24 Bones!

[MichaelFStewart]

That's real bones, not dollars, or...er...rather the 24 vertebrae of Osiris, which were divided amongst the Brotherhoods of Seth and Horus and the Sisters of Isis, and MUST be combined every five hundred years or Chaos will reign. Tricky business when you're dealing with the followers of Seth!

http://www.amazon.com/24-Bones-ebook...1817694&sr=8-3

If you're interested in an Urban Fantasy set in modern Cairo that brings ancient mythology to the fore, then please consider my novel published by Drollerie Press. AND it's less than five bucks.

Here's what SF CROWNSEST had to say about it.

"'24 Bones' is a winning debut. It's well-written and well-plotted, studded with drama, action, history and mythology. There's even a little romance. The conclusion is thrilling with the final outcome of the battle between good and evil held over until the very end...leaving you guessing until that very last page."

Here's the link to the full review: http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/articles/...wart-14179.php .

Here's the blurb.
Seth, Horus, and Osiris are reborn, fated to re-fight their greatest battle.

Samiya, an Egyptian woman, and Taggart, a Canadian professor of Comparative Religion, have nothing in common, until they find themselves on opposite sides of a bloody war for causes neither is sure they believe in.

The Balance is in jeopardy, and either The Fullness: humanity, law, and reason; or The Void: animal instinct, chaos, and death; will soon rule the world.

But which is the right side? Reason has ruled for centuries. Isn't it time for Chaos to have a chance?

Please let me know if you enjoy it!

Also available at Mobipocket and Fictionwise

[MichaelFStewart]

I didn't realize how many Mobilereaders here didn't have Kindles. So let me add the links to Fictionwise (multiformat) and Mobipocket.

http://www.fictionwise.com/servlet/m...&bi=92679&si=0

http://www.mobipocket.com/EN/eBooks/...?BookID=179573

Sorry for the assumption!

MFS

[MichaelFStewart]

And here's a short excerpt from the Prologue:

Twenty-five years ago:

Eight-year-old Taggart Quinn was about to be branded.

"Boy, take off your shirt."

A fire burned in the center of the court of the convent of St. George. Embers popped and fizzled as a man in a brown robe twirled a metal rod, its tip buried in the orange heat. At the same time, he pumped a bellows with his foot, causing the coals to flare and darken. A pale-faced boy sat on a nearby step. His eyes lit with each thrust of the man's leg. A red glow crept up the shaft of the branding iron.

"Taggart!" The man's focus remained on the fire. "I said, take off your shirt."

Taggart sat frozen.

The iron clanged on cobblestone, its tip protruding from the fire. Pearl-white flecks sparked where wood clung to its starred design. The man strode to the boy, wrenched his arm up and tore the shirt over his head. Tears streamed down Taggart's cheeks. He writhed, but the man's grip was too strong to break.

Sisters looked down from the convent windows, their veils obscuring any expression.

The man dragged the boy to the center of the courtyard where the brand lay. His chant was clipped, and the iron yellowed as it cooled.

"Taggart is one of your sons, born of Geb, earth." As the man sifted dust over Taggart's bare neck the words rumbled amongst the walls. Ancient rock and ancient gods bore witness. "Taggart anoints himself with that which you anoint yourselves." Water dribbled from a wineskin onto Taggart's shoulder. "He lives on that on which you live." The man waited until Taggart drew a stifled breath of air.

Taggart twisted with new urgency. This was a baptism by the four natural elements. The final element of Taggart's baptism remained: Fire.

The man picked up the brand and the walls of the fortress of Babylon garbled the chant.
* * * *

To the South of the Coptic fortress, neighboring Muslims eavesdropped from cracked concrete apartments. The kilns of potters baking urns and polychrome plates shouldered the Eastern fortifications, and the forges of the tinkers shouldered the Western battlements, their workshops ever ready to repair an unending stream of tools and wagon axles. To the North, within a vast necropolis of shadowy tombs, lay the dead.

Firelight flickered against the sandstone walls of the enclave of Coptic Cairo, a bright star in the dark. The light from the fire fell short of the domed Church of St. George, and the Hanging Church's towers-the bosom of Coptic power. Narrow, cobbled alleys connected the Hanging Church to the churches of St. Barbara and, finally, to Abu Sarga. There in Abu Sarga, where Jesus had sheltered, pigeons cooed in the branches of the courtyard's gnarled sycamore. Lamplight wavered in the window of a nearby apartment.

Leaning against the Sycamore, Elen smelled the jasmine in her daughter's black hair. She listened to the muted chanting, and continued to trace the network of veins that ran up her daughter's neck and cheek.

"Mommy," Samiya twisted in Elen's lap, "Why was I chosen?" It was not the first time she had asked, but both understood it would be the last.

[rhadin]

Thanks for adding the Fictionwise link (and for agreeing to have it available in multiformat). I've added the book to my wish list and will purchase it with my next batch purchase.

[MichaelFStewart]

Thanks, Richard!

[animedude01]

Thank for the Fictionwise multiformat link. I'll be buying it as soon as I get home tonight.

Okay, maybe not as soon as I get home, but as soon as I can get on the computer at home

[MichaelFStewart]

Thanks, Animedude01, are you a graphic artist? I also do YA graphic novels. So far they're only out in Canada.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...rt&pageSize=10

The thrillers aren't mine, just the 4 graphic novels. Do you illustrate? I don't I just script.

[dreams]

Nice to see that you have the signature line and an avatar now. Great!

24 Bones is calling to me, but I have to get through my TBR list a bit before buying another batch. (I have a feeling my reading is going to speed up.)

[animedude01]

Originally Posted by MichaelFStewart

Thanks, Animedude01, are you a graphic artist? I also do YA graphic novels. So far they're only out in Canada.

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/...rt&pageSize=10

The thrillers aren't mine, just the 4 graphic novels. Do you illustrate? I don't I just script.

No, not a producer of any kind, just a consumer

Moejoe is the artist. You should check out his covers, they're great! He does them for his own writing and for some of the other MR members that have written books. You should check out his stuff here and on his website. There's a link in his sig.

Update: Okay, I checked again and it's not in his sig, but if you click on his username you can go to his website, which is currently Fictionmonster

[animedude01]

Book now purchased and queued, although with my TBR queue I have no idea when I'll actually get around to reading it

[MichaelFStewart]

Now I understand the quote beneath his sig! Thanks for the link!
MFS

[dreams]

Michael, Interesting shameless plug thread at Amazon. I started reading and... well.... an hour later came out without even finishing. Third section already. I like how you keep it going.

[MichaelFStewart]

Wish I could claim it as my idea, Dreams, but I believe Dennis Batchelder started it. He's the author of Soul Identity and Soul Intent. I've heard they are good (and inexpensive) but haven't read them myself.

MFS

[dreams]

Originally Posted by MichaelFStewart

Wish I could claim it as my idea, Dreams, but I believe Dennis Batchelder started it. He's the author of Soul Identity and Soul Intent. I've heard they are good (and inexpensive) but haven't read them myself.

MFS

Oops, sorry... I was a bit fuzzy as I came out from that very long thread

I think I must have been thinking about your book as I had already read Soul Identity and not yours..
so with that still on my mind, I posted to you. I am looking forward to reading 24 Bones.

[MichaelFStewart]

No prob!