What could happen if climate change forced humanity to find a new home? To make the journey we must leave behind our most cherished beliefs and hatreds and have faith that God will find us again in the stars.
Act of God
Book 1: In the Beginning
By Jan Byron Strogh
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Earth is facing a coming ice age. Humanity has marshalled its technology and resources in an attempt to delay the great cold; a diversion necessary to maintain hope for the people.
But some few know the truth. There is little hope left on Earth. But there may still be hope in the stars.
Michael, ward of the church since childhood is summoned for humanity’s most ambitious and secret undertaking. Shepard the human race to a new home.
Finished construction, 240 million kilometres from the sun is the Ark. The ship designed to carry one half million souls in suspended animation to a new world.
But the mission of the Ark is more than simply saving the human species. Its creator, the New Unified Church must save the human spirit and accomplish what humanity never attempted; bring together the religions of the world and expunge the ancient hatreds that dominate doctrine.
But the cost to the church will be its very existence. In order to unify, all agree that the Ark must not carry the symbols, books or even the knowledge of any of the old religions.
To survive, humanity must lose God and have faith that God will find them in the stars.
It felt like no time at all had passed when Michael woke again. This time the lights in the medical bay were bright.
His arms no longer felt like paper weights and the twitching was gone. As predicted, he was a bit hungry. “Hello,” he called again, sitting up on his elbows.
He looked around. The med bay looked stark and barren, and he could no longer see the panel on the wall. His was the only suspension berth in the room.
Deborah appeared from behind the berth. She smiled but looked tired and a bit haggard. “Is something wrong?” were the first words out of his mouth.
“Nothing is wrong,” she replied. “I knew you would start asking questions. That’s why I am still here, long after my shift was over. I must look like crap.”
She pulled a chair up along side his berth and handed him a closed flask. “Here, drink this while I give you a status report.”
He flipped open the lid of the flask and brought it to his nose. He thought he could smell vegetable soup.
“What’s this?” he queried. “It smells like vegetable soup.”
“Very good. It is vegetable soup. Now eat,” she replied firmly.
He began to sip the liquid as she spoke. “Michael, I was not completely happy with your blood results. Your hormones are slightly elevated. I have moved you to a private room. I want to keep you here for another day of rest. There’s nothing to worry about, I am just being cautious.”
“I feel fine, can I at least get out of this tube?”
“No not yet. I don’t want any physical stress on you at the moment. I want you to finish your soup now and rest. Now, Michael, promise me you’re not going to be a difficult patient,” she pleaded.
“OK,” he conceded. “If I can’t move, how about sending one of the officers here for me to ask a few questions.”
“Out of the question! I have asked you to rest and you can’t rest if you’re being a commander. You know the dangers of reanimation sickness. I am not going to allow anything that might possibly upset you.”
“But you said everything was going great. What can it hurt to speak to an officer?”
“Everything is going great. But what if the officer I send tells you that some, electro do dad, has shorted out? Even if it’s totally routine and easy to fix you might start giving orders and taking charge. I want you to rest,” she commanded.
“Alright, alright,” he gave in, “can I at least ask what star system we’re in?”
“Oh, so now I’m an asrto-navigator, is that it,” she complained jokingly.
“You’re going to get at least one more day of rest and another blood test before I allow you anything. Is that clear! Now everything is just fine.”
But everything was not fine, and she knew it. She needed to keep up her act. She needed him as strong and rested as possible before telling him the truth; that everything was far, far, from fine.
On Threshold time travel is about to become possible. The huge space habitat, already 500 years in our future is about to go forward to a safer time and place. Aliens from the All-Time hold the keys. Wanna go?
Threshold
The Threshold Series Book 1
by Janet & Chris Morris
Genre: Science Fiction Thriller Adventure
Set a millennium from now on Threshold Terminal—virtually a Grand Hotel in space— a young test pilot, Joe South, is thrust five hundred years into his future and finds himself in the thick of interstellar smuggling, intrigue, and the rough underworld of an alien environment. It is a time of danger and ever-shifting powers . . . and the destinies of a lost test pilot, an underworld scavenger, and two young lovers become irrevocably intertwined . . .
*November’s Featured Title of the month with Perseid Press!*
Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others.
Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels.
Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.
Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.
A funny, thrilling and mysterious adventure into the world of alternate reality television… Perfect for fans of Jasper Fforde and Christopher Moore.
She’s just a small town girl, with big mythic dreams.
Starr Weatherby came to New York to become… well, a star. But after ten years and no luck, she’s offered a big role – on a show no one has ever heard of. And there’s a reason for that. It’s a ‘reality’ show beyond the Veil, human drama, performed for the entertainment of the Fae.
But as Starr shifts from astounded newcomer to rising fan favorite, she learns about the show’s dark underbelly – and mysterious disappearance of her predecessor. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep her dream job – though she might just bring down the show in the process.
Raves for the book:
“I thought I’d seen everything in the galaxy of reality TV, until Randee’s book!” – Andy Cohen, Host / Executive Producer, Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and New York Times bestselling author
“Randee Dawn has single-handedly created a glittering new genre: the Backstage Comedy Fantasy Romance — and I want more!” – Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author of Thomas the Rhymer and Swordspoint
“Randee Dawn’s Tune in Tomorrow is a wild ride through the world of reality TV, Faerie style. It’s a satire and a romance (of a sort) and a fairytale and a mystery, full of characters I loved (and loved to hate) and situations that had me biting my nails. It’s also hilariously funny.” – World Fantasy Award nominee Delia Sherman, author of The Porcelain Dove and The Evil Wizard Smallbone
“Tune in Tomorrow is a joyride. It takes you on a journey into the make believe world of a soap opera. It dives in and out of what could possibly be fantasy or in fact is reality. As with the sands of time, as you Search for Tomorrow, or you are feeling Young and Restless, get lost in the adventures of Starr and be taken over by all that is Tune in Tomorrow.” – Emmy-nominated actor Gregory Zarian
“Dawn’s Tune in Tomorrow is a ton of fun with a lot of heart, charming characters, and devilish foes. And it’s funny as hell.” – Zin E. Rocklyn, author of Flowers for the Sea
“Few authors can open the door to another world as easily as you might turn on the TV, but Randee Dawn has the key and the remote control firmly in her hand. Flip through the fae and the grindylows, let her be your TV guide and psychopomp. You will find yourself howling at the gate for a rerun.” – Meg Elison, author of Number One Fan
“This book is a BOUNCY CASTLE! This book is like a candy store and a screwball comedy had a fling in fairyland and the result was a mythic soap opera! There was no predicting it, there was only riding this dragon all the way to its rollicking rollercoaster conclusion. How dear and joyous it is, how satisfying, and how worthy of praise!” – World Fantasy Award-winning author of Saint Death’s Daughter C.S.E. Cooney
“Dawn balances over-the-top drama and comedy with genuine intrigue to create a fun story with plenty of heart. Fans of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett will want to snatch this up.” – Publishers Weekly
“Tune in Tomorrow is a hilariously well-constructed story with surprising complexity, and one that uses its reality TV premise not as a destination, but as a jumping off point to create something uniquely interesting that stays entertaining the entire way through.” – Lightspeed Magazine
“Dawn’s witty take on society’s fascination with peering at life through a camera lens spotlights the sometimes-blurred intersection between fantasy and reality, all captured on video. Her playful narrative propels readers into the realm of alternate possibilities while questioning what is real and what is make-believe, and if we can even tell the difference.” – BookTrib
They twisted and turned so much Starr lost track of where she was, and Jason’s strange mixture of delight and nervousness was starting to make her feel anxious. At last, she came to a hard halt in the middle of a hallway.
Jason tilted his head.
“Look, I get it. You’re like a big VFX warehouse or something. I’m guessing Tune in Tomorrow is some kind of space opera on the web. But your showing me every nook and cranny and door hinge doesn’t give me a clue about what’s going on. What is this place?”
Jason took a dramatic pause and his green eyes lit up, “Tune in Tomorrow is many things to so many mythics. We are the longest-running, most-viewed reality TV show ever made in any dimension. We are made by mythics, for mythics—but starring humans. “
“Reality?” Starr twitched. “With dragon puppets and robots?”
Jason started to speak, took a breath and paced up and down. Raised a finger, lowered it, then stopped in front of her. Cleared his throat. “It’s been some time since I had to explain this to a human. Bear with me.” He pushed open another door and gestured inside.
Starr planted her feet in the doorway. “Jason, this is a toilet.”
“Yes, well, needs must. I don’t have any other handy water.”
He was speaking in riddles—and disappearing into a bathroom with a near-stranger was awkward at best, creepy at worst. Still, she didn’t sense Jason was up to no good.
He practically vibrated with excitement, or nerves, or both. Swallowing, Starr took the risk and stepped inside. The bathroom door swung closed behind them.
Jason turned on all four sinks in the room. Water cascaded from three; butterflies burst from the fourth. Starr gaped. Jason quickly shut that one off with a sheepish grin and turned his back on the sink. The butterflies disintegrated.
Starr blinked.
“You see,” he raised his sing-song voice over the noise of the remaining water, “we adore human to’ings and fro’ings. We are the original fans of stories-without-end. Some hundreds of years ago when the Seelie came up with the idea of telling stories to mythics, they were known as Stories Of All Purpose, or for short –”
“SOAP,” Starr realized. The room was starting to heat up and the mirrors fogged; Jason had apparently turned on only the hot water. She wondered where he was going with all this; the fantastical elements of his story were fanciful and charming, but silly. Maybe he was just being very method about the show. “You’re making a soap opera?”
“Shh!” he quieted her, glancing around. “Yes—and no. That’s how we started. But most mythics are self-cleaning. Bathing is a hobby, not a practice. SOAPs fell a bit out of fashion. Mythics wanted real human stories.
Finally, once humans on your side of the Veil began writing their own TV shows, one of us—me, in fact—infiltrated a few writing rooms and discovered that you were doing what we’d been doing for years and calling it ‘reality TV.’ That fit us perfectly . Our viewers tune in because they believe we are telling real stories, and that’s what keeps us going.”
Giveaway
Giveaway
$20 Amazon
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Randee Dawn is an author, journalist, and lucky denizen of Brooklyn. Her first novel, the humorous pop-culture fantasy Tune in Tomorrow, published in August 2022 (Solaris/Rebellion).
Randee’s short fiction has appeared in publications and podcasts including 3AM Magazine (“The View of My Brother’s Profile in the Rear-View Mirror,” 2001; “Warm, In Your Coat,” 2004) and Well-Told Tales (“Home for the Holidays,” 2015; “Can’t Keep a Dead Man Down,” 2017).
Dawn’s stories have appeared in anthologies including Where We May Wag (“The Last Dog,” Writing Piazza Press, 2018), Children of a Different Sky (“Can’t Find My Way Home,” Kos Books, 2018), Magic for Beginners (“Queen Zoe and the Spinning Game,” Fantasia Divinity, 2019), Dim Shores Presents (“Rough Beast, Slouching,” 2021), Another World: Stories of Portal Fantasy (“The Way Is Clear,” SummerStorm Press, 2021), and Horror for the Throne: One-Sitting Reads (“Cat Person”).
She has a short collection of dark speculative fiction short stories, “Home for the Holidays” (2014) and co-authored “The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion” (BenBella Books, 2009). She co-edited the speculative fiction anthology of “what if” stories about The Beatles, “Across the Universe: Tales of Alternative Beatles” (Fantastic Books, 2019).
When not making stuff up, Randee publishes entertainment profiles, reviews, and think pieces regularly in outlets including Variety, The Los Angeles Times, Today.com and Emmy Magazine, and writes trivia for BigBrain.
She can be found at RandeeDawn.com and @RandeeDawn (on Twitter).
Unravel the secrets to crafting a masterful magic system from best-selling fantasy author Charlie N. Holmberg.
Charlie N. Holmberg’s Book of Magic
By Charlie N. Holmberg
Genre: Speculative Nonfiction, Writing Self-Help
Unravel the secrets to crafting a masterful magic system from best-selling fantasy author Charlie N. Holmberg.
Whether using magic as flavor or as an essential piece of plot, this book will guide fantasy authors, from new to experienced, through the delicate layers of creating, utilizing, and mastering magic systems.
In this book, we will…
*Discuss the schools, laws, and spectrum of magic
*Learn to build individual pieces of a magic system
*Dig into magic’s influence on worldbuilding
*Examine different types and styles of magic
*Develop and polish original magic systems
With workshops, work pages, and reference materials included, this succinct one-and-done guide to crafting the magical elements of the fantasy genre is a must-have for speculative fiction authors.
“If you haven’t had the fortune of attending one of Charlie’s writing classes (which I have), this is the next best thing.
Book of Magic contains so much wit, wisdom, and practical suggestions for helping any beginning author, or veteran, make their magic systems rise up and be noticed.
She uses expert examples from other authors you know as well as teaching a masterclass on developing magic systems from scratch based on methods she’s invented.
You just may need this book to help find out what kind of magic-based diseases might be festering in your neighbor’s cabbages.” —Jeff Wheeler, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain series
Before we get into the bones of building a magic system, I want to take a page or two to discuss originality.
Originality really is what separates a lot of books and a lot of authors. In fantasy, it’s tempting to default to an “easy” magic system so we can focus on storytelling.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—if I want to start my story in medias res, with a man being assaulted by a vampire in an alleyway, all I have to do is say “vampire” and the antagonistic force is set.
I don’t have to waste time grounding the reader, because vampires are so common, I can start the story with no learning curve. And if I’m trying to hook readers on the action, then this is absolutely a tool I’m going to use.
Books can employ simple or preset magic systems when the goal is flavor, highlighting power, or invoking a fantastical setting. Easy magic has a shallow learning curve, and therefore can attract more readers, especially those unused to the conventions of the fantasy genre.
But for those who want magic to be a large part of the story—tied in deeply with characters and plot—take a moment to differentiate yourself from the books that may sit beside yours on the shelf (or above and below you on the Amazon scroll).
Take your time with it—don’t rush development. Great magic systems, like great stories, need time to marinate in your brain before they come to life on paper.
A few tips to spark originality:
Take note of what’s currently saturating the market and avoid it. If you bank off writing to market, then jumping on the bandwagon of what’s hot now can pay off in the short term.
However, if you want something to stand out in one of the many slush piles of traditional publishing, or you want to guarantee your book will still be interesting ten years from now, consider taking the untrodden path.
Take a “done” magic and make it different. If your heart is set on elemental magic or powered-up tattoos, that’s okay! Just put a unique twist on it. This is what Stephenie Meyer did with Twilight.
She took vampires (done, done, and done) and made them her own. This is also why you can have two books with seemingly similar magic systems and have completely different stories.
Case in point, both Brent Weeks’ Lightbringer trilogy and Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker use color-based magic. But the magic is explored in such fundamentally different manners that the casual reader would never dream of comparing them.
In regard to my Paper Magician series, I wasn’t the first person to think of magical origami (though at the time, driving in my car between Idaho and Utah, I thought maybe I was).
Paper magic is also in the 1999 manga series Read or Die, for instance. But my expanding paper magic into the realm of manmade materials made it unique. If you’re trying to turn heads, you don’t need an entirely unique, never-seen-before magic system (or hey, let the book’s premise be the unique element and go ahead and write about fairies or fire or whatever makes your id happy). You can have something familiar with a unique twist or quirk.
Make a list. This process can be done with any aspect of brainstorming, not just magic. Make a list of whatever it is you need to figure out, such as what kind of creature will innately possess magic in your story (more on this in Chapter 6). And just start vomiting out ideas.
The further down the list you get, the harder your brain is working, and the more original your ideas will be. (Note that going too far down the list might leave you with something too bizarre to realistically work with.)
For example,
Unicorns
Vampires
Pegasi
Flying frogs
Flying fish
Giant bats
Giant butterflies
Wolves with butterfly wings
Forest-eating caterpillars
Three-headed snakes
Based on that list (which I literally did write off the top of my head and have not changed from the rough draft of this book for the sake of reality), I really like the idea of forest-eating caterpillars. And they can transform into giant butterflies, so that’s a two-for-one.
Remember, more often than not, simpler is better. It’s really easy for us to go overboard with our worldbuilding and open a giant can of worms that will devour and suffocate our readers, so it’s important to keep it simple.
Take a moment and think of the best magic systems you’ve read in your favorite books. More likely than not, you could explain them to someone quickly and concisely. Getting too complex with magic steepens the learning curve and frustrates readers.
Rule of thumb? If you, the author, have to continually look at your notes to remember how your magic works, your reader isn’t going to stick around to learn it.
Giveaway
Signed Book – 3 winners, US only, $10 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner, WW
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of fantasy and romance fiction, including the Paper Magician series, the Spellbreaker series, and the Whimbrel House series, and writes contemporary romance under C. N. Holmberg.
She is published in over twenty languages and is a Goodreads Choice Award, ALA, and RITA finalist. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names.
A BYU alumna, she discovered in her thirties that she’s actually a cat person. She lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.
Keep warm this season with these 4 tales of holiday romance!
Just in Time for Christmas: Tales of Romance
With stories by
Shay Lacy, Constance Phillips, Denise Lynn, Mila Winters
Genre: Holiday Romance Anthology
A Fiery Flamingo Christmas by Shay Lacy
What will ignite when a protected witness with a flamethrower meets the hunk next door?
The mob located Gina Weston two days before Christmas, but she refuses to run any more. Except maybe into the arms of her next-door neighbor after he extinguishes her burning flamingo Christmas tree. But are her gun and flamethrower enough to protect her from the lure of this sport hero playboy?
Former home run king Stone “Sledge” Hammer had been bored in the baseball off-season. Meeting Gianna has given him the chance to be a hero again, if she lets him in. While he’s showing her the true spirit of Christmas, can he get inside her defenses to show her the importance of home?
It’s no game they’re playing, and it’s a must-win against the mob.
Christmas Memories by Denise Lynn
When Kelly’s missing husband unexpectedly shows up with amnesia right before the holidays, will the miracle of the Christmas season help restore his memories and what they once shared?
Family Reclaimed by Constance Phillips
Is their new fragile love strong enough for these first tests?
Kayson and Jack swore eternal love to each other. Now all they want is some time alone to explore the meaning of Christmas as a new family. But the hustle of the holidays while building their dreams at once is testing the strength of that vow. Everybody wants a piece of them.
If they give all their time and love away to others, will they have enough left for one another and their young son?
What She Wants for Christmas by Mila Winters
When Leann’s hopes for spending Christmas with her daughter are dashed, she licks her wounds by indulging in a fling with Ben, the cute guy she meets at a bar.
All Ben wants for Christmas is to romance the beautiful woman he’s had a crush on for years. If Leanne learns all his secrets, she might not give him a chance to prove they can be great together.
Now, only Leanne can decide if Ben is really what she wants for Christmas.
She writes romantic suspense and erotic fantasy romance. Shay sees story ideas everywhere. Even something as simple as a sequin can spark a new romantic suspense. Many times a story has emerged from her musing, “You know, somebody could die from that.”
When not writing, she loves to bake, people watch, and shop flea markets and estate sales.
Shay enjoys hearing how couples met and what they love about each other. You can find more information about Shay, her books, and how to contact her at her website, www.shaylacy.com.
Lives in NW Ohio with her husband, son and an ever-changing number of 4-legged kids.
She writes medieval romance for Harlequin/Mills and Boon Historical and whatever she feels like writing for herself. Having read romance novels since she was far too young to do so, she enjoys having the opportunity to share her own stories with readers.
In her spare time, she gardens, sews, and basically putzes around with any craft project she can get her hands on.
Visit website at www.denise-lynn.com for more information on her books. Links to her social media pages, to the Denise Lynn Newsletter and contact information are on her site.
Lives in Ohio with her husband, daughter, and three canine kids.
She writes contemporary and paranormal romance novels.
When not writing stories of finding and rediscovering love, Constance loves spending time in the garden, with her pups, or cooking with her fresh from the garden produce.
If she leaves the house, it’s to spend time with good friends or family…or go to an eighties pop concert.
Loves romance. Be it written between the pages of a book, larger than life on the big screen or residing in her home. So, of course, she writes it too. That is, when
she’s not working with teenagers or hanging out with her wife and their dog Toby.
Creating likeable (and sometimes unlikeable) characters makes her do a happy dance and she hopes her readers enjoy them too. To learn more about Mila, her other stories and how her writing brain works, visit her at www.milawinters.com.
Welcome to Medge Pond, a town where mischievous children go missing beyond the forest border. Something evil lurks within the forest, and those who enter are never seen again.
There are two rules you must follow: Do NOT enter the forest and never touch the berries. Ever.
If you break them, beware—not even your screams will save you.
**On Sale for Only .99cents until the end of October!**
Excerpt
I went to my room to wash up for supper and glared at myself in the mirror. She could have been more friendly. I would be lucky if Rob shows up tomorrow as planned. But whatever if he is a baby and chickens out, I guess it is up to me.
With that, I changed my top and headed down for supper. My eagerness for tomorrow was growing by the second, and I was super excited. Who cares about the noise? It was probably only a squirrel or something?
My thoughts drifted through my plans for tomorrow as the night carried on, and soon bedtime came. I slept like a baby even though something deep inside said something horrible was going to happen tomorrow. So many horrible things had already happened in my life, why not one more?
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The inspiration behind this story was our love for camp fire type horror books like Goosebumps growing up. Ben and I wanted to focus on a fantasy creature story for an anthology we were joining. The main topic was to have some type of mythical creatures.
We couldn’t shake the fact that we wanted to write something with horror in it. The idea was to create a forbidden area in a small town that held a deadly secret that the towns folks tried to not think about. But Gracie’s Aunt was the exception. The horror of the forest was always on her mind since she lives on the borderline. Just in the backyard, she can step from safety into a deadly zone that could be the end of her.
The problem comes to fruition when Aunt Margaret takes in Gracie. She is in her teens and likes to get a sense of adventure throughout her day. Gracie has trauma of her own with her mom dying so she is trying to get her mind on other things.
Kids are always wanting to go into the woods and see what magic it can hold. I was one of those kids when I was young. My dad would take me to the forest to walk around and see what animals we could find. We would do this for hours. This feeling of wonder and adventure was one of my reasons for choosing this background for the story.
I also had an enormous love for faeries growing up. My goal was to twist the stories of faeries that were evil or sprites that would live in the forest to taunt children. Also, I have pulled some inspiration from movies I have seen in the past. One, for example, was: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. That was one of the horror movies that scared me with faeries.
A lot of elements inspired the story, but it all came together when Ben and I put our heads together. You should give it a read to see the ins and out of our writing on this project.
About the Authors
Ben and Katie tied the knot in September 2024 but not before putting pen to paper. Together they crafted their first horror story together titled: “Darkest Delights,” back in 2022.
They loved stories like Goosebumps growing up and decided to create their own campfire story that would leave a little fright for the younger readers to enjoy.
They plan to work on more in the future. Make sure to subscribe to K.M. Jenkins’ newsletter to get updates on books when they hit the stores: https://www.subscribepage.com/author_km_jenkins
The Rise up trilogy is a coming-of-age story about Hashim, Alex and Maryam, three best friends on the threshold of adulthood.
Before they can find their place in this world, they must come to terms with their past and learn to confide in each other as they are confronted by intolerance, ignorance, and corporate greed that threaten to rob them of their future.
Inspirational, harrowing, intense and deeply moving, this trilogy presents a ray of hope amidst terrible hardship, misfortune and loss.
Book One: Catch You If You Fall
High school best friends Hashim, Alex, and Maryam must confront real-life issues that loom for Gen-Z today, including the climate crisis, corrupt politics, and racial and gender equity.
When Hashim turns eighteen, he receives a grant from his Mosque that will send him to an Ivy League in New York.
His devout Muslim family couldn’t be more proud. And to support their young son on his journey, they arrange a wife for him. There’s only one problem: Hashim is gay.
Hashim’s best friend Alex is struggling with a difficult home life, a non-present father, and financial issues that prove particularly painful when all his friends are planning to go off to college and leave him behind.
Standing confidently alongside these two boys is Maryam, a headstrong Muslim girl who bucks her traditional roots by becoming a vegan activist.
It doesn’t take long until certain evil forces start to draw these three even closer, as their futures and the wellbeing of their community and the world is threatened. They are called to act.
Book Two: Merry Farm
In the second installment of the Rise Up Trilogy, best friends Hashi, Alex, and Maryam stumble upon a huge government coverup.
When more people get sicker and sicker, and nothing about the outbreak makes news, it becomes clear the corruption goes up high.
As the three attempt to expose and stop a tragedy that could kill thousands, they end up framed as the bioterrorists responsible for this exact crime, and a team of hitmen is dispatched to hunt them down.
As they grapple with their own growing pains, Hashi, Alex, and Maryam hurry to outrun the disaster, prove that they are innocent, and do what they feel is right.
Book Three: Collusion
Now a well-known activist, Maryam, along with her two best friends Hashim and Alex, is chosen by the President of the United States to draw up a proposal to help fight climate change, mere weeks before superstorm Roxanne makes landfall in the Northeast.
After the President’s Future Rescue Advisory Board hears their climate proposal to set heavy taxes on meat, dairy and carbon emissions, and someone leaks it to the press, chaos spreads across party lines.
A few months since they stopped a deadly virus in its tracks, the three uncover a conspiracy on the highest level of the legislative branch.
While the deadly hurricane wreaks havoc along the eastern seaboard, destroying the U.S. Naval Command in Norfolk, Virginia, and hitting New York City with devastating force, Maryam, Hashim, and Alex grapple with forces beyond their control in the government.
How will their stories unravel? What do their futures hold as they mature into adults in a world that may not accept them? Find out in this last book in the Rise Up Trilogy.
Excerpt:
From CATCH YOU IF YOU FALL
“And it’s going to happen tomorrow,” Hashim said as he crouched on the couch.
Alex drew his brows closer, but soon his forehead smoothed. “Seriously?” he said and studied Hashim’s face. “Wow. We need to get you out of this mess.”
Sharing his predicament with his best friend had calmed Hashim’s nerves. Not that he had told the whole story, like the fact that he was gay. However, that was a piece of information he had only shared with God, though unwillingly, because from Him, you can’t hide a thing.
Alex’s eyes grew wide. “But you’re just turning eighteen, for God’s sake. Isn’t it a little early to get engaged?”
Hashim pressed his lips together and winced. You tell me.
“His mom knows that once Hashim has committed to an engagement, he won’t break it,” Maryam said. She had been following the conversation from the other side of the room, giving the guys some space after she saw how upset Hashim was when he came in. “Without a solid religious reason to back out, that could shame the whole family,” she added. “People won’t greet you anymore or return your calls. You become a nobody.”
GIVEAWAY
The author will award the winner’s choice of an audiobook set via Spotify or a digital book set of THE RISE UP TRILOGY.
Henrik Wilenius is the author of the Rise Up Trilogy, a young adult coming-of-age story about Hashim, Alex and Maryam confronting real-life issues like climate change, corrupt politics, animal cruelty and racial and gender equity.
The Rise Up Trilogy is now available also as an audiobook and a weekly serialized audiobook podcast on all the major platforms.
Previously, Henrik as published two books (an autobiographical coming of age book and a YA novel) by a major publisher (WSOY) in Finland before switching to English and self-publishing.
The Rise Up Trilogy was inspired by his fifteen-year stint as a volunteer in a Red Cross Youth Shelter and by his vegan activism.
I never thought I was going to be an author, although my two older brothers, my sister, my father, my grandfather and my great uncle were writers.
In my early twenties, I founded an art servicing company, selling contemporary art, and after an initial success, I ventured out to real estate development and market researched.
But something was not right. By living the high life, I was neglecting my spiritual needs. I decided to radically downsize and went back to university to study philosophy, because I was obsessed with the question of why it is so hard for us to expand our understanding.
And when I found the culprit, I became a writer. It was supposed to be an essay on Rhetoric by Aristotle, but only after half an hour of writing, I knew it was going to be a full-length manuscript. End of Restlessness, a philosophical study into my own coming-of-age, was published in 2001.
Is writing your full-time profession?
I write full-time, although I’m still involved in some business ventures, but the latter doesn’t take much of my time. For me, writing is a very intensive process, first energizing, and then after an hour, I’m exhausted and famished.
The key question here is how you can do it without becoming an alcoholic, recluse or just generally cynical and bitter person in life. Unlike in the times past, nowadays successful writers share one predisposition and that’s discipline. You need routines to keep yourself in line.
Even when traveling, I still follow my daily schedule and try to write at least in the morning. I start every day with an hour of Ashtanga yoga and follow it up with clear set of routines until after second spurt of writing, I finish with half an hour cardio or intensive kettle bell training.
Rest of the day I spend taking care of practical stuff, doing research, and running errands. During the week I’m a hermit but on weekend afternoons and evenings, I become a social animal, still writing in the morning though. For me, physical exercise is very important for releasing all the inner tension that writing brings on.Without it, I would be stuck in my fantasy world and unable to cope with reality.
How many published books have you written?
I have two books published in Finland in Finnish by a major publisher before I switched to English and self-publishing the Rise Up Trilogy.
Which genres do you write?
My first book was a narrative non-fiction but now I’m happy to write young adult.
What are you working on now?
I have three manuscripts in my virtual drawer, but I might still continue writing about Hashim, Alex, and Maryam. I haven’t decided yet what will be my next project.
What is a favorite quote from one of your own books?
“While the words ricocheted in the grand dome, Hashim kept his head low and said a silent prayer asking for mercy like had done thousands of times since realizing he was gay.” A quote from Catch You if You Fall, book one of the Rise Up Trilogy.
What is your favorite book review from a reader?
It’s from a 18-year-old American beta-reader:
Overall, I loved how the three books each explored different themes and issues and the strong bond of friendship throughout.
I found that I also learned a lot about Muslim culture and faith while reading and I really enjoyed how this aspect was tied into the characters’ identities.
The characters were beautifully crafted and each had a unique identity. I loved the way they complemented each other and balanced the story.
Additionally, I found that each book focused on one of the three main characters, and I really liked this idea. After reading all three, I truly felt like I knew each of them personally.
The first book was probably my favorite of the three only because I could connect to it the most. It really reminded me of the movie “Kill Your Darlings”.
There wasn’t a dull moment and I was eager to read more the entire time. I felt the action was really dispersed well and blended beautifully with the more gentle moments.
The second book really showed the development of the three friends the most I think. I loved to learn more about Alex and also see Hashim become more “himself”.
My favorite character was Alex from the start and I really liked that his story was more concentrated on. I liked that the friends took on more non-personal challenges as they navigated New York.
It felt just as exciting and powerful to read and I was left with a sense of empowerment after finishing this story. At times, I felt there was too much concentration on romance but that could be just a personal preference, as I see how that intertwined with the characters actions and development.
The third book was also a very exciting read. I feel it really completed the trilogy and I felt I knew the characters inside and out by the end.
The plot twist was incredible and I really liked how this story played out. It was a very satisfying end and I found that it perfectly closed out this coming-of-age adventure.
I also want to note that a trigger warning is necessary for all three books due to the mentions of suicide, abuse, assault, etc. For some readers this information can be sensitive and hurtful.
However, I really loved that these very difficult topics were included and addressed in a way that was not overdone and also developed the main plot.
I have never seen topics such as climate change, LGBTQ+ issues, and animal cruelty presented in a book like this trilogy was able to accomplish. It is very common for author’s to glaze over these topics or concentrate on them too much.
I truly appreciated that the characters’ beliefs were presented in the same way that I think about these topics. These books captured both the challenges often encountered and the spirit of activism and for change that I could definitely relate to and I think many readers will as well.
Though each book seemingly focused on completely different issues and was placed in a different setting, the characters and their relationships definitely grounded and unified the books.
I think this series is perfect for YA readers and would likely most be enjoyed by high school age readers. I think this trilogy could definitely be related to and loved by many readers and has great potential to inspire.
Thank you, Henrik, for spending time with us and sharing your story. We wish you continued success and lots of luck with the Rise Up Trilogy.
