Book Blast ~ Journey to the Dark Galazy by Hannah D. State

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A mysterious signal from deep space. Mischief and murder at a military base.

Earth’s leaders are given an ultimatum: deliver Sam Sanderson to Logom, a planet known to house a hostile AI civilization, or face interplanetary war.

When Sam receives a strange letter drafting her into the Great Alliance for Interplanetary Affairs as a matter of international security, she expects to get answers. But instead of receiving a warm welcome, she finds that most people under the surface are distant, cold, and have built walls of silence. While grappling with her unique power and the consequences of her actions, she learns that the organization she’s supposed to serve has a chilling past and guards a dark secret.

While Earth’s scientists scramble to defend their world and the planetary alliance from the AI threat, Sam is forced on a mission to the Dark Galaxy. A place where dangers lurk, tensions run high, and things are never what they seem.

But will the journey change her forever?

As Sam desperately navigates a maze of lies, dark secrets, and finds herself at the heart of a dangerous journey, she discovers that it will take much more than her courage and power to save humanity.

Time’s running out, and there’s no turning back now…

From the award-winning author of Journey to the Hopewell Star comes the highly anticipated sequel that’s sure to be a thrilling ride!

Read an Excerpt

Sam’s throat tightened. Tears collected in her eyes, but she wiped them away before the others saw. She couldn’t let them see her like that, vulnerable and fragile. She didn’t want them to worry about her.

She instead focused on the people they passed in the hallways. Joyful and welcoming and…

Wait. No, that’s not right.

She slowed down and tried to take in every detail about their features and body language.

When they looked at Rian and her friends, their expressions were easy to read—relaxed, carefree. Delighted to see them. Yet, when their eyes traveled to Sam…

Their expressions changed, if only by a fraction. Nothing anyone would notice. Except she noticed. She sensed…discomfort, fear. Their eyes shifted, and within them, an apprehension lingered. They tensed up slightly, too; a tightened jaw, a rigid stance. Hesitation. They seemed to be holding back, nervous about something.

Sam smiled, trying to elicit a similar response from them.

But they didn’t smile. Or if they did, it was forced.

It was like they were all hiding a deep, dark, terrible secret.

And it was about her.

About the Author

Hannah D. State is an award-winning Canadian author. She graduated from McGill University with a BA and earned her MPL from Queen’s University. Hannah is bothered by inequality, violence, greed, complacency, snakes, entering a dark room, and not getting enough sleep. She enjoys writing about strong-willed characters who don’t fit the norm and who overcome great obstacles with perseverance, self-discovery, and help from others. Sometimes Hannah can’t keep up with her characters’ ideas and plans, so she takes breaks, drinks coffee, does yoga and tai chi, and takes nature walks to calm her mind and really listen. Journey to the Dark Galaxy is her second novel. You can find her author page on Facebook.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahdstate/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20560327.Hannah_D_State
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahdstate/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Dark-Galaxy-Book-ebook/dp/B0CPB1ZM2P/

Read for free on Kindle Unlimited

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Blog Tour ~ The Big Comb Over by J. P. Rieger

 

THE BIG COMB OVER

J.P. Rieger

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GENRE:  Family satire; Farce; Magical realism

 

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BLURB:

Three nephews and three eccentric uncles.

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It’s 2050 and Robbie Elders has all but forgotten about his oddball, religious fanatic uncle, tim tim. He’s taken up the latest fad, genealogical research based solely on DNA. But Robbie’s “inconclusive” DNA results are unsettling. He crashes back to his childhood, back to his world of comic books and tim tim.

 

“I opt for posh and London” declares Lady Florence Stour. It’s 2019 and time for a Royal Wedding. Robbie’s uncle, Stef, is engaged to Lady Florence, a distant member of the British royal family. Stef’s Baltimore clan have been invited, but Robbie’s mom and dad can’t attend. They’ve entrusted Robbie and big brother, Doyle, to their mom’s two eccentric brothers, uncles Roy and Roland. Roy, a weathered waterman with a severe Baltimore accent, lives for Maryland blue crabs. Roland, a mildly hypochondriacal actor, lives to survive the Karens he unavoidably encounters. And then there’s Desales, Roy’s smart aleck, teenage son. He lives to prank. They’ve descended upon London. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Meanwhile, tim tim has been coaching Robbie on “the mission.” A silly religious fantasy according to Robbie’s atheist parents and the therapists. Or perhaps not? Things are not always as they appear in The Big Comb Over.

 

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Excerpt:

Roland looked at the bottle in awe. “Fletcher’s Dry Shampoo – Hint of Almond.” He looked over the directions and ingredients on the back. “Wow! It’s gluten-free and approved by PETA, too!” He handed back the bottle, gingerly, as though it were an egg.

 

“Yes! So, I’ll get things started, today, but when you use it, remember to follow the instructions carefully. You have to shake the thing like a bastard.”

 

He pulled off the top cap and shook the bottle frantically.

 

“Okay, shield your eyes with your hands, Roland.”

 

Morris began carefully spraying the bald spot. The bottle produced several quick spurts—the initial “targeting” move. He then pulled the can back several inches and sprayed in a wider arc, slowly filling in the surrounding areas. Excess brown powder fell gently onto the cape; iron filings mixed with cinnamon.

 

“Yes, there we go! Success! Let me give it a brush-through and a good zhuzh!”

 

Morris began to carefully run the boar’s hairbrush through the mixture of hair and powdered shampoo. There was that one tricky area, so he gave it another quick blast with the aerosol can. He completed brushing and found the most optimal place for the all-important part. Something natural. Avoiding the comb-over effect was difficult. Balance . . . balance . . .

 

He then gave Roland’s hair a quick blast with the hair dryer. Not too much, as there was not much to dry. The shampoo had absorbed most of the hemp oil treatment. He put the dryer aside and gave Roland’s hair a two-handed, final zhuzh. He spun the chair around, dramatically, and placed a hand mirror in front of Roland’s face so that he could check out the back.

 

“Looky loo, Sir Roland! Nary a hint of . . . deficiency!”

 

Roland looked with disbelief. He no longer had that bald spot! It was gone!

 

“Oh dear Lord, Morris! You are a genius! Look at this! Michelangelo!” He handed back the mirror, stunned.

 

“Thank you, thank you!” Morris took a quick bow and rapidly turned the chair back around, causing Roland some dizziness. “Now, let me hit you with a finishing spray to hold everything in place!”

 

He dramatically removed the top of the hairspray aerosol and shook the can furiously. He sprayed the mist in a near random fashion near the scalp and then away from the scalp and then back toward and quickly away again—a symphony conductor of a twelve-tone sound poem.

 

He spun Roland around again and thrust the mirror before his face. “What do you think?!”

 

“Yes, yes, Morris, this is perfect! This is what I’ve been waiting for . . . dreaming about!”

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 J. Paul (J.P.) Rieger is a born and bred Baltimorean and mostly retired Maryland attorney. As such, he’s well acquainted with the quirkiness and charm of Baltimore’s unique citizens. He’s author of Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University-Baltimore). He’s also author of The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a mystery novel featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero. The Big Comb Over, a slipstream comedy of manners featuring three nephews and their three eccentric uncles, is Paul’s third novel. Paul is married and lives in Towson, Maryland.

 

Website: http://www.jpaulrieger.net

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN gift card - a Rafflecopter giveaway.

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