Simulation
M.
Black
Genre:
YA SyFy Dystopian
Publisher:
Eloquent Enraptures Publishing
Date
of Publication: DECEMBER 16th, 2016
ISBN:
978-1539194675
ISBN-10:
1539194671
ASIN:
B01N0QLPHH
Number
of pages: 380
Word
Count: 85,000
Cover
Artist: M. Black
Book
Description:
SIMULATION
is a fictional novel and is the debut release from Dystopian Thriller
author M. Black.
A
YA SyFy dystopia, along the lines of City of Ember meets CW’s The
100. This story will capture your heart and still won’t let go even
at the end. Written in part while listening to Outside by Ellie
Goulding, this story contrasts technology to nature, rich to poor,
privilege to hardship, and illusion to reality.
“No
one is getting in but whom we allow, and no one is ever getting out.”
Set
in 2175 in Colorado, USA, where Citigogs are the new form of cities
and citizens are kept under a careful population control, we meet
Ilia the Princess of our main Citigog named Iliad, and Jez a Giver.
As Ilia spends more time with Jez, she finds herself drawn to the
Outside and ventures out of her Citigog only to learn that everything
is not what it seems.
Fans
of the Divergent and Hunger Games series will revel in this story
about a strong, but disillusioned heroine who must become brave as
she uncovers the truth about her world.
Book
Trailer: https://youtu.be/IO44dRFAAX0
Excerpt:
I
hardly notice my attraction, but my fingers have nudged their way
onto the platform as my chin tucks over the wood, and my eyes fix on
the Givers moving speedily to and fro as if I’m watching a coveted
movie, though none inside of Iliad are as good as this performance.
Attention is drawn to my fingers when Jez approaches from my side and
taps his foot at my forefinger. “If it isn’t the Princess Thief.
Have you come to take more goods?”
I
almost gasp. The guards had a strict talk with him about not speaking
with me, and letting me take what I want—and yet here he is. Not
that I expect that I should be able to do whatever I want, but I
certainly don’t expect a Giver to not follow orders.
I
stumble my words. “Wha? I…I’m not here for that,” I defend
poorly.
“Then
why are you here? Isn’t that what you Insiders do best? Take?”
Jez’s voice cracks, as if the word take weighs particularly heavy
on him.
“I’m
not here to take anything,” I say as my voice quivers, hands
tremble, and my eyes flit around for focus.
“Then
why are you here?” His brazen tone makes me uneasy.
The
question stops me. I can’t be at all sure why I came, why I
insisted on seeing Jez. Curiosity? Passion? I hardly know. I only
know there is something about him—something mysterious— something
different from all the rest of the boys of Iliad. Maybe it’s
because he’s been Outside, seen the world. Maybe it’s because he
must be so brave to do so.
His
eyes dig deep into mine, waiting for an answer I can’t give. So, I
answer a little shakily, “I just wanted to see the inner workings
of the Center of Citigog Goods.”
Jez
stares briefly, a smirk sliding across his face—not believing a
word. Then he says snidely, “Curious how the other half lives?”
“Why
do you keep attacking me?” I grit my teeth, my fingernails
scratching the wood of the platform, my head fixed upward at Jez, sun
glares hurting my eyes. “What have I ever done to you?” His
audacity surprises me. I should be used to it by now. Every time I
talk with him, he has nothing but ridicule for me. Still, I can’t
wrap my brain around his disgust. No one speaks to the princess this
way.
“Attacking
you? You call a few words an attack?” Jez shakes his head and
ruffles his fingers through his hair, releasing a loud huff of
disbelief.
“You
didn’t answer my question,” I press, keeping my eyes locked on
his. He isn’t going to get away with it this time. Not without an
explanation.
Jez
pauses, his eyes searching me, and I can see questions circling his
mind. “You really don’t know.”
“Know
what?” My brow quirks, and he draws all my attention. I wouldn’t
notice now if a Citiguard stood beside me.
“Anything,”
Jez remarks, and I’m not sure if he’s just being smart or if he
really cares about my so-called ignorance.
“So,
enlighten me, oh Giver of all.”
He
squats so that we are eye to eye, and his smirk becomes more of a
sadness, his color more of a pale crème, but his hair engulfs
him—his square face and broad shoulders—as it falls to his chest.
Then, I regret what I’ve just said. I feel I’ve hit him somewhere
deep inside where even I didn’t intend.
“You
live in your perfect princess castle, with three meals a day, and
everyone at your beck and call. Safe from danger, and from the
truth.” His head lowers, and he looks like he is about to cry,
before he takes a deep breath and his head rises. “I won’t be
able to enlighten you with anything but misery. I’m not a Giver.
I’m a survivor.”
“Survivor
of what?” I ask, not sure if he even heard me ask the question,
because at that moment the dark-skinned man with the buffalo tattoo
pushes beside Jez and tugs on his shoulder.
“Get
going, Jez. Your tribe can’t handle another reprimand.” Jez looks
at the dark man and nods before he pulls away from me and straightens
up to return to the Box Carrier. As Jez walks away from me, the dark
man hawk-eyes me. “You’re nothing but trouble for us. Why don’t
you crawl back to your castle?” The corner of his mouth curls up as
he turns back to Jez. I stand there, alone, lingering in questions.
Survivor? Aren’t we all survivors of CR? What tribe? Safe from
danger, the truth?
Everyone
I come to for answers turns into another blockade, but I won’t let
curiosities go unsatisfied this time. Jez knows something, something
my aunt and mom know as well, something no one wants to tell me. I’ll
watch him, and wait. He’ll lead me to what I want to know. He just
has to.
About
the Author:
M.
Black is a pen name of Ami Blackwelder.
M.
Black is her dystopia and thriller line of books. Rebecca May is the
pen name for her historical and contemporary line of books. Ami
Blackwelder writes paranormal and sci-fi novels.
Her
stories range from Tween and YA to NA (new adult), but focus
primarily on YA. Growing up in Florida, she graduated UCF and in 1997
received her BA in English and additional teaching credentials. Then
she packed her bags and travelled overseas to teach in Thailand,
Nepal, Tibet, China and Korea. Thailand is considered her second home
now. She has always loved writing and wrote poems and short stores
since childhood; however, her novels began when she was in Thailand
in her early thirties.
Having
won the Best Fiction Award from the University of Central Florida
(Yes, The Blair Witch Project University), her short fiction From Joy
We Come, Unto Joy We Return was published in the on campus literary
magazine Cypress Dome and remains to this day in University libraries
around the USA.
Later,
she achieved the semi-finals in a Laurel Hemingway contest and
published a few poems in the Thailand’s Expat magazine, and an
article in the Thailand’s People newspaper. Additionally, she has
published poetry in Korea’s AIM magazine, the American Poetic
Monthly magazine and Twisted Dreams Magazine.
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