Rachel Thompson

Jack Canon's American Destiny

Monday, January 27, 2014

Superhuman Nature by Brandon Overall - #Excerpt #BookClub #SciFi

Neil stood for a moment in awe of what he had just done.  If it was possible for him to move his own body the same way he controlled the objects outside of himself, was there any limit to what he could do?  Neil let both of his arms go limp at his sides and thought back to how he felt as the tree was coming down.  He had to separate the sensation of moving his arm by contracting his muscles, and moving his arm with the raw energy of his mind.
Without contracting the muscles in his arms, Neil commanded them to raise up and stretch out to his sides.  The feeling was bizarre.  He felt weightless.  He could rotate all of his joints in ways that he couldn’t through the use of his nervous system.  He could apply force in any direction he wanted with any part of his body.
Neil crouched down into a ball, as if he were about to jump.  Instead of pushing off the ground with his thighs, Neil pushed his bone structure with his mind with a greater force than his legs would have been capable of.  He leaped almost ten feet into the air.
While falling back towards the ground, he realized that the impact from such a height could break a bone or dislocate an ankle.  He lifted up on his body and slowed his descent to a soft cushioned landing. He felt almost no force as he touched back down onto the soft earth.  He considered that if he could apply force to make himself jump that high, could he simply lift himself off the ground?  Could Neil actually make himself fly?
The thought of this idea was incredible.  His heart started pounding at the mere possibility of it.  There was only one way to find out.  Neil stood straight up and glanced up towards the sky.  He put his entire body under the influence of his mind all at once.  He slowly commanded it to lift off the ground just like the dumbbell, and Neil felt himself getting lighter as the force holding him to the earth slowly dissipated.
Neil felt the sensation that his feet were dangling.  He looked down, and was astonished by what he saw.  He was almost six inches off the ground with absolutely nothing supporting his weight other than the power of his mind.
Neil started laughing again.  He was living everyone’s childhood dream.  He was actually flying.
SuperhumanNature
Superhuman Nature is Brandon Overall's first novel. It was written and published during his first deployment to Afghanistan as a 2nd Lieutenant in late 2013.
Neil Hitchens was a senior ROTC Cadet in college. He was just weeks away from graduating and becoming an Officer in the United States Army, until a strange dream set off a chain of events that would twist his life into something he could have never prepared for.
In the days following his dream, several strange happenings occurred that he began to suspect were the result of his own actions. Before long, he discovered that he had the ability to control the world around him with his mind.
What started out as an unpredictable ability quickly evolved into an extraordinary power that had the capacity to change the world. It didn't take long for the government to find out what Neil could do.
They knew having such limitless potential on the side of the US Military could give them limitless political influence, and they would stop at nothing to get Neil to do their bidding. They would find out what happens when you back a dangerous animal into a corner.
Neil spent his whole life believing he would amount to greatness, but he never expected how greatness could corrupt even the most innocent of minds.
Buy @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – Science Fiction
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with Brandon Overall on Facebook

The Forgotten Child by Lorhainne Eckhart @LEckhart

“Please sit down, Emily.” He extended out the flat of his hand, very much in control.

“Ah, thank you.” She perched on the edge of the soft leather seat across from a man who was too damn good to look at—a man obviously comfortable in his own skin.

Hardness set his jaw as he studied her. The tick of the wall clock seemed to echo in the silence, and Emily squirmed in her seat. Why was he looking at her like that? Maybe it was her outrageous entrance and he was wondering what kind of kook she was, whether he could entrust her with his child. Yes, that had to be it.

She swallowed hard. “I’m Emily Nelson; I talked to you yesterday on the phone about the job.”

He blinked before closing those exquisite eyes, as if he’d forgotten the reason she was here. When he opened them again, his hard judgmental expression seemed to have softened a bit.

Again he extended his large hand, taking hers in a firm grip. Just the touch of his solid calloused hand and the secure squeeze was enough to teeter her nerves back to that awkward woman at the door. She wondered what it would be like to have a man like this run his hands over you. She snatched her hand back before her face burned any brighter. Finally, he introduced himself. “The name’s Brad Friessen.” Emily kept quiet. He didn’t run on with his words. He must be a deep thinker, a doer. She could relate to that… but not to him. Her sly eyes glanced down at his left hand: no gold band, no white line, no wife or significant other. Or maybe he was one of those arrogant guys who wouldn’t wear a ring, a lady’s man. He had the looks and the attitude. Now was the time to ask about the woman who answered the phone when she called. Who was she?

“This is a working ranch I run, and I need a woman to look after my son. I’m old fashioned in my values. Children should be at home, not stuck in daycare. I’m looking for someone who’s comfortable in a kitchen and looking after children: a role that should come natural to a woman. I don’t want someone who’s got the phone stuck to their ear half the day. It’s a decent job and good pay; $500 a week, room and board, and includes all your meals.”

Her heart sank about the same time the bottom dropped out of her stomach. It was too good to be true. She wanted to cry. “But I… I have a little girl, I didn’t realize–”

His face hardened and he looked away. For some reason he was angry with her… no, furious. Emily didn’t know what to say when he let out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes, rubbing his hand over the light brown shadow that appeared over his jaw. Then he faced her again, with those deep brown eyes now turned to steel. Emily saw that he could be a hard man.

Lorhainne Eckhart

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Western Romance

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Lorhainne Eckhart on Facebook & Twitter