VBT - Teardown by William Campbell Powell

 Check out the tour for Teardown by William Campbell Powell. You'll want to keep reading for the interview and the prizes! What's up for grabs? William Campbell Powell will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.  How cool is that? Want more chances to win? Then follow the tour. You can do that here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2025/04/vbt-teardown-by-william-campbell-powell.html

TEARDOWN

William Campbell Powell

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Growing up in a dead-end, Thames Valley town like Marden Combe, Kai knows there’s no

escape without a lot of talent, hard work—and luck.

Two weeks before the Clayton Paul Blues Band plans to set out on tour to Germany, their

singer quits, and drummer Kai takes matters in hand. With bandmates Jake and Jamie, they

recruit a talented new singer—the enigmatic Dominique—as the new face of the band and set

out on the road to Berlin in a rickety white van.

Dogged by mishaps and under-rehearsed, the band stumbles through their first shows, zig-

zagging between chaos and brilliance. But as the first gig in Berlin draws near, the band begins

to gel. They’re clicking with their audience, and even the stone-hearted Kai starts to crumble

under the spell, first of Dom and then…of Lars.

As the end of the tour approaches, Kai must make hard choices. Dom? But she’s keeping a

dark secret. Lars? Not after the acrimony of their last parting. The band? Or will that dream

crumble too?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the Interview: 

1. Describe yourself in three words.

I’m going to take ‘Writer’ as a given. I’m still going to cheat…

Musician, bookish, INTJ

2. Cast your book. Tell us who would play the main characters in a movie and why.

Kai. I first pictured Kai as physically similar to the model Milou van Groesen. On the basis of his

performance in ‘The Danish Girl’ (2015), I’d have to pick Eddie Redmayne. But I was watching a

recent gig by Texas, and when I saw their drummer – Cat Myers – I instantly thought “that’s Kai”.

Dom. I struggled finding a Dom from the film world, though I did find a great photo on

Shutterstock (attached). She doesn’t reveal much of herself, emotionally, though she has a gift for

getting others to talk. As Dom is Belgian, I looked for Francophone actors and recent films, and

chose Anaïs Demoustier (The Count of Monte-Cristo, 2024). But for Dom’s voice, I’d have to

send you to the late, incomparable Eva Cassidy, taken from the world far too soon.

Lars. Lars is the ‘boy next door’, described as having a slightly chubby waist, curly hair, Kai

seems to have a bit of a thing about his backside which ‘deserved to be captured in marble’. He’s

also a dancer, a jiver, so sure-footed and agile. And it’s just come to me – Sean Astin, aka Sam

Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

For the rest of the band, I’ll redirect you to my realisation of the band as Lego figures.

3. What’s your favorite love scene from a movie?

I’m a softie at heart and I like love scenes that are full of emotion. The physicalities, not so much.

So I’d pick Westley’s parting from Buttercup in the Princess Bride (1987), if I hadn’t just

remembered the final scene between Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in Ghost (1990). It makes

me well up just thinking about it.

4. What’s your wildest fantasy?

(I’m going to let Kai answer this one, in conversation with Dom.)

“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, we do. But I wish…”

“What? That we could have just one ordinary gig? Where everything goes to plan?”

She knows my heart.

“Yes. That is what I wish.”

“I promise you; it will not come true. Or if it does, you will not like it. Life is change. This tour—it is

new every night. It is exciting. It makes me feel alive.”

5. If you were to lose one of your senses, which would you rather lose and why?

It has to be a process of elimination – what do I definitely want to keep?

Well, I’m a singer and a music lover, and so I must keep my hearing. That’s notwithstanding the

experience of Evelyn Glennie, a Scottish percussionist who is profoundly deaf.

Sight? Not to see the faces of those I love? Nor the beauty of the world. That would be hard.

Taste? I had a good colleague at work who lost his sense of taste because of COVID. It made me

think about how dull eating would become without taste or, indeed, smell.

Yet, to lose the sense of touch? Never to feel the comforting touch of another human being? How

impossibly lonely that would be. (And never mind that I wouldn’t be able to play guitar…)

So I guess it’s taste that has to go. Goodbye coriander. Farewell Jura single malt whisky.

6. What is the naughtiest thing you did as a kid?

Measured by my own regret, it’s probably getting into a fight with my best friend, Paul Clayton,

when we were both aged 10 or 11. I remember storming off after the fight. I never got a chance to

make up with him – he was killed in a traffic accident a couple of weeks later. And yes, Clayton

Paul in the book is my little In Memoriam of Paul.

Hmm. That was a bit serious and sombre. I hope there’s something a bit lighter coming up…

(peeks at the next questions)

Ah. Some questions for Kai, I think.

Quickies:

Boxers or Briefs?

“I stripped off my dry clothes and pulled on my muddy wet pants and T-shirt.” Best I can do.

Top or Bottom?

“The physicalities simply define how to express desire. Or love. Or both. But not where that

feeling might be bestowed, that is, on whom or when.” (See also Hairy chests…)

Pajamas or nude?

“So I put my own pyjamas on and climbed in next to [redacted]”

Hairy chests or smooth?

“The truth was, I didn’t know how to handle my feelings for either of them. It wasn’t so simple as

preferring girls or not. I could as easily summon up a memory, a vision of Dom, equally nude and

equally beautiful. Equally sexually attractive.” (See also Top or Bottom.)

Alpha or Beta?

“First, he said, ‘Don’t let them put you in one of their boxes’. Then, he said, ‘If you don’t like the

boxes on offer, make one that’s just right for yourself’.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for An Excerpt:

The bus stank of commuters. It wasn’t like a night bus, granted, but the mix of sweat and cheap

scent—and the pungency of diesel—was another reminder of how much I hated Marden

Combe.

A Thames Valley town like every other Thames Valley town, Marden Combe had a posh, blingy

bit, where the bankers, footballers, and celebrity chefs lived. The rest ran the spectrum from

dilapidated through demolished to barely affordable modern rabbit hutches. The old town centre

was closing down, and the new shopping centre was gridlock hell.

The bus lurched and swung left, past a school named for a long-dead parliamentarian. Or

possibly a royalist. I ought to know; it had been my old school till I’d turned sixteen. But it had all

seemed irrelevant to the more immediate problem of not getting picked on for being different.

There were a dozen ways and more to be different, whether it was for being too ugly, too geeky,

too slow on the uptake, too shy, too dark, not dark enough, having a funny accent, or a fundy

religion, or being neurodivergent, being too posh, being too poor, liking the wrong music, or

football team, or playing oddball sports, or using last year’s tech; not liking girls, not liking boys,

not liking either, liking both. Plus others, plus combinations. By more than one marker, I was

weird, and I hadn’t always kept my head down. But there’d definitely been no bullying at Sir

Long-Dead-Parliamentarian School. Or Royalist, as the case may be. Oh no.

That didn’t come close to summing up the suffocating, hope-crushing, soul-sucking, shit-brown

hole that is Marden Combe. I needed to escape.

If I had a plan, it was that music would save me…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author:

William lives in a small Buckinghamshire village in England. By night he writes speculative,

historical, crime and other fiction. His debut novel, EXPIRATION DAY, was published by Tor

Teen in 2014 and won the 2015 Hal Clement Award for better than half-decent science in a YA

novel—the citation actually says "Excellence in Children's Science Fiction Literature".

William’s latest novel - TEARDOWN - was published 10th December 2024, by NineStar Press in

the US; it is an LGBT+ romance/road-trip.

His short fiction has appeared in DreamForge, Metastellar, Abyss & Apex and other outlets.

By day he writes software for a living and in the twilight he sings tenor, plays guitar and writes

songs.

My websites: https://williamcampbellpowell.com/

https://teardownbook.co.uk/

Buy Links: https://teardownbook.co.uk/#where The book will be on sale for $0.99

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WillCamPowell/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/willcampowell

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/willcampowell.bsky.social

One USP: The book is about a band and contains original songs, for which I have created

demos – see/listen: https://williamcampbellpowell.com/music/music.html

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Blurb Blitz - Only in September by Cynthia Flowers

                           

 This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions to celebrate the release day of ONLY IN SEPTEMBER by Cynthia Flowers. Cynthia will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When Jacqueline follows her trusty Labrador Bailey down a hidden path to the beach, she's unaware that her vacation plans on a small island off the New England coast has already taken her life in a new direction. Running into an unassuming local beach comber stirs new thoughts, desires, and a self-determination she never knew she possessed. Jacqueline will need to trust her instincts and make the most of what fate has in store if she wants the future that, until now, she has only dared to dream of.

Read an Excerpt

The ferry was taking its sweet time making its way to Block Island.

Time is the ultimate dictator. Where did I hear that? I couldn’t have just come up with that one on my own.

Jacqueline French grabbed one of the last outside seats on the Block Island Ferry. It had only left Point Judith, RI, ten minutes ago, but for her, it seemed like ten hours ago. This would be her fourth September visiting this tiny tear drop-shaped island nestled between the south coast of Rhode Island and Montauk Point, located at the eastern tip of the south fork of Long Island, New York.

She always preferred visiting Block Island this time of year, after many of the Labor Day vacation stragglers dispersed and the kids were back at school. Although there were still a fair number of visitors, the din of racing mopeds was confined mostly to the weekends. Thanks to Michael, who she met on her first trip to Block Island, she came to know virtually every back road and trail on this seven-mile-long by three-mile-wide island. Beyond its beauty, Jacqueline’s deeper connection with the island was its shape. She shed many tears lately over the fate of her marriage and the direction her life had taken.

She always brought Bailey, her chocolate Labrador retriever, on her September sojourns to Block Island. Bailey enjoyed seeing the seals every year, and they seemed curious about her. But Bailey had become too arthritic to make the trip this year.

About the Author: Cynthia Flowers, a recently retired advertising professional, now grant writer, resides with her husband and four-year old Labrador named Eddie, at their “sanctuary” in Upstate New York, Although previously published, this is Cynthia's first book of fiction. Early on in grade school, Cynthia looked forward to creative writing class and enjoyed reading her stories aloud to her eager classmates.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Only-September-Cynthia-Flowers-ebook/dp/B0DWT79L6N/ref=sr_1_1



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Book Blast - Syndicate Moon by Scott Killian

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Scott Killian will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Jael and his crew are on the run, searching for an ancient machine that could save the galaxy, but the syndicate-controlled moon has other plans.

After uncovering an artifact that grants him extraordinary powers, Jael thought he had gained the upper hand in the lawless fringes of space. But news of his newfound abilities has spread throughout the galaxy, and a bounty is placed on his head for crimes he didn’t commit. New enemies emerge to claim the reward and old foes remain relentless in their pursuit of the artifact.

Jael is unwillingly thrust into a high-stakes game that determines control over the moon. The four crime syndicates use this brutal contest to decide who will rule, and now Jael’s fate is entangled with theirs.

Complicating matters further, a mysterious woman with a similar artifact stalks Jael across the moon, sabotaging his quest. With each step, the stakes rise, and every decision could mean life or death. Jael must fight to stay alive, protect his crew, and uncover the second Antiqui lock—before time runs out.

Read an Excerpt:

Sprinting to the edge of the barge, Jael quickly reloaded his pistol with his last three slugs. He aimed and fired at Lorvel. Lorvel swung to the side, barely avoiding Jael’s shot. Jael cursed under his breath and fired again, but Lorvel moved surprisingly fast, evading again. Not wanting to waste his final bullet, Jael holstered the pistol and dashed toward Lorvel. Lorvel had managed to get up onto the side of the barge, and he rolled to avoid Jael’s charge. Jael skidded to a stop, sending loose trash over the side and quickly pivoting and dropping into a fighting stance.

Lorvel fired his own weapon at Jael, but black crystalline armor erupted from Jael’s skin, deflecting the shots. The bullets pinged off the scales, creating sparks. Lorvel’s gun clicked, signaling that his clip was empty. He dove behind a mound of trash, disappearing from sight. Jael rushed to the spot, but when he reached the pile, Lorvel was already gone.

“So what is all that rocky juuk?” Lorvel called out, his voice now coming from the opposite direction of where he had been just moments earlier. “A nanite lattice? Some new tech you stole from Hezion Corp? That why you killed them all, butcher?”

“Sure. Whatever you want to think.” Jael moved around the barge, walking slowly at first and then running to where he thought Lorvel was hiding. “You wouldn’t believe the real story even if I told you.”

“Try me. I’ve been around the galaxy and seen a few things.”

Jael heard the click of Lorvel’s hammer on his gun pull back. Two shots pounded into the back of Jael’s head, and he spun around to see nothing but trash. “Why don’t you come out and fight me face to face?”

Lorvel laughed. “Because I’m not suicidal. You just bodied a half-dozen of Legion’s…” There was a momentary silence before Lorvel spoke again. “Well, I won’t say best, but they were pretty good fighters.”

Merzi zipped overhead, turning and idling. Jael and her made eye contact, and she nodded her head to his right. He slowly and as quietly as he could shift his weight and sprang over a pile of refuse.

“Saihreen warned us you were some kind of warrior monk. Said we should be—” Lorvel didn’t get to finish.

Jael came crashing down on Lorvel. Both the men strained as they wrestled for control. With a quick twist of his wrist, Lorvel managed to bring his gun around and shoved it into Jael's midsection. Slamming his forearm into Lorvel’s wrist, Jael redirected the shot. The gun discharged, and the bullet hammered into Jael’s side. It hurt, but Jael powered through and struck down Lorvel’s hand, trying to free the gun.

Lorvel snarled and used his free hand to jab at Jael’s ribs, attempting to find an opening. Jael grunted, absorbing the blow and tightening his grip around Lorvel’s arm. He twisted Lorvel’s wrist, forcing the gun into an upward angle.

The next few shots were fired into the air. He brought his knee up into Lorvel’s midsection. Lorvel gasped, the impact knocking the wind out of him, and Jael wrenched the gun from his grasp.

Slamming the butt of the pistol into Lorvel’s face, he flipped it and pulled the trigger.

About the Author: Scott Killian grew up in California where he consumed every bit of sci-fi, fantasy and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and H. P. Lovecraft, those portals in his mind were opened, and his obsession with reading began. Storytelling, in any form, is his only passion.

Inspired by epic sci-fi space operas, Killian crafts tales of interstellar adventure and space wars, blending thrilling martial arts combat with galactic-scale conflict. His works often feature gritty fight sequences and complex characters caught in the heart of a stellar conflict, creating a unique blend of space opera thriller and sci-fi epic.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scott.E.killian
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorscottkillian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.e.killian/
Twitter: https://x.com/authorsekillian

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Syndicate-Moon-Thrilling-Sci-fi-Stellar-ebook/dp/B0DG3XZCSH/ref=sr_1_1 FREE TO READ ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

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Book Blast - Love Letters to Me, Myself and Him by Rayan Khamis

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Rayan Khamis will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

"No two souls meet by accident"

Have you ever felt like you've missed someone you've never met? Like your soul is yearning to meet another soul that fate has destined for you to meet? As I tackle the challenges of everyday life I come to realization that there's a higher power guiding me to my soulmate. These love letters have become my anchor and devotion towards my soulmate though we've never locked eyes. Come on a journey of self- discovery, self- reflection, faith, destiny and hope. Unwind to my truth of what love, guidance and faithfulness means to me.

Read an Excerpt

“When we sleep our souls partially or temporarily leave our bodies. Sleep is a minor form of death, where the body is present, but the soul is elsewhere. Some people underestimate the significance of dreams by completely disregarding them, while others make too much of them and make every decision in their life based on a dream. Both the Quran and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, highlight that some dreams have symbols and meanings.”

The Prophet, peace be upon him, categorized dreams into three types:

1. A vision or true dream that is from God
2. A false dream which comes from the devil
3. A meaningless everyday dream which could come from one’s lower self or subconscious thoughts

I am someone who goes to sleep every night saying a prayer to protect me from the devil. At least I try, but when I do, I know that I either go to sleep dreaming from my subconscious or I go to sleep getting a dream from Allah. And it’s easy to decipher the two. As a pious Muslim woman, God is trying to tell us something when we get a dream from Him. For the past 5 years I’ve been dreaming, getting visions after praying for this soulmate of mine. Insha’Allah, because I’ve written a whole book about him, there are some parts where I thought I almost found the one, but I was foolishly blind. However, in the end something great came out of it. I’m a grateful person. I’m trying to stay positive through life because in Islam life is just a test, but the thing is we get lost chasing this dunya (life) We get lost chasing this life when it’s not worth anything. It sounds depressing, I know, but it’s the most beautiful religion I’m still living for. Alhamdulillah (praise be to God)

About the Author: Rayan, a talented 27-year-old author, hails from Sudan, North Africa. She moved to Canada at the tender age of four, where she has cultivated a unique voice in the literary world. Though she discovered her passion for writing later in life, it was in 2019 that she first picked up a pen to craft love letters, a genre that has since become her signature.

Known for her wit and quiet demeanor around most people, Rayan's true personality shines brightly when she is among her loved ones, where her loud and vibrant nature comes to life. Her writing reflects this duality, blending sharp humour with heartfelt emotion to create deeply resonant works that captivate her readers.

Rayan's journey from Sudan to Canada and her experiences growing up between two cultures provide a rich backdrop for her writing, infusing her love letters with a depth and authenticity that set her apart in the literary scene. As she continues to write and share her stories, Rayan remains a dynamic and compelling voice, one that speaks to the complexities of love, identity, and connection.

Instagram : http://www.instagram.com/rayanroseay
TikTok : http://www.tiktok.com/@aboutusletters

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Book Blast - In Search of Recognition by Jim McAllister

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jim McAllister will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In Search of Recognition: The Story of Search and Rescue in British Columbia provides background on why and how organized volunteer search and rescue became a reality in the province, and how search and rescue evolved over many years to meet the increasing demands of finding lost people and rescuing those injured outdoors. The primary focus of the thousands of volunteers is to save the lives of persons lost or injured outdoors; training and fundraising for equipment and other costs also require time and energy. Through personal involvement and references, the author provides insights into how funding and other support for the volunteer service was achieved, through government, responsible agencies, organizations and individuals working together to find ways to assist those who strive "so others may live."

Read an Excerpt

Civil defence continued to be the focus of all levels of government in BC during the 1960s. The cold war standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States and its allies continued to escalate as nuclear capabilities grew. Air raid siren tests were common along with drills in schools in BC. Citizens in Comox were treated to the sights and sounds of Voodoo fighter jets launching to intercept Russian long-distance bombers. The RCAF remained the lead for air and marine search and rescue, from their base on Sea Island. Searches for missing aircraft and vessels in distress were numerous, as technology such as tracking and alerting systems were yet to be developed or in their infancy.

About the Author: Jim McAllister has been involved in search and rescue for over 45 years, starting as a volunteer member in the Rocky Mountains in 1977 with Golden and District SAR and then Cranbrook SAR. He became the SAR specialist for the Province of B.C. in 2002. In 2008, Jim retired from the provincial government as a director with Emergency Management British Columbia and became a volunteer director for special projects with the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association. Jim has been involved with many major projects: the establishment of Avalanche Canada, the updating of volunteer reimbursement rates, the establishment of health and safety guidelines, the formation of a joint health and safety committee, Swiftwater Rescue standards, sustainable funding for search and rescue and the establishment of the British Columbia Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial. Jim wrote a book on the last project, titled A Monument to Remember, and one on incidents, titled One Week in August: Stories from Search and Rescue in British Columbia.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/1779627394
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/519145.Jim_McAllister

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