Heaven Expects

Amy is a well-respected and gifted courier in the Ulterior Dimension galaxy. Her life is routine - but, most days, that's what she loves about it. Until she meets Aiden Armstrong, a handsome and secretive man who claims he has to be delivered to the Black Moon at the farthest extreme of the galaxy. 

Amy is not happy. She does not deliver people, she delivers messages: high security and top secret messages which only she is qualified to carry. But there is just something strange and puzzling about Aiden Armstrong that pulls at her curiosity. Primarily, the fact that he gives nothing away and won't even tell her why he has to get to his destination.

The question is, can Amy tolerate this man's moodiness, secrecy, and generally perplexing behaviour? As twists and secrets unveil, Amy realises that there are hidden powers within Aiden Armstrong who, on the face of it, just seems like a quirky and weird man down on his luck.

Assisted by her no-nonsense mechanoid, Kipper - along with her moody, sexually deviant, and quite possibly insane ship computer, Pegasus - Amy sets out on the delivery of a lifetime, where nothing is quite as it seems.

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5 Minutes

Amy is a mute child with a powerful gift and a certainty that the future has been cancelled. Marielle is a beautiful revolutionary with a passion for mechanical men. Lydia is a five-thousand year-old ghost with a hunger for vengeance. And Earth has only got five minutes—REAL TIME—to live. Across twisted Time dimensions (and a universe with a flower garden) battles, schemes and twists unravel. This story is a satiric Science-Fiction drama, proudly exhibiting absolutely no respect whatsoever for politicians. 

It describes the events which lead up to Earth’s death; a catastrophic annihilation, but a peculiar one, almost trivial. Because it unfolded in the most bizarre way, and no-one actually cared. 

Only a bottle-blonde pop star could possibly bring it back to life.

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Universal Language

Set in the lead-up to the new millennium:...it's 1999, and the dreaded "Millennium Bug' is threatening everything from the new craze of internet chatrooms, Instant Messaging, WAP mobile emails...to traffic lights and global security. 

But Gary Price isn't concerned with any of this. He's only concerned with his recent divorce, his estranged children, and his band, Black & Blue - who are on the precipice of massive success...

...Until tragedy strikes, and Gary's plate is loaded just that little bit too full.

Gary Price doesn't know that he is insane—totally unaware of the twelve year-old personality co-existing with his adult identity. Carlin has two sides to his sexuality, and one of them is a sadistic killer. Dr Jones carries within him the ghost of a dead school friend. And across Internet chatrooms and continents, Carlin stalks Gary Price, to prepare him for the doctor, who will make Gary pay dearly for a crime that is thirty years old.

A deranged school headmaster is intent on taking Gary back from the age of 42 to the age of 12. Because buried somewhere deep in Gary’s memory is a painful guilt from a childhood accident, in which his best friend was killed in an horrific school fire. And now the past is coming back – not so much to haunt Gary – as to make him suffer. The enigmatic assassin known as Carlin – or GiftHorse on the Internet – will make sure of this. For Carlin it’s merely a job. For the Headmaster whom he serves – it’s a mission of vengeance. 

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Compulsive

In this collection of short tales, the central characters are each driven by an appetite for compulsion. Vanity, egotism, addiction, vengeance, and compelling desire are many of the components in this anthology. Each story has a twist in its tale.

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The Powers Within series

5 Minutes

Book 1

Amy is a mute child with a powerful gift and a certainty that the future has been cancelled. Marielle is a beautiful revolutionary with a passion for mechanical men. Lydia is a five-thousand year-old ghost with a hunger for vengeance. And Earth has only got five minutes—REAL TIME—to live. Across twisted Time dimensions (and a universe with a flower garden) battles, schemes and twists unravel. This story is a satiric Science-Fiction drama, proudly exhibiting absolutely no respect whatsoever for politicians. 

It describes the events which lead up to Earth’s death; a catastrophic annihilation, but a peculiar one, almost trivial. Because it unfolded in the most bizarre way, and no-one actually cared. 

Only a bottle-blonde pop star could possibly bring it back to life.

Amazon.Com

Amazon.Uk

Price cut: Only 99c / 99p for January 2018

Available in Kindle and Paperback.

(Can also be read as a stand-alone story)

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Heaven Expects

Book 2

Amy is a well-respected and gifted courier in the Ulterior Dimension galaxy. Her life is routine - but, most days, that's what she loves about it. Until she meets Aiden Armstrong, a handsome and secretive man who claims he has to be delivered to the Black Moon at the farthest extreme of the galaxy. 

Amy is not happy. She does not deliver people, she delivers messages: high security and top secret messages which only she is qualified to carry. But there is just something strange and puzzling about Aiden Armstrong that pulls at her curiosity. Primarily, the fact that he gives nothing away and won't even tell her why he has to get to his destination.

The question is, can Amy tolerate this man's moodiness, secrecy, and generally perplexing behaviour? As twists and secrets unveil, Amy realises that there are hidden powers within Aiden Armstrong who, on the face of it, just seems like a quirky and weird man down on his luck.

Assisted by her no-nonsense mechanoid, Kipper - along with her moody, sexually deviant, and quite possibly insane ship computer, Pegasus - Amy sets out on the delivery of a lifetime, where nothing is quite as it seems.

Amazon. Com

Amazon. UK

Price cut: Only 99c / 99p for January 2018

Available in Kindle and Paperback.

(Can also be read as a stand-alone story)

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About the author:

Gareth Stokes is the wrong side of young, the right side of decrepit, the wrong side of rich, and the right side of starvation. Currently residing in the south-east of the UK, he is a greedy reader, enthusiastic reviewer and part-time blogger. He is a fan of science fiction, mystery thrillers, and the supernatural, but will read just about anything if the product description is interesting. He is older than he looks (or at least that's what he's convinced himself), and probably drinks a little too much caffeine. Currently sprint-reading through indie books of all genres and having a great experience with them, he is a keen reader, when he's not writing, and a keen reviewer, when he's not editing.

Contact: 
Facebook - Gareth Stokes
Goodreads - Gareth Stokes
Twitter - @GarethKStokes
Email - author_garethstokes@yahoo.com

Review | Future At First Sight (Optical Interface Book 1), Eri Nelson

Future At First Sight by Eri Nelson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A NEW STYLE OF SCIENCE FICTION:

A vivid story of a world without colour and a declining population life-span. The heroine is a unique and strong character with a special gift: if humanity is to be saved, then Jayda is its best hope. This is a richly drawn story with a deliciously fluid dialogue. Thoroughly enjoyed the tension, the originality of its plot line, and the dynamic narrative. The ending will leave you eager for the next installment. PS: Brilliant cover design! / Recommended.



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Review | Prince Of Wolves, Quinn Loftis

Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lively-paced Fantasy/Romance:

A story of rivalry enters into the early part of the book, as Jacque finds herself caught between the irresistibly attractive Fane, her soul-mate…and the arrogance of another ‘creature’ who is determined to fight for her. There is a powerful bond between her and Fane, and reluctantly she knows she must accept that she is bonded with a werewolf, as crazy as that sounds to her to begin with. But Fane is careful with his courtship, and teaches Jacque that she must unravel the secrets of her heritage.

And there are plenty of secrets to unravel, hidden from her by even her guardian. So as the story unfolds, we see the lineage of both Jacque and Fane, and the inevitably of their coupling.

But first the rivalry. A fight to the death, supervised by Fane’s powerful father: a vicious and graphically illustrated duel that leaves you wondering if the “good guy” is actually going to come out on top.

This is a story of secrets and otherworldly entities, implications, possessiveness, friendship, and of course, touching romance. Clever, detailed, with a strong plot and a wonderfully sassy main character accompanied by a strong supporting cast. Recommended.

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Review | One Tiny Secret, T.A. Kunz

One Tiny Secret by T.A. Kunz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Intriguing YA romantic/mystery:

Dani is overly supervised by her father, the local sheriff – making her life a prosaic event where she seems to ‘ache’ for a chance to be rebellious. Her old friend, Janice, is even more stringently imprisoned by her mother. And yet the two manage to sneak to a party…where Dani gets drunk and wakes up in the bed of an old boyfriend. Parker, having returned into her life with a determination to win her back, is recorded by person(s) unknown leaving Dani’s house in the morning.

…And thus begins a mysterious tale of blackmail, by a person who has clever technology skills, can send her threatening and warning messages and then delete them before Dani can show anyone. When she tells her father, he simply doesn’t believe her. And her friend Janice has gone missing from the party, and suspicion seems to be aimed very much at Dani.

This is a multi-layered story of intrigue and mystery, romance and passion, as Dani and Parker are gradually drawn closer together, and the investigation into her friend’s disappearance is deepened when those close to Dani become victims of the blackmailer’s dark agenda.

The book contains all the elements of a good YA romance, but with a clever mystery plot underpinning the storyline. Intelligently constructed, with many suspects to keep the reader puzzling, and a recommended read with a great twist.

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Review | The Housewife Assassin's Handbook, Josie Brown

The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great rom/com:

Fast-paced funny romantic/mystery, leaning heavily on the mystery element of the story and not too much on the romance. The latter is there - clearly visible - but what keeps you page-turning is the cleverness of the plot as it twists and turns to a great conclusion. Witty dialogue and great characters keep you chuckling throughout.

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Review | No More Wasted Time, Beverly Preston

No More Wasted Time by Beverly Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hot and steamy in some beautiful scenery!...


A deeply romantic story of an unlikely match… Tess, a loving mother and responsible and no-nonsense lady meets the famous Tom – an A-list Hollywood type – on a trip to Bora Bora. She is there to lay to rest her departed husband, and Tom is there for nothing more than a good holiday and a rest from his hectic schedule.

This romance begins with an instant attraction, followed by some quite graphic sexual liaisons. The backgrounds to their developing love-affair are richly detailed – as picturesque as any travel brochure could do justice to – and I certainly got the impression that the author had travelled to these places by precision of the colourful place-settings.

This is definitely one for romantic fans who enjoy seeing how two people are prepared to adjust their perceptions and expectations, risk a new beginning, and allow the heart to rule the head even though the head may be warning caution. This is also one for fans of some steamy passion curtained by beautiful locations.

Recommended read…unless you’re shy. Try not to be. The saucy side of the story is tastefully handled.

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