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Hot off the press! I’m excited to let you know thatDiana W. Peach has a new release of Lords of Chaos (Unraveling the Veil Book 3).
First, Diana shared with us the story behind the journey of writing this series:
When I started this series, back in July of 2018, I had no idea that I’d be finishing it up in late October of 2020, a year later than planned.
I couldn’t have imagined that my parents’ health would take a nose dive with E.coli, heart attacks, and a stroke. Nor that the world would be dealing with a rampaging virus and all the associated anxiety. Who knew that Chaos would become the order of the day – on and off the page?
But writing is about perseverance, determination, patience. Those who’ve finished books, regardless of the everyday chaos in their lives, know what I’m talking about. There’s no easy path up the mountain, and sometimes the journey becomes strenuous. There are cramps. There are blisters. We’re grubby and worn out when we get to top. But what a breathtaking view!
So here I stand at the top of my little summit, enjoying the sunshine and leafing through the latest book. Lords of Chaos finishes up the Unraveling the Veil series. I wonder what awaits me on the other side.
In this thrilling conclusion to the Unraveling the Veil series, tensions mount and war looms.
After saving the changeling queen from a savage death, a second sworn oath sends Naj, Alue, and Talin to the mine where the first disappearances set the wheels of anarchy in motion. But it’s not the renders of Kalann il Drakk, the First of Chaos, who confront them in the blackness of the collapsed tunnels. It’s another foe, no less deadly.
When brutality strikes in the stone cells of the Authority, accusations and blame splinter trust. The fragile threads of loyalty that once bound the companions together on an impossible mission fray. The alliance finally breaks.
Naj, a goblin mage and traitor, returns to Jad’ra, determined to defend his home. With nothing to lose, Talin retreats to the changelings’ jungle to find his queen a stranger and his city on the verge of burning. Alue journeys to the Riverlands on a hopeless quest to enlist the aid of the elfin king.
All the while, the First of Chaos gloats. For only as allies will his three adversaries prevail. Above the hall of the First, the Veil vanishes before the truth. The hordes of chaos descend on the known land, and the final battle begins.
Continue to read more about the series atMyths of the Mirror
In Allies and Spies, all the roller coaster, chaos one after another kept me chasing the chapters. Even though this time I didn’t stay up for two night to finish the book, my husband said, “I’ll go upstairs to wait for you” on two of the three nights when I read the book.
My Review
In Liars and Thieves, Diana W. Peach built a fascinated world of three races, the Goblins, Elves, and Changelings, each wanted more crystals for power and daily life. I found Naj the goblin, Alue the elf, and Talin the changeling, represented the races, had likable personalities. In Allies and Spies, they revealed their hidden characteristics.
When the three were caught by the goblin elders, instead of execution, they were bonded by the oath for a mission to unlock the mystery of the quake that swallowed lives with no remains.
There more pressing matter at hand was to pay a blood debt to the Changeling Queen Arianna when a changeling was killed by them. After they stole the crystals, Talin volunteered to take them to Arianna to pay the debt only to lose them to theft while he went gambling.
Peach created one climax after another to keep the reader’s heart pounding and relaxed the reader with a little break in between (I loved it).
The three blamed each other’s authority for the destruction. In the meantime, chaos happened everywhere. Naj’s wife was swallowed on the road to Jad’ra. The entire village disappeared. The elves lost the entire row of shops. When the tavern collapsed into an old city underground, Talin was buried with it. I couldn’t help but wished none of these characters vanished. They reunited long enough for me to take a deep breath before the next disaster happened.
There were a few hints behind the scenes enough to have the readers guess who might be in control, or designed the destruction, or suspect the changelings shifted to the other kind to influence the decisions. The guesses were not conclusive.
Naj, Alue, and Talin had their moments of distrust toward each other and the danger of losing their lives. They made mistakes and had doubts about themselves. In the priestess, Saira’s word to Alue, “Each life’s path is littered with mistakes, but even mistakes are useful. Step by step, they will deliver you closer to the truth.”
Peach concluded Allies and Spies with the three characters becoming stronger in their skills and a firmer commitment to bind as one to find the truth. I look forward to reading the Lords of Chaos.
D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two dogs, bats, owls, and the occasional family of coyotes.
I followed John Howell’s book launch tour and hosted a tour for his latest book Eternal Road: The Final Stop. I read all the excerpts presented on the tour. They grabbed my interest. I wanted to read the rest of the book and I did. I love to read or watch movies of time-travel stories. John’s book was a delight.
My Review
Mr. John Howell began the book with the scene of Sam being killed, but her body was not found. It grabbed my attention right away. James picked up a hitchhiker, Sam, who turned out to be his grade school friend missing 17 years ago. During their conversation, James realized he was dead when his car crashed while falling asleep driving.
Sam received the assignment to take James on an eternal road to his final destiny. They had a time-travel ability by closing their eyes to focus on a time and location, and it would transport them in just seconds. Sam knew all the places they traveled, O.K. Corral Gunfight site in Tombstone, Arizona, and Alamo in San Antonio, Texas because she studied history for seventeen years while waiting for James to arrive from the other side of the world. They had fun communicating with people in the 1800s of the different terminology and technology over time.
Sam and James seemed to pick up their childhood affection where they left off, and the care for each other grew. Along the journey, Sam visited her parents to let them know she was fine and that they would reunite with her one day. James also played a visit to his mom and stepfather to let them know he was dead, but he was fine. One last person Sam faced was her murderer. It was a relief to know her killer got what he deserved.
There were decisions to make before James reached his eternal home. I also wanted to find out the relationship between the two. The ending came as a surprise. Mr. John Howell created many scenarios and evoked thoughts and emotions. I highly recommend Eternal Road: The Final Stop to all readers.
John is an award-winning author who, after an extensive business career, began writing full time in 2012. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. He has written five other books that are on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. The paperback versions are also available in the Indie Lector store
John lives in Lakeway, Texas, with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.
I’m delighted to have my fellow poet Balroop Singh here to celebrate the new release of her latest poetry book Magical Whispers. Please join me for the party and share her excitement.
The book cover is magical. Don’t you think? Now let me have Balroop tell you about her book.
Thank you for hosting me, Miriam
Book Blurb:
I wait for whispers; they regale my muse. Whispers that can be heard by our heart, whispers that ride on the breeze to dispel darkness and ignite hope. I’m sure you would hear them through these poems if you read slowly.
‘Magical Whispers’ would transport you to an island of serenity; beseech you to tread softly on the velvety carpet of nature to feel the ethereal beauty around you. The jigsaw of life would melt and merge as you dive into the warmth of words.
In this book, my poems focus on whispers of Mother Nature, whispers that are subtle but speak louder than words and breathe a quiet message.
Balroop Singh, a former teacher and an educationalist always had a passion for writing. She is a poet, a creative non-fiction writer, a relaxed blogger and a doting grandma. She writes about people, emotions and relationships. Her poetry highlights the fact that happiness is not a destination but a chasm to bury agony, anguish, grief, distress and move on! No sea of solitude is so deep that it can drown us. Sometimes aspirations are trampled upon, the boulders of exploitation and discrimination may block your path but those who tread on undeterred are always successful.
When turbulences hit, when shadows of life darken, when they come like unseen robbers, with muffled exterior, when they threaten to shatter your dreams, it is better to break free rather than get sucked by the vortex of emotions.
Balroop Singh has always lived through her heart. She is a great nature lover; she loves to watch birds flying home. The sunsets allure her with their varied hues that they lend to the sky. She can spend endless hours listening to the rustling leaves and the sound of waterfalls. The moonlight streaming through her garden, the flowers, the meadows, the butterflies cast a spell on her. She lives in San Ramon, California.
A little less than two years ago, I clicked “publish” for my poetry collection Songs of Heartstrings. It was beyond exciting to me. Today, I’m sharing something as exciting as publishing my book.
Here’s the back story: WhenDiana W. Peach had her book launch of Liars and Thieves (Unraveling the Veil Book 1), there were many bloggers/authors on board the train hosting her launch. It was gracious of her to reward one host by drawing a name. The prize was to produce a trailer for this winner.
Diana is a perfectionist with literacy, writing, and visual production! She sent me a website to pick a soundtrack and asked for some images. I used my photography and paintings to illustrate the poems, so it was easy for me to select the images. She asked me to pick my favorite poem to use in the trailer, and it wasn’t hard to do it either.
I couldn’t believe how beautiful, perfect, and professional it is for the final production of the Songs of Heartstrings trailer.
Please sit back, relax, and enjoy this moving beauty (2:57 minutes).
To celebrate the birth of Diana’s production, I scheduled an Amazon promotion. Songs of Heartstrings is $0.99.
It’s my please to welcome James J. Cudney on my blog to celebrate his new book Hiding Cracked Glass.
Let me have James tell you about his new book.
Hiding Cracked Glass is the second book in the Perceptions of Glass series. The book officially releases on October 8th.
About the Book
An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?
In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question. Across the span of eight hours, Olivia and her sons contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some failed to learn an important lesson last time. Will they determine how to save themselves before it’s too late?
Each chapter’s focus alternates between the various family members and introduces several new and familiar faces with a vested interest in the outcome. As each hour ticks by, the remaining siblings and their mother gradually reveal what’s happened to them in the preceding months, and when the blackmailer makes an appearance at Olivia’s birthday party, the truth brilliantly comes to light.
Although everyone seemed to embrace the healing process at the end of Watching Glass Shatter, there were hidden cracks in the Glass family that couldn’t be mended. Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Someone wants to teach them a permanent lesson and refuses to stop until success is achieved.
James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, an historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.
Writing
Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind and my body. At some points, it was just a few poems or short stories; at others, it was full length novels and stories. My current focus is family drama fiction, cozy mystery novels and suspense thrillers. I think of characters and plots that I feel must be unwound. I think of situations people find themselves in and feel compelled to tell the story. It’s usually a convoluted plot with many surprise twists and turns. I feel it necessary to take that ride all over the course. My character is easily pictured in my head. I know what he is going to encounter or what she will feel. But I need to use the right words to make it clear.
Reader & Reviewer
Reading has also never left my side. Whether it was children’s books, young adult novels, college textbooks, biographies or my ultimate love, fiction, it’s ever present in my day. I read 2 books per week and I’m on a quest to update every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, write up a review and post it on all my sites and platforms.
Blogger & Thinker
I have combined my passions into a single platform where I share reviews, write a blog and publish tons of content: TRUTH. I started my 365 Daily Challenge, where I post about a word that has some meaning to me and converse with everyone about life. There is humour, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have had weekly segments called “Ryder’s Rants” or “Baxter’s Barks” where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real. And that’s why they are me.
Genealogist & Researcher
I love history and research, finding myself often reaching back into the past to understand why someone made the choice he or she did and what were the subsequent consequences. I enjoy studying the activities and culture from hundreds of years ago to trace the roots and find the puzzle of my own history. I wish I could watch my ancestors from a secret place to learn how they interacted with others; and maybe I’ll comprehend why I do things the way I do.
I write in the family drama and mystery genres. My first two books are Watching Glass Shatter (2017) and Father Figure (2018). Both are contemporary fiction and focus on the dynamics between parents and children and between siblings. I’m currently writing the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter. I also have a light mystery series called the Braxton Campus Mysteries with six books available.
All my books come in multiple formats (Kindle, physical print, large print paperback, and audiobook) and some are also translated into foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.
I’m delighted to have Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene on my blog to celebrate her new book Hullaba Lulu, A Dieselpunk Adventure. My dear friends and visitors, please join the party, have some drinks and goodies. We’ll find out all about Teagan’s new book of adventure.
Let me have Teagan tell you all about her new book of adventure. She’ll tell you some interesting real world thing in her book also.
~
Hi Miriam – thanks so much for hosting me to announce my novella, Hullaba Lulu, a Dieselpunk Adventure.
As you know this is a “dieselpunk” story. It has a 1920s aesthetic with retro futuristic technology, a dash of magic, and some creepy settings, along with a crew of misfit characters. Lulu is a snarky, but good-hearted flapper. She and her friends get into all sorts of trouble (often due to Lulu’s clumsiness). They travel on a magical train to a lot of “sideways” places.
At the back of the novella I included a list of Real-World Things. I thought it might be fun to talk about bubble gum. That was one of the “random reader things” I was given for this story.
Real-World Thing
Bubble Gum was predated by chewing gum. Bubble gum is a type of chewing gum, designed to be inflated out of the mouth as a bubble. In 1928, Walter Diemer, who was actually an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia, experimented with new gum recipes. He came up with one that was less sticky than regular chewing gum, and stretched more easily. This gum became highly successful and was eventually named Dubble Bubble because of its stretchy texture.
Snippet
Lulu is always hungry. In this scene Lulu has gotten separated from her pals, Rose and Pearl. While she’s looking for them, she finds a vending machine. Here’s a snippet:
Men always seemed to want to take over when it came to map reading. My stomach rumbled. I wished I hadn’t exchanged that bag of cheeseburgers for tokens when I entered the park. I saw a vending machine a few feet away and went to investigate, hoping it would have an apple, or even a cup of soda. Unfortunately, it only dispensed stockings, stamps, and bubblegum. With a sigh, I put a token in the machine and got some Wriggle’s Near Miss gum.
With a mouthful of bubblegum, I tried to chew away my appetite. I thought I could probably make a pretty swell bubble. Carefully, steadily expelling air into the chewy pink, I blew the biggest bubble of my life. It was nearly as big as my head!
My eyes darted around, but I didn’t see anyone to share my achievement. Suddenly the bubble popped. Sticky pink bits of various sizes plastered my face. Instantly I switched from wanting someone to see me to hoping no one would get a look at me. I jumped and tried to hide my face when I heard a voice behind me.
“May I help you, Miss?” came a familiar drawl.
***
Miriam, thanks again for letting me visit. Here’s the rest of the information for Hullaba Lulu.
Here’s the Blurb
Hullaba Lulu, a Dieselpunk Adventure is a wild and wooly 1920s fantasy story. Lulu, the heroine is inspired by the song, “Don’t Bring Lulu,” from 1925 ― so are her pals, Pearl and Rose. My Lulu loves to dance, and freely indulges in giggle water. She snores and burps and says whatever she wants. Lulu is a snarky but good-hearted flapper. The song’s inspiration stops there, but the story is just beginning.
Travel with Lulu and her friends on a magical, dieselpunk train that belongs to the smolderingly handsome and enigmatic man known only as Valentino. They get into all sorts of trouble, usually due to Lulu’s clumsiness. It’s an intense ride through a number of pos-i-lutely creepy settings, including “sideways” versions of Atlantic City and the Cotton Club. At every stop and in between, Lulu ends up creating chaos. There’s no telling where they’ll end up. No, Lulu! Don’t touch that!
Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene’s work is colored by her experiences from living in the southern states and the desert southwest (of the USA). Teagan most often writes one kind of fantasy or another, including the “Punk” genres, like steampunk, dieselpunk, and atompunk. Whether it’s a 1920s mystery, a steampunk adventure, or an urban fantasy, her stories have a strong element of whimsy. There are no extremes in violence, sex, or profanity.
Her talents also include book covers and promotional images. She makes all of her own. Teagan is currently exploring the idea of offering that service to others.
All of the books by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene are available at her Amazon Author Page.
Allies and Spies, Book 2 of the Unraveling the Veil Trilogy is now available on Kindle.
Allies and Spies
Trust is as thin as a blade’s edge. Secrets abound. And no one is who they seem. Kalann il Drakk, the First of Chaos, makes a bargain with his brethren, in which the future of civilization hangs in the balance.
Thrust together by a sacred oath, a halfbreed goblin, a misfit elf, and a changeling spy unite in an uneasy alliance. But their mission to learn the truth of the strange disappearances must wait—for they owe a blood debt to the changeling queen.
In the Raveen Mountains, the cornerstones of Naj’s life crumble. Goblins assemble a massive shipment of crystals for the Borderland—enough to power Ka Radiff for a decade or, with a single spark, blow it apart.
In the elfin Riverlands, Alue learns of the clandestine Coalition. Rumors whisper of a vast conspiracy. But that knowledge pales in comparison to a startling revelation that shatters the foundations of her life.
When a dead goblin turns up on the slopes beneath the Veil, Talin has no choice but to admit to changeling crimes. The tenuous alliance falters. Treachery runs deep and wide. And in the changelings’ jungle, the queen releases her venom. The ground fractures. And only the truth about il Drakk’s cruel designs has the power to spare their lives.
My Review of Liars and Thieves by Diana Wallace Peach.
I must say Liars and Thieves kept my attention and I stayed up past midnight for two nights until I finished reading the book. There’s a map at the beginning of the book. I even printed out the map and follow the characters and events throughout the story.
My Review
In Liars and Thieves, Diana built a believable world of three races and three characters representing each. The goblins dwelt in the mountains. They were terrakinetic, a skill in their possession in manipulating, moving, and transforming rocks and minerals into altered shapes, into alloys, into machinery. The changelings inhabited in the jungle in human form but could shift into animals and insects, known for being thieves and spies. The elves lived in the river plain but invaded the changeling’s territory when cutting trees.
Borderland was a common area where the Council meet. The Council leadership comprised of nine members—three representatives from each race. All races were free to live and work and die in the Borderland. The Veil in the far north held the secrets of eternity. It divided the Known World of the three races to the unknown. Those who had attempted to cross through had never returned. The common denominator for all three races was the crystals. The goblins mined them, elves needed them to power their weapons and homes; and changelings used them to shift shape.
Naj, the half-elfin, half goblin, used reasoning to make decisions. Alue, an elf who acted on her impulse, and made mistakes at every turn. Talin, the changeling, gained the queen’s favorite by being her spy.
After building the foundation of the fantasy world, Diana skillfully unfolded the chaos and resolution-seeking among the races and the characters. Over the years, the explosion in the north collapsed the mine. Some members from all three races disappeared, but there were no remains. Each race was suspicious over the others for killing their kinds and stealing the crystals. When Naj, Alue, and Talin questioned by their leaders, they selected and omitted details to report only what the leaders wanted to hear.
Individually, these three were not enemies to each other. They acted on the commands of their leaders. During trials, when one was in danger of being executed, the other tried to extend the defense. As reflected in the actual world, these races tried to form an alliance with one race to go against the other. When circumstances changed, they retreated and changed their mind to protect their own interest.
Diana skillfully made her imagination visible in the lines such as:
“Waves bulged along the Veil’s magnetic lines like sound along an instrument’s string.”
“The elders leaned toward each other, their murmured comments passing to the ends of the arc and back like ripples in a pond.”
“The ancient goblins gasped as Naj’s skull flattened and muzzle protruded, baring deadly canines. His limbs shuddered and contracted. Shoulder blades and hip bones tilted as his body contorted on the floor and spine lengthened. Joints tore apart and reformed into new connections.”
I developed a personal liking for the characters and wanted to know what happened to them next. I stayed up for two nights to read this book. There were two FREE chapters for Book 2, and I can hardly wait for it to be available.
D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two dogs, bats, owls, and the occasional family of coyotes.