If you’re one of the lucky winners of my recent LibraryThing giveaway for episode #3 and #4 of “After The Darkness,” please note that you will receive a free Smashwords coupon to download your copy of the books (in the format of your choice) by Monday, May 20, 2013. Thanks for your patience! If you’re a winner of the giveaway and you want to receive a complimentary copy of episode 1 and 2, please signup for the mailing list. Thanks!
In a world that’s gone to hell in a hand basket, no man (or woman) can survive on Twinkies alone, besides, they’ve gone out of business already. So what should a post-apocalyptic survivor living a wintery hell nosh on when their stomach gets to grumbling? Let’s take a nibble at a few ideas:
Protein –And Lots of It
Photo by Jo Naylor
Protein is the building block of life, so if you don’t eat it, you’re just as good as dead. Skip too many protein meals and you might as well hand yourself over to Mr. and Mrs. Cannibal next door. In my science fiction series After The Darkness, the City of Calcane gives every citizen his/her fair share of protein, but that’s only if they’re behaving. If they’re not behaving – as in launching citizen rebellions and speaking against the principles of the city’s founding fathers — they may find themselves starving to death.
Synthesized (And Real) BLOOD
If protein is the building block of life, then blood is the juice that keeps the machinery running. And after you’re done “ewwwwing” and turning up your nose at this refreshing and nutritious drink that blood can be, then you can add it to your list of things you will need to eat (okay – drink) in a futuristic world that’s gone straight to hell. In After The Darkness, blood is a integral part of most people’s daily sustenance. It’s synthesized and enriched with essential vitamins and minerals that keep citizens healthy despite the scarcity of food. So when you’re living in a protective dome city like the citizens of Calcane, just think of your bloody drink as a thick and colorful tonic that’ll keep the reaper at bay.
Genetically Enhanced Food
When the planet has gone through an ecological collapse, there isn’t much room for growing crops, pruning fruit trees or foraging in vast rainforests teeming with life, because those things no longer exist. So the society will need to summon every single creative brain cell to figure out exactly how to grow food. Now think carefully, what can a society do when every last inch of the planet is covered in snow and ice? Well, they do what any smart post-apocalyptic society would do –start fiddling around with genes, synthetic light and pick the brains of their most diabolical scientific minds and Viola! they’ve got just enough genetically engineered food to feed (and control) an elite class of citizens. If you can climb your way to the top, you too can enjoy synthetic and vaguely nutritional ham and eggs every morning.
SunHi Mistwalker writes dystopic and post-apocalyptic fiction. Her science fiction series After The Darkness is set in a dark, wintery dystopia where an elite class of citizens uses food, shelter and protection from the harsh elements to control the powerless. A child of a powerful family, Nadia, is categorized and cast out of the elite class. Now she must fight to save herself and what’s left of her family. Percy, an agent of the oppressive city government, searches for redemption by doing what no other citizen would do – help someone who’s been categorized. Please sign up for the mailing list to receive updates, freebies and special discounts.
If you’re one of the lucky winners of my recent LibraryThing giveaway for the first two episodes of “After The Darkness,” please note that you will receive a free Smashwords coupon to download your copy of the books (in the format of your choice) by Monday, May 13, 2013. Thanks for your patience! If you’re a winner of the giveaway and you want to receive a complimentary copy of episode 3 and 4, please signup for the mailing list. Thanks!
ETA: If you’ve won a free copy of New Hope City, you will receive the free Smashwords coupon by May 14, 2013
Photo by Tiffanie J.
I’ve been following the news story about three young women in Cleveland, Ohio who were reunited with their families after ten years in captivity. It certainly is a horror story, albeit one with a happy ending. It’s so rare that kidnapping victims are found alive that the discovery of these three women is nothing short of a miracle. Everyone, including myself, is happy to see these women rescued. But there are these nagging feelings and questions that have been bothering me all day. How is it possible that three women and a child can be held in captivity for ten years and no one notice? Had not one person in that neighborhood stepped inside that house – IN TEN YEARS? Had not one person recognized signs that something was wrong? Or, did they see and turn a blind eye? Or maybe they did report it to authorities and the authorities didn’t care? According to CNN, one of the next door neighbors of this house of horrors was brave enough to call the police but wasn’t taken seriously.
“She was just walking around, and naked,” Samoylicz said. “We thought that was weird. We thought it was funny at first, and then we thought that was weird so we called the cops. They thought we was playing, joking, they didn’t believe us.”
And that’s not all, another neighbor, Israel Lugo, heard screaming coming from the house, but when he called the police they only did the minimal investigation which was to knock on the door and leave when no one answered. Can you imagine being in that house and hearing the police outside, hoping that they will rescue you, only to have them walk away? Now can you imagine hearing people partying in the backyard and barbequing while you’re inside suffering? Just the idea of this makes me angry. I do not believe for one split second that everyone in that neighborhood was somehow kept in the dark about what was happening in that house. I believe that SOMEONE knew. Someone knew and decided to shrug it off or tell themselves that it was none of their business. That’s what my instincts say. My instincts also say that in a city that is ranked as one of the most dangerous in the country, minding your own business is probably the unspoken rule.
My novel New Hope City is set in a place like that, a place where people turn a blind eye to the crime, abuse, corruption, and where the police simply ignore your suffering – and that’s if you’re lucky. These types of places exist; they’re here, right now in America and all over the world. And I think it’s critical for all of us to recognize that there is evil in this world. If we fail to recognize that evil exists, how can we stop it? How can we choose to be one of the good guys if we believe that these types of things don’t happen? This is one of the reasons that I write the type of stories I do. I want people to get a glimpse at how things sometimes go wrong and how bad things sometimes happen to good people for no apparent reason.
SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts.
NEW HOPE CITY
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This is a public service announcement to all the would-be baby sellers out there – moms and dads just say no to selling your kids on Facebook. I know that our society has gone all capitalistic with a capital “C,” but really let’s get real, not even the Babylonians would condone bartering off your kids on Facebook just to raise bail for your loser boyfriend who’s probably in jail for a good reason. Really, just stop.
When I read this article about a woman who had the audacity to post a “kids for sale” status update on her Facebook account I felt like I needed to check and see if the world had just ended. Because who does that? Doesn’t she have the good sense to at least hide the fact that she’s bartering off her own flesh and blood? Apparently not. And I thought Sunni’s mom was bad. Well at least she has an excuse – drugs and a mean streak. While the “kids for sale” article didn’t come right out and say that this woman was selling her kids to possible pimps and other pervs, let’s just be honest and face up to the fact that these are the type of people who would even think buying a kid on Facebook was a legitimate thing to do.
I know that many of us would like to believe that selling kids is mostly the domain of fiction, but unfortunately it’s a sad reality. And I can’t help but wonder how many other kids get bought and sold without anyone noticing – or caring.
SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop.
NEW HOPE CITY
Available at Nook Kobo Smashwords Apple Amazon Google Play
Retro Thursday: The Darker Side of Childhood w/ updated links
When I wrote “The Shelter” I was terrified of writing something that would offend a lot of people. But then my old writing mentor’s words rang in my ear, “Bleed on the page!” Bleeding on the page is when a writer creates something without censoring themselves. And it is in this spirit of non-censorship that I wrote “The Shelter.” Why was I initially afraid of my own words? Well the truth is that so much of today’s dystopian fiction chooses to avoid tough issues around growing up, especially when it comes to issues concerning girls. Issues like poverty, sexism and sexual exploitation are often avoided or treated in such a way that the end result can only be compared to magical thinking. Because of this I knew that my story might be viewed as extreme.
Last Spring I was reading a YA novel that’s been compared to Hunger…
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Hey guys!
The talented designer Keri Knutson has just finished the cover for “After The Darkness: Episode 5.” Check it out! Also, don’t forget that the first four episodes are on sale for .99 cents as part of our Springtime Sale. You can get your copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords.
COMING SOON
Science Fiction .99 cents Springtime Sale
My science fiction series “After The Darkness“ is now on sale for .99 cents per episode. As I prepare to release the final two episodes of the first season, I’ve lowered the price to allow new readers an opportunity to catch up. There are four episodes available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, Sony and Kobo.
Description: In a world of never-ending winters and permanent darkness, fourteen-year-old Nadia Comani faces a future of servitude. Can she free herself and her family?
I will be reading from my novel “New Hope City” next month, please join me.
Date: April 14, 2013
Venue: Elliot Bay Bookstore – 1521 Tenth Avenue, Seattle WA 98122
Time: 1:45pm – 2:10pm
Fee: It’s free!
Paperback versions of this book will be for sale and I will autograph your copy.
The winners of the “New Hope City” paperback version have been chosen! Congrats to Holly and Lindsay! Your autographed copies will be mailed this week. For those people who did not win a paperback copy, I am giving away FREE ebook copies to the next 25 11 people who signup for my mailing list. Please signup here to receive a freebie coupon.
ETA: March 13, 2013 THANK YOU to everyone who signed up! I hope you enjoy the novel. If you would like to hear about other giveaway opportunities please feel free to join the mailing list here. And to those people who won the paperback (you too Jed) I mailed your package yesterday. You should receive it within 3 – 4 days. BTW, I’m doing another giveaway on LibraryThing for the first episode of “After The Darkness” signup today to get your complimentary copy and don’t forget to leave a review.
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Available Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords
Sunhi Mistwalker 