THE MISSING PLANETS by Hawk MacKinney: Book Review and $25 GC Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the book review tour for The Missing Planets: Vol. II of The Cairns of Sainctuarie series by Hawk MacKinney, a science fiction novel available now from Sage Words Publishing. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the banner to visit other stops on this tour.

BLURB

Planet Terato has become a member of the assembly of the Confederated League of Allied Star Systems. The Murian Outpost Terato once commanded by His Imperial Majesty’s Lord High Chamberlain Herklo Korvo XXXIV is now Teratoan staffed and under the command of Teratoan Eklam a’Qoc.

From the uncharted reaches between galaxies, attacks of extraordinary weaponry come against Terato and the Myr worlds of the Murians. Terminus Terato’s expanded link-portals and converter power modules are virtually useless. Power loss, defenses, communications and travel are totally disrupted. High Chamberlain Korvo’s unexpected return to Terminus on a mission for His Imperial Majesty leaves him stranded on Terato. Attacks grow more massive, more unpredictable; spread across the worlds of the League, as an isolated Terminus struggles among the shattered rubble and whispering remains of an ancient Polity of star-walkers.

Family and friends are lost, empires and civilizations in disarray, Terminus and Planet Terato almost defenseless. Desperate for answers, their worlds being overwhelmed by this remorseless aggressor, Eklam and Korvo reach across unexplored space in a despairing gamble and the last reserves of converter star-substrate, seeking one insignificant star system of gas giants and rocky inner planets for possible relics of the elusive Lantaraan Polity.

EXCERPT

The setting of Terato’s two suns at the end of that day stopped his short boyhood and started another life. At the graves of his parents, filled with grief, he wanted to look his grown-up best; show respect for his parents. Before dawnlit that morning he’d shaved for the first time with his father’s stropped blade, the way a man shaved. There had been a few blood-smeared nicks. He’d stopped with half of his face unshaved; looked at his reflection. He wasn’t yet old enough to have a voice in the village debates, but from that point on he would follow his parents’ guidance; honor their care for him; make his own decisions. Keep them to himself if he could, but his life would be his. Whether he shaved or not, Uncle a’Qoc would continue to treat him like a kid. Uncle a’Qoc could be gruff and strict. It was his uncle’s way. Uncle a’Qoc was never purposely unkind, just set in his ways. He didn’t want to disrespect Uncle a’Qoc. In the emptiness of death, families of the close-knit rustic farming hamlet of a’Qoc gathered to console this rangy, long-limbed youth the only way they could. The pestilence had taken many. That night Eklam a’Qoc slept in the bed he’d slept in his whole life, in an empty, echo-filled house his father had built, now no longer a home. Uncle a’Qoc would bargain it to strangers he’d never met, a young family with a new baby girl.

BOOK TRAILER

MY REVIEW

As with The Bleikovat Event (volume one in The Cairns of Santuarie series), MacKinney excels in building a world that is unique and filled with intrigue for The Missing Planets. The Missing Planets is a true science fiction novel that doesn't make for fast reading, but is definitely enjoyable. 

I especially enjoyed the relationship between Eklam and Korvo. Their struggle to find answers and solutions kept me on my reading toes to the very end. There are a lot of world-specific terms and science-related discussions. I found the glossary to be very helpful in bridging brief gaps in my understanding.

The Missing Planets offers complex world building, well-researched issues, and lots of action. I found myself plotting movie scenes as I read the book. While the majority of its fans will likely be science fiction lovers, I think that The Missing Planets has appeal for sci-fantasy readers as well.

The Missing Planets is the second volume in The Cairns of Santuarie series, but can be read as a standalone. The events of volume two happen some years after the events of volume one. If you like to know the whole story, like me, I'd recommend reading The Bleikovat Event as well. You can see my review of it here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction.

Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention. Walking the Pet is Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series. The first book in another mystery-thriller series is scheduled for release in 2015. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012. Its sequel, The Missing Planets, has just been released.

Website: www.hawkmackinney.net

Publisher: www.sagewordspublishing.com

Publisher: www.archebooks.com

Book Trailers

The Bleikovat Event: http://youtu.be/-m-H8pfoh-A

Moccasin Trace: http://youtu.be/OvV8gqls688

The Missing Planets: http://youtu.be/tLOOHlQ3IYs

 

The books are available at:

www.amazon.com

www.barnesandnoble.com

GIVEAWAY

Hawk will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour via Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MY TURN - ACHIEVING THE AMERICAN DREAM by Jonathan Williams: $20 GC Book Blast

Welcome to my stop on the tour for MY TURN - ACHIEVING THE AMERICAN DREAM by Jonathan Williams, a literary fiction story available now.

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jonathan will be awarding $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Silicon Valley is home to several large Technology and Pharmaceutical \ Biotech corporations. Chris moved to this area in early 2000. He has been handling data for prestigious companies for well over ten years. His work ethic and morals have kept him employed. During his tenure at a Fortune 100 company, he is offered a position at a small Biotech. It is not too long after taking this new position that he is promoted to Management. The IT Directory who Chris reports to gives him the choice of playing the corporate game or getting fired. Chris must either choose being ethical and getting fired or keeping his job by being unethical. After much thought, he realizes that honesty and integrity have kept him from achieving the American dream. Tired of living paycheck to paycheck he decides to play the corporate game. This decision will not only affect his professional life but his personal life as well.

Enjoy an excerpt:

As time progresses, Chris comes to the realization that the real drug war is not south of the border but on Wall Street. The real money is won on American soil not on Colombian or Mexican soil like so many people think. Millionaires and billionaires are born in this industry.

About the Author: Jonathan Williams has worked in Information Technology for over twenty years. He has spent most of his career working in the Financial and Pharmaceutical \ Biotech sectors. He specializes in Database Management Systems.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9794311.Jonathan_Williams

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble Currently FREE on BN.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Garden by Jane Yates

Welcome to the cover reveal for Garden by Jane Yates! Garden is a middle grade steampunk that releases in February 2015 by Autumn Orchard. That's right. Middle. Grade. Steampunk.

How awesome and unusual is that?

About the Book:

Inspired by the classic novel The Secret Garden, Jane Yates introduces us to a steampunk world of bio-domes, robots and mysteries. Eleven-year-old Aberdeen is so used to being by herself that all she has to fill her thoughts are stories of mighty dragons and grand castles. Aberdeen’s world is soon thrown into disarray however; her parents murdered.

Having no choice, Aberdeen is sent to live with her uncle back on Earth where her fascination into her new surroundings begin to take hold. Untrusting of new people at first, it isn’t long before Aberdeen comes across 3 other children, and taking a risk, befriends them as she tries to adjust to her new home. And yet, along with Maisy, Peter and Lenard, Aberdeen comes across a riddle – a set of clues to reveal the hiding place of a lost manuscript. A manuscript that forces more questions than answers.

Oh, and there’s Frank too, Peter’s robot dog, who completes this special circle of friendship.


Garden is a journey of self-discovery, of trials and friendship. With adventure boundless, Jane Yates follows up her acclaimed Paradox Child trilogy with a new tale for young fans of steampunk and science fiction.

Amazon preorder | Goodreads

Book Trailer:

About the Author:

Jane lives in the historic city of Oxford, England with her two spaniels. She works at the Pitt Rivers

museum there too and is amazed and inspired by its wondrous array of objects. Being a museum of anthropology and world archaeology, Jane often finds herself influenced by its exhibitions. And indeed it has helped Jane write a trilogy for children – the Paradox Child series.

Jane is not only a mother, artist and storyteller, but dyslexic too, which only highlights her success even more. Jane refuses to allow the disorder to halt her dreams and continues to enjoy her favourite hobbies. Jane is a lover of steampunk, adventure and children’s stories, which often play a huge role in her own books.

Facebook | Twitter (JYparadoxchild) | Goodreads




This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Quilts of Love | MASTERPIECE MARRIAGE – Kindle Giveaway!

Don’t miss the newest Quilts of Love book, Masterpiece Marriage by Gina Welborn. December’s QOL release celebrates the ebb and flow of marriage. Enter to win a Kindle HDX!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Masterpiece Marriage by Gina Welborn
• Swept Away by Laura V. Hilton and Cindy Loven
• Quilted by Christmas by Jodie Bailey

Enter today by clicking the button below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 18th. Winner will be announced on the Quilts of Love blog January 19th.


{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}

Enter today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

 

 

Have your read any books in the Quilts of Love series?

Odyssey Adventure Club Celebrates Their First Birthday

Did you make any resolutions or goals this year? Perhaps you made personal resolutions, or maybe your goals are family-focused. If one of your goals is to find your kids or grandkids a safe place online to have fun and to learn more about biblical truth, consider that checked off your to-do list! The Odyssey Adventure Club is celebrating their first birthday, and to celebrate, they're offering a special promotion!

The Odyssey Adventure Club is a safe, fun environment where children can explore, create and imagine, all while developing their faith—the perfect platform for your kids to explore while they're stuck inside this winter.

Anyone who signs up during January (promo code: BIRTHDAY) will not only receive their first month for only $5, but they will also get three Last Chance Detective audio dramas and an Odyssey Adventure Club post signed by cast and crew members.

Members receive:
—24/7 streaming access to more than 750 Adventures in Odyssey episodes (a $1500 retail value).
—A new, members-only Adventures in Odyssey episode every month.
—A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine.
—A web quest of video stories and online activities reflecting the biblical theme of that month's episode.
—On-the-go access with the OAClub mobile iOS app.
—Growing access to Odyssey books, a daily devotion, access to select Radio Theatre dramas and more.

In the coming months, members will also be able to look forward to:
—An exclusive, downloadable, cut-and-fold Odyssey character craft.
—In February, members can sneak a peek at the second Candid Conversations with Connie book. 

Additionally, a portion of each Odyssey Adventure Club membership benefits Focus on the Family partner organizations, such as Carry the Cure and Mission Aviation Fellowship, providing parents with an opportunity to teach children about the value of serving others. The Odyssey Adventure Club hopes to spend another 25 years hand-in-hand with parents seeking to teach biblical truth to their children while inspiring the theater of their imagination.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Rachel Hauck Fires Up the Romance with “A Brush with Love” Kindle Giveaway!

"Fire" up the romance in the new year with Rachel Hauck's newest book, A Brush with Love, by entering her Kindle Fire giveaway! And be sure to catch a sneak peek of the soon-to-be-released How to Catch a Prince!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway only runs for a week, 12/30 – 1/5. Winner will be announced January 6th on Rachel's blog.


{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}  

Isn't the cover eye-catching? Love that hair style.

RUPTURED by Maggie Mae Gallagher: $15 GC Blurb Blitz

Welcome to my stop on the book tour for Ruptured by Maggie Mae Gallagher, an urban fantasy available now. This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the banner to visit other stops on this tour.

BLURB

It has been eighty-three years since the walls between Earth and Infernus fell, and now our world stands upon the razor’s edge of extinction. Demon platoons are marching upon us. My home, one of humanity’s last bastions of existence, is under siege.

My name is Alana Devereaux. I am the resident demon detector of Cantati Forces and Platoon Commander. My job is to hunt down the vermin unleashed upon my world, and I love it. I live for the day I can kick every last demon’s ass out of this world. Except as enemy forces reign down terror upon us, the Densare Council sentences me to a fate worse than death.

EXCERPT

“You are relieved of your command,” stated Amelia, the Coven Mother. Her blond hair flowed around her face as she rubbed the bulging ball in her abdomen. Iain, the Cantati Forces’ staunchest ally on the Council, nodded his balding head in agreement, toppling the other eleven from any disagreement. They all did their part for the continuation of the species. This was the Coven Mother’s fourth pregnancy, and I knew she was only half a dozen years older than I. Would that be me in a few years? On my fourth pregnancy, my body no longer fit to fight? I hated them for this.

“Do I even get to choose the lucky guy?” While I was far from being a prude, I would like a little input on which man I spread my legs for. Granted, the pool to select from was relatively small, and of that tiny selection, there were but a choice few whom I would prefer.

“The Council has already made the decision for you.” By the gods, of course they had. They decided everything for us mere mortals. Apparently, we were incapable of selecting our mates.

Who would they give me to? The Council had already taken away that which mattered most: my freedom. It wasn’t like I could use Synaptic Pathways Diversion to wiggle my way out of this one. The Coven Mother would smell a spell from me a mile away.

“Who?” My body clenched. Please let it be Luke or Quinten. With one of those two, I would at least get some measure of freedom, and I was certain if I played my cards right, it would go much better than I hoped.

“Cade, lieutenant of Blue Squad and General O’Hare’s second-in-command.”

Him? Over my dead body!

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Bestselling Author Maggie Mae Gallagher doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing. When she was a kid she acted out her favorite scenes, only better, with her brother and cousin. As a teenager, she wrote reams of poetry, but realized her true love lay with creating characters and stories. A former music and history major, Maggie is a total geek at her core. When she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with her two furry felines.


Website: http://www.maggiemaegallagher.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Mae-Gallagher/107335792624944

Twitter: https://twitter.com/magmaegallagher

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/maggiegallagher

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7846308.Maggie_Mae_Gallagher


Ruptured Purchase Links


Amazon: http://goo.gl/7u3Zlj

Barnes & Noble: http://goo.gl/MmkGSf

Kobo: http://goo.gl/4cmPiY

ITunes: http://goo.gl/PIfCxr

GIVEAWAY 

Maggie Mae will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway