Writer Wednesdays: Wastes of Space + Giveaway

This week’s Writer Wednesday features Darcy Town, author of Wastes of Space, a science fiction novel (please note that this book is for adult readers, as it contains mature content). Scroll down to see the giveaway entry form!

Synopsis:

In the early 21st century, the Cold War between the American and Chinese Empires slogs on in a stalemate. There’s a ceasefire in effect, but the peace is artificial—secretly enforced by an alien blockade that surrounds the planet. Earth is caught in a territory struggle between two warring factions: the Empire and the Resistance. Lacking harvestable talents, both groups classify Earthlings as Wasters.

Hidden among the Wasters is an alien girl with the power of moving spaceships. She teams up with Rake, a drug-addicted ex-Astronaut, to join an intergalactic war that Earth did not know existed…but first Rake has to realize he’s travelling with an alien to begin with.

 

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About the Author:

I earned a degree in Comparative Religion, so themes-wise that certainly pops up here and there in my writing (okay, more than a little here and there in some books).

I write what I enjoy reading/watching – which is fantasy/sci-fi with dark humor and a bit of romance. What I consider romance however is to some…a bit off (and kinked out). And when I say dark humor I mean black. But I always have lighthearted moments (I do not believe a story should be all one way or another). Gotta spice things up!

Speaking of…I like to write stories that cater to all sexual preferences in one story. I have your typical male-female romances. I have male-male, female-female, transgender, bi-sexual, etc. This is mostly due to the fact that well…1. I like writing about it. 2. I see it in my everyday life. 3. I like having a well-rounded cast of characters from all walks of life.

I am the author of the Morningstar Trilogy and the Wastes Series.

Guest Post: Who was your biggest supporter while writing your book? Please tell us why.

My biggest supporter?  That would probably be my mother.  She has always encouraged me to go after the things that make me happy and give me a sense of purpose.  She’s always been there to reinforce that truth, especially when things could seem a bit bleak.  She reinforced the belief that the only person’s opinion on the story you’re writing that should truly matter is your own.  A writer should tell their story, the story that they wish to create.  They shouldn’t bend to what is trending, and they shouldn’t be afraid to create new rules or use characters that are not the norm.  I took all that advice and ran with it, and I think a lot of that can be seen in Wastes of Space and Morningstar.

My mother is the first to defend my stories and characters to others (especially the more conservative parts of the family), and she has a remarkably open mind about things.  I use her to bounce ideas off of, which is great if I’m having a bit of writer’s block.

Besides being an emotional supporter, she’s also been invaluable when it comes to the writing portion as well.  She is a lover of sci-fi and has plenty of opinions there, but she also received a Masters degree in English Literature.  Anytime I needed a second opinion on a grammar rule, I’d go to her to discuss it.  We’d both whip out our rulebooks and discuss what the rules really mean.  She made what would normally be boring or troublesome turn in to a fair amount of fun.

All in all she’s helped me through some tough times writing-wise.

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Giveaway:
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Synopsis for Wastes Away – Book Two:

…A split second later in the same galaxy as before, but pretty far away…

Rake and Ravil have escaped Earth and the Empire, towing the rest of their friends and new allies with them. They flee to an abandoned Empire colony known only as Seed Planet 15.

Out of fuel and common sense, they crash and nearly wreck their ship, stranding them in the middle of a seemingly endless swamp. On first glance the place looks mostly harmless, but what they’ve landed on is anything but. Seed Planet 15 has a nasty history.

The planet has more hidden in the mist than just ghosts and rumors. And if the crew doesn’t get off the planet soon, there will be nothing left of them but spare parts and a rusted ship.

 

Synopsis for Waste Not, Want Not – Book Three:

Barely making it off Seed Planet Fifteen with their lives, Rake and the crew are content to hang out and lick their wounds for a while, if it weren’t for the fried wiring and Stalker damage that have left the ship prone to reoccurring blackouts.

Needing supplies for repairs, the crew decides the best course of action is to raid abandoned Ampyr outposts for gear. Smart, no foreseeable problems there.  Except one of the outposts they hit isn’t empty, Lincoln’s personality issues are getting worse, food is going missing, and their Rexos is about to hit puberty and apparently that’s accompanied by uncontrollable rages. As if that wasn’t enough bad news, there seems to be a sentient black hole chasing down Ravil and attempting to eat her.

But not to worry, Danny’s reforming their squad and apparently ranking still flies out in space. No more messing around, things are getting serious. At least seriously screwed up.

Excerpt:

A howl from outside the building woke Ravil up.  Her eyes shot open as goose bumps raced across her skin.  She reached for Rake, but her hands slipped through air.  Another howl came louder than the last, followed by a faint scream.  She stared at her empty outstretched hand as the realization set in—he’d abandoned her.

Ravil slipped out of the tub, kept low to the floor, and held her knife out in front of her.  She reached the hall and crawled towards the windows.  Weak sunlight filtered into the apartment through the grimy glass.  Every fiber of her being told her to go back and hide in the darkness of the bathroom, but she would not wait for death to come to her.  Rake had left her; he’d lied last night.  She held back tears and moved another few inches.  She was on her own now and she would handle it.

The hall creaked.  Ravil froze.

Rake kneeled by her side and whispered into her ear, “Not a sound now, Bebette.”  He held one of her Bowie knives and crawled past her, keeping his head below the level of the windows.  He crept towards the closest and used a piece of mirror to look outside.  His shift in expression made Ravil scoot back into the bathroom.  She climbed into the tub and covered her ears.

The howls and screams continued until they cut off in a definitive silence.  Rake came in some minutes later, his face ashen.  He sat down and looked over at her.  “We cannot walk out on the streets.”

“Wh…why?”

“We just can’t.”  Rake’s hands shook.  He grabbed his left hand with his right and pressed it into the floor; he broke into a sweat.  He took a deep breath.  “It’s not safe.”

“Can’t we run?”

He shook his head.  “Do you want to end up a screamer?”

Ravil sank down below the level of the porcelain.  “What is out there?”