MILTON, ONTARIO, January 27, 2023 – A large fireball gives a hint of the excitement to come in the cover art of The Earthborn by Arlene F. Marks, coming this May from Brain Lag.
The cover was revealed today for this first novel in the Nash’terel series, books about alien vampires living in exile on Earth from persecution on their home planet. The Earthborn stars Bilyash, a young Nash’terel with a magnetism affinity he can use for everything from flinging metal objects through the air to controlling the flow of a person’s blood through their body. His dreams of coming out of hiding to join the film industry in Toronto are quickly dashed when assassins from his people’s home world track him down and he has to go on the run with a very special human woman and an indomitable Chihuahua. With elements of urban fantasy, romance, thriller, and science fiction, Marks has crafted a tale of danger and cunning that will appeal to adults with a range of interests.
The Earthborn has been praised by advance reviewers. James Alan Gardner, multiple Aurora Award-winning author of They Promised Me the Gun Wasn’t Loaded, said, “This is the “Alien Vampires in the Toronto Film Industry” novel you were waiting for!” Ed Greenwood, bestselling author and recent inductee into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, adds, “THE EARTHBORN moves fast, but not so fast that the humor ever departs, nor the very vivid characters ever grow thin. This is a delightful romp, masterfully told by a veteran storyteller who should be on everyone’s reading shelf.”
The Earthborn will be released May 12, 2023 in trade paperback (312 pages, ISBN 978-1-928011-96-5, $22.99 CAD) and ebook (ISBN 978-1-928011-97-2, $4.99) formats. The book is currently available for preorder directly through the publisher and is making its way into bookstore catalogues. As part of the book’s release, the author and publisher will be hosting a virtual release party Saturday, May 13 on Twitch, along with other in-person events in southern Ontario.
Marks, a retired teacher, fashion consultant, travel agent, and more, has written multiple writing programs and is the author of the six-book Sic Transit Terra space opera series. Her previous Brain Lag releases include the novels Adventures in Godhood and Weekends Can Be Murder, along with her short story collection Imaginary Friends. The second Nash’terel book, The Bloodstone, is coming November 2023 and another book has been signed for May 2024. She now spends her days writing on the shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario with her husband and collection of owls.
The Earthborn will be Brain Lag’s 45th title. Marks continues to release books alongside twenty other Brain Lag authors, over half of whom are from southern Ontario. This is the publisher’s fourth release of eleven planned for 2023.
Media inquiries and requests for review copies or to contact the author can be directed to publishing@brain-lag.com.
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