Introducing Max Fragg - New Book Release by S.A. Check

    

Maxx Fragg, V.P.I.

S.A. Check

Genre: Young Adult / Sci-fi / Paranormal

Release Date:09/03/15

Publisher Ink Smith Publishing

Cover Designer: Macy Stom

BUY NOW

When Maxx lost his brother in a car accident, his world fell apart.  It didn't help he was driving the car when it happened.  Finding an escape inside the virtual world of Other Syde, Maxx runs the Maxx Fragg Virtual Paranormal Investigative Agency with his best friend, Tane. But in a world where dreams become reality, can nightmares be far behind?

      When a real ghost attacks Maxx inside the program, he's saved by the last person he ever expected to see again, his brother. Risking everything for a chance to say he's sorry, Maxx, Tane, and Maxx's almost-girlfriend Emi, need to figure out why real ghosts are haunting a virtual world while on the run from a murderous cyber-geist, high-tech security guards, a corrupt corporation with their own plans for the technology, the recluse genius who created the program, and Maxx's own demons.

About the Author

Facebook Author Page	http://www.facebook.com/MaxxFragg
Facebook Friend Page	https://www.facebook.com/S.A.CheckAuthor
Twitter	https://twitter.com/s_a_check
Tumblr	http://sa-check.tumblr.com/
Amazon Author Page	http://www.amazon.com/-/e/BOOGXPOOW0
Goodreads Author Page	http://www.goodreads.com/sacheck
Google +	http://plus.google.com/103502153775601057688
Website	http://www.sacheck.com/
Blog	http://sacheck.blogspot.com/
Pinterest	https://www.pinterest.com/sacheck/
Instagram	http://instagram.com/sacheck1

Excerpt

Tucked between the shadows and the night, standing in a darkened corner of the room, Maxx Fragg watched the young couple huddled on the couch. They had no idea what he had in store for them. He almost felt sorry. Almost. He watched as Travis stroked Debbie's hand and whispered something in her ear. Maxx locked eyes with her as he moved across the apartment. He saw the desperation mixed with fear in her eyes and he grinned. He liked it that way. Pulling a pair of gloves from his belt, Maxx cinched them tight around his wrists. The rush of adrenaline rose up from his chest. This was far from his first job but he still got a thrill each time. He clicked off the lamp and the room went black.

         Debbie gasped. "Can't we leave a few lights on?"

         "I prefer to work in the dark. It helps me concentrate," Maxx said. It really didn't matter but he felt it intensified the experience.

         "I think I'd rather see what's coming." Travis pulled a cushion on his lap, clutching the fabric.

         "Why? You expecting a pillow fight?" Maxx dropped the equipment bag slung over his shoulder.

         Debbie jumped. "What are you going to do with that?"

         "What I'm being paid to do. My job." Maxx nodded across the room to his partner, who shook his head in disapproval. Bending next to the couch, Maxx slowly unzipped the bag. He was close enough to see the goose bumps on Debbie's arm rise with each click.

         "I don't care what it takes. Just get that thing out of my house," Travis said.

         "Don't worry. You'll be ghost free in no time." Maxx knew his clients needed to believe he could make it better, take away their fears. If only it was that simple. Everyone wanted to name the night, put a label on their personal horrors. He wished someone could shut the door to the monsters in his own closet.

Blog Hop - Writing Processes, et al...

I got tagged by my writer pal S.A Check to participate in this blog hop about writing processes and what it takes to shape and produce a book. Oh, boy! Where does one start with a question like that, right? Let's start with some simple questions first...

What am I working on?
At the moment, I'm trying to finish up #7 in the short stories series for To Catch A Marlin, (which was a full-length sci-fi, action-adventure story). Of course, I'm afflicted with numerous distractions and also that proverbial block that keeps smacking me in the head. So, aside from imaginary concussions and wandering-mind-syndrome, I'm plodding along. Hopefully I'll be done before the end of the month. Since this series is also about solving a mystery, sometimes I have to bend my mind and think like a criminal and make sure all the little loose ends are tied up and 'solve the mystery' in a nice, neat package. It's harder than it sounds. So, what's the distraction I'm suffering from? There's another huge full-length novel that I'm trying to finish up. While its 'completed' there's still a lot more work that it needs. It's a monstrosity that I've been working on for the last 3 years. My goal is to finish it by summer.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Uhm, good question. To date, I've written four novels and various short stories, all of which have been fortunate enough to be accepted by publishers who actually wanted to publish them. I'm still kinda wondering how I did that...but they must've seen something worth publishing, right? Going by reviews and reader comments and what editors have told me, they've all agreed that my stories are strongly character-driven and my action scenes written effortlessly. Wow. But, it's true in a sense. I'm enamoured with my characters, enough that I want to tell their stories and make it all about them. Just like I love reading stories about characters with incredible stories to tell, who are unforgettable, I want to offer the same to my readers. While I like to read tech-stuff -- especially if it's a science fiction tale -- I don't like it so much when it goes overboard. I try to keep my tech-stuff toned down. My stories are about the people, their adventure, the tech just helps them along the way.

How does your writing process work?
I blow thought bubbles that float about that pop and sprinkle story-dust inside my head. Nah... Ideas just come and smack me in the face, or worm their way into my head, or join up from other ideas and merge and fester until a new story emerges. Once the idea is there and I like it enough, I'll write a few outline notes and think on it some more. Since I like things done in chronological order, I usually need to see a clear beginning, a middle, and an end in my notes. If I don't 'see' it, then I get frustrated and shelve the idea for a while. Lately, what I've been doing, as a test or something like an experiment, is diving straight in and just writing. It's a different way for me (pantsing, is what it's called, as opposed to plotting), but it's not unpleasant. I think, with a little more practice, I can smoothly incorporate the two methods. What doesn't help in the writing process is that same thing called distractions. Right now, I've got about three stories ideas, one of which is clearly outline and which I'm itching to start. Soon.

So that's about it really. Since my job now is to tag someone else, I'm grabbing T.M. Hunter, whose numerous science fiction tales of Aston West has entertained me countless times. Check out his site right HERE! 

Welcome To GreenGrass by S.A. Check

Coming this December, S.A. Check's science fiction/fantasy adventure novel Welcome to GreenGrass, published by Bedlam Press. It is available for pre-order right HERE.

A red cloaked intruder infiltrates an office penthouse, leaving a prominent city leader dead, murdered by his own hand.

Across town, a man tumbles through a glowing portal and is attacked by bestial street predators. He’s rescued by a shotgun wielding fellow terran, John Traveller, five year veteran of those harsh alien streets.

Welcome to GreenGrass, a realm where people facing near death experiences are inexplicably drawn to live out their remaining days imprisoned under an impenetrable glass dome. The city’s two main factions, the Enchanters and Technologists, live under the auspices of magic and advanced science and stand at the brink of a cultural civil war.

Traveller heads an impromptu investigative agency with his housemates, Talyn - a red skinned religious pacifist, Bonz – an usurped demi-god who thrives on battle, and Sil - a green skinned female believing the male gender subservient to her own.

Diandelia, the city’s premier enchanter, convinces the group to investigate the recent murder by using a criminal from Traveller’s past, Mikey Nickles, who claims knowledge of the fate of Traveller’s family on Earth.

Venturing out in search of the red cloaked suspect, Traveller and friends haggle with a giant toad huckster, discover a hidden virtual reality resort, expose a vampiric acting troupe, and court an ill tempered elderly goat woman, in their search for answers.


Sounds intriguing, right? But wait, there's more. S.A., was kind enough to let me share the first few paragraphs of Chapter One. Check it out!

There have always been alleys. Whether in a big city, a small town, or the end of the world, the spaces in between, the dark corners of civilization, have always needed a place to breathe. The Mayans had Tikal, Rome raised the bar, and the Big Apple grew into a city that never slept. Too many eyes made secrets difficult to hide. Worlds need those pockets, the urban closets that hide the skeletons of a modern society. Just as sure as the sun rises, even if it’s not the one you’re expecting, there are places that never see the light of day.

Resting against the fire escape grating, John Traveller knew as well as any that even the cast-outs and misfits needed a place to call home. For two nights straight, he watched the same alley from his metal perch and all he had to show was a sore back and numb fingers. The dual red moons overhead stared back at him, a constant reminder this world was not his own. Not that he needed any.

“Another thunderin’ dead end.” Traveller tossed a stone at a garbage can. The clang echoed down the alley. “I guess you can’t surprise anyone if there’s no one here.”

He laid a single barrel shotgun on the grating beside him and pulled a small notebook from his back pocket. The calculations seemed right. Traveller looked over all his data at least ten times. It looked like he missed his mark on this one. He couldn’t wait any longer. They would all be expecting him back at the house. He made it up to one knee when something caught his eye near the ground.

A blue pinhole of light hovered over the quiet cobble stoned street, floating in the evening air, unaware it hadn’t existed moments before. Traveller felt the air in the alley pull towards the floating glow. The tails of his trench coat bustled in the artificial breeze. And then everything stopped, like the moment before someone unleashed a sneeze.

The radiance rushed out into the night, erupting from its center and blowing discarded trash down the passage. A pair of tennis shoes emerged inside the pulsing glow. They hovered in the brisk night air before a figure gushed out of the portal, flowing through like a water slide without the benefit of a pool underneath. The confused rider struck the ground hard, tumbling end over end until skidding to a stop on his stomach. The body remained motionless.

Traveller chuckled. That may have been one of the top five most unglamorous entrances he ever witnessed. The naked guy from a couple months back would still be hard to beat. From his shadowed vantage, Traveller watched the bewildered figure scrambling along the ground. His red jogging pants and t-shirt that read Start Slow Then Back It Down was covered in whatever muck accumulated on alley floors. The man clung to his elbow that took the brunt of the initial impact and blood seeped out between his fingers. 

There you have it folks. Sounds exciting, and for sure, this'll be in my To Be Read pile up.

For more on S.A. Check, check him out here: http://sacheck.blogspot.com/