Blog Archives
What Could Have Been
Before The Origin follows Amy who is hurled into a world of mystery and magic that is deeply rooted in ancient African folklore. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting story?
I have always wanted to write science fiction that is set in dystopian Africa. My tribe (the Hausa’s of Sub-Saharan Africa) is the biggest inspiration for the set up. Hundreds of years ago, before religion and colonization, they believed in spirits, they were partly nomadic in nature and had a whole lifestyle around that, unfortunately, it has been gradually erased and forgotten. My book just explores what could have been if a part of that was still alive.
Amy is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character development?
Due to her role in the story, Amy’s character development was a well thought out process. I feel like there is always a part of the author in the main character, and that is where her imposter syndrome comes in, but it was very important to have the reader experience the events of her first day at work through her eyes, which is why she is such a blank slate at the beginning of the story. Her relationship with other characters in the story is also a backdrop for the events in the next book.
I enjoyed the African folklore embedded in the story. What kind of research did you do on the topic to ensure it was accurate?
Thank you! I am always happy to hear that a reader particularly enjoyed the folklore aspect of Before the Origin because I completely made that up. Being African, I grew up listening to stories passed down from generations to generations very much like Xari in the story, but I never heard anything that explained different races or how the continents came to be. African folklore is always rich in the battle of good against evil, so I guess that is something I held on to.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on the sequel to Before the Origin which is grander in scale and characterization, book one was just a set up to our main characters’ journey as they find themselves in a battle against time and it will be available next year.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
Agent Amy Taff has moved through the world unnoticed until the recent disturbances in an otherwise perfect utopia require her expertise. Desperate to make her mark, Amy is hurled into a world of mystery and magic, deeply rooted in ancient African folklore. Discoveries that threaten her life and could not only change her reality but hold far-reaching implications for everyone on the face of a lone continent. Follow her into an epic tale that begins with accepting a new job at Scythe. Where it ends could swing the scales of balance toward life or death.
More Action, More Adventure, More Danger
Rise of a Warrior is book five in your Immortal Warriors series. Has the series developed as you had planned or has the series arc changed as you’ve published the books?
I had a general idea where I wanted the series to go when I started, but it has developed into something far more complex than originally planned. I started out just wanting to write a simple fantasy romance, but I soon found myself growing bored with the characters and story. In my mind they needed more. More action, more adventure, more danger, growth, and an underlying mystery to connect one book to the next. I love the challenge of creating a standalone story involving threads that will connect one book to another. Each book is centered around one particular couple, their journey as they face difficulties in their new relationship. Though we are left with unanswered questions at the end, I shy away from cliffhangers. The reader should feel as though they’ve been given a full story, but with a desire to learn more about what is going on behind the scenes.
What is something that you’ve learned as an author that has drastically changed your writing since book one?
Book one was a learning experience. I was still trying to find my own voice, my own style. Romance novels can be extremely difficult to get right, especially if there is an erotic element involved, and I worried about it coming across as shallow. In trying to keep the conflict and action at the forefront, I unintentionally shied away from the romantic aspect of the story, and I think it suffered for it, especially where romance readers were concerned. It made it hard to know what genre to place it under, action/adventure, paranormal romance, or science fiction. I knew I wanted to combine paranormal with science fiction romance, but I don’t think I quite pulled it off in book one, “Soul of a Warrior.” I found my stride with the romance in book two “Ghost Warrior.” It was here that the continuing threads of my plot really began. I only had a vague notion of it in book one, but book two doesn’t work as well without seeing where it all started. In book 3, “A Warrior’s Nightmare,” I began to figure out how to make them stand alone without losing the threads that will eventually tie them all together.
What is one romance trope that you try hard to break in your novels?
Rescue the damsel in distress trope. I started with this in book one and have been struggling to break away from it ever since. I want my female characters to stand on their own, as equals to their powerful mates. I think I succeeded with “Rise of a Warrior.” In my first four books, the female lead starts out coming across as frightened, weak, unsure of herself, and then finds her strength during her struggles. Carla starts out strong, knowing what she wants, and only grows stronger as they go along. Her mate must work hard to earn her love, trust and respect.
What can readers expect in book six of your Immortal Warriors series?
At the end of “Rise of a Warrior,” we bring in Jada Talbot, Bryce’s fated mate. Bryce plays a fairly large part in “Rise of a Warrior.” We first met Jada and Bryce in “Dark Warrior,” a novella. They did not have a happy first meeting and Jada has been fighting against their mating ever since. As we follow Jada and Bryce, we will learn more about the Djinn and Fae, more about their past relationships with the shifters and vampires, and where this all might be headed. I have a second series “Raiden Warriors” that is set in the same universe. Raiden warriors were allies to the Laizahlian when they first drove Djinn from Earth. In this next book, I plan to start drawing these two series together because they will need to join forces again if they want any chance of defeating the Djinn.
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Azrael, an ancient Hunter for the Laizahlian Council, is sent to Earth to track down three rogues from their world. What he doesn’t expect is to run into his lifemate. Azrael senses there is more than vampire blood running through Carla’s veins. He suspects a Djinn is involved, placing them both in great danger.
Their journey will thrust them both into the Fae realm, where Carla must rise up and fight the cruel queen who means to take Azrael as her own.
Fight Against Those Pressures
Forged Under Fire follows a young woman who serves a repressive government and must hide her feelings for her best friend. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting story?
This series is a prequel to another series I wrote 6 years ago called Inside that is controlled by the same repressive government. However, I wanted to explore how someone directly threatened by the extremist laws would grow up under such a regime. Unfortunately, there are those in the world who grow up having to hide how they feel or what they believe, whether that is due to societal, governmental, or familial pressures, and the decision to fight against those pressures is not an easy one to make. I drew inspiration from many elements of modern society to create a government in order to explore such political extremism through the eyes of a single character, in order to bring a human element to an otherwise politically charged fictional world.
When creating Amelia did you have a plan for development and character traits or did it grow organically as you were writing the story?
Some elements of Amelia were planned, such as her compassion and loyalty to those she loves. However, as I was writing, her reactions to the dangerous situations she encountered were more organic as the scenes progressed. The most organic growth for her as a character was her coming to terms with whether she wanted to stand up against the oppressive laws of her nation or remain hidden in order to stay safe.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore a lot of social themes in this book relating to minorities, but it was most important for me to showcase the commentary through the eyes of a character, rather than make it a critique or essay on society. I wanted to keep everything on a very human level so that, no matter what social issue I was exploring, the emotional connection with Amelia was never lost. Extremism in political and social policy is a heavy theme in the series, and I knew that I was walking a fine line, particularly with what has been seen in recent years around the world. I felt it was important to take everything I could to an extreme to explore the impact that could have on a character.
This is book one in your Coalition series. What can readers expect in book two?
Book 2, The Rising Tide, will be released on November 27, 2020. The third and final book of the trilogy will be released in Fall 2021.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
A chance meeting changes Amelia’s life when she comes into contact with the newest American domestic terrorist group, the Coalition. Startled to learn that her sister is already a member, and eager to meet others like her who are considered “undesirable” by the Central Government, she seeks out the group. Enraptured by the charismatic leader, Amelia finds herself pulled easily toward the Coalition.
However, her involvement puts a larger target on her back, and she soon finds herself at the center of scandals and nefarious dealings. Amelia must decide if she wants to live a lie, or fight to dismantle the corruption in the new government.
The Giant’s Giant – Book Trailer
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Minecraft-inspired Gameknight999 series with over 2 million copies in print.
Who do you trust when you can’t believe your eyes?
A nuclear apocalypse has devastated the human race, turning survivors into four groups of warring Giants, tree-dwelling Dryads, remnant humans, and evil radioactive scavengers. But, not everyone appears as they seem.
Brianna MineShaker was born a giant. However, she’s smaller than normal, bullied by her peers, and exiled to Harmony School, a place for misfits.
At Harmony, there is little peace as Brianna’s size continues to attract abuse, leaving her as an outcast. But then, she witnesses a shocking event…something is taking over the bodies of the other giants at the school.
Faced with an impossible choice, Brianna must venture into the dangerous Wastelands to find the truth, a place where no one has ever made it back alive.
There is no one to trust, except three unexpected companions. If their plan fails, Brianna will never make it home or even survive to help save her family.
Beware of what lurks in the Wastelands. But, also beware of a little giant with a big attitude.
Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, and the Maze Runner series, The Giant’s Giant is a gripping story of a dystopian world transformed by bravery, tolerance, and friendship. Start reading today.
Mark Cheverton is a former high school physics and math teacher, who became a research physicist, and now is an internationally published New York Times bestselling author, with 24 novels on bookshelves worldwide.
Living with Internal Conflict
Dead Earth Dreaming details a dystopian future rife with classism that tests the human spirit. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling story?
As a teenager involved in the punk scene in the 80s, watching the public assets of Australia being privatised and sold off by the government to create a surplus despite the long term ramifications was outrageous, and we as citizens were powerless to do anything about it. By the 90s international globalism was on the rise along with entertainment technology to distract the masses, and before you knew it the general public was missing the bigger picture of the corruption that was going on around them. Ignorance is bliss, but standing outside of the box at that time made it obvious what was happening to the world.
I started writing Dead Earth Dreaming from page 1 without a plan, no step-sheet, and no idea where it would head. I still write like that because to me it flows and goes where it wants, making it exciting to sit down and write instead of a chore. I couldn’t get DED traditionally published at the time, but with some of the recent events happening now like Covid, the prospect of Moon mining, and the satellite technology dependence that is now used every day, I felt I had to get it out there even if just a few people read it.
Kelly is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind the characters development?
Kelly is an innocent, like a child still who has never had a chance to develop within himself. Everything in the outside world is new to him and yet he understands values and morals even though from an almost naive point of view.
His perspective is from an ancestral memory of his indigenous heritage that was introduced into his cloning by whatever means, and I guess it’s a reflection on the plight of the “Stolen Generation” of Australian Aboriginal people who were removed from their families for being “half-caste” never to see them again, as recently as the 1970s in this country. It’s a blight on this nation and an embarrassment for the Government still to this day. Some of those people are only now finding long lost family members.
But as well as the First Nation angle, Kelly earned his name from the great Australian Bushranger Ned Kelly who has a legendary status amongst Aussie battlers for being a Colonial anti-authoritarian figure. He fought his shootouts with the police wearing a steel armour suit fabricated by himself and his brothers, but ultimately died in a gunfight whence his last words were “Such is life”, now a common phrase used in Australia.
The other main character not so far mentioned is Junger, the Upside detective sent for his retrieval. Kelly and Junger are two sides of the same coin. Whereas Kelly has been incarcerated his whole life for thinking freely, Junger walked the line and lived as he should do, but felt discontent and resentment so he was never really free either. He did what he was told even if he felt it was wrong but was conditioned to never question authority, and so was constantly living with internal conflict.
The story explores many societal issues common today and taken to future extremes. What were some themes you wanted to focus on in this book?
I think the theme of Anarchism used in the story is in retrospect probably a bit naive considering human nature can be such a savage beast, but I wanted to stay centrist and criticise all of the above, not just one side of partisan politics. You could say every social movement evolves and mutates, but unfortunately the eyes of business and profit are always watching too. Without getting involved in specifics, when a social movement becomes too political you have to question why and who is actually funding the agenda, and if it involves violence of any sort then it has crossed the line into urban terrorism.
In Dead Earth Dreaming I imagined people actually caring about each other’s welfare at a personal level rather than a political level, and striving together to beat the odds stacked against them as a community.
But in the end, I really just had a hell of a lot of fun writing it and I hope it’s fun to read, because that’s what it’s about, entertainment and a chance to escape for a few hours into another world.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’ve completed a few stories over the years since this my first novel, but they were unfinished as novels and written into screenplay format as an effort to break into film. Although seemingly to my detriment, it did give me an improved perception on description by objective viewing rather than telling, but now I have the epic task of conversion into novel form.
Next book to work on is Alien~Gothic, in 2005 as a screenplay it was well received by several major LA agents but I was told it would be way too expensive to produce, especially for an unknown writer. It is a story that explores the origins of man, and the mythologies of early civilisations that seem to be linked by certain key factors of the Creators that came from the sky. It follows the story of an average man who finds a crystal skull grown in a single formation into the shape of an alien grey skull, and the Greys and Daemons that are trying to retrieve it from his possession.
Also in the back catalogue is Switch, a DID thriller; Cerise, a ghost horror; and The Runic Guide, a short guide to the use of the Futhark Runes which won the 2006 Writesafe Book of the Year with The Cloud Creek Institute For the Arts.
Finding the time to write while working a full time job heavy lifting at 53 is a challenge, as most of my time off is spent tinkering in the garage, drinking beer and napping.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
This is the setting for Dead Earth Dreaming.
Above the waterline but underground are Breeding Colonies, used to create genetically engineered workers by the Upside authorities, pumping out obedient and thoughtless slaves for the system. Occasionally though, a worker will show signs of individualism, and for this they are placed in a rehabilitation institution.
C22108/3 was incarcerated as an indigenous boy, and after 23 years he escapes his outback prison and heads for the old city of Sydney to find freedom as a man. An Upside detective, Junger, is sent to find him with the aid of a T2R, a Tactical Response Retriever.
C22108/3 connects with the locals, inheriting the name ‘Kelly’ through his use of a lead suit to evade the tracking of his Internal Position Monitor. The chase is on for Junger to intercept Kelly before he reaches the Bunker, an abandoned Colony reopened by a band of punk squatters. Overseen by the sole survivor, Cat, the Bunker is now utilized as a medical centre and IPM removal ward for Upside refugees wishing to be freed from the constraints of Authority.
Human spirit will shine in a world with no future.
Originally written in the 1990s, now is the time to read Dead Earth Dreaming.
The Nature of Man
Richard E. Bonostro Author Interview
Scented reimagines the battle of the sexes by having men’s intelligence reliant on womens DNA in a politically divisive society. What was the inspiration for the setup to this riveting story?
The last thing the world needs is another novel about race relations. This novel offered me another means to repackage our ability to strip another human being of every ounce of dignity in order to ingratiate ourselves with cohorts. Scented lays bare at the readers feet the nature of man that cannot change regardless of his circumstance.
The dichotomy between The Mantle and the Rune was intriguing. What were some themes you wanted to explore in each party?
I couldn’t help but think about the struggle Europeans went through when large segments of their population fought off the State mandated indoctrination of religious and political ideologies. In fact, just about every era in history is about two factions with different ideologies squaring off at the expense of the common man. It was those very same themes that I wanted to revisit because we really haven’t learned from our past, have we?
I enjoyed the characters in your novel. Who was your favorite character to write for?
Strangely, writing the Jadda’s lines was the best thrill I had writing this novel. There’s something about this middle-aged woman that fascinates me. She has no super power other than her genetic predisposition to retain large streams of data. Yet, she commands with force and her stoic brutally that says more than any line I could have written for her.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on the sequel to Scented at the moment and it should be available in the next two years. I’m a full time teacher, so I can only write when I’m off.
Author Links: Website
Scented: The Status Quo establishes the struggle between the sexes in a world where it does matter who you sleep with. Males are born mentally neutered until they are scented by a woman. Parents carefully choose educated women whose DNA will complete the man they have cultivated. Evan Abram is one such man. He soon learns after inheriting his father’s job as Commissioner of Surveyors that his wife, Marla, is an agent for the Mantle. Evan’s career is on the fringes, and an ambitious senator consistently nips at Evan’s heels for the capture of the legendary Ma’at who has been reversing key scentings. Despite these setbacks, Evan rebounds in the arms of his secretary who helps him to regain his confidence. Meanwhile, the ambitious senator launches his secret plan to usurp the two opposing political parties: The Mantle and the Rune.
Love Can Change Your World
The Battle for Summia is book two in your Patch Man series. What were some new ideas you wanted to introduce in this book that were different from book one?
I needed to have the relationship between Ten and Meesha develop, so I had to have a seven year gap between book one and book two. That way Ten and Meesha are teenagers with the usual teenage problems involved with angst and emotional growth. Secondly, as you have noted in your review, Ulan’s story needed to be developed. I had to have reasons for why she changed from being an assassin to being a supporter of Summian freedom. Through Ulan’s story I also wanted to look at the idea of guilt and redemption as those two ideas are an important part of her character. Finally, I tried to advance the notion that love is love and it doesn’t matter if you’re gay, straight or transgender, love can change your world.
Ulan was a stand out character for me in this book. What were motivations you felt drove the character?
Ulan is my most complex character. In book one, she is an Imperial assassin, but in her relationships with Shola and Goya she is forced to look at herself and her profession in a new light, but it isn’t until Riata’s appearance that she truly is motivated to change. Love has a tendency to do that in people. Just a side note here: I was so intrigued by Ulan’s character that I needed her to have a book all to herself. This book (Ulan: Patch Man IV) looks at the backstory of Ulan and how she became an assassin. Hopefully, this book will be out within another year.
President Gelfson is an equally compelling character. Are there any real life sources of inspiration you modeled this character on?
I sincerely hope there are no real life characters like Julius Gelfson, but I did take some of his less endearing qualities from other autocrats. Adolf Hitler is the first to come to mind. However, Gelfson is not totally evil. Even antagonists need to have good reasons for doing what they do and Gelfson begins by trying to do the right thing. Unfortunately, he has a narrow vision and that leads to problems.
What can readers expect in book three of the Patch Man series?
In book three, The Battle for Imperiana, Meesha must choose between saving her husband, Ten, or her mother, Zefa. The final battle to decide the fate of Summia and Imperiana is about to be waged and the outcome is in doubt. One or more of the valiant Summians will not survive the war.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
Dead Earth Dreaming
Dead Earth Dreaming by Rik Valuks is the story of our future if change does not occur soon! The story follows Kelly, aka C-22108/3, and the detective who’s hunting him down. Kelly is on the run after escaping a corrupt government’s rehabilitation center. Along the way, Kelly meets up with a couple of misfits and befriends an anarchist named Lug. Car obsessed Lug wants to fight government corruption and takes Kelly along for the ride with him. Can Kelly and Lug beat the odds stacked against them? Floating cities, classism, biohazardous-waste, gangs, and anarchy make for an enthralling dystopian tale!
Valuks wrote Dead Earth Dreaming back in 1999, but many of the plot points/devices throughout this novel are eerily similar to current affairs. What may have been surreal in the 90s, like a raging pandemic and climate change, has become real. Valkus is not afraid to tackle these topics and the conspiracies behind them. He does not sugar-coat his prose to comfort the reader; his writing makes you feel the urgency of these real-life issues.
My favorite part about this book was its discussion of classism. Valuks depicts this accurately with the use of segregation, law enforcement brutality, and lack of regard for the less fortunate by the elites. He is able to paint vivid and realistic portrayals of these issues with his descriptive writing.
The character development in this novel is fast paced but never-ending! Valuks covers a majority of Kelly’s backstory within the first chapter! Although, Valuks doesn’t stop there, he continues to flesh out his characters up until the very end of this book. His characters feel like real people, unlike most novels that have characters who resemble mere shells of a human. I must say that at times I felt that this book would benefit from a glossary. With such a complex plot, a glossary of character, city, and event names would have helped the story flow a bit more smoothly.
Valuks has a gift for detailed world-building. In every scene, he describes what the character is seeing down to the smallest of details. He also created a complex but realistic society with its own form of electricity and agriculture. These were nice and appreciated touches. Dead Earth Dreaming is a thrilling dystopian novel that is elevated by the cyberpunk themes it expertly uses to tell a riveting science fiction story.
Pages: 300 | ASIN: B08D3G9LP7
LITERARY TITAN 