MCM's Blog, page 9
June 7, 2012
MERGE #8: Smoke Damage by AM Harte
(Pst! Don’t know what MERGE is? See the recap post!)
BURN, BABY BURN!
Oh, that was last week. This week the fire is GONE… and my main character Kate is picking up the pieces of her life. And dealing with family drama. And developing her whole relationship thing with the mysterious but sexy neighbour.
What more could you want?
…how about an iPad?
The MERGE Blog Tour!
Today on Bookittyblog, Yvonne Reid has written an amazing post on happy endings.
Or unhappy endings. Or somewhere-in-between endings. Some kind of endings, anyway. All we know is she’s happy to be alive!
Leave a comment to enter to win a brand new iPad!
Today’s Release!
Smoke Damage by AM Harte
Three years ago, Kate dropped everything for her brother.
Now that she needs him, he’s nowhere to be found.
As she copes with the aftermath of city-wide riots, Kate struggles to pick up the pieces of her life amidst the ashes and dust. But behind her brother’s disappearance lies a terrible secret… one that may change her life forever.
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
Buy it today on Kindle!
Win an iPad!
Remember to fill out the widget or you won’t be entered to win an iPad!
Woop de wooo!
June 6, 2012
MERGE #7: So Broken It Hurts by MCM
(Pst! Don’t know what MERGE is? See the recap post!)
OOZE! Actually, no. It’s toads this week. Yep, toads and iPads.
After last week’s ooze, MCM has turned his attention to toads.
Yes, he’s definitely insane.
Don’t believe us? Have you checked out his FREE bonus story Instant Karma, about a pair of idiots trying to get onto the front page of Reddit?
Don’t blame us if your brain melts.
The MERGE Blog Tour!
Today on The Next Best Book Club, AM Harte wrote a great guest post about why she likes to be a pyromaniac. We mean indie. The pyromania is the one she ISN’T happy about. Not that you could tell from all the matches in her apartment… yeesh…
Leave a comment to enter to win a brand new iPad!
Today’s Release!
So Broken It Hurts by MCM
Not everyone finds the idea of being a transhuman unsavoury. For some, the idea of a comfortable life on the government’s dime is too good to pass up. And that’s where things get complicated…
Transhumanism isn’t just about monsters and hunters, politics and genocide, or even the human angle. Transhumanism has a true dark side, and it is bureaucracy. Robin Lancaster is the only thing standing between society and absolute anarchy… if he can just keep up with his quota for the day…
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
Buy it today on Kindle!
Win an iPad!
To fairly track all entries, we’re using rafflecopter — don’t forget to fill out the widget below!
Woop de wooo!
MERGE #7: So Broken It Hurtsby MCM
(Pst! Don’t know what MERGE is? See the recap post!)
OOZE! Actually, no. It’s toads this week. Yep, toads and iPads.
After last week’s ooze, MCM has turned his attention to toads.
Yes, he’s definitely insane.
Don’t believe us? Have you checked out his FREE bonus story Instant Karma, about a pair of idiots trying to get onto the front page of Reddit?
Don’t blame us if your brain melts.
The MERGE Blog Tour!
Today on The Next Best Book Club, AM Harte wrote a great guest post about why she likes to be a pyromaniac. We mean indie. The pyromania is the one she ISN’T happy about. Not that you could tell from all the matches in her apartment… yeesh…
Leave a comment to enter to win a brand new iPad!
Today’s Release!
So Broken It Hurts by MCM
Not everyone finds the idea of being a transhuman unsavoury. For some, the idea of a comfortable life on the government’s dime is too good to pass up. And that’s where things get complicated…
Transhumanism isn’t just about monsters and hunters, politics and genocide, or even the human angle. Transhumanism has a true dark side, and it is bureaucracy. Robin Lancaster is the only thing standing between society and absolute anarchy… if he can just keep up with his quota for the day…
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
Buy it today on Kindle!
Win an iPad!
To fairly track all entries, we’re using rafflecopter — don’t forget to fill out the widget below!
Woop de wooo!
June 5, 2012
MERGE #6: Evil, True Evilby Yvonne Reid
[image error](Pst! Don’t know what MERGE is? See the introductory post!)
The MERGE Blog Tour!
It’s day SIX of the MERGE blog tour, and today we bring you a great review by Natasha from A Bit of Dash! Natasha took the time to read some of Yvonne Reid’s MERGE stories
and tell us a bit about them! What does she think?
“The world created by Reid is so tantalizing and each story reveals a little more, gives the reader a little more information. Being transhuman seems like a big pain, if not a problem, but I if I had to be one I would be a large cat or perhaps a nifty sea creature.”
Go check out the blog post to read more about three of Yvonne’s stories, including a preview of next week’s The Beggar’s Run!
Leave a comment to enter to win a brand new iPad!
Today’s Release!
Evil, True Evil by Yvonne Reid
Just because you’re a kid, doesn’t keep you out of the ghetto. If there’s one part of Leo Harrison’s job that pushes him right up to the edge, it’s hunting down the younger transhumans, the ones who are hiding out of fear. The ones with no other options.
But when your prey is more dangerous than you are, how do you know where to draw the line? Harrison’s got a good reputation, but every time he looks into the eyes of another mark, he has to wonder: if one of us has to die today, who should it be?
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
Buy it today on Kindle!
Win an iPad!
To fairly track all entries, we’re using rafflecopter — don’t forget to fill out the widget below!
Beepityboopboop. Dwoooop!
June 4, 2012
MERGE #5: Gentle Crueltyby Kit Iwasaki
WEEK TWO OF THE MERGE SERIES BEGINS!
For those of you only joining in the fun now, here’s a handy recap of what’s going down…
WTF is MERGE?!
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
The series is co-written by 1889 authors AM Harte, Kit Iwasaki, MCM, and Yvonne Reid!
Did someone say PRIZES? #hellyes
3rd place: 4 MERGE stories by the author of your choice plus a $10 Amazon or iTunes voucher!
2nd place: The complete 13-story MERGE series plus a $10 Amazon or iTunes voucher!
1st place: The complete 13-story MERGE series plus a brand new IPAD!! #yesreally
Want to find out how to enter to win? Keep on reading….
The MERGE blog tour!
Today we’re swinging by Black Sun Reviews for an interview with Kit Iwasaki.
Kit talks about Joss Whedon, the Vampire General series, and… apricots. Yes, apricots.
Leave a comment to enter to win a brand new iPad!
Don’t forget to grab her story, Gentle Cruelty, from the Kindle store!
Today’s Release!
Gentle Cruelty by Kit Iwasaki
Alzheimer’s is a brutal disease, and the family of the victim takes the brunt of it. Beth’s husband, Simon, is growing more and more restless as his condition worsens, lashing out at threats he thinks he sees…
As every fragment of her life flakes away, Beth struggles to find something to hold on to, in the rules and routines that control every moment of every day. But somewhere amongst the crushing depression, something is changing for Beth. Something that will rewrite the history of her marriage forever.
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
Buy it today on Kindle!
Win an iPad!
To fairly track all entries, we’re using rafflecopter — don’t forget to fill out the widget below!
KA-POW!
June 1, 2012
Free stuff!
Happy Friday, everyone! Are you looking for some free stuff? GOOD! I’m going to make it easy for you!
All you have to do is click the links below. They will expire at the end of the day.
Long Way Down by Yvonne Reid: http://1889.ca/redeem/?code=BGVD0J
Five Days at a Time by Kit Iwasaki: http://1889.ca/redeem/?code=QYOJMU
Everything Must Go by MCM (me!): http://1889.ca/redeem/?code=9UYNN0
Sparks and Tinder by AM Harte: http://1889.ca/redeem/?code=PIDSSC
“OMG!” you say, “WTF? YOLO!”
And while I don’t know what that means, I appreciate your enthusiasm.
Now… how can I make this more interesting…? I know! A challenge!
If 250 people download the MERGE series today (for FREE, mind you), I will give a $10 Amazon gift card to everyone who comments on this post.
“YOLO!”
Okay, really, stop it, that makes no sense.
You have until midnight eastern time to get your free copies and leave your comments. And if you feel the sudden urge to leave a review of the stories on Amazon, I will not hold it against you. Do what you feel is right.
Oh, and don’t forget you can also win an iPad.
So here is the question for the comments: briefly explain what you are going to do this weekend. Unless it’s illegal, in which case, the more detail, the better.
May 31, 2012
Oink! by Abhishek Chaswal
One day, three years into The Impending Doom that looms over us all in the form of the persistent famine poised to completely wipe out what remains of this barren blob of despair we once called the blue orb, Fatty, the junk dealer’s little secret, shat something that smelt strangely familiar.
He doesn’t know why even after Our Great Server classified all arable land, plants and animals under ‘Food’, and declared the possession of any of these precious items the world’s most heinous crime, the junk dealer could neither let go of the pig nor eat it.
Everyone knows what becomes of those who hoard food. Still, why he willingly risks his life every day, and even shares his daily ration with the pig, he doesn’t know for sure.
The pig gives him hope he feels. There’s something in its eyes that tells him life will find a way. He didn’t know how, till this day.
Hesitatingly, he picks up the fresh turd from the basement floor where he keeps the pig, and brings it close to his nose. His eyes swell in amazement as his mind makes the connection. It smells exactly like the sliver of chicken he shared with the pig last night. Next, he does the unthinkable and finds it unbelievably same in taste too. It’s not like chicken. It is chicken! Almost out of his wits now, he hugs and kisses the pig excitedly. The pig, confused, responds noisily. He immediately tightens the muzzle on its mouth. But it’s too late.
It takes him a minute to realise the knock on the door is for real. He quickly hides the pig and tip-toes out of the basement to find his worst fear standing at the door.
‘Is everything okay sir?’, the face behind the mask barks.
The junk dealer’s mouth opens in a blank. He’s really sure he’s said something like a ‘Yes’ but doesn’t hear it. It feels like a hungry void ate his words as soon as they came out.
‘Is everything okay, sir?’ the voice of the Food Police Officer echoes in his head this time.
He clears his throat. Still no sound. It’s now that he realises he’s no longer in control and drops down like dead meat.
* * *
Abhishek Chaswal is the founder and worldwide creative director at BrandNewWordOrder. An indie-minded communication design space, BrandNewWordOrder was formally established in 2012 after years of being engaged in the world’s 2nd oldest profession. The lovechild of words in play, it picks up threads from music, books, cinema, art and life to stitch together seemingly silly sensible stuff that’s sometimes twisted to a tee! For more, visit brandnewwordorder.wordpress.com.
MERGE #4: Sparks and Tinderby AM Harte
(Pst! Don’t know what MERGE is? See the introductory post!)
Day 4 of the MERGE blog tour… and the last release of this week!
We’ve at 150 entries into the grand prize giveaway. Will YOU be the one to walk away with a brand new iPad?
Yesterday MCM traumatized readers with his ooze-tacular guest post — whether his post is FACT or FICTION is for you to decide.
Today we’re revealing the fourth MERGE storyline… hold onto your hats!
Today’s Release!
Sparks and Tinder by AM Harte
Kate thought she was safe, but she was wrong.
The death of a transhuman has sparked riots in the city, only minutes from her front door. Policemen guard every street corner, but there is no one to protect Kate from herself, and the danger may be closer to home than expected…
Is she really safe from the transhumans, when her newest neighbour might be one of them?
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
Buy it today on Kindle!
Win an iPad!
Have you entered to win that iPad?! Just fill out the easy rafflecopter widget below!
Look out tomorrow for an exclusive sneak peek of Long Way Down by Yvonne Reid… plus another chance to win that iPad.
May 30, 2012
MERGE #3: Everything Must Go by MCM
(Pst! Don’t know what MERGE is? See the introductory post!)
Day 3 of the MERGE blog tour… and time to introduce our THIRD author… who also happens to be the only male on the team!
With over 100 entries into the into the grand prize giveaway for a brand new iPad, MERGE is getting more exciting by the second!
Yesterday’s review of Long Way Down by Yvonne Reid was the first reader reaction — and we’re over the moon! You’re still in time to leave a comment and win ANY 1889 book of your choice!
So what do we have happening today?
The MERGE blog tour!
For the third stop of our blog tour, we’re swinging by Attack of the Book for probably THE most insane guest post of the tour.
Honestly. MCM wrote a guest post on how to accidentally create a series, detailing the origins of MERGE. Do you believe him? Or do you think he’s telling LIES?
Check out his guest post to decided for yourself… and remember to leave a comment for ANOTHER chance to win that iPad!
Don’t forget to grab his story, Everything Must Go, from the Kindle store!
Today’s Release!
Everything Must Go by MCM
Hey there good sir! Can I interest you in some werewolf kidneys? I’ll throw in some eyeballs if you buy two jars!
Transhumanism isn’t just about monsters and hunters, politics and genocide, or even the human angle. Transhumanism has a true dark side, and it is bureaucracy. Robin Lancaster is the only thing standing between society and absolute anarchy… if he can just keep up with his quota for the day.
Set in a world reeling from the discovery of transhumans, MERGE is a series of thirteen short stories that charts the loves, the betrayals, and the struggle for survival in a world where humans and transhumans are uneasy neighbours. Tensions are high, riots are brewing. The human race is about to come undone.
Buy it today on Kindle!
Win an iPad!
Don’t forget to keep the rafflecopter widget updated, or we won’t know you’ve entered the competition!
And remember to check back often. Nearly every day, we’ll update the widget to link to our blog tour stops — your first comment on each blog post is worth ONE entry!
ZOOP!
Going Dark by Tonya R. Moore
Dran’s sphere flickered then steadily started to glow. Finally, the signal was strong enough for live-talk again.
His frantic fingers fumbled with the awkward device. “Wheela!” he urged. “Answer already!”
“Well, hello to you too, Dran.” His partner’s voice was hoarse, irritated and for some reason, it seemed talking was taking monumental effort. “Yell all you want. It’s been a really shitty couple of days and I’m just glad to hear another human voice.”
His bushy brows arced but before he could say anything, she laughed weakly and corrected herself. “You’ll do, at any rate.”
Dran grimaced. “You sound like–”
“What?” Wheela cut in. “Death?”
Something manic in her voice suggested that this was exactly how dire her situation had become.
Biologists in the service of the Expeditionary Council, Dran and Wheela were partners combing remote regions of the galaxy for new and lost life forms. Two years earlier, the fauna populating a moon dubbed Echo Forty Five had been their target but before their ship could make landfall, it had been blown to bits by the hostile denizens of the planet closest to the sun.
They’d barely made it to their escape pods. Dran’s had malfunctioned, sent him wheeling off course and into the atmosphere of E45′s diminutive neighbor. They’d landed worlds apart and stranded to boot.
The hapless pair struggled survive and made do without the comforts of their dearly departed ship. E45′s rotation only allowed for communication during what counted as twilight–Dran’s time each day. Wheela had skipped the last two days. Now it seemed he hadn’t been wrong to fear the worst.
“O wise and stalwart Fawn,” the droll prod after a few moments of stunned silence from Dran. “This is the part where you offer up great words of encouragement.”
“What happened?”
“Tangled with a dyvik. Can you believe it? They actually still exist! This one,” she drew in a long breath as her words became slower and more deliberate. “This beast. Its head came all the way up to my chest. Had coiled horns like a Fawn with really bad fashion sense–”
“Are you ever going to let me live that down?”
She giggled, uncharacteristically. The sound was smoky and girlish. It made his gut tingly.
“Listen Dran,” she sobered. “They’re predatory and they seem to really like the smell of blood. They’re clever and they hunt in tightly organized groups. Their teeth are huge. Razor sharp. They cut into flesh and bone like…” Her words trailed off.
The thought of her going quiet on him again was maddening. “How badly are you hurt?”
“Badly enough,” came her strained reply. “Dran, it hurts to talk.”
It was selfish wanting to keep her talking for as long as possible; no matter how much more painful it made her passing.
Huddled by his feeble fire, the Fawn scowled at the darkening water. Only today, he wasn’t staggered by the sheer beauty of the panorama laid out before him. Where water met sky, there loomed the ghostly shadow of the massive moon. It seemed so close, like he could just reach out and touch it. The illusion only served to make him so much more conscious of his utter uselessness.
She was over there somewhere, his friend. She was on the ground, drenched in her own curdling blood and there was nothing he could do about it. The voice on the radio was tinny, both the signal and the human losing strength.
A high pitched wail pierced the air. It was a savage sound, full of malevolence and hunger.
“Wheela?” Dread pooled into his gut. “What was that? It sounded awfully close.”
“It’s nothing.” She was lying. He knew it in his gut. “In any case, I got some really amazing footage.”
“You weren’t supposed to go off on your own!” He charged.
“This moon is an ecological treasure trove. Did you really expect me just sit around twiddling my thumbs until help arrives? Is that what you’ve been doing over there, all this time?”
“No but–”
“Let me guess; it’s perfectly fine for you, oh massive and mighty specimen of a fawn and I’m just a dainty little–”
“Desert fairy?” He supplied with a grin.
“So help me if you put that on my tombstone, I will aggressively haunt you for all eternity.”
Dran heard the pop of yet another pod of anesthetic gum. He cringed. That much and the compound was going to deaden her tongue for good. Well, not that it mattered now. He leaned back in his rickety make-shift chair. His fist tightened around the sphere.
“What should I tell Elsa?” Consideration was due to Wheela’s contracted spouse of nearly one decade. “If I ever make it back home, that is.”
“That’s easy,” Wheela sniffled. “Tell her what I always tell her. Be happy. Don’t forget me.”
“Ah, yes. I remember. The heroic stuff.” A tiny smiled tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I might be able to pull that off. Not quite as neatly as you, though.”
She only grunted. He heard rapid bursts of weapons fire. If he asked about it, she was only going to lie to him again. When she spoke again, a strangled sob had crawled into her throat and squatted there.
“Dran, do you still carry the rank of a priest?”
He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. “Yes.”
“Then forgive me,” she coughed wetly and cleared her throat. “For leaving you with the burden of my passing.”
This wasn’t exactly the time to quibble about Fawn religious custom, was it?
He leaned forward, firmly changing the subject. “Tell me more about the sky you see.”
“Nothing to write home about, really. The same old stars doing the same old thing. It’s as clear as crystal.” Wheela’s voice full of dazed wonder, sounded scratchy and so far away. “Not a cloud in sight.”
Dran’s agonized gaze drifted to the massive moon. He heard another round of gunfire as the orb in his palm lost its shimmer. He flung it aside, biting back a sudden and unreasonable surge of ire.
Twilight ended. Wheela’s hemisphere spun too far away for radio transmission to be possible. When Dran’s orb went dark, so had Wheela’s. This time he knew, for good.
* * *
Tonya R. Moore is a Speculative Fiction writer residing in Manatee County, Florida. Her short stories have been published in various indie and digital publications including Kissed By Venus, Weaponizer, Purple Magazine, eFiction Magazine and recently, Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road anthology.
