June 2, 2023 – M.C.V. EGAN ❧Defining Ways❧

The Jake Desmet Adventure Series

Published on June 2, 2023May 26, 2023 by mariacatalinaegan2 Comments

by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin

Genre: Supernatural Steampunk Adventure

Iron & Blood

A Jake Desmet Adventure Book 1

by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin

Genre: Supernatural Steampunk Adventure

Hell with the lid off.

Jake Desmet and Rick Brand, heirs to the Brand & Desmet Import Company, travel the world to secure treasures and unusual items for the collections of wealthy and supernatural patrons, accompanied by Jake’s cousin, Veronique “Nicki” LeClercq. Smuggling a small package as a favor for a Polish witch should have been easy. But when assassins come after Jake and a Ripper-style killer leaves the city awash in blood, Jake, Rick, and Nicki realize that dark magic, vampire power struggles, and industrial sabotage are just a prelude to a bigger plot that threatens New Pittsburgh and the world.

New Pittsburgh in 1898 is a crucible of invention and intrigue, the hub of American industry at the height of its steam-driven power. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood, and earthquake, New Pittsburgh is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the abandoned mine tunnels beneath the city, supernatural creatures hide from the light, emerging to feed in the smoky city known as “hell with the lid off” while their masters scheme to change the balance of power.

Stopping that scheme will require every ounce of Jake’s courage, every bit of Rick’s cunning, every scintilla of Nicki’s bravura, and all the steam-powered innovation imaginable.

Iron & Blood is a steampunk action adventure filled with daring escapades, armed airships, vengeful vampires, mysterious magic, found family, mad doctors, quirky inventors, clockwork zombies, and loyal friends.

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Storm & Fury

A Storm & Fury Adventures Collection

New Pittsburgh, 1898 – a crucible of invention and intrigue. Born from the ashes of devastating fire, flood and earthquake, the city is ruled by the shadow government of The Oligarchy. In the swarming streets, people of a hundred nations drudge to feed the engines of progress. The Department of Supernatural Investigation was set up to take care of those things that live below, that go bump in the night… those odd cases that go beyond ‘standard’ investigation. Nicknamed ‘Storm and Fury’, Mitch Storm and Jacob Drangosavich are two of the more creative agents, working in New Pittsburgh and obeying the rules – when they have to.

A collection of short stories and novellas set in the world of the Iron & Blood novels and the related Storm and Fury Adventures.

Includes: Airship Down, Ruin Creek, Resurrection Day, The Hunt, Grave Voices, and Rogue. Plus two bonus stories: Ghost Wolf and a Steampunk fairy tale: The Patented Troll

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Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote at age five was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.

Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author of the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Cauldron/Secret Council series.

The Martins have three children, a Maltese, and a Golden Retriever.

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Reluctant Hearts

Published on June 2, 2023May 31, 2023 by mariacatalinaegan1 Comment

by Linda Griffin

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Reluctant Hearts

by Linda Griffin

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Four couples, four stories:

Darien Francis and Richard Li meet during a bank robbery, but she’s afraid to love again.

Shane Kenniston and Beth Parker are reacquainted years after she had a crush on him, but she is a recent widow, and Shane’s life was upended by a false accusation.

David Early and Kate Howard meet in the laundromat, but her life is consumed by the needs of her disabled child, and David isn’t ready for the responsibility.

Realtor Frank Ellison meets Kayla Barnes at an open house, but a mistaken first impression derails any chance of romance.

Can they all overcome the obstacles to love?

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I was born and raised in San Diego, California. As soon as I learned to read, I knew I wanted to be a “book maker” and I wrote my first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot device stolen from a comic book, at the age of six. I retired as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library in order to spend more time on my writing. My stories, in every length from short shorts to novellas, have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, Thema Literary Journal, Nebo, and most recently Willow Review. Reluctant Hearts is my sixth book from the Wild Rose Press, and a suspense novella, The Axe, will be released in September. Although I also enjoy reading biography, memoir, and history, fiction remains my first love. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel.

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Heaven’s Ghosts

Published on June 2, 2023May 26, 2023 by mariacatalinaeganLeave a comment

Heaven Maine Mysteries, Book One

YA Mystery; Coming of age; YA fiction

Date Published: August 21, 2021

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A young boy’s apparent accidental drowning, a mysterious drifter, the town recluse, a deaf boy who can hear the voices of spirits and the mystery that connects them all.

Samson Roe comes from a family of fake psychics his mother being the most recent perpetrator of the con. However, Sam has a secret that he has not revealed to anyone, he can speak with ghosts. The only problem is that Sam is deaf, so though he can hear the voices of the dead the living are silent to him. When a boy named Kip Green drowns in the picturesque town of Heaven Maine nobody suspects anything sinister; that is until Kip makes a visit to Samson and reveals that he believes his death to be anything but an accident. Together they begin to investigate what really happened and in the process begin to unravel a thirty-seven-year-old mystery.

About the Author

Anneke Barnard was born and raised in Portland, Maine. She graduated from Portland High School in 2017 and the University of Southern Maine in 2021. She lives with her three brothers, mom and dad, and dog Fenway. For updates on her writing follow her on twitter @barnard_anneke.

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A Just Transition

Published on June 2, 2023May 26, 2023 by mariacatalinaeganLeave a comment

Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix

Nonfiction, Energy

Date Published: 3/21/2023

Publisher: Made For Success

“Mr. Ayuk shows how the oil and gas industry can unleash economic development and prosperity across the continent.” –The late OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Barkindo

In just a few short decades, the many countries of our planet have become interconnected beyond our wildest imaginations. And as our view of the world has expanded, there has been a rise in the demand for cultures and political institutions around the world to “think globally.” While thinking globally is often well-meaning, acting globally without consideration for local countries can unintentionally cause harmful results.

In A Just Transition, renowned Cameroonian author and entrepreneur NJ Ayuk reveals how this sobering reality is unfolding as the International Energy Agency’s ambitious green energy (IEA) policies have stifled and crippled the energy economies of Africa.

When the IEA set a hard requirement for countries around the world to embrace “green” energy sources, the burgeoning energy economies of Africa watched in horror as funding and business interest in their oil and gas energy projects evaporated.

With a natural abundance of oil and gas resources, Africa has the potential to be a global energy leader. But this transformation cannot happen for African countries through green energy alone. A Just Transition is an insightful exploration into the possibility of a bright future for African countries and the factors that stand in the way of its manifestation.

NJ Ayuk takes listeners on a detailed, expert journey through the following topics:

The reality of energy poverty
The value of natural gas in Africa
How foreign aid actually harms Africa
Embracing new technology
Creating opportunities for women

And much more!

With thoughtful governance, a keen eye for opportunity, and the due consideration of the countries affected by sweeping legislation, it is possible for countries in Africa to make a transition to renewable energy that is not only just but prosperous for all involved.