Elizabeth Lang is first and foremost, a geek with the obligatory love of science fiction and fantasy. She spent most of her life in the computer industry designing computer systems for world domination the mundane industry of life insurance, which is surprisingly, not as exciting as it sounds.
Now she creates enchanted worlds of magic, explores the human condition in the light of future technology and civilizations, and dreams about world domination. Or at least, some of her characters do.
Her first book, The Empire was fortunate enough to be a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and she has never looked back.
I'm pleased to present an excerpt from her new book, “The Andromedans,” published March 4, 2015.
As was her custom, Ren Dastrin, one of the most powerful leaders of Tellar, sat on the ledge of a large bay window, watching a violet sunset sink into the golden ripples of the sea. She relished these precious moments at the end of the day when liquid rays rubbed a healing tranquility into her soul.
“It’s beautiful,” said an unexpected male voice behind her, his voice like gentle granules of dry sand and his presence glowing with subtle power that lit up her mental landscape.
Ren Dastrin turned with unhurried concern. “Guild Master Venner, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
He bowed formally. “Will that be enough for the demands of etiquette?”
“For a meeting that has no official existence, it’s more than enough. Please, have a seat.” She gestured to the couch and sat across from him.
“You’re not interested in knowing how I entered your chambers without using the door or the windows?”
“Not particularly.”
Venner nodded, a speck of amusement sparkling in his brown pupils. “It has come to my attention that you’ve been researching certain aspects of the Guild.”
“You know why.” The more she delved into the past, the more Ren Dastrin realized the conflict with the Andromedans was not the simplistic battle between good and evil; the conflict that looked good in the holovids and the news flashes, even their daily doses of mass entertainment. Before her people joined the fight against the aliens, she needed to understand more about the history of this war.
“Of course.”
“Are you here to warn me, stop me or offer an alliance?”
It was rumored that the Guild Master knew what people were going to say before the first word left their lips—all without the benefit of telepathy.
He replied, “Charles Sester.” The name was said with finality, as if they had already reached the end of their conversation instead of the beginning.
“He’s your assistant.”
“He is also the most gifted psychostrategist of his generation, the one most likely to succeed me as Guild Master. I offer him to you as a pledge of my sincerity."
She finally understood his previous answer and was suitably surprised. Sester was Venner’s apprentice; no one knew more about him or the inner workings of the Guild. From her researches, the young man was rumored to be involved in some of the Guild’s greatest achievements. It didn’t give her a good impression of Sester, but it convinced her Venner was serious.
“You’re sacrificing your apprentice to gain my trust?”
The dry sand of his voice filled the void of her suspicions. “The nature of the sacrifice is up to you, Ren Dastrin. For the next six months, he belongs to you. Do with him as you wish, but when it is over, I expect an agreement.”
“You’re certain I will agree.”
“I have no certainty that you will agree with me, only the circumstance in which we find ourselves. That’s why you came to us first instead of the Empire.”
“You seem to know everything.”
“If I did, we wouldn’t need this alliance.”
The day after the meeting, Charles Sester arrived on Tellar. He came to her as a man laid bare; stripping himself to nothing and falling to her feet as a servant, as his Master had commanded.
“Why are you willing to do this thing?” she had asked, bewildered by the pain of his honesty, his servitude.
“Because you wish to save this galaxy.”
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Grad student, Lisa Richardson, scours the high country in search of her beloved boreal toad. The amphibian is in danger of extinction, a fate she is determined to change. Single-minded in her focus, Lisa doesn’t realize that she’s being followed by a mysterious stranger.
Enter McIntyre Walsh. Ex-marine with a heart of gold, this man lives and breathes duty. Protection. Content with his self-exile on a mountaintop in Colorado, he inadvertently witnesses a female hiker in danger, a situation he cannot ignore yet is unable to rectify. When their paths cross, Lisa and Walsh refuse to stray from their avowed goals and carry on–despite the other.
It isn’t until a killer ramps up his game that both are forced to relent. Battling the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains and an undeniable attraction between them, Lisa and Walsh must work together against the odds if they intend to get off the mountain alive.
As Ember celebrates her 18th birthday, she struggles to find her true purpose in life. In a world where men rule and women are viewed as objects to obtain, love is often placed last on the list. But everything changes when Elijah, the son of a Native Shaman enters her life. Knowing true love for the first time, Ember's heart is broken when her father forbids her from seeing him again. Manipulated into marrying a man she doesn't love, Ember finds herself trapped in a sadistic game, fighting to find a way back to her soul mate, Elijah.
Will a reincarnation spell that binds their souls together be enough to save their love in this lifetime? Ceaseless takes you on a magical journey of love and betrayal that will leave you asking; what happens next?!
Mindy Marin is an up and coming author with a background in the entertainment industry. Working as an independent contractor in film and television, she pursued writing as another expression of her creativity. Ceaseless: Birth of the Phoenix is the first book in the Ceaseless series and Mindy's first published work.
Mindy was inspired to tell this story of unwavering love after a near death experience where she spent two weeks in a hospital. Having the same dream repeatedly she felt drawn to the idea of past lives and reincarnation, it was then that she began to write down snippets of her dreams and her character's stories began to come to life.
Mindy is a mother of three and currently lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband Alex and two younger children.
