Guest Blogger: Killandrio Bludd, defense advocate from “The Ulder’s Plot”

 Character Interview

Welcome Killandrio Bludd from "The Ulder's Plot"

Tell us about the legal case described in “The Ulder’s Plot.” Is it true you’re defending a Vothan Rider officer because the sorceress Astil asked you to?

Yes, I’m defending Captain Jarn Theffig, and it was Astil who requested that I do so. Astil can be very persuasive. She’s also paying my fee.

Astil is known as the most dangerous woman in the known world, is she not?

She is, but I’m happy to report that she’s turned away from crime. She’s also the wealthiest woman in the known world. For both reasons, I’m glad to be her friend. Very glad.

What has Captain Jarn been accused of?

Bribe seeking. It’s a preposterous charge, but the prosecutor decided to bring it anyway.

But wasn’t a second, much more serious, charge added?

Oh, yes, almost forgot—Jarn was also charged with murdering the man who accused him of seeking a bribe. Also preposterous. Captain Jarn is as upright and honorable as they come, and no sane jury will convict him. But I do worry that some devious Acrinite high boots will try to corrupt the case—or worse.

We heard that Captain Jarn doesn’t like you. Is that true?

It’s true, but he doesn’t like any defense advocates. Most members of constabularies despise defense advocates. It’s a foolish stance because good defense advocates—far more than brutal sheriffs, overzealous prosecutors, and merciless judges—keep the justice system honest. But Captain Jarn will think better of me when I win his release.

What if you lose?

I never think about losing.

But isn’t it true that you’ve lost most of your cases?

Well, yes. But most of my clients are guilty, so there’s that. But Jarn is innocent. Besides, there’s more to this case than anyone knows.

What do you mean?

A certain ulder seems to be plotting and scheming to some unknown end, but whatever he’s up to, it isn’t good.

You mean Ulder Randa, right?

Yes, Randa is the scoundrel’s name. He’s worse than any ulder I’ve ever met, which is saying something.

What evidence do you have that Ulder Randa is up to no good?

I can’t divulge much of what I know, but I can tell you that Randa forced someone to sell his business against his will, and he visited the murder victim shortly before the man was slain. I know that because I was there. But perhaps the most important evidence is that Ulder Randa is barking mad. A fanatic like him isn’t a threat only to Captain Jarn, he’s a threat to the entire city of Skunnik.

The Ulder’s Plot - Kindle edition by Dalglish, Richard. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

When defense advocate Killandrio Bludd agrees to represent an officer in Skunnik’s constabulary, he foresees an easy win in court. His client is accused of bribe seeking, a preposterous charge that no sane jury could believe. But the legal case is just one ploy in a vast conspiracy hatched by a demented cult leader. If the scheme succeeds, it will destroy the fragile peace among Skunnik’s factions and could trigger mass slaughter. As the conspiracy’s tentacles slither into every corner of the city, Killandrio and a small band of unlikely allies must unravel the plot and thwart the coming chaos before innocent people die.

4 Star review for Make Love Not War

 Readers' Favorite gave "Make Love Not War" 4 stars.

Amazon.com: Make Love Not War eBook : Stevens, Lizzy , Miller, Steve: Kindle Store

A historic tale of the Vietnam War, returning home, and starting over. This story follows Christopher Douglas from the war torn jungle to a hometown on the brink of extinction. He heals himself along with the town as everyone works to rebuild.

4 Star Review

Reviewed by:

Chad Richins

Review Rating:

4 Stars

---

Reviewed by Chad Richins for Readers’ Favorite

Make Love Not War by Lizzy Stevens and Steve Miller 

is a story about love, loss, and the process of rebuilding, 

all set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. The narrative 

follows Christopher Douglas, a young man who is abruptly

 yanked from his carefree high school days and 

thrown into the harsh realities of combat. The tale starts

with his struggle

 through the emotional and physical challenges of 

war and the pain of loss.

 However, it does not end there. Once he returns home to 

a town facing hard 

times and grapples with an inheritance left behind by his

 late parents, 

Christopher chooses to channel his grief into a newfound 

purpose. Through 

acts of kindness and unwavering determination, he helps

 revitalize his

 community, fostering a spirit of unity among its residents. 

The themes of duty, 

resilience, and the search for hope in tough times create a

 touching story that 

delves into personal growth and the strength of a 

supportive community.

Lizzy Stevens and Steve Miller present a 

heartwarming and hopeful

 narrative of redemption and community rebuilding in 

Make Love Not War. 

Christopher’s journey from a reluctant soldier to a 

compassionate leader is 

truly moving, and his dedication to rebuilding his 

town vividly illustrates the

 significant impact one person can make. 

The supporting characters, 

like Grady and Tina, add warmth and 

camaraderie, enriching the narrative. 

While the pacing of the story flows well, 

there are moments where certain events 

could have benefited from deeper emotional exploration. 

The themes of healing

 and second chances are beautifully woven into the 

fabric of the story, leaving a

 lasting impression. For those who appreciate

 narratives about overcoming 

adversity and creating something meaningful 

from loss, Make Love Not War is

 a great choice. Ultimately, it’s a story 

that uplifts with its celebration of hope and compassion.

Guest Blogger: Beth @_Bethdesigns

 

Welcome my guest blogger today Beth from Beth Designs.

#designer #Editor #illustrator

Check out her work below.

You can find Beth at 

Rems | Linktree

and

on Twitter @_Bethdesigns. 

Announcement: Amazon Kindle Vella is going away

 

From Amazon:

We are winding down Kindle Vella.
We’ve made the difficult decision to gradually wind down Kindle Vella in February 2025 as the program hasn’t caught on as we’d hoped.

I will have my books reworked and on Amazon in one format or another very soon.

Guest Blogger: Daniel Lawrence Abrams

Amazon.com: IMMORTALITY BYTES: Digital Minds Don't Get Hungry eBook : Abrams, Daniel Lawrence : Kindle Store

“LIVING FOREVER... IT'S ALMOST WORTH DYING FOR”

• “A supercharged, high-stakes cyberpunk thriller.” — VERDICT: ✓GET IT — Kirkus Reviews

• “Dark humor and crisp dialogue drive the twisty storytelling” — EDITOR'S PICK — Publishers Weekly's Booklife Reviews


• Winner “Best Science Fiction: Cyberpunk” in the 7th Annual American Fiction Awards (2024)
• Shortlisted for Chanticleer’s Cygnus Award for Best Science Fiction (2025)

• “Feels like an American Douglas Adams” (4/5 stars) — San Francisco Book Review

• “Direct, energetic prose… Immortality Bytes is a humorous dystopian novel” (4/5 stars)
— Foreword/Clarion Reviews

• Winner “Best Humor/Satire” in the Storytrade Awards (a Reedsy “Top Writing Contest” 2024).



IMMORTALITY BYTES: Digital Minds Don’t Get Hungry
One-line Story Pitch: “When an idealistic hacker’s ex-girlfriend nears inventing digital immortality, an indicted tycoon compels him to steal it.”

Back Cover Blurb: “Yay, free money and a life of leisure! Except… only if you never have children. Sure, a cute little version of you (but not yet so screwed up) sounds fun. But with AI robots taking more jobs, who can reject that “bargain” hoping to afford kids someday?

Stu Reigns does. He’s an idealistic AI programmer and part-time influencer. His demisexual ex-girlfriend, Roxy Zhang, nears perfecting electronic immortality. Add in billionaire banking rascals, and there’s no more certainty — not even “Death & Taxes.”

An old-money Southerner is buying Roxy’s company. This infuriates a sick, rival oligarch — who is about to be rightfully convicted of epic fraud. To escape to this digital eternal life, he compels Stu to steal it.

You’ll never guess all the twists, but maybe the reader peering over your shoulder will.”

“Yay, free money and a life of leisure! Except… only if you never have children. Sure, a cute little version of you (but not yet so screwed up) sounds fun. But with AI robots taking more jobs, who can reject that “bargain” hoping to afford kids someday?

Stu Reigns does. He’s an idealistic AI programmer and part-time influencer. His demisexual ex-girlfriend, Roxy Zhang, nears perfecting electronic immortality. Add in billionaire banking rascals, and there’s no more certainty — not even “Death & Taxes.”

An old-money Southerner is buying Roxy’s company. This infuriates a sick, rival oligarch — who is about to be rightfully convicted of epic fraud. To escape to this digital eternal life, he compels Stu to steal it.

You’ll never guess all the twists, but maybe the reader peering over your shoulder will.”


IMMORTALITY BYTES: Digital Minds Don't Get Hungry by Daniel Lawrence Abrams

About the Author
Daniel Lawrence Abrams invented a 3-D input device that earned US Patent # 5,652,603. Abrams trained in comedy writing at The Second City and The Groundlings. He performed stand-up at NYC’s Comedy Cellar and The Improv in LA. As a playwright, Abrams’s shows played at The Stella Adler Theatre, Powerhouse Theater, and the HBO/Warner Brothers Television Workspace. He wrote, produced, and directed over a hundred hours of TV, and his films and screenplays have won dozens of accolades in film festivals. Abrams gave a TEDx Talk, “Sports Can Save Politics,” at AJU. He once wrote a column for Mensa magazine, and they haven’t expelled him quite yet.

Guest Blogger: Raleigh Keegan

 Welcome Raleigh Keegan to our blog today!

Follow Raleigh Keegan on Twitter!

@raleighkeegan

Check out his music here

Guest Blogger: Richard Dalglish

 

5 Things You Don't Know About 

Richard Dalglish

1. I served as managing editor for a business magazine that covers the fine-jewelry industry. One of our sister publications was “Publishers Weekly,” which received thousands of books to review. When PW was finished with a book, it went on a shelf or a cart or the floor with thousands of other books, all available to anyone in the company to take. For readers, it was the world’s greatest unofficial fringe benefit.

 

2. I once had a short-term job in an ice cream warehouse. The temperature was around 20 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit). It was so cold, we had to take a ten-minute break every hour to warm up. If a 3-gallon tub of ice cream slipped off the conveyer belt, you had to duck, because at minus-20 degrees, a 3-gallon tub was like a small boulder.

 

3. I was at Woodstock. There was lots of mud.

 

4. I ran a marathon once, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Some of the course went through the battlefield park—lots of cannons. I finished in 3 hours, 56 minutes, 15 seconds, achieving my goal with a whopping 3 minutes and 45 seconds to spare.

 

5. The night I saw the original “Poltergeist” movie, my television turned itself on (!) at around 2 a.m. and woke me up. As I approached the TV to turn it off, the station went into its sign-off and broadcast the exact same version of the Star-Spangled Banner that was shown in “Poltergeist.” I didn’t see any ghosts floating out of the television.

Buy his books here