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She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.
– Annie Dillard |
Genre: Science Fiction, Post Apocalypse Publisher: Smashwords Publication Date: May 6, 2016 Pages: 252 Format: ePub Add to GoodReads | StoryGraph Buy on: Amazon | B&N A devastating asteroid is about to rain destruction and chaos down on our world. Scientists create two groups to save mankind, our culture, and our technology. One group goes into stasis while the other heads to Mars. Centuries later, those in stasis wake up to find the Martians have invaded! Horribly scarred as a child from a Martian attack, Tedo is eventually thrown out of his clan to survive on his own. He stumbles across Alec, an artificial intelligence created by Cynthia Carter over two thousand years earlier, and he has a problem. Unable to wake the members of Group A, he asks Tedo for help. The world Cyn wakes up to find is completely different from the one destroyed by Apophis. But that's okay—it's why she was made and she has prepared for it. What she didn't expect was Tedo, the Martians, or to wake up to a world headed for war. I received a copy of this book from the author for free and I am leaving a review voluntarily.This was awesome. Nothing like impending doom, an end of the world survival story. I really enjoyed that the author considered the survival of the human race and set up a possibility of survival after a catastrophic event. The practice of eugenics was incredibly thought out. Two groups of genetically modified children are raised as the hope and future of the human race. One group is placed in stasis while the other group was sent to Mars in hopes that they could return one day to Earth. The brains of the story were Cynthia or Cyn. She was incredibly smart, although she was essentially written to be. But even as a precocious child, she was super intelligent and self-aware. But Tedo was easily the best character. He was relatable for a character which endeared me to him especially. While this isn't a hugely science-heavy book, it is still an excellent read for science fiction. RatingInitially Caron Rider started teaching computer software, hardware, and networking in the 1990s. After some years that morphed into tutoring high school dropouts for the GED. She found working with at-risk teenagers so rewarding that she changed her undergraduate major to Education. Upon graduating from the University of South Alabama with a B.S., she began teaching high school history. She now lives in rural Missouri with her two kids, two dogs, two cats, and several chickens. Connect with Caron
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Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Pine Ten Publication Date: May 1, 2018 Pages: 181 Format: ePub Add to GoodReads & StoryGraph Buy on: Amazon | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo SynopsisIn a post-apocalyptic, dystopian society, health authorities implant a chip in the brain of every infant to prevent the spread of disease. But the rulers exploit the chip to manipulate the population and to create a distorted vision of the world. When Kal, a young physicist, accidentally discovers the truth about the chip, his life is in danger. But Kal is not alone. Amber, a young, chipless girl from a distant society, who is on a personal mission, helps him to get away before the city police find him. The knowledge that Kal holds is a potent weapon against the tyranny of the rulers, and he has no choice but to join Amber and her fellow rebels in fighting them. Kal and Amber escape together from the city, but the hunt for them is on. They must travel through dangerous, lawless territories to reach a safe destination. It’s a race in which time is running out for Kal. If they don’t make it in time, both his life and the hope of fighting the city tyrants will be lost. ReviewI received a copy of this book from the author for free and I am leaving a review voluntarily.I really struggled with this. The synopsis sounded so interesting and I was keen on it but it just fell flat for me. This story felt rushed. There was very little world building and the characters were very one dimensional. Kal made so many decisions that made zero sense; things that put him and Amber directly into harms way. In all honesty, this story really needed more time spent on it. Because of this, it felt generic and unoriginal and I felt absolutely nothing for the characters. The mad scientist taking over the world bit has so many different layers that can be explored instead of one dimensional exploration. RatingAbout the AuthorKfir Luzzatto is the author of eight novels, several short stories and six non-fiction books. Kfir was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. He acquired the love for the English language from his father, a former U.S. soldier, a voracious reader, and a prolific writer. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering and works as a patent attorney. In pursuit of his interest in the mind-body connection, Kfir was certified as a Clinical Hypnotherapist by the Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis. Connect with Kfir
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publisher: Self-published Publication Date: February 1, 2018 Pages: 174 Format: Mobi Add to GoodReads and StoryGraph Buy: Amazon Synopsis
Nista is nine months pregnant, starving, and living in a cave. Her husband, Dane, thinks she's gone crazy. And the first time she heard the voice of her unborn child, she thought she'd gone crazy, too. But the child has told her too many things, shown her too many things that have come to pass. She knows…someone is coming to usher them away from their isolated purgatory. Someone is coming to lead them through the unforgiving desert - teeming with lawless killers and savage beasts - to the last bastion of civilization, a mythical land of plenty called Manna City.
ReviewI received a free copy of this book from the author and I am leaving a review voluntarily.
This might have been one of the more different dystopian novels that I have read, for sure. There were the similar topics of cannibals, running out of resources, fighting to survive, starvation that is common in this genre, but a pregnant woman's full out determination to get to a place she's only seen in dreams and heard about in rumours definitely made it different. The common tropes made the risk of getting Nista there unscathed even more prominent, considering she was ready to give birth at any time.
Sometimes the plot did seem like it was driving towards figuring out how to kill Nista's husband Dane. I kind of felt bad for the guy the entire time I was reading the book, especially as he was just trying to provide for his pregnant wife. The loss of their first child also made me sad for Dane as well. I actually almost yeeted the entire book in the beginning because it is one thing to kill to survive or in defence, but it is entirely another to lead innocent lambs and dogs to senseless slaughter. I survived and prevailed into the read but still! About the Author
Geoffrey Pierce was raised in Upstate New York. He spent several years roaming the deserts of Arizona and Utah, climbing through the mountains and valleys of California, and cavorting with the beasts in Yellowstone National Park.
He spent far too much time in college attaining a B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy, an M.A. in Teaching Arts, and another M.A. in English Literature. He’s had an array of jobs, from painting and construction to working at a law firm and slinging medical equipment. After teaching for several years, he resigned to be a stay-at-home father. Now that his son is in school full-time, he works as a custodian, handyman, substitute teacher and daycare provider at his son’s school. Geoffrey is a New Voices Playwright Award winning author who currently lives in South Florida. He enjoys camping with his family. Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Clean Reads Publication Date: February 20, 2018 Pages: 307 Format: PDF Add to GoodReads SynopsisFor years the Moon Palace in the Valley of Aijalon and the Sun Tower in the Plains of Jashar has stood as testaments to the power of the sun and the graciousness of the moon. Helio and Lumina, Guardians of the sun and moon, kept watch over them and the Prince and the Princess who ruled them. But the Prince and Princess are missing, and the sun is exhibiting strange behavior. Now Joshua and his younger sister, Deborah, must untangle a web of lies and deceit to uncover the secret of who they really are and save their world from an imminent disaster brewing in the heavens. And they must hurry. Between the earthquakes, the sun and moon standing still in the sky, and the planet Jants hovering closer than it’s ever been, the planet could be torn apart before they have a chance to do something about it. ReviewI received this eBook from the author and I am leaving a review voluntarily.Although I did feel like I wasn't the target audience for this book, this still ended up being a great read. I absolutely enjoyed it. The concept and world building was phenomenal. It felt like you were taking part in the making of history and myth at the same time. The book is targeted towards young adults, but in all honesty because it is such a clean read I feel like middle grade readers would also enjoy it. RatingAbout the Author M.R. Anglin has always had a fascination with space—particularly the moon and stars. She also has three amazing nephews, two adorable “near-nephews,” and one brilliant niece, so it’s no wonder she eventually wrote a story that combines these loves into one. You can often find her gazing up at the Florida sky at night or hunching over her notebook/computer by day. She is the author of the Middle Grade novel, Lucas, Guardian of Truth (LampPost 2012), the self-published Silver Foxes series. She has also been included in the Coyotl Award winning anthology, Gods With Fur (FurPlanet 2016) and Extinct? (Wolfsinger 2017). Connect with M.R. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Deviantart | Website Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction Publisher: Cerebral Books Publication Date: October 13, 2011 Pages: 278 Format: Mobi Add to GoodReads Buy from Amazon George Irwin remembers a time before the Big Climate Change, back when the airlines were still in business, back when people still drove their own cars and the bulk of humanity had not yet been driven underground. Back when all people were still people despite their eye color or which class they were born into. . . . The world has changed much over his lifetime, but George still believes in the American Dream. However, when an alleged terrorist act lands his wife in the hospital, George stumbles upon a secret that could mean the end of all civilization. World-Mart takes place in a not-too-distant future, one in which the collective and all-powerful entity known as "Corporate" owns and controls every aspect of society. One held in place by complacency and mediocrity. One that could very easily come to pass . . . very soon. What does your future look like? I received this book for free and I am voluntarily leaving a review.I love Ms. Lane's writing and her stories. They hit close to home with a society run by corporations that govern everything from what you eat to how much electricity you can use to what happens if your family members fall ill. That part was terrifying, especially as we're in a pandemic currently. The characters were written well. The world building was awesome and the story was totally awesome, through and through. Perfect story. In addition to writing dark speculative fiction for over twenty-five years, Leigh M. Lane has sung lead and backup vocals for bands ranging from classic rock to the blues, dabbled in fine arts, and earned a black belt in karate. She has a BA in English and graduated from UNLV Magna Cum Laude. She currently lives in the dusty outskirts of Sin City with her husband, an editor and educator, and one very spoiled cat. Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Science Fiction Publisher: Kalamity Press Publication Date: June 1, 2016 Pages: 180 Format: ePub Add to GoodReads Buy on Amazon | B&N This isn't a story about a normal girl. Don't get me wrong, I would love to be a normal girl, but considering my dad is a professional, unionised minion and has worked for such villainous luminaries as the Crash and Burn Twins, Doctor Death (the Third and Fourth versions), Yellow Peril and Captain Calamari, chances of living out my life with any kind of normality are pretty slim. I'm surprised our family has survived this long. My name's Charlie Conti and I'm fourteen years old. I'm a bit of a nerd, I guess, because my role models are Marie Curie and Maryam Mirzakhani instead of Miley Cyrus or any of the Kardashians. I guess I have a bit of a mad scientist streak in me, although I have no interest in taking over the world or anything. I just want to live the regular kind of life. And that brings me to this story. You see, my dad has dragged me and my little brother, Luca, away from Melbourne where I've spent most of my life so far. Out of the Light and into the Darkness of regional Victoria to a coastal town called Henty Bay. Yeah, I'd never heard of it either. I can see the benefits though. After all the problems with the Port Melbourne Intifada, where Captain Calamari totally lost it and my dad ended up at the bottom of Port Phillip Bay, we had to leave the city. There were some harsh words thrown around and maybe a few vendettas were forged in the fires of the moment. So we had to move. Dad, or The Undertaker as he's known in the business, was damaged goods. The most he could hope for if he stayed in Melbourne would have been prolonged unemployment. The more likely outcome would have been a long stay in prison or a knife in the back. I'm not being melodramatic. These kinds of things do happen. The family's new plan is to move to Henty Bay so Luca and I can grow up and live normal lives. Maybe even go to university and get an office job with superannuation and a chance to grow old without having to worry about dodging laser beams and undead Vikings. My brother and I have our own little dreams. Luca wants a puppy, or a bearded dragon lizard thing; and I just want to stay longer than six months in the one school. I told you I was a nerd. I received this eBook from the authors in exchange for an honest review.Holy ray guns, stun guns and shrinking fathers Batman! I absolutely love books with spunky, not normal girls! They're usually the best heroine's. Charlie, however, would love to be normal and spend more than 6 months in a school and her brother would like to get a pet, which is hard to have when you need to move all the time. One thing I would say is that Charlie is very responsible and smart, she handles problems that even grown-ups would chew their nails anxiously at, but at the same time she is relatable. Being a kid of the mid-80's and 90's, I grew up on the movie "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and this was totally up my alley. About a month ago, my best friend and her son asked me if I had any cool, not-normal, kind of introverted kids books that I had read. I knew then that this was the book to recommend to my nephew. His mom bought it and she said he read it every day until he was done. On FaceTime, I received two thumbs up with him saying he loved the book! Star RatingI would definitely recommend this book for all ages. Not just middle-grade. It's interesting enough to draw in adults (especially young at heart adults ;) ). Ben Langdon was born in Geelong, Victoria, and is a graduate of Deakin University. He is the author of e Miranda Contract and e Halo E ect, editor of is Mutant Life, and a high school teacher in Portland, Victoria (which may, or may not, be the alter ego for Henty Bay).
Connect with Ben: Twitter | GoodReads Eliza Langdon was also born in Geelong and is the daughter of Ben. After complaining that she didn’t like reading books, the father and daughter team decided to write their own, featuring a spunky girl called Charlie Conti. Eliza attends Portland Secondary College and loves reading comics, cooking up storms in the kitchen, and binge-watching TV series on DVD. Genre: Epic/High Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance, Action-Adventure Publisher: Outskirts Press Publication Date: June 8, 2019 Pages: 417 Add to GoodReads Buy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble Sir Xandar, a valiant knight, means to end senseless wars and bloodshed, using the only option left—dethroning his immoral king. The plan goes awry when a team, with a larger purpose, comes from afar to seize Xandar’s most vital device. As his mission detours across perilous seas and exotic kingdoms, Xandar clashes with other corrupt rulers and forms an unstable bond with Lady Jia, a volatile warrior-maid. Soon, the pair uncover the world’s darkest secrets in an epic fight for survival. Ben Schneider was born in Oklahoma. In 2003, he earned a B.A. in Graphic Design at Oklahoma University, married his fiancée, and joined the Air Force. Ben and his wife, Suzy, have been stationed in Italy, Okinawa, and Alaska. Aside from writing fiction, Ben’s other interests include drawing his Airman Artless comic strips. Chrome Mountain is his debut novel. Connect with BenGenre: Weird Fiction, Sci-Fi, Horror Publication Date: December 4, 2017 Pages: 158 Format: ePub Add to GoodReads Buy: Amazon You can buy anything on the Internet these days. Books, electronics, and Chinese takeout are just a few clicks away. If you’re after something more illicit, all you need is a special browser and some bitcoin to spend. Every drug you might want is readily available on the darknet markets. You can also hire a hitman, get a fake ID made, or have an illegal bug delivered to your door. Ben Samsa is a small-time weed dealer and amateur entomologist. He can’t resist buying a mysterious bug he finds on one of the black market sites where he gets his inventory. The splurge leaves him with only enough bitcoin to purchase lower quality marijuana than he normally sells. Unfortunately, Ben doesn’t realize one of his customers has been flipping his product to a murderous, one-eyed Nazi. He’s soon sucked into a hellish nightmare of dread, drugs and death. Meanwhile, the bug is growing. Nothing will ever be the same when Ben learns the true, hideous name of the insect. I received this eBook from the Author in exchange for an honest review.This is possibly one of the oddest yet most unique books that I have ever read! This is such a mixture of creepy, crawly horror science fiction thrilling ride! Ben is in his early 20's and is a little bit lazy. He's a small time drug-dealer who is making just enough bank to pay his rent and semi-adult as normal as possible. He's an avid bug collector and is drawn into the allure of easy money with bitcoin. This story easily turns into a creepy mash up of Creepshow, Twilight Zone and Goosebumps. Although I ended up absolutely loving this book, I wasn't too sure about this at first but the writing is so well done and the world building is completely on point, it just sucked me in. I do believe I ended up reading this in two days. I just needed to know how it would end up. Ben's friend though, that dude is an imbecile. Sadly, I've dated someone that dumb so they actually exist. This turns into the biggest train wreck for Ben with the "friend" and Neo-Nazi's to boot! Recommendation: I definitely, 100%, recommend this. It's weird, it's creepy, but it's so damn good! George Billions is a writer whose work litters the Internet under various pseudonyms. He's written everything from fake product reviews to unqualified fitness advice, steamy romance novels to straight-up keyword spam. Once he had a gig banging out thousands of short biographies of adult entertainers. These days he's trying to put out the kind of stuff he enjoys reading and writing. Connect with George BillionsGenre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Historical Fiction, Paranormal Publisher: Inkitt Publication Date: October 30, 2016 Pages: 217 Add to GoodReads Buy on Amazon, Kobo, B&N Set in London during the latter part of the 19th century. An experiment goes wrong at The Oxford Academy of Science, giving certain people extraordinary powers which turns them into 'Espers'. An institute is set up to teach Espers how to control these power, and stop corrupt Espers from abusing theirs. Nathan and James, two agents from the Institute team up with Freya, a young Esper whose brother (gifted with the strange ability to manipulate emotions) is abducted by a ruthless Baron. The group has to fight against a dark threat to protect the fragile peace of Victorian London... And the rest of the world. I received this eBook from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.Honestly, I really struggled with this book at first. I think that's because it was very close to the idea of X-Men. I do like the idea of the Institute being a safe place though. I think most superheroes need a safe place. However! I absolute adored the Victorian Steampunk theme. It actually fit the superheroes against super villains perfectly. Despite the plot being a little iffy for me, it did have well fleshed out characters with Nathan being a large part of the show and a good amount of sassy-ness from him. He did make me giggle from time to time. Egan Brass (aka Ryan Attard) is the author of the Esper Files, the Legacy series, and the Pandora Chronicles. Hailing from a faraway island, it wasn’t long until Ryan began creating his own imaginary friends and writing down their adventures. As Egan Brass, he writes the Esper Files — a tale of super-powered individuals set in a steampunk universe. He also dons a cape and a mask, and spends his free time learning Victorian insults in order to both confuse and enthrall his foes. He’s also one to write his bios in the third person. Connect with Egan (Ryan)Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Publisher: Cosmic Entanglement Media Publication Date: October 15, 2018 Pages: 328 Add to GoodReads Buy: Amazon Like a worn-out watch, human existence had wound to a stop. When the end came, there were no wars, no zombies, no demons—just a former professor turned stay-at-home dad, and his little girl. Ryan Sharpe woke from forced cryogenic sleep with only his two-year-old daughter and a world- shattering mystery for company. The great city he once called home, St Louis, is a rusty wasteland, ruined by time, overflowing with wild animals, unspeakable danger, and countless questions. For a man who struggled with identity after leaving his job so his estranged wife could follow her life’s work, becoming the primary role model for their child while he floundered with life, the challenges aren’t only outside. In this alien place, ill-equipped as he is, Ryan must adapt or die for his child’s sake, but is survival enough? Ryan must return to where it all began, to his wife’s workplace at Universal Biological Laboratories. Why did everyone suddenly die? Are they the only ones left? 4.75 Stars I received this eBook from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.This was such a ride for me. At first, I wasn't sure about the story despite my love for post-apocalyptic survival stories. It didn't seem that the father in the story was going to ever figure out how to survive in this new, animal run kingdom. He was pretty hopeless at some parts. There was one part of the story that changed it all for me: the lion. Heart strings tugged and full out, unabashed bawling on my couch. In that moment, this book single-handedly became one of THOSE books. It would take me days to recover! Even now, the heart breaks thinking about that part. Be well, my tender, sensitive heart! Recommendation: Don't give up! Give this a chance, because it might become one of those books for you too! A native to the Magic City, J. Fitzpatrick Mauldin has always lived with one foot in a world of steel and concrete, another in that of imagination and futurism. He is the product of a micro-biologist father and engineer grandfather, both obsessed with history, who have always challenged him to think harder. J. Fitzpatrick Mauldin has lived many lives from electronic music producer and DJ during the early 2000s to an entrepreneur in promotional products, and is now an administrator for one of the world’s largest real estate brands. He is married with a book addicted wife and has a mad genius daughter, the latter of which might one-day rule the world. Aside from the madness of the day to day, he dreams of returning to his second home in the Pacific Northwest, where he can continue to write his own brand of sci-fi and fantasy which teeters upon the edge of hard science and speculation. Connect with J. Fitzpatrick MauldinGenre: Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic Publication Date: November 27, 2018 Pages: 288 Add to GoodReads Buy: Amazon Brendan Cobb calls it tar, but there might be as many names for it as cities left standing. To some, it’s known as filth, or blight. Others call it the Black God in reverential whispers. Whatever name it takes, the effects are the same. Cities left in ruins. People turned into monsters. Living infections with no known cure. The best anyone can do is avoid it, but even that gets harder the more it spreads. Brendan survives this waking nightmare by trading salvage for shelter and for repairs to his cybernetic arm, until a newcomer arrives, convinced Brendan is the key to ridding the world of tar once and for all. Reluctantly, Brendan and his mechanic join the newcomer on a journey across the desolate highways of a ruined world, where he learns the true history of the tar…and of the dark power inside him, which grows stronger every day. Taylor Hohulin is a radio personality by morning, a science fiction author by afternoon, and asleep by 9:30. He lives in Iowa with his wife, where they are owned by a cat and a dog. Connect with TaylorGenre: Fantasy, Science Fiction Publisher: Daw Books Publication Date: September 10, 2019 Pages: 384 Add to GoodReads Buy on: Amazon, Chapters, Barnes & Noble Shawna Keys has fled the world she only recently discovered she Shaped, narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Adversary who seized control of it...and losing her only guide, Karl Yatsar, in the process. Now she finds herself alone in some other Shaper's world, where, in her first two hours, she's rescued from a disintegrating island by an improbable flying machine she recognizes from Jules Verne's Robur the Conqueror, then seized from it by raiders flying tiny personal helicopters, and finally taken to a submarine that bears a strong resemblance to Captain Nemo's Nautilus. Oh, and accused of being both a spy and a witch. Shawna expects--hopes!--Karl Yatsar will eventually follow her into this new steampunky realm, but exactly where and when he'll show up, she hasn't a clue. In the meantime, she has to navigate a world where two factions fanatically devoted to their respective leaders are locked in perpetual combat, figure out who the Shaper of the world is, find him or her, and obtain the secret knowledge of this world's Shaping. Then she has to somehow reconnect with Karl Yatsar, and escape to the next Shaped world in the Labyrinth...through a Portal she has no idea how to open. Where do you get your ideas for your books? Who or what inspired your idea? EW: Ideas come from everywhere. For example, my science-fiction novel The Cityborn began with a mental image of a towering city, squatting over a canyon filled with a massive garbage dump, in which there are people scavenging to survive. My YA science-fiction novel Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star came out of an exhibit at the Saskatchewan Science Centre about how memory works, combined with a news item about teenaged Japanese pop stars who were one-hit wonders. In the book, there are aliens whose memory works differently, and Andy is plucked off the street to become a one-hit superstar—it’s drugs, rock and roll, and aliens for teenagers. For Worldshaper, the trigger was wondering what it would be like if the creators of fictional worlds could actually live in them. So, it can be a mental image, something I've read, or simply sitting and thinking, "What if...?" How did you develop the plot and your characters? Are your characters based on anyone? EW: My process of developing a story is to ask myself questions. In The Cityborn, for exampe, I asked myself, "Who are those people living in the garbage dump? Why are they there? Why has this city been fouling its environment for so long? Where did it come from? Who lives inside it?" Conflict, and hence plot, arises from the answers to those questions: the people in the garbage want into the city. What would they do if someone from the top of the city, where the rich people would logically live, ended up down in the garbage dump? Every answered question presents other questions that must be answered. I typically write writes a synopsis of maybe ten pages, not a chapter-by-chapter outline, just a rough description. I don't follow that synopsis particularly closely, though. The overall shape of the book is there, but the writing process may take me in a very different direction. For instance, in Terra Insegura, sequel to Marseguro, a character introduced only because a viewpoint character was needed in space while everyone else was on the surface of the planet became so important that I had to replot everything about two-thirds of the way in. A lot of this happens organically. I write fast, and the process feels seamless--things come out of my had through my fingers into the story. One sentence leads to another, which leads to new characters, new problems, new solutions. Characters arise from the story. Who'd be hurt? Who benefits? How are they in conflict with each other? Sometimes there are purely technical reasons for a character to be introduced (like the one mentioned in Terra Insegura, above). In Worldshaper, much of the story is written in first-person, but there were things I needed to reader to know my first-person character couldn't know, so I wrote a few third-person scenes, as well. Do you write when you're inspired? Or do you have a schedule you keep to? EW: I write all the time. If I'm not working on fiction, I have non-fiction to work on. So I write every day, but I'm not necessarily working on a novel every day. I type a LOT. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Maybe a piece of advice that stuck with you from your adventure into the world of publishing? EW: My advice to writers is always the same: read a lot, write a lot. You have to read (especially in your chosen genre) to understand how stories are put together, and to discover how other authors have solved the same problems you're trying to solve, of plotting and pacing and dialogue and description and more. And then you have to try to put it into practice. You learn to do by doing; you learn to write by writing, and by letting people read what you wrote (so you can find out if it's working or not) and then by revising and writing more. Try to make everything you write better than the last thing you wrote. Being a writer, someone once said, is like having homework every day of your life for the rest of your life. Tell us a bit more about yourself. How did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who or what inspires you to write? EW: I decided to be a writer in high school (where I wrote three novels, after having written shorter things before that). It came out of my voracious reading. I wanted to tell stories that would entertain and move other people the way my favorite books moved and entertained me. My other interests were music and art and science, but by about age sixteen I knew I wanted to be a writer. I went into journalism out of practicality: I figured I would be writing and getting paid for it, even if it wasn't the fiction I wanted to write, and then could write fiction on the side. Eventually, I quit my job and became a full-time writer. I still write as much non-fiction (or more) than fiction, because I have to make a living. It's all of a piece: using words to communicate with other people, to put your ideas into someone else's head. It's quite magical, when you think about it. How much of yourself goes into your writing? Or do you keep yourself separate and base the character on someone else entirely? EW: All my characters contain a piece of me because I'm the only human being whose inner workings I have access to. That said, I've never been a fifteen-year-old girl with magical powers or an alien with wings or a woman genetically modified to breathe under water, all of whom I number among the characters I've created. Still, at core, the only reason fiction works is that human beings are human beings. I start with the human being I know best, me, and then imagine how I might be different if I were an alien or a magical girl or a genetically modified mer-woman. What has helped shape and improve your writing? EW: Reading, as mentioned. Insightful editorial comment from the many editors I've worked with. And conversations with other writers (as in my podcast, The Worldshapers--one reason I started it). What are you reading right now? Do you recommend it or have any other recommendations? EW: I'm currently reading The Core, the final book in Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle. I recommend that series highly, as I do the books of all the authors I've talked to in my podcast (currently, my fiction reading is largely dictated by which author I'm interviewing next, since I like to be prepared). Do your novels carry a message or do you feel it's subjective? EW: Messages arise organically from the fiction. I never preach, but of course my view of how the world works infuses my stories. But the message readers take from a work can be different from what an author thinks he or she put in there, anyway. What works best for you: Typewriters, fountain pen, dictate, computer or longhand? EW: I write on a laptop computer, but when I started, I wrote on a typewriter. I don't miss it. Edward Willett is an award-winning author of more than sixty books of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction for readers of all ages.
Born in Silver City, New Mexico, Willett moved to Saskatchewan from Texas with his family when he was eight years old and grew up in the small city of Weyburn. He returned to the States to study journalism at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, then came back to Weyburn as a reporter/photographer for the weekly Weyburn Review, eventually becoming news editor. In 1988 he moved to Regina, Saskatchewan, as communications officer for the Saskatchewan Science Centre, and in 1993 he became a fulltime freelance writer. He still resides in Regina. Willett's science fiction novel Marseguro (DAW Books) won the 2009 Aurora Award for best English-language science fiction or fantasy book by a Canadian author. He has also won a Saskatchewan Book Award for his YA fantasy Spirit Singer. He has been shortlisted for the Aurora Award and Saskatchewan Book Awards multiple times. Most recently, his short-story collection Paths to the Stars (Shadowpaw Press) was shortlisted for two Saskatchewan book Awards. His novel Worldshaper (DAW Books) has been long-listed for Canada's Sunburst Award for speculative fiction, in the YA category. Other novels include SF novel Lost in Translation (DAW Books), Terra Insegura (sequel to Marseguro, DAW Books), Magebane (DAW Books, written as Lee Arthur Chane), and the young-adult science fiction novel Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star. In the works, in addition to the next Worldshapers book: a dark-fantasy YA novel, featuring shapeshifters, for ChiZine Publications. Willett's non-fiction titles run the gamut from science books for children on topics as diverse as Ebola Virus and the Milky Way to local history books like Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw for Red Deer Press, awarded a Municipal Heritage Award by the City of Regina in the education category and A Safe and Prosperous Future: 100 years of engineering and geoscience achievements in Saskatchewan, published by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS). He's also written biographies for children of Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Andy Warhol, Orson Scott Card, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Ayatollah Khomeini. You can find Ed online at www.edwardwillett.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @ewillett. He is represented by literary agent Ethan Ellenberg (www.ethanellenberg.com). Besides being a writer, Willett is a professional actor and singer who has performed in dozens of plays, musicals and operas in and around Saskatchewan, hosted local television programs, and emceed numerous public events. He hosts The Worldshapers podcast (www.theworldshapers.com), featuring conversations with other science fiction and fantasy authors about the their creative process. He's married to an engineer, and has one daughter. Genre: Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Romance Publication Date: April 5, 2019 Pages: 324 Add to GoodReads Buy: Books2Read SynopsisFor centuries, Earth has served as the battleground for a secret war between a reptilian alien species and the clandestine human organization dedicated to eradicating this extraterrestrial threat. But when a single woman becomes the focal point of this brutal conflict, the fate of the planet alters forever... Life hasn't been easy for Riley Anbar since her grandmother's death. Between struggling to run the family business, dealing with troubling psychic visions, and puzzling over unanswered questions about the parents she never knew, Riley is doing her best just to get by. After a pair of chance encounters with two mysterious men, Riley finds herself thrust into danger as both human and alien forces converge on her once-ordinary life. But in this war, there is no clear boundary between good and evil. Both factions are determined to use Riley for their own ends, and they're willing to endanger everyone around her to achieve their goals. Caught between the two men who have captured her heart and the secrets of her own past, what choice will Riley make when she discovers neither side is in the right? Interview1. Where do you get your ideas for your books? Who or what inspired your idea? While aliens, the weird and unexplained, tend to be our topics, we often inspire each other. Michelle has a love of science while Amanda heavily researches conspiracy theories. Then we put our heads together, bouncing our ideas back and forth until something sticks. 2. How did you develop the plot and your characters? Are your characters based on anyone? Our characters are like real people in our heads. For Amanda, Riley was the first to appear. She popped up in her metaphysical shop and two very different men wanted a reading. Of course she fell for both of them. Even though this never made it to the final cut of the book - we've developed these characters from this inception. 3. Do you write when you're inspired? Or do you have a schedule you keep to? Michelle- I write when I can get a moment to breathe without the children using me as playground equipment, but typically when I am inspired and have a good jam playing. I'm NOT good at schedules. Amanda- Both! I'm inspired all the time. I tend to have multiple manuscripts in different stages of development, but it's a matter of sitting down and scheduling. I try and clear big chunks of time to sit and write, even though having three kids makes that hard, I prioritize writing as a necessity in life. 4. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? Maybe a piece of advice that stuck with you from your adventure into the world of publishing? Amanda's advice- I'm not big on giving other advice. Everything you do in life only works because you want to make it work. If you want it so bad, then what are you doing each day to build towards your goal. Writing is one of those things that has to have other elements around it other than the actual writing. For me, its eating healthy, making sure I get off the computer, finding new music, reading widely, and making sure I spend heaps of time with my family. If I neglect these things, then I find my writing falls short and flat. So having a balance lifts me up and the writing becomes rewarding. Michelle- Keep writing. If it sucks. Write it again. The first draft is never great, and even the 30th will need polishing. Just. Keep. Writing. 5. Tell us a bit more about yourself. How did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who or what inspires you to write? Amanda- I've always been an artist. Growing up I painted everything - bedroom walls, old furniture, whatever I could get my hands on. But when I became a mom, my art was too hard. A friend gave me a book to read - Twilight! By the end of the series, my dreams changed - I was dreaming of stories that I could write myself. Michelle- I started out by doodling on every blank space of paper I could. Homework...doodled. Notebooks...doodled. I drew, colored, painted, and apparently (discovered recently) was writing stories even before I knew it was what I wanted to do 'when I grew up.' In my teens I wrote poetry, probably wouldn't want them to see the light of day now though, and still drew on every edge of paper I had in sight. I suppose I have always wanted to be a writer, but it wasn't until I sat down and wrote my first novel for a client as a ghostwriter that I realized I could actually do it. 6. How much of yourself goes into your writing? Or do you keep yourself separate and base the character on someone else entirely? Amanda- that's a hard question. I tend to not put myself into a character. But is there clear separation? Hard to say. I find that I follow the characters in my head a clearly as I see them. Or perhaps they are just personas of my subconscious. Michelle- The characters decide for themselves. I just write their stories. Do I sometimes see myself in my characters? Probably. I have one character that is a vegan...and I am a vegan...so there is that? lol. 7. What has helped shape and improve your writing? Amanda- Michelle! having someone by your side pointing out the good, the bad and the ugly parts of writing has made me jump from pretending to be a writer to an actual writer. And I'm just so lucky to be able to have a book out there with her. Michelle- Amanda has been a great soundboard, cheerleader, and soul sister from across the planet. I think that just like language, writing is ever evolving. It's a living entity and I don't think I will ever stop working on improving my writing. And the only way to keep improving the writing is...writing. This book wouldn't even be if it wasn't for her pushing and motivating me to keep going and encouraging me when I wasn't at my best. 8. What are you reading right now? Do you recommend it or have any other recommendations? Amanda- I recently just finished The Discovery of Witches. But generally I read lots of non-fiction. Currently I'm in the last chapter of Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Däniken. Michelle- Oh jeebus. Okay. Asunder by Liz Steinworth. Always Darkest by Jessica Flaherty. Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (second reading). And whatever new gems I find at the Library my next visit lol. 9. Do your novels carry a message or do you feel it's subjective? Amanda- Not intentional. Michelle researches so much of science whereas I heavily research in conspiracy theories. I guess if the reader doesn't know these fields, they might take messages out from the book, although this is unintentional. Michelle- I want to write novels that carry a message of my own devising, but I haven't decided on what message to send. Writing with Amanda, we definitely aren't sending a message intentionally, but it could be there. Writing on my own...well, I am a romance writer by nature, so I guess my message is love. 10. What works best for you: Typewriters, fountain pen, dictate, computer or longhand? Amanda- I tend to go back and forth between computer and long hand. Sitting on the computer for most of the day can be a drain, so I like to get out, into the sunshine and write by hand. All of my summaries, and research is done by hand, but if my brain goes into overdrive, then I have to be at a keyboard to keep up Michelle- Definitely my Chromebook. My handwriting is atrocious. I can't even decipher that scratch. I would love a typewriter, but I feel my patience level wouldn't be able to stand it. Also, I love having the internet at the ready for anything I need to look up mid writing. About the AuthorsMichelle Crow & A. A. Warne are soul sisters living on the opposite sides of this planet. Writing speculative fiction and researching the odd and esoteric, Michelle specializes in the lighter side of life, while Amanda tends to go dark. When they aren't binging coffee and having their noses buried in books, they're writing them! Mothers to three little kidlets each, they also have fur babies, and wonderfully dedicated--and supportive--husbands. Connect with MichelleConnect with AmandaGenre: Horror, Thriller, Novella Publisher: Black Hill Press Publication Date: November 11, 2015 Pages: 120 Format: Mobi Add to GoodReads Buy: Amazon SynopsisAn isolated religious cult has reportedly been consuming meat while the rest of the planet has been forced to live a life without it. Presuming this sect has resorted to cannibalism, two agents from an organization known simply as The Agency are dispatched to investigate. Will they find evidence of humans eating one another? Or is something even stranger taking place? “In the tradition of Serling and Bradbury, A Stalled Ox is a gruesome, yet beautiful story that wraps a complex morality tale in an engaging and fast-paced horror story with a touch of espionage. Crafting a world where no one is truly innocent, Moses invites the reader to follow Agent Howard Harrington as he discovers what true evil is.” Rating4.75 Stars ReviewI received this eBook from the Author in exchange for an honest review. Don't let the synopsis of this story fool you, it's vague for a reason. Behind the vagueness is a really awesome story, but shh, I didn't tell you that! This is a dystopian world where meat is non-existent. However, a cult claims to be consuming meat. Howard, a detective and his partner Linda are sent to investigate the cult and its Leader, who calls himself "God", ironically. Howard has proven, in the past, not to have had the best track record. He's very reactive to what is around him, which isn't a bad thing per say. But he lets his emotions get out control. However Linda is definitely more level-headed, which evens out Howard's unpredictability. But even she falls for the excitement of the Cult and its claims, so Howard remains the most clear-headed throughout. The other main character would be the cult leader, the aforementioned "God." Like most cult leaders, he is charismatic enough to pull a congregation of followers into the hundreds. But he's also crazy, cruel and very violent which makes him unpredictable. Eventually we learn the secrets of the church and it's mystery as to how it's obtaining meat. This story, no pun intended, is raw, visceral and yet it is very intriguing. Once it picks up, though. It was a bit of a slow start for me. But it takes you on one helluva Dystopian Carnival of Horrors ride. About the AuthorDean Moses was born in England in February of 1991. At the age of nineteen he moved to New York City, where he hoped to fulfill two of his longtime dreams: marry the love of his life and become an author. For the past five years he has written for newspapers, including the New York Amsterdam News and the Spring Creek Sun, as well as transcribed for the New York Times’ Lens Blog. He is the author of A Stalled Ox from 1888's Black Hill Press. Dean currently resides in Queens, New York with his wife and three cats. Connect with DeanGenre: Dark Fantasy, Sci-fi, Thriller, Erotica Publisher: JMS Books LLC Publication Date: December 1st, 2018 Pages: 82 Add to GoodReads Buy on: JMS Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble SynopsisAs a young stag-shifter, all Pembroke dreams of is being harnessed to Santa’s sleigh. Yet his world comes crashing down when Santa is slain by the imposter Frost. War erupts in the Arctic Circle, pitting elf against reindeer, and Pembroke is sent on a perilous mission. If he fails, his herd will be lost. When the mission goes awry, the stag-shifter must put his trust in an unlikely ally. Where does one turn in a land of ice and blood? What happens when the enemy infiltrates your heart? What begins as a wavering alliance just might take Pembroke farther than he ever imagined. About the Author"Sugar Plum'd" is Leon Mauvais' debut! He's a beret-wearing sprite who fell asleep in the cornfields of Pennsylvania. He dreams in the husks, hoping his tales taste like taffy, but help build crystallized armor. Once, he lingered in the corners of the last used bookstores searching for forbidden adventures on exotic worlds. Connect with Leon |
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