Saturday is Horror Day #180 - Arcadian

 Arcadian

The world as we know it doesn't exist, and those who survive do so by the skin of their teeth against fierce creatures the like of which have never been seen. Paul (Nicolas Cage) is a single father taking care of his two sons, Joseph (Jaeden Martell) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins). It's a difficult existence, and primitive in ways, but they do what they can. They don't dare to venture far from home, and definitely not after dark.

Thomas has a working relation with a neighboring farm and helps them with their work when he can. Of course, it doesn't hurt that they have a daughter about his age, Charlotte (Sadie Soverall), with whom he forms a friendship.  Joseph cleverly puts together a vehicle, which means they can go farther during the day.  Paul sends the boys out one day, and the two go their own ways, Thomas heading to the farm. He doesn't meet with his brother at the appointed time, so eventually he leaves and Thomas heads home later, only to meet with an accident, forcing Paul to search for him.

This is basically a movie about survival, about doing what you can when the odds are against you and 

there are terrible creatures who want nothing more than to kill you and... more.  I have to believe I liked the movie as much as I did because Nic Cage was in it, and I am a huge fan. The story itself is believable if you like movies that deal with crises that threaten the existence of mankind, the creatures a bit less so. To hear them talk, they are like insects, but also like werewolves. I know, doesn't make sense to me either. I don't remember hearing an actual explanation of what happened. At least you get one in a Quiet Place, and even a prequel now. So what we're left with here is large hairy insectoids (is that a word? I'm not sure)

At the end of the day, it's a decent Nic Cage movie and worth watching for that alone. I'll give this film a generous 4 Stars because of that, so take that with a grain of salt.

Virtual Book Tour: Metrofloat New York by William Quincy Belle

Good morning! Please welcome author William Quincy Belle to Full Moon Dreaming. He is here to discuss his new release, Metrofloat New York. William will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC or Paypal cash to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on his tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

Metrofloat New York

by William Quincy Belle

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GENRE: Science Fiction

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BLURB:

A Post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi thriller.

Several hundred years in the future, Earth is a different planet. Antigravity has been invented and “flying” has given way to “floating”: giant platforms with cities remain above the growing surface temperatures as enclaves of the privileged. A global pandemic has wiped out 80% of those on the ground, and a virulent, flesh-eating disease, necrofasc, has left most with artificial body parts. Insects are the main food staple. A utopia for some, a dystopia for others.

Metrofloat New York, a futuristic city of thirty million, is run by an oligarchy of five rich and powerful people. An unknown assassin, working from within the system, attempts to seize control and declare himself dictator by methodically removing all rivals. Detective Matthew Heart of the Metropolitan Police must deal with his partner, a cyborg policewoman, his unofficial family, a transgender woman and her one-legged daughter, and a mysterious assailant bent on taking over the world by killing anyone who stands in his way.

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EXCERPT:

Alan and Terry were skinny enough to slip through the security perimeter into the antigravity zone. Already, they heard the pounding of the AG machines. Workers in the area often wore ear protection, as the constant noise could damage their hearing, but when one is young and foolish, protection is for wimps. They climbed down to the lowest scaffolding and looked out over the panorama below. The ground was a good kilometer down, speckled with the twinkling lights of the settlement. Each light was a potential target for a jump-and-grab, so tonight looked to be an excellent opportunity.

Rumors had been circulating around the high school for over a year about thrill seekers doing the unthinkable: bungee jumping from the metrofloat. Alan and Terry had pooled their money and bought the latest in equipment, including a controllable elasticized cable, a double-safety ankle harness, and a precision-positioning system with automatic height detection. The flexible anchor allowed them to set up the bungee in any location in record time, so they could get in, jump, and get out before the authorities knew they were violating restricted areas.

Alan would make the first attempt. He had decked himself with various tools attached to his belt and a helmet with a lamp. He had double-checked his ankle connectors and made sure the safety harness was in place. Terry gave him the once-over, enumerating each item out loud so they both knew they had checked everything. Alan climbed over the railing and held on as Terry fed out the cable so it was free and clear of the scaffolding.

Quivering with excitement, Alan looked over at his friend. Terry grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. Alan turned back to the open space, took a deep breath, and spread his arms out. He bent his knees and pushed off into a swan dive.

Alan had ten seconds of free fall before the cable slowed his descent — ten seconds of weightlessness as the wind whistled by his head. It was peaceful. And surreal. It wasn’t every day somebody jumped from a height of a thousand meters.

Looking toward the ground when he jumped, Alan twisted as he now fell, upside down, and brought his head up to look off into the distance. The light from his helmet flashed on something. He swept his head back and forth until the object was visible again. There was a human body three meters from him, free-falling at the same rate. It tumbled in the air. Judging by the looseness of the limbs, Alan guessed the person was unconscious. Or dead. Wouldn’t somebody falling to their death be thrashing about?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

William Quincy Belle is just a guy. Nobody famous; nobody rich; just some guy who likes to periodically add his two cents worth with the hope, accounting for inflation, that $0.02 is not over evaluating his contribution. He claims that at the heart of the writing process is some sort of (psychotic) urge to put it down on paper and likes to recite the following, which so far he hasn't been able to attribute to anyone: "A writer is an egomaniac with low self-esteem." You will find Mr. Belle's unbridled stream of consciousness floating around in cyberspace.

Amazon: Metrofloat New York

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K631LDS

Web site

http://www.williamquincybelle.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/WilliamQuincyBelle

Twitter

https://twitter.com/wqbelle

Amazon author page

https://www.amazon.com/William-Quincy-Belle/e/B01M1IQ69G

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Book Tour: Karma City by Gardner Browning

Good morning! Please welcome author Gardner Browning to Full Moon Dreaming! He is here to discuss his latest release, Karma City. Gardner will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on his tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

Karma City

by Gardner Browning

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GENRE:   science fiction contemporary/post-apocalyptic

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BLURB:

A microscopic parasite has crippled humanity with night terrors and paralyzing anxiety. In this world of increasing dystopia, hope yet remains in Karma City. But when mercenary drifter, Jameson Shoals, learns that a famous scientist has created a stronger parasite to kill the original, it isn’t until the bodies litter the streets that he realizes the horrifying truth: the new parasite is a killer with a mind of its own, and upon dominating Patient Zero, this killer acquires legs, hands, and eyes. It falls upon Shoals and his partner, a deadly female mercenary, to stop PZ and his mob before they can overcome and supplant humankind.

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EXCERPT:

Jameson Shoals crouched to keep his balance atop the speeding train. The wind beat against his leather jacket, scattering his collar length, brunet hair over his eyes like a frayed, muddy rag. The scalding steam and smoke puffing from the locomotive singed his nostrils. Raising his shotgun at the attacker standing only a few feet away, he shouted, “You’re in a real heap of shit, pal.”

The man glared at Jameson, with blond hair framing his gaunt face like tendrils of fire . His

spindly legs backed to the edge of the train car roof with unnatural balance. “You should consider your own life,” he hissed. Amber light burned in the man’s hollow, jack-o-lantern eyes. “Detonation is imminent.”

Before Jameson could shoot, the man leapt from the train, flipping backward and vanishing into the night.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Gardner Michael Browning is an award-winning author and professional wrestler. In addition to receiving a New Hampshire Literary Award, two of his novels were part of an international English literacy program for middle grade readers. Browning enjoys classic literature, fishing, playing guitar and spending time with his family.

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3AGardner+Browning&s=relevancerank&text=Gardner+Browning&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Author/G-M-Browning-217364741662041/

Buy link:  https://www.amazon.com/Karma-City-Gardner-Browning-ebook/dp/B07PJXQ7PB/ref=sr_1_1

The book will be on sale for $0.99.

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From a Game to a Novel

Before I wrote the first draft of Karma City and its sequel (not yet published), I tested the story by writing it as a Dungeons and Dragons campaign! I developed the setting, stakes and antagonist, then gathered a group of my closest friends and had them make up characters. For nine months, I facilitated the story as the Game Master (or GM) and my friends role-played their way through Karma City, defeating the villain and saving the world! It was a powerful and collective story telling experience that allowed me to really build the world and get a chance to “live” the story with them. The characters that exist in the pages now are a direct result of their combined creativity and the love of those game nights.

Preparing the story took some research. I interviewed parasitologists and vaccine developers to understand how to design and write about my fictional parasite, “Malady.”

Doing your homework is critical for any writer.

If you have science in your story, you have to talk to experts and read work in the field you’re writing about. Understand the technology. Understand how stuff works. Immerse yourself in it and be fascinated. If possible, visit places that are like your setting. You may find you don’t need to go far to get in touch with your imagination.

I believe that a good book is one with a setting (a world) that is alive around the characters. The characters should be affected by the world around them as much as possible. In big ways and in small ways. Examples: If an explosion occurs a few blocks away, they need to feel the ground shake, hear the screams, be afraid, concerned and confused. Maybe injured by a frantic mob. If it’s cold outside, the characters need to warm their hands with their breath, scrape the ice off their windshield, or even twist an ankle on the slippery sidewalk. If it’s raining, the windows are fogged, they can’t see through their eye glasses, their shoes are soaked and their attitude sucks.

By taking my story concept into a game format and allowing others to imagine with me, the characters became genuinely unique, the world crackled with energy, and the antagonist fought to stay ahead of the heroes making the conflict rich and the stakes dire.

Readers of Karma City will feel the life on the pages because of the collaborative storytelling that served as the foundation of the story. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Starting the New Year with a new release!

After Wicked Nights folded, my series Forbidden, which was still in its infancy, was left rather stranded. But it has found a new home with Romance First Publishing! Just released today, in fact!

Blurb:

The year is 2056 AD. The place—the Alliance of States, once the United States of America. The country is struggling to come back after the Armageddon which took place in the year 2032, under the leadership of President Alistair Boothe. Life is hard but not impossible. The church and the state have been closely woven together, for the good of the people. Infant mortality has risen, the birth rate has declined. Recognizing the futility of imposing celibracy, the church now allows its priests to marry women. Homosexuality is still forbidden, and pedophilia is punishable by death.

Jerico James is handsome, spoiled and willful—a rich boy with too much time on his hands. When he steps out of line once too often, he finds himself sent to one of the nation’s help centers to serve his community service, under the guidance of its director, Father Sergio de Basco. The moment he sees Sergio, Jerico is struck by the priest’s beauty—and determined to have him, no matter what the cost.

Excerpt:

Jerico didn’t want to go to Sanctum.  He didn’t want to become no more than an unpaid overworked laborer, a servant of the state, toiling for the betterment of the poor and downtrodden, the huddled unwashed masses. But the alternative undoubtedly involved serving time in one of the federally mandated prisons. No one wanted that.  Conditions had become so harsh, at least from the stories which had been gleaned from former inmates, that the mere threat of penal incarceration had become an actual deterrent to crime. There were whispers of punishments carried out within the high prison walls that went far beyond any treatment ever mandated by civilized nations, of tortures not seen since the days of the Inquisition. But no proof existed, and the stories were denied as being the tales of criminals. It was better to play safe than sorry. Money did still have its privileges.

“Dru.” He changed tactics, switching to his wheedling voice, the one which usually got him anything he desired from any woman he desired it from, even his sister. When Jerico was little, he couldn’t quite manage to say Jerusha, and his childish lips had run all the syllables into one—Dru he’d called her, and Dru she stayed, especially in moments such as this. “Dru, can’t Micah do something about it? Isn’t that why I pay him all that money, to handle these things?”

“Father pays him all that money, you mean,” she replied without batting an eye or giving an inch, “and he’s doing what he can.” Micah Caulfield was Jerusha’s handsome older husband. A close associate of their father, he was one of the best attorneys working for the government of what was now known as the Alliance of States. Or more precisely for its President, Alistair Boothe. Micah was also the one that pulled Jerico out of the trouble he invariably got himself into.  His lifeline, as it were. But this time, Jerico had embroiled himself too far for even Micah to extract him.

They threaded their way through the roiling masses of humanity, too focused on their own destinations to pay attention to the brother and sister in their midst. Wherever they were heading, Jerico was pretty sure it wasn’t where he was going.  Not very likely, anyway.

It would be so easy to just skip out. To get on another bus, go to another place, and once there to lose himself in the crowds of that new city, become someone else and forget all this bullshit. But there were reasons why that couldn’t be. One was that he’d never supported himself in his entire life, and would be somewhat at a loss to do so. The second reason was that although he was walking side by side with Jerusha, he was more than aware that he had an escort just a few paces behind them. Someone whose sole purpose in being there was to make sure that Jerico James boarded the bus to Sanctum. The third reason was the chip which had been implanted in his left wrist by the court. If he were to go somewhere outside of the help center, he would set off alarms whenever he passed by any of the government sensors. And since no one knew exactly where those were located, just that there were an unknown number of them, the chances of being caught were pretty good.

All in all, Jerico had to admit he was pretty well screwed and without any choice in the matter—apparently he was going to Sanctum.