The Cerebral  Writer
  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Links

Blurb Blitz: David J. Englund's CAMOUFLAGED ENCOUNTERS

12/19/2014

3 Comments

 
Today, guest author David J. Englund is here to promote his sci-fi new release, Camouflaged Encounters. He will be giving away digital copies to six random readers at the end of the tour, so be sure to enter for your chance using the Rafflecopter box below.
Picture
Picture
About the novel:

Forget what you think you know. How well do you really know your neighbors or fellow workers? Do you trust your boss? What about politicians? The fabric of our society is under attack. Our way of life, our livelihood, our very existence is under full assault. No one even realizes that it’s happening. Disguised as horrible natural disasters on the news, the world is caught unsuspecting as events draw us ever nearer to extinction. As “natural disasters” escalate and tensions between nations mount, one man hears a whisper. It has begun . . .

Excerpt:

Two people sat in large cushioned chairs facing each other. An attractive woman in her thirties with dark hair and a conservative dress initiated the interview.

“So doctor, you’re saying that the birth rate in this country is declining? What makes that such an alarming story? If it’s true, wouldn’t that be a good thing? Especially if the food shortages were to become a long-term problem?”

The fiftyish dark-skinned, handsome man with salt and pepper hair, looked official in his dress shirt and tie, wearing a white lab coat. “It would certainly be a good thing, especially in the long run. If it was planned.”
            
She looked up from her note cards. “You’re now saying . . . wait, what exactly are you saying?”
            
“I’m not saying that people aren’t getting pregnant. Pregnancies are actually at an all-time high. I’m saying babies are simply not being born alive. Couples are experiencing stillbirths on an unprecedented, unexplainable scale. In fact, ahem, nationwide there has not been one single birth in the last two days.”
            
“No!” The reporter paused. “That can’t be so.”
           
“I’m afraid it is. That is why I asked to come on your show.”
            
She put her cards down and went off-script. “I-I find that difficult to believe.”
            
The doctor took a confident, condescending tone. “Check out the facts for yourself. Do a little digging into the story. Ask your colleagues in the media to join you. I cannot find any records of any births anywhere in the country since the day before yesterday and there were precious few births that day. I hope you can prove me wrong. Please do. This is something I don’t want to be right about, but the facts do not lie.”


Picture
About the author:

David Englund is a storyteller (science fiction author) and teaches economics at North Dakota State University. His first three titles, Upsetting the Tides, Unseasonal War, and Camouflaged Encounters are available on Amazon. Camouflaged Mischief is in progress.

You can find Camouflaged Encounters on Amazon. For more about David Englund and his writing, visit hisblog or Goodreads page. You can also follow him on Facebook.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
3 Comments

Emily Kimelman: INVITING FIRE

12/12/2014

2 Comments

 
Today, guest author Emily Kimelman is here to promote the newest book in her Sydney Rye series, Inviting Fire. She will be giving away a Sydney Rye coffee mug, a $25 Amazon or B/N GC, 2 signed paperback copies of Unleashed, 2 personalized letters and 2 audiobook copies of Unleashed. Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter box below. For more chances to win, leave a comment and stop by other blogs hosting this tour. Click here for a list of participating blogs.
Picture
Picture
About the series:

Emily Kimelman's bestselling Sydney Rye series feature a strong female protagonist and her canine best friend, Blue. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome mystery with tons of action that will keep you reading late into the night!
 

New to Sydney Rye? The first book in the series, Unleashed, is free. 

Recovering from a near fatal attack that has left her with residual trauma, including haunting dreams and flashbacks, Sydney Rye is regaining her strength at the jungle training camp of Joyful Justice, the vigilante network inspired by her now legendary acts of vengeance. However, when a routine reconnaissance mission goes horribly wrong Sydney Rye loses the trust of the leadership of Joyful Justice. 

Her good friend and trainer, Merl, warns that if she wants to be in the action she’ll have to follow orders like everyone else. Never good with authority, Sydney struggles to suppress her independent streak for the greater good. 

When she runs up against an old adversary he blows apart everything she has gained. With her and Blue’s lives at stake, as well as the future of Joyful Justice, Sydney must push aside her fears and take a leadership role before it's to late. 

The Sydney Rye Series: 

Unleashed
Death in the Dark
Insatiable
Strings of Glass
The Devil's Breath
Inviting fire


Excerpt:

The music changed and I slowed my pace, noting that I was closing in on the first watchtower. Blue left my side, pulling out ahead, going to meet the dog who patrolled this area. He disappeared beyond the globe of light my headlamp threw. The property was ringed with zip lines. A classic tourist attraction in Costa Rica. It let people get some time in the treetops which were a different world than the ground I ran upon. We used those platforms to keep watch. Make sure no one was sneaking up on our little vigilante training ground. 

Blue returned and got back into line, even with my hip. As we reached a hill, I couldn't help but speed up. My feet dug into the soft ground, my vision concentrating on the uneven path ahead, breath even, steady. This was what would save me, I thought. Persistence.  

As I crested the hill I slowed, taking a moment to admire the view, turning around in a circle. I pulled my headphones off my ears and listened to the sound of the jungle waking up. The birds singing to the sun, encouraging its approach. The final calls of the nocturnal animals as they settled down for a day of rest. The wind rustling the leaves in the treetops. I took in deep lungfuls of air, smelling the mix of rot and sweetness that permeated the jungle. Life and death, all right here, hiding in the dark. Hiding in me.


About the author:

Emily Kimelman is the author of the bestselling Sydney Rye Series including Unleashed, Death in the Dark, Insatiable, Strings of Glass, The Devil's Breath and Inviting Fire. This series feature a strong female protagonist and her canine best friend, Blue. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery! 

Emily splits her time between the Hudson Valley and traveling the world with her husband and dog, Kinsey (named after Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone), researching exciting locations for the Sydney Rye Series. You can follow along on their adventures through Instagram, Facebook, and on Emily's blog.

The first book in the Sydney Rye series, Unleashed, is available as a free download at all major ebook retailers.  

If you've read Emily's work, and enjoyed it, please let her know. You can reach Emily on Twitter, on Facebook, and on her website. She also has a newsletter. 

Her books are available through Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and Amazon.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
2 Comments

David Gelber: Medicine and Magic

12/5/2014

8 Comments

 
Today, author David Gelber has stopped by to promote his new release, Night Clinic,  a collection of short stories that tell the unusual events occurring at the free clinic attended by Dr. Barnes and Nurse James. Monsters, magical beasts, villains along with ordinary folks come to the clinic looking for health and hope.

"Night Clinic" is a unique melding of medicine and magic.

I asked Mr. Gelber if he might expand upon the concept, and his response is astute. He will be giving a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to one random reader, so be sure to enter using the Rafflecopter box at the bottom of this post. For more chances to win, leave a comment and stop by other blogs hosting this tour. Here's a list of links for you to follow.
Picture
Medicine and Magic

“Night Clinic” brings modern medicine into contact with a variety of mystical, magical and supernatural “patients.” A question was then raised: Where does medicine end and magic begin? And, beyond this question: Is there a difference?

Modern medicine allows us to see inside the human body with incredible detail. MRI’s, CT Scans, ultrasounds, PET Scans and so much more allow physicians to see things that would have been impossible as recently as fifty years ago. Two thousand years ago even a plain X-Ray would have been considered magic. Indeed, during ancient times no one ever considered  that microorganisms existed as a cause of disease or that surgery could precisely remove a brain tumor. Such things would have been regarded as magical rather than scientific.

One could say that science has replaced magic in the medical world. The witch doctor has gone the way of the dodo, replaced by a team of well scrubbed, intellectual physicians armed with “evidence based” facts to address the ills of this day. There is no role for magic; in fact, all magic is false illusion and doesn’t exist.

True?

Stories of miraculous healing abound in religious books. Witchcraft or voodoo still are practiced in many parts of the world where healing is accomplished through the skills of the witch doctor or voodoo high priestess.  Even modern medicine has its “magical” moments as in the “cures” which sometimes come after the administration of sugar pills coupled with the power of suggestion commonly called “the placebo effect.” Is all such healing accomplished only by the power of suggestion or are there unseen forces acting behind the scenes? One could postulate that the power of suggestion stimulates the brain to release neurotransmitters and hormones which modulate the patient’s immune system and allow the individual to battle their disease more efficiently, leading to a cure.


Are the medical arts magic with a  scientific basis? 

I suspect that if I were to be transported back to Ancient Greece, armed with a variety of medicine, imaging tools and a fully equipped operating room I would either be hailed as a god or burned as a witch. One man’s medicine is another man’s magic.

The “Night Clinic” stories are modern, practical medicine at its best. Young, intelligent Dr. Barnes and the equally able Nurse James tackle a variety of illnesses and injuries using all their skill and knowledge. But, what about those times when that isn’t enough?

Dr. Barnes encounters a patient whose chief complaint is “black penis.” After performing his usual history and physical exam he is stumped. Nothing in all the textbooks, journal articles or his experience can explain his poor, doomed patient’s symptoms. To his credit, Dr. Barnes calls in Madame Marie, Voodoo High Priestess, who makes the diagnosis of “zombification” and is able to cure the suffering man, (for a price, of course). Magic? Or medicine?

In another chapter a mysterious baby is abandoned at the clinic door on Christmas Eve. At the stroke of midnight, a dying man is revived, another patient finds that her cancer has vanished, while a third man’s injury has miraculously healed. After all this the baby vanishes, leaving the miracles behind.

Magic is defined as the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.

Medicine is defined as the science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

It is not unreasonable to believe that there is a point where our scientific understanding of disease has reached its limits. Healing which occurs outside these limits, beyond our current understanding is easily called magic. And, who knows, what we consider supernatural today may be taught in a sixth grade science class a hundred years from now.


Picture
Excerpt:

“Speaking of bizarre and crazy, you are aware that the Intergalactic Convention is in town again? Star Trek, Star Wars, and every other outer space franchise all together. So I’m sure we’ll get our share of phaser burns, blaster bruises, and transporter malfunctions. Oh, and to get us off on the right foot, Derek is back with his annual ‘Trouble with Tribbles.’ I’ve left all the usual instruments in the room for you.”

“Not again,” I moaned. “You would think that after four, no five years, he would learn.”

I picked up the chart and gave it a careless glance. Before I saw the words I knew the problem. I walked into the exam room and saw Derek, a regular visitor, lying on his side on the exam table. Seated on a sterile tray were a rigid sigmoidoscope and a tenaculum.

“Derek, we’ve got to stop meeting like this,” I scolded. “And think of the poor Tribbles. They’re supposed to be comforting, I know, but you’re just supposed to hold them.”

 “I do hold them, Dr. Barnes; for a little while. But, the way they coo and vibrate and shake, the possibilities are endless.”

“I hope it’s as simple as last year,” I remarked.

I put on a glove and lubed up my index finger and checked up in Derek’s rectum. Sure enough there was a furry object vibrating just inside. Past experience told me not to try to grab it with my hand; it would just slip away. I greased up the scope and passed it into his rectum. Immediately I visualized a furry yellow ball which was shaking and making low Tribble noises. I reached in with the tenaculum and grabbed the object in its mid portion like a pro and pulled scope and tenaculum out with a single, gentle pull. The Tribble, which was a toy available at the convention, popped out.

“Just one this year?” I asked, although I already knew there would be more.

“No, three,” he replied.

I repeated the routine, pulling out one purple and one red Tribble, both larger that the first and still vibrating.

“I’ll dispose of these for you, Derek. And, please, stay away from Tribbles. You know they’re nothing but trouble.”

He gave a short grunt as I walked out of the exam room.

“What’s next, Nurse?”


Picture
About the author:

David Gelber, a New York native, is the seventh of nine sons and one of three to pursue medicine. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1980 and went on to graduate medical school in 1984 from the University of Rochester.

He completed a residency in General Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and Nassau County Medical Center on Long Island, NY, in 1989. Dr. Gelber now is in private practice in Houston, TX.

Gelber has been performing surgery for more than 25 years, but over the last few years he began to pursue his passion for writing, initially with his debut novel, "Future Hope", followed by its sequel “Joshua and Aaron.”

These were followed by two books about surgery “Behind the Mask” and “Under the Drapes.” The apocalyptic “Last Light” and historical fantasy “Minotaur Revisited” round out his published works, while numerous articles have appeared on his blog “Heard in the OR.” 

Now he presents “Little Bit’s Story” and his collection of magical medical short stories, “Night Clinic.” 

He has been married to Laura for 28 years and has three college aged children. He and Laura share their home with five dogs and numerous birds.

Books Published:
Future Hope ITP Book One
Joshua and Aaron ITP Book Two
Minotaur Revisited
Behind the Mask: The Mystique of Surgery and the Surgeons who Perform Them
Under the Drapes: More Mystique of Surgery
Last Light
(e-book only)

You can learn more about his works by checking out his blog, Heard in the OR, his website, or Goodreads author page.

Night Clinic is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
8 Comments

Teri Riggs: THE EYES OF VENGEANCE

12/4/2014

2 Comments

 
Today, author Teri Riggs is here to promote her new novel, The Eyes of Vengeance. She will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to one randomly drawn reader, so be sure to enter using the Rafflecopter box below. For more chances to win, leave a comment and stop by other sites hosting this event. Click here for a list of participating blogs.
Picture
Picture
About the novel:

Someone is methodically killing past members of The Consortium, a defunct group of ruthless businessmen who made their fortunes buying and selling prime Las Vegas real estate during the era that saw the beginnings of the mega casino and luxury hotels. Homicide Detective, Kennedy O’Brien, and her temporary partner, Reno Homicide Detective Hunt, race to stop a deranged predator who claims a new victim every forty-eight hours. The killer drugs his victims, slashes their wrists, and leaves a playing card with the body. As the clock continues to tick, the search for clues seems easy—too easy Kennedy suspects.

While chasing the killer, Kennedy must also try to control hotheaded Detective Hunt, who is hell-bent on finding out who killed the first victim—his best friend’s father. At the same time, she has to deal with a jealous Nick Campenelli, whom she may or may not be in a relationship with. Nick is unhappy with Kennedy spending so much time in close contact with the very smitten, Detective Hunt. Tossed into the mix are her retired cop grandfather, her self-appointed personal domestic slave, Elvis, and a boss who is demanding answers.

Is it any wonder that Kennedy doesn’t do relationships?



Excerpt:

Kennedy pulled in behind the cruiser she imagined was Charles’ ride home. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Charles, a scary looking nurse, and Officer Colder drifting toward a bench.

“What the hell are they doing out here in the open? I told him to stay put. Damn rookies.”

Kennedy put her car in park and got out, prepared to rip the kid a new ass. In the same instant, Kennedy caught a quick flash of reflected light coming from behind the shrubbery to the left of the hospital entrance. She knew immediately what the reflection was and pulled her weapon.

“Gun!” Kennedy ran towards the bench. “Everybody down!”

Shots rang out. A bullet struck the wheelchair and pinged off the metal frame. A shot hit the window, shattering glass everywhere.

A sickening thud she recognized all too well came next. A bullet hitting flesh. A loud groan came from the group. Then a scream.

Kennedy saw movement in the shrubbery. She stuck her gun outward in a two-handed hold, and spread her feet apart.

“Freeze! Police!” She kept her hold steady. 

There was more movement and the shooter fired off another five shots. Kennedy fired back. She felt a sharp sting, followed by a burning sensation in her left upper arm. Behind her, she heard another gun fire off several rounds.

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the squad car’s driver was out and firing in the direction of the bushes. He emptied his revolver and was still firing the empty chamber. Click, click, click. No bullets—only empty clicks.

“Stop firing, Smitty. The shooter’s gone.”

Smitty re-loaded his gun and took off in the direction the shooter ran.

Another squad car and an unmarked pulled in, parking behind the Mustang. Detectives Sparks and Tenuta jumped out of the unmarked.

“Thank god.” Kennedy reached with her right hand and covered her left arm where blood was gushing out like an oil well. “The shooter took off that way.”

“Let’s see if we can find the motherfucker!” Sparky yelled to the two officers in the newly arrived squad car. Sparky followed Smitty.

Jimmy grabbed Kennedy by both arms. “Let’s get you inside and let a doc have a look at that arm.”

“I’m fine. Check on Killgrew and the nurse. Tim Colder is with them.” Jimmy hesitated. “Go on. I’m fine.”

Kennedy bent over and took a deep breath. Her vision blurred and little white fuzzies floated before her. She stood up slowly, inhaled one more time, and walked slowly towards the bench.

The nurse was still screaming. Charles was pale and looked like he was in shock. Officer Tim Colder lay in a rapidly growing puddle of blood. He’d been shot in the chest.

Kennedy knew from the gray color of Tim’s skin, the kid was beyond help. Still, Jimmy administered CPR.

Jimmy was right. Kennedy dropped to her knees next to Tim. “Oh, no you don’t. Not on my watch.” She worked with Jimmy. Together they tried desperately to bring the young cop back. Soon three ER doctors and a code team rushed through the doors and took over.

Sirens screamed into the night’s air as more cops arrived. CSU team would be on scene in a matter of minutes. Two cops had been shot. Internal Affairs would make a showing, too.

Sparky was back and breathing hard. “Sorry, Kenny. No sign of the motherfucker. Bastard gave us the slip.” For the first time, Sparky noticed Tim and the code team working over him.

“Oh fuck.” Sparky crossed himself. “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” he mumbled. The conflicting gesture following Sparky’s stream of obscenities, did not go unnoticed.

Time seemed to move in slow motion. She whispered, “Please, God, don’t let this happen.”

Kennedy shook herself out of her increasing shock and panic. “Sparky, take a couple of uniforms and get Mr. Killgrew home. Don’t let him out of your sight until I get there.”

Kennedy pointed to the nurse, who was still screaming, and said to Jimmy, “Get her the hell out of here before I do something stupid.”

Jimmy shoved the hysterical nurse inside the hospital doors, passed her off to another nurse, and returned to Kennedy’s side. He tried to pull her away. “Come on, Kenny. Let’s get you checked out. We can’t help Tim now.”

Tim’s partner, Smitty, stood with another of the uniformed officers. He was weeping. Smitty was in charge of training the young cop. Guilt was gonna eat away at Smitty for a long time to come. “Join the crowd,” Kennedy said quietly.

Kennedy stood firm and watched as the doctors called the code and pronounced Officer Timothy Colder, age twenty-three, dead.

With a heavy heart, Kennedy shook her head and said, “Dead of stupidity.”

Jimmy said, “What’d you say, Kennedy? Couldn’t hear you over all the noise.”

Kennedy didn’t repeat the comment, but instead asked, “Why didn’t he wait for me? I told him to wait. Five minutes, that’s all. Five fucking minutes.”



Picture
About the author:

As a child, Teri made up her own bedtime stories. When her children came along, Teri always tweaked the fairy tales she told her daughters, giving them a bit more punch and better endings when needed.

Now she spends her days turning her ideas into books. She lives in Marietta, GA with her husband. You can find her on Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
2 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Privacy Policy:

    No names or e-mail addresses listed in blog post replies will result in mailing list additions or sharing/sales to other sites via the Cerebral Writer.

    All email addresses, unless added intentionally to the body text of a post or response, will remain hidden from public view.

    Archives

    April 2021
    November 2018
    October 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008


    Categories

    All
    Aftermath
    Animals
    Anthologies
    Awards
    Bestseller List
    Bizarro
    Blogging
    Classics
    Contests
    Critical Analysis
    Dystopia
    Edgar Allan Poe
    Editors
    Excerpts
    Film
    Finding Poe
    Flash Fiction
    God
    Grammar
    Guest Blogs
    Horror
    Humanitarians
    Interviews
    Jane The Hippie Vampire
    Language
    Leigh M. Lane
    Literary Fiction
    Lupus
    Marketing
    Movies
    Muses
    Musicians
    My Books
    Myths Of Gods
    My Writing
    My Writing
    Nook
    Novellas
    On Writing
    On Writing
    Opinion
    Other Great Authors
    Paying It Forward
    Pirates
    Poetry
    Racism
    Redrafting
    Revelations
    Reviews
    Rod Serling
    Screenplays
    Self Publishing
    Short Stories
    Speculative Fiction
    Television
    The Hidden Valley
    The Private Sector
    The Twilight Zone
    This Site
    Trailers
    Urban Fantasy
    Vampires
    Weird Western
    Words
    World Mart
    Zombies

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.