Antony Millen

Antony Millen

What is your latest release and what genre is it? The Chain – Young Adult dystopian

Quick description: The year is 2043. Empowered by the anti-encryption program, ICALL, and the world-wide wireless Blanket, the Global Domain reigns over all colocation centres with its Connectivist ideology, enforcing mandatory online activity for every eartizen and disabling attempts to secure privacy. The Domain’s slogans are: “Secrecy Threatens Security” and “Privacy Prevents Prosperity and Peace.”

From his death-bed in New Zealand, Fenton Ouvert commissions his sons, Topia and Lukan, to locate a flash drive containing the files of Jeremy Winterton, files stolen thirty years earlier from international surveillance agencies. A former investigative journalist, Ouvert hid the flash drive at the end of a chain of clue-bearers around the world. Contacted by the resistance movement known as Arachne, Ouvert believes the drive contains original plans for the ICALL program and thus, hope for a free world.

Travelling the globe, the Ouvert boys locate the links, but what will their journey reveal about their father and the effects of the Global Domain’s dominance? And what will their quest mean for the world when they reach the end of the chain?

Brief biography:
Antony Millen lives and writes in New Zealand, but is originally from Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Since 2013, he has published three novels and seen short stories featured in literary journals and competitions. He blogs regularly at antonymillen.com.

Links to buy Antony’s book:
Amazon US
Amazon Canada

Antony’s promo links:
Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter

What are you working on now?
I’m nearing the end of a draft for my fourth novel. It is also intended for young adults, but will not be as complex as The Chain. A simpler story about friendships, co-dependency, dreams and re-assessing our heroes.

Antony’s reading recommendation:
The North Water by Ian McGuire, longlisted for the 2016 Man Booker prize. A faster-paced Moby Dick in a sort of thrilling historical fiction way.

Jack Eason

Jack Eason

What is your latest release and what genre is it? It’s entitled Cataclysm and is science fiction, time travel.

Quick description: It is a tale about forbidden love, time travel, ancient gods and danger.

Brief biography:
Jack Eason lived in New Zealand for forty-two years until 2000 when he returned to his birthplace in England. As far as he is concerned he will always consider himself to be a Kiwi. After military service in the 1960’s, he travelled the world, visiting exotic lands and making many friends. Now in his mid-sixties he is content to write and travel via the Internet. Besides writing novels and short stories, he contributes to his own blog “Have We Had Help?” His literary interests include science fiction, history, both ancient and modern, and humorous tales like those written by his fellow writer Derek Haines, such as HAL. Now retired, he lives in his home town surrounded by his favourite books, ranging from historical fact to science fiction. His literary icons are J.R.R Tolkien, George Orwell, Arthur C Clarke and John Wyndham.

Links to buy Jack’s book:
Kindle
Paperback

Jack’s promo links:
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Google+

What are you working on now?
At the moment I’m working on my latest science fiction novel, or novella – The Guardian, set on Mars.

Jack’s reading recommendation:
Dangerous Obsessions by Bob Van Laerhoven

Z.R. Southcombe

Hm, my name should be an easy question, but it’s actually not! My name is Zenobia, most people know me as ‘Zee’, and I write under my initials, Z.R. Southcombe

What is your latest release and what genre is it? The Caretaker of Imagination was released on the 21st of March 2015. It’s a children’s chapter book, but it’s for grown-up kids as well, and fits in the adventure / fantasy genre. The book features pirates, a dragon, and (of course) cupcakes.

Quick description: Bored with his normal life, John Carroll runs away with his faithful cat in search of adventure. When he meets a real-life pirate, John realizes there is much more to the world than he’d ever thought possible – that magic is real, and in desperate need of a hero.

John must convince the (once fearsome) Captain Simon Peabody to join him on a fantastic and perilous quest to find the only person who can save magic from being lost forever: the Caretaker of Imagination.

Brief biography:
Z.R. Southcombe is a children’s fantasy writer and surrealist painter. She is the author of recently released picture book What Stars Are Made Of and upcoming chapter book The Caretaker of Imagination.

She usually has a few creative projects on the go, including a personal blog, and is always inspired by the young people she meets in her teaching job. No matter what project she is currently working on, Z. R. is usually accompanied by a cup of tea.

Links to buy Z.R. Southcombe’s book:
Amazon
Kobo
Pt Chev Bookshop, New Zealand (print book)

Z.R. Southcombe’s promo links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Email: zeesouthcombe (at) gmail.com

What are you working on now?
In this series, I’ve got the second book with my illustrator and am working on the third book’s draft. I’m also working closely with author Anne Vrankovich to publish some of her children’s books, as well as doing some more personal paintings of my own.

Z.R. Southcombe’s reading recommendation:
One book I was introduced to this year and LOVED is an oldie: The Ship That Flew. It’s by Hilda Lewis, who was a novelist, and wrote this for her children so they wouldn’t get bored when they went on holiday and forgot to take books with them! It’s got a C.S. Lewis feel to the writing (though they’re not related as far as I know) and touches on Nordic mythology.