I have been remiss. Very remiss. Life just seems to get away from me these days. Never enough time for all that needs to be done. Even so, videos have been released, I am just behind on doing this recap. That means you have four lovely readings. We hope you’ll enjoy them all. If you are interested in the books, they can be purchased via the links provided.
If you are an author and would like to participate in one of these series, please visit the eSpec Books Author Reading Series Facebook page for details.
The eSpec Books Author Reading Series
Keith R.A. DeCandido reading his short story “Unguarded” from the upcoming anthology, Horns & Halos, stories of angels, fallen and otherwise, edited by John L. French and Danielle Ackley-McPhail, available for pre-order from the eSpec Books Square Store.
The eSpec Guest Author Reading Series
P.A. O’Neil reading an excerpt from her story “Airing the Dairy” from the collection Witness Testimony.
Some authors paint such vivid pictures with their words that the reader feels as though he or she is actually present, a silent observer or phantom, almost participating in the events of a tale. Such an author is P. A. O’Neil — but that’s not all: there’s a powerful golden thread of charm or warmth or humanity that runs through her stories too. Not to mention that within these pages you’ll also encounter Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes and more, and venture to as far-flung places as Venice, Vancouver Island and Faerie.
About the Author
P.A. O’Neil has been writing professionally four years. Her stories have been featured in multiple anthologies, as well as on-line journals and magazines from several continents. She and her husband reside in Thurston County, Washington. Her book, Witness Testimony and Other Tales, is available in paperback and eBook, from Amazon. For links to other books which feature her stories, look under the Photo sections of her Facebook author page: P.A. O’Neil, Storyteller, or visit her Amazon author page: P.A. O’Neil.
Cynthia Radthorne reading an excerpt from her novel The Sands of Sabakushi.
In the cold mountains of the north the Kotanshi has been found. Yet the struggle is only just beginning, for strife and hatred, envy and arrogance, still blanket the land. The Kotanshi, crossing the length and breadth of Tonogato, eluding enemies while trying to keep a small band of supporters together, wrestles with both the realities of power and the frailties of human feelings while combating the seeping influence of the Darkness. Even as the Kotanshi attempts to undo what the Darkness has wrought, an even more insidious conflict erupts within the palace of the Zaitan in Teranashi. A new Shodanjin, leader of the magicians, must be chosen, and the maneuvering factions hurtle toward self-destruction as they each seek dominance over the other. The fate of both Kotanshi and Shodanjin are inextricably linked, their joint destiny buried far below the sands of the Sabakushi desert in a city long since lost and forgotten. There lies the key that could lock away the Darkness forever…
Cynthia Radthorne reading an excerpt from her novel The Pool of Shikama.
The Battle Against the Darkness has passed into legend. Those who fought together to secure the future of Tonogato are nearly all gone, save a lonely few who must now bear witness to the virtual collapse of the fragile Tonogato Alliance. Violence and intimidation are the new tools of power, the ruthless and the cunning wielding them with near-impunity. Into this maelstrom falls Satora, a man who long ago gave up interest in the corrupt politics of royal courts, and who has angrily rejected the magic at the very center of his soul. Swept away from his mountain sanctuary by events he cannot control, he finds himself engulfed by the storm of upheaval raging across Tonogato. Forced into using the powers he has forsworn, Satora struggles to harness both magic, and himself, before he succumbs to the darker paths of sorcery. Overlaying all of the human struggles is the potential destruction of an entire race of beings who had once helped the humans defeat the Darkness. The secret hidden between the lines of a decades-old letter is the sole key to whether their world will vanish into nothingness forever. And Satora is the only one who can find the lock…
About the Author
Cynthia Radthorne is an author and illustrator residing in the Pacific Northwest. Her characters, both honorable and devious, populate her series of Asian-themed fantasy novels, The Tales of Tonogato. Her illustrations have appeared on book covers, web sites, trading card games, and at art show displays at science fiction and fantasy conventions. At Cynthia’s website, http://www.CynthiaRadthorne.com, one can peruse samples from one of her books and view her art gallery.
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