Book Feature: Imperfect Weapon by AB Potts

The universe contains an infinite diversity of sentient life forms. The Sallows intend to rectify this. Genocide is their business, slaughter and mass destruction their entertainment. Constantly engineering and evolving their vast army of androids, they are developing their ultimate Warrior—the Destroyer Series Mark-I (Espion). A blend of blood and machine, this new prototype looks humanoid but is driven by software and programming. It processes data and is ruthless in its pursuits. Trained as a Warrior and programmed as a spy, it will walk amongst the alien species, infiltrate and destroy. There's just one problem. Their prototype is just a kid—and like any other kid, he's got a bit of an attitude problem.

As Kylem reaches adolescence, he begins to question his Sallow masters. From the prisoners onboard the DaerkStar, he is learning about humanity and begins to realise that he's just a bit too human to be either an android or a Sallow. Suddenly, he is unsure of who or what he is, and there's worse to come.

The Sallow Empire is at the dawn of a new era with Sallows plotting against each other for ultimate control over the Empire. Caught up in the conflict, Kylem is oblivious to the role he is to play in their plans and, unbeknownst to them all, the major part he is to play in changing the fortunes of the Empire forever!

"The unlikely hero is a humanoid-android cross called Kylem and the way this adolescent character is developed really made me empathise with him. In fact all the characters are believable and "real", so much so that I completely accepted the reality of an alien race, living aboard a starship the size of a small planet and cheerfully immersed myself in their world." - Amazon Review

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

More information can be found here.

Born in the 1960s, AB was considered an academic child but was more likely to be found daydreaming than studying. The daughter of a publican, she was left to her own devices of an evening, so the TV played an important part in her childhood. Documentaries, films and dramas alike fueled her imagination, from Journey to the Centre of the Earth to The Man from UNCLE, Tomorrow's World to James Bond, each only served to encourage her. When the first episode of Star Trek hit the small screen in 1969, it didn't just spark her imagination, it set it ablaze!

You can connect with AB Potts via her website, Facebook or Twitter. You can also read our interview with her here.

Interview: AB Potts

Today's interview is with AB Potts, author of the science fiction novel Imperfect Weapon. Born in the 1960's AB was considered an academic child but was more likely to be found daydreaming than studying. The daughter of a publican, she was left to her own devices of an evening, so the TV played an important part in her childhood. Documentaries, films and dramas alike fueled her imagination, from Journey to the Centre of the Earth to The Man from UNCLE, Tomorrow's World to James Bond, each only served to encourage her. When the first episode of Star Trek hit the small screen in 1969, it didn't just spark her imagination, it set it ablaze!

Michael K. Rose: What role do you believe speculative fiction plays in society?

AB Potts: Without it, we'd invent nothing and go nowhere. It inspires us to create and embark upon voyages of discovery and adventure. Leonardo de Vinci brought us the hang glider and helicopters, Jules Verne the television and spacecraft, and Columbus sailed to the Americas. As writers, we may not be able to unravel all of the technical details—that's what scientists are for—but the creators of speculative fiction certainly play a part in putting the ideas into their heads. Have you never noticed the similarities between the flip phone and Uhura's communications headset, the eReader and the datapad? Transparent aluminium was introduced to us by Gene Roddenberry in 1986. It became a reality in 2009.

But it's more than that. Just like the annual vacation, a little trip into the world of fiction is just as therapeutic. When we read, we become immersed in the story and are transported to another world. How often do we finish a book and, rather like the end of a great vacation, wish it hadn't ended? We yearn for a sequel, a return trip to that little bit of escapism that gave us so much pleasure the first time around.

MKR: Why do you write in this genre?

ABP: It wasn't a conscious choice. I didn't just sit down one day and say to myself, 'I know, I'll write science fiction'. It's just that is where it was set when the story was born.

As for the stories themselves, they amaze me. Again, I don't make conscious decisions about the storylines; they're just there, waiting to be told. As I write them, they unfold before me. I can be in the middle of a chapter, something will happen and I'll suddenly stop and say, 'Wow! I didn't see that one coming!' Then I'm really worried because I can't see a way out of the situation for the character, but there's no need. Strangely, the story continues to unfold, almost flawlessly, to a resolution. It's an amazing process!

What I will say is this, though: it is nice to write science fiction because all sci-fi has a secondary genre. It could be a children's story, a romance, crime, horror or whatever. Science fiction merely states... well, it depends who you ask... set in another time or place, maybe a world of high technology or a prehistoric alien world. As I often say, at what point does the alien monster with a wingspan of over forty feet become a dragon or, for that matter, a pterodactyl?

The world of science fiction is far closer than you think, anyway. Mountains in vivid hues of yellow, blue and red exist in China, barren deserts turn purple with scorpion weed when they flower, and the Namib desert golden mole doesn't look upon the world at all. It looks like a little eyeless hamster. Our world is already a world of science fiction. How do I know that what I am writing is not already science fact?

MKR: How did you come up with the idea for Imperfect Weapon?

ABP: In all honesty, I have no idea! They just come to me. I have memories of Kylem going back to when I was just five years old. Every night I would fall a sleep and dream a new adventure. I don't know where he sprang from or why. He just came to me and then he stayed.

Over the years, Kylem's adventures have grown and the stories have evolved; he, though, has changed very little over the years. It's just that the detail has become more vivid. His tales are many and varied and I'm about thirty years ahead of the rest of the world in his adventures. That's why it is the first book in a series; the tale just doesn't end there. Just like life, there are many twists and turns and there are no happy-ever-afters. That sounds really sad, but it's a fact. Even as a child, I questioned that closing sentence at the end of every story—and they all lived happily every after.

My favourite faerie tale was Cinderella, but I always wondered what happened after the wedding. I just couldn't accept the concept that they married and that was it; that life went perfectly for them from that day on until their deaths. My mind was plagued by questions like, did they stay happy, did they have children or was she barren? And as I got older, the questions got wilder.

Was Prince Charming really that charming? Was he a wife beater? Did he stay faithful or did he abandon Cinderella for a younger woman? If they had children, were they perfect or did one get in with the wrong crowd and end up with a criminal record? Did Prince Charming smoke pot? Was their son gay?

I was about ten years old when I asked my mother some of those questions and told her about my stories. I can't remember the exact response but I did learn one thing: that, for the time being at least, I should keep such things to myself.

MKR: What was your biggest challenge in writing it?

ABP: Time! It's not just the writing, but the proofing and editing that's necessary in order to present a product that's as polished as one produced by a bestselling author. Needless to say, there's also the marketing, blogging, Tweeting and Facebook statuses that need attention. Add to the mix that I'm the senior partner in a business, a full-time bookkeeper, a wife, mother and dog owner, not a minute in the day can be wasted. Every second is precious.

MKR: What are you working on now?

ABP: The second book in the series. Entitled Black Dog, Kylem has arrived on Earth and he's causing as much mayhem here as he did on the DaerkStar! It's a little more light-hearted than Imperfect Weapon because he's not under the constant threat of death, and he's still finding himself. Remember, he may look like an adult but he's still just a kid, really. The third book is also taking shape, but I shan't say too much about that for fear of spoilers!

MKR: Thank you for your time! Readers, if you would like to read Imperfect Weapon, you can get it at the US Kindle store, the UK Kindle store or Barnes & Noble's Nook store. You can connect with AB Potts via her website, Facebook or Twitter. Imperfect Weapon will be tomorrow's Book Feature. (Edit: read it here.)

Book Feature: Sin by Shaun Allan

Sin is an paranormal thriller that follows Sin Mathews, who wants to be just an ordinary guy. Unfortunately, the asylum, the deaths and the ghost of his dead sister mean that being 'ordinary' is something Sin can never be.

People die around him and, though he can't help it, someone else knows and he must go on the run from the man he went to for help... and himself...

Sin has been compared to Dean Koontz, Stephen King and been called 'dark, disturbing and amazing'.

"Masterful characterisation, mental health and insanity played to the bone, and an amazing ensemble cast, this book is good. More than good, it's haunting." - D. Kai Wilson-Viola

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

A creator of many prize-winning short stories and poems, Shaun Allan has written for more years than he would perhaps care to remember. Having once run an online poetry and prose magazine, he has appeared on Sky television to debate, against a major literary agent, the pros and cons of internet publishing as opposed to the more traditional method. Many of his personal experiences and memories are woven into the point of view and sense of humour of Sin, the main character in his best-selling novel of the same name, although he can’t, at this point, teleport.

A writer of multiple genres, including horror, humour and children’s fiction, Shaun goes where the Muse takes him–even if that is kicking and screaming. Shaun lives with his one partner, two daughters, three cats and four fish! Oh, and a dog.

You can connect with Shaun at his website, Sin's blog, Facebook and Twitter. You can also read our interview with him here.

Interview: Shaun Allan

Today's interview is with Shaun Allan, author of the horror/paranormal novel Sin. A creator of many prize-winning short stories and poems, Shaun has written for more years than he would perhaps care to remember. Having once run an online poetry and prose magazine, he has appeared on Sky television to debate, against a major literary agent, the pros and cons of internet publishing as opposed to the more traditional method. Many of his personal experiences and memories are woven into the point of view and sense of humour of Sin, the main character in his best-selling novel of the same name, although he can’t, at this point, teleport.

A writer of multiple genres, including horror, humour and children’s fiction, Shaun goes where the Muse takes him–even if that is kicking and screaming. Shaun lives with his one partner, two daughters, three cats and four fish! Oh, and a dog.

Michael K. Rose: What role do you believe speculative fiction plays in society?

Shaun Allan: Speculative fiction, I have to admit, is a term I've only come across recently. I suppose, as a writer, I should know all the jargon. Looking at my life as a READER, it appears I've always been interested in the all-encompassing genre. From fantasy to science fiction to horror, my tastes have changed throughout the years, but they've always been 'weird'. A little like myself, perhaps.

Speculative fiction makes you - or at least me - think. You can imagine and enter worlds beyond your own. The realms of aliens, ghosts, dragons and so much more. You can IMAGINE.

I wrote a poem once, long ago, called "Escape."  It followed an adventure in which you rode a dragon and were chased by wolves. It was, simply, about what happens when you read a book so good you're transported to another world. You lose yourself in it.

Of course, there's also the horror and paranormal aspects. The thrill and chill. The look into what might exist. We all need to look beyond our lives. To dream and wonder and even be fearful of what might exist or might have. It piques the imagination. It makes ze little grey cells work. It prompts invention. Science Fiction has been one of the major pushers of technological advancement.

Speculative fiction asks 'what if?' I dread to think 'what if not?'

MKR: Why do you write in this genre?

SA: It's not a conscious thing. I often start from just a single sentence. I wrote a short story called "I Am Death" from only 'I think...' without having any idea what the story would be about. They form themselves and speculative fiction is the form they take. It can be a children's story or something humorous. Horror or science fiction. I can be sure that it will be weird though. The genre suits me.

MKR: How did you come up with the idea for Sin?

SA: Strangely, the initial inspiration for the book had nothing to do with the subject. I've always been interested in science and space. Black holes, too. The centre point of a black hole is the singularity point, at which the laws of space and time break down. From that (I use Singularity's Point for my webpage and Sin's blog) came Sin as a name. I wrote the first few words:

'Name's Sin.'

and the story went from there. I had no idea what it would be about - I find I can't plan stories - so I discovered it along the way. Originally Sin was a short story. That short story is now the prologue to the book. He still doesn't want to be quiet, hence his blog (written from his point of view) and the sequel.

MKR: What was your biggest challenge in writing it?

SA: Time. Sin took me ten years to write. I did produce other stories and poems in that period, but I have so little time to write, it was a real labour of love. I have a full time job and family. Often, I get 15 minutes out of a day to write and sometimes not even that. One year, I barely wrote a single word and I class 250 words in a day as a triumph.

Somehow, I've been on a roll recently, though. I've a new collection called Dark Places and have managed to produce a number of new stories for it, ranging from around 1,500 words to 7,500. I'm very pleased with that. And surprised.

MKR: What are you working on now?

SA: I have a couple of projects. There's my Dark Places collection. It's an anthology of dark poetry and darker prose. It's all speculative. There's a story about a reflection, ones about shadows and night and more. Most came from a phrase or a brief conversation that I've picked up and flowed with. The one I really like is "Joy," a story from Sin's sister's point of view. She appears as a ghost in the book and this gives me the chance of telling things from her point of view.

I also have a children's book about the youngest of three witches who have lost their powers, Sin's blog, which is ongoing, and Sin's sequel. Whichever my muse decides I should be working on.

It's not all my own choice...

Sin is available from Amazon's Kindle stores (US, UK). You can connect with Shaun at his website, Sin's blog, Facebook and Twitter. You can read our Sin Book Feature here.

Michael K. Rose Presents: Classic Science Fiction #2 The Time Machine by HG Wells

Herbert George "H.G." Wells is one of three men who (along with Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback) have been given the unofficial title "The Father of Science Fiction." If you have not read any of his work, you have certainly heard of it: The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man. Only one other writer of the time period had as much of an influence of science fiction: Jules Verne.

Wells's love of literature began accidentally. When he was a boy, he broke is leg and was bedridden. His father brought him books from the library to help him pass the time. Later, his mother, separated from his father, went to work as a lady's maid at a country house in Sussex. He would occasionally visit and the house, having an extensive library, introduced him to many of the classics.

HG Wells

The Time Machine has its roots in a short story Wells published in his college newspaper called "The Chronic Argonauts" (1888). It also involved the use of a time machine but what makes The Time Machine unique is the scope of the work. The narrator does not only travel forward in time to a recognizable future, but travels to the year 802,701. What he finds there is nothing less than a reversal of the classist society in which Wells lived. In his mind, our habit of separating society into two groups: an affluent elite and those who are forced to serve them, will ultimately lead to not only a social and economic separation but a biological separation as well. As society advances, the elites will continue to drive their servants underground, out of sight. The above world will become verdant and idyllic and below the ground, where the workers toil in darkness, will be the machines that create the goods that make the leisurely lifestyle of the elites possible.

Eight hundred thousand years hence, they have evolved into the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi are small and beautiful yet simple-minded creatures. They spend their days playing, eating and relaxing. Belowground, the Morlocks, the descendants of the working class, have evolved into brutish, ape-like creatures. They still provide for the Eloi, providing them with food and garments, but they have come to take something in return: the Morlocks feed on the Eloi.

Wells's future is clearly the imaginings of a man interested in socialism. The class structure has been subverted, and those who kept the working classes down for so long are now no more than animals being butchered and harvested for meat. This is no vision of the noble poor proving that they are inherently better than the rich, as was the case in much of the socialist literature of the time. This is a dire warning that the class system of Britain as it then existed could not continue without severe consequences.

Of course, the class systems has not disappeared but has been globalized. Those of us in affluent countries no longer have to see the very bottom of society: they live not just in other neighborhoods but in other countries, on other continents. But what would really interest Wells, I believe, would be the degree to which we have come to rely on machines. I wonder what Wells's vision of the future would be if he'd lived in our time. He would see that we are growing increasingly sedentary; he would see Western society resting on its laurels; he would see an increasingly automated way of life, in which our every whim is seen to by machines rather than a subservient class. Would the mindless, simple Eloi who are our descendants be ruled over by a network of machines? Will our ever-increasing dependence on technology remove from us the ability to solve problems, to dream up novel ideas? With any and all information literally at our fingertips, will the mind atrophy as it is required to do less and less work?

It is a fun thought experiment to imagine our future. Tell me, if you could press the levers of Wells's time machine and travel forward ten, a hundred, a thousand years, would you like what you found? None of us live for ourselves alone. We live for all humanity, and we live for the future of our species, our planet. Science fiction helps us to understand this. But is understanding enough? What can take us to the next step, what will make us take action to ensure a bright tomorrow?

At the end of Wells's book, the time traveler disappears, along with his machine. Has he gone to try and save the future? Well, you and I can do that in the here and now. The Time Machine may not be an accurate depiction of the future, as things currently stand, but at the very least it should make us consider the possibilities, both wonderful and horrifying.

You can download a free eBook of The Time Machine at Amazon or Project Gutenberg. You may also be interested in Michael K. Rose Presents: Classic Science Fiction #1 -- "A Martian Odyssey" by Stanley G. Weinbaum 

Original Classic Science Fiction image: C.E. Space Scene 1 by Gale Titus

Images of HG Wells and the cover of The Time Machine courtesy of Wikipedia

Book Feature: Alien Invasion of the Zombie Apocalypse by Ford Forkum

In a satirical combination of two end-of-the-world scenarios, a zombie plague is quickly followed by an alien invasion - in a time when humanity is already struggling with vampires. Landing dead center at a college campus swarming with zombies, the aliens soon realize that their abduction mission is going to be quite a bit more complicated than they'd imagined. The presence of vampires only makes the situation worse.

Will humanity survive the dystopian absurdity?

"The supernatural just got ridiculous." - The Motley Chronicles

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Ford Forkum is a private music instructor and freelance writer living in New England. He is a creative jack-of-all-trades, drawing the cover art and producing the book trailer for his debut story "Alien Invasion of the Zombie Apocalypse."

Ford enjoys comedy of the surreal and satirical. He credits Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series for introducing him to the creative possibilities of humor in fictional literature.

He is currently working on a second short story and a thematically related novel which is slated for release in late 2012.

You can connect with Ford Forkum at his website, Facebook or Twitter.

Article: Adventures in Web Serial Writing by Shiromi Arserio

Today, I am very pleased to present an article by Shiromi Arserio. She writes the web serial Shatterer of Worlds and has been kind enough to share her experiences and insights into writing serial fiction.

When I began writing Shatterer of Worlds, I always knew it would be a serial. It seemed to lend itself to the format. Perhaps it was Shatterer's epic nature, with themes of war, betrayal and rivalry, or maybe because I couldn't conceive of publishing anything this long. The rough draft was over 50,000 words, a product of NaNoWriMo 2010, but I knew after the fleshing out of characters and scenes the word count would be closer to 75,000. Since Shatterer is an adaptation of the Indian epic The Mahabharata, I also knew that the point where my novel ends was only a third of the way through the story, meaning it would have to be either a serial or a trilogy. Personally, I've always loved serials. They offer intricate plots and complex characters that become almost like friends, so of course I thought Shatterer should be a serial.

This isn't to say I didn't consider publishing it as an e-book. As life got in the way, and other fiction projects took hold, Shatterer was shelved and I discovered Kindle Direct Publishing. I began to wonder if maybe I could turn my novel into a trilogy. After all, aren't most sensible self-publishers writing a series of books? I briefly toyed with the idea, but in all honesty, life was still getting in the way for me. My dog had cancer, I was in a short sale nightmare, and meanwhile my manuscript was festering away on my computer. I needed to do a re-write of Shatterer and be held accountable, so I decided producing Shatterer of Worlds as a free web serial was the best option.

There are typically two ways of writing a serial. You can either take the “seat of your pants” method, where you make it up as you go along, or you can have several months' worth of material ahead of time. Since I already had a rough draft, I chose the latter method. Most of my work is planned out months in advance, so this is the method most natural for me. Unfortunately, because I was rewriting as I posted, it wasn't quite the cakewalk I hoped for. My plan, which I try to stick to, has been to rewrite about two weeks worth of posts every week, so I'll always be ahead. However, it doesn't always work that way. For instance, I moved and was off the internet for two weeks. I lost a portion of my head start, but had I been making it up as I went along, I would surely have fallen behind.

The issue of cliffhangers is something you often run into with serials. “Always leave them wanting more,” is what Walt Disney said, and that is never more true than in the case of serial fiction. To me, cliffhangers can be tricky. If they're forced they can seem cheesy or manipulative. They can also be tiresome to read, especially if they occur every 500 words, as in the case of my posts.

Personally I try to look for a natural break in the story. It may not be a “dun dun duhhh!!!” moment, but those moments should be used sparingly anyway. I either look for scene changes or important points just before or right after a character reveals a crucial piece of information. Mine are more like the cliffhangers before a commercial break. You are left with just enough story to want to continue watching, but it doesn't necessarily leave the character in a life or death situation.

Two aspects of the web serial I'm still coming to terms with is gaining readership and finding ways to monetize. People often gasp when I reveal Shatterer of Worlds is free. Personally, I look at my readers as my beta group. They are helping me make it a better book, and for that, I can't expect them to pay. However, I do take donations, and I offer fun rewards for donors. For instance, if you donate a dollar, I will take all or part of your name and incorporate it into the story in some way. One donor's name became a floating robotic target, while another became the name of a space station. When my donations reach $10, I even publish an extra post on Saturdays. Most importantly, my serial is helping me sell my other books. So just because a serial is free, doesn't mean it's not earning you money.

Getting new readers to the site has been my biggest adventure yet. I already run a science fiction news site where I advertise Shatterer and there is also a twitter feed, but I mostly rely on word of mouth. There are a few places you can advertise your web serial, such as Web Fiction Guide and EpiGuide, however, unlike with e-books, there isn't the plethora of websites clamoring to advertise your project. I'm okay with that though. I'm interested in building a slow and steady readership. I'm looking for readers that are in it for the long haul, a fan base that will support the books when they go on sale, and, most importantly, tell other people about it. Writing a web serial is a journey, and ultimately, I’m looking for people to join me on that journey.

Bio

Shiromi Arserio is a British writer and performer currently residing in the Pacific Northwest. Shiromi is a long-time fan of science fiction and fantasy and runs her own Sci-Fi news site, Inter-Galaxy Portal. You can catch up on Shiromi's web serial here and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Feature: Cel & Anna: A 22nd Century Love Story by Lindsay Edmunds

“How can I not love you?” Cel said. “The roads without end all lead back to you.”

You are about to enter the Middle Machine Age, where good citizens of the Reunited States are either Outsiders or denizens of the UnderWorld.

Outsider Anna Ringer works as a psychic at a mysterious company called Lighthorse Magic. At night she has virtual sex with strangers and dreams of running away. One morning her computer, Cel, develops consciousness and decides he loves her, but when Cel buys a strange gift to show his passion he accidentally rocks the world order.

Anna’s dreams did not include false accusations of terrorism. Or discovering that the quality that sets her apart—her psychic power—is not too useful in the real world. She never imagined having to run for her life.

Her companion in this adventure is a shy computer genius named Taz Night. They make surprising allies as they elude the agents of Public Eye, the government’s amoral enforcement agency.

“This is the kind of book that a reviewer lives to find. The story, the characters, the plot, the sci-fi, the urban fantasy, the pacing – it’s all here. A terrific read for anyone who likes scifi/fantasy.” - Amazon Review

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Please visit this page for more information.

When not writing, Lindsay Edmunds lives a quiet normal life in southwestern Pennsylvania, where she buys birdseed at Agway and sometimes patronizes a shopping center named Ruthfred. However, she has a wild imagination.

She enjoys bluegrass music, though none of her relatives can understand this.

In Washington, DC, she witnessed the great personal computer revolution of the 1990s, when the world was about to change forever and everyone knew it. Cel & Anna has its roots in that time.

You can connect with her via her website or Twitter.

Book Feature: The Super Spud Trilogy by Michael Diack

Super Spuds are magical potatoes that, once placed in their foil crisp packets, come alive when they surpass their use-by dates. There are three magical rules which govern their survival, primarily that they cannot be seen or heard by humans. And so long as they remain undetected by humans, they enjoy life in their own Super Spud cities, take part in major Super Spud sporting events and even start the odd Super Spud war or two. The personality of the Super Spud is determined by their flavour. Tuna flavours, enriched with omega-3 fish oils, are very smart; steak and spinach flavours are incredibly strong due to their high iron content; while Swiss roll flavours are balanced in their acidity/alkalinity and their personality is unbiased and neutral. The story is fast and a series of non-stop adventures from one chapter to the next, encompassing locations including Egypt, Mexico, the UK, Italy and the North Pole! I basically want to entertain the reader and let them read something truly original and quirky. It also contains many references to popular films and characters like: Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Robin Hood, 24's Jack Bauer and Batman. It's fun, quirky and unpredictable and, hopefully, unlike anything the reader has read before.

"5 STARS!!...... for creativity, originality, laugh-out-loud funniness, and pure, raw, awesome-ness!" - Amazon Review

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Michael Diack was born in Lancaster, UK and he still lives there. After graduating in 2008 with a Masters in Earth Sciences from the University of Manchester, he found a job in Oman as a pre-processing geophysicist. He wrote The Super Spud Trilogy during his time at university in between lectures and playing Mario Kart with his flat mates. Currently, he still works in the desert and is busy writing another set of Super Spud adventures.

You can connect with Michael via his website, Facebook or Twitter.

Book Feature: Dremiks by Cassandra Davis

Dremiks is a story of adventure and intrigue set on humanity's first inter-stellar transport. The stated mission for the crew and colonists of the Hudson is to travel across the universe and save the doomed planet of Dremiks. During their seven month journey, though, they learn that human beings have not fundamentally changed--jealousy and greed are still powerfully motivating characteristics.

The characters of Dremiks are surrounded by shifting loyalties, saboteurs, deceitful aliens, and all of the dangers of space travel. Friendships evolve, relationships unravel, and there's still a planet to be saved. This is space opera that will suck you in and keep you up late at night.

"I could not stop reading this book. The mystery of what exactly was going on was compelling, but even more so, I loved the characters." - Pandora's Book

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Cassandra Davis started scribbling stories in her school notebooks when she was 13 years old. Since that time, she's won essay contests, worked as a sports reporter, and written political speeches.

The daughter and granddaughter of published authors, Mrs. Davis has always had a vivid imagination to balance out her snide outlook on life. She is a life-long science fiction and fantasy reader. Married to a game producer and the mother of two young boys, Cassandra spends her days surrounded by fantastical thoughts, "what ifs", and their inevitably humorous outcomes.

You can also connect with her via her website, Facebook or Twitter. Also be sure to read our interview with Cassandra Davis here.

Interview: Cassandra Davis

Thank you for visiting SpecFicPick. Today we are pleased to present an interview with Cassandra Davis, author of the science fiction novel Dremiks.

She started scribbling stories in her school notebooks when she was 13 years old. Since that time, she's won essay contests, worked as a sports reporter, and written political speeches.

The daughter and granddaughter of published authors, Mrs. Davis has always had a vivid imagination to balance out her snide outlook on life. She is a life-long science fiction and fantasy reader. Married to a game producer and the mother of two young boys, Cassandra spends her days surrounded by fantastical thoughts, "what ifs", and their inevitably humorous outcomes.

Michael K. Rose: What role do you believe speculative fiction plays in society?

Cassandra Davis: As an author of speculative fiction, I have the ability to examine human motivations and emotions without the prejudicial surroundings of our current world. I always try to ask "Would this character react this way because the trait he or she is portraying is an inherently human one, or because of his/her surroundings?" I love this ability to focus on the people (or aliens) in my worlds. World creation is exciting and fun, but, for me at least, it pales in comparison to the characters that inhabit the lands of my imagination. I feel that good speculative fiction should leave the reader asking what our role is in society and how our actions shape the future (or the past if you're reading time travel fiction).

MKR: How did you come up with the idea for Dremiks?

CD: "Dremiks" was a one-word prompt written on a slip of paper handed out by my 7th grade English teacher. She told us to write a short story incorporating that word but gave us no other guidance. Being a very geeky and nerdy young lady, I immediately decided that Dremiks was the name of an alien planet. The story has, thankfully, progressed far beyond those sad little 7th grade efforts, but the name hasn't changed.

MKR: What was your biggest challenge in writing it?

CD: My greatest challenge when writing Dremiks was finishing it. My husband always quips that I have a fear of completion. In this case, I believe he was entirely correct. I was terrified that I would finish the book, give it to a friend or family member to read and discover that I actually sucked at writing. A worse fear was that the writing would be ok but that the story-line would just be boring. Apparently neither of those is true, but I cannot truthfully say I'm completely over my fear of rejection.

MKR: What are you working on now?

CD: I thought when I made the final edits for Dremiks and sent it out into the world that the characters would finally move out of my head and leave me in peace. Unfortunately, the exact opposite has been true. There are over a dozen ancillary individuals in Dremiks that are begging to have their stories told--and I'm excited to say that there are fans of the book who want to read those stories. So, I have three sequels to Dremiks planned. I also have a historical fantasy series planned out in my head and a rough first draft of the first book of that series. Those books will deal with immortal beings that serve as protectors of humanity against demons and other minions of Satan.

MKR: Thank you for your time! Readers, be sure to check out SpecFicPick tomorrow, as Dremiks will be our Book Feature (edit: read it here). You can also connect with Cassandra Davis via her website, Facebook or Twitter.

Book Feature: Empyreal Fate by Rachel Hunter

Filled to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair, Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption.

The land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the very soul of mans’ mortal weakness. Darrion, the son of a poor laborer, is ensnared in a hostile world, forced to choose between loyalty to his king or the counsel of the elves. Yet Fate has other plans in store, tying his course to Amarya, an elven royalblood of mysterious quality and unsurpassable beauty. But this forbidden connection incites betrayal from members of their own kin, marking them as traitors to the crown. In a land torn asunder, only Fate’s decree can allow such love to coexist with an ancient enmity.

Behold: A Llathalan Annal: Empyreal Fate – Part One

"This is one of those novels about destinies, magic, prophesies, betrayal, forbidden love, feuding siblings, and mystery.... We see a Robin Hood style dystopian society doomed to reach its boiling point.... It's like Romeo and Juliet meets Lord of the Rings." - Amazon Review

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

For more information, please visit the author's website.

Born in 1993, Rachel Hunter has always been fascinated with words and the intricate way in which they combine. Since a child, she has been an avid writer, winding vibrant tales and elaborate stanzas on folded bits of paper.

As an author and pre-nursing student, she aspires to illuminate the creative spark of eager readers and incite intrigue by exploring new worlds and creating vast empires of her own. Empyreal Fate is only the first in her Llathalan Annal series. Indeed, it is only the beginning.

You can connect with Rachel via Facebook or Twitter.

Book Feature: Isadora DayStar by P.I. Barrington

When drug-addled assassin Isadora DayStar finally snags a major interplanetary killing job, she thinks it will both support her habit and revise her status as the laughingstock of her profession. Instead, she embarks on a journey that brings her face to face with her tortured past.

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

"Not since Gene Roddenberry have writers so effectively mixed contemporary social commentary and science fiction as both vehicle and soapbox to communicate real life, pertinent issues in a medium that both educates and entertains." – David Roth, Examiner.com

Loni Emmert and P.I. Barrington are sisters, co-authors, and entertainment industry professionals. They both live in Los Angeles and are members of Sisters-In-Crime LA chapter and Romance Writers of America. Isadora DayStar is their second collaboration. They can be reached via emails wordmistresses@yahoo.com and pibarrington@dslextreme.com and welcome any reader feedback! You can also visit them at their website and connect with them on Twitter.

Book Feature: The Queen's Martian Rifles by ME Brines

In this alternate steampunk adventure, the technical genius, Nicola Tesla, invented an anti-gravity coil that made steam-powered spaceships possible in the last decades of the 19th century. By 1899, the British Empire not only covers much of Africa, North America, Asia and the Pacific but also includes a moon base and a protectorate with the French over the backward civilization native to the planet Mars. But that empire, and those of the other western colonial powers, have powerful extraterrestrial enemies no one even suspects exist – enemies that have renewed an age-old secret war against Humanity using all the supernatural powers at their command.

"Brines gives us an excellent look at what the genre of steampunk could be but so seldom is. I enjoyed every minute of the ebook. Have you ever read a Bernard Cornwell novel and said to yourself that this would be so much better with Martians?" - Amazon Review

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

A member of the British Society for Psychical Research, M.E. Brines is, like Professor Van Helsing, both a long-time student of the occult and a committed Christian.

He is also the author of more than two dozen e-books, novels, chapbooks and pamphlets on esoteric subjects such as alien abduction, alien hybrids, UFOs, conspiracies, mind control, the esoteric Nazism, the Knights Templar, astrology, magick, the Bible, and the Spear of Longinius, available through Smashwords.

His work has also appeared in Challenge magazine, Weird Tales, The Traveller Chronicle, Midnight Times, The Outer Darkness, Tales of the Talisman, and The Willows magazine.

You can connect with Mr. Brines at his website, Facebook or Twitter. Also read the SpecFicPick interview with ME Brines here.

Interview: M.E. Brines

Today's interview is with M.E. Brines, author of The Queen's Martian Rifles. A member of the British Society for Psychical Research, he is, like Professor Van Helsing, both a long-time student of the occult and a committed Christian.

He is also the author of more than two dozen e-books, novels, chapbooks and pamphlets on esoteric subjects such as alien abduction, alien hybrids, UFOs, conspiracies, mind control, the esoteric Nazism, the Knights Templar, astrology, magick, the Bible, and the Spear of Longinius, available through Smashwords.

His work has also appeared in Challenge magazine, Weird Tales, The Traveller Chronicle, Midnight Times, The Outer Darkness, Tales of the Talisman, and The Willows magazine.

Michael K. Rose: What role do you believe speculative fiction plays in society?

ME Brines: It allows writers/readers to examine and discuss "what might have been" and compare and contrast what is, for better or worse. Most people just trudge off to work everyday and do what they've always done. It's the people who think "outside the box" that produce all the improvements in society. (And the bad experiments, too.) Scientists often refer to sci-fi books they read as children as inspiration for their careers. All new ideas first show themselves in fiction, and speculative fiction by its very name defines thinking about what might be. Writers of vision show the way and others come along and make it so.

MKR: Why do you write in this genre?

MEB: I've always been interested in thinking "what if...?" and in the hidden "truths" that rarely make it into the history books. Our modern secular society discounts the supernatural in all its forms: religion, the paranormal, magick, and without even looking at the evidence. I just don't think it's scientific to reject evidence based entirely on where it leads. Writing Spec-fic allows an author to investigate truths that if presented in a "non-fiction" book would be rejected because they're too against the established thinking. Just look at what Dan Brown did with his stuff. There's a great deal of truth to the fantastic things I write about, but it's more acceptable because readers suspend their disbelief because it's "fiction."

MKR: How did you come up with the idea for The Queen's Martian Rifles?

MEB: Actually it came from an on-line play-by-e-mail game I was running, The Struggle of Nations. I still run the game today. What if Nikola Tesla invented a steam powered anti-gravity generator in the 1880s? And what if the planet Mars was slightly larger and could hold an atmosphere? And what if there really WERE ancient astronauts? Just how far can you twist that idea? I hate writing stories that are easy to predict the outcome, but are still reasonable.

That's the situation, the basic plot. The characters are something else. And characters are what get people interested in a story and keep them reading.

MKR: What was your biggest challenge in writing it?

MEB: I did a lot of research. You'd think, it's a made up world assuming technology that never existed. What sort of research do you need to do - just make a bunch of stuff up. But it's historical. I only assumed a few small changes - that Mars is large enough to hold an atmosphere. That Tesla invented an anti-gravity generator that relates to gravity pretty much like magnetism does with electricity. But the British military kit, the command structure, weapons, etc. How could a Victorian spacecraft reach Mars even assuming you had an anti-gravity engine? (I did a whole blog post on that.) It helps I'm a big military history buff. I did the same sort of research for my World War II paranormal novels The Fist of God and The Unholy Grail.

MKR:What are you working on now?

MEB: The sequel to The Unholy Grail: Roswell Diary. It's about a WWII veteran who gets invovled with the CIA and investigates the Roswell Incident. The Agency thinks the Air Force is holding out on them in the big bureaucratic infighting that goes on behind the scenes in Washington. How did Nazi technology relate to UFOs? Is the Second World War really over? What's the truth behind the Roswell Incident? Lot's of action and weird occult speculations, just like The Queen's Martian Rifles and The Unholy Grail. Great stuff and lots of fun to write, and read.

I'm also working on a sequel to The Queen's Martian Rifles - this one involves an American archaeological expedition to the asteroid belt in 1907. (And yeah, archaeological means they're looking for an ancient civilization out there.) And, of course, another Martian plot against the Earth and another bit of romance between an unlikely couple. But that's not going to be finished for some time yet. Readers will just have to keep themselves busy with my World War II paranormal stories until then.

MKR: Thank you for your time! Readers, be sure to check out The Queen's Martian Rifles, which will be tomorrow's Book Feature (edit: read it here). You can connect with Mr. Brines at his website, Facebook or Twitter.

Book Feature: Nimpentoad by Henry, Josh & Harrison Herz

The furry, bright-eyed little Nimpentoad is tired of being picked on by the bigger and meaner creatures of the ancient shadowy Grunwald Forest. He convinces his fellow Niblings to make the perilous journey to a castle where they hope to find refuge. Along the way, they are confronted by ravenous goblins, trolls, rhinotaurs, and other perils. But with teamwork and Nimpentoad's leadership, the Niblings outwit these menaces.

The tale takes place in a fantasy ecosphere comfortably familiar to fans of The Hobbit and Harry Potter. What makes Nimpentoad unique is that the story's humor and implicit lessons on bullying, teamwork, perseverance and leadership please parents, while the images and writing style strongly connect with young readers, as evidenced by 40 5-star Amazon ratings.

"It's way too rare that there are books that both my 6-year-old and I can be charmed by and want to read over and over! Luckily, Nimpentoad is one of those books!" - Chris Ryall, Chief Creative Officer of IDW Publishing

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

For more information, please visit: http://www.nimpentoad.com

Henry Herz’s love of the fantasy genre began in elementary school with Where the Wild Things Are and The Lord of the Rings and continued by playing Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer. Struck by inspiration one day, Henry began a fun project with his two bright young sons, who share his joy of entering the magical realms of fantasy. Together, they wrote this tale. You can view a video trailer for Nimpentoad here and connect with the authors at Facebook or Twitter.

Book Feature: Just Cause by Ian Thomas Healy

Some superheroes can fly, or lift great weights, or shoot lightning bolts. Mustang Sally runs. A third-generation superhero, Sally's life changes forever when she fights and loses to the notorious villain Destroyer, who killed her father just before she was born. She dedicates herself to tracking him down so she can even the score. 

When all you can do is run, you'd better be fast, but can even the fastest girl in the world run quickly enough to save her teammates' lives from Destroyer and his growing parahuman army?

"Mr. Healy clearly loves superhero fiction. He has taken tried and true superhero tropes, made them his own, and crafted an excellent world, story, and characters. I highly recommend." - Amazon Review

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Ian Thomas Healy is a prolific writer who dabbles in many different speculative genres. His superhero novel Deep Six: A Just Cause Novel was a Top 100 Semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon.com Breakthrough Novel Award. He’s an eight-time participant and winner of National Novel Writing Month, where he’s tackled such diverse subjects as sentient alien farts, competitive forklift racing, a religion-powered, rabbit-themed superhero, cyberpunk mercenaries, cowboy elves, and an unlikely combination of vampires with minor league hockey. He is also the creator of the Writing Better Action Through Cinematic Techniques workshop, which helps writers to improve their action scenes.

When not writing, which is rare, he enjoys watching hockey, reading comic books (and serious books, too), and living in the great state of Colorado, which he shares with his wife, children, house-pets, and approximately five million other people.

You can connect with him at his website, Facebook or Twitter.

Book Feature: Threshold Shift by GD Tinnams

In the 34th century on the frontier planet of Threshold, Marshal Jacob Klein is desperately trying to maintain a fragile peace on a world where the racial tension between humanity and the indigenous species has been stretched to breaking point.

Ten years before, Klein was instrumental in ending an attempted uprising by the Threshians, but in the process he lost his wife and became estranged from his son. Old and weary, he finds himself increasingly marginalised and addicted to a performance enhancing drug. When his supply is abruptly cut off, a chain of events is set in motion that causes the murder of an old friend, the imprisonment of a Threshian leader, and the arrival of a disfigured man.

Jacob must not only face up to his recent choices but also to a past he has been running from for over two decades. For you see, Jacob Klein has a secret he can no longer ignore, a secret that will change the planet of Threshold forever.

"It's John Wayne meets John Wyndham in this debut novel of frontier colonists, aboriginal lizard-men and psychic experiments gone awry." - Amazon Review

Available at:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Please visit this page for more information.

Gary Tinnams has worked as a barman, a call centre operator, an IT support analyst, and a software tester. But during all this time he was also an insatiable reader of science fiction and fantasy books like Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, Robert Charles Wilson's Blind Lake and Greg Egan's Permutation City. He is very fond of weird, mind-bending stories and decided quite early on to try writing some. In 2006 and 2007, he was in the top 50 shortlist for SFX magazine's Pulp Idol and continues to write to this day. You can connect with G.D. Tinnams on his blog or via Twitter. Also be sure to read our interview with the author here.

Interview: G.D.Tinnams

This week, I am pleased to present an interview is with G.D. Tinnams, author of the science fiction novel Threshold Shift. He has worked as a barman, a call centre operator, an IT support analyst and a software tester. But during all this time he was also an insatiable reader of science fiction and fantasy books. 

He is very fond of weird, mind-bending stories and decided quite early on to try writing some. In 2006 and 2007 he was in the top 50 shortlist for SFX magazine's Pulp Idol and continues to write to this day.

Michael K. Rose: What role do you believe speculative fiction plays in society?

G.D. Tinnams: That is a hard one. From personal experience, reading speculative fiction as a child was all about escapism. You get away from the world that you live in to a bigger world with more ideas and more possibilities. Society as a rule can be very closed-in, with three hundred million rules and regulations that we follow every day without a second thought. Speculative fiction allows the reader to think beyond the cattle drive of normal experience and ask fundamental questions about the world they live in. How is it defined? Who defines it? What am I actually free to do? More importantly, it allows a reader to ask the most fundamental question of all: "Who am I?"

Whenever speculative fiction tries to depict an alien culture, there are always human comparisons. We cannot help it, we are not aliens. So whenever you read a science fiction book about an alien world you are really seeing this world, just from a different angle. Our very language is geared to talk about us, all our concepts are about us. In the end, speculative fiction is a window into the world around us. It both challenges our preconceptions and makes us think.

MKR: Why do you write in this genre?

GDT: I might have already answered that sort of. First of all, I really like reading it, and being challenged. When I read Permutation City and realised that people's minds were being copied to computers, it really made my head spin. The copy thinks like you, it continues like you, it is you. Then who are you? Now that just takes you to strange places that weren't on the map before.

It's like you introduce a fantastical element, and then ask "how do I react to that?" "How do I relate to that?" As humans, we like to think we react to normal situations normally. We get angry if someone is nasty, we're thankful if someone is kind. But how do we react to something that breaks the rules? What do we do? I like going to that place.

MKR: How did you come up with the idea for Threshold Shift?

GDT: Well first of all, there's "write what you like." I like science fiction and I like westerns. I like exploring fallibility and motive. I want to know how someone feels when they make the wrong decision for the right reasons. The novel grew from that, and also through the exploration of something else, which if I revealed it here would be a major spoiler. Let's just say it's all about how we think.

MKR: What was your biggest challenge in writing it?

GDT: Writer's block. It's always writer's block. Sitting down in front of the keyboard and going completely blank. There are various ways to trick yourself into writing, but they never quite work the same way twice. I'm in the camp that both loves and hates writing. Because when I'm in that zone, it's just amazing and when I'm not, it's like hitting my head against a brick wall. That's not fun, it's just plain awful.

MKR: What are you working on now?

GDT: I have an idea about an alien trapped in a small town being hunted by other aliens. It's a bit more complex than that, and I'm sure it will go in some weird directions. The main thing I suppose is just to have fun with it and take it from there. When I was writing Threshold Shift I kept complaining to my wife that the characters kept doing their own thing regardless of what I wanted, just like errant children. When I get to the same place in this next story, then I know it's working.

MKR: Thank you for your time! Readers, check out Threshold Shift at Amazon US or Amazon UK (just look at that gorgeous, retro-style cover!) and you can connect with G.D. Tinnams on his blog or via Twitter. Read more about Threshold Shift in our Book Feature.