Virtual Book Tour Dates: 6/24/14 – 7/22/14
Genres: General Fiction, Literary, Thriller, SciFi, Musical
Tour Price: Free
Release Date: 6/24/14
Blurb:
The Ruins of Tropicalia is a serialized, pulpy adventure story, accompanied by new music by indie rock n roll band The Amends.
Details: Two new chapters/episodes of TROT debut each week from 6/24/14 until its completion at the end of August, available for free in multiple formats (mobi/Kindle, EPUB, PDF, etc.) both online and on a mobile app. A new single from The Amends will premiere each Wednesday throughout TROT’s run at the above locations as well as http://theamendsband.com. A trailer for the book can be viewed on Youtube.
Excerpt:
Sam Merard doesn’t recognize the station
names any more, but they must be deep into Queens. They’re out of the
underground, elevated. He checks the time on his phone. This isn’t
right. They should have been to JFK at least fifteen minutes ago. He
considers crossing the car to check the subway map, but he doesn’t want
to chance Liz spotting him.
“Approaching Utnapishtim station,” a female voice announces through the rattly speakers.Utna-what? The announcer’s voice was different, too. The train slows and screeches loudly to a stop. The doors slide open. Liz steps outside. Sam pauses his iPod, slips the earbuds back into his pocket, waits a few seconds again, and follows. The train rolls away behind him.
The platform stretches endlessly northeast. A solitary heat-lamp illuminates the stairs down to the street. Beyond that, darkness and infinity. Without looking behind her, Liz walks into the gloom. He follows.
Sam hears nothing but her footsteps. No car horns, no breaks, no drunken shouts, no anything. He peers over the edge of the platform, but has trouble seeing anything more of the city than dark, blurred outlines of buildings. This part of the city produces no light. No illumination behind the windows, no streetlights below. Nothing but shadows beyond the train platform.
He walks gingerly on the sides of his feet for what must be a mile. The platform continues on past the point of credulity. Liz is not concerned with making noise. Whenever her faint outline disappears into the murk, he is still able to follow the sounds of her heels clicking against the wood.
A faint white light appears in the distance. Liz continues walking towards it, never altering her pace. The light splits into three distinct shapes. He makes out the profiles of three men— two wear white bio-suits and gas masks, the third dons a long white lab coat and surgical mask. A dim fluorescence emanates from their clothing.
Liz stops walking. Sam’s heart thumps, and he ducks behind a trash can. He peers over its edge.
The man in the lab coat approaches Liz. His coat is open, and an oddly-shaped, octagonal stethoscope bounces against his chest. Liz unfastens the top two buttons of her blouse. She offers him her chest. He places the diaphragm against her neck instead.
The scientist murmurs something to his colleagues, who stand side by side four feet behind him. One of them scribbles a note on a pad. Sam hears their exaggerated breathing through their masks. The lead scientist reaches into his coat pocket and withdraws a portable blood pressure monitor. He straps it around Liz’s forearm. He pumps it, checks his watch, and mutters to the others again.
“Satisfied?” Liz asks.
“Somewhat,” the scientist answers in a gruff, muffled voice.
“Then give me what you promised,” she says.
Sam can’t help but notice again the lack of noise and smell and sight. It’s as if there is no city surrounding him.
One of the other scientists steps forward. He places a small cylindrical object to his throat, beneath his gas mask. When he speaks, the words come out robotic, metallic.
“After one more test,” He She or It says.
The second scientists pulls what looks like a neatly folded piece of paper from his back pocket. He unfolds it, bends down, and places it at Liz’s feet. It too gives off a faint glow. She steps upon it. The second scientist glances at the paper, checks a watch-like device on his wrist, and places the cylinder to his throat again.
He says to the note-taker, “Thirty-seven pounds. A new record.”
“Would ya look how special I am?” Liz says flatly.
The scientist in the lab coat asks, “Have you noticed anything different? Have you taken flight yet?”
Liz shakes her head. “Just give me the powder,” she says.
Buy Links:
About the Author:
Photo of The Amends, including TROT’s “curator”, Tyler Taylor (wearing the shark shirt).
After taking a temporary leave from his Colorado-based rock n roll band The Amends, Tyler Taylor was among the group who went to Central America, and witnessed the events described in The Ruins of Tropicalia. He edited and compiled the accounts of his fellow travelers into the main text of TROT. He and Amends lead singer/guitarist Drew Weikart worked to put some of the events to music, and the entire band (including bassist Chris Childress and drummer Shay Byington) recorded the eight new songs in April and May.
Connect With The Author:
Giveaway:
The author is giving away: (5) The Amends T-Shirt (Multiple Sizes
Available), What We Could Be Studio Album (3), and The Amends Studio
Album (3) on The Ruins of Tropicalia Book Tour! Open internationally, enter through Rafflecopter!
No comments:
Post a Comment