Monday, July 15, 2013

Untethered Realms Spotlight: Ellie Garratt and Taking Time



Congratulations to my fellow Untethered Realms member Ellie Garratt on the release of her latest short story collection Taking Time. Yay, Ellie!

Here is all the info on the book:


Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories

Book Blurb

Science fiction stories of time and space...

The future of humanity must be decided in Next Phase. Winning the Planetary Lottery is not as lucky as it first seems in Schrodinger's Gamble. An apocalypse and its aftermath threaten to tear one couple apart in Daiker's Children. In Life As I Know It a reclusive man finds both his heart and home invaded during an alien harvest. In Taking Time a demon seeking shelter on a distant planet finds himself facing a very different kind of demon, after answering a frontier settlement's plea for help.

Stories range from flash fiction to novelette in length.


Book Links


Competition

Win one of two $25.00 (£15) Amazon gift cards and a character named after you in an upcoming novella.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt from one of the Taking Time stories, Daiker's Children:


I picked up the heavy bundle of survival rations left for me in the exit corridor, took one last look at the door to The Facility through which one kind of future was offered, and then walked out into the yellow-tinged atmosphere of Southern England. The aliens’ offer of a safe living environment and human facsimiles stopped being an option the moment I learnt Jen had not made it to their facility. I had to find her even if it cost my life. She was my world, and a world without her was not one I wanted to live in.

During the days of alien-enforced quarantine–I have no idea how long it lasted because there were no clocks to tell the time or date–I forgot just how acrid Earth’s atmosphere had become. The toxic air outside the facility scratched my lungs like cats clawing sharp talons down my windpipe. My breathing slowed and became more laboured. I could hear myself starting to wheeze. As my eyes burned and watered and my vision deteriorated, I dropped my heavy backpack on the ground and pulled out the gasmask they gave me. A few fumbling seconds later, the clear plastic mask covered my nose and mouth, and cool, clean air refreshed me. Within seconds, my breathing returned to normal though the mask could not remove my memory of devastation’s stink–the sweet scent of burned bodies and a burnt-out civilisation.

I found it hard to believe there was ever a world, a safe world, as I gazed in horror at the toxic wasteland before me. A sea of atomic destruction blinked back. Nothing remained standing or intact except for the ruins of Exeter in the distance. I’d allowed myself to bask in a happy kind of naivety, ignorant of the destructive power our governments and military harboured. Now I faced the consequences. I vowed never to be so naive or stupid again. To find her meant questioning everything.

About The Author


A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre was published in March 2013 and contains nine previously published stories. Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories is her second short story collection.


 
 Author Links

26 comments:

  1. Already have her latest - way to go, Ellie!!

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  2. On my TBR list and will get to soon. Good luck Ellie! And still one of the best cover art books out there.

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  3. Congrats to Ellie! She's been quite prolific lately. :)

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  4. Congrats Ellie and nice seeing your book floating around.

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  5. Woo hoo for Ellie! Tweeted. :D I'll check to see if it's on the UR FB page.

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  6. This looks like such a fantastic story collection! The excerpt alone makes me want to read more...

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  7. Congrats to Ellie! She always has the coolest covers!

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  8. yay for ellie!
    and i get to be there on wed! woo hoo!

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  9. Congrats to Ellie! I love the cover. Hopefully the anthology does well. :-)

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  10. Congrats Ellie!

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  11. Hi Julie .. it's great Ellie has another selection out .. and I'm so looking forward to reading everyone's books .. Polar Night too ..

    Cheers Hilary

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  12. Congrats to Ellie! Thanks for sharing this Julie!

    Julie

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  13. I've been seeing Taking Time around a few places this week. Yay for Ellie!

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  14. I love seeing new releases from authors I know! Congrats, Ellie!

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  15. Way to go Ellie!!! I love that book cover!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  16. That's the second cool excerpt I've read from Ellie today. Congratulations.

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  17. Like Alex, I already have her latest. To the stars, Ellie! :-)

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  18. I read her last collection and hope to read this one. :)

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  19. Congratulations, Ellie Garrat.
    Is it just me or your blog looks a bit more blue, Julie? Probably it is just me. Dragon hugs!

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