Pre-Order The Gaia Solution

The Gaia Solution, the third book in The Gaia Collection, is available to pre-order on Kindle with an official release date on November 8th on both ebook and paperback.

Kira, Jed and their friends have fled New Corporation and joined the Resistance, but their relief is short-lived as they discover how decimated the human race has become and learn of an environmental crisis that threatens to destroy their existence. Kira and Jed must travel up the mountain to the New Corporation stronghold, City 50, to bargain for sanctuary while Martha and Dina risk everything to return to City 42 and save those who are left. With the last of her reserves Gaia, the fading spirit of the Earth uses her remaining influence to guide Kira and her friends but ultimately, it’s up to humanity to make the right choice. 

Once again the cover artwork has been skilfully created by Ian Bristow of Bristow Designs.

If you haven't yet read the first two books in the series, allow me to get all excited and tell you all about them.

The Gaia Effect won the 2017 Raven Award for best Sci-Fi & Fantasy book and is my debut novel. 

Set two hundred years in our future, in City 42, Corporation look after you from cradle to grave. They protect you from the radiation outside the wall. They control the food, the water, the technology and most important of all, the continuation of the human race. Kira and Jed Jenkins were lucky enough to win Collection but when their friends start falling pregnant naturally, everything changes. How long has Corporation been lying to them? Is it really toxic outside the wall? As the group comes to terms with the changes in their lives they discover there is a much more powerful and ancient force at work, trying to bridge the gap between man and nature.

Watch the book trailer below, visit Amazon to get your copy and read some of the amazing reviews from readers. 

The second book in the series, The Gaia Project, is a direct follow-on to the story. And again, the cover was designed by the talented Ian Bristow.

While Martha Hamble gets to grips with being Governor of City 42, Kira and Jed Jenkins travel to City 15 but they are not prepared for what they find. Corporation are tightening their grip on those who don't conform, threatening to split families and reassign the natural-born children. With Gaia weakened, the group of friends must try to find a safe place to live and help the spirit of the Earth recover but everything stands against them. Will Corporation succeed in their tougher regime or can Kira and her friends find a new home?

The Gaia Project has been described by readers as an absolutely fantastic read and a great follow-on book. It's also been called my Empire which I took as a massive compliment (Star Wars reference).

It too has a book trailer you can watch and is, of course, available in ebook and paperback on Amazon.

I think my favourite take-away from reader reviews is that the books are hopeful dystopian and I don't think there is a lot of that around at the moment which is great. We need some hope for our future.

As always if you read The Gaia Collection or indeed any of my books, I would be thrilled beyond measure if you could leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads and anywhere else you review books. It really does mean a lot that you took the time to leave a review and don't panic - it doesn't have to be an essay! One or two lines on what you liked is just fine. 

Thank you so much for going on this hopeful dystopian journey with me, Kira and Jed and their friends. I have learnt so much from writing this trilogy and they will always have a special place in my heart. 

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. 

A Slice of Cake With... Mary R Woldering

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with Mary R. Woldering.

Mary is retired, a granny of 4, mystical, stubborn, spouse of Dr. Jackie Woldering, artisan and teller of tales.

What kind of books do you write?

Fantasy-historical-mythology-paranormal-sci-fi-romance-urban-adult!

Can you describe your writing why?

I like telling stories. Writing is me telling them to a wider audience and imparting my own life lessons as an elder. 

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

You’re killing me. I have so many. One I post on takeovers is this one from Book 2 Going Forth By Day. It’s called Ariennu and the King. In this Ariennu has become a concubine of the ailing king. Already angling for ways she will free herself she has become aware of palace intrigue.

The day had been particularly draining for King Menkaure. Ariennu rubbed his shoulders with hot oil the way she did every night. Once he relaxed, she bent forward to whisper seductively in his ear.

“Your Great Majesty, what is it His Highness, the Great One of Five, places in your wine to calm you in the evening?”

The king raised one brow, pausing at her audacity, but then reflected on her words. His hand reached up to affectionately pat her hand. “You worry for your king,” his expression grew distant. 

Ari sensed something in the tone of his voice at that moment but didn’t understand the nature of his thoughts. He seemed detached. The words ‘my death’ formed in her heart. She wondered if the king was thinking he would die soon. 

The only “king” she had ever considered was Marai. She thought of the luxury in which she had lived these past few days, but also thought of the dreadful emptiness in her life as she lived in the service of these two different godly men. 

Quiet, yet gentle and reassuring words that seemed to be part of a spell or a prayer filtered through her thoughts. 

It was as if Marai recited them to her through time. Her instincts told her to repeat them, that they would comfort the man in her care. She whispered them in Menkaure’s ear as they played in her heart: 

“If emptiness flourishes, my king cannot take his food. If my king flourishes, emptiness cannot take its food.” 

The thrill of her words raced through both men’s hearts; one struggling in the depth of a deathlike dream, the other dreaming of death in a candle-lit room. 

“The words--” Menkaure paused. A tear caught in the corner of one of his eyes. His lower lip dimpled slightly. “How is it that a woman such as yourself, a sojourner, knows them? They are taught to the sacred only,” the king blinked, then moved his lips to her ear. 

“Do you know the rest?” he asked. “Gladden my sad heart, woman of the fire. Speak her words to me so I can hear them again.” 

Ariennu felt her own heart skip as a quiet spirit drifted through her. 

At first, she thought it was Naibe’s essence, but then she knew it was the spirit of a very different young woman who had died. 

Goddess. He loved a young goddess, but she was taken from him. He did not protect her! Her heart thrilled to the sound of the king’s words. She couldn’t explain to him how she knew them, or why she felt compelled to repeat them. 

“Take me with you, beloved, that I may eat of what you eat,” she spoke calmly but realized that such a spoken devotion asked for love beyond the tomb. She could never give anyone but Marai that kind of devotion. 

The king rose from his couch to fetch the onyx cup which rested near the edge of the coals in the brazier. He poured liquid from an ewer into the cup, then sat on his couch, crossed his legs, and faced her. 

“Close your eyes, woman,” he gently commanded her. 

Ariennu closed her eyes obediently. 

Menkaure reached up and sweetly touched her closed eyelids as if he was blessing them, then spoke the companion piece to her words: 

“That I may eat of what you eat... that I may drink of what you drink, that I may be strong ...” his voice broke here and Ariennu almost opened her eyes when she heard him pause. “That whereby you are strong...” Then, he tipped the vessel to her lips. She sipped a quarter of the draught. 

“Open your eyes to me woman of wisdom, Your s...” he started, but stopped himself. 

Ariennu knew he had been about to say: Your servant begs you. She lulled him to sleep in her arms as a strange, unearthly calm stole over her. She needed to ask the Count why he felt it was necessary to dose his king so heavily. 

Tell us about your latest project

I have a short story going into Dreamtime Damsels and Fatal Femmes released this September. The story is Miss Hattie and the Hoppers and takes 2 characters from my Egyptian series (as they are very bright and semi-immortal) traveling through time. They have run into a problem in East Tennessee in 1876. An old maid schoolmarm joins them while trying to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. 

What is your favourite cake?

I am particularly fond of red velvet cake if I can get a moist piece with cream cheese frosting. I don’t eat cake very often these days.

It's a great cake choice, Mary! You can follow Mary on Twitter and Facebook, all her books are available on Amazon. 

Join me next week when I'll be having a slice of cake with Kirsten McTiernan.

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.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

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 poem - Scared of a 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

Poem from Spooky Little Book (Little Book Series, #4) available now at Amazon & Smashwords.

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. 

A Slice of Cake With... Nathan Burrows

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with Nathan Burrows.

Nathan Burrows is a writer based in Norfolk in the United Kingdom. His debut novel, a legal thriller called Blind Justice, was published in March 2018.

His latest book - Man Down - is a heart-thumping military story about British medics working in Afghanistan. Set in 2006 at the height of the fiercest war fighting that British troops had seen since the Falklands war, it's a gripping tale of heroism set in a world that few have experienced.

He's also the author of a dark comedy trilogy set in Norfolk. The first in the series is The Butcher, a deliciously funny story about - amongst other things - sausages. The second in the series is The Baker, which features Norfolk's most useless cult. And finally, The Candlestick Maker is about a fitness instructor with a difference.

Nathan's a keen reader as well as a writer. He occasionally runs marathons, has a Norwich City football club season ticket, and is the proud part-owner of a Daschund puppy called Bertie.

What kind of books do you write?

Okay, bit of a mixed bag really. I tend to write what interests me at the time, and in the genres that I enjoy reading. For example, I am a big fan of authors like Tom Sharpe, Lesley Thomas, and of course Douglas Adams – so I’ve written a comedy series. At the same time, I’m a big fan of John Grisham, hence the legal thriller I’ve written. For me, it’s about emulating the writers whose work I enjoy the most.

Can you describe your writing why?

I don’t watch television, and I lead a pretty monastic life (but without all the praying and stuff) during the week. So it keeps me busy and out of trouble. The main thing is I enjoy it – call it a God complex, but I really enjoy having total control over my (fictional) characters. What happens to them, what they do, how it all ends up. It’s like having total control, but that all falls apart when I finish writing and I realise that they’ve gone their own way. A really good writing session for me is when I sit back and think – well, I wasn’t expecting them to do that!

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

Nope, sorry. Can’t answer that one, because it’s the last chapter of The Butcher. If I told you what it was, then it ruin the whole book!

Tell us about your latest project

Man Down. A military thriller. Very different from my other books, released this September. Bit of a roller-coaster, I hope!

What is your favourite cake?

Easy. French Fancies (yellow or pink icing are by far the best! 

Stay in touch with Nathan on Facebook and Twitter.

Join me next week when I'll be having a slice of cake with Mary Woldering.

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.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

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. 

A Slice of Cake With... Alexa Whitewolf

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with Alexa Whitewolf.

Alexa Whitewolf is a dog-loving, caffeine-addicted, all-around travelling enthusiast. Author of three series of fantasy, paranormal and young adult, she spends her nights dreaming up new stories and her days fighting reality. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband and two mischievous furballs- Zeus and Achilles.  

What kind of books do you write?

Alexa Whitewolf is a dog-loving, caffeine-addicted, all-around travelling enthusiast. Author of three series of fantasy, paranormal and young adult, she spends her nights dreaming up new stories and her days fighting reality. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband and two mischievous I write stories that don’t end up in one particular genre. I’ve written romance suspense that ends up mixed in with action/adventure and mafia elements; I’ve written paranormal romance mixed in with fairytale/mythological components; I’ve also written fantasy but the romance variety, mixed in with historical/mythological/legend retelling, specifically with the Arthurian legend, but in my version you find Faes and sorcerers and demons and fallen gods, Definitely nothing that falls into a single word!furballs- Zeus and Achilles.  

Can you describe your writing why?

Emotions! Since I was a kid, I’ve always been a ball of energy packed with emotions. It wasn’t until I did aikido while in high school that I learned to master them. Another way to do that? Writing. I pour everything I feel into writing, because it keeps me sane. And knowing someone on the other end is reading my words, absorbing how my characters interact with one another, THAT is the truest motivation for everything I write! 

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

I started answering this question three times and deleted my answer, so I’ll go back to my original one. This is a section from Avalon Nightmares. In my version of the Arthurian legend, Morgana and Merlin are lovers, but something tears them apart, leading Morgana to hate his guts and want to destroy him. This is a part towards the end of the book, when they meet once more….and Morgana has a chance at revenge.

Tell us about your latest project

Oufff ok, so I started this year working on 4 novels, and so far have wrapped up 3 of the 4. One is progress now and I can’t quite share that, but the one I just finished is my 3rd wolf book, Third to Tumble. The story goes back to Rockland Creek where my favourite four werewolves live, and follows the rule-follower/ex-lawyer/Irish Finn, as he falls in love with the mysterious Elisandra…Who’s not all she seems.

I absolutely LOVED writing these two! Finn is a real sweetheart, but what I truly enjoyed was pushing his buttons. In the first two books, you see him as this cool, collected guy, always telling Dom & Tristan (the other two wolves) to listen to their alpha (Lucas), even when their respective love interests make them act all haywire. 

That being said, in Third to Tumble, Finn definitely loses that “cool, collected” exterior and shows his, err, more primal self.

I also loved digging into Irish mythology to pull a couple folkloric creatures into the storyline, as well as my usual Romanian ones. 

You can find more about the series and read excerpts on my website: www.alexawhitewolf.com/moonlight-rogues 

And they’re also all available on Amazon & all retailers. Plus, I sell all my books via Payhip as well, and you can get some cool discounts when you buy more than one! 

What is your favourite cake?

Tiramisu!!! But, with loads and loads of rum. I’ve got a sweet tooth, it’s a miracle I was able to stick to one for this answer hehe!

A great choice! You can also connect with Alexa on Facebook and Twitter. 

Join me next week when I'll be having a slice of cake with Nathan Burrows.

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.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

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 poem - What day is it?

I know that all the days end in Y
Although exactly which one I cannot lie
I have not a clue where I should be
It's pretty tricky for me you see

I get woken up and the kids are off
I don't even have time to cough
Before we have to run out the door
Have I remembered to do enough

There are letters and forms and things to post
Places to go and people to see
But I have no clue what needs doing the most
Or whether I have elsewhere to be

I try to stay on top of it
Make out I'm in control
I sorta know little bits
Down here, in my hole

Of things I haven't done yet
And stuff I need to get to
So let's get ready, let's get set
Form up in an orderly queue

Cos today's the day
Today's the one
I'll find a way
To get it done!

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. 

A Slice of Cake With... Catherine Mesick

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with Catherine Mesick.

Catherine Mesick is the author of Pure, Firebird, Dangerous Creatures, and Ghost Girl. She is a graduate of Pace University and Susquehanna University. She lives in Maryland.

What kind of books do you write?

My favourite thing to do is to take a character who has no knowledge (or very little knowledge) of magic and drop him or her into a situation in which she/he is suddenly faced with the supernatural and must learn very quickly how to deal with it. And, of course, there is always a mystery or secret that my character alone has the ability to solve/unravel!

Can you describe your writing why?

I write because—apart from spending time with people I love—writing is the most enjoyable activity in the world. I love creating new people and places and new magical things. Through writing, I hope to add just a little bit of wonder to the world, and I hope that readers feel inspired after finishing one of my books—I hope they feel like they can do anything and be whoever they want to be.

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

This scene was a lot of fun to write—it’s from Ghost Girl, and it appears at the beginning of the book— Katie, the main character, is having a birthday party. She realizes that a vampire is lurking outside, and she has to go out and convince the vampire to go away before anyone notices her. (GM is Katie’s grandmother, and William is Katie’s boyfriend. And there’s more about Ghost Girl in the next question.)

Dinner resumed, but I didn’t hear much of the conversation. I kept casting furtive glances out the window to see if I could spot what had caught William’s attention.

And then I saw it.

I caught a flash of white cloth and golden curls—someone was outside the house and was lingering near the window.

I stood up quickly.

“I’ll be right back,” I said.

GM looked up at me. “Where are you going?”

“I—just have to leave for a moment,” I said. I began to hurry around the table, and then I headed toward the curtain GM had hung up.

GM looked after me in concern. “Are you ill, Katie?”

“No!” I said quickly. “Yes! I—I’m not sure. I just have to leave for a moment. Please don’t follow.”

“All right,” GM said doubtfully.

I plunged through the curtain and ran for the front door. I wrenched the door open, and standing on the other side was a girl who looked to be no more than nineteen years old. She had long, blond ringlets and pale white skin, and she was wearing a white summer dress and silver sandals on her dainty feet. The entire effect was one of fragile, angelic beauty, but the girl in front of me was far from angelic—and she was much older than nineteen.

Her lips curled into a smile when she saw me. “Hello, kitten.”

I stepped out of the house and closed the door behind me firmly.

“Hello, Veronika,” I said.

Tell us about your latest project

My latest book is titled Ghost Girl, and it’s the fourth book in my series, Pure. In the previous book, a vampire named Veronika had given Katie’s true love, William, a cure that had saved his life. She had also told Katie that she would return later to demand payment. In this book, Veronika returns and demands that payment. She wants Katie to find the infamous “ghost girl,” or else she will take back the cure that she gave to William, and William will die. The only trouble is that the ghost girl doesn’t exist.

What is your favourite cake?

Like Lizzie Page, whom you interviewed back in November, I have celiac disease, so I can only eat gluten-free cake. Back when I still ate gluten, I used to love anything fruit-flavoured—especially a lemon cake with jam filling. Plain yellow cake with vanilla icing is also one of my favourites. I found a lovely recipe for a plain yellow cake here that includes both metric and imperial measurements. (I believe they omitted the conversion for the temperature. 350 degrees Fahrenheit is approximately 177 degrees Celsius.) And you do have to scroll down a bit to get to the recipe!) And, of course, you can ice it any way you wish. 

Thanks for the gluten-free recipe, I'll be sure to pass it on to my mum. You can find out all about Catherine on her website, follow her on Facebook and Twitter. 

Join me next week when I'll be having a slice of cake with Alexa Whitewolf.

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.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

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 poem - Back to School

Tomorrow, tomorrow, it happens tomorrow
And while my heart is not filled with sorrow
I may miss him a little

The summer has been long, the summer has been hot
We have done our best not to get tied up in knots
But it will be strange

The days have stretched ever onwards with no limitations
Yet the children continue to be filled with high expectations
I shall be glad of the rest

Autumn snuck in through the back garden gate
But summer hasn't quite realised its terminal fate
The school run doth begin

The weather forecast says sixty percent rain
I look forward to walking both ways yet again
He'll get there on time

Year two is looming ahead of him now
He'll get through some way, somehow
I can't be there

I'll dress him up smart and take him to the gate
I won't forget to pick him up or ever be late
He's counting on me

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.