Charles Ray's Blog: Notes from a Writer's Desk

I finally bowed to the inevitable and paid to have my own web site and my own domain. I still have a lot of content to add (purchase links to all my books, for one), but it's up and running, so please drop over and check it out.

charlesray-author.com
http://charlesray-author.com/

For fans of Barnes and Noble, check out my books on their site.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/charl...

'The White Dragons', a novel of international intrigue, will be available free for your Kindle June 16 - 20. I would greatly appreciate reviews from all who download a free copy. If you find the adventures of David Morgan and his friends to your liking, you might also want to check out 'In the Dragon's Lair' and 'Dragon Slayer', both now available for Kindle. All three are available at the following links:

http://www.amazon.com/White-Dragons-C...


http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Lair-Ch...


http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Slayer-C...

Get "A Portrait of Africa" free for your Kindle, or Kindle reading app, June 1 - 5 only. Don't miss out on this great deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Africa...

My newest Al Pennyback mystery, 'Death in White Satin' just went live on Kindle. It's also available in paperback.

Kindle version: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FOPP6C8

Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/4471934

Sergeant Ben Carter of the Ninth Cavalry 'Buffalo Soldiers' is sent with his detachment to help a sheriff restore order in a small town in New Mexico. They get caught up in local politics at the same time Ben is ordered by the regimental commander to train a newly assigned officer.


Get this compelling tale free for your Kindle Sep. 8 - 12 only! A review would be greatly appreciated.


While you're at it, check out the other tales of the Buffalo Soldiers!






http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Soldier...

Naomi Witherspoon, after graduating from law school and getting a job with a large law firm in Denver, decides she'd rather be a mediator rather than a litigator. She finds, to her surprise, that she's really good at it, too, and has a string of successful mediations to back her up. Her former law school classmate, and fellow lawyer at the firm, Brock Holt, asks her to marry him. So, what can go wrong?
She soon finds out, when she starts having dreams about a white buffalo calf that bows to her, and in the dreams there's a mysterious woman, the White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman. When the woman speaks to her, and informs her that she is the Chosen One, her troubles begin. Naomi finds herself caught between what appears to be a materialistic money-grabbing scheme by one of her firm's clients and her affection for a Native American man who is trying to protect sacred ground. Strange appearances begin to occur, not just in her dreams, but in reality.
What, she desperately wants to know, has she been chosen for? When she learns that she is the one chosen to mediate a war between the gods, her life takes a complete left turn.
Lynne Cantwell's Seized is a novel that weaves fantasy, religion, and reality into a pastiche that will seize your imagination and keep you turning pages until you find out what's going on. Deft dialogue and narration, infused with a bit of humor, make this a must-read, and, not just for lovers of fantasy. Cantwell will have you questioning your basic beliefs as you root for Naomi during her quest to forestall Armageddon. A great book, the first in the Pipe Woman Chronicle series, and a definite five stars. I received a free review copy of this book, but would have been just as happy with it if I'd bought it. This is fantasy the way fantasy is meant to be!
Seized: The Pipe Woman Chronicles

When private investigator Jake Abraham gets a phone call from disgraced ex-Chicago cop Gregory Patterson it starts a spiral of events that could prove fatal. Patterson wants Jake to find his missing daughter Susan, who didn’t show up for his birthday party. Jake starts a search for the missing girl, only to have her turn up dead with a ‘Z’ carved into her foot. This leads to a connection with several other similar murders.
The cops are looking for a serial killer, but there’s also a mob connection. Jake has more leads than he knows what to do with, and he keeps crossing the wrong people, which could cause him to be added to the growing list of victims.
The Shoulders of Giants by Jim Cliff is a mystery in the mold of Elmore Leonard and Mickey Spillane; gritty dialogue, realistic settings, and non-stop action that will keep you on the edge of your chair as Jake flits from one hair-raising encounter to another. This is definitely a five-star keeper for mystery fans.

The One We Feed by Kristina Meister is a chilling story that will keep you awake at night. Lilith is an immortal working with mortal cops to go after the Sangha. While on a stakeout, she sees a group of Sangha members with a captive, a little girl. As Lilith rushes to the girl’s rescue, she discovers that the child is something else – something beyond imagining. The question for Lilith then becomes, who in that tableau needed saving?
Gritty dialogue and graphic descriptions take you into a netherworld of the undead and the soon to be dead. You’ll smell the blood and sweat and hear the rapid panic-inspired beating of hearts. Meister is aptly names, for she is a meister of the genre. A writer who is destined to take her place in the galaxy of horror fiction stars.
When you open the pages of The One We Feed make sure your seat belt is fastened because you’re in for one hell of a wild ride.

Fantastical Ramblings by Irene Radford is a fantastical collection of short stories. Many of the stories in this beautifully crafted book have been previously published in fantasy anthologies, while others were featured initially as free offerings on Book View Café. Each story, from ‘The Sword of Herakles’ to ‘Not My Knot’ is worth getting the book for.
A military brat who grew up all over the place, and who found refuge in books at an early age, Radford has a magical way with words. The worlds she creates in her stories are fantasy, but she describes them in a way that makes them seem real, and her characters, whether from mythology, history, or her own fertile imagination, stride confidently off the pages to grip you in a vice-like clasp of believability and adventure.
The way Radford adds little twists to her stories is particularly appealing. She grabs readers firmly by the imagination for a roller coaster journey and at the end springs an ‘Oh, My’ moment on them that leaves them gasping for air.
This is a book that can be read over a long weekend or in snatches as you commute back and forth to your mundane job. Whichever you do, it’s guaranteed to please.