Tag Archives: indie author

Author Amber Daulton – Ángel Defends His Reason for Stalking – New Release: Breaking Her Enforcer

 Please help me welcome today’s guests, Amber Daulton and Ángel Rascón…

People talk about wicked men like we crawl out of the dark already ruined. Like the choices come easy. Like the line between right and wrong snaps clean. I used to believe that, too, until the day Marisol knelt beside me on the sidewalk and kept me alive with her bare hands.

I’d been shot. Heat tore through my chest and shoulder. Blood soaked my shirt and pooled under me. A drive‑by isn’t personal until you’re the one bleeding out on the street, trying to stay conscious long enough to figure out who pulled the trigger. I should’ve died there. Fate disagreed.

When I woke up the next day in the hospital, Marisol was there. She’d stayed overnight in her blood-smeared clothes just to make sure I pulled through the surgery. We were strangers, but her kindness hooked its claws into me.

That’s when I developed my new favorite passion—stalking.

I filed a background check on her, and once released from the hospital, I drove by her house. More than once. All right, a dozen times. Then I waited in her yard, behind the bushes, along the fence line, watching her move through her life like she wasn’t the reason I was still breathing.

Six weeks of recovery gave me too much time to think. Her voice replayed in my head. The memory of her touch. The sassy sweetness in her smile. The huskiness in her laugh. I built an innocent version of her in my mind and wanted the real woman in my life. I fell in love with the idea of her.

Before long, I knew her routine—when she slept, what she ate, where she went, who she associated with—and I learned one very important thing. She was as lonely as me.

Thankfully, she’s a physical therapist and agreed to take me on as a patient. She hadn’t seen me since the hospital, but when I walked into her treatment room for my first session, it had only been a few hours since I last watched her from the shadows.

She was mine to protect. She just didn’t know it yet.

Wicked men with a passion like mine justify everything. I’m no different.

When my crewmate, Bruno, broke into her home, I couldn’t keep to the shadows anymore. I didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate. I went straight through that door and dragged the man off her. Turns out, her brother stole from the cartel. To get the money back, my crew figured the best way to find him was to target her. Now, my loyalties are tested. But one thing will never change.

Marisol is mine. You touch her, you pay the price.

If that makes me wicked, then fine. I’m as wicked as they come. And I don’t regret a damn thing.

He was never supposed to touch her. Now he’ll kill to protect her.

Blurb:

A drive-by shooting lands him in the hospital. And in the arms of temptation.

Cartel enforcer Ángel Rascón knows he should stay away from the woman who saved his life. Marisol is a sensual blend of fire and innocence, irresistible to his inner beast. She’s also the little sister of a man now on the run from the cartel—Ángel’s friend and former partner. Getting involved with her could destroy everything he’s worked for, but when she’s threatened, it’s game on.

Physical therapist Marisol Cruz knows Ángel is dangerous, yet he’s always there. Watching. Waiting. Wanting. After her brother’s enemies track her down, Ángel appoints himself her protector with every intoxicating kiss.

Ángel will have to risk his position—and his life—to keep her safe. But Marisol faces the most devastating choice of all. Loving her stubborn enforcer may mean losing her brother forever.

Excerpt:

Ángel latched the squeaky iron gate behind him and crept across Marisol’s darkened front yard. The soothing droll of crickets masked the sound of his footsteps while the overgrown trees, shrubs, and cacti at the far property line shielded him from any nosy neighbors. Not that she had any in this quiet, working-class neighborhood on the city’s outskirts. As he braced himself against the side of her house, the rough stucco scraped his jacket and the back of his head as it always did. Yellow light poured from the living room window in horizontal beams as though to expose him.

Fuck that. He wasn’t an amateur.

Faint music seeped from inside the house.

He smirked, willing to bet his bank account that Marisol was streaming reruns of her favorite telenovela. Desperate for a glimpse of her, he pressed closer toward the glass pane and peered through the slatted blinds.

Inside, Marisol was bundled under a thick red-and-green checkered quilt on the sofa and cheered like a love-struck teenager over something that happened on the TV.

Damn right. He knew his woman well. From the high-stakes story lines to the nineteenth-century period costumes, Las Sombras del Imperio had found its way into countless living rooms across the country. Including his own.

After the program ended, Marisol turned off the television, slipped on her fuzzy house shoes, and grabbed her dinner plate and glass.

He darted around the house and ducked under a mesquite branch in the side yard. The crisp breeze rustled through the leafy branches, swept back his hair, and chilled his skin. Gritting his teeth, he huddled deeper into his denim jacket. His thick, cable-knit shirt caught against the hard ridge over his collarbone, irritating the taut skin. A deep, metallic chill radiated from the inside out, numbing the fracture site with a dull ache. He yanked the collar away from his neck and cursed.

Light now streamed out from the kitchen window.

As the rambunctious mutt next door yapped at something stirring in the bushes, Marisol peered out the glass into the darkness. Fine lines crimped her face.

Ángel slunk deeper into the shadowy foliage. Once she focused on washing the dishes, he swiped a branch out of his way and rolled his tight, sore shoulders. A low grunt tore from his mouth.

Distant laughter rang out, disrupting the tranquility of the night.

He pulled his phone from his jeans back pocket and checked his notifications. Nothing from Raul. Or Muniz. What the hell was going on with them? He slid the cell back in.

A crash echoed from the other side of the house.

Ángel jerked upright.

Marisol flung her dish towel aside and raced out of the kitchen.

“Mierda,” Ángel dashed back around the house and snatched his gun from his hip holster. His pulse thundered in his ears. Icy dread slashed through his stomach.

The front door hung open.

“Get out!” Marisol shouted from inside. Something shattered. “Get out of my house!”

Buy links:

Universal: https://books2read.com/BreakingHerEnforcer

Amazon: https://amzn.to/43dXnRa

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-her-enforcer-amber-daulton/ 1149425099?ean=2940185002971

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/breaking-her-enforcer

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Amber_Daulton_Breaking_Her_Enforcer?id=ncW_EQAAQBAJ

Apple/iBooks: https://apple.co/4uZMn5u

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1963634

BookShop.org (Support Local Bookstores!): https://bookshop.org/a/121133/9798233981111

About the Author:

Amber Daulton writes raw, edgy romantic suspense and dark cartel romance featuring high stakes, deep passion, and defiant hearts. She’s the author of the Lozano Cartel, Arresting Onyx, Embracing You, and Ramseys in Time series, as well as a rich catalog of standalone novellas. Her books are available worldwide in digital, print, and select audio formats.

From her home base in North Carolina, she builds dangerous criminal underworlds and maps out fierce, second-chance love stories alongside her supportive husband and her demanding feline writing assistant, Zita.

Learn more: https://amberdaulton.com

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Hobby, Career, Passion with Author Amber Daulton – The Trials of Redemption & New Release: Dark Hearts Aflame #DarkRomance #Blog

Please help me welcome today’s guests, Amber Daulton and Carmen Lozano…

The Trials of Redemption  

Hello, everyone. I’m Carmen Lozano, the heroine from Amber Daulton’s dark romance novel, Dark Hearts Aflame. Today, I’m going to talk about redemption.

My story starts before I was born, when my criminal father married my ambitious beauty queen mother. He was the leader of a powerful cartel and had scores of brutal enforcers at his fingertips to do his bidding. His lavish lifestyle provided everything my siblings and I could want—exotic pets, expensive clothes, wild vacations, and all the top gadgets. We had it all—except for our parents’ love. The price of all that useless material stuff was blood. Death. Destruction. Humiliation. Fear. Misery. I could go on and on, but I don’t want this post to be about a whiny little rich girl.

Let’s move forward to when my father sold me into marriage to one of his capos. For five long years, I turned a blind eye to my husband’s activities, which ranged from drug running, rape, and murder. Then I snapped. I couldn’t take it anymore. Miraculously, I managed to escape and took refuge with an anti-cartel resistance group. There, I found freedom, my passion, a chance to do something good with my life. I learned from the nurses and medics that volunteered at the rebel base, and after a while, I was the go-to person called upon to extract bullets, sew up wounds, administer life-saving injections, and things like that. Far too often, rebel soldiers would be injured while fighting with the cartel in our backyard, so medics were a godsend. For the first time in my life, I felt like a decent person in helping others. I found real friends, a family of sorts. Then my past caught up with me.

I never thought I would see Bristol Rieger again. Back when I was a child, he was an up-and-coming enforcer in my father’s inner circle. I had a crush on him, but since he was seven years older than me, nothing ever happened between us. Now, I’m all grown up. When circumstances thrust us together, we have to go on the run to survive. My life as a healer was over, or so I thought, but I crave redemption as much as I do love and peace. After all the horrible things I’ve seen and brushed aside out of fear for my own safety, I’m done hiding in the shadows. I’m a strong, fearless woman. Whether I use my words, my fists, or my ability to heal, I will no longer stand aside while an innocent person is in danger. My soul cannot take anymore needless death.

Bristol says I have nothing to seek redemption for, that I was a victim trapped in a horrible situation. Maybe he’s right. Maybe not. I need to atone for the sins of my family, and the only way I’ve found to do that is to help the kind of people my family seeks to destroy—the innocents, the weak, the downtrodden.

So that’s my story. It’s not pretty, but it’s real. Thankfully, it has a happy ending. Bristol and I are crazy, madly in love. While I’m still working as a medic, he’s seeking his own redemption to try to wash the blood from his hands. We have a long way to go, but we’re in it for long haul.

Want to know more? Read Dark Hearts Aflame. You won’t be disappointed.

He gets more than he bargained for with his runaway cartel princess.

Blurb

A drug lord on the run. A cartel princess in hiding. All it takes is a spark to set their world ablaze.

Bristol Rieger left his criminal life behind for a fresh start in Mexico. Flying under the radar of the government and the cartels alike, his best-laid plans go awry when a woman from his narco days discovers his whereabouts. Carmen Lozano, however, is no longer the innocent girl he remembers.

Carmen escaped the chains of her tiara and her abusive marriage to join a group of resistance fighters. The last thing she expected was the now-retired capo setting out to seduce her with his wicked touch. Embracing the blood on his hands is easy, but his secrets wear on her patience.

When their enemies close in, Bristol will have to summon his inner monster to protect her. But can that monster be tamed again?

– Book one is an Interracial (Hispanic woman/white man) dark romance novel in the Lozano Cartel series. All the books can be read as a standalone, but are part of an interconnected series.

Excerpt:

Bristol sighed, more angry with himself than with her. “Believe me when I say I wish we could have more. Just trust me and know we can’t. It’s for your safety.”

Carmen slowed to a stop and trailed her index finger over the line of his jaw.

The resignation in her eyes scorched him.

“Your mind is like stone. If you never tell me your secrets, the truth you think I will not understand or accept, then it’s your loss. Not mine.” She notched her chin. “I know my worth, Bristol. Maybe I can do better than you. Maybe not, but at least I’m happy with you, and that’s all I ever wanted. So fine, keep your secrets. Someday, if I’m safe enough, I will find a man who can trust me implicitly and love me without reservation. When that happens, I hope your secrets will keep you warm at night because I’ll be gone.”

Though he intended to let her go, the idea of losing her almost cracked his knees on the floor. He had to protect her, but what about her heart? And his? He couldn’t push her into the arms of another man. He wanted—needed—her for himself. Bristol pulled her close and kissed her, desperate to feel her soft lips with his firmer ones and her tight body in his arms.

She opened her mouth, inviting his plunder. Her scent invaded his nostrils. Her sweet, delectable taste rolled through him, seeking to claim him.

After three days of starvation, he needed more. How could he survive three years? Thirty years? He couldn’t do this anymore, couldn’t keep quiet. He wanted her to be happy, yet the idea of some other man giving her everything she deserved sickened him to his core.

“Let’s go, Carmen. I have something to tell you.”

Buy link(s):

Daulton Publishing (discount available) – https://books.amberdaulton.com/darkheartsaflamedirect

B2R Universal – https://books2read.com/darkheartsaflame

Amazon – https://amzn.to/4hGWOog

Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-hearts-aflame-amber-daulton/1144724204

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dark-hearts-aflame

Apple/iBooks – https://books.apple.com/us/book/dark-hearts-aflame/id6544805264

Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=vtfwEAAAQBAJ

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1509101

About the Author:

Amber Daulton is the author of the Lozano Cartel, the Arresting Onyx, and the Ramseys in Time series, as well as several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.

Find Me here: https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton

Join my Exclusive Newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers): https://amberdaulton.com/newsletter-signup/

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#HobbyCareerPassion: Author Amber Daulton – Belle’s Love of Music & New Release: Arresting Benjamin

Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.

I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Amber Dalton and her heroine, Belle Hamlin…

Female singer with crowd Hi, readers. I’m Belle Hamlin, the heroine from Amber Daulton’s new romantic suspense novel, Arresting Benjamin. I’m excited to talk about my greatest passion—playing music. It’s also my career, but the money I make from it dumps it into the hobby category. Yep, that’s right. I’m a struggling musician with a dreaded day job at an insurance company that is sucking the life out of me. I live in Denver, Colorado, but I travel all across the state for a paying gig. I mostly play at bars and clubs, but sometimes I perform covers of classic songs for weddings, birthdays, and funerals. I can’t afford to be picky when it comes to a reputable gig. You’ll often find my best friends—Mia, Chanel, and Shea—running the merchandise table for me at a bar. They’re my biggest supporters. (By the way, have you checked out their oh-so-sexy books yet? You can find them here.) Anyway, I need my music like I need the air to breathe. My heroes are music legends like Melissa Etheridge, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Nicks, so I write both folky and rock ballads. Since I draw inspiration from my own personal experience, most of my songs delve into relationships gone bad. I’ve met a lot of fans at my shows, and I’m honored and humbled every time someone tells me how much they relate to the pain, frustration, and rage I’ve vented into my songs. I write from the heart, but sometimes it’s hard to share my pain and humiliation so openly. It’s worth it, though, if I can make anyone feel better about themselves and let them know they aren’t alone. Music should heal and offer hope, and that’s my goal in writing and playing music. Since several of my songs lean toward man-bashing and revenge tales, I thought for sure that Benji, my new guy, would run far away once he heard them. Thankfully, he proved me wrong. I gotta say, Benji has made me happy and healed some of my wounds, but that’s put a dent in my angsty creative process. Now, I’m not knocking our relationship or anything, but I’ve written a few sappy love songs lately and they clash with my damn-all-men-to-hell songs. I’m worried I’ll lose fans if I don’t keep up my angry, bad girl rocker persona with lyrics that match, but I write what I feel, and I’m in love. Sue me. All in all, though, songwriting and performing is who I am. It’s my hobby, career, and passion all wrapped into one. I can’t be anyone other than who I am, and I don’t want to be. Are you interested in reading about one of my performances? Check out the excerpt below. It’s in Benji’s POV, but I think he did a good job of describing the situation. Thanks so much for visiting. PS – Do you want a $25 Amazon gift card? Check out my Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0a0982c528/ Arresting Benjamin With enemies at every turn, how will they survive with their lives and love intact? Blurb A one-night stand, a surprise baby, and a mysterious stalker. Mechanic Benjamin Starwell can’t stop thinking about Belle Hamlin, the ballsy musician he slept with and skipped out on months earlier. He never meant to get her pregnant, but he’ll do whatever it takes to win back her trust and be a part of his child’s life. His desire for Belle drives him to be a better man, but he’s worn thin with a garage to run and his estranged sister dumping her troubles on him. Belle’s juggling impending motherhood, her indie rock career, and a stalker who’s determined to see her fail. Even though she’s desperate to get her priorities straight, she pushes aside her past hurt and welcomes Benji back into her bed. She never expects him to slip into her heart. When the danger escalates, they face the greatest challenge of all—protecting their unborn child. Excerpt: Benji’s heart pounded harder as Belle strutted onto the stage from a rear door. Her hips swayed with a ba-dum beat as her hair flapped behind her shoulders. Was there an air vent above her? Dark eye shadow, mascara, and a dark slash of blush on her cheeks deepened her sultry eyes. Her lips swelled like a juicy plum. God, was her lipstick purple? Burgundy, maybe? She bent over, showing off her fine ass, and plugged her acoustic-electric guitar into the amp. A baby-faced gopher carried a stool and a water bottle to the middle of the platform. She patted him on the back and stared out at the crowd. Several men ogled her, despite the baby bump. Their lady friends laughed, but some frowned and slapped the guys’ arms. Wow. Benji swallowed hard. What he wouldn’t do to unzip her knee-high leather boots, pull down her stockings, and flip up her short pleated skirt? Her red sleeveless blouse emphasized the breasts he couldn’t wait to suckle. “Hiya, Tempes lovers! How ya doin’? Thanks for coming out in this cold weather.” Her voice echoed through the speakers. The lights lit Belle and the stage in a soft white glow. She strummed the guitar, testing it, as the audience shouted. “I’m Belle Hamlin, and this badass girl is Matilda.” She held up the sunburst-finished instrument. “We’ll rock you for the next hour, so let’s get started.” She ignored the stool, jumping into a song as her fans applauded. Deep, rumbling chords reverberated from the guitar and speakers. “She’s starting with ‘Stay True’.” Chanel clapped. “It’s my favorite.” “This is rock-and-roll. She sang folk and singer/songwriter-type stuff the night we met.” He bit his lip as her friends stood and danced in place. “What did you expect? She’s a solo female artist sandwiched between testosterone-filled rock bands. She has to up her game.” Shea tapped his CD case and flashed a grin. “Give it a whirl later. Belle is a cross between Melissa Etheridge, Stevie Nicks, and Eric Clapton. Her guy issues and social opinions bleed into her songs.” Wonderful. Guy issues. He had his work cut out for him. Buy links: Only .99 cents until October 18, 2022 Universal link – https://books2read.com/arrestingbenjamin/ Amazon – https://amzn.to/3usC6SN Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940186751144 iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id6443054336 Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/arresting-benjamin Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=JHJ5EAAAQBAJ About Amber: Amber Daulton Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through Daulton Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, and Books to Go Now, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats. Find out more here: https://linktr.ee/AmberDaulton Sign up for her exclusive newsletter (free ebook to new subscribers): https://bit.ly/amberdaultonnewsletter

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Nick Wilford’s “Black & White”

I am happy to introduce Nick Wilford, a ‘new to me’ author sharing an interesting interview and a book that sounds like a great read!

 

Hello, Nick…welcome! Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I’m originally from Brighton, England, but moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 2003 to study journalism. As I enjoyed writing, I figured it would be good to pursue a career that involved doing it on a daily basis. I met my wonderful wife the following year, and since then I haven’t looked back! I’ve got one daughter, Eve, and two stepdaughters, Hannah and Emma. My stepson Andrew, who sadly passed away in 2013, is now our guardian angel. We’ve also got five boisterous pups who keep us on our toes – Pippa, Rudi, Tobi, Charlie, and Benji.

Where did you get the idea for Black & White?

My book is all about an ideal, disease-free society that has a darker side. There’s no dirt, and the initial idea came from a passing thought I had about how much more I could get done if everything stayed clean all the time – but it developed into something much bigger.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

I have written speculative fiction, with a previously published novella that was set in contemporary times, but this is the first time I’ve written a dystopian. I wouldn’t say I chose that genre though, it was just what seemed to most closely fit the genre.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

I used NaNoWriMo twice when writing this series – the first time in 2012 to start the first book, and the second time in 2014 to finish the draft of the second book. That latter occasion was the only time I’ve won! 

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?

I’m tempted to say the title; that always seems to be the most difficult for me. With this series, however, I sat down and brainstormed one day, went out to walk the dogs, and came up with titles for the whole series!

What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?

With this book, the society had a complete reset of history when the ruling party came into power; in other words, they deleted everything that came before, for their own nefarious purposes. I constantly had to bear in mind that there were certain things the characters wouldn’t know, and even phrases they wouldn’t say.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?

Yes, I’m a full-time freelance editor. I definitely enjoy it, as it takes a lot of brain power, it keeps me engaged when I’m not writing, and I learn things from it all the time.

What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?

I love getting up early to write – like 4 a.m. early. It’s perfect for me because I get pretty much total peace and it’s almost a magical time – it’s hard to write during the day because we’ve got a pretty crazy house with kids and dogs making plenty of noise. I find it really hard to sleep in late any more, and usually that’s not an option because the dogs want to get up anyway! 

What was your first job?

My first job was a paper boy – I did that from age 13 (well, a week before my birthday, which was technically illegal) up to nearly 17. It got me used to early starts, because I now get up before work to write (and work starts at 6am). I also get to tell people that I’ve always worked with words in some form!

What do you want readers to come away with after they read Black & White?

I hope that it will make readers think about issues of acceptance. Our society doesn’t seem to be getting any better in that regard, only worse. It’s still hard to believe that someone like Donald Trump can be president – and in the UK, we’ve had Brexit, which many voted for out of xenophobic reasons. None of that had happened when I started writing this, but I think it’s made it more relevant. There’s also the idea that it’s possible for one person to make a difference, which is inspiring.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

That’s a tough one. Is it better to have a strong adverse reaction or one of indifference? I would hate for anything to write to be greeted with “meh”. If it’s a less favourable review that has some constructive criticism, something to build on, then I’ll take it.

What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

I would love to try my hand at a historical one day, because history is a passion of mine. It would mean a lot of research, of course, and I’m always impressed by authors who go to great lengths to make sure everything rings true. An alternate history is something that’s quite appealing, because it contains greater scope for invention.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with and why?

Probably Ezmerelda, one of my two young teen protagonists. She’s very smart and matter-of-fact, and she’d probably get annoyed with me for failing to keep up with her speed of thinking!

How did your interest in writing originate?

The first proper things I wrote were sketches for my drama club at school. I had an idea about being some sort of comedian, and even started writing a TV sketch show with a friend. I still like to have some element of humour in my writing, even with a story that can appear quite grim, but I soon realized that I’m more comfortable staying behind the screen than trying to perform for others to see! 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? 

My favourite author is Terry Pratchett, and what I like about his work is that, even though it takes place in a fantastical world, it features characters you can relate to and recognize and even messages that are relevant to issues that affect us. That side of it has a large bearing on some of my own work, particularly this new series.  

Your favorite…?

Music 

My favourite band is Mansun, and my favourite album of theirs is Six, which I’m actually listening to as I write this. It’s an amazingly creative cocktail of musical ideas and lyrical thoughts, some of which overlap each other, but you can make out of it whatever you want. It’s like a haunting dreamscape and inspires me a lot.

Place you’ve visited

 I went backpacking when I was younger and visited Uluru in Australia. It was a breathtaking sight, especially watching the sun go down behind it and the sky sift through changing shades of pink and orange into black. Getting to climb up it and sit on top was cool too! 

Place you’d like to visit 

I’ve always wanted to see the pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt and still hope to get there some day. 

TV show from childhood 

My favourite program as a kid was Red Dwarf, about the last survivor of the human race who is stranded on a spaceship 3 million years in the future, with a hologram, a robot, and a humanoid creature who evolved from his cat as company. It’s brilliantly observed character comedy, with some neat sci-fi concepts in there as well. 

TV show from adulthood 

Well, actually my favourite show is Red Dwarf. I’m kind of stuck in my ways! But The Big Bang Theory is something that I’ve really enjoyed recently. 

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television?

We don’t play board games as much as we watch TV, so I’d have to say I enjoy them more as they’re more of a treat. They do bring out my competitive side a bit too much though!

Thank you, Nick…I enjoyed learning more about you. I am so glad you joined me today!

Nick’s Question to readers:

Do you enjoy speculative fiction? Is there a particular type that you prefer and why?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll pick the winners after the tour. The prizes are three e-copies of my collection A Change of Mind and Other Stories and a $10 Amazon giftcard.

Blurb:

What is the price paid for the creation of a perfect society?

In Whitopolis, a gleamingly white city of the future where illness has been eradicated, shock waves run through the populace when a bedraggled, dirt-stricken boy materialises in the main street. Led by government propaganda, most citizens shun him as a demon, except for Wellesbury Noon – a high school student the same age as the boy.

Upon befriending the boy, Wellesbury feels a connection that he can’t explain – as well as discovering that his new friend comes from a land that is stricken by disease and only has two weeks to live. Why do he and a girl named Ezmerelda Dontible appear to be the only ones who want to help?

As they dig deeper, everything they know is turned on its head – and a race to save one boy becomes a struggle to redeem humanity.

Excerpt:

(This is the opening of the book)

At first no one could explain how the strange boy came to be there in the middle of the street. One minute it was just the gleaming and silent hovercars, the next minute there he was, like a blot on the landscape. One of the vehicles bumped him as he materialised, but it didn’t seem to bother him. That, at least, was no surprise to the crowd of onlookers who quickly gathered around this curiosity.

“Who are you, boy?”

“He just popped out of thin air!”

“What is that dark substance on your skin, and clothes? I’ve never seen the like!”

Mallinger was a sight unlike any ever witnessed by the citizens of this unnaturally clean city. Black streaks of grime marred what would otherwise have been an appealing face. His brown hair hung shoulder-length, lank with grease, and seemed to contain things that were… alive. And his clothing seemed to be one loose thread away from falling apart: he wore a grubby tunic that could have been white in a different millennium, a brown waistcoat that seemed to be made from some sort of muslin cloth, and ill-fitting britches worn to a shine not just at the knees, but over their entire surface.

All were just as dirty as the boy’s face and other areas of skin that could be seen through the various holes in these garments. But of course the onlookers had no words for things like “dirt” and “grease”. The boy seemed just as alien to them as a visitor from the planet Zarglemoof, a place of which they also had no concept, being outside the confines of the land of Harmonia.

The lad was shielding his eyes, as if blinded by his surroundings. Nonetheless, he became aware of a tall and officious-looking man in front of him, who gave the impression of being in charge. He wore an immaculately tailored suit and bowler hat, which were – like all the other citizens’ clothing – all white.

“Where did you come from, boy?” His tone was not unkind.

The boy kept his eyes fixed on his threadbare shoes, as if trying to anchor himself in this unfamiliar environment.

“Fusterbury,” he managed at last, in a voice which seemed too guttural and deep for a boy of his size.

The man frowned. “Where? I know of no such place in the land of Harmonia.”

“Perhaps he’s a devil,” shouted a woman in the crowd. “He should be arrested!”

“Hush!” said the man. “I see no grounds for such an accusation.

“Now tell me, boy,” he said, hunkering down to meet the boy’s eyes. “What is this strange substance on your face and hands?”

The boy rubbed his fingers down his cheek, frowning in confusion. “Well, it’s just… dirt.”

“Dirt?” The man said the word as if trying it out for the very first time. “Is it… a part of your skin?”

“Well, it feels like it is. It’s been there for as long as I can remember.”

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Bio: Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those early morning times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He is the author of A Change of Mind and Other Stories, a collection featuring a novella and five short stories, four of which were previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew.

Contact links: Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon

 

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