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Cannonball Express #2
CANNONBALL EXPRESS - Hellbeast of Mars: A Sci-Fi Western Adventure
200 TONS OF STEAM-POWERED ALIEN SUPER-TECH.
Three daring women with a thirst for adventure.
The railroads of Mars better raise that speed limit.
_______________________________
A NEW HOPE. A NEW WORLD.
EXCITEMENT. OPPORTUNITY. ADVENTURE.
For the colonists on a terraformed Mars in 2454, that was the promise. For you though—Jess Flint, engineering prodigy and big-time dreamer—it is a promise unfulfilled. Excitement? Adventure? Somebody might be having ’em, but not in the one-horse-town you call home.
And then it happens.
In the depths of an abandoned alien junkyard, you stumble across the preserved hulk of legendary steam locomotive the Cannonball Express. Your jaw hits the Martian floor. This is it! Your ticket out! You rebuild the ancient loco, augmenting it with a hodgepodge of powerful alien super-tech.
Almost before you know it, you’ve found yourself a crew:
There’s Sally, the town’s glamorpuss, handy-with-her-fists saloon singer.
There’s Vera, über-brainiac accountant-turned-adrenalin junkie.
Oh, and there’s Dave. He’s from Staines.
You drop an ad in the local paper—
CANNONBALL EXPRESS (MARS) Ltd.
Any Cargo
Anywhere
Anytime
—and WHAM! You just climbed aboard a bullet train to adventure.
CANNONBALL EXPRESS
Let's Roll!
_______________________________
Book 2 in Kit Kane’s CANNONBALL EXPRESS series, Hellbeast of Mars is steampunk adventure at full-throttle—a standalone sci-fi romp, brimming with action, suspense, comedy, and romance.
Three daring women with a thirst for adventure.
The railroads of Mars better raise that speed limit.
_______________________________
A NEW HOPE. A NEW WORLD.
EXCITEMENT. OPPORTUNITY. ADVENTURE.
For the colonists on a terraformed Mars in 2454, that was the promise. For you though—Jess Flint, engineering prodigy and big-time dreamer—it is a promise unfulfilled. Excitement? Adventure? Somebody might be having ’em, but not in the one-horse-town you call home.
And then it happens.
In the depths of an abandoned alien junkyard, you stumble across the preserved hulk of legendary steam locomotive the Cannonball Express. Your jaw hits the Martian floor. This is it! Your ticket out! You rebuild the ancient loco, augmenting it with a hodgepodge of powerful alien super-tech.
Almost before you know it, you’ve found yourself a crew:
There’s Sally, the town’s glamorpuss, handy-with-her-fists saloon singer.
There’s Vera, über-brainiac accountant-turned-adrenalin junkie.
Oh, and there’s Dave. He’s from Staines.
You drop an ad in the local paper—
CANNONBALL EXPRESS (MARS) Ltd.
Any Cargo
Anywhere
Anytime
—and WHAM! You just climbed aboard a bullet train to adventure.
CANNONBALL EXPRESS
Let's Roll!
_______________________________
Book 2 in Kit Kane’s CANNONBALL EXPRESS series, Hellbeast of Mars is steampunk adventure at full-throttle—a standalone sci-fi romp, brimming with action, suspense, comedy, and romance.
223 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2020
40 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Kit Kane
4 books10 followersIt's times like these I wish I had a compelling back story. But nope, sorry, I never tried out for the Olympic squad when I was sixteen, or got trapped in a lift with Samuel L. Jackson. Best I can manage is that I have, under another name entirely, spent the last twenty years writing comedy, drama, and animation for UK television, contributing scripts to a whole bunch of different series, including Academy Award-winning productions from Aardman Animation and the BBC.
Otherwise, I'm just your common or garden working writer. Born and raised in beautiful Scotland, I live there still with my fabulous family, the world's best dog (he's called Rory), and an irresistible urge to write rip-roaring, all-fun, action-adventure sci-fi stories. If those are the kind of stories you enjoy, I'd love it if you checked out some of mine.
Otherwise, I'm just your common or garden working writer. Born and raised in beautiful Scotland, I live there still with my fabulous family, the world's best dog (he's called Rory), and an irresistible urge to write rip-roaring, all-fun, action-adventure sci-fi stories. If those are the kind of stories you enjoy, I'd love it if you checked out some of mine.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 29, 2020
Attention Reader, this is book #2. I highly recommend you start with book #1, Railroad ls of Mars.
The crew of the Cannonball Express is back. This time, they are hired for a simple passenger trip. But what they hoped would be easy money takes a turn to adventure as they again find themselves pitted against the dastardly six-armed Mr. Slinger. Can they survive the wilds of the Free Zones and save the day?
The crew of the Cannonball Express is back. This time, they are hired for a simple passenger trip. But what they hoped would be easy money takes a turn to adventure as they again find themselves pitted against the dastardly six-armed Mr. Slinger. Can they survive the wilds of the Free Zones and save the day?
December 21, 2020
Enjoyable!
This one was even more fun to read than the first! I am looking forward to reading the next one!
This one was even more fun to read than the first! I am looking forward to reading the next one!
Currently reading
November 10, 2020
Resplendent in a trio of fresh-from-the-hardware-store overalls, Jess, Sally, and Vera stood in the mind-boggling immensity of the alien junkyard, staring up at what Jess had found there—at that steam-driven titan of rail locomotion. “Seven days,” Jess said. “That’s what we got. Granted, it ain’t a lotta time, but the way I see it, we all pull together, we can do this. Not saying it’ll be easy. Ya don’t like axle grease, walk away now. Coal dust? Engine oil? See above. Is it a gamble? Sure. But this kinda gamble? It’s the good kinda gamble, am I right?” The exhilaration in Sally and Vera’s eyes was answer enough. “That’s what I like to hear,” Jess said, draping her arms around the denim-clad shoulders of her two best friends. “So step up then, ladies. Cos we just got ourselves into the Martian railroad business.”
PRAISE FOR CANNONBALL EXPRESS:
“OMG! It’s BUFFY meets FIREFLY on Mars with trains. Awesome.”
- Barry J. Hutchison, bestselling author of SPACE TEAM
“AN EXPRESS RIDE OF THRILLS! You won't ever want to get off.”
- Alexander Gordon Smith, bestselling author of ESCAPE FROM FURNACE
“BRILLIANT! A 200-ton rollercoaster ride.”
- Jon Mayhew, award-winning author of MORTLOCK
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CANNONBALL EXPRESS:
★★★★★ Terrific!
★★★★★ Thrilling!
★★★★★ Don't miss it!
★★★★★ Highly original!
★★★★★ A brilliant concept!
★★★★★ Characters who leap off the page.
★★★★★ I read it all in one breathtaking blast.
★★★★★ A rip-roaring, rollercoaster ride of a book.
★★★★★ Shocks, cliffhangers, laugh-out-loud moments. An absolute winner all the way!
CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE SERIES ON AMAZON HERE
June 28, 2021
This is a fun read. The characters are diverse, interesting and likeable. The story arc keeps you turning the pages. You do have to set aside the holes in the story, but it’s such a fun story that is’t not hard to do. If you’re looking for a fun summer read (or winter depending where you are), give it a try. I’ve purchased the third book in the series.
January 16, 2022
Terrifically entertaining series!
I am enjoying these books so much. The author draws the characters with such personality that you are immediately drawn to them. Wildly imaginative with plenty of heart thumping action, while still being relatively clean (do ginormous scaly things count?), these books are highly entertaining. You'll be glad you picked them up!
I am enjoying these books so much. The author draws the characters with such personality that you are immediately drawn to them. Wildly imaginative with plenty of heart thumping action, while still being relatively clean (do ginormous scaly things count?), these books are highly entertaining. You'll be glad you picked them up!
January 28, 2021
Entertaining sci fi adventure
The world building is fascinating, the characters are great (I don't like love triangles), and the story is a page-turner. There are some unexpectedly dark parts, and I wish someone would end the villain. I'm looking forward to book 3.
The world building is fascinating, the characters are great (I don't like love triangles), and the story is a page-turner. There are some unexpectedly dark parts, and I wish someone would end the villain. I'm looking forward to book 3.
May 23, 2021
The second in the series of YA adventures on a steampunk Mars. This time featuring a simian style indigenous inhabitant that is capured released, pursued, etc. More fun.
September 12, 2021
Not bad
I enjoyed the book, it was not super action filled. But it was amusing. I would liken this to a very fluffy firefly like universe. 6 shooters on mars.
I enjoyed the book, it was not super action filled. But it was amusing. I would liken this to a very fluffy firefly like universe. 6 shooters on mars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews