ASIN: B0C7DQ18TW
Publisher: Dropship Publishing (July 11, 2023)
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Language: English
In a tech-addicted dystopia, a young cop struggling to survive is forced into a high-octane gladiatorial grudge match, where sinister corporate overlords pull the strings and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.
ONE WAY IN. NO WAY OUT
In the super-city of Neo Terminus, millions of tech-addicted fans surround a walled-off inner-city wasteland to watch nano-boosted gladiators called Enforcers fight to the death in the Conglomerate-controlled event known as The Zone. Enforcers are promised wealth and celebrity—if they survive.
Officer Chance Griffin fights to clean up the mean streets of Neo Terminus, and scrape together enough money for his infant son’s vital surgery. Driven by his family’s need, Chance signs on as an Enforcer for The Conglomerate.
As Chance rises to the top of the Enforcer ranks, The Glom’s mysterious Founders coerce him into competing in the greatest Zone trial ever conceived. Chance knows he’s the favorite to win. He believes his family is safe. He believes his son will get the medical care he urgently needs.
Chance is wrong.
Too late, he uncovers a plot by The Glom to rig the trial and enslave the citizens of Neo Terminus, ensuring obedience—forever.
Blinded by fame and fortune, and used as a pawn by the corporate machine, Chance resists. But he is about to discover that every deal with the devil has its price…
MY REVIEW
I haven’t read a lot of cyberpunk, but I have read some of Stu Jones work and loved it. The Zone sounds like something different for me, maybe a little bit scifi, a little bit techno, and a little bit superhero? Either way, if Stu Jones wrote it, I’ll read it.
I love the wonderful illustrations and quickly immersed myself in the wold of Neo Terminus. A world that had me, at times, thinking of The Hunger Games, for its gladiator sports, and The Walking Dead, for its have and have nots and what the haves will do to keep it and the have nots do to survive. Even though I knew some of what is to come, I still found myself sickened and disgusted, rallying behind those who want to change their world for the better.
The cast of characters is phenomenal, and even those who passed quickly, I enjoyed my time with, even the baddies. Not much enjoyable about them, but they do supply their share of chills and thrills. After all, can there be good guys without bad guys? And, when I say guys, I mean both males and females.
When I began The Zone by Stu Jones, I never thought of it being a series, but we have more to come for The Zone, and I hope to be there for it. It has all the things I love about a book: mystery, danger, darkness and light, evil villains, inspiring heroes and heroines, romance, the struggle for survival in an apocalyptic/dystopian world…with more to come.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Zone by Stu Jones.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).
Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary. He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle who thinks he’s human.
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Giveaway – SHRED Gorgon Rising by Stu Jones @StuJonesFiction @XpressoTours
S.H.R.E.D: Gorgon Rising
Stu Jones
(Espionage and Defense, Super Humanoids for Reconnaissance)
Publication date: May 10th 2022
Genres: Action, Adventure, New Adult
THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON KNOWN TO MANKIND ISN’T A MAN.
High above earth in a low orbit facility, an experimental clean energy project known as Erebos—which taps into the vacuum structure of space—destabilizes and is jettisoned into the planet’s atmosphere.
Far below, unaware of the danger rocketing toward her, nineteen-year-old Sasha Kino goes night surfing to clear her head after a fight with her father. When Erebos crashes into the ocean the device fuses her DNA with that of an orca and Sasha is altered beyond recognition. She is stronger, can hold her breath longer, and can swim deeper and faster than any creature on the planet—but her newfound abilities may come at the cost of her humanity.
Captain Alric Jager, head of the U.S. Navy’s Special Projects Division, is sent to clean up the Erebos situation. But when Jager learns of what the device did to Sasha he decides to steal them both. Driven by a dark and twisted legacy, Jager is determined to create the ultimate super soldier – no matter the cost.
Torn between the land and the sea, and ruthlessly hunted by Jager, Sasha must rediscover who she is and for what she is willing to fight.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
—
EXCERPT:
With one last yank, Sasha tore the restraint collar, popping and fizzing in a shower of sparks from around her neck. In a single stride, she vaulted forward. Her body crashed through the dark glass of the observation room, slamming one of the two men inside against the far wall. In a bumbling fit of terror, the other fell to the floor, scrambled to all fours, then ran screaming for the hallway. As he did, he slapped a large red button on the wall labeled containment breach.
The screaming high-pitched wail of an emergency beacon filled the air, the walls around Sasha flickering with intermittent flashes of red. Instinct, strong and powerful, told her to run, but her higher brain held her fast: what they’d done here was illegal, and she needed evidence. She scanned the various consoles. There, a flash drive. No time to waste. Jager’s men must be on their way. Any data she could grab was no good if she couldn’t get it off the ship.
Snatching the data stick from the console and looping the lanyard around her neck, Sasha gave one last look to the unconscious man slumped against the floor and turned for the door. She stepped into the strobe-lit flash of the corridor and hovered there, her heart beating fierce in her breast.
On either side of the corridor, two pairs of Strykers squared up, the dark brown tones of their flesh offset by midnight black BDUs. They tensed, the banded muscles of their arms taut. No one moved.
“I don’t want to fight,” Sasha said over the wail of the alarm, her heart still thrumming. “But I’m not staying locked up here anymore.”
“You don’t have a choice.” The one named Alvarez said through clenched teeth. “Get back in, or we’ll put you back in.”
Sasha knew she should be afraid of these men, but then she remembered about how easily, accidentally even, she’d killed the whalers. How moments ago, she’d torn a titanium collar from her neck and crashed through a seemingly impenetrable two-inch-thick layered sheet of armored glass.
Sasha steeled herself as the four Strykers advanced on her from either side, their fists raised. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said.
The Strykers stopped, exchanging amused glances. One of them closest to her, a man with a cropped mohawk, let out a chuckle. “We’re not the ones who are about to get hurt, darlin’.”
Sasha’s skin flushed hot. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she flexed her clawed fingers. “That’s what you think.”
Author Bio:
SWAT Sniper. Adventurer. Multi-Award-Winning Author of Epic Genre-Bending Thrillers.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Stu served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
He is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology, written with co-author Gareth Worthington(Children of the Fifth Sun).
Known for his character-driven stories and blistering action sequences, Stu strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Stu is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo-Helin-Fountain literary.
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- If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
- Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
- Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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Review & Giveaway – Condition Black by Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington @DrGWorthington @StuJonesFiction
Condition Black
by Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington
April 26 – May 21, 2021 Tour
MY REVIEW
“A lot of bad shit has happened throughout history in the name of ‘just following orders’.”
And that raises a lot of questions. Riveting. Amazing. Terrifying. Action packed.
Although Marie, the Baghdad Bureau Chief for the Washington Post, watched the beheading, that wasn’t why she was in Syria. A low block building stood out amongst the mud huts…that was her destination. Why was that more important?
Evan adored his wife, Marie. She was his life…that and his work, but she would always come first. When he got the call from the CDC, he dropped everything and ran to her. Why had she been in Syria? As an autistic, he needed order, and for Marie to be somewhere other than what she’d told him, it must have been very important.
Billy is way over his head. He works for the Criminal Investigation Division of the Army and known for not shirking his duty, but sometimes…doing what is right does not align with taking orders from your superiors. When do you say no to an order? It can be lethal, deadly, pitting soldier against soldier. But…again…why? What can be so important?
The results of terrorism in Condition Black have led to martial law. People are ruled by fear. Lockdowns, quarantines, curfews, rationing…could this happen in the United States? Think about it…hard. Who do you want leading the country when the shit hits the fan? It’s amazing the things that go on around us that we are never aware of.
The characters are amazing. Even the bad ones are filled with depth, as we learn who they really are and their motivations for their actions. I am very worried about some of the characters I have figured out are the good guys. I am very worried for them, because there are disgusting, pathetic ‘people’ doing their worst and it is like an out of control locomotive coming right at them.
The ability and desire to corrupt anything, whether it’s original intent was good or bad, is always there. And it is even scarier when the government is involved. Where those who desire what you have, or want a coverup to hide their actions, which happens all too often, will stop at nothing to stop those who get in their way.
Condition Black by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington is one of those books that gets me going. Anger…because I feel this is all too possible. Feelings of disgust, desperation, terror, sadness…and always there is hope…for a better day.
Stu Ones and Gareth Worthington are an unbeatable team. The depth and detail of their writing and the subject matter they cover paints a picture that makes me feel the story is all too real. I got lost in the narrative, unable to stop reading, ignoring everything around me, because there is sooooo much going on. I know there can be no happy ever after, but my main concern is…will there be a future for anyone?
I could go on and on, but to get the full affect, you need to read this for yourself. I highly recommend doing so.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Condition Black by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington.
Synopsis:
Praise for Condition Black:
“This solid sci-fi thriller [is] a well-balanced thrill ride. Well-shaded characters keep the pages turning. Fans of high-tech medical and military thrillers should check this out.” ~ Publishers Weekly.
Like Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, this book is revolutionary. Incredible.” ~ Jonas Saul, author of the best-selling Sarah Roberts series.
“Condition Black provides such an exceptional read. It’s highly recommended for fans of technothrillers who want a firm marriage between psychological depth and unpredictable action, all grounded by ethical concerns that challenge each character to reach beyond his skill set and comfort zone.” ~ Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review.
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller / Medical Thriller
Published by: Dropship Publishing
Publication Date: 27 April 2021
Number of Pages: 334
ISBN: 9781954386006
Series: Condition Black is a stand alone thriller.
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Through the lens of her SLR, Marie Wayland couldn’t pry her gaze from the morbid scene as it unfolded some two hundred feet away. Another twist of the objective and the image in her ultralight mirrorless camera became crystal clear, even in the fading evening light of the Syrian sun: a man, his hands bound secure with coarse rope, sucking with erratic breaths at the cloth bag over his head. The fabric molded to the shape of his quivering lips and stuck there for an instant before being blown out again. He cried out as two masked assailants forced him to his knees. A whimper emerged from beneath his hood, followed by a muffled plea for mercy. Unwavering, the men stood in a line behind the captive, their AK-47 rifles pointed to the sky. Above them all, a black flag, inset with white Arabic script, fluttered like a pirate banner in the desert wind.
A young man carrying a beat-up camcorder scurried onto the scene and set up his tripod. He fiddled with his equipment, then gave a thumbs up. One of the soldiers stepped forward and pulled a curved blade from his belt. He called out and pointed to the camera, stabbing the air with the long knife. For a moment, he seemed to look right at Marie. Her heart faltered and the hot prickle of perspiration dampened her forehead.
Marie lowered her camera and eased further into a small depression in the side of the hill, perfect for both observation and concealment. “Don’t be tree cancer,” she whispered to herself. A strange phrase, but one that had proved invaluable during her long and storied career as a war correspondent. A Marine Corps scout sniper had offered her this golden nugget of advice during a stint in Afghanistan. Master of short-range reconnaissance, he’d spotted her crouched in a ball, peering out from behind a twisted stone pine tree. After approaching undetected, he’d whispered in her ear: Don’t be tree cancer. Marie had nearly jumped out of her skin. She later discovered the phrase referred to an observer drawing attention to themselves by standing out from the world around them.
The voice of the knife-wielding man rose in pitch. Marie shuffled for a better view and raised her camera once again.
The knifeman jerked the hood from the captive’s head.
A chill crawled down Marie’s spine.
Glen Bertrum, the American relief worker kidnapped three months ago from the outskirts of Aleppo, shifted on his knees. With a brutal shove from his captors, the terrified relief worker flopped to his side, squirming. The knifeman descended on Glen, then sawed at his relief worker’s neck with the blade. Blood sprayed against the sand. Glen screamed for what seemed an eternity, the sound morphing into a horrible sucking wheeze.
His gore-drenched knife dripping, the murderer yanked Glen’s head free and held it aloft.
The men shouted in victory, thrusting their weapons into the air.
“Shit,” Marie said, lowering the camera.
The cruelty and barbarism of humankind knew no end, and these zealots had a way of making it even uglier, spreading their jihad across the globe like a pestilence. Without raising the SLR again, she watched the terrorists conclude the recording and march away, leaving Glen’s decapitated body to rot.
Marie’s stomach knotted, and she tried to swallow away the tingle of nausea in her throat. This isn’t why you’re here, she thought. A beheaded aid worker wasn’t news, even if she had met the man before. Such things hadn’t been news for a long time. The war had escalated, far beyond Syria and the Middle East, beyond single hostages and beheadings. Terrorist cells were now a pandemic, spread across the globe, and embedded in every country. There was no central faction anymore. No IS or al-Qaeda, or Allah’s Blade. The war against the west was now an idea, a disease infesting the world. Anyone, anywhere could be an enemy—the core vision metastasizing, traveling to every corner of the Earth and there propagating.
Major cities now operated under war-time policy; curfews and rationing to prevent too many people congregating in any one place, such as a supermarket or a major sporting event. Aerial surveillance and street-level military patrols did their best to keep people safe, but a cage was a cage. In some ways, Marie felt free out in the world, even if it was in the enemy’s backyard. Yet while hate for terrorists was justified, as in all wars the enemy wasn’t the only one capable of terrible things. So too were the allied forces—the people who stood against terror and extremism—and that was why she was in Syria.
The little jaunt Marie had undertaken was unofficial. Her boss would kill her if he knew she’d conducted this op. After flying into Istanbul and crossing the border south of Daruca, she’d spent the better part of the past three days moving from checkpoint to checkpoint, working her way along Highway 7 through northeastern Syria. With dark features and perfect Arabic, Marie hid with ease among the local population.
Marie pulled a tablet from her backpack and keyed up the map she’d gotten from her contact. The coordinates were correct. A tiny civilian village in Northeastern Syria. This ramshackle settlement was little more than a speck on the map, and from what she was told by her contact, this place was of zero military significance. No base, no known weapons caches, no landing strips. The small cell of terrorists she’d just found was likely that: a small cell. Little more than a coincidence, and by no means justification for this village to be firebombed back to the stone age.
Unless they’d found something of significance.
***
Excerpt from Condition Black by Gareth Worthington & Stu Jones. Copyright 2021 by Gareth Worthington & Stu Jones. Reproduced with permission from Gareth Worthington & Stu Jones. All rights reserved.
Author Bios:
Gareth Worthington
Gareth Worthington holds a degree in marine biology, a PhD in Endocrinology, an executive MBA, is Board Certified in Medical Affairs, and currently works for the Pharmaceutical industry educating the World’s doctors on new cancer therapies.
Gareth Worthington is an authority in ancient history, has hand-tagged sharks in California, and trained in various martial arts, including Jeet Kune Do and Muay Thai at the EVOLVE MMA gym in Singapore and 2FIGHT Switzerland.
He is an award-winning author and member of the International Thriller Writers Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and the British Science Fiction Association.
Born in England, Gareth has lived around the world from Asia, to Europe to the USA. Wherever he goes, he endeavors to continue his philanthropic work with various charities.
Gareth is represented by Renee Fountain and Italia Gandolfo at Gandolfo Helin Fountain Literary, New York.
Catch Up With Gareth Worthington:
GarethWorthington.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @GarethWorthington
Instagram – @garethworthington
Twitter – @DrGWorthington
Facebook – @garethworthingtonauthor
Stu Jones
Stu Jones. SWAT Sniper. Adventurer. Award-Winning Author of Epic Genre-Bending Fiction.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu has served as a beat cop, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Stu served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
He is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun).
Known for his character-driven stories and blistering action sequences, Stu strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Stu is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo-Helin-Fountain literary
Catch Up With Stu Jones:
Goodreads
BookBub – @stujonesfiction
Instagram – @stujonesfiction
Facebook – @stujonesfiction
Tour Participants:
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Enter to Win:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington. There will be two (2) winners who will each receive one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on April 26, 2021 and ends on May 22, 2021. Void where prohibited.
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MY GARETH WORTHINGTON REVIEWS
MY STU JONES REVIEWS
- You can see my Giveaways HERE.
- You can see my Reviews HERE.
- If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
- Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
- Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
- I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
- Thanks for visiting fundinmental!
Christian Fiction – Action of Purpose Series by Stu Jones @StuJonesFiction
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I was first introduced to Stu Jones when I read It Takes Death To Reach a Star, cowritten with Gareth Worthington. You can see my review Here.
I don’t read much Christian fiction, but this series blew me away..5 stars, beginning to end.
MY REVIEW FOR THROUGH THE FURY TO THE DAWN BY STU JONES
Though I am not what I would consider religious, I love to read about angels and demons. I jumped on this series because I have read some of Stu Jones work and loved it. I am looking forward to reading what he says is a story of faith, conviction and redemption.
I can usually go wherever an author wants to take me and was easily lead into this series with Stu Jones’ ability to pen a great story and OMG, I am lost in this world. As I read, the pacing flows like a river and I am along for the ride. The evil is true EVIL and man descends to its basest levels. BUT…
God won’t forget his creation and has a chosen few that will rise to the occasion. Dark and gritty doesn’t begin to describe the levels Stu Jones goes to in order for us to join in the battle of Good vs Evil…and it will be a fight to the death.
Through the Fury to the Dawn reads like an apocalyptic/dystopian, paranormal/supernatural novel, with a heavy dose of religious influence. I immediately began reading Book II, Into the Dark.
All profits are donated to combat sex trafficking.
A huge thank you goes out to Amazon for the two months of free Kindle Unlimited, of which this series is not the only one I was able to finish.
MY REVIEW FOR INTO THE DARK BY STU JONES
I immediately began reading Into The Dark by Stu Jones as soon as I finished the first book in the Action of Purpose series, Through the Fury to the Dawn. I think this could be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning.
We start at mourning the loss of someone I will miss dearly, but each character has their role to play and Stu Jones has no qualms about killing them off for the good of the story…and it definitely creates some emotional backlash for me.
We get an indepth look at some of the characters and how they came to be who they are.
Life has changed drastically since the destruction caused by WWIII.
Unputdownable! The nail biting, spine tingling suspense made me unable to stop fretting, racing through the pages. Bodies falling in grotesque manners, the sick, Malak, who is much more than a man of evil, Kane, Courtland, Jenna, Tynuk and Az….
I love the blend of genres and was amazed at how easily it was for me to accept the religious angle because it fits so well.
OMG. I had tears in my eyes as the brutal battles rage through the pages, losing some of those I have come to care for deeply. I love a series that maintains the same level of intensity throughout. It doesn’t happen often. Kudos Stu. Keep up the great work. AND…I’ll be checking out Book III right now.
MY REVIEW FOR AGAINST THE FADING BY STU JONES
Each book of the Action of Purpose series begins where the previous book left of. With that being said, I am all in and can hardly wait to get to the conclusion and find out what happens to all my friends.
In Against the Fading Light, Tynuk’s story is told and I love this young man. He is a believer, never wavering.
Kane and the gang are what family is all about, though they are not related.
As the showdown approaches, God’s talking and the angels are listening.
I AM LOVING THIS SERIES. I am not religious, don’t go to church, but this story and Stu Jones’ ability to tell it has blown me away. Amazing, awesome, uplifting, hopeful, heartbreaking, devastating…
I must warn you…put aside some time, because once you start reading about this battle between good and evil, you won’t be able to stop! The ending was all I could hope for and he kept me entranced, riveted, unable to quit until the last page was read.
