DARKENING DANGER: Read Excerpt

Miami, Florida


Michael Levine


My eyes open in the void of darkness surrounding me. My naked skin beaded with moisture chills to the bone. The perfect darkness elicits no sound except my own heartbeat and heavy breathing, no smells, and except my own fear, no one is here with me. From the darkness comes a light that separates and splits into innumerable floating squares. I am watching as they begin to move and oscillate around me, faster and faster... Reaching out to catch one, my hand is passing through its center and I see each transparent slip of light is actually a formula or equation. All of the answers sought by scientists and mathematicians are within my reach, but I can't even grasp one of them! What does this mean and why is it so damn familiar?

So many numbers are passing by me I can’t even focus on one group. Out of the oblivion comes a backdrop to the equation, photographic flashes of famine and devastation have me struggling not to close my eyes. The gray and white images of the sunken eyed people are frightening. Compounding my fears are the visions of the gruesome dry deserted terrain scattered with animal skeletons. Out of a squint, I look to see man’s greatest fear…Oh God, is it the past or the future? I can’t be sure. It reminds me of photos shot by Rothstein or Lange of the economic disaster during WWII and the great western droughts. Somehow a part of me knows this is the foreboding future mankind will face in the wake of the sun’s hiatus.

Sickened, giving into the pain, I double over. Opening my eyes, I recognize the more familiar blackened surroundings of my bedroom in Miami. I stumble out of bed in an awkward race to open the blackout drapes covering the French doors. In a state of madness, I pull them back and breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of the fiery ball rising above the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. I swing open the doors, walk out onto the veranda, and soak in the heat of the rays.

HIDDEN MOUNTAIN, READ EXCERPT

“Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth.”

— Mark Twain

Cover Design by William Kenney

In a matter of days, my life as a dedicated archeological anthropologist had emanated into a world engulfed by secrets, risks, and espionage. Amanda’s peculiar entrance into my once sterile intellectual world created nothing less than the perfect dichotomy. Hell, she was a dichotomy. Amanda’s unusual radiance intrigued me from the beginning. She is both benevolent and alluring to this day, this often confuses me. 

REVIEW: THE VIRTUAL KIBBUTZ: STORIES FROM A CHANGING SOCIETY by Ellis Shuman

What is a kibbutz?

A kibbutz is a Jewish owned communal settlement located in Israel. Originally, the general focus was agriculture. Today, the concept has undergone many changes and modernization and although several still operate farms others have expanded into manufacturing and services.

As an American living outside of Israel, a kibbutz represents a “coming of age” alternative for learning.  Since there is an expectation of productivity, it is a place to grow in a semi-protected environment away from the comforts of home and family. Ideally, young adults, prior to college or immediately thereafter, travel to Israel to humbly work on the kibbutz for their keep.

It is important to note that this is not a religious sabbatical and is not limited to Jews or those that practice Judaism.

THE VIRTUAL KIBBUTZ: Stories from a Changing Society

The Virtual Kibbutz is a collection of short stories based on events at various kibbutzim. Written by one of my favorite bloggers, Ellis Shuman, it is an interesting and somewhat educational combination. Searching for Seinfeld, a delightful tale begins the book with a reporter’s search for evidence of Jerry Seinfeld’s kibbutz experience in the 1970’s.

The author explores an array of stories about the different challenges a community faces as they live and learn together. The unique circumstances often reflect the climate in which the Israeli people live, but interestingly the results do not mirror the expected stereotypical outcome. This was refreshing and educational. My favorite: The Clown and the Dancer is a beautiful story of love and dedication. 

In the beginning, the hope was that a kibbutz could become a Utopian society. A concept abandoned long ago, in When Avry Won the Lottery, the author presents a plausible test to the various views on communal property.  A Cow’s Tale is a sort of “Cats in the Cradle” story about aging.  

Ellis Shuman

There are twelve stories, each with a complex circumstance that in the end provides the reader with a bit of education and a lesson about the human condition. A great read for those curious about life on a kibbutz and for anyone that enjoys a short –story before nodding off to sleep.

THE VIRTUAL KIBBUTZ on Amazon

A Blog to visit: Ellis Shuman Writes

A READER'S THOUGHTS: DARKENING DANGER

THE SCIENCE WILL SURPRISE YOU!



"Authors have written of the darkness since chisel was first taken to stone, and all have carried a single theme; Darkening Danger. Poe said it best; "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, and dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."


With Darkening Danger, Sammy Sutton takes it one step further and gives us a darkness that brings dreams no mortal ever wanted before. The world has undergone a drastic change; the sun is gone, the moon is gone, the stars are gone, and soon all electrical power fails; what do people do when there's nothing to light the way?


Her main character Michael Levine leaves me wondering if he is a light in the darkness or perhaps a part of the darkness. In subsequent books I hope to find the answer. I can't wait!
Chaos has just begun and we are only in the first day of what might prove to be the end of the world as we know it.


In Darkening Danger we find tension created by total darkness, murder, sleep deprivation, dreams that capture you and won't let go, and sexual encounters that leave you asking the question; if one must court darkness as the cost of knowledge; what price are we willing to pay?"

Review by Kathy Feigel


Get DARKENING DANGER on Amazon, Today!

Sexy Excerpt from The Mystery, HIDDEN MOUNTAIN, Enjoy!

In an awkward move, we made our way to the bed. I threw back the bed cover, and gently coaxed her to lie back. With her body flattened into a vulnerable position, I whispered. “Amanda, it’s your turn.”

She placed her fingers in the waves of my hair. In a brisk motion, I clutched her wrist. Her eyes stared into me.

“Submit to me, this time let me love you.”

She sounded delirious. “Antonio, what if I can’t?”

Uninhibited, I observed before me, her beautiful unprotected body. After a moment, I transferred my focus to my path. My mouth bathed her lips until they became succulent and swollen. Her shimmering eyes mesmerized me.

Peek into the Steamy Adventure: King Solomon's Journey: Antonio & Amanda Meet!

Cover by William Kenney

“From a little spark, may burst a roaring flame.”

— Dante Alighieri

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: Best Loved Stories of All Time by Margaret Jean Langstaff

This sensational book stands as a testament to Margaret Jean Langstaff. Her knowledge and passion for classic and contemporary literature is ingeniously displayed in this collection of beloved Christmas tales.

The stories are priceless pieces with substance and meaning, worlds apart from the insipid commercialism that often infiltrates the season.

These precious narratives provide a depth designed to entertain adults and older children without destroying the season’s magic. My personal favorite comes to life in the fantasy, sci-fi like valley and caves of L. Frank Baum’s, A KIDNAPPED SANTA CLAUS. This is a fantastical tale of good and evil. The imagery of Laughing Valley and The Caves of the Daemons is absolutely grand. The vision literally takes my breath away.

All of the stories are awesome. The book is stunning with over 500 pages of the very best seasonal literature by these greats: L. Frank Baum (Author), Grace S. Richmond (Author), O. Henry (Author), Eleanor Hallowell Abbott (Author), Leona Dalrymple (Author), Eugene Field (Author), Abbie Farwell Brown (Author), Ellis Parker Butler and others (Author), Margaret Jean Langstaff. I highly recommend this selection.

Get you copy of Home for Christmas: Best Loved Stories of All Time on Kindle

Hidden Mountain: The Legacy

The Legacy

All forms of tampering with human beings, getting at them, shaping them against their will to your own pattern, all thought control and conditioning is, therefore, a denial of that in men which makes them men and their values ultimate.

Isaiah Berlin

 Cover Design by William Kenney
Prologue

KING SOLOMON'S JOURNEY

The prequel!
In the beginning...



Unaware of the existence of the other, Anthropologist, Antonio Dominguez and Spiritualist, Amanda Messenger have inadvertently lived parallel lives.
They have studied the mysteries and history of the ancient people of the earth, the ties that bind past and present, and have sought to understand mankind's deepest meanings, now they have been led onto a path that will take them into the past, present and future.

Drawn together by fate, they have uncovered 3,000 year old scrolls, which have lain protected since King Solomon first sent them up the Rio Grande, within the confines of the mysterious Hidden Mountain. Ancient and valuable in their own right, the scrolls hold the key to unlocking the gates that will save humanity from approaching catastrophe.


Hunted by evil forces —who will stop at nothing to keep them from revealing the answers—Antonio and Amanda find themselves on the run and up to their necks in trouble as they race against time to solve the King’s mysteries.

In an adventure full of high-octane action and sensual mysteries as old as time, Sammy Sutton tackles all the issues your mother warned you never to discuss: sex, politics, and faith. With a complexity of depth and vivid characterization that is rarely seen within its genre, King Solomon’s Journey is the story of a sultry race on track to save the world.

King Solomon's Journey on Amazon!

King Solomon's Journey Amazon UK!

Hidden Mountain on Amazon!   

WEE THREE; A Mother’s Love in Verse by Marta Moran Bishop

This is a beautiful book of delightful rhythmic poetry and prose. It is a fabulous choice for a special child, but I promise the adults will love the stroll down memory lane. A precious gem of words compiled through generations of the author’s family. The love and care permeates throughout the pages.

WEE THREE is a celebration of childhood as seen through eyes we all once shared. I am particularly fond of MOTHER’S FLOWER GARDEN, CINDERELLA MOTHER, and SNOW MAGIC. The illustrations are fabulous works of sweet art. This book is definitely keepsake quality.

Bravo, to Marta Moran Bishop, I love this book!


　Get you copy of WEE THREE today on Amazon!

THRILLER: DARKENING DANGER

Paralyzing darkness envelops earth- Geophysicist Michael Levine complicates his plight when he rescues a woman with a classified secret and a murderer on her heels.

Scientist agree; Jupiter acts as a warrior protecting Earth from cosmic disaster, but what if suddenly Jupiter failed to absorb the enemies in the Heavens?

Imagine life without light, natural or man-made. Imagine a world in total darkness for three days. What happens to humanity when the lights go out?
Get your copy of DARKENING DANGER, Today!

THE LEGACY; HIDDEN MOUNTAIN

The Legacy
(The original unpublished excerpt)

All forms of tampering with human beings, getting at them, shaping them against their will to your own pattern, all thought control and conditioning is, therefore, a denial of that in men which makes them men and their values ultimate.

Isaiah Berlin

 Cover Design by William Kenney
Prologue
     Donizetti slammed the phone hard against the fine wood surface. The heat from inside began to penetrate through his pores. He could no longer dispute the fact; King Solomon’s Scrolls had surfaced.

During his agents out of control attack against Antonio Dominguez; the anthropologist had not denied accusations of having found the prize. An artifact with the power to destroy all that OPERA had achieved.

His palm wiped the moisture from his forehead, and in a brisk motion, he swiveled the chair in front of the computer screen. He scrolled back through his files, until he found The Maestro’s email from several months before. 

To: "Donizetti" <Donizetti@OPERA.com>                                                                                09:39 11 May 2010

From: "Maestro" <Maestro@OPERA.com>

Subject: Top Secret        

Donizetti;

Do not discount this Legend. Intelligence has spotted a world renowned anthropologist poking around at the suspected site.

The time will come:

              Destiny had dictated the King's power must fade throughout the land of Israel. It was time, and as the Divine Vision had prompted him, he began to organize the final mission. The tribes would spread throughout the World and populate, but only if Israel fell. Many claimed the King had gone mad. Contrarily, Israel's strength prepared the countrymen for The Fall.

              Fate intended for the people of Israel to inhabit all corners of the Earth. King Solomon and his father, King David, placed and trained the Tribes for their future. Rumors claimed King Solomon abandoned the God of Moses, but in reality, Solomon instead painfully chose to honor his God, and all His wishes.

              The King sent the special envoy to temporarily inhabit a specific location, on the other side of the world.

              The large Galley ship led four smaller vessels in a bittersweet departure in the Spring of 939 BCE, as it glided through the Strait of Gibraltar, between the Pillars of Hercules. They left their homeland behind, knowing they would never return. The small fleet navigated the Atlantic Ocean for several months as they embarked upon a special expedition to the New Promised Land. The lead ship required 290 rowers, and carried 400 passengers and crew. Accompanied by four smaller vessels, each filled with extra supplies, they provided a means to aid in the travel through the shallow tributaries of the New Land.

              The journey wasn't without misfortune. Dysentery infected everyone aboard one of the smaller ships, and left all its passengers in a floating tomb, without a single survivor from the depths of her boughs. Near the island of present-day Cuba, a powerful storm lasting for days capsized one of the remaining smaller ships. The crew only rescued a few survivors from the treacherous waters.

              Three of the five original ships arrived at the mouth of the Rio Grande, deep inside the Gulf of Mexico, nearly 2,500 years before Christopher Columbus claimed to find the New World. King Solomon's Captain, Nathanael, knew their travels up the river would be difficult.

              The direction of the on-coming current forced the ships to push against the river's fierce current. Merely a few days into their ascension of the Rio Grande, Nathanael decided the crew and passengers should stop for rest. They constructed a temporary campsite to provide a much-needed respite on dry land, for the crew and passengers grew exhausted from the sea. No one had stepped foot off the ship in months, and almost a third of their party had been lost to the ocean's demands.

DARKENING DANGER

THE SCIENCE WILL SURPRISE YOU!



Authors have written of the darkness since chisel was first taken to stone, and all have carried a single theme; Darkening Danger. Poe said it best; "Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, and dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before."


With Darkening Danger, Sammy Sutton takes it one step

further and gives us a darkness that brings dreams no mortal ever wanted before. The world has undergone a drastic change; the sun is gone, the moon is gone, the stars are gone, and soon all electrical power fails; what do people do when there's nothing to light the way?


Her main character Michael Levine leaves me wondering if he is a light in the darkness or perhaps a part of the darkness. In subsequent books I hope to find the answer. I can't wait!
Chaos has just begun and we are only in the first day of what might prove to be the end of the world as we know it.


In Darkening Danger we find tension created by total darkness, murder, sleep deprivation, dreams that capture you and won't let go, and sexual encounters that leave you asking the question; if one must court darkness as the cost of knowledge; what price are we willing to pay?


Review by Kathy Feigel


Get DARKENING DANGER on Amazon, Today!

A Little Humor from HIDDEN MOUNTAIN

... I pushed Raven harder. She flew.

Excerpt: Hidden Mountain; Antonio Explains

“Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth.”

— Mark Twain

Cover Design by William Kenney

In a matter of days, my life as a dedicated archeological anthropologist had emanated into a world engulfed by secrets, risks, and espionage. Amanda’s peculiar entrance into my once sterile intellectual world created nothing less than the perfect dichotomy. Hell, she was a dichotomy. Amanda’s unusual radiance intrigued me from the beginning. She is both benevolent and alluring to this day, this often confuses me. 

Leah The Ant by Cindy Nemitz; A Children's Book About Epilepsy

Leah is a darling little ant preparing for graduation at the Ant Academy. Each ant in Anthillville is assigned a career at the graduation ceremony. This day is especially important to Leah, because she has drop and shake disorder or as we humans refer to it, epilepsy. Readers can joyfully learn and follow the delightful Leah as she anxiously awaits for her assignment.

I commend the author for writing this much needed story about a difficult subject. Cindy Nemitz has uncomplicated epilepsy through Leah. It is a very well written and illustrated book with an invaluable lesson about epilepsy, a disorder which will effect 1 in 23 people in their lifetime. As a mother of a 22 year old lifelong epileptic, I highly recommend this book as an educational tool for those with or without the often misunderstood disorder.  

Please, support epilepsy research and awareness!

Leah The Ant on Amazon

Review: The Unbearable Lightness of Prunes by Margaret Jean Langstaff

Margaret Jean Langstaff

A hoot & holler for this southern, redneck blast. All will enjoy the artfully simple southern idiosyncrasies masterfully written in Margaret Jean Langstaff’s, The Unbearable Lightness of Prunes. It was pure pleasure to experience the wonderful mix of characters in this lighthearted tale.

No exclusions, this is a wonderful read for anyone. A perfect story to load on your Kindle; you can’t go wrong. Enjoy the story of Jerrold and his aunt Ginny as they create prune pipe bombs and more. You can read this in less than an hour, and  I guarantee it will change the entire mood of your day.

This is southern humor at its Best. Likely, the most humorous book I've read!

Get Your Copy of The Unbearable Lightness of Prunes, Today on Amazon!

A Poet's Journey: Emotions by Marta Moran-Bishop

Marta Moran Bishop

The good, the bad, and the beautiful of being human, a work set to the huge dichotomy called life. A POET'S JOURNEY: EMOTION is honest human emotion epressed through beautiful rhythmic poetry. This vast collection is perfectly tuned by talented author, Marta Moran Bishop. Her work will leave you laughing, crying, and remembering. From subtle romance in MOONLIT NIGHTS to cries of nature in THE YETI SCREAMS IN PURE DELIGHT, and the ravaging pain of experiencing a loved one's terminal battle in BETRAYAL. This is powerful poetry for all. 

A Poet's Journey: Emotions on Amazon

Dreaming In Darkness by Jessica Kristie

Dreaming In Darkness is a powerful diary in poetry, and prose. The beautiful poetry reveals a breathtaking journey through a painful hell that moves gradually upwards over a bumpy road, ultimately, leading into a state of healing.

Jessica’s poetry is a divinely classic work of art. Her flowing imagery is clear without a second of awkwardness. The poignant story is bold, a blatant display of pain, and suffering woven into the vision her words create.

The perfect order in which the poems are placed creates the sense of a diary, a fascinating collection of the poet’s most intimate thoughts.

‘Sarafina’ You shine

                 You speak
                 We listen

The author guides the reader into the myriad of emotions experienced in the victim’s abyss. ‘Induced Sleep’ finds the battered soul in a medicated state, drowning in the pain, yet here she begins to process her choices as she meets her self in the crossroads.

Still, further into the pain ‘Force Forgotten’ paints a bird’s eye view of the crime and the victim comes face-to-face with the perpetrator.

          ‘My legacy won’t be this, ’

           but yours will.

          Stew in your own sin.

This revelation frees her to search for a healing aid. The hallways greet her with doors of deception. ‘Bad Religion,’ ‘This Mourning,’ and ’Walking Wounded’ portray encounters with some disingenuous souls that clutter the pathway.

In ’Temporary Royalty’ she begins to experience the highs and lows from within a different place. Here, she sees tiny glimpses of light periodically penetrating the darkness. Later, The bud starts blossoming in ’Love Letters.’ The fabulous poet surprises with prose. The change symbolizes a less rigid environment, freedom. A different place depicted from within a different style.

‘Dreaming in Darkness’ is brilliant. This is a powerful, effective piece of art portraying the journey from pain to healing, darkness to light.

I highly recommend.

WinterGoose Publishing

Get Your Copy of Dreaming In Darkness Today!

Jessica Kristie

FORMED OF CLAY by Thea Atkinson

A very clever author created, Formed of Clay. Thea Atkinson immediately plunges the reader into a fabulous tale written in the style of an ancient mythological tale with Gods and Goddesses in a stunning mystical view of creation. This introduction provides the mood for a masterful dark ancient tale. 

Thea Atkinson

Set in ancient Egypt, the story follows a tender boy on a surprising journey. Sentu, the foster son of a scribe is amazed to find himself studying as priest. His mentor, Hozat is at the top of the Pharaoh's priestly hierarchy.

The growing young boy soon discovers things aren't always what they seem. Sentu experiences a labyrinth filled with deception, and betrayal at the hands of those he once believed were holy.   The boy must participate, and suffer within an evil hidden in the background of ancient Egypt.    

The author creates a fascinating dark tale that weaves together mythology, and Egyptian history into a spellbinding story as modern as it is ancient. The ending will surprise even the most astute.   

'Formed of Clay' is Available on Amazon