Time of the Lioness:

Internet Apocalypse Book 1

by Steven Redstone

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09HSN44ZB
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ JGC Publishing (October 4, 2021)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 4, 2021
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 5500 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
• Lending ‏ : ‎ Enabled

• Best Sellers Rank: #792,854 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • #8,430 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Kindle Store)
  • #10,223 in Action Thriller Fiction
  • #11,287 in Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction (Books)

Synopsis

Annie Oakley Frye is a Cyber Warfare Specialist. She accepted cyberspace had become a cesspool of evil based on the multitude of daily cyberattacks. Annie does not live in a dystopian, fantasy world like Katniss Everdeen, Beatrice Prior, and Lara Croft—she lives among us. Once she discovers this invisible menace is lurking in a million networks, and it can’t be stopped from obliterating world economies, she sheds her mild-mannered personality and becomes the lioness of her youth to survive. Out of kindness, she warns her friends about this approaching cyber nightmare, but they scoff at her insider information and doomsday scenario, believing the government won't let it happen. Once the cyber nightmare launches a surprise arrives at her door!   

Blurb

You’re at work, in school, at home, out shopping, trapped in an elevator, or sky-high on an amusement park ride when the power and lights suddenly go out. For a moment, you’re just annoyed, expecting only a momentary problem. Doesn’t happen! Along with the power outage, all means of communication have been severed. The Internet is down, and a terrorist’s face on the screen gloats. Fear now creeps into your optimism. Hours later, with a world overly dependent on cyberspace, global economies begin to crumble from this irrevocable cyberattack. Totally freaked out, what will you do to survive the anarchy?

Biography

Like Shakespeare and Hemmingway, I am an eclectic writer. My stories develop from my imagination and passions, usually just before I fall asleep. Before I became an Indie author, I had two novels published by a respected independent publisher, which went out of business. Since books cannot be removed from Amazon, A Sinister Obsession is now Dead Can’t Haunt You, and Stardust Dreams will soon be Forrester’s Folly. During my clinical careers as a School Psychologist and Clinical Social Worker in private practice, I had a book on human nature published by a traditional publisher and when the editor passed away, it vanished. That book will be updated and launched next year. Happily, I am now an Indie author with the same quality of work but now under my control. My genres have been horror, suspense/thriller, senior romance, sci/fi, and now apocalyptic, based on my worries about the future of cyberspace and evil. Besides, writing, I am an avid golfer, bowler, and tennis player. I reside in Florida with my lovely wife and Mickey, our handsome Shih Tzu.

Book Readers Review

Right on Time

'Cyber Warfare' is the topic Steven Redstone has chosen for this timely action-packed novel. Due to the author's extensive research, this story is shown to be well-crafted and current. How would you cope if you lost all means of communication? Couldn't access your money? Not having access to transportation, groceries, basic necessities of life? This book captures the reader's imagination from the very beginning.

 

Through the characters' responses to this crisis in this well-crafted novel, especially Annie Oakley Frye, a military veteran and survivalist, the plot is woven into a compelling story. She leads a group of friends and coworkers through the chaos of a changed world. Self-preservation is essential to survival. The skills Annie has are indispensable. I believe it is essential that Annie is the protagonist.

 

It was well written, fast-paced, and captivating with engaging story telling. Steven has a gift. This is my first book by him and I am looking forward to reading more of his works. I received a copy in exchange for an unbiased review. It is highly recommended. Be prepared.

                                             Interview

Welcome to my blog Steven.  Please tell me and my readers about yourself and your latest works.

Q:	Tell us about your latest work—title, genre, etc. — and why you wrote it?
A:	Time Of The Lioness: Internet Apocalypse is a pre and post-apocalyptic story. This genre had been developing in my mind for many years but I couldn’t decide on the appropriate catalyst or the protagonist. Then, with all the Internet hacking by international terrorists, incapacitating businesses and government agencies occurring daily, I foresaw a major vulnerability of cyberspace. Economic Armageddon. How would I deal with that? How would people deal with the collapse of human societies? What makes this story really scary, the virus I thought was of my invention had already been created and used!
Q:	What draws you to your genre(s)? Why is this type of story compelling to you?
A:	I am an eclectic writer. All sorts of stories pop into my head, but I only write the ones that ignite my passions. I felt this story had to be told as a wake-up call to what can actually happen in this world. With global economies so dependent on cyberspace, and it being so poorly protected, I’m terrified one maniac could cause widespread devastation.
Q:	What is your writing process like? Do you map the whole thing out or do you just let it unfold?
A:	I write the whole story in my head first, as I need to know the beginning, middle, and end to ensure it will fuse together. I don’t write boring or soap operas. The storyline and language matter to me. Character relationships are of paramount importance. Once all the ingredients come together, I write. However, my fluid personality lets allows me to make necessary changes. My wife and kids know I have an obsessive/compulsive personality.
Q:	What kind of research was involved?
A:	Scary research! I spent many weeks learning about every computer virus and worm. The variations were staggering. The number of attacks a day, in the millions, caught me by surprise. The history of hacking and its new directions does not inspire my confidence in a happy future. The experts believe an Internet apocalypse is inevitable. Just think what would happen to an economy if businesses such as Amazon, Verizon, Google, and power companies in a milli-second disappeared!
Q:	How much of YOU makes it into your characters?
A:	I’m not a particular character; I’m pieces of some. Attitudes and opinions evolve from the character’s personality, not mine. As a School Psychologist and Clinical Social Worker, many characters are developed from patients, people I knew, or I know. No matter how evil or controversial I make a character, real humans excel in cruelty, narcissism, and an indifference to human tragedy.
Q:	How do you balance the need to have time to write with the needs of family, society, etc.?
A:	I am retired. Before this happy occasion, I had little time to write. I worked in a school during the day, had a private practice at night and Saturday mornings. With a love of home decorating, I built furniture, a new kitchen, outdoor stone work, and much more. I became an accomplished artist. My wife and two kids never saw Dad sit still or waste an hour. But we always had dinner together, hung out, played games, and chatted. My son watched me paint late at night and he took over. He became a prodigy artist and is an art director for film and television. My daughter plays the piano and dabbles in art. Both gave us fabulous grandchildren.
Q:	Have there been any authors in particular, that inspired your writing?
A:	No. It was watching television. Classic films of all genres. Television shows. I became the characters and made up my own stories. Stephen King was my inspiration to write horror short stories, which were all published. When I chose to write a novel, Stephen King was my inspiration. I loved his use of language, not his stories.
Q:	Is there a story you want to tell behind or about your work(s)?
A:	It has been a rough road to have my stories published, which has led me to become an indie author. My first work was a psychology book. It was accepted by a traditional publisher. It was a thrill. But, the owner died, and it suddenly disappeared. My work is trapped in Amazon and elsewhere. No matter what I wrote, the competition to attain a legitimate literary agent did not happen. I wasted far too much time trying to please them. Happily, I was accepted by an independent publisher, put out two novels, but it went out of business. Again, with my novels trapped in Amazon, I had no control. That’s why I became an indie author. I have control as the admin on the sites. Besides my own editing skills, I use three other editing programs.
Q:	What other projects are you currently working on or about to start?
A:	For a long time now, I have been drawn to senior stories and romance. I wish to be known for my senior stories. I will complete the Time Of The Lioness trilogy and in-between books, I will complete my three novels of that genre. As I explained, because of Amazon’s policy of not removing books, I had to change Stardust Dreams to Forrester’s Folly with the same cover, and it will soon be published. Stardust Dreams had many 5 and 4 star reviews.
Q:	Could you share some of your marketing strategies?  Which ones are the most effective in your opinion?
A:	Marketing begins with getting honest reviews. There are many reviewer lists. Due to heavy competition, we’ve overloaded reviewers who do a great service for us. Next, join Facebook, Goodreads, and Instagram. They offer many advertising opportunities. Not that effective. But you meet many indie writers and become friends. Next you can hire book selling sites such as Bookgorilla and blog tour companies, one I just chose, Reading Addiction Blog Tours. I’ve sold books with their help. The Indies View is a great resource.
Q:	What would be the top five, (or 3 or 1 or however many) things you would tell aspiring authors?
A:	Write the best book you can. Love what you write. If you hope to snag a literary agent, good luck. Because of competition they control what a traditional publisher accepts. You can’t send to a traditional them. If you are working full time and have family obligations, marketing is a second full time job. It is best to hire help, which could have you spend more than you earn. Best advice, if you wish to sell books, never give up. Find a bright ray of sunshine on your darkest days. Lastly, when you think your work is perfect, put it aside for a month. Look at it again. It won’t be!

Again, thanks Lawrence for taking the time to share your knowledge with us.  We appreciate your and your work. My pleasure

 

Contact Information:

Your Name	Steven B. Rosenstein (penname S. B. Redstone)
	Your contact info	E-mail:   Inkblot19@gmail.com                  Phone: (516) 578-1791
	Book Title	Time Of The Lioness: Internet Apocalypse Book 1
	Available at	Amazon https://amzn.to/3answX5
	Blog/website URL	https://www.sbredstonewriter.com

Malta

MALTA 1775: THE TWILIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Lawrence M.F. Sudbury

Product details

• ASIN : B095DV9NV2
• Publisher : Independently published (May 18, 2021)
• Language : English
• Paperback : 216 pages
• ISBN-13 : 979-8503572001
• Item Weight : 13.6 ounces
• Dimensions : 6 x 0.49 x 9 inches

• Best Sellers Rank: #2,150,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #106,509 in Action & Adventure Fiction (Books)
  • #121,594 in Historical Fiction (Books)

  • About:

  • Malta, second half of the 18th century: Bartolomeo, a descendant of one of the most important families of the papal nobility, is a Knight of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta which rules the island. Captain of the "Levriero", a vessel given to him by his father and part of the Melitense fleet, a member of the Grand Master's guard, a friend of some trusted confreres, the young man, while realizing that the Order is no longer what it once was, seems to have fulfilled his dreams and is satisfied with his own existence. One evening, however, Bartolomeo casually sees something he shouldn't see and everything changes radically: for the Roman nobleman a declining parable begins that will lead him to clash with the power games at the top of the government of the island, to become an outcast of the Order and, even, to be a fugitive accused of murder. His new condition will drag him into a series of adventures and encounters giving him the opportunity to better understand himself and the reality that surrounds him, to get to have a main role in the "Revolt of the Priests" led by don Gaetano Mannarino and, unexpectedly, to fall in love ...

Biography of Lawrence M.F. Sudbury

I was born in London on 25/06/1968 but I live near Milan. I have a degree in Literature and I am specialized in marketing and advertising I worked for about fifteen years dividing myself between a history chair in high school and the profession of AD consultant. 

Since 2005 I have started to deal with religious history and sociology, obtaining a DA in Religious Studies in Texas, a Masters in Biblical Studies and a Ph.D. in Church History in Indiana (where, for some time, I taught as a freelance ). In the following years (2008-2019), while maintaining my history chair in high school, I also dedicated myself to the pastoral care for a liberal religious denomination, becoming its Head of International Relations and I obtained a master's degree in Journalism, specializing in Vatican Studies. 

Since 2006 I have published historical-religious non-fiction texts with Il Melograno, Seneca Edizioni, Newburgh Seminary Press, EMI and EUM, receiving various reviews on local and national paper and on radio and participating in the Turin Book Fair. I also held some conferences and collaborated with Italian and foreign universities and thematic portals (including "Centro Studi La Runa", "Archeomedia", "InStoria" and "Mondi Medievali" - Site of the Medieval History Institute of University of Bari) and specialist journals (“Segnocinema”, “InStoria”, “Fenix”), with over one hundred and fifty articles published. " In 2021 I published my first "fiction" novel: "MALTA 1775: THE TWILIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Synopsis 

Fra' Bartolomeo Ruspoli di Cerveteri is a young Knight of Malta descendant of one of the most influential families of the Roman nobility. Since he was a boy, he has been an idealist dreaming of living an adventurous life, far from the comforts he seems destined for. This is what has led him to join the Order of the Hospitallers of St. John. After his training in Rome, he has been assigned to practice among the "conventuals" in Malta and here he seems to have found what he was looking for: although realizing that his Order is no longer what it used to be and that, in the changed historical and cultural conditions of Europe, careerism and laxity have often taken the place of the heroic virtues of the past, Bartolomeo leads a satisfying life as the commander of his ship, the "Levriero", which his father has given him to facilitate his career and which has been annexed to the Melitense fleet and has become a member of the Guard of Honor of the now elderly but powerful Grand Master Manuel Pinto. 

During his early years in Malta, Bartolomeo has also developed a fraternal friendship with two confreres of the same age, belonging to the Langue d'Anglaterre et Alemagne: the English fra' Henry of Norfolk, remarkably disillusioned and pessimistic about the fate of the Order, and the Bavarian fra' Franz Von Hohenlohe, enthusiastic and joyful. Unfortunately, one evening, while he is getting back to the Auberge d'Italie from a village party, the Roman Knight accidentally sees something he should not have seen: 

Book readers Review

The author Lawrence Sudbury has taken historical facts about Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean, south of Italy, and woven into this history a fictional story.

My first impression when asked by the author to review his book, was fascination. I lived in Malta four years, falling in love with the island and its people. During my time there I delved a little into its complex history and learned some from the locals. But never truly felt I understood the realm of the Knights and how they influenced the 20th century Malta I knew.

Lawrence's book, Malta 1775: twilight of the Knights, is certainly an illuminating work revealing much about the Hospitaller Order of Knights and their influence on the Maltese people. The fictional characters come to life with Sudbury's clever descriptions and details. At the beginning I found the names and titles a little challenging. They soon came alive as the tale progressed, with the frequency of use, and becoming familiar with the characters. Of course, having lived in Malta, reading the names of villages, towns, and places was like coming home.  An entertaining historical story for any reader. 

Thank you Lawrence for the opportunity to read and review your work.

I highly recommend this book and give it a five star rating. 

Interview

Welcome to my blog Lawrence.  Please tell my readers and I more about yourself and your books.

Q: Tell us about your latest work—title, genre, etc. — and why you wrote it?

A: My “Malta 1775: the twilight of the Knights” is an historical novel set in Malta at the end of XVIII century. Actually, I am a prefessional historian and, therefore, I often recive excerpts and abstracts of historical studies. Almost one year ago, I received an article related to the “Revolt of the priests” of Malta, which forms the historical background of my text and I thought it was a fantastic story of freedom. At first I wanted to deepen my research to write an essay but, then, I understood I would have liked this story to be known by a larger audience than the one of “history specialist” and I tried to write a novel. Then, while writing the book, I realized I needed to explain a little more about the decadence of the Hospitaleer Order during the last years of their dominion on Malta. That’s how the novel came to light.

Q: What draws you to your genre(s)? Why is this type of story compelling to you?

A: As I said, I am an historian: I love history as I love to understand the way people lived and saw the world in the past and what of their vision influenced our present. In particular, I love those historical elements showing how the need for freedom, respect and self-determination is something natural and compelling for human beings.

Q: What is your writing process like? Do you map the whole thing out or do you just let it unfold?

A: Actually, each time I start to write a book, both essays and, in this case, a novel, I try to plan a plot in a quite precise map but, to be honest, I rarely manage to follow the lines of my plan: in a way, every chapter comes to light on its own, according to its own logic ...

Q: What kind of research was involved?

A: A quite long one: I had to make a lot of historical research to have a clear vision of an almost forgotten episode of the Maltese history and, mainly, I had to enter in depth into the mentality of the time, so to make the reader understand the values pushing the actions of the characters

Q: How much of YOU makes it into your characters?

A: Somehow, there is much of me in every charatcer: almost each character shows a partial side of my personality, in the moment in which, while writing, I try to “enter” into each role 

Q: How do you balance the need to have time to write with the needs of family, society, etc.?

A: I work as a history teacher and, therefore, much of my time is taken by my job. Writing is an invincible pulsion which takes many hours I should devote to sleeping or playing with my puppy dog (but he is very patient!)

Q: Have there been any authors in particular, that inspired your writing?

A: Actually many:  I could mention Dan Brown for his narrative structures, Baricco for his refined style, Umberto Eco for his ability to "reconstruct history", Borges, Marechal and Zaffon for their magical atmospheres, Sepulveda for his frescoes of "micro-stories"

Q: Is there a story you want to tell behind or about your work(s)?

A: For my first novel I chose to write about Malta as it is a place I love under all aspects but the story I decided to describe is a sort of universal one: the way “big powers” try to gain on common people and the way common people try to resist and fight for their freedom.

Q: What other projects are you currently working on or about to start?

A: Being a specialist in religious history, I am writing a story trying to link the I Century Palestine, the “heretics” of the period of the Counter-Reformation and nowadays Rome. I am almost half-way but much work is still to be done.

Q: Could you share some of your marketing strategies?  Which ones are the most effective in your opinion?

A: I am not such an expert. What I can say is that the Italian version of “Malta 1775” had good success in Italy and I can just report what I did: I used socials, bet on voice to voice giving free copies and asked to reviewers to write an honest opinion about the book.

Q: What would be the top five, (or 3 or 1 or however many) things you would tell aspiring authors?

A: 1) Be patient and don’t get discouraged if you don’t obtain answers for the first weeks;

2) remember that the end of your story is just the beginning of your work: read, read and read it again, correct, ask for advice. Then the hard phase, the one of marketing, starts;

3) never give up: if you feel you need to write, go on doing it, even if only for yourself.

Again, thanks Lawrence for taking the time to share your knowledge with us.  We appreciate your and your work. My pleasure

Contact information

Name                      Lawrence M.F. Sudbury

E-mail                         lmfsudbury@gmail.com 

Book Title              Malta 1775: the twilight of the Knights

Available at              https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095DV9NV2

Blog/website URL      http://www.lmfsudbury.com

Video URL             https://www.youtube.com/playlist?  list=PLwMZO4Arn3KBl1XJuDuC4m2LNF_eonUQn

 Chapter IV

Monsignor Giovanni, absorbed by political quarrels, had completely forgotten that he had set an appointment with that new presbyter just arrived from Sicily, who was to take up service within a few days. Cursing Ximenez's stupidity that distracted him from his institutional duties, he immediately put the letter he was writing under the desk pad and asked don Lawrenz to let the newcomer in. He expected to meet a young Sicilian priest who had just been dismissed from the seminary of Palermo. On the contrary, don Lawrenz let in a man of about fifty, dark-skinned and with a face heavily marked by the sun, who greeted him with a “Bonġu Monsinjur!” which indicated an evident local origin. Trying not to reveal his surprise too much, Monsignor Giovanni returned the greeting in Maltese and, immediately switching to Italian, with which he felt much more comfortable, he made the newcomer sit on one of the two chairs in front of his desk. 

«Dear don Gaetano, I will not hide the fact that I imagined you to be completely different...», the Bishop began, smiling. The other returned the smile placidly, replying: «Yes, I can imagine it!» «Tell me about yourselves: I guess this is not your first appointment...», the high prelate continued. «Actually, somehow it is, Monsignor. As for me, it is easy to say. I am, as you can clearly observe, the fruit of a belated vocation. I was born in the village of Ix-Xemxija, facing San Pawl Bay, fifty-one years ago. My father, from a family originally from Licata, in Sicily, was a wholesale fish trader and a small landowner, and I had the opportunity to study at Kulleġġ San Antonio until I entered the family business at the age of sixteen. I worked there for the next eighteen years, directing it after my father's death in 1754. Since I was a boy, however, I felt that was not my place. So, two years after my father Giuseppe had passed away, I gave my position in the direction of our business to my younger brother Luca, moved to Sicily and entered the seminary in Palermo, from which I left ten years later. 

Since then, I have been sent as coadjutor to various parishes of the Madonie Mountains and, a month ago, I was allowed to return home being entrusted with a parish in the diocese of your Excellence». «I understand», agreed Monsignor Pellerano. «Yours is a singular story. But, tell me, what brought you to the priestly life?» «The fishermen, Monsignor!», the Maltese clergyman promptly replied. «The fishermen? What do you mean?», Pellerano asked curiously. «Yes, Monsignor, the fishermen who came to sell us the fish that we then had to transfer to the markets. They were all poor people, destroyed by the fatigue of nights spent at sea on their coloured “luzzi”, as large as walnut shells, but they had a dignity and a faith that I have rarely encountered in the so-called “upper classes”. It is that dignity and that faith which convinced me of the greatness of the Gospel message of preference for the least and which made me choose to dedicate my life precisely to those “least” despised by everybody!»

Pellerano got very impressed by that answer. He could not help but think about how, curiously, the path of his life and the one of that priest, too old to have any chance of an ecclesiastical career but so convinced of his choice, though being, in many ways, diametrically opposed, managed, at a certain point, to converge. He had entered the Church to escape poverty, and only later he had understood the meaning of love for the most disinherited. In contrast, that man had knowingly decided to take his steps on the path of that love, and that love had brought him to the Church. Perhaps, he reflected, this was the strength of the Divine call: it grasped each one differently and then led each one to the same undisputed truth. 

«Do you already know the parish assigned to you?», the prelate changed the subject so as not to be carried away by his cogitations. «Of course, Your Excellency! This is a small island: in one way or another, each community ends up knowing all the others. I have some friends in Floriana and, in any case, it will be a pleasure for me to finally have the possibility to speak my language with my parishioners!», don Mannarino replied enthusiastically. «Then I just have to wish you good work and urge you to contact me in case of any need!», recommended the Bishop, getting up to signal to his priest that the interview was over. 

Don Gaetano was already almost at the door when Giovanni thought of one last thing: «Oh, I forgot to ask you... What do you think of the Order of St. John that governs the island?» Mannarino turned with a sly smile. «May I speak freely despite you are wearing the octagonal cross, Your Excellency?», asked the priest. «Sure!», the Bishop conceded. «I am a shepherd of souls before being a Knight!» «Then I'll answer you with a question: do you know the history of the island?» «Yes, of course!» «Well, then review all the occupants that followed one another: Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese... Did anyone ever come here for the good of the Maltese?» «Honestly, I would say no...» «And why should it be any different with the Knights?»