Title: Fallen Sun
Author: Harule Stokes
Series: Interconnected Standalone to Sectors
with No Series Name
Genre: Fantasy. Science Fiction Thriller
Publisher: One Wave Publishing
Release Date: May 15 2016
Edition/Format: 1st Edition/ Format ~ eBook &
Print
Blurb/Synopsis:
1st grade teacher turned super-soldier struggles to keep her
two sisters-in-arms safe during a bloody war. But, the process that created
these powerful living weapons is also turning some into psychopathic,
schizophrenic killers.
"You think being a genetically enhanced super-soldier
is hard? Trying being a 1st grade teacher."
That was a joke Jocelyn use to say to her teammate in
training camp. Today, many of those she befriended in camp are dead. Desperate
to keep her two sisters-in-arms alive, Jocelyn is willing to throw herself into
any challenge. Sadly, that's going to be harder than she thought, because
Ophelia is slowing going mad and Patricia is just a normal human who just
happens to be an incredible sniper... but still just normal.
How do you defeat foes that can turn the earth herself
against you?
How do you defeat foes that can dodge bullets?
How do you defeat foes who've already signed their own death
warrants?
With the war between the Northern Alliance and Keynosa
leaving both of their lands in ruins, Jocelyn's and her team are finally poised
to win and end the war for good. But, a new weapon, one that can instantly stop
even a super-soldier with a single shot, has hit the battlefield.
Together, Patricia, Jocelyn and Ophelia are sent on a
mission to destroy this new weapon and their enemy is willing to throw all they
have to stop them. These living war machines are in a race against two enemies,
but which will destroy them first? The lethal new weapon from Keynosa or their
own inner demons?
She was such a beautiful girl. When I first saw her, I felt
a twinge of jealousy. Everything was perfect on her, nothing sagged or jiggled.
Flawless, she turned to me, smiling, asking about my necklace. It was my most
cherished possession, given to me by my students.
I lost that thing on a battlefield. I can’t even remember
which one now. It was a valuable reminder of my old life as a teacher. Now,
it’s just something else I lost on one of many battlefields.
“Oa, do you remember when we first met?” I ask, chuckling to
the glass between us. “Oh god, I found you so annoying. So perky and outgoing —
and you had no filter whatsoever. You know, I actually wanted to smack you when
you dared to invade my space and touch my necklace.
“Do you remember that necklace?” I ask. No response of
course, but in my mind’s eye, her playful expression brightens the room.
I wipe the fog of my breath from the glass and stand
straight, eying the flickering light of the screen above her prison. “Now that
I know you, I can see you did it because you were nervous.” I return my eyes to
the receding condensation. “We both were. It’s just, I didn’t want to talk...
certainly not to someone so sickeningly cute.”
The egg beeps in response.
“I still laugh when I think back to the inoculation
incident. It was finally your turn, and the long steel pole came down and
injected you. That’s when we first met Patricia.” I laugh. “You jumped and let
out that weird high-pitched yelp that terrified everyone in line behind us.”
“I do remember that.” I hear from behind me. It’s Patricia.
I’d know her voice anywhere. I’m surprised I didn’t sense her entrance. Must be
this room but shielded. Must save techs the trouble of calming the revived FOG
soldiers when they wake them. “What are you doing in here, Jos?” Patricia asks
as if she doesn’t know.
“Keeping Oa company, of course,” I say, turning to face her.
The sight of Patricia stops my thoughts in their tracks. She looks gorgeous!
“Oh my God, Pat, look at you!”
Her lopsided smirk quickly becomes a full smile. “What? I
told you I was going to the party.”
“I know that, but I didn’t expect to see... this,” I say,
waving my hand up and down in her direction.
She grins widely, brushing her hands down her dress. “It’s
nice, right? I got it made weeks ago, had it shipped to the camp. I promised
myself I’d wear it if we ever won back Steel Harbor.”
“No, sweetie, it’s not just the dress, it’s the woman
wearing it. You are rockin’ that dress, girl!” I exclaim.
Barnes
and Noble Print
Tell my fans a little bit about yourself and your books.
Hello and thank you for having me :)
My name is Harule Stokes, and I’m an alcho… errr, writer.
I’ve spent the majority of my life in Brooklyn, NY. Recently, my family and I
relocated to Santa Fe, NM in a effort to simplify our lives, reduce our stress
and to give our young children a better environment to blossom in.
I do not miss living in NYC one bit.
In regards to my books, both take place in the same world,
but are stand-alone stories for the most part. I’m a big believer that each
book should be a complete story unto itself, even if the story can continue on
in a future installment. Cliff-hanger books that never really resolve the
story’s initial plot makes me sad, LOL!
I love having a message in my stories. So, to facilitate
this, I generally add a page dedicated to a meaningful quote that shifted my
personal worldview. Read that and you’ll immediately get a huge clue to what
the book’s theme will be. I want to change lives like other authors changed
mine.
How would you introduce your books to someone that has
yet to read them?
I would introduce my books to potential readers as
speculative fiction, wrapped in a science fiction. Be prepare to laugh, cry and
cheer as you take a walk in the shoes of someone that is both familiar and very
different than yourself.
What inspired you to start writing? What age did you
start?
Interesting question. I started my desire for an artistic
career by wanting to be a comic book artist. After years of practicing and
trying to make connections in that field, I discovered something rather strange
- I didn’t like drawing. Sure, I had an aptitude for art, but that’s not what I
wanted from the industry. I wanted to tell stories but I didn’t believe myself
to be equipped to write. Honestly, I didn’t go to school for that. There’s no
way I would be qualified to even take on such a task was what I thought. So, I
decided I’ll have to settle for telling stories with pictures.
That all changed when a mentor of mine told me that I didn’t
need a degree to write from my heart. Then, another mentor told me, if you
don’t write that story, someone else will. So, not wanted to lose the chance to
do the thing I was most drawn to, I started writing my first novel, Sectors. I
was 38 when I started. So, I’m a late bloomer, but what else is new.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
Living out here in New Mexico has given me some new venues to
explore. I’m loving the outdoors here and hiking up in the mountains is a
blast, especially with my family. The last trip we took was to a gorgeous place
called Tent Rocks. Sure it was challenging, but there’s a certain satisfaction
in reaching your goal despite being exhausted and having your 4 years old twins
complain in one breath then try to run off into the hills in the next.
Other than that, I’ve been a regular fan of MMORPGs and
currently playing Guild Wars 2. I also enjoy going to the gym. I have to have
some way to keep this gut from getting too big.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Take all advice you’ll receive, and you’ll receive a lot,
with a grain of salt. Ignore any “rule” you hear or read. There are no rules in
art. All that matters is the audience and what works for them. Of course, basic
things like understanding proper grammar should be adhered to, but rules like,
“don’t use adverbs” is silly. Use what works to get your story across. Finally,
the best way to improve your writing is to write and have it critiqued. So,
find yourself a good critique group and go from there.
What’s your favorite scene/line from your works?
My favorite line from Fallen Sun is:
“To save the ones I love, to save Patricia, I will become
Sehkmet, goddess of war. I will become Durga, the invincible. I will become
Hine-nui-te-põ, goddess of death. I will become Kali, and bring unto those that
stand in my way, hell. I will save you, Patricia.”
I love this because it’s not really something from that fiction
world. I wrote this to the reader. To be specific, I wrote to women that may
read Fallen Sun. I wrote it to my daughter. I wanted them to know that women
(women of color) have been, are and will always be powerful. Don’t let this
world fool you into believe that women don’t have a history of being straight
badasses.
What's the hardest thing about writing?
The hardest thing about writing for me is believing what I
have is worth something. There are so many writers out there, I sometimes
question if what I have is even new or interesting. I look at my work and
question if I should even care to put so much thought into the story and
instead just follow the most popular trends and make a quick buck. It takes a
certain amount of courage to put out something I think is unique and different.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on part 2 of the Sectors storyline.
After that’s complete, I’ll be ready to move on from this world and start a new
one, but first things first of course.
What books did you read as a child?
Oh wow, I didn’t like reading books that much as a child,
but I loved comics! Sadly, as I grew older, it dawned on me that comics are
just a bunch of short stories and when put together are novels. What came out
of my love for comics that aided by writing, is the tendency to “see” the
scenes I write quite vividly. Comic and drawing taught me to create
establishing shots, which I now do with words instead of pencils.
It wasn’t until my teens did I start enjoying books that
didn’t have pictures and the one that touched me the most was Flowers for
Algernon.
How has your life changed since you began writing?
Writing has become a place for me to exam myself in a way I
didn’t, prior to writing. Because of that, I’m more thoughtful of the people
around me and more compassionate of other’s circumstances. You have to see all
the sides of your characters, good and bad and way of seeing people transcends
the pages and becomes a part of your of thinking.
Do you listen to music while you write?
Always, but only songs I’m already familiar with. If a song
is too new, I can’t focus on the writing enough to do a good job. So, 90% of
the music is all back in the late 80’s, 90’s and a few in the 2000’s. Lots of
good music for me to zone out too from those eras.
What's been your favorite moment as an author?
My favorite moment has to be those first 20 reviews I
received for Sectors. So many were positive. It really gave me the feeling that
all of the effort was not in vain and the knowledge that I can do this and do
it well.
Out of all of your characters, who is your favorite?
Wow, that’s a hard question. I love them all. But, if forced
to pick, I’d choose David Santos. In Fallen Sun, he’s the love interest of
Jocelyn Martinez, the main character. He’s my favorite because he reminds me of
a more exceptional me than any other character I’ve created. But, in Sectors,
he’s a me that’s lost his faith in humanity, so you get the see both sides of a
person.
What do you want readers to take away from your books?
I want readers to understand me. See, I believe art of any
kind is an expression of the artist. If you understand the art, you have an
understand of the artist that created it. The themes in my books are
revelations for me and mark points in my life were I grew and matured. So when
you read my work, you’re hopefully gaining a better understanding of who the
writer truly is and the ideas and believes that shaped my life.
Do you have any interesting dreams or goals?
Just like most writers, we dream of seeing our stories on
the big (or small) screen. I’d love one day see that happen.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I’d like to see myself dropping my kids off
at school then coming back home to write for a few hours before relaxing to a
nice MMORPG game before dinner. The only difference between then and now would
be I’d have A LOT more money from my books and the movies based on my novels.
Fingers crossed!
Growing up in Crown
Heights, Brooklyn NY, Harule Stokes has seen his share of violence and drug
abuse. But, armed with the knowledge of his elders, a faithful father and a
strong spiritual base, Harule was able to make his way out of an assuredly dark
existence and into a life of positive possibilities.
Today, married to his wonderful wife and
supported by close friends, Harule is not only able to draw upon his past but
to also add a new way of thinking that's both positive and uplifting. What
you'll find in his work, is a wonderfully vibrant reflection of the beauty and
tragedy of his youth.
Instagram
@hstokes287
Twitter @hstokes287
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