I'm excited to welcome author Staci Troilo to my blog site today to tell us about the fifth book of her acclaimed Astral Conspiracy Series. For this particular series, Staci uses the pen name of D.L. Cross, which you'll notice on the books in the photos below.

Staci is a prolific and award-winning writer. Her commitment to the art of writing is unsurpassed. Please join me in welcoming her and prepare yourself for an other-worldly experience. It's all yours, Staci!   

​​Ciao, Gwen. Thanks so much for inviting me here today. I love first-time visits and am so excited to be here. And a heart-felt “hi” to all your readers.

I’m here today to talk about my Astral Conspiracy Series. It’s technically science fiction, as it’s part of the acclaimed Platt and Truant Invasion Universe, but my saga is as much thriller as it is sci-fi, so I thought I’d have a little fun with my marketing and include pages from the top-secret government files on my main characters. Today, I’m sharing info on Nadia Adler.

Staci: Hey, Nadia. How’s it going?

Nadia: Couldn’t be having a better day. Well, maybe if Halpern was fired. Or killed in action. But basically, this is a banner day for me.

Staci: (eyes open wide) Oh. Um. Okay. Well, that was vivid. Uh… what makes today so noteworthy?

Nadia: (with an incredulous look on her face) You’re joking?

Staci: I know the Astral app went off and aliens are coming. But why do you think that’s a good thing?

Nadia: I’ve been twiddling my thumbs while Homeland, CIA, FBI, and NSA have all looked down on us. Until now. Now, they’re looking to us for help. Finally going to be on the front lines. And even though Halpern tried to keep the deets to herself, Beck read me and Chandra in. Time for some action. And for some recognition.

Staci: There are seven and a half billion people on this planet who are terrified this means the end of civilization as we know it. Don’t you think a power play is… I don’t know. Ill-timed? Inappropriate?

Nadia: Staci, there are two immutable truths I know. One, we’re all going to die sometime, so we might as well enjoy ourselves while we can. And two, when the dust settles, I don’t care if humans win or aliens do. What I do care about is a seat at the table. And you can bet your last dollar I’ll be there.

Staci: You don’t care if we lose?

Nadia: Empires rise, empires fall. Been that way since the beginning, and it’ll be that way ’til the end. I might not be able to decide who wins and who loses, but I can decide who I work for.

Staci: And if the aliens don’t want human minions?

Nadia: They’ll want me.

Staci: What makes you so sure?

Nadia: Because I always make myself indispensable. Look at AATIP. My title’s not Special Agent, but Director Beck already trusts me more than his number two. It’s only a matter of time before I replace that useless lump Halpern. And then, before I take Beck’s job.

Staci: How are you going to take his job if there’s no more AATIP? No more United States? No more planet?

Nadia: So short-sighted, Staci. You just can’t see the bigger picture.

Staci: I’m the queen of the bigger picture. I’m willing to bet I know more about how this all will play out than anyone else.

Nadia: And yet you can’t see what I see. What my plans are. What your fatal flaw is.

Staci: Enlighten me.
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Nadia: Much as I’d love to see your face when you realize how blind you were, I don’t think I will. In fact, I don’t want to keep talking to you at all. I have a few more plans to put in place. (she turns off the camera and the recording goes dark)

​Nadia makes her debut in the  Astral Conspiracy Series  in book one, The Gate. You can read a brief synopsis of all five books below, and each one has links to its product page and a purchase link.

The Gate: When the hypotheses of disgraced ancient alien theorist Landon Thorne prove to be true, he travels across the globe in search of a way to communicate with—and perhaps stop—the approaching alien armada.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Stones: The invasion couldn’t be prevented, but there is a chance the Astrals can be driven away… if Landon Thorne can reach the Georgia Guidestones, unearth its secrets, and decode the mystery before the aliens stop him.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Nine: Landon Thorne and his team of resistance fighters seek a cipher to decode the message accompanying a cache of alien artifacts they’ve unearthed, but the government, a clandestine cabal, and the Astrals themselves stand in their way and might not only put an end to their plans—they might put an end to their lives.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

The Twins: When all factions converge for a human-versus-alien showdown, resistance fighter Reverie Sterling gets help from the least likely source. But even then, it may be too late for everyone she loves to make it out alive.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link
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The Lab: In the final showdown between Earthlings and Astrals, twins Asha and Vonn insist their long-lost grandfather has a plan to save humanity. It’s a long-shot, but the resistance takes it—and no one is prepared for the consequences.
Full Blurb | Purchase Link

​About Staci Troilo/D.L. Cross
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D.L. Cross has loved science fiction ever since she was a young girl and fell for Major Don West on television's Lost in Space. To this day, she still quotes the show, though her favorite lines were spoken by the robot and the antagonist. Parallel universes or alternate realities, aliens or dinosaurs, superpowers or super viruses, time travel or AI... no sci-fi theme is off limits and all of them fascinate her.

D.L. Cross also writes other genre fiction under the name Staci Troilo, and you can find more information about all her identities and all her work at her website: https://stacitroilo.com.
 
Connect online:
Website | Blog 
Troilo Amazon |  Cross Amazon 
Troilo BookBub | Cross BookBub 
Troilo Goodreads | Cross Goodreads
Social Media  

Author Colleen Chesebro is a dedicated and award-winning poet. Each week she invites readers to join her in creating something beautiful. This week's theme prompt is The Night Sky. I chose to write a haiku, a 5-7-5 syllable poem, as my response. Perhaps you’d like to join me in this effort. If so, just click on the link above and you’ll be guided to Colleen’s blog site and her instructions.

My backstory is a simple one. We are living through a prolonged night caused by COVID-19. At times it seems hope eludes us. The whispers of possibilities are barely heard through the noise of fear. My poem... 

This morning I awoke to the announcement that I am now one of the members of Story Empire, a group of seven award-winning authors. These writers have long inspired me with their skill, dedication, and professionalism. The members include Joan Hall, Marcia Meara, Craig Boyack, John W. Howell, Mae Clair, Staci Troilo, and Harmony Kent. 

I am deeply humbled by the Story Empire invitation and will do my best to contribute to their overall effort. Won't you please take a moment to check out their post? Thank you one and all:  https://storyempirecom.wordpress.com/2020/09/22/drum-roll-please/ 

We’ve yet to meet, my love, but each day I walk to the park at 3:00 to hear you sing. From your fifth floor perch, can you see me – the one who sits alone and weeps?

I was just a babe when my parents moved to New York City. Though they knew English, they only spoke their native Russian to me. Your afternoon serenade of A Million Scarlet Roses reaches deep within my soul – to family.

Can you spare just one, just one of your million? A rose would soften the loss I know and tell me of your sweetness.     

(My Haiku follows the photo prompt.)

I am pleased to feature writer and friend John W. Howell on my blog today. His most recent book is titled ETERNAL ROAD, The Final Stop. When a writer combines the spiritual world with an adventure tackling good and evil, well -- count me in! Let's see what John has to say. 

​Each week author Suzanne Burke provides a writing prompt she entitles, Fiction In A Flash Challenge Week. This is her 17th week, and her image prompt is a corked bottle floating in water.

When I looked at this image, I thought of all those who threw a bottle overboard in hopes someone might find it. I wondered what a forsaken lover might say, and from that consideration, I composed a Tanka poem of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables.

Perhaps you’d like to join me in this effort. If so, just click on the link above and you’ll be guided to Suzanne’s blog site and her instructions.
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I hope you enjoy my simple response to her provocative image.
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I am overjoyed to spotlight author Marcia Meara today. A gifted writer, Marcia puts her heart and soul into her work. She finished this latest masterpiece during Hurricane Laura. When she wasn't busy with storm-related preparations and cleanup, she focused on her third book in the Riverbend series -- The Emissary 3: Love Hurts. The concept captivates me. Angels, love, eternity -- how perfect! 

Congratulations, Marcia, and welcome! 

The angel sent Jake back to earth as something slightly different than mortal, and endowed with some very special gifts. His assigned task was to look for people about to take a wrong turn. You know the ones—the kid thinking about stealing from a corner market or the man planning to lie about a coworker and destroy her career. Humans on the brink of making a mistake that could send them down a wrong road and jeopardize their immortal souls.

Of course, there are rules by which the emissaries must play, and the archangel Azrael stands ready to enforce them. First and foremost, a person’s free will must never be compromised. Ever. Emissaries are allowed to use only the smallest of mental nudges. Thankfully, a whisper of a suggestion here, or images of a better course of action there, is usually all it takes. The person in question pauses long enough to ask, “Do I really want to do this?” More often than not, they decide they don’t. The potential mugger walks on by. The thief drops the wallet back into the unattended purse. And one more soul is turned away from a big step in a very bad direction.

Jake’s success as Azrael’s first emissary was everything the archangel could have hoped for. A few bumps in the road, sure, but mostly, a long string of successes and the addition of several more emissaries definitely eased the angels’ workload.
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Of course, there’s always a catch. In this case, that would be the Council of Angels, which was dead set against the idea from the start. It remains so, much to Azrael’s annoyance, but he continues to stand firm, adding new emissaries around the world almost daily— right along with new Rules and Regulations to his infamous Emissarial Guidebook. (Especially under the section entitled “Do Not Even Think About It.”) 

Author Colleen Chesebro loves the written word and in particular, she has a fondness for poetry. She sponsors regular prompts and encourages readers to respond.

Every Tuesday she offers a Tanka Tuesday challenge. Today's two words are Hint and Bold. The one requirement is that the poem cannot use the two prompt words but rather, the poem must include synonyms of these words. 

What is a Tanka poem? It is a five line poem that utilizes a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure. I'm not a poet, but I have fun trying to be. Won’t you join me? 

Author D.L. Finn introduced me to COLLEEN’S 2020 WEEKLY #TANKA TUESDAY #POETRY CHALLENGE NO. 193, #POET’SCHOICE. I chose one of my favorite photos for the challenge. It's of my youngest son and his first touchdown. Attending Pop Warner games was part of my life years back. With three sons, sports as an integral part of our family. Perhaps you'd like to write a poem as well. If so, just click on the above link. You'll be taken to Colleen's site which has an abundance of information, guidance and support. 

I've written a Haiku poem to capture the moment. I hope you enjoy it as well. 

Summer is slowly slipping away, but at least in the Midwest, family pools still offer a welcomed escape from the heat. If you're searching for a good poolside book, I have one for you. It is a collection of short stories by seven writers, each using a different genre for their story. Murder They Wrote features award-winning authors and edge-of-the-seat dramas.  

One of the writers, C.S. Boyack, is a friend from Idaho. His stories always bring a smile, because in his paranormal world, anything is possible. Even unlikely creatures such as a yak, speak. Really? Yes, really. And, to top it off, he writes great stories. Craig visits with us today to tell us about the anthology. Let's see what he has to say.​ 

​Obviously, this book is about murder, but it spans eras and sub-genres. I was invited, because they wanted a bit of science fiction included. 

The project was well thought out, because we had some assignments. This was to keep all the stories a bit unique. I had to pick a room, and a murder weapon. Makes perfect sense to me, because you don’t want seven stories about a crazed axe murderer. These were all supposed to be mysteries, so it wasn’t just a manhunt they wanted. We had to uncover some clues along the way.

​I set mine in a mini mansion and chose the library. This bit of science fiction involves more along the lines of my main character than any kind of time travel or space opera. I also chose poison as the murder weapon. This won’t spoil too much, because you still have to sort it all out along with Jason Fogg. 

Speaking of Jason, he was the result of a science fiction accident. He’s been with me for a long time, and you don’t have to read his previous stories to enjoy this one. If you like to delve a bit deeper, Jason has the ability to transform into fog. This allows him to disappear if he must, and to slip into places only insects could go. He has some limitations, but that only adds to the fun. 

Jason has a private detective business in the Seattle area. Perfect cover for someone with his foggy tendencies. The big question is, can Jason run interference for his client who’s been accused of murder. 

There are seven different stories in the collection, and I’ll let the blurb give you a taste of the others.
 
I hope some of your rabid fans will give it a chance. You may find a new favorite author.