SunHi Mistwalker's Blog, page 5

Published – After The Darkness: Espisode Four

The fourth episode of the “After The Darkness” series is published! Please purchase your copy at Amazon, Kobo or Nook. To receive updates on future episodes and information about other books, please join the mailing list. Also, the paperback edition of these novelettes will be available soon.

Tagged: after the darkness, dystopian, fiction, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, science fiction

I’ve Been Accepted: The Artist Trust EDGE Professional Development Program

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been selected to participate in the Artist Trust’s 2013 EDGE Professional Development Program for Literary Artists. EDGE is a nationally acclaimed 50+ hour training program designed to give writers the business skills they need to create sustainable careers. As most of you know, SunHi Mistwalker is a pseudonym I’ve used to pen speculative fiction since the later part of 2011. But I’ve been writing for a lot longer than that. I currently work as a full-time non-fiction ghostwriter and I’ve written screenplays and stage plays as well as short stories under by legal name.  I applied for this professional program so that I could hone the business skills necessary to ensure that my fiction career is long and fulfilling.   If you live in Seattle, you may have the opportunity to meet me and my fellow EDGE participants when we present our work at the Elliot Bay Bookstore. I’ll update you with the details once they’re finalized.

A reminder! After The Darkness: Episode #4 will be released February 28, 2013.

Tagged: EDGE, writing life

Paperback Available: New Hope City

The paperback edition of New Hope City is now available. You can purchase it from Amazon.

I’ve just finished writing the fourth episode of “After The Darkness.” It’s being edited at this point but will be available by the end of the month. I apologize for the delay!

Tagged: after the darkness, fiction, the novel

LibraryThing Giveaway – New Hope City

For a limited time I’m doing a LibraryThing Giveaway of New Hope City. Please request a copy here: http://www.librarything.com/er/giveaway/list (Library thing does not allow me to directly link to my book, so please scroll down or search for “New Hope City”)

If you receive (or have already received) a free copy, please leave an review on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Goodreads, LibraryThing or Smashwords. A review doesn’t need to be long. It can be just a few sentences and it’s greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

What Post-Apocalyptic Societies Really Look Like

When we think of post-apocalyptic worlds many of us envision alien invasions, zombie infections and bloodthirsty vampires. But post-apocalyptic doesn’t have to come in the form of the fantastical and other- worldly, it can be much more insidious.  When we look around the world we see many post-apocalyptic societies. Societies at war, suffering from lack, famine and oppression. And even within the borders of the United States, it can seem that a dystopian like state is upon us. Bankrupt cities and homes with no running water or electricity are more common than many Americans imagine.  The collapse of the real estate industry left many American towns littered with abandoned homes, filled with the newly homeless and freshly minted poor. We got a taste of what it feels like when a system collapses. But what happens when one too many systems collapse? What happens when systemic collapse reaches a tipping point? When I wrote New Hope City, I wanted explore a society where nothing quite works the way it’s supposed to, a society where collapse occurs in a creeping fashion, one small failure at a time.  In New Hope City, things seem normal enough, but once you scratch beneath the surface, that’s not quite the case. A story told through the eyes of 14-year-old Sunni Brown, we get a first-hand account of what happens to a human being forced to live in a collapsing society. Let’s take a look several core failures that exist in post-apocalyptic New Hope City:

Culture of Corruption

Like most dystopian societies, in New Hope City corruption is endemic. But it’s not just the police, city officials and the villains that are corrupt. Corruption infects everyone, even those who try to do good. Corruption is like a fast spreading cancer that will completely consume its host if not stopped. In this type of a society a do-gooder might help the poor but only after they fatten their own wallet and belly. In this type of society a parent will exploit their own child. In this type of society, gangsters own the politicians. And it is corruption that ultimately destroys the society.

Lack of Vision

Societies experiencing a creeping collapse are filled with people who have no vision for the future. They are incapable of preparing for the future because they don’t really believe there is a future for which to prepare.  Every action is about immediate satisfaction. In these types of societies the education of youth is abandoned, infrastructure is never developed and there is no preparation for future generations. In New Hope City many residents give lip service to the future but few truly make an effort to build towards it. Cynicism is a city motto.

Isolationism

Real life post-apocalyptic societies often isolate themselves from the outside world.  Even if they don’t physically erect walls, they may ignore the world around them. They become insular, only concerning themselves with what’s happening within their city, neighborhood or family. In societies in the later stages of collapse, they may even ignore what’s happening right outside their door, instead choosing to focus on themselves and their immediate family.  In New Hope City crime is out of control because no one wants to get involved. No one considers victims of crime their problem. And in some cases they blame crime victims for their own suffering.

DIY Justice

DYI justice, more commonly known as vigilantism, eventually supersedes official law enforcement channels in a collapsed society. The people not completely consumed by corruption may choose vigilantism to get the justice they want but can’t find through normal channels. In New Hope City there is no justice through the police department or the court system.  While the police and court system exist, they don’t function properly. And it’s with this system’s collapse that Sunni Brown’s story begins.

In New Hope City I tell the story of a teenage girl living in a collapsed society and I explore how this post-apocalyptic world impacts her interactions with others and the choices she makes.  New Hope City is a full-length novel written for adults (not YA fiction). While I think the novel is appropriate for mature teens 16 years and older, parental guidance is advised. Available on Kindle, Nook and Kobo. Other formats coming soon.

Tagged: dystopian, fiction, new hope city, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, the novel

Happy Holidays! Book Updates

New Hope City is now available on Nook. Other formats are coming soon, including a paperback. Episode 4 of the Science Fiction series is moving along slowly but surely. I’ve been quite exhausted lately so I’ve limited my online time and focused on recuperating and writing. I hope that all of you are enjoying this Holiday season. I look forward to publishing even more books in 2013.

 

“New Hope City” Is Now Published

I’m excited to let everyone know that the novel “New Hope City">New Hope City” is now published.  “New Hope City” is a full-length novel that’s approximately 230 pages.  It’s a follow-up to the short-story “The Shelter (A Short Story)">The Shelter.”

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Story Description:

After four years of hellish cruelty in a sex trafficking gang, 14 year old Sunni Brown moves to a southern city mired in poverty and despair. She walks with her head bowed and her shoulders slumped like the world is weighing her down – a real victim of the system as they say. However, something inside her is brewing; she slowly grows angrier and hardened. But when she crosses paths with a disillusioned cop, will her growing hatred, rage and the burning desire for revenge change her from helpless victim to raging vigilante?

New Hope City">Buy “New Hope City” Now

“New Hope City” is part of a triology that follows the life of Sunni Brown. Please join our mailing list to receive notifications about future publications and for the opportunity to receive an ARC (Advanced Readers’ Copy).

Tagged: fiction, new hope city, the novel

Win A $100 Gift Card and Other Prizes

I’m participating in a Science Fiction Giveaway and discount bonanza for the After The Darkness series.  Participate in the giveaway by signing up with the Rafflecopter and find free and discounted science fiction books here.

Tagged: after the darkness, fiction, writing life

Publication Update: Novel Complete

I know I’ve been really quiet lately, but that’s only because I’ve been very busy. The good  news is that I’ve completed the final edits on the novel “New Hope City.”  And once my proofreader completes her read through I will publish the book. We’re looking at publishing the novel this month.  I will be giving out a limited number of ARCS (Advanced Reader Copies) once proofreading is complete. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact me.

In other news, the next “After The Darkness” episode is delayed because of my work on the novel.  It doesn’t look like publication of Episode 4 will happen this month because I don’t have enough time to complete it. So, we’re looking at a December publication date for Episode 4 and then we will return to our normal schedule. I apologize for the delay.

Tagged: after the darkness, fiction, new hope city, post-apocalypse, science fiction, the novel

October Update: Novel On Schedule

I just want to give an update to everyone on my progress. The novel is still on schedule for release this Fall. I’ve edited 145 pages and I have about 45 more pages to go. But this little baby is growing. Right now we’re looking at 60,000 words as opposed to 50,000 words and by the time I finish the edits it may be even longer. If you haven’t seen it already here’s the cover designed by Keri Knutson.

If you haven’t already, read the short story prequel “The Shelter.”

Keri also redesigned the covers for the After The Darkness series. The fourth episode in this series will be released by the end of November. Below are the covers she’s already designed.