Similar to the 'About Author's' page - This page is all about author's, what they have to say, what they are up to and information on writing and more... So with out further ado Enjoy!
MARCH 'DIVERSE' SPECIAL.
Author Introduction - Georgia Rose
Georgia Rose is a writer and the author of ‘A Single Step’ and ‘Before the Dawn’, the first two books in The Grayson Trilogy. The concluding book, ‘Thicker than Water’, is on the way and should be available 2015 - Spring...possibly Summer!
Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her overactive imagination!
Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day entwining that work along with her writing.
Her busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire where she lives with her much neglected family of a husband, two nearly grown up children and two dogs.
Want to find out more?
Then why not check out the button below and follow Georgia Rose, find out more about her, her books and more. Just click on the buttons now!
Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her overactive imagination!
Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day entwining that work along with her writing.
Her busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire where she lives with her much neglected family of a husband, two nearly grown up children and two dogs.
Want to find out more?
Then why not check out the button below and follow Georgia Rose, find out more about her, her books and more. Just click on the buttons now!
Author Introduction - Kayti Nika Raet.
Let me introduce you all to Kayti Nika Raet.
Originally from Brooklyn, New York. Kayti moved to the South at the age of eleven. This was when Kayti was 'bitten' by the writing bug.
As the author of 'The Outsider Chronicles', which is a five book series starting with the first book - titled 'Niko'. The 'Outsider Chronicles' is set in a world where the rain burns like acid and flesh eating monsters roam.
Kayti is also a reviewer for Reader's Favourite and has her own You Tube channel named Kayti Edition.
When Kayti isn't hard at work on the up coming book in her 'Outsider Chronicles' series, she enjoys reading, listening to music (including K-Pop) and photography.
Kayti is currently living in Milledgeville, in Georgia.
You can find out more about Kayti Nika Raet, what she is up to, about her book series, where to follow her and more by clicking on the links below:
Originally from Brooklyn, New York. Kayti moved to the South at the age of eleven. This was when Kayti was 'bitten' by the writing bug.
As the author of 'The Outsider Chronicles', which is a five book series starting with the first book - titled 'Niko'. The 'Outsider Chronicles' is set in a world where the rain burns like acid and flesh eating monsters roam.
Kayti is also a reviewer for Reader's Favourite and has her own You Tube channel named Kayti Edition.
When Kayti isn't hard at work on the up coming book in her 'Outsider Chronicles' series, she enjoys reading, listening to music (including K-Pop) and photography.
Kayti is currently living in Milledgeville, in Georgia.
You can find out more about Kayti Nika Raet, what she is up to, about her book series, where to follow her and more by clicking on the links below:
Let's Talk About - 'The Outsider Chronicles'
NIKO - Book One from 'The Outsider Chronicles' - By Kayti Nika Raet.
Blurb - Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
One can live for several weeks without food but only a few days without water, a fact seventeen year old Niko is only too aware of as she struggles to provide for her two younger brothers in a post apocalyptic landscape where the rain burns like acid, food grows increasingly scarce and any Slither that crosses her path is laid low before it can sink its teeth into her.
Then one night everything she'd ever worked for and loved is consumed by a raging fire, leaving her with one brother missing, the other dead and herself gravely injured.
She's rescued by the Rose Circle, a rogue group of Slither hunters. They sneak her into Amaryllis City, a decadent metropolis where those able to pay the exorbitant entrance fee live a life of relative ease.
But for Niko, Amaryllis City is not the haven she grew up believing it would be and her unique abilities as a Slither hunter make her a particularly visible target to a city with hopes of experimentation, replication and other nasty bits.
All Niko ever wanted to do was find her baby brother, but that's proving to be harder than expected.
Blurb - Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
One can live for several weeks without food but only a few days without water, a fact seventeen year old Niko is only too aware of as she struggles to provide for her two younger brothers in a post apocalyptic landscape where the rain burns like acid, food grows increasingly scarce and any Slither that crosses her path is laid low before it can sink its teeth into her.
Then one night everything she'd ever worked for and loved is consumed by a raging fire, leaving her with one brother missing, the other dead and herself gravely injured.
She's rescued by the Rose Circle, a rogue group of Slither hunters. They sneak her into Amaryllis City, a decadent metropolis where those able to pay the exorbitant entrance fee live a life of relative ease.
But for Niko, Amaryllis City is not the haven she grew up believing it would be and her unique abilities as a Slither hunter make her a particularly visible target to a city with hopes of experimentation, replication and other nasty bits.
All Niko ever wanted to do was find her baby brother, but that's proving to be harder than expected.
Check out this amazing review of 'Niko' by author of 'Melabeth the Vampire' - E.B. Hood.
HARM - Book Two of 'The Outsider Chronicles' By Kayti Nika Raet.
Blurb - Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
After a harrowing escape from Amaryllis City, Niko is forced to lay low. The people who want to use her unique genetics for their own ends are still out there and their reach is long.
After an emotional split with Ben and hiding deep in the slums she soon meets Songhay, a charismatic thief and his younger sister, Roosevelt. Together, they dodge violent gangs, roaming Slithers and the ever present threat of acid rain. Growing closer, Niko, along with Songhay soon form a rag-tag band of Slither hunters to keep the slums safe and the monsters at bay.
But then she discovers shocking information about her past that challenges everything she thought to be true about herself and those she loves.
Now she has to decide if she's going to stay safe in hiding or stand up to the lies and injustice swarming around her.
She was never one to lie low for long.
Lies and truth collide in the second book of the Out hronicles.
Blurb - Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
After a harrowing escape from Amaryllis City, Niko is forced to lay low. The people who want to use her unique genetics for their own ends are still out there and their reach is long.
After an emotional split with Ben and hiding deep in the slums she soon meets Songhay, a charismatic thief and his younger sister, Roosevelt. Together, they dodge violent gangs, roaming Slithers and the ever present threat of acid rain. Growing closer, Niko, along with Songhay soon form a rag-tag band of Slither hunters to keep the slums safe and the monsters at bay.
But then she discovers shocking information about her past that challenges everything she thought to be true about herself and those she loves.
Now she has to decide if she's going to stay safe in hiding or stand up to the lies and injustice swarming around her.
She was never one to lie low for long.
Lies and truth collide in the second book of the Out hronicles.
Excerpt - Chapter 1
Niko decided that if she had to escape the city over again she'd be sure to bring better shoes.
They'd missed the train, forcing the three of them, herself, her brother Jared, and Ben to walk over miles of acid ruined landscape to reach the city of Cherai. Well, Ben and Jared walked, her shoes – the aforementioned silly heels – had disintegrated after half a kilometer forcing Ben to carry her the rest of the way.
That was three days ago.
Ben said he didn't mind carrying her. He had said something absurd and used the word romantic. She supposed that for a few minutes, in a moderately safe environment, it could be considered romantic. But Outside, where they had to contend with bandits, wild dogs, and roaming Slithers, she preferred her love bubbles popped, her feet safely encased, and firmly on the ground.
Something grabbed her leg.
"Such pretty little feet," the old man crooned. He slid a leathery hand down her calf, the rough susurrus of skin contact only ending once he reached her ankle. He cradled her feet in his palm, cracked and dirty nails biting into her skin.
"So soft, so delicate. The acid will eat them in a moment." With her feet trapped between his paws he slowly brought it to his mouth, a maw of broken and yellowed teeth.
She struggled, a feeble attempt, she could barely move. Ben had carried her in his arms for most of the trip and to fall to the ground now would mean to lose a limb.
His tongue emerged, it was a thin brown thing with a pointed tip. Darker spots covered its expanse, like the tongue of a dog she'd once seen.
Revulsion roiled in her stomach. "Ben." She said sharply and his attention was finally caught by the commotion.
"Back off." He snapped.
The geezer dropped her foot. She shuddered, she wanted to reach down and wipe away the moisture of his hot and fetid breath but she had to settle for glaring at him.
"You want boots? Need boots?" As if he'd done nothing wrong the man stayed by their side caressing the garland of shoes around his neck. "Boots to protect tasty little girl toes. 250q. Cheap, cheap."
"We don't need none of your crap." Her little brother, Jared, said.
"They cheap." The old man reached out and tugged on her littlest toe. "Good boots. Brownie don't cheat cheap." He cackled, phlegm catching in his throat. "250q." Cheap, cheap."
Jared reared back his foot and kicked the salesman in the shin. Brownie cried out and nearly tumbled to the ground. "Weren't you listening to us the first time? Back off asshole."
"Jared!" She gasped in dismay. She was constantly admonishing him about swearing.
The geezer glared at her little brother, the whites of his eyes the color of piss. He spat at the boy's feet before hobbling away to accost another person standing in line.
She felt Ben's arms trembling with fatigue as they stood in line with the other hopeful applicants waiting to be accepted into the city.
And what a city it was. Cherai City stood in the center of the slums like a glorious crown perched on a mound of offal. It's black spires thrust themselves beyond the equally shaded wall. They glittered, resplendent in the noonday sun. Metal rods, removed from a dead metropolis, encircled the city. She could hear the ring of tools against metal as workers toiled on the cage, building ever higher as they prepared to enclose even the tallest of buildings within its dome.
"We made it," she said. She couldn't help but stare at the city, it commanded one's gaze.
Ben grunted softly as he adjusted his grip. Her injured hand banged into his chest and she grimaced. Though bandaged and splinted her broken finger still throbbed.
"The Black City has changed a lot since I left."
Niko gazed again at the metropolis. Black was the perfect nickname for it, even the metal of its cage was darkly hued.
"You used to live here?" Jared asked. Unlike her, Niko's brother appeared less than impressed with what he saw before him. He fiddled with his eye patch.
"Yep." The last letter popped past full lips. He seemed reluctant to say more but still Niko pressed. "Do they treat Circle members the same as Amaryllis City?"
He didn't know, he'd left before manifesting.
The line moved forward. They inched forward with it. She still saw the old geezer hovering nearby, his gaze fixated on her exposed brown toes.
He wasn't the only salesman to accost them, but none were as pushy or decrepit as he had been. They all tried to mask the desperation in their eyes behind quick and easy smiles. The sellers grew more insistent the closer they got to the city, hoping the buyer would break down and spare a q for a cheap – always so very cheap – bauble. But when a man brought a scarf from one he seemed to get accosted even more, as though they were predators sensing weakness.
"Ssst." A harsh whisper through gritted teeth. It almost sounded like a Slither, and a chill rippled down her spine.
The sound came from a young man. He was somewhere between hers and Ben's age, nineteen. if she had to hazard a guess. He sidled toward them, hands in his pockets, head dipped low. His eyes slid everywhere, missing nothing. His curls were closely cropped and his dark brown skin reminded her of Malik. Seeing him brought a pang to her heart, Malik didn't look like that anymore.
"I know an easy way to get into the city." He said in a low, fast murmur. His eyes caught hers for a brief second before they both flinched and looked away.
"No Officials. Only 500q, cheap, cheap."
"Not interested," Ben said, his voice cold. To show any weariness was to show a weakness that the salesmen would only press against.
Unlike the other sellers this one backed off quickly. "All right then, good luck." He disappeared into the slums. She released the tension she hadn't realized was accumulating in her shoulders.
Eventually, they'd advanced far enough down the line that they were only a few people away from entering the gate.
"You guys ready?" Ben whispered, the low rumble of his voice traveling through her whole body.
Niko nodded. She had their script memorized.
"Names?" Asked the bored Official when it was finally their turn.
"Wyatt and Hanna Reeves." Niko said. "And that's my brother Jaime Brennan."
"We just got married." Ben said cheerfully. Then he kissed her.
The Official was unimpressed. "That's nice." He monotoned, his demeanor never straying from its phlegmatic path. "Do you have the admittance fee?"
"There were bandits." Ben said, his golden skin still flushed from the attempted kiss. "They stole my darling's boots." He cast an injured look her way and Niko resisted the urge to roll her eyes, she should have know he wouldn't act naturally. My darling?
"And some of our money," he continued, "now we only have enough for two. But I can kill Slithers."
"That's nice." The Official yawned. "If you can only pay for two only two can enter. No exception." He'd heard too many tales of woe. Fabricated or not, they no longer aroused his sympathy.
Ben and Niko glanced at each other.
"I can kill Slithers." Ben said again, slower this time. In Amaryllis anyone who successfully proved their ability to slay Slithers were allowed inside, free of charge. The scale tipped heavily on the side of the monsters and the cities were eager to employ any means of leveling it. At least, that's what her experience in Amaryllis City had taught her, the fact that this Official was refusing Ben's expertise left her baffled.
OUTSIDER - Book Three of 'The Outsider Chronicles' By Kayti Nika Raet
Blurb - Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Surrounded by hunger and degradation, the city of Cherai is a sparkling, opulent metropolis, a dazzling centrepiece in humanity's fight against Slithers and acid rain.
And at its heart, keeping everything shining and bright, are the Grey-Men, an oppressed workforce, drugged into submission.
But not for long.
Upon escaping her fate as a Grey-man, Niko is determined to free the whole lot, liberating all from their bondage.
Together with Ben, Songhay and the Gemini Gang, they plan to take control of the city.
To do that they must control the one thing no one can live without.
Water.
It only takes four days to die of thirst.
Blurb - Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Surrounded by hunger and degradation, the city of Cherai is a sparkling, opulent metropolis, a dazzling centrepiece in humanity's fight against Slithers and acid rain.
And at its heart, keeping everything shining and bright, are the Grey-Men, an oppressed workforce, drugged into submission.
But not for long.
Upon escaping her fate as a Grey-man, Niko is determined to free the whole lot, liberating all from their bondage.
Together with Ben, Songhay and the Gemini Gang, they plan to take control of the city.
To do that they must control the one thing no one can live without.
Water.
It only takes four days to die of thirst.
Excerpt - Chapter 1
Niko sat on the floor in her room, the contents of the Phoenix folder spread out before her. She had flipped through it again and again, until the photos began to blur before her eyes and the words became nothing more than black smudges on white paper.
But no matter how many times she flipped through it, a tiny part of her hoping that in her absence the words had rearranged themselves into more pleasing sentences, she always found herself coming to the same photo.
She and her mother posed for the camera, her mother wore a white lab coat, the emblem of the Phoenix Corporation embroidered on one pocket. Niko herself was about five or six and stared unsmilingly at the camera.
On the back, in stark black ink, was a short sentence: Subject: H4N-11KO, 'Harmony'
Her parents were not her parents.
The people she always thought of as Rose and James Niko, mother and father to Harmony, Jared, and Shawn Niko, hard workers who were determined to make the best of their experience Outside and raise a family were not. In reality, they were Rose Gravelle and James Pleasant, leaders of a group of scientists who performed clandestine experiments on orphaned Outsider children – babies and toddlers mostly – in hopes of creating a new army of Slither hunters.
“Hey.”
Niko looked up, yanked abruptly from her thoughts.
Songhay stood a few feet away. He no longer wore the dreary garb of a Grey-man: grey shirt, grey pants, grey expression. His eyes were alert and he wore a short sleeved shirt and worn jeans that clung close to his thighs.
He shifted awkwardly on bare feet as she stared at him. “You left your door open.”
“It's okay.” She shoved aside the folder, glad to be rid of it for a few minutes.
He sat down beside her, his back pressed against the side of the bed. He took the photograph of her and her mother out of her hands. It was the only thing she hadn't shoved away. Songhay had a similar photo, along with a child's bracelet that labeled him as property of the Phoenix Corporation. It had all burned a couple of weeks ago when a fire had swept through the slums.
He rubbed his thumb against the glossy surface. “You're a lot like her.”
Niko scoffed.
“I mean it.” His hand moved a bit and mid-morning sunlight danced across the photo's surface, blurring everything into a white glare. “You might be quieter and more intense but you're a lot like her. You always try to do what's right.”
“You mean like experiment on children, and then when you're about to get caught, take one of them with you as you hide outside of the city for years and years pretending you love her as you observe her grow up, hopefully into the weapon you created her to be?” She was out of breath when she finished, her last few words strangled by a constricted throat.
Songhay stared at her, dark eyes set in dark skin and framed by even darker lashes. “Is that what you think? That they were just pretending?”
Niko pulled her knees up, tucking them under her chin. “I don't know.” She traced absent patterns in the carpet with her fingers. “I don't know what to think anymore. Everything I thought was true, isn't. All this time I thought I had a family, and now I don't.”
“You still have a family,” Songhay said, “just because you aren't related doesn't mean Jared still isn't your brother. Roosevelt and I look nothing alike but she's still my sister and I still care about her.”
He was right. Songhay and Roosevelt were exact opposites of each other, she was pale and freckled with gas grey eyes, while he was tall and dark with scars on his arms, but despite their different appearances it was obvious how close they were.
“Maybe they were just pretending,” he said and even though it was only speculation it still sent a stab through her heart. “But on the last night we stayed at the Phoenix Corporation and everything was going crazy outside, many of the other scientists wanted to get rid of us, destroy their work and it was your parents who got us all out.”
He handed her the photograph.
“You're not obligated to forgive them, they lied to you, and you had to find out everything like this, but they aren't as bad as you think they are.”
She pressed her cheek against her knees, allowing the photo to join the others in the folder. “When did you get so wise?”
“Me?” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I was born this way.”
She laughed.
“Maybe I should create an new family,” she said. She looked at him. “Do you want to be a part of it?”
He hesitated for only a second. “Sure.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her in close. “And Roosevelt can be your sister.”
“Cool,” she murmured, “never had a sister before.”
Someone knocked lightly on the door.
“Niko.” Ben stood in the doorway. He carried two wooden swords. “You said you wanted to learn how to use the sword. You can't learn anything if you don't practice, and I can't teach anything without a student. You're late.”
She glanced at the clock. He was right, almost fifteen minutes had passed. They didn't have much time before she had to visit Eva for even more lessons.
“I'll be there in a minute.” She crouched forward, shoving all the papers and photos back into the folder.
Songhay rubbed the small of her back before standing up. “She's already a great fighter, why would she need more lessons from you?”
“She's an awesome fighter,” Ben said as she placed the folder on the bed. He sounded a bit like a smug parent, but then again, he was her boyfriend, so some smugness was to be expected. “I'm helping her get better.”
Songhay's gaze traveled to her then back to Ben. She had no idea what he was thinking.
“Let's fight.”
Why Reading Bad Books May Actually Be... Good
- A Guest Post By Kayti Nika Raet.
If you read books on writing, one tip commonly offered is to read good books. Well written books, whether they are much lauded classics, or gems in your favorite genre, have a way of igniting the imagination. The premise behind reading them is that those well written works of art will influence you once it's time to craft your own tale.
But what about bad books?
All writers are voracious readers, and as such we all have, at some point in our lives, stumbled across a book that was just awful. Prose that makes your eyeballs bleed, situations that stretch the limits of plausibility (and you read vampire novels for goodness sake!), dialogue that just... eh. Make. It. Stop. Pleeeeease.
But what about bad books?
All writers are voracious readers, and as such we all have, at some point in our lives, stumbled across a book that was just awful. Prose that makes your eyeballs bleed, situations that stretch the limits of plausibility (and you read vampire novels for goodness sake!), dialogue that just... eh. Make. It. Stop. Pleeeeease.
Either you muscle through it because you're determined to
finish everything you start, or you DNF and seriously begin to
reconsider your stance on book burning.
Whichever method you chose, in the end you usually try to scrub the
book out of your mind as fast as possible.
But, if you're an aspiring writer, those hours you spent trudging
through slush needn't go to waste.
finish everything you start, or you DNF and seriously begin to
reconsider your stance on book burning.
Whichever method you chose, in the end you usually try to scrub the
book out of your mind as fast as possible.
But, if you're an aspiring writer, those hours you spent trudging
through slush needn't go to waste.
Reading a poorly written book can make you more aware of the elements that go into crafting a good story (granted, it also makes you want to buy those zappy things from Men in Black).
Perhaps the pacing was off, the heroine, a sniveling wuss with no character arc, or a rocket randomly fired during a sex scene. Breaking down what doesn't work, figuring out why, and how it could be made better teaches you what pitfalls to avoid in your own writing.
Badly written books, while the bane of every reader's existence can also serve to highlight the cliches of your favorite genre and give you the impetus to subvert it. Or alternately, use it to your advantage.
They make you hold your own writing to a higher standard and encourage you to deliver the best book possible.
Sometimes they're as inspirational as a well written story.
At the very least, they serve as a great confidence booster, because if they can get published, what's stopping you?
Perhaps the pacing was off, the heroine, a sniveling wuss with no character arc, or a rocket randomly fired during a sex scene. Breaking down what doesn't work, figuring out why, and how it could be made better teaches you what pitfalls to avoid in your own writing.
Badly written books, while the bane of every reader's existence can also serve to highlight the cliches of your favorite genre and give you the impetus to subvert it. Or alternately, use it to your advantage.
They make you hold your own writing to a higher standard and encourage you to deliver the best book possible.
Sometimes they're as inspirational as a well written story.
At the very least, they serve as a great confidence booster, because if they can get published, what's stopping you?
Blogger's Note:
"Now, If you are interested in trying your hand at reading 'The Outsider Chronicles' series by Kayti Nika Raet or fancy getting out the old type-writer/pen and paper/ laptop computer and want to start your own book, short story or series - Then hopefully, this special Author Guest Post may help you on your way.
Remember, all information on Kayti, her series and other short stories as well as where to follow her through social media, then all you need to do is click on the buttons above. I truly hope that you have enjoyed this very special and first 'Author Guest Post' as much as I have. Of, course I can't end this without giving a HUGE thanks to Kayti for helping me achieve this. I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this with you."
"Now, If you are interested in trying your hand at reading 'The Outsider Chronicles' series by Kayti Nika Raet or fancy getting out the old type-writer/pen and paper/ laptop computer and want to start your own book, short story or series - Then hopefully, this special Author Guest Post may help you on your way.
Remember, all information on Kayti, her series and other short stories as well as where to follow her through social media, then all you need to do is click on the buttons above. I truly hope that you have enjoyed this very special and first 'Author Guest Post' as much as I have. Of, course I can't end this without giving a HUGE thanks to Kayti for helping me achieve this. I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this with you."
