Progress
continues with The Vampire of Rome, not as much as if my muse were
actually around, but the word count continues to rise. I have hit
40k, which usually means I am close to 2/3 done, but this story feels
a bit closer to the mid-point, Brother Sebastian and crew have had to
deal with zombies, ensorcelled monkeys, Scarecrows, Elves, betrayal,
mobsters, and a Spector, but so far not a single vampire. That will,
of course, change very soon. It is interesting, in that for me a
story free-flows. I work out some rough concepts, magical Bavarian
midget wrestling troupe is threatening Omaha what will Brother
Sebastian do? Or four teens are held captive by talking Great Dane
who threatens their lives unless provided Scooby Snacks, how would
you conduct a rescue?
 |
| You want Scooby? Come at me Bro |
And I'm off writing. Some crazy people do what
is called an outline, where they write the story in brief, and then
they write it, and then they write it to flesh out weak spots a third time.
Since I was never a goody-goody in school, nor do I yearn to write a
story multiple times, I avoid this OCD like behavior. I will admit,
sometimes I get stuck, writing before the ideas flow. But I enjoy
writing, and outlines, punch points, predictable plot points defined
by the page count, leads, in my case at least, to formulaic writing.
Enough about me lets get on with my guest – she writes, she sings
(two songs dedicated to me, eat your heart out Rick Gualtieri and
Stephen King), and she's been known to dress as Starbuck from Battle
Star Galactica.
I am talking, of course, about Jessica Marie
Baumgartner and her newest book Embracing Entropy. Take it away
Jessica -
AMAZON
http://goo.gl/3r1ipB
As
Earth dies, leaving its inhabitants struggling to survive, an alien
race offers an unimaginable option: to relocate humans to their own
planet on the far end of the universe. The Campbells, one of the last
surviving families, quickly realize humanity’s hope for survival
may come with a price. Accepting a new way of life, acclimating to a
new atmosphere, and trying to fight against a universe that seems set
on tearing them apart offers many struggles. Can the Campbell’s
make it through, together?
AMAZON
http://goo.gl/3r1ipB
CHAPTER
I
I
used to have nightmares about this. I would wake up screaming as they
forced me to leave. People giving up; abandoning Mother Earth. The
thought alone caused my heart to race, my under arms to sweat.
Here
I stand clutching my children, one on each side, as we prepare to be
torn away from everything that’s tangible. Before me, a gargantuan
structure glares from above. This beast, this ship is supposed to
save humanity, or at least what’s left of it.
I’ve
lived through mass devastation. It’s hardened me enough. But
leaving? It still scares me.
We
have no idea what’s out there for us.
My
husband has faith in the alien colony that is aiding us. They made
contact just in time. Said they had revolutionized their space
program and stumbled upon our signal.
I
don’t know what I believe.
As
the line moves forward, I pull my girls along. They stumble ahead
with fright, carrying their backpacks strapped to their bodies. Our
packs are the only human luggage allowed on the crowded craft. But
that’s not what they’re worried about.
It’s
not the new race they fear. Or even the new world. It is the missing
presence of their father.
He
has his duty. He’ll stay with his men until we pilgrims are secure,
then meet up with us in a smaller craft. I’m glad for it. They’ve
already had to break up some fights. People get pretty riled up in
situations like this. It’s good to have someone who remains behind
to keep order for a while, and to try and find any last survivors
before leaving.
Finally
we’re ascending the dock and I’m able to see our temporary home.
It’s nothing like I imagined. The smell is what draws my attention
first.
“Eww
mommy.” My youngest daughter, Gwen, pinches her nose.
The
odoriferous enclosure is beyond human comprehension. I’ve smelt
plague pits, leaking sewage, the rank smell of sea life left to rot
on beaches. Although this isn’t as horrendous, it does make my eyes
water. Despite the nausea I’m fighting, I grind my teeth. “Gwen,
these people are saving our lives. Don’t insult them.”
“But…”
“No,”
I demand, and watch her eyes swim as she lets go of her nose.
“Look.”
My eldest, Maddi distracts us as she points to one of the aliens.
I
spot them as the line moves up – the Cih’lnarians. We’ve
glimpsed them from afar before. Closer, they’re not as unsightly.
Definitely not of this world, but the lack of symmetry in their
bodies is more becoming inside boundaries built for them.
The
contrast of the human official standing beside the alien as we enter
sends my thoughts spinning. Cih’lnarians are about a foot taller
than humans, with grey skin, and lop sided features that often give
them the look of melted wax. Still unused to these new people, I do
begin to compare facial expressions as the man converses with the
alien beside him. They seem to smile the same.
The ship itself looks
off. Doorways, landings, stairs, none of the usual architecture is
visible, just walls. Walls everywhere, but none of them reach the
ceiling. It’s a network of big squares, meant to contain us, to
keep us out of the way. I don’t know what I expected. Our own
officials gave the craft a once over and approved.
Group
by group, each living boundary is divvied out. When it’s our turn,
the alien in charge of us hands me a chip with a symbol on it, and
points the way. As we walk along, we can see that none of the
cubicles have doors. There are light beams that penetrate up from the
floor to create a boundary. It offers a slight comfort, but anyone
could walk in. I desperately hope that the neighbors opposite us are
reasonable enough. One sliver of hallway between strangers can leave
a person feeling exposed.
I’d
heard about this. The Cih’lnarian culture doesn’t know the ideals
of living separate. They consider themselves one being; like a single
hair growing from our bodies. Very seldom do we concern ourselves
with the individual follicles unless there’s a problem. They’re
only concerned with the greater good.
I
admire their lack of selfishness, but it makes me feel insignificant.
Reaching
our new living space amplifies this feeling. The small square room is
plain and simple. Three walls alone protect us.
Gwen
runs to a corner and jumps onto the stuffed bags meant for sleeping.
“We can all snuggle up together.” She smiles.
Maddi
rolls her eyes. “Just don’t drool on me, okay?” She tosses her
pack aside.
I
linger at the opening and take in the grey walls that reach around to
hold other families. I try to be grateful. At least the girls are.
My
wrist starts vibrating. I’m still getting used having the wrist
transmitter. I click the side and my husband’s face comes onscreen.
His image is miniscule but the calm in his voice gives me courage.
“Allie, it’s almost time.”
“I
know Adam.” I could say a lot more but fear it’ll make me cry.
“We’ve
got things secured pretty well. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Daddy!”
Gwen reaches over and Maddi scoots close to me. We huddle around the
device.
“Hi
girls.” He flashes them a grin.
“Dad,
do we really have to sleep together?” Maddi’s complaining
already.
“Enough.”
I give her a threatening look and then sigh to my husband. “Miss
you already.”
He
laughs. “We’ll be exploring new reaches soon enough.”
“I’m
all ready daddy.”
“That’s
good Gwen. You help make the trip fun. And Maddi?”
“Yeah
dad?”
“Please
try to give your mom some peace.”
They
all look at me.
“I
love you.”
He
makes me feel whole. Our family is complete with him. I stare at his
face trying to imagine touching him again. “I love you too.”
“Gotta
get back.” His happy expression is a little forced but I’m glad
to see it.
The
screen goes blank and I rub its smooth surface.
The
aliens may smell and have no concept of personal space, but they
share their technologies openly. Their transmitters are supposed to
keep Adam and I connected for the entire journey. Even after his
smaller craft docks, we can communicate when working different jobs
here. It’s amazing to have a race come as saviors, but it’s
astonishing to have their complete confidence outright.
Sometimes
I fear we’re not worthy.
Maddi
sulks over and throws herself on the cushy bags in the corner. Gwen
tugs on me asking to be picked up.
“You
know, you’re getting a little big for this.” I squeeze her tight.
She’s
only five. I realize that she probably won’t remember our home
planet when she gets older, so I resolve to hold her whenever she
wants throughout the trip.
We
both scan the room. There’s a table and chairs against one of the
temporary walls. On the other side of the room sits a shelf for our
belongings. The corner opposite Maddi is basically a giant wash
basin. We’ll squat there to relieve ourselves and stand there when
we choose to wash.
We’re
already used to conserving our resources, so I figure the daily
bucket of water will be plenty. It’ll hydrate us, and once a week
we’ll sponge our bodies with a slight portion.
I
made sure to pack an able pair of shearers and a nice sharpening
stone to keep our hair close to our scalps. My grandmother used to
speak of the long flowing tresses that ladies once wore. It’s one
of my few memories of her. Her tone held a remarkable reverence that
left me spellbound as she seemed to miss that kind of beauty.
It
sounded nice, sitting down to brush each other’s hair, but honestly
I have no use for such rituals. Watching over my family takes enough
time.
Many
people have given up on those ties. Some think it cruel for anyone to
birth more children, but Adam and I couldn’t suppress our familial
desires.
Survival
is our highest aim, but how can we survive without future
generations?
These
girls are everything to us. Our hope. Our life blood.
We
settle in and wait. After days of travel and standing in line to
enter the ship, we’re exhausted. The simple comfort of rest takes
over and I find myself glad that we’ve been given the opportunity
for a new life.
After
a while, the floors begin to shake. I sit with my girls and keep them
close. My wrist vibrates and I activate the screen to receive the
message that we’ve been waiting for. “Attention passengers, our
journey is about to begin. Please do not be alarmed if you feel some
strange shifting.”
I
pull my daughters against me and try to remind myself that this is
our last hope.
“We’re
really leaving?” Maddi’s soft brown eyes question mine.
Despite
my own apprehensions I must reassure her. “Of course. Just think of
all the opportunities that lay ahead.”
“Opportunities?
Mom, I’m nine.”
“Thanks
Maddi, I’m pretty sure I remember that.” I laugh rubbing her
scruffy head.
Gwen
takes my other hand and lays her face in it. “Well, I can’t wait.
Do you think we’ll get to explore the ship before we get there?”
“I
don’t know, maybe.” The idea doesn’t appeal to me.
Cih’lnarian
space vessels lack artistic architecture from what I’ve seen. There
are no windows, few passageways. They trust their pilot to do his
job. Unlike humans, they harbor no desire to look out. They need no
reassurances.
It
must be nice to have that kind of trust, but the thought unnerves me.
We’re
expected to stay calm, and put our lives in the care of a culture
completely unlike our own. Our instincts are different. Our lives are
more complex. How will we assimilate? Thinking about it only raises
more questions.
I
get a little lightheaded from the climb as the force of flight makes
my body grow heavy. But instead of feeling queasy or frightened when
the pressure changes, it’s a welcome distraction. Yes we’re
leaving, but right now I can just lose myself in the ascent. I focus
on comforting my daughters and being there for them.
The
trip is estimated to last approximately three months. It seems short
to me. Traveling distant reaches of space should take longer right? I
don’t know, my knowledge of the physics behind this journey is
limited.
I’ve
been told that we’re going to live on a planet that the
Cih’lnarians call Znaji’b. Pronouncing the alien tongue is one of
my major goals. I don’t know how many light years away the planet
is, or how fast we’ll be traveling. None of that’s my concern. My
head’s been filled with times and dates and things that I’m not
even sure will make sense once we leave our own solar system.
Remembering
my daughter’s birthdays, my anniversary with Adam, measuring time
on this craft will be difficult enough. We’re leaving the sun.
Artificial light will mimic it, but you can’t replace it. There’ll
be many changes and adjustments ahead.
For now, I nestle close
to my girls and rest. We must be out of the Earth’s atmosphere
because the ride grows steady. At least the hard part’s over; we’ve
left and there’s no going back.
AMAZON
http://goo.gl/3r1ipB
Jessica
is the author of: The Embracing
Entropy Series, Siren’s Snare, Tale of Two Bookends,
and My Family Is Different.
Her stories have been featured in numerous publications such as
Everyday Fiction,
The Lorelei Signal,
Fiction on the Web,
The Horror Zine
and many others. She is a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild
and is always weaving new worlds in the webs of her tales.
You
can find Jessica at these places. And if you're very nice, sending
her pictures of you buying and reading her book, leaving reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, she might even dedicate
a song to you.
AMAZON
http://goo.gl/3r1ipB
Main
Character’s Motivation?
Well
this trilogy has 3 main characters, but this trio of women are
family. They are most concerned with stepping up and doing what’s
best for their loved ones which proves difficult when traveling
through space, and facing war.
What
are their strength’s and weaknesses?
I
love this question. When I write I don’t think about writing or
follow my rough outlines to a T, I let the character’s carry the
story. The Campbell women draw from the strength of each other to
keep from falling apart. That helps them to do what they need to do
even in crisis situations. Weaknesses are more fun, when you rely on
others to prop you up it can also lead to self-doubt when having to
face issues by yourself. The Cambell women share a tendency to doubt
themselves to the point that each of them struggles with the fear of
madness.
Philosophical
issues in the story:
This
trilogy begins with The Campbell’s leaving Earth. It’s a dying
planet and they feel they have no choice. As they acclimate to life
with a benevolent alien race, the harsher aspects of human nature
begin to gnaw on the humans. The question of whether or not we are a
destructive force in the universe comes up many times.
This
isn’t something that can be proven or dis-proven really. Humanity
have been known for greatness and many opposing atrocities. But The
Cambell women draw on their heritage and their familial bonds to try
and succeed.
Any
offbeat or 80s refrerences?
In
book w, Perfect Chaos, Gwen (the youngest daughter) Keeps saying Aye
Aye captain, to her Cih’lnarian commander. He doesn’t understand
the phrase as there are no seas on the planet he is from, but she has
fun teasing him with it.
When
did you start to write this and why?
Jan
1st 2015. I usually take December off writing and I sat
down with this thinking it would be a good short story for a space
anthology I had heard about. The original idea was only supposed to
be 5k words. Clearly she grew much bigger than that. Haha When I
finished book one I was around 30k and realized that there was more
to be written.
What’s
your next book?
That’s
a great question. I have 3 unpublished novels, 2 of which I’m
polishing right now, but I’m almost positive that a collection of
my horror and dark fantasy stories, Depths of the Dark, will
be my next published work. I had one of my current publishers read a
couple of the stories and she went nuts over them. It’s almost
ready, just need to finish the last tale and get some artwork back
from the very talented Dash Crowley who has humbly agreed to do some
pictures for it.
When
will it be available?
The
goal right now is this fall. Maybe sooner.
AMAZON
http://goo.gl/3r1ipB
Embracing Entropy sounds like a fun story. My recommendation - get your copy now, and make sure you leave a review when you finish.
Speaking
of fun stories, before you get caught up in American warrior monks
Purging vampires in Rome, start with the early years when things were
not so dark. Ha ha ha I crack myself up sometimes.
Junior Inquisitor Book One
Soulless Monk Book Two
Smashwords - https://goo.gl/NXw3Gr
Amazon - http://goo.gl/p9fBn0
Inquisitor Series - http://goo.gl/5lCyaX
The Witch’s Lair Book Three
Amazon - http://goo.gl/ZRO6Jw
Inquisitor Series - http://goo.gl/mJtTf8
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