CRYO: A Changed World – Synopsis
If you awoke to find that humankind had been annihilated, could you survive?
John’s dreams have crumbled. A global corporation, CRYO, kidnapped him, froze him and sent him to the future, only to fade into history as he slept. Now, John and his pod mates are in a new and strange world that’s far from anything they’ve ever known.
With a strange creature having cut their already dwindled numbers, the fight for survival has begun. There’s already discontent amongst the small group of survivors. And, as John heads out into the unknown with a small splinter group, there’s just one question; what will he find?
Buy links:
AMAZON US – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JNA1J2Q/?tag=gwfb-20
AMAZON UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JNA1J2Q/?tag=gwfb-20
Barnes & Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cryo-geoff-wakeling/1119251917
SMASHWORDS – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/428363
Haven’t read book 1? Never fear, now you can! And it’s on sale till next Sunday.
CRYO: Rise of the Immortals
Would you accept a one-way ticket to the future?
Earth is dying, but John Carlody has the chance to escape. He wins the most anticipated lotto ever; the opportunity to become part of CRYO, be one of fifty people to enjoy the latest cryonics technology and journey forward half a century.
However, a dream come true could be a making of a nightmare. CRYO isn’t what it pretends to be and John is about to discover their secrets. But will he be too late?
AMAZON US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AXYNBM2/?tag=gwfb-20
AMAZON UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AXYNBM2/?tag=gwfb-20
About the author
Geoff Wakeling lives in London and escapes the smog of the city through his writing. The Inside Evil, even though being dark and mysterious, was a way to escape the drudgery of every day life and indulge in something a little more fantastical.
With a degree in Zoology, Wakeling is animal mad and has three cats, fish and five chickens in his London home. He is a keen gardener and conservationist. He is also still awaiting the arrival of his Hogwart’s Owl!
Social links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeoffreyWakeling
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GWakelingWriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5781929.Geoffrey_Wakeling
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Geoffrey-Wakeling/e/B007JNTZLG/
Website: http://geoffreywakeling.com/
**Excerpt – A Changed World – Chapter 13 – Antagonistic Technologies**
Anne held out the feathers in her hands and the creature quickly reached out and closed Anne’s fingers around the items, pushing them back towards her.
“You’re sure?” Anne asked, the delight clearly spreading across her face. The creature looked at the table and began to pick up other feathers and beads, pushing them towards Anne in an attempt to get her to take more. After a moment, the shopkeeper stood back and surveyed Anne, taking particular interest in the small tufts of hair that were beginning to hang down. Then, it shook its head and retrieved some of the goods it had given her. It said a few quick and happy-sounding words, and disappeared into the shop. John heard continued babble, before its head popped through the opening with a puzzled look. It reached out for Anne’s arm and drew her through the doorway, with John and the others quickly following.
As John entered the shop, he saw the blue illuminations he’d become so used to were absent. In their place, small brightly coloured globes hung from the ceiling as if a vibrant and fluorescent galaxy of planets was shining bright light into the world. He stooped so as to avoid becoming entangled in them. Whilst the cavern provided ample room, the height of the small shop certainly wasn’t meant for humans. Across the room, the small, thin creature was burbling excitedly towards Anne, picking various glass boxes off the counter and holding them up to her face. As John neared, he saw that each of the tiny translucent containers held tiny plants; a splash of vivid green moss, a rosette of purplish fronded foliage, a cluster of beige leaves with a stem that held minuscule circular-shaped flowers.
“I think she wants you to have one,” John said as the creature began to chatter excitedly upon holding up a small box containing a violet flower. He had no idea whether it was a woman or not, but his mind was already categorising the smaller creatures as females and the larger, muscled ones, such as the guards, as male.
“Do you think I should?” Anne beamed, looking around to John with almost as much excited anticipation as the shopkeeper seemed to have.
“What are they?” John asked.
“I think these are the plants they have on their skin.”
“In that case, hell yes you need to get one.”
In fact, John would quite happily have one himself. There was a particular clump of evergreen moss with yellowish flower stalks that he was imagining being etched into his shoulder.
Anne nodded at the shopkeeper, who instantly ushered Anne over to a small foamy seat at the back of the small shop. The female creature pushed her hand into the wall and withdrew a small box from the gel matrix, popping it open to reveal a thin metal instrument that looked like a pair of tweezers but with extremely sharp and pointed ends. Turning her attention to Anne, she put a finger to her own face, pointing towards a spot just above the brow and indicating where it might look best.
“What do you think?” Anne asked, turning towards John, Viktor and Amity.
“Maybe towards the corner of your eyebrow,” Viktor said, creeping up to sit by her side. Anne pointed to the place on her face and the shopkeeper nodded in understanding. With her long and dexterous fingers, she slipped the lid off the small box, before carefully using the tweezers to pluck out the thin white stem of the violet flower. John saw there was a miniscule root on the end of it, and the alien woman carefully rotated the plant so the root was perfectly in line with the tip of the tweezers. Reaching back behind her, she pressed her hand into the wall again and, this time, withdrew a small pot. She dipped the root of the plant into the pot before replacing the container back into the wall. Then, as she raised the tiny plant towards Anne’s face, she allowed her slender fingers to grip Anne’s jaw tightly so that, if Anne winced, her mobility was as restrained as possible. It only took an instant for the tweezers to puncture the skin above Anne’s eyebrow, and before John knew it, the creature was withdrawing the tool, leaving the single stalk in place.
“How does it look?” Anne said.
“Amazing,” Amity beamed, and John was sure that she too was now desperate to have her faced swathed in flowers. As Anne moved her head, the small violet flower floated up and down on its single thread-like stalk.
The woman began to babble again, and she pulled Anne to her feet before dragging her over to the wall. A quick swipe upon a panel and a mirror flashed into life, allowing Anne to get the first look at her latest adornment.
“I love it,” she gasped, smiling and touching the edges of the petal with extreme care.
“It doesn’t hurt a bit. You should all get them,” she added.
“Perhaps not a flower,” Viktor said, leaning in and kissing her. “I’m not sure I’m quite ready for that.”
“I saw some moss and lichen over here, Viktor. We could have a swirl added to our necks.”
John turned towards the table, intent on not missing out, only to realise that several large and lean looking aliens were now standing in the doorway. They were framed by the light of the cavern and filled the entire arch of the entrance, looking displeased. One strode in angrily and began to shout aggressively towards the shopkeeper, who was quickly defended by Anne. She pushed herself between the two, and despite the angry individual pushing its head back and forth to try and pick on the shopkeeper behind, Anne stood her ground. It seemed to stop any argument that might’ve been brewing, but the newcomers wasted no time in ushering the four humans out of the shop and back onto the promenade. John took a fleeting look at the small container holding his moss. He’d have to wait for another moment to embrace this new and weird way of life.
**Excerpt – A Change World – Chapter 6 – Civilisation**
There was a rustle ahead of John, and he acknowledged Nathan with a nod as the man pulled a branch out the way and held it so it didn’t whip back and hit John in the face. He was about to walk past, when Tone and Amity stopped dead in their tracks, freezing on the spot. There was another rustle, and John looked around and realised that it wasn’t coming from any of the group. Viktor put a hand to his lips, carefully dropped his backpack from his shoulder and pulled out a knife. A grin spread on his lips.
“We’re having rodent for dinner tonight,” he whispered as he gently leaned across to John, taking one foot off the floor and placing it down with extreme care so as not to make a sound. However, it wasn’t an agouti that scurried out of the leafy vegetation of the forest, but a small individual with an amphibious face. There was a moment where it stood there, frozen to the spot, its eyes flicking between John and the others. Then, it very carefully lifted a leg and began to back away, its slender arms reaching out behind it to move branches, its eyes still firmly fixed upon the group.
“Grab it!” Nathan yelled, letting go of the branch and allowing it to whip back into John’s face with a bolt of pain. John screeched as the hard bark smacked into his cheek, knocking him backwards. He clutched his face and scrunched up eyes with his hands as he cursed loudly, the extreme stinging like a fire bolt across his skin. At the same time, a shrill squeal filled the air as Nathan leapt towards the small creature in front of them. John opened one of his watering eyes to see the tiny figure turn and bounce away with Nathan and Tone in hot pursuit. Any thought of silence had been forgotten now, and the two men crashed through the undergrowth as they rushed after the alien disappearing through the trees.
“No dinner for us then,” Viktor said as he wrinkled his face, before obviously deciding he didn’t want to miss anything and plunging after the creature as Nathan and Tone had done. Anne followed suit, screaming for the men not to hurt the creature, and John was left behind with Franz and Amity.
“That’s gonna hurt,” Franz muttered as he drew John’s hands away from where he was still cradling his face.
“It hurts now,” John mumbled, realising that his lip was stinging as he spoke. He put a finger to his mouth and pulled it away to see blood.
“Here, use this anti-inflammatory cream,” Amity said as she rummaged in her bag. “It’ll keep the swelling down.” She reached over and wiped John’s face from the top of his left cheek bone to just below his lip with a sterile wipe, before handing him a small tube of cream. The cloth was bloodied when she drew it away, and John realised he’d split more than his lip.
“Ain’t too bad,” Franz said. “Peanuts compared to this.” He drew up his shirt and grinned towards John, happily revealing the scar that was forming across his stomach and covering the hole where the dart had penetrated.
Another squeal rang out through the trees, immediately followed by the unmistakable cry of Anne.
“The cream can wait,” John said, shoving the tube into his pocket and running in the direction of the sound. His heart was pounding as he dashed through the undergrowth. Not again, not again, not again. Another howl rang out, this time a man’s, and he was filled with dread as he rushed towards the scene. They couldn’t lose more people, he couldn’t lose more people. As much as it pained him to think about it, those who died last time had just been pod-mates, nothing more. These were his friends, his comrades, the people who had become his family. Natalia was already gone, he couldn’t lose more.
Anne yelled again and John found another burst of speed and threw himself through the forest, unperturbed by the branches that slashed at his already bloodied face. He could see figures up ahead, a crowd of people standing in the trees. He rushed faster towards them as he saw Anne screaming and throwing herself towards Nathan. He was crouched on the floor and her fists came down on him hard, pummelling his back. Viktor was heaving her away, and she kicked out with her legs, sending a heavy strike into the side of Tone’s face as he leant down to help Nathan to his feet.
“You bastard. It did nothing to you,” Anne shrieked as she struggled in Viktor’s arms.
“Get that bitch away from me,” Nathan hissed, before spitting and splattering the forest floor with red. It seemed that Anne had landed more than just one kick.
Viktor dragged Anne further away, pulling her head around to look at him and telling her to calm down. Meanwhile, Tone heaved Nathan off the ground and hauled him to where the roots of a large tree rose out of the ground like sheets of corrugated iron. As the group was pulled apart, John’s eyes moved to the floor, and as he stumbled onto the scene, he looked down and saw the motionless body of the slender and mottled alien.
Author Interview~
Thanks for hosting me today, it’s great to be on BookWorms United! 😀
1. What is your life motto?
‘Live Long and Prosper’?. ‘So Say We All’? Actually, I don’t really have a motto as such, I just try to be as optimistic as possible, remember that elders are not ALWAYS wiser (of course, it depends on your age) and that failure isn’t a word in the perpetual trier’s handbook.
2. What is the hardest part of becoming an author?
The hardest part is most definitely obscurity. Even if you’re on a traditional publishing deal, you’re expected to do all your own legwork when it comes to social media, press events and a lot of the marketing. You can have the best novel in the world, a piece of work you’ve slaved over, cried over, fought back the urge to press delete on repeated occasions, only to have obscurity mean that no one ever actually discovers your work. There are a lot of books out there after all!
3. Was there any one thing that gave you the inspiration to write Cryo: A Changed World?
It was definitely my love for conservation. I’m an animal kinda guy. I side-step ants, pick up worms on the pavement and pop them back on the grass and notice little critters wherever I go. I used this inspiration to create the world of CRYO, both before my characters are cryonically frozen and also when they awake.
4. If asked what book you would recommend to a reader, which one would you choose?
If they really love science fiction, it’d be Kim Stanley-Robinson’s Mars Trilogy. There’s something about those books that have stayed with me for decades, despite having only read them once. It’s odd, but you almost feel as if you’re reading the history of Mars colonisation, despite the fact it’s completely fictional.
5. What is the best and worst parts of writing?
I love exploring my characters and discovering where they’ll take me. Some people sit down and plot their entire book out. I’m not one of those people. I tried it once, attempted to force my characters to do what I wanted. It didn’t work, at all. So, instead, I have a few milestones I need to reach, key scenes that have to happen, and then I sit back and let the people on the page tell the story. That’s the best bit.
The worst bit? Actually sitting down to write, each and every day. Even when you’re tired. When you’re ill. When you cannot think of one more thing you can do instead of actually writing.
6. What is your most memorable moment?
Getting married!! I suppose it’s fresh in my mind – only a few weeks ago. But that’s a special day in anyone’s life, I’d imagine. It certainly was for me. It wasn’t very traditionally; we had a sorting hat for people to find their banquet seats, we cut the cake immediately after the ceremony, and we walked down the aisle to music from Star Wars and Skyrim!
7. Do you have a WIP, what can we expect next from you?
I’m currently working on the fifth and final instalment of my Inside Evil series, To Kill A Curse. I’m excited to see what happens. The series has been created over several years, so I feel that Roberta, Martha, even Faithful the giant white cat, have matured with me. I want to know the end to their story. After that I’ll be back to CRYO, writing the third book and some short stories about my podmates lives before the ‘freeze’.
8. Is there any place you would like to visit and why?
Iceland. I don’t know why, and it’s probably not a place many people say, but something seems to lure me there. The landscapes are supposed to look so alien; it’s like the foreign and mystical lands of many fantasy novels you might read.
9. Who is you favorite character from your books?
In my CRYO series, I think it’s Anne. She may be in her fifties, but she has a lust for life that many of her much younger comrades don’t have. She’s inquisitive into everything, intelligent and extremely caring. She’s also managed to get her hands around Viktor; probably the buffest and hottest guy in the book. Anne’s closely followed on the favorite list by Kuunya; an alien entity they meet in A Changed World.
10. Who is your favorite author, book, and why?
I have many favourite authors and many favourite books, but when it comes down to it, it has to be J. K Rowling. She’s dominated my life since the first Harry Potter book came out. I watch the films constantly, had HP themes at my wedding and am still as in love with the series as I ever was…if not more so.
My Review~ 5 Stars!
Although this is not my usual genre, this book was really good. It is very well written and the detail the author puts in to it allows you to imagine exactly what he is writing.
In a world where humans, who are virtually extinct, awake to a planet that is now run by aliens. Those two different worlds come together to work for the greater good. After a few misunderstandings, lack of trust, and different outlooks, things begin to change for both the aliens and humans alike. Adjusting to a new world is different for the humans, but the aliens do all they can to help out. In the end, both come together to go against a common enemy. Kudos to Geoffrey for writing a sci fi book that is different from other alien books. It is not the typical alien story one would read.
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