All We Leave Behind: Transits of Three
by Benjamin X. Wretlind
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GENRE: Science Fiction
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BLURB:
Following
the exodus from rising floodwaters, the surviving descendants of those who came
to create a society on a planet far from Earth have struggled to rebuild within
the remains of an ancient temple. Now, as disease and an unfamiliar environment
threaten to destroy them yet again, everyone seems to have an opinion about
what to do next.
Miriam and Tobias Page, newly married, believe there may be a possible home
beyond a distant canyon. Their journey with a quarter of the population doesn’t
start well and soon nature and their own humanity will conspire to end it all.
Meanwhile, Miriam’s two cousins, Joel and Micah, have different ideas. Joel is
convinced the best course of action is to return to the mountains they left to
mine for the ore that would make a great return to Earth possible. Micah hopes
to stay, learn all he can about the temple’s previous occupants, and prove both
of them wrong. But soon, he and his new partner Patience realize that no option
is truly safe.
As the transits of three different groups get underway, new dangers and
surprises emerge from within the rainforests, mountains, and deserts of the
planet…and one of those may have followed them from Earth. While a final home
is a dream away, present nightmares must be dealt with first if any of them are
going to survive.
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Excerpt One:
“How many?” Moran asked.
“Four. Just up ahead.” Tobias tightened his grip on his
weapon.
“Bethany is waiting for us.”
Moran stopped and watched as the caravan slowly edged toward
the right, away from immediate danger. “Wish we had more to spare.”
“So do I.” Tobias took in a calming breath and let it out
slowly. The nervousness in his stomach eased up. Miriam had taught him several
techniques for dealing with fear, for calming his anxiety and sharpening his
mind. He would forever be grateful to be married to a counselor, a therapist, a
wise wizard of the brain’s complications.
“Ready?” Moran asked.
They both walked slowly toward Bethany’s position, their
eyes locked on the trees where Tobias saw the four animals.
“Eight,” Bethany whispered as they approached. “Four more in
a cluster of trees to the right of the others.”
“Typical pack. Haven’t heard the growl, yet,” Moran said.
“Maybe they didn’t see us.”
“Oh, they did.” Tobias pointed to the tree with the first
rychat he spotted. “I swear I saw that one lick its lips.”
“Well, we’ll have to take care of that.”
Moran raised his crossbow and took aim at the one Tobias
pointed out. In tandem, both Tobias and Bethany raised their own weapons.
“One on the trunk,” Tobias whispered.
Bethany responded. “The big one to the right.”
The three were silent as they steadied themselves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Topic: What things have you learned from being a published author?
1.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. Take a breath.
I started my first book when I was in high
school. Twenty some years later, I finally finished it...after having written
another book that took seven years and starting a third. Life will get in the
way, and unless you compartmentalize your writing, you may have problems
finding the time to do what you dream. It’s okay to write a book a month, a
book a year, or a book a decade. You’re not competing against those who can
write a book a week.
2.
Art escapes.
Supposedly, Leonardo da Vinci said “Art is
never finished, only abandoned.” I’m not a Renaissance historian, so I can’t
confirm the source, but nevertheless, I’ve lived by those words. If you strive
for perfection before letting the world see what you’ve written, you probably
won’t get much out there. Even after ten years, I still find things I want to
change in work that I’ve long since marked complete.
3.
Celebrate the success of others and support
everyone.
I have tried my best to do this, if not
verbally, then mentally. The success of others is important, not only for them
but for you. When another writer is proud of a review, be proud with them. When
they cry, cry with them. I started a program on my blog where I buy, read, review
and market 12 books by Indie authors who need that support and encouragement.
If they succeed in achieving their dreams, then I’m happy for them.
4.
It doesn’t matter if you get a bad review; your
work is not for everyone.
This was the hardest lesson for me to learn
until I finally separated myself from the work. An attack on my books is not an
attack on me. Everyone has likes and dislikes. If you think the big name authors
don’t get bad review, look again. There are some mean people out there, but you
can only control your reaction to their behavior.
5.
There are 8+ million books on Amazon. Stand out.
Do everything you can to get your work into
the hands of others, and remember this: with 8+ million books, if you rank
250,000, then your book is in the top 3%. Celebrate that!
6.
Edit, edit, and when you’re done, edit some
more.
This goes without saying, but I have run
across books that need a few more edits. In my own work, I may find something a
month or a year later. Thankfully, with control of the work comes the ability
to make quick corrections. Find a “there” instead of a “their”? Panic not!
Within a few hours, you can correct your work.
7.
Don’t go it alone.
This is hard for an introvert, but it is
necessary. I wanted to do everything alone when I started, but I ended up with
a myopic view of my work. You need beta readers, editors, and ARC readers. You
need people who want to hear what you’re working on. If that’s just one person,
okay. Add another then another. You need to know what you missed...and you will
miss things.
8.
Social media is a tool, not a requirement.
Every year, there is a new thing--TikTok,
Mastodon, etc. Unless you have the funds to hire a social media marketing
manager (I don’t), focus on one or two social media platforms only. If one
doesn’t work for you, try a different one. If you don’t understand one, that’s
okay. If you don’t do this alone, you’ll have people to back you up. Maybe
they’re great at social media. Lean on your resources and focus on the writing.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Benjamin, a speculative fiction author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.
Benjamin
lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.
Twitter:
@bxwretlind
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bxwretlind
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bxwretlind/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2900267.Benjamin_X_Wretlind
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/benjamin-x-wretlind-73b7dde4-3fc4-4b7c-a57f-97db25374b10
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GIVEAWAY :
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking part in my tour!
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt the book sounds very intriguing.
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DeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book!
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