Saturday, February 10, 2018

Sneak Peek: Destiny's Gambit by R.J. Wood with Giveaway

Destiny's Gambit banner

This is my stop during the book blitz for Destiny’s Gambit by R.J. Wood. This book blitz is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 5 till 11 February. See the tour schedule here.

Destiny's Gambit

Destiny’s Gambit
The Voyages of Jake Flynn #1

by R.J. Wood
Middle Grade Fantasy/ Science Fiction/ Sword and Space/ Space Fantasy
January 24, 2015




Jake Flynn’s parents disappeared when he was a baby. On his twelfth birthday, the mystery of why his parents disappeared begins to unravel when he discovers a glowing talisman with a message from his father.

Jake is directed to a derelict sailboat in a field. He watches in awe as the talisman knits ropes and sails for it out of golden energy. Awash in light, the boat sails up into space, and the voyages of Jake Flynn begin.

During the quest to find his parents, Jake encounters space pirates in tall sailing ships, channelers that can wield energy like magic, and evil cabalists led by a sinister snake-woman. Assisted by a young healer and her aged protector, a spirited cabin girl, and a salty space captain, Jake learns that he too can channel, and that he is central to stopping the cabalists from resurrecting a long-dead evil.

Puzzles, a pirate asteroid, walking the plank, fantastic magic, traps, treasure caves, multiple planets and great ship battles – Jake must experience them all on this epic sword and space adventure.

By the end, Jake will discover the truth about his destiny, realize that family can transcend blood lines, and understand that his own needs are sometimes less important than those of others.


You can find Destiny’s Gambit on Goodreads

You can buy Destiny’s Gambit here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Smashwords


SNEAK PEEK

Fatigue set in. Jake had not slept since yesterday. He sat down with his
back against the mast and watched the solar winds flash and streak
overhead for a while. His thoughts turned to his parents and where he
might be going. He wondered what their planet was like, and if it had
aliens or strange creatures, or if the plants were orange or purple instead
of green. He fell asleep and dreamt of these things and others.
The sound of grating woke him, as the old rudder moved into a turn to
the left, or to port, as the sailors called it. The boat began to vibrate a
little as it made the wide turn. Jake stood up and steadied himself by
the mast. He closed his eyes. What he saw ahead in the solar winds
made his breath catch.
The current he now traveled in joined soon with several others at a
single point in space. It was a circle that swallowed the solar rivers
like some kind of massive drain or… Jake’s eyes shot open. No, there
were stars ahead. This was not a black hole. It was something else. He
could now see three dark objects ahead, some kind of stone satellites.
They formed a perfect triangle. When he closed his eyes again they
were gone, but the drain was there between them and it was much larger
now. Jake’s heart and lungs raced as he looked around, but there was
nowhere else to go. All he could do was watch as the cutter got closer
and closer.
“This is it,” he said as the cutter’s bow rose up like sailing up a wave. He
hugged the mast with both arms as the boat went over the edge and
plunged into the drain.
For a moment, Jake felt as though he was falling. Then the boat slid into
the stream like a surfboard finding the perfect wave. The universe changed.
The black of space turned to gold, and dark stars began streaking by. The
cutter was riding on a torrent of silver energy. It was like being in a tube
slide at a water park, but sailing through it at amazing speeds. The energy
sprayed on his face, harmless like water, and the solar winds blew back
his hair. It was like whitewater rafting on a roller coaster. His grin could not
get any bigger.
Holding the mast, he stood up tall and then risked putting out one arm like a
gull gliding on the sea air. Jake had always wanted to feel the zeal of sailing
fast before the wind just like the heroes of the sea adventures he had read.
He let loose a cheer that became a laugh out loud. He was not just sailing
on the ocean; he was sailing through a star stream.



And here he is. . .


R.J. Wood
R. J. Wood has been creating stories and adventures for others since 1979. A bard at heart, he trained in Drama (BA) and History (MA) while at university. He currently lives near Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State with his wife and children. There he does a little fishing, some adventuring, and of course, his writing.

Like everyone of my generation and beyond I have been heavily influenced by film. I like to think of my books as movies in my mind. I developed my creative writing through fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal RPGs. My degree in drama helps me with story, characters, and especially dialogue. Having an advanced history degree is excellent for plots and characters, but it also helps me with world building.

You can find and contact R.J. Wood here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram

GIVEAWAY!!!
There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz of Destiny’s Gambit. One winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift card.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

This sounds like a terrific read. I haven't read much fantasy lately, but this has many elements that appeal to me: magic, pirates, talismans, treasure caves . . . what's not to like. Good luck to R. J. Wood and his intriguing book.