The Cyborg's Crusade - Day of the Deus Ex Machina

The Cyborg's Crusade - Day of the Deus Ex Machina

by Benoit Lanteigne

 

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GENRE: Science Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

How did it come to this? My life used to be so simple. Back then, I hated it; I found it boring. Let me tell you: boring’s good. Boring’s great! I should’ve been thankful…

 

It was supposed to be a date like any other for James Hunter, a simple convenience store clerk. Nothing more than watching a movie in the town of Moncton. A place as unknown and unimportant as he considered his own existence to be. And yet, while walking to a cinema, James teleports to another world. There, a hostile crowd surrounds him, including various mutants with strange deformities.

 

Before he can even gather his wits or make a dash for it, a lone ally presents herself in the form of a winged woman named Rose. An important cultural figure in the country where James appeared, she offers him both protection and a home.

 

Soon, James learns that this new world is divided by a cold war. On one side is Nirnivia, home to Rose. The other, Ostark, led by a mysterious cyborg. James is unaware that the cyborg has him in his crosshairs, thinking of him as the Deus Ex Machina that will end the war in his favor.

 

But, the cyborg is far from the only potential threat to James. Soon after his arrival, BRR, a terrorist organisation, kidnaps him.

 

What would a rogue group out for revenge seeking to turn the cold war hot want with someone like James? Is there anyone also aware of this other world who will try to find him? Or is he on his own? If so, how is he supposed to escape? If that's even an option...

 

 

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EXCERPT

The second that James saw the deformed statue, he deemed it painful to look at. The sculpture depicted a man, but not one of normal proportions. The arms were far too long, paired with short legs, and the right eye appeared thrice the size of the left—nothing compared to the elongated spike forming the nose, or the mouth contorted in a grimace. Now that he sat leaning against the grotesque shape, the figurative ache turned literal as the sharp stone dug into his back.

 

Even with the intense heat, James shivered. The recent revelations chilled his blood, and no matter how hard it tried, the sun couldn’t warm him again. He rubbed his chin, pondering all he had learned. His hand brushed against his stubble, and he scowled at the itching sensation. Usually he shaved every day, a habit his unplanned trip had broken. Then again, next to his companion, a bit of extra hair was nothing…

 

The freak still stood a few feet behind, laughing to his heart’s content. What a horrendous chortle. How James yearned to shut him up via his fist. “Gwa ha ah aha ha! Ha ha aha! Ha ha! Come on, why do you take things so seriously? You still don’t get it, do you? Gwha ha ha ha ha! You should laugh more; it’ll do ya good! Gwha ha ha ha ha! Wha ha ha ha! Gwa ha ha!”

 

 

A Word With the Author

What are your favorite TV shows?

I’m not sure what to answer here because I haven’t been watching much TV lately. It’s going to be something old because of that. Since space opera TV shows like Battlestar Galactica (2004) inspired the Cyborg’s crusade, you might expect I’d pick one of those. That’s tempting, but in the end, I have to go with the Simpson. Yeah, the quality fell down a drain for decades now, but that’s expected after over thirty seasons. The first eight seasons’ writing and humor were so sharp, and they contributed a lot to my sense of humor. That’s probably true for plenty of people. And beyond the funny parts, sometimes there were just some emotional moments that were perfectly executed. Some shows made me laugh more. Some shows made me feel more. Some shows made me think more. Still, the Simpson did all three with the best balance.

What is your favorite meal?

I love breakfast food, so I’ll go with breakfast!

If you were to write a series of novels, what would it be about?

Well, I’m already writing a series of novels, so the answer is the series would be The Cyborg’s Crusade. Is that cheating? Either way, that’s my answer. It’s a series about a young man who teleports to another world and finds himself in the middle of a cold war. I hear it’s great. No, seriously, the reviews so far have been very positive.

Is there a writer you idolize? If so who?

I’m going to go with JRR Tolkien. While his books might not technically be my favorite, I have enormous respect for how much effort he put into his world-building. I haven’t read anything else with such a large ambition. Sure, some aspects of Middle Earth can feel cliché now, but it’s largely because so many writers were inspired by it. JRR Tolkien’s work inspired me to improve The Cyborg’s Crusade world-building beyond what was necessary. I’d never dare think I reached his level, but he inspired me to push myself beyond what I thought were my limits.

How did you come up for the title of this book?

The first title I came up with was My Skeptical Angel, and that title has some story significance that’s not obvious from the beginning. One of the main characters is a winged woman and the angel part comes from her. The Skeptical part… That might be a spoiler, so I’ll stay quiet. While I like My Skeptical Angel as a title, I worried it might not work well with sci-fi readers.

So, I considered alternatives. The main villain is a cyborg, and I figured that would fit sci-fi better than an angel. My first stab at another title was The Cyborg’s Holy War. A colleague suggested replacing the holy war with crusade and I liked that. Afterward, I did some market research, and turns out I was right: People hated My Skeptical Angel, but The Cyborg’s Crusade had a far better reception. So, I made the title change official.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

 

So, my name is Benoit Lanteigne and I’m a French Canadian (outside of Quebec) who’s trying to write in English. That can be tricky. I’m a computer programmer and I enjoy it. I see many inspiring writers who hate their jobs and hope to quit someday, but that’s not my case. Mostly, I’ve worked on websites and web applications. 

 

Back in school, I enjoyed writing and according to my teachers and classmates; I had a talent for it. Well, not so much for grammar and spelling, but they liked my stories. Once I went to university, I dropped writing as a hobby. There were other things I wanted to focus on, such as my career. Then, in the early 2000s, around 2006 I’d say, I had a flash of inspiration. At first, it was a single character: a winged woman with red hair. I didn’t even know who she was, but the image stuck with me. From there, I began figuring out details about her origins and her world, but I only started writing for real in 2009. 

 

It’s been roughly 10 years now, and it’s not yet finished. That’s in part because I write in my spare time, and in part because the scope of the project is huge. Maybe too much so. Still, I’m getting close to the point where I could release something. The question is what’s next? Self-publishing? Attempt traditional publishing? Nothing? I don’t know the answer yet, I’m trying to figure it out. Frankly, sharing my writing is difficult for me, and whatever I end up doing, as long as I make it available to people I consider the experience a victory no matter what comes out of it.

 

Website: https://thecyborgscrusade.com/ 

 

Newsletter: https://thecyborgscrusade.com/fanclub.html 

 

Social Media Link Hub: https://thecyborgscrusade.com/hub.html

 

 

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The book will be $0.99 during the tour. 

 

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Cyborgs-Crusade-Day-Deux-Machina-ebook/dp/B0CBZZRDZ4/ref=sr_1_1

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway