Jan 23, 2024 | Editors' Blog, Interviews
This week, we’re talking with Darren E. Watling, about his book A Future Apocalypse Caught in a Trilogy.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
As a drummer in a rock n’ roll band for many years, I tried not to drool too much.
Why do you write?
Well…right at this point in time, I’m supposed to be doing the dishes, but my partner is performing the task, as I told her I’m busy buying her something on line.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
I read a short four-page story entitled, ‘Deception’, by Jill Stubbs-Mills. Jill submitted her story to the publishers. The review was outstanding. Unfortunately, Jill had succumbed to health issues and was not able to take her story to the next stage. I approached Jill and asked for her blessing to re-write her short story into a novel. Mum was down with that and I simply had to add seventy thousand or so words. When I was a kid, mum made me do dishes.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
Call it humorous, but it’s hilarious, I find comedy funny.
How would you describe your writing process?
I see a straight line story and stick to it rigidly. I never deviate from thought patterns. (Am I being mean by not doing the dishes?) I begin writing, veering to the left and staggering to the right, eventually and finally arriving at what must be: The end.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
I believe, ‘word of mouth’, goes a long way. Fortunately, the word of mouth in the form of a projectile vomit that originates in the belly of the ‘happy one star critic’, from an evil, dark, humourless, possibly religious out-look on life, (twisted head included), can imitate but a small rock on life’s road of apple carts. Do you think I should offer to do the dishes?
What advice would you have for other writers?
Writing your story is like your ticket for the ride. It has just begun.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I mentioned a last chance several times through the book. An apocalypse story- Last Chance it is. I gave an artist my idea for the cover, and first crack, they nailed it. An award winning cover. I’m feeling a bit guilty. I should offer to do them, shouldn’t I?
What’s your next step?
Book 2, second instalment of the trilogy of trilogies is well underway- The Second Last Chance- ‘Darren has reached deeply into the very bottom of toilet humour.’ Ah well, she’s nearly finished them now.
What book do you wish you had written?
The bible. A few commandments would relate to tasking the dishes.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
Well, some people consider everyone that has an opinion, they also have an anus and they realise they don’t want to listen to either. I for one, must say, from experience, having a conversation with a talking anus can be amusing at first, but soon enough, it gets up your nose.
FIND DARREN’S BOOK ON AMAZON
Jan 19, 2024 | Editors' Blog
When bedrock freedoms of democracy are on the line, I am a conservative. No. Correction: I am a staunch conservative.
Being a conservative of any stripe is not consistent with my full embrace of the progressive agenda that, over the past century, has been woven into America’s social fabric, immeasurably enhancing our well-being.
Our most vulnerable fellow citizens rest more comfortably in the safety nets of Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security. Many of the most oppressed have found relief in civil rights protections. Wages are higher and workplaces safer. We all breathe cleaner air and drink cleaner water, thanks to environmental laws.
That progress has been sporadic, reflecting the ebb and flow of Congress being open to compromise (until recent years). Largely above the political fray have been our basic freedoms – speech, assembly, right to a fair trial and more. Regrettably, Jim Crow, sundry demagogues and, yes, our own government have denied or chipped away those freedoms at times. But they have not faced a broadside attack. Until now.
On the campaign stump is a former president determined to return to the scene of his crimes, shamelessly headlined by his avowed “love” for the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Donald Trump continues to reject 2020 election results, and vows to suspend the Constitution in his pursuit of suspected election fraud. He threatens to “weaponize” the Department of Justice to prosecute perceived enemies and to investigate the press for treason. “Either the deep state destroys America or we destroy the deep state,” he told a campaign rally in Texas last year. He admits he would be a dictator, though only on “day one,” to impose immigration, energy and other policies precious to his base.
Those authoritarian threats come from Trump’s own mouth. If he is elected and carries out his promises, count on him to be the first to boastfully declare, “I told you so.”
Conservatives – before Trump became president in 2017 – were the avowed champions of individual freedom. Now, they casually dismiss threats to those very liberties. Sadly, when Trump acolytes are asked about his dictatorial rhetoric, their frequent response is, “Oh, that’s just Donald.” How will that answer go over when our children ask how their freedoms were lost?
No wonder the fact-checkers can’t keep up with Trump’s lies, a torrential downpour of deceit not even requiring a reason. Ask him what time it is and you’ll miss a meeting.
But many voters still subscribe to the old-fashioned notion that public servants (too many politicians forget that’s what they are) should be taken at their word. Take seriously what they say until it rings false, then hold the bastards accountable.
But don’t treat what Trump says about bedrock freedoms as just more lies. Those threats are consistent with his autocratic record. No one should be surprised when he follows through.
When he says he’s going to trample my freedoms – tossing out my vote if he squints and finds election fraud – I’m going to believe him. When he says he’s going to rip up the Constitution – brushing aside judges and election officials nobly doing their duty – so he can chase shadowy wisps of election fraud, I’m going to believe him. When he says he’ll prosecute the “vermin” who dare to challenge him, their rights be damned, I’m going to believe him.
The risk of losing our freedom is too great to do otherwise. Believing him is what a staunch conservative must do.
About Norman
Norman Brewer is an award-winning reporter and editor who worked for The Des Moines Register and Tribune and for Gannett News Service in Washington, D.C. As a reporter, he covered Congress, the White House and federal agencies, and pursued investigative projects that earned recognition, including from the National Press Club. He was also Director of Employee Communications at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
His experience has given him a powerful perspective regarding the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, domestic terrorism and the political landscape. Exposure to terrorism issues helped shape January 6: A Novel as well as two earlier novels, Blending In: A Tale of Homegrown Terrorism, and Killer Politics: A Satirical Tale of Homegrown Terrorism.
Mar 19, 2023 | Editors' Blog, Editorial reviews, International Review of Books, Sci-fi
Retrievers by J.M. Holmes is perfect for sci-fi enthusiasts who enjoy high-stakes adventure, cunning protagonists, and vivid world-building, particularly those who appreciate strong female leads, treasure-hunting intrigue, and unique artistic enhancements in their reading experience.
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Which line stood out from all the others in the book?
A new planet had been discovered and it lay off the route through the most heavily traveled part of the settled Star systems.
General Summary for Context:
The two main characters in the novel, Kat (a beautiful and brilliant woman whose job title is “Retriever” and Jerome (a two-centuries old but rejuvenated being) work together to find new scientific discoveries and add to their wealth. They encounter dangerous and precarious situations at every turn, but their survival is both carefully planned and cunning.
Concise Review:
Kat, as a Retriever, is tasked with concealing her different identities until she has ultimately reached the pinnacle of success—registering a new planet into the Hall of Records. But there is a villain close by with the name of Nestor, who is determined to take from Kat the artifacts she has secured until she can register her discovery. Nestor is cruel and has help from his cohorts, each fiercely determined to steal Kat’s treasure and become wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.
The journey Kat and Jerome take and what they go through is astonishingly vivid, even realistic (to a point).
The illustrations peppered throughout the story are incredible. The detail of each stroke and the overall effect on what I was reading was something I had not seen before. A truly unique and talented artist that enhanced the experience of reading this novel.
General Thoughts on the Novel:
Science fiction at its finest! The writing was captivating, and I couldn’t wait to learn what dire situation would come up next. Kat displays both vulnerability and strength, and Jerry is smarter and more clever than he appears to be at first.
Intriguing and unusual, as most science fiction novels I’ve read don’t usually draw me in the way this one did. A thoroughly enjoyable read, and I recommend it highly.
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Find the book here on Amazon!
