The Actuator 1.5: The Borderlands Anthology Release!

If you read The Actuator: Fractured Earth by James Wymore and Aiden James (and you should have, trust me!), then you might have wondered how the rest of the world reacted to The Actuation--the event that changed the world into different parts based on the imaginations of the Machine Monks. Sixteen different authors have come together to answer that question in the Borderlands Anthology, available from Curiosity Quills Press on September 11th.

You can add The Actuator 1.5: Borderlands Anthology to your Goodreads list or purchase your copy from Amazon and Barnes & Noble September 11th. Want to be part of the tour or to review? Sign up here!

When the Actuator breaks the earth into a patchwork of altered realities, the remaining Machine Monks begin looking for the Keys to put it back. In the meantime, everyone in the world has been transformed without knowing why. This collection tells about some of the people struggling to deal with the change.

In “Remembering Emily,” Sara Wolf brings us a tale describing the horror of a world split by the Actuator. Daniel’s girlfriend, Emily, is in danger in some faraway place. Worse, she might forget Daniel before he can reach her. Fighting against the Actuator’s attempts to enforce a new reality to block him, he must find a way to rescue Emily before it’s too late.

About Sara: Sara Wolf is a third-year honors student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, pursing a degree in English. Besides creative writing, Sara also enjoys event planning, and is actively involved in student government at her university, alongside being a Writing Tutor. Sara plans to continue writing, and to work in the book editing and publishing industry after graduation.

Matthew Cox explores Cyberpunked China in "Stolen Orchid,” where a man finds his wife has become a ghost due to the Actuator's powerful reach. His only hope of saving her is to cross the border with a mobster bearing down, facing precarious fate in an unfamiliar realm.

About Matthew: Born in a little town known as South Amboy, New Jersey, in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.

http://www.matthewcoxbooks.com/

In “The Blackbird’s Tale,” Dan Willis relates the plight of a Machine Monk named David, who works his way through obstacles to reach Chicago. Why? To find an Actuator Key—one that takes the form of a small bird statue.

About Dan: Dan wrote his first work of fiction at the tender age of ten and has been creating fantastic tales ever since. He’s used his talents working in the board game and video game industries, as well as advertising, and web design. Recently he wrote for the long-running DragonLance Series and under their Young Adult brand, DragonLance: The New Adventures. Currently, he working on a Steampunk Civil War series entitled Dragons of the Confederacy with NYT best-selling author, Tracy Hickman. Dan lives in Utah with his wife and four children.

http://www.dansrealm.com/

Nathan Yocum explores the plight of Oren Smith Wessely as a man with no past, trapped in the twisted, kaleidoscopic realm of steampunk Arizona in “Dream Journal.” Dark dreams haunt Oren’s nights…but what happens when those dreams suddenly come to life? Certainly nothing good.

About Nathan: Nathan L. Yocum is an author, teacher, and entrepreneur living on the Big Island of Hawai’i. His novels, The Zona, Automatic Woman, and The Strong Brain are all available through Curiosity Quills. Nathan has short stories featured in CQ Primetime, CQ After Dark, Lamplight: Dark Fiction Quarterly, and Writers on the Wrong Side of the Road.

Mara Valderran’s “The Austenation” is a tale where Pride and Prejudice meets werewolves in the English countryside of the Victorian era. Dealing with the strict social mores of the day, along with lycanthropic consequences, the story’s young heroine is forced to do what was often unthinkable in that era: take matters into her own hands.

About Mara: Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.

www.maravalderran.com

In “Escape,” Patrick Burdine explores the fate of a group of teenagers caught in a town without mothers, and where all the fathers have turned into faceless, soul-sucking monsters. When one girl’s eighteenth birthday marks the end of her existence, can they penetrate the steel-walled town’s borders before it’s too late?

About Patrick: Patrick Burdine is an author and screenwriter residing in Los Angeles, California with his wife and three daughters. He's the author of several short stories including a Shell Case Short winner, The Bone Carver and most recently released the chilling novella, The Monitor. Patrick also writes for film and is the screenwriter of the indie-horror movie Slaughterhouse Phi: Death Sisters. He enjoys spending time visiting the worlds of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, JK Rowling, Dan Abnett, Jim Butcher, Larry Correia, HP Lovecraft, John Carpenter, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, JRR Tolkien, Guillermo del Toro, Robert Rodriguez, and pretty much any other author, director, or screenwriter with a great story that he can sink his teeth into. (note: Patrick is not a vampire . . . most of the time.)

http://www.patrickburdine.com/

“The Ritual” is the tale brought to us by Whitney Trang, where the Actuator brings imagined horrors of a haunted house in Japan to life. A young woman’s quest means facing a ghost bent on sacrificing her sister in a ritual to save himself and his family.

About Whitney: Whitney Trang is a twenty-two-year-old aspiring author and recently graduated with a degree in English and Communication from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her favorite books include James and the Giant Peach, The Baby-sitters’ Club, and Harry Potter. Mrs. Mahaffey, Whitney’s second grade teacher, helped her complete her first story. Every decision that Whitney has made from that point on was in order to accomplish her dream of being an author. Her family and friends also gave their support of her dreams and for that, she cannot thank them enough. “The Ritual” is the first short story that Whitney has had published, and she would like to thank Aiden James, James Wymore, and everyone at Curiosity Quills Press for this wonderful opportunity.

“The Gatekeepers of Change” is James Pratt’s short chronicle about a man dressed in black, and who rises to importance after the Great Actuation. Suddenly aware of the great powers and wider universe now available to him, the man enacts his plans.

About James: James Pratt mostly writes in the weird horror genre with dashes of fantasy, sci-fi, and action/adventure. And monsters. Lots of monsters. His stories have appeared in a number of anthologies including Canopic Jars: Tales of Mummies and Mummification from Great Old Ones Publishing, “Dark Hall Press Cosmic Horror Anthology”, “Dark Fairy Tales Revisited” from Horrified Press, and “How the West Was Weird: Vol. 3 from Pulpworks Press. . James also has three short story collections available on Amazon: the Lovecraft-themed Cthelvis and Others, the monster-centric Horrible Stories for Terrible People Vol. 1—Monsters, and Horrible Stories for Terrible People Vol. 2—Obscura, whose inhabitants include ghosts, kaiju monsters, the Grim Reaper, the Devil, and the Lord Almighty. James is currently working on two more short story collections, one fantasy and the other apocalypse-themed, and a Weird Western novel set firmly in the Lovecraft universe.

“The Ringer” is Craig Nybo’s tale about a detective in New Orleans facing zombies and other undead monsters as he assists a client in taking on her crime lord husband. The huge fee adds plenty of incentive…if he can live long enough to spend it.

About Craig: Craig Nybo lives with his beautiful wife and kids in Kaysville, UT. He works as a creative director for mediaRif.com, a digital agency. Craig writes novels, short fiction, and screenplays. As a musician, he has released several records with friends under the band names, Rustmonster and The Big Sky Country Boys. Craig also records solo work. He has released two records under his own name, Zombie Sing-a-long, and a sequel album, Zombie Sing-a-long: Whistler and the Children (Part 1). As a filmmaker, Craig has written and directed many short films. He also writes and directs many commercials and industrial videos as part of his profession. Aside from writing, Craig enjoys playing in the Rocky Mountains, rock climbing, and canyoneering.

http://craignybo.com/

A Soviet soldier guarding Chernobyl from people too foolish to stay away from the radiation forms the basis of Jason Purdy’s “Anna and Lena.” When the soldier abandons his post, he soon discovers that he is the last living person in the area. Poisoned and growing weaker by the moment, he must find someplace safe across the border before he perishes.

About Jason: Jason Purdy is twenty-three years old and from Northern Ireland. He loves reading, listening to music, film, quality telly, going to the gym, and playing video games. A recent university graduate, he plans to continue his career in the media industries, and to continue writing and studying, when he finds time around his video game addiction. His debut novel, Cigarette, was released in April 2013, and he has featured in several short story anthologies. Jason is also a screenwriter and has several scripts that have been picked up by local filmmakers. He is also an on again off again filmmaker with his own kit. His ultimate goal is to be able to make a living off writing, because to him, a day job where you don’t have to walk any farther than your desk sounds like it would suit him down to the ground. Of course, the whole doing what you love aspect of it would be nice too.

https://www.facebook.com/JasonPurdyAuthor

Jenny Persson brings us the story of a teen suddenly thrust into Viking Sweden in “Once upon a Frozen North.” The teen finds her modern way of thinking brings only misery. But the girl is cunning. Soon after her ritual into womanhood, she looks to the steampunk airships just across the border as a means for her escape.

About Jenny: Jenny Persson has previously published two collections of poetry. Her short stories are mostly science fiction, but she writes contemporary YA, fantasy, and romance as well. Growing up she read every book in the fairly small sci-fi/fantasy shelf at her local library, particularly enjoying the works of Ursula LeGuin and other female authors. The magic of books is something she’s passionate about and tries to pass on to every young person she comes across. Indoctrination has to start early! When not writing or reading, she bakes delicious cakes and pastries, and she’s been known to read cookbooks with the same passion she gives her collection of Jane Austen novels. She currently lives in a small town in Sweden with her husband and three children.

Jay Wilburn takes us along the harrowing journey of drug addicted Travis, as he traverses the Actuator-ravaged American South in “Halfway.” The journey becomes an opportunity to reconnect with the people lost to him by addiction…. But in the end, will he find the lasting peace he seeks?

About Jay: Jay Wilburn lives with his wife and two sons in the coastal swamps of South Carolina. He left teaching after sixteen years to care for the health needs of his younger son and to pursue full-time writing. His novels include Loose Ends with Hazardous Press and Time Eaters with Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. He has a piece in Best Horror of the Year Volume 5. Follow his many dark thoughts at JayWilburn.com and @AmongTheZombies on Twitter.

http://jaywilburn.com/

The author Juhi’s “The Search for Punarnav” takes us far away to India, where a man seeks to become a healer. To do so, he faces the daunting task of eluding the many dangerous Hindu mythological creatures brought to life by the Actuator.

Juhi is a story addict. She loves to travel through Time, Space, and Imagination, meeting people and finding delight in their worlds and trinkets. She does not remember when or how the addiction started, but it was very early in her life. Her mother recalls how she had to trick little two-year-old Juhi to eat her meals by stopping at strategic points in her Panchatantra Tales till she swallowed the food in her mouth. A little older than that (a lot!), Juhi now creates her own worlds with people and their trinkets in them, and loves to color them with words and illustrations.

Jason A. Anderson brings us “15 Seconds of Fame.” Unlike the title’s standard definition, this tale takes place in Steampunk London. A detective risks life and limb to save a child from her mob boss father. Not an easy task, especially when it means finding a way to also save the child’s mother from violent retaliation.

About Jason: Jason Anderson was raised in Southern California before moving to Utah to attend high school. While a teenager, he conceived and began writing his teen adventure series, The Starriders Saga. The first two books in the series, “Dragon Fire” and “Rebels Without a Clue” are currently available. Never one to let grass grow under his feet, he continued exploring different story concepts and struck upon what has become the SoulChaser Universe. “SoulChaser: Earthbound” and “Jean Archer: The Diamond and the Rough” are both available from that series. Besides being a father and writer, his passions include theater production, fast cars, off-roading, rock 'n' roll, and he is a Harley-Davidson enthusiast.

In “Forever Young,” Wilbert Stanton explores the fate of an old man who finds himself young again, after paying his life’s savings to gain admission into an exclusive realm. However, when he meets a new love, he soon learns the real cost of immortality, and whether or not he is willing to pay for it.

About Wilbert: Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game. Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He's held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams. In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books. You can find Wilbert on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorwilbertstanton

Last, but not least, we have James Wymore’s tale, “Cult of the Actuation.” A Machine Monk, captured just east of the base, calls for help. Dragon Star comes to the rescue… but is soon distracted by a religious cult surrounding the mouth of a cave near one of the Actuator’s borders. Ultimately, the cult leader decides that the Machine Monk and Dragon Star pose a threat, and orders their execution. A dicey situation at best.

About James: On a lifelong search for fantastic worlds hiding just out of sight, James Wymore writes to explore. With four books out, he continues to push the boundaries of genre and imagination with The Actuator series. This is his first time editing a short story anthology, but it won’t be his last. Find all his work at http://jameswymore.wordpress.com

Teaser Tuesday: Borderlands Anthology Contest!

In October, I was lucky enough to interview with James Wymore and Aiden James, authors of The Actuator: Fractured Earth (which I also reviewed). Not long after that, James let me know about an anthology of short stories taking place in The Actuator universe that they were putting together, and the contest accompanying it. I am so excited to announce that the contest has ended and the entries are in and ready for your votes!

In August, 2013, author and acquisitions editor James Wymore and best-seller Aiden James released the first book in The Actuator Series, Fractured Earth. Our authors developed a world with endless possibilities, and we wanted to know where your mind would take it!

Don't worry--this isn't a shameless plug for votes. ;) I opted out of the contest and submitted for publication only. I'm happy to say I got in, and now I need your help to vote on the stories in the contest. So you get the ultimate teaser package today by checking out the eleven entries on the website AND you also get a chance to win a Google Chromecast and your very own copy of the Borderlands anthology or a Curiosity Quills title of your choice.

You can find the entries and voting on the Curiosity Quills website here. Don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win the Google Chromecast--you can enter every day! Voting ends February 7th, so don't miss your opportunity to read these amazing stories and get a preview of what is to come in the anthology. If you haven't already picked up The Actuator: Fractured Earth, you can still find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Sound off in the comments and let me know which story was your favorite! I'm having a tough time deciding.

Author Interview: Co-Writers James Wymore and Aiden James

I'm happy to have James Wymore back on the blog today, along with his co-writer for The Actuator: Fractured Earth, Aiden James. I was lucky enough to interview both of these extremely busy authors, and find out about their book and the anthology contest set in the Actuator universe. Here's a bit about the book to get your interest piqued:

On a secret military base tucked in a remote desert mountain, a dangerous machine lies hidden from the American public. Known as “The Actuator”, this machine is capable of transforming entire communities into alternate realities. In theory, these often terrifying realities are reversible.

The scientists in charge of this machine employ operatives called Machine Monks, who attune their minds to manifest single ideas from the realms of fantasy and science fiction. These ideas are then superimposed upon sparsely inhabited areas for testing. For a while, the enigmatic Actuator cooperates with the experiments, using dampeners to limit the affected area. But those in charge of the project eagerly anticipate exploring the full potential of this amazing device.

Experiments progress to where they feed more than twenty different genre ideas simultaneously into the Actuator’s database. Meanwhile, an unknown saboteur dismantles the dampeners. The affect is catastrophic. The entire world is plunged into chaos, and familiar landscapes become a deadly patchwork of genre horrors. Overnight, the Actuator becomes the worst menace the earth has ever seen, claiming lives in staggering numbers.

Can a few surviving Machine Monks band together to set things right again? It all depends on whether Red McLaren and the Monks can survive their journey through the various realms that separate them from the Actuator, where ever-present orcs, aliens, pirates, and vampires seek to destroy them. They must move quickly, as time is running out to stop the Actuator and the villain who controls it and the earth’s destiny.


Get it now on Amazon for Kindle. Also available on Barnes and Noble for Nook and Kobo for Kobo.
You can get the trade paperback from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

And now let's hear from the authors!

Interview with James Wymore:

Mara V: What can you tell us about your latest release The Actuator: Fractured Earth?

 

James: Somebody builds a machine capable of transforming the whole world into anything the user wants.  A group of people who enjoy various types of fiction get together to experiment with the machine.  An unknown saboteur activates it and they break the world into patches of every genre imaginable.  People begin dying in real life horrors, fantasies, and science fictions.  Only a small group of people in the world even know what happened.  So they are working frantically to try and put it right.  It's a pretty fun ride.

 

MV: This is your first coauthored book. What was the experience of working with another writer like?

 

James: I think it went so well because Aiden is really nice.  We never had any problems as far as communication or planning.  I've heard horror stories about projects like this, but I have no complaints at all.

 

MV: What can you tell us about the process of co-writing a book?

 

James: I've actually collaborated on a writing project before.  Although I wrote the whole book, my second book, Exacting Essence, is a collaborative project with R. A. Baxter.  We both write in the same world.  Each collaboration is a unique situation.  Every person is different, so the projects have to fit the specific relationships for the people involved.  I've heard people talk about co-authoring as if a list of rules will work for everybody.  That hasn't been my experience.  It's a lot of communication between everybody involved.  Most authors don't do it because it's more work for less percentage of the royalties.  But I really like to.

 

MV: It looks like you have another project on the horizon. What is Salvation about and when can we hope to see it?

 

James: It's a military fantasy (high fantasy) I wrote last year.  I have a contract for it already.  But I've been so busy with editing and writing, that I'm putting it off for just a little while.  Hopefully in a few months things will settle down to where I can give it the attention it deserves.  I love the ideas in Salvation.  It kind of came out of nowhere and just demanded my attention.  It's always fun when a book does that.

 

MV: Curiosity Quills recently announced that an anthology for The Actuator series is on the horizon. Tell us about the plans for this anthology, and what you are looking forward to the most with it.

 

James: The call for submissions is already out: http://curiosityquills.com/giveaways-contests/borderlands-anthology/  It's a fun idea.  The Actuator world is so diverse and amazing that I can barely scratch the surface of it in the trilogy.  But through this anthology (and maybe another one) I hope to see a lot more of the potential in it explored by other authors.  I've had several people talk to me about stories for it and I'm really excited by what they've suggested.

 

MV: You stay pretty busy with a full-time job, family, and a full-time writing career. What’s next for you? Besides the vacation you deserve. =)

 

James: Writing is my vacation.   Actually, I'm trying my hand at a comic book script.  I've always wanted to, so I thought I'd slip that in.  You know, because I have so much free time.

 
Interview with Aiden James:

MV: Your first book, The Forgotten Eden, was based on a bedtime story you made up for your kids that became so much more. What can you tell us about the transition into writing professionally?

Aiden: It was a tricky process, as I expected immediate success--both in terms of being good as a story teller and financially. I didn't make a dime for another nine years, and didn't find consistent financial success until 2011--nearly fourteen years later. As far as the story telling angle, my first effort was terrible, and my wife suggested I give up. But she was testing me...to see how much I loved writing stories. Through determined trial and error, I steadily improved, and finally was at least 'signable' to small press in 2004 (seven years after I started). I still strive to get better and better at telling stories, and doubt I will ever be completely satisfied with what I create.

MV: First book experiences tend to be filled with hard lessons learned for writers as they get to know the business end of writing. What did you do differently for your second book because of lessons you learned from the first?

Aiden: Ha! Great question. Get to the point quicker--that was what I set out to do. And, again, this is something I still seek to get better and better at. How to tell a dynamic story? Limit the details to where you steadily feed them to your audience. Start fast and keep up the pace, but never overload your readers with more than they can comfortably digest.
 

MV: To date, you have nineteen titles available since you first published in 2006. Does this mean you have achieved the seemingly elusive author dream of writing full time? How do you balance this with your personal life?

Aiden: I am a full time author, and have been self-sufficient since July of 2011. It came fourteen years after I started, and it was a challenge up until then. Most of my jobs required 50+ hours of work each week, since I was a call center supervisor/manager throughout most of those years. Even though I am full time now, it is incredibly hard to balance my personal life. Writing and inspiration are not always things one can sit down and do on the spot. Sometimes that works, but most often, I feel it is better to write when you are inspired to do so. If you need to get the train running, maybe a little music, extra research, etc can get things going. That being said, I do try to write something everyday, when working on a new book. Usually, that means churning out anywhere from 300 to 2,000 words. If I get in a pinch with deadlines, then the 2,000 might become 3,000 or even 4,000 words.

MV: Some of the titles you’ve released recently have been co-authored. You’ve worked with three different authors to bring different series to light. What have those experiences been like?

Aiden: Actually, it is now five different authors. I started with J.R. Rain, and added Michelle Wright late last year. This year, I am also working with James Wymore, Lisa, Collicutt, and Mike Robinson. The collaborative experience is different with each author. Some books, I write 80 to 90% of the story, and in others, the other author takes over the lion share. Almost all of the books start with my outlines, but there are no hard and fast rules in the creative process. The big thing is staying consistent enough to where my audience recognizes my style--even though they certainly recognize my co-authors' styles, too. In truth, cowriting is a great way to explore new viewpoints and storylines. I love it! :-)
 
MV: What can you tell us about upcoming projects?

Aiden: Two projects will be released in September: "Hurakan's Chalice" with Mike Robinson, which is the third installment of The Talisman Chronicles (a long awaited third book), and J.R. Rain and I will be releasing the third Nick Caine book next week ("Pyramid of the Gods"). Then, in late October comes a new novella series with Michelle Wright, entitled "Blake 187: The Zombie Revolution". And there will be at least three more books released by the end of 2013, including the fifth Judas Chronicles installment ("Tyranny of Coins"), and the second book of The Actuator series and The Serendipitous Curse series.