Amplifier 5: Paisley goes surfing

I felt an excerpt coming on so I put up a poll in the Facebook reader-run fan group – yes, apparently I have a thing for polls right now – and rather predictably, Paisley won by a landslide. So here is a fairly spoiler-free excerpt from Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5) including everyone’s fav demon dog!

“Emma!” Opal cried. Her shout was gleeful but more than a little concerned.

I spun toward the surf, already running.

Paisley had somehow acquired a surfboard, and was trying to drag it into the pounding surf while also climbing on top of it.

Knee-deep in the water, Juniper was watching her with both hands clamped over her mouth.

Opal was jumping up and down next to the other young witch, the waves nearly knocking her over, one after another. “Not like that!” she snapped, half-laughing and half-lecturing as she made a grab for the nose of the board Paisley was trying to mount. “You’re too heavy!”

A male wearing a half-wetsuit was striding down the beach toward the trio, his focus intent, though he wasn’t close enough for me to see his expression.

Aiden was already moving to intercept the newcomer with an easy smile plastered on his face and his hand extended. An offer to shake hands, not an overture to casting a spell.

I closed the space between me, the witches, and the demon dog, wading into the roiling surf. I made a show of grabbing Paisley’s collar and ‘helping’ her out of the pounding waves. She chortled, playing along.

Opal and Juniper rescued the surfboard, dragging it back toward Aiden and the surfer, who didn’t seem particularly distressed now that he was chatting with the sorcerer. Aiden could be as charming as he was deadly, so I wasn’t terribly surprised that he could so easily smooth over the oddity of having a surfboard stolen by a pit bull.

“You’re soaking wet,” I chided Paisley.

She snapped at my hand playfully.

I lowered my voice. “And for future reference, the waves are strong enough that they should have knocked you over.” I hit the word ‘should’ hard.

Paisley eyed the crashing waves, our ankles getting more and more buried in the sand under the onslaught. Then she snorted dismissively.

I tucked my hand under her chin, forcing eye contact. “Opal could have gotten hurt.”

Paisley blinked up at me, then over at Opal. Who was apparently in the process of interrogating the surfer about where she could rent a board and what he would recommend for a beginner.

Paisley pressed her nose against my wrist, clearly apologetic.

“I know,” I murmured. “I would never hurt her either, but we have to remember she wasn’t … bred like us.”

– Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5), chapter two

RELEASING AUGUST 30, 2022

PREORDER NOW

– AMAZON – KOBO – APPLE BOOKS – BARNES & NOBLE – SMASHWORDS –

The Amplifier Series is set within the larger Adept Universe but can be read separately. The main series starts with Demons and DNA (Amplifier 1) but there are two prequels (bundled together) as well. Click here for the full/recommended reading order of the Adept Universe

Amplifier 1: mass audiobook giveaway

Grab a download code for Demons and DNA (Amplifier 1) below!

Please read through the instructions if this is your first time participating in one of my mass audiobook giveaways. The USA codes tend to go quickly, but you can also grab a UK code (you just need to set up another account). Click here for the full schedule.

*Cover design by:* Gene Mollica Studios *Models:* Devon Ericksen and Jonathan Cannaux Narrator: Tia Rider

This is a first-come, first-win deal. The giveaway remains open until all the download codes have been claimed. I’ll give away codes for Bonds and Broken Dreams (Amplifier 2) next Saturday at 2pm PDT.

If you listen to books via Audible USA (or a country other than the UK, such as Canada), then claim one of the codes below, click the link, and paste the code into the box that appears. You might need to sign in to your account, or create an account if you are new to Audible.

Please comment below and let everyone know which code you took (by number and country).

Link: https://www.audible.com/acx-promo

Available codes:

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If you listen to books via AUDIBLE UK (or a country other than the US), then claim one of the codes below, click the link, and paste the code into the box that appears. You might need to sign in to your account, or create an account if you are new to Audible.

Please comment below and let everyone know which code you took (by number and country).

Link: https://www.audible.co.uk/acx-promo

Available codes:

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Did you miss this giveaway? Don’t worry, free codes for Amplifier 12 will go live on Saturday, August 13 at 2pm PDT! *Make sure to double-check the time zone!!*

Amplifier 0: audiobook giveaway (2022)

Let the Amplifier Series audiobook giveaways – leading up to the release of Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5) on August 30, 2022 – commence! See/download the full schedule below and set your reminders!

Grab a download code for The Amplifier Protocol (Amplifier 0) (bundled with Close to Home, Amplifier 0.5) below!

Cover design by: Gene Mollica Studios Model: Devon Ericksen Narrator: Tia Rider

This is a first-come, first-win deal. The giveaway remains open until all the download codes have been claimed. I’ll give away codes for Demons and DNA (Amplifier 1) next Saturday at 2pm PDT.

Please comment below and let everyone know which code you took (by number and country).

Link: https://www.audible.com/acx-promo

Available codes:

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Please comment below and let everyone know which code you took (by number and country).

Link: https://www.audible.co.uk/acx-promo

Available codes:

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Did you miss this giveaway? Don’t worry, free codes for Amplifier 1 will go live on Saturday, August 6 at 2pm PDT! *Make sure to double-check the time zones!!*

SCHEDULE: AMPLIFIER SERIES MASS AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAYS:

The Amplifier Protocol (Amplifier 0)(above)

Demons and DNA (Amplifier 1) – Saturday, August 6 at 2pm PDT

Bonds and Broken Dreams (Amplifier 2) – Saturday, August 12 at 2pm PDT

Mystics and Mental Blocks (Amplifier 3) – Saturday, August 20 at 2pm PDT

Idols and Enemies (Amplifier 4) – Saturday, August 27 at 2pm PDT

Adept Universe Bible: Opal

Opal Sherwood: Witch. Dream walker. Sky blue eyes with brown flecks. Brown skin. Dark brown kinky curls. Hair streaked with gold and silver in Amplifier 4. Crooked eye teeth. Small. Age:13. Sign: Aquarius. DOB: January 27, 2006. Birth mother, Tandy Sherwood, is deceased. Opal last saw her three years before Amplifier 2. Birth father, unknown. Spent some time living on the streets of San Francisco, before being fostered by Capri Pine prior to coming under Emma’s guardianship, adoption pending (as of Amplifier 4). Abilities: can see and manipulate (basic) magic, including some more advanced runes (such as an eavesdropping spell). Can walk through the dreams of people she is connected to or pull them into her own dreamscapes. Attending the Academy, North American Campus, but living on White Owl Farm in Lake Cowichan during her breaks from school. Fan of video games and action films. Friends with Jack Fairchild (witch) and Emily Hawes (necromancer). Treasured personal item: a steel chain necklace with an opalescent stone ring that belonged to her mother.

Opal first appeared in Bonds and Broken Dreams (Amplifier 2) and is a primary character in every novel that follows in the Amplifier Series. She also narrates The Music Box (Amplifier 4.5) (bundled with A4).

Opal. Dream Walker. From the Amplifier series. At thirteen years old, Opal has already had to fight for almost every aspect of her life, including her chosen family. She is intelligent and fiercely focused, but still playful and loving with a seemingly endless capacity to adapt and forgive. She appears to be actively putting together a gang of powerful magic users at the Academy. Reasons unknown but certain to be explosive. *Illustration by* Memo

Opal. Dream Walker. From the Amplifier series. Skilled at quickly picking up magic, the little witch has an advanced understanding of the construction and execution of witch magic, including some rune-based spells. Doesn’t dwell on the trauma she’s endured, but also doesn’t deny that darkness or run away from a challenge. Vigorously relishes the tiny bits of joy to be found in a snowball fight, a chocolate chip cookie, or playing a video game with a demon dog. Competitive, but kind. *Illustration by* Memo

Adept Universe: Aiden

Aiden Azar Myers: [Dark?] Sorcerer. Aka ‘Last son of Azar’. Bright blue eyes. Dark brown hair. 6’1. Tanned skin. Sharp cheekbones. Clean-shaven when wearing a magically-fortified suit and ready to cause some damage (say whenever his family is in town). But when relaxed at the farm with Emma, he prefers to be scruffy and in jeans. DOB: June 23, 1987. Sign: Cancer. Birthstone: Carnelian. Father is Kader Azar aka the sorcerer Azar aka one of the architects of the Collective. Younger half-brother to Isa (10 years older)(sorcerer) and Khalid (magically sensitive, combat-trained sorcerer). Cousin to Grosvenor (curse breaker). His mother’s family are Myers coven witches. Mother is Cerise Myers (witch). Elder brother to two half-sisters witches, Sky and Ocean. Holds a French passport (with a Paris address). In Amplifier 1, he has three healing wounds on his torso from Silver Pine’s Greater demon (matching scars to Emma’s). Addicted to the accumulation of magic. Magical items: various rings, including multiple platinum bands etched with runes (which he no longer wears), and ten runed bands that he made from old copper piping. Baseball bat with runes (lost in A2 and carved again in A3). Spelled knife that he uses for blood magic. Various spellbooks and notebooks. He creates complicated runes in the pages of the notebooks, and when needed he tears the page out and casts the spell by crumpling the rune/paper. Copper-inlaid pentagram, anchored in obsidian (which he blows out in A4), then carnelian. Abilities: Can see and feel magic. He can cast minor witch magic and is exceptionally strong when casting rune-based sorcerer magic. Lives at White Owl Farm with Emma, Christopher, Opal (when on school breaks), and Paisley. Officially engaged to Emma in Amplifier 4. Drives a dark burgundy Mercedes G550 SUV.

Aiden first appeared in Demons and DNA (Amplifier 0) and he is a principal character in all the Amplifier Series novels.

Aiden. Aka Emma’s Dark Sorcerer. From the Amplifier Series. Sorcerers generally have a way with words, it is after all how they access their magic, but Aiden takes charm (and cunning) to a masterful level. Until he met Emma and threw away that facade along with the magically-fortified suits (which occasionally make a reappearance wherever his family is in town). *Likes: collecting illegal dark magic spellbooks, hiding protection runes on the people he loves, and ignoring his father’s magical dynasty-building plans*. Illustration by Memo

Aiden. Aka Emma’s Dark Sorcerer. From the Amplifier Series. Often seen flashing a genuine smile right before releasing a deadly curse, Aiden’s comfort level is directly tied to the length of his scruff (yes, in Amplifier 5 it’s verging on a beard!) and the amount of (and type) of clothing he’s wearing. But he’s found that Emma’s magic beckons oh, so sweetly (well, their version of ‘sweet’) whenever she sees him barechested or in a tightfitting henley so he is happy to oblige. At least once a day, behind warded doors, of course. 😉 Dislikes: unannounced visitors, and anyone disrespecting Emma. Illustration by Memo

Also (funny?) side note: I told Memo that Aiden might be the only time (unless we also give Beau a beefcake moment) that she will get to sketch ‘man chest’ for the Adept Universe. Aiden does spend a lot of time out of his shirt, but I SWEAR the unbuttoned jeans were Memo’s idea … ahem, outside of all the scenes in all the Amplifier books, I mean. 😂

Adept Unvierse Bible: Emma

Emma “Socks” Johnson: Amplifier. De facto leader of the Five, genetically constructed magic-wielding super soldiers. She can amplify the power of another Adept, and/or drain magic she can keep for herself, wielding basic spells with it, and/or funnel that stolen power into another magic user. Also known as Amp5 and Fox in Socks. Emerald eyes. Deep red hair, straight to the middle of her back. 5’10. Pale skin, freckles lightly in the summer. Three faded scars on her stomach/torso from a run-in with a Greater demon. Blood tattoos etched into her upper spine bind her (for life) to the other four that make them the Five: T1-Nul5, T2-Tel5, T3-Cla5, and T4-Tek5. Wields twin blades: 18 inches of steel with black coating with three raw diamonds in the hilt of each that are primed to hold magical spells, such as sharpening or recall. DOB: October 29, 1989, 21 in Amplifier 0, 28 in Amplifier 1. Sign: Scorpio. Born in captivity, she inadvertently stole empathy powers from her birth mother, who died during childbirth. Parentage otherwise unknown, though the base mix of her DNA, and the DNA of all the Five, was harvested from the main members of the Collective. Through the course of her harsh childhood and mercenary training by the Collective, Emma was forced to absorb power from dozens of other Adepts, eventually heightening her own genetically-gifted abilities. She is faster and stronger than a ‘normal’ amplifier, has a heightened healing ability, and is partially immune to most magic. Has a demon dog named Paisley. Lives on a large property known as the White Owl Farm (formerly McGuire Farm) in Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada: 2 hectares/5 acres with a three-storey white house, red metal roof. Caretaker suite in the matching barn. Drives a 1967 Clearwater Aqua Mustang convertible, aqua seats. Drinks her tea with sugar. Can not become pregnant. Guardian of Opal. Engaged to Aiden Azar Myers in Amplifier 4, August wedding planned.

Emma first appeared in The Amplifier Protocol (Amplifier 0). She narrates the main novels of the Amplifier series.

Emma. Aka Fox in Socks. Aka Amp5. From the Amplifier Series. Bred to be a killer, trained to be a sociopath. Despite the striking red hair, emerald green eyes, and pristinely pale skin (due to her stolen healing abilities) there is nothing ‘pretty’ about Emma Johnson, except maybe the thrifted sundresses that she wears rather obsessively (after being forced to only wear gray sweats or tactical gear for the first twenty-one years of her life). Pictured here with her dual blade blades. *Illustration by* Memo

Emma. Aka Fox in Socks. Aka Amp5. From the Amplifier Series. And the blood tattoos bind her power to four others, possibly for life. Yes, the death of Emma might be the death of the other four. In contrast to being bred and born in captivity and her brutal and bloody martial and magical training, Emma does love to indulge in just a few, simple pretty things, such as lacy underwear, black rose fine china, and a daily afternoon tea ritual that usually includes ginger snaps. *Illustration by* Memo

MCD note: The Amplifier Series is set within the larger Adept Universe but can be read separately. The main series starts with Demons and DNA (Amplifier 1) but there are two prequels (bundled together) as well. Click here for the full/recommended reading order of the Adept Universe.

Also – a gentle reminder – the sketches are Memo’s interpretation of the characters (based on the books and my descriptions/guidance). If you see a character differently, or say, disagree with the interpretation, such as the above rendering of Emma’s blood tattoos (which are actually never fully described in the books)(because Emma herself doesn’t waste her time dwelling on such things and the books are from her POV), it is totally okay to do so. There is however no need to point out such things in any way that might come across as exceedingly negative (or snarky). Thank you.

Reminder! The illustrations are simply meant to be fun extras! Like a giveaway, but one that everyone can win. 😊

A much needed reminder …

Screenshot from Amazon USA. Five-star review by Rosemary. Could someone please pass the kleenex? July 18, 2022. I’m not sure what to say about this book and the two that preceded it. These books are complex, beautifully written, and pack an emotional punch that I feel all the way down to my pink-painted toenails. Read these books. You need to.

I’m sharing Rosemary’s review of Unleashing Echoes (Reconstructionist 3) because I know I focus too much on the vitriol I’m often deluged in about the Reconstructionist trilogy and I want to remind myself that not everyone tries to twist a book into what they want to see/read instead of trying to enjoy the story the author wanted (dare I say, needed?) to write.

It took a year and a half of my life to write this trilogy (after the first book sat partially written on my ‘shelf’ for two years*). I blubbered through each draft of each book (I do five). I knew how it ended when I put the first words on the page. I carefully, but intentionally, crafted the story around Wisteria and what she needed, what she so desperately needed, to heal, to move forward, to LIVE. And whether some readers believe me or not, I did exactly the same thing for Kett (and the other two major characters).

I put my heart and soul into this trilogy and way, way too much of my own childhood. And, I admit, it hurts when I get hate mail, even after all these years of getting nasty DMs, hateful reviews, and even snide remarks from my readers.

So thank you, Rosemary, for reminding me that I wrote Wisteria and Kett and Declan and Jasmine for a reason. Because I needed to heal even just a little section of my own battered soul.

💗💗💗

*note: for those interested: the Reconstructionist trilogy was originally intended to start/fall after Dowser 4 in the timeline. Eagle-eyed readers will note that Kett was in Seattle at the beginning of Dowser 4. But I lost my stepmother that spring and found I just couldn’t pick up the book and write through the grief. At least, not write Wisteria and the story I needed to tell.

Adept Universe: Christopher

Christopher “Knox” Johnson – Clairvoyant. One of the Five aka uber-powerful, genetically-constructed, magic-wielding super soldiers. Designation: Cla5. Can see the future (but not his own), most accurately within a forty-eight-hour period. Uses a set of twenty-two oracle cards based on herbology and a basic tarot deck designed/inked by a witch to focus his sight. Can also cast simple witch spells. Magically inked blood tattoos tie him to the other four of the Five. Light gray eyes (which glow bright white when his sight is triggered). 5’11. White blond hair. Golden skin. Slim, but well-muscled. Often described as a ‘Greek god.’ Prefers to be barefoot and can be most often found in his extensive garden, or cooking comfort foods in his kitchen. Wields a short sword with gems embedded into the hilt that can hold magic such as sharpening or recall spells. DOB: August 27 (Virgo). Age 28 in Amplifier 1. Bisexual.

Lives with Emma aka Fox in Socks aka Amp5 and Paisley aka the demon dog on a 5-acre property in Cowichan Lake, BC, Canada. The farm was dubbed White Owl Farm by the locals (presumably because of Christopher’s hair colour).

Knox’s blood tattoos: T1 tied to Amp5/Socks, T2 tied to Tel5/Bee, T3 tied to Nul5/Fish, and T4 tied to Tek5/Zans.

Christopher first appeared in The Amplifier Protocol (Amplifier 0) and is a main character in every other Amplifier book.

**Christopher**. Aka Knox. Aka Cla 5. Clairvoyant. From the Amplifier Series. With his white-blond hair, golden skin, and easy smile, Christopher comes across as charming, even friendly (despite actually being an uber-powerful, magic-wielding, genetically constructed super soldier). Unfortunately, his sight is easily overwhelmed and very triggered by proximity to others (even nonmagicals), so he most often confines himself to his garden or kitchen. Illustrated here by Memo using his oracle cards to sharpen his sight. Side note: the cards pictured in this sketch depict the reading that heralded Aiden’s arrival in Amplifier 1.

**Christopher**. Aka Knox. Aka Cla 5. Clairvoyant. From the Amplifier Series. At his happiest with his sight clear and barefoot in his garden. Illustration by Memo.

Amplifier 5: Cover reveal and preorder

RELEASING AUGUST 30,2022

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER

*Cover design by:* Gene Mollica Studios Models: Devon Ericksen and Jonathan Cannaux

PREORDER NOW

– AMAZON – KOBO – APPLE BOOKS – BARNES & NOBLE – SMASHWORDS –

Author’s Note

Instincts and Impostors is the fifth book in the Amplifier Series, which is set in the same universe as the Dowser, Oracle, Reconstructionist, Archivist, and Misfits of the Adept Universe series.

The Amplifier Protocol (Amplifier 0)
Close to Home (Amplifier 0.5)(bundled with A0)
Demons and DNA (Amplifier 1)
Bonds and Broken Dreams (Amplifier 2)
Mystics and Mental Blocks (Amplifier 3)
Idols and Enemies (Amplifier 4)
The Music Box (Amplifier 4.5) (bundled with A4)
Instincts and Impostors (Amplifier 5)
Recon Mission: Bee (Amplifier 5.5)(TBR: September 2022)

My soul-anchored, tear-riddled truth.

Wrote a long post.

Cried.

Felt utterly ineffectual.

And scared. So, so scared, not only for the women of America (and anyone with a uterus, or anyone who loves a person with a uterus) but for the far-reaching ramifications that will ripple across the border into Canada. (I recognize this is a selfish thought today, but it is nonetheless true.)

Then I deleted the long post, realizing that I was just trying to justify my fear, justify my right to speak.

That’s how it works for women (and other minorities), that fear of speaking up, of wanting to play nice … because we’re retaliated against in some fashion when we dare speak our truths. Every. Single. Time.

So I smile.

Forty-eight years of fucking smiling as I try to stay calm, kind, and nonconfrontational, while I try to sneak my truths in behind those smiles and quick wit and fucking cupcakes.

So here is my soul-anchored, tear-riddled truth laid out as boldly and simply as I can write it:

Every person on this planet, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or country of origin should have the fundamental right to decide what is right for their body.