Blog Archives
Internal Conflicts
Star Lost follows a woman living in a world where ignorance is reinforced as the government routinely wipes memories of the people, who starts to unravel the truth behind the dystopian state and become involved with a group trying to save their world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Well, as this review and others have mentioned it is a chillingly plausible reality, isn’t it? Though Star Lost is set in the near future it was inspired by recent frustrations. I have seen a recent decline in our society’s interest not only in the understanding and memory of historical events but appreciation for anything deemed “outdated.” That said, the book was not written to say that the be-all and end-all of human existence is old tech and books, reading, and the written word (although some book lovers might disagree), but rather to explore why we have such animosity as a society towards anything “old”, historical record, reading, and understanding of our own personal histories. Not to mention the recent influx of revisionist history and book banning. I think it best, despite our motivations for wanting to dispel it, to hold on to our history so we don’t repeat it. I also take a bit of a dig at social media, which carries over into all three books.
Luccee is a fascinating character trying to just hold on to her memories and understand what is happening to the world around her. What scene was the most interesting to write for that character?
I think Luccee is a really fun FMC all around. She has an underdog quality, but she knows how to kick things up when she needs to. I recently finished book 3 of the series and those scenes are more fresh, but in attempting to recall Luccee’s scenes from Star Lost, I’d have to say she is the most fun to write when she has realizations about herself and other people. I think any scene with Trevers where he does his best to help her see “reason” but Luccee is able to stand up to him is my favorite. I love giving Luccee opportunities to grow as a person. Her scenes with Wilda are another favorite. I love their mentor/mentee dynamic.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Familial discord is a big one. Family history obviously plays a big part in the narrative as well. If your MC is having a disagreement with their family, I think it’s important to explore that in-depth at some point in the narrative. It’s often the source of their internal conflicts, and usually what sets them on a journey towards something external. And since Star Lost is the first book of the series, it was necessary for me to dwell on the “past lives” of the characters, so the reader better understands them and what makes them tick in future books.
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Luccee and the direction of the second book?
I’d be happy to! Luccee will definitely go on the journey she is meant to (and the one readers of Book 1 will be yearning for), immediately beginning with Book 2. She will go on what some readers have called “a wild ride” and whether intentionally or accidentally, meet people who have an odd connection to her she couldn’t have imagined. And her life will change in ways she never would have predicted. That will even carry over into book 3 which is coming out this fall! But if you read books 1 and 2 in tandem, it will give you the sense you’ve been transported from the status quo to a more colorful universe. From sepia tone to technicolor!
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Future Unfolds
Future Unfolds, by J. L. Yarrow, is a captivating sci-fi novel that delves into the complexities of advanced time travel, weaving together multiple storylines that intersect in intriguing ways. Among the diverse cast of lead characters, Hunter emerges as the protagonist, grappling with the consequences of his time-travel escapades. Accompanied by his AI companion, Comperi, Hunter embarks on a series of time jumps to uncover the truth behind the Time Forward Project and his pivotal role in shaping the future of the world.
Yarrow’s writing style is engaging, drawing readers into a meticulously crafted time-traveling world where even the villains have richly-developed timelines and stories. The narrative is filled with twists and turns and brilliant action sequences that keep readers on the edge of their seats. The intertwining timelines add a complexity that invites readers to engage deeply with the story. While I believe it may require some back-and-forth reading to fully grasp, this intricacy is balanced by the fast-paced action, which provides constant excitement and motivation to continue.
One of the many standout aspects of the book is the character of Chen-Yi, who elicits strong emotions from the reader—a testament to Yarrow’s skill in character development, especially in the sci-fi genre where such emotional engagement is often rare. The novel’s depiction of planets and colonies is vivid and immersive, with genetic advancements, cohabitation with aliens, and advanced AI contributing to the rich atmosphere of a futuristic world. The central theme of time travel is explored in depth, highlighting the complexities and far-reaching consequences of tampering with time. The interplay between the present, past, and future is skillfully handled, showcasing the ripple effects of the characters’ actions.
Future Unfolds offers a fresh and thrilling take on the time travel genre. Sci-fi enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy time travel plots, will find Hunter’s journey through time a compelling and exhilarating ride.
Pages: 320 | ISBN : 1611883962
A Dystopian Future
A New Dawn follows a soldier in training who is placed into cryostasis only to awaken to a world where Earth is a warzone with entities intent on wiping out all humans. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wanted to give readers an insight into what would happen to us as a society if we continued to put our trust, fate, and livelihoods into institutions and entities that don’t have the best intentions for us. The only way I could do that was to create a story where I gave the audience a glimpse into a future where humanity did nothing to stop the corruption happening in our present day. Cryostasis has been a topic spoken about for years and research centers put forth effort to this day to make it a reality if they haven’t already. Celebrities have also spoken about such a method to preserve their body this way to live longer. Also, since I wanted the story to be as grounded as possible for readers to relate, cryostasis seemed to be the way to go to set the story into a dystopian future.
When Xander emerges from his cryostasis, he is immersed in a world he no longer recognizes and must adapt without all his memories. What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
Our memories make up who we are. It reveals our past experiences, the decisions we’ve made, and the relationships we were able to form with others. Without it, who are we? This is the question I wanted to answer through Xander and other characters within the story. By approaching the narrative in this way with the characters, there would be no doubt for readers who everyone is since without the memories, it reveals who an individual is at their core. For example, Valeria is innocent and naive at heart, looking for a male role model and companion to fill the void her father created in her life. Joselyn wants to make sure the love she and her husband once shared is never lost again. By preserving it, she feels she is honoring the bond they once had, which is why she takes such a liking to Xander and Leona. With Xander, I wanted to show that even though he didn’t have the most fulfilling past, he still had the chance to change himself and the world through his actions. No matter how small the steps he took, he was still able to take the step without the past holding him down as he decided to step forward and be there for others. I believe a lot of people can learn from this concept.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One of the overall themes was that we all have a role to play when it comes to the degradation or success of society. Each individual plays a role that affects others throughout their life. Valeria, for instance, still has PTSD from what happened in her past with her father, mother, grandmother, bullies, and brothers. All of these people shared a residual effect on this one person’s life. Also, through Xander, you see that Valeria’s big brother, Henry, affected many people’s lives both in life and death. If Henry hadn’t made the sacrifices he did for everyone, Xander wouldn’t have been able to retrieve an artifact capable of turning the tide of the war, and he would’ve died. Not to mention, everyone else in space would’ve perished on the ships months later without a fighting chance against the entities on Earth. This is true in real life as every decision we make connects us in some fashion or form. There are a lot of other themes to explore throughout the novel, including religious ones, but taking accountability and being conscious of the decisions we make every day, no matter how small, plays a huge part in how our society becomes. That’s the main theme I wanted audiences to take away from this book.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
This is indeed the first book in the series. I originally wanted it only to be two books but based on how the story is going as I’m continuing to write, it may be four books. We’ll see. Unfortunately, I don’t have an exact date or estimate of when the next one will come out as of now. I’ve been doing a lot such as getting my master’s, taking care of my family, and finding a job; hopefully, as a creative writing professor. I’m hoping to be done with the manuscript at least for the next book by the end of this year. I also do music on the side. In fact, I made a soundtrack for this book that can be found on music sites such as these featured on this link: https://artists.landr.com/692531109323.
For the sequel, due to how it ended, it will feature both perspectives of Xander and Leona. Readers will get to see why Leona made the decisions she did which could end up playing a huge factor later in the story. Fans will also see how Xander copes with the current situation the rest of his comrades are in and how they move forward with every negative force attacking them from all sides. New characters will be introduced as well, which will reveal the ones really behind the war, setting up for the final arcs after this sequel. I thank everyone for being on this journey with me. The more support you give, the more time I can dedicate to writing this story. I hope you all enjoy it!
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Ultimatum
Ultimatum, by Vladimir Fleurisma, presents a compelling narrative set in a post-apocalyptic landscape marked by war and the presence of menacing creatures. The novel opens with the character of Thomas, who finds himself wrestling with personal issues amidst a backdrop of global political turmoil and escalating conflict. The story then intriguingly shifts to a character known simply as D, who braves a perilous, creature-laden subterranean world.
Fleurisma’s writing style is notably vivid and engaging. He excels in crafting rich, detailed descriptions and dialogues that bring the post-apocalyptic setting to life. His narrative skillfully balances action and emotional depth, employing suspense and horror elements to captivate the reader. The desolate landscapes and the characters’ inner turmoil are portrayed with remarkable clarity and depth. The characters in the story are thoughtfully fleshed out, each endowed with their unique backstories and complexities. Initially, at the forefront of the story, Thomas is depicted as a man confronting personal challenges while navigating a world in disarray. D emerges as a particularly fascinating character whose journey through hazardous environments showcases resilience and complexity. The interactions among the characters, their evolution throughout the tale, and their engagement with the dystopian world they inhabit are pivotal to the unfolding narrative.
Ultimatum stands out as a suspenseful and intricate exploration of a dystopian reality. Fleurisma’s skillful use of descriptive language and his focus on character development result in an enthralling reading experience. This novel not only reflects Fleurisma’s talent in constructing a multifaceted story but also succeeds in keeping readers thoroughly engaged, making it a notable addition to the genre.
Pages: 290 | ASIN: B0BHHGF72X
The Wonder and the Horror
Starfall: Book I follows a woman with a dual personality working on a malfunctioning relay who ends up in a strange semi-abandoned town in the middle of nowhere. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
A lot of the initial phase of Starfall rose out of the story’s setting, the landscape of Southern Indiana, its hills, creeks, hollows, and caves. These natural features are stealth characters, in a way.
Like many, I am deeply concerned with how our current actions will impact this landscape and its inhabitants, as well as the lives humans can live on it. As Indiana is projected to be far wetter as our climate changes, I began to think about all the implications, musing on everything from demographics (Amish population growth, for example) to flood maps.
To dive into this world with readers, I felt I needed an outsider who is suddenly immersed in it to make it less preachy and more compelling. I wanted to unfold both the wonder and the horror, to take the reader on a tour of these imagined places, in a process that would feel both familiar and gut-wrenchingly off. After a lot of trial and error (I’m a terrible tinkerer and discovery writer), Xenia appeared.
As a guide on the journey, Xenia emerged from a bunch of threads that haunt me in my fiction. I really love exploring different sides of what it means to be a woman/female. I wanted my main character to try to define a new approach to the classic, Joseph Campbell-style “hero’s journey,” something that went beyond the marriage plot or other usual tropes, but didn’t just copy-paste traditional tales onto a female body. This side of the story will emerge as the tale continues in future books.
Xenia is unique in that she blends human and AI personalities into an original and thought-provoking character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Before the current AI hype, when it was easier to think more deeply about what this technology means, I was considering how AI might become part of lives. I was particularly influenced by the thoughts of James Bridle and his exploration of other intelligences (animals, plants, etc) as a context for AI. I began to imagine more of a symbiosis narrative, thinking about the work of scientists like Lynn Margulis, instead of the bizarre Terminator/Skynet approaches that are tossed around so casually right now.
For many years, we thought, for example, that our species wiped out other humanoids, but that’s proving inaccurate. We hooked up with them. Blending and parting, like a river near its source, braiding streams form a better model for what we should anticipate with very advanced AI, I believe.
So, I began to ask, what if AI was a partner, not a rival? What if it felt almost conscious, but was clearly distinct in its form of intelligence? How we would interface with such an intelligence? With Xenia, I wanted to show the positive sides: You have a constant counterbalance to your impulses and emotions, and that balance can feel like a friend. It also lets you make very cool music and art without all these clumsy external interfaces!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One major theme is the idea of utopia and what role it serves in human culture, as well as how it contrasts with ideas of wilderness/primitiveness. I have had a years-long obsession with the town of New Harmony, IN, one of the most famous (or notorious) utopian communities in early 19th-century America. The old line about the place is that it “failed,” in that it somehow didn’t achieve its ridiculously overblown, highly impractical stated goals. But it also launched the lives and careers of some of America’s first scientists and political activists, people who accomplished real change and made important discoveries. A major theme for me is why we want a utopia, who gets to join and how, and why we need to think critically about these experiments, seeing their hidden benefits and under-discussed problems.
Like the landscape, the town and its very complex and fascinating history inspired me deeply. I wanted to share it, as a place for other people to explore with me. But I didn’t want to craft a historical novel, with lots of “Let’s build a utopia, by gum!” or bodice ripping (no judgment if you’re a bodice ripper). It had also been done before in various eras by some wonderful early 20th-century writers. Instead of a purely historical book, I wanted to give readers multiple facets of the problem, told in unexpected ways and steeped in feeling. I wanted the struggles these early reformers faced, that we are also facing—how to live together when we are very different, how to create a greater social good—to live and breathe and get us out of our doom loops.
When will book 2 be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Book 2 will be out March 7, 2024, and will give readers a very deep and wild dive into life in the utopian town of Harmonie, as well as continue to follow the 19th-century thread, as the historical characters leave for the wilds of western Tennessee to found their own communal experiment in an attempt to challenge the assumptions of American slavery. Readers will get more hints about why Harmonie exists and what’s going on with the mysterious pools in the woods that impact living creatures, including humans, so oddly.
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The town, called Harmonie, has a long utopian history. Half-abandoned for years, it has been revived by a group of secretive scientists and artists, who are still dealing with the echoes of a long and complex American past. Its traces appear in a set of peculiar 19th-century documents that chronicle the life of a free-spirited woman, the long forgotten reformer and troublemaker Camilla Wright, which only deepens riddles lurking in the heart of the forest.
The Potential to Change the World
Project Hemisphere is the story of a man struggling to overcome anxiety to find his place in a post-apocalyptic island community. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Several concurrent factors inspired Project Hemisphere. I have two teen neurodiverse sons, both of whom struggle with anxiety. It was important to me to show them that everyone is valuable and has a place in the world. We all struggle with self-doubt, but that doesn’t define who we are. I wanted a “real” hero, someone who was relatable but who showed my boys that everyone has the potential to change the world.
One of the other inspirations was that in Australia, we were evacuated several times with horrendous bushfires. A conversation with a colleague about global warming, environmental degradation, and how young people would do things differently kickstarted this story. I couldn’t shake the idea that the next generation might get things right, and not let politics, religion, or personality dictate how we live. Strangely, I wrote this book before the lockdowns of COVID, so it was bizarre to see some elements of this story play out in real life.
Finally, I am Scots-Australian and have spent a lot of time in both countries, so both cultures feature quite heavily in the series.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
Absolutely! I love to model characters on traits of people in my life. Merlin, the cat in the opening scenes, is one of my cats, and Cam’s mum is modelled on my own. Five-foot nothing, with a heart of gold, adopts people in the supermarket, but you wouldn’t challenge her! Sustainable living is important to me, and I grow a lot of our own produce. But even the careers, travel, and life experiences are sometimes from my own experiences. Cam’s sister Sorcha works in international development, which I did for many years. Illyria, a main character from book three is a character I strongly associate with, and I suspect I resemble quite a lot! In terms of locations, many of them are places in which I have lived or travelled to.
Your cast of characters is in a unique situation. What was your approach to writing the interactions between characters?
I love enneagrams, archetypes, and character profiles, so I develop a clear profile of each character as a rounded person. Their motivations, values, and beliefs, not just their culture and appearance. When I write dialogue, I play the conversations out in my head before I write the interactions. Sometimes I review it later and think, “No, she wouldn’t say that,” and edit the scene. I also knew that this book was the beginning of a series, so giving the characters depth was critical. Many minor characters in Project Hemisphere return in later books, with sub-plots becoming main story arcs, so giving context and providing detail was necessary to establish the foundations for the series. I wanted people to be able to “see” what was going on and visualise the world these characters live in. Research is essential for me, and I spend a lot of time on the detail to ensure it is accurate.
Can you give readers some insight into where the second book in the series will take them? When will it be available?
Book two is quite tumultuous! Poor Cam is hurled into another emotional roller coaster and is reunited with some people from his past. Love and loss feature heavily, and my editor told me she cried when she read this one, (sorry Jen!). Book one is the solo adventure, book two is about family, book three focuses on friendships, book four on the importance of community, and book five on what lengths you would go to save your children.
Books two to five in the Antipodes series are already published, including in hardcover and audiobooks. There is also now a spin-off series, The Latitude Series, beginning with The 45th Parallel. Two books from this series are also published, with a few more on the way.
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After a global outbreak that threatens to decimate the planet, Australian scientists select a group of highly skilled young people to establish a sustainable island community built on the modern values of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Lonely and homesick, Cam Mackintosh overcomes his anxiety and finds belonging, passion, and friendship in his new life before his dreams are suddenly ripped from his grasp. Sent hurtling on a journey of discovery, he finds friendship and acceptance when he encounters other communities like his own, but he is forced to make a decision that will ultimately change everything.
LITERARY TITAN 