Monday Morning Sneak Peek - STATIC by S.K. Anthony

**Since my book release is on Monday, November 2nd, I'm posting this week's MMSP today :) HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Did a weekend of reading leave you wanting more? 
Sneaking peeks of your newest novel from under
your desk at work? 

For the eternal reader...here is your 
Monday Morning Sneak Peek!

Enjoy.

STATIC (The Luminaries Book #2) by SK Anthony

Kevin Pierce is a teleporter, a ladies’ man, and a loyal friend. Or so he thought.

As a genetically altered Luminary, he helps the government bring down some of the most dangerous criminals. Not very challenging if you have his special abilities. But when a group of rebel Luminaries attacks his Organization the fight for survival begins.

One shattering event after another tests the depth of his relationships, his sanity, and his powers. Emotionally torn, Kevin must choose carefully where his loyalty lies. In the middle of all the unexpected chaos he gets the biggest shock of his life when he’s faced by a betrayal he never saw coming. Angry, injured, and ready to even the score, Kevin goes Static . . .

http://www.skanthony.com/

AMAZON | GOODREADS

Chapter 1

It began.

I took a deep breath as the walls around me turned into rubber bands. They stretched and elongated outward, causing the world to shimmer as if strung with thousands of strands of silver Christmas tinsel. Before I could exhale, they snapped and came back to me in full force. I felt nothing compared to the amount of space I’d just bent. One second I stood in my office; the next, I walked down a street in Manhattan.

Oh, the experience of teleporting. It could be dizzying, but fun.

I made my way into a murky building. The haze rose from the floors as the crowd of people pushed past me from all directions. The intoxicating scent of sweat, alcohol, and pheromones hit me as the deejay pumped the music up.

“Hey, you made it!”

I turned to look at Ryan. “This is where you think I’ll have the time of my life?”

“Are you blind?” she asked, smiling. “Look at all the girls; hit them with a little Kevin dust and they are yours. Take your pick.”

“I don’t need girls to . . . okay, that one is . . . hmm.” I slanted my head sideways to follow the waitress in the skimpy outfit walking toward the bar. I pulled off my beanie hat and shoved it in my back pocket. I didn’t care about the black mess on my head which was in need of a cut; I hoped the girls would focus on my smile and hazel eyes. That usually did the trick, even in bad lighting like this.

“See? I told you.” Ryan smirked. “Oh, here—I got you a beer.”

I took the can from her and went right in for a sip. “Thanks, but I still don’t think celebrating my birthday should involve me getting laid while you hang around alone. Unless . . .”—my eyes narrowed—“are you hooking up too?”

“Me? Please, I don’t do idiots. This club is filled with idiots.” She rolled her eyes.

“Which would include us.”

“Well, you, maybe.” Ryan laughed while looking through the crowd. “But as your best friend I have to say I’m disappointed if you think I brought you here only for girls.”

Ryan walked away and motioned for me to follow.

“So what are we doing here?” I asked.

“Well, we’re in a club. We might as well bust a move or two.” The baby blue in Ryan’s eyes sparkled in the light. “And I’m not talking about the dancing kind. Uh . . . hang on.”

I watched as Ryan walked up to a guy sitting alone by the bar. The guy reached into his pocket, gave her a piece of paper, and pointed to their left. I followed his finger and saw a blue door behind the deejay booth.

I walked straight to it and waited for Ryan to catch up with me.

“Let’s go.” Ryan looked at the paper for the code and entered it on the keypad that unlocked the door for us.

I shook my head. “You know I could have just—”

“Teleported us in here. Yeah, yeah . . . whatever. I’m the one running the show tonight so you’d better do things my way.”

Ryan walked in front of me as I threw out my empty beer can in the bin right outside the door. The lighting was minimal but it was enough to follow Ryan’s ass as she led the way. “Are we following a lead or something?” I asked as we walked down the tight corridor. We stopped at the end where three different doors greeted us.

“Yep.”

“For?”

Ryan gave me a wink and placed her hand on the door directly in front of us. “This one is empty.” She then formed a “T” with her body as she reached out both hands to the doors on either side of her, putting her sensing gifts to good use. She beamed and turned to the door on her right. “Ready?”

“Always.” I pushed the door open, and raised my right hand. I was ready to stop any bullets that might be coming our way, but all I found was darkness. “What is this?” I asked.

“Not sure yet,” she said, and turned the lights on.

I scanned the room. It seemed like a hangout lounge with two large, red sofas, a couple tables with nothing on them, and a vending machine. In front of the vending machine we found a man chained to a chair. His arms were pulled straight down, and were tied around his legs individually—forcing him to practically kiss his own knees. All I could manage to say was, “Uh-huh.”

The man’s head spun as much as his restraints allowed him. He gave me a slight sneer. “You!”

“Hello, Simon. Haven’t seen you since you left the Org,” I said, recognizing the scrawny-looking man.

“I’m heavily guarded, boy. I’d watch my back if I were you.” His body trembled with a nervous twitch.

“That’s funny. I didn’t see any guards out there. And to be honest I don’t think you’re capable of trying any of your laser tricks without leaving yourself legless.” If memory served me right, his laser beams were as deadly as my brother’s. They were able to fire the laser from the palm of their hands and cut into anything or anyone.

“You think so?” he asked right as two guys came from behind us and closed the door.

“Well, hello, boys!” Ryan said, as we both studied the new arrivals.

They were as different as a rainy and a sunny day. Where one appeared to be in his late teens, tall, and clearly enjoyed a few burgers for breakfast, the other seemed to be in his sixties, short, and anorexic.

“Let’s get this over with,” the young one said.

The older one nodded as he raised his finger and shot a fireball at Ryan. He was clearly focused on an all-business transaction.

Ryan jumped on top of Simon to avoid the fireball, causing him to scream. While I doubted Ryan’s weight could have harmed him, I’m pretty sure her heel did some damage to poor ol’ Simon’s back. Her jumps were Olympic worthy. She may not have offensive Luminary powers in a fight, but she was a damn good fighter.

Another fireball was thrown her way, and I watched as she dropped to the floor in time. The fireball hit the vending machine and the sound of glass exploding surrounded the room. I went after the bigger guy instead of enjoying the show. The rebels, as they called themselves, sure had a way of going after the Luminaries with their fighting. This particular dummy enjoyed fighting with a big-ass knife.

“Aww, a baby machete. Adorable!” I teased.

He pulled it from his holster and swung at me. I teleported behind him and when he turned I punched his ugly face. He fell but attempted right away to slice my legs off. This I didn’t approve of, so I teleported his knife into my hands and held it at his neck as his eyes threatened to jump out of their sockets.

I stooped to his level. “You look shocked! Have you never encountered a teleporter before?” I didn’t give him a chance to answer. I noticed his pupils starting to enlarge and there was no way I’d let him hypnotize me. I grabbed his head and slammed it into the floor hard enough to knock him out.

I turned to see the other guy fighting with Ryan. I’d missed most of what happened, but he sported a bloody nose that made me proud to call her my trainee. I jumped backward and grabbed Simon’s chair; the poor guy had been missing out on the fun. I swung him to my left and knocked down fireball-guy.

“Two men, one chair. Boom!” I grinned.

“Really, Kevin?” Ryan asked, annoyed.

“Oh, come on!”

“Just stick to your own guys, and let me have mine. I had him!” She went to the two men on the floor to secure them. I picked up my guy, gave Derek a call, and teleported everyone to the Org.

Check out The Luminaries Book #1

Being strong is one thing. Being an unlimited source of power is quite another.

Genetically altered by the Organization, Annie Fox takes down criminals CIA-style with her luminary strength. With nothing to mend but her broken heart, she is relentlessly pursued by her boss Derek Lake. Just when Annie is about to give him a chance, her ex-husband unexpectedly comes out of hiding.

A wanted man, Nick Logan is a cold-hearted murderer who is considered enemy number one, and orders are clear: kill on contact. He is more powerful than ever and threatens the lives of those she holds most dear. His plan? Get his hands on Annie and use her Kinetic energy to destroy them all. When Annie finds herself with an opportunity to end him, she pauses, horrified by the scars covering the face she once loved. A split second that will cost her everything…

http://www.skanthony.com/

AMAZON | GOODREADS

Book Events & Festival Tips

Book festivals are nothing new for me, but I have to admit it's been a while. The Vegas Valley Book Festival was my first book event since baby #2 came along. He was awesome and stuck with me through the whole thing. The VVBF was also the first festival for **Acorn Publishing!

**For those who don't know, Acorn Publishing is a small imprint I am a part of that was created by a group of authors. Find out more HERE.

First of all, it was SO much fun. I always have a ton of anxiety when it comes to events, but ultimately I always end up doing really well and having a great time.

This time around I had my friend/writing buddy/publishing partner, Holly Kammier, with me which made it even more awesome. It was Holly's first book festival. She just released her debut novel, KINGSTON COURT, on September 10th. I loved seeing her beautiful book displayed on our table, but those lonely books made me realize something. You can't go to a book festival with your books alone. You need things. Paper things. And pens. A strategy. Little tricks to get a reader hooked. I'm going to share with you all of my book festival wisdom. So here it goes:

MY CHECKLIST

[ ] Books
[ ] Snacks/Lunch
[ ] Towel (in case you need to clean the table off)
[ ] Bottled Water
[ ] Poster & Stand
*It's nice to have something large and professional looking to display the cover of your book.
[ ] Credit card machine
*This is a MUST. You can get those little card swipers for your phone. I'd say 90% of people pay with card. It is expected.
[ ] Tape
*Helps secure things in the wind.
[ ] Sunscreen
[ ] Author Signing poster
*Nobody knows you're the author of the books in front of you unless a) you tell them or b) you have a little sign that says "author signing" with your picture.
[ ] Rolling cart/dolly to transport books
[ ] Book marks
*This is also a MUST. See notes below.
[ ] Business cards
[ ] Giveaway item (rubber bracelets, buttons, pens, etc.)
[ ] Money bag to conceal your cash
[ ] Change 1s 5s 10s
[ ] Pens
[ ] Phone charger
[ ] Sellers permit
[ ] Bags for customers
[ ] Table cloth
[ ] Book Display Holders
[ ] Pricing Sign
[ ] Battery Powered Fan

TIPS & TRICKS

1) My first tip is to have bookmarks. Many people think this is a waste of paper because so many get thrown away, but trust me, you can't skip this one. First of all, it gives you a way to get people's attention. As attendees walk by you can say, "Hey, do you want a bookmark?" A lot of them will take it and move on, but that's okay. They'll glance at it as they walk, taking in the little blurb you have right below the gorgeous cover. Many of them come back. 

If they don't come back, that's okay too!! They might take it home with them and it will be a little reminder to get the e-book.

Here's mine, front and back:

The other awesome thing about offering a bookmark is that it gets people to come over to your table. Once potential buyers are there you hit them with my next trick:

2) Hand them the book and say, "Here. Read the back. You might like it." I don't know who told me this, but it works. Once someone has your book in their hand it is much harder to put it back on the table and walk away. A part of them feels invested. They've touched it and something in them wants it more.

3) Stand up and smile at everyone. Sitting behind your table on your phone is one way to make sure you don't sell any books. Be approachable and cheery so people feel like stopping by to chat.

4) Have business cards ready. You'd be surprised how many movie producers hang out at these things. I'll never forget meeting Don Murphy (Producer of Transformers and Vampire Academy) at WonderCon and NOT having a business card. I had to write my name on a piece of scratch paper. It was so embarrassing. I don't know, maybe that helped, lol, because he did end up reading both of my books :) In any case, you'll meet lots of awesome new contacts, and it's important you have your information on a professional looking card.

I'm sure there are more, but as this post is getting rather long, I'll leave it at that.

OH...and next on Acorn Publishing's list of events: WonderCon in March, LA Times Festival in April, and (fingers crossed) the Bay Area Book Festival in June. Can't wait!!

Anyone else have any book festival tips or tricks??

Monday Morning Sneak Peek - ILLUSION

Did a weekend of reading leave you wanting more? 
Sneaking peeks of your newest novel from under
your desk at work? 

For the eternal reader...here is your 
Monday Morning Sneak Peek!

Enjoy.

ILLUSION by Christa Yelich-Koth

Daith's father is dead. His death caused a rip in the galaxy's peace. The remains of his army are fighting to restore it.

But Daith knows nothing of this. Her memories have been stolen. She has been kidnapped. All she knows is that she has unparalleled abilities that could help end the devastation. Except without her past, how can she know if she's on the right side?

Time is running out and Daith must choose: to search for who she was or use her gifts to restore order.

ON SALE FOR $0.99 TODAY AND TOMORROW

AMAZON

DARKNESS

Powerful.

Pathetic.

Jacin snorted a laugh. The sickly-looking man in the reflector unit snorted at the same time. He surveyed his own face and despised the bloodshot eyes staring back.

So much pain. So much work. All for nothing.

And no one would know. Everything he’d done, he’d done for them. All his power, his energy, his hope to establish a better existence, would be lost.

Jacin turned from his own haunted stare, shuffled out of the refresher unit, and into his quarters—the space reeked of mold, rotten food, soiled clothes. All around him, in the multitude of rooms aboard his command ship, the Enforcer, individuals hustled about their lives, happy and focused. They felt part of something good, something unique.

What a cruel joke.

Jacin descended onto his couch, the cushions already crusted into the shape of his worn-out body. Though only 43 standard years old, his slow movements and rickety joints easily added decades. Papery-thin skinned hands joined together on his lap as he thought about how no one would ever understand all he’d gone through, all he’d sacrificed.

A burnt ember glowed for a moment in his tired mind. There was one man who might still listen. Trey Xiven, the commander of his ship, had followed Jacin through all his struggles and believed in everything he did. But Xiven could easily head down the same destructive path. If there was a way to tell him, show him what he needed to know…

Jacin concentrated on the memories of his life, the good and the bad. He focused his energy, almost depleted now, and sent those memories to his second-in-command. Jacin felt the images lodge in the Commander’s mind, a permanent fixture, never to be removed.

Xiven would realize soon what he’d been given—and there would be only one reason Jacin would have sent his memories. In response, he’d come to Jacin’s quarters and try to stop him from what had to be done.

To save the Eomix galaxy.

To protect his daughters.

To free himself.

Jacin Jaxx, the most powerful being in the universe, a man who could change an individual’s thoughts, who had ended dozens of wars, who was as close to a god as one could come, gave up.

Concentrating the flow of heat inside him, Jacin directed his body’s energy away from himself and out into his surroundings. His skin glowed bluish-white, like cold flame. Electronic systems around him fizzled and popped. Plunged into interior darkness, his life bled away, trickling into the void. The stars outside his spaceship expanded for a moment like miniature flaring suns. They fed off his essence, ingesting his energy as their own.

Jacin’s eyesight faded to black.

His lungs deflated. His heart stopped.

The universe grieved.

CHAPTER ONE

Daith Tocc rolled her eyes. “Can’t we take a break until we get to the Lax Shack?”

“You’re the one who wanted to study, how did you put it, ‘every possible waking moment before exams.’”

Daith lifted her long, dark hair off her sweaty neck. She glanced up at the large, spherical timereader suspended above the library they’d left. Showing both their planet’s time and standard time, the orb was set against the biometric rhythms of the Tunlac sun—the center of the Eomix galaxy. “Did I say that?” she joked.

Her friend grinned, his teeth white against his caramel-colored skin. “You’re a mere twenty-four standard years of age. Don’t tell me you’re losing your memory.”

She pushed him playfully. “Fine, Torrak,” she said. “You win. Where were we?”

“I asked what year, both standard and local, did Puffair join the Eomix United Front?”

Daith wiped her moist forehead while she thought. Another ridiculously hot day at Fior Accelerated Academy, which was why she and Torrak had abandoned the overcrowded, stuffy rooms at the library. Being at an academy for gifted students sounded great, but all it meant was working harder, faster, and better than everyone else.

If she’d known how intense exam sectionals would be, Daith may have reconsidered applying.

No, there wasn’t anywhere else I could go.

A shadow blotted out the sun, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced up. A small, silver spaceship hovered above her, the whirr of its engine buzzing inside her skull.

“Torrak? What under the stars—”

The ship dropped, fast. Torrak grabbed Daith’s arm and pulled her out of the way. Hot air and dirt blasted them in the face, knocking them off their feet. The ship bounced a sloppy landing. The moment the silvery beast settled the hatch opened.

“You okay?” Torrak yelled over the engine roar.

She nodded as he helped her from the ground. Dirty sweat stung her vision. She stumbled in Torrak’s grip, clenching his hand tight. Coughing, Daith watched through clouds of dust as two men in blue jumpsuits exited the vehicle.

“It’s her!” one of them shouted.

Torrak pulled Daith behind him, protecting her. The two men closed the distance.

“No!” Torrak shoved at the first man, but he was solid like a wall. He grabbed Torrak and yanked him away, but Torrak’s grip held. Sharp pain shot through Daith’s shoulder, now dislocated. The first man wrestled with Torrak. She lost his hand. Fingers dug into her hair from behind by the second man and heaved her toward the ship. Pain seared her scalp like electricity.

“Torrak!” she screamed. Her hands found her attacker’s. She tugged at them. Her shoulder seared in agony. His grip did not give way. Dust irritated her teary eyes. “Torrak! Help!” A sharp sting flared in her tricep. She could see a hand emptying red liquid from a syringe into the back of her arm. The redness swirled beneath her pale skin like ink dribbled into a glass of water.

The ground below gave way to the metallic incline of the ship. A new terror overtook her at the thought of being dragged onboard.

“Let me go!” Daith reached back, higher up the man’s arm, and yanked. Her hands slid down his hairy skin. He heaved harder and her head snapped back, pulling her closer to him. His stench reached her—a combination of body odor and mechanical lubricant.

You will be trapped once they get you inside. Do something! A heat rose inside her, licking at her insides, straining to be released.

NO! she screamed inside her head.

The heat subsided, but her panic remained. Scrambling, she got her feet beneath her and pushed backwards off the ramp, closing the distance between the two of them. Her assailant loosened his grip on her hair. She spun and brought her knee into his gut.

The man doubled over, releasing her.

Daith whipped around to flee, but pain overwhelmed her as fingers dug into her injured shoulder. The second assailant had returned. His free fist came through the swirling dirt and struck her in the jaw. She spun, teetered for a moment at the top of the ramp, and fell face-first into the doorway of the ship. Her jaw shattered against the metal floor. In a swirl of pain and grit, blackness overtook her.

*

Commander Trey Xiven ran his fingertips over the smooth, rounded helmet of the Memory Machine. A relic from Eomix galaxy history. Instrumental now to what needed to be done.

He sometimes wished he could use the machine on himself to erase the memories of his past, his family, and Jacin Jaxx.

But his past fueled him forward, giving him drive.

The memories of his family kept him independent and strong.

And the knowledge of the last moments before Jacin’s suicide?

What an ironic joke. Eight standard years earlier, Trey had been standing on the bridge of the Enforcer, second-in-command of an army that had spent years reshaping and remolding governments on dozens of allied planets when Jacin had implanted the memory of his final moments before death in Trey’s mind.

And for what? The sequence carried no insight. No wisdom. Jacin hadn’t given Trey any of his abilities. No. He merely got to watch, like a broadcast on a viewscreen, unable to do anything but observe a powerful man give up on everyone he’d promised to help.

That memory couldn’t be erased. Embedded in Trey’s mind, the thought clung deep inside where only a full mind-wipe would clear it. Jacin staring into the mirror, settling onto his disgusting couch, sitting in despair—which was always the moment Trey would awake in a cold sweat.

Trey relived the memory over again, night after night. For eight years he watched the same dream.

Better than the old nightmare about his mother’s death. Substitute one terror for another.

Dr. Ludd had provided him a solution—pills to suppress the portion of the brain which allowed someone to remember their dreams. Though every once in a while, the dream found a way through the haze….

Trey pulled himself out of his thoughts. Now was the time to move into the future, not think about the past. He’d been informed Daith had been located and his soldiers were on their way back to his ship, the Horizon. They would dock within three hours.

Trey’s hands trembled in anticipation. His plan was finally happening. After all the hardships, he could now take the vital step to once again reestablish peace in the Eomix galaxy.

“Doctor Ludd,” Trey said, his words accented and clipped. “Is everything prepared?”

A pink, bulbous figure floated through the doorway, hovering on a mechanical device above the floor. “Yes, Commander Xiven.” The normally verbose doctor had been restrictive with his words all day. Trey didn’t mind. He could use a break from the usual incessant babbling.

“Good. Because of the injuries she sustained, you’ll have to do some regenerative work—replacing her lost hair, fixing her dislocated shoulder, resetting her shattered jaw. But even so, the whole process shouldn’t take more than four standard days. And no mistakes, Doctor.

“No more mistakes.”