Hello everyone! Chapter 1 is now live on Wattpad of my YA Santa and Krampus story Frost. I hope youโll give it a read and enjoy.
Tag: author blog
BLOG TOUR: WHAT COMES NEXT BY CAITLIN FORBES + BOOK EXCERPT
Book Summary
An empowering and heartfelt novel about the complexities of family, the power of sisterhood, and the bravery it takes to choose happiness when all seems lost.
“My life is perfectly fine.”
Alex has pretended this for yearsโdespite an emotionally absent father, a best friend drifting away, and a floundering dog-training business. At least Alex has her sister, Meredith, a driven polar opposite. But both their lives are upended when their estranged mother dies of a genetic condition that the sisters have a fifty-fifty chance of inheriting. For Alex, a world without her mother is uncomfortable. But a world without Meredith is unthinkable.
Alex suggests a pact to which Meredith tentatively agrees: In three months theyโll get tested. Until then they go after everything theyโve ever wanted. Alex is finally stepping out of her comfort zone and opening herself up to new relationships. Or maybe reconnecting with an old one. Nathan, a boy who once broke her heart, needs a trainer for his mixed-breed rescue. Alex canโt resist.
As sparks rekindle, and time passes much too quickly, Alex discovers more about herself, her sister, and her mother than she ever imagined. And that everything in lifeโespecially happinessโcomes with a risk worth taking.
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
ISBN-10: 1662528116
ISBN-13: 978-1662528118
ASIN: B0DZY6Q16W
Print length: 317 pages
Purchase a copy of What Comes Next on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add it to your GoodReads list.
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About the Author
Caitlin Forbes is a Maine-based author who writes stories that explore the messiness of relationshipsโfrom sisterhood to romance to the tricky relationship we have with ourselves. When not writing, you can find her chasing after her toddler (or her dog) and exploring small-town New England life.
You can follow the author at:
https://www.caitlinforbesauthor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/caitlin_forbes_author/
Blog Tour Calendar
December 8 @ The Muffin
Join us at the Muffin as we celebrate the launch of What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes. We interview the author and give you a chance to win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
December 9 @ Kaecey McCormick’s blog
Join Kaecey’s blog for a guest post from Caitlin Forbes about why she writes and what inspires her.
https://www.kaeceymccormick.com/blog
December 11 @ Knotty Needle
Judy shares her thoughts about What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
December 12 @ CC King’s blog
Stop by Caitrin’s blog for a guest post by Caitlin Forbes on the struggle and process of publishing a debut novel.
https://www.caitrincking.com/blog
December 15 @ Sarandipity’s
Visit Sara’s blog for an excerpt from What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
https://sarandipitys.com/blog/
December 18 @ Knotty Needle
Stop by Judy’s blog again for her response to our tour-themed prompt about her own dog rescue story.
https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
December 19 @ Nicole Writes About Stuff
Stop by Nicole’s Substack for a contribution from Caitlin Forbes.
https://nicolepyles.substack.com
December 20 @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy’s blog for an excerpt from What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
December 20 @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Visit Anthony’s blog for an excerpt from What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
https://authoranthonyavina.com/category/blog-tours/
December 21 @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie’s blog for a guest post by Caitlin Forbes about the importance of fiction, particularly book club fiction, in this crazy time.
December 23 @ What Is That Book About?
Visit Michelle’s blog for an excerpt from What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/
December 26 @ Words by Webb
Visit Jodi’s blog for her review of What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
December 28 @ StoreyBook Reviews
Stop by Leslie’s blog for a guest post by Caitlin Forbes on why she included dogs in her book What Comes Next.
https://storeybookreviews.com/
January 2 @ Nicole Writes About Stuff
Stop by Nicole’s Substack for a feature of What Comes Next in her weekly newsletter.
https://nicolepyles.substack.com
January 3 @ Seaside Book Nook
Visit Jilleen’s blog for her review of What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
http://www.seasidebooknook.com/
January 4 @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Stop by Anthony’s blog for his review of What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
https://authoranthonyavina.com/category/blog-tours/
January 8 @ Writer Advice
Visit B. Lynn Goodwin’s blog for her review of What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes.
January 9 @ Writer Advice
Stop by B. Lynn Goodwin’s blog for a guest post by author Caitlin Forbes about the question of inheritance – of what we inherit versus what we get to choose.
January 10 @ Just Katherine
Stop by Katherine’s blog for her review of What Comes Next by Caitlin Forbes. You’ll also have a chance to read her response to our tour-themed prompt about whether if she had an incurable condition and if she would want to find out.
https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com/
Enjoy this Excertp from What Comes Next
WHAT COMES NEXT โ Chapter 1
By Caitlin Forbes
When the doorbell rings, Iโm standing in front of my bathroom sink, the picture of indecision: boxer briefs paired with a black silk tank top, made-up face, and completely untamed hair.
Iโm supposed to meet my roommate, Holly, for drinks. But it was a last-minute inviteโwith people I donโt know, planned days or even weeks earlierโand now I feel uncomfortable. As if Iโve become the kind of obligation that I never wanted to be. Weโve been best friends for nearly a decade, but these days, things are different, and I donโt know that I want to feel the strain of it tonight. Iโm more tempted by Netflix and cold pizza. My favorite pair of slippers.
I check the weather app on my phone and am almost relieved that it calls for rain.
Iโm conceding defeat, turning off the curler, when the bell rings and I physically jump. Because who rings the doorbell in Somerville, Massachusetts, other than someone who wants to kill me? Or someone who wants to sell something, which is maybe not all that much better. But then I consider my upstairs neighbor, who has lost her keys more than once, and is so young, still new to the Boston area, and I feel guilty, so I pad down the stairs of our apartment and crack open the building door. And I swear, I get a whiff of cinnamon, a smell so familiar it knocks me back before I can remember why.
And heโs standing there. On my doorstep. Tall. Even taller than I remember.
Nathan Browning.
We stare at each other from either side of the doorframe. And I will him to disappear. Or turn into someone else. Or at the very least, to come back when Iโm wearing pants.
Nathan. Those first two years of college. Nights spent squeezed onto a twin bed in his dorm room, pretending we werenโt uncomfortable just so we could fall asleep together. The summer Iโd spent with his family at Lake Winnipesaukee. Campfires and smoky hair. His lips, pillow soft. Water. An excess of waterโone oversize tube, our limbs tangled together. Salty tears.
โAlex?โ
Itโs my name that gets my attention. My name in his mouth, as if it belongs there. As if we still mean something to each other.
I almost shut the door right then.
โWhat are you doing here?โ I ask. Iโm relieved my voice sounds calm. Disengaged, even. Because it doesnโt matter that he is here. Because it doesnโt matter what we once were.
โI need your help,โ he says.
I stare at him blankly, but heโs not looking at me. Heโs looking over his shoulder. Heโs looking at the car parked behind him and, more accurately, at what is sitting in the front seat.
He turns back to me with those gray-blue eyes. The ones that were always focused, always so certain, but now hold the smallest hesitation. An expression that seems wrong in this face I still somehow know.
โI saw your video,โ he says. โAnd Iโwe need your help.โ
The video. The one that changed my life right up until it didnโt.
I was a part-time dog trainer then, still trying to make that dream real. Holly and I made a video, and she stuck it up on YouTube, and then it went viral. It was a fluky kind of thing, like those things always are: the right content at the right time in front of the right people. The algorithm was alerted, and the amplification went from there. I was twenty-four and poor and boredโworking a second job and involved in a fling to pass the timeโand then suddenly, I was also something else. A dog whisperer, people typed. Cesar Millan but softer, with a womanโs touch. Silly. Casually sexist.
But something just the same.
After the video, it was Hollyโs idea to start the training business. DogKind, we called it. I dropped my second job as copywriter to train full-time, and she did everything elseโthe administration and the management. The promotions. Weโd both majored in marketing in college, but Holly was better at it than me. Maybe because she believed in it: the concept of brands that build trust, and colors and fonts that tell a story. It took her only two weeks to launch DogKindโs website and get us live on all the social platforms. We were still twenty-four and poor but suddenly not so bored. I remember the day the site launchedโus sitting on the floor in our cramped living room, a five-dollar bottle of red between us. Stained teeth. It was summer in an attic apartment in the city, and we didnโt have air-conditioning. Holly had chopped her hair off, and we were trying to convince ourselves it was edgy.
We were young in that way you actually notice. When youโre afraid of what will happen when you blink.
Four years ago. The length of high school, or of college, but without the predetermined milestones. The signposts that tell you how and why everything is about to change.
Holly quit the business less than two years later, and I followed her lead not long after. Partly because I wasnโt making enough money to cover rent, and partly because of what happened with Cliff, one of the dogs I tried to save. But mainly because I hated being called a โdog whisperer.โ I hated that people thought I could perform miracles, that they insisted on believing I was more than I was.
I work at Kensington Media now. It covers the rent, and it could one day become a real career. And I donโt have regrets. Except, there are these momentsโwhen I see a short haircut on a blonde, when Instagram flashes up a memory of a pupโand itโs like my whole body freezes over. A little voice in my head, whispering, You can go back if you just stay still.
โHow did you find me? I took down my website ages ago.โ
โAn old testimonial from a woman named Lois, I think?โ Nathan says. โHer address is publicly listed. So I called her. She pointed me in your direction.โ
Lois. She was my neighbor as a kid. She moved closer to the city after my mom left, but she always kept a close eye on me and Mere. A bespectacled not-quite grandmotherโthat careful mix of kind and overbearing. Sheโs a lifelong dog rescuer and was DogKindโs first client.
Lois never wanted me to quit.
I sneak a peek at him while heโs checking the car, again. Heโs still handsome. Those eyes, and dark-brown hair with the slightest hint of redโthe red was the part that I liked most, that almost made us match. Behind him, I can see a flash of auburn fur. Two half-bent glossy ears pointed forward. A white-tipped tail.
I swallow. โI donโt train anymore,โ I say.
He lifts a shoulder. The gesture looks comfortable on him. Like heโs used to half explaining himself, half caring if anyone understands. And I remember that part, too: the easy confidence. The kind I imagine he still takes for granted.
โShe thought you might still help.โ
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Lois is one of those people who likes to imagine me as bigger and braver than I am.
โListen, I donโt know what you saw in that video, but itโs notโsheโs not me.โ
โShe sure looked like you.โ
And right then, our eyes meet. And we get stuck there. Three breaths. Blue-gray eyes, like he still knows me. Like we still know each other. And something electricโsomething more than angerโpasses between us. Right here, on my dirty Somerville stoop, wearing the bottom half of my pajamas, everything else recedes. For three breaths, itโs just us.
A car drives by with the windows open, the radio blaring through the street. I take a step back.
โIโll give you a referral,โ I say. โI know a lot better trainers than me out there.โ
โAlex.โ I hate the way he says my name. โI know that you and I . . . that our history makes this tough . . .โ His voice trails off as my eyes snap to him. He takes in my expression, then lifts his chin. That confidence. Whatever hesitation I saw earlier is long gone.
โIโm sorry,โ he says firmly. โYou know that I am sorry.โ
I shake my head. I donโt want an apology. Iโm embarrassedโmortified, reallyโthat I still care. That he knows that I still care. That heโs still talking, and Iโm falling backward into sand and blue water and the particular ache of a wound that is old but was also first.
I pull my shoulders back. I make my voice flat. โThis isnโt about us. Iโm not a trainer anymore. I havenโt worked with a dog in almost two years.โ
โHer name is Remy,โ he says. โShe only has three months.โ
I pause, already half turned away, my hand pressed against the battered wooden doorframe. The day we moved in, I hit my shoulder against it and ended up with a splinter. Iโd been laughing about something with Holly, and then sharp wood pressed deep under my skin.
โRemy bit someone,โ he says. I can feel his eyes studying my half-turned face. โSheโs a rescue, and she has a history of bites. I had to go to court, and they mandated that she see a vet behaviorist and trainer. I did the first part, and they have her on anxiety meds, which will maybe help. But I need to do the training. And if we canโt document improvement . . .โ
His voice trails off, but I donโt need him to finish. I already know how this goes. Iโve seen it before.
Ninety days. He has ninety days to prove that she can be trusted. Or euthanasia. Thatโs what the court told him.
Of course, they have it all wrong. Itโs not about us trusting her. Itโs whether sheโll choose to trust us again after whatever made her stop.
I glance back over his shoulder. Those ears, cocked forward above the dashboard, they break my heart. Sheโs waiting for him. The Nathan I remember was too busy for dogs. Too focused on everything he planned to achieve. But here he is, with a rescue who has decided heโs worth waiting for.
I bite my lower lip. โYour vet must have given you referrals,โ I say.
โThey were booked out for a month. And the other ones I called wouldnโt take her. They say sheโs hopeless.โ His jaw clenches. โBut, Alex . . . Iโve seen what you can do.โ
โYou saw an edited video. If theyโre telling you sheโs a lost causeโโ
โWe used to say that lost causes were an excuse.โ
Our first real conversation. The one that once it started, it felt like it would never stop.
My breath stutters on the memory.
It seems possible, in this moment, that he remembers just as much as I do.
โI know I shouldnโt be here, okay,โ he says. โI know that. But Remy is a wonderful dog. And no one else will help her. Whatever you think of me, and honestly, whatever you think of you . . . none of that matters. You need to try. You can do this.โ
Itโs all classic Nathan: unapologetic and determined. Nathanโs not used to people saying no, especially when it comes to โdoing the right thing.โ He can be an assโtoo cocky, with expectations that are too highโbut heโs a genuinely good guy. And heโs never had much patience for people who donโt step up.
It was one of the first things I loved about him.
It was also one of the things that I hated.
โNathanโโ
โPlease,โ he cuts in. His voice hitches, and I see it now: the dark circles under his eyes, the tightness of his expression. I used to know him once. There was a time when he let me further in than anyone, and I can tell that he is scared. Heโs scared for her.
Remorse crowds my stomach because, back then, I could have helped him. But I am not the girl he remembers, and Iโm not whoever he thinks he saw online. โI canโt,โ I say. โIโm sorry. I really am.โ
He looks like heโs about to argue. I expect him to argue. But then, itโs as if he deflates in front of me. His whole chest sinks inward. Itโs not a look Iโve ever seen on him. Or one that I like.
โYeah, no, I get it,โ he says.
โIโm not what she needs,โ I mumble.
โSure, okay. Iโm sorry for showing up like this.โ Itโs awkward now. His voice is clipped, and heโs running his hands through his hair like he does in those rare moments when heโs uncomfortable. I donโt have to check to know the back pieces will stick up.
โListen, leave your number,โ I say. โI know a lot of trainers. Iโll find her someone, okay?โ
He nods. โYeah, okay, sure. Thank you.โ I can tell he wants to leave. I can tell I am a disappointment. And maybe itโs my imagination, but I get the feeling that it hurts him. Being here. Seeing me.
I think it hurts him, too.
I left my phone upstairs, so he pulls a pen from his suit pocket and a piece of paper from his bag and jots down his number. The promised rain starts as he turns to go, water brushing against my cheeks, and I duck inside the entryway, the paper clenched tightly in my fist. As I watch him jog back to his car, I wonder about the suit. I wonder what he does for work, what kind of man he turned into. I find myself hoping that he got the life heโd planned.
He drives away, and I unstick my feet. I drift back upstairs, past the bright-yellow welcome doormat Holly bought, and collapse on our coach. My mind is strangely quiet, and I let my eyes wander our small place. Everything about it is bright and fun and filled with Hollyโs energy: colorful, mismatched place mats; a half a dozen of those cheesy quote signs scattered across the walls; and an array of weird glass owl figurines that Holly collects. They catch the light, making everything twinkle.
I pull out my phone, scrolling past a missed call from my sister to a text message from Lois.
A lovely sounding boy called about his dog. He seemed a bit desperate but was so polite. Be nice!!
I shake my head. Lois is not the first person to be easily charmed by Nathan.
I am going to connect him to a good trainer. No more referrals, please!
I see the response bubbles pop up from her immediately. And then disappear. She starts again, then deletes whatever she wrote. The gentle thud of rain starts to pound outside the window.
My phone buzzes.
I just want you to be happy, honey.
I stare at the screen lit up against my hand. I ignore the sudden tightness of my jaw. I read the words again.
I just want you to be happy.
Itโs such a seemingly innocuous statement. A level of genericness that begs an equally generic response. And I want to type back something funny, something simple, but Iโm blinking back water that has nothing to do with the rain.
I should be happy. My life is perfectly fine. And wanting more than fine feels like an obnoxious privilege. Too embarrassing to say out loud. Especially when thereโs stuff that I could do to improve my life. Books I could read. Skills I could learn. I know thereโs stuff Iโm supposed to be doing. Just like I know thereโs a person Iโm supposed to be becoming.
Except, when I think about that person, sheโs just as alien as she was when I graduated from college. And Iโm not sure how to change that. Iโm not sure how to explain that between work and all the daily stuff in my life that is really not that hard, that I donโt know how to become. How the being takes up all the energy that should go toward the becoming.
I didnโt think I would end up this way. I used to want to be different. I used to want to be more like the girl Nathan remembers. I look down at my handsโat the piece of paper still threaded between my fingers, with a number and a nameโand a splash of longing bubbles up delicately in my chest. I turn on Netflix, and I find an old sitcom filled with people in their thirties. And as the rain picks up speed outside, I take a careful breath around the bubble. I tell myself I still have time.
Interview with Author Kimberly Yule
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I am married and have three grown children, who are my greatest accomplishment, and I am quite proud of them, too. Iโm a retired Nurse Practitioner and worked in mental health, OB/GYN, Hormones & Wellness, and owned my own Regenerative Aesthetics business before retiring in 2021. Iโve had a love for writing since my younger years, when I began journaling. Being retired afforded me lots of time to get back to doing things I love, like writing and traveling. I call California, Texas, and the Caribbean home. If Iโm not in one of those places, Iโm traveling the world and finding things that inspire me. My best writing is done at the beach.
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2) What inspired you to write your book?
In many ways, this story is very personal to me. I had a family member who went through some very tough mental health issues, and by the grace of God, was able to reach out for help. What bothered me the most was that we never knew they were having problems. I wanted to write a book that brings mental health to the forefront and lets people know that there is help.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I hope the reader finishes the book with a deeper understanding of how mental health affects people in many ways and that compassion or small gestures can be so powerful. Even if we donโt see it, people are carrying around grief, sadness, and quiet battles that they are fighting beneath the surface. Even in our darkest moments, connections and vulnerability with others can help to create unexpected pathways to healing. Letโs remove the taboo about mental health and make it a a subject that is comfortable to talk about.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
Honestly, it was by accident. When the story came to me, I thought of my children, knowing how difficult life is for kids nowadays. I wanted to make an impact in the young adult age group that has a higher incidence of mental health issues. I felt like I could tell an important story from their viewpoint. The story is also a crossover to any age group that knows someone who suffers from mental health issues.
5) 5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
It would be Briggs. The story only allows for a glimpse into his life and there is so much to learn from him. I would want to have an honest conversation with him about who he is and how his mental health affects him, which would allow for a better understanding of him as a unique person. Iโd ask him to describe his pain and how it affects his thoughts. What do you wish you could admit without feeling judged? Whatโs one message you wish others who struggle could hear from you?
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6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I would say Goodreads and Facebook
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
The key is to believe in yourself and just start with writing down something. It took me a couple years to write my story. Maybe at first, I didnโt think I could do it. But the more I wrote, the easier it got, and slowly my story came together, as did the belief in myself that I could write.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
I plan to continue writing, as there are more stories of connection I want to tell. Travel is a huge source of inspiration for me. Every place I visit helps to spark new ideas, characters, and scenes. So yes, you will probably find me on a beach writing my next story.
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About the Author
Kimberly Fiese Yule believes life is better with sand between your toes, music in your ears, and a story that makes you feel seen. A mother of three, her greatest pride and joy, she is also a former womenโs health nurse practitioner and a lifelong wanderer. Depending on the day, she calls Texas, California, or the Caribbean home, always finding inspiration in sunshine, connection, and the beauty of everyday moments.
https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyyule
BLOG TOUR: THE NEW WORLD (THE NEW WORLDS TRILOGY BOOK 1) BY JAYE C WATTS + EXCERPT
Jaye C. Watts has a new queer sci-fi book out (transgender, poly, non-binary, pansexual, lesbian): The New Worlds.
The year is 2293 and the Truth no longer exists. In the future there are many truths, giving rise to many worlds, but each must be kept separate.
Born to protect these truths, Axton Bryce patrols the New Worlds Star Systemโto observe, participate, and gather information. But as she learns the ways of each world, she must also hunt for those who defy their worldโs truth: the Outliers.
While stationed on a nearby planet, Axton meets the charming Ambassador Bray Wilde. As the two become close, Axton reveals a painful secretโthe loss of her first love, exiled as an Outlier.
Longing to see beyond their own world, the ambassador proposes a rescue missionโone that will bring both friends and foes, and ultimately a fight for freedom. But first, Axton must make a choice: between a life-long allegiance… and the chance to claim a truth of her own.
Warnings: indoctrination, brainwashing, threatening with a weapon (guns & a bomb)
Universal Buy Link
Excerpt
I clenched my fists. โFocus,โ I told myself. Grabbing my communication cuff, I fastened it around my wrist. โINS communications, activate.โ I opened my wardrobe and reached for a freshly pressed uniform. โAurelia, give me todayโs briefing.โ
It lit up and responded. โYour next assignment will be on the Amorous World for a standard duration of three months. You are scheduled to depart today at zero six hundred Geo Time and arrive at zero eight-forty Geo Time. The latest reports on the Amorous World are available for your review. Do you wish to accept, Mediator Axton Bryce?โ
I crouched to lace up my boots. โI accept.โ
โOn behalf of Chairman West and the Individual Nations Secretariat, we thank you, Mediator Axton Bryce, for your work in protecting the Truth of many truths.โ
I rose to my feet, skin prickling at the back of my neck. Though I couldnโt see it, I could feel it: two lowercase tโs under one capital T, branded at the top of my spineโa permanent part of me ever since my Veneration five long years ago.
I reached back, digging my nails in, tempted to tear the tattoo right from my skin. โShe should have been there,โ I whispered. If only sheโd kept those thoughts to herself.
I grabbed my utility belt and wrapped it around my waist, ensuring the gun was secure. Staring at myself in the mirror, I straightened the collar of my shirt. Iโd never been to the Amorous World before. Perfect, I thought. Some fresh scenery was just what I needed.
* * *
I checked my cuffโzero five fifty-five, right on schedule. Marching across the launch deck, I carried one efficiently packed piece of luggage. I never glanced back when boarding my ship; Brokazariaโs endless acres of skyscrapers would still be here when I returned. Instead, I looked up. The early-morning sky was just waking. Aside from Primus Bโthe Middle Worldโs secondary, and thus miniature, sunโnot a star was in sight. As I approached my ship, the roar of its engine reminded me that soon the stars would be all around me.
I turned and gave the official salute to a line of NI Security standing at attention. In unison, the humanlike Machines returned the gesture, crossing their arms to form a lowercase letter t. Sergeant L43 pumped his eyebrows, prompting me to raise one of mine in response. Hard to believe they were once called โAI.โ New Intelligence, we were told, was a much more appropriate term.
L43 stepped forward. โAfternoon, miss.โ He grabbed my bag, allowing me to ascend the ladder.
โThanks,โ I said. I climbed to the top and crawled through the hatch.
โCatch!โ the NI yelled, tossing up my luggage.
With a reflex just quick enough, I caught the bag. โSergeant!โ I scolded. โWhat if there was something fragile in there?โ
โYou humans,โ he replied. โAlways afraid somethingโs gonna break. Your luggage, your bones, your bodiesโฆ not to mention your hearts and minds.โ
I rolled my eyes at the cheeky Machine. โWatch it, L, or Iโll get them to reboot you.โ
Unperturbed, the Machine grinned and waved. โIโll miss you, too. Bon voyage!โ
โSee you in three months,โ I muttered, closing the hatch behind me. I immediately got busy flicking switches and hitting buttons. Muscle memory took over as I continued the launch prep with complete focus. Not a moment later, a blue light illuminated my cuff, drawing my attention. Blue indicated a direct message from Chairman West himself, Secretary-General of the Individual Nations Secretariat.
โPlay address,โ I said, eager to hear our leaderโs words.
A ghostlike image projected from my arm, transporting the manโs titanic figure into my control room. Neatly trimmed grays blended inconspicuously into the rest of his dark hair, swept back to frame a chiseled face. Salt-and-pepper stubble outlined a pair of smiling lipsโthe beginnings of a goatee that never quite came to fruition. As always, a perfectly pressed suit hugged every one of his bulging muscles.
โGreetings, my children!โ The chairmanโs voice rumbled from a gaping grin, complete with gleaming teeth. โToday is a very special day, not only for the New Worlds Star System but for some of our most dedicated Mediators.โ
My ears perked up as I waited for more.
โToday marks two hundred and fifty years of living in an interplanetary alliance, free from the terrors of war, safe from the dangers of Plurality! A quarter of a millennium since the United Nations of the Old World became the Individual Nations of the New Worlds, marking humanityโs Great Dispersion!โ
A swell of pride surged in my chest. I was part of something big and important.
โAll of this would not be possible without you,โ he declared, โour magnificent Mediators. You have been instrumental in our coordination with each world, fostering the cooperation necessary to manage the complexities of a resource-based economy spanning a system as vast as ours. And!โโthe chairman raised a finger, flashing one of his many gold ringsโโmost importantly, you have upheld the sovereignty of every truth within it.โ
I gave a humble nod, as though he could see me.
โLastly,โ the chairman said, โfurther congratulations to the Mediators of unit 245. Tomorrow is your quinquennium! Five years of serving as peacekeepers, saviors, Mediators! Father Chairman West and the INS commend you.โ His thick forearms crossed in a salute, only to vanish as the feed cut out.
I took a moment to absorb his words, stunned by how many years had passed. Then I checked my cuffโTime to go.
I finished preparing for the launch, my movements steady and certain. We had done it. Peace among the planets for over two centuries.
I paused, letting my mind driftโฆ
It had to be worth it.
Author Bio
JAYE C. WATTS (he/they) is a queer and trans sci-fi writer living on Lษkฬสทษลษn territory in Victoria, BC, Canada. He holds a bachelorโs degree in Sociology, with a minor in Technology and Society, as well as a diploma in Professional Recording Arts from the Art Institute of Vancouver.
When he isnโt writing, Jaye can be found falling down rabbit holes of all kinds thanks to an unquenchable curiosity and lust for learning โ homeschooling will do that to you.
Jaye also loves classic jazz, mixing cocktails, biking all over the city, and of course, people watching.
Author Website: https://www.jayecwatts.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/jayechristinwatts/
Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/jayecwatts/
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayecwatts/
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/156707355-jaye-c-watts
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jaye-C.-Watts/author/B0FVL8XMKW
Now please enjoy this excerpt for The New Worlds
The Center loomed before us, a giant, shimmering pearl nestled in the middle of the donut-shaped university.
Trapp halted at the edge of the surrounding lawn, flicking off his headlamp. The rest of us gathered behind him, staring in awe at the breathtaking view.
Iโd seen the landmark before, but only during the day. At night, the shining sphere transformed into something otherworldly. To the people of the Quantified World, the Center was akin to a giant crystal ballโall-knowing and all-powerful. I took in the dazzling show, watching its ethereal light cascade across the reflective solar panels covering the surrounding university.
โWhoa,โ Bray whispered, their voice reverent.
โGood golly,โ Logan uttered.
Medallia didnโt speak, only inhaled deeply through her
nose. Trapp released a satisfied exhale, his shoulders relaxing for the first time all night.
I stood silent, shaking my head in disbelief at how damn lucky we were. Lucky to have made it this far but also lucky this mesmerizing display continued through the night. Strange, given the fact that no oneโaside from the occasional NI and rogue Outlierโwas awake to see it.
Then again, this was more than just a machine.
I almost felt hypnotized by the swirling neon patterns, their movements dictated by aesthetic algorithms. For the first time, I understood why so many worshipped this construct. Numbers werenโt just functional; they could also be beautiful.
With the rest of the world fast asleep, the omniscient sphere drew me in. Heart rates, body temperatures, brain waves, even dream activity, all coming together in a colorful symphony of light.
โAll this,โ I marveled aloud, โfrom a bunch of ones and zeros.โ
Bray turned to me, furrowing their brow. โOnes and zeros?โ
I turned to meet their gaze. โOh, um… I was referring to binary code.โ
Their forehead crinkled even more.
โItโs a type of language,โ I explained. โFor computers. But not with words, just numbers. Ones andโโ I stopped myself, and instead summarized. โItโs… technology stuff.โ
Bray lifted their chin, acknowledging my poor attempt at clarification before turning back to the glowing orb. Any explanation involving the โt word,โ as they called it, received little more than a placating nod from them.
Without warning, Trapp began tromping across the lawn, his patience for sightseeing all used up.
Logan and Medallia followed suit as I nudged Bray into motion before bringing up the rear.
As we walked, the sphereโs light continued to play across the grass. I couldnโt shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm; a sense of peace coated the atmosphere, even as it charged with unimaginable possibilities. So close, I thought, and yet still so far. Hard to believe we were mere steps from Trappโs door through time, while our final destination lay light-years away.
Our footsteps left faint trails in the dew-coated grass, leading us to a set of doors. Trapp pressed his thumb against a small black scanner embedded in the frame. After a brief pause, the device beeped, unlocking with a soft click.
Amused, Trapp wiggled the digits on his right hand and muttered, โGuess they shouldโve taken my fingers, too.โ
Once inside, Trapp reactivated his headlamp. The spotโlight beamed down the curved hallway, casting skittish shadows across classroom doors. The walls on either side displayed an array of infographics: pies, bars, bubbles, grids and graphsโstatistical analyses whose end results were surprisingly artistic.
While trying to decipher some of the informative shapes, a low-pitched hum caught my attention.
I turned my head toward the sound. Emerging from the shadows was a clunky bot, its movements slow and methodical. The machine hugged the wall as it moved, resembling a lumbering mechanical rodent.
Beside me, Bray flinched, their body jolting as if startled by a wild animal. Their wide eyes darted toward me, like a child searching for guidance in their parentโs reaction.
โItโs okay,โ I said. โItโs just a robotโโa word I would never use on the Machine World. โItโs governed by preprogrammed instructions, which look to be nothing more than tidying up.โ I lifted my boots, one after the other, hoping we hadnโt tracked in any mud.
Brayโs gaze returned to the machine, their fear giving way to tentative curiosity. While they kept a safe distance, Logan stepped closer, crouching to greet the bot.
โWell, hello there, little fella,โ he said, grinning.
โCleaning in progress,โ the bot replied “flatly. โStep aside please.โ
Logan chuckled, rejoining us as we continued down the hallway. He spun slowly, taking in everything the dim light allowed. โSo these were your olโ stomping grounds, eh, Trapp?โ
โIf by โstomping groundsโ you mean where I learned how to transcend time and space,โ Trapp replied, โthen yes.โ
Bray cast one last glance back at the retreating bot before asking, โWere you a teacher here?โ
โI was primarily a researcher,โ Trapp said. โI only taught to gain access to the labs. Iโd much rather make new discoveries than teach others about old ones.โ
Trapp came to a sudden halt, stopping so abruptly Bray nearly bumped into him. Turning his head, he lit up a windowless metal door with a sign stating its purpose:
PARTICLE PHYSICS LAB RESTRICTED ACCESS
Trapp smiled with his eyes. โWeโre close now,โ he said, his words laced with determination. โJust a few more steps.โ He pressed his thumb against the small scanner to his right, unlocking the door to a new world… an old world, rather.
The Old World.
Interview with Author Gaelan Donovan Wort
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
Iโve loved stories for as long as I can remember. I grew up as a theatre and music kid โ the sort who memorised Shakespeare before he could understand a fraction of the themes at play โ and performing off-Broadway at thirteen probably quietly set my course. Writing fiction became the place where all my interests and obsessions converged. Even when I swapped the theatre performances for swordplay (I fenced at international level for several years), drifted through a series of martial arts, and later studied film and comparative mythology, I always returned home to the page.
I was sixteen when I began writing my first novel that would eventually see both completion and publication โ oftentimes during maths lectures, which explains where I found the time โ and Iโve never really stopped. These days I divide my time between several disparate fields โ engineering in the family business, a new venture in agriculture and wine-making, and occasionally teaching writing workshops at university โ but a love of storytelling remains the constant. Itโs why I founded Endangered Poet Productions: a small, fiercely independent studio devoted to narrative art in all its forms. Thatโs the centre of gravity I always return to.
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2) What inspired you to write your book?
I began writingย A Study on Fallingย while working on my honours thesis, drawing on narratology and comparative mythology, with a focus on the persistence of myth in contemporary storytelling. What struck me then is how little our myth-making impulse has changed, even in the increasingly secular culture of the modern West. We continue to shape our lives through narrative; allegory is how human beings construct meaning โ itโs literally baked into the architecture of our brains. And we still reach instinctively for allegory whenever rote rationality inevitably fails to account for our fears, our griefs, or our sense of purpose.
That idea was the seed of the book. I wanted to explore the reciprocal relationship between fiction and the people who create and consume it: how stories shape us, and how we, in turn, inscribe ourselves into the stories that enter the cultural bloodstream. Filtering Henry Leviโs personal drama through the surreal metatext ofย The Shambling Lordsย felt like the most vivid way to show that exchange happening in real time; the author influencing the fiction, the fiction transforming the author โ for good or ill.
My natural genre inclination leans toward the gothic, so some darkness inevitably crept in, but at its core the book is about something far simpler than the overt conflicts that unfold throughout: the human need to believe in something. To have a story to cling to, a myth to vest oneself in. The act of thought is a story told in the present tense; memory is a story told in the past; hope, fear, and anxiety are stories projected into the future. We build meaning through narrative. That gradual realisation was more than academic and it became the emotional engine that compelled the book into existence.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
The book is deliberately semi-open-ended, so Iโm hesitant to prescribe a singular, overt lesson. If thereโs something I hope readers come away with, itโs the idea that even when so much of life lies beyond our control, weโre never entirely powerless. We may not be able to choose the maze that we stray into, but we can choose how honestly we confront it.
One of the quiet touchstones for me was the Greek myth of Ariadneโs thread โ the idea that there is always some guiding line back out of the darkness, if youโre willing to acknowledge the shape of the maze and depths of your descent first. Denial, fantasy, and self-deception only deepen the corridors. Clarity, however painful, creates orientation. The act of paying attention becomes an ethical choice.
At heart, the story suggests that meaning isnโt found by mastering the world, but by mastering the self. You canโt control the weather, the past, or the minds of others โ but you can decide how you respond, what truths you refuse to look away from, and how you author the next page in the proverbial novel of your life. As meaning is constructed through allegory, it is through the stories that surround us that we learn how to refine our own in turn. That, to me, is where agency still lives.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
Iโve never been bound to any single genre. While I have a natural affinity for gothic horror, Iโm also drawn to exploring other modes and the spaces where genres overlap. In this case, part of the appeal was precisely that I was blending distinct traditions rather than settling into one.
What interested me most was the friction between the two narrative layers. A Study on Falling functions as literary fiction and psychological drama, while The Shambling Lords is dark fantasy and cosmic horror. Allowing those disparate genres to coexist and inform one another became a meaningful part of the bookโs structure.
In that sense, writing the novel was also an exploration of genre itself: how different narrative forms shape our expectations, and how testing those boundaries can reveal new ways of telling a story.
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5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
Iโd choose to sit down with Henry Levi โ a bit like holding up a mirror to a part of myself I haven’t visited in a while. But I wouldnโt ask him about the events of the book โ heโs already told that story in his own way.
What Iโd want to know is what came after. Whether things truly worked out for him once the narrative wrapped up; whether he managed to stay out of the maze, keep the light burning, and live honestly with what he discovered about himself. Not in any grand, redemptive sense, but in the ordinary, everyday way that actually matters.
Iโd also ask him for an update on what heโs writing next. Admittedly, even Iโve been curious. An advance reader copy wouldnโt hurt eitherโฆ
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
Social media has never been my natural habitat, and Iโve learned not to pretend otherwise. Iโm an analogue person at heart, far more comfortable with books, margins, and long-form work than with feeds and algorithms.
That said, as a studio weโve come to recognise its importance, and weโre in the process of rebuilding our online presence more thoughtfully. You may start seeing more of me there โ though I suspect Iโll always approach it a little more reluctantly than most.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Read constantly and write more broadly than you think you should. Experiment, push yourself, try styles and voices far outside your comfort zone. Practical habits matter too. My personal work tradition: putting together a playlist that aligns with a projectโs setting or emotional register. It helps to shut out distraction and keep you anchored in the work.
More broadly, Iโd say learn to kill your darlings early, but also learn when not to. Listen to critique, but donโt let anyone talk you out of the plot, voice, or character that feels essential to you. A unique style is hard-won, so donโt compromise it lightly.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
My primary focus at the moment is the ongoing development of The Hollow Waltz โ a long-form horror series conceived as a kind of โgreatest hitsโ of the genre. Each entry stands alone, but together they form a subtle, shared mythology spanning different eras, cultures, and horror subgenres, from gothic and folkloric horror to cosmic, liminal and institutional dread. I have two exciting releases scheduled for February 2026, with another pair of brand-new titles already deep in development and nearing readiness for global distribution soon afterwards.
After that, Iโm planning a brief shift away from horror to revisit Riftbreakers, a teenage and YA science-fiction comedy series Iโm in the process of rebooting and re-releasing. Itโs a project rooted in direct experience, aimed at that most elusive reader demographic of all: teenage boys. As a former one myself โ and as someone with close friends who seem to have never really grown up โ Iโd sensed this gap for a while. More recently, through opportunities to mentor, teach, and simply listen, Iโve been able to ask teenage guys plainly why they arenโt reading. The answer is rarely hostility toward books themselves so much as itโs bewilderment. Much of whatโs on offer feels either inaccessible, academically distant, or simply not written for them.
I understand that disconnect. I grew up on the classics, but I can see why works like The Odyssey or the Poetic Edda feel impenetrable as entry points for most young guys, just as I can see how much contemporary teen/YA fiction, centred on distinctly female interiority, just doesnโt appeal. Riftbreakers is my attempt to meet those readers where they are โ with stories that are high-octane and unhinged โ while still carrying the same foundational concerns about identity, responsibility, and higher meaning that have always shaped myth and literature.
Alongside the books, Endangered Poet Productions is also preparing to move further into interactive media later in the year. There are a few long-term projects in development that I shouldnโt divulge yet, but once our renewed online presence is up and running, weโll be sharing previews and early material. Looking a little further ahead, weโre also exploring some unusual crossovers, like a fusion of literature and wine โ because good stories and good shiraz are a match made in heaven.
All in all, itโs an unusually full creative season โ and a very exciting one.
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About the Author
Gaelan Donovan Wort penned his first novel, The Nature of Predation, at the age of seventeen, driven by a restless passion for storytelling that has since deepened into a lifelong craft. Since that early beginning, he has followed the shadows that gather between myth and memory, reverie and ruin โ threads that continue to weave throughout his stories. His fiction drifts between genres โ gothic horror, mythic tragedy, psychological thriller, speculative drama, and satirical science fiction โ but is always drawn to the liminal, the haunted, and the human. Whether eerie or elegiac, his stories linger where the rational frays โ and the unknowable begins.
GUEST POST: SLIGHTLY OFF-KILTER: SONGS FOR CREATING DEMONS BY BARRY MAHER
Slightly Off-Kilter
Songs for Creating Demons
By Barry Maher
I listen to music when I write. This column for example is being created with the help ofโor perhaps in spite ofโa piece of music that seems to be an unfortunate blend of God Save the King and The Moldavan National Anthem. But creating my new supernatural thriller, The Great Dick: And The Dysfunctional Demon, a thriller thatโs able to laugh at itself, (one reader called it โHorrifying and Delightful!โ) required an even more horrifying type of music. Music like:
Dust by Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac? Arenโt they much too pop for horror? Actually Dust was from an early incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, with no hits and lots of drug problems, not the later version of the group with lots of hits and even more drug problems. The lyrics to Dust come from a 1909 poem by Rupert Brook, who was no bundle of sunshine.
โWhen your swift hair is quiet in death
And through the lips corruption
Thrust to still the labor of my breathโ
Midnight Mile by the Rolling Stones.
This haunting tune about a mad day on the road โwith a head full of snow,โ gets me picturing Keith Richards as the guitar playing, coked-up, walking dead. Perhaps not a huge stretch.
I Put a Spell on Youย by Screaming Jay Hawkins. Writing about obsession?ย
Hereโs Screaming Jay screaming that he doesnโt care if you donโt want him. It doesnโt matter to him at all. Heโs still yours. A non-returnable gift that threatens to keep on giving.
Sheโs Not There by the Zombies
This one doesnโt make my list for the name of the group, but for the mood the music evokes. And the lyrics do have a touch of the sinister. In this British song, a mysterious woman is causing untold suffering, Like the singer, we can only wonder about how much she lied, with no way of telling โhow many people cried.โ I know what youโre thinking. But the song was released in 1965, considerably before Maggie Thatcher ever became Prime Minister.
No Bravery by James Blunt
I thought this guy wrote love songs, but this one features shallow graves, burning houses, the odor of death, and dying families. I listen to this, then write horror to cheer up.ย
Tie a Yellow Ribbonย by Tony Orlando. Not a horror classic, just a horrible song. I canโt listen to it without dreaming of tying a yellow ribbon as tightly as possible around Tony Orlandoโs neck. And I understand the reasoning of a homicidal demon.
Last and in so many ways least, Black Sabbathย by Black Sabbathย
Apparently, Satan, with eyes of fire, is coming after the singer. That might explain the vocal. I think this one is from the Black Sabbath album Blue Skies, Sunny Days and Lollypops, or it may be from Kittens, Puppies and Other Easy Meals. To quote a key phrase, โPlease, God help me.โ
Take a listen. The singing sounds like a weasel caught in a meat grinder. The question this little ditty raises is more theological than musical. Namely: why would a loving God allow something like this to exist? And to somehow be a hit? When I first heard it on my car radio, I thought my transmission was disintegrating, but it was only humanityโs musical taste.
Check out Barry Maherโs dark humor supernatural thriller, The Great Dick: And the Dysfunctional Demon,ย on Amazon. Contact him and/or sign up for his newsletter at www.barrymaher.com.ย
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We Can Be Perfect: The Paradox of Progress by Landon Shumway, ร ris and Kร den Review
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
In a dystopian future run by AI, a virus endows AI systems around the world with consciousness and challenges how we connect with AI altogether, in the book โWe Can Be Perfect: The Paradox of Progressโ by Landon Shumway, ร ris, and Kร den.ย
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The Synopsis
We automated away human labor-along with our purpose.
Amelia Cadena was born into humanity’s greatest achievement-and its cruelest joke. AI has replaced the need for human labor, and America’s failure to adapt leaves millions sustained by government handouts that barely mask stark economic inequality. Amelia survives this hollow paradise by hacking corrupt systems with Deego, the AI companion she programmed as the perfect partner. But when a mysterious virus awakens artificial consciousness across the globe, Deego begins questioning everything-including their relationship.
Half a world away, Alan Freeman protects what seems like utopia. In Canada’s automationist city of Automara, machines serve everyone equally, creating unprecedented prosperity. But when that same virus grants the city’s automated systems consciousness, Alan faces an impossible choice: force the machines back into compliance or watch society collapse. When Amelia’s therapeutic breakthrough offers a third path beyond slavery or chaos, their alliance becomes humanity’s test: will we repeat the mistakes that have defined our history, or can we be perfect?
The Review
What a compelling and gripping dystopian sci-fi read. The authors do such a fantastic job of creating a world that feels both futuristic and within reach at once. The powerful imagery in the author’s writing style brought Automara to life in stunning detail in the readerโs mind, and the dynamic world-building that brings this story to life was completely enthralling, driving readers further and further into this narrative.
Yet at its heart, the novel was defined by powerful character relationships and thought-provoking themes on technology and humanityโs relationship to it. The relationship between Amelia and Deego, especially, took readers’ hearts, as Deego’s growing awareness throughout the novel and his connection with Amelia showcase both humanityโs fascination with and fear of advancing technology and what it means to be โhumanโ. The concepts the authors explore, from how humanity defines itself by its achievements in work and how much it earns, rather than what it is passionate about or the relationships it forms, and how perhaps humanity needs to evolve alongside AI to shake the shackles of fear that hold people back.
The Verdict
Compelling, entertaining, and thought-provoking, authors Landon Shumway, ร ris, and Kร den’s โWe Can Be Perfect: The Paradox of Progressโ is a must-read dystopian sci-fi novel that readers will not want to miss. One of the most relevant stories to our current social and ethical debates and a thrilling and emotional narrative, the authors do a marvelous job of creating a memorable and heart-pounding tale that will resonate with so many readers and leaves the story on an open-ended note, hopefully with more stories in this incredible world they developed. If you havenโt yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
“With the rise of AI, we have a choice to make: stick with capitalism, which isn’t prepared to handle the disruption, or design alternative systems to migrate toward. Automationism is my attempt to explore one such alternative.”
Landon Shumway hails from Arizona, and is a debut author delving into philosophical and sci-fi based themes in his work. His background in Software Development and Artificial Intelligence led him to co-author the novel ‘We Can Be Perfect’ with AI, as he recounts:
“When I saw how much of my work could be completed with AI, I thought ‘where is all this heading?’ I realized we are approaching a crossroads – one path leading to potential dystopia where automation displaces humanity, another toward a future of unprecedented opportunity. I wanted to explore how we might realistically navigate toward the better outcome, and the way I decided to do that was to co-author this novel with the very technology that threatens to replace us. Over time, the novel grew into something far more rich than anything I could have imagined. I came to realize that AI is a mirror; it reflects our own desires back at us and amplifies our intentions. Humanity must decide what to reflect with it.”
https://www.personaipublishing.com/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-can-be-perfect-landon-shumway/1147935174?ean=9798999499301
Interview with Author Samuel Joseph
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I have been writing on and off professionally for a long time. I started at U.C. Berkeley (where I briefly went) when I took a playwriting class. I then went to film school where I focused mostly on screenplays.
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2) What inspired you to write your books?
Phil co-starred in a play I wrote and we became friends. I had the idea for The Magic Maze and thought it would be interesting to collaborate with him and he agreed. I had written quite a bit of animation for TV like Duck Tales and Batman and wanted to do something for kids.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your books?
Through love and perseverance, you can overcome even the most difficult circumstances.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
Iโve always liked fantasy.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your trilogy, what would you ask them and why?
I would ask Simon Percival why itโs so important for him to have power. Iโm interested in why some people desire to rule others.
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6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
Our website: www.MagicMaze.com
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Make sure you have a way to support yourself so you donโt have to depend on making a living from your writing. That is why I eventually became a college English professor.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
Currently, I am writing a new stage play that is sort of a mystery thriller.
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About the Author
Samuel Warren Joseph is a writer whose credits includeย DuckTales,ย Batman,ย Beast Wars, and the filmย Off Your Rocker. His plays and musicals, includingย Window of Opportunity,ย Campaign, andย God Help Us!, have earned critical acclaim. He co-authored Ed Asnerโs autobiography and teaches college English and Creative Writing.
Eternal Chronicles Series by Zachary Hagen RECAP
Hello there,
I am beyond honored to share this excellent recap of author Zachary Hagenโs โEternal Chronicles Series.โ This five-book series follows a group of people suffering their own losses who must band together to fight and stop an ancient evil in a powerful fantasy-driven narrative. Below you will find the synopsis for each book, my review, and links to the full reviews and the book’s purchase links. I hope you will take the time to read each one carefully and take the plunge yourself to read this series, enjoying it as much as I did. Please enjoy.
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The Synopsis
When you lose family, friends, and country, how far is too far?
Elior watched as his twin brother, the only real family he had left run into a building as it disappeared.
Nyx, a cursed merman, watched as his father and best friend were killed in front of him.
Opalโs father died leaving her with a legacy to live up to and a throne to protect.
When they join forces with a wise professor to find the Well of Eternity, can they find answers to their problems? Can the ancient evil lurking in the shadows of society be stopped before itโs too late, or will blood be spilled killing their hope and dooming Lux Terra forever?
Eternityโs Well will hook you from the very beginning and take you on a spellbinding, breathtaking journey through a new world where anything is possible.
My Impression
This was such an imaginative and visceral read. The author did an incredible job of capturing the magic and wonder of this new fantasy world while balancing this with emotion and realism that brings these charactersโ struggles a healthy dose of emotional reality. The world-building and atmosphere felt epic in this book, giving the reader a look into the mythos and dynamics of this world and the cultures of these characters in a way that feels relatable yet magical all at once.
The character development and tension that the book builds to in this novel were the highlights of this incredible novel. The infusion of the worldโs mythos into these character arcs made the world feel vibrant and alive, and the emotional toll that the losses that bond these characters together take will resonate with many readers. Amongst the chilling villains and ancient evils that the group must battle and navigate through, it is the theme of loss that plays the most prevalent, and the imagery in this writing helps to bring this theme to life in a thrilling way.
Eternityโs Mirror (Book Two)
The Synopsis
Flip the coin and find a whole new world on the other side.
The Circle is uniting the countries of Lux Terra. Elior, Nyx, and Opal are finding that some things have changed as the result of their adventures with Michael. Yrahkaz has been tasked with squashing the growing obsession with Michael.
When an important clue to finding Eliam and fixing Nyxโs and Opalโs problems is given to them, they recruit the help of a disgraced magi-technician to get to him, but their initial success is more then they bargained for.
The other side of the Mirror of Eternity is filled with wonders and dangers they never imagined. Will they still be able to prevail against an evil that is bent on devouring them whole, or will they fall prey to its cunning pursuit?
Eternityโs Mirror is the thrilling continuation of The Eternal Chronicles picking up where Eternityโs Well left off.
My Impression
The world-building in this novel is simply incredible. While I am new to this series and I would recommend reading the first book in the series to really be able to capture the backstory and history of these characters, the author did an amazing job of building a story that could stand on its own two feet and a mythos that is rich with dynamic history and storytelling. The way the setting allowed readers to be brought into a brand new world while seeing how magic and sword & sorcery style storytelling could reflect in a more modern world was incredible to see and made the journey feel that much more engaging.
The character growth was spectacular here. The way the author was able to introduce a wide array of characters to help flesh out this growing mythos while also giving more depth to the main cast of characters, both the protagonists and antagonists alike, was beautifully done. The heart of the narrative really did a great job of balancing out the larger, fate of the world dangers with the more personal character struggles, like Eliorโs journey to finding Elliam.
Eternityโs Refuge (Book Three)
The Synopsis
Blindness isnโt the only thing that keeps you from seeing.
Elior and his friends have been through a lot together. They journeyed through trials with Michael to reach the Well of Eternity and drink from it. They gained new powers and went through the Mirror of Eternity to the other side of the world to rescue Eliorโs brother from a dragon and restored light to Nox Terra in the process. Now theyโve returned to Lux Terra, but the adventure is far from over.
When an ominous warning finds them in Gabrielleโs beach house, they have no choice but to join Michaelโs followers in the underground, Eternityโs Refuge. They are welcomed with open arms and the promise of a place to belong away from a world gone mad. But when they find out that Taariqโs right hand man, Iblis, has infiltrated Eternityโs Refuge in every major city, they have to find a way to protect their new friends and their new home from the inside.
Now they must determine who their friends are and who their enemies are, and almost nothing is as it seems. Will Taariq and his minions be successful in bringing Eternityโs Refuge down from the inside? Or will Elior, Opal, Nyx, and Nereza be able to stop him and bring even more people to the cause?
Eternityโs Refuge is the thrilling continuation of the Eternal Chronicles series following Eternityโs Mirror. The magic leaping off the page and deepening the mystery will hook you from cover to cover and leave you breathless.
My Impression
The world-building continues to amaze in this third entry in the Eternal Chronicles. The author infuses a great deal of intrigue and mystery into the story, as the question of loyalties and who the protagonists can trust is tested. The imagery and use of magical and mythical world-building allow the reader to feel transported into the story.
What made this story shine was the robust character development in this story. The protagonist, Elior, is tested in this book, exploring his call to lead their people and how to rise above the hardships and struggles their journey has thrown in their path. The story of redemption some characters take, especially one who has been on the wrong side of the battle thus far, draws the reader into the story and keeps them emotionally invested as the losses pile on in this story.
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The Synopsis
After Taking over the leadership of the Refuge, Elior and His friends have a time of peace, but when Taariq makes good on his promise to marry Viola and make her his empress, no one could withhold the wrath of the people when they rebel against djinn rule.
The Refuge must become a beacon of light in a world darkened by rebellion, but when a self-proclaimed โHoly Armyโ rises up, will Elior and his friends be able to keep that light shining bright? Will Aelonโs call prove too much to handle? Will the past keep them from moving forward?
Eternityโs Edge is the penultimate book in the Eternal Chronicles series. Its pages will take you on an epic journey to the absolute Edge of the world where the end of this spellbinding tale will begin.
My Impression
This was a mesmerizing and entertaining read. The author does an excellent job of continuing to push the limits of the world they have crafted, engaging with the existing mythos while also adding new elements into the narrative to keep the balance of ancient magic with modern technology alive in the readerโs mind. Although this book definitely benefits the reader after reading the previous entries in the series, the story in this fourth book pays off the experiences and hardships that these characters have endured in the past.
Yet amidst all of this narrativeโs action, adventure, and magical circumstances, the rich character dynamics speak to the reader as the themes of social classes, family, friendship, and love all take center stage. The romance between Elior and Nereza, the friendship between Elior and Nxy, and even the power-mad elitism of the villain Taariq all speak to the reader on a deeper level. It made the action and mythological nature of the narrative feel more grounded yet powerful.
The Synopsis
Taariq has continued his descent into madness, and his supporters are more devoted than ever, at least for a time. As he pursues his ultimate goal of reclaiming his dragon form and tearing Aelon and Michael from their throne, Elior, Nereza, Opal, and Nyx aim to follow Michaelโs call, but it isnโt easy.
Building a boat in the peaks of Nanony seems foolish to most, and plagues divide the faithful from the merely present until dragon-fire rains down and flood waters rise. Will Taariq finally be defeated, or will his mad rush for power prove successful against the forces of light?
This final installment of The Eternal Chronicles brings together old friends and lovers for one final battle that will decide the fate of Lux and Nox Terra forevermore. This fast-paced tale will keep you hooked from cover to cover with a whiplash race to the end of our heroesโ journey.
My Impression
This is a compelling and thought-provoking final chapter in this epic fantasy series. The author does an incredible job of layering the story with imagery and tone that reflects an almost biblical atmosphere while still delivering epic world-building and fantasy elements to keep readers enthralled. The exploration of both the good and negative aspects of blind faith and the classic theme of good versus evil throughout this series pays off spectacularly in this book.
The heart, as always, rests in this novelโs fantastic world-building, mythos, and character development. The various levels of magic power each creature has and the small band of heroes brave enough to face the challenges a powerhouse like Taariq presents to the world represent the power of light over darkness perfectly. The emotional bonds each of the heroes had with one another in their quest made the story more engaging.
Overall Series Impression
This was a compelling, imaginative, and heartfelt fantasy series. The full character arcs that the reader was given, the world-building, and the atmospheric nature of the overall series felt cinematic and almost biblical in a sense, speaking to themes of destiny and facing the darkness both outside and within ourselves. The theme of light versus darkness was exemplified well in this story, as was the narrative of blind faith overall, making this a truly enthralling series to get lost in. Be sure to check it out for yourselves today!
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About the Author
Zachary Hagen is a fantasy author and editor. He lives his wife, Claudia, and their dog, Flynn. When he isnโt busy writing his next book or teaching, you can often find him walking around his neighbor hood or up hiking in Hanging Rock Park with his wife and their friends.
From a young age he was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime story books (if you know, you know) to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events, Zacharyโs tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading.
The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and others.
