What inspires authors to write?
That is the question I've been thinking about for this guest post. I guess the quick answer is that it's in our blood. But if I think about it more deeply, I have to ask myself why that is. Why are we, as authors, full of a desire to tell a story?
I think this desire broods deep inside of us even way back to our early ancestors. Stories often let people know what happened before, kept histories, and even kept groups entertained. Stories, told well, could help us define and understand our human existence, what it means to be human.
To tap into the very emotions we all share--the fears and joys, the pains and pleasures--is something universe and touches us all when we read about a character who feels the same way. We can relate or empathize with well written characters in some of our favorite stories, and maybe even live vicariously through them.
We can learn more about ourselves, humanity, and even dream about our future. Hope to make changes if our futures seem dim or learn to love more passionately. Sometimes stories can simply be that escape we so desperately need.
So, why did I tell the story of SIMULATION? I guess I felt a lot of the above. A need to tell a story of a future we could have if we are not careful, a story that all of us share--of believing like a child until we know better, until we know the world around us is not like we imagined when we were young.
There comes a moment in everyone's life when they realize that, on some level. This story, I guess, is a way to understand that, to dive deeper into that condition. I also wanted to write a story that contrasts important current issues. Issues of technology vs nature, rich vs poor, power vs powerless, greed vs compassion.
I hope my readers identify with Ilia and Jez as they take their journey in SIMULATION and I hope my readers learn something too.
Thank you for sharing this post with me!
Happy Reading and Happy New Year!
Simulation
M. Black
Genre: YA SyFy Dystopian
Publisher: Eloquent Enraptures Publishing
Date of Publication: DECEMBER 16th, 2016
ISBN: 978-1539194675
ISBN-10: 1539194671
ASIN: B01N0QLPHH
Number of pages: 380
Word Count: 85,000
Cover Artist: M. Black
Book Description:
SIMULATION is a fictional novel and is the debut release from Dystopian Thriller author M. Black.
A YA SyFy dystopia, along the lines of City of Ember meets CW’s The 100. This story will capture your heart and still won’t let go even at the end. Written in part while listening to Outside by Ellie Goulding, this story contrasts technology to nature, rich to poor, privilege to hardship, and illusion to reality.
“No one is getting in but whom we allow, and no one is ever getting out.”
Set in 2175 in Colorado, USA, where Citigogs are the new form of cities and citizens are kept under a careful population control, we meet Ilia the Princess of our main Citigog named Iliad, and Jez a Giver. As Ilia spends more time with Jez, she finds herself drawn to the Outside and ventures out of her Citigog only to learn that everything is not what it seems.
Fans of the Divergent and Hunger Games series will revel in this story about a strong, but disillusioned heroine who must become brave as she uncovers the truth about her world.
Excerpt:
I hardly notice
my attraction, but my fingers have nudged their way onto the platform as my
chin tucks over the wood, and my eyes fix on the Givers moving speedily to and
fro as if I’m watching a coveted movie, though none inside of Iliad are as good
as this performance. Attention is drawn to my fingers when Jez approaches from
my side and taps his foot at my forefinger. “If it isn’t the Princess Thief.
Have you come to take more goods?”
I almost gasp.
The guards had a strict talk with him about not speaking with me, and letting
me take what I want—and yet here he is. Not that I expect that I should be able
to do whatever I want, but I certainly don’t expect a Giver to not follow
orders.
I stumble my
words. “Wha? I…I’m not here for that,” I defend poorly.
“Then why are
you here? Isn’t that what you Insiders do best? Take?” Jez’s voice cracks, as
if the word take weighs particularly heavy on him.
“I’m not here to
take anything,” I say as my voice quivers, hands tremble, and my eyes flit
around for focus.
“Then why are
you here?” His brazen tone makes me uneasy.
The question
stops me. I can’t be at all sure why I came, why I insisted on seeing Jez.
Curiosity? Passion? I hardly know. I only know there is something about
him—something mysterious— something different from all the rest of the boys of
Iliad. Maybe it’s because he’s been Outside, seen the world. Maybe it’s because
he must be so brave to do so.
His eyes dig
deep into mine, waiting for an answer I can’t give. So, I answer a little
shakily, “I just wanted to see the inner workings of the Center of Citigog
Goods.”
Jez stares
briefly, a smirk sliding across his face—not believing a word. Then he says
snidely, “Curious how the other half lives?”
“Why do you keep
attacking me?” I grit my teeth, my fingernails scratching the wood of the
platform, my head fixed upward at Jez, sun glares hurting my eyes. “What have I
ever done to you?” His audacity surprises me. I should be used to it by now.
Every time I talk with him, he has nothing but ridicule for me. Still, I can’t
wrap my brain around his disgust. No one speaks to the princess this way.
“Attacking you?
You call a few words an attack?” Jez shakes his head and ruffles his fingers
through his hair, releasing a loud huff of disbelief.
“You didn’t
answer my question,” I press, keeping my eyes locked on his. He isn’t going to
get away with it this time. Not without an explanation.
Jez pauses, his
eyes searching me, and I can see questions circling his mind. “You really don’t
know.”
“Know what?” My
brow quirks, and he draws all my attention. I wouldn’t notice now if a
Citiguard stood beside me.
“Anything,” Jez
remarks, and I’m not sure if he’s just being smart or if he really cares about
my so-called ignorance.
“So, enlighten
me, oh Giver of all.”
He squats so
that we are eye to eye, and his smirk becomes more of a sadness, his color more
of a pale crème, but his hair engulfs him—his square face and broad
shoulders—as it falls to his chest. Then, I regret what I’ve just said. I feel
I’ve hit him somewhere deep inside where even I didn’t intend.
“You live in your
perfect princess castle, with three meals a day, and everyone at your beck and
call. Safe from danger, and from the truth.” His head lowers, and he looks like
he is about to cry, before he takes a deep breath and his head rises. “I won’t
be able to enlighten you with anything but misery. I’m not a Giver. I’m a
survivor.”
“Survivor of
what?” I ask, not sure if he even heard me ask the question, because at that
moment the dark-skinned man with the buffalo tattoo pushes beside Jez and tugs
on his shoulder.
“Get going, Jez.
Your tribe can’t handle another reprimand.” Jez looks at the dark man and nods
before he pulls away from me and straightens up to return to the Box Carrier.
As Jez walks away from me, the dark man hawk-eyes me. “You’re nothing but
trouble for us. Why don’t you crawl back to your castle?” The corner of his
mouth curls up as he turns back to Jez. I stand there, alone, lingering in
questions. Survivor? Aren’t we all survivors of CR? What tribe? Safe from
danger, the truth?
Everyone I come
to for answers turns into another blockade, but I won’t let curiosities go
unsatisfied this time. Jez knows something, something my aunt and mom know as
well, something no one wants to tell me. I’ll watch him, and wait. He’ll lead
me to what I want to know. He just has to.
About the Author:
M. Black is a pen name of Ami Blackwelder.
M. Black is her dystopia and thriller line of books. Rebecca May is the pen name for her historical and contemporary line of books. Ami Blackwelder writes paranormal and sci-fi novels.
Her stories range from Tween and YA to NA (new adult), but focus primarily on YA. Growing up in Florida, she graduated UCF and in 1997 received her BA in English and additional teaching credentials. Then she packed her bags and travelled overseas to teach in Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, China and Korea. Thailand is considered her second home now. She has always loved writing and wrote poems and short stores since childhood; however, her novels began when she was in Thailand in her early thirties.
Having won the Best Fiction Award from the University of Central Florida (Yes, The Blair Witch Project University), her short fiction From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return was published in the on campus literary magazine Cypress Dome and remains to this day in University libraries around the USA.
Later, she achieved the semi-finals in a Laurel Hemingway contest and published a few poems in the Thailand’s Expat magazine, and an article in the Thailand’s People newspaper. Additionally, she has published poetry in Korea’s AIM magazine, the American Poetic Monthly magazine and Twisted Dreams Magazine.
