Winner of the 2021 Electric Eclectic Novella Prize
Lauren West and Ben Hughes are saving frantically for their forthcoming marriage and mortgage deposit. When Lauren sees an advert online from a firm of brokers extolling the profits to be gained by buying and selling Bitcoins, she is interested enough to pursue it further.
Lauren clicks on the advert. She is soon contacted by Paul Cash, a knowledgeable stockbroker whom Lauren trusts straight away. He is affable, plausible, and seemed genuinely interested in her welfare. Lauren looks forward to making enough money to be able to surprise Ben and bring the date of their wedding forward, and also to put a deposit down on their ideal house.
What could possibly go wrong?
An Electric Eclectic book, published by Crimson Cloak Publishing
Stevie Turner is a British author of romantic suspense, humour, paranormal stories, and women’s fiction family dramas.
She is a cancer survivor and lives in the same picturesque Suffolk village she and her husband Sam moved to in 1991 with their two boys. Her boys are now grown, and she and Sam have 5 lovely grandchildren.
Stevie Turner’s debut novel ‘Mind Games’ was self-published in October 2013 and took her 30 years to write. Stevie now had the writing bug big time!
Her serious suspense/ thriller ‘A House Without Windows, won a New Apple Book Award in 2014, and a Readers’ Favorite Gold Award in 2015.
The screenplay ‘For the Sake of a Child’, won Stevie a silver award in the 2017 Depth of Field International Film Festival.
Now SCAM! championed the EE Novella Fiction Prize.
Dark MC romance 18+ due to graphic and explicit scenes. Book 4 of the OUTLAW series (stand-alone)
Expect murder, mischief, and mayhem.
Beautiful and yet scarred, Gem works in a supermarket living the safe life she has chosen after surviving a violent past running with an outlaw motorcycle club. Excitement beckons in the form of a handsome biker named Shep, who introduces her to the rest of his legit racing club, Rage. However, members of Rage won’t accept Gem until she’s proven herself, and Shep sees her as no more than a trophy for his drugged up ego. Gem then makes the mistake of getting involved in Rage’s illegal activities, which then lands her back in the arms of an outlaw motorcycle club and a deadly conclusion.
“West has called you out. You’re racing tonight. Be at the pub by nine.”
This is what the club had been waiting for. My race against West was gonna bring in some big bucks, and I wasn’t about to lose. I had a name, street cred, and a reputation as a winner, and now West wanted a piece of me. I’d know how much Blade put on me when I got my ten percent, I thought hungrily. I wanted this. I could already taste the victory.
I met up with Blade in the bar and he pulled me to one side.
“You’ve won four out of four races,” he said. “Now I want you to lose.”
I stared at him. “You want me to lose?” I repeated.
“Yes.”
“How much you putting on this race?” I asked.
“Enough. Listen, this is between us, understand?”
“Yes and no,” I answered.
“Don’t make it look too easy. I don’t want Rage accused of fixing the race. It’s got to be a close call. Here’s five hundred,” he whispered and put a roll of money in my fist. No one saw the exchange. “And you still get your ten percent, okay?”
“Okay,” I said.
I didn’t know where Blade was going with this. I wanted to keep up my winning record, but he was the president and, as a member of Rage, I had to follow his orders.
Although there were other members racing that night, mine was the one everyone was talking about and would continue talking about, after I lost the race. I was not looking forward to it. Everyone was rooting for me, and I was about to let them all down, apart from Blade. Five hundred pounds. Five hundred pounds, I kept repeating in my head.
There were loads of spectators already waiting when we got to the rendezvous point. Word must have gotten out.
West was sitting on his Ducati with a big grin on his face and two blondes standing on either side of him. I wished I could wipe that smile off his face, but I knew he’d be shouting about his win for weeks, months even. I turned my sight back to the bike in front and followed the convoy through the deluge of spectators.
I was first up. It was such an anticipated race that no one was willing to wait or interested in watching other racers. I saw a lot of money exchange hands as I suited up. Sitting on my bike, waiting for the flag to drop, my heart was racing. Adrenaline was pumping, but this time it wasn’t because of the coming rush. Inside, I was furious. I could take West. There’d be no contest.
While I was trying to get into the ‘zone’, I pictured another race with West; this time, I won, and as I had lost the last, the stakes had been raised. I pictured myself with a helmet full of notes. A thought occurred. Blade was a smart man; maybe this was just the beginning of the hustle.
As soon as the flag dropped, my bike flew. I was already in the lead, and, from my mirror, I saw West closing the gap. The blur of spectators passed, and then it was just me and the road ahead. I allowed him to come alongside me. It was best if it looked like a dead heat. Man, I was so close, I could taste the victory. I needed to ease off slowly, but my body had other ideas. My grip was frozen.
I could see the finish line. My heart was pounding. My breath stuck in my chest. I managed to move my fingers, and that’s when West’s front tyre overtook mine and crossed the line first.
I slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop.
“—-, —-!” I yelled, banging my fists on the tank. I wanted to throw my bike down in disgust, but it wasn’t her fault. Instead, I rode over to the side and parked the bike before taking my helmet off and throwing it on the ground. For good measure, I kicked it across the road. Anyone in the vicinity could hear my verbal abuse. They kept their distance. It was obvious I was upset, but not for the reason they thought.
Blade found me leaning against a wall, my arms crossed tight against my chest.
“I know that must have been hard,” he said.
“You’ve no —— idea,” I spat, and then walked away from him.
Doc then came jogging over. “What happened, Gem?”
“He had a better bike,” I said.
“Did he?”
I saw the look in his eyes. He knew the truth.
“Come on,” he said, nudging my shoulder. “I’m racing next, and I need your support.”
I smiled. He didn’t need me. He had enough support. However, I stood at the starting line to watch him and even put a small bet on him. I knew he’d win for me. Out of elation, I ran up to him and planted a hard kiss on his lips. Doc pulled me to him. His mouth opened, and we kissed fervently. I had never felt anything like it. My stomach turned in a good way. It went right down to my —-. The hairs on my arms stood up, and I swear I saw a spark. I loved the taste of him, and I wanted more. I had never felt so much passion from one kiss. Whistles from our audience broke the special moment. We stepped away but couldn’t take our eyes off one another.
“Whoa!” I spoke.
“My sentiment exactly,” Doc replied breathlessly.
“About bloody time,” Blade shouted.
I don’t know about Doc, but I had a huge grin on my face and was red from embarrassment.
“Come back to my place,” Doc whispered. I nodded and boy, did my heart race.
A Winning Novella From The Electric Eclectic Writing Contest
Below Torrential Hill
It’s Christmas, and strange occurrences are plaguing the small town of Torrential Hill: a supernatural comet, undead insects, exploding streetlights, and a presence luring people into the woods. But when the mother of Tristen—a wistful, fatherless sixteen-year-old boy—hears voices from the kitchen sink, all he can think of is running away. Desperate to be freed of her sorrow, Tristen runs to the place holding his last childhood memory; beckoned by a voice in the woods, only to return to his father’s death site. Are these woods the source of his mother’s despair and the town’s supernatural occurrences? Do these woods somehow contain the cure to his own spiraling sanity?
Meet The Author
Jonathan Koven grew up on Long Island, NY, embraced by tree-speak, tide’s rush, and the love and support of his family. He holds a BA in English and Creative Writing from American University works as a technical writer and is Toho Journal’s head fiction editor and workshop coordinator. He lives in Philadelphia with his best friend and future wife Delana, and cats Peanut Butter and Keebler.
It would result in chaos. But this is what Joshua Panttelerocso did.
Let me tell you something about Josh, I call him this after the name of his podcast Just Joshing. Josh is one of the most honest, open, and positive person I’ve had the pleasure to meet.
We have talked many times and he always leaves me in awe. I’d love to know what his IQ is!
Another thing you need to know is his mind is crazy. Full, of whacky ideas, Take for instance his latest release. Alice in wonderland mixed with Greek mythology and then instead of it being a novel, he writes it as a long poem.
Josh goes over the limit of imagination in this whimsical rendition of what was once Alice in wonderland. He turns everything upside down the characters are there, the gods and infamous legends of Greek mythology are there, but neither are who you know them to be. Josh has twisted and framed the dream-like tale into something that should be impossible but will make total sense.
If only the idea of wanting to become an author had never entered her mind.
If only she’d never met Alex.
That one meeting had caused an avalanche of fate to clash with a dangerous destiny that forced Liz Finely to become the most wanted woman in the world. Stalked by three deadly mafia bosses, Liz has to learn to survive. Passed from one brutal hand to another, tortured, and abused, it’s her blood, her name, which lands her in trouble each time.
Now it’s up to Liz to find the strength to accept and become who she’s meant to be, and finally, break the chains that bind her.
Please note: This book is adult only due to graphic scenes of sex and violence.
Excerpt
Liz was dreading meeting the “family” as he called them and certainly had no appetite. Her nerves were messed up and it wasn’t until Maria came into the room to help her dress, that she realised she had stayed in bed staring at the wall for hours. She had no idea it was so late. Her stomach churned.“May I give you some advice?” Maria said softly in Italian. Liz nodded.
“Don’t speak unless they ask a question. Don’t look them in the eye. Keep your head down, eat quietly and be respectful. They don’t know you. They won’t trust you and you need to earn their respect, but they will expect respect from you right away.”
“Grazie. Capisco.”
(Thank you. I understand)
Maria picked out a red knee-length skater dress. It was modest and covered her arms. Liz still has fading bruises on her face and her fingers were still sore and swollen. She had difficulty holding a hairbrush and her hands didn’t have the strength to get the tangles out of her hair, so Maria combed her hair and put it half up and half down, then curled the tips. Mascara and a little lip gloss finished off her look. Wearing flat silver shoes, she followed Maria downstairs and then stopped outside the office door.
“The Boss wants to speak with you before dinner.”
Maria touched Liz’s arm. “Good luck.”
“Grazie,” Liz answered, and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
“Entra,” Marco called out.
Liz walked inside the office, with her head down and stood beside his desk.
“Please sit,” he said. “You may look up. Before we go to dinner there is one small matter we need to address. I’m sure you know what the Omertà is?”
Liz swallowed before answering. “It’s a code of silence.”
Marco nodded. “That is correct. Do you know what will happen if you break the Omertà?”
“I and anyone I have talked to about your business will be killed.”
Marco slid a piece of paper over to her and gave her his fountain pen. “Good, then sign and we can go to dinner.”
Her hands shook as she took the pen, knowing if she signed, she was giving her oath and life to the Italian mafia. Then again, if she refused to sign, Marco would probably pull out his gun and shoot her where she stood.
Taking a deep breath, she signed on the dotted line above Marco’s signature.
Review Quotes
“I loved it. The story to me was amazing. Very well written and it really kept my interest all the way to the end.”
“So many twists. You kept me guessing right to the end.”
“The story behind all the violence held my interest until the end. “
“You show Liz’s true strength of character in the well written novel with hot erotic scenes while her torture was realistic and cringe worthy.”
Karina Kantas is an award-winning prolific author of 14 titles. Including the gritty MC thriller series, OUTLAW and the exciting YA fantasy duology, Illusional Reality. She’s also a Podcaster, BookTuber, Radio Host, YouTuber and runs Author Assist, helping authors with their marketing and promotion – among other things.
There are many layers to Karina’s writing style and voice, as you will see in her flash fiction collection, Heads & Tales and in UNDRESSED she opens up more to her fans, giving them another glimpse into her warped mind.
Karina writes in the genres of fantasy, MC romance, Young Adult. sci-fi, horror, thrillers and comedy, romance, PNR, dystopian and erotica, dark mafia romance.
You can find her on Facebook and Twitter, where she loves hanging out with her readers.
Titles to date:
***The OUTLAW series***
In Times of Violence, Huntress, Lawless Justice, Road Rage
***Collections***
Heads & Tales, UNDRESSED, A Flash of Horror
In Times of Violence Young Adult Edition / MC romance
Stone Cold / YA supernatural thriller
Audiobook Stone Cold
Toxic/dystopian erotica
Broken Chains – Dark mafia romance
***Illusional Reality duology***
Illusional Reality / Clean romantic fantasy The Quest/fantasy paranormal romance, Illusional Reality – The duology, Audiobook Illusional Reality
A woman is dead, and another is missing. The only person who can save her is Cassie. With no clues and time running out, her brother, Detective Newbold, desperately needs her help. He is counting on Cassie’s clairvoyant and empathic abilities to locate Chantelle.
When Chantelle’s brother, Pedro, seeks out a psychic for help, he meets and falls for Cassie. Though he wants answers, neither Cassie nor Detective Newbold can give any, which complicates their relationship. To make matters worse, his overbearing mother adds further damage with her meddling.
Meanwhile, the killer has been caught, but he refuses to talk. Now, it’s up to Cassie to read the signs and rescue her lover’s sister.
The Killer on the Heath is the first of a forthcoming trilogy.
Meet Cassie, the main protagonist in a character interview on the blog of J. M. Northup
He could be anywhere, I realised. He might be striding down this very street, seemingly normal. That’s what made him even more dangerous. He could be choosing another victim from the crowd while everyone else just thought him to be a regular guy. They wouldn’t know what he’s done, or the life he’s taken for his own gratification.’
I considered how and why people could be so cruel to each other. When I’d asked Seb, he’d said, “Not everyone’s wired the same. Some people think what they’re doing is okay.”“How is that possible?” I’d asked him.
“Take Plinth,” he continued, “being brought up by parents who didn’t give a damn and mistreated him set the stage for the man he’d become. He didn’t have a proper standard to compare to, and the power he enjoyed only reaffirmed his beliefs.”’
“You can stop that right now!” A shrill voice crashed into us, throwing us apart guiltily. His mother stood in the doorway, disapproval written all over her face. For a fraction of a second, her eyes lingered on my chest where my nipple stood erect. Once more she had caught me in a compromising position. I felt like a child being found doing something I shouldn’t. What is it with this woman? Couldn’t she have waited until we returned?!’
‘The original short story was born in 2018. I liked it, and wrote another and another. I soon had a collection of short stories.’
According to songwriter and author Robert Boog, Shakespeare may not have been the writer we always believed him to be. And that there is evidence that the playwright Shakespeare, was bipolar.
Let’s just stop for a minute. I hold my hand up, as do many authors, to admitting that we suffer for our creativity. Most writers suffer from depression and most fiction authors hear voices in our heads. Which makes us a little schizo.
The depression takes us to a dark place where the writing is gold, and the voices we hear are our characters leading us the right way or having a go at us for putting them in a situation that the character would never have got into… Have I lost you yet? Bear with me. If we authors go through these periods of mental anguish and what we refer to as being in the “zone,” then if Shakespeare or any other writer went through the same thing back in those days, would they be thought of as being mentally insane?
So could Shakespeare have been bipolar? Yes, he could have. If you look at his work: the sonnets, the plays, most are very dark tragic, and even the comedies are so ‘out there.’ That in that era, he could have been mentally ill.
Robert believes that the author of the plays and sonnets didn’t want to be attached to the work and allowed someone else to take the credit.
In this episode of Behind The Pen. I go behind Robert’s songwriting to the screenplays he’s written, and then we discuss his latest book Shakeys Madness. Enjoy.
Get ready to meet the aliens that are returning to Alpha Earth.
In 2040, a spaceship lands in Jamaica with six aliens aboard—two from Beta-Earth, four from Cerapin-Earth. Four of the aliens have the same father, “The Blind Alien” from our planet, Alpha-Earth.
Twenty years in the future, the aliens will encounter a planet decimated by the effects of global warming and the devastating waves of weaponized plagues released by the Everlasting Caliphate, the largest network of Islamic terrorists ever assembled.
After decades of all this destruction, how will Alpha-Earth react to the news we are not alone and that other earths worship other gods unknown on our planet? How can we repress the news even after hundreds of Jamaicans share videos of the historic landing all over the world? How can the aliens find a place for themselves when they become hunted fugitives on the run in the American wilderness?
In this stand-alone addition to the Beta-Earth Chronicles, meet an entirely new cast of characters. Join them as they escape human persecution across the former United States in a surprising and deadly chase. Who will give them shelter and protection from a frightened planet?
Dr. Wesley Britton is the author of four non-fiction books, Spy Television (2003), Beyond Bond: Spies in Fiction and Film (2005), Onscreen and Undercover: The Ultimate Book of Movie Espionage (2006), and The Encyclopedia of TV Spies (2009).
Starting in fall 2015, his science fiction/ mystery/ espionage series, The Beta-Earth Chronicles debuted with the ground-breaking The Blind Alien. Throughout 2016 to 2019, six sequels followed including The Blood of Balnakin, When War Returns, A Throne for an Alien, The Third Earth, and Alpha Tales 2044. Alpha Tales was his first collection of Beta-Earth short stories, Behind Alien Lines, followed. One more volume is in the works as new stories are coming out regularly.
Britton earned his doctorate in American Literature at the University of North Texas in 1990. From 2007 to 2015, he was co-host of online radio’s “Dave White Presents” broadcast over KSAV.org. For DWP, Wesley contributed interviews with authors, musicians, actors, and many entertainment insiders.
Wesley taught English at Harrisburg Area Community College until his retirement in 2016. Blind due to the progressive genetic disease retiniteous pigmentosa. Wesley served on the Board of Directors for Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania for 14 years. He has been writing book reviews for sites like BlogCritics.org and BookPleasures.com for many years.
The Blind Alien won the 2020 Recommended Read award from Author Shout.
Find out more about the Beta-Earth Chronicles at: Website
Sign up for our monthly Beta-Earth newsletter to get all the news of the multi-verse, get some seriously cool freebies, and stay in contact with Wesley. Sign up here
View the snazzy Beta Earth Chronicles videos at: YouTube
Note to reviewers and bloggers: if you would like to talk with Wesley about reviews, cross-promos and interviews you can email him at spywise@verizon.net.
I had the opportunity to chat with young and upcoming rap and hip hop artist 7o BENZO (pronounced seven o benzo)
His latest album Hood Quote which was released in February this year has a mixture of styles from freestyling to collaborations with other rappers. However, what makes 7oBenzo and this album more amazing is that he produced, mixed and made this album by himself whilst in lockdown. Using his small make shift studio in his living room and beat pad for his instrumental sounds, this whole album was created in lockdown and produced by just one person.
You can listen to the tracks on the album here. Some of the songs are raw with emotion and energy, others are a little bit more laid back, however, all the tracks use explicit language and many of the lyrics refer to violence. So that’s the only warning I’m going to give. I found 7oBenzo to be polite, and just talking to him displayed how much passion he has for rap and making music and being able to pull off making an album in his living room, just goes to show how talented he is. Please watch this interview and get to know the man Behind The Pen.
Michael Scott Grant doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to his new novel Mulholland Men. With a background of script writing, being a stand up comedian, and having family that are known well in the courts, Michael was ready to write a controversial book about some of the biggest issues in America.
A magician kidnaps a police officer against the backdrop of BLM and uses him to close cold cases, pretending to be a psychic, becoming famous, even dating the imprisoned cop’s wife until he comes up against the case that could change is whole life forever, IF he doesn’t get caught first.
I had the opportunity to chat with Michael about his novel. He’s so real, honest and passionate about his book. The causes he’s writing about makes this book controversial and he is hoping that it will be noticed and read by the RIGHT people, that through this book he gets the message out. And he’s not just supporting these charities by writing about these issues in his thriller, but he’s giving them profits made from sales via his website.
On his website, there is also the opportunity to donate to one or all three of these charities, to read reviews, order the book, and also find information on how to contact Michael.
Explosive Writer 