Giveaway ALEX HUGHES author of SHARP discusses pets! @ahugheswriter @AceRocBooks

Book Description

Release date: April 2, 2013 | Series: Mindspace Investigations (Book 2)

HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, EVEN FOR TELEPATHS.…

As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop—I never will be—and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident.

And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.

Parts for illegal Tech—the same parts used to bring the world to its knees in the Tech Wars sixty years ago—are being hijacked all over the city. Plus Cherbino's longtime nemesis, a cop killer, has resurfaced with a vengeance. If I can stay alive long enough, I just might be able to prove my worth, once and for all...

Places to purchase:

Amazon * Kindle * Barnes & Noble *   The Book Depository * iTunes

About the Author

Alex Hughes has written since early childhood, and loves great stories in any form including scifi, fantasy, and mystery. Over the years, Alex has lived in many neighborhoods of the sprawling metro Atlanta area. Decatur, the neighborhood on which Clean is centered, was Alex’s college home.

You can find Alex:

Website here 
Facebook here
Twitter here 

PLEASE WELCOME ALEX TO BOOKHOUNDS

Pros and Cons of Owning a Small Dragon

a blog post by Alex Hughes

I’ve recently been asked a lot about pet preferences. You know, do I like dogs or cats better. Whether my imaginary cat is based on a real cat, and whether she messes up my manuscripts like my friends’ cats do. Why I don’t beg my allergy-prone hubbie to live in constant allergy misery. You know, pet preferences.

I’ve been playing around with ideas for pets. Chinchillas are adorable, and have the world’s softest fur, but are quite expensive. Hamsters are dirty, but very cute. Fish are pretty, but you can’t really pet them. And finally, after much thought, I’m considering a small dragon. You know, bread-box size.

The pros to dragon ownership:

*You’ll never have to buy matches, and costs for heating the house go way down.

*Constant picture opportunities for Facebook.

*Winning all the pet comparison contests with friends. Sore losers? The dragon can eat their pet, thus solving the problem.

*No known allergens to bother relatives.

*Lizard-like skin is soft and pettable--well, as long as you don’t go against the grain. On the upside, free sandpaper.

*No need for security system; in a fight, dragon wins against anything.

The cons for dragon ownership:

*Dragons are surprisingly difficult to obtain.

*Small dragons grow bigger; after fifteen years or so, we’re talking golden retriever size, and after that it only gets worse.

*Big commitment; they live hundreds of years. Are my highly theoretical great-grandchildren going to take care of the much-larger dragon appropriately?

*Fewmets. Lots of fewmets.

*Sharp teeth, plus intelligence. Untrainable.

*What do dragons eat?

So, lovely readers, what do you think? Do the pros outweigh the cons, or should I steer clear of dragon pets?

WANT TO WIN A Copy OF THIS BOOK? 

Complete the below form 

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with reliable mailing address 

(PO Boxes OK!) Void where prohibited.

Contest ends on 4.30.13 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

Only one winner per mailing address.  Multiple entries will be deleted. 

This giveaway is sponsored by the author and ONE BOOK is available.

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Giveaway Review CLEAN by ALEX HUGHES @ahugheswriter @AceRocBooks

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2012 | Series: Mindspace Investigations

A RUTHLESS KILLER—

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.

My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary.

Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city—and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.

About the Author

Alex Hughes has written since early childhood, and loves great stories in any form including scifi, fantasy, and mystery. Over the years, Alex has lived in many neighborhoods of the sprawling metro Atlanta area. Decatur, the neighborhood on which Clean is centered, was Alex’s college home.


You can find Alex:

Website here 
Facebook here
Twitter here 


SOURCE:  AUTHOR

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

After the TechWars have devastated the United States, people no longer rely on electronics since they were able to develop into senescent beings.  Parts of the country have been ruined and the police are still trying to get ahead of the bad guys.  Told in the first person, a telepath, level 8, has the ability to read people's minds.  As a recovering addict, he has lost his job with the Guild, the organization who controls humans with paranormal gifts and now subsists on his job as an interrogator for the police.  The skill with bringing out the truth from criminals, has brought him steady work.  There, I ruined it for you.  The main character is a "he" and that small fact took me almost 30 pages to figure out. His name remains a mystery through out the book.  

The world building is quickly done and Blade Runner comes to mind for the setting. You can feel the heat of Georgia in July, the craving that comes with being a drug addict and basic human need for love.  When he has a vision (pre-cog) of his partner and his own death, you can feel how much he doesn't want to believe it but has to do something about it. Several minor characters like his AA sponsor add to his struggle and that increases when he finds himself falling for his police partner, Cherabino, a strong female presence who has her own issues. 

I was seriously turning the pages on this one to find out if the pair can solve a series of murders and in turn save lives.  The paranormal part of this is some of the best science fiction I have read in a long time.  Now, I can't wait to see where this series goes next.  I hope that there is more detail into exactly what caused his breakdown and subsequent drug use of Satin and exactly what that drug is since it sounds so much like heroin.  It will be interesting to see where the next one goes.  

Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Roc (September 4, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451464753
• ISBN-13: 978-045146475

WANT TO WIN MY Copy OF THIS BOOK? 

Complete the below form 

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with reliable mailing address 

(PO Boxes OK!) Void where prohibited.

Contest ends on 9.25.12 Winner will be chosen by Random.org 

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

Only one winner per mailing address.  Multiple entries will be deleted. 

This giveaway is sponsored by ME and ONE BOOK is available.

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Q+A with ALEX HUGHES author of CLEAN @ahugheswriter @AceRocBooks

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2012 | Series: Mindspace Investigations

A RUTHLESS KILLER—

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.

My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary.

Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city—and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.

About the Author

Alex Hughes has written since early childhood, and loves great stories in any form including scifi, fantasy, and mystery. Over the years, Alex has lived in many neighborhoods of the sprawling metro Atlanta area. Decatur, the neighborhood on which Clean is centered, was Alex’s college home.

PLEASE WELCOME ALEX HUGHES TO BOOKHOUNDS!

1. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?

Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends.


2. What are you reading right now?


I’m finishing up Jennifer Estep’s Widow’s Web.


3. How does your garden grow?

Very merrily, with peas and buttercups galore. Also with the occasional person-sized pitcher plant (testy, be careful) and a sky-high garden maze, at the center of which you can find a fairy – if she’s in the mood.


4. What is the last thing you Googled?

Honestly? Myself. It’s release week and I’m reading all the reviews. But normally my Google habits are rather disturbing. For example, I did a lot of research on strangulation methods for my current project. I keep expecting the men in black to show up at my door to discuss this – but so far, coast is clear.

5. What makes you cringe?

High-pitched screeching sounds. The flu. And papercuts.

You can find Alex:

Website here 
Facebook here
Twitter here 

Waiting on Wednesday CLEAN by ALEX HUGHES @ahugheswriter @AceRocBooks

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2012

A RUTHLESS KILLER—
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.

My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary.

Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city—and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die

About the Author

Alex Hughes was born in Savannah, GA and moved to the south Atlanta area when she was eight years old. Shortly thereafter, her grandfather handed her a copy of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonrider series, and a lifelong obsession with scifi was born.

Alex is a graduate of the prestigious Odyssey Writing Workshop and a Semi-Finalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Her short pieces are published in several markets including EveryDay Fiction and White Cat Magazine. She blogs about writing craft, revision, and editing at  SmallTriumphs.com.

Alex’s work is complex, dark, adventurous, and a little funny, with a emphasis on great characters and interesting worlds. She gets her inspiration from history (she majored with a European history focus in college), family members, and headlines, as well as whatever book she has in her hand. Lately she’s been reading neuroscience books; the brain’s a cool, cool place and the mind even more so.

An avid cook and foodie, Alex loves great food of any stripe – even better if she can figure out how to put it together. Great food is like a great book; it has lots of layers that work together beautifully, and the result is delicious and harmonious. She’s working on figuring out Indian food right now – suggestions welcome!

Alex loves swing dancing, tetris, music of all kinds, and has been known to get into long conversations with total strangers at restaurants about the Food Network, much to the embarrassment of her sister. She can also balance a spoon on her nose while crossing her eyes, and talk for hours about absolutely nothing.

 Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Roc (September 4, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451464753
• ISBN-13: 978-0451464750

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