Bandit Book Bloggers - ARTIFICIAL ABSOLUTES,  a sci-fi thriller from Mary Fan

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Release Date: February 25, 2013
Genre: Science Fiction (Space Opera/Cyberpunk/New Adult)

Blurb:

Jane Colt is just another recent college grad working as an Interstellar Confederation office drone—until the day she witnesses her best friend, Adam, kidnapped by a mysterious criminal. An extensive cover-up thwarts her efforts to report the crime, shaking her trust in the authorities. Only her older brother, Devin, believes her account.

Devin hopes to leave behind his violent past and find peace in a marriage to the woman he loves. That hope shatters when he discovers a shocking secret that causes him to be framed for murder.

With little more than a cocky attitude, Jane leaves everything she knows to flee with Devin, racing throughthe most lawless corners of the galaxy as she searches for Adam and proof of her brother’s innocence. Her journey uncovers truths about both of them, leading her to wonder just how much she doesn’t know about the people she loves.

About the Author:Mary Fan lives in New Jersey, where she is currently working in
financial marketing. She has also resided in North Carolina, Hong Kong,
and Beijing, China. She has been an avid reader for as long as she can
remember and especially enjoys the infinite possibilities and
out-of-this-world experiences of science fiction and fantasy.

Mary has a B.A. in Music, specializing in composition, from Princeton
University and enjoys writing songs as much as writing stories. She
also enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and exploring new things—she’ll
try almost anything once.



Purchase Links:Amazon US (Kindle e-book)

Amazon US (paperback)

Amazon UK (Kindle e-book)

Amazon UK (paperback)

Barnes & Noble (Nook e-book)

Barnes & Noble (paperback)

Kobo (e-book)

iTunes

Social Media Links:

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Reviews:

“I’d have to say this book combines some of the best robotic AI, like Asimov… It is unlike anything I’ve read before on this subject.”-

 James M. Butler, author of the “New Dawn” sci-fi series

 “…Engaging characters and a story with conflicts and struggles that are universal to all humans across time...”

- BigAl, reviewer for BigAl’s Books and Pals

 “A cracking tale of fights and escapes and conspiracies, set in a wonderfully and intricately evoked future world. The story rattles along at a fine pace, twisting and turning its way to and fro across the galaxy.”

-Mark Roman, author of “The Ultimate Inferior Beings”

“One hell of a sci-fi ride... The mystery in this story was incredible and really kept me at the edge of my seat... It really goes beyond the some other sci-fi reads.”

- Diana, reviewer for Offbeat Vagabond

“Artificial Absolutes is much more thanspaceships and robots... It is a timeless exploration of the complexity of family dynamics, the conflicts between faith and non-belief, and what truly defines a human being.”
- Julie H. Hughs, reviewer for Random Musingsof a Curious Mind

Excerpt:Jane had never been afraid of heights. As a child, she’d enjoyed
alarming her mother by climbing the tallest Venovian evergreens on the
Colt estate. Comparing her size then to her size currently, she probably
wasn’t much higher up. It was a little different hanging from the
underside of an elevator with only a hastily slammed hatch between her
and a killer robot.

Well, this sucks.

That she’d caught the bar after sliding down the hatch could only be
attributed to super reflexes reserved for times of great danger or to
the grace of the Absolute. If only those super reflexes or that divine
grace would allow her to reach the conduit Devin had mentioned...

The faint lights along shaft’s walls let her vaguely make out the
conduit’s square entrance. Jane saw another bar under the elevator,
parallel to the conduit’s top edge. She’d played on jungle gyms when she
was little and remembered the motion of swinging her body to catch a
bar an arm’s length away, but she’d forgotten how much the friction
burned her palms.

She grabbed the bar and swung forward. Her face banged into the wall. Ow.

After taking a moment to let the pain in her face subside, she
extended her body as far as she could, barely touching the conduit’s
floor with her foot.

Dammit! Wish my legs were longer. Good thing I wore flats today. And pants. If I had to do this in heels and a skirt...

The inane thoughts kept her from freaking out. Something about
talking to her brother had done away with the panic she’d felt before.
She wasn’t about to let it take over again.

The conduit was only half her height. Even if she could stand, she would probably fall backward if she tried.

Why are utility conduits so small? Are maintenance workers all midgets or something?

A small handle below her, right by the conduit, looked within reach.
She grabbed it with one hand. She had to let go of the bar under the
elevator to enter the conduit, but the thought was too scary.

Above her, the machine whirred.

Jane had never been remotely religious, but in a situation as
unthinkable as the one she was in, even she prayed, albeit facetiously.

Hello,
Absolute One. Please let the machine be too big to fit through the
hatch. And please keep me from falling. In return, I will compose a
magnificent motet for You. So be it, truly.

Jane closed her eyes and let go of the bar. She bit her lip to stifle a yelp as she dropped her body weight onto one arm.

She reached up with her free hand and pressed her forearm into the
conduit’s cold metal floor. By pulling, bending, and twisting, she
managed to fold herself into the conduit.

She collapsed against the wall in relief. Whew! Made it!

Jane listened for the machine, half expecting it to appear right behind her. Instead, a beep emitted
from her pocket. Wondering what the hell it was— and why the hell she
didn’t know the contents of her own pocket—she reached in. She pulled
out her company-issued videophone.

Oh, right. This thing.Other Works:

Synthetic Illusions (sequel to Artificial Absolutes)
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction (Space Opera)

In the thrilling sequel to Artificial Absolutes,
Jane Colt finds herself combating the one person she always trusted:
her older brother, Devin. After the events of the first book, Jane hopes
to return to her ordinary life. But when the shadowy government agency
Devin works for orders him to capture Adam, the young man she loves, she
ends up in her brother's crosshairs as she helps Adam escape.

Although
Adam looks like any other seminary student, he harbors a secret he
hopes the rest of the galaxy will never uncover. Haunted by a menacing voice, he fights to control his own mind.

Meanwhile,
Devin uncovers his employer's clandestine agenda but, coerced by the
deadly consequences of noncompliance, must remain silent. He reluctantly
obeys the agency's commands while secretly plotting to expose the
truth.

Forced to choose between the two people she
loves most, Jane sets off on a journey that takes her into the darkest
corners of known space and challenges everything she believes.


Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil
Publisher: Glass House Press
Release Date: Summer 2014
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Dystopia

Part dystopia and part high fantasy, Flynn Nightsider and the Edge of Evil
is the first book in a YA series that follows a spirited teen's efforts to
overthrow an evil government while battling supernatural beasts.

Long ago, the evil Lord of the Underworld ravaged the Earth. The
Enchanters, magical guardians of the Earth, defeated him, but his
monsters lingered. Nearly a century later, the Enchanters have turned
the former United States into the totalitarian Triumvirate, where
non-magical humans, known as Norms, are treated as second class
citizens.

Flynn,
a Norm boy, was ten years old when he witnessed his mother's death at
the hands of an undead giant. No one would tell him where the giant had
come from or what his mother had been doing that night. After six years
of wondering, he finally finds a clue and is determined to uncover the
truth - whatever the consequences. His journey takes an unexpected turn
when he accidentally commits an act considered terrorism by the
Triumvirate. He soon finds himself hunted not only by the government,
but also by supernatural monsters and a man with power over the undead.
Rescued by underground rebels, he is enticed by their vision of a
better world and joins their revolution. But as he struggles to
reconcile what he sees with what they tell him, he starts to realize
that the rebellion is not everything it seems.






Non Compliance: The Transition

 

 

I used to matter… but now I’m just a girl in a ghetto, a statistic of the Non-Compliance Sector.

Three months have passed since Shea Kelly and the rest of Boss’s crew eliminated Danny Rose from the non-compliance sector, but their troubles are far from over. A new, more dangerous opponent has emerged, causing those once considered enemies to strike a tenuous truce. Secrets about the vaccine, the chip, and the past threaten Shea’s budding romantic relationship and even the very existence of the crew.

 

Non Compliance: The Transition is the second novel from Tina Closser writing under the pen-name of Paige Daniels. Both her debut novel, Non Compliance: The sector and her second are published by Kristell Ink

 

Non-Compliance: The Transition

Book 2 takes the reader back to the Non-Compliant Sector and the characters we’ve come to love. Old enemies become allies, and their troubles never seem to be far away. If you enjoyed Paige Daniels’ debut novel Non-Compliance: The Sector, then you’ll love this.

Released 30th September 2013, in paperback and ebook and available where all good books are sold.

Purchase info:

Paperback  ISBN  978-1-909845-21-3

USA $12.99                         UK £7.99

 

Kindle        ISBN  978-1-909845-22-0

USA $4.99                           UK £2.99

 

ePub           ISBN 978-1-909845-23-7

USA $4.99                           UK £2.99

 

 

Reviews for ‘Non-Compliance: The Sector’ (First book in the series)

 

After a slightly slow start, I really got hooked in by the dystopian/post-apocalyptic (to me) landscapes and denizens of the world here. The highest praise I have, though, is this: the characters and story reach a point of depth and intrigue by the end that I am very much looking forward to the next installment in this series. Well worth a purchase and read, this book is. – Scot Kaeff

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and character development was excellent. While this is set a future world, it was very believable and did not require the huge "leap of faith" often required of sci-fi/fantasy. The technology was plausible and honestly probably not far off from our future. In reading the other reviews, I did not realize this was a "first time" author's book. I could not tell at all and I read quite a bit while commuting. Overall I would highly recommend this book and I will be purchasing the next in the series when it comes out. -- Anonymous

Love the setting of this book, in a modern day alternate world, with completely plausible technology and bureaucratic manipulation. The main characters find themselves in the one sector refusing to bow to policy and, as a result, increasingly cutoff from the world they knew. In a sector ignored by the law and ruled by organised crime, they do anything to get by.
I found the main characters compelling and interesting. Shea is a strong, intelligent female, with a completely vulnerable side. She is a very well rounded character. The enforcers and allies she meets are interesting characters that I wanted to find out more about. Even the hated villains developed well. It was a wonderful read.
I am looking forward to the second book in the series. – Eilidh Roberts

I totally Devoured this book. Started reading this morning and could barely put it down. Now I'm suffering from 'I can hardly wait for the next book in the series. Great work, very few typos or grammatical errors; a refreshing change for an avid e-book reader! Thank you so much for a definitely engaging read, hoping to read more about Shea, Quinn, Wynne and Boss! -- Anonymous

 NOTE: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

In an America of the future people are provided with almost everything and all they have to do is allow the government to insert a chip into their neck with all their information. People who refuse this are called Non-Compliances and shut off in a ghetto called a sector.
Shea Kelly along with her friend Wynne Myers live here. Shea works as a bartender, bouncer and Jill of all trades. Wynne is a stripper. At least this is what they want people to believe, they also are hackers for hire who will break into the system and turn items people have requested into things that they really want or need. Things are going good until a new mobster moves in and tries to take over from Boss, the mobster who runs this sector and thus the story begins.
Ms Daniels, in this her first book (which is hard to believe) has written about a world of the future. Her development of her characters and locations and life are vivid enough that you can see them in your mind. The character and situations are believable and you start to care about them. I have read that there is another book coming with these characters. I hope this is correct as I will be waiting in line for it to see what happens next.
I enjoyed this book enough that although I received a copy I also bought an e-copy for my reader as I am sure I will want to re-read it to see if I missed anything the first time through. – Richard Hayes

ABOUT TINA

 

Tina Closser grew up in various towns around Northern Kentucky reading and watching as much science fiction and fantasy as humanly possible. When it was time for college it was clear that she watched one too many episodes of Star Trek, because she chose Physics as her major with the intent of being an Astrophysicist. After graduating from Northern Kentucky University with her Bachelors of Science in Physics, she knew that academia was not the path for her so she chose to get an Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Armed with two science degrees she went to work for the Navy in Indiana.

Throughout high school and college she had millions of ideas for stories running through her head, but never had the courage to write any of them down. Thanks to the reality TV craze she turned off her television and worked up the courage to write down a story that had been worming its way into her brain for years. She wrote “Non-Compliance: The Sector” under the pen name of Paige Daniels over the course of several years. In November 2012 it was published by Kristell Ink. It is a fast paced science fiction, cyber punk tale with elements of humor and romance with a strong heroine. It explores different themes such as family, government control, and how one seemingly insignificant person can make a difference. 

Despite being surrounded by a bunch of Hoosiers, she has lived happily in Indiana for the past fourteen years. She has had held several different engineering positions in the past, but currently she is a Science Technology Engineering and Math Coordinator in which she acts as a liaison to schools and gets kids excited about careers in science and technology.

She is also very active in her local chapter of Society of Women Engineers, doing many outreach programs to inspire girls to consider the field of engineering as a career. Part of the proceeds from her book, “Non Compliance: The Sector”, which features a woman engineer as the protagonist, will go to fund a partial scholarship for a young woman to go to engineering school.

In her spare time she coaches a robotics team and attends various robotics competitions. She also fiddles around with her viola and likes to pretend she knows how to be a farmer on her small hobby farm with her two kids and husband.

 

She can be found at:

Web

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

 

 

An Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Non Compliance: The Transition-

 

I can barely see the road ahead of me and a chill runs down my spine. The cool air isn’t what is giving me chills; it’s the cargo in the trunk.

“You okay, Kelly?”

“I’m fine. I just want to get this over with.”

“You know, you didn’t have to come. Conner, Lindsey and I could’ve taken care of this.”

“What? And let you guys drive my car? I don’t think so.”

Conner’s head peeks up from the backseat. “I’m hurt. Don’t you think we’re capable of driving your old car?”

“She isn’t old. Call her that again and I’ll break your arms.”

Quinn stifles a laugh and the car turns quiet again. We wind through the cramped streets in town. It’s rainy and the warm summer months are starting to give way to a crisp fall. There are very few people out on the streets tonight.

Good. The fewer potential witnesses, the better.

Our destination is in sight. I park the car as close as possible to the river, and we all get out. Although I’m wearing a rain jacket, the cold rain slices through me. The only light is from the Compliant Sector across the river and the few active displays spewing forth propaganda; the lights on our side have been out for hours due to the energy sanctions. We make our way to the trunk.

Quinn holds a gun out for me. “Here you go, stand watch. If anyone and I mean ANYONE sees us, you shoot them. Got it?”

My heart races. I’m starting to regret my decision to accompany Quinn and Conner on this mission. I give Quinn a blank stare.

Conner answers for me: “I got it, Chief. She can wait in the car.”

“No, it was her decision to come. She knew what she was getting into. You need to help me with the cargo in the trunk. We need a lookout.”

I grab the gun from Quinn’s hands. “I’m fine. I got it.”

As Conner and Quinn open the trunk, I grab a glimpse of the two bodies inside. I turn my back and head for my post to avoid seeing too much. I’m not so naïve that I don’t know what Quinn and the boys do when they are out, but it’s different seeing it firsthand. I agreed to go this time, because I felt it was time to pull my weight.

The streets are quiet, allowing us to carry out our mission. It’s imperative that no one catch us. Normally, what goes on amongst us Non-Commers is ignored by Magistrate. He’s okay with us killing each other off; the fewer of us he has to deal with the better. However, this is no normal dump. The bodies in the trunk are two of Magistrate’s marshals. We found them in front of our compound this morning, no doubt a present from our friend Ramsey. If Magistrate were to find the bodies anywhere near us, then we would all be gathered, chipped, and sent to the other side to be their fucking mind slaves. No trial. No jury of our peers.

I sit hunkered on the park bench hoping that any passersby will take me for a homeless person. I take out a small device and push in a couple of numbers. It should put out a strong enough signal to jam any surveillance devices in the area.

Quinn’s words are running through my mind. “Shoot ANYONE that sees us.”

Oh God, can I do this? What have I gotten myself into?

Shooting one of Ramsey’s men is one thing, but an innocent bystander? I’m not sure I can do that. My stomach tightens into knots. I hop up from the bench and pace back and forth. Still, no sign of anyone. The rain starts to pound and wind whips up my coat. The cold is making the old wounds in my hand ache.

God, what can be taking them so long?

“Kelly! Let’s go.”

Quinn and Conner are standing by the car. I take one more look around, grab the jamming device, and run for the car. Once inside, my heart feels lighter. I roll on to the main street to head back home.

Conner pokes his head up to the front. “Your first body disposal. I’m so proud.”

“Yeah, first and last.”

Quinn peers at me. “Who said it was your last?”

“Me. I’m never doing it again. My nerves can’t handle that shit. I’m happier being the behind the scenes nerd, thank you very much.”

“You’re my partner, and that comes with certain responsibilities.”

I squirm in my seat knowing Quinn is right. This won’t be the last time, especially with Ramsey in town. It’s been three months since Ramsey took over Danny’s crew. He’s been laying low since we took Danny down, but his little gift in front of the compound has made it apparent that he’s ready to play now.

The movement of the windshield wipers and the sound of the rain put me in a hypnotic trance, and I start to forget about the events that have just transpired. But bright, flashing blue and red lights fill the car, and they bring the stress back with friends.

Everyone in the car lets out a collective “Fuck!”

I pull over to the side of the road. Quinn grabs his gun and puts it discretely under his seat.

“Let me get this, Quinn. Don’t go shooting just yet.”

“Fine, but you need to get him off our trail. Fast.”

“Gee. Really? I thought I would invite him over for tea and cookies.”

“I’m serious. Stop being such a smart ass. Don’t you realize what’s on the line here?”

“No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me? Because apparently you think I’m so stupid…”

Our bickering is cut short by a tapping on the window. I roll down the window and I’m greeted by one of Magistrate’s marshals, and two of his boys behind him. They’re all young punks; the young ones are the worst.

I smile my best cheesy smile. “Can I help you, sir?”

“What are you three doing out here this time of night?”

“Just taking the car around the block for a spin.”

“Mmm-hmm. Get out of the car all of you, and put your hands on the hood.”

As we get out of the car we are greeted by the snarky grins of the marshals. We put our hands on the hood. The rain is soaking us to the bone. I start to shake from the cold. Each of the marshals chooses one of us to pat down. The one searching me spends a little too much time on my boobs and butt for my comfort.

The lead marshal says, “Shea Kelly, Quinn Knightly, and Conner Dunne, all out on the town to take a little ride. Why am I suspicious?”

I answer back, “I have no idea, sir. We were just in town for a Bible study. We’re heading back home to knit scarves for the homeless.”

He taps me on the back of my head with his club to shut me up.

“Knightly, you better watch that smart mouth on your woman. It’s going to land her in trouble.”

Quinn gives me a stern look while I rub my head.

“Turn around all of you. I have something I want you to see.”

We all turn around and he makes several taps to the Compliant Active Management System situated on his arm. A 3D holographic image of two marshals projects from his CAMS.

“You guys see these marshals around?”

We all shake our heads no.

“They went missing last night. No one has seen them around. You know, once we find who’s responsible for their disappearance, they will be sent to the other side. So if you know anything, you better start talking now.”

We all stand silently looking at the cop. Two of the marshals deliver blows to Quinn and Conner with their nightsticks. I lunge to help, but the lead man restrains me.

“Hey boys, looks like we have a lively one here,” he says as he looks down at me.

The other two laugh as they deliver more blows to Quinn and Conner.

The lead Marshal throws me to the ground and says, “Okay boys, we can come back to them later, we have some real work to do now.”

One of the boys grins and unsheathes a knife from his belt. “Time to search the car.”