by Hammond, T.
The defensive aspects were already in use as part of our home security system. Miniature drones monitored activity on the property. The guys were constantly refining data and upgrading them to perform a combination of increasingly delicate movements and more sophisticated target identification. The drones were currently learning to distinguish between images that walked on two feet versus four feet; something to do with height and the way the head moved. I was impressed by the feature that allowed the drones to override their own program momentarily to avoid an unknown moving obstacle in their path, such as a deer, going around or over it, before resuming its grid pattern. Bas and David needed to add that feature to all of the drones if they insisted on testing close to the house. If the drones can react fast enough with an avoidance feature, it may help them circumvent leaping canines. Just sayin’.
The offense programs seemed to have more solemn applications, from what little David would say about them. Although the majority of the offensive test drones are basic shells to test maneuverability, a half-dozen of them have cameras or sensors feeding back infra-red, sonic, still images, and streaming video data to a main computer located somewhere in the depths of the Cave. The guys were using the imagery to develop three dimensional and holographic maps. They assured me that their prototypes would not carry explosive payloads (Yeah, like that had really crossed my mind before they said that, right?), which led me to wonder, how much harm could a golf ball-sized drone cause anyway? It didn’t seem like that much explosive material could be packed into one. The guys had a secretive smugness to their tone, when I scoffed at them. I’m sure the joke was on me, but some things I simply didn’t need to know.
At last count, we had over thirty drones engaged in a variety of tests or duties, buzzing around the house and grounds. Add this to the security cameras, two vigilant military strategists, and a super smart German shepherd—we were pretty much impenetrable.
The doorbell rang.
And there it was folks! The security is only as good as the person paying attention to the consoles and readouts. I scoffed, “Gee, I wonder who managed to breach our perimeter, Ken.”
“I’ll get it,” Ken said, his voice turned away toward the door. He saw something he didn’t like in the security camera in the entryway because his voice dropped, becoming hesitant. “Hey guys? Are these G.I. Joe wannabes friends of yours?”
Coming Fall 2014
Posse
ByT. Hammond
I’ve lived through countless years and thousands of ages. I’ve lead men to war, and been the cause of a few. I am a warrior, mother, widow, and a Tiger shape-shifter. As the last of my line, and the strongest amongst the supernaturals, I lead a posse of paranormal warriors. We have become the judge, jury, and executioners for our society. If you turn rogue, mine will be the last face you see.
You know my names and have heard tales of my bravery, ferocity, passion, and strength, but you don’t know the real stories—after all, history has been written by men who paint the accomplishments of women with a tainted brush. I have been called by many names, but you can call me Boudica.
Thank you
Thank you for reading Blind Seduction, Team Red, Book 1. I appreciate you taking the bold step of picking up a book about, of all things, a “talking” dog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
If you can take a few minutes to pop on to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and/or Goodreads to leave a review sharing what you liked about the book that would be totally awesome! Your reviews help Indie Authors, like me, get our books recognized, bringing much needed traffic to our sites.
Happy Reading, T
For more information about books available by T. Hammond, Stalker Pages:
T Hammond, Author Blogspot
** www.thammondwrites.blogspot.com
Facebook
** http://www.facebook.com/pages/T-Hammond-Author-Team-Red-Series/324413914346772
GoodReads Author Profile:
** http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6981922.T_Hammond
Amazon Author page:
** www.amazon.com/author/thammond
My Twitter:
@hammond_tina
An Indie Author
I love being an Independent (Indie) Author; it’s fun and scary at the same time. I stumble through learning how to pick the right title, how to select a cover, and how to market the book. There are other considerations, such as who to ask to edit, and finding beta readers to pre-read and critique my baby (“Is my Baby ugly?” “Of course not, with the proper bonnet, we can hide that unfortunate third eye.”) Did I mention some betas are not as critical as they should be? The point being, many people are moving around in the background to help a writer put together a novel, and sometimes that adds to the craziness.
One drawback to being an Indie? The lack of a publishing house that can provide a number of editors to review and re-review drafts. Any writer can tell you it’s almost impossible to edit your own work (and kudos to the ones who CAN do it). Many writers, myself included, develop a tendency to see right over the top of our own mistakes when we’ve read the same chapters a million times… over, and over, and over again, during the writing and draft process. I see what I intended, not necessarily what my fingers produced.
Traditionally published authors are often edited multiple times. There are editors for storyline continuity, spelling, past/present tense usage, and editors for punctuation and grammar. Indie authors pay for their editor(s) out-of-pocket, and usually have one or two editors review their work before it gets published. Even the best editor can’t stack up against four or five of them tag-teaming your novel. If you read Indie books regularly, you probably notice they usually have more typos or other errors.
As an author, I realize mistakes can distract from the story line. I hate them myself, and every time I re-read my own work, I seem to find at least one more thing I wish I’d caught the first, second, and tenth time I reviewed the drafts. If you find an error, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] so that I can make a correction. Your input is important and can help me build a better book.
Thank you for supporting me and other Indie authors by purchasing our books. I appreciate you.
About the Author
The author, T. Hammond lives in Eastern Washington State, with her energetic, sassy German shepherd, Molly; she's quite the handful and almost as stubborn as her owner.
T. writes two concurrent versions of the Team Red series for both the Adult and New Adult audiences. Blind Seduction and Color Blind are part of the Blind series—featuring adult-themed erotic romance combined with a humorous paranormal storyline. The Red series featuring Red Rover and Red Zone is a funny paranormal romance series with a lighter PG type storyline. While both series contain the same character names and a lot of shared dialogue, the Red series is stripped of sexual content and language.
T feels writing is not a calling so much as a compulsion. No one is more surprised than she is when characters take over the plot and dialog, and (re)direct stories in directions she had not (consciously) intended. She is fully convinced the writer is only the tool a story uses to tell its tale. Some tools, of course, are more appropriate for the job than others. (Ever tried pounding in a nail with a screw driver?) Here's hoping you feel she did her stories proud.
T. has a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Management from Whitworth University, and a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Before becoming a writer she was a bookkeeper, technical/manual writer, Call Center Manager and the owner of a freshwater aquarium store, Guppy Tales.
You can write me at my postal address:
T. Hammond, PO Box 2226, Deer Park WA 99006.
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