Book Spotlight: The Gaia Solution

Today I have a dystopian sci-fi book spotlight for you, for The Gaia Solution, book 3 of The Gaia Collection series by author Claire Buss. Enjoy.

The Gaia Solution (Book 3: The Gaia Collection)

by Claire Buss

Kira, Jed and their friends have fled New Corporation and joined the Resistance, but their relief is short-lived as they discover how decimated the human race has become and learn of an environmental crisis that threatens to destroy their existence. 

Kira and Jed must travel up the mountain to the New Corporation stronghold, City 50, to bargain for sanctuary while Martha and Dina risk everything to return to City 42 and save those who are left. 

With the last of her reserves Gaia, the fading spirit of the Earth uses her remaining influence to guide Kira and her friends but ultimately, it’s up to humanity to make the right choice.

More about The Gaia Collection series

The Gaia Collection is Claire's hopeful dystopian trilogy set 200 years in the future after much of the planet and the human race have been decimated during The Event, when the world went to war with high-energy radiation weapons. In The Gaia Effect, Kira and Jed Jenkins – a young couple who were recently allocated a child – together with their closest friends, discover Corporation have been deliberately lying to them and forcing them to remain sterile. With help from Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, the group of friends begin to fight back against Corporation eventually winning and taking over the governance of City 42.

In The Gaia Project, Corporation fight back under a new, more terrifying organization called New Corp and Kira, Jed and their friends end up fleeing for their lives trying to find a safe place to live. They travel to City 36 and City 9 in vain and must go further afield.

In the final book, The Gaia Solution, the main characters have ended up with the Resistance and not only do they have to deal with surviving against New Corp but an extinction environmental event is looming on the horizon and they’re running out of time to save what’s left of the human race.

Book Buy Links

The Gaia Effect – mybook.to/gaiaeffect

The Gaia Project – mybook.to/gaiaproject

The Gaia Solution – mybook.to/gaiasolution

About the Author

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet based in the UK. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 with her debut novel, The Gaia Effect, setting her writing career in motion. She continues to write passionately and is hopelessly addicted to cake.

Social Media Links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/busswriter

FB Group: www.facebook.com/groups/BussBookStop

Twitter: www.twitter.com/grasshopper2407

Website: www.cbvisions.weebly.com

Blog: https://www.butidontlikesalad.blogspot.co.uk

Interview With Author Paul Trinetti

Today I have an interview with author Paul Trinetti who chats about writing and his futuristic thriller trilogy, the Vexton Series. Enjoy!

Interview With Paul Trinetti

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

I’m 48 years old. I was born in Toronto, and have lived there my entire life. I’m single and have never been married. I worked as the accountant for my family’s construction company for twenty-five years. I’m an avid music and sports fan. I enjoy spending quality time and sharing laughs with family and friends. I would describe myself as someone who enjoys learning, but is also fascinated by the mysteries of life.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

The Preservation Plan is the third and final book in my Vexton Series. The series is a story of a near-future America. An America so politically divided that it is in a battle to remain independent and not be auctioned off like cattle. In this final segment, the country reaches its breaking point and is hanging by a thread. Once so powerful – Now  powerless?? – it’s up to the players involved, with the will of the people, to bridge the divide and come together as one and save their cherished land.

How long have you been writing?

I began writing poetry, lyrics, and short stories in my early teen years. It was in 2012 when I developed an outline for the Vexton Series and began writing in earnest.

Of all the books you've written, do you have a favourite?

Of the three books, the first book, MANUFRACTURED holds an extra special place in my heart. It’s where I developed the core characters and introduced the world my story is based on.

You write in several genres. Do you have a favourite? And if so, why? And why did you want to incorporate them all into your series?

Corporate and political corruption would lead the way. I’ve always found it interesting trying to determine who, and who isn’t sincere, which makes for fascinating stories.

The reason I incorporated all these genres is because they are universal in nature, and my goal with the Vexton Series was to create a story that would be epic in proportion and resonate with a wide audience.

Are there particular challenges in writing for your core readership?

I wrote the story as a witness to the world around us, therefore I had to make sure I captured universal themes, but made them not only interesting, but also entertaining.

What did you enjoy most about writing your books?

The challenge of threading all the elements together while developing interesting characters.

Did anything surprise you about the process of writing your books?

Book 1 – The word-building aspect was grueling at times. But the creative process for books 2 and 3 flowed somewhat effortlessly.

What did you hope to accomplish by publishing your books?

As far as the actual story is concerned my hope is to: entertain, provoke thought, frighten and bring a chuckle to the reader by being original as can be.

My long term goal is to have my story developed into a motion picture or television series.

What advice would you give beginning writers?

My belief is that any form of art has to come from the heart in order for it to touch others in a profound manner. As far as writing is concerned, my advice would be to use your imagination and never be afraid to create your own little world. Imagination is a powerful gift. From a technical standpoint, pay attention to the amount of and placement of info dumps and action scenes in order to establish quality pacing. Also, constantly revising and editing your work might seem frustrating, but it will pay off in the end. Everybody has a different style of writing, so I think it’s important for each individual to find what works best for them.

The Vexton Series is available in paperback on:

Amazon

And on Kindle:

Manufractured

Moon Shade Bluff

The Preservation Plan

And find more about the author and his books at these sites:

Website   Twitter   Facebook

Book Spotlight for the Twin-Bred Series

Today I bring you a spotlight on the new boxed set of the science fiction series, Twin-Bred, plus a peek at the newly released book three, Leaders. Enjoy!

The Twin-Bred Series by Karen A. Wyle

Can interspecies diplomacy begin in the womb? This is the question that launched the Twin-Bred series.

As the series begins, humans have lived on Tofarn, planet of creeks and rivers, for seventy years, but they still don't understand the Tofa. The Tofa are an enigma, from their featureless faces to the four arms that sometimes seem to be five. They take arbitrary umbrage at the simplest human activities, while annoying their human neighbors in seemingly pointless ways. The next infuriating, inexplicable incident may explode into war.

Scientist Mara Cadell's radical proposal: that host mothers carry fraternal twins, human and Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species. Mara knows about the bond between twins: her own twin, Levi, died in utero, but she has secretly kept him alive in her mind as companion and collaborator.

Mara succeeds in obtaining governmental backing for her project – but both the human and Tofa establishments have their own agendas. Mara must shepherd the Twin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and others that even the canny Levi could not foresee. Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something else entirely?

The saga begins in Twin-Bred, continues in Reach, Book Two, and in the newly released Leaders, Book Three.

The boxed set of the series is now available at:

Amazon

Smashwords

Google Play

Warning: spoilers ahead for those who haven't read books one and two.

Leaders by Karen A. Wyle

They fled Tofarn and found a new home. Should they care what happens to the old?

The Twin-Bred are finally ready to welcome visitors to New Landing, the refuge they found after fleeing the former Tofa regime. They have invited Lan-sol, child of the only Tofa Twin-Bred still on Tofarn, to cross the galaxy through the same wormhole that channels communications between the two planets. But suddenly, all communication becomes impossible.

Lan-sol must decide whether to venture into the now-silent unknown. And the Twin-Bred must ask themselves whether the fate of those they left behind is important enough to justify a return to the planet they once called home.

Leaders is available at:

Amazon US (Paperback)

Amazon US (Kindle)

Amazon UK (Paperback)

Amazon UK (Kindle)

Barnes and Noble (Paperback)

Google Play

Kobo

About the Author

Karen A. Wyle lives in Indiana with her husband and their sweet but neurotic dog, occasionally graced with visits from one or both of their adult daughters. She is an appellate attorney and photographer as well as an author, and spends too much time discussing politics on social media. In science fiction and other genres, she tends to deal with themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.

Book Spotlight: Timesnatched: Pole Star

Today I present another book spotlight, this time for the Young Adult time travel novel, Timesnatched: Pole Star by B.D. Boyle. Pole Star is book one, in the Timesnatched series, soon to be followed by book two, Southern Cross. Enjoy this look at the first book in the series...

Timesnatched: Pole Star by B.D. Boyle

Three teens are flung twenty years into the future where time coins and bohrium bracelets can mean the difference between life and death. Thrown together in a dystopian New York City, an American farm boy, English school girl and teen scientist will have to quickly unite and join the Coalition of Liberty. The girl’s quiet life along Wigan’s Pier is behind her and she is now faced with trusting the daring young American and the geek kid who can almost invent something from nothing. The boys will either save them all from this strange turn of events or they’ll plunge them even deeper into a frightening world of oppressive dictators, rebel forces and teenagers who are kidnapped for their future talents.

Excerpt:

Why is Grandpa doing this? Why is he meddling with things he knows nothing about? Questions bombarded Nicolas Wycliffe as he stared at the gold coin in the palm of his hand.

Nicolas lifted his eyes to the golden red glare of the London night sky. In the minutes he had been standing there, the shrill scream of bombs hurling toward the earth had overpowered the drone of the Nazi bombers. The ground under his feet shuddered and he quickly slipped the coin into the safety of his coat pocket. He saw a sign on the street corner and sprinted for the stairway of the London Underground. His long legs took him to the subterranean tube that wound under London proper. Vast numbers of people crouched in the semi-darkness, seeking shelter from the Blitz that was showering London with fire and exploding bombs. The firestorm above was sucking the city of its precious oxygen; but down there, in the depths of the Underground, Nicolas Wycliffe found relative safety—at least for now.

After raking his fingers through his unruly cowlick, Nicolas attempted to wipe from his thick glasses the black soot of the war zone above. He glanced around at the poor souls who cowered nearby and then sank to the floor, his back to the stone wall. This was the night he had read about in history books, the night his grandfather had told him about so often that Nicolas could have recited the tales by heart. “It was a scene from the bowels of hell, to be sure.” His grandfather described the fateful night of December 29, 1940. “I was with my cousin and childhood friend, Molly McGruder. We were running through the streets of London, half expecting a bomb to land on us at any moment.” The old man often paused and reflected at that point in the story. His eyes looked up as if watching the scene on a giant screen. “Molly stumbled and fell; I reached out to help her when the brick wall of a building fell on her, throwing me ten yards away into a pile of rubble. I ran to her, but I knew it was too late. My dear friend and cousin was gone from my life.”

Nicolas sighed. Here he was in London on that horrific night in 1940, trying to find his grandfather who had taken one of two prototypes of the time coin he had invented just two months before. Nicolas himself had not even had a chance to test the little machine properly before he discovered the missing coin. From journal entries he knew exactly where his grandfather was headed. And, thanks to the history books, he knew when. A quick Internet search revealed the GPS coordinates of the warehouse that had fallen and he drove to the location for the time jump.

There was a momentary hush in the Underground. All eyes turned to the ceiling. Nothing. Nicolas jumped up to take advantage of the lull. When he emerged on the surface once again, he glanced at the map he had saved on his cellphone and took off running. In minutes, he was on Shoe Lane. Firemen were training a fire hose on a burning book factory amidst the penetrating heat. People were shouting and the ever-present pungent odor of smoke billowed high into the sky. Nicolas searched the alleyways and down every sidewalk. Coughing, he ran until his lungs were bursting. He leaned over, hands on his knees, to take a rest and then he saw them—two young teenagers walking rapidly hand-in-hand. One was unmistakably the teen version of Nicolas’ grandfather, for he had seen his boyhood pictures many times. The other was a girl in school uniform with curly, red hair. Her pretty freckled face was etched with fear. She must be Molly McGruder, Grandpa’s cousin, thought Nicolas. He stood in the smoky shadows observing the pair when from around the corner a tall, lanky older gentleman rapidly approached the couple.

“Grandpa, no!” shouted Nicolas.

The grandfather ignored the warning and in an instant embraced the two teens.  They struggled to get out of the old man’s grasp when suddenly a large portion of the tall, brick building broke free from the roof structure. Nicolas watched in horror as the massive wall descended toward the helpless trio below. At that instant, a firebomb lit up the street like a giant flare and there was no mistaking what happened next—the three victims disappeared into thin air just as the bricks landed in a massive pile on the street. Nicolas pursed his lips, reached into his pocket for the gold coin, and whispered, “Oh, Grandpa, what in the world have you done?”

Timesnatched: Pole Star is available at Amazon

Author Bio:

Searching for fast-paced adventure stories with uplifting plots and wholesome characters left B.D. Boyle frustrated and ready to try her hand at it. That’s how “Timesnatched” came to be.”  Writing clean, teen fiction has become a passion for Barbara Dillree Boyle who traveled all over the world for twenty years with her husband in the U.S. Air Force. “Raising eight children in four different countries was a fast-paced adventure in and of itself,” says Boyle. She and her husband reside in a high mountain valley in the Idaho Rockies.

For more on the author and her books:

Amazon Profile

Website

Book Spotlight: The Court of Stars

Today we're venturing into strange worlds with the spotlight on a debut sci-fi novel, The Court of Stars by Malcolm Schmitz. The book is the first in the planned Commonwealth Quartet series, so read on and enjoy...

The Court of Stars by Malcolm Schmitz

The universe is bigger and stranger than Christian Arundel could ever have imagined- and right now, almost everything in it is trying to kill him.

On the eve of Christian's betrothal to a woman he doesn't love, the castle where he lives is attacked by a force of demons from the sky. When he tries to fight against them, he's taken prisoner. One of their other prisoners, a sarcastic miniature dragon named Miriet, agrees to help him escape.

Christian must learn how to use the demons' weapons to escape their clutches, but that's only the beginning. To rescue the people he loves, he must cross half the world and return to the invaders' ship.

You can find The Court of Stars on Amazon

And check out the Kickstarter campaign for the book and proposed series

Author Bio:

Malcolm Schmitz was born in a small-town hospital in Ohio, where the doctors said he was a girl. Shortly after that, a doctor said that he was autistic. Only one of those things proved to be true.

He currently lives in the American Midwest, where he writes books full of aliens, dragons, and gay people. The Court of Stars is his first novel.

Book Spotlight: The Andromedans

Today I have a special treat, with the spotlight on a new release The Andromedans, Book 3 of the Empire Series, by Elizabeth Lang. Having read and enjoyed the first two books in the series, I am delighted for the publication of book three.

So read on, and enjoy!

The Andromedans (Book 3 of the Empire Series) by Elizabeth Lang

Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find out who you really are.

After being kidnapped by a bounty hunter and getting mixed up with a band of rebels, Adrian and Kali are finally together. They find a quiet corner of the galaxy to live in peace and...who are we kidding...

Just when they think it's safe, the unthinkable happens. Adrian, a man who prides himself on the perfect mind, loses everything, forcing Kali to revisit what she is willing to do in order to save him, and this time the stakes are even higher. Not only does Adrian's life hang in the balance but the survival of two galaxies.

Just who are these Andromedans and why are they willing to go to such lengths to destroy us? What do they want with Adrian? And who is crazy enough to go to the Andromedan galaxy to rescue him?

You can find The Andromedans at:

Amazon
Goodreads

Author Bio:

After many years in the computer industry, Elizabeth Lang wrote her first novel, The Empire, which was fortunate to be a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, 2011. Mainly a science fiction and fantasy writer, she did end up with a sci-fi romance, though she swears she has no idea how that happened.

Author Website:
http://www.elizabeth-lang.com/

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Lang/152722461433786

And be sure to check out the book's release party

Interview With Author Rohini Singh

I have an interview up today, with the interesting writer, Rohini Singh, author of the science fiction novel, The Time Manipulator's Son...

Interview With Rohini Singh

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

I am the first female science fiction writer from the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean.  I have a BSc in computing and I have been employed in the Information Technology field for over eleven years now in the area of software development, web and database development and administration.

You've recently release a science fiction novel, The Time Manipulator's Son. Can you tell us a bit about the book?

The book is for pre-teens to young adults. I have introduced a brand new world in a distant galaxy, where the sky is a different colour each day of the week. Species such as biclopses, flykinds, steamhounds, blockheads, and earthlings (including Trinidadians) all coexist under two and a half moons.

The story line centers around three twelve year old boys who were considered outcasts among their peers. These boys came together under unusual circumstances to solve a mystery. This union helped these boys to accept themselves for who they are and they were able to overcome their differences, hence the book touches on the sensitive and worldwide subjects of bullying and diversity. 

The book was rated as a #1 Hot New Release on Amazon.com.

What is it, as a writer, that appeals to you most about the science fiction genre?

As a child, I was always fascinated by the diverse worlds and realities that go beyond the boundaries of reality, where anything is possible.  I especially admire the works of Gene Roddenberry.

When writing The Time Manipulator's Son, did you find anything about the process surprising or difficult?

Writing the book was not difficult for me. The plot came quite easily after looking at some of the young students at a high school where my sister was a teacher.  The idea popped into my head: what if kids of different species came together for a common cause in an alternate world?

Do have any interesting facts or stories to tell about the book, or an anecdote about writing it?

The book features the culture, language, folklore and food from Trinidad.  These were incorporated into a futuristic world and I also mirrored our multi-cultural society.     

What is your greatest challenge as a writer, and as an author?

Building an audience with social media was my biggest challenge, especially since I was never active in social media before. Also, reaching the younger readers was not available through social media.

Who has inspired you as an author?

Enid Blyton, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Jules Verne, Michael Crichton. Authors from Trinidad include, Michael Anthony, Samuel Selvon and Vidya Naipaul.

What do you enjoy when you’re not busy writing?

Looking at football (English, Spanish and Italian league championships), reading, and taking in a good movie.

What’s next for you?

Hopefully, to continue writing a four part series in “The Time Manipulator’s Son”. I already have the plots for each of the books planned out. 

You can find more about the author and her books at her website: 

http://rohini-singh.com

Or on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/rohini.ttms

The Time Manipulator’s Son is available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984693874

Book Spotlight: The Silent Years: Mother

I bring apocalyptic events today with a book spotlight on the science fiction novel The Silent Years: Mother by Jennifer R. Povey, the first in a series. So check it out, read the included excerpt, and enjoy.

The Silent Years: Mother by Jennifer R. Povey

Dorothy Mayling thought her worst problem was the long-standing family feud over her sister's choice of husband. Or her son's grades. Then the rumors started - bird flu in Seattle, SARS in Washington State? The truth is a hideous, terrible disease, one that slowly steals away the ability to speak and reason, turning people into nothing more than zombies. Worst of all, it was meant to be a weapon. Can Dorothy hold her family together as the world ends around them and people fall, one by one, to the silent plague?

The Silent Years: Mother is available at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords 

Excerpt:

Winter was settling in. They had enough hay stockpiled for the livestock. But for next year? They would have to grow their own. Jason and the other men were bent over a sketched map of the land, working out what to do about the hay.
Dorothy decided to leave them to it. She would only be a cook too many. Three days ago, the grid had finally failed, contributing to her empty feeling. There had been more and more brownouts and then the power was gone. She took it as a sign: things would not go back to normal.

Their preparations had kept them alive so far. And their luck was holding out. They seemed to be immune, or just out of the pattern of infection.

She stepped out onto the porch. The air was still and  quiet. It was just like one of those apocalypse movies where the survivors were shown at the end staring into space. Except, this was not the end. Or maybe it was; the last page of the story had happened, and all that remained were a few surviving characters. The author was no longer writing, the characters left in that moment, not moving forward...

Thud.

The sound interrupted her thoughts, tore at them.  What was that? There was a gun just inside the door. She grabbed it. There was another thud.
Finally, she realized what it was. What they were. Three Silents, and they were knocking down the well-kept garden fence, tugging at the rails. The thuds had been part of the top rail hitting the ground.

Now they realized they could step over the lower rail. She found herself unable to shoot. They came closer.

She pulled the trigger. The shot would be a signal, a warning. She felt the stock slam into her shoulder, just as if she was shooting a deer, not a human being. Or something that had once been a human being. But there was no choice. The house door opened, Jason emerging with a second weapon. "Tore many." He was tripping over words again.

She fired a second time. This time the shot hit, striking the Silent in the midsection. She saw the woman double up, going down with a wordless scream of pain. Too human. They were still human.

Jason shot once, twice, taking the other two down, but there was an odd look on Jason’s face. "Red."

"No..." she whispered. She turned towards him, leveling her gun at his chest. But she could not do it, the barrel lowered.

He looked at her. "Bleach tower red."

"Jason..." Had he realized? Perhaps, for he dropped the gun and abruptly ran past the bodies of the dead victims and into the night.

Dorothy could do nothing but let him go. It was over. They were all infected for sure, perhaps had been for a while. Most likely the incubation period was longer than they had thought.

"What happened?" A male voice from behind her, but in that moment she could not focus on who it was.

"Jason's gone." She should have killed him. She knew she should have, but she had not been able to.

"What do you mean, gone?"

Now she remembered the owner of the voice. Leroy. There was nobody else it could have been, but...

"Infected. He ran off." She leaned the gun against the wall, glanced at the bodies. It did not matter. They were either immune or doomed. Taking the bodies away was still necessary, but it did not carry with it the fear of contamination. Touching them could not make things worse. Nothing could make things better.

"Hell. What if he comes back?"

"I can't do it," she whispered.

"Then I will."

It was an odd relief to feel that responsibility taken away from her. "Assuming it isn't you next."

"More likely to be Janine," he said softly.

 She did not want to think about that, but it was more likely her, closer to Jason physically. And Janine, so fragile... "I think at this point we have to assume we're all well and truly exposed. Immunity is our only chance."

"We have that chance. No point giving up just yet."

"Or a cure, if they come up with one." Maybe that was it. Maybe she could not give up on Jason.

"Distribution would be a problem, but..."

"Write another virus. Spread it the same way." Dorothy sighed. "Or maybe that's too dangerous. I don't know."

"We'll rebuild no matter what, but...dammit. I thought this would burn itself out and everything would be fixed by Christmas." Leroy glanced at the dead. "I guess I was naive."

"No. There's nothing wrong with having your glass half full."

"Depends on whether it's wine or vinegar."

"Hope is a good thing, Leroy. It's the only thing we have."

"Not the only thing. We have courage."

She had lacked the courage to pull the trigger. Was that strength, or weakness? She did not know.

Author Bio:

Jennifer R. Povey is in her early forties, and lives in Northern Virginia with her husband. She writes a variety of speculative fiction, whilst following current affairs and occasionally indulging in horse riding and role playing games. She has sold fiction to a number of markets including Analog, and written RPG supplements, some of which are available from Occult Moon Publishing. Her first novel, Transpecial, was published by Musa Publishing in April, 2013. Her most recent release is the apocalyptic science fiction novella "Mother," first of The Silent Years series.

For more on the author check out these sites:

Website: http://www.jenniferrpovey.com/
Smashwords Profile: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jenniferrpovey
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/jenniferrpovey

Spotlight on Shadow of the Last Men by J. M. Salyards

Today, dear readers, I bring you the dark dystopian future courtesy of J. M. Salyards and his book, Shadow of the Last Men. Xchyler Publishing is relaunching this excellent book with a new cover, and all the deserving pomp and fanfare. So take a look at the book, read the mini-interview with the author, enjoy the excerpt, enter the contest, and check out the fabulous book trailer...

Mini-Interview with J. M. Salyards

1- Welcome Jason, why don’t we start with an introduction.

Thank you for having me. I write as J.M. Salyards, and my current series, The Next Man Saga, is published by Xchyler Publishing. I live in Maryland with my wife and daughter. We're a very literary family of readers and writers. The unique and fascinating thing about authors is that the good ones write from their hearts and do so with passion. The best way to get to know me is by knowing my work. 

2- Your book, Shadow of the Last Men, depicts an apocalyptic and dystopian future. That particular fantasy/sci-fi sub-genre is a favourite of mine, what attracted you to write your series in this setting?

In some ways, we live in a dystopian present. That made Shadow of the Last Men somewhat easier to extrapolate. The work ended up as this hybrid creature of so many different genres out of necessity, rather than any desire on my part. There is wild fusion of high technology and old-fashioned human willpower and grit that has always attracted me about an apocalyptic setting, and the availability of so many moral and philosophical contrasts made a dystopian framework a natural fit for the kind of story I wanted to tell. With traditional fantasy there are handcuffs, and an author might be stifled a bit by the hidebound ways of approaching magic or characterization, racial issues, or class conflicts. I wanted a different kind of magic for Shadow of the Last Men, and as Arthur C. Clarke put it: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I considered that my license to write the story. He also wrote that "... one cannot have superior science and inferior morals. The combination is unstable and self-destroying." That cuts to the heart of the book. 

3- Do you have a favourite character from the book, and if so why?

There are four main characters in my first novel, and it's difficult to pick a favorite. They're all so different from one another, with animating, informing archetypes that often come into opposition. I don't like to play favorites. When I read a novel, I want my favorite character to be the one I'm reading about at that moment, because it means that the author has managed to inject the right amount of humanity and sufficient conflict into each mind present in the story. That said, Harrow, Quintain and Alouine all have traits I admire and, in some cases, wish that I had. The same can't be said for their antagonist, Carver Delano. Readers and reviewers have universally come to revile that character, so I consider him a smashing success in his own right.

4- What was the hardest scene in the book to write? And the easiest?

Action scenes are fun to write, and when one writes for fun, it's easy. What ends up being difficult is describing horrible things as they happen to good or innocent people. It was necessary, I think, because in a good vs. evil story, the reader can't know just how desperate the battle is unless there is a taste of darkness. There's genuine good, and genuine evil, in the story. On occasion, the line blurs. While Harrow can be considered a good man, he's better at merely being a man. He's good, but very rarely is he nice. To the contrary, Carver is never nice and doesn't care to be. Scenes of cowardice or bullying are hard to write and especially when a character is smashing or degrading something pure out of spite.

5- As Shadow of the Last Men is the first in a series, can you share any teasing tidbits about upcoming books?

What Shadow of the Last Men began, I hope to continue in Volume 2 of the Next Man Saga, Black Sunrise. We'll see some of the focus shift to some characters that there was no room for in the spotlight of the first novel, while ratcheting up the intensity. With the majority of the world-building complete, I can concentrate even more on a brisk and exciting pace. Story wise, it may remind some of an Empire Strikes Back feel. I'll endeavor to keep the stakes high and everything is in place to have a showdown type of climax. Look for Black Sunrise in the first half of 2015.

And if you enjoyed this interview be certain to check out 

J. M. Salyards' live author event!

Here's the contest:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Salyards on the web at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | Amazon | Goodreads 

Book Spotlight: The Circuit: Executor Rising

Another book spotlight today, this time we're off to the future for the science fiction novel The Circuit: Executor Rising by Rhett Bruno...

The Circuit: Executor Rising by Rhett Bruno

It has been centuries since Earth was rendered a barren, volatile wasteland. With their homeworld left uninhabitable, humanity founded a system of colonies throughout their local solar system. Known as the Kepler Circuit, these settlements are strung together by a network of nonaligned Solar-Ark transports, locked in continuous motion. They have served to provide an influx of resources to every faction ruling over the remnants of humankind, most importantly the newly discovered element Gravitum which is found only in the Earth’s unstable mantle.

By 500 K.C. a religious sect known as the New Earth Tribunal has risen to preside over most of The Circuit. Though there is barely a faction left remaining to challenge them, a string of attacks on their transports force them to summon the enigmatic, yet brilliant, Cassius Vale for help. What they don’t know is that together with his intelligent android creation, ADIM, he is the one orchestrating the raids.
His actions lead to the involvement of Sage Volus, a beautiful Tribunal Executor sent by her masters to spy on their mortal enemies – the Ceresian Pact. In order to find out who is behind the attacks, she infiltrates the ranks of a roguish mercenary named Talon Rayne. Against all her intentions, however, she finds her faith tested by him and his ragtag squad.
While Sage and Talon are engaged in a futile hunt, Cassius Vale initiates his strategy to bring down the narrow-minded Tribune once and for all. But will anyone be able to survive what he has in store for the Circuit?​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Circuit: Executor Rising is available at:

Amazon 

Mundania Press

Barnes & Noble

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Author Bio:

Rhett Bruno grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and studied at the Syracuse University School of Architecture where he graduated cum laude.
He has been writing since he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic short stories when he was young to show to his parents. When he reached high school he decided to take that a step further and write the “Isinda Trilogy”. After the encouragement of his favorite English teacher he decided to self-publish the “Isinda Trilogy” so that the people closest to him could enjoy his early work.
While studying architecture Rhett continued to write as much as he could, but finding the time during the brutal curriculum proved difficult. It wasn't until he was a senior that he decided to finally pursue his passion for science fiction. After rededicating himself to reading works of the science fiction authors he always loved, (Frank Herbert, Timothy Zahn, Heinlein, etc.) he began writing “The Circuit: Executor Rising”, the first part of what he hopes will be a successful Adult Science Fiction Series.
Since then, Rhett has been hired by an architecture firm in Mount Kisco, NY. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to work on “The Circuit” and all of the other stories bouncing around in his head. He is also currently studying at the New School to earn a Certificate in Screenwriting in the hopes of one day writing for TV or Video Games.

You can find out more about Rhett Bruno and his writing at his website, www.rhettbruno.com​, or on Twitter: @rcbruno44