About Fallout

WHEN EVERYTHING FALLS APART, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The year is 3040.

The location is Exxon 1, part of a six-planet system in settled space.

Determined to avoid the mistakes of old Earth, the surviving humans avoided democracy and opted, instead, for a non-elective totalitarian system.

The new way worked well, until now.

A crazy, despotic president releases a nano-virus on the population.

No one was ready for the fallout. It came anyway.

In this post-apocalyptic world, can you stay safe?

Praise for FALLOUT:

‘If you like dark, dangerous, and a little bit demented, this is the novel for you.’ … Staci Troilo

‘Fallout by Harmony Kent is a dark, gritty, twisted apocalyptic story guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.’… Mae Clair

My review

Fallout is a dystopian novel which reflects a future world where technology has become such an integral part of society and human life that people rely on implants to advise them on every aspect of their daily life from judging human nature to security to undertaking work tasks. People work and live in zones together with others who have similar jobs, lifestyles and capabilities to their own.

When a disruption, on the form of a virus, impacts on the smooth routine of peoples lives, they find themselves struggling to pick up the pieces without the continuous flow of information from their implants. Only those who can get their wits together quickly can survive in the new lawless society. In addition, avoidance of contamination by the virus is also a necessary requirement for survival and that makes life even more complex, especially for the unwary who are conditioned by their past lifestyles.

We first meet Priya wondering around an unknown zone, having fled her own when it becomes impossible for her to continue to live in her apartment in the aftermath of the societal breakdown caused by the virus. Priya falls prey to an unscrupulous band of infected men who violently abuse her and leave her for dead. She is found by a member of the ruling political party’s military personal who is on a quest to find an antidote to the virus. Despite his reservations, Kaleb is compelled to save Priya and, by doing so, changes the course of his life and the search he is conducting. The antidote is believed to have been in the possession of a female scientist, on the wife of the second in command to the president, when her helipad exploded, purportedly killing her and losing the only vial containing the antidote at the same time.

On Exxon 1, the planet where the virus is raging out of control, nothing is as it seems as the power hungry and malevolent president seems to have plans of his own which none of his leadership are aware of.

I enjoyed Priya’s journey from a naive and ill informed woman with no survival skills into a strong woman with great empathy and excellent leadership skills. Kaleb is a dark and brooding character with a painful background and a lot of inner turmoil. His path in the book is not an easy one and is heart rending to watch unfurl.

The other supporting characters in the book are well described and interesting. The growth in the female characters makes for compelling reading as they evolve into mature women, capable over overcoming their past hurts and moving forward into leadership roles.

The fast pace does not slow for a moment and the reader is riveted by the action, subterfuge and often ill advised actions of many of the characters who have suffered at the hands of the government and administration.

I would certainly recommend this book for lovers of dystopia and science fiction with strong female role models.

Purchase Fallout by Harmony Kent

Writing to be Read has shared a review of Through the Nethergate, my first supernatural book for young adults. Thank you, Kaye Lynne Booth for sharing your thoughts.

Through the Nethergate, by Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a captivating journey in the here and now that reaches through the barriers of time to bring legend to life, and it’s a very scary legend. This is a tale of horror, but not all spirits are evil, and many of Cheadle’s ghosts make up the cast of characters. Cheadle brings the characters in this story life masterfully, even the ghostly ones, whose backstories are woven into the legend’s tapestry to become part of the whole while still standing on their own individually.

Continue reading here: https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/2019/10/11/through-the-nethergate-a-supernatural-journey-through-time/

Through the Nethergate is currently available here:

https://tslbooks.uk/product/through-the-nethergate-roberta-eaton-cheadle/

http://www.lulu.com/shop/roberta-eaton-cheadle/through-the-nethergate/ebook/product-24208518.html

Follow Roberta Eaton Cheadle here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19631306.Roberta_Eaton_Cheadle

Website: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

Charles French is the creator of the Underground Library Society which is modeled on the concept of people becoming “books” in the manner contemplated in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. My choice of book is 1984 by George Orwell and the post below sets out my thoughts on this famous book and why I think it would be important to save this particular literary work.

Underground Library Society

Thank you to Robbie Cheadle for her post on 1984 by George Orwell. With this entry, Robbie has joined the U. L. s., the Underground Library Society, dedicated to opposing book censorship and book banning. Please visit her blog Robbie’s inspiration .

If a society similar to that depicted in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury were to somehow come into existence and all books were banned, I would want to be part of any group involved in preserving books. If that meant learning a book off by heart, I would be prepared to do that. The big question for me would be what book to choose.

Out of all the wonderful and amazing books out there, my choice is 1984 by George Orwell. My over view of this book and my reasons as to why I believe it is still relevant to us are as follows:

1984 is a dystopian novel that was written years ago to portray a possible future for mankind as envisaged by the author in 1949. Why would anyone want to read this book now? 1984 passed more than thirty years ago so why would this book still be a worthwhile read today? The answer is that the content and ideas presented in this book are still relevant and it portrays a future that is still a possible outcome for humanity if the threats to our existing lifestyles and our planet are not resolved and harsh totalitarian measures need to be introduced as a last desperate measure to save our world. The threat of world destruction using nuclear weapons is much less likely now than in 1949, but modern people merely face new threats and obstacles which are also of our own   creation.

1984 is set in a world where the inhabited landmasses are divided into three significant superpowers, all of which are ruled by political parties where the systems of government are centralized and dictatorial and require complete subservience to the state by their citizens. The three superpowers are continuously at war and their populations live in a state of perpetual deprivation and fear of being bombed. The reason for this state of affairs becomes clear to the reader at a later stage in the book.

Winston Smith, the hero of the story, is a member of the Party and this requires him to believe in their political mandate completely and entirely. No questioning of Party doctrine is tolerated in any form and the party has methods of policing every aspect of their members’ lives including their thoughts and dreams. Every party member has an invasive screen, in the manner of a modern television, which the party can access to spy on the activities of its members. Party members are encouraged to suppress any sexual feelings other than the need to reproduce and children belong to clubs and groups where they are effectively turned against their parents and encouraged to spy on them for the state. In this way, the Party has broken down all the natural human bonds and relationships and turned people into lonely individuals with no way of forming into dissenting groups.

Winston is a thoughtful man with a high intellect whose job involves changing previously printed news articles and books to recreate the past in the manner dictated by the current wants of the Party. Nothing is safe from intervention by the Party, which is represented by a giant picture of “Big Brother”. Even the dictionary is continuously being re-written to delete unnecessary words and party members are encourage to use a reduced version of language know as New Speak.

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
― George Orwell, 1984

Carry on reading here: https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2019/10/07/a-new-u-l-s-member-and-a-post-on-1984-by-george-orwell/

The surrounding trees, robed in the magnificent colours of autumn, reflected within the dark depths of the girl’s eyes as she gazed up at him. She was young, only thirteen years old and her face still had the cherubic look of childhood despite the reddening of her eyes and the unnatural whiteness of her skin.

The unexpected and fast moving flash flood had swept away the light wooden bridge she was crossing. In a tumult of debris she had plunged into the water and her legs had become trapped by fallen poles.

He had come across her hours later and considered it a miracle that she had survived the fall. Without the necessary tools he was unable to pull her free and he watched in horrified desperation as the water crept higher.

She knew she was going to die and had come to terms with it, whispering her goodbyes to her mother and brother in a rasping voice as the water lapped at her chin. She lifted her hand, the skin shriveled and puckered from being submerged in water for so many hours, and waved gently at him. Her strength was fading

The acceptance and lack of expectation of survival in her brown orbs broke his heart. There was nothing he could do to help her.

The water covered her mouth and then her nose. He knew she was dead when the bubbles stopped.

A bright copper leaf fell from a tree and swirled around her crown, before bobbing away like a small boat, free to go where it wanted.

Written for Sue Vincent’s weekly write photograph challenge. You can join in here: https://scvincent.com/2019/10/03/thursday-photo-prompt-copper-writephoto/

Linda G. Hill has given us the following prompt for her Stream of Consciousness Saturday post this week: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “-tast-.” Find a word that contains “tast” and use it in your post. Enjoy!

During our recent trip to Budapest, I spread my wings a bit food wise and tasted some very tasty dishes. I have blogger extraordinaire, John Rieber, to thank for stretching my food sense of adventure. If you don’t know John, you really should visit his wonderful blog, https://johnrieber.com/. John writes entertaining posts about food, travel, movies and life in Hollywood. Here is his post about Budapest at night: https://johnrieber.com/2019/02/28/budapest-after-dark-tour-their-incredible-ruin-bars-hungary-nightlife-with-a-history/

I had this delicious mozzarella cheese and pesto toasted pita bread at Anna Cafe on Vasi Street, Budapest. Vaci Street is one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares, and possibly the most famous street, in Central Budapest.

This was my breakfast on two of our mornings in Budapest. A giant pretzel with paprika flavoured curd cheese and Hungarian beef sausage flavoured with paprika. So delicious!

For dinner on our second evening in the city, I had traditional Hungarian goulash at a Hungarian restaurant. It was so tasty.

Mr Fox had chicken breast in a paprika sauce. I didn’t taste his, but he says it was delicious.

On night three, we went to an Italian restaurant. Mr Fox had the delicious salmon dish featured above. I had mushroom risotto which was amazing. I couldn’t eat it all as I had a tummy ache after eating far to much curd and goat’s cheese that day. I am lucky I wasn’t sick.

Budapest is an amazing city and food is awesome. I recommend it as a holiday destination.

You can join in Linda’s challenge here: https://lindaghill.com/2019/10/04/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-oct-5-19/

I usually post a book review on a Wednesday. This week, however, I didn’t manage to post my 99-word flash fiction piece for Charli Mills’ prompt yesterday, so I decided to share this today and my book review tomorrow.

You can join in Charli’s prompt – Unremembered, here: https://carrotranch.com/2019/09/27/september-26-flash-fiction-challenge/

The unexpected sight of the frozen tableau inside the shrine caused the team of archaeologists to gasp in shock. The faces of the three Incan children, who had been sacrificed five hundred years earlier, were peaceful. The oldest, a girl they nicknamed the Maiden, had a half smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

Analysis of hair samples from the frozen mummies found entombed in a subterranean chamber, revealed that the children had all been drugged with coca leaves and alcoholic beverages.

This historical discovery ensured that the Maiden, Llullaillaco Boy and Lightning Girl, would not be forgotten.

If you would like to read my vision of the Maiden’s death, you can do so here: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2019/09/29/writephoto-harbinger/

If you would like to read more about these mummies, you can do so here: https://www.livescience.com/38504-incan-child-mummies-lives-revealed.html

This week’s topic is easy for me. I have never had writers block. I don’t think I have been writing long enough for it to have struck yet.

I started writing in January 2015 and published my first Sir Chocolate book, Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream berries story and cookbook in August 2016. Since then I have written the following books and WIPS:

• Five further books in the Sir Chocolate series for young children, aged between 3 and 7 years old, with three more written and more or less final;
• One book for middle school children called Silly Willy goes to Cape Town, with another book in this series, Silly Willy goes to London three thirds finished;
• One historical novella for older teens about my mom’s life growing up in WWII in a small English town in Suffolk, England. Book 2 in this series, After the Bombs Fell, is started and I have the first few chapters complete;
• One published historical supernatural novel that will be available on Amazon this month called Through the Nethergate;
• One novella about the Second Anglo Boer War that is also historical supernatural in its content. That went to my editor yesterday;
• Half of the first book in a trilogy about a world dealing with severe climate crisis and the unemployment caused by the Fourth Industrial Revolution;
• Short stories in two published anthologies, Dark Visions (2 stories), edited by Dan Alatorre, and Death Among Us (3 stories), edited by Stephen Bentley; and
• Short stories in two anthologies that will be published this month, Nightmareland (sequel to Dark Visions) (3 stories), edited by Dan Alatorre, and Whispers of the past, a Wordcrafter paranormal anthology (2 stories), edited by Kaye Lynne Booth.

I have ideas for a bunch of new short stories which come to me when I participate in various writing prompts. I have the outline of these stories in my head but need the time to write them down properly.

If and when I ever get writer’s block, I will stop writing and more on to a new obsession. Most of my readers know that I am a creature of obsessions and have had a number in my life from teaching spinning and cycling to running a Sunday School and baking. One day if writing has run its course in my life, I shall simply let it go. That may never happen, of course, writing isn’t something you easily get tired of, it is to versatile and I have always been passionate about reading.

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Sitting cross-legged on the rough stone floor, she sees the world through a gauzy film of unreality. The chunk of dark sky at the end of the stone chamber looks thick, like the canopy of the leaves in the jungle at night, and the stars are larger and brighter than they should be. They move forward and then back, shrouded in shimmering light, that brightens and darkens in rhythm with the movement of their ethereal dance.

Relaxed and happy after consuming large amounts of maize beer and coca, a lump of which remains in her mouth, she half smiles at the shadowy spectral shapes, with no discernible faces, moving around at the entrance of the cave. She can hear their voices, indistinct and rumbling like distant thunder, but she cannot understand what they are saying. It doesn’t occur to her to try and speak to them and, even if it had, she could not have forced her cold lips to form the necessary words.

Neither the icy wetness of her fine clothing, the result of her bladder letting go earlier in the Capacocha Ritual, nor the uncomfortable tightness of the mat of finely braided hair that covers her strangely elongated head, permeate her dreamlike state. The blood in her limbs is slowing down and her eyes are fluttering closed from time to time as hypothermia sets in.

She forces her eyes open and watches one of the faceless shapes metamorphosis into the form of a large raven with spread wings. “Tap, tap, tap,” she fancies its beak goes on the rocky walls surrounding her. Her drug induced dream is ending and this harbinger of her doom has come to escort her into the great darkness of death. A horrid, croaking giggle forces its way out of her slack throat and then she closes her eyes for the last time.

This piece is written for Sue Vincent’s write photograph weekly prompt. You can join in here: https://scvincent.com/2019/09/26/thursday-photo-prompt-harbinger-writephoto/

It is every entertaining to go abroad on holiday and see all the amazing historical and natural beauty sites that make other countries and places famous and interesting. We were recently in Budapest, Hungary and these are ten of the great places we visited.

Wall of locks

The monument of Ignác Roskovics – famous Hungarian artist, graphic, “first professional artist in Uzhhorod”.

Me standing outside the Castle of Vajdahunyad on the Széchenyi-island in Városliget

Heroes Square

Jubileumi-park

The Great Synagogue in Dohány Street (also known as Dohány Street Synagogue) is the largest Synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world, capable of accommodating 3,000 people.

The Holocaust Memorial, also known as the Emanuel Tree, is a weeping willow tree (by Imre Varga) with the names of Hungarian Jews killed during the Holocaust inscribed on each leaf. 

St. Stephen’s Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest, Hungary. It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary, whose right hand is housed in the reliquary.

One of the fountains at József nádor tér Square

Statue near St Michael’s Church

Our internet is still giving us trouble as the service provider has not been to fix the cable. I am still having to use the back up wifi which is not as strong or quick. I did manage to get these 10 photographs uploaded which I thought was quite a feat of determination.

This post is for Linda G Hill’s Saturday Stream of Consciousness prompt. Linda is away so Dan Antion has graciously hosted the prompt this week. You can join in here: https://lindaghill.com/2019/09/27/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-28-19/

This week’s topic is an interesting one for me. I have given it some thought and  concluded that, other than for While the Bombs Fell, I have not deliberately based any of my characters to date on real people. On reflection, however, real people have influenced my characters, as have the fictional characters from the many books I have read.

When I wrote While the Bombs Fell, I imagined my mom as being a little bit like Laura Ingalls in her Little House series and I built a few of Elsie’s characteristics around my idea of Laura based on my reading of this series. Obviously, as this is a fictionalised biography of my mom’s early life, these subtle additions are melded together with her actual personality traits and how she has portrayed her memories of herself and her family.

I have loved the Little House series all my life and I have read the whole series countless times. I wanted to create a book that depicted regular life for a small girl growing up in a country town in England during World War II in a similar manner as Laura did in her books. I always found the details of her everyday life and how her Ma made cheese, butter and even straw hats totally fascinating. The details relating to her Pa such as how he cleaned his gun and smoked meat from the animals he kills also delighted me. Of course, other people would build up their own ideas of Laura so my view of her could be very different from that of someone else.

The character of Sir Chocolate, from my Sir Chocolate series of children’s books, was influenced by my reading of Mr Pink Whistle, the series written by Enid Blyton. I wanted Sir Chocolate to have similar characteristics of kindness and a desire to right the world’s wrongs. Sir Chocolate is the go to person in Chocolate Land when there is a problem in the village. Lady Sweet and he, together with various of their friends, are always able to solve the situation through co-operation and teamwork.

My writing of Through the Nethergate, had a few literary influences too. The character of Katharine, the nun who runs away with her lover, William, reminded me a bit of Tess from Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Like Katharine, Tess’ life also ends in tragedy as a result of her love for a man and his manipulation of her.

Father Merton shares the characteristic of having an open and inquiring mind, despite his extensive book knowledge, with Professor Van Helsing of Dracula fame. Father Merton also takes a practical approach to solving various crisis’s in a manner slightly reminiscent of Ben Mears in Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. He also shares some characteristics of two ministers I had a lot of regard for, one of whom died unexpectedly in 2016, in that he is guided by his own sense of what is right and exhibits a common sense approach to the interpretations and dictates of the church.

Grandfather Baker shares a lot of my father’s characteristics. He is innovative and a survivor. He is a big reader of books about specific things that interest him and he uses that knowledge to help the group survive the unusual situations they face in the book. He is also stubborn and a strong leader, just like my Dad.

In my new novella, A ghost and his gold, my main character, Pieter van Zyl, a burgher who fights for his country during the Second Anglo Boer War shares his belief that a better life can be attained for his people with Winston Smith from 1984 by George Orwell. Pieter is a quite and reticent character, with a rare interest in books for his time and situation. He has a much clearer idea of what could happen in the Anglo Boer War than most of his peers.

Of course, my characters develop in their own way in the specific circumstances of my stories, but my admiration for the strong characteristics demonstrated by certain book characters, and for some people who have impressed me during my life, have a subtle influence on how I chose to portray my own characters. I think this comes from having spent far more of my life with my nose in a book than actually socializing with people.

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