Wednesday, July 3, 2019

*Book Tour & Giveaway* The New World by Andy Skrzynski-GUEST POST


A Step Backward
The New World Series Book 1
by Andy Skrzynski
Genre: SciFi Action Adventure 

"The New World" book series, by Andy Skrzynski, is a creative, science-fiction adventure depicting the life-and-death struggles on Earth after an apocalyptic period between 2019 and 2025. If you enjoy a thrilling tale full of suspense, action, a touch of romance, and a crazy twist here and there, "The New World: A Step Backward" and the sequel, "The New World: Blue Moon Generation," will help you escape your current world worries. The action's so real and descriptive you'll feel as if you're alongside Thoruk, his loyal friends, and the younger generation as they fight the warriors and vicious creatures stalking the villagers of Ukkiville in the nearby forests, lakes, and mountains before the turn of the next century.


Read more to get a taste of what's to come in, "The New World: A Step Backward."

In 2075, following the World Annihilation Period and Earth's 50-year transformation, the detested Skalag clan periodically pillages Ukkiville to murder and enslave its inhabitants. Dangers intensify as vicious, mutant beasts lurk in the shadows, preying on villagers. At the heart of this evil, the twisted scientist, Zolokt, creates killer combinations of animals, plants, and insects to inflict his acts of revenge.

Infuriated by the savage attacks, a young leader, Thoruk, and his two lifelong friends pledge their lives to protect Ukkiville. The determined ruler aims to forever put an end to Zolokt and his followers, for only then will true freedom reign in The New World.






Blue Moon Generation
The New World Series Book 2

Many peaceful years have passed since the devastating battle of 2075. The new generation, conceived under a mystical blue moon, is about to awaken to the vicious attacks unveiled through their parents' tales. Once, living only in youngsters' nightmares, ferocious mutant beasts now stir in the shadows of Ukkiville — even during the light of day. Blood-thirsty predators with glowing eyes, gnashing teeth, and razor-sharp claws prey on unsuspecting victims.


Caru, the brave but brash young daughter of Ukkiville's ruler, fears nothing. Trained by the best and possessing powers of the mind greater than her father's, she leads her two lifelong friends into the teeth of intensifying perils.

Meanwhile, in enemy caverns on the other side of the mountains, descendants of the evil Zolokt prepare as well, cloning savage creatures from DNA combinations of animals, insects, and plants. Only time will tell how many of the deadly muclones get released.





Crimson Winter
The New World Series Book 3

On the verge of winter in 2105, a vicious attack soaks a pasture with blood and crushes Ukkiville's serenity. Ominous premonitions haunt Hoot while similar dangers surge across Old North America. Tormented by nightmares, the courageous young warrior recruits her friends to join her and hunt the demon of her dreams. Before long, they encounter a beast far more ferocious than any discovered before.


Suspicions fall squarely on the village's nemesis, as Hoot and the leaders of Ukkiville fear Zo and his Skalags have advanced their DNA process to create monsters nobody can control. With little choice but to ready themselves to thwart increasing slaughters, Hoot, her brother, Skeeter, and a precocious android named Andralec hone their skills and special powers. Until the inhabitants of Ukkiville and the surrounding territory halt this growing threat, survival remains all but uncertain.



**FREE on June 18th & 19th!!**



While writing The New World trilogy proved to be one of the most exciting challenges of my life, if anyone had told me six years ago I'd be writing science fiction action-adventure novels, I would have declared them bonkers! For most of my life, I had been an engineering and programming nerd whose main reading materials included technical scientific articles and books with little time to read novels of any sort of fiction.

The few dreams I experienced during my lengthy career as a Sr. Software Development Manager at IBM mostly focused on conjuring solutions to tough technical issues at work. Never did sleep delve into imagining some fictional adventure. But that all changed after I retired from IBM in March of 2007 at age 53 with 30 rewarding years of service. The extra time on my hands provided plenty of hours to devote to more creative endeavors.

My initial attempt at writing capitalized on my 30 years of investing in all sorts of financial assets. I wanted to share my knowledge with our children to aid their financial planning. After completing more than 400 pages of the manuscript, I joined a writers' group. The members liked the technical content but advised me to liven it up to make in more attractive for my younger target audience of high school and collage graduates getting a start on life. I came up with an fictional world and a couple of quirky characters to weave into my investing lessons.

The members loved the improvements, but an unexpected problem bared itself: my brain refused to churn out nightly ideas about investments. Instead, my dreams gushed with captivating characters and an intriguing new world with plenty of vicious beasts lurking in the shadows of my mind. I had no choice but to follow the fate which unfolded night after night, providing oodles of exciting material to more than fulfill any writing desires. I provided my financial manuscript to my daughters, and from that exhilarating change of direction in 2014, I've been creating a fascinating new world at the turn of the next century!

I began writing my first novel, The New World: A Step Backward in June of 2014 and published it on June 28, 2015.  A little over a year later, on October 1, 2016, I published Book 2 of the series, The New World: Blue Moon Generation. After a bit of a delay due to the challenges of a serious family illness, I completed the final novel of the Trilogy, The New World: Crimson Winter and published it on November 6, 2018.



GUEST POST
Are there any monsters in your books?
Of course! The book series includes over 35 different muclones (cloned mutants) concocted by the villain, Zolokt, and his family. Each monster is a unique creation from DNA combinations of animals, insects, and plants, and everyone is as vicious as they come. Most are from a twisted amalgamation of species most feared by humans doing things people dread with a passion! Beasts like gigantic mosquito-wasps who plunge their massive stingers into their victim's spine to paralyze them so they can pry the helpless prey's eyelids open with their long, spindly legs. Once positioned, the winged monster drives the mosquito's sharp proboscis through the eyeball to deposit larvae within the brain cavity. The end result of these ravenous wigglers feasting inside the cranium proves quite gruesome! Spoiler alert: you can check out the different muclone concoctions here, if you wish. https://www.andyskrzynski.com/muclones--denamods.html

Was there some purpose for your writing beyond your expectations?
Absolutely! I kept wondering why an engineer who was primarily focused on logical thinking and solving technical problems throughout most of his 30-year career with IBM would suddenly feel compelled to depart from reality and create a make-believe world with quirky characters and strange monsters. At age 58, my nighttime activity became flooded with elaborate dreams that felt so real and provided oodles of new material that begged to be captured upon my awakening each morning. I'd get up and turn on the coffee pot before plopping in my office chair where I promptly began whacking at the keyboard. I didn't dare put it off for fear of losing all the marvelous ideas floating inside my cranium. The act of writing inspired additional scenes, characters, and beasts. Sometimes, I'd be writing for a couple of hours before remembering to get my first cup of coffee.

My excitement kept growing and partway through my manuscript, I solicited Beta Readers to begin scouring my manuscripts. Before I knew it, 64 had signed up! Many were even more excited than I and kept pressing me for more scenes! Nothing motivates me more than people hungry for more scenes and monsters! But even as I put the finishing touches on my manuscript, that same question kept nagging, "why me?"  One evening as I returned home from my writer's group Read & Critique session, my wife mentioned I had a call from my cousin Sandy. I was confused since I hadn't seen or heard from the only cousin Sandy I knew since she babysat with me when I was a scrapping 5-year-old. When I returned the call, I was dumbfounded to discover it truly WAS her! You see, she and her sister, Chris, had been trying to find me since my father placed me and my brother in an orphanage. Sandy was only 9 at the time and heartbroken that my father would do such a thing. She begged her mom to adopt me, but Aunt Rose convinced her it was not possible given the family circumstances. My cousins from my mom's side never gave up hope and continued searching for me for decades after I was released from the orphanage. After 54 years and continued searches on the internet, Chris found mention of an author coming to Michigan for a book signing. Since there aren't too many Andy Skrzynskis in Michigan, she was certain it was me and told Sandy. We've all been talking ever since!

Then, came my very first book signing in a little library in my old home town of Spring Arbor, Michigan. My high school English teacher and several classmates I hadn't seen in over 40 years unexpectedly showed up. We had a blast talking about old times. The next day, I had another book signing in the nearby town of Parma. Long lost family members from my dad's side that I hadn't seen in more than 45 years stunned me with their appearance. At that moment, I realized "why" I had been guided along such an unanticipated path of an author! I've been so thankful to be reconnected with so many family, friends, classmates, and teachers from my childhood days!

What inspired you to write this book series?
I really didn't know I was going to write another book after I published my first novel, The New World: A Step Backward. It wasn't until my third book signing when a elderly lady approached me in the Mineola, Texas library and actually shook me by the shoulders and asked, "when are you going to write the sequel?" I looked at my wife, and we knew that very moment I'd be continuing the saga of courageous villagers of Ukkiville and the vicious muclones they'd be battling at the turn of the next century! There simply was no other choice after seeing the intensity and excitement in Elizabeth's eyes!

Do you have any aspirations for a movie based on your books?
Never a doubt! While the books include intense, action-packed scenes full of suspense, a movie series based on the trilogy with wonderful graphics depicting the unusual creatures would bring even more life to the new world and the dangers lurking in the shadows! Such a movie series would leave people sitting on the edge of their seats, gasping for air! Spoiler alert: See "The Case for a Movie Series" I've laid out for the movie industry to consider: https://www.andyskrzynski.com/the-case-for-a-movie-series.html

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!








No comments:

Post a Comment