Date Published: March 15, 2021
Publisher: Del Sol Press
In the course of a morning, Dungsten Crease resurrects his neighbor’s dog, is arrested by TSA for carrying a weapon which never existed, and drowns a woman at an airline ticket counter—or could he be hallucinating? In his panic he locks himself in the men's room of a coffee shop only to find a strange man in cycling togs sharing the space. The lanky intruder claims to be Dungsten’s neurally implanted concierge unit who has two disturbing messages. Dungsten is a Shaper—an obsolete, genetically programmed tool created by a bankrupt galactic corporation to terraform planetary experiences for vacationing clients; and the woman he inadvertently killed at the airport with his Shaper abilities will be the love of his life. Attracting government agents who want to weaponize him and Galactic Business Council assassins who want to terminate him, fear drives the Shaper within to inadvertently bifurcate, a second Dungsten also now running from his pursuers. But bifurcation comes at a price: loss of appetite, swelling of the hands and feet, an erection lasting longer than four hours, loss of bladder control, rectal bleeding, psychosis, convulsions, and sudden death. To pull himself back together and if he’s lucky, survive, he must master his Shaper abilities before he becomes a victim, or worse, accidentally destroys Earth and everyone he loves along with it.
What is the hardest part of writing
your books?
Proofreading.
Writing is the fun part when I get to create characters and place them in a
world. And while editing is a bit more technical, I’m still crafting the story,
working on structure, pace, tension, and all the elements that make good
storytelling. But finding typos, misspellings, errant commas—kill me now!
What songs are most played on your
Ipod?
I’m a huge
jazz fan. Lately I’ve been grooving to old Carmel Jones recordings (check out
Night Tide) and quite a bit of Bill Evans (must be a pandemic thing to relax),
Snarky Puppy, and did you happen to hear Chick Corea’s Grammy winning album? We
lost a great one, but I’m sure glad he was with us for a time. I’ve also been
digging the Black Pumas, Gary Clark Jr., and Larkin Poe.
Do you have critique partners or beta
readers?
I used to
read regularly with a critique group, but I think we all eventually found the
issues we needed feedback about could not be worked in a selection from a
chapter. So I have beta readers of various sorts. Some are writers who can give
technical feedback, some are readers who can give me a great inside perspective
on what it’s like to read the story. Both are quite helpful. And I’ve got a friend
who catches little details—the blue pickup on page 2 turned into a red sedan on
page 202. Awesome.
What book are you reading now?
At the moment,
I’m reading a Tana French novel, The Searcher about an American in Ireland.
Beautiful writing. Prior to that I read fellow Del Sol Press author, Melanie
Bacon’s mystery, The Detectivists: Dragon Ripper. A new take on Sherlock Holmes.
Great read.
How did you start your writing career?
I was a
frustrated writer, making a living doing other things and having very little
time to write. Then I decided I better focus or I’d lose the chance to do what
I love. The Bifurcation of Dungsten Crease is actually the evolution of the
first novel I wrote, but did not publish. It was followed by three humorous thrillers
set in Texas and two fantasy thrillers—all published by Del Sol Press.
Tell us about your next release.
Thanks for hosting me on the
blog. Much appreciated! Here’s a little blurb about my latest novel.
The Birfucation of Dungsten
Crease is a story about an ordinary person who discovers something extraordary
about himself and then must figure out a way to live in this new world. In the
course of a morning, Dungsten Crease resurrects his neighbor’s dog, is arrested
by TSA for carrying a weapon, and drowns a woman at an airline ticket counter.
In a panic, he locks himself in the men's room of a coffee shop only to find a
strange man in cycling togs sharing the space. The lanky intruder claims to be
Dungsten’s neurally implanted concierge unit who has two disturbing messages.
Dungsten is a Shaper—an obsolete, genetically programmed tool created by a
bankrupt galactic corporation to terraform planetary experiences for vacationing
clients; and the woman he inadvertently killed at the airport with his Shaper
abilities will be the love of his life. Attracting government agents who want
to weaponize him and Galactic Business Council assassins who want to terminate
him, fear drives the Shaper within to inadvertently bifurcate, a second
Dungsten also now running from his pursuers. But bifurcation comes at a price:
loss of appetite, swelling of the hands and feet, an erection lasting longer
than four hours, loss of bladder control, rectal bleeding, psychosis,
convulsions, and sudden death. To pull himself back together and if he’s lucky,
survive, he must master his Shaper abilities before he becomes a victim, or
worse, accidentally destroys Earth and everyone he loves along with it.
No one ever said being a
galactic corporate tool would be easy.
About the Author
Richard Hacker, lives and writes in Seattle, Washington after living many years in Austin, Texas. In addition to the science fiction/fantasy novels, which include The Alchimeía Series, his crime novels ride the thin line between fact and fiction in Texas. Along the way, his writing has been recognized by the Writer’s League of Texas and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. As a judge in literary contests shuch as PNWA and ChicLit, and as a freelance development editor, he enjoys the opportunity to work with other writers. In addition, he is the Sci-Fi/Fantasy editor for the Del Sol Review. When not writing he’s singing jazz and creating visual art.
Del Sol Press books by Richard Hacker are available at Amazon
The Alchimeía Series
DIEBACK: Book One
VENGEANCE OF GRIMBALD: Book Two
Other books by Richard Hacker:
Nick Sibelius Crime Series
KILL’T DEAD OR WORSE
BUZZARD BAIT
ALL HAT AND NO CATTLE
Contact Links
Purchase Link
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