Book Tour/Giveaway - Unrest by Victor Arteaga

Unrest by Victor Arteaga


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GENRE: Paranormal, Sci-Fi
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BLURB:

Remembrance Day is just an excuse for vampires and humans to throw themselves a parade. They like to pretend they did us werewolves a favor. But I guess it's not all bad. I do get cheap booze, live in an underground lunar city, which some would find cool, and I am employed. Sejanus Industries isn't a benevolent corporate ruler, but they're the devil I made a deal with. My life is quiet and mostly non-violent but one message from my cousin could cause me to lose everything I've sacrificed for my peaceful life.

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EXCERPT

Abandoned hope thickened the air as people streamed between polished stone pillars that fronted this house of false promises. Equity and justice for all were laughable concepts the powerful wielded to fit their will and whim. The sky drizzled and misted enough to be cold, damp and miserable. Its gray cloud cover blunted the vibrant colors of the sparse, yet immaculate landscaping, and the wet air smothered the flowers’ sweet fragrance. I trekked past the throngs of caged miscreants as a lone wolf would pass through a swarm of rodents. The weight of my misdeeds forced my shoulders low, lined my mouth, and left my gaze fierce and steady. Guilt over leaving the cousin who called me sister slowed my steps. Betrayal of my chosen family left the bitter taste of regret on my tongue. Lady Justice, the sullen patron saint of my temporary home, was painted and carved on every available surface. We were told the cloth around her eyes meant Justice was blind and fair. But I know now she didn’t mask her eyes to symbolize the blindness of her virtue. Justice wasn’t blind. She just couldn’t bear to see the truth.

Writing with Kids During Quarantine

5:35am – Think of a topic to write about for the blog.

5:37am – Surf Facebook

5:50am – Settle on a topic

5:51am – “Shit. What do I title it?”

6:05am – Finally settle on a title, youngest starts crying.

6:06am – False alarm, she’s back asleep.

6:10am – Give up on this format.

From here my writing process is dictated by the whims of a seven- and three-year-old. I might have enough time to finish the draft of this post before they wake up, or they could come charging out of their room in the next five minutes. Once they do come out, that ends my writing for the day. My waking hours, as I imagine it is for other parents in quarantine, are filled with homeschooling, cooking, refereeing sparring siblings, and trying to keep my living space from falling into disarray. Sometimes, if a day has been particularly easy or my kids are choosing to behave, I can squeeze in another half hour or so of writing while they entertain themselves but that’s a rare gift. The end of the day I spend either with my wife or decompressing with a videogame before going to bed.

You see, the inherent challenge with parenting during the pandemic is that we are “on” 100% of the time our kids are up. Every day. What small breaks we get throughout like naps, or caving and putting on a TV show or movie, is spent either catching up on dishes, laundry, or taking a break ourselves so we can let our minds and emotions wind down before we re-enter the gauntlet of parenthood once they finish their show/movie/get bored of watching it. The stay-at-home order in Washington doesn’t prohibit us from going outside, which is a godsend because living in a two-bedroom apartment with four people gets claustrophobic fast and both my kids have enough energy to power the entire state on their own. I feel terrible for our downstairs neighbor.

Of course, it’s not all bad. I get to experience my kids growing up real-time. It’s a shocking experience to see my daughter be so in-tune with her own emotions – and ours. She will frequently ask, “Are you happy?” if we seem stressed. She encourages our son all the time, especially when they’re out riding their bicycles. “You’re doing a great job, Mel! And I’m doing great, and Daddy’s doing great, and Mommy’s doing great, we’re all doing great!” My son’s inquisitive nature and growing knowledge base is phenomenal. I’ve seen him grow from struggling to read, to finishing entire chapter books by himself, asking me what new words mean, and challenging himself regularly.

Even though my writing process is a ghost of what it once was, I am adapting. I’m waking up earlier to get some words down, I’m finding little breaks during the day to add to my little piles of prose. It’s a far cry from the process I used to have, which gave me hours throughout the day. The upside of this current reality is that yes, my time for writing has been cut, but the space in between is filled with life that will ultimately give me more to put in my writing than I would have otherwise.

Would you look at that? I managed to finish this post just as I heard the crash of my daughter jumping off the ladder of her bunk bed.

6:48am – Hit CTRL-S

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Victor Arteaga is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal stories. Though he’s always been an avid reader, his dream to be a writer was jump-started when he got sober in March of 2015. What began as an exercise to keep his sobriety billowed into a deep and unbridled passion to create. His experiences with addiction and being a first-generation American from immigrant parents inject a flavor of unique authenticity to his characters and worlds that he creates. His imagination is given free rein to conjure worlds and experiences on the page which enthralls and captivates readers.

Website: welcometogalilei.com
Twitter: @bloodmoontrio
Patreon: patreon.com/bloodmoontrilogy

Buy links
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Unrest-Blood-Moon-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B08538DS3F
Barnes and Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unrest-victor-arteaga/1136495738
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Victor Arteaga will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Please use this rafflecopter code on your post:

a Rafflecopter giveaway