Hey, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host PD
Alleva and his new book, “The Rose”!
For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click
on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the
end of this post to enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!! Also, come back daily to interact with PD and
to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping
by! Wishing you lots of luck in this
fabulous giveaway!
The Rose
by PD Alleva
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GENRE: Dystopian Science Fiction Thriller
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BLURB:
A
masterful, dystopian science fiction thriller of underground genetic
experiments, telepathic evil greys, mysterious rebellion, conspiracy, martial
arts, and Alien Vampires.
Sandy Cox believed WW3 was over. But for
those Alien Vampires, War Has Just Begun.
Forty-eight
hours after a World War III treaty is signed Sandy Cox awakens in an
underground compound unable to move. Tied to machines she screams for help but
no one answers. At least NO ONE HUMAN.
And they’ve taken her unborn child.
Enter
Phil, a rebel freedom fighter who has had more than his share of Alien
Vampires. Armed with THE BLADES, a sacred alien martial art, he enters the
compound on a mission to find Sandy. But as he battles his way through the
compound, Phil discovers Sandy has her own agenda. Finding her stolen child is
all that matters.
But
the vampires have their own plan and Sandy’s baby is at the heart of their
diabolical plot. Joined by a crew of rogue soldiers, they must navigate the
underground compound, battling genetically mutated humans, aliens and monsters.
When battling Alien Vampires, one thing is
certain…Get Ready To Bleed!
Fans
of The Hunger Games, George RR Martin, VE Schwab, Star Wars and Ancient Aliens
will be fascinated by this high-powered, intelligent, edge of your seat
dystopian sci-fi action thriller.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT ONE:
“It’s
in the blood, dear,” said Ellen, one of the women Sandy shared time and space
with, her skin worn by age, hard labor, and days spent under the sun. Blotches,
liver spots and creases led the observer to the eyes. One dark, the other a
cataract milky white and she always wore a dark shawl draped over the head and
shoulders. Sandy was afraid of Ellen, she reminded Sandy of a gypsy or witch
from a fairy-tale.
“Come
again?” said Sandy, her eyes shifting from soldier to Ellen to soldier then
back to Ellen.
Ellen
had cut herself transferring a wood bucket filled with rice to add to an
already large trough of buckets. A thick wood splinter pinned in the bottom of
her palm dripping with a thick stream of blood. She turned to Sandy raising the
bloodied palm and caught a drop of blood in her unwounded hand.
“The
blood dear,” said Ellen. “All magic comes from the blood.”
Sandy
cringed at the sight; she’d always been squeamish. Her stomach bumped, blood
curled. Magic, Sandy thought. If only magic was real. How wonderful would that
be? Sandy understood she was naïve, the result of an isolated childhood and her
parents’ death when she was ten years old. Not that they had taught the young
Sandy about the world she lived in either. They’d kept her under lock and key,
never so much as offering a glimpse or advice on the outside world. They were
always so cryptic with their explanations, living in an abundant and overgrown
mansion as if luxury were a childhood friend. Sure there were plenty of rooms
for a child to explore but as time went by those rooms seemed more like a
prison than a home.
Years
of neglect, isolation and secrets were as torturous as physical suffering. And
she was tired of secrets. She wanted to know truth. Truth was like a blanket
that keeps you warm in the coldest winter.
“The
blood, Sandy,” said Ellen who clenched her fist around those crimson droplets,
shaking her hand in front of her face. “All is in the blood.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GUEST POST:
Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd Inspired Action Scenes:
I’ve
been told I write great action sequences. More than a few reviewers have
reported they could see the scene as if they were watching a movie in their
head. Not bad at all, I’ll definitely take that compliment. So, a few reviewers
presented the question: “How do you do it?” Well, there’s a formula to it for
sure, however, for the most part, and for me at least, I gather inspiration
through music.
The
Rose Vol. 1 was written to be an action packed, edge of your seat, thriller
that I refused to allow to let up. The story had to keep pumping, raising the
stakes with twists and turns, and epic battle after epic battle. My goal was
for the reader to anticipate upcoming fight scenes, wanting to read (and see)
certain battles between specific characters.
I’ve
always been a fan of epic battle scenes, The Matrix, Star Wars, and Mad Max
Fury Road to name a few, always anticipating with bated breath the great
upcoming battle between protagonist and antagonist. I can still remember my
blood pumping when Luke Skywalker meets Darth Vader for the first time in
Empire Strikes Back, that epic scene still gets me even today. So, I set out to
create scenes and battles that carried a similar anticipation, knowing the
battle had to become epic in the mind of the reader. It also helps if you add
in a focus point, said focus being a weapon shared by both hero and villain.
The
Blades, as they are referred to in The Rose, are a sacred alien martial arts
weapon. (See below for a bonus excerpt and a caricature of The Rose’s hero, Phil). I
came up with the idea of The Blades about ten years ago when the thought of
writing an epic sci-fi series first dropped into my mind. Fast forward ten
years when I’m a spectator at my twin’s Karate dojo and I notice a weapons
class going on and the students are using what looks like police batons or
nightsticks. Come to find out the weapons they are using are called tonfas,
wooden sticks with handles that fit in the palms and run down the forearms. And
I said to myself, “Self, that would be a really cool weapon to use in a martial
arts scene,” although I needed to raise the stakes, so instead of wood The
Blades are made of alien steel. It’s like having a sword attached to your
forearms during hand-to-hand combat.
Now
on to write the scene. When I picture the battle in my head it’s always like
watching a trailer. Short, fast movements with a less is more philosophy. Allow
the reader to fill in the gaps in their own mind. Allow the anticipation to
build with an almost fatal blow that rocks and reels the reader to want more.
Add in more than a few wild martial arts moves and then hit pause (briefly of
course) with some poignant dialogue and epic one liners followed with raising
the stakes on the scene with a distraction towards a pivotal part of the plot
related to the action sequence, boomeranging back to the action scene with a
satisfying WOW factor.
In
order to accomplish this WOW factor I need inspiration. I find it necessary as
a writer to feel like I’m smack dab in the middle of the action sequence,
sometimes the passive phantom observer, and other times I need to become the
character. I want to hear the growls, howls, moans and groans. Smell the blood
and sweat. Feel the anger, the heart pounding, the pain, fear, and the blood
boiling. Snarl and grind those teeth or fangs. The best way I can do this is
through music. Two songs in particular helped me to achieve this goal: Pink
Floyd’s Shine On You Crazy Diamond, and Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir.
It’s
the guitar in both songs that get my blood pumping, building anticipation with
David Gilmore’s classic four notes from Shine On You Crazy Diamond. I
use this song to picture the beginning of each battle, the anticipation that
something great and extraordinary is going to happen, watching and listening,
allowing the mind, heart and blood to gear up and strap in for a wild ride.
Like the beginning of a move trailer (one of those good ones) that captures the
eye and brings on the thought, where is this going?
Interject
with a classic one liner then bam, allow the action to unfold, sparks to fly,
and blood to spill while rocking along to Led Zeppelin’s base pounding, drum
ripping, hard hitting guitar genius, Kashmir. Oh yeah, the lyrics are
pretty good too. Probably why a few beginning lines of Kashmir are
quoted to begin the novel.
If
you’re into hard hitting, blood pumping, extraordinary battle scenes pick up a
copy of The Rose Vol. 1. Don’t be fooled by the title (you’ll understand the
meaning quickly in the book), this isn’t a romantic vampire book, just an epic,
pulse pounding, blood soaked thriller. One can’t write a book about alien
vampires and not have the story reflect the ferocity and blood thirst that
vampires require.
PreOrder Now Available on Amazon:
Enjoy,
PD Alleva
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SPECIAL BONUS BLADES EXCERPT:
The
blades were unharmed. The blades are a unique contraption with thin handles
held in the palms, clamps that wrapped around the wrist and just above the
elbow, connected by a thin, almost string like plastic. The metal blade
descended from the handles down across the arm bone to the elbow clamp and
locked into place. The metal they were made from was not of this earth and was
able to collapse inside the handles and wrist clamp like tin foil crumples
inside a fist. But this metal was strong and solid and unmatched to any
substance on earth. The handles when pressed by the index finger would ignite
the blades down the arm, locking in place. Another unique feature were the
handles, fitted comfortably in the palm, when pressed with the thumbs would
ignite claws of steel. A useful tool when needing to climb walls. Robyn had
spent years teaching Phil the art of Kobudo Tonfa. An art he’d become supremely
confident with.
Phil’s
stare drifted to the full blood moon rising over the compound. Eyes wide,
thinking: You know what that means. There’s more under the moon tonight than
just alien vampires. And they come with teeth. The moon’s red glow crept
across the landscape as Phil dipped his chin to his chest, grinding his teeth.
Four simple words on the tip of his tongue…
“Get
ready to bleed.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MY BOOK REVIEW:
I
have worked with PD Alleva and featured him on my blog a few times. However, for some reason I have never read or
reviewed any of his books, so when the opportunity presented itself, I
absolutely accepted the request!!
I honestly wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book, but
I was pleasantly surprised and continuously entertained!!
This book is a scary, dark, new age, suspenseful, mysterious,
thrilling, intriguing, captivating, compelling, intriguing, original, and
thought-provoking!!
Let the alien fans and the vampire fans unite!! You both
are in for a treat with Alleva’s super creative merged creatures that comes in
a multitude of species and unique characteristics!!
In a
very scary, dark, dangerous post WW3 realm that is anything but safe, happy, or
peaceful; Sandy and her unborn baby are in for a fight for their lives. Only 48 hours after signing a treaty that now
seems like a ploy to let down our guard the country as we knew it is no longer
the same. Creatures we never knew
existed are not only real – they are on the hunt and we are on the menu. Creepy, horrifying, spine-chilling, blood
sucking creatures of all kinds are taking over!! Get ready for some ghoulish nightmares!!
I
enjoyed all the main and supporting characters – Sandy, Ben, Phil, Robyn, Cam,
Mono, Telas, Sanos, Saiph, Dr. Blum, Titus, and the three witches also known
as: Mintaka, Ainitak, and Alnilam. Every
character felt important and brought something special to the story. At times, I even found myself completely
wrapped up with the characters and immersed in their storylines! However, I must admit, this book is a bit top
heavy with characters. I would have
loved a quick reference guide at the back or front of the book with a short
summary about who they are, what type of creature, etc. It would definitely help the reader keep the
story and characters straight.
I also enjoyed the intriguing and fascinating storyline that was
filled with stimulating action, engaging scenes, innovative worldbuilding, and
perplexing concepts.
This book has highly creative plot points that were well
structured and defined.
I love the in-depth amount of research the author did while
constructing this book that is clearly evident and shown throughout the story.
The author has a unique ability to blend multiple genres and
create a story that appeals to a copious amount of readers.
This
book is definitely on the longer side at 507 eBook pages!!! There certainly is a lot going on in this
book, and I’m not sure where I’d make cuts, if any, as so many scenes were not
only important but were well written and equally engaging. However, it did take me several days to
finally reach the end – not by loss of interest, just by amount of time
available to read and amount of time needed to reach the end of the book.
I
liked that this book was divided up into three parts. The first part, titled, “Your Death Will
Not Be in Vain!” includes the first eleven chapters. The second part, titled, “First Things
First, We’re Going to Need More Guns!” which includes Chapters 12-35. The third part, titled, “And-Here-We-Go!”
which includes Chapters 36-54. However,
while reading the book there is no indication that a new part has started or
that one has ended. I only knew about
the three parts because I read the table of contents. I found that a bit confusing that it was even
mentioned if it wasn’t going to be included in the book contents. Even the story didn’t entirely feel shifted
or separated out at that point. Usually
I enjoy books that are split up as it gives me a good stopping place to aim
for.
I
really enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end of the book. I love with authors include something extra,
something personal, or something about how this whole book came together and Alleva
did just that. Alleva explained the
creation and process of the development of The Rose. Which surprisingly actually started out as a
short story lol!! Yea, like 500 pages
ago lol!!
This
book does end with some unresolved situations and leaves you with more
questions than answers. However, there
seems to be intention for a book two which most likely will address those
points.
There are some predictable scenes. However, there are quite a few unexpected
twists and turns that you won’t see coming!
This book is listed as Volume One. This book can absolutely be read as a
standalone. There are significant
implications that there will be a second book, Volume Two, being released in
the near future.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend
it! I think all science fiction readers
will like this book too! So, add it to
your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!
**Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an
honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR BIO:
PD Alleva is an
alternative fiction author. His novels cross genres, blending mystery,
conspiracy, psychology, and action with horror and dystopian science fiction.
Alternative fiction is PD's attempt at describing what readers uncover in any
one of his books, a new discovery towards mainstream storytelling. He's been
writing since childhood, creating and developing stories with brash and
impactful concepts that he would describe are metaphors for the shifting
energies that exist in the universe. PD exists inside of his own universe,
working diligently on The Rose Vol. II and exceptional horror novels. Be
prepared for Golem, PD’s upcoming horror thriller.
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CONNECT WITH PD:
Website:
Blog:
Email:
pdallevaauthor@gmail.com
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
BookBub Author Page:
BookBub Author Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page:
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle:
Amazon Hardcover:
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
Barnes and Noble Hardcover:
The Book Depository Hardcover:
BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:
Kobo eBook:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
PD will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a
randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this
blog. This does not cost you anything,
it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored
by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish
Promotions. Prizes are given away by the
sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish
Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
