THE GENES OF ISIS By Justin Newland – Goddess Fish Promotions

August 24, 2022 · by sybrinapublishing

The Genes of Isis

by Justin Newland

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GENRE: Mythological Fiction / Fantasy

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BLURB:

Akasha is a precocious young woman who lives in a world where oceans circulate in the aquamarine sky waters.

Before she was born, the Helios, a tribe of angels from the sun, came to Earth to deliver the Surge, the next step in the evolution of an embryonic human race. Instead, they left humanity on the brink of extinction and spawned a race of monstrous hybrids.

Horque is a Solarii, another tribe of angels, sent to Earth to rescue the genetic mix-up and release the Surge.

When Akasha has a premonition that a great flood is imminent and falls in love with Horque, her life becomes an instrument for apocalyptic change. But will it save the three races – humans, hybrids and Solarii – from the killing waters?

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EXCERPT

The moonlight flooded through the window but Issa was still awake. Once the street cats grew tired of fighting and the hyenas and foxes stopped scavenging, she roused herself and began her descent. Clutching a glow lamp in one hand and Fryme’s package in the other, she crept downstairs and stopped in the middle of a corridor, beside a section of wall that would have appeared unremarkable to anyone else. She knew otherwise.

A few words, an arcane utterance, followed by a shimmer of light and the astral curtain disappeared, revealing the secret door. She stepped through it, into the corridor beyond. She was going to the God Crucible, an occult chamber beneath her house. Its astral protections were such that no one, not even Cheiron, suspected its existence. Her breathing was shallow. This was the first point of no return.

Her glow-lamp threw long shadows down the narrow, sloping tunnel. Divided in two, it had steps on one side and a slanting ramp on the other. In front of her on the ground was a piece of white bandage, accidentally torn off the mummified body of her son, which she’d dragged down the ramp before Cheiron had arrived. How heavy he had been. They didn’t call it a dead weight for nothing. She could still smell the musty odour of the dust particles she’d dislodged.

At the bottom of the ramp, the tunnel gave way to a dome-shaped chamber, the God Crucible. Her son’s cadaver lay on a bench, and she ran her hand over the embalming bandages. Beside it was a second, vacant bench. There, she would lie during the ritual she was about to perform. The Anubis embalmers had washed Horque’s body, encased it in natron salt, and mummified it according to all but one of the traditions of the Jackal-headed God – the exception being that they had not removed any of his organs. On his chest, she laid out a scarab pectoral and into his mouth, she placed a length of straw.

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Interview With Justin Newland

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

For me, the best writing environment is one that provides continuity. In other words, a place and a time where there are as few interruptions as possible, so, no cooking, cleaning, and minimal time for eating. So, this speaks of a retreat, and the best place I have found to write, where at the end of the day my hands are tired from typing and writing, is a monastery. The place I go to now is Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England. It’s a Benedictine Monastery, and I’ve been there a couple of times a year for the last six or seven years. The retreat is so quiet, you can hear your own thoughts winging their way across the plasma of your mind.

That’s the easiest part of writing.

The hardest part is not being in that environment.

What music do you listen to?

These days I enjoy classical, jazz and pop music. The last piece of music I deliberately listened to was some Benedictine Monks from St. Michel singing their beautiful Gregorian chants. The quiet pace of music slows you down, and brings peace and harmony to the faculties. Before that, I listened to Beethoven’s late piano concertos. Sublime music by an unparalleled genius.

Do you have critique partners or beta readers?

I do. I use them a lot. Over the years, I’ve written six novels, and published four, and I’m working on another one. Once I’ve written a first draft, I’ll edit it, and create a list of changes I want to make. First drafts are always interesting because you are never quite sure what you have written about, and whether there are themes and plot-lines that need expanding, or characters that can be merged. Once I’ve got a draft that I’m happy with, I’ll look for beta-readers and critique partners in my chosen genre, and offer to critique their novel in exchange for critiquing mine.

I use up to six beta readers and always like to formally acknowledge their input to the formation of the finished product. The feedback is often useful, compelling, and offers views on the story and characters that I wouldn’t have come to myself. So, in that sense, they are quite invaluable.

And reading and critiquing other people’s works is also stimulating, and you learn so much from how other writers approach their work, and weave their stories.

What was the last book you read?

“We Borrow the Earth,” by Patrick Jasper Lee. The front cover blurb says it’s ‘An intimate portrait of the Gypsy Folk Tradition and Culture.’ It’s engaging, well-written, and explores many ideas about respect for the Earth, and respect for each other. Along the way, the author bemoans the loss of his colourful and passionate people.

How did you start your writing career?

I’ve always read literature since I was a young child, of seven or eight. I’ve written short stories when I was a student, and even wrote a novel about Ancient Greek gods and goddesses. So, whether that’s when my writing career started, I don’t know.

Then I spent many years researching and studying all sorts of areas, from literature, philosophy, plays, the arts, science as well as history. Then about fifteen years ago, I decided I wanted to start writing fiction.

The advice given to authors is to write about what you know about, so I write about history and different historical periods, and then I give the plots a supernatural twist. In that way, I’m able to offer a different interpretation of the history we think we know.

Tell us about your next release.

My next book is set during Elizabethan times.

It’s a two-book series entitled The Shoes That Don’t Wear Out.

Nelan is a young man and a Flemish-Dutch émigré who becomes a master of conjuring the four elements, especially fire. In the first book, he hooks up with Francis Drake and sails around the world.

In the second, Spain, Europe’s richest and most powerful nation, sends a huge fleet of warships to invade England – the legendary Land of Angels – and burn all its heretical Protestants at the stake.

Nelan knows that a battle is won before it’s been fought, so can he rescue England from the existential threat of the Armada?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Justin Newland is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers – that’s history with a supernatural twist. His stories feature known events and real people from history which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural. He gives author talks and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

His Books

The Genes of Isis is a tale of love, destruction and ephemeral power set under the skies of Ancient Egypt. A re-telling of the Biblical story of the flood, it reveals the mystery of the genes of Isis – or genesis – of mankind. ISBN 9781789014860.

“The novel is creative, sophisticated, and downright brilliant! I couldn’t ask more of an Egyptian-esque book!” – Lauren, Books Beyond the Story.

The Old Dragon’s Head is a historical fantasy and supernatural thriller set during the Ming Dynasty and played out in the shadows the Great Wall of China. It explores the secret history of the influences that shaped the beginnings of modern times. ISBN 9781789015829.

‘The author is an excellent storyteller.” – British Fantasy Society.

Set during the Great Enlightenment, The Coronation reveals the secret history of the Industrial Revolution. ISBN 9781838591885.

“The novel explores the themes of belonging, outsiders… religion and war… filtered through the lens of the other-worldly.” – A. Deane, Page Farer Book Blog.

His latest, The Abdication (July, 2021), is a suspense thriller, a journey of destiny, wisdom and self-discovery. ISBN 9781800463950.

“In Topeth, Tula confronts the truth, her faith in herself, faith in a higher purpose, and ultimately, what it means to abdicate that faith.”

http://www.justinnewland.com/ https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Genes-Isis-Justin-Newland-ebook/dp/B07D7FMDZG/

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