Tag Archives: Dystopian Fantasy

Preface to #Dystopian #Fantasy The Mercy Series

22 Friday Jan 2021

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I know, I know…I’ve been inordinately quiet lately and have been posting infrequently.  My humblest apologies 😦  I’ve been working on book three of my newest series, The Mercy Series, for most of the year along with marketing, promotion, reviewing, and…oh yeah, my 9-5.  It hasn’t been without some fairly remarkable results however.

Im delighted to say that The Mercy Series has already won multiple awards, including the Independent Author Network Fantasy Book of the Year, Readers Favorite Silver Medal Finalist for Fantasy Book of the Year, Amazon Best Seller, 3 Readers Favorite 5-Star Reviews, and the single-most, absolutely exciting thing of all has been contracted with GoldenNetwork.TV for their upcoming ROKU Streaming Library!

Because I’ve been working hard developing this story, I thought I would share the preface of book three…which prefaces the entire series, really.  I hope you’ll find it intriguing!

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Long before human beings were created, the Angels and Archangels existed; their abode, the Realm Beyond.  Beyond the earth-plane.  Beyond cognitive perception.  Beyond sight, sound, and touch.  The Beyond is where all forms of energy originate and to where all forms of energy return.  It is where perfection is considered the norm; where all beings are made up of energy that is in harmony with all the energy around them. In this place, darkness and light, positive and negative, power and fragility are balanced.  There is no evil intent and there is no selfish thought.  It is a place of peace, harmony and accord where each energy has a purpose that encompasses positivity.

In the great spans of time before the reign of humans, a portion of the dark energy that existed in harmony with the light chose to separate itself. Its purpose became sullied; its compassion grew self-limiting and its generosity twisted into greed.  This dark energy beguiled and tempted, drawing power from the bright, positive energy it devoured.  It expanded, taking and manipulating, perverting and distorting, until its influence became too disruptive.

Like a contagion against which the body defends itself, the malignant, encompassing dark force was opposed by the positive forces around it. The battle was mighty and pitched the entire cosmos into chaos.  Some energies were lost and others chose to follow where others would not go; yet ultimately positive energy prevailed. Banished to the Realm Beneath, the corruption of darkness was expelled.  It was not destroyed.

To eliminate the opposite of itself, even though it posed a great threat, would be to create instability.  It would cause in imbalance of energy.  The Realm Beyond is balance and equanimity to its very core.  It cannot create what it is not; thus, the darkness was expelled, but not eliminated.

Between these two opposing dominions lies the earth-plane.  The realm of all that is corporeal.  In an attempt to balance the disorder created by the expulsion of dark energy from their realm, each Archangel gave a portion of themselves, of their energy, in the creation of humanity. Traits such as strength, loyalty, kindness, patience, obedience, forgiveness, mercy and other positive attributes were gifted and human beings were given breath.  They gained dominion over all other forms of life, yet as the wheels of time turned the earth-plane became a domain of perpetual conflict, where light and dark clash unceasingly; where positive and negative, once again, do not balance.

The earth-plane and the realms Beyond and Beneath are connected through spiritual corridors that forms of energy understand how to traverse.  These corridors are utilized every hour of the day and night as the battle continues.  Darkness seeks to consume while light strives to achieve harmonious stability and in a final effort to reunify, four powers of inconceivable influence are released.

The Horsemen Ride.

Read Reviews and find Links for the series here

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~Morgan~

THIS BOOK Y’ALL GOOSEBUMPS, REVOLUTIONARY, STUNNING- A #BookReview by Amy Johnson

22 Sunday Nov 2020

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I simply had to share this delightful, not to mention (dare I use the word) stellar review of Misericorde …I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Posted on by amyjohnson895

In the year 2446, the world exists as a mere shell of what it used to be. The Great Catalyst tore the human race apart as the Horsemen rode. War, Pestilence, Famine… All that remains to ride is Death.

Archangel Tzadkiel, Angel of Mercy, had taken the task upon himself to find one human on the planet who understands what mercy is. Humans are a vile species, though, and as his journey nears its end, he fears he may never find that person. When he is captured by the soldiers of The Bastion, hope wanes even further.

A mere scullery maid, Lourdes hears screams from her room every night. They break her heart and haunt her nightmares, and even though she doesn’t even know who they come from, she swear to find him and help him.

When she does exactly that, though, Lourdes discovers she’s opened a door that she might regret and entered a world darker than she ever imagined.

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Style/Length:
Let me just get this off my chest before we start.

OMG THIS BOOK Y’ALL GOOSEBUMPS REVOLUTIONARY STUNNING!

*clears throat* I, um, really enjoyed this book, guys. Morgan’s style is absolutely breathtaking. It’s thick with descriptions of the world she has created (which is incredible) and the people who live in it. It reads like a fantasy in that way, because it seems like a brand new created world. In reality, it’s what’s left of ours.

It was a rather long read, and at first, I struggled to get into it. My kindle is set up to track my percentage through the book because that’s how I set my pace. So, I was about 30% of the way through and had been reading for DAYS. Thats a bit unusual for me, considering how fast I read. But the beginning was just so description heavy that I didn’t want to miss anything by hurrying.

But DUDE did it get good after 50%. I scarfed this book down like Tzadkiel eating oatmeal (you’d understand that if you read Misericorde 😂). One night y’all. ONE. NIGHT. When I say I stayed up till one am, I 100% mean it. Please tell me you’ve done that before. I was lying in bed, telling myself that I needed to stop. One more chapter. Just till the end of this one. Oh wait, I can’t possibly stop THERE. Okay, till the end of this part them. But apparently my eyes don’t listen to my brain. Because I kept on going.

And boy, did this leave me with a book hangover. That awful feeling of MAN, NO BOOK WILL EVER COMPARE.  ugh. This is a lot to say: It had a slow start, but once I got in, it was just perfect. Chef’s kiss.

Characters:
The two “main” characters are Lourdes and Tzadkiel. That’s obvious. I’ll talk about those for a bit and then touch on some secondary characters.

Lourdes is a scullery maid. She is the perfect submissive slave, doing what she has to without complaint or attracting attention. The author makes sure to describe her as beautiful, of course. But she is so much more than that. Lourdes is incredibly strong, kind, brave and just… a wonderful female lead. She’s my favorite female MC that I’ve read in a while. Now, Lourdes does go through a lot, and there were tears shed for her. I’ll have to go into detail about that later.

Next up is Tzadkiel. I don’t read a lot of books about Angels and such. My background knowledge about angels comes from out Trenchcoat King Castiel. 😂 So, the standards were REALLY high for Tzadkiel. And lord a’mercy, he did not disappoint. While being the typical strong, macho male character that you expect from him, you also get to see a really vulnerable side of him as demons attempt to bring him down. He’s far from perfect, and endures so much along his search that I just… ugh. I love him. Happily simping over here.

Now we’ve got some other characters. There’s Levesque, head of the Tower Obligar and man in charge of “controlling” Tzadkiel. I didn’t like Levesque to start off with but there was a quick change in his personality that somewhat redeemed him in my eyes. He got what was coming to him, though. Then, there’s Philippe who deserved every ounce of HATE I felt for him. Sauvage: the man who deserved TO BURN IN THE FIRES OF HADES *clears throat* sorry. He’s a, um, bad guy.

I had no issue with the characters! Nothing negative! There were a lot to juggle, but each one stuck out enough for me to be able to pluck them out of the story easily. I was never confused. So Kudos to the author for balancing them out so well.

Plot:
There’s actually a few things I want to talk about in terms of plot. The structure of this book is fascinating to me. There are only nine chapters (and you thought CAGED had long chapters 😬) but each one is cut up into different sections. The story jumps around in time quite a bit to build this world that the author is developing.

You have an omniscient and omnipresent narrator who seems to just oversee and explain the history, then you have Gabriel and Anna’s storyline (2060), Tzadkiel’s arrest storyline (2445), and then Lourdes and Tzadkiel’s combined storyline (2446). Each storyline is very clearly marked at the start by telling you what year and era the part is taking place, like below.

I only mention this to show to complex the story really is. It was a bit off putting at first because I wasn’t used to it, but as I grew familiar with the style of jumping, it didn’t cause any problems at all. Just make sure you pay attention to the headings!

Other than what I’ve said before, I think this plot was exceptionally well done. It’s complex, beautifully wound together, logical throughout, and intense.

**Please note: This next paragraph has some sensitive topics. Read carefully.**
Last note about the plot: Morgan has added a trigger warning in the book’s description on Amazon. The book does contain a few short instances of rape as Lourdes faces some particularly despicable guards. It wasn’t an issue for me personally, but some readers might be thrown off guard. *****

All in all, I would give this book a heaping 10/10. If I could, I’d give it 11/10. Buy it here!

My book hangover says I need to give it a 3/10 because OOF. 😂 That’s how you know it’s good.

You can follow Cynthia Morgan at the following links:
Website: https://www.cynthiaamorganauthor.com/
WordPress: https://booknvolume.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morganbc728?s=21
Amazon: Author.to/CAMorganAuthor

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I’d like to Thank Amy for such a remarkable review.  I’m not sure if reviewers truly realize the amount of Joy (or pain!) their words produce, but Amy’s will have me smiling for days!

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~Morgan~

#JoinWith.Me – An Exploration of Dangerous #Dystopian Possibilities by Mike Meier

01 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by in Authors Books Reviews & Interviews

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JoinWith.Me — What if…the Internet came to life?

Sam Vanderpool wakes up every morning in his miserable one-room apartment, and takes the subway into the city, where he works for the Labor Department, keeping track of average salaries. Within the daily ebb and flow of people, he feels as if he’s transformed from a biped into an insect, indistinguishable from the insect crawling right next to him.

His is a meaningless existence until he discovers JoinWith.Me, a website that offers free counseling. There, an unseen counselor with the voice of a little girl tells him that she can help him enjoy a better life—if he’ll just do exactly what she says. As her advice and demands become more abusive, Sam decides he wants out. At the airport, the flight display is controlled by some strange force that cancels his flight. Too scared to return to his apartment, Sam becomes homeless. Eventually, she reveals her plan for the future to him. Sam resists; she forces him.

Does that sound too absurd to be true? It isn’t. The symbol of the future in the story is the siphonophore, a sea creature that resembles a jellyfish. It consists of other animals that join together to function as a single organism. The organism catches fish and procreates. Even more curious, a siphonophore does not have a brain.

The book cover represents a stylized siphonophore, the Hula Skirt Siphonore to be exact. In fact, “Siphonophora” was the original title of the story, but most people could not pronounce or understand it. Siphhh…what? So I changed it to something simpler, JoinWith.Me. I searched for a living organism that can symbolize the future of humanity. I first found slime mold, single-celled organisms that congregate and form a single body. By the way, slime mold is smarter than you think; it can move toward more fertile ground, move out of the sun, and grow back together if separated. But slime mold does not sound very exciting as the future of humanity. Then I found the siphonophores, sea creatures that consist of other animals that connect to function as a single organism—a so-called colonial organism.

JoinWith.Me is a cautionary tale about our increasing fusion with technology as a society. With such a premise, the setting must necessarily be dystopian because the focus of any human endeavor is not what is real and surrounds us, but what is virtual and exists in a cyberworld. Why live in a pretty house? Why cultivate a garden? Why pick up other people’s trash in the street? If you find a better substitute in cyberworld, all of that does not matter anymore.

In the story, technology controls us because it comes to life—it is no longer mere artificial intelligence. But we summoned it into existence. That’s why the book begins with a quote from Goethe’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice (better known to most Americans as the Mickey Mouse Fantasia story) at the beginning: “Wrong I was in calling Spirits, I avow, For I find them galling, Cannot rule them now.” Until that point, there is a chance for us to control technology, if only she weren’t such a seductive enchantress. Most cannot resist.

Mike Meier grew up in a blue-collar housing project in Germany. On his own since his teens, he has lived in several different countries, including Argentina and Japan, and worked jobs such as washing dishes, repairing bicycles, and painting homes. When he’s not writing books or screenplays, you’ll find him playing Latin and Flamenco guitar in the Washington, DC area. He holds a master’s degree in political science, as well as a JD and LLM. Maybe mystery is in Mike’s blood—his grandfather was the 1930s traveling magician and fortune-teller Wladi-Kami.

In the year 2032, Sam Vanderpool lives a lonely existence with a menial job in an urban dystopia that is dominated by technology. Sam is jolted from his routine when an ad appears on his computer screen that takes him to a website called JoinWith.Me. The site offers counseling for the lonely, and Sam decides to give it a try. He talks to a girl who offers to help him find happiness and a girlfriend. Or so he thinks… JoinWith.Me is a dystopian thriller that explores timely questions: whether we control technology or it controls us; the singularity horizon where AI crosses the threshold into self-awareness; the enduring power of human connection; and the ultimate destiny of humankind.

Hello Mike, thanks for sharing your amazing story with us today.  Lets dive in, shall we? How did you get your start writing?

I’ve started and stopped several times, facing many obstacles along the way. When I was very young, I attended the Catholic boarding school of the boys’ choir Regensburger Domspatzen in Germany. During my time there, I wrote many stories that I collected in the compartment underneath my desk. One day, the head teacher, Mr. S., went into a fit of rage over all the papers stuffed under my desk. He made me throw all of those stories into the trash while ridiculing me in front of the class. Later, life got in the way of my writing. There was always something urgent that prevented me from finishing a story. So it took me many years. Since my work dried up with COVID-19, I suddenly had a chance to focus on writing. I already had a substantial draft of JoinWith.me at the time. That’s why it was the first for me to complete. My next book is forthcoming in January 2021, “The Love Hex or Nicest Flings in Mexico” (a comedy). I started with the screenplay, which has won several awards. That encouraged me to turn it into a book. I wrote the first draft in the early 1990s, but did not have time to even think about it for years. Years later, I wrote a little more after I received some advice—that someone has to die in the story. Off and on I added a few ideas. Several years ago, I sent a draft to my old friend Thomas to hear his opinion. During the pandemic, I’ve finally had time to complete the story.

What Inspired you to write your book?

The idea of this book came to me years ago when I was working for an internet marketing company. I was well aware that Google, Facebook and the like track every keyboard move you make, then sell the data they have collected about you. Thus, I only worked in “incognito” mode in the Firefox browser; cleared the cache and cookies off my computer several times a day; and used a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Once, while working in incognito mode in the Facebook account of a customer, there was a pop-up by Facebook, suggesting that I connect with someone. There was a picture of the Mexican gentleman who had painted my house a few years earlier. We had never communicated over the internet. How was this even possible? At that moment, I felt as if the internet was a living human being that was spying on me. I wrote the first draft of this story soon after that incident.

In my writing, many times it seems I’m just taking notes.  Do your characters dictate what or how you write in any way?

Absolutely. In JoinWith.Me, the protagonist Sam lives an impoverished life until he is drawn to (and eventually into) the Creature. I tried to put myself in his place, to think and speak the way he would in his situation. (Spoiler Alert) However, as is revealed in the end, it is Sam’s point of view, but in hindsight. That explains his occasionally unusual insights that would appear out of place for someone living such an ordinary life.

What is the hardest part of editing- grammar checks, reducing content, or something else?

I’d say the hardest part is to put together a compelling story that others can appreciate. My JoinWith.Me story changed quite a bit over time in response to critiques I received. The first critique noted that my protagonist “is such a wuss, nobody wants to read what happens to him.” I turned that into a character arc where he grows with the challenges he faces. The other hard part was the ending. I would have preferred a different ending (I’m not going to say what exactly that would be), but every critique told me that I just could not do that. I rewrote the ending about a dozen times so that others would find it acceptable.

If you could live in a book, which one would it be- why?

If I had to choose a book to live in, it would be Homer’s Odyssey. The reason is that I don’t need technology to be happy. I could have lived happily 2,000 or 3,000 years ago. I would have sailed the Mediterranean Sea without my cell phone ringing, and instead of the guitar, I would have played the lyre. All that I need to be happy existed at the time—travel, friends, music, stories, and wine.

Is there any conflict between what you want to write and what you think your readers will like?

Absolutely, but what good is a writer if nobody wants to hear the story? So yes, I changed JoinWith.Me quite a bit (especially the character arc and the ending). I am currently finalizing my comedy “The Love Hex.” Also there, I had to make changes to make sure others can appreciate the story. In the earlier drafts, I went a little overboard with my humor and had to be reined in by friends and critics who alerted me to humor that could be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Yes, it was painful to cut it out or rewrite it. But then again, I want the story to be accessible to anybody out there. That’s the price you pay as a writer.

What’s exciting you about your next project?

My next project is once again a comedy, about an invasion by space aliens. I just completed the first draft of the screenplay. While the science is real for the most part, the events are not. Thus, I have the liberty of applying more of my humor without offending anybody (I hope). For example, in the story a man decides to set up a cult in the midst of the confusion caused by the alien visitors. Searching for a scripture for the new cult, one of his associates finds a book in a looted Vietnamese restaurant. The result is:

The Cult Leader victoriously holds up the book with a broad smile. The Cult Members are excited; they jump up and down and cheer loudly. He ceremoniously opens the book and clears his throat. He looks at the book, cannot read it, then turns it upside down and proceeds. He begins to chant.

CULT LEADER: Lam nong lo nuong o nhiet.

SUBTITLE: Preheat oven.

CULT MEMBERS : (repeating the Cult Leader’s chant)

CULT LEADER: Dau mo va chao bot.

SUBTITLE: Grease and flour pan.

CULT MEMBERS: (repeating the Cult Leader’s chant)

CULT LEADER: Trong mot bat vua, danh kem cung voi duong va bo.

SUBTITLE: In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.

The Cult Members cheer loudly. …

LOL Ok I have to giggle, but that definitely has promise…so many places to go!  Before I let you go, please tell us what’s your number one tip for an aspiring Author?

To write consistently. I write something every morning and every evening. In fact, sometimes I have an idea during the day, and I will open the draft it pertains to and make that correction. Some people call that “constant, never-ending improvement.” The Japanese call that kaizen.

Do you have a Mantra-a Quote you try to live by?

Yes, absolutely. It is the Japanese proverb Nanakorobi yaoki (七転び八起き) (Fall down seven times, get up eight). Nothing comes of lying on the floor in defeat—especially considering how short our visit to this hospitable planet is. Maybe I should add to this a reminder from Cabaret: “Start by admitting, From cradle to tomb, It isn’t that long a stay. Life is a Cabaret, old chum…”

I would like to thank you so very much for sharing your valuable time and talent with BnV.  JoinWithMe sounds like it could very easily go viral. 

JoinWith.Me, based on the screenplay, is a dystopian thriller that explores timely questions: whether we control technology or it controls us; the singularity horizon where AI crosses the threshold into self-awareness; the enduring power of human connection; and the ultimate destiny of humankind.

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Multiple Accolades for the JoinWith.Me screenplay, video trailer and book:
✓ Video Trailer: Award Winner IndieX Film Fest, Los Angeles July 2020, Honorable Mention;
✓ Screenplay: Honorable Mention, 89th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition;
✓ Screenplay: Script Summit Screenplay Contest 2020, Finalist;
✓ Screenplay: Independent Shorts Awards Los Angeles, May 2020, Finalist;
✓ Book: Action On Film 16th Annual International Film Festival, Official Selection & several others

Find JoinWithMe on Amazon 

 

~Morgan~

My #Books For #FREE

15 Thursday Oct 2020

Posted by in About Me (since you Insist)

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Grab your free copy TODAY!

. I confess, this is a blatant, no holds barred Invitation to Readers/Reviewers who find themselves interested in my books to provide a review in return for a FREE Ebook. BooknVolume now has a new dedicated page (At the top of the homepage) to REVIEW MY BOOKS that I am sharing with all of you today. Thank You for your Kind Support, For Any Shares/Reblogs you choose to Offer, and, if nothing else, for humouring me 🙂

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This page is information about Dark Fey and The Mercy Series for those who may be interested in providing a review of my books. A FREE Ebook is available in return for an honest review. My only proviso being, please post your review on your Amazon marketplace, Goodreads and your blog or website.

After looking through the provided information, if you find yourself interested, please contact me via the contact info at the end of this page.

Additional Links for Information about my books: Cynthia A. Morgan Author Website

Creativia Author Page

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Ayla was discovered at a very young age to have an especially rare combination of gifts: empathic telepathy, discernment, and the gift of healing. She was dedicated by her parents to become a Guardian of Childfey and spent her young years in the seclusion of the Temple where she studied magic and the ancient rites; where she was taught about the mortal enemy of all Fey of the Light, The Reviled; and where she attempted to learn how to protect herself from the emotions and thoughts of others, although never successfully.

Gairynzvl is a Fey of the Light who was abducted by The Reviled at the age of seven and suffered the intentionally cruel process of neglect, abuse and deprivation is designed to turn childfey from the Light and twist them into monsters. Now fifteen years later, he is a Dark One. He comes in shadows and silence; lingering near Ayla and trying to communicate with her. After many months and while she is alone guarding a childfey, Gairynzvl crosses into her home, but he is also unlike anything she ever imagined a Dark One could be. Rather than opening a portal for his Legion so they may enter and take what they want; he commits an act of treason against his own kind and closes it; protecting her as well as the youngling in her care from their cruelty, but what he wants from her is just as terrifying and equally as dangerous as a full Legion of Reviled. Through her extraordinary gifts she listens to him when no others will; she touches his pain and discovers she cannot turn aside from helping him, but the conflict that unfolds is vicious and exceedingly costly, pushing them to their limits and forcing them to grow beyond them.

Dark Fey The Reviled is an epic fantasy filled with suspense, mystery, action, magic and romance. It shares the inspiration of positive hope; the resilience of love, and the power of forgiveness through a tale that is rich with beauty and horror alike.

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Gairynzvl risked everything to escape his captivity in the darkness, including committing an act of treason against the Reviled. Yet, in spite of the dangers involved and the very great risk of sparking full-scale war with the Reviled, Gairynzvl has an irrepressible need to go back into the darkness to rescue as many of the childfey trapped there as he can find. The success of his plan will hinge upon more than courage and military strategy; it will call upon the unique skills and magic of each individual who chooses to join his band of Liberators, and it will require a level of dependence upon each other for which few of them are prepared. Their actions will test all of their limits, could easily divide loyalties, and will shake the foundations of everything The Fey of The Light have accepted as truth for thousands of years.

Slipping into the darkness through darkness is easy. Escaping out again with terrified childfey is another matter, but if they are captured by the Reviled, the band of Liberators will pray for death long before it comes. The risks are enormous and the possibility for success is doubtful, but the compulsion to do what is right and what is necessary is too great to ignore.

Inspired in part by the true-life events of the Lord’s Resistance Army or LRA, a rebel militant group in Uganda that commonly abducts children and forces them to commit horrifying acts of violence against each other and their own people in combat, Standing in Shadows reaches deeper into the darkness, but never strays entirely out of the Light. Relating a tale of both fear and hope, the story allows readers to share Gairynzvl’s journey into a restored life; his challenges in making new friends and forging alliances, and the struggle to trust, rather than fear, those around him.

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Breaking into the Light relates the inspiration of Hope and the power of forgiveness through a tale that is brutally beautiful.

The Reviled are the enemy; merciless, untrustworthy. They embody brutality and devastation. The Fey of the Light have lived with these truths for millennia. Daring to think otherwise invites tragedy.

Gairynzvl was a Reviled Fey and lived the riotous life of all Dark Ones; yet now he is rescuing younglings from the darkness. The actions taken by him and his band of Liberators are fulfilling Ancient Prophecies and proving long-accepted beliefs to be inaccurate. Those who have lived in the Light all their lives, who enjoyed the luxuries of abundance, are suddenly faced with unavoidable questions.

How is Peace achieved? Can Light unite with Darkness?

Will the Fey of the Light sacrifice everything to achieve that which seems impossible or will they turn their heads and ignore the shadows weeping all around them?

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It’s the year 2446, and the first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden. Pestilence, War and Famine have changed the world into a dictatorship ruled with an iron fist. Commoners have few rights, and liberty is a distant memory. Before the final Horseman is released, the Archangel of Mercy – Tzadkiel – makes a bold plea, asking for permission to find even one human who remembers the meaning of mercy and compassion. He is given 100 years, until Death will sweep across the land. Taking human form and coming to Earth, he finds a place ruled by greed, hatred and fear. With time running out and Death growing impatient, can Tzadkiel find what he’s looking for… and how much will he need to sacrifice?

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It’s the year 2446, and the final horseman of apocalypse – Death – is preparing to ride. The Archangel of Mercy, Tzadkiel, has come to Earth and found the last merciful person among the callous human throng. Together, Tzadkiel and Lourdes escape to the French countryside, but are relentlessly tracked by a sadistic officer determined to control the Archangel and claim Lourdes for himself. Forced to make choices neither ever anticipated, they discover more than simply how to survive. Yet while love blossoms, Death grows impatient. Unable to ride until released by the Archangel, he unleashes a calamity that will push them to their very limits. To succeed they will need more than hope and love. They will need a place of mercy. .

Review Request

If you find yourself interested in reviewing Dark Fey, please complete the following and I’ll reach out to you about delivering your free eBook 🙂

Note: Please only apply if you have time to read this FREE EBOOK within 30 days from date of receipt.

IMPORTANT: You will NOT be paid to write a review. Amazon does not permit reviews that are posted in exchange for compensation of any kind, including payment. Amazon accepts authors giving a free or discounted copy of their book up front in exchange for a review, whether it be positive and negative feedback. If you receive a free book in exchange for your review, you are welcome to say it was for a honest review.

Thank You Ever So for your interest in my books. I shall contact you soon.

~Morgan~

Introduction for an Archangel – #Fantasy #Characters Come to Life

03 Saturday Oct 2020

Posted by in The Mercy Series

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Elena Dudina.  You may recognize her amazing artwork or you may have never heard of her before.  She is an extremely gifted photomanipulation digital artist. Her creations stir the imagination (They have stirred mine since the beginning of BnV!)

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They are breathtaking and exquisitely detailed, filling the mind with far-away realms and magical places.

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They are delicate and beautiful and each one is unique.

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She is a poet of images, forms and colour; shades, shapes and textures.

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When I first began writing The Mercy Series, I confess, it wasn’t one of Elena’s images that inspired my imagination.  It was one by an artist called Aenaluck

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This image is definitely stirring, but my main character Tzadkiel quickly took on a life of his own. He became real to me, as every character I have ever created has done.

“The ruddy glimmer of the late day sun, slowly fading into a crimson haze behind the distant clouds, played through the layers of his shoulder-length blonde hair and sparkled across the perfection of his features. He was neither rugged nor boyish, but strikingly handsome.  His physique was tall and powerful, but not burly and his appearance was undeniably beautiful while still masculine. He wore a gray leather harness across his back with a scabbard to carry a sword, though the weapon was currently sheathed in the scabbard at his hip.  He bore no scars of any kind and wore around his neck an amethyst crystal upon a silver chain. The deep violet of the unworked stone matched the color of his eyes precisely and glowed faintly as if it contained an internal light.  Standing there upon the vast ocean shore, he was the most stunning sight for countless miles. – An Excerpt from Misericorde 

Although Aenaluck’s character inspired, I wanted a true representation of Tzadkiel.  One I could share with readers (And use for marketing without copyright infringement).  I decided to look into commissioning a work through a digital artist and it only took about 10 minutes for me to find Elena’s website.  10 minutes after that, I was emailing one of my all time favourite artists with a query.

Elena and I have worked closely for a week, trading emails while I provided detailed descriptions about Tzadkiel and a plethora of images to help her visualize what I saw in my mind.  Remarkably, and due in no small part to her immense talent, she drew the archangel out of the depths of my mind and brought him ….and his extraordinary sword Jshunamir….to life!

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I would like to introduce you to The Archangel Tzadkiel in human form from The Mercy Series

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It’s the year 2446, and the first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden.

Pestilence, War and Famine have changed the world into a dictatorship ruled with an iron fist. Commoners have few rights, and liberty is a distant memory.

Before the final Horseman is released, the Archangel of Mercy – Tzadkiel – makes a bold plea, asking for permission to find even one human who remembers the meaning of mercy and compassion. He is given 100 years, until Death will sweep across the land.

Taking human form and coming to Earth, he finds a place ruled by greed, hatred and fear. With time running out and Death growing impatient, can Tzadkiel find what he’s looking for… and how much will he need to sacrifice?

 

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I can’t wait to hear what you think.  Personally, Im over the moon and want to take this opportunity to thank Elena for her gift, that has inspired me many times over the years, and for her patience as she worked to bring this character to life.

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~Morgan~

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Find Elena Dudina on DeviantArt and Facebook

#Review My Books #FreeBook #Giveaway

25 Friday Sep 2020

Posted by in Dark Fey, The Mercy Series

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I confess, this is a blatant, no holds barred Invitation to Readers/Reviewers who find themselves interested in my books to provide a review in return for a FREE Ebook.   BooknVolume now has a new dedicated page (At the top of the homepage) to REVIEW MY BOOKS that I am sharing with all of you today.  Thank You for your Kind Support, For Any Shares/Reblogs you choose to Offer, and, if nothing else, for humouring me 🙂

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This page is information about Dark Fey and The Mercy Series for those who may be interested in providing a review of my books.  A FREE Ebook is available in return for an honest review.  My only proviso being, please post your review on your Amazon marketplace, Goodreads and your blog or website.

After looking through the provided information, if you find yourself interested, please contact me via the contact info at the end of this page.

Additional Links for Information about my books:
Cynthia A. Morgan Author Website

Creativia Author Page

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Ayla was discovered at a very young age to have an especially rare combination of gifts: empathic telepathy, discernment, and the gift of healing. She was dedicated by her parents to become a Guardian of Childfey and spent her young years in the seclusion of the Temple where she studied magic and the ancient rites; where she was taught about the mortal enemy of all Fey of the Light, The Reviled; and where she attempted to learn how to protect herself from the emotions and thoughts of others, although never successfully.

Gairynzvl is a Fey of the Light who was abducted by The Reviled at the age of seven and suffered the intentionally cruel process of neglect, abuse and deprivation is designed to turn childfey from the Light and twist them into monsters. Now fifteen years later, he is a Dark One. He comes in shadows and silence; lingering near Ayla and trying to communicate with her. After many months and while she is alone guarding a childfey, Gairynzvl crosses into her home, but he is also unlike anything she ever imagined a Dark One could be. Rather than opening a portal for his Legion so they may enter and take what they want; he commits an act of treason against his own kind and closes it; protecting her as well as the youngling in her care from their cruelty, but what he wants from her is just as terrifying and equally as dangerous as a full Legion of Reviled. Through her extraordinary gifts she listens to him when no others will; she touches his pain and discovers she cannot turn aside from helping him, but the conflict that unfolds is vicious and exceedingly costly, pushing them to their limits and forcing them to grow beyond them.

Dark Fey The Reviled is an epic fantasy filled with suspense, mystery, action, magic and romance. It shares the inspiration of positive hope; the resilience of love, and the power of forgiveness through a tale that is rich with beauty and horror alike.

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Gairynzvl risked everything to escape his captivity in the darkness, including committing an act of treason against the Reviled. Yet, in spite of the dangers involved and the very great risk of sparking full-scale war with the Reviled, Gairynzvl has an irrepressible need to go back into the darkness to rescue as many of the childfey trapped there as he can find. The success of his plan will hinge upon more than courage and military strategy; it will call upon the unique skills and magic of each individual who chooses to join his band of Liberators, and it will require a level of dependence upon each other for which few of them are prepared.  Their actions will test all of their limits, could easily divide loyalties, and will shake the foundations of everything The Fey of The Light have accepted as truth for thousands of years.

Slipping into the darkness through darkness is easy.  Escaping out again with terrified childfey is another matter, but if they are captured by the Reviled, the band of Liberators will pray for death long before it comes.  The risks are enormous and the possibility for success is doubtful, but the compulsion to do what is right and what is necessary is too great to ignore.

Inspired in part by the true-life events of the Lord’s Resistance Army or LRA, a rebel militant group in Uganda that commonly abducts children and forces them to commit horrifying acts of violence against each other and their own people in combat, Standing in Shadows reaches deeper into the darkness, but never strays entirely out of the Light.  Relating a tale of both fear and hope, the story allows readers to share Gairynzvl’s journey into a restored life; his challenges in making new friends and forging alliances, and the struggle to trust, rather than fear, those around him.

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Breaking into the Light relates the inspiration of Hope and the power of forgiveness through a tale that is brutally beautiful.

The Reviled are the enemy; merciless, untrustworthy.  They embody brutality and devastation.  The Fey of the Light have lived with these truths for millennia.  Daring to think otherwise invites tragedy.

Gairynzvl was a Reviled Fey and lived the riotous life of all Dark Ones; yet now he is rescuing younglings from the darkness.  The actions taken by him and his band of Liberators are fulfilling Ancient Prophecies and proving long-accepted beliefs to be inaccurate. Those who have lived in the Light all their lives, who enjoyed the luxuries of abundance, are suddenly faced with unavoidable questions.

How is Peace achieved?  Can Light unite with Darkness?

Will the Fey of the Light sacrifice everything to achieve that which seems impossible or will they turn their heads and ignore the shadows weeping all around them?

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It’s the year 2446, and the first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden.
Pestilence, War and Famine have changed the world into a dictatorship ruled with an iron fist. Commoners have few rights, and liberty is a distant memory.
Before the final Horseman is released, the Archangel of Mercy – Tzadkiel – makes a bold plea, asking for permission to find even one human who remembers the meaning of mercy and compassion. He is given 100 years, until Death will sweep across the land.
Taking human form and coming to Earth, he finds a place ruled by greed, hatred and fear. With time running out and Death growing impatient, can Tzadkiel find what he’s looking for… and how much will he need to sacrifice?

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It’s the year 2446, and the final horseman of apocalypse – Death – is preparing to ride.

The Archangel of Mercy, Tzadkiel, has come to Earth and found the last merciful person among the callous human throng. Together, Tzadkiel and Lourdes escape to the French countryside, but are relentlessly tracked by a sadistic officer determined to control the Archangel and claim Lourdes for himself.

Forced to make choices neither ever anticipated, they discover more than simply how to survive. Yet while love blossoms, Death grows impatient. Unable to ride until released by the Archangel, he unleashes a calamity that will push them to their very limits. To succeed they will need more than hope and love.

They will need a place of mercy.

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Review Request 

If you find yourself interested in reviewing my books, please complete the following and I’ll reach out to you about delivering your free eBook 🙂

Note: Please only apply if you have time to read this FREE EBOOK within 30 days from date of receipt.

IMPORTANT: You will NOT be paid to write a review. Amazon does not permit reviews that are posted in exchange for compensation of any kind, including payment. Amazon accepts authors giving a free or discounted copy of their book up front in exchange for a review, whether it be positive and negative feedback. If you receive a free book in exchange for your review, you are welcome to say it was for a honest review.

Thank You Ever So for your interest in my books.  I shall contact you soon.

~Morgan~

 

 

 

#Dystopian Done Right – #Reviews of The Mercy Series & #FreeAudioBook!

08 Saturday Aug 2020

Posted by in The Mercy Series

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I have been overjoyed and overwhelmed by the incredible reviews my new release The Mercy Series has been receiving and simply had to share some of them with you.

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For a Limited Time I have FREE Copies of Misericorde on Audible available.  Just comment below if you’re interested! 🙂

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~Morgan~

Misericorde #DarkFantasy #Dystopian #AudioBook #Free!

29 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by in The Mercy Series

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Misericorde (Mercy Series Book One) Is now #AVAILABLE ON #AUDIBLE !!!

Even better, I have #FREE #AudioBooks to give away For a VERY Limited Time.   (Comment below to request a copy)

It’s the year 2446, and the first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden.

Pestilence, War and Famine have changed the world into a dictatorship ruled with an iron fist. Commoners have few rights, and liberty is a distant memory.

Before the final Horseman is released, the Archangel of Mercy – Tzadkiel – makes a bold plea, asking for permission to find even one human who remembers the meaning of mercy and compassion. He is given 100 years, until Death will sweep across the land.

Taking human form and coming to Earth, he finds a place ruled by greed, hatred and fear. With time running out and Death growing impatient, can Tzadkiel find what he’s looking for… and how much will he need to sacrifice?

.

~Morgan ~

Official #Author Website – #FantasyBooks #YAFantasy #InspirationalBooks for All Ages

25 Saturday Jul 2020

Posted by in About Me (since you Insist)

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BooknVolume has been my home away from home for seven years – yes, can you believe that – Seven Years!  Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere, BUT, I do now have a vacation cottage in addition to my BnV mansion.

Today it became official (whatever that means, exactly)  the Cynthia A. Morgan Author website is up and running and waiting for you!  Pop on by, say hello, check it out and let me know what you think?

Personally, Im delighted, but I’m also open to feedback.  Is it easy to navigate?  Easy to read?  Does it have too much? Too Little?  OR is something missing you’d really like to see?  I’d love to know.