Check out 'Dead Peasants' by Dustin Stevens

Drama- Literary Fiction
Date Published: 2/22/13

Bargain Mart, long a fixture in the Missoula economic structure has fallen on hard times. Things are dire, and if a financial windfall doesn’t arrive soon, their doors will close.

Across town, a woman grieves her recently deceased husband. Sitting alone at her kitchen table trying to put her life back in order, a call arrives asking where his quarter million dollar life insurance policy should be sent. A quarter million dollar life insurance policy she never knew existed.

Answering the phone on the other end of her call for help is Drake Bell, third year law student at the University of Montana. Joined by his partner Ava, and his loyal friends the Zoo Crew, Drake must attempt to make sense of the case Alice presents him.

A case that only grows more complex as people continue to pass in Missoula, all with ties to Bargain Mart, all with large life insurance policies attached to them. Policies known in the corporate world as Dead Peasants…

Buy it on Amazon: Paperback \ Kindle

I originally hail from southern Ohio, growing up in the heart of farm country, and still consider it, along with West Tennessee, my co-home. Between the two, I have a firm belief that football is the greatest of all past-times, sweet tea is really the only acceptable beverage for any occasion, there is not an event on earth that either gym shorts or boots can't be worn to, and that Dairy Queen is the best restaurant on the planet. Further, southern accents are a highly likeable feature on most everybody, English bulldogs sit atop the critter hierarchy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Saturday night spent catfishing at the lake.

Since leaving I've been to college in New England, grad school in the Rockies, and lived in over a dozen different cities ranging from DC to Honolulu along the way. Each and every one of these experiences has shaped who I am at this point and I have developed enormous affinity for locales and people of every size and shape.

By day I work as a healthcare attorney in Honolulu, focusing largely on health policy and implementation. By night I am usually found barefooting along one of Oahu’s many beaches before heading inside to write. Dead Peasants is my eighth novel, and the second in The Zoo Crew series. I am currently working on the follow-up, along with a handful of independent projects.

www.dustinstevens.com

Win swag & an autographed book in the 'Chivalry & Malevolence' Book Blast!

Chivalry and Malevolence

When the Unseelie Court sentences an innocent man to death, the elven Princess Morgana cannot sit idly by as the human Knight perishes. The Queen calls her pathetic and worthless. It does not change how Mori feels about the old laws of Alfheim. These rules punish the faultless, lesser races of the Nine Realms of Odin.  

Of the nine, this realm of the Light is home to many mythical creatures. The portal gates remain forever closed to the human race. However, neglected for centuries, a Knight from the realm of Earth enters the Light. Holding onto his faith and code of honor, he holds stoically in the face of capture and death. Princess Mori remains his only hope, but to save him, she must first save herself.

Purchase Chivalry and Malevolence on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

About Author Rae Z. Ryans

Rae Z. Ryans loves to create mythical lands and characters that entertain, promote equality, and love. She writes for both children and adults in her world of Six and Twenty. When she is not writing, Ms. Ryans spends her days chasing after her own children, and dreaming up new adventures.

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Check out Rae Z Rayns Release Day Party on April 4th on Facebook 12 - 4 CDT

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Wicked queens, knights in shining armor and dragons oh my! Chivalry and Malevolence was a book I read in one sitting. It appealed to my love of fae, elves, dragons and the UnSeelie and Seelie courts. I was hooked. ~Jen @ The Crafty Cauldron

I loved the way the author created such vivid imagery in describing the setting and characters in the fae world of Alfheim. ~ Lisa@ Mommy Reads too Much

Acting Balanced - Excerpt

Chivalry and Malevolence is an lovely blend of romance, strength and adventure. Princess Morgana's journey from insecurity to empowerment is relatable for every young woman. Jessi @ Mama's Got Flair

Gina's Library - Excerpt

Taking Time for Mommy - Review

Andi's Book Reviews - Excerpt

Generations of Savings - Excerpt

Adventures Frugal Mom - Excerpt

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Win a $50 GC in the Mickey Tussler Series Book Tour Blast

The Legend of Mickey Tussler

In the late 1940s, the minor league Milwaukee Brewers are foundering yet again and manager Arthur Murphy is desperate. When he sees seventeen-year old Mickey Tussler throwing apples into a barrel, he knows he has found the next pitching phenom. But not everyone is so hopeful. Mickey’s autism—a disorder still not truly understood even today—has alienated the boy from the world, and he is berated by other players and fans. Mickey faces immense trials in the harsh and competitive world of baseball while coping with the challenges inherent to his disorder. An honest and knowledgeable book about overcoming adversity, and the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes, Mickey’s powerful story shows that with support and determination anyone can be triumphant, even when the odds are stacked against him.  

Purchase The Legend of Mickey Tussler on Amazon.

 

Sophomore Campaign

It’s 1949 and eighteen-year-old pitching phenom Mickey Tussler is back with the rejuvenated minor league Brewers in the sequel to The Legend of Mickey Tussler (the basis for the television movie A Mile in His Shoes). Despite Mickey’s proclamation that he will never play baseball again after last season’s violent conclusion, his manager—and now surrogate father—Arthur Murphy cajoles the emotionally fragile, socially awkward boy with autism into giving it another shot. Mickey reluctantly returns to the field and must once again cope with the violence and hatred around him. When a young African American player joins the team, the entire team is subjected to racial threats and episodes of violence, one of which Mickey witnesses firsthand. Struggling to understand such ugliness and hatred, and fearful of reprisal should he tell anyone about what he has seen, the boy’s performance on the field suffers. Mickey now must deal with a side of human nature he scarcely comprehends.

Purchase Sophomore Campaign on Amazon.

 

About Author Frank Nappi

Frank Nappi has taught high school English and Creative Writing for over twenty years. His debut novel, Echoes From The Infantry, received national attention, including MWSA's silver medal for outstanding fiction. His follow-up novel, The Legend of Mickey Tussler, garnered rave reviews as well, including a movie adaptation of the touching story "A Mile in His Shoes" starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder. Frank continues to produce quality work, including Sophomore Campaign, the intriguing sequel to the much heralded original story and the just released thriller, NOBODY HAS TO KNOW, which received an endorsement from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille. Frank is presently at work on a third installment of his Mickey Tussler series and his next thriller. He lives on Long Island with his wife Julia and their two sons, Nicholas and Anthony.  

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#AtoZChallenge "Corduroy"

"The waiting drove me mad. You're finally here and I'm a mess."

This sums up how I feel in between Pearl Jam concerts. I depend on live Pearl Jam shows to rejuvenate me and to put me back in touch with myself.

Yes, it's a personal problem, but I know I am not alone in this.

Listen to "Corduroy." 
 

The intro of the song builds up, layer by layer, increasing your anticipation, before releasing into an explosion of light and sound. I feel the build up begin deep in my stomach and then all of my cares and worries disappear.

I love the line "I don't wanna take what you can give. I would rather starve than eat your bread." To me, it means I am better off doing my thing alone than trying to deal with you being fake. You have nothing to offer me, so go away. I hate fake people and try to keep them away at all costs. This is an example of where I am interpreting the lyrics for myself, instead of what Eddie wanted them to mean. Remember, he wants us all to become "part-owners" of the music and to take what we want or need from their songs.

Anyway, this is another one of my favorite songs. It's off of Vitalogy. The clip that I included above is from the May 2, 2003 concert in Buffalo, NY. I was at that show, somewhere to the right of the person filming. I remember being up in nosebleed section, getting dizzy before the show. I went with my sister and one of our friends. It was her first concert. (Brat.) I still say this is the best show I have ever been to of theirs.

Until the next one...  

#AtoZChallenge "Black"

Flashback: Early 1990s. A young teenage girl is listening to her cassette tape Ten by Pearl Jam as she does her homework. She has listened to it dozens of times before, while reading and studying. But this time, it's different.

The haunting chords begin and suck her into an alternate universe. Her eyes close as Eddie's voice washes over her. Her meditation is so deep that she doesn't even notice when the next song begins. The loud pop of the cassette ending on that side jars her out of her reverie. 

She feels emotionally spent, yet cleansed at the same time. An obsession is now buried deep in her soul and her life will never be the same again.

That, my friends, is what happened to me one day when "Black" came on. Even though I had heard it before, somehow that day, it spoke to me in a way that nothing else ever had before. I had been a Pearl Jam fan for a while, but that moment triggered something new inside of me. To this day, I can be transported elsewhere by listening to their music. It heals me. It makes me laugh. It makes me cry. It fuels my writing, cleaning, reading, whatever I need to do.

This is one of the most heartwrenching songs I have ever heard. It hurts to hear it. Even when I hear it live, I end up closing my eyes, transported to another place, with tears streaming down my cheeks. I get really pissed at people who have to talk or yell when this song is being played. It's the ultimate experience.



This is a clip I found on YouTube from one of the shows I went to some years ago. Actually, I think this person was a couple of rows in front of us, because it's a familiar view. The crowd got really into this and made it emotional, as a collective experience.  

Even the Unplugged version, stripped down to bare essentials, is raw and emotional.
   

See, I even lost a half hour as I was looking for video versions to include in this post....

#AtoZChallenge 'Alive'

Pearl Jam is my absolute favorite band, and has been for over 20 years now. No one else is ever going to make me feel the way that their music does. Nothing else inspires me the way that they do. No one else molds my emotions and spirit in the same way. So, this year, for the A to Z Challenge, I am going to try to focus on one of my muses...

"Alive" was the second single that came off of Ten, and was the first one to really make waves on the radio. I do remember seeing the video for "Evenflow" and falling in love with the band at that time, but "Alive" really captured my attention.



It is one of the greatest guitar songs ever written. Its message is strong. Though it is about Eddie finding out the truth about his birth father, the chorus rings true for all of us at all times. "Hey, I'm still alive." It doesn't matter what kind of personal hell you are going through. You are still alive. You have made it through yet another day. You can get through yet another one.

Have you ever been to a live Pearl Jam show when they play this song? The entire venue is uplifted. It's almost a physical reaction, as well as an emotional and spiritual one. Everyone is bellowing the words and pumping their fists in a collective redemption of their souls. It's magical and part of the reason I crave going to a live Pearl Jam show.

The song also has special significance for me since meeting Eddie a few years ago. I shook his hand and said, "Thank you for the last 18 years of my life." He squeezed mine back and moved on. And then he turned to look at me again and said, "Stay alive." This was on the eve of some of the most difficult months and years of my life. And I have stayed alive, thanks in part to their music.

Cover Reveal! 'Harbinger' by Philippa Ballantine

Harbinger

Philippa (Pip) Ballantine

Release date July 30th

Cover Artist: Jason Chan

Book Description:

The Deacons of the Order are all that stand between the wicked spirits of the Otherside and the innocent citizens of the Empire. They are sworn to protect humanity, even when they cannot protect themselves…

After the Razing of the Order, Sorcha Faris, one of the most powerful Deacons, is struggling to regain control of the runes she once wielded. The Deacons are needed more desperately than ever. The barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead is weakening, and the Emperor has abandoned his throne, seeking to destroy those he feels have betrayed him.

Though she is haunted by the terrible truth of her past, Sorcha must lead the charge against the gathering hordes of geists seeking to cross into the Empire. But to do so, she will need to manipulate powers beyond her understanding—powers that may prove to be her undoing…

About the Author:

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Philippa has always had her head in a book. For this she blames her father who thought Lord of the Rings was suitable bedtime reading for an eight year old. At the age of thirteen she began writing fantasy stories for herself.

She first earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science and then a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. So soon enough she found herself working in the magical world of libraries where she stayed for over a decade.

Her first professional sale was in 1997, and since then she has gone on to produce mostly novel length fiction. In 2006 she became New Zealand’s first podcast novelist, and she has voiced and produced Weaver’s Web, Chasing the Bard, Weather Child and Digital Magic as podiobooks. Her podcasts have won both a Parsec Award and a Sir Julius Vogel award.

Philippa is the author of the Books of the Order series with Ace- Geist, Spectyr, Wrayth and Harbinger coming in July 2013.

She is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series with Tee Morris. Phoenix Rising debuted in May 2011 and The Janus Affair came out in May 2012. Phoenix Rising won the Airship Award for best written steampunk, and was the number eight best Science Fiction book of 2011 according to Goodreads.com. The Janus Affair was the seventh most popular science fiction book of 2012 on Goodreads.com. The series continues with Dawn’s Early Light in December 2013.

In addition she is also the author of the Shifted World series with Pyr Books, with the first book Hunter and Fox released in June 2012, and the second Kindred and Wings scheduled for August 2013.

When not writing or podcasting, Philippa loves reading, gardening, and whenever possible traveling. With her husband Tee and her daughter, she is looked after by a mighty clowder of five cats in Manassas, Virginia.

Website: www.pjballantine.com

Twitter: philippajane

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/pjballantine/