What's Happening:

Hi everyone!

    For those who haven't heard, I have Oblivion (Earthshaker book 4) written. It is in the first stages of editing, but it should be ready for release hopefully by summer of '16. No set date yet, but I will keep you updated!
    I have also sent Secret Power to be edited, so I hope to have it ready by early 2016. If you enjoy children's fantasy stories, or know a child who might enjoy it, keep your eye out for news on its release. :)
    The third book I hope to have ready by late 2016 is Earthshaker book 5. I have been working on the story line and the mindset of each character as I enter into what will probably be the final book in the Earthshaker series. I have begun the writing, and will push myself to get the first draft written by summertime so it can be edited and ready to go by the end of the year.
    I am excited to share these books with all of you and can't wait to hear what you think!
    Happy Reading!

Adri

Buy A Book- Help A Family

Hi everyone!

    I have recently been a part of two short story anthologies whose sole purpose is to help a young girl who is in need of a heart surgery. She has had several surgeries already, and has to see many specialists. So two groups of Indie authors got together to put these anthologies together. 100% of the proceeds go to the family. For more information about the family and what is happening visit: https://www.gofundme.com/w9c2jws

    The first anthology is Bite-Sized Offerings: Tales and Legends of the Zombie Apocalypse. This anthology includes my first ever zombie short story- Zero. It also includes several awesome zombie authors, so check it out! http://amzn.to/1K1atlk

    The second anthology is When Disasters Strike: An Anthology of Disaster Stories. Within this collection is a never before published Earthshaker Series short story. There are also two dreampunk short stories I coauthored with Joseph Cautilli, which are connected to the book we wrote together. Get the book here: http://www.amazon.com/When-Disasters-Strike-Anthology-Disaster-ebook/dp/B015TT5BH8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443232248&sr=1-1&keywords=When+Disasters+strike

    So if you want to read some awesome stories while helping a wonderful family, look no further than the two collections above.

    Thank you, and happy reading!
Adri

Books on my Brain :)

    Hi everyone!
    I wanted to update you all on all the different writing projects I am working on, and what I am planning for future books. I don't have planned release dates for anything yet, but I am hoping to have at least one book ready to publish before the end of the year.
     First up are the books I am currently working on: I am writing Earthshaker series book four: Oblivion, and in the process have already figured out parts of what will be Earthshaker book five, which will likely be the final one of the series. (Unless other ideas come to me as I'm working)
     Secret Power (fantasy novel) is still being edited and having some rewriting done, and the sequel, The Betrayal, is also in progress. I at this point have no plans to go beyond book two, but again it depends on how the writing goes. More may come to me as I get further into book two.
     Now the books that are in planning phases or still have more writing to be done. First up is Burn, a paranormal suspense book that is started, but I have quite a bit of writing left to do. Also connected to Burn is Visions, which is fully written, but will require quite a few rewrites to make it better.
     Another book I have started writing is a mystery titled Instinct, which is planned to be a stand alone.
     Surprising myself, I am also planning a zombie book that will either be titled Zero or Ground Zero, I haven't decided yet. Also unknown is whether this will be a new series, or a stand alone novel.
     Also in the very early stages of planning is Fury, which could be a psychic, werewolf, or shape-shifter novel. It's early enough that I don't even know yet what the main character will be. :)
     And finally, by the request of a couple readers, I am beginning to figure out a plot for a sequel to Fear, my newest release.
     So there you have it, the next ten novels that I will (eventually) be releasing! Which one are you most looking forward to?
     Happy Reading!
Adri

It's Live! Face your FEAR today!

    Hi everyone!
Today I get to share the news that Fear, my new Mystery/Thriller is Available! For now it is kindle only, but you can read it FREE with kindle unlimited.

viewBook.at/Fear

Sometimes life leads you in a direction you never expected. Ryan Parker knows this better than most. When his parents are murdered, he makes the decision to become a police officer to find the killer and avenge his parents.
Little does he know that the murderer has other ideas. He will stop at nothing to keep Ryan miserable and alone.
Can Ryan stop his tormentor, or will the killer get what he wanted the whole time?









     All of you are also invited to the Facebook release party for Fear:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1673128469565179/  Hope to see you there! In the meantime, Happy Reading!
     Adri

Sneak Peak and Cover Reveal!

    Hi everyone! 

    I have a new novel coming soon! Fear- a Mystery/Thriller will be released within the next couple weeks, and I wanted to share the cover with you! Cover designed by David McGlumphy- Amazing job, as usual David! Thank you!

    As a special bonus on this blog only (for now anyway) here is Chapter One of Fear- As always, feel free to let me know what you think!

 

Fear

 

By: Adrianne Lemke

ONE

 

 

Ryan Parker sat in the barstool, shoulders hunched in exhaustion. Despite his apparent lack of attention, Ryan’s eyes roved constantly, taking in everything around him. He kept his hands wrapped around his untouched beer and waited for his uncle to finish tending bar so he could get a ride home.

It was a bad day; to put it mildly. On this day, fourteen years ago his parents had both died. They were murdered in a bloody scene that left the then seven-year-old Ryan alone. The last thing Ryan wanted today was to be at his uncle’s bar, but after visiting his parent’s graves Frank had insisted his nephew needed to get out of his apartment and be around normal activity for a while.

Every year at this time Ryan became moody and reclusive, and it broke Frank’s heart to see it. He watched Ryan surreptitiously and sighed when he noticed how tense the kid was. He’d hoped to avoid Ryan’s normal behavior on the anniversary by bringing him out of his solitude, but Ryan seemed miserable.

When his brother and sister-in-law were killed, Frank had not been prepared to take in the depressed and traumatized child. He’d relied heavily on advice and assistance from his friends. Especially useful was his friend Mary Hendrix. She had a daughter around Ryan’s age, and her advice was invaluable. They tried multiple times to have Ryan and Kerry meet but Ryan hid in his room every time she came over and refused to come out.

As if suddenly becoming a parent wasn’t enough stress, Frank also soon discovered that someone was after his young nephew. He never figured out why though. Ryan had been nowhere near the scene of the murder; he had spent the night at a friend’s house, returning the next morning to find his parents’ lifeless bodies in a pool of blood. Letting the kid out of his sight became the hardest thing he had to do, especially after someone tried to kidnap him as he walked to school one morning.

Pulling himself from his memories, Frank finished pouring a customer’s drink and moved to stand in front of Ryan. “Hey, kid.”

“Hey, Uncle Frank,” Ryan answered softly. “You about done?”

Frank nodded. “Kerry should be here soon, but with the weather she may be a bit late. You sure you don’t want to stay here and keep her company?” he asked slyly, suspecting his nephew liked the newly hired bartender. Kerry Hendrix, the daughter of his old friend, had recently moved back into the area to be closer to her mother. Hiring her was both a favor for Mary and a huge help for his bar. He found himself disappointed when Ryan shook his head.

“Honestly, Frank, I just want to be alone tonight.”

Smiling sadly, Frank patted the younger man on the shoulder. “I understand.”

It was nearly half an hour later when Kerry finally rushed in. “Sorry, Frank! The roads are awful. I’ll be ready to take over in a minute!” She spoke quickly as she sped to the back room to drop off her coat and punch in.

Frank took Ryan’s untouched beer away and got no outward response from the young man.

“What’s wrong with Ryan?” Kerry asked quietly, observing the defeated form slouched at the bar.

Stealing another look at his nephew, Frank sighed. “He’s having a bad day,” he answered gruffly.

Kerry smiled sympathetically, but had to turn away when a customer called out for a drink.

 

***

 

Entering the empty apartment was a relief. Ryan understood where his uncle was coming from, and that by bringing him to the bar the older man was only trying to help, but all he wanted was to be alone with his memories.

A cold wet nose nudged his hand, and he smiled slightly. “Well, alone except you, huh, buddy?” he said as he patted the big German shepherd. Walking Hunter always helped clear his head, so Ryan grabbed the dog’s leash.

Checking to make sure he had his keys, Ryan clipped the leash to the dog’s collar and headed down the steps. As they walked, Ryan’s mind wandered to earlier in the day when he and Frank had visited his parent’s grave. There had been a bouquet of red roses leaned against the site—the same as there had been every year since they were killed. He had no proof, but Ryan suspected the flowers were left by whoever was behind his parents’ death.

Hunter suddenly stiffened and whined, calling Ryan’s attention to the shadowed area between two houses. A dark shape moved, and he felt the nylon leash digging into his hand as he tightened his grip nervously. Sure, he could handle himself, but this part of town could get dicey. “Still,” he muttered to Hunter. The dog’s whining stopped, but his ears were aimed at the potential threat and his tail was stiff.

Turning his back on an unknown threat was not something Ryan wanted to do, but he trusted the dog to warn him if someone tried to sneak up on him.

“Hey, Parker!” An unwelcome voice called him from behind. Every muscle tensed and Ryan gripped Hunter’s leash fearfully. Theo Draven was the last person Ryan wanted to see.

“What do you want, Draven?” he asked coldly, trying to hide his fear.

The figure Ryan noticed between the houses emerged and he found himself suddenly surrounded on three sides when another man came toward him from across the street. “You put my brother in the hospital,” Theo growled.

Despite trying to hide his discomfort, Ryan felt his lip quirk briefly. Theo’s brother, known on the street as Little Timmy, had nearly killed him almost a year ago. “He put me there first. And technically I didn’t do anything,” Ryan argued.

Hunter let out a fierce snarl, apparently not liking the scent or body language of the men surrounding his master. “It was your mutt that did it,” Theo said as he took a step forward, but lurched back again when Hunter lunged at him.

Ryan held the leash, not wanting his pet to get too close to the probably armed thugs. Make that definitely armed he amended when he noticed the flash of a knife. “Ask around Theo, I spent almost the same amount of time in the hospital as your brother. Shouldn’t we be considered even?”

Not even close; Timmy had ambushed Ryan, very much like how Theo was now. At the time, Ryan had Hunter off leash at a dog park. “Timmy’s a big boy, Theo,” Ryan tried again to talk his way out of trouble, one hand in his pocket attempting to call for help. “You should let him fight his own battles. Assuming he wants to try again.”

The gangster’s jaw clenched, anger radiating through every pore. In his world, reputation was everything. If he fought for his little brother, then Timmy would appear weak. Now the only thing he had to do was back off in such a way that wouldn’t make him seem like a pansy in front of the other members of his gang. Parker was obviously ready to attack, and the man’s dog was just itching to rip them to shreds. Theo hid a shudder at what the dog’s sharp teeth would do to him if he tried to follow through on attacking Parker.

“This isn’t over, Parker!” he snapped with bravado.

“You try again and it will be assaulting a police officer, Draven. Next time I see you, I will find something to arrest you for; you have my word,” Ryan warned coldly.

The soon-to-be cop’s ice blue eyes bore into Theo’s and the gangster could see no fear in them. Ryan walked forward, apparently done with the conversation. The huge dog trotted at his master’s side obediently, and Theo found himself giving ground to the two; his two lackeys he waved off with a frown.

 

***

 

Ryan forced himself to walk naturally, but with each step he worried the gang members would either keep following him or just shoot him in the back. The only weapon he’d seen was a knife, but he knew the gang used guns too.

After a couple blocks he pulled his cell out of his pocket, surprised to find the number he’d dialed was his uncle’s bar. And the call was still connected. “Hello?”

“Thank God!” a female voice exclaimed. “Are you okay? Where are you? I can send your uncle, or the police. What happened?”

Ryan huffed out a laugh. “Kerry, take a breath. I’m fine. Just ran into a few… old friends, I guess.”

“Didn’t sound overly friendly on my end,” she countered.

He could almost hear the frown in the woman’s voice, so he sighed. “Yeah, okay. Theo’s brother tried to kill me once, but Hunter got to him before he could finish the job. Now, apparently, he wants to finish what his brother started. I’m fine… really. I’m heading back to my apartment now.”

“Quick question, Ryan,” Kerry spoke hesitantly.

“Yeah?”

“Why’d you call the bar? Why not dial 911?”

“I had the phone in my pocket. I tried dialing the emergency number, but must have hit speed dial number nine instead.

“Hey, I need a hand free to get back into my apartment, so I’m going to let you go for now. Thanks for hanging on the line with me, Kerry.”

“You’ll tell your uncle about this at least, won’t you?”

“Yeah; I’ll tell him what happened. Get back to work and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Until Ryan started at the Police Academy the following week, he worked as a bouncer in his uncle’s bar.

“Sure,” she answered softly. “Have a good night, Ryan."

    Hope you enjoyed this sneak peak! I will be posting the release date soon! Happy Reading!

    

    Adri

Book Update and Reading Suggestions

    Hi everyone-
    Apparently I am not very good at posting regularly. Not sure how important it is to do so, but I always post something eventually. :)
   Anyway, that's not really the point. Right now I am still working on the rewrites my editor (Terri King) suggested for my mystery novel Fear. It has been difficult to find the time and energy to do so, but be assured, there is progress being made.
    In Fear, the main character is Ryan Parker. He is a rookie police officer whose parents were killed when he was a child. Ryan also comes complete with a stalker who tries to invade every aspect of Ryan's life.
    And for those of you more interested in the punk-type genres, my co-author Joseph and I are also making good progress on Soul Warriors vs Witches, a dream-punk novel.
    In Soul Warriors, there are several main characters. The warriors themselves, and the one witch who wants to help them in their battles. Soul Warriors are tasked with protecting souls of the recently departed when others have paid witches to prevent them from reaching their final judgment. But there is another within the soul realm who may be more deadly than the witches.
    So these two books are what I have been working on recently. Once I have either of them closer to finished, I will continue with some of my other projects, including Earthshaker Series book four: Oblivion.
    Hope everyone has had plenty of good books to read recently! Personally, I have enjoyed quite a few within the last several months. The Beyonders series, The Thirteenth Reality series, Steelheart (book 1 of the Reckoners, haven't gotten book 2 yet) and The Five Kingdoms series. I have also read a few books by other Indie authors including: Division Zero (book 1 of the series, by Matthew S. Cox), Reaper (book 2 of the Guardian Legacies by Emily Goodwin), and Ever Fire (a dark faerie tale 2, by Alexia Purdy).
    Most of these books are available on Amazon, and are worth a look! Have a great weekend, and Happy Reading!
    Adri

Character Journal Entry: Paul (#1) After Tracker, before Kindred

   Useless. It is something I've been called my whole life. Until I met Jason. He was the first person who saw me as a person who could accomplish something. I helped him take care of the other kids, and keep them safe from the dangers of living on the streets. Now I feel just as useless as my mother always said I was.
   Sam and Erin were taken on my watch, and I may never forgive myself for what happened. I can't believe Jason or the others will either. Yelling at Alice was the only way I could think of to hide my feelings of inadequacy. Anger always comes naturally to me. In one way or another I always feel angry. Right now, for instance, I am angry that Jason is pushing us away. Forcing us to live apart from him and Sam. But it's my own fault. If I hadn't allowed Sam and Erin to be taken, Jason would not have felt the need to leave the safety of Alice's house to find Trevor Mason.
   Staring out a window at Dan's house didn't find any answers for me. I need to know why Jason pushed us away. Was it my fault? Ginny and Jeffrey didn't do anything wrong, so it had to be me. Sam wouldn't let Jason push him away, so do I need to be more assertive? Do I need to approach Jason and tell him I wouldn't let him push me away either? Or would that make things worse?
   Jason went through hell at the hands of Trevor Mason. Maybe I just need to back off. If he takes some time to heal and figure out what he needs for himself, maybe he will come back to us.
   Hopefully he will, anyway. Jason has been my friend for years. He and the younger kids are my family. Our family is already hurting after losing Erin. We can't lose Jason too. And he promised. He promised he would never leave me behind.
   I can't lose my brother. Not like this.

A little insight into Paul's feelings after the events of Tracker. If you enjoyed this, please follow the links to the Earthshaker Series- books 1-3 available on Amazon. You can also read the other character journal entries posted on this blog. Happy Reading!
Adri
 
 

New Images for Hunter

     Hi Everyone! I've recently discovered www.canva.com , a site where you can design your own posts. I have a few designs made so far, but only two that I've shared (using their free images). A few of the designs require payment, but most of the elements are only $1! I feel like it's a good deal, just haven't gotten around to making the payments to allow sharing of the other images. Here are the two images I've made so far for Hunter: Earthshaker Series book 3:

This is the first design I made. :)

                                        And here is the second. :)






So what do you think? Interested? You can buy Hunter here: getBook.at/earthshakerbook3
And You can get Tracker and Kindred (First two books) here: viewAuthor.at/AdrianneLemke

New Year's Goals + Tiny Teasers for upcoming novels

Happy New Year everyone!
     I am not generally one to make New Year's resolutions, (and I would have a really hard time keeping them anyway) but I do plan to make 2015 a great year for my writing. The end of 2014 saw my first live interview (on Zombiepalooza internet radio) and my first live book signing (at Czech Out, a gift shop in Kellnersville, WI). My goal for 2015 is to continue to do more book signings and events in order to spread the word about the Earthshaker Series. (Still pretty new at this stuff, so any suggestions are welcome!)
     I also plan to publish Secret Power, a children's fantasy novel. Not sure on exact date yet, but I am working on it. In addition to Secret Power, I am still working on Soul Warriors vs Witches- a dreampunk novel I am writing with Joseph and Marisha Cautilli, and Oblivion- Earthshaker Series book four. Another hope is to finish the sequel to Secret Power- The Betrayal, and possibly publish my mystery novel- Fear.
     Outside of writing, I plan to do some training of our puppy, retraining of my dog, and to do more riding of both horses.
     Quite a few goals, I know, but I am hoping to at least accomplish some of them. What are your goals this year?

     Teaser: Secret Power:

     Alex looked around at the strange area where they had landed. He glanced down and saw Varina, still unconscious, on the ground in front of him. Cade and Kara were with Jessica, making sure her ankle wasn't any worse than it had been in the clearing. One of the first things Alex noticed about where they were was that it was daytime. The sun was shining, and he heard what must have been some kind of birds singing. He was majorly freaked out, but he knew he had to keep it together in order to help Varina. He knelt down by her and checked on her breathing and her pulse, which both seemed normal. Looking for water, Alex saw a stream about fifty feet away, went to it, and soaked his shirt in the cold water. He went back to Varina and dabbed her face with the cold cloth. She began to stir, and her eyes fluttered open. "What happened?" she asked weakly.
     "To tell you the truth, Varina, I have no idea!" Alex threw his arms over his head in confusion. "We were in the clearing, and you passed out. Your necklace did something weird and dragged us into a portal or something. Now I don't even know where we are!"


Teaser: Oblivion: Earthshaker Series book 4:

     "What was that?" I asked, staring up at them intently.
     "Just something to make sure you aren't able to disappear on us. It isn't something that will hurt you, but it will tell us your location in case you manage to get away during our initial testing," the second man explained.
     The man in charge spoke while his friend stuck a little bandage over the injection site, "Getting away is not likely. If you try, you will be punished."


Teaser: Fear:

     Kerry agreed, and after deciding he would drop Hunter off at her house on Friday, she left so Ryan could get ready for work. After she left, Ryan went to check his mail, and found another envelope from his stalker. He sighed as he entered his apartment again, and opened the note. There were only two words on the page, but they chilled Ryan's blood as none of the other notes had done before. The note simply said: NICE GIRL.
     Ryan immediately went to the phone, but he wasn't sure who he should call. The cops had given up his parent's case years ago, and they would have little luck finding the killer now. His uncle didn't even know that he was still receiving notes. And Kerry...Kerry didn't know anything about what was going on, and Ryan wasn't sure if she would be in danger or not.


     Just a small taste of what I will be working on in the near future. Let me know which books you are looking forward to! :) Have a great 2015 everyone!