BOOK REVIEW: "The Hematophages" by Stephen Kozeniewski

Doctoral student Paige Ambroziak is a “station bunny” – she’s never set foot off the deep space outpost where she grew up. But when she’s offered a small fortune to join a clandestine salvage mission, she jumps at the chance to leave the cutthroat world of academia behind.
Paige is convinced she’s been enlisted to find the legendary Manifest Destiny, a long-lost colonization vessel from an era before the corporations ruled Earth and its colonies. Whatever she’s looking for, though, rests in the blood-like seas of a planet-sized organism called a fleshworld.
Dangers abound for Paige and her shipmates. Flying outside charted space means competing corporations can shoot them on sight rather than respect their salvage rights. The area is also crawling with pirates like the ghoulish skin-wrappers, known for murdering anyone they can’t extort.
But the greatest threat to Paige’s mission is the nauseating alien parasites which infest the fleshworld. These lamprey-like monstrosities are used to swimming freely in an ocean of blood, and will happily spill a new one from the veins of the outsiders who have tainted their home. In just a few short, bone-chilling hours Paige learns that there are no limits to the depravity and violence of the grotesque nightmares known as…THE HEMATOPHAGES.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

So, you must know by now how big a fan I am of Kozeniewski. He always has something new to offer with each book, and The Hematophages is no different. I was wary at first, because I don't read a lot of sci-fi. In fact, outside of Star Wars and Doctor Who, I don't like the genre very much at all. But this book has so many horror elements that I loved it despite it being sci-fi.

Paige is the main character and it's hard not to love her: she's snarky and craves adventure; like most of the author's characters, she has a unique voice and you get to know her well as the story goes on.

In this book there are two horrific creatures: the Hematophages themselves and the other humans who seem to have a devastating self-destructive streak within most of them. Even Paige, who like I said is a really great character.

I think hardcore sci-fi fans might be disappointed that the world-building could have used more plotting or description, but as a horror fan I was glad he didn't take pages upon pages to talk about space and what the worlds are like. It is described better in the actions of people. in how they act and think and well, she's in space. That's more than enough for me.

There's a great amount of humor, more than I would have expected, and it offsets the violence and darkness of the story. All in all, an excellent read from Kozeniewski that I recommend to all horror fans who are looking for something different to tantalize their minds with.

5/5--brilliant!

Purchase The Hematophages via:

Amazon

Google Play

BOOK REVIEW: "Universe Ocean" by Timothy J. Lytle

Podnar has always killed for the Dominion. It’s all he’s ever known. But one day he misses his mark.
That event changes everything, lifting the veil on a lifetime of lies. When the Dominion discovers that he knows the truth they execute the worst possible punishment for a telepath: Exile. Condemned to live out life on a planet where he is the only sentient being, the Halfac manages to survive until he encounters Harlow Cavalear. Podnar uses the human to carry out a desperate plan to destroy the Corsujian race. But instead of wiping out one race, he unleashes a terrible threat upon every species in the universe.
As Harlow struggles to find his role in the war, he begins having strange visions, repeatedly finding himself transported across time and space into the mind of a foreign entity. The experiences are hazy and dreamlike, but each episode is followed by real and intense headaches. And there was something else behind the pain, past the unsettling fear of unknown origin, a raw internal emotion he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
As the mental backlash caused by the visions grows increasingly unbearable, Harlow can’t help but wonder if they have something to do with the war raging around him. But the real question was: could he figure out why they kept happening before they killed him?

While I read a lot of science fiction, I haven't been a huge fan of the books for a very long time. I watch the films and movies, but the books were always the last on my TBR list. Funny, because every time I read a sci-fi book, I find myself drawn in immediately with the new worlds created seemingly from nothing but pure imagination.
Universe Ocean might be one of the grandest ones I've come across as a reviewer. Based on exile and war, you could call it a space version of Lord of the Rings, which was based off of war as well. But Universe Ocean isn't just an allegory, it's a beautiful, if dark, space opera.
Podnar is a telepath forced into exile, the worst thing for someone who needs mental contact with other living beings. His voice and his heart immediately make him a sympathetic and recognizable character, strong and vengeful.
Harlow is a human and seems easily manipulated, but you learn not to judge him by his first impression. He's daring and resourceful, a great supporting character.
The story is entertaining, but it also makes you think. Think about war, about trust and about your leaders. About lies and desperation.
A great book, especially if you like both war and sci-fi!

4/5--a very interesting read!

Purchase Universe Ocean via:

Official site (has all purchase links and the site has an in-depth look inside the author's mind)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ross Harrison

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I’ve been writing for a long time; I don’t remember a time that I wasn’t. I’d already written several very bad short stories by the time I finally got to what turned into my first book, Shadow of the Wraith, when I was about 12. It wasn’t until I’d finished that book that my grandmother asked if I was going to try to get it published. The thought hadn’t occurred to me before, but I came around to the idea.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

The main author I’ve always read is Terry Pratchett. I don’t think there’s a Discworld novel I haven’t read. I always loved Douglas Adams too, although I much prefer the Dirk Gently novels to Hitchhiker’s Guide. Lee Child is probably my favourite author of serious fiction, and Iain M Banks or Peter F Hamilton for sci-fi.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Acts Of Violence?

A mix of reading the first Jack Reacher book and playing a noir game, Max Payne 3. The game’s vibrant, South American setting combined with strongly-noir narration not only made me want to write something noir-ish, but also showed me that bleak, rainy, grey settings weren’t the only ones in which noir could work. Of course, Acts of Violence turned out to have just such a setting anyway. The book inspired the first-person narration, which I had disliked intensely until then, but which I knew was the best way to write mine.

4.  Can you tell the readers about your other works?

My other writing comes in two forms: a science-fantasy series, NEXUS, and a series of steampunk short stories (two, so far).
In the NEXUS series are Shadow of the Wraith and Temple of the Sixth, both space operas. They are very different to Acts of Violence and are intended for a wider age range. The series is non-linear, so that readers don’t have to start with the first book, but based on the idea of everything being connected. So, although the books don’t/won’t have direct sequels, they will connect with each other in some big or small way.
The post-apocalyptic steampunk short stories follow the titular character, Kira: a teenage girl who finds herself the guardian of a younger boy in their quest to simply survive the wastelands, mutant animals and oppressive, sinister government.

5. Why did you decide to mix sci-fi with crime noir?

I don’t know. I don’t think that was the intention when I started writing, but at some point I decided that I didn’t want to have to set the book in any real-world location. The obvious solution was to take a dark corner of the universe I’d already created in the NEXUS series and set the book there. The sci-fi stays very much in the background, and the city of Harem isn’t prosperous or advanced enough to be particularly futuristic. The result is a setting that should be familiar to the reader whilst still giving me the freedom I want and need.

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

Not really. Most of them are stereotypes to some degree: the violent, trigger-happy son of the crime-lord, who doesn’t do a lot of thinking; the calm, collected crime-lord himself who has more going on than people suspect; the detective who can’t catch a break, and who might be the only person in the city who isn’t corrupt; and of course the wannabe private detective who takes at least as many beatings as he hands out.
I wanted to take those kinds of characters and flesh them out a little more than their usual portrayal, and perhaps end up with something familiar yet fresh.

7. Since you write mostly sci-fi, what other genres would you like to try your hand at?

At some point in the distant future I will write fantasy and some kind of superhero novel. Probably not until I have finished the sci-fi series.

8. What would you do if what you were in Acts of Violence?

I suppose that depends what role I had in it. Although most would result in me finding somewhere to hide and cry, and hope that no one found me.

9. You say you like superheroes and video games. What are your favorite comic books and games?

I’ve read very few graphic novels, but of the ones I have, Batman: Hush is my favourite. In a graphic novel, the writing and the artwork both have to be very good, and Hush succeeds with both.
In terms of games, it has to be story-driven and not some mindless garbage where you just shoot anything that moves just for the hell of it – that stopped being entertaining years ago. Unfortunately, the industry doesn’t have the brains to treat the medium with proper respect and so well-written games are fairly few and far between. Role-playing games are therefore my favourite, with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the first Mass Effect at the top of the list. Immersive, expansive and responsive to the player’s choices.

10. Would you like to see Acts of Violence as a film? If yes, who do you want to see play your characters?

I actually wrote a film script for it, but haven’t bothered sending it to anyone. The setting and genre lend themselves to a nicely stylised film with a few unique(ish) aspects. I’ve never given much thought to who could play the characters; just so long as they can act!

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I’ll probably be finishing up work on the second film to concentrate on the game, of course, and counting how many gold bars are in my pyramid.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

If I hadn’t run out of money for lessons, flying a helicopter. Otherwise, I’m about to start a proofreading business, so…that.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

I’m very slowly progressing with the third novel in the NEXUS series. It has been badly treated, having been pushed aside three times in favour of other books, and now in favour of some proofreading refresher courses. I’m a little under halfway finished.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

Perhaps someone who already writes in a similar style and setting to me. Otherwise it would get too complicated. The idea of collaborating is both interesting and concerning.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

I can fly a helicopter, but I can’t start it up.
I’m not overly fond of bacon!
I have a post-it note on my monitor with a picture of Osiris dressed up as an ankh Grim Reaper. For some reason.

Find Mr. Harrison online via:

Official site (has all social media links)

BOOK REVIEW: "Billy And The Cloneasaurus" by Stephen Kozeniewski

Six billion identical clones make up the entire population of Earth, and William 790-6 (57th Iteration) is exactly like everybody else. In his one year of life he will toil in suburban mediocrity and spend as much cash as possible in order to please his corporate masters. When 790’s first birthday (and scheduled execution) finally rolls around, a freak accident spares his life.
Living past his expiration date changes 790 profoundly. Unlike other clones he becomes capable of questioning the futility of his own existence. Seeking answers in the wilderness, he discovers a windmill with some very strange occupants, including a freakish, dinosaur-like monstrosity. Which is especially strange since every animal on earth is supposed to be extinct…
Dark, haunting, and blisteringly satirical, BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS is the story of one “man’s” attempt to finally become an individual in a world of copies.

Well, I've read a lot of stories about how man is just existing, not living. Many of those talk about how the "officials" want us to all be the same. And that's sort of true. But never have I read a story that truly makes it all seem possible (not probable), and very real.
In this Twilight Zone-esque novel, Stephen Kozeniewski brings us to a world of William: one man, six billion clones. Each clone only gets a year to live before it's replaced with a newer model. There are no animals, nothing natural or genetic. Sex is obsolete, as are animals not created in a laboratory (for food purposes only, of course). No one does anything unexpected, and if they do, their entire line gets suspended.
This world scared the living daylights out of me! I'm an individualist, and anything from uniforms to matching tattoos scare me. So to be thrust in this imagined world of clones was very unnerving.
It made me think, what if? For those living lives like toy soldiers, who only do what's expected of them (think Susan Sarandon's character in The Banger Sisters), what if one of them went off and did something unexpected? To paraphrase Heath Ledger as the Joker, "One thing happens not according to plan and everyone loses their minds!"
790 might only have a number to differentiate himself from his brothers, but his heart is different. He's alive because of an unprecedented accident, and he doesn't waste the amazing opportunity he's given. He goes on searching for answers to things he'd never questioned previously. He could be a true inspiration to those stuck in a monotonous life; be it a family of unquestioning bigots, people who rigidly stick to one religion, one job or one particular way of living.
Sci-fi and satire made a beautiful baby here with Billy And The Cloneasaurus, and you need to read this. By far, it's my favorite thing Kozeniewski has written!

5/5--a great read you won't want to put down!

Purchase Billy And The Cloneasaurus via:

Amazon

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Roland Hughes

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I didn't actually decide.  From a young age I had several family members I used to correspond with and I enjoyed writing those letters.  Yes, I'm from a time when one had to use pen and ink to communicate.  Decades ago I was working with a cross platform library called the Zinc Application Framework (ZAF).  I was appalled at the lack of books on the product, so I wrote a couple.  The same thing happened years later when I wrote “The Minimum You Need to Know to Be an OpenVMS Application Developer.”  There simply was a lack of decent books on the subject, so I wrote one.  That book was the first of what became a trademarked book series.
You probably are only interested in the novels though.  There is this company which advertises in “theWriter” magazine.  They advertise a great many novelty products for writers.  The one I will probably buy many of some day is a T-shirt with the phrase “Be careful or you will end up in my novel” or something along those lines.  That saying is absolutely true.  “Infinite Exposure” came about because somebody at Citi Bank pissed me off one day.  It sent into motion events which triggered memories of other things.  Characters started coming forward to tell their story, so, I wrote it down.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I used to read a lot of Stephen R. Donaldson, George Martin and Robert Jordan.  You may be shocked to hear this, but I don't really read today.  I read a lot of Time magazine and I get quite a few movies via a DVD by mail service (not NetFlix.)  There is some incredible writing taking place in movies and even television shows.  Downton Abbey excels on so many levels.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel John Smith: Last Known Survivor of the Microsoft Wars?

Those people who read “Infinite Exposure” and contacted me wanting to know more.  This made John Smith surface.  Well, it made the character surface.  He didn't have a name for most of the book.  John needed someone to talk to and Susan volunteered.  Unlike John, Susan had a first name throughout the entire first draft. Her last name, Krowley, is a nod to the Crawley family of Downton Abbey.  They did have family in America after all.  John Smith is full of winks and nods and they aren't all to previous works of science fiction.

4. Will we ever see any of these characters again in the future?

Yes.  Assuming this book does well, I would like to find a young and gifted writer to collaborate with on “John Smith: The Last Gift of Atlantis.” That book will provide the framework of the world John Smith surfaced in.  After that I would like to step aside letting the new writer flesh out the world in either a trilogy or a series.  Such a hand off requires a collaboration.

5. What was the symbolism behind making the internet, phones, etc. extinct in this story?

Not symbolism as much as fact.  That which is taken for granted doesn't get saved. In a recent Op-ed for the History News Network I put forth this simple fact:  We have the 'Seven Wonders of the World' because mankind has repeatedly lost the ability to create them.  Every civilization/cycle of the human race has believed it would exist forever therefore it does not “waste time” recording the simple things in a permanent manner.
Some say the Great Pyramids had thousands of people working on them.  Obviously the knowledge of how to cut and transport massive stone blocks was in large circulation among the working class. Today we have speculation, wild speculation and conspiracy theories galore about how those pyramids were built. Why?  Because when that cycle of the human race ended this basic knowledge wasn't recorded in a manner which survives today.

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

Every author puts a bit of themselves into a character.  The amount I put in will probably be the subject of debate for years to come.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

Between the geek books I write for “The Minimum You Need to Know” book series, and this little world I've covered most of the genres I like.  For years I have had this idea of an interlocking trilogy I've wanted to publish as the “Twenty of Two” trilogy.  Haven't done a lot with it.
Traditional trilogies have a beginning, middle and end.  For the most part they follow a linear course with a few flashbacks for back story.  What about a trilogy which is concentric rings:
•the first is the big picture
•the second goes deeper covering fewer and different stories
•the third uncovers the one central story which caused it all to happen
I've kind of done that now.  Fans of “Infinite Exposure” wanted to know more.  This lead to John Smith.  Those fans want to know more from both before and after.  The before I'm working on now, “Lesedi: The Greatest Lie Ever Told.” “Infinite Exposure” and John Smith can and do stand alone.  Lesedi has to stand on top of those two works.  When it does it is a strong trilogy.  Granted I had not set out to write a trilogy when I wrote the first two.  As I have said before, “Infinite Exposure” came about because someone at Citi Bank really honked me off.

8. What would you do if you were in the same position your character is in?

Die.  I have all kinds of power tools but they are useless without power.  I have worked on family and friends houses but no idea how to build one from scratch despite having seen it done many times.  While I can grow a garden and raise livestock because I still live on a farm, I can only grow the garden if I can buy seeds at a store.  I can only raise the livestock if I have shelter and feed for them.
When I was a child, the “family farm” was this idyllic thing most conjure up the image of. A barn with some chickens, pigs, cattle, etc. along with a large garden. The chickens doubled as both a food source and insect control for the garden. In short, the poverty of the life forced a level of self sufficiency on the people which is unheard of today.
If you take away one lesson from Hurricane Sandy it should be this: Every disaster recovery plan in existence isn't worth the paper its printed on.

9. If your story came true, but humanity wasn't wiped out, how do you think we'd adapt?

If any of the existing upper class or 1-percenters survive, we would almost instantly devolve into some kind of totalitarian dark ages while they tried to create their own personal Elysium.

10. You said you want to see Transfixion as a film. Who do you want to see play your characters?

I don't know anything about Transfixion.  I know that if John Smith is turned into a movie it should be done in a single setting with lots of clips from old movies like that black and white thing WGN used to run about the fall of Atlantis and clips from other shows which cover the topics discussed in the book.  Some could be with sound but most would probably be silent.  Susan should be a complete unknown.  This type of science fiction works well with unknowns.
John Smith should be a highly recognized voice from the science fiction world.  If they end up with someone like Patrick Stewart then the movie should be shot like Jaws, where you don't see his face until the very end, when he is delivering the line about journalists.  If they get a great voice with a not well known face, such as either the gentleman who played G'Kar on Babylon 5, or Warf on Star Trek TNG then they wouldn't necessarily have to do the Jaws style shooting.11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?Hopefully, every close to being able to retire from my day job so I can spend my days enjoying life more and writing more books.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

This question seems to be on every author question list ever put forth for an author interview.  It makes a grand (and incorrect) assumption the writer/author earns a full time living from writing. Very few writers make a living writing full time. With companies like Amazon trying to give writers products away for free to sell more Kindles, full time writers will be a perpetually shrinking number. Sadly our culture is fixated on “free-hoarding.”  Generally speaking, if you downloaded it for free, the author/creator didn't get paid.
Like the vast majority of authors you will interview, I have a day job.  My day job is IT consulting.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

“Lesedi: The Greatest Lie Ever Told”

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

None that I know of.  As I stated before, when John Smith becomes a resounding financial success I would like to identify a gifted, unknown, just-starting-out young writer to collaborate with on “John Smith: The Last Gift of Atlantis” but that is some time off.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

I don't know about 3 things.  They might be surprised to learn I used to have a hobby of water well drilling and even owned a Failing 1250 drilling rig.  (Failing was the brand, not the condition.)
I still keep a CDL which allows me to drive 18 wheelers so I can help with harvest when I'm home.
I find squirrels highly entertaining, but mostly because they torment my dog. If it wasn't for those squirrels he wouldn't get any exercise.

Find Mr. Hughes online via:

Official site

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Ronel van Tonder

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I've been writing since about the age of 10. I think it was the allure of creating imaginery worlds and places. Perhaps being (and still being) an introvert contributed to this in some way. That, and my parents belief that a child should always have their noses buried in a book.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I read a ton of Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, Robert Jordan, Dean Koontz and James Herbert, to mention but a few. I preferred the fantasy and horror genres. My tastes have remained practially unchanged. However, I'm finding great joy in reading indie authors' books. There are some talented writers out there.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Compile:Quest?

The concept of the domes came from Jacques Frescoe's "The Venus Project", which is a societal model that stems from a resource-based economy. From this came the idea of how life in the future could operate. But I knew not everyone would be able to get inside the domes. So I started wondering about the people living outside. From those scraps the story just evolved into the beast it is today.

4. Why futuristic science fiction?

Futuristic sci-fi is like a petri dish for the mind. You can grow the most fantastic things in there. New societies, technologies... the sky's the limit. Or... well... space is the limit. Or is it?
Basically, it allows for a blank canvas that makes painting the world you want your characters to reside in so much easier. You write your own history (depending how far into the future your novel is set), and you can decide which path mankind wanders (or stumbles) down.

5. Will we see these characters again in the future?

Yes. There is a second and a third book on the way. Depending on the interest in the series, I'll consider writing a prequel. But I have tons of other writing projects, so the prequel might take a backseat for now.

6. Were any of your characters' personalities or emotions taken from real life?

I'm sure they were. I lack any kind of cataloguing system in my brain. So when I see the characters in my mind, I do often find they do have their own quirks. I assume some of these might be from people I know, or movies I've watched, or other books I've read, but it's as if they have all been processed and spat out as something completely different.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

I will be writing a horror novel after this, then switching back to sci-fi. I might ressurect an uncompleted fantasy novel from my youth or start a new one.

8. What would you do if you were in either of your protagonists' positions?

I really don't know. I'm so different from any of them that I probably wouldn't even *get* into those positions were it me. But  if I did? Then I'd probably curl up into a little ball and sing a happy song until all the weird goes away. I'm neither brave nor scrappy.

9. You say on your site that you also write horror. What are your plans on releasing anything horror-based in the future?

Yes, I will be writing a horror after I'm done with the second and third books of the Corrupted SUN Script. I would estimate, if all goes well, that is should be released March/April next year.

10. Would you like to see as Compile:Quest as a film or TV show? Who do you want to play your characters?

Yes please! I think the books are a bit lengthy for a movie, but I can definitely see it as a 8-episode, 3-season television series.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Best-selling author. (Which author doesn't?)

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Cannot compute. Life without writing is like... Life without life.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

Once done with the second and third book in the Corrupted SUN Script trilogy, I'll be writing a horror, "Zealot", and then another sci-fi series.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

Most definitely Terry Pratchett. I am constantly in awe of his writing skills, and to be able to collaborate with him would be amazing.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

1 - I love dancing to dubstep/glitch hop/trance and various other forms of electronica.
2 - I've never riden a train or flown in a plane.
3 - I'm a terrible poet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronel is a brand-spanking new indie author. She loves creating fantastical worlds set in the future, the mythical, and the horrific. Translate: She writes science-fiction, fantasy and horror novels.
Her life story is not particularly fascinating, but her love of technology, PC games and writing is. Beside writing, she spends her time slaying rendered baddies in the form of robots, gangsters and aliens - with any weapon that happens to be at hand.
Ronel has published her first science-fiction book, Compile:Quest. She's currently hard at work creating the second book in the Corrupted SUN Script trilogy. When she's not writing, she's gaming, and when she's not gaming she's either sleeping or eating, as these are prerequisites for a continued life on planet Earth.

truth = (trust/ignorance) * propoganda

Website Link:
http://ronelvantonder.co.za

Social Media Links:
http://www.twitter.com/RonelVanTonder
http://www.facebook.com/Ronel.Van.Tonder.Author
http://za.linkedin.com/in/ronelvantonder/
http://www.wattpad.com/user/ronelvantonderza
https://www.google.com/+RonelvantonderCoZa
http://www.pinterest.com/ronel1014/
https://www.goodreads.com/ronelvantonder

SYNOPSIS OF COMPILE:QUEST:

In the year 2036, solar storms batter Earth. The world's electrical infrastructure is crippled. Night falls and the ensuing pandemonium claims millions of lives, catapulting mankind into chaos.
In the midst of this global turmoil a hero emerges. The altruistic SUN Council intercedes. They construct enormous domes on each continent to protect the world’s population from the radioactive CME’s of the incessant solar storms.
But not everyone makes it to the domes. In an attempt to survive the deadly radiation, hundreds of thousands of people burrow into the earth, living in squalor under an oppressive dictatorship.
Now centuries later, the final stage of the SUN Council’s plan to decimate the world’s population approaches. But as victory glimmers on the horizon, two women from discordant halves of this new world start to unravel the conspiracy.

**** Book Links ****

Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1vKiQJU

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23342596-compile

**** Video Trailer ****

http://bit.ly/1xquBry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItFMeh3hAkU&feature=youtu.be
<iframe width="480" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ItFMeh3hAkU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

BOOK REVIEW: "Compile: Quest" by Ronel van Tonder

In the year 2036, solar storms batter Earth crippling electrical infrastructures across the globe. Night falls and the ensuing pandemonium claims millions of lives, catapulting the world into chaos. 
In the midst of this global turmoil a hero emerges. The altruistic SUN Council intercedes, constructing enormous domes on each continent to protect the world’s population from the radioactive CME’s of the incessant solar storms. 
But not everyone makes it to the domes. In an attempt to survive the deadly radiation, hundreds of thousands of people dig into the earth, living in squalor under an oppressive military dictatorship. 
Now centuries later, the final stage of the SUN Council’s plan to decimate the world’s population approaches. But as victory glimmers on the horizon, two women from discordant halves of this new world start to unravel the conspiracy.

When we think of the greats of the science fiction genre, the first name that comes to mind is Issac Asmiov. He reinvented the genre and gave us a lot of information to process.
When we find ourselves thinking of the greats in the next decade, we will inevitably mention Ronel van Tonder, whose debut novel Compile: Quest is a feast for the imagination.
The story centers around a world in turmoil, even though some of the inhabitants have no idea that things were not always this way.
You have your typical elements, like a corporation trying to control everyone, robots as personal assistants and vicious war raging behind the scenes. But you have your unique points, particularly that the hero isn't a hero: it's a heroine. Two of them, actually. The two women chosen by the author to stop the SUN Council and end the war are as different as night and day, yet offset each other perfectly.
This world she created is frightening and somehow beautiful in its strange, cybernetic way. I love the lifestyles with robots and medical pods, all the strange things that, in 2014, don't seem to be that fictional.
Reading this is like going into a virtual reality machine, actually, and you won't want to leave once you've entered.

5/5--a new age of sci-fi.

Purchase Compile: Quest via:

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Catherine Spangler

I am happy to bring you all an exclusive interview with bestselling RITA-nominated author Catherine Spangler, who penned the Shielder & Sentinel series, the former a sci-fi romance and the latter paranormal romance.
Enjoy this look inside her mind!

1. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer and why?

I've always made up stories, even when I was in elementary school. In high school, a creative writing teacher singled me out and gave me special writing assignments because he thought I was way ahead of the class. That's when I really thought about writing. But it wasn't until I was thirty-something with two children, that the desire to write took off. It was triggered by a college catalog coming in the mail. There was a one-day writing course listed inside, and I knew immediately I wanted to take that course. After that, I was fully engaged in writing. I think it was the universe giving me a nudge.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What authors do you enjoy today?

When I was younger, I devoured Nancy Drew, Louisa May Alcott, Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Then I moved on to Kathleen Woodiwiss, Johanna Lindsey, then Linda Howard, and so many others. Some of my favorite authors today are Nalini Singh, J.D. Robb, Kay Hooper, J.R. Ward, Jim Butcher. There are many more, but I can't name them all here.

3. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I don't know about the career, because this is such a tough business. I do hope I'll never stop writing, so I'd like to think I'll have more books written in ten years.

4. In Touched by Darkness, instead of making the situation be about only the leading male & female characters, you turned it into a family thing, with Kara's son. Why did you decide to incorporate that extra level?

I don't normally give children large roles in my books, because my stores are romances and focused on the hero and heroine. In this case, Alex needed to be part of the story. I have to write a story as it speaks to me, and as my inner voice tells me it needs to be. In this case, Alex was pivotal to the story. There aren't any children in the other Sentinel books.

5. Why Atlantis? You not only did a lot of research to write this, but you also had to fabricate quite a bit. What was it about Atlantis as opposed to other mythological places and inhabitants?

I have been fascinated with Atlantis all my life. No one really knows if it existed or what it might have really been like. But I've ready many books on Atlantis, and have even written an article, based on the Edgar Cayce readings. The Sentinel books are also based on the Cayce readings.

6. Were any of your wildly unique and different characters based on real people?

Not directly, except for Touched by Light, where Tami Lang is a very real person, and I portrayed her pretty accurately. I do think some of every author's real life experiences flavor their characters and their stories.

7. If there were to be a movie made featuring your stories, who would you pick to play your creations?

I am terrible at stuff like this, because I don't even know who the current hot young actors are. If anyone reading this has some ideas, please be sure to contact me and let me know.

8. So far, you've written three Sentinel novels. Do you foresee more in your future?

I do. I have two on the "drawing board", Barrie's story (she's introduced in Touched by Fire), and Matt's story (the missing Sentinel in Touched by Light).

9. After you wrote Touched by Darkness, did you originally plan on writing more novels or were you sort of surprised into it?

I'm always surprised into it! I actually sold Touched by Darkness to Berkley as a two-book deal, but had no idea what the second book would be about. I'm an organic writer, a "pantster" and I discover my characters and the story as I write.

10. Your previous Shielder series earned you a RITA nomination. Can you tell the readers more about that series?

These are science fiction romances set in another world, with the main focus on the Shielders, a race of people facing annihilation. It sounds grim, but all the books have happy endings. Shadow Fires was the book that received the RITA nomination, and while the heroine was a human Shielder, the hero was part reptilian. It was an intriguing but difficult book to write. The Shielder books will be reissued online in the next few months.

11. What made you change from that to the Sentinel series and what is the biggest difference between the two, in your opinion?

It was time to do something different, and the Sentinel stories were starting to speak to me. The biggest difference between the two series is that the first was set in another galaxy, and outside of the main characters, was populated with odd, non-human creatures. The Sentinels are in human bodies, on current day Earth (although they do have super powers).

12. Do you have any other books in the works? If yes, can you/are you willing to share anything with us?

I have more books planned. Possibly a sixth Shielder book, and I'm also working on a dark fallen angel series.

13. Your bio says you like to have football games as background noise while you nap. Are you a football fan and, if yes, will you never incorporate than fandom into your writing one day?

I'm not a huge football fan, and the Dallas Cowboys haven't been playing very well! I think the background noise of a game is perfect for napping!

14. Kara has dealt with a lot of loss, heartache and single motherhood. Is there anything from her story that you would like readers to take; any message or lesson?

It's a message that runs through all of my books: the human spirit is strong and resilient. We can endure tremendous suffering and trauma, yet we can also heal, rise above it, and find happiness and joy.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview! Can you please leave the reader with three things that may surprise them about you?

Thank you so much for interviewing me.
Wow. I've got to say I'm really not a surprising person. Okay, here goes:
1) I do accounting in my day job. 2) I'm an avid poker player (all in!). 3) I've studied many metaphysical topics, am knowledgeable in astrology, and used to read Tarot cards.

Find Ms. Spanglervia the following:

Official Site

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