Blog Archives
A Feminist Revolution
Queentide follows a woman in a future dystopian Australia who creates a radical feminist group to return women’s right to vote. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The world in Queentide isn’t so different from the one we live in today. Women are underrepresented in positions of power, they’re the victims of more domestic violence, they still face more discrimination at work, and when they try to challenge the status quo, by speaking out or running for office they are beaten back by a system not designed to support them and widespread trolling.
I wondered what it would take to change this, and I decided it would be the army of women Gloria Steinem talked about.
Bodie is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?
Bodie’s character is based on some women I’ve met who were part of the feminist moment back in the 1960s. They’re realists – they’ve been fighting for women’s rights for 60 years so they know change is hard! But they are still trying, they still think its possible. It was this fierce optimism I wanted to capture in Bodie’s character.
But ultimately, the biggest driver for Bodie is love. She thinks love will change the world. And it does, but perhaps not in the way she expects!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
A really important theme for me to explore was the silencing of women, and the myriad of ways that is done – in relationships, on social media, in the news, in politics, in the courts, even sometimes by themselves. Queentide was my way of giving these women’s voices an outlet, and to highlight the inequities that still exist for women.
It was also really important for me to look at the issue of intersectionality, or the lack of it, in the feminist movement. When I imagined a feminist revolution, one that worked, it couldn’t just be lead by straight white feminists-people like me. And being set in Australia, It was important to reflect on the experience of First Nations women and men. Writing Queentide, I did a lot of listening, learning and privilege-checking. That experience has changed how I see the world, my blinkers are definitely off.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The next book is called There She Goes – it’s about a woman rapidly approaching middle age who revisits her youth in a desperate attempt to reroute her future. It will hopefully be on shelves by the end of the year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
People Want to Destroy It
The Bystander finds mankind trapped in time, never aging, which brings out the best and worst in mankind. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
My inspiration was a scientific theory that i read about. Please, don’t ask me, it’s a major spoiler for the story! And once i read it, the main story created in my mind.
The characters in your story were intriguing and well developed. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
The first thing i did was think about what characters i want to tell my story. Then, i made a storyboard which showed what journey would make every character from beginning to end. Τhis technique helped me develop my characters as best I could.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore three themes that intrigue me. The first was the hunger for power. The second one was how easy you can believe everything because you have the need to feel that you belond to somewhere. And my last and favourite theme was whatever political system you apply (good or bad), if some group of people want to destroy it, then they will find the way and they will do it.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
For my next book, i want to play with the theme of stereotypes. In another words, i want to break them. Αnd I know you will be immensely sorry for what I say, but I am at a very early stage.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
A homeless failed stockbroker walks the streets of New York City, just waiting for another chance…
A C.I.A. operative lies comatose in a hospital bed…
Their lives, and many more, are destined to cross when the world is struck by an incredible global phenomenon…
When time itself inexplicably stops, mankind is trapped in an eternal moment, never ageing and effectively immortal. But still just as ruthlessly ambitious.
As people fight to survive the perpetual evening of a new America, murderous leaders and dictatorial oppressors rise. The brutality of man is brought into focus more clearly than ever before.
Thousands of miles away, on another continent, a different threat is emerging – and the connection between these distant events just might hold the answer to the mystery of time…
Dystopian sci-fi fantasy on an epic scale, The Bystander is a metaphorical allegory of humanity, power-hunger and the ambiguity of war.
The Bystander
![The Bystander by [Harry Wolden]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41vKEsHZYsS.jpg)
What would happen if time just…stopped? If people stopped aging, and the sun never again moved from its current spot? The people on Earth had the opportunity to find out, and the answer turned out to be chaos and war. For the groups of survivors who remain after many moments, no one could say exactly how long, each day is a struggle. Those that are just trying to make it have to contend with time cults and cannibals, as well as other survivors who may or may not be benign. Is there any chance of the world returning to normal? There are clues that point to an unlikely place for salvation.
The Bystander by Harry Wolden is an epic tale of a dystopian future that is stuck firmly in the present. Wolden weaves the story through a variety of voices and points of view, a device that isn’t always easy, but he does it extremely well. The beginning of all the trouble is laid out calmly enough, with an introduction to a few of the main characters, before everything gets wild and the story takes on a palpable sense of chaos and uncertainty. By the time the action really gets going, the impression is that an incredibly long amount of time has passed since time stopped, but it is never made explicit as there is no way for the characters to know, and truly it doesn’t matter. Each new group adds another layer to an already exciting story until an eventual showdown between those who want a return to normal life, and those who have created a religion around making it happen.
The Bystander touches on many themes over the course of its pages, some of them wholesome like family, hope, and resilience. It also doesn’t shy away from the ideas of arrogance, greed, and power and even the best of us harbor to a small extent. The book is multi-layered and complex without ever feeling too heavy or difficult to understand. Wolden does an excellent job of balancing all the pieces and building a complete environment for us to witness, for better or worse.
The Bystander was easily one of the best sci-fi novels I’ve read this year, and was engaging from the very start. Wolden crafted a plethora of characters that weren’t always likeable, but were nonetheless always interesting and he created an epic story from a unique idea. Highly recommended!
Pages: 520 | ASIN: B0947JDV4R
Facing Off – Book Trailer
A rising revolution. Renegades on the run. Relationships transformed.
Ember, Xander, and Will return from their justice-seeking trip to The Outside to deliver a brewing revolution to Serpio Magnus’s doorstep. But when Tranquility’s Magistrate goes on the hunt for them, it sends them scattering into the wind in a desperate attempt to survive.
As Ember battles her way back to find the others, her nightmares urge her to discover the final, staggering truth about her mother, and she must embark on a dangerous quest. When her relationship with her adoring boyfriend is compromised by betrayal, she turns to an unlikely companion to forge a new confidence in herself and in her unique superpowers.
Left with impossible odds, the risky actions each one takes will change everything.
Will their spark of rebellion grow into a blaze of self-destruction?
Gripping Dystopian adventure laced with hot romance continues with Facing Off, the highly anticipated sequel in the Tranquility Series!
The Significant
![The Significant by [Kyra Anderson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41RUBabys5L.jpg)
The Significant is a dystopian tale of a society in which the few have it all but there are a large number of poor without nationality. Kailynn is born into this society and vehemently detests the rich and controlling Syndicate. However, in order to save her brother, she takes on a job as a Significant who interacts with Elites for a price. Her whole world changes when she is assigned to the mysterious Golden Elite and suddenly things become more complicated, but there is hope for a brighter future. If Kailynn survives. The story is fast-paced and will keep readers hooked from the first page as the characters are plunged into different twists and turns.
Author Kyra Anderson’s novel has an original plot and world-building despite taking on a lot of familiar themes such as dystopia ruled by the rich or increasing automation. Unlike most dystopian stories, The Significant does not have a near-apocalyptic theme and creates a more original universe than what many dystopian novels offer. Similarly, the idea that a controlling society is bad for everyone is explored in this book which makes it easy to empathize with many characters and get new perspectives.
The Significant has a unique take on a dysfunctional society in that it reflects a lot of modern immigration issues and sympathizes with displaced peoples. That issue features prominently in the book and makes connections to modern day issues. Similarly, in connection to the modern day, the book features many lead LGBTQIA+ relationships which are normalized in the novel. It is extraordinarily refreshing to read a book in which a lesbian couple features prominently and is not merely used for entertainment or to appeal to a male audience.
The plot and story itself is highly enjoyable. It provides a lot of detail and background that gives a clear idea as to how Tiao works and why their society is locked in the situation the book is set in. The characters are well-done and distinct, each having their own voice and personality that comes off the page, especially Kailynn and Isa although the reader does have to take some time to get to know Isa, just as Kailynn does. The action is vivid and heart-pounding and the quieter, more intimate moments will still have the reader hooked and enraptured by the tension. Fans of science-fiction must read The Significant!
Pages: 599 | ASIN: B01HSMVA1A
Fun and Terrifying to Imagine
Man, Kind follows two women on a headlong and perilous journey that may decide the fate of humanity. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I’ve always been fascinated with post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. It’s both fun and terrifying to imagine a demolished world where there are little resources left and even fewer people to share them with. However, the genre as a whole was beginning to feel a little stale for me. The question always is, “How do I get rid of most of the people on Earth?” and the answer has almost always been nuclear war, global pandemics, or zombie outbreaks. But why not the real, much more imminent threat of climate change? And why must a mysterious, indestructible male savior always lead the way in these tales? I knew there had to be a more interesting, compelling, and grounded way to approach the apocalypse, and that’s what I set out to do when writing “Man, Kind”.
Juno was an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Juno, the thirteen year old protagonist of “Man, Kind”, was meant to experience the post-climate-changed world alongside the reader. From the very first pages you discover that Juno had just been abandoned by her mother and now has to navigate this new, frightening, and violent world on her own. You both have questions, and you both want answers, and you get to embark on her epic journey together.
One of my favorite traits of Juno’s is that she’s also relentlessly curious. Whether she’s exploring an abandoned building, interacting with dubious characters, or simply taking a break to write down her own thoughts in a journal, you’re always right there with her; feeling what she’s feeling, wondering what she’s wondering, and smiling when she’s smiling.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Climate change is the primary one. Mainly, how does humanity live on after mother nature has exacted her revenge? It’s true that human pollution not only affects the weather, but also our own bodies at the cellular level. Plastics, fossil fuels, greed, they all play a part in our current world as well as “Man, Kind’s” future one. So how do we cope with such truths? And what can we do about it now?
The other themes I wanted to cover were grief and kindness; the “kind” of “Man, Kind”. Many, if not all, of the characters in this story are grey characters. They’ve all suffered losses, they all have their own motives, and not one of them fully trusts the other. I really wanted to drive home the question, “Will kindness still play a role in the wasteland?”
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently on the home stretch of an illustrated short story compilation called “Destination Earth”. Each story deals with existential questions we must ask ourselves throughout our lives, but told through weird, dark, and often humorous points of view. Available fall of this year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Website
From the top of the tallest skyscraper in Denver, Colorado, a lonely girl named Juno watches the sun and sand torment the Rocky Mountains day in and day out. She wonders why she was abandoned so suddenly, wonders if she will ever see her mother again, and wonders why, on her thirteenth birthday, a mysteriously scarred woman has just shown up to kidnap her.
But there’s no time to explain.
Instead the woman makes three things painfully clear: Juno is being hunted, their only hope at safety is on the opposite side of the Rockies, and that this journey will be the hardest thing either of them has ever done.
As the resentful duo races across an unpredictable environment, Juno will also have to grapple with unpredictable changes of her own. She’ll stumble upon what mankind left behind, and learn why things ended up the way they are. Then, once Juno discovers how important she truly is, she’ll be forced to decide just who she can trust, and who she’ll have to leave behind…
Mad Max meets The Road and An Inconvenient Truth in this epic climate fiction adventure!
The Chronicles of AzzaNation: Dawn of a New Age
![The Chronicles of AzzaNation: Dawn of a New Age by [Matt Mihilewicz]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51upTgBMnkL.jpg)
The Chronicles of AzzaNation: Dawn of a New Age by Matt Mihilewicz is a mesmerizing and expansive science fiction fantasy story following an unlikely battle between the tyrannical leader of AzzaNation and a young man, Leo Exe. The Brotherhood of Light, a powerful resistance group recruits Leo to attack the King and his Royal Army for the terror they have created. Alongside is Diandra, a woman with strange powers that allows her to control the energy surrounding her. Leo and his unlikely friends come together to take down the evil leader and bring back the light to AzzaNation.
Leo Exe is a compelling and likable protagonist- he’s a bit Aladdin-esque. He’s poor, struggling, and with an odd but strong moral compass. He is the definition of a reluctant, unlikely hero as he gathers his limited resources to fight against the despot. Diandra is also a strong, compassionate, and rebellious character. She uses her powers and training in capturing natural energies to help Leo out of difficult situations. I would have loved to read this story from her point-of-view– she has the coolest powers and is unintimidated in the face of danger.
The novel opens with an intricate map of AzzaNation that I would frequently flip back to while reading about the various places and interesting terrains. I’m always a fan of maps and illustrations of any kind in fantasy books– they provide a depth to world-building that wouldn’t be there otherwise. The author also provides a sort of preamble in the beginning, giving a short history of AzzaNation and setting the stage for its characters later on.
This is not by any means a light read but it is extremely engaging. The author dwells on all the characters and sceneries, creating vivid and realistic visions even out of simple meditation scenes. The pace is slow but it makes the build-up even more intense. There are a lot of side plots happening and many hoops that Leo has to jump through to get to achieve his final goal. This is not a cut-to-the-chase action thriller. This was a very rewarding read because of the slow-burn nature. I am invested in seeing the fate of AzzaNation, the Brotherhood, and of course, Leo. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in escaping to a different and a much more fantastical world.
Pages: 248 | ASIN: B08XPDZSQF
LITERARY TITAN 