Wednesday 31 October 2018

A Slice of Cake With... Margena Holmes

This week I am thrilled to be having a slice of cake with indie author Margena Holmes.

Margena Adams Holmes was born in Bellflower, CA sometime in the 1960s. She has always had a love for both reading and writing, writing her first song/poem in 1st grade. She read the Little House series of books several times until the covers fell off, then as an adult, read the Harry Potter series until the covers fell off. She also loves Sandra Brown’s novels as well as biographies.

As a writer, Margena is an observer of life, and many everyday things could (and do!) end up in her writings. Attending concerts, working her “real” job, and even the Weather Channel has helped Margena in many of her novels. Most recently, her novels have turned to science fiction, where she could “create anything and have the characters go anywhere because it’s my world”. Always looking for writing opportunities, Margena has written for and put together several newsletters for her employer and her church, and wrote several poems in high school which were either published in the yearbook or presented at school functions.

Margena has written for Examiner.com, Kapost, and the now-defunct Yahoo Contributor Network, where she earned the title of Top 500 Contributor for her story on the Black Forest fires in Colorado.

She currently lives in Colorado with her family, where she enjoys hiking, photography, and scrapbooking. She also loves Star Wars, Star Trek, and going to the Renaissance Festival each year. Although she is in Colorado, she still supports her Los Angeles Kings and Los Angeles Dodgers.


What kind of books do you write?

I write in a variety of genres. I started off with just general fiction that is more character-driven. I grew up with Star Wars and Star Trek, so of course, I’d venture into building my own worlds with lots of action and a variety of characters. I also have a book about my time working at a movie theatre. You see some pretty strange things while working there! I pretty much write wherever my imagination (and sometimes reality) takes me.


Can you describe your writing why?

Because I have a story to tell. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, from the time I was about 6 years old and wrote my first “song.” I always enjoyed my English Lit classes in school. I just love words!


Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

“Mother, Father,” Jory said. “This is Evalycer Nicholls. Evalycer, King Leander and Queen Arika.”
“Your Majesties,” Evalycer said, nodding her head politely to the both of them.
Queen Arika went over to Evalycer and hugged her. Jory could see how uncomfortable Evalycer was, as she had not expected this kind of informality from the queen.
“Thank you for what you did for Maryllia,” Arika said. “I hear that she could have lost her leg if you hadn’t cut the chemical out.”
“I just did what I had to do, ma’am, and what Maryllia would have done for me,” Evalycer said, taking a step back from the queen. 
“Leander and I spoke, and we’d like to honor you with a title for helping our daughter.”
Evalycer froze. When she found her voice again, she said, “That really isn’t necessary, ma’am.” 
“We insist,” King Leander said.
Evalycer stammered her thanks, gave a nod to them both, and backed out of the room. Jory followed. 
“No!” she shouted to Jory. “Absolutely not. No title. That is so not me.”
Jory grinned, amused at her reaction. “I’ll talk to them and let them know it’s not what you want.”
Evalycer visibly relaxed. “Thank you.”
“I’ll see you later. I’m going home to my wife and a home-cooked meal.”
“I’m going to find a card game somewhere,” she said. “See ya later.”


Tell us about your latest project

My latest project is The Elixir Deception, Book Two in the Elixir Series. Prince Jory is tasked with getting the Elixir to the planet Foridian, but deception leads the crew into danger with the space pirates of Ganta Zay.

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elixir-Deception-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B07G9P7FY4/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

What is your favourite cake?

Before I had to go gluten-free it was Red Velvet cake. Nowadays, I just eat the icing!


A great cake choice Margena - I'm sure somebody, somewhere is making a gluten-free version! For those of you baking along, here is a recipe for Red Velvet Cake. I'm looking forward to making this one.

You can follow Margena on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with her writing news.

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with writer Jeanne Richards, grilling them gently about their writing life and of course sharing their favourite cake.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.


Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Tuesday 30 October 2018

Tuesday Poem - Ghost in the Fridge

There's a ghost in the fridge
No, listen, it's true
It ate my cheese sandwich
Oh, if only you knew!

I'll put things in there
Thinking they're safe
But this ghost doesn't share
Let me make my case

It wasn't me who ate all the cake
And last week with the pudding
I'm on a diet for goodness sake
I didn't even get a look in

It's cleared out the leftovers
Munched through the veg
Left an empty box of clover
But eaten the ham, cold chicken and eggs

So if I know it's not me
And you say it's not you
Then who else can it be
Besides the one who goes boo


If you enjoyed this spooky poem, why not check out my latest poetry book - Spooky Little Book of Verse, a collection of thirty-one poems celebrating Halloween and other spine-chilling moments. Hide behind the sofa, watch out for the monsters under the bed and stock up on candy - you're going to need it!



If you're looking for something to do this Halloween, why not take part in the Sparkly Badgers' Ghost Hunt over on Facebook, just click here to take you to the event - it's free to join in and you can win a whole host of spooktacular books.




Good luck and happy ghost hunting!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Sunday 28 October 2018

Happy Halloween

*** NEW RELEASE ***

Spooky Book of Verse (Volume 3) is now available on Kindle and paperback so enjoy thirty-one poems celebrating Halloween and other spine-chilling moments. Hide behind the sofa, watch out for the monsters under the bed and stock up on candy - you're going to need it! 


This little book of poetry includes delights such as What Would Buffy Do? and Spider plus the terrifying Monster Under My Bed:

There's a monster under my bed
It's alright, his name is Fred
He likes to play with the dust bunnies
And when I fart in bed he thinks its funny
He's good at growling deep down low
Which keeps the others away, this I know
All sorts will move in if you're not careful
And let me tell you that's not accidental
They like it under there all dusty and dark 
To them it's like a fab theme park
With plenty of rides and plenty of snacks
Fred just makes sure they never unpack
Yes, there's a monster under my bed
I'm very glad, I do love Fred

Spooky Little Book of Verse joins Summer Dreaming and Little Book of Verse plus the results of NaPoWriMo, Spring Fling. All these poetry books are available on Kindle and paperback and make excellent short reads, ideal for coffee breaks and the commute to work. 



*** SPARKLY BADGERS' GHOST HUNT ***

That's not all I have for you this Halloween - join in with the Sparkly Badgers and get your EMF meters ready for our Ghost Hunt!



The event will run across Facebook from Monday 29th October until Wednesday 31st October, here's the link to the event - Sparkly Badgers' Ghost Hunt - everyone's invited!

Be brave and grab your torches, find all the ghosts, collect all the letters and submit the spooky phrase to enter the prize draw and win sweets & books. Everyone who enters gets to choose a book prize but only one lucky hunter will go away with every eBook on offer. 

How does it work???

You start here: www.cbvisions.weebly.com and you look for a ghost somewhere on the website.

Find the ghost, get the letter and click to go through to the next clue. Each website/blog will have a ghost hidden somewhere. All you have to do is find them and collect all the letters.

Once you have the spooky phrase, post in the event and we'll enter you into the grand prize draw to win 13 spooktacular eBooks.



Good luck and happy ghost hunting!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Wednesday 24 October 2018

A Slice of Cake With... Assaph Mehr

This week I am thrilled to be having a slice of cake with indie author Assaph Mehr.

Assaph has been a bibliophile since he learnt to read at the age of five, and a Romanophile ever since he first got his hands on Asterix, way back in elementary school. This exacerbated when his parents took him on a trip to Rome and Italy - he whinged horribly when they dragged him to "yet another church with baby angels on the ceiling", yet was happy to skip all day around ancient ruins and museums for Etruscan art. 

He has since been feeding his addiction for books with stories of mystery and fantasy of all kinds. A few years ago he randomly picked a copy of a Lindsay Davis' Marcus Didius Falco novel in a used book fair, and fell in love with Rome all over again, this time from the viewpoint of a cynical adult. His main influences in writing are Steven Saylor, Lindsey Davis, Barry Hughart and Boris Akunin. 

Assaph now lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife, kids, cats, and - this being Australia - assorted spiders. By day he is a software product manager, bridging the gap between developers and users, and by night he's writing - he seems to do his best writing after midnight.


What kind of books do you write?

From one of the Iron Age’s greatest culture, comes a detective that deals with the weird and unexplained. Purloined letters and missing jewellery may pay for his nightly wine (as does selling charms to unsuspecting country bumpkins), but when people die in what looks like cult murders or when whole apartment blocks become haunted by old gods – there is only one person in town you can call for efficient and discreet service.

Here is his “business card” – the slogan he chalks on Forum walls:



Can you describe your writing why?

Quite simply, these are the stories I want to read. I grew up on classic Sci-Fi and Fantasy, as well as a lot of detectives (from Holmes to Poirot). I fell in love with Ancient Rome when I first met Asterix. When I grew up, I loved reading Roman-era detectives (like Lindsey Davis and Ruth Downie), as well as darker fantasy.

I’ve had the idea behind Murder In Absentia kicking a can in the back of my head for a good few years. Then one night my wife complained she has nothing she wants to read. So after everyone was in bed, I sat down and started to write. I knew what the story was all about (where is starts and where it ends) and I weaved in my love for ancient Rome and dark urban fantasy.

I haven’t stopped writing since, because I enjoy the stories so much. That others love them too, is humbling.





Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

Right out of In Numina, this one is when Felix is stuck at home in a foul mood:

Given my impaired mobility, I could not take on another case. I was in no condition to walk far, but I limped down to the docks between the grain and fish markets, found a good corner, and left a honey-cake in the shrine of the nearest crossroad lar. I chalked ‘FORTUNES TOLD, CURSES IDENTIFIED’ on the wall, sat down on a folding stool under it, put on airs, and busied myself with a scroll by Thrasyllus on star-gazing which looked impressive with all its strange and foreign symbols.

People being what they are, especially sailors and dock-workers, I scraped enough quadrans and semis that day to cover a night of drinking. Calculating people’s horoscopes is tedious, but at least cleaner than haruspicy. One sailor wanted me to write a curse against his fellow, whom he swore stole his lucky fascinum when they were asleep. I scribbled a supplication to Hygieia — about as magical as a bucket of piss — to withdraw her protection from the thief’s health. I also sold him a mild laxative in the guise of ‘special medicine’ and told him to slip it in the evening meal whilst at sea to reveal the guilty party to all. On the off-chance he was wrong about the culprit, the laxative was to go into the main pot and the supplication into the fire. I taught him meaningless doggerel to repeat, so I could claim it was his fault for botching it. Thoughts of future winds generated below decks by an overly flatulent crew cheered me up.



Tell us about your latest project

I’ve just released In Numina, the second Story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic. In it, Felix is hired to deal with haunted apartment blocks (because size matters). What starts as a ghost story quickly delves into the occult underbelly or the Roman-inspired city of Egretia, and spills into the law-courts for a politically charged case at the highest level of society.




What is your favourite cake?

“Russian cake” which is my combined version of two distinct Russian cakes: medavik (honey cake) and smetanik (cream cake). My wedding vows include baking this cake for my wife. (Also included are pickling tomatoes and letting her have the final word – in matters of fashion).



Thanks for the yummy sounding cake, Assaph! They're both new ones for me so I'm excited to have a go at baking these cakes. For those readers baking along here is a recipe for medavik and one for smetanik.

You can keep in touch with Assaph on his website where you can also find his blog. Follow him on Facebook and tweet along with him @assaphmehr

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with writer Margena Holmes, grilling them gently about their writing life and of course sharing their favourite cake.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.


Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Tuesday 23 October 2018

What Would Buffy Do?

When I hear something go bump in the night
And things don't feel exactly right
I ask a very important question

What would Buffy do?
She'd go investigate, find out what's going on
With her team of Scoobies, they'd have some fun

When it gets a bit dark and a little bit creepy
And I feel all alone and somewhat weepy
I ask a very important question

What would Buffy do?
She'd banish the shadows and turn on the light
Never give up, always fight the good fight

When the apocalypse is on its way
And it doesn't look like anyone will win the day
I ask a very important question

What would Buffy do?
She'd hit the books, more or less
Find out how to clean up the mess

When my boyfriend dumps me and rips out my heart
And everything around me starts falling apart
I ask a very important question

What would Buffy do?
She'd pretend to gut him with a very big knife
Then suck it up and take back her life

My Giles might look on with a bit of a frown
My Xander will always act the class clown
My Willow will protect me as best she can
But I've realised I'm the Buffy, number one fan


W.W.B.D by AFineFrenzy on DeviantArt



Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Monday 22 October 2018

Prepping for NaNoWriMo - The Gaia Solution

Those of you who are super organised and planning to take part in NaNoWriMo have probably already spent October planning for the novel you are going to write next month.

However, if any of you are like me, you will have had numerous good intentions throughout October. You may have read various blog posts, shared prepping tips, perhaps even had a conversation with other indie authors about what you are going to write. But you may not have actually done any planning. 

So, here are my tips for planning for NaNo. The takeaway here is even if you don't have time to physically write down answers for each point, if you at least start thinking about them you will have a good idea of what direction to write in when you are trying to hit your 1667 words per day goal.

I'm going to run through these questions with my NaNo project which is The Gaia Solution, book three in The Gaia Collection series. 

The Basics



What is your novel about? My NaNo project is the third book in The Gaia Collection.

Where is the story set? The Gaia Solution is set in my dystopian future but this time we are travelling across the ocean to a new country.

Who are the characters? The main characters from book one - Kira, Jed, Martha, Ruth, Dina & Max plus new characters from book two - Zac and Artem.

What's the problem? **spoilers** I know but you don't yet - I can't give everything away!

How is the protagonist introduced? Oooh, I'm very excited about the opening scenes that I've planned.

What do you want people to know? I want them to feel the desperation from the situation my MCs are in plus **spoilers**

What is the inciting event? **spoilers** hehe 


My Characters



What problems do the characters have? They're in a different country and **spoilers**

How will your characters fail? They're going to make a huge mistake and it will be difficult to overcome the consequences.

What responsibilities will the character take? They're going to be responsible for the rest of humanity.

How will they overcome these problems? They need to trust each other.

Will your characters rage or cry? Both, possibly at the same time.

Do your characters share their failure? I'm fairly sure everyone will witness the failure but I haven't written it yet so I don't know what will happen.


Think about the ending




How does the core problem get resolved? I'm not sure, I think we might have to utterly fail before we can succeed. 

What is the ultimate showdown? New Corporation will have to clash with The Resistance in some way.

How do your protagonists hope to win? I do not know...

How do they fail? They won't fail - this much I do know, throughout the series the books have been hopeful dystopia so there will be hope.

How is the conflict resolved for the ending? I do not know...

How do the protagonists change? They will have to adapt to new situations and new loss, it's going to be interesting to see how they write themselves.

What have they learnt? **spoilers**


Plotting



What is the character arc? I have several characters so I'm really going to have to look closely at each character arc in order for maximum effect.

What are the major plot points? I wish I could tell you but some of it is conjecture and most of it is **spoilers** but I can tell you this much, it's already making me cry...

Three plot points at the beginning: I've got a tragic event, the fallout and meeting the New Resistance.

Three plot points in the middle: Unexpected situation, a sobering discovery and getting ready for the fight.

Three plot point at the end: The big fight, the fallout and the result - I cannot say anymore! 


And all of this is subject to change because you know - it's NaNoWriMo, first draft palooza and who knows what will happen halfway through November while we strive to hit our 1667 daily word target.

I wish you all the very best of luck this November. Remember to horde your snacks and set up a caffeine drip. 


Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Wednesday 17 October 2018

A Slice of Cake With... Ian Bristow

This week I am thrilled to be having a slice of cake with artist and indie author Ian Bristow.


Ian is the talented book cover artist behind Bristow Design, the award-winning author of the Conner’s Odyssey trilogy and a standalone novel, Hunting Darkness. He enjoys creating works of art and playing music - good food and a few beers with friends don’t hurt his feelings either. You can check out Ian's art on his Deviant Art profile.



What kind of art do you create?

Um… I paint fantasy! No, seriously, I love to paint everything from realism to fantastical. I think that to stay inspired, one must stay open. And with Bristow Design, my book cover artwork service is dedicated to offering professional design solutions at a price that won’t break the bank.



Can you describe your artistic why?

The way I feel when I do it. The way I feel when it’s done. The excitement of having ne ideas. The challenge of reaching goals. And definitely the way it feels when I am able to capture someone else’s vision. It is a really amazing feeling. 


Share with us your favourite painting

This is Balrog Vs Patronus:



Tell us about your latest project

One of my latest projects has been to create time-lapse videos for my work. Here’s one of my recent videos:



What is your favourite cake?

Strawberry Shortcake! It's amazing!


Well, Ian, I'm pretty sure we can have a go at making that! For those who are baking along, here is a recipe for Strawberry Shortcake

You can keep in touch with Ian via Facebook and Twitter

I must also add that Ian is the cover designer for three of my books - so far! The Rose Thief, The Gaia Project and the most recent, coming soon, The Interspecies Poker Tournament.


Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with indie author Assaph Mehr, grilling them gently about their writing life and of course sharing their favourite cake.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.


Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Tuesday 16 October 2018

Tuesday Poem - Spider

Wait! What's that?
It ran under the mat
There's nothing there now

Out the corner of my eye
Several legs wave goodbye
Did I imagine that scuttle?

I'm sitting on edge
My feet on a ledge
In case it comes to get me

A web suddenly appears
Increasing my fears
That we've been invaded

They're good for the flies
But that doesn't stop the cries
As I run and hide

He's black and hairy
Most definitely scary
And he lives in my flat

I won't ask him to leave
Not even say please
As long as he doesn't eat me

Don't walk on my face
Or build a web in my space
And I'll let you stay

Otherwise, it's a glass trap
While you take a nap
And hubby will take you outside



Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Her latest novel, The Gaia Project, is out now! Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.

Sunday 14 October 2018

Chapter 1 - The Gaia Project



C42N: Retraining courses still available - have you registered?


ACAD: Grow Your Own filling up quick. Today is the final sign up for this rotation. Don't miss out!


ANON17: Grow your own is poison. They're hoarding food!


GOVHAM: Come to the next open taster, click for details. All food grown in Camp Eden is safe to eat. There are no contaminants. We do not have hidden food supplies. Together we're looking after City 42.


C42N: Still no news from City 15. Have you heard from a loved one?

'I'm worried about Jed,' Kira said as she faced the multi-screen in front of her. It was meant to be synth-caf with the girls but lately it was physically difficult for them to all be in the same place at once. As it was, only Dina had linked in to the comm. They were still waiting for Ruth and Martha to appear.
'Why? What's happened? Has he been getting into more fights at work?' Dina sounded sincere but she was fiddling with something off camera, her attention not fully on Kira or the conversation.
'Oh no, nothing like that, he's just not himself. And he has a meeting with his boss today. He thinks they're going to force him to get a new partner but he says he can't think about it, not since...' Kira trailed off.
'Not since losing his sister and Pete.' Dina had stopped whatever she was doing and was looking straight at Kira. 'You've done everything you can for him you know. Grief is a difficult thing for people to process.'
'But it's been months. So much else has happened.' Kira looked at Dina with pleading eyes. 'I need him. I need you, all of you. I feel like I'm always all on my own.'
'I know, I'm sorry. There's so much to do here, I never seem to have a spare five minutes.' Dina looked away from the screen, her attention momentarily elsewhere. 'Huh. Thought I saw a bee.' She turned back to Kira. 'We've got bees here, did I tell you?'
'Yeah. I've been thinking I should come out to Camp Eden. Bring Grace with me. It would be good to see Max again, have a look at what you guys are getting up to out there. Visit the bees and everything.' Kira tried not to sound too desperate, but she wanted a change of scenery. Besides if there were bees at Camp Eden, maybe Kira would see Gaia as well.
'Yes! You should totally come. It would be great to see you.' Dina was grinning widely at the camera. There was a shout behind her and she whipped her head around, half rising from the chair. 'Oh wow - sorry Kira, I've got to go. They've spotted something in the trees, some kind of cat. It's so exciting. Catch up with you soon.' The connection went dead.
Kira sighed at the blank screen in front of her. So much for synth-caf with the girls. She was about to turn her comm link off when Martha's face blinked into view.
'Sorry I'm late. I can only stay for five minutes but I wanted to drop in and say hi to you all.' She looked puzzled. 'Where is everyone?'
'Hi, Ma. Dina had to go, they found a cat or something. And Ruth, well, Ruth hasn't turned up yet,' Kira replied, glad to see her friend but annoyed that she was already getting ready to bail.
'That's odd. Ruth didn't tell me she had other plans. At least, I don't think she did.' Martha frowned. 'Kira, I am so tired. I don't know whether I'm coming or going half the time. I've got another meeting in a few minutes, more problems with supplies and I have no idea how we're going to sort this one out.'
Kira took pity on her friend. 'You'll figure it out Ma, you always do.'
'Thanks, Kira. Look I've got to go but let's try and have dinner soon. We should get all the kids together as well. Ruth said Lucas was trying to crawl yesterday. I can't believe how much time has flown by.' Martha gave a little wave and disconnected her feed before Kira even had chance to agree to the dinner plans. It didn't matter anyway, they were always saying they would make plans but somehow never found the time to actually put them in the diary.
Kira realised that Martha had an important job. She was governor of City 42 and since the Anti-Corp rebellion had removed much of the previous administration, Martha had faced a huge job putting in new procedures and finding staff capable of carrying out her orders. They'd managed to fix the water problem with the nearby river supply and the combined effort of the city's inhabitants had repaired the old sewage works so that clean water came in and dirty water was recycled. Thank goodness Archive had all the records on how the system worked. Without the board members of Corporation to provide the passcodes so many of the city's systems were locked out. The food hydrators still worked but processed sachets were running low, as were medical supplies. No-one seemed to know where or how to get more.
Kira waited a few more minutes in front of the blank screen but there was no sign of Ruth. She pinged her comm, no answer. Since having her baby, Ruth had shrunk into herself. She'd stopped teaching full time in order to look after Sarah, and take care of Lucas for Martha, but she was still liaison for Academy which meant attending various government meetings as well. When Kira did occasionally see her, Ruth was quieter, made less of an effort with her appearance and frequently missed catch-ups like these. Turning off the screen, Kira decided to go and see Ruth at the apartment she shared with Martha. Make sure she was alright. She needed to talk to someone about Gaia. She hadn't seen any signs of the goddess for months. There was no talk of a blue lady on the sweeps and Kira wanted to know if any of her friends had seen something, anything. It felt strange that their lives had been so influenced by the spirit of the Earth yet now when they needed guidance more than ever before, she was nowhere to be found.
How did you even go about trying to find a spirit or god or whatever she was? The only thing Kira knew for sure was that too many people had seen Gaia for her to only be a figment of imagination. She went to get Grace ready to go out, determined to speak to at least one of her friends, in person.

DING: Latest species discovered in Camp Eden - Felis silvestris - a beautiful cat. Check out the images at CE's holopage.

It was lunchtime by the time Kira arrived at Ruth's door. Grace had decided she was hungry, then produced an explosive nappy which had required Kira to change the baby's outfit. She had then rushed to get Grace into her travel cube before she fell asleep. Kira felt harassed as she flashed her ident in order to gain access to Martha and Ruth's apartment block. Since Martha became governor and Dina had moved out to Camp Eden there had been lots of changes in their living arrangements. Kira often felt sad that her friends weren't the other side of the door, like it had been back when they had all shared a flat but, she knew it made sense for Martha to be seen as a person of importance and to live in a secure, elite, apartment block. At least she wasn't alone, she had Ruth with her.
There was no answer when Kira knocked on the door so she let herself in. Martha had keyed entry to Kira and Dina in case of emergencies.
'Ruth? Ruth - are you here? It's Kira.' There was no answer but the cry of a baby echoed down the hallway quickly followed by another.
'Oh for frig sake! You've woken them up!' Ruth yelled then appeared in a doorway holding her baby girl, Sarah and Martha's baby boy, Lucas. They were both screaming.
'I'm sorry. I was worried about you...' But Kira couldn't hear herself think over the screams of the babies so she hurried to take Lucas and was surprised when Ruth handed her both children. Kira glanced over at Grace to make sure she was still alright, glad she'd remembered to put the soundproofing on the travel cube. She was fast asleep. The babies stopped crying immediately, both children liked Kira and she held them close to her body, rocking herself and shushing to them.
'That never works for me,' Ruth said bitterly, glaring at Kira.
Kira looked at her friend. Ruth's hair looked unbrushed and matted in places. She had dark shadows under her eyes, her skin was pale and her shoulders slumped in defeat. 'Why didn't you vid me?' Kira asked softly. 'I could've come over, helped out.'
'Unless you can take over completely what's the point? It's the same mind-numbing grind, day in - day out. Half an hour here or there does nothing. I'm supposed to be at this meeting later and...' Ruth stopped talking as sobs started to escape.
Kira looked around for somewhere to put the children and saw a play cube in the living area. She gently placed both babies inside then set up a sensory loop to keep them entertained. Gentle music began to play accompanied by soft lights and shapes that moved across the cube walls. Kira went into the kitchen and made some synth-caf. She put all the dirty crockery into the steam washer and checked the fridge for baby milk. There was nothing prepared so she started a new batch. 'When did you last eat?' she asked Ruth.
Ruth shrugged her shoulders. Kira wondered if her friend even knew what day of the week it was. She looked in the cupboards. There wasn't much in there, but she found a couple of sachets of nutrient rich meals and activated them in the food hydrator. Then she steered her friend towards a chair and put a hot meal and drink in front of her. 'Eat,' Kira said and gestured at the untouched food. Ruth looked at it and shook her head.
'I don't have much of an appetite these days.' But she did as Kira asked, picking up a fork and toying with the food.
'Ruth, I do appreciate how hard it is having a baby, you know. Let me help you, please.'
Ruth stayed quiet.
Kira tried again. 'Look, I know I didn't go through labour like you did but I have had Grace since her birth. I know how tiring the constant crying can be, what sleepless nights feel like, the non-stop merry-go-round of bottle feeding, washing clothes, making more bottles and changing nappies. I do know how you feel.'
Ruth stared at Kira but still didn't speak.
'It feels like it'll never end but it does get easier, I promise.' Kira gave a small laugh. 'Either that or you finally get the hang of it. I know it's hard, believe me, I do, but, you have to start taking better care of yourself as well.'
Ruth snorted. 'How am I supposed to find the time to do that? Looking after Sarah and Lucas is a lot harder than looking after one, Kira. You have no idea how tired I am. And Martha is at work all the time, I get no help. I'm trying so hard to not rely on technology but it's ridiculous, I get no time for myself at all. Surely it shouldn't be this hard?' She shoved a spoonful of food into her mouth and avoided Kira's gaze.
Kira stayed quiet. She knew it was hard raising a child. Late night feeds and early morning wake up calls took it out of you. But she also knew that Martha had tried to hire night nannies and Ruth had point blank refused to accept what she termed outside help. The two friends sat in silence, one screaming silently for help but not knowing how to ask for it, the other wishing she knew what to do to make things better.
'What time is the meeting?' asked Kira once Ruth had finished eating.
'I'm not sure, I was going to feed the children and then take them to the office crèche. I think I've got all the reports I'm supposed to have.'
'Why don't I feed Lucas, you can do Sarah, and I'll walk with you over to Hamble HQ,' offered Kira.
Ruth smiled in thanks and went to get the children.


MSCHILD: Protest tomorrow in the Main Square. Bring back lab babies. Natural doesn't work!


ANON17: Never mind babies. Bring back Corp!
Bring back Corp!
Bring back Corp!


ENCRYPTED MESSAGE FROM NEW CORP TO 7421
>>STATUS REPORT DUE - UPDATE ON THE FOLLOWING:
1. FORCE
2. RESUPPLY
3. BABY LABS
4. PROPAGANDA<<

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE FROM 7421 TO NEW CORP
>>1. The new Security Guard measures have been accepted and implemented. The power shift within Force has begun but Minkov has forced a loophole. He's made Jed Jenkins Captain of the City Militia - we will have no jurisdiction over him.
2. Resupply is still blocked. No-one has managed to figure out the required codes. Supplies are low and will soon become critical.
3. Governor Hamble refuses to reinstate the baby labs. They remain inactive.
4. The use of anonymous sweeps is working well, support is wavering.
Additional question - what about City 15?<<

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE FROM NEW CORP TO 7421

>>REPORT RECEIVED. UNFORTUNATE DEVELOPMENTS AT FORCE BUT THEY WILL BE DEALT WITH. QUESTION NOTED. STAND BY FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION<<


You can get your copy of The Gaia Project in paperback or eBook from Amazon, just visit mybook.to/gaiaproject.

The Gaia Project is the sequel to The Gaia Effect, also available on Amazon. You can find out more about The Gaia Effect on my website where the first chapter is available to read. 

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Her latest novel, The Gaia Project, is out now! Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.