Friday Featured Spotlight ~ TWR Ultimate Blog Tour: Anticipation

 

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Anticipation ~ Book Spotlight

You are being played.

Your every move is being watched by businesses hoping to manipulate your behaviour. Every picture, every post, every like, every follow, every purchase, every search.

When 17-year-old Riya Sudame inherits her father’s secret AI algorithm, she and a handful of carefully selected Keyholders hold the power to predict people’s future using their online data. But with great power comes great responsibility, and they must safeguard it from falling into the wrong hands.

Enter Jim Booker, a powerful social media tycoon, who will stop at nothing to steal the technology for himself. Soon Riya faces a critical choice. Fighting ruthless tech giants seems like an impossible task—wouldn’t it be easier to relinquish her father’s creation in exchange for a normal teenage life?

But if she does, she will have to live with the knowledge that she is the reason that, like everyone, you are being played.

Pryor & Cummings

 

Late at night, a hacker sneaks into the subterranean lab of a celebrity scientist where he makes a discovery which gets him murdered. The police soon learn surveillance video shows no one had left the facility since the homicide and a thorough search for the killer comes up empty.

To solve this locked room techno-thriller-mystery, an old-school detective and his retired K-9 reluctantly partner with a young high-tech rookie. Questions about motives and possible conflicts of interest fly when the veteran learns about the relationships his daughter has with his new partner and she had had with the deceased. 

Payne and Sacrifice

Taking down the nanite-enhanced Storm Bringers was only the beginning. Detective Amber Payne and her team of “strays” still have to find and capture the woman who created the super soldiers – former Securi-Tech board member, Carol Conley.

And while Conley may be at the top of Securi-Tech’s most wanted list, for Amber, the case is more personal. For Conley was responsible for the death of Amber’s former partner, and she’s determined to bring the homicidal maniac to justice… no matter what it costs her.

Fid's Crusade

Rage, grief and guilt have fueled Doctor Fid's endless quest to punish the unworthy and he has left a long trail of blood and misery in his wake. For more than two decades, the sight of the villain's powered armor has struck fear into the hearts of hero and civilian alike! But when a personal tragedy motivates Doctor Fid to investigate a crime, he uncovers a plot so heinous that even he is taken aback.

Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran supervillain must race against time if he is to have any hope of confronting the approaching threat. Every battle takes its toll...but the stakes are too high for retreat to be an option.

In the end, it may take a villain to save the world from those entrusted with the world's protection.
 

Friday Featured Spotlight ~ BBNYA Blog Tour: Fid's Crusade

 

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Fid's Crusade Spotlight

Rage, grief and guilt have fueled Doctor Fid's endless quest to punish the unworthy and he has left a long trail of blood and misery in his wake. For more than two decades, the sight of the villain's powered armor has struck fear into the hearts of hero and civilian alike! But when a personal tragedy motivates Doctor Fid to investigate a crime, he uncovers a plot so heinous that even he is taken aback.

Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran supervillain must race against time if he is to have any hope of confronting the approaching threat. Every battle takes its toll...but the stakes are too high for retreat to be an option.

In the end, it may take a villain to save the world from those entrusted with the world's protection.
 

Stay Mad, Sweetheart

THERE’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN INNOCENCE AND GUILT. AN EVEN FINER LINE BETWEEN JUSTICE AND REVENGE.

Data scientist Laura prefers the company of her books to the real world – let alone that cesspit online. But when her best friend Emily becomes the victim of horrific cyberbullying, she makes it her all-engulfing mission to track down the worst culprits.

Petite corporate financier Suki is about to outshine the stupid boys at her firm: she’s leading the acquisition of Edinburgh’s most exciting start-up. If only she could get its brilliant, but distracted, co-founder Laura to engage.

Event planner Claire is left to salvage the start-up's annual conference after her colleague Emily fails to return to work. She’s determined to get a promotion out of it, but her boss isn’t playing ball.

As the women's paths intertwine, the insidious discrimination they each face comes to light. Emboldened by Emily’s tragic experience, they join forces to plot the downfall of all those who've wronged them.

But with emotions running high, will the punishments fit the crimes?
 

Friday Featured Spotlight ~ TWR Blog Tour: Aether Ones

 

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Aether Ones

Leilani Falconi is a top agent for the Imperial Investigative Service, tasked with policing the veil between two realities. Long ago, the Great Sundering tore the universe into two mirrored halves; aether space, which progressed using magical energy or eldrich, and kuldain, which advanced via electromagnetic technology.

But now a series of suspicious deaths stretching back more than a decade has the agent trapped directly between secretive bureaucracies and their peoples. If she can't solve the mysterious crimes in time, existence as she knows it could erupt into chaos.

Payne Before the Storm

 

Book source ~ ARC. 

My review is voluntary and honest.

Payne Before the Storm

Amber Payne, #2

Jeff Brackett

29 September 2019

Sci-Fi | Dystopian

400 Pages

NetGalley Review

*Book source ~ NetGalley

Title ~ The Woman Who Stopped Traffic

Author ~ Daniel Pembrey

Published ~ 15 July 2013

Genre ~ Thriller

Pages ~ 338

Streets of Payne

Title ~ Streets of Payne

Series ~ Amber Payne, #1

Author ~ Jeff Brackett

Publisher ~ Jeff Brackett

Published ~ 11 July 2013

Genre ~ Sci-Fi/Mystery

Pages ~ 357

*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Amber Payne is a Detective with Securi-Tech, a private law enforcement company. In a future where humans can buy body enhancements Amber is still a bit different than your average human. After losing her eyes while on the job, Securi-Tech paid for her ocular implants, but didn’t pay to have them look human. So she has silver eyes. Very disconcerting to those meeting her for the first time. On top of being in debt to Securi-Tech for her sight, she also has to put up with having her ocular feed being available 24/7/365 to the company. She may have exceptional sight, but it’s not really her own.

Fortunately for her, she has a super smart new partner in the shape of Kevin Glass. Kevin is top of the top in any and all things computer and cyberspace. He even has an enhancement, a neural input/output port (NIOP) behind his ear that lets him hook directly into cyperspace just by sliding a gold-plated rod into it and connecting to his custom board. Creepy, but extremely effective.

It just seems to be business as usual when the Chief gives her and Kevin a possible espionage case involving Alta Corp. Little does Amber know this will be the start of something bigger than she could possibly have fathomed. Her whole world is about to be turned sideways and she has to go with the flow or be sucked under.

I can’t tell you how much I love this book. I tend to forget how much I love sci-fi and I don’t read near enough of it. As a fan of Star Trek and all things technological I’m not sure why I don’t read more of it except maybe I just don’t run across the books when I’m trolling for things to read. Or maybe it’s because there is so much out there and not as many people I know who like sci-fi to rec them to me. In any case, I’ve read Jeff Brackett’s post-apocalyptic books and loved them, so when he said he had a sci-fi book out I jumped to read it. And I was hooked from the beginning. I couldn’t read it fast enough and I even stayed up past my bedtime even though I get very cranky when I don’t get enough sleep. I have no better recommendation than that. I love my sleep. I mean really love it. If I stay up late to read then the book is glued to my hands.

Amber’s world is fascinating to me.  People can get enhancements to their body? How cool would that be? Of course, in her world the enhancements are as addictive to some people as plastic surgery is to some today. Many people get them for protection, but some get them for terrorizing and to make committing crimes easier. What’s even cooler, some serious injuries can be repaired fairly quickly in a Doc Box. No more long hospital stays with crappy food or being out of work for ages. Sa-weet!

Sometimes the tech-speak would be a bit beyond me, but that really didn’t slow me down. The mystery was intriguing and twisty, the characters awesome, the plot paced just right and the world was so fascinating I couldn’t put the book down. I had to see what would happen next. The story ends, but there is one thread left hanging leaving the door open for a next book. Make it so!

*I have to add that while I think it’s the coolest thing ever to have a possible (most certainly) villain as my namesake, it in no way affected my opinion of this story. My doppelganger has a small part in the book and I hope to see her in a future book. Especially if she is up to no good and then dies in a spectacular way. I don’t want her in prison. I’m a bit claustrophobic. Hint, hint Jeff.

Kindle Fire: Part Deux

I'm happy to announce my Kindle Fire is on, well, fire! Ok, not literally, but it is finally registered and I've sideloaded some books and music to it. Since I don't have WiFi here at home I have to sideload everything. I thought that wouldn't be an issue, but I find I'm not patient enough to do it even though it's actually not that hard to do. Jeez, I should have known since I'm famous for having no patience (I grocery shop at 6am just to avoid moronic people, lol). My computer is old and requires a wired network, but I've since discovered we can have a combined wired and wireless network. Yay! That means I just need to get a wireless router that has 4 ports and I'll be surfing the WiFi waves on my Fire. Should be done this week!

As to the problems I was having...I'm not the only one according to the Kindle Fire forums. I had to download a software update to my computer then sideload it to my Fire. After a reboot, my husband, after many tries, was able to connect and get it registered.

Whether it was the upgraded software, the reboot or something Amazon fixed on their end (or any combination thereof) I'll never know. I feel bad for those still experiencing problems while at the same time I'm doing a Happy Dance and glad they can't see it. :)

Kindle Fire!



My Kindle Fire arrived yesterday and I was doing the Happy Dance...until I realized it needed to charge for four hours! Gah!!!!! So, I charged it up, did some chores, fed the kids and sat down to be amazed. Only to find out that you can only register it via the wi-fi. Well, shit! Pardon my French. We don't have wi-fi here at the house and I thought I wouldn't have a problem registering via USB cable. Wrong! How messed up is that? I can sideload my content all day long, BUT only after it's been registered via wi-fi. As my 14-yr-old daughter would say 'Epic Fail!'

Ok, I thought to myself, no problem. I got out of my comfy jammies, put on some sweats and went 2 miles down the road to McDs. They have wi-fi and I could have some sweet tea and a few fries while I register. So, I'm noshing on some fresh-from-the-fryer fries, sipping my tea and navigating the menu on my cool-looking Fire, find where to register, type in the relevant info and tap the 'Register' button. The spinny thing spins...and spins...and spins...and then an error pops up. Can't register. WTF?! I try again. And again. And again. Frustration City!

So...this is my Kindle Fire Journey thus far. I've not even made it out of the driveway. My lovely hubby is going to take it to work later today, where they have wi-fi, and attempt it from there. If he has problems then he has a computer and a phone to call tech support and see if they can fix the problem because it sounds an awful lot like it's a problem on Amazon's end. Maybe, by tonight, I'll have a registered Fire. If not, then I have a $199 paperweight and that's not acceptable. Stay tuned...