Book Tour Schedule

Here's the schedule for Barry Nelson's OBLITERATION virtual book tour http://www.enchantedbookpromotions.com/th_gallery/book-tour-for-obliteration/

April 15^th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

April 15^th: Promo Post @ Nat’s Book Nook

April 17^th: Book Excerpt @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

April 19^th: Book Review @ The Single Librarian

April 20^th: Book Excerpt @ Indy Book Fairy

April 22^nd: Author Interview @ Literary Musing

The McKenzie Files, Book 3: Obliteration

Barry K. Nelson's third book in the series THE MCKENZIE FILES is now available!

OBLITERATION
THE MCKENZIE FILES, BOOK 3
Barry K. Nelson
Fiction: Science Fiction, Military/War, Adventure 

The three reprogrammed Brelac Reploids forming the special team Silencers still faithfully serve the United Protectorate under the watchful monitoring of the Central Intelligence Division. Stationed on Maseklos Prime, Colin McKenzie, Diane Christy, and Kelly Lytton are called to a hostage scene and end up with clues that lead to the elusive Dr. Arthur Trevors. Although initially a traitor who worked undercover with the Brelac, Trevors was in large part responsible for the capture and reprogramming of Colin, Diane, and Kelly so they could serve their current function as weapons for the Protectorate.

The war with the Brelac is not going well, and the Silencers are given an advanced warp-drive ship and sent beyond their home quadrant, Poseidon, to the last known coordinates of a missing ship. Their mission is to locate the missing ship, part of an original task force of five ships sent out to find other human colonies and enlist their help with the war against the Brelac.

As soon as Colin and his team leave the quadrant, they run into trouble, and things go downhill from there. They find themselves in the midst of a war between local factions on a planet far from home and feel obliged to aid the human faction against a clearly superior force that seems to have help from a monster who leaves a wake of death and destruction wherever it goes. The more they find out, the weirder things get, and they end up stranded with no way home, much less any hope of completing their original mission to find the lost task force ship.

This new enemy they face seems invincible, and they wonder if they’ll survive as everything and everyone around them is destroyed. Maybe this time not even their Reploid powers will save them. But what other hope does humanity have?

Available now in ebook at Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Amazon. Also available in print at Amazon.

Sci Fi author interview - Barry K. Nelson

Barry K. Nelson, author of THE MCKENZIE FILES science fiction series, has completed three books in the series, THE MCKENZIE FILES, and ASSASSINATION ANXIETY, BOOK 2 OF THE MCKENZIE FILES. The third book, OBLITERATION, is in publishing production right now.

Barry was recently interviewed by THE INKWELL. Check out the interview and stay tuned for OBLITERATION, BOOK 3 OF THE MCKENZIE FILES!

http://attheinkwell.com/how-a-comic-book-junkie-turned-serial-sci-fi-author/

Movie Review - OBLIVION

We don't normally do movie reviews as a regular feature on our blog, but since I took a little time off this weekend for some R&R and went to see a movie I found entertaining, thought I would share some thoughts on it...

-Pat Morrison, Penumbra Publishing editor

OBLIVION


2hr 5min‎‎ - Rated PG-13‎‎ - Action/Adventure/Scifi/Fantasy‎
Director: Joseph Kosinski - Cast: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Jack Harper is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack's mission is nearly complete. Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

I enjoyed this movie a lot. Of course I am a science-fiction junkie, so I will go see about anything that doesn't have blood-dripping monsters or chainsaws in it. I have seen a lot of sci-fi stinkers, but I felt that this particular movie was well-crafted, well-acted, and suspenseful, with an element of surprise I didn't see coming. That's always a nice bonus when I don't figure out the storyline right at the beginning of the movie. Of course I had suspicions, but didn't guess the extent of the surprise until the 'reveal moment.'

My background and take on the story...

The title of the movie, OBLIVION, is obscure enough to give no clue about the storyline and leave it wide open for anything to happen. However, a look at the meaning of the word 'oblivion' indicates 'a state of forgetting or being oblivious,' and that begins to make sense as the movie progresses.

The Earth's moon has been destroyed by an alien invasion force, causing massive tidal waves and earthquakes and other destructive natural disasters that wiped out most of the human population. After humans managed to win the war, survivors were sent to an orbital space station, awaiting transport to Jupiter's moon Titan to establish a human colony there. Jack Harper and his lovely female partner make up a team, part of a skeleton cleanup crew left on Earth to monitor and maintain water-extraction equipment that is draining ruined Earth of its last precious remaining resource, to be transported to Titan for use by the new human colony.

Jack and his partner are scheduled to leave in two weeks. But meanwhile they must continue to maintain the security drones that are stationed to protect the water-extraction units from Scavs, renegade aliens still prowling Earth and causing mischief after the war. 'Command' monitors the maintenance team and warns of impending dangers while in orbital contact. When the station is out of contact, Jack and his partner are left on their own in a sky-high fortress with all-glass walls, equipped with high-tech communication and monitoring equipment - and a see-through swimming pool!

Jack and his partner don't remember anything about the war, because their memories have been 'wiped' for security reasons so they can focus on their task before final transport to Titan. But Jack wonders why, if humans won the war, they have to leave their home. The destruction is massive in places, but he has discovered a hidden place that is an idyllic paradise. And then there are the bothersome dreams he keeps having of a woman he saw at the Empire State Building before the war, before it was reduced to a shell of rubble.

When a ship module identified as human in origin breeches the atmosphere and crashes, he goes against orders to investigate. And what he finds makes him begin to doubt everything he's been told by Command.

At the heart of this movie is a slowly unfolding love story. This is clearly a Cruise-focused movie, but Freeman makes a nice contribution in his small support role, and the storyline is surprising enough to hold interest. I highly recommend this film if you are a fan of Tom Cruise, or Morgan Freeman (as I am), or sci-fi (as I am). Even if you are none of those, I think you will appreciate this movie. It is not too 'techie' to turn off general viewers, but has just enough sci-fi to satisfy those looking for that fix. You'll see plenty of remnants of iconic images a la  Planet of the Apes - without the apes or Charlton Heston. Enjoy!

New Scifi Book Release - STATUS QUO by Mark Rosendorf

STATUS QUO
by Mark Rosendorf
Fiction: Science Fiction

College student Alexander Copeland worked as an assistant for astronomer Gordon Maxwell. Alex was offered the opportunity of a lifetime – to join a small civilian crew and travel to outer space to investigate a mysterious wormhole presumed to have been created by an alien species. But the top-secret government division sponsoring Dr. Maxwell’s research abruptly canceled the expedition and closed down the entire project.

Seven years later, twenty-five-year-old Alex, working as a New York inner-city junior high school science teacher, is contacted by the same arrogant government project director who tells him the original space expedition has been revived. Alex is offered a seat on an advanced space shuttle christened Status Quo, set to go through the wormhole. But Alex is immediately suspicious. After seven years, why is the project suddenly on again?

Alex’s new shipmates only add to his anxiety. Sara Maxwell, gifted daughter of the late Dr. Maxwell, has spent the last seven years in a mental institution. The ship’s pilot is a teenage boy whose only flight experience is on a simulator. The pilot’s mother, also chosen as a crewmember, is supposedly psychic. The ship’s doctor is a novice who wants nothing to do with the mission. A troubled teenage girl on the brink of suicide is also accepted as part of the crew. There’s even a convicted murderer and a cat aboard. Absolutely no one chosen for this mission has any sort of astronaut training or experience. And worst of all, the project director’s agenda appears to be making sure that the ship and all aboard never return to Earth.

It’s a conspiracy that leaves these lost souls stranded in a strange galaxy with a damaged ship surrounded by threats both human and alien. Even if this group worked together and managed to survive, could they – would they – return to the uncaring world that sent them to space to die? With the alternative looking exceedingly grim, the journey of Status Quo seems doomed. Or is it? 

Available now in print and ebook at our web site and at popular online retailers like Amazon and Smashwords...

DISNEY BUYS STAR WARS

DISNEY BUYS STAR WARS

by Walter Knight
 

The Disney Corporation bought George Lucas's film company for $4 billion, and plans to make a seventh Star Wars film for 2015. Does it get better than that? This guarantees Star Wars will be passed on to the next generation of young movie goers. Truly, in a galaxy far far away ... it's a small world after all.

Disney's recent interest in science fiction (John Carter) and now this Star Wars announcement bodes well for the science fiction genre.

I am particularly interested in the Disney announcement because of the October release of my latest book, America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 16: Galactic Disney about building a Disney amusement park on a distant planet colony. I have fun with humanity using drones disguised as Tinkerbell pixies, Mickey Mouse carrying an assault rifle, and anti-aircraft sites hidden atop the 'Escape From Spider Mountain' rollercoaster ride. The evil aliens attempt to stop the Merry Rodent and his Mickey Mouse Club, but resistance is futile.

New Release - A MOON CALLED SUN by Christopher F. Cobb

A MOON CALLED SUN
Christopher F. Cobb
Science Fiction / Time Travel / Alien Abduction

Available now in ebook, coming soon in print

Mysterious disappearances have plagued humanity throughout Earth’s history. The Bermuda Triangle, spontaneous combustion, alien abductions – all farfetched theories, but possibly closer to the truth than anyone imagines.

In 1942, a young woman vanishes from a bar in war-torn France, leaving behind an abandoned suitcase and a pile of ashes. In 1967, a solitary accountant goes home after work, and all that’s left is a pile of ashes in his bed. In 7013, a diminutive scientist attempts a daring escape from a crumbling society inside the frozen Earth, only to become ash himself. But when Trace Jackson of Florida goes on a fishing excursion in his trusty boat, accompanied by his faithful dog Skiff, he gets more than he bargained for when he comes upon a Coast Guard cutter in distress.

When Trace awakens, he finds his boat beached in pure white sand, and Skiff is nowhere around. But things quickly get strange when a beautiful Seminole woman dressed in scraps of deerskin follows Skiff to greet him. Trace knows he’s not in Kansas anymore – not that he ever was – because this is just downright weird. And it just keeps getting weirder when he realizes he and his dog and boat have been transported to the Florida coast of 1818.

Can Trace hold onto the love of his life when his distant ancestor, General Andrew Jackson, is determined to drive the Seminoles from the land? Can Trace hold onto his sanity when he suffers increasingly disturbing hallucinations and takes advice from a talking osprey? Trace realizes there actually is an alien abduction behind all this – a botched one at that. And far, far away, in a place where time no longer has meaning, he meets his destiny ... on a moon called Sun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, Christopher Cobb eventually ventured off to the wilds of New York City for several years to experience the world of acting. Finding it a cruel and inhospitable world, he hid high in the Appalachian mountains of North Georgia for a time. Having grown weary of snow and perilous black ice, his life path took him back home to South Florida where he earned college degrees at Florida Atlantic University and ultimately landed rewarding employment for the State of Florida. He now lives with his wife, Melissa and his sons Grant and Joey in Port Saint Lucie, where foreclosures are outnumbered only by surly seniors on electric scooters. He is a member of the Bloody Pens writers group and the South Florida Writers Association. He loves his family (all of them!) and his dogs, Gizmo, Dudley and Magnum (all rescued!) and intends on writing more exciting books for publication. All this makes Christopher a very happy man indeed. Visit his web site at...

http://ChristopherFCobb.com

New Release - JIMMY STU LIVES!

JIMMY STU LIVES!
by Kent McDaniel
Science Fiction Fantasy Futuristic

Jimmy Stu Sloan has lost his faith. He's a pastor facing old age and eventual death, trying to hold things together for the sake of his burgeoning congregation, The Church of the Living Lord. Inspiration strikes on Easter Sunday morning, just as he's about to give his televised sermon. And, instead of speaking only of the resurrection of Christ, he makes a bid for his own resurrection in the future, vowing to move forward with plans for cryogenic preservation of his body. But when he awakens in the future to find himself young again and memories intact, he discovers not everyone's happy to see him back from the dead. In the hands of his second-in-command, his church has grown to become a political behemoth with more power than he thinks is right. Question is, will he live long enough to help change things back to the way they should be, with church and state remaining separate?
An exciting adventure featuring cover art by renowned comic book illustrator Joe Staton, available now in ebook at popular online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. Coming soon in print!

America's Galactic Foreign Legion Book 11 Cemetery City

Now available in ebook and coming soon in print!

America's Galactic Foreign Legion
Book 11 - Cemetery City
by Walter Knight
humorous science fiction

Colonel Lopez returns to planet New Colorado with an agenda - mining rare metals used in communications and weapons technology on which the USGF is so dependent. The only problem is, the ore vein is located across the border in Arthropodan territory. But Lopez has a plan to get around that little technicality, and it involves Major Joey R. Czerinski's chain of cemeteries. The spider commander takes offense at the Legion's claim-jumping, and Lopez gets caught in the middle of the fracas as the absurdity continues in the eleventh installment of the seriously screwy science fiction space saga.

Buy at Amazon


Buy at Barnes & Noble


Buy at Smashwords

Author Nova Sparks' DOME PARTY Wrap-up

Last Day of DOME PARTY Today...

Book giveaway ends, drop by for last chance to win an ebook copy of the sci-fi novel THE DOME.

TO WIN - follow one of Nova's blogs (addresses below her interview) and email us at penumbrapublishing@gmail.com so we can notify winners. Up to five copies of THE DOME will be given away to lucky responders chosen at random!

Title – THE DOME
Author – Nova Sparks
Genre – Science Fiction

Content – Language, drug references, sexual references

What if you knew the exact date and time the world will end, what would you do? Sam Tucker was faced with that dilemma when he began getting visions of the Earth's demise. Luckily for him, he was able to save his family and as many people as he could before the tragic event occurred, and he did so with the help of unknown visitors. With Earth now destroyed, Sam, his family and thousands of other lucky survivors must live the rest of their lives on a faraway planet in a Dome that simulates life on Earth. But Sam's mind can't seem to rest as a few questions arise. Why did the aliens save them? How did they know about Earth's sure fate? And exactly what are they hiding?

Emma Tucker begged for an escape from her boring life but never in a million years did she think it would come at the destruction of Earth. Living on a new planet and finding it difficult to get rid of her rebellious habits, Emma finds herself making friends with a member of the alien race and it soon develops into an unexplainable love; a love that is more dangerous than she could ever imagine. While her father is searching for his own truths, she has no idea that she is stumbling on a truth of her own.

Nova Sparks, author of The DOME

Sample or purchase The DOME (Book One of The DOME trilogy):

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64825

http://amzn.to/itzlO6

http://bit.ly/me1LxX