The Abdication

                                                                The Abdication 

by Justin Newland

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE: Supernatural Thriller

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

The town of Unity sits perched on the edge of a yawning ravine where, long ago, a charisma of angels provided spiritual succour to a fledgeling human race. Then mankind was granted the gift of free will and had to find its own way, albeit with the guidance of the angels. The people’s first conscious act was to make an exodus from Unity – they built a rope bridge across the ravine and founded the town of Topeth. For a time, the union between the people of Topeth and the angels of Unity was one of mutual benefit. After that early spring advance, there had been a torrid decline in which mankind’s development resembled a crumpled, fading autumnal leaf.

 

Following the promptings of an inner voice, Tula, a young woman from the city, trudges into Topeth. Her quest is to abide with the angels and thereby discover the right and proper exercise of free will. To do that, she has to cross the bridge – and overcome her vertigo.

Topeth is in upheaval; the townsfolk blame the death of a child on dust from the nearby copper mines. The priests have convinced them that a horde of devils have thrown the angels out of Unity and now occupy the bridge, possessing anyone who trespasses on it. Then there’s the heinous Temple of Moloch!

 

The Abdication is the story of Tula’s endeavour to step upon the path of a destiny far greater than she could ever have imagined.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

 

        The Devils’ Bridge

 

            

A narrow path snaking down the steep slope linked the town to the bridge. Fearing the guards’ return, she hurried along the winding, uneven path. It was fine for mountain goats, but with her bad ankle and her walking stick, she was nowhere near as fleet of foot as they.

 

The bridge had a quietening effect, like a warm homecoming after a long absence. Ever since she had heard about the abandoned town of Unity, she had wanted to visit the place for herself. Within touching distance, she felt a keen sense of belonging, even though she had never been near it – until now.

 

A solitary wicker lantern sat in a cradle, shedding a pale light over a crescent-shaped area covered in flagstones that had been carved out of the side of the mountain. In the middle of it were the bridge pillars and a small wooden shack.

 

The bridge itself was a slender rope structure slung across the open chasm. Narrow matting formed the bridge deck wide enough for one person to cross. At least there were hand ropes. At the Topeth end, it was attached to two thick, green-coloured pillars. Fingers of mist rose out of the ravine, obscuring the Unity end of the bridge. The structure reminded her of a long, thin hammock tied between two pairs of massive tree trunks.

 

By the bridge entrance was a large sign:

‘THE DEVILS’ BRIDGE.

DO NOT CROSS.

IGNORE THIS WARNING AT YOUR PERIL.’

 

It was true. She had heard rumours about the bridge, about how predatory devils prowled the dip in the centre of the rope bridge. It was forbidden to cross it.

A Word With the Author

 Did you always want to be an author?

No, but I’ve always loved literature, ever since reading sea stories as a young boy. Since then, I’ve read all sorts, from fiction to nonfiction, from novels to plays, from religion to philosophy and even to medicine. Always with an enquiring mind, and may the curious be ever curious. Then in 2006, I was searching for a New Year’s resolution, and decided that it was time to try something new, so I enrolled on a Creative Writing Class at Bath Spa University. I suppose I’ve never looked back since then. I guess I’d be the first to admit that I didn’t think it was going to take as long, and be as difficult, as I had imagined, but I suppose that’s true of a lot of things in life. When you are an outsider looking in, it always seems easier than when you step inside, and actually find out for real what’s involved in becoming a writer. 

Tell us about the publication of your first book.

I imagine it’s like giving birth – at once painful and exhilarating, a tragi-comedy of wonders and highlights, despair and disappointment. 

My first novel, The Genes of Isis, is a modern re-telling of the Biblical story of the Flood.  The first draft, God bless, was 180,000 words! I sent the MS (manuscript) to a professional editor, who said it was not up to scratch and needed a substantial edit.

I had spent six years on the MS, so at that point, I decided to put it in the draw, with the intention to return to it at a later date. 

For the next couple of years, I wrote two more novels set in the same world as The Genes of Isis. This honed some of my writing skills, and certainly improved my editing skills, so when I finally returned to the MS of The Genes of Isis, I was ready to prune it down to a respectable 105,000, and then published it in 2017. 

The moment you hold your first published book in your hand is worth waiting for. It’s the end of a journey, and the beginning of a new one. And long may it continue. 

Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

I write secret history thrillers. The novels in this genre are set in a real place, in a real historical period, and feature actual historical personages. But these are peppered with fictional events and fictional characters, into which is added a splash or two of the supernatural. In short, it’s history with a supernatural twist.

An American author who writes in this genre is Tim Powers. He wrote several secret history thrillers, including On Stranger Tides. He specializes in historical fantasy.

Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal is a classic example of the genre. It narrates a fictional assassination attempt on the French President, Charles de Gaulle. We know the attempt is going to fail, because history tells us that de Gaulle was never assassinated, but we don’t know how it’s going to fail. That’s the secret history thriller. Forsyth’s novel is more a literary secret history. 

What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

The best part of being an author is the time when the writing flows, when you can hear that inner voice, there are no disturbances, and when you get to the end of the day, your mind is tired, your fingers are tired, but alongside that there is an immense satisfaction. 

I also enjoy the many wonderful people I’ve had the privilege to meet along the way, the scores of people who have helped me, the hundreds who have bought and read my books, and the people who have given me a chance in whatever guise that may have been. And my friends who have without doubt guided me and who point the way forward. 

The worst part is that you are forever encountering the limits of your own skills, your own arts, your own writing crafts, and bashing away at those limits, moving them back, inch by inch, so that tomorrow, your writing may have one iota of a percent better meaning, more resonance, and greater depth. 

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a novel set in Elizabethan England. At the time, Spain was by far the richest and most powerful European nation with huge resources, a massive Empire and a colossal fleet of ships. 

But in 1588, its navy, the great Armada, was repulsed by a disorganised bunch of English renegades, pirates and buccaneers. How could that be? 

That’s my Work In Progress, a supernatural re-telling of the story of the most unlikely defeat and repulse of the Spanish Armada.  

 

Justin Newland

15^th February, 2022 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

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.” 

V. Triola, Coast to Coast.

 

http://www.justinnewland.com/                       

 

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

 

https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/

 

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Abdication-Justin-Newland/dp/1800463952

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Justin Newland will be awarding a Paperback copy of the book (International giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway