Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Author Scott Bury brings the past back to life in this great non-fiction release.



I'm a huge fan of fiction, but once in a while I read non-fiction.  Since I'm a bit picky about what I spend my time turning pages on, the writing has to grab me.  So when I heard that Author Scott Bury, who's been a friend of mine for a number of years, was releasing a new non-fiction novel I was more than interested in taking a peek.  I knew what to expect.  Scott can write.  He's a pro. His work is smooth, professionally edited, exciting and it draws a reader in.  You know, the kind that pulls you in as the hours melt away.  Yeah... he's got it like that.  SO here it is... I'm proud to show you the cover reveal of Scott's newest baby, Army of Worn Soles.  Take a look inside and you'll soon discover what it's like to take a walk in a past riddled with fear, horror, and the decency of men.
     

http://www.amazon.com/Army-Worn-Soles-Scott-Bury-ebook/dp/B00L3CNE0M/


Excerpt ten from Army of Worn Soles

The Army of Worn Soles launch blog tour continues! Read to the end for the clue that will help you win the Grand Prize of a signed paperback copy of Army of Worn Soles plus a $50 Amazon gift card. If you collect all the clues and put them in the right order, they’ll make a sentence. Send the sentence to the author for a chance to win and autographed paperback copy of Army of Worn Soles plus a gift certificate from Amazon.
For a chance to enter the early-bird draw, enter the clue at the bottom of the post in the Comments section.
To see where the blog tour stops next, and to find the next clue, visit the author’s blog, Written Words.

Chapter 7: Barbarossa

Kyiv, Ukraine, 1941
Maurice squinted through a narrow window-slit in an armoured rail car, trying to get a clear view of their situation. “Kyiv. The enemy’s in Kyiv,” someone said behind him.
“How the fuck do you know it’s Kyiv?” someone else said.
“I grew up in Danyts’kyi. I know what Kyiv looks like.”
“The city is on fire,” a third man said. “The Germans have reached Kyiv already.”
All Maurice could see were houses and fields. The train crawled forward like a dying, groaning beast. He pressed his face against the shaking wall of the car, but could not see much other than the buildings along the track.
The view opened up briefly as they entered a rail yard then pulled up beside another train. Maurice saw men climbing out of wagons and unloading weapons, equipment, carts, supplies and horses. Officers and commissars strode and shouted. From overhead, he heard planes droning and roaring.
He turned away from the scene outside as the train slowed more. As its noise subsided, he heard more from outside: banging and clanging, orders yelled and acknowledged.
In front of Maurice were eleven men, his command. He had met them two days ago at the Okhtyrka train station, and he struggled to remember all their names. They were all Ukrainian, as was the rest of the company—except for the commissars. Maurice scanned over them. Vasylko looked bored, Yosyp nervous, Alexey terrified. Between them were their crates of supplies, two-wheeled carts, ammunition and two dismantled anti-tank guns.
The train groaned, shuddered and threw everyone aboard forward then back, then forward again as it stopped. “Get off me, asshole,” someone said. Someone else apologized. The door slid open to admit blinding sunshine and the tumult of an army assembling. Commissars ran along the train, banging on the wooden cars and yelling. “Out. Get off the train and assemble ready for action.”
Two men shoved a ramp out the wagon doors. It was really just boards hammered together, sitting on the edge of the wagon, not attached to anything. The men picked up sacks and boxes and ran out, or in teams pulled out carts and heavy crates.
“Come on, boys, off the train,” Maurice said.
My first order, he thought.
“Vasylko, Yosyp, Alexey, Myron, take the guns.” His men scrambled, picked up their things and joined the chaos of men and equipment pushing down the ramp.
Maurice saw two of his men reach the ground and look around, unsure of what to do among the throngs pushing in every direction. “Keep our equipment together, get it set up for transport,” he shouted to two men on the ground. Basil and Lev?
In the torrent of voices of men and horses and machine noise, a new drone pulled Maurice’s eyes up. Beyond the rail yard, empty fields fell down toward the Dnipro River, and beyond that, the city of Kyiv. Above, in the blue sky, two airplanes flew straight toward them.
“Messerschmidts,” someone yelled as the planes’ drone became a scream. The chaos of an army disembarking from trains became panic.
The planes were almost on top of them in seconds. Dust and dirt puffed up from the ground in twin rows, ripping toward the trains. Maurice did not have time to think. “They’re strafing us.” Men fell, screaming.
Maurice jumped to the right in the same instant he saw the wooden side of the wagon burst. He felt a scorching pain across his left leg, just below the knee. He hit the ground, rolled and found he could not stand up.
Two of his men ran to him. “Lieutenant, you’re hit,” one shouted over the din. Anti-aircraft guns boomed. Little black clouds cracked uselessly after the Messerschmidts. Somewhere, an equally useless machine-gun rattled. The Messers banked, graceful as eagles as they turned away to the west. 


About the book:

 

1941: Their retreat across Ukraine wore their boots out—and they kept going.
Three months after drafting him, the Soviet Red Army throws Maurice Bury, along with millions of other under-trained men, against the juggernaut of Nazi Germany's Operation Barbarossa, the assault on the USSR.
Army of Worn Soles tells the true story of a Canadian who had to find in himself a way to keep himself alive—and the men who followed him.
It is available in e-book form exclusively on Amazon.

About the author:
Scott Bury is a journalist, editor and novelist based in Ottawa, Canada. He has written for magazines in Canada, the US, the UK and Australia.
He is author of The Bones of the Earth, a fantasy set in the real time and place of eastern Europe of the sixth century; One Shade of Red, a humorous erotic romance;
a children’s short story, Sam, the Strawb Part (proceeds of which are donated to an autism charity), and other stories.
Scott Bury lives in Ottawa with his lovely, supportive and long-suffering wife, two mighty sons and two pesky cats.
He can be found online at www.writtenword.ca, on his blog, Written Words, on Amazon, on Twitter @ScottTheWriter, and on Facebook.
Today’s clue: of


 

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Friday, June 20, 2014

Check out this Great Character Interview with the wolf Sasha from Author Diane Rapp's newest novel The Alphas!



It’s my pleasure today to welcome the one and only, talented Diane Rapp, author of The Alpha’s, her newest book and prequel to the Heirs to the Throne Trilogy

 

Today’s interview will be a character interview with the female wolf, Sasha.

 

Thank you so much for being here today, Diane, and bringing Sasha with you.

 

Diane:  It’s our pleasure to meet with you.  As you can see, Sasha is a beautiful black wolf with golden eyes.  She’s the Alpha female leader of her pack.  Since Sasha uses mind-speak to communicate, I’ll help translate your questions and reply with her answers.

 

 

Sasha, how would you describe your upbringing?  Where did it take place, who raised you, and were you raised with siblings?  A pack?  Etc.

 

All wolves are raised in a pack and our pack’s territory is the mountains of a place you call Colorado.  The pack is a wonderful family unit, filled with brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles.  Each pack member fills a valuable function, guided by our pack leaders who share the wisdom of their Ancestor Minds.  This is the way we pass on knowledge through each generation.

 

I notice you use the word “we” when referring yourself.  Can you explain why?

  http://smarturl.it/5xa3a0

 

When a wolf hosts the Ancestor Minds of a dying pack member, the living host is joined by many identities who lived in previous host bodies.  We become one entity, but there are many minds inside of us.  The living host controls the host body but listens to advice and history from the Ancestor Voices.  We take the name of the Ancestor Line and speak for everyone after we become a host.

 

Would you say you like, or dislike humans?

 

Both.  We like our human friends, Henry and Sandra, who help the pack, but the humans from Zebulon keep us prisoner.  They wish to use our abilities to benefit their company, so we don’t like them much.

 

What is it about humans that most surprises you?

 

We do not understand selfish humans who act cruel to weaker animals.  Wolves kill prey animals to feed the pack, but we do not play with them or make them suffer.  We usually pick prey that is weak and ready to die, so this helps the herd.  Natural balance is important for all animals.

 

What has been your most traumatic experience?

 

You will read in our story about the mountain lion who attacked us.  We thought we’d lost our mate’s Ancestor Minds and felt very frightened.  It is dangerous to hunt in the wild and we usually keep our designated host at our side to take our minds if needed.  The humans kept our hosts trapped in a pen and we were vulnerable.  Read the story and you will understand our fear.

 

What is your favorite place to be and why?

 

As a pack leader we feel happiest teaching the cubs in our den.  New life is precious and we enjoy feeling the spark of little minds learning to touch each other.  Teaching them the lessons from the Ancestors means the pack thrives in good times and in bad.

 

Do you feel that you easily trust?

 

Using mind-speak allows us to know the truth because it comes directly from the mind.  It is impossible to lie when we hear the very thoughts of an intelligent being.  For many years we wondered if humans could be intelligent because their thoughts were so jumbled.  When we finally made contact with Henry and Sandra, we found true and faithful friends.  We do not trust the humans who work for Zebulon, and you will understand why after you read our story.

 

Where does your devotion and focus lie most of the time?

 

The pack is most important.  As a pack leader, it is my duty to pass on the knowledge we get from our Ancestor Minds and to keep the pack safe.  These Zebulon humans are a great danger to the pack.

 

If you could change one thing about humans, what would it be?

 

We hope that humans can learn to respect all creatures, even those who might appear less intelligent.  Each creature fills a valuable role in the world.  Humans often cause damage in their arrogance and hurt the natural balance.

 

What is one strength that humankind possesses that you admire?

 

Humans make and use tools.  We marvel at the machines that they use and would like to learn that skill.  Once we learn a skill, wolves never lose that knowledge since the Ancestors help us keep wisdom through generations.

 

How do you feel about communication skills of humans?

 

Most humans are pitiful at speaking.  They use barking sounds and their bodies don’t show proper signs.  Of course their ears don’t move and they don’t have tails, so they have a disadvantage.  Human thoughts are often filled with nonsense.  If humans quietly listened and paid attention to nature, they might learn valuable lessons.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

We hope your readers will enjoy our story.  The adventure continues in Diane Rapp’s novel HOWL OF THE WOLF, which is the first book in her HEIRS TO THE THRONE TRILOGY.  You will meet the wolves who help their humans friends survive on the planet Drako. 

 

Thank you Sasha and Diane for visiting with us today and sharing your experiences with us.

 


Who is Author Diane Rapp?
Check back later this week to find out more about this talented author and her other novels. 


You can find The Alphas at :   http://smarturl.it/5xa3a0