On the Threshold
by M. Laszlo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Historical Science Fiction
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BLURB:
Obsessed with learning the origins of the cosmos, the actual
meaning of life, and the true purpose of civilization, a fine Scotsman named
Fingal T. Smyth dedicates himself to the study of Plato’s most extraordinary
ideas. Convinced of Plato’s belief that humankind possesses any and all innate
knowledge deep within the collective unconscious mind, Fingal soon conducts a
series of bold, pioneering occult-science experiments by which to resolve the
riddle of the universe once and for all. However, Fingal forgets how violent
and perilous the animal impulses that reside in the deepest recesses of the
unconscious mind. And when Fingal unleashes a mysterious avatar of his innate
knowledge, the entity appears as a burning man and immediately seeks to
manipulate innocent and unsuspecting people everywhere into immolating
themselves. Now, with little hope of returning the fiery figure into his being,
Fingal must capture his nemesis before it destroys the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
Two:
Fräulein Wunderwaffe did not return the smile. Hand on
heart, the little girl drew a bit closer. Then, as the hot, animalistic
presence undulated all across Fingal’s body, the little girl’s eyes grew wide.
Until the little girl’s expression turned to that of a vacant stare.
A moment later, her feet pointed inwards, she removed her
hat and undid her long, flaxen hair.
Again, he cringed. “If you’ve noticed something, ignore all.
This hasn’t got anything to do with you.” A third time, he cringed.
A most ethereal, lyrical, incomprehensible hiss commenced
then: from the other end of the winding, decorative-brick driveway, each clay
block shining the color of blue Welsh stone, a sleek Siamese cat with a coat of
chocolate-spotted ivory had just appeared. And now the creature raced toward
his shadow.
As he looked into the animal’s big, searching, blue eyes,
the chocolate Siamese studied the off-center tip of his nose. Then the animal
turned away, as if to compare the peculiarity with that of some disembodied
visage hovering in the distance.
Out upon the loch, meanwhile, a miraculous rogue wave
suddenly arose—and now the swell crashed against the pebbly strand.
Not a moment later, a cool flame crawled across Fingal’s
throat. The strange fire rattled, too—not unlike the sound of fallen juniper
leaves caught up in the current and dancing against the surface of a stone
walkway.
Crivens. By now, the alien, pulsating presence held him so
tight that he could barely breathe. Before long, he fell to the earth, and as
the dreamlike flame continued to move across his throat, he rolled all
about—until the illusory sensation of cool warmth wriggled and twisted and
dropped into his neck dimple.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
M. Laszlo is an aging recluse who lives in Bath, Ohio. Rumor holds that his pseudonym is a reference to Victor Laszlo, a character in the classic film Casablanca. On the Threshold is his first release with the acclaimed, Australian hybrid house AIA Publishing. Oddly, M. Laszlo insists that his latest work, On the Threshold, does in fact provide the correct answer to the riddle of the universe.
Buy link: https://aiapublishing.com/product/on-the-threshold-m-laszlo/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
M. Laszlo will be
awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you for featuring ON THE THRESHOLD today.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteHow did the title come about?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the question. On the Threshold is the title of an obscure poem by Amy Levy—a London poet of the nineteenth century. I pinched the title because it just sounded right in the sense that my central character stands on the threshold of deciphering the riddle of the universe. I think a title has to sound poetic and provide meaning. It's a very important part of writing.
DeleteThanks so much for such a insightful response and much success to you!
DeleteThe cover art looks great. Sounds like a story I would enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteMarcy, thank you for your good cheer and positive energy!
DeleteLooks good! What advice would you give to prospective writers?
ReplyDeleteMy advice: keep doing what you're doing. Take care. Everything will align eventually.
DeleteSounds like an absolutely amazing read!
ReplyDeleteThis looks really interesting. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteSherry, Michael, everyone, thank you for your good cheer!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a favorite travel destination?
ReplyDeleteGreat question. I live in Ohio, and I'm on a pretty low budget—so I prefer short day trips right here. More than anything, I love Cuyahoga Valley. The beauty never fails to amaze me and never fails to reinvigorate me.
DeleteI am in Tampa Bay, FL and would love to travel to Ohio!
DeleteWhat's your favorite mode of transportation & why?
ReplyDeleteI've always been fascinated by hot-air ballooning. What better way to travel and to be at one with nature?
DeleteInteresting excerpt.
ReplyDeleteWhat role does research play in your writing process?
ReplyDeleteI do have to research many persons, places, and things because I tend to write historical fiction. And even if one can always use literary license, the text still has to ring true.
DeleteWhat makes a great story?
ReplyDeleteA conflict that is so meaningful, the reader will learn something from it.
Delete