The Hotel Series by Michael James – Spotlight and Giveaway

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No one has ever escaped from the Hotel at the End of Time. Until now.

Vain only wants to be left alone, but the Hotel has other plans. Forces will align against her: a group of multi-dimensional felons collectively named The Wyatts; and their leader, Trick, a mild-to-medium psychopath with a fondness for impractical jokes.

The only way forward is to go back. Back to the one place in the world she swore she’d never return.

Back to the Hotel.

Vain is the only person to ever escape from the Hotel at the end of time. On her way out, she took their prized possession: A Padlock that grants immortality.

They will do anything to get it back.

The forces of the Hotel are aligned against her: mundane items turned into weapons; a group of multi-dimensional felons collectively named The Wyatts; and their leader, Trick, a mild-to-medium psychopath with a fondness for impractical jokes.

Everything changes when Vain meets Emma, a timid grad student with impossible and terrifying powers. Together, they are propelled into an adventure that will see them battle the Wyatts, blow up several objects of significant value, and quite by accident, discover a way to stop the Hotel.

Even with Emma, Vain has a lot of problems to deal with.

She’s exhausted from being hunted.
Stopping the Hotel might kill them.
She has a hangnail.

But Vain is resourceful. Vain is clever.

And she always has a plan.

Vain thought destroying the Portal to the Hotel at the End of Time would mean freedom for her and Roman, but her happy ever after is coming to an end.

A horrible mistake and a stray bullet force her to infiltrate the Hotel and contend with a new and terrible power: The Well at the Bottom of Everything.

Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken.

The Hotel will have its revenge.

Enjoy an Excerpt from The Hotel at the End of Time

The woman glanced over. “I’m Emma, by the way. Thank you for helping me.”

“I’m Vain.”

Emma blinked and positioned the rear-view mirror so it showed Vain her reflection. “Is that better?”

Vain shook her head. “My name. My actual name is Vain.”

“Are you, like, a street artist?”

Vain sighed. “I’m just me.”

“How did you know who those men were? How did you know they were after me?”

“They’re not men,” replied Vain. “They’re things. Their name is Wyatt. Their only job is to find people like you and take them back to a place called the Hotel. It’s a place I escaped from.”

“How are they all called Wyatt? Why do they look the same?”

“They’re from alternate Earths.” Vain waved her hand, shooing away the explanation.

“I don’t believe you,” Emma said. “I’m sorry. I know I’m supposed to humor crazy, but I’m exhausted. Please tell me the truth.”

“How about this? You go first. Explain how you threw a person with your mind in a way that doesn’t violate a couple dozen natural laws, and once you’re done, I’ll come up with a better explanation for duplicate psychopaths from various incarnations of Earth.”

About the Author
Michael James spent his formative years writing, and when he wasn’t writing, he was writing. A mistaken belief that a “real” job would be more satisfying led him down a dark path that did not involve writing but did involve meetings. Fortunately, he has since course-corrected and is back on the right (write? Ha!) path. The Hotel at the End of Time is not his first book, but it is the one with the most Hotels in it.

He lives in Canada with his family. When he’s not writing, he does Canadian things – saying sorry a lot, being polite, talking about the weather, you know how it goes.

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The Rewired Series by Alexander Mukte – Q&A and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Do you have any tattoos? Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?

I have a boring answer here, but I don’t have any tattoos. I wanted to get one or several in college, but I could never decide what to get. I definitely appreciate how tattoos enable self-expression and have such artistic value.

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

My life today vs. two years ago is like night and day. Two years ago, I was working in a large corporation. My days were filled with PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheets, and conference calls. Then my wife and I made a plan for me to pursue writing full-time. Now, my days are spent being present with my family and trying to be the best author I can be.

How long have you been writing?

Though I have gotten lost in stories in my head for as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing a relatively short time. I started putting pen to paper on The Recruiter, my debut novel, four years ago.

What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

While I only have a few years under my belt, the advice I would give to myself at the start would be:

1. Discipline is critical. You’ve got to figure out how to break things down into smaller tasks so that progress doesn’t seem so daunting.

2. Feed your brain. Keep a reading list of things you are interested in learning so that you can continually absorb new information. Your imagination appreciates the input.

3. Foster positivity. Identify a process that keeps you feeling positive. Embrace the value of affirmations, yoga, and meditation.

Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

There’s a lot of symbolism in this series. Certain characters are embodiments of something much more significant, like fear, war, ego. Also, the colors in the cover art for each book are inspired by the chakras. Hopefully, this can create some fun dialogue for those who like to dissect and analyze the works you read. There’s both a discussion guide and a character map in the back of both books to aid in that too.

Also, Atlanta is a primary setting in both novels. So, for anyone who has lived or spent time in Atlanta, you can hopefully recognize some of the nods to areas in the city.

This is a fantastic, genre-bending series that weaves together the best mystery, visionary, and speculative fiction elements. With characters that span across books and time, The Rewired Series explores what plagues humanity and the impact each person can have while leaving you with the promise of a better tomorrow. Alexander Mukte wraps all of these themes inside edge-of-your-seat, engaging mysteries with larger-than-life characters you’ll want to revisit again and again.

A fast-paced and thought-provoking mystery that will keep you on your toes until the very end. The Recruiter is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable start to the series, full of intriguing twists and turns.

Leslie may be an idealist, but she’s no fool. She trusts her boss, Ori, implicitly. He has vision, principles, and a way with people. When a bomb is detonated at work, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of events. All of a sudden, their lives are on the line, and every choice matters.

Is Ori who she thinks he is? Why would anyone want to hurt him? And how do they get out of this mess? Leslie doesn’t have it all figured out, but what becomes clear is that there’s a lot the world doesn’t know about Ori Clayborn.

Jessica is driven to make a difference by uncovering the truth. Investigative reporting is her life. One day she gets a unique assignment that leads her back to her hometown and into Ori’s orbit. What will she find, and what’s her role in this?

The Recruiter is a captivating, imaginative story that draws you in deeper and deeper, page-by-page. Alexander Mukte creates a universe that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go.

This bold and compelling sequel is an evocative page-turner on the journey to a better future.

Since her encounter with Ori years ago, Jessica, an investigative journalist, has continued her mission to print the truth that the world needs to hear. Her pursuit has led her to meet with a source, Zach Carver, a leading mind at Singularity Group. The meeting goes awry, and Jessica awakens to find that she has a gap in time and memory and that Zach is now missing.

What happened? Who is responsible? And how can she help Zach? It is imperative that Jessica find out, and to her surprise, Ori has reappeared to help her do just that.

Malik, an intelligent and inventive young man, is determined to find a way to overcome the virus that has impacted the world. When he crosses paths with powerful people at Confidence Biotech, the leading treatment and contact tracing company, they take an unusual interest in him. Then, all of a sudden, they paint Malik as public enemy number one, forcing him to go on the run.

What do they want from him, and does this mean that he is close to discovering something they couldn’t?

Deeply Rooted Dreams is the second installment of The Rewired Series, unveiling more of the universal trial that Ori alluded to in The Recruiter. Alexander Mukte’s second novel creates an even more intricate world, striking an engaging balance of mystery and wonder.

Enjoy an Excerpt from The Recruiter

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Prologue

“Did you think we were going to let you get away with it?” The man’s voice was both incredulous and triumphant. The light from the full moon began to fill the room as Ori’s eyes adjusted. He inhaled deeply. The man continued as if he was talking to himself, “We knew you were up to something. Did you actually think that you stood a chance?” Ori surveyed the room. He squinted to focus on his surroundings.

“Are you listening to me?” the man continued speaking while Ori remained silent, not acknowledging him. Ori made out three bodies in the room with him: one talking, one holding a flashlight, and a third one close to what looked like the door.

The shack was an old cabin but was well built. No lights were turned on, nor was there a fire burning, so as not to attract any unwanted attention. The natural moonlight was perfect to illuminate most of the space. In the areas where the moonlight did not reach, there was the glow of a bright flashlight. This flashlight was suddenly pointed directly into Ori’s eyes.

About the Author:Alexander had an active imagination his whole life, but it wasn’t until the birth of his son that he began putting the stories in his mind on paper. He wanted to be an example of someone pursuing his passion, dreaming big, and taking chances.

Alexander loves people, their stories, and their backgrounds as well as what shapes them, how they think, and what they dream about. He has a passion for learning and is known by most as an intensely curious person who eagerly soaks up anything and everything he can. He dreamt of a career that allowed him to learn new things every day. In writing, he has found a life that allows him to do just that.

After graduating with a degree in business, Alexander volunteered in the U.S. Peace Corps where he aided in creating sustainable small business ventures in Central America. Before taking this leap of faith, Alexander did Business Development and Consulting for large domestic and international companies. These experiences weave themselves into the characters, places and stories he creates.

An avid traveler, Alexander enjoys exploring new places with his family. He was raised in Southeastern Arizona, and now calls Georgia home, along with his wife and two sons.

The Recruiter is Alexander’s first novel, though perhaps the 39th in his mind. We hope you enjoy it, and Deeply Rooted Dreams, as much as we have.

NOTE: The Recruiter just won a 2021 American Fiction Award in the African-American Fiction category. It was also a finalist in the Cross Genre and Mystery/Suspense: Multicultural & Diverse categories.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: The Darkest Sum by Micki Miller

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The embodiment of the world’s evil has but a single fear, one homeless girl.

Twenty-two year old Liz Linden and her nineteen year old brother, Jacob, have lived in the storm drains that run under Las Vegas for almost one year. There are many others living in the makeshift camps. She does her best to make their concrete camp into a home until she can save enough money to get them out of the tunnels and into an apartment.

Of late, her wish to get out has become desperate, as she’s come to realize something else is down there, too-the offspring of malice and hypocrisy. It lives, it grows, and if not stopped, it will fully exist. It is the total of mankind’s evils-The Darkest Sum.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Dragon(e) Baby Gone by Robert Gainey

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“Dragon is hard to overcome, yet one shall try.”
– Nowe Ateny, Polish Encyclopedia, 1745
Diane Morris is part of the thin line separating a happy, mundane world from all of the horrors of the anomalous. Her federal agency is underfunded, understaffed, and misunderstood, and she’d rather transfer to the boring safety of Logistics than remain a field agent. When a troupe of international thieves make off with a pair of dragon eggs, Diane has no choice but to ally with a demon against the forces looking to leave her city a smoldering crater. Facing down rogue wizards, fiery elementals, and crazed gunmen, it’s a race against time to get the precious cargo back before the dragon wakes up and unleashes hell.

 

 

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Origins by Celia Breslin

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In HAVEN & DESTINY, San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli finds love and fights her vampire family’s enemies. Now, in ORIGINS…

En route to reunite with her estranged father in Italy, Carina is kidnapped by a human organization intent on vampire genocide. Beaten, starved, and forced to fight fellow captives, she finally manages to escape. Along the way, she encounters the group’s leaders—their identities shock her to the core.

Once home, Carina warns her family of this new threat, but dear old dad is missing. In his absence, the Tribunal, the governing body for all vampirekind, lies in disarray, with an old enemy making a bid for her father’s throne. What’s worse? The usurper wants her for his queen…and slave.

With a human-vampire war looming on one side and a vampire-vampire battle brewing on the other, Carina will have to rally her troops, take back the throne, and fulfill her destiny as the Chosen One. If not, her whole world will fall, taking everyone she loves with it.

 

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Celtic Myst – CUPÁN OF FLÚIRSE by M.L. Foxx

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A MAGICAL CHALICE A LEGACY WITH THE DRAGONS, AND A DESTINY FORGED THROUGH THE CENTURIES.

The Cupán of Flúirse Part 1
Forged by the gods, the Cupán of Flúirse is born under the thunder of Taranis, fashioned with symbols of the elements to bring peace and abundance to the clans.

In Search of the Cupán of Flúirse Part 2
A journey through the ages, a battle with evil, and a sacrifice for all that was lost.

Returning the Cupán of Flúirse Part 3
​A prophecy, a final epic battle and a mystery revealed.

Celtic Myst is a story of good against evil. A story of great love that sans centuries. And above all, a story of courage.

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LASR Anniversary Scavenger Hunt: Marked Raven by J.B. Dane

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Valentine’s Day could be the most dangerous time of the year if an angry Cupid is the hit man hunting you down.

Bram Farrell, paranormal PI, has been yanked from the pages of the novel. His author and creator brought him into real-world Detroit to do a job for her, but the job went south, and the real-world Detroit is as loaded with monsters and magical beings as the pages of her books were. And they are all out to get Bram and exact some otherworldly revenge on him.

Most guys wouldn’t mind that it’s raining females, some expected, some surprises, one he could do without. And then there is his new secretary, Naomi, who he’s falling in love with. Keeping her alive—and himself—is going to be tricky.

Outrunning an alchemist, a vampire, and a witch is going to take more than cutting wit.
Luckily, this paranormal Sam Spade has some resources besides his dry sense of humor. His dachshund Hellhound is with him and his magic is coming back. Which should be helpful considering someone has put a hit out on him.

There’s a lot on Bram’s plate this February. The question is, will he live through it this time?

 

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The First Sin by Lisa Beth Darling – Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lisa Beth Darling will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

 

Lucifer Returns to Eden

Lucifer is unceremoniously yanked out of Hell by his Father so he can return to his old job in the Garden of Eden. When he arrives, broken, battered, and bleeding, he falls into the arms of Eve who is unsure about seeing her old lover again as are the people now living in a dying paradise.

Tasked with returning the Sacred Trees of Life and Knowledge to flourishing bounty once more, Lucifer struggles to learn his new place in his old home. Yet, he hasn’t been placed there solely to tend the Garden. His son, Cain, is on the way with murder and destruction on his mind.

Having lived, cursed by God, for eons, Cain Enoch has made quite a name for himself and amassed a fortune that would make even his Grandfather envious and with it he’ll stop at nothing to find Eden and destroy. Why? So he can finally die even though it means taking the Earth, Heaven, and Hell with him.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Help me,” Lucifer gasped and held out his arms toward the people behind the veil but they were just staring at him. Then he noticed the weapons in they were holding. “Please, please,” he held up his hands in the universal sign of surrender, “I mean no harm. Just help me.”

“It’s a trick,” Persephone warned in a hiss. “He’s a liar.”

Eve looked to Gabriel and the two passed a silent nod before they looked at Persephone and spoke in unison; “He never lies.”

Then Eve finished their share thought, “The Truth has always been his weapon.”

Those words made the sight of Lucifer Morningstar in his current desperate state even harder to take.

Eve stepped forward to stand just on the side of the veil, “Lucifer, what are you doing here?” She asked in a soft voice.

The sound of his name confused him as he tried to focus on the sight of the woman before him, “You know me? Please help me. Let me in. Please. I will do anything you want.”

The fact that he did not recognize her face was understandable given his condition but still his failure brought a tinge of pain to her heart. “Be quiet and listen, we don’t have much time. If you cross the veil, if you come in here, no harm will come to you so long as you do none, but you can never leave again. You will spend all of eternity here. With us. Do you understand?”

No, he really didn’t understand her words. All he did understand was that he could not spend another night out here in the cold wasteland. He could not take another second of being hungry, thirsty, and in pain. “Please let me in.” Was all he could manage to beg.

Eve stepped back from the veil, “Come in, Lucifer, come in and be welcome but do not ever betray us.”

Lucifer stumbled through the veil with no time to spare before full sunrise. He fell to his knees and looked up at his savior through dazed eyes, “Thank you,” he whispered with all sincerity just before he passed out at her feet.

Copyright 2021 Lisa Beth Darling and Moon Mistress Publishing

About the Author:

As of this writing, I am 54 years-old, the mother of two adult daughters, grandmother to one, and wife to my husband, Roy, for the last 34 years. I live and write in my hometown of New London, CT.

I began my writing career in the 4th grade when the class was given its first-ever Creative Writing assignment. I put pencil to paper and was instantly transported to a place I knew that I would never want to leave. I have been publishing my works since 7th grade.

Early influences were Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, Harold Robins, Jacqueline Susan and VC Andrews. As such, my works tend to be a grand mash-up of drama, horror, suspense, action, intrigue, and, of course, intimate relations.

My stories are filled with secrets, lust, betrayal, and sometimes rage, they may keep you awake into the wee hours of the morning cheering, weeping, and captured by suspense as our heroes and heroines have their love tested by demons who reside within and without.

In my spare time I enjoy gardening and photography as well as cooking and baking. I also enjoy helping other authors bring their works to the world stage.

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The Secret of Drulea Cottage by Claire Kohler – Spotlight and Giveaway

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Briony Fairborn, a midwife in eighteenth-century Scotland, comes from a family shrouded in scandal. Left with only one friend after her mother’s death, she has little hope of gaining any others, let alone finding a husband. Instead, Briony tries to live a quiet life and avoid her neighbors’ ridicule as much as possible.

But things in Everton take a drastic turn when a storm brings foreigners to the village docks.

On the night Santiago Mendes arrives, he comes with a broken ship, a broken leg, and a broken spirit that Briony finds herself profoundly drawn to. Her scarred heart slowly starts to open, and although Briony suspects he may be hiding something, she cannot help but dream of the possibility of love.

That is, until another stranger appears in town, intent on repaying a childhood debt. A dangerously handsome stranger who shows Briony that she’s even more different than she could have imagined. And that her past is far darker than she realized.

Magic, romance, and political intrigue collide as the secrets surrounding one Scottish woman begin to unravel. Secrets that she may not be ready to face.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Screams drew Briony from her state of shock. They pierced the darkness as terribly as the lightning hitting the ground.

Except ’tis na just hitting the ground anymore! She gasped at the sight of flames rising from the town below. Her neighbors were flying through the streets in a panic, and Briony could see why: the tailor shop and the McGuffs’ house were alight!

Fergus! Briony forgot about Niall and charged down the hill with nary a care for her own well-being. All she could focus on was the thought of the little boy potentially trapped and scared. She reached the burning house and stepped inside. “Hello! Fergus?! Is anyone in here?”

Most of the fire was above her, hungrily swallowing the thatched roof. The smoke was so thick within the confined space that Briony struggled to breathe. Only a few licks of flame had reached the floor, and they were quickly spreading toward the McGuffs’ table.

“H-Here!” came a voice. Whoever it belonged to was too hoarse to identify. Briony covered her mouth with her hand and made her way forward, edging around the blazing table.

Briony hastened into the back bedroom, her eyes flicking between the open window and two beds before landing on their target: Penelope McGuff. The woman was on the ground, facedown. The rest of the family was nowhere in sight.

“Mistress McGuff!” Briony dropped to her knees and grabbed the woman’s hand, but Penelope didn’t stir.

CRASH!

About the Author:

Claire Kohler grew up in Mooresville, NC, as the eldest of four daughters. Her love of stories began at an early age, and as a child, she could often be found borrowing way too many books from the library and scribbling away in a journal.

In 2016, Claire became a full-time middle school English teacher in a public school. In her second year of teaching, she also taught social studies. After becoming pregnant in 2018, Claire decided to shift careers and become an online ESL teacher so that she could also take care of her newborn at home.

She now lives in Statesville, NC, with her husband, two children, and three cats. She is also an active member of Christ Community Church Mooresville, where she often serves as a Bible study and small group leader.

Claire plans to continue creating exciting historical fantasy novels and potentially branching out into other genres as well.

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Out of Sight, Out of Mind by Ian Williams – Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ian Williams will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Here is a sobering statistic for you; it is expected that, if trends continue as they are now, by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. That is because researchers have estimated that over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been made since the early 1950s. We use single-use plastics alarmingly often too, even though most of it ends up in landfills. Nature cannot break it down fully, so it persists long after we have buried it.

It is a worrying problem that we face as a society, one that continues to grow each day we fail to address it. Worse still, many countries simply ship their waste abroad, making it someone else’s problem instead. The UK alone exported 611,000 tonnes of plastic packaging to other countries in 2018. That creates a huge problem that can no longer be ignored.

The story Waste Not, from The Clockmaker’s Tale: and other stories tells of a world where the very same challenge has overwhelmed us. People live in homes carved into the sides of trash towers made from piles upon piles of past generations’ waste. They scavenge for food and supplies from the rubbish that surrounds them, often with unfortunate results.

That which surrounds us is inside us too. I bring up blood-filled phlegm that’s rich in colourful specks. It looks like glitter sprinkled over a gruesome murder scene in that small, gooey lump in my hand. I cough as much of it up as I can, count the plastic shards within as a matter of course, then launch it over the car—out of sight, out of mind. The blood always worries me, though.

“Don’t sweat that, Pete. I seen much worse. I once saw a woman jump from the top of a friend’s spire.”

“What?” I reply, wiping the spit from my chin.

“I’m just saying, when she hit the ground and opened up, she was full of plastic, like it had been filling up her stomach for years. Not a pretty sight, I can tell you. Blood isn’t the colour you think it is when there’s that much contamination.”

I picture it without meaning to. Only things aren’t quite right. The woman’s eyes are now the same as the ones my teddy torso once had. Her arms are cream coloured and stamped by a manufacturer, her hair is brittle and snaps easily, and her clothes are painted on. Her body is cracked open like an egg, and nothing but dry pieces of trash spill out, some of it caught up in beer can yokes, choking itself, on itself.

“I hate this place,” I say, staring at the ground in front of me as if the trash lady were right there. “I’m getting my family out of here if it’s the last thing I ever do.”

“How ‘bouts we make sure it’s not the last thing you do, hey?”

It may sound like fiction until the real situation is made clear. The ‘Trash Lady’ Pete and his friend mention is not so different from many of us. That is because plastic is now in our food as well as our environment.

Plastic is nearly impossible for nature to entirely break down, so it never fully disappears. Instead, it gets smaller and smaller until fish and farm animals mistake it for food. That is a direct path for plastic to enter our bodies, where it may stay for a long time. The journal Environmental Science and Technology puts the amount of microplastic humans may be ingesting from 39,000 to 52,000 particles a year.

This is a problem for all of us to tackle. And, if dealt with decisively, it is one we absolutely can solve. But for those in Waste Not it is already too late. Generation after generation has dumped their waste without a thought for the environment, and now it is the world they live in. Although, just maybe, there is still hope for Pete and his family.

Pete certainly thinks so.

“I hope you got this right, you crazy old bat,” I say as I chew the tough meat with my one good tooth. A green coloured treat is waiting for me in the centre. I find the remnants of a plastic straw tucked inside a burnt piece. It puts me off my meal.

I never met the woman whose home I’d found the directions in. It was during one of my more successful scavenges that I stumbled upon the place. It just sat there abandoned for anyone to discover. There hadn’t been any food inside her cramped home, just plenty of things that no one needed.

Only one thing had been worth the long climb to the top of that neighbouring spire—a drawing on the walls that promised to lead all to salvation. It wasn’t detailed in its instructions, but I’d seen the route hidden within the scrawls almost immediately.

My copy of the directions is exact, even down to the child-like drawings at the end of the route. This mysterious woman had scribbled trees and lakes, the likes of which I’d dreamt about. So, I drew them too, except in grease rather than crayon. She had created a perfect landscape there on her wall. One made of nature, not manmade detritus.

I want, more than anything, for this to be real and not the fantasy of a crazy woman. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to follow it to its end.

“Past the container row, maybe a hundred yards, I’d say,” I tell myself as though it were that easy.

In The Clockmaker’s Tale: and other stories, Ian Williams takes us to the near future and beyond. From a moon base where androids conduct experiments on human test subjects, to futuristic tours of the ocean depths that hide a terrible secret; from a society governed by harsh rule of law that is enforced by AI, to a humble clockmaker tempted by the promise of increased productivity through technological augmentation.

Covering issues such as environmental decay, the end of facts and proven truths, our growing waste problem, and humanity’s tendency to divide when we should come together, this collection of six science fiction stories relates as much to our time as it does to the many possible futures.

About the Author:Ian Williams is a Science Fiction writer from the UK. He lives in a small town not far from London. Ian had a short career in the UK Court Service but was forced to quit that job when his medical condition worsened. Now, from the comfort of his wheelchair, he writes the stories he has always wanted to read. His writing spans lightyears of space, to near-future Earths; from small changes to society, to entirely new civilisations.

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