Crudrat by Gail Carriger

Crudrat
by Gail Carriger
Read by J. Daniel Sawyer, Veronica Giguere, and 20 others
Original score by Danny Schade

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Audio cd released: August 2015
Publisher: Artistic Whispers Production
Genre: SciFi, Aliens, YA
Rating: 4

Welcome to Wheel: a perfect world without poverty, disease, or want. Tinkered and tuned in every way for maximum order by Rank and Spoke, every child knows her destiny. So long as she can take the neural implant.

The defective, whose bodies reject the implants, do not exist. Ghosts. Cyphers. Haunting the edges of society, living on scraps, killed for sport. A lucky few, the Crudrats, scrape out a perilous living cleaning the toxic wastes from the great machines that power the station.

Meet Maura. Cypher. Crudrat. Grown too tall, alone in a spaceport with no use for her, doomed to starve. With only her crud-eating murmel and an alien monster to help her, she must find a way to survive, or escape, before they catch her and blow what’s left of her life, and her companions, into space.

From the pen of Gail Carriger, Artistic Whispers Productions presents an unabridged full-cast young-adult adventure that brings golden age-style science fiction into the 21st century, stuffs it full of heart, and gives it a finely polished, gleaming edge.


My two-bits:

I found this full of action and aliens in a sci-fi world with snippy and snarky dialogue that made for fun listening.

The language and slang in this world made this story special, light-hearted and entertaining.

~*~
* listened to the audio version

fyi: Crudrat was printed as a limited run, numbered, special edition, signed, hard cover book. This was available only to specific Kickstarter backers as a reward. It is not for sale to the general public. Currently, Gail has no plans to produce this book in print for purchase.

Moral Order: The Rise of Luca C. Mariner by Phil Pauley

Futuristic design - Pathfinder
~*~
As part of the Moral Order blog tour, image above is a representation of something you would see in the world that is created in the Moral Order.

~*~

Moral Order:
The Rise of Luca C. Mariner
by Phil Pauley

Find out more about this book and author:
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Just released: September 15, 2014
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Genre: Aliens, Dystopia, Sci-Fi, YA
Paperback: 322 pages
Rating: 4

Moral Order series:
The Rise of Luca C. Mariner
book 2 - tba

Society has been ripped apart by environmental decay and the battle scars of progress. Solar storms, extreme weather, barbaric tribes and mutant creatures rule the planet. In the 22nd century, no one lasts in the Wilds for long.

Shielded from this world, teenager Luca C. Mariner lives a privileged existence in one of the last remaining Megacities. Yet his tranquil life is about to be shattered as Luca and his friends are thrown into the brutal reality of the Wilds when Earth is attacked by a merciless alien alliance.

Luca, fragile humanoid Ceiba and feisty Asia-Mae are catapulted into a thrilling adventure of intergalactic and deep sea mystery. They must battle against time and use their strength of friendship to become leaders of a new resistance. But is it too late to restore moral order and save humanity from imminent collapse?

My two-bits:

I found this to be a good start to a new series that takes place in the future that includes aliens.

A big cast is introduced and established well in this story. However, there is a focus on the main character, Luca, who holds special abilities and qualities that presents him as good hero for this series.

Alliances and friendships are made and strengthened amidst action scenes.

I was tickled to encounter a kind of black smokes monster that shows up in the story that reminded me of the black smoke monster from the tv series Lost.

And, there is a spark of a budding romance.

About the author:

Phil is an internationally recognised conceptual designer and futurist. His work regularly feature in a number of high profile technology, lifestyle and popular science websites, blogs and news sites.

This year he was one of two people honored by the world renowned Green GOOD DESIGN Award and is featured in the BRITAIN IS GREAT campaign.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
WIN a copy of this on Goodreads here (expires Oct 18)

~*~
* part of my Dystopia Reading Challenge

* review copy courtesy of book tour - check out the other stops here.

Next stop on the blog tour is The Howling Turtle

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated
by Melissa Landers

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Currently on tour: schedule

Published: February 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Aliens, Dystopia, YA
Hardback: 352 pages
Rating: 5

Alienated series:
Alienated
Invaded - release date: February 3, 2015

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

The experience presented was like having a foreign exchange student living in your home with the added twist - he (or it) is from another planet.

I found this to be a fun read that comes with people learning about each other and from moments that spark from a budding sweet romance.

There are some serious nitty gritty issues that this book ends with. So, next book is definitely required.

Love this cover and just had to present the flip side which is equally appealing.

~*~
* part of my Dystopia Reading Challenge

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars
by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

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Facebook: Amie
Pinterest
Twitter: @AmieKaufman

Facebook: Meagan
Pinterest
Twitter: @MeaganSpooner

Published: 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Paperback: 416 pages
Rating: 5

Starbound series:
These Broken Stars
This Shattered World - release date: Dec 2014 -win this on Goodreads here (exp: Aug 11)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

--

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

My two-bits:

Loved how this story mixes romance, sci-fi, and YA.

The pacing and gradual transformation of the two main characters in this story is what I found appealing in this story of survival on a lonely planet. Through the eyes of each, you begin to fall in love with each.

Although the next part of this trilogy will introduce another couple, I must get book 2, This Shattered World, to see what happens next in this world.

fyi: I listened to the audio version which was a treat because it is narrated with two voices for the two main characters. Definitely give it a listen if you like audio books.

~*~
* optioned for TV series - details here

* part of my Dystopia Reading Challenge

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge

* i love the gorgeous poster for this book...

At the Pemberley Ball by Jonathan Pinnock

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by Jonathan Pinnock
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I have to say that I hadn’t been looking forward to the Pemberley Ball. Dancing isn’t really my thing, you see, and I am terrible at the witty small talk that all those other Regency folk seem to be so good at. However, I certainly hadn’t expected to be chased down a corridor by a madwoman waving a machete.

The other thing I hadn’t banked on was the corridor terminating in a locked door.

“Got you!” she screamed, waving the evil-looking weapon in my face.

“Um… excuse me?” I began, unsure as to what the best way to open the conversation might be. (As I have said already, small talk is not my forte. Indeed, it is very much my pianissimo.)

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you now!”

I looked desperately over her shoulder. “Because we are at a Ball?” I essayed. “The place is teeming with revellers.”

“All busy revelling, I fear,” she said. She was right. There was not a soul to be seen, and the noise from the ballroom was deafening. The band had just started a medley of hits from the 80s – mostly Mozart, of course – and there was no chance that my screams would be heard above the din.

I racked my brains as to who this strange person might be. Perhaps it was something to do with Georgiana’s present. For some reason I’d left it at home and she’d made some sarcastic comment about it being no surprise, seeing as I’d left her out of my book as well. I tried to make light of it, remarking that no good would probably have come of such an appearance, but she remained unimpressed and more than a little sullen. So I resolved to leave her out of the sequel as well. Either that or have her subjected to death by a thousand tentacles.

Then the penny dropped.

“Oh my God, “ I said. “I think I’ve just worked out who you are.”

“Took your time, Mr P, didn’t you?” She prodded me in the ribs with the tip of the machete.

“Miss Austen, I can explain.”

“Well, go on then. I must say I’m looking forward to this.”

“Perhaps you could put the machete down first?”

“No.”

“Right,” I said. “Right.” I paused. Where to begin? Where on earth to begin? “I didn’t mean any harm, you know,” I began. “It’s not as if I’m the first or last person to write a sequel to one of your books. I mean PD James – ”

“Baroness James is a distinguished author,” replied Miss Austen, “And in any case, as I understand it, there are no tentacled aliens in her book. Or ghosts. Or indeed any dubious reinvention of Mr Wickham – “ she spat out the name “ – as some kind of hero.”

“It seemed a potentially interesting narrative direction – ”

“Interesting? Admit it, sir, you were merely trying to court controversy!”

“Well, maybe a bit – ”

“And as for poor Charlotte!”

“Ah, now surely her fate came as no surprise to you? Especially when she fell in with Lord Byron.”

“Oh yes, Lord Byron.” The faintest twinkle of a smile came into Miss Austen’s eyes at the mention of his name. Then she seemed to come to her senses. “Disgraceful man. All those revolting double entendres.”

“All in the eye of the reader, ma’am,” I began, before immediately regretting it. The machete tip returned to my midriff with a vengeance.

“How dare you, sir! How dare you insinuate that I understood any of it?” There was a brief pause whilst we both considered the implications of this. “Anyway,” she continued, “you appear to have forgotten that Lord Byron is not the only writer that you have unnecessarily introduced into my work.”

“Ah. I was wondering if you were going to mention that.”

“How could I not? Although I scarcely recognise the woman who turns up in Chapter Fourteen claiming to be Jane Austen.”

“I … I know not what to say, Miss Austen. It was merely a jest – ”

“Ha. The classic response of the bully throughout the ages: ‘Can’t you take a joke?’ Well, on this occasion, I fear the answer is no, Mr P.” She withdrew the machete and for a moment I thought she was going to set me free. Instead she repositioned it next to my jugular vein. “So then, do you have anything else to say before I dispatch you?”

I thought about this for a second or two. “How about: watch out for that tentacle around your leg?”

Miss Austen shook her head. “Dear me. Is that the best you can do? Prepare to die!” She brought back the machete in order to deliver the fatal blow, then gasped and looked down at her ankle. I looked down too. There was indeed a tentacle wrapping itself around her. With a scream, she dropped the machete and fell to the floor, flailing her hands at me before being dragged off to God knows where.

Miss Austen had, alas, forgotten the golden rule of literature: however much power the characters think they have, the writer is always in control. The only problem now was that I had unleashed an alien in Pemberley. But that could be dealt with later. Now it was time to dance, and for once I actually felt like it.


~end

Guest post created for Pemberley Ball event by Jonathan Pinnock, author of Mrs Darcy versus the Alien
© 2011. All rights reserved.

Visit Jonathan:
Website
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by Jonathan Pinnock
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READ more about this DARCY world…

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--

Mrs Darcy Versus the Alien
by Jonathan Pinnock
preparations to be made for the Pemberly summer ball, and her youngest sister Lydia has been abducted by aliens. As Regency England sleepwalks towards tentacled oblivion, will she be able to reunite with her old foe Wickham and put a stop to their evil plans?

Meanwhile, in the East End of London, the repulsive Mr Collins is running a Mission for fallen women whilst his poor wife Charlotte has fallen under the malign spell of Lord Byron and is now a laudanum addict. But is everything at the Mission all that it seems?

What is Mr Darcy doing there? And why are there strange lights in the sky over Lady Catherine de Bourgh's seat at Rosings?

This is probably the most unconventional sequel to a Jane Austen novel ever written. It is certainly the funniest.
WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: December 15, 2011

TO DO: (2-parts)
1. Sign Pemberley Ball guestbook (if you haven't already)

2. Leave a comment or question for the author.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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~*~
* image source created at savivi dress up doll - go make your own

~~- Pemberley Ball schedule -~~

Darcy and Aliens and France

Mrs Darcy Versus the Alien
by Jonathan Pinnock
Release date: September 2011
A year or two into her marriage, Elizabeth Darcy has much on her mind: she has still not produced an heir for Mr Darcy, there are preparations to be made for the Pemberly summer ball, and her youngest sister Lydia has been abducted by aliens.

As Regency England sleepwalks towards tentacled oblivion, will she be able to reunite with her old foe Wickham and put a stop to their evil plans?

READ a sample from the book.

~*~
Eeeeeeeeeeeek! The end of the month is upon us.

And here am I, at a loss in regards to posts I had envisioned to do for my Jane in June and Books&Brioche features this month.

Make sure and check out all the Jane goodness happening at Book Rat's Jane and June event as last giveaways and goodies are going up as I write!

Fortunately, Books&Brioche ends in August so there is still time yet. AND, what sweetness is riding our way... the Tour de France starts tomorrow!

For now, I give you this post which is a mashup of Jane Austen and France and Aliens...

what??? no zombiessssssssss??? -you ask

aliens, babe, it's aliens this time -vvb's reply ;-D

~*~
PeekAbook:



side note from author:
By the way, I've since been told that I got the title completely wrong. It should be Orgueil et Préjugés. Oops. Still, the video did win the coveted third place slot in the March 2010 You Gotta Read Videos awards.

Of course, the success of this one only increased the demand for the next one. This time around, I decided to be a bit more ambitious and merge in a couple of classic sci-fi clips as well. That meant that I had to make the whole thing black and white, but I think that just added to the charm of it. I think the voices are slightly better blended this time, too ...



Extra bit of fun:
Check out the entry for George Elvis deLonghi Wickham in Wickhampedia.

~*~
fyi: this story started off as a free online serial and has evolved into a book! Let me know in comments if it is a book you would like to read.

Alice meets Aliens

A L I E N S
It was Alice's turn to tell her tale of aliens.

Just then a bright green light beamed directly overhead.

Alice found herself floating up.

up

Up

UP

Up over Wereland.

The wereCreatures below waved good-byes and blew smooches.

Ah, just as well. For Alice really had no alien tale to tell.

Instead, she was going to relay a fantastical tale on the high seas which she had heard from her good friend, Mr Lewis.

Alice was slowly being drawn up into a spaceship.

A spaceship that was shaped like a saucer.

A saucer that looked quite like it was from her Aunt Bucket's (pronounced bouquet) favorite Doulton china set.

Alas, this ends Alice's adventure in Wereland.

If you are inclined, you can join her again when she finds herself in Wholand.

Now, off you go...

ski.diddle - ski.daddle

~*~
* image source of Alice and Lewis from the Strangeling

* hey, don't forget to signup to win a Strangeling print here

* Leave a final comment here for an extra point to go towards the
Alice prize pack giveaway

-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Aliens: Vittles

A L I E N S
Aliens - schmaliens says wereHare.

Here's an alien tale for you...

Forever Never Ends
by Scott Nicholson
Description from the amazon:
When an alien entity lands in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, a clairvoyant psychology professor, a drunken dirt farmer, and a disillusioned tycoon must team up to stop it before the infection spreads.

It falls from the heavens and crashes to earth in the remote southern Appalachian Mountains. The alien creature feeds on the surrounding organisms, exploring, assimilating, and altering the life forms it encounters.

Plants wilt from the contact, trees wither, animals become deformed monstrosities, and people become something both more and less than human.

Tamara Leon is a psychology professor who sometimes sees the future. When the strange phrase shu-shaaa enters her mind, she senses a telepathic force that threatens her family and the entire world.

Chester Mull, a mountain dirt farmer, is suspicious of the green glow up on the ridge, and he doesn't take kindly to trespassers.

His neighbor Herbert DeWalt is a reclusive millionaire whose spiritual search has led him nowhere.

The trio teams up on a mission into the forest to face the alien in its secluded cave.

The alien doesn't want to destroy the world. It only wants to survive. But so do the people whose metabolism has become food for an otherworldly reaper.

-+0+o+ eBook Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-
This is an ebook.

Open to all.

Offer ends: October 31, 2010

TO DO:

1. Sign the guestbook (if you signed it already or in September - no need)

2. Recommend a good alien book or movie to me.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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fyi: all month and next, Scott is giving away a KINDLE, enter to win it here

-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Aliens: Glory

A L I E N S
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Naomi Clark
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Naomi Clark is the author of SILVER KISS, Book 1 in the Urban Wolf series. In SILVER KISS, werewolf Ayla Hammond returns to her home city with her PI (and human) girlfriend, Shannon Ryan. Homecoming quickly becomes a sticky affair when both are drawn into a missing person's case.

Find out more about SILVER KISS

In ‘Glory’s Scary Story’ Ayla and Shannon join werewolves, Vince, Joel and Glory, one Halloween night…

~*~
Midnight. The fire burned low in the hearth. Shannon was half asleep in my lap. We'd all told our Halloween stories except Glory. Cannibalism, ghosts and witches so far, with Vince throwing in a psycho nurse for good measure. But we all knew Glory's story would be the best.

She patted her beehive and smiled at us. “Did I ever tell you how I lost my orange Carvela heels?”

“It was a poker game, wasn't it?” Joel asked. “One seedy night in Vegas, you said.”

“Those were my cerise Louboutins,” she corrected. She sipped her wine and cleared her throat. “But I was in America. Nevada, in fact. I'd been out for a run and was just putting my clothes back on when I saw the UFO. An eerie green light in the sky, getting brighter and closer with every second, lighting up the night. I was horrified, sweeties, obviously. I could not abide being abducted. All that probing.” She shivered theatrically.

“I wanted to run, but I wasn't dressed and I certainly wasn't going to run across the desert in the dead of night half-naked. Not with aliens in pursuit. So I dumped my stuff and hid behind a rock, hoping they'd go find some redneck hick or something. You know, like they do. But the craft landed just a few feet from my rock and these two aliens... Oh!” More exaggerated shivering.

“Little green men?” Shannon yawned.

“Little red men,” Glory corrected haughtily. “And the first thing the little monsters did? They started poking through my clothes! With their creepy long fingers and their weird little mouths, just pawing at my clothes.” She clutched her hands to her chest. “Diesel jeans, people! Covered in sticky alien fingerprints!”

“What did you do?” Vince asked, toasting a marshmallow in the fire embers.

“Well, I wasn't going to let them ruin my jeans! I leapt out and grabbed my clothes and started running like holy hell.”

“Did they follow?” I asked. The image in my head was somewhere between slapstick and tragedy.

“God, yes. And let me tell you, Ayla, aliens are fast as any wolf. They were gaining on me, making this awful high-pitched noise. Probably trying to hypnotize me, but I wasn't stopping for anything, sweeties. And then one grabbed my shoulder.”

Glory paused to snatch a marshmallow, leaving us all in suspense for a few long seconds.

“What did you do?” Joel asked.

“I swung my Carvela heels in the ugly freak's face! Spike heels are a girl's best friend, let me tell you. I caught the alien right in his big, freaky eye. Little creep just keeled over. Eyes are the alien's weak spots, obviously. I battered them both with the shoes and got my ass out of there.”

“And the shoes?” Vince prompted.

Glory wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. “Probably a souvenir on an alien's mantelpiece now, darling. Such a waste. They clashed horribly with the alien.”

~end

Glory's Scary Story
Alien post created for October Trix-n-Treatz by Naomi Clark
© 2010. All rights reserved.

A former army brat, Naomi Clark is now happily settled in Cambridge. She has been writing stories ever since she learned to write. A lifelong fascination with dragons, monsters, magic and ghosts eventually led her to urban fantasy.

Find out more at http://www.naomiclark.net/


~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Naomi Clark
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-

signup for giveaway here

AND

Leave a comment here for an extra point to go towards the
Alice prize pack giveaway

~*~
* image source alien


-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Aliens: Contact Room

A L I E N S
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by L.L. Soares
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
Velvet woke in darkness. She scurried to her feet and pressed her hands against cold steel walls, trying to determine the dimensions of her enclosure.

The lights came on.

She was in the space the size of a closet, surrounded by metal plating on four sides. A light bulb high above her head.

One of the metal plates slid up,

Hesitantly, she left her small cell, stepping out into a larger one.

She was not alone.

In the larger space, there was something breathing. Something large and gelatinous, throbbing softly in the corner. She did not approach it. It was clear that whatever it was, it was not of this earth. It’s very presence filled her with waves of nausea.

Someone cleared his throat above her. There were speakers in the walls.

“Don’t be afraid,” a man’s voice said. “This is a momentous occasion. You are the first human being to have direct contact with an alien species.”

“What?” Velvet said, trying to understand what had happened to her.

She remembered the parking garage. Some of the lights had burned out. She ran to her car, her heels clicking on the asphalt. Trying to get inside as quickly as possible and turn on the interior light. But she didn’t make it. There was a sudden hand, grabbing her shoulder, as a cloth was pressed to her face.

“Where am I?” she asked. “Who are you?”

“Do not be alarmed,” the voice said. “My name is Willard Raymond. I’m a doctor.”

A glob of ooze turned into a tentacle that probed the air in her direction.

“You are about to make history,” the man’s voice said above her. “First contact.”

“Shouldn’t I have some say in whether I want to make history?” Velvet asked.

“If we asked permission every time a milestone was met,” the voice said. “We’d never move forward.”

A lumpy, misshapen head bounced forward from the body. Eyes formed and opened.

It made a noise that made her want to wretch.

“Move closer,” the man’s voice said. “I want to see how it will react to you.”

“What if it kills me?” she asked.

The voice had no response to that.

There was length of discarded pipe on the floor, among other debris. Velvet squatted down and grabbed it firmly. Then she rose to her feet again.

“What are you doing there?”

“Arming myself,” she said.

The tentacle moved a bit closer. The bobbing head stretched on a stalk-like neck. The eyes bigger and wider, examining her curiously.

“Where did you find this thing?” she asked.

“Remarkable, isn’t it?”

The head reached her first, a mouth suddenly opening in the face. Showing teeth.

Velvet struck then, swinging the pipe like a baseball bat, knocking the head back to its body.

The sound of the impact was obscured by a scream.

“No!” the man’s voice said. “You’re hurting it!”

“Isn’t that the idea?” Velvet said. “I’m protecting myself.”

“It came a million miles to get here,” Dr. Raymond said. “You can’t just beat it to death.”

“You put me here, mister.”

She moved closer and struck the creature again. It’s screams got louder. And with them came waves of fear. Emotional toxins.

She dropped the pipe to the floor, where it rattled. Metal against metal. She held her stomach, trying not to empty its contents.

“Poor thing,” she said, when she was able to talk again. “It probably didn’t mean to hurt me at all. You put us in this situation.”

She looked up at the speakers. “You caused this.”

There was a groan from above. It almost sounded like sobbing.

And then the lights went out again.

~end

CONTACT ROOM - I.VELVET - features Dr. Willard Raymond from the story, "Mating Room" in the collection - In Sickness
Alien post created for October Trix-n-Treatz by by L.L. Soares
© 2010. All rights reserved.

~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by L.L. Soares
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

vvb's fingers pause over the keyboard...
she wonders...
was she just abducted???

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-

In Sickness
by L.L. Soares and Laura Cooney
signup for giveaway here

AND

Leave a comment here for an extra point to go towards the
Alice prize pack giveaway

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* image source

-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Tabloids Terrors #3 by S.D. Hintz and Jerrod Balzer

Tabloids Terrors #3
Alien Perverts Wrecked My Pubes
by S.D. Hintz and Jerrod Balzer

with special guests:
L.L. Soares
Louise Bohmer
Daniel Russell

Published: 2009
Genre: Aliens, Comedy
Paperback: 83 pages
Rating: 4

Description from the publisher:
Aliens are total nymphos, and we are their throwaway sluts. Despite their higher intelligence and technological advances, this third romp through the tabloids will expose their insatiable appetite for a piece of ass (or what comes out of it).

Learn the dangers of eating crotch circle corn. Witness a harrowing battle between alien midgets and a rat while in a crack whore’s vagina. Delight in the thrills of alien probes gone wild and smack your lips on some out-of-this-world barbecue ribs.

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): uvf
Beware: adult humor, errrrrr

Hill-lair-ee-ous! What a ride!

Here be aliens in a different light *cough*.

Plenty of LOL and sick moments in this bitty book. However, some underlying messages if you so choose to delve.

PeekAbook:



Could be considered a fun treat or maybe a trick kinda book, you can decide...

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway +o+0+-
Win my book.

Open to those over age 18.

Offer ends: October 31, 2010

TO DO:

1. Sign the guestbook (if you signed it already or in September - no need)

2. You know I like jokes - tell me an alien joke.

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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* review copy courtesy of Skullvines Press

-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Ghosts, Angels, and Aliens…Oh My!

A L I E N S
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Lori Brighton
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

“It’s out here.” Cristian paused, his gaze focused on the dark trees ahead. “I can feel something with a higher energy field than humans.”

Ashley ducked under a branch, following Cristian’s broad back into the forest. His Scottish accent was warm and welcome in the chill night. “But we sent all the spirits to the other side.” At least the spirits in her home, but she supposed they hadn’t checked the woods behind her pub. Had some nefarious spirit escaped Cristian’s sword?

Cristian glanced back, those gray eyes like pewter under the light of the moon. Eyes that still made her heart melt. He grinned, that sexy grin, his white teeth flashing in the darkness. “I didn’t say it was a spirit.”

Oh God, that couldn’t be good. Considering their town was made up of werewolves, fairies, vampires and even witches…the thing they were sensing could be any type of supernatural being. The question remained, was it friend or foe?

“I’m coming!” Camile called out from behind them.

Speaking of witches…

Ashley turned just in time to see her friend trip on a fallen branch and tumble to the ground. The satchel of herbs and potions she’d raced back to the house for flew through the air. Ashley caught the bag, stumbling as it was heavier than she’d thought it would be. She didn’t blame Camile for wanting to be prepared for anything, after all that had happened to them. Vampires trying to drink their blood. A werewolf intent on making them his little plaything.

“There, ahead,” Cristian said softly.

Camile stumbled to her feet. Ashley spun around. Brilliant blue lights suddenly pierced the darkness, highlighting the woods in an eerie glow. Ashley blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. Behind that glow was the distinct shape of something large… She inched closer. Something large, round, metallic.

Her heart slammed wildly in her chest. “What kind of a supernatural being would produce light like that?”

Cristian frowned, the harsh angles of his face fierce under the light. “Not a being. A ship. A spaceship.”

Ashley sucked in a sharp breath. “Aliens? Are you joking?” She’d always considered her life one bad horror movie, but it had suddenly taken a turn for the Sci-fi channel.

Cristian didn’t seem concerned. But then again, he’d fought demons, vampires and ghosts for a living. “Of course, humans are ridiculous to think they’re the only ones in this universe.”

Ashley’s shock gave way to momentary irritation. She shoved her elbow into his gut, then handed Camile her satchel. “You’re human too, need I remind you.” He might have been immortal at one time, but not anymore. He could die just as well as any of them and considering the size of that ship, they should all be fearful for their lives.

The branches rustled. Cristian shoved Ashley behind his back, always the protector. He couldn’t help himself, he was a former Angel after all. But she wasn’t about to be pushed aside and leave him to protect them like they were some helpless little girls.

The branches parted. Ashley froze, expecting to see something small and gray, or the very least, green. She didn’t expect a man in tight black pants and a white t-shirt. He stood completely still as he studied them, his shoulders broad, his body muscled. His dark hair was tousled around a perfectly angular face. No, she hadn’t expected someone who looked like Keanu Reeves from The Day The Earth Stood Still. Hell, if this was what all Aliens looked like, they could abduct her anytime.

Cristian held his arm parallel to the ground. “Sword.”

Apparently, Cristian wasn’t as impressed with this Alien’s good looks as she. His gold and silver sword appeared in hand. He was preparing to do battle, which meant she must too. Ashley scooped up a tree branch, knowing what a pathetic weapon it would be, but needing something all the same.

The Alien stepped closer, branches snapping under the weight of his booted foot. “There is no need for weapons. We come in peace.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before,” Ashley muttered.

His gaze pierced hers, his face stoic, unreadable. “My CoCaptain is ill. I require assistance from your witch friend.” His gaze slid to Camile.

Camile stiffened, no doubt surprised by his sudden attention. “How’d you know I was a witch?”

“We found you on Facebook. My friend request is awaiting your approval.”

“Facebook?” Ashley jerked her head toward her friend.

Camile shrugged. “What? Everyone’s doing it.” Ignoring Ashley, Camile dared to step closer to the Alien. “What’s wrong with your CoCaptain?”

“He has picked up a human disease.”

“Well, I guess I can give you some Dragon’s Blood.” She reached into her sack and pulled out a glass vial, handing it to the Alien. “It’s a common cure for almost everything.”

He nodded once, a stiff, no-nonsense movement. “We appreciate your help.” He turned and started toward his ship, the vial in hand. “When we take over your world, we shall spare your lives.” Without another word, he stepped into the metallic UFO. The door closed and with a blast of air, the oval ship hovered upward, disappearing into the sky. Silence settled in the forest, darkness surrounding them.

“Did he just…” Camile couldn’t seem to go on.

“Say they were taking over the world?” Cristian drawled. “Aye.”

“Fanfreakingtastic,” Ashley whispered.

~end

Ghosts, Angels, and Aliens…Oh My!
Alien post created for October Trix-n-Treatz with characters from Ghost Hunter by Lori Brighton
© 2010. All rights reserved.


~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~
by Lori Brighton
~-~-~-~-~ guest ~-~-~-~-~

-+0+o+ Book Giveaway courtesy of author +o+0+-

The Ghost Hunter
a Paranormal Romance
by Lori Brighton

signup for giveway

~*~
* image source from the Strangeling

* hey, don't forget to signup to win a Strangeling print here

-+0+o+ October Trix-n-Treatz schedule +o+0+-

Zombies vs. Aliens

OR

Inquiring minds want to know...

Who's your pick?

~*~
* image source zombie and alien

* beware: aliens invading during October Trix-n-Treatz - energize photon weapons

=== September Zombies schedule of events ===
with links to posts and giveaways from the other Zombiettes

Kyoto Temple

The Hello Japan! mini-challenges
hosted by In Spring It Is The Dawn
December's Task
The task for this month is to choose a temple or shrine in Kyoto and share what you learned about it.

Per In Spring It Is The Dawn:

The city of Kyoto is full of beautiful old temples and shrines* and numerous scenic spots. It truly is a fabulous place to visit and always my first recommendation if anyone will visit Japan. According to the wikipedia entry on Kyoto, there are some 2000 temples and shrines in Kyoto, and I wouldn't be surprised. Quite a few of the well-known ones are visited by the characters in The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata, to admire the cherry blossoms in spring, or to enjoy the view any time of year.

*Temples are Buddhist places of worship, whereas Shrines are Shinto, the native religion of Japan. For more information on Shinto, visit the Shinto page on wikipedia, or this introduction to Shinto from the BBC.

Kurama-dera:

Atop a mountain in northern Kyoto stands this Buddhist temple. Within its grounds is a sanctum where the temple’s followers claim a “demon king” is enshrined. The spirit is said to have come to Earth from Venus 6 million years ago to control the destiny of the human race...

Out of the many venues I selected the Kurama-dera temple to post on based on the description above. I can't help but be intrigued with the idea of a spirit being trapped in a temple on Earth from another planet. So, alien-like. Reminds me of Cthulhu, also an outer space being who is trapped on Earth under water.

This is definitely a place I would like to visit if ever I find myself in Kyoto, Japan. Ah, how my imagination would soar...

*source about demon king

*source temple

*part of my Hello! Japan mini-challenges

Mrs Darcy vs The Aliens
by Jonathan Pinnock

Description from Mrs Darcy vs Aliens site:
Mrs Darcy vs The Aliens is a slightly demented sequel to Pride and Prejudice, although it has been described more accurately as "not so much Pride and Prejudice's sequel as its bastard offspring following a drunken one-night stand with the X-Files."


Excerpt:
Elizabeth Darcy stirred in her sleep and felt the soft breeze on the back of her neck. She was awake in an instant. The curtains were wafting backwards and forwards in an elegant moonlit dance. How long had the window been open? She sat up in bed, her heart beating a furious tattoo, and her eyes scanned the gloomy room to see if there was anything out of place. Once she had established that there appeared to be no intruder compromising the security of her chamber, her breathing began to settle down to a more regular pace, and she swung her legs out of bed. Lighting a candle, she stood up, and it was at that point that she noticed the letter.
read more here - go!

gotta love the mashups!

Read-a-thon: Mixup the Titles challenge

Cereal and Seven Up

by vvb32 reads

Sheila is not your typical teen. She likes her cereal with seven up. She also likes to fly by night. It's an alien thing like how the Roswell teens like prodigious amounts of tabasco on everything. But unlike the Roswell teens, Sheila doesn't know that she's an alien.

*Mixup the Titles challenge

-visit a read-a-thon participate book pile list

-mix up the titles to create a new title

-create a synopsis for the new title

*Titles taken from Reading With Tequila

*part of my Read-a-thon challenge

The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft

The Call of the Cthulhu

by H.P. Lovecraft

How the heck do you pronounce Cthulhu?

some say kuh-THOO-loo

others say kuh-TOO-loo

I say kuh-thul-hoo

Anyhoo, I came across this creature in my Creepy Cute Crochet book and wondered what it was. If you google Cthulhu there are lots of hits. Like the Wak-Wak, it is a new creature to me.

The read-a-thon has presented the opportunity for me to read more about the origins of this creature. As I was planning on reading something from H.P. Lovecraft (inspired by Carl of Steel Droppings interview post on H.P. by Temple Library Reviews), I found The Call of Cthulhu among the stories in my H.P. Lovecraft book. Great coinky-dink moment!

Great read! Great shivery kind of horror piece.

Per wikipedia:

Cthulhu is the lord of R'lyeh, and the ancient being that came from the stars hundreds of millions of years ago, to destroy the elder beings on our world. After the task was completed, the god retreated to R'lyeh and became trapped in his sunken tomb.

In the story there are instances of Cthulhu on land and in the sea. The image of Cthulhu describes him/it being entrapped in stone (not man-made). This is a good thing, because humans who get the pleasure of actually seeing this creature die or go maaaad and then die.

Being a fan of LOST tv show, I couldn't help but think of the 4-toed statue and the mysteries that lay inside it.

Do you watch LOST?

Words that pop:

When reading, certain things things pop out at me. For instance words like, velvet, zombie, filipino (or things related) are standard words that pop. The following is a sentence that popped:

American officers in the Philippines find certain tribes bothersome about this time...

-page 174 of Tales by H.P. Lovecraft (The Library of America)

What are some words that pop for you when reading?

Back to the story, the sentence above is in reference to incidents of panic, mania, and eccentricity during the time the stars were in a certain alignment. These were times the cthulhu may have been active. I wonder what kind of things the Filipino tribes were up to? Headhunting rituals?

Such a frenzied sentence - gotta love it:

Animal fury and orgiastic licence here whipped themselves to daemonic heights by howls and squawking ectasies that tore and reverberated through those nighted woods like pestilential tempests from the gulfs of hell.

-page 179 of Tales by H.P. Lovecraft (The Library of America)

*part of my Read-a-thon challenge

*image source cthulhu

*total pages read: 29

Shapeshifter Alien

Inspired by Misty of Book Rat's Helluva Halloween Spotlight On: Shapeshifters

-and this post is also part of my Helluva Halloween challenge
Another non-werewolf shapeshifter that comes to mind that I like is:

Odo of Star Trek's Deep Space Nine tv series

For his appearance in book form, there are a slew of non-canon Deep Space Nine novels released since 1999 to present.

As you may guess being in the sci-fi world, Odo is an alien. He is pictured here in humanoid form but when in his natural state which is a sort of goo he resides in his bucket.

Have you come across any alien shapeshifters in your reads? Do tell.

*image source

Only Milo - 4

With blogging comes some organization of thoughts and a creation of to-do lists written down or hovering in the forefront of the brain.

Everyday through the end of the month, I will post blog to-do items I've received from my Only Milo book giveaway entries.

I've noticed some booklover graphic artists offering services in exchange for a book or two. You may want to look into this or hold a contest on your blog to get that header thingy.

mmm, ever since the X-files I've included aliens onto my top favorites list.

This is a genre I'd like to start reading and possibly do a special week on in the future. The last alien story I read which was awhile ago was chilling and creepy - Under the Skin by Michel Faber.

Description from amazon:

Described as a "fascinating psychological thriller" (The Baltimore Sun), this entrancing novel introduces Isserley, a female driver who picks up hitchhikers with big muscles. She, herself, is tiny-like a kid peering up over the steering wheel. Scarred and awkward, yet strangely erotic and threatening, she listens to her hitchhikers as they open up to her, revealing clues about who might miss them if they should disappear. At once humane and horrifying, Under the Skin takes us on a heart-thumping ride through dangerous territory-our own moral instincts and the boundaries of compassion. A grotesque and comical allegory, a surreal representation of contemporary society run amok, Under the Skin has been internationally received as the arrival of an exciting talent, rich and assured.

Anyone have suggestions on good alien novels?

*post-it reminder blurb created by

Mary of Gray Aliens and Reptilian Humanoids 2012

and of Mary Ann DeBorde Writes

*entry for Only Milo book giveaway

-offer ends October 31, 2009

Why not send me some items on your to-do list that I can post?

*image gray aliens source

*create your own post-it pics here