Cover Reveal: reGENESIS by Linzé Brandon

The human species is dying out, and the scientists are sitting with their hands in their hair. Nothing is working, not the old medicines, nor the latest surgical techniques.
Until one day during a meeting of a World Health Organisation committee, a young scientist came up with the idea to explore the use of genetic engineering. A few scientists researched the idea and came up with the solution to manipulate the fundamental code of life: the DNA helix. It worked, but there was an unexpected side-effect.
Would people keep fighting the plan for their future survival, even while they continued to die out?

This story is also available as part of the Storm Anthology Volume I 

Download/Buy reGENESIS

Cover Reveal: THE CUTTING HORIZON by Linzé Brandon

Consumed with guilt, Bryce had been drifting away from his wife of ten years. Until one evening when he was about to cheat on her, he came to realise that he was about to do would not resolve anything. Leaving the woman behind in the hotel, he races home in a thunderstorm.
Bryce could not have foreseen that not only was the storm about to force him to face up to his failures, but it would also bring into perspective that things in his marriage might not have been all that simple to start off with.
House bound by circumstances, the Sinclairs have to face the facts, and decide if their future would continue on the same path or separate ones?

This story is also available as part of the Storm Anthology Volume II 

Download/Buy
The Cutting Horizon

Interview: STORM Author Carmen Botman

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?

The Icarus Curse was inspired by my genuine interest in how we as human beings are destroying our planet. The changing of the seasons is an actual tangible example that we’re all currently experiencing. I also watch a lot of Doomsday Preppers.

Dahlias and Daisies: I think the release of a notorious gangster not too long ago, and the escalating gang violence in certain communities is what led me to write this story. The story is not far-fetched and although completely fictional, I’m sure there would be people out there that would relate.

2. Tell us what your stories are all about.

The Icarus Curse is about Shiloh Reed, the protagonist in the story, who discovers, after the earth has been virtually destroyed, that she inadvertently holds the key to the restoration of the planet. The fate of humanity rests on her shoulders alone.

Dahlias and Daisies is a story about survival, both physical and emotional, about rising up against the odds and living the life you are meant to live, no matter where you’re from or what you’ve been through. Both my stories have strong, female protagonists in them. Girl power!

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?

I have never belonged to a writing group before this. I had known for a long time that this is what I want to do with my life and having the support of the group, it just made the task a lot less daunting and seem much more ‘do-able.’ I thought the theme itself was fantastic and I am always up for a challenge. The fact that my name will be on an actual book as a contributing author is still unbelievable.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?

I am working on a YA fantasy/adventure series called The Ternion Series. Book one, The Kindling, is complete and at present I am still deciding how to go about getting it ‘out there,’ in the great big world. It is a full-length novel and I am about two-thirds of the way with the second book. So, watch this space.

5. What is your biggest challenge in writing?

My biggest challenge is my strange mixture of overconfidence and self-doubt – simultaneously. I’m sure many other writers feel this way as well. I get an idea and think it’s absolutely brilliant; that it will take the world by storm (excuse the pun) and then halfway through or at the end, I’ll look at it and wonder what the heck I was thinking! And then I have flashes of my manuscript being rejected and retreat until another brilliant idea hits me and I start the process all over again.

6. How do you deal with this challenge?

I’m still working on it. Basically I pep talk myself into manuscript submissions and tell myself upfront that they’ll probably say no, so that when it happens I don’t feel too bad about it. But I just read an article by Jeff Goins recently about this exact thing – apparently I’m doing it all wrong! Lol. So, let’s just say it’s (I’m) still a work in progress.

7. What advice would you offer to other authors having to deal with this same challenge?

Just go for it. Develop a thick skin. Trust me, feeling totally confused about your status as an author or even getting rejected by publishing houses is MUCH better than not even trying at all. You will seriously regret not trying, so if this is what you really want to do, then suck it up and do it.

8. Please explain to my readers your writing process and how you manage your life to accommodate your writing.

All stories start with an idea. If I have the basis for a story, I ask myself ‘what if’ questions about the characters and the scenes in my head. I always try and plot something out in the beginning, even if it’s only an outline, and then I completely disregard these as the story unfolds. I generally allow the characters to take me where they need to go. I work full-time, so I spend at least 9-10 hours out of the house every day. I do the cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, etc. as well. My husband is currently working and studying, so there are many balls to keep in the air, but lo and behold, I manage. See my blog post about this very question. 

You can find all Carmen's books on Smashwords

Cover Reveal: STORM Volume II by the Pretoria Writers' Group

► STORM Volume II: Contemporary fiction, South African fiction is available at Smashwords a reduced price until 31 May 2014.

Author Blog Hop: Nomanono Isaacs

Nomanono Isaacs is a South African born published author of Escaping Apartheid: A Letter to My Mother.  She is a grandmother to two lovely Beings. A seven year old granddaughter, and a two year old grandson. She is mother to two wonderful daughters: an actress and a singer songwriter. 

She is currently putting together a plan for working with six children in schools on what she calls ‘A Love Project.’

She has been writing poetry for many years and would be putting these together for publication in due course. She currently has one poem on YouTube called ‘Never Succumb’ and plans on having more poems there! She is also currently working on her first novel!

She loves travelling, especially cruising, and intends on travelling to many more places!

When she left South Africa she lived in Swaziland, Botswana and Uganda before settling in England, in the UK, where she currently lives. 

You can learn more about Nomanono at:

Website: http://nomanono.com/

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/nomanonoisaacsauthor

Book reviews on: http://tinyurl.com/ppm92kr  and http://t.co/SGqVSGt8CY 

Cover Reveal: STORM Volume I by the Pretoria Writers' Group

► STORM Volume I: Fantasy, Science Fiction and Dystopia is available on Smashwords at a reduced price until 31 May 2014

Interview: STORM Author Richard T Wheeler

1. What inspired you to write your stories for the STORM anthology?

I had a recurring nightmare of sharks with human eyes living in rain-filled construction ditches that were trying to eat me. (It was in fact the ditches that tried to eat me, the sharks were quite friendly once I got to know them. They were however, notorious cheats at cards) So instead of seeking an urgent psychological evaluation, I diligently wrote the concept down as a story seed for a novel. Perfectly normal behaviour for a writer.

When I met up with the Pretoria Writers Group, I heard that there was a potential space for me to publish a short story with them. Problem was, I had only until the end of the month to complete the story. I jumped at the opportunity and hashed out a rough, wildly confusing dreamscape in a week. The process of squeezing sense out of it took quite a lot longer, considering that the source material involved great white ditch dwellers.

2. Tell us what your story is all about.

Conventional wisdom states that the leopard cannot change his spots, that a villain will always be a villain. But if heroes can be corrupted, surely villains can be redeemed? What can change the nature of a man? How did he end up being a villain in the first place? Is there really such a thing as villains?

So here’s the story: Can a wrathful, perverted, murdering, soliciting, financial enslaver find redemption?

Note from Linzé: Richard's story title is A Girl Called Storm

3. What excited you about taking part in the STORM anthology?

The challenge. I’ve not dabbled in the short format at all. (Probably due to the truly dreadful short stories that I was subjected to during the course of my English degree.) I wanted to see if I can do it. I wanted to see if I was able to work on a short timeframe in an unfamiliar format and still have some success.

Moreover, the support that I received from the Pretoria Writers Group was overwhelming. I
finally felt that I had met some kindred spirits, and by making this effort, I will make a favourable impression on them.

4. What is your next project about and when can we expect it to be published?

I am currently mid-draft on a novel concerning an insomniac dropout who needs to deal with ghosts who possess him to fulfil their unfinished business whenever he sleeps. It’s set in Pretoria and has a full complement of corrupt vigilante cops, love at first sight and copious amounts of Oppikoppi. As for the publishing date, I’ve recently discovered that I’m terrible at writing and have pushed back the release date to Soon™ or perhaps to When It’s Not Terrible™.