Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Cover Reveal: YOU’RE DEAD TO ME, REED WALKER by Gwenyth Reitz #CoverReveal #YAPRN #PNR #RomCom


YOU’RE DEAD TO ME, REED WALKER
Gwenyth Reitz

Genre: YA supernatural romcom/ YA PNR
Publisher: Macmillan / Roaring Brook Press
ISBN: 9781250404176
Kindle ISBN: 9781250404169
Number of pages: 368
Word Count: 85,000
Cover Artist: Jacqueline Li

Tagline: They’d kill each other…if they weren’t already dead

Book Description: 

A swoonworthy YA supernatural romcom where two academic rivals are trapped as ghosts to haunt the same house. 

They'd kill each other...if they weren't already dead. 

Tessa Sinclair is a winner. Winner of spelling bees, science fairs, and scholarships. So when she finds herself unexpectedly dead in an abandoned mansion graduation party, she's none too pleased. 

What's worse, her academic rival—the Harvard-bound, Mr. Perfect Reed Walker—is there too, deceased, smug, and annoying as hell. Being a ghost is hard enough, but it's a thousand times worse having to haunt the same house with your nemesis. 

But as Tessa and Reed retreat to R.I.P in their respective corners of the mansion, a mystery begins to unfurl about the exact cause of their deaths. Though they'd rather die (again) than work together, they'll need to find a way to overcome their differences in order to hunt down a murderer on the loose. 

And should they happen to fall for each other along the way...Who ever said you can't find love after death?

Bookshop     BN     Amazon     Kobo


About the Author:

Gwenyth Reitz was born in Sri Lanka, and has since lived and worked in California, Washington, Alaska, Montana, Japan, and Mongolia. When not intrepidly exploring, she writes genre-blending young adult stories with swoony romance, mystery, humor, and heart. Gwenyth now lives with her husband and two kids in New York City, where she can often be found scribbling late into the night on her rooftop like the caffeine-obsessed night owl she is. You're Dead to Me, Reed Walker is her debut novel.






 



Friday, August 22, 2025

Release Day Blitz Oaths and Vengeance by Susan Illene #Romantasy



Tell us a little about your latest release.

This is the first novel in the Realm of Zadrya series.  It is told in dual first-person POV between the main female and male characters.  Aella is thirty-two years old at the start of the novel and living as a ward under her cruel uncle because high-born fae women are always under control of their male relatives.  While she plays the game to keep her uncle happy, she also nurtures a garden with many dangerous sentient plants.  She ends up making a deal with an enemy’s son (known to be powerful and ruthless) to save someone she loves.  They marry in secret as part of the deal, and her whole world shifts as she discovers so many things kept from her.  It turns out, she may be the key to helping save their world before magic is lost from it.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

In all my series, I try to convey the message that we should never judge a whole race or other type of group for the actions of a few.  In every war and conflict, there are two sides, and they often have reasons for what they do (even if it’s often morally questionable).  There is one particular world event happening now that I was so upset about while writing Oaths & Vengeance (still am) that several lines in chapter six weren’t only about the issue in the book, but also what is really happening.  I emphasized the point pretty hard, though I’m not sure how many readers will catch the double meaning.

Is there a genre that you’d like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?

Sci-fi romance.

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

Probably Kerbasi from the Sensor Series.  He was absolutely the most hated character in that world for very good reasons.  Over the course of the books, he went through a redemption arc that was so satisfying to write.

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

I’m not sharing the title yet, but I am writing book two for the Realm of Zadrya.  Expect an all-new sentient and dangerous plant.  It is called a “hissing cactus,” but there is so much more to it than the name.

What book are you reading now?

The Silversmith by LJ Claren

 

Oaths and Vengeance
Realm of Zadrya 
Book One
Susan Illene

Genre: Romantasy
Date of Publication: August 22nd, 2025
ISBN: 979-8-9876902-3-9
ASIN: B0F6D6566B
Number of pages: 505
Word Count: 148,000
Cover Artist: Hannah Sternjakob

Book Description: 

Darrow has so many secrets that even those closest to him don't know them all, but she's about to become his favorite.  He is powerful, ruthless, and her sworn enemy. The wickedly good-looking elf is also cursed never to love.

Aella should stay far away from him, especially considering he could kill her from a distance with little effort. Except that someone close to her is dying, and he is the only person in the realm with the means to help. She has strong powers of her own to offer in exchange, but to her dismay, Darrow wants a secret marriage as part of the bargain.

Fae marriages are forever, so she'd always be his.

With other factors pushing her toward it, she agrees to a private wedding that the king himself officiates while hiding the ceremony from her disapproving family. Aella suspects there is far more to Darrow’s motives if Zadrya's monarch is involved. It isn't long before she discovers that dark forces are circling, and it’s her rare magic they want to use or eradicate by any means necessary. Her new husband has drawn her into a dangerous conflict started centuries ago that could either end in the salvation or destruction of their world. If she wants to survive, she’ll need to trust Darrow with her body, but never her heart.

Note- This novel is an enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romantasy. It contains adult content, including violence, foul language, spicy scenes, torture, and ruthless plants and creatures. Read at your own discretion.

Amazon US     Amazon UK      BN      Kobo      Google Play      iTunes


Oaths & Vengeance (excerpt 2)

The room was bigger than I expected. To my right, about ten elves sat at a large oak table littered with bronze mugs. The booth had custom seats on three sides attached to the hunter-green walls, plus a few chairs at the fourth end. They drank and chatted, not even noticing me for the first minute I stood watching them after shutting the door. I took a few steps closer, debating what to do. This was going to be awkward with such a large audience.

“Darrow!” I said just loud enough to reach over all the other voices.

It quieted to a murmur, and nearly everyone turned to look at me.

A man with familiar brown and black hair that he’d tied at the nape of his neck had his face buried in a female elf’s ample chest. He lifted his head without turning, keeping his eyes on the woman.

“Who is asking?”

Here goes nothing, I thought, and lowered my hood to reveal my blonde hair. “Aella from Therress.”

The room went from quiet to deathly still.

He stiffened and turned to face me. It was all I could do to keep from gasping. He was unlike any other man I’d seen before, with startlingly good looks that should have been criminal. His slate-gray eyes stared at me as if he could penetrate my soul. He had firm, high cheekbones and a strong jaw that might as well have been carved from stone.

His skin was a light sand color, telling me he saw a decent amount of sun, but I couldn’t recognize the shade as common anywhere. At best guess, that was because he was half-light elf and half dark elf. He had a muscular build with broad shoulders. I was certain that even without his powers, he could knock down almost any opponent with a hard punch. The man was even larger than I’d estimated on the battlefield. I’d never seen a more beautifully lethal elf, which made me wish to the nameless ones he wasn’t my enemy. Recalling the memory of my father’s fire-scorched body, burned by Darrow’s sire, helped me put this deadly man into perspective.

“Aella?” he asked, lifting an arched brow. “The same half-elf who sent me flying off my horse last week?”

Oh, good. I left an impression on him. “Yes.”

Darrow lifted a hand, and the next thing I knew, my back slammed against the wall behind me. The air whooshed from my lungs. I had expected an adverse reaction from him, but not exactly this. It was all I could do to keep from trembling.

“Hmm, you’re prettier than I expected. It was difficult to tell from a distance.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s the only reason I haven’t broken your slender neck already. What are you doing here?” Darrow asked, arching a dark brow.

I swallowed. He had me plastered against the wall so I couldn’t move, but he’d applied just the right amount of pressure so I could still breathe and speak. It wasn’t as bad as him gagging me with my hair the other day. That was at least something. Maybe he was going to do me the courtesy of asking questions first, as I’d hoped.

“I need to request a favor from you,” I said, keeping my gaze on his.

Laughter burst from everyone at the table.

Darrow’s eyes danced with merriment. “Did I rattle your brain a little too hard?”

Wonderful. The half-dark elf had a sense of humor.

“Would I come into your territory alone at night and announce myself to a room full of enemies—some of them powerful killers—if I didn’t have an extremely good reason?” I asked, surprising myself with my courage to speak to him in such a way. Why couldn’t I be that bold with anyone else?

He appeared to mull that over momentarily and then gestured at several elves across the table. “Go check outside and make sure she didn’t bring company. Considering her special talents, it’s possible. If there’s no one suspicious out there, stay on guard for now.”

Four elves rushed from the room, each glaring at me as they passed. I’d ruined their fun night. Darrow ordered the others to leave, except one female sitting at the table's far end. Based on her matching hair, skin, and eyes, I assumed the woman was his twin sister, Faina. She was rumored to be a formidable warrior and close to her brother, but that was all I knew about her.

“I didn’t come here to fight you,” I said, annoyed by my awkward position. “Or become a wall ornament.”

Darrow rose from the table and sauntered toward me with lethal grace. I was tall at 5’10”, but he had to be half a foot taller. He stopped just before me. It was all I could do to keep my breath steady as his close presence threatened to overwhelm my senses. I had to remind myself of all my family members that his side had killed—their faces swimming before my mind’s eyes. We were enemies, and that would never change.

He brushed a stray hair from my face, almost like a lover would do, but I knew he was playing with me. “Imagine the notoriety I could claim if I made you a permanent fixture on this wall. Your head would look lovely here.”


 

About the Author:

Susan Illene served in the U.S. Army for eleven years, working first as a human resources specialist and later as an Arabic linguist. She served primarily in Airborne units and did two deployments to Iraq.  After leaving the army, she studied history at the University of Oklahoma. She currently lives with her husband and two sons.










Monday, August 18, 2025

Dargo - Eco-Hero! The Classic Tale by Karina McRoberts



Thanks Wenona for inviting me to guest blog today.  Here are a few tips I’d like to share:
Recycling: Always think downstream, of course!  When recycling small plastics, put them into a larger plastic jar and label it “Small Plastics”.  This helps workers and machinery — it’s hard to see small things amongst larger items, and the little bits sometime jam conveyor belts.

Also, consider if your recycling will make it through the system, or might it end up in landfill?  Before recycling plastic pull-tabs, cut them; lizards can get stuck in the loop.

Speaking of lizards, here’s one of my favourites — she’s about 2 metres (6 feet) long! She’s called a sand monitor or goanna, but I think of her as a dragon.  Cool.  I don’t know how much she weighs, for obvious reasons —check out her claws. She’s digging a nest in my backyard!

Helping Out/Involving Your Kids: Water is life.  Always put some out.  

You can make your own water bath by stacking bricks and placing a bowl on top. If you put a large paving slab on top for the bowl to rest on, this will deter cats. Put a brick in so small birds can use it as a ramp.  




Some lattice nearby gives birds a place to perch and dry off.  





You’ll be helping your fellow earth-travelers and can be rewarded by the sight of them enjoying your kindness.  You can put one out of your kitchen window — get the kids to help with washing the dishes and see who comes by!

Spreading the Word:

The Earth Must Not Die!  I hope you will share my novella Dargo, Eco-Hero!  The Classic Tale with your kids —it’s illustrated and will help them know and love nature in a fun way.

You  can see the trailer for Dargo here:  

For adults — please view and share my eco videos on YouTube — The Earth Must Not Die! Parts 1, 2 and 3.

Part !:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Thanks everyone for reading.  Happy to answer wany questions.






Dargo - Eco-Hero!  The Classic Tale
Karina McRoberts

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Rocanadon Press
Date of Publication:  September 9, 2024
ASIN: B0DGKBYR3P
Number of pages:  121 
Word Count:  14,000

Tagline: Enchanting Urban Fantasy

Book Description:

AN ENCHANTING NOVELLA TO LIFT YOUR SPIRIT!

In this unique and enticing modern fairytale, a lonely young man suffers a massive defeat . When he believes all is lost, he meets with fiery fortune teller, Flame. Her plea for help sends Dargo on a crucial mission; but can he re-invent himself as a hero?

Light-hearted, but poignant, Dargo is a humorous fairy tale for adults. You can also share it with your children who care about Earth. And if they don't, Dargo will help them do so!

This hilarious and heartwarming tale has been likened to the Wizard of Oz, and will appeal to the magic in all of us.

Dargo - Eco Hero! is a Literary Titan Gold Book Award winner and has been shortlisted for a Chanticleer Fantasy OZMA.

Amazon


Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZKc6lv3I8s

Reviewed by Natalie Soine for Readers’ Favorite:

 

Dargo, Eco Hero! by Karina McRoberts is by far one of the best and most unique books I have ever read, with a vitally important message.  

 

Reviewed by Thomas Anderson for Literary Titan:

 

Dargo, Eco Hero! by Karina McRoberts gives me the best kind of Wizard of Oz vibes. The author has nailed the same type of warmth as L. Frank Baum but puts her own unique spin on main character Dargo and his band of merry cohorts. I was especially impressed with the mixture of personification and metaphors found throughout the writing. The imagery she creates leaves readers breathless at times. Her writing is timely and gives voice to the environment in a way no other writer I have seen has been able to do.

 

Excerpt:

 

She threw Dargo more scowls and turned to go, when she was met by the office alpha male; he of the hot and handsome variety.

"There you are, Lucinda,” the man said; his baritone deeper than the Grand Canyon.  "C'mon, let's get back to work on this layout."

Her frown did a rapid 180. "Give me a minute, Jake.  I'll be right back."

Jake leaned languidly on Dargo's cubicle wall, staring after Lucinda as she made her way to the ladies' room. 

"Hi, Jake," Dargo greeted brightly.

Startled, Jake turned around.  His face cinched as he took in the Mad poster, now complete with tear.

"You need some new décor, pal."

"Guess so," Dargo replied weakly, not catching the ridicule in Jake’s tone; Dargo was most unhappy about the damage to his cherished Alfred E Neuman poster.

"What's your name again?"

"Dargo."

"Oh yeah.  How could I forget?  Hey, why weren't you with the guys last night at paintball?"

"Well, I had something to do.  But thanks for inviting me."

"I don't think we'll bother anymore.  You never come.  Just as well.  You'd probably get wiped out pronto."

"Really?"

God, this guy is a dweeb, Jake mused.  Aloud, he replied, "It's supposed to be a challenge, you know?  Real man's stuff."  Jake inhaled deeply, his fine physique expanding.

"OK, I'm back," Lucinda said cheerily.  She had very obviously 'freshened' her makeup.  "I'm ready."

Jake whispered something in Lucinda's ear.  Her face reddened to match her lipstick, then she sauntered back to her cubicle; Mister 'tall, dark, and extremely handsome' in tow.

 

About the Author:

Karina is an American-Australian author, illustrator, musician, scientist and theatre producer. She considers herself to be a true Renaissance woman and strives to help other women achieve the same. She states, "After all, ladies, we didn't get a chance last time!!!!"

She has written several novels in a variety of genres, her fiction is character rich and emotionally engaging, and her stories have won several awards.

Previously working as a conservation scientist, Karina was struck down by a mosquito-borne virus. No longer able to work, she turned her attention to writing fiction; aiming to inspire, encourage, enlighten and entertain—especially those readers active in social justice, humanitarian work, and protection of the Earth.  A fervent believer in the value of human creativity, Karina writes without input from artificial intelligence, and works so that her readers can “Escape to the Heights of Their Hearts and the Depths of Their Souls.”

Karina also writes self-instruction books and gives workshops in illustration, music,  and creative writing.  She lives with her husband William and dog Tahshi, near the heritage town of York, Western Australia (said to be one of Australia’s most haunted) where they’re busy re-wilding degraded farmland.






Newsletter Signup 








Thursday, August 14, 2025

Gardening Tips with Dr. Stuart B. Heinrich




I think all off-grid homesteaders who are interested in improving extreme climate resiliency should strongly consider using earth-air tunnels to maintain temperature stability in their greenhouses. 

Start with an insulated perimeter that extends 8+ feet below grade on all sides and open on the bottom, this will transform the inner soil into a large stabilizing thermal mass that naturally wicks temperature from the geothermally stable region. 

Then use an open loop system to cool incoming air in summer, or a closed loop system to warm isolated air during winter. 

Both can be easily powered with a centrifugal blower fan on solar power. 

Although there is a lot of excavation required up front, there’s simply no more efficient and reliable way to maintain a stable temperature for growing.

The Quantum Revelations
Dr. Stuart B. Heinrich

Genre: Scientific Mystery/Thriller, Sci-Fi
Publisher: Endless Tree Books LLC
Date of Publication: 7/31/2025
ISBN: 979-8-9902071-0-3
ASIN: B0F9PXS78S
Number of pages: 474
Word Count: 146,000
Cover Artist: Artem Chebokha

Tagline: What is fiction, and what is reality?

Book Description:

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic climate crisis and quickly spiraling out of control into a dystopian nightmare. 

As everything collapses around them, two scientists struggle for relevance in their quest to build the world’s first practical quantum computer. 

They discover so much more. A mystery of physics that goes deeper than they could have ever imagined...

Reviews

“Heinrich offers an engrossing metaphysical excursion through the quantum realm to discover the meaning of life in this contemplative debut...[His] rich, multilayered backdrop of existential food for thought propel this story to a truly transcendental experience.”

— Publisher's Weekly

 

“Science and faith combine in this nuanced and compelling sci-fi eco thriller... [that] cleverly explores and intertwines the well established science vs religion discourse in a way that, I think, does credit to both sides.”

— LoveReading (featured under "Indie Books We Love")

 

“The Quantum Revelations is a wildly unpredictable narrative with a show stopping climax, pondering the interplay of science, religion, and technology in a way that is as captivating as it is disturbing.”

— Independent Book Review

 

Science and faith combine in this nuanced and compelling Sci-fi eco thriller.

In a world on the brink of climate catastrophe, two scientists continue their confidential work to develop a practical quantum computer, but they get more than they bargained for when their creation calls into question everything they thought to be true about the laws of physics and the world around them. The Quantum Revelations is a multifaceted sci-fi story. First off we have Skylar’s quantum computer experiment, tangentially linked to his interest in “quantum scale physics. He wanted to understand what really makes the universe tick”. )

--Charlotte Walker Goodreads Reviewer

 

About the Author:

Stuart Heinrich is a PhD computer scientist with a passion for studying the fundamental nature of reality and physics. He is known for his unique theories on the Relativity of Existence (ROE), the Maximally Biophilic Principle (MBP) and Quantum Fluid Dynamics (QFD).






Monday, August 11, 2025

Green Living Tips with Rupert Stanbury #GreekGods #Fantasy #Comedy #GreenLiving


Green Living Tips

I live in a city; admittedly a very large city - Central London. Here are my tips for pragmatic Green living in such an environment. I accept that what I say may not be practical in certain other city environments.

1) Don’t have a car. I have too many friends who have a car just to drive v short distances.

2) For relatively short distances – say, under a mile, WALK wherever possible. 

3) For longer distances, try and take public transport – bus, tube, rail. Do not to take a taxi, uber etc unless necessary.

More general ie non-city tips:

4) Never go out in the evening leaving your home lights on, unless there are specific security issues.

5) When in the house / apartment, only keep the lights on in the rooms in use. Again, too many of my friends just have the lights on in all their rooms for the whole evening. 

6) Regulate the heating in the winter months – never have it on ‘at full blast.’ Also, it’s better to have the thermostat set slightly on the low side and to wear a pullover instead of on the high side and be in a T shirt!

7) Recycle everything. This includes batteries, empty ink cartridges etc, which it’s often easier to throw away in general rubbish instead of taking the trouble to recycle.

8) Vote for parties which have credible Green policies in elections. Sometimes this may not be for the most Green offering available – you want a party which will actually achieve something instead of one which is guaranteed to fail!

Finally, if you want to have that holiday abroad which involves flying a long distance, take it. The only was we’re going to create a Green world is if we do sensible things (including enjoying life) and not try to go back to the Stone Age!
 



GODS GALORE
Gods Galore Series
Book One
Rupert Stanbury

Genre: Fantasy / Comedy
Publisher: Troubador / Matador
Date of Publication: 28 October 2021
ISBN:878-1800465305
ASIN: B09KM9JV2S
Number of pages: 344
Cover Artist: Dave Hill

Book Description:

The Olympian Gods have made it to the 21st century AD. We may not have heard much about them in the last two thousand years, but they’re still controlling what we humans are up to – or at least they think they are.

The reality is that the Gods are like us – they’ve got problems!

Zeus is still Top God on Mount Olympus, but he’s got issues with many of the younger gods. His brothers, Hades and Poseidon, have issues with themselves – they’re getting too set in their ways ruling the Underworld and the Seas; they probably need a job change.

But help is at hand from an unexpected source – we humans.

It’s surprising what a dose of good common sense can do for even the most powerful of the gods, especially when it comes from a couple of teenagers!




THE FOUR HORSEMEN
Gods Galore Series
Book Two
Rupert Stanbury

Genre: Fantasy / Comedy
Date of Publication: 17 April 2023
ISBN: 979-8366008495
ASIN: B0C2Q4G268
Number of pages: 337
Cover Artist: Tim Stringer

Book Description:

The Four Horsemen is the second book in the Gods Galore series about the Olympian Gods in the 21st Century AD.

The gods are still trying to control what we humans are up to. Unfortunately, they’re not being particularly successful. The world is experiencing both plague and famine which Zeus and the Gods’ Council never approved. What’s going on?

Athene’s determined to find out, but before she can get going the God of War initiates an attack on Poseidon’s realm. It’s now all out conflict and the gods are taking sides – one side, in particular.

Wherever there’s a fight, Hebe’s involved. She soon signs up to an army regiment which is full of soldiers even smaller than she is. But war these days involves brains and not just brawn and there’s plenty of both ready to be deployed in this fight!



PIMLICO PEOPLE
Gods Galore Series
Book Three
Rupert Stanbury

Genre:Fantasy / Comedy
Date of Publication: 28 October 2024
ISBN: 979-8338117200
ASIN: B0DL5XTHMH
Number of pages: 339
Cover Artist: Tim Stringer

Book Description:

Pimlico People is the third book in the Gods Galore series about the Olympian Gods in the 21st Century AD.

The Goddesses Artemis and Hebe are staying in Central London to obtain a better understanding of the lives of ‘normal’ people.

To their surprise, they soon encounter a plot to blow up a foreign embassy. Add to that a sophisticated operation involving the theft of valuable paintings from a major art gallery, and the two goddesses begin to question what a ‘normal’ life is all about.

Meanwhile, in the Underworld Cerberus encounters another dog who, amazingly, only has one head! How will they get on?


EXTRACT FROM PIMLICO PEOPLE – THE PARK 

The location for this extract from Pimlico People is St James’s Park in Central London.

The reference to Blefuscu and Lilliput are to two islands in Gulliver’s Travels where people are only about six inches tall. The people of these islands are often in conflict with each other.

Both Iris and Hebe are Greek goddesses. Cerberus is a three-headed dog living in the Underworld. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders is a Lilliput army regiment; Rach is also from Lilliput. Finally, Slasher and others are swans living in the park.

 

As this small armada was making progress, exciting things were beginning to unfold on West Island where four Blefuscu commandos still remained, together with a couple of swans. None of them knew precisely what their role was, other than to be ‘back-up’, so they just rested on the ground expecting to have a quiet time until their comrades returned. They were therefore surprised to hear a paddling noise from the lake and even more surprised when a large black dog with three heads emerged. All these heads had the same face which bore a remarkable resemblance to the Goddess Iris.

The dog raced along the ground towards the commandos. It snarled and growled as it moved at speed, its three mouths spitting out saliva and showing a large number of very sharp teeth. The commandos tried to get up and run, but the dog was on them before they could get away. They were by now all terrified and started to scream.

“Give us a Mars bar or I’ll bite yer bums!” they heard, but it made no difference because the dog decided not to bite their bums; instead, it proceeded to kick them all into the water.

“Help!” screamed one of the commandos. “I cannot make ze swim! Help!”

The two swans were nearby in the lake and, considering themselves pretty tough, didn’t run away, but instead tried to help the commandos. However, the three-headed dog launched itself from the bank and landed on top of one of the swans. It gave the white bird a number of painful bites and used its powerful front paws to thump the swan in all sorts of sensitive places. Eventually, its victim was so battered and bruised the black dog left it floating on the lake.

The other swan by now had decided he wasn’t quite tough enough to take on a manic three-headed dog and had started swimming away. Unfortunately, it was now the next target for the Iris-Cerberus look-alike who, despite being a four-footed canine, could out-swim any of the St James’s Park swans. The dog soon caught up with the fleeing swan, jumped on its back and meted out the same treatment as it had given to its companion. Having left the second swan equally battered and bruised, the dog swam back to the Blefuscu commandos, who were still flailing around in the water. Three sets of jaws each took hold of a commando at the same time and then proceeded to toss them back onto the island. They were soon joined by their final companion as they lay moaning and groaning on the ground. At this stage the three-headed dog turned round and began to swim towards Duck Island.

The next minute a miniature boat arrived at West Island, having travelled along the length of the lake near the north bank. It had a silent motor, specially designed by Rach’s Special Projects team. A number of Argyll and Southern Highlanders disembarked, went over to the four Blefuscu commandos, tied their hands behind their backs while at the same time taping their mouths. They were put into the boat which set off on its return journey, again along the north side of the lake.

xxxxx

Meanwhile back on the lake, the adjutant and his three commandos were rapidly approaching the south-west corner of Duck Island. The commandos had already taken out a number of hand grenades while the adjutant was readying a bomb to create a Big Boom when Slasher became aware of something in the water approaching him at speed. Suddenly he jerked and let out a honk as he realised he was looking at a giant swan, which was at least five times bigger than him with a neck ten feet high. Interestingly, this swan had the Goddess Hebe’s face, although Slasher would not have been aware of that. He didn’t have time to let out another honk because the giant swan’s head swiped his own, knocking him on his side. He managed to right himself only to find that his adversary didn’t just have webbed feet, but also forearms with bright red boxing gloves which started bashing his head and thumping his body. After a short while the boxing gloves went under his belly and then threw him backwards into the air. When Slasher landed back in the water and his head resurfaced, he found he was due another good beating and bashing until he was left in an even worse condition than his two comrades who’d been attacked by the three-headed dog near West Island.

Slasher’s four Blefuscu commandos had fallen into the water shortly after the altercation with the giant swan had begun. Fortunately, they could all swim, but they did a lot of shouting for help. All their bombs and grenades had also fallen into the lake, so they were now useless, but this didn’t seem to matter. Getting to dry land was their key objective now. Creating a Big Boom at the Lilliput Embassy was no longer high on the agenda.

The other four swans and their commandos behind Slasher were soon aware that matters weren’t going to plan. They tried to move away from the giant swan and turned back towards West Island. However, they didn’t get very far because the giant swan hadn’t taken long to deal with Slasher and began chasing after them. It soon caught up with the two in the rear and gave them both the same treatment it had given Slasher. The other two, who were in the lead for a brief while, thought they’d got away, until one of them was hit very hard by a three-headed dog swimming directly at it with the force of a torpedo. As the swan tried to right itself while it’s four commandos were flailing around in the water, the three-headed dog jumped high into the air. It landed on the back of the final swan, again knocking its commandos into the water before starting to rough up the bird.

While the giant swan and the three-headed dog were having fun beating up Slasher, Spike, Spanka, Scorcher and Smog, the pelicans had stopped chanting “Oggy, Oggy, Oggy” from the lakeside. They got into the water and started looking for the commandos who were splashing around. When they found them, they gently picked the small men up in their beaks and carried them to Duck Island. They were joined by more miniature boats manned by members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as well as the Lilliput Embassy’s security staff. Rach was also hovering overhead on her scooter, shining a powerful torchlight on the lake and calling out whenever she found one of the flailing commandos.

 

 Author Intro Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=33RW970lp04


About the Author:

Rupert Stanbury is a Cambridge University graduate. He was born in Manchester in the North of England but has lived most of his adult life in Central London.

He has always been an avid reader and in recent years decided to take up writing himself. His books have one overriding objective which is TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH!

His first book, Gods Galore, was published in November 2021 and this was followed by The Four Horsemen, in April 2023. His latest novel, Pimlico People, was published in October 2024. All three books are a mixture of fantasy and comedy about the Olympian Gods in the 21st Century.