About the Book

Title: The Matriarch Matrix

Author: Maxime Trencavel

Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure

The Matriarch Matrix – A speculative fiction novel of origins, faith, passion, and the pursuit of peace.

It was always his destiny to save her. It was always her destiny to die. The fate of the world hangs on their choices…

The past foretells her future…

What does it take to change a loving child of peace into an assassin for a dangerous and powerful oligarch? Zara Khatum knows. Once a fighter for her Kurdish people, the memory of the atrocities inflicted by her captors has Zara seeking one thing: vengeance. But the voices of the ancients call to Zara. In the past, in another life, she knew the secrets of the artifact…

Twelve thousand years ago…

She is Nanshe, revered matriarch of the family she led away from the monsters of the north. In the land that would one day mark the treacherous border between Turkey and Syria, she created the temples at Gobleki Tepe and founded a dynasty, heirs to a powerful object. For millennia, Nanshe’s descendants have passed down the legend of the artifact: “The object can save. But only a man and woman together can guide the salvation of others.”

Heirs to destiny…

By fate or destiny, Zara is thrown in with Peter Gollinger, a quirky Californian from the other side of the world and the other side of everything she believes. But he, too, is heeding the voices of his ancestors. Joined by Jean-Paul, a former Jesuit priest, these three people—from wildly different religions and cultures—must find a way to work together to solve a twelve thousand-year-old mystery of the powerful object that spawned a faith. The world teeters on the precipice of war. The outcome depends on them. And one of them is living a lie.

The Matriarch Matrix is a rich and deeply layered epic story – a spiritual odyssey with a heartbeat of an action adventure. It may make you think, ponder, reflect upon where we came from and where we are going. It blends our past with a speculative future of things that are not so far-fetched. It blends the drama, the comedy, the romance, the tragedy of three protagonists with different cultures, traditions, and beliefs – a Sufi woman, a Jesuit priest, and an alien origin believing atheist. Their journeys separately and together will be a test of their respective faiths and their inner search for personal and family redemption.

 

Author Bio

Maxime has been scribbling stories since grade school from adventure epics to morality plays. Blessed with living in multicultural pluralistic settings and having earned degrees in science and marketing, Maxime has worked in business and sports, traveling to countries across five continents and learning about cultures, traditions, and the importance of tolerance and understanding. Maxime’s debut novel was written and edited in different locations in Belgium, including the Turkish and Kurdish neighborhoods of Brussels, in South America, and on the two coasts of the United States.

Links

tailofthebird.com

https://www.facebook.com/MaximeTrencavel/

https://www.instagram.com/maximetrencavel/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17168784.Maxime_Trencavel

https://www.amazon.com/Maxime-Trencavel/

Get “The Matriarch Matrix” on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Matriarch-Matrix-Maxime-Trencavel-ebook/dp/B075R2DD4Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506588760&sr=8-1&keywords=maxime+trencavel

Excerpts 

His eyes, once reddened, are now dark black. Not even his pupils showing. The giant man yells, “Zara, you know what you need to do. You know what happens to all who fail me, who deceive me. Kill Mei first, but make it a leg wound so Peter can see her die in agony in front of him. He needs to learn the price for deceit.”Aghast, Peter quivers. His lips want to cry out, but nothing comes out of his vocal chords. He looks to Jean-Paul. Another tall, imposing male who has the best chance of standing up to thismonster he has signed a contract with. But the former priest still has his eyes closed, seemingly in prayer. And from Peter’s point of view, these arehis last rites the priest is administering.He looks toZara. A woman distraught, in hesitation, indecision, in deep agony over the choices in front of her,seemingly in fear of the gun in her hand. He lifts Mei’shead and peers into her tear-ridden eyes. A deep,loving kiss on her forehead. And he says, “I would have loved to meet your mother.”To her surprise, he rises, helping hold her dress downas hebuttons the last open buttons. To Zara’s surprise, he steps over, respiration rate at max, and takes the gun from the box. Hands shaking, he hands it to her. “I love my family as much as you do. But I cannot be the reason for the suffering of your people.” And he stands in front of her, shaking, sniffling, eyes closed, waiting for the inevitable. He opens his eyes and says, “Pray for me. In case I’m wrong aboutour alien origins, then I’ll need someone to vouch for me with God.”Zara stares at the gun in her hand. She aims it between his eyes as he shakes uncontrollably. Those eyes. Those eyes. Her babies.Sasha will not get the satisfaction this time. This innocent boy from California is not the one who should die today. No more than Abram needed to die on Sasha’s yacht. It is time to make amends.Lowering her aim, she places the gun in his palm and wraps his fingers around it. As he stares at the instrument in his hand, she lifts the barrel to her heart and says, “Even, smooth trigger pull. It will be quick. I won’t suffer.”And there, Peter is frozen. As if he had been there for all of time. He quivers not. He quakes not. Only frozen. But he stares down the barrel into Zara’s well-covered breast. He mutters incomprehensibly.“Illyana.”

 

 

 

About the Book

Title: Framed – A Black Swann Investigation

Author: Wayne Kerr

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Toronto’s newest homicide detective, Reggie Swann, seemed to have it all: great career, handsome husband and plans to start a family, until she was framed for murder…

A cop has very few friends in prison. After surviving ten brutal years behind bars, Reggie’s conviction is finally overturned thanks to her tenacious mother, a new forensic test and a very clever lawyer. She quickly discovers that getting her old life back won’t be as easy as she hoped. To many, she was still as the media had dubbed her: ‘Black Swann – murderer and cop-gone-bad’. The Toronto Police Department still considers her to be a suspect, Reggie’s husband has remarried and the real killer is still on the loose.

Before Reggie can return to Toronto and solve the crime that ruined her life, she reluctantly agrees to investigate a murder in her home town of Penticton, only to discover the two cases which are separated by ten years and five provinces might somehow be connected. Will anyone believe the wild theories of the disgraced detective?

The real murderer does. He framed her once, this time Reggie Swann must die!

 

 

Author Bio

 

Canadian author, Wayne Kerr, was born and raised in the small town of Biggar, Saskatchewan (New York is big, but this is Biggar). He married his high school sweetheart, Marlene, thirty-nine years ago and has lived happily ever since. They resided in the United States for the past twenty years, but recently returned to Canada and now call the beautiful Okanagan region of British Columbia home. The writer honed his story-telling skills while keeping his five younger siblings and later his daughter entertained during long cold winters. When not reading or writing thrillers, Wayne is probably hiking, biking or playing tennis.

For more information on the author and his books please visit: waynekerrnovels.com or follow him on twitter: @waynekerrnovels

 

Links

website: waynekerrnovels.com

twitter: @waynkerrnovels

Amazon :https://goo.gl/qQonNw

 

 

Book Excerpts

Framed – excerpt

 

A cop has very few friends in prison…

 

“Watch your back,” Wilma whispered as I stood to leave. Wilma didn’t say much to anyone. Over six feet tall and built like a man, the farm wife had literally shaken the life out of her husband when she’d discovered he’d been cheating with her teenaged sister. Referred to as a gentle giant for most of her twenty-five years, ten minutes of blind rage had erased that persona forever. I think we shared a kinship in the belief that we didn’t belong in this place. Wilma kept to herself, and most of the prison population, including me, tried their best to give her no reason to get angry.

I winked at her as I picked up my empty tray and magazine. I wanted to get down to laundry services before there was a lot of activity in the halls. As I deposited the tray I noticed three empty chairs at Laynie Garcia’s table, hers included. The rest of her crew chatted and laughed and avoided eye contact with me. Naturally, it would be Laynie, I realized.

Now I knew who, and since they were already absent, approximately when. So be it. Cameras watched over the main public areas, including the social and work areas. The bathrooms, showers and lesser-used hallways had none. To get to the laundry facility I needed to traverse several of these hallways, passing the ‘C’ Block showers and two bathrooms en route.

There were few secrets in this place. Everyone knew that I was leaving for a hearing tomorrow morning. If you had a score to settle with me, today might be the last opportunity. Laynie felt that she did. Relatively new to the facility, she’d been hell bent to build her reputation. After picking several fights and winning them all, she’d gotten much of the respect she desired. I guess she’d decided killing a former cop would give her kingpin status, because six months ago, without provocation, she’d attacked me in the showers. Fortunately, I’d felt her coming and managed to grab my towel before she reached me. I wrapped my arm and used it as a shield against the sharpened piece of rigid plastic she’d forged into a knife. Once I got hold of her and turned it into a wrestling match, my superior strength turned the tide in my favor. I broke two of her fingers prying the make-shift knife away and gave her a nasty cut across her cheekbone. A knee to the solar plexus left her choking and gasping for breath on the wet floor as I walked away without a scratch. I’d spoiled her perfect record; she couldn’t let that stand.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

1. How did you find your love of writing?

 

Writing for me has always been my hobby. I’m one of those people who don’t really like firm endings. I like for stories to continue on forever. So I often find myself dreaming up scenarios of what happened after the credits roll or the last page is turned. Then sometimes those continuations evolve into new stories with new characters and new settings and become an entirely new world for me to immerse myself and my readers in.

 

2. Did you have any big influences from other authors or even family members?

 

I draw inspiration from a lot of places so it’s hard for me to give credit to any one person. I’ve garnered a lot of support over the years from my Mom and other family members. I give a lot of credit to my agent, Stephanie Hansen, for pushing me to get my work out there for people to read.

 

3. Your characters seem so lifelike, were they made from examples in your life?

 

My personality is the type that makes it easy for me to relate to and understand other people. This helps a lot during character development. I have a general idea of how my characters think and what their values are. The entire character gets flushed out during the writing process as they react to the situations I put them in. I never really know how things are going to go until they happen, sometimes it’s even a surprise to me. That’s what makes the writing process exciting for me!

 

4. Is there anything you want to say to your readers that you haven’t yet had a chance to say?

 

Please buy my book when it comes out on January 29th! I always appreciate hearing when people enjoy my writing so reviews are always appreciated! And thank you in advance for your support!

 

5. Is there anything in the works for you? More books?

 

Yes, Blood Awakening is the first of the Immortal Sleepers series for which I have a total of twelve books planned. I am currently working on book two in the series, Awakened in Flame. There is a preview for this story at the end of Blood Awakening so be sure to check it out!

 

 

 

About the Book

 

 

 

Title: Blood Awakening (The Immortal Sleepers)

 

Author: Miranda Nichols

 

Genre: Paranormal / Fantasy Romance

 

A war has been brewing in the shadows.

 

Kaelyn Hamblin never felt particularly extraordinary, growing up in a strong Irish household in the heart of Boston for most of her young life. Her humdrum routine remained markedly unchanged for longer than she cared to remember; until that day. The day when a beautiful stranger drifted into her hole-in-the-wall bookshop and changed her life forever.

 

Tyrian knew from the moment he locked eyes on her that she was the one. His one. The singular being within all of time and space that was made for him and him alone. His world was not one of niceties and pretty things; bringing her into it would be dangerous. But he would protect her. He had to. After all, it was foretold.

 

Worlds collide, marking the beginning of the end to an age long battle warring between the forces of darkness and light in the universe. The fate of all rests on the shoulders of a lone druid and her band of human hunters to quell the rising tide of evil threatening to overtake everything and plunge the connected realms into eternal darkness.

 

Author Bio

 

 

 

Miranda Nichols is an up and coming author in the paranormal romance genre. She’s a full-time student working towards her degree in creative writing. When she isn’t studying or helping the alternative fuel industry, you can find her on https://www.fictionpress.com/ or curled up with a steamy romance novel. She’s a loyal friend who’s not afraid to tell it like it is. Like the smell of fresh popcorn, her fantasy romances tempt you and keep you coming back for more.

 

Links

 

https://www.mirandanicholsauthor.com/

 

https://www.facebook.com/author.mirandanichols/

 

https://twitter.com/mnichols_author

 

https://www.metamorphosisliteraryagency.com/

I have read the book right before this one, and currently reading the first two books; I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEW BOOK!!!!

About the Book

Title: Noble Magic: The Chronicles of Eledon Book Four

Author: Joni Parker

Genre: Fantasy

Lady Alexin (Alex) battles a band of mortal wizards known as the Octagon, discovers the mysteries of the five legendary diamond eggs, and finally comes into her true powers gifted to her by her conquests and the gifts of her Titan ancestors. Tasked with the seemingly impossible, Alex must find a way to restore the entry points to Seaward Isle or see its inhabitants face certain destruction as the grid holding Eledon together threatens to fall apart.

 

Author Bio

Joni currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, but she was born in Chicago, lived in Japan, graduated high school in Phoenix, and got married in New Jersey. Not only was she married to a career Navy sailor, but she also completed 22 years of active duty service herself. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, an MBA, and a Master of Military Arts and Sciences (MMAS) from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. After her husband passed away, she returned to the work in the Department of Homeland Security until she discovered her love of writing. She retired again and has written two series, “The Seaward Isle Saga,” a three-book series, and “The Chronicles of Eledon” with “Spell Breaker,” “The Blue Witch,” “Gossamer,” and “Noble Magic.”

 

 

 

Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParkerJoni

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoniParker

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JoniParker

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0747SFZLG/ref=pe_820620_248963730_em_1p_0_ti

 

 

Book Excerpts

From chapter 2:

A few minutes later, the Chamber Elf opened the door and led them inside. The members sat in large chairs around three sides of the room while the senior member, Lord Ashur, sat alone on one end—his long white hair dangled over his bright red robe. Alex and Prince Darin saluted and knelt before him.

“Rise, both of you. Prince Darin, I see you’re with the Keeper again. What’s this adventure? I sent the Keeper to check on the cottage, not to explore.” Lord Ashur leaned forward in his large chair and gazed with amusement from under his white, bushy eyebrows.

“I apologize for the interruption, my lord, but Lady Alexin arrived with an escort of a dozen rebels, now in our custody. Apparently, they were searching for some documents, but couldn’t find them. The Keeper did. And I’d like your permission to review them.”

“Keeper, show me these documents.”

Alex unrolled the scrolls, handing him one at a time. She smiled as she watched his eyebrows move up and down.

He passed them around to the other members. “How did you find them when the rebels couldn’t?”

“They were locked inside a vault in one of the bedrooms. I missed it the last time I was there. Not only did it have these scrolls, but it also had this.” She held up the black bag and pulled out the gold chest, handing it to him.

Lord Ashur gasped and stared at the beautiful chest. “What’s in here?”

“Open it.” Alex stepped back so Prince Darin could see.

He flipped the top open and pulled back the velvet cloth. “Oh my stars!” He picked up one of the large diamonds in his hand. It flashed rainbows on the ceiling and walls.

The members stared and gasped and gathered around his chair for a closer look.

“How many are there?” Lord Mesner stared at it, captivated by its beauty.

“Five.” Lord Ashur cocked his head to the side. “Could these be the legendary Diamond Eggs?”

“May I?” Lord Root asked. “I saw them before they were stolen and disappeared. I took my Elves to see them in Weston—they’re the Crystals of Life. Years ago, my uncle, Lord Dormus, brought them to Eledon from his visit to the Star Elves.” He slid off his chair and rambled over; his blue velvet robe dragged along the floor. Lord Root was the Pixie Elf representative on the Council and the newest permanent member. He wasn’t much taller than Alex’s knees.

 

Chapter 3:

Prince Darin bowed to Lord Ashur. “While I was waiting for the Keeper, one of my ship’s captains delivered an urgent report. As you know, every month, the Water Elves send supplies to Seaward Isle. Two weeks ago, two of my ships, the Rambler and the Crustacean, set sail for the island and were due to return four days ago, but they haven’t shown up yet. I’ve sent several ships out to check the entry points to Seaward Isle, but they can’t be found. I’d like the Mentors’ help.”

“Of course. The entry points are the only things holding Seaward Isle to Eledon.”

Lord Odin rose from his chair. “This could be a disaster, my lord. The Mentors must give it high priority. Seaward Isle must not detach from Eledon. It could fall into the mortal world and take us with it. It must be fixed. It can’t be overlooked any longer.”

Alex’s eyes grew wide. This was a real problem. Concerned, she glanced at her grandfather. His face was pale and he was sweating. But she also knew he was depending on her to find a solution. She didn’t have a clue.

Lord Ashur frowned. “I agree this is a problem. Members, rise as we call upon the Mentors.” He rose slowly from his chair and raised his hands. “Mentors, greetings. We call upon you to assist us.”

In the middle of the room, a small flame appeared above the white pedestal. It was slightly larger than a man’s hand and emitted no heat—this was how the Mentors manifested themselves to the Elves. A female voice came from the flame.

“Lord Ashur and members…”

With a roar, the small Mentors’ flame erupted into a large fireball, touching the ceiling. From the raging fire, a man’s ugly face appeared and his deep voice boomed. He spoke in the mortal language called the common tongue; few in the room understood what he said. Alex, Lord Odin, and Lord Root understood it because they’d lived on Seaward Isle with mortals; Lord Ashur waved his hand to translate the man’s words into Elf.

“Who killed Shinjan?” The man’s dark beady eyes glared out at them. He had a large crooked nose; his skin was pasty-white, and he had a mane of scraggly black hair. When he opened his mouth, long flames of fire flowed out like snakes. “Who killed Shinjan?”

 

Chapter 4:

Off the coast of southern France, a luxurious yacht, at least eighty feet long with large windows and open spaces for sunbathing, rocked gently on the sea. In the lounge, four men sat on a leather sofa, watching the television monitor mounted on the wall with a view of Nemesis in the Elfin chamber. As he delivered his ultimatum to the Elves, the men cheered and shook their fists at the screen. When he ended his threats and the large fireball occurred, they burst into applause. The screen went black.

A few moments later, Nemesis entered the room through a black curtain to a standing ovation. He bowed, then pulled up his jeans and slicked his stringy hair away from his face. “I think they got the message. Ecstasy, get this stuff off my face.”

Ecstasy clapped loudly and beamed with pride. “Of course, my darling. Sit down. I knew you could do it.” Ecstasy was a man dressed as a woman and threw his arms around Nemesis’ neck and planted a wet kiss on his lips. As he backed away, he waved his wand. “Abracadabra presto change-o! I just love doing your make-up. I love everything about you.”

Nemesis’ nose shrunk in size and his color returned to tan. His ugliness was diminished, but didn’t go away. “All right, already. Stop it! Now get a message off to the Dynasty Sisters. They need go in first and get the wand.”

Ecstasy closed his eyes and waved his hands over the crystal ball. He mumbled a spell under his breath and peered inside. He leaned back with a sigh. “Oh dear! The girls have gone on a meditation retreat to mourn their grandfather Shinjan and can’t be disturbed for the next month.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me about this? We did this for them. I told you to keep in touch with them.”

“I asked them yesterday and they said they were going to be here. I’m sorry.” Tears filled his eyes. “They lied to me…again.”

“Damn it! Don’t cry.” Nemesis rubbed his forehead. “All right. Someone else will go. Who wants to go in first?”

Silence.

 

Chapter 5:

Takura pushed his wire-rimmed glasses back on his nose and smiled. “John, Oliva, good to see you today. Very windy outside.”

Olivia ignored the fact that he didn’t call her by her correct name. For some reason, he’d never been able to. “I’ve never seen it this windy before, have you?” She rocked baby Will in her arms.

“No, never. There must be problem with entry points.”

“As a matter of fact, there is. One of the Elf supply ships just came back. Tulus, the ship’s captain, told me that he couldn’t find them. We were wondering if you knew what that meant.”

Takura’s eyes grew large and he gasped, shaking his head. “None of them?”

“That’s what he said.” Olivia sighed. “What does it mean?”

“It could mean danger for us. We could separate from Eledon and crash into Earth. Not good. Wind may be symptom of problem.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“How’s your research going?”

“Difficult to study. Maybe Tulus will help us. I must ask him.”

“What about that other research you were doing on the ‘bubble,’ the shell over the island that keeps us inside?”

“I show you.” He led them to a table in the warehouse and smiled like the Cheshire Cat. “What do you think?”

“What is it?” Olivia leaned closer to it as John spun one of the propellers.

“A drone. We put camera on it and fly it into bubble.”

“Really? When?”

“Yesterday. Rangor took us on barge and we went close to edge, but we stay far enough away not to get into currents. We fly drone into bubble and bring back video.” He typed a command on the computer and a picture of him appeared standing on the barge with a remote control in his hands. The drone flew away and the camera pointed at the bubble. At first, the sky and sea appeared normal, but as the drone approached the bubble, the camera lens fogged up. Suddenly, the lens cleared; the drone spun around several times and the picture turned to static. When the drone hit something metallic, it was thrown out and the lens fogged up again. Just as the lens cleared, it approached the barge and landed. The last image was a close-up of Takura’s jubilant face.

 

 

Chapter 6:

Once all of the presentations were completed, Lord Ashur called on Lord Hillen during the recess. “Lord Hillen, you mentioned that you have an interest in wizards and wizardry. Have you ever heard of an organization of wizards called the Octagon?”

“I’m fascinated by wizards, but I’ve never heard of this organization before. What do they do?”

“According to this wizard, eight of them formed a group called the Octagon.”

“There have been several organized groups of wizards in the past. Each time, they attempted to match their magical skills to complement each other, trying to make their group invincible. However, the problem is that they’re mortal beings and have short lives. In addition, petty jealousies have caused great turmoil. In many cases, the members killed each other in a fit of rage.”

The entire chamber grew silent as the members turned to listen.

“It appears as if we’re all curious, Lord Hillen,” Lord Odin said. “Now, can you tell us more about wizards? The one who visited us was named Nemesis.”

“Nemesis?” Lord Hillen rubbed his chin. “And why did he come here?”

“The Keeper was assigned a task by the Mentors to remove a beast held in a vial. The only way to remove it was for the Keeper to kill the wizard who created the spell. His name was Shinjan. She killed him and released the beast as the Mentors requested. Now, however, this Nemesis claims that this wizard’s death upset the balance in this Octagon, and he must avenge the death before replacing the wizard.”

“An odd rule.”

“Indeed.”

“I can only surmise that the death of one of the wizards created a vacuum that is tearing the group apart. The wizards of today lack both the skill and discipline of those from years past. Nemesis is a famous name for wizards, selected to show bravado and a tendency to violence. Apparently, someone wishes to continue that tradition. But I’m shocked to hear that the wizards came here to Eledon. We ran the last one out. What is the Keeper doing to stay safe?”

“The wizard is after me, my lord. I confessed to killing him since I was the one who told her how to reverse the curse.”