Corrupt Skies

CORRUPT SKIES

By

Alex Rodgers

BLURB:  

As a series of armed bank robberies spring up in every corner of the nation, burnt-out Air Marshal Harris Fox finds himself thrust in the middle of this high-profile case. The danger unfolds and conspiracy unravels. With lives at stake, and his family in the balance, can Fox solve the mystery before it's too late? 

A humor-filled, action-packed thriller with a cast of characters not easy to forget, this is the series for fans of television shows and movies like Rescue Me, Psych, Red, and 2Guns.

EXCERPT: 

“After what just happened to Williams? Are you crazy! You’re just going to run all the way over there through all that bullet fire? You’re completely insane!”

Harris tried to calm her down and look at things rationally. “Look around you Sarah. Your colleagues are pinned down and outgunned. God knows how many are dead and will die if reinforcements don’t show up soon. They are going to make a break for it, and when they do this gunfight becomes even less contained and even more people will die. I know you’re scared and I am too. I need to end this, and I need your help to do it Sarah.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. Color came back into her face. She checked the clip before popping up to open fire. “Go!” she yelled. Harris didn’t even peek to see if it was safe, he didn’t want to telegraph himself. He made a break for it, bullets flying all around him. He tripped on the curb, fell on the sidewalk, and moved for cover behind a newspaper rack. He could hear a few rounds pinging off of it. “Shit!” He covered his head. “Almost there.” The alley was only a few feet away. Harris gathered his thoughts and his breath for a moment before making a dive and rolling into the alley. Following his actions, there were the terrifying sounds of more rounds bouncing off of the sidewalk all around him.

Book Review

Corrupt Skies is an action/adventure/thriller centered around a burnt out air marshall named Harris Fox who's ex-military. Mostly his job is easy, but he isn't especially happy because his wife wanted him home with her and their child, and when he kept putting her off, she left him. When a series of bank robberies captures national attention, Fox is tapped to help find the robbers.

I thought the plot was creative and well executed, and I've got to say the ending blew me away. I thought the book would end predictably, but I was wrong. I never saw it coming. However, I thought the character of Fox sounded pretty much like every other thriller hero I've ever read, and the dialogue between Fox and his friends also sounded familiar. It could be argued, though, that characters in this genre all speak and act in a prescribed way.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, and if you like this genre, you won't be disappointed. I'd give it 4 out of 5.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Alex Rodgers is the author of the Corrupt Skies series. He is a military veteran and civil servant who got tired of reading about CIA and FBI Agents and thought Air Marshals would be cool.

Corrupt Skies: Episode I is his first foray into book writing, which started out as a short story. He is now happily writing the fourth novel in the series.

When he's not writing you can find him shamelessly plugging his books by reading the chapters out loud to a captive audience on the DC metro (not really). He enjoys paintballing and spending time with his wife and children at their home in Northern Virginia.

Links

Blog: http://www.corruptskies.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-Rodgers/434707446644545

Where to buy: http://www.amazon.com/Corrupt-Skies-Episode-Alex-Rodgers-ebook/dp/B00I4KCOO8/ref=la_B00I5QDXN2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402837817&sr=1-1

Mail Chimp: http://eepurl.com/NjU3P

The author is giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate so enter using the following code.

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Lottie

If you came for Beyond the Book, scroll on down, but why not enjoy this post first?

 One winner will receive: an autographed copy of all three books in the Lottie series: Pickin' Ground (The Lottie Series Book 1) In Due Season (The Lottie Series Book 2)  Lottie (The Lottie Series Book 3)

Rafflecode: 

Publication Date: May 31, 2014

Book Title: Lottie

Genre: Christian Fiction

Print Length: 235 pages

Publisher: Twelve Stones Publishing LLC (May 31, 2014)

ASIN: B00KP1IJSO

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About the Book

Oh, no! Rose is back! If Lottie isn’t having enough trouble being a newlywed and taking on her duties as the first female African American Senator in her native state of Alabama, her sister Rose is trying to make the moves on her husband, Chaney. Rose has had a crush on Chaney since high school, and it looks like she’s not done yet. And in spite of her love for her community and her political pursuits, Lottie has to learn to open her heart and fight for her family. Family, however, is not always what it seems—family is the people who love us. Lottie, the third book in the Lottie Series, follows the murder mystery in Pickin' Ground, and the story of personal and community redemption in In Due Season. Lottie explores the fulfillment of marital love that overcomes selfish ambition, political corruption, and family pain. “There is no love like married love!”

About the Author

Award-winning author, Jeanetta Britt, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Fisk University and Top Ten from The University of Michigan. She completed a successful executive career that spanned over three decades in Dallas, Texas, before returning to her native Alabama. "But," she says, "my faith in Jesus Christ means more than anything, and it has proven to be the most valuable asset in my life." She also says, "That's why I write Christian Fiction novels and Gospel poetry . . . to share the love!"

Grab a copy!

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble

Social Links: 

Email: brittbooks@msn.com

Website: http://www.jbrittbooks.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JBrittBooks

Tour Hosted by:  Write Now Literary Virtual Book Tours

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Beyond the Book: The Enchanted

Greetings! I am Prince Alan, hero of Madame Cantrell's marvelous book The Enchanted. Not only is Madame a talented writer, but she also has made a video about the book. I have begged that she will share the video with you, and she has agreed. I am sure that you will enjoy it. You may obtain a copy of her masterpiece here.

I beg of you to follow the link and read Madame's reviews. All who have reviewed the novel are enamored of it.

The Sanctum

Please help me welcome Madhuri Blaylockto the blog. Madhuri is the author of the Sanctum Trilogy.

1.Madhuri, What are you working on now?

Currently I’m working on the finale of The Sanctum Trilogy, Book III: The Prophecy. It’s coming along really well but I’m getting a bit concerned about the possible length of it when all is said and done.

Can you make a trilogy four books?!

2.What’s the hardest part of writing for you?  The easiest?

The hardest part of writing, in the sense of being an Indie author, for me is marketing myself. It’s draining, takes a lot of time and sometimes it all feels so futile. But I’m getting better at it, some aspects of it I have even grown to love, like working on my blog, but overall, it’s tough. A total grind on your soul.

The easiest is writing dialogue. It really seems to flow quite naturally for me and I love doing it. Sex scenes are a lot of fun, too.

3.Would you dare to tell us five things that no one would know about you?

I love Allen Iverson, like love. My husband just told a bunch of our friends a story of how, for one Valentine’s Day, when the 76ers were in town to play the Knicks, he bought me tickets that were $300 each just so I could see my boy, Allen. (My husband kind of rocks)

I taught my brother how to walk. He was born bow-legged and back then they would break a kid’s legs and then re-set them, first in casts and then in a special brace. Or maybe vice-versa. Anyway, I taught him to walk on those casts. I also taught him how to ride a bike.

As a kid I had a rabbit named Kukumundo, who grew so big and was so freaking coo-coo that he chewed his way out of his wire cage and escaped. One morning I came down to feed him, only to find the wire busted and my rabbit long gone. I felt bad but also kind of relieved. He had gotten so huge and out of control, it was kind of nice to be rid of his insanity. A few days later, some of the kids from the block behind us came running over to say a dog had gotten hit by a car and let’s go check it out (I know, I know, kids do gross things. Get over it. It happens.). So we all ran over to the accident site and lo and behold, that was no dog lying on that pavement. It was Kukumundo! My dog-sized rabbit. (And don’t worry, I gathered him up off that pavement and gave him a proper burial, joining my many other gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits.)

That album Kenny Rogers did with Dolly Parton brings the joy. I love it.

I worked on the Mumia Abu-Jamal case for two years, assisting his lead defense counsel, Leonard Weinstein. It was some of the most fulfilling work I’ve done as an attorney.

4.  What's your favorite book in your genre?

Besides mine, easily Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. Her writing moves me, her characters and worlds are so well-developed, and each book in the trilogy is excellent.

The Boy (The Sanctum Trilogy, #2)

by Madhuri Blaylock

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

“Every now and again an excellent novel will come forth dealing with fantasy and magic that will just grab and hold my attention from beginning to end. That is exactly what THE GIRL did.” -- OOSA Online Book Club

In THE GIRL, Madhuri Blaylock introduced readers to the world of The Sanctum, one corrupted by greed and savagery and hellbent on achieving a single goal: destroying the prophesied hybrid. When one of its most celebrated warriors questioned his allegiances, age-old secrets were unveiled and violence erupted. The journey becomes more perilous and intense as the trilogy surges forward with

THE BOY

Can you cross the plains of death, collect every piece of your soul and make it back to the land of the living?

And if you complete the journey, will your loved ones welcome your return?

The Ramyan have been answering such questions since the creation of The Sanctum. A mysterious sect of Magicals, haunting the blank spaces of time and memory, they serve no one but themselves and their higher purpose. They exist on a plane removed from earthly matters, shifting easily between the living and the dead, moving in time to the beat of their own drummer.

At least they did. Dev and Wyatt change all of that when the prophesied hybrid lands on the steps of Rinshun Palace, seeking help for the wounded Class A Warrior. That decision alters lives and sets old agendas back on course. But at what cost to Dev and Wyatt? And does that really even matter?

“The characters in Madhuri Blaylock's novel...are well written and unique, and the story is just fantastic...I just loved every page of the story!” - Readers' Favorite

EXCERPT:

“We’re Sanctum, Ryker,” Dot replied as she began a sun salutation, “we do not become emotionally tied. To anything or anyone.”

Ryker remained silent.

Moving into a warrior pose, Dot continued.

“But I suppose you and Wyatt did not get that memo.”

Rather than engage Dot in conversation, Ryker joined her in a warrior II pose.

“Sam and Josiah should have never allowed you boys to become so dependent upon one another. Very few Sanctum have been so intertwined and when they have, the results have been disastrous. Now that he’s gone, you’re incapable of functioning and fulfilling your duties as a warrior.”

“He’s not gone,” Ryker insisted.

Dot heard the pain in her son’s voice and relented a bit.

“I don’t mean it like that, Ryker. I know you know Wyatt is still alive. What troubles me is how you’re handling his absence.”

Ryker broke his pose and sat on the floor, watching his mom go through her routine. He knew Dot was tough, but sometimes that toughness came across as plain, cold-heartedness. She didn’t mean it that way; she loved him and was just worried, Ryker simply wished her mode of conveying that concern was a bit warmer. He couldn’t remember the last time she hugged him, touched him affectionately.

“I’m handling his absence by helping Jools stave off a Sanctum-wide revolution, ma,” Ryker explained quietly, “I’m investigating violations of The Book of Peace by the Breslins, looking into Ava’s murder of Jasper and Kalinda Edwards at the last meeting of The Circle of Ten and speaking to other Founding Family members. So I think I am handling Wyatt’s temporary absence just fine.”

Dot looked down on her elder son and softened, despite the voice inside her head telling her to beware. That was The Sanctum speaking to her, always reaching out and cutting off the ties to her children. First taking them at such a young age and now, telling her to shut them out. But she had always been stronger than The Sanctum, and today was no different.

She reached down and caressed Ryker’s face, a gesture she couldn’t remember indulging in since he was small. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, as if ashamed by his need for her affection. Dot’s heart broke as she watched him, wondering over the years how many times he had craved her touch, needed her arms around him. He was a grown man now but Ryker would always be her baby, so she bent down and did what she hadn’t done in almost a decade: pulled her son into her arms and held him as he cried.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Madhuri is a Jersey City Heights girl via Snellville, Georgia, who writes paranormal fiction and is slightly infatuated with tattoos, four-inch heels, ice cream, Matt Damon, scotch, Doc Martens, Laini Taylor, photo booths and dancing like a fool.

She's currently working on The Sanctum trilogy and hopes one day soon, everyone is walking around with copies of The Girl and The Boy in their pocket or on their Kindle.

She wants to get a goat and a burro, but since she lives in the city, will settle for some chickens.

To learn more about her, you can follow her blog at madhuriblaylock.wordpress.com, follow her on Twitter at @madhuriblaylock or like her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thesanctumtr...

She's totally chatty so drop her a line any time.

Madhuri is giving away a $25 gift certificate so use the following link to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors

My snippet today is from my still unnamed WIP. If you've been following you know that my hero had a one night stand, and when the woman died, he found out that the two of them had had a child. The little boy is coming to live with my hero and his wife. Naturally, she isn't taking it too well. This is what happened after Alex met her new stepson. Rhett is the husband.

No. She didn’t want to talk to Rhett. Not now. “Later. I need a drink even if you don’t.”

She hurried away without another word and poured herself a large bourbon. She didn’t like bourbon, never had, but it was handy, and if she was lucky it would take the edge off the unremitting anxiety she had suffered all day. She bolted out the back door and sat down on the steps to have her drink in peace, and when she finished the first one, she had a second. 

Find more excerpts at:
http://www.wewriwa.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/647177095355469/


picture: By Methem (Mikko J. Putkonen) (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Saturday Sample

Welcome to Saturday Sample. In this excerpt, my hero and heroine just had a very unpleasant run-in with the man who murdered his father.

Hank didn’t feel safe enough to speak to Kathryn until they entered the parking area. He had been listening for the sound of running feet behind him. “Did you feel it?” he muttered.

Kathryn’s eyes blazed in her white face. “Of course I did! Hurry. I keep expecting them to chase us any minute.”

“Or shoot us.”

Two round, red spots stained her cheeks. “You don’t really think Stanton would have shot us in a public place, do you? Oh, never mind! I have a spot between my shoulder blades that’s itching anyway.”


Hank didn’t answer. He was sure that if Stanton thought he could get away with it, he’d have killed them both. He breathed a sigh of relief when he safely shut Kathryn’s car door.



 “Meet me at the little pancake house about a mile down the road,” she ordered.

Hank nodded, but as he turned away, Kathryn let her window down and grabbed his arm. “You aren’t going back down there, are you?”

“Hell, no. There’re four of them.”

“Then hurry. Let’s get out of here.”

Blurb:

"First Lady Kills President Lovinggood"

December 29, 2018

Thirty years later Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him.  Together Hank and lovely physicist Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever. 

Buy link:  http://www.amazon.com/Blue-52-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00H1MHC24/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405713282&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+52