ALL WE LEAVE BEHIND: TRANSITS OF THREE

All We Leave Behind: Transits of Three
by Benjamin X. Wretlind

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GENRE: Science Fiction

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BLURB:

Following the exodus from rising floodwaters, the surviving descendants of those who came to create a society on a planet far from Earth have struggled to rebuild within the remains of an ancient temple. Now, as disease and an unfamiliar environment threaten to destroy them yet again, everyone seems to have an opinion about what to do next.

Miriam and Tobias Page, newly married, believe there may be a possible home beyond a distant canyon. Their journey with a quarter of the population doesn’t start well and soon nature and their own humanity will conspire to end it all. Meanwhile, Miriam’s two cousins, Joel and Micah, have different ideas. Joel is convinced the best course of action is to return to the mountains they left to mine for the ore that would make a great return to Earth possible. Micah hopes to stay, learn all he can about the temple’s previous occupants, and prove both of them wrong. But soon, he and his new partner Patience realize that no option is truly safe.

As the transits of three different groups get underway, new dangers and surprises emerge from within the rainforests, mountains, and deserts of the planet…and one of those may have followed them from Earth. While a final home is a dream away, present nightmares must be dealt with first if any of them are going to survive.

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EXCERPT

“How many?” Moran asked.

“Four. Just up ahead.” Tobias tightened his grip on his weapon.
“Bethany is waiting for us.”

Moran stopped and watched as the caravan slowly edged toward the right, away from immediate danger. “Wish we had more to spare.”

“So do I.” Tobias took in a calming breath and let it out slowly. The nervousness in his stomach eased up. Miriam had taught him several techniques for dealing with fear, for calming his anxiety and sharpening his mind. He would forever be grateful to be married to a counselor, a therapist, a wise wizard of the brain’s complications.

“Ready?” Moran asked.

They both walked slowly toward Bethany’s position, their eyes locked on the trees where Tobias saw the four animals.

“Eight,” Bethany whispered as they approached. “Four more in a cluster of trees to the right of the others.”

“Typical pack. Haven’t heard the growl, yet,” Moran said. “Maybe they didn’t see us.”

“Oh, they did.” Tobias pointed to the tree with the first rychat he spotted. “I swear I saw that one lick its lips.”

“Well, we’ll have to take care of that.”

Moran raised his crossbow and took aim at the one Tobias pointed out. In tandem, both Tobias and Bethany raised their own weapons.

“One on the trunk,” Tobias whispered.

Bethany responded. “The big one to the right.”

The three were silent as they steadied themselves.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Benjamin, a speculative fiction author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.
Benjamin lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.
https://www.bxwretlind.com/
Twitter: @bxwretlind
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bxwretlind
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bxwretlind/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2900267.Benjamin_X_Wretlind
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/benjamin-x-wretlind-73b7dde4-3fc4-4b7c-a57f-97db25374b10

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

Benjamin X. Wretlind will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $25 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Q & A With Benjamin X. Wretlind

Tell us about you as a person.

Aside from being creative with whatever I can find (paper, paint, wood), I’m also a relentless learner. I can probably blame my father for that, as his goal in life was to get more letters before and after his name than in it. He managed to do so, and while I don’t have the same goal, I will keep learning whatever I can. I don’t ever want to break my Trivial Pursuit winning streak.

If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?

If I could hang out with one famous person for one day, it would have to be Matthew McConaughey. I have a man-crush on his voice, and I can’t tell you the number of characters I’ve written who are fashioned after this man. I’d of course try to sell him on any number of screenplays I have written or ideas I have about other screenplays, with the sole purpose to get him to play a leading role. I would hope he would be receptive of the ideas, of course.

What’s the story behind your latest book?

All We Leave Behind: Transits of Three is the third book in my nine-part Transit series. It’s set only a few months after the events of the second book and is intended to “break up” the colony into three or more different factions. Since the series is anthropological science fiction, my goal is to show the growth of society from very humble beginnings and see if we would, as humans, make the same mistakes. The impetus for writing the series stemmed from a question that has nagged me for years: what if I could start over? While I am content with the way my life has turned out, there are still things I wish could have been different. This led me to ponder what would happen if we, as a society, could start over. Our behavior is shaped by our experiences and beliefs, but if we want to change society’s behavior, we must change those beliefs by providing new experiences through different actions.

What advice do you have for other writers who want to get the word out about their latest book?

I don’t know where I heard it, but someone once said that you should never miss an opportunity to share about your book or your website. You’ve done an incredible thing–written a book. Why not let the world know in as many ways as possible? Put your website on business cards, make bookmarks with a QR code or coupon and stick them wherever you can, put it on your email signature. Being afraid to market, to spread the word, will not do you any favors. So my advice to get the word out about their latest book is to never go a day without mentioning it to someone, somewhere. In a sense, it’s guerilla marketing, but if you don’t do it, who will?

List 5 things on your bucket list.

• Visit an abandoned psychiatric hospital (like the kind seen in horror movies)
• Spend a week on the island of Anafi, Greece
• Get a television show produced and see my name prominently displayed at the beginning of every episode
• Buy a house with at least ten acres and raise a llama (or two)
• Visit the Louvre

Any final thoughts?

For the writers out there, remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Take a breath. I started my first book when I was in high school. Twenty some years later, I finally finished it…after having written another book that took seven years and starting a third. Life will get in the way, and unless you compartmentalize your writing, you may have problems finding the time to do what you dream. It’s okay to write a book a month, a book a year, or a book a decade. You’re not competing against those who can write a book a week. But like any marathon, you must practice every day.