characters

Character Interview: Julie from Timelines

~ ChanAtkins ~ 2 Comments

Welcome to another character interview on The Glorious Outsiders, where we are obsessively addicted to good books and memorable characters! At the start of each month I post an interview with a character from a book I have enjoyed and for September that book is Timelines, the latest release from author Karen J. Mossman. I recently enjoyed this book, which is a quick read that leaves you desperate for more! It’s also a great introduction to Karen’s writing and style so I’d recommend it as a place to start if you’d like to try out her work. I hope you enjoy this interview with the main character, Julie! At the end you will find links to the book and Karen’s social media platforms!

  1. How old are you?

Hi I’m Julie and I am 28 years old.

2. Where do you come from?

I guess I could say I come from your future.

3. Where do you live? Describe it to us

I live and work in the West Sector. The world is divided into four, North, East, South and West. I live in the year 3326, where the world is very different from yours from what it once was.

4. Do you have a family, if so tell us about them

I have mother, but that’s all. She is a good person, but as I live and work on the base, I see very little of her. My work colleagues are my family.

5. Who is your best friend and why?

Ricardo. He and I time hop together. He knows me better than anyone else and we look out for each other.

6. What are your talents?

I don’t know if you would call them talents, but I’m good at my job. Not everyone can do it. We travel to the past and are invisible. We have no tangible form. We cannot interact, take anything with us, or bring anything back. We are basically an observer who reports back past atrocities, this helps our world credit rating. We cannot dwell on what we see or become emotional about it. I have been told that is a talent, but it’s not really. We are highly trained personnel.

7. What do you think people think of you?

They think that I am good at my job and I am. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be able to do it.

8. What’s your biggest fear?

That something will go wrong with our time hop. Nothing has ever gone wrong, until this now.

9. What’s your biggest hope?

That there would not be so much fighting between the sectors. The East or the worst, but the other have their problems. It is only us in the West who are sensible and fair.

10. Is there anything about your life you would change?

No, absolutely nothing. It is a great honour to see our history first hand. To witness what it was like for people back then.

11. Where would you like to be in 5 years time?

I don’t have any aspirations to get further in my job. Time Traveling is the ultimate and everyone else aspires to it.

12. Do you have any regrets?

With this trip going wrong, I became emotionally involved. This gave me regrets that lingered long after. I wanted to help the people who were being rounded up and killed. I felt their fear and it will lingers inside me forever.

13. How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who was good at her job and not for how I reacted when I returned as an emotional wreck.

14. What are your hobbies/how do you relax?

I like to read. We have a vast digital library and I particularly enjoy reading fiction based on the places I’ve visited. It brings me closer to my ancestors and I get to experience and feel as they did in their time. Although, I must say when I experienced it first hand and felt the emotional value, it put me off reading for a long time.

Thank you very much for having me. I must add that you find can find out more about my story on a video made by Norns Triad Publications. They now offer this service to other authors. More information here – https://nornstriad.com/services/norns-video-production/

Book Description

Time travel can be a useful resource, but what if something unexpected goes wrong? In the year 3236, the government uses time travel to document the mistakes of the past. It’s a way to gain power in the present by learning from history. During a leap back to WWII, Astro-archeologist Julie finds her safe projection hasn’t gone as planned. Instead of the ethereal presence she’s supposed to be, she’s actually visible. What will that mean when she stumbles upon a small village being raided by German soldiers? Faced with death all around her, Julie has to find her way back to the future. But when she returns, will she be the same person she was? Or will the paradoxes of time travel change her life forever?

Universal Link https://geni.us/TimeLines

Publication Date 30th August

Website karenjmossman.com

Find our more about Karen and her social media links are here – https://nornstriad.com/authors/karen-j-mossman/

Excerpt

A displacement like this had never happened before. Ricardo and I were both seasoned travellers, and neither of us experienced anything like this. The anomaly was more cause for concern than my response to it, but even more reason for me to pull myself together.

I forced open my eyes. Not only did I want to see my colleagues, but I also needed to reassure myself that I really was home. It comforted me to hope everything had somehow been a dream.

With a whoosh, the sliding doors to the hospital bay opened. Stepping inside, Ricardo gently laid me on a bed.

Exhausted, my eyes closed again the second I hit the sheets. Darkness consumed me as I slipped into unconsciousness.

Who Are Your Apocalypse Gang?

~ ChanAtkins ~ 2 Comments

In two weeks my new novel The Day The Earth Turned, Book 1:Summer will be released! In this post I would like to introduce you to some of the characters but I’d also like to ask you a question. Imagine the world is ending, or at least the world as we know it is. It could be for any reason: perhaps war, climate change, alien invasion, or zombies on the rise! Let’s say you’re smart and you survive only to find yourself in a wasteland of a world, something now difficult, almost impossible to navigate. You need to find safety; shelter, food and water. You need sharp survival skills or you won’t last much longer! You need other people. Who would you want by your side and why? Feel free to let me know in the comments! I’d love to know who your apocalypse gang would be and why!

Image by Moshe Harosh from Pixabay

As for me, I’d definitely want some of these kids on my side!

Meet Gus:

When we first meet 15 year-old Gus, he appears rather deranged.

‘There’s none left you know!’ he bellows at her then, suddenly motionless on the opposite side of the road, his arms down; his face pale and moonlike through the wall of rain and hail. ‘They’re all dead! It’s just us now!’ He laughs, turning in a circle with his arms spread to either side. He looks round and meaty, she thinks, in his saturated vest top, and pyjama bottoms. ‘This is all ours!’

He’s not sorry that the adults are all dead and he’s soon on a mission to kill any remaining ones. The main thing Gus wants however, is power and control. He seizes his chance when it comes and soon becomes the official leader of the Moors Close group. As the story progresses we learn more about his background, and we start to see the other, softer, side of Gus that Chess champions. He can be kind, he can be reasoned with and above all, he is a true survivor.

Meet Reuben:

When we first meet 14 year-old Reuben, we also view him through the eyes of Chess. She knows him only vaguely from the school bus and has stopped other kids bullying him on more than one occasion.

She looks up. It’s the Carter boy, dragging something behind him. His chest is bare, and his dark hair slick with sweat. He looks her way and shouts at her,          

‘Something is happening!’

He isn’t wrong.

She doesn’t answer, and he keeps going. With the dog back inside, Chess locks the door and wanders to the kitchen window. The Carter boy has gone, but the dead grey man is still there. What had he wanted? Help? She feels half tempted to run after the Carter boy to find out what he knows, but he is a bit weird. Everyone says it. His whole family is weird, they say. His mother was a hippy sort who died too young, he didn’t go to school and his grandfather has dead animals hung up inside the shed.

Like Gus, Reuben is also a survivor who isn’t too sorry to see the world has shed itself of adults. His grandfather has somehow survived the cull so far, so he has reason to feel optimistic. He is a realist but also a dreamer. Gentle and kind to people and wildlife, he hates Gus for bullying him in the past and the two quickly set up opposing sides in the village.

Meet Chess:

Chess is the first character we meet – four weeks after her parents went to the hospital and never came back, she now has to face the fact she is alone with her 6 year-old sister, Josie. Chess is a strong character who adapts quickly to a world without adults, but that doesn’t stop her from missing the old world and grieving for the future she no longer has.

But blaming her dead parents for their predicament is a pointless waste of energy and Chess understands on some level that she needs to make a room for them inside her head. A room where she can put them for a while and shut the door on them. Of course, she wants to throw herself down and cry and scream. She wants to run to the hospital and see if by any chance, they survived, but she knows it is useless. She is responsible for herself and Josie and that means keeping them alive until another adult arrives to take care of them. And Chess does believe that someone will come. Police, or the army, something like that. Adults in positions of authority. It’s just a matter of being patient and keeping them fed until then.

Chess has great leadership qualities and has potential as a diplomatic figure in a world without adults. She tries hard to unite the opposing factions that emerge and is always thinking ahead.

Meet John:

John is an anomaly – an adult who has not been killed by any of the deadly viruses that swept the world, culling the adults and leaving the children alone. A down to earth, practical, blunt and old-fashioned kind of guy, he took Reuben in when his mother was dying of cancer and has been a father figure to him since. John is deeply connected to the earth and believes nature will show them the way forward.

‘We were prepared,’ John continues. ‘We’ve been aiming for full self-sufficiency for a long time. Mind you, don’t mean things aren’t gonna be tough. Really tough. There’s medicine for one thing. We’ve stockpiled, but that don’t mean we know what to do with half of it!’ He chuckles deep in his belly and shakes his head. ‘And if crops fail…there’s water supplies…I’m guessing you’re just starting to feel the enormity of it all, eh?’

John sees it as his duty to build a community for the children, to bring them together and teach them the skills they need to survive. He can be authortarian at times, but he has their best interests at heart.

Meet George:

George does not come from Heron. He is just passing through when he runs into Gus and his gang after a disgusting incident with a crow.

 George’s mouth falls open and drool slips from his tongue. He wonders how easily you can go insane. He wonders for the millionth time what he is made of, how tough he is, how easily he will die or how hard he will fight to live. As he slept, an army of flies has laid eggs in his wounds and the crow has been feasting on a squirming, wriggling occupation of hundreds of fat white maggots.

George is a bit of a loner who becomes attached to Reuben. He is kind and moral, and adaptable. Though he misses his dead family, they taught him well and prepared him as best they could for life without them. He is a tough, outsdoorsy type with some good survival skills.

Meet Charlotte:

Charlotte is also passing through the village of Heron, where she stops to bury her dead boyfriend and finds a lone toddler called Iris. She ends up staying in the village.

Charlotte hoists the child to her other hip and follows the rag-tag group down another lane called Pig Shoot. Since burying her boyfriend and finding the child, Charlotte has wandered aimlessly around the area in search of life. She is down to one water bottle and a squashed cucumber sandwich. Her head aches from crying, her legs feel weak and she is sure her feet have blisters on top of blisters.

Charlotte is an older teen, who was travelling the world with her boyfriend before the pandemics started to hit. She is mature, wise, patient and forward thinking. She misses the old world and hopes to eventually regain some of what they have lost.

There are many other characters to meet in the series, including rich kid Grace who can’t decide whose side she wants to be on, and sinister Lily, a 10 year-old with an interest in torture – but the characters mentioned above are the ones I’d want on my side!

What about you?

Oh and if you’re keen to read the series, Book 1: Summer can be preordered from Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Day-Earth-Turned-Book-Summer-ebook/dp/B0C5MP91J7/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=chantelle+atkins&qid=1686304018&sr=8-2: Who Are Your Apocalypse Gang?

Character Interview: Phenex from Whispers Of Nowhere

~ ChanAtkins ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to a new feature on The Glorious Outsiders where I’ll be interviewing unique characters from other people’s books! You’ll find a character interview at the start of each month and today, I am chatting to Phenex from Whispers of Nowhere by Shannon Rohrer. You can find Shannon’s links at the end of the interview!

1.How old are you? – That depends on whether we’re talking about my current life, or all of them put together. Three-hundred and thirty-one as of this year; pushing nine-hundred altogether. Give or take a few decades.

2. Where do you come from? – The sun, in a manner of speaking. A solar flare birthed me. Ra saw it happen, and came to my rescue as I was plummeting towards Earth. You could say he was my first parent, though definitely not my last.

3.Where do you live? Describe it to us. – The Spectrum. I never know how to answer this question, because it’s always just been, y’know? I mean, not literally, but it’s been around longer than I have. You could ask five different entities this same question, and they’d all give you a different answer: a world between worlds, a waystation, a tactical base, a place of refuge from the ravages taking place in other realms, a political forum… Imagine living inside a world instead of on its surface. Now imagine if this place was filled with a network of crystal walkways—railings of which are few and far between—winding staircases, and an ever-present aurora borealis, all branching off from a single point. There are rooms that don’t resemble anything close to that description; rooms that open into gardens, that change on command from forests to celestial bodies, places that lead to only the gods-know-where. The Spectrum is home. That’s all there is to it.

4.Do you have a family? If so, tell us about them – I have the Regulations Force and the High Council; they are my family, dysfunctional as it is. If we’re talking about actual parental figures? As I told you before, Ra was my first father, and his grandson Horus my second—but by far the god I’m closest to is Apollo. His son, Asclepius, is like a brother to me. Asc and I have a something of a rocky history, but we’re learning to work through it. Mostly.

5.What are your talents? -Let’s just say I have a penchant for fire, and all it entails. I’m also no slouch in hand-to-hand combat, and thanks to both my natural abilities and Asclepius’s training, I’m one of a handful skilled in healing magic. It’s kind of annoying, actually; who do you think gets summoned every time one of the units comes back from a battle, bloodied and broken? It’s a good thing I don’t need to sleep much…

6.What are your flaws? – If you ask me, none. If you ask anyone else? I suspect they’d say my temper. Or that I’m apparently reckless on missions—like I’m the only operative that’s blown up half a city block! Hey, don’t look at me like that—it was already evacuated. Oh, and I’m sure they’d also tell you I’m lousy at covert operations, despite the fact that I carried one out for a decade. Successfully, I might add.

7.What do you think people think of you? – I can’t say that I worry too much what anyone thinks. Okay, that’s not true—I care sometimes. I care what the High Council thinks, since they kinda determine whether I remain an operative or not. I care what my closest friend (that’s Forneus) thinks. But humans? I can’t really afford to worry about their opinions; you get stared at enough because of your eyes, or because of any number of things that make you stand out, you sort of have to build up a thick skin. Mostly I figure they’re either afraid of me, or intrigued. Sometimes both.

8.What do you wish people knew about you? – Can’t say that I really wish for them to know anything. Anybody close to me knows all there is to know, or at least as much as I permit them to. Everyone else? In the grand scheme of things, they don’t matter. But for those afraid of me, maybe I’d just want them to stop seeing me as a monster. I’m not; if anything, I’m the defensive line between them and the real monsters out there.

9.What’s your biggest fear? – You expect me to just bare my soul like that? Do I look like the type of guy who goes around sharing his feelings with every person nosy enough to ask? Tch, oh, all right. I guess I can throw you a bone, at least this once. I’m afraid of being unmade, coming completely undone. It’s a dark place, going through the things I’ve gone through. Never again.

10.What’s your biggest hope? – You know, I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that before. I’m more of a “here and now” guy. I don’t focus too much on the future—just on what I can do today. I guess if I had to pick something to hope for, it would be that everything I’ve done, everything I’ve suffered, every setback and accomplishment… It wouldn’t all be for nothing.

11.What’s your biggest secret? – Heh, bold of you. That would be telling, wouldn’t it? And if I did that, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore.

12.-What’s the worst things you’ve ever done to another person? – Depends on who you ask. If you ask Reeves, it’s that I locked him away in Nowhere—never mind that he had it coming. If you knew the things he’d done, the kinds of experiments he performed on humans…well, you’d have wanted him locked away, too. Or worse. But if we’re talking about someone undeserving… Well, I’m not proud of it, but I was a pretty big asshole to Gwen when we first met; much harder on her than I should have been, projecting a lot of my anger from…well, other things. But we won’t talk about any of that.

13.What kind of friend are you? – I’m not perfect, if that’s what you’re asking. But once I’ve made up my mind that I trust someone, especially if they’ve shown me that I can… Well, there isn’t a damn thing I won’t do for them.

14.Is there anything about your life you would change? – Honestly, no. It’s not that I don’t have past regrets, I do—but I’m where I am now because of those mistakes, because of my choices. I had to make them in order to learn from them, and hey, I think the lessons finally stuck after all these centuries. So no, there’s nothing I’d change. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and even if I can still feel the anger burning beneath the surface sometimes? That’s fine, because I’ve got beings in my corner, those who would go to bat for me—and have—if/when the chips are down.

15.-Where would you like to be in five years time? – This kind of goes with my whole “hopes” thing. I don’t really know where I’d like to be, and five years is a blink to my kind. I’m happy with my position in the Regulations Force, First Unit, and I’m damn good at what I do. I can’t imagine being anywhere else—beings like me don’t really do the whole retirement thing, you know?

16.Do you have any regrets? – Of course I do. Anyone who’s ever lived does. If they say otherwise, they either haven’t done that much living, or they’re lying. But like I said before, I don’t let myself get bogged down by past mistakes—I’ve got too much to do, too many other beings relying on me to let myself dwell.

17.How would you like to be remembered? – If the whole death thing ever becomes permanent for me, I guess I’d want to be remembered as someone who tried: tried to help, tried to protect, tried to heal… And hopefully, succeeded enough times to outweigh all the times where I’ve failed.

18.What are your hobbies? – You’d think for a nearly-immortal being, I’d have more of those, but I really don’t. I train a lot—with ops in my unit, and quite a few outside of it. Forneus and I get together in the Lounge sometimes (it’s one of few recreational places in the Spectrum we get to use), talk over drinks. Sometimes if enough of us get together, we play cards. Nothing too exciting really, but with our work, I’d say our lives are plenty exciting as is.

This was a really intriguing interview with an unusual character and if you’d like to find out more, here is the Amazon link to Whispers of Nowhere:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whispers-Nowhere-Shannon-Rohrer-ebook/dp/B079ZJTWM3/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Shannon+Rohrer&qid=1685693984&sr=8-1: Character Interview: Phenex from Whispers Of Nowhere

When Gwen, a curator’s daughter unwittingly breaks the seals on a mythical prison realm, she is whisked away by the watchful Forneus and the hot-blooded Phenex, and into a world beyond her wildest imaginings. With malevolent forces now on the rampage, intent on revenge against the gods whom imprisoned them, Gwen and her two mysterious allies must reclaim the lost artifacts before someone far more sinister does…

You can also follow Shannon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SRsRamblings/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17736308.Shannon_Rohrer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorshannonrohrer/

Character Interviews: Amelina Scott (The Curse of Time series by M.J Mallon)

~ ChanAtkins ~ 7 Comments

Welcome to a new feature on The Glorious Outsiders where I’ll be interviewing unique characters from other people’s books! You’ll find a character interview at the start of each month and today, I’m chatting to Amelina Scott from the YA series, The Curse of Time. I’ve read and enjoyed Bloodstone and will be starting Golden Healer very soon. So, let’s find out what Amelina has to say!

1. How old are you?

I am sixteen now. My story includes flashbacks to my thirteenth birthday when my dad disappeared. Since then, nothing has been the same.

2. where do you come from?

Believe it or not, I originate from this long line of Krystallos (crystal) magicians. It came as a shock to me when I discovered that.

3. where do you live? Describe it to us

I live in Cambridge in the UK, in a normal suburb. Don’t let that fool you! Our house has a hexagonal hallway, with a magical attic study, overseen by a key that talks and there is a much needed lookout point on the upper floor. If you visit, check out the clocks and the mirrors, too. You will find some mysterious surprises! Our house and the surrounding land is creepy and oppressive. I swear the house is a living entity; it makes a lot of grumbling, whispering noises! As our circumstances changed – with Bloodstone magic – the house reflected this by becoming altogether quieter.

Nearby, a short walk takes you to the river and the train tracks, where there is a pathway representing light and darkness. At the beginning, my mother warned me off going there, but how could I resist when there is a magical crystal cottage hidden there?

4. do you have a family, if so tell us about them

Yes, we’re a peculiar lot! There’s my dad who disappeared. He’s musical like me, a talented guitarist who lost his way. It is a long story… He surrendered his powers and succumbed to a terrible aging curse. It was up to me to cure him, to improve our life. Mum suffered too… and this manifested in her vicious tongue and her scary face. At the time, she wouldn’t have looked out of place as a scary wax exhibit in Madam Tussaud’s. I don’t have a sibling but I have a ‘sister,’ Esme. Some evil person, imprisoned her in the mirrors of our house. In the past, poor Esme used to self harm and suffered terrible mood swings whilst locked in the mirror.

My gossipy Aunt Karissa is such a hoot! We’re really close and I often confide in her. She has this habit of crushing you when she hugs you. I call her hugs corset-cinching. No family portrait would be complete without mentioning Shadow, my vanishing, mysterious black cat who knows a lot more. If only he could speak! Or can he?

5. who is your best friend and why?

Jade is my best friend, but we’ve had our ups and downs. Life became complicated when we both fancied the same boy, Ryder. I discovered some creepy things about him and warned her off. She doesn’t listen to advice about boys. She has her flaws, but I’ve known her since we were little. There is never a dull moment with Jade. That’s why I like her so much.

6. who is your worst enemy and why?

Ryder. Appearances can be deceptive. He’s beautiful, but his heart is anything but. He has this hypnotic personality that draws you in, fools you into believing everything he says. I discovered the real him, his darkness within, his shadow demon, which mars the sunshine, hiding the truth.

7. what are your talents?

I’d sum that up with five words: magical, poetic, artistic, musical, Krystallos. I harness the power of crystals. It was my destiny to meet Leanne and Eruterac, to discover the crystal cottage and harness the power of the crystals. I’m brave, and always a loyal friend.

8. what are your flaws?

I lose stuff. I should listen to Leanne. She advises me on all things crystals. I’m frightened of horses! I can be naive, but I’m learning not to be.

9. what do you think people think of you?

My friends think I’ve been here before. I caught them gossiping about me one day. Most people think I’m peculiar – if you saw me painting during my art exam – you’d think I was strange too. My aunt gives me gifts and sometimes they give me unexpected superpowers!

10. what do you wish people knew about you?

I wish they would be me for one day. It would be fun to see what they would make of all the crazy things that happen to me… meet the ghoulish repugnant spirits, fly aboard the grasshopper of time, and spirit walk out of your body to a crazy rollercoaster ride. If you stick with me through this series, you’ll see what I am talking about.

11. what’s your biggest fear?

Art coming alive! When I first met Eruterac, I nearly died. I painted him – and like a Halloween apparition; he came knocking at my door. Only joking, he’s not as scary as he looks… No, my biggest fear is the rollercoaster of time, and the master who controls the grasshopper. You’ll find out more about them if you read the 1st Bloodstone and the 2nd book in this YA Fantasy series, Golden Healer.

12. what’s your biggest hope?

To save civilisation from darkness… we are in great danger and I want to prevent disaster. I hope that light will prevail.

13. what’s your biggest secret?

I know how dangerous Ryder could become. He’s toying with his abilities like a cat with his prey.

14. I what is the worst thing you have done to another person?

I used to fight with my mum. She was horrible to live with after Dad disappeared. I hated her sometimes.

15. what kind of friend are you?

Loyal, and kind, I’m one of the good gals.

16. Is there anything about your life you would change?

I’d never take my aunt Karissa’s mad dog out for a walk. Never again, just saying, he’s a nutter! And I’d avoid taking my aunt, Shadow, and Toby to the cottage all together. Cats, dogs and crazy aunts and magical flying mats, say no more.

17. where would you like to be in 5 years time?

I’d like to be in Edinburgh sitting on a park bench in the sunshine. The one o’clock gun will sound and there’ll be fireworks in my heart because I’d know that my family and Esme are safe and free.

18. do you have any regrets?

My only regret is keeping this story a secret for so long! I kept it hidden in my camphor wood chest. I’d love The Curse of Time series to become more widely known. Please read this series, find about my family, review and share this story so everyone will know.

19. how would you like to be remembered?

Krystallos Girl, my mission is to save the earth from lies, darkness, and shadows.

20. What are your hobbies/how do you relax?

I play music, drums and guitar, write poetry and paint, harness the power of crystals… Heck, I bring art to life, and yes, my brushes talk! Pretty cool, hey?!

If you’d like to know more about Amelina and her amazing adventures, here are the links to follow author MJ. Mallon

Author Bio

I write YA fantasy, paranormal, horror/supernatural short stories, flash fiction and short form poetry. 

I’ve been blogging for many moons at my blog home Kyrosmagica, which means Crystal Magic. 

My eclectic blog shares my three loves: reading,  writing, and creativity: https://mjmallon.com/

You can access all my links here: https://linktr.ee/mjmallonauthor